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Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler left their matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder early on Tuesday night due to an apparent knee injury.

Butler left the game briefly midway through he second quarter after tripping slightly and losing his shoe on the baseline. As the play went the other way, Butler slowly got his shoe back on and started limping off the floor. He went back to the locker room during the next timeout, but returned to the game a few minutes later.

Butler came up limping again in the final stretch of the first half, however, and went back to the locker room early. He stayed there for good, and did not start in the third quarter. The Warriors then ruled him out with a sore left knee before the start of the fourth quarter.

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Further specifics are not yet known.

Butler had six points and three rebounds in 15 minutes on Tuesday night. He shot 2-of-7 from the field. The 36-year-old entered the contest averaging 20.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game this season while shooting nearly 53% from the field.

The Warriors entered Tuesdayâ€s game having lost four of their last six, which dropped them to 11-10 on the season. The Thunder, meanwhile, have lost just once this season and looked extremely dominant yet again. They limited Golden State to just 18 points in the second quarter and carried a 19-point lead into halftime.

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This post will be updated with more information shortly.

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  Zach KramDec 2, 2025, 05:30 AM ET

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  Zach Kram is a national NBA writer for ESPN.com, specializing in short- and long-term trends across the league’s analytics landscape. He previously worked at The Ringer covering the NBA and MLB. You can follow Zach on X via @zachkram.

Even as the format for the NBA All-Star Game continues to change, being named an All-Star is a point of pride for players, a validation for their fans and a historical marker of legacy.

The initial selection process for the new USA vs. the World format this season will work almost the same as it has in the past, just with the tweak of being positionless. Then, if the class of 24 All-Stars doesn’t split perfectly into 16 American and eight international players — from a combination of fans, media and players voting for the starters and coaches picking the reserves — commissioner Adam Silver will add extra players to the roster to meet those minimums. For instance, if the All-Star rosters include 15 Americans and nine international players, Silver would add one more American to the group.

Now that the season is about halfway to the selection of those All-Stars — the game is Sunday, Feb. 15 — it’s time to take a survey of the field of candidates. As some stars have started to separate themselves from the pack, let’s examine who’s almost definitely in, who’s on the bubble and who’s in danger of missing out on an All-Star appearance — unless they turn their season around quickly.

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Eastern Conference | Western Conference
Nationality breakdown | Slow starts

Eastern Conference

Near-locks

Seven of these 12 All-Star spots are near-locks, meaning only a lengthy injury absence or severe slump could knock these players off the roster.

Antetokounmpo, Brunson and Mitchell are easy choices, as All-Star mainstays turning in typically stellar seasons. Maxey leads the conference in scoring (32.3 points per game) after another individual leap. And Brown, who’s made three consecutive All-Star teams, has boosted his scoring to a career-high 28.4 points per game with Boston teammate Jayson Tatum out. Despite taking on a much higher offensive volume this season — Brown’s 36% usage rate ranks third in the NBA, behind Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic — his efficiency has actually increased.

The final two near-locks are the leaders of the team with the conference’s best record. Cunningham has essentially identical numbers to his All-Star campaign last season. And while the rosters are now positionless, it’s worth noting that Duren, who ranks sixth in the NBA in player efficiency rating, has been the best center in the East this season. Duren’s two-way play is a big reason for the Pistons’ presence atop the Eastern Conference standings, so he’s a worthy second All-Star for Detroit.

The Detroit Pistons, led by Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, are atop the Eastern standings. AP Photo/Ryan Sun

On the bubble

The cases for the best All-Star candidates in this group can be summarized in a single sentence. For instance, Barnes has been the best all-around player on the conference’s third-best team, and Ingram is their leading scorer. Giddey’s nearly averaging a triple-double, with 20.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game. Johnson has exploded in both the box score (22.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.6 steals) and advanced stats (63% true shooting, up from 57% last year).

But the players in this tier aren’t locks yet, either because they haven’t sustained this level of production before or because they must answer one key question between now and February.

Consider both Heat players who appear in this group. Powell was a fringe All-Star candidate last season, as he surged with the Clippers, and he’s been even better in Miami, averaging a career-high 24.7 PPG and making 44.4% of his 3-pointers. As long as Powell can remain this productive now with Tyler Herro’s return to the Heat lineup, he’ll be a deserving first-time All-Star in his age-32 season.

Adebayo defines the All-Star bubble, having made three teams and missed three teams over the last six seasons despite having similar statistics every year. His 2025-26 performance is more of the same: His statistics are a bit shy of typical All-Stars, but his elite defense can make up for any offensive weakness.

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Mobley occupies a similar space to Adebayo this season, as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is putting up decent counting stats but has seen his efficiency plummet. Finally, Wagner has been steady and productive for the Magic; he would likely have been an All-Star if he hadn’t suffered an injury last December, and he’s right back on that pace in 2025-26.

Other players like the Knicks’ Mikal Bridges, the Indiana Pacers’ Pascal Siakam and the Charlotte Hornets’ rookie Kon Knueppel could make a run as the first half continues, but this bullet-pointed list represents the top options for now. Knueppel is a fun sleeper All-Star candidate, due to his 18.4 PPG and 41.3% 3-point shooting on high volume, but he would be just the third rookie in the 21st century to make an All-Star team. (The other two were No. 1 picks Yao Ming and Blake Griffin, the latter of whom had a “redshirt” year in the NBA before playing his rookie season.)

If I had to pick the 12 East All-Stars today, the group would include the seven near-locks plus Adebayo, Barnes, Giddey, Johnson and Powell, with Adebayo as the last man in and Wagner as the hardest cut.

Western Conference

Near-locks

Durant (15 All-Star nods in a row when healthy), Curry (11), Jokic (seven), Gilgeous-Alexander (three) and Edwards (three) are perennial All-Stars enjoying excellent individual seasons, so they can already be inked onto the 2026 All-Star list.

Doncic missed out last season, but he was an All-Star five years in a row before that. Given that the popular Lakers point guard leads the NBA in scoring this season, he’s lock number six.

Next up is Wembanyama, a 2025 All-Star who should gain easy entry again, as long as he returns from his calf injury in enough time to reach a minimal games threshold. (Hopefully, he won’t be disqualified from the skills competition again this season.) And Sengun has been the best player on the Rockets, who have the league’s second-best net rating. His averages of 22.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists more than warrant inclusion on his second All-Star roster.

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On the bubble

The next tier of West All-Star candidates splits into two groups with one thing in common: They’re all posting ludicrous numbers. How do you say no to any of these players?

The first group is single stars on teams that are unlikely to contend for a Finals berth. Avdija leads the league in drives — Gilgeous-Alexander led the league for the last five seasons but ranks second to Avdija right now — and is averaging 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists on strong efficiency. Booker is in a recent slump and left Monday’s game early with a groin injury, but is still posting 25.7 points and 6.9 assists for the most surprising winner in the West. Harden is scoring at his best rate since he was a Rocket (27.7 PPG) and ranks fifth in the league in assists (8.4 per game). And among Western Conference players, Markkanen ranks sixth at 28 PPG.

The second group is secondary stars on winning teams. Murray, long heralded as the best active player never to make an All-Star team, has finally started a season hot, averaging career highs in both points (24.0) and assists (6.6). Holmgren is the betting favorite for Defensive Player of the Year because of Wembanyama’s injury, and he’s made a quiet offensive leap, boosting his true shooting to an elite 65%. Randle is scoring 23.0 PPG and operating with career-best efficiency. And Reaves’ 28.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game signify his immense breakout in Los Angeles.

It’s unfortunately probable that injuries will cull this list between now and February. The first draft of this section included Aaron Gordon, but his All-Star chances evaporated with a hamstring injury that will keep him out at least a month.

For now, however, the lesson of this exercise is that the West has too many qualified players for too few All-Star spots. There’s a decent possibility, for example, that Murray still won’t make an All-Star team, despite his impressive start, because the competition around him has also gone up a level.

If I had to pick the 12 West All-Stars today, they would be the eight near-locks plus Avdija, Booker, Holmgren and Reaves, with Holmgren getting the last spot over Harden. While I don’t typically weigh team performance heavily when thinking about All-Star votes, the Thunder’s historically great 20-1 start suggests they’re much more deserving of a second All-Star than the 5-16 Clippers are of a single representative, even though Harden has superior individual stats and they’re hosting this year’s festivities.

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Reaves, Doncic combine for 73 as Lakers top Mavs

Austin Reaves unleashes 38 points while Luka Doncic adds 35 in the Lakers’ 129-119 win over the Mavericks.

Nationality breakdown

Looking at the list of candidates, it shouldn’t be difficult to select eight international players to team up to take on the Americans. Six of the near-locks would play for the international team: Antetokounmpo (Greece), Doncic (Slovenia), Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Jokic (Serbia), Sengun (Turkey) and Wembanyama (France). And between Giddey (Australia), Wagner (Germany), Avdija (Israel), Markkanen (Finland) and Murray (Canada), odds are that at least two more international representatives will grab a spot.

If anything, it seems more likely that more than eight international players will be named All-Stars this year, which would require Silver to add extra Americans to ensure at least 16 players are available for the two United States teams at the All-Star festivities.

Examining the list of international players, moreover, underscores that the international team should be heavy favorites to win at the Intuit Dome in February. The no-doubt top four players in the NBA, who are all off to historically great starts this season, are foreign-born, and Wembanyama might be the fifth-best player in the league. If those players take the All-Star event seriously, they should easily handle a pair of American squads whose strength is diluted by splitting the best domestic players across two teams.

Slow starters

A number of NBA stars haven’t appeared in this piece yet, because their level of play in the first six weeks of the 2025-26 season doesn’t warrant serious All-Star consideration. They’ll need both health and a sustained hot streak to re-enter the conversation before the actual selection process in a couple of months.

One such player is Karl-Anthony Towns, who has struggled to find his footing in new Knicks coach Mike Brown’s offense. Towns is a five-time All-Star, but he’s shown considerable game-to-game inconsistency this season, and his 33% mark from 3-point range is the worst of his career.

Far more candidates don’t profile as either near-locks or on the current bubble because of a combination of injury and underperformance. In no particular order, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Jalen Williams, Paolo Banchero, Kawhi Leonard, Jaren Jackson Jr., Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, LaMelo Ball, Trae Young, Ja Morant, Darius Garland and Tyler Herro are all recent All-Stars who aren’t really in contention now.

The most interesting All-Star case might belong to James, who entered this season with 21 consecutive All-Star selections. James missed the Lakers’ first 14 games with sciatica, however, and he’s a distant third on his own team in points since he returned. He has his work cut out for him to qualify for his 22nd All-Star team on the merits. But the last time James wasn’t an All-Star was his rookie season, 2003-04; for reference, the East’s leading scorers in that year’s All-Star Game were Jamaal Magloire, Kenyon Martin and Jermaine O’Neal.

Finally, now that future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul has officially announced his retirement, one wonders if the new format will leave room for Paul to receive an honorary All-Star designation in his final season, as happened for Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade in 2018-19. Paul is a 12-time All-Star, and according to Basketball Reference, he has the career record with 128 assists in All-Star games, one ahead of Magic Johnson’s 127.

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Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker left Phoenix’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers early on Monday night due to a groin injury.

Booker opened the game normally Monday, and dropped 11 points in the opening quarter to help the Suns out of the gate at Crypto.com Arena. But Booker suddenly checked out of the contest with just more than two minutes left in the period, and he never returned.

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Itâ€s unclear when Booker actually injured himself, but the Suns quickly ruled him out with a right groin injury. Further specifics are not known. Head coach Jordon Ott said after the game that he didn’t have any details, but hoped to know more on Tuesday.

Booker had three assists and two rebounds to go with his 11 points when he left the game. He entered the night averaging 25.7 points, 6.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per contest this season, his 11th in the league.

And, while itâ€s surely coincidental, this is now the third December in the past four years in which Booker has gone down with a groin injury. He missed 20 games in December 2022, and then five last season due to groin injuries.

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Despite losing Booker, the Suns had no issue rolling to a blowout 125-108 win in L.A. Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 33 points, and Collin Gillespie added 28 points on eight 3-pointers for Phoenix (13-9). It ended the second quarter on a 19-4 run, and then led the entire way in the second half to secure the win.

Luka DonÄić led the Lakers (15-5) with 38 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Austin Reaves added 16 points. LeBron James, in just his fifth game back this season after missing the start due to a sciatica injury, had 11 points and shot 3-of-10 from the field. His record double-digit point streak was in jeopardy in the fourth quarter, but he quickly scored the final four points he needed before checking out of the game for good.

The Suns will take on the Houston Rockets next on Friday.

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ST. LOUIS — Mason McTavish and Pavel Mintyukov each scored first period goals to help the Anaheim Ducks beat the St. Louis Blues 4-1 Monday night.

Leo Carlsson also scored, Chris Kreider added an empty-net goal and Ville Husso made 22 saves for Anaheim who successfully killed six St. Louis power plays.

Jordan Kyrou scored for St. Louis, and Joel Hofer made 19 saves in relief of Jordan Binnington.

Carlsson scored his 14th goal of the season 5:58 into the third period to put the Ducks ahead 3-1. It was his third goal in his last four games.

Binnington allowed two goals on five shots before being pulled after Mintyukov scored his second goal of the season with 9:36 remaining in the first period to give Anaheim a 2-1 lead.

Kyrou scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season just 20 seconds after McTavish scored his sixth goal of the season to put Anaheim on the board 6:33 into the first period.

Beckett Sennecke assisted on McTavishâ€s goal to give him points in eight straight games to match Paul Kariya for the longest points streak by a Ducks rookie.

St. Louis was playing without forwards Jimmy Snuggerud, who will miss at least six weeks after being placed on injured reserve with a left wrist injury that will require surgery, and Alexey Toropchenko who is week to week after sustaining scalding burns on his legs in an accident at home.

The Blues recalled rookie forward Aleksanteri Kaskimaki from the clubâ€s AHL affiliate in Springfield, but he did not arrive in time for the game due to travel delays forcing Blues coach Jim Montgomery to dress seven defensemen and 11 forwards.

Ducks: Host Utah Wednesday night to open a three-game homestand

Blues: At Boston Thursday to open a three-game road trip.

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving this past week. This was a great week of wrestling, and I think we are really in store for some special wrestling matches coming up over the next month with the Continental Classic. This is probably the most loaded this tournament has ever been talent wise and they already came out of the gate hot with the first week of matches. After a week of over the top violent matches with Blood and Guts and the Full Gear PPV it was a nice palate cleanser to have some straight up wrestling matches this week on Dynamite and Collision.

Pac vs. “Speedball†Mike Bailey – Collision 11/27/25

One of the reasons I enjoy the Continental Classic so much is because you get matchups that you would have never really thought about before. Example #1 is this Pac vs. Speedball match. I thought these two had great chemistry together and it was my favorite opening round match of the tournament so far. I also think this was one of Speedballâ€s best singles matches. It is right up there with his match with Okada for me. Pac has become a bright spot on any show he is on currently. Heâ€s either cutting a great promo or putting on one of the best matches on any show heâ€s on.

Pac launched Bailey with that avalanche belly to belly mid-way through the match. I could not believe the height Bailey got on that thing. I also loved the spot where they were just booting each other in the face in the center of the ring. Iâ€m usually not a fan of the “ let’s keep hitting each other with the same move back and forth†spot , but I thought it really worked here. I also loved them staring at each other from across the ring while they were both standing on the outside. Then them running into each other with the boots to the face on the outside was a great spot too.

I also thought Speedball had some great kicks in this match. Speedball catching Pac with the heel kick to block the lariat by Pac looked awesome and the double revolution kick to Pac in the corner of the ring also looked great. I really liked Pac using the brutalizer after hitting the lariat to win the match too. I thought it was a great tone setter for how heâ€s approaching the tournament. He could have won the match after just hitting his running lariat, but he added that little extra by locking in the brutalizer.

Kazuchika Okada (AEW Unified Champion) vs. Kyle Fletcher – Dynamite 11/26/25

I needed a Tylenol after hearing Excalibur explain what would happen to Okadaâ€s title in this tournament. I had to rewind the show to hear him explain the scenarios again. Now, I fully understand that may totally be a “me†problem, but something tells me I am probably not the only one that was confused by it.

Regardless of all that though, I really enjoyed this match. I mean the only way these two would have a bad match together would be if they did it on purpose. Luckily for us they didnâ€t do that. I loved the beginning of this match where they shook hands, but then they both went to kick each other and caught each otherâ€s boot. Okada has the best drop kick Iâ€ve ever seen and every time he hits it; Iâ€m amazed at how perfect it is. Fletcher also hit his Michinoku Driver, and it is easily my favorite move he does in every match.

The height and intensity he hits it with is so good. Fletcher also launched Okada into the turnbuckle like a dart in this match and Okadaâ€s head snapped back so hard on it. I also really liked the counter by Fletcher when he was going to get hit by the rainmaker and countered it into a pin. The near-fall on that pin got me. I thought it would have been a good way to end the match and protect Okada at the same time.

Don Callis had a great line on commentary in this one too. He said, “ we are watching a couple of one percenters hereâ€. I thought that was such a great way to sum up this match. Just two guys who were born to be in that ring. Just the top of the food chain in terms of in ring talent.

I was happy they gave the win to Fletcher here. I think he needed it after that loss to Mark Briscoe at Full Gear. I think it was a mistake to take the TNT title off Fletcher, but Iâ€m happy they gave him the opening round win here. I also like that Okada will be playing from behind in the tournament now. It adds another layer of interest to see how he will battle back to earn the points he needs to keep his title.

Darby Allin vs. Kevin Knight – Dynamite 11/26/25

I try to watch Dynamite when it is on live as much as possible. I like to be able to have on the spot thoughts and opinions of what Iâ€m watching. I donâ€t like watching it the next day or a couple days later because not only do things get spoiled, but also because I will go into a show with a preconceived notion of what Iâ€m going to watch because Iâ€ve heard other opinions of the show from wrestling articles or podcasts.

This match is a prime example of that. I thought this was a good match, don’t get me wrong, but I thought I was going to be blown away by this match the way it was being talked about. Kevin Knight looked good, and it was his best showing as a singles competitor, but my god people were talking about him like he was the next breakout star of AEW. Sorry to be “that guy†but how many times have we done this song and dance with wrestlers in AEW?

A guy has a great match, pulls an upset and then suddenly heâ€s the next big thing possibly. Listen, it would be cool to see Kevin Knight play the underdog role in this tournament and go on a run. Have some great matches, pull another upset or two and possibly be the talk of the tournament. I just find it hard to believe it happens with how loaded this tournament is. Iâ€ll be the first to put my hand up and say, “Iâ€m wrongâ€, but I donâ€t think Iâ€m going to be.

Letâ€s talk about the match now after I just threw cold water on the whole thing shall we. That coast to coast Kevin Knight hit was a thing of beauty. I love how he waited until the last possible second to extend his legs into Darby. He got as much momentum in the air as he possibly could and kicked the hell out of Darby. His moonsault off the barricade early in the match was a cool spot too. Darby caught his leg off the rope awkwardly early in the match and whenever a wrestler hits their leg like that on the rope, I just pray they donâ€t tear an ACL.

It’s how Charlotte Flair tore her acl and itâ€s just such a dangerous way to hit the ropes. He was definitely alright though because later in the match he smoked Knight with a drop kick off the ramp to the outside and really knocked the hell out of Knight with it. I thought the flying lariat over the top rope by Kevin Knight was also a great spot. They got the perfect camera angle on it, and it looked like Knight was flying. Darby can take the loss here and I imagine they tell the story of how Darbyâ€s injuries and recklessness in the ring is starting to catch up to him.

Random Notes

– Samoa Joe has just been off on the mic in this Hangman storyline. Heâ€s too good to be doing this typical heel promo stuff heâ€s doing. Thatâ€s lazy and heâ€s not lazy.

– If Hook is going to be the “lynchpin,†to quote Samoa Joe, as to why he was able to pull one over on Hangman, then Iâ€m going to need Hook to change his appearance. I think Hook should have come out in a suit this week and should have changed his hair. He was dressed like a kid. I canâ€t take that seriously. There is a reason Dom Mysterio changed up his look. He looked like a kid too. This is a storyline with some real bad asses: Swerve, Hangman, Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, Shibata. The “lynchpin†cannot be a guy who comes out to music that you hear in an Italian restaurant and looks like heâ€s about to hop on his skateboard and go meet his friends at Taco Bell.

– Kris Statlander beat Mercedes Mone at Full Gear, and she barely got a reaction when she was in front of the live crowd for the first time on Collision. Itâ€s not working. This thing needs an intervention quickly.

– Jaime Hayter is a badass. This Austin Powers look she has been wearing since her return is doing her no favors. It’s goofy and the outfit she wore on Collision this week was not great. I think this ’60s-’70s English vibe she is going for is diminishing the bad ass that she is. I give her credit for trying something different, but I think she should go back to the look she had when she was the AEW womenâ€s champion and was the most over she ever was.

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Jalen Brunson finished with 37 points on 21 shots in Friday nightâ€s win over the Milwaukee Bucks, his ninth 30-point effort of the early season. The performance drew calls for Brunson to receive recognition in the MVP race, first from Stan Van Gundy during the broadcast, then from head coach Mike Brown after the game.

Itâ€s tough to argue for Brunsonâ€s season being anything but MVP-worthy thus far. Heâ€s averaging a career high 29.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists on 54.5 percent shooting from two and 38 percent from three.

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Last season, Brunson was similarly impressive and valuable, yet only mustered one fifth-place vote. He fell short of nine of his peers, including Cade Cunningham and Jayson Tatum, both of whom he would go on to eliminate in the Playoffs.

Others are calling it out early, but we need to see proper respect given to Brunson this year. Heâ€s one of the leagueâ€s most consistent performers and feared scorers, yet dumbfoundedly, isnâ€t recognized as one of its most valuable players.

No matter your personal criteria in determining the awardâ€s winner, Brunson fits the bill. If youâ€re looking for the best player on the best team, the Knicks are 12-6 and slowly rising in the East, and thereâ€s no dispute who their captain has been.

Sure, OKC is a juggernaut that may be on its way to 74 wins, but having historically exceptional candidates doesnâ€t delegitimize Brunsonâ€s case. It only shows how well heâ€s made it in spite of who heâ€s up against.

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If youâ€re dead set on the “value†piece of the award, the Knicks are outscoring their opponents by eight more points per 100 possessions with Brunson on the court vs off, in line with the effect Luka Doncic has had this season. Brunson also has much less ball handling and creation help than his other candidates, further emphasizing his importance.

When the game comes down to its closing moments, nobody outshines Brunson. Whatâ€s more valuable than having the leagueâ€s ultimate closer?

At least that’s what he was crowned last season when he won the Clutch Player of the Year award. Heâ€s off to a hot start this year, with a last-minute and-one and some clutch passing against the Bucks, another key dime in Dallas and some daggers thrown against Boston.

Other candidates have their share of teammate injuries, but Brunson has had to deal with that plus the installation of an entirely revamped offense. Heâ€s taken the new system in stride, while injecting his own flavor to it, but it took a few games to get going and may still need tweaking.

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For those caught up on Brunsonâ€s physical, savvy play thatâ€s misconstrued as foul-baiting or unethical, just note every leading MVP candidate is top-20 in free throw attempts per game, but not Brunson. His defense also likes to get nitpicked, but the Knicks’ D has held up well with Brunson, being far more heavily swayed by OG Anunobyâ€s absence and Mitchell Robinsonâ€s struggles.

It shouldnâ€t take elite basketball minds like Brownâ€s or Van Gundyâ€s to get across whatâ€s obvious to anybody watching: Brunson is an MVP-caliber player, and the voters and coverage should reflect that.

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Andrade El Idolo might be lounging in the sun and “not thinking about thatâ€â€”but WWE reportedly isnâ€t letting him off the hook so easily.

Just when fans thought they had the full story, an explosive update from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter flips Andradeâ€s calm narrative on its head.

According to Meltzer, the idea that Andrade left WWE on good terms is completely divorced from WWEâ€s internal version of events. WWE insiders are telling a very different—and far more damning—story about why the former champion was let go, and what theyâ€re legally entitled to do next.

“The idea he ended up leaving WWE on the best terms is as completely opposite to how WWE described it as possible.â€

The report claims that Andrade was fired for disciplinary reasons after multiple failed drug tests—and WWE allegedly used that to avoid paying him any severance while still enforcing a strict 12-month worldwide non-compete clause.

“They claimed multiple drug test failures and he was fired and because he was fired for disciplinary reasons they felt they didnâ€t have to pay the usual 90 day severance… and still hold him to a non-compete for a year worldwide.â€

Thatâ€s a far cry from Andradeâ€s version of events, where he said he left WWE with mutual respect, but got caught off guard by a clause his lawyer overlooked. In an earlier interview with Los Protagonistas, he said:

“The contract I signed, the lawyer did not realize a clause of 12 months without competition… At first I didnâ€t have clause, I could fight leaving WWE. Then the clause came when they saw me debut in AEW.â€

He also claimed that personal issues—including his divorce from Charlotte Flair and shared legal representation—left him vulnerable to contract pitfalls. Now? Andrade says heâ€s just waiting for WWE to sign off on a shortened clause. He shared:

“My lawyers are already talking to the WWE lawyers. They have reached a good arrangement… I think I have a date and my lawyer too, but it remains for WWE to officially sign it.â€

But with WWE reportedly feeling justified in their right to not only terminate him without pay, but also lock him out of wrestling worldwide for a year, the deal may not be as close to final as Andrade thinks. Still, Meltzer did offer a glimmer of hope — WWE “may not hold him to the full one year,†meaning negotiations are very much ongoing behind the scenes.

For now, Andrade is staying patient, focusing on the beach, training, and dodging drama. But this saga may be far from over—and itâ€s clear both sides are playing by very different scripts.

What do you think? Do you believe Andradeâ€s version of events, or is WWEâ€s side more convincing? Should fired wrestlers still be held to non-compete clauses? Drop your thoughts below—we want to hear from you.

November 29, 2025 10:52 am

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Observations after Sixers beat Nets, Drummond exits early with knee injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

NEW YORK — The Sixers reached double-digit victories on Black Friday in Brooklyn.

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With a 115-103 win over the Nets, they improved to 10-8 on the season. Brooklyn fell to 3-15.

Fridayâ€s game was the Sixers†final NBA Cup contest of 2025. They went 1-3 in East Group B and did not advance to knockout play.

Tyrese Maxey had 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Quentin Grimes scored 19 points and dished out nine assists. Jared McCain added 20 points and five steals.

Nets rookie Egor Demin posted 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

The Sixers began the night down Joel Embiid (right knee injury management), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain), VJ Edgecombe (left calf tightness) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain).

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“Theyâ€ve been thinking heâ€s been trending toward getting there and he just isnâ€t yet,†Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said of Embiid, whoâ€s missed nine straight games. “They just havenâ€t cleared him to go. Thatâ€s all it is.â€

Edgecombe ran through a pregame workout with Sixers assistant coaches.

“He is on court and getting some workouts individually,†Nurse said. “He hasnâ€t done any team stuff yet. Iâ€ll get a report here in a little bit, but I think heâ€s doing OK with his on-court workouts and hopefully trending upward quickly.â€

Andre Drummond also exited Tuesdayâ€s game with a right knee injury. More on that below.

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Brooklynâ€s injuries included Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain) and Michael Porter Jr. (lower back tightness).

The Sixers will host the Hawks on Sunday night. Here are observations on their win over the Nets:

George and Bona back

Paul George returned after missing the Sixers†loss Tuesday to the Magic with a right ankle sprain. Adem Bona also came back from a sprained right ankle that had sidelined him the past five games.

The Sixers immediately established superiority over the young, lowly Nets. Their first three hoops were all layups, including a lefty George bucket in transition. The Sixers†first made jumper was a Drummond corner three-pointer. Drummond did a little bit of everything in his first stint, posting seven points, four rebounds, a block and an assist.

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George had a nice start as well.

He played over nine minutes in his first run, hit a top-of-the-key three-pointer and scored seven points on 3-for-4 shooting in the opening period. The opposition was obviously not elite, but George was a smooth, self-assured shotmaker in the first half Friday.

He said his ankle “feels good again†after he jammed it in the Sixers†loss Sunday to the Heat.George is also pleased with his current pregame approach for his left knee, which he underwent arthroscopic surgery on this offseason.

“Itâ€s just staying on top of the treatment afterwards, icing down,†he said. “More than anything, itâ€s just activating the knee. Going into games, weâ€ve kind of found something that works with how my body responds, so I think thatâ€s a good thing. Weâ€ve been trying some stuff.

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“How I got prepared for today, it felt amazing. How I got prepared for practices the past couple days, itâ€s been amazing. … I think now itâ€s building through the games and reps. I think my body will respond well to it.â€

Drummond goes down, Sixers patch things together at center

Bona helped the Sixers grow their lead early in the second quarter, scoring inside on three occasions. He continued swatting shots in high-flying fashion, too. The 22-year-old had 13 points, six rebounds and four blocks in his 23 minutes.

The Sixers started the second with an extremely surprising substitution. Kyle Lowry came in to spell Maxey.

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Lowryâ€s only two appearances this season have come in Brooklyn. His first was a garbage-time stint in the Sixers†blowout win on Nov. 2. Lowry wasnâ€t in the middle of much action, but he did his job. The 39-year-old dished to George for a three that gave the Sixers a 49-31 advantage. They led by as many as 21 points in the second quarter.

“It was great,†Maxey said with a grin. “I love playing with Kyle. Heâ€s like a coach on the court. I think that was the first time I played with Coach Kyle this year, so that was really fun.â€

The Sixers were struck by more injury misfortune in the second.

Drummond leapt for a rebound, landed awkwardly and stayed down on the baseline grabbing his right leg. He was assisted back to the locker room with 6:52 to go in the first half.

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At halftime, the Sixers ruled Drummond out with a right knee sprain. Weâ€ll see how long heâ€s out, but the injury is clearly a bummer for Drummond, whoâ€d been a substantially better (and healthier) player than last season. Entering Friday, Drummond had played 16 games, averaged 24.2 minutes and recorded 8.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per contest.

“I feel like Dre has been awesome this year,†George said. “Heâ€s been consistent. “Where we struggle at rebounding, heâ€s been a big boost there. And stretching the floor out with his corner threes.

“I know that injury very well. Same one for (Oubre). … Itâ€s a tough rehab. I donâ€t know the severity of it. Hopefully, it wasnâ€t the (degree) that mine was, because itâ€s a challenge. The hyperextension is a challenge.â€

Once Drummond left, Nurse turned to everyone he had available in the frontcourt. Jabari Walker and Johni Broome shared the floor in a zone defense. Though the Sixers maintained a comfortable lead, Walker, Broome, Bona and Dominick Barlow all committed at least two fouls in the first half.

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Grimes, McCain with big buckets in 2nd half

The Nets stayed competitive early in the third quarter and cut into their deficit. The Sixers†offense was a bit less crisp and featured more rushed, contested jumpers. A Demin three trimmed the Sixers†lead to 74-65.

George had no points on 0-for-2 shooting in the third quarter and didnâ€t appear in the fourth. He played 21 minutes and ended with 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Through four games this season, the most minutes heâ€s played is 25.

In contrast to Maxey, who generally let the defense and flow of the game dictate his decision-making, Grimes was ultra-aggressive in the second half. He made several timely driving layups and constantly attacked the rim.

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“I think heâ€s kind of picked up from where he left off last year,†Nurse said of Grimes. “I really like the combination of what he can do. He can really drive the basketball, he can really get up in the air on the finishes, but he also can shoot the threes if theyâ€re available.

“His driving tonight was obviously critical, just with the way the game was. He got a few in transition, he got a few off Tyrese double teams, he got a few late clock when we really needed them. … Weâ€ve played 18 games. He had a real tough one the other night, along with a lot of people, but other than that one, most of his games have been pretty good.â€

McCain helped the Sixers avoid any true late-game stress by canning two key threes. He had a quick, confident trigger all night.

Bona also knocked down an improbable corner three late in the shot clock for the first triple of his career.

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As Bona noted, heâ€s drilled that shot many times with assistant coach Fabulous Flournoy.

“Thatâ€s a make for him after a lot of practice shots,†Nurse said. “I mean, a lot. Itâ€s been a long time working with him on those. … Shot that confidently and looked good.â€

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Arsenal are still sweating over the fitness of Viktor Gyokeres ahead of the weekend.

The 27-year-old has been out of action since before the November international break, last featuring in the 2-0 win over Burnley back on November 1.

Gyokeres is facing a race against time to be fit for the visit to Chelsea on Sunday, with the Premier League’s top two set to go head-to-head.

Mikel Merino has been asked to lead the line in Gyokeres’ recent absence, with the Spaniard performing well in recent wins over Tottenham and Bayern Munich over the last seven days.

Arsenal are also waiting on Gabriel Jesus’ long-awaited return, too, with the Brazil international edging ever closer after suffering an ACL tear last season.

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot has today provided a fitness update regarding midfielder Florian Wirtz.

The Germany international sustained an injury whilst on duty with Julian Nagelsmann’s side earlier this month and has since failed to feature in recent games against Nottingham Forest and PSV.

It’s been a tough start in England for the 22-year-old, who is yet to find the net for his new club, but has registered three assists, with two of those coming in the UEFA Champions League.

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Having operated in both an attacking midfield role and on the left, Wirtz is still clearly getting accustomed to the high-paced demands that Premier League football brings.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is feeling the heat at Anfield (Image credit: Getty Images)

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