Mark Mitchell and Jayden Stone combined for 41 points, and Missouri ended the game with a 15-2 run to beat Kentucky 73-68 on Wednesday night for the Tigers' first win in Lexington. Missouri (12-3), which entered 0-9 at Rupp Arena, is also 2-0 for the first time in Southeastern Conference play. It was Kentucky's (9-6, 0-2) first SEC home-opening loss since 2013.
No. 4 UConn rallies out of a 13-point hole to beat Providence in OT, remain perfect in Big East play
The Huskies have now won seven straight over the Friars dating back to 2023.
Donaldson’s 21, Reneau’s 18 lead Miami over Wake Forest 81-77
Tre Donaldson scored 21 points, and Malik Reneau added 18 as Miami survived a late-game surge to beat Wake Forest 81-77 on Wednesday. Donaldson shot 7 of 10 from the field, dished out six assists, and went 6 of 6 at the free-throw line, including two free throws with nine seconds left to seal the win for the Hurricanes (13-2, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). Reneau added six rebounds and made the tying free throw with 45 seconds remaining after Wake Forest briefly took the lead.
Hubbard scores 30, Mississippi State tops Oklahoma 72-53 for sixth straight win
Josh Hubbard racked up 30 points, Achor Achor grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds, and Mississippi State took down Oklahoma 72-53 on Wednesday. Hubbard was 11-for-22 from the field and 7-for-9 from the free-throw line for the Bulldogs (10-5, 2-0 Southeastern Conference), who won their sixth straight game. Quincy Ballard and Ja’Borri McGhee chipped in with 10 points each and Jamarion Davis-Fleming grabbed 10 rebounds.
Wilkerson scores 24 points, Indiana rolls past Maryland 84-66
Lamar Wilkerson scored 24 points, including all 16 of Indiana's points in a key second half run, and the Hoosiers defeated Maryland 84-66 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight win. Wilkerson had a personal 16-4 run in a 5 1/2-minute stretch, putting Indiana ahead 59-44 with 12 minutes remaining. He made 5 of 7 shots in the run, including 3 of 4 3-pointers.
Cincinnati women beat No. 11 Iowa State 71-63 for 1st win over ranked opponent since 2011
Mya Perry scored 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, 4 of 6 from 3-point range, to help Cincinnati beat No. Iowa State 71-63 on Wednesday night for the Bearcats' first win over a ranked team in nearly 15 years. The Bearcats, who are 1-4 against Iowa State, beat a Top-25 opponent for the first time since a 65-62 win over then-No.
LeBron James to miss Lakers' game tonight at San Antonio
LeBron James will miss the game against the San Antonio Spurs with right sciatica and left foot arthritis, the Lakers announced Wednesday.
James has starred for the Lakers (23-11) during their three-game winning streak, averaging 29 points in victories against the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans. He's paired effortlessly with Luka Doncic as the duo scored 30 points each in Tuesday’s win over the Pelicans. But after missing 14 games to start the season because of sciatica, the 41-year-old James recognized he might not be able to play a second game in as many nights.
“His foot typically the day after a game is sore, so that’s the primary thing,” coach JJ Redick said before the game. “… We’re hoping that he gets to the point where he can play in back-to-backs with his body, but this stretch and this month, it’s going to be tough to say that.”
James will miss his 17th game this season, putting him right on the edge of continuing his streak of 21 consecutive All-NBA honors. Players have to appear in 65 games to remain eligible for postseason awards. The Lakers are beginning a busy January that ends with their longest trip of the year: the eight-game Grammy trip.
The Lakers are also without Austin Reaves (calf), Rui Hachimura (calf) and Adou Thiero (knee). Hachimura participated in a workout with the G League affiliate South Bay Lakers in L.A. on Wednesday as he progresses back to the court.
Guard Gabe Vincent (back) will be available for Wednesday’s game while on a restriction of about 18 minutes, Redick said.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Trae Young reportedly has Washington as top preferred trade destination
While it is still 29 days until the Feb. 5 NBA Trade deadline — and big trades tend to happen closer to that date — there is a lot of smoke and clearly some fire around a Trae Young trade to the Washington Wizards.
Washington is Young's preferred destination, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. That is new and it matters. Young is a fan favorite and has been the face of the franchise in Atlanta for more than seven years, the team will want to do right by him. The Hawks front office and Young’s agents have been collaborating to find Young a new team, and now the Wizards are the clear frontrunners. The fact that CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert — two players expected to be sent to Atlanta in a trade — are sitting out the Wizards game on Wednesday feels like a little more than a coincidence.
A trade of Young to Washington for McCollum and Kispert works under the cap.
What to watch is the draft picks attached to this trade. While the instinct for many would be to say Washington needs to add draft picks to this deal — they are getting a 27-year-old three-time All-Star in his prime, a guy who has averaged 25.2 points and 9.8 assists a game for his career — the opposite is true, league sources told NBC Sports. Washington can argue that they are sending out the expiring contract of McCollum to take on one more year of Young, who has a $48.9 million player option for next season, which he is expected to pick up. Washington will want to be compensated for taking on that extra salary, even though it has the cap space to do so, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic discussed on The Athletic NBA Daily podcast. There could be an exchange of draft picks, but don't expect the Wizards to send out better picks than they take back in the deal, which has been their modus operandi in the Jordan Poole trade and others.
The other thing to watch for is a contract extension. Young wants to be on a team where he has the ball in his hands and somewhere he could sign a longer-term extension (he's not a max player anymore, not in the world of NBA tax aprons, but he still would command considerably more than an average starter). Washington can put the ball in his hands, but it will want to wait to see how he meshes with the young players the franchise sees as part of the future — Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly — before it talks extension. Young would pick up his option and be playing for his next contract.
On offense, Young would be a natural fit. Sarr, who has taken a big step forward this season, averaging 17.5 points and 7.8 rebounds a game, should thrive with Young as a pick-and-roll partner. Plus, Young's gravity and passing would get Johnson, George and others plenty of better, cleaner looks in the halfcourt. On top of all that, this is a team that wants to get out and run, and Young's passing and style of play fit well with that.
On the other end of the court, Washington has the 29th-ranked defense in the NBA right now and Young is not going to help that.
What Young gives the Wizards is someone fans will pay to see, someone who should make their offense entertaining and will win them some games (and maybe get them in the play-in a year from now) — all without giving up anyone they see as a core part of their future. It's low risk. And if Young clicks with the existing core, the Wizards can always extend him.
Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton show Warriors surest path to top-six playoff seed
Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton show Warriors surest path to top-six playoff seed originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – A couple of X-factors showed out Wednesday night, and the only way the Warriors can make the ascent of their dreams is if this becomes a semi-consistent pattern.
It’s profoundly evident these Warriors have no chance of thriving if they throw all their hopes into the lap of Stephen Curry. It’s unfair. Silly, even. Same, for that matter, applies to the best of Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green. All three are essential, but the rest of the roster – a battalion of X-factors – must have the ability to threaten opponents.
De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford did more than that Wednesday night in a 120-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center. They delivered the kind of goodies the coaching staff and the Curry-Butler-Green trio have consistently insisted were within the reach of the supporting cast.
Melton and Horford combined for 30 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal. Melton was plus-4 over a season-high 25 minutes, and Horford was plus-9 over 19 minutes.
“Those are two guys that connect our lineups,” Green said of Melton and Horford.
“Those two guys weren’t available much or at all early in the year, and they’re both trying to find their legs, their rhythm,” Curry said. “But you can see how much of a difference they can make off the bench.”
Melton was terrific, dropping a season-high 22 points, twice punishing the Bucks with timely 3-pointers. He scored with high efficiency, shooting 8-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-9 from deep.
After spending most of December searching for his shot after returning from a yearlong recovery and rehab from ACL surgery, Melton has found it.
Horford brought the kind of assortment bag that put a gold star on his stat line and his fingerprints on the game: eight points, on 3-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-4 from deep, along with team- and season-high 10 rebounds and six assists.
“We’re starting to get to the point where we’ve been able to bump his minutes up,” coach Steve Kerr said. “And he looks healthy. Playing him 19 minutes gave us a new heavy rotation. And he was terrific. He did everything.”
This is the Horford the Warriors expected when they signed the 39-year-old to a contract in the offseason. Fill in the gaps, no matter what they are.
“My impact, I feel like it’s anything that has to do with winning and making winning plays, whether it’s rebounding, whether it’s assists,” Horford said. “I know I can shoot the ball, so being able to be a floor spacer for the group and shoot. Just impacting in different ways. But this was a game that a lot of that came together, which was nice for me.”
Though Curry shone, Butler and Green did enough to support him.
Curry totaled a team-high 31 points, 13 of which came during a third quarter that allowed Golden State to take a 16-point lead (98-82) into the fourth quarter. His step-back 3-pointer with 26.1 seconds remaining extinguished Milwaukee’s hope of a comeback.
Butler didn’t shoot well (6-of-15, including 1-of-5 from distance) but managed 21 points, five rebounds and three assists. Green, playing with controlled fire, contributed 14 points, seven assists (with one turnover) and three rebounds.
A couple of X-factors filling in superbly allowed the core trio to survive ordinary games from Butler and Green.
“It’s always great to have those guys stepping up, because, like we’ve said all year, we need those guys to win,” Green said. “It’s not just going to be an effort of us three doing it . . . and that’s never been the answer. When you look at teams that think that’s the answer, they’ve been wrong every time. So, we depend on our guys. We trust our guys.”
On this night, the “guys” the Warriors depended on were Melton and Horford, along with 18 intense minutes from Gui Santos. On another night, it might be Gary Payton II or Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski or Quinten Post or Will Richard or Trayce Jackson-Davis or, of course, Pat Spencer.
They’re all X-factors for Golden State, which is greatly enhanced when any two or three bring it as Horford and Melton did against the Bucks. It’s the Warriors’ surest path to climbing out of eighth place in the Western Conference and into at least the top six.
What we learned as Steph Curry outduels Giannis in Warriors' tight win vs. Bucks
What we learned as Steph Curry outduels Giannis in Warriors' tight win vs. Bucks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Returning from a frustrating road loss to the Clippers in LA, the Warriors on Wednesday night began an eight-game homestand that can define their season, less than a month away from the NBA trade deadline.
The start of a two-week stretch at Chase Center was picture-perfect for the Warriors in a 120-113 win against the Milwaukee Bucks.
It took the Warriors going 5 of 10 on threes in the fourth quarter of their loss to the Clippers to get to 24.4 percent for the game. Shooting wasn’t such a problem playing the Bucks, as Golden State shot 48.9 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from three with 18 makes.
Steph Curry led the Warriors with 31 points, six rebounds and seven assists. De’Anthony Melton (22 points) and Jimmy Butler (21 points) gave the Warriors three 20-point scorers on a night where five players scored in double figures.
The Warriors continued to improve their ball security and had just nine turnovers one game after giving up seven. As the ball hummed, six Warriors had multiple assists, which was twice as many that had multiple turnovers.
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was an unstoppable force, finishing with 34 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ win that pushes them to 20-18:
The Others Step Up
What a difference it makes when the Warriors actually make shots. There have been flaws and cracks in the defense, but shotmaking has become a season-long problem nearly at the halfway mark. The Warriors entered their 38th game ranked 27th in field goal percentage and 15th in 3-point percentage for the 20th-ranked offensive rating in the NBA.
They resembled a much better product than those numbers back in front of their home fans.
The biggest positive was the “other guys.” In this case, we’re talking about players not named Curry or Butler. Those two combined to score 51 points Monday in LA, which was half of the team’s total, while the rest of the starting five scored 15 points with a 17.6 shooting percentage and went 1 for 11 on threes. In the first quarter alone, the other three starters – Draymond Green, Moses Moody and Quinten Post – scored 14 points.
That number rose to 25 points by halftime. The final total between those three was 34 points. But they weren’t alone. Melton scored 20 points for the first time since Dec. 27, 2023 and the Warriors won the bench battle 34-24.
Red-Hot Curry
Efficiency was Curry’s only problem in the Warriors’ previous game. While he led both teams with 27 points, Curry did so on 9-of-23 shooting (39.1 percent) and 4 of 15 on threes (26.7 percent). He cleaned that mess two days later.
Curry was slicing and dicing the Bucks’ defense without breaking a sweat. He made it look easy and still found ways to get fans out of their seats. As the Warriors held an 11-point halftime lead, Curry was a plus-21 and the second-highest among the starting five was Moody at plus-5.
He just kept cooking in the second half, too. Curry had his latest third-quarter flurry of 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting. He could have pulled out his Night Night celebration with his stepback jumper that sealed the deal with 26 seconds remaining.
Curry finished the night 12-of-21 shooting (9 of 12 on 2-pointers and 3 of 9 on 3-pointers).
On a night where Curry did a bit of everything, the stat that he might be proudest of is one. Curry’s only turnover came with 15 seconds left when he lost the ball out of bounds.
Horford’s Huge Impact
As he read the direction of Melton’s 3-point attempt in the final minute-plus of the second quarter, Al Horford crashed to the middle of the paint, grabbed the miss and found Melton in the left corner for an open three that went through this time. Horford’s rebound already was eighth of the game and third on the offensive glass.
Nobody was better for the Warriors than Horford in the second quarter. The Warriors and Bucks were tied at 31 points after the first quarter. But the Warriors then went on an 11-0 run in the final two minutes of the first half prior to the Bucks making a 3-pointer in the final few seconds. Horford in that span had three points, three rebounds and an assist.
He played six and a half minutes in the second quarter and was a plus-14 with six points on two 3-pointers, six rebounds and three assists.
Horford inhaled a season-high 10 rebounds. The veteran center also made two threes and connected the game on both sides. Getting these versions of him and Melton consistently can be game-changing for Golden State.
Wizards acquire star Trae Young from Hawks in major trade, report says
Wizards acquire star Trae Young from Hawks in major trade, report says originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Trae Young is moving on from Atlanta — but staying the same conference.
The Washington Wizards reportedly acquired the star point guard from the Hawks in a major trade to open 2026, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Wednesday.
Shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert are the players headed to Atlanta in return. No draft picks are expected to be exchanged by either team.
News of Young’s potential trade first broke Monday, with the Wizards also emerging as the preferred destination.
The 27-year-old, who went No. 5 overall in the 2018 draft, has seemed to plateau with Atlanta ever since leading the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018. Young has also played just 10 games this season, with Atlanta 17-21 at the time of the trade. Washington is 10-26, second to last in the Eastern Conference.
Young is posting 19.3 points, 8.9 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 28.0 minutes on a 41.5/30.5/86.3 shooting split. Just last season, he averaged 24.2 points, 11.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds on a 41.1/34/87.5 split in 36.0 minutes, but Atlanta hasn’t developed into a serious contender for multiple seasons.
A four-time All-Star, Young can still provide Washington with a focal point at the 1-spot thanks to his elite playmaking, but his dip in long-range shooting numbers and playoff defense will be notable concerns should Washington make a leap soon. He has a $48.9 million player option next season before entering unrestricted free agency.
The Wizards were led by McCollum’s 18.6 points per game, but his $30 million expiring salary will instead go to Atlanta, where he may help a play-in tournament push. Kispert, the 2021 No. 15 overall pick, is averaging 9.2 points on 39.5% 3-point shooting in a bench role.
Alex Sarr, the 2024 No. 2 overall pick, is the next best scorer after McCollum at 17.2 points, with Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington and Bilal Coulibaly all contributing on a young team. Veteran Khris Middleton has also started all 23 games he’s appeared in.
For Atlanta, Jalen Johnson has led the way with 24 points per game, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 27, is averaging a career-high 20.5 points on a healthy 45/38/85 split at the guard spot. The Hawks will now turn the page and search for the next big star.
Wizards acquire star Trae Young from Hawks in major trade, report says
Wizards acquire star Trae Young from Hawks in major trade, report says originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Trae Young is moving on from Atlanta — but staying the same conference.
The Washington Wizards reportedly acquired the star point guard from the Hawks in a major trade to open 2026, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Wednesday.
Shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert are the players headed to Atlanta in return. No draft picks are expected to be exchanged by either team.
News of Young’s potential trade first broke Monday, with the Wizards also emerging as the preferred destination.
The 27-year-old, who went No. 5 overall in the 2018 draft, has seemed to plateau with Atlanta ever since leading the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018. Young has also played just 10 games this season, with Atlanta 17-21 at the time of the trade. Washington is 10-26, second to last in the Eastern Conference.
Young is posting 19.3 points, 8.9 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 28.0 minutes on a 41.5/30.5/86.3 shooting split. Just last season, he averaged 24.2 points, 11.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds on a 41.1/34/87.5 split in 36.0 minutes, but Atlanta hasn’t developed into a serious contender for multiple seasons.
A four-time All-Star, Young can still provide Washington with a focal point at the 1-spot thanks to his elite playmaking, but his dip in long-range shooting numbers and playoff defense will be notable concerns should Washington make a leap soon. He has a $48.9 million player option next season before entering unrestricted free agency.
The Wizards were led by McCollum’s 18.6 points per game, but his $30 million expiring salary will instead go to Atlanta, where he may help a play-in tournament push. Kispert, the 2021 No. 15 overall pick, is averaging 9.2 points on 39.5% 3-point shooting in a bench role.
Alex Sarr, the 2024 No. 2 overall pick, is the next best scorer after McCollum at 17.2 points, with Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington and Bilal Coulibaly all contributing on a young team. Veteran Khris Middleton has also started all 23 games he’s appeared in.
For Atlanta, Jalen Johnson has led the way with 24 points per game, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 27, is averaging a career-high 20.5 points on a healthy 45/38/85 split at the guard spot. The Hawks will now turn the page and search for the next big star.
Observations after Sixers' stars all produce in win over Wizards
Observations after Sixers' stars all produce in win over Wizards originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers’ stars all scored efficiently and led the way Wednesday night in the team’s 131-110 win over the Wizards at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Joel Embiid had 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting and seven rebounds. Tyrese Maxey posted 22 points (9 for 15 from the floor) and eight assists. Paul George scored 23 points and shot 7 for 10.
The Sixers were at full strength for the first time this season. The Wizards were very undermanned amid reports of their trade pursuit of Trae Young.
Rookie Tre Johnson scored a team-high 20 points for the 10-26 Wizards.
The 20-15 Sixers will visit the Magic on Friday night. Here are observations on their victory Wednesday:
Ready to roll this time
The Sixers had a much sharper start than in their overtime loss Monday to the shorthanded Nuggets.
Embiid hit a mid-range jumper over Alex Sarr on the game’s opening play. Maxey drained a pull-up three-pointer, Embiid threw down a dunk set up by a flex cut and George dish, and the Wizards called timeout in an early 7-0 hole. Embiid asked the home crowd to amp up the volume.
Maxey tried seven long-range jumpers in the first quarter and knocked down four. He and Embiid combined for 24 points in the first period on 9-for-13 shooting, five assists and zero turnovers. The Sixers had no turnovers as a team until 2.4 seconds left in the first.
The bar was low, but the Sixers needed a more focused, energetic start against another injury-depleted opponent. They checked that box.
Oubre and Watford’s returns
Kelly Oubre Jr. checked in at the 4:27 mark of the first quarter and the fans gave him a loud, warm welcome back.
He played Wednesday for the first time since suffering a left knee LCL sprain on Nov. 14. Oubre wore a brace on his left knee and a sleeve covered his entire left leg.
The 30-year-old wing will certainly require some time to regain rhythm and conditioning. Oubre made a nice cut along the baseline near the end of the first quarter, but he couldn’t catch Quentin Grimes’ low pass. Early in the second quarter, Oubre air balled a contested mid-range jumper and came up short on a catch-and-shoot corner three attempt.
The Sixers didn’t score for the first 3:40 of the second quarter and the Wizards stormed in front with a 13-0 run. Washington’s bench had a 17-2 scoring advantage over the Sixers’ second unit at halftime.
Trendon Watford made his return from a left adductor strain in quasi-garbage time, subbing in with 4:45 to go in the fourth quarter and the Sixers leading by 18 points. He tallied three assists.
Oubre got a short turnaround jumper to drop in the fourth quarter. He logged 20 minutes and had two points on 1-for-4 shooting, three rebounds, two steals and an assist.
Deep down the bench
George’s jumpers were sweet in the second quarter off both the catch and the dribble. He reached his first 20-point game since Dec. 14 when he made a short jump shot with 8:13 to go in the third quarter.
Propelled by their star trio, the Sixers picked up steam late in the second quarter. Maxey’s and-one layup put the team up 58-51.
The Sixers never relinquished their lead and turned the contest into a blowout by early in the fourth quarter. VJ Edgecombe’s baseline jumper stretched the Sixers’ advantage to 20 points. The rookie again had a stat sheet-stuffing night, recording 13 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals.
By the end of the evening, everyone had played for the Sixers besides veterans Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowry.
While they won’t often go that deep down their bench, the final minutes were a reminder that the team currently has many options and no one sidelined.
Wizards acquire star Trae Young from Hawks in major trade, report says
Wizards acquire star Trae Young from Hawks in major trade, report says originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Trae Young is moving on from Atlanta — but staying the same conference.
The Washington Wizards reportedly acquired the star point guard from the Hawks in a major trade to open 2026, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Wednesday.
Shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert are the players headed to Atlanta in return. No draft picks are expected to be exchanged by either team.
News of Young’s potential trade first broke Monday, with the Wizards also emerging as the preferred destination.
The 27-year-old, who went No. 5 overall in the 2018 draft, has seemed to plateau with Atlanta ever since leading the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018. Young has also played just 10 games this season, with Atlanta 17-21 at the time of the trade. Washington is 10-26, second to last in the Eastern Conference.
Young is posting 19.3 points, 8.9 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 28.0 minutes on a 41.5/30.5/86.3 shooting split. Just last season, he averaged 24.2 points, 11.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds on a 41.1/34/87.5 split in 36.0 minutes, but Atlanta hasn’t developed into a serious contender for multiple seasons.
A four-time All-Star, Young can still provide Washington with a focal point at the 1-spot thanks to his elite playmaking, but his dip in long-range shooting numbers and playoff defense will be notable concerns should Washington make a leap soon. He has a $48.9 million player option next season before entering unrestricted free agency.
The Wizards were led by McCollum’s 18.6 points per game, but his $30 million expiring salary will instead go to Atlanta, where he may help a play-in tournament push. Kispert, the 2021 No. 15 overall pick, is averaging 9.2 points on 39.5% 3-point shooting in a bench role.
Alex Sarr, the 2024 No. 2 overall pick, is the next best scorer after McCollum at 17.2 points, with Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington and Bilal Coulibaly all contributing on a young team. Veteran Khris Middleton has also started all 23 games he’s appeared in.
For Atlanta, Jalen Johnson has led the way with 24 points per game, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 27, is averaging a career-high 20.5 points on a healthy 45/38/85 split at the guard spot. The Hawks will now turn the page and search for the next big star.
NBA Trade Rumors 2025-26: The latest on Anthony Davis, Trae Young, Jonathan Kuminga, more
The NBA trade deadline is less than a month away (Feb. 5), and with that the rumor mill is at full boil. Here is the latest on some of the biggest names.
Anthony Davis
The Dallas Mavericks do not feel they have to trade Anthony Davis before the deadline, but Davis' camp doesn't believe an extension with the Mavs is on the horizon, so they are looking for a new home.
That's the latest after Davis and the Mavericks held on for a win in Sacramento Tuesday night, via Christian Clark and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
The Mavericks are expected to continue to listen to offers on Davis in the coming weeks, but according to team sources, their front office doesn't feel like it must deal Davis before the deadline...
However, league sources say Davis' representatives do not believe there's an extension agreement to be had with the Mavericks in the upcoming offseason. As such, the sources say, there is a strong desire from Davis' camp to get him traded to a destination where they feel an extension would be more likely.
Where might that be? Three teams are mentioned most often, but there are issues with working out a trade with each.
The Warriors are the sexy name, but with Golden State saying it would not send out Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green in any deal, constructing a trade is basically impossible. Atlanta is the name most mentioned, but the Hawks are focused on trading Trae Young and the Mavericks have no interest in a Davis-for-Young swap. Plus, from the Hawks' perspective, part of the reason to bring in Davis was to pair with Young in pick-and-rolls, and that's now off the table. Toronto is interested, and with center Jakob Poeltl battling back issues, the Raptors could use a high-level big. Toronto would have to send back longer contracts to make this work, and Dallas is only interested if it gets a lot of draft picks in return.
Davis staying with the Mavericks past the deadline is on the table, even if that is not everyone's first option.
Trae Young
As we have written about recently, the Hawks and Young’s agents are working to find a new home for the All-Star point guard, with the Washington Wizards being the frontrunners (and not many great options beyond that).
What Young wants is "to be the lead guard of a franchise elsewhere" and is "seeking a team that could give him an extension," ESPN's Shams Charania said yesterday on NBA Today. That is a very small pool of teams, maybe just a one-team pool (Washington). Jake Fischer added to that reporting at the Stein Line Substack.
"I am told that Trae Young's camp has suggested Minnesota and Brooklyn, from their side, as two attractive potential destinations. Yet I'm also told that neither the Timberwolves nor the Nets are in pursuit."
Fischer also reports that Young's agents tried to float a Zach LaVine-for-Young trade last summer that would have sent Young to Sacramento, but the Kings shot it down. That sums up the reality about a Young trade, what league sources have been telling NBC Sports (and we have been reporting) all along — there isn't much of a market for Young at his current salary around the NBA.
Kuminga likely sits until trade
The Warriors will not be showcasing Jonathan Kuminga in the run-up to the NBA trade deadline — he is not likely to play for the team again, and this is a mutual understanding, reports Brett Siegel of Clutch Points. Kuminga has already sat out the Warriors' last nine games.
Kuminga is not eligible to be traded until Jan. 15, and while that hasn't stopped the Warriors from talking to teams, they have not made "substantial movement" toward a deal, reports Anthony Slater of ESPN. Slater adds to keep an eye on the Sacramento Kings, a team he has been linked to dating back to last summer, and the interest there remains strong. New Orleans also has had interest in the past, and there may be other teams. That said, don't expect Golden State to take on long-term negative contracts just to move Kuminga.
Quick hits
• Despite their struggles this season, the Cavaliers are shooting down calls about trades for key players such as Jarrett Allen or Darius Garland, Michael Scotto reports at Hoopshype. The Cavaliers are over the second tax apron, so other teams are watching to see if ownership forces a move to lower payroll, but that doesn't appear likely. Cleveland is still a team deep with talent, looking at the wide-open East and thinking it has a chance if it can just regain last season's form.
• Minnesota is open to trading second-year point guard Rob Dillingham in the right deal, reports Marc Stein. The No. 8 pick from a year ago is not the playmaker the Timberwolves need, but there might be a team willing to take a longer-term flier on him.
• The Clippers are not going to be sellers at the trade deadline. Not James Harden, and more importantly, not Ivica Zubac, who is the guy teams are calling about. The Clippers have won seven of eight and are righting the ship, it would take a godfather offer — starting with at least two first rounders — to get the team to even consider a trade, reports Scotto of Hoopshype.
• If you're looking for a big man to get traded, keep an eye on Dallas' Daniel Gafford, he may be the most likely center to be traded at the deadline (and may be more likely to be sent to a new team than Davis).
• Speaking of Dallas, they would love to find a trade and get off the contracts of Klay Thompson, Caleb Martin and D'Angelo Russell, but in a tax apron world, there are no serious suitors. At least not yet.