Category: NBA

The Milwaukee Bucks welcome the Indiana Pacers to Fiserv Forum this evening, with tip-off set for 8:00 p.m. ET.

Gary Trent Jr. is making his presence felt offensively right now, and I’m eyeing him to hit double digits in scoring in my Pacers vs. Bucks predictions. 

Read more in my NBA picks for Friday, February 6. 

Pacers vs Bucks prediction

Pacers vs Bucks best bet: Gary Trent Jr. Over 9.5 points (+100)

Gary Trent Jr. has been a nice piece for the struggling Milwaukee Bucks this season. He’s averaging 8.5 ppg off the bench, and the veteran has been on a roll lately.

He’s cashed the Over in points in three of his last five games, including back-to-back appearances. 

Trent Jr. poured in 13 points on Wednesday in a nail-biter victory over the Pelicans, and he also dropped another 15 points on Tuesday against the Bulls. The 27-year-old is averaging exactly 8.5 ppg at home, but these last two games in which he played well were both at Fiserv Forum. 

While Trent is averaging just 8 ppg across two meetings with the Indiana Pacers in 2025-26, I’ll ride his hot hand to do his part in the second unit tonight. Expect another 10+ point performance from Trent Jr. 

Pacers vs Bucks same-game parlay

Pascal Siakam is on fire lately, and with Giannis Antetokounmpo still out for the Bucks, I’m eyeing him to ball out tonight. 

Siakam has cashed the Over in points in three of his last four outings. He showed out for 27 in Monday’s loss to the Rockets, and he also scored 25 on Saturday evening against the Hawks. 

Kevin Porter Jr. has been one of the Bucks’ top playmakers this season alongside Antetokounmpo. He’s averaging 7.5 assists, a career-high for the guard. Porter Jr. has hit the Over in dimes in four of his last five as well. 

Pacers vs Bucks SGP

• Gary Trent Jr. Over 9.5 points
• Pascal Siakam Over 24.5 points
• Kevin Porter Jr. Over 6.5 assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Aaron's not erring from deep

Aaron Nesmith has been red-hot from deep lately, cashing the Over in triples in five straight. He’s drained three treys in each of those games. 

Pacers vs Bucks SGP

• Gary Trent Jr. Over 9.5 points
• Pascal Siakam Over 24.5 points
• Kevin Porter Jr. Over 6.5 assists
• Aaron Nesmith Over 2.5 threes

Pacers vs Bucks odds

• Spread: Pacers -1.5 | Bucks +1.5
• Moneyline: Pacers -115 | Bucks -105
• Over/Under: Over 223.5 | Under 223.5

Pacers vs Bucks betting trend to know

The Bucks have hit the Under in 23 of their last 35 games (+9.80 Units / 25% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Pacers vs. Bucks.

How to watch Pacers vs Bucks

Pacers vs Bucks latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

In basketball and narrative terms, the Wizards’ 126-117 win over the first place Detroit Pistons was fun. Entertaining game with extended runs for both teams, great plays from guys on both teams, and drama about the outcome to the very end.

In terms of what the win means for the Wizards…not as much fun. I’ll come back to that.

The game followed the pattern of Washington’s last win — two games ago against the Sacramento Kings. The Wizards shot well and played decently on defense while Detroit missed everything. In the first quarter, the Pistons shot 6-21 from the floor and 1-9 from deep. That’s sub-30% overall and 11.1% on threes.

Detroit mostly righted the shooting ship (so to speak) over the final three periods — 52.2% on twos and 33.3% on threes — but the damage was done. Washington ended the first with a 13-point advantage.

It would be inaccurate to say Washington clung to their lead because the Pistons roared back in the second, going on a 17-0 run (which grew to 21-2) to slice a 20-point Wizards lead to as little as one.

Washington re-opened the lead in the third quarter — going up by as much as 19 before the Pistons came back yet again. In the end, Detroit didn’t have enough to pull out a win.

Like the Sacramento victory, head coach Brian Keefe went with the deep bench mob for virtually the entire fourth quarter. The Wizards played just six guys in the final period: — Bilal Coulibaly, Sharife Cooper, Anthony Gill, and Jamir Watkins played all 12 minutes. Tristan Vukcevich played the first minute, and Will Riley went the rest of the way. How’d that work?

• Riley — 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal in the final period
• Coulibaly — 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover
• Cooper — 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
• Gill — 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
• Vukcevich — 3 points
• Watkins — 1 rebound, defense and good vibes

Watching the diminutive Cooper compete with Cade Cunningham and more ballyhooed Pistons was fun. On consecutive possessions late in the game, he knocked down a three and then made slithery lefty drive and finish in traffic.

The Wizard were helped by the perennial Sixth Man of the Year — luck. I’m not talking about Detroit shooting 27.3% on threes. I’m referring to stuff like Coulibaly’s late shot clock heave with about three minutes left in the fourth quarter that somehow went in. Or Watkins banking in a three earlier in the game. Definitely luck. Also, they count.

As for what the win means…there’s a push-pull. The push is that it complicates The Tank a bit. Washington now has the league’s fifth worst winning percentage, which means they’re most likely to land the sixth or seventh pick in this year’s draft. The Wizards aren’t in danger of losing the pick. Yet. It’s top eight protected, so even at fifth worst, they’re safe. But that margin for safety is getting smaller.

The pull is that the factor complicating The Tank is young guys playing well. And the Wizards pretty much have to play the young guys, because there’s basically no one else left. Trae Young won’t be available for at least a couple more weeks. Anthony Davis might not play this season.

Perhaps D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum, who came in the Davis trade, could help lose games. If the Wizards don’t just buy them out or release them. At 23-years-old, Jaden Hardy, who was also part of the Davis deal, also qualifies as one of the young guys.

Thoughts & Observations

• I watched the Wizards broadcast because Detroit’s is pretty doggone awful. I was hoping to hear improvement. My hopes were not met.
• Note to someone running League Pass — stop cutting off the national anthem and timeout entertainment.
• The most repeated entry in my notes from this game were about Ausar Thompson’s defense. Coulibaly is a very good defender. Thompson is among the very best defensive players I’ve seen this season. Washington’s first offensive possession is a good example — Sarr got a paint touch and kicked to Justin Champagnie for what looked like a routine wide open three. Thompson blocked it.
• A few minutes later, Champagnie accelerated his shot motion in a similar play to make a three over a Thompson closeout.
• Champagnie played 16 highly productive minutes — 14 points, 7 rebounds (4 offensive) and a block. The Wizards were +16 on the scoreboard with him in the game.
• Riley played his fourth straight very good game. Last night, he scored a career-high 20 points to go with tying his career high in rebounds (6), 5 assists, and 2 steals. He showed patience and craft on the offensive end. Right now, he’s still surprising opponents because there’s no way he’s on scouting reports. That will change (probably after the All-Star break), and it will be fascinating to see how he adapts.
• I don’t know if Cooper has an NBA future beyond “fifth guard in a three-guard rotation,” but it’s fun watching him play. He’s quick, skilled, and competitive. Last night: 18 points (on 8-12 shooting), 3 rebounds and 5 assists. Also 5 turnovers, at least a couple of which looked to be of the needs experience variety.
• Riley and Cooper did combine for one unacceptable play. In the first quarter, they were positioned at half court for a teammate free throw attempt. The miss got back-tapped, and Detroit’s Marcus Sasser outran both to a) get the ball, and b) get to the rim for a layup.
• Early second quarter, I enjoyed seeing Gill drain a no-dip three.
• Funniest play of the game was when Riley threw a lob for Gill, who does not have that kind of verticality. Gill somehow tipped it in and got fouled for an and-one.
• I probably need to watch more Pistons games. People I respect keep talking about how great Cunningham is, and I do think he’s very good. But when I do see Detroit play, I’m always left with the impression that he’s a bit overrated.

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)

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 listed in the Four Factors table above. 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 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

As you all know by now, it was an underwhelming trade deadline for the Sixers.

They traded second-year guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for draft capital and veteran guard Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies in what amounts to a salary dump. The positive is Dominick Barlow was rewarded for his strong play with a standard contract. They did some roster housekeeping, with some more surely coming.

Here’s a summary of where things stand for the team after the NBA trade deadline:

The picks and players the Sixers acquired:

• Luxury tax savings
• 2026 first-round pick (HOU)
• 2027 second-round pick (most favorable OKC, HOU, IND, MIA)
• 2028 second-round pick (OKC)
• 2028 second-round pick (MIL)
• Converted Dominick Barlow to standard deal
• Draft rights to Justinian Jessup
• Signed Charles Bassey (10-day)
• Signed Patrick Baldwin (10-day)

The picks and players the Sixers sent out:

• Jared McCain
• Eric Gordon
• 2032 second-round pick swap

The new, full Sixers roster

1. Tyrese Maxey
2. Joel Embiid
3. Paul George
4. VJ Edgecombe
5. Kelly Oubre Jr.
6. Quentin Grimes
7. Andre Drummond
8. Dominick Barlow
9. Trendon Watford
10. Adem Bona
11. Justin Edwards
12. Kyle Lowry
13. Johni Broome
14. Charles Bassey (10-day)
15. Patrick Baldwin (10-day)
16. Jabari Walker (two-way)
17. MarJon Beauchamp (two-way)

Sixers draft picks remaining

First rounders:

• 2026 own (protected 1-4)
• 2026 HOU
• 2027 own
• 2028 own (if 1-8 or if 2026 first-round pick is 1-4)
• 2028 LAC (fully unprotected)
• 2029 own (rights to pick swap with LAC)
• 2030 own
• 2031 own
• 2032 own

Second-rounders:

• 2027 own
• 2027 GSW/PHX (more favorable)
• 2027 OKC/HOU/IND/MIA (more favorable)
• 2028 own
• 2028 DET (protected 31-55)
• 2028 GSW
• 2028 MIL
• 2028 OKC
• 2029 PHI
• 2030 PHX/POR (more favorable)
• 2030 WAS
• 2031 PHI
• 2032 PHI/MEM (least favorable)

While ducking the tax doesn’t help all that much with team building, the draft capital the team received for McCain could be very useful as the team looks to build long-term around Maxey and Edgecombe. Overall, the Sixers have a decent amount of draft assets while having a good amount of talent already in place. Again, that does little for the 2025-26 Sixers, but could help Daryl Morey and company take big swings in the future.

What are your thoughts on the deadline? Who would you like to see the team target on the buyout market? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

Pencils down, everyone.

Through Monday night, this was an exceptionally boring trade deadline, but the action heavily increased to a feverish pace beginning on Tuesday morning and through the Thursday afternoon deadline, seeing several all-stars and several intriguing role players change hands, along with a small army of draft picks.

As we know, the Knicks were able to effectively flip Guerschon Yabusele and two second-round picks for Jose Alvarado by using the Chicago Bulls as an intermediary, sending Dalen Terry to New Orleans. The move, while not only adding a rotation player, allows the Knicks to participate in the buyout market immediately.

And, yes, a lot of the action this week involved Western Conference teams, but plenty of moves were made by teams in the East as well. We’ll be checking in on all of the teams in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, plus one or two more that could be relevant for one reason or another.

Detroit Pistons

Added: Kevin Huerter, Dario Saric

Subtracted: Jaden Ivey

Jaden Ivey, at one point a white whale for the Knicks’ front office in the 2022 draft, is in the final year of his rookie contract, and the Pistons did not want to pay him with the several major injuries he’s suffered in the last two seasons. He’s shown flashes, but he was shipped to Chicago in a three-team trade.

What they do add is shooting. With Malik Beasley currently trying to stay out of jail and Tim Hardaway Jr. in Denver, they’ve needed shooting, and they get it with one-time Knick killer Kevin Huerter. The 27-year-old is shooting a career-low from three, but is over 37% for his career. It’s a casual deadline for the East’s top dog.

Boston Celtics

Added: Nikola Vucevic

Subtracted: Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, Josh Minott, Xavier Tillman Jr.

The surprisingly stout Bostonians made a big 1-for-1 move with the Bulls, finally replacing Kristaps Porzingis (and Al Horford) by adding a pure stretch five in Vucevic, who should’ve been dealt years ago. Simons was kind of redundant with all the guard talent, and Boston needed an upgrade over Luka Garza and Neemias Queta. If the 35-year-old from Montenegro can show up anywhere, it’s in the Mazzulla system.

Boucher, Minott, and Tillman Jr. were salary dumped to three different teams to duck the luxury tax. Since the offseason, Brad Stevens has saved his new bosses a staggering $350 million in luxury tax penalties and has built a Celtics team that, if Jayson Tatum returns, could come out of the East in a gap year.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Added: James Harden, Keon Ellis, Dennis Schroder

Subtracted: Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, Lonzo Ball

The Cavs have steadied the ship after hovering around .500 into January and have solidified themselves in the East’s top six, but they still sit several games behind the Knicks and Celtics, who are tied for the No. 2 seed. The stagnation, especially after flaming out early last year, has caused them to take a sledgehammer to the “Core Four”.

Garland is gone, freeing up future cap flexibility for the NBA’s lone second apron team. In comes future Hall of Famer James Harden, who remains one of the league’s premier scoring threats even past his 36th birthday. Can he and Spida co-exist? Can the Cavs avoid another flameout that will cause Spida to look elsewhere?

They also banished Hunter to Sacramento, accepting defeat from a disappointing trade last February, and Ball to Utah in a pure salary dump. Keon Ellis was a highly coveted pesky guard, and Schroder will play for his *checks notes* 11th team. It’s his 10th different team in eight seasons. They’re absolutely deeper at guard now, but does this move the needle?

Philadelphia 76ers

Added: Some draft picks

Subtracted: Jared McCain, Eric Gordon

For a team with an aging, injury-prone superstar, the Sixers really didn’t have any urgency to go for it this year, even with Paul George on the shelf due to a PED suspension.

They ducked the luxury tax thanks to a tax credit from the suspension and trading away McCain and Gordon. Trading away the second-year guard who showed so much promise as a rookie is baffling to me. Players always play worse right off a severe knee injury. What’s with the impatience? Was the package of three seconds and a late 2026 first-rounder too enticing?

Toronto Raptors

Added: Chris Paul (will be waived), Trayce Jackson-Davis

Subtracted: Ochai Agbaji

The Raptors were very public about wanting an upgrade at center, fishing in the Domantas Sabonis and Anthony Davis markets. They settle for an undersized TJD, but he’s at least a rotation-caliber big in a rotation that is giving center minutes to Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili.

Chris Paul still has never played a game in the East and will likely not do so for the Raptors. This will be the second time he is shipped to an Eastern Conference team and immediately redirected or waived.

Orlando Magic

Added: cap relief

Subtracted: Tyus Jones

It’s not a good look when, in a year where you pushed all your chips to the center of the table, you’re not only a likely play-in team, but you’re only deadline move is a salary dump. They attached two second-round picks to get Jones off their books.

They’ll be players in the buyout market, but they’re going to have a hard time getting on track with the injuries, inconsistent shooting, and regression on defense. This was a year where they had to show some progress, because it’s their last before the bill comes due. As of right now, they’re projected to be a second apron team in 2026-27 with two open roster spots and a quickly dwindling asset pool. It’s bleak in Orlando.

Miami Heat

Crickets

Pat Riley… wake up…

Pat? Are you there?

Despite being in on a star every single offseason and trade deadline, the Heat continue to do nothing. They reportedly wanted Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant; they got neither. Here is every single player the Heat have traded for since bringing in Jimmy Butler in July 2019:

• Jae Crowder, Solomon Hill, Andre Iguodala (February 2020)
• Trevor Ariza (March 2021)
• Victor Oladipo, Nemanja Bjelica (March 2021)
• Kyle Lowry (August 2021)
• Terry Rozier (January 2024)
• Pelle Larsson (June 2024, draft rights)
• Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, Davion Mitchell (February 2025)
• Simone Fontecchio, Norman Powell (July 2025)

He went 2 and a half years without trading for a single player. While there are multiple flashy names on here, aside from Powell, who’s seriously contributed? Complacency and continuity mean something when you’re competing for titles, but the Heat just aren’t anymore, and I don’t understand why every deadline looks like this.

Atlanta Hawks

Added: CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert, Jock Landale, Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield, Gabe Vincent, Duop Reath (waived)

Subtracted: Trae Young, Vit Krejci, Luke Kennard, Kristaps Porzingis

The Hawks are finally conceding. After years of mediocrity and attempts to retool around Trae Young, they’re finally committing to something a bit bigger. They’re not totally bottoming out (mostly because they can’t), but they’ve changed timelines. Jalen Johnson is the future now and they’re going to build around him and whoever they get from the Pelicans’ pick.

Trae and Tingus Pingus are out the door. They get some veteran fliers in McCollum, Hield, and Landale (who had the game of his life Thursday) and some young talent. Can they unlock Kuminga? What about Kispert? One criticism I have of their deadline is getting essentially no draft compensation, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers.

Charlotte Hornets

Added: Coby White, Malaki Branham, Xavier Tillman Sr., Mike Conley (may be waived)

Subtracted: Mason Plumlee, Collin Sexton

What on earth are you doing here?

The Hornets have won eight in a row and are currently in the play-in. After years of what-ifs, they’re finally realizing their potential. They, though, smartly approached this deadline.

Would I have fielded calls for people like Grant Williams? Sure, but they didn’t have to. They also got Coby White for three seconds, which can be an absolute steal if they extend him. They also picked up some seconds along the way, scooping up one from OKC to eventually ship Ousmane Dieng to Chicago (who then went to Milwaukee), while doing something similar with Tyus Jones in redirecting him to Charlotte.

It’s startling how hot they are. How high can they climb?

Chicago Bulls

Added: Anfernee Simons, Jaden Ivey, Collin Sexton, Guerschon Yabusele, Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, Nick Richards

Subtracted: Nikola Vucevic, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter, Coby White, Dalen Terry, Julian Phillips

Well, it’s three years too late, but the Bulls finally accepted they need to tank. Sure, they got off DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine last year, but they still held onto hope for no real reason.

They have a lot of guards now, so that’ll be interesting. There’s potential in Ivey and Simons, both expiring contracts that now get a 30-game audition. Yabusele is now a pure rental, too, after waiving his player option. They also picked up eight second-round picks, only trading away a pick swap.

Milwaukee Bucks

Added: Nigel Hayes-Davis, Ousmane Dieng

Subtracted: Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey

Giannis is still in Milwaukee, which is the wise move for the Bucks. No matter what the Warriors, Wolves, or Heat offer you now, you will definitely get more in June. Just tell your social media team to stop being delusional for a sec, okay?

As for what they did… essentially nothing. They got no picks, neither player they got moves the needle, and it just felt like they wanted to say they did something.

Washington Wizards

Added: Anthony Davis, Trae Young, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, Dante Exum

Subtracted: CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert, Khris Middleton, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, AJ Johnson

Is this a MyLeague rebuild? Why the hell are the Wizards acquiring two all-stars at the deadline?

Neither Davis nor Young will play a game for the rest of the season, but as long as they keep their pick (please keep winning, we’d appreciate it), they have an interesting foundation.

Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington, a top-five pick.

Just saying, maybe they’re a sleeper next year.

Brooklyn Nets

Added: Josh Minott, Hunter Tyson, Ochai Agbaji

Subtracted: A singular second-round pick

You had one job: selling off Michael Porter Jr. after an all-star caliber first 50 games. You failed.

Maybe one of these three can shine with the opportunity down the stretch. I doubt it. At least you rid yourself of Cam Thomas?

Indiana Pacers

Added: Ivica Zubac, Kobe Brown

Subtracted: Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, potentially a top-10 pick

I really like this move for Indiana, on one condition.

Zubac is a great big man and will feast when Tyrese Haliburton is healthy next season. They’re shaping up to contend for another Finals berth next year with him, and all it cost them was two firsts and an expiring Mathurin, who will get an opportunity out west.

Here’s the thing. They traded their 2026 first-round pick, but heavily protected. If the pick falls between 5 and 9 only, it goes to the Clippers. Even if the Pacers lost out, they’d have only a 52% chance of keeping the pick. Their best odds of keeping the pick would actually involve trying to win down the stretch to get the 10th-best odds, but it would heavily lower their odds of getting a potentially game-breaking talent that the top of this loaded draft class provides.

Is all of this worth potentially losing a top-10 pick in a loaded draft? That’s up to them to decide.

Players don’t switch teams in free agency anymore. Instead, they get traded with one year left on their contract to a team that they’re willing to sign an extension with. Based on Koby Altman’s comments to the media on Thursday afternoon, it seems that’s what happened with James Harden’s trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Altman was asked if there would be a contract extension beyond this year. He mentioned that it wasn’t appropriate to talk about that at this time and that they can’t negotiate one with him until after the Finals. But then, Altman relayed that this is somewhere Harden wants to be.

“He would love to have a future with the Cavaliers,” Altman said.

“Because…he had a de facto no-trade clause, he waived that to come to Cleveland, and I think that’s something that needs to be spoken about. He had control of where he’d be traded or not traded, and he sought us out as a destination, a basketball destination, leaving lovely Los Angeles and an incredible basketball situation where he was at to where he wants to be to compete for a championship.”

Harden is making $39.4 million this season and has a player option for $42.3 for the following season. The Cavs wouldn’t have traded for him if they knew he didn’t want to be here. And presumably, Harden wouldn’t have waived his no-trade clause if he knew they weren’t going to give him a contract extension.

We’ll see how this plays out next summer. The Cavs giving him another two-year contract with the second year being a player option would seem likely based on Harden’s age and how he’s conducted business the last several seasons.

For now, it’s clear that Harden wants to be in Cleveland, and the Cavs are happy he’s here.

“I’ve been banging this drum for a long time: Cleveland’s a great basketball destination,” Altman said. “You can have some of the best years of your career here, and guys want to play here. One of the best players to ever put on a jersey wants to be here in Cleveland, and I think it’s a privilege. I think it’s a privilege and honor that we’re going to see James surpass a bunch of milestones as he chases this championship ring with us.”

Thank goodness we can focus solely on the Milwaukee Bucks on the court, not the trade rumors, as they host the Indiana Pacers tonight in a Central Division tank-off. Milwaukee has successfully defeated the Pacers in their previous two games this year.

Where We’re At

Despite Shams Charania’s and Brian Windhorst’s best efforts, the Milwaukee Bucks did not trade Giannis Antetokounmpo. Jon Horst was able to add Ousmane Dieng to the roster, while the team parted ways with Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey. These departures won’t be too upsetting to most fans, but it will be interesting to see what transpires for this team for the remainder of the season. The Bucks have a slim chance of making the play-in with a two-game winning streak this week. Yes, it was against the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans, but wins are wins, so you take what you can get.

The Indiana Pacers are just trying to get through the season. Last year’s runner-up, the Pacers sit near the bottom of the standings as they adjust to a season missing their star player, Tyrese Haliburton. Indiana has struggled on the road, only winning three of their 23 games this year. This season might be a lost cause, but the Pacers did make a trade on deadline day, acquiring center Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers. They parted ways with Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks (the most juicy being this year’s first, protected both 1–4 and 10–30), along with a second.

Injury Report

The Bucks will be without Taurean Prince (neck) and Giannis (calf), while Gary Harris (hamstring) and Bobby Portis (hip) are listed as questionable. The Pacers will be without Tyrese Haliburton and Obi Toppin, while Micah Potter is listed as questionable.

Player To Watch

Pete Nance has gone from just another two-way player to a likely full-time roster possibility. Nance simply plays hard and has solid basketball IQ to boot. With Coffey traded, Harris potentially out, and Andre Jackson Jr. unlikely to break into the rotation, tonight will give Nance another opportunity to show the Bucks he is worth keeping around.

How To Watch

7:00 p.m. CST on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

It’s a battle at the top of the East tonight, as the No. 1 Detroit Pistons host the surging New York Knicks, who are tied with Boston for the second-best record in the conference.

While New York seeks its ninth straight win, my Knicks vs. Pistons predictions and NBA picks for Friday, February 6 target the total in what should be a high-scoring affair.

Knicks vs Pistons prediction

Knicks vs Pistons best bet: Over 222.5 (-110)

This game features two teams in the Top 8 in scoring in the NBA.

The New York Knicks are averaging 118.2 points per game on the year, but they’ve been even more potent during this win streak. Their 134-127 OT victory over Denver last time out was the third time in the last four games they’ve tallied at least 127 points.

The Detroit Pistons boast a Top 4 defense to go with scoring 117.5 points per game (T-8th), but they’ve been leaking of late. They were just dumped by the Wizards 126-117 Thursday night and have allowed at least 121 points in three of their last four.

Detroit might also be down big man Jalen Duren, who left the Wizards game with a knee injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

The Pistons will be playing the second half of a back-to-back, and that usually means big points. They have gone Over the total in six of the eight games they’ve played on no rest this season, the best Over success rate in the NBA.

Knicks vs Pistons same-game parlay

Cade Cunningham scored 30 in the loss to Washington, making it three times in the last four games he’s topped the 26.5 scoring line set for Friday.

His counterpart Jalen Brunson dropped 42 in the 2OT win over Denver, and he generally lights up Detroit, going for at least 27 points in seven of the last nine games.

Knicks vs Pistons SGP

• Over 222.5
• Cade Cunningham Over 26.5 points
• Jalen Brunson Over 26.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Anunoby comes up aces

OG Anunoby has quietly slid into New York’s premier secondary scorer behind Brunson. He’s got a 17.5-point scoring line Thursday, a figure he’s crossed five straight games, topping 20+ four times.

Karl-Anthony Towns is the league’s leading rebounder and has been on a tear recently, pulling down at least 12 boards in five straight games, including a pair of 20+ rebound outings.

Knicks vs Pistons SGP

• Over 222.5
• Cade Cunningham Over 26.5 points
• Jalen Brunson Over 26.5 points
• OG Anunoby Over 17.5 points
• Karl-Anthony Towns Over 11.5 rebounds

Knicks vs Pistons odds

• Spread: Knicks -1.5 | Pistons +1.5
• Moneyline: Knicks -115 | Pistons -105
• Over/Under: Over 222.5 | Under 222.5

Knicks vs Pistons betting trend to know

New York has covered the spread in eight straight games. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Pistons.

How to watch Knicks vs Pistons

Knicks vs Pistons latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

LOS ANGELES — Just as the Lakers started to get closer to being whole, and Austin Reaves took a significant step in looking like his pre-injury self, the team is now waiting to see what Luka Doncic’s status will be moving forward.

Doncic had an early exit from Thursday’s 119-115 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers, limping back to the locker room late in the second quarter after grabbing the back of his left leg.

The Lakers ruled Doncic out in the third because of left leg soreness before coach JJ Redick said postgame that Doncic experienced soreness in his left hamstring and will undergo an MRI on Friday.

Luka headed back to the locker room with an apparent hamstring injury pic.twitter.com/R9wSqG3zvL

— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) February 6, 2026

“He didn’t feel like it was good enough to go back in, neither did medical,” Redick said. “So, we held him out. Too early to say there’s an injury.”

Doncic appeared to suffer the injury on a drive late in the second quarter, but it wasn’t immediately clear how and when he hurt the hamstring.

He stayed in the game for a few possessions after initially grabbing his hamstring, hobbling up and down the court, before leaving the game during a timeout with close to three minutes left in the first half. 

Doncic had 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting to go with four rebounds, two assists and five turnovers in 16 minutes before subbing out with 3:03 left in the second quarter. 

He kicked the scorer’s table out of frustration on his way back to the locker room. Doncic didn’t rejoin the team on the bench during the second half.

“I don’t really know, I talked to him a little bit at halftime,” Reaves said. “I walked by him and asked him if he was OK. [He] kind of just looked at me, and I had to go play. Hopefully nothing major. We need him, He’s our best player. Hopefully we get good news [Friday], and I wish him nothing but the best.”

While Doncic was in the locker room getting his leg tended to, Reaves led the Lakers to a comeback win in their first game at Crypto.com Arena in 2 ½ weeks. 

Reaves scored all 35 points of his scoring total in the final three quarters, including 21 points in the second half, to lead the Lakers to the victory over the 76ers after they trailed by 14 points in the third quarter.

“He was unbelievable,” Redick said. “And it’s just his drives. I know he made 3s and hit a couple that were pretty incredible, but his drives and his thrust. Got to the free throw line, but just got in the paint and made plays and scored at the rim. It was great to see.”

Reaves was playing in just his second game after sitting out 19 consecutive games because of a strained left calf that sidelined him since the Christmas Day loss to the Houston Rockets. 

He made his return to the floor in Tuesday’s road win over the Brooklyn Nets, finishing with 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting (8 of 10 on free throws), four rebounds, a pair of steals and one assist in 21 minutes.

Reaves played 25 minutes Thursday, one more minute than the playing time restriction he entered the game on.

“It’s incredible,” Maxi Kleber said of Reaves. “It’s a rare talent to come in like that [and] make big shots like that. I threw him a grenade, grenade two that he made. Having just endurance and the conditioning to come back after a long injury like that and play like he did is just a rare, rare talent.”

The Lakers were optimistic that the post-trade deadline stretch would finally provide them with the opportunity to get an opportunity to see what their group would look like closer to whole. 

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Thursday was just the 10th time through 50 regular-season games that Doncic, Reaves and LeBron James played in the same game.

James was sidelined for the first 14 games because of sciatica, Doncic has missed eight games for a variety of reasons and Reaves was sidelined for 22 of 24 games before Tuesday because of left calf ailments. 

But Thursday was a reminder of what the Lakers were missing while Reaves was sidelined, and what they’ll need if Doncic is forced to miss any time.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to try to see how bad it was,” Marcus Smart said. “But we’re hoping it’s not that bad. We’re hoping he’s OK. But if he’s gonna be out, obviously it’s gonna take everybody to tighten up even more. And it does help to have AR, if that is the case. But it’s definitely gonna take a full team effort now more than ever if he is out for a long period of time.”

Two months ago, Joel Embiid was questioning whether he’d ever be great again. 

He went from being the MVP of the league in 2023 to needing multiple surgeries on his left knee. He went from being the quintessence of dominance on both ends of the court to looking like a shell of himself.  

“I was like, I don’t know if I could ever get back to that point,” Embiid told the California Post in an exclusive interview. “But I’m back.”

Over the past 20 games, Embiid has looked like a superstar again, averaging 29.7 points and 8.3 rebounds. He had a 37-point performance against Sacramento last Thursday, followed by finishing with 40 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots two days later against New Orleans. 

For Embiid, it has been an incredibly tough journey. 

He played in only 39 games in 2024-25, followed by just 19 games last season. He had two meniscus surgeries in less than 18 months. There were whispers over whether the 31-year-old should retire, a sobering prospect for a player of his caliber who’s still in his prime. 

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Embiid heard the criticism. 

“It’s hard,” Embiid said. “It’s like when people say, he’s lazy, this and that. First of all, you can’t be lazy if you start playing basketball at 16 and then make it to the league in three years. And injuries and injuries, keep getting back up and being an Olympian and all the other stuff that I have accomplished. It’s been tough. But I’m always going to fight.”

Embiid’s longtime trainer Drew Hanlen, said people have no idea what Embiid has gone through behind the scenes.

“We always joke that after his career is done, if Joel ever decides to tell his story, people are going to appreciate him 10-fold,” Hanlen said. “Just because of the amount of sacrifice that he’s truly made to try to help the 76ers win games and win championships.”

Hanlen said Embiid’s recovery has involved a lot of trial and error. He credited his current success to the 76ers’ medical staff finding the perfect combination of load management, lifting, treatment, stretching and nutrition that’s enabling him to thrive.  

“It’s not like there’s some magic new surgery that wasn’t announced,” Hanlen said. “That’s not true. He only had the ones that were announced. There was nothing magical. It was just a long process to build-up, and they finally found the right combination of load management, treatment and recovery plan.”

For Embiid, the issue wasn’t just pain. He was trapped in a body that literally wasn’t allowing him to do what his brain wanted. 

Hanlen recalls watching film with Embiid last season and telling him he should’ve reacted differently to a defender. According to Hanlen, Embiid replied: “If it was just pain, I could play through pain. I just physically can’t do some of the things I want to do.”

Embiid acknowledges that after he suffered a torn left meniscus in January 2024 that required surgery the following month, he shouldn’t have returned in early April for the team’s first-round playoff series against New York and then played for Team USA, winning a gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games. 

It was too much. 

The following season, Embiid was hampered by constant pain, swelling and was severely limited in his movements. It became clear that he needed to undergo a second surgery in April 2025. 

A new plan was hatched. 

Embiid needed to rebuild his body. That meant he had to take a step back from basketball. He didn’t workout with Hanlen for 15 months following the Olympics, a stark contrast from their regular off-day sessions. Instead, they were reduced to watching film together over the phone. 

When Embiid returned to the court this season, he viewed it as a trial period. He had to shake off cobwebs. He didn’t know how his body would react. 

“He started the season playing very rough and a lot of people looked at him like, oh, he’s washed,” Hanlen acknowledged. 

For Embiid, who has poured every ounce of himself into becoming an MVP-caliber player again, it was demoralizing. Fans were turning on him. He had become a punchline for pundits. The noise was deafening for a deeply competitive superstar who wanted nothing more than to do right by his team.

But he gritted his teeth in spite of all of the negativity, including his own intrusive thoughts. 

“Just focusing on myself, physically and mentally,” Embiid said. “Obviously, I’ve talked about therapy in the past, just learning from it. I’m at the point where I’m only focused on myself, my family, I don’t need any validation from anybody else. Just trust in God. Believing that whatever’s supposed to happen is going to happen anyway. So if it’s good, good. If it’s bad, get back up and keep on walking.”

When Embiid was able to start working on his game again, everything came flooding back. His speed, his agility, his soft touch. Over the last two months, he has returned to being a generational talent, a 7-footer with a rare combination of brute force and the silkiness of a guard. 

Now, even Embiid’s biggest detractors are coming around. 

“I’d like to issue an apology to Daryl Morey and Joel Embiid because I didn’t expect this,” former NBA player and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins said last week. “If you’d ask me this two months ago, I thought Joel Embiid was on the verge of retirement. And now, all of a sudden, he’s come back to looking like an All-NBA caliber player”

The 76ers, who are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 29-22, are going to need Embiid to be as good as possible to keep them competitive after Paul George was suspended for 25 games on January 31 for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.

“I’ll keep building on this year and keep on getting better,” Embiid said. “But probably starting next year, I think I’m going to be fully back to myself.”

Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers, who coached Embiid from 2020-2023, didn’t hold back when asked about the center’s recent turnaround. “Joel is the most talented player that I’ve ever coached,” he said. 

Those were strong words coming from someone who’s currently coaching Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

Rivers went on to lament the fact that Embiid has never made it through a postseason healthy. Rivers said if that changed, “they’re going to be a dangerous team.”

Nobody is more upset by the superstar’s constant string of injuries than Embiid, who was with Hanlen at a hotel in Boston when he won the MVP Award during the second round of the 2023 playoffs. 

“He literally said he’d trade the MVP for one healthy postseason,” Hanlen recalled. “Because he feels like if he can get that, then he’d have a chance to bring a championship to Philadelphia.”

But for now, Embiid is taking things one step at a time. 

He rebuilt his body. He rebuilt his confidence. Now, he wants to once again reach his potential. It’s not to prove the critics wrong. It’s to show the only person whose opinion matters most what Embiid is truly capable of doing. 

“He wants Arthur to be able to see his dad at his best,” Hanlen said of Embiid’s five-year-old son. “He doesn’t want [the narrative] to be your dad was good. He wants to have his son say, ‘My dad is good.'”

So, Embiid is continuing to fight. 

“Whatever I did two years ago,” he said, “I think I can do it again.”

There were some big NBA trades ahead of Thursday’s deadline. 

But THE big trade didn’t happen. 

The frontrunners in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes — Golden State, Miami and Minnesota — weren’t able entice Milwaukee to pull the trigger on a deal for their big man, which sets the stage for a wild offseason.

That said, some big names were moved, including Anthony Davis, James Harden and Kristaps Porzingis. 

Here’s a look at how the Western Conference looks after one of the craziest times of the NBA calendar. 

CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS

1. Oklahoma City Thunder: The defending champions have the best record in the West and they just got even better. They acquired Jared McCain, which bolsters their ball-handling and perimeter shooting. Not to mention, the Clippers dealing James Harden to Cleveland in exchange for Darius Garland benefits them considering they own the Clippers’ unprotected 2026 first-round pick. (The farther the Clippers dip in the standings, the better for them.) The Thunder is the team to watch come June — and beyond. 

2. San Antonio Spurs: After making a splashy move at the trade deadline last year to acquire De’Aaron Fox, the Spurs wanted to move forward with their current roster this time around. With Victor Wembanyama and Fox, they’ve firmly established themselves as contenders, perhaps even earlier than expected. 

3. Denver Nuggets: They made a smart move by dealing Hunter Tyson to Brooklyn, which saves them money and doesn’t hurt their bottom line. They have an extra roster spot and will be able to evaluate the buyout market. Look out for Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and co. trying to compete for their second championship after winning it all in 2023. 

FRINGE CONTENDERS

4. Houston Rockets: The Rockets made a splash when they acquired Kevin Durant in the offseason, instantly becoming title contenders. But injuries have greatly stunted those hopes, with Fred VanVleet suffering a torn ACL in Sept. and Steven Adams needing season-ending surgery on his left ankle last month.

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5. Minnesota Timberwolves: After it became clear they weren’t going to land Antetokounmpo, they switched courses and traded for Ayo Dosunmu, who should bolster their bench. Dosunmu is a two-way player who’s averaging 15 points, including career-highs in field goal percentage (51.4 percent) and 3-point percentage (45.1 percent). After losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker last summer, adding Dosunmu makes their bench much stronger. 

6. Los Angeles Lakers: It’s no secret that the Lakers are looking toward the offseason when they’ll have three first-round picks and lots of expiring contracts to give them flexibility to build around Luka Doncic. But if Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves can develop a rhythm, they could be dangerous in the playoffs. They acquired Luka Kennard, who’s a great 3-point shooter. But they still have some major issues to address on the defensive end. 

PLAY-IN TEAMS

7. Phoenix Suns: They’re arguably the biggest surprise in the league this season. They’ve greatly exceeded expectations since dealing Durant and waiving Bradley Beal, and are in seventh place with a record of 31-20. The Suns made a few moves ahead of the deadline to put themselves below the luxury tax threshold. This is a sleeper team to watch. 

8. Golden State Warriors: They were ready to empty the cupboard for Antetokounmpo, including being willing to trade Draymond Green, who was previously deemed untradable. But alas, the Bucks were just a giant tease and Steph Curry didn’t get his dream running-mate. At least the Warriors shed their Jonathan Kuminga problem, trading him to Atlanta for Kristaps Porzingis. It was a good move for the Warriors considering Kuminga had been reduced to being a bench ornament. If Porzingis can get healthy, it could be a really good move. 

9. Portland Trail Blazers: They were expected to be bigger buyers, with their only move being acquiring sharpshooter Vit Krejci from Atlanta. Is this helpful? Yes. Will this move the needle for a franchise competing in the very crowded West that has been hampered by injuries? No. 

LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE

10. LA Clippers: Bye bye James Harden and Ivica Zubac. And bye bye any chance of Kawhi Leonard playing meaningful basketball this season after he led the team on a 17-5 run following their dismal 6-21 start. The Clippers are clearly looking toward their future. They acquired Darius Garland, who’s 10 years younger than Harden but has been struggling with a toe injury, as well as the 23-year-old Bennedict Mathruin, two first-round picks and one second-round pick. 

11. Dallas Mavericks: They shed Davis’ massive salary so they can go all in on building around Cooper Flagg. It was the right move. That said, it’s very sad that they traded a generational talent in Doncic to essentially end up with Max Christie, the No. 30 pick in the 2026 draft, the Lakers’ 2029 first, the Warriors’ first in 2030 (if 21-30) and three second-round picks. The Mavs hoped Davis was a win-now move, adding elite two-way talent to a team with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson. But Davis’ campaign with the team was thwarted by numerous injuries.  

12. Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies shed Jaren Jackson Jr.’s contract while gaining three first-round picks. They have a ton of financial flexibility and some valuable assets to start retooling their team. They didn’t find a buyer for Ja Morant, though. 

13. Utah Jazz: They acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. from Memphis in exchange for four players and three first-round picks. They’re clearly hoping to start competing next season, with Jackson joining Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Keyonte George and Ace Bailey. 

14. New Orleans Pelicans: The award for leaving your fanbase the most frustrated goes to this team. They’re 13-40 and have the second-worst record in the league, yet they didn’t sell big at the trade deadline. They traded Jose Alvarado to New York, but they still don’t have a first-round pick in the 2026 draft. 

15. Sacramento Kings: The deadline has come and gone and Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are still with the team despite all of the chatter around them. They acquired De’Andre Hunter, but he’s not going to change things for this team. 

The 2026 NBA trade deadline didn’t have a superstar deal on the level of last year’s Luka Doncic-to-the-Lakers blockbuster, but there was still a major flurry of deals with some big names and fantastic role players on the move. Giannis Antetokounmpo remains with the Milwaukee Bucks for now, but Anthony Davis, James Harden, Darius Garland, and Ivica Zubac were just some of the players sent packing.

Contenders in both conferences got stronger, with the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks making minor moves around the edges to improve their bench, while the Oklahoma City Thunder finally cashed in a future first-round pick for a shooter, and the Minnesota Timberwolves added one of the game’s best reserve guards for absolutely nothing.

You can find every move of the NBA trade deadline with our updated tracker. We also have a big list of trade grades for every important deal. Now let’s hand out some big picture winners and losers from the 2026 NBA trade deadline.

Winner: Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers don’t control their first-round pick until 2030, but they made a bold move to add future draft capital from another team at the cost of their most reliable player. Los Angeles made the painful decision to trade Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, but they got an absolutely massive haul for him. The Clippers landed the Pacers’ unprotected 2029 pick, and their top-4 protected 2026 first-round pick, which has about a 50 percent chance of conveying. If the Pacers keep the 2026 pick, it turns into an unprotected 2031 first-rounder going to LA. It’s a phenomenal deal for the Clippers either way. Tyrese Haliburton is coming off an Achilles tear, so there’s no guarantee he’ll return to his previous form. Zubac had two more years left on an affordable contract, but by trading him now they extracted maximum value.

The Clippers also traded James Harden for Darius Garland, and got 10 years younger in the process. Garland has battled a nagging big toe injury, and it’s a scary sign that the Cavs were willing to move him. Still, the Clippers weren’t going anywhere with Harden this season, and Garland’s youth gives them an extended timeline to figure out their next move. The Clippers seemed to have a dark future before this week. Not anymore. Those Pacers picks are super high upside, and Garland has a chance to be really good for a long time if he can get healthy. The trade could absolutely still work out for Indiana if they land Cameron Boozer or Darryn Peterson in the draft (or A.J. Dybantsa or Caleb Wilson) and Haliburton comes back at full strength, but it’s a great value play for the Clippers either way.

Loser: Chicago Bulls

The Bulls were the most active team at the deadline, trading away half their roster including core players Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Nikola Vucevic for a haul of second-round picks. All of the Bulls’ moves were defensible in a vacuum, but the big picture shows just how mismanaged Chicago has been under lead executive Arturas Karnisovas. Chicago has made the playoffs just once with one playoff win since Karnisovas was hired. He could have returned a much greater package of assets if he made similar moves the last two years, but instead Chicago doomed itself to mediocrity. The Bulls probably already have too many wins to tank for 2026, and the 2027 and 2028 drafts both look weak for now. Chicago hasn’t won a playoff series since 2015, and they’re not going to win another one anytime soon. Owners Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf need to clean house with Karnisovas and head coach Billy Donovan and start fresh. At least the Bulls have all their draft picks moving forward and only one bad contract currently on the books (Patrick Williams’ $18 million annual deal for the next three seasons after this one), but there’s no way AK should be trusted to build this thing from the ground up.

Loser: Giannis Antetokounmpo

If Dwight Howard sent out this tweet during his prime, the Internet would still be making fun of him for it.

I like Giannis a lot, and part of me thinks it’s admirable that he ideally wants to stay in Milwaukee forever. If that’s the case though, why not send this tweet before the trade deadline? I predict the Bucks and Giannis will fight over his return to the court this season: the Bucks will want to tank because they can still pick as high as No. 2 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, and of course Giannis will want to get into the play-in tournament as the best player in the East. Maybe Giannis will use that battle as his reason for asking out again this summer. I just think this is lame by Giannis. He knows he can’t win in Milwaukee, and he’s wasting the last years of prime hoping the Bucks can pull off a miracle. Will Giannis sign an extension with the Bucks this summer? I doubt it. If he doesn’t, please remember this tweet.

Winner: Boston Celtics

The Celtics swapped Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic, which adds another big body to their front court for the playoff run. Even more importantly, they got out of the repeater tax without giving away a premium asset to do it. This is masterful work by Brad Stevens, and his bosses should love him forever for it.

I know that I shouldn’t be celebrating saving a billionaire some money, but the current CBA puts real team-building constraints on franchises that repeatedly pay the tax. The Celtics got out in a year where they are still really good without Jayson Tatum. When Tatum comes back, they will now have more flexibility to build a great team in the future. And hey, they still might win the East anyway.

Winner: Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves’ bold bet on Rob Dillingham in the 2024 NBA Draft went bust. That’s a massive organizational failure, but at least Minnesota recouped some value for this upcoming playoff run by nabbing Ayo Dosunmu from the Bulls. Dosunmu is one of the best sixth men in the league, and he’s been having a special season in Chicago. The 26-year-old is shooting 45 percent from three, playing tough on-ball defense, and routinely hitting opposing defenses with sneak attacks to the rim. He’s a wonderful guard to pair with Anthony Edwards this season, and he could be a long-term keeper if the two sides can agree to a contract in free agency. Dillingham was never going to move the needle for a contender, but Dosunmu could.

Winner: Washington Wizards

I liked what the Wizards did buying very low on Trae Young and Anthony Davis this season. Young and AD make a ton of money, but that’s about the only thing the Wizards gave up to get them. Washington will still hope to hit the lottery for Boozer or Peterson this year, and if they do, suddenly they will have a nice core with Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, and Kyshawn George already in place. You can’t tank forever in the NBA, and the Wizards have done enough tanking already. With weaker 2027 and 2028 draft classes coming, Washington nabbed some stars on the cheap to help their young core develop. With Boozer or Peterson, this could be a feisty team in the Eastern Conference playoff race as soon as next season.

Loser: Sacramento Kings

The Kings weren’t trying to tank this year, they just ended up doing it on accident. Sacramento paid the price for trying to recreate the 2021-2024 Chicago Bulls in the Western Conference, and shockingly it was a spectacular failure. The Kings had to do something to get off Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, or Domantas Sabonis at the deadline, and yet all still remain on the roster after it passed. The only move the Kings made was a bad one, taking on De’Andre Hunter for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis. The Kings are just hopeless. Like Chicago, this fanbase deserves so much better.

What we learned from Brad Stevens: C's roster vision, Tatum's timeline and more originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Brad Stevens had plenty to discuss when he took the podium at the Auerbach Center on Friday morning.

For starters, there were the four trades that the Boston Celtics president of basketball operations executed before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline: Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick to the Chicago Bulls for Nikola Vucevic and a second-round pick, Chris Boucher to the Utah Jazz, Josh Minott to the Brooklyn Nets and Xavier Tillman to the Charlotte Hornets.

There were the financial implications of those four deals — Boston dipped just below the NBA’s luxury tax as a result of Thursday’s trades — as well as the roster implications; the Celtics now have two open roster spots and could look to the buyout market to fill at least one of them.

And then, of course, there’s Jayson Tatum, who recently admitted he has yet to decide if he’ll return this season as he approaches the nine-month mark of his rehab from a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Stevens addressed all of those topics and more Friday during a 30-minute press conference at the Celtics’ practice facility. Here are the most notable takeaways:

Adding a big man was a top priority.

Stevens was very clear on this point: He wanted to add at least one big man to the roster before Thursday’s deadline.

“At the end of the day, when you look at who you have to go through, the paths you have to take, you just can’t get worn down physically,” Stevens said. “We were going to be much smaller, and now we at least have big options.

“We just thought that redistributing our positional needs was probably the most important thing.”

Neemias Queta and Luka Garza have both exceeded expectations this season, and Amari Williams has shown promise in the G League. But Vucevic gives the Celtics a legitimate paint presence who can rebound in bunches (10.4 boards per game over a 15-year NBA career) and go toe-to-toe with elite Eastern Conference big men like Karl-Anthony Towns, Joel Embiid, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Jalen Duren.

“When Vooch walks into the room, it looks different,” Stevens said. “He’s big and long and strong and can be standing next to anybody in this league and not look small.”

Getting under the luxury tax was not (at first).

Stevens insisted there was no “directive” from new owner Bill Chisholm to get out of the luxury tax entirely.

“The directive was more, how can we best position ourselves to win now and then win later?” Stevens said.

But after trading Simons for Vucevic on Tuesday — a move that brought Boston below the first apron — Stevens and the front office saw a pathway toward getting under the luxury tax while preserving the core of a team that’s positioned to contend in the East.

“There was an opportunity two days before the deadline that we didn’t think would be there,” Stevens said of getting under the luxury tax.

Stevens added that these tax savings might be temporary, and if there’s an opportunity to spend big and improve the team in the offseason, “we’re going to try to take advantage of it.”

Boston wants to add a ball-handler.

How will the Celtics fill their two open roster spots? Ron Harper Jr. looks like a strong candidate for one of those spots, as Stevens raved about Boston’s two-way guard.

“We all think Ron is one of the best players in the G-League,” Stevens said. “… He’s a stud.”

The other spot could be filled on the buyout market, where teams can sign players who were waived at Thursday’s deadline. And Stevens has a position in mind.

“We’ll ultimately fill the roster spot with at least one more ball-handler, and then see how the rest our needs play themselves out,” Stevens said.

Stevens didn’t mention any players by name, but noted whoever signs with Boston likely wouldn’t be a part of the regular rotation — and would have to accept that.

“Sometimes that eliminates guys with bigger reputations,” Stevens added.

A Tatum return doesn’t feel imminent.

Stevens didn’t offer specifics about how Tatum is progressing, but if you’re expecting the Celtics star to return before next week’s All-Star break, don’t get your hopes up.

“He’s hit a lot of the thresholds, he’s doing more and more and will continue to do more and more,” Stevens said of Tatum. “He’s still got a ways to go.”

Stevens admitted he didn’t watch Tatum’s full interview on The Pivot podcast in which Tatum expressed reservations about how he’d re-integrate with the team upon returning. But Stevens noted Tatum’s doubts are “totally normal” for a player going through such a long rehab and won’t change how the Celtics view his situation.

“The best for Jayson Tatum to come back is when he’s 110 percent healthy, he’s fully cleared by everybody that matters in that decision, and he’s got great peace of mind and (is) ready to do it. That’s it,” Stevens said.

Ultimately, Stevens said, Tatum’s return will be a group decision that won’t be influenced by the Celtics in either direction.

“When it’s right, then we’ll all sit down and talk about it,” Stevens added. “But there’s still no force from us, no pressure from us, but there’s also not going to be any one of us saying, ‘Why don’t you just take another week?’ When he’s ready, he’s ready.”

Watch Chris Forsberg’s 1-on-1 interview with Stevens and Stevens’ full press conference below:

Joe Mazzulla is never one to accept praise, often deflecting it toward his staff and players. He famously told Derrick White “nobody cares” after being congratulated for winning Coach of the Month. He’d probably even call this piece a waste of time, but I’m here to say it’s time for him to get his credit. 

Fans and award voters have discredited Mazzulla’s success as a product of loaded rosters, ignoring his part in elevating those units. Sure, he inherited a contender. But it was days before training camp, and he was stuck with another coach’s staff. Managing 57 wins as a rookie under those circumstances was a massive success, but still only good for a 3rd place finish in Coach of the Year voting.

A dominant 64-win Championship season somehow moved him back a spot, and a 61-win follow-up through injury and fatigue took him out of the race altogether.

The narrative was that they should be that good, so he can’t be rewarded for meeting expectations. Sustained success isn’t as cool as the shiny new playoff team, or the overachiever. But now, Boston is on the other side of that spectrum, and his group is doing far more than anyone expected.

Mazzulla had his championship roster completely gutted at the top. In a flash, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and his top three centers were all out of the picture. They went from the top of the league to a projected Play-In team, or worse.

There weren’t many believers. Their preseason win total was set at 41.5. 

Boston is currently 33-18. They would have to go 9-22 the rest of the way to beat that total.

They are the 2nd seed in the East and finding answers every single night. Mazzulla has pushed all the right buttons in terms of lineup combinations and game-planning. The roster has carryover from previous years, but he’s getting the absolute most while toggling through a variety of unproven bench pieces.

They have the highest Offensive Rating in the league, and their 8.0 Net Rating is down just -1.4 from last season despite the considerable changes. You can see that sustainability most clearly when Jaylen Brown is off the floor, as those lineups are still steamrolling teams with a +12.8 net rating and a 121.6 offensive rating.

Their defense, which could’ve fallen off a cliff, is quickly climbing and sits just outside the top-10.

Losing Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet was supposed to be catastrophic for this team. Mazzulla has empowered Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, and played to their strengths so effectively that you’re not left each night thinking about what they lost.

There are other coaches doing great work this season, but nobody is crushing expectations at a level this extreme. No team has faced this much roster turnover, and hardly missed a beat.

The sportsbooks are telling a different story, with J.B. Bickerstaff sitting as a heavy favorite to take home the Red Auerbach Trophy. And look, the Pistons’ breakout is great and Bickerstaff is a worthy contender, but there was an expectation they could take a step forward. Boston was supposed to take several steps back, yet Mazzulla’s group has the better Net Rating.

He is not solely responsible for the Celtics’ success, though it should be unmistakably clear how effective his principles and system are.

Their latest win in Houston is one of the finest examples. Without Jaylen Brown, they still absolutely squashed the Rockets. Mazzulla went an unconventional route and gave Ron Harper Jr. his first career start. Few would think to call on a two-way player, let alone throw them at Kevin Durant, but it turned out to be a stroke of brilliance. His defense combined with their efforts to shrink the floor, held Durant and their #5 offense to 93 points.

It’s moments like these, where he’s tweaking the rotation, and building players confidence, while still maintaining their style that you can see how effective he is. 

Managing great teams is not easy — we’ve seen enough implode to know that’s true. But this season has revealed without a doubt that he adapts to his group, and knows how to extract the most value from them.

With massively talented teams of the past, he understood that they’d benefit from the freedom to make plays without frequent intervention. For a squad like this current one, his fingerprints are all over the game. This is something that was mistaken as a dependency, when it’s far more about awareness.

For the critics who thought he was only as good as his roster, this season is a big green slap in the face. For award voters, the evidence is undeniable. It’s time to leave the goalposts where they belong, and award Coach of the Year to Joe Mazzulla.

The trade deadline has officially passed, and the Dallas Mavericks have a new look after the departure of Anthony Davis. With him went D’Angelo Russell, Dante Exum and Jaden Hardy. Coming to Dallas is Khris Middleton (likely to be bought out), A.J. Johnson, Malaki Branham (who was quickly flipped for Tyus Jones), Marvin Bagley III, two first round picks and three second round picks.

Of course, it took approximately ten seconds for some to equate the incoming haul to the sum total of what Dallas received in exchange for Luka Doncic. In other words, those wanting to throw shade Dallas’ way had an easy time stating that superstar Luka Doncic was ultimately swapped for Max Christie, a few first round picks that likely won’t be high in the draft order, a potential buy-out candidate and some “filler.”

While arguments like this have some surface-level merit, they also beg the question as to when the statute of limitations is up. How many “Degrees of Kevin Bacon” do we move through before separate trades are no longer correlated? Hypothetically, if Dallas flips their own 2026 pick along with all their other new picks into a player who becomes a superstar two years from now, does that somehow make the Doncic trade better? The Doncic trade was an epic fail, full stop. It is, however, a sunk cost at this point and does not necessarily mean the Mavs weren’t winners relative to their baseline before the Trade Deadline passed. Here we will consider two areas in which the Mavs not only won, but won big.

Who got shipped out… and who didn’t

The Mavericks facilitated their future by shipping off four players. Anthony Davis played 29 regular season games and two play-in tournament games in just over a year, and is currently nursing a hand ligament injury for at least the next few weeks. Dante Exum is in the midst of a season-ending injury. D’Angelo Russell was so far in Jason Kidd’s doghouse that he was eating Puppy Chow for each meal. Jaden Hardy was a fine enough rotation piece. With the utmost respect due those players, the Mavericks gave up virtually nothing – three players who don’t play, and a solid eighth or ninth man on the roster who also saw stretches outside the rotation.

By making the deal they made, they did not have to ship off any of their more playable, younger, valuable pieces. Remaining on the team are Naji Marshall, Max Christie, Daniel Gafford and even Klay Thompson (P.J. Washington, too, but he was not trade eligible). All of those solid (and generally very contract-friendly) pieces remain to either help the team long term, or be used in future team-building efforts.

Second apron considerations

The primary, and far too often overlooked (or misunderstood), reason the Mavs won is the dreaded Second Apron. Dallas was dangerously close to the second apron, and essentially would have walked right into it this offseason had they stayed the course.

For those who may not be familiar with the Second Apron, it is the terrifying hellscape that punitively limits a team from doing just about anything to improve their roster. Those quick to call the Mavs’ trade deadline a failure are most likely not considering the severe ramifications of being a second apron team. Here is just a sample of what lies in Pandora’s Box.

Note: All second apron teams suffer both first apron penalties and additional penalties exclusive to the second apron. Those penalties include:

Fist apron

• No sign-and-trade if the incoming player keeps the team above the Apron.
• Unable to sign a player waived during the season if that player’s salary is above the mid-level exception (MLE).
• Any salary match in a trade falls to a 110% threshold instead of a 125% threshold.

Second apron

• All of the above penalties, plus;

• Unable to use the MLE.
• Unable to use trade exceptions.
• Unable to use cash in any trades.
• Unable to trade multiple players in the same deal.
• Any first round pick is automatically moved to the end of the round if the team remains in the second apron for any three years within a five-year span.

What can a second apron team do? Basically re-sign their own players, sign their own draft picks, trade a single player at a time for equal/less incoming salary and use minimum contracts.

I’m not sure you can overstate the severity of being a second apron team. Dallas would have been completely strapped had they done nothing, squandering Cooper Flagg’s early years instead of immediately aiming to build around him properly.

It may not have been sexy or flashy, but given their position, the Mavericks did an incredible job positioning themselves for massive cap flexibility while giving up virtually nothing that was currently helping them, and most importantly outright avoiding the second apron. This was a win, even if an unconventional one.

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