Category: Basketball

After more than seven seasons together, Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks are ready to go their separate ways. It's mutual, with Young’s agents working for the Hawks to find the best trade partner and new home for the three-time All-Star.

The challenge is actually finding a trade that works.

There is not much of a market for Young, league sources have told NBC Sports. On the surface, one would think a lot of teams would be interested in a 27-year-old in his prime who averages 25.2 points and 9.8 assists a game for his career. They are not. Part of the hesitation is that the league is deep with good point guards, and not many teams are looking for one (for example, Young used to be linked to the Spurs, but they now have De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper). For the teams that need someone at the point, the challenges are Young's well-chronicled defensive shortcomings, his ball-dominant style and how that impacts team chemistry, and how those two items combine to put a ceiling on how good a team can be with Young. Add in the fact he makes a lot of money — $45.9 million this season, a $48.9 million player option for next season, and he is eligible for and wants a contract extension — and teams looking at tax aprons are hesitant. At best.

Which teams are interested? Who should be? Here are three teams to watch.

Washington Wizards

Washington is the clear frontrunner for a Young trade, with NBA insider Marc Stein first reporting their interest. The Wizards have a promising young core: Second-year center Alex Sarr is a defensive force who can shoot 3s and is the kind of big a lot of teams are trying to find; plus there is scoring on the wings with Tre Johnson and Kyshawn George, and the two-way potential of Bilal Coulibaly. Add Young to this group and suddenly the long-moribund Wizards — who have made the playoffs once in the last seven years and that will become eight this season — have an entertaining team with potential.

There are legitimate concerns that a trade could short-circuit the player development underway in Washington, but if owner Ted Leonsis just wants to get back into the postseason quickly, this is a path to it.

The Trade: Washington receives Trae Young; Atlanta receives C.J. McCollum, Corey Kispert and some picks.

McCollum is in this deal to make the money work, he has an expiring $30.6 million contract. That said, he is averaging 18.6 points per game this season, is a veteran leader, and could be a boost for the remainder of the season in Atlanta.

Kispert is a rock-solid rotation wing shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc this season — which is why the Hawks won't want to give him up and instead will push for something like the combination of Malaki Branham and AJ Johnson in the deal. That could be a sticking point.

The draft picks get interesting — there are front offices around the league that feel Atlanta should have to send picks out with Young to get a team to take on that contract. The Hawks do not see it that way. Washington should not give up its own pick this year or anything of real value, but it does control Oklahoma City's 2026 pick (technically, they get the worst of the Thunder, Rockets and Clippers, which will be OKC). That will very likely be the 30th pick, so the Wizards can throw it in and the Hawks can say they got a first-round pick. That's the most valuable pick the Wizards should give up, other than just a second-rounder or two.

Minnesota Timberwolves

And we're already into trades that I don't like and/or don't make much sense.

The argument for Minnesota to trade for Young is that they need shooting and a point guard, since Father Time quickly caught up with Mike Conley. The idea is that the team needs a boost if it is going to take a step forward from making the Western Conference Finals (as it has done the past two seasons), and Young could be that boost. Anthony Edwards, next to Young, has the potential to be explosive offensively, and with Rudy Gobert in the paint, they can cover up Young's defensive shortcomings.

The problem is how much money Young makes and how much Minnesota has to give up in any trade.

The Trade: Minnesota receives Trae Young; Atlanta receives Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, Mike Conley and a player on a minimum contract.

What has made Minnesota so dangerous the past few years is its depth and versatility, and this four-for-one trade sacrifices it. Minnesota is a good 23-13 this season, and while that is still sixth in the West the Timberwolves are a game out of the top four and hosting a round in the playoffs, and 2.5 games out of being the No. 2 seed. This is not a team in need of a dramatic shakeup of roster and style, and that's what Young brings to the table.

While this trade can be manipulated to bring in a third team and maybe send out Julius Randle instead, the issue comes back to the reality that it's hard to see how any of these trades would make Minnesota better. This is not a deal they should be involved in.

Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee is buying, not selling, heading into the trade deadline — it wants to enhance a team that believes it can still be a threat in a wide-open East and in doing so impress Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks need more talent — more shot creation and shooting around Antetokounmpo — and Young is the biggest name on the board. Sure, the Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard pairing didn't work, but the Bucks can try to convince themselves that this would be different, no matter how much they have to give up.

For Atlanta, they could get help along the front line and maybe a future first-round pick… is that enough?

The Trade: Milwaukee receives Trae Young; Atlanta receives Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, another player (Gary Harris?), Milwaukee's 2031 first-round pick.

That pick becomes a big inflection point: would the Bucks give it up? I'm not sure why Atlanta would want to do this deal and take on the added years of Portis and Kuzma unless that pick was in the mix. If I'm the Bucks is Young really enough to give up the one first-round pick I can still trade?

Portis would help the front line in Atlanta and Kuzma can fit in the rotation. For Milwaukee, already a very thin team, this would hurt its depth even more. Can Young alone fix the issue of the non-Antetokounmpo minutes?

This feels more like a trade born of desperation and is not a great deal for either side, but are both teams desperate enough to do it anyway?

Other Teams mentioned

Here are quick thoughts on other teams that come up in rumors:

• LA Clippers: The idea is that Young would help the team in the non-James Harden minutes, except that Kawhi Leonard is healthy and doing that much better than Young would already. Plus, the Clippers are focused on a 2027 pivot and wouldn't want to extend Young.

• Toronto Raptors: Is Young really a fit with a team that is winning thanks to its defense and depth? The trade likely would require RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley plus a first-round pick or two going to Atlanta, and it's hard to see why Toronto thinks this makes them better (taking the ball out of Brandon Ingram's hands).

• Sacramento Kings: Let's put aside the fact that this trade does not make much sense for either side (when has that stopped Sacramento in the past), instead focusing on the fact that Sam Amick at The Athletic has already reported the Kings have zero interest in such a trade. That's smart by the Kings.

• Dallas Mavericks: Multiple reports out of Dallas say there is no interest in the team trading for Young. There will be no swap of problems with Anthony Davis.

The New Year is here, and with it have come new injuries and new opportunities. The biggest storyline of the last week is Nikola Jokic’s hyperextended knee that will cause him to miss at least a month. Denver will have to fill the void with a committee approach, and multiple Nuggets appear in this week’s column.

Aaron Nesmith has played great since returning to Indiana’s lineup, and he tops the list. With key injuries in Chicago and Washington, Bulls and Wizards feature prominently here, too. Multiple frontcourt injuries in Detroit should mean plenty of run for Isaiah Stewart for at least the next week.

Here are the top fantasy basketball waiver wire adds for Week 12.

→ Watch the NBA Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC and Peacock, as the Heat take on the Timberwolves at 8 p.m. ET before the Mavericks and Kings square off at 11 p.m. ET. Both games are available on Peacock. Check your local listings for the NBC game in your area.

2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Top 200 Rankings: Tyrese Maxey jumps into the top five

Fantasy managers expected big things from Maxey, and he has delivered thus far.

• Raphielle Johnson,

Priority Adds

1. Aaron Nesmith
2. Isaiah Stewart
3. Jake LaRavia
4. Peyton Watson
5. Quentin Grimes
6. Justin Champagnie
7. Isaiah Collier
8. Ayo Dosunmu
9. Caleb Love
10. Luke Kornet

Quentin Grimes, Philadelphia 76ers (35 percent rostered)

After a rough stretch of games, Grimes is back on track with four straight strong performances. Over the last week, he’s averaged 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.3 blocks and 3.0 triples across 33 minutes. Despite improved availability across the roster, Grimes is surging as one of the first guys off Philly’s bench. His 40 minutes in Monday's OT loss highlight Philadelphia's faith in him late in games.

Aaron Nesmith, Indiana Pacers (27 percent rostered)

After returning from a six-week absence, Nesmith has found his groove, and he’s worth a look off the waiver wire. Across his last four outings, he’s averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.3 swats and 3.0 triples across 29.6 minutes. Nesmith is a top-75 fantasy player over the last week, and his role could increase significantly with Bennedict Mathurin (thumb) set to miss substantial time. Indiana is still looking for answers in its starting five, and Nesmith certainly delivered on Sunday with a 25/4/8 line including two swats and five triples across 34 minutes.

Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets (27 percent rostered)

Watson has started 21 straight games, filling in for Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun. Gordon and Braun both returned on Sunday, with Braun rejoining the starting five and Gordon coming off the bench. Watson remained with the first unit and logged his third straight 20-point game in 29 minutes. Watson’s playing time and production may be scaled back with Gordon and Braun back, but the Nuggets are still without Nikola Jokic, Jonas Valanciunas and Cameron Johnson. Rotation minutes will be available, and Watson has done enough to earn at least 25-30 for the foreseeable future. DaRon Holmes II has started at center with Jokic and Valanciunas sidelined, but he isn’t worth a look in most fantasy leagues due to his limited minutes. Tim Hardaway Jr. is a viable add thanks to his scoring and three-point shooting.

Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago Bulls (23 percent rostered)

All of Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter and Tre Jones have seen increased run and production over their last four games, and all are worth adding off the waiver wire with Coby White on a minutes restriction and Josh Giddey still sidelined. Jones is the best add for managers in need of assists, while Huerter is the better rebounder and three-point shooter. Dosunmu is the best of the group in all-around production, so he's the preferred add here. Huerter is best reserved for deeper leagues, while Jones and Dosunmu are worth rostering in standard leagues.

Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons (23 percent rostered)

Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris will be out for at least a week, freeing up Stewart to take on a larger role for Detroit’s next three games, and potentially longer. Stewart has recorded a blocked shot in 10 straight games, averaging 2.4 swats in that span. He started Sunday’s win over the Cavaliers, delivering a full 8/3/2/2/3 line across 31 minutes.

Jake LaRavia, Los Angeles Lakers (21 percent rostered)

LaRavia continues to shine for the Lakers, and he should stay heavily involved in the rotation until Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves return. Even when the pair return, LaRavia has been too good to see his minutes cut dramatically. Over his last two games, LaRavia has averaged 23.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks and 3.5 triples. He needs to be rostered in all standard leagues.

Isaiah Collier, Utah Jazz (16 percent rostered)

Collier offers strong numbers in a scarce waiver wire category - assists. He’s averaging 6.6 on the season, but over his last 11 games, he’s dished 8.5 per game to go with 9.8 points, 3.1 boards and 1.0 steals. Collier has been excellent as Keyonte George’s primary backup at PG, but if the latter is forced to miss time or Utah mixes up its starting five, Collier would be in line for big stat lines. In his last start, Collier went for 16/6/10 with a block and a triple across 37 minutes.

Luke Kornet, San Antonio Spurs (15 percent rostered)

Kornet had his best game of the season on Saturday, delivering 23 points, eight rebounds, three assists and five blocked shots across 31 minutes. He’s enjoyed a strong run of games as of late, and he should retain value even after Victor Wembanyama returns. Wemby could come off the bench or see a reduced workload in the games ahead, especially with San Antonio playing a Tuesday-Wednesday back-to-back set.

Caleb Love, Portland Trail Blazers (13 percent rostered)

Jerami Grant (Achilles) will miss a 10th straight game on Monday, which means Love should continue to see meaningful minutes. Across his last seven appearances, the rookie out of Arizona has posted 17.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 3.9 triples across 29.7 minutes. He’s worth a look as a points and threes specialist.

Justin Champagnie, Washington Wizards (12 percent rostered)

Over his last four games, Champagnie ranks just outside the top 100 in per-game fantasy value with averages of 12.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 triples across 25.5 minutes. Kyshawn George is without a timeline for return, and Champagnie should continue to be involved in the rotation until he returns. If you miss out on Champagnie, Bilal Couliabaly is a worthwhile add, as is Tre Johnson, who has started each of the last four that George has missed.

Other options:Cam Spencer (18%), Bilal Coulibaly (27%), Tre Johnson (10%), Tre Jones (26%), Kevin Huerter (11%), Tim Hardaway Jr. (17%), Julian Champagnie (15%)

Denver was not exactly forthcoming around Nikola Jokic's knee injury, aside from the good news that no ligaments were damaged. The team called it a hyperextension, although that is what happened to the knee, not a diagnosis (something Jeff Stotts pointed out at In Street Clothes, adding Jokic's case has the markings of a bone bruise).

As for a return timeline, the Nuggets said only that the three-time MVP would be re-evaluated in a month. Fortunately, reporting from Tony Jones at The Athletic fleshed that out.

According to team sources, the hope is that Jokić is back and playing by, at worst, the All-Star break. On Sunday night in Brooklyn, Jokić was in Denver's locker room in good spirits. While he hasn't returned to the court yet, he's well underway in his rehabilitation and has been able to be aggressive with it.

If Jokic's return falls near the All-Star Game, it will be interesting to see how he and the Nuggets handle it. While Jokic says it's an honor to be voted in by fans, and this year will feature a USA vs. World format for the game as it returns to NBC during the middle of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, it's no secret Jokic doesn't really love playing in the exhibition All-Star Game itself. He and the Nuggets are not going to delay a return just to avoid it, but if his return is on that bubble, there will be conversations.

The return timeline impacts a few other things as well, including Jokic meeting the 65-game threshold to be eligible for any postseason awards (if he is not back by the Jan. 30 game against the Clippers he will not make it to the pointless 65-game threshold set by the league).

It also impacts seeding in a deep, bunched-up Western Conference. Denver is working to keep its head above water and is 2-2 without Jokic so far. At 24-12, the Nuggets sit fourth in the West, but only 4.5 games separate the No. 2 seed Spurs and the No. 7 seed Suns, who would be in the play-in. Any kind of slump can quickly put a team in the play-in, where they face good teams to get out of it (then have a much tougher road through the postseason).

There has been good news on the injury front for Denver with both Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun returning to the rotation over the weekend. However, another starter, Cam Johnson, remains out, also with a knee hyperextension.

What the Nuggets really need is the return of Jokic, and so far his recovery appears to be going well.

Nothing puts Knicks fans on edge like James Dolan stepping into the spotlight. Except maybe seeing their team get blown out by the Eastern Conference leaders.

Monday, Knicks fans had to suffer through both. Dolan made an appearance with WFAN’s Craig Carton and set the bar high for his team — Finals or bust — and said not to expect any big roster changes at the trade deadline. Here are a few of his comments, via Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

"We want to get to the Finals. And we should win the Finals. This is sports and anything can happen. But getting to the Finals, we absolutely got to do."

"We love our team right now. They have chemistry, they all like each other. I've never seen a locker room more copacetic. There's a lot of energy there. Leon can always overrule me. But I don't see us making a big change. Because we got to keep building up this group. This group can win a championship. I believe that."

All that felt a little awkward a few hours later, after the East-leading Detroit Pistons easily handled the Knicks on Monday night, beating them 121-90 behind 29 from Cade Cunningham, who was easily the best player on the court. A January regular-season game is not a May playoff game, but this was the Knicks' fourth straight loss as the team has hit a slump. If nothing else, the timing of Dolan's comments felt odd.

In the interview, Dolan praised former coach Tom Thibodeau but said he was not collaborative or dedicated to player development the way a coach and team need to be in the modern NBA.

Dolan also spoke about the Knicks not hanging an NBA Cup banner, via Christian Arnold of The New York Post (the Knicks are 5-6 since winning the Cup in Las Vegas).

"We are going to raise the banner. We're going to raise the NBA championship banner. That's the banner we want to raise. We want an NBA championship, we don't want some consolation prize."

The Knicks are still the betting favorite to come out of the East at DraftKings and reach the NBA Finals (the Knicks are +290 to the Pistons' +400), living up to Dolan's prediction. The thing he said that should make Knicks fans happy was that team president Leon Rose "could overrule him" on player/personnel decisions (Dolan getting involved in roster decisions is the worst possible outcome).

Still, Dolan has spoken and set the bar high — exactly where most Knicks fans wanted it and believed it should be before the season tipped off. It's just always a little concerning when Dolan steps into the spotlight.