Central Notes: Bulls, Cunningham, Duren, Pistons, Mitchell
The Bulls‘ front office went nearly three years (from August 2021 to June 2024) without making a trade involving a player, but the team has been a little more active on the trade market in the past year-and-a-half. According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, there’s a sense that trend could continue this season.
As Cowley explains, league sources have described executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas as more transparent in trade talks and more realistic in terms of his asking prices since last season’s trade deadline. Rival executives have gotten the sense that Karnisovas is open for business this winter, with the Bulls once again hovering just below .500 and more than half of their roster on expiring contracts.
Karnisovas is starting to feel more pressure from Bulls higher-ups to get the team pointed in the right direction, according to Cowley, who says the team has been hurt by too many “passive” decisions in recent years.
We have more from around the Central:
- After four days off, the banged-up Pistons will be getting some reinforcements and should be closer to full strength for their game against Phoenix on Thursday, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Point guard Cade Cunningham is off the injury report and will be available after missing two games due to a right wrist contusion, while center Jalen Duren is considered probable to play after being sidelined for four games with a sprained right ankle. Forward Tobias Harris (left hip sprain) and big man Isaiah Stewart (illness) are also listed as probable to return following brief absences.
- Hunter Patterson and John Hollinger of The Athletic team up to consider potential Pistons moves ahead of the trade deadline, as well as how the team might create room on the 15-man roster for two-way standout Daniss Jenkins. Hollinger suggests that Detroit still needs to find a long-term answer at power forward, while Patterson hears from league sources that the front office is expected to be “opportunistic but not aggressive.”
- Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was born in New York, but he said in a video diary for Andscape that he’d like to play for the World team if he makes this year’s All-Star Game, pointing to his Panamanian roots on his mother’s side. “I do think I should be on the World team,” Mitchell said (YouTube link). “But I don’t think people look at me as like a Panamanian basketball player. But I do. I would love to be on the World team if I got a chance. If not, I’m not tripping. Don’t get me wrong. But I definitely want to show love to my Panamanian roots and my people in Panama.”
Central Notes: Carlisle, Cunningham, Ivey, Garland, J. Smith
It took a month for it to occur, but Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle became the 11th coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games when Indiana defeated Charlotte on Thursday, writes Michael Marot of The Associated Press. The Pacers snapped a franchise-record 13-game losing streak with the victory.
“I’m so happy for our players,” said Carlisle, who hugged his assistants and players after the win. “The last month has been so challenging in so many ways. We have an amazing group of guys who continue to fight through thick and thin.”
After coming one win away from winning their first NBA championship last June, the Pacers have dealt with numerous injuries in 2025/26 and are currently 7-31, the worst record in the league. Carlisle, 66, is in his 24th season as a head coach and won a title with Dallas in 2011.
“This has never been about me getting a milestone win,” Carlisle said. “It’s about our organization and our franchise. As it has gotten tougher and tougher I have leaned into thinking more about gratitude for the things that we have. We have great people and we have terrific players.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Pistons star Cade Cunningham is questionable to suit up for Saturday’s matchup vs. the Clippers due to a right wrist contusion, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. The former No. 1 overall pick is an MVP candidate this season with Detroit holding the best record in the Eastern Conference at 28-9. Cunningham, a 6’6″ guard, missed Wednesday’s win over Chicago with the injury.
- Speaking to reporters on Friday, including Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter video link), Pistons guard Jaden Ivey said he’s in a “great space” from a health standpoint and is no longer on a minutes restriction. The impending restricted free agent missed most of last season with a fractured left fibula and was sidelined to start ’25/26 after undergoing right knee surgery this fall. Ivey is averaging a career-low 16.7 minutes per game through 22 appearances.
- Within a story questioning whether the Cavaliers can be a contender as currently constructed, Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports describes Darius Garland‘s trade value around the league as “muted.” The two-time All-Star point guard has been inconsistent this season as he continues to deal with the effects of a toe injury which required offseason surgery.
- After missing the past two games while in the league’s concussion protocol, Bulls big man Jalen Smith has been upgraded to questionable for Saturday’s contest vs. Dallas, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Veteran wing Kevin Huerter (back tightness) is also questionable, Johnson adds.
Deni Avdija, Tyrese Maxey Named Players Of Week
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Avdija averaged 26.8 points, 9.8 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game while leading to Portland to a 3-1 record during the week of December 29 to January 4. This is the first time Avdija has earned Player of the Week honors. He’s the first Portland player to get the nod since Damian Lillard on Feb. 6, 2023.
Maxey averaged 34.7 points and 8.7 assists per game while shooting 61.2% from the field as the Sixers went 3-0. It’s the third time Maxey has earned Player of the Week honors, including the second time this season — he joins Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and Celtics wing Jaylen Brown as the Eastern Conference’s two-time winners so far in 2025/26.
Devin Booker (Suns), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Kevin Durant (Rockets), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) were the other nominees in the West.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Paolo Banchero and Anthony Black (Magic), Brown (Celtics) and Cade Cunningham (Pistons) were also nominated in the East.
Central Notes: Mathurin, Cunningham, Bickerstaff, Potter
Bennedict Mathurin is expected to miss some time for the Pacers as he works to come back from a right thumb sprain and turf toe, writes Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).
“When we’re down numbers, it becomes more challenging, but we’ve gotten some guys back,” said coach Rick Carlisle before Sunday’s game. “But now Mathurin’s out for a while.”
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (via Twitter) that Mathurin has been trying to play through the thumb sprain for multiple weeks, but that he needs some time to heal. The fourth-year guard also admitted last month that the toe injury which cost him 11 games earlier in the season was still bothering him.
Mathurin is averaging a career-high 17.8 points per game for the depleted Pacers, but his numbers have dipped since mid-December, likely due in large part to his health issues. Over his last 11 games, he’s averaging 13.5 PPG on .369/.271/.973 shooting splits.
There was no immediate timeline given for his return.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Cade Cunningham, who is playing the best basketball of his career for the East-leading Pistons, credits former NBA guard and current assistant coach Jarrett Jack for helping him take a leap as a player and leader, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. Sankofa writes that Jack was “attached” to Cunningham upon joining the staff of former head coach Monty Williams. The two do one-on-one work, pregame warmups, and talk on the bench during games together. “He’s always making jokes, always being funny, talking about he could’ve did this or I ain’t that, whatever,” Cunningham said. “It’s cool, man. He just knows how to read the room. That’s the type of stuff that allows the culture to be what it is, people like that. He’s one of the main ones that’s helped build this culture that we got.”
- There were added stakes for the Pistons as they got their first road win against the Cavaliers since coach J.B. Bickerstaff came to Detroit from Cleveland, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I feel like we’ve got to have his back coming into here, because I know they get up to play against J.B. every single time,” said Isaiah Stewart, who started in the place of the injured Jalen Duren and contributed three blocks and two steals in the four-point victory. “So it was important for us to get this win tonight.” Coming into today’s game, the Cavaliers were 4-1 against their old coach.
- Micah Potter went from the G League to starting Pacers center in about a week. It’s been a whirlwind, but his previous experience with Team USA has helped him find ways to fit in and be productive, writes Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star. “The confidence it gave me was like, I belong, right?” Potter said. “I’m not saying I’m going to be a Kevin Durant, a LeBron James, a Tyrese Haliburton, a Steph Curry. I’m not going to be those guys, but I can help those guys. I can find a role to create for those guys whether I’m scoring or not. And that was the thing that gave me the most confidence, and I also hit a couple of shots which was really cool too.” Potter’s first start came on Friday in a loss to the Spurs. He scored 16 points on 4-of-8 from three with six rebounds. In Sunday’s matchup against the Magic, he had 11 points and 10 rebounds in just over 29 minutes. “Just try to do my job as best I can,” he said. “Create for my teammates, whether that’s passing, shooting open shots, setting good screens, anything like that. Just trying to create space for my teammates and play off that.”
Jalen Brunson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Win Player Of The Month Awards
A pair of star point guards and MVP candidates have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for December, with Jalen Brunson of the Knicks winning the award in the East and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder claiming it in the West, per the league (Twitter link).
Brunson was named Player of the Week twice in December and led the Knicks to an NBA Cup championship. He averaged 30.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per contest in 13 December outings, posting a strong shooting line of .475/.405/.826 and leading his team to a 10-3 record in the games he played.
Those stats don’t include the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season, but he was excellent in that game too, racking up 25 points and eight assists as the Knicks toppled the Spurs.
Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, continued to strengthen his case for a second consecutive Most Valuable Player award in 12 December appearances, with averages of 31.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, and a scorching-hot .594/.436/.882 shooting line.
Gilgeous-Alexander now ranks second in the NBA in scoring (32.1 PPG), while his Thunder – following a 9-4 December – hold the league’s best record at 29-5.
It’s the third time Brunson has won a Player of the Month award and the fifth time Gilgeous-Alexander has earned the honor. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were the NBA’s first Players of the Month this season, for games played in October and November.
Cunningham was also nominated for the Eastern Conference award in December, along with Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, Hawks forward, Jalen Johnson, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., and Brunson’s teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
The other Western Conference nominees were Jokic, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, Jazz guard Keyonte George, Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Trail Blazers teammates Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe, Timberwolves teammates Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, and Lakers teammates Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of Week
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Leonard led the Clippers to three wins during the week of December 22-28 while posting averages of 41.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per contest. The star forward erupted for a career-high 55 points against the Pistons on Sunday.
It’s Leonard’s fourth Player of the Week award as a Clipper and the 10th of his NBA career, but it’s the first time he has earned the honor since the 2023/24 season.
Kevin Durant (Rockets), Keyonte George (Jazz), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees.
The Celtics, meanwhile, went 2-1 last week with Brown averaging 32.7 points on 55.9 percent shooting from the field while also grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game.
Boston’s star wing has scored at least 30 points in all nine games he has played this month and has now been named the East’s Player of the Week twice in December — he also claimed the award on Dec. 8. Brown and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson have traded the award back and forth in recent weeks, with no other Eastern Conference player winning it since Nov. 24.
LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Michael Porter Jr. (Nets) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were all nominated in the East.
Doncic, Antetokounmpo Lead Early Fan Voting For All-Star Game
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, in the first returns of fan voting for the All-Star Game, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
Doncic leads all players with 1,249,518 votes. The top five vote-getters from the Western Conference also include Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.
Joining Antetokounmpo among the top five in the Eastern Conference are Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
Fans voting represents 50% of the vote to determine the five players from each conference to be named as starters for the All-Star Game, with current NBA players and a media panel accounting for 25% each. This year, All-Stars are being selected without regard to position.
A newly-created, round-robin tournament featuring a USA vs. World format will be held Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Jalen Brunson Named Players Of Week
Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson were named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
This marks the second career Player of the Week award for Jackson, who averaged 27.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.7 blocks in 32.7 minutes per game and led Memphis to a 2-1 record during the week of December 15-21.
Jackson recorded a season-high 31 points and five blocks in the Grizzlies’ 121-103 road win last Monday against the Clippers and followed that with 28 points, a season-high 12 rebounds and three blocks in Memphis’ 116-110 road victory on Wednesday against Minnesota.
Brunson racked up 31.3 points, 8.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game as the Knicks went 2-1 after their NBA Cup triumph. He had 47 points in the Knicks’ 132-125 win over Miami on Sunday.
It’s the second major individual award for Brunson over the past week. He was also named the MVP of the NBA Cup. He also becomes the first two-time Eastern Conference Player of the Week this season, having also earned the honor on December 1.
Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers), Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves), Keyonte George (Jazz), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) were the other nominees for the Western Conference Player of the Week award.
Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic (Bulls), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers) and Derrick White (Celtics) were the other nominees in the East.
Pistons Notes: Bickerstaff, Officiating, Trade Targets, Cunningham
The Pistons had their four-game winning streak snapped on Thursday in Dallas as the Mavericks pulled out a nail-biting 116-114 upset victory in overtime. During his post-game remarks to the media, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff stressed that his team didn’t lose the game solely because of the officiating, but aired out a number of complaints about the referees, with a focus on crew chief John Goble.
As Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes, Bickerstaff never explicitly called out Goble by name. However, he repeatedly cited calls made by the crew chief and told reporters that Goble said to him during the game, “Night by night, this is how our interactions are.”
“So, that says to me that the referee is coming into the game not being objective,” Bickerstaff said. “OK? That same referee, at halftime, I get my technical foul. I don’t say anything to him. I go to grab Cade (Cunningham) to get Cade off the floor. He gives me a technical foul. That’s my job to get my player away from the referee, get us back to halftime so we can have the conversations that we need to have.
“So, the same referee who comes into the game who’s not objective, and then he goes out and makes those calls. (That) same referee, if you take a look at the play where he ejects (Ausar Thompson), he steps towards A.T., right? That’s where the minimal contact happens, where he steps towards him and initiates it.”
Goble told pool reporter Christian Clark of The Athletic after the game that he assessed Bickerstaff with a technical foul for “continuous complaining” and that Thompson was ejected for “aggressively approaching and making contact with an official.”
Bickerstaff also wasn’t happy about the fact that he wasn’t awarded a timeout during the Pistons’ final offensive possession despite the fact that “that same referee” (Goble) was standing next to him.
“You had one guy who wanted to make the game about the referees when that’s not what this should have been,” Bickerstaff said. “This was two teams competing their tails off, playing high-level basketball. But anybody who comes into the game and says ‘night by night,’ he clearly has an unobjective point of view.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- In a subscriber-only story for The Detroit Free Press, Omari Sankofa II identifies three-point shooting, power forward depth, and a second scorer to complement Cunningham as three areas the Pistons should be focusing on as the trade deadline approaches. Sankofa also singles out a few players who could be targeted in trades to address those needs, including Lauri Markkanen, Sam Hauser, and Dorian Finney-Smith.
- Cunningham just turned 24 years old in September, but he has already emerged as the Pistons’ leader. Hunter Patterson of The Athletic traces Cunningham’s desire to lead back to his high school days, when he was the youngest player on his varsity team and felt like the “odd man out” among players who didn’t want him there. “Me and those guys have come to terms, and we’re all good now. But it was something that made me grow a lot,” Cunningham explained. “… I learned how to lead from that, learned how to make people feel how I wanted to be made to feel at that time. I think that was one of the first moments where I was like, ‘I don’t like how this type of leadership is, and I want to be better whenever I have that opportunity to be the best player on the team.’ So I always revert back to that team whenever I’m thinking about how a leader was (that) I didn’t like.”
- After finishing seventh in MVP voting a year ago, Cunningham has career-high averages of 27.2 points, 9.2 assists, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game so far this season. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said prior to Thursday’s game that the Pistons guard deserves to be an even bigger part of the MVP conversation this season. “When you look at the pace, his speed and his ability to control the game not just from scoring but passing,” Kidd said (Twitter link via Sankofa). “… He understands when it’s time to go. He should be mentioned with the MVPs, if not MVP right now, because of the high level he’s playing.”
Central Notes: Cunningham, Nesmith, Pacers, Bucks
It was only two seasons ago that the Pistons lost 28 games in a row and wound up with the league’s worst record. Many of the players from that squad now find themselves on the top team in the Eastern Conference.
Cade Cunningham said the team’s previous futility is a constant motivator.
“So many long car rides after the games and stuff, long nights thinking about what could’ve happened different, stuff like that,” Cunningham told The Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II (subscription required). “That stuff lives with you. I carry it on the court all the time. I know my teammates carry it. (Isaiah Stewart) has had a lot of experiences in this league that he carries with him every time he plays. I think we’re all better for it.
“It’s the small things that make it up, and we’ve been through the losing end of those things and now, every night, we’re just trying to find ways to come out on top,” he added. “It’s just the details and (it’s) still early. We’re not satisfied or content with where we’re at right now. We’re just trying to keep on stacking, see where it takes us.”
Entering Saturday’s game, each of Detroit’s previous seven matchups had been decided by six points or less. The Pistons were 4-3 during that stretch.
“It’s crazy this year,” Cunningham said. “The difference in those plays is so small, you know? A loose ball with a minute and a half left in the fourth quarter, this year we’re coming up with it. In the past we don’t come up with it. We lose those games. This year we had a game [against Orlando] where we gave up a few offensive rebounds at the end, we lose that game. It’s the little plays that make up the outcomes. I think we’re just getting better at finding those moments and taking advantage more.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith has been out since Nov. 13 with a left knee MCL sprain. He’s not close to coming back, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “There’s no timetable,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “… It’s gonna be a while. Hopefully not too long. It would be great if he could be back playing some time this month. He’s making great progress with no setbacks. Time will tell, but I don’t have any set timetable for you.” Quenton Jackson, who has been out with a right hamstring strain since November 3, could return later this week. Second-round pick Kam Jones, sidelined since suffering a back injury in training camp, is ramping up his conditioning. Carlisle said Jones’ first games will most likely be with the Noblesville Boom, the Pacers’ G League affiliate.
- Carlisle has been employing a center by committee approach with Jay Huff, Isaiah Jackson, and Tony Bradley sharing minutes. The Pacers were forced to improvise when Myles Turner left in free agency, and Carlisle has been pleased with the results in recent games. “A lot of progress,” he told Dopirak. “Doesn’t matter who starts. It’s a tag-team thing, it’s a brotherhood thing. Those guys’ job is to hold down the fort. Tony is included in that too. It’s important that the spirit is we just find a way to get it done.”
- Bucks coach Doc Rivers gave his team two days off after playing back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday. His banged-up squad will have two big practice days on Tuesday and Wednesday before Thursday’s game against the Celtics, according to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “I think it’s a very pivotal time for us,” forward Kyle Kuzma said. “It’s sink or swim. We have to treat it like that.”