NBA – Page 20 – Worldwide Sports News

Shams Charania reports that the Toronto Raptors have sent off Ochai Agbaji and a second-round pick in a three-team deal to bring Chris Paul over from the Clippers, who had been languishing after being sent away from team activities by the Los Angeles franchise. Agbaji will head to the Brooklyn Nets.

The Raptors will not make CP3 report to the team, likely moving him before tomorrow’s NBA trade deadline OR buying him out after. Potential suitors could include his former franchises, the Thunder and Pelicans, seeking to capitalize on their one-time great’s last year…

Unless we’re getting a cool young player back and Paul is content to stay, I’d be happy to have another veteran presence on the young squad if he can mesh well with the team culture. And hey – maybe he and Garrett Temple can reminisce about the old days…

What do we want to do with Paul now that we’ve got him? Do you guys like the idea of having his veteran presence on the squad, or is it better to try and shop the star for a bigger return? Who would you want the Raptors to seek out in return for him?

PLUS, it seems like this move is officially the nail in the coffin regarding Domantas Sabonis talks. Agbaji would have been necessary salary matching in a deal like that. Do you agree that now is NOT the time to take a swing on Sabonis?

Give us your thoughts down below in the comments!

February 4, 2026

Patrick Mahomes' father arrested after authorities say he violated DWI probation

TYLER, Texas (AP) — The father of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been arrested in Texas after authorities said he violated his probation from a conviction for driving while intoxicated.

Patrick “Pat” Mahomes Sr., 55, was arrested Tuesday during a meeting with his probation officer after a warrant was obtained for a probation violation, authorities said. He remained in Smith County jail in Tyler on Wednesday. His attorney did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press.

The elder Mahomes was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty in August 2024 to a DWI charge. On Jan. 1, he had a high alcohol reading on his ankle monitor, according to a probation violation report.

Mahomes Sr. had been arrested on the DWI charge in February 2024, a little more than a week before his son led the Chiefs to a second straight Super Bowl championship with a win over San Francisco.

Smith County jail records show multiple DWI arrests over the years for the elder Mahomes.

Mahomes Sr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for six teams during an 11-year major league career that ended in 2003, according to Baseball Reference.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

February 4, 2026

Anthony Davis should be remembered fondly by Mavericks fans

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 8: Anthony Davis #3 of the Dallas Mavericks adjusts his Oakley glasses during the second half of their game against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center on January 8, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images

When the dust settles and we look back on this era of Dallas Mavericks basketball, it will be easy to view Anthony Davis’ tenure with the Mavericks as a failure. After all, he appeared in just 29 games in a little over a year’s time and left multiple games with injuries that would sideline him for weeks.

It’s easy to take the last year out on Davis, all the pain from the trade and having to accept that we’re not going to be contending for championships anytime soon. He is the face of the worst trade in modern sports history, his return was marginal at best, and it will be easy to hold that against him.

I don’t think we should.

Davis didn’t ask to be traded to Dallas, and he certainly didn’t ask to be brought in via the trade that angered a fanbase so much that its architect was fired just nine months after he made it. Davis came to Dallas to play basketball and try to earn the fans’ love in any way he could. His injury history was frustrating at times, but it’s not like he asked to sit out games.

Davis wants to play, and he wants to play hard. He can be a valuable part of a championship team, and he’ll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he hangs it up in a few years. I hope that with time, we can accept that he was put into an unwinnable situation by an egotistical man who thought he knew better than everyone around him. Davis is not the man who should get your ire; Nico Harrison is.

I enjoyed watching Davis play as a Maverick, and I also think it was time for him to go, but not because of him or anything he’s done. He just doesn’t fit the timeline of this team anymore. The infamous trade sent us from a contender to a rebuilding team, and you just can’t have a guy making over sixty million dollars a year on a rebuilding team.

I hope he succeeds in Washington, whatever that may look like, and I hope he has an entertaining and fulfilling end to his career. I wish he could’ve come to Dallas under better circumstances, but we don’t always get what we want in life.

With time, I hope Mavericks fans will see this situation the same way I do: with appreciation that he treated his time in Dallas as a professional and tried to gain the support of a fanbase that was — understandably — scarred by his presence. He was a good mentor to Cooper Flagg in their limited time together and he bought into a team that was heading for a rebuild despite nearing the end of his prime.

In total, his time in Dallas spanned just 367 days, and I think it’s best for everyone that his Maverick career is over. I just also hope we remember he never asked to be put under the microscope he got placed underneath and he never turned his back on this team.

Anthony Davis will always be good in my book.

February 4, 2026

Wizards acquire Anthony Davis from Mavericks

The Washington Wizards acquired 10-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, 2 first-round picks and 3 second-rounders, according to ESPN.

BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading 10-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to the Washington Wizards for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, 2 first-round picks and 3 second-rounders, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/sfrQQubI5i
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2026

None of the picks they are shipping out are their own:

• 2026 first-rounder (via OKC)

• 2030 top-20 protected first-rounder (via GSW)

• 2026 second-rounder (via PHX)

• 2027 secone-rounder (via CHI)

• 2029 second-rounder (via HOU)

After acquiring Trae Young in January, the Wizards have made another move, this time to bolster their frontcourt alongside Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George.

Potential Wizards starting five:

PG: Trae Young
SG: Tre Johnson
SF: Kyshawn George
PF: Alex Sarr
C: Anthony Davis pic.twitter.com/1nwrq7DmBm
— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) February 4, 2026

Davis has missed the majority of the last two season’s due to injury. And he is under a rather hefty contract that runs through the 2026-27 season with a player option in 2027-28.

2025-26: $54.1 million

2026-27: $58.4 million

2027-28: $62.7 million (player option)

But Washington clearly liked the value in acquiring Davis to pair with its young core — especially Sarr, who’s emerged as one of the league’s premiere rim protectors at just 20 years old.

Jaden Hardy is just 23 years old and under contract both this season and next. He has a team option at $6 million for the 2027-28 season. It’s possible he sticks around as a young guard the Wizards try to further develop.

D’Angelo Russell, on the other hand, is 29 years old and was recently removed from Dallas’ rotation. He has a player option at $5.9 million for next season. Given how the Wizards handled similar situations with veterans acquired via trade (Marcus Smart for example), Russell is a possible buyout candidate if Washington can’t flip him elsewhere.

Dante Exum is on a $2.3 million expiring contract. Washington will likely let him enter free agency this offseason.

February 4, 2026

Anthony Davis trade grades: Who won, massive Mavericks-Wizards deal?

Further acknowledging a mistake made, the Dallas Mavericks took another step to undo the infamous Luka Dončić trade.

The Mavericks have reportedly shipped the headliner of that deal, forward-center Anthony Davis, to the Washington Wizards.

According to ESPN, the full package sent to Washington also includes Dallas guards Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum. In return, the Wizards are receiving veteran forward Khris Middleton, guards AJ Johnson and Malaki Branham and forward Marvin Bagley III, though the real draw are two first-round draft picks and three second-round selections.

The deal generates interesting implications, so how do we make sense of what this means? Here are grades for the Mavericks-Wizards Anthony Davis trade:

Anthony Davis trade grades

Washington Wizards

This really is intriguing. Washington has been in a rebuild for the better part of the last decade, but coach Brian Keefe has shown this season that he can get flashes of production from an incredibly young roster. In fact, the team’s starting lineup during a Jan. 24 loss against the Hornets had an average age of 20.64 years, the youngest average age of a starting lineup since the NBA began tracking that data in 1970-71, according to Elias.

But the Wizards have won only 13 games, tied for fewest in the East. This was a team that desperately needed steady, veteran leadership, yes, but is this the most effective way to elevate the team out of a rebuild? Paired with the trade that shipped Trae Young to Washington, the Wizards now have a pair of veterans with 14 combined All-Star selections. But there’s some significant risk here.

Davis played just 29 games for the Mavericks since the February 2025 trade and has faced constant injury concerns throughout his career. In fact, he’s currently sidelined with a left-hand issue and appears to be a few weeks away from a return. Similarly, Young is out with a sprained right knee and bruised quadriceps.

For these deals to be fruitful, Davis and Young need to be healthy and available. But they also have to gel. The Wizards rank dead last in net rating (-10.7) and second-to-last in both offensive rating (109.3) and defensive rating (120.0). Young is a defensive liability. Davis (20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game) should provide stability on both ends.

Keefe will need to get Davis, 32, and Young, 27, to buy in and lead Washington’s young players. This was certainly a team that needed to make calculated moves. But if it doesn’t work, the Wizards could continue to find themselves at the bottom of the standings.

One way the Wizards mitigated some risk in this deal is that none of the draft picks they traded were their own. So if Washington remains in the lottery, those picks will stay with the team.

Grade: B

Dallas Mavericks

It was clear the fit with Davis was never seamless. Perhaps, in an alternate universe in which star point guard Kyrie Irving doesn’t tear his anterior cruciate ligament, the Mavericks could’ve sustained the post-Dončić era.

But that’s not reality and the Mavericks are paying for the sins of former general manager Nico Harrison. Interim co-GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi made this deal to make the best of a tough situation. The franchise saw the recent stellar play of 19-year-old rookie Cooper Flagg and understood that it needs to build around him. This is something that is going to take years. It’s not an enviable position, and the draft picks coming back seemingly won't be top-of-draft selections.

Despite moments of competitive play, Dallas has lost five consecutive games and probably understood that a pathway toward the play-in picture was doubtful. The Mavericks are sitting at 19-31 and seemingly believe that it’s better to admit a mistake than compound it. Put another way: the Mavericks considered Davis to be a sunk cost, especially considering that he was set to make $112.6 million through the 2026-27 season, with a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.

Updated return on the Luka trade:

3 first-round picks
3 second-rounders
Max Christie
Khris Middleton
AJ Johnson
Malaki Branham
Marvin Bagley III

(h/t @BradeauxNBA ) pic.twitter.com/k6voJSQv5u
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 4, 2026

This does provide some financial flexibility for Dallas to be more aggressive with its roster construction.

Dallas also holds its own 2026 first-rounder. This is a draft loaded with talent at the top, so the Mavericks could even package their new draft capital to move up and target a player of their choosing.

Davis was barely playing for the Mavericks. Dallas at least squeezed as much value as possible out of him.

Grade: C+

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anthony Davis trade grades for Mavs-Wizards deal has clear winner

February 4, 2026

Cavs are reportedly interested in acquiring another bench scorer

BROOKLYN, NY - OCTOBER 24: Cam Thomas #24 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles the ball during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 24, 2025 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers have already acquired three rotation guards at the trade deadline in James Harden, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis. Apparently, they could be adding more.

According to Michal Scotto of HoopsHype, the Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks are two teams that are interested in acquiring Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas.

Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas is drawing trade interest from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks ahead of the trade deadline, league sources told @hoopshype. Thomas is out for tomorrow’s game against the Orlando Magic due to “personal reasons.” pic.twitter.com/fDdX9Brylw
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) February 4, 2026

Thomas is your prototypical sixth man. He’s a 6’2” guard who comes off the bench with the sole purpose of getting buckets. On the season, Thomas is averaging 15.6 points and 3.1 assists on .399/.325/.843 shooting splits in 24.3 minutes per game.

Staying on the court has been an issue for Thomas throughout his five-year NBA career. The 24-year-old has only played over 65 games twice. Last season, he appeared in 25, and this season, he’s played in just half of Brooklyn’s games.

Figuring out exactly who the Cavs would be sending out for Thomas is difficult. Technically, the Cavs could acquire Thomas without sending out any players, as he could be traded for via the $6.9 million trade exception that was created from the De’Andre Hunter trade with the Sacremento Kings. Thomas is on an expiring $5.9 million deal.

It’s also worth questioning how Thomas would fit with the Cavs. The ability to stagger Donovan Mitchell and Harden makes the need for a guard bench scorer less necessary. Thomas likely wouldn’t get minutes over Schroder, and the team already has plenty of two guards that need minutes.

It’s possible that targeting Thomas would make more sense as part of a larger deal.

We’ll see if anything comes of this rumor. The trade deadline is Thursday at 3 PM.

February 4, 2026

Lakers' Jaxson Hayes has been suspended 1 game for pushing Wizards mascot 'G-Wiz'

Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes received a one-game suspension on Wednesday for pushing the Washington Wizards' mascot before a game last week.

Hayes pushed the mascot “G-Wiz” during pre-game introductions ahead of the Lakers’ 142-111 win on Friday.

Hayes had 10 points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal off the bench. He will serve the suspension on Feb. 5 when the Lakers host the Philadelphia 76ers, according to a statement from the NBA.

Hayes was drafted by Atlanta in the first round of the 2019 draft, but his rights were immediately traded over to New Orleans. He spent his first four seasons with the Pelicans before joining the Lakers in 2023.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

February 4, 2026

Two Big Brotherhood Trades…And One More Too

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 26: Jared McCain #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives by Sion James #4 of the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at Spectrum Center on January 26, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Two major trades Wednesday involving former Duke stars Jared McCain and Marvin Bagley: McCain will join Oklahoma City and Bagley is heading south of there to Dallas.

These were big deals. The Sixers sent

As for the Wizards-Mavericks trade, Dallas gets Bagley, Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson and Malaki Branham and two first-round picks along with three second-round.

In return, the Wizards get Always Damaged, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum.

Given Davis’s injury history and age, Dallas looks like it cleaned up.

As for the Sixers-OKC deal, the Thunder get McCain while Philly gets a 2026 first-round pick and three second round picks.

McCain should get some minutes since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out for a while with an injury, so at least he gets a chance to make an impression.

In a subsequent trade, OKC also picked up former Duke big man Mason Plumlee.

February 4, 2026

Nets acquire guard Ochai Agbaji as part of three-team trade with Clippers and Raptors: report

The Nets were part of a three-team trade on Wednesday afternoon, acquiring guard Ochai Agbaji from the Toronto Raptors.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the three-team trade lands the Nets Agbaji, the Toronto Raptors' 2032 second-round pick, and cash.

Meanwhile, future Hall of Famer Chris Paul is moving from the Clippers to the Raptors, though the Raptors will not require him to report to the team and could look to trade him again before Thursday's deadline.

Agbaji, 25, was the No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Kansas. A 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Agbaji has averaged 7.3 points and 2.8 rebounds over the course of his four pro seasons. He averaged a career-best 10.4 points per game with the Raptors in 2024-25.

February 4, 2026

Nuggets vs Knicks Prediction, Picks & Best Bets for Tonight’s NBA Game

There’s been a different vibe around the New York Knicks since a timely players-only meeting, and they’ll go for an eighth straight win in tonight’s clash with the Denver Nuggets.

Denver welcomed Nikola Jokic back on Friday with a minutes restriction, but has dropped its last two contests, and my Nuggets vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks target another big man with a wager on Karl-Anthony Towns.

Nuggets vs Knicks prediction

Nuggets vs Knicks best bet: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 11.5 rebounds (-110)

Endless trade rumors seem to have taken a toll on Karl-Anthony Towns, but he’s not letting that affect his rebounding.

KAT leads the NBA with 11.8 rebounds per game, but he’s taken that up another notch lately, with a whopping 17.5 RPG across his past four outings. He even reached the 20-rebound mark in consecutive games last week, padding those numbers at the expense of his scoring.

With Nikola Jokic still finding his feet again after his knee injury and the Denver Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back set, the visitors may take the cautious approach here with their three-time MVP, paving the way for Towns to own the paint.

Josh Hart’s ankle injury last night adds another wrinkle. It's another reason to think Towns will feast on the glass, with the New York Knicks potentially needing to replace Hart’s reliable rebounding tallies.

KAT finished with double-digit boards in both games against Denver last season, and he knows this matchup well from his days with the Timberwolves.

Though foul trouble is always a risk with Towns, he’s most comfortable around the basket defensively, and this Over is well within reach.

Nuggets vs Knicks same-game parlay

The Under is 8-2 in the Knicks’ last 10 games, and it’s also been a winning ticket in four of the past six meetings between these teams. With question marks around Hart's and Jokic's availability, plus a dose of back-to-back fatigue for both squads, I’m giving the defenses the edge.

Whichever way the Nuggets handle Jokic’s workload, there’s going to be a role for Jonas Valanciunas. He grabbed 11 rebounds in last night’s loss in Detroit, and he’s shown he can nail this Over in limited minutes.

Nuggets vs Knicks SGP

Karl-Anthony Towns Over 11.5 rebounds
Under 226
Jonas Valanciunas Over 5.5 rebounds

Our "from downtown" SGP: Peyton's Place

Peyton Watson is shaping up to be a key man in Denver’s playoff rotation, and he continues to blossom as a scorer. He’s gone past this O/U number in four straight contests, headlined by a 29-point effort against the Thunder on the weekend.

Nuggets vs Knicks SGP

Karl-Anthony Towns Over 11.5 rebounds
Under 226
Jonas Valanciunas Over 5.5 rebounds
Peyton Watson Over 15.5 points

Nuggets vs Knicks odds

Spread: Nuggets +4.5 (-110) | Knicks -4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Nuggets +160 | Knicks -190
Over/Under: Over 226.5 (-110) | Under 226.5 (-110)

Nuggets vs Knicks betting trend to know

The Nuggets are 19-8 on the road this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Nuggets vs. Knicks.

How to watch Nuggets vs Knicks

Location	Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date	Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Tip-off	7:00 p.m. ET
TV	ESPN

Nuggets vs Knicks latest injuries

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February 4, 2026

Coby White trade grades for Hornets-Bulls deal

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 22: Coby White #0 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 22, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Coby White has been one of the Chicago Bulls’ lone bright spots during an otherwise forgettable stretch of basketball in the 2020s. Chicago chose White with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 draft, and watched him improve year-over-year to become arguably the team’s best player. Now the Bulls have traded White before he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Charlotte Hornets have been the hottest team in the NBA over the last two months, and now they’re acquiring White and Mike Conley Jr. from the Bulls for Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, and three second-round picks. The deal was first reported by Shams Charania.

Here are the details on the second-round picks Chicago is getting from Charlotte.

The Hornets are loading up for a playoff run, while the Bulls are tearing it down in their effort to retool a mediocre roster. Let’s grade this trade for both sides.

Hornets grade for Coby White trade

The Hornets have one of the NBA’s best young cores in place with LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller leading the way. White offers an immediate upgrade from Sexton in the backcourt with his ability to play on- or off-the-ball with high-volume three-point shooting ability.

White has always been a streaky shooter, yet he winds up with a similar three-point percentage every year. White has made either 37 percent or 38 percent of his threes each of the last four seasons. He’s been a little slowed this season while battling a calf strain, and he’s only made 34.6 percent of his threes at the time of the trade.

White is not a very good defender. He currently ranks in the 14th percentile of defensive EPM. He’s an offense-first player ranking in the 84th percentile of offensive EPM, but this hasn’t been his best season. The Hornets have already bought low on White at the trade deadline, and it’s possible they can resign him to another bargain contract. He’s only 26 years old so he could have multiple suitors, but the North Carolina native could be motivated to stay in his home state with a rising young team.

I like the idea of White as a super sixth man in Charlotte who can play some point guard if Ball endures more injury troubles. This is a small price to pay for a good player.

Grade: A

Bulls grade for Coby White trade

The Bulls decided they weren’t going to resign White this summer, so they traded him for future assets while they still could. That’s fine, but Chicago could have gotten way more for him at last year’s deadline if they knew what they were doing.

It sure feels like the Bulls are fully rebuilding after trading White, Nikola Vucevic, and Kevin Huerter ahead of the trade deadline. Anfernee Simons will be a good replacement for White, but he needs a new contract. Jaden Ivey will step into a big role, but he hasn’t looked like the same player coming off a horrific leg injury, and he’ll also be a restricted free agent this summer. Chicago has one healthy big man on the roster in Jalen Smith, and he’s more of a power forward than a center as the league opts for more two-big lineups. The Bulls could be very bad the rest of this season.

Trying to get more ping-pong balls rather than going for another doomed play-in tournament run is a good move for Chicago’s front office, but it feels like too little, too late. The Bulls might be able to get to No. 9 or No. 10 in the reverse standings, but they’ll still need a lot of lottery luck to move up. Chicago deserves it: the Bulls have refused to lose on purpose for the last five years unlike the other star-less teams, and they have one of the biggest fanbases in the league that is starving for a superstar. Landing Cameron Boozer or Darryn Peterson would change everything for the Bulls, and now there’s a greater chance it happens even if it still requires a ton of luck.

The Bulls should have traded White a year ago to maximize his value. By holding onto him until the very last second, they got basically nothing in return for him.

Grade: C+

February 4, 2026

NBA suspends Lakers center Jaxson Hayes for one game

Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) — Lakers center Jaxson Hayes has been suspended one game without pay for push a Washington Wizards mascot. (Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

Lakers center Jaxson Hayes has been suspended one game without pay for pushing a Washington Wizards mascot during pregame introductions, the NBA announced Wednesday.

The Lakers played the Wizards at Capital One Arena on Friday night.

Hayes will miss the Lakers’ game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.

The backup center is averaging 6.4 points on 77.5% shooting and 3.8 rebounds. He’s the primary lob threat for Lakers All-Star Luka Doncic.

The Lakers just completed an eight-game trip with a 5-3 record.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

February 4, 2026

The case for a (qualified) Bucks tank

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 23: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks sustained an apparent injury on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Fiserv Forum on January 23, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images

This season has been a miserable one for the Bucks, whose record will only get worse now that Giannis is out for an extended period (again). Simply put, they are a bad team that, for the first time in a long time, sits at the lunch table with the NBA’s bottom-feeders as opposed to its contenders. I don’t need to go through the reasons why—we all know them by now: team has a major talent deficit, coaching is among the worst in the league, yada, yada, yada. The question is this: what should the Bucks be hoping to gain from this season at this point? As I’ll explain, they have the option to tank with somewhat minimal downside—a unique quirk of this season. Alternatively, the Bucks could do what they’ve always done and make moves to improve the roster and compete until the bitter end.

To compete or to tank

For me, the place to start this conversation is to evaluate the incentives for each option. Look, I think there’s at least a chance that this team could make the play-in tournament, even with Giannis playing just the final portion of the season. I wouldn’t say it’s very likely, but it’s possible. From that point, there’s no telling what the eternal play-in trio of Atlanta, Chicago, and Miami will serve up. With Antetokounmpo, I’d give the Bucks as good a chance as any to at least win the first play-in game. Maybe they’d sneak into the playoffs. Maybe they’d win a game over the Pistons, Celtics, or Knicks. But I think it’s fair to say that they’d lose the series in a noncompetitive fashion. Now, I suppose there is some level of incentive for this path—both from a playing perspective and the org’s bottom line—but neither of which I see as anywhere near important enough to override the upside of the alternate route.

Put simply, there is a significant incentive to what I would call a “qualified tank” for the rest of the season. I added the word “qualified” because Milwaukee must still keep an eye on New Orleans. The Bucks own the least favourable of their own first-round pick and the Pelicans’ pick in this year’s draft. It’s easy to assume New Orleans won’t win much this season and will stay at the bottom of the standings. I guess it’s relatively likely that it ends up that way. Still, we should remember that 1. the Pelicans have no incentive to tank, while the teams around them do (and what do you think will happen when these teams play each other?), and 2. they actually have a pretty talented roster when healthy. This is why it’s not necessarily smart for Milwaukee to try to tank every game indiscriminately.

Ideally, the Bucks lose at the same rate the Pelicans lose, and win at the same rate they win (unless it’s the very end of the season and there’s a situation in which the Bucks can move up the draft odds order by losing, but the Pelicans cannot move down by winning). But let’s be honest, it’s also completely unrealistic to think the front office could hatch a plan in which they dictate who plays from night to night based on whether the team needs a win or a loss. I get that this strategy is somewhat typical for younger teams (that also generally don’t have to worry about swap obligations), but probably not for a veteran-laden squad like Milwaukee.

My take on the situation is that the Bucks, especially without Giannis, are very bad and will lose a lot of games without needing lineup manipulation. They’ll win the odd game too, which will probably be a good thing, because the Pelicans won’t go winless the rest of the way. From there, it’s simply out of Milwaukee’s hands. All Bucks fans can do is 1. hope New Orleans loses as much as possible, and 2. hope the other bottom-feeders win, though they will be increasingly trying not to as the season draws to a close. As I’ll get into, this is the ultimate foil for any “disaster” the Bucks could run into vis-a-vis the draft.

On a broader level, though, the Bucks need as high a pick as possible, so this dance is a necessary one. I want to remind folks of Milwaukee’s daunting first-round pick outlook moving forward. Should everything stay as is (which, it must be noted, could change), the Bucks will likely not have the opportunity to control their own destiny regarding their pick until 2031. Why? Because they don’t own their pick next year, and Portland either owns their pick or has swap rights in the three years after that. If you ask me, the Blazers are likely to be better than the Bucks by that point and thus swapping for Milwaukee’s more favourable picks.

However, as I mentioned, this year’s pick swap is with New Orleans, which is obviously worse than Milwaukee (right now, at least). Sidenote: the Pelicans’ pick is owned by the Hawks, but I hesitate to even mention this because it just confuses people; the only thing fans need to know is that it is New Orleans’ and Milwaukee’s picks in the swap. Anyway, assuming the Pelicans remain a bottom-feeder, the Bucks are likely to retain their own pick since they will probably finish a good number of spots above New Orleans in the standings.

That said, even if Milwaukee finishes with a similar record to New Orleans (at the bottom, crucially), the situation could still turn out fine for Milwaukee—and actually has higher-reward outcomes than the scenario above. Sure, the Bucks would have a much higher chance of their pick being swapped, but both their and the Pelicans’ pick will have a high floor to fall back on. For example, let’s assume just for argument’s sake that the Bucks end up with the third-worst odds and the Pelicans end up with the second-worst. Both of those picks would have a floor of seventh.

Alternatively, let’s lay out a scenario in which the Bucks end up with the ninth-worst odds and the Pels end up with the second-worst, but Milwaukee’s pick somehow jumps above New Orleans’ pick to number one (see Cooper Flagg). The Bucks would give it away, which wouldn’t be great. However, the Pelicans’ pick would have a floor of sixth. Of course, the disaster scenario is that by the end of the season, the Bucks and the Pelicans have somehow swapped spots with roughly where each team currently sits. Milwaukee could give up a top-three pick and only get swapped one seventh or after. Fingers crossed that does not happen.

About the 2026 NBA Draft

So now that I’ve gone through the incentive to tank (again, provided the Pels are also bad) from a long-term team-building POV, let’s get more specific and discuss the strength of the 2026 draft itself. Obviously, no two drafts are the same. The no. 1 pick in one draft does not hold the same value as the no. 1 pick in another draft. I mean, just compare Cooper Flagg to Zaccharie Risacher (all due respect). Notably for the Bucks, this upcoming draft is loaded, per all the experts. There are three bona fide contenders for the top pick—Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa—but the talent remains exceptional all through the lottery, first round, and heck, even second round.

From SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell’s recent mock draft:

The 2026 NBA Draft was always destined to trigger a massive tanking race. This class clearly had three potential No. 1 overall picks from the very start of the process, and all three are living up to the hype to start their one-and-done college seasons.”
“The depth of this freshman class has also impressed, with North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson dominating on both ends with his high-motor, breakneck style, and Houston point guard Kingston Flemings emerging as a legit top-5 pick in his own right as the biggest surprise of the year so far.
“It isn’t just freshmen that make this draft class special. A group of upperclassmen led by Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson, Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz, and Florida’s Thomas Haugh are proving that staying in college for a few years won’t kill your draft stock in the NIL era.
“With that in mind, it seems clear that the incentives behind a tank are a lot more intriguing than Ryan Rollins getting playoff reps, rich owners getting richer, and the Bucks getting a pick in the mid-teens. I believe that moving forward, whether Giannis is in the picture or not, it’s a no-brainer to get as high a pick as possible in this draft and leave this season with the best possible asset. That player can slot in as a core building block for a team with the very few of those.“

Final thoughts…

Other than the obvious concern that the Pelicans go on a winning streak, the only other part of a “tanking” plan I worry about is whether Jon Horst will actually commit to it. I don’t expect him to change much about how the team operates, including lineup manipulation (other than holding Giannis out for the rest of the season, which I absolutely think the Bucks should do for several reasons). What I do worry about, though, is Horst trying to improve the team with a trade for some reason that gets them, like, five more wins than they needed. He’s only acted aggressively in the Giannis era. Is he capable of switching speeds and recognising the golden (but admittedly complicated) opportunity in front of him?

Finally, just a note on tanking in and of itself. Look, I admit that after hoping for this team to win every game for so long, as all fans did, it brings me no joy to now be “cheering” for the opposite result (most of the time). Tanking is tough for both teams and their fans. By the same token, finishing high in the lottery is the easiest way to acquire elite talent, which is what allows you to win in this league, especially in a small market like Milwaukee. Just about every team has tanked it or will tank in the future. I’m not here to get into the whole “is tanking bad for the league?” conversation; that’s a topic that’s been covered extensively at this point. I would just say that until the NBA changes the tanking incentives—which, to be clear, I don’t think it should—teams are going to operate with those incentives top of mind. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

February 4, 2026

Jaxson Hayes suspended one game for pushing Wizards mascot

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: Jaxson Hayes #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on January 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The NBA continues to get softer as a league. Apparently, it’s now a punishable offense if you push a mascot, and the league is using Jaxson Hayes as an example.

He will be suspended for one game without pay for pushing the Wizards’ mascot, G-Wiz, during pre-game introductions. The Lakers went on to win that game 142-111.

The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/l5eKjuBZLQ
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 4, 2026

Here is the shove Hayes gave that the NBA felt was worthy of a suspension. It seems like a very slight bump, and Luka Dončić certainly deals with more physicality on the court than whatever this is.

Jaxson Hayes shoved Wizards mascot, G-Wiz, in pre-game introductions

Hayes has been suspended for one game, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/x4xz2Ndw2I
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 4, 2026

What is happening to the game we love? Robin Lopez was notorious for beating up on mascots, and it was always a running joke.

Mascots vs. Robin Lopez will always be funny to me pic.twitter.com/9iS3sifUf1
— Jasmine (@JasmineLWatkins) December 31, 2018

Charles Barkley constantly got into battles with the Nuggets mascot, Rocky, and those punches certainly looked like they were for real.

Apparently, the league didn’t view this as playful, and suspending a player without pay is certainly a harsh ruling.

It’s just such a weird suspension and seems like something you’d hear as part of a comedy sketch more than an official release from the NBA.

But yes, it’s real, and Hayes is being punished. He will be out for LA’s upcoming game against the Sixers at home on Feb. 5.

If you are concerned about G-Wiz’s physical well-being, fear not: according to Dan Woike of The Athletic, G-Wiz was not injured in this altercation.

Sources tell me, actually, that G-Wiz, the Wizards mascot, was not injured after the incident with Hayes that led to the suspension.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) February 4, 2026

Well, I hope G-Wiz got the justice he feels he deserves, and that Hayes learns something here, I guess?

This is an odd event, to say the least, and hearing what Lakers head coach JJ Redick thinks and what Hayes has to say about it will likely be very entertaining.

Of all the things a player could get suspended for, this seems beyond trivial and silly, but hey, the league continues to crack down on physicality, including what happens between players and mascots.

And honestly, when it comes to gambling, salary cap circumvention, and a myriad of other issues players can get in trouble for, pushing mascots is the best problem to crack down on first.

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