Category: NBA

“Can you just let me have this?”

We were fifteen minutes from the California border, and the trees in Oregon were getting taller and taller. Having flown into Medford, we were now two hours into the drive to Cresent City and seven hours into a journey that had started at 5am, and the anticipation had reached its peak.

Both Taylor and I had dreamed of seeing the Redwoods since we were children, and now we were approaching them rapidly as the road receded before us. Not rapidly enough for Taylor, though, who could barely sit still, pointing out every large tree on the horizon, oohing and aahing at the unquestionably beautiful southern wilds of The Beaver State.

And then she saw it, stretching well above the canopy, some 200 or so feet of a monster Douglas Fir, towering over the other pines.

“That’s it! That’s it! My first Redwood!”

Her eyes welled with the emotion of a fulfilled dream as she looked over at me meaningfully, the orchestral folk of Noah Kahan swelling in the background.

“Isn’t is amazing?”

Wordlessly I looked slowly from my girlfriend to the tree, and back again.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s not a Redwood.”

“What? Are you messing with me?”

“No, it’s just that the bark looks wrong, and so do the branches. I think it’s just a really tall pine tree.”

“Oh my God, can you just let me have this?”

As it turned out, no, I could not. And thus began one of those incredibly productive conversations that usually start with a seemingly innocuous question, and end in a mutually agreed-upon silence.

In Taylor’s defense, she was sleep-deprived from all the packing and planning and coordination, and we had been packed together in very close quarters for most of the day. She also does not love flying, and I may have playfully ribbed her a bit while we were experiencing turbulence. She was not completely out of pocket to have questioned whether I was messing with her or not.

It’s also an easy mistake to make when you’ve not spent a lot of time in the proximity of forests. She has spent most of her life on the fringes of San Antonio. I, on the other hand, spent most of my childhood summers in the confines of the Piney Woods of East Texas.

I had never seen a Sequoia, but I knew my pine trees. And I was not about to let my first Redwood be a pine tree.

It’s the same way I feel about some of the expectations and enthusiasm surrounding the Spurs this season. I hate to break it to some of y’all, but I’m pretty sure this is not a championship team.

I know this, because, like you, I’ve seen them before. I know what a championship roster looks like. I know what they play like. I’ve seen how they carry themselves.

And in spite of (or rather, because of) last night’s win, I can tell you that they’re just not quite there yet.   

Facing the snake-bitten and limping Warriors, they came out sluggish in the first quarter and gave up 38 points to a roughly .500 team without the scoring prowess of Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis, and the still-lethal Steph Curry.

But the Warriors execute. They still retain some of the focus, organization, and aura of a champion. They have a seasoned all-time coach who knows how to press each and every advantage that comes to light. They have championship vets who know how to push their teammates and frustrate their opponents.

These are things you have to earn, and you can only earn them by going through the fire together. Free agency can only aid you so much (especially in the current CBA era), and drafting accumulates talent, not experience.  

And these Spurs are talented, to be sure. With the 3^rd best record in the league, they tower over most of their peers, not unlike their prodigiously gifted leader. But there’s still some sloppiness they must curtail. Turnovers they can ill afford in the postseason. Concentration that fluctuates with seemingly every quarter. Vulnerabilities at positions like Power Forward, and functional big man depth that must be addressed.

There’s little reason that the Spurs should have entered the 3^rd quarter down to the Warriors after the destruction they visited on the similarly vulnerable Los Angeles Lakers the night before. Yes, it was the second night of a back-to-back, but the Spurs are so very young, and the Warriors and Lakers are so very old.

And yet, there’s no question that they’re beautiful to watch when they’re locked in.

Victor Wembanyama is more efficient than ever and is becoming more and more capable of taking on thuggish play from the Draymond Greens of the world. De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper orchestrated the offense to near-perfection in the 2^nd half, relegating the errors of the 1^st half to distant memories.

Stephon Castle squeezed the opposing guards like an ill-fed python let loose in a barn full of rats, and Keldon Johnson ran wild and unimpeded like a bull in Pamplona, tossing the frames of the very foolish and the very brave aside in equal measure.

Thinking that this will be their year is an understandable error of enthusiasm after long years in the NBA cellar, and therefore an expression of hope, which is no great sin. It’s an error each and every one of us has been guilty of at one time or another.

And yet…

After 20 minutes or so of relative silence, the highway diverged into a wood more lushly green than yellow, and we saw it. Spanning what must have been 300+ feet, it dwarfed the previous pine of contention; the base so wide, that it blocked the view of the other tree trunks around it. There could be no question that it was a real Redwood.

For a moment, we stared at each other, neither one saying a word.

“Wow.”

“Look! There’s another one!”

“Oh yeah, look at that one!”

“They just keep coming!”

“Oh my God.”

After ten or so minutes of this, Taylor leaned over the center console onto my shoulder, and we watched the colossal trees pass by in silent awe, as the 199 carved and curved its way though the vastness of the ancient forest on the way to the 101, and eventually, the Pacific Coast Highway.

“So, it really wasn’t a Redwood after all.”

“No, but I really wanted it to be one. For you.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Takeaways

• It’s going to be interesting seeing what MATFO decide to do with Harrison Barnes in the off-season. On the one hand, he’s reliably no drama, still defends and shoots well enough to play with both the starters and bench as needed, and is active in the community. On the other hand, it’s feels like some slippage is finally starting to occur, especially when it comes to his ability to handle to faster, younger players, and getting open off ball. Defenses are beginning to key on Julian Champagnie on the occasion that they share the court, because Barnes is just no longer the cutting threat that he once was, and daring Barnes to punish them for leaving him open. And while Barnes seems to have broken out of his slump (43% from 3 over the last 10 games), he’s shooting just 35% on open threes where the defender is 4-6 feet away. I’m not sure what Barnes will be worth on the open market, but financials are going to start getting tricky for the Spurs soon, and rooting for him to slump for a lower contract isn’t going to help the Spurs. If, on the other hand, he gets molten-lava hot again, a hopeful contender will be likely to give him a look. I’m hoping the Spurs will be able to sign him for something reasonable, as they definitely need to retain shooting, but I’m guessing it will all depend on what role he’s willing to accept for an equally no-drama franchise that find itself on the cusp of contention. Here’s hoping Carter Bryant continues his ascent!
• While I don’t always understand what Mitch Johnson is trying to accomplish with his rotations (an inexplicably point-guard-less lineup continues to baffle me), he again made a game-saving adjustment in recognizing that Castle was off offensively, and playing Fox and Harper together for an extended stretch. When Castle is on, he’s just about as good a facilitator as you could hope for, but when he’s off…whew boy, it is not pretty. Recognizing that Curry’s absence meant he could pick his spots with Castle was incredibly savvy of the younger coach in the match-up, and once he figured it out Steve Kerr really didn’t have an answer. There’s no question that Johnson’s still figuring things out, but a move like that could be the difference in winning and losing a series, and I’m feeling more and more confident that he’s capable of pulling that sort of thing off.
• According to Win Shares, Keldon Johnson has been worth five wins for the Spurs this season, but by my count, it’s closer to double that, as he has consistently come in clutch in tight games for San Antonio. The Spurs have 19 clutch-time wins, and the bench is 5th in the league in net rating, and Keldon has been a big, big part of that as the unquestioned leader of the bench mob. At the very least, there’s an argument to be made that the Spurs wouldn’t have even made it clutch time so often without the bench keeping them in the game until the starters figured it out. Still carrying career highs in almost every shooting category, Keldon is 3rd on the team in scoring efficiency and 2nd in shooting efficiency. Someone get this guy a 6th man of the year award, stat!

Playing You Out – The Theme Song of the Evening:

Old Pine by Ben Howard

There is a fine line Dillon Brooks has been walking all season, and it is not an easy one for him to stay on. He is an emotional player. He feeds off that edge as it pushes him into a zone. It is how he impacts games. It is also how he has stayed in the league for nine years.

But emotion cuts both ways. Actions carry consequences, and eventually, the bill comes due.

Wednesday night against Oklahoma City, the Suns were already in a hole. Down 19 in the second quarter, fighting uphill, searching for any kind of rhythm. Then the whistle came from official James Williams. Technical foul on Dillon Brooks.

You knew it. I knew it. He definitely knew it. That was technical foul number 16 on the season, and with it came the inevitable result. A suspension was no longer a possibility. It was a certainty.

This is the cost of living on that edge. Sometimes it fuels you. Sometimes it burns you. And on Wednesday night, the line finally snapped. The 16th tech on Brooks is the most in the league, three ahead of Luka Doncic and double teammate Devin Booker, who has 8, which is sixth most in the NBA.

In reality, it has been even louder than that. This was the 19th time Dillon Brooks has been hit with a technical foul this season. Three of those were rescinded, but the damage still counts. 19 free throws were handed to the other team because emotion spilled over the line.

Now do the math. Brooks has played 49 games. That puts him at roughly one technical every 2.5 games. That is not an edge anymore, that is a pattern. For reference, the honor for the most technical fouls in one season goes to Rasheed Wallace in 2000-01. He had 41 technical fouls, playing in 79 games (clearly the suspension rules weren’t in place back then) for an average of one tech every 1.9 games.

And today, it became official. This one is not getting wiped away. There will be no quiet reversal. This one sticks.

The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/HiPhilpH9Y

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 12, 2026

Which means the bill is real. And it is finally due.

Brooks spoke about the situation after the game last night.

“The ref said I play the victim, so I’m not talking no more about that. Said I’m playing the victim all of the time, and when I don’t play victim, I’m a bad guy.”

“We haven’t won a game with Gucci reffing,” he added, referencing James Williams, who strikingly resembles rapper Gucci Mane, “that should be on notice…we’ve had him 4-5 times already.”

"Said I'm playing victim all the time. & when I'm not, I'm a bad guy."

"If you're going to be bad, be bad the whole game."

"We haven't won a game with Gucci reffing… that should be on notice… we've had him 4-5 times already."

Dillon Brooks on what led to 16th tech + more. pic.twitter.com/9MXg16ePI2

— Stephen PridGeon-Garner 🏁 (@StephenPG3) February 12, 2026

It’s unfortunate because the suspension will come right out of the All-Star break. First up for the Suns on February 19? The San Antonio Spurs against Victor Wembanyama. Brooks is a vital cog in what the Suns want to do defensively, especially against a player like Wembanyama. And now he will not be there. Not because of injury. Not because of rest. Because of accumulation.

With 27 games left, the margin gets razor-thin. Every two technicals now equal another suspension. He can pick up number 17 and keep playing. Number 18 means he sits. Number 20 means he sits again. Number 22, same deal.

So the challenge for the final third of the season is not only the level of competition on the schedule. It is availability. It is whether a player who rides emotion like a wave can avoid crashing headfirst into the reef. Because the Suns need Dillon Brooks on the floor. And right now, keeping him there is becoming just as difficult as stopping anyone they are about to face.

Hi.

You must have clicked here because you want to know why the Minnesota Timberwolves should be realigned¹ to the National Basketball Association’s Eastern Conference. If so, you’re in the right place! If not, I assume you are here because:

1. You think a different NBA team should be moved to the Eastern Conference.
2. You are doing research on migration patterns of the Canis lupus (Yes, that is what our blog is named after).
3. You are Adam Silver.

No matter how you ended up here, I’m offering you a brief, but thorough guide for why Adam Silver and his grunts should select the Timberwolves as the team to be realigned if NBA expansion is coming in the near future. Scientific. Rational. Not just a simple desire, as other teams wish for.

Here is the ultimate, undeniable guide for why Minnesota should be the lucky team chosen to join the far less competitive Eastern Conference, if Seattle and Las Vegas are awarded new teams to join the West.

^{1 – Using “recategorized” instead of “relocated” was the writer’s choice to not invoke fear and stir up past fan trauma about the actual act of relocation. For the record: The Timberwolves are not in jeopardy of relocation.}

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1. Geography

The most common argument you will see from other teams for why they should join the East are the longitude and latitude lines on a map.

“New Orleans/Memphis is literally the furthest east of all Western Conference teams!”

Oh, if it were only so simple. As much as some may like to draw a line straight down the middle of the United States and divvy up teams that way, that would result in 15 teams in the Western Conference, if you include Minnesota and Houston. That leaves 17 teams in the Eastern Conference.

That would not compute.

When you actually look at the map of NBA teams, it paints a much different picture. Consider that Seattle and Las Vegas’ potential teams are added to this map, a very clear photo begins to develop. There is a large scatter plot of teams in the Northeast quadrant of the map.

Though Memphis and New Orleans are in fact the two teams furthest east, they are also much closer to other west teams.

It would make the most geographic sense to lump Minnesota with teams like Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, and others into a division. The question of how to split up divisions is a different topic. Four divisions of eight? Eight divisions of four? That’s for Silver to figure out.

Whatever the case, it’s clear the Timberwolves topographically should be in the Eastern Conference.

2. Retribution

That’s right. The Timberwolves organization are owed this. Because of how far away they are from their conference foes on the west coast, let alone their immediate division rivals, Minnesota is frequently near the top of the list for miles traveled in an NBA season.

Though Minnesota comes in at 11th in terms of miles traveled this current season, they bump up to ninth when looking at just Western Conference teams.

There are coastal teams like Portland or Golden State who often have to go cross country, racking up miles along the way. Then there are more central teams like the Texas organizations that are burdened with having to go equally east and west. However, no one would argue that the NBA should randomly pluck one Californian or Texan team to be realigned to Eastern Conference.

We should really only be looking at Memphis, New Orleans, and Minnesota.

The graphic above would lead you to believe the Grizzlies are a no-brainer pick here, but they traveled well over 9,000 miles to play two games in Europe this season. You subtract that from their total and they are suddenly sitting in the lower third of this chart, just a handful of spots below the Pelicans.

The Wolves are easily the most traveled, and tired, team among these three every season.

So let’s give them a break, for Christ Johnson sake. They’ve served their terms on The Wall and deserve rest. Not only will limiting their air travel be the fair thing to do, but it would also save our environment by limiting the unnecessary aviation CO₂ emissions.

It’s only right.

3. Ratings

Alright, Adam Silver. If you’ve read this far, I ask you to read just a little further.

We all know what you really care about. The brand and bottom line of the NBA. You could say the the league has never been more popular around the world. I’d agree with you! The parity has made for a more fun and unpredictable product. Unfortunately, the malevolent, overly competitive Western Conference has come back like the bogeyman they once were during the Warriors, Spurs, and Lakers dynasties.

Do you really want fans not caring about the season, knowing one of those selfish western teams is penciled into the NBA Finals at the start of the season?

What you need is a worthy competitor from the East.

Let’s not realign the rapidly rebuilding, and uncompetitive, Pelicans or Grizzlies in the same conference with shamelessly tanking teams like the Pacers, Wizards, Nets, Bucks, and Bulls. This would only further compound the narrative that “The East is free.”

Meanwhile, it’s a bloodbath on the other side. Stars like LeBron James, Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Kevin Durant are eliminating each other in the early rounds of the playoffs like it’s a Royal Rumble. Hell, even aging superstars like Steph Curry and Kawhi Leonard could get squeezed out of the postseason tournament entirely.

How’s that good for the game?

Now imagine this.

Anthony Edwards playing in front of his hometown Hawks four times a season.

Anthony Edwards in Madison Square Garden four times a season.

Anthony Edwards in the NBA Finals against Victor Wembanyama.

What people want to see are the biggest stars on the biggest stage. The East, with all due respect to the recovering Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum, lacks that punch. A face of the league that can threaten the daunting Western Conference horde. Sure, Anthony Edwards has said he doesn’t care to be that face.

But it’s not up to him. It’s up to you.

See you in the East.

Sarai Linder struck in the fifth minute of added time as Wolfsburg rallied from two goals down at home to draw 2-2 with Juventus in the Women's Champions League playoffs on Thursday.

Manchester United took a big step toward the quarterfinals after a 3-0 win at Atletico Madrid.

If that tie looks all but decided, it remains in the balance for Wolfsburg and Juventus. Linder ensured it was all square ahead of next week’s second leg in Turin when firing an equalizer into the top corner from the edge of the area deep into added time.

“It feels like a win to get the draw in the last minute,” said Wolfsburg coach Stephan Lerch.

Juventus went 2-0 up just after the hour mark at the AOK Stadion. Ana Capeta opened the scoring in the sixth and Amalie Vangsgaard doubled the lead in the 61st.

But Wolfsburg rallied going into the final 10 minutes of regulation time.

Janina Minge sparked the fightback when converting from the penalty spot in the 82nd.

As the clock ticked down it looked like Juventus would hold a slender lead going into the second leg, until Linder struck.

“We were playing well but we didn’t really create many big chances. At the end, we deserved the draw and now next week it’s still open,” Wolfsburg's Lineth Beerensteyn said.

Man United in control

United takes a healthy lead back to Manchester after a dominant win in Spain.

It took just three minutes for Elisabeth Terland to give United the lead after collecting Melvine Malard's through ball and firing home.

Malard made it 2-0 in the 39th with a curling shot.

Malard then turned provider again for Julia Zigiotti Olme to convert with a powerful effort.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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Some of you may have already seen the news. For the others, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

Yesterday, we learned that Mike D’Antoni, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Kevin Johnson were named finalists for the 2026 Hall of Fame class. These nominations, and potentially their induction, carry real symbolic weight, rewarding years of effort, battles, and evolution. The Hall of Fame goes far beyond the North American hemisphere; it’s an indelible mark on the history of this sport, a game invented by James Naismith and carried across generations.

Former Phoenix Suns players Kevin Johnson, Amar'e Stoudemire and former head coach Mike D'Antoni are finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026. #Suns

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 12, 2026

These three men, major figures in the history of Phoenix, the NBA, and basketball as a whole, could soon join a prestigious temple already home to several icons who passed through Arizona during their careers. From Jerry Colangelo to Steve Nash, from Charles Barkley to Jason Kidd, Connie Hawkins, Grant Hill, and of course, the great Paul Westphal. You can also add Vince Carter, Gail Goodrich, Dennis and Gus Johnson, or even Shaquille O’Neal. Brief stints for some, sure, but all of them are powerful names in the franchise’s story.

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Architect of the Seven Seconds or Less era, Mike D’Antoni turned Phoenix into a basketball laboratory from 2003 to 2008. Under his guidance, the Suns posted an impressive 253–136 record (.65 win%), delivered a 62–20 masterpiece in 2005, and became the most feared offense in the league.

Coach of the Year that same season, he installed a style built on pace, spacing, and creativity, pushing Steve Nash to two MVPs and Amar’e Stoudemire to the peak of his powers. His time in Phoenix didn’t just shape a franchise. It reshaped the NBA. The true precursor of the modern game? It’s him.

1 Jour 1 Suns #4 : Mike D’Antoni 🕖🔥

Aujourd’hui nous allons nous attarder sur cette figure mythique des Suns et du coaching, célèbre pour avoir popularisé le “small ball” et le “7 seconds or less” au milieu des années 2000. pic.twitter.com/dnq1JrLJiT

— P🌵☀️| #WorldBFree (@PanoTheCreator) September 27, 2024

Arriving in 2002, Amar’e Stoudemire immediately imposed himself as a phenomenon, winning Rookie of the Year with 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Under D’Antoni and alongside Nash, he became an offensive force of nature: 26.0 points per game in 2004–05, a legendary playoff series against the Spurs (37 points per game), and a constant presence among the league’s elite, collecting 6 All-Star selections, 5 All-NBA First and Second Team nods, and five top‑15 MVP finishes. STAT remains one of the most dominant big men of his era.

After Westphal and before Nash — then Booker — Phoenix belonged to Kevin Johnson.

An explosive playmaker and elite creator, he averaged 17.9 points and 9.1 assists for his career, with three seasons above the 20 and 10 mark. Before moving into politics, he closed his NBA chapter with three All-Star selections, five All-NBA teams, the 1989 Most Improved Player award, and a historic 1993 run that brought the Suns back to the NBA Finals for the first time in nearly 20 years. His partnership with Charles Barkley became iconic. KJ carried the franchise through the 90s, laying the foundation for everything that followed.

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The Hall of Fame is the achievement of a lifetime. Everyone dreams of it, but very few ever imagine even being named a finalist, whether they built their careers in Europe, the NBA, or Latin America. This is a well‑deserved tribute for these three men. And while it may not be “historic” in itself, between the results, the quality of play, and this moment, the year 2026 has the potential to become one of the franchise’s defining periods, one that will be remembered.

The Hall of Fame class will be announced on Saturday, April 4.

Jeremy Sochan is leaving one NBA championship contender for another, hopeful he can provide a boost to his new team's postseason push

Sochan is expected to join the New York Knicks upon clearing waivers, according to multiple reports on Thursday, Feb. 12, after the San Antonio Spurs agreed to a contract buyout and parted ways with the No. 9 pick from the 2022 NBA Draft. The Spurs had been trying to trade him before the league's trade deadline last week.

Sochan had an expiring $7.1 million contract with San Antonio, but sought a bigger role after seeing his playing time drop significantly this season.

KEVIN DURANT: Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic 'don't care about' All-Star Game

“We were all very aware of his desire to be in the rotation and given more of an opportunity, especially recently,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson told reporters, according to the San Antonio Express News. “We wanted to do right by him and make sure he had that opportunity before the year was over.”

ESPN reported Sochan picked the Knicks over nine other suiters, and his ballhandling and defensive capabilities will add another versatile option to the team's bench unit. The 6-foot-8 forward is expected to sign a league minimum deal for the rest of the season, according to multiple reports.

Sochan, 22, is averaging a career-low 4.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1 assist per game this season, but logged more than 11 points and 6 rebounds per contest the previous two years with San Antonio.

To the city of San Antonio... When I was drafted, I didn’t realize how quickly this would feel like home. I’ve moved around a lot throughout my life, and this is the longest I’ve been in the same place since I was 15 years old. Through the ups and downs, I learned a lot, kept… pic.twitter.com/DfToSiSqxn

— Jeremy Sochan (@JeremySochan) February 12, 2026

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeremy Sochan joining New York Knicks after San Antonio Spurs release

Don't look now, but Nikola Jokic is back in the picture.

An afterthought in January when he missed 16 games with a left ankle sprain, the Serbian big man has risen to second on the NBA MVP Odds board thanks to an impressive seven-game stretch in which he has averaged 24.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 9.4 assists per game. His strong play has Denver back in the thick of the playoff hunt and has Jokic within striking distance of his fourth most valuable player trophy.

Jokic's reemergence has coincided with an injury to reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has seen his odds move from -380 to -210 while he deals with an abdominal strain that is likely to sideline him for at least five games. 

Let's take a look at the latest NBA MVP odds below.

🏀2026 NBA MVP odds

Our friends at bet365 have boosted Nickola Jokic's NBA MVP odds from +320 to +375. Act now while the value lasts.

NBA MVP prediction

With voters increasingly sensitive to both team success and two-way impact, SGA has the cleanest path to an MVP narrative this season. He's the best player on a top-two team in the West, elite efficiency from all three levels, and offers real defensive bite at the point of attack. His game scales without drama—he can dominate in isolation or flow within movement-heavy actions, and he gets to the line a ton without forcing bad shots. If Oklahoma City’s depth keeps their net ratings gaudy when he sits, while his on/off still pops, he’ll own the “drives winning” storyline that tends to decide close MVP races.

Doncic will put up video-game numbers again, yet the bar for heliocentric guards keeps rising, and defensive skepticism plus any midseason usage management could ding his case. 

By contrast, SGA’s steadiness, durability, and two-way credibility give him multiple avenues to “win” the discourse even if raw counting stats are a tick lower—especially if the Thunder post the league’s best record.

Pick: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Stake: 2 units

📈 NBA odds over time

This year's MVP chase has been a heavyweight melee. Follow along all season as we update this graphic with contenders rising and falling. 

💰2026 NBA MVP opening odds

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander +150
• Nikola Jokic +350
• Luka Doncic +380
• Giannis Antetokounmpo +1200
• Victor Wembanyama +1200
• Anthony Edwards +2500
• Kevin Durant +5000
• Cade Cunningham +6000
• Jalen Brunson +8000
• Donovan Mitchell +10000
• Paolo Banchero +10000
• Trae Young +15000

NBA MVP betting data

The following data is courtesy of BetMGM.

• Highest ticket percentage: Victor Wembanyama 17.6%
• Highest handle percentage: Luka Doncic 21.8%
• Biggest liability:  Victor Wembanyama

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Popular NBA awards odds

• NBA championship odds
• NBA Rookie of the Year odds
• NBA Most Improved Player odds
• NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds
• NBA Coach of the Year odds
• NBA Clutch Player of the Year odds

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How is the NBA MVP decided?

The MVP award is one of the most prestigious honors in professional basketball—and one of the most debated. But how is the MVP actually chosen?

🗳️ MVP Voting Process

The MVP is determined by a panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters from the U.S. and Canada, as well as a fan vote that counts as one ballot. Each voter selects five players, ranked from first to fifth place. The point system is as follows:

• 1st place vote: 10 points
• 2nd place: 7 points
• 3rd place: 5 points
• 4th place: 3 points
• 5th place: 1 point

The player with the highest total point tally at the end of voting is crowned NBA MVP.

📊 What Do Voters Consider?

While there's no official checklist, MVP voters typically weigh several key factors:

• Individual statistics: Points, assists, rebounds, efficiency, advanced metrics like PER or Win Shares
• Team success: MVPs are rarely chosen from losing teams and Top 3 seeds are the norm
• Narrative and storyline: Voters often reward players overcoming adversity or carrying a franchise
• Consistency and availability: Games played, durability, and clutch performance matter

👀 Voter Biases and Trends

Some unofficial trends also influence MVP outcomes:

• “Voter fatigue”: Players who've already won may need to outperform their own past seasons to win again
• New blood bias: Voters sometimes prefer rising stars over repeat winners
• Position favoritism: Guards and forwards tend to dominate MVP voting, although that trend has been changing in recent years

📜NBA MVP betting history

A quick look at recent NBA MVPs and their opening odds.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

Caleb Wilson, North Carolina men’s basketball’s superstar freshman forward, broke his left hand in a loss at Miami on Tuesday and will be out for a yet-to-be-determined period of time, the university announced on Thursday, Feb. 12.

Wilson suffered the injury in the first half of the 75-66 loss. X-rays taken during the game came back negative, which prompted him to return to the contest, but additional imaging that was done after the No. 13 Tar Heels returned to Chapel Hill, North Carolina revealed a fracture.

“The evaluation process is ongoing to determine the timetable for Wilson’s return,” North Carolina said in a statement.

Caleb Wilson out with fracture in left hand. pic.twitter.com/sI1zr4JG0A

— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) February 12, 2026

REQUIRED READING: Bracketology projection for NCAA Tournament field has new No. 1 seed

Wilson has been one of the brightest stars in what has been widely hailed as one of the best freshmen classes in the sport’s recent history. The 6-foot-10 Atlanta native is averaging 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game for North Carolina, which is 19-5 after a disappointing 2024-25 season in which it barely snuck into the NCAA Tournament field.

Wilson has been integral in that improvement. He has set North Carolina program records for scoring in double figures in each of his first 24 career games and for his 17 games with at least 20 points. He’s fourth in the ACC in scoring, third in rebounding and fifth in field goal percentage (at 57.8%).

In a thrilling 71-68 win last Saturday over archrival Duke, he had a team-high 23 points and helped keep the Tar Heels’ offense afloat in a game in which it fell behind by as many as 13 points.

The former five-star recruit is widely projected as one of the top five picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Three of North Carolina’s seven remaining regular-season games come against teams ranked in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll: No. 23 Louisville (on Feb. 23), No. 18 Clemson (March 3) and the rematch with No. 6 Duke (March 7), as well as a Feb. 17 game at an NC State team that’s receiving votes in the poll.

The Tar Heels are a No. 4 seed in the latest mock NCAA Tournament bracket from USA TODAY Sports.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caleb Wilson breaks hand, out indefinitely for UNC basketball

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies released outfielder Nick Castellanos on Thursday after the team was unable to make a deal to trade him. Castellanos then revealed he was benched last season after bringing beer into the dugout during a game.

The team wanted the situation resolved before its first full-squad workout at spring training, which is Monday.

Castellanos was benched last season after he made what Phillies manager Rob Thomson described as “ an inappropriate comment ” after he was pulled for a defensive replacement. Castellanos said in September that communication with Thomson had been “ questionable, at least in my experience.”

On Thursday, Castellanos posted a hand-written note on social media explaining an incident in Miami that preceded his benching. He said he brought beer into the dugout after being taken out of a game and complained to Thomson about team rules. He said teammates took the beer away before he drank any.

Afterward, he went into the office with Thomson and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.

“We aired out our differences and the conversation ended with me apologizing for letting my emotions get the best of me,” Castellanos said, adding that he was benched the next game as punishment.

Castellanos, who turns 34 on March 4, hit .250 with 17 homers and 72 RBIs in 147 games for the NL East champions last year. He was going into the final season of a $100 million, five-year contract, but Dombrowski said Monday the Phillies were talking to other teams about him.

Adolis García is expected to replace Castellanos in right field after he signed a $10 million, one-year contract with Philadelphia in December.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

That didn’t take long. Less than 24 hours after the Spurs waived forward Jeremy Sochan, ESPN’s Shams Charania is reporting he to sign with one of many potential suitors: the New York Knicks. The Knicks were the main team listed as a potential trade partner for Sochan before the trade deadline, but talks reportedly stalled because the Spurs did not want to give up any draft picks or take on Guerschon Yabusele’s player option for next season. Now, with cleared cap space, the Knicks get him without giving up anything, and the Spurs keep all their draft capital and still have clean books for this summer.

Free agent forward Jeremy Sochan plans to sign with the New York Knicks after he clears waivers, his agent Deirunas Visockas of Gersh Sports tells ESPN. Sochan had 10 interested suitors after being released from the Spurs on Wednesday and landed on the Knicks as his new team. pic.twitter.com/F2dVt3ivEx

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 12, 2026

It was a sad ending to what started as a great relationship between draft pick and city. Sochan immediately became a fan favorite with his funny personality, silly antics, and hardnosed style of play on the court, especially on defense. He stayed consistent through his first three season despite battling injuries and playing out of positions, but he fell out of the rotation this season as other players’ strengths (especially on offense) became bigger assets than his defense while the team improved overall.

The breakup kind of reminds of Malik Rose back in 2005. He was a beloved fan favorite, but the Spurs needed more size at center to compete with bigger teams for a championship, and he was traded for Nazr Mohammed. Fans hated it and even booed Gregg Popovich at the next game, but it was the right move in the long term and was soon forgiven as they went on to win the championship that year. I know fans are similarly upset with Mitch Johnson for how things turned out, but sometimes you just have to make basketball decisions, even if they aren’t the most popular ones.

To this day, Rose is still beloved in San Antonio and frequents the city and team events often, and maybe someday that will be the case with Sochan as well. On his way out, he sent a message to Spurs fans on social media:

To the city of San Antonio… When I was drafted, I didn’t realize how quickly this would feel like home. I’ve moved around a lot throughout my life, and this is the longest I’ve been in the same place since I was 15 years old. Through the ups and downs, I learned a lot, kept… pic.twitter.com/DfToSiSqxn

— Jeremy Sochan (@JeremySochan) February 12, 2026

To the city of San Antonio… When I was drafted, I didn’t realize how quickly this would feel like home. I’ve moved around a lot throughout my life, and this is the longest I’ve been in the same place since I was 15 years old. Through the ups and downs, I learned a lot, kept growing, and always stayed true to myself. This community and the fans embraced me from day one! It’s bigger than basketball and I’m forever grateful. I’ll always have love for San Antonio! Everything happens for a reason & time will tell…

Now I’m sad all over again. Thank you for everything, Jeremy. It took almost no time to endear yourself to the city of San Antonio and Spurs fans. And for one last time, as the old saying goes: Once a Spur, always a Spur. Good luck wherever your career takes you.

Send in your questions now for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your question to the comments section here or on X/Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @blakesilverman.

Join us live on Saturday afternoon for the show where we’ll recap this week’s games as we head into the All-Star break. Forty whole wins before the break, how are we feeling? What did you make of the suspensions to Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren? Too harsh or just right? What are you looking for from Cade Cunningham and Duren during All-Star festivities?

Plus, The Pindown has a phone line where you can leave a message and hear your voice on the show. Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message around 45 seconds or less so we can fit everyone into the show.

The podcast will be uploaded to all audio platforms the following morning.

The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast Vitals:

When: Saturday February 14 at 2 p.m. ET

Where: Detroit Bad Boys YouTube Channel

How to submit questions:

• Detroit Bad Boys Website: Comment section of the weekly Pindown episode articles.
• Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message to 45 seconds or less.
• Twitter: @detroitbadboys, @blakesilverman or @therealwesd3
• YouTube: Chat section of The Pindown live recording — Subscribe here

As always, leave any questions or topics you want to be discussed in the comment section below.

This week was a mixed bag for the Lakers.

On the plus side, they won a pair of games and got Austin Reaves back. On the negative side, they lost to the top two teams in the West, Luka Dončić got hurt and LeBron James said they weren’t a championship team.

Add it all up, and you get a 2-2 week and a team that needs some rest and time away from the game before the most important stretch of the season.

Luckily, the Lakers have the All-Star break coming up. Hopefully, they use it to reset and get healthy so they can finish the season strong.

5 things I liked and didn’t like

1. Failing the test

The Lakers competed hard against the Thunder, but still lost 119-110. It was a harsh reminder that even when they are playing hard, they don’t measure up to the cream of the crop in the NBA.As mentioned before, LeBron put it bluntly after the game, saying that OKC was a championship team and LA is not.

Lebron on the Thunder:

"You want me to compare us to them? That's a championship team right there we're not. We can't sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes and they can. That's why they won a championship" 👀 pic.twitter.com/j59NF4uAcS

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 10, 2026

With 53 games played, the Lakers are as good as their record states. At 32-21, the Lakers are not a great team and dreams of a championship this season are just that.

2. Luka’s injury

It may be up for debate how good the Lakers can be this season, but the one thing that’s clear is they need Luka healthy to maximize their chances of success.

Which is why Luka injuring his hamstring against the Sixers was such a bummer. He’s now missed four straight games, and it is very much up in the air whether he plays at the All-Star Game.

If he keeps missing games, it could also make him ineligible for All-NBA and other NBA awards. After being ruled out against the Mavs, Luka can only miss five more games the rest of this season.

It would be a shame if Luka loses his All-NBA spot due to a few injuries, but those are the rules, at least for now.

3. Luke Kennard is here

Despite what Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka tries to tell you, the Lakers weren’t aggressive during the trade deadline. However, they did get better.

LA traded for Luke Kennard, and he is exactly what the Lakers needed: a player who can consistently knock down shots from deep.

In his first shift in purple and gold, he wasted no time showing off his jumper.

First shot. First bucket.

Welcome to the Lakers, Luke Kennard! pic.twitter.com/R05QwqndKY

— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2026

Kennard ended the game with 10 points, going 4-7 from the field and knocking down a pair of threes. LA went on to beat Golden State and will continue to benefit from Kennard’s ability to make 49% of his 3-point attempts.

The trade to acquire Kennard may not rock the NBA world, but it was an improvement on the margins that in no way jeopardizes their future. So, while the move might be sexy, it sure was sensible and the Lakers are a better team for it.

4. Austin Reaves is back

Reaves missed 19 games due to a calf strain, but he returned this week, and boy was he missed. He’s been on a minutes restriction and has come off the bench, but was marvelous against the Sixers.

It was a vintage Reaves performance featuring jaw-dropping 3-pointers, incredible playmaking near the rim and some gaudy production mixed in with his unmistakable charm.

Reaves scored 35 points in the win and reminded everyone just how good he is.

5. Lakers still need a center

When the Lakers signed Deandre Ayton, the thought was that they got the center they needed, upgrading from Jaxson Hayes. Well, Ayton might be better, but he’s not good enough.

He is averaging 13.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists, which are all career lows. Recently, it’s become commonplace for him to sit out during the fourth quarter of games, and with injuries keeping him out of contests, it’s not looking like he is the long-term fix for the five spot in LA.

Ayton will have to do for now, but another change will be necessary in the summer.

Stat of the Week

This week’s stat is 30, the number of assists LeBron had across the Lakers’ three games this week.

As the season has progressed, LeBron has gotten better. An aspect of his game that’s been much sharper is his passing. This is also the first time LeBron has been LA’s assist leader for three consecutive games since early April of last year.

Luka, as the team’s primary ballhandler, will often be dominant in this category, but James still has the vision and basketball IQ to put his teammates in advantageous scenarios. And this week, no Lakers were moving the ball better.

Play of the Week

Not all threes are created equal. The one Reaves hit in the fourth against the Sixers was sensational.

The play started with LeBron driving to the paint. As James got near the rim, Joel Embiid helped, and Trendon Watford dropped down to cover Jarred Vanderbilt, freeing up Maxi Kleber.

LeBron saw this and kicked it to Maxi, but so did VJ Edgecombe as he rotated out to the wing, forcing a pass to Austin. The problem was that Reaves had just one second to get his shot off and was closer to the logo than the 3-point line.

Luckily, none of that made a difference, as he knocked down the deep three to give LA the lead.

The Sixers played solid defense, but Reaves was just too good for it to matter.

Player of the Week

Even coming off the bench, Reaves was the best player for LA. He averaged 22.3 points and shot 40% from three as he returned from injury.

His best game occurred against the Sixers where he scored 35 points in just 25 minutes.

After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick joked that he would keep Reaves’ playing time down if it meant he’d perform this well.

Once Reaves starts, the Lakers will be able to field the best lineup possible, and his career year can pick up where it left off in December when he was fully healthy.

Stories of the Week

“Inside the ugly split between Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors” – ESPN

I prefer the basketball far more than the drama that comes with it, but even I must admit I can’t look away from something as spicy as the Jonathan Kuminga-Warriors saga. Was Kuminga good enough to warrant all this attention? No. But was it entertaining to hear just how bad the breakup in Golden State was? Absolutely.

He knew management wanted to ding him for missing a team-requested event and alert him that someone around him was taking too much food from the family room. The gripes between player and organization, as multiple sources said, had become “petty” in the fifth year of a relationship many believed should’ve ended years before.

Kerr never had much success reaching Kuminga on a deeper level, typically one of his coaching superpowers. He’d given him handwritten notes, sent long text messages, tried to connect. But Kuminga rarely reciprocated. Kuminga normally responded dispassionately and sporadically.

“NBA Hall of Famers. A Splash Father. Inside the single 3-pointer club” – The Athletic

Klay Thompson and Mychal Thompson are one of the great father-son NBA duos in NBA history. In this feature, we learn more about them and how a father who never shot threes raised one who is among the best to ever do it.

In a brief interview, Klay told The Athletic it was his dad who taught him how to shoot. Whether he was young and too small to shoot from over his head, or as he matured into a teenager and young adult, Klay was taught to start his workouts under the basket and gradually step back, keeping his elbows in with each shot.

Mychal, meanwhile, insists his son learned all on his own. Klay came to be such a great shooter, and he is unarguably in the rarest of company when it comes to knocking down 3s.

But Klay’s dad is also in exclusive company among NBA players.

Representing one of the greatest ironies in league history, Mychal Thompson, father of one of the greatest 3-point shooters ever, is one of a handful of players to have played at least one full NBA season and made only one 3 since the league instituted the 3-point line in October 1979.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.