Category: NBA

On Wednesday morning, an article by Baxter Holmes on ESPN portrayed Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss in a negative light.

The story had details into the sale of the team that made her look like a cutthroat businessperson who got rid of her family, and also gave her inner circle huge bonuses once the deal was finalized.

It also stated that her relationship with the franchise’s biggest star, while she’s been in charge, LeBron James, isn’t a good one.

According to Holmes’ reporting, Buss “began to turn” against LeBron James and considered trading him to the Clippers in 2022.

Jeanie didn’t delay responding to this article, telling “The Athletic” that she didn’t like LeBron’s involvement in her family drama and that she appreciates the star.

So much to unpack here.

For starters, it’s good that Jeanie said something. She could’ve just let this hang and put LeBron in the awkward position of having to speak on it, which would’ve been unfair since it was really a story about Jeanie and the Buss family.

However, how much Lakers fans agree with her words compared to the reporting will be up to public opinion.

She doesn’t have to answer for everything stated in the story, but the idea that the Lakers considered parting with LeBron isn’t too far-fetched.

In 2022, the year in which Holmes’ article indicates the Lakers considered dealing LeBron, there were reports that Phil Jackson might’ve been brought back to the Lakers and that he would want to trade James.

Now, ultimately, that didn’t happen, but there was smoke to this story before, and while LeBron was never dealt, it seems likely that the idea was at least considered.

In the NBA, countless trade conversations amount to nothing. If there was a thought from Jeanie to trade LeBron, she clearly never went through with it.

It’s hard to decipher if she appreciates LeBron enough privately, but publicly, she’s sung his praises. Jeanie called it a “priority” for LeBron to retire as a Laker.

This summer, Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka echoed similar sentiments.

Still, that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been jealousy or envy from the Lakers about how much credit LeBron gets for the 2020 title, or how much blame he does or doesn’t get for a lack of one since.

Jeanie is working on her PR spin on this story, and her on-the-record statement is that she appreciates LeBron.

Her future actions will likely also support her claim. My guess is that Lakers fans can expect a jersey retirement for LeBron and a statue outside of Crypto.com Arena once his playing days are over.

And, even if every word in Holmes’ story is accurate, it’s not necessarily a bad thing for the Jeanie-LeBron dynamic. The Lakers’ Governor wouldn’t be the first boss, nor the last, to not appreciate what her best worker does for her organization.

The difference is that this is the Lakers, and every ounce of drama gets massive attention, making it very messy.

While Jeanie has denounced this reporting, don’t expect this story to go away anytime soon.

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

The Knicks are sliding and they need a win in the worst way. Enter: the Brooklyn Nets.

Brooklyn can stay the course with the tank and help both sides get what they want. A win-win. Or they can kick the enemy while they’re down; maybe remind them with every kick that the Nets control their first-round picks in 2027, 2029, and 2031, plus a 2028 first-round pick swap.

For now, we stay humble. Knicks have won nine straight against the Nets entering Wednesday.

🏀 KEY INFO

Brooklyn Nets (11–27) at New York Knicks (23–17)

When: 7:30 PM ET
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
TV: YES Network / MSG
Radio: WFAN Sports

⚠️ INJURY REPORT

Highsmith: OUT – Right Knee Surgery, Injury Recovery
Etienne: OUT – G League Two Way
Johnson: OUT – G League Two Way
Liddell: OUT – G League Two Way
Saraf: OUT – G League Assignment

💬 Discussion

Share thoughts and react, but please be respectful. NetsDaily prides itself on being a safe space for Nets and basketball fans alike to have healthy conversation. Reach out to Anthony Puccio or Net Income with any issues.

Last season, the Phoenix Suns managed to turn disappointment into an art form. The most expensive roster the league has ever seen could not even sniff the Play In, let alone the postseason. A masterclass in how fast things can go sideways. Most of us have tried to memory hole that year and move on, but every so often, a new detail leaks out. Another breadcrumb. Another explanation. Another quiet “why”.

This time, it came from Brent Barry. He popped up on an episode of the No Dunks Podcast and peeled back the curtain a bit on how that team actually functioned behind the scenes. And the picture he painted helps explain how something with that much talent unraveled the way it did.

“The situation there overall, I would tell you guys, being on the inside, was it was a team that just didn’t know how to get along,” Barry stated. “They were all cordial towards one another. They all came to practice and were friendly, but it was one of those situations where you’re just not invested.”

“I thought it was going to be a slingback from what happened with Frank Vogel and the disappointment from the year before that there would be some piss and vinegar in the team and that these guys would want to show like, hey, we’ve got the highest salary in the league,” he continued. “We’ve got to figure this thing out together. Let’s use our superpowers to do that. Let’s use our superpowers for good. Unfortunately, they used them the other way and found ways to dismantle that roster. And sadly, they just didn’t commit to one another.”

“If clearly those guys don’t have a hierarchy and you’re not, as a member of the team, as a player, you’re not aware of which of the guys were leaning on the most, it confuses the rest of the team. And I think we had a lot of guys who didn’t exactly know what the expectations were. And again, this comes back to really good coaching and leadership. You have to define those for a team. And at no point did we do that for the Phoenix Suns last year.”

This was incredibly revealing. It highlights the contrast between last season and this one in bold print.

Starting with Bradley Beal, it became clear that he never fully bought into operating within a true team structure. He had been the alpha in Washington for so long that the adjustment never really took. When reports surfaced that he took offense to his head coach asking him to play more like Jrue Holiday, that told you everything you needed to know. That was a crack in the armor.

I have said it plenty of times. I liked the player. I did not like the contract or the situation. But once that detail came out, it reframed things. This was not only about fit on the court. It was about mindset. When a player resists being part of something collective, when the instinct is “me” over “we”, the whole thing starts to wobble. That mentality bleeds. And last year, it bled everywhere.

And if you take Barry’s comments one step further, they also shine a light on the challenge Kevin Durant brought with him.

You can talk all day about his greatness on the court, and none of that is up for debate. But the laissez-faire approach, the mentality of wanting to hoop and nothing else, showed up in exactly what Barry was describing. That disengagement, that singular focus, warped the hierarchy of the team and bled into the locker room. That’s the lack of investment.

With great power comes great responsibility, or at least it is supposed to. That has never really been Durant’s lane. He wants the praise. He wants the contract. He wants the freedom. He does not want the accountability that comes with steering a group. Last season made that painfully clear. When the players carrying the largest financial weight do not define or embrace their role, everyone else drifts. Structure erodes. Accountability disappears.

What you end up with is a roster full of mercenaries. Guys playing for themselves, not for each other. The coaching staff never had a chance to pull it back together because the egos were too big and the buy-in was never there. That was last year’s Suns in a nutshell.

Devin Booker was obviously part of that group too, and he even said early this season that last year was the toughest stretch of basketball he has ever lived through.

We do not know how much responsibility to pin on him for what did or did not happen, but one thing is clear. His voice was muted. Just ask Coach Bud, who, when the team was struggling, reportedly told Booker to “tone it down”. He’s not free of sin, but he’s the only one who appeared to try to vocalize the issue and was muted. When you stack that many stars together and no one clearly owns the room, even the franchise guy can get drowned out.

That is the clearest contrast to this season. This team works because everyone knows where they stand. There is a hierarchy. There is clarity.

You can hear it when guys like Jordan Goodwin, Collin Gillespie, Mark Williams, and Ryan Dunn talk on The Old Man and the Three Podcast. The reverence they have for Devin Booker. The respect they show for what Dillon Brooks brings. That stuff matters. It sets the tone. And it is a big reason why this version of the Suns feels connected in a way last year never did.

The difference is obvious, and you see it every night on the floor. When there is a clear hierarchy behind the scenes, it shows up in how the team plays. Roles are defined. Effort lines up. Execution follows.

This team has already won 27 games. Last season, it took until February 22 to get there. 59 games. This group did it in 44. That is not coincidence. That is structure. That is buy-in. And it traces back directly to the issues Barry pointed out. When everyone knows who they are and how they fit, winning stops feeling accidental and starts feeling repeatable.

No prizes for guessing who’s on it.

With the Houston Rockets coming to town Thursday the Sixers released their injury report and it’s filled with the usual suspects. After playing in the front end of their back-to-back earlier in the week, Joel Embiid is listed as probable. Instead of left knee injury management though the reason given in right ankle injury management, the same reason he missed that second game against the Phoenix Suns. That ankle issue has popped up on the report here and there for the past month or so, but hasn’t caused him to miss significant time.

What was surprising was Paul George missing both legs of that back-to-back, he was listed with the usual left knee injury management. The first game against the Pacers, George was ruled out right before pre-game press availability. The second against Phoenix he did make an attempt to warm-up, but was obviously ruled out for that one as well. Before the Suns game, Nick Nurse didn’t give any indication there was an attempt to stagger those two over the back-to-back.

George last appeared on Jan. 16, playing 30 minutes in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He might have just needed a couple extra days off, but any further missed time should be cause for concern.

The rest of the report is rounded out by MarJon Beauchamp and Johni Broome, both doubtful on a G-League assignment. The only thing noteworthy there is that it does not include Jared McCain. He didn’t play in either of the games for the Sixers since being recalled from his second G-League assignment, though the Blue Coats don’t have another game until Jan. 24.

Houston’s injury report is fairly light as well, outside of obviously missing Fred VanVleet who tore his ACL before the season started. They’ll also be without Steven Adams who suffered an ankle injury two games back.

The freshman class during the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season has been one of the best in years, headlined by projected NBA lottery picks who are making enormous impacts for NCAA Tournament-bound teams.

BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Duke’s Cameron Boozer are two of the top five leading scorers in the sport this season, and are among the small handful of favorites for various national player of the year awards while leading top-15 teams. Caleb Wilson has been a revelation for North Carolina, a rangy 6-foot-10 forward who’s averaging nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.

REQUIRED READING: Football season is over. Here's what you missed so far in college basketball

Despite missing nearly half the season thus far with a nagging injury, Darryn Peterson, the No. 1 player in the class, has been as good as advertised for Kansas, averaging 21.6 points per game. Even players nowhere near the top of the recruiting rankings have thrived, such as Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie, who is ninth among all Division I players in scoring despite being the No. 119 prospect in 247Sports’ rankings coming out of high school.

This week, one of the top recruits from that class is set to make his long-awaited college debut.

Alijah Arenas, a 6-foot-6 guard who was the No. 10 player in 247’s rankings of the 2025 recruiting class, is set to make his college debut on Wednesday, Jan. 21 when his USC team hosts Northwestern.

Arenas had been sidelined since July, when he suffered a torn meniscus during a summer practice that ultimately kept him out six months. The injury came three months after Arenas was in an April car wreck that put him in a coma.

He’ll return to a USC team that’s 14-4 in its second season under coach Eric Musselman, but could use the contributions of his talent and versatility. After a 12-1 start to the season, the Trojans have dropped three of their past five games, though each loss came against teams ranked in the top 10 of the latest USA TODAY Sports Caches Poll.

As he prepares for his first college game, here’s a closer look at Arenas:

The Golden State Warriors are reeling after Jimmy Butler III suffered a season-ending injury in Monday night’s victory over the Miami Heat. Things had finally been coming together for the Dubs, who went 12-4 in the team’s last 16 games before Butler’s season was over. But where do they go from here?

If Golden State wants to try and salvage any chance at contention this season, they have to consider trading Butler prior to this year’s deadline on February 5. Sure, the Dubs could largely stand pat and fight for a play-in spot in hopes Butler returns to form next year, as GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. has suggested they’ll do. However, can they really risk that at this point in Steph Curry’s career?

The obvious name the Warriors will be tied to is Anthony Davis, who has an identical salary to Butler. However, it’s very difficult to envision a framework for a deal coming together. One could argue the Mavericks should swap Davis for Butler and a protected first-round pick, offloading Davis’ longer contract as they tank for the rest of the season, but they traded Luka Dončić for AD last season. They need a sexier return.

Dallas has been tied to Jonathan Kuminga in the past, but even if the Dubs brought back a solid role player like Naji Marshall, it’s hard to imagine them trading the three unprotected first-round picks it would probably take to get a deal across the finish line. And they would probably be right to say no.

The Brooklyn Nets and Utah Jazz are both clearly trying to tank this season with hopes of competing in 2026-27, hypothetically making Butler an appealing target for both front offices. Could Butler and the Warriors remaining picks finally bring Lauri Markkanen to the Warriors? Would the Nets trade both Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton to the Warriors for a trio of first-round picks, Butler, and expiring contracts from the Lakers (with Jarred Vanderbilt heading to Golden State while Kuminga and Buddy Hield join Luka)?

The Warriors could go star hunting with Butler and/or Kuminga, looking to package picks alongside taking back long-term money. Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic suggested targeting a package of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. Perhaps taking on Dejounte Murray’s contract alongside one or both of Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III could be another option. Would the Warriors trade three first-round picks, Butler, Kuminga, Hield, and Moses Moody for Williamson, Murray, and Murphy? Would the Pelicans consider it?

Any deals like that would likely be the final blockbuster move of the Curry era. Golden State would be tying up the team’s long-term payroll and most (if not all) of the team’s draft picks for the foreseeable future. The Warriors should definitely pursue these possibilities, but the odds of one coming available that appeals to them and another team seems unlikely at the moment.

Golden State’s best available path could be using Butler and Kuminga (probably Hield as well) to acquire multiple legitimate upgrades with some flaws on sizable enough contracts that the Dubs can retain the team’s draft capital. No, the Warriors should not hoard picks for the sake of it, but if no one good enough comes available, acquiring players that can give them a fighting chance to be competitive for the rest of the season that could be movable in the offseason should be the priority.

The Portland Trail Blazers are worth keeping an eye on. They have Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday, two veteran players who would fit on the Warriors. But they both make more than $30 million per season through the 2027-28, a year after Butler’s current deal expires, making future trades more complicated.

From a salary-matching perspective, the Warriors could trade Butler, Kuminga, and Hield to Portland for Holiday, Grant, and Robert Williams III. Golden State would be acquiring immediate help while the Blazers would clear more than $73.5 million off the team’s books in the 2027-28 season alongside added gambles on Kuminga and Butler that could have significant upside as well.

Holiday is among the best archetypes of two-way guards to pair with Curry. Williams is a solid role player center on an expiring contract. Grant is a microwave scoring big wing who could help replace some of Butler’s scoring.

The Warriors would have reason to argue that taking on Grant and Holiday’s long-term money would make the swap even without including any picks, but it’s unclear whether the Blazers are worried about that long-term money at the moment. They have never been among the teams heavily interested in Kuminga and have play-in aspirations of their own that would be severely hampered by a deal like this. It would probably take Golden State parting with at least one protected first-round pick to get this deal done.

There’s a case to be made that would be worth it, and it’s not a scenario the Warriors front office should rule out if it’s on the table, but there’s one team that simply makes far more sense.

Yes, I’m talking about the Sacramento Kings.

No team has more consistently pursued Kuminga than Sacramento. No team is more interested in offloading veterans in an effort to tank and open up playing time for younger players. And no other team has two solid veterans whose salaries could so seamlessly be traded for Butler and Kuminga (Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan).

Like Butler, LaVine’s contract runs through the 2026-27 season. While LaVine technically has a player option, it’s clear the former UCLA wing will not be pursuing free agency. DeRozan has a partially guaranteed contract next season, comparable to Kuminga’s team option.

Neither LaVine nor DeRozan are at Butler’s level as a second-option offensively, but they are clear upgrades over the Warriors previous third options. There’s a case to be made that a Warriors starting lineup of Curry, LaVine, DeRozan, Green, and Post would be more potent offensively than the team’s lineup prior to Butler’s injury.

DeRozan is averaging 19.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game this season on 50.8%/35.9%/87.4% shooting. His mid-range and isolation heavy approach has plenty of similarities to Butler, and it’s easy to see him slotting into a comparable role with the Warriors. LaVine, on the other hand, is capable of scoring at all three levels, averaging 19.8 points per game, and is a true knockdown three-point shooter (39.8% on 6.8 attempts per game this season).

Of course, serious questions would arise elsewhere.

Despite being a key contributor on every team he’s played on over his 12-year career, LaVine has played in just four playoff games. Defensive struggles and questions about his willingness to make winning plays have followed him for some time. In Sacramento’s losing situation, LaVine’s is posting an embarrassingly low 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per 36 minutes, suggesting a lack of effort. DeRozan has similarly never been known for his defensive prowess, and is now 36 years old.

The Warriors would be banking on a couple of things if they were going to make a deep postseason run with LaVine and DeRozan. First, they’d be betting on both players stepping up in a winning environment. Curry would immediately become the best teammate either player has ever had by a significant margin.

Moreover, acquiring LaVine and DeRozan would allow head coach Steve Kerr to lessen De’Anthony Melton’s workload heading into the postseason and alleviate significant pressure on Brandin Podziemski and Moody to score. With Curry, LaVine, and DeRozan handling the lion’s share of offensive responsibility, Kerr would be able to challenge players like Draymond Green, Podziemski, Melton, Moody, Al Horford, Will Richard, and Gary Payton II to pick up the slack on the other end.

In an effort to create a roster spot for Pat Spencer, the Warriors would also likely hope to work a Buddy Hield for Dario Šarić swap into the trade. Golden State could give Šarić a brief audition, but he would more likely be waived. Swapping Hield for Šarić would save the Warriors $4 million in payroll this season and $3 million next year. Sacramento would likely try to buy Hield out if they could not swap him to a contender trying to add some wing shooting depth.

For Sacramento, LaVine and DeRozan have been on the trade block since Scott Perry was hired as the team’s general manager. DeRozan may be able to net a second-round pick or two at this year’s deadline, but LaVine’s deal has long been considered among the least team friendly in the league. Perhaps just as importantly, they are both blocking young wings like Keon Ellis and 2025 first-round pick Nique Clifford.

Perry has been pursuing Kuminga since last summer. Kuminga’s youth, upside, and team-friendly contract would be an excellent addition for Sacramento, particularly in a scenario where they are not forced to give up any valuable pieces.

Similarly, Butler’s injury actually aligns with the Kings current goals. The Kings currently have the fourth-worst record in the league, and clearly are hoping to get the best draft lottery odds possible in the stacked 2026 NBA Draft. They would be in a perfect position to let Butler rehab for the rest of the season and head into next season with him on an expiring contract.

A highly-motivated Butler could be a legitimate impact player in Sacramento next season and expedite the team’s rebuild, but could also simply rebuild enough value to be traded for more prospects and picks next season. If he fails to regain his form, then his deal will expire and leave the Kings in the same salary cap position following the 2026-27 season they will be in if they retain LaVine.

If the two sides broadly agreed that a Butler, Kuminga, and Hield for LaVine, DeRozan, and Šarić framework made sense, the conversation would move to draft picks. I imagine Perry and Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.’s conversations would go something like this:

Perry: DeRozan and Šarić are an even swap for Kuminga and Hield, but I need at least one first-round pick to take Butler back for LaVine. There isn’t another team out there willing to give you a legitimate rotation piece for Butler without forcing a longer contract onto your books.

Dunleavy: We know you don’t want LaVine. You’re trying to tank this season anyway so replacing him with Butler makes it easier for you to secure a top pick and play young players. Both LaVine and Butler become expiring deals this offseason and Jimmy has an easier chance of recouping value down the line because he has actually been performing at an elite level when he plays. He’s going to be coming off an injury in a contract year. He’ll never be more motivated. It’s an even trade as is and YOU get all the upside. No one believes LaVine and DeRozan are ever going to be All-Star caliber players again while Kuminga has that upside and Butler was just playing at that level.

I could see a deal landing on either end, either including no draft picks at all, or Golden State parting with a protected future first, probably lottery protected in 2026. The Warriors do have one remaining tradeable second-round pick, and at the moment, I’d lean toward that pick alongside a future first-round pick swap emerging as the meeting point.

If they agreed on that, the Kings would then come away with some draft pick compensation alongside Kuminga and a flier on Butler post-ACL rehab while offloading three veterans who are clearly not in the front office’s long-term plans. Golden State, on the other hand, would turn three players currently outside of the rotation into two legitimate starters and some payroll relief while retaining the ability to trade three first-round picks in another deal down the line.

Trade prediction:

Warriors get: Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Dario Šarić
Kings get: Jimmy Butler III, Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield, right to swap 2029 SAC 1st with 2029 GS 1st, 2030 GS 2nd

Would this make the Warriors clear Western Conference contenders? No. But that ship likely sailed with Butler’s season-ending injury. The question is can Golden State find a trade that gives them a fighting chance this year without sacrificing the team’s ability to build a contender around Curry next season and possibly the year after. This type of trade with the Kings would do exactly that.

Indiana Pacers (10-34) at Boston Celtics (26-16)
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #43  Home Game #20
TV:  NBCSB, FDSN, NBA-LP
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 107.5 The Fan,  Sirius XM
TD Garden

The Celtics return home from their road trip to host the Indiana Pacers. This is the 4th and final game between these 2 teams this season. The Celtics won the first game 103-95 on December 22 in Boston and they won the 2nd game 140-122 on December 26 in Indiana. They lost the 3rd game 98-96 in Indiana on January 12. The Pacers won the series 2-1 last season, with the Celtics winning one in Boston and losing 1 in Boston and one in Indiana. The Celtic are 112-88 overall all time against the Pacers. They are 64-28 in games played in Boston.

The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 5.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 1.5 games ahead of 2nd place New York. They are 2 games ahead of 4th place Toronto, 2.5 games ahead of 5th place Philadelphia and 3 games ahead of 6th place Orlando and 7th place Cleveland. The Celtics are 19-10 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 12-7 at home and 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a loss in their last game.

The Pacers are 15th in the East, 22.5 games behind first place Detroit and 17 games behind 2nd place Boston. They are 9.5 games behind 10th place Atlanta, 3.5 games behind 13th place Brooklyn, and 1 game behind 14th place Washington. The Pacers are 7-22 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 2-18 on the road and 4-6 in their last 10 games. They have lost their last 2 games.

The Celtics are playing at home after a 4 game road trip. They lost the first game of that road trip in Indiana. After this game at home vs Indiana, they will play Brooklyn and Chicago on the road.They will then have another 4 game home stand where they will host Portland, Atlanta, Sacramento and Milwaukee. Then, they are on the road at Dallas and Houston before playing Miami, New York, and Chicago at home, taking them into the All Star Break.

This is the 3rd game of a 5 game road trip for the Pacers. They lost the first to at Philadelphia and Detroit and will complete the trip at Oklahoma City and Atlanta. They will then host Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and Utah before a 6 game road trip through Milwaukee, Toronto, New York, Brooklyn. They will finish the road trip with 2 games at Washington after the All Star break.

For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum remains out as he continues to rehab from the Achilles tear he suffered in last year’s playoffs. Josh Minott will miss his 8th straight game with an ankle sprain. Jaylen Brown is listed as probable for this game with left hamstring tightness. For the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton remains out as he rehabs from the Achilles tear he suffered in the Eastern Conference Finals. Bennedict Mathurin is out due to a thumb injury. Obi Toppin is out due to a foot injury.

Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Derrick White vs Andrew Nembhard

SG: Payton Pritchard vs Aaron Nesmith

SF: Jaylen Brown vs Johnny Furphy

PF: Sam Hauser vs Pascal Siakam

C: Neemias Queta vs Jay Huff

Celtics Reserves
Anfernee Simons
Hugo Gonzalez
Xavier Tillman
Jordan Walsh
Luka Garza
Baylon Scheierman
Chris Boucher

2-Way Players
Ron Harper, Jr
Max Shulga
Amari Williams

Injuries/Out
Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out
Josh Minott (ankle)  questionable

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Pacers Reserves
Tony Bradley
Kam Jones
TJ McConnell
Micah Potter
Ben Sheppard
Jarace Walker
Isaiah Jackson

Two-Way Players
Quenton Jackson
Taelon Peter
Ethan Thompson

Injuries/Out
Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) out
Obi Toppin (foot) out
Bennedict Mathurin (thumb) questionable

Head Coach
Rick Carlisle

Key Matchups
Sam Hauser vs Pascal Siakam
Siakam is averaging 23.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 48.1% from the field and 38.0% from beyond the arc. Over his career, Siakam has averaged 17.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game against the Celtics. In the 3 games this season, he averaged 19 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to defend him well in this game.

Derrick White vs Andrew Nembhard
Nembhard is averaging 17.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists while shooting 44.9% from the field and 36.6% from beyond the arc.  Over his career against the Celtics, he has averaged 10.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.  In the first 3 games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting 45% from the field and 56.3% from beyond the arc.  Hopefully White will emerge from his mini shooting slump of late and have a big game. 

Honorable Mention
Payton Pritchard vs Aaron Nesmith
Nesmith is averaging 13.4points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 35.2% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc.  Over his career against the Celtics, he averaged 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.  He missed the first 2 games against the Celtics this season but in the 3rd game, he finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 22.2% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. 

Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is the key to winning every single game.  The Pacers haven’t been the scoring juggernaut they were last season.  They are 30th in the league with an offensive rating of 107.9 while the Celtics have an offensive rating of 121.4 (2nd).    The Celtics are 14th in the league with a defensive rating of 114.0.  The Pacers are 19th with a defensive rating of 116.0.  In the first game between these two teams, the Celtics allowed the Pacers to score 61 points in the first half and they trailed by 18 points at the half.  They held them to 34 points in the second half and won the game.  The Celtics have to play tough defense from the tip through the final buzzer in this one and not allow the Pacers to get any offensive rhythm. 

Rebound – Rebounding is also an important key to winning every game. The Celtics are 10th in the league, pulling down 44.9 rebounds per game.  The Pacers are 23rd with 42.8 rebounds per game.  It is important for the Celtics to rebound the ball to give themselves extra possessions and to prevent the Pacers from getting the same along with 2nd chance points.  Much of rebounding is effort and the Celtics have got to put out more effort than the Pacers to grab rebounds for all 4 quarters.   

Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics need to move the ball to get the best shots. The Celtics are much better when they move the ball and don’t lapse into iso ball. Against the Pistons, the Celtics finished with just 13 assists.  They are 17-1 when they have 25 or more assists and they are just 9-15 when they have fewer than 25 assists.  Jaylen Brown especially needs to get back to moving the ball instead of trying to score on every possession.  Even though the Celtics usually take good care of the ball, they lose focus at times and turn the ball over too much.  They need to make careful passes and keep the ball moving. 

Don’t Underestimate – It would be easy for the Celtics to underestimate the Pacers and expect an easy win.  But that would be a mistake, especially since they did just that in their last game against the Pacers and lost the game.  Any team can win on any night if the other team lets down their guard.  The Celtics have to come out and play hard and not underestimate the last place Pacers. 

X-Factors
Home Game and Revenge – The Celtics are at home and should have the crowd behind them.  The Celtics need to protect home court and use the crowd support for motivation.  The Pacers have to deal with travel and staying in hotels and playing on an unfamiliar court and in front of hostile fans.  The Celtics need to remember their loss to these Pacers earlier this month and fight hard to avenge that loss with a win in this one.   

Officiating – The officiating can always be an x-factor.  Some referees call the game tight and others let them play.  Some favor the home team and others call it evenly.  Some refs just seem to have an agenda that doesn’t fit the play on the court.  And sometimes the refs are simply bad.  The Celtics have to play through however the refs call the game, whether it is tight or they let them play or they make terrible calls.  The Celtics can’t allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus on the game. 

JJ Redick was hopeful Deandre Ayton would be all right after he got poked in the face Tuesday night, but the Lakers coach candidly admitted his star center’s eye was “not in good shape.”

Just after the Lakers scored a 115–107 victory over the Nuggets at Ball Arena in Denver, Redick provided a bit of a concerning update on Ayton, who was not able to finish the game after he got his face raked during a play.

“His eye is, it’s not in good shape,” Redick told media members.

The coach added that Ayton was wearing a patch that made him look “like a pirate,” before he said they were holding their breath that “it’s at the bare minimum just a poke in the eye and he’ll be fine” on Wednesday.

For Ayton’s part, he didn’t seem overly worried about things, as he added a playful caption on a picture of his bandaged face in a late-night update on his Instagram page.

“Arrr!!!” Ayton wrote in a caption on a photo that showed off his eye patch. He added several emojis, including one of a pirate flag.

Ayton played 14 total minutes in the Lakers’ victory, scoring four points with eight rebounds.

He’s played in 37 games for LA this season, averaging 13.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and one block per game.

Ayton won’t have long to heal up if he wants to be ready for the Lakers’ next tilt — LA’s scheduled to head across town on Thursday night to play the Clippers at Intuit Dome.

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Austin Reaves hasn’t played in 2026 due to this Grade 2 calf strain, but that will soon change.

Reaves’ four-week absence due to this injury will be up soon, and Lakers head coach JJ Redick gave a positive update on his guard before the Lakers played the Nuggets on Tuesday.

Redick indicated that Reaves’ recovery has been going well and that he would return to play during LA’s current road trip.

The Lakers’ eight-game road trip is set to end on Feb. 1, so barring a setback, Reaves will be back by that date at the latest.

This calf situation has been an issue for Reaves all year long. Earlier in the season, Reaves missed a week of play due to a mild calf strain. The Lakers claimed they were being “cautious” with the injury, but he returned for just two games before suffering his most recent setback.

Once Reaves does return, the Lakers will get back one of their best players.

This season, Reaves is averaging 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Those are all career-highs for the five-year player.

When he’s back in the lineup, the Lakers can finally see what they can be with their big three featuring LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Reaves.

So far, this trio has played together in just eight games, totaling 140 minutes.

While Reaves being back is great news, he did lose the opportunity for any individual glory due to his time off. Revaes has already missed 19 games, making him officially ineligible for any end-of-season awards.

It seems unfair that Reaves will be unable to qualify for All-NBA accolades due to missing games, since his play certainly warrants such prestige.

But those are the rules, at least for now.

Considering how much of a team player Reaves is, he likely doesn’t care about those awards and is just thrilled to be returning to play for the purple and gold.

With nearly half of the season left, there is still time for Reaves to have a successful year and give the Lakers the best chance at being playoff contenders.

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

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Ex-Alabama player Charles Bediako, who has spent the past 2 1/2 years competing in the NBA Summer League and G League, had his college eligibility temporarily reinstated Wednesday by a judge who blocked the NCAA from retaliating for his return to the 17th-ranked Tide.

Bediako had signed several NBA developmental contracts since going undrafted in 2023. He played two seasons (2021-23) at Alabama, averaging 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks a game, and helped the Crimson Tide make the NCAA Tournament twice.

James H. Roberts Jr. of the Tuscaloosa Circuit Court granted Bediako a temporary restraining order and said he is “immediately eligible” to participate in all team activities. Roberts also ruled the NCAA is “restrained from threatening, imposing, attempting to impose, suggesting or implying any penalties or sanctions” against Bediako, the Crimson Tide or its coaches and players.

“These attempts to sidestep NCAA rules and recruit individuals who have finished their time in college or signed NBA contracts are taking away opportunities from high school students,” the NCAA said in response. “A judge ordering the NCAA let a former NBA player take the court Saturday against actual college student-athletes is exactly why Congress must step in and empower college sports to enforce our eligibility rules.”

The temporary order is valid for 10 days. A full hearing on Bediako’s request for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Tuesday.

Alabama hosts Tennessee on Saturday. It’s unlikely that Bediako would play, but his case is one to watch as the NCAA navigates eligibility rules that are being constantly challenged amid the ever-changing landscape of college sports.

“The University of Alabama supports Charles and his ongoing efforts to be reinstated for competition while he works to complete his degree,” the school said in a statement.

Bediako signed a two-way NBA contract with San Antonio in 2023. Although he has never played in an NBA game, he has taken part in developmental leagues with the Spurs, Orlando, Denver and Detroit.

Bediako sued the NCAA earlier this week after the sanctioning body denied Alabama's appeal to allow him to return to college basketball.

His case comes after the NCAA cleared international players with professional experience and other players who were in the NBA’s developmental G League.

In his initial complaint against the NCAA, Bediako cited the eligibility of Baylor center James Nnaji, who was the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA draft and was cleared to return to college basketball in December. Nnaji played in the NBA’s Summer League and spent multiple years with FC Barcelona of the Euroleague.

Bediako’s initial complaint stated that the NCAA has been biased toward international players with professional experience who have been cleared to play college hoops in recent years.

___

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The Golden State Warriors lost on Tuesday night, ending their extended home stand with a 145-127 loss to the Toronto Raptors. It was a bizarre game … the Raptors are the worst-shooting team in the league, but had one of the best-shooting games in the NBA this year, paced by a career game from Immanuel Quickley. The Warriors, meanwhile, played decently but couldn’t score much beyond tremendous contributions from Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga.

Here’s a look at how Dub Nation viewed the action in real time, as seen through comments from the Golden State of Mind game thread.

First quarter: ‘Kuminga should be starting’

It was a brutal opening act, as the Warriors fell behind 10-0 and later 28-10. The Raptors couldn’t miss, and led 41-28 after one.

Second quarter: ‘JK sighting’

Kuminga entered to start the second quarter, playing for the first time in over a month. The deficit would balloon to 28, with the Warriors trailing 70-50 at halftime.

Third quarter: ‘JK coming back to life’

It was very ugly for much of the third quarter, with the Raptors’ lead expanding to 30 points. But they ended with a bunch of energy and highlights, primarily from Hield and Kuminga, who were fantastic. They got back into the game, trailing 108-94 entering the fourth.

Fourth quarter: ‘Making it a game!

The Warriors made things interesting, but couldn’t maintain it. Toronto was just too hot, and coasted to a blowout win.

Everyone loves a linear narrative.

OK, fine – not everyone. If you’re some kind of wacky postmodernist, you prefer a strange metanarrative. You love yourself some Twin Peaks.

Good for you.

The rest of us love a linear narrative. We also love a linear NBA career. When a player becomes the player they were projected to be, it’s satisfying. Their predraft profile is a clearly defined premise, and their NBA career is a tidy, logical conclusion.

It might not go that way for Amen Thompson.

When he was drafted, he was either the mythological 6’7″ point guard or a bust. Thompson was going to be prime Russell Westbrook – oh, but also the best wing defender in the NBA. Alternatively, he was Michael Kidd-Gilchist only someone a worse shooter. His supporters countered that it wouldn’t matter that he couldn’t shoot – why would that matter in 2026?

I was guilty. I evoked the specter of Ben Simmons. Perhaps that trajectory is still on the table, but it isn’t necessary. Fortunately, he’s also had too much success to entertain a future “bust” label. Most of that career success has come as an off-ball cutter who conserves most of his energy for the defensive end.

Lately, it seems like he’s transitioning back into that role.

Rockets’ Amen Thompson is moving off the ball

On the season, Thompson has a 20.3% Usage Rate. Over the Rockets’ last five games, he’s at 18.8%.

Some will cry sample size. To be sure, it’s not a huge sample. It may be noise.

Yet, it has felt like a concerted effort. When Thompson shares the floor with Reed Sheppard, it’s Sheppard initiating the offense. Alperen Sengun typically feels like the primary hub. They’re both more natural half-court playmakers than Thompson.

“Half-court” is (are?) the operative word(s) there. The qualities that screamed “point guard” pre-draft are still present in Thompson. He has the floor vision, and it’s evident in transition. Thompson’s processing speed seems causally tied to the speed of the game itself. When it’s fast, he’s fast.

But when it’s slow…

Thompson seems uncertain about what type of half-court initiator he wants to be. There’s selflessness in his DNA, but he’s also aggressive. Wires get crossed. Thompson is capable of making utterly absurd drive-and-kick passes, but he sometimes drives when he should have kicked, or kicks when he’s too far into his drive.

None of which means Thompson should never have the ball. He’s in the 56.1st percentile league-wide in Points Per Possession (PPP) as a pick-and-roll ball-handler. He’s in the 61.6th percentile in isolation PPP. Neither of those marks is necessarily good, but neither is bad.

Thompson can attack closeouts. He can drive later in the clock if the Rockets have exhausted their other options. He’s not a point guard yet, and he may never be one:

But he is a point forward.

Rockets still searching for Thompson’s role

Last year, Thompson had a 4.1 Box Plus/Minus (BPM). For context’s sake, that put him in the same ballpark as James Harden, Damian Lillard, Cade Cunningham, and others. This year’s 1.9 BPM has Thompson sharing company with Alex Sarr, Payton Pritchard, Immanuel Quickley…

You get the picture.

There’s a counterargument to be made. You could say that regression was always to be expected as Thompson learned a new position.

Perhaps. A 2.2 drop in BPM feels like a bit more than “regression”. It seems sensible to conclude that if Thompson looked elite as an off-ball guy, and mediocre with more on-ball reps, he’s likely got a brighter future as an off-ball weapon. Call me crazy.

It’s not that the Rockets should have already concluded. It’s not to knock them for experimenting with him at the 1 this year. If his career does take the route I’m outlining here, he’ll still benefit from having handled the ball in his third season.

All I’m saying is this: the safe money suggests that Thompson is more Andrei Kirilenko than Penny Hardaway*. If the Rockets concur, they might as well set his course accordingly. His usage rate over the last 5 games is likely more indicative of what his future holds than his season-long number:

Unless his development takes an unexpected turn.

*Please forgive the imperfect analogy. Thompson is a singular athlete even in NBA history. It’s hard to find a comparison.

P.S. Does the asterisk at the end of the article subvert the expected linearity of the article ironically? If not, how about the postscript? Is this meta?  

LeBron James taunted one of his former teammates Tuesday night with a gesture that almost turned PG-13 in a hurry.

Just prior to tip-off of the Lakers’ road matchup with the Nuggets, James made his way toward Denver’s bench to have some fun with assistant coach Jared Dudley.

Bron with the pregame antics pic.twitter.com/SbXltfH3BT

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 21, 2026

The two guys were on the 2020 Lakers team that won an NBA title, and in a unique way of acknowledging his old buddy’s presence, James made a motion with his right hand that nearly turned vulgar.

The 41-year-old pretended to wind up his middle finger like a jack in the box, but thankfully for all the young eyes in attendance, James stopped just short of flipping Dudley the bird.

The two then shared a big laugh, before James hit the floor to try to lead his Lakers to a win.

The 21-time All-Star ended up having a great night against Dudley’s Nuggets, scoring 19 points while recording nine rebounds and eight assists. L.A. went on to pull out the victory, 115-107.

James didn’t address the pregame giggle with Dudley following the tilt, though he did tell reporters why he felt it was necessary to share a mid-game moment with Nikola Jokic, who sat out the contest while still battling a knee injury.

“Jokic is one of the greatest players to ever play this game,” James said. “And for me to see him, just go over and pay my respect, that’s easy. That’s easy.”

James and the Lakers play next in a matchup with the Clippers on Thursday night at Intuit Dome.

When reporters asked Golden State Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy, Jr. about Jonathan Kuminga’s trade demand, he didn’t just have an answer. He delivered a bar.

“In terms of demands, when you make a demand, there needs to be demand,” Dunleavy said Monday. He went to explain that Cranbrook is a private school, Kuminga’s parents had a real good marriage, and that while Kuminga stands tough, he noticed that on defense this man doesn’t have his hands up.

It’s not clear if Dunleavy intended to be so savage about Kuminga’s lack of trade value, one not helped by his inconsistent playing time with the Warriors. At the same time, Kuminga and his agent, Aaron Turner, haven’t been able to find much in the way of interest from other teams, or at least not ones willing to give up anything of value for the 23-year-old forward.

During the summer, the Sacramento Kings were the main team who expressed interest in Kuminga, but their trade offers were centered around second-year point guard Devin Carter and local favorite Dario Šarić, or taking on Malik Monk’s long-term contract, plus a Schrödinger’s cat of a future first-round pick that might be protected, might not, and might not even exist —it depends on what trade rumors you observe. They’re still interested in Kuminga, but the rosters don’t match up well for a trade, considering the Warriors don’t really need an eighth shooting guard in Monk.

During the summer, the Phoenix Suns were reportedly willing to give Kuminga a four-year deal for $90M or so, and their offer also included a salary dump of Royce O’Neale (owed $32.6M through 2027-28) and a garbage plate of second-round picks. It’s very difficult to make a deal work with the Suns in terms of matching contracts, and the 27-17 Suns may not be interested in shaking up their roster, especially with the return of another rim-attacking score-first player in Jalen Green.

Dunleavy’s harshness may be a result of the seemingly endless Kuminga saga, which dates back more than a year. It’s possible that Kuminga’s ankle injury last season scuttled the team’s plans to include him in a blockbuster deal, either for original trade target Kevin Durant or the eventual move for Jimmy Butler. It seems like Kuminga’s agent spends more time posting highlights of his client (some of which were allegedly altered) and taking to social media to criticize the team’s treatment of Kuminga than finding him a new home. Turner posted this after Kuminga sat in the 4th quarter of a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Sitting Kuminga for a month hurts his trade value but so does his agent trying to go viral on social media and making the podcast rounds. Is Kuminga’s new organization going to be excited to deal with Turner?

In his return from exile Tuesday, Kuminga scored 20 points, which might help rekindle interest from teams who may have forgotten he was in the NBA at all. If nothing else, he showed that he’s stayed mentally strong and prepared even through a parade of DNP-CDs and that the Kuminga-Hield combination can light up the scoreboard, at least against the Toronto Raptors reserves.

It seems like Kuminga really, really wants a trade and the Warriors are willing to trade him. Finding a trade partner will be a “demanding” job.