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Southeast Notes: Ball, Adebayo, Ware, Herro, Hawks

January 20th, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LaMelo Ball leads the Eastern Conference All-Star voting among guards despite the Hornets‘ poor record (11-28). However, Ball has stepped up his game, particularly on defense, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes.

Ball had 23 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in Charlotte’s victory over Dallas on Monday afternoon.

“His two-way play has really helped us,” coach Charles Lee said. “We’ve made an effort to play with more pace offensively. I think the whole squad has really bought into that and he’s really the head of the snake when it comes to pace, and his attack and willingness to either go finish in the attack or collapse the defense and kick out for some early opportunities.

“And then defensively, he’s denying (Kyrie) Irving at the end of the game, being more physical. I feel like in our transition defense, we are having a lot more communication and urgency to get back. So, just really impressed with his two-way game and not trying to be offensively focused.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The pairing of Bam Adebayo and rookie Kel’el Ware gave the Heat a “dynamic” new look, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. At the end of the first half and beginning of the second half, the Heat went on a 36-13 run against San Antonio on Sunday with the two bigs playing together. “Right now, defensively that just looked like it was elite,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “So if I have to lean into this thing defensively right now for our team to get to another level, I will. That could be a path and we’ll dive into this. But that looks like a path where we can find some higher success, at least on one side of the floor.”
Tyler Herro is averaging career bests in points, rebounds and assists and the Heat wing is drawing extra defensive attention. Lakers coach JJ Redick says the Herro needs to be guarded like Stephen Curry. Adebayo said it’s a learning experience for Herro, Chiang writes. “He is the focal point of a lot of scouting reports,” he said. “So for us, it’s understanding that he’s got to play kind of like Steph. He might not get the ball, but go set a screen, go screen somebody. That’s how you get yourself open. Me and him had that conversation during the (Spurs) game. He was like, ‘Man, what am I supposed to do?’ I was like, ‘Just go screen for somebody.’ Literally if they’re face-guarding you, just go screen for somebody. Somebody is going to be open.”
The Hawks have the East’s fourth-best record in large part because they’re handling adversity better, according to Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. They have a 6-2 record against the teams above them in the conference standings. “Your hope is when you find adversity in the game, because it comes in a lot of different forms that that can bring you together and you can raise your level, as opposed to it splitting you apart,” coach Quin Snyder said.

Draymond Green Out At Least One Week With Calf Strain

January 20th, 2025 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward/center Draymond Green has been diagnosed with a mild left calf strain and is expected to be reevaluated in one week, reports Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team has officially confirmed Slater’s reporting (Twitter link).

As Slater notes, that means Green will miss at least Golden State’s next four games, including Monday’s matchup with the defending champion Celtics. He’ll also be unavailable for games vs. Sacramento (on Wednesday), Chicago (Thursday), and the Lakers (Saturday) before being reexamined.

Green, who previously missed three consecutive games due to a back injury and an illness, made his return on Saturday vs. Washington, but was on the court for just three minutes before sustaining a first-quarter calf injury that sidelined him for the rest of the night.

Green has averaged 8.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game through 34 contests this season for the Warriors. As usual, his impact goes beyond the box score — Golden State has a +3.9 net rating during his time on the court and a -3.0 mark when he’s not on the floor.

Buddy Hield and Gui Santos earned starts during Green’s absence, but it will be Gary Payton II elevated to the starting five on Monday vs. Boston, tweets Slater. Moses Moody has also played an increased role as of late and should continue to see regular minutes with Green on the shelf.

In more positive Warriors injury news, Stephen Curry will be active on Monday after spraining his left ankle in Saturday’s game.

Warriors May Wait Until Summer To Pursue Major Trade

January 20th, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors may be active on the trade market before the deadline, but they’re not expected to pursue a major deal until the offseason, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Two Western Conference executives who talked to Youngmisuk believe Golden State will save its most valuable trade pieces for the summer in hopes of a making significant move.

For now, a more likely target is Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, who would provide a second reliable scorer to team with Stephen Curry. Vucevic is making $20MM, and the Warriors hope they might be able to land him in exchange for expiring deals. Both rival executives expect the team to continue exploring its options until closer to February 6, rather than making a deal right away.

Youngmusik points out that Golden State’s top trade pieces are Andrew Wiggins‘ $26MM contract, along with young players Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski. More likely to be moved now are the expiring contracts of Gary Payton II ($9.13MM) and Kevon Looney ($8MM), along with draft assets (the Warriors have three tradable first-round picks and two second-rounders.

Youngmisuk reveals that CEO Joe Lacob met with general manager Mike Dunleavy to discuss the team’s options after a January 7 loss to Miami. One rival executive described the team as “frustrated” as it has fallen down the standings after a 12-3 start.

The executives also told Youngmisuk that if the Warriors aren’t in a better position by the trade deadline, they might consider some cost-cutting deals to reduce the size of their tax bill. Youngmisuk adds that Golden State typically isn’t active around the deadline, with only two significant trades during the Curry era.

Curry, who has been playing through thumb and knee pain this season, said he can accept a quiet deadline as long as he knows the front office is making an effort to improve the roster.

“[We’re] trying to be a realistic threat in a playoffs series,” he said. “If Mike calls and says, ‘Hey, this is an opportunity to do X, Y, Z,’ I give my opinion. My hope is that [if there’s no action at the deadline], it’s not because of a lack of effort. If we don’t have a chance to get better, my whole thing is I want to win, and whatever that means, all efforts are pointed towards that, then I can kind of live with whatever happens.”

The Warriors tried to get involved in major deals last summer, making offers for Lauri Markkanen before he re-signed with Utah and Paul George before he opted out of his contract with the Clippers. In both cases, it would have meant parting with Kuminga and maybe Podziemski, which Golden State wasn’t ready to do.

They were one of the first teams to make a significant in-season deal, picking up Dennis Schröder from Brooklyn in mid-December, but the veteran guard has struggled badly with his shot and hasn’t been able to stop the team’s long decline. It’s possible that Schröder could be moved again before the deadline.

Curry, Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr have all made recent public statements cautioning against the dangers of a panic move. They seem content to wait until summer for a roster overhaul if necessary, and in the meantime they’re confident about their postseason chances no matter who they have to face.

“Hundred percent feel like we can beat anybody in a playoff series because we’ve done it,” Curry said. “We have the know-how, and we just want to be able to answer that question with how we’re playing and not imagine. … We’ve been there. We know how to do it. Just feel like we can do it again.”

Western Notes: Daigneault, Simons, Green, Curry, Beal

January 19th, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder‘s Mark Daigneault has been named a head coach for the All-Star Game with the team clinching the Western Conference’s best record through Feb. 2, the NBA announced on Sunday (via Twitter). Under the new format, the All-Stars will be split into four teams. One of Daigneault’s assistants will also serve as a head coach.

“An honor. A huge thank you to all the people that are behind the scenes in the organization that work with the players, not only this season, but in previous seasons,” the coach told sideline reporter Nick Gallo (Twitter link). “This has been a build, and a lot of people have their fingerprints on that.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons sat out Sunday’s game against Chicago due to a right elbow strain, the team’s PR department tweets. Simons, who had made just eight of 34 field goal attempts in his previous three outings, has now missed four games this season.
Warriors forward Draymond Green has officially been ruled out of Monday’s game against Boston with a left calf strain, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Stephen Curry is listed as questionable due to an ankle sprain, though he told reporters on Saturday he plans to play.
Suns wing Bradley Beal went through a workout on Sunday and is hopeful of playing against Cleveland on Monday. He’s listed as questionable after missing two games due to an ankle sprain. “It’s been good, it’s been smooth,” Beal told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I haven’t had any setbacks or anything out of the ordinary. All the imaging came back fully expecting to be nothing crazy. Just a little sprain.”

Pacific Notes: Richards, Poole, Green, Curry, Vincent, Clippers

January 18th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nick Richards looked like the big man the Suns have been missing during his debut with the team Saturday afternoon at Detroit, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Richards, who was acquired from Charlotte earlier this week, came off the bench to post 21 points and 11 rebounds in nearly 30 minutes.

Beyond that, Rankin notes that Richards brought energy and “edginess” to the game by competing for rebounds at both ends and driving hard to the basket, which created open three-point attempts for his teammates. He was a plus-22 in a game Phoenix won by four points.

“Everything was flowing,” Richards said. “I was out there being me, playing my style of basketball.”

Jusuf Nurkic, who was recently removed from the starting lineup, remains sidelined with the flu. However, coach Mike Budenholzer said Nurkic has “turned the corner” and his condition will be monitored to see if he’ll join the team before its road trip ends Wednesday in Brooklyn.

Rankin expects Richards to replace Mason Plumlee as the starter soon, and rookie Oso Ighodaro gives the team four capable big men, meaning one or two of them won’t see regular minutes if they’re all still on the roster after the trade deadline.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Wizards‘ visit to Golden State Saturday night prompted questions to coach Steve Kerr about Jordan Poole, according to Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Poole played an important role on the 2022 championship team and once appeared to be a future star for the Warriors, but he was traded to Washington in the summer of 2023 following an infamous incident with Draymond Green. “It’s just really fun to see all of his work pay off and just his growth as a professional, to see it in pretty dramatic fashion over those few years, it was wonderful to see,” Kerr said.
Green will undergo an MRI on Sunday after leaving Saturday’s game with a left calf injury, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Warriors guard Stephen Curry twisted his ankle, but he doesn’t believe it’s serious.
After missing most of last season due to injury, Gabe Vincent is enjoying the chance to finally be able to contribute to the Lakers, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. He had a season-high 14 points in Wednesday’s win over Miami, his former team, then followed that with 10 points Friday against Brooklyn. “My role … is just win games, help us win games,” Vincent said. “Some nights it might be purely defensive, some nights I might be on the ball some more, some nights I might be spotting up. But whatever the task is, I’m out there to help this ballclub win games.”
When the teams meet Sunday, the Clippers will finally be able to host the Lakers in their own arena after years of sharing a facility, notes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. The Clippers moved into the new $2 billion high-tech Inuit Dome this season. “I heard that place is sick,” Lakers guard Austin Reaves said. “I heard it’s really cool.”

Warriors Notes: Draymond, Injuries, Olynyk, Curry, More

January 17th, 2025 at 10:30pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing the Warriors‘ past three games while dealing with a back issue and an illness, Draymond Green is listed as probable to suit up on Saturday vs. Washington, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. However, Kyle Anderson (left gluteral bursitis) and Brandin Podziemski (right abdominal injury management) will each miss another game, joining Jonathan Kuminga (right ankle sprain) on the inactive list.

While Green remains an integral on-court contributor for the Warriors, the former Defensive Player of the Year has also begun considering what the next stage of his career will look like. According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, Green has had exploratory talks with “one or more” of the NBA’s long-term media partners (ABC/ESPN, NBC, and Amazon).

“He looks at media as a big part of his future—and is excited about the opportunities that exist out there for him,” Josh Pyatt, Green’s agent for off-court representation at WME Sports, told Front Office Sports, confirming interest in his client from NBA media rights holders.

As McCarthy points out, Green has already done some broadcast work with TNT Sports in recent years — with TNT in its final season as an NBA rights-holder, it’s possible he could reach a new agreement with one of the league’s other partners before his playing career is over.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (video link) confirms that the Warriors are eyeing “mid-tier” big men on the trade market, identifying Raptors center Kelly Olynyk as one potential target of interest for Golden State. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype previously linked the Warriors to a handful of other veteran centers, including Nikola Vucevic, Jonas Valanciunas, and Robert Williams.
In a column for Yahoo Sports, Kevin O’Connor explores what the future might look like for the Warriors and Stephen Curry, considering whether it’s in both sides’ best interests for Curry to finish his career in Golden State.
Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard makes the case that it wouldn’t be so bad for the Warriors to miss the playoffs this season and might actually be “their most practical path back into relevance. As Kawakami outlines, missing the postseason would assure the Warriors get a 2025 lottery pick and would put them in position to reload and revamp their roster in the offseason before taking another run at contending in ’25/26.
The Warriors put out a press release on Friday announcing the Dejan Milojevic Brate Award, honoring their assistant coach who passed away a year ago. The annual award will honor the basketball operations staff member who embodies Milojevic’s “spirit, dedication, and legacy,” according to the team.

And-Ones: All-Star Voting, New Leagues, Midseason Awards

January 17th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Dana Gauruder

The third update on fan voting for the All-Star Game has Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Kevin Durant heading the list of Western Conference frontcourt players, the NBA announced on Thursday (via Twitter). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic have received the most votes among Western Conference backcourt players.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns are the top three vote-getters among Eastern Conference frontcourt players, while LaMelo Ball, Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard have the most votes among the conference’s backcourt players.

The fan vote counts for 50 percent regarding All-Star starters. Player voting and a media panel’s selections are weighed at 25 percent apiece. Fan voting ends Monday and the All-Star starters will be revealed on Thursday during a TNT broadcast.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Will a new basketball league to challenge the NBA come to fruition? According to Bloomberg.com, a group of investors being advised by Maverick Carter, LeBron’s business partner, is seeking to raise $5 billion from private capital sources to form an international basketball league. James himself is not part of the efforts to form this new league, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The investors, which includes multiple private equity funds, are looking to form a league consisting of six men’s teams and six women’s teams playing games around the world, Charania adds.
Speaking of international games, NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed on Shaquille O’Neal’s podcast that discussions have been held regarding a new European league, Eurohoops relays. “One of the things we’ve been discussing is whether, before adding NBA franchises in Europe, there’s an opportunity to create an independent league there. This could leverage the enormous interest in basketball in major European capitals like Paris, London, Berlin, and Madrid— and other major cities that love basketball,” Silver said. Discussions between the NBA and FIBA regarding the proposed league have previously been reported.
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix and Liam McKeone hand out their midseason awards, including Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year. Mannix chooses Gilgeous-Alexander as his midseason MVP, while McKeone selects Jokic. They also take a look at the highs and lows of the season so far.

Scotto’s Latest: Warriors, Vucevic, Centers, Connaughton, Suns

January 16th, 2025 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

After telling reporters earlier this week that he doesn’t want the Warriors to make a “desperate” trade that compromises the team’s long-term future for short-term gain, Stephen Curry clarified on Wednesday that his comments don’t mean he’s content playing on a .500 team that’s not trying to improve.

“Anyone who thinks I’m OK being on an average basketball team is insane,” Curry said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Take whatever I said, I still stand on it. But that doesn’t mean we’re not in a situation where we are trying to get better, make appropriate moves that help you do that. (General manager) Mike (Dunleavy Jr.) knows that. We’ve talked about it. That’s the expectation from me. It doesn’t mean you’re reckless.”

As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports, Dunleavy and the Warriors are indeed exploring their options on the trade market, with a focus on upgrades in the frontcourt rather than on the wing. Golden State has looked into centers like Nikola Vucevic, John Collins, Jonas Valanciunas, and Robert Williams, according to Scotto, who says the odds of the team making a trade for a forward like Jimmy Butler or Cameron Johnson have decreased.

While the Warriors want to give Curry and Draymond Green a chance to compete for another title, they won’t mortgage their future to make it happen, Scotto writes, adding that the front office still remains reluctant to part with forward Jonathan Kuminga.

Here’s more from Scotto:

Following up on the trade market for centers, Scotto says some NBA executives believe the Bulls could land a first-round pick in a deal for Vucevic, who is having a strong season in Chicago. The Wizards and Trail Blazers are expected to command second-rounders for Valanciunas and Williams, respectively, while Collins’ value is hard to pin down, Scotto notes, given the $26.6MM player option the Jazz big man holds for 2025/26.
Rival executives who spoke to Scotto are monitoring Bucks wing Pat Connaughton as a trade candidate, since Milwaukee could duck below the second tax apron and create more roster flexibility by moving off of his $9.4MM salary. Connaughton is having a down year and holds a $9.4MM player option for ’25/26, so the Bucks would have to attach draft picks and/or cash to move off of him. While the Bucks can’t trade cash as long as they remain above the second apron, they could do so in a trade that moves them below that threshold.
After trading for Nick Richards, the Suns are expected to continue gauging Jusuf Nurkic‘s trade market and trying to figure out a Butler deal as they seek out win-now upgrades, Scotto writes. Scotto points out that role players Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen would both have positive value as trade chips, but there has been no indication that Phoenix would have interest in moving either player.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Kerr, Vucevic, Wiggins

January 14th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors’ long downturn continued with Monday’s surprising loss at Toronto, but Stephen Curry doesn’t want management to overreact with a trade that’s not in the team’s best long-term interest, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. After starting the season 12-3, Golden State is now 12th in the West at 19-20 and appears headed for a frantic battle for one of the four play-in spots.

However, Youngmisuk notes that Curry is sticking with a philosophy that the organization has been emphasizing since training camp, which is there will be no panic involved in trade decisions, especially if it means giving up young players and future draft assets.

“Desperate trades or desperate moves that deplete the future, there is a responsibility on allowing or keeping the franchise in a good space and good spot when it comes to where we leave this thing when we’re done,” Curry said. “Doesn’t mean that you’re not trying to get better. It doesn’t mean that you’re not active in any type of search to, if you have an opportunity where a trade makes sense or even in the summer free agency [move] makes sense. You want to continue to get better. Nobody wants to be stale or be in a situation where you’re passing up opportunities. But it doesn’t mean that you’re desperate just flinging assets all around the place just because you want to do something.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Coach Steve Kerr made a similar statement at Monday’s shootaround, saying it would be unwise to mortgage the future to give himself, Curry and Draymond Green a shot at another NBA title, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kerr recognizes the need to have young talent such as Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski on hand once he and his veteran stars are gone. “That’s the hard part in addressing all this stuff,” Kerr said. “We’re not giving in. But you have to be realistic organizationally about where you are. And you have to mind what’s coming ahead in the future. I probably won’t be around, but I would tell you, if this organization gave away the next six or seven drafts for a wild swing, that would be the most irresponsible thing that they could do.”
The front office has engaged in internal discussions about finding a center who can consistently make three-pointers to create more space for Curry and provide better lineup combinations for Green and Kuminga, Slater adds in the same piece. He mentions Nikola Vucevic as a possibility, depending on the price the Bulls would want in return.
Remarkably, Monday marked the first game that Andrew Wiggins has played in his hometown of Toronto in seven years, according to Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Wiggins rejoined the team on Saturday after missing two games for personal reasons.

Pacific Notes: Fox, Kings, Warriors, O’Neale

January 12th, 2025 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox is available to play on Sunday against Chicago, tweets Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee.

Fox, who last suited up on January 3, rejoins a red-hot Sacramento squad that has won six straight games in total, including the past three without him. James Ham of The Kings Beat considers whether the team’s recent run of success is sustainable.

Here’s more from around the Pacific Division:

The Kings are spending far less time scrimmaging so far under new head coach Doug Christie, which has been well received by the players, Biderman writes for the Sacramento Bee. “Talking to some of the guys who play heavier minutes, they definitely feel more fresh to start games,” Kings sharpshooter Kevin Huerter said. “I think even mentally, just the grind of the season, we’re already in January, and you get to this point in the season, you play a lot of games. As much as it’s a physical grind, it’s a mental grind. Being halfway there and needing every win, in some ways we pump the brakes a little bit, but still trusting us to get our work in.”
After missing games on Thursday and Friday for personal reasons, Andrew Wiggins will be back in action for the Warriors on Monday in Toronto, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters today (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN). Stephen Curry and Draymond Green practiced on Sunday and are also set to return on Monday after sitting out Friday, while Gary Payton II (calf strain) is listed as questionable to play for the first time since Christmas Day. Brandin Podziemski (right abdominal injury) will remain out, Kerr said.
Suns forward Royce O’Neale (left ankle sprain) appears on track to return from a six-game absence on Sunday vs. Charlotte. He has been upgraded to probable, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.