Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement


Stephen Curry will be joining Olympic teammates LeBron James and Kevin Durant once again, this time at the NBA All-Star Game. The league announced the rosters for this season's midseason showcase event Tuesday night, splitting 25 names onto three squads. It's the debut of another new All-Star format -- this one U.S. vs. World, on Feb. 15 at the LA Clippers' home in Inglewood, California.

Marc Stein on Giannis Antetokounmpo: Minnesota has been in this thing from the jump. And the reason is, based on everything I’ve been told, Giannis Antetokounmpo has a very strong admiration for Anthony Edwards—and there have been back-channel discussions about this going back to the summer. The issue the Wolves have is the only pick they can throw in right now is a 2028 first-round swap. That’s not going to get it done. So they would have to trade Jaden McDaniels for sure, which is something they’ve resisted in the past. They would not include McDaniels in any discussions for Kevin Durant.”

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, "Golden State is aware of recent rumblings that Antetokounmpo can't be assumed to be as eager as he was once perceived to be to relocate to Stephen Curry's town and team." Fischer added that some "suspect Antetokounmpo could be turned off by" the prospect of playing on an older team, as well as "facing the same sort of criticism" Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant received when he left Oklahoma City for Golden State in 2016. Fischer noted that one source said the one-time champion "wants to win," but also cares "about the arc of his professional story."

League sources say that Golden State is aware of recent rumblings that Antetokounmpo can't be assumed to be as eager as he was once perceived to be to relocate to Stephen Curry's town and team. How credible are such rumblings? Presumably only Giannis knows for sure. Yet I have heard from sources briefed on the situation that some in the know suspect Antetokounmpo could be turned off by the idea of joining an older team and/or facing the sort of criticism that Kevin Durant continues to absorb to this day about teaming up with Curry.

Varun Shankar: Udoka: Durant stepped on fans foot, tweaked ankle. Swelled and got sore the next game. Hopes it’s just one game absence. Reed starting in absence.
Advertisement

NBA Communications: Other nominees… West: Luka Dončić (LAL), Kevin Durant (HOU), Anthony Edwards (MIN), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) and Kawhi Leonard (LAC) East: Jarrett Allen (CLE), OG Anunoby and Josh Hart (NYK), Cade Cunningham (DET), Joel Embiid (PHI) and Aaron Nesmith (IND)

Shams Charania: 2026 NBA West All-Star reserves: Anthony Edwards, Jamal Murray, Chet Holmgren, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Deni Avdija, LeBron James.

Varun Shankar: Rockets will be without Kevin Durant tomorrow vs Indy. Left ankle sprain for Durant.

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: How do you see the fit between a veteran like Kevin Durant and a young talent like Alperen Sengun in that starting lineup? Ralph Sampson: They have to mesh together first. Once they find that rhythm, they’re going to be very dominant. But remember, they are playing for the playoffs now, not just the regular season. The Rockets have had a good team for a while, but down the stretch, they need to rest KD as much as possible so he’s fresh. You don’t want him worn out by the time the post-season hits. It’s going to be fun to watch. Brandon “Scoop B” Robinnson: Some people have compared Sengun to Pau Gasol. Do you see the resemblance? Ralph Sampson: My jury is still out on that. He definitely doesn’t remind me of Pau Gasol yet. Gasol is a Hall of Fame player, and Şengün still has things to prove. It’s like what Oklahoma City did this year—they had things to prove, and they went out and won an NBA championship. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with him.

DeMarcus Cousins blindly ranks his former teammates: 1. LeBron James 2. Stephen Curry 3. Kevin Durant 4. Anthony Davis 5. Paul George Do you agree with his list? 🤔 (via @RunItBackFDTV )
Advertisement

During Friday’s postgame, reporter Leigh Ellis presented Kevin Durant with the math: To catch Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 career points, the 37-year-old Durant — currently sixth all-time with around 31,736 points — would need to average 25 points per game over his next 268 games. Durant reacted with surprise. “Jesus! God damn! I don’t know if I can get 25 a game for 270 more games, brother,” he said. “I never wanna say never, but those dudes set the bar so high. I think about the top three or four, you gotta play at least 20 years in the league to even reach that, and still be at that level for 15 or 20 years.” The 18-year veteran emphasized longevity over chasing specific records: “I’m looking at it more so like that. Play long, play 20-plus years in the league, and see where you end up. If I end up there, it’s cool; if not, I just wanna be around and be in the league,” he said.

Leigh Ellis: I asked Kevin Durant, who is currently 6th all-time in scoring, if he thinks he could catch Kareem and end up 2nd. (I did the math to show him what he needs)
I asked KD, who is currently 6th all-time in scoring, if he thinks he could catch Kareem and end up 2nd. (I did the math to show him what he needs) pic.twitter.com/E5pXJXLdUd
— Leigh Ellis (@LeighEllis) January 30, 2026

Will Guillory: Final: Rockets 104, Hawks 86 Strong bounce-back for Houston after last night's collapse vs SA. Rockets outscored the Hawks 61-44 in the 2nd half. Hawks finish shooting 36.6 percent from the floor. Kevin Durant had 31 points. Jabari Smith had 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals and 5 blocks. Josh Okogie had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Rockets improve to 29-17.

Also: It is believed that Antetokounmpo — who continues to be described by numerous sources as wanting to head for the exit ramp sooner rather than later without explicitly asking for it himself — has yet to try to force his way to a particular new team or two. Which could still happen and naturally impact the week to come hugely. You've surely noted that the Heat have held back on making the best possible trade offers it could have for players such as Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant and, most recently, Ja Morant. Miami has been clinging to its most coveted draft capital for the right All-Star pursuit. And this appears to be it. The Heat's best offer is presumed to be a package headlined by Wisconsin native Tyler Herro, rising big man Ke’lel Ware and tradeable first-round picks in 2030 and 2032.