The Christmas Day game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics averaged 5 million viewers, representing an 18% decline from last year's window. Despite the decline, it was the most watched game of the season thus far. 

At least four out of the five games saw a decline from last year, with figures not available for the Warriors-Nuggets matchup.

The opening game between the Bucks and Knicks averaged 2.49 million viewers, down 39% from the Sixers-Knicks last year.

The Mavs-Suns game was down 42% with 1.47 million viewers, with the Sixers-Heat down 73% with 1.3 million viewers.

All three NFL games on Monday averaged more than 27 million viewers. 

The Los Angeles Lakers could have trade interest in Dejounte Murray should the Atlanta Hawks make him available. 

The Lakers could trade one first round pick during the current season, or they could wait until the offseason when they can trade three.

The Hawks are widely expected to explore the trade market for Murray this season. The Hawks signed Murray to a four-year, $120 million extension last offseason. 

Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee this week. Vincent is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.

Vincent had tried non-surgical options to rehab his knee. He recently returned for one game for the Lakers, following a 23-game absence. After that game, Vincent had swelling in his left knee and has missed the last two games for Los Angeles.

Vincent joined the Lakers this offseason after spending the first four years of his career with the Miami Heat. Vincent signed a three-year, $33 million with Los Angeles in hopes of being a key rotation player.

The Los Angeles Lakers moved D'Angelo Russell to a bench role in favor of Jarred Vanderbilt before their 129-120 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Vanderbilt joined the Lakers' regular starters in LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish.

"We chose to lean into our defensive side of the ball," Darwin Ham, speaking before the game, said of the change. "And when you play great defense, it makes the offense a little bit easier. And so, just wanted to lean into that side of the ball. Start out a little bit bigger."

Russell's move to the bench reunites him in the backcourt with Austin Reaves. The pair started the first eight games.

"Austin and D-Lo, they've had some really good synergy together on the floor together," Ham said. "And so that second wave allows us to play a little faster, is more offensive. I'm looking forward to both, seeing how this starting lineup applies their pressure on the game early and then also see, once we start to make substitutions, the variety in which we get offensively."

Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent is considering surgery on his troublesome left knee. Vincent would miss six-to-eight weeks if he undergoes surgery.

Vincent recently returned to the Lakers lineup, but immediately had swelling in the knee after playing just 14 minutes. Vincent had previously tried non-surgical rehab for nearly two months.

The veteran point guard signed a three-year, $33 million contract with Los Angeles this summer. Vincent had spent the four years of his career with the Miami Heat.

LeBron James will miss Thursday's game for the Los Angeles Lakers at the Minnesota Timberwolves due to tendinitis in his left ankle.

The Lakers lost at the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. This marks the second time in the past two weeks that James has sat out the second leg of a back-to-back.

The Lakers are 1-4 since their In-Season Tournament championship.

"It's a combination of everything," James said. "I mean, it's the emotional fatigue, it's the physical fatigue, it's the grind-of-the-season fatigue. And when you're not winning, obviously, that's the frustration fatigue. So, a little combination of everything."

Zach LaVine wants a trade from the Chicago Bulls. Depending on who you believe, LaVine may or may not have his sights set on the Los Angeles Lakers as his next team. For their part, the Lakers are reportedly interested in LaVine, provided they can center a trade around D'Angelo Russell.

One challenge in trading for LaVine is matching his $40.1 million salary in a deal. For the Lakers, that would likely start with Russell and his $17.3 million contract. The Lakers would need to add other players to a deal for LaVine. That would likely involve Rui Hachimura ($15.7 million) or, less likely, Austin Reaves ($12 million) to match salary for the Bulls star.

If either Hachimura or Reaves is involved in a trade, it will have to wait until January 15 to be completed. Because both players were signed with Bird right and got big enough raises over their prior salaries, the Lakers can't trade them until January 15.

As for Russell, he waived his ability to block a trade as part of re-signing with Los Angeles this past summer. It's been expected since Russell re-signed that if the Lakers make a significant trade that he would be a part of it.

Last Friday's matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs averaged 1.46 million viewers on ESPN.

The matchup featured the first meeting between LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama.

The viewership represented a 6% increase from the equivalent window last season.

The Knicks-Suns matchup afterwards averaged 1.28 million viewers, down 15% from last year. 

Rich Paul pushed back on the narrative that he's trying to get Zach LaVine to the Los Angeles Lakers as a trade from the Chicago Bulls appears inevitable. Paul represents four players on the Lakers, including LeBron James, and there's an ongoing narrative that Klutch Sports prioritizes the franchise and has an outsized influence.

“It’s not one team,” Paul told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I don’t have a specific destination for Zach. I want what’s best for Zach and his family. When you have a guy playing the game, you want him to be able to play the game happy, whether that’s in Chicago or somewhere else.”

LaVine hasn’t played since Nov. 28 because of inflammation in his right foot and is expected to miss several more weeks.

“In the event the Bulls decide they would like to go a different direction with the team, and it involves Zach, then I’m sure we’ll have conversations to get clarity on what’s best for both sides,” Paul said. “Until then, the goal is to get healthy and return ready to go.”

Beyond the Lakers, the Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings have been mentioned as possible teams for LaVine.

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar suffered a broken hip on Friday night. Abdul-Jabbar apparently fell while attending a concert in Los Angeles.

Abdul-Jabbar's representative said he quickly received outstanding care. She said the long-time NBA center is "deeply appreciative" of the support he received from those on site at the show, and doctors at UCLA hospital.