“Very encouraged by both of those young guys and where they’re at right now as young players in this league,” Perry said. First and foremost, they both have [high] basketball IQs. Secondly, they have tremendous work ethics. And so, as a young player, you come into this league and you’re willing to work and have an idea of how to play this game, you’re going to give yourself every opportunity to grow and get better.”
Clifford, who was the No. 24 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is averaging 4.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists over 16.2 minutes per game. And Raynaud, who was the No. 42 pick, is averaging 8.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and one assist over 16.8 minutes per game.
The season-long stats might not pop, but each player has stepped up mightily as of late, delivering key minutes as Sacramento searches for an identity amid its 6-18 start — especially without All-Star center Domantas Sabonis, who has played just 11 games due to a partial tear in his left meniscus.
Perry explained what has stood out about each rookie’s recent play.
“I think we’re seeing Maxime grow in front of our eyes,” Perry said. “It has been fortunate for him — but unfortunate for the Kings — with Domas being out; it helped push Max into service maybe earlier in the season than what otherwise would’ve been Domas still playing. He seized that opportunity, and that’s what you want to see from a young player. He’s getting better every game. He’s starting to rebound the basketball a little more outside of his area, which I think is a very important thing for him — the better he gets at that, the better player he’s going to become.”
“Nique is really coming on right now, too — very versatile player. Early on, because we were a smaller team, he was playing some power forward, which is not who he’s going to be long-term. He’s had a real baptism by fire, too. But [he’s] competitive, can defend multiple positions. I just think the more he plays and settles in, the more confident and more consistent you’ll see him play. Over this past week, I think he’s had some really good games. He probably had his best game as a pro in Miami.”
Clifford scored an impressive 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the Kings’ 127-111 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday. And Raynaud is averaging 16.7 points and eight rebounds through three games in December.
The youngsters — and Sacramento — still have a long journey ahead.
However, the first-year general manager and the Kings will take all silver linings as the team figures itself out.
Dallas starting center Dereck Lively II is going to miss the remainder of this NBA season as he undergoes surgery on his right foot, the Mavericks announced Wednesday.
Dereck Lively II injury update:
Dereck Lively II will undergo season-ending surgery on his right foot. Lively is expected to make a full recovery and be available for the start of training camp.
This is the same foot Lively had surgery on during the offseason, one he fractured last January. He reportedly sought out second and third opinions, trying to avoid surgery, but in the end, that was the best option.
Lively will have played in just seven games this season, missing the bulk of that time due to a right knee sprain. Even when he did play Lively was limited, averaging 16 minutes a night and 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. Injuries have been an issue for Lively throughout his three-season NBA career, having played in just 36 games last season due to foot issues and 55 games in his rookie year.
When healthy, the 21-year-old big man out of Duke has played like a future starting five next to Cooper Flagg, in whatever the Mavericks are building long term. He was a key part of the Mavericks' 2024 run to the NBA Finals, averaging 7.9 points and 7.4 rebounds off the bench that postseason.
With Lively out, expect a lot more minutes at center for Daniel Gafford and Anthony Davis (two players mentioned in trade rumors heading toward the February deadline).
"But honestly, I'm home. My daughter had tryouts yesterday. My nephew had a basketball game. My son has a game coming up on the 12th. I have never seen my son play a game in person. Not a middle school game, not a high school game. So I'm excited about seeing him play...
"I'm actually at peace with everything. More than anything, I'm excited about being around and getting a chance to play a small role in whatever anything looks like next."
What comes next is five days from now, Dec. 15, when Paul becomes eligible to be traded, and the Clippers are working with Paul and his agent to find him a new home. While there are teams looking for point guard depth, finding a new home for CP3 may not be that easy because league sources told NBC Sports that teams interested in him are just willing to wait the Clippers out, wait for them to waive him, and then sign Paul as a free agent.
However it comes to pass, Chris Paul will finish his career on an NBA roster somewhere, and he seems more open to those final months being farther away from his family in Southern California than he might have previously preferred.
Also on the Paul front, his coach with the Clippers, Tyronn Lue, denied the reports that he and CP3 were not on speaking terms in the run-up to Paul being sent away from the team. Here is what Lue said, via Law Murray of The Athletic.
"We were talking," Lue said when asked if he was on speaking terms with Paul throughout November. "How you gonna play if I'm not talking to him? There was a stretch where we said he wasn't gonna play, he was gonna be out of the rotation, that was tough for him, because he's a competitor and what the game means to him and what he brings every single day. But after that, it wasn't really much."
Warriors coach Steve Kerr expanded on his decision not to play forward Jonathan Kuminga in Golden State’s 123-91 win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.
It was Kuminga’s first DNP-CD (Did Not Play – Coach’s Decision) of the 2025-26 NBA season, but he wasn’t discouraged about being left out of the rotation when asked in the locker room afterward.
Here’s Jonathan Kuminga’s full five-minute postgame availability on his DNP
“We just switched certain things. That’s all.”
“I’m not really sure (how long it lasts), but as long as things are working out there and we winning, I don’t see the point of switching anything.” pic.twitter.com/Ug6MCHMNsd
Kerr spoke Tuesday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs” to further detail why he avoided using Kuminga in his rotation.
“He has not played well lately, and that’s why I went away from him last game,” he said, referring to Kuminga’s recent downfall on the court. “Because Gui Santos came in and really made a huge impact in both the Philadelphia and Cleveland games.”
It's the Pat Spencer and Gui Santos show here in Philly. An absurd spinning baseline layup by Santos, followed by a 3 from Spencer – who now has 16 on the night – has the Warriors up 4 with 1:12 to go.
Kerr also was asked what went wrong for Kuminga after a strong start in his fifth season with Golden State.
“Well, the injury, for sure,” Kerr said, “but his play tailed off, I mean, there’s no denying that.”
The 23-year-old wing averaged 16.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in his first 10 games this season, but bilateral knee tendonitis has caused him to miss about two and a half weeks of play. He made his return to the court on Nov. 29 against the New Orleans Pelicans and recorded 10 points on a 50-percent shooting night.
Kerr additionally touched on how Kuminga’s absence allowed him to try different lineup combinations.
“If things aren’t going well, I have to find a different solution, a different combination,” Kerr said. “And I think it’s as simple as that.”
Kerr appears to have found other combinations to fill Kuminga’s void. Gui Santos has come through as a positive force during the Warriors’ short East Coast road trip, and Pat Spencer has put up impressive numbers in Stephen Curry’s absence. The earliest Golden State can make Kuminga available for trade is Jan. 15.
Even after Brad Stevens completed a summer roster overhaul designed to get the Boston Celtics off the NBA’s prohibitive second apron, it was fair to wonder if the team might prioritize other cost-cutting measures over the course of the 2025-26 season with hopes of maximizing long-term financial flexibility.
But as we near December 15 and the unofficial start of NBA trade season — most players who signed this past summer become trade eligible on that date — we can’t help but wonder if the expectation-exceeding Celtics might be classified as buyers rather than sellers before the February deadline.
When the Celtics made the swallow-hard decision to part ways with members of their championship core in Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet, it not only dropped the team south of the second apron, it created a pathway to getting out of the luxury tax entirely. And from the moment that Boston acquired Anfernee Simons from the Blazers, some have pondered where he might eventually be redirected.
Moving Simons’ money could get the Celtics below the tax. Alas, to eliminate pesky repeater penalties, the team would need to stay out of the tax for multiple seasons. That has always felt unlikely if the Celtics yearn to truly maximize the primes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Preserving the option was at least worth consideration.
But with the Celtics — winners of five straight and 10 of their last 12 overall while shuffling up to third in the Eastern Conference — surging into December, the question becomes whether it would be more prudent to address depth concerns now, even if it means lingering in the tax and essentially eliminating any near-term pathway to avoiding repeater penalties.
The Celtics, despite their recent success, remain undersized. While Neemias Queta has been a revelation — Boston is 15.8 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court than off — the team has elected to play small rather than utilize some of its other available bigs (such as Luka Garza, Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman) as part of its recent climb.
If Tatum were to return after the February trade deadline, no team in the league would add a talent as impactful — and certainly not at Boston’s cost, which is only patience. The question is whether Boston would be willing to part with available assets to add another center and further inject the team into the conversation among the East contenders.
There is a world in which Stevens could straddle two tracks. Simons is making $26.7 million in the final year of his contract. The Celtics are roughly $12.1 million above the luxury tax. There is a series of moves that could swap Simons for a rotation big while still shedding money.
It’s also possible the team sees Simons’ offense as vital to staying competitive this season. Even if the Celtics carried Simons for the remainder of the season, his money comes off the books after the season (and there would be potential pathways to using him as an asset this summer).
Boston is on pace to pay just south of $40 million in its tax bill this season given its current spend. The Celtics are nearly $8 million below the second apron, and about $4 million above the first apron.
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In a league where many of their chief rivals are handcuffed by apron restrictions in their own quests to compete, the Celtics have positioned themselves to be advantageous. They can always wait until the summer to splurge, and with a healthy Tatum and the development of this year’s roster, the team would be positioned to return to true title contention during the 2026-27 season.
But Boston’s recent success makes it tempting to get even more greedy.
In the two weeks before this NBA Cup schedule downshift, the Celtics posted wins over chief East rivals including Orlando, Detroit, Cleveland, New York, and Toronto. The Celtics have a league-best nine wins against teams .500 or better. They are putting up video game numbers on the offensive end while muscling up to second in the NBA in offensive rating (trailing only Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets).
Jordan Walsh, Josh Minott, and Hugo Gonzalez have emerged as versatile wings who have only scratched the surface on what they might eventually become.
If the Celtics remain 1) healthy and 2) competitive through the early portion of January, it sure gives Stevens a bit more to think about. As the buyers and sellers become more apparent, there could be opportunity to shore up the center depth, even if Tatum’s eventual return could go a long way toward alleviating Boston’s defensive rebounding woes.
It’s hard not to look at some teams steamrolling towards the lottery and ponder their desire to move big men. Would the Clippers deal Ivica Zubac if the wheels come off completely this season? Would the Nets entertain offers for Nic Claxton while plotting their future? Is there an even bigger swing to make at the big man spot if a team like, say, Memphis hits the reboot button?
The Celtics, both by making tough choices this summer and watching their replacements soar in the aftermath, have positioned themselves to ponder all possibilities. It might come to pass that staying idle and simply leaning into patience is the best path.
But the last two weeks have made it OK to dream a little bigger. The Celtics have added a bit of intrigue to trade season when it opens on December 15.
The unbeaten Wolverines (9-0) are the only team since at least the 1995-96 season to win six straight games by at least 25 points with at least two of those victories against ranked opponents, according to Sportradar.
Elliot Cadeau scored 15 of his 18 points in the first half to help Michigan build a 30-point lead, and the second-ranked Wolverines coasted to an 89-61 win over Villanova on Tuesday night. The unbeaten Wolverines (9-0) are the only team since at least the 1995-96 season to win six straight games by at least 25 points with at least two of those victories against ranked opponents, according to Sportradar. Michigan entered the game as the first team since Duke in 2009-10 to have a victory margin of 35-plus points in five straight wins, including two against ranked teams, according to Sportradar.
New York booked their ticket to the NBA Cup Semifinals with their road win over the Raptors on Tuesday night.
Jalen Brunson led the way with 35 points, and the squad used a strong defensive second quarter to open a double-digit advantage that they never looked back from.
The Knicks will now face the Magic on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. with a trip to the NBA Cup Finals on the line.
Orlando beat the Miami Heat, 117-108, in the first Quarterfinals matchup Tuesday night.
New York has made it out of the group stage in all three years of the NBA Cup's existence, but this will be their first time advancing to Vegas for the final four.
They were routed by the Bucks two years ago and fell to Trae Young and the Hawks last year.
Standing in their way now is a pesky Magic squad, whom they have lost to twice in three tries this season.
That lone victory, though, came with Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined this past weekend.
“This locker room is ecstatic,” Towns said. “It’s an opportunity to represent our city, represent our team over in Vegas -- the Cup brings out a competitive edge in all of us in this league, and we’re just happy we have a chance to go out there and compete against the best of them.”
The Knicks defeated the Toronto Raptors 117-101 on Tuesday night in their NBA Cup Quarterfinals matchup.
New York has booked a trip to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup Semifinals for the first time.
Here are some takeaways...
- Both teams came into this Quarterfinal matchup shorthanded -- the Knicks were without Miles McBride as he undergoes further testing on his ankle injury, and Toronto was without former Knicks RJ Barrett (knee) and Immanuel Quickley (illness).
- You wanted high-flying NBA Cup action? You got it. Both teams had their scoring touch going early in this one, shooting a combined 61 percent from the field in a back-and-forth opening frame that ended with Toronto leading by four.
Jalen Brunson was once again leading the charge offensively for New York, knocking down all but two of his nine shots for a season-high 20 points over the first 12 minutes. Brandon Ingram did a nice job of matching him for the Raptors, putting up 17 points of his own on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting from the field.
- The Knicks kept their hot scoring going and stepped up defensively to take things over in the second. Karl-Anthony Towns' monstrous jam helped them open the first double-digit lead of the game, and they outscored Toronto 34-13 to lead by 17 points heading into the halftime break.
Brunson still had just two misses on 12 attempts and Towns chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds.
- New York kept things rolling coming out of the locker room with Josh Hart leading the charge, putting up the team's first nine points of the third quarter. Hart quietly had a terrific first half, and his surge raised his total to 18 points on the night on a perfect 7-for-7 from the field and 3-for-3 from three over his first 19 minutes of action.
The Raptors found their footing and put together a mini run, but still trailed by 15 heading into the final frame.
- New York's offense continued rolling, and Hart's fourth three of the night made it a 20-point game early in the fourth. Toronto showed some fight down the stretch, but the Knicks ultimately never looked back, as they booked their ticket to the Semifinals with the 16-point victory.
Brunson finished with a game-high 35 points, Hart had a season-high 21, Mikal Bridges chipped in 15, Towns piled up 14 and 17 boards, Anunoby had 13 against his former team, and Jordan Clarkson bounced back with 12 off the bench.
- The Knicks have now won 10 consecutive games against the Raptors, stretching back to Dec. 2023.
- New York pushed their winning streak to four, and they are 8-1 over their last nine games.
Game MVP: Brunson
The captain was terrific offensively, pacing New York's offense and leading all scorers.
Lamar Wilkerson racked up a career-high 44 points as Indiana reached the century mark for the fourth time this season in their 113-72 win over Penn State on Tuesday. Wilkerson was an efficient 16-for-22 from the field, 10-for-15 from deep, and made each of his two free throws. A senior transfer from Sam Houston, Wilkerson's 10 threes set a single-game Indiana record, and his 44 points set a single-game record at Indiana's Assembly Hall.
Robert Wright III made a 3-pointer as time expired after AJ Dybantsa scored 22 of his season-high 28 points in the second half, and No. 10 BYU stormed back from a 22-point deficit to beat Clemson 67-64 on Tuesday night in the Jimmy V Classic. The Cougars (8-1) lost a six-point lead in the final 70 seconds but completed the comeback when Wright took an inbounds pass from Mihailo Boskovic and sank a long 3 from the right side. After trailing by 21 at halftime and 44-22 with 18 1/2 minutes remaining, BYU pulled off the largest second-half comeback in school history.
