News from around the NBA 2025-2026

[GatorAZ]

If Jokic is out for an extended period everyone in the West moves up a spot by default.

 

[Hoop Head]

When the Suns played the Hawks, Risacher stood out to be as a nice young player who is only 20.

It's baffling to me, how in the world would they consider trading him for an aging, often injured star in Anthony Davis.

Also, from what I read, it seemed to imply, the Hawks would have to attach additional assets.

From my perspective, this is a non-starter and potentially as bad as all the assets the Suns traded for Durant.

Risacher plays big against small teams of which the Suns are. He only averages 3.4 boards for his career. The additional assets would likely be salary to match. They could include Porzingis but that makes it lopsided in Dallas favor. Atlanta is in a weird spot in terms of timeline. They have young guys and old guys who don't really align, kind of like the Suns. An AD deal goes all in on now without the same gamble the Suns made for an aging star. Of course AD isn't healthy much but he gives them a chance now while keeping some assets for later, mainly their picks and Dyson, Jalen Johnson, and Okongwu.

 

[Chaplin]

Crazy stat of the day: Jokic has only missed 36 games in the past 5 SEASONS. That's amazing durability, especially in today's injury-riddled NBA.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

basketball world on jokic watch

 

[Yuma]

That would be only 10 cents.

BTW, I don't know what a double nickle is either.

Here are Leonard's game stats.

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They need to trade him NOW before he goes on IR after next game, LOL!

 

[Yuma]

Crazy stat of the day: Jokic has only missed 36 games in the past 5 SEASONS. That's amazing durability, especially in today's injury-riddled NBA.

It helps when you play old man ball. He rarely jumps. Is measured in his banging down low. Plays with smarts, not athleticism. He could play center for a long time in the NBA. I see him more of losing interest with basketball and retiring. Some games his facial expressions appear like he's not really into it.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It helps when you play old man ball. He rarely jumps. Is measured in his banging down low. Plays with smarts, not athleticism. He could play center for a long time in the NBA. I see him more of losing interest with basketball and retiring. Some games his facial expressions appear like he's not really into it.

That's pretty much what we heard about Wilt during his playing days. He was so much better than every other big man that he was able to dominate most nights even while in cruise mode. Hard to stay motivated year in and year out without a real challenge. And a decade after he retired he was still proving his greatness in pickup games against active pros. Jokic is almost as unique and probably is a better all around basketball player than prime Wilt.

 

[Mainstreet]

Risacher plays big against small teams of which the Suns are. He only averages 3.4 boards for his career. The additional assets would likely be salary to match. They could include Porzingis but that makes it lopsided in Dallas favor. Atlanta is in a weird spot in terms of timeline. They have young guys and old guys who don't really align, kind of like the Suns. An AD deal goes all in on now without the same gamble the Suns made for an aging star. Of course AD isn't healthy much but he gives them a chance now while keeping some assets for later, mainly their picks and Dyson, Jalen Johnson, and Okongwu.

So you want to be patient with Maluach and not Risacher?

And Zaccharie Risacher was NBA All-Rookie First Team last season at age 19 averaging 12.6 points a game.

I wouldn't even include Maluach or Fleming in a trade for Anthony Davis.

We do not not know what else the Hawks would have to include but from what I read, it would be a lot more than filler.

 

[Mainstreet]

They need to trade him NOW before he goes on IR after next game, LOL!

If I were a GM, I'd be thinking about it.

 

[AzStevenCal]

So you want to be patient with Maluach and not Risacher?

And Zaccharie Risacher was NBA All-Rookie First Team last season at age 19 averaging 12.6 points a game.

I wouldn't even include Maluach or Fleming in a trade for Anthony Davis.

We do not not know what else the Hawks would have to include but from what I read, it would be a lot more than filler.

This was the kind of decision that is so questionable on the surface that it makes you wonder just what's below that surface.

 

[Mainstreet]

This was the kind of decision that is so questionable on the surface that it makes you wonder just what's below that surface.

I understand why the Mavericks would do the trade. Anthony Davis has a huge contract and is frequently injured.

The Hawks less so, if they have to include young talent and draft picks.

Now the Hawks might want to move on from Trae Young but Davis has the larger contract. Howevever, if Kyrie Irving comes back next season, it doesn't make sense either unless a third team is involved.

 

[Mainstreet]

Nikola Jokic has reportedly been diagnosed with a hyperextension in his left knee. He will be out at least 4 weeks.

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[BooksOrangePlanet]

Nikola Jokic has reportedly been diagnosed with a hyperextension in his left knee. He will be out at least 4 weeks.

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that good for denver

 

[Mainstreet]

that good for denver

Better than a catastrophic injury. The West keeps getting crazier.

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[BooksOrangePlanet]

Better than a catastrophic injury. The West keeps getting crazier.

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they're beat up but braun and gordon should be back in a week or two

 

[Hoop Head]

So you want to be patient with Maluach and not Risacher?

And Zaccharie Risacher was NBA All-Rookie First Team last season at age 19 averaging 12.6 points a game.

I wouldn't even include Maluach or Fleming in a trade for Anthony Davis.

We do not not know what else the Hawks would have to include but from what I read, it would be a lot more than filler.

Wings who can score are plentiful. That's the only skill Risacher has shown.

He was also a #1 pick and would be more like trading Ayton. Sometimes a player has to be moved to reach the next levels. Risacher isn't the best young player, young forward, or young big in Atlanta. They need to sell before his value dries up, like Ayton.

AD isn't an awful return. He wouldn't need to be a #1 in Atlanta. This is less about him being the return and using him to set the price. I get his health issues but since the Luka trade the guy gets more hate than he deserves.

 

[Mainstreet]

Wings who can score are plentiful. That's the only skill Risacher has shown.

He was also a #1 pick and would be more like trading Ayton. Sometimes a player has to be moved to reach the next levels. Risacher isn't the best young player, young forward, or young big in Atlanta. They need to sell before his value dries up, like Ayton.

AD isn't an awful return. He wouldn't need to be a #1 in Atlanta. This is less about him being the return and using him to set the price. I get his health issues but since the Luka trade the guy gets more hate than he deserves.

Anthony Davis' contract would be an awful return. The Mavericks trading Luka was widely criticized.

I'm not sure why you minimize the potential of Risacher. What has Maluach shown thus far and there is only a one year age disparity?

If it were only about talent, Ayton would still be a Sun.

 

[Hoop Head]

Anthony Davis' contract would be an awful return. The Mavericks trading Luka was widely criticized.

I'm not sure why you minimize the potential of Risacher. What has Maluach shown thus far and there is only a one year age disparity?

If it were only about talent, Ayton would still be a Sun.

Maluach is a legit C while Risacher is a modern PF. Maluach ja shown defensive acumen. Risacher also shoots worse across the board, only 45% inside the arc and below 35% from outside. They have an entirely different games but if Maluach was regressing like Risacher then we should consider moving him.

 

[Mainstreet]

Maluach is a legit C while Risacher is a modern PF. Maluach ja shown defensive acumen. Risacher also shoots worse across the board, only 45% inside the arc and below 35% from outside. They have an entirely different games but if Maluach was regressing like Risacher then we should consider moving him.

I'm looking at production at the NBA level, not projection. We know Risacher can produce at the NBA level.

We are in wait and see mode on Maluach.

We have different ideas of regression. This is only Risacher's second season. It's too early to predict future development.

This is Risacher's two year stats:

Zaccharie Risacher Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more | Basketball-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats of Zaccharie Risacher. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, shoots, school and more on Basketball-Reference.com

www.basketball-reference.com

Obliviously the two players play different positions but position does not dictate success.

However, if we want to compare performance at age 19, this is about as close as it gets. See link below.

Khaman Maluach vs. Zaccharie Risacher: Head-to-Head Stats Comparison | Stathead

Compare Players: Check out the head-to-head stats of Khaman Maluach and Zaccharie Risacher including their awards, honors, championships, playoff and regular season stats, and much more on Stathead

www.sports-reference.com

 

[Hoop Head]

I'm looking at production at the NBA level, not projection. We know Risacher can produce at the NBA level.

We are in wait and see mode on Maluach.

We have different ideas of regression. This is only Risacher's second season. It's too early to predict future development.

This is Risacher's two year stats:

Zaccharie Risacher Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more | Basketball-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats of Zaccharie Risacher. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, shoots, school and more on Basketball-Reference.com

www.basketball-reference.com

Obliviously the two players play different positions but position does not dictate success.

However, if we want to compare performance at age 19, this is about as close as it gets. See link below.

Khaman Maluach vs. Zaccharie Risacher: Head-to-Head Stats Comparison | Stathead

Compare Players: Check out the head-to-head stats of Khaman Maluach and Zaccharie Risacher including their awards, honors, championships, playoff and regular season stats, and much more on Stathead

www.sports-reference.com

Im not sure if I undervalue Risacher while overvaluing AD or you overvalue Risacher and undervalue AD. I suspect a little of both.

I don't value a 6'8"+ Forward who can't snag more than 3 boards a game. He doesn't play next to a strong rebounder either so that isn't a valid excuse. He was a bad #1 overall pick and the Hawks should have taken Sarr. We've seen this movie as Suns fans with Ayton. Even if he has a long career, he wasn't worth the #1 overall pick.

 

[Mainstreet]

Im not sure if I undervalue Risacher while overvaluing AD or you overvalue Risacher and undervalue AD. I suspect a little of both.

I don't value a 6'8"+ Forward who can't snag more than 3 boards a game. He doesn't play next to a strong rebounder either so that isn't a valid excuse. He was a bad #1 overall pick and the Hawks should have taken Sarr. We've seen this movie as Suns fans with Ayton. Even if he has a long career, he wasn't worth the #1 overall pick.

Where we might have a difference, I wouldn't give up valuable assets, aside from bad contracts, for Anthony Davis. It's too risky.

I view Risacher in the valuable asset category even if the Hawks have given up on him. It's simply too early to do so.

That's why when I look at players like Maluach, Fleming and Brea, I'm looking towards the future. It's simply too early to write them off even if they aren't getting solid minutes.

Gillespe and Bouyea are examples of players taking longer to develop. As you might notice, I'm looking at talent, not position labels.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Where we might have a difference, I wouldn't give up valuable assets, aside from bad contracts, for Anthony Davis. It's too risky.

I view Risacher in the valuable asset category even if the Hawks have given up on him. It's simply too early to do so.

That's why when I look at players like Maluach, Fleming and Brea, I'm looking towards the future. It's simply too early to write them off even if they aren't getting solid minutes.

Gillespe and Bouyea are examples of players taking longer to develop. As you might notice, I'm looking at talent, not position labels.

We don’t have future picks. We have to develop our young talent this way. It’s a good thing. The Suns should have been doing this all along.

 

[Mainstreet]

We don’t have future picks. We have to develop our young talent this way. It’s a good thing. The Suns should have been doing this all along.

As you note, the Suns have limited future assets. They have to do the old fashion way, earn it.

Wish they had this mindset when they traded for quick fixes in Durant and Beal.

 

[JCSunsfan]

As you note, the Suns have limited future assets. They have to do the old fashion way, earn it.

Wish they had this mindset when they traded for quick fixes in Durant and Beal.

You and me both.

 

[Hoop Head]

I'm a little surprised by this. I expected it to be up a little but not highest in 15 years.

The NBA saw its best Christmas Day viewership numbers in 15 years, the league announced Wednesday.

More than 47 million people in the U.S. watched at least some of the five-game slate on ABC and ESPN, which represents a 45% increase over last year. There was an average of 5.5 million viewers for the games, up 4% from a year ago.

NBA's Christmas viewership hits 15-year high

The NBA saw its best Christmas Day viewership numbers in 15 years, the league announced Wednesday, with more than 47 million tuning in to watch at least some of the five-game slate on ABC and ESPN.

www.espn.com