Category: NBA

UPDATE: Luka Dončić has been downgraded to out vs. the Warriors due to a left hamstring strain.

Luka Dončić is officially ruled out and Luke Kennard is questionable vs. the Warriors. pic.twitter.com/gQ5Ig4HPMF

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) February 7, 2026

Luka injured his leg during LA’s recent game against the Sixers and had to exit the contest.

While it’s not good that Luka will be missing action, the overall sentiment seems to be that his injury won’t force him to miss a large portion of the season.

With the All-Star break coming up, perhaps Luka can use the time off from regular-season play to heal his body and get ready for the final stretch of the year.

Also worth noting, Luke Kennard is questionable for this contest, as his trade to the Lakers is still pending. LA sent Gabe Vincent to Atlanta in exchange for Kennard as the team’s sole transaction prior to the NBA trade deadline.

Original story follows.

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Lakers fans can breathe a sigh of relief as it’s looking like Luka Dončić will be okay after exiting LA’s recent contest against the Sixers with a hamstring injury.

After the win, Lakers head coach JJ Redick didn’t have an update on Luka, but he did say that Dončić would get an MRI to indicate the severity of the injury.

The Lakers haven’t officially given a statement on their superstar guard, but Dave McMenamin of ESPN is reporting that there’s optimism that the injury is not a major one.

There is some initial optimism that Luka Doncic is not dealing with a major issue with his left hamstring, however the Lakers star is doubtful to play Saturday against the Golden State Warriors, sources told ESPN

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 6, 2026

Luka’s importance to the Lakers cannot be understated.

He is their best player and the NBA’s leading scorer, averaging 33.4 points per game. LA playing without him for an extended period of time would make winning that much harder.

Also, if he were to miss significant time, the Lakers would once again be playing shorthanded. Now that Austin Reaves is back, there was hope that the Lakers could have their entire rotation healthy for the first time since mid-December.

Luka has dealt with hamstring injuries before. As a Dallas Maverick, he suffered a hamstring injury late in the 2022-23 season that forced him to miss some games.

Hopefully, this update means Luka will miss little to no games due to this injury.

While Luka avoided a worst-case scenario, this injury does put his first All-Star appearance as a Laker at risk. Luka was named a starter for the game, but with it taking place on Feb. 15, he might choose to rest his body rather than play against Team USA.

If Luka does miss some additional regular-season games, it will hurt chances of remaining eligible for the NBA’s end-of-season awards. Currently, Luka has missed seven games due to injury. He can only miss 10 more games to remain eligible.

Still, even if he does miss some time, it doesn’t seem like it will ultimately derail his season or the Lakers’ chances of competing in the Western Conference.

The Lakers are currently fifth in the West, but just three and a half games back of the No. 2 seed.

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

The Washington Wizards play the Brooklyn Nets tomorrow afternoon. Let’s get to the info.

Game info

When: Saturday, Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Barclays Center, New York City

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass

Injuries: For the Wizards, Tre Johnson (ankle), Tristan Vukcevic (hamstring), Trae Young (knee, quad) and Cam Whitmore (shoulder), Dante Exum (knee) and Anthony Davis (finger) are out. Jaden Hardy and D’Angelo Russell are day-to-day due to various injuries.

For the Nets, Josh Minott and Ochai Agbaji are day-to-day.

What to watch for

The Wizards upset the Detroit Pistons last night in what can be described as their signature win of the 2025-26 NBA season. They have also won four of their last six games!

Brooklyn in 13-37 this season and had lost 10 of their last 11 games. Things don’t appear to be as optimistic in the Big Apple’s other team (since the Knicks are doing real well) but playing against the Wizards should be a more even match than most of their previous ones. Hopefully Washington can get another big win tomorrow afternoon.

It sounds like the Los Angeles Lakers may have caught a break with Luka Dončić and his latest injury.

The NBA’s leading scorer suffered a hamstring injury on Thursday, Feb. 5 that forced him out of the team’s 119-115 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The injury happened during the second quarter, with 3:30 left to play. Philadelphia threw a double team at Dončić, which prompted him to turn the ball over on a bad pass. Immediately after the turnover, Dončić appeared to favor the back of his left leg and went straight to the locker room.

Dončić did not have a notable limp, but broadcast cameras caught him expressing visible frustration as he went into the locker room.

Dončić did not come out onto the floor with his teammates at the start of the second half, and the Lakers ruled him out with left leg soreness.

Here’s everything you need to know about Luka Dončić’s injury.

Luka Dončić injury update

On Friday, Feb. 6, ESPN reported that there’s initial optimism that Dončić’s hamstring injury is not a significant one, though he’s expected to be doubtful to play in Los Angeles’ game Saturday, Feb. 7 against the Golden State Warriors.

The Lakers are not required to submit an official injury report until later Friday evening, so an official designation will be available then.

“Too early to say if it’s an injury,” Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters Thursday after the game. “(Dončić) had a sore hamstring.”

Luka Dončić stats

Dončić is averaging 32.8 points per game, which leads all NBA players, adding 8.6 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game. Dončić has appeared in 42 games.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Dončić injury update: Latest on Lakers star's hamstring

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The Sixers’ biggest bit of business at the trade deadline was also their most surprising. The team sent second-year guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for draft compensation.

McCain was the 16th overall pick in 2024, the Rookie of the Year favorite pre-injury, and is still just 21 years old, on a rookie deal through the 2027-28 season and unable to even hit restricted free agency until the 2028-29 season.

So, why trade a player like that, especially when the trade did nothing to help Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and the 2025-26 Sixers?

President of basketball operations Daryl Morey did his best to explain the decision.

“We see Jared as somebody that’s more likely to help a team in the future,” Morey said. “I think that’s fairly obvious; I think he has a bright future. We thought that the draft picks we got would help us more in the future — and could’ve helped us this deadline. The picks we got were offered to many teams and nothing materialized for a player that we thought could move the needle with those picks now. But we feel like going forward, those picks will help us build the team in the future in a good way.”

OK, let’s break down those comments a bit.

McCain undoubtedly struggled this year returning from a torn meniscus and also a UCL tear he suffered ahead of training camp. He missed the first six games of the season, struggled to find consistent playing time and never truly regained his form from a season ago. Though he’d shown flashes recently, it was fair to wonder if this was simply going to be a lost season for McCain.

While Morey said he wanted to use the draft capital he got in the deal to make an upgrade this season, the order of operations suggests the McCain deal still would’ve gone down no matter what. Sure, as Morey stated, the team got the deal done early so they could explore other options, but without a separate deal already in place, McCain would’ve been gone either way.

This wasn’t about ducking the tax. This wasn’t about improving this season — though the team surely did try to flip the assets for an upgrade. Morey can drop all the niceties about McCain he’d like, but it seems obvious the team valued the compensation and the future flexibility over rostering McCain. Whether it was fit or not believing in his future, the organization was ready to move on from McCain.

Many will fairly question the timing. The team could still use guard depth as Maxey leads the NBA in minutes per game and VJ Edgecombe leads all rookies. So, why not let the season play out when a similar offer would likely be on the table this offseason? And wasn’t the franchise selling McCain at his nadir value after such a promising rookie campaign?

“I’m quite confident we were selling high,” Morey said. “Obviously, time will tell. We weren’t looking to sell. I’ll be frank. Teams came to us with aggressive offers for him. You could say, ‘Yeah, that’s because he’s a good player.’ I agree with that. We thought this return was above, for the future value of our franchise, what we could get. The only higher point would’ve been during his run last season. Otherwise, we feel like we did time this well.”

Morey defended the return for McCain, saying it was superior to the value of a deal for a quality starting-caliber player. While Morey did make note that the consensus is the 2026 NBA draft is considered a good and deep one, he also admitted that wasn’t really the motivation behind the trade.

“That wasn’t the main focus,” he said. “I think it’s a nice focus, because we do think this draft is a good draft, but we’re not necessarily using the pick in this draft. It could be used for moves around the draft. The three seconds that we got with it, we think those could be used to move up in this draft. Obviously, myself and our front office have done a lot of deals over the years, and this just gives us more tools to make the moves that we think will help our future more than we saw with Jared, who we gave up. But that’s not a comment on Jared.”

Again, Morey has to say it’s “not a comment on Jared,” but how could it not be? It’s clear the starting backcourt for the next decade or so should be Maxey and Edgecombe. It’s also clear that Morey and the team preferred attempting to re-sign Quentin Grimes this offseason over letting him walk and hoping McCain could take over as the team’s top guard off the bench.

In the end, this is what it’s about — Morey and the Sixers felt the assets they got were more valuable to them than Jared McCain. We’ll find out soon enough if that’s the case.

The Knicks suffered a huge blow to their backcourt on Thursday. 

Numerous reports indicated that point guard Miles McBride is set to undergo surgery for a core muscle injury and could be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season. 

It’s a tough loss for New York’s rotation, but they acted quickly to land his replacement. 

Just before the NBA trade deadline hit, New York picked up Jose Alvarado from the Pelicans in exchange for Dalen Terry and two second-round picks (2026 and 2027). 

Terry, of course, was acquired from the Bulls hours prior in the Guerschon Yabusele deal. 

According to SNY’s Ian Begley, Yabusele’s willingness to remove his 2026-27 player option helped compete that trade, ultimately leading to Alvarado landing in the Big Apple.

Back home, the New York native will look to provide a boost for the Knicks’ second unit. 

Alvarado is averaging 7.9 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.8 rebounds over 21.9 minutes with the Pelicans this season. 

While he doesn’t exactly light it up in the scoring department on a nightly basis, his biggest impact will come with his high-energy play on the other end of the floor. 

Alvarado is viewed by many as one of the most scrappy defenders in the league. 

That’s exactly what Jalen Brunson likes most about the pickup. 

The captain told reporters including James Edwards III of the Athletic following Friday's practice in Detroit that he really likes the intensity Alvarado will bring to this group. 

Brunson has some familiarity with the 27-year-old through Josh Hart. 

Alvarado, of course, broke into the league during Hart's final years in New Orleans. 

The Christ the King product won't be available for Friday night's meeting with the Pistons, but it shouldn't be long before we see him make his highly-anticipated Knicks debut. 

DETROIT – The depth chart changed with the acquisition of Jose Alvarado, but Tyler Kolek said he’s not offended and noted that Miles McBride is also out. 

“There’s always competition in this league. Obviously Deuce is out for a little bit. We’re trying to be a championship-level team so you bring in as much talent as you can,” Kolek said Friday. “I’m going to compete every single day. He’s going to compete. Everybody on this team is going to compete for minutes. 

“So it’s no slight to anybody.”

Kolek has bounced in and out of the rotation this season while flashing the playmaking skills that helped win important games.

However, Kolek’s defense and struggles to break the press left the Knicks searching for another point guard at the deadline.

They targeted Alvarado and landed him for two second-round picks. 

Still, Kolek should get an opportunity for important minutes since Miles McBride is out until the playoffs after undergoing sports hernia surgery.

And Alvarado won’t debut until at least Sunday in Boston – he still had to complete a physical – leaving Kolek as the lone backup point guard Friday in Detroit. 

Assuming full health from everybody else, the Knicks have a five-guard rotation of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Landry Shamet, Alvarado and Kolek. 

“Try to do the same thing I’ve always been doing,” Kolek said. “Do whatever the team needs from me, whatever the coach needs from me. When I get in there, change the pace. Get guys the ball.”

The Knicks, who have title aspirations this season, stood pat at the trade deadline other than swapping Guerschon Yabusele for Alvarado. 

Kolek said it wasn’t personally stressful. 

“It was not much. I feel like there wasn’t a lot of talk about myself moving,” he said. “I feel like that would’ve been a little bit more stressful and more weight on it.”

All those trades only to end up back where he started.

Veteran point guard Mike Conley is reportedly expected to reunite with the Minnesota Timberwolves after he was dealt twice before the NBA trading deadline expired Thursday, Feb. 5, according to ESPN.

It’s a peculiar situation, but because Conley was technically two teams removed from Minnesota, he’s able to return to the Timberwolves. It started Wednesday, Feb. 4, when the Timberwolves packaged Conley in a three-team trade between the Bulls and Pistons. In that deal, Conley "went" to Chicago, which then rerouted him to Charlotte in a separate deal Thursday that also sent Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets for Collin Sexton and three second-round selections.

Conley, though, was used in those deals mostly as a vehicle to move around his $10.7 million salary that he was owed this season. The Hornets had no intention of keeping Conley, so they waived him, which made him a free agent and allows him to explore the open market.

"Mike’s my guy," Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards told reporters Wednesday. "He’s like a OG to me. Just a great dude overall. Hopefully we can get him back. I keep hearing he can come back, so hopefully he will and I hope he see this. We want you back, Mike."

Conley has seen his role reduced significantly and is averaging career lows in minutes (18.5), points (4.4), rebounds (1.8) and assists per game (2.9). Known more for his leadership and command within the locker room, Conley, 38, is seen as a steadying veteran presence in Minnesota.

Conley’s role with the Timberwolves could be further reduced once he returns; Minnesota also made a trade for speedy Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, who just turned 26 and who is averaging 15.0 points and 3.6 assists per game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Conley, Timberwolves expected to reunite after NBA trade deadline

Ja Morant is currently “untradable.”

That’s per ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, who was asked Friday morning on “Get Up” about the Grizzlies guard, who wasn’t traded before the NBA’s 3 p.m. deadline Thursday.

Morant had been a topic of trade talks for weeks leading up to the deadline, with Memphis reportedly asking for a first-round pick and a younger player in return.

Brian Windhorst on Ja Morant not getting traded:

“When I say he has no value, I don’t even think that’s accurate. I think he has what they call in the league, negative value. Meaning teams weren’t willing to take Ja Morant unless the Grizzlies also added draft compensation”… pic.twitter.com/QMiGd7mSqP

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 6, 2026

Windhorst was blunt. He said between his suspensions, injuries and issues with coaches, Morant’s value has tanked.

“When I say he has no value, I don’t even think that’s accurate. I think he has what they call in the league, ‘negative value,’” Windhorst said.

“Meaning teams weren’t willing to take Ja Morant unless the Grizzlies also added draft compensation.”

This season, Morant has played just 20 of the Grizzlies’ 49 games, missing matchups due to a left elbow strain that has held him out since January 21.

He also played just nine games in the 2023-24 season due to a 25-game league suspension and shoulder surgery.

On the court, Windhorst acknowledged that Morant has been playing better as of late. But throughout most of the season, he hasn’t been playing to his strength — attacking the paint.

As a result, he’s averaging his lowest points per game (19.5) since his sophomore season in the 2020-21 campaign. He’s also shooting a career-low 41.0% overall and 23.5% from 3.

“He is at his best when he gets into that paint. He’s never done it less. He’s taken more jump shots, and he’s never been worse at those jump shots,” Windhorst said. 

Another factor contributing to Morant’s “negative value,” according to Windhorst, is his contract. He’s in the third year of a five-year, $197 million contract that extends through the 2027-28 season.

Windhorst added he still has two years and $87 million left on the deal, something no team wants to take on right now, especially with his off the court issues.

“If he had one year on his contract, I think there would be some teams that would say, ‘We’re gonna do a buy low here,’” Windhorst said. “The two years on his contract has literally made his situation toxic.”

As a result of Morant’s struggles and missed games this season, the Grizzlies sit at 20-29, two games behind the Portland Trailblazers for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot entering Friday’s slate.

Windhorst mentioned Morant’s path to success is to play “excellent” once he returns from injury in the next few weeks. Only then will he potentially gain some trade value, giving the Grizzlies the chance to shop him around.

Currently, though, he’s done so much wrong that he’s stuck in Memphis.

“I know this is a stunning thing for the Ja Morant fans out there. It’s a stunning thing when I talk to his fellow NBA players about it because they know how talented he is,” Windhorst said.

Send in your questions now for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your question to the comments section here or on X/Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @blakesilverman.

Join us live on Friday afternoon for the show where we’ll recap this week’s games and Thursday’s trade deadline. How would you grade the Pistons’ fairly quiet trade deadline? How do you feel about the return for Jaden Ivey? Trajan Langdon addressed shooting with the addition of Kevin Huerter, but did he leave any gaping holes that need to be covered over the rest of the season?

Plus, The Pindown has a phone line where you can leave a message and hear your voice on the show. Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message around 45 seconds or less so we can fit everyone into the show.

The podcast will be uploaded to all audio platforms the following morning.

The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast Vitals:

When: Saturday February 7 at 2 p.m. ET

Where: Detroit Bad Boys YouTube Channel

How to submit questions:

• Detroit Bad Boys Website: Comment section of the weekly Pindown episode articles.
• Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message to 45 seconds or less.
• Twitter: @detroitbadboys, @blakesilverman or @therealwesd3
• YouTube: Chat section of The Pindown live recording — Subscribe here

As always, leave any questions or topics you want to be discussed in the comment section below.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were one of, if not the biggest, headline-makers at the 2026 trade deadline with the wave of moves they executed. Now, the league turns to the buyout market phase as players are released and the glorified free-for-all begins. Illusions of high-impact players being obtainable fill social media, only for two weeks to pass, and realizing most of these moves don’t provide serious production for contending teams.

It’s tougher for a team like Cleveland to acquire one of these players, as they are currently over the NBA’s second apron. With the current CBA, teams over the first or second apron will be restricted from signing a player after a buyout (or waiver) whose previous contract was greater than the non-taxpayer midlevel exception for this season.

Additionally, the Cavs have indicated that they intend to sign Nae’Qwan Tomlin to a standard contract. If they wanted to sign one of these players, they would need to cut someone already on the roster.

Cam Thomas

Role: Heat check scorer

The Cavaliers spent the trade deadline adding backcourt depth and shaking up the deck. Acquiring the likes of James Harden, Denis Schroder, and Keon Ellis has made adding a similar player in Cam Thomas a bit redundant. The name of today’s game is offense. And if you want to out-gun your opponent in a gun fight, you sometimes need a flamethrower.

Cam Thomas, in this analogy, is a self-regulated Gatling gun. The spray and pray mentality is Thomas’s mantra. While his shooting this season has not been up to snuff, it might benefit Thomas to pair himself with a contender like the Cavaliers, who can resurrect his currently diminished value. He is by far the crown jewel of the buyout market, and the Cavaliers will likely have to promise consistent play to Thomas to lure him to their situation.

Pat Connaughton

Role: Back-end rotation depth

The Cavaliers can never have enough wings. Connaughton could provide spot minutes and can still shoot the ball when given the opportunity to do so. It seems like Charlotte was completely committed to their exciting youth movement, therefore letting Connaughton go. On the Cavaliers, he would provide another wing to a room filled with Dean Wade, Max Strus, Jaylon Tyson, and Tomlin.

Chris Boucher

Role: Former Cavalier killer

Boucher is someone who, on the right night, can become a single person parade of three pointers. Or, at least he is when he plays the Cavs.

In Boston, Boucher never got any real runway, only appearing in nine games. That, compiled with awful shooting splits in the minutes he received (13% from three), made it hard for Boston to trudge along with the failed partnership. The Cavaliers wouldn’t be able to provide real minutes to Boucher either, however, with the injury history of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley this season, he could provide some much-needed depth.

Kyle Anderson – Not yet released by Grizzlies

Role: Front court depth

A “slo-mo” acquisition in a similar vein to Connaughton is to bring veteran end-of-the-bench depth. Anderson is a much more capable option for giving the Cavaliers quality forward minutes. However, if released from Memphis, Anderson will have a greater market than Connaughton. Anderson showed this season that there is still gas in the tank, and there is always a need for teams to have options on the wing.

Anderson has an ability to have on-ball distribution that would complement well with the scoring options around him. If the Cavaliers were to acquire him, it would be a player that could bring use both for the regular season for minutes relief and the post-season to throw different lineups out there.

Both the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings remade their rosters at the trade deadline, and now the division rivals will face off tonight. 

The Clippers flipped James Harden into Darius Garland. While the Kings brought in Garland’s former teammate, De’Andre Hunter. But my Clippers vs. Kings predictions are based on the old guard having a big impact in this game.

Those and more NBA picks for this Pacific Division clash set to tip off at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, February 6.

Clippers vs Kings prediction

Clippers vs Kings best bet: DeMar DeRozan Over 16.5 points (-120)

There are plenty of new faces in new places in this matchup, but I’m betting on an old face who has found the fountain of youth recently.

Sacramento Kings veteran DeMar DeRozan has been on one of his classic heaters lately. He’s averaging 23.4 points over his last five games, topping the 30-point plateau twice in that span.

The Los Angeles Clippers defense has regressed a bit lately, surrendering 122 points or more in three of their last four games, and they still rank 21st in defensive rating for the season.

DeRozan’s point total is a modest 16.5, which is a number we can attack.

Clippers vs Kings same-game parlay

The Kings traded for Hunter because they’ve been so bad defensively. They rank 29th in defensive rating this season. But he won’t help in the paint where they allow the second-most points per game.

That has me looking at John Collins. The Clippers' power forward is averaging 16.4 points over his last 15 games, topping 16.5 points eight times over that stretch.

I’m expecting both teams to get buckets in this one, so the Over looks like a solid add to this SGP.

Clippers vs Kings SGP

• DeMar DeRozan Over 16.5 points
• John Collins Over 16.5 points
• Over 222

Our "from downtown" SGP: Buckets in bunches

We are going to see more scoring than oddsmakers expect in this Pacific Division matchup.

Clippers vs Kings SGP

• DeMar DeRozan Over 16.5 points
• Domantas Sabonis Over 14.5 points
• John Collins Over 16.5 points
• Brook Lopez Over 9.5 points

Clippers vs Kings odds

• Spread: Clippers -3.5 | Kings +3.5
• Moneyline: Clippers -170 | Kings +145
• Over/Under: Over 222 | Under 222

Clippers vs Kings betting trend to know

The Clippers have hit the moneyline in 17 of their last 23 games for +12.75 Units and a 27% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for Clippers vs. Kings.

How to watch Clippers vs Kings

Clippers vs Kings latest injuries

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

The Minnesota Timberwolves exited the NBA trade deadline without making a major move, and they should be better for it. The New Orleans Pelicans also sat rather quietly, sticking to their core despite steep offers for a few pieces.

My Pelicans vs. Timberwolves predictions and NBA picks recognize the value in Minnesota now that calm and focus can return on February 6.

Pelicans vs Timberwolves prediction

Pelicans vs Timberwolves best bet: Jaden McDaniels Over 1.5 threes (+100)

Jaden McDanielshas hit multiple 3-pointers in five of his last six games and in seven of his last nine, all while shooting 23 of 39 from deep, an absurd 59% from beyond the arc.

And that was all while McDaniels’s name was in every headline regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors. Now that he's able to focus entirely on basketball, why doubt McDaniels’s shooting against the New Orleans Pelicans?

Frankly, his shooting is part of why the Minnesota Timberwolves did not trade for the Greek superstar.

Pelicans vs Timberwolves same-game parlay

As the Timberwolves hit a lull in recent weeks, it was clear their defensive focus had lagged. Now through the trade deadline and with the roster effectively intact — even including Mike Conley’s return after being traded — that focus should lock back in.

Pelicans vs Timberwolves SGP

• Jaden McDaniels Over 1.5 threes
• Jaden McDaniels Over 15.5 points
• Under 236.5

Our "from downtown" SGP: Individuals in the pack

Julius Randle was also part of many trade rumors, which showed in his on-court play. Trust in him with those now behind the Timberwolves.

Pelicans vs Timberwolves SGP

• Jaden McDaniels Over 1.5 threes
• Jaden McDaniels Over 15.5 points
• Julius Randle Over 21.5 points
• Under 236.5

Pelicans vs Timberwolves odds

• Spread: Pelicans +9.5 | Timberwolves -9.5
• Moneyline: Pelicans +320 | Timberwolves -400
• Over/Under: Over 236.5 | Under 236.5

Pelicans vs Timberwolves betting trend to know

The Pelicans went 0-3 against the spread in the week leading up to the deadline. Find more NBA betting trends for Pelicans vs. Timberwolves.

How to watch Pelicans vs Timberwolves

Pelicans vs Timberwolves latest injuries

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

Finding the right value on a Friday night slate is all about identifying trends and mismatches before the market catches up. For this February 6 lineup — the first Friday after the NBA Trade Deadline — I’ve put together a four-leg moneyline parlay that balances momentum with favorable matchups.

My NBA picks start at TD Garden, where the new-look Celtics clash with Heat and end in the Pacific Northwest, where the Blazers look to snap out of a six-game funk against the decimated Grizzlies.

This parlay has been BOOSTED from +332 to +383 by our friends at bet365.

NBA moneyline parlay for January 30

Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Location: TD Garden
• TV: NBA League Pass, FDSN SU, NBCSB
• Pick: Celtics (-240)

There’s only a small edge on the Celtics here, as I price them closer to a -275 favorite over the Heat, but it’s still an edge worth attacking with the market offering -240. Jaylen Brown has been cleared to play, and Nikola Vucevic is set to make his Celtics debut.

Vucevic’s presence only amplifies a key matchup advantage Boston already holds: the ability to pull Bam Adebayo away from the rim and neutralize his impact as an elite roaming help defender. The Celtics’ five-out “Mazzulla Ball” offense already stresses Miami’s defensive structure, but inserting Vucevic at the five makes those coverages even harder to execute and exposes the Heat further on the back line.

New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Little Caesars Arena
• TV: Prime Video, MSG
• Pick: Knicks (-115)

The New York Knicks are trading as -115 favorites on the moneyline for Friday’s matchup between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, and at that price, I’m backing the Knicks. I believe they should be closer to a -130 favorite.

There’s a lot to monitor on the injury report, with multiple players carrying questionable tags on both sides. The most concerning status is Jalen Duren, who exited Thursday’s game against the Wizards and did not return for the second half. He feels much closer to doubtful than questionable.

Karl-Anthony Towns is also listed as questionable with an eye laceration, but he returned after the injury in his last game and shot the ball well. With the Pistons playing on the second night of a back-to-back and Duren’s availability very much in doubt, give me the Knicks on the moneyline.

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— Covers (@Covers) February 6, 2026

New Orleans Pelicans vs Minnesota Timberwolves

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Target Center
• TV: NBA League Pass, GCSEN, FDSN NO
• Pick: Timberwolves (-425)

The Minnesota Timberwolves took a big swing at the trade deadline by pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo, but ultimately came up empty-handed. It’s fair to wonder whether all the trade rumors impacted team chemistry, especially for a group that has been together for a while.

The bigger question, though, is whether the New Orleans Pelicans are capable of taking advantage of any lingering distraction or negative energy. The answer is no. New Orleans doesn’t even control its own first-round pick, is actively trying to win games, and still hasn’t shown the ability to do so consistently.

On the court, this matchup heavily favors Minnesota. Rudy Gobert should have no issues containing rookie center Derik Queen, while Jaden McDaniels’ length and defensive versatility are a nightmare for Trey Murphy’s perimeter-oriented game. All signs point to the Timberwolves handling this one comfortably.

Memphis Grizzlies vs Portland Trail Blazers

• Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Moda Center
• TV: NBA League Pass, FDSN SE-MEM, KUNP
• Pick: Trail Blazers (-300)

The Portland Trail Blazers won’t wow you with expected value while sitting as a -300 favorite against the Memphis Grizzlies, but this is a spot where the market still may not be fully accounting for what Memphis has become.

The Grizzlies moved Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline and explored a trade market for Ja Morant, only to find none. Now armed with significant draft capital, it’s clear this franchise has shifted its focus away from winning games in the second half of the season. That reality is already starting to show up in their rotations and injury reports.

Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers are pushing for a playoff spot and have every incentive to take care of business in games like this.

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