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2026 NBA Rising Stars Game draft: Live updates, official teams set, Cooper Flagg goes first to Team Carmelo

We already knew the 21 NBA rookies and sophomores competing in the Rising Stars Challenge All-Star Friday night in Los Angeles next month.

We certainly already knew the three Hall of Famers who will be coaching those young stars: Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. Those three, not so coincidentally, make up three-quarters of the NBA Showtime crew at NBC Sports.

Tuesday night, we found out who would be on which team — a live, schoolyard-style draft of the rosters that happened live on NBC and Peacock. The Hall of Famers drafted those 21 rookies and sophomores onto their three squads.

Here is how the teams shook out:

Team Carmelo AnthonyTeam Vince CarterTeam Tracy McGrady
Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks)VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers)Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets)
Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets)Derik Queen (New Orleans Pelicans)Kel'el Ware (Miami Heat)
Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards)Tre Johnosn (Washington Wizards)
Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs)Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls)Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards)
Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans)Egor Dëmin (Brooklyn Nets)Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers)Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies)Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto Raptors)Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies)Cam Spencer (Memphis Grizzlies)

Anaylysis

• Carmelo Anthony picked the Mavericks' Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall selection in this draft. The only surprise would have been if he hadn't taken Flagg first.

• Vince Carter made the first mildly surprising pick, taking the Pelicans' standout rookie big man Derik Queen No. 4 — in front of any of the sophomores.

• It wasn't Stephon Castle who was the first sophomore selected, it was the Heat's Kel'el Ware, because McGrady "likes his game" and wanted some rim protection.

• My early pick to win it all: Team Carmelo Anthony. On the broadcast, the Showtime crew talked like general managers, discussing balance and defense. Anyone who has seen a Rising Stars Challenge (or, for that matter, any All-Star Game) knows this is a pickup game. It's free-form. Who has the athletes? Who has the shooters? Who has the guys who can play in transition? Give me Flagg, Castle, Harper and Fears running the break with Sheppard sprinting the arc and knocking down 3s.

• That said, Team Vince Carter, with Edgecombe, Buzelis and the underrated Coward, will be tough to beat. The guy who could thrive in this setting and break out? Derik Queen. If that happens, Carter could get bragging rights with his squad.

• Those three teams will enter a mini-tournament (more on the format below). That fourth team is made up of G League players and will be coached by former NBA player and NBC analyst Austin Rivers. That team is:

Sean East II (Salt Lake City Stars)
Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics)
David Jones Garcia (Austin Spurs)
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (San Diego Clippers)
Alijah Martin (Raptors 905)
Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
Yang Hansen (Rip City Remix)

Rising Stars Game format

The Rising Stars game will take place starting at 9 p.m. ET, Friday night, Feb. 13, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. — less than a mile down the road from the (now) Kia Forum where Magic Johnson and the Showtime Lakers once held court.

The Rising Stars Game will follow last year's format that led to some entertaining basketball: Those 21 rookies and sophomores listed above will be drafted by the Hall of Famers into three teams of seven players each, with G League players forming the fourth team.

Those four teams will play in a traditional, straight-up mini-tournament with two semi-final games to 40 — no time limit, it's just first to score 40. The winners of those first two matchups will face off in a championship game to 25.

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock

Every moment of NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles — Friday's Rising Stars game on Feb. 13, All-Star Saturday Night, including the 3-point Contest and Dunk Contest on Feb. 14, and the All-Star Game itself on Feb. 15 — will be broadcast 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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Why Dodgers aren’t apologizing for record-breaking spending –– or planning to slow down any time soon

The Dodgers hear the noise.

About how their $400 million payroll is bad for baseball. About the financial and competitive disparities that their spending is exposing. About how they’re pushing the salary cap-less sport to an existential crisis.

It’s just that, after back-to-back World Series championships and more splashy acquisitions this offseason, team officials have essentially just shrugged at the conversation.

And, barring a significant change to the league’s economic structure in the next CBA, they certainly have no plans to alter their approach anytime soon.

The Dodgers have no plans to change their approach any time soon. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“The expectation always has been, and should continue to be, that we expect to contend every year,” team president Stan Kasten reiterated in a recent interview with the California Post. “We’re the DODGERS. All caps. It’s the kind of franchise we are. Historically, it’s what our fans expect and what they deserve. And we will always be trying to deliver that.”

Indeed, from the Dodgers’ point of view, the club has been blessed with opportunity. They have big-market revenue streams, the most lucrative local TV in baseball, and most importantly a one-of-a-kind partnership with two-way star Shohei Ohtani –– enabling a level of spending the sport has never before seen.

“We are in a really strong position right now, financially,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said at last month’s Winter Meetings. “And our ownership group has been incredibly supportive of pouring that back into our team and that partnership with our fans.”

In Los Angeles, it’s the kind of aggressive approach Dodgers fans have long been waiting to see.

“The expectation always has been, and should continue to be, that we expect to contend every year,” team president Stan Kasten reiterated in a recent interview with the California Post. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ever since the team’s Mark Walter-led Guggenheim ownership group dragged the franchise out of the dark (and bankruptcy-riddled) days of Frank McCourt’s chaotic stewardship, the Dodgers had been primed to go on this sort of spending spree. 

They’ve long been near the top of MLB in attendance and revenue. They’ve always been an attractive destination for big-name players. And they’re now more than a decade into the 25-year, $8.35 billion television contract* they signed with Charter Communications (Time Warner Cable at the time of the deal) that set the industry standard for local broadcast deals.

*An aside on that television deal: While there has been much recent speculation about a supposed “secret deal” the team and league had when the contract was first struck, which would’ve limited how much of the Dodgers’ TV money would be subject to the league’s revenue-sharing system, the reality is more complicated.

The Dodgers are now more than a decade into the 25-year, $8.35 billion television contract they signed with Charter Communications (Time Warner Cable at the time of the deal). IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That initial agreement, which MLB made with McCourt during the club’s 2011 bankruptcy, was later modified to make the Dodgers’ new owners commit up to $1 billion more in revenue-sharing over the life of the deal, as the New York Post reported in 2013.

The real advantage now is the stability the contract has provided the team amid an era of cable cord-cutting that has upended much of the industry. As Sports Business Journal detailed in 2023: “Charter will pay the Dodgers’ rights fee in full, regardless of how many subscribers it loses with SportsNet LA.”

Despite that, the Dodgers operated with a level of fiscal constraint for much of their early years under Guggenheim and Friedman. They twice ducked under the luxury tax in 2018 and 2019. Before the Mookie Betts trade and $365 million extension in 2020, it’d been a half-decade since their last $100 million player acquisition.

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The real change over the last several years has had all to do with Ohtani –– and his decision to insist on deferring all but $2 million per year in his record-breaking $700 million signing.

That unprecedented contract structure supercharged the Dodgers’ economic capabilities. Sportico estimated the team’s revenue jumped by more than $200 million during Ohtani’s first season in 2024, making the Dodgers the first MLB franchise to eclipse the $1 billion revenue threshold. The club’s sponsorship business alone is now believed to make as much money as roughly half of the league’s other 30 teams do overall.

The Dodgers head into the 2026 season looking to be the first team to three-peat since the 1998, 1999 and 2000 Yankees. Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

As a result, the Dodgers were able to do exactly what Ohtani had hoped when he signed: Add layers upon layers of star talent around him –– from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell, to this winter’s signings of Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz –– and build the closest thing modern-day baseball has seen to a super team.

And now, the team finds itself in an almost self-fulfilling financial cycle that does’t seem likely to end: Invest in a World Series-caliber roster, with the belief it will only make revenues stronger, which in turn will allow for more payroll spending and star-studded teams.

“The strength of our marketplace provides us with tools that not every market has,” Kasten said. “That’s well known. We’ve never shied away from it. In fact, we’ve done the opposite. We said, ‘We have a market that will produce for us and reward us if we do our job and do things correctly.’ … And that has been what has kept us going.”

All the outside noise be damned.

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Spurs Prospect Profile: Mid season update

After nearly half a decade of watching ping pong balls and waiting for the draft to improve the roster, the San Antonio Spurs finally have a winning team. At 31-15, the Spurs are second in the Western Conference and on the fast track for a playoff spot. The NBA Draft is out of sight and out of mind for most Spurs fans.

But when you’re a basketball junkie, catching college hoops games and doing deep dives on the next class of NBA players, it’s hard not to think about which exciting young prospect could don the Silver and Black next season. It’s even more exciting when San Antonio has a pick that may be headed for the lottery, despite their success. The Spurs own swap rights with the 23-25 Atlanta Hawks in the upcoming draft. If the season ended today, that pick would be 12th overall.

Experts have praised the 2026 draft class for having top-tier talent and strong depth. If San Antonio lands a pick in the 10-14 range, they could likely grab a rotational player. That’s great news for a Spurs team that could use more high-quality depth at the wing and forward positions to complement Victor Wembanyama and their guard trio of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper.

Of course, trading a lottery pick in a package for a high-quality wing upgrade will still be on the table, but if the Spurs use their pick in the upcoming draft, here are some names to keep an eye on when you flip on a college game.

Thomas Haugh, 6-9 forward, Florida

2026 stats: 17.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals; 46.7% FG, 33.6% 3PT, 74.3% FT

The Spurs have built a long, versatile, tough defensive squad around Wembanyama. They could double down on that team build by taking Haugh in the upcoming draft. The Junior Gator has been outstanding in his first season as a starter for Florida. He’s a big, strong wing who can guard on the perimeter and swat shots away inside. He’s got a high motor, and Florida head coach Todd Golden has trusted him to play 34.3 minutes per game (a college game has 40 minutes).

Haugh has developed a lot offensively over his 3-year career at Florida. He’s great at attacking the rim and has a high basketball IQ, knowing where to be on the floor and making the right passing reads. Here comes the part Spurs fans won’t want to hear – his shot is still developing. It’s a clean release, but it doesn’t always look the most fluid. He’s shooting just under 34% from deep, so he’s not a sharpshooter, but he is a threat when left open.

Betting on Haugh would take belief in his development over the course of his college career. He went from an energy big man off the bench to the sixth man for a National Championship team, to a go-to option on the wing in his junior season. He’d fit into the Spurs roster as a player who could guard bigger players and quicker wings, while giving them another swingman who can finish around the basket and put pressure on the rim. Mix in a high motor on both ends, and he could be a winning player for San Antonio. His jump shot is the final piece that needs to fall into place.

Cameron Carr, 6-6 wing/guard, Baylor

2026 stats: 20.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks; 53.9% FG, 41.6% 3PT, 76.6% FT

The Spurs have gone through anemic offensive stretches this season. When Wembanyama is jammed up, and the paint is blocked off for Fox, Castle, and Harper to do damage inside, the team has struggled to find shots on the perimeter and mid-range. If they want an offensive weapon on the wing, look no further than Carr. The Baylor Junior is a great athlete, fluid with the basketball and drills threes. You’ll see him hit deep contested threes, shots coming off movement, or pull-up threes off the bounce.

He’d fit well into the Spurs system, too. He’s not a primary playmaker, but he’s shown some decent passing chops this season as a secondary ball-handler, tossing 2.5 assists per game. He’s not a great defender right now, but he certainly has the tools to be. His athleticism and long arms let him rise above offensive players for big-time blocks or highlight reel dunks on the other end. With some coaching on attention to detail, the Spurs could unlock Carr as a two-way threat on the wing.

Carr gives me college Zach LaVine vibes. He’s a crazy athlete with a good jumper and shows signs of passing chops. But before this season, Carr was completely off the map. He barely played for Tennessee in his first two seasons. Is this year indicative of who he is as a player? Or is it simply a hot streak? His talent makes it seem like it is the former. If that is the case, he could give San Antonio a real offensive weapon who could develop into a defensive asset as he gets stronger and more experienced.

Yaxel Lendeborg, 6-9 forward, Michigan

2026 stats: 14.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists; 51.4% FG, 32.5% 3PT, 83.8% FT

Many teams shy away from older prospects. The Spurs should not be one of those teams. With most of their young core established, it’s okay to draft a good player with more miles on them. Lendeborg fits the bill.

The Michigan forward is a true modern college player. He’s in his 6th collegiate season, and will be 24 years old when he steps on the NBA floor as a rookie. He’s been great in his sole season for the Wolverines. Lendeborg is a big, strong big/forward who often plays alongside Michigan’s giant big man, Aday Mara. He has a great blend of physicality, athleticism, and skill that make him versatile enough to play inside and out. He can handle the ball to get to the rim, spot up from three, or score in isolation on the interior. Defensively, he’s tough and has created advantages for his team with 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.

He’s cooled off a bit from three since starting the season shooting 40% from deep. His jump shot going down is key to his fit in San Antonio. If he’s hitting threes, he’d be an awesome fit next to Wembanyama. He could protect the rim alongside him and further build out the team’s versatile offensive talent. His upside may be capped a bit with his age, but it’s not hard to envision him coming in and contributing to winning on day one.

Keaton Wagler, 6-6 guard, Illinois

2026 stats: 17.5 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists; 47.7% FG, 43.5% 3PT, 82.6% FT

The Spurs probably don’t need another guard, but they could use a lights-out shooter. Wagler, the freshman from Illinois, would provide exactly that. Wagler made headlines after dropping a whopping 46 points on 9-11 shooting from three against Purdue over the weekend. Despite being a three-star prospect coming out of high school, Wagler has established himself among the elite players in the draft.

Wagler’s highlight skill is his shooting. He’s got a quick release and will make teams pay if they sag off or close out late. He’s getting better and better every game as a primary playmaker, but he can also play off the ball. He isn’t a high-level athlete, and he definitely needs to get stronger to play at the next level, but Wagler brings a high-level skill and one that the Spurs definitely need.

If San Antonio selected Wagler, he could play alongside their other guards off the ball and give the Spurs another ball-handler and passer to get Wembanyama the ball. You could call his selection a triple-down on a team built with multiple, bigger ball-handlers. Unlike the others, this one would give San Antonio the knockdown shooter they’ve been needing.

Joshua Jefferson, 6-8 forward, Iowa State

2026 stats: 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists; 50% FG, 40.4% 3PT, 71.5% FT

Draft experts are torn on Jefferson. Some have him in the lottery; others have him in the second round. The Iowa State senior is one of the most impactful players on one of the best teams in college basketball. He’s a point forward with a high basketball IQ, strong frame, and NBA-level athleticism. He’s a true statsheet stuffer, putting up two triple-doubles for the Cyclones this season.

Jefferson’s shooting ability has been a question mark for his entire career. This season, he’s answered those questions by shooting 40.4% from deep on 2.9 attempts per game. Watching Jefferson, it’s clear he still doesn’t have great touch, including some finishing ability around the basket, but it’s good to see some of these spot-up threes go down for him this year.

Alongside Wembanyama, Jefferson would give the Spurs a smart positional defender who can handle the ball and act as a secondary playmaker. He’d thrive in San Antonio’s transition game and fit right into what they want to do defensively as a smart positional defender. If he can knock down threes at the next level, he could be a long-term NBA starter. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie wrote that he is the closest thing he has seen to Draymond Green’s college tape. Whether he climbs boards and the Spurs have to take him in the lottery or in the second round, Jefferson should be on San Antonio’s radar come draft day.

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Offseason open thread: January 27

Piggybacking off of this Feed post from DJourn from earlier: Are y’all going to Braves Fest on Saturday? Granted, it’s forcasted to be absolutely brick cold in Cobb County on this coming Saturday but hey, it’s Braves Fest. We didn’t get it last year and it only comes once a year. I’m planning on going, myself but also I totally understand if the cold ends up being too much — heck, I’m even second-guessing myself a tiny bit. We’ll see what happens, haha.

Anyways, the floor is now yours. Here’s a random clip:

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Cavs waive former Arkon standout

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a tricky stretch coming up.

They are expected to be without Evan Mobley (calf) for the next one to three weeks and are still without the services of Darius Garland (toe) and Max Strus (foot). Additionally, standout two-way player Nae’Qwan Tomlin only has eight more games he can be active with the Cavs unless they convert his contract to a standard deal. For reference, the Cavs have seven games before the All-Star break.

This all creates a crunch where the Cavs could need more available bodies that they trust to provide NBA minutes as they await the Feb. 5.

With that in mind, it isn’t surprising that the Cavs are reportedly waiving two-way player Chris Livingston.

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Livingston hasn’t provided many meaningful minutes for the Cavs this season despite the team’s injuries. The Akron native had just 17 minutes of playing time spread across three games with the team.

The majority of Livingston’s time has been spent with the Cavs’ G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge. Livingston has appeared in 16 games with the Charge and averaged 16.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on .437/.258/.844 shooting splits.

The release of Livingston opens up one of the team’s three two-way spots. Additionally, it stands to reason that another one of those two-way spots will be made available when the team presumably converts Tomlin’s current contract to a standard NBA one.

Luke Travers occupies the Cavs’ other two-way spot. He’s appeared in just 12 games this season for the Cavs this season. Travers is averaging 18.1 points, nine rebounds, and 5.1 assists on .430/.284/.636 shooting splits in 14 G-League appearances.

We’ll see what direction the Cavs go with those openings. It’s worth mentioning that Killian Hayes — who is playing well — isn’t eligible for a two-way deal due to his previous service time. Darius Brown and Tristan Enaruna are potential internal candidates for a deal. The team can also look outside the organization for a possible two-way player.

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Victor Wembanyama shares thoughts on Minnesota, being 'a foreigner' in US

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama prefaced what he said about the recent shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good as part of federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis with an initial disclaimer.

"PR has tried," he said, "but I'm not going to sit here and give some politically correct (answer)."

The 22-year-old from France then expressed dismay and disgust over the incidents, but admitted he didn't feel comfortable offering his complete thoughts on the situation as the debate over the Trump administration's immigration tactics rages nationally.

"Every day I wake up and see the news and I'm horrified," Wembanyama told reporters on Tuesday, Jan. 27. "I think it's crazy that some people make it seem like, or make it sound like, it's acceptable, like the murder of civilians (is) acceptable. Every day I read the news and sometimes I'm asking very deep questions about my own life. But, you know, I'm conscious also that saying everything that's on my mind will have a cost that's too great for me right now. So I'd rather not go into too many details."

When asked later if being a foreigner in the United States played into his hesitancy, Wembanyama answered, "For sure."

NBA TRADE RUMORS: Injuries to star players complicate deadline moves

Wembanyama is the latest NBA player to be asked to comment in the wake of Pretti's death in Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 24, which led to the postponement of an NBA regular-season game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry and Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks forward and former Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as the National Basketball Players Association, have condemned the shooting publicly.

"Following the news of yet another fatal shooting in Minneapolis, a city that has been on the forefront of the fight against injustices, NBA players can no longer remain silent," the NBPA said in a statement. "Now more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice."

Wembanyama, in the midst of a breakthrough third season with the Spurs near the top of the Western Conference standings, followed the union's lead.

"It's terrible. I know I'm a foreigner, and I live in this country, and I'm concerned," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Victor Wembanyama shares thoughts on Minnesota, being foreigner in USA

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Victor Wembanyama speaks out on Minneapolis shootings, is 'horrified' by 'murder of civilians'

Victor Wembanyama has seen what we have all seen out of Minneapolis: Massive protests by the city's residents against the expanded presence of ICE and federal agents in their city. He has seen the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti by a federal officer, which sparked larger, more intense protests in the city. In the wake of that killing — and the fatal shooting by another federal officer of Renee Good a couple of weeks prior — there has been an outpouring of grief and anger in the city and around the nation. The Timberwolves and Warriors players have been watching this firsthand.

Tuesday at Spurs practice, Wembanyama spoke out on what he saw, saying he was "horrified" by the "murder of civilians." Here is his full quote:

"PR has tried, but I'm not gonna sit here and give some politically correct [answer]. Every day I wake up and see the news and I'm horrified. It's crazy that some people make it seem like it's acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable," Wembanyama said. "I read the news, and sometimes I'm asking very deep questions about my own life, but I'm conscious also that saying everything that's on my mind would have a cost that's too great for me right now, so I'd rather not go into too many details."

Wembanyama also admitted he is concerned about repercussions from what he said.

"For sure. It's terrible," Wembanyama said. "I know I'm a foreigner, I live in this country and I am concerned for sure."

If there are any repercussions, they will not come from the Spurs, who have the outspoken Gregg Popovich at the helm. Wemby will have the Spurs' support.

Wembanyama is not the only NBA player — or the only French NBA player — to speak out.

The NBA players' union also released a statement.

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Astros’ Altuve, Correa Out of WBC

Realistically, that’s probably a good thing for both the players and the Houston Astros.

Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve will not participate in this year’s World Baseball Classic, despite both players wanting to represent their home teams again. Correa has previously played for Puerto Rico and Altuve has previously played for Venezuela.

Their absence is not one they planned on, but rather one of economics.

MLB hires an outside insurance company to insure any players who participate in the WBC against injury. This insurance company deemed both players uninsurable, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

Correa has a notable injury history, and Altuve’s recent injury history coupled with age are the most likely factors in the decision.

Both players are expected to be key cogs in the lineup for the Astros in 2026, and getting off to a good start would be paramount for both them and the organization. For a team that missed

In the 2023 WBC, Altuve was hit by a pitch that fractured his thumb and caused him to miss the first 43 games of the 2023 season.

Both players would be at risk of losing salary if they were to be injured in the WBC and miss MLB games as a result.

The Astros want all their players to be focused on being healthy and productive for the 2026 season after missing the postseason for the first time since 2016.

In 2025, Astros players missed over 1800 games due to injury and led the majors with a staggering 17.6 WAR lost due to injury.

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Submit your questions for The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast

Send in your questions now for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your question to the comments section here or on X/Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @blakesilverman.

Join us live on Friday afternoon for the show where we’ll be joined by DBB’s own Kyle Metz to discuss the upcoming trade deadline. What should, and more importantly what can, the Pistons do? Who should Detroit target on the trade market? Which Pistons, if any, are most likely to find a new home during the season?

Plus, The Pindown has a phone line where you can leave a message and hear your voice on the show. Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message around 45 seconds or less so we can fit everyone into the show.

The podcast will be uploaded to all audio platforms the following morning.

The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast Vitals:

When: Friday January 30 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Detroit Bad Boys YouTube Channel

How to submit questions:

  • Detroit Bad Boys Website: Comment section of the weekly Pindown episode articles.
  • Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message to 45 seconds or less.
  • Twitter: @detroitbadboys, @blakesilverman or @therealwesd3
  • YouTube: Chat section of The Pindown live recording — Subscribe here

As always, leave any questions or topics you want to be discussed in the comment section below.

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Celtics, Hawks could both be without key players on Wednesday

BOSTON — The Celtics (29-17) and Atlanta Hawks (23-25) are set to face off for the second time this month on Wednesday — and both teams could be without several rotation players.

For the Celtics, Neemias Queta is doubtful to play with illness, while Luka Garza is questionable. Jayson Tatum, of course, remains sidelined as he continues to recover from a right Achilles repair.

The Celtics were without Garza and Chris Boucher on Monday night in a 102-94 win over the the Trail Blazers. Both big men were dealing with illness and were not with the team. Queta (illness) and Josh Minott (ankle sprain) were questionable until game-time, but both were made available. Queta suited up for 22 minutes, while Minott did not get any action.

For the Hawks, Kristaps Porzingis (left Achilles tendonitis), Zaccharie Risacher (left knee bone contusion), and N’Faly Dante (right knee torn ACL) are out.

Porzingis has only appeared in 17 games for the Hawks this season, and he hasn’t laced up since January 7th. As such, he has yet to face off against his former squad.

The Celtics and Hawks face off for the second time this month

Last time the two teams faced off, Jaylen Brown exploded for 41 points and the Celtics came away with a 132-106 win in Atlanta. Sam Hauser also flirted with the franchise three-point record, hitting 10 threes for the Celtics, though he fell just short.

After this match-up, the Celtics and Hawks will face off two more times, both in March (the 27th and 30th).

The Celtics have the second-best offensive rating in the NBA (+120.8), the third-best net rating (+7.2), and the 11th-best defensive rating (113.6). They’ve won 6 of their last 10 games, and currently have the second-best record in the East.

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The Hawks have the 19th-best net rating (-0.9), 21st-best offensive rating (113.5), and 16th-best defensive rating (114.4). They’ve also won 6 of their last 10 games, and currently have the 10th-best record in the East. The Hawks are coming off of a 16-point win over the Hawks on Sunday night.

This season, the Hawks have been led by Jalen Johnson (23 points, 10.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (20.3 points, 3.5 assists). Since he was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Hawks, CJ McCollum has averaged 18 points and 3.9 assists.

Celtics-Hawks — the second game in a four-game Celtics homestand — tips off at 7:30pm at TD Garden.

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Cavs vs. Lakers: How to watch, odds, and injury report

The Cleveland Cavaliers will welcome LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers into town for their annual pilgrimage to Cleveland.

The Cavs are playing their best basketball of the season. They’ve won four in a row, seven of their last nine games, and 11 of their last 15. However, that was before it was announced that Evan Mobley (calf) will be sidelined for one to three weeks. We’ll see how the team responds to a bit more adversity.

The Lakers have been a good, but not great, team this season. They’re 11 games over .500 despite having a negative point differential. Their defense — particularly defending the rim — has been an issue all season. We’ll see if that’s something the Cavs can exploit.

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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (28-20) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (28-17)

Where: Rocket Arena – Clevelanad, OH

When: Wed., Jan. 28 at 7 PM

TV: ESPN, ESPN App

Point spread: Line not yet set

Cavs injury report: Evan Mobley – OUT (calf), De’Andre Hunter – PROBABLE (knee), Darius Garland – OUT (toe), Sam Merrill – PROBABLE (hand), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Chris Livingston – OUT (G League), Luke Travers – OUT (G League)

Lakers injury report: Austin Reaves – OUT (calf), Adou Thiero – OUT (knee)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade, Jarrett Allen

Lakers expected starting lineup: Luka Doncic, Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, LeBron James, Deandre Ayton

Previous matchup: The Cavs swept the season series against the Lakers last season which included a 122-110 win on New Year’s Eve.

Here’s a look at both teams’ impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

Offensive RatingDefensive RatingNet Rating
Cavs117.3 (11th)114.3 (11th)+2.9 (10th)
Lakers117.9 (7th)118 (23rd)-0.1 (16th)

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Cavaliers' Evan Mobley sidelined again with calf strain, expected to miss 1 to 3 weeks

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley will be sidelined for the second time this season due to a strained left calf, the team said Tuesday.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is expected to miss 1 to 3 weeks.

Mobley suffered the injury during Monday night's 114-98 victory over the Orlando Magic. He had tightness in the calf after the game and an MRI on Tuesday revealed the strain.

Mobley missed five games in December with a Grade 1 strain of the calf. The fifth-year 7-footer is averaging 17.9 points and 8.8 rebounds in 40 games.

Cleveland enters Wednesday night's game against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on its second four-game winning streak of the season and is a season-high eight games over .500 at 28-20. The Cavaliers depart for a season-long, five-game trip after hosting the Lakers.

Mobley recorded his 500th blocked shot on Monday night, making the 24-year-old the youngest Cavs player to reach that milestone. He's second in the league in blocks this season, averaging 2.0 per game.

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

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Rangers’ Gabe Perreault showing flashes of his elite offensive instincts

Not much has gone right for the Rangers of late. 

With the team remaining in the basement of the Metropolitan Division, Chris Drury has already begun his retool of the organization ahead of the NHL trade deadline.

Veteran defenseman Carson Soucy was the first domino to fall in a deal with the Islanders, and numerous other pieces are expected to be shipped out of town, as well. 

Simply put, times are tough on Broadway right now, but one of the few positives has been the improved play of young winger Gabe Perreault. 

The former first-round pick has begun finding the confidence the coaching staff has been looking from him at the NHL-level, solidifying his spot in New York’s top-six. 

“Gabe has done a great job,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “You can see the offensive instincts, he’s getting more comfortable with each game and the experience he gets.”

Those instincts were on display again on Monday night, as Perreault sent a nifty cross-ice feed over to J.T. Miller for the Rangers’ second goal midway through the first period. 

That snapped a four-game pointless streak for the youngster. 

Perreault ended up with just that assist on the scorers’ sheet, but also logged three shots on goal in 16:35 of ice time in the come-from-behind overtime victory over the Bruins.

“We’re excited about the progress he’s made,” Sullivan said. “That pass he made to J.T. is an elite play. There’s a lot of guys who don’t have the vision or skillset to execute that play -- it was a really smart play on his part.”

The 20-year-old is now up to three goals and five assists in 20 games on the season. 

With not much to play for down the stretch, Perreault continuing to take strides forward with his game would be an encouraging sign for the Rangers. 

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Macklin Celebrini plays hometown heartbreaker again in Sharks' win over Canucks

Macklin Celebrini plays hometown heartbreaker again in Sharks' win over Canucks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Sharks star Macklin Celebrini has played in his hometown four times since entering the NHL, and it’s clear the North Vancouver native relishes every moment.

Celebrini continued his hometown point streak with a goal and three assists in San Jose’s 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday at Rogers Arena, and now has registered at least one point in each game he has played there with a total of three goals and six assists.

“It’s always special coming back home,” Celebrini told reporters after the win.

The former No. 1 overall pick helped the Sharks make franchise history in the first period, answering the Canucks’ game-opening goal with an incredible one-timer to tie the game. The score was Celebrini’s third goal in San Jose’s last two games and kicked off a red-hot first period to help the Sharks take an early 3-1 lead.

Celebrini also assisted Adam Gaudette’s goal later in the first, and Tyler Toffoli scored moments later to give the Sharks three goals just 5:55 into the game — their fastest three goals to start a game in franchise history. In the second period, Celebrini added another assist on Will Smith’s power-play goal, and in the third, he assisted John Klingberg’s.

Celebrini and San Jose now are 2-2 in Vancouver since he played in his hometown for the first time on Dec. 23, 2024 — a 4-3 Sharks loss in which the then-rookie had two assists. In six games total against his hometown Canucks — with two additional contests at SAP Center — Celebrini has 11 total points on three goals and eight assists, and the Sharks are 3-3 in those games.

But the surging Sharks now have won two straight in Vancouver and their last three against the Canucks. For the young center who grew up training just 20 minutes away from Rogers Arena at the NSWC hockey factory, every game in his hometown is extra special.

That’s especially true when San Jose grabs a win, and Celebrini credited a team effort for subduing the Canucks after falling behind 1-0 very early in the game.

“I think we just tried to stick to our game,” Celebrini said. “I mean, they have some good players on their team and they’re able to make plays and score goals, so I thought we just did a good job on our PK and not letting them get any chances.”

With four points in the win, Celebrini now has the fifth-most three-point games by a teenager in NHL history with 16, behind Wayne Gretsky (33), Sidney Crosby (26), Jimmy Carson (21) and Dale Hawerchuk (20), per Sportsnet Stats. It was Celebrini’s fourth career four-point game, tying Jimmy Carson for the fourth most by a teenager in NHL history behind Gretzky (14), Crosby (8) and Hawerchuk (7).

He also became the third teenager in NHL history to reach 50 assists in 51 games played or fewer to start a season, behind Gretzky (42 GP in 1980-81 & 49 GP in 1979-80) and Crosby (44 GP in 2006-07). And one more stat: Celebrini also tallied his 87th, 88th and 89th career assists Tuesday, passing Phil Housley for the seventh most by a teenager in NHL history.

On top of all the history Celebrini already has made, the 19-year-old phenom will represent North Vancouver and the rest of Canada in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 — a remarkable honor for the youngster in the heart of only his second NHL season.

It’s safe to say Celebrini certainly has made North Vancouver proud, but Canucks fans might just start calling him the hometown heartbreaker.

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