Giannis Trade Rumors: Warriors, Wolves, Blazers, Sixers, Nets
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Monday morning that the Warriors have been the most aggressive team in pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, with ESPN’s Shams Charania later reporting that Golden State had made a “pick-heavy offer.”
Writing for The Stein Line (Substack link), Jake Fischer says the Warriors were cautiously optimistic over the weekend about their odds of acquiring the superstar forward if the Bucks decide to trade him prior to Thursday’s deadline.
However, there may be a significant holdup in a deal coming to fruition. League sources tell Fischer there have been “recent rumblings,” which the Warriors are aware of, that Giannis may not be enthusiastic about landing in Golden State.
Fischer acknowledges that only Antetokounmpo may know how credible those rumors are, but he’s heard from sources close to the situation that the 31-year-old “could be turned off” by the prospect of playing on an older team and/or being criticized for teaming up with Stephen Curry, just as Kevin Durant was and continues to be years later.
Although one source with knowledge of Antetokounmpo’s thinking told Fischer that he “wants to win,” Fischer has heard separately that also Giannis cares about his career arc.
As Fischer explains, part of the reason the Knicks appeal to the perennial All-NBA member is the fact that they haven’t won a championship since 1973; that same line of thinking is part of the reason why Giannis is intrigued by the possibility of joining Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, who have never won a title, Fischer writes.
Here are several more Giannis-related trade rumors and notes:
- Fischer continues to hear the Warriors’ offer for Antetokounmpo is unlikely to include Jimmy Butler, whom Golden State wants to retain despite his torn ACL. If the deal is instead built around around Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green, rival teams don’t expect the Bucks to actually keep Green. That said, Fischer hears the 35-year-old forward/center’s trade value is “murky” for a variety of reasons, including the fact that he has a $27.7MM player option for ’26/27. People around the situation noted that the Suns would have been a good fit in the offseason, but that was before they acquired Dillon Brooks. Phoenix is still on the lookout for frontcourt upgrades, sources tell Fischer.
- Like many teams around the NBA, the Timberwolves have spent “weeks” preparing for the possibility of Giannis becoming available, multiple team sources tell Jon Krawcyznski of The Athletic. The Wolves are considered one of the strongest suitors for the five-time All-Defensive member for multiple reasons, Krawczynski explains: the Wolves are viewed as a contender, having made the Western Conference finals each of the past two years; Giannis and Edwards have mutual respect; and president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has pulled off multiple blockbuster trades since he was hired by Minnesota in 2022.
- Still, some rival teams remain skeptical the Bucks will actually trade Antetokounmpo by the deadline, Krawcyznski writes, since they could get more appealing offers in the summer.
- Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link) weighs the pros and cons of the Trail Blazers getting involved in a potential Antetokounmpo trade, whether it’s dealing for him themselves or acting as a facilitator. Portland certainly has assets Milwaukee wants, since the Blazers control the Bucks’ first-round picks from 2028-2030 (two swaps and one pick). According to Highkin, the Blazers are willing to act as a third team — if they get a player they really like. But Highkin doesn’t think Mikal Bridges (Knicks) or Jalen McDaniels (Timberwolves) would fit that bill. As Highkin writes, the Blazers were interested in Bridges, but that was a few years ago when he was obviously younger and on a more team-friendly contract, not the four-year, $150MM extension that will begin next season.
- The Trail Blazers could put together a very compelling package for Antetokounmpo, but it could be riskier than it would be for other teams since they aren’t close to being a contender at the moment and there have been no indications to this point that Giannis wants to end up in Portland, Highkin notes. It could end up being a one-year rental scenario, since Antetokounmpo has a player option for ’27/28, which may not appeal to Portland.
- On Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports’ podcast, Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports said the Sixers will definitely inquire about Antetokounmpo prior to Thursday at 2:00 pm CT (Twitter video link). “If you think that Giannis is on the trade block and there is not gonna be a call between the Sixers and the Bucks at some point between now and the deadline on Thursday, I don’t think you’ve been paying attention,” Neubeck said. “I think that they are interested. Any time a player like Giannis is on the market … (president of basketball operations) Daryl Morey is a guy who wants stars. He cares about stars.” Neubeck previously reported that VJ Edgecombe was unavailable in trade talks, and reiterated to O’Connor that he would be “stunned” if the standout rookie is moved.
- As of Monday afternoon, the Nets had not called the Bucks about Antetokounmpo, a source tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link). ClutchPoints reported earlier on Monday that the Nets had inquired about Giannis, but Brett Siegel tweeted it was a mistake that was quickly corrected. Brooklyn has long been linked to Giannis and there has been speculation the team will make an offer for him.
- Zach Kram and Kevin Pelton of ESPN propose fake six Giannis trades, which are evaluated by Bobby Marks.
Latest On Clippers, James Harden
The Clippers were “stunned” to learn that James Harden wanted out of Los Angeles, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who reports (via Twitter) that Harden and his camp expressed his desire to be traded.
However, Harden must have informed the team some time ago, as Siegel and his ClutchPoints colleague Tomer Azarly hear Harden and the Clippers have been discussing the possibility of parting ways for “weeks” (Twitter link). L.A. has strong interest in Darius Garland, per Siegel and Azarly.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier that the Clippers and Harden were working together to try and find a suitable deal by Thursday’s deadline. The Cavaliers appear to be the frontrunner to land the 11-time All-Star, but other teams appear to be in the mix as well.
According to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports, rival teams have speculated that Harden’s contract may be at the center of the trade request. The 36-year-old has a player option for 2026/27 worth $42.32MM, but only $13.32MM of that figure is guaranteed.
The Cavs are seeking draft compensation, particularly a first-round pick or swap, to trade Garland for Harden, sources tell Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). The Clippers have balked at that idea, says Mannix.
Appearing on SportsCenter (Twitter video link), Charania reports that Harden has expressed reservations about his future with the Clippers. The eight-time All-NBA is hoping to land with a championship contender, according to Charania, who confirms the Cavaliers are one of the main suitors for Harden.
Sources tell Azarly and Siegel that Harden was hoping to sign a two-year, $80MM (guaranteed) deal to remain with the Clippers this summer, but the team is unwilling to go beyond one year. There’s still a chance Harden remains with the Clippers past the deadline, Azarly and Siegel add.
The Cavaliers are believed to have asked about the Clippers’ 2030 first-round pick, sources tell ClutchPoints.
The Timberwolves are among the teams with interest in Harden, but they didn’t have traction on a potential trade as of Monday night, per ClutchPoints. The Raptors and Pelicans also inquired about Harden, but the 17-year veteran has “no interest” in being traded to either team, according to Azarly and Siegel.
After Monday’s loss to Philadelphia, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue was asked about the situation. While he declined to talk specifics, he made it clear how he feels about Harden, saying the star guard “means a lot” to the organization, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (Twitter link).
Latest On Giannis Antetokounmpo
Will the Bucks trade Giannis Antetokounmpo prior to Thursday at 2:00 pm CT? That’s the biggest question in the NBA right now.
Appearing on SportsCenter on Monday evening (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania provided some new details on the situation, reporting that the Warriors, Heat, Timberwolves and Knicks have all made offers for the two-time MVP.
Charania reiterated that Milwaukee, which has made counteroffers to some proposals, continues to look for a “young blue-chip talent and/or a surplus of [first-round] draft picks.”
“My understanding is the Warriors have made a pick-heavy offer, Minnesota is more of a player-centric offer, and Miami is somewhere in the middle,” Charania said. “… The Bucks are going to have to choose: do we take one of these offers and continue to negotiate? [Or wait until the offseason]?”
It’s worth noting that neither the Knicks nor the Timberwolves have first-round picks to offer in a trade (New York technically controls Washington’s 2026 first-rounder, but it’s top-eight protected and highly likely to turn into two second-round picks). In a SportsCenter appearance earlier on Monday (YouTube link), Charania’s colleague Brian Windhorst said the Knicks aren’t acting as though they plan to go all-in for Giannis.
“I just don’t think that is something that is really hot right now,” Windhorst said. “… It’s very likely for the Knicks to outbid some of the other teams that are going for Giannis that they would need to involve a third team. But they have not been active in doing that as far as I have been told. If all of a sudden that changes and they start offering players to go pick up assets, that would indicate that they’re going after Giannis.
“They have talked to the Bucks. I think they are in the conversation, but I don’t think it’s something they’re aggressively pursuing. And that kind of makes sense — they’re playing some of their best basketball right now.”
On NBA Today (YouTube link), Windhorst called the Timberwolves a “long shot” to acquire Antetokounmpo, but that doesn’t mean they’re not trying.
“They are in the game for Giannis,” Windhorst said. “And unlike some of these other teams, which may not be as aggressive, when Shams says an aggressive team, he’s talking about the Wolves. Because they are out there recruiting third and fourth teams to try to improve their offer to see if they can get Giannis.
“If they don’t [get Giannis], which I think it’s a long shot, you could see them making a backup deal [for] a guard.”
A league source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that the Heat’s offer for Antetokounmpo is “widely expected” to feature Kel’el Ware, Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier‘s expiring contract, at least one more young player, both of their tradable first-round picks (2030 and 2032), and potentially pick swaps in 2026, 2029 and 2031.
While they’re unable to include a third first-rounder right now due to the Stepien rule, the Heat might need to acquire one to sweeten their offer, and Jackson suggests a few ways they could pull that off, including amending the protections on the pick they owe the Hornets.
Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio with Zach Harper (Twitter video link), NBA insider Marc Stein gave his take on situation, saying “it’s really hard to call” whether Giannis will be traded in the next few days.
“I think [rival] teams themselves are trying to make sense of it, and trying to gauge how serious the Bucks are,” Stein said. “The reality is they are fielding interest and they are talking about the concept of a Giannis trade with more intensity and seriousness than has ever been applied to it.”
Writing at his Substack, Stein says the Bucks continue to hold out hope that they may be able to convince the nine-time All-NBA member to stay in Milwaukee, as unlikely as that seems at the moment.
Dillon Brooks, Brandon Miller Earn Player Of Week Honors
Suns forward Dillon Brooks and Hornets forward Brandon Miller have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league (Twitter links).
Brooks led his team to a 3-1 record during the week of January 26 to February 1 while averaging 28.8 points per game on 54.5 percent shooting from three-point range. He also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists during those four contests, which included victories by double-digits over the Pistons and Cavaliers.
Miller averaged 26.3 points in just 29.8 minutes per game as the Hornets enjoyed a 4-0 week capped by a win over San Antonio The third-year wing shot 50 percent from three-point range, grabbed 5.8 rebounds per game, and made all 25 of his free throw attempts en route to his first ever Player of the Week award.
Besides being named Player of the Week for the first time in their respective careers, Brooks and Miller are each became the first player from his team to earn the honor this season.
Brooks beat out a handful of stars for the weekly awards. Luka Doncic (Lakers), Kevin Durant (Rockets), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) were the other Western Conference nominees.
Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers), OG Anunoby and Josh Hart (Knicks), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Joel Embiid (Sixers) and Aaron Nesmith (Pacers) were also nominated in the East.
Northwest Notes: Avdija, Markkanen, Porter, DiVincenzo
For Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, the excitement of being selected for his first All-Star appearance was mixed with a return of the back pain that has limited his playing time lately, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Avdija was forced to sit out Sunday’s loss to Cleveland, marking the third time he’s been unavailable in the past five games and his sixth absence since January 13. While Avdija is looking forward to the All-Star game, that wasn’t his priority when reporters asked him about the honor.
“I have a lot of other things I think about,” Avdija said. “We’re struggling a little bit right now as a team, so I’m thinking more about the team right now than actually the All-Star (game).”
Freeman notes that Sunday was an eventful day for the Blazers, marked by a trade with Atlanta for Vit Krejci and the return of Blake Wesley, who had been sidelined with a broken bone in his right foot since October 31. Wesley was able to play 19 minutes, finishing with five points, three rebounds and four assists, and said it felt good to be back on the court.
“I feel like I did what the team wanted me to do,” he said. “Bring the energy. Bring the spark off the bench. That’s what I’m known to do. So I’m going to continue to do that.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was among this year’s most notable All-Star snubs, observes Kevin Reynolds of The Salt Lake Tribune. Markkanen, who’s averaging 27.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in 36 games, said before the reserves were announced that he thought he deserved consideration. “I think I’ve played at that level,” he said. “The NBA is really talented and there are a lot of high-level players. Obviously, that is an individual goal of mine. I hope I make it and, like I said, I’ve played at that level.”
- Michael Porter Jr. harbors no resentment toward the Nuggets for trading him. In fact, the Nets forward, who could get moved again this week, fully understands why Denver’s front office made the transaction. “I don’t look back at it with any saltiness toward the organization or anything. I think they got a lot out of trading me,” Porter told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “They got not only Cam (Johnson), but (Jonas) Valanciunas, Bruce (Brown), Tim Hardaway, who’s playing amazing. … I think it’s cool. And I still keep up with them. They’ve been able to stay afloat when Joker is out, AG (Aaron Gordon) is out, CB (Christian Braun) is out. And I don’t know with our roster last year, if some of those guys went down, if it would have been the same. So it probably is one of those unique trades where it kind of worked out for everybody.”
- Donte DiVincenzo of the Timberwolves credits Khris Middleton as being his favorite and most impactful veteran during his early years in the league, he stated on the RedHead Sports Pod. “He’s not the most athletic guy. He’s not the most flashy guy. Like, he just knew how to get a bucket and he knew how to be a pro,” DiVincenzo said of his former Bucks teammate. DiVincenzo has been on a tear lately, averaging 12.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game last month.
Dana Gauruder contributed to this post.
Cavaliers, Kings Actively Looking To Make More Deals
The Cavaliers and Kings made a splash over the weekend, completing a deal that saw Cleveland acquiring Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder, and Emanuel Miller, with De’Andre Hunter headed to Sacramento. The Bulls were also involved in the transaction, acquiring Dario Saric and two second-round picks to facilitate it.
According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Cavaliers and Kings aren’t through wheeling and dealing.
The Cavs’ top executive, Koby Altman, is aggressively pursuing trades involving Lonzo Ball and injured wing Max Strus. The Hunter trade took the Cavs from $22MM to just $13.9MM above the second apron and brought their total payroll down to $221.7MM.
Altman is hoping to move his team out of the second apron, thus giving him more flexibility to make significant roster changes over the summer. Shedding Ball’s contract — he’s making $10MM this season with a $10MM club option for next season — would help the Cavaliers achieve that goal. Ball has only averaged 4.6 points and 3.9 assists in 20.8 minutes per game, so dumping his salary would likely cost the Cavs some draft capital.
As for Strus, he’s still recovering from offseason left foot surgery. Strus has become a focal point in talks surrounding the Cavs in the aftermath of Saturday’s trade, according to Siegel.
He’s become even more expendable with the acquisitions of guards Ellis and Schroder. Strus is making nearly $16MM this season and has $16.66MM more remaining on his contract for next season. If the Cavs can’t move him this week, he will be a prime trade candidate in the offseason, Siegel adds.
As for the Kings, they’re continuing to look for any takers for Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis. While it’s unlikely DeRozan or Sabonis will be dealt before Thursday’s deadline, one intriguing suitor remains in the mix the big man — the Raptors.
Jakob Poeltl‘s ongoing back problems have led Toronto to consider the possibility of adding an impact frontcourt player. They’ve cooled on the idea of trading for the Mavericks’ Anthony Davis but adding Sabonis would be less complicated, especially since the Kings are interested in RJ Barrett.
The Kings could also help to facilitate other trades around the league with Monk’s contract. He’s in the second year of a four-year, $78MM deal. The Timberwolves have expressed exploratory interest in Monk.
Whatever the Kings may do this week, they will likely soon convert Dylan Cardwell‘s two-way contract into a standard deal.
As for the transaction that was completed, the Bucks and Lakers held trade discussions with the Cavs regarding Hunter.
The Lakers’ package revolved around Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht but they balked at not receiving any additional assets or draft compensation for the final year of Hunter’s contract. The Bucks made both Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis available to Cleveland.
Bulls Notes: White, Dosunmu, Jones, Essengue, Terry, Giddey
The two future second-round picks the Bulls received for helping to facilitate Sunday’s Cleveland-Sacramento trade could be useful in other deals this week, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes in a subscriber-only story. Cowley reported in December that executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas was being very aggressive in trade talks, and a source tells him that approach hasn’t changed as the deadline nears.
Chicago has eight potential free agents this summer, including guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. Cowley hears that Karnisovas is trying to find a taker for White, who’s expected to seek a substantial raise on the open market, but he’s receiving greater interest in Dosunmu and Tre Jones because they’re viewed as more affordable. Jones signed a three-year, $24MM contract last summer. Cowley states that White has been discussed with the Timberwolves and Rockets, and “the door wasn’t completely shut with either team.”
Cowley adds that Karnisovas has contacted the Pelicans in hopes of landing Zion Williamson and/or Yves Missi and has called about Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin as well.
There’s more from Chicago:
- The Bulls are focused on building their roster around Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. Essengue, the 12th pick in last year’s draft, only played two games before being lost for the season with a shoulder injury, but Lorenzi states that the front office still views him as a multi-positional defender and a strong transition threat. He’s seen as the eventual starter at power forward, with Buzelis moving into a wing role. Lorenzi also mentions Missi as a potential trade target, noting that Giddey has never played alongside that type of rim-running center, and he states that the Bulls have indicated to rival teams that they’re willing to help facilitate more trades in exchange for assets.
- Dalen Terry hasn’t been able to establish himself as a rotation player during his four seasons in Chicago and didn’t receive a rookie scale extension before the October deadline. His NBA future might be elsewhere, Cowley relays in a separate story, but that doesn’t mean he’s hoping to be traded by Thursday. “I wouldn’t say that,” Terry said. “I don’t put too much into it. The trade deadline is what it is. You get traded, you get traded. Hopefully it’s to a good place if you do, or hopefully if you don’t, they make a trade, and a good player comes in.”
- Giddey missed his third straight game on Sunday for left hamstring injury management, but he’s not expected to be out of the lineup much longer, Cowley adds. “I think he’s feeling better, but I think it’s going to be, at least in talking to the medical guys, they’re not going to put him out there until they see the tightness is gone,” Donovan said.
Bucks Making Counteroffers In Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Talks
The Bucks “remained engaged with teams that have interest” in trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo over the weekend and submitted counteroffers to a few of them, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on a SportsCenter appearance (Twitter video link; hat tip to Real GM).
Charania listed the Heat, Timberwolves, Warriors and Knicks as “the most serious suitors” so far, although several other teams are rumored to be involved. He adds that it “comes down to the price point” for Antetokounmpo, which means parting with young talent, “a surplus of draft picks” or possibly a combination of both.
The Bucks have been sending mixed signals about whether they intend to part with their franchise player by Thursday’s deadline or wait until the summer in hopes of negotiating a better deal. Charania’s report is the strongest indication so far that Milwaukee is serious about making a trade this week.
The Bucks were hoping to put together a late-season run toward the playoffs and were originally approaching the deadline as buyers with an eye on upgrading the roster and convincing Antetokounmpo to stay. Those plans seemed to change on January 23 when Antetokoumpo suffered a calf injury that will keep him out indefinitely, virtually sinking the team’s postseason hopes. Milwaukee lost its fifth straight game Sunday at Boston and has fallen to 12th in the East at 18-29.
As Charania points out, there are pros and cons to the Bucks waiting for the offseason to make the deal. Interested teams will have additional draft capital to offer, but Antetokounmpo will also have more control over where he wants to go. After making $58.5MM next season, he holds a $62.8MM player option for 2027/28 and can threaten not to re-sign with a team that trades for him if it’s not one of his preferred destinations.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers addressed the trade rumors Sunday in an appearance on ESPN’s NBA Countdown (Twitter video link), stating, “I think everyone will be here” past the deadline. He also said he’s looking forward to the end of the week so speculation can be put on hold for a few months.
“He wants to be a Buck, he loves the city and that’s all I can go by as a coach right now,” Rivers said of Antetokounmpo. “Has it been difficult? Yeah. My favorite day of the year this year will be the day after the trade deadline. I think everyone will be here.”
Rivers added that Antetokounmpo expects to play again this season and is hoping to “get into the playoffs healthy.”
Northwest Notes: McDaniels, Thunder, Jazz, Conley
Jaden McDaniels‘ name has popped up in rumors surrounding the Timberwolves‘ pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, but on Thursday night’s win over the Thunder, he showed just how valuable he is to Minnesota in his own right, writes Jon Krawczynski for The Athletic.
The sixth-year wing is averaging career-highs in points (14.9) and assists (2.9) per game, as well as three-point percentage (44.5%), free throw attempts per game (2.5) and free throw percentage (84.9%). He has also missed just two games this season after playing all 82 last year, and has only made fewer than 70 appearances once in his career (in a COVID-shortened season).
Most importantly, McDaniels has the support of the team around him.
“He’s my favorite player in the league,” star Anthony Edwards said about him. “I love everything about Jaden, everything that he does on the court, defensively, offensively, for us as a team, on the bench, he’s always cheering his teammates on no matter how the game goes for him.”
Both Edwards and head coach Chris Finch have discussed how hard he grinds to fix the holes in his game and the business-like approach he takes to his career.
“He’s an incredible worker,” Finch said. “He’s like a machine every day.”
Krawczynski writes that any Antetokounmpo deal for the Wolves would likely require McDaniels to be moved, either to the Bucks or to a third team, but should no deal come to pass, McDaniels has become the piece the Wolves need him to be at exactly the right time.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Thunder are unlikely to make a major shake-up move at the trade deadline, with most reports indicating that 22-year-old wing Ousmane Dieng is the most likely player on the team to be moved. That said, the team could still use some frontcourt insurance depth, especially with Isaiah Hartenstein in and out of the lineup with injuries, Rylan Stiles writes for Sports Illustrated. In his breakdown of seven potential trade targets, Stiles primarily focuses on depth big men who are unlikely to be overly coveted by their team. Kevin Love (Jazz), Nick Richards (Suns), Bobby Portis (Bucks), and Jock Landale (Grizzlies) are three veterans he believes could be acquired for little more than Dieng and second-round picks, of which the team is loaded. He also looks at the Nets‘ Day’Ron Sharpe, a productive per-minute big man whom Stiles notes could fit into Oklahoma City’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception before the club decides what to do with his team option in the summer. As a more ambitious target, Stiles notes that Trey Murphy III (Pelicans) would make an excellent stylistic fit, but the cost to acquire him would likely be more than the Thunder are willing to pay in-season.
- The Jazz are also not expected to make any major moves by the deadline, Andy Larson writes for the Salt Lake City Tribune. Notably, that means that unless Utah is blown away by a godfather offer, Lauri Markkanen is expected to remain a part of the team’s core moving forward. While Jusuf Nurkic was considered a clear trade candidate coming into the year, his solid play within coach Will Hardy‘s system has the team trying to figure out how he can fit into the team’s outlook moving forward rather than gauging what they can get for him in a deal, Larson reports. Nurkic is averaging a career-high 5.0 assists per game, along with his 11.2 points per game, his best mark since the 2022/23 season. Larson notes that Love and Kyle Anderson could be moved in deals, as both have been in and out of the rotation, and that rather than acting as sellers, the Jazz could be in a position to take bad money in order to add more assets to their substantial draft pick collection. He lists D’Angelo Russell of the Mavericks and Maxi Kleber of the Lakers as two such players they could receive draft compensation to take on.
- Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley wants to keep playing past this season, but doesn’t know if he’ll be able to do so, according to Dane Moore (Twitter video link). “Honestly, every game I play from here on out I think about, ‘Is this my last game?‘” Conley said. “I know I want to play more years, but you just never know how things work… I’m just gonna go out there and have fun and not take things for granted.“
NBA Announces 2026 All-Star Reserves
The NBA has announced its 2026 All-Star reserves, revealing this year’s honorees on NBC ahead of the Knicks/Lakers matchup (Twitter links).
The following players will join the 10 All-Star starters the league announced on Monday, January 19.
Eastern Conference Reserves:
Guard: Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)- Guard: Norman Powell (Heat)
- Frontcourt: Jalen Johnson (Hawks)
- Frontcourt: Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks)
- Frontcourt: Pascal Siakam (Pacers)
- Frontcourt: Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
- Frontcourt: Jalen Duren (Pistons)
The East will see three first-time All-Stars in Johnson, Powell, and Duren. Powell is averaging a career-high 23.0 points per game in his first season in Miami, while Johnson has emerged as one of the league’s most versatile point forwards on offense, averaging 23.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per night while hitting 36.0% of his threes. Duren is averaging 18.0 PPG and 10.7 RPG, and is the second-leading scorer on the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons.
Towns is having a down year from an efficiency standpoint but has managed to contribute in other ways, leading the NBA in rebounds per game (11.8) while scoring 20.0 points per game on 36.4% shooting from deep. He will join teammate Jalen Brunson, who was named a starter for the second straight year, while Duren will join running mate Cade Cunningham.
Western Conference Reserves:
- Guard: Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
- Guard: Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
- Guard: Devin Booker (Suns)
- Frontcourt: Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
- Frontcourt: Kevin Durant (Rockets)
- Frontcourt: Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers)
- Frontcourt: LeBron James (Lakers)
For the Western Conference, Murray, Holmgren, and Avdija are all first-time All-Stars. Murray had long been considered one of the league’s best players – if not the best – to never take part in the event, but will no longer hold that title. He’s having his best scoring (25.8 PPG) and play-making (7.4 APG) season as a pro, and has helped the Nuggets hold onto the No. 2 seed despite missing co-star and All-Star starter Nikola Jokic for 16 games.
Avdija has exploded for the Blazers this season, averaging 25.5 points per game (after scoring 16.9 PPG last season) while also contributing 7.2 RPG and 6.7 APG and leading Portland to what is currently a play-in spot.
Despite cooling off a bit since his scorching start, Holmgren is averaging 17.8 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 2.0 BPG and has anchored Oklahoma City’s dominant defense all season, especially while starting center Isaiah Hartenstein faced an extended absence due to a calf injury.
Booker was named to the team after leading the overachieving Suns to a 30-19 record — they’re currently percentage points behind the Lakers for the No. 6 spot in the West.
James was named to his 22nd consecutive All-Star team despite having a down year by his own standards. He is currently averaging 21.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 6.6 APG for the Lakers, who are 29-18 coming into tonight’s game against the Knicks.
The Lakers, Knicks, Thunder, Pistons, and Nuggets are the teams with multiple players represented.
Some notable players not to make this year’s All-Star team include Michael Porter Jr., Kawhi Leonard, Bam Adebayo, Joel Embiid, Julius Randle, Lauri Markkanen, Brandon Ingram, and Alperen Sengun — they’re among the top candidates to become injury replacements.
As Ian Begley of SNY notes (via Twitter), the NBA’s decision to include a USA versus World component requires at least eight international players. Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, Jokic, Avdija, Murray, and Siakam will make up a majority of the World roster, but with starter Giannis Antetokounmpo injured, the league will need to decide whether Towns, who suits up for the Dominican Republic in international play, as well as Powell, who played with Jamaica last summer, will be considered international or American players, Marc Stein observes (via Twitter). Either way, an injury replacement will need to be named for the Eastern Conference.
Stein adds that the NBA will announce the official roster breakdowns on Tuesday (Twitter link).