Category: NBA

James Harden has played a key role in helping the Clippers become one of the NBA's hottest teams over the last six weeks despite a disastrous start to their season. He might not be around, however, to see how the rest of the season unfolds.

Multiple media outlets are reporting that Harden and the Clippers working to find a suitable deal that would send him to another team by Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

Many of those reports mention a possible trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, swapping Harden in exchange for guard Darius Garland. Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated described discussions between the two teams as "advanced."

The Clippers play the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Wednesday.

Harden, 36, had 25 points and nine assists in 34 minutes during the Clippers' 122-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday but has not played in the team's two games since. The Clippers have attributed Harden's absence to personal reasons.

Read more:NBA trade deadline: What moves might the Lakers or Clippers make?

The trade reports involving Harden broke Monday during the Clippers' 128-113 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Crypto.com Arena. Coach Tyronn Lue was asked about the matter during his news conference after the game.

"I can't comment on rumors," Lue said. "Sorry."

After the game, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard told Joey Linn of Linn Sports media he was surprised by the Harden reports.

"I respect his decision or whoever's decision it is, and that's it," Leonard said. "I mean, he's still gonna be my boy and, you know, I trust the front office."

Read more:Clippers can't lose: An NBA turnaround like no other

Clippers forward John Collins called the news "shocking." Asked by Linn if he would be disappointed to see Harden leave at this point in the season, Collins answered, "Hell yeah."

Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reports that Harden initiated the trade talks and "the Clippers were stunned to find out about him wanting out." The two sides have been discussing a possible parting for weeks, according to Siegel.

This past offseason, Harden signed a two-year, $81-million deal to remain with the Clippers. The second year was said to be a player option and is partially guaranteed. Harden has the power to veto any trade, according to ESPN.

Harden is an 11-time All-Star who was named the league MVP in 2018. He has played for five teams, including the Clippers since 2023, and is averaging 25.4 points, 8.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds in his 17th NBA season.

Read more:Chris Paul is 'at peace' after Clippers exit; Tyronn Lue says report they were feuding 'ain't true'

Garland is a 26-year-old two-time All Star who has averaged 18.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists during his seven NBA seasons. His contract expires in the summer of 2028. He has not played since Jan. 14 because of a Grade 1 sprain of his right big toe.

The Clippers were 6-21 after a 122-101 loss to Oklahoma City on Dec. 18. Since then, however, they have won 17 of 22 games to pull into a potential play-in spot (ninth place) in the Western Conference playoff standings.

Lue was asked Monday if Harden was someone he would like to continue to have on the team for a possible playoff run and beyond.

"Who wouldn't want to have James Harden?" Lue said.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It’s just after 3:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday. So we are within 48 hours of the NBA trade deadline and although there have been two trades, only one a blockbuster. That one between the Grizzlies and Jazz starts a tank in Memphis and a move toward contention in Utah.

The two others are more common place at the deadline, one is to fill holes, the other to manage cap space.

None has a direct or short term effect on Brooklyn although the Grizzlies could soon fall deeper in the lottery after dumping Jaren Jackson Jr. Right now, the Grizzlies are in ninth, six games back of the Nets. It’s hard to imagine Memphis getting much closer with the Nets sinking deeper and deeper but Memphis will no doubt pick up more ping pong balls.

Also, over the long term, the Grizzlies now have a significant cache of assets to work with going forward. They have 12 first round picks, compared to the Nets 13, nine tradeable firsts compared to 10 for the Nets. The Nets cache of firsts looks at the least for the moment, the cleaner of the two with fewer protections and swaps. The Grizzlies have eight seconds as well, a compared to as many as 20 for the Nets. Memphis does have a $28.5 million trade exception, the largest in NBA history that won’t expire for a year. .

The other trades revealed so far is a three way deal among the Bulls, Timberwolves and Pistons and salary dump in Boston. The latter would seem to eliminate the long-held rumor the Celtics and Day’Ron Sharpe. Instead they’ve gone with Nikola Vucevic.

Here’s Shams tweets announcing the deals…

BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading star forward Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr. to the Utah Jazz for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three future first-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ax6oQpZx0S

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2026

Just in: Chicago, Minnesota and Detroit have agreed to a multi-team deal that sends Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley Jr. to the Bulls and Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric to the Pistons, sources tell ESPN. Detroit also receives a 2026 first-round protected swap from Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/pgxqr1WT90

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2026

BREAKING: The Chicago Bulls are trading center Nikola Vucevic and a second-round pick to the Boston Celtics for Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/aScaobfZmv

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2026

We’ll be updating as things go along but when the Nets start getting involved, we will of course post separate stories, analysis, trade grades, the usual.

As of now, there’s little indication that the Nets are much interested in big deals. Their interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t even rise to the level of making calls to Milwaukee, Brian Lewis reported Monday and it appears that the Nets aren’t interested in moving Michael Porter Jr. or Nic Claxton. Instead, word from everyone from Shams Charania to Michael Scotto to Jake Fischer is that Sean Marks & co. hope to parlay a top pick in the 2026 draft into bigger moves and some level of contention in 2026-27.

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The Lakers started a trend in the preseason with poor third quarter play, which has continued into the regular season.

Early in the campaign,Lakers head coach JJ Redick called it out and got it fixed. But, like a monster in a horror film, thosewoes are back and as bad as ever.

During their current road trip, the Lakers were outscored by 20 to start the second half against the Cavs, en route to a blowout loss. Two games later, they blew a first half lead to the Knicks and lost by double figures.

After the defeat, Deandre Ayton made it clear that the team’s poor play after halftime is a problem and one the team knows about.

“Most definitely got to sharpen up the third quarter,” Ayton said. “We don’t want to make that a habit. I’ll say we confronted it as well after this game. After a big game like this, we definitely pointed that out as one of our things we need to pick up and just come together collectively and be accountable.”

It’s a positive that the Lakers talked about this issue and called it out, but this late into the season, it’s actions over words.

While recent third quarter troubles have been loud, it’s been a season-long trend. The Lakers have a plus-minus of -67 in the period, their worst quarter. The good news is the Lakers have been great in the closing quarter. They are +108, which is the best in the NBA.

If they can fix these third quarter problems, that should set them up for success, leading to more wins. And, in a highly competitive Western Conference, that could be the difference between having homecourt in the opening round or being a play-in team.

So, whether it’s Redick emphasizing focus for the third quarter, Luka Dončić getting players involved right away or a change in the lineup to get an injection of offense, the Lakers have to do whatever needs to be done to go from a good first half to a solid second half start.

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

The 2026 NBA trade deadline isn’t until Thursday, but the fireworks are already underway. Shortly after the Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz completed a blockbuster deal for Jaren Jackson Jr., a three-team trade was announced between the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, and Minnesota Timberwolves. Here’s the full breakdown, via Shams Charania.

Bulls get: Jaden Ivey, Mike Conley Jr.

Pistons get: Kevin Huerter, Dario Saric, first-round pick swap with Wolves

Wolves get: Tax relief

Minnesota gets out of the first apron with this deal and significantly trims its luxury tax bill. The Bulls get a look at a former top-5 pick in Jaden Ivey before he hits restricted free agency. The Pistons move up in the draft and get a smart offensive decision-maker with shooting potential in Kevin Huerter. Let’s grade this deal for every side.

Bulls trade grade for Jaden Ivey deal

The Bulls love targeting former lottery picks who have fallen out of favor with their current team. It worked out decently well for Chicago with Josh Giddey and Jalen Smith, and now they’re trying it again with Jaden Ivey. Ivey was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, but his career took a detour when he broke his fibula during a terrifying play on New Years Day 2025. Ivey was sidelined for until late Nov. and hasn’t looked like himself since coming back, which is understandable after such a serious injury.

Can Ivey get his burst back? He showed elite speed coming out of Purdue and in his early days with the Pistons. He has struggled to beat players off the dribble upon his return this year, and it feels like he needs his top gear back to make this worthwhile for Chicago. It’s absolutely possible that Ivey can return to form with more time, but it’s still a risky bet as he enter restricted free agency this summer. Huerter was actually playing good ball for Chicago despite a shooting slump, and graded out as better than Ivey in advanced metrics like EPM, RAPM, and Darko.

Ivey has looked a little improved as a shooter based on where he was at coming out of Purdue. He made 41 percent of his threes on 8.2 attempts per 100 possessions last season in 30 games before the injury. This year he’s made 37.2 percent of his threes on 9.8 attempts per 100 possessions from three. Ivey’s defensive impact has never been there off the ball, but he’s decent on the ball. He’s never had a season where he’s scored at above league-average efficiency in the NBA, but he’s been close both last year and this year.

The biggest question with Ivey is his health, which makes sense after such a wild injury. He turns 24 years old later this month, and he’s due for a new contract in restricted free agency. Are the Bulls choosing Ivey over Coby White or Ayo Dosunmu? Ivey has never been as good as either player in the NBA yet. It would make sense for the Bulls to sell on one of them if they’re going to resign Ivey. Dosunmu has more trade value, but the team would probably like to keep him around. It would take a pretty big bounce-back for Ivey to be better than the peak version of White, but the Bulls haven’t had the peak version of White this year as he’s battled a calf strain.

Ivey and Josh Giddey are an interesting fit in the backcourt together, but ultimately I’m not super high on it because neither player is a plus defender or plus shooter. Ivey’s speed (if it returns) pairs well with attacking off Giddey’s playmaking theoretically. Ivey will not have White’s volume shooting, or Dosunmu’s defense. I’m skeptical this is a winning backcourt for Chicago long-term, but they didn’t give up too much in this deal. I’d guess the Bulls resign Dosunmu and Ivey, and trade White. Ivey has major scoring potential if he can get back to 100 percent physically, but will the Bulls have the spacing to open up driving lanes for him if he’s sharing the floor with Giddey?

The Bulls feel like they have more moves to make, but this is a fine buy-low gamble for now. Getting Ivey on a team-friendly contract will be essential for Chicago this summer. Something like four years, $50 million would be good for the Bulls, but might be too low. It will be an interesting negotiation, but Chicago has the leverage to match any deal and now gets to see where Ivey is at in a bigger role at the end of this season.

Grade: B

Pistons trade grade for Kevin Huerter deal

The Pistons are cruising at the top the East, and they just threaded the needle of moving up in the draft while adding a player who can help them immediately. Detroit was never going to re-sign Ivey coming off his injury, and they couldn’t afford to let him play his way back into shape after establishing themselves as the best team in the East this season.

Huerter fits in at the end of their rotation as a smart dribble-pass-shoot decision-maker who is a much better three-point shooter than his 31 percent stroke this year would indicate. Right now, the pick swap with Minnesota would have the Pistons moving up seven spots in the first-round of the 2026 draft. That’s nice work in return for Ivey when he wasn’t part of Detroit’s long-term plans.

The Pistons still need another ball handler and probably need another forward to really secure favorite status in the East. Ivey’s value likely wasn’t that high coming off the injury, and this is a solid return for him even if it doesn’t answer all of the Pistons’ questions. The Pistons should think about swinging bigger before the deadline is over, but as a first move, this is a good one for Detroit.

Grade: A

Wolves trade grade for Mike Conley deal

This trade is all about the luxury tax for Minnesota:

Minnesota will see their luxury tax bill drop from $24M to $3.8M.

They are now under the first apron and $3.8M above the tax.

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 3, 2026

Moving back in the draft to cut the tax bill isn’t the end of the world. Minnesota is rumored to be after Giannis, and this makes another big move more possible.

Grade: B

The Memphis Grizzlies have made a deal to ship one of their stars, but it might not be the one you’re thinking.

The Grizzlies are reportedly sending forward Jaren Jackson Jr., the two-time All-Star and 2018-19 Defensive Player of the Year, John Konchar, Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr. to the Utah Jazz for three first-round draft picks as well as Walter Clayton, Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks and Georges Niang.

It’s a significant trade, and one that might point to point guard Ja Morant potentially being moved before the NBA trading deadline Thursday, Feb. 5 at 3p.m. ET.

Here are grades for the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade:

Memphis Grizzlies

They’ve been languishing in the West and simply do not look like a team that’s in position to compete. Memphis is 19-29 and has lost 13 of its last 17 games. So if general manager Zach Kleiman and coach Tuomas Iisalo feel it’s time to either rebuild or stash draft capital to try to make a bigger move, it makes complete sense to sell high.

While Clayton is an intriguing rookie, this move is all about the first-round draft picks. Memphis now gets the more favorable 2027 selection (among the Cavaliers, Timberwolves or Jazz), but the Grizzlies are now holding 13 first-round picks over the next seven NBA drafts. That’s a massive stash that the team could leverage into trades for established stars, or for trades up in these drafts to select some of the top available players.

It will also give Memphis plenty of opportunities to select prospects, helping it build a young core for the future.

This move aligns with the team’s previous trade of Desmond Bane to the Magic. In fact, getting seven first-round picks for Jackson and Bane is a stellar haul. Now, the Grizzlies need to put that draft capital to work and they need to hit with those picks.

Grade: A-

Utah Jazz

Was this an overpay? Perhaps, but the first-round picks are pretty much the going rate for established veterans with some star potential. Jackson is only 26 and is a versatile forward who is already in his eighth season in the league and who can also play center. Though his shooting splits and scoring have taken a dip this season, Jackson still averages 19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals per game.

Jackson instantly provides an upgrade in the frontcourt and probably means Jusuf Nurkić will take on a smaller role, if he’s not eventually dealt. And, when paired with stretch forward Lauri Markkanen, the Jazz suddenly have a solid duo down low.

And, if the Jazz keep Walker Kessler, who’s out for the season with a torn labrum, that gives Utah a ton of size in the future.

Still, Utah remains a very young team, though the hope is that Jackson can provide some veteran leadership for young players like Keyonte George (22 years old), Cody Williams (21) and Ace Bailey (19).

The Jazz, however, have lost six consecutive games and are just 15-35, which is 13^th in the West. This trade probably doesn’t elevate them to the play-in window in a very tough conference. But it may help set them up for future success.

Grade: B

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jaren Jackson Jr. trade grades for massive Grizzlies-Jazz deal

Happy NBA trade deadline week! With this year’s NBA Trade Deadline approaching this Thursday at 2:00 PM central, there’s no shortage of trade rumors going around, and even though a deal seemed to be unlikely, Brett Sigel with ClutchPoints.com reported that the Rockets have had interest in acquiring another center.

“With Steven Adams out for the year due to a severe ankle injury, the Houston Rockets are left with Clint Capela as their only backup big man behind Alperen Sengun. The Rockets, who are $1.2 million away from their first-apron hard cap, have been searching the market for a low-cost, experienced center for extra depth. Keep an eye on Philadelphia’s Andre Drummond for Houston,” said Sigel.

Sigel continues saying “A trade involving Andre Drummond before the deadline appears likely, as the veteran center has fallen behind Adem Bona and small-ball center Dominick Barlow in the Sixers’ rotation. Drummond is making $5 million on an expiring salary and presents the clearest path to moving below the tax.
Amid Steven Adams’ season-ending injury, the Houston Rockets are a team league sources indicated have a level of interest in Drummond.” So far this season, Drummond has made 37 appearances. He is averaging 6.8 points and 8.7 boards in 19.6 minutes per game.

Houston has multiple tradeable contracts such as Jae’Sean Tate, Aaron Holiday, Josh Okogie, Steven Adams himself, and even Tari Eason, after neither Tari nor the front office was able to come to terms on an extension, leaving him as an unrestricted free agent this summer. Additonally Houston could sweeten the deal with a first or second round pick. However, personally, I do not see Houston trading Okogie as he has been a huge depth piece for this Rockets team so far.

With all that said, only time will tell to see if Houston will make a move.

The Rockets will be back in action Wednesday at Toyota Center with a 7:00 p.m. tip-off time. As always you can find both post and pre game coverage here at the DreamShake.

Very quickly, it seems like a few trade possibilities for the Toronto Raptors have emerged. While I am still skeptical of the legitimacy of these deals and talks, they seem to have some kindling to them. Whether or not they end up turning into full-fledged fire by Thursday’s NBA deadline is yet to be seen.

Here are the reports:

First, it seems like there is real interest between the Sacramento Kings and Raptors to make a deal involving Domantas Sabonis and RJ Barrett. It would also likely include Ochai Agbaji, as well. Yet, it seems like Jakob Poeltl’s salary and current injury situation may be hindering this possibility.

That leads to possibility number two: apparently, the Memphis Grizzlies are now interested in Poeltl. After trading Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies could be open to taking on Poeltl’s contract.

All of a sudden, the Grizzlies have emerged as a potential suitor for Raptors center Jakob Poeltl as Toronto continues to pursue Kings star Domanats Sabonis, league sources told @ClutchPoints.

Memphis just created a TPE from this Jackson trade they can use for Poeltl.

— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) February 3, 2026

Now, I want to hear from you. What do you think of these options? Do you think the Raptors should go through with these deals, moving on from RJ Barrett and Poeltl and taking on Sabonis? Is there anything else the Raptors should be doing before Thursday’s trade deadline? Should they do NOTHING?

Tell me in the comments below!

According to Shams Charania, the Utah Jazz have traded for Jaren Jackson Jr.

BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading star forward Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr. to the Utah Jazz for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three future first-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ax6oQpZx0S

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2026

Also included in the trade are John Konchar, Jock Landale, and Vince Williams Jr.

Utah sends Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niange, and three picks. What are those picks?

The Utah Jazz are trading their most favorable 2027 first-round pick (Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah), the Lakers' 2027 first-round pick, and Phoenix's 2031 first-round pick to Memphis, source says, to pry Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Grizzlies.

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) February 3, 2026

They include the most favorable 2027 first-round pick between Utah/Cleveland/Minnesota, the Lakers’ 2027 first, and the Phoenix’s 2031 first.

So how good are those picks?

That Utah/Cleveland/Minnesota pick and the 2031 Suns pick are probably the best of the three. Cleveland might be the worst of those three, but they’re in the East, so they likely won’t drop off much. Utah will be on top of the West next season with this new addition and Walker Kessler coming back so even their own pick is likely in the 20s. The Suns have looked much more competent this season, and so maybe Utah is not thinking it’ll be as good as they hope. Reports are out there that LeBron James is leaving the Lakers, which, oddly enough, probably helps the Lakers, who can bolster their roster around Luka Doncic. The 2027 draft isn’t a great one, and that pick is top-4 protected, so it’s not much of a loss at all.

It’s a reminder that you can never have too many picks because they are the currency of trades and if you don’t have picks, you can’t make moves like this.

Quick take

At first glance, it’s a shocking, unexpected trade. Utah has been trending in the right direction this season, moving toward a top draft pick. Now they add a top-tier starter that will help in all the ways they need it, especially defensively.

But the biggest question is, what does this mean for the current season? It’s a great trade in a vacuum, but in a way, it makes keeping their pick even more important. Utah will now be over the cap and won’t have room to bolster the roster on top of what they have. There are small additions they could make with things like the mid-level exception, but they need to keep their team full of young players to make sure this isn’t a short-term window. According to Tony Jones, Utah plans to keep the pick.

No. They plan on keeping the pick https://t.co/v7yVp84j7h

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) February 3, 2026

This is great news and means Utah is likely to continue doing what it can to rise in the lottery standings. It might be a lot of rest for Jaren Jackson Jr. coming up.

Jaren just felt a severe twinge in his quad/toe/knee/shin. Probably going to keep him out the whole rest of the season in Utah.

— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) February 3, 2026

Utah now has the Walker Kessler signing to focus on, as well as making sure they get as high in the lottery standings as possible. It sounds like there was some serious interest in Kessler, but this probably ensures the Jazz keep him because they can match any offer with restricted free agency. Get ready for a frontcourt of JJJ and Walker Kessler!

There is at least one team that I know of who was poised to make a significant trade offer for Walker Kessler. The Jazz likely thwarted that today

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) February 3, 2026

This makes for a pretty exciting day for Jazz fans. The tank should, and most likely will, continue. But now is the time to start getting excited for consistent winning for the Utah Jazz starting next season.

Victor Wembanyama has been named Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month for his work in January, the league announced.

The raw numbers are hard to argue with. Wemby was the only Western Conference player to get 100+ rebounds, 25+, and 10+ steals, according to Spurs PR. He did it while missing two games and only playing 27.7 minutes a night, which makes it even more impressive. The Spurs had the third-best defensive rating in January.

The curious thing is, Wembanyama was arguably not at his best in January, by the eye test and some advanced statistics. Still, a somewhat erratic Wemby is better than most defenders in the league, and his impact as a deterrent for drives and shots close to the rim is hard to measure. His solid individual work and the team’s success make the distinction unsurprising and well-earned, and it’s encouraging to know Wembanyama can be even better.

The Pistons’ Ausar Thompson was named Defensive Player of the Month in the East after leading Detroit to the best defensive rating in the league by a significant margin in January.

Previous recipients of the distinction in the West were the Thunder’s Cason Wallace in November and Chet Holgrem in December.

Wembanyama is averaging 24.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and a league-leading 2.7 blocks in 28.9 minutes a game this season.

It’s the Tuesday ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline and we’ve already got a blockbuster. No, not Giannis Antetokounmpo or James Harden. This one involved a Memphis Grizzlies star … but not Ja Morant.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is shockingly being sent to the Utah Jazz. ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to report the full trade.

BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading star forward Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr. to the Utah Jazz for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three future first-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ax6oQpZx0S

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2026

With the Grizzlies now seemingly in tear-down mode and the Jazz likely still not trying to win this year (they owe their top-eight protected pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder), it begs the question: which players should Daryl Morey and the Sixers call on?

Santi Aldama

The Spanish forward is 25 and might not fit into Memphis’ new timeline. At 7-foot and highly skilled, he’d be a fantastic fit with the Sixers. He has sort of a do-it-all skillset offensively, while also offering strong rebounding and defensive versatility. The biggest questions will be what it would take to get Aldama and if the Sixers could even match his 2025-26 salary ($18.4 million). That could be tricky without adding Kelly Oubre Jr., who is the team’s only reliable wing with Paul George suspended, or Quentin Grimes, who has a no-trade clause after signing a qualifying offer this past summer.

Jock Landale

When talking about big men who would be cheaper and represent an upgrade over Andre Drummond, many point to the Indiana Pacers’ Jay Huff. To me, Landale is the better option. Though not much of a rim protector, Landale is a strong rebounder. While he’s built like a traditional center, he’s become a legitimate pick-and-pop threat the last couple seasons. If the cost is something like Drummond and a second-rounder or two, it’s worth a call. As a third center to push Adem Bona, you could do a whole lot worse.

Vince Williams Jr.

Williams is an interesting player. He’s a guard who can basically do everything but make threes. He has creation juice, both for himself and others, is an excellent rebounder for his size and is a dogged defender with a 7-foot-wingspan. His lack of shooting could hurt since the Sixers already feature a couple non-shooters in the rotation, but he’s not bad perimeter depth to have and the cost figures to be relatively low.

Brice Sensabaugh

Chances are the Jazz will hang on to Sensabaugh, but if they’re open for business, he’s worth a phone call. The 22-year-old forward can just flat out score. His three-point shooting has dipped a bit this year, but he dropped 43 points in a game a couple weeks ago. The Sixers could use a pure bucket-getter off the bench and more shooting while George is out. Again, not sure what it would take or if Utah would move him, but he’s an intriguing option.

DALLAS — Jaylen Brown has won Eastern Conference Player of the Month for the month of January, winning the honor for the first time in his career, the NBA announced on Tuesday.

Brown averaged 29.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, headlined by a 50-point outing against the Los Angeles Clippers on January 3rd and a 40-point outing against the Atlanta Hawks on January 17th. The Celtics finished the month with a 10-6 record.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić and Boston Celtics forward-guard Jaylen Brown have been named the Kia NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in January. pic.twitter.com/NFLR7iXRm7

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 3, 2026

Brown’s efficiency declined from last month — he shot 44% from the field and 33% from three — but he excelled in other areas, such as leading the Celtics in rebounding in 7 of their last 8 games.

Jaylen Brown was awarded Player of the Month after being snubbed in December

Brown was openly frustrated when he was overlooked for the award in December, posting “Smh.”

Smh https://t.co/G7q3sCOT09

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) January 2, 2026

He averaged 31.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on 53.8 percent shooting, and the Celtics finished with a 9-3 record.

Instead, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson won the award after averaging 30.6 points and 7.1 assists per game en route to a 10-4 Knicks record (and the NBA Cup).

“I think he should’ve got it and I hope he takes it out on our opponents for the next month,” Joe Mazzulla said after the award was announced, just hours before Brown exploded for 50 points in LA.

Now, Brown gets the honor for the first time in his NBA career.

For the season, Brown is averaging 29.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists — all career-highs — while shooting 48.5% from the field and 36.2% from the three-point line.

In the Western Conference, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic won the award after leading his team to a 10-7 record. Doncic averaged 34 points, 9.1 assists, and 7.2 rebounds.

Other nominees in the East included Miami Heat players Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, Philadelphia 76ers forward Joel Embiid, Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.

The rumours surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo are ramping up with the trade deadline approaching, but even that’s not enough to distract from the product on the court for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Without the Greek Freak on the floor, Milwaukee is in a free fall, and even a matchup with the Chicago Bulls looks daunting at the moment.

My Bulls vs. Bucks predictions and NBA picks break down why there’s value with Chicago as short road favorites for this Central Division showdown set to tipoff at 8:00 pm ET at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Tuesday, February 3.

Bulls vs Bucks prediction

Bulls vs Bucks best bet: Bulls -2.5 (-110)

Whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo gets traded doesn’t change the fact that he’s not on the court for the Milwaukee Bucks.

They’ve lost eight of nine and are just 3-14 when Giannis doesn’t play. They also rank 26th in net rating since the start of December.

The Chicago Bulls have their own issues, but have been shooting the ball better. The Bulls rank third in eFG% over the last 10 games, while the Bucks have the fourth-worst defense rating over that same stretch.

Milwaukee is just 1-8 ATS in its last nine games. Chicago wins and covers this short spread.

Bulls vs Bucks same-game parlay

The Bucks do a lot of things poorly. So, let’s use that to our advantage in this SGP.

It’s hard to imagine a team with Giannis being bad at rebounding, but here we are. Milwaukee ranks next-to-last in rebounding rate.

So, take Matas Buzelis to go Over 6.5 rebounds, something he’s done in four of his last six games.

Next, it’s Coby White to go Over 5.5 assists. He’s hit the Over on that number in four of his last seven. The Bucks rank 27th in opponent assists per possession since the start of January.

Bulls vs Bucks SGP

• Bulls -2.5
• Matas Buzelis Over 6.5 rebounds
• Coby White Over 5.5 assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Bad luck Bucks

This is the "everything that can go wrong, will" for the Bucks parlay.

Bulls vs Bucks SGP

• Matas Buzelis Over 6.5 rebounds
• Coby White Over 5.5 assists
• Ayo Dosunmu Over 17.5 points
• Nikola Vucevic Over 1.5 threes

Bulls vs Bucks odds

• Spread: Bulls -2.5 | Bucks +2.5
• Moneyline: Bulls -140 | Bucks +120
• Over/Under: Over 223 | Under 223

Bulls vs Bucks betting trend to know

The Bucks have only covered the 1H Spread in 11 of their last 40 games at home for -22.35 Units and a-48% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for Bulls vs. Bucks.

How to watch Bulls vs Bucks

Bulls vs Bucks latest injuries

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

The Detroit Pistons are giving Jaden Ivey a fresh start, sending the beleaguered guard to the Chicago Bulls in a multi-team trade that will net the Pistons Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric from the Chicago Bulls.

The full details of the trade are as follows, according to Shams Charania of ESPN:

Detroit Pistons receive:

• Dario Saric
• Kevin Huerter

• 2026 first-round protected swap from Minnesota

Chicago Bulls receive:

• Jaden Ivey
• Mike Conley Jr.

Minnesota Timberwolves receive:

• Huge trade exception and flexibility to chase Giannis (my editorializing)

It’s a relatively sad end to the brief tenure of Jaden Ivey, which also must have felt interminably long from his point of view. The Purdue product was thrust into primary playmaking duties in Year 1 after Cade went down early in the season. Year 2 was the Monty Williams torture chamber. Year 3 was a brief breakout campaign cut short by a gruesome leg injury. Year 4 has been Ivey, finally healthy enough to play, while his young teammates have all gelled in his absence. He’s also clearly not 100% back, and might not be for another season.

Ivey was clearly not 100%, clearly on the outside looking in on how this young team was establishing its identity, and clearly not in the long-term plans entering what will be restricted free agency this summer. The Pistons didn’t need a great return and, well, they certainly didn’t get one.

Kevin Heurter is a career 37% three-point shooter, and he’s three inches taller than Ivey. That is about the long and short of Detroit’s motivations for this deal. But he’s down to 31% on the Bulls this season, shot 30% in 43 games with Sacramento last season before rebounding in a short stint with the Bulls after the trade deadline.

Dario Saric is just salary ballast and might never actually play for the Pistons, and likely gets waived if still on the roster by the end of NBA Trade Deadline day.

Trajan Langdon needed to trade for a shooter, and he’s banking on Heurter being that guy, provided he’s getting clean looks courtesy of Cade Cunningham and not a Bulls team whose only point guard (Josh Giddy) has missed huge chunks of the season.

Then there is the pick swap. Because of the absolute buzzsaw out West and Detroit’s comfortable position in the East, it is likely this is a pick swap that actually conveys. As of today, it would allow Detroit to move up six spots from 29 to 23 in the NBA Draft. We will see where is lands by the end of the season.

If this move by Minnesota is a precursor to a huge Giannis or Giannis-like move, then both these teams could find themselves picking in the low 20s by season’s end.

As with most deals near the NBA trade deadline, this could morph into something bigger. With huge salaries and three teams already involved, it’s the kind that can grow pretty easily and suck more teams into its orbit. As of now, the Pistons would need to cut a player to execute the trade.

They could cut or ship out Isaac Jones easily, and then cut Saric in an effort to create a permanent roster spot for two-way player Daniss Jenkins, which is near the top of Detroit’s priority list this week. We will have more if the story develops.