The best version of the Houston Rockets belongs in any NBA championship conversation, but they’ll be without Kevin Durant tonight as they visit the Indiana Pacers.
Though Houston is within touching distance of the No. 2 seed in the West, my Rockets vs. Pacers predictions and NBA picks expect a real fight at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with a healthier Indiana team showing signs of life.
Rockets vs Pacers prediction
Rockets vs Pacers best bet: Andrew Nembhard Over 2.5 rebounds (-140)
Without Tyrese Haliburton, this was always going to feel like a lost season for the Indiana Pacers. Still, a cleaner injury report is at least reigniting the spark that carried Indiana to the 2025 NBA Finals.
Andrew Nembhard is a perfect example. He’s been a difference-maker in recent wins over the Thunder, Bulls, and Hawks, and I’m banking on his grit for my best bet tonight against the Houston Rockets.
Even with Houston’s physicality on the glass, this rebounds O/U line feels too low for Andrew Nembhard. He’s grabbed 5+ boards in each of his last four contests, and this jumps out as a value pick, despite the heavy vig. Nembhard averaged 4.2 rebounds per game in January, and he’s consistently hitting the 30-minute mark in Rick Carlisle’s rotation.
With the visitors running a lot of plays through Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, Nembhard likely won’t see much involvement in those assignments, and he should be well placed to clean up possessions on the glass.
Both these teams are missing their biggest offensive weapons, and some clunky offense could drive big rebounding numbers here. Don’t be surprised if Nembhard is in the middle of that action.
Rockets vs Pacers same-game parlay
The Under has been a winning ticket in nine of Houston's last 10 games, and now they’ll be trying to find good looks without having Durant as a bailout option. The Pacers have trended towards the Under in a big way this year, and Houston boasts the NBA’s fourth-stingiest defense, allowing just 109.9 ppg.
I’m expecting a solid stat line from Thompson, who should grab a chunk of KD’s shots and rebounds. He averaged 8.3 rpg in January, and he’s gone past this number in five of his past eight contests.
Rockets vs Pacers SGP
Andrew Nembhard Over 2.5 rebounds
Under 218.5
Amen Thompson Over 7.5 rebounds
Our "from downtown" SGP: Spicy P strikes again!
Siakam’s All-Star nod on a 13-36 Pacers team says it all. He’ll be the hosts’ best path to buckets against a stubborn Houston defense, and he’s finished with 24+ points in six of his last eight games.
Rockets vs Pacers SGP
Andrew Nembhard Over 2.5 rebounds
Under 218.5
Amen Thompson Over 7.5 rebounds
Pascal Siakam Over 23.5 points
Rockets vs Pacers odds
Spread: Rockets -5.5 | Pacers +5.5
Moneyline: Rockets -225 | Pacers +190
Over/Under: Over 218.5 | Under 218.5
Rockets vs Pacers betting trend to know
The Under is 30-19 in Pacers games this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. Pacers.
How to watch Rockets vs Pacers
Location
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Date
Monday, February 2, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
SCHN, FDSN-Indiana
Rockets vs Pacers latest injuries
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With the calendar turning to February over the weekend, we're one month closer to March — and that much closer to seeing a 68-team bracket that will end with the crowning of a men's basketball national champion.
As that stage awaits, a handful of teams are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the field of contenders.
Just behind the Wildcats, No. 2 Michigan continued a stellar second season under coach Dusty May with a pair of top-10 wins against No. 5 Nebraska — handing the Cornhuskers their first loss of the season — and at rival No. 8 Michigan State.
How does the rest of the landscape look nationally?
NEW YORK — On Feb. 1, 2025, the Lakers left Madison Square Garden with a 28–19 record, the fifth-best-winning percentage in the Western Conference, after a commanding win over the Knicks, and were in the midst of a playoff race that ended with them securing the No. 3 seed in the west after having a 50–32 record.
LA Lakers’ Luka Dončić puts up a shot over New York Knicks’ guard Josh Hart during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden in New York, Feb. 1. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
Exactly one year later, the Lakers are 29–19 for the No. 6 spot in the west after their first road loss to the Knicks since Nov. 21, 2021, and are in contention for a playoff spot just like the previous time they left the world’s most famous arena.
How little can change in a year despite so many differences, with one of the biggest, of course, being the Lakers’ trade for Luka Dončić.
And with Sunday being the one-year anniversary of the transaction that brought the 26-year-old Slovenian star to Los Angeles, there remains an obvious question: How should this Lakers squad be assessed when it comes to their ultimate goal of not just competing for a spot in the playoffs, but ultimately contending for the NBA championship?
“We’re in a good spot,” Dončić said. “Obviously, got some work to do. But I think we have a great group.”
Plenty of work needs to be done.
Because for as much as things have changed since Dončić officially became a Laker — roster adjustments; 68 regular-season games (and counting) of Dončić dawning purple and gold; a five-game first-round playoff exit to the Timberwolves; Mark Walter acquiring majority ownership of the franchise from the Buss family, and many more — a lot has stayed the same when it comes to the Lakers’ slim chances of competing for a title.
LeBron James echoed Dončić’s optimism about what this year’s team can accomplish, saying that he liked the group, before recognizing the ups and downs they’ve experienced and unknowns ahead of them.
“We’ve had some really good moments,” James said. “We have some not-so-good moments.”
He continued, “We got to continue to get better. And that’s good. We should want to get better. … It’s a tough Western Conference. It’s a tough league. It’s been tough all season as far as dealing with injuries. Guys in and guys out. Unfortunately, our All-Star two guard has been out for a minute and that’s a big piece of our team. So, it’s kind of hard to see what we can really, truly be.”
Lakers’ Austin Reaves competes against the Houston Rockets on Dec. 25, 2025 at LA’s Crypto.com Arena. NBAE via Getty Images
The player James referenced is Austin Reaves, who’s averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds on the season, but wasn’t named an All-Star in light of being sidelined for 19 consecutive games because of a strained left calf, including Sunday’s loss to the Knicks, and playing in less than half of the Lakers’ games.
Reaves was a game-time decision for Sunday’s game, but was ruled out after going through his pregame warmup, with Tuesday’s trip-ending matchup against the Brooklyn Nets the next opportunity to make his return to the floor.
“He’s day-to-day, game-to-game, however you want to phrase it,” Lakers’ Coach JJ Redick said, “We’ll hopefully have him for Tuesday, but he’s gotta feel 100% confident.”
But even when Reaves does return, with the Lakers going 10–9 during his absence entering Tuesday, it shouldn’t be assumed that the Lakers will vault themselves higher in the standings when they’re healthier.
Or, if they do, be a viable threat in the playoffs.
Because for as impactful Reaves has been, playing at an All-NBA level before his injury, he won’t cover up all of their issues: An imbalanced roster featuring more “one-way” players than true “two-way” players. A roster that doesn’t consistently play hard enough. Or maximize its talent.
“We’re right there in the playoff chase in the west,” Redick said. “Our guys have been great all season. They’ve really done a nice job of kind of responding to the ups and downs that a season presents that is natural to the NBA cycle. Whether you’re a [general manager], a coach, a player, you’re never gonna look at a roster and say, ‘This is a perfect roster, and all the pieces fit perfectly together.’ It just doesn’t really happen a lot.”
On the one-year anniversary of the Lakers trading for Luka Doncic, LAL is 29-19, No. 6 in the Western conference standings and fighting for a playoff spot.
JJ Redick told players that the current group that is enough to make the playoffs, according to Rui Hachimura, with Rui… pic.twitter.com/L9BFv3TNxB
But perfect shouldn’t be the enemy of better, which is what the Lakers, led by the franchise’s president of basketball operations and GM Rob Pelinka, should focus on achieving ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.
Another seismic move, like the trade for Dončić or another star player, is unlikely to happen before Thursday. So is a move for, what most fans would consider, a game-changing player.
But if the Lakers want to get past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2023, a move needs to be made.
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Arizona remains at No. 1 with all 31 first-place votes. Michigan stays at No. 2 thanks to a pair of solid Big Ten wins this week. Connecticut and Duke remain at third and fourth respectively.
Gonzaga inherits the No. 5 spot, followed by a surging Illinois vaulting four positions to No. 6 after its Sunday defeat of Nebraska. Iowa State jumps ahead of fellow Big 12 contender Houston by just two poll points for the No. 7 position. Nebraska and Michigan State each fall back multiple spots but stay in the top 10.
There’s a strong Big 12 presence in the next five as Kansas is back up to No. 11 leapfrogging No. 12 Purdue. Texas Tech and Brigham Young hold the next two positions, and Vanderbilt now leads the SEC contingent at No. 15.
Texas A&M joins the rankings at No. 25. Thanks to last week’s tie there are actually two dropouts as Alabama and Iowa fall.
On Sunday, Feb. 1, Atlanta-based civil rights attorney Harry Daniels announced in a news release that Taylor has hired him to pursue a potential civil lawsuit.
In a video from HBCU Gameday that was widely shared on social media, Taylor is shown confronting a security officer as players from Tuskegee and rival Morehouse College shook hands after their game on Saturday, Jan. 31 at Forbes Arena on the Morehouse campus in Atlanta.
According to Taylor and Tuskegee athletic director Reginald Ruffin, Taylor asked the security officer to follow conference rules and help remove a group of Morehouse football players — who Taylor said were yelling obscenities — from the handshake line. Instead, after a brief interaction, the security officer handcuffed Taylor and walked him off the court.
"Such behavior from the Morehouse football players, particularly their intermingling with the basketball players on the court and during the postgame handshake is prohibited by conference-mandated security protocols," Daniels said in a statement announcing he had been hired by Taylor. "When Coach Taylor asked two police officers to enforce those protocols attempting to diffuse an increasingly dangerous situation, however, one of the officers chose to place him in handcuffs and escort him from the court. Coach Taylor was never charged with a crime.”
According to Daniels, attorneys are investigating “all legal avenues.”
“It would be bad for a police officer to treat anyone like this,” Daniels said in the release. “But to do it to a man like Coach Taylor, a highly respected professional and role model, to put him in handcuffs, humiliate him and treat him like a criminal in front of his team, his family and a gym full of fans is absolutely disgusting and they need to be held accountable.”
In a letter Sunday addressed to “Tuskegee Family and Friends,” Ruffin and Tuskegee president Dr. Mark A. Brown said Taylor has “our full, unequivocal, and unwavering support” while adding that the coach is “a respected professional who has consistently demonstrated exemplary leadership, integrity, and concern for the well-being of his student-athletes.” Taylor has been the head coach at the school since 2019.
“During the events in question, Coach Taylor acted solely out of his fundamental responsibility to protect his student-athletes and staff — particularly in an environment where agreed-upon and customary game‑management and security protocols were not properly carried out,” the letter said. “His conduct remained measured, professional, and entirely consistent with the expectations of a head coach entrusted with the safety of his team.
“At no time did Coach Taylor engage in behavior that could be characterized as unbecoming, unprofessional, or inconsistent with the standards of Tuskegee University, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), Morehouse College, or intercollegiate athletics broadly,” the letter continued. “Conversely, the circumstances that culminated in Coach Taylor being handcuffed — albeit briefly — fall well outside the bounds of what is normal, acceptable, or appropriate in collegiate athletic environments. No coach should ever be placed in such a position for carrying out their duty to safeguard student-athletes.”
The university said it remains “committed to working closely” with the SIAC and its fellow members to ensure that security and event-management standards are implemented and upheld at future sporting events.
The Alabama-based school hasn’t responded to a USA TODAY Sports request for comment.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 07: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts after making a basket against the Golden State Warriors during the second half at Chase Center on January 07, 2026 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 the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Bucks continue to engage in trade talks for star wing Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to the latest reporting from ESPN’s Shams Charania. Charania reaffirmed other reports that the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Miami Heat are the teams most aggressively pursuing the Greak Freek.
“Over the weekend the Bucks remained engaged with NBA teams that have interest that have given aggressive proposals,“ Charania said during an appearance on SportsCenter. ”My understanding is they’ve submitted counteroffers to those aggressive proposals as well. The Heat, Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks those have been the most serious suitors in the mix so far for Giannis. But it all comes down to the price point for him, right? A young player and/or a surplus of draft picks. So who meets that mark between now and the next four days before the NBA trade deadline.“
The biggest update from Charania’s reporting is the fact that Milwaukee presented counteroffers to teams. It has remained unclear whether the Bucks would move Antetokounmpo prior to this year’s trade deadline or were simply engaging in negotiations to preview more serious talks over the summer. Countering teams offers suggests a more immediate deal may be attainable.
The Warriors particularly benefit from a more immediate resolution to the Giannis sweepstakes. Not only are they looking to revive their longshot contender status after Jimmy Butler’s season-ending injury, but they are one of the few teams that gains little added trade flexibility while waiting until the offseason. While several other potential suitors for Antetokounmpo would be able to trade multiple additional first round picks or take on more cumbersome contracts over the summer, Golden State will only gain access to one additional pick swap.
Golden State has wasted a lot of time chasing stars and refusing to invest heavily in secondary players out of a hope that Antetokounmpo in particular would come available. Will general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. actually be able to get this blockbuster deal done prior to the trade deadline in a few days? We’ll know the answer soon.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 22: Bobby Portis #9 and Kyle Kuzma #18 of the Milwaukee Bucks play defense during the game against the Indiana Pacers during Round 1 Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on April 22, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Acknowledging the 6’11” Greek elephant in the room that may or may not be addressed this week, with just over three days remaining until the 2026 NBA trade deadline, Bucks GM Jon Horst has other decisions to make up and down the roster. Before Giannis’ most recent calf injury, we were operating under the assumption that the Bucks would be buyers, putting together a series of trade targets. They still might buy, despite the attractive path of tanking for a higher first-round pick in the 2026 NBA draft. There’s even a way you can do both: look at the Raptors this time a year ago. They acquired an injured Brandon Ingram—their current leading scorer—last February at 16-36, then picked ninth last June. Now they’re tied for fourth in the East.
So if Giannis remains a Buck moving forward, what does Horst have to work with? How can he get the Bucks back to relevance next season? Let’s take stock of what’s in his cupboard, which—unlike what national sources continue to say—is far from bare. One note: AJ Green is ineligible to be traded this season because he signed an extension on October 17, and no player may be dealt within six months of extending.
1–2. 2031–32 first-round picks
If Giannis remains in Milwaukee, these draft picks would be made when he is 36 and 37. Even if he doesn’t, it looks doubtful they’ll be contenders then. Put simply, these are two of the most valuable future firsts any team can trade, and as such, two of the most valuable assets in the league. Perhaps partially for that reason, Horst has reportedly been loath to include them in any trade and would only do so in a trade for a bona fide star. Whether that type of player is available at this deadline is debatable, but I tend to think there is not, outside of Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr.
3. Ryan Rollins
Probably the only silver lining to this disappointing season has been Rollins’ development. While he cooled off a bit in mid-January, the 23-year-old is now back on track and likely to receive some Most Improved Player votes. The three-year, $12m contract he signed last offseason is very team-friendly for 16.5 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.6 SPG on .466/.403/.755 shooting. That final year is a player option, and if this keeps up, he’ll opt out and hope to secure a much larger deal in free agency, if an extension doesn’t occur first. The only downside is that his lower salary doesn’t allow much in the way of salary matching. But make no mistake, he’s the Bucks’ best young guy, and an offer for any All-NBA type of player would probably have to include him.
4–5. 2031–32 first-round pick swaps
If either first in those years is traded, the only way the Bucks could deal the other would be as a swap, where the acquiring team could move up to the Bucks’ position if they so choose. Depending on how good that team feels they’ll be in those seasons, a swap could bump them up into the lottery or higher, so there’s plenty of appeal here.
6. Bobby Portis
Portis ranks sixth leaguewide in three-point percentage, and his other numbers are largely in line with recent seasons. He turns 31 on February 10 and is in the first season of a three-year, $43.6m contract, which also has a player option in 2027–28. It might be too early to tell if he’ll pick up the final year at $15.6m, but it wouldn’t be wrong to treat him as a $14.5m expiring salary next year. All in all, a good salary-matching piece and a player who would help a lot of contenders with scoring punch off their bench. On his own, he would probably fetch a couple second-rounders.
7. Kevin Porter Jr.
Out indefinitely with an oblique injury, KPJ was trending down big time before getting hurt. But prior to that, he was putting together a solid season, averaging over seven assists per game with decent—if inefficient—scoring, despite occasional turnover problems. He can opt out of the $5.4m remaining on his two-year, $10.5m contract and, even with an injury-marred campaign, probably will in hopes of a multi-year contract. The Bucks, or any acquiring team, will have his Early Bird rights, which means they can offer him a new deal of up to four years with a starting salary of up to $14.6m. That flexibility for a 25-year-old point guard who proved this past year he still belongs in the NBA could be attractive to some teams.
8. Myles Turner
While Turner is obviously the best player mentioned in this list so far, being in the first year of a four-year deal tamps down his value. Yes, his $25.3m salary would be great for matching, but he’ll have two further years plus a $29.1m player option in 2028–29. He’s still 29, and though his stats are closer to his pre-Tyrese Haliburton campaigns in Indy, it’s still a reasonable price for a quality starting center. I just think teams would rather not have that long-term money on their books.
9. Kyle Kuzma
Kuzma becomes an expiring salary next year without sort of option, but his salary drops from $22.4m now to $20.3m in 2026–27. More commensurate with his level of production and cheaper, which would be more palatable for a new team, but less helpful for salary-matching. By himself, Kuz would need draft assets attached to be moved, but combined with Portis, they could bring back up to $45.1m in return. After July, that figure drops to $43.8m.
10. Gary Harris
None of us expected Harris to be the better Gary this season, but here we are. He’s 31 and has a $3.8m player option next year, which is about $85k less than he’d make on a new minimum contract, so he might opt out. He and Trent both make about the same amount—$3.6m could come in handy, and he’d be a quality piece on a contender’s bench. Seems more likely to be a throw-in than someone who would get value on his own. Maybe a future second or a borderline NBA player.
11. Gary Trent Jr.
After a very effective first year in Milwaukee, GTJ’s next contract last summer seemed to be setting him up for a more lucrative, multiyear deal this summer. Trent will also have Early Bird rights come July if he declines his $3.9m player option, so another team could give him the same contract terms we laid out for KPJ, just as the Bucks could. But Trent has taken a sizeable step back in year two, and a vet minimum deal in free agency—if he opts out—would be about $300k less than that option, and he might not value a change of scenery at that much of a pay cut. Perhaps a team sees a fit in their rotation, though, and would send Milwaukee a second or deep bench player in hopes that he works out.
Believe it or not, Milwaukee does have one future second they can trade. It’s just not a good one. The Spurs will receive the Jazz’s second-rounder in June if it falls between 31–55; Milwaukee will get it should it come after 56. Utah is sixth in the lottery standings right now, so there’s zero chance they’d move back enough to one of the league’s best five records. That means the Bucks, or whoever possesses this asset, won’t be getting this pick. It’s almost worthless, but you have to send something out in a trade, even if it’s for a marginal asset in return. This might be enough to get the Bucks a back-of-rotation guy.
13. Andre Jackson Jr.
The main reason Jackson is so high on this list is that other teams might still see untapped potential here, unlike the guys below, who have hit their ceilings as players. He’s also the lowest-paid Buck, about $75k cheaper than the league’s veteran minimum salary. For a luxury tax-conscious team, Ajax makes more sense than the average vet.
14. Taurean Prince
Prince seems all but certain not to play this year after neck surgery, and he might decide to opt in for $3.8m next year. His $3.3m this year functions the same as Harris’ salary: maybe just enough to get a deal over the line. But teams probably don’t want a 32-year-old coming off a major injury on their 2027–28 roster, and would sooner take Harris or Trent.
15. Cole Anthony
As putrid as Anthony has been most of the season, he’s still an NBA player (for now, at least) thanks to his track record. He could still get another minimum contract in free agency this summer, and since he’s also on one this year, any team could acquire him. He’s just not worth much of anything.
16. Jericho Sims
I’m not confident Sims is an NBA player, however. He hasn’t been good this year, hasn’t really shown any development as a player, and is 27. Plenty of great athletes wash out of the league if they don’t show any plus skills, which seems like the route he’s headed. With a $2.8m player option decision this summer, he probably knows he’d have to settle for a non-guaranteed contract to remain in the Association next season and will exercise that option. He’s really cheap, but teams probably won’t want to use a roster spot on him.
17. Amir Coffey
I guess the only reason Coffey’s salary became guaranteed in early January was to use him as a trade chip, because he still barely plays. Might be a throw-in if they need his contract to make the trade legal, but seems likely to be cut no matter where he is after the deadline.
18. Pete Nance
Two-way contracts can be traded (we see this once or twice annually); they just count for $0 in outgoing salary. Nance has had some good games recently, but he’s in his final year of two-way eligibility, and he probably won’t get a standard contract elsewhere. I’d be surprised if he has any trade value.
19. Thanasis Antetokounmpo
There’s only one reason a team would want Thanasis: if they were also getting his younger brother.
20. Alex Antetokoummpo
This is not the brother I was referring to, but otherwise same rationale as Thanasis, plus the two-way stuff from Nance’s paragraph.
Am I off with any of these? It was hard to decide exactly where that 2026 Utah second should go, and how to order all the minimum guys. But we’re splitting hairs; everyone knows Milwaukee’s most valuable assets. Where does Rollins fit in among the draft picks? How would you order the 2031 and 2032 firsts? Curious to hear your thoughts.
We are just days away from the NBA trade deadline — Thursday, Feb. 5, at 3 p.m. Eastern — and the trades are coming fast, with De’Andre Hunter and Keon Ellis switching teams. The rumors are coming faster. To help you stay on top of all of it, the NBCSports.com NBA crew is on it, putting updates on everything worth knowing in this one place. Just refresh here and stay up to date on everything.
Knicks deadline decisions
If the Knicks — both the front office and their fans — could waive a Harry Potter magic wand and make it happen, Giannis Antetokounmpo would be a Knick before Thursday. The reality is that leaks coming out of New York suggest they may not think that will happen.
"The Bucks are looking for a premier young player(s) and multiple, good draft picks in exchange for one of the three best players in the NBA. The Knicks have neither of those, and to get close to what the Bucks are asking for, New York would need to trade two or three players in its starting lineup, most likely OG Anunoby, [Mikal] Bridges and/or [Karl-Anthony] Towns."
If the Knicks are not going to get Antetokounmpo before the deadline, they have other priorities.
They are focused on landing a big man for depth and have trained their sights on Goga Bitadze, who has fallen out of the rotation in Orlando, or on New Orleans' Yves Missi, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Either man would just be bench help for now, although Missi — just a second-year player — could grow into a larger role. —Kurt Helin
Doc Rivers thinks Giannis stays a Buck. For now.
What else is Doc Rivers going to say? You think he wants to stick around and coach through a rebuild?
On ESPN’s NBA Countdown over the weekend, the Milwaukee Bucks coach said what he has always said, that Giannis Antetokounmpo is saying all the right things to his teammates, and that Rivers expects him to be with the Bucks past the deadline.
"Giannis has said everything that we need to hear, that he wants to be a Buck, he loves the city and that's all I can go by as a coach right now. Has it been difficult? Yeah. Your players every day have to hear stuff. Every single day, about not just their best player but they're thrown in the mix as well. My favorite day of the year this year will be the day after the trade deadline. That'll be my favorite day. I think everyone will be here." Rivers may well get his wish, with league sources continuing to tell NBC Sports they expect the Antetokounmpo trade saga to drag out past the Feb. 5 deadline and into the offseason. Whether Antetokounmpo — and for that matter, Rivers — are back with the Bucks next season is another question. —Kurt Helin
DeMar DeRozan staying put
There's no real interest in DeMar DeRozan around the league, and while that could change it seems more likely DeRozan will play out the season in Sacramento, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic. DeRozan can still get a team buckets, he's averaging 19.2 points a game this season and shooting 50.6% from the floor, but he's a midrange shooter who is 36 and making $24.6 million this season and $25.7 million next season. That's more than teams want to take on in the apron era, at least at the trade deadline. —Kurt Helin
Ja Morant’s cryptic post
Ja Morant trade talk has died down, and it appears highly unlikely he gets traded before the Feb. 5 deadline. With that in mind, what does this cryptic social media post from Morant mean? — Kurt Helin
It's an issue for every NBA coach in February: How do they keep their team focused with trade rumors swirling around and players looking ahead to the upcoming All-Star break? The Knicks' Mike Brown summed it up well, talking to Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
"We understand that we have no control over the noise out there, so we have to have a bunker mentality. Not just at the trade deadline but all the time because there is a lot of noise out there. We're all human and you try not to listen to it – you just try to stay together. You keep moving forward, trying to get better as the days go along and I think that's what this group is trying to do." —Kurt Helin
We have two first-time All-Star Game coaches this season.
San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson will represent the Western Conference as a head coach in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which became official Sunday night.
All-Star Bound
Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson and his coaching staff will coach one of the three All-Star teams in the new U.S. vs. World format!#PorVida | @Ledgerpic.twitter.com/mivMRwKpSN
Johnson has led San Antonio to a 33-16 record, the second-best mark in the West (and third-best mark in the NBA). That is also the Spurs' best record through 49 games since the 2016-17 season (a Western Conference Finals team led by Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Tony Parker.
Johnson will coach one of the USA teams — Stars or Stripes — or potentially the third team in the USA vs. World format (more on that below).
Johnson stepped up as the Spurs' head coach last season after Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich had to step aside for medical reasons. This season, with a talented young core led by All-Star starter Victor Wembanyama, Johnson's fingerprints are all over the Spurs' success, evident in his player development and defensive focus.
Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff will be the coach representing the East in the All-Star Game, and it is also his first time coaching the game. While Oklahoma City has the best record in the West, because Mark Daigneault coached the All-Star Game last year, he is ineligible to coach this year.
All-Star Game format
This year, the NBA All-Star Game returns to NBC and debuts on Peacock — and it falls right in the middle of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. That was a perfect setup for the first-of-its-kind All-Star Game format, a USA vs. World showdown that fans and players have been asking for.
The 24 All-Star players will be divided into three teams, two USA teams and one world team. Those three teams will compete in a round-robin tournament of four 12-minute games. Each of the three teams will have a minimum of eight players (if the USA or World teams are short on players, the league office will select one or more players to reach the required number).
At the end of the round-robin, the two top teams will play a championship game (the fourth 12-minute game of the day) for the title.
The 75th NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 5 p.m. Eastern, an earlier time than in previous years, leading into more coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Every moment of All-Star Weekend — the Rising Stars challenge on Friday. (Feb. 13), All-Star Saturday Night with the 3-Point Contest and Dunk Contest (Feb. 14), as well as the All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15 — will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
The 75th NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 5 p.m. Eastern, a time earlier than in previous years, leading into more coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
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.
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MILWAUKEE, WI - NOVEMBER 7: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks the ball during the game against the Chicago Bulls during the 2025-26 Emirates Cup on November 7, 2025 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
Giannis Antetokounmpo is holding the 2026 NBA trade deadline hostage as it approaches on Thursday, Feb. 5. Antetokounmpo’s passive trade request has forced Milwaukee to consider dealing him this week, and according to ESPN insider Shams Charania, the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Minnesota Timberwolves are considered the most serious suitors. We have Giannis trade ideas for those four teams here.
The Bucks don’t want to trade Giannis, but if they do, they rightfully want a huge package of draft picks, swaps, and young players in return for their superstar forward. Milwaukee might hold onto Antetokounmpo until the summer to see if they can convince him to sign another max extension, but it seems like a long-shot that he’d actually sign it. The writing has been on the wall for years after three straight first-round exits in the playoffs, and this year’s Bucks are so bad that they are already best suited to pivot to tanking for a loaded 2026 NBA Draft while Giannis nurses a calf strain. Milwaukee could pick as high as No. 2 overall in 2026 due to a pick swap with the Pelicans and Hawks.
Antetokounmpo remains a top-3 player in the world when he’s healthy at 31 years old. He’s the type of superstar who is bound to get mystery teams involved in the bidding process, and one surprising team kept popping up in internet rumors over the weekend: the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls jumped to the front of the betting market over the weekend if Giannis is traded in-season.
The Chicago Bulls have become frontrunners to land Giannis if he leaves Milwaukee 🚨 pic.twitter.com/89WeFgBHGx
It’s all starting to add up: Giannis is buying property and going to church in Chicago, which is only a 90-minute drive from his stronghold in Milwaukee. The Bulls control all of their future draft picks, and could put them on the table for a deal, plus they have the expiring salary that Milwaukee could crave.
How’s this for a trade?
NBA teams can only trade their first-round pick every other year because of The Stepien Rule — which Secret Base has a great documentary on. This trade would deliver Milwaukee the Bulls’ unprotected first-round pick in 2026, 2028, 2030, and 2032, plus pick swaps in 2027 and 2031. Chicago can’t trade Milwaukee a pick swap in 2029 because Milwaukee doesn’t own its pick.
The Bulls would essentially be giving up six years of draft control for Giannis, as well as their best player in 23-year-old Josh Giddey. It’s usually a pretty good bet to fade the Bulls, who haven’t won a playoff series since 2015 and have only won one playoff game since trading Jimmy Butler almost nine years ago. It would leave Chicago with the following rotation:
G Tre Jones
G Ayo Dosunsmu
F Matas Buzelis
F Giannis Antetokounmpo
C Nikola Vucevic
Bench: Jalen Smith, Kevin Huerter, Patrick Williams, Julian Phillips, Julian Phillips, Noa Essengue (out for season)
Trading for Giannis now gives a team two playoff runs with him before he hits unrestricted free agency. The Bulls or any other team probably wouldn’t mortgage their future like this without a backdoor agreement that Antetokounmpo would sign an extension. If Milwaukee actually accepted that package, the Bulls would have to ask themselves if they could win big with Giannis right now.
Chicago is 24-26 on the season at time of publish, and currently sits in their familiar place of the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls would have work to do just to get out of the play-in tournament range this season. Given that Giannis has battled lower-body injuries all season (and for the last three years, really), it’s an open question whether he would be at 100 percent physically to finish this year.
Does a Giannis to the Bulls trade actually make sense?
No it doesn’t.
Giannis is ready to leave Milwaukee because he wants to compete for championships again, and in Chicago he would have the same problems he has right now in Milwaukee. The rest of the Bulls’ roster just wouldn’t be good enough to push for a Finals berth even in a horrible Eastern Conference. The downside of Giannis continuing to get injured, or potentially leaving in free agency, asking for another trade would be too much to give up so many years of draft control.
Antetokounmpo buying an apartment building in Chicago is just the type of real estate move rich guys make. I don’t really tell you why he was in the city to go to church, but I don’t think there’s some grand conspiracy behind it.
The Bulls refuse to tank and desperately need a superstar, so who cares about draft control? It sounds good in theory, but it would be an extremely reckless trade for Chicago with huge downside risk. The Bulls just seem to go a few games under .500 every year anyway, so who cares? While that’s a decent counter-argument, it’s a tough trade to swing when Giannis has already been unable to finish the last few seasons healthy.
The real failing for the Bulls is that they’ve been rebuilding for nine years and still aren’t in a position to trade for someone like Giannis. Chicago keeps trying to take shortcuts to rebuilding without actually tearing the down the roster, and it keeps resulting in the same outcome every year: the Bulls lose slightly more games than they win and ultimately bow out in the play-in tournament. Ownership led by Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf continues to be the biggest issue. If the Reinsdorfs don’t want to treat the Bulls like the world-class franchise they should be, they should sell the team. Michael Reinsdorf’s refusal to hold front office leader Arturas Karnisovas responsible for the team’s entrenched mediocrity is why this franchise will never be great.
With better leadership over the last nine years, the Bulls would have been in position to trade for Giannis. Now it doesn’t make sense.
I wouldn’t be shocked if a mystery team emerges for Giannis at the trade deadline, but my best guess is he stays in Milwaukee. The Bucks will probably try to sell him on a big trade that keeps him around long-term this summer, but ultimately it seems like Giannis knows he needs to leave to compete for championships again. This Bulls offer is really good, but Milwaukee probably wants a blue chip young player better than Giddey in any team. I’ll guess the Heat or the Knicks for where the Greek Freak eventually ends up this summer. Until then, expect more bizarre rumors like this one with the Bulls.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 31: Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 31, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Pelicans 124-114. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Way, way back – all the way back on Friday – the Sixers’ reality was so much simpler than it is now. The team looked OK, with the potential to get better at Thursday’s trade deadline. With the potential to offload somebody and get bench help or rebounding help or luxury-tax relief. Or all of the above.
Veteran forward Kelly Oubre Jr. has heard the same speculation everyone else has. He has heard his name bandied about as possible trade bait, since he is a useful player with a manageable contract. (He is earning $8.4 million this season, the last on his deal.)
Asked after Saturday night’s 124-114 victory over New Orleans whether the chatter bothers him, he said at first that it did not.
Then he paused, and reconsidered.
“It does kind of stink a little bit to have a contract that is easily, like, washable, you would say,” he said. “So I’m putting in the work, showing up every day, showing what I mean to this league and to this team. And hopefully, I can not be in this position again.”
With Paul George’s suspension, things would appear to be different than they were. Now it would appear that Oubre – already part of the Sixers’ most effective lineup – would be a guy they need to keep, Daryl Morey willing.
Now, it seems, the guy with the washable contract is anything but disposable.
Before Saturday’s game, coach Nick Nurse said replacing George will be a group project, that it will take the combined efforts of several guys to replace all that he did, as a scorer, playmaker and defender. Nurse then listed seven players, Oubre foremost among them.
“There are shots there,” the coach said. “Somebody’s got to fill in and take those shots. I imagine Kelly’s kind of played that role for us a lot already. I would imagine some of those shots, or a good portion of those shots, will shift back over to him.”
Gotta be music to the ears of Oubre, who at age 30 is 11 years into his career, and on his fifth team. He comes off as a free spirit, as a guy who is a loud and amusing presence in the locker room. A guy whose many tattoos include one on his leg of Bruce Lee (because, Oubre once said, he is not only a martial arts fan but “a big fan of being like water”).
But his game reflects a certain seriousness, a certain diligence. That’s reflected by another one of his tats, this one on his upper abs. “Sacrifice,” it says, an homage to his dad, who raised him first in New Orleans and then Houston, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
He often guards the other team’s best perimeter threat, and offensively he makes adroit cuts and astute decisions – something that has been especially useful recently, as he has melded with the George-Joel Embiid–Tyrese Maxey–VJ Edgecombe lineup. Oubre’s shooting percentages this season (49.5 percent from the floor, 36.9 percent from the arc) are both career highs, and his 14.2 point-per-game average is slightly better than his career norm (13.3).
Nor should his off-court energy be dismissed.
“It’s very vital,” backup center Adem Bona said earlier this season. “Someone like him that has a lot of experience in the game, honestly, brings that kind of energy day in, day out. … He pushes the younger guys to want to match his energy, to do as much as he does for the team.”
On Saturday Oubre scored 19 points, three after collecting Edgecombe’s behind-the-back pass at the top of the circle and burying a third-quarter triple. Afterward Oubre needled Edgecombe about the play, as the rookie met with reporters at his locker.
“He made the shot,” Edgecombe said, stifling a chuckle. “That’s all that matters. I just got it there on the money. It was a little shaky at first. I was a little worried. … But it looks good. The points (are) all that matters.”
Oubre, sitting in the interview room and cradling his infant son TsuSun shortly thereafter, acknowledged that there is “a little bit” of pressure to make a shot after a pass like that, that there is a desire to complete a highlight-worthy play.
“But,” he said, “you can’t think about it in the moment. You’ve gotta just let it fly.”
Either way, he added, “It takes a lot of cojones to make that type of pass, especially with a lot of defenders around. So VJ, he’s goated for that one, man.”
It was left to Embiid to finish things off. He notched 17 of his season-high 40 points in the fourth quarter, nine in a closing 20-7 rush.
“But at the end of the day, man, any given night we have a team that people who can show up and put points on the board, be key contributors to winning,” Oubre said.
They will get the chance to prove that now, with George out and a five-game road trip commencing Monday night against the Clippers. And Oubre can only hope to be “a key contributor to winning,” as he put it.
Everything will come out in the wash, as it always does. But on the face of it Oubre’s contract doesn’t look nearly as washable or expendable or whatever-able as it did, only a few days ago.
The second half of Monday's doubleheader on Peacock features plenty of star power as Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers (27-21) are out West to take on Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers (23-25).
Philadelphia will be minus one star as they take the court minus Paul George who will be sitting for the second game since being suspended for 25 for PED use late last week. The Sixers did win in their first game minus George, knocking off the Pelicans in Philly, 124-114. Dominick Barlow started in place of George. He scored eight points and pulled down 3 rebounds in 28 minutes. Joel Embiid scored 40 in 39 minutes to pace the offense.
The Clippers walked over the Suns last night in Phoenix, 117-93, for their fourth win in their last five games. Kawhi Leonard paced the offense with 25 points. James Harden (personal) missed the game. Defense continues to be the underlying story in the Clippers’ recent run of good play. Ty Lue’s team is allowing just under 100 points per game (99.6) over their last five outings.
This is the final meeting of the regular season between these teams. They met in Philadelphia on November 17 with the 76ers outlasting the Clippers, 110-108, outscoring LA 37-25 in the fourth quarter. Tyrese Maxey scored 39 in the win. James Harden had 28 for the Clippers. Neither Embiid nor Leonard dressed for their respective games in that game.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
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.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: 76ers at Clippers
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Game Odds: 76ers at Clippers
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Philadelphia 76ers (+114), Los Angeles Clippers (-135)
Spread: Clippers -2.5
Total: 220.5 points
This game opened Clippers -2.5 with the Total set at 221.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Joel Embiid (ankle) is listed as probable for tonight’s game
Paul George (susp.) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Los Angeles Clippers
James Harden (personal) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
TyTy Washington Jr. (hamstring) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Bradley Beal (hip) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Derrick Jones Jr. (knee) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: 76ers at Clippers
The Clippers are 13-9 at home this season
The 76ers are 12-8 on the road this season
The Clippers are 24-24 ATS this season
The 76ers are 27-21 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 23 of the Clippers’ 48 games this season (23-25)
The OVER has cashed in 25 of the 76ers’ 48 games this season (25-23)
Tyrese Maxey has gone 4-9 (44.4%) from 3-point range in each of his last 2 games
Rookie VJ Edgecombe has picked up 4 or more assists in 6 of his last 9 games
Kris Dunn has picked up at least 1 steal in 7 of his last 9 games
John Collins has pulled down 15 rebounds (9 at Phoenix, 6 at Denver) in his last 2 games
Collins has totaled 6 or more rebounds just 3 times in his last 10 games
Rotoworld Best Bet
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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 tonight’s 76ers and Clippers’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the 76ers on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the 76ers +2.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 220.5
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Groundhog Day feels like “Groundhog Day” for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who face a repeat opponent in the Memphis Grizzlies tonight.
Minnesota scored a 17-point road victory at Memphis on the weekend, with center Rudy Gobert falling just short of what would have been his 23rd double-double of the season.
My Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies predictions and NBA picks like the 7-foot Frenchman to double-up in this double feature in Memphis tonight.
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies prediction
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies best bet: Rudy Golbert to record a double-double (-110)
Memphis is missing several starters and key players, including leading rebounders Zach Edey, Santi Aldama, and possibly Jaren Jackson Jr. (questionable). With holes in the frontcourt, the Grizzlies’ rebound rate has tumbled during the team’s current six-game losing skid.
That depleted interior has also led to a spike in points in the paint from those opponents, with Memphis going from an average of just 48.6 PITP allowed to 53.3 points against in the key over the last six contests.
Gobert’s offense is somewhat limited to putbacks off rebounds and easy looks at the hoop. He leads the Wolves in offensive rebounds as well as second-chance points and picks up 8.8 of his average 10.8 points per game in the paint. Gobert's contributions could see a spike given the questionable designations of stars Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle.
Gobert recorded nine of his 22 double-doubles over his 14 games in January and just missed No. 23 by one point on Saturday (9 points, 16 rebounds).
Player projections for Monday’s return meeting in Memphis have Gobert’s offensive output north of 11 points with a ceiling of 12.3 while his rebound forecast calls for double figures and a high of 12 boards.
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies same-game parlay
The Timberwolves are picking up steam with four straight wins and ATS victories, including Saturday’s 17-point win at Memphis.
The Grizzlies are missing so many key players and so could the Timberwolves (Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle). I don’t see Minnesota shooting better than 50% from the floor in this return matchup.
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies SGP
Timberwolves -7.5
Under 229.5
Rudy Gobert to record a double-double
Our "from downtown" SGP: Go long, Gobert!
Our game projections call for a 118-109 Timberwolves win, which would cover the spread and stay below the total. Cam Spencer will put in a better effort for the thin Grizzlies after scoring just five points on the weekend.
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies SGP
Timberwolves -7.5
Under 229.5
Rudy Gobert to record a double-double
Cam Spencer Over 10.5 points
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies odds
Spread: Timberwolves -7.5 | Grizzlies +7.5
Moneyline: Timberwolves -315 | Grizzlies +255
Over/Under: Over 229.5 | Under 229.5
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies betting trend to know
The Grizzlies are 2-10 SU and 3-9 ATS as a home underdog this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies.
How to watch Timberwolves vs Grizzlies
Location
FedExForum, Memphis, TN
Date
Monday, February 2, 2026
Tip-off
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock
Timberwolves vs Grizzlies latest injuries
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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 01: Will Riley #27 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket against Devin Carter #22 of the Sacramento Kings during the second half at Capital One Arena on February 1, 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
The Wizards swarmed defensively in the first half and built a 17-point lead, slacked off enough to give back the entire advantage, and then let the deep bench mob play the entire fourth quarter to escape with a 116-112 victory.
If you’re worried about The Tank, yeah — be worried. It was Washington’s 13th win of the season, which puts them in a tie with the Brooklyn Nets for fourth worst winning percentage. The Utah Jazz — with their propensity for thoroughly unethical tanking shenanigans — lurk at sixth worst, scant percentage points behind.
Wizards rookie Will Riley carried the team’s offense for extended stretches of their 116-112 win over the Sacramento Kings. | NBAE via Getty Images
Ashamed owners of the league’s worst winning percentage? The Sacramento Kings.
The Kings thought they’d be good. Or hoped they would be. Or something. They’re the Kings, which means they could turn a fairly promising roster with an interesting future into this in just two off-seasons. Their roster-building strategy appears to have been finding guys who have less impact on winning than you’d think based on their reputation and glory stats (points, rebounds, assists). Their big three: DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Domantas Sabonis. Check, check, check.
Plus, Sabonis was out. Again.
All three are good-to-very-good players, by the way. None of them have quite the impact you’d want or expect.
The Kings broadcast kept mentioning the trade they’d made, which shipped out some guys and brought back a guy. The deal: Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis, Dario Saric, and a second round pick for De’Andre Hunter. I’m not sure they missed anyone they traded last night, except perhaps in spirit. It’s doubtful Hunter would have helped much. It’s a classic, “Hey, how ‘bout that.“ kind of move — give up not much to get not much. It doesn’t make them better, younger, or cheaper, and they actually gave up a draft pick to do it. #SoKings.
There was a game, and I was entertained. As mentioned in the lede, the Wizards were all over the Kings defensively in the early going. They kept deflecting passes and poking at the ball and forcing Sacramento to reset their offense. The Kings were working hard to generate difficult shots, and it showed — they shot 4-22 in the first quarter and committed six turnovers.
And then, the Wizards did the kind of thing 19-21 year olds are prone to do: they slacked off a bit. The attention to detail waned, the maniacal effort drooped, and the Kings started getting easier shots and wider paths to the basket. This is normal developmental stuff, and head coach Brian Keefe responded by rewarding the play-hard deep bench mob with all of the fourth quarter minutes.
Thoughts & Observations
My habit of watching the opposing team’s broadcast may have backfired on me. Not because the Kings broadcast is bad — Kayte Christensen is a strong analyst, and Kyle Draper is decent on play-by-play — but because they never addressed why Justin Champagnie didn’t play. In their defense, I did a quick google this morning and didn’t find a definitive answer.
My first quarter notes are filled with words like “deflection” and “pressure.” Those words stop appearing midway through the second quarter.
At 6:32 of the first quarter, Bilal Coulibaly had what I jotted down as a “sleight of hand” steal. It was so quick and casual, I missed it live — DeRozan was dribbling and suddenly the ball was loose. I rewound and on replay, I could see Coulibaly’s superb ball targeting and defensive disruptiveness.
When Sacramento’s Nique Clifford converted a layup with 9:15 remaining in the second quarter, it was the Kings’ first field goal in more than 10 minutes of game time.
This is the version of Coulibaly the Wizards want. He defended well, attacked on offense, and set up teammates. He’s so quick and long that he should be able to generate paint touches nearly any time he wants. Big things for him to work on: tighten up the ball handling, trust his athleticism when trying to finish (in other words: go over people, accept the contact, and get to the free throw line), and work on that three-point shooting.
Want an example of Keefe’s play design prowess? Check the video at 7:15 of the third quarter. The team ran a high staggered pick-and-roll for Middleton with screens from Kyhawn George and Marvin Bagley III. Coulibaly was positioned in the weakside corner; Carrington out top on the wing. The staggered screen forces the weakside defender (LaVine) assigned to Carrington to come over to help on Middleton. Just as Middleton comes off the screens and LaVine has to commit, Coulibaly cuts baseline. The Coulibaly cut has to be covered by the low man (Maxime Raynaud). Meanwhile Carrington drifts to the corner — each step lengthening LaVine’s eventual closeout. Middleton makes the pass, and Carrington suddenly has the ball with literally not a single Sacramento defender on his side of the floor. He nails the wide open three.
Late in the third quarter, Jamir Watkins got yet another open court strip. This time, his victim was LaVine. It’s not as flashy as Grand Theft Alvarado, but it’s effective.
Devin Carter was a YODA favorite despite being small — strong production and eye-popping athleticism. That athleticism was on display on a spectacular dunk at 9:09 of the fourth quarter.
9:09 — Devin Carter SPECTACULAR dunk in transition — 95-95
DeRozan wanted to attack Anthony Gill and kept forcing switches to get him. It was mostly successful by DeRozan’s standards — he got the relatively difficult midrange jumpers he wanted, and mostly made them. That said, I thought Gill did his job properly. He kept DeRozan away from the paint and contested the low value shots the Wizards would have wanted him to take.
One cool thing: Throughout the fourth quarter, the team’s starters cheered for the bench mob like a collective Anthony Gill.
Amusing moment: Late in the game, Sacramento’s broadcasters were calling for the Kings to foul Washington. Meanwhile, Kings coach Doug Christie was hollering at his players NOT to foul. When they finally did, he was thoroughly disgusted. In that situation — down three with 23 seconds to go in the game and 16 seconds on the shot clock — the Kings didn’t need to foul.
Sacramento is now on a nine-game losing streak.
The Wizards have won three of their last four.
It was fun to see Will Riley leading the team’s offense for an extended stretch. He finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists. His offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) was a lofty 131 (average so far this season is 115.4).
Sharife Cooper — generously listed at 6-0 — was the game’s leading rebounder. He had seven boards in 13 minutes of action, including a tip-in with 37 seconds remaining to put Washington up 115-110.
Bagley punished the Kings (who drafted him, never figured out how to use him, and then traded him for next to nothing) with 15 points (on 7-8 shooting) and 6 rebounds in 19 minutes.
Four Factors
Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).
The four factors are measured by:
eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORS
KINGS
WIZARDS
LGAVG
eFG%
51.2%
59.7%
54.3%
OREB%
31.0%
35.1%
26.1%
TOV%
14.5%
17.6%
12.8%
FTM/FGA
0.310
0.125
0.209
PACE
97
99.5
ORTG
116
120
115.4
Stats & Metrics
PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).
PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.
POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.
ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is 115.5. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.
USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.
ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.
+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 114, the league — on average — would produced 22.8 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -2.8.
Players are sorted by total production in the game.
We’re just two weeks out from the All-Star break, and “silly season” is right around the corner. To prepare for these end-of-season shenanigans, most of the players listed in this week’s column play for teams who aren’t expected to make the playoffs.
Moussa Diabaté and the surging Hornets are an exception, and so is Collin Murray-Boyles, who continues to play well for the fourth-seeded Toronto Raptors. This week’s top add, Kelly Oubre Jr., is set for big minutes with Paul George suspended until at least March 25 due to violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.
Ace Bailey is getting hot after a slow start to his rookie campaign, and Ty Jerome wasted no time getting back into the action in Saturday’s season debut. Dylan Cardwell’s role continues to grow, and Kyle Kuzma should stick with the starters until Giannis Antetokounmpo is available again.
Below are the top fantasy basketball waiver wire adds for Week 16.
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Priority Adds
1. Kelly Oubre Jr.
2. Ace Bailey
3. Saddiq Bey
4. Moussa Diabaté
5. Dylan Cardwell
6. Ty Jerome
7. Jarace Walker
8. Collin Murray-Boyles
9. Kyle Kuzma
10. Day’Ron Sharpe
Saddiq Bey, New Orleans Pelicans (41 percent rostered)
Bey is right on the fringe of being featured in this article due to his surging roster percentage, but he’s been too good to ignore. I’ll include him for one last week before he’s taken in more than half of Yahoo! leagues. Over his last six games, Bey has averaged 25.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.2 triples across 32.2 minutes. He's been a strong source of points, steals, triples and boards, contributing across the board and offering top-10 per-game fantasy value over the last week.
Kelly Oubre Jr., Philadelphia 76ers (31 percent rostered)
Oubre Jr. has started eight straight games with averages of 15.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.4 blocks and 2.0 triples. He posted a 19/10/4 line on Saturday, and more big games could be on the horizon. Paul George is serving a 25-game suspension, which clears the runway for Oubre Jr. to take on an expanded role. Oubre Jr. had standalone value with PG available, but he gets a significant boost with this expanded opportunity.
Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz (29 percent rostered)
The rookie has started 11 straight games, and he’s turned up his production over his last seven. In those seven games, Bailey has posted 16 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.6 blocks and 2.0 triples across 30.3 minutes. Bailey has shot 47.5% from the floor and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. The No. 5 pick is heating up, and fantasy managers should add him while they can.
Moussa Diabaté, Charlotte Hornets (27 percent rostered)
Diabaté continues to see big minutes as Charlotte’s starting center, averaging 30 minutes across his last five outings. In that span, the big man has averaged 12.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.0 swats while shooting 73% from the floor. Ryan Kalkbrenner's run with the first unit is over, and it appears to be Diabaté's job to lose.
Kuz has taken on an increased workload with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the sideline, averaging 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.3 triples across 33.3 minutes over his last three games. He ranks 101st in per-game fantasy value over the last week, and he should remain with the first unit until Giannis returns.
Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors (25 percent rostered)
After a four-game absence, Murray-Boyles has started three straight games and logged 28.3 minutes per tilt. In those contests, he’s averaged 6.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 swats while shooting 50% from the floor. His value as a scorer and rebounder has been minimal, but he’s been elite on the defensive end, and fantasy managers should pick him up if he was dropped.
Ty Jerome, Memphis Grizzlies (21 percent rostered)
Jerome made his season debut in Saturday’s loss to Minnesota, and he made an impact right away. The offensive-minded guard started the game and posted a 20/1/6/1 line with two triples in just 19 minutes. Cam Spencer was on a roll, but Jerome’s immediate insertion into the starting lineup and surprisingly productive night were not expected. Jerome put up some monster lines for the Cavs last season, so Saturday’s showing is not a fluke.
Over his last five outings (four starts), Walker has posted 16.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.2 triples across 27.6 minutes. The stretch big shot 52.6% from the floor and 76.5% from the charity stripe in that span, offering serviceable efficiency. Walker looks like he’s found a permanent spot in the starting five, and he’s doing enough in multiple categories to be rostered in standard leagues. Add him while he’s still available.
Over his last six games, Sharpe has averaged 8.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.2 blocks across 19.2 minutes. He continues to come off the bench behind Nic Claxton, but Sharpe is a great source of rebounds, steals and FG% who is widely available. He’s got tremendous upside for bigger numbers if Claxton is forced to miss time or if Brooklyn gives him a longer look down the stretch of another lost season.
Cardwell has recorded at least one blocked shot in nine straight games. Over those nine games, he’s averaged 5.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.1 swats while shooting 75% from the field. The big man has seen his playing time tick up, logging 22.9 minutes in that span, and he could be in line for even more moving forward. His two-way deal was converted to a standard contract following the De’Andre Hunter trade, and with Sacramento out of the playoff picture, Cardwell could be an end-of-season stud.
Raphielle Johnson
Kurt Helin