Category: NBA

After missing all of training camp and the first dozen games of the season following offseason knee surgery, Paul George is expected to make his return to the court Monday night when the 76ers host the Clippers.

George is officially listed as questionable, however, he is expected to take the court, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. George has been working out on the court for a month and looked good in post-practice work, according to reports, but the 76ers were cautious with the return of the 35-year-old.

George played 41 games in his first season with Philadelphia, largely due to a knee issue, which is why he underwent arthroscopic surgery this past summer. Last season, the six-time All-NBA player averaged 16.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game when he did play. However, the season before, in Los Angeles, he was an All-Star, averaging 22.6 points per game and shooting 41.3% from 3-point range.

While George is set to return, the 76ers are listing Joel Embiid, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Adem Bona as out. The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal (out for the season), and Derrick Jones Jr. against the 76ers.

For the first time all season, there is a new favorite for MVP! Nikola Jokic has overtaken Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after scoring 32, 35, 55, and 27 points over his last four games. However, Jokic isn't my No. 1 for MVP.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

Vaughn Dalzell‘s Week 5 MVP Rankings

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (+225)

Points Per Game: 32.6 (3rd)
Assists Per Game: 6.6 (16th)
Rebounds Per Game: 5.1 RPG (T-92nd)

Despite not being the favorite at DraftKings, I still rank Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the top dog in the MVP race. SGA has played 30 or fewer minutes in four of his last five games and seven of the past nine games. Despite playing fewer minutes due to blowing out opponents, SGA has scored 30 or more points in eight of those nine games.

Oklahoma City has the best record in the NBA at 13-1 with a two-point loss as the only blemish. The Thunder are on their second five-game winning streak and play three consecutive opponents that are below .500, so I think there is some value on SGA at +225 to win MVP. His odds will likely go below +200 over the next week and when Jalen Williams comes back, Oklahoma City and SGA can be even better.

2. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (+200)

Points Per Game: 28.7 (7th)
Rebounds Per Game: 13.0 (1st)
Assists Per Game: 10.9 (1st)

The newest odds leader is on fire in November. Nikola Jokic has torn through the last seven opponents for a 7-0 record as he's averaged 34.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 11.0 assists, and 33.7 minutes per game. Jokic lit up the scoreboard for 55 points in a win over the Clippers, which vaulted Jokic into the top spot for MVP odds.

In November, Jokic is shooting 71.4% from the field, 54.5% from three, and 88% from the free-throw line. In October, Jokic was hitting 59.1% of his field goal attempts, 23.8% of his threes, and 86.4% of his free-throws. Clearly, Jokic has found his shooting form and while the triple-doubles have slowed up (3 in last 10 games), he is dominating on every level.

3. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (+400)

Points Per Game: 34.4 (1st)
Assists Per Game: 8.9 (19th)
Rebounds Per Game: 8.9 (5th)

Luka Doncic is coming off another monster night of 41 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists against the Bucks (119-95 win). The Lakers are 10-4 and won eight of the past 10 games as one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Doncic leads the NBA in scoring at 34.4 points per game, along with top 15 ranks in rebounds (8.9) and assists (8.9).

Doncic has six double-doubles and one triple-double of the season over the second-most minutes per game oh his career (37.1). If Doncic can exceed his career-high minutes pee game of 37.5, there is an avenue to MVP, especially if he leads the league in scoring.

4. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs (+750)

Points Per Game: 26.2 (14th)
Rebounds Per Game: 12.9 (2nd)
Blocks Per Game: 3.6 (1st)

Victor Wembanyama moves back up a spot for me after erupting for 38, 31, and 26 points over the last three games. In that span, Wemby recorded two double-doubles, and one triple-double to extend his double-double streak to four games.

Wemby posted a 31-point triple-double with 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a loss to the Warriors. That was his first triple-double of the season and his ninth double-double on the year as the Spurs fell to 9-4 with two consecutive losses to the Warriors. Five of the Spurs next six opponents have winning records, so San Antonio will be put to the test since six of their nine wins have come against teams .500 or below.

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (+900)

Points Per Game: 32.6 (2nd)
Rebounds Per Game: 11.3 (6th)
Assists Per Game: 7.1 (13th)

The Giannis Antetokounmpo MVP chatter has started to cool off a bit as his odds have decreased each of the past two weeks, but that's because Milwaukee is 5-5 over the last 10 games. After a 4-1 start, the Bucks have alternated wins and losses over the past 10 games, failing to put together a winning streak or losing streak in that span.

At 8-6, there is no need for urgency, but with the next opponents on the schedule all likely playoff or play-in teams: Cleveland, Philadelphia, Detroit, Portland, Miami, and New York — that time to panic may come sooner than later for the Bucks.

Stock Up

Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets (+8000)

Points Per Game: 23.0 (23rd)
Rebounds Per Game: 10.3 (9th)
Assists Per Game: 7.4 (12th)

Last week it was Cade Cunningham (+3500) who was the biggest riser, the week prior was Tyrese Maxey (+5000) — this week it is Alperen Sengun.

Cunningham and Maxey still have the same odds, while Sengun moved from +15000 to +8000, nearly cutting his odds in half. Sengun has double-doubled in four consecutive games and seven out of the past eight to go along with 20 or more points in six of those games.

The Rockets are 9-1 in the past 10 games, and that is likely the largest reason to why Sengun's odds are on the move. Another would just be his stellar play putting up baby-Jokic numbers of 23.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.4 assists, ranking top 25 across the board. Sengun is playing over five more minutes per game this season and it's resulting in his assists jumping from 4.9 to 7.4 and points from 19.1 to 23.0 over 12 games.

Stock Down

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (+10000)

Points Per Game: 27.3
Rebounds Per Game: 4.6
Assists Per Game: 3.7

Anthony Edwards came back and played six games for Minnesota posting a 4-2 record. Yet, his odds moved from +8000 to +10000 mostly because the four wins came against Utah and Sacramento — two teams combined for 8-19 record.

The two losses came against the Nuggets and Knicks, and he combined for 41 points in those games, so I agree with the movement. In wins this season, Edwards averages 33.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, but in losses, his points drastically drop to 24.0 points, while posting similar assists (5.3) and rebounding (4.7) numbers. Minnesota will need more consistency from Edwards night in and night out if they want to be a top-four seed and if he wants MVP votes.

Follow my plays for the season on X @VmoneySports, Instagram @VmoneySports_ and Action App @vaughndalzell.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (9-5) and Milwaukee Bucks (8-6) meet on Peacock at 7 PM ET for a battle between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland won the first meeting at home, 118-113, and will look to repeat that success once again at Rocket Arena. After winning four straight games and reaching a 7-3 record, Cleveland has gone 2-2 in the past four games.

The Cavaliers are in the third game of a six-game home stand, while Milwaukee is playing a sandwich spot contest coming off two straight at home and has three more at home following this contest.

Milwaukee has exceeded expectations at 8-6 behind the MVP play of Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the Bucks have struggled by alternating wins and losses over the last 10 games, failing to put together a winning streak or losing streak.

Let’s dive into tonight’s matchup and find a potential sweat or two! We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff. Odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

After 24 years, the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock, combining the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel delivers fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content.

Game Details and How to watch the Bucks vs. Cavaliers live

• Date: Monday, November 17, 2025
• Time: 7 PM EST
• Site: Rocket Arena
• City: Cleveland, OH
• Network/Streaming: Peacock

Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Game odds for the Bucks at the Cavaliers

The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:

• Moneyline: Cavaliers (-298), Bucks (+240)
• Spread: Cavaliers -7.5
• Total: 235.5

That gives the Cavaliers an implied team point total of 121.5 and the Bucks 113.5.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

Expected Starting Lineups for the Bucks and the Cavaliers

Bucks

PG Ryan Rollins

SG AJ Green

SF Kyle Kuzma

PF Giannis Antetokounmpo

C Myles Turner

Cavaliers

PG Donovan Mitchell

SG Sam Merrill

SF Deandre Hunter

PF Evan Mobley

C Jarrett Allen

Injuries for the Bucks and the Cavaliers

Bucks

F Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) is PROBABLE for Monday's game

Cavaliers

G Darius Garland (toe) is OUT for Monday's matchup
G Jaylon Tyson (concussion) is OUT for Monday's matchup

Important stats, trends and insights ahead of Bucks at Cavaliers on Monday.

• Milwaukee is 7-7 ATS and 4-2 ATS as an underdog
• Milwaukee is 2-1 ATS as a road underdog and 1-2 on the ML
• The Bucks are 4-2 to the Over as a underdog and 2-1 to the Under as a road underdog
• The Bucks are 8-6 to the Over overall
• The Cavaliers are 8-6 to the Over overall
• The Cavaliers are 7-6 to the Over as a favorite and 4-3 to the Under as a home favorite
• Cleveland is 4-10 ATS, ranking tied third-worst
• Cleveland is 1-6 ATS as a home favorite, ranking sixth-worst
  

Rotoworld Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Bucks to cover and Donovan Mitchell to go Over his points prop:

“Milwaukee covered the first meeting of the season between the two teams, but Cleveland won 118-113. This time, the spread is 7.5 in favor of Cleveland and without Darius Garland, there may be some value there. Milwaukee has exceeded expectations as Giannis Antetokounmpo has played like an MVP, while Cleveland may still be rated as a top-five team in the NBA, but playing like a 8-12 rated squad. I would lean Bucks in picking a side here.

Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points in the first meeting going Under his player prop and with Garland out again for this meeting, I would lean the Over this time around. Mitchell has been on fire averaging over 32 points per game in November and scored 28 or more points in four straight games and six out of seven this month."

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Bucks & Cavaliers game:

• Moneyline: Cavaliers ML (low confidence)
• Spread: Cavaliers -7.5 (medium confidence)
• Total: Under 235.5 (low confidence)

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)

- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)

- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)

- Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

The Milwaukee Bucks go head-to-head with the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight on Peacock. Live coverage begins at 6:30 PM. See below for additional information on how to watch tonight's Bucks vs Cavaliers game and follow all of the NBA action on NBC and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.

Tonight's game marks the second of four regular-season meetings between the two teams. Cleveland won the last match-up 118-113 on October 26.

Click here to sign up for Peacock!

RELATED:Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire - Derik Queen a must-add with new role

Milwaukee Bucks:

The Bucks are coming off a 119-95 loss to the Lakers on Saturday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for Milwaukee with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. The two-time MVP has scored at least 30 points in nine of his twelve games played this season. With 32.6 points per game, he is currently second in the league in scoring behind Luka Doncic.

AJ Green added 15 points and 3 rebounds, while Gary Trent Jr. chipped in 13 off the bench on Saturday.

Cleveland Cavaliers:

The Cavaliers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 108-100 on Saturday. Donovan Mitchell came up big in the win, scoring 30 points — 14 of them came in the fourth quarter. He also had five rebounds and five assists. The six-time All-Star guard is on pace for the best season of his career; he's averaging 30.4 points per game while shooting 49.8% from the field.

Evan Mobley also had a strong performance in Saturday's win, finishing with 22 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 4 assists. He is also on pace for career highs in scoring (19.2 ppg), assists (4.2 apg), and steals (1.3 spg).

Milwaukee and Cleveland have been two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference over the last four seasons. Cleveland remains the favorite to win the Eastern Conference, while the Bucks are an outside contender in the East.

How to watch Milwaukee Bucks vs Cleveland Cavaliers:

• When: Tonight, Monday, November 17
• Where: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
• Time: 7:00 PM ET
• Live Stream:Peacock

How to watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock:

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.

Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

How to sign up for Peacock:

Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you’re in the mood for.

NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule

Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.

What devices does Peacock support?

You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.

Another week of NBA action is in the books, and just like that, we’re heading into Week 5 of the 2025-26 campaign. Detroit continues to separate from the pack, Oklahoma City sits atop a competitive Western Conference, and things have gone from bad to worse in Dallas, Sacramento and Indiana.

New and lingering injuries, overlooked options and strong performances have given us another group of worthwhile pickups heading into Week 5, including seven first or second-year players and a pair of guys featured in last week’s column.

→ Watch the NBA on Peacock on Monday night, as the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Cavaliers in Cleveland. The action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET!

Week 5 Fantasy Basketball Schedule Primer: Will LeBron James be available?

LeBron, Zion Williamson and Josh Giddey are among the players whose availabilities and team schedules will impact fantasy basketball in Week 5.

• Raphielle Johnson,

Priority Adds

1. Derik Queen
2. Reed Sheppard
3. Kon Knueppel
4. Dillon Brooks
5. Tristan da Silva
6. Jaden McDaniels
7. Ajay Mitchell
8. Ace Bailey
9. Andre Drummond
10. Zach Edey
11. Bogdan Bogdanovic
12. Tim Hardaway Jr.

Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves (47 percent rostered)

McDaniels is shockingly available in 53% of Yahoo! leagues, but that will surely change soon. The Wolves’ two-way glue guy is averaging career highs in points, assists, blocks, three-pointers, FG% and FT% this season. Over his last 10 games, he’s averaging 19.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.1 blocks and 1.8 triples with ridiculous 60/60/90 shooting splits. His efficiency and scoring may slow down, but he’s attempting a career-high 12.6 shots while logging nearly 32 minutes per game, and his defensive contributions have been stellar.

Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets (44 percent rostered)

Knueppel was the featured pickup in last week’s Waiver Wire column, and he paid off for fantasy managers who added him. In four Week 4 appearances, the rookie averaged 18.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.8 triples. The highlight of the week was his 32-point eruption in Friday’s OT loss to the Bucks. The future is bright, and opportunities will be plentiful.

Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder (41 percent rostered)

Mitchell is stuffing the stat sheet for the Thunder, and that should continue whether he’s in the starting lineup or coming off the bench. He’s providing sixth-round value over the first month of the season, and he averaged a 15/4/3 line last week with 1.7 steals, 0.7 blocks and 1.3 three-pointers.

Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets (39 percent rostered)

Sheppard is having a phenomenal second season, making the most of the increased opportunities he’s received with Fred VanVleet out for the season. For as great as he’s been on the season as a whole, Sheppard has been even better as of late, averaging 15.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 3.3 triples. With Tari Eason (hip) out for at least the next four weeks, expect Sheppard to stay heavily involved on offense and get his fill of minutes off the bench.

Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies (37 percent rostered)

Edey made his season debut in Saturday’s loss to Cleveland, providing 13 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks across 25 minutes of action. His playing time could trend up as he gets back to game speed, but for now, his minutes are enough to provide a sturdy fantasy floor.

Dillon Brooks, Phoenix Suns (37 percent rostered)

It’s tough to ignore a guy who’s scored at least 16 points in five straight while chipping in 2.4 triples and 1.6 steals. Brooks is on a heater heading into Week 5 having scored 32+ points in back-to-back contests. He detonated for a 34/6/1 line with three steals and three triples on Sunday and will look to keep that momentum moving forward in his upcoming three-game week.

Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz (32 percent rostered)

Bailey joined Utah’s starting five and made an immediate impact. Across his first three starts, he averaged 17 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.7 triples across 28.7 minutes per game. He finished with at least 20 points in two straight before a miserable showing on Sunday. The Jazz won a thrilling matchup in OT against the Bulls, but Bailey fouled out after only 10 minutes. Chalk it up to an off night and take advantage of this buy-low opportunity by adding him.

Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans (25 percent rostered)

Queen was picking up steam heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Warriors. In six games prior, he averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals. His stellar play and change at head coach led him to make his first start of the season, and Queen finished with 9/7/6 and two blocked shots across 25 minutes in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Warriors. Queen’s move to the first unit is highly beneficial for his fantasy outlook moving forward, and he needs to be added in all formats.

Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers (21 percent rostered)

Joel Embiid continues to miss time with a knee injury, and with Adem Bona (ankle) set to miss at least three games, Drummond should be in line to continue a productive run. Over his last three (all starts), Drummond has averaged 14.3 points, 12 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks and a surprising 1.3 triples.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, Los Angeles Clippers (15 percent rostered)

Double Bogie has seen a big uptick in playing time, logging 37 minutes on Friday and 35 on Sunday. He posted a monster 21/3/3/4 line with five triples on Friday before falling back to earth with an 11/4/3 line, including one triple and no defensive stats on Sunday. Despite Sunday’s muted line, Bogdanovic should be in line for big minutes in the wake of Bradley Beal’s season-ending injury and Kawhi Leonard’s prolonged absence.

Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic (11 percent rostered)

Da Silva is enjoying a productive 2025-26 campaign, logging career highs in points (11.5), rebounds (3.7) and triples (2.0). Paolo Banchero’s absence due to a groin injury allowed da Silva to join the first unit, and he posted a 22/9/1 line with a block and five triples on Friday. He started a second straight game on Sunday and posted 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals, a blocked shot and two triples across 40 minutes. It’s unclear when Banchero will be back, and until he returns, da Silva will be worth rostering in standard fantasy leagues.

Tim Hardaway Jr., Orlando Magic (8 percent rostered)

Christian Braun (ankle) will be out for at least four weeks, and THJ should replace him in the starting five until he returns. Hardaway Jr. drew his first start of the season on Saturday, delivering a 23/3/1 line with a block and five triples across 29 minutes. He’s better in points leagues than in category leagues, but he should offer enough to be viable in the latter as well.

Others to consider: Quentin Grimes (41%), Saddiq Bey (20%), T.J. McConnell (15%), Collin Gillespie (14%), Noah Clowney (13%), Vit Krejci (11%), Daniss Jenkins (9%), Jarace Walker (6%)

LeBron James has been reassigned to the Los Angeles Lakers and is expected to go through a full practice with the varsity club on Monday, and is close to making his season debut.

LeBron went through a couple of practices with the South Bay Lakers, the franchise's G-League affiliate, while the rest of the Lakers were on a 3-2 road trip. This week, the Lakers have a home-and-home with Utah that could see LeBron's return to the court — and with that, he sets a record as the first player ever to reach 23 seasons in the league. Add that to his GOAT case.

LeBron has been out since before the start of training camp due to sciatica on his right side. From the beginning, both LeBron's training team and the Lakers wanted to be cautious with his return, ensuring he was fully healed and considering the long term. The plan has been for him to take the court i in mid-November, and this week would fits that timeline.

Even without LeBron, the Lakers are 10-4 to start the season, led by a top-10 offense sparked by Luka Doncic playing at an MVP level. Luka Doncic has stepped up as an elite secondary shot creator, Deandre Ayton has been solid in the paint, and there has been good role play from Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, and others. However, if the Lakers are going to be a serious threat in the West, they need what LeBron brings to the table.

The Lakers will get that soon.

In the wake of federal indictments and arrests in two illegal gambling probes — including Hall of Famer and Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, as well as former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones — the NBA investigation into those charges moves forward as well, according to a new report.

That report also suggests the NBA could soon tighten its injury reporting restrictions, which theoretically could have prevented instances of inside information on injuries being sold to gamblers, leading to the federal charges.

Congress members have asked the NBA why it had previously investigated Terry Rozier (another player arrested and charged by federal prosecutors) and not found any evidence of this alleged gambling. The NBA has responded by expanding its investigation. It had previously hired the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to handle the investigation, and the firm has now reached out to multiple NBA teams, including the Lakers, asking for their phones, according to Joe Vardon, Mike Vorunov and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

As a result of the charges filed against Damon Jones, a former NBA player and LeBron James' former shooting coach who had special access to the Lakers, Wachtell investigators are expected to seek documents, including cell phones and phone records, from at least 10 Lakers employees, league sources told The Athletic. Per league sources, Lakers assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims are among the employees who are already cooperating and who voluntarily handed their cell phones over to investigators. Both Mancias and Mims are employed by the Lakers because of their ties to James.

To be clear, LeBron, Mancias, and Mims are not charged with any crimes nor have they been mentioned in the federal investigation, the questions are more about what they might have known about Jones and his actions (Jones was arrested in part for allegedly selling inside information about LeBron's health and status to gamblers). Mancias is LeBron's personal trainer and has been for decades, Mims has been close to LeBron his entire career.

It's not just the Lakers. The Athletic report talks about a focus on several other teams.

At least two team executives for organizations mentioned in the charges against Jones and Rozier were notified by the league of an expanding investigation, league sources said.

One of those teams was apparently not Orlando, according to the report. However, as noted by The Athletic, the Magic were mentioned in federal investigations, tied to allegations that a "former regularly starting player" sold information to gamblers that the Magic planned to rest their starters in an April 2023 game against Cleveland. The Magic have made clear previously that the player in question is no longer a member of the organization.

New injury reporting guidelines

One change could come soon in the wake of the investigations: The NBA is reportedly looking into revising and tightening its injury reporting regulations, according to the report.

The NBA is barreling toward substantial changes in team rules for reporting injury statuses for players as part of the fallout from the ongoing betting scandal. In theory, the incidents surrounding the Lakers, Magic and Blazers could have been prevented with tighter rules governing when players must be declared injured in information released to the public.

Teams (some more than others, but all of them to some extent) try to keep injury information close to the vest, especially when it is day-to-day, both because it gives the team flexibility and forces opponents to game plan for more possibilities. Teams are intentionally vague about injury status, sometimes driven by coaches or front offices seeking a competitive edge (a trend that is far from exclusive to the NBA). Players will be officially listed as "day-to-day" for weeks, and their status could change to "probable" or "available" as late as possible to allow them to participate in a game. The League is looking to tighten this up.

It appears that the league is poised to crack down on this issue with new regulations and guidelines, which could be introduced sooner rather than later.