Injury Notes: Morant, Holiday, Nance, H. Jones, Leonard
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant will miss his fourth straight game on Friday vs. Oklahoma City due to a right calf contusion, the team announced (via Twitter). As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets, Morant had been listed as questionable before being downgraded to out over the three previous games.
Rookie wing Cedric Coward, who sprained his right ankle on Sunday vs. Los Angeles and has missed the past two-and-a-half games, is questionable to suit up against the Thunder. Fourth-year guard Vince Williams Jr., who has been sidelined for nine of Memphis’ last 10 games due to patellar tendinitis in his left knee, is also questionable.
Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday is unlikely to play against Houston on Friday after being listed as doubtful (Twitter link via Portland). However, that injury designation suggests the six-time All-Defensive member’s return may not be far off — it’s the first time Holiday has been listed as anything other than “out” for seven weeks, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. The two-time champion has been on the shelf since November 14 due to a right calf strain.
- After missing nearly six weeks with a Grade 1 right soleus (calf) strain, Cavaliers big man Larry Nance Jr. was upgraded to available for Thursday’s contest vs. Minnesota, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. As Fedor writes, Nance has been ramping up his activity in recent weeks and received medical clearance to return on Thursday, but it’s unclear if he’ll immediately rejoin the team’s rotation.
- Pelicans forward Herbert Jones recently missed seven consecutive games with a right ankle sprain, returned to play 35 minutes on Tuesday vs. the Lakers, then sat out Wednesday’s back-to-back at Atlanta. Evidently Wednesday’s absence wasn’t just for precautionary reasons — New Orleans’ top defender is doubtful to suit up on Friday at Washington due to the same ankle injury, the Pelicans announced in a press release. Trey Murphy III, who has been battling lower back spasms, is questionable to suit up against the Wizards.
- Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard suffered a right ankle sprain in the third quarter of Wednesday’s loss at New York and has been listed as questionable for Friday’s contest in Brooklyn, according to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter links). The six-time All-Star missed 10 straight games in November due to right foot/ankle injuries, Murray notes. Leonard has made 26 appearances thus far in 2025/26.
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.
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.
Clippers Notes: Leonard, Hot Streak, Dunn, Zubac, Bogdanovic
Kawhi Leonard is the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week and Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group believes it’s time for the Clippers to see what they can get in a trade for the oft-injured star forward.
Leonard’s tenure with Los Angeles has largely been disappointing, Swanson writes, but he has been on a tear during the team’s five-game winning streak and is having another highly productive season. Even if the Clippers claw their way back into the play-in picture and advance to the playoffs, they may end up having to play the Thunder in the first round, likely resulting in another early exit.
Instead of continuing with Leonard, the Clips would be better off trying to acquire draft picks or a younger star to expedite the next iteration of the team, since the current group isn’t competing for anything meaningful, Swanson opines.
Here’s more on the Clippers, who are currently facing the shorthanded Jazz:
- Is L.A.’s recent hot streak sustainable? Law Murray of The Athletic considers that question, writing that Leonard and James Harden have each been carrying an enormous offensive workload after several offseason moves didn’t work out for various reasons. “I’ve never really kind of been in this situation,” Leonard said. “I’m more trying to get guys the ball and just sharing it more than what I’ve been doing. But the coaches need me to be aggressive, all the entire game.” The answer to the question could dictate the Clippers’ trade-deadline plans.
- After a brutal 6-21 start, the Clippers have been playing much better defensively of late in no small part due to the efforts of Kris Dunn, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Dunn says the team’s renewed commitment to defense started with the Dec. 20 victory over the Lakers. “Everybody just had that juice that day and everybody went out there and we like to call it a ‘hit.’ We had been in a rut for awhile and I think everybody just collectively was like, you know what, the only way we are getting out of this is if we do our jobs,” Dunn said. “Everybody went out there and just played their hearts out.”
- Injured center Ivica Zubac has begun on-court work in his recovery from a Grade 2 left ankle sprain, according to Murray (Twitter link). Zubac is expected to return to action at some point in mid-January. Veteran guard Bogdan Bogdanovic will miss at least two more games due to a hamstring injury and his status for next week’s three-game road trip is up in the air, Murray adds.
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.
Pacific Notes: LeBron, Doncic, N. Smith, Leonard, M. Williams
LeBron James and Luka Doncic took over as the Lakers ended a three-game slide by routing Sacramento on Sunday night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Coach JJ Redick blasted his players twice over the past week, questioning their defensive effort and professionalism. Neither of those was a concern on Sunday as L.A. turned in a dominant performance led by James, who made 11 of his 13 shots from the field and finished with 24 points.
“I don’t want to create the narrative of (just) me and Luka,” James said. “It’s five guys on the floor and seven guys that come off the bench. It needs to be all of us. (But) it’s important that we set the tone.”
Doncic expressed a similar sentiment, saying it’s up to the leaders to carry the team through hard times, especially with Austin Reaves expected to miss the next month with a calf strain. Doncic had a team-high 34 points, including 15 in the second quarter as the Lakers built a comfortable lead.
“I think it definitely starts with us,” Doncic said. “And when AR is back, it’s going to be all three of us. But now, it starts with us. We need to show what we can do and if we are going to do it, we both are going to do it. The group is going to follow.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers also got a scoring boost from two-way guard Nick Smith Jr., who made his first seven shots from the field and finished with 21 points in 24 minutes, McMenamin adds. L.A. is carrying a roster opening, so it’s possible that Smith could be converted to a standard deal later in the season. “In this league, you got to have confidence. If you don’t, they’ll go out there and see it right away,” he said. “I feel like I can hoop with the best of them.”
- Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 55 points as the Clippers topped Detroit for their fourth straight win. He wound up tied for the franchise record as he only played six minutes in the fourth quarter, notes Doug Padilla of The Associated Press. “Like I told (Lue), I would rather play another game than go out there and risk it,” Leonard said. “Hopefully we can get another win and be in the same situation. It is what it is.”
- Suns coach Jordan Ott said after Saturday’s game that a more physical atmosphere led to the fight that resulted in suspensions for Mark Williams and Jose Alvarado, per Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic (subscription required). Williams and Alvarado exchanged punches in the third quarter on Saturday as the Suns and Pelicans faced one another for the second time in two nights. “Last night (Dec. 26), there was a lot of free throws,” Ott said. “Tonight, there wasn’t as much. They let us play tonight, which is something that we enjoyed to do, and they got tangled up.”
Pacific Rumors: Warriors, Kuminga, Kings, Monk, McCollum, Clippers
The Warriors have been one of the NBA’s most aggressive teams in scouring the trade market to get a better sense of which players are and aren’t available, multiple sources tell Brett Siegel of Clutch Points.
Golden State is known to be in the market for an “athletic” forward as well as frontcourt help, according to Siegel, who reports that the Warriors would ideally like to add a big man who can rebound and defend the rim, since those aren’t among the strengths of current bigs like Al Horford and Quinten Post.
Although Nets center Nic Claxton has been connected to the Warriors by multiple reporters this month, Siegel says the club would probably prefer to target a player whose contract doesn’t exceed approximately $15MM annually. Siegel adds that Golden State has engaged in trade talks with the Nets, Pelicans, and Bulls, though he doesn’t specify which players those teams have discussed.
Here are a few more rumors from around the Pacific:
- According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), some rival executives at the G League Winter Showcase in Orlando over the weekend wondered how much more playing time Jonathan Kuminga will see before he becomes trade-eligible on January 15. Kuminga has fallen out of the rotation as of late, and it’s probably in the Warriors‘ best interest to make sure he’s healthy ahead of the trade deadline. For what it’s worth, none of the executives polled by Fischer said their opinions of Kuminga would change based on how he plays (or doesn’t) in the next few weeks.
- Unless a third team gets involved, a deal sending Kuminga to the Kings looks like a long shot, per Siegel, who says the Warriors still aren’t enamored of the assets Sacramento would offer for the fifth-year forward. That includes guard Malik Monk, who has generated very little interest around the NBA due to his contract, says Siegel. Monk, who is said to be available, is still owed nearly $42MM over two years after this season.
- CJ McCollum has been mentioned as a possible trade target for the Clippers, Siegel reports, noting that people around the league believe the Wizards guard could be had for second-round picks. McCollum’s $30.7MM cap hit could complicate a potential trade, but it’s an expiring contract and the Clippers wouldn’t have a problem matching the incoming money if their package starts with John Collins‘ $26.6MM expiring deal. They could also get there by stacking three or more contracts, including Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s, worth $16.2MM this season.
- Sources tell Fischer that the Clippers continue to dismiss the idea that veteran stars Kawhi Leonard and James Harden will land on the trade block this season. Rival teams have reportedly expressed confidence that Harden, at least, will be made available.
Clippers Notes: Lue, Zubac, Paul, Niederhauser
The Clippers‘ season got a little brighter on Saturday with a win over the rival Lakers, but they have a long way to go to recover from a disastrous start, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Prior to the game, coach Tyronn Lue challenged his team to go 35-20 the rest of the way to reach .500 and later amended that to 36-19 for a winning season.
That may not be realistic for a team that entered the night near the bottom of the Western Conference, but Lue wants to give his players something to shoot for. He wasn’t completely happy with the performance on Saturday, but he hopes it will move the team in the right direction.
“We got to start at one,” Lue said. “We told our guys that today. I thought we came out with the right intent. Like I said, being up 15 at halftime, I thought we should have been up probably 20 to 25. And that second half, we just didn’t run through the tape. We got to get better with that. But it is a huge win for us.”
Lue adopted a must-win mentality for Saturday’s game and relied heavily on his stars, playing Kawhi Leonard nearly 42 minutes and James Harden almost 41 minutes. The Clippers snapped a five-game losing streak, picking up their first victory since December 3 and their first win at home in more than seven weeks. Although they’re still in a dire position, holding the league’s fifth-worst record and owing their first-round pick to Oklahoma City, there’s at least some hope for the future.
“I think we’ve probably led in every single game we played,” Harden said. “We’ve had big leads and then allowed them to just (dissolve), however that looks. So just finding a way to win a game, man. And it feels like it’s been forever, but I feel good.”
There’s more on the Clippers:
- The only downside on Saturday was the loss of center Ivica Zubac, who suffered a left ankle injury in the first quarter and was ruled out of the game, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Zubac, who’s averaging 15.6 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per night, hasn’t missed a game all season. The Clippers said his condition will be evaluated Sunday.
- LeBron James told reporters after the game that he hasn’t talked with longtime friend Chris Paul since the Clippers announced they were “parting ways” with him earlier this month (video link from McMenamin). James declined to give his opinion on the situation, saying, “It’s not for me to comment on, to be honest. It’s none of my business.”
- Lue wasn’t able to offer an update about the status of first-round pick Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who has been experiencing knee soreness, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). The rookie center has only made one brief appearance since December 3.
More Details On Chris Paul’s Exit From Clippers
Longtime point guard Chris Paul is in his final NBA season and is technically still under contract with the Clippers. However, Los Angeles announced that it was “parting ways” with the future Hall of Famer on December 3, and he is no longer around the team.
Reporting after Paul’s departure shed more light on the situation, with multiple outlets suggesting that the 40-year-old had clashed with players, coaches, and the front office due to his leadership style, which the Clippers found to be “acerbic” and unhelpful in a veteran locker room.
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com takes an in-depth look at Paul’s acrimonious exit, writing that there was no “smoking gun” incident that led to his departure.
“There really wasn’t one thing,” one source close to the situation told Shelburne. “This isn’t like J.R. Smith throwing the soup in Cleveland.”
Instead, there were personality clashes between Paul and various members of the organization, including arguments with head coach Tyronn Lue and “especially” assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy. There were also major differences of opinion on Paul’s role.
According to Shelburne, the Clippers viewed Paul as a low maintenance veteran leader who would play a “very limited” on-court role; Paul confirmed he was OK with that, sources tell Shelburne, but he also wanted a chance to earn playing time and would try to be an “extension of the coaching staff.”
While Paul’s second stint with the Clippers started out well in the offseason, that quickly changed during training camp, as players and coaches “recoiled” from Paul’s suggestions and “abrasive” personality, Shelburne writes.
“That’s how Chris is,” one executive with another team said. “He wears you out. He’s convinced he’s right — and he often is right, which kind of pisses you off — and he’ll go around to everyone until you agree with him.”
Paul’s expectations for his role also changed during that time, as he was spearheading a second unit that was regularly “kicking (the starters’) ass” during camp, as forward John Collins put it. The 12-time All-Star had a substantial role during the preseason as well, Shelburne notes.
“If all they wanted was a cheerleader,” the same rival executive said, “why did they sign Chris Paul? I mean, they had him before. They knew what he was like.”
According to Shelburne’s sources, Paul attempted multiple times during the season to engage in team-building exercises and was concerned about the Clippers’ culture, but his efforts largely fell flat in a quiet locker room. Shelburne also provides more details on Paul’s disagreements with Lue and Van Gundy, his final meeting with president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, and reports that Brook Lopez and Kawhi Leonard were Paul’s “most ardent supporters.”
Shelburne’s story is worth checking out in full for fans of Paul and/or the Clippers.
Fischer’s Latest: Gafford, Pacers, CP3, Clippers, Turner, Warriors
Earlier today, Shams Charania of ESPN passed along several rumors related to the NBA’s trade market, including the fact that the Pacers are on the lookout for a long-term answer at center and that Daniel Gafford is among the players the Mavericks are willing to discuss in trade talks.
In his own look at the trade market on Tuesday, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) links those two items, reporting that the Pacers are believed to have interest in Gafford, who could make sense as a pick-and-roll partner for Tyrese Haliburton once the star point guard returns from his Achilles tear.
As we noted earlier in the day, Gafford signed a three-year extension during the offseason that will run through 2028/29, but he remains trade-eligible because that three-year, $54MM+ deal didn’t exceed the NBA’s extend-and-trade restrictions.
It’s unclear exactly what sort of return the Mavs would be seeking for the veteran center, but Obi Toppin ($14MM) or a package of Bennedict Mathurin ($9.2MM) and Tony Bradley ($2.9MM) are a couple examples of potential matches for Gafford ($14.4MM) from a salary perspective. Indiana also controls all of its own future first-round picks and most of its second-rounders.
Here are a few more highlights from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:
- According to Fischer, the Clippers fully intend to work with Chris Paul and his representatives at CAA to find a new home for the veteran point guard, who may be the top candidate to be dealt on December 15 when dozens of players become newly trade-eligible. Playing close to his home in Los Angeles was Paul’s top priority in the offseason, but Fischer wonders if playing time will be a more important factor for the future Hall of Famer this time around, pointing out that CP3’s dissatisfaction grew as his minutes decreased in L.A.
- Outside of Paul, the Clippers aren’t considered likely to pursue any significant deals right away when trade season unofficially opens next Monday, says Fischer, adding that he views Ivica Zubac, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard as unlikely candidates to be moved — at least for now. Sam Amick of The Athletic made a similar point during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back show on Tuesday (Twitter video link), pointing out half-jokingly that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has an “inexplicable, borderline insane addiction to this group.”
- Maintaining cap flexibility beginning in 2027 remains a top priority for the Clippers, according to Fischer, who hears from sources that the team never offered Norman Powell a contract extension before trading him to the Heat over the summer. The Clippers’ front office expected Powell to seek a new deal in the neighborhood of $30MM, per Fischer.
- While Giannis Antetokounmpo would obviously be of greater interest if the Bucks become sellers, Fischer suggests that Milwaukee center Myles Turner could be a target worth watching for the Warriors as they explore the market for potential deals involving Jonathan Kuminga. Golden State has had interest in Turner in the past, having discussed scenarios involving Kuminga, Buddy Hield, and Andrew Wiggins back when the big man was still in Indiana, Fischer writes.