“I’m excited to actually play — like, play — in this arena,” Haliburton said at a press conference Wednesday in Paris. “But I’m just excited to be here. It will be a fun atmosphere and a fun game.”

Haliburton brought home a gold medal, but he saw the least playing time of anyone on the U.S. team. Dopirak notes that Haliburton was dealing with a leg injury at the time and got into just three Olympic games, playing 26 total minutes and scoring eight points. He remains good-natured about the experience and said it was still special to be part of the Olympics.

“Definitely just life-long memories,” Haliburton said. “Regardless of what the experience was for me personally, I was a part of a group of 12 guys — there’s only 12 players that got to experience that. It definitely means a lot.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

• Cavaliers guard Darius Garland is playing at an All-Star level, but tough competition might prevent him from being selected for the game, observes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. LaMelo Ball and Garland’s backcourt partner Donovan Mitchell are the leaders among Eastern Conference guards in the latest round of fan voting, leaving Garland to battle for reserve spots with Damian Lillard, Tyrese Maxey, Trae Young, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham and Tyler Herro. “Listen, I’ll fight for (Garland),” teammate Tristan Thompson said. “I’ll be the bad guy. I’ll be Charles Oakley. I think Darius Garland should be (an All-Star), and everyone you guys put in front of him, he’s rang the bell and did what he had to do.”
• Cunningham renewed his long rivalry with Jalen Green by posting 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as the Pistons defeated the Rockets on Monday. Their battles date back to AAU games when they were in eighth and ninth grade, Green’s father told Kelly Iko and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic, and they intensified after Cunningham was selected No. 1 and Green went No. 2 in the 2021 draft.
• In a separate story, Patterson takes a mid-season look at the Pistons, who may be headed to the playoffs after winning just 14 games last season. He points to a few things that have helped Detroit exceed expectations, including Cunningham’s rise to stardom, the emergence of Jaden Ivey before suffering a broken fibula, the addition of Malik Beasley in free agency and the progress of second-year player Ausar Thompson and rookie Ron Holland.

It’s the 25th time that Antetokounmpo has earned Player of the Week honors over the course of his decorated 12-year NBA career, including the second time this season.

In four games during the week of Jan. 13-19, the two-time MVP averaged 32.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in 34.5 minutes per game, making 66.7% of his shots from the floor as the Bucks went 4-0. Milwaukee beat Sacramento, Orlando, Toronto, and Philadelphia by an average margin of 19 points per game in a dominant week.

Antetokounmpo beat out fellow nominees LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, Darius Garland, Damian Lillard, and Onyeka Okongwu for the Eastern Conference award, per the NBA (Twitter link).

Green, meanwhile, was named Player of the Week for the first time this season and the second time in his four-year career. The former No. 2 overall pick has scored at least 26 points in eight consecutive games, including all four of Houston’s contests this past week.

Green led the Rockets to a 3-1 week by scoring 32.5 points per game on a scorching-hot shooting line of .606/.633/.962. He also chipped in 3.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per night.

A trio of Clippers – James Harden, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac – headlined the Western Conference’s other Player of the Week nominees and were joined by Devin Booker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Scoot Henderson, Trey Murphy, and Jamal Murray.

Green has averaged 23.8 points per game on .470/.389/.884 shooting in his past 19 contests (34.4 MPG). Perhaps more importantly, he’s earning praise from head coach Ime Udoka for what he’s doing on the other end of the court.

“I love his defensive effort,” Udoka said after a victory over Memphis on Monday. “It goes under-noticed for him, probably underrated. He’s taken the challenge of (Desmond) Bane and (Ja) Morant, they’re trying to put him in actions and he’s holding up really well there, taking pride in that. Obviously, the scoring stands out. I saw he matched his career high (42 points), but taking care of the ball as well. Getting more used to teams going after him.”

As Iko writes, Green – a former No. 2 overall pick – hasn’t been discussed in the same breath as fellow top picks like Morant and Anthony Edwards, who have All-NBA seasons on their respective résumés. But if he can consistently produce like he has in the past month-and-a-half (and like he did last March), that could change.

“I’m right there,” Green said. “And if not, and no one thinks that, I’m just going to keep showing it.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

• If Jaren Jackson Jr. earns an All-NBA nod or is named Defensive Player of the Year this season, he’ll become eligible for a super-max contract. If not, it could be tricky for the Grizzlies to extend him off of his current contract – which has a descending structure – before he reaches free agency in 2026. Keith Smith of Spotrac takes a closer look at the situation and explains why All-NBA recognition for Jackson may benefit both the seventh-year big man and his team.
• Reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama has improved his numbers across the board so far this season, with averages of 25.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.9 blocks, and 3.8 assists in 33.2 minutes per game through 33 outings. The rising Spurs star has made an extremely compelling case for a spot in the All-Star Game, teammate Chris Paul said on Monday, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “Put him in the All-Star Game,” Paul said. “He deserves it, man. … He plays the game the right way. As humble of a star as you’d ever come across. Going to be Defensive Player of the Year. He’s got an opportunity to do it for 20 years straight, you know what I mean?”
• Zion Williamson‘s performance in his return from a one-game suspension on Sunday was an encouraging one, as the Pelicans forward looked healthy and put forth an impressive defensive effort, registering five steals against the defending champion Celtics. Still, as Jared Weiss of The Athletic writes, Williamson and the Pelicans have had plenty of positive stretches in recent years, only for those stretches to be derailed by various setbacks, often injury-related. Weiss explores what the former No. 1 pick has to do to finish this season strong.

Thompson and Rozier are being suspended for the roles they played in the on-court altercation that occurred during the final minute of the Heat/Rockets game in Houston on Sunday. In addition to the suspensions, the league announced that Rockets guard Jalen Green has been fined $35K and Heat guard Tyler Herro has been fined $25K for their involvement in the fracas.

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka has received a $50K fine for verbal abuse of a referee and not leaving the court in a timely manner after being ejected.

Additionally, Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet has been fined $35K for making “reckless” contact with official Marc Davis. That incident occurred moments before the altercation that led to the other penalties.

With Miami up by five points and about to inbound the ball with 35.7 seconds left in Sunday’s game, Herro and Thompson began exchanging words and bumping one another (Twitter video link). Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and threw him to the floor, which led to Rozier tackling Thompson as Green went after Rozier and several other players and coaches converged on the melee.

Once the dust settled, those four players, along with Udoka and Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan, were ejected. Sullivan is the only one of those ejected who wasn’t fined or suspended today.

Tensions were already running high leading up to the melee, as VanVleet was tossed from the game after arguing that a timeout should have been awarded to Houston before Davis called the team for a five-second violation on its inbound play (Twitter video link).

VanVleet made contact with Davis during the argument, which the veteran official deemed to be intentional, resulting in the guard’s ejection. Udoka was also sniping back and forth with Davis at that time and was eventually ejected for “unsportsmanlike comments,” per the crew chief.

The suspension will keep Thompson out of action for Wednesday’s game vs. Dallas and Friday’s contest vs. Boston. It will also cost him $127,586, which is 2/145ths of his $9,249,960 full-season salary, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Rozier, who will have to sit out Wednesday’s game vs. New Orleans, will forfeit $143,242, which is 1/174th of his $24,924,126 salary.

With Miami up by five points and about to inbound the ball with 35.7 seconds left in the game, Heat guard Tyler Herro and Rockets guard Amen Thompson began exchanging words and bumping one another (Twitter video link).

Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and threw him to the floor, which led to Heat guard Terry Rozier tackling Thompson as Rockets guard Jalen Green went after Rozier and several other players and coaches converged on the melee.

Once the dust settled, those four players, along with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and assistant Ben Sullivan, were ejected. Crew chief Marc Davis explained the decision after the game to pool reporter Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

“During the dead ball, Thompsons grabs the jersey and body slams Herro,” Davis said. “Herro responds and they are both ejected for fighting fouls. Green is ejected as his actions escalated the altercation. Rozier as well is ejected as his actions were escalators to the altercation. Coach Sullivan is assessed a technical foul and ejected for his unsportsmanlike comments directed at me as I was attempting to redirect (Alperen) Sengun.”

Tensions were already running high leading up to the play, as Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet was tossed from the game moments earlier after arguing that a timeout should have been awarded to Houston before Davis called the team for a five-second violation on its inbound play (Twitter video link).

VanVleet made contact with Davis during the argument, which the veteran official deemed to be intentional, resulting in the guard’s ejection. Udoka was also sniping back and forth with Davis at that time and was eventually ejected for “unsportsmanlike comments,” per the crew chief.

Naji Marshall (four games), Jusuf Nurkic (three games), and P.J. Washington (one game) received suspensions on Saturday for their roles in an incident involving the Mavericks and Suns in Friday’s game, so it would be a surprise if similar penalties aren’t handed out in response to this latest skirmish.

Thompson seems likely to face the most significant punishment from the league, with Rozier and Green at risk of possible suspensions as well. It’s unclear how the NBA will view Herro’s role, given that he didn’t reenter the fray after initially being thrown to the floor.

Although it took the NBA less than 24 hours to make its ruling after the Mavs/Suns altercation, that was at least partly because both teams were in the middle of back-to-back sets and the league wanted to announce suspensions prior to Saturday’s games. Neither the Heat nor the Rockets play until Wednesday, so the NBA may take a little more time to review this case.

Thompson didn’t speak to reporters after Sunday’s game, but Herro suggested with a smile during his post-game media session that his own big night (27 points, nine assists, six rebounds) led to Thompson’s frustration.

“Guess that’s what happens when someone’s scoring, throwing dimes, doing the whole thing,” Herro said (Twitter video link). “I’d get mad, too.”

“I don’t know the exact dates, but there’s always time to make it work with the French team,” Wembanyama said. “You just have to sacrifice a bit of your physical preparation for the following season. So yeah, it’s definitely my goal to play for the French team every summer.”

Wembanyama indicated that he had spoken with new Team France head coach Frederic Fauthoux about his intentions.

“I’ve spoken with him briefly since he became coach. But we haven’t formally discussed any specific deadlines,” Wembanyama said.

The reigning Rookie of the Year averaged 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 2.0 steals per game for the French national team during last summer’s Olympic games in Paris. France won its second consecutive silver medal thanks in large part to his efforts.

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

• While they didn’t get past the Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday, the Rockets proved that they belong in the conversation as legitimate threat in the West with their 91-90 tournament quarterfinal victory over Golden State, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “When you get a taste of winning, it’s from the other side,” guard Jalen Green said after the win. “It’s a side I ain’t been on in two, three years of this. You’re going to do whatever it takes. So I saw the opportunity to dive on the floor, and I took it. The results came out amazing.”
• In the midst of his best season yet, Mavericks forward P.J. Washington has emerged as a critical below-the-radar contributor, opines Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. To wit, Dallas has gone 1-5 without Washington available thus far this season. “[If] they watch the game and see how much dirty work he’s doing, he’s on the floor,” center Dereck Lively said of his teammate. “He’s gambling for loose balls. He’s trying to get a jump ball. He’s trying to get rebounds. He’s trying to attack the rim. He’s trying to shoot the ball. My man P.J. is an amazing player.”
• Injured Mavericks guard Dante Exum is taking big strides as he works his way back from a right wrist surgery, Curtis tweets. He has missed all 25 of Dallas’ games so far this year — the Mavericks have gone 16-9 without him. “He’s doing a lot of work with the left hand to be able to go both ways with his right and left,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “I think his attitude and he’s been working extremely hard. He looks great.” When Exum underwent surgery in early October, reports indicated he was expected to miss three months.

“There’s always room to grow and get better,” said Fred VanVleet, one of the few members of the roster with a history of playing in big games. “You would like to learn by winning all the time and everything to be great, but that’s not reality. I think it’s a valuable experience being here with the stage and the way the NBA has kind of set up this game and this weekend. It has that playoff-style atmosphere, intensity.”

The Rockets and Thunder boast two of the NBA’s top defenses, which were both on display during an intense first half that ended with Houston holding a 42-41 lead. The Rockets couldn’t find enough shooting to keep up in the second half as several of their stars failed to produce. VanVleet and Jalen Green combined to shoot 8-of-29 from the field and 2-of-19 from beyond the arc. Alperen Sengun finished with 13 points after making just two of his first 10 shots as OKC packed the paint and dared Houston to shoot from the outside.

“It’s a playoff atmosphere, and everybody is playing to move on obviously,” coach Ime Udoka said. “So, you’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game. Obviously when you look at the stats, look down the stat sheet, I would say Amen (Thompson) and Tari (Eason) really brought their ‘A’ game off the bench. Other than that, we really struggled, from the starters. You have to play better in certain situations like this.”

There’s more on the Rockets:

• Sam Amick of The Athletic looks at the culture change Udoka has brought to Houston, including a “no friends on the floor” philosophy that has made the Rockets one of the NBA’s most combative teams. Udoka’s direct approach with his players has been very effective in creating an identity. “For a young team, it’s amazing because it just sets a good … foundation for guys to grow and get better,” VanVleet said. “But I would say he earns that right too. … He’s not just motherf—ing guys for no reason. He earns that relationship and that trust as a leader every day leading the group, leading the coaches, leading the franchise.”
• One of the first major decisions the Rockets faced after hiring Udoka was whether to pursue free agent James Harden, who had expressed an interest in returning to Houston, Amick adds. Harden and his representatives met with Udoka in the summer of 2023, but it was determined that his best move was to sign elsewhere. “My main thing for us was, ‘What fits best with our young guys to continue to grow?’” Udoka said. “But also, out of respect for James, (I told him), ‘You’re at the stage where you want to win, and we’re not there yet.’ And it wasn’t just James. I had five, six veteran guys who went to championship-level teams who wanted to come (that summer), and I said the same thing to all of them.”
• Green spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about the evolution of his game and how Udoka has challenged him to become more than just a scorer.

It was a very encouraging sign for coach Ime Udoka, who leaned on Jalen Green, Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun to organize the offense, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes.

“He’s such a calming influence for the team, that kind of gets us into what we need to a lot,” Udoka said of VanVleet. “We still want guys to grow and learn that. So when he’s not out there, it’s good for us to do it a little bit more. We went to a few different guys to initiate offense.”

We have more on the Rockets:

• Houston will face the Warriors in the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday. It’s possible that VanVleet could return to action for the tournament game. Forward Tari Eason, who has missed the last two games while in concussion protocol, could also return Wednesday, according to Feigen.
• Thompson already sees himself as a top-notch defender in his second NBA season, he told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “I view myself as one of the best defenders. Obviously, I think it’s very hard to score on me. I think my presence is known on defense,” he said.
• Udoka made several stops in Europe during his playing career. He has some “overseas” advice for Turkish native Sengun, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net relays. “My biggest thing with him is, I say to him, ‘Don’t get the European out of your game. Play through stuff. Stop crying,’” Udoka said.

“You look at (their young players), you look at their draft assets, you look at where they are in the standings,” Windhorst said. “… It seems like they’re primed for a trade. And believe me, teams in the league believe the same thing. But the message that I have been told, and I think I was told it to spread the word, is that Amen Thompson and Tari Eason are untouchable.”

Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported a couple weeks ago that the Rockets aren’t looking to break up their core this season even if a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo is available. Tim MacMahon of ESPN said people in Houston have conveyed a similar sentiment to him.

“I’ve just spent some time around the Rockets and I was told by more than one person – very firmly, very adamantly – they will not change the core of that team this season,” MacMahon said. “Maybe they make a fringe rotation type of deal, but they are going to play this season out with the core of that team, is what they’re saying right now.”

As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps points out, the young player who seems most likely to be the centerpiece of a significant Rockets trade offer is Jalen Green, and he would be extremely difficult to move this season due to the poison pill provision, which – as a result of his recent contract extension – creates a significant disparity between his incoming and outgoing salary for matching purposes until July. With that in mind, it makes sense that Houston would prefer to wait until at least next summer to more seriously weigh its trade options.

Windhorst notes that the Rockets’ stance on certain players could change once they begin pursuing a trade in earnest.

“It’s also a negotiating position to say (Thompson and Eason are untouchable),” he said. “Because at the end of the day they are role players.”

“This is exactly what you do when you have 19 interesting trade assets, all these draft picks and all these young guys,” Bontemps added. “You say, ‘Hey, every good thing we’ve got, we’re not sure we’re going to do anything with any of those.’ And then you start to negotiate.”

Here’s more on the Rockets:

• The Rockets are going to be “very selective” about cashing in their top trade chips, according to MacMahon, who said on the Hoop Collective podcast that the team will be seeking an “age-appropriate” star to add to its core. Noting that Houston would have had serious interest in Donovan Mitchell if he had emerged as a trade candidate instead of signing an extension with the Cavaliers, MacMahon said the Rockets know they need a “legitimate offensive engine” in order to become a real title contender.
• Houston isn’t giving up on the idea that the offensive star they need could emerge from among the players currently on the roster, per MacMahon: “They’re not ruling out that Jalen Green could become that. I think they have some evidence that it’s possible from last season. They’re not ruling out that (Alperen) Sengun can continue developing. He’s still a young guy. … They’re not ruling that Tari Eason could become that.”
• After his statement about Eason was met with skepticism by Bontemps, who questioned the third-year forward’s offensive ceiling, MacMahon further explained the Rockets’ position: “(Head coach) Ime Udoka, on the record, he was asked (last month), ‘Who does Tari Eason remind you of?’ He said, ‘A young Kawhi Leonard, who I’ve coached.’ A lot of that is just the defensive impact. Physically, he’s as close to Kawhi as you can get. The size, the hands, the athleticism, the defensive impact. … But they’re not ruling out that Eason could have a Kawhi- (or) Jimmy Butler-type of track. Now that’s pie-in-the-sky, top-end scenario. I’m just saying they’re not ruling out that possibility. … All those guys, they’re not ruling out they could emerge as the No. 1 offensive player. (But) most likely, it’s going to have to be a trade.”
• While it’s probably not realistic to expect offensive stardom from Thompson, who has made just 14 career three-point shots, the Rockets remain very high on his upside due to his defense and athleticism. “We’ll see what Thompson becomes as a scorer, but they think he has to be a chance to be a hyper-athletic wing version of a Draymond Green, where you’re just wrecking things defensively,” MacMahon said.
• In a story for The Athletic, Iko explores how Fred VanVleet‘s experiences during his final years in Toronto helped prepare him to take a step back this season in order to accelerate the development of the Rockets’ young players. VanVleet’s usage rate so far in 2024/25 is 19.6%, which would be his lowest mark since 2018/19.

Citing a “heightened sense of urgency” in Sacramento, Scotto suggests that teams talking to the Kings will be eager to see if the club is willing to part with first-round picks, rookie Devin Carter, or perhaps former No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray, who has essentially been off the table in trade discussions in recent years.

For now, it seems safe to assume that the Kings will dangle Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles in trade talks, according to Scotto, who points out that both players were also available last season. Between Huerter’s $16.8MM cap hit and Lyles’ $8MM expiring deal, Sacramento could get to about $25MM in matching salary and then sweeten an offer from there by adding draft capital and/or a young player.

Here are a few more Western Conference rumors from Scotto:

• Although Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant and Jazz center Walker Kessler are both considered potential trade candidates, Portland has been unwilling to move Grant without getting two first-round picks back and Utah has sought at least two first-rounders for Kessler, Scotto writes. Teams with interest in Grant and Kessler have viewed the Blazers’ and Jazz’s asking prices as too high, Scotto notes.
• Moses Moody signed a three-year contract extension with the Warriors before the season, but his role hasn’t increased at all, leading to speculation that he’s a player to monitor as a possible trade chip, says Scotto. “Moody could be part of a package in a bigger deal, and (head coach) Steve Kerr still doesn’t play him 20 minutes a game,” one league executive told HoopsHype. Moody would be subject to the poison pill provision if he’s dealt this season, which wouldn’t preclude a trade but would make it more complicated.
• The Knicks, Thunder, and Grizzlies had “exploratory” trade interest in Warriors center Kevon Looney during the offseason before they addressed frontcourt holes in other ways, Scotto reports. Looney, who is on an $8MM expiring contract, has been Golden State’s leading rebounder (7.6 RPG) despite playing just 14.9 minutes per night.
• Despite reports insisting the Rockets aren’t looking to break up their young core to acquire a player like Kevin Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo, many rival executives believe it’s just a matter of when – not if – Houston makes a big splash on the trade market, according to Scotto. Those execs believe Jalen Green won’t be off limits in future Rockets trade talks, even after signing a three-year, $105MM+ contract extension in October.
• Thunder rookie Ajay Mitchell, who has impressed in a rotation role this fall, is considered a strong candidate to be promoted from his two-way contract to the standard roster later this season, per Scotto. Oklahoma City currently has a full 15-man roster, but has some flexibility with its last roster spot, which is held by Branden Carlson on a non-guaranteed deal.

Whitmore played a significant role for the Rockets in the second half of last season. In total, he appeared in 47 games (two starts) as a rookie and averaged an impressive 12.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per contest while shooting 35.9% from three on 4.7 attempts per game.

Whitmore began this season in the rotation, averaging 7.3 PPG in 13.6 MPG across the team’s first four games. However, with the second-year forward shooting just 38.7% from the field and not making a three-pointer until his fifth game, he fell out of the rotation and received a DNP-CD on Monday, then only received late-game minutes in a 27-point blowout on Wednesday.

Rookie Reed Sheppard‘s playing time has increased a bit as Whitmore’s has decreased, so he appears to be continuing to build a role in the rotation. It’s unclear what Houston’s exact plan with Whitmore is, but the Rockets’ hope is that he’ll find his shot in the G League, like he did last year when he made 38.9% of 10.1 three-point attempts per game with the development team.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

• The Rockets awarded Jalen Green with a three-year, $106MM extension before the season, which came on the heels of a strong second half last season. Now, it looks as though the 2021 No. 2 overall pick is building on last season’s breakout, having averaged 22.6 points per game with a .382 3PT% through eight games this fall. With both he and 2021 classmate Alperen Sengun (No. 16 overall) having agreed to big extensions last month, Green has lofty expectations for the pair, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. “I love playing with [Sengun],” Green said. “We’ve had our ups and downs, I’ve played terrible, he’s been good the whole season — it was really me who was trying to find myself from a whole new system standpoint. The games that we won and both of us scored well, those are the games that will come when it’s playoff season. You see how [Nikola] Jokic and Jamal Murray are — I’m not saying we’re like them but they compare [Sengun] to Jokic all the time. So why can’t I be something similar to Jamal? Not saying I want to be, but someone that can get off too. It’s a two-man threat every night.“
• Grizzlies star Ja Morant missed almost all of last season due to suspension and injury, but he’s back now and helping push Memphis toward being more competitive than it was last year. Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic writes that even though the Western Conference landscape has changed since Morant was last fully healthy, he still has the utmost belief in his team. “Still confident,” the point guard said. “Two years ago passed. I don’t even know who won the championship two years ago … Two years ago don’t matter. Last year don’t matter either. So all we can focus on is now, and that’s getting our wins and handling our business. Confidence never left.“
• Zion Williamson returned to action for the Pelicans on Wednesday after missing two games, then suffered another brief injury scare in the second quarter, Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes. Williamson exited early in the second quarter before returning after halftime. He finished with 29 points and should be fine moving forward.
• Trey Murphy is close to returning for the Pelicans after suffering a multi-week hamstring injury in October. According to Clark (Twitter link), Murphy was upgraded to doubtful for Friday’s game against the Magic. While it sounds like he’ll likely miss that game, it appears as though his return isn’t far off.
• The Spurs brought in Chris Paul this offseason to serve as a veteran leader and mentor for their young players, including Victor Wembanyama. Paul spoke about his role with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina (Twitter link). “You have to show guys that you can hoop,” Paul said. “I don’t go in there and try to be nobody’s coach and nobody’s daddy. First and foremost, I hoop.“

Adams, who sat out all of last season due to concerns about the stability of the knee, was traded in February from Memphis to Houston. He missed the first three games of this season because of a calf strain, along with the medical staff’s emphasis on protecting the knee, so he was relieved to be playing again.

“It was just good to be back. It’s been a long journey,” he said. “There’s still a lot of work to do, but it’s just fun to be out there with the boys, especially on a new team. Getting traded mid-injury, mid-rehab, it’s just good to actually play with the team, it just hits a bit differently when you speak to your team when you’re playing.”

Feigen notes that even though Adams only played 14 minutes, he totaled 16 screen assist points to take the league lead in that category. That’s one of the ways that the veteran center can contribute to the team, even though his playing time will be restricted for a while. He’s currently limited to five-minute stints and a maximum of 15 minutes per game.

“Typically with surgeries that’s why they call it a two-year process, because physically you’ll heal in the first year. The second year is the mental part, getting the connection back,” Adams said. “So it’s just that mental part now, but then also the mental part of the game: flow, timing, reading the body language, stuff like that.”

There’s more from Houston:

• Alperen Sengun doesn’t mind the increased expectations that come along with a new contract, Feigen states in a separate story. Sengun agreed to a five-year, $185MM extension shortly before the deadline on October 21. “That’s a good pressure,” he said. “That’s a pressure the stars can take it, you know. That’s what I’m going to go through the rest of my life. I’m one of the best players in the league. I have to get used to it. I have to take that pressure all the time. It doesn’t make me uncomfortable. It makes me feel great.”
• Coach Ime Udoka singled out Jalen Green‘s decision making after he scored 36 points in Monday’s win at San Antonio, Feigen adds in another piece. Green only had two assists, but Udoka said he did a great job of reading the defense. “He’s been phenomenal all year as far as that,” Udoka said. “I think he really grew toward the end of last year. Now it looks like he’s getting whatever he wants, whether it’s for himself or others. Some of those that he used to miss at times and kind of rush into a crowd, over-penetrate, he’s (now) making the right reads.”
• Fred VanVleet had a verbal confrontation with Jeremy Sochan after the game (Twitter video link). VanVleet refused to comment on the exchange, per Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire, but it appears to have been prompted by a derogatory comment Sochan made about Houston when asked about the rivalry between the two teams.

The new priority became working out extensions with Green and Sengun before Monday’s deadline, and both agreed to unique deals that are below the maximum they could have received. Green’s three-year extension starts at $33.3MM next season, and Windhorst hears that it could be combined with draft assets as the basis for a superstar trade next summer.

Sources also tell Windhorst that the Rockets have informed rival teams they don’t plan to make a major deal during the season, but they could be much more active once the offseason arrives.

Other executives around the league complimented the Rockets for convincing Sengun to accept a below-max deal, according to Bontemps, even though they had to give him a player option in the fifth year.

There’s more from Houston;

• Coach Ime Udoka’s preference to play at a faster pace may require more minutes for Amen Thompson, observes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. The lack of fast-break opportunities was among the things that bothered Udoka about Wednesday’s season-opening loss to Charlotte. “We didn’t get stops,” he said. “We didn’t get out and run. Just as poorly as we played in transition, offensive rebounding was the same thing. Nineteen in the first half and only two second-chance points in the second. Dominated us on the glass there.” Iko points out that Thompson was part of five of the team’s six fastest two-man combinations last season.
• Lottery pick Reed Sheppard is quickly adapting to life in the NBA, per Brian Barefield of Rockets Wire. Sheppard has a clearly defined role on a team that needs to improve its outside shooting. “It is easy when everyone knows how to play basketball the right way,” he said. “We have been playing with each other for a couple of months now, so being able to get in the gym every day and continue to get to know each other by learning more offense and defense with each other. We are just figuring out how each other plays, and it has been really fun. I feel like our chemistry gets better every day.”
• Steven Adams was a game-time decision on Wednesday, but he has already been ruled out of Friday’s contest against Memphis due to a calf strain and recovery from the knee injury that forced him to miss all of last season, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

“From what I understand, there were never really any meaningful negotiations there, which was a surprise to me,” Windhorst said. “I thought the Bulls were going to be under some amount of pressure to get him done because they had traded Alex Caruso for him.”

Giddey will now be on track for restricted free agency in 2025, with the Bulls getting the opportunity to evaluate him for a year before deciding how significant an investment they want to make in their new point guard.

Meanwhile, Windhorst and his podcast guest Bobby Marks singled out the unusual extension that Jalen Green signed with the Rockets – which gave him a third-year player option and a 10% trade kicker – and suggested that the unique terms of the deal signal that Green could become a trade candidate before his contract expires.

“This is a contract that a lot of people in the league think was signed for the option to be traded,” Windhorst said, adding that the 10% trade kicker was the biggest one handed out in any of this week’s extensions. “I’m not saying the Rockets are definitely going to trade him. I’m just saying this contract was designed to allow him to be traded.”

Here are a few more notes on the contract extensions that were completed this week:

• Discussing his new three-year, $110MM agreement with the Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert said he didn’t want to be too “greedy” in negotiations and that he wanted the team to maintain some spending flexibility after locking him up, according to Chris Hine of The Minneapolis Star Tribune. As part of the deal, Gobert declined a $46.7MM player option for 2025/26 and will replace it with a cap hit that comes in $10MM+ below that. “It’s about finding balance,” Gobert said. “Every year, every time I sign a contract I always try to leave a little bit for the team, be able to realize that I’m grateful being able to earn what I’m earning coming from where I come from.”
• Aaron Gordon made a similar concession in his extension with the Nuggets, picking up a $22.84MM player option for 2025/26 as part of the deal and allowing the team to put off his 40% raise until ’26/27. Gordon, who said he was “ecstatic” to finalize a long-term deal with Denver, referred to the extension as a “win-win” for him and the team, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “Playing alongside Joker (Nikola Jokic), Jamal (Murray), MPJ (Michael Porter Jr.), and being coached under Mike Malone, what more can you ask for?” Gordon said. “From the moment that I got here, Mike Malone has put me in a position to succeed and flourish. He’s put me in the right place, and he’s encouraged me to just be myself, and he’s coached me and allowed me to be myself. So to be coached under him is a great thing. And then just playing alongside these great players and continuing to build a friendship, a bond, a brotherhood, and a team, I’m really excited for it.”
• John Hollinger of The Athletic takes a deep dive into the extensions signed this week and considers which teams made out the best and which clubs were smart to hold the line. Hollinger called the Rockets‘ five-year, $185MM deal with Alperen Sengun a “home run” for Houston and lauded the Pelicans for locking up Trey Murphy on a four-year, $112MM extension.

Gordon’s is also getting the maximum 40% bump (and 8% subsequent increases) on his $1.2MM in incentives for the ’25/26 season, so they’ll increase to $1.68MM in the first year of the extension and will be worth $5,443,200 in total across the three years of the deal. That means that if the Nuggets forward earns all his bonuses, he could make up to $109,052,040 over those three seasons.

The trade kicker on Gordon’s extension is for just 3%, which represents the lowest percentage of any active trade kicker around the NBA.

Here are more details on some of the contracts recently signed by players across the league:

• Moses Moody‘s three-year extension with the Warriors actually has a total base value of $37.5MM, rather than the $39MM initially reported. The deal includes $1.5MM in incentives that could push the total value up to $39MM.
• Jalen Suggs‘ five-year, $150MM extension with the Magic starts at $35MM in 2025/26 and has a descending structure. By the fifth year, in 2029/30, Suggs’ cap hit will be just $26.7MM.
• The exact value of Jalen Green‘s three-year extension with the Rockets is $105,333,333. It starts at $33,333,333, with matching $36MM cap hits in years two and three (the third year is a player option).
• Alperen Sengun‘s five-year, $185MM extension with the Rockets has an ascending structure, though it doesn’t increase by the maximum allowable 8% per year. It begins at $33,944,954 in 2025/26 and eventually gets as high as $39,036,697 in years four and five. The fifth year is a player option.
• Trey Murphy‘s four-year, $112MM extension with the Pelicans begins at $25MM and increases by $2MM annually, getting up to $31MM by year four.
• The new standard contract Alex Reese signed with the Thunder is a straightforward one-year, minimum-salary deal that is fully non-guaranteed. I’d be a little surprised if Reese lasts the whole season on that contract, but if he does, he’d be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2025.
• Alondes Williams‘ two-way contract with the Pistons is for two years. While it’s pretty rare for a player to play out a full two-year, two-way contract, Detroit could technically keep Williams on his current deal all the way through the end of the 2025/26 season.