Category: Basketball

Basketball News

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New Orleans' Jordan Poole out at leat 7-10 days with left quad strain

Zion Williamson is out for at least another week with a hamstring injury. Dejounte Murray is not expected to return to the Pelicans from his torn Achilles until the calendar flips to 2026.

That put the ball in the hands of Jordan Poole to be a primary shot creator in New Orleans, but now comes word that he has a strained left quad and will be out for at least a week, with a re-evaluation in 7-10 days.

Poole has put up numbers for the Pelicans — 17.3 points and 3.4 assists a game — but has not been efficient doing so, shooting just 34.5% from the field.

Saddiq Bey got the start on Wednesday with Poole out, and both Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins are likely to see more run as well.

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Fantasy Basketball Weekend Start/Sit Decisions: It's Breakout Time for Cooper Flagg

Whether you’re in a Yahoo! High Score league, a Sleeper league, a league with a games cap or simply have so many players with games scheduled that you can’t start them all, making a decision about who to start or sit can help you win or lose your matchup.

Obviously, in many leagues, having more games played each week ends up being the difference in a matchup. This is not me saying to bench a player in a points league without a games cap. Even if I’m expecting a terrible game, five points is better than zero!

The Hornets, Clippers, Lakers, Knicks, Pelicans, Suns, Trail Blazers and Jazz only play once this weekend, so if you’re just looking to maximize games, avoid those teams.

▶ Guards

Start: Donte DiVincenzo, Minnesota Timberwolves

Even with Anthony Edwards back, DiVincenzo is still an important part of the offense in Minnesota. They play two games this weekend, with one of those coming against the Jazz, who have allowed the second-most three-pointers per game this season. DiVincenzo has hit at least five triples in three straight games.

Start: Grayson Allen, Phoenix Suns

When Jalen Green made his debut for Phoenix on Thursday, the expectation was that Allen would be moved to the bench. However, Allen remained a starter, with second-year forward Ryan Dunn shifting to a reserve role. Assuming that holds, Allen will get another matchup with the Clippers on Saturday after hitting four three-pointers against them on Thursday.

Sit: Bradley Beal, LA Clippers

This should be an easy one, but he’s still heavily-rostered in Yahoo! leagues. Beal has started every game he has played this season, but he’s been limited to 20.3 minutes per game. Against the Suns on Thursday, with Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and James Harden (personal) out, Beal had a great opportunity to get back on track, but he ended up having his worst performance of the year. He might figure things out at some point, but until he proves it, he should be left on the bench.

Sit: CJ McCollum, Washington Wizards

McCollum has had a few decent performances this season, but the last two have been quite rough. Now, the Wizards have a back-to-back with the Cavaliers and Mavericks, two teams who are in the top 10 in points allowed per game this season. This isn’t the weekend to bank on McCollum figuring things out.

▶ Forwards

Start: Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks

Coming off his best performance of the season, Flagg has a strong opportunity this weekend. Dallas takes on the Grizzlies and Wizards, and both teams rank in the bottom three for points allowed per game. With Anthony Davis (calf) still hurt, Flagg is going to be the focal point of the offense again, and he’ll have the chance to build on his game against the Pelicans.

Start: Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat

Jaquez has been really good so far this season, with a couple of subpar performances sprinkled in. However, with Bam Adebayo dealing with a toe injury, and Tyler Herro still out, there will be plenty of usage available in Miami. The Heat play two games this weekend, including one against the Hornets, who have been bottom five in points allowed and bottom three in turnovers forced.

Sit: Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies

There isn’t a lot going right in Memphis right now, but Coward has been a bright spot. Still, matchups with two strong defenses in the Mavericks and Thunder won’t provide Coward with a great opportunity to stay hot. He’s still a great long-term option, and he appears to be the latest draft success for Memphis, but this isn’t an ideal weekend for him.

Sit: Cam Johnson, Denver Nuggets

It’s been a rough start to the season for Johnson, and I’m confident he’ll get back on track eventually. However, that will happen when he gets going from beyond the arc. Denver will take on the Warriors and Pacers this weekend, and both teams rank in the top 10 in fewest three-pointers allowed per game.

▶ Centers

Start: Deandre Ayton, Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers only have one game this weekend, but it’s against the Hawks, who have the worst rebounding percentage in the league, per NBA.com/stats. Ayton has two straight 20-point double-doubles, and this is a great opportunity for him to keep that streak going. Ayton started the season off slowly, but he’s starting to figure things out.

Start: Daniel Gafford, Dallas Mavericks

Anthony Davis (calf) and Dereck Lively (knee) are still out, and while Gafford won’t play the minutes that many starters will, he’ll be a force on the glass against two teams (Memphis and Washington) that rank in the bottom three in rebounds allowed per game. This should be a strong weekend for Gafford.

Sit: Isaiah Jackson, Indiana Pacers

I know everyone was thinking that Jackson’s three-game hot streak was the start of his breakout, but I’m not confident that’s the case. The Pacers take on the Warriors and Nuggets this weekend, and both teams have been effective on the defensive glass and now allowed many blocked shots. Perhaps that’s because nearly half of the Warriors shot attempts are from deep, and the Nuggets have Nikola Jokic.

Sit: Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets

The Nets play the Knicks and Pistons this weekend, and both teams have dominated the glass this year. Claxton has been effective recently, but that has come against some teams that have struggled to rebound this season. This isn’t the ideal weekend for Claxton to stay hot.

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Trade rumor roundup: Market not strong for Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball

Seven or eight games at the start of the season is enough time to make sweeping generalizations about teams and who they should try to trade. Apparently.

The NBA trade rumor mill never stops grinding, so here is the latest on some big names.

Zion Williamson

For the fourth consecutive year, Zion Williamson has been sidelined with a hamstring injury (this is a Grade 1 strain expected to keep him out 7-10 days). Combine that with New Orleans' 2-6 start and bottom-five offense and defense in the league — and a reminder that Joe Dumars came in and traded away their first-round pick next season to move up 10 spots and draft Derik Queen — and there are calls for change in the Big Easy.

However, trading Zion is not much of an option because there is no market for him, something Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst got into at ESPN. From Windhorst:

Stated simply, even with his unusual non-guaranteed contract over the next two years that offers the franchise protection, Williamson's trade value isn't super high.

"To be honest, their move might be a win-now trade, not a Zion trade," a rival executive said. "His trade value isn't there and they are facing some pressure to win."

Dumars knows there is no Zion trade market. That's why he came in last summer and backed Zion, choosing not to try to trade the former No. 1 pick, because he understood there wouldn't be enough value in return, a league source told NBC Sports. Dumars needed Zion to have a strong season, raise that value, then he would have options. So far, that has not come to pass, and if there is clamoring for change in New Orleans, it could be coach Willie Green who pays the price.

Ja Morant

As written about this week at NBC Sports, league sources have told us there is not much of a trade market for Morant right now, and any offers for him at this point would be lowball ones looking for a steal. Minnesota and Sacramento are reportedly interested, not Houston (why take the ball out of the hands of Amen Thompson and Kevin Durant? The Rockets need a floor general at the point). Memphis is in a tough spot because Morant is still a player people pay to see in a small market, and the business side of the equation matters, as Tim Bontemps mentions at ESPN.

In talking with various sources around the league, Morant is still viewed as a borderline top-10 player at the position -- and that's before factoring in the previous off-court issues -- but there aren't many teams around the league in need of a starting point guard ...

"He sells shoes, he sells tickets, and he wants to play in Memphis when no one wants to," a Western Conference assistant coach said. "So it makes for a really, really difficult situation."

Now, if the Grizzlies were to decide to make a major change, there would be a lot of interest in former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson, ESPN notes.

Trae Young

It's hard to make any call on Young with him out for at least another three weeks with a sprained knee. Young can opt out and become a free agent next summer, but Atlanta's new front office was wisely being patient, not really negotiating on an extension with the All-Star. The Hawks want to see how Young and Kristaps Porzingis fit together (and with the rest of the talented players on this roster, such as Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels) before committing to anything. Young and Porzingis have played just 51 minutes together this season, way too few to make any kind of assessment.

That said, one executive told ESPN that Atlanta would listen to trade offers.

"Atlanta is good enough to keep Trae and be good and make the playoffs," an East executive said. "But with the pick and Jalen, Dyson and [Zaccharie Risacher], they'll at least pick up the phone and listen when called."

If Young leaves Atlanta, a sign-and-trade next offseason seems the most likely scenario. The more likely scenario is that he stays, but there is no need to make a call either way until we see more of what these Hawks could be healthy.

LaMelo Ball

Much like the Hawks' situation, the Hornets came into this season optimistic and wanting to see what a lineup featuring their star point guard, Ball, Brandon Miller, and No. 4 pick last June, Kon Knueppel, looked like. So far, we have seen that trio healthy and on the court together for 16 minutes in one game. The big questions have yet to be answered, and Miller with out with a shoulder injury and no timeline for a return it could be a while before we get answers.

The situation in Charlotte with Ball also echoes what is happening in Memphis in one key way: the star player is very popular in the market and helps sell tickets, while his trade value around the league is not high enough to have the Hornets considering a deal. Here is what one scout told ESPN:

"Would someone take a flier on him? For sure. But Charlotte isn't taking a flier price for him."

Again, a Ball trade is more likely next offseason than at the deadline. The Hornets will be patient, they want to see what this core can do together when healthy (which could boost Ball's trade value).

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

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NCAA revokes eligibility of 6 more college basketball players as it continues sports betting probe

The NCAA revoked the eligibility of six men’s college basketball players for allegations of sports betting on Friday in three separate cases at New Orleans, Mississippi Valley and Arizona State. The NCAA Committee on Infractions released findings from an investigation that concluded Cedquavious Hunter, Dyquavian Short, Jamond Vincent, Donovan Sanders, Alvin Stredic and Chatton “BJ” Freeman either manipulated their performances to lose games, not cover bet lines or ensure certain prop bets were reached, or provided information that enabled others to do so during the 2024-25 regular season.

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Nets' Cam Thomas to miss at least three to four weeks with left hamstring strain

The Nets will be without starting shooting guard Cam Thomas for at least the next three to four weeks due to a left hamstring strain, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Brooklyn had ruled Thomas out earlier in the day for Friday night's NBA Cup opener against the Detroit Pistons, but now it appears he'll miss more time.

Thomas suffered the hamstring injury during Wednesday's win over the Indiana Pacers. He played just six minutes before leaving the court and not returning.

Hamstring injuries have become a recurring problem for the 24-year-old, who missed 57 games last season after injuring it three times, limiting him to just 25 games played.

After agreeing to a one-year qualifying offer before the start of the season, Thomas is averaging 21.4 points on 40.2 percent shooting (35.6 percent from three) over eight games and 28.3 minutes of action per night.

With Thomas sidelined, Brooklyn will need Michael Porter Jr. to continue leading the team in scoring (22.4 points per game). Porter dropped a season-high 32-points (his second 32-point game) to help the Nets earn their first win of the season on Wednesday after a rough 0-7 start.

Additionally, the Nets upgraded rookie wing Drake Powell (right ankle sprain) to available for Friday's contest. The UNC product has played in just two games (11 minutes combined) so far this year. Three other of the Nets five first-round picks -- Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf, and Nolan Traore -- remain on G-League assignment with the Long Island Nets.

Meanwhile, wing Terance Mann, who was previously listed as probable due to left shoulder soreness, is available on Friday. Mann has started and played in all eight games, averaging 11.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.

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Sixers waiting on George and Barlow's green lights, tweaking back-to-backs mindset

Sixers waiting on George and Barlow's green lights, tweaking back-to-backs mindset originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Sixers continue to wait for Paul George and Dominick Barlow’s green lights.

Neither George (left knee surgery recovery) nor Barlow (right elbow laceration) have been cleared yet for a return. Both were at the Sixers’ practice facility Friday. George ran through a post-practice shooting session with Jared McCain. Barlow sat on the sidelines with a multi-part brace on his right arm.

According to a team official, George will meet with doctors over the weekend to assess his recovery and determine next steps. Barlow will miss the Sixers’ weekend back-to-back vs. the Raptors and Pistons. He’s set for a follow-up visit with his surgeon on Monday. 

George has been a regular practice participant for weeks. 

“I think the last hurdle is he’s seeing the doctors this weekend,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “I think that’s the hurdle of them clearing him to play … the main thing. That’s it.”

The 5-3 Sixers rank 22nd in the NBA in defensive rating. They expect George to make them a better team on that end of the floor. 

“He’s looked good,” Nurse said. “I think he’s moving very well, he’s shooting very well. … I’m like everybody out there in Sixers nation: I’m hoping the doc gives him the clearance so we can get him out there, even if it’s just to get him back in the flow of things. He’s going to help us. To me, he looks really good on defense. He’s just got such an instinctual feel for that end of the floor. And he’s got the size at 6-9, and there’s deflections and all that stuff. 

“He’s really kind of a captain-type guy there. He knows what he’s doing and he helps other guys. … That would be useful as well.”

After starting the Sixers’ first two games, Barlow has been out since their Oct. 25 win vs. the Hornets.

His recovery has evidently not been simple. 

“He still has that splint or partial cast, whatever it is, that’s making him keep his arm straight-ish,” Nurse said. “Again, the (laceration) was right on where it bends and that’s what’s causing the problems. He does have a follow-up on I believe Monday. Hopefully, he gets out of that thing and it’s healed. I’m going to be optimistic: I don’t see that being a super-long rehab. I think it just needs to get healed up and he should be good to go.”

Safe to say it’s not a typical injury. 

“I’ve never seen that one,” Nurse said. “They’re like, ‘Oh, he cut himself.’ I’m like, ‘All right, patch him up and let’s get him back in there.’ That was like three weeks ago when I said that during the game. … So it falls under bizarre, yes.”

McCain returned to action Tuesday in the Sixers’ loss to the Bulls, although he’s still limited in several ways. He played 15 scoreless minutes in Chicago and then sat the next night against the Cavs with a “left knee injury recovery” designation. 

The 21-year-old guard suffered a left knee lateral meniscus tear on Dec. 13 and a right thumb UCL tear on Sept. 25. On top of restricted minutes and new teammates, he’s adjusting to wearing a bulky brace on his knee. 

“It feels unbalanced and it just feels like it’s super heavy, like you’re just lugging a whole leg. … And it’s just hard to move,” McCain said. “I said to family it’s like my mind wants to do something but my body’s not letting me. So it just takes getting used to. That’s what (Joel Embiid) said: It’ll take some time.”

McCain said he believes he’ll be re-evaluated in about a month and hopes to have the brace off “as soon as possible.” 

For now, Nurse has to make do with restrictions for McCain and Embiid and the absences of George and Barlow. His key players are accumulating tons of early-season minutes; Tyrese Maxey’s 41.3 per game easily lead the NBA.

Will the Sixers change anything about how they approach back-to-backs moving forward? 

“There’s a couple of things I think we’ve learned that we need to tweak,” Nurse said. “I wish I could tell you what they are, but I can’t, really. But there are some things. Mostly, I just want to try not to make such a big deal out of it being a back-to-back.

“I think that’s a good place to start mentally, a mindset of, ‘Let’s just play the game.’ It is talked about and there’s a million things going on because it’s a back-to-back, but I want to get us a little bit more into, ‘Let’s just play it like another game.’”

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Where Celtics stand in 2025 NBA Cup as Group B play heats up

Where Celtics stand in 2025 NBA Cup as Group B play heats up originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics currently sit 10th in the NBA’s Eastern Conference at 4-5 after an up-and-down start to the 2025-26 season. But if they defeat the Orlando Magic on Friday night, they can lay claim to first place in Group B of the 2025 NBA Cup.

The league’s third annual in-season tournament continues Friday with more group play action, as Celtics-Magic is one of 11 games around the league that will count toward the NBA Cup standings. The C’s — who are in Group B of the NBA Cup along with the Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets — are 1-0 in the group stage after edging the Sixers 109-108 last Friday in their NBA Cup opener.

That Celtics-Sixers game has been the only Group B game to date, as the Magic, Pistons and Nets have yet to begin their NBA Cup slates. All three teams are in action Friday, however — Detroit and Brooklyn play at 7:30 p.m. ET — so we’ll see more movement in the standings by the end of the night.

As a reminder, point differential is a key tiebreaker in the NBA Cup, so expect both the Celtics and Magic to play hard until the final whistle, even if the game is already in hand for either side.

How will it all play out? Below is a brief refresher on the NBA Cup format, followed by the Celtics’ schedule and the Group B standings, which we’ll update at the conclusion Friday’s games.

How does the NBA Cup work?

The tournament begins with the group stage. All 30 teams will compete in group play, having been placed into six groups of five teams within their conference. Teams face each of their group opponents once for a total of four group play games (two at home and two on the road).

Eight teams advance to the single-elimination knockout rounds: the top team in each of the six groups and a wild card team in each conference that’s awarded to the second-place finisher with the best overall record.

If two or more teams are tied within a group, the following tiebreakers are used:

  • Head-to-head record in group play
  • Point differential in group play
  • Total points scored in group play
  • Record from the 2024-25 NBA regular season
  • Random drawing

The knockout rounds begin with quarterfinal games on Dec. 9 and 10 hosted by the higher seed, and then the semifinals and finals, which will be held in Las Vegas.

All Group Stage games count toward teams’ regular-season records. Teams enter the season with only 80 scheduled games, and the 22 teams that don’t advance to the knockout round will play two regular-season games during tournament off nights on Dec. 11/12 and Dec. 14/15.

Celtics’ Group B schedule

The Celtics’ four Group Stage games will be played across a 27-day span from Halloween until the day before Thanksgiving.

Group B Standings

Each team in Group B will play each other once during Group Stage play. If two teams have the same record in group play, the first two tiebreakers are head-to-head record and point differential. 

Here are the Group B standings, which we’ll update throughout group play:

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Steve Kerr reveals Warriors' lofty playoff seed goal for 2025-26 NBA season

Steve Kerr reveals Warriors' lofty playoff seed goal for 2025-26 NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Nearing the end of Steph Curry’s career, the Warriors have nothing but winning an NBA championship on their minds.

Getting there, of course, is the challenge. And while Golden State, which once dominated the West for several consecutive seasons, might not be seeking the No. 1 playoff seed the way it used to, Warriors coach Steve Kerr revealed the team’s target seed it is chasing.

“I mean, unless you’re OKC, everybody in the West is thinking, ‘Let’s make sure we’re in the top six.’ I told our team before the season, let’s finish in the top four,” Kerr said Thursday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.” “Let’s have our homecourt advantage in the first round. And so, top six is obviously where everybody wants to end up. Nobody wants to be in the Play-In. I think we’re good enough where we should be thinking top four. Home court. But we haven’t gotten there yet.

“The schedule’s been tough. We haven’t settled our rotation yet. We haven’t allowed for guys to get comfortable yet in their roles because lineups have changed. We’re a little scattered right now. But nothing we can’t fix and get on track. Like I said, I can’t be more excited about our team and talent level and ability to be good. But we have some work to do.”

Golden State currently holds a 5-4 record and is sitting seventh in the West in the early part of the 2025-26 NBA season.

The Warriors have the sixth-most difficult schedule remaining, per Tankathon, with four matchups against the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, three against the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets, respectively, and two against the red-hot Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons.

But experience is on Golden State’s side, even if the schedule isn’t.

And the confidence level is high for the Warriors, especially after acquiring six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, who is in the midst of his first full season with the team.

Now, as Kerr attested to, it’ll be on the players to execute if they want to reach their lofty goals of homecourt advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

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Steve Kerr has ‘zero concern' about Al Horford's early struggles with Warriors

Steve Kerr has ‘zero concern' about Al Horford's early struggles with Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Al Horford appeared to be the perfect fit for the Warriors, but his recent shooting struggles have raised some eyebrows.

Horford went scoreless in Golden State’s loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, shooting 0-for-8 from the field and missing all of his seven 3-point attempts.

Still, Warriors coach Steve Kerr isn’t worried about the veteran center’s early slump.

“Zero concern,” Kerr said Thursday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.” “Because what I’m watching is the way he’s moving. I said this after the game and I’m sure people laughed, but it was real. It was honest. I thought he played a really good game [Wednesday] night, the ball just didn’t go in. All of his shots looked good, I thought every single one of them was going, and none of them went. So he’s at one of those stages right now, and it happens in every sport. A baseball player who, the ball, it’s coming off his bat hard, but it’s going right to people.

“Nothing is going Al’s way right now. It doesn’t shock me because it is really hard to go to a new team. But I’m watching the way he’s moving, his decision-making, how smart this guy is. He’s going to be just fine. I wouldn’t worry about Al.”

Horford is 1 of 16 from beyond the arc over his last four games, and 5 of 24 (20.8 percent) on the season.

Over the course of his nearly two-decade career, Horford has shot 50.9 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from distance as he’s established himself as one of the best shooting bigs in the game.

That is why Kerr won’t hit the panic button just yet, as he is certain Horford will find a rhythm with time.

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No. 3 Florida bounces back from season-opening loss and dominates North Florida

Alex Condon had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Micah Handlogten notched his second double-double in as many games and No. 3 Florida bounced back from a season-opening loss with a 104-64 drubbing of North Florida on Thursday night. It was so lopsided that 7-foot-9 walk-on Olivier Rioux, the world’s tallest teenager, made his collegiate debut. The 19-year-old Gators freshman got the loudest ovation of the night when he pulled off his warmup jersey and entered the game with 2:09 to play.

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Joshua Jefferson scores 20 points in No. 16 Iowa State’s 102-62 win over Grambling

Joshua Jefferson scored 20 points to lead six Iowa State players in double figures, and the 16th-ranked Cyclones defeated Grambling 102-62 on Thursday night. Jefferson shot 8 of 10 from the field and had eight rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot as the Cyclones (2-0) won their 36th straight nonconference game at Hilton Coliseum. Milan Momcilovic, Killyan Toure and Jamarion Batemon scored 11 points apiece and Dominick Nelson and Tamin Lipsey had 10 points each.

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Keyshawn Hall scores 25 to lead No. 20 Auburn to a 95-57 win over Merrimack

Keyshawn Hall scored 25 points to lead No. 20 Auburn to a 95-57 win over Merrimack on Thursday night. Hall also had 14 rebounds for his first double-double with the Tigers. The 6-foot-7 UCF transfer has been the leading scorer for Auburn (2-0) in both games; he had 28 points in Monday’s season opener, a 95-90 overtime victory at home against Bethune-Cookman in Steven Pearl’s coaching debut.