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Observations after Sixers' bench, George star in win over Bucks

Observations after Sixers' bench, George star in win over Bucks  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ bench scored over half of the team’s points Friday night, contributing a ton to a 116-101 road win over the Bucks.

The team’s second unit tallied 61 points, including 22 from Quentin Grimes on 7-for-9 shooting and 18 from Jabari Walker.

Paul George had 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. Tyrese Maxey posted a season-low 12 points, four assists, four steals and four rebounds.

The 10-14 Bucks’ leading scorer was Bobby Portis with 22 points. 

On the second night of a back-to-back, the 13-9 Sixers were missing Joel Embiid (left knee injury recovery), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain).

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was out with a right calf injury. 

The Sixers will come home and play the Lakers on Sunday night. Here are observations on their win over the Bucks:

Maxey ultra-consistent on defense 

Maxey scored the night’s first points, converting on a floater 11 seconds in.

Ryan Rollins started on the Sixers’ star, stayed close to his body and often picked him up full court. Milwaukee also mixed up its pick-and-roll coverages, sometimes hedging and blitzing Maxey. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers clearly did not want a repeat of Maxey’s career-high 54-point performance last time he came to Milwaukee.

The Sixers went up 7-2 on a VJ Edgecombe jumper, but the Bucks replied with a 9-0 run capped by Myles Turner’s second three. Thanks in large part to another good defensive start, the Sixers bounced right back. 

They forced seven turnovers in the first quarter, causing trouble for the Bucks’ offense without making risky gambles. Maxey turned a steal into a fast-break layup. He’s nabbed 10 steals over his last three games. Maxey also recorded a block for the fifth consecutive game and did strong work on Bucks shooting guard AJ Green, who went scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting in the first half and was ruled out before the start of the third quarter with a left shoulder contusion.

In the first half, the Sixers had a 17-7 edge in points off turnovers. 

Sixers’ bench on fire

The Sixers’ second unit opened 6 for 6 from the field late in the first quarter, including four three-pointers. Jared McCain, Grimes and Walker all sunk long-range jumpers. 

Adem Bona added six points in the first and gave the Sixers a 33-20 lead with a tip-in. Milwaukee moved to zone defense to begin the second quarter and Walker promptly knocked down two open threes. He then snagged an offensive rebound, drew a foul and made both his free throws.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse used a 10-man rotation to close out the back-to-back. He played Kyle Lowry behind Maxey, going to the 20th-year guard for the third time this season.

Lowry swung the ball to Walker in the corner and he stayed hot, burying his jumper and surging past his prior season high of a dozen points. Walker scored a team-high 16 in the first half and the Sixers’ bench posted 40 over two quarters. 

Nurse has noted multiple times that he’s confident in Walker’s outside shooting because the two-way contract forward has excellent numbers behind the scenes. He raised his season three-point percentage from 29.2 to 34.4 (11 for 32) in a single game. 

Lowry later joined the shotmaking party by hitting a transition three on the right wing and extending the Sixers’ lead to 22 points. Lowry celebrated with glee and Rivers called timeout. 

George leads the way in the fourth

It perhaps flew a tad under the radar in light of the Sixers’ bench’s sensational play, but George also played a nice second quarter, scoring nine points in the period.

The Sixers led by as many 26 points in the first half and held a 69-49 halftime advantage.

They had a cold start to the third quarter and the Bucks cut a bit further into their deficit. The Sixers didn’t make a field goal in the third until a tough Edgecombe layup through contact with 8:36 left. To the Bucks’ credit, their defensive effort improved considerably.

When Grimes drained his fourth three-pointer to put the Sixers up 88-66, it appeared they weren’t in danger of blowing another big lead like they had Thursday night in a crazy win over the Warriors.

However, Milwaukee closed the third quarter well and trimmed the Sixers’ lead to 93-81 on a Gary Trent Jr. four-point play early in the fourth. Just about every Sixers jumper began to fall short and the Bucks got as close as nine points.

The Sixers ran much of their offense through George in the fourth quarter and he drilled a couple of key mid-range shots over Jericho Sims. George also assisted a late Edgecombe three.

Friday’s game snapped a season-opening 21-game streak for Maxey of scoring at least 20 points. Many others played well to help the Sixers still secure a win.

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Penguins Place Big Forward On Waivers

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made another move to clear up some space on their roster. 

On Friday, they placed Finnish forward Joona Koppanen on waivers. The 6-foot-5, 216-pound left wing has just one point in 10 NHL games this season and is a minus-1.

Koppanen, 27, signed a one-year deal with the Penguins this summer and started the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS). In six AHL games, he registered a goal and two points and was a plus-3, along with being a steady defensive presence at five-on-five and the penalty kill.

However, a Penguins' lineup that has become increasingly more crowded led to a healthy scratch Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers and, again, Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Penguins have won their past two games with forwards Rutger McGroarty and Boko Imama in their lineup, and they were both recalled from WBS ahead of Monday's game.

The decision to waive Koppanen could also come in conjunction with a potential return to the lineup for one of the Penguins' injured forwards. Justin Brazeau - who has six goals and 12 points in 12 games this season - and Noel Acciari made the Penguins' current road trip and will both travel with the team to Dallas, where they will take on the Stars Sunday. 

Takeaways: Luck On Penguins' Side As They Steal Controversial 4-3 Win Over LightningTakeaways: Luck On Penguins' Side As They Steal Controversial 4-3 Win Over LightningWell, that was one of the crazier National Hockey League games you might ever witness. 

Earlier this week on the GM Show, Penguins' GM/POHO Kyle Dubas said that Brazeau and Acciari would be ready in approximately seven to 10 days, and Sunday would fall just short of that parameter. However, the Penguins would have needed to waive Koppanen Friday - barring any non-roster waivers reason - in order for one of the two forwards to be activated ahead of Sunday's game. They also have 12 forwards, anyway, in the event that either Brazeau or Acciari aren't ready Sunday and Koppanen wouldn't be in the lineup. 

Pittsburgh will face Dallas Sunday before coming home to square up against the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks Tuesday.

Revisiting The Jake Guentzel Trade TreeRevisiting The Jake Guentzel Trade TreeOn Thursday, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> will take on the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> in Florida, as Pittsburgh looks to hold onto its playoff positioning and Tampa looks to extend its Atlantic Division lead.&nbsp;

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Former Blackhawks Star Hits Big Milestone

The New York Rangers picked up a 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 4. Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Artemi Panarin helped the Rangers secure this victory, as he recorded a goal and an assist in the matchup. 

With this latest strong performance for the Rangers, Panarin now has nine goals, 21 assists, and 30 points in 29 games this season. The former Blackhawks forward has also recorded six goals and 20 points over his last 13 games alone. 

Due to his hot stretch of play, Panarin has now also hit a big career milestone. With his late third-period goal against the Senators, Panarin recorded the 900th point of his NHL career. This is very impressive when noting that it took the former Blackhawks forward only 781 games to get point No. 900. 

Panarin hitting this milestone in under 800 games only shows how strong of an NHL career he has had. At 34 years old, he is still very much a star, so it should not take him very long to get his 1,000th career NHL point because of it. 

In 162 games with the Blackhawks from 2015-16 to 2016-17, Panarin recorded 61 goals, 90 assists, 151 points, and a plus-26 rating. 

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It's Clear Hockey's Hand-Pass Rule Needs To Be Tweaked

Those of you who are fans of Saturday Night Live will be familiar with cast member Kenan Thompson and his frequent proclamations in sketches, "What's up with that?"

Well, that question could certainly be applied to the NHL's hand-pass rule after Thursday night's game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Lightning tied to score late in the game, only to have Nikita Kucherov's goal called back by the NHL's Situation Room in Toronto, which declared that Brandon Hagel was guilty of directing the puck to Jake Guentzel with a hand pass leading to the goal. Tampa Bay lost 4-3.

Hagel was actually putting his glove up to keep from losing a couple of teeth, and there was nothing deliberate about it. But what matters under Rule 79 of the NHL rulebook is whether the player stopped or "batted" a puck in the air with his hand and, in the opinion of the officials, directed the puck to a teammate or gave his team gain an advantage. The same wording applies in international hockey.

So you can be that when the GMs next hold their meetings, this is something that will be discussed. Don't be surprised if the rule is tweaked in time for next season.  

Watch today's video column up above for more.

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Devin Williams discusses joining Mets, potentially teaming up with Edwin Diaz, and new additions to his arsenal

The Mets made a strong addition to their bullpen this week, signing righty Devin Williams to a three-year deal. 

Williams comes to Queens after spending last season on the other side of town with the Yankees. 

The 31-year-old had a bit of an up-and-down start to his time in the Bronx, but was able to find his footing and showed flashes of his dominant form over his last few outings of the regular season and playoffs. 

He'll now look to carry that production over to his first season in orange and blue. 

Williams met with the media over Zoom on Friday afternoon to discuss joining the Mets, potentially teaming up with Edwin Diaz on the backend of the bullpen, and some new additions to his arsenal… 

Why the Mets were a good fit…

Williams feels comfortable in New York after his one-year stint with the Yanks. 

He is familiar with David Stearns and his process from their time together in Milwaukee, but there was one big factor that ultimately came into him picking the Mets in free agency. 

“They’re a team that wants to win,” the two-time NL Reliever of the Year winner said. “Steve [Cohen] is doing all that he can to put a winning product out on the field and I’d love to be a part of that.”

On potentially teaming up with Diaz…

Williams said every team he spoke to before signing offered him the closer’s role. 

He’s currently penciled into that spot for the Mets, but things, of course, could change over the next few weeks with the team still showing interest in signing Diaz back off the open market. 

Sep 25, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Mets pitcher Edwin Díaz (39) gestures after getting the final out against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field.
Sep 25, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Mets pitcher Edwin Díaz (39) gestures after getting the final out against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field. / David Banks-Imagn Images

The long-time closer seems comfortable with the situation either way.

“I think it’s just a good situation,” Williams said. “If he comes back, then I think we’re going to have a really good backend of the bullpen -- more good arms is always a good thing.”

New additions to the arsenal…

Williams has essentially been a two-pitch pitcher his entire career (fastball, changeup). 

But this offseason, he’s continued tinkering with his cutter, which he threw just twice all of last year, and he's planning on leaning on the pitch a bit more this season. 

The righty has also continued working on adding a gyro slider to the mix for next year.

It’s something he’s been developing for years, though he hasn’t put it into play yet.

“I’m just playing with those two,” Williams said. “Just seeing if I can add those two to what I do, and just give myself a little more breathing room with the fastball and changeup.”

The two-time All-Star is also eager to see how new pitching coach Justin Willard and the Mets' highly-regarded pitching lab can help him continue to improve his game. 

"They have a track record of helping guys improve on things they already do, or maybe adding in things," he said. "So I think that they'll be able to help me, and I'm really curious to see what they have for me."

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LeBron James to miss Lakers' game against Celtics

TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 4: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball as Immanuel Quickley #5 of the Toronto Raptors defends during second half action at Scotiabank Arena on December 4, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andrew Lahodynskyj/Getty Images)
A night after failing to score in double figures for the first time in nearly 19 years, LeBron James will skip the game in Boston to rest his sore foot and right side. (Andrew Lahodynskyj / Getty Images)

One night after assisting the game-winning basket against the Toronto Raptors, superstar forward LeBron James will miss the Lakers’ rivalry game against the Boston Celtics, the team announced Friday.

James was downgraded to out less than three hours before the game as he manages sciatica in his right side and joint arthritis in his left foot. The Lakers (16-5) are also without Luka Doncic for the second consecutive game as he is out because of personal reasons and guard Marcus Smart (left lumbar muscle strain) for the fifth game in a row.

The 40-year-old James has played only six games after missing the first 14 games because of sciatica. He missed one game because of the foot injury, which is a lingering problem from last season. He has yet to play back-to-back games, and coach JJ Redick said the goal is to build James’ fitness to the point where he can do that.

James’ streak of 1,297 consecutive games with 10 or more points ended Thursday at Toronto, but the Lakers still won as he dished an assist to Rui Hachimura for the buzzer-beating three-pointer.

James had eight points and 11 assists while Austin Reaves powered the offense with 44 points and 10 assists. The guard is averaging 41 points in four games without Doncic.

The Lakers are on a three-game, four-day Eastern Conference road trip. After Friday’s game in Boston, the Lakers finish the swing Sunday in Philadelphia.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Islanders Overpower Avalanche Despite Major Injury Losses

The New York Islanders overpowered the Colorado Avalanche 6–3 on Thursday, improving to 15-10-3 and handing Colorado just its second regulation loss of the season—spoiling Brock Nelson’s Long Island homecoming in the process. It was an especially commanding win for New York, not only because of the final score, but because of how convincingly they executed despite missing a host of key contributors. 

The Islanders entered the night severely depleted. Alexander Romanov was lost for the season after being on the receiving end of the Mikko Rantanen freight train, and Kyle Palmieri had recently been ruled out for the year as well after tearing his ACL. J.G. Pageau remained sidelined on a week-to-week timetable, with a tentative return projected just before Christmas. 

Given the mounting injuries—and the fact that the Islanders had already fallen to Colorado earlier this season at Ball Arena—many viewed this matchup as a scheduled loss. 

Compounding matters, Jonathan Drouin, who spent the previous two seasons with the Avalanche before signing a two-year deal with New York in the offseason, was a late scratch due to a back injury. Despite the mounting absences, the Islanders delivered one of their most resilient performances of the season. 

Avs Lose Convincingly 

Despite all of the adversity the Islanders have gone through leading up to this game, one person who truly believed this team had a chance to deliver the NHL’s juggernaut a defeat, Isles head coach Patrick Roy. 

“The focus was to play against the best team in the NHL… I believe that if there’s a team that could surprise them, it’s us,” Roy said. 

With a 6–3 victory over the Avalanche, New York didn’t simply defeat one of the league’s strongest teams; they brought Colorado’s impressive 17-game point streak to a convincing end. 

Sure, the goaltender interference didn’t help, but what also didn’t help the Avalanche is the fact they were bad with the puck and committed a lot of bad turnovers that put the Islanders in prime position to capitalize, and indeed they did. 

Mathew Barzal paced the Islanders’ offense with a goal and two assists, while Kyle MacLean, Anders Lee, Bo Horvat, and Adam Pelech each found the back of the net as New York secured its second straight victory. Ilya Sorokin was sharp throughout, turning aside 35 shots, and Casey Cizikas sealed the win with an empty-netter. 

For Colorado, Valeri Nichushkin, Martin Necas, and Artturi Lehkonen provided the scoring, and Mackenzie Blackwood delivered a 36-save effort in the losing effort. 

Next Game 

There were, unquestionably, a few bright spots for the Avalanche, and they were all just mentioned. Nichushkin, Necas, and Lehkonen each broke through after prolonged scoring droughts, and Blackwood—despite the loss—made several key saves early that kept the game from spiraling further out of reach. 

The best approach now is to take this one on the chin, clean up the mistakes, and return to the form that has carried them through the season so far. 

Necas gets a goal for the Avalanche after sneaking a shot through Ilya Sorokin that deflected off an Isles defender. Credit: Brad Penner

The Avalanche (19-2-6) will look to rebound on Saturday when they face the New York Rangers (15-12-2) at Madison Square Garden, opening a back-to-back with a 10:30 a.m. local start. 

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Los Angeles Kings Coach Is On The Hot Seat – But Not Who You Think

Following 27 games so far in this 2025-26 campaign, the Los Angeles Kings hold a 12-8-7 record and have accumulated 31 points.

With that, they are third in the Pacific Division, coming off two straight losses, with their latest coming against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. While the Kings remain in a playoff position, they could be in a better position if the team’s power play weren’t the worst in the NHL.

At a 12.9 percent conversion rate with the extra man - the lowest in the NHL - something has to give. Furthermore, with the joint-second-most overtime and shootout losses in the league (seven), a slightly better power play would likely turn those losses into wins.

While head coach Jim Hiller carries the responsibility of the team’s overall style of play, lineup and execution, He isn’t the sole controller of the power play.

The man who specializes in the Kings’ power play and forward group is assistant coach Newell Brown. This is Brown’s second season with Los Angeles as an assistant coach.

NHL Hot Seat Radar: Oilers' Stuart Skinner Steps UpNHL Hot Seat Radar: Oilers' Stuart Skinner Steps UpThe NHL Hot Seat Radar series highlights which NHL figures are under serious pressure to improve. The Edmonton Oilers had much better goaltending this past week, while the Flames and Kings still have scoring issues.

Last year, the Kings’ power play wasn’t all that special, finishing 27th in the league at 17.9 percent.

Before Brown’s time with the Kings, he was a member of the Anaheim Ducks’ coaching staff. In his last season with Anaheim, its power play ended the season with an identical 17.9 percent. The Ducks were tied for 25th among the league's best power plays.

Los Angeles Kings (Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)

In fact, Brown’s last successful season as an assistant coach specializing in offense and the power play was with the Vancouver Canucks in 2019-20, when the team finished the campaign as the fourth-best power play.

However, since then, there has been only one season when Brown’s special teams finished better than 25th in the NHL.

During the team’s power-play slump, Hiller has shuffled his players around and has tried different methods regarding personnel on both power-play units, but that hasn’t resulted in improvement.

The Kings have one power-play marker in their last seven games. In those seven outings, Los Angeles had 24 opportunities with the extra man, tied for fifth most in the NHL during that span.

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Panthers Place Winger On Waivers For Purpose Of Contract Termination

The Florida Panthers have placed Anton Lundmark on waivers for the purpose of contract termination, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported. 

The 24-year-old signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Panthers ($975,000) in the off-season, but has yet to be called up to the NHL.

Lundmark has spent the season in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers, where he's failed to record a goal or point in nine games. Last season, he played with Timra IK in the SHL, where he scored five goals and nine points in 49 games. 

The signing of Lundmark came as a surprise, but with a 6-foot-4, 192-pound frame, the Panthers thought they could develop him into a bottom-six contrubutor.

Clearly, after pre-season and nine games in the AHL, the two sides were in agreement that the best course of action was to terminate his contract with the organization. 

According to Johan Svensson, Lundmark will return to Timra as he is still currently under contract with the European team. Timra are tied with Farjestad BK for seventh place in the SHL, and Lundmark's return should help the team improve. 

Timra currently rosters a Panthers prospect, Linus Eriksson, a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft. 

Lundmark's tenure with the Panthers ended quickly, and it will ultimately go down as a failed experiment.

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Game Preview: Vegas Golden Knights at New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils close out their four-game homestand tonight as they face off against the Vegas Golden Knights. ​

Recently, the Devils have faced challenges at home, dropping three straight games after going undefeated in regulation at home to start the season.

​Looking for a turnaround, the 16-10-1 Devils aim to end their skid as they take on the 12-6-8 Golden Knights. ​

This morning, the Devils recalled forward Angus Crookshank from the Utica Comets. 

New Jersey Devils Recall Angus CrookshankNew Jersey Devils Recall Angus CrookshankThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils">New Jersey Devils</a> announced on Friday that they have recalled forward Angus Crookshank from the Utica Comets.

Crookshank has played 17 games so far this season with the Devils' AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. In those games, Crookshank has scored five goals and tallied two assists for a total of seven points. ​

The center is no stranger to the NHL. In the past two seasons with the Ottawa Senators, Crookshank has played in 21 NHL games. He has a career total of two goals and four assists in the NHL. ​

Ahead of his potential Devils debut, Crookshank spoke with NJD.tv. ​

“I’m excited. You want to play in the NHL so any day you can be here it’s great,” Crookshank said. “Hopefully, I can show my stuff.”​

As a result of Crookshank's arrival, the morning skate lineup looked different. ​

Meier-Hischier-Noesen

Palat-Mercer-Bratt

Gritsyuk-Glass-Brown

Cotter-Glendening-Crookshank​

Siegenthaler-Hamilton

Dillon-Hughes

White-Nemec

Cholowski - (Lammikko)​

Jacob Markstrom is set to get the start in the net, backed up by Jake Allen. ​

Ahead of the game, head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke with the media and NJD.tv about the adjustments.

​"It's getting greater balance in our lines," Keefe said. "We're playing against a team today that gives you no shifts off. That's really a big part of it."​

Another reason for the lineup adjustments is that the Devils are dealing with several key injuries. ​The full list of injured Devils players is below.

J. Hughes (finger)

Pesce (upper-body)

Dadonov (hand)

Kovacevic (knee)

McLaughlin (undisclosed)

MacEwen (upper body)

Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights enter tonight’s game on a two-game winning streak, having beaten the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks. Ranked third in the NHL for faceoff percentage at 53.9%, the Golden Knights approach tonight’s matchup with fewer injuries, as detailed below.

Lauzon (undisclosed, IR)

Hill (lower-body, IR)

Karlsson (lower-body, IR)

Pietrangelo (hip, IR)

With both teams seeking momentum, the Devils hope to snap their losing streak, while the Golden Knights aim for a third straight victory. ​

The teams are facing off for the first time this season tonight and will meet again in just 12 days on December 17th. ​

When asked about the matchup, Jesper Bratt told NJD.tv what the team must do to escape its losing streak.

"​It’s going to take our A Game to beat a team like this,” Bratt said. “We’re focused on the first period to play really solid defensively. Don’t give them the inside of the ice.”​

The puck will drop at 7 PM. 

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NBA Trade Rumors 2025-26: The latest on Giannis Antetokounmpo, plus Anthony Davis, Trae Young, more

The conventional wisdom holds that Dec. 15 marks the unofficial opening of the NBA trade season, because that's when many players who signed new contracts or extensions this past summer become eligible to be traded. The reality is that it will be Dec. 19-22 in Orlando — when the NBA G League Winter Showcase takes place — that talks really start to ramp up. It's when the GMs and front offices of all 30 teams gather together, ostensibly to watch the best G-League players, but it's an event without fans (just basketball people and some media), and you can watch as certain GMs peel off and start side conversations just 30 feet from the court. It's where business starts to get done.

Heading into all of that, here are the latest NBA Trade rumors, starting with the biggest name potentially on the board.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Antetokounmpo being off the court for 2-4 weeks with a calf strain is not about to slow the trade rumors surrounding him, or the fake trades we are all seeing, after he reportedly restarted talks about his future with the Bucks front office. Here are a few updates.

• Milwaukee may find it hard to land a lot of first-round picks. Antetokounmpo's performance is not in question, he has been playing at an MVP-level this season. However, he turns 31 on Saturday and is looking for a massive contract extension that will start in the 2027-28 or 2028-29 season, his age-33 or age-34 season (he has a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28). The recent history of teams giving up a massive haul of first-round picks for players entering their mid-30s — even elite players — has them pausing and seriously considering how many picks they would trade for Antetokounmpo. Brian Windhorst of ESPN put it this way on his Hoop Collective Podcast:

"What I'm telling you is that when I talk to executives and these executives are not in trade talks with the Bucks or another for a star player right now, the mood in the NBA right now is not give up four first round picks for anybody ... All these teams are worried about getting into apron trouble where they can't reset their rosters...

"This is how teams are thinking right now. They're a little freaked about the aprons. There ain't going to be no five first round pick trades. I know that we saw those for a while. That's just not to happen."

• The Pelicans' 2026 draft pick could determine where Antetokounmpo lands. Antetokounmpo may have New York at the top of his wish list, but talking to league sources the last 48 hours, three teams come up as being able to put together better offers and may be places Antetokounmpo would be open to: Atlanta, San Antonio and Houston.

Atlanta is the team I hear the most (assuming Antetokounmpo wants to stay in the East). It can make a trade based around Trae Young and recent No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, but the biggest prize would be the Pelicans' first-round pick in next June's draft (which Atlanta controls because Joe Dumars traded it away to move up last June and select Derik Queen in a head-shaking move). NBA insider Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report and The Stein Line said he had been told all season there was no way the Hawks were surrendering what could be a very high pick in a deep draft at the top, but then added that landing Antetokounmpo in his prime and just going for it — with a team that has gone 11-7 while Young is out injured and has had a much improved defense — has to have the Atlanta front office rethinking that stance.

• The Oklahoma City factor. While Oklahoma City has the picks and players to make a serious offer for Antetokounmpo if they wanted to, why would they? At 21-1 with a record point differential and a locker room that gets along well, OKC looks like a juggernaut this season.

OKC's dominance is something Houston and San Antonio have to take into consideration, as Zach Lowe of The Ringer discussed on his podcast. Do the Spurs look at this season's Thunder, then look at how young their roster is, and decide to be patient and take their swings at OKC in a couple of years, when their roster is peaking, and the luxury tax is forcing changes to the Thunder? Same thing with Houston, which looks like a contender now, although Kevin Durant being on that team does somewhat change the equation. The bottom line is that both of those teams may look at the big picture and step back.

• The two big questions about an Antetokounmpo trade. In talking to league sources about the trade, two big themes and questions emerged:

1) Will Antetokounmpo (through his agent) actually demand a trade this time? He has danced up to this line but stepped back, not wanting to come off as the bad guy forcing his way out of Milwaukee (a tactic that has worked; the Bucks have upgraded their roster as best they could each time). Yes, Antetokounmpo asked the Bucks to explore a trade with the Knicks last summer, but by the time he did there was no deal to be made. This would be different. It also feels different on Antetokounmpo's end this time.

2) If Antetokounmpo is available via trade, will the Bucks work with the two-time MVP to get him where he wants to go (presumably New York, although maybe another city or two is on the list), or will they look for the best offer regardless of destination? Antetokounmpo has some leverage because he can be a free agent in the summer of 2027, but plenty of teams would be willing to take the risk on him for a year at the right price.

Anthony Davis

Davis getting traded feels more like an offseason move than one that happens during the season, especially since the team has looked better of late, winning three straight (games against Oklahoma City and Houston in the coming days are good measuring sticks).

When ESPN’s Windhorst was talking about teams not wanting to give up many first-round picks in a trade, that was aimed more at Anthony Davis and the market for him than at Antetokounmpo. Davis is 32, with a history of nagging injuries, and also is up for a contract extension this summer — a potentially massive one — which has teams a little hesitant. Is an aging Davis going to be worth the money he is asking? Windhorst added this on his podcast.

"When I have heard what people are saying Anthony Davis' trade value is right now, not because of him as a player, to be clear, not because he's diminished as a player, but because of the idea of paying an injury-prone mid-30s guy $50, $60 million dollars in the apron era is unpalatable."

James Harden, Kawhi Leonard

The Clippers have never hit the fact that they are built to pivot in 2027, when everyone except Ivica Zubac comes off the books. However, after a dreadful start to this season, could the Clippers accelerate that timeline by trading James Harden or Kawhi Leonard?

Good luck with that. Especially with Leonard, who is making $50 million this season and is guaranteed the same next season, and comes with a lengthy injury history. Harden, playing like an All-Star at a more reasonable $39.2 million (with a player option for $42 million next season), might be a different story, as Tim Bontemps wrote at ESPN.

"The feedback from league insiders has been that, while a team would take on Harden, it may be more difficult to find a landing spot for Leonard because of his injury and the Aspiration case still ongoing. "James has maybe neutral value," an East scout said. "Kawhi Leonard has negative value."

Trae Young/LaMelo Ball/Ja Morant

This group of point guards is who I am watching most closely heading into the trade deadline, thinking that one of their teams might decide it's time to make a major pivot and move on if the right deal comes along.

Except that deal is unlikely to materialize, as ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks wrote. They said these comments summed up the prevailing opinion on all three.

"I wouldn't want any of them," a Western Conference general manager told ESPN.

"They all might have negative value," an Eastern Conference executive said.

When we get to next offseason that may change for at least one and maybe all three of them, but don't bet on a deadline deal.

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NHL Waivers: Penguins' Koppanen, Panthers' Lundmark Hit The Wire

The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward Joona Koppanen on NHL waivers, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The Florida Panthers also placed Anton Lundmark on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination, Friedman reported. 

Koppanen has played in 10 games this season with Pittsburgh, recording one assist, two penalty minutes, four blocks, nine hits and a minus-1 rating. Last season, he had one goal and 40 hits in 11 games for Pittsburgh.

If Koppanen passes through waivers unclaimed on Saturday, Pittsburgh can assign him back to its AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

In six games this season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Koppanen has one goal and one assist. 

Lundmark, on the other hand, has zero points, four penalty minutes, and a minus-2 rating in nine games this season with the Charlotte Checkers. The 6-foot-4 right winger's most recent appearance with the AHL squad was on Nov. 28 against the Toronto Marlies. 

Lundmark signed a one-year, $975,000 entry-level contract with the Panthers back in April. This was after he posted five goals, four assists, nine points and a plus-2 rating in 49 games with Timra of the Swedish League last season.

"Anton is a robust forward who has elevated his game rising through the professional hockey ranks in Sweden," Panthers GM Bill Zito said at the time of the signing. "We look forward to his continued development in our organization."

Assuming Lundmark, 24, clears waivers, the Panthers will terminate his contract, and he will become a UFA who can continue his development in the Swedish League if he wishes.

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