Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler prefers a trade from Miami but has not gone as far as requesting a trade, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

It had been trending this way for a while. Butler didn't make his usual impact last season. Pat Riley called him out. Perhaps most importantly, the Heat didn't offer Butler his desired contract extension before the season. Then, they shopped him during the season.

Butler's stated preference increases pressure on the Heat. Though they still control the situation, they might want to appease their franchise player. They could also fear Butler further escalating the situation.

Trade-desire scale

There's a difference between wanting a trade and requesting a trade and demanding a trade, with even different degrees within those designations. Let's formalize a trade-desire scale:

Level 1: Unstated trade preference 

Many back-of-roster players throughout the league fit this category. They believe they'd be better off elsewhere – usually, though not always, for playing time. They might tell people close to them about their desire to get dealt, but they're not harping on it to the team. It's just a fact of their situation.

Level 2: Stated trade preference 

The player wants to be traded and has has communicated that to the team. He's not quite asking for a trade, but he wants management to know how he feels in hopes that will increase his odds of getting traded, as teams generally prefer fully invested players. But if not traded, he'll generally continue to do his job. This sounds like Jimmy Butler right now.

Level 3: Trade request

The player asked his team to trade him. He's asking, not telling, but he is asking. Usually, a lack of urgency keeps a trade request from reaching a higher level in these rankings. Continuing to play is also a key factor. Think Anthony Davis with the Pelicans.

Level 4: Trade demand without misbehavior 

The player makes clear he wants out and is telling more than asking. But he's not undermining the team to get his way. This narrow needle is more often threaded during the offseason. Think Kyrie Irving with the Cavaliers.

Level 5: Trade demand with misbehavior 

The player wants out and will make a mess until he gets his way. Think Jimmy Butler with the Timberwolves.

Level 6: Trade demand with holdout

The player is finished with his current team. He's not even showing up to cause a disruption. Think Ben Simmons with the 76ers.

Victor Wembanyama

In the biggest game of his young career, Victor Wembanyama showed ability to rise to the occasion:

The larger leaderboard:

And it wasn't just scoring for Wembanyama. Nobody had ever matched his basic stat line – 42 points, 18 rebounds and four assists – in any Christmas game, and Wembanyama blocked four shots yesterday.

Victor Wembanyama-Mikal Bridges

Opposite Victor Wembanyama, Mikal Bridges scored 41 points to lead the Knicks to a win.

Knicks-Spurs was the first Christmas game ever with two players scoring more than 40.

76ers-Celtics

Just a couple months ago, the 76ers were viewed as arguably the biggest threat to Boston in the East.

Philadelphia's start from hell had made that easy to forget. Never mind challenging the Celtics. The 76ere were just trying to reach some level of coherence and get into the postseason, even the play-in tournament. At 10-17 entering yesterday, Philadelphia was still just 11th in the conference.

Yet, the lone team with a losing record to get a Christmas game, the 76ers beat the Celtics (22-7 entering yesterday) in Boston.

That's the second-largest win-percentage disparity overcome on the road ever on Christmas. In 2019, the Pelicans (8-23) beat the Nuggets (21-8) in Denver.

The history of this type of upset is shallow. The difference between Philadelphia-Boston and No. 3 on the list of largest win-percentage disparities overcome on the road on Christmas is greater than the difference between No. 3 and No. 22.

What a reminder of Philadelphia's upside!

Caleb Martin

After torching the Celtics with the Heat, Caleb Martin has taken to torching the Celtics with the 76ers. Martin shot 7-of-9 on 3-pointers yesterday.

In the last two calendar years, Martin has made 48% of his 3-pointers against Boston and just 34% against everyone else.

That's the biggest disparity in the NBA, via this interesting chart from Automatic.

Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid tumbled over and twisted his ankle when he shot a fadeaway and backpedaled into a security guard during pregame warmups. Embiid, via Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire:

"Just a little sore, but it’s Christmas. Gotta play on Christmas."

I'm not sure whether this could have happened to only Joel Embiid or whether we paid attention only because it was Joel Embiid.

He seemed alright, though, scoring 27 points in 31 minutes.

Lakers, Suns

The Lakers and Suns ended the longest active Christmas losing streaks at three games each.

Los Angeles' and Phoenix's skids were quite different. The Suns hadn't won on Christmas since 2009. The Lakers had last won on Christmas just four years ago, dropping their three in succession the last three years.

Now, the Raptors, Trail Blazers, Bucks and Warriors share the longest active Christmas losing streaks at just two games each. Like the former record holders, these skids are quite different.

Toronto lost both its Christmas games, in 2001 and 2019. Portland last won in 2009 then lost in 2010 and 2018. Milwaukee won in 2021 then lost the last two years. Golden State won in 2022 then lost last year and this year.

But it's remarkable nobody has a longer losing streak. The NBA has really set some compelling Christmas matchups.

At least with the teams the league actually schedules for Christmas games.

Christmas

Knicks by three over the Spurs, Timberwolves by six over the Mavericks, 76ers by four over the Celtics, Lakers by two over the Warriors – yesterday featured four games tightly contested down the stretch. (Plus the Suns beating the Nuggets by 10.)

The average margin yesterday – just five – was the lowest on Christmas since the league went to five Christmas games.

The last time the average margin was less than even seven was two decades ago. In 2004, the Pistons beat the Pacers by five and the Heat beat the Lakers by two in the day's only two games.

What a fun day of basketball!

NBA

Even with Christmas on Wednesday, the NFL played two games yesterday.

LeBron James on ESPN:

"I love the NFL. But Christmas is our day."

-Dan Feldman