The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed Tristan Enaruna to a two-way contract. Enaruna played his junior and senior years at Cleveland State University before joining the Boston Celtics’ G League affiliate and eventually returning to Cleveland with the Charge.

Enaruna is averaging 20.9 points and 4.6 assists in 30.8 minutes per game for the Charge this season. He’s an athletic forward who has made a significant leap in three-point shooting, going from below 30% in 2024 to an above 45% shooter on nearly five attempts per game this year. It’s worth noting Enaruna has played only nine games so far this season, but that jump in efficiency is still commendable.

Cleveland’s other two-way spots are currently being filled by Luke Travers and Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who has been a standout this season and has already played 36 games with the Cavaliers. Tomlin is running out of NBA eligibility and wouldn’t surprise anyone if he earned a standard contract sooner, rather than later.

Forward Chris Livingston, who previously held Cleveland’s final two-way spot, was waived by the team earlier this week. This opened the door for Enaruna.

The Cavs have already gotten more help from their Charge prospects than most franchises would ever expect. Someone like Sam Merrill, who blazed his way out of the G League behind elite three-point shooting, is perhaps their best success story. But Tomlin is another success, while Travers, Enaruna and Killian Hayes are all promising in their own ways.

There won’t be much room for another Charge player to crack Cleveland’s current rotation. Assuming the Cavs can ever get healthy, the competition is simply too thick to predict that Enaruna or anyone else will get a chance to play significant NBA minutes.

But that’s not the point of the two-way contract. This is an opportunity to reward someone for their hard work. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are going to take the next step and join the big leagues right away. It’s simply a strong step in the right direction.

As their number two behind Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns is central to the Knicks’ plans. Lately, though, he hasn’t been central to how games are ending. Over the past week, a new strategy has emerged from New York’s coaching staff. When the screws tighten, their most effective lineups have often come with Towns watching from the bench.

James L. Edwards III of The Athletic lays out the case. During New York’s recent three-game win streak, the Knicks have played their best late-game basketball Towns off the floor. Coach Mike Brown has leaned on defense-heavy closing groups built around Brunson and Mitchell Robinson, as evidenced in last night’s win over Sacramento. After a three-quarter slog, a KAT-free lineup finally created separation down the stretch. Karl did hit two three-pointers to start the final frame, but those were only brief glimmers in what was a muddy performance.

Edwards notes that the early lineup data backs up what we have seen on the court. Brunson lineups surrounded by four strong defenders have been effective in limited minutes, while combinations featuring both Brunson and Towns continue to expose their defensive inadequacies. The sample sizes are small, but the consistency of the trend has raised real questions about fit. And, don’t forget the trade deadline is a week from tomorrow. (Read Edwards’ piece here.)

Jared Schwartz of the New York Post picked up on the same theme. He focuses on how familiar Towns sitting late has become. Against Sacramento, Towns didn’t play the final 6:51 as Brown again closed with Brunson, Miles McBride, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Robinson. Can you blame Mike? That lineup clearly balances offensive and defensive strengths.

“He saw what he saw. We got a win, that’s the most important thing,” Towns said about his early exit.

Brown described the decision as situational. On a number of occasions he has made clear that he’s comfortable riding whichever lineup is working, even if it means putting extremely well compensated starters on the bench.

“At the end of the game, we had a group out on the floor that was playing well. It was a tight ballgame, so I just rode that group to the end of the game,” Brown said. “During the flow of the game, you find a group of players that you feel are playing well together, and you roll with it as long as you can.”

To that point: in a separate Post piece, Schwartz examined how different the Knicks really look under Brown. As he explains, the changes are more subtle than sweeping. Three-point volume is up, but improvements in pace, ball movement, and bench production—all areas identified as weak spots last offseason—have been modest. To the surprise of some, the team is a lot closer to last season stylistically than expected, with Brown turning more often to Thibsian lineups.

In Schwartz’s article, ESPN analyst Tim Legler points to Towns’ offensive regression as the most noticeable shift. “For me, the biggest difference right now is actually the fact that I don’t feel as good about Karl-Anthony Towns most nights,” says Legs.

He also frames Towns’ usage as a signal of offensive health. “I was hoping to see more nights this year where Karl-Anthony Towns is your leading scorer. That would tell me that [Jalen] Brunson has got a lower usage rate… that would be a good thing for them offensively.”

Towns has played 11 seasons between Minnesota and New York, with career averages of 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 688 regular-season games. He was selected to five All-Star games, and won the Rookie of the Year award. This season, his first under coach Mike Brown, KAT has averaged 20.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, while posting the worst shooting percentages of his career.

With owner James Dolan declaring his championship expectations . . . and KAT and Brunson still not gelling . . . and KAT and Coach Brown apparently at odds . . . all that has fueled nationwide speculation about whether New York will (or can) move their expensive big man by the trade deadline. This season he will earn $53 M. Next year’s salary is $57 M. In 2027, when he has a player option, it rises to $61 M. That’s a lot of money for a team to bring onto their books.

Michael Pina of The Ringer sees the trade deadline as a pressure point for New York. Working within the constraints of the league’s restrictive CBA, Pina frames Towns as the clearest source of tension on the roster, citing his efficiency dip, hefty contract, and uneven adjustment to Brown’s system. (The piece also mentions Brunson’s paradoxical impact as an offensive engine whose defensive limitations complicate postseason aspirations. But ain’t no way Leon Rose trades Cap, or he’ll get tossed off the nearest bridge.)

Pina stops short of calling for drastic action, but outlines an odd trade proposal. His idea is to send KAT to Milwaukee for Myles Turner, Kyle (bleech) Kuzma, and a top-five pick . . . in 2031. Start scouting JV squads now! And shouldn’t we be focusing on a different Buck?

Writes Pina:

If your first reaction to this was “That makes no sense,” you are 100 percent correct. A blockbuster trade between New York and Milwaukee that doesn’t include an increasingly melodramatic Giannis Antetokounmpo would belie rational thought. The Bucks should absolutely not do this. But the Bucks should absolutely not have done a bunch of other stuff they thought was a good idea, so let’s operate in that reality for a minute.  

He describes KAT as “an increasingly problematic defender who will turn 30 in August and seems to be walking off an ankle injury once a week.” However, he also points out that the Knicks are better defensively when Kat is on the floor without Brunson.

The article argues that the need for change isn’t about talent. No one will argue that Karl has a prodigious scoring ability for a big man, after all. But the fit just isn’t it in New York. Read Pina here.

For now, New York’s brass remains typically mum. You can be sure their phones are hot, though, and the prospect of superstar trades has the league excited. Superagent Rich Paul couldn’t help inserting himself into the mix, too. TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott chatted with Dexter Henry about it on the New York Post Sports YouTube channel.

“All four people I talked to didn’t agree on whether Rich Paul would represent Giannis,” said Henry, “but all four agreed that the mission is to get Giannis out of Milwaukee.”

Given their similarities in contract and star power, it is conceivable that Towns would be included in a trade. Giannis Antetokounmpo is due $54 M this season, $58 M next year, and $62 M in 2027-28. Last offseason, Antetokounmpo expressed interest in coming to New York. According to Abbott, that interest persists. “One person told me Giannis’s preferred list is three teams: the Heat, the Wolves, and the Knicks.”

The Knicks head to Toronto tonight for a SEGABABA, with sole possession of third place on the line. If Towns is serious about working things out in New York, he has a chance to prove it in one of the season’s biggest games. If Mike Brown again decides he can’t trust Towns in crunch time, however, it may be what ultimately triggers a trade. Stay tuned.

And Go Knicks.

Well, it’s official. Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the market. And while the update still lands with a thud, this part really shouldn’t shock anyone who’s been paying attention instead of pretending Milwaukee was fine. The breadcrumbs have been there for months. Subtle comments. A team stuck between honoring a championship window and realizing that window is now cracked, foggy, and barely open.

Look at Milwaukee’s situation honestly. Aging core. Limited flexibility. A roster built to win yesterday, not tomorrow. When you reach the point where your best option is asking a generational player to keep dragging the same suitcase up the same hill, eventually the suitcase breaks. Or the player asks for a new road.

So yeah, this makes sense. Painful for Bucks fans. Uncomfortable for the league. But logical.

The Suns and the Bucks are living in the same neighborhood, even if they took different streets to get there. Both spent the better part of a decade building around a singular star, hoping the surrounding pieces would hold long enough to matter. Milwaukee got the ring, ironically against Phoenix, but everything after that has been a slow asset bleed to the point where recovery feels unrealistic. The Suns fumbled too, loudly and publicly, but they stopped the bleeding and stabilized.

The Bucks moved Jrue Holiday, a player they paid real draft capital to acquire and a cornerstone of their title run, to chase offense in Damian Lillard. It blew up. The Suns chased Bradley Beal. Same result. Different logo. Both franchises exhausted picks, flexibility, and patience in the process. Phoenix emptied the cupboard for Kevin Durant and Beal. Milwaukee did it for Jrue, then doubled down with Lillard, burning three more first-rounders along the way.

That left both teams at the same crossroads last summer. How do you move forward when the margin is gone? How do you improve when the tools are spent? How do you keep your star engaged? Giannis is on a different tier than Devin Booker, a two-time MVP with league-bending value, but the tension was the same. One last swing to see if it could work.

Phoenix chose structure and vision, bringing in Jordan Ott and resetting the tone. Milwaukee chose money because money was the only lever left. They could not move Kyle Kuzma at $22.4 million, so they added Myles Turner at $25.3 million and kept throwing dollars at a problem that needed direction. Same problem. Different solution. Only one of them feels sustainable.

Now is the moment where Milwaukee actually has to stare into the mirror and make a decision on Giannis. The Suns are not in that space. They do not need a reset. They already hit it last summer in a smaller, smarter way, and it worked. In Phoenix, the retool stabilized everything. In Milwaukee, it didn’t.

So the obvious question shows up. Should the Suns be in the Giannis business? The answer is no. Clean and simple.

Start with assets. Phoenix does not have anything Milwaukee would want unless the conversation begins with Devin Booker, and that conversation ends the moment it starts. Even then, the Bucks would demand draft capital, real draft capital, and the Suns do not have it. You can make the money work on a screen. You cannot make the reality work.

Then there is the basketball part. The Suns do not need an aging, increasingly injury-prone Giannis. If you somehow pulled off a deal and kept Booker, you would gut the depth that makes this team function. And depth is not a luxury anymore. It is the foundation. We learned that the hard way during the blank check years, when money flowed and cohesion did not.

What makes this Suns team viable is not star chasing. It is identity. It is culture. It is the fact that when Booker or Jalen Green is out, the team still knows who it is. That does not happen by accident. That happens because the depth carries the same DNA.

Look no further than Houston. They landed Kevin Durant, climbed the standings, and still paid a cultural price that cannot be refunded. Injuries hit. Depth thinned. Flexibility vanished. Being higher in the standings does not automatically mean being in a better place.

Phoenix does not need to relive that lesson. They already learned it. And for once, they are acting like it.

The Giannis situation is fascinating, not because of where he might land, but because of what it’s going to do to the league in the process. The packages that get floated. The egos that get bruised when players realize their names are suddenly in trade rumors. That kind of turbulence has a way of leaking into locker rooms and warping seasons in real time. And the Suns should have zero interest in being anywhere near it.

We already lived this movie last year. Kevin Durant rumors. Whispers. Leaks. Vibes getting weird. A season quietly suffocating under the weight of speculation. Phoenix does not need to revisit that. Especially not after spending the last two years overpaying for players whose production depreciated faster than their salaries rose. We finally climbed out of that hole. No reason to jump back in for fun.

So yeah, we can sit back. Eat the popcorn. Watch it unfold from a safe distance. The Suns and Bucks timelines look similar on paper, but they are no longer moving in the same direction. Giannis delivered a ring. Booker did not. I would trade places with that banner in a heartbeat. But you cannot undo the past. You can only set yourself up to be smarter moving forward.

Right now, Phoenix is doing that. Milwaukee is not. And for once, the Suns are on the healthier side of the equation.

It’s no secret that the Lakers want better wing options. They’ve been connected to players like Donte DiVincenzo and Keon Ellis as potential targets as the trade deadline fast approaches.

While this season is the primary focus for Lakers fans, the front office has to look at the big picture, including this summer, as they focus on creating a roster that best fits Luka Dončić.

So, maybe these trading block players aren’t the wings they are seeking, and the person they truly want will be available in the offseason.

In a recent “The Stein Line” newsletter, Jake Fischer writes that Peyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets is a player the Lakers are reportedly preparing to have interest in.

It must be said, though, that rival executives are increasingly curious about Denver’s likely struggles to retain Peyton Watson this summer given the fourth-year swingman’s recent breakout play amid all of the Nuggets’ healthwoes. We’ll certainly be tracking this situation over the coming months, since Watson’s restricted free agency is already shaping up to become a major domino of the offseason. Sources say teams that are projected to have cap space — notably such as the Lakers — are already preparing interest.

Watson has improved every year and is currently averaging 14.4 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, all career highs for the four-year player.

He is precisely the kind of player who can thrive playing with Luka. He is a sniper, making 41% of his 3-pointers. Watson is an elite catch-and-shoot guy, converting on 47.5% of those shots. That’s the best percentage of any player on Denver’s roster.

The Nuggets could have given Watson a contract extension last summer, but they didn’t. Watson told the Denver Post he understood the decision but would “operate as a business” in the offseason.

That decision could end up being Denver’s loss and LA’s gain.

With the majority of the Lakers’ roster not on the books for next year, they should have plenty of cap space this summer to make an intriguing offer to the restricted free agent.

They still have to pay Austin Reaves, and what LeBron James will do next year is still a mystery, but even with those contracts being unknown, LA should be able to make a respectable offer for Watson if he wants to make a move.

Waiting until the summer for LA to upgrade their wing depth might not be what fans want, but it could be the best option.

No deal is better than a bad deal, and ultimately, the Lakers have to find the best long-term solutions as they attempt to build a sustainable title-contending roster.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Wonder what Caitlin Clark thinks about the confusion surrounding Austin Reaves' imminent return to the Lakers lineup? Or whether Jeanie Buss has turned on LeBron James? Or if she has nothing but praise for Luka Doncic?

Tune in to the Lakers' matchup against the New York Knicks on the NBC Sports debut of “Basketball Night in America” on Sunday night to find out. Clark, the uber-popular WNBA star, will serve an analyst on the pregame show, beginning at 3 p.m. PT, one hour before tipoff.

Should Reaves return Friday or Sunday after missing a month with a left calf strain, it would mark only the seventh time the guard has played together with James and Doncic. That might be the first topic addressed by Clark, who will join the studio team of Maria Taylor and three former NBA stars: Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.

Expectations that Reaves would take the floor Wednesday in a nationally televised game against the Cleveland Cavaliers were heightened Tuesday when ESPN insider Shams Charania posted on X that the Lakers guard would be “available to return to the lineup on Wednesday.”

A few moments later, however, the post was deleted with no explanation and the Lakers' injury report lists Reaves as out.

Read more:NBA trade deadline: What moves might the Lakers or Clippers make?

Clark might stick to lauding Doncic, considering that the superstar NBA guard complimented her game in 2024, saying "that’s the women’s Steph Curry. She can shoot it better than me.”

Clark, who attended Iowa, is the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history. In two seasons with the Indiana Fever, she was named WNBA Rookie of the Year and is a two-time All-Star despite missing much of the 2025 season with a severe groin injury.

“Caitlin is one of the most captivating players and dynamic scorers in basketball,” NBC Sports Executive Producer Sam Flood said in a statement. “We’re excited to have Caitlin join Hall of Famers Melo, Vince, Tracy and Reggie in New York for the launch of Sunday Night Basketball.”

The Lakers-Knicks game will begin a doubleheader that also includes the Oklahoma City Thunder facing the Denver Nuggets.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Are we having fun yet? The Sixers had a rock-solid victory on Wednesday night to carry an otherwise barren Philadelphia sports slate. Let’s talk some ball in my latest “5 Sixers thoughts” column…

Is Joel Embiid truly the most talented player Doc Rivers has ever coached?

Rivers, the Bucks’ head coach now after formerly holding that position in Philadelphia for several seasons, made this eyebrow-raising comment before Tuesday evening matchup with Milwaukee, per PhillyVoice’s Adam Aaronson:

Embiid’s talent is undeniable even as injuries have defined his career. Is Rivers’ statement true though?

The immediate thought would be that this is a subtle jab at Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA MVP who won a championship with Milwaukee in 2021. Antetokounmpo has one foot out the door, so that may be a part of it, but is Embiid more talented than Antetokounmpo? How about Kevin Garnett or even Tracy McGrady or Grant Hill from Rivers’ previous stops on his coaching journey?

Let’s just look at Embiid, Antetokounmpo and Garnett. Even putting my Philadelphia bias aside for a brief moment, Embiid has done things, when he’s actually been on the court, that have been rarely, if ever, seen on an NBA court. His scoring prowess as a big man rivals that of Wilt Chamberlain. That’s not hyperbole.

Embiid’s health and lack of championship success, however, knock him down when discussing any all-time greats.

Embiid, given the injuries, has probably had the worst “career” of the three, all things considered. I view Antetokounmpo as a top-25 guy and Garnett is not too far beyond him. Let’s say he’s a top-35 or a top-40 player at worst. The general NBA public isn’t going to view Embiid that way unfortunately given the time he’s missed and the way rings are valued.

Speaking of Antetokounmpo…

A report from ESPN’s Shams Charania surfaced late Wednesday morning about Antetokounmpo, indicating that he is “ready for a new home” ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA Trade Deadline:

There has been chatter among fans and talking heads whether the Sixers could get in the mix for Antetokounmpo, who is under contract for next season and then has a player option after that. A trade between the Sixers and Bucks centered around Antetokounmpo would need to begin with parting ways with rookie VJ Edgecombe. I wrote just last week that dealing out Edgecombe would be a non-starter for me.

Will Edgecombe ever be as good of a player as Antetokounmpo has been? Given what I’ve already said about him in this column, clearly not. Given age, contracts and the trajectory of this Sixers team, however, it just does not feel like the right move for this franchise right now.

I’m just hoping he winds up in Golden State rather than New York at least.

25 years ago today…

On Jan. 28, 2001, the Sixers traveled to Indiana to face the Pacers. In a win that improved the team’s record to 34-10, Allen Iverson had 27 points to go with eight assists. It was a rough shooting day from the field for Iverson, who went just 6-for-25, but he lived at the line, sinking 14 of his 17 free-throw attempts.

The Sixers would go on to face Indiana in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs that year, taking care of business in four games in the best-of-five series on the way to an NBA Finals berth.

Jared McCain displays signs of life

Dropping 16 points and nailing four threes in mega-garbage time during a brutal loss in Charlotte on Monday afternoon, McCain looked like an NBA player again. Seemingly nailed to the bench sometimes by Sixers head coach Nick Nurse, McCain, at least briefly, resembled the player he was during his brief, but red-hot rookie campaign.

McCain had the goods again in Tuesday night’s victory over Milwaukee as well, totaling 17 points while drilling five of his six shots from deep. That type of scoring punch and sweet shooting from a reserve has been sorely missed, especially with Quentin Grimes’ long-standing frigid stretch.

The Sixers went from having too many intriguing pieces in the backcourt to seemingly having too few while McCain was struggling. McCain needs to be a legitimate part of Nurse’s rotation.

Sixers tickets are dirt cheap right now

I understand it from multiple perspectives. Weeknights are tough to begin with. People aren’t fully sold on this team after years of second-round exits. The current weather situation looms large over everything as well with snow piled up throughout the city and another storm potentially coming this week, making commuting a bit of a hazard.

Still, if public transportation’s easily accessible for you, which is obviously not always the case in this region, you can see the Sixers host the Kings on Thursday for as low as $9 on the secondary market. There are worse ways to spend a cold, dark winter evening!

The Cleveland Cavaliers host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers for their annual trip to Cleveland on Wednesday. These games are always spectacles, given the history between James and the organization. This iteration will likely be no different, as the Cavs will be wearing the throwback jerseys James made famous during his first run in Cleveland.

There’s also an additional wrinkle to this season’s meeting.

James’s current contract with the Lakers runs out at the end of this season. And maybe for the first time in his career, James’s team might be okay with letting him walk in free agency so they can build around Luka Doncic. Recent reports of a rift between James’s camp and the Buss family could indicate that is the direction both parties go.

We don’t know what James will do at the end of the season. Retirement is also a possibility and something that James has floated in years past. But according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, a reunion with his former team is on the table for next season.

McMenamin wrote:

Multiple team and league sources told ESPN the Cavaliers would gladly welcome James back this summer if he wanted to return to Cleveland for his 24th NBA season and third stint with the team.

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The Cavs would need to make multiple roster moves this summer to make a reunion happen, unless James is willing to play for a minimum contract, which doesn’t seem likely. Cleveland is currently the only team over the second apron. That makes reshaping the roster incredibly difficult. As such, they would likely need to get below the second apron before they could make a sign-and-trade or another type of deal with James that exceeds the minimum.

Still, the team’s reported willingness to welcome James back is noteworthy. Not everyone wants to be in the LeBron business at this stage of his career. His presence comes with an increased microscope and national expectations that this group currently doesn’t have. This time would be no different despite his age.

James — even at the 42 years old he would be next December — would help the Cavs in some of the areas they need assistance the most. His playmaking is still as good as it ever was, and his game has evolved well with his loss of athleticism.

This season, James is averaging 22.4 points, 6.7 assists, and six rebounds per game on .507/.328/.745 shooting splits.

We’ll see what direction James and the Cavs go this offseason. As of now, it seems that a reunion is on the table from at least one of the necessary parties.

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees added to their bullpen Wednesday by acquiring right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli in a trade with the Colorado Rockies.

They sent minor league infielder T.J. Rumfield to Colorado for Chivilli, a 23-year-old from the Dominican Republic with two seasons of major league experience. He had a 7.06 ERA in 43 relief appearances for the Rockies last year and a 4.55 ERA in 30 appearances with them in 2024.

Chivilli in his career has struck out 71 batters, walked 33 and allowed 20 home runs in 90 1/3 innings. To make room on the 40-man roster for Chivilli, the team designated outfielder Michael Siani for assignment.

The move is the Yankees’ latest in an offseason that also included them getting lefty starter Ryan Weathers from Miami in exchange for four prospects. Coming off making the AL Division Series, they also brought back pitchers Ryan Yarbrough, Paul Blackburn and Tim Hill.

Rumfield, 25, is a Richmond, Virginia, native who has played in the minors in the Philadelphia Phillies' and Yankees' organizations since 2021.

The Rockies separately acquired infielder Edouard Julien and reliever Pierson Ohl in a trade with Minnesota, sending minor league pitcher Jace Kaminska to the Twins.

Julien finished seventh in American League Rookie of the Year award voting in 2023 after posting an .839 OPS with 16 home runs in 109 games for the Twins while taking over as the regular second baseman for the AL Central champions. The native of Quebec wasn't able to maintain his offensive production after that and went up and down from the Twins to Triple-A over the last two seasons. Julien hit .220 in 64 games last year.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB