“We met about seven weeks ago, me and (Bucks) ownership,” Rivers said (hat tip to Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports). “We had a great meeting. They asked me what I wanted to do. One of the owners says one plan is, ‘If we do this, you can hang in there for a year or two.’ I literally said, ‘Oh, no, no, no.’

“I told my coaches, I’m done. I loved coaching. Loved it. I had a lot of success at it, had way more ups than downs. But at the end of the day, I’ve given 47 years or whatever, I don’t even know how old I am … with no off time. I just wanted a break. I want to get away. The grandkids and just life in general, man. Right now, I can tell you, Bill, I think it was time, so I’d be surprised if I coached another game, I’ll put it that way.”

Rivers, who will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later this year, compiled a 1194-866 regular season mark (.580) over the course of 27 seasons as an NBA head coach.

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

• Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports and Tim Bontemps of ESPN have released their full 2026 NBA awards ballots. While both media members have the same top-five finishers for Most Valuable Player, with Luka Doncic fourth and Cade Cunningham fifth, the order of the three finalists are different. O’Connor has Victor Wembanyama as his MVP, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, whereas Bontemps had SGA winning his second straight MVP award, with Jokic the runner-up and Wembanyama in third.
• In another story for Yahoo Sports, O’Connor lists his playoff X-factors for every team competing in the postseason. Celtics center Neemias Queta, Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson and Spurs guard Dylan Harper are a few of the players mentioned.
• The Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA) has named Spurs center Wembanyama the winner of the Magic Johnson award for the 2025/26 season, per a press release. The award “honors the NBA player who best combines excellence on the court with cooperation and grace in dealing with the media and fans.” Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) was the runner-up for the second straight season, while Stephen Curry (Warriors), Jaylen Brown (Celtics) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) were the other finalists.
• Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has purchased a stake in the Metropolitans 92, Wembanyama’s former team in France, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “I’m excited about how this first season with the Metros is going,” Morant told ClutchPoints. “They represent the culture, just like we do. I like what we are building and hopefully we get to take it into NBA Europe.” Morant made the investment alongside his media and business venture company, Catch12.

As Rankin observes, Williams missed 15 consecutive games late in the regular season after sustaining a stress reaction in his left foot. Head coach Jordan Ott said the foot was bothering the fourth-year big man in the third quarter of Tuesday’s play-in loss to Portland.

“Just flared up,” Ott said. “Now we’re just waiting for the inflammation to calm down.”

Second-year center Oso Ighodaro will start in place of Williams (Twitter link via the team).

Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis also entered Friday’s game with a questionable tag. While his right ankle was “clearly bothering him” during warmups, the Latvian big man will suit up tonight, as Anthony Slater of ESPN reports (via Twitter).

Allen is under contract for two more years, while Williams (restricted) and Porzingis (unrestricted) are both heading for free agency this summer. Porzingis is also extension-eligible through June 30.

“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Frank said. “We obviously showed as an organization that we want to continue and we are driven to win. So, at the appropriate time, we’ll sit down with Kawhi, and very similar to 2024, lay out our plan. And if our goals are aligned, then we’d like to win with Kawhi.”

The two-time Finals MVP is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $50.3MM in 2026/27. He’ll be eligible this offseason to sign a two-year extension.

As Rhim notes, the Clippers made a couple major trades ahead of the February deadline, sending James Harden to Cleveland for Darius Garland and Ivica Zubac to Indiana for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and two first-round picks. Frank thinks those moves put the team in a better position to contend in the future.

“I think we do have great hope and optimism with our future,” he said. “Because as we build that bridge from competitive to contender, we’ve put ourselves in a very good position with emerging young players, draft capital and cap space going forward.”

Here’s more on the Clippers:

• Law Murray of The Athletic passes along several more quotes from Frank’s 45-minute press conference. The longtime executive confirmed head coach Tyronn Lue, who is under contract until 2029, isn’t going anywhere, as Murray previously reported. “I thought Ty and the staff did an unbelievable job of, every day, showing up with a great spirit, and just kept at it,” Frank said. “Ty’s an incredible coach, an incredible partner. And one of the characteristics we look for, not just in staff, but also in players, are people who are driven to improve. And all of us, you know, are very much driven to improvement.”
• Frank also doubled down on comments he made at the beginning of 2025/26, expressing confidence that the NBA’s investigation into Leonard’s alleged no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration will result in a significant punishment for the franchise. “If you know (owner) Steve (Ballmer) and know Steve’s integrity, you know there’s nothing to it,” Frank said. “And I can’t comment on the investigation, but I will stand by what I said up here back in September, October, whenever it was, that, you know, we believe and we’re very confident we’re on the right side of this.”
• Frank said he’d like to see Garland focus on adding strength to his frame in addition to getting healthy after dealing with a nagging toe injury for most of the last year, Murray writes. “The offseason is the time where you can make great gains with your body,” Frank said. “And I think when you look at the — in this league — smaller guards who have been able to excel, it’s the strength part of it.”
• Frank said the team needs to improve its rebounding, secondary ball-handling and shooting, according to Murray, who points out that Frank made similar comments last year.
• Determining Leonard’s future, finding a workable contract with Mathurin, who will be a restricted free agent, and looking for a new starting center should be the Clips’ top three priorities entering the offseason, per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.

Several staff members have been informed they won’t be brought back for next season, according to Dua, who says a “significant portion” of the basketball operations, coaching, and medical departments were either on expiring contracts or had team options. New Orleans decided to go in a different direction as the team begins “restructuring” and “reorganizing” those three key departments, Dua adds.

In a full story at his Substack, Dua reports that assistant coaches Casey Hill and Corey Brewer were among the “more than a dozen” employees who won’t return in 2026/27.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line confirms Dua’s report (via Twitter), writing that “sweeping” organizational changes were made on Friday. As Fischer notes, the Pelicans have commenced a search for a new head coach and several positions on the coaching staff will be available once the lead coach has been hired.

Dua hears Nuggets assistant Jared Dudley is a name to watch in the Pelicans’ coaching search (Twitter link).

The Pelicans are entering their second offseason under executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars, who was hired last April. There have been rumors that Dumars has taken a hands-off approach as a decision-maker, with senior VP of basketball operations and general manager Troy Weaver believed to be behind last summer’s trades for Jordan Poole and Derik Queen.

While Edwards’ status suggests he may or may not play tomorrow, he was doing on-court work after Friday’s practice, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic “fully expects” the 24-year-old shooting guard to suit up on Saturday (Twitter link).

Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

• Starting center Moussa Diabate (left hip soreness) has been upgraded from questionable to available for Friday’s contest at Orlando, the Hornets announced (Twitter link). As we noted in our poll this morning, the winners of tonight’s play-in games will advance as the No. 8 seeds in their respective conferences, with the losers being eliminated from postseason contention.
• Raptors point guard Immanuel Quickley is questionable for Game 1 at Cleveland on Saturday, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Quickley, who was already battling right foot plantar fasciitis, strained his right hamstring in Toronto’s regular season finale vs. Brooklyn on April 12. The 26-year-old said he wasn’t sure if the injuries were related, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). “Just day-to-day. Trying to take care of myself so I can be back on the floor with my teammates,” Quickley said.
• Cavaliers backup center Thomas Bryant, who missed the last four games of the regular season due to a left calf strain, has been ruled out of Saturday’s game vs. Toronto, per the league’s official injury report. The veteran big man, who will be a free agent this summer, averaged 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per game across 60 appearances in 2025/26. His shooting slash line was .506/.359/.803.

Schmidt’s family released a statement that said the 6’8″ forward battled a brain tumor for 15 years “with courage, dignity and resilience … while remaining a role model of determination, generosity and love of life.”

“Oscar leaves a legacy that transcends sport and inspires generations of athletes and admirers in Brazil and worldwide.”

Schmidt was selected by the Nets in the sixth round of the 1984 draft, but he never played in the NBA, deciding instead to continue representing the Brazilian national team in international competitions. As Savarese notes, at the time players had to choose between playing in the NBA or for their countries.

“The biggest player of Brazilian basketball history bids farewell as an absolute symbol of sport, the holder of a trajectory that redefined the boundaries of what was possible in a court,” the Brazil Basketball Confederation said in a statement. “His death closes an era. But his greatness remains.”

Schmidt, who retired in 2003 at 45, is one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history. Known as “Mão Santa” (Holy Hand), Schmidt led Brazil to a major upset over the United States in the final of the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, scoring 46 points in the victory. He is the all-time leading scorer in Olympic and World Cup competitions and holds the single-game scoring records in both tournaments, according to Savarese.

We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Schmidt’s family and friends.

“The way he treats people makes you feel like you are part of a family,” Splitter said of Popovich, who retired from coaching last May as the NBA’s all-time winningest coach after leading the Spurs to five NBA titles and six trips to the Finals in 29 seasons.

“That’s really what I am trying to do here,” Splitter continued. “I have everybody involved. From one to 18 on the roster, everybody has to be part of this. I think that is what I learned most from him, the off-the-court stuff. The Xs and Ox, yeah, they are important. I think everybody does that in the league. But the relationship part with the players is what really, really separates Pop from all the coaches.”

As Orsborn points out, multiple reports have suggested Splitter isn’t a lock to be promoted to Portland’s full-time head coach despite taking over under difficult — and extraordinary — circumstances and helping the team exceed expectations in 2025/26.

Here’s more from the Nortwhest:

• After expressing optimism earlier this week that Nuggets forwards Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones could both be available for Saturday’s Game 1 matchup vs. Minnesota, head coach David Adelman said on Friday that Jones has a better chances of suiting up than Watson, tweets Brendan Vogt of DNVR Sports. Both players are recovering from right hamstring strains — Watson has been out since April 1, while Jones suffered his injury on March 29.
• Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault continued to improve in 2025/26 after leading the team to the championship last season, according to star swingman Jalen Williams (subscriber-only story via Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman). While Daigneault may not be a finalist for Coach of the Year after leading Oklahoma City to the best record in the league for the second straight season, his players continue to sing his praises, Carlson writes. “And I think especially for us this season, it’s been big because coming off winning a championship, winning however many games, the margins are small for where you can find improvement,” veteran Alex Caruso said. “But I think he’s done a great job of searching for it and pushing us to try and find some ways to get better as well.”
• Will Jazz head coach Will Hardy show a different side of himself next season after guiding a tanking team over the past four years? Sarah Todd of The Deseret News explores that subject, writing that third-year guard Keyonte George expects Hardy to be a little more intense in 2026/27. “Oh, absolutely,” George said with a knowing laugh and shake of his head. “Will is already a maniac and he’s gonna have his moments. But I know Will, and I know he wants the best for us, so whatever that looks like from Will — I know there’ll be a lot of screaming and yelling — it’s gonna make us great.”

“It was definitely a rude awakening,” Turner said. “It was difficult throughout the year, obviously, with all the injuries and whatnot. But one thing I was really encouraged by was, honestly, the spirit of all of the guys, man. I feel like, especially on the players’ side, guys had the right approach, and that’s made it more easy to go about the days for myself. It’s obviously been a rough adjustment, but I think that kind of just comes with anything new.”

As Nehm points out, Turner isn’t the kind of player who generates his own shots on offense, so the fact that two of Milwaukee’s primary play-makers – Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Porter Jr. – were injured for large chunks of the season made it difficult for the big man to find his rhythm in the offense. For his part, Turner wonders if he should have done more to advocate for a role that he could’ve had more success in.

“It wasn’t easy,” Turner said. “I don’t want to throw Doc (Rivers) under the bus and say he said, ‘Myles, you’re not allowed to do this,’ or, ‘Myles, you’re not allowed to do that.’ I think a lot of it was me, maybe being a little passive and kind of acquiescing to others when I could’ve stepped up in a different role quicker for myself. But I do think there is a push and pull. It goes both ways. You could put me in a better position to be successful, and then I could be a little more assertive in ways that I have been in the past. There was definitely a lot of frustration on both ends. I think the frustration came more from not figuring it out fast enough, kind of just sinking.”

If the Bucks decide to move Antetokounmpo this offseason, it may have a ripple effect on Turner, who could join Giannis on the trade block in the event of a full-scale rebuild. For now though, he’s planning on finishing out his contract in Milwaukee.

“I did sign a four-year deal, and with that being said, I plan to honor it, that commitment,” Turner said. “All I can do is kind of sit here and wait for direction and go out there and voice my opinion during exit meetings and whatnot. I think we’re in wait-and-see-what-happens mode right now as opposed to what can happen.”

Here’s more from across the Central:

• Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was happy to learn on Thursday that Cade Cunningham has been ruled award-eligible despite not meeting the 65-game criteria, as Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press relays. “He deserves it, you know what I mean?” Bickerstaff said. “That’s what you don’t want to see happen is things taken away from guys that are completely out of their control. I think the league did the right thing.”
• In an in-depth feature for Andscape, Marc J. Spears examines the path Trajan Langdon took to the Pistons‘ president of basketball operations position and the role he has played in the team’s renaissance since being hired in 2024. Within the story, Langdon explained why he didn’t want to do anything too drastic at the trade deadline despite the possibility that Detroit could be just one piece away from a title. “I want to see our guys continue to grow, give them room to grow,” Langdon said. “I didn’t want to do anything that could impact that.”
• After being acquired at the trade deadline, center Ivica Zubac was only able to play in five games for the Pacers before a rib fracture ended his season. Still, he says he “got a feel for how this team wants to play” during that time, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star details (subscription required). “About the pace, about defensive coverages, about defensive rotations,” he said. “Offensively, where they want me to be, what they want me to do. It definitely helped. I wish it was more games, for sure, to get a better feel for it. (But) I kind of understood what they want from me.”
• Playing for a 17-65 team was a new experience for Pacers forward Jarace Walker, who had never been part of a losing team since he began playing basketball. And while he didn’t enjoy all that losing, the third-year forward did take a major step forward individually over the course of the season, Dopirak writes for The Star (subscription required). “I’ll never take this year for granted because I’ve grown so much throughout this season,” said Walker, who averaged a career-high 25.7 minutes per game and made 41 starts before becoming extension-eligible this July. “That’s because I was able to play through mistakes, play with different lineups, play with different people that I’ve never played with before. It’s been beautiful. It’s been a blessing in disguise for sure.”

This is the ninth year we’ve run these polls. Our voters finished below .500 in the first three years, went above .500 for the next four, and then dropped to 13-17 a year ago. Was 2025/26 a bounce-back season? Let’s check in on the results and find out…

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

• New York Knicks (over 53.5 wins): ❌ (53-29)
• Boston Celtics (over 42.5 wins): ✅ (56-26)
• Philadelphia 76ers (under 42.5 wins): ❌ (45-37)
• Toronto Raptors (over 37.5 wins): ✅ (46-36)
• Brooklyn Nets (over 20.5 wins): ❌ (20-62)

Central

• Cleveland Cavaliers (over 56.5 wins): ❌ (52-30)
• Detroit Pistons (over 46.5 wins): ✅ (60-22)
• Milwaukee Bucks (over 42.5 wins): ❌ (32-50)
• Indiana Pacers (over 37.5 wins): ❌ (19-63)
• Chicago Bulls (over 32.5 wins): ❌ (31-51)

Southeast

• Orlando Magic (over 51.5 wins): ❌ (45-37)
• Atlanta Hawks (over 47.5 wins): ❌ (46-36)
• Miami Heat (over 37.5 wins): ✅ (43-39)
• Charlotte Hornets (over 27.5 wins): ✅ (44-38)
• Washington Wizards (under 21.5 wins): ✅ (17-65)

Eastern Conference record: 6-9

Our voters were burned for the most part here by their overconfidence in the Central Division, where we took the “over” on all five teams. Only the Pistons came through, while the Cavaliers and Bulls fell a little short of their projections and the Bucks and Pacers fell way short, enduring forgettable seasons.

Some bad luck in the Atlantic, where the Knicks and Nets each missed out on their “over” by a single win, helped solidify a losing record in the East.

Western Conference

Northwest

• Oklahoma City Thunder (over 62.5 wins): ✅ (64-18)
• Denver Nuggets (over 53.5 wins): ✅ (54-28)
• Minnesota Timberwolves (over 49.5 wins): ❌ (49-33)
• Portland Trail Blazers (over 34.5 wins): ✅ (42-40)
• Utah Jazz (over 18.5 wins): ✅ (22-60)

Pacific

• Los Angeles Clippers (under 48.5 wins): ✅ (42-40)
• Los Angeles Lakers (under 48.5 wins): ❌ (53-29)
• Golden State Warriors (over 46.5 wins): ❌ (37-45)
• Sacramento Kings (over 34.5 wins): ❌ (22-60)
• Phoenix Suns (under 31.5 wins): ❌ (45-37)

Southwest

• Houston Rockets (over 52.5 wins): ❌ (52-30)
• San Antonio Spurs (over 44.5 wins): ✅ (62-20)
• Dallas Mavericks (over 41.5 wins): ❌ (26-56)
• Memphis Grizzlies (under 39.5 wins): ✅ (25-57)
• New Orleans Pelicans (under 30.5 wins): ✅ (26-56)

Western Conference record: 8-7

Unlike in the Central, our voters’ bullishness on the Northwest’s teams was rewarded. We came a single Timberwolves win away from going five-for-five by taking the over on every single team in the division.

That success in the Northwest helped our voters stay over .500 in the West despite a 1-4 mark in the Pacific, where the Lakers and Suns overachieved and the Warriors and Kings went in the other direction.

Overall record: 14-16

It was a slight improvement on last season’s results, but our voters finished just below .500 for a second consecutive season. On the plus side, we were on top of several of this season’s breakout or surprise teams, having taken the “over” on the Pistons, Celtics, Hornets, and Spurs.

Looking back at the preseason projections, along with your predictions, which team surprised or disappointed you the most? Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

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.”