Hawks' John Collins: Won't play Friday

Shocking and frankly terrifying news broke regarding Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant on Sunday afternoon. The story doesn’t quite paint the 2022 Most Improved Player or his associates in the most positive of lights either. The Athletic delivered a bombshell report that detailed the shocking incident. It occurred last month after a game between Morant’s Grizzlies Read more... The post NBA world reacts to absolutely shocking Ja Morant news appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.

Kyrie Irving is officially leaving the Brooklyn Nets to join forces with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Irving requested to be moved ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline, and his wish was granted when the Mavs dealt for him on Sunday -- a move that drew plenty of reactions from the NBA world.

The NBA trade deadline is now less than a week away, and Kyrie Irving's request to be moved out of Brooklyn has added a whole new layer of intrigue. There are plenty of other rumors outside of Irving too, as teams are starting to kick things into hyperdrive leading up to deadline day.

Ever since returning from his early-season suspension, Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving had been in the headlines for all the right reasons: impressive individual performances, another All-Star Game selection and, before Kevin Durant was injured, helping lead a 12-game winning streak that is still the longest by any team this season.

Kyrie Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. In return, the Brooklyn Nets, who will also send Markieff Morris to Dallas, get Dorian Finney-Smith, old pal Spencer Dinwiddie, Dallas' 2029 first-round pick and two future second-round picks. There's a chance, perhaps a good one, that neither team is...

The Brooklyn Nets are trading Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks, as confirmed by Bill Reiter of CBS Sports. In exchange, the Nets will receive Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, an unprotected 2029 first-round draft pick and two future second-round picks. Irving, an All-Star starter, requested a trade on Feb. 3 after talks on a possible contract extension with the Nets broke down. He will now join his fourth team in seven seasons.

Kyrie Irving didn't seem to have a robust trade market in the offseason, but with the deadline mere days away, it appears as though several teams are attempting to trade for the mercurial guard. The Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks were reported quickly as possible candidates, but on Saturday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that another team, the Los Angeles Clippers, have entered the fray.

Brown (illness) has been ruled out for Monday's matchup against the Pistons, Sean Grande of NBC Sports Boston reports. Brown was a late addition to the injury report Monday afternoon and will ultimately be sidelined versus Detroit due to an illness. In his absence, Malcolm Brogdon, Payton Pritchard and Grant Williams figure to garner increased roles, though Jayson Tatum will presumably dominate the playmaking opportunities when he's on the court.

Brown is questionable for Monday's game against the Pistons due to a non-COVID-19-related illness. Brown was a late addition to Monday's injury report, and it's not yet clear whether he'll be able to play against Detroit. He's been dominant since returning from a three-game absence in mid-January, averaging 25.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 38.9 minutes per game over his last seven appearances. If he's sidelined Monday, Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon will likely handle increased roles for Boston.

Murray totaled 41 points (15-24 FG, 7-12 3Pt, 4-4 FT), five rebounds, seven assists and one steal across 36 minutes during Saturday's 128-108 win over the Hawks. Murray got his shots off early and often Saturday, going 6-of-10 from the field in the first quarter before entering the break with 22 points to lead all players in the contest. The point guard poured in another 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the second half to finish with a game and season-high 41 points on the night. Murray also knocked down a game-high seven three-pointers in the contest - the second time in his last three games in which he's gone 7-of-12 from beyond the arc. He'll look to make it four straight games with at least 30 points when the Nuggets face off against the Timberwolves on Sunday.

Rubio has been ruled out for Monday's matchup against the Wizards due to left knee injury management, Danny Cunningham of 850 ESPN Cleveland reports. Rubio will sit out the second half of the Cavaliers' current back-to-back set to manage his surgically repaired left knee. Since making his season debut Jan. 12, the veteran point guard has appeared in 11 of 13 contests and is averaging 5.7 points, 3.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game. In his absence, Raul Neto and Cedi Osman are candidates for increased roles behind Darius Garland.

Beal (foot) will not suit up for Saturday's meeting with Brooklyn. Beal will sit the tail end of the Wizards' back-to-back set with left foot soreness after playing 32 minutes Friday. Fantasy managers should expect Beal to be a full go for Monday's game against the Cavaliers. While he's sidelined, Corey Kispert and Kendrick Nunn figure to see increased workloads.

The Dallas Mavericks made a major splash in trading for Kyrie Irving Sunday afternoon. Dallas sent Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round pick and two future second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Irving and Markieff Morris. Irving requested a trade from the Nets just a few days ago after he couldn't agree to a contract extension with the team, an issue that dated back to last summer when he was seeking a max contract extension from the Nets.

Gobert has been downgraded to questionable ahead of Sunday's game against the Nuggets due to right groin soreness. The towering big man hasn't exactly set the world on fire in his first season with the Timberwolves, but losing him before a matchup against Nikola Jokic is less than ideal. If Gobert can't go Sunday, then Naz Reid would be in line for a bigger role. Gobert is averaging just 11.4 points and 10.7 rebounds per game across his last 10 outings.

Middleton logged 24 points (9-14 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 5-5 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and one steal in 20 minutes during Saturday's 123-115 win over the Heat. The Bucks have continued their slow ramp-up process with Middleton, who has played between 15 and 20 minutes in each of his seven appearances since returning Jan. 23 following a five-week absence due to a sore right knee. Aside from some issues with turnovers (2.7 per game), Middleton has more or less looked like himself in his first seven contests back in action, averaging 14.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 three-pointers and 0.9 steals in 17.6 minutes while shooting 48 percent from the field and 95.2 percent from the free-throw line. Middleton's playing time could be restricted on some level through the All-Star break, but he's producing well enough to warrant an activation in just about every league.

Markkanen finished Friday's 115-108 loss to the Hawks with 25 points (8-19 FG, 3-11 3Pt, 6-7 FT), 10 rebounds and one assist across 37 minutes. Markkanen struggled to dial his shot in from beyond the arc, but he still managed to lead the Jazz in scoring. He also secured a double-double with his effort on the glass, marking his seventh double-double in his last nine games.

Kuzma (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's matchup against the Cavaliers. Kuzma left Saturday's game against the Nets with a left ankle sprain and will be sidelined for at least one contest due to the issue. The severity of the sprain isn't known yet, but his next chance to suit up will come Wednesday against the Hornets. Anthony Gill (COVID-19 protocols) remains sidelined, so Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert will presumably see increased minutes in Kuzma's absence, while Will Barton, who's played sparingly since the since the end of December, may get another chance in the rotation.

Beal is considered questionable for Saturday's game versus the Nets due to left foot soreness. Beal fired off a season-high 34 points Friday night against the Trail Blazers and played 32 minutes in the contest, so the team may be debating resting him on the second night of a back-to-back set. Official word on his status should arise ahead of the 6 PM ET tipoff.

Toews (illness) is not expected to play Tuesday against Anaheim, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Toews did not practice Sunday and Monday due to a non-COVID illness. He has produced 14 goals and 14 assists in 46 games this season. Chicago is slated to get Tyler Johnson (ankle) back in the fold Tuesday versus the Ducks.

McCollum had 23 points (8-16 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 5-5 FT), two rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 39 minutes during Saturday's 131-126 win over the Lakers. McCollum has taken a step back in his scoring duties since the return of Brandon Ingram, but the veteran guard continues to find ways to impact the game while also putting up solid scoring figures. Over his last 10 games, McCollum is averaging 21.4 points, 5.9 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 0.9 steals and has reached the 20-point plateau in all but two contests during that stretch.