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The New York Knicks are "one of the more active teams in early trade conversations," according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets have also reportedly been busy well ahead of the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline.

New York and Houston had already discussed a potential deal for Eric Gordon this season, but the Rockets are holding out for a first-round pick, per Fischer.

The Knicks have climbed into playoff contention after five straight wins, currently sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 15-13 record. Adding a proven veteran like Gordon in the backcourt could further help the team going forward.

Gordon is averaging 12.1 points per game this season, but he's averaged 16.2 points over his career while shooting 37 percent from three-point range. He would provide some much-needed scoring depth behind the Knicks' top trio of Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett.

Of course, the Knicks could have also added Gordon and flipped him later in the offseason. However, the team would have needed to acquire him before Dec. 9.

The team still has no shortage of current players on the trade block.

According to Fischer, the squad is looking at deals involving Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, Cam Reddish and Immanuel Quickley.

Rose and Reddish have fallen out of the rotation and haven't played the last five games, while Fournier hasn't played since Nov. 13.

Reddish could be an intriguing target for a rebuilding team, adding a high-upside player who is still only 23 years old. The 2019 lottery pick is averaging 8.4 points per game this season and will be a restricted free agent in the offseason, making him a low-risk addition for any team.

Rose could be a tougher sell after seeing his production decline this year, averaging just 6.4 points in 13.6 minutes per game. The 34-year-old became expendable with the addition of Brunson, and the Knicks could now be looking to move his $14.5 million salary for this season.

Fournier's contract will make him difficult to trade, currently in the second season of a four-year, $73 million deal. The Knicks would likely need to add the forward to a larger deal to get his money off the books.

Quickley is the only one of the foursome still producing, but the emergence of Miles McBridge and Quentin Grimes could allow New York to deal the 23-year-old.

Two of the NBA's most talked about trade candidates for the past several years are back in the news.

Per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, the Indiana Pacers are considered a "team to keep an eye on" if the Atlanta Hawks decide to move John Collins.

Fischer also noted the Pacers are suggesting to opposing teams they are "open" to extension talks with Myles Turner.

The two moves wouldn't necessarily be connected to each other. Fischer noted the Pacers are telling inquiring teams they are looking for a power forward who can play with Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin.

Collins would also be attractive to a team like Indiana because of his contract. The 25-year-old is signed through the 2024-25 season with a player option for 2025-26. He will make $51.92 million in the next two seasons combined after the 2022-23 campaign.

Turner, on the other hand, is in the final season of his deal, and his performance this season could be pricing him out of the Pacers' comfort zone. The eight-year veteran is averaging a career-high 17.6 points per game and is shooting 43.2 percent from three-point range.

Pacers governor Herb Simon has historically been very risk-averse. ESPN's Brian Windhorst said during the offseason Simon was reluctant to give an offer sheet to Deandre Ayton because he "doesn't like hurting his partners—his fellow owners."

Ayton did sign a four-year, $133 million offer sheet with the Pacers that the Phoenix Suns wound up matching to retain the 24-year-old center.

According to Fischer, some rival executives believe the Pacers are saying they are open to extension talks with Turner in an attempt to get opposing teams to increase their trade offers.

Collins and Turner have seemingly been on the trade block for as long they have been in the NBA. Turner said on The Woj Pod that the Los Angeles Lakers should take a "hard look" at trading for him.

The Pacers are playing well enough right now that it could be hard for them to justify moving Turner if they want to make the playoffs. They are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 15-14 record.

The Hawks are only one game behind the Pacers, but there have been some cracks in the foundation. Trae Young and coach Nate McMillan had a public spat over Young not attending a game against the Denver Nuggets that he wasn't going to play in due to a shoulder injury.

If the Hawks decide this version of their roster isn't working, it could mean that Collins finally gets traded after years of speculation about his future.

In NBA Jam parlance, Julius Randle is heating up.

The New York Knicks forward is practically shooting fireballs at this point, posting his third game with 30 or more points in his last four contests during Wednesday's 128-120 win over the Chicago Bulls (11-16).

Julius Randle's first half ♨️

18 PTS - 6 REB - 2 AST - 4/8 FG - 2/4 3PT pic.twitter.com/D7lhxkmHFq

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) December 15, 2022

27 for Julius Randle after 3 quarters 🔥 pic.twitter.com/aFKkDdho44

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) December 15, 2022

SIX 30-PT games for Julius Randle this season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/52rVBOPbka

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) December 15, 2022

Randle finished the game with 31 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, while Jalen Brunson (30 points, seven assists) and R.J. Barrett (22 points) chipped in with strong performances of their own. DeMar DeRozan (32 points) and Zach LaVine (25 points) led the Bulls, per usual.

But NBA Twitter was loving the performance from Randle:

When @J30_RANDLE @RjBarrett6 and #Brunson are playing like this it’s pretty great.

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) December 15, 2022

Brunson and Randle quieting all the haters!!! 5 in a row.

— Jerry Ferrara (@jerryferrara) December 15, 2022

Julius Randle tonight pic.twitter.com/agHRTznpc6

— Big Knick Energy (@BigKnickEnergy_) December 15, 2022

RANDLE is a beast! These 3 Robinson & Grimes been balling https://t.co/8PmjIoZCfw

— B I G L O U I E 🫵🏾 (@LouieDi13) December 15, 2022

Julius Randle tonight:

31 PTS
13 REB
7 AST

Five consecutive 25/7 games. pic.twitter.com/R7Jk7gzGPt

— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 15, 2022

Julius Randle remains on fire.

— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) December 15, 2022

i hope that 2020 randle is back and that this isn’t some kind of linsanity run

— . (@idekatpbrother) December 15, 2022

Julius Randle with a PG is an all star. He was in 2020 with a PG and is looking like one again in 2022 with a PG.

— Nickels, Dimes Dollars (@yardestyle) December 15, 2022

Credit where credit is due - Julius Randle with great defense on the Bulls game winning alley-oop attempt

— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) December 15, 2022

This wasn't a perfect performance from Randle. He had a couple of tough offensive trips down the stretch despite getting a seemingly favorable switch onto Alex Caruso. He air-balled a potential game-winning shot in the final second in what was a pretty dreadful possession. He was fairly quiet in overtime, with only a point and an assist.

No matter. The Knicks (15-13) secured the win, and Randle's hot start alongside Brunson's fantastic, seven-point overtime sealed the deal.

Randle's long isolation possessions can be infuriating. But this is as good as he's looked since the 2020-21 season, when he was an All-Star and second-team All-NBA selection after averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and six assists per game while shooting 41.1 percent from three.

That three-point stroke appears to have been an aberration. But the addition of Jalen Brunson this offseason is getting the most out of Randle, namely during New York's five-game winning streak. At the moment, Randle is on fire.

The Chicago Bulls fought to force overtime against the New York Knicks on Wednesday at United Center, but an ugly OT performance resulted in Billy Donovan's squad losing 128-120.

With the game tied at 117 after four quarters, the Bulls managed to score just three points in overtime. DeMar DeRozan made the team's only two-point bucket in OT. Zach LaVine added the third on a free throw.

DeRozan was Chicago's best player in the loss, finishing with 32 points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 40 minutes.

Perimeter defense and rebounding were big reasons why the Bulls fell to the Knicks. New York shot 52.9 percent from beyond the arc and hauled in 48 rebounds compared to Chicago's 31 rebounds.

Additionally, the Bulls were terrible on the offensive glass, grabbing just three rebounds.

It's been a tough season for the Bulls, who dropped to 11-16 with the loss, but their overtime performance had NBA Twitter calling for the franchise to either make a trade to improve or to just rebuild.

The Bulls are now 3-11 in clutch games after tonight's 128-120 loss to the Knicks.

11 of their 16 losses have come in games in which they were five points or closer in the final five minutes. Brutal.

— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) December 15, 2022

Again, this Bulls team has real issues that continue to be clear in these type of games.

The offensive daydreaming and lack of defensive stops allow teams to grow confidence.

— Cam Smith (@camronsmith) December 15, 2022

Knicks are one of the worst 3 point shooting teams in the league & they go 18-34 tonight. Bulls struggled to get decent shots in overtime with Thibs’ guys turning up the defensive pressure in halfcourt sets, Another “clutch” game loss.

— Mark Schanowski (@MarkSchanowski) December 15, 2022

Only catching these last couple minutes of Knicks-Bulls overtime but oof, Chicago's offense.

— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) December 15, 2022

Bulls pic.twitter.com/a73Whbt3Ee

— Joel Braunold (@braunold) December 15, 2022

Bulls need to blow it up and I’m not kidding in the slightest

— . (@1WayRJ) December 15, 2022

Th Chicago Bulls are so frustrating to watch

— fRy (@RyGriffey) December 15, 2022

Time for the bulls to blow it up I think

— Mikey Mike from 79th (@WindyCityKid01) December 15, 2022

Bulls are 🗑️🗑️🗑️

— Ryan Parker (@RPark86) December 15, 2022

Bulls it’s time to rebuild

— chill1Fr (@BethebestAM) December 15, 2022

https://twitter.com/ball_knowerr/status/1603228559463616513

After finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference last season with a 46-36 record, Chicago has taken an unexpected step backward, and it has a lot to figure out moving forward.

It's worth mentioning that Lonzo Ball has yet to play this season while recovering from a knee injury, but it's hard to imagine things would get drastically better with his return. Furthermore, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday that there are "no guarantees" the point guard even returns this season.

The Bulls and Knicks will meet again on Friday for a rematch before Chicago travels to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry has been ruled out for the remainder of Wednesday night's matchup with the Indiana Pacers after suffering a shoulder injury. Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters he would be undergoing an MRI on the shoulder on Thursday, and was in "good spirits" after the game.

The two-time league MVP immediately grabbed his left shoulder after reaching for the ball while the Pacers' Jalen Smith drove to the basket. Curry exited the game with 38 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Curry has posted 29.6 points on 49.7 percent shooting (43.2 percent from three-point range), 6.8 assists and 6.6 rebounds this year.

The ex-Davidson star averaged a team-high 25.5 points for the Warriors en route to leading the squad to its fourth NBA title since 2015 last season. He capped off the year with the NBA Finals MVP award.

Obviously, losing the two-time NBA MVP and eight-time All-Star for any amount of time is a significant blow to Golden State.

The Warriors were a far better team with him in 2021-22, going 45-19 with Curry on the court and 8-10 otherwise. He notably missed the final 12 regular-season games with a sprained ligament in his left foot but returned for the team's championship run.

Two years before, Curry nearly missed the entire 2019-20 season with a broken second metacarpal bone. The Warriors went a league-worst 15-50.

This Warriors team is far better equipped to handle missing Curry, but it will still be tough to go without him.

Sans Curry, the onus will be on Jordan Poole to run the point alongside backcourt mate Klay Thompson. In 2021-22, Poole notably averaged 25.9 points starting the final 15 regular-season games, 12 of which were without Curry. Donte DiVincenzo should also see more playing time.

Expect Draymond Green to do more facilitating as well.

Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball may not play during the 2022-23 campaign.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday on NBA Countdown that there are "no guarantees" Ball plays at all this season as he's still experiencing pain while rehabbing his knee injury.

"I think the hope is that, perhaps by the All-Star break in mid-February, they have a sense of whether Lonzo Ball is ready to come back and play for Chicago," Wojnarowski said. "A lot of that may depend on where are the Bulls in the standings."

Ball only played 35 games last season after being diagnosed with a small meniscus tear in his left knee in January. He underwent arthroscopic surgery and was initially expected to miss just six-to-eight weeks.

However, bad news emerged in March that the 24-year-old's knee had not responded well to rehab:

Today is 7 weeks since surgery. Initial timeline was 6-8 weeks. Donovan has said it's the bone bruise giving him discomfort issues

"He hasn't gone backwards. He just has not been able to go forward far enough to do the things he's gonna need to be able to do to play."

— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) March 19, 2022

He was ruled out for the season on April 6, one day after Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said Ball was still experiencing discomfort in his knee:

Lonzo Ball experienced some discomfort when the Bulls tried to ramp up his knee rehab again, Billy Donovan says

He says they’ll meet in the next day or two to determine the next steps

— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) April 5, 2022

More bad news dropped on Sept. 21 when the Bulls announced that the UCLA product would undergo another procedure that would keep him out for an extended period of time:

Lonzo Ball will undergo an arthroscopic debridement of his left knee next Wednesday, the Bulls just announced.

He’ll be re-evaluated in 4-to-6 weeks

— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) September 21, 2022

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic provided more encouraging news:

Both sides are expected to monitor the response over the next two weeks, and a return to play based upon Ball's rehab process.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 29, 2022

However, with the recent update from Wojnarowski, it appears that we may not see Ball until the 2023-24 campaign.

The Bulls have turned to Goran Dragić, Ayo Dosunmu, Alex Caruso and Coby White at the point so far this season, but Ball's absence has been felt as Chicago is currently 11th in the Eastern Conference with an 11-15 record.

Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević are doing everything they can to carry the team's offense in Ball's absence.

Darrell Bailey, better known as Clipper Darrell because of his love for the Los Angeles Clippers, was punched on the concourse at Crypto.com Arena after Monday's game against the Boston Celtics.

In footage obtained by TMZ Sports, Bailey appears to be in an argument with an arena security guard. The guard put up his forearm near Bailey's neck to prevent him from walking by, and Bailey swiped at his arm to push it off him.

"That's when the man in the red balled up his fist and swung on Clipper Darrell—connecting straight with the superfan's jaw," TMZ Sports wrote. "Darrell crashed into a nearby trash receptacle...and appeared to lose consciousness."

Lee Zeidman, the president of Crypto.com Arena, told TMZ Sports that Bailey received immediate medical attention and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and further evaluation.

"An investigation of the incident was launched which determined the employee's behavior to be a direct violation of our training and approved responses resulting in the immediate termination and arrest of the employee by the LAPD," Zeidman added.

According to TMZ Sports, the Clippers are aware of the incident. Bailey told the site he is on medication and has been suffering from headaches.

Clipper Darrell has been featured on several local and national talk shows where he speaks about his fandom. He told HBO's Real Sports in 2020 that rooting for the team became a lifeline for him after he was fired from a job.

"My boss told me I'd never amount to anything in life," he said. "You know how you get fired, you feel sorry for yourself. Went home, plopped on the couch, turned the TV on. The Clipper game comes on. They said the same thing about them, how horrible they was, how they'd never amount to anything. I said, 'This is gonna be my team.' We're gonna ride and die together."

Per his website, Bailey has been a Clippers season-ticket holder since the 2000-01 season, and he dons a half-red, half-blue suit on game day. He also "dances, leads cheers and taunts the opposing team" during home games.

The Charlotte Hornets are reportedly receiving some much-needed reinforcements for Wednesday's game against the Detroit Pistons.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium's sources, point guard LaMelo Ball is "optimistic" he will be in the lineup.

The third-year playmaker has been sidelined by an ankle injury and last appeared in a game during Charlotte's loss to the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 16.

The Hornets have lost five in a row and are an ugly 7-20 on the season. They have been among the league's most disappointing teams after making the play-in tournament last season.

Only the 7-22 Pistons have a worse record, and they have been dealing with injury concerns to their young point guard. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Cade Cunningham will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shin.

Ball's absence is a major reason Charlotte is battling with those Pistons near the bottom of the standings.

He has appeared in just three games this season after averaging 20.1 points, 7.6 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in 2021-22. The 2020-21 Rookie of the Year and 2021-22 All-Star also connected on 38.9 percent of his triples last season.

Ball is the franchise cornerstone at just 21 years old, and his long-term health is far more important than individual games in what is shaping up to be a lost season.

The team surely knows that and won't rush him back, but it seems as if he will return to the court after missing nearly one month.

Charlotte is 5.5 games behind the Miami Heat for the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament and will need to quickly turn things around if it is going to be anywhere near the factor it was last season.

Getting Ball back should help its cause, but contention may still be a long shot for the club.

The New York Knicks reportedly won't trade Evan Fournier just to shed salary ahead of February's deadline.

"The Knicks are not interested in shedding salary going forward," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on his podcast. "They'll do business, but I think there's been a concept that they might, like, attach a pick to get off of Evan Fournier or something like that. But to my understanding that's not true. I think they would trade Evan Fournier—I mean he's not playing for them right now, of course they would trade him. But I don't think they feel any sort of desperation to clear cap space."

Fournier has been featured in trade rumors in the early going this season, and Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Monday he could be a target for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 30-year-old is making $18 million in base salary this season and is in line to make $18.9 million next season and $19 million in 2024-25 if his club option is exercised.

Still, a trade could help New York net some assets for someone who has fallen out of head coach Tom Thibodeau's rotation.

Fournier hasn't appeared in a contest since a Nov. 13 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and is in a similar position to Cam Reddish, who has also fallen out of the rotation and been the subject of some trade speculation.

The former is averaging 6.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 20 minutes per game. Prior to this season, he's averaged 14.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.

Fournier has played for the Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics and Knicks throughout his career since entering the league in the 2012 NBA draft and averaged double-figure scoring totals in each of the last eight campaigns.

He is a career 38.0 percent shooter from deep and could help a contender looking for outside shooting if he is eventually traded. But the Knicks apparently won't complete such a move for the sole purpose of shedding his salary.

Despite his dominance in recent seasons, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid feels that some Sixers fans would like for him to be traded.

When speaking to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Embiid said: "I don't know. Sixers fans, they want to trade me."

When asked if he truly believes that to be the case, Embiid responded: "I do believe that. They want to trade me."

Embiid would yield quite a trade package, as he is averaging a career-high 33.3 points per game, is trending toward his sixth consecutive All-Star selection and is in the mix to win his first NBA MVP award.

Since missing the first two seasons of his NBA career because of injury, Embiid has been a force and arguably the best all-around big man in the league.

He reached new heights last season when he won his first scoring title by averaging 30.6 points per game to go along with 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 blocks, 1.4 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals. By virtue of those numbers, Embiid finished second to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić in the NBA MVP voting.

While the Sixers have been unable to get past the second round of the playoffs during Embiid's tenure, expectations were sky-high entering the 2022-23 season because of the re-signing of James Harden, the progression of Tyrese Maxey and the acquisition of supporting cast members such as De'Anthony Melton, Danuel House Jr., Montrezl Harrell and P.J. Tucker.

Despite that, the 76ers are off to an uneven 15-12 start, although that is still good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

Embiid has undoubtedly been the driving force behind any success the Sixers have had this season thanks to his averages of 33.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.6 blocks, 1.1 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals per game.

While Philadelphia sports fans are notorious for being tough on their teams and players at times, Fischer assured Embiid that no logical Sixers fans truly want him to be traded.

Fischer suggested it is more likely that fans would like to see other moves made, including the potential firing of head coach Doc Rivers, who has received the brunt of the criticism for the team's shortcomings in recent years.

Ultimately, Embiid noted that he is "grateful" to be a franchise player in Philadelphia even though it isn't necessarily the easiest position to be in.

Players like Harden, Maxey and Tobias Harris are going to play big roles if the Sixers go on a deep playoff run and potentially even contend for a championship this season, but there is little doubt that Embiid will be the biggest factor in whatever they achieve.