Former NBA Coach Of The Year Doug Moe Dies
Former NBA head coach Doug Moe passed away on Tuesday at the age of 87, the Nuggets confirmed (Twitter link). According to Mike Monroe and Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), Moe had been battling an illness.
Moe, who played professionally in Italy and the ABA from 1965-72, had his career cut short by knee issues and became better known as a coach than a player. He was hired as the head coach of the Spurs in 1976 and spent four years in San Antonio before embarking on a lengthy stint as the head coach of the Nuggets (1980-1990).
Moe was hired as the Sixers‘ head coach in 1992 but was let go midway through his first season on the job. He later returned to Denver and served as a coaching consultant (2002-05) and assistant coach (2005-08) before calling it a career.
Known for his up-tempo, run-and-gun offense, Moe compiled a 628-529 (.543) regular season record as an NBA head coach and went 33-50 (.398) in the postseason. His 1981/82 Nuggets still hold several league records, including the highest scoring average for a single season (126.5 points per game). That Denver team is the only one in NBA history to score at least 100 points in all 82 regular season games.
Moe ranks 26th on the league’s all-time list of coaching wins, just behind Flip Saunders and Chuck Daly, and was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 1988 after leading the Nuggets to a 54-28 record, a 17-game improvement on the previous season.
“Coach Moe was a one of a kind leader and person who spearheaded one of the most successful and exciting decades in Nuggets history,” the Nuggets said in their statement today. “He will forever be loved and remembered by Nuggets fans and his banner commemorating his 432 career victories as head coach will hang in the rafters to forever honor his incredible legacy.
“The organization’s thoughts are with Doug’s wife Jane, his son David, and all of his family and loved ones who are hurting in this moment.”
We at Hoops Rumors echo that sentiment and send our condolences to Moe’s family and friends.
Anthony Edwards Named 2026 All-Star MVP
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was named All-Star MVP after his team – the USA Stars – defeated the rival U.S. squad – USA Stripes – 47-21 in the All-Star championship game. It’s Edwards’ first All-Star MVP award and his third All-Star appearance overall.
The first three games of the All-Star game rewarded the choice of format, with all three matchups decided by one possession.
In game one between USA Stars and Team World, Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) set the tone early, recording 14 points and three blocks while his teammate Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) contributed 10 points. Edwards led the Stars attack with 13 points, but it was Scottie Barnes (Raptors) who knocked down the game-winning three-pointer, completing a comeback to defeat his head coach, Darko Rajakovic, who was coaching Team World.
After the game, Edwards credited Wembanyama for doing what he said he would and amping up the intensity on the floor for everyone.
Game two between the two American teams also came down to the final shot, as Jaylen Brown (Celtics) led USA Stripes in scoring while Edwards and Cade Cunningham (Pistons) paced USA Stars with 11 points apiece. De’Aaron Fox (Spurs) hit the game-winning three-pointer for the Stars.
In game three, Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) took over for his home crowd, scoring 31 points in 12 minutes on 11-of-13 shooting while Wembanyama kept Team World in it with 19 points of his own. Leonard iced the game with a three-pointer over Towns to take USA Stripes to the championship game in a rematch with USA Stars.
In the fourth and final game, USA Stripes’ older legs appeared worn down by the previous two contests and the younger stars ran out to a 12-1 lead, led by Edwards and Tyrese Maxey (Sixers), who finished with a game-high nine points. They pushed the lead up to 26-9 on an Edwards three-pointer and eventually went on a 15-0 run, as Jalen Brunson (Knicks) and LeBron James (Lakers) were the only players to hit a field goal over the first seven minutes for USA Stripes. Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) finished the game with a team-high six points for USA Stripes.
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Bryant, Harper, M. Johnson
The NBA’s All-Star Game has suffered from a lack of intensity over the past few years, but Victor Wembanyama plans to change that, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Speaking to reporters during today’s interview sessions, the Spurs star outlined what he expects to bring to Sunday’s contest.
“Exclamation-point plays, playing in a solid manner and sharing the ball with energy,” Wembanyama said. “If you share that energy, people feel like they have a responsibility to share it back to you.”
This is the second straight All-Star appearance for Wembanyama, who will be part of the World team in the game’s new format. There will be a round robin competition with four 12-minute games and the top two teams meeting in the finals. It’s the fourth different All-Star format in the last four years, and Wembanyama is optimistic that it will be successful.
“I’m confident in the way it’s going to go,” he said.
There’s more on the Spurs:
- Carter Bryant had a chance to win Saturday’s Slam Dunk Contest, but he couldn’t connect on his final attempt — a reverse slam off the backboard — and had to settle for a safer dunk just before time expired. It was a disappointment for the rookie forward, who got 50s from all the judges on his first dunk of the finals, a between-the-legs slam off the bounce. “If I put that dunk down, I win it,” Bryant told Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). “That’s probably the dunk I’ve made the most out of all the dunks I did today in my life. I’ve been doing that dunk since I’ve been 14. Just didn’t get the ball. Didn’t roll my way.”
- Ron Harper Sr., who teamed with his sons, Ron Harper Jr. and Dylan Harper, in the Shooting Stars event, is happy that Dylan wound up in San Antonio, Orsborn relays (Twitter link). As the No. 2 pick in the draft, Dylan might have been given a larger role elsewhere, but his father believes he’s in a good environment. “I think the Spurs are a first-class place,” Harper Sr. said. “He has a chance to learn the ball game and play with some very good basketball players there. And if they keep continuing to build as a basketball club, they will have a chance.”
- In a full story (subscription required), Orsborn examines the bond that Mitch Johnson has been able to create with his players. In his first full season as head coach, Johnson earned a spot in the All-Star Game and will coach the Stripes team on Sunday. “We’d run through walls for him the same way he’d run through walls for us,” Julian Champagnie said.
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Bryant, Fox, Castle, CP3
Victor Wembanyama may be the future face of the NBA, but the Spurs center has garnered the respect and admiration of his coaches and teammates by always putting the team first, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
“I have never one time seen him put anything individually self-serving above the team in any way,” head coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s one of the 18 members of the team and he acts like that 100 percent of the time.”
Much like all-time Spurs greats David Robinson and Tim Duncan, Wembanyama is unusually modest for a star player and welcomes being coached hard when warranted, Orsborn notes.
“I want to be held accountable,” Wembanyama said. “I don’t want favors. I want the same treatment as everybody else.”
The 7’5″ center is inclusive by nature and supports of all of his teammates, per Orsborn, whether they’re key members of the rotation or at the end of the bench.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, he’s trying to embrace you, get everyone into the culture of the team from top to bottom,” said fourth-year wing Stanley Umude, who is on a two-way contract with San Antonio. “He’s all about winning. No ego stuff going on. With him it’s, ‘We’re all here with the same goal in mind and we’re just trying to get it done.’”
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- In an interesting feature story for The Athletic, Jared Weiss profiles rookie forward Carter Bryant, who is a grandchild of deaf adults (GODA). The 20-year-old grew up in a household that spoke American Sign Language (ASL); his mother is an interpreter, and his father coached the girls basketball team at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside (CSDR). Bryant also developed his defensive skills in an atypical way: playing pick-up games with deaf kids, with no verbal communication. “If I’m guarding the ball and I have four other people behind me, you kind of have no idea what’s going on,” Bryant told The Athletic. “So being able to check out your peripherals, use your feet and just have a sense of natural feel for the game, it’s different. We take it for granted as players, and we don’t use our other senses as much, but we don’t have to.”
- Star guard De’Aaron Fox has largely tried to lead by example since the Spurs traded for him last February, but he felt the team losing its competitive edge in Wednesday’s game against Golden State and he challenged the group to step up, according to Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News. “I just asked the guys, ‘Do we want to be the team that every (opponent) wants in the playoffs?’” Fox said. The game was tied entering the fourth quarter, but the Spurs responded to Fox’s remarks, defeating the shorthanded Warriors by 13 points. Fox was named an All-Star replacement later that evening, Finger adds.
- Second-year guard Stephon Castle credits former teammate Chris Paul for helping avoid him a sophomore slump after winning Rookie of the Year in 2024/25, per Orsborn. “What he showed me last year, I feel like it helped me this year,” Castle said of playing with the future Hall of Fame point guard last season. “He was a coach on the floor for us at all times, especially for me.” After being waived by the Raptors on Friday, Paul officially announced his retirement from the NBA.
VJ Edgecombe Named 2026 Rising Stars MVP
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe was named the 2026 Rising Stars MVP after closing out two straight wins for Team Vince en route to the Rising Stars championship.
In Game One between Team Melo and Team Austin’s G League rising stars, Dylan Harper (Spurs) hit the game-winning shot to get Team Melo to the target score of 40 points. Team Austin had the top two scorers in the game in Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Clippers) and Yang Hansen (Trail Blazers), but Team Melo’s balanced scoring attack, led by Reed Sheppard (Rockets) and Donovan Clingan (Blazers) with nine points each, was too much for the G League stars to contain.
In Game Two between Team Vince and Team T-Mac, Edgecombe exploded for 17 points, including the last 10 and the step-back game-winner over Cam Spencer (Grizzlies). Jaylon Tyson (Cavaliers) led Team T-Mac with 10 points and Tre Johnson (Wizards) added eight while facing off against teammate Kyshawn George. Team Vince came away with the 41-36 victory.
The Rising Stars championship game, with a target score of 25, kicked off with back-to-back Clingan three-pointers while Matas Buzelis (Bulls) carried Team Vince early with a one-handed dunk and a smooth post move. An Edgecombe rebound and putback brought the game to 23-22 for Team Vince, prompting a Team Melo timeout.
After a Stephon Castle (Spurs) putback dunk, Edgecombe was fouled by Clingan on a drive, heading to the free throw line, where he knocked down the game-winning free throws. Carter Bryant (Spurs) contributed five points while playing against his teammate Harper, who led Team Melo with eight points.
Kevin Durant, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Jamal Murray, Cade Cunningham are among the future All-Stars who have won the Rising Stars MVP award over the past couple decades.
Southwest Notes: Mavs, Bryant, Coward, Wemby, Rockets
Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont is in the process of vetting candidates for the team’s head of basketball operations role, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The list of contenders for the job includes multiple veteran executives with “proven track records” of running a team’s front office, according to MacMahon — including some who currently hold that position in rival teams’ front offices.
League sources who have spoken to Christian Clark of The Athletic have “consistently” conveyed that the Mavericks don’t plan to make an out-of-left-field hire after the way things played out with longtime Nike executive Nico Harrison. High-level front office experience is a top priority for the Mavs this time around, Clark explains.
“After Nico, there’s not much room for creativity,” one source with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic.
Clark, who also hears that Dallas is expected to interview executives currently working for other teams, adds that a promotion to a top front office position for head coach Jason Kidd is unlikely. While Kidd has reportedly had a say in personnel decisions and wouldn’t be the first head coach to transition to a GM role, it doesn’t sound as if that’s a path the club is seriously considering.
- Spurs rookie forward Carter Bryant has been named an injury replacement for Friday’s Rising Stars event, per the NBA (Twitter link). Bryant will be taking the spot of Grizzlies rookie forward Cedric Coward, who has been ruled out due to right knee soreness.
- Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points in 26 minutes in the Spurs‘ victory over the Lakers on Tuesday, and despite the team’s sizable lead in the fourth quarter, he wanted more, Tim MacMahon writes for ESPN. “I was also pushing to go back, but I mean, they did the right thing by keeping me on the bench,” Wembanyama said. “We got to think long term. But yeah, these kind of games, you got to have the greed.” McMahon adds that coming into the game, the Spurs’ star was committed to ensuring the team did not let its guard down simply because it was facing the Lakers, whose squad was decimated by injuries. Wembanyama ended up playing over 33 minutes the next night in San Antonio’s 126-113 victory over the Warriors.
- The Rockets have the profile of a very good team, but they don’t feel like an inner-circle title contender, Varun Shankar writes for the Houston Chronicle. However, for a team missing its starting point guard (Fred VanVleet) since opening night, as well as one of its identity setters (Steven Adams) since mid-January, it’s not unexpected that the Rockets have struggled to play to the level they were predicted to be at before the season. “It’s all about perspective,” Kevin Durant said. “… My presence is allowing people on the outside to put heavy expectations on us and put the microscope on us and not realize that we’re still growing individually as players. Continuity matters. We had injuries too. But when I’m around, the expectations go up. Nobody cares about context.” Even if a championship isn’t in the cards this season, Shankar writes, the rest of the season still matters from a developmental perspective, especially with so many players contributing at a young age. Winning a playoff series or two would show the team is taking its next steps and positioning itself to be ready next year when it’s fully healthy again.
Knicks Notes: Sochan, Alvarado, Diawara, Deadline, Grades
The Knicks like Jeremy Sochan‘s “defensive versatility, upside” and ability to handle the ball, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link). The former lottery pick will reportedly sign a veteran’s minimum deal with New York covering the remainder of the season once he clears waivers.
As Begley observes, the Knicks’ ability to sign Sochan is largely due to the fact that Guerschon Yabusele agreed to decline his $5.8MM player option for next season because he wanted an opportunity to play again. New York was able to deal Yabusele to Chicago for Dalen Terry, then flipped Terry ($5.4MM) and a pair of second-round picks to New Orleans for Jose Alvarado ($4.5MM).
The Knicks saved enough money in those moves that they were able to add a player on the buyout market right away, rather than having to wait until the final weeks of the season.
The Spurs reached a buyout agreement with Sochan on Wednesday once he had another team lined up, tweets Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. While McDonald’s use of the term “buyout” suggests the fourth-year forward gave up some money as part of his release, that hasn’t been confirmed or reported elsewhere.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Backup guard Alvarado has quickly made a strong impression on his new team, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Alvarado took umbrage with Trendon Watford on Wednesday after the Sixers forward committed a hard foul on Mitchell Robinson, sparking a Knicks run that blew the game open and ultimately resulted in a 49-point victory. “He did a hard foul, but I think he did a little extra with the staring,” Alvarado said. “I’m just not gonna go for none of that. It was just in the moment. That’s when I’m at my best, I guess, getting a little active. It worked out in my favor.” The Brooklyn native had a huge game, tying a career high with eight threes en route to a season-high 26 points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds in just 19 minutes. He was a team-high plus-35 as well, Schwartz notes. “That’s what we need,” Josh Hart said of Alvarado. “That’s what we want from him. Obviously that toughness, ability to help us get organized, ability to knock down shots. And defensively bring energy, bring physicality, get in the passing lanes, those kinds of things. That’s why he’s here.”
- Second-round pick Mohamed Diawara wasn’t expected to play much for the Knicks as a rookie, but the 20-year-old forward has taken advantage of his recent opportunities with OG Anunoby sidelined, James L. Edwards III writes for The Athletic. Hart says he noticed Diawara’s potential in training camp. “In camp, I thought he was going to be real good,” Hart said. “He’s young, raw and inexperienced. He’s good defensively, and he’s an even better shooter than I thought. It always looked good, but now it’s going in. I think he’s a good decision-maker in the pocket. He’s athletic and can finish at the rim, get guys involved. I love where he’s at, and he’s continued to work.”
- Fred Katz and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic review New York’s deadline deals and look ahead to the remainder of the season. Both writers stuck with their preseason predictions that the Knicks will make the NBA Finals, though neither feels as confident in that prediction as they did a few months ago.
- In a subscriber-only story for The New York Post, Stefan Bondy gives out midseason grades for each player on the standard roster, with Jalen Brunson receiving the lone A (Hart and Landry Shamet each got an A-minus). He also grades the performance of head coach Mike Brown (B) and the offseason moves of Leon Rose (C-minus).
Spurs Agree To Waive Jeremy Sochan
The Spurs have agreed to grant Jeremy Sochan his release, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The team officially announced in a press release that the fourth-year forward has been placed on waivers.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Sochan had fallen out of San Antonio’s rotation since December and was viewed as a change-of-scenery candidate ahead of last week’s trade deadline. The club reportedly gave his representatives permission to explore a potential move leading up to February 5.
The Spurs, one of three NBA teams not to make an in-season trade, didn’t make a deadline deal involving Sochan, but he’ll still get a chance at a fresh start before the summer. Assuming no team places a waiver claim on the forward and his expiring $7.1MM expiring contract, which is probably a safe bet, he’ll reach unrestricted free agency and will have the opportunity to sign outright with any NBA club. According to Charania, multiple teams are expected to have interest.
Sochan made 149 starts and averaged 27.3 minutes per game in his first three seasons with the Spurs, contributing 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per contest during that time.
Although he’s a solid, versatile defender who earned a regular spot in Gregg Popovich‘s and Mitch Johnson‘s rotations for several years, Sochan has struggled with his shot, having made just 28.7% of his career three-pointers. It also never seemed as if the Spurs entirely figured out how they wanted to use him — at various times, he was deployed as a point guard, a small-ball center, and almost everything in between.
Jared Weiss of The Athletic reported after the trade deadline that Sochan wasn’t expected to negotiate a buyout with the Spurs and would likely finish the season in San Antonio, but the 22-year-old’s plans changed within the past week as he remained out of Johnson’s rotation, Weiss tweets.
It will be interesting to see whether Sochan draws more interest from playoff contenders looking for help in the short term or from retooling teams who view him as more than just a rest-of-season addition. The Spurs reportedly discussed possible Sochan deals with the Suns, Bulls, and Knicks prior to the deadline, though it’s unclear whether all of those teams had legitimate interest in him as a player or were intrigued by his expiring contract for cap-related reasons.
Because he’s in his fourth NBA season, Sochan technically remains two-way eligible, so that could be an option if he isn’t offered a standard contract or wants to join a team without a 15-man roster spot available.
Injury Notes: Castle, T. Johnson, Kings, M. Porter
Spurs guard Stephon Castle took a hard fall in the second quarter of Tuesday’s victory over the Lakers and exited the game early, sitting out the second half with what the team referred to as a pelvic contusion. However, Castle is confident that the injury isn’t serious, indicating after the game that he’s hoping to play in the second end of a back-to-back on Wednesday in Golden State, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required).
“I’m expecting he’ll be pretty sore — more than pretty sore,” head coach Mitch Johnson said. “It was good that he walked off and didn’t feel like it was anything else.”
While Castle thinks he’ll likely be as a game-time decision for Wednesday, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Spurs decide to hold him out, given that it’s the team’s last game before the All-Star break. If he sits out on Wednesday, the second-year guard would have another full week off before San Antonio’s schedule resumes next Thursday.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- After missing six consecutive games due to a left ankle sprain, rookie guard Tre Johnson is off the injury report and appears set to return to action on Wednesday as the Wizards visit Cleveland in their final game before the All-Star break, notes Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Johnson had been a starter in each of his last 17 games prior to the injury.
- The Kings, losers of 13 straight games, may be further ramping up their tanking efforts as they prepare to face Utah in their last game before the break. According to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), in addition to Domantas Sabonis (left knee injury management), Keegan Murray (left ankle sprain), Malik Monk (illness), and De’Andre Hunter (left eye iritis), the team has ruled out Russell Westbrook (left ankle soreness) and Zach LaVine (right fifth finger tendon injury) for Wednesday’s contest.
- Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. will miss a second straight game on Wednesday vs. Indiana due to right knee tendinitis. However, head coach Jordi Fernandez said on Monday that the injury isn’t considered serious and that it’s not related to the sprained MCL Porter had in the same knee earlier this season (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).
Western Notes: Kerr, Braun, Barnes, Hinson
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr admits that tanking is a major concern for the league, but he doesn’t have any simple solutions, Nick Friedell of The Athletic writes.
“Ironically, the last few years, it seems like it has not been at the forefront like it is this year because of the play-in (tournament),” Kerr said. “More teams felt like they were in it. This year, it’s pronounced just because of the circumstances and where a lot of teams are — injuries, starting rebuilds, that sort of thing. I know the league is really concerned about it, as they should be. It’s not good for the fans, for the league itself. They’re considering everything. It’s a really tough issue.”
Kerr also sees the issue from the perspective of teams jockeying for lottery positions, knowing that one of the top picks in the 2026 draft could be a franchise-altering player.
“The bottom line is you kinda have to get lucky in the lottery,” Kerr said. “It’s what makes this issue so tricky, is that great players — Steph (Curry) and Tim Duncan, Wemby (Victor Wembanyama) — they’re not only team-changing, but they’re franchise-changing, for even beyond the scope of those guys’ careers. And so there’s only a handful of players that can do that, that are that valuable. And so teams are all clamoring for them. Sometimes, you don’t know who they are. Steph was the seventh pick. Giannis (Antetokounmpo) was the (15th) pick. So it’s not always the first couple guys, but more often than not, the first pick has an opportunity to be that guy, and that’s what creates this issue.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Nuggets guard Christian Braun has appeared in four games since returning from a left ankle sprain. Braun missed nearly two months of action previously before an aborted attempt to come back last month from the same ailment. He played in only three January games before the ankle issue grounded him again and realizes now he wasn’t at full strength last month. “I think the biggest (factor) was, ‘Can I jump in the air?’” he told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “Obviously, they do all their tests (on an injury) and they do a really good job, but truthfully, I couldn’t jump. And if everybody has seen me play, I jump off my left leg a ton. So I’m just navigating, like, ‘Before I come back this next time, I need to make sure I can jump. I can run full speed and I can jump.’ It sounds really elementary and really basic, but that’s the truth. The explosion just wasn’t there.”
- Commissioner Adam Silver selected Brandon Ingram to replace Stephen Curry in the All-Star Game. Spurs forward Harrison Barnes felt teammates Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox were more worthy candidates. “We’re No. 2 in the West,” Barnes told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News. “Teams below us have two All-Stars. I don’t know a case where if you’re talking about having an impact on winning, either of them shouldn’t be selected and/or at least under consideration.”
- Blake Hinson‘s two-way contract with the Jazz is a two-year deal, per Spotrac contributor Keith Smith (Twitter link). The 26-year-old small forward is in the midst of a standout year in the G League, where he’s averaging 21.8 points and 5.8 rebounds with Portland’s affiliate, the Rip City Remix. Hinson signed his new contract on Monday.