Trade Rumors: Bulls, Dosunmu, Allen, Missi, Rockets, Pelicans, More
There have been some “tangible” discussions this week between the Bulls and Pacers about a possible trade involving Ayo Dosunmu and Bennedict Mathurin, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, after Chicago agreed to trades for guards Jaden Ivey and Anfernee Simons on Tuesday, it’s unclear whether the team still has interest in Mathurin, who is also on the Pelicans‘ radar.
According to Fischer, the Bulls also explored multiple trade scenarios involving Nikola Vucevic before agreeing to a Simons trade with Boston, including offering Vucevic and a future first-round pick to the Cavaliers for Jarrett Allen. That’s a deal Cleveland wouldn’t have been able to make without ducking the second tax apron, since Vucevic’s $21.5MM cap hit comes in a little above Allen’s $20MM figure.
Whether due to the apron restrictions or simply a lack of interest, Cleveland turned down the offer, per Fischer, who adds that the Pacers are another team that has registered interest in Allen.
While the Bulls may not have a viable path to acquiring Allen, they remain very much in the mix for Pelicans center Yves Missi, reports Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. According to Siegel, New Orleans has continued to seek a first-round pick in exchange for Missi, but no team has been willing to meet that asking price so far.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Speaking of the Bulls, it’s worth keeping an eye on whether they end up flipping Mike Conley in a separate trade after acquiring him from Minnesota on Tuesday, Fischer writes. There have been rumblings that if Conley is traded again and then waived, the Timberwolves would have interest in bringing him back on a minimum-salary deal. That wouldn’t be possible if Chicago waives Conley directly due to NBA rules about a traded player rejoining his previous team.
- The Rockets have been connected to Bulls guard Coby White, among other targets, with forward Dorian Finney-Smith viewed as a possible trade candidate, but Siegel hears that Houston likes its roster and would be content to stand pat at the trade deadline — or to make a smaller move or two involving minimum-salary or near-minimum players. Forward Tari Eason, who will be a restricted free agent in the offseason, has drawn significant interest, but the Rockets aren’t interested in moving him, Siegel adds.
- Sources tell ClutchPoints that the Pelicans have received offers that include multiple first-round picks for both Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones, but they still haven’t seriously entertained the idea of trading either player. It remains very possible that New Orleans maintains its high asking prices for Murphy and Jones and keeps both players through the deadline, despite significant league-wide interest in them, Siegel writes.
- The Clippers continue to seek potential takers for Chris Paul and Kobe Brown, Siegel reports, since moving those players would help create breathing room under the hard cap – and room on the roster – to promote Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders from their two-way deals to standard contracts.
- Recognizing that whether or not he’s traded this week is “something that’s out of my control,” Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. says he’s at peace with whatever happens, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. For what it’s worth though, Lewis writes in a separate subscriber-only story that more and more league sources believe Porter will ultimately end up remaining in Brooklyn through this Thursday’s deadline.
Rockets Notes: Durant, Eason, Finney-Smith, Offense
The Rockets‘ trade for Kevin Durant accelerated their expectations after the incremental success the team experienced last season, but they’ve found it surprisingly difficult to replace the grit provided by Dillon Brooks, writes The Athletic’s William Guillory in a mid-season retrospective of the trade co-written with Doug Haller.
Guillory notes that after starting the season 16-6, Houston began struggling to replicate the physicality and intensity of last season’s squad, to the consternation of head coach Ime Udoka. Losing two players, plus the top-10 pick that became Khaman Maluach, to bring in Durant also hurt the team’s depth, a problem exacerbated by the ACL tear that has sidelined Fred VanVleet for the entire season to this point.
However, Durant has still been fantastic, according to Guillory, who says swapping the aforementioned strengths of last year’s team to bring in a bona fide number one scoring option was a trade-off the team took a calculated risk on. Because the Rockets’ offense has struggled when teams overload on Durant and force someone else to score, Guillory notes that there could be some trade deadline tinkering to bring in another depth piece, but he doesn’t expect a big move for a starting-level point guard.
In terms of which team has “won” the trade six months after the fact, Guillory believes that both Houston and Phoenix ultimately got what they wanted, but if he had to pick a side, the Suns have come out ahead — the Rockets have yet to prove themselves to be top-tier contenders, while the Suns have exceeded expectations and are currently just one game behind Houston in the standings.
We have more from the Rockets:
- According to Udoka, Tari Eason is nearing a return to playing unrestricted minutes as he continues to work his way back from a right ankle sprain suffered in early January, reports Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Eason played 28 minutes in Thursday’s overtime loss to the Sixers, contributing 13 points along with nine rebounds and four steals. It was the eighth time Eason had played 28 or more minutes this season, but he missed the following game on Friday against the Pistons due to right ankle management.
- In the same tweet, Shankar notes that Udoka expects Dorian Finney-Smith‘s road to a full workload to take longer as he looks to regain his rhythm following offseason ankle surgery. Udoka drew a parallel to how the team brought Steven Adams along last season, keeping his minutes per game below 15 until March, when he began logging longer stretches on the court. Finney-Smith is averaging a career-low 15.5 minutes in the 13 games he’s suited up for this season, and has struggled with his outside shot, knocking down just 28.6% of his threes despite 35 of his 44 field goal attempts this season coming from behind the arc.
- Udoka doesn’t believe that a point guard trade is incoming, writes ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “We’ve always been confident and talked about our depth and relying on all these guys with Aaron [Holiday] and Jae’Sean [Tate] and guys that aren’t playing as much,” he said. “We want to see what [Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard] look like with a year of point guard play under their belt and getting Fred back eventually. For now, we want those guys to grow into that role.” Instead, the team has built an offense that dominates inside (with the seventh-highest percentage of points coming in the paint), crashes the glass, and is efficient from three, despite not being prolific. Adams’ Grade 3 ankle sprain could make it trickier for the team to maintain its edge on the offensive glass. In his absence, the team will turn to Clint Capela as the primary backup center, with Jabari Smith Jr. expected to play some minutes as a small-ball five.
Rockets Gauging Dorian Finney-Smith’s Trade Value?
Houston is exploring the trade market in search of a potential backcourt upgrade, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who hears from sources that the Rockets have looked into what sort of return they could get for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and second-round draft capital.
A veteran three-and-D wing who signed with Houston last summer, Finney-Smith missed the first two months of the season while recovering from left ankle surgery. Since making his debut on Christmas Day, the 32-year-old has played a very limited role, logging between 13 and 18 minutes in each of his first 12 outings.
Finney-Smith has averaged just 2.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per night so far as a Rocket, and he’s earning $12.7MM this season, with a guaranteed $13.3MM salary for 2026/27 — he’s under contract through 2028/29, but the final two years of his deal are non-guaranteed.
As a result, Finney-Smith’s value on the trade market will likely be pretty limited, though it’s worth noting that his overall impact isn’t always reflected by his counting stats. While it’s a small sample, Houston has a +9.5 net rating and a 102.1 defensive rating during his 186 minutes on the court.
Jose Alvarado of the Pelicans and Scotty Pippen Jr. of the Grizzlies are among the guards whom league personnel have identified as possible trade targets for Houston, per ClutchPoints. Siegel also mentions Bulls guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu as potential players of interest for the Rockets, though it would take more than Finney-Smith and second-round picks to acquire either one.
The Grizzlies haven’t given any indication they want to move Pippen, Siegel acknowledges. Additionally, any deal involving Pippen and Finney-Smith would require more outgoing salary from Memphis’ side, since the Grizzlies guard is earning just $2.3MM.
Alvarado, meanwhile, is considered the Pelican who is most likely to be dealt and has generated interest from multiple teams, including the Knicks and Pistons, Siegel writes. Atlanta and Indiana were also linked to Alvarado earlier this season.
Like Pippen, Alvarado has a relatively small cap hit ($4.5MM), so unless more pieces are added, a deal sending Finney-Smith to New Orleans wouldn’t be practical for the Pelicans, who are operating just $2MM below the luxury tax line. They don’t want to surpass that threshold or take back long-term money in a trade, per Siegel.
As the Rockets consider their options on the trade market, they’re not looking to trade veteran point guard Fred VanVleet, who is recovering from a torn ACL, and they’re also unlikely to make a move that would reduce Reed Sheppard‘s role, Siegel adds.
Trade Rumors: MPJ, Kuminga, Raptors, Rockets, Clippers
Recent reporting from ESPN and The Athletic indicated that the Warriors haven’t engaged in any substantive talks with the Nets about Michael Porter Jr. Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area also hears Golden State has been “hesitant” to pursue Porter and suggests the team’s interest in the veteran forward has been overstated.
According to Johnson, if the Warriors do make a run at Porter, it would likely require a third team, as the Nets aren’t interested in Jonathan Kuminga.
However, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com has heard differently, citing sources who say the Warriors are not only interested in Porter but have “something brewing” in regard to the 27-year-old ahead of the February 5 trade deadline. As Afseth writes, Porter is having a career year in Brooklyn and scouts think he could help just about any team.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Both Johnson and Afseth confirm the Lakers are a team to watch for Kuminga, who demanded a trade on Thursday, the first day he was eligible to be moved. President of basketball operations Rob Pelinka likes Kuminga’s game, sources tell Johnson, and the Lakers think the 23-year-old would provide athleticism on the wing alongside Luka Doncic. Still, it’s unclear if the two Pacific Division rivals would make an in-season trade, Johnson notes.
- Although the Raptors have been described as a buyer heading into the deadline, Afseth’s sources refer to Toronto’s approach as being “opportunistic” in search of potential buy-low opportunities. That may be why the team has been linked to stars like Anthony Davis, Domantas Sabonis and Ja Morant, all of whom have dealt with significant health issues this season.
- Houston’s front office isn’t overreacting to the Rockets‘ recent struggles, writes Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports. Team sources tell Iko the Rockets have discussed trade concepts with approximately half the teams in the league, but no deals are imminent and they aren’t aggressively searching for upgrades. Opposing teams have checked in on the availability of Tari Eason, Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith, Iko adds.
- There was speculation that the Clippers might be a seller after a miserable start to the season, but now they’re considered a possible buyer after reeling off 11 wins in their past 13 games, per Afseth, with John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic viewed as potential trade candidates. Collins is on an expiring $26.6MM contract, while Bogdanovic earns $16MM this season with an identical team option for 2026/27.
Southwest Notes: Eason, Finney-Smith, Rockets, Bey, Morant
The Rockets are missing two key regulars for Tuesday’s game against Chicago. Tari Eason (right ankle sprain) and Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle injury management) are sitting out, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets.
Eason also missed Houston’s loss to Sacramento on Sunday after spraining his ankle against Portland on Friday. Finney-Smith has been eased back into action after undergoing ankle surgery during the offseason.
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Rockets had an added inconvenience prior to their game against Sacramento on Sunday, John Hollinger of The Athletic reports. Unavailable to book their preferred hotel in Sacramento because the Lakers and Knicks had taken all the rooms, the Rockets stayed in San Francisco and then bused 85 miles to the Kings’ home arena on Sunday afternoon. As Hollinger notes, the Rockets have played 23 of their first 36 games on the road, tying an NBA record. That includes 11 road contests since Dec. 15, which gives them at least a partial excuse for their poor outing against the Kings.
- Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey (right hip flexor strain) has been upgraded to probable for Tuesday’s game against Denver, Guillory tweets. Bey has missed six games due to the injury. Bey, who is in the second year of a three-year deal, has averaged 15.1 points and 5.9 rebounds after missing last season due to a torn ACL.
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, the subject of heavy trade rumors since it was reported earlier this month the team was listening to offers for him, could return to action this week. The Grizzlies are playing the Magic in Berlin on Thursday and London on Sunday. Coach Tuomas Iisalo said the calf bruise that has sidelined Morant for five games is progressing to the point where there’s “a chance” that Morant will be available for one or both of those international contests, according to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon.
Dorian Finney-Smith Set To Make Rockets Debut
2:56 pm: Finney-Smith will make his season debut on Thursday, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). The veteran forward will be on a “strict” minutes restriction, Charania adds.
8:55 am: Veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith could make his Rockets debut on Thursday when Houston faces the Lakers. He’s listed as questionable to play in the Christmas Day matchup, according to Ben DuBose of RocketsWire.
Finney-Smith would be playing against his most recent team if he does suit up. He left the Lakers as a free agent over the summer, signing a four-year, $53MM contract with the Rockets.
Noted for his defensive versatility, Finney-Smith was traded from Brooklyn to Los Angeles last December and appeared in 43 games for the Lakers in 2024/25, making 20 starts. He averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 28.8 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .442/.398/.714.
Finney-Smith underwent left ankle surgery in June, weeks before signing his new deal. At that time, he was expected to be ready for training camp, but that timeline proved optimistic. The 32-year-old missed a total of 20 games last season related to issues with the ankle, including eight with Los Angeles.
Starting power forward Jabari Smith Jr. is averaging a career-high 34.5 minutes per game. Finney-Smith’s availability will likely cut into Smith’s playing time.
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.”
Southwest Notes: Morant, Edey, Finney-Smith, Davis
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant left Saturday’s game in Cleveland midway through the first quarter due to soreness in his right calf, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Returning to the court after missing Wednesday’s contest at Boston due to an ankle injury, Morant was only able to play six minutes against the Cavs, finishing with seven points and two assists. Vardon states that he was jogging gingerly on Memphis’ final possession before being removed.
Coach Tuomas Iisalo told reporters after the game that he’s not sure which play caused Morant’s injury, relays Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com (Twitter link). Morant is expected to undergo further testing, and likely an MRI, when the team gets back to Memphis.
Vince Williams Jr., who took over lead guard duties when Morant exited, turned his ankle late in the first half, per Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link), but he was able to return. The Grizzlies are low on point guards with Ty Jerome yet to make his season debut due to a right calf strain and Scotty Pippen Jr. recovering from toe surgery.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Zach Edey played nearly 25 minutes in his first game of the season and finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. The Grizzlies center is happy that the long recovery process following ankle surgery in June is finally over (Twitter video link from Grind City Media). “It felt good. I’ve been waiting all season,” Edey said. “My legs felt better than I expected. My wind, I didn’t really catch it until like the third quarter. I felt good out there.” Iisalo was happy with the performance of his new starting lineup featuring Edey and rookie forward Cedric Coward (Twitter video link). “Overall I like that lineup,” he said. “It gives us a lot of length, a lot of defense, a lot of physicality. Even though we lost today, I thought overall there were a lot of positives.”
- The Rockets‘ depth took a hit with Tari Eason sidelined four-to-six weeks with an oblique strain, and it doesn’t appear that Dorian Finney-Smith will be able to help any time soon, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. The free agent addition is still recovering from offseason surgery on his left ankle and hasn’t been cleared for contact drills.
- The Mavericks are listing Anthony Davis as doubtful for Sunday’s meeting with Portland, tweets Marc Stein of The Stein Line, who points out that Davis has been considered questionable for the past few games. Davis has missed the last eight games with a left calf strain, and Stein notes (via Twitter) that he’s already been surpassed in career minutes as a Maverick by rookie forward Cooper Flagg.
Injury Notes: Ball, Sexton, Finney-Smith, Sabonis, LeBron
After initially being listed as questionable with a right ankle impingement, Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball was subsequently downgraded to doubtful and then out ahead of Friday’s matchup in Miami (All Twitter links via the team). It’s the third straight absence for the former Rookie of the Year, who has battled numerous ankle injuries over the past few years.
“Yeah, he’s got that ankle impingement and it’s been good to see he’s been able to get a little bit of work on the court,” head coach Charles Lee said of Ball, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “And I think every day he feels a little bit better. He’s joined some team activities, which is great. So, the goal is to have him available for as many games as possible this year.
“And so I think that we’re just trying to take a day-by-day, day-to-day approach and a process. He’s got a plan in place, and he’s getting better every day.”
The Hornets were also without Collin Sexton on Friday, as the veteran guard is dealing with a neck strain he sustained on Tuesday in New Orleans. Lee said Sexton, who also chipped his tooth during the hard fall, went through Friday’s shootaround but he didn’t feel like he was ready to play, Boone writes. Lee is optimistic Sexton will return soon, Boone adds.
Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Free agent addition Dorian Finney-Smith has yet to make his Rockets debut as he continues to recover from offseason ankle surgery. It doesn’t sound like the veteran forward is particularly close to suiting up, as Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle tweets. “He’s getting non-contact work in, and got to see how the ankle responds to an increase in the load there,” head coach Ime Udoka said. “And so don’t really have a timeline.”
- Kings center Domantas Sabonis will miss his second straight game on Friday due to a left rib contusion, as first reported by Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) and later confirmed by the team (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat). It will be the fourth overall absence for the two-time All-NBA big man, who missed the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury.
- Lakers head coach JJ Redick provided an injury update on superstar forward LeBron James on Friday, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (Twitter links). James, who is working his way back from sciatica on his right side, has done one-on-one work with coaches after being cleared for contact activities and will continue to ramp up from there. There’s also a chance the 21-time All-Star could practice with the Lakers’ G League affiliate at some point, according to Redick, though that’s still tentative.
Southwest Notes: Mavericks, Gafford, Irving, Rockets, Morant
Tonight’s game in Mexico City is an important part of the NBA’s international outreach and a chance for the Mavericks to build their fan base in the neighboring nation, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). The Mavs’ contest against Detroit marks their eighth appearance in Mexico and the NBA’s 33rd overall since 1992.
“For fans outside of the U.S., the opportunity for them to enjoy a live experience of an NBA game is very limited,” said Raul Zarraga, vice president and managing director of NBA Mexico. “This is part of our commitment to provide this live experience to fans all around the world.”
Dwight Powell, the only player left on the roster from the Mavericks’ last trip to Mexico during the 2019/20 season, recalls the crowd being “extremely energetic.” Zarraga said Mexican fans as a group don’t have a strong rooting interest in any franchise, but they tend to like the three Texas teams as well as those with successful histories such as the Bulls, Lakers and Heat.
One of tonight’s top attractions will be No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg, who’s looking forward to playing in front of an international crowd.
“I’ve been to Cancun one time for a vacation, but other than that, I’ve never been to Mexico,” Flagg said. “I’m excited. I’ve heard it’s really beautiful. Detroit’s a really good team, so it should be a competitive, high-level game.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Daniel Gafford is in the Mavericks‘ starting lineup as he makes his season debut, but coach Jason Kidd said he’ll be restricted to about 15-18 minutes, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter link). D’Angelo Russell is also active after being listed as questionable with a left knee contusion.
- Asked about Kyrie Irving at tonight’s pregame press conference, Kidd hinted that his star guard could be back in action before the end of the year, Curtis tweets. “We just can’t wait to get Kai back, at some point,” Kidd said. “Hopefully it’s in the year of ’25, not ’26. We’ll see what happens, but I think those two (Irving/Flagg) will be a perfect match in the backcourt.”
- Rockets coach Ime Udoka is still working out his rotation and is trying to create more playing time for backup center Clint Capela, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Udoka added that there’s still no timetable for Dorian Finney-Smith, who is recovering from offseason ankle surgery, but he and Jae’Sean Tate will get a chance to earn rotation roles when they’re fully healthy. Tate is currently restricted to 15 minutes per game.
- The Grizzlies have already reached a turning point in their season after today’s one-game suspension of Ja Morant, contends Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Cole states that Morant seemed “disengaged” during Friday’s loss to the Lakers, and he was upset after a post-game interaction with coach Tuomas Iisalo, who is known for being direct with players. Cole adds that the season could unravel quickly if Morant, Iisalo and Jaren Jackson Jr. don’t work together as leaders.