Category: Basketball

The Philadelphia 76ers are starting to see the dust settle after the 2026 NBA trade deadline. During that span, the team converted Dominick Barlow from a two-way deal to a standard contract. That move clarified the direction of the Sixers’ now-vacant two-way spot, as they’ll bring in former first-round pick Dalen Terry. The Philly Voice’s Adam Aaronson was the first to report:

NEWS: The Sixers are signing Dalen Terry to a two-way contract, source tells @thephillyvoice. The Sixers opened up this spot once they signed Dominick Barlow to a standard contract hours after the trade deadline passed.

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) February 10, 2026

NBA fans should be at least semi-familiar with Terry’s name, as he landed in the range where the Sixers were picking in the 2022 NBA Draft. Chicago selected Terry just five picks ahead of Philadelphia, which held the No. 22 pick and later used it in the De’Anthony Melton trade. Terry spent parts of three seasons with the Bulls, appearing in just over 200 regular-season games. He averaged 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 11.1 minutes per game, shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from three.

Terry never put it together in Chicago, as his career numbers reflect. This season marked the fourth and final year of his rookie-scale contract, and the Bulls moved him at the deadline, first sending him to the Knicks in a deal that brought back Guerschon Yabusele. New York then rerouted Terry to the New Orleans Pelicans in the José Alvarado trade, where he was eventually waived outright. Now, he’ll join the Sixers on a two-way contract.

It’s also worth noting that this season marked the best shooting stretch of Terry’s career, as he knocked down 41.3 percent of his three-point attempts across 34 games.

For those unfamiliar with Terry, he fits the mold of a classic Swiss-army-knife player. He brings a legitimate frame at 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, along with solid vision for his size and the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways offensively. The swing skills to monitor will be his shooting and his handle. In Chicago, his handle lacked the tightness needed to consistently pressure defenders off the dribble, and his shooting struggles early in his career often led defenses to ignore him off the ball entirely.

Still, Terry is just 23 years old with limited NBA reps, and this season offered some real encouragement. If that improved shooting is any indication, his offensive game may finally be rounding into form.

Terry also checks a lot of boxes as a “Nick Nurse” type of player, someone who can switch defensively and contribute in a variety of utility roles. The Sixers badly need guard help as well, with nearly 40-year-old Kyle Lowry currently logging real rotation minutes.

Terry slides into the two-way slot vacated by Barlow, leaving Philadelphia with two open standard roster spots to use either on the buyout market or via another conversion, such as Jabari Walker. For now, the Sixers add a much-needed guard and take a low-risk swing on a recent first-round draftee.

For the second time in 17 days, St. John’s men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino earned a five-point win over his son, Xavier head coach Richard Pitino.

This time, he made a little bit of history in the process.

The No. 17 Red Storm’s 87-82 overtime victory against the Musketeers at Madison Square Garden in New York on Monday, Feb. 9 was the 904th of the elder Pitino’s lengthy head-coaching career, breaking a tie with Roy Williams for the third-most all-time wins in Division I.

REQUIRED READING: Takeaways from Xavier Musketeers overtime loss to No. 17 St. John's

The 73-year-old Pitino now trails only Mike Krzyzewski (1,202 wins) and Jim Boeheim (1,116).

It’s the second time Pitino has earned a landmark victory at the expense of his son. St. John’s’ 88-83 win at Xavier on Jan. 24 was the 900th of his career.

"I think my son's brilliant,” Pitino said after the win Monday. “I'm proud of him. I hate getting any milestone against him – but I go away tonight saying my son's a hell of a coach. ... To say my son's a great coach is much more pleasing to me than any number of victories."

Richard Pitino, who previously coached under his father at Louisville, is in his first season at Xavier, which fell to 12-12 after Monday's loss.

Many of Rick Pitino’s wins came at a pair of college basketball powerhouses (and archrivals), Kentucky and Louisville. He went 219-50 in seven seasons with the Wildcats and 416-143 in 16 seasons with the Cardinals, with an ill-fated stint as the Boston Celtics’ head coach and president wedged in between. He won a national championship at both Kentucky and Louisville, making him the only men’s college basketball head coach to win titles at multiple schools.

Pitino was fired by Louisville in 2017 after the Cardinals were implicated in the FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball. After a brief exile from the sport, he returned as Iona’s head coach in 2020 and is currently in his third season at St. John’s, where he has gone 70-23. Last season, the Red Storm won the Big East regular season and tournament championships, earning them a No. 2 seed to the NCAA Tournament.

Pitino has also coached at Hawaii (as an interim head coach), Boston University and Providence, the last of which he led to a Final Four in 1987.

After a difficult start to the season, Pitino’s St. John’s team has won 10 consecutive games, improving its record to 19-5 and putting it atop the Big East standings.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rick Pitino passes Roy Williams for third on career wins list

It’s a light night in the NBA, with just four games on the board, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of value to be found in the player props market.

I’ve found my three favorite plays for the day, which include a Pacers player lighting up the scoreboard at Madison Square Garden, and De’Aaron Fox keeps dishing out the dimes against the Lakers in La La Land.

Find those and more NBA picks for Tuesday, February 10, below.

Best NBA player props today

Prop #1: Aaron Nesmith Over 2.5 made threes

+130 at bet365

Last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, where the Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks 4-2, feels like a different timeline.

Injuries and trades have made the Pacers roster mostly unrecognizable, while the Knicks look ready to return to the dance after winning nine of their last 10. 

But the Knicks still have some flaws, including a perimeter defense that ranks 21st in opponent 3-point makes and 23rd in opponent 3-point attempts per game.

Aaron Nesmith has been hot shooting the 3-ball, shooting 51.4% from deep and draining three or more treys in five of his last seven.

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FDSN Indiana, MSG

Prop #2: Mark Williams Over 11.5 points

-130 at bet365

The Dallas Mavericks have lost seven in a row and now head to the desert to take on the Phoenix Suns.

One of the Mavericks' biggest issues this season is their lack of interior presence, which has been made even worse after trading Anthony Davis.

Dallas is dead last in the NBA in opponent points in the paint per game. That has me looking at Suns center Mark Williams.

The big man is averaging 13.4 points over his last eight, and this is a great matchup for him.

• Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: KFAA, KTVK

Prop #3: De'Aaron Fox Over 5.5 assists

-130 at bet365

De’Aaron Fox has been dishing out the dimes, and I’m betting he crushes another assists prop tonight when the San Antonio Spurs visit the Los Angeles Lakers.

Fox has averaged 7.7 assists per game over his last seven games, and he’s recorded at least seven in six of those. Now, he gets a great matchup against the Lakers.

L.A. is playing the second half of a back-to-back, and defense hasn’t been the Lakers' calling card. L.A. ranks 22nd in defensive rating and 25th in opponent assists per possession.

Fox shouldn’t have a problem topping 5.5 assists in this one.

• Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FDSN Southwest, SPECSN

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

After being traded to the Phoenix Suns for Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis, Suns fans couldn’t help but take a trip down memory lane when they first heard the name “Amir Coffey”.

Because what Suns fans most remember Amir Coffey for is something that he was not even involved in.

We have a winner.

Amir Coffey.

Shoutout to @theboiroy for finding that. #Suns down 11-10 as Devin Booker has 8. https://t.co/jT2IaEpUZopic.twitter.com/YPi1W9YaF1

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 25, 2022

It was Coffey’s face in Denver on the big screen in March of 2022, in place of Devin Booker’s, for the Suns’ starting lineups. We all remember what Booker did that game after being “disrespected.”

Before playing for the Milwaukee Bucks this season, Coffey played for the Los Angeles Clippers for the first six years of his career. Which means he has seen multiple iterations of the Suns while playing for the Clippers. He has been bounced out of the playoffs by the Suns twice and has matched up against Booker many times in his career. He has played against the Suns 18 times total.

“I mean, everybody knows Dev, he’s a great player,” Coffey said during his media availability. “You know, things run through him, and he’s on all scouts and everything. So those battles were definitely good.”

Coffey has averaged 6.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game on 45.5% shooting from the field, and a respectable 38.1% from three in his NBA career. Coffey is a 6-foot-7 3-and-D wing that has stayed in the league because of his ability to defend and shoot from long range. Coffey is not the big, power forward type player the Suns wanted at the deadline, but he is a perfect fit for what the Suns want to do. He plays hard, defends well, and can knock down open shots.

“Yeah, I think it’s gonna be good. Just what I can do and add to the team. I’m somebody that can play on both sides of the ball,” Coffey said. “You know, on defense guard, multiple positions, switch out, and you know, offensive spacer, just do what I do and emulate myself into the offense.”

Coffey has basketball in his blood. His two older sisters played college basketball at Marist and Northwestern, and his sister Nia plays in the WNBA. His father played at the University of Minnesota and played for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA. Coffey followed in his father’s footsteps and was a three-year starter in college for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. In his junior year, he averaged 16.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists and was named Third Team All-Big Ten. Then he left for the NBA and went undrafted, just like a handful of his current Suns teammates.

Coffey signed with the Clippers out of college but played sparingly in his first two seasons in the league. Then, in his third season, he had a breakout year. He appeared in 69 games, started 30 games, and averaged 9.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.

Since that season, Coffey’s minutes bounced around depending on the health of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and other wings ahead of him in the Clippers rotation. In the 2024-25 season, he scored a career high of 9.7 points and shot over 40% from three with the Clippers. Coffey then decided to go to the Bucks this offseason and was in and out of the rotation for Milwaukee this season.

Coffey was not sure if he was getting traded at the deadline, but now that he has experienced that for the first time in his career, he is ready to be a Phoenix Sun.

“You know, it’s always weird around the deadline. Trying to wait to see what’s going to happen,” Coffey said. “But, you know, I’m definitely blessed to be in this position. I’m grateful for the opportunity. ready to get going.”

With Grayson Allen and Isaiah Livers both injured, the Suns need depth and versatility at the wing position, a role that Coffey can fill right now.

“I’ll be able to switch one through four, one through three, whatever they need, guard different positions, and kind of just work myself into how they play,” Coffey said. “Like run and gun and everybody’s covering for each other. A little bit of tenacity in there. So, just getting terminology down and what we’re looking for, I think it is going to be good.”

Whether Coffey blossoms into a 10-t0-20 minute a game role player for the Suns, or only plays in garbage time, Coffey is a valuable addition to the Suns for the home stretch of the season. He brings more versatility and length to a Suns roster that has had to battle through the injury bug this season. While he is on a one-year contract that expires at the end of the season, the Suns can resign him this offseason and should resign him if they move off of any of the other wings in front of him, like Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen, or Jordan Goodwin.

With the addition of Amir Coffey, the Suns got even better on defense and became an even deeper team.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed two-way forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin to a standard contract worth $3 million over two years, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Tomlin has played 43 games with the Cavaliers this season. The Cavs have currently filled all of their standard roster spots and now have one two-way slot remaining.

The Cavs first signed Tomlin to an Exhibit-10 deal in September of 2024. After a strong season with the Charge, where Tomlin averaged 17.2 points and 7.3 rebounds, he was signed to a 10-day contract in February of 2025, then later converted to a two-way deal after that.

Tomlin, a 6’8” forward who didn’t start playing organized basketball until college, is the quintessential example of how the G-League should work. Cleveland found a hidden gem, polished him with the Charge, then allowed him to prove himself.

The Cavaliers quickly learned how beneficial Tomlin could be when they turned to him for minutes earlier in the season. Tomlin made an immediate impact by being a high-motor athlete whose energy and activity made him a contributor. Especially at a time when the team was lacking effort more than anything.

Tomlin has averaged 6.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game this season. He’s delivered on highlight plays such as stripping Luka Doncic and throwing down a windmill dunk in Cleveland’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers. But he’s also played a smaller role in numerous wins for the Cavs, playing his role and doing the dirty work.

There is still room for improvement. Tomlin, at this point, is shooting just 22% from downtown. Opponents have begun ignoring him entirely on the perimeter. While he can cut to the basket and make up for some of this, it will eventually become a deal breaker if Tomlin can’t consistently knock down corner three-pointers.

Nevertheless, this is the dream for all two-way players. Make the most of your opportunities, prove you belong in the rotation, and then earn the big deal. The job is never finished, but this is a moment worth celebrating. Congrats, Tomlin. You earned it.

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.

We’re two games into the James Harden Cleveland Cavaliers era, and things couldn’t be going much better. The initial chemistry he’s shown with Donovan Mitchell is encouraging, and his ability to get Jarrett Allen involved in the offense has unlocked a dimension that wasn’t otherwise there.

That said, the cost of Darius Garland was steep — provided he can return to his All-Star form in the future. Reactions to the trade weren’t necessarily positive from Cavs fans at the time of the deal, and understandably so.

Now that a week has passed since the initial rumor and we’ve seen what it looks like on the court, have your opinions changed? How would you grade the trade?

Let us know with the survey below!

LeBron James spoke in hushed tones as he repeatedly rubbed his watering eye.  Austin Reaves was fully slumped in his chair. 

For 48 minutes, they had been swarmed. They were completely depleted. 

“That’s a championship team right there,” said James after the Lakers’ 119-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. “We’re not.”

The Thunder, who have an average age of 25.6 years and the best defense in the league, took it out of James in a way nobody else has this season, including back-to-back efforts. 

“We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes,” said James, who had 22 points, six rebounds and 10 assists. “And they can. That’s why they won the championship.”

So how big is the gap between the team that has the fifth-best record in the West (the Lakers) and the team with the best record in the league (the Thunder)? 

Huge. 

Monday was a wake up call for the Lakers, who are trying to claw their way up the Western Conference standings. The Lakers are good. But when it comes to teams like Oklahoma City or San Antonio, their age shows. 

The juxtaposition between the Lakers’ and Thunder’s locker rooms was stunning. While the Lakers looked as though they had just survived something, the Thunder could’ve passed for not having played a game. 

They were laughing. Joking. One reporter went from player to player, teaching them another language as they practiced the words 

Meanwhile, James was so out of it that he felt the need to explain himself. 

“I’m tired,” James said after he finished talking to reporters. “No, I’m not sick. I’m just tired as f—. Sorry if I sound irritated but I’m 41. My [patience for] irritation is being very, very low as the days go on.”

What’s interesting is the aftermath of the game revealed more than the game itself, which was a rock fight with 22 lead changes and 10 ties. With just one minute left, the Lakers only trailed the Thunder by three points (113-110) before Jalen Williams went on a 6-0 run. 

But if these teams met in the playoffs, there’s just no way the Lakers could hang in a seven-game series. The Thunder could’ve easily played another 48 minutes, while the Lakers seemingly could barely lift themselves out of their chairs. 

The Thunder are the gold standard in the NBA. 

They’re the defending champs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP and Finals MVP. (He didn’t play Monday because of an abdominal strain, and neither did Luka Doncic, who was sidelined with a strained calf). 

But still, the Thunder left the Lakers shell-shocked. Oklahoma City doesn’t just have the best defense in the league, they have one of the best defenses in modern NBA history. 

Lu Dort is elite one-on-one. Cason Wallace is nearly impossible to get past. Alex Caruso is an energizer bunny with the IQ of an elephant. Williams is a menace. 

It left the Lakers dizzied. 

There’s so much contact. So much physicality. James was able to force his way through it. But it left him completely worn out. Same with Reaves.

If this was a measuring stick game for the Lakers, the results were clear: They simply can’t hang with the creme de la creme of the league. And that statement would’ve been true even if the Lakers had won Monday. 

There was no need to look at a box score to come to that conclusion. 

A simple peek in the locker room was far more revealing. 

The NBA season is a bit over halfway done. And starting Thursday, the league will have their annual All-Star Break! There are no Washington Wizards players playing at the big event on Sunday. But on Friday, Feb. 13 at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock, the Rising Stars Challenge will be on. Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson will be there. Watching them on Friday will be the highlight of All-Start Weekend for me.

How about you guys? What is the biggest thing you are looking forward to on All-Star Weekend? Let us know below.

During an appearance on The Sports Junkies on Tuesday, Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins shut down reports that Anthony Davis won’t play this season.

“I would say highly likely,” Dawkins said when asked about Davis and Trae Young playing this season. “That’s the goal. We want to see our guys together so we can build camaraderie and build some continuity towards the end of the season.”

Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said he believes it's "highly likely" that Trae Young and Anthony Davis play this season.

"That's the goal. We want to see our guys together so we can build camaraderie and build some continuity towards the end of the season."

— Ben Strober (@strobersports) February 10, 2026

Davis suffered ligament damage in his left hand on Jan. 8. It was reported on Jan. 13 that Davis would forego surgery and be re-evaluated in six weeks.

Following Wednesday’s trade for Davis, Chris Haynes reported that the 32-year-old forward would miss the remainder of the season as he rehabs his hand injury. But Dawkins’ recent comments, both on Sunday before the Wizards’ game and on radio Tuesday, contradict that report.

Dawkins said in January that the plan is to re-evaluate Young, who hasn’t played with the Wizards while he rehabs an MCL sprain and a quad contusion, after the All-Star break. He said Davis, who was listed with a finger sprain, will continue rehabbing his hand injury in Dallas and will have an important doctor’s appointment during the All-Star break.

It’s that time of year: the time that in the past saw the Spurs getting past the January doldrums by going on the road to put everything together on their way to a championship run. However, in recent years, it has been a killer because the Spurs just weren’t that good away from the Frost Bank Center. Yes, we’re talking about the annual Rodeo Road Trip, and for this, the 24th iteration, things looker brighter than they have in at least 7 years.

It all begins with a Lakers team that has remained above the fray and in the playoff picture but has not quite lived up to expectations for a season that began with an in-shape Luka Doncic set to lead the team along with LeBron James and Austin Reaves. Between some bad habits returning for Doncic, Father Time (and dissatisfaction) catching up with LeBron, and Reaves dealing with injuries, it has been an up-and-down season for the Lakers. They tried to address some weaknesses by adding Luke Kennard at the trade deadline, but they still dropped one to a shorthanded Thunder team last night to fall four games behind the second place Spurs.

For the Spurs, who have won four straight while finding an offensive rhythm that eluded them for much of January, this will be their third visit to the Staples Center this season thanks to the quirks of the NBA Cup Tournament, which sent them to LA for an extra game in the quarterfinals. While the Spurs split those two outings, losing the first match-up on the final shot way back in the second week of the season, they owned the next two, including the Cup quarterfinals and in San Antonio last month.

While Doncic has always been a thorn in the Spurs side — even Victor Wembanyama admitted he was hard to beat earlier in the season — the Spurs’ solution in previous games was to let him do his thing with his difficult shot selection while limiting everyone else’s offensive impact. Doncic is just as good of a creator as he is scorer, so if you can take away one aspect of his offense, you have him beat.

With all that being said, Doncic may be out tonight after missing last night’s game with a sore hamstring, and who knows with LeBron on back-to-backs. If that is the case, the Spurs will have to make a mental adjustment that they have sometimes struggled with but overcame twice last week, and that’s not getting complacent and playing down to injured or inferior opponents. If the Spurs stay focused and play their best version of ball, they may be able to make quick work of this game and save some legs for the next night against a similary shorthanded Warriors team.

San Antonio Spurs (36-16) at Los Angeles Lakers (32-20)

February 10, 2015 | 9:30 PM CT

Watch: FanDuel Sports, NBATV | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs injuries: Lindy Waters III (out — knee)

Lakers injuries: not due until 1:00 PM CT

Sixers sign former Bulls 1st-round pick Dalen Terry to 2-way contract  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers have signed 23-year-old wing Dalen Terry to a two-way contract, the team announced Tuesday. 

Terry was the 18th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft and spent his first three and a half professional seasons with the Bulls. He got dealt twice at this trade deadline — first to the Knicks, then to the Pelicans — before being waived by New Orleans. 

Terry was known for his ability to do a little bit of everything entering the draft. Over 204 games with the Bulls, the 6-foot-6 Arizona product averaged 3.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.6 steals in 11.1 minutes per contest. Terry tied his career scoring high last February against the Sixers when he posted 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting in the Bulls’ blowout win.

The Sixers had an open two-way slot after signing Dominick Barlow to a standard NBA deal.

Their other two-way players at the moment are Jabari Walker and MarJon Beauchamp. Walker’s status is in limbo. He’s been active for the maximum of 50 NBA games and wasn’t available for the final three games of the Sixers’ West Coast road trip.

“It’s sort of annoying just how it all works, that Jabari can’t play for some games here,” Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said last week. “ … He’s been a tremendous next-man-up type of contributor. We hope to have his services going forward, but we do have to weigh optimal use of our scarce two roster spots and against the other opportunities as well. So that’ll be written over time, whether or not we do that conversion there.”