Siegel’s Latest: Sabonis, Raptors, Bucks, Warriors, Nets, White, Lakers
After buying low on Brandon Ingram at last season’s trade deadline, could the Raptors seek out a similar move this February? According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Kings center Domantas Sabonis is one name that has been continually linked to Toronto. The Raptors’ interest in Sabonis was first reported in December by Jake Fischer and has since been corroborated by several other outlets.
Malik Monk is another player who has intrigued Toronto in the past, Siegel writes, noting that Kings general manager Scott Perry drafted current Raptors veterans RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley when he was in New York’s front office. While there’s no indication that the two teams have seriously discussed such a deal involving those four players, Siegel suggests that sort of framework could be worth keeping an eye on.
If Toronto does end up moving Barrett in that sort of bigger move, he’d likely draw interest from several teams besides Sacramento, Siegel writes, given the lack of high-level wing talent on the trade market. The Bucks, for example, expressed interest in Barrett last season, per Siegel.
Here’s more from Siegel’s latest NBA rumor round-up:
- The Warriors have internally discussed many possible center trade targets, including Myles Turner and Bobby Portis of the Bucks, per Siegel. A number of teams around the NBA are curious about Milwaukee’s plans for Portis, Siegel continues, with the Hornets and Suns also considered possible suitors, perhaps in multi-team scenarios.
- Suns guard Jalen Green is among the players the Bucks have inquired on, but Phoenix isn’t interested in moving him at this point, says Siegel. Given that Green has only played two games this season due to hamstring issues, the Suns view him as a sort of trade-deadline addition themselves, Siegel explains.
- Although the Nets are fielding inquiries on players like Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, they aren’t actively looking to move them. In order for Brooklyn to consider a deal involving either player, the starting point for a package would have to be a “true” unprotected first-round pick, Siegel writes.
- The Mavericks and the Clippers are among the teams with interest in Bulls guard Coby White, sources tell Siegel, who reiterates that the Timberwolves also remain interested and notes that some league insiders have speculated that the Hawks could be a destination for White in the event of a Trae Young trade.
- With higher-level options like Herbert Jones potentially out of reach, players like Bulls forward Isaac Okoro, Kings guard Keon Ellis, and Nets wing Haywood Highsmith are considered more realistic possibilities for a Lakers team seeking defensive help, according to Siegel. Mavericks forward Naji Marshall is another possible trade candidate to add to that group if Dallas commits to becoming a seller.
Central Notes: Buzelis, White, Mathurin, Feigin
The Bulls may still be wallowing in mediocrity but second-year forward Matas Buzelis continues to show improvement. He’s averaging 21.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 block per game in his first three January outings. He scored 26 points in a loss to the Celtics on Monday, making 9-of-12 field goal attempts.
‘‘I think the biggest thing with him that I’ve been the most pleased with and that’s been really consistent from him is he’s not holding the ball and dancing with it,’’ coach Billy Donovan said, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. ‘‘He was decisive when he had it in space. Whether it was shooting the ball or driving the ball, he was decisive, and I feel like that’s how he has to play.’’
Buzelis says it’s all part of his learning process.
‘‘I just go out and hoop, try and be the best player I can be,’’ he said. ‘‘I play hard, and I believe in our team. It was just a matter of time and patience, just keep grinding. Just the comfort level, honestly. It’s only Year 2 for me. That’s not an excuse, but [I’m] still getting comfortable out there going against grown men. It feels like it’s just a matter of time, learning and learning.’’
Buzelis is listed as questionable to play against Detroit on Wednesday due to an illness, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network tweets.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Coby White is also questionable on Wednesday due to right calf injury management. White, an unrestricted free agent after the season, returned to action on Monday after missing the three previous games but struggled. He was held to five points and three assists while committing four turnovers on a minutes limit. “It’s pretty tough being in and out of the lineup, knowing you can only play a certain amount of minutes throughout the entire night,” White told Cowley. “It gets tough when you’re out there and you look up, ‘Damn, I only got like two minutes left and I know I’m coming out.’”
- Pacers coach Rick Carlisle indicated that Bennedict Mathurin has been dealing with right thumb pain for awhile, Tony East of Circle City Spin tweets. “It’s been bothering him. I don’t remember exactly when he did it. But it’s been a while, it’s been weeks,” Carlisle said. “When you keep getting hit, it’s on your shooting hand, it becomes more than a nuisance.” Carlisle reiterated that he’s unsure when Mathurin might return to action. Carlisle said a few days earlier that the fourth-year guard would be “out a while.”
- Peter Feigin is stepping down as the Bucks‘ president after a 12-season run overseeing the team’s business operations, according to The Associated Press. Josh Glessing, who has been working as the Haslam Sports Group’s chief of strategy and development, will replace him. The two will be working together over the next few months during the transition period.
Injury Notes: LaVine, D. Jones, T. Young, J. Smith, C. White
After missing nine games with a left ankle sprain, Kings wing Zach LaVine will return to action on Sunday against Milwaukee, tweets James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com. Rookie center Maxime Raynaud will also be active after having an injury scare in Friday’s loss to Phoenix.
LaVine is reportedly one of several players the Bucks are monitoring ahead of the trade deadline, so it’s an interesting coincidence that he’s returning today.
Here are a few more injury-relates updates from around the NBA:
- Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. suffered a right knee injury in Saturday’s loss to Boston and will undergo an MRI on Sunday, reports Law Murray of The Athletic (All Twitter links here). According to Murray, Jones limped to the locker room after being fouled by Payton Pritchard in the fourth quarter. It’s a disappointing development for the high-flying Jones, who just returned to action on December 28 after missing several weeks with a sprained MCL in the same knee.
- Hawks point guard Trae Young missed his fourth straight game on Saturday at Toronto, per Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks (Twitter link). The four-time All-Star has been battling a right quad contusion. Kristaps Porzingis (return to competition reconditioning) was also out for the second night of a back-to-back, which was expected, Rowland notes (via Twitter).
- Bulls big man Jalen Smith has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol after taking a hard hit to the head in the third quarter of Saturday’s loss to Charlotte, head coach Billy Donovan said after the game (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network). Smith has been ruled out of Monday’s contest at Boston after being diagnosed with a concussion (link to injury report). On a brighter note, guard Coby White has a chance to return Monday — he’s questionable with what the team is calling right calf injury management.
Bulls Notes: White, Giddey, T. Jones, Trade Deadline
Bulls guard Coby White was hoping to raise his value with a strong season heading into free agency, but repeated calf issues have gotten in the way, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes in a subscriber-only story. They began when White strained his right calf during an August workout, sidelining him through training camp and the first 11 games of the season. He was on a minutes restriction as he made his season debut November 16, but he began feeling tightness in his left calf within two weeks and was shut down for two more games.
White felt good enough to play in a back-to-back last Friday and Saturday, but he started experiencing tightness in his right calf during Monday’s game with Minnesota. He hasn’t played since then, but he’s hoping for good news when he gets reevaluated on Monday.
“It just got tight, and it was persistent,” White said. “It started to loosen up a little bit, so I tried to test it out and get it moving again. But it was still a little persistent, so they were like, ‘Shut it down.’ I got an MRI, and it showed that it wasn’t a re-strain. The MRI actually looked better than it did in November, so it’s about just getting it to calm down. It was like a warning shot to get us to make it calm down.”
White has only been available for 16 of Chicago’s 34 games, and he admits that it’s “frustrating” to deal with constant injuries. Cowley points out that the frequent absences could not only affect White’s next contract, but the Bulls’ potential return if they decide to trade him before the February 5 deadline.
“You could sit here and say, ‘Why me?’” White said. “Then you look around the league, and there’s guys in worse situations than me in terms of they come back, (re-injure themselves) and then they’ve got to sit out even more time. You’ve got to keep a positive perspective that you’re not the only one in the world going through what you’re going through. It’s frustrating because I do want to be out there, and I don’t feel as well, like, as a person and mentally when I’m not playing. It’s hard for me to go through this. … I look at it as God is trying to teach me something through this, and maybe I’ll figure it out at the end of it.”
There’s more from Chicago:
- Josh Giddey was an active presence on the bench Friday night, constantly instructing and encouraging his teammates while sidelined with a left hamstring strain, Cowley adds in a separate story. His coaching contributions paid off as the Bulls posted a win over Orlando to improve to 2-0 without their starting backcourt. Giddey admitted that he doesn’t enjoy “sitting and watching,” but he understands the perils associated with coming back too early from a hamstring injury. “The symptoms go away, and you feel like you can do everything, and that’s when you’re at risk of restraining (the hamstring),” he said. “(I’m) just being careful, being safe, but doing what it takes to get back as soon as possible.”
- The backcourt injuries have increased the value of Tre Jones, who was acquired from San Antonio at last year’s deadline. The veteran point guard moved into the starting lineup and contributed 20 points and 12 assists in Wednesday’s win over New Orleans, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. Jones is under contract for $8MM for next season with an $8MM team option for 2027/28, so he could provide some insurance if the Bulls don’t keep White.
- In another piece, Poe examines several questions the Bulls face as they approach the deadline, noting that the team has quite a few tradable contracts that could be packaged together in a large deal. She recommends that the front office should be willing to take on other teams’ unwanted contracts to add draft assets and delay larger moves to fix the roster until the offseason.
Bulls Notes: Starting Lineup, White, Trade Deadline, Buzelis
As his team navigates three significant injuries, Bulls coach Billy Donovan unveiled a new-look starting lineup in Wednesday’s win over New Orleans, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Donovan went big to match up with the Pelicans, using Tre Jones as his lone guard alongside Isaac Okoro, Nikola Vucevic, Matas Buzelis and Jalen Smith. With Josh Giddey and Coby White unavailable to run the offense, Okoro led the way with a season-high 24 points in a 134-118 victory.
“Everyone knows their role on this team,” Okoro said. “No one is too big-headed or out there trying to be a superstar on this team. Everyone knows their roles, knows what they need to do to impact winning. So as long as guys know that, I think we’ll be in a good place. We have enough here. Just play with energy, play with a high spirit, do the things we can control. Of course, not having bodies out there is bad, but we have enough. Control what we can control.”
Donovan used 10 players in total with Patrick Williams, Dalen Terry, Jevon Carter, Kevin Huerter and Ayo Dosunmu coming off the bench. Getting contributions throughout the roster is going to be important as the Bulls face a stretch of six games in nine days, starting on Friday. Cowley notes that roles and responsibilities could change from night to night depending on the opponent.
“It’s a results-oriented business, but I look at it as a 48-minute game,” Donovan said. “Can we play to an identity covering for each other on defense, helping each other on offense, moving the basketball, playing the right way, not turning it over? To me, there are certain things we can do as a basketball team. Are we good enough to actually overcome and go win games? It remains to be seen, but I know if we don’t do those things, we have no chance.”
There’s more from Chicago:
- Cowley points out that White began to feel tightness in his right calf after he played in back-to-back games over the weekend for this first time this season. The medical staff might keep him out of those situations once he returns. ‘‘That’s been a topic of conversation,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘That was the first back-to-back he played. He came out of it fine, but they are trying to go through every minute detail that he does every single day.’’
- In a separate story from Cowley, Donovan discusses the “30,000-foot view” that executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has of the team’s injury situation as opposed to his mandate to try to win every game. Donovan also indicated that the Bulls don’t appear to be close to making any deals with the deadline five weeks away. ‘‘In the conversations I’ve had with Arturas, we have not talked about the trade deadline at this point in time at all,’’ Donovan told reporters. ‘‘I would say that I don’t know how other teams evaluate it. The guys you are bringing up, are they in contract years? Is there a dive they do in their history? Some of these guys, you’re right, have been set back with some injuries. I don’t know necessarily how much it does or doesn’t hurt.”
- Buzelis talks about the thrill of draft day in the latest edition of “Journey to the CHI” on Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). “As soon as I found out the Bulls were picking me … It was honestly the best day of my life,” the second-year forward said.
Bulls Share Injury Updates On White, Giddey, Collins
The Bulls have put out a press release confirming that guards Coby White and Josh Giddey and big man Zach Collins will miss multiple games due to injuries.
According to the team, White is experiencing tightness in his right calf and will be reevaluated in one week. Based on that timeline, White – who exited Monday’s game against Minnesota in the first quarter due to the injury – will miss games against New Orleans (Wednesday), Orlando (Friday), Charlotte (Saturday), and Boston (Monday) before being examined next Wednesday.
The Bulls’ update on Giddey comes after Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that the standout guard will miss “a few weeks” due to a left hamstring strain. The club has confirmed that diagnosis and stated that Giddey will be reevaluated in two weeks. That means he’ll miss at least Chicago’s next eight games and could remain on the shelf beyond that.
As for Collins, the forward/center sustained a right toe sprain and will be reevaluated in 10 days, per the team. It will be the second extended absence this season for Collins, whose debut was delayed until December 5 after he fractured his wrist during the preseason. He played in each of the Bulls’ past 10 games after missing the first 21.
White and Giddey are the Bulls’ leading scorers so far this season at 19.2 points per game apiece, while Collins had scored double-digit points in each of his past six outings.
The injuries to White and Giddey will result in larger roles for Tre Jones, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter, and Jevon Carter in Chicago’s backcourt, while forward Patrick Williams seems likely to return to the frontcourt rotation with Collins sidelined.
The banged-up Bulls are also currently dealing with injuries affecting all three of their two-way players, Trentyn Flowers (right knee hyperextension), Emanuel Miller (right hamstring strain), and Lachlan Olbrich (left ankle sprain). Additionally, this year’s lottery pick, Noa Essengue, is out for the season following shoulder surgery.
Bulls’ Josh Giddey To Miss Multiple Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Bulls starting point guard Josh Giddey has a left hamstring strain and will miss at least a few weeks, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic confirms through the team’s PR department that the injury, initially diagnosed as hamstring tightness, is a strain (Twitter link).
Giddey, acquired from Oklahoma City prior to last season, has been enjoying a career year with averages of 19.2 points, 9.0 assists and 8.9 rebounds in 29 games. He leads the Bulls in all three statistical categories, so his loss — even for a few weeks — could have a huge impact on their season and approach to the trade deadline.
Chicago had won five straight before losing its last two games to fall to 15-17. The Bulls are currently in ninth place in the East, which would put them in the play-in tournament.
It’s been a painful week injury-wise as Coby White re-injured his right calf on Monday and Zach Collins suffered a toe injury. That duo is also expected to miss multiple games.
Giddey was one of several restricted free agents on the market during the offseason who endured lengthy negotiations. It worked out in the long run as he signed a four-year, $100MM deal heading into training camp.
Without their starting backcourt, the Bulls will have to rely on Tre Jones, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter and Jevon Carter to get them through the upcoming weeks.
If the Bulls chose to go into sell mode before the trade deadline, they’ll have multiple expiring contracts to dangle. Nikola Vucevic, Collins, Huerter, White, Dosunmu and Carter all fit into that category.
Bulls Notes: White, Giddey, Collins, Williams
Coby White was forced to leave Monday’s game vs. Minnesota due to a right calf injury and did not return, the Bulls announced (Twitter link via Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic). White hurt his calf in the first quarter.
As K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network notes (Twitter links), White missed the first 11 games of the season — and 15 overall — due to a right calf strain he sustained in August. The 25-year-old also missed a pair of games with a left calf injury.
White, a seventh-year guard, just played his first back-to-back games of 2025/26 on Friday and Saturday, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The former No. 7 overall pick said he was still working to find his rhythm and improve his conditioning after Saturday’s loss.
“Just trusting my body and reacting to how I want to react,” White said. “I’m trying to get my legs underneath me as far as timing, decision-making. I’m trying to give myself some grace. I was really hard on myself [Friday against 76ers], where I felt like I couldn’t get my timing down. It’s leading to some turnovers that I feel like are unforced.
“Once I get my timing down and get my legs underneath me, I’ll be better.”
According to Cowley, while White and Chicago’s front office previously expressed mutual interest in resuming contract discussions in the offseason, the relationship between the two sides has “frayed a bit” with White’s name popping up in recent trade rumors ahead of unrestricted free agency.
We have more from Chicago:
- White wasn’t the only starting guard who exited Monday’s game early, as Josh Giddey sustained a left hamstring injury early in the third quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest (Twitter link via Johnson). It’s unclear when the injury occurred, but Giddey quickly asked to be subbed out after dribbling the ball up the court (Twitter video link).
- While White and Giddey were injured during Monday’s game, big man Zach Collins was hurt sometime before tip-off. Head coach Billy Donovan said the 28-year-old center has a sprained big toe and will likely be out at least a week, though there is not yet an official timetable for Collins’ return, per Will Gottlieb of CHGO Bulls (Twitter link).
- Forward Patrick Williams has largely been out of the rotation of late with Donovan opting for a double-big bench unit featuring Collins and Jalen Smith. Williams admitted he wasn’t thrilled with the demotion, per Cowley, but he handled it professionally and said he would be ready Monday with Collins out. “For sure, 100%,” Williams said of taking advantage of the opportunity. “Obviously you don’t want guys to go down. We all love Zach and what he brings to the game. It’s definitely an opportunity for someone to step up and if he calls my number I’m ready.” The 24-year-old wound up playing 21 minutes in the blowout loss.
Bulls Notes: White, Giddey, Healthy Roster
The Bulls closed out the final 20 games of the 2024/25 regular season by going 15-5, in no small part due to the play of Coby White and Josh Giddey. But the backcourt tandem hasn’t had much time on the court together this season, largely because of White’s calf issues.
White expressed confidence about the duo rediscovering their prior form together ahead of Tuesday’s game in Atlanta, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Head coach Billy Donovan says that would only be beneficial.
“I think it would definitely help us,” Donovan said. “I think the hard part has been Coby just trying to get back and find a rhythm with him being out. So with him being out, he and Josh also finding a rhythm. But I think last year, they coexisted very well.
“They have a very good relationship, they talk and they communicate. Certainly for us, those two guys playing at a high level is going to help, but we’re going to have to rely on the other guys, too.”
White (team-high 24 points, four assists, three steals) and Giddey (19 points, 15 assists, 11 rebounds) both played key roles in Tuesday’s comeback victory, notes Bill Trocchi of The Associated Press.
Here’s more on the Bulls, who have won four straight:
- Giddey says he’s more focused on winning than individual accolades, but he admits he’s hoping to make his first All-Star appearance in 2025/26, Cowley writes in another story. “Every player wants to be an All-Star — all those things when they first get drafted, get into the league — and I’m no different,” Giddey said. “Everyone has individual aspirations. They’re lying if they say they don’t, but it’s about not letting it get in the way of the team. I want to be an All-Star; everybody inside [the locker room] wants to be an All-Star. But you’ve got to be able to do that inside the team and win games while trying to do individual things, as well. Winning solves everything, and all the individual stuff comes after that.” Giddey, who is averaging career highs of 20.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists while shooting a career-best 40.2% from long distance through 27 games, has seven triple-doubles this season, trailing only Nikola Jokic, who has 14.
- Aside from rookie Noa Essengue, who is out for the season following shoulder surgery, the Bulls are healthy for the first time this season and Ayo Dosunmu said they have a “resilient” group after Tuesday’s win. “This has been about continuing to stay together, continuing to get better,” Dosunmu said, per Cowley. “We understood that (the losing streak) was not the best basketball that we were playing, but we all knew what we were capable of. We put it together and have been playing a great stretch of basketball. Now we’ve got to just keep doing it.” Chicago lost seven straight before its four-game winning streak.
- In case you missed it, the Bulls have reportedly been involved in multiple trade conversations recently.
Trade Rumors: Sexton, Wolves, Pelicans, Hawks, Bagley
Although the Hornets are willing to discuss potential trades, they still hope they can contend for a play-in spot and aren’t looking to simply sell off veterans, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). According to Fischer, veteran guard Collin Sexton and his expiring $19MM contract looks like Charlotte’s most logical trade candidate.
Minnesota is one team that has done its homework on Sexton, Fischer says, explaining that the Timberwolves appear to be trying to get a sense of their range of options at the point guard spot as they seek an upgrade on their current options. While sources tell Fischer that the Wolves are adamant about not including budding star Jaden McDaniels in any deals, rival executives suspect the back-to-back conference finalists will be more aggressive on the trade market than most other Western contenders.
As Fischer explains, teams like the Thunder, Nuggets, Rockets, and Spurs aren’t considered likely to make in-season splashes, so the only other club currently in the top six of the West that figures to be actively seeking meaningful upgrades is the Lakers. And it remains to be seen whether they’ll be able to acquire the sort of three-and-D player they’d love to add.
Here are a few more NBA trade rumors:
- As coveted as Pelicans forward Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III are, sources believe they’re unlikely to be moved at the trade deadline, writes Brett Siegel of Clutch Points. Rival scouts view Jose Alvarado, Saddiq Bey, Jordan Hawkins, and Jordan Poole as New Orleans’ more likely trade candidates, in that order, per Siegel.
- Although the Hawks have checked in on Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, there has been no momentum in those talks and there’s a sense that Atlanta is more likely to target a lower-salary replacement if the team builds a deal around Kristaps Porzingis‘ expiring contract ahead of the deadline, says Siegel. One hypothetical proposal put forth by league personnel would see the Hawks target a package like Nikola Vucevic and Coby White from the Bulls, though there’s no indication that the two teams have explored that sort of trade, Siegel clarifies, noting that it’s just an example of the type of move that would likely appeal more to Atlanta than going after someone like Davis.
- Siegel singles out Wizards big man Marvin Bagley III as a player to watch ahead of the deadline, writing that he has begun generating interest from teams looking to fortify their frontcourts.