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Magic Notes: F. Wagner, Carter, Banchero, FA Targets

April 12th, 2024 at 7:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Magic forward Franz Wagner, who has missed the past two games with a sprained right ankle, returned to action on Friday in Philadelphia in a matchup with major playoff implications (Twitter link via the team).

Wagner is a critical piece for Orlando, having averaged 19.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.8 APG and 1.0 SPG through 70 games (32.4 MPG). Orlando has a 43-27 record with the 22-year-old in the starting lineup, but has gone just 3-7 in games he has missed.

The No. 8 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Wagner will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.

Here are a few more notes on the Magic:

While Wagner’s return was a positive development, center Wendell Carter Jr. picked up a pair of early fouls defending Joel Embiid and was wincing when he exited the court in the first quarter, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Carter is questionable to return to the game due to back spasms, according to the Magic (Twitter link).
2022 No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero achieved his preseason goal of becoming an All-Star, and he would be thrilled if he earns a spot on an All-NBA team, he told Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. “Honestly, this year was more … I was trying to be an All-Star,” Banchero said. “But if (All-NBA) was to happen, that would be awesome. It’s an exclusive club, you know what I mean?“
As Fischer writes, Banchero has developed nicely in his second season, becoming a better screen-setter both on and off the ball as well as a more advanced play-maker. “That was something that really took on itself this year. Understanding that it starts with me, it starts with Franz,” Banchero said. “Just everyone understanding their role and how important their role is. We need everybody. There have been games where (Jonathan Isaac) has single-handedly shut down a guy, and it’s lifted us to get a win. There’s been times where I’ve had to score the last 18 points of the game just to keep us afloat. There’s been times where Franz took over. Where Jalen (Suggs) took over. We just need everybody. I think it’s translating into a lot of success.”
In the same story, Fischer cites league sources who say rival teams expect Orlando to target shooters and scorers like Warriors wing Klay Thompson or Kings guard Malik Monk in free agency. Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, who covers Golden State, recently said it was “one of the worst-kept secrets in the league” that the Magic may offer Thompson “a ton of money” this offseason.

Jazz Notes: Zanik, Future, Markkanen, Hardy, Lofton

April 12th, 2024 at 6:02pm CST by Rory Maher

Speaking to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscriber link) last week, general manager Justin Zanik said the dearth of appealing options in free agency will have the Jazz looking upgrade via the trade market this offseason.

“If you study the free agent trends — and this is not unique to the Jazz, this is every other team that’s not on a coast — that the actual depth and quality of the free agents is not great, and it’s not going to get any better,” Zanik said. “That doesn’t mean it’s completely out, but it’s just not going to be a main driver of how you build teams. The main driver of how you’re building teams is developing your players and adding by trade.

“We’re in a more unique position than some other teams that are faced with the same free agent list that we’re looking at,” he continued. “Not only just the flexibility we have but just the multiple assets we have to deal.”

The Jazz have several additional future first-round picks from Minnesota and Cleveland due to the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell trades, Larsen notes. Zanik made clear Utah is looking to add star players who may find themselves at odds with their current teams in the future.

“We’ve talked before about trying to predict the NBA drama that happens,” Zanik said. “You just sit there and wait for it to come, but we’re ready.”

Here’s more on the Jazz:

Star forward Lauri Markkanen turns 27 next month, meaning he’s theoretically entering his prime. 2024/25 is also the final season of his current contract — he’ll make a little over $18MM next season. While Zanik said the Jazz will be opportunistic in building around Markkanen, they’re also not in a rush just to become mediocre in the next season or two, Larsen writes in the same story. “Lauri’s a hugely important piece for us now and going forward,” Zanik said. “I don’t want to waste any years of that, but you also have to do it within the timeline. We’re not trying to say, ‘Hey, Lauri, we’ll make you happy because you’ve never made the playoffs, so we’re going to burn all our picks and get some marginal improvement from an overpaid player so that maybe we’ll be a seven seed.’ Our goal is to make the playoffs and then grow from there. … (We want to) add people that are complementary to Lauri and to Walker (Kessler). That doesn’t have to be Mr. Alpha on whatever team. I’d love them to be as good or better than Lauri, but they could be a couple of really, really good role players.”
Next year’s draft is considered to be much stronger than the class that will be selected in June. Would the Jazz consider tanking all of next season to secure the best chance to add a prized prospect like Cooper Flagg? According to Larsen, Zanik thinks there’s too much talent on the current roster for that to be feasible, and he also thinks it’s unnecessary. “We have distinct holes on this team and roster balance stuff that has taken a couple of years to address,” he said. “We’re also betting on our own development, let alone with the rookies but the rest of our group.” Zanik also praised head coach Will Hardy and said he’s on board with the Jazz’s plans, Larsen adds.
In another subscriber-only story for The Salt Lake Tribune, Larsen examines the strong performance Kenneth Lofton Jr. turned in during Thursday’s victory over Houston. Larsen is particularly high on Lofton’s passing ability, writing that the 21-year-old could be a legitimately good NBA player if he gets in better shape to be more mobile defensively while also developing his three-point shot. The second-year forward/center, whose salary for 2024/25 is non-guaranteed, put up 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block in 27 minutes yesterday, which was only his second appearance for Utah.

Southwest Notes: Cuban, Doncic, Sengun, Pelicans, Spurs

April 12th, 2024 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Confirming prior reporting from Forbes, Marc Stein (Substack link) cites sources who say that Mark Cuban‘s sale agreement with Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont stipulates that the Mavericks‘ new majority owners have the option to buy an additional 20% of the franchise in four years.

For the time being, Cuban has retained control of 27% of the team and reportedly still maintains a voice in the personnel decisions, though he’s no longer the final decision-maker. However, if Adelson and Dumont exercise that option a few years from now, the extra shares would come out of Cuban’s stake in the team, reducing his holdings to below 10%.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Luka Doncic likely won’t finish higher than second in MVP voting this season, but the fact that he’s legitimately in the conversation is more important to the Mavericks than him actually winning the award, opines Tim Cato of The Athletic. As Cato explains, this version of Doncic raises Dallas’ ceiling and makes the team a bona fide contender.
Alperen Sengun (ankle/knee) won’t return for either of the Rockets‘ final two games of the season, Kelly Iko of The Athletic confirms (via Twitter). Sengun is a candidate for this year’s Most Improved Player award, but because he only appeared in 63 games, an independent doctor would need to rule that his injury is likely to sideline him through at least May 31 in order for him to be eligible for award consideration.
Although New Orleans has yet to clinch its playoff spot, the team looks better than it has in years and is on track to win the most games it has in a season since being rebranded as the Pelicans in 2013. James Herbert of CBS Sports checks in on the Pelicans to get a sense of why this year’s team is more dangerous than the one we’ve seen in recent seasons, as well as what the next steps are for the franchise.
Victor Wembanyama has been everything the Spurs hoped he’d be in his first year in the NBA and figures to only get better going forward, but will San Antonio be able to build a contender around the young star? Isaac Levy-Rubinett of The Ringer explores that question, considering the players the Spurs already have on their roster, their draft assets, and a potential trade target.

Alexandre Sarr Declares For 2024 NBA Draft

April 12th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Joining Donovan Clingan and Matas Buzelis, French big man Alexandre Sarr has become the third top-10 prospect to declare for the 2024 NBA draft within the last few hours, announcing his decision on NBA Today with Malika Andrews (Twitter video link).

Sarr, who will turn 19 later this month, has spent the 2023/24 season with the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s National Basketball League, where he averaged 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 17.2 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .520/.298/.714.

Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but Sarr – who was competing in the NBL as an 18-year-old against seasoned professionals – is considered to have significant upside, particularly on the defensive end.

The 7’1″ center is currently the No. 2 prospect on ESPN’s big board and occupied the top spot on that board a few months ago. With no consensus first overall pick in this year’s draft, Sarr is expected to be in that conversation.

According to ESPN’s scouting report, Sarr is a versatile, athletic defender and a strong finisher offensively, though there are questions about his rebounding, awareness, and toughness.

UConn’s Donovan Clingan Entering 2024 NBA Draft

April 12th, 2024 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Sophomore center Donovan Clingan, a two-time national champion at UConn and one of the top prospects in this year’s draft class, has confirmed that he’s entering his name in the 2024 draft pool, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

As Wojnarowski writes, Clingan is currently the top college prospect on ESPN’s big board, ranking third overall, behind only international standouts Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr. The 7’2″ center is expected to receive consideration for the No. 1 overall pick, Woj adds.

After coming off the bench as a freshman, Clingan emerged as a full-time starter for the Huskies in 2023/24, averaging 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and an impressive 2.5 blocks in just 22.5 minutes per game.

In addition to using his 7’2″ frame and 7’7″ wingspan to serve as a deterrent around the rim on defense, Clingan exhibited some promising offensive tools, per ESPN draft expect Jonathan Givony. Givony describes the 20-year-old as an effective screen setter who finishes well with both hands and “displays polished footwork” near the basket.

Clingan joins our growing list of players who have declared for the 2024 draft as early entrants.

Nets Notes: Schröder, Simmons, Clowney, Walker, Tsai

April 12th, 2024 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets will have a decision to make a point guard this offseason, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Ben Simmons and Dennis Schröder, both of whom have been starters this season when healthy, will be entering the final year of their respective contracts. And while Simmons’ $40MM cap hit may ensure he remains in Brooklyn, it has been Schröder who has taken on a leadership role since being acquired at the trade deadline.

“He was a leader right when he got in,” interim head coach Kevin Ollie said. “He brings a championship mentality. … He just has a natural ability to lead, ability to win. You know winners when you see them. They hold everybody accountable, but they make themselves full of accountability, too. That’s what he did first and foremost.”

Schröder has been the healthier of the two players, making more appearances since being dealt to the Nets in February (29) than Simmons made all season (15) before undergoing back surgery last month. That track record of good health, along with his $13MM expiring contract, would make him easier to trade this summer than Simmons, who is still on a max deal. But Schröder has expressed a desire to stick with the Nets, as Lewis relays.

“I always want to be stationed somewhere where people show me appreciation,” he said on Wednesday. “And I felt that from the first day — people reaching out to my family, to my wife, to my mom. That shows, OK, they really [want me]. And the playing style, as well, I like. They trust me, in what I am capable of. … I know the business side of it as well. So, I’m not taking anything emotional or personal. I know how it is. But at the end of the day, of course I want to stay here.”

Here’s more out of Brooklyn:

Nets center Noah Clowney continues to make a positive impression in his late-season audition for a larger role next season, per Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. Making his second career start on Wednesday, the rookie big man racked up a career-high seven blocks to go with 10 points and seven rebounds in a win over Toronto. Ollie lauded the Nets’ G League coaching staff in Long Island for preparing Clowney to contribute at the NBA level. “I think they just did a great job coaching him, putting him in situations down there so when we got him he was already set,” Ollie said. “He knew exactly what we wanted to do, how he can perform, and he came in ready.”
Even with the Nets battling a series of injuries, Lonnie Walker has been a DNP-CD in two of the team’s past four games, according to Collin Helwig of NetsDaily, who believes Walker’s inconsistent role throughout the season signals that the two sides will go their separate ways when the veteran swingman becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.
NetsDaily passes along some notable quotes from a recent Joe Tsai podcast appearance in which the Nets’ owner discussed how he got involved in the NBA, his impressions of the league’s economics, and why it’s “absolutely fun” to control an NBA franchise.

Draft Notes: Mintz, Parrish, Riley, Aidoo, Burton, More

April 12th, 2024 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Syracuse sophomore guard Judah Mintz is declaring for the 2024 NBA draft, he announced in an Instagram post. Mintz stated in a video that he’s “transitioning to the next phase” of his career, so it sounds as if he’s prepared to go pro rather than retaining his college eligibility and possibly returning to school.

Mintz was the leading scorer for the Orange in 2023/24, filling up the box score with 18.8 points, 4.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. However, he has yet to develop into a reliable threat from outside, making just 24-of-85 three-point attempts (28.2%) for the season.

Mintz is currently at No. 76 on ESPN’s list of the top 100 prospects of 2024.

We have more updates on early entrants declaring for the 2024 draft:

San Diego State senior wing Micah Parrish is entering the transfer portal and testing the NBA draft waters this spring, he tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Parrish, who has spent the last two years at San Diego State after two seasons at Oakland, is leaving the door open to returning to the Aztecs for his super-senior season, Rothstein notes.
Temple junior guard Jordan Riley is testing the NBA draft waters while maintaining his NCAA eligibility, a source tells Hoops Rumors. Bobby Bancroft of Casual Hoya (Twitter link) first reported the news. Riley averaged 11.9 points and 6.0 rebounds in 29.0 minutes per game for the Owls in 2023/24 after transferring from Georgetown.
Tennessee junior big man Jonas Aidoo is going through the draft process while maintaining his college eligibility, reports Joe Tipton of On3 Sports (Twitter link). Aidoo earned a spot on the SEC’s All-Defensive team this season after averaging 11.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 1.8 BPG in 36 starts (24.8 MPG).
Notre Dame freshman guard Markus Burton is entering the draft, though his Instagram announcement strongly suggests he’s leaning toward withdrawing and returning to school. Burton stated that he hopes the feedback he receives during the pre-draft process helps him improve his game for his sophomore season.
Northern Illinois junior guard David Coit (Instagram link), Eastern Washington junior wing Cedric Coward (Instagram link), and Providence freshman guard Garwey Dual (Twitter link) are among the other players who recently declared for the draft as early entrants (hat tip to Jon Chepkevich of RookieScale.com)

Matas Buzelis, Kyle Filipowski, Jared McCain Enter 2024 Draft

April 12th, 2024 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

A trio of projected 2024 first-round picks have announced their intent to enter this year’s NBA draft. The highest-rated of those three prospects, G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis, informed ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski of his decision.

In past years, players who joined the Ignite became automatically draft-eligible after their first season or during the calendar year in which they turned 19, but the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement tweaked that rule so that those prospects now won’t become draft-eligible until they enter of their own accord or until the calendar year when they turn 22. That’s why Buzelis has to declare for the draft.

The No. 6 prospect on ESPN’s big board, Buzelis had an up-and-down year in the G League for an Ignite team that posted a dismal 2-32 regular season record. Buzelis, who dealt with some ankle issues earlier in the season, appeared in 26 of those games, averaging 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 32.0 minutes per contest.

According to Wojnarowski’s report, the 6’10” forward showed “dramatic” improvement on the defensive end in the second half, impressing NBA evaluators who were already high on his shooting and play-making abilities. He also participated in the Rising Stars event in Indianapolis at All-Star weekend.

A pair of Duke prospects have also confirmed that they’re entering the 2024 draft. Sophomore forward/center Kyle Filipowski made his announcement in an Instagram post, while freshman guard Jared McCain did so in an Instagram video.

Neither Blue Devil indicated that he’ll retain his college eligibility and test the waters, so it sounds like they’ll both go pro. That doesn’t come as a surprise — Filipowski ranks 16th overall on ESPN’s board, while McCain is at No. 19.

Filipowski increased his scoring average to 16.4 points per game in his second college season while also improving his shooting efficiency (.505 FG%, .348 3PT%). That more reliable outside shot makes the seven-footer a valued prospect even though he doesn’t have ideal length of athleticism for an NBA center, notes Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

As for McCain, he averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 31.6 minutes per game as a full-time starter for Duke in his first and only college season. He also knocked down an impressive 41.4% of 5.8 three-pointers per game while making 77-of-87 free throws (88.5%).

What To Watch For In Final Weekend Of NBA’s Regular Season

April 12th, 2024 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s 2023/24 regular season will wrap up on Sunday , which means we now have just three days left in the season. Here are a few things worth keeping an eye on during those three days:

Playoff berths and seeding

Eastern Conference:

The Celtics locked up the No. 1 seed in the East long ago, but no other Eastern Conference club between No. 2 and No. 8 has clinched a specific seed, and the Bucks and Knicks are the only other teams that have secured playoff berths. Here are the standings in that section of the East entering Friday:

Milwaukee Bucks (49-31)
New York Knicks (48-32)
Cleveland Cavaliers (47-33)
Orlando Magic (46-34)
Indiana Pacers (46-34)
Philadelphia 76ers (45-35)
Miami Heat (44-36)

The NBA’s schedule-makers did well with Friday’s slate — the Magic will face the Sixers in Philadelphia, while the Cavaliers host the Pacers in Cleveland.

Road wins by Orlando and Indiana would lock in the East’s six playoff teams, leaving the 76ers and Heat to compete in the 7-8 play-in game. Victories by the Cavs and Sixers, on the other hand, would clinch Cleveland’s playoff spot and put Orlando, Indiana, and Philadelphia in a three-way tie for the final two playoff spots, with Miami – which hosts the Raptors on Friday – potentially just a single game back.

The Cavaliers (vs. Hornets), Pacers (vs. Hawks), Sixers (vs. Nets), and Heat (vs. Raptors again) all have favorable home matchups on Sunday. The Magic may be the one exception, as they’ll be hosting the Bucks, who will likely need at least one win this weekend to clinch the No. 2 seed. Milwaukee visits the Thunder on Friday in a challenging matchup, while the Knicks’ schedule wraps up with very winnable home games against the Nets and Bulls.

Western Conference:

Five teams have clinched playoff spots in the West, but the No. 1 seed remains up for grabs, with the Nuggets (56-24) holding a slight edge over the division-rival Timberwolves (55-25) and Thunder (55-25).

Denver is on the road for its final two games, but faces a pair of lottery teams in San Antonio and Memphis. Winning both of those contests would lock up the No. 1 seed for the Nuggets, but they can’t afford a misstep, since both the Wolves and Thunder hold the tiebreaker edge over them. Still, Minnesota (vs. Atlanta, vs. Phoenix) and Oklahoma City (vs. Milwaukee, vs. Dallas) have tougher weekend matchups.

The Clippers (51-29) and Mavericks (50-30) are locked into the 4-5 matchup in the West, but home-court advantage remains up for grabs. Since L.A. has the tiebreaker advantage, the Clippers need just one more win or one Mavs loss this weekend to secure the No. 4 seed. Since the Clips are at home vs. Utah and Houston, that’s a pretty safe bet.

The rest of the West’s playoff picture looks like this:

New Orleans Pelicans (48-32)
Phoenix Suns (47-33)
Sacramento Kings (45-35)
Golden State Warriors (45-35)
Los Angeles Lakers (45-35)

Either the Pelicans or the Suns will claim the sixth guaranteed playoff spot in the West, while the other will have to win a play-in game to secure their playoff berth.

Phoenix has the tiebreaker edge over New Orleans, but as long as the Pelicans win out, they remain in the driver’s seat. That’ll be easier said than done though. The Pels have a showdown with the Warriors in Golden State on tap for Friday night, then host the Lakers on Sunday. The Suns also have a difficult path to two wins though, with road games against the Kings on Friday and Timberwolves on Sunday.

If the Pelicans beat out the Suns for the No. 6 seed, it’ll be four Pacific teams in the play-in tournament, with the Kings, Warriors, and Lakers all battling to avoid ending up in the 9-10 matchup — the winner of that game would have to win a second play-in game (on the road) to earn the No. 8 playoff seed, so getting into the 7-8 play-in contest would be big.

Sacramento has been the coldest of those three teams as of late, but holds the tiebreaker advantage and finishes its season by hosting the lottery-bound Trail Blazers on Sunday. A win over Phoenix on Friday would be huge for the Kings, almost certainly assuring them of a spot in the 7-8 play-in game.

The Warriors also close the season on Sunday with a favorable matchup (vs. Utah), so if they can pull out a home victory over the Pelicans on Friday, they’ll be in good position to get either the No. 8 or 9 seed.

The Lakers have the friendliest matchup on Friday (at Memphis), but would place last in a three-team tie with the Kings and Warriors, so they’ll be under pressure to win in New Orleans on Sunday.

Here are the details from the NBA on the clinching scenarios in both conferences for Friday’s games.

Traded draft picks and lottery odds

The Kings‘ 2024 first-round pick will be sent to the Hawks if it lands outside the top 14. Given that Sacramento is now in play-in territory and is at risk of missing the playoffs, that’s a first-rounder worth watching closely. That obligation to Atlanta would be rolled over to 2025 if the Kings are a lottery team this year.

There are several more traded first-round picks that have a wide range of possibilities depending on where teams finish in the standings and how the play-in tournament plays out. For example, the Pacers owe the Raptors their (top-three protected) first-round pick. If Indiana clinches a top-six spot in the East, that pick figures to be around 18 or 19. On the other hand, if the Pacers fall into play-in territory and then get eliminated, it’ll be a lottery selection.

The Warriors‘ (top-four protected) pick to the Trail Blazers and the Lakers‘ (unprotected) pick to the Pelicans also fall into this category. It’s worth noting that New Orleans has the option to defer Los Angeles’ first-rounder to 2025. There has been an expectation that the Pels might go that route due to this year’s weak draft class, but it’ll be hard to pass on that ’24 pick if it’s in the lottery.

Speaking of the lottery, there are still some odds to be finalized there. The Pistons and Wizards will be among the teams with a league-best 14% chance at this year’s No. 1 pick, but who will join them as the third team in that group? The Spurs (20-60), Hornets (20-60), and Trail Blazers (21-59) all still have a chance.

For what it’s worth, in the event that two or more of those teams finish with identical records, the odds for their lottery slots will be averaged out, as we explain in our glossary entry on the draft lottery.

For instance, let’s say San Antonio, Charlotte, and Portland each lose their final two games and the Spurs and Hornets are tied for the NBA’s third-worst record. In that scenario, instead of the third-worst team having a 14% shot at the top pick and the fourth-worst team having a 12.5% chance, a coin flip would determine which team’s odds are 13.3% and which team gets a 13.2% chance at No. 1.

Notably, the Raptors also need one more loss – or one more Grizzlies win – to secure the No. 6 spot in the lottery standings, which would significantly increase their odds of hanging onto the top-six protected first-rounder they owe the Spurs. In that scenario, Toronto would have a 45.8% chance to keep the pick and a 54.2% chance that it slides to No. 7 or lower and is sent to San Antonio.

Award races

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic appears to have locked up his third Most Valuable Player in the past four seasons, but it’s possible that voters for other end-of-season awards could be swayed by what happens in the final weekend of the season.

For instance, if Tyrese Maxey has huge games on Friday and Sunday to help the Sixers secure a top-six seed in the East, it would put an emphatic stamp on his case for Most Improved Player. If Naz Reid has a big weekend for a Timberwolves team that reclaims the No. 1 seed, it would only make him a stronger Sixth Man of the Year candidate.

I wouldn’t expect any awards to be decided by what happens in the next few days, but certain scenarios could help clarify a difficult choice for a voter who’s on the fence.

Teams with open roster spots

As we outlined on Tuesday, there are still a handful of teams with open spots on their standard 15-man rosters. Those teams are as follows:

Golden State Warriors
New Orleans Pelicans
Philadelphia 76ers
Toronto Raptors
- Note: The Raptors technically have a full 15-man roster on Friday, but will open up a spot on Saturday following the expiration of Malik Williams‘ 10-day contract.

It’s not unprecedented for a team to leave a roster spot open at the end of the season, but it’s somewhat rare — all 30 teams finished the season with full 15-man squads in each of the past two years.

Most of all of these teams are good bets to make a roster move before their final games tip off on Sunday, even if it’s as simple as promoting a two-way player to a standard contract to make him postseason-eligible.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Sixers, Holiday, Celtics, Raptors

April 12th, 2024 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

While some star players may play reduced roles in the final days of the regular season to ensure they’re fresh for the postseason, Sixers center Joel Embiid is looking to go in the opposite direction. After logging nearly 36 minutes on Tuesday in his fourth game back following a knee procedure, Embiid suggested he’d welcome a big workload again on Friday and Sunday, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required).

“Playing as many minutes as possible,” Embiid said when asked what he needs to do to get ready for the playoffs. “.. The next one, I hope the game’s not close, but if it is, to go over that 35-minute mark. Try and get to 40 and then the last game of the season, same thing.”

While the 76ers won’t want to push their franchise player too hard so soon after his return, they’re still battling for positioning in the Eastern Conference playoff race and have a chance to claim a top-six spot with victories in their final two games. Embiid is also still working on getting his conditioning back to its pre-injury level and may get a chance this weekend to build chemistry with a relatively healthy Sixers roster.

“We haven’t played with the full crew yet,” Nicolas Batum said on Tuesday, according to Pompey. “I think the next game will be finally the one. We will have Tyrese (Maxey) and KL (Kyle Lowry) back. We got Joel. We just miss RoCo (Robert Covington). … I think we are more focused on (players returning than seeding). We are focused on how we can be the best team past (Sunday).”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

In a mailbag for The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required), Pompey addresses several Sixers-related topics, indicating that he doesn’t expect Tobias Harris to be moved to the bench and confirming that Paul George is expected to be the team’s top free agent target this offseason.
Jrue Holiday will turn 34 this June, so he knows that the four-year, $135MM extension he signed with the Celtics this week could be his last NBA contract, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Holiday said it was a “pretty easy” decision to sign that deal and to remain in Boston. “I think mutually we just came to an agreement and felt like this was what was best for not only me, but for the team and, just hope it works,” Holiday said. “I want to be here. I want to win multiple rings. I’ve heard people say that here plenty of times, so I’m ready for that.”
Holiday’s extension ensures that the Celtics‘ top six players will be under contract for next season and reduces the team’s projected 2025 tax bill, but it raises some questions about the club’s long-term cap situation, according to Brian Robb of MassLive.com, who explores the possibility of an eventual extension for Derrick White and considers how long Boston can keep its core intact.
Who’s to blame for a miserable Raptors season? Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca explores that question, ultimately suggesting that Toronto’s front office probably deserves more criticism than it has received for the current state of the team.

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