Kings Players React To Sudden Coaching Change
Interim Kings coach Doug Christie stressed the need for unity as he addressed the team following Friday’s surprise firing of Mike Brown, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Christie, who served as an assistant to Brown, will be in charge of trying to salvage a season that is spiraling out of control after an 0-5 homestand. Sacramento is 12th in West at 13-18 and needs a quick turnaround to climb back into the playoff race.
Christie spoke to his players before their flight departed Friday for tonight’s game against the Lakers and again at this morning’s shootaround, according to McMenamin.
“To come out and stick together, fight and just be us, be who we are and turn this thing around,” Domantas Sabonis said in sharing his new head coach’s message.
Malik Monk said “all the vibes were high” at the shootaround, as the team feels a renewed energy from the sudden coaching change. Sabonis exhibited that by arranging for his own travel to Los Angeles. He was considered questionable to play because of an illness that forced him to miss Thursday’s game, but he wanted to be there to display his commitment to Christie.
“I got here and went right onto the court,” Sabonis said. “We’re all focused on winning the game. But we obviously know we haven’t been performing at our best. And we have to do a better job. Me, as one of the leaders of the team, I got to make sure that that happens. We got to win all the games that we can.”
Brown appeared to have a long future in Sacramento after leading the team to the playoffs in 2023 and narrowly missing another playoff appearance in last season’s play-in tournament. He was rewarded with an offseason extension that runs through 2026/27 and gives him an extra $20MM in guaranteed money, but management quickly lost patience with the slow start. The offseason addition of DeMar DeRozan hasn’t work out as planned, and there was skepticism that the Kings could move up the standings with Brown in charge.
Sabonis and Monk expressed shock over the sudden move, while De’Aaron Fox told McMenamin that he was notified “a minute before everybody else.” Fox also pondered the players’ role in the coaching change when he was asked if he felt any “pressure or guilt” over Brown’s fate.
“Any pressure or guilt? I mean, obviously we all know the job that we have,” Fox responded. “You can be traded at any point. Released. Cut. Fired. Whatever it may be. I mean, I wouldn’t use the word ‘guilt.’ But that’s the nature of the job that we have. But I mean, obviously him signing his extension this summer, we felt like we would be together a whole lot longer but that’s the decision that they made. But at the end of the day, too, he’s still being paid. A great part of being an NBA player, being an NBA coach, is those things can happen, but these contracts are guaranteed.”
Although Brown’s dismissal seemed to come out of nowhere, there were already rumors about “waning confidence” from ownership even before he was given the extension, Jake Fischer states in his latest Substack story. Sources tell Fischer there were “internal disagreements” regarding the team’s starting lineup and the tradeoff in playing time between Keon Ellis and Kevin Huerter.
Fischer reported in 2022 that Mark Jackson was the preferred candidate of owner Vivek Ranadive before Brown was hired. Jackson was head coach of the Warriors when Ranadive became a minority owner of that team, and several NBA sources have told Fischer that Ranadive seems to prefer having a former player in that role. That may explain why Christie was chosen to run the team, although it’s not clear if there’s any commitment to him beyond the end of the season.
Grizzlies, Nets Having “Active Discussions” Regarding Dorian Finney-Smith
The Grizzlies are engaged in trade talks with the Nets that could send Dorian Finney-Smith to Memphis, sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link).
Stein refers to the negotiations as “active discussions” and adds that the proposed deal is one he outlined in his recent column, with John Konchar and Luke Kennard going to Brooklyn in return. Konchar is making $6.165MM in the first season of a three-year contract and Kennard is on a one-year deal worth $9.25MM, so their salaries are a good match for Finney-Smith, who is earning $14.9MM this season and has a $15.4MM player option for 2025/26.
However, Stein points out that Kennard would lose his Bird rights if he approves the deal, which might limit his earnings when he becomes a free agent this summer. He can’t be traded without his consent, and he may be reluctant to join a rebuilding team in Brooklyn.
The Nets are asking for Memphis to include a first-round pick in the deal, Stein adds (Twitter link), while the Grizzlies reportedly want a second-round selection in return. NetsDaily passes along similar information, stating that the first-round pick might come in 2026 and adding that “protections are a concern” in finalizing the trade (Twitter link).
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link) notes that 2026 is one of the few upcoming years when Brooklyn doesn’t already control an extra first-round pick and suggests that Memphis’ selection could gain some value due to swap rights if the Suns are coming off a bad season. The Grizzlies currently have the right to swap their own ’26 first-rounder with the least favorable of Phoenix’s, Orlando’s, and Washington’s picks.
Finney-Smith, 31, could provide a veteran three-and-D wing for the Grizzlies, who are second in the West at 22-10 and appear capable of making a long playoff run. He’s averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20 games this season while shooting 45.9% from the floor and 43.5% from beyond the arc.
Marcus Smart To Have Finger Injury Reevaluated In Two Weeks
Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart will be reevaluated in two weeks after suffering a partial tear of the proximal extensor hood of his right index finger, the team announced (via Twitter).
Smart injured his finger during last Saturday’s game against Atlanta. He left in the second quarter and didn’t return, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
After injuries limited him to 20 games in 2023/24, Smart has already missed 14 of the team’s first 32 contests this season. He has struggled to score when he’s been able to play, averaging 9.2 points per game, his lowest mark in six years, while shooting 37.3% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range.
There have been rumors that the Grizzlies would like to find a taker for Smart’s contract, which has one more season remaining at $21.6MM, but they may not get many takers considering his decreased production and recent injury history.
Memphis plays seven games over the next two weeks, starting with Sunday’s contest at Oklahoma City. Smart could be back for the January 13 game at Houston if he’s able to return immediately after being reevaluated.
The Grizzlies also revealed that forward Santi Aldama has been diagnosed with a sprained left ankle he suffered Thursday against Toronto. He’s considered week-to-week.
Aldama is averaging career highs of 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his fourth year with Memphis.
PJ Dozier Waived By Timberwolves
The Timberwolves have waived PJ Dozier, the team announced in a press release.
Dozier signed a one-year contract with Minnesota in July that initially carried a partial guarantee of $1MM on his $2.6MM salary. All contracts throughout the league will become guaranteed after January 7, so the Wolves opted to part with Dozier rather than paying him for the rest of the season.
Minnesota will incur a $1,051,255 cap hit and will save about $5MM on its luxury tax bill, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).
The 28-year-old swingman saw minimal playing time with the Wolves, appearing in nine games and averaging just 3.9 minutes per night. He collected seven total points, five rebounds and five assists.
Dozier was attempting an NBA comeback after playing for Partizan Belgrade in Serbia last season. He was given the opportunity by president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, who ran the Nuggets during Dozier’s three seasons in Denver.
Dozier has played in 130 games over seven NBA seasons, spending time with Oklahoma City, Boston, Denver and Sacramento before coming to Minnesota. He has been mainly a reserve throughout his career and has compiled averages of 5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 15.4 minutes per game.
The Wolves had a full 15-man roster, so they’re not facing any time limit to replace Dozier. They could decide to promote one of their two-way players, Jaylen Clark, Jesse Edwards or Daishen Nix, they could look for a minimum-salary free agent or they could keep the roster spot open to reduce their tax bill.
NBA Players Who Can’t Be Traded This Season
As we explained when we identified the players who will become trade-eligible on unique dates this season, there’s a small group of players whose trade restrictions won’t lift until sometime after the February 6 trade deadline. These players meet one of the following criteria:
- They signed a free agent contract or were promoted from a two-way contract after November 6.
- A player who signs a free agent contract or is promoted from a two-way contract is ineligible to be traded for at least three months.
- They signed a veteran contract extension (meeting certain criteria) after August 6.
- A player who signs a veteran extension that keeps him under contract for more than four total years (including his current contract), includes a first-year raise greater than 20%, includes a subsequent raise exceeding 5%, or includes a renegotiation is ineligible to be traded for six months.
- They signed a super-max contract.
- A player who signs a super-max contract (also known as a designated veteran contract) is ineligible to be traded for one year.
We identified all the players who fell into these three categories in our previous story on unique trade dates, but they may have slipped through the cracks amid the larger list of players we discussed in that article.
With that in mind, we want to specifically single them out today to make sure it’s clear which players won’t become trade-eligible at all until sometime after the 2024/25 regular season.
Here are the players who fall into the three aforementioned groups and who can’t be traded this season:
Players who have signed standard contracts since November 6:
Branden Carlson (Thunder)- Jae Crowder (Kings)
- Keshad Johnson (Heat)
- Paul Reed (Pistons)
- Landry Shamet (Knicks)
There hasn’t been a ton of action on the free agent market since the regular season began, with most players who have signed with NBA teams receiving two-way contracts rather than standard deals.
Still, the Thunder and Kings added 15th men on non-guaranteed contracts; the Heat promoted Johnson from his two-way deal; and the Knicks and Pistons re-signed veterans whom they waived earlier in 2024/25.
All of those players are ineligible to be moved this season, and this list will continue to grow if more free agents sign standard contracts between now and February 6.
Players who have signed veteran contract extensions meeting certain criteria since August 6:
- Wendell Carter Jr. (Magic)
- Alex Caruso (Thunder)
- Joel Embiid (Sixers)
- Aaron Gordon (Nuggets)
- Lauri Markkanen (Jazz)
- T.J. McConnell (Pacers)
- Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
- Ivica Zubac (Clippers)
A few players on this list wouldn’t have been trade candidates regardless of whether or not they signed extensions in recent months. Others, including Carter and Markkanen, had been the subject of offseason trade speculation. Now all of them are ineligible to be dealt until the 2025 offseason.
It’s not uncommon for some players who are eligible for in-season veteran extensions to sign new deals well into the season, as Caruso did last week, so it’s certainly possible more names will be added to this group before February’s trade deadline.
Players who have signed super-max contracts:
- Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Tatum signed his designated veteran extension on July 6, 2024, which means he won’t become trade-eligible until July 6, 2025.
No other players will join the Celtics forward on this list prior to next month’s trade deadline, since super-max deals can’t be signed during the season.
Note: This article refers to players on standard contracts. Players on two-way contracts can’t be traded for 30 days after signing, meaning any player who signs a two-way deal after January 7 this season will be ineligible to be dealt by the deadline.
NBA Suspends Naji Marshall, Jusuf Nurkic, P.J. Washington
The NBA has suspended Mavericks forwards Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington and Suns center Jusuf Nurkic for their roles in an on-court altercation during Friday’s game between the two teams, the league announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
Marshall has been hit with a four-game suspension, Nurkic will be suspended for three games, and Washington will serve a one-game suspension, according to the NBA.
Nurkic was called for an offensive foul with 9:02 remaining in the third quarter of Friday’s game and began heading toward his basket before turning back and exchanging words with Marshall and Washington. The incident escalated when Nurkic struck Marshall in the side of the head. Marshall responded by throwing a punch that connected with Nurkic’s face as the Suns big man was shoved to the floor by Washington (Twitter video links).
According to the league, Marshall “attempted to further engage Nurkic in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms” after the players were ejected from the game. That’s presumably why the Mavs forward got the longest suspension of the bunch.
Washington will serve his suspension on Saturday night when the Mavs visit Portland. In addition to missing that game, Marshall will sit out Monday’s contest in Sacramento and Wednesday’s in Houston, as well as Dallas’ home game vs. Cleveland next Friday.
Nurkic will begin serving his three-game ban on Saturday when the Suns play in Golden State. He’ll also miss games vs. Memphis on Tuesday and in Indiana next Saturday.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Marshall’s four-game suspension will cost him $236,453 of his $8,571,429 salary, while Nurkic will forfeit $375K,000 of his $18,125,000 salary. Those figures are based on each player losing 1/145th of his total salary for each game of the suspension.
Because his suspension is just for one game, Washington will only give up 1/174th of his $15.5MM salary, which works out to $89,080, Marks notes.
The Mavericks and Suns will receive tax variance credits worth 50% of the total forfeited salary, slightly reducing their projected end-of-season luxury tax payments, Marks adds (via Twitter).
Injury Notes: Lillard, B. Brown, Poeltl, Stewart, M. Robinson
Damian Lillard, who has missed the Bucks‘ past four games due to a calf issue and an illness, will return to action on Saturday against Chicago, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (via Twitter).
Speaking to reporters after today’s shootaround, Lillard explained that the calf injury, which caused him to miss games last Friday and Saturday, was a “mild” strain and that the illness which sidelined him on Monday and Thursday hit him much harder, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).
“I’ve never been that sick before in my entire life,” Lillard said. “I wasn’t throwing up, nothing. I just didn’t eat for two days. I didn’t eat at all. I didn’t get up, nothing. I was down. It was bad. Couple days ago, I tried to work out – the night before (Thursday’s) Brooklyn game, because I wanted to play against Brooklyn – but I mean, the whole time I was working out, it just kept making me cough, coughing up s–t. I got through the workout, but I couldn’t breathe good.
“… I lost a couple pounds. I mean, if you don’t eat for two days. And I was just trying to at least stay hydrated. … (But) I didn’t have no food in me, it was just all liquid, so obviously I dropped some weight.”
Here are a few more health updates from around the NBA:
- Raptors swingman Bruce Brown, who has been sidelined for the entire season while recovering from a knee procedure, is listed as questionable to make his season debut on Sunday vs. Atlanta, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Starting center Jakob Poeltl, out since December 16 due to a bilateral groin strain, is among several other Toronto players who are questionable to play on Sunday, Lewenberg notes.
- Pistons center Isaiah Stewart is probable to suit up on Saturday vs. Denver after missing the team’s past four games due to a hyperextended left knee, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Before getting injured in his 27th game of the season on Dec. 16, Stewart had appeared in each of Detroit’s first 26 contests, averaging 22.0 minutes per night.
- Although Mitchell Robinson still hasn’t been cleared for practice or even started sprinting at full speed, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is encouraged by the center’s rehab progress as he makes his way back from offseason ankle surgery, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “There’s still some benchmarks that he has to get through, but he’s done a terrific job,” Thibodeau said on Friday in Orlando. “He’s light, he’s lean, he’s worked extremely hard. So we just want to make sure we’re patient and let him work his way through it.” According to Thibodeau, the next phase for Robinson is full-speed running — after that, he’ll be cleared for practice and contact. However, the exact timeline for those steps is still unclear.
Pacific Notes: Brown, Christie, Kings, Fox, Schröder, Lakers
Former Kings head coach Mike Brown tore into his team after another blown lead led to a loss against the Pistons on Thursday. However, Anthony Slater and Sam Amick of The Athletic write that Brown’s stern post-game news conferences began to wear on players, and that was part of the Kings’ decision to part with him.
Slater and Amick report that there was no malice or specific purpose intended with the timing of the firing, which came as Brown was getting ready for the team’s flight for their game in Los Angeles. Owner Vivek Ranadive was particularly upset with the Kings’ poor play and noted their fall from first in offense in 2022/23 to the middle of the pack last season, but the decision to let go of Brown was general manager Monte McNair‘s, according to Slater and Amick.
The Kings will have a chance to right the ship under interim replacement Doug Christie, with the team boasting the eighth-best offense in the league despite falling to 13-18.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- There is no immediate head coaching search planned for the Kings, Slater and Amick write in the same story. After being named interim coach, Christie will have an opportunity to make a case for the permanent position. Christie’s promotion was a long time coming. Ranadive once saw Christie as a viable alternative to Alvin Gentry (who was eventually named interim coach) after Luke Walton was fired in 2021. Christie has a strong relationship with players and staff and made a lasting impression in Sacramento during his time as a player, commentator and assistant, per The Athletic.
- Choosing a starting lineup will be one of Christie’s first tasks as coach, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes. The starting shooting guard position will likely come down to Malik Monk, Kevin Huerter or Keon Ellis.
- De’Aaron Fox took accountability for his defensive mistake at the end of Thursday’s loss to the Pistons, Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento reports (Twitter link). Fox spoke in front of his teammates and took ownership during the tough slide, teammate Keegan Murray relayed.
- Warriors guard Dennis Schröder struggled through his first five games with Golden State after starting off the year hot with Brooklyn. In his last five games, Schröder averaged 8.2 points on 28.0% shooting as opposed to the 18.4 points on 45.2% shooting he posted with the Nets. However, coach Steve Kerr said he’s not worried about Schröder’s play, according to Slater (Twitter link). “You trust who the player has been. It’s a tiny sample size,” Kerr said. “He came to us at a time when we were ice cold. He needs shooting around him. He’s a pick-and-roll player. We were 7-for-38 tonight from three.”
- The Lakers are getting healthier, providing Los Angeles a reason for optimism, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times writes. Jaxson Hayes is now day-to-day and close to returning while head coach JJ Redick said there’s hope both Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt will be able to make their season debuts during an upcoming stretch that includes nine of 11 games at home.
Bulls Sign Emanuel Miller To Two-Way Deal, Waive DJ Steward
DECEMBER 28: The Bulls officially signed Miller to his two-way contract, according to a release from the team. The team waived Steward to make room for Miller. Steward didn’t appear in a game for the Bulls but averaged 19.9 points and 7.5 assists per contest in the G League this season.
DECEMBER 27: The Bulls are signing free agent forward Emanuel Miller to a two-way contract, agents Mike George and Shy Saee tell Jamal Collier of ESPN (Twitter link).
Miller went undrafted in 2024 after playing five collegiate seasons — two at Texas A&M and then his final three at TCU. In 2023/24 with the Horned Frogs, Miller averaged 15.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals while posting a .486/.383/.815 shooting line in 34 games (32.6 minutes).
The 24-year-old signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Mavericks over the summer, then was waived before the ’24/25 season began. He has posted impressive numbers for their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, averaging 18.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals on .483/.375/.750 shooting in 16 games (37.5 minutes).
As our tracker shows, Chicago’s two-way spots are currently occupied by Adama Sanogo, DJ Steward and E.J. Liddell. One of those players will have to be released to make room for Miller.
A native of Canada, Miller is the older brother of Timberwolves forward Leonard Miller.
Assuming he officially signs with Chicago on Friday or Saturday, Miller will be eligible to appear in up to 31 NBA games this season, a prorated portion of the usual 50-game limit.
Northwest Notes: Randle, DiVincenzo, Henderson, Jazz, Nuggets, Dort, Wallace
The Timberwolves haven’t looked like the team that went to the Western Conference Finals last year in the early part of this season after replacing Karl-Anthony Towns with Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo via trade. Randle has a $30.9MM player option for next season, and Fred Katz of The Athletic ponders whether the veteran forward will wind up opting in as opposed to hitting free agency.
As Katz points out, there are few teams with projected cap space next offseason. Trades to shed salary to create cap space are also hard to pull off, and teams may be pickier than ever with their long-term money, given the restrictions in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Katz also looks to other top potential free agents like Jimmy Butler and James Harden, and the difficulty either would have in finding suitable money from a competitive team if each declines his player option for 2025/26.
While Randle and his representation likely wouldn’t have considered proposing a team-friendly long-term deal below his projected option salary to Minnesota in the past, the new CBA landscape could change things. Randle, who is extension-eligible, is averaging 20.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- DiVincenzo continues to round into form after a cold start to the season, shooting 48.5% from three in his past five games. After the Timberwolves won consecutive games on Wednesday and Friday, the guard spoke on the team’s chemistry, according to The Star Tribune’s Chris Hine (Twitter link). “We know what the expectations are,” DiVincenzo said. “We know everything and everybody feels it. But at the end of the day, can’t do s–t about it. We have to stay together. You either grow apart or grow together. Tonight was huge.“
- The Timberwolves‘ narrow win over the Rockets on Friday showcased a team with title aspirations, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski writes. Anthony Edwards hit a game-winner, head coach Chris Finch handled rotations well, and several pieces stood out. But the play of Randle and DiVincenzo is perhaps the biggest reason for optimism, Krawczynski writes, with Randle going for 27 points and DiVincenzo hitting six threes. “It’s tough. Four straight years, four different teams,” DiVincenzo said. “But the thing about this team is they’ve embraced me. They’ve embraced my ups and downs and continued to push me because I know — and they know — the tide turns. You ain’t gonna be down the whole season. That’s everybody’s mentality here, and I really feel at home.”
- 2023 No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson‘s stats for the Trail Blazers this season are underwhelming, but he had one of the best moments of his young NBA career on Thursday against Utah. Henderson made the game-winner for Portland while scoring 18 points and 10 assists. “You dream of plays like that,” Henderson said, according to Rose Garden Report’s Sean Highkin.
- Meanwhile, the Jazz falling to Portland in last-second fashion was an “ideal loss,” opines Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Rookie Isaiah Collier drew his second career start and showed flashes while the rest of the young core got an opportunity for big minutes.
- The Nuggets have lost two games in a row and surrendered 149 points to the Cavaliers in their latest defeat. After Friday’s loss to Cleveland, Nikola Jokic addressed Denver’s lackluster play that has the team outside the top six in the West, according to DNVR Sports’ Harrison Wind (Twitter link). “We are not even close to where we’re supposed to be,” Jokic said. “I think how bad we’ve played, we’re in a good spot. We need to start thinking what I can do for this team to help, not what the team can do to help me…We should point [the thumb not the finger].“
- Thunder guards Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace are both listed as out for Saturday’s game against the Hornets, according to The Oklahoman’s Joel Lorenzi (Twitter link). Dort is dealing with an ankle sprain while Wallace is suffering from a quad contusion. This will be Wallace’s first career missed game since entering the league last year.