Injuries, playing games on back-to-back nights and COVID protocols are part of the landscape of the NBA all teams are forced to navigate through in today’s world.

The Toronto Raptors were dealt significant blows to their roster over the season’s first two months, but now close to full strength, they’re climbing the Eastern Conference standings and will likely be looking to make a move before Thursday’s trade deadline.

Through the end of November, only four teams used more starting lineups than Toronto’s eight, as Nick Nurse was forced to constantly shuffle his rotation. The low point came Boxing Day, when the Raptors had 10 players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and found out just hours before their scheduled tip-off against the Cleveland Cavaliers they would in fact play. With a patchwork eight-player roster featuring four hardship signees, they were promptly obliterated by 45 points.

Undermanned again two nights later, they suffered another defeat at hands of the Philadelphia 76ers. But as the regulars returned to the Raptors’ roster, the wins have been piling up.

With Monday’s 116-101 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, Toronto extended their winning streak to six games and improved to 15-6 since New Year’s Eve – only the 76ers have a better record at 13-5 among East clubs. This surge has vaulted the Raptors into sixth place in the conference after sitting in 11th on December 30.

Much of the recent success is because Nurse can count on writing in Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Gart Trent Jr. and Scottie Barnes into his starting lineup.

The Raptors are 11-4 when starting VanVleet, Siakam, Anunoby, Trent and Barnes, averaging 114.3 points while shooting 45.9 per cent and making an average of 13.9 3-pointers in those games. When those five don’t start together, Toronto is 18-19, averaging 106 points on 43.4 per cent shooting with an average of 11.9 made 3s per game.

It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Toronto’s success is tied to the starting combination of VanVleet, Siakam, Anunoby, Trent and Barnes given how heavily the Raptors rely on their starting five.

Toronto’s starters account for 79.2 per cent of their scoring – the largest percentage in the NBA – with an average of 85.8 points per game – also a league best. The Raptors’ bench, meanwhile, is averaging a mere 22.6 points – the fewest by any group of reserves since the 2012-13 Portland Trail Blazers bench averaged 18.5 points. The difference of 63.2 points between Toronto’s starting five and reserves is the largest by a team in a season since 2004-05, when the Phoenix Suns had a difference of 73.2 points (91.8 starting average, 18.6 bench average).

Over the last few seasons, Nurse regularly asked VanVleet and Siakam to play serious minutes, but with a lack of a bench, Anunoby, Barnes and Trent are also spending more time on the court.

VanVleet averages a league-leading 38.6 minutes, followed by Siakam at 37.9 and Anunoby at 37.2. No team has ever had players finish a season 1-2-3 in minutes played per game since minutes began being tracked in 1951-52.

Barnes then checks in at No. 6 in the NBA with an average of 36.1 minutes. That’s right, four of the top six players in average minutes all play for the Raptors. Trent is no slouch, either, averaging 34.8 minutes – good for 16th in the NBA.

With depth being a considerable issue, Goran Dragic is likely to be shipped out. Acquired as part of the sign-and-trade that sent Kyle Lowry to the Miami Heat, Dragic has appeared in just five games for the Raptors – and none since November 13 – as he’s been away from the team due to a personal issue. A handful of teams have reportedly shown interest in Dragic, and the Raptors would love to move the veteran point guard so they could shed his hefty salary and fill his roster spot with someone who will actually play.

Following the offseason departure of Lowry, the 27-year-old VanVleet has emerged as the team leader, averaging career highs in points (21.6), assists (7.1) rebounds (4.7) and made 3s (3.9). In 19 games since clearing the league’s health and safety protocols, the recently named first-time All-Star leads the NBA with 90 made 3-pointers since New Year’s Eve.

VanVleet, who is slated to participate in the 3-point contest during All-Star weekend, has been putting up eye-popping numbers over his last 21 games, averaging 24.3 points, 8 assists and 4.9 3-pointers. Only two other players have ever averaged 24+ points, 8+ assists and 4.5+ 3-pointers over a 21-game span in a single season and that’s James Harden and Damian Lillard.

During this incredible run, VanVleet has regularly been feeding Siakam, who has found his shooting touch on jumpers close to the basket.

Since December 14, VanVleet’s 46 assists to Siakam are tied for sixth most from one player to a teammate. His assists to Siakam are nearly double those of his next-closest teammate with 28 going to Anunoby, and 26 going to each Barnes and Trent.

Siakam is averaging 24 points, 11 rebounds and 5.5 assists during Toronto’s winning streak – and no other Raptor has ever averaged those numbers over a six-game span in a single season. He had 24 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists Monday – the second time he’s reached those numbers in a game in his career. There have been only four other instances a Toronto player reached those numbers in a game in franchise history.

In 23 games since December 14, Siakam is averaging 23.3 points after averaging 18.8 points in his first 16 games, and part of the reason for that scoring boost stems from his 55.6 per cent shooting on jump shots attempted within 8 feet of the rim – fourth-highest rate in the league among those with at least 35 attempts. Prior to this stretch, he was shooting just 38.5 per cent on jump shots up to 8 feet from the hoop.

Trent, meanwhile, is shooting 56.7 per cent from the baseline – eighth in the NBA among those with at least 20 attempts – but it's the perimeter where he's suddenly gotten hot.

Since returning from a six-game absence with an injured left ankle, Trent is shooting 48 per cent from 3-point range – the best mark in the league among the 49 players with at least 50 3-point attempts since January 21. Most impressive about this stretch is he’s also attempted more 3-pointers than anyone else since January 21 with 100. So, in these last 10 contests he’s averaging 14.4 points off 3-pointers after previously averaging 8.1 points off 3-pointers while shooting 36.8 per cent from deep.

While he’s suddenly emerged as a dangerous 3-point threat, Trent has spurred Toronto’s swarming defence, which is forcing a turnover on 14.7 per cent of its opponents’ possessions – the highest rate in the NBA.

Trent's average of 1.84 steals per game is the fourth-highest rate in the league, while Anunoby ranks seventh at 1.68 per game and VanVleet is eighth at 1.66. Since steals first began being tracked in 1973-74, only one team has had at least three players finish in the top 10 in steals per game and that was the 2009-10 Golden State Warriors with Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry and Stephen Jackson.

Barnes has also made an immediate impact on the defensive end. Selected fourth overall in the 2021 draft, Barnes was projected to be a disrupter on defence and he’s excelling, ranking fourth among rookies with 1.8 defensive stops per game.

His average of 2.6 offensive rebounds per game is the best among first-year players and has fuelled Toronto’s offensive attack. The Raptors’ average of 16.2 second-chance points per game trails only the Memphis Grizzlies’ average of 18.0 for the best in the league, and they’re an NBA-best 15-3 when scoring 18 or more second-chance points in a game.

With 15 points and eight rebounds on Monday, Barnes notched his fourth straight game with at least eight boards – the first Toronto rookie to accomplish that since Jonas Valanciunas in 2012-13. No Raptor first-year player has had a longer streak of consecutive games with eight or more rebounds since Jamario Moon had six in a row in 2007-08.

Barnes has been selected to participate in the 2022 Rising Stars event during All-Star weekend, along with second-year teammate Precious Achiuwa, who is averaging 7.8 points on 52.8 per cent shooting and 5.3 rebounds during Toronto’s winning streak.

The Raptors are one victory away from notching their first seven-game winning streak since the 2019-20 season, and have a couple of favourable matchups next on their schedule with games Wednesday and Thursday against a pair of last-place teams in the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets. (The schedule over the next three weeks actually looks quite advantageous, as the Raptors’ opponent winning percentage of .417 from Wednesday-March 4 is the third lowest among all teams.)

While playing on consecutive nights would seem to present greater problems for the Raptors, given how many minutes their starters play, it hasn’t been much of an issue for Nurse’s club. Toronto is 7-3 on games on zero days’ rest – tied with the Boston Celtics for the league’s second-best mark.

Toronto, though, may have a different look when it takes the court Thursday, or Wednesday for that matter, if the front office decides to make a move before the trade deadline to bolster the lineup.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 44 points as the Milwaukee Bucks beat a lacklustre Los Angeles Lakers 131-116 to close in on Eastern Conference leaders the Miami Heat.

The defending NBA champions were 24 points ahead in the first half at the Crypto.com Arena and extended that lead to 30 points midway through the third quarter.

A strong rally from the Lakers, who had LeBron James and Anthony Davis in their line-up, made things interesting but the Bucks stood firm to win for a fourth straight game.

Antetokounmpo's game-high tally came from 17-for-20 shooting, while adding 14 rebounds and eight assists to inflict a fifth defeat in seven on LA, who fall back to three games below .500.

With his latest standout display, Antetokounmpo joins Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as only the third person with 40+ points, 10+ rebounds and five-or-more assists on 85-per-cent-plus shooting in a game.

Suns continue to shine

The NBA-leading Phoenix Suns rallied from 14 points down to overcome the Philadelphia 76ers 114-109 and record their 14th win in 15 games.

Devin Booker scored 35 points and Chris Paul added 16 points and 12 assists as the Suns improved to 44-10 for the season.

Joel Embiid led the way for the Sixers with 34 points and 12 rebounds – his fifth straight 25-point, 10-rebound game, which is the longest streak in the competition over the past two seasons.

Nets claim unwanted record

Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart helped themselves to 22 points each as the Boston Celtics made light work of the Brooklyn Nets in a 126-91 victory.

The Nets become the only side in the last 30 years to have every starter score six points or fewer with none of them getting to the line.

Elsewhere in Tuesday's action, the Los Angeles Clippers had forward Marcus Morris Sr. ejected in their 135-109 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers for a flagrant foul 2 on Ja Morant.

Morant was able to continue and ended the game with 30 points on 12 of 19 shooting from the field, making it the ninth time in 10 games the All-Star guard has reached 30 points.

Domantas Sabonis is reportedly being sent to the Sacramento Kings by the Indiana Pacers, who will acquire Tyrese Haliburton as part of a six-player trade. 

According to ESPN, the Pacers will also receive guard Buddy Hield and center Tristan Thompson in exchange for two-time All-Star Sabonis. Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2027 second-round pick will head to the Kings.

It is expected that Indiana's decision to part with Sabonis reduces the chances of Myles Turner departing before Thursday's trade deadline, given he can now play a bigger role at center.

Sabonis is averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 2021-22. Only Rudy Gobert (15.1), Nikola Jokic (13.7) and Clint Capela (12.2) average more rebounds per game than Sabonis, whose 34 double-doubles this season ranks him third in the league.

The Kings had to give up Haliburton to get the deal done, with the 12th overall pick from the 2020 draft having been expected to be a key player for the franchise for years to come.

Haliburton's 1.69 steals per game this season is the sixth best in the league, while he sits 11th for assists per game with 7.4. He is also averaging 14.3 points and 3.9 rebounds.

They have also given up Hield, who has made 3.3 three-pointers per game this season. Only Stephen Curry (4.8) and Fred VanVleet (3.9) average more.

CJ McCollum sealed a move to the Pelicans ahead of the NBA trade deadline as New Orleans and the Portland Trail Blazers announced an initial seven-player deal.

The agreement ends McCollum's long and successful stay with Portland, who acquired him with the 10th overall pick in the 2013 draft.

The 30-year-old shooting guard is averaging 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists in an average 35.2 minutes per game this season. His field-goal record (.436) and three-point shot success rate (.384) are both slightly down on his career averages (.453 and .396).

The Pelicans announced his signing in a statement that read: "The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has acquired CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr and Tony Snell in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers.

"In exchange, New Orleans has conveyed Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Josh Hart, Didi Louzada, Tomas Satoransky, a protected 2022 first round draft pick, and two future second round draft picks."

Including the ongoing campaign, McCollum has averaged at least 20 points per season for each of the last seven years with Portland.

In early December, the Trail Blazers revealed McCollum had suffered a collapsed right lung. He missed 18 games, returning for a January 17 win over the Orlando Magic.

Portland interim general manager Joe Cronin said: "On behalf of the Trail Blazers organisation, I want to thank CJ McCollum for the integral role he has played in the success of the franchise over the last nine seasons and for his countless acts of service to the Portland community.

"CJ has cemented himself in Trail Blazers history with his elite skill level and memorable moments on the court as well as with the work ethic, professionalism and generosity he displays behind the scenes."

Bradley Beal will sit out the remainder of the NBA season to undergo wrist surgery.

Washington Wizards guard Beal, who can become a free agent at the end of the season, has sat out the past four games and will not return after deciding to go under the knife to repair a torn scapholunate ligament of his left wrist. 

"Despite the last 10 days of getting intensive treatment and rehab on my wrist, it became clear that I would not be able to compete to my standards or to the level that our team and our fans deserve," said Beal. 

"I'm disappointed to have my season end this way, but we all agreed that this was the best decision. I look forward to coming back at 100 per cent and continuing to lead this team as we work together to build toward the future." 

The All-Star is eligible for a five-year $245million extension with the Wizards in the close season. He also has a $36.4m player option for next term. 

Beal had been heavily linked to a trade before Thursday's deadline, but that now appears unlikely. 

He was rumoured to be a target for Philadelphia 76ers as they continue to look to offload Ben Simmons, while the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks had also been touted as potential trade candidates. 

Beal was averaging 23.2 points, 6.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds. 

Domantas Sabonis is reportedly being sent to the Sacramento Kings by the Indiana Pacers, who will acquire Tyrese Haliburton as part of a six-player trade. 

According to ESPN, the Pacers will also receive guard Buddy Hield and center Tristan Thompson in exchange for two-time All-Star Sabonis. Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2027 second-round pick will head to the Kings. 

It is expected that Indiana's decision to part with Sabonis reduces the chances of Myles Turner departing before Thursday's trade deadline, given he can now play a bigger role at center. 

Sabonis is averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 2021-22. Only Rudy Gobert (15.1), Nikola Jokic (13.7) and Clint Capela (12.2) average more rebounds per game than Sabonis, whose 34 double-doubles this season ranks him third in the league. 

The Kings had to give up Haliburton to get the deal done, with the 12th overall pick from the 2020 draft having been expected to be a key player for the franchise for years to come. 

Haliburton's 1.69 steals per game this season is the sixth best in the league, while he sits 11th for assists per game with 7.4. He is also averaging 14.3 points and 3.9 rebounds. 

They have also given up Hield, who has made 3.3 three-pointers per game this season. Only Stephen Curry (4.8) and Fred VanVleet (3.9) average more.  

Klay Thompson reflected on reaching a "huge milestone" after bumping up his playing time to 30 minutes in the Golden State Warriors' 110-98 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Regarded as one of the best shooters in NBA history, Thompson has been slowly building up his game time since returning from consecutive ACL and Achilles injuries that left him on the shelf for two and a half years.

He drained two late three-pointers to evoke memories of his Game 6 heroics against the same opponents in 2016 when he nailed 11 three-point efforts – a playoff record.

"That's a huge milestone for myself, and hopefully I can build on it," Thompson said.

"I feel incredible. I feel like I haven't missed a beat only 12 games in."

The majority of Thompson's minutes came in the second half, playing 17.21 in the final two quarters.

Head coach Steve Kerr explained why, saying: "It was awesome just to have Klay back in crunch time. 

"Knowing the defense was going to be heavily slighted toward Steph [Curry] and for him to get free and knock down a couple of shots, it was really fun to see."

An increase to Thompson's playing time will be a welcome relief for Kerr, who is still without Draymond Green, James Wiseman and Nemanja Bjelica, while Andre Iguodala sustained lower back tightness against the Thunder having returned after nine games on the sidelines.

"Meaning we don't have to think about it [rotating]," Kerr said of the boost of Thompson's minutes. 

"Like, we don't have to pull him out. He might be going really well and we can play him a few extra minutes without having to follow really strict guidelines."

Thompson's late efforts were not necessarily in keeping with his performance overall. Prior to those shots he was one-of-six from three-point range (finishing three-of-eight by the end of the game) and was six-of-15 from the floor overall.

But superstar team-mate Steph Curry believes the Warriors will continue to see the very best of Thompson as his minutes gradually increase.

"There's just confidence knowing he still has that instinct and no matter how the game is going up to that point. He's still got the shooter's DNA of the next shot is going in," Curry said. 

"As his minutes ramp up, you'll continue to see those high peaks and Klay going nuts."

LeBron James launched a staunch defence of "brother" and Los Angeles Lakers team-mate Russell Westbrook, insisting "we're all in this together".

Point guard Westbrook has bore the brunt of criticism during a disjointed Lakers season that has left the team below the .500 mark.

Acquired from the Washington Wizards, Westbrook was brought in to play a part in a stellar cast alongside James and Anthony Davis, but things have not worked out too well in LA.

Westwood is averaging 18.4 points (tied 35th), 7.8 rebounds (tied 34th) and 7.7 assists (tied ninth) per game. The 33-year-old was benched for the entirety of overtime in the Lakers 122-115 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday having made just one of 10 field goals.

It was the fifth time in 2021-22 Westbrook made only three field goals or less from 10 attempts, while his numbers in points, rebounds, assists, steals, field-goal percentage and three-point percentages all rank lower than they did with the Wizards last season.

There has even been talk that the Lakers may try and find Westbrook a new home before Thursday's trade deadline, but James said the team's issues cannot be pinned on one player.

"At the end of the day, as his brother, we're all in this together," James told reporters after Monday's practice. 

"We're all in the foxhole together. There is not one guy who is doing it by themselves. There's not one guy you can blame over another guy.

"There's not one guy who gets the praise over another guy. When we lose, we all lose. When we win, we all win. It's really that simple."

The Lakers sit ninth in the Western Conference, three games back of the Denver Nuggets in sixth – a position that guarantees avoiding the play-in tournament for the playoffs.

Part of their issues have centred on injuries, with James and Anthony Davis having both missed significant chunks of the season.

Indeed, Westbrook has only played a combined seven games at the same time as his superstar team-mates this season.

"I haven't been part of a season like this where injuries have played such a toll, but also protocols, false protocols, positive protocols, head coach being out for multiple games," James added. 

"So, it's just challenging, a weird sort of different season for all of us. And not just [for the] Lakers, but a lot of teams in the NBA. So, it's kind of impossible to gauge, I guess, previous encounters that you've had, because it's totally different." 

Head coach Frank Vogel said he has spoken to Westbrook after his overtime decision against the Knicks.

"You still communicate afterwards and there was that today," Vogel said. 

"I've always taken pride with my teams in making sure I'm communicating with guys with whatever happens within a game.

"Obviously not every player, every game, but if a certain thing requires a reach out or just a follow-up then we'll have that."

The Lakers are back in action in a blockbuster showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

Devin Booker top scored with 38 points as the table-topping Phoenix Suns withstood the Chicago Bulls' late charge to win 127-124 on Monday.

Booker shot 14 of 23 from the field including five three-pointers with four rebounds and five assists, while veteran guard Chris Paul contributed 19 points and 11 assists.

The Suns guard reached 30 points for the third time in the past four games as Phoenix won their 13th game from their past 14.

The Bulls charged into contention with a 41-25 fourth-quarter run after the Suns had led by 27 points in the third.

DeMar DeRozan top scored for Chicago with 38 points along with five rebounds and four assists and Zach LaVine returned from injury with 32 points, with six rebounds and eight assists.

Clutch Klay leads Warriors past OKC

Klay Thompson top scored for the Golden State Warriors with 21 points including some clutch three-pointers and Stephen Curry had a near triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists in a 110-98 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points with seven rebounds, six assists and four steals as the Utah Jazz won 113-104 over the New York Knicks, while seven Miami Heat players scored double figures in a 121-100 win over the Washington Wizards.

New All-Star Ball struggles

On the same day he received his debut All-Star call, LaMelo Ball struggled as the Charlotte Hornets went down 116-101 to the Toronto Raptors. Ball shot five-of-19 from the field and one-of-six from beyond the arc for his 15 points, while he also had seven turnovers.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray will both make their NBA All-Star Game debuts after being added as injury replacements on Monday.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the pair would be added with Draymond Green (back) and Kevin Durant (knee) out injured.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum will come into the Eastern Conference's starting line-up for Durant.

Durant will still participate as the east's captain in the All-Star Draft on Thursday alongside Western Conference captain LeBron James.

Last season's NBA Rookie of the Year Ball is averaging 19.6 points, 7.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game this season.

Murray is averaging 19.6 points, 9.2 assists, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals so far in 2021-22.

The All-Star Game is due to take place on February 20 in Cleveland.

The Ben Simmons saga has stretched on for more than a year but might finally be reaching its conclusion.

Simmons was the subject of trade rumours last January when the Philadelphia 76ers pursued James Harden from the Houston Rockets.

Harden instead headed for the Brooklyn Nets, and Simmons saw out the season in Philly, only for speculation to ramp up again after a deeply dissatisfying playoff exit.

Joel Embiid and Doc Rivers appeared to blame the former first overall pick for a Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in which his reluctance to take shots in big moments came to the fore. That was in June. Simmons has not played since.

Both the player and the team have pushed for a move this season without success, but Thursday's looming trade should focus minds. The 76ers, led by MVP frontrunner Embiid, remain in title contention despite having a three-time All-Star on the sideline, yet a deal this week could significantly improve their chances.

Stats Perform looks at four potential landing spots for Simmons that might also suit his current employers...

Brooklyn Nets

Contrasting reports this week have considered the possibility of a belated Simmons-Harden trade, with the Australian sent to Brooklyn rather than Houston. The Nets move has not quite worked for Harden, who has struggled for form and fitness on a team too often missing one or more of their 'Big Three'.

The Sixers' former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey would appear to remain interested in reuniting with Harden in Philly, although whether the Nets are quite so keen on Simmons remains up for debate. Publicly, they say otherwise.

The possibility of Seth Curry also moving to Brooklyn has been raised in some reports, presumably to replace the shooting Harden offers but Simmons does not. Curry is a regular for the Sixers, but Harden would represent a clear upgrade – although he has a player option at the end of this season – while Simmons' elite defensive play would not be missed given he is not playing at all right now.

Washington Wizards

Harden appeals given Morey's desire to get an elite player back in return for Simmons. For the same reason, Bradley Beal – beaten to the scoring title by Stephen Curry last year – is an attractive option.

Beal has been less impressive this year, particularly of late, and is now out with a sprained wrist. However, a move to a contender may well motivate a player who has spent his entire career to date with the Wizards, featuring in a grand total of 11 playoff games in the past five years.

The Wizards, like the Nets, might want a second player or at least a second asset to join Simmons in the trade – moving on from Beal would surely mean a complete rebuild – so the 76ers' response as time starts to run out will be intriguing. Again, Beal has a player option for next year.

Portland Trail Blazers

For a long time, it seemed Damian Lillard was the superstar the 76ers really wanted if they were to deal Simmons. At various stages, that possibility has appeared more or less likely.

When the speculation was at its most intense back at the start of the season, Simmons was unwanted in Philly while Lillard was one of the best players in the NBA. Now, Portland are struggling horribly, Lillard has not played since December and Simmons might seem quite an attractive option for the Blazers, who look to be using the final days before the deadline to drastically alter their roster.

It would still seem unlikely Lillard would depart, rather than remaining as the centrepiece of the team for next season and beyond, and the Blazers do not quite have another asset capable of turning the 76ers into title favourites. CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic may both leave, but Morey would surely want more for Simmons.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings would have to perform a significant U-turn for Simmons to end up in Sacramento, having decided late last month they were not interested in paying the sort of price Morey was looking for. The 76ers presumably would have wanted multiple players back, with the Kings lacking a Harden, Beal or Lillard.

Of course, Simmons has not played since those talks broke down, so there is little reason to believe the Kings would suddenly consider him worth the asking price, but as one of the NBA's most forgettable teams – out of the playoffs since 2006 – they surely have to take a risk at some stage.

Whether that risk is giving up multiple useful players for an out-of-favour superstar who does not score is another matter, yet the Kings really need to be active before Thursday, so it is not beyond the realms of possibility they could re-enter the Simmons conversation.

Norman Powell ended up on the losing side in his Los Angeles Clippers debut but showed exactly what his new team can expect from him moving forward.

Powell joined the Clippers last week in a five-player trade with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Fellow two-way wing Robert Covington headed to LA with Powell, while the Blazers received Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round draft pick.

Portland look to be building for the future, and the Clippers are too – to an extent.

With Paul George and Kawhi Leonard out injured and uncertain to return this year, a 2021-22 title challenge appears to be off the cards. The Clippers are eighth in the West.

Moving forward into next season, however, with two superstars returning, both Powell and Covington should improve the team.

Powell's Clippers bow suggested as much, as he scored 28 points from the bench in Sunday's 137-113 defeat to defending champions the Milwaukee Bucks.

"Literally for all my career, I have been in every single role on the team," Powell said afterwards.

"[I have been] the guy fighting and scratching trying to get into the rotation, being in a rotation, being taken out of a rotation, playing alongside Kyle [Lowry] and DeMar [DeRozan], playing alongside Kyle and Kawhi, playing off of them [in Toronto].

"So, I think I can fit perfectly in here, with PG and Kawhi."

The 28-year-old, who signed a five-year, $90million deal last August, is scoring a career-high 18.9 points per game this year.

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said: "We never thought it was realistic for us to get a player like Norm Powell for a team that won't have salary cap space for a long, long, long time.

"It's really, really hard to get players like Norm, who are under a long-term deal, who are in their prime.

"Norm's ability as a three-level scorer – the fact that when he's playing off the ball, he's such a prolific catch-and-shoot player – really, really, complements Kawhi and PG."

Covington, who had 13 points in his debut, added: "[I am] beyond excited.

"[The trade] is going to make us dynamic – more dynamic than what we already are – and it's going to be scary defensively."

The Brooklyn Nets will not trade James Harden says head coach Steve Nash.

The 2018 MVP has been the subject of trade speculation as Thursday's deadline approaches but the Nets head coach quashed the talk.

Harden, who joined the Nets from the Houston Rockets in January last year, had turned down a three-year extension in the off-season fueling the rumours.

"Yes, that's correct," Nash told reporters before Sunday's 124-104 loss to the Denver Nuggets, when asked if the Nets do not plan to trade Harden.

He added: "I've talked to James; he wants to be here. He wants to be here long term as well, so I don't think anything's changed other than noise from the outside.

"James wants to be here, we're building with James and we think we have the best chance to win with James.

"I don't think anything's changed on the inside, in our locker room, in our communication, it's just all the noise from the [outside]."

Harden's Nets teammate Kyrie Irving, who scored 27 points with 11 assists against the Nuggets, reiterated Nash's sentiment that the 32-year-old guard was committed to Brooklyn.

"The few conversations that we've had, he's been really committed, and we just hold him to his word, but obviously when we're going out to play games we can't even really think about it," Irving said.

"We would love to have him in the lineup, at his optimum healthy version of himself, and then we'll let the rest take care of it, but who knows? Who knows what's going to happen?"

Harden was absent for the Nuggets defeat with hamstring tightness, which has forced him out of the Nets' past two games, not helping end their eight-game losing skid.

"It's day-to-day," Nash said. "It's a matter of does that strength get back to where we feel confident and he feels confident that we're not risking anything. That's what we're dealing with right now."

The Brooklyn Nets' losing skid extended to eight games as reigning MVP Nikola Jokic recorded a league-high 14th triple-double in the Denver Nuggets' 124-104 win on Sunday.

Jokic finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, including scoring 23 points in the second and third quarters when the Nuggets reversed a deficit into a 21-point lead.

Brooklyn were without James Harden for the second straight game due to hamstring tightness, with Kyrie Irving scoring 27 points with 11 assists.

The Nets, who are also playing without the injured Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge, have surpassed their longest losing streak since losing seven in a row in late 2019 and early 2020.

Brooklyn are 29-24 and have dropped down to seventh in the Eastern Conference.

Double-doubles for Bucks trio

The Milwaukee Bucks won their third straight to improve to third in the east with a 34-21 record after a 137-113 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while Jrue Holiday added 27 points and 13 assists. Bobby Portis also had a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Joel Embiid and DeMar Rozan put on scoring masterclasses but the Philadelphia 76ers got up after a fast start 119-108 over the Chicago Bulls. Embiid finished with 40 points with 10 rebounds, while DeRozan had a season-high 45 points along with nine rebounds and seven assists.

Luka Doncic had a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists despite foul trouble as the Dallas Mavericks won 103-94 over the Atlanta Hawks.

No shooting magic for Orlando

The struggling Orlando Magic managed five-of-25 from three-point range and 35.8 per cent shooting from the floor in their 116-83 loss to the Boston Celtics. The Magic are last in the east with a 12-43 record.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have made a major addition by acquiring Caris LeVert in a trade with the Indiana Pacers, according to ESPN.

The report claims that the 27-year-old guard, who has been with the Pacers since 2016, joins the Cavs with a 2022 second-round pick via Miami for Ricky Rubio's expiring contract, a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick and two second-round picks.

The Cavs have been a surprise contender in the Eastern Conference this season, with a 32-21 record, just 1.5 behind the first-placed Chicago Bulls.

LeVert adds scoring power to the Cleveland line-up, averaging 18.7 points this season, highlighted by a 42-point haul against the Chicago Bulls on Friday. He also has 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season.

Cleveland had lost Rubio to a season-ending ACL injury in December and his addition for Indiana looms as part of their roster rebuild with Domantas Sabonis linked in trade talks.

The Cavs and Pacers were due to meet on Sunday with LeVert not in Indiana's starting line-up having been informed by head coach Rick Carlisle about the trade in the late afternoon prior to the game.