Viewership for the NBA's Christmas Day slate was up 5% from last season, with the five games averaging a 1.8 rating with 4.31 million viewers.

The Bucks-Celtics matchup recorded the highest viewership in the day with 6.08 million viewers and a 2.25 rating. Viewership was up 17% from last year's equivalent game, with the Celtics win also representing the first time since 1995 that the most-watched Christmas Day did not feature Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or LeBron James. 

Three out of the five games registered a double-digit increase in viewership. The Grizzlies-Warriors and Lakers-Mavs were both down in ratings from their equivalent time slots last season.

With an average of 1.9 and 4.07 million viewers, the Sixers-Knicks was the most-watched Noon ET Christmas Day game since 2011.

The Suns-Nuggets was also the most-watched late-night Christmas game since 2015. 

RJ Barrett will likely miss at least one week with a lacerated right index finger.

Barrett suffered the injury early in the New York Knicks' overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks. 

Barrett had played in every game this season for the Knicks.

The New York Knicks have held internal discussions over the possibility of trading for Tobias Harris, reported Ian Begley of SNY.

"The Knicks have talked internally about the idea of acquiring Tobias Harris via trade before their winning streak started ... Tom Thibodeau spoke highly of him before the game, so that's just one name to keep an eye on," said Begley following the Knicks' 119-112 loss to the Sixers on Sunday.

Harris is averaging 17.0 points and 6.3 rebounds on the season. 

The NBA investigated the New York Knicks over the hiring of Rick Brunson and the signing of Isaiah Hartenstein.

The league found no violations with either move.

The news comes on the heels of the team getting penalized a 2025 second-round pick for tampering surrounding Jalen Brunson's signing. 

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The top two teams in the league, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, playing during the late afternoon affair, and three of the top Western Conference teams, the Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans also play – with the latter two taking on each other during the final glorious game of the night.

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The New York Knicks have been penalized their 2025 second round pick due to the NBA's investigation into tampering surrounding the Jalen Brunson signing.

The league found that the Knicks engaged in free agency discussions involving Brunson prior to the date when such discussions were permitted.

The Knicks have a number of ties to Brunson including his father, Rick Brunson, as well as his agent, Sam Rose, being the son of Leon Rose.

The New York Knicks have reached out to the Toronto Raptors with interest in trading for OG Anunoby.

Anunoby was mentioned in trade rumors during the offseason, but the Raptors elected to keep him.

Anunoby can become a free agent in 2024 if he declines the final year of the four-year, $72 million extension he signed with the Raptors in 2020.

Anunoby is averaging 18.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season, which are both career highs. 

The New York Knicks have been active on the trade market, but are not interested in attaching any assets to unload any contracts such as Evan Fournier.

"They seem to be a heavy trade market team," said Brian Windhorst. "Number one because they have like, I don't know what it is, like 11 tradable first round picks. So they have the currency. They have a bunch of guys on their roster. They have a deep team. I wouldn't say it's all quality depth, but they have pieces and parts other teams might [want].

"I can just tell you that it's my understanding, because this has come up with Fournier since he's on the bench right now, there's this belief out there that the Knicks are looking to get off contracts. Or looking to get off Fournier because he's under contract next year."

Fournier is due to make $19 million next year. 

"From what I understand, the Knicks are not interested in shedding salary going forward. They'll do business but I think there's been a concept they might attach a pick to get off Evan Fournier or something like that. To my understanding, that's not true. I think they would trade Evan Fournier. He's not playing right now. Of course they'd trade him. They're not feeling any desperation to clear cap space."

The Knicks continue to seek a play-in spot after being in the lottery last season.

The New York Knicks have been among the most active teams in trade talks. New York sought a deal prior to December 9, which would have given them the ability to re-aggregate any acquired player in a subsequent deal ahead of the February 9 trade deadline.

While no deal was made, the Knicks have offered various combinations of Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, Cam Reddish and Immanuel Quickley to other teams. Despite Reddish saying he hasn't asked for a trade, his representatives are believed to be working with New York on finding the swingman a new team.

The Knicks also made a run at Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets. New York wasn't willing to meet Houston's asking price of a first-round pick, which the Rockets have stuck to for well over a year.