NBA

LeBron James might not be in a celebratory mood as he tries to find answers for the 14-21 Los Angeles Lakers, but fans are showering the future Hall of Famer with praise on his 38th birthday for what he's accomplished in 20 NBA seasons.

Despite the Lakers' struggles, James is playing at a high level. He's shooting 49.8 percent, ranks ninth in scoring average (27.8 points per game) and is tied for 14th in assists (6.6) and tied for 30th in rebounds (8.1).

Fans took to social media to show appreciation for James' career and how he's evolved since being the "kid from Akron" on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 17 years old.

This is the first season when James has started to acknowledge his age and that his time in the NBA will end sooner than later. Nike debuted a commercial in October in which the four-time NBA Finals MVP took on "Father Time."

James is one of 10 players in NBA history who has played at least 20 seasons. No one in that group played more than 22 seasons. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Jamal Crawford all retired after their 20th season.

"I don't have a number," James told reporters after Wednesday's loss to the Miami Heat when asked how many more seasons he will play. "I know as long as my mind stays in it, I can play at this level for a minute. Now, that's up to my mind. My body is going to be OK because if my mind is into it, I will make sure my body is taken care of and I'll continue to put in the work."

James is only 574 points away from tying Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA's all-time scoring list. If he doesn't miss time and maintains his scoring average this season, he will move into the top spot in February.

Among the notable accomplishments on James' resume are four NBA titles in 10 trips to the Finals. His teams played in the Finals in eight consecutive seasons from 2011 to 2018.

He led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their only championship and engineered the only 3-1 series comeback in NBA Finals history against the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

James is one of five players to win the NBA MVP award at least four times. His four NBA Finals MVP awards rank second all-time behind Michael Jordan (six).

Despite sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Los Angeles Lakers don't appear inclined to make a panic trade involving their highly-coveted future first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2029.

Per NBA reporter Marc Stein in his Substack newsletter, rival teams believe the Lakers want to keep those picks "in case a currently unforeseen shot to trade for a legitimate third star— like Washington's Bradley Beal—materializes suddenly."

This comes after The Athletic's Jovan Buha reported on Dec. 16 that Los Angeles' "ultimate pie-in-the-sky" trade scenario would be if one of Beal, Damian Lillard or Kevin Durant became available.

General manager Rob Pelinka told reporters before the start of the season that trading their "draft capital" would only make sense if it brought back a player or players who clearly improved the Lakers' championship odds.

It's perhaps not a surprise that Stein cited Beal as a potential option for the Lakers instead of Durant or Lillard.

The Brooklyn Nets' recent surge up the standings makes it impossible to envision a scenario where Durant is moved during the season.

Lillard's two-year contract extension signed in July stipulates he can't be traded until July 9, 2023. There's no indication he or the Portland Trail Blazers are looking to move on, but things could change during the offseason if the team misses the playoffs or has an early exit.

Beal's situation is hard to parse out. He admitted in October on JJ Redick's podcast that the market "wasn't too promising" before deciding to sign a five-year supermax extension with the Washington Wizards.

While Beal is almost certainly happy to have a contract that guarantees him up to $251 million, the Wizards remain a mess with a 15-21 record. The structure of his deal could also make a move complicated because it includes a full no-trade clause and a trade bonus of 15 percent.

Despite their lackluster performance so far this season, The Athletic's Josh Robbins recently noted the Wizards don't want to trade Beal and would prefer to upgrade around him.

There's been no indication at this point that Beal is going to seek a trade out of Washington.

Beal would definitely fill the Lakers' need for shooting help. He's making a career-high 52.7 percent of his field-goal attempts this season, along with shooting 34.3 percent from behind the arc.

Putting Beal on a roster with LeBron James and a healthy Anthony Davis could improve his scoring efficiency because defenses would focus their attention on stopping them, leaving him with open opportunities that aren't available with the Wizards.

The Lakers (14-21) have lost five of their last six games and are currently 13th in the Western Conference standings.

Victor Wembanyama became the youngest player to win the MVP award in the French LNB All-Star Game's history on Thursday night, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

The French LNB's All-Star Game is a matchup between the league's French players and non-French players. Wembanyama, 18, helped his team secure a 136-128 victory with 27 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.

Wembanyama leads the French league with averages of 22.9 points and 9.6 rebounds this season. He turns 19 on Jan. 4.

The generational talent is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. He already showcased his talents in the United States during the Las Vegas showcase when the Metropolitans 92 took on the G League Ignite.

In two matchups against the Ignite, Wembanyama totaled 73 points, 15 rebounds, two steals and nine blocks.

In an interview with Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press in October, Wembanyama said his goal is to be like nothing the NBA has ever seen before:

"I'm gonna tell you something that's been going on in my life, like for my whole life, since I've been a kid, even before I played basketball. I've always tried to do [something] different. I'm not even talking about sports, whatever. Any field, I'm always trying to be original, something original, something one of one, something that's never been done before. And this is really how it worked in my life. I don't know where it comes from. I think I was born with it. I've always been trying to be original. Unique, that's the word."

Whichever team lands the No. 1 overall pick will get the opportunity to draft Wembanyama in the summer. The Detroit Pistons (9-28), Charlotte Hornets (10-26), Houston Rockets (10-25), and San Antonio Spurs (12-23) have the best odds of landing him.

Having already made their big trade to bring in Donovan Mitchell during the NBA offseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers are likely going to be in the market for wings as they pursue upgrades before the trade deadline.

Per ESPN's Zach Lowe, the Cavs are expected to pursue a "short-term wing option" on the trade market.

This isn't exactly a surprising revelation, as the Cavs roster is loaded with guards and big men. Dean Wade has been a pleasant surprise so far this season, but it's fair to wonder if he will be able to keep making 41.1 percent of his three-point attempts.

Kevin Love, Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro are the other wings receiving significant playing time for head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. They are all incredibly flawed players. Love has been excellent at drawing charges, but he's otherwise a liability on the defensive end of the court.

LeVert has been good at scoring on a high volume of shots throughout his career. The 28-year-old is averaging 11.8 points on 10.7 attempts per game this season. His 35.1 three-point percentage is his highest rate since the 2019-20 season.

Okoro could be a key player for the Cavs in the second half this season because he's still young enough to believe in his upside. The Auburn alum is only 21 years old and was the No. 5 pick in the 2019 NBA draft.

It's a small sample size, but Okoro is averaging 9.5 points on 53.8 percent shooting in six games since Dec. 17.

Defense has been Cleveland's calling card so far this season. The team ranks first in the NBA in points allowed per game (106.3) and defensive rating (109.3).

Finding a wing who could be available at the right price for Cleveland could also be a challenge. Jae Crowder would be the most obvious short-term fit because he's in the final season of his contract, but there are going to be no shortage of suitors for his services.

Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins is seemingly always on the trade block, but he doesn't fit the Cavs' reported desire for a short-term option because he's signed to a big-money deal through 2024-25 with a player option for 2025-26.

Cleveland's success so far this season could prompt general manager Mike Gansey to go out of his comfort zone with the hope of reaching the NBA Finals.

The Cavaliers rank fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 22-14 record. Their +5.3 net rating is second in the NBA, behind only the Boston Celtics (+6.7).

The Denver Nuggets are looking to add a defensive wing to come off the bench ahead of the NBA's February 9 trade deadline, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick.

"They want to get longer, more athletic, versatile, defensive-minded and bigger in that department. The Gordon trade with Orlando in March 2021 continues to pay big dividends, and adding another player with that sort of skill set would be the dream scenario here," Amick wrote.

The Nuggets already have one of the best offenses in the NBA. They rank second in the league with a 116.4 offensive rating, behind only the Boston Celtics (117.3).

MVP candidate Nikola Jokić is leading Denver offensively, averaging 25.7 points and 9.4 assists while shooting 61.9 percent from the floor and 32.4 percent from deep. The Nuggets also have six other players averaging double digits in scoring—Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., Bones Hyland, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown.

While Jokić isn't the best defensively, the Nuggets have been even worse on that end of the court without him. The 22-12 club is 24th in defensive rating with a 114.1 overall mark, per NBA.com. That number is 112.1 with Jokić on the court, which would give the Nuggets a top-10 overall defensive rating, but it rises slightly to 114.2 with him absent.

Following the 2021-22 season, the Nuggets acquired Caldwell-Pope in a trade with the Washington Wizards and signed Brown away from the Brooklyn Nets in hopes of improving their defense.

Back in October, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone told reporters that one of his goals in 2022-23 was to mold his team into one of the top five defensive teams in the NBA.

"We understand that you can't be 15th in the NBA in defensive efficiency and be serious about winning at a high level," Malone said at the team's media day. "You look at the two teams in the NBA Finals; they were (No.) 1 and 2."

The Nuggets are far from being one of the best defensive teams in the league, though. If Denver wants to win an NBA title, it's going to have to improve defensively. The Celtics, for example. have the NBA's top offense and rank seventh defensively. They currently sit first in the East with a 26-10 record after reaching the Finals last season.

To their credit, the Nuggets are still second in the West, but if they can improve their frontcourt defense off the bench, they will take a big step forward in contending for an NBA title.

The New Orleans Pelicans currently occupy the top seed in the Western Conference with a 22-12 record, and a lot of that has to do with the return of 2019 first overall pick Zion Williamson.

The Duke product, who missed the entire 2021-22 season because of a nagging foot injury, has returned to being mostly healthy this season, picking up right where he left off when he last took the court.

The 22-year-old is averaging 25.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 26 games while shooting 60.7 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent from deep.

According to CJ McCollum, the team's game plan this year is to run the ball through the 6'6" forward.

"Get the ball to Z and get the f--k out of the way," McCollum said when asked to describe the team's strategy late in the game, per The Athletic's William Guillory.

If Williamson can stay healthy, the Pelicans will be a real threat to capture the Western Conference crown for the first time in franchise history. Additionally, the team is hoping to make a run to the NBA Finals for the first time ever.

In the same city where Reggie Miller became one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield broke one of his NBA records on Thursday night.

Hield made a three-pointer three seconds into the Pacers' game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He caught the opening tipoff right in front of the three-point line and in one motion fired up a shot that hit nothing but net.

Per ESPN Stats & Info, Hield's shot three seconds into the game broke the previous mark of four seconds set by Miller on March 5, 2000.

The record has been tracked since the play-by-play era began with the 1996-97 season.

Miller's record-setting moment came in an otherwise forgettable game by his standards. The Pacers' legend scored 15 points on 4-of-14 shooting in a 114-95 win over the Golden State Warriors.

Hield had one of his most efficient games of the season on Thursday. He scored 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting and made five of his six attempts from behind the arc.

The Pacers put together a fantastic performance, particularly in the second half, in their 135-126 win over the Cavs. They scored 71 points after halftime to earn their fourth victory in the past five games.

Indiana has been a pleasant surprise so far this season with a 19-17 record. It moved into sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings after beating the Cavaliers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are concerned that point guard Darius Garland could miss some time after suffering a thumb injury late in Thursday's 135-126 loss to the Indiana Pacers, according to Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor.

Garland sustained the injury in the fourth quarter after getting hit on the right hand by Indiana's Oshae Brissett while driving to the paint. He immediately grabbed his thumb before falling to the court in pain.

Garland, in obvious pain, remained in the game before head coach J.B. Bickerstaff called a timeout so he could get his thumb examined. He returned several minutes later with his thumb wrapped, though he didn't attempt a single shot after returning.

Garland is expected to undergo further testing to determine the extent of the injury. After the game, he said his thumb was "bothering" him:

I was just trying to go out there and compete as much as I could. The last two free throws, I looked at J.B. and I was like, 'Ah, I really don't want to shoot these.' But I got fouled and just tried to make two. They didn't go in. Everything hurt. I was playing with a wrapped thumb. I couldn't really do anything. I wasn't going to be effective with that. It was already throbbing and swollen at that point.

Garland has been taking shots all season, and the Cavaliers "believe the increased physicality is purposeful—a result of opponents determining that's the only method to slow the shifty, crafty and quick guard," Fedor wrote.

Garland discussed the physicality against him further following Thursday's loss:

"Just getting hacked all season. Nothing has changed. The physicality isn't a factor at all. It's the whistle not being blown at the right time when it's a foul, an obvious foul. Some of this stuff we should be reviewing."

During Cleveland's season-opening loss to the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 19, Garland suffered an eye injury that knocked him out of the team's next five games. Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. accidentally whacked Garland across the eye, and he suffered a vision-impacting laceration to his eyelid.

The 6-foot-1 point guard has gotten hit in the face so many times this season that he has suggested the team get him a mask or goggles "because it's getting out of hand."

"I'm just tired of getting hit in my face. But I like the aggressive defenses. It's kind of a statement to me and my game," Garland said, per Fedor. "It's super cool that people are just trying to tighten up their shoelaces for me."

Garland eventually returned to the court for a Nov. 2 win over the Boston Celtics, but sat out the next game with a sprained left knee. He has played every game since returning from that knee ailment in a Nov. 6 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 22-year-old has emerged as a significant contributor for the Cavaliers on offense, and losing him for any period of time won't be good for Cleveland, which is mired in a three-game losing streak.

Through 30 games this season, Garland is averaging 21.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 40 percent from deep. If he misses time moving forward, Caris LeVert and Raul Neto would be in line to see more playing time alongside Donovan Mitchell

Cleveland is fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 22-14 record, four games behind the first-place Celtics. The Cavs are back in action on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls.