Category: NBA

Notable reactions to Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych being banned from the Milan Cortina Games because of his insistence on wearing a helmet that pays tribute to athletes and coaches killed in the war with Russia:

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“No one, no one — especially me — is disagreeing with the messaging. The messaging is a powerful message. It’s a message of remembrance. It’s a message of memory and no one is disagreeing with that. The challenge that we are facing is that we wanted to ask or come up with a solution for just the field of play.” — International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry.

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“I thank our athlete for his clear stance. His helmet, bearing the portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes, is about honor and remembrance. It is a reminder to the whole world of what Russian aggression is and the cost of fighting for independence. And in this, no rule has been broken.” — Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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"I want to believe that the reason is that she really felt sorry as an athlete, as a former athlete, and that she really wants me to compete. But we have what we have and we’ll see what is next.” — Heraskevych, on his meeting with Coventry.

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“I think I'm just left with a real sense of sadness, and real surprise." — 2014 and 2018 women's skeleton Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold, speaking on the BBC.

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“He trained wearing a helmet bearing the faces of Ukrainian athletes and friends killed by Russia. He wanted to remind the world that this war continues. That it has names. Faces. Stories. He was excluded from the Olympics. Excluded by the same Olympic Committee that allowed 20 Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral flag.” — Katarina Mathernova, European Union Ambassador to Ukraine, on Instagram.

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“The IOC has banned not the Ukrainian athlete, but its own reputation. Future generations will recall this as a moment of shame.” — Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

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“It’s just a shame that he’s missed out on a chance of being able to compete at an Olympics, which is very sad.” — Olympic men's skeleton leader Matt Weston of Britain.

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“The International Olympic Committee destroyed our dreams. It's not fair.” — Mykhailo Heraskevych, the slider’s coach and father.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — A big upset in men's moguls at the Milan Cortina Olympics was decided by a razor-thin margin. Hardly a margin at all, really.

Unheralded Australian freestyle skier Cooper Woods snatched the gold medal away from the sport's most decorated skier, Mikael Kingsbury of Canada, after both scored 83.71 points in Thursday's final. The tiebreaker in moguls is the “turns” score, a mark judges base on how cleanly the skiers moved their way through the bumps.

Turns make up 60% of a moguls score — with the two jumps and a racer's speed counting for 20% each. In this case, turns meant everything. Woods won that element 48.40 to 47.70.

That's how the Olympic gold ended up in the hands of the 25-year-old Woods, who had managed one podium finish in 51 World Cup events, and silver ended up with Kingsbury, who last month became the first moguls skier to amass 100 wins on the sport's top circuit.

This is Kingsbury's third Olympic silver medal, adding to second-place finishes in 2014 and 2022. He broke through for gold in at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

Woods wept with joy after as he realized his achievement of beating the moguls GOAT while Aussie fans cheered in the stands, with one holding up an inflatable wallaby.

Ikuma Horishima of Japan repeated as the bronze medalist from four years ago.

On Wednesday, Americans took gold and silver in women's moguls.

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

I don't love it, I just don't MIND it. I only mind if you mess with the game once it starts. They're bad, they wanted to be bad, they rested guys, they got killed. I don't enjoy it but I don't find it to be THROWING a game. https://t.co/a5QvFHvcCN

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) February 12, 2026

That was the sort of outrage posted to social media after the Jazz…*checks notes*…won their second game in a row over three matches? No, of course not the lineup — or concept of one — the Sacramento Kings threw into the fire in Utah’s 121-93 victory last night in the Delta Center. But there’s still one more test for the Jazz to experiment with their vile ways on, as the divisional rival Portland Trail Blazers are in town. They find themselves in a pickle with a 26-29 record without a head coach, replaced by interim coach Tiago Splitter. Man, just yesterday, he was hitting hook shots over Chris Bosh in the Finals. However, they remain undefeated over the Jazz in the regular season, winning their last two matches against this squad. But because of peer pressure from basketball minds such as Bobby Marks, the Jazz have been forced back to their winning ways; at least three quarters of competitive basketball is what you can expect to receive due to the league’s intervention to make sure the Jazz aren’t disgracefully resting their good players. Despicable. Vile. Unethical. Anyways, the Pacers just played a lineup of two-way players and guys on 10-day contracts.

But with both teams coming off a back-to-back one game before the All-Star break, who knows what atrocities you can expect to see on the injury report? Or maybe there won’t be any casualties at all, considering the Jazz are one of the only teams without a single participant during All-Star Weekend in LA. Sadly, no Ace Bailey in Rising Stars, no Cody Williams in the Dunk Contest, or Lauri Markkanen in the main event, because Brandon Ingram was allowed to replace the injured Steph Curry, for reasons that can only be explained by Adam Silver.

You can expect Keyonte George to be out throughout the break due to his lingering ankle issues. I saw a full quarter of the newly established big three, and that was enough excitement to keep me patient until 2027. But even without him, the Jazz have created a revolution. The finger-pointing shall be no more: since Jackson Jr.’s debut, the Jazz have posted the third-best defensive rating in the NBA at 101.6. In context, they’re the worst-rated defensive team all season, with a 120.9 rating. That’s…wow. I need a moment to sit down. I’m a proud parent watching my kid put the square-shaped object into the square hole. I watched them get taken out by the mighty Hornets, getting 150 points getting dropped on their dome, and now I bear witness to them putting a halt to the unstoppable Kings as they score a measly 93.

Okay, maybe the Magic, Heat, and Kings are not top-tier offensive juggernauts. But neither is Portland: they hold the 22nd-best offense and the 19th-best defensive rating. They’re one of those teams trying to cash in, despite one of the most brutal Western Conference skill gaps in existence. There is the idea that a strong, lengthy lineup they pose will be able to outrebound and outwork you, ranking second in the league in offensive rebound percentage at 34.5%. They score 18.4 second-chance points a game due to these opportunities. I love rooting for underdogs like ourselves, but I don’t believe they can escape unscathed and make a deep playoff run in the West. As a mid-level team, scrapping for the playoffs? You have my support, dear friend.

They struggle to find their identity without newly found superstar Deni Avdija — a driving specialist who draws some of the most fouls in the NBA. He attempts around 9.4 free throws in a game, hitting them at an 80.2% clip. Defenses often have to collapse on him, but how will he fare when facing Jaren Jackson Jr. for two and a half quarters? The Jazz can now proudly limit his rim-finishes, making him more reliant on facilitating and perimeter shooting. His assist numbers might rise, but scoring efficiency drops.

Utah will probably want to tug on the reins a little bit. Under no circumstances would anyone want to gift OKC a free lottery pick. The Jazz could probably still circumvent the media’s thunderstorm of anti-tank extremism; they just have to, y’know, not mess with DraftKing’s—I mean, the NBA’s glorious integrity.

Injury Report

Jazz:

OUT – Keyonte George (right ankle sprain), Walker Kessler (left shoulder surgery)

Trail Blazers:

QUESTIONABLE – Shaedon Sharpe (left calf soreness), Kris Murray (lumbar strain)

OUT – Matisse Thybulle (left thumb UCL tear), Damian Lillard (torn achilles)

How to watch:

Who: Utah Jazz (18-27) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (26-29)

When: February 12th, 7:00PM Mountain Time

Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City

Channel: Jazz+, KJZZ

Radio: 97.5/1280 The Zone

Payton Pritchard spent the first 48 games as the Celtics starting point guard.

Pritchard had never been a full-time starter, starting just 17 of 347 career games entering this season. He finally had the opportunity this season until the Celtics traded Anfernee Simons to the Bulls.

The trade left the Celtics without a guard off of the bench who could create a shot for himself or others consistently, so head coach Joe Mazzulla gave the defending Sixth Man of the Year his old job back.

Since that point, Pritchard has been awesome, scoring 20 points in 4 of the 5 games. He has also played over 30 minutes in all of those games and he looks ultra confident in the familiar role. Boston needed a punch in that 2nd unit with Simons gone and Payton is the best option to play that role. He has averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game in the 5 games since moving to the bench.

There could be for a number of reasons Payton has been great. He could be comfort in the role. He has been a reserve his whole career and maybe he was struggling to figure out how to fit in with the starters. Although, that would be strange because he plays with those guys a lot anyways.

It could be more opportunity. When he comes into the game for the first time, one of Derrick White or Jaylen Brown is typically headed to the bench. He enters the game and the Celtics give him the ball to create offense.

pic.twitter.com/qRJohmBLEf

— #LetsGoCeltics (@gobosceltics) February 12, 2026

He gets the switch onto a bad defender in Norman Powell and goes to work, drilling the step back three.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t doing this stuff as a starter; he was doing it less. He had not been getting to his spots as confidently as he has since the move to the bench. He has also made his threes, making almost 40% of his threes in the last 5 games.

pic.twitter.com/ERyzTmyjD3

— #LetsGoCeltics (@gobosceltics) February 12, 2026

Josh Okogie goes to switch the screen as Amen Thompson sticks on Neemias Queta so he doesn’t get a free roll to the rim. That leaves no one on Pritchard and he makes them pay.

“I can start, I can come off the bench, it don’t matter,” he said after the Celtics win against the Mavericks on February 3rd. “Just what the team needs, being killer in my role. That’s what it takes.”

Pritchard was awesome again in the Celtics dominant win over the Bulls on Wednesday night, scoring 26 points with 8 assists and 5 rebounds off of the bench. He played confident all night and hit shots.

pic.twitter.com/IcmyDgLyAx

— #LetsGoCeltics (@gobosceltics) February 12, 2026

He really liked the matchup against Nick Richards, attacking it a lot as the Bulls kept giving him the switch.

pic.twitter.com/KAsc0co0YD

— #LetsGoCeltics (@gobosceltics) February 12, 2026

Just get the matchup you like and go to work. He loves that step-back where he takes two steps back to create the space. This short mid-range shot has been money all year for Payton.

Whether it is confidence, opportunity or his shot luck has improved, Payton Pritchard has been great since moving back to the bench. If the Celtics are going to accomplish their goals, they’ll need Pritchard to play like this.

The 2026 NBA Draft lottery was always going to have half the league sitting on pins and needles. This has been considered a stacked draft class for years as top prospects A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Darryn Peterson tore up the high school ranks. The group at the top looks even stronger now with breakouts from Caleb Wilson and Kingston Flemings, and the trade deadline made the stakes of the lottery even higher.

There are 10 teams trying to tank for better lottery odds to end this season. The Utah Jazz are resting their best players in the fourth quarter to try to lose games, the Washington Wizards won’t even play healthy players, and teams like the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks feel like they’re pivoting to a rebuild after years of doing their best to compete. The trade deadline put even more pressure on the lottery. The Los Angeles Clippers can now pick as high as No. 5 overall after trading Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers will be praying their pick lands in the top-4 so they can keep it.

There’s big movement from our previous 2026 NBA mock draft, which featured a deeper dive into the individual prospects. Our last mock was more based off my personal board, but now that I’ve shared my board, let’s change the thought process for this mock and try to guess what NBA teams would actually do in each spot. I did one spin of the lottery order via Tankathon for this mock draft, and the results were shocking. Let’s dive in.

1. Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans) – A.J. Dybantsa, F, BYU

I have Cameron Boozer at No. 1 and Dybantsa at No. 3 on my big board, but the NBA likely won’t see it the same way. While I have concerns about Dybantsa’s defensive instincts and limited three-point volume, there’s no doubt he’s still a monster scoring prospect with a ridiculous blend of length, strength, explosion, and flexibility. He can put pressure on the rim at will as a driver, and he’s shown awesome touch in close by making 76 percent of his shots at the rim. Dybantsa also already has a polished back-to-the-basket game that should work well in high leverage situations, and he’s a capable floor spacer by hitting 37.2 percent of his threes, mostly on open catch-and-shoots. Dybantsa has some things to clean up like any young player, but he’s going to score like crazy with good efficiency in the NBA for a long time. He’s a cleaner fit next to Jalen Johnson than Boozer, and his body of work this season has been more impressive than Peterson, who has been slowed down by injuries.

2. Milwaukee Bucks – Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas

Milwaukee was the big winner of our lottery simulation, and this is a league-changing outcome. Suddenly, Giannis Antetokounmpo would have a bright future with the Bucks as they land a guard with All-NBA upside in Peterson. The Kansas freshman has underwhelmed expectations as he’s battled a hamstring strain and cramping issues, but he’s been putting up huge scoring numbers (43.5 points per 100 possessions on 62 percent true shooting). We still haven’t seen the best of Peterson yet with the Jayhawks, but his shot-making has already been phenomenal and his rim pressure and defensive playmaking should be a lot better when he’s 100 percent physically.

3. Brooklyn Nets – Cameron Boozer, F, Duke

The Nets really need to land a top-4 pick because they owe swap rights to the Houston Rockets in 2027. Boozer is the best prospect in this class in my eyes for his offensive versatility and long track record of impacting winning. Boozer is an awesome shooter, driver, and playmaker for his size at 6’9, 250 pounds. He’s not the most explosive or fluid athlete, but he makes up for it with strength, outstanding feel for the game, and a constantly increasing skill level. He’s been the most productive of the ‘big three’ prospects this year while also being the youngest, turning 19 years old shortly after draft day. It’s easy to take Boozer’s greatness for granted because he’s been so steady for so long, but he’s going to be a franchise cornerstone for whatever team selects him, regardless of draft slot.

4. Chicago Bulls – Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina

The Bulls were the other big winner of our lottery simulation, moving up from the No. 10 slot to cash in on a 13.9 percent chance to land a top-4 pick. This is a great draft to land the No. 4 pick in with two of Wilson, Boozer, and Houston point guard Kingston Flemings likely available. Wilson could push Dybantsa out of the No. 3 spot on my personal board soon with his non-stop motor and two-way upside as a 6’10 forward. The Tar Heels freshman is a buzzsaw defender who can pick up 94-feet, provide secondary-rim protection, and get into the passing lanes. He doesn’t have a reliable three-point stroke yet, but he’s still an impactful offensive player by dunking everything as a finisher, gaining extra possessions on the glass, hitting tough mid-range shots, and adding value as a passer. Wilson feels more like a star role player than a traditional star, but he’d be a fantastic addition to Chicago’s rebuild and would finally give the fanbase some real hope.

5. Sacramento Kings – Kingston Flemings, G, Houston

It’s going to be particularly important to finish with the worst overall record for the tanking teams this year because it means you’re guaranteed a top-5 pick. While it’s a bummer for Sacramento to fall this far, at least they still land an awesome point guard prospect in Flemings who can replace a lot of what they lost by trading De’Aaron Fox. Flemings has a wicked combination of burst, change-of-direction, and the ability to stomp on the brakes as a driver. He’s a really good playmaker and mid-range shooter, and he should increase his free throw rate and three-point volume in time. He’s the rare lead guard prospect who should be a plus defensively. Getting a prospect of Flemings’ caliber at the No. 5 pick is one reason why this is such a strong draft.

6. Los Angeles Clippers (via Pacers) – Mikel Brown Jr., G, Louisville

Mikel Brown Jr.'s historic night as heard on the Louisville Sports Radio Network.

His 45 points and 10 3s against NC State tie two single-game program records. Brown also broke the ACC single-game freshman scoring record.

📻🎙️@paulnrogers1@espnVshowpic.twitter.com/JXCobk7wAF

— Louisville Sports Network (@CardsRadio) February 10, 2026

The Pacers fell out of the top-4 in this lottery simulation, and that means their pick goes to the Clippers for the Ivica Zubac trade at the deadline. I tweeted that Brown was due for some positive regression to the mean as a shooter a couple weeks ago, and then he went out and made 10-of-16 threes in a win over NC State earlier this week. His combination of pull-up shooting, better-than-expected rim attacking, and solid playmaking with good positional size at 6’5 separates him from the other prospects in this range in my eyes, and if he stays on fire to end the year, maybe he can push Flemings for the No. 5 spot on my board. Yes, the Clippers just acquired a really good 26-year-old point guard in Darius Garland, but they can’t afford to draft for fit with a pick this high. Brown looks like the best prospect on the board by a sizable margin.

7. Washington Wizards – Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois

Wagler has been the biggest riser of the draft class, going from the No. 150 overall recruit to a possible top-10 pick. His off-the-dribble shooting is the most enticing part of the package, but he’s also shown an impressive ability to create off the bounce without an assist. Wagler has not dunked the ball this season, and is pretty clearly limited in terms of his athletic explosion, and it impacts him on the defensive end, too. At the same time, if he keeps shooting and scoring like this, it will be hard for the league to pass on him in the top-10. I’m fascinated to see if he can maintain his momentum through the end of the season for a stacked Illinois team talented enough to make a Final Four run.

8. Utah Jazz – Nate Ament, F, Tennessee

Ament is killing it lately after a slow start, averaging 25.4 points and seven rebounds over his last five games on 50 percent shooting from three and 45.2 percent shooting on twos. I’m still worried that he settles too much, and struggles to get to and finish at the rim. Adding more strength and refining his dribble, pass, and shoot skill set should improve that over time. The tools that made him a top-5 recruit entering the year are still there as a 6’10 wing, and I’d bet on it being too tempting to pass up for teams in this range.

9. Dallas Mavericks – Hannes Steinbach, F/C, Washington

Steinbach is an elite rebounder with a specialty on the offensive glass, he’s an efficient scorer, and he catches everything thrown at him. It feels like Steinbach has a wide range, but the added increase on hitting the offensive glass around the league should ultimately benefit him. He would be a nice lob target for Cooper Flagg as the rookie star continues to improve his pick-and-roll playmaking, and he’d also help get Flagg extra possessions with tip-outs and putbacks on the glass. His three-point shot is a work in progress and opinions on his defense are all over the map, but Steinbach has some special gifts as he continues to develop in other areas.

10. Memphis Grizzlies – Jayden Quaintance, C/F, Kentucky

It sure seems like Quaintance returned too early from his torn ACL suffered late last season at Arizona State. He didn’t look like the same player in his four games back before shutting it down, and that makes him in the top-10 a super risky bet. Still, I’ve been high on Quaintance’s future dating back to his high school days, and I don’t want to hold these four games against him after such a serious injury. When he was at Arizona State as a 17-year-old last year, Quaintance looked like an elite defensive big man prospect. The Grizzlies seem like the type of franchise that might take a chance on him despite already having Zach Edey entrenched at center.

11. Charlotte Hornets – Yaxel Lendeborg, F, Michigan

Lendeborg will be 24 years old when his rookie year starts, but he should still have appeal in the lottery with both the tools and skill set to be a modern NBA forward. At 6’9, 235 pounds with a 7’4 wingspan, Lendeborg has shown he can defend all over the floor, crush the glass, and stroke three-pointers during his winding college career. His development track has been unusual because he didn’t start playing organized basketball until he was 15 years old, so his age shouldn’t be held against him too much. He feels like the perfect frontcourt connector to finish off Charlotte’s young core.

12. San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks) – Patrick Ngongba, C, Duke

I usually give the Spurs a shooter in this spot, and in the comments their fans always start complaining when they see “guard” next to their name. Fine! San Antonio gets one of my favorite prospects in Patrick Ngongba in this version, a 6’11 big man with immaculate finishing touch, slick passing ability, and proven paint protection instincts. Ngongba would have more appeal if he was a dominant rebounder, but I still think he’s worth a lottery pick.

13. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers) – Brayden Burries, G, Arizona

After a slow start, Burries has been looking like the five-star combo guard Arizona was promised on the recruiting trail, averaging 21.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and three assists on 64.3 eFG% over his last five games. Burries is really old for a freshman (he’ll be 21 in Sept.), but his ability to act as a secondary handler with three-level scoring ability will be intriguing after the top-10. He’s one of the biggest risers in this class since the start of the season, and he makes sense for an OKC team that could still use more long-term shooting and scoring punch.

14. Portland Trail Blazers – Braylon Mullins, G, UConn

Portland is No. 29 in three-point percentage this season, and Mullins can immediately help out in that area. The 6’6 UConn freshman might be the best off-ball shooter in the class with a quick and pure stroke from deep, and a decent enough combination of frame and athleticism to have some impact in other areas. I wish he could do more off the bounce, but at this point it feels like we haven’t seen the best version of him yet after an early season ankle injury and then a concussion. There’s still time with March Madness approaching.

15. Miami Heat – Koa Peat, F, Arizona

Peat can’t shoot from the outside at all, but he’s immediately been a winning role player on an elite veteran team from the moment he stepped on campus. His powerful frame, playmaking, and play-finishing is an enticing combo if his shot can develop enough to not completely kill a team’s spacing.

16. Golden State Warriors – Cameron Carr, G, Baylor

Carr’s 7’2 wingspan and 41 percent three-point stroke will earn him plenty of fans in NBA front offices. He’s painfully skinny right now and I’m not sold on his ability to attack off the dribble or his defense, but his production has been outstanding, and it’s very hard to find wing shooters with this type of length.

17. Memphis Grizzlies – Bennett Stirtz, G, Iowa

Stirtz is a pick-and-roll master who plays at his own pace. He can shoot it off the dribble, score with crafty finishes around the rim, and throw every pass in the halfcourt based on the coverage he’s seeing. His defense will be picked apart in the predraft process, but he checks a lot of boxes for a lead guard. He feels like a Grizzlies type of prospect to me.

18. Oklahoma City Thunder – Chris Cenac Jr., C/F, Houston

Cenac shoots such an easy ball from deep for someone with his tools pic.twitter.com/YWT4UUh0la

— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) February 8, 2026

Cenac is a potential stretch five as a 6’10 big man with a 7’4 wingspan with soft touch from deep. He slides his feet well defensively on the perimeter, but still needs to work on his instincts and feel for the game on both ends of the floor. He’s been coming on strong in conference play, and the fact that he committed to play for a notoriously hard-charging coach in Kelvin Sampson seems like a good signal about his makeup to me.

19. Charlotte Hornets (via Suns) – Darius Acuff, G, Arkansas

Acuff has been one of the most productive guards in college basketball this year as he’s continued to put up huge numbers against top competition. I’m a bit worried about his defensive projection and shot selection, but his production this year would be hard to ignore if he slips this far. Would the Hornets still take another guard after trading for Coby White (an impending free agent, to be fair) at the deadline? I think so, given White’s ability to play off the ball.

20. Toronto Raptors – Aday Mara, C, Michigan

The Raptors desperately need a center of the future with Jakob Poeltl being slowed down by a back injury. Mara is a good bet in this range as a 7’3 center who can contest shots in drop coverage and throw some amazing outlet passes to kickstart the break.

21. Detroit Pistons (via Wolves) – Tyler Tanner, G, Vanderbilt

The Pistons got this pick with a sneaky-good trade deadline deal that earned them swap rights with the Wolves. Detroit could go in a lot of different directions here, but I like the idea of adding a lightning-quick point guard in Tanner who has been one of the country’s best players in his sophomore season. Tanner is extremely small (he’s generously listed at 6-foot, 175 pounds by Vandy), but he’s super athletic, much improved as a shooter, and plays way more physical than someone his size should. The Pistons have the defensive personnel to help insulate him, and he could do a lot to help unclog their offense.

22. Los Angeles Lakers – Morez Johnson, F, Michigan

Johnson can protect the paint defensively, score efficiently inside, and is just starting to flesh out his three-point stroke. He would add some much needed physicality to the Lakers front court, and he has the length and strength to make up for being a tad short at 6’9.

23. Atlanta Hawks (via Cavs) – Thomas Haugh, F, Florida

Haugh should be a winning role player in the league with his combination of defense, floor spacing, and above-the-rim finishing. Don’t want to take my word for it? Here’s what Dan Hurley said:

Dan Hurley on Thomas Haugh: "He's one of my favorite players in recent memory…. That guy’s like a first-team All-American. He should be a lottery pick. He’s tremendous" pic.twitter.com/9WTHgSKnWO

— Christian Odjakjian (@OdjHoops) December 10, 2025

24. Denver Nuggets – Dailyn Swain, F, Texas

Swain is one of the top sleepers in this class. The Texas junior has a great frame and impressive athleticism for a wing, and he should be able to defend and rebound in the league from day one. He’s shown way more comfort attacking off the dribble this year, and his three-point shot gets a tad better every season even if it remains a weakness. He’s going to be a steal for whoever drafts him, and he’d be a great fit in Denver.

25. New York Knicks – Labaron Philon, G, Alabama

There’s so many good guards in this draft class that a couple of them with a chance to go in the lottery are bound to fall a little further than they should. I love Philon’s drive-and-kick ability, deadly floater, and improved outside shooting, but he’s just really small for an NBA guard without Tanner’s defensive production. He would love playing like OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges behind him … if those guys are still on the Knicks next season.

26. Philadelphia 76ers – Karim Lopez, F, New Zealand Breakers

The Sixers acquired this pick from the Pelicans in the Jared McCain trade, which mostly felt like a cost-cutting move for Philly, so they better make this selection count. Philly has been searching for a modern four for years, and it feels like Lopez fits the bill. He has a great frame as a strong 6’9 forward who can attack downhill, finish at the rim, and get to the foul line. He may go 10 spots higher than this.

27. Boston Celtics – Tounde Yessoufou, G, Baylor

Yessoufou was a five-star freshman who projects as a point-of-attack defender at the next level. His offense hasn’t always been pretty during his freshman year, but he’s coming on strong lately. It feels like he has to be a really good shooter to make it work in the NBA given his lack of handling and playmaking. I’m not sold on the shot yet, but he could get an acceptable level eventually given his defensive abilities.

28. Cleveland Cavaliers – Joshua Jefferson, F, Iowa State

Jefferson is one of the best players in college basketball, and he’s shown he has role player potential even as a star during his senior season at Iowa State. He has a good frame for an NBA forward, and his passing, rebounding, and defense should all play at the next level.

29. Minnesota Timberwolves – Alijah Arenas, G, USC

Arenas is getting a late start to his freshman season after being involved in a terrifying car accident, but he’s really starting to play well as he gets his feet wet as a freshman at USC. The son of Gilbert Arenas just seems to get anywhere he wants off the dribble with impressive size and shot-making for a guard. He could be a lottery pick in 2027 if he returns to school and shines for a full season, but there’s still a chance he comes out this year.

30. Dallas Mavericks – Meleek Thomas, G, Arkansas

Thomas is a walking bucket with speed, shiftiness, and impressive shooting off the dribble or on spot-ups. He feels primed to be a really good bench scorer for a long time, and that’s a great value with the last pick in the first round, which the Mavericks acquired from the Wizards in the Anthony Davis trade.

Kansas State basketball fans wore brown paper bags over their heads at Wednesday's game versus Cincinnati, though it may have been the players who wanted to hide after coach Jerome Tang's postgame tirade.

Tang ripped his team following the Wildcats' 91-62 home loss to Cincinnati — a third straight home loss by 24 or more points and fifth straight loss overall.

"This was embarrassing," Tang said. "These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform, and there will be very few of them in it next year. I'm embarrassed for the university, I'm embarrassed for our fans, and our student section. It's just ridiculous.

"We have practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow. I have no answers or no words. Y'all got two questions, so whoever wants to ask two questions, I'll answer 'em to the best of my ability right now. But right now, I'm pissed."

Bracketology: March Madness projection has new No. 1 seed

The Wildcats (10-14, 1-10 Big 12) allowed 16 Cincinnati 3-pointers, second-most ever by a K-State opponent. The team's lack of effort was highlighted by a failed block out on a missed free throw allowing a Bearcats player get the rebound and dunk.

About 20 Kansas State students wore paper bags over their heads with messages pleading for someone to pay Tang's $18.6 million buyout. Fans booed the Wildcats during a first-half timeout when they were down by 22 at the under-eight timeout.

"These dudes have to have some pride, man," Tang said. "It means something to wear a K-State uniform. It means something to put on this purple, man. Our university's all about that, and it's why I love this place, man. They don't love this place, so they don't deserve to be here."

The next question was about the paper bags and the booing.

"I'd wear a paper bag, too, if I was them," Tang said as he got up and walked away.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang rips players after Cincinnati loss

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Italy's Federica Brignone completes comeback, claims gold in women's Olympic super-G.

The kids lined up on the basketball court at the National Basketball Players Assn. facility last week, groups on two sides with smiles on their faces, all of them patiently extending their arms as they waited for their guest to arrive.

When Lakers center Deandre Ayton peered through the glass and saw those kids, he smiled and shook his head before entering the gym. He slowly walked down the line by each kid, doing his best to slap every hand or to at least make eye contact with them.

This was a basketball clinic Ayton and his Ayton Family Foundation had been inspired to do in partnership with the NBPA, an event that the Jamaican and Bahamian Consulates aided by sending about 50 kids to participate in on-court activities and a dinner on behalf of Ayton and his family.

“It fills me, for real, just seeing their smiles,” Ayton said. “And me being out there. You saw me going at it against one of them. He’s about 6-4 and he tried to get at me. I’m like, ‘Whoa … Whoa. Bro. I got to keep these legs strong.’ In about 10 years, they are going to be knocking me over. They are ready and I’m loving it and they're so hip to the game and they know the terminology so I just loved it, man.”

Some of those kids got to see Ayton playing center for the Lakers against the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 3 at Barclays Center.

They saw Ayton at his efficient best, shooting three for five from the field for seven points to go along with eight rebounds and three assists.

On the Lakers recent eight-game trip, Ayton seemingly made every shot. He was six-for-six shooting with 13 points against the New York Knicks and 12-for-14 shooting with 28 points against the Washington Wizards.

Shooting a high percentage has been the essence of Ayton’s season — he is making 67.5% of his shots, the second-best mark in the NBA. He’s averaging 13.2 points and 8.5 rebounds.

So, sharing his wisdom with the kids about the game of basketball was cathartic for Ayton.

“Just having guys in my position visiting these camps, they don’t know how much they are doing for them, just to be in their presence and in their environment. Just giving a kid a high-five, you could feel the power and the energy of how excited they are,” Ayton said. “They are on you like white on rice, watching your every move, wanting to know what you say, and it’s just so inspiring because I was just like that.

“There were guys that came and visited the camps when I was growing up in the Bahamas and just being inspired by them and wanting to know who are they and why they are so good to make it look so easy. It’s nothing to me to come back here and do it. That’s just who I am. I want to let them know that they can do it as well and however they grew up, everybody can move on from that and be motivated, self-motivated as well.”

The Lakers spent four days in New York while playing the Knicks and Nets. Ayton could have been doing anything he wanted in the city during two days off.

Yet, he chose to use some of his free time to help run a camp for youths, some of whom probably can’t afford to attend one.

“I ain’t going to lie. It’s just I don’t have a reason why I’m doing it,” he said. “It’s just something that I wanted to do. I found that it was the time and the right time as well to be in New York City and just how the culture is out here as well. So, they know how the Jamaican, Caribbean people are. I don’t know. Just having the NBPA behind me and the headquarters being here. I think it was just the right spot, to be honest.”

Chris Jean, the NBPA associate vice president for Elite Youth & Basketball Activation, encourages all their members to give back to the community.

“It just highlights who he is as a player and as a person,” Jean said about Ayton. “He’s doing a lot of great things in Jamaica and the Bahamas and in his community like that. So, it just makes us all feel better and easier to support him.”

Ayton won the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for November 2025, recognized for his philanthropic efforts in providing hurricane relief in Jamaica and supporting youth in L.A.

Ayton said his mom, Andrea Ayton, is the backbone of his family and that she was always doing community work and helping others in the Bahamas.

His efforts are an extension of his mother.

“Yeah, mom started all that, that giving stuff, that just feeding the village, being that leader by action,” Ayton said. “I would say her love language was caring and feeding tummies, whether you’re hungry or not, it didn’t matter. It’s just her basically showing her love and it got to this point to where we’re doing more than that. We’re on a platform and a position where we’re so blessed. We can help people financially as well.”

Before Ayton started the drills with the kids at the clinic, dignitaries from the Jamaican and Bahamian Consulates presented Ayton with a proclamation, thanking him for his generosity and kindness.

It made his day that more emotional.

“I was stretching in the hallway and stuff like that when I saw the executives and meeting them, I said, ‘Yo, this is bigger than I thought. This just not no camp,’‘’ Ayton said. “And then this speech and I was just like, ‘Yo, I feel so special.’

"It was a moment I’m not going to forget as well, everybody just thanking me. It was a lot. It was overwhelming. I’m not going to lie. That was an overwhelming moment that I’m going to truly embrace.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

On Tuesday night in Los Angeles, Victor Wembanyama had a 40-point game against a depleted Lakers.

25 of those points came in the first quarter giving Wemby the third highest scoring quarter in Spurs history behind George Gervin (33 points in 1978) and David Robinson (28 in 1994).

Highest scoring quarters in Spurs history:

1. George Gervin – 33 in 2nd (4/9/78)
2. David Robinson – 28 in 4th (4/24/94)
3. Victor Wembanyama – 25 in 1st tonight

— Jordan Howenstine (@AirlessJordan) February 11, 2026

37 of Wemby’s 40 came in the first half. He wrapped up the 40 with a single three-pointer in the 3rd quarter. Overall he closed out his night in 26 minutes and 6 seconds.

Per @stathead, since 1976-77, only Sleepy Floyd and Patrick Ewing have scored at least 40 points in less than 27 minutes. Victor Wembanyama did it tonight in 26:06.

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) February 11, 2026

This was Victor’s sixth 40-point game, pushing him past Tim Duncan. Let that resonate for a minute. Wemby has more 40-point games in just over 150 games than Big Fundamental had over his 19 year career.

Victor Wembanyama now has more 40-point games than Tim Duncan.

Most 40+ point games in Spurs history:

1. George Gervin – 67
2. David Robinson – 22
3. Mike Mitchell – 10
4. Victor Wembanyama – 6
4. Manu Ginobili – 6
6. Tim Duncan – 5
6. LaMarcus Aldridge – 5

— Jordan Howenstine (@AirlessJordan) February 11, 2026

The sky is the limit with Victor Wembnyama. And with a supporting cast consisting of the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week Stephon Castle (see 40-point triple-double) as well as NBA 6th Man hopeful Keldon Johnson, and the inaugural NBA Clutch Player of the Year De’Aaron Fox, the Spurs are having quite a season.

Brian Windhorst said it best, “We don’t put ceilings on Victor Wembanyama. If you say to me ‘Can Victor Wembanyama do X?’ my answer almost always is going to be ‘yes.’”

Go Wemby Go!

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Wednesday night in Phoenix felt like the Suns walked into the game with a fourth-and-13 mindset. No debate about going for it. No drawing anything crazy up on the board. Special teams trots out, hike the ball, punt, move on.

And honestly, I cannot say I blame them.

As I wrote yesterday, this team has reached the part of the season where the priority is getting to the All-Star break. Is that the correct mentality? That is debatable. When you are hovering on the fringe between the Play-in and the postseason, every game carries weight, especially when you have dropped a few recently. This felt like a chance, at least in theory, to make something up in the standings.

But theory runs into reality pretty fast.

You were still playing the best team in the Western Conference. Even without their (and the league’s) MVP, Oklahoma City showed exactly why they are one of the toughest outs in the league. They are deep. They do a lot of what the Suns want to do, but they do it better. They are more aggressive. More disruptive. More relentless.

I have used this analogy before, and it still works. If the Suns are Mario, Oklahoma City is Mario after he gets the mushroom.

Now layer that on top of another reality. Your two highest-paid players are coming off lower-body injuries. Why risk it here? If there is a team that can absolutely put you back in harm’s way, it is OKC. The pressure they apply. The constant movement. The physical strain they force on every possession. And yes, Lu Dort is part of that equation, and yes, I still cannot stand him. Former Sun Devil or not, I want to root for those guys, and somehow I never do. Harden included.

So let them sit in street clothes. Let them bank another day of rest. You do not play again until next Thursday. I am not upset about the result at all.

There are still things to take from the game and some coachable moments. Oklahoma City’s back cutting was an issue. That shows up on film. But that film is also for the guys who do not usually get heavy minutes. You use it to reinforce habits. You use it to clarify roles. You use it to fortify who you are.

Then you get to the break. You focus on health. And you lock in on the final 26 games. That is where the season actually gets decided.

Bright Side Baller Season Standings

Booker and Oso led the way relative to voting, but ultimately, it was the calming effect Booker had in Q4 against the Mavs that garnered him his 13th Bright Side Baller of the season.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 55 against the Thunder. Here are your nominees:

Dillon Brooks
23 points (9-of-19, 1-of-5 3PT), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, -27 +/-

Jordan Goodwin
12 points (5-of-10, 2-of-5 3PT), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, -32 +/-

Royce O’Neale
12 points (4-of-11, 4-of-11 3PT), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, -24 +/-

Jamaree Bouyea
11 points (4-of-12, 1-of-2 3PT), 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 turnover, -12 +/-

Rasheer Fleming
8 points (3-of-7, 2-of-5 3PT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, +12 +/-

Oso Ighodaro
8 points (4-of-4), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, -14 +/-

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…and the vote goes to…

BOSTON — Last Thursday, when the Celtics returned from Houston after a two-game road trip, the Celtics’ coaching staff didn’t go home from the airport.

Instead, they headed straight to the Auerbach Center, where Nikola Vucevic, the team’s newest addition, awaited them.

Vucevic had been traded to Boston two days earlier, and immediately dove into watching film and acclimating to a brand-new team.

It was a lot of new faces and concepts to take in, but the 35-year-old’s transition was made easier by the presence of one assistant coach: Amile Jefferson.

In 2018, Jefferson and Vucevic were teammates on the Orlando Magic for two seasons. During that span, Jefferson was a young two-way player fresh out of Duke, and Vucevic was an All-Star. The two became good friends.

Eight years later, Jefferson is in his third year as an assistant coach on the Celtics, and Vucevic is the latest acquisition on a Celtics team that hopes to contend for a championship.

So, after a lengthy walk-through with all of the Celtics coaches on Thursday, Vucevic and Jefferson spent the evening together.

The next day, Vucevic was introduced as a Celtic for the very first time, and made his debut just hours later.

“When they came back, he and I went to dinner so I could ask him more questions, just about Celtics in general, how they like to do things, the expectations, things like that, the players, the coaching staff,” Vucevic said. “So I got a little better feel for everything. That helped me a lot.”

Vucevic appreciated that the coaches immediately prioritized getting him up to speed, not wasting a moment after they got back from Texas, and meeting with him right at the practice facility.

“As a player, that means a lot,” Vucevic said. “It shows they really care. They really want you to get involved. Because it’s not easy after a couple-day trip, everybody wants to go home, be with their families, but they came to make sure I can get up to speed as quick as possible. Everybody’s really trying to make my life much easier with the transition.”

Joe Mazzulla has already praised Vucevic for his on-court acclimation, and the progress is undeniable. The Celtics’ big man tallied 19 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes in a blowout win against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night

But, the off-court acclimation matters too. And, Jefferson has played a critical role in that process.

“It was really helpful to have a familiar face and somebody I can talk to about other things, not just the X’s and O’s of the game and the coverages and all that,” Vucevic said.

“The relationship we had before as friends just kind of translated. It’s pretty easy: we have respect for each other.”

Now, Vucevic will enjoy a nearly week-long break that he hopes aids his transition to Boston. As he gets to know everyone else, he’s grateful to have a familiar face in his corner.

“That helped a lot, made me a little more comfortable,” Vucevic said. “But they’ve all been really helpful.”

After a terrific rookie season with the Philadelphia 76ers which was unfortunately cut short by a knee injury, former Blue Devil Jared McCain had another issue this season with a hand injury. And since Philly’s backcourt is pretty solid, they decided to trade the promising second-year player to Oklahoma City…and that might have been shortsighted.

In his first two games, McCain got 7 points and 3 rebounds against the L.A. Clippers and in his second, against Phoenix, he got 12 points and 4 boards. Here are some highlights from the outing against the Suns.

He’s always been a smart player with a beautiful jumper and with teammates like Chet Holmgren, Jalyn Williams and Shea Gilgeous-Alexander, and he could have a long, prosperous run in OKC.

Incidentally, Phoenix now has three former Blue Devils: Grayson Allen, Mark Williams and Khaman Malauch.

Allen didn’t play as he has an apparent knee injury. Fortunately, it doesn’t look too serious.

Williams and Maluach both got 6 points while Williams got a single board and Maluach got 6.

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1. Vucevic Revenge Game

Nikola Vucevic did not have to wait long for a Revenge Game against the Chicago Bulls. In his third game with the Celtics, Vucevic dropped his second double-double of his Boston career finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks on 7-12 shooting from the field and 4-5 from three.

On offense, Vucevic was able to show off his range in this game, primarily on the catch and shoot. Chicago would send two defenders to Payton Pritchard when Boston would run the pick and roll. This led Vucevic wide open from three and he was able to knock them down from both the top of the three point line and even from the corner. This makes me excited for the future of the Celtics offense when Jayson Tatum comes back and with lineups that can space the floor from every position.

2. 6MOTY Payton Pritchard

The best version of Payton Pritchard in my mind is when he is coming off the bench and playing freely. This is what he was able to do against the Bulls, finishing with 26 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals on 11-18 shooting from the field and 3-8 from three. There’s no chance he qualifies, but Pritchard is the best 6th Man in the league and the lineups they run with him and Vucevic coming in the game first have looked good.

The first half is primarily where we saw Pritchard have the biggest impact on this game. In the first quarter, Pritchard had 10 points on 4-5 shooting. When he checked into the game, he made an immediate impact on the Celtics offense with his ability to get into the paint and shoot it from deep. Pritchard was able to make some highlight reel plays in this quarter, including his patented buzzer beater on a tough midrange jumper.

The second quarter saw more aggression in the midrange game when it came to his offense. He was able to get inside and attack Nick Richards on defense, finishing with some impressive touch.

3. Jaylen Brown Made It Look Easy

It’s getting hard to come up with new ways to talk about how great Jaylen Brown has been this season. In this game he made light work of the Chicago Bulls, finishing with 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 9-20 shooting. With the Bulls lack of real defenders, Brown was able to bully them all night long on the offensive end and he didn’t even have to be the number one scoring option.

A lot of Brown’s scoring came in the first half where he finished with 18 of his 24 points. The best part about his performance tonight is the way he was able to beat Chicago’s defense. Patrick Williams was his primary defender to begin the game and Brown shot over him like it was an open gym. Jaden Ivey tried his best the rest of the first half but Brown was able to use his physicality to any spot he wanted on the court and finish with relative ease.

4. Sam Hauser Return

It is so nice to have Sam Hauser back on this Celtics team. Coming into this game Boston was 29th in scoring offense (103.6 PPG) and shot 29% from three point range in their last 4 games. Hauser being out for 3 out of the 4 games was a huge loss and it showed tonight when he finished with 12 points on 4-7 shooting from three.

Hauser’s ability to catch and shoot wide open threes is just another level to any other player on this team. When he is hitting his shots like tonight, Boston can blow out teams in a hurry. All of his threes in this game came on the catch and shoot whether it was in the motion of the offense or on the fast break. He single handedly made the Celtics offense more dynamic and I would credit his return to being a contributor to the Celtics shooting 40% from three in this game.

5. Jordan Walsh Energy on Both Ends

The most surprising performance of the night for me had to be the incredible game that Jordan Walsh had. Walsh finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks on 7-12 shooting. This game showed flashes to his play earlier in the season where he was in the Celtics starting lineup.

Walsh’s defense was huge in this game as the Bulls were already struggling to defend the Celtics on the other end, then they had to deal with Jordan hounding them. Walsh was disrupting the passing lanes and even got old friend Anfernee Simons on a steal. The blocks showed his quick instincts on defense and his ability to recover when he is a step behind on a drive or second chance opportunity.

On the offensive end, Walsh was putting on a dunk contest of his own this close to All-Star Weekend. Outside of one three, Walsh did a lot of his work in this paint when it came to getting his buckets. He was able to finish some nice layups at the rim but he showed aggression with his dunking ability. Walsh had 4 dunks in this game where he was able to finish on put-backs or create plays on his own.

6. Derrick White Passing

Since becoming the primary point guard for the Celtics, Derrick White’s playmaking ability has been on full display. In his last five games since Payton Pritchard moved to the bench, White is averaging 6.8 assists a night including 9 assists in this matchup. This has been huge for the Celtics because White can still be a contributor on offense even without scoring the ball. This chart shows the assist network of who got all of White’s assists. He was able to spread the wealth around to everyone and created 23 points with his passing alone.

Almost all of Derrick White’s assists came on catch and shoot threes outside of a fey ball handw passes to Neemias Queta under the basket and a cross court heave to Baylor Scheierman for a layup. I really think White being the primary ball handler for this team is huge. It takes pressure off of him as a scorer and it allows Pritchard to cook with the second unit.

7. First Half Dominance

The Boston Celtics absolutely dominated the Chicago Bulls in this game and game was basically over at halftime. This was due to the Celtics red hot shooting in the first half that got them out to some huge runs. In the first quarter, the Celtics shot 14-26 (54%) from the field and 6-11 (55%) from three, outscoring Chicago 36-17. They got out to an 11-2 run midway through the quarter but it got even better once the second quarter came.

Boston shot an insane 14-22 (64%) from the field and 4-8 (50%) from three. This was a part of a bigger run for the Celtics, as from the 2:26 mark of the first quarter to the 5:50 mark of the second quarter, Boston rattled off a 35-10 scoring run. This blew the game wide open and Boston was able to rattle off another small 12-3 run at the end of the second quarter. Boston outscored Chicago 36-17 in the quarter and went into the half up 72-44.

8. Incredible Ball Movement

The Celtics finished with 29 assists on the night and Boston was able to show off a ton of impressive team basketball. My favorite assist of the night came on a play at the 3:41 mark of the second quarter. It started with Vucevic finding Jordan Walsh cutting to the basket. Walsh then found Hugo Gonzalez in the corner who swung it to Derrick White, who threw it back to Vucevic for three.

The Celtics showed more of their ball movement in the third quarter when they were able to use their ball movement around the perimeter to get Baylor Scheierman a wide open three in the corner.

Finally, I wanted to highlight Vucevic’s passing because its something that I am still surprised about. With time running low on the shot clock, Ron Harper Jr threw a grenade to Vucevic to try and make something happen. Luckily, he found Walsh cutting to the basket and he was able to finish it with a slam.

9. Future of the double big lineups

With Sam Hauser out of the lineup, Joe Mazzulla was running a double big lineup with Luka Garza and Neemias Queta. On Sunday, the Celtics replaced Garza with Baylor Scheierman while tonight with Hauser returning, the Celtics had him and Scheierman in the starting lineup against the Bulls. With the addition of Vucevic, it made me wonder if Mazzulla would think about running it in the future. I asked him in the postgame press conference and he started out by saying “The only thing we know is that we don’t know anything.” He went on to say “we just have to be ready to adjust to our opponents and what gives us the best chance to win…we have versatility and the ability to play a bunch of different ways and whatever gives us the best chance to win.”

The full question and answer clip on the future of double big lineups:

(Via @CLNSMedia) https://t.co/69c4xlgk55pic.twitter.com/UIVaSUBboi

— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) February 12, 2026

The double big lineup of Garza and Queta looked a little clunky when it was out there but it could look different with Vucevic replacing Garza. It would depend on the matchup for sure, but in these instances having the spacing of Vucevic on offense with Queta on defense, could be a deadly combination.

10. I Feel Bad For Anfernee Simons

Watching the Celtics dominate the Bulls in this game made me feel really bad for the situation Anfernee Simons has found himself in. For years, he was on a tanking Portland Trail Blazers team that had no direction and was just otld to go out there and hoop. Then at the start of this season he gets traded to the Celtics and gets to experience a winning organization for the first time. He is in a smaller role, but he is thriving as a sixth man and looks to be finding comfort on Boston. All is well until he is traded to the Chicago Bulls for Nikola Vucevic and he has found himself on another tanking team in the same situation that he was in when he was on the Trail Blazers.

I hope as a free agent this year Simons can find his way on to a good organization. He is a guy with structure around him, can be a solid contributor to a good team. His defense might not be the best but he He played okay in his first game back in Boston but Chicago was getting destroyed. There is a chance he could sign back with the Celtics in the offseason. He said in an interview at shoot around that he enjoyed his time in Boston could see himself returning here “for sure down the line.” I would not be opposed to that. Either way, I’m wishing nothing but the best for Simons moving forward in his NBA career.

Anfernee Simons told me he was starting to see a future for himself in BOS: "You wanted to see the light at the end of the tunnel … but obviously it's the NBA. They traded for a great player."

He could see himself returning: "For sure down the line. I enjoyed my time here." pic.twitter.com/I2Eza3Oh0f

— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) February 11, 2026

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t play with their food. They quickly asserted control of Wednesday’s game against the Washington Wizards and led wire-to-wire before settling for a 138-113 victory.

Cavs fans embraced James Harden in his debut. Some of the loudest cheers of the night were reserved for his pregame introduction and anytime he did something on the court. The giveaway stick-beards helped add to the atmosphere as well.

“[There was a] different buzz tonight,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I felt it when I walked into the arena. This is a superstar league. … It’s great for Cleveland. It’s great for this market, these fans. They had LeBron over here for a long time. This is another, in that category of superstar, which is really cool for everybody.”

Harden also enjoyed his first home game in Cleveland.

“The crowd is always crazy,” Harden said about playing in front of the home fans for the first time as a Cavalier.

“I come here as a visitor, they’re crazy. They’re about the Cavs, and the land, and very loyal. They show up every single night. It’s one of the things that I was most excited about. So tonight was no different.”

Harden is here to win a championship. At this point in his career, competing for a title and being in a good financial position are what matter most.

“We all know why I’m here,” Harden said. “It’s one goal, and we all have that in common. So whether I score, take four shots, or take 20 shots. If we win the game, who cares?”

It’s difficult to draw too many conclusions from a game against an awful, tanking Wizards team, but the Cavs are considerably closer to that goal now than they were a little over a week ago.

Harden’s fit on the court remains seamless. Any team with Harden is naturally going to play more deliberately in the half-court. He plays at his own pace, but often to the benefit of his teammates.

This led to 11 assists while providing 13 points on just four shot attempts. Harden’s ability to put stuff on the table without taking anything off it is exactly what you want when you add a superstar to an already established contender.

Donovan Mitchell has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of this. The playmaking burden isn’t on him anymore. This allows his focus to return to what he does best: scoring.

For the third game in a row, Mitchell reached the 30-point plateau with Harden on the floor. He’s also taking more shot attempts in games with Harden than he has compared to his season-long average. Right now, there isn’t any struggle with who should be the primary scorer.

As we’ve seen in the two previous games, Harden’s presence makes life considerably easier for Mitchell.

“He’s manipulating the game,” Mitchell said of Harden. “He’s being able to put guys in positions. And then for me, to just be who I am. Attack, get downhill, still create, still playmake, but still be myself.”

The biggest fear when adding another high-usage player is that it might take away from what the other does best. Even guys who turned out to be phenomenal teammates, like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade with the Miami Heat, needed nearly a year together to figure out how to coexist. Even more natural partnerships like James and Kyrie Irving’s needed time to develop.

This duo has been the exception to the general rule so far.

The gravity Harden creates just makes everyone better.

“There’s a play in Denver where he’s isoing and Sam is in the right wing, and he just throws it to him because everyone’s pulled over,” Mitchell said.

“Now if that’s me over there, like what do you do?” Mitchell asked. “[Harden’s gravity] gives me time to go sit in the corner and watch him operate, and then defenses have to respect me. Now, everything is open to everybody else.”

Mitchell has played with great teammates before, but nobody else demands as much attention as Harden. This is a completely new dynamic for Mitchell, and he’s taking advantage of it so far.

These two plays are examples of that. Mitchell is going to get easy baskets like this when the defense either has to consistently stay with Harden or has to come to him when he has the ball.

Mitchell has also given Harden the space to do what he does best. Even though Harden only had four field-goal attempts against Washington, he was able to completely play his game, his way. He acted as the play initiator for most of the evening and had the second-highest usage on the team.

“Don is unselfish,” Harden said. “Even last game in Denver, the last couple minutes of the game, he just gave me the ball, let me facilitate, and do what I do. So, you don’t really get that from superstars in this league. And so that right there gave me the open welcome. … We both have the same freedom.”

There will undoubtedly be friction at some point, but so far, the fit couldn’t be better. Both have been able to play their game, and the team has benefited from that.

Finding the balance between Kenny Atkinson’s movement offense and Harden’s stagnant, isolation system is a work in progress. Atkinson has repeatedly insisted that he’s going to fit the attack around what Harden does best, but many of the Cavaliers are best used in a motion-based offense. Sam Merrill is one of those players.

Harden assisted on six of Merrill’s 11 field goals. Some of those were simply from Harden drawing two to the ball and hitting the wide-open Merrill. Others were from incorporating some movement offense around a stagnant Harden. The latter is what’s interesting.

The Cavs got clean looks for a moving Merrill twice with Harden posted up on the elbow. The first was for a three when Merrill came around an Allen screen. The second was from using a screen to dive back inside for a layup.

Atkinson’s offense will need to evolve to fit around Harden, but there’s ways to do that without disrupting what Harden does best. These are examples of how you can try to create a hybrid of both.

Not the burry the lede, but Merrill put up a career-high 32 points. He was on fire and couldn’t miss for long stretches of the game. He finished 9-10 from three and 11-12 from the field overall.

There’s nothing opponents can do to stop Merrill when he gets it going like he did on Wednesday. And playing with an additional star in Harden, who requires the defense to keep track of, is going to give Merrill more room to operate.

Jarrett Allen continued his run of good play. He went 8-8 from the field en route to a 21-point performance.

The addition of Harden has made life easier for Allen. He’s getting many more clean looks per game because of it. However, this impressive run goes back to before the trade. Allen has leveled up his game since Evan Mobley’s injury.

Now, we come back to this question: How do you get this version of Allen when Mobley returns?

If the Cavs had an easy answer, we would’ve likely seen it years ago. But there is one thing that they can do better.

“From my perspective, we have to get him involved more,” Atkinson said. “[I’m] just thinking maybe [we] didn’t focus enough on how important it is for him to touch the ball, to be involved. We ran an ATO (after timeout play) for him. I think it was the first one of the year today, first play of the game. I got to do that more. That seems like the formula. And of course, we’ll separate him and Evan (their minutes), but he’s got to be more involved. Touch the ball more.

There’s also concerns about how Harden — who has traditionally played with optimal spacing — would adjust to playing with two bigs.

But no matter how that looks, one thing is clear: Allen needs to be more involved. This version of Allen is playing at an All-Star level and elevates the entire team. He’s too skilled to be relegated to the glorified role player he’s been for the majority of this season.