Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Grimes, Ingram, Sharpe
Sixers center Joel Embiid will miss the team’s final game before the All-Star break, as first reported by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link). Embiid has been ruled out for Wednesday’s matchup with New York due to right knee injury management.
Embiid said he felt some soreness in that knee after Philadelphia’s win in Phoenix on Saturday, then sat out Monday’s loss in Portland. Although that soreness has decreased in recent days, per Bontemps, the 76ers will play it safe with the former MVP — he’ll continue to receive treatment in the coming days and will be reevaluated after the All-Star break (Twitter link).
We have more from across the Atlantic:
- While Quentin Grimes probably would’ve preferred to secure a lucrative long-term deal in restricted free agency last summer, accepting his one-year qualifying offer gave the Sixers guard a de facto no-trade clause this season, which he appreciated at the trade deadline. “That made it a little easier to go to bed at night and knowing that I’m not going to wake up and find out that I’m somewhere that I don’t want to be,” Grimes told Mark Medina of EssentiallySports. “That was a good thing about it, for sure. It eased my mind a little bit. I’m knowing that my agent can call me and relay a proposal from another team that I have to give an OK toward, so it was a little bit of a win-win for me.”
- Brandon Ingram‘s All-Star berth is a major win for the Raptors, who faced criticism last season for trading for and extending a player who had battled injuries during his last few years in New Orleans, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Ingram has led Toronto in scoring while appearing in 52 of 54 games so far. “I think that from the moment he came to our team, the amount of work and preparation (he put in), he had a really hard summer with lot of recovery, lot of like, boring exercises and stuff to get him healthy, to get him on the floor,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “And that he has (missed just two games) is just testament to all the amount of work that he put in.”
- Day’Ron Sharpe has the highest net rating among Nets regulars and ranks among the NBA’s top 10 in offensive rebounds and steals per 100 possessions, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). While Brooklyn holds a $6.5MM option on Sharpe for 2026/27, Lewis suggests it might make sense for the team to try to work out a longer-term deal with the 24-year-old center. That would require the Nets to turn down the option and make Sharpe an unrestricted free agent, but the two sides would have a window to negotiate a new contract before the team officially makes a decision on the option.
Brandon Ingram Replacing Stephen Curry In All-Star Game
Six years after earning his first All-Star nod as a member of the Pelicans, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram has been named to his second All-Star game, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
Commissioner Adam Silver tabbed Ingram as an injury replacement for Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who will be unavailable to play on Sunday due to a nagging knee injury. Ingram will take Curry’s spot on the USA Stripes roster alongside veteran stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard.
[RELATED: Team Rosters For All-Star Game Revealed]
Ingram, 28, was traded from New Orleans to Toronto at last year’s deadline but sat out for the rest of the 2024/25 season due to an ankle injury and didn’t make his Raptors debut until this past fall. The 10th-year forward has fit right in with his new team, averaging 22.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 34.0 minutes per game across 52 outings (all starts), with a shooting line of .472/.364/.835.
Scottie Barnes has arguably been the more valuable Raptor and was the first All-Star recognized from a Toronto team that has exceeded expectations this season and holds the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference at 32-22. However, Ingram leads the Raptors in scoring and has elevated an offense that struggled to score in half-court situations last season.
This year’s All-Star game will be a three-team event that pits Ingram’s USA Stripes squad against Barnes’ USA Stars and Team World, which is made up international stars.
NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots
A number of free agent signings have been finalized in the days since last Thursday’s trade deadline, but there are still many teams around the NBA with one or more open spots on their respective rosters.
For clubs with just a single standard or two-way opening, there’s not necessarily any urgency to fill those spots, especially ahead of the All-Star break. But the clock is ticking for teams who have two or more openings on their standard rosters to make a move, since clubs are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.
These situations remain fluid, with more roster moves being finalized each day. But with the help of our roster count tracker, here’s where things stand for all 30 teams around the NBA as of Tuesday morning. As a reminder, teams are typically permitted to carry up to 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.
(Note: Teams marked with an asterisk have a player on a 10-day contract.)
Multiple open roster spots
- Teams with multiple 15-man openings:
- Boston Celtics
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Teams with one 15-man and one two-way opening:
- Golden State Warriors
- Sacramento Kings
The Celtics entered trade deadline week with 14 players on their standard roster and sent out four players (Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Josh Minott) while only taking back one (Nikola Vucevic). They promoted Amari Williams from his two-way contract to the standard roster to get to 12 players, but they still have three roster openings.
Given how tight their margins are below the tax line, the Celtics will likely use their full two-week allotment and wait until February 19 before making two additions to get back to the roster minimum of 14.
The Nuggets dipped to 13 players on standard contracts by trading Hunter Tyson last Thursday and also have until Feb. 19 to get back to 14. Two-way standout Spencer Jones has reached his 50-game limit and is the obvious candidate to be promoted into that spot, though he’s in the concussion protocol for now, so Denver may not to need to make that move until after the All-Star break.
The Timberwolves went from 14 players to 13 when they sent out Mike Conley on Tuesday of trade deadline week, so they have until Feb. 17 to reach the roster minimum again. It sounds like their old 14th man will likely become their new 14th man, with Conley expected to re-sign in Minnesota after being dealt twice ahead of last week’s deadline.
As for the Warriors and Kings, both clubs both briefly went down to 13 players, but they’ve since promoted two-way players Pat Spencer and Dylan Cardwell, respectively, so they’re back to 14 and there’s no urgency for them to make additional moves. Still, it’s worth noting that both teams technically have multiple roster openings, since they’ve yet to sign new two-way players to replace Spencer and Cardwell. Both Golden State and Sacramento are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals.
One open roster spot
- Teams with a 15-man opening:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Houston Rockets
- Indiana Pacers
- Miami Heat
- New Orleans Pelicans
- New York Knicks
- Orlando Magic
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards *
- Teams with a two-way opening:
- Detroit Pistons
- Los Angeles Clippers *
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Philadelphia 76ers **
The Nets, Cavaliers, Rockets, Pacers, Heat, Pelicans, Knicks, Magic, and Jazz are all carrying 14 players on full-season standard contracts and three on two-way deals, with no reported signings pending. They’re each free to carry that open roster spot for as long as they want to, though some figure to fill it sooner rather than later.
The Suns, meanwhile, are in the same boat as those teams but might create a second opening on their 15-man roster in the near future — the expectation is that they’ll waive newly acquired guard Cole Anthony. If they do so, they’d have 14 days to add a replacement.
The Wizards have perhaps the most fluid situation of any team in this group. They have 13 players on standard, full-season contracts, with Keshon Gilbert on a 10-day deal that will expire during the All-Star break. It’s also possible that D’Angelo Russell, acquired in the Anthony Davis blockbuster, won’t be on the roster much longer, with buyout rumors swirling around him. If Washington parts ways with Russell and doesn’t re-sign Gilbert, the team would have three 15-man openings and would need to fill at least two of them.
The Pistons, Clippers, Bucks, and Sixers all currently have full 15-man rosters and one open two-way slot, but L.A. and Philadelphia will soon open up standard roster spots.
The Clippers have Dalano Banton on a 10-day deal through next Monday, while the 76ers have Charles Bassey and Patrick Baldwin Jr. on 10-day pacts through Saturday. Both teams are at or near their limit of “under-15” games for two-way players, so if they want to continue using their players on two-way contracts, they’ll need to ensure they maintain full 15-man rosters.
No open roster spots
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Dallas Mavericks
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies *
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs
- Toronto Raptors
The Hawks, Hornets, Bulls, Mavericks, Lakers, Thunder, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Raptors are all carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. If they want to make a free agent addition during the season’s final two months, they’ll have to cut a player to do so.
In some of those cases, there’s an obvious release candidate on the roster. For instance, it’s believed to be just a matter of time until Toronto officially waives Chris Paul. A few of those clubs will also need to make room on their 15-man rosters to convert two-way players — Ryan Nembhard in Dallas and Sidy Cissoko in Portland are among the top candidates for promotions.
As for the Grizzlies, one of their 15 standard players – Lawson Lovering – is on a 10-day contract. His deal will expire after the team’s Feb. 20 game, opening up a roster spot in Memphis.
Stephon Castle, Jalen Johnson Named Players Of The Week
Spurs guard Stephon Castle has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week and Hawks forward Jalen Johnson has won the award in the East, the NBA announced today (Twitter links). Week 16 of the 2025/26 season covered games played from February 2-8.
Castle, the reigning Rookie of the Year, helped San Antonio go 3-0 last week. The 21-year-old filled the stat sheet, averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.0 block in just 26.7 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .630/.364/.769.
As Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com details, Castle’s week was highlighted by a phenomenal performance in Saturday’s victory vs. Dallas. The former UConn standout scored a career-high 40 points (on 15-of-19 shooting, or 78.9%), grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds, dished out 12 assists, and swiped three steals in 32 minutes.
Castle became the youngest player in NBA history with a 40-12-12 stat line (the record was previously held by Oscar Robertson), per Wright, and the second player in league history to register a 40-point triple-double while shooting at least 75.0% from the field, joining Wilt Chamberlain, who accomplished the feat three times. And it all came on the one-year anniversary of when he set his previous career high with 33 points.
“I don’t know, something about this day,” Castle said, smiling. “Having a game like this, it’s definitely a dream come true. It felt good just to be out there feeling comfortable with every shot that I took and [got to] see them go in.”
As for Johnson, the 2026 All-Star continued his standout season last week, averaging 27.3 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 11.3 APG and 1.0 SPG on .544/.294/.750 shooting in three games (Atlanta went 2-1 in those contests). Johnson recorded a pair of triple-doubles from Feb. 2-8, raising his season total to 10, the most in the East and second-most in the NBA, only trailing Nikola Jokic (18).
No other player has ever recorded 10 triple-doubles in their entire Hawks career, let alone in a single season, per the team. It was the second weekly honor for the fifth-year forward, who also won Player of the Week in November.
According to the NBA, the other nominees in the West were Trail Blazers teammates Donovan Clingan and Jerami Grant, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, and Castle’s teammate Victor Wembanyama. Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Knicks, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid of the Sixers, Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), and Ryan Rollins (Bucks) were nominated in the East.
Atlantic Notes: Alvarado, Clarkson, Celtics, Nets, Barnes
Jose Alvarado‘s first game with the Knicks came in Boston rather than at Madison Square Garden, but the New York City native said that representing his hometown team felt “like it was meant to be,” according to Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required).
“This is a blessing,” Alvarado said. “I’m from here. My family never left the city. To be in that atmosphere, I mean, they’ve been Knicks fans since before me. To be with a team that’s trying to contend for something and me be a part of it is pretty special. … To be part of the city, it’s just a surreal feeling.”
After being traded from New Orleans to New York on Thursday, Alvarado played 25 minutes on his Sunday in his Knicks debut, a 111-89 win over Boston.
The newest Knick immediately supplanted Jordan Clarkson in the team’s backcourt rotation — even with Miles McBride on the shelf following surgery for a sports hernia, Clarkson logged just eight minutes. The veteran guard, who has had four DNP-CDs in the past two-plus weeks, said that besides getting accustomed to inconsistent playing time, he’s also had to fit into a new role.
“Offensively and defensively,” Clarkson told Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required). “They’re asking me to do things defensively as well. And then offensively, I got to figure it out and make stuff out of what comes in the offense in terms of opportunities. It’s not like I’m featured in the offense or anything. I’m playing hard, I’m crashing the glass, figuring out different things — little things to be effective on that end. So it’s a whole new thing for me. But I’ll continue to be a pro and stay in the gym and working on my craft and keep it going.”
We have more from across the Atlantic:
- Jaylen Brown acknowledged after Sunday’s blowout loss to New York that there will be an adjustment period for the Celtics while they get used to their new-look roster, per Jay King of The Athletic. New center Nikola Vucevic had 11 points and six rebounds off the bench against the Knicks, but the team was outscored by 24 points in his 23 minutes on the court. “We got to figure out the chemistry a little bit, the flow a little bit,” Brown said. “We want Vuc to be a little bit more aggressive, looking for him to get going and make him feel confident in taking those shots and where he can catch the ball. I think he’s still learning, but we need him to be aggressive. So we’ll make adjustments, we’ll communicate, we’ll watch film, and we’ll be better for it.”
- The trades that sent Josh Minott and Ochai Agbaji to Brooklyn were essentially salary dumps for Boston and Toronto, respectively. However, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes, the Nets will give both Minott and Agbaji an opportunity to earn spots in their rotation — and maybe even spots in the club’s plans beyond this season. “We know they’re very good players. That’s why they’re here,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “Show me what you can bring to the group, and if you can be part of this group, you can be a future Net.”
- Scottie Barnes is headed to his second All-Star game this season, but Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic sees an even higher ceiling for the star forward. “Scottie is Defensive Player of the Year. He’s an All-Star. He’s gonna be a Finals MVP. He’s going to be an MVP one day,” Rajakovic said after Barnes racked up 25 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks in Sunday’s win over Indiana (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca). “Write down the date I said that.”
Injury Notes: Furphy, Zubac, Giannis, CMB, Luka, Thiero
Second-year Pacers wing Johnny Furphy may have suffered a significant right leg injury in Sunday’s loss at Toronto, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Furphy landed awkwardly after converting a dunk and immediately went down in a great deal of pain while grabbing at his leg (YouTube link).
The 21-year-old was initially helped off the floor with assistance and then was taken to the tunnel in a wheelchair. Furphy was formally ruled out for the remainder of the game with what the team called right leg soreness (Twitter link).
“We’re not sure on Furphy’s situation. He’ll get testing tomorrow in New York and we’ll see where things are,” head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game (Twitter link via Tony East of Circle City Spin).
The 35th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Furphy has become a rotation mainstay in his second season, averaging 5.2 points and 4.4 rebounds on .466/.324/.486 shooting through 34 games, including 20 starts (18.5 minutes per contest).
We have more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Carlisle suggested on Friday that trade acquisition Ivica Zubac may not make his Pacers debut until after the All-Star break, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. The former Clippers center is still dealing with the lingering effects of a Grade 2 ankle sprain he sustained in December and Carlisle said the team wants the injury fully heal. “It’s kind of yo-yo’d a little bit,” Carlisle said. “My understanding from talking to him is that there’s still something there that’s not quite right. We’re not going to put him out there until he’s really ready. … He’s a guy that has played 94 or 95 percent of his games through his career and I’m presuming that’s because he’s always raring to go through things. That’s not going to be an option here.”
- The Bucks have no plans to shut down Giannis Antetokounmpo for the rest of the season and the two-time MVP is close to returning from a right calf strain, head coach Doc Rivers said on Friday (story via Collier of ESPN). “He’s going to play when he’s healthy,” Rivers said. “We just got to make sure he’s healthy. He’s getting close. He’s working out. He looks good. So I would say hopefully sooner than later.”
- Raptors forward/center Collin Murray-Boyles exited Sunday’s game early after aggravating a left thumb injury, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links). The rookie big man’s injured digit was hit during the game and he is considered day-to-day, Murphy adds.
- Lakers star Luka Doncic will miss his second straight game on Monday due to a left hamstring strain, tweets Dan Woike of The Athletic. There’s reportedly optimism that the soft-tissue injury isn’t serious. Adou Thiero, who has been out since the end of December because of sprained MCL, was assigned to the G League for a practice on Sunday, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the rookie forward went through a full contact stay-ready game last week.
Raptors Notes: Kessler, Jackson-Davis, CP3, Martin, Poeltl
The Raptors were connected to several notable big men ahead of the trade deadline, but Anthony Davis went to Washington, Domantas Sabonis stayed put in Sacramento, and the cost of acquiring a mid-priced big like Day’Ron Sharpe of the Nets or Goga Bitadze of the Magic was described by sources as “unrealistically high,” according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
“I think, at this point, with this group, we didn’t want to chase,” general manager Bobby Webster said of the Raptors’ approach to the trade deadline. “We didn’t want to be in a situation where you felt like you were overpaying. We’re still on the upward climb … we’ve had a pretty positive start; the group is coming together. There will be a time where we’re gonna push in and consolidate and add some picks, but we just felt the prices at this point were a little high for us.”
Given how many centers the Raptors were linked to in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, it was all the more fascinating that Webster dropped the following tidbit during an appearance on Sportsnet 590 The Fan (Twitter audio link) after the deadline passed: “I’d probably say the one big thing we went after wasn’t even reported.”
What might that “big thing” have been? According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter links), there were some rumblings that Toronto made a push for fourth-year center Walker Kessler, whom the Jazz haven’t been interested in moving. If Kessler is a legitimate Raptors target, they could pursue him again when he reaches restricted free agency this summer, but their limited cap flexibility would make that challenging.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Toronto did make one addition to its frontcourt at the deadline, sending a second-round pick to Golden State for big man Trayce Jackson-Davis. He was a player the club had on its radar for a while, according to Webster. “We’ve always had our eye on him in the past, but timing matters too,” the Raptors’ general manager said, per Grange. “We called on him before, but Golden State got another big (Kristaps Porzingis) and I think it was sort of time for him to be free. So, when we did the Ochai (Agbaji) deal (to get below the tax), we had the ability. We didn’t have a lot of money to spend, but we looked at anyone under $3MM that we could bring in and he quickly rose to the top of the list.”
- In a separate story for Sportsnet.ca, Grange passes along quotes from Jackson-Davis, who expressed enthusiasm about his new NBA home and said he learned a lot in Golden State playing alongside veterans like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Chris Paul over the past two-and-a-half seasons. Head coach Darko Rajakovic said Jackson-Davis made “really good first impressions” in his first practice in Toronto. “You can see that he’s a very smart player,” Rajakovic said. “He’s picking up things very quickly. … We’re going to allow him to get incorporated into the team and to show us who he is and how best I can use him.”
- The Raptors also acquired Chris Paul at the trade deadline as part of their Agbaji trade, but the veteran point guard won’t suit up for Toronto. He’ll be waived “at the appropriate time,” Webster said on Thursday. Unless Paul has a post-waiver destination lined up, there will likely be no urgency for Toronto to make that move until the team needs its 15th roster spot, notes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (all Twitter links). Grange suggested that last roster spot could eventually go to two-way player Alijah Martin.
- Raptors starting center Jakob Poeltl, who has been out since December 21 due to back issues that have bothered him all season, is listed as questionable to play on Sunday after practicing on Saturday, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “We saw a lot of doctors about it. To be honest, I don’t want to get into too much details about it,” Poeltl said when asked about his back injury, according to Grange. “The point is I’m feeling better now. I did a couple different treatment options. So, yeah, I’m glad to be feeling better.” The veteran big man added that he wasn’t bothered by the fact that his name kept popping up in trade rumors leading up to Thursday’s deadline, tweets Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun.
NBA Announces Competitors For Slam Dunk, Shooting Stars All-Star Events
The Spurs‘ Carter Bryant, the Lakers‘ Jaxson Hayes, the Heat‘s Keshad Johnson and the Magic‘s Jase Richardson have been named the participants in the All-Star Slam Dunk competition, the league announced in a press release. It will be held next Saturday at the Clippers’ new Intuit Dome.
All four players will be making their event debuts. Richardson, a rookie guard, does have a familial connection with the contest. He is the son of two-time Slam Dunk champion Jason Richardson (2002 and 2003).
The league also announced the teams for the Shooting Stars competition on Saturday. Four teams of three – each featuring two NBA players and one NBA legend – will compete in the event.
- Team All-Star: Raptors star Scottie Barnes and Thunder big man Chet Holmgren will be joined by three-time All-Star Richard Hamilton.
- Team Cameron: Three Duke University alums will team up, with Hawks All-Star Jalen Johnson and Hornets star rookie Kon Knueppel being joined by former 14-year NBA veteran Corey Maggette.
- Team Harper: Five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr. pairs up with his sons, Spurs guard Dylan Harper and Celtics swingman Ron Harper Jr.
- Team Knicks: Knicks teammates and All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns will team up with Allan Houston, who made two NBA All-Star teams and is now a member of New York’s front office.
The Shooting Stars will feature a two-round format, with all four teams competing in the first round and the top two advancing to the final round.
Teams will compete one at a time and have 70 seconds to score points while rotating through seven designated shooting locations around the court, with all three players on a team shooting at each spot in a set order. The team with the higher score in the final round will be crowned the champion.
Injury Notes: Poeltl, Murray-Boyles, White, Wagner, McBride, Duren
The back issues that have limited Jakob Poeltl to just 21 games this season were a major reason why his trade value was so low at the deadline, preventing the Raptors from gaining traction in their talks for Domantas Sabonis. However, Poeltl – who last played on December 21 – may not be out much longer, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
As Murphy relays, Poeltl is said to be ramping up and reacting “really well” as he works his way back. Toronto has just two more games between now and the All-Star break – Sunday vs. Indiana and next Wednesday vs. Detroit – but the team thinks there’s a chance he could return during that time.
Meanwhile, Raptors rookie big man Collin Murray-Boyles remains active after missing four games in late January due to a left thumb ailment, but that injury is still bothering him, according to Murphy, who notes (via Twitter) that he’ll have to wear a protector on the thumb for five more weeks. Still, Murray-Boyles powered through in Thursday’s win over Chicago, scoring 17 points on 8-of-9 shots from the field in 37 minutes of action.
“I give him a lot of credit,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said (Twitter link via Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca). “… He’s having trouble dribbling the ball, catching the ball, (but) he’s playing through that.”
Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Newly acquired Hornets guard Coby White had played in 11 of Chicago’s last 12 games before being traded to Charlotte, but president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said White is dealing with some calf issues, which the Hornets will tread carefully with. According to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), the 25-year-old may not play for his new team until after the All-Star break.
- Magic forward Franz Wagner is “very close” to returning from the left ankle injury that has sidelined him since January 18 and caused him to miss 24 of the team’s past 26 games, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said on Thursday (Twitter link via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). Orlando plays three more times before the All-Star break.
- A pair of doctors who spoke to Jared Schwartz of The New York Post suggest that the full recovery period for a sports hernia procedure like the one Miles McBride is undergoing is usually close to 12 weeks. Reports on Thursday indicated there’s optimism the Knicks guard will be back for the postseason, which will begin in about 10 weeks.
- Pistons center Jalen Duren didn’t play in the second half of Thursday’s loss to Washington due to right knee soreness, per the team (Twitter link). According to head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, that knee soreness has been an issue for Duren for “a little bit,” but there’s no indication yet whether it will cost him any additional time (Twitter link via Hunter Patterson of The Athletic).
Warriors Trade Trayce Jackson-Davis To Raptors
February 5: The trade is official, the Warriors confirmed (via Twitter).
February 4: The Warriors will send backup center Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Raptors in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick that originally belonged to the Lakers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Jackson-Davis, 25, saw rotation minutes during his first two seasons, but his role has been reduced this year. He has appeared in just 36 games and is averaging 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per night.
He makes $2.2MM this season and his contract includes a $2.4MM team option for 2026/27.
Charania notes that Toronto adds some size to its frontcourt by using the space created by trading Ochai Agbaji earlier in the day while managing to stay out of tax territory.
The Raptors explored several options for another big man, including the Pelicans‘ Yves Missi, the Nets‘ Day’Ron Sharpe and the Magic’s Goga Bitadze, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. However, it would have taken a first-round pick to land any of them and the Raptors were comfortable picking up Jackson-Davis while parting with the second-rounder they acquired when they sent Davion Mitchell to Miami a year ago.
The Jackson-Davis trade, coupled with the deal that sends Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta, gives the Warriors enough roster flexibility to convert two-way guard Pat Spencer to a standard deal, notes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Spencer is just one game away from reaching his limit of 50 active games.