Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Achiuwa, Towns, Payne, Robinson
OG Anunoby isn’t sure what sort of reaction to expect as he prepares for his first game in Toronto since being traded last December, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Anunoby was injured when the Knicks traveled to Canada in March, so tonight will mark his official return in front of Raptors fans.
Anunoby is putting up career-best scoring numbers in his first full season in New York, averaging 17.7 points per game while shooting 49% from the field and 38.2% from three-point range. After playing his first six-and-a-half seasons in Toronto, he is firmly established as part of the Knicks’ foundation, signing a five-year, $212.5MM contract during the offseason.
“It’ll be great to see my friends, the staff, and just the people of Canada,” Anunoby said.
Precious Achiuwa, who came to the Knicks in the same trade, already had his return game in Toronto, posting 19 points and 12 rebounds in a victory last season. Achiuwa has only played two games since coming back from a hamstring injury that he suffered during the preseason, but he was able to log 26 minutes and grab 10 rebounds Saturday night.
“He made a big impact, and I’m not surprised,” Anunoby said. “That’s what he’s always done. He’s a really talented player, a special player, who can do a lot at both ends. The more opportunities he gets, the more he’ll thrive. So it’s not surprising.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- The team isn’t sure about the status of Karl-Anthony Towns or Cameron Payne, who are both listed as questionable for tonight after missing Saturday’s game, Botte adds. Towns was a late scratch due to right knee patellar tendinopathy, while Payne is dealing with a left elbow effusion.
- Josh Hart cites early-game “lulls” as the reason the team has been falling behind recently, Botte states in a separate story. The Knicks were able to overcome deficits against Orlando and Charlotte last week, but they couldn’t do it again Saturday against Detroit after falling behind by 16 points. Several players pointed to miscommunication on defense as the Pistons scored 39 points in the first quarter. “I think communication is the biggest thing. A lot of transition, just no communication, just not talking to each other,” Mikal Bridges said. “And it’s not like we don’t like each other or anything. It’s just that sense of urgency, trying to help each other out. And we ain’t trying to do it on purpose or be a bad person. We’ve just gotta be better. We’ve just gotta be able to talk. We’ve gotta build that.”
- Coach Tom Thibodeau provided a brief medical update on Mitchell Robinson, saying the injured center is making “good, steady progress” in his return from offseason ankle surgery (Twitter video link from SNY).
Stein’s Latest: Nuggets, Yabusele, Nance, Reath
The Nuggets‘ problem with lack of production off their bench could have been addressed by seeking a sign-and-trade deal for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope instead of letting him leave in free agency, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required). Denver improved to 12-10 by winning in Atlanta Sunday night, but that was on the heels of an embarrassing loss Saturday at Washington. Coach Michael Malone is leaning heavily on his starting lineup as he has few proven options among his reserves.
Sources tell Stein that the Mavericks were interested in obtaining Caldwell-Pope via sign-and-trade when free agency opened last summer, but those plans changed when the Nuggets exhibited a reluctance to pursue that option, which would have meant taking back contracts and increasing their luxury tax payment. Denver was also reportedly unwilling to send Caldwell-Pope to one of its chief Western Conference rivals.
Stein points out that Dallas had free agents Tim Hardaway Jr. and Josh Green, who could have been made available in a deal for Caldwell-Pope. Both players were eventually traded, with Hardaway going to Detroit in a swap for Quentin Grimes and Green heading to Charlotte in the six-team deal to acquire Klay Thompson.
Stein hears that the Nuggets eventually warmed up to the idea of a sign-and-trade for Caldwell-Pope, but it was too late in the process to find a taker. Orlando used its cap space to add him with a three-year, $66MM offer, taking away another important piece of the roster that brought a title to Denver in 2023.
Stein describes the Nuggets as “eager” to shake up their current team before the February 6 trade deadline, but they face limited options because of their financial position. He calls it an “open secret” that the team would like to unload former first-round pick Zeke Nnaji, but they would likely have to include draft assets to sweeten any deal due to the fifth-year power forward’s disappointing performance and a contract that runs through 2027/28.
There’s more from Stein:
- Guerschon Yabusele‘s strong start and his minimum contract could make him a valuable trade asset, but the Sixers don’t appear to have any interest in moving him. Yabusele has been one of the few bright spots for the injury-riddled team, averaging 9.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game while shooting 39.5% from three-point range. Even with its disastrous start, Stein points out that Philadelphia is only a game-and-a-half out of the play-in tournament and four-and-a-half games away from the top six in the East. A source tells Stein that the Sixers are “thrilled” with Yabusele’s performance so far.
- The Hawks have been getting offers for Larry Nance Jr. since they acquired him in an offseason trade with New Orleans, but they aren’t interested in parting with him, Stein adds. He points to Clint Capela ($22.3MM expiring contract) as the Atlanta big man who’s most likely to be on the move before the deadline, noting that the Knicks considered making an offer for Capela before landing Karl-Anthony Towns.
- Stein confirms a report by Jake Fischer that Trail Blazers center Duop Reath is worth watching in trade talks. Reath is earning the veteran’s minimum and is probably expendable with three other centers on the roster.
Pacific Notes: James, Harden, Durant, Kuminga
LeBron James had appeared in all 23 of the Lakers‘ games this season until Sunday. The 39-year-old forward missed Los Angeles’ game against the Trail Blazers because of left foot soreness, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports.
James played a season-high 43 minutes on Friday in an overtime loss at the Hawks. He racked up 39 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. He is averaging 23 points, 9.1 assists and 8.0 rebounds per contest.
The four-time MVP was listed as probable earlier on Sunday before being downgraded to doubtful after the team’s walk-through.
“You don’t want him out of the lineup, that’s for sure, but he has an opportunity to get four days’ rest before we practice again,” coach JJ Redick said. “So, it could be really good for him.”
Austin Reaves missed his fifth straight game because of a left pelvic contusion.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Like James, Clippers guard James Harden sat out for the first time this season on Sunday. Harden was sidelined by a groin injury, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Harden scored a season-low five points against Minnesota on Wednesday, but is averaging 21.6 points, 8.5 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game on the season.
- Kevin Durant is making good progress from his left ankle sprain, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “We feel like the reports that we’re getting back are very positive,” Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We’ll see how the next day or two go and I think re-evaluate him. It’ll be good for us to get back and give him some love. He’ll probably give us some love. It’s always good to be around Kevin. He’s good for our spirit.” The team stated on Wednesday that Durant would be out at least a week.
- The Jonathan Kuminga era has begun for the Warriors, Marcus Thompson of The Athletic writes. Kuminga has been inserted into Golden State’s lineup at Draymond Green‘s expense in order to infuse that unit with another offensive jolt. “He’s a big weapon for us. … So we’ve got to lean into that. And it may not go well every night, but that’s what we’re trying to build,” Stephen Curry said. Kuminga will be a restricted free agent after the season.
Embiid: Ongoing Knee Issues “Extremely Depressing”
Joel Embiid made a triumphant return to action on Sunday but he was far from jubilant afterward. The Sixers superstar center expressed exasperation to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps over his ongoing left knee issues that have kept him out of action most of the season.
“Depressing. Just trying to figure it out. There’s no injury. Just between the swelling … we’ve got to get it figured out. That’s it,” he said. “I’ve been saying it for the last few months. It’s been extremely depressing. It’s something that hasn’t been figured out, and it’s been extremely annoying, because I would love to play every single game.”
In uniform for just the fifth time this season and the first time since Nov. 20, Embiid logged 33 minutes against Chicago and contributed 31 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
It was just the second time this season that Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George played in the same game. During their 26 minutes on the court together, the Sixers outscored the Bulls by 14 points.
“It’s easier, man. There’s a lot more space out there,” Maxey said of Embiid’s return. “I felt like today, even when he’s out there and I’m not out there, it’s harder to maybe trap or whatever. They can’t trap ball screens, you know what I mean? Either or if they don’t drive, then I can score or shoot 3 or if they drop too much and help too much for me, I’m pocket passing to him and he’s getting a layup or a [midrange jumper] … it makes the game easier.”
Embiid signed a three-year max extension in September and recent reports have detailed the extensive medical testing he underwent prior to the extension agreement. The team had anticipated Embiid’s issues would be manageable and were surprised by the early absences as he continued the rehab process.
“It felt good to have the guys on the floor. I believe if we’re healthy, and we’re on the floor, we have a chance against anybody, and I like what we have,” Embiid said. “I think the whole thing is about health … that’s what it comes down to. I wish I could have been playing from the beginning. I would love to play every single game, every single minute, but sometimes your body just says, ‘No,’ and you can’t do nothing about it. All you can do is just keep working to fix it and get better.”
Central Notes: Cunningham, Pacers, Cavs, Allen, Mobley
The Pistons ended a 16-game losing streak to the Knicks with a 120-111 win at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Cade Cunningham, who signed a max rookie scale extension in the offseason, carried them to victory with a triple-double, the first time a Detroit player has performed that feat at MSG.
Cunningham told reporters after the game that feels as if he’s moving into the conversation for All-Star consideration.
“I believe I am,” Cunningham said, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “Whenever I’m on the court every night, I feel like I’m the best player. I try to do whatever it takes to help my team win, and my teammates have made me look great this year. I’m just trying to help my team win and we’ll see what happens with it.”
In his last 10 games, Cunningham is averaging 24.5 points, 10.0 assists and 7.1 rebounds, Patterson notes.
We have more from the Central Division:
- A 90-minute shootaround session paid dividends for the Pacers on Friday. They snapped a four-game losing streak with a 132-123 win in Chicago. “We spent a lot of time (Friday) morning and really had the longest shootaround that I’ve had since I’ve been here,” coach Rick Carlisle told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “We just had a lot of things that we had to clean up. One of them was our offensive spacing and movement.”
- The Cavaliers had made 40.5% of their threes heading into Sunday’s action, leading the NBA in that category. They are tops in the league from long range and have a 17-0 record when making 35% or more of their three-point tries. “It’s starting to be real, this deep into the season,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson told Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “You can qualify us as a super excellent shooting team.”
- Jerome Allen returned to the Pistons‘ staff this season under J.B. Bickerstaff after previously serving under Dwane Casey. In between, Allen worked in a variety of roles at Detroit Mumford High School and Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press details Allen’s lasting impact at the school.
- Cavs forward Evan Mobley rolled his left ankle on Sunday and was ruled out for the second half, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets.
Wizards Notes: Losing Streak, Poole, Coulibaly, Valanciunas, Rookies
The Wizards ended their 16-game losing streak with a victory over Denver on Saturday. Both teams were missing key players and Washington withstood a 56-point barrage from Nikola Jokic. Jordan Poole carried Washington with 39 points.
“Obviously, we want to win more games,” Poole said, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “We want to be extremely competitive night in and night out. But through that, we’re learning. We’ve got a lot of guys learning, a lot of guys in and out (with injuries). So, you don’t want to jump ship just because there’s a little bit of adversity. Everything that we’ve been getting taught all season just happened to show (Saturday).”
Poole made a career-best nine 3-pointers. “Been waiting to do that one for a while,” he said after the game.
We have more on the Wizards:
- Bilal Coulibaly had another rough offensive night on Saturday, going 2-for-9 from the field. However, he was a defensive force with four steals and three blocks. “He was wreaking havoc out there,” coach Brian Keefe said, according to Robbins. “Steals. Blocks. … Yes, Bilal hasn’t made some shots lately, but that has not impacted his energy, his effort, his defense. I actually think his defense is actually improving in the last week. Look at some of the guys he’s guarded and what they’ve done against him, it’s not been that great. And that’s a testament to who he is: battling through adversity.”
- Jonas Valanciunas is hopeful that Lithuania will be chosen as the host for FIBA EuroBasket 2029. Lithuania is among the countries who have entered bids. “First, a lot has to happen — paperwork, details, all that. But if we get the chance, it would be amazing,” Valanciunas told Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. “It’s a basketball feast. We’re a basketball country, just like Slovenia. It would be an honor to host the EuroBasket.”
- Rookies have to adjust to NBA officiating and the Wizards’ first-year players are no different. Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network details how Carlton Carrington and other Wizards rookies are learning how to deal with officiating crews.
Southwest Notes: Smart, Grizzlies, Sheppard, Thompson
Ahead of an eventual win for his new team over his old one, Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart reflected on the Celtics’ decision to trade him as part of the three-team deal that sent center Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. The Celtics went on to win the title in the first year after the trade.
As Bobby Manning of CLNS Media (Twitter video link) relays, Smart was surprisingly generous in his assessment of the transaction.
“Great trade, business-wise, just wish they would’ve went about it a little differently, letting me know,” Smart said.
The Celtics drafted the 6’3″ wing with the No. 6 pick in 2014 out of Oklahoma State. He spent his first nine NBA seasons with the team, earning Defensive Player of the Year honors on the 2021/22 squad that made the Finals.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- By besting Boston on its home floor in a 127-121 victory Saturday, the Grizzlies snapped a 10-year losing streak at TD Garden, notes Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian. All-Stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. led the way, with Morant scoring 32 points and registering a near triple-double (nine rebounds, nine assists), and Jackson adding 27 points. With the win, Memphis improved to 16-8 record on the season.
- Rookie guard Reed Sheppard is finally beginning to look at home on the hardwood for the Rockets, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “I think just being out there every day, just learning as much as I can,” Sheppard said. “Every game is different. There is a lot going on. So, I think I’m just learning as much as I can and enjoying it. A lot of it comes from experience.” As Feigen notes, Sheppard has looked overly cautious and tentative on offense in the early going, perhaps too focused on avoiding mistakes on a rising playoff team with lots of wing depth. Sheppard is playing 11.8 minutes per night and has made just 32.1% of his three-point tries, but the team is confident that his shooting stroke will come around. “I see the game slowing down for him and understanding where his shots are going to come from, and adjusting to the physicality and size of defenders,” head coach Ime Udoka said.
- Ascendant Rockets forward Amen Thompson believes he’s rounding into form as an elite defender on the wing, as he tells Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “I view myself as one of the best defenders,” Thompson said. “Obviously, I think it’s very hard to score on me. I think my presence is known on defense.” The second-year swingman is a big part of the reason why the 15-8 Rockets boast the league’s third-best defense entering Sunday’s games.
The Teams Most Likely To Be Deadline Sellers (Part 1)
The 2025 NBA trade deadline is still nearly two months away, but with more than a quarter of the season in the books and several dozen players set to become trade-eligible in a week, it's just a matter of time until negotiations between teams start to get more serious.
With that in mind, it's worth checking in on which clubs around the league will be looking to sell at this season's deadline.
It has gotten a little tougher to find in-season sellers in recent years. Before the NBA introduced the play-in tournament, it wouldn't be uncommon for a team hovering around the 11th or 12th spot in its conference to throw in the towel in February, recognizing that climbing into the top eight to earn a playoff spot probably isn't realistic.
Now, with 10 teams in each conference technically advancing to the "postseason" via the play-in tournament, that club holding the 11th or 12th seed is often less inclined to sell, given that it would only take a short winning streak for that club to re-enter the play-in picture.
Still, with several teams in rebuilding mode, a strong 2025 draft class on the horizon, and a handful of clubs potentially trying to hang onto protected draft picks, several prospective sellers are emerging as trade season approaches. In a two-part series, we'll take a closer look at which teams fit the bill and what percentage of their rosters they'll be willing to discuss with would-be contenders, breaking them up into four separate groups.
In part one today, we'll take a look at the two groups of teams who are most likely to be open for business when buyers come calling. Keep an eye out for part two later in the week.
We'll listen on anyone
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets, whose preseason over/under was widely set by oddsmakers at 19.5 wins, have been more competitive than expected -- at 10-13, they're already halfway to their projected win total. Still, given how the front office operated during the 2024 offseason, that hot start may actually make the team more - not less - motivated to sell.
Northwest Notes: Edwards, Timberwolves, Jokic, Malone
Anthony Edwards‘ improving ability to stay patient on the offensive end has started to pay off for the Timberwolves, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
“I’m young, I still want to get my (shot) off,” Edwards said. “It’s frustrating sometimes, but I got to understand the bigger picture.”
The All-Star shooting guard is trying to be more egalitarian in his approach as he faces even more defensive attention with Karl-Anthony Towns gone. Minnesota is currently on a four-game win streak, improving the team’s overall record to 12-10.
“We gotta do a little bit better job of providing clean spacing around some of that time that he is getting doubled,” head coach Chris Finch said. “But I thought he did a great job of getting off of it, embracing it. Getting downhill, mixing it all up.”
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Still just 23, Edwards is beginning to establish a confident leadership style with the Timberwolves, notes Chris Hine The Minnesota Star Tribune. The All-NBA guard may be intense, but he’s also an enthusiastic supporter of his teammates. “As much as he gets on you, he’s 10 times more on your side when you’re doing the right things or something positive happens,” point guard Mike Conley said. “There’ll be games where I’ll make three threes in a row, and he’ll be like, ‘Mike, you might be the best shooter in the world. I’ve never seen anybody shoot like that. I’ve never seen that.’”
- With Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon sitting, Nuggets MVP center Nikola Jokic took on more of a scoring burden than ever before, racking up a career-best 56 points – on a career-most 38 field goal tries – against Washington. But it still wasn’t enough to hold off the Wizards, who snapped a 16-game losing skid, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
- Following the Wizards loss, Nuggets leaders Jokic and head coach Michael Malone spoke frankly about the team’s disappointing start to the season, writes David Aldridge of The Athletic. Denver is now 11-10, good for just the No. 9 seed in the West. “We have to realize that we all have to start participating in our own recovery,” Malone said. “That’s where I take blame for us to be 11-10, because obviously I’ve a done a poor job as a head coach in preparing this team, not only to win, but to go out there and execute.” For his part, Jokic pulled few punches in criticizing the club’s slippage this fall while refuting the notion that Malone is solely to be blamed. “Today, and the last couple of games, were really bad for us,” Jokic said. “We’re really going in the wrong direction. I think it’s everybody’s fault. It’s not just Coach’s fault. It’s not his fault that we cannot make shots. It’s not his fault that we don’t communicate.” Over the past two offseasons, Denver has seen three of the top seven players from its 2023 title team depart in free agency, without convincingly replacing any of them. The Nuggets may be paying the price for those exits.
Sixers’ Joel Embiid To Return Sunday
Former MVP Joel Embiid will return to Philadelphia’s starting lineup on Sunday afternoon vs. Chicago, the Sixers announced (via Twitter).
Embiid, who has missed the past seven games, was questionable heading into Sunday’s contest due to left knee injury management. Prior to the game, head coach Nick Nurse said the star center would be on a minutes restriction if he was able to suit up (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network).
The 30-year-old big man has been limited to just four games this season. Embiid underwent surgery on the knee last winter prior to returning at the end of the 2023/24 season. He managed to play in the 2024 Olympics in Paris with Team USA, but has experienced swelling and discomfort to open ’24/25. He was also suspended for three games after an altercation with a columnist and has missed time for personal reasons.
As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, Embiid will almost certainly be ineligible for major postseason awards for the second straight season. He has already missed 17 games in ’24/25, and if he misses one more, he’ll be disqualified due to the 65-game rule.
The 76ers have won three of their past four games, but are still just 6-15, making them the No. 13 seed in the East.