Category: Basketball

No. 1 Arizona kept the top spot in the latest USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll on Monday, Jan. 26.

The undefeated Wildcats (20-0) are 7-0 in Big 12 play and are coming off a pair of commanding wins against Cincinnati and West Virginia. They face a big test on Jan. 26, however, traveling to face No. 13 BYU (17-2) and true freshman AJ Dybantsa, one of the best players in the nation.

REQUIRED READING: Paying attention to Texas Tech yet? You should. That and more from college basketball weekend

The only other two undefeated teams remaining — Nebraska (20-0) and Miami (Ohio) (20-0) — were ranked No. 5 and tied-for No. 25 in the updated rankings, respectively. The Cornhuskers and coach Fred Hoiberg face No. 2 Michigan in a huge Big Ten matchup on Jan. 27.

Here's a look at the latest college basketball polls for Jan. 26:

Men's college basketball rankings on Jan. 26

First-place votes in parentheses.

USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

1. Arizona (31)
2. Michigan
3. UConn
4. Duke
5. Nebraska
6. Gonzaga
7. Houston
8. Michigan State
9. Iowa State
10. Illinois
11. Texas Tech
12. Purdue
13. BYU
14. Kansas
15. Vanderbilt
16. Arkansas
17. Virginia
18. North Carolina
19. Clemson
20. Louisville
21. Florida
22. Saint Louis
23. Alabama
24. St. John's
25. Miami (Ohio) | Iowa (tied)

Others receiving votes: Georgia 33; Tennessee 30; Texas A&M 19; Villanova 15; Saint Mary's 9; SMU 4; Kentucky 3; Utah State 2; Liberty 1.

AP Top 25

First-place votes in parentheses.

1. Arizona (60)
2. UConn
3. Michigan
4. Duke
5. Nebraska
6. Gonzaga
7. Michigan State
8. Iowa State
9. Illinois
10. Houston
11. Texas Tech
12. Purdue
13. BYU
14. Kansas
15. Arkansas
16. North Carolina
17. Virginia
18. Vanderbilt
19. Florida
20. Louisville
21. Saint Louis
22. Clemson
23. Alabama
24. Miami (Ohio)
25. St. John's

Others receiving votes: Tennessee 88; Kentucky 51; Georgia 49; Iowa 30; Texas A&M 27; Auburn 15; NC State 8; SMU 4; Saint Mary's 3; Utah St. 2; Villanova 2; Wisconsin 1.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Men's college basketball rankings: Updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25

The new USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll is out, and unbeaten Arizona will spend a third week at No. 1. The Wildcats hold on to the top spot in unanimous fashion once again, though they’ll get a major Big 12 test Monday night at No. 13 Brigham Young.

There was less of a consensus among the 31 panelists for the No. 2 spot. Michigan will hold on to it for another week, but No. 3 Connecticut is just seven poll points behind the Wolverines. Duke hangs on to the No. 4 position, and Nebraska establishes another all-time best ranking as it cracks the top five.

TOP 25:Complete USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll

Gonzaga climbs two places to No. 6, as Houston slips just one spot to No. 7 after losing a close one on the road at No. 11 Texas Tech. Michigan State, Iowa State and Illinois round out the top 10 as Purdue slides eight places to No. 12.

Georgia is the week’s lone dropout, but two teams join the ranking. That’s because there is a tie for 25th between returning Iowa and unbeaten Miami (Ohio) making its first appearance in the coaches poll Top 25 since March 31, 1991.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball rankings: Arizona leads reshuffled Top 25 poll

The Minneapolis and Twin Cities community has been through a lot the past couple of weeks. The presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has caused constant feelings of unease, fear, and anger, with many people apprehensive about even leaving their homes. It only got harder over the weekend.

On Saturday morning, an ICU nurse, Alex Pretti, was killed by federal officials. The event took place following a confrontation between federal officials and observers in South Minneapolis. Pretti’s death came just over two weeks after Renee Nicole Good was killed in a similar situation.

Nothing about Sunday’s game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors felt normal. With the game delayed 24 hours from Saturday’s original timeslot and peaceful protests happening throughout the city, including on the street in front of Target Center, there were not many people inside the arena who felt much like playing or talking about basketball.

Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch opened his pregame press conference with an emotional statement about what transpired the day before.

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch opens his pregame press conference with a statement about the killing of Alex Pretti pic.twitter.com/jNZ6HA1bm2

— Ryan Eichten (@REichten) January 25, 2026

Finch would later say, “I’m more than a resident. This is my home. I love living here. I love being a part of this community. I’ve been embraced from Day 1. People have been amazing. It’s sad to watch what is happening. On the human level, certainly as somebody who takes great pride in being here, I know a lot of our players feel the same. They all love being here, and it’s just hard to watch what we’re going through.”

Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr also spoke before the game on the events in Minneapolis over the weekend, saying, “I’ve been following everything. It’s very sad. This has always been a great stop on the NBA tour. I love the city of Minneapolis. People here are wonderful, and it’s very sad what’s happening. I feel for the city. There’s a pall that’s been cast over the city. You can feel it. A lot of people are suffering, obviously a loss of life is the number one concern. Those families will never get their family members back. When all the unrest settles down, whenever that is, those family members won’t be returning home, and that’s devastating.”

The Timberwolves held a moment of silence for Pretti, as they did for Good two weeks prior. After about ten seconds of silence, a fan shouted “Fuck ICE,” which was met with cheers from the Target Center crowd.

When the game began, it was clear the Timberwolves were not in the right headspace to play basketball. They quickly fell behind 14-2 to start the game while turning it over nine times in the first quarter. They got the deficit down to just one by halftime, but got outscored by 21 points in the third quarter, eventually losing 111-85.

Players from both teams gave their feelings on the weekend’s events after the game. Like many of us, several Timberwolves players were glued to their phones and TVs, taking in the coverage of everything that was happening.

Julius Randle shared how everything has been affecting him and his thoughts for the local community.

“Regardless of politics, everything, there’s a human aspect to it. For me. I have kids. I have family. For me, the job as a man is to be a protector of the house. And when you see things like that, obviously it’s tough. It’s hard to stomach those things. I’m not political at all. I don’t get into any of that stuff, but it’s tough, regardless of whatever is going on. Somebody lose their life, you never want to see that. From the minute I’ve been here, Minneapolis has been great to me. The fans, the community, have been really behind me. Everyone. Neighbors that I live, community I live in, the school my son goes to, just everything. Been nothing but a joy living here so things like this happening in the community it’s tough. I don’t like seeing it.”

Anthony Edwards was asked a similar question about having a message for the Minnesota community.

The Warriors, who have been in town for a few days, have seen everything unfold during their stay in Minneapolis. On Friday, tens of thousands of people joined together in downtown Minneapolis for an anti-ICE protest. The march started near U.S. Bank Stadium and finished inside Target Center, passing right by the Warriors’ hotel room.

“I was pretty high up in my room, so I could see the whole street,” said Warriors guard Moses Moody. “I don’t know how many blocks, like, all the way down. And it was like, it’s not like a line of people, it’s like, it was a lot of people out there. I can actually see details of what’s going on and everything. But just seeing that large amount of people as they’re protesting over cause, it’s something.”

“I got videos on my phone of it all the way down,” Warriors superstar Stephen Curry explained. “Was like three straight hours, negative 10 degree weather. It was beautiful to see that turn out that speaks to how important you know, people felt to have their voice heard, and those elements and whatever streets right outside our hotel, they were they were out, and it was amazing to watch.”

When the game began on Sunday, the Warriors’ coaches and players could tell that the Wolves and their community were still not ready to play basketball. “Honestly, what I felt was that their group was suffering,” Kerr said in reference to the Timberwolves. “I thought the vibe in the stands, it was one of the most bizarre, sad games I’ve ever been a part of; you could feel the somber atmosphere.”

Kerr’s appraisal of Target Center Sunday night was absolutely correct. The tone walking into the arena was sour, the players on the court seemed to have their minds elsewhere, and the crowd was lifeless, all for good reason.

Eventually, the Timberwolves will have to shift their focus back to basketball, but Sunday night was not that night. From the top of the Wolves organization down to the ushers, the ticket takers, and the fans, no one really felt ready to participate in a basketball game.

Week 14 is officially in the books, and it somehow managed to be the best of times and the worst of times all at once. The line between winning basketball and losing basketball could not have been clearer.

The record tells the story. A 2–2 week. The two wins came with Devin Booker on the floor. The two losses came without him, at least when it mattered most in the fourth quarter. You could feel it. You could see it in how the offense flowed, or stalled, depending on his presence.

In the games Booker played, the team shot 45.7% from the field and 50% from deep, knocking down 46-of-92 from three. When he was not available, those numbers cratered. 34.7% overall in the 5 quarters without him. 17.8% from beyond the arc. Woof.

4 games in Week 14 for the Suns:

11 quarters with Booker: 45.7 FG%, 50 3PT% (46-of-92)
5 quarters without Booker: 34.7 FG%, 17.8 3PT% pic.twitter.com/9H7xLWoBAd

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) January 26, 2026

If you are looking for a clean personification of what Devin Booker means to this team, there it is in black and white.

Yes, surviving Atlanta emotionally after that night was always going to be tough. But the looks were there. The same can be said against Miami. Open threes. Clean opportunities. Shots that usually fall. If a handful of those go down, both games feel very different late.

And that is the reminder this week delivers. Even if Booker is not the most efficient version of himself this season, he brings steadiness. He brings order. He brings a scoring and playmaking gravity that holds everything together. That is the heliocentric core of this offense. Take it away, and there is a learning curve.

Without him, there are moments where the team looks rudderless. That has been evident. In the 41 games Booker has played, the Suns are 26–15. In the four games he has missed, they are 1–3.

That gap is not theoretical. It is real. And Week 14 made sure everyone noticed.

Week 14 Record: 2-2

@ Brooklyn Nets, W, 126-117

• Possession Differential: +1.9
• Turnover Differential: +5
• Offensive Rebounding Differential: 0

It was not pretty, but it was professional. The Suns handled Brooklyn on Monday, never fully shaking the Nets but keeping a firm grip all night. Phoenix spread the wealth, dropped 126 points, had three over 20, six in double figures, and grabbed win number 26.

@ Philadelphia 76ers, W, 116-110

• Possession Differential: +1.9
• Turnover Differential: +3
• Offensive Rebounding Differential: -3

Vibes do not show up in the box score, but they were loud in Philly. On the second night of a back-to-back, the Suns showed up healthy, whole, and very much alive, with Jalen Green finally back in the mix. No Embiid, no George, no excuses. This one mattered for tone, momentum, and belief.

@ Atlanta Hawks, L, 110-103

• Possession Differential: +2.7
• Turnover Differential: 0
• Offensive Rebounding Differential: +3

The Suns limped out of Atlanta shell-shocked, losing both the game and their emotional armor in one brutal night. Jalen Green went down. Devin Booker left on crutches. A road trip that ended 3–3 suddenly felt like a gut punch instead of a win.

vs. Miami Heat, L, 111-102

• Possession Differential: -2.1
• Turnover Differential: -5
• Offensive Rebounding Differential: -2

Phoenix shot a brutal 37% from the field and an unforgivable 7-of-35 from deep, turning a winnable game into a slow bleed. The Heat were quicker, sharper, and better armed, even on a back-to-back.

Inside the Possession Game

• Weekly Possession Differential: +6.4
• Weekly Turnover Differential: -1
• Offensive Rebounding Differential: +2
• Year-to-Date Over/Under .500: +8

Grpah it? Let’s graph it.

The Suns actually did a better job overall of maintaining and earning extra possessions. From a raw numbers standpoint, it was a solid-looking week. But as noted above, this becomes a different team without Devin Booker on the floor.

The next week, maybe two, is going to be telling. Not because the effort disappears, but because the context changes. It will be interesting to see how these same metrics hold up without him, because the team has shown it can still generate extra possessions. That part of the equation does not belong to Booker anyway.

He is not your rebounder. He is not the guy hunting steals or living in passing lanes. That work belongs to the players around him. Booker’s role is different. He is the rudder. He gives direction. He stabilizes everything.

Because of that, the possession and turnover margins might stay relatively intact. The efficiency, however, is another story. That is where the drop off tends to show up, especially when you factor in the upcoming opponents and the reality that players are now being asked to operate with less space.

Without Booker’s gravity, defenders shrink the floor. Shots come a beat quicker. Reads get tighter. Roles blur. And that is where you start to feel his absence most, not in the hustle stats, but in how hard every basket suddenly becomes.

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Week 15 Preview

Another week, another four games in six nights. All of them at home, sitting right in the middle of a five-game homestand. The setting is friendly. The schedule is not.

It starts with the Brooklyn Nets, a team the Suns handled earlier this week. That does not mean it gets easier the second time around. If Phoenix wants to take care of business again, controlling Michael Porter Jr. becomes priority number one. The Nets are not a great team, but they are feisty. They hang around. They turn games into work if you let them. Oh, and it’ Dave King’s Bright Side Night. I’ll see you there!

Then comes the back-to-back, and this is where the degree of difficulty spikes.

First up, the Detroit Pistons, currently the best team in the Eastern Conference. And if you want to talk about timing luck, look at it from their perspective. Two games against the Suns, and both come without Devin Booker. That is a gift.

The very next night, the Suns turn around and face the Cleveland Cavaliers, who currently sit fifth in the East. That one comes with some residue. Phoenix lost to Cleveland on New Year’s Eve.The Suns walked into Sunday night like gunslingers at high noon, stared down Miami, and then realized the chamber was empty. Phoenix shot a brutal 37% from the field and an unforgivable 7-of-35 from deep, turning a winnable game into a slow bleed. Miami’s pace exposed every loose possession, every second chance, every stagnant trip. Fourteen assists on 37 makes told the story. The Heat were quicker, sharper, and better armed, even on a back-to-back. Sometimes the duel ends before you ever get a clean shot.

The homestand closes Sunday with the Suns’ first Western Conference opponent since January 7, the LA Clippers. The record says 20–24. The seeding says tenth. The recent form says something entirely different. They have won 15 of their last 18 games. They have figured something out. They are organized. They are physical. And they are a team nobody is excited to see on the schedule right now.

So yes, the Suns are home. But comfort is relative. This week is going to ask questions. The answers will tell us a lot.

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What is your prediction for Week 15?

On Saturday night, January 24th, 2026, the Los Angeles Lakers came to town with their new franchise star, Luka Dončić, for his second trip back to Dallas since the trade that shattered everything.

In just a few days, we’ll mark the one-year anniversary of that midnight surrender — the moment Dončić was sent away for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, a future pick, and the kind of package you might offer for a slightly bruised star, not a generational one. I was at my desk that night. I remember staring blankly at the screen as I typed a column called “The Worst Moment in DFW Sports History Is Here.” I meant every word.

And a year later, nothing — not the ping-pong miracle that delivered Cooper Flagg, not the long-overdue firing of Nico Harrison, not even the surreal image of Dončić returning to the AAC as a Laker while gifting 22 fans a luxury suite experience — comes close to eclipsing the emotional and strategic catastrophe of that trade.

Because the truth is simple and brutal: You never close a championship window voluntarily.

In the coming days, as the trade deadline nears, much of the Mavs discourse will focus on what veterans Dallas might ship off. Klay Thompson. Daniel Gafford. Maybe even P.J. Washington. It’s a familiar cycle by now: tear down, reshuffle, pray for the ping-pong balls to be kind again. But I’d ask Mavericks fans to pause — to feel — before submitting fully to this future-tense loop.

Because the real tragedy of this past year wasn’t just the trade itself. It was how easily so many moved on. How quickly the refrain became “we weren’t going to win anyway,” or “he was leaving eventually,” or worse, “he’s not our guy anymore.”

Luka didn’t just put this team back in the national spotlight. He took a roster stapled together by trade deadline grit and dragged it to the NBA Finals. Three wins away from a parade. And the response from the front office? Not joy. Not commitment. But cold calculus and revisionist logic.

Nico Harrison, shortly after pulling the trigger, told reporters:

“The easiest thing for me is to do nothing. Everyone would praise me for doing nothing. We really believed in it. Time will tell if I’m right.”

Patrick Dumont, echoed that detachment just weeks later:

“We got to the championship games and we didn’t win… so we had to decide: how do we get better?”

As if getting to the championship games…ahem, NBA Finals isn’t what every team in the league is begging the basketball gods for. As if three wins short of the mountaintop is cause to abandon the hike altogether.

Here’s the part that gnaws at me. Most teams never get a Luka. Most teams never get a Dirk. They get glimpses. Moments. And if they’re lucky, a window. The Mavericks had one. Open. Real. Proven. And they chose to board it shut.

I’m not saying another Finals run was guaranteed. Of course it wasn’t. Sports don’t offer that. Life doesn’t offer that. But the point isn’t the parade. It’s the pilgrimage. It’s the chance. You stay in the window until time or nature or the laws of basketball physics close it on you. But you don’t quit on it after one failed attempt. You don’t trade the star who took you there for a player on the back end of his prime and a few half-measures. You don’t make a move Babe Ruth-level in consequence and rationalize it with a shrug.

And if you do?

You don’t get to act surprised when the crowd doesn’t clap.

Saturday night wasn’t just a basketball game. It was a requiem. Luka put up 33 and 11 with a +18 in 39 minutes — in that building, against this team. But the stat sheet wasn’t what made the night surreal. It was the suite full of Mavs fans — invited by Luka himself — who came to thank the player this franchise gave up on. Some of them had defended him through the ugliest moments of last year. And he remembered.

But the reaction online, from the “just move on” crowd, was predictable. Scoffs. Side-eyes. “He’s not your guy anymore.”

Except maybe he is.

Because for some of us, caring about a team means not forgetting. It means mourning what could’ve been. It means feeling both pride and heartbreak when the player you raised becomes something historic — just no longer in your jersey. Being a fan isn’t just about who suits up today. It’s also about honoring the ghost of what was supposed to happen. Dirk did not win it all until he did. We cannot say for certain what would have happened had Doncic been allowed to play out his era, but many of us would rather have continued on those train tracks—wherever they may have led.

Cooper Flagg is the future now. And he deserves our full attention, our full hope. But hope doesn’t require amnesia.

The Dallas Mavericks will rebuild. They’ll market. They’ll sell tickets. They’ll hire a GM outside of the sneaker industry. But they will never undo the moment they chose to walk away from a title window rather than walk through it.

And until the next banner is raised — if it ever is — we will remember. We should remember.

Because sometimes the greatest loyalty is found in the refusal to forget.

With the NBA’s trade deadline fast approaching, so is the Lakers’ next chance to reshape their roster in Luka Dončić‘s image.

After an offseason that did little to clarify the team’s long-term outlook, many pointed to this deadline and the upcoming summer as the transactional periods that would officially usher in the team’s new chapter. Whether by choice or necessity.

Five Lakers are currently on expiring deals and three more have player options. Among the few who can decide to spend another year in Los Angeles is Deandre Ayton.

The polarizing former No. 1 overall pick joined the team after reaching a buyout from the Portland Trail Blazers at the start of free agency. It was a decision that made sense for both parties.

For Ayton, the Lakers represented a chance for redemption after several years mired in mediocrity. He could be spoon-fed by three of the league’s best creators, play for a club with championship aspirations and be granted a spotlight to earn his next big contract in Los Angeles or elsewhere.

For the Lakers, Ayton addressed their clear need at center following Anthony Davis’ exit. Despite his baggage, Ayton remained talented, maintained off-court ties to Dončić, and most importantly, came at a bargain.

Through 44 games, the union has teetered but mostly been positive. The team sits just a half-game out of the four seed despite a deluge of injuries, with Ayton shoring up the center spot to an adequate level. And yet, little traction has ultimately been made for both sides’ ultimate goals.

Even with improved center play compared to their post-Dončić trade efforts last season, Ayton has not done enough to be seen as a long-term answer down low.

To his credit, Ayton has been one of the league’s most efficient centers on offense. He is currently posting his highest points per shot attempt of his career and is converting 66.2% of his two-point looks (85th percentile among bigs), which is even more impressive given nearly half (49%) of his shot attempts come in the midrange.

He has also benefited greatly from playing alongside Dončić. When the two have shared the floor, Ayton is shooting a tremendous 81% at the rim compared to just 69% when Dončić is on the bench.

While the raw results have been encouraging, there remains stylistic dissonance between the two that raises long-term concerns. Ayton is not the explosive vertical threat who can consistently capitalize on Dončić’s prolific lob throwing and lacks the motor to be a rim-running threat in transition. He also plays at a similar methodical pace to Dončić, which counterintuitively is not ideal for a star who thrives with a level of athletic juice around him.

On defense, Ayton has not been enough of a rim deterrent to help cover up for Dončić and the collective roster’s perimeter struggles.

Teams are currently shooting 71.5% at the rim against the Lakers this season in non-garbage time minutes. That is the second-worst mark in the league.

Although this should not rest solely on Ayton’s shoulders, individually, the positives he offers on that end have been mostly offset by the lapses and wavering effort. He is capable, but should not be expected to be the type of anchor needed to protect a future group built around Dončić and Austin Reaves.

Among the 24 centers who have defended at least 200 shots within six feet this season, Ayton ranks 13th in field-goal percentage allowed according to the league’s tracking data. Not bad, just not good enough.

Barring a dramatic uptick in production or helping lead a deep postseason run, it is looking increasingly more likely that the Lakers may prefer to find a new starting center. The issue is that it may be easier said than done.

The Lakers could be armed with up to $60 million in cap space to address the position. Some free agents the team may be interested in include: Isaiah Hartenstein, Nikola Vucevic, Mitchell Robinson, Robert Williams, Jalen Duren, Mark Williams and Walker Kessler.

While there are enticing options on that list, there are also hurdles in actually signing any. The Thunder, for example, holds a team option on Hartenstein. And Duren, Williams and Kessler are all restricted free agents, meaning their respective teams own the right to match any offer the Lakers may present.

It is not impossible that they can shake one of these names loose from their current situations. But in reality, the Lakers and Williams are probably not a potential fit following their trade debacle, and Duren and Kessler remain too valuable to their current organizations as players — and trade pieces — to be given up for nothing.

There are also question marks hanging over the bigs that the Lakers could sign outright. Vucevic would be an excellent pick-and-pop addition, but his age and defense would be far worse than the team’s current internal options.

Robinson and Williams fit the mold of centers that Dončić historically has meshed well with and possess more defensive talent than Ayton. Both, however, have been plagued by injuries and may make a team like the Lakers nervous about offering lucrative long-term deals.

If the free-agent class proves barren, the Lakers could then ultimately look at trading for their center of the future. And if no deal transpires by the deadline, the team will be equipped with more draft capital in the offseason to put together an attractive package for a center they like. This is where their aforementioned cap space could also prove useful in terms of absorbing a larger salary player in a deal.

As is the case with any road taken, there is the risk of potential opportunity cost. For example, trading for the likes of Bam Adebayo, Jarrett Allen or Ivica Zubac will cost most of, if not all, of the Lakers’ draft assets as well as take a chunk out of their cap space.

They would all make the team better from a positional perspective, but leave them without many resources to shore up the other holes on the roster.

The Lakers could try to split the difference and target a lower tier of center with one of their picks and find help on the wing with their remaining tools. But they must weigh if a big such as Nic Claxton is that much better than Ayton, considering it may also restrict them from doing other things elsewhere. This is worth noting because the upcoming wing and forward free-agent class is woof, to say the least.

This is ultimately the dilemma Rob Pelinka and the front office will face in the upcoming weeks and in the summer.

Are they better suited to use a similar package they offered previously for Williams to shore up a key position in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future? Or would running it back with a stopgap like Ayton and then using their assets to better construct the rest of the roster be more fruitful?

While not the popular decision, an Ayton reunion may not be the disaster that a large portion of the fanbase may view it as. At least in the short term and assuming the rest of the roster improves.

Despite his flaws, the Lakers have had a slightly positive net rating (+0.3) when Dončić and Ayton have shared the floor. And when you add Reaves to the mix, the trio have perfomed well, posting a net rating of +6.0.

Given his player’s option (only $8.1 million) Ayton also holds a large say in whether he is back. This is not a guarantee he would find himself back in the starting role or exempt him from being traded if he opts to, but considerable dominoes would need to fall for it not to happen.

It also remains to be seen how aggressive the Lakers will still be in looking for a center upgrade. Before the Ayton signing, the front office showed its hand and desperation with the botched Williams trade. Ayton’s play likely has not changed the calculation, but he may have done enough for them to focus their attention and assets elsewhere.

In an ideal world, the Lakers will employ a center who is better than Ayton by next season. A cornerstone that fit around and support Dončić and Reaves into the team’s next era.

But even with a boatload of cap space and several draft picks, finding the right big man may prove difficult for a franchise that has historically gotten them to fall into their laps.

All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social.

The Sixers are in an interesting spot as the trade deadline approaches. They look good enough on certain nights to be a real contender in an Eastern Conference that appears to be wide open.

While their record isn’t stellar, they’re still above .500 and the 2025-26 season has given fans a sliver of hope, both for the current season and that the future might not be super bleak. So, that leaves you with a team that’s probably not good enough to be an aggressive buyer within the next week, but certainly isn’t bad enough to be an obvious seller which leaves Daryl Morey with some decisions to make.

The most obvious decisions for Morey would be to sell off a few of Philly’s veterans who are on expiring contracts and there are three names to discuss here. Quentin Grimes, Andre Drummond and Kelly Oubre are all set to become free agents this summer. Granted, lumping the 25-year-old Grimes in with these two players in their 30s is oversimplifying things a bit. However, dating back to last offseason when the Sixers and Grimes were seemingly never close to a long-term deal, it has felt like the Houston product has had one foot out the door.

Out of these three players, Drummond is the oldest and being paid the least amount of money for the season, so you would think he is the most likely to be traded. Joel Embiid has shown signs of looking like his old self of late and Adem Bona is a youngster that is playing about as many minutes as Drummond is anyway. The team also officially signed old friend Charles Bassey to a 10-day deal Monday.

That brings us to Oubre, who is the most complicated trade candidate on the roster. While the Sixers are Oubre’s fifth team in a decade of NBA service time, the 30-year-old journeyman wing player has been a constant for Philadelphia in his three seasons with the team. He appeared in 68 games in 2023-24, 60 games last season and could still end up playing in 50-60 games this year if he stays healthy in the second half after a knee injury early in the season. His numbers have been pretty steady in all three seasons as a Sixer, and this season, his 38% three-point field goal percentage is actually up significantly from last year’s 29%.

If there’s a team out there that is more solidified as a contender than Philadelphia is, it may call Morey about Oubre, especially considering an acquiring team would gain Oubre’s Bird rights. Oubre hasn’t played for many contenders in his career, but he feels like a prototypical deadline addition for a contender. For his career, Oubre has appeared in 677 games, starting 328 of them, making for almost exactly a 50-50 split between his time as a starter and a bench player. He’s been a pretty consistent scorer regardless of the team he’s played for and a team with championship aspirations would probably love to add a 15-points-per-game guy that is shooting the ball as well as Oubre is this season.

Whether the Sixers should bite and move on from Oubre is a different conversation. Surely, there’s a price on any player and if another team exceeds the price that Morey and his staff value Oubre at, then no one can blame the Sixers for moving on. But, there’s a lot of value in Oubre remaining in Philadelphia. First off, he can help them win games in the second half, climb in the standings and cement themselves as one of the top six seeds in the East and avoid the play-in tournament. 

Secondly, a player like Oubre can certainly help bring Philly’s younger players along. Between Bona, VJ Edgecombe, Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow, the Sixers have four rotation players in their early 20s who are still learning the ropes of life in the NBA. Oubre has been in so many different environments in his 10+ years as a professional, he could certainly help Philly’s younger players feel like they belong.

Lastly, while everyone knows about the money Philadelphia has committed to Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George for the future, there isn’t a lot of money on the books to other players in future seasons. To bring it back to Oubre in comparison to Grimes and Drummond, it feels like a no-brainer that Oubre should be the one out of these three that the Sixers are most interested in singing this summer. 

We discussed the presence of Bona making Drummond a bit more expendable. While 2025-26 has not gone according to planned for Jared McCain, one would figure the Sixers still want McCain to be a big part of their future and the departure of Grimes would make it much easier to get McCain more playing time next season. Who’s replacing Oubre if Oubre is gone either at the trade deadline or if he walks in free agency? Philly doesn’t have another plug-and-play wing like Oubre and so keeping him for the rest of the season in hopes of going on a playoff run in the spring probably makes it easier to retain Oubre moving forward.

As we said, there could be an offer for Oubre that is too good to pass up. We’re certainly not trying to make it sound like the future of the franchise hinges on if Kelly Oubre sticks around or not. But Oubre has been a consummate professional in his time as a Sixer. He’s at the point in his career where he can be both a mentor to younger players and a remain a key contributor for whatever team he’s playing for. That team should continue to be the Philadelphia 76ers.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Golden State Warriors
Date: January 26th, 2026
Time: 8:30 PM CST
Location: Target Center
Television Coverage: Peacock
Radio Coverage: KFAN FM, Wolves App, iHeart Radio

There are bad losses, and then there are losses that make you question whether everyone in the building is actually watching the same sport you are. Sunday afternoon against Golden State landed firmly in the second category.

This wasn’t just another mark in the loss column. This was a five-game losing streak crystallized into one ugly, disjointed, borderline alarming performance. Twenty-five turnovers. Sixty percent from the free-throw line. Zero urgency. Zero cohesion. And a team that looked less like a Western Conference contender and more like one killing time until the final buzzer.

That’s what makes this stretch so confounding. You can squint and explain away Houston — no Anthony Edwards, brutal free-throw shooting, still right there late. You can contextualize San Antonio — no Rudy Gobert, one catastrophic defensive quarter, still a furious comeback. Even Utah, as galling as it was, fits into the familiar Wolves genre of “took a bad opponent lightly and paid for it.”

But Chicago at home? Blowing multiple double-digit leads when they knew they couldn’t afford it? And then Sunday afternoon, in a game that was supposed to be about pride, response, and urgency, watching the Wolves casually hand Golden State extra possessions like they were running a giveaway promotion?

That’s where the concern stops being about execution and starts being about engagement.

Because what we’ve seen over the last 10 days isn’t just missed shots or bad breaks. It’s lazy defense. It’s stagnant offense. It’s body language that screams “we’ll figure it out later.” And in the Western Conference, later turns into the play-in faster than you think.

A week ago, Minnesota was flirting with the two seed. Today, they’re buried in seventh, staring up at a standings ladder that’s suddenly a lot steeper than it was supposed to be. The margin for error is gone. The goodwill from early January has evaporated. And if this team is serious about avoiding a first-round meat grinder, or worse, this spiral has to stop immediately.

The good news? They get the rarest gift in the NBA: an immediate do-over. Same floor. Same opponent. Just over 24 hours later.

No excuses. No schedule quirks. No mystery. Just basketball.

So if the Wolves are going to stop the bleeding, here’s exactly how it has to happen.

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Keys to the Game

1. Take care of the ball.
You cannot win an NBA game turning the ball over 25 times. Sunday was a masterclass in self-sabotage: lazy passes, dribbling into traffic, unforced errors that turned neutral possessions into automatic Warriors points. Those turnovers didn’t just cost points. They killed rhythm, energy, and any chance of sustained pressure. If Minnesota coughs the ball up at anything close to that level again, the result will be the same. This has to be a game where possessions are valued, decisions are quick, and carelessness is treated like the enemy.

2. Find the intensity.
The Wolves looked like a team that didn’t want to be there on Sunday. That can’t happen again. Not at this point in the season, not with this much at stake. Golden State may be short-handed, but they’re still organized, still disciplined, and still capable of punishing teams that sleepwalk. Minnesota doesn’t need perfection. It needs effort. Sprinting back. Fighting over screens. Talking on defense. Playing like each possession matters. This team has shown it can flip that switch. The problem is it keeps choosing not to. That choice can’t exist tonight.

3. Hit your free throws and stop giving games away.
This has gone from “concerning trend” to “active crisis.” The Wolves are bleeding points at the line every single night, and it’s costing them real games against real competition. Sixty percent from the stripe is unacceptable for a team with this much shooting talent. Those are free points, and Minnesota keeps leaving them on the table. Until that changes, every close game is going to feel uphill. This has to be the night where competence returns at the line, because the math isn’t negotiable.

4. Use your size and win the physical battle.
There is no scenario where the Warriors should be outworking Minnesota on the glass. And yet, that’s exactly what happened. When effort drops, size advantages disappear. Gobert, Randle, and Reid need to reassert themselves as the foundation of this team. Finish possessions. Create second chances. Punish mismatches inside. Make Golden State feel the size difference instead of letting them play small, fast, and free. This should be one of Minnesota’s greatest strengths. It has to show up.

5. Ant and Julius have to set the tone — together.
Anthony Edwards showed up Sunday. Julius Randle did not. That imbalance can’t exist again. This team goes where those two take it, and leadership right now means more than scoring totals. It means controlling the pace, smart shot selection, and getting teammates involved. It means playing connected basketball instead of trying to rescue possessions individually. Ant doesn’t need to play hero ball. Randle doesn’t need to bully through triple teams. They need to lead — emotionally, stylistically, and competitively. If they do, the rest of the roster follows. If they don’t, nothing else matters.

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This is the moment where teams decide who they are.

Minnesota can keep drifting, blaming injuries, lamenting missed opportunities, and telling themselves the season is long, or they can recognize that this stretch is defining them right now. The West isn’t waiting. The standings don’t care about intent. And every loss from here on out carries compound interest.

This second Warriors game isn’t about revenge. It’s about accountability. It’s about professionalism. It’s about proving that the team we saw in early January wasn’t a mirage.

Because if the Wolves can’t summon urgency here, at home, against a familiar rival, staring down a six-game skid, then the conversation changes. Permanently.

This has to stop.

Now.

Volume 5 showcased resurgence, offering hope for the rest of the season. Volume 6 rips that hope out of your chest. Ineptitude, poor leadership, and crushing injury defined the past fortnight, leaving the Bucks—and their fans—reevaluating everything.

@ Nuggets 

The. Bucks. Are. In. Denver. And. Struggling. With. The. Altitude. They have to be—it’s the only possible reason they’re down double digits to a Nuggets team without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun. And. Time. Is. Running. Out. Giannis senses it too, inhales like he’s about to go free diving, and gets to work. He follows up one pirouette-to-dunk with another. Then, after both sides fail to score for nearly two minutes—in which Giannis somehow doesn’t even get an attempt—he walks into a 19-foot pull-up. Cash; lead down to six. 

Four minutes later, after a flurry of baskets that don’t change the deficit, Giannis makes another middy to cut it to four. And, not long after—following a pair of split free throws by Peyton Watson—Giannis gets a steal and looks up to vacant hardwood. Forget penciling this one in, you could carve it in stone; see the finish before it happens—a windmill that rocks the rim so hard it reverberates right back to Wisconsin. But Tim Hardaway Jr. comes out of nowhere to steal it right back and, with it, the last breath of oxygen in the Bucks’ lungs. 

Win probability after Giannis’ midrange jumper: 17.9%

Win probability after Hardaway’s steal: 8.9% 

vs. Wolves

Early enough in the game for fans to still care—before this was a 30-point blowout and the Bucks still had a chance—Giannis, the greatest player in franchise history and leader of this team, sits down and complains to the officials on the offensive end of the floor after a non-call and then can’t be bothered contesting a Julius Randle three-point attempt on the other end. Randle splashes three but that’s not what’s important here. What is, is the tone the Giannis just set, especially considering he had Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. wide-open in either corner with their hands in the air. It’s no wonder everything goes south from here and the Wolves have an 18-point lead by the end of the quarter, 33 by the final siren. As Big Ju says in Remember the Titans, “Attitude reflects leadership.” 

Win probability before the game: 41.4%

Win probability after Randle’s three: 23.3% 

@ Spurs 

Giannis is a freak to begin, getting to the line at will, dunking, even splashing a three—scoring 14 of the Bucks’ first 17 points and sending Victor Wembanyama to the bench with zero points, two personal fouls, and one very sore knee. It feels like the start of a statement game. But the Spurs machine is starting to run like the one of yesteryear and they hold a close lead halfway into the second. Then it begins. The alien invasion. First, Wemby blocks a Rollins driving layup attempt, then he makes a three on the other end. A possession later, he grabs the carom off a Giannis miss and dribbles full-court into a pull-up three—and suddenly it feels like Independence Day, the White House blowing into smithereens. By the time he’s done in the third quarter—after splashing a turnaround, fadeaway three instead of taking the foot-shorter AJ Green down low—it’s a 25-point Spurs lead. And these Bucks don’t have Russell Casse to save them from the brink of extinction. 

Win probability prior to Wemby’s block on Rollins: 25.4%

Win probability after Wemby’s pull-up three: 13.4% 

@ Hawks

According to Henry Ford, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” With the Bucks on an embarrassing three-game skid, this wasn’t going to work. Thankfully, Doc Rivers gets the message and opts to utilise Pete Nance, ostensibly giving him Gary Trent Jr.’s minutes, (who ends with a DNP-CD). It’s a move that pays off—the Bucks are down one, 16-17, when Nance first enters the game, but up 12, 90-78, when he last checks out. More specifically, Nance is active from the get-go, reminding the Bucks that to win you’ve got to do the little things—run hard in transition, pass up a good look for a great one, give the second and third efforts—and, if you do these consistently, good things will happen. In the fourth quarter, good things indeed happen for Nance. Amidst a Hawks run that started in the third quarter and got them as close as six after being down by 20, Nance pounces on an errant pass and turns it into a transition layup to give the Bucks breathing room, back up 10. A minute and a half later, he calmly knocks down a catch-and-shoot three-pointer that makes it 14. It should be enough to knock out the Hawks, and although it isn’t, the Bucks hold on. Bigger picture, it should be enough to change Nance’s season—and possibly even his career. Now that’s momentum. 

Win probability when Nance enters the game in the first quarter: 44.1%

Win probability after Nance’s three in the fourth: 97.2% 

vs. Thunder

The Bucks win a (seemingly) rare tip and get the first possession of their sure-to-be fiery NBA Rivals Week matchup against the… Oklahoma City Thunder? Yeah, the matchup must have confused the Bucks too, as they come out stunned—unable to even get the ball inside the three-point line on the first possession—and starting centre Kyle Kuzma is forced to hoist a closely-guarded three-pointer that predictably clanks off front rim. The second possession is better—the Bucks actually get it inside 23 feet—but the result is the same, another Kuzma bricked three, and then Chet Holmgren shows him how it’s done on the other end. In the blink of an eye, it’s a 21-6 lead for the Thunder, then 26-8—and Ajay Mitchell has more points (12) than the Bucks. By the end of the quarter it’s 38-18 and, somewhere, Kenny Smith is screaming: “It’s over! It’s over, ladies and gentlemen!”

Win probability prior to the game: 22.3%

Win probability after Holmgren’s three: 18.1% (and by the end of the first it’s just 3.4%)

vs. Nuggets

There’s no altitude this time; the Bucks are at home; still no Jokic, Murray, Johnson, Braun. No Watson too, and Aaron Gordon only plays 16 minutes. Oh, and the Nuggets are cold from three, finishing just 12/41 on the night. Myles Turner is actually on one too—17 points, seven boards, and six blocks. Still, the Bucks go down 23. How could this game possibly get any worse? That’s right, overplay Giannis attempting an all-but-futile comeback only for him to get injured. Then somehow get close enough to actually win—101-100—only for Kuzma to take and miss the game-winner. Franchise burying momentum right there. 

Win probability when the Bucks go down by 23: 0.2%

Win probability after Giannis exits with injury: 6.1% (but who cares?)

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With Giannis out for the foreseeable future, the focus shifts from Playoffs (well, Play-In) to planning and playing for tomorrow. Who will step up and seize their moment?

A Sunday winter wonderland means we get all day basketball to bet on. So, I’ve dug through the odds and found my three favorite NBA player props.

They include a Hawks big man flying on the boards against the Pacers, and a Trail Blazers sharpshooter lighting up the Celtics.

Those and more NBA picks for Monday, January 26 below.

Best NBA player props today

Prop #1: Onyeka Okongwu Over 8.5 rebounds

+110 at bet365

This is a pretty straightforward bet: The Indiana Pacers are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA, so we’re fading them on the glass in tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks’ big man, Onyeka Okongwu, averages 7.9 rebounds per game this season, but that’s up to 8.9 over his last 14 games. Now, he faces an Indiana team that has the third-worst rebounding rate and surrenders the third-most rebounds per game.

Okongwu has topped 8.5 boards eight times over this 14-game stretch, making the plus money on the Over too good to pass up.

• Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FDSN Indiana, FDSN SE-ATL

Prop #2: Matas Buzelis Over 2.5 assists

+150 at bet365

The Los Angeles Lakers' defense will eventually be their downfall, but it’s also something we can fade on a nightly basis.

The Lakers rank 25th in both defensive rating and opponent assists per possession, while the Chicago Bulls are among the best teams in the NBA at passing the rock.

That has me targeting Matas Buzelis. He’s averaging 2.0 assists per game, but that’s up to 4.0 over his last five games — dishing out three or more dimes in all five.

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Spectrum SportsNet, CHSN

Prop #3: Shaedon Sharpe Over 2.5 threes

+135 at bet365

The Portland Trail Blazers are playing some great basketball. Their 9-3 record in January is the second-best in the NBA, and Shaedon Sharpe has been a big part of that. 

Sharpe is averaging 22 points per game this month and has been on fire from downtown, shooting 40.6% over his last four games.

Tonight, he takes on the Boston Celtics, who are allowing the sixth-most made threes per game. Sharpe has hit three or more in three of his last four, so it’s a great bet to back the Over at this price.

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Peacock

These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.

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

Knicks star Karl-Anthony Townsreacted on Sunday night following the recent fatal shootings of United States citizens by federal agents in Minnesota.

Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot and killed by an ICE agent on Jan. 7.

Alex Pretti, 37, was shot and killed by multiple CBP agents on Jan. 24.

Good and Pretti were both protesting the presence of immigration officers in Minnesota. 

"What is happening in the Twin Cities and the Great North Star State is heartbreaking to witness," Towns wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "These events have cost lives and shaken families -- and we must call for accountability, transparency, and protections for all people. This moment demands that we reflect honestly on what our values truly are. My thoughts, prayers, and deepest condolences are with the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

"I stand with the people of Minnesota."

Towns spent the first nine seasons of his NBA career playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

His reaction came shortly after the NBA Players Association and its executive committee issued a statement following the shooting of Pretti.

The statement read:

"Following the news of yet another fatal shooting in Minneapolis, a city that has been on the forefront of the fight against injustice, NBA players can no longer remain silent.

"Now more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice.

"The fraternity of NBA players, like the United States itself, is a community enriched by its global citizens, and we refuse to let the flames of division threaten the civil liberties that are meant to protect us all.

"The NBPA and its members extend our deepest condolences to the families of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, just as our thoughts remain focused on the safety and well-being of all members of our community."