Wembanyama, Thompson Named Defensive Players Of The Month
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama has been named the Western Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month for January, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
After missing a pair of games to open the month, Wembanyama suited up for San Antonio’s next 13 contests and averaged 8.2 defensive rebounds and 2.2 blocks per night — both of those figures ranked second in the Western Conference for January, per the league. While the Spurs posted a modest 7-6 record during those 13 games, their defensive rating during that stretch was 107.5, which ranked first among Western Conference teams.
The strong month has firmly placed Wembanyama back in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year, though he can’t afford to miss many more games if he wants to remain award-eligible. He has appeared in 35 of the Spurs’ first 49 games and must play in 30 of the last 33 to qualify for DPOY and other end-of-season honors.
Wembanyama was selected for the Defensive Player of the Month award over fellow Western Conference nominees Kris Dunn and Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers, Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, Suns guard Jordan Goodwin, Thunder big man Chet Holmgren, and Rockets guard Amen Thompson (Twitter link).
Amen’s brother Ausar Thompson of the Pistons has been recognized as the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for January, according to the league.
While he’s not a rim protector like Wembanyama, the Pistons wing wreaked havoc on the defensive end of the court last month by averaging a league-leading 2.4 steals per game, along with 4.2 deflections per game across 14 starts. Detroit went 10-4 in January and ranked first in the NBA with a 104.8 defensive rating.
The other Eastern Conference nominees for Defensive Player of the Month were Knicks forward OG Anunoby, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, Warriors center Alex Sarr, and Thompson’s teammate Isaiah Stewart, who won the award in December.
This is only the second season that the Defensive Player of the Month award has existed, but Wembanyama is a two-time winner, having also earned recognition for his defense in November 2024. It’s the first time Thompson claimed the honor.
Cavs Rumors: Giannis, Hunter, Ball, Lakers, Ellis, More
While there have been no indications to this point that the Cavaliers are considering making an offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the possibility can’t be ruled out, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).
“It’s Giannis,” a rival NBA executive told Fedor. “Nothing more needs to be said.”
As Fedor writes, the Cleveland’s pathway to a potential deal for the Bucks superstar would be very complicated and would require a significant reduction in payroll — as a second-apron team, the Cavaliers can’t currently aggregate salaries for matching purposes and can’t take in more money than they send out. So in that sense, a Giannis trade is a long shot.
On the other hand, sources tell Fedor that the Cavs have been aggressively looking for roster upgrades ahead of the deadline, and they also have one of the top players who could theoretically be dangled in talks for Antetokounmpo — Evan Mobley, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year. On the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also pointed to Mobley as a centerpiece to a potential Cavs offer.
The Cavaliers, who have dealt with several injuries in 2025/26, have underachieved this season and are facing pressure to contend for championships. No individual player they could theoretically acquire would be remotely as impactful as Antetokounmpo, who has finished top four in MVP voting each of the past seven years.
Still, Cleveland is on the upswing, Fedor notes, having won five straight games and seven of the past eight. The front office has also yet to show any desire to make that sort of drastic mid-season overhaul, with blockbuster moves viewed as more likely to occur in the offseason, depending on what happens in the playoffs.
Here are a few more highlights from Fedor’s report:
- Fedor continues to hear De’Andre Hunter and Lonzo Ball are the most likely Cavs to be headed out of Cleveland in the coming days. Confirming reporting from Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Fedor says the Cavaliers have discussed a trade framework with the Lakers that would send Hunter to Los Angeles in exchange for Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht. Sources tell Fedor the Lakers have also countered by offering the expiring contracts of Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber. Those talks have involved a third team as well — Fedor doesn’t specify which club it is, but Siegel said it was the Nets.
- Before they reportedly started listening to offers for Giannis, the Bucks explored the possibility of acquiring Hunter using a package built around Bobby Portis. The Cavs declined that proposal, sources tell Fedor.
- Fedor confirms the Cavs are one of many suitors for Kings guard Keon Ellis, noting that Malik Monk could be included as well if Hunter is sent to Sacramento.
- Reiterating a point he previously made, Fedor says the Cavs are eyeing Mavericks forward Naji Marshall. The framework would involve Ball and unspecified draft assets being sent to Dallas, though Fedor points out that Marshall has drawn interest from multiple teams. It’s also unclear if the Cavs would be willing to part with their lone tradable first-round pick (either 2031 or 2032) for a role player, even a quality one like Marshall.
- Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey and Wizards forward Justin Champagnie are among the other players who might interest the Cavs, Fedor writes.
Evan Mobley Expected To Miss 1-3 Weeks With Calf Strain
Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, who experienced tightness in his left calf during Monday’s win over Orlando, underwent an MRI on Tuesday and has been diagnosed with a strain, the team announced today (via Twitter).
According to the Cavs, Mobley will begin undergoing treatment and is expected to be sidelined for between one and three weeks.
The injury bug has been a major issue for the Cavaliers this season. Even the relatively healthy players like Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, and second-year standout Jaylon Tyson have missed at least a few games due to injuries, and a few key contributors have been on the shelf for significant chunks of the season.
That group includes star point guard Darius Garland (22 missed games), starting center Jarrett Allen (11), top reserve Sam Merrill (24), and starting small forward Max Strus, who has yet to make his season debut as he recovers from foot surgery.
A one-week absence would only cost Mobley three games, putting him in line to return prior to next Thursday’s trade deadline, whereas a three-week recovery timeline would keep him out until after the All-Star break, costing him at least seven contests.
The Cavaliers have had an up-and-down season but have been on a roll as of late, winning four straight games and six of their past seven. They’ll have to try to keep that streak going without Mobley, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and their third-leading scorer. Cleveland has a +5.5 net rating with the big man on the court this season and a -1.3 mark when he isn’t playing.
Central Notes: Cavs, Ball, Wade, Vucevic, Walker
Cavaliers wings De’Andre Hunter and Dean Wade have generated some interest on the trade market, and opposing teams continue to check in with Cleveland to see whether the club would be open to breaking up its “core four” of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
However, according to Fedor, the Cavs’ front office has consistently conveyed that it’s not interest in a significant shake-up and that it believes a healthy version of the current roster is capable of contending in the Eastern Conference.
As a result, Fedor believes any major roster changes are more likely to happen in the offseason, though he can envision Cleveland making a smaller deadline deal, perhaps involving Lonzo Ball. The veteran point guard hasn’t been the impact reserve the Cavs hoped he would be, and his contract – which includes a $10MM team option for 2026/27 – could appeal to a team seeking more cap flexibility this offseason.
One possible target for the Cavs is Naji Marshall, according to Fedor, who says Cleveland is among the teams to express interest in the Mavericks forward. While a deal centered around Ball and Marshall may intrigue the Cavs, Dallas is reportedly seeking at least a first-round pick for the veteran wing, and it’s unclear if Cleveland wants to give up its lone movable first-rounder (either 2031 or 2032) at this time, given the club’s up-and-down performance this season.
We have more from around the Central:
- Describing Dean Wade as “unheralded and overlooked” in a separate story for Cleveland.com (subscription required), Fedor says the veteran forward is one of the Cavaliers‘ best defenders and is a critical connector in some of their most effective lineups. “He’s the ultimate glue guy,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “That’s the cliche everyone uses but it’s true.” Wade is extension-eligible through June 30 and will reach unrestricted free agency if he doesn’t sign a new deal by then.
- Bulls center Nikola Vucevic recognizes that it could be an active trade deadline in Chicago, given that more than half the roster is on expiring contracts. Still, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times relays, Vucevic referred to his teammates as a “great group” and said he’d welcome the opportunity to finish the season with them. “There are a lot of guys that have a chip on their shoulders and want to prove people wrong because we’ve been doubted,” the big man said. “I would like to see what we can do and where we can go this year, but the front office has to make decisions and we all understand that.”
- A big offseason is on tap for Pacers forward Jarace Walker, who will be extension-eligible beginning in July. With that context in mind, it bodes well for the 22-year-old that he’s playing some of the best basketball of his NBA career this January, including setting a new personal high with 26 points in Oklahoma City against the league’s best defense last Friday. “This is an enormous moment for him in his young career,” head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). “He just showed all the things that he can do out there. From the shooting to the driving to the defense to the rebounding to passing. It was great to see that.”
And-Ones: Fields, OTE, NBA Europe, 2026 Draft, More
Former Hawks general manager Landry Fields has a new job, having been hired by Overtime Elite (OTE) as its president of league operations, writes Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports.
The nine-team league, which launched in 2021 and is made up of prospects between the ages of 16 and 20, has several notable alumni, including recent NBA lottery picks like Alex Sarr, Amen Thompson, and Ausar Thompson. Fields will look for ways to continue growing OTE while overseeing all competitive, development, and operational aspects of the league, Schiffer writes.
“He’s got four unique parts of his career that touch everything we do,” Overtime CEO Dan Porter explained to Schiffer. “He was a player so he understands that ecosystem. And he’s a young guy. He knows what social media is. He deeply understands college. He played four years at Stanford. At the Spurs he really did player development and scouting and clearly our league is driven by talent. And at the Hawks, he dealt with all of the business side.
“None of (our other staff) have gone all the way up and down. We haven’t had someone who touches NBA, college, who was a player and touches all of those things.”
Here are several more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA is aiming for franchise valuations of up to $1 billion as it prepares to pitch investors on its new European league, according to Giles Turner and Jake Rudnitsky of Bloomberg (subscription required). With NBA commissioner Adam Silver overseas this week for games in Berlin and London, the league is expected to hold meetings this week with potential investors and teams for NBA Europe.
- The EuroLeague is seeking 10-year commitments from its A-license teams as it looks to avoid losing clubs to NBA Europe. According to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops, the EuroLeague has set this coming Friday as a deadline for those decisions and has threatened potential legal action against the NBA if it tries to recruit clubs that have committed to the EuroLeague.
- ESPN’s Jeremy Woo has updated his 2026 mock draft, which features Kansas star Darryn Peterson in the No. 1 spot on Houston point guard Kingston Flemings sneaking into the top five.
- Looking back at past transaction cycles, Zach Kram of ESPN analyzes 14 blockbuster trades completed since 2013 to determine what we can learn from them, while The Athletic’s NBA writers identify one trade that each of the NBA’s franchises would like to be able to undo.
- Michael Pina of The Ringer identifies his seven “least improved” players of the 2025/26 season so far, ranging from stars like Ja Morant and Evan Mobley to young role players like Rob Dillingham and Ochai Agbaji.
Holmgren, Stewart Named Defensive Players Of The Month
A Thunder player has been named the Western Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month for a second consecutive time. After guard Cason Wallace won the award for October/November, big man Chet Holmgren has earned the honor for December, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
The Thunder, who entered December with a 20-1 record, have looked more mortal in recent weeks, winning nine of 13 games over the course of the month. However, they still posted the conference’s top defensive rating (106.2) in December, with Holmgren acting as the team’s anchor and rim protector.
Holmgren’s 2.0 blocks per game in December ranked second in the conference, while his 8.5 contested shots per game placed him seventh among Western players. Oklahoma City’s defense this past month was nearly six points per 100 possessions better when Holmgren was on the court (101.7) than when he wasn’t (107.6).
Clippers guard Kris Dunn and a trio of former Defensive Players of the Year – Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves), Draymond Green (Warriors), and Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies) – were also nominated in the Western Conference, per the league (Twitter link).
An unlikely winner claimed the Eastern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month award for December, with Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart taking it home despite coming off the bench in 12 of his 13 games and averaging just 23.0 minutes per night during the past month.
Despite his limited role, Stewart ranked second in the East in blocks (2.2) and contested shots (9.4) per game, helping lead Detroit to a 9-4 record and the league’s third-best defensive rating (109.8) in December. The Pistons’ defensive rating with Stewart on the floor was 104.5, compared to 112.2 when he sat.
Knicks teammates OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, and Celtics guard Derrick White were the other nominees in the East. Notably, the Nets didn’t have a nominee despite posting the NBA’s best defensive rating (105.4) in December.
Cavaliers Notes: Merrill, Allen, Mobley, Mitchell
Sam Merrill was back in the starting lineup Tuesday night in his second game since returning from a jammed finger, and he made an obvious difference in the Cavaliers‘ win over New Orleans, Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only story. Merrill not only finished with 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists, Sands notes that he teamed with Darius Garland to provide an outside shooting threat that stretched the Pelicans’ defense and gave the rest of the team more room to operate.
“You guys are going to get tired of me saying connector, connect, but he connects. He connects the game,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said before the game. “He connects pieces. He connects the bigs and the smalls. He’s running. He’s just causing chaos out there. And that just opens up space and then we can throw the ball to space.”
Merrill was sidelined for more than a month, and his absence coincided with the team’s recent downturn. Jaylon Tyson moved to a bench role on Tuesday, and Sands points out that he and De’Andre Hunter are both capable of providing offense as reserves. Sands states that there was no stagnation against the Pelicans when the starters came out of the game.
“I think it obviously helps when there’s so much unpredictability,” Donovan Mitchell said about the lineup change. “But that’s been our biggest thing about us, right? Like, that’s who we are when we’re at full strength and at our best. … We’ve shot well the past two nights, but I think the biggest thing is just our intensity level. Both ends of the floor has been great.”
There’s more from Cleveland:
- Atkinson was happy to see Jarrett Allen being physical with the Pelicans’ rugged frontcourt, Sands adds. The Cavs outscored New Orleans in the paint by a 72-54 margin and held a 27-18 advantage in second-chance points. “My challenge with JA, he can do better,” Atkinson said. “Like, I want more. Like, this is how the playoffs are. They go at you, they pound you. But I thought he put up pretty good resistance tonight. Right now, with Evan (Mobley) out, he’s kind of our guy.”
- Mobley has a chance to beat expectations in his return from a left calf strain. Projected to miss two-to-four weeks, he’s listed as questionable for the Christmas Day game at New York.
- Mitchell has been carrying a heavier-than-usual offensive load for the Cavaliers, but it’s due to necessity rather than by design, per Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Mitchell’s scoring average is at a career-high 30.6 PPG, and he’s sporting the highest usage rate in his four seasons in Cleveland. “I don’t want him to,” Atkinson said. “I don’t think that’s (sustainable) long-term. Conference finals, Finals, we need more balance. And I do think (we can get it) as we get healthier … as Darius starts to get his rhythm and we get guys back. But right now it’s (on him). He’s got to carry us.”
Cavs’ Evan Mobley Out 2-4 Weeks With Left Calf Strain
Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left calf strain and is expected to miss about two-to-four weeks, the team announced Saturday (via Twitter).
Mobley suffered the injury Friday night at Washington, and it was discovered during a post-game examination of tightness in that area. The calf strain was confirmed by an MRI conducted Saturday morning.
Cleveland has been hit hard by injuries, but Mobley has been a reliable presence, appearing in 25 of the team’s first 26 games. He’s averaging 19.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists with .496/.352/.640 shooting numbers and appeared to be headed for his second straight All-Star appearance.
Even if the Cavaliers can get by without his scoring contributions, it will be hard to replace Mobley on defense. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is blocking 1.6 shots per game and is a major deterrent for opponents at the rim.
The Cavs are already dealing with a depleted frontcourt, which has played a role in their somewhat disappointing 15-11 record. Starting center Jarrett Allen remains sidelined with a right finger strain that has forced him to miss all but one game since November 19, while backup big man Larry Nance Jr. also has a calf strain and hasn’t played since November 28.
Veteran center Thomas Bryant may be asked to take on an increased role until the roster gets healthier. He has appeared in 19 games since signing with Cleveland during the summer and is averaging 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per night.
Scottie Barnes, Cason Wallace Named Defensive Players Of The Month
Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for October/November, while Thunder guard Cason Wallace won the award for the Western Conference, according to an announcement from the NBA (Twitter link).
Barnes led the surprising Raptors to a 14-7 record through the end of November, and the team posted the NBA’s sixth-best defensive rating (111.5) during that time. According to the league, the versatile 6’8″ forward ranked fourth in the East in deflections in October/November (4.0 per game) and was the only player in the NBA to rack up at least 30 steals and 30 blocks.
Wallace, meanwhile, is one of many standout defenders on a dominant Thunder team that went 20-1 with a remarkable 103.6 defensive rating in October/November. Oklahoma City was three-and-a-half games better than any other NBA club during that time, and its defensive rating was nearly seven points per 100 possessions better than that of the second-place Rockets (110.3).
While the Thunder’s defensive performance is a team effort, Wallace led the NBA in steals per game (2.2) to open the season and also had more deflections per game (5.0) than any other player in the West, despite playing a relatively modest 28.6 minutes per contest.
It’s the first time that either Barnes or Wallace has won the Defensive Player of the Month award, which was introduced at the start of last season. According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other players nominated in the East were Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley, Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, and Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart — Mobley and Daniels each earned Defensive Player of the Month recognition twice last season.
In the West, Wallace’s Thunder teammates Luguentz Dort and Chet Holmgren were also nominated. Rockets guard Amen Thompson was the only non-OKC nominee in the conference.
Central Notes: Giannis, Walker, Bulls, Mobley
Tuesday marks one week since word broke that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had been diagnosed with a low-grade groin strain that was expected to sideline him for a week or two. Milwaukee has struggled mightily without its leading scorer and rebounder, dropping four consecutive games since Antetokounmpo went down, including a home loss on Monday to a banged-up Portland team.
While no target date has been reported for Giannis’ return yet, he was on the court getting some shots up prior to Monday’s game, and he’ll travel with the team on its two-game road trip to Miami (Wednesday) and New York (Friday), according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter links).
Head coach Doc Rivers made it clear he’s not necessarily counting on Antetokounmpo to play in either of those road games against conference rivals this week, but he did say he thinks that both Giannis and Kevin Porter Jr. are getting close, Nehm adds (Twitter link). Last week’s update on Porter, who is recovering from meniscus surgery, suggested that the Bucks guard is trending toward an early December return.
[UPDATE: Antetokounmpo has been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game.]
We have a few more notes from around the Central Division:
- Former Pacers lottery pick Jarace Walker got off to a very slow start this season, making just 30.7% of his field goal attempts through 16 games and he took an increased role on the rotation. But Walker scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting vs. Detroit on Monday, prompting Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) to wonder if it could be a breakthrough game for the third-year forward. Dopirak also takes a look at the role veteran forward Pascal Siakam has played in mentoring his younger teammate. “I told him after the game, I think I can count the number of dribbles he had,” Siakam said on Monday. “He just kept the game simple. Make the right play. If you’re open, let it fly. If you don’t have it, keep moving it. If you make the decision to drive, drive strong. Finish. If you don’t have it, pass it.”
- After watching his team give up a combined 263 points to Washington and New Orleans in the past two games, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said that everyone needs to step up and contribute more to the defensive effort, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “Our team, outside of maybe Isaac Okoro, we don’t have one guy on the team right now that you would sit there and say, ‘This guy’s a defensive stopper. This is what this guy hangs his hat on,'” Donovan said. “We don’t have that. So we have to do it collectively. It’s not one guy’s fault, it’s all of us. It’s the coaches, the players. … It’s a team issue, it’s not an individual issue.”
- Evan Mobley is the NBA’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, but he hasn’t yet turned into the sort of dominant offensive player the Cavaliers have long hoped he can become, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). In the wake of a disappointing Monday performance in which Mobley attempted just seven shots, Fedor considers whether two-way superstardom is still in the cards for the former No. 3 overall pick and whether it’s realistic for the Cavs to expect more from him.