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The Atlanta Hawks announced they will be without Dejounte Murray for the rest of Wednesday's game against the New York Knicks because of the left ankle sprain he suffered in the first half.

Murray scored two points on the free-throw line and did not attempt a field goal in the four minutes he played prior to exiting.

Atlanta acquired Murray from the San Antonio Spurs via trade this past offseason, and he has played well in his first campaign in the Eastern Conference. Entering Wednesday's contest, he was averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from deep.

The 2021-22 All-Star is the type of high-ceiling backcourt running mate the Hawks have been looking to pair Trae Young with, and the result has been a solid start to the season.

They are 13-11, which is good enough for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference standings. While they may not have the depth of high-end talent to challenge the Boston Celtics or Milwaukee Bucks, the Hawks look like a team that could make a relatively deep run in the postseason with Young and Murray leading the way.

It's not the best timing for a setback for the latter, though, as Wednesday kicked off a run of 10 matchups in 11 games against Eastern Conference foes for Atlanta.

This is an opportunity to solidify itself as a true playoff contender, but it may be short-handed for some of that stretch if Murray cannot return in the immediate future.

Look for Young to shoulder even more of the offensive responsibility while he is sidelined, while Jarrett Culver and Aaron Holiday will likely see more playing time as well.

The Los Angeles Lakers won't use their 2027 or 2029 unprotected first-round NBA draft pick in a trade unless they get an All-Star-level player in return.

That news is per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday's edition of NBA Today (0:49 mark).

The Lakers started the season 2-10 but have followed that with an 8-3 stretch.

Anthony Davis has been the catalyst for that run, as he posted 35.3 points, 15.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game in his previous nine games before Tuesday, when he played just eight minutes because of an illness.

He is averaging 27.3 points, an NBA-best 12.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game this season. And LeBron James hasn't slowed down in his 20th season, posting 25.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists per contest.

If those two can stay healthy, the Lakers should be a playoff team in a wide-open Western Conference in which all but two teams (the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs) are within 5.5 games of each other.

The recent run has changed the team's outlook, and if it's still competitive at the Feb. 9 trade deadline, it could seek an All-Star talent in hopes of making a championship run.

For now, L.A. has a tough matchup Wednesday with the Toronto Raptors sans Davis (non-COVID-19 illness) and James (left ankle soreness). Their next chance to play will be Friday at the Philadelphia 76ers.

Cam Reddish's time with the New York Knicks may be coming to an end.

Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported the Knicks are working with Reddish's representatives to find a potential destination in a trade. It has reached this point because the Duke product is no longer a part of the team's rotation.

"It's not just on Cam, it's on our team," head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "What gives our team the best chance? And so I'd say those are coaching decisions; to decide to go from a 10-man rotation to nine because you feel like it [gives] the team the best chance to succeed. That's why you do it. You always have to put the team first. So there's a lot of sacrifices that need to be made by a team. But we're always going to put what we feel is best for the team first."

There was a time when Reddish seemed well on his way to becoming an impact player in the NBA.

The Atlanta Hawks selected him with the No. 10 overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft, and he averaged 10.7 points per game across his first two seasons.

However, Atlanta traded him to the Knicks during the 2021-22 campaign. The Knicks sent Kevin Knox II and a 2022 first-round pick for Reddish, Solomon Hill and a 2025 second-round pick.

In hindsight, the Knicks likely wouldn't trade a first-round pick for someone who is no longer in their rotation, but they might be able recoup some value by sending the 23-year-old elsewhere.

Reddish has appeared in 20 games this season with eight starts and is averaging 8.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists. He is shooting only 30.4 percent from three-point range, which is a concern if teams hoped he could take advantage of space his teammates create and hit from the outside.

Perhaps a change of scenery will help Reddish rediscover the form that helped him become a first-round pick, because he is a nonfactor at this point for the Knicks.

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without stars LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (illness) for Wednesday's game against the Toronto Raptors, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Patrick Beverley (right knee soreness) is also out.

Darvin Ham says LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Patrick Beverley are all day-to-day. Says the back-to-back factored in to James not playing tonight.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) December 7, 2022

James has been bothered by an ankle injury since Friday, and while he has played in the past two games, he will sit out the second contest of a back-to-back. Davis, meanwhile, left Tuesday's 116-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers with an illness after logging just eight minutes.

Having to play without James and Davis will be a huge blow to a Los Angeles squad that has won eight of its last 11 games.

In 17 games this season, James has averaged 25.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists despite battling injuries early this season.

Davis has stepped up in a major way during the four-time NBA champion's periodic absences, putting up MVP-caliber numbers that have allowed him to rejoin the conversation among the game's best players.

Davis has averaged 27.3 points and 12.3 rebounds in 21 appearances this season.

After an ugly start to the 2022-23 season, the Lakers sit at 10-13. While they still have some work to do to get back into the playoff picture, they had finally started to gain some momentum in recent weeks.

If the New York Knicks are unable to get anything done before the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline, it won't be due to a lack of trying.

The Athletic's Fred Katz reported Wednesday that the quartet of Derrick Rose, Evan Fournier, Immanuel Quickley and Cam Reddish have been "the most common players they have discussed with other teams."

Katz added there was outside interest in Fournier ahead of the 2022 deadline and this offseason and that the Knicks "have communicated that they are willing to attach Quickley or Reddish to Fournier to make a trade work."

Per Katz, New York has also talked about scenarios in which Quickley was the sole asset, with the hope the team could land a first-round draft pick.

Rose and Reddish might represent filler in any deal. Katz wrote that "there is not much demand for Rose" and that Reddish's market is "more sparse" compared to that of Quickley.

It seems inevitable that the Knicks will do something. Whether that something significantly improves the team is another matter.

Jettisoning Rose and/or Quickley would clear out the logjam at point a bit. Rose is on an expiring deal—he has a $15.6 million team option for 2023-24—so trading him for whatever they can get is better than letting him walk as a free agent.

It's a similar situation with Reddish, who's eligible to become a restricted free agent in 2023. The 23-year-old has seen his role diminish of late. He logged just nine minutes and 13 seconds in a 121-100 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday and was a healthy scratch when New York earned a 92-81 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

The odds of the Knicks re-signing Reddish or extending an $8.1 million qualifying offer appear to be slim.

With Fournier, the goal would be getting off the $18.9 million he's owed next season. His four-year, $73 million deal hasn't been a total millstone for the Knicks, but it's a contract they'd probably like to have back.

The trouble for the front office is that adding up Quickley, Rose, Fournier and Reddish plus draft picks probably wouldn't net a star who raises the team's ceiling.

The Ringer's Bill Simmons floated a scenario in which the Knicks send Obi Toppin, expiring contracts and a pick to the Chicago Bulls for Zach LaVine.

Hey Chicago… it’s time…pic.twitter.com/xykaIvVPwp

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 30, 2022

LaVine is averaging 22.0 points and 4.2 assists while shooting 42.2 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from beyond the arc. Those numbers are all down from his back-to-back All-Star campaigns after he underwent offseason knee surgery.

The five-year, $215.2 million extension LaVine signed with the Bulls isn't looking good right now and is the kind of long-term risk New York should avoid.

Maybe a path toward a top-level star will open up next summer. For now, team president Leon Rose might be reduced to finding incremental gains around the margins.

Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul will return to the lineup Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics, according to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes.

Paul, 37, is in his 19th NBA season, in which he has averaged 9.5 points, 9.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals for the Suns.

He's in his third season with the Suns, which have shined with the 12-time All-Star leading the way.

Their first year under Paul's leadership resulted in the team's first Western Conference title in 28 years. Their second season ended with an NBA-best 64-18 regular-season record, although the playoff run ended with an upset defeat to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round.

The third year has gone well, with the team starting 16-8 to lead the Western Conference.

Paul's shot hasn't been falling this year, though, with the Wake Forest product making just 36.8 percent of his shots and 27.3 percent of his three-pointers.

A sore right heel forced Paul out after he played 14 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 7.

Cameron Payne started in the second half of the 76ers game, and Damion Lee also got extra minutes off the bench as well.

With Paul out, Payne was the clear starting point guard, with Lee getting some more work and guard Landry Shamet likely receiving more playing time as well.

Paul's return will be a much-needed boost to the offense, but it would be a surprise to see him get a full workload.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James discussed his appreciation for the Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland following a 116-102 loss to the Cavs on Tuesday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

"It's always love coming back here," James told reporters. "The memories that I have here will never be forgotten."

The Cavaliers are essentially the hometown team of James, who is an Akron, Ohio, native. They made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft out of high school, and he met and exceeded all of the massive expectations placed on him.

LeBron's first run in Cleveland lasted for seven seasons from 2003 to 2010 before he memorably signed with the Miami Heat in free agency. James went to four straight NBA Finals with the Heat and won the first two championships of his career.

After reaching the NBA Finals once and winning no titles during his first run in Cleveland, James had some unfinished business, so he returned to the Cavs in 2014.

James' second stint in Cleveland yielded the greatest time period in Cavaliers history, as they went to four consecutive NBA Finals and won their first and only championship in 2016.

LeBron left Cleveland again in 2018 when he signed with the Lakers, and while he has experienced some of the greatest struggles of his career in L.A., he also led the Lakers to a championship in 2020, marking the fourth title of his illustrious career.

James is one of the greatest players of all time with 18 All-Star selections, four NBA MVP awards and four NBA Finals MVP awards, and his time with the Cavaliers will perhaps be the defining period of his career.

LeBron is still playing at a high level at the age of 37, but the Lakers have scuffled overall this season with a record of 10-13 after missing the playoffs in 2021-22.

As for the Cavs, they are a team on the rise with a 16-9 record, thanks largely to the offseason acquisition of All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz.

LeBron James was among the many impressed by Donovan Mitchell in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 116-102 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

"He's Mitchell," James told reporters after the game. "He's a special kid."

The story entering the game was LeBron's return to Cleveland, where he spent 11 of his 20 NBA seasons, but Mitchell stole the show with 43 points on 17-of-27 shooting, adding six rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Mitchell has thrived in his first season with the Cavaliers, ranking seventh in the NBA with an average of 29 points per game while emerging as a legitimate MVP candidate. On one of the biggest stages of the year, he scored a season-high and left his opponent in awe.

James scored 21 points with 17 rebounds in the loss, although he couldn't overcome Anthony Davis missing most of the game because of an illness.

Despite speculation to the contrary, quarterback Baker Mayfield was reportedly a model teammate during his time with the Carolina Panthers.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Panthers felt Mayfield showed "great maturity" when he was demoted to the backup role behind PJ Walker and Sam Darnold and that he was not a "difficult teammate."

Furthermore, the Panthers reportedly believe Mayfield "accepted his role" and "didn't make any waves" despite the demotion.

Per ESPN's David Newton, Panthers head coach Steve Wilks said Monday that Mayfield requested his release and was granted it. The former Cleveland Browns signal-caller was subsequently claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams.

The Cleveland Browns originally made Mayfield the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, and while he had his moments, such as finishing second in the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting and leading the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 in 2020, he ultimately flamed out.

Mayfield played with an injured non-throwing shoulder for much of the 2021 season, and he struggled to the tune of a 6-8 record, 3,010 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 14 games.

The Browns decided to move on from Mayfield, trading a bounty of draft picks to the Houston Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson, despite the fact that Watson had been accused of sexual assault or misconduct by 25 female massage therapists.

That spelled the end of Mayfield's tenure in Cleveland, with Jason Lloyd of The Athletic later reporting that he was viewed as "childish and immature" within the Browns organization.

After missing out on other opportunities to upgrade the quarterback position, the Panthers acquired Mayfield from the Browns prior to the start of the 2022 regular season in hopes that he could take the reins from Darnold.

Mayfield was named the Browns starter for Week 1 and went on to make six starts overall, but he struggled mightily with a 1-5 record. He also completed just 57.8 percent of his passes for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions for a Panthers team that fired head coach Matt Rhule.

The offense was so stagnant with Mayfield at the helm that the Panthers made the switch to an NFL journeyman and former XFL star in Walker until Darnold returned from injury.

L.A. could represent one of Mayfield's final NFL opportunities, particularly as a starter, provided he gets a chance to start down the stretch.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford is on injured reserve with a neck injury and presumed out for the remainder of the season, leaving the Rams with John Wolford and Bryce Perkins under center before they claimed Mayfield.

It has been a rough season for the Rams, but they are the reigning Super Bowl champions, and Mayfield could build up plenty of goodwill around the league with positive reports out of Los Angeles.

LeBron James may be the franchise icon for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he played second fiddle to the current star Tuesday.

Donovan Mitchell went into absolute takeover mode in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and led the Cavs to a commanding 116-102 victory over James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Cleveland was up just two at the start of the fourth quarter, but Mitchell poured in 17 points in the final period alone with a combination of three-pointers, drives into the lane and transition opportunities, which left no doubt about the outcome by the end.

Social media had nothing but praise for the three-time All-Star as he drew MVP chants from the crowd and dropped 43 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals:

"Go home. Go the f--k home."

Spida talking his talk after the big three 🔥 https://t.co/NZ7JU2sEz5

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 7, 2022

The beauty of Donovan Mitchell is these are the games he shows up for most. This spring is going to be fun.

— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) December 7, 2022

RT if you enjoy @spidadmitchell being on your favorite basketball team 🤗 pic.twitter.com/DpsYT6GCap

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 7, 2022

Games like this are why the Cavs traded for Donovan Mitchell.

— Colb (@___Colb___) December 7, 2022

Donovan Mitchell, superstar.

— Football Chopz (@Pchopz_) December 7, 2022

DONOVAN MITCHELL.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!!?!?!

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 7, 2022

There’s a new King in Cleveland and his name is Donovan Mitchell. #LetEmKnow

— Nick Pedone (@NickPedone12) December 7, 2022

Donovan Mitchell gone mess around and win the MVP

— Mack Perry (@DevaronPerry) December 7, 2022

Donovan Mitchell doing in front of LeBron what LeBron used to do in this arena is really something.

— Jason Lloyd (@ByJasonLloyd) December 7, 2022

Donovan Mitchell having this night sharing a court with LeBron feels like a pretty big thing.

— Beau Bishop (@BeauBishop) December 7, 2022

On the night where LeBron returned to Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell was the best player on the floor.

& it wasn’t really close. #LetEmKnow

— Nick Pedone (@NickPedone12) December 7, 2022

For first time in hoops history, Cavs have swept season series vs LeBron James. Just second home win over LeBron too. Donovan Mitchell with Cavs career-high 43 pts. It’s a new day in Cleveland.

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) December 7, 2022

tonight felt different

Donovan Mitchell has had incredible games, but this one felt different. a real passing of the torch. he could feel it too

— Abby Mueller (@abby_mueller_) December 7, 2022

From the Lakers' perspective, the loss snapped a three-game winning streak and dropped their record to 10-13 overall. They have played better of late in large part because Anthony Davis entered Tuesday's game with 10 straight double-doubles and averages of 34.2 points, 15.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game during that stretch.

However, he went to the locker room in the first quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest with flu-like symptoms.

That left the Purple and Gold fighting an uphill battle the rest of the way. James did what he could with a double-double of 21 points and 17 rebounds, while Thomas Bryant played well in Davis' place with 19 points and nine boards.

Still, they had no answer for Mitchell in crunch time as the Cavaliers improved to 16-9 overall and an impressive 11-1 at home.

The Lakers will look to turn things around Wednesday as they continue their road trip against the Toronto Raptors, but it remains to be seen whether Davis will take the court. Mitchell and the Cavaliers remain at home to face the Sacramento Kings on Friday.