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NBA Rumors
The daily league-wide NBA rumors page
By InsideHoops.comUpdated Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 11 a.m. ET
The NBA has suspended Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis for 25 games for violating the league's anti-drug policy, the league announced Thursday, a ban that sidelines the 2021 champion for the majority of the remainder of the season. Portis tested positive for the drug tramadol, a medication used to treat severe pain among adults. It is an instance that his representative, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, said was an accident. "I am devastated for Bobby right now because he made an honest mistake and the ramifications of it are incredibly significant," Bartelstein told ESPN. - ESPN.com
ADDITIONAL NBA RUMORS STORIES
The final pregame introduction belonged to none other than Stephen Curry. The big MVP trophy at the end, Curry heaved that high in the air, too, in a fitting finish to his special All-Star Game at home. His arena. His fans. His shining moment -- the latest one on the list, that is. Curry earned all this well-deserved fanfare in what has been a remarkable run from Oakland to San Francisco for the Golden State Warriors star. Curry scored the first points of the final on a 3-pointer and later hit from half-court, running down the other way to chest bump rapper Mistah Fab along one baseline. He helped Shaq's OGs beat Chuck's Global Stars 41-25 on Sunday, scoring 12 points on four 3-pointers on the way to MVP honors. - AP via ESPN.com
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant scored six points as Shaq’s OGs beat Ryan Dunn and the Rising Stars 42-35 during the All-Star semifinals at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sunday. The 15-time All-Star also added three assists and three rebounds on 2-of-8 shooting. Shaq’s OGs would go on to beat Chuck’s Global Stars 41-25 in the championship game. Shaq’s OGs, who was without Anthony Davis and Lebron James, saw Durant guard Memphis 7-footer Zach Edey. On an early Rising Stars possession, Durant played lockdown defense on Edey and forced a miss off the back iron. - Arizona Sports
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James sat out the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night -- his first time missing the game in his career -- because of lingering discomfort in his left foot and ankle. James, 40, sat out the Lakers' win over the Indiana Pacers last weekend because of the same injury. "I was hoping it would feel a lot better this morning, but it was not where I wanted it to be," James said of his ankle. - ESPN.com
Team Cavs (Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley) bested Team Warriors (Draymond Green and Moses Moody) in the final of the Kia Skills Challenge on Saturday night with a time of 1:00.03, but the event didn't end without mild controversy. Team Spurs (Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama) thought it found a loophole in the rules in the obstacle course that features players speeding through stations with various passing and shooting drills. Instead, the duo found itself disqualified from the competition after the first round for failing to complete their sequence with three valid shot attempts. - ESPN.com
San Antonio Spurs rookie Stephon Castle said the Rising Stars MVP trophy he hoisted Friday night isn't the only hardware he plans to win during NBA All-Star Weekend. Castle led Team C, coached by Chris Mullin, over Team G League, coached by Jeremy Lin, to a decisive 25-14 win in the final. Castle scored 11 points and collected one of his three assists on Utah Jazz rookie Keyonte George's game-winning 3-pointer. Team C won its first group game with Castle hitting the deciding jump shot to beat Team T, coached by Tim Hardaway Sr., 40-34. (In the first two games, the target score to reach was 40; in the final, the target score was 25.) - ESPN.com
Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and a team they were part of -- the gold medal-winning 2008 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team -- headline the group of finalists for this year's Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class announced Friday. Women's basketball legends Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles are also among the nominees. And coaches Billy Donovan and Mark Few were nominated. Anthony, a 10-time All-Star, is 10th on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 28,289 points. He also led Syracuse to a national championship in 2003. Howard was the preeminent defensive presence of his era, winning three straight NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards (2009 to 2011). He made eight All-NBA teams, led the Orlando Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals and won a title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. - ESPN.com
The Golden State Warriors go into the All-Star break feeling much more confident about their season with Jimmy Butler III on their side. The Warriors improved to 3-1 since trading for Butler with a 105-98 victory over the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Thursday. "He's a franchise changer," Warriors power forward Draymond Green said about Butler. "He's done that everywhere he's gone, and he is helping revitalize what we got here. The belief amongst this team, now that he's arrived, as opposed to what it was before he got here, it's night and day." Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Butler is the finisher they have desperately needed to give Stephen Curry, who finished with 27 points and two big fourth-quarter 3-pointers, some help down the stretch of tight games. - ESPN.com
Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford will sit out at least six weeks because of a Grade 3 sprain of the MCL in his right knee, sources told ESPN on Thursday night. Gafford suffered the injury during Monday's loss to the Sacramento Kings. The team announced the next day that he would be reevaluated in two weeks. - ESPN.com
Free agent guard Markelle Fultz has agreed to a deal with the Sacramento Kings, his agent and attorney, Raymond Brothers of I AM Sports & Entertainment, told ESPN on Wednesday night. The Kings have searched for a point guard since the trade-deadline departure of De'Aaron Fox, and now land a deal with Fultz, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft to the Philadelphia 76ers. After rehabbing from injury in the offseason, Fultz generated interest from multiple teams in recent months and narrowed to a couple of finalists before reaching agreement with the Kings. Fultz is healthy and ready to play, Brothers said. - ESPN.com
The Atlanta Hawks will be without forwards Vit Krejci and Larry Nance Jr. for several weeks because of injuries sustained on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter of Monday's victory over the host Orlando Magic. Nance, 32, exited because of a right knee injury with 8:01 left. He was taken to the Emory Sports Medical Complex in the Atlanta area for evaluation and imaging, which revealed a nondisplaced fracture of his right medial femoral condyle, the team said Wednesday. Nance will be reevaluated in about six weeks. - Field Level Media via ESPN.com
Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton will miss at least four weeks with a left calf strain, the team said Wednesday. - ESPN.com
Kevin Durant became the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 points, hitting the mark with a free throw late in the third quarter of a 119-112 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. The 36-year-old Phoenix Suns forward, who recently was selected to his 15th All-Star team, joins LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Wilt Chamberlain in the 30,000-point club. Julius Erving also hit the mark when combining his points scored in the NBA and ABA. - ESPN.com
The Detroit Pistons set a franchise record Tuesday night after they built a 42-point halftime lead on the way to a 132-92 romp over the Chicago Bulls. Detroit outscored the Bulls 71-29 in the first half, eclipsing the previous record lead of 34 points against Chicago on March 23, 1969. The 40-point margin of victory was Detroit's largest since 2012 and tied for its third largest ever on the road. - ESPN.com
Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford suffered a right knee sprain and will be reevaluated within two weeks, the team announced Tuesday. It's the latest blow to a decimated Mavericks frontcourt that includes injuries to newly acquired center Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Dwight Powell. - ESPN.com
Free agent 7-footer Alex Len has changed course, signing a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team announced Tuesday. Len had intended to sign with the Indiana Pacers but decided to land in Los Angeles after the Lakers rescinded their trade to acquire Mark Williams and created a new opportunity for a center. - ESPN.com
With emotions from the Luka Doncic trade still raw, multiple fans were ejected in the second half of the Dallas Mavericks' 129-128 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday at the American Airlines Center due to violations of the NBA's code of conduct, according to a team spokesperson. Each instance prompted boos from the crowd. Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont, whose family purchased the majority share of the franchise from Mark Cuban last season, also was loudly booed when he returned to his courtside seat with 2:56 remaining in the third quarter. Two of the fans held large poster board signs that read, "FIRE NICO" -- a reference to Dallas general manager Nico Harrison. One of those men was seen mouthing "fire Nico" on the arena video screens earlier in the game before the camera quickly panned out. - ESPN.com
Before the Los Angeles Lakers tipped off Monday night and Luka Doncic made his debut for the franchise that traded for him then waited -- along with a fervent fan base -- more than a week for the 25-year-old basketball prodigy to appear in the lineup, LeBron James had a message to deliver. "Luka, be your f---ing self," James said during the pregame huddle, picked up by the ESPN telecast. "Don't fit in, fit the f--- out. Be yourself." When asked about the moment, having booked a 132-113 win over the Utah Jazz his first time wearing the purple and gold uniform for game action, Doncic was sincere. "For him to say something like that just feels amazing," Doncic said after scoring 14 points in 24 minutes, playing for the first time since Christmas Day when he was with the Dallas Mavericks. "It gives me confidence. And after that speech, it was chills. I was just happy to be a part of it." - ESPN.com
The Charlotte Hornets have been in contact with the NBA as they explore options to dispute the Los Angeles Lakers' failed physical assessment of center Mark Williams, sources told ESPN on Monday night. The Hornets are considering their next steps and weighing avenues to challenge the Lakers' evaluation process or seek alternative resolutions with the league office, sources said. - ESPN.com
Dallas Mavericks star power forward/center Anthony Davis is expected to sit out multiple weeks because of a left adductor strain, sources told ESPN on Sunday night. His absence could stretch to a month, sources said, because of an injury that cut short his spectacular debut with his new franchise. Davis, the headliner of the Mavs' return from the controversial trade of 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, exited Saturday's win over the Houston Rockets with 1:37 left in the third quarter after recording 26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks in 31 minutes. He was ruled out of Monday's home game against the Sacramento Kings when the Mavs released the evening injury report. - ESPN.com
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young is headed to the NBA All-Star Game after all. Commissioner Adam Silver announced Monday that he has added Young to the All-Star roster as an injury replacement for Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will not be able to play because of a calf injury. Young was originally displeased when he was not picked for the game through the balloting for the starters or the coaches' selections of reserve players. "It's getting 'Traed' at this point," he wrote on social media, coining a new word in reaction to being snubbed. - AP via ESPN.com
The Charlotte Hornets signed forward Moussa Diabate to a multiyear contract on Sunday. Terms of the deal were not released. - AP via ESPN.com
LeBron James was the first pick of the new-look 2025 NBA All-Star draft Thursday night and was soon joined by a now former teammate -- Anthony Davis. James and Davis were among the big names selected by Shaquille O'Neal as the "Inside the NBA" crew picked three of the four All-Star teams on TNT. Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum also will be part of a veteran Team Shaq squad filled with championship talent. Charles Barkley's team is filled with international stars, including former MVPs Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), current MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) and San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama (France). - ESPN.com
Luka Doncic is targeting Monday for his Los Angeles Lakers debut when L.A. hosts the Utah Jazz, a source familiar with Doncic's plans confirmed to ESPN on Thursday. Doncic, who was sidelined for the Dallas Mavericks since Christmas Day with a left calf strain, participated in a 5-on-5 scrimmage after Lakers practice Wednesday with L.A.'s "stay ready" group comprised of end-of-the-bench players and coaches. "It went well," Lakers coach JJ Redick said of the scrimmage before they hosted the Golden State Warriors. "I think [his first game will be] probably, more likely, Monday. Again, no commitment made or anything, but probably trending more towards Monday." - ESPN.com
Free agent forward Torrey Craig has agreed to a deal with the Boston Celtics, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN's Shams Charania on Thursday. - ESPN.com
The Los Angeles Lakers continued what was already one of the most consequential weeks in franchise history by acquiring center Mark Williams in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Wednesday night. L.A. agreed to send rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Hornets for Williams, sources told Charania, landing the big man that vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka admitted the team was lacking heading into Thursday's trade deadline. Williams, listed at 7-0, 240 pounds, fits the profile of the mobile big man and lob threat that new Lakers star Luka Doncic prefers to play alongside. Doncic met with Lakers brass Monday and impressed upon them his desire to have that type of center on the roster, sources said, believing a big man who provides vertical spacing at the rim gives him another option when making his offensive reads. - ESPN.com
The New Orleans Pelicans have traded star forward Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, one first-round pick and one second-rounder, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Wednesday. Ingram has been out since early December with a significant lower left ankle sprain, one of several injuries that has derailed the Pelicans' season. Ingram has dealt with nagging injury issues throughout his career; this season is the third time he has missed at least 30 games. - ESPN.com
The Chicago Bulls and guard Lonzo Ball agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract extension, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania, after several trade suitors emerged for Ball in recent days. The second year of the deal is a team option, according to sources. Ball this season made an unprecedented return from three arthroscopic knee surgeries, appearing in his first NBA game in over 1,000 days. - ESPN.com
The Jimmy Butler saga with the Miami Heat ended Wednesday night when he was traded to the Golden State Warriors as part of a multiteam megadeal, sources told ESPN. The Warriors closed the deal for Butler after negotiations to acquire Kevin Durant ended when the Phoenix Suns star informed the team that he did not want to return to Golden State, sources said. The Warriors, Heat and Suns had been nearing an agreement on a trade that would have landed Butler in Phoenix and Durant back where he won championships in 2017 and 2018. - ESPN.com
As part of the agreement, Butler will decline his $52 million player option for next season and is planning to sign a new two-year, $111 million deal that carries through the 2026-27 season, sources said. The Warriors will send forwards Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson plus a top-10-protected 2025 first-round pick to the Heat, sources said. Also, guard Dennis Schroder, acquired by the Warriors in December, will be sent to the Utah Jazz. Utah will ship forward P.J. Tucker, who played with the Heat in 2021-22, to Miami. Guard Lindy Waters III will go from Golden State to the Detroit Pistons, and Josh Richardson will go from Miami to Detroit. - ESPN.com
The Bucks have traded Khris Middleton to the Wizards, ending his tenure as one of their franchise cornerstones in a multiplayer deal that sends Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania. The Bucks also sent rookie guard AJ Johnson, their first-round draft selection last year, and a pick swap to Washington, which dealt forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. and second-round draft compensation to Milwaukee, sources told Charania. Middleton, 33, spent the past 11-plus seasons in Milwaukee and was one of the foundational players on the Bucks' championship team in 2021. - ESPN.com
It's now uncertain whether Durant has played his final game for the Suns, as sources told ESPN that Phoenix has been willing to listen to offers for him in recent days. The Warriors are among the teams with interest, sources told ESPN's Brian Windhorst. Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who pulled off a blockbuster deal to acquire Durant from the Brooklyn Nets hours after his purchase of the franchise became official in February 2023, has publicly declared that he has no intention to trade the star forward. - ESPN.com
The Dallas Mavericks traded guard Quentin Grimes to the Philadelphia 76ers for forward Caleb Martin, it was announced on Tuesday. Philadelphia is also receiving a second-round pick -- the 76ers' own pick in 2025 -- in the deal. Martin, 29, is averaging 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds primarily as a starter during the first season of a four-year, $35 million contract that includes a player option for 2027-28. He is a versatile wing who is a proven playoff performer, averaging 9.1 points while shooting 40.1% from 3-point range in 45 career postseason games, including the Miami Heat's run to the 2023 NBA Finals. - ESPN.com
The Sacramento Kings are finalizing a trade to send De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs and acquire Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine as part of a three-team trade involving multiple players and draft picks, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Sunday. The move gives San Antonio an All-Star guard to pair with young phenom Victor Wembanyama after Fox, who has one more year left on his deal after this season, had not shown a willingness to commit long term to Sacramento, leading to the Kings opening up trade talks for the franchise star in the past week. - ESPN.com
In exchange for Fox, the Kings receive LaVine, in the midst of a career season at age 29; Spurs guard Sidy Cissoko; three first-round picks (Charlotte's in 2025, San Antonio's in 2027 and Minnesota's in 2031); and three second-round picks (Chicago's in 2025, Denver's in 2028 and a return of their own 2028 pick from Chicago). The Bulls regained their 2025 first-round pick from San Antonio as well as three players: Zach Collins and Tre Jones from the Spurs, and Sacramento's Kevin Huerter. In addition to Fox, the Spurs receive Jordan McLaughlin, who averaged 1.9 points in 28 games for the Kings. - ESPN.com
In a blockbuster trade that figures to impact the Western Conference balance of power for years to come, the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz agreed to a three-team deal that will swap Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania late Saturday. L.A. will receive Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris from the Mavericks, sources said. Dallas will receive Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers' 2029 first-round pick. The Jazz will receive Jalen Hood-Schifino, the LA Clippers' 2025 second-round pick and the Mavs' 2025 second-round selection. - ESPN.com
• Mavericks trading Luka Doncic to Lakers for Anthony Davis
"I believe that defense wins championships," Mavs general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN's Tim MacMahon, explaining his motivation to deal Doncic for Davis. "I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We're built to win now and in the future." - ESPN.com
Victor Wembanyama was named to his first All-Star team Thursday night, one of 14 reserves selected to this year's midseason showcase in San Francisco on Feb. 16. Wembanyama, who turned 21 earlier this month, is averaging 24.4 points and 10.8 rebounds for the San Antonio Spurs in his second NBA season and is leading the league in blocks for a second straight year. - ESPN.com
Joining Wembanyama from the Western Conference were Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, LA Clippers guard James Harden, Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams. - ESPN.com
The Eastern Conference reserves consisted of Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland and forward Evan Mobley, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard and Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro. - ESPN.com
Lakers coach JJ Redick second-guessed his decision to insert rookie Bronny James into his rotation in Los Angeles' 118-104 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday. "Maybe put him in a tough spot," Redick said after James went 0-for-5 with three turnovers in 15 minutes. "Flying up yesterday, nationally televised game in Philly and all that stuff. He didn't play well, but he's been playing great in the stay-ready games, and he's been playing great in the G [League]." James was on assignment with the South Bay Lakers, L.A.'s G League affiliate, when the Lakers recalled him Monday to join them in the middle of their five-game road trip. - ESPN.com
Isaiah Thomas showed he is still a potent scorer, pouring in 40 points Tuesday night in his return to the NBA G League. A two-time NBA All-Star, Thomas was activated by the Salt Lake City Stars on Tuesday and shot 13-for-28 from the field and had eight assists in their 122-115 loss to the Valley Suns. - AP via ESPN.com
The Miami Heat have suspended forward Jimmy Butler without pay for an indefinite period of time after the disgruntled star walked out of practice Monday, the team announced. It's the third time Butler has been suspended by the Heat in recent weeks, and it comes as he was expected to return from his second suspension Monday night against the Orlando Magic. The Heat said the latest suspension will last at least five games, which will take it through the NBA's trade deadline Feb. 6. The Heat were planning to replace Butler in the starting lineup with Haywood Highsmith beginning with Monday's game against Orlando, sources said, but he responded to the news by walking out of the morning shootaround. - ESPN.com
Amen Thompson hit a game-winning floater with 0.7 seconds left and finished with 33 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 114-112 victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday night. Dillon Brooks shot 10-of-15 from 3-point range and led Houston with 36 points. The Rockets won for the ninth time in 11 games. Jaylen Brown had 28 points for the Celtics, and Jayson Tatum added 19 after a scoreless first half. Luke Kornet had 18, and Kristaps Porzingis scored 17 to go with eight rebounds. - ESPN.com
New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns gifted actor Timothée Chalamet his game-worn jersey on Monday night. Towns dropped 24 points and 11 rebounds in an emphatic 143-106 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. It was Towns' 36th double-double of the season. - ESPN.com
Unhappy with his status with the Phoenix Suns, center Jusuf Nurkic said he hasn't spoken with coach Mike Budenholzer in two months, going so far as to say the two "don't have a relationship." Nurkic, who started 23 games this season before being moved to the bench earlier this month, has not played since Jan. 7. He said Budenholzer didn't tell him he would sit out a Jan. 9 game against the Atlanta Hawks, and Saturday's 119-109 win over the Washington Wizards marked the ninth consecutive game he has missed. "We don't have a relationship," Nurkic said of Budenholzer, according to the Arizona Republic. "So, it's fine. For me, just be a pro and do the best I can. Work and stay ready for whatever might be, but there is no chaos or bringing that to this team. They already have plenty of it. Trying to be as professional as I can and work my ass off for something else." - ESPN.com
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry acknowledged his injured right thumb bothered him but said it wasn't the reason why he matched the worst shooting half of his career, missing all eight of his second-half shots in a 118-108 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night at Chase Center. Curry shot 4-for-17, including 2-for-9 on 3-pointers, to finish with 13 points and nine assists. While he keeps getting his shooting thumb banged up, Curry would not use the injury as an excuse. "It sucks, but it's not an excuse for anything," Curry said. - ESPN.com
Despite being grounded in New Orleans all week by a historic winter storm, which postponed one game and prevented the Bucks from even being able to practice, they arrived in Milwaukee a little more than two hours before they were set to play Thursday night. And despite the unusual travel day, the Bucks rallied from a 15-point first-quarter deficit to dominate the Miami Heat in a 125-96 victory, Milwaukee's fifth win in a row to cap off one of the more difficult travel experiences of the NBA season. "Just a strange, long couple of days," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Thursday night. - ESPN.com
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