Lakers Notes: Vincent, Luka, LeBron, Reaves, Jemison
The Lakers rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit before ultimately prevailing in overtime during Thursday’s victory over the Knicks. Los Angeles has now won eight straight and 20 of its past 24 games.
As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, while Luka Doncic and LeBron James each recorded 30-point double-doubles, both superstars credited the team’s supporting cast for the comeback victory. Gabe Vincent, who was limited to just 11 games last season due to a knee injury, made three three-pointers late in the fourth quarter. Doncic said those timely shots “won the game.”
“It’s part of why I’m here,” Vincent said. “Part of why I’m here is what I’ve done at those moments late in the season. So just try and take the experience I’ve had and built and just try to continue to keep up with winning games.”
The Lakers also received important contributions from rookie forward Dalton Knecht (11 points, four rebounds), starting center Jaxson Hayes (eight points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks) and backup center Trey Jemison (seven points, four rebounds), McMenamin notes.
“There’s no such thing as non-key players on this team,” James said. “Everybody is key. And everybody who steps on the floor has a role and they go in and match that. And I thought our bench gave us a great lift once again and Gabe was — I’ll single him out — he was spectacular. His play both on the defensive end and obviously his shooting, we needed it.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Jovan Buha and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic share their takeaways from Thursday’s matchup between the Lakers and Knicks. As we relayed in another story, the biggest news from the game was Knicks star Jalen Brunson suffering a right ankle injury in overtime.
- He struggled in the game, going just 2-of-13 from the field in 32 minutes, but it was a positive development that Austin Reaves was able to return from a right calf strain, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group. Reaves had missed the past two contests with the injury. “The imaging we got kind of relieved any fears we had,” head coach JJ Redick said before Thursday’s game. “It’s just been more about him feeling comfortable and ready to play. He’s just had an overall great season. He’s been solid – more than solid. He’s been really good through each iteration of this team this season. And I think the more time that him, Bron and Luka could just all be on the court together and get comfortable is good for us going into this home stretch.”
- Although it’s largely a coincidence, since they happened to sign him right when their hot streak began, the Lakers have yet to lose a game in which Jemison has appeared for them in 2024/25, tweets Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Jemison, who is on a two-way contract, is a candidate to be promoted to the standard roster, as two-way players aren’t eligible for the postseason. The Lakers are now 13-0 when Jemison plays.
Mark Cuban On Luka Doncic Trade: “Get A Better Deal”
In an exclusive interview with WFFA’s Jonah Javad on Thursday evening (YouTube link), former Mavericks majority owner — and current minority stakeholder — Mark Cuban broke his silence about the shocking decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
The full deal saw the Mavericks send Doncic, Markieff Morris and Maxi Kleber to the Lakers, with the Mavericks acquiring Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. Utah was also involved, receiving a couple of second-round picks (one from L.A., one from Dallas) for taking on the salary of Jalen Hood-Schifino, who was later waived (he is now on a two-way deal with Philadelphia).
Was Cuban upset about the trade?
“Yeah, of course. … If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that’s one thing. Just get a better deal. … I still firmly believe if we had gotten four unprotected number ones and Anthony Davis and Max Christie, this would be a different conversation.”
Would he have made the trade?
“I’m not going to go there. It doesn’t even matter.”
Cuban confirmed he did not have advanced knowledge of the deal, which has been previously reported.
“I knew five minutes at the most before (it was reported). … From a basketball perspective, you know, I hear about it after the fact, I don’t hear about anything beforehand.”
Is it difficult for him to be out of the loop when he was used to being actively involved in front office decisions?
“Yeah, there are parts that aren’t fun, obviously. Especially this month, or last month. But, you know, they paid for that right.”
Does he regret selling his majority stake in the Mavs?
“Sometimes I get mad (and think) ‘I would have done this.’ But, not really. … I didn’t want my kids to end up in this exact position, at some level, if they made a mistake. Imagine if I didn’t [sell], and my kids had taken over and they made a mistake like this.”
On the team’s struggle to communicate with fans in the aftermath of the trade:
“I think the biggest challenge that the Mavs have right now is there’s nobody who’s really outgoing to communicate. It’s not so much what you do, it’s how you communicate why you do what you do — and that’s their challenge without me in front.”
Has he been consulted by GM Nico Harrison or governor Patrick Dumont since the trade was completed?
“I have not talked to Nico about it. I said hi to Nico twice after the trade.”
The full video interview can be found here, while more transcript highlights can be found on WFFA’s website.
Pacific Notes: Knox, Podziemski, Gillespie, Jones
Former lottery pick Kevin Knox is on his second 10-day deal with the Warriors and is hoping to stick with the team beyond the expiration of that contract, according to Andrew Crane of the New York Post (subscriber link). Knox suited up for Golden State’s summer team and G League squad to begin this year before his eventual promotion to a 10-day contract.
“At the end of the day, you gotta put your ego and pride aside and go out there and just do what’s needed, best for you,” Knox said of his time in the G League. “And I think that was the best at the time, me to go there and to get some more reps, more film so the coaches, people around the league can see that I still can play this game.”
Knox’s role is somewhat limited by the fact that he’s playing on a star-filled roster in the midst of a playoff race, but he’s still working to impress Warriors brass. In his seven games with the team, he’s averaging 4.0 points per night.
“I’m just so impressed with the fact that he’s on this path, on this journey and not giving in,” coach Steve Kerr said of Knox.
Knox’s second 10-day deal runs through Monday. At that time, the Warriors will need to decide if they want to keep him for the rest of the season or extend a 10-day deal or standard contract to someone else. Yuri Collins also signed a 10-day deal on the same day as Knox, but he wasn’t given a second one.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Second-year guard Brandin Podziemski exited Thursday’s game against Brooklyn in the first minute, heading to the locker room after being seen grabbing his back, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Podziemski was later ruled out for the remainder of the game, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk (Twitter link). After the win, Kerr said the guard’s back simply tightened up and that the injury wasn’t serious. He’ll be listed as day-to-day moving forward, per Slater (Twitter link).
- Suns players and coaches are happy, but not surprised, that two-way guard Collin Gillespie is contributing to recent wins. In the Suns’ last two victories, he’s totaled 19 points, seven assists and a trio of three-pointers. “It just seems like a story in itself, an all-time moment for him and a big moment for our team,” Devin Booker said, per PHNX Sports (Twitter link). “I’ve seen behind the scenes, it’s nothing that just popped up out of nowhere. I don’t think it caught any of us by surprise.” Gillespie spent the first two years of his career on a two-way deal with the Nuggets, missing his first season due to injury, before signing on with the Suns this offseason. “There’s a lot of confidence in him,” coach Mike Budenholzer said, as captured by PHNX Sports. “Collin just has a way, I think all his teammates love him. There’s a toughness, I think the Villanova coaching, the Villanova winning, it’s real.”
- Derrick Jones Jr. is reaching new heights for the Clippers, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes. He’s averaging career highs in points per game (10.6) and three-point percentage (35.6%) to help keep the team firmly in the playoff picture. In an exclusive interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Jones spoke about his role in Los Angeles, what he thinks he can improve, the coaching staff and more. “It’s just me having the same confidence as always,” Jones said of his success with the Clippers. “Whenever my opportunity comes, I go to score, I go to be aggressive or I make a play for somebody else. When I’m always on the floor, I’m always being aggressive and not having any seconds thoughts.“
Injury Notes: Martin, Gobert, Jackson, Monk, Thompson, Heat
Caleb Martin is close to making his Mavericks debut. He was upgraded to questionable for Dallas’ Friday game against the Grizzlies, according to The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Curtis (Twitter link). Martin hasn’t played since Jan. 10, when he was a member of the Sixers.
The Mavericks acquired Martin at the trade deadline in exchange for Quentin Grimes. It was an interesting move in the wake of the Luka Doncic trade, as the Mavs sent out the younger Grimes – set to hit restricted free agency this summer – and acquired the 29-year-old Martin in the first of a four-year, $35MM deal.
However, Martin hasn’t played for the shorthanded Mavericks as he works his way back from a hip strain. In 31 games with Philadelphia, he averaged 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 43.5% from the floor and 37.9% from three.
The return of Martin would be more than welcome news for the Mavericks. Heading into its matchup with Memphis, Dallas only has eight players fully available.
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has missed the last nine games due to a lower back injury. He was upgraded to questionable for the team’s Friday game against the Heat, according to team PR (Twitter link). Gobert is averaging 11.0 points and 10.4 rebounds this season.
- Jaren Jackson Jr., who is currently week-to-week with an ankle sprain, wasn’t in a walking boot and was moving around well on the Grizzlies‘ bench, according to Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com (Twitter link). While nothing is confirmed, those are good signs for the star big man to be back on the shorter end of that timetable.
- Kings guard Malik Monk is day-to-day with a right toe sprain, according to the Kings (Twitter link via Andscape’s Marc J. Spears). He’s out for at least Sacramento’s game against the Spurs on Friday and will be evaluated on a daily basis afterward.
- J.B. Bickerstaff said Ausar Thompson is no longer on a minutes restriction, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). The young Pistons forward has improved his conditioning in recent weeks. “(Monday’s game vs.) Utah was the first time he reached 30 minutes in a game, and doing it in a high altitude shows how far he’s come,” Bickerstaff said.
- The Heat have been down multiple starters and rotation players during the past two games due to injuries and illnesses. However, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, they should be getting reinforcements soon. Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Andrew Wiggins were all upgraded to questionable for Friday’s matchup against the Wolves. Kel’el Ware remains out and Alec Burks was downgraded to questionable. The Heat have assigned Josh Christopher to the G League, which may be a sign that the team expects to have more players available on Friday.
Northwest Notes: SGA, Filipowski, McDaniels, Henderson, Billups
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is fresh off his fourth 50-point game in the past seven weeks and currently appears to be the favorite for the league’s Most Valuable Player award. As Fred Katz of The Athletic writes, an unmatched motor and a strong summertime workout routine helped Gilgeous-Alexander take what used to be an unconventional route to superstardom (none of the top three presumed MVP vote-earners were top-10 picks).
“He’s ahead of his time,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “Intuitively, he’s where the scientific research is, which is you wanna be making decisions. You want randomness in your workouts. You want variability. You want interweaving in the workout. He kinda does that naturally.”
Gilgeous-Alexander is breaking through the trend of high-usage players seeing efficiency taper off. His 64.5% true shooting percentage and 34.6% usage percentage are both career highs and lead most guards in the league.
“It’s like LeBron [James] in his prime, Giannis [Antetokounmpo], the speed of [Ja] Morant, the speed and power of [Russell] Westbrook; he’s a great athlete, but he’s not an overpowering athlete, where those guys are,” Daigneault said. “And yet, he gets to the same places on the floor as they do. And to me, that says it all about the skill.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Jazz rookie big man Kyle Filipowski is coming off two of the best games of his career, scoring 25 points on Monday and going for 23 and 13 rebounds on Wednesday. Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune explores whether Filipowski is better suited to be playing the four or the five for the Jazz moving forward. Larsen opines that, while Filipowski isn’t the strongest interior defender, he’s probably best suited for the center position. “The responsibility between a four and a three on offense sometimes [doesn’t differ] very much,” head coach Will Hardy said. “The responsibilities between four and five are very different, and so Flip has had to deal with a lot of change throughout the season … He deserves a lot of credit, because that’s a hard thing. We have a lot of guys who are trying to learn their responsibilities at one position, and Flip’s doing it at two.”
- Jaden McDaniels offensive emergence is key to the Timberwolves‘ playoff push, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. In his last 12 games, McDaniels has averaged 19.2 points and 3.0 assists per game — in his first 52 games, he put up just 11.0 PPG and 1.7 APG. The forward’s three-point volume has also gone up — he launched a season-high nine outside attempts on Wednesday. He’s also on a different level now as a rebounder than he ever has been. “He can do a lot of different things, and he works his butt off,” teammate Julius Randle said. “We need him to play with that confidence because it gives us a whole different level as a team.”
- Scoot Henderson is continuing to emerge as a more consistent player, but Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link) doesn’t see the former No. 3 overall pick returning to the starting lineup soon. Because the Trail Blazers are still in contention for a play-in spot, a shake-up might not make sense at this juncture. If Portland is eliminated, the club may switch things up.
- In the same article, Highkin explores the Trail Blazers‘ three options with Chauncey Billups this summer. Billups has shown he’s grown as a coach with Portland’s turnaround, Highkin writes, so they could either pick up the fifth-year option he has for next season, sign him to an extension, or mutually allow him to look for other opportunities.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers’ Acquisitions, Nets, Clowney, Knicks
The Sixers made moves at the deadline to get younger and more athletic, bringing in Quentin Grimes and Jared Butler before signing Lonnie Walker IV. Having lost Joel Embiid for the season, Philadelphia hasn’t become a better team as a result of its pivot to youth, but it has shown a vision for the younger players to become members of the rotation next season.
As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, Grimes in particular has been a standout addition. He’s shown to be capable in either a starting or reserve role and is averaging 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 52.4% shooting from the floor in his 11 games (eight starts) with Philadelphia. He’s scored at least 30 points three times, including 44 in a win over the red-hot Warriors last weekend.
Grimes will be a restricted free agent this summer, giving the Sixers the right to match any outside offers.
As for Butler, the Sixers were excited to acquire the former two-way guard from Washington, promoting him to a standard deal quickly upon his arrival. According to Pompey, the Sixers were interested in Butler during the 2021 draft and wanted to get a closer look at him, giving up a first-round pick in the process (and getting four seconds in return).
Pompey writes Butler has shown flashes but that Jeff Dowtin, currently on a two-way deal, has taken his spot in the rotation. Butler has a team option worth $2.35MM for next season that the Sixers will decide on this summer.
Walker has also gotten a chance to play a rotation role, averaging 16.7 minutes in his first six games. Pompey writes that Walker is still getting adjusted back to the NBA after playing overseas for the first half of the season. Like Butler, Walker has a team option for next season.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets have an open roster spot after not immediately extending Killian Hayes another 10-day contract. Net Income of NetsDaily notes that Brooklyn has a cushion of $1.08MM under the luxury tax, but Cameron Johnson is likely to hit an incentive that will cut that number in half. Still, there’s value in signing a player into that approximately half-million in anticipated space. Since rest-of-season salaries are prorated, the Nets won’t have a problem adding someone on a minimum deal. Tosan Evbuomwan is one candidate for a standard deal, since he’s been a part of the rotation, but Net Income notes that Evbuomwan’s two-way deal covers two years, so there’s no real rush to promote him. The Nets could circle back to Hayes later on or sign another player from a G League team.
- Nets second-year big Noah Clowney hasn’t played since Jan. 27, but it sounds as though he’s inching toward a return. According to the New York Post’s Brian Lewis (Twitter link), Clowney had his first five-on-five scrimmage on Thursday. Clowney is averaging 9.4 points and 3.9 rebounds this season.
- The Knicks are 0-7 this season against the top three teams in the league: the Thunder, Celtics and Cavaliers. On paper, New York has a contending roster, filled with versatile defenders on the wings and stars in Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson. So what’s causing the slide against the league’s best? According to ESPN’s Chris Herring, simple factors are at play. For one, while the Knicks’ offense ranks fourth in rating, they rank 28th in three-point attempt rate. “At the root of it all, it’s math,” an Eastern Conference scout said, per Herring. “They’re really efficient, and will win a ton of games. But the [three-point] volume isn’t enough to beat the Clevelands and the Bostons. Especially when you also factor in that the Knicks are [offensive] rebounding and getting to the line a lot less than last year’s team did.” Additionally, the Knicks’ defense ranks 19th in the league.
Timberwolves May Revisit Kevin Durant Trade Talks This Summer
Coming on the heels of reports that the Suns might work with Kevin Durant to find a trade this summer, it’s worth keeping tabs on the Timberwolves as a potential partner.
The Wolves reportedly explored making a move for Durant at the trade deadline this year, going so far as to call potential partners about ways to shed salary to get under the second apron so that they aggregate money to go and get the 15-time All-Star.
Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up, NBA insider Brian Windhorst suggested that the Timberwolves could revisit those talks for Durant this summer (hat tip to RealGM).
As Windhorst observes, Minnesota star Anthony Edwards and Durant have a good relationship stemming from last year’s Olympics. The Wolves, like most teams across the league, will have more flexibility and roster spots to pursue a potential move this summer.
Durant’s future with the Suns remains up in the air. The Warriors reportedly tried to acquire the star forward this deadline as the Suns looked to land Jimmy Butler in a move that would have forced Phoenix to trade either Durant or Devin Booker due to their second-apron status and inability to move Bradley Beal. With limited future assets, it makes sense that the Suns will look to retool a roster that’s currently on the outside looking in for a play-in spot.
Despite the ongoing trade chatter, Durant continues to be focused on getting the Suns back into playoff contention, showing passion and speaking up for his coach and teammates.
Pelicans’ Trey Murphy Discusses Breakout Season, Zion, More
It has largely been a season to forget for the Pelicans, who hold the fourth-worst record in the NBA in part due to a crushing — and seemingly never-ending — wave of injuries. However, one silver lining has been the standout play of Trey Murphy.
The 24-year-old is posting career highs in virtually every major statistic in 2024/25, including points (21.7), rebounds (5.2), assists (3.8), steals (1.2), blocks (0.7), and minutes (35.6) per game through 46 appearances.
Murphy, who signed a four-year, $112MM rookie scale extension in October (it begins in ’25/26), recently discussed a number of topics in an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. Here are a few highlights.
On his breakout season:
“I’m just trying to get better. I’m understanding that I’m still young and have a long career ahead of me. I just want to build good habits and develop my game. That’s been the biggest thing this season, especially with all the injuries and stuff like that. Those are things we can’t control. The biggest things we can control now is just developing my game and finding ways to get better. … When guys go down, people feel like they have to elevate their roles. So they have to shoot more. I feel like, especially the last three weeks, that my assist numbers have been going up. We’re seeing different coverages. My threat to score has been the biggest thing for me.”
On his nine-figure contract extension:
“It means a lot. Being able to secure generational wealth is great as well as being able to take care of my family. It shows that they believe in me. It means a lot. So it makes me want to continue to work hard and prove them right on their investment.”
On being encouraged by how Zion Williamson responded following a one-game suspension for reportedly missing a team flight and being late for multiple practices:
“He’s been really good. He’s been really good. I’ve seen a big step from him, maturity-wise. It’s been great to see. … Overall, the biggest thing is that he’s been leading by example. He’s been stepping up defensively and talking. He’s sharing the ball offensively. He’s been a complete player.”
On learning from CJ McCollum:
“CJ is probably the person that I look up to the most when it comes to basketball-related things. When I’m his age, I want to be in the position that he’s in with still being super-efficient and still a pro’s pro and is about his business. He has really shown me a lot about the business on and off the court. I’m very appreciative of him. … With how he carries himself, he’s very about taking care of business and making sure to keep the main thing the main thing.”
Murphy’s interview with Medina also touches on how he and the team have dealt with injuries, his close relationship with Brandon Ingram, and how he’s developing into a vocal leader, among other topics. It’s worth reading in full if you’re a fan of the Pelicans and/or Murphy.
Celtics Notes: Sixers Game, Pritchard, White, Walsh
Tonight’s nationally televised game between Boston and Philadelphia will be lacking in star power. The Celtics (Twitter links) have ruled out Jaylen Brown (right knee posterior impingement), Al Horford (left big toe sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness), while Jrue Holiday remains sidelined with a broken finger on his right hand (mallet finger).
Both Jayson Tatum (right shoulder impingement) and Sam Hauser (right ankle sprain) are questionable to suit up, per the team.
The banged-up Sixers, who have already lost Joel Embiid, Jared McCain and Eric Gordon for the season, will be without Paul George this evening due to left groin soreness, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter). George, who has battled a variety of injuries in 2024/25, was previously listed as questionable.
Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain) and Kyle Lowry (right hip injury management) are also out for the 76ers, while Justin Edwards is questionable with a left ankle sprain, according to the league’s latest injury report.
Thursday is the second end of a back-to-back for Boston; Philadelphia last played on Tuesday.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- Guards Payton Pritchard and Derrick White made history in Wednesday’s 10-point victory over Portland, writes Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. In addition to becoming the first Celtics duo to score 40-plus points in the same game, they also became the first tandem in NBA history to each make at least nine three-pointers in the same contest. Both players set career highs in points and threes made, with Pritchard (43 and 10) slightly edging White (41 and nine). They were both extremely efficient — Pritchard shot 14-of-20 and chipped in 10 rebounds and five assists in 43 minutes, while White was 14-of-26 and also had three rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. Remarkably, they only combined for one turnover.
- Second-year forward Jordan Walsh was a surprise contributor in yesterday’s win, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. The 21-year-old has only averaged 8.0 minutes per game in 41 appearances this season, but he matched a season high by playing 21 minutes against the Blazers. As Robb writes, Walsh hadn’t played at all in three of the five games leading up to Wednesday’s contest, in part due to the signing of veteran Torrey Craig. However, Walsh was ahead of Craig on the depth chart yesterday and got an opportunity for playing time with Tatum, Porzingis and Holiday out.
- After the game, head coach Joe Mazzulla explained Walsh’s increased workload. He finished with three points and six rebounds. “Just with guys out, opportunity is there,” Mazzulla said, per Robb. “His ability to defend in individual defense, these guys do a great job of breaking guys down, and he’s really gotten better at that, and we needed someone who offensive rebounds. I think he got two big ones in the first half, I think he ended up with one more there, so just continuing to get better. It’s an opportunity to get him out there and make sure he continues to grow defensively and rebounding.”
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 3/6/2025
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 2:00 pm Central time (3:00 pm Eastern).