Dallas Mavericks Rumors

Stein’s Latest: Davis, Mavs, VanVleet, Lakers

January 4th, 2026 at 5:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Hawks and Mavericks are in something of a holding pattern when it comes to a potential Anthony Davis trade, Marc Stein reports for The Stein Line (subscriber link).

Given Atlanta’s tendency to avoid the luxury tax, Stein writes that it’s unlikely that the team will add Davis’ contract, which will pay him $58.5MM next season and $62.8MM in the 2027/28 season, without moving Trae Young, who has a $48.9MM player option for next season.

Stein adds that, despite previous reports that the Hawks would be willing to move former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher in the right deal, his sources indicate that an in-season trade for Davis would not likely be considered one such deal.

Rich Paul, who represents Davis, is also a player in these conversations. Stein notes that Paul has a strong, plugged-in relationship with many of the top decision-makers in the Mavericks organization and that there are indications that he views Atlanta as a good landing spot for his client, though such a deal could have to wait until the offseason.

We have more from Stein’s most recent newsletter:

Regardless of what happens with Davis, it’s clear that the Mavs are taking a hard look at their roster. Stein writes that there’s a belief that everyone on the team outside of Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving is considered potentially on the table. The Mavs are currently 13-23 on the season and have lost six of their last eight games.
When Fred VanVleet tore his ACL during an unofficial Rockets preseason mini-camp, it was expected that he would miss the rest of the 2025/26 season. However, Stein reports that Houston isn’t ruling out a return for the 31-year-old point guard. VanVleet is apparently attacking his rehab process hard with the intention of giving himself the chance of returning to play before the season is over.
The Lakers‘ desire to add a two-way wing such as Herbert Jones or Trey Murphy III is well-documented, but their pathway to adding that player is complicated for multiple reasons. The first is that the two Pelicans’ wings are considered unlikely to be moved before the trade deadline, and the second is that the Lakers are not expected to sacrifice financial flexibility in any deal that doesn’t bring in a player they consider a real needle-mover, Stein writes. With two-way wings being some of the most coveted players around the league, there’s a question of how likely it is that someone who fits the bill will suddenly become available.

G Leaguers Making Cases For NBA Promotions

January 4th, 2026 at 11:57am CST by Rory Maher

Over the past 10 days, several players have earned promotions to either standard or two-way contracts. Several more transactions will be coming this week, as January 5 marks the first day clubs can sign players to standard 10-day contracts and Jan. 7 is the final day in which players who have non-guaranteed salaries (including two-ways) can be waived before their deals become guaranteed.

With that in mind, Keith Smith of Spotrac recently listed 23 players — seven ball-handlers, 10 wings and six bigs — who have been playing well in the G League and are candidates to receive NBA promotions either in the coming days or later in the season. One player from Smith’s list — Tristen Newton — just signed a two-way deal with Houston.

Smith compiled the list based on his own film reviews and spoke to NBA executives, scouts and player agents to solicit their input as well.

Most of the G Leaguers Smith cites have previous NBA experience. That group includes Kobe Bufkin, Killian Hayes, Dalano Banton, Kevin Knox II, Jalen Slawson, Charles Bassey, Moses Brown, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, among others. Bufkin, Bassey and Robinson-Earl actually spent time with NBA teams in 2025/26.

Smith singles out Slawson of the Noblesville Boom as the “best all-around player” to this point in the NBAGL season. A 6’7″ forward who was selected 54th overall in the 2023 draft, Slawson has been filling up the stat sheet for the Pacers‘ affiliate, averaging 21.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.0 blocks in 10 games (34.2 minutes per contest).

There are also a handful players on Smith’s list who have not yet received their first NBA call-ups, including Darius Brown II (Cleveland Charge), Teddy Allen (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) and Matthew Cleveland (Texas Legends). According to Smith, Cleveland has been one of the top rookies at the G League level — the undrafted wing out of Miami is suiting up for the Mavericks‘ affiliate.

Mavericks Notes: Flagg, Davis, Christie, Washington

January 4th, 2026 at 9:09am CST by Rory Maher

Although he had an excellent December in being named the NBA’s Western Conference Rookie of the Month for the second straight time, Cooper Flagg‘s energy and production have noticeably dipped over the past few games as the Mavericks forward adjusts to the rigors of an 82-game season, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.

“He’s playing a lot of minutes,” head coach Jason Kidd said before Saturday’s game. “So to touch this rookie wall that I think he’s touching right now, and to be able to play through it is a positive.”

As Townsend observes, 2025’s No. 1 overall pick has already eclipsed the total minutes he played last season at Duke and ranks seventh in the league in minutes played.

Flagg got in early foul trouble Saturday, Townsend notes, and has been struggling with his shot over the past three games, converting just 29.8% of his 15.7 field goal attempts and averaging 12.3 points. But he’s still contributing in other ways, with 7.0 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game over that stretch.

Here’s more from Dallas:

The Mavericks snapped a four-game losing streak Saturday behind strong performances from former Lakers Anthony Davis and Max Christie, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Star big man Davis finished with 26 points (on 9-of-15 shooting), 12 rebounds, three assists and five blocks in 39 minutes. It was his 36th career game with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks, tying Tim Duncan for the seventh-most games with that stat line in league history, Afseth adds.
As for Christie, the 22-year-old has been playing his best basketball of the season over the past three games, averaging 22.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 3.0 APG on .657/.550/1.000 shooting. The 6’5″ shooting guard finished Saturday’s game with 24 points (on 10-of-13 shooting) and seven rebounds and also recorded three dunks, which he joked about afterward, according to Afseth. “Three might be the most of my career,” Christie said, laughing. “It felt good to be athletic out there, to be able to attack the rim and get a couple of dunks.”
P.J. Washington was limited to just 12 minutes Saturday after spraining his right ankle, tweets Townsend. The Mavs ruled the veteran forward out for the remainder of the game due to the injury.

Jalen Brunson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Win Player Of The Month Awards

January 2nd, 2026 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of star point guards and MVP candidates have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for December, with Jalen Brunson of the Knicks winning the award in the East and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder claiming it in the West, per the league (Twitter link).

Brunson was named Player of the Week twice in December and led the Knicks to an NBA Cup championship. He averaged 30.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per contest in 13 December outings, posting a strong shooting line of .475/.405/.826 and leading his team to a 10-3 record in the games he played.

Those stats don’t include the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season, but he was excellent in that game too, racking up 25 points and eight assists as the Knicks toppled the Spurs.

Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, continued to strengthen his case for a second consecutive Most Valuable Player award in 12 December appearances, with averages of 31.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, and a scorching-hot .594/.436/.882 shooting line.

Gilgeous-Alexander now ranks second in the NBA in scoring (32.1 PPG), while his Thunder – following a 9-4 December – hold the league’s best record at 29-5.

It’s the third time Brunson has won a Player of the Month award and the fifth time Gilgeous-Alexander has earned the honor. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were the NBA’s first Players of the Month this season, for games played in October and November.

Cunningham was also nominated for the Eastern Conference award in December, along with Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, Hawks forward, Jalen Johnson, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., and Brunson’s teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

The other Western Conference nominees were Jokic, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, Jazz guard Keyonte George, Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Trail Blazers teammates Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe, Timberwolves teammates Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, and Lakers teammates Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.

Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Named December’s Rookies Of The Month

January 2nd, 2026 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

For a second consecutive month, former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter link).

Flagg, this year’s No. 1 overall pick, averaged 23.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.0 steal in 35.5 minutes per game in 13 outings this past month for the Mavericks, making 51.6% of his shots from the floor and 80.8% from the free throw line.

While Dallas still hasn’t looked like a playoff team – the Mavs went 6-7 in December – Flagg is showing why he was the consensus top prospect in the 2025 draft class and is considered one of the best rookies to enter the NBA in the past decade. He’s the NBA’s youngest player, having turned 19 on December 21.

Although Flagg has taken over as the betting favorite in the Rookie of the Year race, that’s through no fault of Knueppel, who showed no signs of slowing down after his hot start to the season. In 12 games in December, the Hornets sharpshooter averaged 20.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 4.2 APG, with an outstanding .500/.462/.903 shooting line.

Only Donovan Mitchell and Stephen Curry have made more three-pointers so far this season than Knueppel, who knocked down 4.0 per game in December and now has 117 on the season.

Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward, Spurs guard Dylan Harper, Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard, Pelicans big man Derik Queen, and Kings center Maxime Raynaud were also nominated for the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award, while Nets guard Egor Demin, Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe, and Wizards guard Tre Johnson were nominated in the East (Twitter link).

Southwest Notes: Eason, Williamson, Koloko, Klay

January 2nd, 2026 at 8:09am CST by Luke Adams

Fourth-year forward Tari Eason has started five games for the Rockets so far this season, including each of the past four. Houston has won all five of those contests, and William Guillory of The Athletic believes the team is reaping the benefits of Eason’s unpredictable, versatile playing style.

“He’s very unique and he impacts the game even if you don’t call plays for him all the time,” head coach Ime Udoka said. “We’re starting to add him to more things, whether he’s a (ball-)handler or a screener. He’s going crash the glass at a high level, like a lot of our guys. He’s shooting the ball extremely well, so the spacing is going to be good with him.”

As Guillory observes, the Rockets have experimented with different starters alongside Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr. — Josh Okogie hasn’t always given the team enough shooting in that role, while two-big units featuring Steven Adams can be vulnerable against opponents featuring multiple play-making ball-handlers.

While lineups featuring Okogie (+9.7 net rating) or Reed Sheppard (+7.9) alongside those “core four” starters have performed better than the one with Adams (-4.3), their effectiveness pales in comparison to the remarkable +47.4 net rating that the group with Eason has put up in 51 minutes of action. The sample size is small, but Houston figures to continue deploying that starting five for now.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

After coming off the bench in his first seven games back from an adductor strain, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has returned to the starting lineup for the past two contests and registered his first two 30-point games of the season. However, it has been of little help to the Pelicans, who have now lost five games in a row and have the NBA’s second-worst record at 8-27. “Just overall, a lack of pride in physicality on (the defensive) end of the floor,” head coach James Borrego said after his team gave up 134 points to a shorthanded Bulls team on Wednesday, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com.
Christian Koloko‘s 10-day contract with the Grizzlies expired on Thursday after he averaged 18.6 minutes per game in five appearances, including one start, as a hardship addition. It’s unclear whether or not Memphis still qualifies for a hardship exception, which depends in part on when their injured players are projected to return. If the Grizzlies can’t re-sign Koloko to another hardship deal, he could get another 10-day contract as soon as Monday, when the standard 10-day window opens for the 2025/26 season, but that would require the team to open up a spot on its 15-man roster.
After coming off the bench just 41 times in his 12 previous NBA seasons – primarily as a rookie – Mavericks wing Klay Thompson has had to adjust to a sixth-man role this year. Head coach Jason Kidd recently praised the 35-year-old for the way he has handled the change, per Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “For Klay, coming off the bench he’s been great,” Kidd said. “He’s playing his role at a very high level for us. Being able to anchor that second group, being able to get shots for him and then just his voice, not just on the bench or in the locker room, but also on the floor. For our young players, he’s been great.” Thompson has averaged 11.9 PPG and made 37.1% of his three-pointers in 24 games as a reserve this season, as opposed to 8.8 PPG and 27.5% in eight starts.

Injury Notes: Davis, Duren, Rockets, Warriors, Jazz

January 1st, 2026 at 9:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Mavericks big man Anthony Davis returned to action on Thursday vs. Philadelphia following a two-game absence due to a groin strain. Head coach Jason Kidd said the 10-time All-Star would immediately resume his normal workload, relays Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.

“We always want him to play, so we’re happy to have him back,” Kidd said. “We’ll see — 30 to 34 minutes. We want to get him some touches. Offensively and defensively, we need him to be AD.”

Davis has been one of the biggest names in trade rumors for several weeks.

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

Pistons center Jalen Duren suffered a right ankle sprain late in the second quarter of Thursday’s loss to Miami. While he was on the court to open the second half, he was moving gingerly and quickly asked for a sub before being formally ruled out for the remainder of the contest (Twitter link via the team). Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff indicated that Duren would likely undergo additional testing, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.
The Rockets got Alperen Sengun back from a left soleus (calf) strain on Thursday, but were missing backup centers Steven Adams (right ankle sprain) and Clint Capela (illness) in the victory at Brooklyn, notes Will Guillory of The Athletic (via Twitter). Sengun missed two games with the injury, though head coach Ime Udoka said it wasn’t serious.
The Warriors are resting Draymond Green for Friday’s matchup vs. Oklahoma City, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s the front end of a back-to-back for Golden State, which faces Utah on Saturday. Guards Stephen Curry (left ankle sprain) and De’Anthony Melton (left knee injury management) are questionable for Friday’s game against the Thunder, while centers Al Horford (right sciatic nerve irritation) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (right pattellar tendonitis) are probable to suit up against the defending champions.
The Jazz only have nine players active for Thursday’s contest at the Clippers. Among the noteworthy players out are Lauri Markkanen (left knee contusion), Keyonte George (illness), Jusuf Nurkic (left big toe sprain) and Ace Bailey (left hip flexor strain), per the league’s official injury report.

Amick’s Latest: AD, Kuminga, Warriors, Hawks, Trae, Bucks, MPJ, Clippers

December 31st, 2025 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

Although team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that the Warriors haven’t fully closed the door on the possibility of pursuing a trade for Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, Amick also hears from club sources that Golden State is “staunchly” opposed to the idea of trading Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green.

The Mavericks do have some interest in Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, a league source tells Amick. But given that Golden State is operating right up against the second tax apron and Davis is earning $54MM+ this season, it would be nearly impossible to trade for the Warriors to acquire AD without an outgoing salary bigger than Kuminga’s $22.5MM.

Amick adds that it was the Mavericks, not the Warriors, who instigated discussions about the possibility of the two teams making a Davis trade, so it’s not as if Golden State was actively looking for a way to make it work.

Focusing on a handful of teams who look like they need to make a trade, Amick shares several more items of interest in his latest story for The Athletic. Here are more highlights:

Following up on rumors linking Davis to the Hawks, Amick says sources in Atlanta have “pushed back hard” on the idea that the team would be willing to send 2024’s first overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, to the Mavericks in a deal for the veteran big man. Dallas is known to be seeking young prospects and expiring contracts in return for Davis, but Hawks officials remain bullish on Risacher’s long-term potential based on his second-half performance in 2024/25, Amick explains.
The Hawks appear more open than ever to talking to teams about a potential Trae Young trade, but the veteran guard’s market seems to be limited, according to Amick, who suggests that Atlanta might need to wait until the summer to resolve Young’s situation. “Trae is an extremely difficult player to win at the highest level with,” one rival scout said, explaining why a market for the four-time All-Star hasn’t materialized.
League sources who spoke to Amick added Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. to the growing list of potential trade targets on the Bucks‘ radar. Jerami Grant, Zach LaVine, and Malik Monk are among the other players who have been cited as possible options for Milwaukee.
Despite a very slow start to the season, the Clippers have no plans to sell off veterans and would actually prefer to add an impact player to complement James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, league sources tell Amick. L.A. has been surging as of late, with five consecutive wins, and there have been no signs that Harden is seeking a change of scenery, Amick notes, adding that the Clippers still hope to maintain cap flexibility for the summer of 2027 and will be hesitant to take on any contracts that run beyond that.

NBA Dates, Deadlines To Watch In January

December 31st, 2025 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

At the start of the 2025/26 campaign, we looked ahead and identified several dates and deadlines to watch on the NBA calendar this season. While that list covered the general highlights, it’s worth taking a closer look at some of those key dates to keep an eye out for in January, which should be a busy month.

Non-guaranteed contracts become guaranteed

January 10 is the date that all non-guaranteed NBA contracts for 2025/26 will officially become guaranteed, but January 7 is really the day to watch.

If a team wants to avoid having a salary become guaranteed, the player must clear waivers before January 10, which means he needs to be cut by January 7 — at the latest.

There are currently 32 players around the NBA who are on non-guaranteed deals. Many of those players without fully guaranteed salaries aren’t in danger of being waived by next Wednesday, but some teams will take the opportunity to save a little money and open up a roster spot.

Players on two-way deals (which are non-guaranteed) are subject to that January 7 waiver deadline as well, and will have their salaries become fully guaranteed if they’re still under contract as of January 8.

Prior to the 2023/24 season, the annual salary guarantee date for players on two-way contracts was January 20, but that changed in the NBA’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts

As of January 5, clubs will be able to sign players to standard 10-day contracts, which count against team salary for cap and tax purposes and require an opening on the 15-man roster to complete.

Prior to Jan. 5, teams were able to sign players to 10-day contracts only if they qualified for a hardship exception. Two banged-up teams – Indiana and Memphis – have taken advantage of hardship exceptions so far this season, with the Pacers signing five players to a total of seven hardship 10-day deals, while the Grizzlies signed three players to one apiece.

Rebuilding teams generally use 10-day contracts to audition G League standouts or other prospects to see if they might be worth investing in beyond this season. Contending clubs are more inclined to use 10-day contracts to bring in veterans who can step in right away to address a need or provide depth at a position hit hard by injuries.

Currently, 13 teams have an open spot on their 15-man rosters, making them candidates to sign a player to a 10-day deal. That number will likely increase after next week’s salary guarantee deadline.

More players become trade-eligible

A significant portion of the NBA’s offseason signees became eligible to be traded on December 15, but there are still many players who can’t be dealt. By the end of January, that list of players ineligible to be traded will shrink further, since there are 20 players currently on track to have those restrictions lift between now and January 31.

January 15 is the key date, with 11 players becoming trade-eligible as of that Thursday. That 11-player group includes some standouts who almost certainly aren’t going anywhere, such as Bulls guard Josh Giddey.

However, a handful of players on the list figure to be involved in trade rumors in 2026. Some – including, most notably, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga – have already been the subjects of speculation.

Nine other offseason signees have unique trade-eligible dates in January, since they either signed as a free agent in October or inked a veteran extension in July.

That list features names both big (like Devin Booker) and small (such as Keaton Wallace). Of the nine players in that group, Pelicans forward Herbert Jones is perhaps the most intriguing in-season trade candidate, though New Orleans has reportedly set a very high asking price for the defensive ace.

Last day to apply for a disabled player exception

January 15 is the last day that teams can apply for a disabled player exception to replace an injured player who is deemed unlikely to return this season. If a player suffers a season-ending injury on January 16, his team would be ineligible to apply for a DPE.

A disabled player exception gives a club some extra cap flexibility, but not an extra roster spot, so they often go unused. So far this season, the Bulls, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, and Thunder have reportedly been granted a DPE, while the Bucks and Mavericks have applied for them.

Several teams can fit free agents under their hard caps

As we outlined last month, there are a number teams around the NBA who are currently operating so close to first- or second-apron hard caps that they can’t presently sign a free agent to a minimum-salary contract. That will change for many of those teams at some point in the coming weeks, when the cap hit for a prorated veteran’s minimum deal will get low enough to fit below those clubs’ respective hard caps.

Here are the dates on which the teams right up against hard caps can legally sign a free agent:

January 6: Dallas Mavericks
January 7: Los Angeles Clippers
January 8: Houston Rockets
January 9: Orlando Magic
January 18: Los Angeles Lakers

Those clubs are unlikely to sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract as soon as they’re eligible to do so, since taking that route would leave them would essentially no cap flexibility for the rest of the season unless they make a separate cost-cutting move.

Two more teams right up against hard caps, the Warriors and Knicks, will have to wait until much later in the season to squeeze a free agent addition onto their rosters. That will happen on March 24 for Golden State and on April 2 for New York, though those dates would be subject to change if either team reduces its salary in a trade.

It’s also worth noting that January 26 is the first day that the Thunder can sign a free agent to a prorated minimum-salary deal without surpassing the luxury tax line.

And-Ones: Simmons, NCAA, Rookies, Tanking, 2026 Draft

December 30th, 2025 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

After recently confirming to Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he continues to work toward a potential NBA comeback, former No. 1 overall pick and three-time All-Star Ben Simmons spoke to Sam Jane of The Athletic about why he has been in no rush to sign a new contract. As Simmons explains, recurring back issues have resulted in him playing – and living – through pain for several years.

“(It’s) one of those things where you’re dealing with it every day, sitting down, going to sleep, flying on planes,” Simmons said. “People don’t understand that.”

According to Simmons, he determined it would be in his best interest to take a more extended rehab period after the 2024/25 season rather than immediately signing a new contract and once again reporting to a team’s camp at less than 100%. His goal as he works out in Los Angeles, he tells Jane, is to become “bulletproof” to avoid more health-related setbacks.

“I’m about to be 30 years old, and I need to make the best decision for Ben Simmons,” Simmons said. “It’s not fun going out there, not being able to move, not be able to jump, or, you know, take hits. There’s no fun in that. Sometimes you got to make a decision with how you feel and what’s best for yourself. And that’s what I’ve done, and it’s not for everybody to really understand, because they’re not in my shoes.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Amid reports that college basketball coaches are reaching out to players with NBA experience, Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 (Twitter links) hears from a source that the NCAA has yet to grant eligibility to anyone who has played in NBA games. Asked if that could happen, an NCAA spokesperson provided the following statement: “Schools are recruiting and seeking eligibility for more individuals with more international, semi-pro, and professional experience than ever before and while the NCAA members have updated many rules following the House injunction, more rules must likely be updated to reflect the choices member schools are making. At the same time, NCAA eligibility rules have been invalidated by judges across the country wreaking havoc on the system and leading to fewer opportunities for high school students, which is why the Association is asking Congress to intervene in these challenges.”
A little over two months into the NBA season, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has updated his rookie rankings, evaluating first-year players based on how they’ve performed so far in 2025/26. The top four players on Vecenie’s list are the same ones selected with the first four picks in the 2025 draft: Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Hornets wing Kon Knueppel, Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe, and Spurs guard Dylan Harper. Pelicans big man Derik Queen rounds out Vecenie’s top five.
With the NBA reportedly considering rule changes to further disincentivize tanking, Tony Jones, Eric Koreen, and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic evaluate the rumored proposals, expressing the most enthusiasm for one that would prevent teams from drafting in the top four in back-to-back years.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report spoke to three scouts about who should be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, with each of those three scouts laying out the case for selecting a different prospect: Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, and Duke forward Cameron Boozer.