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And-Ones: Cousins, All-Star Voting, 2025 Draft, More

January 10th, 2025 at 7:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins hasn’t played in the league since finishing the 2021/22 season with Denver, but he continues to compete professionally in non-NBA leagues around the world. The 34-year-old center is joining Selenge Bodons in Mongolia, according to announcements from the club on Instagram and Cousins on Facebook.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Cousins averaged 19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game in 654 regular season appearances for seven NBA teams from 2010-22. Cousins’ career was derailed by a series of major leg injuries, including a torn ACL and torn Achilles, which reduced his effectiveness on both ends of the court in his later NBA seasons.

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

The NBA provided an update on All-Star fan voting on Thursday, announcing (via Twitter) that Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic continue to be the leading vote-getters. The only change among the top three frontcourt players and two guards in each conference since last Thursday is that Warriors star Stephen Curry has nudged ahead of Luka Doncic as the No. 2 guard in the West.
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link) and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic have updates their NBA mock drafts for 2025. Vecenie suggests that after top two prospects Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, there are plenty of question marks, which is reflected in the significant differences between the two mocks. For example, Georgia’s Asa Newell comes in at No. 6 in Vecenie’s mock but at No. 22 in ESPN’s. Converseley, French point guard Nolan Traore, the No. 6 player for ESPN, nearly falls out of the lottery in Vecenie’s mock at No. 13.
In a pair of stories for The Athletic, John Hollinger identifies several underrated draft prospects to watch, including including Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams and Auburn’s Johni Broome, and discusses 10 less heralded trade candidates, such as Rockets forward Jeff Green, Celtics guard Jaden Springer, and Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard.

Injury Notes: Vanderbilt, Warriors, Agbaji, Richardson

January 10th, 2025 at 3:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt hasn’t played an NBA game in more than 11 months, with his last appearance coming in Boston on February 1, 2024. However, he continues to inch closer to making his season debut, having been assigned to the South Bay Lakers for a practice this morning and subsequently being recalled to practice with the NBA club (Twitter links via Dave McMenamin of ESPN).

Vanderbilt, who made just 29 appearances in 2023/24 due to a heel injury, underwent surgeries on both of his feet during the offseason, then experienced a setback (fluid build-up in his left knee) in early December. He’s expected to suit up at some point in January, though he’ll be on a minutes restriction when he’s available.

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

The Warriors will be shorthanded again on Friday at Indiana. Stephen Curry (knee management) and Draymond Green (back) have both been ruled out for the second end of a back-to-back, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Andrew Wiggins (personal reasons), Jonathan Kuminga (ankle sprain), Brandin Podziemski (right abdominal) and Gary Payton II (left calf strain) will also be sidelined. On a brighter note, fourth-year wing Moses Moody is probable Friday after missing Thursday’s game due to patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, per the league’s official injury report. Center Trayce Jackson-Davis is questionable due to a left eye contusion.
Raptors wing Ochai Agbaji missed his first game of the season on Thursday in Cleveland due to a left hip pointer. He’s also doubtful to suit up for Saturday’s matchup in Detroit, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). A former lottery pick, Agbaji will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.
Heat guard/forward Josh Richardson was technically active for Thursday’s win in Utah, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link), though the impending free agent didn’t receive any playing time. Richardson has been plagued by a heel injury for much of the 2024/25 season, only making eight appearances to this point and last playing on November 18.

Warriors Notes: Santos, Curry, Kuminga, Wiggins

January 10th, 2025 at 8:40am CST by Rory Maher

Second-year forward Gui Santos hasn’t played much this season for the Warriors, averaging just 5.2 minutes per game across 12 garbage time appearances entering Thursday’s matchup vs. Detroit. But with several of his teammates injured, he received real rotation minutes for the first time in 2024/25 and took full advantage of the opportunity, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

The former second-round pick tied his career-high with 13 points, converting four of his six looks from three-point range. He also contributed five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in a career-high 26 minutes.

As Slater details, while Santos’ stat line was solid, it was all the little things he did to help his team that really stood out. Stephen Curry went just 5-of-21 from the field, but Golden State pulled out a three-point victory over the red-hot Pistons, who had won eight of their last nine games entering Thursday.

“This game is about so much more than whether you make a shot or miss a shot,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s defense, it’s rebounding, it’s hustle, sprinting. Everything you saw Gui do tonight, that’s what wins games.”

According to Slater, Santos will likely play again in Friday’s back-to-back at Indiana.

“We talked before the game about, ‘How many battles can you win?’” Kerr said. “Little battles in the game. He won a million battles tonight. That’s what wins games. He’s been waiting all year, and he finally got his chance, and he delivered.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Curry sprained his right thumb four games ago and was visibly bothered by the injury at times on Thursday, per Slater (Twitter video link). Curry has been wearing a wrap on the thumb, which he said was “whacked” again vs. Detroit. The two-time MVP has been resting on one end of back-to-backs, and he wasn’t sure if he’d suit up against Indiana on Friday. “I’m doing everything in my power to play back-to-backs eventually,” Curry said (Twitter link via Slater). “Whether that’s tomorrow or the next one, I don’t know.”
Although Jonathan Kuminga is no longer on crutches, he’s still wearing a walking boot in the early stages of his recovery from a significant right ankle sprain, Slater adds in his story for The Athletic. The fourth-year forward is set to be reevaluated on January 26.
Andrew Wiggins missed Thursday’s game due to personal reasons, but he isn’t expected to be away from the team for very long, according to Slater. The former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 16.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.8 BPG on .454/.394/.794 shooting in 32 games this season (29.0 MPG).

Heat Rumors: Butler, Suns, Suspension, 2026, Love

January 9th, 2025 at 4:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Star forward Jimmy Butler has tried to apply pressure on the Heat to trade him sooner rather than later, but team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that Miami won’t be rushed into making a deal it doesn’t like.

According to Amick, Heat officials told players after Butler received a seven-game suspension that the “most likely next step” would be Butler rejoining the team after its lengthy road trip. The Heat viewed Butler’s behavior as “increasingly problematic,” hence the suspension, and wanted to give the two sides a break and deal with it when the club returns home next week.

Butler’s tactics have somewhat overshadowed how impactful he can be when he’s fully engaged on the court, Amick writes, and may have given potential suitors pause. While things can change quickly in the NBA, Butler’s situation may not be resolved until closer to the deadline — assuming he’s traded at all.

A “best-case scenario” for the Heat would be a team becoming desperate to turn its season around and rethinking its stance on Butler, with Amick pointing to the Warriors as one example. Miami won handily at Golden State on Tuesday sans Butler.

As Amick details, it’s clear to people around the league that Butler’s preferred landing spot is Phoenix, and the Suns have reportedly been the most aggressive team in pursuit of the 35-year-old. But Bradley Beal‘s maximum-salary contract and no-trade clause continue to hold up a possible deal.

Here are a few more rumors and notes from Miami:

The Heat continue to actively discuss Butler trades, but they haven’t received any enticing offers yet, and unless that changes in the next week, the plan is for Butler to rejoin the team for next Friday’s contest vs. Denver, league sources tell Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Butler continues to work out with team staffers in Miami.
In an interview with Dan Le Batard that was filmed weeks ago, prior to all of the Butler drama, Heat president Pat Riley said that while his approach differs from modern players, he still respects them (Twitter video link). However, he drew a distinction when it comes to honoring a contract and being a detriment to a team. “So as players, they have to render unto the Heat really what is theirs too,” Riley said as part of a larger quote (hat tip to Jackson and Chiang). “And while they go out there and they do these other things, you can’t shortcut it with us. So, I’ve actually explained this to players is that while you’re under contract to us, you do owe us something. Your Collective Bargaining Agreement contract says that, so don’t ever take that lightly. We have a very cooperative group of people. But yes, I feel like I owe and I have to render unto Micky [Arison] as my boss. I don’t do it in any other way other than with respect and I feel the same way about the players.”
The Heat could position themselves to have maximum-salary cap room in the 2026 offseason, depending on what happens with Butler. While maximizing cap flexibility is a priority, the team is also open to adding a player on a multiyear contract in a Butler deal as long as that player is a “genuine difference-maker,” a source tells Jackson.
Veteran forward/center Kevin Love will miss Thursday’s game in Utah due to personal reasons, the Heat announced. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out.

Warriors Notes: Losing Skid, Trade Possibilities, Curry, Green

January 8th, 2025 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors were hoping to snap out of their long slump Tuesday night against another team in turmoil, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Instead they lost by 16 points at home to a Miami squad playing without the suspended Jimmy Butler and are left with questions about how to stop a downturn that began before Thanksgiving.

“When shots are falling, everything’s nice, everything’s great,” Trayce Jackson-Davis said. “We can’t be front-runners; we got to dig in, we got to find our soul. That’s what Draymond (Green) kind of said. It was our soul that we’ve lost. We’ve lost our spirit, and we got to get that back and we got to play tough basketball. We got to play with confidence, stick shots and play hard on the defensive end of the floor, and I think if we do that, we’ll find our way back.”

The Warriors were doing those things early in the season when they got off to a 12-3 start and looked like one of the best teams in the Western Conference. They’re just 6-15 since then amid injuries, rotation changes and a mid-December trade for Dennis Schröder that failed to spark a turnaround.

At 18-18, Golden State is barely holding on to the final play-in spot and is about to head to Detroit, Indiana, Toronto and Minnesota on a tough four-game road trip. Coach Steve Kerr said the team is facing a “crisis of confidence” and needs to play with more energy than it did on Tuesday.

“We feel deflated right now,” he said. “And there’s no room for feeling sorry for ourselves in the NBA, in life in general. We can’t let disappointment dictate our approach to the game. We have to do the opposite. We have to bring more fire. We have to out-compete our opponents when things aren’t going our way. And that was what was most disappointing tonight, was I just felt like everybody was down and we didn’t have a competitive spirit. And if you don’t have that, you’ve got nothing.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Kerr mentioned “personnel” as a reason why his team doesn’t get many easy baskets or shoot a lot of free throws, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. However, he declined to answer questions about whether there’s any urgency to shake up the roster before the trade deadline. “Those are questions for (general manager) Mike (Dunleavy),” Kerr told reporters. “I love our guys. I love coaching these guys. I believe in them. I’m going to keep doing that. Those are front office questions.” Kerr said over the weekend that he prefers to see the current roster stay together for at least a month or so.
The Warriors need to make a trade “in the worst way” and it may take three of them to fix the roster, contends Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. He adds that Kerr has already tried numerous lineup combinations, but the team doesn’t show the same fire it has become known for throughout his tenure on the bench and the organization is in danger of losing the culture it has created.
Golden State might be shorthanded as the road trip begins Thursday in Detroit, notes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Stephen Curry is listed as questionable for the first game of a back-to-back due to left knee inflammation. Also considered questionable are Green (left ankle sprain), Schröder (left hip contusion) and Moses Moody (left knee soreness).

Latest On Zion Williamson

January 8th, 2025 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have ruled out Zion Williamson for Wednesday’s game vs. Portland after he returned from a hamstring strain on Tuesday against Minnesota, playing for the first time in over two months.

The fact that Williamson won’t play in the second end of a back-to-back set on Wednesday shouldn’t be a cause for concern among Pelicans fans, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press, who says the forward told reporters he felt fine after Tuesday’s game but wasn’t sure if the club would give him the green light to play two nights in a row.

“I definitely feel like my legs are already under me,” the former No. 1 overall pick said.

As Rod Walker of NOLA.com observes, Williamson didn’t look like a player who had been out since early November. The 24-year-old had a number of explosive dunks in his return, including a highlight-reel 360 windmill slam, and was moving around well on the court. Head coach Willie Green stating after the game that he looked “as good as I’ve seen him after being out for as long as he’s been,” per Martel.

While the Pelicans lost the game and saw their conference-worst record fall to 7-30, Williamson’s return provided some “energy and hope” that had been missing in recent weeks as it became a lost season in New Orleans, Walker writes.

“I’m glad he played with that confidence and that joy,” teammate Dejounte Murray said. “Especially after that dunk. You could see the joy.”

We have more on Williamson:

As positive as Zion’s return was, the next step is even more crucial, according to William Guillory of The Athletic: making sure the two-time All-Star stays healthy. “It’s extremely important,” Green said. “Our medical team and performance, they’re working diligently, along with Zion and the whole staff, to do everything we can on our part to make sure he has all the resources to be healthy.”
Williamson has missed 30 games so far this season and will miss a 31st on Wednesday. Given that he’s extremely unlikely to be fully available for the rest of the season, he’ll almost certainly fall short of the 51-game threshold required to guarantee an additional 20% of his salary for 2025/26. At this point, a best-case scenario for Williamson would see him play in at least 41 games and meet his various weigh-in requirements — if he does that, he’ll ensure that 60% of his maximum salary for next season would be guaranteed entering the summer. The terms of his unusual contract can be found here.
Asked during Wednesday’s episode of Get Up (YouTube link) if Williamson could end up on the trade block this season, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said there’s “no sense” New Orleans plans to go that route. “I think the Pelicans would listen to a great offer, but there’s no reason to make a great offer. The guy can’t stay on the court,” Windhorst said. “Frankly, that’s what the Pelicans want: they want him on the court. … It’s all about keeping Zion healthy and building momentum for next year.”
Although there has been speculation that the Warriors, who are in the market for another star, could be an intriguing fit for Williamson if the Pelicans were willing to make him available via trade, Marc J. Spears of Andscape said during an appearance on KNBR 680’s Murph & Markus (YouTube link) that it’s not something Golden State is considering. “I also did hear that Zion’s not on the (Warriors’) radar,” Spears said, per Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Which, I know others might feel differently, but probably a good thing. Because with Zion, you just don’t know what you’re going to get and when he’s going to be healthy, and his (cap) number’s rather high as well. I just think the Warriors in the end will get someone in a very creative way. They actually have to.”

California Notes: Curry, Warriors, Kings, Vanderbilt

January 7th, 2025 at 10:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Warriors continue trying to thread the needle between building toward a future without aging All-Star guard Stephen Curry and looking to win while he’s still performing at a high level. Curry, who turns 37 in March, is aware that his time as an All-NBA talent could be fairly finite, notes Tim Keown of ESPN.

“I want to do this for as long as I can,” Curry said. “But the clock’s ticking. We all know that.”

Keown notes that Golden State’s success very much hinges on Curry being able to knock down jumpers. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is conserving Curry’s minutes with an eye towards keeping him healthy late into the year, even though he’s aware it could ironically cost the team a shot at the postseason.

At 18-17, the No. 8-seeded Warriors are currently just one game clear of the No. 11 Kings and two ahead of the No. 12 Suns.

“For me, it’s more like this: We want to put ourselves in position to give him a chance in the playoffs,” Kerr said. “We did that when we won the title in ’22; we caught lightning in a bottle and the matchups worked our way and Steph does what Steph does. We want to give him that chance again. We want that at-bat.”

There’s more out of California:

Steve Kerr said on Tuesday that injured Warriors guards Brandin Podziemski and Gary Payton II are traveling with Golden State on its current four-game road trip, with an eye towards returning to action at some point during the trip, reports Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Kings rallied on Monday from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit without All-Star De’Aaron Fox to pick up their fifth straight win, and are now 5-1 under interim head coach Doug Christie, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “I just kept telling them to believe,” Christie said. “You can do this. You’ve got to believe you can do it. You need to get stops. You need to fly around. You need to have each other’s back.”
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt continues to inch closer to making his 2024/25 season debut. Head coach JJ Redick has revealed that the 6’8″ vet played 5-on-5 against the team’s coaches in a workout, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). Redick added that Los Angeles wants Vanderbilt to participate in 5-of-5 scrimmages against players, either with the NBA team or the G League’s South Bay Lakers. Vanderbilt will be playing on a minutes restriction to start his season, according toMcMenamin (Twitter links), who adds that the Lakers will reassess Vanderbilt in a week.

Grizzlies Notes: Trade Options, GG Jackson, Morant, JJJ, More

January 7th, 2025 at 5:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Reporting on Monday suggested the Grizzlies were among the teams discussing the possibility of pursuing Jimmy Butler, but a Tuesday report stated that Memphis has been advised not to trade for the 35-year-old, who is allegedly uninterested in joining the Western Conference’s current No. 3 seed.

If that puts an end to the idea of the Grizzlies acquiring Butler, what are the most logical alternatives on the trade market for the front office? Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal weighs that question, suggesting three possible paths for the team.

Checking in on Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is one option the Grizzlies could consider, according to Cole, who says focusing on Nets forward Cameron Johnson might also make sense for a team that could use an upgrade on the wing.

Of course, standing pat and seeing how this version of the team performs down the stretch and in the postseason is another viable route, Cole writes, noting that it could benefit the Grizzlies to take a longer look at youngsters like GG Jackson and Vince Williams once they’re healthy.

Here’s more out of Memphis:

Speaking of Jackson, he appears to be nearing his season debut after recovering from offseason surgery on his right foot. The Grizzlies announced on Tuesday (via Twitter) that the second-year forward was assigned to the Memphis Hustle to participate in today’s practice.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant has been out of his sling for at least four days and is doing more on-court work as he moves closer to a return from his shoulder injury, Cole writes for The Commercial Appeal. “It is going to be on the shorter term than the longer term,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said on Monday. “He is making progress. I cannot pinpoint a game, but I don’t think that it will be much longer.”
In two more Commercial Appeal stories, Cole examines Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s growing case for All-Star consideration and details a memorable day for brothers Cam Spencer of the Grizzlies and Pat Spencer of the Warriors, who shared the same NBA court for the first time on Saturday in Golden State and even spent a few possessions guarding one another.
Grizzlies point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. recently spoke to Grant Afseth of RG.org about stepping into a starting role with Morant sidelined, why and how he’s succeeded in Memphis, and the lessons he learned from his Hall-of-Fame father Scottie Pippen, among other topics.

Heat Expect Jimmy Butler To Play If He Isn’t Traded

January 6th, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat expect Jimmy Butler to resume playing after his seven-game suspension is over if he hasn’t been traded by then, a source close to the situation tells Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Management isn’t willing to let Butler stay away from the team and collect the remainder of his $48.8MM salary, Chiang adds.

Chiang’s source also says Miami has engaged in trade talks about Butler with numerous teams over the past several days, but hasn’t received an offer worth pursuing. He confirms that the Suns are among those expressing interest, but the Heat have no interest in taking on Bradley Beal because of the no-trade clause in his contract. That means a third team would have to be willing to absorb Beal’s $50.2MM salary and he would have to OK the deal.

Even though he’s suspended, Butler is able to work out at the team’s Kaseya Center facilities while the Heat are on a six-game road trip, Chiang adds. He’ll be eligible to return to the court for a January 17 home game against Denver.

Efforts to find a taker for Butler have been complicated by Miami’s desire to take back the lowest possible amount of guaranteed salary beyond this season, Marc Stein states in his latest Substack column (subscription required). That has led to pessimism about finding a deal quickly, especially with the Warriors reportedly no longer interested.

Stein also points out that missing the playoffs would be “legitimately disastrous” for the Heat, which may explain the motivation to keep playing Butler if no trade materializes. If Miami doesn’t reach the postseason, its 2026 first-round pick would be sent to Oklahoma City without any protections.

That pick was originally shipped to the Clippers in the four-team sign-and-trade deal that brought Butler to the Heat in 2019, Stein explains, and the Thunder acquired it in 2022. If the Heat reach the playoffs this season, OKC will get Miami’s 2025 first-rounder, which would fall outside the top 14. If the Heat are in the lottery, the unprotected first-rounder would convey in 2026.

Stein also points out that Miami owes a first-round pick to Charlotte from last season’s trade for Terry Rozier. Because of the Stepien rule that prevents teams from trading their first-rounders in back-to-back years, if the Oklahoma City pick conveys in 2026, the pick to the Hornets will be tied up until 2028, reducing the Heat’s flexibility moving forward.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also offers an update on Butler trade talks (video link), saying the Heat “don’t like their hand at all right now.” Sources tell Windhorst that Pat Riley‘s declaration last month that the team wasn’t interested in trading Butler came after several offers were received that were unsatisfactory. Windhorst adds that rival clubs seem to be testing Miami to see how low it is willing to sell Butler.

He notes that the only exception has been the Suns, whom he cites as the “best fit and most aggressive team” in the Butler pursuit. However, the Heat’s lack of interest in Beal is a major roadblock, and it’s very difficult to put together a three- or four-team deal under current CBA restrictions.

Windhorst still expects Butler to be traded somewhere before the deadline, but he states that Miami is operating from a position of weakness.

Jonathan Kuminga Out Multiple Weeks With Ankle Sprain

January 5th, 2025 at 6:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has suffered a significant ankle sprain and will be out multiple weeks, the team’s PR department announced (via Twitter).

Kuminga exited Saturday’s game against Memphis with 2:27 remaining in the second quarter due to a sprained right ankle. He underwent an MRI Sunday which confirmed that he suffered a significant lateral ankle sprain. He will be reevaluated in three weeks, per the club.

It’s a huge blow to the Warriors, as Kuminga has come on strong in recent weeks. He posted back-to-back 34 point games late last month. For the season, Kuminga has averaged 16.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Kuminga and the club failed to agree on a rookie scale extension before the October deadline, so he’ll be a restricted free agent after the season.

For now, the team will have to scramble to replace Kuminga’s production and might be more inclined to make a significant move before next month’s trade deadline. Kyle Anderson and former starter Kevon Looney figure to play more prominent roles in his absence.