Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (1) drives ahead of Memphis Grizzlies guard Luke Kennard (10) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)(Brandon Dill / AP) The Mavericks can’t catch the ...

Ja Morant is dealing with an illness ahead of the Grizzlies' upcoming game against the Pelicans on Friday night.

Whenever we see a little separation in their ranks, the standings tighten again. So with apologies to Sacramento and Golden State — both 24-23 but tied for ninth behind too many rivals — here is a look at the eight West teams lined up behind Oklahoma City, with reasons why and why not they might climb as high as No. 2:

NBA trades are not all that uncommon, but when they involve superstar players, it certainly is big news and can be unexpected.

The Knicks have won five in a row including wins over teams like the Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Kings who have all been surging. New York is sitting at No. 3 in the East and is just a game back of the Celtics for the No. 2 seed. The Knicks are jelling at the right time as they continue to move forward with their season.

NBA fans have finally reached the second half of the 2024-25 season, but we do not have a consensus on the top two or three candidates for the Rookie of the Year award.

Before losing to the Dallas Mavericks 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves stunningly beat the 2023 NBA champion Nuggets in a massive Game 7 comeback. Aside from Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards ' heroics, Towns' shocking defensive performance set the tone for what the Knicks see in the 2024-25 season.

Almost every team gets involved with NBA trade deadline deals in the modern era. So, what trades should each team make?

We're not quite in barrel-scrapping territory in the East ... but it's pretty close. Out West, things are more competitive.

The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Washington Wizards in a Monday night game and honored the Lunar New Year for the Asian American population. The Mavericks blew out the Wizards 130-108 at the American Airlines Center.

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht was named to the player pool for the 2025 Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend.

New Orleans Pelicans general manager Bryson Graham saw something special in Yves Missi the moment he laid eyes on him back in October of 2023 at Baylor University.