The Toronto Raptors have decided to sit Pascal Siakam from Thursday's game against the New York Knicks as a disciplinary measure.

Siakam exited the floor early after fouling out on Tuesday at the Philadelphia 76ers.

Siakam made the All-Star Game for the first time in 2020, but has struggled since the NBA's restart in August.

Kris Dunn underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove loose cartilage in his right ankle on Tuesday at the Hospital of Special Surgery in New York.

Dunn will be placed in a walking boot, and following a two-week period of rest, he will be reviewed and an update will be provided.

Dunn signed with the Atlanta Hawks this past offseason.

TJ Warren will undergo surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot and will be out indefinitely.

Warren had a similar procedure performed on his right foot in 2016.

Warren was averaging 15 points per game for the Indiana Pacers so far during the 20-21 season.

The NBA will mandate a league wide contact tracing program requiring players and many team staffers to wear sensor devices during all team-organized activities outside of games beginning on January 7th.

Not wearing the sensors is subject to discipline, but it's unclear what the discipline might be.

A testing period for the program began Dec. 23 and is expected to be implemented Jan. 7.

The sensors do not record GPS location and will activate when coming within six feet to another person wearing one.

The memo states that the sensors will record "the distance and duration of in-person interactions" with others who are wearing a sensor, which the NBA believes will aid in its contact tracing reviews in instances of positive coronavirus cases.

Joel Embiid had one of the most celebrated social media presences earlier in his career, displaying his talent on the floor and then talking trash online afterwards.

"I barely use social media these days," he said.

Embiid didn't take to social media to combat the narrative that he needed to be in better shape.

"I don't post my workouts," Embiid said. "I don't need to show off to people, 'Look at me, I'm working out. Look at this picture, this is me working out every single day.'"

Embiid also became a first-time father this year.

"I've never seen someone go from zero to 60 like Jo can," Sixers general manager Elton Brand said. "Once he's focused and locked in, he becomes that guy. And coming into the bubble, he was in amazing shape."

The Denver Nuggets have interest in participating in a multi-team trade with the Houston Rockets even if they don't end up acquiring James Harden. 

The Rockets are known to be targeting Michael Porter Jr. as a young player with All-Star potential. It is not known what type of return the Nuggets would seek if they included Porter. The Nuggets have had interest in Jrue Holiday and Bradley Beal in recent months.

Denver has made Jamal Murray untouchable in Harden talks.

The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors have joined the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat in making a "courtesy call" to the Houston Rockets on a James Harden trade, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

The Milwaukee Bucks even had an internal conversation and ran it past Giannis Antetokounmpo before deciding not to pursue Harden at all.

There are approximately seven teams in the East that can realistically talk themselves into having an opportunity to reach the Conference Finals, which puts the possibility of a Harden trade for one of them a balance of power shifting move.

Viewership on ABC, TNT, and ESPN during the opening week of the season increased 95% from 2019, totaling 81.5 million hours.

The number also represents the highest viewership for opening week since 2011.

The Christmas Day games on ESPN also were up 10% on average as compared to last year.

On social media platforms, the NBA saw a 36% increase in video views and a 279% increase in minutes watched as compared to last season. 

Rating were down, however, on Christmas compared to last season.

Becky Hammon became the first woman to serve as a head coach during an NBA regular-season game during the San Antonio Spurs' 121-107 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 43-year-old Hammon filled in at head coach after Gregg Popovich was ejected in the second quarter.

"Obviously, it's a big deal, it's a substantial moment. I've been a part of this organization. I got traded here in 2007, so I've been in San Antonio and part of the Spurs and sports organization with the Stars and everything for 13 years.

"So, I have a lot of time invested, and they have a lot of time invested in me in building me and getting me better," said Hammon after the game.

Popovich was complimentary of Hammon before Wednesday's game.

"When I got to know her and she was in our coaches meetings before she was hired, while she was hurt after the season, we found out about her knack for the game, her innate understanding of what wins, what loses, what has to be there to make a program. So, she's got all of the tools necessary to be a heck of a coach in our league."

Donnie Walsh is retiring from his role with the Indiana Pacers.

In Walsh’s 22 years as general manager or president, the Pacers reached the playoffs 19 times.

“I’m getting older and don’t have the energy,” said Walsh, 79. “It’s a young man’s sport. This job has always occupied a great deal of my time. The Pacers were always in my head. This gives me an opportunity to pay attention to my children, my grandchildren and my wife (Judy) of 58 years.”

“Over my thirty-year relationship with Donnie, I have been amazed to watch him help lead this organization to what it has become," Pacers owner Herb Simon said in a statement. "He was certainly the right leader at the right time, and the invaluable wisdom and counsel he has provided over the decades extend well beyond the lines of the basketball court. For that, I owe him an incredible debt of gratitude. While he may be stepping away, Donnie will always be part of the Pacers family and I am personally excited for him as he transitions to his next chapter.”

Walsh also ran the New York Knicks from 2008 until 2011.