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The 2026 NBA trade deadline will have a hard time topping its predecessor. Last year’s Luka Doncic-for-Anthony Davis bombshell was an all-time trade deadline moment, and there were a bunch of notable deals after it, with De’Aaron Fox, Jimmy Butler, and Brandon Ingram among the players who were sent to new homes. There’s potential for more fireworks this year, but no one really knows what to expect just yet.

This feels like a seller’s market. There’s a pretty clear pack of 3-4 championship contenders, and then a handful of other teams on the outside edge of the title picture. The Oklahoma City Thunder don’t feel like a runaway favorite anymore, the Denver Nuggets still need to be worried about Aaron Gordon’s lower-body injuries, and the San Antonio Spurs still haven’t let a playoff game in the Victor Wembanyama era, let alone a series. That’s just the West: the East is so much more wide open, with the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, and Boston Celtics leading the pack, each of them saddled with their own potential fatal flaws.

With the Feb. 5 trade deadline rapidly approach, here’s 30 players who could be moved.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Milwaukee Bucks

Why would he be traded? The Bucks and Giannis are finally ready for a divorce, according to Shams Charania. It’s very likely either happening now or in the summer. Here’s our list of Giannis suitors.

What would Bucks want back? 3-4 first-round picks, swaps, and a blue chip young player.

2. Anthony Davis, C/F, Dallas Mavericks

Why would he be traded? The Mavs are ready to rebuild around Cooper Flagg, and they need to recoup draft compensation without control of their first-round pick from 2027-2030. Here’s three fake trades for Davis, though his current injury complicates the trade landscape.

What would Mavs want back? Salary relief, a first-round pick, a promising young player.

3. Karl-Anthony Towns, C/F, New York Knicks

Why would he be traded? The Knicks are desperate to make the most of their championship window in the East in a down year for the conference. New York’s two best players might not be able to play together in games that matter. Towns probably won’t get traded at the deadline, but the probability that he’s traded will rise significantly this summer if the Knicks fail to make the 2026 NBA Finals.

What would Knicks want back? Giannis. Or assets that help them land their next star.

4. Domantas Sabonis, C, Sacramento Kings

Why would he be traded? The Kings need to blow it up badly. There’s no scenario where Sabonis is on the next good Kings team.

What would Kings want back? A first-round pick and/or a promising young player.

5. Michael Porter Jr., F, Brooklyn Nets

Why would he be traded? Porter Jr. has had an All-Star caliber season in his first year away from Denver, and the Brooklyn would be selling high on him now as it continues to go back into its rebuild.

What would Nets want back? Two first-round picks, or one pick and one interesting young player.

6. Ja Morant, G, Memphis Grizzlies

Why would he be traded? The Grizzlies seem done with the Ja Morant experience. Here’s our list of potential Morant trade suitors.

What would Grizzlies want back? A first-round pick and an interesting young player.

7. Coby White, G, Chicago Bulls

Why would he be traded? He’s an expiring contract, and the Bulls might want to get something for him now instead of entering a bidding war in free agency.

What would Bulls want back? A first round pick, an interesting young player, and expiring salary.

8. Kristaps Porzingis, C, Atlanta Hawks

Why would he be traded? He’s an expiring contract, and he can’t stay healthy.

What would Hawks want back? Salary relief and draft compensation

9. Ayo Dosunmu, G, Chicago Bulls

Why would he be traded? He’s an expiring contract, and the fact that he’s playing the best ball of his career offers Chicago the chance to finally sell high on a player.

What would Bulls want back? A first-round pick or an interesting young player and multiple seconds.

10. Zach LaVine, G, Sacramento Kings

Why would he be traded? The Kings need to blow it up, and LaVine needs a fresh start after spending his entire career with bad teams. He’s certainly opting in to the final year of his contract for $48.9 million, but then he’s off the books after next season. Can we finally get this guy to a contender?

What would Kings want back? Anything.

11. Tobias Harris, F, Detroit Pistons

Why would he be traded? If the Pistons want to make a big move to improve their chances at coming out of the East, Harris a large expiring salary to grease the wheels.

What would Pistons want back? A starting four or a starting-caliber guard to aid the NBA Finals push.

12. Goga Bitadze, C, Orlando Magic

Why would he be traded? An advanced stats star with two more playoff runs left on his cheap contract, Orlando could try to trade its backup center for future assets that could help them build.

What would Magic want back? Draft picks or a promising young player.

13. Bennedict Mathurin, G, Indiana Pacers

Why would he be traded? He’s set to be a restricted free agent, and he’s never really fit into the Pacers’ long-term vision.

What would Pacers want back? Picks and potentially a young big man.

14. Daniel Gafford, C, Dallas Mavericks

Why would he be traded? The Mavs need to prioritize their future over their present, and they already have a gifted young center on the roster in Dereck Lively II.

What would Mavs want back? Future draft assets and cap flexibility.

15. Naji Marshall, F, Dallas Mavericks

Why would he be traded? He has two playoff runs left on a team-friendly contract, and he could bring in a solid return.

What would Mavs want back? Future draft assets or a promising young player.

16. Rui Hachimura, F, Los Angeles Lakers

Why would he be traded? He’s an expiring contract, and the Lakers might want to get something for him now if he’s not part of their long-term vision around Luka Doncic.

What would Lakers want back? Future draft assets or a young player.

17. Grant Williams, F, Charlote Hornets

Why would he be traded? The Hornets are a year away from a playoff run in the East, and Williams will have some appeal as a 3-and-D veteran with two playoff runs left on his contract.

What would Hornets want back? Future draft assets and expiring salary.

18. Keon Ellis, G, Sacramento Kings

Why would he be traded? The Kings need to be rebuilt from the ground up.

What would Kings want back? Future draft picks.

19. Anfernee Simons, G, Boston Celtics

Why would he be traded? The Celtics are trying to duck the luxury tax, and he’s the biggest salary on the cap sheet that they could justify cutting ahead of the potential return of Jayson Tatum.

What would Celtics want back? A small enough salary to get them out of the tax.

20. Bobby Portis, F, Milwaukee Bucks

Why would he be traded? The Bucks are ready to tank, trade Giannis, and tear the whole thing down.

What would Bucks want back? Future draft assets and/or interesting young players.

21. Rob Dillingham, G, Minnesota Timberwolves

Why would he be traded? The Wolves need to upgrade at point guard next to Anthony Edwards, and their bold swing for Dillingham during the 2024 draft just hasn’t paid off. Dillingham still can’t crack head coach Chris Finch’s rotation, and it’s time to find a lead guard who can.

What would Wolvevs want back? A starting-caliber point guard.

22. DeMar DeRozan, G, Sacramento Kings

Why would he be traded? Because he’s on the Kings ahead of their liquidation sale.

What would Kings want back? Second-round draft assets and expiring salary.

23. Jusuf Nurkic, C, Utah Jazz

Why would he be traded? This is probably the final year of the Utah’s tank, and a veteran like Nurkic is an obvious player to free. He’s not in his physical prime anymore, but Nurkic can still crash the offensive glass at an elite level at a time when it feels more important than ever.

What would Jazz want back? Second-round draft compensation.

24. Jordan Poole, G, New Orleans Pelicans

Why would he be traded? The Pelicans have no use for the final year of his deal at $34 million.

What would Pelicans want back? Second-round draft compensation.

25. Gradey Dick, G/F, Toronto Raptors

Why would he be traded? As part of a package for an impact center or another ball handler.

What would Raptors want back? An impact center or another ball handler.

26. Dalton Knecht, F, Los Angeles Lakers

Why would he be traded? He’s demanded a trade! I repeat: Dalton Knecht has demanded a trade!

What would Lakers want back? Second-round draft compensation or a better defensive player.

27. Kyle Kuzma, F, Milwaukee Bucks

Why would he be traded? The Bucks are ready to tear it down as they weigh offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

What would Bucks want back? All of the picks if Kuzma goes out in a Giannis deal, also salary relief.

28. Terrence Shannon Jr., G, Minnesota Timberwolves

Why would he be traded? The Wolves are firmly in their championship window, and Shannon hasn’t been able to crack the rotation even after Nickeil Alexander-Walker left in free agency.

What would Wolves want back?

29. Jeremy Sochan, F, San Antonio Spurs

Why would he be traded? He’s out of the rotation, and out of time in San Antonio has he approaches restricted free agency.

What would Spurs want back? Second-round draft capital

30. Jakob Poeltl, C, Toronto Raptors

Why would he be traded? He has one of the least team-friendly contracts in the NBA, and he’s always hurt.

What would Raptors want back? Just getting off his deal would be a miracle.

MUNICH (AP) — Germany midfielder Leon Goretzka says U.S. President Donald Trump “has managed to make us feel not only German, but also European.”

Goretzka, who plays club soccer for Bayern Munich, in an interview with Die Zeit newspaper published on Wednesday, spoke about the World Cup being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, and he suggested Germany and other European teams will be the favorites.

“Others have caught up but in the most important game in the world we’re still ahead of every continent,” Goretzka said. “Far from being left behind, Europe will show everyone what’s what on the field.”

The countdown to the June 11-July 19 tournament has drawn calls for a boycott. Oke Göttlich, the president of Bundesliga club St. Pauli and one of the German federation’s 10 vice presidents, last week said the time had come to “ seriously consider and discuss this.”

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter also weighed in on Monday.

"I’m aware of the political debates,” Goretzka said. “Still, I expect it to be a great tournament. It will advance football there and convince many people that it’s a fantastic game.”

Germany has been drawn in World Cup Group E with Ivory Coast, Curaçao and Ecuador.

___

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

On Wednesday, the San Antonio Spurs announced a partnership with Austin-based Wanderlust Wine Co. Coincidence or not, the announcement came on the birthday of Gregg Popovich, a noted wine connoisseur.

The San Antonio Spurs announced a new partnership with Wanderlust Wine Co., making it the official wine of the organization. Wanderlust will also become an official partner of the team’s NBA G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. The collaboration will come to life with future Spurs pop-up events at Wanderlust’s storefronts in Austin and sampling at select home games, furthering the strong connection between the team and its fanbase throughout the entire I-35 corridor.

Said Sammy Lam, founder & president of Wanderlust Wine Co.,

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with the San Antonio Spurs and Spurs Sports & Entertainment. This collaboration brings together two organizations that care deeply about community, innovation, and delivering memorable fan experiences. We’re excited to introduce Spurs fans to Wanderlust wines in a way that’s both premium and sustainable.”

The award-winning winery remains family-owned and laser focused on maintaining their green practices.

Brandon James, senior vice president of strategic growth and deputy general counsel for Spurs Sports & Entertainment added,

“We’ve been fortunate to engage with Wanderlust organically over the past few years, watching them grow and scale while staying true to Austin’s character. To now grow together through an official partnership is a big win for both organizations. Their strong connection to the community mirrors the special bond we share with our fans, making this partnership a natural fit.”

This partnership extends the Spurs organization’s presence in Austin. Through fan engagement activations, game watch parties, support for the local sports and fitness community, the Spurs continue community outreach.

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The Phoenix Suns needed a win on Tuesday night. Badly. Two straight losses had already piled up, and the schedule ahead offers no mercy. Detroit is looming. Cleveland too. Then the Clippers. Lose this one, and a six-game skid was no longer theoretical, it was staring them down. So this game mattered. Not as a statement, but as a tourniquet. Stop the bleeding first, worry about momentum later.

What they can actually build on came from the middle of the floor. Mark Williams delivered his best night since arriving in Phoenix. 27 points on 13-of-16 from the field. Perfect in the second half. Calm, physical, dependable. He gave them interior stability and something this offense rarely has, a release valve that does not live beyond the arc.

And here is the contrast. The Suns are not an interior team by design. They do not hunt shots at the rim. They are 29th in the NBA in attempts inside five feet, taking 23.8 per game. That is who they are. On Tuesday, that script bent. 28 of their 77 shots, 36.3%, came from inside five feet. Not because the philosophy changed, but because Williams forced it to.

So to see them bend their identity and adjust how they operate, all in response to a specific opponent, speaks to the intellect and schematic feel that Jordan Ott brings to the bench. There is flexibility here. There is awareness.

But now comes the real question. Is it replicable?

Because the stretch ahead demands it. The Suns are entering a run where every ounce of offensive potency matters, no matter the matchup, no matter the look they are given. Can they keep feeding Mark Williams with enough consistency and with enough purpose to actually win games?

That is where this gets tricky.

On Tuesday night, when the Suns beat the Nets 106-102, the math worked in their favor. It was a plus matchup for Williams. Nic Claxton is a solid center and a legitimate defender. He grades out in the 80th percentile as a rim protector. But the Suns leaned into his lack of size, used switching to their advantage, and consistently put Williams in spots where he could thrive. They maximized the skill set.

And Williams has a very specific one. He finishes around the rim. Not through bodies, but around them. Fluid, patient, controlled. He grades out in the 92nd percentile in finishing talent.

The numbers back it up. Across two matchups this season, Williams guarded Claxton for 15:40. In that span, 72 points were scored on 70.9 possessions, and Claxton accounted for 11 of them, going 4-of-10 from the field. Flip it around. When Claxton guarded Williams, 13:49 of game time, the Suns scored 71 points on 58.8 possessions. Williams went 7-of-9 for 15 points.

Keep those numbers tucked away. They are going to matter later.

The hope is that nights like this become the norm for Mark Williams. The reality is they probably will not. Because for all the value he has brought this season, the size, the stability, the calming presence at center, there is a tradeoff on the other end of the floor. Williams can be hunted defensively. That is not a secret. It is also why we have seen so much Oso Ighodaro.

Credit to Oso for fully embracing that role and being effective in it. His value lives on the defensive end. He can switch. He can move. He can survive in space. That is what makes him playable. Opponents know the counter with Williams. They spread the floor, pull him out of the paint, run high screen actions, and force a decision. When Williams does not sit in drop coverage, the geometry breaks. The paint opens. Driving lanes appear. The offense gets comfortable. When he drops, pull the trigger from deep.

Oso does not bring the same offensive ceiling. That is clear. What he does bring is defensive versatility, and that matters in this league. It matters every night.

So the Suns have work to do here. They need to get more creative defensively when Williams is on the floor. They need to protect him in specific situations, anticipate when teams are clearly trying to target him, and manage those minutes with intent. Because his offense is worth it. It has real value.

But it is matchup-driven. When the opposing center is someone Williams can neutralize, or someone who cannot impose their will, he lasts longer. He becomes more effective. He tilts the math. When that is not the case, the margin shrinks fast.

And that, more than anything, is the challenge. And the next three games? That challenge will be tested.

Detroit first. Jalen Duren. That matchup already gave us a preview, and it was not encouraging. Williams logged 6:24 against him, covering 31.5 possessions. In that window, the Suns gave up 46 points. Duren went 5-of-9 for 10 points. On the other end, Duren guarded Williams for 5:45 across those same 31.5 possessions. The Suns scored 22 points in that span, and Williams finished with zero points on 0-of-2 shooting.

Then comes Cleveland the following night. Jarrett Allen, with Evan Mobley sidelined. Williams versus Allen has also happened once this season. The results were similar. Williams defended Allen for 6:51, covering 39.8 possessions. Cleveland scored 61 points in that stretch, and Allen put up 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Flip the matchup. Allen guarded Williams for 6:18 and 31.2 possessions. The Suns scored 31 points, and Williams again finished scoreless, 0-of-2 from the field.

The upcoming center matchups are a concern for Mark Williams. Numbers in their previous matchups:

vs Duren (10 pts, 5-of-9): PHX allowed 46 pts in 31.5 possessions; Williams went 0-of-2

vs Allen (12 pts, 5-of-9): CLE scored 61 pts in 39.8 possessions; Williams again 0-of-2 pic.twitter.com/tshzRgSLV9

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) January 29, 2026

And then the homestand closes on Sunday with the Clippers. Ivica Zubac is the assignment. A load. A true center. One the Suns can work if their high actions are sharp and if they can consistently pull him away from the paint. That said, the Clippers have been locked in defensively as a group lately, so that muddies the waters.

Across three matchups this season, Williams defended Zubac for 19:12, covering 86.3 possessions. In that time, Zubac scored 29 points on 12-of-17 shooting, and the Clippers scored 87 points overall. Offensively, Williams was more productive here. He scored 19 points in 16:12 and 84.9 possessions, going 7-of-12 from the field. The Suns scored 109 points.

That is the spectrum. The good, the bad, and the uncomfortable middle. And it brings us right back to the same place. Matchups decide everything.

I love what Mark Williams brings to this team. He gives them the rim running element they have been craving for a long time. He is long defensively, and while no one is confusing him for a perimeter stopper, he does a solid job as a deterrent when he is stationed in the paint. He is a capable rebounder too, even if it does not always feel dominant for a center. He grades out in the 81st percentile in defensive rebounding and the 93rd percentile in offensive rebounding.

All of that said, there is an important reminder here. He is making $6.3 million. You are getting exactly what you paid for, and probably a little more. Price for value paid? Check.

But over these next few games, as the Suns search for answers within the flow of a night, as they try to manufacture points without Devin Booker and Jalen Green, the focus has to sharpen. When Mark Williams is on the floor, he has to be involved. Intentionally. Deliberately.

Because he is not going to play with total regularity. Defensive limitations and matchup realities see to that, and there are other options on the bench who make sense in certain stretches. Still, there are moments in almost every game where you find yourself yelling it. “Give the ball to Williams!!!”

During this upcoming stretch, that instinct needs to become policy. At least in the moments that he is out there.

He hears it in nearly every arena the Lakers enter.

“We want Bronny. We want Bronny.”

But on Monday night in Cleveland’s Rocket Arena, where the familiar chant reached arena-filling decibels, it felt different. It felt like home.

Bronny James provided some of the few Lakers highlights in the team’s worst loss of the year — a 129-99 drubbing by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday — to turn an emotional homecoming for his father into a happy return for the 21-year-old. James scored eight points with two rebounds, an assist and a steal. He knocked down two three pointers and slammed a one-handed transition dunk to elicit a roar from the crowd that welcomed back a son they watched grow up.

“I was just excited to go out there and play,” James said. “I’m always ready to go out and play, whether that’s when the entire arena is saying ‘We want Bronny‘ or no one is. I was just really, really grateful that they put me in at that time and I was able to go out and get a few buckets.”

With the Lakers trailing by 20 by the third quarter, the chants for James started early. “We want Bronny” chants occur at nearly every Lakers game, almost turning the young guard’s playing time into a sideshow instead of much-needed opportunities for a developing player trying to find his footing in the NBA.

James hadn’t played in a game since Jan. 18 and hadn’t scored since Jan. 12. But he got on the scoreboard in thrilling fashion Wednesday night, tipping away a crosscourt pass and taking the ball in transition for a dunk that left even his dad nodding approval from the bench.

“He handles all of it so well,” said guard Gabe Vincent, who called Bronny “a light” in the Lakers’ otherwise forgettable blowout. “It's incredible. His maturity through it all is incredible. … It's great to see him have a moment like that.”

Read more:'Like it was yesterday.' Lakers lose in emotional return to Cleveland for LeBron James

The former USC guard who also scored his first NBA points in Cleveland as a rookie last year has bounced between the Lakers and the team’s G League affiliate this year as he hopes to make strides as a shooter and on-ball defender while “building up his tolerance for being in elite shape,” coach JJ Redick said. James has had some promising moments, especially when the Lakers were short-handed earlier this season, showing quicker decision making and increased confidence shooting the ball.

Monday was just the second time in his career that he made two threes in a game.

“He's as level headed and just as normal of a 21-year-old as I've ever been around,” Redick said.

When the Lakers got to the arena Monday, James was welcomed home by a childhood photo of him on a screen outside the visiting locker room. It showed him on stage in 2016 during the Cavaliers’ championship celebration wearing a championship hat and white T-shirt, holding up one finger.

Read more:Bronny James shows his improvement for shorthanded Lakers

LeBron James glanced at the championship banner from that team before the game Monday, fueling the intense emotions of what could be his last game in his hometown against the team that launched his NBA dreams in 2003.

The Cavaliers, wearing navy blue throwback uniforms, showed a tribute video for LeBron James during the first quarter, highlighting James’ takeover of Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals in which he scored 25 consecutive points. Bronny was 3 years old at the time. Almost two decades later, he remembered all the afternoons he spent at the Cavaliers arena after school.

“It’s literally my entire life,” Bronny said of the city of Cleveland. “So just really appreciative of all the people that show some love. I just remember being a kid and being here pretty much every day after school. It’s a bunch of nostalgia coming back and being here.”

The James family was prepared for the occasion. LeBron scanned the arena before the game to find his mother in a suite. She once watched him begin his career in this very arena, now she was watching both her son and her grandson play in the same game. After saying it out loud, the elder James struggled to process 5 idea.

“I don't even know how to even, like, wrap that all in one in my brain,” LeBron James said. “It’s so weird and so cool and so surreal. My mom gets to watch her son and her grandson play in the NBA at the same time.”

Gloria James waited in the hallway outside the Lakers locker room to take photos with her son and then her grandson. Bronny was the last Laker out of the arena, stopping to take dozens of photos with family members dressed in purple and gold Lakers jerseys. His grandmother told him to “act right.” He promised to oblige.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

CLEVELAND — LeBron James is human, despite spending the last 23 years convincing us otherwise.

For one of the few times in his entire career, James seemed overwhelmed by the emotion of a game. He cried when the Cleveland Cavaliers played a tribute video for him after the first timeout, which is something he’s rarely done on a basketball court.

The video was highlights of James from his incredible Game 5 performance against the Detroit Pistons in 2007. He watched a version of himself that physically couldn’t be stopped by one of the best defensive teams of that decade, even though each defender was doing everything in their power to do so.

That clip was 19 years old and from multiple basketball lifetimes ago, even though James still remembers “that moment like it was yesterday.”

Basketball mortality isn’t something James has seemingly had to contemplate often. The guys he came into the league with have transitioned to different phases of their lives. Even someone like Derrick Rose, who was once thought of as the up-and-coming young player that represented a new generation to challenge James for his throne, just had his jersey retirement ceremony with the Chicago Bulls last weekend.

The regular laws of physics and aging have generally not applied to James, but that’s changing.

“I don’t take these moments for granted, because it could be,” James said when asked if this was his last game in Cleveland. “Obviously, I haven’t made a decision on the future, but it very well could be.”

The hometown fans didn’t take the moment for granted either. As has been the case for the last 23 years, they reacted to every move that he made once he entered the stage.

The crowd erupted when he first emerged from the tunnel for pregame warmups. Provided him with the loudest ovation during player intros. Groaned when he missed a putback layup. And gave him the loudest ovation of the night after the tribute video ran.

One of those people cheering was his mother. James took a moment to look up to her suite at the start of the game and gave her his signed jersey from the game as a present.

As has become a tradition the last two seasons, Bronny James has been one of the highlights of the night. He scored eight points once the game was decided, including a breakaway dunk that garnered one of the loudest crowd pops of the evening.

“My mom is here watching her son and her grandson,” LeBron said. “I don’t even know how to even wrap that all around in my brain, you know. It’s so weird and so cool, and so surreal. My mom gets to watch her son and her grandson play in the NBA at the same time. … Shit.”

This warm and familial reception from his hometown stands in stark contrast to what James has been facing with the Los Angeles Lakers.

James is no longer the star the organization revolves around. He wasn’t offered a contract extension last off-season, and could enter free agency next season with his current team presumably not too concerned about whether or not he leaves.

His play on the court reflects this new reality. The night-to-night excellence isn’t to the level it’s been for the last two decades. Wednesday’s 11-point performance, in which James had more turnovers than assists, was the exception to what has been an All-Star caliber season. Still, it’s been rare to see James draw a blank on a game that meant something to him.

Aging is a difficult process. You’re trapped with the memories of who you used to be, even though that person can never be summoned again.

But the player that is currently there is still better than an overwhelming majority of the league and can still reach a gear that few can. That’s the reason why the Cavs are reportedly interested in opening the door for a possible third stint this summer.

While a reunion would be a great story, James would also fill a lot of holes around this core. His playmaking, size, and ability to beat mismatches are all things the Cavaliers have shown they needed based on previous postseason runs. And Wednesday made clear that the hometown fans would welcome him back with open arms.

Whether or not James would be up for a second return — or another season in general — remains to be seen. He’s accomplished everything there is to in the game and has nothing further to prove to the outside world. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t motivation there to continue on.

“My why has been that I’m still playing at a high level,” James said. “I still love the process of putting in the work, inspiring, given what I got to the game because I’ll have more years in my life without it than I will with it. … The thought (of retiring) creeps in my mind more at 41 years old, of when the end is and where the finish line is to hang this thing up. … [I want to see] how much juice I can squeeze out of this orange.”

James is no longer the superhero in the baggy, navy blue jersey, carving through that great Pistons defense in overtime. No one can keep playing at that level forever.

At the same time, there’s something more inspiring and relatable about an all-time great waging a war they’ll eventually lose. Even though he’s closer to the end of that fight now, it’s not one he’s given up on yet.

“I’m in a battle with Father Time,” James said, “and I kind of take it personally. I want to see how many more times I can be victorious over him.”

The San Antonio Spurs spent much of Wednesday night searching for their footing, trailing early and struggling to slow Houston’s tempo. By the final buzzer, they had imposed their will, turning a shaky start into a dominant 111–99 road victory over the Rockets at Toyota Center.

San Antonio overcame a double-digit first-half deficit by tightening its defense, controlling the glass, and leaning on its size in the paint. The Spurs outscored Houston 58–38 in the second half and limited the Rockets to just 13 points in the fourth quarter, sealing the win with disciplined execution and physical play.

“I think it’s the job that everyone was doing around him [Wembanyama] that allowed Victor to be that impactful at the rim,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said. “We had quite a bit of crowds at the rim and we did a much better job of securing loose balls in the second half and the latter part of the game.”

The Rockets dictated much of the opening half, attacking early in the shot clock and finding success from the perimeter. Houston built a lead that grew to 16 points as San Antonio struggled to contain dribble penetration and gave up second-chance opportunities.

That changed after halftime.

The Spurs emerged with a renewed focus on defense, shrinking the floor and forcing Houston into contested shots. San Antonio began to chip away late in the third quarter, closing the gap behind improved ball movement and a steady diet of interior scoring.

“It felt like we were freaking out a bit,” Johnson said. “It felt like we didn’t settle down into the game [in the first half], but we kept our composure.”

Victor Wembanyama was at the center of it all. He star finished with 28 points and 16 rebounds, anchoring the Spurs on both ends of the floor. Wembanyama repeatedly punished Houston inside, altering shots defensively while drawing fouls and creating space for teammates offensively.

San Antonio’s patience paid off early in the fourth quarter. After finally taking the lead late in the third, the Spurs opened the final period with an 11–0 run that shifted momentum decisively. Defensive stops led to transition opportunities, and the Spurs capitalized by attacking the rim and controlling the pace.

The Spurs’ advantage in the paint proved decisive. San Antonio consistently beat Houston to loose balls and dominated the rebounding battle, limiting the Rockets’ ability to generate second chances. As the game slowed, Houston struggled to find clean looks against San Antonio’s length and discipline.

Rookie guard Dylan Harper provided a significant boost off the bench, scoring 16 points and offering energy during critical stretches. His ability to attack downhill and convert at the rim helped stabilize the Spurs’ offense when the game tightened, preventing Houston from regaining momentum.

Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 25 points, showcasing his athleticism and aggressiveness throughout the night. But despite strong individual performances, Houston could not sustain its early success once San Antonio imposed its defensive structure. The Rockets committed key turnovers and endured extended scoring droughts in the fourth quarter as the Spurs closed out the game.

For San Antonio, the win served as a reminder of how effective the team can be when it commits to defense and physicality. After a recent stretch marked by inconsistency, the Spurs demonstrated their ability to respond under pressure and win a tough, grind-it-out game on the road.

The victory also highlighted the Spurs’ growth in late-game situations. Rather than rushing possessions or settling for contested jump shots, San Antonio remained composed, working the ball inside and trusting its defensive rotations.

As the Spurs continue to navigate a competitive Western Conference, Wednesday’s performance offered a blueprint for success — defend, rebound, and let discipline dictate the outcome. Against a young and energetic Rockets team, San Antonio proved that resilience and execution can still make a difference.

Game notes

• Charles Barkley said Stephon Castle “single handedly changed the game” for the Spurs. And if you look at the tape, he’s right. Castle was in Sengun and Kevin Durant’s business in the second half and made life difficult for him. While Durant finished with 24 points, he shot 8-for-17 and that is largely due to Castle.
• Can we stop with the Mitch Johnson hate? His coaching in the second half and adjustments of putting Wembanyama on Amen Thompson was a huge reason why the Spurs rallied for the win. The Spurs are 32-15 and are en route for the NBA Playoffs. He’s a huge reason why.
• San Antonio’s bench outscored Houston’s 38-14.
• Dylan Harper had a nice evening at the office with 16 points on 8-11 shooting.