Devin Booker Out At Least One Week With Right Ankle Sprain
January 25: Booker, who was ruled out of Sunday’s game vs. Miami, will miss at least one week, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, the team announced today (Twitter link via Shane Young).
January 23: In the same game in which his teammate Jalen Green was ruled out after just four minutes due to hamstring tightness, Suns star Devin Booker appeared to suffer a right ankle injury, tweets Gerald Bourguet of Suns After Dark.
Booker’s injury occurred in the closing seconds of the third quarter of Friday’s contest at Atlanta (Twitter video link via ESPN). After having his defensive rebound dislodged by Mouhamed Gueye, Booker started jogging up the court, but then noticed that Grayson Allen — who had picked up the loose ball — dribbled the ball off his leg and out of bounds.
Since he was distracted and looking at Allen on the sideline, Booker was unaware of the presence of Onyeka Okongwu, who was also looking at Allen lose control of the ball, and inadvertently stepped on the Hawks big man’s left foot, causing his right ankle to roll.
Booker immediately collapsed to the court in pain and began grabbing at his ankle. He was eventually helped up with assistance and limped off the court, proceeding straight to the visitor’s locker room, per Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks (Twitter link). The 29-year-old guard did not return to the game.
A four-time All-Star, Booker had 31 points (on 12-of-21 shooting), four rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes, with the Suns up seven entering the final frame. They only managed 12 points in the final period without their best player and wound up losing 110-103.
If Booker misses additional time as a result of his ankle injury, Allen, Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin are among the Suns guards who could receive more minutes.
Pacific Notes: Booker, Green, Schröder, LaVine, Jones, Bogdanovic, Bufkin
Suns star Devin Booker will miss Sunday’s game against Miami due to a right ankle sprain, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The 29-year-old guard sustained the injury in Friday’s loss at Atlanta.
While Booker will be out, his teammate Jalen Green has a chance to suit up — he’s listed as questionable with what the team is calling right hamstring injury management. Green also exited Friday’s game early after experiencing tightness in his right hamstring.
We have more from around the Pacific Division:
- Dennis Schröder offered a profane response to hearing his name pop up in trade rumors, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Several Kings, including the veteran guard, have been the subject of rumors leading up to the February 5 deadline with Sacramento holding the fourth-worst record (12-34) in the NBA. “I don’t give a f–k about that,” Schröder said after Friday’s loss in Cleveland. “At the end of the day, I enjoy every single day being in the NBA. I don’t take it for granted.”
- The Kings will be playing without Zach LaVine during Sunday’s game at Detroit, Anderson adds in another story. The two-time All-Star was ruled out of today’s game due to lower back soreness.
- Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. (right knee sprain) and guard/forward Bogdan Bogdanovic (left hamstring injury management) were limited participants in Saturday’s practice, head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters, including Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). Both players will be out again for Sunday’s contest vs. Brooklyn.
- Kobe Bufkin‘s 10-day contract with the Lakers expired on Thursday night and he since been re-acquired by G League’s South Bay Lakers, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPN (via Twitter). The 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Bufkin appeared in four games with Los Angeles, averaging 3.0 points in 11.3 minutes per contest.
NBA Rumors: Trade Deadline, Bridges, Mavs, Luka, Lakers
While the grand majority of in-season trades occur during the week of the deadline, this season has been unusually slow as far as deal-making goes. For instance, at this time last year, we had already seen five in-season trades — to this point in 2025/26, we’ve only had one. So why haven’t we seen more action?
ESPN’s Bobby Marks recently spoke to NBA front office executives to get a better understanding of the answer to that question. There are four main reasons for the relative lack of activity to this point, Marks writes.
The first and most important factor holding up the market, per Marks, is that rival teams are waiting to see if Giannis Antetokounmpo requests a trade or if the Bucks decide to listen to offers for the two-time MVP.
Second, a few teams who were viewed as potential deadline sellers entering the season — including the Celtics, Sixers and Suns — are instead vying for home court advantage in the postseason. As Marks observes, Philadelphia made multiple deals last year to dip below the luxury tax line, but that’s unlikely to occur again in ’25/26.
Third, the Mavericks and Grizzlies will likely get underwhelming offers for Anthony Davis and Ja Morant, respectively, leading up to the deadline with their values at low points, so they may not be moved prior to February 5. Davis is out several weeks due to ligament damage in his left hand, while Morant, who has missed extended time this season with calf issues, has been diagnosed with a UCL sprain in his left elbow and was ruled out of Friday’s loss at New Orleans (Twitter link via the Grizzlies).
The final factor for the slow-moving market, according to Marks, is that teams seem more willing to retain their own expiring contracts to maintain financial flexibility in the summer rather than take on multiyear salaries that could disrupt future plans. Multiple teams, including the Lakers, Bulls and Jazz, have long lists of players who could hit free agency in 2026, Marks notes.
Here are a few more rumors from around the NBA:
- Confirming a report from Sam Amick of The Athletic, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) says the Suns are indeed fans of Miles Bridges. However, the Hornets reportedly want at least one first-round pick for the veteran forward, and Gambadoro points out that Phoenix lacks moveable first-rounders to include in such a deal. Gambadoro also confirms the Suns are reluctant to risk upsetting their positive chemistry by making a significant in-season move, and suggests a minor trade is more likely.
- Ahead of Luka Doncic‘s second game in Dallas since he was shockingly traded to Los Angeles last February, Christian Clark and Dan Woike of The Athletic share several sourced notes on both the Mavericks and the Lakers. According to the authors, part of the reason the Mavs — led at the time by head of basketball operations Nico Harrison, who has since been dismissed — moved Doncic is because they believed he had poor habits related to conditioning and were concerned about the calf strain he sustained in late December 2024 and possible future injuries. One source in the Mavericks’ organization compared Doncic to Elvis Presley and claimed the trade helped him develop better habits and get in better shape. “They got skinny Elvis,” the team source told The Athletic.
- People close to Doncic dispute that characterization, however, and say that line of thinking is a factor in why the Slovenian star is no longer on the Mavericks. According to Clark and Woike, Doncic’s camp believed whether he was traded or not, he “was on a path to improving his diet and conditioning as he matured.” Doncic and those around him have been focused on the present and future and not the past, per the report.
- It took multiple seasons for the Mavericks to surround Doncic with sort of complementary players that led to a trip to the NBA Finals in 2024, and it will take time for the Lakers to reshape their roster around the 26-year-old guard as well, sources in L.A. tell The Athletic. Those same sources noted that the Lakers need to upgrade their athleticism, defense and shooting, and some people around the organization think the any significant roster changes will occur in the offseason, not ahead of the deadline.
- The Mavericks have started the process of vetting candidates to replace Harrison on a permanent basis, per Clark and Woike, but are unlikely to hire anyone until at least the spring. The Athletic’s duo point out that Harrison, a longtime Nike executive, had no previous experience running an NBA team when he was hired in 2021. That won’t be the case for his replacement. “(They) are going to over-index on the safety aspect of it,” a league source told The Athletic.
Suns’ Jalen Green Exits Friday’s Game With Hamstring Tightness
Suns guard Jalen Green checked out of Friday’s game in Atlanta after just four minutes of playing time, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Green left Phoenix’s bench and headed back to the locker room, with the Suns later ruling him out for the remainder of the contest with what they called “precautionary right hamstring tightness.”
It’s a discouraging setback for Green and for the Suns, as the 23-year-old has repeatedly dealt with right hamstring issues over the past four-plus months.
Green just returned to action on Tuesday after missing 33 consecutive games, scoring 12 points in 20 minutes off the bench in a win at Philadelphia. Friday marked his second game back since November 8.
Strangely, Green’s latest setback closely mirrors what happened in early November, when he played 23 minutes in his season debut on Nov. 6 and then re-injured his hamstring a couple days later just seven minutes into his second game of the 2025/26 campaign.
The former No. 2 overall pick initially strained the hamstring during training camp, then aggravated it during his ramp-up process in mid-October, delaying his ’25/26 debut. He has only played in four of Phoenix’s 45 games to this point, and obviously two of those appearances were very brief.
Head coach Jordan Ott said earlier this week that Green did not aggravate his hamstring strain during his 33-game absence, explaining that the team was just being cautious with the 6’4″ shooting guard. He had come off the bench the past two contests and was on a minutes restriction.
We’ll have to wait for further updates on Green to see if he’ll miss additional time as a result of the tightness he experienced on Friday.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, LeBron, Kawhi, Clippers, Green
Lakers head coach JJ Redick believes his team’s approach on offense is being influenced by the fact that so many players on the roster are potential 2026 free agents. After referencing the subject earlier in the week, Redick circled back to it after Thursday’s loss to the cross-town Clippers, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
“Guys are worried about their futures,” Redick said. “And that’s what happens when you got a team full of free agents and player options. I think it’s just natural that you’re gonna worry about the offense … and I’ve been there. (It gets) in your head a little bit: ‘Played five minutes (and) haven’t got a shot yet.’ And that’s a human thing. It’s not anybody’s fault.”
Veteran guard Marcus Smart, whose two-year deal with the Lakers includes a player option for 2026/27, acknowledged that it’s hard for a player to put his contract situation entirely out of his mind. Still, Smart noted that it’s crucial for he and his teammates to focus on playing for each other rather than for themselves.
“It is tough. I mean, you got guys fighting for contracts, fighting to stay on the team and you got other guys who are secure and got theirs and kind of understand where they are,” Smart said. “But at the same time, we’re all professionals and we got to come out and do our jobs no matter what. So, the human element does come into play sometimes and you just got to be able to snap out of it quicker than what we are doing.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Asked on Thursday whether he thinks the Lakers – who are 11-13 since a 15-4 start – need to make a move at the trade deadline, star forward LeBron James replied, “Yeah, I do,” according to Turner. However, James declined to discuss the topic beyond that. “It’s disrespectful to these guys if I start talking over the deadline and what we need to do, we got to get better, whatever the case may be,” he said. “I’m trying not to play fantasy basketball too much.”
- Star forward Kawhi Leonard returned from a three-game injury absence on Thursday and picked up where he left up, scoring 24 points in 26 minutes in the Clippers‘ 112-104 victory over the Lakers. “I thought he looked good. I thought he looked really good, especially to start the game in that first quarter,” head coach Tyronn Lue said, according to Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “He had good pop and then he could have gotten a little tired. He hasn’t played in a while, but that first quarter was really good.”
- Although he was happy to see the Clippers pick up their 14th win in 17 games, Lue would’ve liked his team to finish stronger, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. “We keep getting these leads, and you lose the lead. We gotta be better. We got a team down (17) at half. We gotta step on their throat and blow them out,” the veteran coach said. “Like that was our mindset. That was our mindset at halftime. I thought we came out with the right energy, but we couldn’t sustain it. Not just the Lakers, that’s just anybody. If you’re up 20, let’s blow them out. Like, why not? But it is what it is. It’s a good win for us. They’re a good team. And so we’ll take it.”
- The Suns are thrilled to have Jalen Green back on the floor following his lengthy layoff due to a hamstring injury, and he’s just as happy to be playing again, notes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “His joy is back,” head coach Jordan Ott said of Green, adding that the team will welcome the guard’s “speed” and “downhill ability” on offense.
Amick’s Latest: Ellis, DeRozan, Sabonis, Towns
After being inactive for two games last weekend due to a minor knee issue, Kings guard Keon Ellis has missed two more contests this week as a DNP-CD. Still, that hasn’t diminished league-wide interest in Ellis on the trade market.
League and team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that there are approximately 10 teams in the mix for Ellis, with a deal expected to happen on or before the February 5 trade deadline. Sacramento is seeking a late first-round pick for the fourth-year guard, per Amick’s sources.
While the Kings have no shortage of trade candidates on their roster, Ellis is the one who has generated the most interest to this point, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic said on Thursday. Vecenie observes that the 26-year-old has a limited offensive skill set and doesn’t have the size necessary to stop bigger wings and forwards, but his energetic backcourt defense and solid outside shot provide real value.
Here are a few more items of interest from Amick’s latest NBA rumor round-up:
- The Warriors haven’t shown any interest in veteran forward DeMar DeRozan to this point, a Kings source tells Amick. DeRozan has been cited as a possible target for Golden State in the wake of Jimmy Butler‘s season-ending ACL tear, but it sounds like that’s just speculation right now and isn’t consistent with the options the Warriors are actually pursuing.
- After reporting in December that the Wizards, Suns, and Bulls have had interest in Domantas Sabonis in the past, Amick reiterated that point today. However, he acknowledges that the Raptors appear to be the most legitimate suitor for the Kings center at this point. Toronto has been connected to Sabonis by multiple reporters throughout the season, with Jake Fischer stating on Thursday that the Raptors maintain their interest in the big man.
- Like Ian Begley of SNY.tv, Amick hears that the Knicks haven’t engaged in any trade talks about big man Karl-Anthony Towns, despite one report to the contrary. The expectation, Amick writes, is that New York will focus on getting the most out of Towns in Mike Brown‘s system rather than looking to move him when his value has dipped a little.
Hornets’ Bridges Drawing Trade Interest From Multiple Teams
Hornets forward Miles Bridges has generated “significant” trade interest as the February 5 deadline approaches, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who reports that the Bucks, Warriors, and Suns are among the teams eyeing the 27-year-old.
Bridges, who is earning $25MM this season, is under contract for $22.8MM in 2026/27, so the Hornets aren’t facing any urgency to make a decision on him right away. And they’re unlikely to move him unless a potential trade partner is willing to step up and meet their asking price, Amick writes.
“They want a first (round pick),” one league source told The Athletic. “Maybe two.”
The 12th overall pick in 2018, Bridges has spent his entire NBA career in Charlotte, starting 363 of his 468 regular season games for the team since entering the league. In 2025/26, he has averaged 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 32.8 minutes per contest.
Bridges isn’t an elite defender or shooter — he has made a modest 44.3% of his attempts from the floor this season, including 33.2% of his three-point tries. Still, the 6’7″ forward has averaged over 20 points per game across his past three-and-a-half seasons, has good size and versatility for a wing, and is very durable, having never played fewer than 64 games in a season (he has appeared in 44 of 45 this year).
Of course, teams with interest in Bridges will also need to consider his off-court history. The former Michigan State standout lost a full season in 2022/23 after he was arrested on felony domestic violence charges just ahead of his restricted free agency. He later accepted a plea deal in that case and had three criminal counts related to separate domestic allegations dismissed. Bridges, who was suspended at the start of the ’23/24 season, hasn’t been in any legal trouble during the past two seasons.
The Hornets aren’t particularly enthusiastic about acquiring forward Kyle Kuzma, per Amick, which is one obstacle complicating a potential deal with the Bucks. There are other trade candidates on Milwaukee’s roster, but Kuzma and his $22.4MM salary would be the most logical outgoing piece.
A trade with Golden State would likely involve forward Jonathan Kuminga, whose $22.5MM salary is a near match for Bridges’ cap hit. It’s unclear whether Charlotte has any interest in the former No. 7 overall pick.
Phoenix’s interest is notable given the fact that Bridges shares an alma mater with Suns owner Mat Ishbia, though Ishbia’s team is reportedly reluctant to risk upsetting its positive chemistry by making a significant in-season move.
And-Ones: Bediako, All-Stars, Rookies, Team-Friendly Deals
Charles Bediako‘s bid to rejoin Alabama’s men’s basketball team more than two years after he was on a two-way contract with an NBA team could have major ramifications, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who notes that NBA clubs will likely be keeping a close eye on the case.
As we outlined on Wednesday, Bediako is suing the NCAA in an attempt to rejoin the Crimson Tide for the rest of the 2025/26 season after spending two years with Alabama from 2021-23. Since going undrafted in 2023, the big man has signed three Exhibit 10 contracts with NBA teams, including one that the Spurs converted into a two-way deal in the fall of ’23.
Bediako has been granted a temporary restraining order, allowing him to participate in activities and games for Alabama while he awaits a hearing on a preliminary injunction.
If Bediako ultimately prevails in his bid for NCAA eligibility, it may necessitate adjustments to the NBA’s draft eligibility rules, Vecenie notes, since there would be nothing stopping players from declaring for the draft after their freshman seasons, then returning to college as NBA free agents if they go undrafted. In that scenario, a player who has a breakout sophomore year could theoretically leave his college program to sign with an NBA team halfway through a season.
Vecenie suggests that the NBA might have to create a new rule stating that an undrafted player who returns to college would reenter the draft pool for the following year. He also wonders if the changing nature of NCAA eligibility rules could result in NBA teams essentially treating college programs like a form of minor leagues — for instance, could the Lakers draft a player and then have him play at a nearby school like UCLA or USC for developmental purposes before he signs an NBA contract?
We have more from around the basketball world:
- A panel of NBA reporters and analysts from ESPN considered whether there are any obvious snubs among this season’s All-Star starters and explored which players deserve to be selected as reserves, while a group of reporters at The Athletic conducted a similar exercise. The general consensus was that there were no egregious mistakes among the first 10 All-Star choices, though Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell would have been worthy starters.
- Arguing that Kon Knueppel has been underappreciated so far this season, ESPN’s Zach Kram places the Hornets wing atop his latest rookie rankings, ahead of Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg at No. 2. Wizards guard Tre Johnson (eighth) and Nets guard Egor Demin (10th) are new additions to Kram’s top 10 since his previous update.
- Which contracts are the NBA’s most team-friendly? Ruling out maximum-salary deals and rookie deals for recently drafted players, Keith Smith of Spotrac shares his top-25 list, headlined by Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN has handed out midseason grades for all 30 NBA teams, with four clubs earning an A: the Celtics, Pistons, Suns, and Spurs.
Suns’ Jalen Green Will Return Tuesday
January 20: Green will be active Tuesday, the Suns confirmed (Twitter link). Although Ott previously indicated that Green would start, apparently that’s still a ways off — Ott said Tuesday that Green will come off the bench and be on a minutes restriction, per Rankin (Twitter video link).
“It’s not a surprise,” Ott said. “That range of minutes is going to put us in a spot where we feel it’s best and the conditioning piece. Playing shorter stints. He’s in a good spot, ready to go. Just because of that range of competitive minutes, he’ll be coming off the bench.”
Ott added that when Green’s conditioning improves, he’ll return to the starting lineup.
January 19: While he was eventually ruled out of Monday’s game at Brooklyn after initially being listed as questionable, Suns guard Jalen Green is expected to make his long-awaited return on Tuesday in Philadelphia, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (subscriber link).
Head coach Jordan Ott confirmed Green will play tomorrow, barring a last-minute setback.
“Just giving him the extra day,” head coach Jordan Ott said. “Played (5-on-5) Saturday. Because we do have a back-to-back, we knew he probably wouldn’t be playing in the back-to-back. Just seeing how he woke up this morning. Do we give him the extra day or not? That was the decision we made.”
Green last played on November 8 and has only made two appearances this season due to a right hamstring strain.
The former No. 2 overall pick initially strained the hamstring during training camp, then aggravated it during his ramp-up process in mid-October. Green sat out the first eight games of the regular season, erupted for 29 points in 23 minutes in his debut in early November, then aggravated the injury again a couple days later about seven minutes into his second game.
According to Rankin (Twitter link), Ott said Green didn’t aggravate his hamstring a third time during his long layoff — the team was just being cautious with the 23-year-old, who had played all 82 regular season games each of the past two seasons.
“When you do something again, obviously, there’s a level of caution,” Ott said. “Young guy. Long career ahead and soft tissue. We’re trying to meet every metric possible on his rehab. He did it, but no setbacks.”
Ott also said Green will reenter the starting lineup when he returns to action, Rankin adds (via Twitter).
Suns Reluctant To Risk Chemistry By Making Trades
Team officials “love” the chemistry the Suns have established this season and aren’t looking to make a trade ahead of this season’s deadline unless it’s an “amazing” deal, sources tell Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
As Rankin writes, the Suns’ front office – led by general manager Brian Gregory – is open to having trade conversations leading up to February 5, but is happy with its current roster and the team’s direction.
Phoenix is also eager to see how guard Jalen Green fits in with this group, per Rankin. Green was one of the club’s major offseason additions but has been limited to just two appearances as a Sun due to hamstring issues. He’s on track to play on Tuesday for the first time in nearly two-and-a-half months. Given the timing of his return, the former No. 2 overall pick could function as a de facto deadline acquisition for the Suns.
After trading Kevin Durant and waiving Bradley Beal over the summer, Phoenix was widely viewed as a retooling team that would take a step back and end up firmly in lottery territory. However, the club has exceeded expectations and is off to a 26-17 start. While they currently hold the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, the Suns are just a single game back of the No. 4 Timberwolves.
Although the Suns are wary of shaking up their roster in a major way, that doesn’t mean they won’t make at least one minor move at the deadline. As Rankin points out, veteran big man Nick Richards is viewed as a trade candidate on his $5MM expiring contract. Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro have been Phoenix’s primary fives this season, while 2025 lottery pick Khaman Maluach is considered the team’s center of the future, making Richards the odd man out.
The Suns are also operating just narrowly above the luxury tax line, and while owner Mat Ishbia has shown a willingness in recent years to pay a premium on player payroll, ducking out of tax territory would be a financially prudent move with future repeater penalties in mind. They could accomplish that as part of a Richards trade.
Additionally, power forward is one area that the Suns may want to upgrade going forward, Rankin writes, noting that they pursued Jonathan Kuminga last summer and have been using two wings – Dillon Brooks and Royce O’Neale – as their starting forwards this season. Still, addressing the four could be an offseason priority rather than something Phoenix looks to do during the season.