And-Ones: Bediako, All-Stars, Rookies, Team-Friendly Deals
Charles Bediako‘s bid to rejoin Alabama’s men’s basketball team more than two years after he was on a two-way contract with an NBA team could have major ramifications, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who notes that NBA clubs will likely be keeping a close eye on the case.
As we outlined on Wednesday, Bediako is suing the NCAA in an attempt to rejoin the Crimson Tide for the rest of the 2025/26 season after spending two years with Alabama from 2021-23. Since going undrafted in 2023, the big man has signed three Exhibit 10 contracts with NBA teams, including one that the Spurs converted into a two-way deal in the fall of ’23.
Bediako has been granted a temporary restraining order, allowing him to participate in activities and games for Alabama while he awaits a hearing on a preliminary injunction.
If Bediako ultimately prevails in his bid for NCAA eligibility, it may necessitate adjustments to the NBA’s draft eligibility rules, Vecenie notes, since there would be nothing stopping players from declaring for the draft after their freshman seasons, then returning to college as NBA free agents if they go undrafted. In that scenario, a player who has a breakout sophomore year could theoretically leave his college program to sign with an NBA team halfway through a season.
Vecenie suggests that the NBA might have to create a new rule stating that an undrafted player who returns to college would reenter the draft pool for the following year. He also wonders if the changing nature of NCAA eligibility rules could result in NBA teams essentially treating college programs like a form of minor leagues — for instance, could the Lakers draft a player and then have him play at a nearby school like UCLA or USC for developmental purposes before he signs an NBA contract?
We have more from around the basketball world:
- A panel of NBA reporters and analysts from ESPN considered whether there are any obvious snubs among this season’s All-Star starters and explored which players deserve to be selected as reserves, while a group of reporters at The Athletic conducted a similar exercise. The general consensus was that there were no egregious mistakes among the first 10 All-Star choices, though Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell would have been worthy starters.
- Arguing that Kon Knueppel has been underappreciated so far this season, ESPN’s Zach Kram places the Hornets wing atop his latest rookie rankings, ahead of Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg at No. 2. Wizards guard Tre Johnson (eighth) and Nets guard Egor Demin (10th) are new additions to Kram’s top 10 since his previous update.
- Which contracts are the NBA’s most team-friendly? Ruling out maximum-salary deals and rookie deals for recently drafted players, Keith Smith of Spotrac shares his top-25 list, headlined by Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN has handed out midseason grades for all 30 NBA teams, with four clubs earning an A: the Celtics, Pistons, Suns, and Spurs.
Northwest Notes: Valanciunas, Wolves, Markkanen, Thunder
The Nuggets have been without their top two centers since the calendar turned to 2026, but they appear on the verge of getting one of them back on the floor. According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link), Jonas Valanciunas has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Washington.
After star center Nikola Jokic suffered a knee injury on December 29, Valanciunas stepped into Denver’s starting lineup for a Dec. 31 contest in Toronto but was unable to finish that game due to a right calf strain. Although the Nuggets officially announced a day later that Valanciunas would be reevaluated in four weeks, it seems he has a good chance to beat that projected timeline. If he doesn’t play on Thursday in Washington, the Lithuanian’s next chance to suit up would be the following night in Milwaukee.
Jokic was said last week to be making good progress in his recovery from a bone bruise in his left knee, but remains out for now. Nuggets head coach David Adelman indicated on Tuesday that Valanciunas was on track to return before Jokic.
- While he acknowledges that the Timberwolves could also use another point guard and some additional rim protection, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic believes the team’s most glaring need is a bench scorer. As Krawczynski explains, big man Naz Reid has had to carry the scoring load for the second unit for much of the season due to the inconsistent play of the team’s reserve guards and wings.
- Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen will be inactive for a sixth game in a row on Thursday vs. San Antonio, but his injury designation has been changed from an illness to “return to competition reconditioning,” notes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). That update suggests Markkanen is close to returning.
- After a 6-6 stretch in December and early January, the Thunder are on a roll again, with seven wins in their past eight games. Still, the 37-8 club is dealing with no shortage of health issues. After losing Jalen Williams to a hamstring strain over the weekend, Oklahoma City had guard Alex Caruso (right adductor strain), big man Jaylin Williams (left glute contusion), and Aaron Wiggins (right groin soreness) inactive on Wednesday, and guard Ajay Mitchell exited early due to a right hip contusion. There has been no indication that any of the injuries are significant — notably, Jaylin Williams was initially listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game, while Wiggins was a late addition to the injury report.
Injury Notes: Giddey, Reid, H. Jones, Whitmore
Bulls guard Josh Giddey was upgraded to questionable ahead of Tuesday’s contest against the Clippers before being ruled out (Twitter links via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network). Giddey, who is working his way back from a strained left hamstring, could return to action on Thursday in Minnesota, head coach Billy Donovan said.
Forward Patrick Williams is dealing with a right ankle sprain and will also be out Tuesday. He’s considered day-to-day, per Johnson.
Here are some more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Timberwolves big man Naz Reid was forced to exit Saturday’s loss at San Antonio after just five minutes due to soreness in his left shoulder. However, the injury doesn’t appear to be serious — he was initially questionable for Tuesday’s game in Utah but has been upgraded to available, per the league’s injury report.
- Defensive stalwart Herbert Jones has been upgraded to questionable ahead of Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit, the Pelicans announced in a press release. Jones, who has popped up in several rumors this season but has reportedly been made unavailable in trade talks, has missed 14 of New Orleans’ last 15 games with a right ankle sprain.
- While Wizards forward Cam Whitmore will miss the remainder of the 2025/26 season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder, he joined the team on the bench during Monday’s loss to the Clippers, which is a good sign for his long-term health, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The former first-round pick will be eligible for an extension in the offseason and will make $5.46MM in ’26/27, which is the final season of his rookie scale contract.
Eastern Notes: Thomas, Bulls, Tatum, Bucks
All signs point to Cam Thomas‘ days in Brooklyn being numbered, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required), who says most league observers he spoke to about the subject expect Thomas and the Nets to go their separate ways either at the trade deadline or in the offseason.
While a midseason trade remains possible, Thomas owns a de facto no-trade clause after accepting his one-year, $6MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent in 2025, so he would have to sign off on any deal involving him. The 24-year-old’s value is also at a low point, Lewis notes, given that he has spent much of the past season-and-a-half battling hamstring issues and is shooting a career-worst 40.5% from the field this season.
Whether or not Thomas is traded by February 5, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season, and he’ll have new representation at that time. After hiring agent Alex Saratsis of Octagon in 2024, Thomas has moved on from Saratsis and signed with Thad Foucher of Wasserman, Lewis confirms.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Eastern Conference:
- Checking in on the Bulls‘ trade options ahead of the deadline, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times confirms that the team has talked to the Pelicans about second-year center Yves Missi and says the Timberwolves have inquired on guards Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones in addition to Coby White. It could be tricky for the Bulls to make a deal for Missi since they’re not looking to part with draft assets, Cowley writes.
- The Celtics have defied expectations by remaining a legitimate contender this season even without All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required). The team has a posted a 26-16 record so far, and while there’s still no formal timeline for Tatum’s return from an Achilles tear, he continues to shown signs of progress — on Monday, he went through a one-hour workout with media in attendance, per Jay King of The Athletic. Head coach Joe Mazzulla deferred to the Celtics’ medical and sports science staff on Tatum, but said it was “interesting” that the 27-year-old did Monday’s on-court drills in front of reporters after having done most of his rehab work behind closed doors.
- The Bucks snapped a three-game losing streak on Monday in Atlanta after head coach Doc Rivers replaced guard Kevin Porter Jr. with forward Kyle Kuzma in his starting five. The results were mixed – the new lineup was outscored by one point during its 20 minutes on the court – and Rivers admitted he’s not sure if he’ll stick with it, but he explained why he wanted to try a different look. “Just size. We thought putting size in the lineup would be great,” Rivers said, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “And when you do that, you have to separate the guards. And I mean, our second unit was all plus tonight, so I thought it went really well for us. Pete Nance was phenomenal.”
Antetokounmpo, Curry Head List Of All-Star Starters
The NBA’s 2026 All-Star starters have been set, the league announced today (Twitter links). Here are the 10 players who earned those spots:
Eastern Conference
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
- Tyrese Maxey (Sixers)
Western Conference
- Stephen Curry (Warriors)
- Luka Doncic (Lakers)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
This season’s All-Star Game will have a U.S. vs. World format. The round-robin event is scheduled to be played Sunday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. ET at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (the World team) will compete in a tournament featuring four 12-minute games. The three teams will each have a minimum of eight players.
How the teams will be divvied up is yet to be determined.
Two-time MVP Antetokounmpo has been selected as a starter for the 10th consecutive season. 2024 Finals MVP Brown will be making his fifth All-Star appearance, while Brunson will be making his third consecutive appearance.
This marks Cunningham’s second NBA All-Star selection and first as a starter. Cunningham is the first Pistons player to be named an Eastern Conference starter in the All-Star Game since Allen Iverson in 2009. It will also be Maxey’s second All-Star appearance and first as a starter.
This will be Curry’s 12th All-Star Game and 11th as a starter. Doncic will be making his sixth All-Star appearance.
This marks the fourth career All-Star appearance for reigning NBA MVP and Finals MVP Gilgeous-Alexander and his third consecutive season as an All-Star starter. Three-time MVP Jokic has been named an All-Star for the eighth consecutive year. Wembanyama is the first Spurs player to be named an All-Star starter since Kawhi Leonard in 2017.
Fans accounted for 50% of the vote to determine the starters, while players and media accounted for 25% each. Wembanyama won a tiebreaker with the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards for a starting spot. The full voting results can be found through this NBA.com link.
Injury Notes: Reid, Giddey, M. Wagner, Alvarado, H. Jones
Big man Naz Reid, who was starting in place of Rudy Gobert, was ruled out after playing just five minutes in Saturday’s loss at San Antonio due to soreness in his left shoulder, the Timberwolves announced (via Twitter).
It’s unclear if Reid, the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year, will miss additional time as a result of the shoulder injury.
The 26-year-old forward/center had been playing some of his best basketball of the season in the four games leading up to Saturday, averaging 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per night on .604/.577/.700 shooting during that brief stretch (29.8 minutes per contest).
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Bulls guard Josh Giddey has been assigned to the G League’s Windy City Bulls as he works his way back from a left hamstring strain, per the team (Twitter link). Assuming Sunday’s practice goes well, Giddey should be back in action either Tuesday against the Clippers or Thursday at Minnesota, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.
- While there’s no indication that he experienced a setback, Magic center Moritz Wagner was ruled out of Sunday’s game vs. Memphis with what the team called left knee injury management (Twitter link). The German big man just made his season debut last Sunday after missing most of 2024/25 with a torn ACL in his left knee.
- A pair of trade candidates for the Pelicans continue to be sidelined with injuries. Guard Jose Alvarado will miss his seventh consecutive game Sunday at Houston due to a left oblique strain, while forward Herbert Jones remains out with a right ankle sprain (link to injury report). Jones, who made the All-Defensive First Team in 2023/24, will miss his 14th game as a result of the injury.
Injury Notes: Mavericks, Avdija, Edwards, Gobert, MPJ
The Mavericks will be without eight players for Saturday’s matchup with Utah, the team announced (via Twitter). In addition to Dante Exum, Dereck Lively II, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg (left ankle sprain), Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain), D’Angelo Russell (illness) and P.J. Washington (personal reasons) will also be sidelined today.
It’s the second straight missed game for Flagg, the top pick in last year’s draft. The only relatively unexpected absences were Washington, who was initially listed as probable with what the team called right ankle injury management, and Russell, who was a late scratch.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija will miss his third straight game Saturday against the Lakers due to a lower back strain, the team confirmed (Twitter link). Avdija, who suffered the injury on January 11, was initially listed as doubtful. On a brighter note, Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday are both probable to suit up after initially being considered questionable.
- Star guard Anthony Edwards will return to action on Saturday after a two-game absence due to right foot injury management, per the Timberwolves (Twitter link). Four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, who is dealing with a left hip contusion, is questionable to play at San Antonio. According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), Gobert seemed to be moving OK following Friday’s loss in Houston, but it is a quick turnaround.
- The Nets won’t have Michael Porter Jr. (rest) or Drake Powell (left knee injury management) available for Sunday’s game at Chicago, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Sunday is the front end of a back-to-back for Brooklyn — the team hosts Phoenix on Monday. Porter was also rested under similar circumstances last weekend.
Western Notes: Sabonis, Kuminga, Gobert, Pelicans
Domantas Sabonis made a solid return to action on Friday, as the Kings big man posted 13 points, six rebounds and five assists while coming off the bench in a win over Washington. Sabonis missed 27 games due to a partially torn meniscus in his left knee.
“His energy was good,” Kings coach Doug Christie said, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “He ran the floor well. He looked really good. I thought he got a little gassed in my opinion at one point, but fantastic.”
Sabonis was relieved to get back in action.
“I’m just happy I was able to play,” Sabonis said. “You really miss it when you’re gone for so long.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr admits the Jonathan Kuminga trade demand is a difficult situation for all parties involved, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “There’s not a whole lot I can say about the other stuff,” Kerr said. “It is what it is. Difficult situation for everybody. Part of this league, part of this job. We just keep moving forward. But it’s a tough situation and I don’t really have much to add.” Kuminga was in attendance for a rare home shootaround at Chase Center before the Warriors played the Knicks. Once reporters were allowed in, Kuminga sprinted off the court without comment.
- Rudy Gobert had a nightmarish outing on Friday and he took the blame for the Timberwolves‘ loss to the Rockets. The veteran center made just two of 10 free throws, committed two crucial turnovers and made some uncharacteristic defensive mistakes in the late going, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic notes. “Just a lot of plays, man. Mistakes. Free throws. A lot of things that I can control,” Gobert said. “I definitely cost us the game. I take responsibility for that. I’ve got to be better.”
- The Pelicans lost the battle of conference cellar-dwellers on Friday, falling to Indiana. The Pacers racked up 127 points, their third-highest total this season. “The biggest thing is they had 20 more shots on goal,” Pelicans interim coach James Borrego said, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “We did enough offensively, even though I don’t think the second half was great offensively. But we just didn’t get enough stops.”
Trade Rumors: Morant, Heat, Lakers, Raptors, Bucks, Wolves
Classifying the level of league-wide trade interest in Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant as “tepid,” ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst say the Heat‘s interest, specifically, has been overstated.
As Bontemps and Windhorst explain, Miami has been “laser focused” on keeping its salary cap relatively clean for the 2027 offseason, when superstars like Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo could become free agents. Sources tell ESPN that it’s highly unlikely the team would pivot away from that plan in order to acquire Morant, whose contract includes a guaranteed $44.9MM salary for 2027/28.
Addressing ESPN’s report, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link) essentially agrees, writing that the Heat haven’t made an offer for Morant and are only interested if it’s a “complete giveaway” from Memphis’ perspective. Jackson jokes that the Grizzlies might even need to throw in a first-round pick to entice Miami.
As for which other teams might be in the mix for Morant, sources who spoke to Bontemps and Windhorst don’t believe there’s much of a market for the two-time All-Star, whose production has declined in recent years, but the Bucks were repeatedly mentioned as one possible option, per ESPN’s duo.
Here’s more from Bontemps and Windhorst on the NBA trade market:
- The Lakers are seeking help on the perimeter and rim protection as they consider their in-season options, league sources tell ESPN. “They’re going to be looking for bargain deals and they might be able to find one if they’re willing to take on long-term money,” one Western Conference general manager said. “But they probably need to make sure that player is a good fit with Luka (Doncic) to justify it.”
- The Raptors have been gauging the trade value of several of their players, including guard Immanuel Quickley and forward RJ Barrett, sources tell Bontemps and Windhorst. While other teams may be reluctant to take on long-term salary for potential trade candidates like Morant, Domantas Sabonis, or Anthony Davis, the Raptors – who have been linked to each of those players – would be in better position to do because their offers would include multiyear contracts of their own (Quickley, Barrett, and/or Jakob Poeltl), ESPN’s duo points out. Still, a lack of bigger expiring contracts means Toronto would have to include draft compensation to strengthen its offers.
- The Bucks have expressed interest in talent “at basically any position” and are widely regarded as a team that will make a meaningful move at the deadline, according to ESPN. “Milwaukee still has a first-round pick they can trade, and they’re $14 million under the luxury tax,” one Eastern Conference executive said. “I’ve seen teams make chicken salad with less.”
- According to Bontemps and Windhorst, executives believe the Timberwolves are hoping to bolster their backcourt while also reducing their payroll, as they’re poised to pay a significant tax bill for a second straight season. It will be difficult for Minnesota to make a real upgrade without giving up at least one rotation player, however.
Timberwolves Notes: Deadline, Hyland, Beringer, Edwards
The Timberwolves had an uneven start to the season, but they hold the NBA’s best record (17-6) since Thanksgiving and they made an emphatic case for the front office to have a quiet trade deadline in Tuesday’s blowout victory in Milwaukee, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
Playing without Rudy Gobert (suspension) and Anthony Edwards (foot), the Wolves annihilated the Bucks, cruising to a 33-point victory that “felt like a statement” to the world — and president of basketball operations Tim Connelly — that the current roster may not need any upgrades ahead of February 5, Krawczynski writes.
“We don’t need anything,” one player told The Athletic after the game. “We’re a really, really good team.”
According to Krawczynski, Minnesota’s front office has been evaluating trade options for “weeks.” Team sources tell The Athletic the Wolves are unlikely to pursue high-priced point guards like Ja Morant or LaMelo Ball because they want to stay under the second tax apron and don’t want to gut their depth.
Krawczynski suggests a more likely move may be to add a reserve wing or guard who can help alleviate some of the pressure Edwards faces at the end of games.
Here’s more on the Wolves:
- Two players who made a significant impact on Tuesday were fifth-year guard Bones Hyland and center Joan Beringer, Krawcznski notes. Hyland, who finished with 23 points, five assists and a remarkable plus-41 in 21 minutes, has emerged as reliable bench option over the past several weeks, while rookie Beringer was playing his first meaningful minutes of the season — he had 12 points, five rebounds and was plus-30 in 30 minutes. Head coach Chris Finch suggested it’s possible Beringer could have a rotation role going forward. “We can. People are going to have to sacrifice minutes, but if he plays like this, then we should be benefiting from everybody,” Finch said. “We will step-by-step this. Since draft night, we’ve long believed in this kid. This is just the beginning.”
- In an interview with Spencer Davis of R.org, former first-round pick Hyland says he has matured since he was drafted 26th overall by Denver in 2021. “I would say the biggest thing is maturity, understanding the business side of basketball, and just understanding the patience of basketball, too,” Hyland said. “I feel like some guys get carried away with losing their mind, losing their mental battle with basketball. I feel like once you beat that, everything comes to be much easier for you on the court. I feel like I beat that, and now, it’s just taking care of the basketball part and just trying to go out there and be the best basketball player I can be for Minnesota.”
- Edwards will miss his second straight game on Friday at Houston due to right foot injury management, the Wolves announced (via Twitter). According to Krawczynski (Twitter links), Finch referred to the star guard as day-to-day on Thursday morning. Krawczynski hears there are no long-term concerns with Edwards’ injury.