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Kemba Walker said he helped Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown stick together amid constant trade rumors.

The former Celtics guard discussed the situation with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on The Woj Pod (h/t Conor Roche of Boston.com):

I remember me telling those guys, because they've always seen the talks and everybody saying they can't play with each other, I always told them just block that out. I always told them, this organization isn’t going nowhere without you two, literally. My main thing to those guys was that they have to love each other. Jayson and Jaylen, you two guys have to come together as much as you can and lead this team to the promised land. They can't go anywhere without those two guys.

Tatum and Brown were viewed as the long-term foundation of the Celtics roster, but questions began to emerge about whether the duo would remain in place amid the team's sluggish start to the 2021-22 season.

Boston started the campaign 2-5 and spent most of the season's first half hovering around .500, which was well below preseason expectations.

In mid-January, Tatum told reporters a conversation with Brown had them come to the conclusion they "both want to be here" together:

"It's not many players in the league like JB. The grass ain't always greener. We've had some great stretches and this year hasn't been what we've expected, but I think in the long run it will be good for us. We gotta figure some things out, but I think the most important thing is we both want it extremely bad. We want to try to figure it out together. So for us just to be on the same page is extremely important. We got each other's back and we're going to give it all we got to figure this out, regardless of what people say."

The Celtics bounced back in a massive way, eventually reaching the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, where they lost in six games.

Tatum has developed into one of the NBA's most complete players since Boston selected him with the third overall pick in the 2017 draft.

The 24-year-old Duke product averaged 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists last season in Boston. He ranked second among all NBA players in FiveThirtyEight's WAR metric (15.8) for 2021-22.

Through 13 games in 2022-23, the three-time All-Star has raised his game to a new level with an average of 32.3 points per game.

Brown has been nearly as productive, earning one All-Star selection while scoring at least 20 points per game in each of the last three years.

Despite earlier question marks, it's now clear the two can coexist and compete at a high level while helping the Celtics contend for a championship.

Walker only spent two years with Boston, but his leadership might have had a profound effect on the franchise.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant is hopeful Kawhi Leonard will be able to return from his knee injury soon.

"He's an all-time great," Durant told reporters after Saturday's win over the Clippers. "He's been through injuries before. He knows how to deal with his body. He knows his body better than anybody. The league is better, though, when Kawhi Leonard is playing. Definitely helped, it was easier not having him on the floor tonight as far as we need wins, but would love to see him back soon."

I asked Kevin Durant about Kawhi Leonard:

"He's an All-Time great... The league is better when Kawhi Leonard is playing... I would love to see him back soon." pic.twitter.com/BguW3qU6SG

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) November 13, 2022

The five-time All-Star missed the entire 2021-22 NBA season because of a partially torn ACL in his right knee, and he's played sporadically during the early stages of the current campaign as the team tries to manage his recovery.

"He's frustrated," Clippers head coach Ty Lue told reporters after an Oct. 31 win over the Houston Rockets. "He wants to be out on the floor and then not being on the floor, and then now he can't travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor said it's not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness and what he is going through."

When healthy, Leonard has averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals across two appearances this season. He has not played since Oct. 23.

Getting the 31-year-old L.A. native back to full strength is essential if the Clippers are going to emerge as a championship contender. He owns two previous NBA titles, one with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 and another with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

L.A. uses a variety of wing players to fill the void whenever Leonard is sidelined. Norman Powell takes on the biggest role, but Luke Kennard, Terance Mann and Amir Coffey are among the other players who also see more consistent minutes.

Leonard and Paul George can be one of the NBA's best two-way tandems when both are in peak form, but that hasn't happened much over the past couple of years because of injuries.

The Clippers will be a team to watch if the bad luck with health dissipates at some point in 2022-23.

The Los Angeles Clippers dropped to 7-6 on the season with a 110-95 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, but the team isn't rushing Kawhi Leonard to return from injury despite its struggles.

"I’m excited to get him back whenever he's ready," Paul George told reporters after Saturday's game. "Nobody here wants to put added pressure on his return. His return is his return."

He added: "Like I’ve been saying, we got a job to do, and that's to continue to play ball, win games, compete. When he's ready, he's ready, but that's his timetable, not ours."

Leonard has been sidelined since he began dealing with soreness in his right knee just two games into the season. He has not played since an Oct. 23 loss to the Phoenix Suns, missing L.A.'s last 10 games.

The 31-year-old tore the ACL in his right knee during the 2021 playoffs and missed the entire 2021-22 campaign while recovering from surgery.

The Clippers were trying to ease Leonard back into things this year, and he averaged 21 minutes off the bench in the two games he played. He averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor.

There's still no timetable for Leonard to return to the court, though he did participate in a five-on-five workout Friday. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters the veteran "looked pretty good."

"It's gonna take a few more [workout] opportunities to get that in," Lue said when asked about when Leonard could return to the floor. "Then kind of reassess him to see how he's feeling after we go to medical and just kind of see if we check all the boxes."

The Clippers will be hoping Leonard can play as well as he did during his first season with the team in 2019-20. The five-time All-Star averaged 27.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 57 games while shooting 47.0 percent from the floor and 37.8 percent from deep.

L.A. will be back in action on Monday against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Leonard is not expected to play.

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 110-95 on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena for their fourth win in their last five games to move to 6-7 on the season.

Despite getting into foul trouble in the third quarter, Kevin Durant was a significant factor in lifting Brooklyn to victory. The four-time scoring champion finished with 27 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 35 minutes. He made 10 of 16 shots from the floor and three of five shots from deep.

In addition to Durant, Seth Curry put together his second consecutive game with 20-plus points off the bench, finishing with 22 points, three rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. He made nine of 15 shots from the floor and four of eight attempts from deep.

While Curry appears to be getting into a groove, it was still Durant that was given much of the praise by NBA fans on Twitter:

KD continues to remind those that just say “ he’s a great scorer “ of his all around brilliance!

— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) November 12, 2022

KD is everywhere. Some of the best all-around play I’ve seen from him as a Net.

— Alec Sturm (@Alec_Sturm) November 12, 2022

I feel like KD not getting enough credit for what he's doing with the Nets right now on the court.

— Rod (@rodimusprime) November 12, 2022

Kevin Durant is the 1st player to begin a season with 13 straight 25-point games since Michael Jordan began the 1988-89 season with 16 straight. pic.twitter.com/aV16eNZCvZ

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 12, 2022

Kevin Durant is having an impact on every facet of the game and they’ve got shooters and emerging young players.

— Robin Lundberg (@robinlundberg) November 12, 2022

Kevin Durant's defense around the rim today has been excellent. Has a pair of blocks and just broke up another pass.

— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) November 12, 2022

This might be a KD MVP year…

— Tri Nohbi (@trinohbi) November 12, 2022

KD is cooking everyone

— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) November 12, 2022

I’ll never take Kevin Durant for granted

— Tucker (@SportingLogical) November 12, 2022

I really like this Nets team as is. They're way more locked in on defense, the supporting cast is delivering, Kevin Durant is delivering as Kevin Durant does, and new head coach Jacque Vaughn seems to have found something with this group. This will be a great team this year.

— Bernard Oliver (@boliver36) November 12, 2022

Durant has been on a tear this season. He entered Saturday's game averaging 30.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.9 blocks in 12 games while shooting 51.9 percent from the floor and 32.2 percent from deep.

The Nets are now 4-1 in Kyrie Irving's absence. The veteran point guard was suspended at least five games by the Nets after initially failing to condemn and apologize for posting a link to an antisemitic film on his social media accounts in October.

The Boston Celtics announced that guard Jaylen Brown will miss the team's road game against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday with a left knee contusion.

On Friday, Brown made his first 10 shots en route to 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 35 minutes in a 131-112 home win over the Denver Nuggets.

The Celtics initially listed Brown as questionable for the Pistons game but ruled him out before tipoff. Jay King of The Athletic provided an update on his status midday.

"On top of the knee contusion from last night, Jaylen Brown said he rolled his ankle in a previous game," King tweeted. "So he's a little banged up, but he didn't seem to think it was serious at all."

John Karalis of the Boston Sports Journal reported that Brown "knocked knees late in the game" against Denver.

Now in his seventh NBA season, Brown has missed at least 15 games in each of the past three campaigns. He was healthy at the outset of the 2022-23 season, and he is averaging 25.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

The Celtics will also be without Al Horford (low back stiffness) and Malcolm Brogdon (right hamstring tightness).

Derrick White and Payton Pritchard will see an increase in minutes with Brown out.

The Phoenix Suns are still looking to deal forward Jae Crowder, who has been inactive this season after he requested a trade in September.

And they reached out to the Miami Heat about a potential deal, Ian Begley of SNY reported Saturday:

"One trade that may happen sooner than Dec. 15? Jae Crowder getting moved in Phoenix. Crowder has been away from the team while the Suns canvas the league for potential deals.

"Miami is among the teams Phoenix has touched base with on a Crowder deal. Per SNY sources, some with Phoenix see Miami's Max Strus as an integral part of any return for Crowder. I'd assume that Miami would be reluctant to move Strus in a deal for Crowder."

The 26-year-old Strus is in his fourth NBA season. He's averaging career highs of 32.2 minutes, 14.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.8 steals per game with 44.7 percent shooting.

The 32-year-old Crowder, who has played 10 seasons, averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game for the Suns last year. He started all 67 games he played.

There were murmurs that Crowder wanted a trade after being told he wouldn't start, but B/R's Chris Haynes relayed that Crowder said that was not true.

My @NBAonTNT in-game report on my conversation with Suns forward Jae Crowder, who is away from the team and waiting on a trade: ‘It’s definitely not true of the narrative being pushed about me starting or not.’ pic.twitter.com/QL41N3Njub

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 26, 2022

Crowder will be a free agent after this season. He would be a solid two-way asset for any team that acquires him, whether it be to start or come off the bench.

Strus emerged as a valuable piece for the Heat during the playoffs last year. He notably averaged 14.0 points per game in the team's first-round series win over the Atlanta Hawks. Strus also averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in the team's final two games of a second-round victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

He's remained an integral player this year as the fourth-highest scorer on the team. Like Crowder, Strus also will be a free agent after this season, but he's certainly a candidate to re-sign.

Ja Morant and Desmond Bane combined for 52 points to carry the Memphis Grizzlies to a 114-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.

It marked the fifth win in the past six games for the Grizz, which improved to 9-4 overall. Either Morant or Bane has led the team in scoring in all but one of its games so far during the 2022-23 season.

"Top two, not two. That's the easiest question ever," Morant told reporters earlier this week when asked where the Grizzlies' backcourt ranks in the NBA.

After another monster performance, more people are starting to agree with the emerging MVP candidate. Let's check out some Twitter reaction to the duo's latest standout effort:

Ja Morant and Desmond Bane combined tonight:

52 PTS
13 REB
13 ASTS
W

Best backcourt in the league ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/RjGbCo1nhd

— GrizzMuse (@GrizzlyMuse) November 12, 2022

From last night’s BS Pod w/ Verno and House — have Ja and Bane grabbed the Best Backcourt Alive torch? pic.twitter.com/mr1YrNQ32h

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 12, 2022

Ja and Bane are so nice

— 2025 Masters Champion (@Vibhishrag) November 12, 2022

https://twitter.com/VictorChizawu/status/1591286658208759808

Desmond Bane is really averaging 25 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds on 47% from the field, 46% from three, and 90% shooting from the line. He really might be an All-Star this year if he keeps this up.

— Eugene B. Lee-Johnson, PhD (@eugenejohnson_) November 12, 2022

Desmond Bane on their psychological edge: “It’s huge, it’s an 82-game season. Liking the people you have the same job with goes a long way… It plays to our advantage”

— Parker Fleming (@PAKA_FLOCKA) November 12, 2022

The Grizzlies are lit 🔥 pic.twitter.com/U7M7nVm8GD

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 12, 2022

Here's a look at the guards' individual stat lines from Friday's victory:

• Morant: 28 PTS, 10 REB, 8 AST, 2 STL in 34 minutes
• Bane: 24 PTS, 5 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL in 33 minutes

Dillon Brooks also chipped in 21 points for the Grizzlies, which shot 50 percent from the field and won the rebounding battle 46-33.

Anthony Edwards was the only major bright spot for the Wolves in the loss. He matched Morant with a game-high 28 points along with six rebounds and six assists.

Minnesota dropped to 5-8 with its sixth loss in the past seven games.

Next up for the Grizzlies is a visit to Capital One Arena on Sunday to face off with the Washington Wizards.

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue provided an update on the health of Kawhi Leonard as the team continues to wait on the five-time All-Star's return to the floor.

"He played five-on-five with some of our guys, some of the players and some of the coaches," Lue said Friday, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

"The first time he was able to get on the floor and play five-on-five, and he looked pretty good. Still have a ways to go, but that was the first sign of positivity of him getting on the floor, playing five-on-five."

Leonard has been out since Oct. 23 with right knee stiffness.

He suffered a partial tear of his right ACL during the 2021 Western Conference Semifinals against the Utah Jazz, and he subsequently missed the remainder of the postseason and all of the 2021-22 campaign.

He returned to the court for the Clippers' 2022-23 season debut on Oct. 20 against the Los Angeles Lakers and scored 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting in 21 minutes.

He followed that up with 11 more points in 21 minutes against the Phoenix Suns three days later.

Per Youngmisuk, Leonard began experiencing the discomfort during a morning shootaround on Oct. 25 prior to a road matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

There's still no definitive timeline for Leonard's return, but Lue gave some insight as far as the next steps.

"Not tomorrow," Lue said when asked about a return. "But it's gonna take a few more [workout] opportunities to get that in. Then kind of reassess him to see how he's feeling after we go to medical and just kind of see if we check all the boxes."

Leonard is one of the league's greatest two-way players. The two-time NBA Finals MVP is also a five-time All-NBA selection, a seven-time All-Defensive Team honoree and a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

He and Paul George joined forces in L.A. in the summer of 2019. Leonard has averaged 25.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 111 regular-season contests for the franchise.

He helped lead the Clippers to a second-place finish in the 2019-20 Western Conference standings during his first year.

While the team fell in an upset to the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs that campaign, L.A. then made the conference finals for the first time in franchise history the following year.

With Leonard out and George (UCL injury) sitting for most of the 2021-22 season, the Clippers didn't make the playoffs, finishing 42-40. This year's team is 7-5 and riding the high of a 5-1 stretch.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Friday he has no plans to change his starting lineup despite the team's 4-7 record.

Kerr reiterated his faith in the Dubs' starting five—Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney—when asked during an appearance on 95.7 The Game whether Jordan Poole could replace Thompson.

"No, that's not something I've given any thought to," Kerr said. "Jordan and Klay are very different players. Jordan's on the ball, Klay's off the ball. ... Klay is a starter. That five-man unit is the best in the league."

Thompson is averaging 15.1 points, his lowest mark since his rookie season in 2011-12, through nine appearances this season because of a rare shooting slump.

Here's how his numbers stack up against his fellow shooting guard:

• Thompson: 15.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.6 APG, 36.0 FG%, 32.6 3PT%
• Poole: 15.2 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 4.9 APG, 40.6 FG%, 30.1 3PT%

So while Thompson, a career 41.5 percent shooter from three-point range, isn't knocking down his outside shots with the usual efficiency, switching to Poole won't eliminate the problem.

It's also better for Poole, who takes on most of the ball-handling responsibility with the second unit, to remain in his current role since Curry and Green run the offense with the starters.

As Kerr mentioned, Thompson is mostly an off-ball player, so if Poole joins the lineup, then it would likely be up to Ty Jerome or Donte DiVincenzo to lead the reserve offense.

Ultimately, even though the idea of trying to find a spark amid the early-season struggles is understandable, the reigning NBA champion Warriors can safely bet their talent is going to show through over course of an 82-game campaign.

Thompson may no longer be the elite two-way player he was before injuries cost him two full seasons, but his track record suggests the shooting stroke will eventually return to form.

Golden State, which snapped a five-game losing skid with a win over the Sacramento Kings on Monday, is back in action Friday night when it hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Brooklyn Nets governor Joe Tsai said Friday that he met with guard Kyrie Irving amid his suspension for promoting a movie on social media that includes antisemitic viewpoints.

Tsai tweeted that it's "clear" Irving doesn't have any hatred toward Jewish people and that he, Irving, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are working toward "a process of forgiveness, healing and education."

The Nets and Kyrie, together with the NBA and NBPA, are working constructively toward a process of forgiveness, healing and education.

— Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) November 11, 2022

The NBPA seconded Tsai regarding a plan to achieve "forgiveness, understanding and healing" for Irving and everyone involved:

We have been working closely with Kyrie, the Nets organization and the NBA to develop a plan to move forward through forgiveness, understanding and healing. https://t.co/KQ0Dn2BPNO

— NBPA (@TheNBPA) November 11, 2022

Irving initially didn't apologize when asked by the media about tweeting the link, which led the Nets to suspend him for at least five games.

In a statement, the Nets said they were "dismayed" Irving "refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film."

Irving eventually apologized in an Instagram post, calling the antisemitic narratives in the movie "false."

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that the Nets laid out six steps Irving would have to go through in order to be reinstated:

Sources: Nets have delivered Kyrie Irving six items he must complete to return to team:

- Apologize/condemn movie
- $500K donation to anti-hate causes
- Sensitivity training
- Antisemitic training
- Meet with ADL, Jewish leaders
- Meet with Joe Tsai to demonstrate understanding

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 6, 2022

Among the steps was to meet with Tsai and "demonstrate understanding" for why he was wrong.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who is Jewish, told Sopan Deb of the New York Times on Thursday that he met with Irving and doesn't believe he is antisemitic, though Silver added, "Whether or not he is antisemitic is not relevant to the damage caused by the posting of hateful content."

The 30-year-old Irving has served four games of his suspension, meaning he could be in line to rejoin the team for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers after sitting for a fifth consecutive game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Aside from Kevin Durant, Irving is the Nets' most important player, and he has been productive this season, averaging 26.9 points, 5.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers made, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in eight games.

If and when Irving does return, it should provide a huge boost to a 5-7 Nets team that is looking to get back on track and into championship contention.