Category: Basketball

The Cleveland Cavaliers filled their last roster spot when they added Nae’Qwan Tomlin to a standard contract. Now, they’ve found someone for their final two-way spot. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, that slot is going to Riley Minix.

Minix went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft. He was invited to training camp with the San Antonio Spurs and ended up making the team on a two-way deal. He played just one game with the Spurs in his rookie season and spent most of his time with their G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs.

Minix started this season on a two-way contract as well, but was waived on Dec. 12. Overall, he played just four NBA games with San Antonio over two seasons.

On Jan. 13, the Cleveland Charge — G League affiliate of the Cavs — acquired his returning player rights from the Austin Spurs. He’s appeared in 12 games with the Charge since.

On the season, the 6’7”, 25-year-old forward has averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on .512/.426/.767 shooting splits in the G League.

The three-point shot is the obvious weapon for Minix. Last season, he connected on 41.4% of his three-point looks with Austin on 7.4 threes per contest. If he’s going to make a lasting impact in the NBA, presumably, it will be because of the outside shot.

Minix has had an unconventional journey to professional basketball. He played four collegiate seasons at Southeastern University, a smaller school that competes in the NAIA. After having the advantage of the COVID season, he played one season at Morehead State, averaging 20.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.

Minnix joins Tristian Enaruna and Emanuel Miller on two-way deals with the Cavs.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

While the Lakers were buyers at the trade deadline, they did more window shopping than anything else.

Sure, there were rumors of trading for players like De’Andre Hunter and Keon Ellis, but LA only made one move, sending Gabe Vincent to Atlanta in exchange for Luke Kennard.

Considering the Lakers are currently eight games back of the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder, more is needed for LA to be a legitimate contender.

So, we asked fans in our latest SB Nation Reacts poll how pleased they were with what the team did at the trade deadline.

The results are in, and only 26% of fans are pleased with the moves made to bolster the roster.

Understandably, fans are displeased. Even LeBron James has admitted the Lakers aren’t a championship team, and with fans wanting a title, seeing the franchise unable to make a trade that makes that possible is unsatisfactory.

The counterargument Lakers President of Basketball Operations made that LA was aggressive by saying no to trades didn’t exactly help his case or ease frustrations with the fanbase either.

So while waiting for the summer, when a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo could become available might be the best move, it doesn’t mean fans will be happy with the current state of the purple and gold.

The only hope fans have now is that the Lakers’ roster can return from the All-Star break healthy.

The trio of LeBron, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves has only played 10 games together. So, if they will all be available the rest of the way, perhaps that will be enough to pull off a surprise run like LA did in 2023, when they made it to the Western Conference Finals.

Currently, the Lakers have +4500 odds to win the NBA title on FanDuel, so it seems there is little faith in LA making noise this season.

For now, Pelinka took a gamble and is betting that it’ll pay off this summer. For his sake, he better be right.

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

The NBA Rising Stars Challenge will serve as the headline event for Friday’s All-Star Weekend festivities in the Los Angeles area.

Rookies Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets) and VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers) will be among the talent competing in the tournament.

Knueppel is averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in 53 games played for Charlotte. He will play for Team T-Mac. Edgecombe has averaged 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 49 games played for Philly. He’ll play for Team Vince.

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg was expected to compete, but was a late scratch due to injury. Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr was also scheduled to participate but will not play due to a hamstring injury.

Ace Bailey (Utah Jazz) and Bub Carrington (Washington Wizards) were named as their respective replacements.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavaliers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Things change quickly in the NBA. Fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers know that better than anyone else. This past trade deadline came with many changes, from small moves like salary dumping Lonzo Ball to seismic changes like swapping Darius Garland for 11-time All-Star James Harden.

In our last fan survey, we focused on that big move.

Forgive the typo on our graphic. I didn’t want to bother our team with changing this on short notice. But we asked Cavs fans (not Rockets fans) to grade the Harden trade. Here are the results:

Roughly two-thirds of Cavs fans gave this move an A. Only 1% of fans gave it below a C, and zero fans thought this was an F.

We should clarify that the survey was held this week. So this isn’t an immediate reaction to the Harden trade. Seeing three straight wins with Harden dishing the ball has certainly raised our opinions of the deal.

For our second question, we wanted to know if this move raised Cleveland’s ceiling. To no surprise, the fans again showed that they are all-in on the beard.

A whopping 96% of Cavs fans believe their ceiling is higher now with Harden. That’s probably the highest percentage we’ve had on a survey yet. I can’t necessarily blame them. The Cavs have won five straight and hold the best record in the NBA since December 29th.

FanDuel has Cleveland with the sixth-highest odds to win the NBA Finals. They rank third in the East, behind the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons. I’d expect those numbers to improve if the Cavs keep rolling after the All-Star Break.

All-Star Weekend gets underway at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, on Friday night! After the celebrity game tips off at 7 p.m. on ESPN, which I cannot fathom anyone on planet Earth caring about, the Rising Stars Challenge begins at 9 p.m. and streams on Peacock!

For clarity’s sake, the Rising Stars Challenge will once again feature four teams playing in a three-game tournament. It’ll feature three teams of young NBA talent and a team of G-League players going against one another. The Sixers’ own VJ Edgecombe will be on “Team Vince,” coached by NBA legend Vince Carter.

The first Rising Stars game will get going at 9 p.m. and feature Austin Rivers’ “Team Austin,” the G-League squad, facing off against Carmelo Anthony’s “Team Melo.” At 9:55 p.m., Edgecombe and Team Vince will face Tracy McGrady’s “Team T-Mac,” which features Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel. The winners of each respective game will face off in the championship round at 10:35 p.m.

For each semifinal game, the first team to reach or exceed 40 points wins. For the championship, the winning figure is 25 points. Got it? Well, I barely do, but All-Star Weekend goes on either way.

Feel free to chat about the All-Star festivities, Edgecombe, the Sixers or legitimately anything else in our open thread for the evening!

There will be a recap of Edgecombe’s performance after Team Vince finishes up as well, so stay tuned to Liberty Ballers for that too! Let’s hope he balls out.

NEW YORK (AP) — Perri Page scored a career-high 25 points to go with 10 rebounds, Riley Weiss scored 20 of her 23 points in the second half, and Columbia beat No. 24 Princeton 70-56 on Friday night to sweep the season series.

Columbia (16-6, 7-2) earned its third victory over an AP Top 25 team in program history — with all three coming against Princeton.

Columbia outscored Princeton 22-10 in the third quarter, with 11 points from Weiss, to take a 47-41 lead into the fourth.

The Lions used a four-point possession early in the fourth to help pull away. Fliss Henderson grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back while being fouled to give Columbia a 52-43 lead. Henderson missed the free throw, but the Lions secured the offensive rebound and Weiss made a jumper from the baseline for an 11-point lead.

Henderson finished with 12 rebounds to go with eight points for Columbia. Page reached 20 points for the fourth time this season. Weiss, who was coming off a 38-point performance with nine 3-pointers on Saturday, went 4 of 8 from 3-point range.

Princeton (19-3, 7-2 Ivy League) was led by Fadima Tall's 16 points and Olivia Hutcherson's 12.

Princeton opened the second quarter with a basket to take a 22-11 lead. Columbia used a late 7-0 run to get within 29-25 with 44 seconds left in the first half before Hutcherson made a shot in the lane while being fouled for a six-point halftime lead.

Two weeks ago, Columbia defeated then-No. 19 Princeton 73-67 on the road.

Up next

Princeton plays at Cornell on Saturday.

Columbia hosts Pennsylvania on Saturday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

There were signs this was coming for LeBron James. 

As he warmed up Thursday, he danced. He waved his arms as he moved up and down. He stuck out his tongue. He grinned widely. 

He tossed the ball so high into the air that Rui Hachimura could walk under it immediately after it bounced. Then he caught the ball before it hit the ground again, as the entire team bent its knees in unison with his. 

He was loose. He was joyful. He was him. 

James tapped back into his je ne sais quoi after it was drained from him in an exhausting loss to the league-best Thunder on Monday. 

A few days later, the 41-year-old had reset, transforming back into the version of himself that’s untouchable by Father Time. 

James scored or assisted on the first 23 points in the Lakers’ 124-104 win over the Mavericks, his longest such stretch to begin a game in his career, per ESPN Research. By halftime, he had 18 points and eight rebounds. He finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. 

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“He’s got a 23-year prime, basically,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

James received a standing ovation at Crypto.com Arena after setting the triple-double record by grabbing his 10th rebound with 2:05 left. He surpassed Karl Malone, who had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists at 40 years and 127 days old in 2003. (James was 41 years and 44 days old when he set the record.)

“Any given night, if I need to turn it on, I can turn it on,” James said.

Boy, did the Lakers need this. They had lost two games in a row heading into Thursday’s contest. After Monday’s loss to the Thunder and their swarming defense, James looked as though he had survived a battle. “I’m just tired as f—,” he said. “Sorry if I sound irritated, but I’m 41.”

On Thursday, being 41 had a completely different meaning. It wasn’t old, it was remarkable. It wasn’t a disability, it was a revelation. 

As for where his joy came from, James said it never left.

“That’s always me,” he said. “I’m a goofy-ass 41-year-old kid. I think people should know that by now, right? That’s just me. I get to play basketball. They pay me to play basketball. Why wouldn’t I be happy? I get to be with my son and my teammates and all these unbelievable fans that watched me throughout my career, and they give me all the support and love. I enjoy what I do. Have fun. You see me on the court, see me in the back. I just love what I do. It’s pretty cool.”

James, who’s the first player in NBA history to reach his 23rd season, has long maintained that he’s going to play as long as he’s aligned physically, mentally and emotionally.

He acknowledged that after missing the first 14 games of the season because of sciatica, he questioned whether he could return to the superstar level he has maintained his entire career. He wasn’t able to participate in the preseason. He couldn’t do his typical training over the summer. 

“Doubt creeps into your mind to see if you can get back to form and get back to making an impact,” he said.

But James, who finished sixth in MVP voting last season, clearly is still capable of being the best player in the league on any given night.

James said last season that he could play at this level for another five seasons if he chooses. When asked if he still feels that way now, he didn’t hesitate. “Could I?” James asked. “Yeah, I could. … I just think it has to be here (points to his mind). How long can I stay in love with the process? Because that’s always been my thing. If I can’t continue to stay in love with the process, then if this goes, then my body’s gonna go. And once my body goes, then it’s a wrap. Then the love goes, and then the fun and all that stuff goes.”

“So, that’s what it is. It’s not my game is deteriorating. Obviously, there’s things I could have did when I was 25 compared to 35, and 35 to 41 or 21 to 31 or 41. But I have so much knowledge of the game that I know how to still continue to make an impact even if I’m not a 45, 43, 41 vertical. I can still do so many things on the floor.”

James is very much still James. On Thursday, he made 3s over defenders’ outstretched arms, he threw no-look passes, he overpowered everyone in his path down low. 

He had his fingerprints over every play for the first seven minutes of the game. He’s still incredibly dominant. The best when he wants to be. 

What has changed is he’s now questioning whether he wants to keep doing this. 

When he has to deal with drama surrounding his relationship with Jeanie Buss or the Lakers’ holes are exposed against a much younger and more athletic Thunder team, you have to wonder if he’s leaning toward retiring. 

But then there are nights when he oozes joy, when he has his first triple-double in over a year and he makes NBA history, and you have to wonder how he could ever walk away from this. 

For now, all we really know is what he’s doing is unprecedented. 

And we’d be remiss to take any of it for granted. 

Zaccharie Risacher plays for Team T-Mac in a spotlight for rookies and sophomores as part of a four-team round robin format competition.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen

Location: Intuit Dome, Los Angeles, CA

Start Time: 9:00 PM EDT

Streaming: Peacock

Sometimes progress shows up quietly — it isn’t always flashy and it isn’t always immediate. But since assuming a bigger role, Egor Dëmin has given the Nets every reason to feel confident about their ‘bold’ investment in him.

You can make what you want out of the accolades — he’s 19 years old and pundits said he didn’t have a jump shot at the Draft. We believed them, he’s proving us wrong. He’s averaged 10.8 points on 39.6% shooting from deep — 16.7 points in games which he’s played 30+ minutes. Perhaps it’s more than an accolade. It’s a reflection of how far he’s come, and how quickly he’s adapted to the NBA game. As for Friday… he’s in good hands.

DID YOU SEE VC… WITH EGOR?

Egor will represent Team Vince.

ICYMI

We got — not one, not two, not three — but FOUR Nets players on one podcast.

The Teams

(Via NBA.com)

💬 DISCUSSION

Share thoughts and react, but please be respectful. NetsDaily prides itself on being a safe space for Nets and basketball fans alike to have healthy conversation. Reach out to Anthony Puccio or Net Income with any issues.

Sometimes progress shows up quietly — it isn’t always flashy and it isn’t always immediate. But since assuming a bigger role, Egor Dëmin has given the Nets every reason to feel confident about their ‘bold’ investment in him.

You can make what you want out of the accolades — he’s 19 years old and pundits said he didn’t have a jump shot at the Draft. We believed them, he’s proving us wrong. He’s averaged 10.8 points on 39.6% shooting from deep — 16.7 points in games which he’s played 30+ minutes. Perhaps it’s more than an accolade. It’s a reflection of how far he’s come, and how quickly he’s adapted to the NBA game. As for Friday… he’s in good hands.

DID YOU SEE VC… WITH EGOR?

Egor will represent Team Vince.

OH AND BY THE WAY…

We got — not one, not two, not three — but FOUR Nets players on one podcast.

The Teams

(Via NBA.com)

💬 DISCUSSION

Share thoughts and react, but please be respectful. NetsDaily prides itself on being a safe space for Nets and basketball fans alike to have healthy conversation. Reach out to Anthony Puccio or Net Income with any issues.

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.

All Star weekend is here. Tonight’s schedule:

• 6:00 PM CT—All Star celebrity game (ESPN)
• 8:00 PM CT—Rising Stars G1; Team Austin vs Team Melo (Peacock)
• 8:55 PM CT—Rising Stars G2; Team Vince vs Team T-Mac (Peacock)
• 9:35 PM CT—Rising Stars Championship; winner of G1 vs winner of G2 (Peacock)

Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are on Team Melo, and hopefully they’ll have a good game and win a trophy at the end. Carter Bryant was a last minute addition to Team Vince, and he’s also in the dunk contest tomorrow, so not all of the Spurs participants can be Rising Stars champions tonight. It’s going to be a fun night for the players and fans, but I don’t expect to see much quality basketball. Not tonight, not all weekend.

Game Prediction:

Stephon Castle finds is hard to not play defense, gets benched by Melo, who never played defense in his life.

All Star Friday Night
February 13, 2026
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

Edgecombe wins Rising Stars MVP, shows off clutch skills  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

VJ Edgecombe’s clutch skills traveled to his first NBA All-Star weekend. 

The Sixers’ rookie guard earned the MVP award Friday night in the Rising Stars mini-tournament at Intuit Dome. Edgecombe calmly drained two free throws to give his team a 25-24 win in the final.

Edgecombe made crucial plays in both the semifinals and final for his team, which had Vince Carter as honorary coach. Spurs assistant coach Corliss Williamson (once a Sixers player) served as head coach. 

After drilling his free throws, Edgecombe walked over to All-Star teammate Tyrese Maxey on the sideline and celebrated. Maxey’s set to participate in both the three-point contest Saturday night and the All-Star Game itself on Sunday.

Edgecombe’s late-game heroics were the highlight of his squad’s semifinal win. 

With his team nearing the target score of 40, Edgecombe sunk two long-range shots. He then sealed the deal, nailing a step-back jumper from the right elbow over Cam Spencer to advance to the final. 

The 20-year-old wound up scoring his squad’s last 10 points. He finished with a game-high 17 on 6-for-8 shooting and five rebounds. 

Fifty games into his NBA career, the No. 3 overall pick has already established himself as a player who enjoys crunch time and often thrives at the tail end of tight games.

In clutch situations, Edgecombe has shot 55.8 percent from the floor and 54.5 percent from three-point range. He also leads the Sixers in clutch rebounds (27 in 130 minutes) and clutch steals (seven). 

“Everything we have there is that he’s on pace to be someone who’s got a real chance to be a future All-Star,” Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said last week. “He’s playing great basketball, especially at the ends of games.”

MADRID (AP) — Sergio Herrera produced a string of superb saves to win a point for Osasuna in a 0-0 draw at Elche in La Liga on Friday.

Home side Elche had the lion’s share of the chances but Herrera used his hands, body, and legs to thwart the forwards over and over, including twice in the final minutes.

“That’s football, these things happen,” Elche coach Eder Sarabia said. “We were vastly superior and produced a brilliant performance, but sometimes you still don’t win. It was a 4-0 or 4-1 kind of game.”

Elche looked a different side from the one that lost its previous three league games and was more incisive than the team six places above it.

However, Herrera’s heroics meant it ended with just one point that lifted it two places, into 13th. Its winless league runs extended to seven matches. It has the same points as the two teams below it, Sevilla and Alaves.

Osasuna remained in ninth place.

Only six points separate Athletic Bilbao in 10th from Rayo Vallecano in the relegation zone.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

2026 Sixth Man of the Year odds

Player		Movement
Naz Reid	<<+185>>	▲
Keldon Johnson	<<+320>>	▲
Jaime Jaquez Jr.	<<+475>>	▼
Ajay Mitchell	<<+1200>>	--
Reed Sheppard	<<+1400>>	▼
Ayo Dosunmu	<<+1500>>	▲
Anthony Black	<<+1800>>	▼
Anfernee Simons	<<+2000>>	▲
Tim Hardaway Jr.	<<+2000>>	▲
Grayson Allen	<<+2800>>	▲

Odds as of 2-13-2026.

NBA Sixth Man of the Year favorites

Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves has already been a past winner of the award, but bettors are seeing him recapture that scoring-and-efficiency combo that helped him earn the honor as his name remains among the more respected and realistic long-shots.

Close behind him in the latest Sixth Man of the Year race is Keldon Johnson, who has been providing the San Antonio Spurs with valuable scoring and athleticism off the bench for his team.

Meanwhile, Ajay Mitchell has drawn attention thanks to his consistent production and efficient play — his early-season form has many calling him a serious 6MOTY candidate.

Reed Sheppard gets in the mix with his breakout role off the bench and elevated minutes in Houston with the Rockets.

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Understanding NBA Sixth Man of the Year odds

Most sportsbooks will display odds in the American format as listed above. We'll use 2022-23's 6MOY race as an example: 

As the season progressed, with Immanuel Quickley having been a huge favorite, his odds had a minus (-) sign ahead of the number: 

• Immanuel Quickley -300

This means that a bettor needs to wager $300 to win $100. Other candidates with worse odds would have a plus (+) sign ahead of the number. Early in the season, before any clear favorite is established, betting options will be listed as such: 

• Russell Westbrook +650

Here, a bettor stands to profit $650 for every $100 wagered. 

If American odds aren't your thing, simply use our odds converter to switch the odds to decimal or fractional format. Most online sportsbooks also give you the option to change the odds format that you see.

Popular NBA futures markets

• NBA championship odds
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NBA 6MOY betting trends

Here are some trends you'll want to keep in mind when betting on NBA Sixth Man of the Year: 

• Guards have absolutely owned this award recently, winning 6MOY in 10 of the past 12 seasons.
  
  
• Naz Reid's 2024 win marked only the fourth 6MOY win by a center in its 41-year history (Montrezl Harrell '20, Roy Tarpley '88, and Bill Walton '86).
  
  
• Both Jamal Crawford ('10, '14, '16) and Lou Williams ('15, '18, '19) are recent three-time winners, so voter fatigue may matter less in this market. 

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How is NBA Sixth Man of the Year decided?

The NBA Sixth Man of the Year is awarded to the league's best bench player each season. A variety of factors go into evaluating who the top reserve is:

Consistent statistical impact

The 6MOY must consistently provide a significant impact on the game whenever entering from the bench. This impact should be palpable and discernible in terms of offensive, defensive, or playmaking contributions.

Scoring prowess

The candidate should display an ability to contribute significantly to the team's scoring efforts. This can be evidenced by an impressive points-per-game average, especially in crucial moments of the game. Scoring tends to be the single most important stat for Sixth Man voting.

Versatility

The awardee should demonstrate the capability to adapt to various game situations. This encompasses two-way play, as well as adaptability to different styles and opposing lineups.

Role-player mentality

The recipient must exhibit a selfless approach to the game, willingly accepting their role as a substitute player and deferring to stars, while able to fill a variety of needs for team success.

Impact on team success

The award recipient should have a discernible impact on the team's overall success during the regular season, especially in terms of on-off metrics that measure a player’s impact on their team’s bottom line, and value relative to potential replacements.

NBA Sixth Man of the Year history

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