Wizards to honor John Wall at home game on January 29
The Washington Wizards will celebrate five-time NBA All-Star John Wall on Thursday, Jan. 29, when the team hosts the Milwaukee Bucks in a game scheduled to be televised on Amazon Prime Video at 7:00 pm. The first 15,000 fans in attendance will receive a John Wall bobblehead. Selected with the first overall pick in the … Continue reading “Wizards to honor John Wall at home game on January 29”
Fact or Fiction: Jaylen Brown is the NBA's best two-way player
Each week during the 2025-26 NBA season, we will take a deeper dive into some of the league’s biggest storylines in an attempt to determine whether trends are based more in fact or fiction moving forward.
Last time: Nikola Jokić’s Denver Nuggets will be just fine
As the Los Angeles Clippers increased their winning streak to six games, Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown texted his head coach, Joe Mazzulla, asking for a heady defensive assignment: Kawhi Leonard.
Brown proceeded to drop 50 points on the Clippers, helping hold Leonard to less than half as many on 35% shooting in a 146-115 Celtics victory. The win vaulted both Brown and Boston into conversations about the MVP and championship races, respectively, that nobody had really considered to that point.
But you can count on one hand the NBA players who have had a greater impact than Brown this season.
There is Nikola Jokić, who could miss the entirety of January with a left knee hyperextension. There is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s reigning regular-season and Finals MVP, who is helming the sport’s best team once again. And we can have a decent argument about pretty much everyone else after that.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been tremendous when healthy for the Milwaukee Bucks, though he has missed 14 games. Same for Victor Wembanyama, who has started 15 of the San Antonio Spurs’ 36 games. There are Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Brunson, among others, too.
Which brings us to the conversation at hand. No, we are not here to discuss the MVP race, even if any five of the aforementioned players would make a convincing ballot. We are here because Jaylen Brown declared himself the best two-way player in the game, first on X, before restating it for us all to hear.
Best 2 way player in the game
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) December 31, 2025
“I feel like I’m the best two-way player in the game,” he said after ending the Clippers’ streak.
That is … a statement, for sure. Brown is here to talk his s***, as he should. Many mocked Brown for being, at one recent point, the NBA’s highest-paid player. Since he signed a five-year, $285.4 million extension, Brown has won a championship, capturing both Eastern Conference finals and NBA Finals MVP honors, and played his way into a very serious conversation for his first All-NBA First Team appearance.
Many also wrote off the Celtics when Jayson Tatum went down with his Achilles injury, figuring them for a play-in tournament bid, if not a spot in the lottery. Well, as it turns out, they are 23-13, third in the Eastern Conference, owners of the NBA’s best record since Nov. 12. And Jaylen Brown is the biggest reason. He has been as incredible on the court, averaging a 30-6-5, as he has been off of it, shepherding an entirely reshaped team that, sans Tatum, is giving heavy minutes to a young, untested wing rotation.
Where were we? Ah, yes: Is Jaylen Brown the best two-way player in the game?
Depends on your definition of “two-way player,” I guess. Everyone plays two ways, of course, and some are better than others on either end of the court. It is the totality of a player that matters, and Jokić is the game’s best player. He may be better on the offensive end, where he is one of the greatest of all time, but he is no slouch defensively, either. He knows where to be, protects the rim and rebounds more often than anyone in the league. That Denver owns the 21st-rated defense is a strike against him.
This may just be a tactic to remove Jokić from the conversation, since he is so brilliant offensively, which, if that is the case, all due respect to Brown. He manufactured a meaningless debate out of thin air, solely for argument’s sake, and that is sports. This is why we are here, after all — to make a case for the inane.
I think what Brown is getting at: I’m the most balanced player in the game. He is playing offense at an All-NBA First Team level, ranking fifth in the league in scoring, and he is capable of playing on an All-Defensive First Team plane as well, as we saw in the 2024 NBA Finals opposite Dončić or more recently vs. Leonard.
[Get more Celtics news: Boston team feed]
But let us not pretend like Brown is texting his coach before every game, singling out the toughest opponent. Jordan Walsh and Huge González also draw those defensive assignments. Still, Brown is the best defensive player, when he needs to be, on the NBA’s 15th-rated outfit. That counts for something.
Does it count as much as SGA being a key cog for the league’s best defense — by far? He is not the Oklahoma City Thunder’s best defender. That moniker goes to Lu Dort or Alex Caruso or Cason Wallace or Jalen Williams or one of their bigs. They are stacked in that regard, which is why their defensive rating is five points per 100 possessions better than any other team in the league. And SGA is a big part of that.
SGA rarely draws the top defensive assignment, but he often ranks among the league’s leaders in steals. He can and does defend across multiple positions for the NBA’s top outfit, and he can’t be picked upon.
Why, then, wouldn’t he be the leader in this conversation about the league’s best two-way player? Maybe Brown thinks he is a better 1-on-1 perimeter defender than Gilgeous-Alexander, and he may be right. But there are better defenders than Brown, too. May I present to you Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo?
Each of them adds a layer of rim protection that Brown cannot match, even if you could make the argument that he is a better on-ball defender than either of them. Like, would you rather have Dončić matched up against Wemby, Giannis or Brown at the arc? I don’t know, but I know who Brown would say, and we have seen it work to a championship degree. Who are we to argue with Brown on that angle?
Still, Wembanyama is the game’s best defensive player who is also averaging 24.2 points on 52/36/83 shooting splits.
Likewise, Antetokounmpo is a relentless menace on both ends.
Could we make the case that Brown is more skilled offensively than Wembanyama or Antetokounmpo? Sure. But that is getting back to Brown’s very narrow definition of the game’s best two-way player — as its most balanced player. Brown’s offense and defense might be most equally rated at the highest level.
But if we’re talking the game’s best two-way player, if it is not Jokić, it is SGA, and if it is not SGA, it is Antetokounmpo or Wembanyama, and if it is not them, then maybe it is Brown. Or Anthony Edwards.
But this is getting ridiculous. It is a fun topic to debate, though. Thanks, Jaylen, for this week’s topic.
Although, now we’re getting a little out of hand …
Pound for pound I’m the greatest #FCHWPOhttps://t.co/nkGDS9pJEy
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) January 7, 2026
Talk your s***, though. You’ve earned your entry into the conversation.
Determination: Fiction. Jaylen Brown is not the game’s best two-way player. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is, until someone knocks him off the throne. We will get two battles of the game’s last two Finals MVPs twice in a two-week span in March. Buckle up, too, for Jayson Tatum may be coming for both of them by then.
LeBron ruled out vs. Spurs with multiple injuries
Lakers star LeBron James did not play against the Spurs on Wednesday — the second game of a back-to-back — with the team citing multiple injuries.
NBA schedule updates for games of January 16 and 30, 2026
Please be advised of the following update to the 2025-26 NBA Schedule: Friday, January 16, 2026: The Cleveland at Philadelphia game will now be televised by ESPN. The Chicago at Brooklyn game will no longer be televised by ESPN and change game time to 7:30 PM. Friday, January 30, 2026: The Detroit at Golden State … Continue reading “NBA schedule updates for games of January 16 and 30, 2026”
Trae Young gets traded, Nuggets silver linings, rolling Pistons, Deni’s rise + the future of Giannis
Kevin O’Connor and Tom Haberstroh react to the Hawks trading Trae Young to the Wizards. They ask whether Young will fit well in Washington and how the trade will impact Atlanta. Plus, should the Hawks now consider trading for Anthony Davis?
Then, the duo breaks down why the Pistons are dominating in the East, whether Giannis will remain with the Bucks and how the Nuggets are continuing their dominance despite Nikola Jokic’s absence. Later, KOC answers your burning mailbag questions.
(0:20) Trae Young traded to Wizards
(26:46) Deni Avdija shines for Trail Blazers
(34:48) Giannis won’t ask Bucks for a trade
(43:00) Denver surviving without Jokic
(48:52) Pistons continue to lead East
(54:59) Charlotte Hornets lose to Raptors, but it’s still fun
(1:01:38) Can Celtics contend if Tatum returns?
🖥️ Watch this full episode on the Yahoo Sports NBA YouTube channel
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Louisville reveals Donovan Mitchell-designed ‘Spida’ uniforms
The Donovan Mitchell-designed uniforms features nods to his “Spida” nickname.
LeBron says it’s on him to bend game around Luka
Amid his recent scoring surge, Lakers star LeBron James reiterated Tuesday night that teammate Luka Doncic doesn’t “need to bend his game [for me],” adding, “It’s up to us to bend our game around him.”
Wemby has 30 in return, sits out crunch time loss
Victor Wembanyama had 30 points off the bench in his return to the court Tuesday, but his minutes restriction had him sitting on the bench for the last 3:46 of a one-point loss to the Grizzlies.
Four trade proposals for Trae Young: What could Atlanta get for the star guard?
Young could become trade season’s first domino. Let’s help Atlanta find the best move for its star guard.
Trae Young Trade Rumors: Destinations, packages, ideas including blockbuster deal to Wizards
After more than seven seasons together, Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks are ready to go their separate ways. It’s mutual, with Young’s agents working for the Hawks to find the best trade partner and new home for the three-time All-Star.
The challenge is actually finding a trade that works.
There is not much of a market for Young, league sources have told NBC Sports. On the surface, one would think a lot of teams would be interested in a 27-year-old in his prime who averages 25.2 points and 9.8 assists a game for his career. They are not. Part of the hesitation is that the league is deep with good point guards, and not many teams are looking for one (for example, Young used to be linked to the Spurs, but they now have De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper). For the teams that need someone at the point, the challenges are Young’s well-chronicled defensive shortcomings, his ball-dominant style and how that impacts team chemistry, and how those two items combine to put a ceiling on how good a team can be with Young. Add in the fact he makes a lot of money — $45.9 million this season, a $48.9 million player option for next season, and he is eligible for and wants a contract extension — and teams looking at tax aprons are hesitant. At best.
Which teams are interested? Who should be? Here are three teams to watch.
Washington is the clear frontrunner for a Young trade, with NBA insider Marc Stein first reporting their interest. The Wizards have a promising young core: Second-year center Alex Sarr is a defensive force who can shoot 3s and is the kind of big a lot of teams are trying to find; plus there is scoring on the wings with Tre Johnson and Kyshawn George, and the two-way potential of Bilal Coulibaly. Add Young to this group and suddenly the long-moribund Wizards — who have made the playoffs once in the last seven years and that will become eight this season — have an entertaining team with potential.
There are legitimate concerns that a trade could short-circuit the player development underway in Washington, but if owner Ted Leonsis just wants to get back into the postseason quickly, this is a path to it.
The Trade: Washington receives Trae Young; Atlanta receives C.J. McCollum, Corey Kispert and some picks.
McCollum is in this deal to make the money work, he has an expiring $30.6 million contract. That said, he is averaging 18.6 points per game this season, is a veteran leader, and could be a boost for the remainder of the season in Atlanta.
Kispert is a rock-solid rotation wing shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc this season — which is why the Hawks won’t want to give him up and instead will push for something like the combination of Malaki Branham and AJ Johnson in the deal. That could be a sticking point.
The draft picks get interesting — there are front offices around the league that feel Atlanta should have to send picks out with Young to get a team to take on that contract. The Hawks do not see it that way. Washington should not give up its own pick this year or anything of real value, but it does control Oklahoma City’s 2026 pick (technically, they get the worst of the Thunder, Rockets and Clippers, which will be OKC). That will very likely be the 30th pick, so the Wizards can throw it in and the Hawks can say they got a first-round pick. That’s the most valuable pick the Wizards should give up, other than just a second-rounder or two.
And we’re already into trades that I don’t like and/or don’t make much sense.
The argument for Minnesota to trade for Young is that they need shooting and a point guard, since Father Time quickly caught up with Mike Conley. The idea is that the team needs a boost if it is going to take a step forward from making the Western Conference Finals (as it has done the past two seasons), and Young could be that boost. Anthony Edwards, next to Young, has the potential to be explosive offensively, and with Rudy Gobert in the paint, they can cover up Young’s defensive shortcomings.
The problem is how much money Young makes and how much Minnesota has to give up in any trade.
The Trade: Minnesota receives Trae Young; Atlanta receives Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, Mike Conley and a player on a minimum contract.
What has made Minnesota so dangerous the past few years is its depth and versatility, and this four-for-one trade sacrifices it. Minnesota is a good 23-13 this season, and while that is still sixth in the West the Timberwolves are a game out of the top four and hosting a round in the playoffs, and 2.5 games out of being the No. 2 seed. This is not a team in need of a dramatic shakeup of roster and style, and that’s what Young brings to the table.
While this trade can be manipulated to bring in a third team and maybe send out Julius Randle instead, the issue comes back to the reality that it’s hard to see how any of these trades would make Minnesota better. This is not a deal they should be involved in.
Milwaukee is buying, not selling, heading into the trade deadline — it wants to enhance a team that believes it can still be a threat in a wide-open East and in doing so impress Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks need more talent — more shot creation and shooting around Antetokounmpo — and Young is the biggest name on the board. Sure, the Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard pairing didn’t work, but the Bucks can try to convince themselves that this would be different, no matter how much they have to give up.
For Atlanta, they could get help along the front line and maybe a future first-round pick… is that enough?
The Trade: Milwaukee receives Trae Young; Atlanta receives Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, another player (Gary Harris?), Milwaukee’s 2031 first-round pick.
That pick becomes a big inflection point: would the Bucks give it up? I’m not sure why Atlanta would want to do this deal and take on the added years of Portis and Kuzma unless that pick was in the mix. If I’m the Bucks is Young really enough to give up the one first-round pick I can still trade?
Portis would help the front line in Atlanta and Kuzma can fit in the rotation. For Milwaukee, already a very thin team, this would hurt its depth even more. Can Young alone fix the issue of the non-Antetokounmpo minutes?
This feels more like a trade born of desperation and is not a great deal for either side, but are both teams desperate enough to do it anyway?
Here are quick thoughts on other teams that come up in rumors:
• LA Clippers: The idea is that Young would help the team in the non-James Harden minutes, except that Kawhi Leonard is healthy and doing that much better than Young would already. Plus, the Clippers are focused on a 2027 pivot and wouldn’t want to extend Young.
• Toronto Raptors: Is Young really a fit with a team that is winning thanks to its defense and depth? The trade likely would require RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley plus a first-round pick or two going to Atlanta, and it’s hard to see why Toronto thinks this makes them better (taking the ball out of Brandon Ingram’s hands).
• Sacramento Kings: Let’s put aside the fact that this trade does not make much sense for either side (when has that stopped Sacramento in the past), instead focusing on the fact that Sam Amick at The Athletic has already reported the Kings have zero interest in such a trade. That’s smart by the Kings.
• Dallas Mavericks: Multiple reports out of Dallas say there is no interest in the team trading for Young. There will be no swap of problems with Anthony Davis.