Magic Notes: Black, F. Wagner, Morales, Isaac
Magic guard Anthony Black has a left lateral abdominal muscle strain, the team announced (via Twitter). Black underwent an MRI that showed the injury, and the timeline for his return will depend on his response to treatment.
Black left Saturday’s game at Minnesota after two minutes with what was originally diagnosed as a low back strain and was held out of Sunday’s contest at Milwaukee. He was fouled by Jaden McDaniels on a drive to the basket and grabbed at his back area. He briefly remained in the game before being taken to the locker room to get checked, Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel writes in a subscriber-only story.
Beede states that Black is a Most Improved Player candidate, averaging career-highs of 15.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals in his third NBA season.
The Magic also revealed that Franz Wagner continues to make progress in his recovery from a high ankle sprain, and his return will be determined by how the ankle responds to rehab. He has only been available for 28 games this season and has made just two appearances since January 18.
There’s more from Orlando:
- The Magic are entering one of their most important stretches of the season with six of their next eight games against teams that are battling for postseason position, Beede states in a separate story. Orlando has jumped into sixth place in the East with four straight wins, and Jalen Suggs believes the team has rediscovered its identity on defense. “Especially these last couple (games), guys aren’t going on crazy runs against us,” he said. “We’re doing a really good job of keeping it to seven, six (points) and under, and then doing a great job of responding to not let them get too much momentum rolling. Top to bottom, everybody’s doing a great job right now.”
- After spending four years in the G League, Alex Morales was surprised to receive a two-way contract from the Magic last month, Beede adds in another piece. The 28-year-old point guard made his NBA debut last week. “I’m super grateful,” Morales said. “This is what you work for. I’m super appreciative for the opportunity and I’m trusting in it. So, I’m going to continue to work hard for this organization.”
- Jonathan Isaac worked out a deal with to Magic to amend his salary protection for next season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Isaac has an $8MM guarantee on his $14.5MM salary for 2026/27, and it becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived by June 28.
Central Notes: Portis, Giannis, Buzelis, Huerter, Strus
Appearing on the Run It Back podcast (hat tip to Real GM), Bucks forward Bobby Portis said he believes it’s an even-money proposition on whether Giannis Antetokounmpo gets dealt this summer. There were weeks of intense trade rumors surrounding Antetokounmpo heading into the deadline, and that process is likely to resume during the offseason as Milwaukee hasn’t been able to make a strong push for a play-in spot.
“Uh, I’m at a five, bro. I’m right in the middle. … For real, it’s up in the air, man,” Portis told the hosts. “Obviously, just being here, our goal just isn’t to make the play-in, right? The goal isn’t to just make the playoffs. Since I’ve been here, since 2020 during the pandemic, the goal has always been championship. So, I don’t know what that outlook is for next year. I don’t know what (general manager) Jon (Horst) and his staff are going to put together to make the roster better, make us better, so we can compete for championships next year. I don’t know that.”
Portis added that questions about Antetokounmpo’s future have been part of every summer since 2020, except for the Bucks’ championship season. He expects speculation regarding Antetokounmpo to peak heading into the draft in late June.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Matas Buzelis is close to becoming the first Bulls player to finish with 100 blocks in a season in nearly a decade, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times notes in a subscriber-only story. The second-year forward ranks seventh in the league with 94 rejections and brings a much-needed element to the team’s defense. ‘‘I’m really good at timing the block and knowing when guys will try and finish when they’re going up,’’ Buzelis said. ‘‘It’s something I feel like I’ve had since I started playing basketball. I just try and translate it to the NBA. Obviously, it’s a little harder, but you’ve got to realize what guys do when they’re driving, how they finish. I feel like I’ve got the timing and the verticality. Straight up at the rim, it’s hard to finish over me since I’m so tall. But it’s definitely something I have.’’
- The Pistons misfired at the trade deadline by bringing in Kevin Huerter as their major addition, contends Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter video link). O’Connor points out that Detroit needed more shooting and a second creator on offense, but gave up Jaden Ivey for Huerter, who’s only averaging 13.6 minutes per night in eight games since the deal.
- Cavaliers wing Max Strus is moving closer to making his season debut, which could happen in the next week, Joe Vardon of The Athletic states in a story highlighting the work Strus’ foundation is doing to help children dealing with serious health issues.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, MPJ, Nets, Dick, Murray-Boyles
The short-handed Sixers continued to tumble down the Eastern Conference standings with Monday’s loss in Cleveland, but they haven’t given up hope of turning things around, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Philadelphia is currently in eighth place after dropping four of its last five games, and the schedule doesn’t ease up this week. However, players continue to believe things will improve once the stars get back on the court.
“We have, what, four of our five starters out?” Justin Edwards said. “We know that we have a chance when we have all of our guys.”
Joel Embiid, who has only played twice in the past month due to a strained right oblique, will be reevaluated after Tuesday’s game, according to Jones. Tyrese Maxey, who suffered a finger sprain over the weekend, wore a splint on Monday and will consult with a specialist later this week, coach Nick Nurse told reporters. Star rookie VJ Edgecombe continues to recover from a lumbar contusion, while Paul George has two weeks remaining on his 25-game suspension.
“We have to play hard, and we have to make more shots,” Cameron Payne said. “We have to do a better job of creating better shots for each other. That’s important for us. We need to go 1-0 every day. That’s the goal. We obviously are where we are in the standings, so we have to find a way to win. At the end of the day, that means getting stops and for us to keep playing together.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets face a major decision this summer on Michael Porter Jr., Brian Lewis of The New York Post notes in a subscriber-only piece. Porter, who has cooled down after a sensational first half of the season, will be eligible for an extension, and general manager Sean Marks will have to determine whether he’s worth a major investment or if it’s wiser for Brooklyn to get whatever it can in a trade. Sources have told Lewis that Porter has discussed his future with Marks and would like to remain with the Nets. Porter, who sat out Monday’s game, talked about his focus for the remainder of the season. “The motivation to make the playoffs might not be there,” he said, “but the motivation individually — as a player, as a person, to go out there and work on my skills, my leadership skills, and my individual things within the team — that’s still there. So, you can’t just throw away a season because you’re not making the playoffs.”
- Both teams were short-handed as the Nets defeated Memphis on Monday. The victory dropped Brooklyn to fourth in the lottery race, but players said they’re focused on trying to be successful rather than tanking, Lewis adds in a separate story. “We’re trying to win every game,” Day’Ron Sharpe said. “Nobody likes losing. So just always trying to win and always bring good energy.”
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic considers whether the Raptors should part with Gradey Dick this summer, the long-term future for Collin Murray-Boyles and other topics in a mailbag column.
Northwest Notes: SGA, Dort, Jokic, Jazz
On a night when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a chance to put his name alongside Wilt Chamberlain in the record books, he wound up doing a lot more than that, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points to match Chamberlain’s streak of 126 consecutive 20-point games that was set from 1961-63. He also handed out a career-high 15 assists with no turnovers, joining LeBron James as the only players ever to register a 35-15-0 line.
And SGA capped off the night by drilling a three-pointer in the closing seconds to give the Thunder a dramatic win over Denver. According to MacMahon, he celebrated with an unusual display of emotion, strutting around the court after the final buzzer and waving to the OKC crowd.
“I don’t even remember what I was saying,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters. “It just happened so fast. Yeah, it usually doesn’t happen, but tonight called for it.”
MacMahon notes that Gilgeous-Alexander has developed into one of the league’s top clutch-time performers. Monday marked his third shot this season to tie a game or put the Thunder ahead in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime, which is tied for the most in the league. He has eight go-ahead baskets in the final 10 seconds over the past five years, which is tops in the NBA.
“Just trusting my work, first and foremost, and then just reading the defense,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of Monday’s game-winner. “Obviously, they were sending two [defenders] basically the whole second half, and I knew if I wanted to get an attempt late, I would have to go quick, go fast. And the deeper I drove, the more bodies would come. Yeah, kind of had no choice.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Luguentz Dort committed another flagrant foul against Nuggets center Nikola Jokic on Monday, but the reaction from this one was less contentious than the incident 10 days ago that saw the Thunder forward get ejected, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN. Dort swung his left arm while trying to get around a Jokic screen and accidentally hit him in the face. He was whistled for a Flagrant 1 and later apologized to Jokic. “Just lost in the competition,” Dort said. “But shook his hand, [said] ‘great game’ and I apologized that that happened.”
- In a recent appearance on the X&O’s Chat podcast, Jokic said he intends to finish his career with the Nuggets, relays Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “I wouldn’t even like to imagine that,” he said of the possibility of ever leaving Denver. “I’ve found peace here. My two kids were born here, and my family is here. I’ve built a life. I love it here.” Jokic added that he wouldn’t consider playing in the EuroLeague when his time in the NBA is done.
- Kevin Reynolds of The Salt Lake Tribune assesses the chances of the Jazz holding onto this year’s first-round pick after they improved to 20-45 with Monday’s win over Golden State. The pick will convey to the Thunder if it falls outside the top eight, and Utah is relatively safe right now with the fifth-worst record in the league. However, the Jazz are only 1 1/2 games away from Dallas for seventh place, which would greatly increase the chances of dropping to ninth or worse in the lottery.
Pacific Notes: Porzingis, Dunleavy, I. Jackson, Fleming
Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis is optimistic he’ll be able to play more often to close the 2025/26 season, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN. After missing six games because of an illness, the Latvian big man returned to action on Saturday against Oklahoma City, finishing with nine points, five rebounds, five assists and a block in 23 minutes.
“I believe I will be healthy now,” Porzingis said. “This is what I really feel. Not to sell anything because I’ve been in and out, out again. But this time, I really feel this is it.”
Porzingis’ health issues date back to last season with the Celtics when he contracted a virus that limited his availability down the stretch. He told The Athletic prior to this season that he was eventually diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). The malady, combined with injury issues, limited him to 17 games with the Hawks before he was traded to Golden State last month.
“Especially getting traded somewhere else, I wanted to get out there as soon as possible,” Porzingis said. “Sitting out a couple games was stinging me a little bit. Today was OK. Feeling a little heavy, shot not in a good rhythm yet.”
As Slater notes, head coach Steve Kerr caused a stir last week when he said he was told Porzingis didn’t have POTS, calling it “misinformation.” Kerr later called it a “stupid mistake” to talk about Porzingis’ health.
“It wasn’t ideal,” Porzingis said of Kerr’s mix-up. “Because it put something out again, so people start talking again. I told Steve it was OK. I know he didn’t mean anything, didn’t want to create hype around my health. He just said what he knew at the moment.”
Veteran forward/center Draymond Green complimented Porzingis after Saturday’s loss, tweets Nick Friedell of The Athletic.
“The game’s a lot easier when he’s on the floor,” Green said.
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- Appearing on 95.7 FM’s Willard and Dibs show, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. explained his rationale for acquiring Porzingis, as Will Simonds of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. “I think the thought process for us on the trade was the opportunity to get a player of his quality, who, when healthy, is pretty good, pretty unique,” Dunleavy said in part. “Like, what he can do on the defensive end, what he can do on the offensive end. And then we had to calculate what we thought the ability and the chances of him being healthy and playing a bunch for us. We felt pretty good about that. We still do.” Porzingis is expected to play on Tuesday against Chicago after sitting out Monday’s loss at Utah.
- Clippers big man Isaiah Jackson is getting an opportunity to play after Yanic Konan Niederhauser was ruled out for the season due to a foot injury, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Head coach Tyronn Lue was pleased with Jackson’s performance after Saturday’s road victory in Memphis, when the the 24-year-old had 12 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and a block in 25 minutes. “Just how he plays hard. He plays hard and competes,” Lue said of Jackson, whom the Clippers acquired last month in a trade with Indiana. “He’s a guy that can switch and guard the basketball, offensive rebound, runs the floor, and can get behind the defense on pick-and-rolls. Tonight, like I said, it was just a game for him, and we needed his athleticism and his ability to switch. He did a good job for us.”
- Suns forward Rasheer Fleming hasn’t played much as a rookie this season, but the 31st overall pick in last year’s draft capitalized on his opportunity during Sunday’s win over Charlotte, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Fleming had a career-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in a career-high 23 minutes off the bench. “It was super impressive,” star guard Devin Booker said. “Just the willingness to wait for his moment and seize it. He’s still all ears and he still wants to learn more. He’s got a big effect on winning basketball games.“
Injury Notes: Prince, Collins, Pacers, Goodwin
Bucks forward Taurean Prince has been upgraded to questionable ahead of Tuesday’s matchup with Phoenix, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
It’s a surprising development, as Prince has been out since November after undergoing surgery to address a herniated disk in his neck. The Bucks applied for a disabled player exception in the wake of Prince’s injury, and NBA doctors determined he was more likely than not to be out through June 15, because Milwaukee was granted the DPE, per Eric Pincus of Sports Business Classroom.
While it’s unlikely the Bucks will use the $1,651,887 disabled player exception they received for Prince anyway, it’s worth noting that they would forfeit it if he’s active tomorrow. Incidentally, Tuesday is also the deadline for teams to use DPEs.
According to Nehm (Twitter link), Prince has been working out regularly on the court after practices and prior to games since he returned to the team following the surgery. The 31-year-old sent out a tweet indicating that he’s close to playing again.
Prince, a 10-year veteran, last played on November 4, Milwaukee’s eighth game of the season. He holds a $3.8MM player option for 2026/27.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Clippers expect John Collins to remain sidelined this week as he continues to deal with a neck strain, per Mark Medina (Twitter link). Collins, who last played on March 1, missed his fifth straight game on Monday. The 28-year-old power forward has done some on-court work, Medina adds. Collins will be a free agent this summer.
- The Pacers will be without All-Star forward Pascal Siakam (right knee sprain) and backup point guard T.J. McConnell (right hamstring soreness) on Tuesday against Sacramento, the team announced (via Twitter). Starting point guard Andrew Nembhard is also unlikely to suit up, having been listed as doubtful due to lower back and neck soreness.
- Suns guard Jordan Goodwin has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s game at Milwaukee, according to Gerald Bourguet of Suns After Dark (Twitter link). Goodwin, a tenacious rebounder and defender, has missed Phoenix’s last seven games due to a left calf strain. Grayson Allen (right knee injury management) is also questionable for the Suns.
Heat’s Pelle Larsson Reaches Starter Criteria
Heat wing Pelle Larsson made his 41st start of the season on Sunday, which means he has met the starter criteria ahead of potential restricted free agency, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.
If a player starts at least 41 games or logs at least 2,000 minutes in the season before he reaches restricted free agency – or averages 41 starts or 2,000 minutes during the two seasons prior to free agency – it increases the value of his qualifying offer, as we explain in more detail in a glossary entry.
Miami holds a $2.3MM team option on Larsson for 2026/27. If the team declines it to make him a restricted free agent, the value of Larsson’s qualifying offer would now be $5.91MM, as opposed to $2.66MM.
However, as our Luke Adams wrote a couple weeks ago in a Front Office article, since Larsson is only in his second NBA season, there’s little incentive for the Heat to decline his minimum-salary team option for ’26/27.
If he plays out his full contract, Larsson will still be eligible for restricted free agency next summer, since he’ll only have three years of NBA service at that time. So the Heat can deal with his next contract at that point, or at least negotiate an extension during the ’26/27 league year after they exercise that affordable option.
The 44th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Larsson has emerged as a solid rotation player for Miami in year two, making 54 appearances and averaging 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists (against 1.2 turnovers) in 25.1 minutes per game. His shooting slash line is .487/.324/.779.
Seth Curry To Return Monday For Warriors
Veteran guard Seth Curry will be active for Monday’s matchup at Utah, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr confirmed before the game (Twitter link via Nick Friedell of The Athletic).
Curry has been out for a little over three months due to sciatic nerve irritation (sciatica) on his left side. He has been upgraded to available on tonight’s injury report after previously being listed as probable.
A 12-year veteran, Curry has been limited to two games with Golden State since he re-signed with the club on December 1. The 35-year-old spent training camp and the preseason with the Warriors but was waived ahead of the 2025/26 regular season because his veteran’s minimum salary couldn’t fit under the team’s second-apron hard cap at the time.
Curry appeared in two games with the Warriors prior to the injury. The 35-year-old had 14 points (on 6-of-7 shooting), two rebounds, two assists and a steal in 18 minutes in his debut on December 2, then had zero points (on 0-of-2 shooting), two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 14 minutes on Dec. 4. He hasn’t played since.
The 6’1″ combo guard is the younger brother of Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, but the two have yet to play a game together this season, notes Kevin Borba of NBC Sports Bay Area. The elder Curry continues to be sidelined with a right knee injury.
Moses Moody (right wrist sprain) and Will Richard (right ankle sprain) remain out Monday for Golden State. Veteran big men Al Horford (left toe injury management) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness management) are out as well, but Kerr is optimistic they’ll both be available for Tuesday’s home game vs. Chicago, per Friedell.
Disabled Player Exceptions For 2025/26 Expire On Tuesday
A series of disabled player exceptions granted to teams earlier in the 2025/26 season will expire on Tuesday if they go unused. The annual deadline to use a disabled player exception is March 10.
We go into more detail on who qualifies for disabled player exceptions and how exactly they work in our glossary entry on the subject. But essentially, if a team has a player suffer a season-ending injury prior to January 15, the exception gives that team the opportunity to add an injury replacement by either signing a player to a one-year contract, trading for a player in the final year of his contract, or placing a waiver claim on a player in the final year of his contract.
Here are the teams whose DPEs will expire if they aren’t used on by the end of the day on Tuesday, per Eric Pincus of Sports Business Classroom:
- Chicago Bulls: $2,714,760 (Noa Essengue) (story)
- Dallas Mavericks: $2,626,680 (Dereck Lively II) (story)
- Houston Rockets: $12,500,000 (Fred VanVleet) (story)
- Indiana Pacers: $14,104,000 (Tyrese Haliburton) (story)
- Los Angeles Clippers: $2,677,000 (Bradley Beal) (story)
- Milwaukee Bucks: $1,651,887 (Taurean Prince) (story)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: $2,327,520 (Thomas Sorber) (story)
- Washington Wizards: $1,769,880 (Cam Whitmore) (story)
The Mavericks were granted a second disabled player exception worth $1,148,137 for Dante Exum‘s season-ending knee injury, but forfeited it when they dealt Exum to Washington at the trade deadline.
Since the trade deadline has passed and the only player currently on waivers has a major knee injury, there’s essentially just one way left for teams with disabled player exceptions to use them: signing a free agent. However, that seems unlikely, given that there are no free agents on the buyout market who would warrant a contract worth more than the veteran’s minimum.
In other words, these exceptions will, in all likelihood, expire on Tuesday without being used. Assuming that happens, no team will have used a disabled player exception this season.
Disabled player exceptions have never been used with much frequency, but the fact that mid-level and bi-annual exceptions can now be used to acquire players via trade or waiver claim has further reduced their importance. This is the second season the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions could be utilized in that manner.
And-Ones: Extensions, Draft Sleepers, Edwards, Partizan
In a subscriber-only story for The Third Apron, Yossi Gozlan takes a look at 11 players around the NBA who are currently eligible for veteran contract extensions.
According to Gozlan, Spurs wing Julian Champagnie has been a complete bargain on his current deal and should be in line for a considerable raise. San Antonio holds a $3MM team option on Champagnie for 2026/27, which the team would have to decline to extend him.
As Gozlan writes, the maximum the 24-year-old could receive on an extension would be $87MM over four years. Gozlan suggests a four-year deal in the $75-76MM range could be a reasonable compromise for both sides.
Gozlan also projects extensions for Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (two years, $24MM) and Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (exact same structure), among others.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- John Hollinger of The Athletic lists nine of his favorite sleepers ahead of the 2026 draft. Hollinger acknowledges that some of the players on his list, including Santa Clara forward Allen Graves and Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie, may decide to return for another college season in 2026/27. A couple other sleepers Hollinger mentions (Corey Camper and Emanuel Sharp) will be automatically draft-eligible, as they’re both fifth-year seniors.
- Former NBA big man Jesse Edwards, who spent last season on a two-way deal with the Timberwolves, is in advanced talks with Spanish club Baskonia about a rest-of-season contract, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. The Dutch center played for Melbourne United in Australia in 2025/26, averaging 13.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 1.1 BPG in 35 games (22.4 MPG).
- In an extensive interview with Milun Nesovic of Serbian outlet Meridian Sport, Partizan Belgrade president Ostoja Mijailovic discussed a number of current and former NBA players, as Eurohoops and Sportando relay. The Sixers were limited to offering Partizan $875K as part of a buyout for Cameron Payne, yet the EuroLeague club received $1.75MM in that agreement. According to Mijailovic, the remaining $875K came from Payne himself. Mijailovic confirmed Partizan forward Isaac Bonga received NBA interest last month, but the team had the option to decline the $875K buyout it was offered for Bonga and did so because it values him. However, the former second-round pick could be on the move this summer, as Partizan will no longer have the option to turn down a buyout offer for Bonga once ’25/26 ends.
- Mijailovic also expressed regret for the lucrative deals given to Jabari Parker and Shake Milton, and said the team remains fond of Dante Exum, who was waived by Washington last month after being traded by Dallas. Exum hasn’t played at all this season due to a knee injury. “It is certainly our desire to bring back players who left a mark at Partizan and who can help the team on the court,” Mijailovic said, per Eurohoops. “Exum is one of the players we all adored, and we still adore him.”