Yabusele On Limited Knicks Role: ‘It’s Very Difficult’
Guerschon Yabusele‘s first season with the Knicks hasn’t gone the way either side envisioned after the team signed the veteran big man to a two-year, $11.25MM contract over the summer.
After averaging 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists on .501/.380/.725 shooting in 70 games (27.1 minutes per contest) with Philadelphia last season, Yabusele’s numbers have dropped considerably in 2025/26. He’s averaging just 3.0 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 24 appearances (9.8 MPG), with a shooting slash line of .400/.295/.600; more than half of his field goal attempts have been threes.
Prior to Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal against Orlando, Yabusele admitted to a level of frustration with his limited role in a French interview with AFP and Basket USA (story via Ouest-France; hat tip to Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops).
“I don’t want to lie to you, it’s very difficult,” Yabusele said. “I’m a competitor first. It’s not a situation I thought (I would be in) coming here.”
Yabusele, who turns 30 years old on Wednesday, played in Europe for several years after a two-season stint with Boston early in his career. He says he’s staying positive despite the difficult circumstances, and credits the Knicks’ supportive locker room for helping him remain upbeat.
“I try to be ready whenever my name is called,” Yabusele said. “I try to control my impact on the court, no matter how much time I get.“
Knicks, Spurs Advance To NBA Cup Final
Behind game highs of 40 points and eight assists from star guard Jalen Brunson, the Knicks defeated the Magic by 12 points on Saturday in Las Vegas to advance to the final of the NBA Cup, also known as the in-season tournament.
“When you have an MVP of the league candidate in Jalen Brunson, you know, 16-for-27, 40 points, he makes the game easier for everybody,” head coach Mike Brown said, per Vincent Goodwill of ESPN. “That’s what MVPs are supposed to do, and he definitely did that tonight.”
Karl-Anthony Towns (29 points on 9-of-11 shooting, nine rebounds) and OG Anunoby (24 points on 8-of-13 shooting, six rebounds, four assists, three steals) were among the other standouts for New York.
Jalen Suggs led Orlando with 26 points and seven assists, but he was forced to leave the game in the third quarter due to a left hip injury.
The other semifinal matchup featured San Antonio and Oklahoma City. The Spurs emerged with a two-point victory over the defending champions, ending the Thunder’s 16-game winning streak in the process.
As Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com details, while four Spurs finished with 20-plus points, the primary takeaway from the game was the play of big man Victor Wembanyama, who was making his first appearance in a month after missing the past 12 games due to a left calf strain. Coming off the bench for the first time in his career, the French star finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, with San Antonio outscoring OKC by 21 points in his 21 minutes.
“It’s our first time playing [with] everybody [healthy],” Wembanyama said. “We were already a solid team already more than 20 games ago. It’s just experience. We’re just figuring it out. And the difference with us and [Oklahoma City] is we haven’t had this many reps recognizing what it takes to win. And this is our next step.
“This OKC team, they’re not just first in the league. They’re way ahead of everybody. And when you watch them, no matter who, whether it’s the 12th man or the starting five, whether they’re playing against the 15th seed or any kind of game, they’re playing the same way. They’re enjoying the little things that make them win, and this is the next step we have to pass.”
The final between New York and San Antonio will take place Tuesday at 7:30 pm CT in Las Vegas, the NBA announced (via Twitter). Both teams are currently 18-7.
Jalen Suggs Leaves NBA Cup Game With Hip Injury
Magic guard Jalen Suggs engaged in a scoring battle with Knicks star Jalen Brunson during the first half of Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinals matchup, but pain forced him out of the game after he injured his hip in the third quarter, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Suggs was in obvious discomfort as he talked to reporters in the locker room, Bontemps adds, and he’ll be evaluated further when the team returns to Orlando on Sunday.
“It’s the part that sucks the most,” Suggs said of potentially having to miss time. “I truly tried (to play). There’s nowhere else I would have rather been than on the court battling with my guys, especially in a close game. But (God) be having other plans, and I can’t be mad at his plans.”
Bontemps states that Suggs refused to answer any more questions about his condition, and he struggled to stand up and leave the area. He also couldn’t explain exactly what caused it.
“I don’t even know,” he said. “We’ll figure out what it is.”
Suggs was injured on a drive to the basket with 5:58 left in the third quarter when OG Anunoby stole the ball from him (video link via NBA.com). Suggs yelled and grabbed at his left hip, but tried to continue playing before a timeout was called. He remained in the game after the stoppage, but was removed for good shortly afterward.
Suggs was in the midst of one of the best games of his career, as he poured in 25 points before halftime. Bontemps notes that he was able to get wherever he wanted to go against New York’s defense and repeatedly drove to the basket. He finished with 26 points in a little more than 29 minutes, and the Knicks pulled away for a 132-120 victory.
Injuries have been a frequent problem for Suggs throughout his five years in the NBA, as he’s only had one season where he’s played more than 53 games. Last season ended in January due to a knee injury that required surgery, and his recovery process lasted through most of October.
The Magic were expected to be one of the top teams in the East, but injuries to their stars have limited them to a 15-11 record. Franz Wagner is currently out with a high left ankle sprain and Paolo Banchero recently returned from a left groin strain.
“He’s been battling through some pain the last few games,” Banchero said of Suggs. “He’s just been giving it his all for the team and kind of playing through it, so you hope it’s not too bad, whatever the injury is. We don’t want to lose him. He gave us a great effort in that first half … unfortunately, he couldn’t go in the second half.”
Kings’ Drew Eubanks To Miss At Least Three Weeks With Thumb Fracture
Kings center Drew Eubanks has an avulsion fracture in his left thumb and will be reevaluated in three weeks, according to Sean Cunningham of KCRA News in Sacramento (Twitter link).
The injury occurred during Thursday’s loss to Denver, as Eubanks was forced to leave the game after playing just four minutes. He underwent an MRI on Saturday that revealed the damage.
Eubanks was inserted into the starting lineup after center Domantas Sabonis was sidelined with a torn meniscus in mid-November. However, rookie big man Maxime Raynaud has been more productive lately and has taken over that role in the past three games, averaging 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds during that stretch.
Eubanks, 28, is in his first season with the Kings after signing a one-year, minimum-salary contract over the summer. He has appeared in 25 games, making 11 starts and averaging 5.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per night while shooting 61.5% from the field.
Sacramento is the sixth team in eight seasons for Eubanks, who was traded from the Jazz to the Clippers at last year’s deadline. He became a free agent when L.A, waived him in July to avoid paying his $4.5MM non-guaranteed salary.
With Eubanks out of action until at least January, Precious Achiuwa and Dario Saric could see an increase in playing time until Sabonis returns.
Cavs’ Evan Mobley Out 2-4 Weeks With Left Calf Strain
Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left calf strain and is expected to miss about two-to-four weeks, the team announced Saturday (via Twitter).
Mobley suffered the injury Friday night at Washington, and it was discovered during a post-game examination of tightness in that area. The calf strain was confirmed by an MRI conducted Saturday morning.
Cleveland has been hit hard by injuries, but Mobley has been a reliable presence, appearing in 25 of the team’s first 26 games. He’s averaging 19.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists with .496/.352/.640 shooting numbers and appeared to be headed for his second straight All-Star appearance.
Even if the Cavaliers can get by without his scoring contributions, it will be hard to replace Mobley on defense. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is blocking 1.6 shots per game and is a major deterrent for opponents at the rim.
The Cavs are already dealing with a depleted frontcourt, which has played a role in their somewhat disappointing 15-11 record. Starting center Jarrett Allen remains sidelined with a right finger strain that has forced him to miss all but one game since November 19, while backup big man Larry Nance Jr. also has a calf strain and hasn’t played since November 28.
Veteran center Thomas Bryant may be asked to take on an increased role until the roster gets healthier. He has appeared in 19 games since signing with Cleveland during the summer and is averaging 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per night.
Zion Williamson Practices, Could Return Sunday
Pelicans head coach James Borrego said injured forward Zion Williamson practiced on Saturday and will be listed as questionable to suit up for Sunday’s game at Chicago, per Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com (Twitter link).
It’s a surprising update, as Shams Charania of ESPN reported on December 2 that Williamson was expected to be out at least three weeks due to a right adductor (hip) injury, which the team said was a Grade 2 strain. The Pelicans notably did not provide a return timeline for Williamson when they initially announced the injury.
Within a story last week about how the team might approach the trade deadline, William Guillory of The Athletic confirmed Charania’s reporting and added that some members of the organization thought Williamson wouldn’t be back before January. The former No. 1 overall pick appears to be well ahead of schedule, since it hasn’t even been two weeks since he was diagnosed with the injury.
Williamson, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, has missed the past six games with his latest ailment. He also missed eight games in November due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain.
Through 10 games in 2025/26, the 25-year-old has averaged 22.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 steals in 30.9 minutes per contest.
Austin Reaves Out At Least One Week With Mild Calf Strain
Lakers guard Austin Reaves has been diagnosed with a mild left calf strain and will miss at least one week, which is when he’ll be reexamined, the team announced today (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic).
As Law Murray of The Athletic notes (via Twitter), Los Angeles plays twice over the next week (at Phoenix on Sunday and at Utah next Thursday). Reaves will likely miss both of those contests before he’s evaluated again.
The 6’5″ guard is off to a terrific start to the season, averaging 27.8 points, 6.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds in 36.9 minutes per contest. All of those figures represent career highs.
Reaves, who has been highly efficient on offense (.503/.369/.875 shooting line and a .665 True Shooting percentage), has made 21 appearances so far for the Lakers. He missed three games in early November due to a right groin injury.
With Reaves out at least two games, Gabe Vincent and Marcus Smart are the most obvious candidates for more backcourt minutes, while LeBron James will likely to take on more play-making duties.
Grizzlies’ Ja Morant To Return On Friday
5:37 pm: Morant is available tonight, the team confirmed (via Twitter). According to Cole, the Grizzlies will manage Morant’s minutes in a “smart way” (Twitter link).
11:32 am: Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is on track to return to action on Friday vs. Utah, having been upgraded from questionable to probable on the team’s injury report, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).
Morant has been sidelined for Memphis’ past 10 games due to a right calf strain, but appears set to suit up for the first time since November 15, barring a last-minute setback. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo had said on Thursday that Morant went through a full practice on Thursday and was trending toward a return on Friday.
Morant got off to a slow start this season. In 11 healthy games, he averaged 18.9 points, 8.1 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per contest, but shot just 35.2% from the floor and 16.7% on three-pointers as Memphis went 4-7. He also had a disagreement with the coaching staff that led to a one-game, team-imposed suspension.
During his injury absence, Morant earned kudos from Iisalo for his engagement and leadership on the sidelines, but it will interesting to be see how his return impacts the Grizzlies on the court. As Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports details, Memphis has been more productive offensively and is moving the ball better without Morant on the floor so far this season.
Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, they still won’t get a chance to see their full starting lineup on the court together. Center Zach Edey, who returned following offseason ankle surgery around the same time Morant got hurt, will now miss the next four weeks due to nagging issues related to that same ankle. Morant and Edey have spent just five minutes on the court together this fall.
As Cole writes for The Memphis Commercial Appeal, several fans at FedExForum on Friday will be there thanks to Morant, who bought 250 tickets for the game against the Jazz to give out to fans earlier this week.
Mavs’ Dante Exum Undergoes Season-Ending Knee Surgery
December 12: Exum has undergone successful season-ending surgery, the Mavs announced on Friday (via Twitter).
November 20: Dante Exum‘s 2025/26 season has come to an end before it even began, according to the Mavericks, who announced today (via Twitter) that the veteran guard will undergo season-ending surgery.
According to the Mavs, Exum – who had yet to play at all this fall – has continued to deal with complications related to an offseason procedure on his right knee. It has been determined that a follow-up surgery is necessary to address the issue.
It’s the latest in a long line of injuries that have limited Exum’s availability over the course of his professional career. After playing all 82 games as a rookie, the former fifth overall pick missed his entire second NBA season in 2015/16 due to a torn ACL, then was plagued by shoulder, ankle, and knee issues in subsequent years.
Exum rebuilt his value by playing in Europe from 2021-23, then returned stateside during the 2023 offseason and has been in Dallas since then. The 30-year-old has been a very effective role player for the Mavs when healthy, averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .516/.472/.768.
However, he has made just 75 appearances since the start of the 2023/24 season, including just 20 in ’24/25 due to right wrist surgery and a broken left hand.
With the Mavericks’ front office very much in the news as of late, the team’s handling of Exum in recent months deserves some scrutiny, notes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter links).
As Afseth points out, the Mavs never publicly disclosed Exum’s offseason knee surgery before today and had to use the stretch provision to waive Olivier-Maxence Prosper‘s guaranteed $3MM salary in order to create enough room under their hard cap to bring back Exum on a guaranteed minimum-salary deal. Given Exum’s injury history, that was a risky move, especially considering that Dallas badly needed backcourt depth while Kyrie Irving continued to recover from his ACL tear.
While the Mavs could waive Exum to open up a spot on their 15-man roster, they won’t have enough room under that hard cap to sign a replacement until January, barring a separate cost-cutting move. If Exum remains on the roster, Dallas could apply for a disabled player exception, but it would be worth just half of the guard’s salary, making it too small to be of much real use.
Spurs’ Wembanyama Expected To Return On Saturday
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is expected to return to action on Saturday for the team’s NBA Cup semifinal matchup with Oklahoma City, per ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). San Antonio has officially listed Wembanyama as probable to play.
Wembanyama has missed the Spurs’ past 12 games due to a left calf strain he sustained on November 14. However, there was a sense this week that he was in the final stages of his recovery from that injury.
Asked after his team’s NBA Cup quarterfinal win on Wednesday whether there was a chance Wembanyama could be back for the semifinal, head coach Mitch Johnson replied, “Very much so.”
Wembanyama, who will turn 22 in January, was playing at an MVP-caliber level prior to his injury, averaging 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.6 blocks in 34.6 minutes per game as San Antonio won eight of its first 12 games.
Despite losing their defensive anchor, the Spurs have remained firmly in the thick of the Western Conference playoff picture by going 9-3 in his absence. At the time of Wembanyama’s injury, the Spurs ranked 12th in the NBA in offensive rating and sixth in defensive rating. Since November 15, the team has the league’s 20th-best defense but the sixth-best offense.
Barring a late setback for Wembanyama, it appears as if Saturday will be the first time that the Spurs have De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Wembanyama active for the game game. Whether that will be enough to topple the 24-1 Thunder and earn a spot in Tuesday’s NBA Cup championship contest remains to be seen.