The Houston Rockets have expressed a tremendous amount of interest in trading for Mikal Bridges, sources tell The Athletic. The Rockets have made an offer of multiple first round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Bridges in recent weeks.

The Nets have zero interest in trading Bridges, who is part of their core moving forward.

Ime Udoka is driving the Rockets' push to improve the roster to make the playoffs this season.

The Golden State Warriors consider it unlikely they will make a major trade ahead of the deadline, sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

The Warriors remain motivated to win this season, but some believe their chances of competing for a title are remote considering their current level of play and spot in the standings outside the playoffs.

The Warriors' interest in Dejounte Murray is described as "tepid at best."

Golden State has a greater need and desire to upgrade on the wing or at center. Lauri Markkanen is a player who would fit that mold, but he is not believed to be truly available and there are rival teams who could probably beat their offer.

Andrew Wiggins is the most likely player on the Warriors to be moved as he's in Year 1 of a four-year, $109 million deal. They have discussed player-for-player offers and they wouldn't have to attach a draft pick to get off his salary. Wiggins has played better of late, especially alongside Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green.

Malcolm Brogdon was happy to join the Portland Trail Blazers via trade this past summer. Part of that was Brogdon not feeling wanted in Boston.

"When I was first traded, I viewed it as an opportunity. I really did," Brogdon said. "You can ask people around me how my energy was in training camp. I was excited to be here. I was excited to be with a championship coach. And I was excited to go from a place where I wasn’t as valued, and go to place where I am very valued."

Brogdon was asked if that meant he didn't feel valued by the Celtics. He expanded a bit, while giving kudos to Chauncey Billups.

"At times. At times," Brogdon said. "I was there for a year, won Sixth Man of the Year, and they shipped me out. So like … I didn’t feel very valued there. Here, I feel valued. Portland has embraced me. And I’ve enjoyed being coached by Chauncey (Billups)."

The NBA is projecting the 24-25 salary cap to be at $141 million, which is $1 million lower than their previous projection from June 30 of last year.

The salary cap for this season is $136 million.

For 24-25 based on the current projection, the minimum team salary will be $127 million with the luxury tax set at $172 million. The first apron will be at $179 million and the second apron will be at $190 million. 

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed forward Tosan Evbuomwan to a 10-day contract.

Evbuomwan (6-7, 217), signed as a Call-Up from the NBA G League’s Motor City Cruise, has appeared in 29 Showcase Cup and regular season games (27 starts) this season and has averaged 15.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 34.5 minutes while shooting 57.0 percent from the field. The 22-year-old native of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft following his collegiate career at Princeton, where he was named the 2021-22 Ivy League Player of the Year as a junior.

Taj Gibson has agreed to sign a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks.

Gibson was previously with the Knicks on a non-guaranteed contract before he was waived.

Gibson gives the Knicks depth at center as they continue to deal with injuries at the position.

The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to sign Trey Jemison to a 10-day contract.

Jamison recently completed a 10-day contract with the Washington Wizards.

Jamison went undrafted out of UAB and is averaging 12.9 points and 11.9 rebounds this season in the G League.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is atop NBA jersey sales for the first half of the 2023-24 season, based on NBA Store sales data. The Los Angeles Lakers are the top selling team, according to the same data.

Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, rookie Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks round out the top-five in jersey sales.

The Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers joined the Lakers in terms of top-selling team merchandise.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards wasn't in a celebratory mood after his team picked up a big victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Instead, Edwards focused his displeasure on the officials.

"Imma take the fine, because the refs did not give us no calls tonight," Edwards said during an on-court postgame interview with the Wolves local broadcast. "Cheatin' ass refs."

In the locker room, Edwards hadn't let it go.

"The refs was bad tonight. Yeah, they was terrible," Edwards told ESPN without prompting. "We was playing 8-on-5."

Edwards made it clear he wasn't upset with the calls that Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got throughout the game. Instead, the Wolves star was upset with a lack of calls when he felt he was fouled.

"I haven't earned [referees' respect] yet, so it's OK," Edwards said. "But I think tonight was bad from the refs. It was terrible. We didn't get no calls as a team. I got fouled multiple times, and I'm walking up to the ref telling him, 'Hey, can you watch this?' They just shaking their head. Yeah. And then soon somebody come down from their team and get bumped, it's a foul.

"So, I just feel like it wasn't a fair game tonight from the jump. And so, that's why I'm super happy we won the game."

NBA teams were aggressive about trading first-round picks over the last few years. Several deals were made that saw multiple first-round picks change hands. That has the NBA in a unique place, where roughly a third of the league controls about three-quarters of the first-round draft picks.

11 NBA teams control 75 percent of all tradable first-round picks. Teams are allowed to trade picks through 2030. The CBA restricts teams from trading picks more than seven drafts out, inclusive of the current season.

The 11 teams controlling most of the first-round draft capital are the Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz.