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Order has been restored in the NBA universe.
After a weird time where it felt like we were in the upside down, the Lakers and Grizzlies are back to their rightful places.
For those unaware, many years ago, the former fearless leader of the site, Harrison Faigen, once expertly pointed out that the Grizzlies had become the Lakers feeder team. At the time, a string of players came through Memphis, were bought and eventually made their way to LA, including Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard.
That was flipped on its head early last year when the Grizzlies began turning former Lakers G League players into quality role players. Both Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jay Huff earned standard contracts in Memphis after failing to stick in LA while Colin Castleton had a brief stint on a two-way there as well.
At last, though, the Lakers are back where they should be after the last two transaction cycles. On Thursday, they acquired Luke Kennard via trade, a player who spent two-and-a-half seasons in Memphis. Notably, he was part of the Grizzlies team that played against the Lakers in the playoffs.
He joins a pair of players on the Lakers who he was already teammates with on the Grizzlies as well. Marcus Smart played a season-and-a-half in Memphis while Jake LaRavia was drafted to Memphis and spent two-and-a-half seasons with the franchise.
So, for the entire 2023-24 season and half of the 2024-25 season, all three players were teammates. Fast forward a couple of years and we’re right back at it with the three of them reuniting in much warmer weather.
“It was a pleasure to play with Luke in Memphis,” Smart said after Thursday’s win over the Sixers. “One of the better shooters in this league. He comes to work every day and I’m excited to see him out here with us again [with] me and Jake, and kind of keep going what we had in Memphis.”
Not only are the Lakers using the Grizzlies as a farm team again, but it’s predominantly guards throughout the years who have made their way through the pipeline. Fortunately, the Lakers already have a couple of prominent on-ball players, so there’s no Ja Morant tenure in purple and gold to worry about, but it’s never too early to start scouting for the next player to come to LA.
Cedric Coward has had a great rookie season and sure would look nice with the Lakers. Jaylen Wells is a promising young player, too. Or maybe we can create a full loop and bring back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Pippen Jr.
Whoever it is, it’s nice to know things are back in their rightful place in the NBA universe.
After completing a blockbuster trade to send Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, the new-look Memphis Grizzlies travel west to face the Portland Trail Blazers.
Donovan Clingan is one of the NBA’s top rebounders, and my Grizzlies vs. Trail Blazers predictions expect him to dominate the glass against a depleted Grizzlies frontcourt.
Here are my best free NBA picks for this Western Conference showdown on Friday, February 6.
Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers prediction
Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers best bet: Donovan Clingan Over 12.5 rebounds (-112)
Donovan Clingan ranks fifth in rebounds per game this season at 11.2, and he’s pulled down 11 on the road compared to 11.4 at home. He’s pulled down at least 13 rebounds just 15 times in 47 appearances this season, but five of those have come across his last eight games.
The Portland Trail Blazers big man has averaged 13.6 rebounds in that eight-game span, and he’s averaged just over 14 boards per game over his last three at home.
Over the last 10 games, the Memphis Grizzlies have surrendered the ninth-most total rebounds (46) and second-most offensive rebounds (14.1), setting Clingan up for a nice day on the glass.
An already-depleted Grizzlies frontcourt traded Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jock Landale, and Santi Aldama and Zach Edey are still sidelined. Clingan should feast tonight against the shorthanded Grizzlies and comfortably clear this rebound line.
Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers same-game parlay
Portland has dropped six straight, and they'll be hungry for a victory in front of the home crowd. The Grizzlies made a monster trade this week, and the new players are not yet in place.
Portland is 15-11 ATS at home, while Memphis is just 10-12. I'll take the home team to snap its six-game skid with a comfortable victory over the new-look Grizzlies.
Memphis is 7-15 to the Under on the road and 5-12 to the Under as the road underdog. Memphis will have a tough time scoring the ball with Jackson Jr., and Landale traded, and electric scorer Ty Jerome sidelined.
Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers SGP
Donovan Clingan Over 12.5 rebounds
Trail Blazers -8.5
Under 231.5
Our "from downtown" SGP: Spencer on Fire!
Cam Spencer's role has taken a hit over the last three games since Jerome's return, but Spencer has still averaged 13.7 points and five assists.
Spencer posted 25 and 21 points+assists across his last two games, and with Jerome out tonight, the former should be in line for strong numbers.
Over/Under: Over 234.5 (-110) | Under 234.5 (-110)
Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers betting trend to know
The Trail Blazers have hit the game total Under in 17 of their last 24 games (+9.30 Units / 35% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Grizzlies vs. Trail Blazers.
How to watch Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers
Location
Moda Center, Portland, OR
Date
Friday, February 6, 2026
Tip-off
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN southeast-Memphis, KUNP
Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers latest injuries
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
It was the worst-kept secret in the league around the trade deadline.
Mike Conley is beloved by the Timberwolves organization and fans, and the feeling is mutual. The second he was traded from Minnesota to Chicago on Tuesday, as part of the three-team deal that brought Jaden Ivey to Chicago, the expectation was that the Bulls would trade him again, allowing Conley to return to Minnesota as a free agent. Sure enough, 24 hours later, Chicago traded him to Charlotte as part of the Coby White deal. Charlotte then announced it was waiving the 38-year-old veteran point guard.
Which clears the way for the news that Conley plans to re-sign with the Timberwolves as a free agent, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. To say this news was expected would be an understatement. The deal likely won't be consummated until after the All-Star break.
Conley returns to a Timberwolves team that will welcome him with open arms in the locker room, but he will not see many, if any, minutes on the court. Conley had been playing less than 20 minutes a game off the bench, and now those minutes (and some of Bones Hyland's minutes) are going to go to Ayo Dosunmu, one of the best pickups of the deadline. Conley will essentially be the last point guard on the bench.
It's been a little over a week since Nikola Jokić returned to the court for the Denver Nuggets following a month-long absence, but things have not gone as swimmingly as many in Denver had hoped.
The three-time NBA Most Valuable Player suffered a bone bruise and a hyperextended knee in a loss to the Heat on December 29th. At the time, the four-to-six week timeframe he was given for his recovery seemed like a potential death sentence for a Nuggets team that was already playing without three other starters: Christian Braun (ankle), Cameron Johnson (knee), and Aaron Gordon (hamstring). Yet, the Nuggets went 10-6 without their seven-time All-Star, thanks to the steady hand of Jamal Murray, the emergence of Peyton Watson, and a handful of other players who stepped into much larger roles.
When Jokić returned to put up 31 points and 12 rebounds in just 25 minutes against the Clippers on January 30th, it seemed like things would kick into gear for Denver. Instead, they've now lost three straight games, with Jokić averaging 23.3 points, 12 rebounds, and 7.3 assists but shooting just 45.5% from the field and 25% from three, both of which are well below his season-long marks of 59.4% from the field and 41.8% from the three-point line.
It's obvious that the Nuggets are better with Jokić on the floor, and three losses to the Thunder, Pistons, and Knicks aren't enough to start ringing alarm bells. Yet, this recent stretch has crystallized one of Denver's biggest struggles this season, which is the seemingly impossible task of being forced to endlessly redefine roles and chemistry in the wake of constant injuries.
“I think the complicated part is that everybody else had a rhythm, and then they come back," Nuggets coach Dave Adelman said about Jokić and also Christian Braun, who returned from his ankle injury earlier this week. "Now those guys, they demand roles, and they deserve them. Obviously, Jokić is one of the best players alive. So I think it's the growing pains for everybody. We’ve just got to find a rhythm together again. While you manage them, you really have to manage the others because those guys are the ones who have been playing and grinding, and now their games are changing a little bit."
Four of those players who have been really grinding during the recent string of injuries have been Peyton Watson, Jalen Pickett, Spencer Jones, and Jonas Valančiūnas.
Valančiūnas' role is the easiest to modify because he was signed to back up Jokić and will go back to doing that. Watson's situation is also, unfortunately, a bit easier to manage than it was when Coach Adelman made these comments before the Knicks game. The 23-year-old hurt his hamstring during that loss and will be out for "an extended period of time." It's a tough blow for Denver because Watson had emerged as a real driving force for the Nuggets, averaging 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on the season and had upped that to 22.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in 15 games without Jokić.
Spencer Jones also played nearly 30 minutes a game without Jokić, averaging 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds, but providing strong defense and doing a lot of the little things in the offense that go unnoticed. Jalen Pickett also played 27 minutes per game without Jokić, averaging 9.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 41.5% from beyond the arc. Now, in the four games that Jokić has been back, Jones is down to 25 minutes per game, and Pickett has taken a much bigger step back, playing just 10 minutes in Christian Braun's first game back and not seeing the floor at all in a double overtime loss to the Knicks on Wednesday.
"I think it’s just redefining roles," explained Adelman. "That's going to happen over the games we play. We're not going to [have time to] practice. We need it, and I'm not talking like running lines here, like just stuff where you actually have some chemistry, script, talk about defensive coverages. You know, different guys are doing different things right now than they were doing two weeks ago. So I think patience is important, competitive patience, if that makes sense. But we'll manage as best we can."
The Nuggets will have to manage that re-definition of roles now and then have to do it all over again in a few weeks.
"We'll redo it again when Cam [Johnson] and AG [Aaron Gordon] come back, so it's just going to be the process," said Adelman. "The bottom line is, we've got plenty of time here to find the right rhythm. Those guys who held things down this past month have put us in a position to have a little bit of leeway. Those guys are the heroes of the season. That's why we're where we're at, and we can have a little bit of a struggle and come out the other side.”
That struggle has also come for Denver's best player. This recent stretch on the sidelines is the longest stretch Jokić has ever had with an injury during his NBA career. Sitting out for that long has not only impacted his rhythm and timing with his teammates, but it also impacted his ability to be himself on the court for an entire game.
“I think that the conditioning is one thing," suggested Adelman, "but I think the rhythm with conditioning, once you feel that and you feel good about the way you're moving, not just the fact that you're running with the game. I think those two different things, once you blend them together, then you'll see who he is. It's gonna take some time."
The Knicks game was a perfect example of that. The double overtime, back-and-forth nature of the game meant that Jokić played 44 minutes, and the coaches were happy with his conditioning, but the big man also couldn't get his shot to fall and was just 1-for-13 from beyond the arc.
“I couldn’t make a shot," said Jokić after the game. "Especially lately, it’s more off, but that's how the game goes. It happens. We’ll probably go back to the gym and work on it."
"I think the rhythm is going to come," echoed Adelman. "You know, the shooting rhythm.” Jokić himself is also not concerned about his ability to find his shooting stroke again: "I think we all have muscle memory. My body, and not just mine, but, like, we're used to it and how we play.” There is little question that the big man will get back to being the player that he was before the injury, but the process of getting back to that consistently is taking a bit longer than some, perhaps unfairly, expected.
"The expectations of him are so high that if he has an off shooting night, I think we probably take it too far," suggested Adelman. "It's coming, man. Everybody knows what this is and who he is, and he'll be what he is in time and with more games under his belt, more experience with the rhythm of the game, and playing with his new teammates, guys that are in and out, I think you'll see the best version of him soon.”
All-Star point guard Jamal Murray agreed. Despite the frustration with the team's third-straight loss and their inability to hold an early lead, Murray seemed confident in the team's ability to right the ship: “We have a great unit. Whoever is on the bench is ready to come into the game. They’ve obviously had experience this year coming in and playing, so there should be no hiccups...Plug and play, and be a bit more aggressive and try to see if we can have a better start."
With the injury to Watson, more guys are going to get a chance to come into the game, and the Nuggets will need that much more time to adjust to their new roles.
“It's just the next iteration," sighed Adelman. "We’ll have to reevaluate the starting lineup, reevaluate the rotation, get ourselves to the break, and take a long, long rest...I just feel bad for the guys in the locker room. It's deflating when you keep seeing people go down around you when you're trying to build towards something...But I'm excited for the whole group to get back. I think they've earned themselves a chance when things could have really gone the opposite way, and I think patience will be key with that.”
Patience with a coach tinkering with new lineups. Patience with players adjusting to new roles, and patience with a star making his return from a long layoff. While that patience could result in continuing to lose some games in the short-term, the Nuggets and their head coach believe that it will ultimately help lead them to where they want to go.
"You know, we got whatever 30 games to go," said Coach Adelman, "so I'll take the ugly times for the pretty ones. They're going to come.”
Feb 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks the ball during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Spurs outlasted another short-handed opponent for their second win in a row. Victor Wembanyama led the team with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Harrison Barnes contributed 19 points, and De’Aaron Fox scored 17, while Stephon Castle chipped in 18 off the bench.
Congratulations to De’Aaron Fox on his 900th career 3. Here’s to 900 more and all hopefully with the Silver and Black.
OK Carter Bryant, I was not familiar with your game. Apparently the rookie has been grinding tape of Chris Paul lobs. Speaking of which, CP3 is going to be a Spur right? I mean the good guys are the second seed in a stacked West, and maybe they could use the depth, basketball wisdom, and veteran presence—he’ll bring the same tenacity and accountability that the Clippers wanted no part of?
Discuss amongst yourselves. I’ll throw in a second subject to discuss: For the sake of random chaos, let’s bring back those synthetic basketballs the NBA tried to use 10 years ago and then subsequently ditched to go back to the old leather balls because the players complained (reasonably so) that it tore up their hands like paper cuts.
On Thursday night, you cannot stop Cooper Flagg, you can only hope to contain him. Dylan Harper did his best with this fresh and so clean block on the rookie big man. While Flagg has the unenviable task of shouldering the Mavericks franchise in the aftermath of Luka Doncic’s trade to L.A. and Anthony Davis’s trade to Washington, Dylan Harper has been afforded every opportunity to grow and develop his game with the Spurs.
The participants for the 2026 3-Point Contest have not been finalized with only Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel being the first confirmed player. To that point, I think we’re all waiting for Wembanyama’s invite. He could just casually step over each cart after coolly draining threes from each area behind the arc. I’m rather interested in him creatively finding a way to gain an advantage only for officials to step in and declare it “illegal,” similar to last year’s skills contest with Chris Paul.
You cannot spell so efficient planchettes without Stephon Castle. But you don’t need a Ouija board to have the clairvoyance to know that Castle made the most of his 21 minutes off the bench, scoring 18 points, pulling down 7 boards, dishing out 6 assists, and swiping 3 steals.
A quietly dominant performance from Stephon Castle who came in off the bench for San Antonio (something Mitch Johnson was likely a one-off thing as teammates get healthy).
• Game-high +27 in 22 minutes • 18 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists • 61.5% shooting from the field
If you wonder how Castle could be so efficient in so little minutes, it’s due to plays like this where he has a steal and an assist in under 10 seconds flat.
Castle smartly turned down the invitation to reappear in the Slam Dunk Contest because you know they’re just going to unearth Mac McClung from the depths of space to come rumbling in at the last minute in front of a panel of biased and misguided judges? Yeah, I said it and am still salty over last year’s snub for Castle.
Which bears a legitimate thought exercise: The NBA should not announce who is participating in the dunk contest. What if we turned the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest into an unhinged, chock full of surprise, pro wrestling-style extravaganza? Imagine an over exuberant Kevin Harlan on his 5th cup of espresso losing his mind when he sees a mystery player come down the ramp, “OH MY GOODNESS I CANNOT BELIEVE IT . . . IT’S . . . ANTHONY EDWARDS!! AND HE’S WEARING A CAPE!! WHY DID HE JUST HIT RUDY GOBERT HIS OWN TEAMMATE IN THE BACK WITH A METAL CHAIR? WHO CARES?! HE’S ABOUT TO THROW DOWN A REVERSE, INVERTED, 360 BACK FLIP ONOMATOPOEIA BOOMSHAKALAKA DUNK OVER A WALL OF FLAMESSS! I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN MY LIFE!!”
Following the NBA’s trade deadline on Thursday, co-general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi were able to speak with the media about the deadline. Unlike last year, when Nico Harrison spewed “defense wins championships” at the media for 15 minutes, the duo was able to provide an interesting perspective on where they see the organization as being after the Anthony Davis trade. Beyond that, I think there’s an interesting tidbit about how the Mavericks will approach this upcoming draft. To the quotes!
Opening statement
Michael Finley: Well first, I want to thank Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, Dante Exum and D’Angelo Russell for their professionalism while they were with the Mavericks. Both on and off the court, in the community, those guys were great. So, kudos to those guys and good luck to them in their future endeavors.
We decided as an organization, front office and management, that we needed to something to bring back the winning culture here in Dallas. We thought doing the move that we did puts us back in that conversation, and gives the fans something to be excited about. And I think we’re moving in the right direction by doing the move we did, it puts us in the mindset of having a championship atmosphere around here. That’s what it’s all about, and I think we’ve achieved that with the move we just did. And we will continue to do that, and do what we think is best for the organization this day, and going forward as well.
Matt Riccardi: I echo a lot of Fin’s thoughts. But most importantly, thank you to the players, and we’re excited for the new guys coming in. Just to expand on one of Fin’s points, I think we had to take an honest look at ourselves in the mirror and realize where we were and where we wanted to be. Sometimes, the path is not straightforward, and you’ve got to go a roundabout way to get where we want to go. But our goal here remains the same. We want to win championships, we want to build a championship roster, and we want to do everything we can to provide the players with the proper resources and the staff to make that happen.
Not a ton here to digest, although I think Riccardi’s quotes are telling about how the organization looked in the mirror and didn’t like what they saw. Admitting that they’re going in a “roundabout way” to get where they want to go is as close as anyone will get to saying they’re eyeing a higher draft pick. That’s a good thing! This is the most hopeful statement they could’ve given after this deadline.
On the Mavericks offense (27th in the NBA) and how it correlates with the lack of guard play
Finley: If you look around the league, the teams that are most successful have great guard play. Someone who can lead the offense, get the guys in the right position to make easier shots. And for us, I think guard play is as important, because it’s less pressure and stress that we can put on Cooper offensively. So, if we can get him with a guy that makes his job just a little bit easier, I think it does wonders for him, hopefully for his whole career.
(Photo by Cooper Neill/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
If you’re looking for potential easter eggs about how this front office would build the roster out if they were given the keys full time, this statement is very telling. Finley talking about pairing Cooper Flagg with a guard “for his whole career” is something that I’m going to file away when June comes around. It’s clear this front office understands the NBA in ways that Nico Harrison didn’t, which was ultimately his demise. You must have great guard play to be a contender in today’s NBA. It’s a non-starter when building a team out, and this front office gets that.
These two quotes should inspire confidence that the Mavericks would be just fine with these two at the helm. Finley and Riccardi are widely respected around the NBA, and their understanding of doing what is best for the long-term future of the team should make you feel hopeful for the future.
Now that the dust has settled after an eventful NBA trade deadline, all the attention goes to the playoff race. As of now, the Phoenix Suns’ record is 31-21, sitting in seventh in the Western Conference and able to climb even higher. The Suns are only one game behind the Timberwolves, Lakers, and Rockets, and are two games behind Denver for third in the conference.
The good news for the Suns is that no team ahead of them made a big move to improve significantly. Nor did any teams following closely behind them.
Let’s start with the top-tier title contenders. The Thunder added Jared McCain, who could play backup guard minutes, but is not a game-changer for them this season. The San Antonio Spurs did not make a move at the deadline and have a roster that is ready to compete for an NBA title. The Denver Nuggets traded Hunter Tyson and a second-round pick to Brooklyn for tax purposes and to open up a buyout spot on the roster. No needle movers so far.
The Houston Rockets stood still as well. Maybe a point guard worth adding will appear on the buyout market, but the Rockets will likely head into the playoffs as currently constituted. As for the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James is still on the team despite the rumors that he and the Lakers are potentially ready to part ways. The Lakers did trade Gabe Vincent for Luke Kennard to add more perimeter shooting and another traffic cone on defense. The Lakers need shooting and found a reliable shooting option in Kennard, but he will only make an already flawed defensive roster even worse.
Perhaps the best news of all for the Suns, and all Western Conference teams, is that Giannis Antetokounmpo did not get traded to any team in the West. The Timberwolves were wheeling and dealing at the deadline and were reportedly one of the teams interested in Antetokounmpo. The Timberwolves traded Mike Conley, Rob Dillingham, and second-round picks in separate trades. The return? Ayo Dosunmo from Chicago: he is an upgrade at the guard spot and will help Minnesota fill the biggest hole it has on its roster. Is he a good fit for what they needed? Mayyyyyyybeeeeeee…? As far as needle-moving trades go, this one was the only trade by a team ahead of the Suns that made them better.
Now we are to the Suns, who traded Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis to Milwaukee for Amir Coffey and Cole Anthony. The move was made primarily to get Phoenix below the luxury tax, so neither player will crack into the Suns’ rotation immediately (Anthony might get cut before ever showing up), but if Phoenix continues to suffer injuries, they could find their way into some playing time.
Now this is where things get a little more interesting. The eighth-place Golden State Warriors finally traded Jonathan Kuminga, who finally got his wish after making his 17th trade request in the last two seasons. The full trade included Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Atlanta Hawks center Kristaps Porzing in return. The Warriors add much-needed size, but injury concerns for Porzingis are real. If Porzingis plays, he makes the Warriors much better, but after losing Jimmy Butler for the season, Golden State needed a bigger move to have a shot at making a playoff run.
Despite being one of the best teams in the NBA over the past month or so, the ninth-place Los Angeles Clippers were sellers at the trade deadline. They were 17-4 in their last 21 games, but still decided to trade James Harden and Ivica Zubac. Harden was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for guard Darius Garland, who, while talented, has spent more time on the bench this year due to foot injuries. Long term, the Clippers made a shrewd, smart move to get younger and take a chance on hitting big with Garland, but it makes the Clippers worse right now.
The other move they made was trading Zubac for Bennedict Mathurin and two first-round picks. Another long-term move from the Clippers that could work out, but it does not improve the Clippers pursuit of a playoff spot. Regardless of the Clippers getting worse at the deadline, they are not a team you want to see in the play-in with a healthy Kawhi Leonard.
The tenth-place Blazers added Vit Krejci for Duop Reath a few days before the deadline, and other than that, were as quiet as a mouse.
As for the rest of the conference, unless the Suns spiral to end the season, they will not get caught by any teams below the Blazers. And even that is being extreme. However, the race for the two play in spots behind the Suns and Warriors is wide open. The Memphis Grizzlies traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah and appear to be blowing things up. The Utah Jazz have a lot of good players on the roster, but owe the Thunder a first round pick if it falls outside the top eight. Will they continue to rest and tank to keep their pick? Or will they make a run at the play-in?
Overall, things could not have worked out better for the Suns at the deadline. No team behind them made a move that puts them in jeopardy of not hosting a play-in game at worst. At best, if the Suns continue to play well and any team falls in front of them, they could finish in the top six in the West this season and a real chance to potentially win a series depending on the matchup.
The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and the Boston Celtics surprised most fans with their level of activity. Over a three-day span, Boston completed four trades, parting ways with Anfernee Simons, Xavier Tillman, Josh Minott, and Chris Boucher.
Each move carried meaningful financial implications, as the Celtics emerged from Thursday’s deadline below both the first and second aprons, and under the luxury tax. From an on-court perspective, however, their most notable player acquisition was former Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic.
Vucevic comes to Boston as one of the most consistent double-double machines as a 35-year-old in his 15th season. In his last 10 campaigns, Vucevic has averaged 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, officially notching double-double status in eight of them.
This season, Vučević has continued to post strong offensive production, averaging 17 points, nine rebounds, and four assists per game while shooting an efficient 50/38/83 in 30 minutes a night. While it’s unlikely he sees that level of playing time in Boston, his skill set offers a different, but effective way to replace the microwave scoring fans enjoyed from Simons.
Speaking of Simons, it’s striking how similar he and Vucevic are aside from age and measurements. They both enter their Boston tenure on expiring contracts coming from subpar teams and viewed as very good offensive talents who struggle on defense.
And yes, later in this piece I will give you the speech about how if a defender as porous as Simons was in Portland can steadily improve on that end in Boston, there’s reason to believe Vučević can do the same. Before you yell at me, yes defense from the point guard position is a lot different than defense from the center position. But I then raise you one Luka Garza.
Garza has completely shattered most expectations he had coming into this season but please try to think back and remember what most thought of him defensively when he was signed. Garza still isn’t this great defender, but some hope should be gained seeing how he’s improved on that end and how he has continued to be successful despite those shortcomings.
If you think age and the drive to prove oneself are the key factors behind Simons and Garza improving defensively, fair enough. Vucevic definitely isn’t young, but I do believe the motivation overall is there.
With that being said, let’s get into what we may see from Vucevic ahead of his Celtics debut.
Strengths
Scoring
Vucevic brings a distinctly different offensive look to Boston’s center rotation. His shot making ability and shot variety have been one of the more unique profiles among big men for a while. He truly has a shot for every spot on the floor. Here’s a look at his shot profile in full.
Vucevic occupies rare air among NBA centers this season. He’s one of only four big men attempting four or more above-the-break threes while also taking three or more shots at the rim per game. That list reads Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Karl Anthony Towns, and Nikola Vucevic.
When you factor in Vucevic’s most frequent scoring area, the paint (outside the restricted area), he and Nikola Jokic are the only two centers in the league attempting four or more above-the-break threes, three or more shots at the rim, and four or more shots in the paint per game. Just shows how rare his skillset is for a big.
Vucevic’s two-point shot variety is particularly valuable, especially alongside higher-caliber teammates in Boston. According to Bball-Index, he is the league’s best when it comes to scoring off the pick-and-roll as a screener, showcasing his ability to convert in multiple ways and keep defenses guessing.
This is mainly because again he has a shot for every part of the floor with good reliable touch. He uses floaters and hook shots frequently to put the ball in the basket.
Vucevic attempts 2.6 hook shots a game (99th percentile) and shoots them at a 56% clip.
When it comes to floaters, he takes 2.2 a game (94th percentile) and hits 58% of those.
What’s so good about these is you see him making them against every defensive coverage. If a big is in drop, that pocket is open and he will make money. If the big is up to the level, you can give him the ball and let him attack off the bounce. If Jaylen Brown is scorching hot and teams trap him as the pick-and-roll handler, he can get it off in the short roll. It makes an already great offense more unpredictable.
Stepping a few feet back, Vucevic’s mid-range should translate seamlessly in Boston, a team that already takes the third-most mid-range attempts per game in the league. Among Celtics players who attempt more than one mid-range shot per game, Vucevic would rank second on the roster in mid-range field-goal percentage.
Rounding out his scoring arsenal is Vucevic three-point shooting. Vučević is one of just four centers in the league shooting 38 percent or better on 4.5 or more three-point attempts per game. 91% of his threes are taken above the break, which definitely fits his new squad. Celtics rank first in above the break three-point attempts per game with 35.7.
When you watch him shoot, it becomes clear why he’s been the league’s best screener shot maker this season. We saw him roll and have great touch hitting floaters and hooks, but he can also pop and be lethal from deep. Rejecting screens with him popping can be lethal given the opposing big will either stick to his body or take steps towards the handler. Either decision creates an advantage, and the Celtics are well equipped to exploit it.
One thing I believe will be an evident difference between Vucevic and our other bigs, is the movement speed after defensive rebounds and in the half court. We see Garza and Neemias Queta fly up the court to set early offense screens every game for our scorers. In Chicago, Vucevic gets a good chunk of his threes trailing the play.
This doesn’t mean he won’t do what Queta and Garza do if asked by the Celtics, but I just see a difference in mindset due to skillset. Also, the Bulls have the fifth fastest pace in the league so it could look different here.
Lastly, I’m not sure how much the Celtics will dip into this, but Vucevic ranks in the 100th percentile in points per possession when coming off screens.
This play type is only 3.5% of his possessions, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw some “Korver” screens for Vucevic like.
Boston has grown markedly better at closing possessions with defensive rebounds as the season has gone on, but it never hurts to add a few more. It just so happens that Vucevic has been one of the best glass cleaners on that end for the past decade.
Over the past eight seasons, the Montenegrin big man has finished outside the top 10 in defensive rebounds per game just once, ranking 11th last year. This season, he sits 10th, and there’s little doubt he’ll help sustain, if not elevate, the team’s upward trend in defensive rebounding percentage.
He gets busy on the offensive glass as well. He’s no Garza, but he does grab just over two a game. He has a feel for positioning and great hands that allow for immediate putback attempts when he’s in close. He’s had monster rebounding outings vs the Pistons (16) and the Celtics (15) this season.
Passing
Vucevic ranks eighth among centers in assists, averaging 3.8 per game. His 3.8 potential assists per minute place him in the 96th percentile, while his 2.4 rim assists per game rank in the 94th percentile, justifying his value as a connective playmaker and cut hitter.
Wherever you want him to pass from, he can do it. He makes great reads out of the post, as a handoff passer, and in the short roll. He’s a player who can naturally command double teams in the post against mismatches, even with Brown on the floor. And if opponents choose not to send help, Vucevic has more than enough skill to make them pay.
Screening
My takeaway on Vucevic as a screener is fairly straightforward: he’s just good. Which is a good thing, but it’s not Garza or Queta. He may not rank among the very best in the league in that area, but his screen-assist numbers are more likely a reflection of his broader offensive skill set, popping, slipping, and drawing defensive attention, than any real deficiency as a screener.
When he set quality screens in Chicago, the ball often found its way back to him as the second scoring option on most nights. Additionally, the Bulls’ pace, and their 17.6 fast-break points per game (sixth in the league), naturally limited his opportunities to operate as a traditional half-court screener. His 2.3 screen assists aren’t bad at all but depending on what the Celtics ask of him, I can see that increasing some.
WEAKNESS
Defense
As most know by now, the biggest weakness in Vucevic’s game is his defense. While I do agree that he’s not a great or even good defender, I struggled to find the horrible defender most paint him as.
I’ve gone back and watched eight games of Vucevic this year and I want it to be known that eight games does not define a player’s body of work. These very well could’ve been the best defensive games Vucevic has ever played, but my goal was to watch him against great teams this season and see how he faired. Also, these games don’t take away the reputation he has built as a defender, which I assume is for a reason.
I primarily focused on the Bulls three meetings with the Pistons and the two they’ve had with the Celtics. In watching those games, I do not think this is a player that is incapable of being just solid defensively. He is not a stopper and will get scored on, but I believe he can be similar to or even slightly better than what Garza is defensively.
Some nights will look worse than others but in the grand scheme I don’t anticipate this being a player fans are screaming to get off the floor because of his defense.
Showing why matters so let’s get into the good and the bad.
The worst of the worst in the games I watched was Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons, giving Vucevic about 16 of his career high 31 points. He was definitely having “one of those nights,” but he was able to get into the chest of Vucevic and finish over him regularly. That was the first game I watched so I felt horribly about him, but things got better.
One thing that will not get better is his athleticism. In the second Pistons game I watched even though he defended much better overall, the lob throwing going against more athletic bigs like Jalen Duren was a problem.
While this is true, I think the Celtics can help with this. For one, the Celtics are going to put Vucevic in positions they think he can succeed more often than the Bulls will. Chicago’s primary pick and roll coverage defensively in these game with Vucevic was to be at the level of the screen and show on the handler for as long as possible.
I’m here saying that Vucevic can be solid, but I know for a fact that sliding his feet on the perimeter isn’t the best way to use him. Secondly, Chiago has guards who aren’t good taggers of the roll. They put Vucevic in a position where he must show high and get back most times, knowing he doesn’t have the best foot speed and run this coverage with Tre Jones and Josh Giddey as the only hopes to stop Duren rolling.
I am much more confident that any of Derrick White, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, Neemias Queta, or Baylor Scheierman can do a better job at sticking their nose in there.
When it’s bad for Vucevic, it’s bad but once again I just saw much more solid defense than the opposite.
He has surprisingly good hands and will elect to strip down on intruders driving to the paint. Against the Celtics he was able to hold his own and move well to avoid Spain action back screens with moments of decent switching.
All Vucevic has wanted to do for a while now is win.
When you put it all together, Nikola Vucevic brings a level of offensive versatility and reliability that few centers in the league can match. His shot variety, playmaking, and ability to function as both a scorer and connective piece fit naturally within Boston’s offensive ecosystem.
While his defense is far from where we would like, I have seen evidence of him being able to do the things that will be required of him. Consistency will be the key.
You don’t have to trust me, but I’m asking that you trust Joe Mazzulla.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - OCTOBER 27: Danny Ainge the CEO of the Utah Jazz laughs as he watches warmups before their game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Delta Center on October 27 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA trade deadline went off the rails Tuesday, and it still hasn’t recovered.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is now on the Jazz. Anthony Davis is now on the Wizards?! Darius Garland is on the Clippers? James Harden is a Cavalier? And the Sixers gifted the defending champions Jared McCain so they could duck the luxury tax? (Well, that last one isn’t that surprising.)
The Lakers even jumped into the fray Thursday, sending Gabe Vincent and their 2032 second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Luke Kennard. Both Kennard and Vincent are on expiring contracts, so this move didn’t cut into the Lakers’ precious cap space this offseason.
In the meantime, the Lakers should be thankful that other teams have been aggressive at the trade deadline. Their wheeling and dealing has drastically reshaped the 2026 free-agency landscape.
That’s good news for the Lakers’ (already strong) chances of re-signing Austin Reaves this offseason.
The trade deadline shakeup
In early November, Spotrac’s Keith Smith posted some initial cap-space projections for the 2026 offseason. Six teams made the cut: The Wizards ($80.9 million), Clippers ($67.6 million), Lakers ($55.6 million), Jazz ($48.4 million), Nets ($44.4 million) and Bulls ($35.0 million).
The Wizards have since burned all of that projected cap space on their acquisitions of Davis and Trae Young. Unless Young leaves in free agency this offseason, the Wizards are no longer even a remote threat to throw a bag at Reaves.
The same goes for the Jazz, who just burned their cap space on JJJ. If anything, that deal may work the other way on them. Not only can they no longer offer Reaves a huge contract, but the Lakers may now be able to pry Walker Kessler away in free agency by throwing a massive offer sheet at him in restricted free agency.
The Clippers still have John Collins’ $26.6 million contract coming off their books and $31.1 million in team options between Bogdan Bogdanović, Brook Lopez and Nic Batum. However, they now have Garland’s $42.2 million in guaranteed salary on their books for 2026-27. Harden only has $13.3 million of his $42.3 million salary guaranteed, which appears to have been the beginning of the end for his time in L.A.
Once the dust settles on the Bulls’ whirlwind of activity, they figure to still have a sizable amount of cap space as long as they let all of their players on expiring contracts go. However, they’ve acquired a number of guards ahead of the trade deadline, including Anfernee Simons, Jaden Ivey and Rob Dillingham. Will they still have interest or the roster makeup to make a big run at Reaves?
The Hawks also still project to have some cap space, although they wiped out a fair bit of it Wednesday night by acquiring Buddy Hield ($9.7 million next year) and Jonathan Kuminga for Kristaps Porziņģis’ expiring contract. If the Hawks plan to re-sign Kuminga — or just pick up their $24.3 million team option on him—that will likely slam the door on any chances they had of signing Reaves.
The Nets haven’t cut into their offseason spending power yet, but they’re in the early stages of a rebuild and just spent approximately 17 first-round picks on guards this past June. Reaves might not prefer to join a team that far away from contention unless its offer was far better than any other.
The Lakers’ outlook
There have been zero indications to date that Reaves is seriously entertaining the prospect of leaving the Lakers this summer in free agency. In fact, he’s said quite the opposite, and all indications have been that he wants to remain with the Lakers.
Reaves will be an unrestricted free agent once his declines his $14.9 million player option, so he could leave them empty-handed if he does sign elsewhere this offseason. The lack of rumors about his future can only mean good things for the Lakers, though. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Reaves and the Lakers already had a basic understanding of what his next contract will look like.
If teams thought Reaves was a real flight risk, more of them might have lined up their books for a run at him in free agency. Instead, with the high-end soon-to-be free agents already flying off the board, most cap-space teams just went with the “pre-agency” approach at the trade deadline.
That doesn’t mean the Lakers are free to lowball Reaves, though. If the Lakers try to take advantage of his dwindling number of potential suitors, his agent could start sniffing around other teams and encouraging them to free up more cap space. As the Milwaukee Bucks proved last year when they waive-and-stretched Damian Lillard to sign Myles Turner, it only takes one wild card for a team’s best-laid plans to go awry.
Reaves is critical to the Lakers’ offseason plans, specifically from an order-of-operations standpoint. His $20.9 million salary-cap hold is far lower than what his next contract figures to begin at. The Lakers can spend their cap space first and then re-sign Reaves once they’re over the cap.
If Reaves wasn’t on board with that plan, he could blow up their entire strategy. Much like Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers a few years ago, there’s likely a mutual understanding of how much Reaves will cost on his next contract.
Even if negotiations do take a hard left turn at some point, the Lakers can rest easy in knowing that the pool of potential threats for Reaves is already thinning out.
The NBA trade deadline has come and gone with neither the Miami Heat nor the Boston Celtics making seismic moves.
Miami, in particular, stands out as one of only three teams to have not made a trade this season.
My Heat vs. Celtics predictions expect Miami to be a bit let down by that inaction, the effects of the trade deadline impacting plenty of NBA picks on Friday, February 6.
Heat vs Celtics prediction
Heat vs Celtics best bet: Under 228 (-110)
The Miami Heat were supposedly in the mix for two of the biggest names on the trade market. And they walked away with exactly nothing.
We have all heard that story before, but it has to be deflating for that locker room to hear it was considering title contention only to putter forward with this middling roster.
That deflated vibe should play right into the Boston Celtics’ preferences.Miami plays at the fastest pace in the league, while Boston plays at the slowest.
Trust the Celtics to set the terms tonight.
Heat vs Celtics same-game parlay
This exact same-game parlay has cashed in two of Boston’s last four games.
In fact, the Celtics have won against the spread in their last four games.
Heat vs Celtics SGP
Under 228
Celtics -6
Payton Pritchard Over 2.5 threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: Preaching Pritchard
This is simply overpriced. Payton Pritchard has hit at least three 3-pointers but fallen short of 17 points in six games this season.
A slower game should set him up for that exact dichotomy.
Heat vs Celtics SGP
Under 228
Celtics -6
Payton Pritchard Over 2.5 threes
Payton Pritchard Under 16.5 points
Heat vs Celtics odds
Spread: Heat +6 (-110) | Celtics -6 (-110)
Moneyline: Heat +195 | Celtics -240
Over/Under: Over 228 (-110) | Under 228 (-110)
Heat vs Celtics betting trend to know
Boston’s last seven games have all gone Under their totals, and by an average of 14.8 points. Find more NBA betting trends for Heat vs. Celtics.
How to watch Heat vs Celtics
Location
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Date
Friday, February 6, 2026
Tip-off
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN Sun, NBC Sports Boston
Heat vs Celtics latest injuries
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DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Patrick Reed birdied two of his last three holes Friday for a 5-under 67, giving him a one-shot lead in the Qatar Masters as the American tries to wrap up a career-changing month in the Middle East with another victory.
Reed took advantage of late scoring opportunities at Doha Golf Club. He drove just short of the reachable par-4 16th to set up a pitch-and-putt birdie, then chose to lay up from 272 yards on the par-5 18th with water down the left side. Reed hit wedge to 7 feet for birdie.
That put him at 12-under 132, one shot ahead of Joakim Lagergren of Sweden, who had a 66. Daniel Hillier of New Zealand (69) and Richard Sterne of South Africa (66) were another shot back.
Reed came over to the Middle East a month ago while preparing for his fifth season on LIV Golf. But he won the Dubai Desert Classic, revealed he still had not signed a contract with LIV and then couldn't agree on a new deal with the Saudi-funded league.
DALLAS, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 5: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball against Victor Wembanyama #1 and Devin Vassell #24 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half at American Airlines Center on February 5, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA’s official definition of “clutch time” refers to when a game is within five points or less in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. It can be exciting for fans who want a thrilling game, but it can also be stressful and may not be for everyone on every night, especially if you’re already tired or stressed and just want a relaxing viewing experience.
The Spurs have not been relaxing to watch lately, and frankly, I’m starting to think they like it that way. I think they like playing in the clutch. They enjoy the thrill and experience that comes with closing out tight games, and as fans may have deduced at this point, they’re good at it. The have the fifth best record in the league in “clutch” games, sitting at 19-10 (65.5%, just slightly under their overall win percentage), and it’s almost like they’re out to increase that number, which they did last night.
Their opponent was an improving Mavericks team that is no longer the deer-in-the-headlights group they encountered in their season opener — led by the then doe-eyed but now scintillating Cooper Flagg — but they have also committed to starting over from the mess former GM Nico Harrison created. They traded away the cornerstone of his shocking and terrible deal that sent Luka Doncic to LA, sending the oft-injured Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, and I sensed a bit of relief in the air of their arena last night, even from my own couch. That painful page in franchise history is officially turned for good, and now they can move on (even if it will always linger, like the page that a book always opens to first because it’s been open so much lately that the spine has been shaped around it).
Despite being likely destined for the lottery again, the Mavs showed that with the right future moves, they and Flagg could be a force to reconned with again soon, and the Spurs learned that last night. With their propensity to play down to opponents, they failed to build any kind of sizable lead all night but remained ahead and just enough in control to stop any threating Mavs runs. With 5:15 left in the game, Devin Vassell hit one of his reliable midrange jumpers to put them ahead by seven, but wait! We can’t have the Spurs not having any clutch time when they enjoy it so much, so of course they allowed a quick 6-0 Mavs run to get within a point a minute later, and perhaps for the first time all game, there may have been a tad bit of doubt about the outcome.
But then, the Spurs proceeded with what I’ve decided has been their mischievous plan all along considering the repeating pattern: dominate the rest of clutch time by closing on a 15-4 run so they could continue to pad those clutch time stats. Stephon Castle hit a big three to start it off and put back a Victor Webmanyama miss with an emphatic dunk to close things out, and everyone did everything right on both ends in between.
As fun as it may be, I need a break from tight games. Whether that relief will come in the form of a blowout win in the next three games or simply as a part of the All-Star break after that is the ultimate question. Don’t get me wrong: I love a team that knows how to tighten the strings and put things together on both ends when the game is on the line, which will be very important in the playoffs, but I would also happily accept a blowout win here or there, just for my own sanity.
Takeaways
Lately, the Spurs path to victory has been more akin to defensive slugfests because of their inconsistency on offense and from their three-point shooters. In this game, the defense was lazy at times, but they made up for it with a balanced offensive attack. Seven players scored in double figures, including all five starters, and overall, they hit 17-41 threes to keep the defense honest. That included Wemby and Harrison Barnes finding their strokes from outside, combining to hit 10-18 with the former hitting his first five (all in the first half) and the latter spreading them out across the game. It was especially noteworthy for Barnes, who has been in an extended shooting slump dating back months, and this was the first time he hit five threes since December 2. His stroke has slowly been returning to form in recent games, and hopefully this is finally the breakthrough performance that returns him to his Uncle Harrison form from earlier in the season. When he’s on, his spacing does wonders for the starting lineup (especially if Julian Champagnie is off, which he was last night with a 2-8 performance from three).
The Stephon Castle Viewing Experience continues to be a wild ride. Whether it’s game-to-game, quarter-to-quarter or even play-to-play, you never know whether you’re going to get his frustrating or game-changing version. Last night, he was mostly the latter. He came off the bench for the first time in 11 months after missing the night before to nurse his sore adductor, with the reason reportedly being he’s on a minutes restriction. He was his usual self regardless of role, with 18 points on 8-13 shooting, 7 rebounds 6 assists and 2 steals, plus the aforementioned huge clutch shots, but there was also the frustrating moments, like him driving into traffic and getting stripped on his way to three turnovers.
Don’t look now, but despite an up-and-down January when the Spurs barely crossed over the .500 mark with an 8-7 record, they have won three straight to start the month of February (even if they haven’t been pretty). As a result, they are in firm control of the second seed once again as the teams behind them continue to struggle, with a three-game cushion in the loss column on the Nuggets and Rockets. In fact, along with the Lakers, they are the only team in the West with a better record than 6-4 across their last ten games. That doesn’t mean they can relax — the schedule continues to be brutal, and the Rodeo Road Trip begins next week — but even if the Spurs want to give us a heart attack in the process of winning, it’s nice to be able to enjoy standings watching again.
Speaking of the Rockets, my Alperen Sengun sports hate has been justified. Thank you. (Not going to embed everything here, but for proof, click here, here and here. Rough 24 hours for the big fella.)
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 28: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 28, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The fuel on the “LeBron James is coming back to Cleveland” fire is seemingly getting gasoline poured on it from every corner. Noted The Athletic columnist Jason Lloyd spoke on 92.3 The Fan and dumped even more lighter fluid on the rumor (or at this point, league-wide assumption) that James will end his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers and rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers for one last ride.
"If (LeBron) plays anywhere next year it's gonna be here. He's not going back to LA… I also don't think he's gonna take the league minimum deal so they're gonna have to work through that."
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the 2016 championship shirt HERE.
“If (LeBron) plays anywhere next year, it’s going to be here,” Lloyd said. “He’s not going back to LA.” Lloyd also went on to give his experience as someone who saw the writing on the wall in Cleveland in 2018 when it became apparent that James was leaving the Cavaliers for the second time. “I’ve seen this movie before.”
James and the Lakers have been at odds seemingly for quite some time, whether that be due to the roster or the head coach. With the acquisition of Luka Doncic, who immediately became the face of the franchise in Los Angeles, it further alienated James — who rarely plays second fiddle to anyone. Even to a top-five player in the league like Doncic.
There are two questions that remain in this fairytale. The first one is if James decides to play again, which is not a given. The 41-year-old is still throwing down reverse dunks and nabbing alley-oops, but there is no guarantee that he will take the court after this season. The second question is how much money he will ask for as an unrestricted free agent playing likely his last year in the NBA.
James is an anomaly, an alien of basketball with a physical fitness level unseen in the league before. This isn’t Paul Pierce signing a deal to retire in a Boston Celtics jersey. The Cavs would be leveled up with James on the roster. But that comes at a price, and it won’t be the league minimum value.
“I don’t think he is going to take a league-minimum from Dan [Gilbert],” Lloyd continued. “Find a way to get to the mid-level [exception], have to get under the [second] apron, there’s other conversations that have to be had.”
The Cavs did good work this past week or so to put themselves in a position to get under the dreaded second apron with the trades of De’Andre Hunter and Lonzo Ball, and they have some expiring salary they can shed. It’s worth noting that they would need to get out of more than just the second apron to get full access to the mid-level exception.
That said, if there is a willingness from both sides to make it work out from a salary perspective, there’s a good chance it will in the end.
Smith is the biggest winner of the trade deadline following the trade of Nikola Vucevic to the Boston Celtics for Anfernee Simons. Like a maniacal villain looking to deplete the world’s natural resources, Chicago has stockpiled roughly 80% of the Association’s guards. Smith was starting in double-big lineups alongside Vooch, but his path to increased production has become clear. Smith will get some competition from Nick Richards, but the former has a stranglehold on the starting center job, and he’s a must-add option off the waiver wire.
De’Anthony Melton/Brandin Podziemski — Golden State Warriors
Jimmy Butler is out for the season. Steph Curry is banged up. Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield are gone. Someone’s got to step up for Golden State, and Melton and Podz are the two most likely to answer the call.
Nick Richards — Chicago Bulls
The starting center job is Jalen Smith’s to lose, but there’s no frontcourt depth on this team. Richards emerges from the big man logjam in Phoenix and will have a new opportunity to earn meaningful rotational minutes in Chicago.
Kelly Oubre Jr./Quentin Grimes — Philadelphia 76ers
Jared McCain was beginning to hit his stride before he was traded, and his absence frees up some additional minutes and scoring chances for Oubre Jr. and Grimes.
Walter Clayton Jr. — Memphis Grizzlies
Clayton was stuck behind breakout Keyonte George and stellar backup Isaiah Collier in Utah, but he has a chance to earn some additional run for the Grizzlies down the stretch. Ty Jerome and Cam Spencer have been great, but “silly season” is fast approaching.
Ayo Dosunmu — Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves’ search for a capable backup ball-handler and scorer ended with the deal to acquire Dosunmu, and he should see quality minutes in Minnesota. Moving from a crowded Chicago backcourt is a clear lateral move for Dosunmu’s fantasy value.
Kyshawn George/Bilal Coulibaly — Washington Wizards
Washington was shockingly giving Khris Middleton 24.3 minutes per night despite the team’s terrible record and focus on the future. Middleton’s departure shores up big minutes for George and Coulibaly for the rest of the season.
Garland will move to a team with less depth across the board, and he won’t have to contend for touches with another ball-dominant guard. Expect more scoring and more assists in LA.
Kristaps Porzingis — Golden State Warriors
Availability notwithstanding, KP’s move to Golden State is a good one for his fantasy value. Atlanta’s frontcourt depth features standouts Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson, but Golden State is bereft of talent and size there. Porzingis should see big minutes and usage with his new team.
Baylor Scheierman — Boston Celtics
Scheierman has started two games with Payton Pritchard shifting to a bench role. Pritchard has still seen big minutes and shot opportunities, but Scheierman has some additional runway now that Anfernee Simons is gone. Scheierman is more of a deep-league guy at this point, but he’s worth keeping an eye on in standard leagues.
Marvin Bagley III — Dallas Mavericks
Dallas’ center rotation is Daniel Gafford and Moussa Cisse. Gafford’s injury history is a long and storied one, and Cisse is on a two-way contract. Bagley III should see backup center minutes right away, and spot starts are surely in his future when Gafford inevitably misses time.
Malik Monk — Sacramento Kings
Sacramento dealt Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, freeing up more playing time for Monk moving forward. Monk has flashed big upside throughout his career as a microwave scorer and three-point shooter, and he could see increased run during “silly season.”
Tristan Vukcevic — Washington Wizards
With Bagley III gone, Vukcevic is Alex Sarr’s top backup at center. He’s not worth a look in standard leagues yet, but he has streaming appeal if Sarr misses time.
Brook Lopez/Isaiah Jackson — Los Angeles Clippers
Ivica Zubac’s departure should mean more run for both centers in LA, but it’s yet unknown how the minutes will shake out.
Onyeka Okongwu — Atlanta Hawks
He’s been excellent as Atlanta’s starting center, and he’ll no longer have the spectre of Kristaps Porzingis hanging over him.
Santi Aldama — Memphis Grizzlies
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jock Landale were shipped out of town this week, and Zach Edey is still on the shelf. Memphis’ frontcourt rotation is the thinnest in the Association, so Aldama should see monster minutes once he’s back on the court.
▶ Fantasy Losers
Top-5 Biggest Losers
1. Neemias Queta
2. Jay Huff
3. Jaren Jackson Jr.
4. Dennis Schroder
5. James Harden
Jaren Jackson Jr. — Utah Jazz
JJJ will no longer be the first or even second option on his team, and he’s stuck in a crowded big-man rotation in Utah. He’s still got fantasy value in all formats, but expect a downtick in scoring and rebounding.
Jusuf Nurkic/Kyle Filipowski — Utah Jazz
Both big men will have to relinquish some minutes and production to the newly acquired Jackson Jr. Nurkic is still worth holding, but Filipowski is a drop.
James Harden — Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland’s roster is deeper than LA’s, so Harden won’t be relied on as much for scoring or rebounding. He could see an uptick in assists, but he gets a slight downgrade here.
Neemias Queta/Luka Garza — Boston Celtics
Queta has played some great basketball this season, and he’s been a standard league guy thanks to his rebounding and defense. Garza has soaked up backup minutes and made an impact when inserted into the starting lineup. The arrival of Nikola Vucevic drastically lowers Queta’s value and makes Garza a drop in most formats.
They go from playing behind Russell Westbrook to playing behind James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. That won’t be good for Schroder’s or Ellis’ fantasy value.
Jay Huff — Indiana Pacers
Huff has been an elite shot-blocker this season, and he’s provided solid value for fantasy managers who scooped him up. His run as Indiana’s starting center is over, and his fantasy value takes a massive hit with the arrival of Ivica Zubac.
Chicago Bulls Guards
It’s unclear how this rotation is going to shake out, but the team has all of Jaden Ivey, Anfernee Simons, Tre Jones and Collin Sexton on the roster. All of them get a downgrade until we get some clarity on playing time.
▶ Fantasy Neutral
Nikola Vucevic — Boston Celtics
Vooch saw big minutes in Chicago, leading the center rotation on a team thin on depth at the position. That will be the case in Boston, too. Fantasy managers should expect the durable big man to offer up points, rebounds, assists and triples while staying available.
Trayce Jackson-Davis — Toronto Raptors
TJD will be buried in a busy frontcourt behind Collin Murray-Boyles, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jakob Poeltl. There’s nothing to see here.
Luke Kennard — Los Angeles Lakers
Kennard will operate as a spot-up three-point shooter in LA, just as he did in Atlanta. His move to the Lakers doesn’t move the needle on his fantasy value.
Khris Middleton — Dallas Mavericks
Middleton won’t be in Dallas next year, and his usage with the team this season will surely be comparable to what it was in Washington. The Mavs have no incentive to give him meaningful run.
Jock Landale — Atlanta Hawks
Landale had a monster game in his Hawks debut, going for 26/11/5 with four blocks and five triples. He won’t make that kind of impact on a nightly basis, especially once Onyeka Onkongwu returns. Still, Landale could have standalone value if he sees 20 minutes per game off the bench.
Jock Landale had a CAREER NIGHT in his debut with the Hawks
Vincent wasn’t on the fantasy radar with the Lakers, and nothing has changed with his move to the Hawks.
Vince Williams Jr. — Utah Jazz
Not much changes for V-Dub in Utah. He’ll still be competing for rotation minutes, and his usage will be heavily dependent on injuries to players ahead of him on the depth chart.
Bennedict Mathurin — Los Angeles Clippers
Mathurin will go from one of the worst teams in the NBA to a team that’s gaining momentum after a rough start. He’ll be asked to operate as a primary bucket-getter and occasional rebounder for the Clippers, in the same way he was asked to do so for Indiana. New location, same responsibilities.
▶ Teams Stock Up
Charlotte Hornets
They’re riding an eight-game win streak, looking to end a 10-year playoff drought and added a strong backup guard to shore up a rotation that has had trouble staying healthy.
Washington Wizards
A starting lineup of Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr is intriguing to say the least. The Wizards have two superstars surrounded by a young, athletic and defensively-gifted core. This team is going to be fun next season.
Boston Celtics
Brad Stevens’ system and Joe Mazzulla’s coaching have propelled the Jayson Tatum-less Celtics to a top-3 seed in the Eastern Conference, and the C’s traded a backup guard for a reliable, starting center. Big dub.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The rich get richer, as the defending champs add a talented PG in Jared McCain.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The swap of Darius Garland for James Harden should be a good move for the Cavs and the Clippers. Harden is joined by Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis as new additions who shore up Cleveland’s backcourt rotation.
▶ Teams Stock Down
Chicago Bulls
The rebuild is officially in place, but what the heck is this team doing? The guard-heavy Bulls lack an identity, and Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis are the only two guys on the roster around which you can build.
Golden State Warriors
The Dubs are barely treading water, and their season won’t magically turn around by adding a usually-unavailable Kristaps Porzingis.
Sacramento Kings
They’re arguably the worst team in the NBA with no franchise cornerstones, identity or direction. They’re not winning now, and they probably won’t be winning anytime soon.
Miami Heat
They made no moves, and they’ll be lucky to escape the Play-In Tournament.
It will be centered in Milan’s landmark San Siro stadium, featuring the Parade of Athletes and entertainment over the course of the nearly three-hour spectacle that is expected to be the most widely viewed moment of the Games as millions around the world watch on official broadcasters.
How to watch the Milan Cortina Olympics opening ceremony
The opening ceremony begins at 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. Eastern, 1900 GMT) and will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock and NBC Olympics platforms. Also, NBC will air an enhanced encore in primetime at 8 p.m. ET.
Pop star Mariah Carey and crossover tenor Andrea Bocelli are among the performers. Some 60,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony live in San Siro, including a U.S. delegation led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
Because the Games are spread out across Italy, elements of the opening ceremony including the procession of athletes will also be conducted in three other locations. Moments will be beamed to the televised audience from Cortina in the heart of the Dolomite mountains, Livigno in the Italian Alps as well as Predazzo in the autonomous province of Trento.
Who will light the Olympic cauldrons? Yes, plural
There will be two cauldrons — an Olympic first — inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s geometric studies: one in Milan, at the Arco della Pace some 4 kilometers (2½ miles) from San Siro, and the other at Piazza Dibona in Cortina, some five hours and 400 kilometers (250 miles) away. The cauldrons will be lit simultaneously.
Of course, the identities of the final torchbearers won't be revealed to the world until they step into the spotlight Friday night.
What is the theme of the Milan Cortina Olympics opening ceremony?
The theme is “Harmony,’’ an especially potent message with many populations exposed to violence. The concept of an Olympic Truce, originating in ancient Greece and revived by Olympic officials in the 1990s, is even more urgent this year, opening ceremony creative director Marco Balich told The Associated Press recently. The truce aims to promote peace and dialogue through sport by ceasing hostilities for a week before the Olympics and a week after the Paralympics, which close March 15.
Some 1,200 volunteers have been rehearsing since November for Friday's show. Volunteers include Balich’s butcher, the head of his office and an 88-year-old widow.
The ceremony will also include a tribute to the late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died in September at the age of 91. Armani had long designed the Italian team’s Olympic uniforms, and his legacy as one of the founders of Italian ready-to-wear is tightly tied to Milan.
Balich is the producer of a record 16 Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies, including the 2006 Turin opening ceremony.
Who else will participate in the opening ceremony?
In addition to Carey and Bocelli, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, Italian singer Laura Pausini and concert pianist Lang Lang will perform. Italian actors Sabrina Impacciatore, who appeared in the second season of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” and actress Matilda De Angelis will also participate.
