RealGM Basketball Wiretap

07 January 2026

• Blazers, Pelicans, Wizards Linked With Jonathan Kuminga

  Jonathan Kuminga is drawing interest from the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Washington Wizards, sources told Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo! Sports.

  Kuminga has previously been linked with several teams, including the Bulls, Kings, Suns, and Mavs.

  Steve Kerr, who removed Kuminga from the rotation, acknowledged that the Warriors could trade the forward last month.

  The Warriors are reportedly not in active trade discussions for Anthony Davis, though are expected to pursue Michael Porter Jr.

  O'Connor adds that the Nets are not interested in adding Kuminga.

• Wizards, Hawks Discuss Trae Young Trade

  The Washington Wizards are a legitimate trade destination for Trae Young as they have held discussions with the Atlanta Hawks on a deal centered around the expiring contract of CJ McCollum, reports Marc Stein.

  "There have definitely been conversations today," said one source.

  The report from Stein came before Shams Charania reported that Young and the Hawks are working together on a trade resolution for him to exit the franchise that selected him in 2018 out of Oklahoma.

  The Wizards have been active on the trade market exploring options to send out the expiring $30.7 million contract of McCollum. The Wizards acquired McCollum from the New Orleans Pelicans in the offseason for Jordan Poole.

  It is not yet clear if the Hawks would have to send draft capital to the Wizards to take on the contract of Young, or if Washington would be acquiring him to keep long-term.

  Young is on a $46 million contract this season and has a $49 million player option fort he 2026-27 season that he is now expected to exercise given the state of his market.

• Wizards, Kings, Pacers Considered Most Likely To Have Best 2026 NBA Draft Lottery Odds

  The 2025-26 season isn't halfway over yet, but the three teams who are widely expected to finish the season with the best lottery odds are the Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers. The New Orleans Pelicans are behind the Kings in the standings, but they don't have the same incentive structure as their first round pick in 2026 was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Derik Queen.

  The Wizards are in another season of a multi-year rebuild, while the Tyrese Haliburton injury in the Finals has been followed by a number of additional injuries for the Pacers to torpedo their season. The Kings, meanwhile, have signaled they will enter a rebuild with hopes of trading some of their core players.

  The top-3 teams will each have a 14 percent probability of winning the lottery and 52.1 percent of having a top-4 pick.

  "This has been a fascinating five days at the bottom of the standings in the NBA," said Zach Lowe on his podcast on Monday. "If you had to tier the lottery right now, tier one, best chance at a top three, top four lottery seed, Washington, Indiana, Kings, Pelicans are kind of right now in a tier by themselves.

  "Of those three teams, I think Washington, Indiana, and Sacramento have no hope of exiting this tier and no real ambition to do so," continued Lowe. "I think those are the safe bets to finish with the three worst records in the NBA and be very hard to 'catch' for anybody currently above them in the standings.

  "The Pelicans, although they have lost three straight, have been pretty frisky. The numbers when they have their best players on the floor like Herb Jones plus Trey Murphy plus Zion [Williamson], they actually have a positive scoring margin. They're trying to win. They're trying to stave off the embarrassment of potentially sending a super high pick somewhere else. I could see them climbing into the next tier pretty easily if they continue to play with this effort level and stay healthy."

  The next teams above those four in the standings include the LA Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz. The Jazz have a top-8 protected pick that extinguishes if it isn't conveyed in 2026.

• Cam Whitmore Out Indefinitely With Deep Vein Thrombosis

  Cam Whitmore has been diagnosed with upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder and has been ruled out indefinitely.

  Whitmore missed the Washington Wizards' two most recent games due to shoulder soreness and further testing revealed his blood clot.

  Whitmore spent the first two seasons of his career with the Houston Rockets and was traded to the Wizards for two second round picks in the offseason due to Houston's roster crunch.

  Whitmore is averaging 9.2 points in 16.9 minutes over 21 games this season with the Wizards.

  Victor Wembanyama, Damian Lillard, Ausar Thompson and Brandon Ingram are among the players who have missed time in recent years due to blood clots.

• QIA, Arctos Partners Buying Stake In Wizards' Parent Company At $7.2 Billion Valuation

  Qatar's sovereign wealth fund QIA and Arctos Partners are purchasing passive minority stakes in Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the Washington Wizards and Capitals. The deals value Monumental at $7.2 billion, according to multiple people familiar with the transaction.

  QIA and Arctos are acquiring shares from Laurene Powell Jobs, who bought approximately 20 percent of Monumental in 2017. Powell Jobs was previously the largest shareholder outside of majority owner Ted Leonsis.

  The exact equity percentages and payment distribution remain unclear. Neither QIA nor Arctos will receive board seats or governance rights as part of the deals, according to people granted anonymity because the details are private.

  QIA previously purchased a 5 percent passive minority stake in Monumental in June 2023 at a $4.05 billion valuation. That deal marked the first time a sovereign wealth fund invested directly into a major U.S. sports team.

  The new $7.2 billion valuation represents a 78 percent increase over the 2023 deal. Sportico values the Wizards and Mystics at a combined $4.78 billion, while the Capitals are worth $2.3 billion.

  Both the NBA and NHL restrict institutional fund investment to a maximum of 30 percent per team. Individual funds can own up to 20 percent of a single franchise under league rules.

  QIA manages $557 billion in assets, making it the ninth-largest sovereign fund globally. The fund is separate from Qatar Sports Investments, which owns Paris Saint-Germain.

  Arctos Partners has completed approximately two dozen franchise deals across all five major U.S. sports leagues. The firm's portfolio includes stakes in the Golden State Warriors, Liverpool, Boston Red Sox, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

  The deals have been presented to NHL and NBA owners, according to sources. Representatives for Monumental, Arctos, and Emerson Collective declined to comment.

• Domantas Sabonis Remains Patient With Kings Amid Potential Interest From Wizards, Suns, Bulls

  The Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls have shown significant interest in acquiring Domantas Sabonis from the Sacramento Kings in the past and remain on his short list of possible suitors, according to league sources.

  However, Sabonis is prepared to remain in Sacramento for the foreseeable future. The 29-year-old center has heeded general manager Scott Perry's call for patience amid the Kings' rebuilding efforts.

  Sabonis' contract runs through the 2027-28 season with $94 million owed over the next two seasons. The magnitude of the financial commitment inevitably limits his trade market.

  League sources say Sabonis has accepted Sacramento's current direction. The center understands the franchise's long-term approach under first-year general manager Perry.

  Sabonis has been sidelined since November 19 with a partial tear of his left meniscus. He was scheduled to be re-evaluated within the next week.

  The injury adds another layer of complexity to any potential trade discussions. Teams interested in acquiring Sabonis must account for his health status and rehabilitation timeline.

  Sacramento has opened its roster for business amid a disappointing 6-19 start. The Kings sit last in the Western Conference and face questions about their veteran core.

  Perry has signaled commitment to retaining draft picks for the rebuild. That stance could keep veterans like Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk in Sacramento past the February 5 trade deadline. DeRozan is signed through 2026-27, while Monk has a player option ahead of 2027-28. Sabonis is signed through 2028.

  The general manager made a plea for organizational patience regarding his long-term vision. Perry hopes retained draft assets will play a pivotal role in building a sustainable winner. The Kings have only moved up in the lotteryfour times with the most recent being in 2022 when they selected Keegan Murray at No. 2.

• Bilal Coulibaly To Miss Multiple Weeks With Oblique Strain

  Bilal Coulibaly will miss multiple weeks after suffering a right oblique strain during Tuesday night's loss by the Washington Wizards to the Philadelphia 76ers. The third-year player, who typically guards opponents' best scorers, sustained the injury early in the third quarter and played through discomfort before exiting with 3:44 remaining in the period.

  Coulibaly has already missed eight of Washington's 20 games this season. He underwent surgery in mid-September for a torn ligament in his right thumb suffered while playing for France in EuroBasket. The 21-year-old did not make his season debut until October 30.

  Coulibaly also missed four games in early November due to a left calf contusion from being kicked. His absence has contributed to Washington's defensive struggles, as the Wizards rank 30th in the NBA in points allowed per possession.

  The team is managing several other injuries to wing players. Rookie Tre Johnson has a strained left hip flexor. Corey Kispert is sidelined with a fracture in the tip of his right thumb. Starting center Alex Sarr is set to miss his third consecutive game Thursday with a right adductor strain.

  Wizards officials declined to provide a specific timeline for Coulibaly's return. The injury occurred on the opening possession of the third quarter against Philadelphia. Washington trailed 87-67 when Coulibaly checked out.

  Coulibaly is averaging 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 27.2 minutes per game this season. His defensive effort against Giannis Antetokounmpo on Monday helped Washington upset the Milwaukee Bucks 129-126.

  Justin Champagnie, Cam Whitmore and rookie Will Riley are expected to receive additional playing time during Coulibaly's absence. The Wizards will need increased contributions from these players to compensate for the loss of their top perimeter defender.

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