Jazz’s Sensabaugh Discusses Development, Offseason, More
Brice Sensabaugh was viewed as something of a tweener ahead of the 2023 draft. He played power forward in his lone college season at Ohio State, but at 6’6″, he has the height of a wing, his primary position since he was selected 28th overall by the Jazz a few years ago.
Speaking to Mark Medina of RG.org, Sensabaugh says he overhauled his diet and improved his conditioning last summer in preparation for his third NBA season and now weighs approximately 225-227 pounds, down from roughly 240 in 2024/25.
“I was just in the gym with our Jazz strength and conditioning staff,” he said. “We had some boot camps and conditioning work all summer. But I think the biggest curve for me was my diet. I’m eating whole foods and trying not to have a diet with too many ingredients. I’m not picky at all. So I’ll eat anything. But I’m trying to keep whole foods and have fewer ingredients. I also substituted small things. Instead of sour cream, I have Greek yogurt. I have cauliflower instead of carbs. It worked out pretty well. I dropped like 15 pounds. I feel great and am getting off the ground pretty well.”
Known for his accurate jump shot, Sensabaugh has only converted 32.4% of his three point tries through 32 games in ’25/26 after knocking down 42.2% of his outside looks last season. While he admits he was hoping to have a higher percentage at this point in the season, Sensabaugh says he’s still pleased with his overall development and is finding other ways to impact the game when his shot isn’t falling.
“I feel pretty good about it. Coming from the second to third year, now there are a lot of things that I understand now that I didn’t before, such as the flow of the game and the intensity that it takes to win,” Sensabaugh told Medina. “I feel like this season my mentality has changed a lot. Toward the end of last season, I started hitting shots and scoring a good amount of points. But it wasn’t really translating into winning. This year, I’ve had four or five games where I made a big impact and translated to a win.
“I’m starting to understand the intensity and attention to detail that it takes to alter games and make a big impact like that. That’s the biggest takeaway I’ve had so far. The NBA is the best league in the world and has the best players. So it’s hard to do that consistently for a young player. But I’m searching for that every single game and trying to make that impact to give us a good chance to win.
“It’s been a fun year. I feel like my defense has gotten a lot better with my intensity and attention to detail. I still feel like I’m searching for my shot a lot of the times. There are a lot of games where my shot is going in and out. I’m trying not to dwell on it too much. I trust that it will go in. I’m doing my work early with my feet and my balance and am trusting the results. I try not to overreact to the misses too much. I just keep on playing and wait until they go in.”
Medina’s interview with Sensabaugh covers several other topics, including Utah’s veteran leaders, Keyonte George‘s breakout season, and more. The 22-year-old guard/forward will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the 2026 offseason.
Jalen Brunson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Win Player Of The Month Awards
A pair of star point guards and MVP candidates have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for December, with Jalen Brunson of the Knicks winning the award in the East and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder claiming it in the West, per the league (Twitter link).
Brunson was named Player of the Week twice in December and led the Knicks to an NBA Cup championship. He averaged 30.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per contest in 13 December outings, posting a strong shooting line of .475/.405/.826 and leading his team to a 10-3 record in the games he played.
Those stats don’t include the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season, but he was excellent in that game too, racking up 25 points and eight assists as the Knicks toppled the Spurs.
Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, continued to strengthen his case for a second consecutive Most Valuable Player award in 12 December appearances, with averages of 31.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, and a scorching-hot .594/.436/.882 shooting line.
Gilgeous-Alexander now ranks second in the NBA in scoring (32.1 PPG), while his Thunder – following a 9-4 December – hold the league’s best record at 29-5.
It’s the third time Brunson has won a Player of the Month award and the fifth time Gilgeous-Alexander has earned the honor. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were the NBA’s first Players of the Month this season, for games played in October and November.
Cunningham was also nominated for the Eastern Conference award in December, along with Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, Hawks forward, Jalen Johnson, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., and Brunson’s teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
The other Western Conference nominees were Jokic, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, Jazz guard Keyonte George, Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Trail Blazers teammates Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe, Timberwolves teammates Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, and Lakers teammates Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
Injury Notes: Davis, Duren, Rockets, Warriors, Jazz
Mavericks big man Anthony Davis returned to action on Thursday vs. Philadelphia following a two-game absence due to a groin strain. Head coach Jason Kidd said the 10-time All-Star would immediately resume his normal workload, relays Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
“We always want him to play, so we’re happy to have him back,” Kidd said. “We’ll see — 30 to 34 minutes. We want to get him some touches. Offensively and defensively, we need him to be AD.”
Davis has been one of the biggest names in trade rumors for several weeks.
Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:
- Pistons center Jalen Duren suffered a right ankle sprain late in the second quarter of Thursday’s loss to Miami. While he was on the court to open the second half, he was moving gingerly and quickly asked for a sub before being formally ruled out for the remainder of the contest (Twitter link via the team). Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff indicated that Duren would likely undergo additional testing, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.
- The Rockets got Alperen Sengun back from a left soleus (calf) strain on Thursday, but were missing backup centers Steven Adams (right ankle sprain) and Clint Capela (illness) in the victory at Brooklyn, notes Will Guillory of The Athletic (via Twitter). Sengun missed two games with the injury, though head coach Ime Udoka said it wasn’t serious.
- The Warriors are resting Draymond Green for Friday’s matchup vs. Oklahoma City, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s the front end of a back-to-back for Golden State, which faces Utah on Saturday. Guards Stephen Curry (left ankle sprain) and De’Anthony Melton (left knee injury management) are questionable for Friday’s game against the Thunder, while centers Al Horford (right sciatic nerve irritation) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (right pattellar tendonitis) are probable to suit up against the defending champions.
- The Jazz only have nine players active for Thursday’s contest at the Clippers. Among the noteworthy players out are Lauri Markkanen (left knee contusion), Keyonte George (illness), Jusuf Nurkic (left big toe sprain) and Ace Bailey (left hip flexor strain), per the league’s official injury report.
Jazz Notes: Nurkic, Love, Core Four, George
The Jazz raised eyebrows over the summer when they attached a second-round pick to Collin Sexton in a trade with Charlotte for center Jusuf Nurkic. However, Nurkic has played a larger role than anticipated due to Walker Kessler‘s season-ending shoulder injury, making 24 starts (and counting) and averaging 25.4 minutes per contest. In the process, he has made a positive impression on his teammates and his head coach, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News.
“Nurk helps us create an advantage in a way that no one else does,” coach Will Hardy said. “His screening, his ability to get his teammates open — and I think he’s done a better job of rolling and making himself available, but more than that, his teammates have rewarded him … But his physicality in general, his screening, rebounding, is unique in our league. Like, he’s in a category almost all by himself, in terms of the way that he can help you create advantage.”
As Todd points out, when Nurkic has found himself in less-than-favorable situations, he hasn’t been shy about expressing his frustrations publicly, as he did a year ago in Phoenix. But he sounds very happy to be in Utah, raving about the support he has gotten from Hardy and telling reporters that the Jazz have made him feel “wanted” (Twitter video link via JP Chunga).
“I can’t really stress enough how this organization is good,” Nurkic said. “… Me and Kevin (Love) talk every day to the young guys that we have a such a great thing here. (They) don’t understand how it is somewhere else … This is such a great environment, and you have everything you need to succeed.”
Here’s more on the Jazz:
- An apparent throw-in in the three-team trade that sent Norman Powell to the Heat and John Collins to the Clippers, Love has played more than expected for the Jazz this season after considering pursuing a buyout during the offseason, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Love, who averaged 10.9 minutes per game in Miami last season, has averaged 9.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per night on .413/.370/.769 shooting in December. “He’s an elite rebounder, and so those things continue to show up,” Hardy said in explaining Love’s role. “And then obviously, just kind of his general savvy in his 18th year — he’s gotten a little more familiar with his teammates, and I think his spacing element gives us a different look.”
- The Jazz appear to have a “core four” of Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, and Kessler, according to Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who explores what sort of player might complement that unit as a fifth option. Observing that the group could use a defensive-minded wing, Larsen suggests that Utah should be targeting a player in the mold of Luguentz Dort, Herbert Jones, Tari Eason, or Matisse Thybulle — not necessarily at this year’s trade deadline, but in general going forward.
- In a story for The Deseret News, Todd sets “New Year’s resolutions” for the Jazz, explaining what each player on Utah’s roster should be focused on in 2026.
- In case you missed it, George was nominated for the Western Conference’s Player of the Week award for a second consecutive week on Monday.
Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of Week
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Leonard led the Clippers to three wins during the week of December 22-28 while posting averages of 41.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per contest. The star forward erupted for a career-high 55 points against the Pistons on Sunday.
It’s Leonard’s fourth Player of the Week award as a Clipper and the 10th of his NBA career, but it’s the first time he has earned the honor since the 2023/24 season.
Kevin Durant (Rockets), Keyonte George (Jazz), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees.
The Celtics, meanwhile, went 2-1 last week with Brown averaging 32.7 points on 55.9 percent shooting from the field while also grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game.
Boston’s star wing has scored at least 30 points in all nine games he has played this month and has now been named the East’s Player of the Week twice in December — he also claimed the award on Dec. 8. Brown and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson have traded the award back and forth in recent weeks, with no other Eastern Conference player winning it since Nov. 24.
LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Michael Porter Jr. (Nets) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were all nominated in the East.
Injury Notes: Knueppel, Adebayo, Bailey, Blazers
Hornets standout rookie Kon Knueppel left Friday night’s game against the Magic early due to a right ankle sprain, but he appears to have avoided a serious injury, writes Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer.
“Kon, he’s an insane competitor — he wants to come back for practice,” coach Charles Lee said on Sunday. “But I do think that he’s made good progress so far. He’s been able to do a little bit on the court, but we will continue to see how he responds every day. As of now, it’s a right ankle sprain, and we’ll kind of work day-to-day to see how he responds to treatment.”
Knueppel has been a key part of the Hornets’ rotation this season, averaging 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on .478/.428/.897 shooting splits while starting 30 of the 31 games he’s played.
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- Dealing with nagging injuries, including lower back soreness, Bam Adebayo needed to take some time to let his body rest before returning to action for the Heat, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “He really needed this time,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He was dealing with some deals because of overcompensation. I think he’s feeling a lot better each day.” Adebayo is considered probable for Monday’s game against the Nuggets after missing the club’s previous two contests.
- Rookie forward Ace Bailey missed Saturday’s Jazz win against the Spurs after leaving Utah’s previous contest against the Pistons early due to a left hip strain, as reported by ESPN. Jazz forward Kevin Love also sat out against San Antonio due to rest, per Andy Larson of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
- The Trail Blazers have been particularly hit by injuries this season, and it’s hurting their play-in chances, Sean Highkin writes for the Rose Garden Report (subscriber link). Jrue Holiday has missed nearly six weeks with a right calf strain that was initially expected to sideline him for a week or two. Jerami Grant and Matisse Thybulle have both also missed time, and Scoot Henderson still has yet to play a game this season. “It’s the injuries, my friend,” head coach Tiago Splitter said on Friday when asked what’s holding his team back.
Afseth’s Latest: Spurs, Giannis, J. Johnson, Jazz, Bey
The Spurs have flashed tantalizing potential this season with a 21-7 start and a run to the NBA Cup championship game, but league sources who spoke to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal don’t expect San Antonio to make the sort of significant in-season trade that would compromise the club’s future flexibility.
“They’re not going to sit around being satisfied, but I don’t see them making a move like trading for Giannis (Antetokounmpo),” a source told Afseth. “There are more reasonable options out there. They can be patient and opportunistic.”
According to Afseth, the expectation is that the Spurs will focus on internal growth of their young core this season while preserving their most valuable long-term assets. Still, he says some rival teams have wondered whether San Antonio would be willing to sacrifice some of those assets for another high-level role player who would complement the current group.
“They have the assets to make a trade like Orlando did to add Desmond Bane,” a source said. “It’d have to be someone that fits their timeline. Someone like a Trey Murphy III, for example, could be a strong fit.”
Here are a few more items of interest from Afseth’s latest round-up:
- If Antetokounmpo is made available this season, many of the top suitors for the Bucks star are expected to be Eastern Conference clubs, says Afseth. That group includes the Heat, Knicks, Hawks, and Raptors, though rival executives are skeptical that New York would want to break up its roster during the season and Atlanta isn’t expected to make forward Jalen Johnson available, Afseth notes.
- While both Afseth and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) say that hanging onto their top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick is a priority for the Jazz, Fischer writes that Utah also wants to “establish a winning environment” sooner rather than later. Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George – along with 2026 restricted free agent Walker Kessler – are viewed as cornerstones for the Jazz, with Kyle Anderson, Jusuf Nurkic, Kevin Love, and Georges Niang considered potential in-season trade candidates, per Afseth. Afseth adds that both management and ownership have confidence that Will Hardy is the right head coach to guide the team out of its rebuilding stage.
- Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey is increasingly piquing the interest of teams in need of help on the wing, according to Afseth, who published a full story on Sunday examining Bey’s return to action this season following a torn ACL. The 26-year-old is averaging 15.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 29.5 minutes per game through 29 outings (21 starts) for New Orleans.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Jalen Brunson Named Players Of Week
Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson were named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
This marks the second career Player of the Week award for Jackson, who averaged 27.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.7 blocks in 32.7 minutes per game and led Memphis to a 2-1 record during the week of December 15-21.
Jackson recorded a season-high 31 points and five blocks in the Grizzlies’ 121-103 road win last Monday against the Clippers and followed that with 28 points, a season-high 12 rebounds and three blocks in Memphis’ 116-110 road victory on Wednesday against Minnesota.
Brunson racked up 31.3 points, 8.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game as the Knicks went 2-1 after their NBA Cup triumph. He had 47 points in the Knicks’ 132-125 win over Miami on Sunday.
It’s the second major individual award for Brunson over the past week. He was also named the MVP of the NBA Cup. He also becomes the first two-time Eastern Conference Player of the Week this season, having also earned the honor on December 1.
Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers), Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves), Keyonte George (Jazz), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) were the other nominees for the Western Conference Player of the Week award.
Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic (Bulls), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers) and Derrick White (Celtics) were the other nominees in the East.
Injury Notes: Markkanen, Davis, Lakers, Grizzlies, Mann
Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen is likely to miss his second straight game on Saturday vs. Orlando, with Utah officially listing him as doubtful due to right groin injury management (hat tip to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune).
The 28-year-old is off to a strong start to the 2025/26 campaign, averaging a career-high 27.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steal on .469/.352/.893 shooting through 24 games (35.3 minutes per contest). Second-year big man Kyle Filipowski started Thursday’s loss to the Lakers with Markkanen out.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Mavericks big man Anthony Davis battled through an illness and a left calf contusion in Thursday’s overtime victory over Detroit, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “Still feel under the weather,” said Davis, who finished with 15 points, 18 rebounds and three blocks in 37 minutes. “I actually threw up twice during the game, but I’m just trying to compete. I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help the team win. Just leaving it all on the floor.” Davis was returning from a one-game absence due to the calf issue.
- The Lakers will continue to be without starters Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Deandre Ayton (left elbow soreness) for Saturday’s contest at the Clippers, tweets Dan Woike of The Athletic. Forward Rui Hachimura is questionable to suit up due to right groin soreness.
- An eye-popping nine Grizzlies will be unavailable for Saturday’s game in Washington, the team announced (via Twitter). A pair of two-way players (GG Jackson II and Jahmai Mashack) are on a G League assignment, but the other seven players — including Ja Morant (left ankle sprain) and Vince Williams Jr. (left knee soreness) — are out due to injuries.
- Hornets guard Tre Mann could return to action on Saturday in Detroit, having been listed as probable to suit up (Twitter link via the team). Mann has missed the past seven games, with his most recent injury designation being a right knee bone bruise. Pat Connaughton (right calf strain) is questionable for Charlotte, while Collin Sexton is doubtful as he continues to deal with a left quad strain.
Stein’s Latest: Kings, Harden, Kessler, Rozier, Jones, Payton
If executives around the NBA were asked which team is viewed as the most likely seller ahead of this season’s trade deadline, many would name the Kings first, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
“Active is the word I would use to describe them,” one exec said of Sacramento.
Few players on the Kings’ roster are off limits, with the team seemingly open to inquiries on anyone outside of fourth-year forward Keegan Murray and rookie Nique Clifford, Stein writes.
Sacramento has “certainly” made veterans Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan available, Stein continues, though the club is reportedly telling teams that it has no intention of attaching draft assets – or highly regarded guard Keon Ellis – to any of its higher-paid vets in order to accommodate a deal.
Stein has more to share from around the NBA:
- A number of teams are keeping a close eye on Clippers guard James Harden, a source tells Stein. Given L.A.’s disappointing record, Harden’s age (36), and his contract situation (he holds a partially guaranteed player option for 2026/27), the former MVP would make an intriguing trade candidate if the Clippers are open to moving him. Stein points out that the Timberwolves are among the teams seeking a play-maker on the trade market.
- Echoing recent reporting from Grant Afseth, Stein says the Pacers have registered interest in Walker Kessler, though he adds that the Jazz have shown no signs that they want to trade the big man ahead of his restricted free agency.
- Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA haven’t confirmed one way or another whether the Heat would be permitted to trade Terry Rozier while he remains on leave following his arrest in connection to a federal gambling investigation. However, Stein hears that the Heat are “quietly confident” that the league wouldn’t block them from making a deal that includes Rozier’s $26MM+ expiring contract for salary-matching purposes.
- Nuggets two-way forward Spencer Jones is being viewed as a near lock to have his contract converted into a standard deal later in the season, Stein reports. Denver has an open spot on its 15-man roster but is navigating the luxury tax line. Still, the club seems likely to promote Jones, who has been active for all 25 Nuggets games so far and has averaged 8.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game on .564/.448/.682 shooting in 10 games since entering the starting lineup.
- Like big man Christian Koloko, veteran guard Elfrid Payton has also recently joined the Spurs‘ G League affiliate in the hopes of making an impression on NBA evaluators at this weekend’s NBAGL Showcase, Stein notes.