Category: NBA

Knicks star Jalen Brunson suffered a right ankle injury in the first quarter of Wednesday's 112-101 loss to the Sacramento Kings and never returned. However, there was a good sign following the game.

According to multiple eye-witness accounts, including from The Athletic's James Edwards, the Knicks guard left the locker room without a boot or crutches. 

There wasn't an update on Brunson's condition from the team, but it's a good sign. 

The incident occurred when Brunson tried to cross up Maxime Raynaud on the wing, but slipped and fell, appearing to turn his ankle. 

The injury occurred with 7:45 remaining in the first quarter as Brunson tried to remain in the game, but checked out with 7:01 on the clock and headed to the locker room.

New York trailed Sacramento, 16-8, at the time and never recovered. Without their captain, the Knicks shot just 39 percent from the field, including 8-for-41 from three (19.5 percent).  

Brunson was initially designated as questionable to return, but the Knicks delivered the update just before the second half started. Brunson had scored four points on 2-for-3 shooting, missing a three-pointer, in five minutes of action.

The Knicks guard missed two games last November when he sprained the same ankle against the Orlando Magic.

It's unclear whether Brunson will miss games this time around, but the Knicks have a quick turnaround as they continue their road trip against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.

The Knicks had one of their worst shooting games of the season and lost to the Sacramento Kings, 112-101, on Wednesday night.

Here are the takeaways...

-- New York found themselves down 16-8 early in the first quarter and then things got even worse with Jalen Brunson leaving the game with a right ankle injury. Brunson slipped and fell with 7:45 remaining in the first quarter while trying to cross up Maxime Raynaud. He tried to stay in the game but left for the locker room with 7:01 on the clock and did not return.

-- It didn't get better for Mike Brown's new squad against his former team as NY trailed 32-17 at the end of the first quarter. The Knicks went 0-for-9 from three-point range and shot just 35 percent from the field compared to the Kings' 63 percent. Former Knick Precious Achiuwa, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine all scored 10 points in the first. Karl-Anthony Towns tried to carry the load for New York with seven points.

-- New York missed their first 12 three-point attempts before Josh Hart hit one to make it a 41-24 game in the second quarter. The Knicks slowly tried to mount a comeback despite their struggles from beyond the arc. Offensive rebounds and second-chance points were a big factor as Mitchell Robinson dominated the glass (11 total offensive rebounds in the first half, Robinson with six). 

The Knicks outscored the Kings, 25-24, in the second quarter but trailed 56-42 at halftime. It's tied for their lowest scoring first half of the season. The team shot an abysmal 1-for-19 from three and 34 percent from the field. Towns was the go-to scorer with Brunson out (13 points on 5-for-11 shooting), but no one else was in double figures.

-- Sacramento scored seven quick points to open the third quarter before Mikal Bridges made the Knicks' second three-pointer of the night (2-for-21 at the time), making it a 63-46 game. The Kings continued to get to the foul line and extend their lead. Hart made the team's third three-pointer (3-for-25) and then Robinson picked up his seventh offensive rebound, scoring on a tip-in as the Knicks trailed, 79-57, with 4:47 left in the third quarter.

DeRozan made his first three-pointer in three games with just under a minute remaining in the third quarter as the Kings grew their lead to 23 points. They led 96-76 heading into the fourth as Achiuwa's revenge game continued, getting up to a season-high 20 points already. New York made a total of four three-pointers (4-for-10) in the third, improving to 17 percent from deep.

-- Jordan Clarkson gave the Knicks a spark with six straight points in the fourth quarter and then Bridges sank his second three-pointer to cut the Sacramento lead to 15 points. Brown emptied the bench with 2:34 left, down 108-94. They made it a nine-point game after a Tyler Kolek three and Guerschon Yabusele layup before Russell Westbrook banked in a three to have fans chanting to "light the beam."

-- The Knicks shot 39 percent overall and 20 percent from three, missing 33 attempts (8-for-41). Towns didn't score in the second half, finishing with 13 points and four rebounds, while Bridges led the team with 19 points. OG Anunoby finished with 15 points, Clarkson had 11 points, and Hart and McBride each had 10 points. 

Sacramento made 32 free throws (84 percent from the foul line) and shot 47 percent from the field. The Kings won the rebound battle, 48-43. DeRozan had 27 points and LaVine added 25 points.

Game MVP: Precious Achiuwa

The former Knick and five-star recruit out of high school had his best game of the season, scoring 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting with 14 rebounds (six offensive), two assists, two blocks, and two steals.

Highlights

cap gets us on the board first.

vote JB for #NBAAllStar starter ⭐️ https://t.co/Ov3esq1i8zpic.twitter.com/xzljbG4H9O

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 15, 2026

impacting offense AND defense.

vote KAT for #NBAAllStar starter ⭐️ https://t.co/Ov3esq1i8zpic.twitter.com/MOAIthOTNF

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 15, 2026

What's next

The Knicks will make a quick trip to the Bay Area to face Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Thursday at 10:00 p.m. ET.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Trey Murphy III scored 34 points, Saddiq Bey made a tying 3-pointer, converted an offensive rebound into a dunk and hit two free throws in the final 1:04, and the New Orleans Pelicans edged the Brooklyn Nets 116-113 on Wednesday night.

Zion Williamson had 25 points for New Orleans, which won for just the second time in 13 games. Yves Missi contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds, nine on the offensive end to help the Pelicans finish with 33 second-chance points.

Egor Demin scored 17 points and hit five 3s, the last of them giving the Nets a 110-107 lead with 1:28 to go. Bey responded with his 3 to tie it as the shot clock was about to expire. His dunk came after he grabbed a long rebound on Murphy’s missed deep 3, and his free throws came with 5 seconds left after he was fouled intentionally.

Bey finished with 12 points.

Michael Porter Jr., who scored 20 points for the Nets, gained possession in the final seconds after a scramble for a loose ball near midcourt and let go a desperation heave that missed as the horn sounded.

Drake Powell had 16 points while Day’Ron Sharpe added 15 points and nine rebounds for Brooklyn, which lost for the eighth time in nine games.

Demin hit four of his first five 3-point shots and the Nets led by 12 early.

New Orleans chipped away and trailed just 55-54 after Williamson’s layup closed out the scoring in the first half. The game was tied at 87 through three quarters.

The Pelicans entered with an NBA-worst opponent shooting percentage of 50.5 in the fourth quarter. The Nets scored the first seven points of the final period on their first three shots, prompting New Orleans coach James Borrego to call a timeout.

New Orleans responded soon after with an 15-4 run, during which Murphy scored nine points and assisted on Karlo Matkovic’s dunk, setting up the tight finish.

Up next

Nets: Host the Chicago Bulls on Friday.

Pelicans: Visit the Indiana Pacers on Friday.

Precious Achiuwa's ‘contagious' energy propels Kings to third consecutive win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The primary storyline entering Wednesday night was New York Knicks coach Mike Brown returning to Golden 1 Center for the first time since being fired by the Kings just over a year ago.

But Sacramento forward Precious Achiuwa ended up stealing the spotlight in a “revenge game” of his own — his first game against his previous team from Manhattan since moving across the country as an NBA free agent this past offseason.

The former Knick recorded season highs of 20 points and 14 rebounds en route to leading the Kings to a 112-101 win, though Achiuwa maintained this matchup held no extra importance to him.

“I don’t think it was extra motivation,” Achiuwa told reporters postgame. “I just think it was continuing to build on the success we’ve had in the last couple games, you know, just continuing to carry that over. Just go out there and play hard, play the right way, and that was the result.”

Achiuwa was a clear spark plug on the offensive end and made sure to celebrate right in front of former teammate OG Anunoby after hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter.

But that scoring success appeared to be a product of his defensive intensity, at least in the eyes of his coach Doug Christie.

“He was locked in on the defensive end, because he was accepting an assignment in [Knicks guard Jalen Brunson] that is a huge one,” Christie explained about Achiuwa, a 6-foot-8 forward that typically might not be expected to defend a point guard. “I mean, he’s an MVP candidate — all the different things that come along with Jalen Brunson. The ability for him to be willing and ready to step into that, I think that just locks him in.”

And in order to be able to defend effectively a player of Brunson’s caliber, it’s almost a necessity to have a certain level of self-confidence and belief — which Achiuwa doesn’t appear to lack on defense.

“Defense is something that I can hang my hat on, any time, any day, any night,” Achiuwa asserted. “A lot of guys around the league talk about defense — I put myself up there with the best of them, being able to guard point guards all the way through centers. If you look at the last 10 games or so, I’ve guarded pretty much … every position from point guards to centers.”

Achiuwa’s primary defensive assignment didn’t last long; Brunson rolled his right ankle within the opening five minutes and didn’t return. But that didn’t deter Achiuwa’s energy on either end, with the 26-year-old out of Queens adding two assists, two steals and two blocks to his stat line.

“He was aggressive downhill, driving, making sure he was getting to the basket,” Christie added. “There’s not a selfish bone in his body, so he’s a willing passer. But the biggest thing on [the box score] is the 14 rebounds, six of them on the offensive end, and just grown-man basketball all around.”

Achiuwa has played 39, 30 and 30 minutes in the Kings’ last three games — that’s three of his four highest minute totals this season, with the lone exception being 34 minutes in an overtime game in November. In what perhaps isn’t a coincidence, Wednesday’s win gave Sacramento (11-30) its first three-game winning streak of the 2025-26 NBA season.

And Achiuwa’s intensity hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates.

“Precious, I can’t believe he was a free agent when we picked him up,” Zach Lavine told NBC Sports California’s Morgan Ragan and Deuce Mason on “Kings Postgame Live” while Achiuwa lit the beam. “Playing against him the last five, six years, and then being able to actually have him come in and bring energy. He’s a defensive guy, but he can play 1 through 5. He’s knocking down some threes, which I haven’t seen, but you know, we’ll take it. His pressure, his energy, and the way every day he comes into the facility, he brings happiness.”

To be fair, Maxime Raynaud’s parents also have been in attendance for all three of the Kings’ consecutive wins, so maybe the reasoning behind this hot stretch is twofold. But Raynaud appreciated Achiuwa’s effort, too.

“I thought he started off super aggressive, first by scoring, but also getting stops and getting big-time rebounds, so his energy is contagious,” Raynaud told Ragan and Mason postgame. “He started it, and then everybody just picked up from there. He was definitely the leader of our team tonight.”

Now a perfect 3-0 to start its seven-game homestand, Sacramento welcomes the Washington Wizards on Friday night as the team looks to continue playing their best ball of the season.

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Observations after Sixers get blown out by Cavs to kick off homestand  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers certainly did not begin their six-game homestand with their finest performance Wednesday night. 

They fell to a 133-107 loss to the Cavs at Xfinity Mobile Arena, dropping to 22-17 on the season. Cleveland moved to 23-19. 

Joel Embiid’s 20 points topped the Sixers. Paul George added 17.

Cavs star Donovan Mitchell tallied 35 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

Darius Garland had 20 points and seven assists. Evan Mobley posted 17 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.

The Sixers remained at full strength to begin the evening. Cleveland was down Dean Wade (left knee contusion) and Max Strus (left foot fracture surgery). 

The Cavs and Sixers will play the second game of their mini-series Friday night in Philadelphia. Here are observations on the Sixers’ blowout loss Wednesday:

Cavs surge ahead early 

Garland swished a three-pointer for the game’s first basket and Cleveland made its first four field goals.

While the Sixers kept pace for a while and went up 10-9 on an Embiid top-of-the-key three, the Cavs pushed in front with a 10-0 run.

The Sixers were inferior early in both the turnover and rebounding departments. They conceded 11 second-chance points in a little over six minutes. As a team, the Sixers were often unable to match the Cavs’ physicality, track the ball and close out possessions. 

Embiid slammed the ball down in frustration after being whistled for traveling on the perimeter. That turnover was Embiid’s fourth and the Sixers’ sixth. At that stage, the Cavs still had zero giveaways. 

Small role for McCain 

Embiid did reach 13,000 career points in the first quarter. 

He watched from the sidelines early in the second as George took command of the Sixers’ offense. Though George drained two threes early in the second quarter, the Sixers still trailed by 14 points when Embiid subbed back in.

Searching for anything effective, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse tried out many of his bench options in the first half. Jared McCain was the 11th Sixer to see action, checking at the 6:16 mark of the second period.

McCain played just three minutes in the second quarter and missed a short baseline jumper on his only shot attempt. His next stint began around the midpoint of the fourth quarter with the Sixers down by 25 points. Though he’s played in 27 consecutive games, the second-year guard’s minutes have been minimal lately. The 21-year-old has had four straight outings under 10 minutes.

It’s a somewhat tricky situation for Nurse and the team to manage. The Sixers want McCain to gradually regain rhythm and confidence after returning from thumb and knee injuries. They also want to maximize their chances to win games and McCain has generally played well below the level he showed as an impressive rookie. 

There’s pros and cons to whatever approach the Sixers choose from here. Playing McCain a handful of minutes per game does not appear to be a good long-term solution. 

Sixers’ momentum short-lived

The game halted early in the third quarter when Dominick Barlow hit the floor hard and landed on his back after Mobley blocked his layup.

Barlow was down for several minutes and helped off the court by his teammates. He was officially ruled out with a back contusion late in the third quarter.

Once the action resumed, the Cavs extended their lead. Darius Garland’s layup gave Cleveland a 75-53 advantage, Nurse called timeout and the home fans booed.

The Sixers replied with a high-energy 10-0 run.

Jabari Walker provided ample hustle. Embiid dove into the stands in pursuit of a long rebound. A little later, Walker’s second steal led to a Tyrese Maxey fast-break layup that cut the Sixers’ deficit to 79-68.

Cleveland was soon back in control. The Sixers’ comeback ambitions were not helped by the fact that both members of their starting backcourt had inefficient games. Maxey and VJ Edgecombe combined for 23 points on 8-for-26 shooting.

‘Mediocre' Warriors trending up, trudging through NBA's dog days at halfway mark originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Whoever was in charge of the music after the Warriors’ blowout win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night was in a very particular mood. They were feeling an era and style that has lasted the test of time. 

From Notorious B.I.G. to Mase, 90s rap took over the Warriors’ weight room and the locker room walls. When they come back from the NBA All-Star break that begins for them Feb. 12 and gives Golden State eight days between games, it wouldn’t be surprising if a much different song with a much different vibe started the playlist. 

A different-but-welcome vibe, to be clear. 

Cue up Florence & the Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over.”

The Warriors hit the official halfway mark of the 2025-26 NBA season with their 22-point win over the Blazers. They now have played 41 games, yet still have 14 to go before the All-Star break. In other words, the Warriors are right in the first stage of an NBA season’s dog days. 

Steph Curry, at nearly 38 years old and in his 17th season, knows all about them. So does Jimmy Butler, 36 and in his 15th season, and Draymond Green, 36 in March and in his 14th season. The oldest and longest-tenured NBA player on the Warriors is 39-year-old Al Horford in Year 19, who became well acquainted with this period on the calendar long, long ago. 

One of the rare Warriors players who can’t huff and puff and shake his head getting through the next 14 games is Brandin Podziemski. 

“I shouldn’t have to,” Podziemski said after Tuesday’s win. “I’m 22. Young guy, just be ready to play every game, every day.”

There isn’t a defined definition of the dog days. Warriors coach Steve Kerr had them starting with the new year and ending with a renewed energy and focus coming out of the All-Star break. For Butler, they begin just a bit earlier at Christmas, or right after. 

“We are in the middle of them,” Butler said. “It’s always a blessing to be able to play basketball in the best league in the world. let’s not forget that. But then I think anywhere from like after Christmas somewhat, like January up to the All-Star break it gets really repetitive. 

“I think you just got to put your head down, get through it, compete, try to win as many games as you can. The dog days are amongst us.”

Each game feels heavier and harder on the body. The want of coming to the gym every day starts to wane. Without being able to pinpoint the exact timing, Green remembers a moment early in his career where a friend came to his room on the road in LA. Green was feeling the dog days. 

At 3:30 p.m., the Warriors’ buses were set to leave for the arena. It was 3:05 and Green still can feel himself sitting and staring at the wall. 

“He’s like, ‘Man, what’s wrong with you? I said, ‘I don’t know, but I’m exhausted,’” Green remembers. “And so you start to figure it out. And as you get older, you learn how to manage it a little more. Like, I bet you [Warriors rookie] Will Richard’s head is spinning, like he don’t know whether he’s going left or right, up or down right now. It just happens.” 

All these years later, Green started to have those same feelings. The walls were closing in on him again. He admitted those feelings in the locker room after the Warriors’ tough loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. 

“I showered and got out so fast after last game, and I told them in the locker room, ‘I just want y’all to know I’m not upset. I’m not mad. I know people are going to see I left quick. I just need to get out of here. These walls are closing in on me,’ ” Green said. 

The previous game, Green played 27 minutes in what became a blowout win against the Sacramento Kings. But the game before that was a one-point loss in LA against the Clippers that broke him down physically. In Green’s words, he was “beat up.” 

He spent two extra hours getting his body ready every day after that loss from one week ago. Given an escape route, Green took it. He’s happy to be on an eight-game homestand. That doesn’t change the walls inside Chase Center feeling more like a jail or casino to him than his basketball home. 

To Green, the dog days are squinting with no start or end in sight. Just a heavy haze. 

“What it is, for those that don’t know this is, like, you can’t quite see the beginning of the season. It was too long ago. Can’t quite see the end. It’s too far away,” Green explained. “The All-Star break also is just a little too far, and those make the dog days for you. So we’re in them. 

“Gotta find a way to get wins in them, though.”

Beating the Blazers for the first time in their fourth attempt improved the Warriors’ record to 22-19, putting them on pace for 44 wins, which would be four fewer than last season. The Warriors have yet to achieve a four-game win streak and be four games above .500. They’ve also won nine of their last 13 games but still remain the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference standings and are three games behind the No. 6-seed Houston Rockets to escape the NBA play-in tournament. 

Starting with the Warriors’ first game after their Christmas Day win, they’re 6-4 in their last 10 games. The dog days. 

Self-assessing what the Warriors have been with 41 games down and 41 games remaining is an easy answer for Butler. 

“Mediocre,” he said. “We need to win more games, lose less games. That’s just where we are. I think the worst place to be is to be mediocre because like, yes, it can go either way but nobody wants to be just average. Nobody wants to be average.”

Nothing about the Warriors’ preseason expectations, holding onto their 23-8 stretch with Butler and the what-ifs of Curry’s health in the playoffs, was mediocre. Average wasn’t an answer.

Butler wasn’t on the aux and didn’t have his say in the Warriors’ postgame music. He’s been feeling rap with a Gospel undertone recently, searching for something to lift him and give him the right motion to move forward. That’s what he would have gone with. Take that for what you will.

Trudging through the dog days is a countdown to seeing the light, with opportunities for the Warriors to be on the rise if they can win this fight. 

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Weary and downtrodden from a losing streak that stretched to three games after a loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, the Lakers entered Tuesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks with Luka Doncic and LeBron James both listed as “questionable.” It looked like an inevitable loss would be coming.

That is, until James collected a full-court baseball pass from Marcus Smart in the first quarter and slammed it down with one hand. The superstar still had his bounce Tuesday.

Doncic and James led the way as the Lakers (24-14) avoided their season-long losing streak. Doncic, who was dealing with groin soreness from Monday’s loss, had 27 points and 12 assists while James, playing on back-to-back nights for the first time this season, had 31 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

“It's remarkable,” coach JJ Redick said of James. “His competitive stamina is off the charts.”

Read more:Luka Doncic plays and scores 27 points as the Lakers rout the Hawks

Here are three takeaways from the game: 

LeBron James shows his greatness 

Redick said he didn’t expect James to play Tuesday. He had not played in two games in as many days all season, and, at 41 years old, James said his status for all back-to-backs going forward should be “to be determined.”

Then James dominated with his third 30-point game of the month and his 61st 30-point double-double as a Laker, passing Kobe Bryant for seventh most in franchise history.

“I don't take for granted the LeBron stuff,” Redick said. “It's unfortunate actually — not to go on a little tangent here — but it's actually unfortunate how much this guy puts into it and how much he cares and the way certain people talk about him. It's crazy. Come be around him every day and see how much this guy cares. It's off the charts.”

Redick then followed the tangent when asked why it was “unfortunate.”

“That's the nature of envy,” the coach lamented. “It's the nature of envy. You're not going to get a click, you're not going to get a response, by saying something nice about somebody, by acknowledging someone's greatness, by acknowledging how much they care and how much they work and how much they've accomplished and continue to accomplish and continue to go after something. I mean, you got to say something bad about him. You got to go on TV and knock him. You got to go read into, ‘Oh, he did this pregame and he did this.’ It's all just nuts. Be around him every day. He's unbelievable.”

Teammates have tried futilely to beat James to the arena or the practice facility in the morning and can never seem to arrive early enough. His extensive pregame routine Tuesday, only hours after he played 33 minutes and 13 seconds on Monday in Sacramento, included an ice bath in a hyperbaric chamber before arriving at the arena then hours of activation, treatment, stretching and lifting before the game.

“For me, he’s one of a kind,” Doncic said. “To be in his 23rd season, to play back-to-back, it costs everybody. But for him it’s probably even more difficult. It shows how much he cares.”

Despite owning nearly every record and accolade, James said he still has no choice but to keep his standard high.

“I would never disrespect the basketball gods,” James said. “I understand that it's a real thing. … Every time I hit the floor or I'm at a practice, whatever the case may be, trying to set an example for my teammates and the younger generation that's watching me or watching throughout my career. I mean, shoot, my son is right over there.”

Read more:Why LeBron James' Lakers jersey has a new 'super cool' patch

With three minutes and 43 seconds left, James was just one rebound shy of his first triple-double since Feb. 1, 2025, but didn't chase the significant stat. After hitting a free throw, he quickly committed a take foul to stop the clock so he could leave the blowout.

He subbed out for son Bronny.

Rui Hachimura returns off the bench 

Rui Hachimura made his return from a right calf strain that kept him out for two weeks, scoring seven points on three-for-seven shooting with two rebounds. He was on an 18-minute restriction, which kept him on the bench at the beginning of the game. Hachimura was the Lakers’ first sub, coming in for James with six minutes and 30 seconds left in the first quarter.

“He's our best catch-and-shoot guy,” Redick said of Hachimura before the game, “so looking forward to [having him back].”

Hachimura was one of three from three-point range Tuesday as the Lakers shot 55.9% from three, a season high. The shooting spree came less than 24 hours after the Lakers, who rank 24th in three-point shooting percentage, were a frigid eight for 36 from deep against Sacramento. Hachimura is shooting a team-high 44.5% from three-point range this season.

Deandre Ayton shoulders the load 

With Jaxson Hayes sidelined because of left hamstring soreness, Deandre Ayton had a second consecutive double-double with 17 points and a season-high 18 rebounds.

Ayton’s energy has appeared to fluctuate in recent games, including two games in which he did not finish the fourth quarter on the court. Ayton promised to be a defensive anchor for the team that picked him up in free agency after he flamed out with Portland last season, and the 7-footer has been good, Redick said, “when he’s engaged.”

Read more:How will Rui Hachimura's return impact the Lakers?

“It just, you know, just more consistency," Redick said. "He's shown he can do it … Deandre's told on himself: he can be a really good defender.”

Hayes’ defensive struggles got him benched late last season, but Redick has commended the center’s improvement on that end of the court. Hayes has delivered what Redick called several “teach tape verticalities” this year to protect the rim. His progress on defense and electric dunks on offense helped Hayes earn closing minutes in clutch games against the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 2 and the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 9.

But Hayes felt the hamstring injury late in the game against Sacramento and couldn’t return, Redick said. The team got imaging on the injury and will soon know more. Without his frontcourt running mate, Ayton said he wanted to bring the same mindset he’s had all season to help the Lakers bounce back from Monday’s disappointing loss.

“You can say one thing about these back-to-backs,” Ayton said, “but being in the NBA, having games that you lose or you didn't play so well in as a team, you get another opportunity like tonight to redeem.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The NBA trade deadline is nearing, and the league already blessed us with a Trae Young deal as an appetizer. Now the main course is coming, and with the Eastern Conference wide open and the West closer to that than imagined, you can expect a buffet of transactions. 

Here’s your primer for the incoming trade season, looking at the league’s big players, and how the Knicks might be approaching the deadline...

Biggest names

The domino many are waiting to fall is Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo formally requesting a trade from the Bucks. We’ve seen flip-flopping quotes and buzz, but nothing definitive to put him on the market. In fact, signs point to the Bucks being buyers in a last ditch effort to keep him aboard.

Ultimately that’s likely how this ends, with an inevitable Giannis deal in the offseason when it’s much easier to pull off. This would also give the Knicks a shot to win with this roster under a new head coach -- something they likely want to see before blowing it up again.

The two next biggest names are Anthony Davis and Ja Morant, two unlikely Knicks targets for differing reasons. Davis will have surgery and likely miss the rest of the regular season, which he’s already been in and out of, while Morant plays the same position as Jalen Brunson and is a big question mark off the court. 

Other rumored names are Lauri Markkanen, Domantas Sabonis, and Zach LaVine. Two high-level guys in Michael Porter Jr. and Jonathan Kuminga look certain to be dealt.

Biggest movers

The Knicks aren’t expected to chase a big fish, or even be one of the more active teams. They’re one of the surest contenders in the East with only slight holes to fill when fully healthy.

Who might stir the pot big time in early February is the aforementioned Bucks, desperate to build something of a winner around Giannis. Another big buyer could be the Hawks, fresh off the Young trade with assets and young talent in tow.

If they decide to go all-in on a run this year, the Pistons could get active with Tobias Harris' salary and draft capital around their dangerous core. The Timberwolves and Rockets should be cornering the guard market, with the Heat and Raptors window shopping, while the Clippers only have incentive to buy so long as they don’t give up future assets.

On the selling side, the Knicks can target tanking teams like the Nets, Wizards, and Jazz for some marginal talent at cheaper costs. Also, watch out for the Celtics potentially trying to cash in on this surprising season and lower their tax bill.

What do the Knicks do?

While we may be in for a wilder trade season than usual, it won’t be because of New York, unless Leon Rose pulls the trigger on some massive surprise trade. They’re a bit restricted under their current cap and asset situation, don’t want to mess with a winning core, and don’t have viable targets out there to even consider doing so.

The probable outcome is a small deal around Guerschon Yabusele’s salary for a depth upgrade. That may not inspire awe for fans, but it’s what the team needs most -- not another blockbuster deal.

The deadline brings out the league’s most desperate teams in hopes of reshaping their roster for the home stretch. If it’s any indication of how their season is going, the Knicks largely being absent from the festivities is a good sign.

Why Celtics should steer clear of a Jaren Jackson Jr. trade amid rumors originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics will spend the next month linked to every available player 6-foot-10 or taller. But even if the Memphis Grizzlies were willing to consider offers for former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., it’s hard to see how the Celtics could afford the long-term splurge.

A report this week in the Hardwood Paroxysm newsletter suggested the Celtics have long held interest in Jackson Jr., whom the Grizzlies could entertain moving as part of a bigger teardown that should start with a Ja Morant trade.

The Celtics could put together a package built around Anfernee Simons, Sam Hauser, and draft picks to get into any Jackson Jr. sweepstakes, but the long-term financial implications make a swap seem unlikely.

Jackson is making $35 million this season (22.6 percent of the cap) before his salary balloons to an average of $50.5 million over the next three seasons. Even if the Celtics were able to stomach that number this season, it becomes basically untenable moving forward.

For the 2026-27 season, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will combine to earn $115.6 million. Add in Jackson’s $50 million and Derrick White’s $30.3 million salary, and the Celtics are at nearly $200 million in total salary for four players next season.

Boston would be launching back above the second apron after swallowing hard to get off of it this past summer. The Celtics would still have to navigate pesky repeater tax penalties that would drive the total cost of this roster to the moon, and leave no pathway to resetting those penalties without moving on from at least one of those core pieces.

The Celtics obviously need to figure out what the next iteration of a championship-contending frontcourt looks like, particularly after moving on from Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet this past summer.

Neemias Queta has performed beyond expectations as Boston’s starting big man and Luka Garza has reinvigorated the bench since his return to the rotation in late December. Still, the big-man position — and size in general — is Boston’s greatest area of need, even if Tatum will add some much-needed size and rebounding whenever he’s back on the floor.

Jackson Jr.’s defensive pedigree is intriguing, as is his ability to stretch the floor on the offensive end. He’s still only 26 years old. The downsides: His rebounding is underwhelming (5.6 per game this season and only one season with 6-plus rebounds per game) and he can be a bit of a foul magnet.

Ultimately, it’s the price tag that poses the biggest challenge, as well as the draft capital that you’d have to expend to land a player like Jackson Jr.

Taking on that sort of salary makes it vital to have a steady stream of low-cost draftees coming into the program, and Boston would have to mortgage much of that future as well as basically all of its flexibility.