Friday night is more than alright for NBA player props, with nine games on the slate giving bettors plenty to work with.

I’ve locked in my three favorite plays for tonight, including Brandon Ingram handing out dimes against the Magic and Shaedon Sharpe continuing to be a thorn in the Knicks’ side.

Find out more in my NBA picks for January 30.

Best NBA player props today

Player	Pick
Brandon Ingram	Over 3.5 assists	<<+122>>
Shaedon Sharpe	Over 21.5 points	<<-120>>
Egor Demin	Over 2.5 threes	<<+110>>

Prop #1: Brandon Ingram Over 3.5 assists

+122 at bet365

Brandon Ingram is enjoying a solid first season with the Toronto Raptors, averaging 21.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. For tonight’s matchup against the Orlando Magic, the focus shifts to his playmaking.

Ingram has averaged 4.2 assists over his last nine games, recording four or more dimes in six of those outings.

Orlando is a strong defensive team, and their game plan figures to involve getting the ball out of Ingram’s hands. He logged four assists the last time these teams met back in December, and I love him to reach that mark again tonight.

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN

Prop #2: Shaedon Sharpe Over 21.5 points

-120 at bet365

The Portland Trail Blazers are playing an exciting brand of basketball, and Shaedon Sharpe has been a major driver of that surge.

The Blazers guard is averaging 22.9 points while shooting 39.3% from beyond the arc over his last 12 games, and I’m backing Sharpe to deliver another strong showing against the New York Knicks.

New York has been inconsistent all season, due in part to shaky perimeter defense. The Knicks allow the sixth-most 3-pointers per game and surrender the most points per game to opposing guards.

With that in mind, Sharpe is well-positioned to clear this line for the ninth time in his last 13 games.

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: KUNP, MSG

Prop #3: Egor Demin Over 2.5 threes

+110 at bet365

The Brooklyn Nets appear to have something special in Egor Demin. The BYU rookie is averaging 13.1 points per game while shooting an eye-popping 43.9% from beyond the arc over his last 18 outings.

Demin has knocked down three or more triples in 11 of those games, and there’s little reason to expect that trend to slow against the Utah Jazz.

Utah owns arguably the worst defense in the NBA, ranking dead last in both defensive rating and opponent points per game.

It should come as no surprise that the Jazz's perimeter defense has been just as porous, sitting last in opponent-made threes per game.

• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: YES, KJZZ

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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The pendulum swings back and forth, as the Knicks have now won four games in a row after a brutal start to the new year.

The team’s post-Thibodeau hangover looked real, as Mike Brown hung his hat on the offensive side of things. The strategy worked – until it didn’t. After another brutal loss at home to the Dallas Mavericks, Captain Brunson called a players-only meeting.

This was the state of affairs just 10 days ago. Bleak.

Since then, the tide has truly turned. New York has rattled off four straight, and encouragingly, it’s been New York’s defense leading the charge. The team has held their last four opponents to 66, 109, 87, and 92 points, respectively.

Yes, it’s a small sample size, and yes, the four games weren’t against championship contenders, but the Knicks hadn’t shown the ability to win games this way until now. Defense had been the biggest issue so far this season, but a new identity could be taking shape. They’ve been killing it on the glass. They’ve shown toughness on both sides of the floor. It feels like a relic of seasons prior.

What’s changed? Well, it’s no coincidence that Landry Shamet replacing Jordan Clarkson in the rotation has led to tangible change in the bench unit. Similarly, KAT has been averaging less than 25 minutes a contest across these last four games. And OG Anunoby has been locked back in, averaging three stocks per game across the same stretch. 

It’s trade deadline season, and if the new year slide continued, we’d be having much different conversations right now. Yet as a whole, the Knicks’ mindset seems to have shifted. This has been a uniform shift from the bottom to the top, with both players and coaches changing their approach to gameday. 

With the Blazers on tap tonight at home, New York is in a good position to stretch their streak to five as they battle for the two seed in the East. Let’s see if they can keep the good vibes going tonight.

Welcome back to the second and final part of Finding the Muscala, where we search for low-cost backup big options in response to the larger trade rumors surrounding the Celtics in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline. 

As a refresher, we’re not explicitly in the search for the next Mike Muscala specifically, but rather a trade that reaches high on the Muscala Meter (not real or quantifiable) of being low-cost and significantly lower-risk than, say, any trade involving the contract of Anfernee Simons and a selection of first round picks. 

The first part featuring Marvin Bagley, Jalen Smith and Nick Richards, led to some productive and engaging conversations in the comments, so thank you to all the MuscalApologists (working title) for contributing to this short series. 

This wasn’t done in the previous Muscala piece, but with today’s three bigs, we’re ordering their contract values in descending order, starting with a higher-priced backup big that might require a slightly bigger deal to acquire. 

Let’s jump in and talk backups. 

Goga Bitadze

Entering the season on Year 2 of his 3-year, $25 million deal signed with Orlando, Goga Bitadze has been a valued bench piece for the Magic since he signed there in February 2023. The Magic have been stuck in neutral during that time under head coach Jamahl Mosley, and something tells me they’re a smart pick for a roster shakeup during the deadline. 

Bitadze, only 26 and in his eighth NBA season, is a hulking 6’10”, 250-pound center that may not impose his will on offense as much as you’d envision from a player of his size and mobility, but he has still carved out a career as a rock solid rim protector and rebounder. 

His game isn’t without its caveats though. He’s a non-shooter, a surprisingly unimpactful screener and a non-factor as a playmaker/ball-mover. 

Bitadze’s rim protecting ability has held serious weight to his time on the floor these past few seasons for the defensive-minded Magic, but it seems his offensive limitations are factoring into his way out the door. 

On Monday and Wednesday this week, he was a coach’s decision DNP, with Orlando instead opting for the recently-returned Mo Wagner’s offensive skillset behind Wendell Carter Jr. 

For Boston, while not the perfect fit for his lack of versatility, Bitadze does fill a need and does so on a reasonable contract (though one that gives him significantly more than current starter Neemias Queta). 

When it comes to actually considering a hypothetical trade, we had a similar discussion in the last part in regards to Bulls big man Jalen Smith, who has a comparable contract to Bitadze’s that would require a conversation that goes a little further than a package surrounding Xavier Tillman or Chris Boucher’s expiring deals.

To acquire Goga in a two-team deal, it would take giving up Sam Hauser, and that’s a hard sell for a large majority of the fanbase, and probably Brad Stevens, even if it brings in a helpful player at a position of need. For Orlando, a team that is 28th in 3-point shooting efficiency this season, that’d be a pretty major boon for them. 

But to add even further to the discussion, that one-for-one swap wouldn’t be possible on Orlando’s end since they are a hard-capped first apron team. They’d need to add a little something extra to get that deal over the hump, something like the rookie-scale contract of second-round French prospect Noah Penda, who has impressed in limited minutes as a capable shooting threat and versatile 6’7” defender. 

This would be an interesting proposition for both sides, filling needs for both teams in a mid-sized trade that sends off two talented veterans and one prospect to new homes. 

Andre Drummond 

Outside of a Jalen Springer-sized trade or a draft day pick swap, would the Philadelphia 76ers really be looking to deal directly with a conference rival concerning their best rebounder? 

Probably not, however, according to 76ers beat writer Keith Pompey, they are at least open to the idea of moving their valued backup big. The Sixers are $7 million above the allowable threshold to avoid being taxed and around $1 million away from being a first-apron team according to Pompey, and a move off Drummond’s expiring $5 million contract without a player in return would certain aid in their quest to avoid that tax. 

Could the right draft asset cocktail be enough to sway the Sixers? Unlikely, but it’s worth exploring because Drummond’s skillset and extremely favorable expiring contract is about as close to an ideal deadline acquisition as Boston is going to find in its search through the lower-level marketplace. 

Drummond is, and has always been, a phenomenal rebounder, and this season has been no different. He’s been the ideal spot starter for Joel Embiid, a very solid backup when Embiid is available, and, surprisingly, a capable 3-point shooter for the first time in his career (36% on 1.3 attempts per game). In 20 minutes a night, Drummond gives Philly 7 points on 50% shooting, 9 rebounds and a block per game.

This season, the data backs up the eye test, Drummond is simply outstanding on the glass, rating near the very top of most rebounding metrics on both ends of the floor 

Defensively, Drummond’s strength and size gives the team a primary defender for the game’s more physically imposing interior bullies that Boston has struggled with up to this point in the season. 

Drummond is an excellent backup center, and the Sixers know that. Philly currently enlists second-year UCLA product Adem Bona as their third center, meaning they’d be sacrificing some serious depth unless they take a player back or make another move (Kelly Oubre Jr. was also mentioned by Pompey as a possible trade candidate).

Is the tax-evading effort worth it to provide Boston with the exact type of backup big they’d want to add to their frontcourt stable? It’d take some convincing, and some valued second round draft capital, but the fact that Brad Stevens and Daryl Morey have come to an agreement before at least means a conversation is possible, and worth the 406 words it took to discuss it. 

Kevin Love 

We didn’t use the word “scrounging” in the first Muscala headline just for fun. 

We are foraging across the NBA big man marketplace here, and this is the trade equivalent to sticking our hand in the bottom of a Walmart DVD bargain bin.  We shouldn’t be surprised to pull out something we may not find sense or value in. But even if it’s some obscure John Wayne western we’ve never heard of, the price tag says $2, so what’s the harm in talking about it?

And I’ll say it, even at the ripe old age of 37, Kevin Love is still a pretty interesting player to watch. And dare I say, a contributor in certain facets. 

Love is sort of the NBA equivalent to George Clooney. Once a bankable star, Clooney is rarely seen and hardly mentioned these days, yet you’ll randomly spot him grizzled and gray in a Nespresso Super Bowl commercial and think “Yep, Clooney’s still got it.” 

You watch a few current K-Love clips at his best and tell me you don’t see at least a fundamentally sound past-his-prime star that’s career is on the cusp of fading out into a planetary nebula. 

Love is spending the season in Utah surrounded by one of the league’s younger rosters embarking on a patient rebuild, yet he is still finding his way into minutes. Consider this, on a team that has modest frontcourt depth despite the early-season loss of Walker Kessler, Love’s 457 minutes on the floor double the minutes of Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman combined. 

So while we’re not talking about a sizable upgrade, we are talking about a 17-year vet that is still finding a spot in an NBA rotation. That’s not nothing.That’s a playable deep bench addition. 

Love is at his best when the ball is touching and leaving his hand in one fell swoop. His 40% 3-point catch-and-shoot efficiency on 3.3 attempts per game is his best since the 2017-18 season in Cleveland where he shot 41% on five attempts. 

The current version of Love does two things particularly well: he’s a capable movement shooter and a productive rebounder. All other impact areas are either neutral or outright negatives, but in those two areas, he can help an NBA team in some capacity. 

We’ve seen Luka Garza take a leap in confidence and efficiency as a pick-and-pop threat, giving Boston one big that can actually stretch the floor. For a team that loves active screeners, Spain pick-and-rolls and flare screens, an additional shooter with size would add some value to the deep bench options at Joe Mazzulla’s disposal, while also adding another energetic fighter on the glass. 

Love has implemented himself well into Utah’s roster this season, a far cry from his final days in Cleveland when their Big 3 disbanded, and it seems he’s embraced his veteran role in a way that makes him an unlikely buyout candidate. 

It’s funny to think how the 2014 “Summer of Love” set social media ablaze when Love was spotted at a Red Sox game shaking hands with Rajon Rondo, indicating hope of another major star acquisition heading to Boston. That never materialized, but maybe before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, just nine days before Valentine’s Day, the Celtics will finally get their shot at Love.

The Houston Rockets could use an on-ball facilitating guard. Everybody talks about it.

By all intents and purposes, Rafael Stone and co. are trying to address that need by the trade deadline.

It seems clear that they’ve been working the phones, at the very least. Lately they’ve been engaged in trade talks with the Chicago Bulls for point guard Coby White.

White is an obvious target on the trade market. White becomes an unrestricted free agent in four months and the Bulls tried to extend him last offseason, but made no such progress, as he turned down an $87 million extension. 

They’d rather get something for him than see him walk without getting anything in return. 

Except they’ve got a specific asking price. 

They’re hoping to land a young, rising talent, who is on the same timeline as Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis.

Understandable. Buzelis and Giddey are their future.

Pillars. Cornerstones.

Whatever noun you want to use.

They’re also 21-years-old and 23-years-old, respectively. 

According to the local boots on the ground in Chicago, the Bulls have “floated” names like Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard in their talks with Houston’s brass.

Which is an obvious no-go. Houston has neither the guard depth nor wing depth to withstand losing either.

Especially not for White.

Again, he’s going to be a free agent in the summer.

But his $12.8 million salary will be impossible to match if the Hawks are set on a young player to that degree. Even those guys don’t make enough individually.

The obvious salary matching would come by way of Dorian Finney-Smith ($12.7 million) or Steven Adams.

(It’s a cold world sometimes, I know. But Adams’ $14.1 million works mathematically).

But again, if we are to believe Chicago wants a young prospect, neither DFS nor Adams would sway them.

And even if the Rockets and Bulls are able to agree on compensation, would Houston realistically be able to afford White long-term? They’ve got looming deals with Eason and Amen Thompson in consecutive years (the latter of which will be far more costly).

White is a good player. But the situation doesn’t quite align, especially considering what Chicago is seeking in return.

NBA All-Star Weekend is almost here, and Gonzaga has a brief breather before Saturday’s clash with Saint Mary’s, so the pause offers a natural moment to check in on the program’s NBA presence. As of this writing, 12 former Zags sit on active NBA rosters, with a couple more still grinding for call-ups in the G League, a level of representation that continues to place Gonzaga alongside Duke and Kentucky as one of the sport’s most reliable pro pipelines. The season has unfolded unevenly for that group, shaped by injuries, shifting roles, and a few long-awaited opportunities finally breaking through. Some veterans have spent stretches managing their bodies, some younger players have begun earning real minutes, and others are making the most of every window they get. With the NBA drifting towards its midseason break, here’s where some Gonzaga alums stand right now.

Brandon Clarke – Memphis Grizzlies

At this point, Brandon Clarke’s NBA career reads like a running battle with his own body. After missing the second half of last season with a PCL sprain suffered in March, Clarke clawed his way back in time for the 2025–26 opener, only to log roughly a game and a half before a calf strain shut him down again. He has been sidelined since December 20, extending a frustrating pattern for a player whose impact has consistently outweighed his availability. The latest setback follows a career already interrupted by a torn Achilles, repeated lower-body issues, and a knee synovitis procedure last fall, yet the outlook remains cautiously optimistic, with league sources indicating a likely return roughly a month from now and no long-term concern attached to the current injury

Zach Collins – Chicago Bulls

Collins’ season in Chicago has unfolded in fits and starts, with injuries consistently interrupting any chance at continuity. He missed the opening stretch of the year with a broken left wrist, returned in early December, and briefly settled into a rotation role before another setback arrived. Over the 10 games he played in December, Collins averaged 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per night, offering efficient interior scoring before a sprained right big toe sidelined him again late in the month. As of late January, he remained in a walking boot, though the Bulls have indicated he is expected to return to practice around the All-Star break, with a game return hoped to follow shortly after.

Rui Hachimura – Los Angeles Lakers

Hachimura has settled into a steady role with the Lakers, averaging around 30 minutes per night while bouncing between the starting lineup and a recent move to a sixth-man role. He’s scoring about 12 points per game and knocking down 43.4 percent of his threes, providing reliable spacing and secondary offense. The highs and lows have been visible: a season-high 28 against Portland back in November, followed by a scoreless 18-minute outing on 0-for-7 shooting against Cleveland. Overall, he remains a trusted rotation piece whose minutes and role continue to fluctuate with lineup needs. If rumors are true and what that lineup ultimately needs is a first-round 2026 draft pick instead of Hachimura, we’ll find out in the next week.

Drew Timme – Los Angeles Lakers

After getting cut by Brooklyn, Timme once again played his way back onto an NBA roster with a dominant G League stint, this time earning a two-way deal with the Lakers. The NBA production has been modest so far at just over three points per game, though the upside has shown through in flashes, including a 21-point night against Portland. Gonzaga’s all-time leading scorer remains in a tenuous spot on a two-way contract, but his continued G League dominance, paired with public praise from LeBron James, suggests he has done everything within his control to keep the door open.

Corey Kispert – Atlanta Hawks

After spending four and a half seasons as Mr. Reliable on a Washington Wizards team stuck in perpetual rebuilding mode, Corey Kispert was blessedly dealt to Atlanta in November alongside CJ McCollum as part of the Trae Young trade and has stepped directly into the Hawks’ starting lineup. Since arriving, he’s shooting about 33 percent from three and averaging just under nine points per game. Atlanta sits 3rd in the Southeast Division with a season record of 24-26. They’re 4-5 since Kispert’s arrival, but the move has already given him something he rarely had in Washington: meaningful minutes on a team still trying to win games.

Julian Strawther – Denver Nuggets

Strawther’s third year in Denver has turned into a constant shuffle. His minutes have dropped to around 10 per game after averaging 21 last season, and his place in the rotation has rarely felt secure, tied closely to whether the shot is falling and if the guys ahead of him on the depth chart are healthy. The numbers have been uncharacteristically rough for a guy who made a college career off his three-point shot. He’s just 8-for-37 from three on the season, but the flashes of offensive greatness have occasionally shown through. When injuries ripped through the Nuggets’ lineup, Strawther finally got runway and delivered a season-high 20 points in 27 minutes against Milwaukee, staying on the floor despite a 1-for-6 mark from outside by attacking off the bounce and applying foul pressure. With Denver suddenly thin, a player who looked like trade bait a few weeks ago now sits one bad ankle or hamstring injury away from a starting role, a reminder of how fast things change on a title contender 

Kelly Olynyk – San Antonio Spurs

Olynyk’s latest stop has him in San Antonio, his eighth team in 13 seasons, and very much in a veteran support role. Playing behind Victor Wembanyama (a legit superstar) and fellow journeyman Luke Kornet has pushed his minutes down to a career-low 9.5 per night across 28 games, but the impact still shows up in quieter ways. He steadies lineups, keeps the ball moving, and brings a level of professionalism that young teams tend to lean on, especially one built around a generational centerpiece. At this stage, Olynyk feels closer to the end than the beginning, the kind of long-tenured pro who may bounce once more or may simply have found a final landing spot as a trusted locker-room presence who still knows how to help teams function. 

Domantas Sabonis – Sacramento Kings

It has been a brutal season in Sacramento, with the Kings sitting at 12-37 and buried near the bottom of the Western Conference, a context that has pushed Sabonis back into the center of the trade rumor mill. Miami, Toronto, Phoenix, and Chicago have all surfaced as possible landing spots in recent weeks. Despite missing 27 games earlier in the year with a torn meniscus, Sabonis has been productive when available, averaging 15.4 points and 11.2 rebounds and recording double-doubles in 11 of the 18 games he has played. He has been back on the floor over the past couple weeks, steady as ever, even as the losses pile up. Wherever he lands next, the hope is simple: a roster sturdy enough to let Sabonis amplify winning rather than shoulder it alone.

Jalen Suggs – Orlando Magic

Injuries have again shaped Suggs’ season, but he has managed to appear in 26 games for Orlando despite missing time with an MCL contusion. When healthy, his role remains substantial, logging around 26 minutes per night while averaging 14.4 points and 4.7 assists. The offense has come back in bursts, but the defensive impact has never wavered, with Suggs continuing to operate as a full-court irritant who changes games with pressure and anticipation. Orlando sits at 24–22, hovering just above .500, and their margin remains thin enough that a fully settled version of Suggs, available and decisive, could meaningfully swing the final months of the season.

Ryan Nembhard – Dallas Mavericks

Undersized and undrafted, Nembhard has carved out real minutes anyway, appearing in 35 games for a young Dallas roster built around the league’s newest cornerstone in Cooper Flagg. Gonzaga’s imprint shows up clearly in his adaptability and poise, traits that have helped him earn trust in a guard rotation that shifts almost nightly. Nembhard is doing what he has always done best, organizing offense and keeping teammates fed, averaging just under five assists in 19 minutes per game while knocking down nearly 38 percent of his threes. The ceiling flashes remain there too, most memorably in a 28-point outburst against Denver on December 1, when he went 12-for-14 from the floor and 5-for-7 from deep. The role remains fluid, but Nembhard continues to justify his place by fitting whatever shape the moment requires.

Andrew Nembhard – Indiana Pacers

With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined by a torn Achilles and Myles Turner gone after a failed contract resolution, Indiana’s season has unraveled quickly, but Nembhard has gone the opposite direction. Thrust into the lead guard role full time, he is putting together the best year of his career, averaging 17.4 points, 7.4 assists, and shooting 35.8 percent from three while starting all 38 games he has played. The Pacers no longer resemble the contender they were a year ago, and the burden on Nembhard has grown heavier by the week, reflected in career highs across points, assists, and minutes. Indiana sits well off the pace in the East, and with the trade deadline approaching, the front office is expected to look for backcourt help, ideally an off-ball guard who can ease the load and let Nembhard continue doing what he has proven he can do: run a team.

Chet Holmgren – Oklahoma City Thunder

While nearly everyone else on this list has dealt with injuries or role volatility, Holmgren has been the constant for Oklahoma City all season. The Thunder have shuffled bodies around him, losing time from Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams among others, yet Holmgren’s availability and production have anchored a team sitting at 38–11 alongside reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He has already played 11 more games than he managed all of last season and is averaging nearly 18 points and a career-best 8.6 rebounds while shooting 57 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from three. The efficiency spikes showed early with a 31-point, 11-rebound night against Atlanta in October, but the steadiness has been just as striking. Holmgren has gone the entire month of January without committing more than two turnovers in a game despite playing roughly 34 minutes per night. A fully healthy Thunder roster sits as the odds-on favorite to win another league title, and if Oklahoma City pulls off a repeat, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren will be at the center of it.

Taken together, this group reflects both the breadth and the staying power of Gonzaga’s NBA presence. There are stars carrying franchises, role players adapting to new contexts, veterans extending long careers through feel and professionalism, and young guards fighting daily for minutes in crowded rotations. The paths look different, the situations change fast, and the margins remain thin, but the through line holds: Gonzaga continues to send players into the league who find ways to matter. As the NBA season turns toward its stretch run and the Zags refocus on Saint Mary’s and March, the program’s imprint at the highest level remains as visible, varied, and resilient as ever.