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Bucks Operating As Buyers Heading Into Trade Deadline

December 29th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s windmill dunk that ended Saturday’s win at Chicago delivered the message he intended, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Antetokounmpo nearly sparked a massive fight as he broke an unwritten rule by scoring with the game already out of reach, but he saw a chance to make a statement — to his teammates and the rest of the league — that the Bucks aren’t going to go away quietly.

“I’ve been 13 years in the league,” Antetokounmpo told reporters after the game. “If we keep on losing, brother, probably half of the team is not going to be here. At the end of the day, I just want to be available, be healthy and help my team win. And if (a windmill dunk) is what has to happen for everybody to wake up and understand we’re fighting for our lives and we got to get our hands dirty, so be it.”

The dunk sparked a show of support, as Antetokounmpo’s teammates backed up his actions amid angry exchanges that continued while the teams made their way toward the locker room area. Whether it leads to a prolonged turnaround will depend on a number of factors, including Antetokounmpo’s health for the rest of the season and his continued desire to stay in Milwaukee.

At 13-19, the Bucks are 11th in the East, one-and-a-half games out of a play-in spot. Team sources tell Collier they continue to believe they can upgrade the roster before the February 5 trade deadline and be more competitive in the second half of the season. Collier hears that when the league’s unofficial trade season began two weeks ago, the Bucks’ front office approached it as buyers rather than exploring potential deals to part with Antetokounmpo.

The two-time MVP has been the subject of frequent trade speculation, even as he remains one of the NBA’s elite talents. He has often stated his desire to compete for another title, which may not happen with a Milwaukee team that hasn’t won a playoff series since 2022. Antetokounmpo has tried to quell trade talks, recently stating that he’s “locked in” with the team, and he reiterated that sentiment on Saturday.

“I’m here. I’m here. I’m here,” he said. “Don’t ask me that question. I’m here. It’s disrespectful towards myself and my teammates. I wear that jersey every single day. It’s disrespectful towards the organization, my coaching staff, myself and all the people that work hard for me to come out here and say, ‘I don’t want to be here.’ I’m here. I’m putting on the jersey. And as long as I’m here, I’m going to give everything I have, even in the last second of the game.”

Sources tell Collier that the Bucks have engaged in internal conversations about pursuing Kings guards Zach LaVine and Malik Monk as well as Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant. However, Collier notes that general manager Jon Horst has limited assets to offer on the trade market.

[RELATED: Bucks Keeping Eye On Zach LaVine]

Milwaukee currently has only one tradable first-round pick, either in 2031 or 2032, but Collier states that Horst hasn’t been willing to part with that pick in any trade talks during the past year. League sources don’t expect him to consider moving it at this point unless it means getting a star-level player in return, Collier adds.

Collier notes that the rest of the roster outside of Antetokounmpo doesn’t offer much trade value. Other than Myles Turner, who signed as a free agent during the summer, the largest salaries belong to Kyle Kuzma ($22.4MM) and Bobby Portis ($13.5MM), making it challenging to match money in a significant trade. According to Collier, rival executives may be putting other moves on hold until they have some clarity about how long Antetokounmpo will be staying in Milwaukee.

Collier adds that the Bucks’ assets will improve during the offseason, when they project to have tradable picks available in 2026, 2031 and 2033. But waiting until summer to improve the roster could mean wasting another prime season for Antetokounmpo and testing his desire to remain with a franchise that could miss the postseason.

“Right now, our character (as a team) is being tested,” Antetokounmpo said. “Me personally, I don’t want to be the guy worrying about (reports). My legacy is on the line. This is how I feel every single day when I walk in here.”

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Doncic, N. Smith, Leonard, M. Williams

December 29th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

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.”

Mavericks Seeking Disabled Player Exceptions For Dereck Lively II, Dante Exum

December 29th, 2025 at 8:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks have applied to the NBA for disabled player exceptions for both Dereck Lively II and Dante Exum, who have suffered season-ending injuries, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

The DPEs would provide half of each player’s salary, so they would be modest in both cases, although they could offer some flexibility later in the season. The figures would amount to $2,626,680 for Lively (who’s making $5,253,360 on his rookie scale deal) and $1,148,137 for Exum (who has a veteran’s minimum contract worth $2,296,274).

Even if the exceptions are granted, Dallas wouldn’t be able to surpass its second-apron hard cap. The team is currently about $1.29MM below that cap.

Lively, 21, has been experiencing right foot issues since suffering a fracture in his foot/ankle area last January. It kept him out of action for two months and required him to undergo surgery in July in an effort to fix the issue. He continued to be bothered by health problems, missing a nine-game stretch in October and November due to a right knee sprain, then battling nagging discomfort in his right foot.

The decision was made to have him undergo season-ending foot surgery earlier this month.

Lively, who played a huge role in Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals as a rookie, wound up playing just seven games in his third NBA season, averaging 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per night.

Exum, 30, who re-signed with the team in August after battling injuries last season, wasn’t able to play at all due to complications related to an offseason procedure on his right knee. He underwent follow-up surgery earlier this month.

Dallas would have until March 10 to use either DPE to acquire a player for the rest of the season. A roster spot would have to be created, and the team can’t fit a new signing under its hard cap until January 6.

Injury Notes: Knueppel, Adebayo, Bailey, Blazers

December 28th, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Eli Cohen

Hornets standout rookie Kon Knueppel left Friday night’s game against the Magic early due to a right ankle sprain, but he appears to have avoided a serious injury, writes Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer.

“Kon, he’s an insane competitor — he wants to come back for practice,” coach Charles Lee said on Sunday. “But I do think that he’s made good progress so far. He’s been able to do a little bit on the court, but we will continue to see how he responds every day. As of now, it’s a right ankle sprain, and we’ll kind of work day-to-day to see how he responds to treatment.”

Knueppel has been a key part of the Hornets’ rotation this season, averaging 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on .478/.428/.897 shooting splits while starting 30 of the 31 games he’s played.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

Dealing with nagging injuries, including lower back soreness, Bam Adebayo needed to take some time to let his body rest before returning to action for the Heat, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “He really needed this time,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He was dealing with some deals because of overcompensation. I think he’s feeling a lot better each day.” Adebayo is considered probable for Monday’s game against the Nuggets after missing the club’s previous two contests.
Rookie forward Ace Bailey missed Saturday’s Jazz win against the Spurs after leaving Utah’s previous contest against the Pistons early due to a left hip strain, as reported by ESPN. Jazz forward Kevin Love also sat out against San Antonio due to rest, per Andy Larson of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
The Trail Blazers have been particularly hit by injuries this season, and it’s hurting their play-in chances, Sean Highkin writes for the Rose Garden Report (subscriber link). Jrue Holiday has missed nearly six weeks with a right calf strain that was initially expected to sideline him for a week or two. Jerami Grant and Matisse Thybulle have both also missed time, and Scoot Henderson still has yet to play a game this season. “It’s the injuries, my friend,” head coach Tiago Splitter said on Friday when asked what’s holding his team back.

Knicks Notes: McCullar, Kolek, Towns, Schedule

December 28th, 2025 at 9:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Kevin McCullar Jr. was the surprise of the night in the Knicks‘ victory over the Hawks on Saturday, writes Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News.

After having played just six total minutes across three appearances coming into Saturday’s game, McCullar finished the matchup against the Hawks with 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals on 3-of-6 shooting from three in over 23 minutes of action. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes that Trae Young went scoreless when defended by the second-year guard.

“[McCullar] was scheduled on my little minutes sheet to come in at the eight-minute mark of the first quarter. I was going to throw him on Trae just to see what happens,” coach Mike Brown said. “Kev’s a young, really good defender, has a great feel on both ends of the floor, but especially that end of the floor. I wanted to give him a chance. I threw him out there a few minutes and he was fantastic. So, he just earned more minutes. I didn’t have him down for that many minutes, but he definitely earned those minutes as the game went along.”

McCullar noted that the young players on the team were given a warning by Josh Hart that they needed to be ready in case of injury. On Saturday, he delivered.

“Just staying ready until my number’s called, and happy we got the W,” McCullar said.

We have more from around the Knicks:

Tyler Kolek has gotten an opportunity this month in part due to an injury to Miles McBride, and he has taken that chance and run with it, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “[Assistant coach Rick Brunson] came over to me and was like, ‘Get ready,'” Kolek said. “And I’m like, ‘Are you talking to me?’ Cause I didn’t play for two weeks.” Brown has tasked Kolek with studying Pacers guard T.J. McConnell as an example of how to succeed without a ton of athleticism or exceptional outside shooting ability. “I said to Tyler, ‘If there’s anybody in this league you need to take a look at, it’s him,” Brown said. “Because you have a superpower offensively — you can score. You have a second superpower — you can pass. You have some quickness, too. You have a good feel. But defensively, you got to develop a superpower for your size. And you got good feet. Now it’s about using those and being physically tough every single possession.'” There have been ups and downs to Kolek’s first real stint in the Knicks’ rotation, but he has shown during big moments why the coaches trust him to be out there.
Karl-Anthony Towns knows that he might have to change his game a bit to stop piling up offensive fouls, Bondy writes. Towns leads the league in charges by a large margin and has taken himself out of the Knicks’ game plan several times as a result of early fouls. “I’m going to keep doing my thing. Maybe I’ll have to change my game up a little bit, if that’s what they’re trying to tell me I need to do,” Towns said. “[The refs] didn’t tell anyone else that, but they’re telling me that. Maybe I have to do that.“
The Knicks’ schedule is about to get more difficult, Winfield writes. That includes a stretch of eight of 11 games on the road to kick off the new year. The team currently holds a 5-7 road record and will need to win while dealing with injuries to key rotation players like McBride, Hart, and Landry Shamet,

NBA Suspends Jose Alvarado, Mark Williams

December 28th, 2025 at 8:10pm CST by Eli Cohen

The NBA announced today that Jose Alvarado has been suspended for two games without pay for his role in Saturday night’s fight during the Pelicans‘ game against the Suns (Twitter link). Suns center Mark Williams has been suspended for one game.

Both players were ejected during the third quarter of the game after a hard foul from the Pelicans guard led to Williams shoving Alvarado, leading to an altercation between the two players.

ESPN Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter) that the suspensions will cost Alvarado approximately $62K and Williams approximately $36K. Alvarado will lose 2/145ths of his $4.5MM salary as a result of his multi-game suspension, while Williams forfeits just 1/174th of his $6.3MM salary for the one-game ban.

The Suns ultimately won Saturday’s game by a score of 123-114 behind 20 points from Devin Booker.

Alvarado will miss games on Monday against the Knicks and Wednesday against the Bulls, while Williams will miss the Suns’ Monday night contest against the Wizards.

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.”

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