Stone added that he remains high on the Rockets’ roster and would’ve liked to see it fully healthy, with starting point guard Fred VanVleet available. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll simply run back the same group and hope for better health luck, but Houston’s general manager also suggested that he’s not anticipating a roster overhaul this summer.

“Someone in my shoes should never say I’m going to make huge changes or I’m not going to,” Stone said. “There are teams I suppose that have run their course where players are older, maybe a reset is needed. I guess that was the first year of my tenure. But since then, you do what the market dictates and the opportunities presented to yourself. But I like this team. I think we’ve seen growth throughout the course of the year with individual players getting better.“

Stone also addressed last season’s free agent addition of Dorian Finney-Smith, which hasn’t worked out like the team had hoped. Finney-Smith’s season debut happened later than expected due to his recovery from offseason ankle surgery and he registered career lows in points (3.3) and minutes (16.8) per game, as well as field goal percentage (33.3%) and three-point percentage (27.0%). Still, Stone said he didn’t regret the signing and that it wouldn’t change how the front office operates going forward.

“I mean, I would do that acquisition again,” he told Shankar. “I think the player he was the last few years really fits our style of play and I expect he’s going to be a super contributing member next year. Everything is a calculated risk, and we were obviously not surprised that he had surgery, he’d had it months before we (signed) him and we understood that it takes time to come back and that there’s some risk when one comes back, that it’s not fluid, which in this case turned out to be the case. There’s risk in every single transaction you do.”

Here’s more on the Rockets:

• According to Stone, both VanVleet (ACL tear) and center Steven Adams (ankle surgery) are making good progress in their injury recoveries and remain on schedule to return to action in the fall. “They should be fully cleared well in time to ramp up for the season,” the GM told Shankar.
• Stone is confident about VanVleet’s ability to reintegrate into the lineup next season and play alongside Reed Sheppard and/or Amen Thompson, referring to the veteran point guard as an “enhancer” who makes other players better. During his ACL recovery, he had to do that from the sidelines by imparting his knowledge to Sheppard and Thompson as they took over point guard duties. “I’ve watched Fred play pretty much my whole life … he’s been a great leader, especially for me, a great coach,” Sheppard said, per Shankar (subscription required). “He’s just been able to show me different things and it’s easier to learn and get into it when it’s a guy like Fred and you watched him play and watched him do it.”
• Former No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. admits that he came into the NBA envisioning himself as the sort of primary scorer who “gets the ball every play,” but the Rockets have appreciated his willingness to sacrifice and take on the sort of complementary roles the club needed from him, Shankar writes in another Chronicle story (subscription required). “Jabari is the ultimate pro and a selfless player,” Udoka said. “He understands what the team needs and provides a bunch of different roles for the team but as most young guys are, he’s ambitious.” Smith’s five-year, $122MM rookie scale extension will begin in 2026/27.
• In yet another article for the Chronicle (subscription required), Shankar identifies stars Durant and Alperen Sengun and role player Tari Eason as the three Rockets with the most at stake in the team’s first-round playoff series vs. the Lakers. Eason will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer, so a strong postseason could increase his chances of securing a lucrative long-term contract.

Based on the NBA’s announcement on Thursday, it sounds as if Doncic and Cunningham were deemed award-eligible because they got closer to the 65-game threshold and missed time for reasons beyond typical basketball injuries — Doncic was inactive for two games when he traveled to Slovenia for the birth of his child in December, while Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung in March. Still, the league’s lack of specificity in defining what constitutes “extraordinary” circumstances has created some confusion.

“It sure would be nice to hear an explanation as to why Anthony was denied his 65 games, particularly when you look at the history of Anthony, who plays all the time and has played all the time,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said on Thursday, per Jon Krawcznyski of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I’m not sure why we have a rule if we have an appeals process that is overturned in two-thirds of the cases that were held before it. It feels more like a suggestion than a rule.

“Again, (Doncic and Cunningham) are super deserving and their injuries are legitimate. It has nothing to do with them, but so are Anthony’s and Anthony’s situation. We’ve never rested him. That’s not how he’s been. It just feels a little unfortunate that he was the only one left out.”

Edwards’ business manager Justin Holland also weighed in on the ruling, as Shams Charania of ESPN relays (via Twitter).

“Anthony and I appreciate the (NBPA) appealing his case,” Holland said. “For me personally, I’m a bit confused at the clemency for Cade who missed time for something that happened on the court, and not Ant, who missed time for an infection, but ultimately you already know Ant isn’t trippin’ over it AT ALL. He was mad he didn’t get to 65, but not because he missed out on awards — he was mad because it meant he didn’t get to play in all 82, which is what he always tries to do for his teammates and fans. You know the only thing he wants is a ring!”

As Holland alludes to, though Cunningham’s collapsed lung isn’t a common condition for an NBA player, it’s believed to have stemmed from an in-game collision, while Edwards was reported to be dealing with a toe infection when he missed multiple games in December and January.

We have more on the Wolves:

• Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic traces the progress that Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid have made since the 2019/20 season, when Edwards and McDaniels were rookies and Reid was a second-year player. As Krawczynski details, there were plenty of signs even when they were just 19 or 20 years old that they would eventually become impact players. “Despite Ant shooting poorly, you saw that all of these guys were difference-makers,” a former front office executive said. “Even with a horrific loss, you saw that there was something. The gym was empty, no one in the world probably saw that game. … In the end, we knew there was something positive.”
• The Timberwolves displayed a concerning lack of focus and intensity at times during the season, writes Dave Campbell of The Associated Press, with Edwards admitting that it sometimes felt as if the team – which has appeared in back-to-back conference finals – was “just trying to get through the season to get to the playoffs.” However, there’s confidence among Wolves players that the club’s inconsistent energy level won’t be an issue during the postseason. “When our group doesn’t have a choice, usually it shows up, and so once again it’s all in our hands. It’s all in our power,” center Rudy Gobert said. “We’re facing a great opponent, and we know that if we don’t come out hungry, we don’t have a chance.”
• Ahead of the first-round series between the Wolves and Nuggets, Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette examines the many connections between the two organizations, detailing how Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, Finch, lead assistant Micah Nori, and guard Bones Hyland all previously worked or played in Denver. Additionally, Wolves assistant Elston Turner was a longtime lieutenant under David Adelman‘s father Rick Adelman, while one of the Nuggets’ top front office executives, Jon Wallace, is a former Minnesota staffer.

This award, introduced in 2017 and named after longtime NBCA executive director Michael H. Goldberg, is voted on by the NBA’s 30 head coaches, none of whom can vote for himself.

It isn’t the NBA’s official Coach of the Year award, which is voted on by media members and is represented by the Red Auerbach Trophy. The winner of that award will be announced later this spring.

Bickerstaff has guided the Pistons to a remarkable turnaround since taking over as their head coach during the 2024 offseason. Coming off the worst season in franchise history, Detroit improved from 14-68 to 44-38 in Bickerstaff’s first year at the helm, then took another huge step forward in 2025/26, finishing the season with a 60-22 record. It was just the third 60-win season in team history and the first in two decades.

The Pistons had the NBA’s second-best defensive rating (108.9) and tied with the Spurs for the league’s No. 2 overall net rating (+8.4) in 2025/26, despite missing leading scorer Cade Cunningham for 18 games.

The NBCA Coach of the Year award has frequently been a bellwether for the NBA’s Coach of the Year honor, which bodes well for Bickerstaff. In seven of the nine years since the award’s inception, the winner has gone on to be named the NBA’s Coach of the Year, including in 2025 when Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers won both awards.

Still, there’s a crowded field of candidates for Coach of the Year. The NBCA noted within its release that seven different coaches earned votes for its award, “reflecting the depth of coaching excellence in the NBA this season.”

Besides Bickerstaff, Mark Daigneault (Thunder), Mitch Johnson (Spurs), Charles Lee (Hornets), Joe Mazzulla (Celtics), Quin Snyder (Hawks), and Tiago Splitter (Trail Blazers) each received at least one vote from their fellow coaches for this year’s NBCA award.

According to Woike and Amick, a number of options remain in play for the Laker star, including the possibility of retiring this summer. The idea that James wouldn’t call it a career without embarking on a season-long farewell tour isn’t accurate, sources tell Woike and Amick, who say that several of those sources have heard as much from LeBron himself.

Still, after having his season debut delayed due to a bout with sciatica, the 41-year-old has continued to play at a high level in his 23rd NBA season, averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds in 33.2 minutes per game while shooting 51.5% from the floor. There are no indications that his production is about to fall off a cliff, so it’s safe to assume that if he wants to keep playing, many teams will be interested in employing him.

That list starts with the Lakers, despite the fact that the club didn’t offer James a multiyear deal before he decided to exercise his player option last June. There had been speculation since that opt-in decision that this would be LeBron’s last year with the team, but Los Angeles’ hot streak during the second half of the season may have changed the equation, per Woike and Amick.

Before Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves went down with injuries at the start of April, the Lakers closed out March by winning 13 of 14 games, with their only loss during that stretch coming in Detroit in a tight 113-110 contest. One executive told The Athletic that the Lakers’ performance during that time was “real,” and James agreed. Another league source told Woike and Amick that the team’s high-level play made LeBron more inclined to believe the Lakers are capable of contending for another title, assuming they’re healthy and they perhaps make another roster upgrade or two this summer.

The organization has long expressed a desire to have James retire as a Laker, and team and league sources tell The Athletic that the idea of re-signing the four-time MVP to a new contract this offseason remains very much in play from the club’s perspective. But the Lakers figure to have competition.

The Cavaliers and Warriors have frequently been cited as potential suitors for James if he decides to leave Los Angeles, and both clubs remain “plausible” landing spots for the star forward, according to Woike and Amick, who describe Golden State’s interest as “serious.” However, neither team is currently positioned to offer LeBron more than mid-level money, and it’s unclear if the Lakers would be willing to facilitate a sign-and-trade, so James may have to be willing to play at a discount if he wants to join either team.

Family considerations will also be a significant factor in James’ decision, with one executive from a possible suitor acknowledging that the veteran’s reluctance to leave Los Angeles is something that other teams are well aware of. Given that context, it’s possible that the Clippers could enter the conversation, league sources tell The Athletic.

While James has a history with Tyronn Lue and would be able to remain in L.A. in that scenario, it’s viewed as a longer shot, Woike and Amick admit. The sense among The Athletic’s sources is that if James were to change teams, he would only join a team that he believes would be a legitimate championship threat. It’s unclear if the Clippers, who were eliminated in the play-in tournament this week, would fit that bill after trading away James Harden and Ivica Zubac in February.

In Friday’s early game, it’ll be the Hornets, coming off a thrilling overtime victory over Miami, visiting the Magic, who lost on Wednesday in Philadelphia.

Although Orlando has home court advantage, Charlotte has looked like the better team for months. From January 3 through the end of the regular season, the Hornets posted a 33-15 record with a +10.7 net rating, while Orlando went 26-21 with a +0.2 mark. The Magic have struggled to consistently play the kind of basketball they believe they’re capable of, with their once-vaunted defense not doing enough to make up for a mediocre offense.

Given that context, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Hornets are viewed as the safer bet to win on Friday — most sportsbooks are listing them as 3.5-point favorites.

Still, Tuesday’s play-in game vs. Miami, which Charlotte barely eked out despite the Heat missing Bam Adebayo for most of the night, provided a reminder of the team’s Achilles heels.

The Hornets led the NBA in three-pointers made (16.4 per game) during the regular season, but they’re prone to streakiness. After finishing first and second in threes by a comfortable margin during the regular season, Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball made just 2-of-22 shots from beyond the arc on Tuesday, which allowed Miami to stick around without Adebayo. This also isn’t a roster heavy on postseason experience — a late-game turnover from Ball in overtime against the Heat nearly cost the Hornets that game, and it’ll be interesting to see how poised the young Hornets are on the road on Friday.

Friday’s late game with be another showdown between a pair of division rivals, as the Suns host the Warriors in Phoenix.

Unlike Orlando, the Suns overachieved this season relative to outside expectations, but like the Magic, their inconsistent play during the second half of the season has jeopardized their chances of securing a playoff spot. Phoenix’s offense relies heavily on star guard Devin Booker, but he has struggled mightily in fourth quarters since the All-Star break, as John Voita III of Bright Side of The Sun details (via Twitter).

It feels like Golden State has more momentum entering Friday’s game. The Warriors have been revitalized by Stephen Curry‘s return from a knee injury, and he and forward Draymond Green turned in vintage performances in Wednesday’s road win over the Clippers, with Curry providing the offensive heroics (35 points, seven three-pointers), while Green’s smothering defense on Kawhi Leonard helped secure the victory for the Dubs. Golden State also won its season series with the Suns, taking three of four games.

Still, the Warriors will enter Friday night as the underdogs. The Suns are widely listed as three-point favorites, with home court advantage presumably viewed as a potential difference-maker — Phoenix was 25-16 at Mortgage Matchup Center during the regular season, while Golden State’s regular season mark away from home was 15-26.

It’s worth noting that injuries could also be a factor in Friday’s late game. Besides missing two players (Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody) due to longer-term injuries, the Warriors will also be without Quinten Post (right foot injury management) and have listed Kristaps Porzingis as questionable due to right ankle soreness. Grayson Allen (left hamstring strain) and Mark Williams (left foot soreness) are considered questionable to play for the Suns. Even if Porzingis, Allen, and Williams all suit up, they likely won’t be at 100%.

We want to know what you think. Will the Magic and Suns bounce back from losses earlier this week and take care of business at home to advance to the playoffs? Or will the Hornets and Warriors ride their momentum – from a strong second half and Curry’s return, respectively – right into the first round?

Vote in our poll below, then head to the comment section to share your predictions!

Head coach Darko Rajakovic is confident Barnes’ play will translate well to the postseason. The 24-year-old hasn’t been in the playoffs since he was a rookie in ’21/22.

“I think the way Scottie’s competing, the way Scottie is contributing to the team at so many levels, it’s built for a playoff series,” Rajakovic said. “It’s a stage he’s going to be shining [on]. He just needs to be himself and do what he does, and I think that’s more than enough.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

• In addition to taking on challenging defensive assignments, Barnes will also have more play-making duties because Immanuel Quickley remains hobbled by hamstring and foot injuries, Lewenberg notes. Toronto’s starting point guard was unable to practice this week and his status for Saturday’s Game 1 is up in the air, Lewenberg adds.
• Eric Koreen of The Athletic takes a look at Brandon Ingram‘s bounce-back first season with Toronto, which resulted in his second All-Star berth and 77 regular season appearances, his highest total since he was a rookie nine years ago. Ingram had been plagued by various injuries in recent years, including an ankle issue which limited him to a career-low 18 games played last season. Part of the reason he was more available this season is because Ingram learned not to overexert himself when he went through a rough patch. The 28-year-old forward credited the team’s medical staff for keeping close tabs on his activity level. “(It’s) just constant communication. ‘How’s your body feeling? Is this a day we pull back a little bit? Is this a day we can still go hard?’” Ingram said. “They’re giving me all the information I need to know if I need to exert or if I need to take a step back.”
• After an uneven start to his second NBA season, Ja’Kobe Walter thrived after the All-Star break and emerged as a key contributor for the Raptors, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Veteran Garrett Temple and Rajakovic praised Walter’s competitiveness, adaptability and how easy he is to coach, while Barnes complimented the 21-year-old’s three-and-D skill set. “We all know he’s been great defensively for us,” Barnes said. “Being able to put pressure on the ball, turning guys, trapping guys, helping us get out and run, but his shooting is just something that we need on our team, and he’s been on fire. Each shot he takes, it feels like it’s going in and he’s been super important for our team. Sometimes, we get in these ruts where we’re not making shots. But we can count on him to play defense and make shots.”

A French big man, Diabate recorded eight points, 14 rebounds and a block in 36 minutes during Tuesday’s play-in victory over Miami. The 24-year-old averaged 7.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.9 APG and 1.0 BPG in 73 appearances this season (26.0 MPG).

Here’s more from the Southeast:

• The Magic are looking to bounce back on Friday after dropping Wednesday’s play-in game at Philadelphia, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando won its October 30 matchup with the Hornets by 16 points, but lost its final three regular season contests against Charlotte by 15, 27, and 19 points. “They’ve kicked our ass this year,” Paolo Banchero said about the Hornets. “So we’ve got to be ready. I’ve got to be ready. And we’ve got to be locked in from the jump. I thought we played hard (Wednesday), but it wasn’t enough. And so it’s going to take even more of an effort, and it’s going to take me playing better, as well, for us to get the win.”
• Head coach Quin Snyder deserves kudos for helping the Hawks turn their season around, according to Ken Segiura of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscriber link). The Hawks made multiple big trades that reshaped their roster after injuries foiled their offseason plans, but they closed out the regular season by going 20-6 after the All-Star break, the third-best mark in the NBA over that span. “He’s done a great job just adjusting to the personnel,” guard CJ McCollum said of Snyder. “We’ve changed and really looked at our team, how we play, how certain guys’ games have evolved over the course of the season, which also happens. We’ve added stuff, we’ve taken stuff out, we’ve kind of evaluated what works, what doesn’t work and what’s going to work for this group.”
• Trae Young and Alex Sarr are among the Wizards who have expressed excitement about playing with Anthony Davis in 2026/27, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. “I’ve never played with a player as talented or as special as A.D. is. We haven’t gotten to play on the court yet, but we’ve talked about a lot of things,” Young said. “We talked about what it would look like when we do get on the court together.”

“I’m not really thinking about that anymore,” Spoelstra said Thursday. “I said what I had to say about it. I didn’t think that he needed to be penalized more moving forward. I don’t think that would make sense. I don’t think he’s a dirty player. I just think, at the moment, both things can be true. In that moment, it was a dirty play, a dangerous play. It should have been caught at that moment, but it wasn’t. And then, you move on.”

Adebayo also addressed the play and said he didn’t have any previous history with Ball to suggest there was any “bad blood” between them. An X-ray on the big man’s back came back negative, Chiang writes, and Adebayo hasn’t undergone an MRI to this point.

“Obviously, I’m still walking, so I’m OK,” Adebayo said after walking gingerly, but without any assistance, to the microphone on Thursday.

As for the offseason, Adebayo said questions about potential roster changes should be directed to Spoelstra and president Pat Riley. But the three-time All-Star acknowledged that the team will “probably” look different after missing the playoffs, and Adebayo made it clear where his motivation lies.

“You see how the last four years have been,” Adebayo said. “You can go in and voice that. Everybody in this building knows I want to win. I put on that jersey almost every game through hell and high water just because I want to win. I want to put us in a position to win. When you don’t win, I always put it on myself. That’s me going in the summer trying to be better. Trying to figure out how I can take my game to the next level, how I can be a better captain.

“And the business side is not my side. To me, being able to share my opinion is more important because that means you have somebody actively listening to you. For them to listen is me telling them I want to win. That’s bottom line.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

• Norman Powell made his first All-Star team in his first season in Miami, but injuries caused him to miss extended time after the break and he only played 19 minutes in Tuesday’s play-in loss to Charlotte, Chiang writes for The Miami Herald. The veteran wing openly expressed a desire to sign an extension with the Heat early in the season, but he was more guarded when he discussed his future with the team on Tuesday. “They have to make decisions and things based on the team and where they want to be and what they want to do next year,” Powell said of the Heat. “Hopefully I’m a part of the plan. And if I am, great. Like I said, I like my time here. So we’ll just see where they’re at, where my agent is at, and what’s going on in free agency.”
• Although Spoelstra was understandably disappointed with an early end to the Heat’s season, he struck an optimistic tone about the development of young players like Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson and Kasparas Jakucionis, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “There was significant improvement. You saw his ability to compete in a meaningful game and produce in the moments of truth,” Spoelstra said of Ware. “There were a lot of ups and downs this year, but I appreciate his intention every day trying to work at it, get better. And he still has a big offseason ahead to make that next jump hopefully.”
• Simone Fontecchio, who will be a free agent this summer, has already made it known he’d like to re-sign with Miami. The 30-year-old said on Thursday that he likely won’t play with the Italian national team during World Cup qualifying games in July, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, but is hopeful he’ll be able to suit up for games in August once his free agency is resolved.

“We came back every single time they made a run,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “An incredible display of guts and competitiveness and connection. Then obviously Steph and Dray took over down the stretch. Draymond is the best defender I’ve ever seen in my life.”

According to Slater, Green prevented Kawhi Leonard (21 points on 8-of-17 shooting, five turnovers) from attempting a field goal in the 12 half-court possessions he defended the Clippers star in the fourth quarter. Green sealed the victory with two steals in the final minute — one on on inbound pass which led to an and-one for Brandin Podziemski, and the other a clean strip of Leonard when the Clips were down six and desperate to score.

“They had a great game plan,” Leonard said, per Thompson. “Just being physical all game. Making sure I don’t get catch-and-shoot shots. Blasting every pick and roll. … And then, you know, Draymond, Hall of Fame defender. So, yeah, it was hard to even get shots off.”

Green has long relished the chance to compete against — and beat —  the best players in the league, notes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

“There will never be a person that I would want to prove more to than myself,” said Green. “The same people that say I lost a step said I never had a step. They’re the same people that said I would never make it and I should be out the NBA and I ride a coattail. And the list goes on and on. Those are the same people. So ultimately, when you step on the floor, this is competition. You want to be your best.”

Here’s more on the Warriors, who will play at Phoenix on Friday to determine the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference:

• Curry shook off a rough first half (eight points on 2-of-9 shooting) and to deliver a sublime final two quarters, scoring 27 points (on 10-of-14 shooting) and dishing out four assists after halftime. The 38-year-old star showed why he was determined to return this season after a persistent right knee injury caused him to miss 27 consecutive games, as Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “This is why Steph came back,” Kerr told reporters in Inglewood. “So, everybody out there who thought Steph should have taken the rest of the year off, this is what he does! This is who he is! If he can compete, he’s going to compete. And it was just incredible to watch.”
• Curry and Green had plenty of help to win Wednesday’s game, with Gui Santos (20 points, six rebounds, five assists), Kristaps Porzingis (20 points, five rebounds five assists, two blocks) and Al Horford all delivering in key moments. Horford’s contributions may have been the most unexpected, per Nick Friedell of The Athletic — the veteran big man was 0-for-3 from three-point range entering the fourth quarter, then converted all four of his attempts down the stretch. “Steph was in my ear,” said Horford, who returned to action from a calf strain with two games left in the regular season. “Draymond was in my ear the whole time, giving me that confidence and letting me know that I do that, that I’m capable of (that). And for me, that was a special moment that I shared with them there, and with our season on the line, it was pretty fitting.”
• Porzingis is listed as questionable for Friday’s game due to right ankle soreness (Twitter link via Slater). The impending free agent center was “limping a bit” after Wednesday’s victory, Slater writes.
• According to Slater (Twitter video link), Kerr isn’t expected to make a decision about his coaching future in the immediate aftermath of whenever the Warriors’ season comes to an end. For what it’s worth, Golden State’s longtime coach, who is on expiring contract, was euphoric after Wednesday’s win. “There’s a reason we have four championships,” Kerr said, per Slater. “With all the wins we’ve ever had here — a lot of them with a lot more at stake — this is right up there. Just because of where we are and our age and the decline of our performance this year and our injuries. It was just a beautiful display of competitive will.”
• In an interview with Mark Medina of RG.org, Gary Payton II discusses playing with Curry and Green and the news that Seattle is being considered for an expansion team. Payton, the son of SuperSonics legend Gary Payton, was born in the Emerald City. “It’s about time. Hopefully, I can get there before my career is over and put on a Sonics jersey,” the younger Payton said. “We’ll see how it plays out. But if not, it’ll be good to go up there and see some games.”

Following an unceremonious end to a turbulent season, the Clippers’ next steps are unclear. A league source tells Murray that head coach Tyronn Lue – under contract through 2029 – isn’t going anywhere this offseason, and neither is the team’s new point guard of the present and future, Darius Garland. But beyond that, everything is in flux.

Kawhi Leonard‘s future, which he declined to discuss after Wednesday’s loss, is the biggest question mark hanging over the franchise. A league source tells Murray that the Clippers don’t believe the NBA’s investigation into Leonard’s alleged no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration will result in a significant punishment for the franchise — or in the star forward’s contract being voided. But even if that’s the case, Leonard will have to be traded or extended in order to avoid having him play out an expiring contract in 2026/27.

And beyond Leonard, there are several decisions facing the Clippers up and down their roster. John Collins, whom Murray describes as a good locker room fit, will be an unrestricted free agent, while newcomer Bennedict Mathurin is entering restricted free agency. The team holds options on Brook Lopez, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nicolas Batum, Jordan Miller, and Kobe Sanders, while defensive aces Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. will be eligible for extensions.

As the Clippers prepare for an eventful offseason, here are a few notes on the club:

• Garland, who underwent surgery on his left big toe last offseason and sprained his right big toe earlier in the season, said on Wednesday that he has been playing on “nine toes,” per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Garland explained, the right toe feels fine now, but the left one has remained an issue. The guard’s goal this offseason is to “get healthy.”
• Previewing the Clippers’ summer, ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggests that adding frontcourt help and acquiring a play-maker to back up Garland should be priorities for the club. Marks also points out that operating as an under-the-cap team is a possibility, though it would require L.A. to part ways with several role players, so operating above the cap seems more likely. The Clippers should have more than enough flexibility to re-sign Mathurin and use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception if Collins isn’t re-signed, Marks adds.
• Over four months after the Clippers announced they were parting ways with him, Chris Paul wasn’t shedding any tears when their season ended on Wednesday. As Murray notes (via Twitter), the veteran point guard posted the “I stopped by one of my biggest hater’s funeral” meme on his Instagram account shortly after L.A. was eliminated.

It will be Denver’s second time playing in Mexico and Indiana’s first. The matchup will mark the league’s 35th game in the country since 1992, per the release.

The Nuggets, who are the third seed in the Western Conference entering the 2025/26 playoffs, won their first NBA championship in 2023. The Pacers, meanwhile, came one win away from claiming their first title last year.

This will be the third straight year in which the annual Mexico City game will occur during the week of Día de Muertos (“Day of the Dead”) celebrations. As usual, the contest will take place at the Arena CDMX.

We’ll likely have to wait a few months until the full schedules for 2026/27 are revealed, but we can mark Nov. 7 down for the Nuggets and Pacers.

Sam Amick of The Athletic recently asked Mitchell how he would feel about signing a long-term deal with the Cavaliers, and the 29-year-old guard had nothing but good things to say about the organization.

“I love Cleveland. I’ve said it before: I want to play here for as long as I can,” Mitchell told The Athletic. “And the goal is to win — as long as we’re continuing to win at the highest level. But I love it, man. It’s a place that I feel like I can call home, you know what I mean? And I feel good. My fiance (singer/songwriter and actress Coco Jones) feels good about it.

“… The Cleveland life — I love it. I’m good. Now, the basketball just has to continue to be right where it’s been. This organization has shown time and time again that they’re willing to do whatever it takes, and that’s what you want.”

Amick’s exclusive interview with Mitchell covers his preexisting relationship with James Harden (both represent Adidas), when Mitchell learned of the trade talks with the Clippers, how Mitchell felt about the state of the team leading up to the Harden deal, and more. When asked about a report that Mitchell used his contract status to pressure the Cavs to make a move, the seven-time All-Star denied that was the case.

“I’ve said this many times, Sam, and I don’t know why people don’t believe me,” Mitchell said. “But I really like it here. There’s also a business component (that) people just don’t understand. Like, I did an interview with (The Athletic’s) Joe (Vardon) the other day, and that s–t I was talking about with the food was real. 

“My thing is, this s–t is real. I don’t know why — I mean, I know why — but people can’t fathom the fact that I’m really enjoying it here. And when I’m talking about Cleveland, I’m talking about the organization. I felt like, okay, yes, there was a business (discussion about the Harden trade), like ‘Yes, let’s do this.’ But I never went to them and was like, ‘Yo, let’s do this.’ And that’s why I appreciated it, because this was on them.”

As Amick observes, Harden and Mitchell are two of the more accomplished active players who have never won a championship despite making the playoffs each season of their respective careers. Mitchell told Amick he and Harden both plan to “do whatever it f—ing takes to win” their first title this season.

“I don’t want to say it’s his last shot, or my last shot, either. But it’s our best shot,” Mitchell said of Harden. “There’s a reason why he chose here. He sees it. We know what we’ve gotta do. Now, how do we do it? Him and I are gonna be fine. We’re gonna stagger our minutes. We’re gonna do all that, and then in crunch time we all know.

“(But) how are we going to get (Sam Merrill involved)? How we gonna get J.A. (Jarrett Allen), Evan (Mobley), Max (Strus), Keon (Ellis), Dennis (Schröder), everybody, around to gel and fit, you know what I mean? And the best part about (Harden) was that when you have a guy come in, and he’s like ‘Don, this is your team, bro.’ Then you go do your thing. You feel comfortable to be like, ‘Alright, bet.”

Amick’s conversation with Mitchell is worth reading in full for Cavaliers fans who subscribe to The Athletic.

Jones, one of nearly three-dozen people arrested in connection to a federal investigation into illegal sports gambling, was accused of profiting from a rigged poker game and of providing inside information to sports bettors. Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was also arrested and charged in the former case, while Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested and charged in the latter.

Jones, one of three defendants named in each of the two indictments, originally pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy in both cases last November. However, he has decided to change his plea. According to Vorkunov, Jones is due to appear in a federal court in Brooklyn on April 28, though Sisak says his change-of-plea hearing is scheduled for May 6.

While Jones never held a formal coaching position with the Lakers, he’s a longtime friend of LeBron James who was often around the team and would occasionally fly with the players to road games. Federal prosecutors have accused Jones of using his access to sell non-public information to gamblers, most notably in relation to a game on February 9, 2023 between the Lakers and Bucks, which James sat out. Jones allegedly sent a text message to an unnamed co-conspirator that read, “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

• The NBA is engaged in talks with Kalshi and Polymarket about a potential prediction-market deal, reports Ben Horney of Front Office Sports. Sources tell Horney that the NBA would like to gain a measure of control over which markets are permitted and wants to ensure there are mechanisms in place to “monitor suspicious trading patterns.” The NHL has already reached deals with Kalshi and Polymarket, while MLB agreed to an exclusive partnership with Polymarket.
• Although Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham were granted award eligibility on Thursday through the appeals process, the National Basketball Players Association would still like to see the 65-game rule eliminated or modified, according to Dan Woike, Sam Amick, and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. A league source tells The Athletic that the rule was initially proposed by the league and eventually accepted by the players’ union, but the NBPA no longer supports it.
• Eric Nehm and Fred Katz of The Athletic takes a look at the top first-time head coaching candidates from around the NBA, including Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney, Heat assistant Chris Quinn, and Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, among several others.
• The NBA announced this week that it boasted impressive viewership numbers in 2025/26, the first year of its new $76 billion media rights deal with Disney, Amazon, and NBC. As The Associated Press relays, the NBA said the average viewership of games across ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, NBC/Peacock, and NBA TV was up 35% from last season and reached its highest mark in 13 seasons. The league added that 170 million people in the U.S. watched NBA games on those four broadcast platforms this season, the highest total in 24 years and an 86% increase on last season’s total.

Morant’s trade value has fallen off drastically in recent years due to a combination of health issues, declining production, and off-court transgressions. However, even though he made just 20 appearances in 2025/26, the expectation is that the Grizzlies will be in better position to find a viable deal this offseason, per MacMahon and Wright — even if the return for the veteran guard will fall well short of what the team could’ve gotten a few years ago.

[RELATED: Grizzlies Plan To Trade Ja Morant In Offseason]

As MacMahon and Wright explain, there are a few factors that could help grease the wheels on a Morant deal in the coming months. For one, a suitor will likely feel comfortable about incorporating a ball-dominant player like Morant during the summer rather than midway through the season. Interested teams should also have more time during the offseason to conduct thorough background research on Morant, including going through his medical history.

Additionally, if Giannis Antetokounmpo is traded this summer, teams that miss out on the star forward may feel more compelled to pivot to a Plan B like Morant. And even if Antetokounmpo isn’t dealt, clubs who didn’t meet their expectations in 2025/26 could feel more pressure to roll the dice on a buy-low opportunity.

“There’s certainly going to be hesitation,” one Western Conference director of pro personnel told ESPN, “but there’s going to be several desperate teams.”

“There will be teams that will feel like they didn’t get what they wanted in the draft or free agency, and that’s when something could happen for Ja,” another West executive added.

Here’s more from MacMahon and Wright on Morant:

• Many rival executives were preparing for Morant to become available last offseason after the Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane and declined to engage in extension talks with the star point guard, MacMahon and Wright say. The belief that Morant’s time in Memphis is nearing an end only grew after he had an early-season disagreement head coach Tuomas Iisalo and was suspended for one game by the team. That suspension rubbed Morant the wrong way, according to ESPN’s reporters, who say he told “players around the league and some of his former coaches that he isn’t playing for Memphis anymore.”
• The return that the Hawks got when they traded Trae Young to Washington in January – CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, with no draft picks – is the type of package that many league executives view as “reasonable” for Morant, per ESPN’s duo.
• There’s a sense that the Kings could circle back to Morant during the summer if they don’t land a lead guard of the future with their lottery pick, sources familiar with the team’s thinking tell MacMahon and Wright.
• Some executives believe Morant – who is still just 26 years old – is a strong bounce-back candidate in the event of a trade. “Maybe I’m naive, but that type of talent doesn’t grow on trees,” one exec told ESPN. “Especially if he’s going to a different place and he’s motivated: ‘OK, I’ll show you guys.’ I could see some teams talking themselves into it, at least kicking the tires.”

The top six teams in each conference earn bonuses based on their regular season records, while the 16 playoff teams also receive a chunk of money from the playoff pool, increasing the value of their payout with each series win. That bonus money is divvied up among the players on each club’s 15-man roster.

Teams eliminated in the play-in tournament aren’t entitled to any of the playoff bonus money, even if they had the seventh- or eighth-best regular season record in their conference.

The breakdown for 2026’s playoff pool money is as follows (rounded to the nearest thousand), per Sportico:

Regular season achievements:

• Best record in NBA (Thunder): $896K
• No. 1 seeds in each conference (Pistons, Thunder): $784K per team
• No. 2 seeds (Celtics, Spurs): $628K per team
• No. 3 seeds (Knicks, Nuggets): $471K per team
• No. 4 seeds (Cavaliers, Lakers): $384K per team
• No. 5 seeds (Raptors, Rockets): $297K per team
• No. 6 seeds (Hawks, Timberwolves): $210K per team

Postseason achievements:

• Teams participating in first round (all 16 playoff teams — the 12 listed above, plus the Sixers, Trail Blazers, and Friday’s play-in winners): $481K per team
• Teams participating in conference semifinals (eight teams): $586K per team
• Teams participating in conference finals (four teams): $980K per team
• Losing team in NBA Finals: $3,921,000
• Winning team in NBA Finals: $9,078,000

A team that makes a deep playoff run will cash in on more than one of the bonuses listed above.

For example, if the Thunder win the championship, their payout from the playoff pool would be worth more than $12.8MM in total — that amount would include their bonuses for posting the NBA’s best record, claiming the West’s No. 1 seed, making the first round, making the conference semifinals, making the conference finals, and winning the NBA Finals.

The total amount of the playoff bonus pool, which is based on a formula connected to basketball-related income (BRI), is up 3% from last season, according to Badenhausen and Akabas.