Marcus Smart Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jerami Grant Among Possible Targets On Bucks’ Radar

December 16th, 2025 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Echoing recent reporting from Marc Stein and Eric Nehm, Jake Fischer writes in his latest story for the Stein Line Substack that the Bucks are conveying to rival teams that they’d prefer to upgrade their roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo rather than move their superstar forward.

One rival general manager who spoke to Fischer even suggested the Bucks are giving the impression that “they’re going big-game hunting” on the trade market.

Whether Milwaukee will maintain that stance by the February 5 trade deadline remains to be seen. As Fischer writes, some teams believe they’ll eventually pivot and become sellers, and many executives around the league think it would be in the Bucks’ best long-term interests to move Antetokounmpo sooner rather than later, even if he doesn’t request a trade.

For now though, given the Bucks’ lack of tradable draft picks, Fischer suggests that if they do pursue an upgrade, it might make sense to target a player whose contract isn’t especially team-friendly, since the cost would be lower. Kings guard Zach LaVine is one player who fits that bill and has been linked to Milwaukee. According to Fischer, Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant is another player who has been on the team’s radar, both this season and in past years.

Grant is earning $32MM in 2025/26 and is owed another $70.6MM for the two seasons after this one. He had a down year in ’24/25, but has bounced back this fall, with averages of 20.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game on .438/.395/.863 shooting through his first 25 outings.

Grant’s value has likely rebounded to some extent as a result of his strong start, and Fischer notes that general manager Joe Cronin has long been a fan of the veteran forward. Still, his contract probably isn’t considered to have positive value, so the idea of trading for Grant and perhaps seeking a draft pick in the deal (the Blazers control a handful of future Milwaukee picks as a result of the Damian Lillard trade) could appeal to the Bucks.

Heat forward Andrew Wiggins and Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray are two other players who have piqued the Bucks’ interest in the past, according to Fischer, who hears from sources that Milwaukee “regularly” called Golden State about Wiggins before he was dealt to Miami last season and also spoke to Atlanta about Murray before he was sent to New Orleans. Murray hasn’t played yet in 2025/26 due to a torn Achilles, but the Pelicans are hopeful he could return as soon as next month, per Fischer.

Fischer identifies Lakers guard Marcus Smart and Mavericks forward P.J. Washington as two more players the Bucks have previously had interest in, but acknowledges that Los Angeles is unlikely to move one of its best defenders, while Washington isn’t trade-eligible this season after recently signing an extension in Dallas.

Although Fischer doesn’t mention either player specifically, at least one of forward Kyle Kuzma ($22.4MM) or new center Myles Turner ($25.3MM) would almost certainly have to be part of any significant Bucks deal not involving Giannis. Outside of Antetokounmpo ($54.1MM), they’re the only players on the roster earning more than $13.5MM this season.

Lakers Notes: Vanderbilt, Reaves, Smart, Buss Brothers

December 13th, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers‘ success has helped to mask their defensive deficiencies, but they’ve been a concern all season long, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times (subscription required). Even though L.A. is off to a 17-7 start, the team ranks 18th in the league in points surrendered at 116.8 per game, 22nd in opponents’ field goal percentage at 48.1% and 27th in opponents’ three-point shooting at 38.2%.

Jarred Vanderbilt, who has made just one brief appearance in the past 10 games, is hoping he can help improve those numbers. A spot is the rotation has opened up while Austin Reaves recovers from a mild calf strain, and Vanderbilt could be called upon, beginning with Sunday’s game at Phoenix.

“Oh, yeah, I’m pretty eager,” he said after Saturday’s practice. “I mean, obviously, I think a lot of the stuff we lack, I think I can help provide on that end.”

The Lakers were hoping to be in Las Vegas this weekend for the NBA Cup semifinals, but they were eliminated Wednesday in a game where they gave up 132 points to San Antonio. Vanderbilt is averaging just 4.3 PPG and shooting 43.1% from the field, so his limited production has kept him on the bench, but his value could rise if coach J.J. Redick decides to place a greater emphasis on defense.

“It’s been a trending thing even when we was winning, so I think like you said, the defense still wasn’t there, but we was just outscoring everybody,” Vanderbilt told Turner. “So, I think obviously during the loss, it’s an appropriate time to address certain things just so it won’t keep lingering and get worse.”

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Redick said the team will be careful with Reaves’ recovery, but he doesn’t expect it to turn into a prolonged absence, Turner adds. Reaves played nearly 40 minutes on Wednesday before the issue was discovered. “It’s a mild strain, Grade 1, and he’ll be out for a week,” Redick said. “I would venture to say every player is a little bit different, but players now are becoming more cautious — to use that word again — more cautious when they get those diagnoses with the calf. Everything looks clean. It’s not in the deep part.”
Marcus Smart said defense was the primary topic during a team meeting on Friday (Twitter video link from Khobi Price of The Orange County Register). “It exposed us a lot, which we already knew,” Smart said. “… The scouting report against us is we’re not guarding people. And if we want to be great in this league and do what we’re trying to do, you have to be able to guard.”
After being removed from their front office roles with the Lakers last month, Joey Buss and Jesse Buss may consider investing in Major League Baseball’s Athletics franchise, according to Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times (subscription required). Two sources confirmed to Shaikin that discussions took place, but they’re described as preliminary. The Buss brothers still have their ownership stakes in the Lakers.

Lakers Notes: Jones, Defense, LeBron, Smart

December 11th, 2025 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans wing Herbert Jones is the player most frequently mentioned by rival scouts and executives as a potential in-season trade target for the Lakers, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic.

However, despite rumors that New Orleans is more open to fielding calls on Jones than in the past, sources tell Woike that New Orleans isn’t particularly interested in moving the defensive ace, who will become trade-eligible on January 14. As Woike points out, the Lakers would have a hard time putting together a viable package for Jones even if the Pelicans were open to a deal, since Los Angeles can only trade one future first-round pick.

That tradable first-rounder – which would be for either the 2031 or 2032 draft – isn’t considered as valuable by rival teams as it once was, according to Woike. Last season’s trade for Luka Doncic, as well as Mark Walter‘s purchase of the team, make it less likely that the Lakers will bottom out in the coming years, which limits the upside of even a far-out draft pick.

Here are a few more items of interest on the Lakers:

The reason the Lakers would be so interested in Jones is that he would provide the team with a much-needed defensive stopper. After giving up 132 points to San Antonio on Wednesday, L.A. now ranks 21st in the NBA in defensive rating (116.7). LeBron James expressed confidence that the Lakers will “continue to get better” on that end of the court, per Woike, but both James and head coach JJ Redick stressed the importance of establishing the right habits. “Our second half against Philly (on Sunday) was the most physical we’ve been, particularly off-ball,” Redick said, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. “But the physicality, and the shifts, and then the closeouts, that’s the essence of our defense. So if we’re not doing those things well, it’s hard for us to guard.”
James’ longtime agent Rich Paul expressed during the first episode of the ‘Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul’ podcast for The Ringer (YouTube link) that he doesn’t think the Lakers “have enough” to get to the Western Conference Finals this season. Asked on Wednesday about the Lakers’ postseason upside, LeBron himself said it’s still too early to speculate. “What I can say is that the habits that we build throughout the regular season each month [are what is important],” James said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “If we are in a position to make it to the postseason and be able to get to that point, well, we have to build it now. But as far as talking about what type of damage we’re going to do in the postseason in December, that’s not right for the basketball gods, not for me.”
Marcus Smart‘s return to action from a back injury was a bright spot in an disappointing NBA Cup quarterfinal loss on Wednesday, writes Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times. Smart scored 26 points and was a +2 in 28 minutes of action off the bench. Spurs players also made just 3-of-11 shots when the veteran guard was the primary defender. “When he guards, when he talks to us, we listen,” Doncic said. “Just got to be a little bit more of what he’s doing.”

Thunder, Spurs Advance In NBA Cup: League Announces Schedule Changes

December 11th, 2025 at 7:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder and Spurs will meet in the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas on Saturday after winning their respective quarterfinal matchups on Wednesday.

The Thunder improved to 24-1 on the season with a blowout home victory over the Suns. The game was never close, as Oklahoma City won each quarter by double-digits and defeated Phoenix by 49 points, making it the most lopsided loss in Suns history.

Oklahoma City made 55% of its three-pointers, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (28 points) and Chet Holmgren (24 points) leading the way and no Thunder player logging more than 27 minutes.

In the late game, the Spurs overcame 35 points from Lakers star Luka Doncic and 26 from Marcus Smart in his return from a back injury to pull off a 132-119 win on the road. Stephon Castle had 30 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in his second game back from a hip injury, while six other Spurs scored in double digits.

The Thunder and Spurs will face one another on Saturday at 8:00 pm Central time for the right to advance to the NBA Cup final on Tuesday. Players on the losing team in that game will receive bonuses of roughly $106K apiece, while the winning team will face either the Magic or Knicks in the championship game a shot at the top prize ($531K per player).

Notably, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has a shot to return from his calf strain for that game vs. the Thunder, per head coach Mitch Johnson.

“Very much so,” Johnson said after Wednesday’s win when asked if a Saturday return is in play for Wembanyama (Twitter link via Mark Medina). “He had a very good day today. He had a very intense day this morning. We’ll have to see how he responds and reacts tomorrow.”

The Thunder and Spurs will now play each other five times this season, including three times in December. The two clubs are scheduled to square off on December 23 in San Antonio and on Christmas Day in OKC.

The NBA also announced a handful of scheduling updates on Wednesday night, per Medina (Twitter link). The Suns and Lakers, who only had 81 games apiece on their respective regular season schedules, will face one another on Sunday in Phoenix at 7:00 pm CT.

The Thunder and Spurs had both been scheduled to play games on December 17, but those contests have been pushed back one day to Dec. 18 in order to give them an extra day of rest following the NBA Cup. OKC will now host the Clippers next Thursday, while San Antonio hosts the Wizards that night.

Los Angeles Notes: Paul, Lue, Smart, Kleber, James

December 9th, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Chris Paul says he’s “at peace” with the Clippers’ decision to “part ways” with him and is looking forward to his next NBA opportunity, according to Jordan Greene of People Magazine (hat tip to ESPN).

“I’m actually at peace with everything,” he said. “More than anything, I’m excited about being around and getting a chance to play a small role in whatever anything looks like next.”

On a related subject, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue denies reports that he wasn’t on speaking terms with Paul.

“That ain’t true,” Lue said, per Clippers beat writer Joey Linn (Twitter video link). “We were talking. How he gonna play and I’m not talking to him? There was a stretch when he wasn’t gonna play and be out of the rotation, it was tough for him because he’s a competitor.”

Lue added he wasn’t part of the final conversation with Paul when the future Hall of Famer was told by team officials that he was no longer welcome around the club. Lue added that Clippers players aren’t happy about the decision but he has “no problem with Chris.”

Here’s more on the Los Angeles teams:

Lakers guard Marcus Smart is not on the injury report for the team’s NBA Cup game against the Spurs on Wednesday. Smart missed the last six games due to a back ailment. “Back is feeling good. Felt good in practice today … I’m gonna give it a shot tomorrow and see how it feels,” Smart said, according to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell (Twitter link).
In fact, the Lakers could be at full strength on Wednesday. Maxi Kleber (lumbar muscle strain) is the only player who is considered questionable to play, NBA insider Marc Stein tweets.
LeBron James scored 29 points — a season high — against Philadelphia on Sunday, including 10 straight points in the fourth quarter. The Lakers forward feels he’s rounding into form, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “At 40 years old, I mean, it just takes a while for my body to kind of get back into a rhythm,” James said. “And so it felt good (Sunday) to kind of feel like myself a little bit.”

Injury Notes: Wembanyama, Smart, H. Jones, Sheppard

December 8th, 2025 at 11:05pm CST by Rory Maher

It’s unclear if he’ll be available to play, but star center Victor Wembanyama will travel with the Spurs to Los Angeles for Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal against the Lakers, head coach Mitch Johnson told Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News and other media members (Twitter link).

Wembanyama was a full practice participant on Sunday. He was out again Monday — his 11th straight absence — due to a left calf strain he sustained on November 15.

Through 12 appearances this season, Wembanyama has averaged 26.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.6 blocks in 34.7 minutes per game. The 7’4″ big man was the first overall pick of the 2023 draft.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

The Lakers are hoping to have former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart back for Wednesday’s matchup vs. San Antonio, writes Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group. The 12th-year guard has missed the past six games due to a back issue — his injury designation has changed multiple times, with the latest being left lumbar muscle strain, Price notes. Smart went through an on-court workout on Sunday in Philadelphia. “Over the last couple days, he’s [gotten] closer,” head coach JJ Redick said before Sunday’s game. “We were hoping he’s back Wednesday, but still day-to-day.”
After missing eight games with a right calf strain, Pelicans defensive ace Herbert Jones returned to action on Monday against San Antonio, the team announced (via Twitter). Jones, whose name has popped up in some trade rumors with New Orleans off to a disastrous 3-22 start, had a strong outing in his first game since Nov. 11, recording 17 points (on 6-of-10 shooting), six rebounds, four assists (zero turnovers), four steals and one block in 26 minutes.
Pacers guard Ben Sheppard has a Grade 1 left calf strain and will be out at least 10 more days, head coach Rick Carlisle said on Monday (Twitter links via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). The former Belmont star has been sidelined for the past two games with the injury and will be out at least three more, with Dec. 20 at New Orleans likely being his earliest possible return date.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Redick, Smart, Doncic

December 6th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James has almost reached the limit of games he can miss and still qualify for postseason awards, but Lakers coach JJ Redick indicated that won’t be a factor in deciding when he’ll play, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register (subscription required). James was held out of Friday’s loss in Boston and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest in Philadelphia due to right sciatica and left foot joint arthritis. He has already missed 16 games, so he can only skip one more under the 65-game rule.

“LeBron and I talk very regularly. Mike (Mancias, James’ longtime athletic trainer and the Lakers’ athletic performance liaison) and I talk regularly. It’s never come up as something that’s important,” Redick said. “The biggest thing as we got closer to training camp was getting him healthy, and then as we started the season, getting healthy enough to play, and then re-acclimating him. I want all my guys to get whatever award they deserve. Austin (Reaves), Luka (Doncic), LeBron, like whoever, I want them to get awards. That’s great for them, but it’s not – the list of things that you have to worry about and think about as a player and coach, it’s so far down the list.”

James was sidelined for the first 14 games of the season with sciatica and didn’t make his debut until November 18. He has appeared in six games and is averaging 14 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 32.8 minutes per night with .413/.259/.550 shooting numbers. He’ll turn 41 later this month, so limiting the wear and tear on his body is Redick’s primary concern.

There’s more on the Lakers:

Marcus Smart will miss his sixth straight game on Sunday and his injury designation has changed, Price adds. He’s now dealing with a left lumbar muscle strain rather than lower back injury management. Smart has appeared in 14 games and made nine starts in his first season with L.A.
James’ historic streak of double-digit scoring games was snapped at 1,297 Thursday at Toronto, Price states in a separate story. James had eight points going into the final possession when he opted to pass to Rui Hachimura, who sank a game-winning three-pointer. “Just playing the game the right way,” James said. “You always make the right play. That’s just been my M.O. That’s how I was taught the game. I’ve done that my whole career. There was not even one second-guessing that.”
Doncic and his fiancée announced the birth of their second child Saturday in an Instagram post, per Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times (subscription required). Doncic didn’t play in Friday’s game, but he has been removed from the team’s injury report for Sunday.

Lakers Notes: Vanderbilt, Smart, Doncic, More

December 4th, 2025 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

After playing in each of the Lakers‘ first 14 games of the season, veteran forward Jarred Vanderbilt has been a DNP-CD for the team’s past six contests. Vanderbilt has dealt with numerous injuries that have limited his availability in recent years, but he’s healthy now, prompting head coach JJ Redick to explain earlier this week why the 26-year-old isn’t in the rotation.

“He’s been a pro. He’s been great,” Redick said (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). “In the most recent stay-ready (game) that we had this week, he was great. He’s been a great teammate, so no surprise there.

“I had communicated to him, even before LeBron (James) came back, that there were certain things that he needed to be able to do consistently to play before LeBron came back, after LeBron came back. And that there potentially was going to be a numbers crunch because we were probably going to play a nine-man rotation. And that was just the reality.

Redick went on to say that he didn’t want to tweak the rotation too much during a hot streak – the Lakers had won seven games in a row prior to Monday’s loss to Phoenix – but that Vanderbilt could eventually find himself regaining a more regular role, especially if the team loses anyone due to an injury.

We have more on the Lakers:

Lakers guard Marcus Smart (lower back injury management) will miss a fourth straight game on Thursday in Toronto, while star guard Luka Doncic sits out for personal reasons. According to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops, Doncic has returned to his home country of Slovenia for the birth of his second child. His status for games in Boston on Friday and Philadelphia on Sunday is unclear.
Law Murray of The Athletic and Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times take stock of where the Lakers stand at the one-quarter mark of the 2025/26 season. At 15-5, the team is on pace for a 60-win season, but has a relatively modest net rating of +3.1, the 12th-best mark in the NBA. The Lakers’ record is buoyed by the fact that they’re the only team without a loss in a “clutch” game, defined as a game within five points with fewer than five minutes remaining — Los Angeles is 6-0 in that situation.
Within a look at a few potential contenders trying to challenge Oklahoma City in the Western Conference, Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports notes that three-point shooting is an area the Lakers may look to address on the trade market. Los Angeles currently ranks 25th in the NBA in made three-pointers per game.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo were to request a trade out of Milwaukee, could the Lakers make a legitimate play for him? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report considers that question and outlines what a trade package centered around breakout guard Austin Reaves might look like.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Smart, Ayton, Kleber, Luka, Reaves, Borrego

December 1st, 2025 at 8:32pm CST by Rory Maher

As expected, LeBron James is not on the Lakers‘ injury report for Monday’s game vs. Phoenix, which indicates he’ll be available to play, as Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group tweets.

The superstar forward sat out Sunday’s game with what the team called left foot injury management. Head coach JJ Redick explained prior to the win over New Orleans that Los Angeles was “just being cautious” with James, who has been dealing with a foot issue, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter links). Redick added that the team hopes to have James available for back-to-backs in the future.

The NBA’s oldest player extended his own league record last season by making his 21st consecutive All-NBA team — no other player has more than 15 total All-NBA appearances. James, who missed the first 14 games of the season due to sciatica on his right side, must play in 61 of the Lakers’ final 63 games in order to remain eligible to continue that streak, due to the 65-game rule.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

While James will return tonight, veteran guard Marcus Smart will miss his third straight game — and his injury designation has changed from lower back spasms to lower back injury management, Price notes. Redick expressed confidence on Monday that the 31-year-old would be back sooner rather later, calling him day-to-day, per Jovan Buha (Twitter link). “We expect him to be back soon,” Redick said. “It’s not a long-term thing.”
Starting center Deandre Ayton appeared to aggravate a right knee bruise in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, an injury which cost him about a game-and-a-half last week, Woike tweets. However, the Lakers held a comfortable lead at the time and the former No. 1 overall pick isn’t on the team’s injury report ahead of Monday’s game.
As Woike details in an entertaining story for The Athletic, during a poor stretch of play in the third quarter in which their lead was trimmed to 11 points, backup big man Maxi Kleber inexplicably air-balled an open layup on an and-one attempt (YouTube link), causing his teammates on the bench to start laughing. “We were just caught off guard. … We all thought he was going to dunk it. … Shot a fade-away layup. Crazy,” Gabe Vincent said Sunday. The Lakers immediately went on an 8-0 run after the moment of levity, which also served as a reminder of the good vibes around the team — the players often make fun of each other in a lighthearted way, Woike writes. “It’s very important,” Kleber said. “It’s a long season. Obviously, this was a funny play. But it could be serious, where we have a bad stretch, or a bad game, and it’s important that we stick together as a team. And that we can laugh about things and just work it out and not take it too hard. Because we know we’re good. And I think it helps to regain focus quickly.”
It wasn’t the prettiest game, but the Lakers won their seventh straight contest on Sunday to improve to 15-4 on the season. Backcourt stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves combined for 67 points and 15 assists, notes Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times, becoming just the fourth pair of teammates in the past 50 years to each score at least 30 points in three consecutive games. “The gravity that he has on the court, it’s impossible to guard him any certain way because [of] his ability to pass the ball, his unselfishness and his shot-making ability,” Reaves said of Doncic. “Then, once you blitz him, then you have advantage basketball and we like our chances.”
Prior to Sunday’s game, Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego reflected on being a finalist for the Lakers’ coaching vacancy during the 2024 offseason, which ultimately went to Redick (Twitter video link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). “I grew up a Lakers fan, number one, so to come here and interview for the job was so surreal and like a dream,” Borrego said in part.

Injury Notes: Sasser, LeBron, Smart, M. Williams, Dunn, Butler

November 30th, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Rory Maher

Third-year guard Marcus Sasser, who has yet to play in 2025/26 after sustaining a right hip impingement during the preseason, has been assigned to the G League to practice with the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons announced today (Twitter link via Hunter Patterson of The Athletic).

Just over three weeks ago, Detroit said Sasser would be reevaluated in about four weeks, so that exam should come in the near future. Given that he’s getting some practice reps in with the Cruise, Sasser’s season debut may not be far off either.

After a strong rookie year, the 25-year-old point guard was in and out of the rotation out last season. He wound up appearing in 57 games and averaging 6.6 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 14.2 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .463/.382/.843.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

After initially being listed as questionable, Lakers star LeBron James was subsequently ruled out of Sunday’s matchup vs. New Orleans because of left foot injury management, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. As McMenamin notes, Sunday is the front end of a back-to-back — Los Angeles faces Phoenix on Monday. Marcus Smart will miss his second straight game Sunday due to back spasms, per the NBA’s official injury report. The veteran guard was initially deemed doubtful.
Suns center Mark Williams (right calf soreness) and forward Ryan Dunn were questionable for Saturday’s loss to Denver before being downgraded to out. Head coach Jordan Ott discussed the status of both players prior to the game, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter video link). “The (right) knee was doing well,” Ott said of Williams. “Something independently just popped up (during Friday’s loss at OKC) with the calf. Don’t think it’s too serious. We want to play the long game with him. He’s done a great job of building back up and being available for us.” Dunn, meanwhile, has missed the past five games with a right wrist sprain. “He’s in a good place. He’s only been out six or seven days, however (long) it’s been,” Ott said of the 2024 first-round pick. “It’s just a pain tolerance, flexibility. Of course it’s the shooting wrist. Things are in a good place. We’ll continue to assess, but I would imagine it’s relatively soon (when he returns).”
Warriors forward Jimmy Butler took a hard fall during Saturday’s win over New Orleans but is optimistic he’ll be ready to go on Tuesday against Oklahoma City, as Anthony Slater of ESPN relays (Twitter video link). Through 19 games (31.7 MPG) this season, the six-time All-Star is averaging 20.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.2 APG and 1.6 SPG on .527/.436/.856 shooting.