Category: NBA

The 2026 NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and the Hawks’ roster looks fairly different as compared to earlier in the season. We have yet to see three of the acquired players play for the team, but enough dust has settled by now to judge the totality of the moves.

Let’s get to it by going through each move chronologically (according to when the news broke), and how I grade them based on short-term and long-term impact:

CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert for Trae Young

This one was the blockbuster that kicked off things early in January. Enough time has passed, and so I won’t go through the minutiae of it all.

Trae Young had been seeking an extension since the summer given that he holds just a $49 million player option for next season and nothing beyond that. The Hawks neglected to offer him an extension.

Ultimately Young’s value as a defense-deficient, ball dominant guard outweighed his track record as a productive offensive engine. But the team was still motivated to find a resolution — even as Young was sidelined with injury. And so, he, his agents, and the team quickly found a home for him in the District of Columbia.

Coming the other way was microwave combo scorer (now in a sixth man role) CJ McCollum and big-bodied wing Corey Kispert who is equally comfortable shooting or driving on the offensive end. Both are clearly both useful depth players with the former on an expiring contract and the latter on a deal that extends for two more years at $13.5 million annually (plus a team option in 2028-29).

Given the drama that surrounded his financials for half a season, the Hawks did do well to act early and turn the keys to the franchise over to Jalen Johnson. But frankly, they dealt Young at his lowest value and netted just so little in return (they couldn’t even muster one measly pick?).

Time will truly tell if the Wizards can build a consistent winner around Young. But without the benefit of hindsight, I’d have to say the team just barely passed this test — and certainly without flying colors.

Grade: C-

Duop Reath and two second rounders for Vit Krejci

Duop Reath has since been waived, but he was never the true focal point of this deal.

Vit Krejci was an outstanding development story for the Hawks. From arriving from Oklahoma City for very little, to getting cut, to playing for both the Iowa Wolves and later the College Park Skyhawks on a two-way deal. Along the way, he gained more and more confidence in his three-point shot.

By the time he was sent to Portland at this deadline, he had become one of the league’s deadliest three-point shooters. Dating back to 2023-24, he has shot 42% on 4.1 attempts per game.

In the 2024 offseason, he signed a multi-year minimum value deal to remain with the Hawks. But recent moves may have crowded out his position in the rotation going forward.

Atlanta sent him to Portland this week in a deal that allows him to see minutes for a Blazers team that badly needs shooting. And in return, the Hawks netted two second-round picks: their own pick back in 2027 that they gave up in a deal to land Mouhamed Gueye in the 2023 NBA Draft and New York’s 2030 second rounder.

So, they landed two picks for a player they didn’t see in their plans in more — although admittedly a fan favorite on a great contract. Sentimentalities aside, it’s a minor win and nothing more.

Grade: B

Jock Landale for cash considerations

This is an easy one. When did cash considerations ever grab a rebound? Or block a shot? Or put the ball in the bucket?

I promise I had this take prior to Landale’s explosion in his first game with the Hawks. Landale tied his career high in points (26) and assists (5), grabbed a ton of rebounds (11), swatted shots (4), and he set a new career high with made threes (5) in a narrow home win on Thursday.

The burly center brings a level of physicality as a rebounder and space clearer in the lane that the Hawks desperately need, plus he capably stretches the floor to space the court for Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and others to get downhill.

He even drove from Memphis to Atlanta just to open up a can on the Utah Jazz (who were clearly shorthanded and not particularly interested in winning). Landale was in the middle of a breakout season with the Grizzlies before being sent to Utah in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, so he decided to take out his revenge on a team that saw no use for him.

With the Jazz facing a roster crunch, especially with their glut of bigs, Atlanta had the wherewithal to pounce and grab him for straight cash, homie.

It’s an obvious A from me.

Grade: A+

Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Kristaps Porzingis

This is a weird one that I have yet to wrap my brain around.

It’s clear that from Atlanta’s point of view, Porzingis’ continued absences from the lineups were difficult to chew on. No one is to blame here, of course, as ‘KP’ was very open about his battle with post-viral syndrome and/or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Everyone involved believed he was passed those health struggles, but clearly he was not — not to mention a recent Achilles injury that kept him out of his final games with the Hawks.

On the other side, Golden State has had a very public saga with their former number seven overall pick who has largely seen inconsistent minutes at best for a fading dynasty. Steve Kerr made some very candid comments about where things went wrong on Thursday evening:

Steve Kerr to ESPN on Jonathan Kuminga: "He needed the runway to make more mistakes…It was very tough not being allowed to make those mistakes. For us as a staff, it was tricky trying to develop him while we were trying to win. I think it’s as simple as that."

Full quote pic.twitter.com/WNneAegbaP

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 5, 2026

So a deal came together along wherein two teams felt like a change of scenery was best for everyone involved.

Jonathan Kuminga gets a chance to show he can use his athleticism for good and be a focal point for an NBA team. It often gets lost that the talented but mercurial forward is just 23 years old. Atlanta is taking a bet that in a different situation, his pre-draft promise can truly shine. I, however, am less than enthused about that prospect:

Kuminga thoughts

Good: the Hawks are last in the NBA in drives/100 and 29th in free throw rate. JK's downhill pressure will help those areas.

Bad: the Hawks are first in assist rate, but JK is a ball stopper with a career 4 asts/100 and 3.2 TOs/100. I question the fit there.

— Wes (@bloghawk) February 5, 2026

Also, 33-year-old Buddy Hield is along for the ride because why not? You can never have too many shooters. Unlike Kuminga, who has a $24.3 million team option for next year, Hield does also have a $3 million partial guarantee, so the Hawks did pick up a tad bit of future money here.

I really don’t know how this will go, but the Hawks got something for a player who was perpetually absent from the lineup, so I’m a tad cautiously optimistic — although mostly skeptical at best.

There’s very little commitment from either side beyond this year. But it’s just so strange a move that it may just work.

Grade: C

Gabe Vincent and a second rounder for Luke Kennard

It’s tough to see Kennard go just as he picked up the scoring aggression. At first, it looked as though his passivity in games would be an anchor on his impact despite gaudy shooting efficiency.

But once the light switch flipped telling him to look for his shot more, he was a genuine weapon off the bench. He’ll figure to continue that hot streak in LA as he plays off Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and others.

On the other side, Gabe Vincent has not performed as well as hoped when he signed a three-year, $33,000,000 off the back of a playoff run with the Miami Heat. In the first season after signing his deal, he had arthroscopic knee surgery and only saw the court for 11 games with the Lakers, all off the bench.

He has bounced back somewhat the past two seasons to be a passable contributor off the bench, but even this year he has dealt with a lumbar back strain.

There’s no doubt that the Lakers are getting the better player in the deal, although Vincent still has some utility as a point guard defender, ball handler and decent three-point shooter. But it’s likely he doesn’t play many if any meaningful minutes off the suddenly logjammed Hawks bench.

Cynically, similar to the Krejci deal above, this trade came down to swapping two players with expiring deals (Vincent makes just $500,000 more than Kennard) so that the Hawks could pick up a Lakers 2032 second-round pick. Kennard could have helped the team more down the stretch of this season, but the long-term outlook was prioritized over the short term here.

Another meh win, I suppose.

Grade: B-

What would you grade these deals?

I need to start with a confession: at the beginning of this season, I wasn’t a Baylor Scheierman believer.

Not because he wasn’t good, but more that he was hard for me to place. He wasn’t jumping off the screen in any obvious way, and he didn’t dominate one skill the way some of the other young Celtics wings do. On a roster full of players with already-sharpening identities, Scheierman felt like he didn’t have a clear lane coming into the season.

That’s beginning to change.

In Boston’s win over the Rockets on Wednesday night, Scheierman finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists in just 23 minutes. The box score was solid, but the context mattered more. He rebounded in traffic, knocked down his open looks, and stayed involved when plays broke down.

With Payton Pritchard shifting back into his familiar sixth-man role — another example of this team prioritizing collective success over individual status — at least one starting spot will quietly remain fluid from game to game. Outside of Derrick White and Jaylen Brown, there are fewer fixed answers than it might seem.

Baylor Scheierman on what the opposing bench says to him:

“I’m a 6-foot-7 white guy with shaggy hair and some tattoos. So they like to attack me when I'm out there. I'll give it right back to them.”

“It’s the best feeling,” he says of hitting a 3 in front of the opposing bench. pic.twitter.com/aPdF5Y7ePC

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) January 31, 2026

After a recent 112-93 win over the Sacramento Kings, Scheierman joked that opponents see him as, “a 6’7” white guy with shaggy hair and some tattoos,” someone they like to test. Early on, I probably saw him the same way. He was a player that was easy to overlook.

What’s becoming clear is that overlooking him is missing the point.

Instead of focusing on what Scheierman might become, I want to talk about the role he’s playing now, and how the Celtics are benefitting from it.

Why Baylor Scheierman’s role fits Joe Mazzulla’s system

Joe Mazzulla’s system does not ask every player to bend the game, but rather asks them to understand it. Decisions matter more than volume, and connection matters more than individual output. The Celtics function best when lineups stay organized, possessions stay alive, and players know exactly why they are on the floor.

Baylor Scheierman does not need touches to stay involved. He rebounds to extend possessions, moves the ball quickly when advantages are small, and spaces the floor without drifting out of the offense. Defensively, his value shows up less in isolation stops and more so in anticipation. He’s clearly got a knack for reading actions early, understanding personnel, and staying attached long enough for the system to hold.

Scheierman has described his defensive strengths as “feel” and “understanding,” knowing what an opponent wants to do before they do it. That mindset lines up with how Mazzulla allocates trust. Players who remove chaos from possessions tend to earn more rope, especially when the roster gets thin over the course of a grueling 82-game season.

In that sense, Scheierman is not pushing to become something else, nor should he. He’s simply leaning into exactly what this team needs him to be.

Is Baylor’s recent performance sustainable?

If this is going to be a real conversation, we have to discuss the numbers. On the surface, Scheierman’s season averages do not exactly scream breakout. He’s averaging 3.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and just under 1 assist per game, numbers largely in line with last season. What has changed is how efficiently he’s producing with his minutes. After shooting 35 percent from the field and 31 percent from three last year, Scheierman has pushed those marks up to 45 percent and 40 percent this season.

Things look even rosier when you zoom in on the last ten games. Over that stretch, Scheierman has averaged just over 22 minutes per night while posting 8.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. The production has followed the opportunity, and the efficiency has held. He’s not taking over more possessions; he’s simply doing more with the ones he’s involved in.

That trend shows up in lineup data as well. Units featuring Scheierman alongside primary creators have held their own on both ends, particularly in offensive efficiency and rebounding rate. The tape backs it up, too. Passes get tipped. Spacing stays intact. Possessions end with shots the Celtics are comfortable taking. Those are small things, but they travel across opponents and game scripts.

Taken together, this is why the recent stretch feels different from a hot week or a shooting blip. Under Joe Mazzulla, minutes are earned, not gifted. Scheierman’s efficiency has been steady, his responsibilities are clear, and his production fits within the structure of what Boston wants to be. 

That combination is usually a sign something is real.

So, is he a starter?

The straightforward answer is he can be. The more honest answer is that the label matters less than the function.

On nights like last night, where the Celtics were severely undermanned, Scheierman showed he can absorb bigger minutes without changing the shape of the team. When he starts or closes or slides into any of Joe’s rotating carousel of lineup combinations, the Celtics still look like the Celtics. Possessions stay connected. Spacing holds. The offense does not tilt or stall. On a roster built around a star who bends defenses to his will (and with another potentially returning later this season), that kind of reliability is huge.

And it’s the reliability that speaks to something bigger about this Celtics team. They are not chasing individual leaps as much as they are identifying which parts need to be played and trusting the players best suited to play them. Scheierman fits because he does not try to stretch outside his role. Joe Mazzulla once described him as having, “a chip on his shoulder… an F-you mentality to where he’s just gonna make it work,” and that mindset shows up in the margins. He fills gaps, accepts contact, and stays involved in moments that break down for others.

Which brings me back to the beginning. I wasn’t convinced this would work. Early in the season, it was hard to know what to make of Scheierman, not because anything was missing, but because his impact wasn’t loud or obvious. It can take time for a picture to come into focus.

With Scheierman’s identity sharpening, the future has me optimistic. His minutes are starting to make sense, the contributions are beginning to stack, and when he’s on the floor, the Celtics stay true to who they want to be. To me, that kind of contribution matters more than any single label.

Somewhere along the way, I became a Bayliever. Or a Schei-liever? Those nicknames are both unpleasant and confusing.

Fortunately, Scheierman’s role on the Celtics is anything but.

As you, the astute reader, are no doubt aware, there are a few events of note taking place in the sporting world this weekend. The conclusion of the pro football season and the start of the Olympic winter games in Italy will of course receive their share of the spotlight, but there are plenty of key contests in men’s college basketball over the weekend as well.

As luck would have it, there’s a Top 25 showdown in each of the five power conferences. A key tilt in the Big East gets things underway Friday night, and the Saturday slate includes one of the sport’s most intense rivalry games. Let’s delve into the Starting Five, shall we?

No. 3 Connecticut at No. 22 St. John’s

Time/TV: Friday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox

The Huskies quietly remain unscathed in Big East play, but the Red Storm can grab a share of the league lead with a win here at Madison Square Garden. St. John’s isn’t always the most efficient offensive operation, but forward Zuby Ejiofor’s work on the boards often makes successful possessions out of organized chaos. UConn gets great scoring balance with all its starters averaging in double digits, but if a big shot is needed it will usually be Solo Ball taking it.

BRACKETOLOGY: Kansas among teams surging in tournament projection

No. 4 Duke at No. 18 North Carolina

Time/TV: Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Round one between these long-time ACC foes will be in Chapel Hill, where the Tar Heels have yet to lose this season. The Blue Devils, however, are looking to run away with the league race once again. While Duke’s national player of the year candidate Cameron Boozer rightly gets much of the attention, the Blue Devils are even harder to beat when Isaiah Evans is on target from the arc. UNC’s own standout freshman Caleb Wilson’s stats actually compare favorably with Boozer’s, but the Tar Heels will need better ball security than they displayed in their nearly disastrous second-half collapse against Syracuse in their most recent outing.

No. 6 Illinois at No. 10 Michigan State

Time/TV: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox

This week’s top-10 showdown in the Big Ten features teams heading in opposite directions. The Fighting Illini have won 12 in a row and are playing like Final Four contenders, while the Spartans have dropped their last two as some of the team’s on-court decisions have drawn the ire of opponents and coaches alike. Michigan State’s veteran floor leader Jeremy Fears is also likely to receive additional attention from game officials, so he’ll need to keep a level head. Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler will look to continue his hot shooting that has helped the Illini compensate for the absence of starting guard Kylan Boswell.

No. 16 Florida at No. 25 Texas A&M

Time/TV: Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, SECN

Kentucky and Tennessee are getting the main channel treatment from ESPN, but this one is actually for the outright SEC lead. That is still the case despite the Aggies’ close loss Wednesday at Alabama. They’ll be happy to be back at home, but the Gators have won seven of their last eight and appear to be peaking at the right time. There’ve been few answers for Florida’s interior trio of Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu. The Aggies should have a depth advantage in the backcourt, but Ruben Dominguez and Rylan Griffen will have to be on target.

No. 8 Houston at No. 14 Brigham Young

Time/TV: Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

The Saturday nightcap takes us to an all-Cougars showdown in the Big 12, where the host Cougars of BYU are trending the wrong way on a three-game skid. BYU’s issues have primarily been at the defensive end, which does not bode particularly well with Houston’s high-scoring guard trio coming to Provo. BYU will also have to keep Houston’s Joseph Tugler and Chris Cenac from controlling the boards, a more manageable task if center Keba Keita can avoid foul trouble.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball weekend games schedule features Duke-North Carolina

The Cleveland Cavaliers believe that the Eastern Conference is wide open right now. Trading for James Harden gives them a better chance to seize that opportunity.

“We think that he raises our ceiling and gives us a chance to have real playoff success,” Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman said on Thursday.

“He gives us a different look in the backcourt. He’s 6’5” and he gets downhill, and he is ninth in the league in drives. He’s strong. He’s creative. I think he’s going to be great for our bigs. I also know that Donovan [Mitchell] is excited to play alongside him. Obviously, this is not a trade that we took lightly. But we do know that James is going to help us, and so we’re excited to welcome him.”

Harden will help the Cavs in many ways. He’s still one of the best point guards in the league and is a clear upgrade over Darius Garland at this point.

“[We’re] really excited about when it gets to a chaotic time in the playoffs and we’re on the road, and there’s a fever pitch, being able to throw the ball to him and calm this thing down,” Altman said. “Let’s get a good possession, right? Let’s get a good possession when it gets really, really tight, and it’s loud in that building. We’ve gone to the playoffs the last few years largely as a young team, not a very experienced playoff team, trying to figure it out. Now I think we’re adding just a tremendous amount of experience and know-how.”

Harden is a one-man offense that can seemingly get good shots for himself and his teammates every time down the court.

That said, those comments ignore the elephant in the room. Harden was brought in to help in the playoffs despite being known as one of the biggest postseason chokers in league history.

“We looked at it, and we studied really hard,” Altman said. “There’s some elimination games that he probably wishes he had back, probably five really bad games out of 173 playoff games. But overall, he certainly raises his level, raises our level. It’s hard being the number one option on a championship-level team. I think the good news for him is he has another number one option right next to him.”

Whether or not Harden fits next to Mitchell remains to be seen. We’ve seen Harden coexist decently well with other ball-dominant players like Chris Paul, Tyrese Maxey, and Kevin Durant. How that carries over to sharing the floor with Mitchell will determine whether this trade ultimately pays off.

What we do know is that the Cavs have a second player who can carry some of the playmaking burden in the playoffs. That has been an issue in recent postseason runs.

“When it gets really tough in the playoffs, the team takes away your play, your second counter, and we need to get the ball in Donovan’s hands, we need to get the ball in James’ hands, that we’re going to have a great possession, we’re going to have a great possession,” Altman said. “And so really that’s what we’re thinking of. And in the playoffs, I do still think it comes down to largely a half-court game when it comes down to it.”

There’s also the concern that the Cavs play a different brand of offensive basketball than Harden. Head coach Kenny Atkinson’s teams have been built around ball and player movement and attacking in transition.

Harden’s teams have been the opposite. He’s thrived in slower tempo, iso-heavy systems. The Cavs are hoping both sides can meet in the middle.

“We’re going to have to adapt to James,” Altman said. “He’s that good a player, but I think we’re going to still run. … [Playing fast is] still part of what we do. I don’t think that’s going to stop. I do know that James is a great rebounder, and so our pitch-ahead game is going to be great.”

Harden can take the Cavs to another level. How exactly that’s going to look remains to be seen. There will undoubtedly need to be some give-and-take on both sides. But there’s a reason this move was made. The skill upgrade is clear, and that will help when it matters most.

“My job at the end of the day is to bring the best talent to Cleveland and set them up for success,” Altman said. “That’s the job. And so we’re bringing one of the greatest players of all time to Cleveland, who’s still playing at an elite level. We couldn’t be more excited.”

One of the core players from Kentucky’s first team in the Mark Pope era has agreed to a contract with the team that drafted him.

Amari Williams, who had a triple-double against Ole Miss last season, has agreed to a two-year, $2.7 million deal with the Boston Celtics. Williams was drafted 46th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Williams was previously on a two-way contract with the Celtics, which he signed back in August. He was originally drafted by the Orlando Magic and then traded to Boston.

In his lone season with Kentucky, Williams averaged 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. Williams was a three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year at Drexel before transferring to Kentucky.

During last year’s Sweet 16 run, Williams became famous for eating Weetabix cereal, a company he eventually signed with an NIL deal. I can remember seeing a box of it in the press room in Indianapolis during the Sweet 16. Weetabix clearly caught on.

Amari Williams has agreed to a two-year, $2.7 million deal with the Boston Celtics, his agent George S. Langberg of
GSL Sports Group tells @TheSteinLine.

Williams was the 46th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

📷: @nbapic.twitter.com/o85iRVfJjU

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 5, 2026

Our latest NCAA men’s basketball bracket projection features a few changes in the upper quadrant. Several programs with national titles in the past decade are among the teams with upward mobility.

Kansas, riding a six-game winning streak, has surged to a No. 3 seed along with defending champ Florida. Purdue is also back up to the third line, as Michigan State slips to a No. 4 after dropping its second game in a row Wednesday night at Minnesota. Virginia is back in the top 16 as well, grabbing a No. 4 seed as Brigham Young slides to a five after a three-game losing skid.

STARTING FIVE:The biggest college basketball games to watch this weekend

Gonzaga, thanks to a stunning upset Wednesday at Portland, falls off the second line to a No. 3. That result wasn’t all bad for the West Coast Conference, however, as it moved Santa Clara into first place in the league standings. That puts the Broncos in line for the automatic bid, giving the WCC three teams in the field for the moment. Saint Louis is now the lone Atlantic 10 squad in the projected field with George Mason taking a damaging loss to Duquesne this week.

March Madness bracketology update for NCAA tournament

March Madness Last four in

San Diego State, UCLA, Ohio State, New Mexico.

March Madness First four out

Miami (Fla.), Virginia Tech, California, Missouri.

NCAA tournament bids conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues: Big Ten (11), SEC (10), ACC (7) Big 12 (7), Big East (3), Mountain West (3), West Coast (3).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bracketology: Kansas rises in March Madness NCAA tournament projection

The Boston Celtics were down several key players on the second night of a back-to-back as they took on the Houston Rockets. Houston, who came into the game as the fourth seed in the West with a record of 31-18, was widely seen as the favorites given the absences of Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, and the recently traded Anfernee Simons, whose replacement, Nikola Vucevic, was not yet officially a member of the Celtics despite the trade being agreed upon.

Taking on a top team on the back half of a back-to-back is hard enough, but doing so short handed would be asking too much of almost any team. The Celtics aren’t just any team, though. By the look of things this season, there’s no task too tall for them. They have too many young, talented, hard-working players to ever be out of a fight.

Luka Garza may just be the hardest working player in the league. It feels like he’s incapable of giving anything less than 100%. He was working all night against the Rockets, and put together one of the best performances of the game in the process.

Garza finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals, shooting 7-13, and hitting two threes enroute. He was also the third highest scorer for the game, outscoring every Rockets player. Yes, you read that right. On a night where Kevin Durant, who was the highest scorer for Houston, played 33 minutes, Luka Garza scored more points.

That was, in big part, thanks to some stellar defense by Ron Harper Jr., who held KD to 1-5 shooting while matched up as the primary defender. It doesn’t take away from Luka’s night, however. With his second three of the night, Garza knocked down his 32^nd of the season. That’s twice as many as he made in his entire rookie season, which was also his career high for a season prior to this season. Not only that, but he’s shooting it at a 45.7% clip, by far a career high.

Garza with the turnaround 3 lmao pic.twitter.com/HVgEGw5VTB

— Pull up shoot (@NElGHT_) February 5, 2026

Garza has been a great find by Brad Stevens, and earned a big vote of confidence by the team. Prior to the start of the year, Luka probably would have been viewed as expendable, especially if you were told that Boston would be adding in Nikola Vucevic. As the trade deadline passed, the Celtics dumped several salaries to try to duck under the Luxury Tax, including the Simons – Vucevic swap. After that move, dumping four minimum salaries, converting the two-way guys to standard contracts, and signing players from the buyout market would have been enough to get under the tax.

Three minimum players ended up getting the axe, Chris Boucher, Xavier Tillman, and Josh Minott, all guys who couldn’t find a spot in the rotation. If Garza wasn’t playing well, he easily could have been the fourth. Instead, Brad and the rest of the front office decided to craft a complicated, but extremely clever plan with some tight margins to operate below the league mandated minimum roster size for, presumably, as long as possible, buying just enough time to find a prorated contract on the buyout market which will put them back in roster compliance while keeping them under the tax-line.

The point being, Luka has earned his respect with this team. His performance against Houston was 19^th game in double figures this season, and one of many examples of the value he provides. Even with the addition of Nikola Vucevic, it seems like Joe Mazzulla will continue to lean on Garza in the big-man rotation. He’s very easily been one of the best stories of the season, and deserves every good thing that’s coming to him thanks to his own efforts.

We’ve been here before.

That’s worth remembering. This is not the first time in the Rafael Stone era that there’s been widespread displeasure with Rafael Stone. It’s familiar territory for Houston Rockets fans.

Specifically, it happens on an annual basis at the NBA Trade Deadline.

To be sure, their recent thrashing at the hands of a Brown-less Celtics squad was aesthetically horrifying. Rockets fans would have done as well to throw on Terrifier.

Early in the season, the notion that Houston’s rebound-focused attack was “gimmicky” was controversial. Now, it’s axiomatic. Anyone should recognize that the Rockets are not going to win at the highest level with this strategy.

The basic recipe to totally shut down the Rockets:

1) Sag way off Thompson and Sengun
2) Press up tight on Durant
3) Victory https://t.co/pUkH82CFdR

— Andrew Soukup (@asoukuptx) February 5, 2026

There’s friend of the show (who I believe still reads these?), Andrew Soukup, with a succinct summary of the problem. A pair of non-shooters. For all the high-falutin’ conceptual stuff about dribble hand-offs, cuts from the high post, triangle offense, etc., the reality is that it’s difficult to build a high-powered, portable NBA offense with two non-shooters in the lineup.

So, the roster is flawed. That at least partly reflects on management. Yet, it would be an oversimplification to suggest that putting a flawed roster on the floor singularly characterizes a team’s general manager as “bad”.

Stone has done plenty well during his tenure.

Rockets have drafted well under Stone

Here’s a refrain I’ve heard several times recently:

“Four lottery picks, four whiffs”.

Firstly, Amen Thompson is not a whiff. That’s a consequence of fans overestimating the expected return on a fourth overall pick. He may not be “Russell Westbrook, Defensive Player of the Year model”, but he’s certainly not a whiff. Such an assessment of Reed Sheppard is also absurdly premature.

Otherwise, you can’t judge draft picks in a vacuum. They must be judged in the context of the draft itself.

It’s unfair to knock Stone for taking Jabari Smith Jr. with the third overall pick. The consensus could not have been firmer. There were three dudes in that draft, Bari was the third, and the Rockets had the third pick. All 30 GMs were making the same decision. Stone was not reasonably going to select Jalen Williams. He can’t be retroactively held to a standard of “shock the world or bust”. You’re locking him into a false dichotomy: either he’s a genius or he’s a bad general manager.

By the way, there’s almost nobody else in 2022 you’d rather have. Jaden Ivey just got traded for a Kevin Huerter sandwich with extra Mike Conley. Dyson Daniels is fun, but Houston doesn’t need a 12.7% three-point shooter in their backcourt. Tari Eason has been good…

Oh, wait.

How about 2024? If you wanted Matas Buzelis, gloat – but only a little bit. He’s still got a negative Box Plus/Minus (BPM). He’s racking up basic counting stats for the Bulls, if that counts as an accomplishment. That said, he’s certainly flashed potential, and if you think he’d have been a better choice than Reed Sheppard, you’re beginning to have a valid case. There’s nobody else I can say the same for. It seems unreasonable to come down on Stone because there’s one guy that he maybe (maybe) should have taken over Sheppard.

Then, there’s 2021: A Stone Odyssey. Not good. Bad.

A critical error. The cardinal sin of the rebuild. Evan Mobley was the choice.

I don’t want to hear “they wouldn’t have drafted Alperen Sengun”. OK – so they’d have compounded the error? Sengun and Mobley would be a great fit together.

On the subject of Sengun…

The Rockets had good lottery luck. Paradoxically, they also had bad lottery luck. Statistically, the balls bounced relatively well. In a vacuum, they got lucky.

Contextually, in the four years that the Rockets tanked, the only two lottery picks who’d have materially changed their fortunes were Cade Cunningham and Victor Wembanyama. That is it. Paolo Banchero is a bad fit with Sengun, and he has not been as good as Sengun, so let us not utter his name again.

Mobley and Chet Holmgren are both excellent, but they’re ceiling raisers. It’d be nice to have either, but they wouldn’t fix this team’s systemic issues. For that matter, neither would Wembanyama, but he’s just so special that he’d change the team by virtue of being him.

Otherwise, you’re asking Stone to – well, draw blood from a stone. If anything, the fact that he walked away from the rebuild with Sengun in the fold is a testament to his drafting acumen.

So is Tari Eason. Give most NBA general managers everything Stone had. Most of them don’t walk away with Sengun and Eason. Other than drafting Green, Stone has made no discernible, significant mistakes that could be identified even without the use of hindsight, which is notoriously 20/20.

What about on the trade market?

Stone needs to make some signature trades

Stone’s approach to trading has been…meiserly?

There’s not one deal you can point to and call egregiously bad. It’s just that most of his deals have been in the vein of hey, I’ll give you a non-rotational player for an even worse non-rotational player and a heavily protected second. Stone has made a bevy of moves that you wouldn’t notice whether he made them or not.

He has made one noticeable move. You know the one. How does it look now?

Well, let’s see. The Rockets have practically the same Win Percentage (63.3%) now that they finished last season with (63.4%). Yet, that’s not a fair evaluation of the deal. Last year’s Rockets had Fred VanVleet.

The concept behind the Durant deal was always sound. Opponents were always going to sag off of Sengun and Thompson, as described above, and dare a shot maker to make shots. So, trading one of the worst shot makers in the NBA (sorry, residual Green Gangers) for one of the best ought to build on what was already a formidable squad. Even without VanVleet, that might be bearing out:

If not for the loss of Dillon Brooks.

There was no way to flip Green for Durant without including Brooks (or VanVleet). The money has to money. But the Rockets undeniably miss Brooks. They miss his point of attack defense, his (2024-25) floor spacing, and his tertiary shot creation. They miss his cultural impact.

There should be no referendum on Green. This team was not “better with Green than they are with Durant”. They were better with Green, VanVleet, Brooks, and Steven Adams than they are with Durant. At some point, the raw, aggregate net rating of so many players outweighs even a (post-prime, but still) Durant.

Circling back to the thesis: Stone didn’t injure VanVleet or Adams. He didn’t invent the CBA that required him to include Brooks in that deal. He was never going to let Brooks be the deterrent if he wanted Kevin Durant.

So, Stone’s draft record speaks for itself. The totality of his trade activity seems more positive than negative. Here, we have a defensible GM who’s put a deeply flawed contender on the floor.

How do we square that?

Rockets are a work in progress

The Rockets hold a lot of chips. So, by definition, they’re not all in.

Most of the key rotation players are young. They have a surplus of draft capital. Those are the chips; they aren’t on the table. Analogously, they checked on a small raise by giving up Jalen Green and Khaman Maluach.

So until they’re “all in”, the roster should be treated as an unfinished product. Hypothetically, say the Rockets replace Durant with a lesser version of a shot-creating wing in the draft. Suppose they do the same with any veteran on the roster and otherwise run this exact rotation until the core is in their 30s.

OK. Now, the criticisms are fair.

For now, it’s OK if the roster is flawed. If Stone were to trade either Amen or Sengun and picks for Antetokounmpo this summer, he’d better follow that up by acquiring players who complement Antetokounmpo. The roster can no longer be fundamentally flawed. The Rockets will be all-in.

Let’s see how we feel about Stone then.

With the trade deadline passed, the NBA world shifts their focus to the buyout market when teams waive players and they subsequently sign with teams trying to make a playoff push. These players historically never really make an impact on teams that go on to win the title, but it is fun to see where some recognizable names go and people like to talk about it.

The Celtics made four deadline deals, only bringing one standard contract player back in all four trades. They did also receive two-way player John Tonje from the Jazz.

While they did convert rookie big man Amari Williams from a two-way to a standard deal, they still are left with just 12 rostered players and need to have 14 players on the roster.

They can have less than 14 on the roster for 14 days in a row and 28 days total. Look for them to take advantage of that, especially with the All-Star break coming up.

Yet, even though they have the roster spots, they don’t have the money available under the luxury tax to be aggressive in the buyout market.

After the deadline, the Celtics are $842,292 under the tax — not enough to sign anyone on the buyout market. They have to get creative when filling out the rest of their roster.

67 days remain in the season.

The Celtics have three open standard-contract roster spots. Boston must fill at least two for at least 39 of the remaining 67 days.

By my count, Boston can squeeze in 90 "player-days" and dodge the luxury tax.

Talk about threading the needle!

— Dan Feldman (@DanFeldmanNBA) February 5, 2026

The easiest way for the Celtics to maneuver around the rules is to sign players to 10-day contracts.

For the Celtics rest-of-season roster:

I'd expect some 10 Day contracts to happen, timed around keeping 14 players on standard contracts. Then, when they have enough room, a rest-of-season signing.

They didn't go to all this effort to get under the tax to go back over it.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 5, 2026

You never know, but I would put to bed your Cam Thomas dreams, if you have those (I personally do not). I would love Khris Middleton if he is bought out by the Mavericks, but I also doubt that will happen as well.

If you are looking for a big buyout name, you likely won’t find one. In fact, I’d take a look at the Maine Celtics roster because I think that is where the Celtics could be signing players from to fill out the roster. One name that is on there that you might recognize is Keon Johnson, who was a 2021 first round pick and has four years of NBA experience.

Yes, it is fun to imagine big names like Cam Thomas, Khris Middleton, Lonzo Ball or Mike Conley making their way to the Celtics and playing a role for this team. However, Boston’s luxury tax situation probably does not allow for that so I would temper your expectations.

LOS ANGELES — In the NBA world, it feels like an eternity since Austin Reaves burst out of the gate to open the season. The conversations were about his All-NBA candidacy with an All-Star appearance seemingly a given.

However, a pair of calf injuries means that nearly two months had passed since Reaves had his last truly special game this season…until Thursday

Midway through the third quarter against the Sixers, it looked like the Lakers were on their way to another disappointing home loss. They trailed by double figures and with Luka Dončić ruledout for the rest of the game, where the production was going to come from was a mystery.

That’s when Reaves went to work.

With less than four minutes left in the quarter, Reaves overwhelmed the Sixers. He started by drilling a running pull-up 3-pointer, then he drove inside and converted on a layup, followed by an assist to Jake LaRavia.

In a span of 64 seconds, the game went from creeping toward a blowout loss to a tight contest.

Reaves saved his best for the last quarter. He drilled a 32-foot 3-pointer to beat the shot clock. Then he converted a tightly contested stepback three and, suddenly, Crypto.com Arena was his stage and everyone inside his audience.

Fans were in a raucous. Reaves was grinning from ear to ear, high-fiving teammates and celebrating whilereminding Lakers fans why they fell in love with him in the first place.

“He was unbelievable tonight,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said after the win. “I know he made threes tonight and hit a couple that were pretty incredible, but his drives and his thrust, [he] got to the free throw line…got in the paint and made plays and scored at the rim. It was really great to see.”

The result wasn’t secured until the closing seconds, but the Lakers held on and beat the Sixers 119-115. Considering the deficit, Luka’s absence and his limited availability, it was one of the best performances of the season by Reaves.

Philly treated Reaves like a superstar. They played as physically as the refs allowed. He was double-teamed all game long and was guarded full-court during crunch time.

It didn’t make much of a difference.

Reaves still ended the game scoring 35 points off the bench, the most by any Laker reserve this season. He went 12-17 from the field and made five 3-pointers, the same amount the Sixers converted as a team.

While the numbers were impressive, his willingness to do whatever it took to win stood out the most.

Reaves was applying pressure on the rim, leading to trips to the line and putting Sixers players in foul trouble. He continued to sacrifice his body in an attempt to draw charges and shift the momentum in LA’s favor. For many players, this would be a career night, but for Reaves, it was another day at the office.

“Winning’s the main thing,” Reaves said. “Regardless of stats, at the end of the day, did you win or lose is how I look at the game. There’s
not many moral victories.

“You can go have a great game and lose and I’m not going to say nobody really cares because there’s people out there that just look at the stats. But people that actually know basketball and appreciate the right things in basketball, care about winning basketball. And that’s what I’ve kind of prided myself on playing my whole career is trying to play the right way and have fun on the court.”

There’s still plenty the Lakers have to fix. The Sixers dominated for long stretches. LA’s defense was as resistant as a turnstile. And the Lakers’ starting center, Deandre Ayton, watched the entire fourth quarter like the rest of us.

Still, Reaves was spectacular. While basketball players’ careers have peaks and valleys, Reaves has had a projection chart that all Fortune 500 companies would envy with steady growth each year and no sign of plateauing.

“Anybody in this league that’s surprised about AR and his ability,” Marcus Smart said, “it’s a shame,”

Thursday was a reminder of just how special those abilities are.

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

The shorthanded Golden State Warriors pulled off quite a win on Thursday night. Despite playing without Steph Curry, they ended the game on a 22-5 run to steal a 101-97 victory from the Phoenix Suns. It was satisfying and emotional, to say the least, given that the trade deadline had just passed. The beat reporters could hear the celebration from outside the locker room, with Steve Kerr saying it “felt like we won a championship.”

So let’s grade the players who pulled off the feel-good win. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Thursday’s games, league-average TS was 57.9%.

Moses Moody

31 minutes, 6 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 2-for-7 shooting, 2-for-7 threes, 42.9% TS, +4

Moody had a slightly easier task than he usually has when facing the Suns, as Devin Booker was out with an injury. But even though he wasn’t having to guard an All-Star, Moody still found a way to strongly influence the game with his defense. It wasn’t a good offensive game, but the defense and rebounding were special … and his amazing hustle play in the final seconds just might have clinched the game. That play bumps him up a half-grade.

Grade: A-
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in rebounds.

Gui Santos

36 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 6-for-9 shooting, 3-for-6 threes, 3-for-5 free throws, 80.4% TS, +2

Jimmy Butler III is out for the year with an injury and Jonathan Kuminga has been traded. As a result, we’re going to see a lot of Santos. And if this game is any indication, that’s a pretty exciting thing. He was everywhere on the court. Absolutely everywhere.

Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists.

Draymond Green

24 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1-for-3 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 64.4% TS, -1

This wasn’t Dray’s best game, but you could see in his energy and on his face that he was deeply relieved to still be on the team. It’s been a long career for Green, and this was his first time being on the block at the trade deadline … something he said he hopes to never experience again. He was pretty happy to defer to teammates in this game, and it worked out well. Awesome defense.

Grade: B

Pat Spencer

32 minutes, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers, 2 fouls, 6-for-11 shooting, 6-for-10 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 84.2% TS, -3

Spencer played his final game on a two-way contract, and will certainly be rewarded with a guaranteed deal now that the Warriors have cleared both cap and roster space. He celebrated by scoring a career-high, while running the offense well and making huge plays.

Under normal circumstances, he would get a good grade, brought down a little by the turnovers. But because of the situation, he gets a perfect one.

Grade: A+ for performance and feels
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.

De’Anthony Melton

25 minutes, 17 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 6-for-14 shooting, 2-for-9 threes, 3-for-4 free throws, 53.9% TS, +21

Melton is playing out of his mind at the moment, and I’m so glad he stayed on the team through the deadline. That not only means that we get to watch him play this year, but that the Warriors likely think they can retain him next season, too.

The Warriors ended the game on the run of all runs, and I’d argue that Melton was the biggest reason for it. The stats may not be great (other than the plus/minus), but trust your eyes here: Melton was quite arguably the biggest reason they won.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.

Gary Payton II

19 minutes, 15 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 foul, 6-for-11 shooting, 3-for-6 threes, 68.2% TS, +4

Just a sensational game from GPII in every area of the game. Despite usually being the smallest player on the court, he was second in the entire game in rebounds, behind only Phoenix center Mark Williams … and in less than 20 minutes of action! That included the biggest rebound of the game, on Dillon Brooks’ go-ahead three attempt in the waning seconds. His defense was as good as we’ve come to expect, and he had one of the best offensive games of his career. Safe to say, they don’t win that game without Payton.

Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in rebounds.

Brandin Podziemski

12 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 0-for-3 shooting, 0-for-3 threes, 0.0% TS, -21

Podz was awful in this game, but you can’t really blame him. He was so ill that he took himself out of the contest, which is saying something for someone who is such a gamer. He was sick enough that Kerr said his status is in doubt for Saturday.

Grade: Feel better!
Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.

Al Horford

28 minutes, 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 4-for-10 shooting, 2-for-5 threes, 3-for-5 free throws, 53.3% TS, 0 plus/minus

It has been abundantly clear lately why the Warriors were so excited to bring in Horford this offseason. And I’m guessing they’re hoping like heck that he picks up his player option for next year.

Grade: B

Will Richard

27 minutes, 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 fouls, 2-for-6 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 50.9% TS, +16

I’m guessing we see Richard get a bigger role as the season goes on, and I’m excited to watch that. His defense in this game was just … stunning, really. To quote Bob Fitzgerald, how did this guy fall to the second round? An absolute baller.

Grade: A-

Quinten Post

6 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 foul, 0-for-2 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 0.0% TS, -2

I’m excited for Post to get to learn fromKristaps Porziņģis. Should be a great opportunity for him.

Grade: B-

Thursday’s DNP-CDs: Malevy Leons

Thursday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, LJ Cryer, Seth Curry, Steph Curry, Kristaps Porziņģis

New York Knicks (33-18, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (37-13, first in the Eastern Conference)

Detroit; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Knicks -1.5; over/under is 224.5

BOTTOM LINE: New York visits the Detroit Pistons after Jalen Brunson scored 42 points in the Knicks' 134-127 overtime victory against the Denver Nuggets.

The Pistons are 23-7 in Eastern Conference games. Detroit is the top team in the Eastern Conference with 57.3 points in the paint led by Jalen Duren averaging 13.4.

The Knicks are 22-11 against Eastern Conference opponents. New York has a 14-14 record against opponents above .500.

The Pistons average 11.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.9 fewer makes per game than the Knicks give up (13.9). The Knicks are shooting 47.2% from the field, 2.9% higher than the 44.3% the Pistons' opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Pistons won 121-90 in the last meeting on Jan. 6. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 29 points, and Brunson led the Knicks with 25 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Cunningham is averaging 25.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 1.5 steals for the Pistons. Duren is averaging 17.6 points and 9.7 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Brunson is averaging 27.4 points and 6.1 assists for the Knicks. OG Anunoby is averaging 18.7 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 7-3, averaging 116.6 points, 43.0 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 11.3 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.3 points per game.

Knicks: 8-2, averaging 115.5 points, 49.4 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 99.9 points.

INJURIES: Pistons: Dario Saric: day to day (not injury related), Jalen Duren: day to day (knee), Tobias Harris: day to day (hip).

Knicks: OG Anunoby: day to day (toe), Karl-Anthony Towns: day to day (eye), Josh Hart: day to day (undisclosed), Miles McBride: out (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Houston Rockets (31-19, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (40-12, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Houston hits the road against Oklahoma City looking to prolong its three-game road winning streak.

The Thunder are 30-8 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City averages 120.2 points and has outscored opponents by 12.3 points per game.

The Rockets have gone 17-15 against Western Conference opponents. Houston scores 115.2 points while outscoring opponents by 5.1 points per game.

The Thunder make 48.8% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.9 percentage points higher than the Rockets have allowed to their opponents (45.9%). The Rockets are shooting 47.2% from the field, 4.0% higher than the 43.2% the Thunder's opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Thunder won the last matchup 111-91 on Jan. 16. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points to help lead the Thunder to the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Chet Holmgren is averaging 17.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and two blocks for the Thunder. Isaiah Joe is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Kevin Durant is averaging 26 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the Rockets. Alperen Sengun is averaging 18.5 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 5-5, averaging 116.3 points, 43.0 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 8.4 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.5 points per game.

Rockets: 6-4, averaging 107.6 points, 48.1 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 10.2 steals and 6.8 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.8 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Luguentz Dort: day to day (knee), Ajay Mitchell: day to day (abdominal), Nikola Topic: out (groin), Alex Caruso: day to day (injury management), Jalen Williams: out (thigh), Isaiah Hartenstein: day to day (eye), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: out (abdominal), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate: day to day (wrist), Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Tari Eason: day to day (injury management), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Charlotte Hornets (24-28, 10th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (26-27, ninth in the Eastern Conference)

Atlanta; Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte seeks to keep its eight-game win streak alive when the Hornets take on Atlanta.

The Hawks are 5-3 against the rest of their division. Atlanta has a 6-6 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Hornets are 6-4 against the rest of their division. Charlotte is 1-6 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Hawks average 14.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.4 more made shots on average than the 13.1 per game the Hornets give up. The Hornets average 15.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.1 more made shots on average than the 13.1 per game the Hawks give up.

The teams meet for the third time this season. The Hornets won 133-126 in the last matchup on Dec. 19. LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 28 points, and Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 43 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Johnson is averaging 23.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.

Ball is shooting 40.5% and averaging 19.1 points for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 6-4, averaging 115.7 points, 45.4 rebounds, 30.0 assists, 8.3 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.8 points per game.

Hornets: 9-1, averaging 112.7 points, 48.9 rebounds, 26.0 assists, 7.0 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 100.4 points.

INJURIES: Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu: day to day (dental), Jonathan Kuminga: day to day (knee), N'Faly Dante: out for season (knee).

Hornets: Coby White: out (calf), Tidjane Salaun: day to day (illness), KJ Simpson: day to day (hip), Xavier Tillman: out (personal).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Utah Jazz (16-36, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (26-24, seventh in the Eastern Conference)

Orlando, Florida; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Orlando Magic host the Utah Jazz in non-conference action.

The Magic are 16-9 on their home court. Orlando is sixth in the Eastern Conference with 16.1 fast break points per game led by Franz Wagner averaging 3.9.

The Jazz are 6-19 on the road. Utah ranks seventh in the Western Conference with 43.8 rebounds per game led by Jusuf Nurkic averaging 10.2.

The Magic average 115.0 points per game, 11.8 fewer points than the 126.8 the Jazz allow. The Jazz average 118.3 points per game, 2.8 more than the 115.5 the Magic give up.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Magic won 128-127 in overtime in the last matchup on Dec. 21.

TOP PERFORMERS: Desmond Bane is averaging 19.2 points and 4.3 assists for the Magic. Paolo Banchero is averaging 23.8 points over the last 10 games.

Nurkic is averaging 11.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists for the Jazz. Ace Bailey is averaging 15.9 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 4-6, averaging 110.3 points, 39.7 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 8.8 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.6 points per game.

Jazz: 2-8, averaging 113.8 points, 41.8 rebounds, 29.8 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 123.2 points.

INJURIES: Magic: Franz Wagner: day to day (ankle), Colin Castleton: out (thumb).

Jazz: Kevin Love: day to day (illness), Keyonte George: day to day (ankle), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), John Konchar: day to day (neck), Vince Williams Jr.: day to day (not injury related), Jaren Jackson Jr.: day to day (not injury related).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.