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Siegel’s Latest: DeRozan, Sabonis, Wolves, Claxton, Kuminga, Wiggins

November 28th, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the three Kings veteran stars considered in-season trade candidates, DeMar DeRozan looks like the one most likely to be on the move ahead of the February 5 deadline, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

As Siegel explains, DeRozan’s relatively team-friendly contract structure – $24.6MM this season and a $10MM partial guarantee on his $25.7MM salary for 2026/27 – makes him a more manageable investment for most clubs than either Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis. LaVine is earning $47.5MM this season, with a $49MM player option for ’26/27, while Sabonis will be owed $94MM over the next two seasons after making $42.3MM in ’25/26.

The Bucks, Clippers, Heat, Trail Blazers, and Grizzlies are some of the potential suitors to watch for DeRozan, says Siegel, though he doesn’t explicitly state that all those clubs have shown interest in the veteran forward.

Sabonis, who is currently on the shelf with a meniscus tear, will likely have to show he’s healthy before drawing real interest on the trade market. According to Siegel, the Sacramento big man isn’t expected to begin the return-to-play portion of his recovery process until sometime around Christmas.

Here are a few more rumors from around the NBA, courtesy of Siegel:

There’s a “growing sense” that the Timberwolves would be willing to sell high on forward Julius Randle in the right deal this season, Siegel writes. Minnesota is known to be on the lookout for a point guard, having checked in on Ja Morant. The team has also inquired about Cavaliers guard Darius Garland for the past year-plus, sources tell Siegel. However, the Wolves’ lack of tradable first-round picks will be complicate their ability to make any major moves.
Nets center Nic Claxton is considered a trade candidate and has come up in discussions with sources around the NBA as a possible Warriors target, Siegel writes. However, given that the Nets showed no interest in pursuing Jonathan Kuminga using their cap room when he was a restricted free agent over the summer, it doesn’t appear the fifth-year forward would be a target for Brooklyn. Claxton has also been considered a potential Lakers target dating back to last season, Siegel notes.
The Pacers are among the teams that have been keeping an eye on Kuminga, having “quietly” scouted him since the start of last season, according to Siegel, who wonders if the Warriors would have any interest in a deal involving Bennedict Mathurin. There’s a sense around the league that Indiana might look to move a player like Mathurin, Jarace Walker, or Obi Toppin due in part to the club’s cap situation going forward, Siegel adds.
The Warriors are known to have interest in forwards Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones and will likely talk to the Pelicans during the season, Siegel writes. It’s unclear if New Orleans would be open to moving either Murphy or Jones, but they represent the sort of “versatile wings” that Golden State will likely be targeting in a Kuminga trade, Siegel explains.
If the Heat were to trade Andrew Wiggins this season, they’d be seeking a first-round pick, plus a player or two who could step into their rotation and be a positive contributor, per Siegel. The Lakers were linked to Wiggins during the offseason and the Bucks also inquired about him, Siegel reports, but Miami hasn’t had any serious trade talks about the veteran forward as of late.

Six NBA Cup Quarterfinal Spots Up For Grabs On Friday

November 27th, 2025 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

After the NBA takes Thanksgiving off on Thursday, the final group stage games of this year’s NBA Cup take place on Friday, with 22 teams in action (eight teams have already wrapped up their four-game schedules).

Although 49 of the 60 group stage contests have been played so far, we still only know two of the eight clubs that will advance to the knockout round of the in-season tournament — the Raptors have clinched Eastern Conference Group A, while the Lakers have locked up Western Conference Group B.

That leaves six quarterfinal spots up for grabs on Friday, with 12 teams still in the running for them. Here’s a breakdown of how those 12 teams can qualify for the knockout round:

(Note: The first two tiebreakers for teams with the same records are head-to-head results and point differential).

Eastern Conference Group A

Although Toronto has secured its spot atop this group, the Cavaliers (2-1 record, +33 point differential) remain in the hunt for the East’s wild card berth. The Cavs will play in Atlanta on Friday and would be pretty well positioned for that wild card spot if they can pick up a win — especially if they blow out the Hawks in the process and their point differential continues to grow.

Eastern Conference Group B

The Magic (3-0, +61) will visit the Pistons (2-1, +24) on Friday, with the winner of that game claiming Group B. Wild card hopefuls from other Eastern Conference groups will be rooting for Orlando, since the Magic would still be in great shape for a wild card spot with a loss in Detroit — as long as they don’t lose by a ton.

Eastern Conference Group C

Three teams are still alive in Group C, with the Knicks (2-1, +26) and Bucks (2-1, +13) both vying to become the first team to make the quarterfinals in three consecutive NBA Cups. The Heat (3-1, +49) currently sit atop the group though and would win it if Milwaukee beats New York on Friday, since the Heat hold the tiebreaker over the Bucks. The Knicks beat the Heat earlier in group play, however, so a win over Milwaukee would give New York the top spot in Group C.
While the Bucks technically still have a path to the East’s wild card spot, their modest point differential will make it an uphill battle. Milwaukee would need a win in New York and might need both Cleveland and Detroit to lose too.

Western Conference Group A

The Thunder (3-0, +71) will host the Suns (3-0, +35) on Friday, with the winner of that game clinching West Group A. Given the two teams’ strong point differentials, it’s very possible the loser of this game will be the West’s wild card team, though a lopsided loss would hurt Phoenix’s chances. That +71 mark gives Oklahoma City far more breathing room, so it would be a shock if the defending champs don’t advance.

Western Conference Group B

The Lakers have clinched this group, but the Grizzlies (2-1, +9) and Clippers (2-1, -15) haven’t been eliminated from wild card contention yet. They’ll face one another in L.A. on Friday and the winner will finish group play with a 3-1 record. Still, that team could be hard-pressed to surpass the loser of the OKC/Phoenix showdown in overall point differential, so it’s very possible neither the Grizzlies nor the Clippers advance.

Western Conference Group C

The equation is simple in West Group C, where the Spurs (2-1, +23) are visiting the Nuggets (2-1, +26) with the group crown on the line. The winner of that game will make the quarterfinals, while the loser will be eliminated.

Scotto’s Latest: Ellis, Pacers, Sabonis, Morant, Wolves, More

November 26th, 2025 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

With Keegan Murray very unlikely to be traded this season due in part to the poison pill provision, the most coveted player on the Kings‘ roster might be guard Keon Ellis, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who says executives across the NBA have been surprised by Ellis’ limited role so far this fall.

Ellis started 28 of his 80 games last season and averaged 24.4 minutes per night. The 25-year-old contributed 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, with a .489/.433/.849 shooting line, and the sub-.500 Kings had a +3.0 net rating during his time on the court. However, so far this fall, he’s averaging just 17.4 MPG.

According to Scotto, the Pacers have been one of several teams to convey interest in Ellis, having also targeted him in the past. Ellis is in the final year of his current contract and will become an unrestricted free agent in 2026 if he’s not signed to a new deal after he becomes extension-eligible in February.

As Scotto writes, the trade market for Kings veterans like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan has been “relatively quiet” so far, despite a report suggesting the Clippers have some interest in DeRozan.

[RELATED: Bucks Keeping Eye On Zach LaVine]

Kings center Domantas Sabonis could make for an interesting trade chip, but he’s currently sidelined due to a knee injury and his production had slipped a little before he went down. According to Scotto, Sabonis has been disappointed by Sacramento’s declining win totals since their playoff season in 2022/23 and hasn’t always loved his usage under head coach Doug Christie.

Here’s more NBA chatter from Scotto:

The Grizzlies have consistently rebuffed trade inquiries on Ja Morant in recent weeks following a confrontation between the point guard and head coach Tuomas Iisalo, league sources tell HoopsHype. While a number of rival teams have been curious about a buy-low opportunity on Morant and will continue to monitor the situation, Memphis isn’t eager to kick-start a rebuild and recognizes that Morant wouldn’t command a significant return on the trade market at this point, Scotto explains.
The Timberwolves, who were among the teams to inquire on Morant, are keeping an eye out for opportunities to upgrade at point guard, per Scotto. Minnesota obviously has zero interest in moving Anthony Edwards in any deal and also considers rising forward Jaden McDaniels “close to untouchable,” sources tell HoopsHype.
The Celtics had hoped to pursue Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe in free agency, but he received a more lucrative offer from Brooklyn ($6.25MM for this season) than the minimum-salary offer he would’ve gotten from Boston, Scotto writes. Sharpe could be a player to watch if the Celtics and Nets get together for another trade this season — the C’s had been prepared to offer him a chance to compete for their starting center job, Scotto adds.

Southwest Notes: Sheppard, Edey, Coward, Pelicans

November 25th, 2025 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets guard Reed Sheppard made just 2-of-9 shots from the floor in his first start of the season on Monday in Phoenix, but he contributed five assists and three steals in his 27 minutes, and Houston was a +6 when he was on the court. It marked the eighth consecutive game in which the Rockets outscored their opponent during Sheppard’s minutes.

While the 21-year-old still has plenty of room to grow, Sheppard has taken a significant step forward so far this season, with his averages – 13.1 PPG and 3.2 APG on .490/.471/.706 shooting – up across the board. As William Guillory of The Athletic writes, Houston’s odds of competing for a title are only increasing as a result of the second-year guard’s improvement.

“The real thing is the opportunity he’s getting, and he’s taking advantage of it,” head coach Ime Udoka said of Sheppard last week. “You’re going to get more of a rhythm with the more minutes and opportunities you get. We needed him to take that step this year, regardless of Fred (VanVleet) being out. He’s really been great. We want him to continue to be confident.”

Sheppard, who started in place of Kevin Durant on Monday, could have another opportunity to be part of the starting five on Wednesday in Golden State, with Durant out for a second straight game for personal reasons.

Here’s more from out of the Southwest:

After missing the first 13 games of the Grizzlies‘ season as he recovered from offseason ankle surgery, center Zach Edey exited his fifth game back early on Monday due to a head injury. If Edey is forced to miss time, it would be a major blow to Memphis, says Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, given that the club has a +16.5 net rating in Edey’s minutes and a -8.0 mark when he doesn’t play. “Zach is a huge part of what we do, both offensively and defensively,” teammate Cedric Coward said after Monday’s loss to Denver. “Just his presence alone is so meaningful to the team. You guys understand, when he came back, how much better our team got defensively, on the rebounding end, even the offensive end. His roles are gravitating guys inside, so we’re getting easier shots on the outside. It was a huge loss.”
Coward has been one of the NBA’s most productive rookies this fall and is making the Grizzlies look good for trading up to No. 11 in June to draft him, as a Western Conference scout tells Grant Afseth of RG.org. “He only played six Division I games after the partially torn rotator cuff, and that made him one of the biggest unknowns in the draft,” the scout said of Coward. “A lot of scouts weren’t sure how his game would translate against top talent because he’d spent most of his college career at Willamette and Eastern Washington. But Memphis clearly saw something real. … And now he’s outperforming even the optimistic projections. He looks completely comfortable at this level.”
The Pelicans‘ past two games provided a reminder of Zion Williamson‘s impact. After scoring just 98 points on Saturday as Williamson sat out the second game of a back-to-back, New Orleans poured in 143 points on Monday vs. Chicago with Williamson back on the court. While the star forward led the way with 29 points, Monday’s performance was a team effort, with eight players scoring in double figures, writes Les East of NOLA.com. “You couldn’t ask for a better team win when you look at the stat sheet,” said interim head coach James Borrego, who registered his first win since taking over for Willie Green.
Outside of the Hornets, who drafted four players in the top 34 in June, no team has gotten more minutes from its rookies so far this season than the Pelicans, according to Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com. That trend figures to continue going forward, Eichenhofer posits, since Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen, and Micah Peavy are all part of the rotation now and should see regular playing time with several New Orleans veterans sidelined due to injuries.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell Named Players Of The Week

November 24th, 2025 at 2:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter links).

Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champions to four wins during the week of November 17-23 while averaging 31.0 points and 6.5 assists per contest and shooting 60% from the field and 64.3% from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City was +82 in SGA’s 125 minutes on the court last week.

Gilgeous-Alexander also earned Player of the Week honors three weeks ago and is the second repeat winner of the award this season, joining Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.

Mitchell posted averages of 31.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game as the Cavaliers went 3-1 this past week. He opened and closed the week with matching 37-point performances against the Bucks and Clippers, going 14-of-22 from the field in each of those two outings.

Santi Aldama (Grizzlies), Luka Doncic (Lakers), De’Aaron Fox (Spurs), James Harden (Clippers) and Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees for Player of the Week.

Jalen Duren (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Brandon Ingram (Raptors), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers), Norman Powell and Kel’el Ware (Heat), Ryan Rollins (Bucks) and Franz Wagner (Magic) were also nominated in the East.

Grizzlies Sign Kobe Bufkin To 10-Day Contract

November 24th, 2025 at 9:11am CST by Rory Maher

Nov. 24: The signing is official, the Grizzlies’ PR department tweets.

Nov. 23: The Grizzlies have been granted a hardship exception and will use it to sign free agent guard Kobe Bufkin to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

Hardship exceptions allow a team to temporarily exceed the usual 15-man limit. The NBA awards a hardship exception to a club if it has at least four injured players who have missed three consecutive games and are projected to miss at least two more weeks.

Bufkin will provide backcourt depth for Memphis, which has been hit hard by injuries once again in 2025/26. Four point guards — Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe surgery), Ty Jerome (calf strain), Ja Morant (calf strain) and Javon Small (turf toe) — are currently sidelined, and veteran forward/center Brandon Clarke is still recovering from offseason knee surgery.

The 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Bufkin battled injuries during his first two NBA seasons in Atlanta. He missed a significant chunk of his rookie year due to a fractured left thumb and a sprained toe, then underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in December 2024, less than two months into his second year.

In total, the 6’4″ guard made just 27 appearances for the Hawks, averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 11.9 minutes per night, with a .374/.220/.654 shooting line. The 22-year-old was traded from Atlanta to Brooklyn during the offseason and it seemed like he might get a chance at a fresh start with the Nets. Instead, he was the victim of a roster crunch last month and was waived to help Brooklyn get down to 15 players for the start of the regular season.

After being cut by the Nets, Bufkin entered the NBA G League player pool and his rights were acquired by the South Bay Lakers following a trade. In two Tip-Off Tournament games (28.7 MPG) with L.A.’s affiliate team this fall, Bufkin has averaged 22.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.0 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .444/.500/.800 shooting.

According to Grant Afseth (Twitter link), Bufkin was among the guards on Memphis’ radar just before the season began amid the wave of injuries.

And-Ones: K. George, Canada, 2026 Draft, Boozer, More

November 23rd, 2025 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

Wizards wing Kyshawn George, one of two active NBA players to represent Canada in the 2025 AmeriCup (Timberwolves forward Leonard Miller was the other), tells Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca that he “one hundred per cent” hopes to play for his home country in the 2027 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.

“That’s one of my goals, to be able to be on that final team that’s going to compete for gold,” George said. “I’m just trusting the process, doing what I can do day-to-day to prove that I belong.”

George, a first-round pick in 2024, had yet to make his NBA regular season debut when Team Canada won bronze at the 2023 World Cup or competed in the 2024 Olympics in Paris. But he has taken a significant step forward in his second season in the league, with averages of 16.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game, plus a .484/.440/.773 shooting line. The 21-year-old credited his time with the national team this summer as a factor in his breakout fall.

“I do a lot of individual work in the offseason,” George said. “But there’s no better way to put it into practice than in an actual game. I was grateful to be able to play for Team Canada and to have them trust me to have that type of role where they trusted me with the ball and to make plays for myself and my teammates, and I think that just kind of led into training camp and the start of the season, where the Wizards have trusted me to make the right decision on the floor.”

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

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic shares some of his early takeaways on notable 2026 draft prospects, including explaining why most scouts seem to have Cameron Boozer behind Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa in the race for the No. 1 overall pick. Vecenie points to shot creation and finishing at the rim as areas where Boozer has room for improvement.
Which teams are most in need of a “blow it up” trade? Sam Quinn of CBS Sports ranks all 30 teams by that metric, from the Thunder at No. 30 to the Kings at No. 1. The Mavericks, Pelicans, Clippers, and Grizzlies are also in Quinn’s top five.
The Athletic’s NBA writers identify one area of concern for all 30 NBA teams, including frontcourt depth for the Celtics, turnovers for the Rockets, and three-point shooting for the Lakers.
Veteran NBA reporter Zach Lowe has joined Amazon Prime Video’s NBA coverage, tweets Richard Deitsch of The Athletic. Lowe, who currently works for The Ringer after a previous stint with ESPN, will appear on Amazon’s studio show periodically throughout the NBA season.

Kings Rumors: Murray, Clifford, Sabonis, LaVine, Ellis, Monk

November 23rd, 2025 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings pulled off an impressive win in Denver on Saturday night, upsetting the Nuggets by a score of 128-123. However, even after handing the Nuggets just their second home loss of the season, Sacramento has a 4-13 record, having dropped its previous eight games by an average margin of 23.4 points.

As a result, the Kings are very much open for business, writes Jake Fischer of Stein Line (Substack link). It’s still a little early for the in-season trade market to pick up, but Sacramento is willing to listen to inquiries on players “up and down” the roster, according to Fischer.

While most players on the Kings’ roster could be had for the right offer, Fischer identifies fourth-year forward Keegan Murray and rookie guard Nique Clifford as a couple exceptions. Sources tell Fischer that both players are expected to be off limits this season, with the front office hoping that the young duo will be part of the long-term future in Sacramento. Murray and Clifford are the only two players on the roster whose contracts run beyond the 2027/28 season.

Domantas Sabonis is also something of a question mark, Fischer notes, since team owner Vivek Ranadive is a big fan of the veteran center, and Sabonis enjoys Sacramento and isn’t considered likely to ask for a trade. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Kings wouldn’t move him, but he’s on a maximum-salary contract and is viewed around the NBA as a negative defensively, Fischer explains, so it could be hard for the team to extract the kind of value it would want in a trade.

“It’s tough to pay a center that much who doesn’t protect the rim and doesn’t shoot threes — no matter how great of an offensive hub he can be,” one Western Conference executive told Fischer.

Here’s more on the Kings:

Besides Sacramento, the Warriors were the only other team to exhibit legitimate interest in Zach LaVine before he was traded out of Chicago last season, according to Fischer, who notes that Golden State – having acquired Jimmy Butler since then – won’t be in on LaVine now. LaVine’s maximum-salary contract will make him difficult to move for any real value, though Fischer hears that teams would have more interest if the high-scoring guard were willing to eliminate his $49MM player option for 2026/27 in favor of a multiyear deal that starts at a lower figure.
According to Fischer, the Kings’ former front office showed some interest in Trae Young, and LaVine’s camp made a push in the offseason to sell the Hawks on a deal that would’ve sent LaVine to Atlanta and Young to Sacramento. However, Fischer hears that general manager Scott Perry isn’t interested in pursuing Young, Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball, or Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, none of whom fits the defense-first mindset the organization is prioritizing under the new regime.
“More than half the league” has called the Kings about guard Keon Ellis, a source tells The Stein Line. Teams around the NBA view Ellis as a “plug-and-play addition with two-way ability,” Fischer writes, noting that Ellis will become eligible for a contract extension before he reaches unrestricted free agency in 2026. Fischer suggests Sacramento might be able to extract a first-round pick for Ellis; he could also be used to improve a package that includes a bigger contract like LaVine’s or DeMar DeRozan‘s.
The Pistons were viewed by several of Fischer’s sources as a potential landing spot for Malik Monk during the offseason, but “no one is saying that anymore,” he writes.

Klay Thompson, Ja Morant Exchange Words Following Grizzlies’ Win

November 23rd, 2025 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Star point guard Ja Morant missed his third straight game on Saturday due to a calf strain, but he was at the center of a post-game incident in Dallas after his Grizzlies beat the Mavericks. As Tim MacMahon writes for ESPN.com, Morant and Mavs wing Klay Thompson exchanged words on the court following the final buzzer and had to be separated by security staff members and coaches (Twitter video link).

After seemingly directing some trash talk Thompson’s way during that confrontation, Morant interrupted teammate Cam Spencer‘s post-game television interview to say, “Tell ’em who the best shooter in the house was, it wasn’t bro from Golden State” (Twitter video link).

Asked during his post-game media session about what Morant was saying to him on the court, Thompson told MacMahon and other reporters it was “nothing of intelligent depth,” per MacMahon.

“He’s a funny guy,” Thompson said. “He has a lot to say all the time, especially for a guy who rarely takes accountability. … It was really just running his mouth, and he’s been running his mouth for a long time. It’s funny to run your mouth when you’re on the bench. It’s kind of the story of his career so far, just leaving us wanting more.”

Both Morant and Thompson are having the worst years of their professional careers so far in 2025/26. The Grizzlies guard is averaging 17.9 points and a career-high 3.8 turnovers per game while shooting 35.9% from the floor and 16.7% on three-pointers. Thompson has put up 10.1 PPG on 34.7% shooting (32.1% from beyond the arc).

Thompson, who will turn 36 later in the season, has a Hall of Fame résumé but has seen his numbers decline in recent years. Morant, 26, should be in his prime, but has been plagued by injuries over the past couple seasons. He also had his career derailed by off-court incidents, including a pair of lengthy suspensions that stemmed from brandishing a firearm in videos on social media. Thompson didn’t directly reference that off-court behavior on Saturday, but he alluded to it.

“We all want to see him out there and do his best, but he’s just been letting a lot of other stuff get in the way of that,” Thompson said of Morant. “We need that in the NBA. We need our best players to be out there, and when you’re a star, it comes with a great responsibility. I hate to see that go to waste.”

Thompson’s Warriors had some memorable games against the Grizzlies over the years, eliminating Memphis from the playoffs in both 2015 and 2022. The veteran sharpshooter spoke with more fondness of those matchups that occurred earlier in his career than the ones from the past few seasons.

“I do actually have a lot of respect for the Grind House,” Thompson said, per Christian Clark of The Athletic. “Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol. That was a hard team to beat. This new team, though? They just talk a lot. They’ve always talked a lot. They’ve never really backed it up, either. I don’t really respect that. I respect guys who back up the talk with play. Because talk is cheap. I know that better than anybody. I have been in this league a long time.”

Ty Jerome’s Season Debut Still 6-9 Weeks Away

November 22nd, 2025 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome is making good progress in his rehab from the high-grade right calf strain he suffered during the preseason, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

However, Jerome’s regular season Grizzlies debut remains a ways off. According to the team, the 28-year-old is expected to return to play in approximately six-to-nine weeks. Further updates on his recovery will be shared as appropriate, the club adds in its statement.

A Sixth Man of the Year finalist in 2024/25, Jerome averaged 12.5 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game for the Cavaliers, posting an impressive .516/.439/.872 shooting line. His breakout contract year earned him a three-year, $27.7MM deal with the Grizzlies, who were able to poach him from a Cleveland team already operating above the second tax apron.

Memphis envisioned Jerome as a player who could back up and complement star point guard Ja Morant, but the former University of Virginia standout now appears unlikely to see any action for his new team until sometime in the new year.

Jerome is one of several players unavailable for the injury-plagued Grizzlies, who are especially shorthanded in the backcourt. Morant is currently on the shelf with a right calf strain; another point guard, Scotty Pippen Jr., hasn’t played at all this season after undergoing toe surgery in October; and two-way player Javon Small will be out until at least sometime in December due to a toe injury of his own.