Free Agent Notes: Porzingis, Yabusele, Sharpe, Valanciunas
Although multiple reports have suggested Kristaps Porzingis appears to be leaning toward re-signing with the Warriors, he declined to commit to staying with Golden State after Thursday’s loss to Cleveland. The Latvian center is extension-eligible and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign a new deal before then.
“It’s hard to say,” Porzingis told Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “Of course, it would be nice for me to go ahead and say, ‘Yes, I want to continue here,’ and this and that. But the reality is I didn’t have a good year at all. I barely showed what I’m capable of. And so I have to see what’s out there.”
Health issues have limited Porzingis to just 29 appearances thus far in 2025/26, and he’s averaging a career-low 24.0 minutes per game. He has been very productive when available, but he told The Athletic he’s not close to being at his peak performance.
“For me, I just wanted first to get to decent shape,” Porzingis said. “Take care of that. Which I am kind of working my way into. And then seeing the whole picture, kind of taking a step back, not to put too much pressure on myself. It’s been a year like that, and we’ll see.
“Honestly, the team is great here. I haven’t gotten a chance to play with Steph (Curry) yet, but the team is great, the city is great, the organization is fantastic. The only thing is the time difference with Europe — it’s 10 hours, it’s too much. But everything else, I enjoy it here.”
According to Friedell, Porzingis was joking about the time difference, but he was serious about his excitement to play alongside Curry. The 30-year-old big man also continues to praise director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini, and he said the relationship he has built with the training staff will factor into his decision this offseason.
“That’s definitely (something) I have to take into account,” Porzingis told Friedell. “I believe I’m in incredible hands here. And that means something. When you have a really strong staff with somebody like me, maybe that’s had some injuries throughout their career … to be in the best hands, it makes a difference for me to stay out there healthy.”
Here are some more notes on players who either will be or could be free agents in 2026:
- Guerschon Yabusele is expected to draw plenty of EuroLeague interest this summer and there has been speculation that’s why he declined his 2026/27 player option ($5.8MM) to facilitate a trade to the Bulls, but the French forward/center said on Friday that his priority is to stay in the NBA, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links). “My main goal is to stay in the NBA for sure,” Yabusele said. According to Johnson, the Bulls value Yabusele’s “work ethic and positivity,” which the former first-round pick displayed when he was asked about his erratic role with the Knicks. “I always say, if that was Coach (Mike Brown)’s decision, that was coach’s decision. I just respect it,” Yabusele said. “I worked hard and tried to be the best version of me. Nothing but love for New York.”
- The Nets hold a $6.25MM team option on center Day’Ron Sharpe for next season. He told Brian Lewis of The New York Post he’s unsure what the club has in store for him (Twitter link). “I don’t know. Whatever the team has planned for me, that’s what they’ve got,” Sharpe said. The 24-year-old big man, who has drawn praise from head coach Jordi Fernandez, is recovering from season-ending thumb surgery. He said he plans to continue to work on his body this summer and is eager to add a three-point shot to his arsenal as well (Twitter link via Lewis).
- Longtime center Jonas Valanciunas has been out of the Nuggets‘ rotation of late, but it’s not affecting his attitude in the locker room, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “I would say he has been as professional as you can be in this situation,” head coach David Adelman said. “And professional in our game means he should be pissed off — and he was — because he wants to play and help the team. Not because it’s about him. … He’s been great on the bench. He’s been great in film sessions. He’s worked out extremely hard. He’s done everything you ask of somebody to do. So I have complete trust in Jonas.” The Lithuanian big man was repeatedly linked to Greek EuroLeague team Panathinaikos last summer and only $2MM of his $10MM salary for next season is currently guaranteed. “I will stay ready. What am I gonna say?” Valanciunas told The Denver Post when asked about Denver going a different direction. “Am I pissed off? … As long as we’re winning the game, you know. I’m here if you need me. I’m here. I’m gonna do everything (I usually do). So it’s simple as that.”
NBA Investigating Bucks As Giannis Insists He’s Healthy
The NBA is investigating the Bucks for potentially violating the player participation policy as well as possible inconsistent statements regarding the health status of superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Charania, the league has already interviewed Antetokounmpo, as well as the team and its doctors.
The two sides have presented differing views of the situation, Charania adds (via Twitter), with the Bucks expressing a belief that Antetokounmpo isn’t ready and doesn’t actually want to play, while Giannis insists he’s healthy but the team refuses to give him medical clearance.
Antetokounmpo has been out since March 15 with what the team has referred to as a left knee hyperextension and a bone bruise. He has played just 36 games this season due to knee, groin, ankle, and calf issues. The fewest games he had played in a season leading up to 2025/26 was 61.
As Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports, Antetokounmpo gave an interview with local reporters on Friday and said there’s a growing rift between himself and the organization.
“You know who you are dealing with,” Antetokounmpo said. “So for somebody to come and tell me to not play or not to compete, it’s like a slap in my face. So, I don’t know where the relationship goes from there.”
Nehm reported a few days after Antetokounmpo’s Mar. 15 injury occurred that Milwaukee had approached the Greek forward about having him sit out the rest of the season to prioritize his health, but the 31-year-old wasn’t on board with the idea. Giannis said Friday that he discussed the concept with head coach Doc Rivers and general manager Jon Horst a few weeks ago, but no one on the team has talked to him about it since.
The two-time MVP told The Athletic and other media outlets that he has been healthy for weeks. He went through yet another full pregame workout on Friday, according to Nehm, just as he’s done numerous times since the team approached him about sitting out. The 31-year-old finished the workout with a windmill dunk, Nehm notes.
“I’m available to play, but I’m not in the game,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’m available to play today. Right now. I’m available. Do I look like I’m not available? … I don’t see myself in the first 12. I don’t see myself in the starting lineup.
“I don’t know what game is being played right here, I just don’t wanna be a part of it.”
Antetokounmpo downplayed the severity of the left knee issue after the Mar. 15 game and said he wasn’t going to seek out imaging. He was initially questionable for the following contest due to an ankle injury, not his knee, and Rivers said the scans on Antetokounmpo’s knee came back clean when he was a late scratch ahead of the Mar. 17 matchup vs. Cleveland.
“The good news was it was a really good image, so there was no damage,” Rivers said at the time. “Nothing. It was really just good news. But I don’t know the next part (regarding a timeline).”
The NBPA put out a statement on Mar. 24 that both supported Antetokounmpo and questioned whether the NBA is committed to enforcing its player participation policy.
“I’ve never seen a case of a player saying, my caliber of player, that’s like — I’m saying it publicly — I want to f–-ing play. You know what I’m saying?” Antetokounmpo said Friday, per Nehm. “I don’t think I’ve seen this. So, if there needs to be an investigation, great. There should be. I don’t know. There should be. Until we figure something out.”
As Nehm details, Antetokounmpo tried to walk back his comments to some extent, saying he and the Bucks needed to find an “amicable solution” to the disagreement. He also acknowledged he understood the team’s logic in wanting him to sit out to prioritize his health and the team’s draft positioning — he just disagreed with the premise.
“What are you telling me? The next time I’m going to be play basketball is October? Why? I don’t want to do that. I don’t,” Antetokounmpo said. “I want to play basketball. I was born to play basketball.
“I’ve been here 13 years and I understand the team gets eliminated from the playoffs, be smart. Taking care of your body, being in and out, just to be careful, to prepare for the next season, prepare for the next generation and the young players to get some minutes, go out there — I get that. But that wasn’t the time that this took place. That’s what bothers me. It’s almost like you waved the white flag and I don’t do that. I am sorry. I don’t. And I never, never will.”
The Bucks reportedly listened to trade offers for Antetokounmpo ahead of the February deadline, though it sounds as though they never came close to actually pulling the trigger on a deal. Bucks co-owner Wes Edens told ESPN a couple weeks ago that the nine-time All-NBA member would either be extended or traded this offseason.
Nets Rule Out Porter, Wolf For Rest Of Season
The Nets have formally ruled out forwards Michael Porter Jr. and Danny Wolf for the rest of the 2025/26 season, head coach Jordi Fernandez told reporters, including C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News.
The update doesn’t come as a surprise. Porter was diagnosed with a left hamstring strain on March 19 and was slated to be reevaluated in two-to-three weeks. A couple weeks later, the team has shut him down for the final six games of the season, including Friday’s contest vs. Atlanta.
Porter appeared in 52 games (32.5 minutes per contest) in his first season with the Nets, averaging 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals on .463/.363/.859 shooting splits. A handful of those statistics — including points and assists per game — are career-best marks.
“Michael in a new situation, being on the same team for seven years on a championship team and now having a different role, a different situation, everything has been also very positive,” Fernandez said. “He’s played at an All-Star level. In my opinion, he should’ve been an All-Star. And now I want him to come back here and have a chip on his shoulder, lead the team the way he’s been doing the same way.”
The 27-year-old last played on March 10, scoring 19 points in 22 minutes in a lopsided loss to Detroit. He was recovering from a right ankle sprain when he suffered the hamstring strain.
Wolf, meanwhile sprained his left ankle on March 22. He’s been wearing a walking boot of late and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently suggested the rookie power forward was unlikely to play again this season.
According to Holmes, Fernandez said he was pleased with Wolf’s versatility and that he “showed that he belongs” in the league, but wants him to focus on being more efficient in 2026/27. The 27th pick in last year’s draft averaged 8.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 2.2 APG on .405/.322/.771 shooting in 57 appearances this season (20.8 MPG).
Mike D’Antoni To Be Inducted Into Hall Of Fame
Longtime NBA head coach Mike D’Antoni will be among the inductees in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s class of 2026, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link).
D’Antoni was selected as a finalist for the 2026 class in February. He’ll technically be inducted as a contributor.
A 6’3″ guard who played parts of four NBA seasons in the 1970s, D’Antoni is most well known for his time coaching the “seven seconds or less” Suns from 2003-08. He helped Phoenix go 253-136 (.650) in the regular season over that span, and make back-to-back trips to the Western Conference finals in 2005 and 2006.
The 74-year-old also had a successful four-year run with the Rockets at the end of his career, guiding Houston to a 217-101 regular season record (.682 win-loss percentage). Houston’s best playoff finish under D’Antoni was a seven-game Western Conference finals loss to Golden State, which went on to win the title.
D’Antoni’s head coaching stops with the Nuggets (14-36 in a lockout season in 1998/99), Knicks (121-167 record over parts of four seasons) and Lakers (67-87 over parts of two seasons) were less successful. Overall, his teams compiled a 672-527 regular season record across 16 seasons. His playoff record is 54-56.
A West Virginia native who played his college ball at Marshall, D’Antoni was a head coach in Italy for several years and had NBA assistant jobs with Denver, Phoenix, Philadelphia and Brooklyn. He was also a coaching advisor for New Orleans from 2021-25 and won a pair of medals with Team USA as an assistant (bronze at the 2006 FIBA World Cup and gold at the 2012 London Olympics).
D’Antoni will be inducted the same year as Amar’e Stoudemire, the former NBA big man who had his best years playing under D’Antoni. Doc Rivers, Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne will reportedly be inducted in 2026 as well.
Luka Doncic Diagnosed With Grade 2 Left Hamstring Strain
Lakers guard Luka Doncic has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain after undergoing an MRI, the team announced on Friday (Twitter link via Khobi Price of The California Post).
While the Lakers formally ruled Doncic out for the rest of the regular season, they didn’t give any indication how much time he might miss beyond that. The average return timetable for a Grade 2 hamstring strain is 35 days, tweets Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes.
If Doncic, who leads the NBA in points per game, is out over a month, he could miss the entire first round of the playoffs. The full postseason schedule has yet to be released, but the first round begins on April 18.
Los Angeles clinched a playoff spot earlier this week and is currently the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers will have to lean heavily on Austin Reaves and LeBron James for scoring and play-making as they look to advance in the postseason.
Doncic appeared to tweak his hamstring with about a minute left in the second quarter of Thursday’s game in Oklahoma City, then pulled up lame on a drive in the third quarter. The Lakers were down 38 points at the time and wound up losing by 43.
Although it’s obviously of lesser importance compared to the Lakers being without their best player, there’s an “extraordinary circumstances challenge” in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that could still allow Doncic to qualify for major postseason awards, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The superstar guard would have to file an application and have it approved by an “independent expert,” but he appears to have a strong case based on the CBA language, Marks notes (via Twitter).
Doncic is currently at 64 appearances and needed to play one more contest to meet the 65-game requirement. However, he missed two games to travel to Slovenia for the birth of his child, and seems to meet the criteria listed in the CBA:
- It was impracticable for the player to play in one or more of the game(s) he missed due to extraordinary circumstances.
- The player would have played in at least 65 regular season games if he had played every game that he missed due to the extraordinary circumstances.
- As a result of the extraordinary circumstances, and taking into account the totality of the circumstances (including whether the player did not play in other regular season games in which he could have played), it would be unjust to exclude the player from award eligibility.
Doncic would have a 24-hour window in which to apply for the challenge, starting at 12:00 pm ET on the final day of the regular season (April 12). His agent Billy Duffy confirmed to Shams Charania of ESPN that he plans to fill out the application on behalf of his client (Twitter link).
If he is granted eligibility by the arbitrator, Doncic is a top contender to make his fifth first-team All-NBA appearance in six years. He averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 35.8 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .476/.366/.780.
How Non-Bird Limitations Will Affect Free Agents In 2026
As we detailed this week in an updated Hoops Rumors Glossary entry, a player who doesn't qualify for Bird rights and Early Bird rights at the end of an NBA season almost always qualifies for Non-Bird rights, which give teams a small amount of flexibility to re-sign that player in free agency without requiring salary cap room or another cap exception.
Teams can sign their own free agents using the Non-Bird exception for a salary starting at 120% of the player’s previous salary, 120% of the minimum salary, or the amount of a qualifying offer (if the player is a restricted free agent), whichever is greatest. Contracts can be for up to four years, with 5% annual raises.
In some cases, that's more than enough for a team to work with. For instance, if the Spurs decide they want to re-sign center Mason Plumlee, the fact that they'll only have his Non-Bird rights won't be an impediment. Plumlee almost certainly won't be making more than 120% of his minimum in 2026/27 after signing a pair of minimum-salary deals this season.
In other cases though, like when a player on a minimum-salary contract has a breakout year, the Non-Bird exception won't be enough to make him a market-rate offer.
In the space below, we're taking a closer look at the notable 2026 free agents who will have Non-Bird rights and assessing whether or not those rights will be enough for their current teams to re-sign them.
Hornets’ PJ Hall Out Indefinitely With Right Ankle Fracture
Hornets big man PJ Hall has been diagnosed with a right ankle fracture, according to the NBA’s official injury report. The news was first noted by Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
Hall, a second-year center out of Clemson, is on a two-way contract with the Hornets. Charlotte has yet to make an announcement regarding how much time Hall might miss. He was in a walking boot on Thursday, per Boone.
Based on the nature of his injury, there’s essentially no chance Hall will play again by April 12, when the regular season ends. Two-way players are ineligible to compete in the postseason, and since he’ll likely be out several weeks, there’s no real reason for the Hornets to promote him to a standard contract, which would make Hall postseason-eligible.
Hall opened the season on a two-way deal with Memphis. The Grizzlies waived him mid-November, and he caught on with the Hornets about five weeks later.
The 24-year-old has averaged 6.1 points and 5.5 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game across 12 NBA appearances with Charlotte. He hasn’t played with the Hornets since February 22, having spent extended time in the G League with the Greensboro Swarm.
Hall has put up big numbers with the Swarm, averaging 18.9 PPG, 11.3 RPG and 1.7 BPG on .602/.329/.792 shooting splits in 23 games (29.6 MPG). He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer if the Hornets give him a qualifying offer, which is equivalent to another two-way contract covering one year.
In other Hornets injury news, starting center Moussa Diabate is questionable to suit up for Friday’s game vs. Indiana due to left ankle soreness. Forward Grant Williams, who returned from a torn ACL in January, is out on the second night of a back-to-back.
Jazz Sign Bez Mbeng To Two-Year Deal
April 3: The sigining is official, according to a team press release.
April 2, 11:31 am: Mbeng will be signing a two-year contract, agent Jason Tranos tells ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). While Charania doesn’t provide any additional details, that second year is unlikely to be guaranteed.
April 2, 7:43 am: Bez Mbeng‘s second 10-day contract with the Jazz expired on Wednesday night, but he won’t be going anywhere, reports Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. According to Todd, Utah will be signing Mbeng for the rest of the season.
Mbeng, 22, made 11 appearances during his first 20 days with the Jazz after first joining the team on March 13. The 6’4″ shooting guard played regular rotation minutes during that time for a banged-up Utah squad, averaging 5.0 points, 3.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 29.9 minutes per night.
While Mbeng’s shooting numbers (.429/.167/.667) have been modest, the Jazz have apparently liked what they’ve seen from the former Yale star, especially on defense. The 22-year-old, who earned three Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year awards from 2023-25 before going undrafted last June, spent most of his rookie year with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate, until he signed with Utah.
The Jazz would have the ability to sign Mbeng to a multiyear deal, though Todd doesn’t confirm that’s the plan. We’ll have to wait for the full details of the agreement to confirm the terms, but if it’s just a rest-of-season contract, the guard would be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.
Mbeng earned $73,153 on each of his two 10-day deals. If he officially re-signs on Thursday, a rest-of-season minimum-salary contract would pay him slightly more than that ($80,469), for a total of $226,775 on top of the salary he earned in the G League.
Once Mbeng is signed, the Jazz will have have 14 players on full-season or multiyear standard contracts, with Kennedy Chandler filling the 15th roster spot on a 10-day deal.
Bulls Notes: Donovan, McClung, Giddey, Jones, Ivey
Billy Donovan is seriously giving thought to leaving the Bulls at the conclusion of the season, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reports.
Siegel hears that Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd was North Carolina’s top choice to become its head coach. However, Lloyd agreed to a five-year deal to stay at Arizona, which makes Donovan the Tar Heels’ clear choice for the job.
Donovan is committed to the Bulls through the remainder of the season and won’t make any decisions on his future until April 12, Siegel adds. However, there is a growing belief around the league that Donovan will leave the franchise.
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Mac McClung has done it again. The three-time NBA dunk contest champion has been named NBA G League MVP for the second time, the NBA announced (via Twitter). McClung, who is on a two-way contract, has been playing for the Windy City Bulls. The 27-year-old guard put up huge numbers in the regular season, averaging a G League-best 31.8 points, 7.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals on .515/.381/.781 shooting in 29 games (37.3 minutes per contest). Rockets two-way guard Tristen Newton and Kings swingman DaQuan Jeffries finished second and third in voting, respectively.
- Josh Giddey (hamstring) and Tre Jones (ankle) have been upgraded to probable for tonight’s game against the Knicks, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network tweets. McClung is also probable with abdominal tightness.
- Brian Sandalow of the Chicago Sun Times details how the team has tried to move on from the Jaden Ivey saga. Ivey was waived earlier in the week following several controversial live streams on social media, among other factors.
Peyton Watson Week-To-Week With Hamstring Injury
Nuggets guard Peyton Watson is considered week-to-week due to a hamstring injury, head coach David Adelman told the media on Friday afternoon, according to DNVR Nuggets (Twitter link).
Watson will be out for Saturday’s game against San Antonio and, presumably, several more contests beyond that. He exited the Nuggets’ win over the Jazz on Wednesday with right hamstring tightness.
It’s a recurrence of an injury he suffered earlier this season. Watson missed more than six weeks of action in February and March due to a right hamstring strain.
The injuries have marred an otherwise breakout season for Watson, who is averaging a career-best 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 29.6 minutes per game. He has made 49.1 percent of his field goal attempts, including 41.1 percent from deep, while starting 40 of 54 games.
It’s been an injury-filled campaign for Denver, though the team has still managed to win 49 games. The Nuggets currently hold the No. 4 spot in the West, which would give them home court advantage in the first round.
Cameron Johnson and Julian Strawther figure to absorb Watson’s minutes while he mends. Watson will be a restricted free agent this summer.