February 26, 2025 Updates for NBA Players from Western Schools

The big movements of Los Angeles

James Harden (Cleveland Cavaliers, Arizona State)

tThe Los Angeles Clippers are off to a nightmare 6-21 start to the 2025-26 season.

And their unusually disrespectful treatment of retiring franchise legend Chris Paul made them one of the NBA’s biggest laughingstocks.

However, they had a great run and were close to a .500 record before deciding to take action for their future at the trade deadline.

They traded James Harden to the Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, while they also traded Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown to the Pacers for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks and a second-round pick.

Considering the Clippers had virtually no draft capital prior to these moves (thanks to the Paul George and James Harden trades), they did a solid job acquiring some assets while also remaining competitive as a starter team.

Meanwhile, the Cavs have done everything they can and feel adding Harden can help them get out of the East. “La Barba” is playing one of the most efficient basketball games of his career right now.

In his first seven games as a Cavalier, he went 6-1 and scored 18.9 points and 8.0 assists per game with a true shooting percentage of 65.9, by far the highest mark of his career since his final season in Oklahoma City when he was 22 years old.

Harden is only taking 12.4 shots per game, which is once again lower than any of his seasons since his 2011-12 season in OKC.

His three-point efficiency has skyrocketed, as he’s currently shooting 48.8% from deep in Cleveland, 12.5% ​​higher than his career average.

Unfortunately, he suffered an injury to his right thumb, which won’t keep him out for long due to Harden being left-footed, although it’s still something to keep an eye on.

With Donovan Mitchell as the team’s undisputed best option, Harden will no longer have to carry a massive offensive load, which can help him play efficient basketball and fight his playoff demons as he seeks his first championship.

Harden’s role in Cleveland is that of floor general and he has already helped his teammates reach a new level.

“Bringing in James has given us renewed confidence,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I felt like we were missing that edge, that belief. I feel like we’re getting that back. A lot of it has to do with who we added in the trade.”

Bennedict Mathurin (Los Angeles Clippers, Arizona)

dArius Garland has yet to debut for the Clippers, but he hopes to have a Bennedict Mathurin-like impact when he does.

Mathurin began the year as the Pacers’ “tank commander,” but that role quickly faded as the team began to wonder about his long-term fit once Tyrese Haliburton returns in 2026-27.

A thumb injury that caused him to miss 11 games didn’t help matters either, and the Pacers ultimately decided to move on from Mathurin rather than discuss a contract extension in the offseason.

The talented scorer has found new life in Los Angeles, as he has scored 28.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in his last three games and shot 48.1% from the field.

While they are no longer contenders, with Mathurin, Garland and the ageless wonder that is Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers will still be competitive and can cause serious problems for contenders in the postseason.

rookie report

Egor Dёmin (Brooklyn Nets, BYU)

TOAfter a very successful stretch of play in January, Egor Dёmin capped off the month with a career-high performance against the Utah Jazz.

He scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and made six of his 12 three-pointers. That was his 34th consecutive game with a three-pointer, which set a record for a rookie.

“There’s a reason we drafted him,” Nets HC Jordi Fernandez said. “We believed that [his] The shots were NBA shots and he showed that from the beginning.”

Dёmin’s record-breaking streak ended in the next game, when he went 0-4 from deep against the top-seeded Pistons.

He rebounded quickly, however, as he set a new career-high with a 26-point performance against the Magic just two days later.

With the departure of Cam Thomas, the Nets handed the keys to their franchise to Dёmin, and everyone in the organization is intrigued by his potential.

“You can see the confidence growing in him,” Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe said. “Who knows what Egor can be in the coming years?”

Lawson Lovering (Memphis Grizzlies, Colorado/Utah)

YoIt’s always nice to see someone finally achieve their life’s dream.

Lawson Lovering, a 7’0 center who played college basketball for the Colorado Buffaloes and Utah Utes, went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing his dream of playing in the NBA.

Lovering played for the Grizzlies in the Summer League and signed with their G-League affiliate, Memphis Hustle. After a few months with the Hustle, Lovering was finally called up by the injury-plagued Grizzlies.

On February 11, Lovering became the second Wyoming player to play in an NBA game since the NBA-ABA merger.

In his next game, Lovering was named the starter and had a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to help the Grizzlies beat the Jazz.

Lovering has since returned to the Hustle, but it’s not unreasonable to assume he’ll get more opportunities in the NBA this season.

Playing for a winner

Nikola Vučević (Boston Celtics, USC)

northikola Vučević has quietly carved out a good career for herself. He surpassed the 17,250-point mark this year, which now means he’s officially one of the top 100 scorers in NBA history.

He will surpass $200 million in career earnings this season, has made two All-Star teams and is third on the Magic’s all-time scoring list.

Vučević has never played for a true contender, however, as he has never won a playoff series in which he actually played (he did not play in Philadelphia’s infamous win over Chicago in 2012).

That could all change this year, as his new team, the Boston Celtics, are currently on a roll in a relatively weak Eastern Conference.

Vučević hasn’t been asked much in Boston, averaging just 24.0 minutes per night while the team has gone 5-2 in the seven games since his arrival.

Best veterans

Dillon Brooks (Phoenix Suns, Oregon)

dIllon Brooks broke his hand in the Suns’ double overtime win over the Magic on Feb. 21 and He could miss time until April, which is a shame since he was playing the best basketball of his life.

In the 10 games before his injury, Brooks averaged 25.0 points per game and shot 46.0% from the field. This stretch included a career night against the Pistons, as he scored 40 points to help the Suns to an upset victory.

The Suns have been one of the biggest surprises this season, but they need Brooks back as soon as possible if they want to stay alive in the West playoff race.

Jrue Holiday (Portland Trail Blazers, UCLA)

YoHoliday Street ages like a fine wine. The former All-Star is one of my favorite players of all time. and is currently helping a young Trail Blazers team fight for a playoff spot.

Some feared his play would decline after a 27-game absence due to a calf injury, but the 35-year-old is still putting up big numbers.

Over his last eight games, Holiday has averaged 19.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 51.4% from the floor and 44.9% from deep.

His 64.8 true shooting percentage ranks third among all players with at least 100 shots during that span, helping the Blazers to a 5-3 record.