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And-Ones: Izzo, Thomas, Damion Lee, Saben Lee

December 28th, 2025 at 6:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is not a fan of the fact that Knicks prospect James Nnaji has been granted eligibility to play for Baylor University, writes Jared Schwartz for the New York Post.

“Now we’re taking guys that were drafted in the NBA and everything?” Izzo said. “I said it to you a month and a half ago — c’mon, Magic (Johnson) and Gary (Harris), let’s go baby, let’s do it. Why not? I mean, if that’s what we’re going to, shame on the NCAA. Shame on the coaches, too. But shame on the NCAA, because coaches are gonna do what they gotta do, I guess.”

Nnaji was selected 31st overall in the 2023 NBA draft and has played overseas since then. He joined the Knicks’ Summer League team this offseason but struggled to make an impact, averaging 3.2 points in 12.9 minutes per game.

“What we’ve done in the NCAA has been an absolute travesty to me,” Izzo said. “We’re just worried about getting sued and we’re not gonna fight anybody. And I think leadership means you fight and you make decisions that are sometimes unpopular.”

We have more from around the world of international basketball:

Two-time All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas is considering heading overseas to continue his career, according to the Eurohoops team. “Thinking about slidin’ to the EuroLeague,” Thomas posted to Twitter. “I just want to HOOP.” The 36-year-old last appeared in the NBA in 2023/24, when he made six appearances for the Suns. Last season, he played 14 games for the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League, averaging 29.1 points and 5.5 assists in 30.8 minutes per contest.
Former NBA wing Damion Lee is expected to part ways with Ironi Ness Ziona, writes Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Lee played in just three games for the Israeli club, averaging 7.0 points in 22.7 minutes while shooting 29.2% from the field and 9.1% from three. Lee played 25 games for the Suns last year after missing the previous season with a knee injury.
Saben Lee is finalizing a move from Olympiacos to Anadolu Efes, writes Stavros Barbarousis for Eurohoops. Barbarousis writes that Lee struggled to meet the Greek team’s need at point guard and that Anadolu Efes will cover his contract for the rest of the season. Lee has averaged 3.4 points and 1.4 assists during EuroLeague play so far this season.

Southwest Notes: Eason, Fox, Bey, Flagg

December 28th, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

After he missed 14 games in November and December due to an oblique strain, Tari Eason‘s return has allowed the Rockets to try a new-look starting five. Eason replaced Josh Okogie in Houston’s new, jumbo-sized lineup in the last two games and has made an impact on both ends of the floor in back-to-back wins over the Lakers and Cavaliers, amassing six steals and three blocks while making 3-for-8 three-pointers.

“It was amazing to be out there. [Head coach Ime Udoka] finally trusted me to go out there. I just had to do what I do best,” Eason said, per The Athletic’s Will Guillory (via Twitter). “We had to get back to being dogs defensively, and I knew I could come out there and set the tone.”

Asked if he valued being in the starting lineup after spending the last few years as a reserve, Eason responded, “Yes, I do.”

We have more from around the Southwest Division:

De’Aaron Fox missed the Spurs‘ game Saturday against the Jazz with left adductor tightness, but the team is optimistic that he won’t be out for long, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “Not too many big concerns,” said head coach Mitch Johnson. “Obviously he’s out, so it’s real. But hopefully it will be short-term.” Johnson added that he started Julian Champagnie rather than Dylan Harper in order to keep the No. 2 overall pick in a more consistent role. “It goes a long way for players to expect if they’re going to play, when they’re going to play, when do they come out,” Johnson said. “They are creatures of habit from when they wake up to when they go to bed. I think being able to help provide consistency where you can (is important).” The Spurs have gone 17-5 in games that Fox has played this season.
Saddiq Bey was something of an afterthought coming into this season for the Pelicans, having not played a game since March 2024, when he tore his ACL. But following a trade from the Wizards to the Pelicans this summer, Bey knew he had been given a second chance to establish himself as a reliable rotation player, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “Just to be wanted at that time after not playing in a year and a half meant a lot to me,” Bey said. “New Orleans was showing that they still believed in me and that meant the world to me.” Bey has responded to the opportunity by averaging 14.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while starting 24 of the 32 games he played this season. “He’s been incredible all year,” said coach James Borrego. “He’s built for these moments. He doesn’t shy away from it.” Bey said that the experience has given him a new perspective on his career: “I feel like I owe it to the front office, the city and this organization for believing in me. Every single game, I’m literally thanking God for letting me finish that game. Win or lose. I’ll never take another game for granted.”
Mavericks‘ coach Jason Kidd went back to an early-season strategy in an attempt to grind out a win over the Kings without Anthony Davis: using Cooper Flagg as the de facto point guard, Christian Clark writes for The Athletic. The effort ended up coming in a 113-107 loss, but Flagg was able to help Dallas trim a 15-point halftime deficit to three points before Sacramento pulled away again. He finished with 23 points, six rebounds, and five assists, though he had five turnovers as well. “Once we had to sub, (the Kings’ lead) went back up to 18 (points),” Kidd said. “Just understanding the change — we talked about it at halftime — it gave us an opportunity to get us back in the game.”

Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Iisalo, Jackson, Landale, Koloko

December 28th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

The relationship between Ja Morant and head coach Tuomas Iisalo looked rocky after the Grizzlies‘ starting point guard was suspended by the team for one game early in the season, but it seems to be in a better place at the moment, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscriber link).

Iisaslo criticized Morant’s “leadership and effort” following an October 31 loss to the Lakers, while Morant — who questioned Iisalo’s unorthodox substitution patterns — responded to his coach in a “tone deemed inappropriate.”

Morant had 17 points, 10 assists and four rebounds in 25 minutes during Friday’s win over Milwaukee, his first game back following a four-game absence, Cole writes. Iisalo said the Grizzlies and Morant are still trying to find an ideal balance as the team monitors the 26-year-old minutes.

“I think both of us were very happy that he was able to express himself fully and then still not have those long stretches where he’s off the court or on the bench,” Iisalo said after Friday’s game.

Here’s more from Memphis:

Star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. struggled mightily to open the season, but he has caught fire of late, Cole adds. Jackson thinks his slow start was a result of beating his projected return timeline from offseason turf toe surgery. “I think I was still just recovering from surgery, honestly,” Jackson said. “That probably took a bigger toll on me than I even knew of. I think my whole goal was to just be healthy, so when I got back playing, I didn’t really think anything of it, and I just kind of assumed that I would be exactly who I was immediately.”
Center Jock Landale was a late scratch for Friday’s game vs. Milwaukee due to right calf soreness, notes Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (via Twitter). Landale, who is averaging career highs of 11.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 22.3 minutes per game on a one-year, minimum-salary deal, will likely miss his second straight contest on Sunday in Washington — he has been downgraded to doubtful ahead of tip-off, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).
With big men Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke and Landale out with injuries Friday, Iisaslo gave Christian Koloko extended playing time and the 25-year-old center responded well, Cole writes in the same subscriber-only story. “He wasn’t scheduled for this type of minutes,” Iisalo said. “We were thinking more in terms of what happened in Utah, and it was a complete surprise that Jock wasn’t able to go. … I was very impressed with his ability to step out and guard different type of guys. Christian has made a good impression on us.” Koloko, who is on a 10-day hardship contract with Memphis, finished with four points, three rebounds, three steals and one block and was a game-high plus-23 in 28 minutes.

Kristaps Porzingis Out Monday, Now Considered Day-To-Day

December 28th, 2025 at 2:50pm CST by Rory Maher

While Hawks center Kristaps Porzingis will be out again for Monday’s contest at Oklahoma City, his return shouldn’t be far off. According to the team (Twitter link), Porzingis is progressing in his return from an illness and is now considered day-to-day.

This is the first official update on Porzingis since Atlanta ruled him out for two weeks on December 14. Porzingis’ new status was first reported by Ohm Youngmisuk and Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).

Monday will mark the Latvian big man’s 10th straight absence due to the unspecified illness. Overall, he has missed 14 of the past 15 contests with the ailment. After his lone game earlier this month, Porzingis admitted he was frustrated by the illness, which he said wasn’t related to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), the condition he was diagnosed with after missing extended time in 2024/25.

Porzingis, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension before then, has been very productive when available in his first season with Atlanta, averaging 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 blocks on .497/.364/.855 shooting in a career-low 25.9 minutes per contest. The Hawks are plus-3.4 points per 100 possessions with Porzingis on the court and minus-2.3 when he’s not.

However, availability has been a significant issue, with the 30-year-old only appearing in 13 of the team’s 33 games to this point.

Porzingis, who was sent from Boston to Atlanta in the offseason, has popped up in several trade rumors to open ’25/26. Our Luke Adams listed the former All-Star as the Hawks’ most likely trade candidate earlier this week.

The Hawks have been sliding down the Eastern Conference standings for weeks, having lost six straight games and 10 of their past 12. They held a players-only meeting following Friday’s loss to Miami, tweets Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

“We kind of had like a real sit-down with the whole group, and said, ‘We need to be better.’ And I think you can feel it in the presence of the game,” Nickeil Alexander-Walker said Saturday.

Atlanta made a late rally in Saturday’s game vs. New York, but ultimately came up short, losing by three points.

“We told each other what we needed to say yesterday,” Jalen Johnson added after the team’s latest loss (Twitter link via Williams). “A lot of guys spoke, so I think that was a good sign. So yeah, and I think it reflected today.”

Nets Notes: Thomas, Winning Streak, Bench, Demin

December 28th, 2025 at 1:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets guard Cam Thomas admitted a couple days ago that there would likely be an adjustment period when he returned to action on Saturday, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. After a terrible 0-7 start to the season with Thomas in the lineup, Brooklyn had been playing better in the 24-year-old’s absence, going 9-12 over the past several weeks, including the November 5 win over Indiana in which Thomas was limited to just six minutes after straining his left hamstring.

“Every team adjusts when a certain player goes out,” said Thomas. “We’ll figure it out. Just go out there and play ball. It’s not rocket science. We just go out there, figure out who’s out there together and figure out how to play amongst each other.

“It’s been a while. … Obviously, it’s going to be a learning curve for a few games, but we’ll figure it out quick. We’re pros, we’ll figure it out. So, just going to make it back on the court and play, figure it out and just try to keep stacking wins.”

However, Thomas showed zero signs of rust — or trouble fitting in — as he lit up the Timberwolves for 30 points in 20 minutes off the bench in Saturday’s win at Minnesota, Lewis writes in another story. The impending free agent shot 9-of-15 from the floor and was 9-for-9 at three throw line while chipping in four assists (against zero turnovers) and three rebounds.

Thomas, who was a game-high plus-27, said he was happy to be playing again and to help the team get a win, Lewis notes. Head coach Jordi Fernandez praised Thomas’ performance.

“[I liked] his mindset. He let the game come to him. He assisted, zero turnovers being a simple play every time. And I’m pretty sure the potential assists were high because he made the right play over and over and over,” Fernandez said. “Sometimes you cannot control if those are going to be assists, but you just play the right way. And going to the free throw line, and as efficient as it was, it was just really impressive.

“We have to be careful with the amount of minutes we play him. And knowing that he had a short amount of minutes and using them efficiently, efficiently for the team. He just played, once again, the right play every time: whether it was to score against the line or pass waters. So, very clean game, very connected to his teammates, talking to them, telling them what to do. That’s it.”

We have more from Brooklyn:

The Nets have now won a season-high three straight games and seven of their past 10 after picking up a road victory against a Minnesota team that had gone 10-3 in its last 13 contests, according to Lewis. The Nets surprisingly have the league’s top-ranked defense in December, Lewis notes. “When you’ve got Mike [Michael Porter Jr.] playing the level he’s playing out right now, throwing a Cam Thomas in the fold, and you have us defending the way that we are, we’re extremely [tough],” Nic Claxton said. “We’re going to be an extremely tough team to beat every night. We’re gonna compete, because those are two extremely gifted scores. And we’ve got shooters around. We’ve got me, Day’Ron [Sharpe] at the rim. So we’ve got a lot of different options, a lot to build off of.”
While Thomas was the top performer, Brooklyn’s bench also received solid contributions from first-round picks Nolan Traore, Drake Powell and Danny Wolf as well as fifth-year center Sharpe in outscoring Minnesota’s second unit 62-33, as C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News relays.
Fernandez has been pleased with the lottery pick Egor Demin‘s progress so far this season, but he’s constantly pushing the 19-year-old to keep improving, per Holmes. “I think he’s more comfortable,” Fernandez said. “I think he always played like he belongs, and that’s been great. I remember since that preseason game in Toronto. He played and showed right away why we were so high on him and how he handled himself. It’s not just about the shot making but also seeing the floor and his ability to get deflections and rebounds and all those things. We’ve seen how much better he’s gotten from Day 1… We still want to see more and better. And that goes not just for him, but everybody else on the roster.”

Raptors’ Barrett Returning Sunday; Poeltl Update Coming Monday

December 28th, 2025 at 12:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Raptors wing RJ Barrett will return to action on Sunday against Golden State, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. Barrett will be on an unspecified minutes restriction in his first game back since November 23, Murphy adds.

As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca observes (via Twitter), the Raptors were 12-5 with Barrett in the lineup but have gone just 6-9 without him. They have worst offensive rating in the NBA over that 15-game span.

Barrett, 25, averaged 19.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists on .506/.356/.725 shooting in his first 17 games of the season. On Friday, the Raptors provided an encouraging update on the former No. 3 overall pick, who was initially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.

Toronto is expected to announce an injury update on Jakob Poeltl on Monday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). The Raptors’ starting center will miss his third straight game Sunday due to a lower back issue the team has recently called a strain. He has been dealing with back problems since training camp.

In a full story for Sportsnet, Murphy discusses his takeaways from Friday’s disappointing 21-point loss to Washington, which has the second-worst record in the league at 6-23. While some of Toronto’s young players have made individual progress this season, others have taken a step back, and the team’s ability to put pressure on the rim has been sorely lacking with Barrett out, Murphy writes.

TyTy Washington Jr. Signs Two-Way Deal With Clippers

December 28th, 2025 at 12:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

December 28: Washington’s two-way deal with the Clippers is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log, while Dennis has been cut, according to RealGM’s transaction log.

December 27: The Clippers will sign point guard TyTy Washington Jr. to a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The team will waive two-way point guard RayJ Dennis to create an opening, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Washington, 24, inked a training camp deal with the team this summer, but was waived before the start of the season. He has been playing with L.A.’s G League affiliate in San Diego, where he’s averaging 17.9 points, 5.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 41.1% from three-point range.

Washington was selected with the 29th pick in the 2022 draft, but he hasn’t been able to find a consistent NBA home. After spending his rookie season with Houston, he was traded to Atlanta in the summer of 2023 and then shipped to Oklahoma City four days later. He was waived by OKC, then signed a two-way contract with Milwaukee in August of 2023 and a two-way deal with Phoenix in August of 2024.

Washington has appeared in 58 total games with the Rockets, Bucks and Suns and has spent time in the G League in each of the last four seasons.

Dennis, 24, signed a two-way contract with the Clippers on December 4, four days after being waived by Indiana. He made just one four-minute appearance for L.A. Dennis joined the Pacers on a two-way deal in January and got into 24 total games.

Warriors’ Seth Curry Out At Least Two Weeks With Sciatica

December 28th, 2025 at 11:18am CST by Rory Maher

Warriors guard Seth Curry recently underwent an MRI which confirmed he has irritation along the sciatic nerve on his left side, reports Anthony Slater of ESPN (via Twitter).

Curry, who has missed the past three games with the injury, will be reevaluated in two weeks, Slater adds. The Warriors formally confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link).

A 12-year veteran, Curry has been limited to two games with Golden State since he re-signed with the club on December 1. The 35-year-old spent training camp and the preseason with the Warriors but was waived ahead of the 2025/26 regular season because his veteran’s minimum salary couldn’t fit under the team’s second-apron hard cap at the time.

Curry, 35, has carved out a long NBA career largely because he’s an excellent shooter — he has converted 43.3% of his career three-point attempts, the seventh-best mark in NBA history. The 6’1″ combo guard, who is the younger brother of Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, went undrafted in 2013 out of Duke.

The Warriors have a road back-to-back at Toronto on Sunday and at Brooklyn on Monday. De’Anthony Melton, who missed most of last season with a torn ACL, will be held out of Sunday’s game for left knee injury management, according to Slater (Twitter link).

Al Horford will be active today but will be held out of Monday’s game — he recently returned from his own bout with sciatica but isn’t playing back-to-backs.

Magic Notes: Black, Suggs, Da Silva, Wagners, Penda

December 28th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Rory Maher

Third-year guard Anthony Black erupted for a career-high 38 points in the Magic‘s comeback victory over Denver on Saturday, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

It was the second game of a back-to-back for the Magic, who had a disappointing loss to Charlotte the night before. They trailed by as many as 17 points in the third quarter against the Nuggets, but worked their way back into the game by forcing turnovers and getting baskets in transition, Beede notes.

Black shot 14-of-24 from the floor in Saturday’s win, including 7-of-11 from long distance. The 21-year-old also contributed six rebounds, five assists and two steals and was plus-six in 30 minutes.

“He’s put the work in,” Desmond Bane said about Black. “He laid the foundation for a great season with the way he approached the summer. I’m really happy for his growth. He’s a special player and he’s only going to get better.”

Known as a strong defender, Black has improved across the board in his third season and deserves to be in the Most Improved Player conversation, according to Josh Cohen of the team’s website.

“Confidence stepping into a shot, playing the right way,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said of Black. “The things that we’ve talked about him being and doing each night. When he gets that ball in his hands, just looking to attack to get downhill, stepping into a shot, and then taking on the challenge of guarding one of the best guards in the league.”

Here’s more on the Magic:

Jalen Suggs was sidelined for his sixth straight game Saturday due to a left hip contusion, Beede tweets. “I don’t know how close but just keep preparing myself to be back on the court with my brothers,” Suggs said.
A bruised right shoulder limited Tristan Da Silva‘s effectiveness earlier this month and forced him to miss four games before returning to action on Friday, Beede writes in another story. “I feel good,” Da Silva said Friday morning. “It’s been something that I’ve been dealing with a little bit, so I’m just glad that I finally took the time to settle back down and get things re-centered with myself. I’m excited to step back out there again.” The second-year forward was a key contributor in Saturday’s win, finishing with 17 points (on 7-of-11 shooting) and five rebounds in 30 minutes.
Mosley also provided injury updates on Franz Wagner and his older brother Moritz Wagner on Friday morning, Beede adds. Franz, who is recovering from a high left ankle sprain, has been limited to spot shooting. Moritz, who is a year removed from a torn ACL, will be playing 2-on-2, 3-on-3 and taking contact in the near future, but there’s no timetable for the big man’s return, per Beede.
Bane raved about Noah Penda‘s contributions earlier this week with the Magic shorthanded, as Beede relays (via Twitter). “He’s been huge,” Bane said of the rookie forward, who was selected No. 32 overall in the 2025 draft. “We all know what he brings on the defensive end, scrapping to get loose balls, but I’m proud of him for having confidence in his shot.“

Pelicans’ Alvarado, Suns’ Williams Ejected After Fight

December 28th, 2025 at 9:12am CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and Suns center Mark Williams were both ejected from Saturday’s game in New Orleans after a brief fight late in the third quarter, writes Rashad Milligan of NOLA.com.

Alvarado was whistled for a foul after pushing Williams, who was attempting to set a screen, with two hands (YouTube link). As Alvarado looked to the official to plead his case, Williams returned the favor with his own two-handed shove.

The 6’0″ Alvarado confronted the 7’1″ Williams, who dismissively tried to forearm Alvarado out of the way. Undeterred, Alvarado grabbed Williams’ left arm and jersey and a brief scuffle ensued, with Williams and then Alvarado both throwing right-handed punches that connected.

Williams also punched down at Alvarado with his left hand as the players were being separated, but it’s unclear from the video if it connected. Both players were ejected for the incident.

After the game, which Phoenix won, Suns head coach Jordan Ott said he had not yet reviewed a video of the altercation, per The Associated Press.

“I saw it start, and then all of a sudden everyone jumped in,” Ott said. “Obviously, it happens. It just feels like the lack of sleep the second night of a back-to-back, something always tends to happen. Last night, there were a lot of free throws; tonight there wasn’t as much. They let us play tonight, which is something we enjoy. They got tangled up, and obviously they both got thrown out.”

The NBA tends to be pretty strict when it comes to fights, especially when punches are thrown, so fines and suspensions could be coming for Alvarado and Williams.

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