Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Paul George To Undergo MRI On Finger

January 25th, 2025 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Paul George suffered an injury to his left pinky finger during Saturday’s game at Chicago and will undergo an MRI on Sunday, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

Sixers coach Nick Nurse told reporters that George jammed the finger, which caused him to be removed from the game in the second quarter. George played less than 13 minutes, finishing with nine points, one rebound and one assist.

It’s been a difficult season for George and the Sixers in general, although Saturday’s win pulled them to within one game of the Bulls for 10th place and the final play-in spot in the East. They were expecting to be among the league’s top teams after adding George in free agency, but he and Joel Embiid have suffered a series of injuries that have wrecked the season.

George has missed 14 games already with a variety of ailments, including left groin soreness that forced him to sit out twice last week. He has appeared in 30 games in his first season with Philadelphia, and his scoring average of 17.4 PPG is down more than five points from what it was with the Clippers last season. However, he’s collecting 5.8 rebounds and dishing out 4.8 assists per night, which are both higher than what he did in L.A. a year ago.

The Sixers were already missing five rotation players for tonight’s game, including rookie guard Jared McCain, who was lost for the season after surgery on his left meniscus. Embiid is dealing with swelling in his left knee and hasn’t played since January 4. Backup center Andre Drummond sat out while recovering from an injury to his left toe, Caleb Martin has a strained right hip and KJ Martin hasn’t played since December 23 due to a stress reaction in his left foot.

Both Martins are expected to return to practice next week and their availability will be determined from there, Pompey states in a full story on the game.

Maxi Kleber Sidelined With Broken Right Foot

January 25th, 2025 at 8:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks big man Maxi Kleber suffered a broken right foot in Saturday’s loss to Boston, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The team confirmed the news (via Twitter), adding that Kleber will be reevaluated later this week.

Kleber was injured late in the third quarter when he fell to the ground while backing up after a missed shot by Jaylen Brown, according to The Dallas Morning News. He continued playing defense after the Celtics got the rebound, but began limping when he tried to contest a shot by Derrick White.

He hopped around on one leg before leaving the game during a stoppage in play. The team announced that he had been ruled out with what was originally believed to be an ankle injury.

Kleber had been playing on a restriction of 20 minutes per game after dealing with an oblique issue in early January. He has been considered one of Dallas’ top trade candidates due to his $11MM cap hit, but suffering a serious injury so close to the deadline will likely take him off the market. He’s under contract for $11MM again next season before becoming a free agent in 2026.

Kleber has been a valuable contributor mostly in a reserve role throughout his eight years in Dallas. He has appeared in 34 games this season and was averaging 3.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 19.0 minutes per night coming into today.

The timing of the injury is devastating for the Mavericks, who are already missing Dereck Lively and Dwight Powell from their big man rotation. The team announced Wednesday that Lively suffered a stress fracture in his right ankle and will be reevaluated in four weeks. Powell is dealing with a strained right hip that has kept him out of action since January 17.

“It’s a hole. It’s tough,” coach Jason Kidd told reporters after the game. “I’ve never seen anything like it, and it’s not gonna get any better.” (Twitter video link from Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News)

Magic’s Jalen Suggs Returning From Low Back Strain

January 25th, 2025 at 5:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Suggs will return to the court tonight against Detroit after missing the past 10 games with a low back strain, the Magic announced (via Twitter).

Orlando went 2-8 with Suggs sidelined and enters tonight on a five-game losing streak. After a strong start to the season, the Magic have fallen into seventh place in the East at 23-23.

Suggs, who last played on January 3, was in the midst of a career-best season before getting hurt. Through 34 games, the 23-year-old guard was averaging career highs with 16.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. He’s a vital part of the team’s defense, finishing 10th in the Defensive Player of the Year voting last season.

The Magic are starting to get healthier after a long string of injuries that sidetracked their season. Paolo Banchero returned from a torn oblique two weeks ago, and Franz Wagner was back in the lineup Thursday for the first time since suffering the same injury.

Suggs will start tonight alongside Banchero, Wagner, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wendell Carter Jr., tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, who notes that it’s the first time Orlando’s opening-night starting lineup has been together since October 30.

“Just the familiarity of being around each other,” coach Jamahl Mosley said of the benefit of having his preferred starters back together (Twitter video link). “And I’ll start by saying it’s not going to be the same as opening night. These guys haven’t been together. There’s minutes that these guys have to hold. But we do expect the standard of play of the continuity, the togetherness, the toughness, the defensive focus that we’ve constantly talked about. Us being who we are, you can expect that from this group tonight.”

Stein: Optimism Mavs’ Doncic Will Return Before ASG

January 25th, 2025 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s optimism in Dallas that star Mavericks guard Luka Doncic will be able to return to action prior to next month’s All-Star Game, reports NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Doncic sustained a left calf strain on Christmas Day vs. Minnesota, with subsequent reports indicating that he was expected to miss at least a month. The Mavs confirmed that they intended to reevaluate the five-time All-Star in approximately one month, so a formal update from the team could be around the corner.

Beginning with Saturday’s NBA Finals rematch vs. the defending champion Celtics, the Mavericks have 11 more games before All-Star weekend (Feb. 14-16). Doncic has already missed the club’s past 15 games as a result of his calf strain. Dallas is 5-10 during that stretch, with a handful of key players battling injuries.

While the Mavericks will obviously be inclined to play it safe with Doncic, who has dealt with multiple calf injuries over the course of his career, it would provide a huge lift if they can get him back on the court in the coming weeks.

The Mavs’ recent slump has dropped them into play-in territory in the Western Conference — the club currently holds the No. 7 seed, with a 24-21 record, and is just a single game ahead of the No. 10 Suns.

Prior to his injury, Doncic was averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and a career-high 2.0 steals in 35.7 minutes per game across 22 outings, with a shooting line of .464/.354/.767. As a result of this lengthy absence, he won’t be eligible for any end-of-season awards, since he’ll fall short of the 65-game requirement. He had made the All-NBA First Team five consecutive times entering 2024/25.

Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal previously reported that Doncic was on track to get healthy prior to the All-Star break.

Lakers’ Anthony Davis: “I Think We Need Another Big”

January 24th, 2025 at 4:11pm CST by Luke Adams

After writing on Wednesday about LeBron James‘ and Anthony Davis‘ desire for the Lakers to be aggressive on the trade market and their belief that the team might just be a piece or two away from contending for a championship, Shams Charania of ESPN shared an in-depth interview with Davis on Thursday in which the star big man publicly expressed that belief (YouTube link).

Asked by Charania whether he feels the Lakers are a couple pieces away from having a legitimate shot at a title, Davis emphatically replied, “We are. I really feel like we are.”

Davis pointed to what he believes is a specific area of need for the team, suggesting that he could use some more help in the frontcourt.

“I think we need another big,” he told Charania. “You see the teams that have been effective. Our biggest matchup the past couple years has been against Denver, trying to beat Denver. You watch Minnesota – obviously they’re a different team now – but you see how Minnesota beat Denver (in the 2024 playoffs) — two bigs.

“I feel like I’ve always been at my best when I’ve been the four and having a big out there. We know it worked when we won a championship with JaVale (McGee) and Dwight (Howard) at the five and I’m at the four.”

Jovan Buha of The Athletic recently identified the Lakers’ greatest needs as a two-way wing, another play-maker and ball-handler, and a center who can protect the rim and rebound. It’s possible the team will have enough bodies on the wing after acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith last month, especially if Jarred Vanderbilt is effective in his return from injuries that have sidelined him all season.

That would leave a ball-handler/play-maker and a big man as the two pieces the Lakers could most use. However, the club reportedly hasn’t been especially aggressive on the trade market and remains reluctant to trade its two movable first-round picks (2029 and 2031).

Los Angeles will also have to figure out which of its mid-sized contracts make sense to move. Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura are all making between $10MM and $17MM, but Vanderbilt and Vincent are considered negative assets due in part to their recent injury history. Meanwhile, the Lakers haven’t been willing to discuss Reaves and seem reluctant to part with Hachimura, since losing him would leave a hole in the lineup at forward.

As Buha writes in a story for The Athletic, Davis’ and James’ desire to trade those 2029 and 2031 first-round picks and go all-in is butting up against the front office’s preference to take a more conservative approach with an eye toward both the present and future.

Davis, James, and the Lakers made a strong case on Thursday for additional investment in this roster when they dismantled the Celtics, registering a 21-point home victory over the defending champions to push their record to 24-18. That’s the best mark Los Angeles has had at this point in the season since 2020/21.

According to Buha, when asked by reporters after the win about his comments to Charania, Davis said he knows Rob Pelinka and the front office are working the phones in search of upgrades. He also stressed that he and James have a “championship mindset,” echoing comments he made to ESPN about wanting to win another title.

“One, we want to win it for the city. Two, we never got a parade. Three, it’s a lot of talk about an asterisk next to the (2020) championship, which I believe was probably the toughest championship to win,” Davis told Charania. “We just think it’s time. We feel like we’re right there as far as the team and everything like that. (LeBron) and I are very, very motivated to win another championship.”

Timberwolves’ Donte DiVincenzo Won’t Need Surgery On Toe

January 24th, 2025 at 2:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Timberwolves starting point guard Donte DiVincenzo injured his toe during a January 15 matchup against the Warriors and has been on the shelf since then. He was ruled out indefinitely with what was termed a Grade 3 toe sprain.

According to a press release from the team, imaging revealed that DiVincenzo is dealing with a turf toe injury and has partially torn his plantar ligament in the toe. However, after the Wolves guard received a second opinion on the injury, it was determined that it would not require surgery.

DiVincenzo is set to be reevalauted in three weeks.

While DiVincenzo still faces an extended absence, this is a huge break for the Timberwolves. Had he required surgery, he could have been looking at recovery timeline measured in months, rather than weeks.

Oklahoma City guard Ajay Mitchell, for instance, was recently ruled out for at least 10-to-12 weeks following a turf toe surgery.

DiVincenzo looked out of sorts in his new digs for the first few months of the season, but he had turned a corner lately. Across his last 11 healthy games, DiVincenzo had begun to look like his New York-era self at last, averaging 16.4 points per game while slashing .446/.436/.852 shooting splits. He also registered 4.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game in those 11 bouts.

Rookie guard Rob Dillingham and 37-year-old veteran Mike Conley could get more run with DiVincenzo sidelined. DiVincenzo had recently replaced Conley as a starter.

Bucks “Active” In Trade Talks, Seeking “Impact Player”

January 24th, 2025 at 11:12am CST by Rory Maher

The Bucks have been one of the most aggressive teams in looking for roster upgrades over the past several years, pulling off blockbuster deals for Jrue Holiday in 2020 and Damian Lillard in 2023. Milwaukee has also been active in trade discussions leading up to the February 6 deadline, report Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link).

According to ESPN’s duo, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton are all expected to be on the trading block as the Bucks seek an “impact player” to improve their chances at winning another championship with Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Three-time All-Star Middleton is the most prominent name of the group. An essential part of Milwaukee’s title in 2021, the 33-year-old forward has dealt with a litany of major injuries over the past few seasons, appearing in just 106 games regular season games since the start of the 2022/23 campaign. He missed Thursday’s victory over Miami with an ankle injury and is considered day-to-day.

As Windhorst and Bontemps observe, the Bucks are currently over the second tax apron and would need shed about $6.5MM from their payroll in order to aggregate salaries. Connaughton, who earns $9.42MM in ’24/25, with an identical player option for ’25/26, has been viewed as the player most likely to be moved, but due to injuries and declining play, Milwaukee would have to attach sweeteners to trade him.

Middleton, meanwhile earns $31.67MM this season, with a $34MM player option for ’25/26. Portis makes $12.6MM in ’24/25, with a $13.45MM player option for next season.

All three played important roles during Milwaukee’s title run a handful of years ago, but so did Holiday, and that didn’t prevent the Bucks from trading him. Milwaukee has one future first-round pick (2031) it can dangle in trade talks, per Windhorst and Bontemps.

After starting the season with an abysmal 2-8 record, the Bucks have been surging up the standings, winning five straight and eight of their past nine. They’re currently 25-17, making them the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.

However, the Bucks have yet to beat Cleveland, Boston or New York this season, going 0-8 thus far against the three teams directly ahead of them in the East’s standings, as Windhorst and Bontemps point out.

Fischer: Zach LaVine Hopes To Stay With Bulls Past Deadline

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

Bulls wing Zach LaVine has been a prominent name in the NBA rumor mill for multiple seasons. While he and the team reportedly had a mutual desire to see LaVine traded out of Chicago in 2023/24, evidently the two-time All-Star has had a change of heart.

Sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) that LaVine now prefers to remain a Bull past the February 6 deadline. Still, while LaVine may not be pushing to be dealt, he doesn’t have control over his future.

As Fischer writes, the Bulls are incentivized to tank down the stretch so they can keep their 2025 first-round pick, which is top-10 protected. If that selection lands outside of the top 10 — Chicago currently has the ninth-worst record in the league at 19-25 — it would convey to San Antonio.

If they’re unable to land Jimmy Butler, the Suns could have interest in trying to trade Bradley Beal for LaVine, sources tell Fischer. I’m pretty skeptical that the Bulls would go for that even if Phoenix attaches multiple first-round picks to Beal and his no trade-clause, but it’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility. Of course, Beal would have to approve the deal too, which is far from a given.

LaVine has also been floated as a possibility to be included in a multi-team mega-trade involving both Beal and Butler, though that scenario is extremely complex.

LaVine, 29, has had a strong bounce-back season in ’24/25 after missing most of last season with a foot injury that required surgery. Through 40 games (34.0 minutes), he’s averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest, with an excellent shooting slash line of .513/.451/.812.

Head coach Billy Donovan has praised LaVine multiple times this season for his positive attitude, willingness to accept change, his on-court play, and his off-court leadership.

Although they have yet to make an in-season trade, the Bulls have displayed a willingness to discuss just about everyone on their roster, according to Fischer. Rival executives have described Chicago’s front office as “seeking change,” per Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link), though it’s unclear what that means beyond some sort of roster shake-up.

Grizzlies Have Talked To Heat About Jimmy Butler

January 24th, 2025 at 8:28am CST by Rory Maher

The Grizzlies are “lurking” as a potential suitor for Heat star Jimmy Butler, according to Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link), who report that Memphis has talked to Miami about Butler.

Multiple reporters have indicated that Butler’s camp has warned Memphis not to pursue him, though there hasn’t been an explicit reason given as to why. The 35-year-old makes $48.8MM in 2024/25 and could hit free agency in the summer if he declines his $52.4MM player option for ’25/26.

League executives have speculated that the Grizzlies might be interested in Butler for multiple reasons, per Windhorst and Bontemps.

For starters, they would like to consolidate some of their talent for an on-court upgrade ahead of the playoffs. Secondly, if they’re able to move off multiple multiyear contracts (Marcus Smart, among others) in a potential Butler deal and the six-time All-Star walks in free agency, they would have enough cap room to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr. in the offseason.

Due to the declining structure of Jackson’s contract and his relatively team-friendly cap hit, a veteran extension may not be possible unless he becomes eligible for a super-max by making an All-NBA team or winning Defensive Player of the Year for a second time.

If Memphis doesn’t want to extend Butler, that could certainly explain why his representatives have warned the team against trading for him. His rift with Miami has largely centered around his desire to receive a maximum-salary extension.

Sources tell ESPN that both the Heat and Butler are motivated to get a trade done before the February 6 deadline, but there’s still a legitimate chance the stalemate extends into the summer, when more suitors and options could emerge.

Referring to the Suns‘ level of desperation as “extremely high,” Windhorst and Bontemps confirm that trading for Butler remains Phoenix’s top priority. However, it’s unclear if Phoenix’s recent draft-pick trade with Utah will increase the odds of landing Butler, since the Suns still have to find a taker for Bradley Beal and his no-trade clause.

NBA Unveils 2025 All-Star Game Starters

January 23rd, 2025 at 7:01pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The 2025 All-Star Game starters were revealed on Thursday during Inside the NBA’s pregame show and confirmed by the NBA on social media (Twitter links).

In the Eastern Conference, a pair of Knicks made the cut, with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns – in his first season in New York – earning nods. Joining Brunson in the backcourt is Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, while Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo secured frontcourt spots.

Lakers star LeBron James extended his all-time record to 21 consecutive All-Star selections in the Western Conference. Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander accounted for the backcourt spots in the West while Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets and Kevin Durant of the Suns joined James as frontcourt starters.

The starters are selected by a weighted voting process with the fan vote accounting for half of the final outcome. The player and media portions of the vote each counted for 25 percent. Three frontcourt players and two guards were selected from each conference.

The reserves, who are picked by the league’s coaches, will be announced on Jan. 30. LaMelo Ball of the Hornets narrowly missed out on being a starter after ranking first in the fan vote, having finished third in player voting and seventh in the media vote. The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama also barely missed out, finishing second in media voting but fourth for both players and fans.

Unchanged: Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, De’Aaron Fox, Devin Booker, Norman Powell, Anthony Davis, Jalen Williams, Alperen Sengun, Trae Young, Damian Lillard, Cade Cunningham, Darius Garland, Tyrese Maxey, Tyler Herro, Evan Mobley and Jaylen Brown are among the names who could be voted in as reserves.

The 74th NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 16 will feature a new format, complete with a mini-tournament composed of four teams and three games. Two teams will meet in a semifinal while the other two will play in another. The victors in each of those games will meet in a final. The winner of each game is the first to 40 points.

The format change means that the 10 players named starters on Thursday won’t be the only players who actually start on All-Star Sunday. The 24 players ultimately named All-Stars will be split among three eight-man teams, with the roster’s drafted by Inside the NBA’s Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley.

The draft will air on Feb. 6 on TNT. The fourth team of eight players will be made up of the winning team from the Rising Stars event.

The four teams participating in the NBA All-Star Game will compete for a prize pool of $1.8 million. Each player on the team that wins the final will receive $125,000, while members of the second-place team earn $50,000. Players on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000.

The full voting results can be found here.