PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 1: A generic basketball photo of the Official Wilson basketball during the game between the LA Clippers and the Phoenix Suns on February 1, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Not much movement for the Phoenix Suns at the deadline, but in an effort to reset everythign for you, it’s time to provide a summary of where things stand for the team after the NBA trade deadline:
With all that in place, what are you looking for next from Suns? What do you think is their most pressing need this offseason? Come chat with us in the comments below.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 07: James Harden #13 and Donovan Mitchell #45 of Team Durant speak during the first half against Team LeBron in the 70th NBA All-Star Game at State Farm Arena on March 07, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers the first time partially because he wasn’t able to recruit a co-star to Northeast Ohio. Sixteen years later, James might find himself on the other end of the equation.
Former Cavalier and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins said on a recent episode of the Road Trippin’ Show that the new backcourt duo of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden is ready to recruit James back to Cleveland for next season.
“My sources told me that Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are ready, are starting to push to go and recruit LeBron James this offseason,” Perkins said. “My sources tell me that as soon as James Harden got on the phone, got around the team, the initial was, ‘We’re about to make this run, we’re about to go all out. We want LeBron James.’”
Kendrick Perkins says sources told him Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are already recruiting LeBron back to the Cavs 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/L4KdfTbZ1x
Whether or not James returns next season remains to be seen. However, if what Perkins is saying is true, it’s good to see that the Cavs backcourt is bought into this team.
What we do know is that Harden wanted to come to Cleveland. He waived his partial no-trade clause to be here. And, Mitchell is excited to play with him.
We’ll see how that group pairs on the court before worrying too much about how they sell other players on joining them.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 05: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons drives around OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks during the first half at Little Caesars Arena on January 05, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The playoff rematch between the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks won’t quite have the spark we were hoping for. The Pistons’ injury report is littered with important players. Jalen Duren is questionable after playing just 13 minutes in yesterday’s loss to the Washington Wizards due to right knee soreness. Tobias Harris, who missed that game, is now listed as probable. Duncan Robinson also makes an appearance with a left quad contusion. He’s also listed as probable. The Knicks are even worse off. Karl-Anthony Towns is doubtful with an eye laceration. Miles McBride remains out, and OG Anunoby is questionable with right toe soreness. New addition Jose Alvarado can’t suit up yet.
The Pistons are also playing on the second night of a back-to-back, but perhaps fitting for this team’s personality, Detroit excels on no rest. They are 7-1 this season on the second night of back-to-backs this season. That is the best winning percentage in the NBA.
Game Vitals
When: 7:30 p.m. ET Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan Watch: Prime Video Odds: Pistons -5.5
Dec 15, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers resident of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey speaks with the media before a game against the Detroit Pistons at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
To say James Harden and Daryl Morey have a history together would be an understatement. They were one of the most successful marriages in basketball until they weren’t. Morey fully believed in Harden’s style of play for the better part of a decade. He worked with him and Mike D’Antoni to create an efficient, small-ball team with the Houston Rockets that was truly ahead of its time.
That Rockets group never reached the Finals, but were good enough to do so. They unfortunately ran into the Kevin Durant Golden State Warriors — a team that was possibly the best collection of talent assembled on an NBA roster.
The Harden and Morey partnership continued with the Philadelphia 76ers. It worked well there until it came time to negotiate a new deal. Harden wanted a long-term max contract extension after the 2023 season. The Sixers didn’t give it to him, which led to Harden calling Morey a liar to a somewhat disinterested crowd in China.
Harden’s breakup with Morey and the Sixers was messy. Those hard feelings seemed to have lingered two and a half years later.
Morey had a press conference on Friday afternoon addressing the Sixers’ moves at the deadline. In them, he said that the rest of the conference didn’t make any trades that impacted their ability to compete in the East, which would include the Cleveland Cavaliers trading for Harden.
“Folks have speculated on the improvements of our East competitors,” Morey said, “I don’t see it personally. There weren’t any needle movers in my opinion.”
Daryl Morey: "Folks have speculated on the improvements of our East competitors, I don't see it personally. There weren't any needle movers in my opinion"
It’s hard to see this as anything other than a shot at Harden.
Even if you don’t think the Darius Garland for Harden swap drastically improves the Cavs, the change is significant enough to be a “needle mover.”
Also, the Cavs are one of the hottest teams in the league. They’ve won eight of their last 10 game mostly without Garland, and vaulted past the 76ers in the process. Adding someone coming off an All-NBA season would seem to qualify as changing the landscape of the conference.
The Cavs play the 76ers once more this season on March 9. We’ll see what kind of showing Harden has in that game.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 14: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors and Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the Washington Wizards talk after the game on March 14, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to February Daily Topics at Golden State of Mind. A question (almost) every day this month to give the community a prompt to talk about!
The 2026 NBA trade deadline is officially behind us, and it’s safe to say, the Golden State Warriors ended up right in the middle. Golden State sent Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Kristaps Porziņģis and, to help facilitate that move, traded Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors for a second-round pick.
That’s perhaps more than fans were expecting, but less than they were hoping for, given the rumors of Giannis Antetokounmpo that had swirled for weeks. It wasn’t a big swing, but it wasn’t nothing, either.
The Warriors finally found a home for Kuminga. They cleared future salary space by offloading Hield’s contract. They opened up cap space and a roster spot for Pat Spencer (who used his final game of two-way eligibility on Thursday), and likely another player as well. They grabbed a former All-Star in Porziņģis, and will have a few months to see how well he fits, and decide if they want to re-sign him this offseason.
So what grade do you give Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the rest of the front office for both their maneuverings and their lack thereof?
Personally? I’m not a fan. There’s nothing they could have done about Antetokounmpo — they put all their chips on the table and Milwaukee decided otherwise. But the end result felt like they were trying to straddle both sides and failed to land on either. Getting rid of Hield’s contract gives them flexibility in the offseason, but they also could have just made that move over the summer, to see if something better materialized. Really, the only reason for making the move they made is to see if they want to re-sign Porziņģis, and his health — he’s played 17 games this year, and 60 just once in the past nine seasons — has me scared that the Warriors will do exactly that. Add in his declining play and the rape allegations that have been levied against him, and it’s not really the move I was clamoring for. But they do get some credit for ending the Kuminga saga, and getting an intriguing, All-Star talent without sacrificing a draft pick.
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.
VIGO, Spain (AP) — A late goal from Raúl García de Haro gave Osasuna a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo in La Liga on Friday and dealt the home side a first defeat at Estadio Abanca-Balaídos since November.
García de Haro got on the end of Alejandro Catena’s clever knock down with 11 minutes remaining to side-foot the ball home at the far post.
Ante Budimir put visiting Osasuna ahead shortly before halftime with his 11th goal of the season only for Borja Iglesias to equalize from the spot for Celta eight minutes into the second half.
Celta’s winless run was extended to four games in all competitions and left it in seventh place.
Osasuna was one place behind and closed the gap between the teams to four points.
“This is out second consecutive away win,” Budimir said. “We competed very well and we got what we deserved through hard work.”
METZ, France (AP) — Struggling Metz held high-flying Lille to 0-0 at home but the point was not enough to lift it off the bottom of Ligue 1 on Friday.
Metz had not won in eight games and it looked second best for much of the match against a team whose early season promise had tapered out after a run of four league defeats.
But visiting Lille could not breach a staunch Metz defense.
Lille had to settle for fifth place, six points behind Lyon.
Metz remained rooted to the bottom of the table with the same points as Auxerre and a point behind Nantes, both of which have a game in hand.
LEEDS, England (AP) — Leeds United scored twice in four minutes in a dominant first half then added a third soon after halftime in beating Nottingham Forest 3-1 for a massive boost in its fight against Premier League relegation on Friday.
Leeds' fourth Friday night win in a row lifted it nine points clear of the relegation zone and equal on points with the two clubs above it, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur.
Forest's four-game unbeaten league run came to an unceremonious end, and remained in 17th place.
Leeds started the better side and led after 26 minutes.
With the Forest defense static, Jayden Bogle ran on to a superb through ball from Ilia Gruev and poked it under the hesitant keeper.
Four minutes later, Noah Okafor broke a 16-game scoring drought to make it 2-0. But much the credit went to James Justin, who started the move on the right flank and saw his shot parried into the path of the former Napoli and AC Milan winger who made no mistake.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin completed the scoring three minutes into the second half when he dived to chest Gruev’s ball into the box past Stefan Ortega.
Lorenzo Lucca’s consolation goal for Forest with six minutes remaining did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the home fans at Elland Road.
“It is always nice to take the three points back to the training ground," Justin said. “We deserved them, we put in the graft.
"Some of the football we played tonight was some of the best we’ve played all season. To put in a performance like that is a big one in the league.”
VERONA, Italy (AP) — Verona and Pisa drew 0-0 in a dire game that reflected the clubs’ positions at the foot of Serie A on Friday.
Both teams had new managers on the sidelines and were looking for the three points that might kickstart what looks set to be a long and arduous fight against relegation.
But neither team managed a shot on target in the first 45 minutes and it wasn’t until the final minutes that either side showed any urgency.
A header from Pisa’s Stefano Moreo hit the woodwork and although both goalkeepers were forced to make crucial stops to thwart counterattacks no goal was forthcoming.
Verona remains last, behind Pisa on goal difference.
BERLIN (AP) — Union Berlin drew with Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 in a poor Bundesliga game that came alive in the final minutes with two goals and a red card on Friday.
After 83 scrappy minutes, Nathaniel Brown put Frankfurt ahead with a rasping shot from 15 meters. Substitute Mahmoud Dahoud mistimed his scissor kick but the ball fell perfectly for Brown to volley home.
The goal set up the visitor for its first win in nine games but its hopes crumbled just seconds later.
Oscar Højlund was sent off for a second bookable offense two minutes after his side took the lead and Leopold Querfeld scored from the resulting penalty.
The draw meant both clubs were still looking for their first win of 2026.
The late implosion was particularly galling for Albert Riera, who took over as Frankfurt coach this week and was denied a starting three points. One bright spot was the team’s defensive display. Friday’s game was the first in eight this year in which it has not conceded at least two goals.
Frankfurt was seventh in the table, three points ahead of Berlin in ninth.
The Athletic reported McBride was to have surgery on Friday. Eight weeks from then is April 3 and the Knicks would have five games remaining in the regular season. The first round of the NBA Playoffs is scheduled to start on April 18, which would be 10 weeks from now.
McBride has missed the team's last five games due to "left ankle injury management," having last played on Jan. 27 against the Sacramento Kings. He originally suffered an ankle injury back on Dec. 7, missing nine games before returning on Dec. 29.
The 25-year-old guard has had a career-best season for New York, averaging 12.9 points on 42.0 percent three-point shooting, 2.8 assists, and 2.6 rebounds over 35 games (14 starts). In his absence, head coach Mike Brown will likely rely on a combination of Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, and newly acquired guard Jose Alvarado.
BOSTON — Brad Stevens said Jayson Tatum continues to hit thresholds in his recovery from Achilles surgery on Friday while addressing the Celtics’ trade deadline moves. Boston continues to leave open the door for a Tatum return this season with 31 games remaining, but cautioned that he’s still a ways away in his return. Tatum’s trajectory did not impact how the team navigated the trade deadline, diving below the luxury tax line with four trades and acquiring Nikola Vučevićfor Anfernee Simons.
“I would say it had very little impact on that singular decision, just because at the end of the day, if you look at who you have to go through, the paths you have to take, you just can’t get worn down physically. And we were gonna be much smaller and now we at least have big options. Obviously, any team with Jayson Tatum’s going to be better. So if that happens, that happens, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t, but we just thought that re-distributing our positional needs was probably the most important thing.”
Stevens did not acknowledge any change in approach or in Tatum’s mindset regarding the return even after his appearance on the Pivot Podcast, which Stevens caught clips of but did not watch. He referred to his own conversations with Tatum on the subject and acknowledged that anyone going through the progression of an extended injury recovery will have numerous thoughts along the way. Tatum wondered how he would fit into the Celtics mid-season on a successful team that’s formed an identity without him. Chris Haynes later reported that Tatum was now re-evaluating returning this season, something Tatum expressed himself in his podcast comments.
Teammates have also acknowledged the mental hurdle Tatum faces through the final stages of his recovery, roughly one week shy of the nine month anniversary of his procedure. Several players who suffered Achilles tears last season returned around this timeframe, albeit with the benefit of full training camps and preseasons to ramp-up. Stevens did not place a deadline on when Tatum would need to return this year before both sides would decide to wait for next year. Instead, they plan to play Tatum when he’s ready to return.
“(It’s) best for Jayson Tatum to come back when he’s 110% healthy, he’s fully clear by everybody that matters in that decision and he’s got great peace of mind and ready to do it. That’s it. That’s the objective and that’s what we’re gonna stick with,” Stevens said. “When we feel 100%, it’ll be his, it’ll be a group getting together and talking, but I think our medical people are really good, I think his doctors are really good, so we’re gonna listen to them, he’s listening to them. I think he and Nick have had an amazing work ethic through this recovery, and when it’s right, then we’ll all sit down and talk about it, but there’s still no force from us, there’s no pressure from us, but there’s also not going to be any of us saying, well, why don’t you take another week? When he’s ready, he’s ready.”
While the personnel moves the Celtics made at the deadline may not have considered Tatum’s availability, they did create a starting lineup hole that Tatum would assuredly fill when the time comes. Joe Mazzulla moved Payton Pritchard to the bench on Tuesday after Boston traded Anfernee Simons, a move Pritchard expected to continue when he spoke after the game. The Celtics did so to balance play-making between the starters and bench, and Baylor Scheierman started both games in his place, his fifth and sixth starts into the new year. Luka Garza also joined the starting unit next to Neemias Queta on Wednesday with multiple starters out, opening the door to the double-big option.
Tatum’s return would inevitably bolster the starting unit’s play-making, shooting and defense, and leave Pritchard to lead the second unit as he did one year ago. That leaves almost nightly questions about who will start unless Scheierman becomes a mainstay, and Tatum’s return will come with the question of how Jaylen Brown and Tatum re-establish their dynamic atop the offense after Brown’s MVP caliber first half to the season. Like other teammates before him, however, Brown embraced Tatum’s return with open arms when asked on
“I’ve been watching his progression and I know mentally, he’s been through ups-and-downs like any other person going through adversity in their career, etc.,” Brown said. “But I just let him know, do what’s best for you, because outside of it just being ysically a setback, mentally, spiritually, emotionally comes into play as well. So even if you’re physically feeling well, make sure your mind, mentally, emotionally and spiritually feel great too. So I trust, we trust his decision-making. Obviously, we’d love to have him back. Winning is the most important thing to me. So being to be able to add to winning and potentially have another deep playoff run is what I’m aiming for, so J.T.‘s a big part of that. Obviously, he has to make the right decision for him and his body … but when it’s time, if he does make that decision, we would love to have him back.”
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 15: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics dribbles the ball against Norman Powell #24 of the Miami Heat during the first quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on January 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Miami Heat (27-25) at Boston Celtics (33-18) Friday, February 6, 2026 7:30 PM ET Regular Season Game #52 Home Game #25 TV: NBCSB, FDSN Sun, NBA-LP Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, WQAM 104.3 FM, Sirius XM TD Garden
The Celtics host the Miami Heat for the third of 4 games between them this season. They won 129-116 in Boston on December 19. They won119-114 in Miami on January 15. They will play one more time in Miami on April 1. The Celtics won the series 3-1 last season. They won the two games played in Miami and won one and lost one in Boston. The Celtics are 88-54 overall all time against the Heat. They are 45-24 all time in games played in Boston.
The Celtics made several moves at the trade deadline. They traded Anfernee Simons to Chicago for Nikola Vucevic. They traded Chris Boucher to Utah for John Tonje, a two way player. They converted Amare Williams to a standard contract from two-way. They traded Josh Minott to Brooklyn and they traded Xavier Tillman to Charlotte. The Heat were one of 3 teams, along with the Rockets and Spurs, who stood pat at the deadline.
The Celtics are 3rd in the East, 4.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are tied with 2nd place New York, 2.5 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 3.5 games ahead of 5th place Philadelphia and 6th place Toronto and 6.5 games ahead of 7th place Miami. The Celtics are 22-12 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 16-8 at home and 7-3 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 4 games.
The Heat are 7th in the East, 11.5 games behind 1st place Detroit, 4 games behind 4th place Cleveland, 3 games behind 5th place Philadelphia and 6th place Toronto. They are half a game ahead of 8th place Orlando and 3.5 games ahead of 11th place Charlotte. They are 14-15 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 11-15 on the road and 5-5 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a loss in their last game.
The Celtics just completed a 2 game road trip where they swept Dallas and Houston back to back. After this game against Miami, they will host New York and Chicago for a 3 game home stand, which will take them into the All Star Break. After the break, they will head out on a 4 game Western road trip through Golden State, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix, and Denver.
This is the first of 2 road games for the Heat. After this game in Boston, they will play at Washington. They will then play Utah at home and New Orleans on the road before the All Star break. After the break, They will play at Atlanta and at home against Memphis before 2 games on the road at Milwaukee and Philadelphia.
The only players on the Celtics injury report at this time are Jayson Tatum as he rehabs from the torn Achilles and John Tonje who is awaiting the trade to be finalized. Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser and Nikola Vucevic are all currently not on the report. For Miami, Tyler Herro (ribs) and Terry Rozier III (not injury related) are both out.
Probable Starting Matchups PG: Derrick White vs Davion Mitchell
Derrick White | Getty ImagesDavion Mitchell | NBAE via Getty Images
Boston Celtics Reserves Payton Pritchard Jordan Walsh Hugo Gonzalez Luka Garza Nikola Vucevic Amari Williams
2-Way Players Ron Harper, Jr Max Shulga John Tonje
Injuries/Out Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out John Tonje (trade) out
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Miami Heat Reserves Kasparas Jakucionis Jaime Jaquez, Jr Keshad Johnson Nikola Jovic Dru Smith Kel’el Ware Simone Fontecchio 2-Way Players Myron Gardner Vladislav Goldin Jahmir Young Injuries/Out Tyler Herro (ribs) out Terry Rozier III (not injury related) out
Head Coach Erik Spoelstra
Key Matchups Jaylen Brown vs Norman Powell Powell is averaging 23points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 47.2% from the field and 39.2% from beyond the arc. In 2 games against the Celtics so far this season, he averaged 22 points, 3.5 rebounds,2.5 assists and 1 steal while shooting 47.2% from the field and 14.3% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to defend him well as he is the Heat’s high scorer and can put up a lot of points in a hurry if left open.
Neemias Queta vs Bam Adebayo Adebayo is averaging 18.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game. He is shooting 44.4% from the field and 34.6% from beyond the arc. In the first 2 games against the Celtics, he averaged 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while shooting 43.8% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to keep him out of the paint and off the boards.
Honorable Mention Sam Hauser vs Andrew Wiggins Wiggins is averaging 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. He is shooting 46.8% from the field and 38.4% from beyond the arc. He didn’t play in the first game against the Celtics but he finished the second game with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. He is a good shooter and so the Celtics need to defend him well.
Keys to the Game Defense – Defense will always be the biggest key to winning every single game. The Celtics are 11th with a defensive rating of 112.7. The Heat are 4th with a defensive rating of 112.1. The Celtics need to defend the perimeter since the Heat attempt 36.7 threes a game and shoot threes at 36.1%. They also have to defend the paint as the Heat are 3rd with 54.9 points in the paint per game. The Celtics need to work harder than the Heat on defense and make that their priority.
Rebound – Along with defense, rebounding is always a key to winning. As Pat Riley once said “No rebounds, no rings.” The Celtics average 42.5 rebounds per game (9th) while the Heat average 46.6 rebounds per game (2nd). The Celtics out-rebounded the #1 rebounding team, Houston, on Wednesday and they need to put the same effort into rebounding in this game. It takes effort and hustle to get rebounds and the Celtics need to give more effort than the Heat to grab rebounds if they want to win this game.
Effort and Focus for 48 Minutes– The Celtics have to play with extra effort overall for all 4 quarters. In most of their losses and even in some of their wins, they have allowed their opponents to play with more energy than them for periods of time during the game. They play well for stretches but let up and allow their opponents to surge ahead. The Heat are known for playing hard against all of their opponents. They have to stay focused for all 48 minutes and be ready for the heat to play harder in the second half and they need to match that effort and if the 3’s aren’t falling, get into the paint.
Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics are best when they keep the ball moving and find the open man. They struggle when they try to do too much individually. The Celtics are 21-2 when they have 25 or more assists in a game. The Heat are 5th in the league with 20.3 points off turnovers per game so the Celtics have to make careful passes and be careful not to turn the ball over.
X-Factors Home Game and Fatigue – The Celtics are at home and will have the crowd behind them to give them extra motivation. The Heat will be playing in front of a hostile crowd and in an unfamiliar arena. The Celtics are playing in the 3rd game in 4 nights and have been playing short handed so there may be some fatigue there.
Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor in every game. Every crew officiates differently. Some call it tight, others let them play. The Celtics need to adjust to how the refs are calling the game and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus from playing the game. The more aggressive team will usually get the benefit of the calls and so the Celtics need to be the more aggressive team.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on after a play against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on January 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
UPDATE: Luka Dončić has been downgraded to out vs. the Warriors due to a left hamstring strain.
Luka Dončić is officially ruled out and Luke Kennard is questionable vs. the Warriors. pic.twitter.com/gQ5Ig4HPMF
Luka injured his leg during LA’s recent game against the Sixers and had to exit the contest.
While it’s not good that Luka will be missing action, the overall sentiment seems to be that his injury won’t force him to miss a large portion of the season.
With the All-Star break coming up, perhaps Luka can use the time off from regular-season play to heal his body and get ready for the final stretch of the year.
Also worth noting, Luke Kennard is questionable for this contest, as his trade to the Lakers is still pending. LA sent Gabe Vincent to Atlanta in exchange for Kennard as the team’s sole transaction prior to the NBA trade deadline.
After the win, Lakers head coach JJ Redick didn’t have an update on Luka, but he did say that Dončić would get an MRI to indicate the severity of the injury.
The Lakers haven’t officially given a statement on their superstar guard, but Dave McMenamin of ESPN is reporting that there’s optimism that the injury is not a major one.
There is some initial optimism that Luka Doncic is not dealing with a major issue with his left hamstring, however the Lakers star is doubtful to play Saturday against the Golden State Warriors, sources told ESPN
Luka’s importance to the Lakers cannot be understated.
He is their best player and the NBA’s leading scorer, averaging 33.4 points per game. LA playing without him for an extended period of time would make winning that much harder.
Also, if he were to miss significant time, the Lakers would once again be playing shorthanded. Now that Austin Reaves is back, there was hope that the Lakers could have their entire rotation healthy for the first time since mid-December.
Luka has dealt with hamstring injuries before. As a Dallas Maverick, he suffered a hamstring injury late in the 2022-23 season that forced him to miss some games.
Hopefully, this update means Luka will miss little to no games due to this injury.
While Luka avoided a worst-case scenario, this injury does put his first All-Star appearance as a Laker at risk. Luka was named a starter for the game, but with it taking place on Feb. 15, he might choose to rest his body rather than play against Team USA.
If Luka does miss some additional regular-season games, it will hurt chances of remaining eligible for the NBA’s end-of-season awards. Currently, Luka has missed seven games due to injury. He can only miss 10 more games to remain eligible.
Still, even if he does miss some time, it doesn’t seem like it will ultimately derail his season or the Lakers’ chances of competing in the Western Conference.
The Lakers are currently fifth in the West, but just three and a half games back of the No. 2 seed.
