Basketball Intelligence For 1/12/26

The day's best basketball news and reporting.

Aaron Bollwinkel

Jan 12, 2026

∙ Paid

FEATURE OF THE DAY
Are blockbuster NBA trades worth it? Lessons from 14 since 2013
Zach Kram, ESPN

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Three Things I Noticed on League Pass: Guards Up
Jared Dubin, Last Night, In Basketball

The Timberwolves Pulled Off a 19-Point Comeback vs. the Spurs on Sunday | HOOPS, 1/12/26
Dustin Brewer, Hoops Daily

Does OKC need to make a trade? - Tom’s Title Tiers #13
Tom Haberstroh, The Finder with Tom Haberstroh

The Seven Least Improved Players in the NBA This Season
Michael Pina, The Ringer

This is painful. I love Mobley, still think he’s an incredible two-way player with a bright future, and recognize how unfair it is to judge anyone by whatever my own expectations happened to be coming into this season. But when someone who was positioned to be an MVP candidate takes this kind of side step on offense, it’s impossible to ignore. Combine diminished production with less efficiency and negligible expansion in an offense that really struggles when he plays without Donovan Mitchell, and Mobley unfortunately epitomizes what a list like this is going for.

NBA Power Rankings: Timberwolves are contenders; preseason over/under check-in
Law Murray, The Athletic

Was Jonathan Kuminga restricted free agency’s biggest loser? Our writers weigh in
The Athletic NBA Staff, The Athletic

NBA Rewind: Ja Morant’s trade market could be as slim as Trae Young’s
Zach Harper, The Athletic