The organizing committee announced Thursday that Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will take part in the torch relay. The Opening Ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 6.
The series based off “Game Changers” books has captivated viewers with the fictional story of a Canadian and a Russian hockey player sustaining a decade-long secret relationship.
The first season became the the No. 1 series on HBO Max. Originally developed for the Canadian streaming service Crave, the show scored a distribution deal with HBO and has already been renewed for a second season, and it will broadcast in Italy beginning next month.
The Houston Rockets start a two-game road swing tonight, while the Philadelphia 76ers finish a five-game homestand, looking for just their second win of the stretch.
The Rockets will be without big man Steven Adams, while Philadelphia may get both Joel Embiid and Paul George back into the rotation.
That’s why my Rockets vs. 76ers predictions and NBA picks call for Philly to win outright as a home dog on Thursday, January 22.
Rockets vs 76ers prediction
Rockets vs 76ers best bet: 76ers moneyline (+115)
Veteran Houston Rockets center Steven Adams suffered a serious ankle sprain in the last game. “I don't think he'll be back anytime soon,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka later said.
Adams leads the NBA in offensive rebounding, so his absence will be felt on a team that is also No. 1 in the league in that category. The Rockets’ No. 6 shot blocking performance will also suffer.
That lack of a presence in the paint will be a problem, as the Philadelphia 76ers should welcome Joel Embiid back after he missed the last game with an ankle injury.
There’s also a chance Philly gets Paul George back. He’s missed two games with a knee injury and is questionable. The Sixers are just 4-7 this season with neither in the lineup, and seven games over .500 with one or both active.
Regression to the mean should work in Philly’s favor.
Tyrese Maxey, shooting 47% and 40% from three this season, has hit 33 of 88 — 7 of 28 from three — over the last four. He’s ripe for a bounce back, especially with two other scorers in the lineup to help draw attention away from him.
Rockets vs 76ers same-game parlay
The Rockets have gone under in nine of their last 10 games. They are 28th in pace, while the Sixers are 19th.
This cutoff is in line with what Houston has been seeing recently, however. The Rockets faced four Over/Unders this low in the last 10 games and went Under on all of them. Philly faced two this low in its last 10 and split.
Amen Thompson has 34 rebounds in his last four games, nearly one rebound per game higher than his season average. And that was with Adams in the paint. With Adams out, he’s unlikely to see his workload on the boards go down.
Rockets vs 76ers SGP
76ers moneyline
Under 221.5
Amen Thompson Over 7.5 rebounds
Our "from downtown" SGP: By George, He's Still Got It
George playing is the big question mark here, and if he doesn’t, this pushes. So we’ll take him reaching 15 if he suits up.
Rockets vs 76ers SGP
76ers moneyline
Under 221.5
Amen Thompson Over 7.5 rebounds
Paul George Over 14.5 points
Rockets vs 76ers odds
Spread: Rockets -2 (-110) | 76ers 2 (-110)
Moneyline: Rockets -135 | 76ers +115
Over/Under: Over 221.5 (-110) | Under 221.5 (-110)
Rockets vs 76ers betting trend to know
The Houston Rockets have only hit the Moneyline in 20 of their last 45 away games. Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. 76ers.
How to watch Rockets vs 76ers
Location
Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBCS-Philadelphia, SCHN
Rockets vs 76ers latest injuries
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With eight games on the NBA schedule, there is no shortage of options in the player prop market.
I’ve dug through the league's odds and found my three favorites for today, which include a bounce back for LaMelo Ball and a solid shooting night for Stephon Castle.
Check out those and more NBA picks for Thursday, January 22 below.
LaMelo Ball is in a bit of a slump, but that’s creating some value in tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic.
Ball has scored just 27 points over his last three games, including just two in a 1-of-15 shooting night last time out against the Cavaliers.
That is resulting in a low 16.5-point total tonight. Ball is still averaging 19.4 points and went over 16.5 points in 10 of his previous 13 games, including putting up 22 vs. this same Magic team on Dec. 26.
Orlando’s best perimeter defender, Jalen Suggs, is also banged up and is questionable to play.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FanDuel Sports NetworkSE-Charlotte, FanDuel Sports Network-Florida
Castle is shooting 39.1% from three-point range over the last five games, and now he faces the team with the worst perimeter defense in the NBA.
The Jazz enter this matchup, surrendering the most three-point attempts per game while allowing opponents to shoot the third-highest percentage from downtown (37.6%).
Castle has hit two or more threes in three of his last five games, and at this price, I love backing him to drain a couple more here.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
The star forward who has expressed his frustrations over Milwaukee’s play multiple times this season once again questioned his team’s performance, this time saying that some of his teammates were being “selfish.”
Antetokounmpo has taken just 48 shots over his last four games, including 11 Wednesday, Jan. 21, in a 20-point loss against the Thunder.
"We’re not playing hard," Antetokounmpo told reporters after the game. "We’re not doing the right thing. We’re not playing to win. We’re not playing together. Our chemistry is not there. Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team. Guys trying to do it on their own.
"At times, I feel like when we're down 10, down 15, down 20, we try to make it up in one play, and it's not going to work – we’ve just got to keep on chipping away, possession by possession."
Antetokounmpo has had an eventful season with the Bucks.
Recently, he booed back to the home fans at Fiserv Forum after they had booed the team’s performance. Earlier in the year, he scrubbed his social media of most mentions of the Bucks, leading to rampant speculation that he was looking to be traded.
According to multiple reports, Antetokounmpo broached the topic with Bucks management through his representatives, but he addressed the rumors and said "there will never be a moment that I will come out and say: ‘I want a trade.’ " In mid-December, however, he didn’t rule out that his agent may be having conversations about his future with the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo has maintained that he wants to compete for a championship, but the Bucks (18-25) are languishing in the East and have lost five of their last seven games.
Thursday marks yet another reunion between the Splash Bros, as Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors are in town to face off against Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks. This is the second matchup of the season between these two teams, with Golden State winning by ten on Christmas Day to start the season series.
The Mavericks have won four out of five games since suffering a four-game losing streak. Granted, three of those wins were against the Jazz and Nets, so it’s not exactly something to write home about. However, a 17-point beatdown of the reeling New York Knicks on Monday was fun to watch.
<p> (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)</p><br>
Golden State comes in under a cloud of their unfortunate new reality, as Jimmy Butler has officially torn his ACL and is out for the remainder of the season. It’s a shame for the Dubs, as they were playing by far their best basketball of the season before he went down. In their first game without Butler on Tuesday, the Toronto Raptors blew the doors off the Warriors, winning 145-127. Golden State trailed by as many as 30 points in the second half.
Can Golden State get off the mat in this contest? Or will Cooper Flagg and the Mavs prove to be too much? Let’s get into the cap.
Tipoff: Early tip alert! The ball will be in the air shortly after 6:30p CT from the American Airlines Center.
How to watch: Prime Video has the national telecast of this one.
Game odds as of 10:30a CT
Odds provided by the Fanduel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Wager responsibly!
Spread: Golden State -5.5
Over/Under: 234.5 points
Moneyline: Dallas is +176 to pull the upset tonight
Prop bets of the night
Naji Marshall over 16.5 points (+100)
Klay Thompson, Max Christie and Steph Curry to combine for 10+ made threes (-130)
<p>(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)</p><br>
Come on, we can’t have a reunion of the Splash Bros without them having a great night, right? Beyond that, we get to add the scorching hot Max Christie to complete our trio. Sign us up for that one. As far as Marshall goes, the Knife has been playing unbelievably well as of late. Expect that run to continue here.
Game pick
Mavericks moneyline (+176)
At the opener of Warriors -3, we would’ve considered Golden State strongly. However, now on the precipice of being over two possessions, we’ll take the home dog Mavericks outright.
We are approximately two weeks away from this season’s Feb. 6 trade deadline. The Sixers have been hovering around the middle of the Eastern Conference’s playoff seeds for most of the season’s first half. They appear good enough to make the postseason, and perhaps avoid the play-in tournament. But they’re certainly not the favorite to win the East either.
Now, you might say, before last season’s disaster, Philly was a staple in the Eastern Conference postseason and rarely was the oddsmakers’ choice to get to the NBA Finals and that didn’t deter the Sixers from adding to their roster. You’d be correct. Whether it was a big swing like the Ben Simmons-James Harden trade or a smaller acquisition like the countless backup centers Philadelphia tried to put behind Joel Embiid for a few months before the postseason began, the Sixers have always tried to supplement their playoff rosters adequately in the regular season.
But eventually all of that trading and roster reshuffling catches up to you. By now, I think most fans know that Philadelphia owes its first-round pick this year to Oklahoma City after retaining the first rounder in last year’s draft lottery. Technically the pick is top-four protected this year, but the Thunder will almost certainly be getting the Sixers’ 2026 first-rounder. That will finally wrap up the debt owed to Oklahoma City when the Thunder took Al Horford’s contract in December 2020. Remember that Simmons-Harden trade at the 2022 trade deadline? That trade won’t finally be completed until Philadelphia sends Brooklyn one final first-rounder in 2028 that is top-eight protected.
Naturally when you are a deadline buyer, it’s nice to be able to control your first-round picks. Philly does not have that luxury in two of the next three drafts which could certainly limit Daryl Morey’s options these next couple weeks. There is one high-valued asset that Morey could put on the table in trade talks and that’s the 2028 unprotected Los Angeles Clippers first-round pick that he got in the trade of Harden to the Clippers. Given the current state of the Clippers, that’s certainly looking like it could be a very high draft pick in two years. Is now the time to dangle that kind of a pick in trade talks? You’d have to feel really good about the team’s chances of making a deep playoff run. While the team isn’t bad, I’m not sure it makes the most sense with where the organization is at.
Entering the season, there were plenty of concerns about what the team might get from Embiid and Paul George as both players were a year older, injured a bunch last season and making boatloads of money for multiple seasons ahead. Embiid has given them some solid games on some nights while George continues to look like a bad investment. But the Sixers’ success this season has mostly been rooted in Tyrese Maxey taking the next step towards superstardom, VJ Edgecombe looking like a Rookie of the Year candidate, and some good ancillary acquisitions from Morey in the frontcourt behind Embiid. It has felt like a welcomed change to a newer and younger era of Sixers basketball. Therefore, is an “all-in” move which trading the team’s lone high-valued draft asset in the next three drafts would be, really the smartest decision right now?
Unlike previous trade deadlines, when Philadelphia was more clearly defined as a “win-now” team, the Sixers should not be looking for the veteran types like Harden and the countless backup big men they’ve acquired over the years behind Embiid. As we mentioned, they’re starting to turn the page and get younger, and that’s a goal that needs to be furthered at this year’s trade deadline and beyond. Players in their early 20s like Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona and Jabari Walker have been regulars in the rotation and have helped the team win games this season. If Morey can acquire another younger player like that who is also able to come right into the rotation and contribute for the remainder of 2025-26, he absolutely should.
But how many of those players are available at trade deadlines? Often times, sellers are looking to offload veterans and expiring contracts and hold on to their own younger players. That’s why the Sixers are in a tough spot these next few weeks. It makes sense to add, but they need to add strategically and often times younger players with club control are more expensive in trades and we already detailed the shortage of first-round picks that Philly currently has to offer.
So, where does that leave Morey and his staff as they work the phones these next few weeks? It means they will probably have to shop in the clearance aisle. That’s an aisle they can afford to shop in as they do have some second-round picks in future drafts that would allow them to have some conservations about some bench players on other teams or players that need a change of scenery. There are also the expiring contracts of Quentin Grimes, Andre Drummond and Kelly Oubre Jr. that could be attractive to other teams as well. In other words, they’re not out of options, but they’re also not picking from a menu at an expensive steakhouse either. If Morey can successfully thread the needle, we might be in for a fun second half and enter the offseason with optimism about the future of the franchise.
It was the Nets on the other end, what did you expect?
Here’s a bunch of quotes from the protagonists following a historic trouncing inflicted on New Jersey/Brooklyn.
"Sometimes you may not get the minutes/touches/shots, but you gotta sacrifice…As a leader…uplift, connect…Keep thinking about how can we get this win…how hard can I play…"
–– Mike Brown on what Jalen Brunson called Knicks "soul-searching" after Mavs loss & before Nets win pic.twitter.com/44rCBDkT3w
“I didn’t know about the record until it was mentioned. But just seeing us play the way we’re capable of playing again, I don’t know what the score will be every night we get out on the floor. Our guys are more than capable of going out there and putting it together for 48 minutes, and that was a lot of fun.”
On the Knicks standing despite struggles:
“We know it’s not an aberration. We are sitting in either third or fourth place. We haven’t played well. We are still in a pretty good position to win a lot of games now. Obviously, we’ve had some struggles and it may not be the last time. But what it does continue to show is if we play the right way, it doesn’t matter who is in front of us. We will find ways to get a win.”
On the recent adversity and accountability:
“The reality of it is, when you go through adversity it starts with an individual looking in the mirror, starting with me. I have to see how I can help. We all do. We know we’re better on both sides of the ball, we know we’re better than our record.”
On the challenge of fitting Jordan Clarkson into rotation:
“Yeah, it could be tough to get him in the rotation. Obviously Deuce played well during his time, Mitch played well, Landry played at a pretty high level before he got hurt. So trying to find minutes for those guys as well as for our starting group is tough. I can’t even hit the minute threshold for all those guys that I’m looking for. It can be tough from time to time.”
On Mohamed Diawara’s development:
“Mo’s played well. I’ve been pleasantly surprised. He’s got great size. He’s got really good instinct for a young guy. A part of that instinct is a feel on the offensive floor of how to move the basketball which makes the game easier for everybody. He’s working really hard on the shot and his decision-making. He’s a pretty good rebounder and a pretty good defender for a young guy.”
Josh Hart says the Knicks did not have a players-only meeting after Monday's loss:
"We talked, but it wasn't like some thing. That got dragged. We didn't have a players-only meeting." pic.twitter.com/8j4ILaNBmA
On the truth behind the reported players-only meeting:
“We didn’t have a players-only meeting. Y’all dragging it. We didn’t have a players-only meeting. I don’t know who said it, who did all that, but we didn’t have a players-only meeting.”
On discussions being overblown:
“We talked, but it wasn’t like some big thing. So that got dragged. We didn’t have a players-only meeting. We know what we have to do. We cleared stuff up yesterday in film and practice and today in walkthroughs. We know we haven’t been playing up to our capabilities, but we’re gonna continue to play off this win.”
On the need for accountability:
“We all need to do some soul-searching. Right now we’re playing embarrassing basketball. We’re not executing on the offensive end. Defensively, we’ve been abysmal. We’ve been terrible defensively all year.”
Knicks Captain Jalen Brunson on the Knicks soul searching and reflecting after their recent skid to help them focus on their largest margin of victory in team history against the Nets.@alanhahn | @NYKnicks | #NewYorkForeverpic.twitter.com/frA46bEQyZ
“Just sticking together, talking it through, having each other’s back, worrying about the little things on the court. Not just the stats, but the stuff that doesn’t make the stat sheet. The stuff that actually makes a difference in close games that can break teams. So that’s what we’ve gotta continue to focus on.”
On building momentum following the win vs. Brooklyn:
“We just had to be focused and get back to who we are. This is a good start for us but we’ve gotta continue to press the issue.”
On the offensive pace and execution on Wednesday:
“It starts with pace. Obviously getting stops and running helps, but our pace offensively was great. We got in the paint, made plays, and just made a lot of good reads tonight. I think us focusing on the things that matter, like the little stuff that allows us to kind of play free on offense, it’s big time for us.”
On having an ever-improving mindset:
“We just had to refocus and get back to who we are. This is a good step for us but we have to continue to press the issue of getting better every single day. It was just sticking together and talking it through and having each other’s backs.”
Karl-Anthony Towns was asked if the Knicks' players-only meeting helped the Knicks get on the same page:
“A win—it’s the most important thing. Find a way to break the ice and put one in the left column. Good game, good day for us to show what we’re capable of. Consistency is what makes champions. We’ve got to find that consistency of bringing this kind of intensity, energy and execution every single night.”
On building off Wednesday’s performance:
“Try to get two wins in a row. Execute plays with this aggression and have this kind of determination every single night.”
On urgency following team discussions:
“I think losing four in a row better get everyone on the same page. Glad tonight that everyone looked like they saw what was going on and what we needed to stop the bleeding. Consistency is what’s going to make us great. And it’s going to make this season a successful season. We just go to build off of this.”
"How about the Knicks challenging a call with 6 minutes to go up by 48…they're basically rubbing it in your face"
“I read the room, I see what it is. I’m just a vet, coming here, doing my work, staying ready. When I’m playing those minutes with the young guys, I ain’t taking nothing away from them. Being a pro, talking to them, trying to get them in their spots.”
On staying professional amid the loss of minutes:
“Still play but I’m not gonna go in there and f–k the game up. I’m just gonna try to keep continuing to play the right way, help these guys grow and continue to get better. That’s all I can do.”
On staying confident in his talents:
“I can help any team in the league. I help winning. You saw it early on in the year. I know I got a lot left in my tank. I can impact winning wherever. I’ll impact winning here. Just gotta stay prepared and control what I can control.”
"Me I never lost to the Knicks since I been in the league"
Still adjusting to life without Jimmy Butler, the Golden State Warriors (25-20) are in Dallas tonight to take on Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks (18-26).
In their first outing since Butler’s season-ending knee injury, Stephen Curry and the Warriors were waxed at home Tuesday night by the Toronto Raptors, 145-127. Buddy Hield had 25 off the bench for Golden State but the defense was non-existent for the home team. The Mavericks have won three in a row including a decisive win at Madison Square Garden over the Knicks Monday night, 114-97. Flagg was back after missing the previous two games, but it was Max Christie who led the way scoring a career-high 26 points.
The Mavericks are moving north in the Western Conference standings, having won six of their last ten to pull to within 1.5 games of the final play-in spot. The Warriors are holding down the No. 8 spot in the conference. They are 7-3 in their last ten games and 5.5 games ahead of the 11th place Memphis Grizzlies, but how much does the Butler injury take out of them?
Lets take a closer look at the 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 thelatest 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: Warriors at Mavericks
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Time: 7:30PM EST
Site: American Airlines Center
City: Dallas, TX
Network/Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Game Odds: Warriors at Mavericks
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Golden State Warriors (-218), Dallas Mavericks (+180)
Spread: Warriors -5.5
Total: 234.5 points
This game opened Warriors -2.5 with the Total set at 230.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Warriors at Mavericks
Warriors
PG Stephen Curry
SG Brandon Podziemski
SF Moses Moody
PF Draymond Green
C Quinten Post
Mavericks
PG Cooper Flagg
SG Max Christie
SF Naji Marshall
PF PJ Washington
C Daniel Gafford
Injury Report: Warriors at Mavericks
Golden State Warriors
Gary Payton (foot) is OUT for tonight’s game
Seth Curry (sciatic nerve) is OUT for tonight’s game
Jimmy Butler (knee) is OUT for tonight’s game
Dallas Mavericks
Moussa Cisse (illness) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Daniel Gafford (ankle) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Anthony Davis (finger) is OUT for tonight’s game
Kyrie Irving (knee) is OUT for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Warriors at Mavericks
The Mavericks are 13-11 at home this season
The Warriors are 8-13 on the road this season
The Warriors are 22-23 ATS this season
The Mavericks are 20-24 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 27 of the Warriors’ 45 games this season (27-18)
The OVER has cashed in just 19 of the Mavericks’ 44 games this season (19-25)
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 today’s Warriors and Mavericks’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Mavericks +5.5
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 234.5
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Welcome to the Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report. Every week, I will review each team's updated minutes per game to see which players are seeing the court more or less than in previous weeks. With this information in hand, I'll try to discuss any relevant fantasy risers or fallers; players who we should be adding off waivers or removing from our teams.
The charts below are also great for exploring on your own. You can track the minutes over the last three, five, and ten games, and for the entire season, to see which trends stand out to you.
All of this data was made accessible by Kyle Bland, who is incredibly talented and also extremely generous. Be sure to follow him to check out all of his baseball data as well.
The Hawks have been without Kristaps Porziņģis and Zaccharie Risacher for six games and will be without them for another week. I recorded a video this week discussing the Hawks’ rotation in the wake of that.
Boston Celtics
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Jaylen Brown
34.1
33.1
35.2
Payton Pritchard
33.6
32.1
32.4
Derrick White
31.1
33.2
35.4
Sam Hauser
28.4
29.5
27.8
Neemias Queta
26.8
26.4
25.5
Anfernee Simons
23.6
25.9
25.3
Baylor Scheierman
20.3
17.3
14.5
Jordan Walsh
14.5
17.8
17.5
Luka Garza
14.4
17.5
19.6
It's just lather, rinse, repeat with the Celtics this season. Sam Hauser is now seeing the majority of the minutes at power forward, but that spot has been a rotation all season. I should note that Neemias Queta is a top 100 player in fantasy basketball over the last two weeks, averaging 12 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks over his last seven games.
Brooklyn Nets
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Michael Porter Jr.
31.1
31.5
32.9
Nic Claxton
28
28.4
27.6
Noah Clowney
27.1
28.1
29.3
Drake Powell
25
24.7
21.8
Nolan Traore
22.2
22.8
21.5
Day'Ron Sharpe
21.6
20.3
22.6
Terance Mann
21.6
19.7
22.6
Ziaire Williams
21.4
21.4
22.4
Egor Dëmin
21.4
22.7
25.5
Cam Thomas
19.8
22
22.5
The Nets scored just 66 points against the Knicks on Wednesday. 66 points in a full NBA game. Woof. This team is fully healthy as well. After a strong stretch, Egor Dëmin has come back down to Earth, and the Nets are simply rotating too many players to get much value out of most of them.
Charlotte Hornets
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Brandon Miller
29.3
32.1
29.9
Kon Knueppel
29.1
31
29.6
Moussa Diabaté
26.9
29.8
29.8
Miles Bridges
26.3
29.3
30.3
Sion James
23.7
21.3
23.3
Grant Williams
21.6
17.4
16.7
Ryan Kalkbrenner
20.9
18.2
19.1
LaMelo Ball
20.9
24.7
25
Collin Sexton
19.8
18.4
19.5
The Hornets are pretty healthy now, but they have decided to limit LaMelo Ball's minutes in recent games to help him through a few bumps and bruises. In fact, he's even come off the bench recently ahead of back-to-backs. It's unclear how long this will last, but it's a situation worth monitoring. Moussa Diabaté has also seen his fantasy value take a hit since Ryan Kalkbrenner returned to cut into his minutes, but that shouldn't have been a surprise.
Chicago Bulls
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Coby White
31.2
30.9
29.6
Nikola Vučević
31
32.2
32.8
Jalen Smith
29.8
28.5
25.1
Matas Buzelis
29.8
28.9
29.8
Tre Jones
26.6
26.6
27.1
Ayo Dosunmu
26.3
25.9
26.3
Isaac Okoro
24.6
26.5
26.8
Kevin Huerter
22.9
23.4
24.5
Josh Giddey (hamstring) remains out but could return over the weekend or next week. That could impact Tre Jones' value, but Jones has been a top 55 player in fantasy basketball over the last two weeks, averaging 15 points, 7.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in six games. He's worth playing until Giddey returns. Patrick Williams is also dealing with an ankle sprain, which has led to more minutes for Jalen Smith, who has been a top 100 player over the last two weeks. I'd love to see Ayo Dosunmu traded to a place where he can play a bit more.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Donovan Mitchell
37.1
35.7
35
Evan Mobley
34.3
34.2
34.1
Jaylon Tyson
33.8
30.4
27.3
Jarrett Allen
32.1
30.9
30.7
De'Andre Hunter
23.2
21.8
22.9
Dean Wade
21.8
21.8
17.3
Nae'Qwan Tomlin
21.6
21.1
18.7
Craig Porter Jr.
20.6
19.1
21
Sam Merrill and Darius Garland remain out, which has led to more minutes for Jaylon Tyson and Dean Wade, who returned from an injury of his own. Tyson has been a fringe top 100 player, and Garland is expected to miss at least another week, which should help Tyson maintain his value. Wade played 16 minutes in his return and then 27 minutes in his second game, so he's likely to play near 30 minutes a game in the coming weeks.
Dallas Mavericks
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Max Christie
30.5
31.8
31.8
Naji Marshall
28.8
31.3
30.5
Cooper Flagg
27.8
25.8
31.2
Dwight Powell
26.4
26.6
22.3
Caleb Martin
24.6
21.3
16.5
Ryan Nembhard
21.8
20.6
20.1
Moussa Cisse
21.6
19.1
19.2
Klay Thompson
21.5
22.9
22.6
Brandon Williams
20.9
22.1
21.4
Cooper Flagg returned this week after missing two games, but Daniel Gafford has been battling an ankle injury, which has led to more minutes for Moussa Cisse and Dwight Powell. None of the big men are worth chasing other than Naji Marshall, who is at the center of some trade rumors and could be dealt into a bench role on a contender soon.
Denver Nuggets
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Peyton Watson
34
34.4
35.5
Jamal Murray
33.5
35.2
36.1
Spencer Jones
32.4
30.4
28.4
Aaron Gordon
31.9
30.8
28
Jalen Pickett
27.5
27.8
28.6
Tim Hardaway Jr.
26.6
29.6
29.9
DaRon Holmes II
25.8
15.2
15.9
Bruce Brown
21.5
22.5
23.7
Hunter Tyson
20.9
11.8
16.6
The Nuggets' injury list is incredibly long. Cameron Johnson remains out indefinitely, but Jonas Valanciunas and Christian Braun could both return this weekend, while Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon are managing bumps and bruises that don't figure to keep them out long. Peyton Watson has been incredible in the interim, averaging 20.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks in the last seven games, which is top 40 value in fantasy basketball.
Detroit Pistons
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Cade Cunningham
30.8
33.3
34.1
Jalen Duren
27.8
28
26.3
Tobias Harris
27.7
27.9
23.5
Duncan Robinson
27.7
27.7
25.9
Ausar Thompson
23.8
24.9
24.7
Isaiah Stewart
21.9
21.9
25.5
Daniss Jenkins
19.3
16.5
18.3
Jaden Ivey
18.8
18.8
19.4
Caris LeVert
18.5
19
17.6
Cade Cunningham has been dealing with an illness and a hip injury, which have limited his minutes, but neither appears to be overly serious. Tobias Harris has returned and immediately resumed his normal role, which has limited Isaiah Stewart's usage and value. You have to wonder if the Pistons would be better off trading Jaden Ivey since their rotation is so deep that he rarely plays.
The Rockets had been operating at the status quo for a while, but Steven Adams is now likely to be sidelined for over a month with a severe ankle sprain. In the one game since that occurred, we saw Josh Okogie move back into the starting lineup, but Tari Eason played more minutes. We also saw Clint Capela only play 12 minutes, so he may not see the boost in time that many expected.
Indiana Pacers
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Andrew Nembhard
34.6
33.5
32.8
Pascal Siakam
33.7
34.2
33.8
Aaron Nesmith
30.4
31.1
31.8
Jarace Walker
25.8
23.4
21.8
Johnny Furphy
20.4
23.2
22.2
Jay Huff
17.2
19.3
21.6
Quenton Jackson
17.2
16.4
17.1
Isaiah Jackson returned from injury but is only averaging 11 minutes per game in his three games back. There's just very little to be excited about or to discuss here.
Kawhi Leonard has missed the last three games with a knee injury, which has allowed Jordan Miller to step up. Miller is averaging 14.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.6 steals over his last seven games. That's been a nice boost for the Clippers, but when it comes to on-court production, this is really just a two-man team with some rotating pieces around them.
Los Angeles Lakers
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Luka Dončić
34.7
34.6
36.2
LeBron James
32.8
32.8
33.4
Marcus Smart
27.1
28.6
30.6
Jake LaRavia
24.7
29.4
32
Deandre Ayton
23.8
27.5
28.4
Rui Hachimura
22.9
20.9
20.9
Maxi Kleber
20.7
20.7
9.5
Gabe Vincent
19.1
17.3
17.3
Jarred Vanderbilt
18.9
17.4
20.9
Austin Reaves is inching closer to a return, which would likely lead to a minutes hit for Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia. However, until that happens, this remains even more of a two-man team than the Clippers, with not one Lakers player in the top 135 in fantasy basketball over the last two weeks other than LeBron James and Luka Dončić.
Memphis Grizzlies
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Jaren Jackson Jr.
31.7
31.5
32.3
Ja Morant
29.2
29.2
31
Santi Aldama
27.7
29.4
28.9
Jock Landale
26.8
27.3
24.8
Cedric Coward
25.7
25.8
25.3
Cam Spencer
21.9
25.1
25.2
Jaylen Wells
21.3
22.7
25.4
GG Jackson
20.2
18.3
19.9
Vince Williams Jr.
19.4
20.4
20.7
Ja Morant returned from his calf injury, but the Grizzlies are still dealing with injuries to a few other players and sorting out a rotation that seems destined to be impacted by the trade deadline.I recorded a video this week going into all of it.
Miami Heat
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Norman Powell
32.2
32.2
29.7
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
29.6
30.1
24.3
Andrew Wiggins
29.6
30.5
29.1
Bam Adebayo
29.4
30.6
30.1
Pelle Larsson
27.8
28.1
25.5
Davion Mitchell
22.3
21
25.5
Simone Fontecchio
21.1
20
12.4
Kasparas Jakučionis
19.1
21.2
14.8
Kel'el Ware
17.1
14.9
19.5
Kel'el Ware has been battling a hamstring injury, which has hurt his minutes and production. Tyler Herro is also dealing with a rib injury that will sideline him at least another week. That has led to plenty of minutes and production for Jaime Jaquez Jr. and a slight boost for Davion Mitchell.
Milwaukee Bucks
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
AJ Green
29.4
30.3
32.3
Ryan Rollins
27.9
29.9
32.6
Giannis Antetokounmpo
27.7
29.4
29.9
Bobby Portis
27.1
25.1
23.8
Kyle Kuzma
26.8
25.5
24.2
Kevin Porter Jr.
25.6
29.6
34.8
Myles Turner
25.2
24.9
26
Cole Anthony
19.1
15.8
15.8
Man, does it seem like Giannis Antetokounmpo wants out. He's taking the fewest shots that he's ever taken. With Kevin Porter Jr. (oblique) also getting hurt again, we're likely to see a lot of Ryan Rollins over the next few weeks. We could also see Gary Trent Jr. back in the rotation and/or Bobby Portis take on more work.
Zion Williamson is dealing with an illness right now, and Herb Jones is still battling his ankle injury. Yet, no new players have really stepped up. Derik Queen is in a bit of a slump but remains a top 80 player in fantasy basketball over the last two weeks. There's little else of note here.
New York Knicks
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
OG Anunoby
33.3
32.9
33.5
Jalen Brunson
32.1
23.1
30.2
Mikal Bridges
31.6
33
32.7
Karl-Anthony Towns
28.4
29.8
29.7
Miles McBride
27.4
29.3
31.1
Josh Hart
26.4
30.4
30.5
Mitchell Robinson
18.3
18.5
21.3
Landry Shamet
17.6
17.3
17.3
The Knicks are a bit of a mess right now, as I covered in a video this week. The good news is that Jalen Brunson returned from his ankle injury, and Landry Shamet made his return from a shoulder injury, so the team is healthy. Other than Josh Hart, who admitted he came back from his ankle injury early because the team was struggling. The biggest question surrounding the Knicks right now is whether or not they can win with Karl-Anthony Towns or if he needs to be moved at the deadline.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
34.4
33.9
34.3
Chet Holmgren
31.1
29.5
30.9
Luguentz Dort
29.4
27.3
26
Aaron Wiggins
29.1
25.9
24.8
Ajay Mitchell
26.1
26.3
28.1
Cason Wallace
23.8
23.3
24
Isaiah Joe
23
18.2
16.7
Kenrich Williams
17
16
14.8
The Thunder are not only dealing with an injury to Jalen Williams, which I discussed in a video this week, but Ajay Mitchell also got hurt on Wednesday night. With Alex Caruso also battling a groin injury, expect a lot of work for Aaron Wiggins, but the Thunder's impressive depth is starting to be tested right now.
The 76ers are continuing to monitor minutes for Joel Embiid and Paul George as the two veterans recover from knee injuries. Good thing for Philadelphia that Tyrese Maxey has emerged as a bona fide star and the face of the franchise, as I covered in a video this week.
Phoenix Suns
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Devin Booker
34.9
36.1
34.5
Dillon Brooks
31.1
31.5
30.7
Grayson Allen
28.7
28.7
26.2
Royce O'Neale
27.4
28.7
29.1
Collin Gillespie
27.3
28.5
27.9
Mark Williams
24.2
25.3
24.2
Oso Ighodaro
23.4
22.4
22.3
Jalen Green
19.9
19.9
19.9
Jordan Goodwin
19
21.2
22.4
The Suns got Jalen Green back this week and are now playing Grayson Allen a full complement of minutes with him fully recovered from his own injury. My colleague, Noah Rubin, broke all of that down in a video this week.
Portland Trail Blazers
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Toumani Camara
33.6
33.7
35.2
Shaedon Sharpe
32.2
31.9
31.5
Deni Avdija
31.8
34.9
35.8
Donovan Clingan
30.9
29
30.6
Sidy Cissoko
28.3
27.8
24.5
Caleb Love
26.2
28.3
27.7
Jerami Grant
22.4
22.4
22.4
Jrue Holiday
20.1
19.3
19.3
Robert Williams III
18.3
17.1
15.4
Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday are back, but Portland is continuing to monitor their minutes. That has allowed Caleb Love to remain in the rotation. Shaedon Sharpe has also had a nice month of January, and is averaging 23 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game over his last six games. That's top 50 value in fantasy basketball.
Sacramento Kings
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
DeMar DeRozan
34.4
35.4
35.1
Russell Westbrook
33.1
33.9
33.5
Zach LaVine
29.6
31.5
32
Malik Monk
27.1
23.2
24.2
Dylan Cardwell
24
22.4
20
Maxime Raynaud
20.9
22.2
24.8
Precious Achiuwa
20.2
25.3
23.8
Nique Clifford
19.6
18.1
18.6
Dennis Schröder
19
19.3
21.4
Domantas Sabonis
18.4
19.3
19.3
Domantas Sabonis has returned, but the Kings are going to be cautious with his minutes as they look to keep him healthy and trade him at the deadline. One name to watch is Dylan Cardwell. He has entered the rotation and flashed some intriguing ability and skills on the glass. If the Kings do make some trades, he could see a big bump in minutes and usage.
San Antonio Spurs
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
De'Aaron Fox
34.1
31.8
32.8
Julian Champagnie
31.4
30.4
32.2
Stephon Castle
31.3
31.2
31.2
Victor Wembanyama
28.9
27.2
26.3
Keldon Johnson
27.6
24.9
25.8
Harrison Barnes
25.3
23.2
25.6
Dylan Harper
23
23.9
21.4
Luke Kornet
21.7
21.1
23.2
Devin Vassell (thigh) remains out, and Luke Kornet is dealing with an adductor injury, so Julian Champagnie continues to see big minutes, and the Spurs are starting to increase Victor Wembanyama's playing time. This team operates through Wmeby, De'Aaron Fox, and Stephon Castle, so those are really the only three names to know for fantasy purposes.
Toronto Raptors
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Scottie Barnes
35.3
37
36.6
Brandon Ingram
34.9
36.4
32.8
Immanuel Quickley
32.6
32.6
33.6
Jamal Shead
28.6
31.8
29.2
Sandro Mamukelashvili
27.5
26.1
24
Collin Murray-Boyles
24.6
30.8
31.4
Ochai Agbaji
18.7
23.2
16.7
Gradey Dick
18.2
22.4
18.8
RJ Barrett (ankle), Jakob Poeltl (back), and Collin Murray-Boyles (thumb) remain sidelined. That has really just led to more usage for Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, who are both top 20 players over the last week. Sandro Mamukelashvili has also stepped up of late and has some value as long as Murray-Boyles remains out (which might not be long).
Utah Jazz
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Keyonte George
36.8
34.6
34.2
Ace Bailey
32.2
31.6
26.2
Brice Sensabaugh
29.7
30.6
28.8
Kyle Filipowski
29.4
27.8
22.3
Jusuf Nurkić
28.6
28.6
30.1
Cody Williams
26.7
28.5
25.3
Walter Clayton Jr.
23.9
24.8
23.8
Isaiah Collier
23.9
24.4
24.1
Kevin Love
20.7
20.7
19.4
The Jazz injury list is long because tons of guys are listed as Questionable as the team rotates which players to give days off to in their quest to tank but not do it so obviously. That has led to more minutes and usage for Brice Sensabaugh, who has taken advantage of the opportunity and should continue to play big minutes with the stars resting.
Washington Wizards
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Bub Carrington
38.3
36.1
32.3
Tre Johnson
30.3
29.7
27.9
Kyshawn George
29.7
29.6
28.6
Alex Sarr
29
25.6
26.5
Khris Middleton
27.4
25.1
23.1
Justin Champagnie
26.3
25.4
23.9
Jamir Watkins
22.1
22.1
22.1
Will Riley
18.7
20.5
18.4
Marvin Bagley III
18.7
19.8
18.1
Bilal Coulibaly is hurt yet again, and Khris Middleton is battling an illness. This team is now driven by Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr, with Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson occasionally popping up for solid performances.
Lakers star Luka Doncic's fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, left him out of a message about "ups and downs" that she shared in a post recapping the last decade.
Lakers star Luka Doncic’s fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, left him out of a message about “ups and downs” that she shared in a post recapping the last decade.
Goltes, who is a model and influencer, shared dozens of Instagram photos showing her modeling, pregnant and spending time with the couple’s two young daughters — but Doncic was not pictured.
“2016–2026. A decade of good times, hard lessons, and everything in between,” Goltes, 27, wrote.
“Plenty of ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change a single moment .”
The six-time NBA All-Star and Goltes welcomed their second daughter on Dec. 4.
Doncic and Goltes are fairly private about their relationship.
The Jordan Brand athlete missed multiple Lakers games to be with Goltes in Slovenia for the birth of their second child last month.
Lakers star Luka Doncic’s fiancée, Anamaria Goltes was candid about “ups and downs” in an Instagram post recapping the last decade. Instagram/Anamaria Goltes
Doncic notched a triple-double L.A.’s 115-107 win over the Nuggets in Denver on Tuesday. He finished with 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Lakers play the Clippers in Inglewood on Thursday night.
As of Monday, Doncic was leading fan voting for this year’s NBA All-Stars in the Western Conference.
Lakers star Luka Doncic’s fiancée, Anamaria Goltes was candid about “ups and downs” in an Instagram post recapping the last decade. Instagram/Anamaria Goltes
Doncic and Goltes got engaged in Slovenia in July 2023 — five months after they announced the birth of their first child, Gabriela, in an Instagram post on Dec. 1, 2022.
Luka Doncic Lakers looks on during the game against the Nuggets on January 20, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver. NBAE via Getty Images
“I met her in Croatia in the same camp I go to now. I met her when we were 11 — I don’t know, something like that,” Doncic said during a 2023 appearance on “Headliners with Rachel Nichols” on Showtime. “So, I’m really happy to have her. It’s been great and she helps me a lot.
“It’s a lot of pressure outside. When I get home, it’s no basketball talk. She don’t like basketball, but she goes to every game. I mean, she likes it now, but she didn’t like it, which is good for me. I really like that.”
The Milwaukee Bucks are seven games below .500, have a -3.5 net rating, and are outside even the play-in in the East, sitting as the No. 11 seed. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the defending champions and the best team in the NBA again this season. So, when the two teams met on Wednesday night in Milwaukee, the expected happened, and the Thunder easily handled the Bucks in a blowout win, 122-102.
After the game, a frustrated Giannis Antetokounmpo went off on his Bucks teammates.
"We're not playing hard," Antetokounmpo said, via the Associated Press. "We aren't doing the right thing. We're not playing to win. We're not playing together. Our chemistry's not there. Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team. Guys trying to do it on their own.
"At times, I feel like when we're down 10, down 15, down 20, we try to make it up in one play, and it's not going to work."
All season long, the Bucks have looked much better — at least like a legit playoff team and maybe a threat — when the ball is in Antetokounmpo's hands. On Wednesday, he had only had 11 shots (14 true shot attempts as he got to the line six times), and he has not had more than 13 shot attempts in his last four games. Part of that is how teams are defending the Bucks, overloading on Antetokounmpo and daring anyone else to beat them.
"I'm not the guy that will yell and cuss his teammate out and demand the ball," Antetokounmpo said. "I've never done that in my career. But I feel like I've played with teammates that kind of understand the gravity that I can cause for our team, in how I can create for teammates and for myself, and how I can help the team be more successful.
"But maybe for some reason, I don't understand -- maybe because we're young, maybe because we're not playing well, maybe because guys think it's their turn, they want to carry the team on their back and try to turn this around — but I really don't get it. I really don't."
This rant will spark more noise from talking heads and on social media about the Bucks trading Antetokounmpo at the deadline, but the facts on the ground there have not changed. Milwaukee is not going to trade the best player in franchise history — the guy who drives the economy of their team in a smaller market — unless he demands it, and Antetokounmpo has said he would never ask for a trade. Add in Antetokounmpo's massive $54.1 million salary, and trading him in the next two weeks is very difficult under the luxury tax apron-era CBA.
The Bucks are being very active on the trade market, looking to add major talent — Zach LaVine, Ja Morant, and other names are mentioned — and improve the team, not trade away their star and the face of the franchise.
While people around the league believe Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are headed for a split, league sources have consistently told NBC Sports it was most likely to happen in the offseason. That's when Milwaukee will offer Antetokounmpo a max extension, and if he doesn't sign it — as most expect — it is essentially trade demand without having to play the bad guy and articulate it. The Bucks will have to trade him or risk losing him for nothing in the summer of 2027 (where the Clippers, Heat and others are lined up with cap space, waiting). It's possible Antetokounmpo will use the contract extension offer as leverage to get the Bucks to upgrade the roster (as they did with Jrue Holiday and later Damian Lillard when earlier Antetokounmpo extensions were up) and then re-sign with the team. But this time it feels different.
All of that is months away. Right now, Antetokounmpo wants to win with this team on the court and the Bucks do not look like even a playoff team.
Ten days ago, I threw a challenge into the void. I went to The Feed and asked, in full Stephen Crowder fashion, for someone to change my mind on the idea that the Suns should stand pat as the trade deadline approaches.
And I am still right where I was then. I like this team as it is built. I like the depth. I like the balance. Power forward remains an area of opportunity, sure, but I do not see anything out there that feels both attainable and worth disrupting what they have going.
Before we dive in, I want to say this sincerely. Thank you. Thank you for taking the time to think through it, to type it out, and to engage with the exercise. I know how much work that is, because I live in a keyboard most days. You all brought thoughtful ideas and real effort.
So now let’s get into it. Let’s walk through what the community had to say, and I will explain where I agree, where I disagree, and whether anything actually moved the needle for me. Let’s explore.
jrm2020: Lauri Markannen
Several of us have been advocating for acquiring Lauri Markenen from Utah for the past several weeks. To repeat some of the rationale presented: fills the Suns biggest position of need with size, experience, proven scoring and rebounding (currently averaging more PPG than anyone on the Suns), and is around the same age as core vets like Booker, Brooks, and Allen. It would be a serious all-in win now move that would immediately raise the team’s ceiling to what I believe would be the level of a true contender. Also, the Jazz have a serious incentive to tank enough to guarantee a top 8 pick so to avoid it being conveyed to OKC. Would definitely requiring sacrificing something of real value to get him, and the Suns probably don’t have enough of the draft capitol that Utah probably primarily wants, but maybe by involving a third team something could be cobbled together to satisfy them. I’m not aware of the Jazz’s position on moving him now, but he’s certainly been rumored as being a target for other teams, so why not us?
I am not anti-Lauri Markkanen. I like him as a player, and I understand the appeal. On paper, his addition feels like a clean next step in properly building around Devin Booker. He grades out as a highly productive player on both ends per B-Ball Index, and from a pure roster construction standpoint, the fit makes sense. At least on the surface.
Where it falls apart is the cost. That is the real hang-up. And jrm2020 nailed the key issue. The Suns probably do not have the draft capital Utah would want. That is correct. But it goes deeper than picks.
Markkanen is making $46.4 million this season. Even with a third team involved, you are talking about moving real money and real depth to make the math work. I am not there yet. Not with how this team feels right now.
This is the type of move you revisit in the offseason. Especially once you have clarity on Jalen Green. He is the kind of financial piece that could eventually help grease the wheels on a deal like this. But right now, the timing is off. The Suns do not have the draft assets to realistically land Markkanen, even with creative accounting and extra teams involved. Neither player is on an expiring deal either. Green would still have two years left after this season. Markkanen has three, with his contract climbing to $53.5 million by 2028-29.
The idea makes sense. The reality does not.
Making this move now would be a full pivot. One that strips depth to chase a single outcome. Utah would want picks. Phoenix does not have enough. Other teams can beat that offer easily. Exploring it right now feels like an exercise in futility.
I would rather let this season breathe. Evaluate Jalen Green. Ride the momentum. Cashing in every chip for a move like this, right now, feels premature.
Mind changed? Interesting theory, but I’m standing pat.
Jtasher: Bobby Portis
The one person I am interested in is Bobby Portis. Good size PF who is tough, can shoot the three and has that mad dawg personality that will fit with the rest of the team. Also someone who has nba experience in the playoffs. But I do not think green should be traded for him and I do not think either o Neal or Allen are enough to get him (without expending draft capital). For the bucks, I think he is available to maybe convince Giannis to stay (if they get an upgrade) or if they blow every thing up. If so a third party may be needed to give them the return on what they want or us to get him.
Bobby Portis is a really interesting name, because he checks a lot of the boxes for what this team could use at the power forward spot. He’s 6’10”, at 30 he fits the timeline, and brings the toughness and edge this team clearly values. He plays with aggression, rebounds with intent, and can stretch the floor. The shooting is the eye catcher. He is hitting a league-best 47.4% from three right now, which is absurd.
He is making $13.4 million this season with two years left, the final year being a player option. From a math standpoint, you can build a deal that works. What does that look like?
It is not complicated. Milwaukee gets some financial relief and a first-round pick, even if that pick has been passed around so much it barely feels real anymore. Maybe you sweeten it with another asset and call it a day.
This is the type of move I can at least talk myself into. But there are roadblocks. The first is that what the Suns have at that position has actually been working. Portis would fit, but disrupting what is clicking always gives me pause.
The bigger issue is Milwaukee. They are struggling at 18-24, but they are in the East. With Giannis Antetokounmpo, a run is always on the table. I am not sure they want to rock the boat that hard.
And then there is the draft reality. The Bucks have fewer picks than the Suns after years of pushing chips in for Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard. If Portis ever truly hits the market, Phoenix should absolutely knock. The problem is other teams will likely have more ammunition to force that door open.
Mind changed? My skepticism is wavering.
Headz77: Jeremy Sochan
O’Neal for Sochan. I think it works straight up, and makes sense for both teams. Might even get the Suns out of the luxury tax?
First off, why can nobody spell Royce O’Neale’s last name correctly? Seriously. It is not only the community. Our own writers battle with it regularly, and I swear I have spent an unreasonable portion of my life editing those letters back into the proper order.
Now, Jeremy Sochan. He has never really done it for me. Yes, he plays hard. Yes, he brings toughness. If you are a team starving for edge and effort, I get the appeal. The Suns are not that team. They already have that. Other teams need Jeremy Sochan. Phoenix does not.
He is shooting 25.7% from three this season and sits at 28.7% for his career. In this hypothetical, you are giving up an elite three-point shooter for someone who hustles, rebounds a bit, and brings energy. That has value. It does not have value here. He would not start. He would come off the bench. At 6’8”, without a three-point shot, living on effort and physicality.
And that is where I get stuck. Do we not already have that guy? His name is Ryan Dunn.
Mind changed? If anything, the needle just moved the other way.
sdhx19: Jalen Smith/Grant Williams
I have 2 names in addition to Portis, who might be the best case. One is our own Jalen Smith, who is in top 50 in rebounds per 36, can protect the rim, shoot the 3 and is somewhat buried in Chicago. The big Q is is he quick enough to defend consistently on the perimeter but either way I think he can be very useful here. 2y ~9m per year.
The other is just returning from injury, Grant Williams from CHA. He is tough, can reb and shoot the 3, not the quickest feet but will provide if healthy. As we know we do business with CHA regularly. he has 2y ~13m per year so he is obtainable.
You really did get a two-for-one here.
Time is a flat circle, right? The guy drafted instead of Tyrese Haliburton and Devin Vassell. The guy who actually fit what the Suns needed at the time, then never got a consistent runway. Jalen Smith. He is making $9 million this season, which makes acquiring him incredibly easy from a math standpoint.
On a middling Bulls team, he has played 36 games, started 6, and is putting up 9.4 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting a respectable 34.7% from three.
When it comes to Stix, I keep coming back to the same question. Why? Is it because we think we need a bigger body? If that is the case, I would rather funnel those minutes into Oso Ighodaro or Ryan Dunn, both cheaper, both already here, both still in the development phase. I want to see what they actually are instead of bringing back a retread because we talk ourselves into needing size.
The only way I can sell this to Chicago is as a financial reset. You pitch it as expiring contracts. Nick Richards expires. Nigel Hayes Davis expires. You frame it as freeing up money instead of paying Smith $9.4 million next year for a player you are not fully invested in anymore.
And here is the real problem. Chicago does not do things like this. They never have. They never seem interested in getting better or cleaner financially. It is honestly impressive in its own way. Every year it is the same cycle. Hover around the Pla-In. Lose. Run it back. No aggressive trades. No draft maneuvering. Unless Sacramento is calling, the phone stays quiet. They are not rebuilding. They are not contending. They simply exist.
Mind changed? Status quo: preserved.
Now Grant Williams. Is the goal here to become the most hated team in the league? Because if that is the mission, we are halfway there already with Grayson Allen and Dillon Brooks. Should we complete the villain arc and bring Grant Williams into the mix, too? And while we are at it, is Charlotte the only team we are allowed to trade with anymore?
I have zero interest in Grant Williams. Start with the ACL. That stuff lingers, and it usually takes a full season after the return before a player looks like himself again. Then add the rest of the résumé. Undersized. Loud. Has rubbed locker rooms the wrong way everywhere he has been. Boston moved on. Dallas moved on. Now he is parked in Charlotte, drifting.
Would he fit the culture? Maybe. But I do not want to give up anything this team currently has to make room for Grant Williams wandering around the rotation. And can you imagine him and Dillon Brooks sharing the floor? That is not defense. That is a complimentary free-throw package for the other team. Fouls. Technicals. Whistles nonstop. Candy on Halloween. Hard pass.
Mind changed? That logic doesn’t live in my neighborhood.
That was a fun exercise, and I landed in the same place I started. Bobby Portis is the one name that genuinely makes me pause and think. Outside of that, nothing I have seen feels strong enough to change how I view this team or what it is becoming.
This roster is built to compete right now, and I did not expect to be saying that at this point of the season. I am thankful that I am. But I do not believe in making moves for the sake of making moves. This team has depth. It has flexibility. Yes, power forward remains an area where size could help, but depth matters, and any addition risks disrupting that balance.
The Suns are not hunting the way the Sixers are for perimeter shooting. They are not scrambling the way the Lakers are to prop up an expensive top end with duct tape depth. This team is balanced. It knows who it is. I have no appetite to upset that right now.
They can compete. They can disrupt. They can make noise in the playoffs without touching a single button. And being in that position, unexpectedly, is a really good place to be.
Luka Doncic and the Lakers make the long trip to Inglewood to take on James Harden and the Clippers tonight.
The Lakers are coming off a 115-107 win in Denver Tuesday night against the Nuggets. Doncic was dominant scoring 38, pulling down 13 rebounds and handing out 10 assists to lead LA to their second straight win. LeBron James added 19 points and Marcus Smart chipped in 15. The Clippers’ six-game winning streak was snapped Tuesday night when the Bulls routed them in Chicago, 138-110. It was the second half of a back-to-back for the Clips who could not overcome the absence of Kawhi Leonard (ankle/knee). James Harden had 24 points in the loss.
After starting the season 6-21, the Clippers are 13-3 in their last 16 games. That run has moved them from the cellar out West to tenth place and a spot in the play-in game. The Lakers are 5-5 in their last ten games but still sit tied for first with the surprising Phoenix Suns in the Pacific Division.
This matchup boils down to the Clippers’ commitment to defend against the Lakers’ offense. Over their last 16 games, the Clippers are allowing just 108 points per game. The Lakers do not play much defense but are efficient on offense averaging nearly 117 points per 100 possessions (No. 7 in the NBA).
This is the third meeting of the season between these teams. The Clippers took the most recent encounter, winning 103-88 on December 20. The Lakers outscored the Clips on November 25, 135-118.
Lets take a closer look at the 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: Lakers at Clippers
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Time: 10PM EST
Site: Intuit Dome
City: Inglewood, CA
Network/Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
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Game Odds: Lakers vs. Clippers
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Lakers (-108), Los Angeles Clippers (-112)
Spread: Clippers -1.5
Total: 223.5 points
This game opened Lakers -1.5 with the Total set at 223.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Lakers at Clippers
Lakers
PG Luke Doncic
SG Marcus Smart
SF Jake LaRavia
PF LeBron James
C Deandre Ayton
Clippers
PG James Harden
SG Kris Dunn
SF Kawhi Leonard
PF John Collins
C Ivica Zubac
Injury Report: Lakers at Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Austin Reaves (calf) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Adou Thiero (knee) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Los Angeles Clippers
Kawhi Leonard (knee) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring) is OUT for tonight’s game
Derrick Jones (knee) is OUT for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Lakers at Clippers
The Clippers are 11-9 at home this season
The Lakers are 14-8 on the road this season
The Clippers are 20-23 ATS this season
The Lakers are 23-19 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 25 of the Lakers’ 42 games this season (25-17)
The OVER has cashed in 21 of the Clippers’ 43 games this season (21-22)
The season series is tied at 1 game apiece
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 today’s Lakers and Clippers’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Clippers on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Clippers -1.5
Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 223.5
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We’re struggling to remember the last time a Sam Hauser 3-pointer touched anything but the net. It certainly didn’t happen on Wednesday night against Indiana, with all five of Hauser’s triples finding nothing but twine.
Hauser has made 25 3-pointers in his last five games. Consider this: There are 279 players in the NBA who haven’t made 25 3-pointers all season. Yes, Hauser has more 3-pointers in a week than half the league has made in half of the season.
Still, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster for Hauser in 2025-26. He came into the new campaign as a starter on a robust $10 million per year extension, but got shuffled to the bench after three games due in large part to Boston’s rebounding woes. Hauser’s shot was off at times to start the season, and his minutes dipped below even his average on Boston’s recent talent-surplus teams.
Even in those moments, Hauser was a positive for the Celtics when he was on the court. But now his shot is falling, and he’s given an already-potent offense another jolt while shuffling back to the starting role.
Let’s crunch the numbers on all the ways that Hauser is helping Boston thrive when he’s on the court:
The turnaround
Let’s get the shooting discussion out the way. After some woes to start the season — at least by his lofty, above-40 percent-on-3-pointers standards — Hauser has found his groove over the last 16 games. Just look at the spikes in his scoring and shooting efficiencies:
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Most notable: Hauser was shooting 32.1 percent on all pull-up 3-pointers through the first 26 games. He’s up to a sizzling 52.4 percent over his last 16 games.
Catch and shoot will always be Hauser’s bread and butter — and even that percentage jumped 12.8 percent to 47.2 percent in his last 16 games — but he’s creating all sorts of quality attempts lately, including some sneaky moments where he puts the ball on the floor and ventures inside the arc.
Nothing but net for starters
The Celtics’ starting five featuring Hauser is outscoring opponents by a whopping 19.2 points per 100 possessions over 149 minutes of floor time this season.
Among the 40 five-man lineups in the league with at least 100 minutes played this season, Boston’s starters rank fourth in net rating behind only lineups from Oklahoma City, Denver, and — surprisingly — Charlotte.
Narrow that down to the 25 lineups with 120+ minutes this season, and Boston’s starting five vaults to second in net rating, trailing only the Denver starters when Nikola Jokic was healthy.
The Celtics rank second in the NBA in offensive rating this season at 121.3, trailing only the Nuggets (121.5).
Quick decisions, good ball security
Hauser is a perfect fit for the starting group in part because his presence forces defenders to stay attached and creates space for teammates. What’s more, he makes quick decisions and takes care of the basketball.
The stat crunchers at BBall Index note that Hauser ranks 74th out of 513 NBA players this season in quick-decision pass percentage, with 86 percent of his touches lasting 0.5 seconds or less. Hauser ranks 57th out of 513 players while committing 1.75 turnovers per 100 touches.
His bad-pass turnovers have crept up a bit this season, but he’s routinely valued the ball throughout his career and is a willing ball-mover when he doesn’t have a quality look.
It’s still comical to watch players trip all over themselves trying to go at Hauser in isolation. Hauser routinely competes in those situations, all while avoiding fouls by keeping his hands up. In fact, the numbers suggest he’s been the best isolation defender on the team this season.
Opponents are averaging 0.68 points per play in isolation against Hauser this season, the best mark of the 10 Boston players who have defended enough possessions to qualify. Opponents are shooting 28 percent in those instances and turn the ball over on 11.8 percent of those possessions. Hauser ranks in the 89th percentile among all isolation defenders.
Overall, the NBA’s tracking data suggests that opponents are shooting 0.7 percent below expected output when Hauser is the nearest defender. That’s another solid number considering the variety of players Hauser defends.
On Wednesday night against Indiana, Hauser spent multiple turns on Pascal Siakam. He had one excellent isolation stop early in the game, then got beat off the dribble later in the game and committed a tough and-one foul.
Still, Hauser commits fouls on just 2.3 percent of his team’s plays, which is an elite number for a player routinely tasked with defending an array of wings and bigs. What’s more, he commits shooting fouls on a mere 7.4 percent of his contested shots, which ranks in the 89th percentile for his position.
Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Sam Hauser has been one of the Celtics’ best isolation defenders this season despite routinely drawing tough matchups.
Cleaning the glass
Hauser also quietly does a nice job on the glass. His defensive rebound percentage is up to 14.6 this season, which would be the best full-season mark of his career.
Boston grabs 69.8 percent of available defensive rebounds with Hausers on the court this season, the third-best mark on the team behind only centers Luka Garza (72.0) and Neemias Queta (70.2).
Final thoughts
While Hauser’s reputation hinges heavily on his shotmaking abilities, he continues to find ways to positively impact the Celtics beyond scoring.
In a league where shooters with other skills are some of the most valuable commodities, Hauser is a true luxury, particularly while accounting just for 6.5 percent of the cap this season, even as his extension kicks in.
With the NBA trade deadline lingering, and the Celtics having only a limited amount of tradable contracts, Hauser’s name will invariably be floated at times. The last few weeks have been a firm reminder of how valuable he is to this team and its quest to return to title contender status.
For the third time in four games, the Milwaukee Bucks were blown out by a Western Conference team, losing 122-102 to the defending NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Things have tumbled quickly for the Bucks; after winning five of their last seven games, they’ve now dropped four of five. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.
Despite missing several big-time defensive pieces in Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein, the Thunder still made it incredibly difficult for Giannis to get going. To his credit, though, GA was still very efficient, picking up another double-double and having seven assists.
The ball pressure from OKC’s defense really made it a hard day for Rollins as well. He found his spots at times, but between Cason Wallace and Lu Dort, it was tough for him to get consistent opportunities.
Grade: C-
AJ Green
32 minutes, 15 points, 3 rebounds, 4/9 3P, -14
Green has really found his stroke in January. He’s been shooting 40.7% so far, and added a 44% performance last night. The Bucks have needed these types of performances from him, even in ugly losses.
Things keep trending downward for Kuzma as the season progresses. He wasn’t able to do much on defence guarding SGA (to be fair, few can), and according to Doc Rivers, he wasn’t in the right spots offensively. According to Rivers, he was supposed to be a screener and roller in the middle, but ended up just spacing and hoisting up five three-pointers.
Bobby continues to be a consistent offensive player off the bench for the Bucks. He added another 15 points and even distributed the ball a little bit, doling out nine assists.
Grade: B-
Pete Nance
30 minutes, 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3/5 3P, +3
What a revelation Nance has been over the last two games. Last night, he played double the minutes he did on Monday and looked pretty solid on both ends. Of the players who played more than 10 minutes, he was the only Buck to be a positive in the plus/minus.
With Kevin Porter Jr. out, Doc Rivers tapped Cole Anthony to return to the rotation and fill in as the backup point guard. He did well and was Bucks’ leading scorer at halftime. While he had his moments of good play, the bad with Anthony reared its ugly head again with some bone-headed turnovers.
Grade: B
Doc Rivers
If any team has perfected the right approach to NBA basketball in the 2020s, it’s been the Thunder. The difference between them and how Doc runs the Bucks couldn’t be more stark. The way OKC runs offense and stays locked into their principles is impressive to watch. Meanwhile, the Bucks are apparently focused on the more basic elements of basketball, like moving the ball with pace. It’s the clearest example of how the modern NBA has passed Rivers by.
Grade: D-
Limited Minutes: Gary Harris, Andre Jackson Jr, Gary Trent Jr.
Garbage Time: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Amir Coffey, Jericho Sims
Inactive: Myles Turner, Kevin Porter Jr, Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo
Bonus Bucks Bits
Giannis wore an All-Star patch on his jersey, commemorating his selection as a starter from the Eastern Conference. With his 10th straight selection, Giannis became the first Bucks player in franchise history to have 10 All-Star appearances with the team.
Before the game, Myles Turner (left ankle sprain) and KPJ (oblique strain) were both ruled out. Rivers said that Turner is just day-to-day, but Porter could be out for some time, with no clear timetable for his return.
The Bucks are now 10-20 since starting the season 8-5.
This is the fourth straight game that Giannis has shot the ball 13 times or less. Giannis was asked postgame how the team could get him more shots:
“I’m not the guy who will yell and cuss a teammate out and demand the ball. I’ve never done that in my career. I feel like I’ve played with teammates who understand the gravity I can cause for our team, how I can create for my teammates or for myself. Maybe because we’re young, maybe it’s because we’re not playing well, maybe guys think it’s their turn. They want to carry the team on their back and try to turn this around, but I don’t get it. It’s not like I’m not trying to be aggressive.”
I asked Bobby Portis how he handles these types of loses, especially when they come this close together:
“It’s the NBA, man, in about six or seven games, I’m about to play my 700th NBA game, which is crazy to say. So, I’ve played in a lot of different games, a lot of different moments, can’t get too high or too low. Obviously, you want to have that sense of urgency on a nightly basis; that’s something you have to have, especially where we are in the season. We’re not where we want to be, you’ve just got to have that sense of urgency every night so you can give yourself the best chance to win.”
In previous interviews, Giannis has stated that there are times when he feels some of the younger players are trying to do too much. So, I asked Giannis about what type of learning curve it takes for a young player to break out of that and progress:
“Time and experience. I was like 20, 21. I think it was my third year in the league, but then in my fourth year, it (got) better. I had great vets that taught me how to play the game, how to play unselfish basketball, play winning basketball. I felt like I was always on go mode, and they were able to tell me to find my teammates and set the tone, move the ball. There are going to be times during the game it’s going to be your turn to take over the game. I learned to read the plays, I learned to read momentum, I learned to read runs. I remember back in the day when the team went on a run, there would never be a case where I didn’t touch the ball. If you can find a clip of the team going on a run and didn’t throw me the ball in the post, to go to the free throw line, get a wide-open shot, and create this gravity. When I was younger, I didn’t know what I was doing, but they understood for me.”
Up Next
Milwaukee will have another late tip-off at home this week, welcoming the Nuggets to Fiserv Forum to finish their two-game season series. Tip-off is slated for 8:30 p.m. Central time, with the game available to stream on Prime Video. On cable, it can still be watched on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
LaMelo Ball
Jabari Smith Jr.
Stephon Castle
Raphielle Johnson
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Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images