Category: Basketball

Chris Paul's final NBA season is being re-routed north of the border, with another stop potentially on the way.

The 40-year-old point guard was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to the Toronto Raptors as part of a multi-team deal ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline, ESPN reported on Wednesday, Feb. 4. Paul will go to the Raptors, while forward Ochai Agbaji and a 2032 second-round pick will move from Toronto to the Brooklyn Nets in the transaction.

But the State Farm pitchman might not be there for long, according to multiplereports. It's still unclear if Paul will actually report to Toronto, be included in another trade or be waived by the Raptors in the coming days. What jersey he'll be wearing for his final NBA game will remain an ongoing subplot.

NBA TRADE RUMORS: Anthony Davis shipped to Wizards in stunning deal

Paul signed a one-year, $3.6-million contract to return to the Clippers this past offseason and then later announced this would be his final NBA season. The Clippers then shocked the NBA in December when they sent Paul home in the wee hours of the night in the middle of a road trip as the team struggled early on this season. General Manager Lawrence Frank and coach Tyronn Lue made clear the organization intended to part ways with one of the greatest players in franchise history as reports emerged about friction involving Paul's leadership style inside the team's locker room.

Paul could be a veteran presence on the bench for an emerging Raptors roster led by multi-faceted forwards Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes, which is readying for a postseason run after emerging as one of the pleasant surprises in the Eastern Conference this year. The Raptors would become the eighth NBA team of Paul's decorated career. He was averaging a career-low 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in 14.3 minutes over 16 games this season with the Clippers.

Agbaji is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason after being selected with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and will get a chance to prove himself to potential suitors with the rebuilding Nets. He was initially traded to the Raptors in 2024 and saw his playing time drop significantly this season.

Chris Paul trade details

• Raptors get: Chris Paul
• Nets get: Ochai Agbaji, 2032 second-round pick (Toronto), cash
• Clippers get: Extra roster spot, salary cap/luxury tax savings

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA trade deadline: Clippers send Chris Paul to Raptors in final season

In a three-team deal, involving the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers announced Wednesday afternoon, the Nets acquired 6’5” shooting guard Ochai Agbaji, a 2022 lottery pick; and a 2032 second round pick from the Raptors plus $3.5 million in cash considerations from the Los Angeles Clippers. all essentially for nothing.

In return, Brooklyn sent the Clippers their draft rights to Vanja Markinovic, a 29-year-old Serbian shooting guard who the Nets acquired as part of the 2023 Kevin Durant trade with the Phoenix Suns. He was not seen as an NBA prospect even before he injured his knee last week, ending his season in Serbia. Also in the deal announced , the Raptors obtained Chris Paul from the Clippers. He is expected to be waived, freeing him up to sign with any team other than LAC.

Shams Charania was first with the news…

The Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors have agreed on a multi-team trade sending Chris Paul to the Raptors and Ochai Agbaji, a 2032 Raptors second-rounder and cash to the Nets, sources tell ESPN.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2026

Moreover, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the Nets are not near done. “Brooklyn, I expect to be in multiple deals in the next 24 hours.” he said on ESPN following the Shams tweet.

Ogbaji is in the final year of his rookie deal which will pay him $6.4 million. A 6’5” 25-year-old, Milwaukee native was taken at No. 14 in 2022 after starring at the University of Kansas with Nets forward Jalen Wilson. Agbaji was named a consensus first-team All-American and voted the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2022. He led the Jayhawks to a national championship and was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.

He was drafted originally by the Cleveland Cavaliers as a 3-and-D prospect. However, he was traded to the Utah Jazz that September before playing a regular-season game in Cleveland then later traded to the Toronto Raptors in February 2024.

In 243 NBA games, 108 starts, Agbaji has averaged 7.3 points on 45/34/75 shooting splits. His best year was two years ago when in 64 games, he averaged 10.4 points on 50/40/71 shooting splits and a registered 1.0 “stocks,” aka steals and blocks.

His acquisition, once completed, will put the Nets roster at 16 players requiring them to cut someone before game time in Orlando Thursday.

Yossi Gozlan of capsheets.com and the Third Apron podcast laid out the Nets current salary cap and draft assets situation…

The Brooklyn Nets now have a whopping 21 second-round picks through 2032 by taking on Ochai Agbaji.

They can absorb him with their $15.3 million in cap space, leaving them with $8.9 million.

The Nets will need to create a roster spot for this trade.

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) February 4, 2026

The actual configuration of the deal may be subject to some tweaks, however, added Bobby Marks…

Brooklyn also has the option to use cap space in a separate trade and acquire Agbaji into part of their $8.8M room ML. https://t.co/Fgdt2MBzeu

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 4, 2026

In other words they can either absorb Agbaji into their league-high $15.3 million in cap space and still have $8.9 million left. However, if in other deals, they exhaust the rest of their cap space to take on more expensive contracts before Thursday, then they could instead use their $8.8 million Room Mid-level Exception to absorb Agbaji, according Gozlan.

Meanwhile, the Nets left Cam Thomas behind in New York Wednesday at they flew from Newark to Orlando for Thursday’s game vs. the Magic.

Can confirm Cam Thomas was not on the #Nets team plane, which just departed for Orlando. Brooklyn plays the #Magic tomorrow, with the #NBA Trade Deadline being Thursday at 3 p.m. https://t.co/f0M6m9aAu9

— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) February 4, 2026

Michael Scott reported that Thomas is “receiving trade interest” from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks.

Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas is drawing trade interest from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks ahead of the trade deadline, league sources told @hoopshype. Thomas is out for tomorrow’s game against the Orlando Magic due to “personal reasons.” pic.twitter.com/fDdX9Brylw

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) February 4, 2026

After exercising his qualifying offer in October, Thomas is making $6.0 million this season as an unrestricted free agent. As such, he’ll have to approve any trade.

This is the fifth salary dump the Nets have participated in since last summer. In the others, they acquired:

• Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected Nuggets first in 2032 from Denver for Cam Johnson;
• Terance Mann and an unprotected Hawks first in 2025 (that became Drake Powell) from Denver for $1.1 million in cash considerations;
• Haywood Highsmith and an unprotected Heat second in 2032 for a heavily protected second in 2026 from Miami;
• Kobe Bufkin for $110,000 in cash considerations from the Hawks.

All but Bufkin remain with the team.

• Nets get draft pick to take on Ochai Agbaji in three-team trade – Brian Lewis – New York Post

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Shams Charania reports that the Toronto Raptors have sent off Ochai Agbaji and a second-round pick in a three-team deal to bring Chris Paul over from the Clippers, who had been languishing after being sent away from team activities by the Los Angeles franchise. Agbaji will head to the Brooklyn Nets.

The Raptors will not make CP3 report to the team, likely moving him before tomorrow’s NBA trade deadline OR buying him out after. Potential suitors could include his former franchises, the Thunder and Pelicans, seeking to capitalize on their one-time great’s last year…

Unless we’re getting a cool young player back and Paul is content to stay, I’d be happy to have another veteran presence on the young squad if he can mesh well with the team culture. And hey – maybe he and Garrett Temple can reminisce about the old days…

What do we want to do with Paul now that we’ve got him? Do you guys like the idea of having his veteran presence on the squad, or is it better to try and shop the star for a bigger return? Who would you want the Raptors to seek out in return for him?

PLUS, it seems like this move is officially the nail in the coffin regarding Domantas Sabonis talks. Agbaji would have been necessary salary matching in a deal like that. Do you agree that now is NOT the time to take a swing on Sabonis?

Give us your thoughts down below in the comments!

TYLER, Texas (AP) — The father of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been arrested in Texas after authorities said he violated his probation from a conviction for driving while intoxicated.

Patrick “Pat” Mahomes Sr., 55, was arrested Tuesday during a meeting with his probation officer after a warrant was obtained for a probation violation, authorities said. He remained in Smith County jail in Tyler on Wednesday. His attorney did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press.

The elder Mahomes was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty in August 2024 to a DWI charge. On Jan. 1, he had a high alcohol reading on his ankle monitor, according to a probation violation report.

Mahomes Sr. had been arrested on the DWI charge in February 2024, a little more than a week before his son led the Chiefs to a second straight Super Bowl championship with a win over San Francisco.

Smith County jail records show multiple DWI arrests over the years for the elder Mahomes.

Mahomes Sr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for six teams during an 11-year major league career that ended in 2003, according to Baseball Reference.

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

When the dust settles and we look back on this era of Dallas Mavericks basketball, it will be easy to view Anthony Davis’ tenure with the Mavericks as a failure. After all, he appeared in just 29 games in a little over a year’s time and left multiple games with injuries that would sideline him for weeks.

It’s easy to take the last year out on Davis, all the pain from the trade and having to accept that we’re not going to be contending for championships anytime soon. He is the face of the worst trade in modern sports history, his return was marginal at best, and it will be easy to hold that against him.

I don’t think we should.

Davis didn’t ask to be traded to Dallas, and he certainly didn’t ask to be brought in via the trade that angered a fanbase so much that its architect was fired just nine months after he made it. Davis came to Dallas to play basketball and try to earn the fans’ love in any way he could. His injury history was frustrating at times, but it’s not like he asked to sit out games.

Davis wants to play, and he wants to play hard. He can be a valuable part of a championship team, and he’ll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he hangs it up in a few years. I hope that with time, we can accept that he was put into an unwinnable situation by an egotistical man who thought he knew better than everyone around him. Davis is not the man who should get your ire; Nico Harrison is.

I enjoyed watching Davis play as a Maverick, and I also think it was time for him to go, but not because of him or anything he’s done. He just doesn’t fit the timeline of this team anymore. The infamous trade sent us from a contender to a rebuilding team, and you just can’t have a guy making over sixty million dollars a year on a rebuilding team.

I hope he succeeds in Washington, whatever that may look like, and I hope he has an entertaining and fulfilling end to his career. I wish he could’ve come to Dallas under better circumstances, but we don’t always get what we want in life.

With time, I hope Mavericks fans will see this situation the same way I do: with appreciation that he treated his time in Dallas as a professional and tried to gain the support of a fanbase that was — understandably — scarred by his presence. He was a good mentor to Cooper Flagg in their limited time together and he bought into a team that was heading for a rebuild despite nearing the end of his prime.

In total, his time in Dallas spanned just 367 days, and I think it’s best for everyone that his Maverick career is over. I just also hope we remember he never asked to be put under the microscope he got placed underneath and he never turned his back on this team.

Anthony Davis will always be good in my book.

The Washington Wizards acquired 10-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, 2 first-round picks and 3 second-rounders, according to ESPN.

BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading 10-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to the Washington Wizards for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, 2 first-round picks and 3 second-rounders, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/sfrQQubI5i

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2026

None of the picks they are shipping out are their own:

• 2026 first-rounder (via OKC)

• 2030 top-20 protected first-rounder (via GSW)

• 2026 second-rounder (via PHX)

• 2027 secone-rounder (via CHI)

• 2029 second-rounder (via HOU)

After acquiring Trae Young in January, the Wizards have made another move, this time to bolster their frontcourt alongside Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George.

Potential Wizards starting five:

PG: Trae Young
SG: Tre Johnson
SF: Kyshawn George
PF: Alex Sarr
C: Anthony Davis pic.twitter.com/1nwrq7DmBm

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) February 4, 2026

Davis has missed the majority of the last two season’s due to injury. And he is under a rather hefty contract that runs through the 2026-27 season with a player option in 2027-28.

2025-26: $54.1 million

2026-27: $58.4 million

2027-28: $62.7 million (player option)

But Washington clearly liked the value in acquiring Davis to pair with its young core — especially Sarr, who’s emerged as one of the league’s premiere rim protectors at just 20 years old.

Jaden Hardy is just 23 years old and under contract both this season and next. He has a team option at $6 million for the 2027-28 season. It’s possible he sticks around as a young guard the Wizards try to further develop.

D’Angelo Russell, on the other hand, is 29 years old and was recently removed from Dallas’ rotation. He has a player option at $5.9 million for next season. Given how the Wizards handled similar situations with veterans acquired via trade (Marcus Smart for example), Russell is a possible buyout candidate if Washington can’t flip him elsewhere.

Dante Exum is on a $2.3 million expiring contract. Washington will likely let him enter free agency this offseason.

Further acknowledging a mistake made, the Dallas Mavericks took another step to undo the infamous Luka Dončić trade.

The Mavericks have reportedly shipped the headliner of that deal, forward-center Anthony Davis, to the Washington Wizards.

According to ESPN, the full package sent to Washington also includes Dallas guards Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum. In return, the Wizards are receiving veteran forward Khris Middleton, guards AJ Johnson and Malaki Branham and forward Marvin Bagley III, though the real draw are two first-round draft picks and three second-round selections.

The deal generates interesting implications, so how do we make sense of what this means? Here are grades for the Mavericks-Wizards Anthony Davis trade:

Anthony Davis trade details: Mavericks ship big man to Wizards | Report

Anthony Davis trade grades

Washington Wizards

This really is intriguing. Washington has been in a rebuild for the better part of the last decade, but coach Brian Keefe has shown this season that he can get flashes of production from an incredibly young roster. In fact, the team’s starting lineup during a Jan. 24 loss against the Hornets had an average age of 20.64 years, the youngest average age of a starting lineup since the NBA began tracking that data in 1970-71, according to Elias.

But the Wizards have won only 13 games, tied for fewest in the East. This was a team that desperately needed steady, veteran leadership, yes, but is this the most effective way to elevate the team out of a rebuild? Paired with the trade that shipped Trae Young to Washington, the Wizards now have a pair of veterans with 14 combined All-Star selections. But there’s some significant risk here.

Davis played just 29 games for the Mavericks since the February 2025 trade and has faced constant injury concerns throughout his career. In fact, he’s currently sidelined with a left-hand issue and appears to be a few weeks away from a return. Similarly, Young is out with a sprained right knee and bruised quadriceps.

For these deals to be fruitful, Davis and Young need to be healthy and available. But they also have to gel. The Wizards rank dead last in net rating (-10.7) and second-to-last in both offensive rating (109.3) and defensive rating (120.0). Young is a defensive liability. Davis (20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game) should provide stability on both ends.

Keefe will need to get Davis, 32, and Young, 27, to buy in and lead Washington’s young players. This was certainly a team that needed to make calculated moves. But if it doesn’t work, the Wizards could continue to find themselves at the bottom of the standings.

One way the Wizards mitigated some risk in this deal is that none of the draft picks they traded were their own. So if Washington remains in the lottery, those picks will stay with the team.

Grade: B

Dallas Mavericks

It was clear the fit with Davis was never seamless. Perhaps, in an alternate universe in which star point guard Kyrie Irving doesn’t tear his anterior cruciate ligament, the Mavericks could’ve sustained the post-Dončić era.

But that’s not reality and the Mavericks are paying for the sins of former general manager Nico Harrison. Interim co-GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi made this deal to make the best of a tough situation. The franchise saw the recent stellar play of 19-year-old rookie Cooper Flagg and understood that it needs to build around him. This is something that is going to take years. It’s not an enviable position, and the draft picks coming back seemingly won't be top-of-draft selections.

Despite moments of competitive play, Dallas has lost five consecutive games and probably understood that a pathway toward the play-in picture was doubtful. The Mavericks are sitting at 19-31 and seemingly believe that it’s better to admit a mistake than compound it. Put another way: the Mavericks considered Davis to be a sunk cost, especially considering that he was set to make $112.6 million through the 2026-27 season, with a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.

Updated return on the Luka trade:

3 first-round picks
3 second-rounders
Max Christie
Khris Middleton
AJ Johnson
Malaki Branham
Marvin Bagley III

(h/t @BradeauxNBA ) pic.twitter.com/k6voJSQv5u

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 4, 2026

This does provide some financial flexibility for Dallas to be more aggressive with its roster construction.

Dallas also holds its own 2026 first-rounder. This is a draft loaded with talent at the top, so the Mavericks could even package their new draft capital to move up and target a player of their choosing.

Davis was barely playing for the Mavericks. Dallas at least squeezed as much value as possible out of him.

Grade: C+

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anthony Davis trade grades for Mavs-Wizards deal has clear winner

The Cleveland Cavaliers have already acquired three rotation guards at the trade deadline in James Harden, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis. Apparently, they could be adding more.

According to Michal Scotto of HoopsHype, the Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks are two teams that are interested in acquiring Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas.

Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas is drawing trade interest from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks ahead of the trade deadline, league sources told @hoopshype. Thomas is out for tomorrow’s game against the Orlando Magic due to “personal reasons.” pic.twitter.com/fDdX9Brylw

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) February 4, 2026

Thomas is your prototypical sixth man. He’s a 6’2” guard who comes off the bench with the sole purpose of getting buckets. On the season, Thomas is averaging 15.6 points and 3.1 assists on .399/.325/.843 shooting splits in 24.3 minutes per game.

Staying on the court has been an issue for Thomas throughout his five-year NBA career. The 24-year-old has only played over 65 games twice. Last season, he appeared in 25, and this season, he’s played in just half of Brooklyn’s games.

Figuring out exactly who the Cavs would be sending out for Thomas is difficult. Technically, the Cavs could acquire Thomas without sending out any players, as he could be traded for via the $6.9 million trade exception that was created from the De’Andre Hunter trade with the Sacremento Kings. Thomas is on an expiring $5.9 million deal.

It’s also worth questioning how Thomas would fit with the Cavs. The ability to stagger Donovan Mitchell and Harden makes the need for a guard bench scorer less necessary. Thomas likely wouldn’t get minutes over Schroder, and the team already has plenty of two guards that need minutes.

It’s possible that targeting Thomas would make more sense as part of a larger deal.

We’ll see if anything comes of this rumor. The trade deadline is Thursday at 3 PM.

Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes received a one-game suspension on Wednesday for pushing the Washington Wizards' mascot before a game last week.

Hayes pushed the mascot “G-Wiz” during pre-game introductions ahead of the Lakers’ 142-111 win on Friday.

Hayes had 10 points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal off the bench. He will serve the suspension on Feb. 5 when the Lakers host the Philadelphia 76ers, according to a statement from the NBA.

Hayes was drafted by Atlanta in the first round of the 2019 draft, but his rights were immediately traded over to New Orleans. He spent his first four seasons with the Pelicans before joining the Lakers in 2023.

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

Two major trades Wednesday involving former Duke stars Jared McCain and Marvin Bagley: McCain will join Oklahoma City and Bagley is heading south of there to Dallas.

These were big deals. The Sixers sent

As for the Wizards-Mavericks trade, Dallas gets Bagley, Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson and Malaki Branham and two first-round picks along with three second-round.

In return, the Wizards get Always Damaged, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum.

Given Davis’s injury history and age, Dallas looks like it cleaned up.

As for the Sixers-OKC deal, the Thunder get McCain while Philly gets a 2026 first-round pick and three second round picks.

McCain should get some minutes since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out for a while with an injury, so at least he gets a chance to make an impression.

In a subsequent trade, OKC also picked up former Duke big man Mason Plumlee.

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• Mavericks’ Marvin Bagley: Traded to Dallas
• Hornets hop in Thunder-76ers trade action
• BREAKING: OKC Thunder STUNS with Trade For Jared McCain | SGA OUT Through All-Star Break
• 76ers trade Jared McCain, their 2024 first-round pick, to Thunder before NBA deadline
• Shams: 76ers create roster room by trading Jared McCain
• Jared McCain Trade Highlights 76ers’ Dominance Over Thunder
• Sixers trade Jared McCain to Oklahoma City Thunder for 4 draft picks, AP reports
• Ex-Pistons big man traded to Mavericks as part of blockbuster Anthony Davis deal
• Wizards Emerge as Trade Deadline’s Biggest Winner After Another Bold Blockbuster Move
• Mavericks unexpectedly trade for player Kings thought would be better than Luka Doncic
  Mavericks Trade Anthony Davis to Wizards in Blockbuster Eight-Player Stunner
• X

The Nets were part of a three-team trade on Wednesday afternoon, acquiring guard Ochai Agbaji from the Toronto Raptors. 

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the three-team trade lands the Nets Agbaji, the Toronto Raptors' 2032 second-round pick, and cash. 

Meanwhile, future Hall of Famer Chris Paul is moving from the Clippers to the Raptors, though the Raptors will not require him to report to the team and could look to trade him again before Thursday's deadline.

Agbaji, 25, was the No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Kansas. A 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Agbaji has averaged 7.3 points and 2.8 rebounds over the course of his four pro seasons. He averaged a career-best 10.4 points per game with the Raptors in 2024-25. 

 

There’s been a different vibe around the New York Knicks since a timely players-only meeting, and they’ll go for an eighth straight win in tonight’s clash with the Denver Nuggets.

Denver welcomed Nikola Jokic back on Friday with a minutes restriction, but has dropped its last two contests, and my Nuggets vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks target another big man with a wager on Karl-Anthony Towns.

Nuggets vs Knicks prediction

Nuggets vs Knicks best bet: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 11.5 rebounds (-110)

Endless trade rumors seem to have taken a toll on Karl-Anthony Towns, but he’s not letting that affect his rebounding.

KAT leads the NBA with 11.8 rebounds per game, but he’s taken that up another notch lately, with a whopping 17.5 RPG across his past four outings. He even reached the 20-rebound mark in consecutive games last week, padding those numbers at the expense of his scoring.

With Nikola Jokic still finding his feet again after his knee injury and the Denver Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back set, the visitors may take the cautious approach here with their three-time MVP, paving the way for Towns to own the paint.

Josh Hart’s ankle injury last night adds another wrinkle. It's another reason to think Towns will feast on the glass, with the New York Knicks potentially needing to replace Hart’s reliable rebounding tallies.

KAT finished with double-digit boards in both games against Denver last season, and he knows this matchup well from his days with the Timberwolves.

Though foul trouble is always a risk with Towns, he’s most comfortable around the basket defensively, and this Over is well within reach.

Nuggets vs Knicks same-game parlay

The Under is 8-2 in the Knicks’ last 10 games, and it’s also been a winning ticket in four of the past six meetings between these teams. With question marks around Hart's and Jokic's availability, plus a dose of back-to-back fatigue for both squads, I’m giving the defenses the edge.

Whichever way the Nuggets handle Jokic’s workload, there’s going to be a role for Jonas Valanciunas. He grabbed 11 rebounds in last night’s loss in Detroit, and he’s shown he can nail this Over in limited minutes.

Nuggets vs Knicks SGP

• Karl-Anthony Towns Over 11.5 rebounds
• Under 226
• Jonas Valanciunas Over 5.5 rebounds

Our "from downtown" SGP: Peyton's Place

Peyton Watson is shaping up to be a key man in Denver’s playoff rotation, and he continues to blossom as a scorer. He’s gone past this O/U number in four straight contests, headlined by a 29-point effort against the Thunder on the weekend.

Nuggets vs Knicks SGP

• Karl-Anthony Towns Over 11.5 rebounds
• Under 226
• Jonas Valanciunas Over 5.5 rebounds
• Peyton Watson Over 15.5 points

Nuggets vs Knicks odds

• Spread: Nuggets +4.5 (-110) | Knicks -4.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Nuggets +160 | Knicks -190
• Over/Under: Over 226.5 (-110) | Under 226.5 (-110)

Nuggets vs Knicks betting trend to know

The Nuggets are 19-8 on the road this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Nuggets vs. Knicks.

How to watch Nuggets vs Knicks

Nuggets vs Knicks latest injuries

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

Coby White has been one of the Chicago Bulls’ lone bright spots during an otherwise forgettable stretch of basketball in the 2020s. Chicago chose White with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 draft, and watched him improve year-over-year to become arguably the team’s best player. Now the Bulls have traded White before he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Charlotte Hornets have been the hottest team in the NBA over the last two months, and now they’re acquiring White and Mike Conley Jr. from the Bulls for Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, and three second-round picks. The deal was first reported by Shams Charania.

Here are the details on the second-round picks Chicago is getting from Charlotte.

The Hornets are loading up for a playoff run, while the Bulls are tearing it down in their effort to retool a mediocre roster. Let’s grade this trade for both sides.

Hornets grade for Coby White trade

The Hornets have one of the NBA’s best young cores in place with LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller leading the way. White offers an immediate upgrade from Sexton in the backcourt with his ability to play on- or off-the-ball with high-volume three-point shooting ability.

White has always been a streaky shooter, yet he winds up with a similar three-point percentage every year. White has made either 37 percent or 38 percent of his threes each of the last four seasons. He’s been a little slowed this season while battling a calf strain, and he’s only made 34.6 percent of his threes at the time of the trade.

White is not a very good defender. He currently ranks in the 14th percentile of defensive EPM. He’s an offense-first player ranking in the 84th percentile of offensive EPM, but this hasn’t been his best season. The Hornets have already bought low on White at the trade deadline, and it’s possible they can resign him to another bargain contract. He’s only 26 years old so he could have multiple suitors, but the North Carolina native could be motivated to stay in his home state with a rising young team.

I like the idea of White as a super sixth man in Charlotte who can play some point guard if Ball endures more injury troubles. This is a small price to pay for a good player.

Grade: A

Bulls grade for Coby White trade

The Bulls decided they weren’t going to resign White this summer, so they traded him for future assets while they still could. That’s fine, but Chicago could have gotten way more for him at last year’s deadline if they knew what they were doing.

It sure feels like the Bulls are fully rebuilding after trading White, Nikola Vucevic, and Kevin Huerter ahead of the trade deadline. Anfernee Simons will be a good replacement for White, but he needs a new contract. Jaden Ivey will step into a big role, but he hasn’t looked like the same player coming off a horrific leg injury, and he’ll also be a restricted free agent this summer. Chicago has one healthy big man on the roster in Jalen Smith, and he’s more of a power forward than a center as the league opts for more two-big lineups. The Bulls could be very bad the rest of this season.

Trying to get more ping-pong balls rather than going for another doomed play-in tournament run is a good move for Chicago’s front office, but it feels like too little, too late. The Bulls might be able to get to No. 9 or No. 10 in the reverse standings, but they’ll still need a lot of lottery luck to move up. Chicago deserves it: the Bulls have refused to lose on purpose for the last five years unlike the other star-less teams, and they have one of the biggest fanbases in the league that is starving for a superstar. Landing Cameron Boozer or Darryn Peterson would change everything for the Bulls, and now there’s a greater chance it happens even if it still requires a ton of luck.

The Bulls should have traded White a year ago to maximize his value. By holding onto him until the very last second, they got basically nothing in return for him.

Grade: C+

Lakers center Jaxson Hayes has been suspended one game without pay for pushing a Washington Wizards mascot during pregame introductions, the NBA announced Wednesday.

The Lakers played the Wizards at Capital One Arena on Friday night.

Hayes will miss the Lakers’ game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.

The backup center is averaging 6.4 points on 77.5% shooting and 3.8 rebounds. He’s the primary lob threat for Lakers All-Star Luka Doncic.

The Lakers just completed an eight-game trip with a 5-3 record.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.