Potential Lottery Pick Thomas Haugh Returning To Gators
Junior forward Thomas Haugh was viewed as a potential 2026 lottery pick, but he has decided to put off going pro for another year. He tells Shams Charania, Jeff Borzello, and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Twitter link) that he’ll return to Florida for his senior year.
A 6’9″ forward, Haugh won a national championship with the Gators as a sophomore in 2025, but primarily came off the bench for that title team. He enjoyed a breakout year in 2025/26, starting all 34 games he played and averaging 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 block in 33.3 minutes per contest.
Haugh was a consensus second-team All-American as a junior and was ranked 13th on ESPN’s big board of 2026 prospects before deciding not to enter the draft. Woo has described him as a tough, high-effort player with good size and an improving outside shot who could’ve been ready to play a rotation role at the NBA level immediately.
Instead, Haugh will use his final year of NCAA eligibility and look to win another championship with the Gators, who appear well positioned to enter next season as the top-ranked team in the country after being upset in the second round of this year’s NCAA tournament. As Charania observes, the senior forward could also be in the mix for 2027 Player of the Year honors if he continues to improve.
“Most guys in my position in the draft, it would be a no-brainer to go to the NBA,” Haugh told ESPN. “It’s not just the NIL. It’s a chance to play with my boys. To play for coach (Todd) Golden. To go to the school I love to play for. It was definitely a tougher decision than last year, but it was best for my career and future.”
While Haugh downplayed the NIL factor, Woo and Borzello indicate that he projects to “easily” earn more with the Gators than he would in the NBA in 2026/27 if he were drafted in the middle of the first round.
Haugh’s frontcourt teammate Alex Condon previously announced that he’ll be returning to the Gators as well. Another member of 2025’s championship team, center Rueben Chinyelu, announced on Monday (via Instagram) that he’ll enter the 2026 NBA draft but will leave the door open to the possibility of playing one more college season by maintaining his NCAA eligibility.
Billy Donovan Won’t Return As Bulls’ Head Coach
Billy Donovan is parting ways with the Bulls after spending the past six seasons as their head coach, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. The team has put out a press release officially confirming the split.
It’s the second major organizational change of the spring for the Bulls, who fired executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley earlier this month. Following that front office shake-up, president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf expressed in strong terms that the team wanted to retain Donovan, but the veteran coach had an option on his contract and has decided to go in another direction.
As Charania details, Donovan discussed the situation at length with team ownership during the past week but ultimately determined that a “clean break” was the right outcome for both sides. Donovan confirmed as much in a formal statement relayed by the Bulls.
“After a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organization, I have decided to step away as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls to allow the search process to unfold,” Donovan said. “I believe it is in the best interest of the Bulls to allow the new leader to build out the staff as they see fit.”
Reinsdorf and his father, Bulls controlling owner Jerry Reinsdorf, issued statements of their own within the team’s press release, expressing gratitude to Donovan for the work he has done with the franchise over the past six years.
The Bulls only made the playoffs once in those six seasons and didn’t advance beyond the first round during that brief postseason run. In total, Donovan compiled a 226-256 (.469) regular season record across six years, winning either 39 or 40 games and appearing in the play-in tournament for three straight seasons from 2022-25.
Chicago’s 31-51 record this season was the worst mark the team posted during Donovan’s tenure, and the team’s mini-fire sale at the deadline created the impression that the organization is more seriously committed to retooling its roster after spending several seasons mired in mediocrity. There had been doubt about whether Donovan, a Hall-of-Famer who will turn 61 next month, would want to stick it out with the Bulls through a rebuild.
While Donovan won’t be back on Chicago’s bench next season, he’s not prepared to retire. Sources tell Charania that Donovan intends to continue his coaching career and will be a “viable target” for NBA teams in the market for a new coach. Donovan drew interest from both NBA teams – including the Knicks a year ago – and college programs – most recently, UNC – while he was under contract with the Bulls.
The Bulls are one of three teams now looking to hire a new permanent head coach, joining the Bucks and the Pelicans. They’re also one of two clubs seeking a new head of basketball operations, along with the Mavericks.
In all likelihood, the Bulls will focus on completing their front office search first, since that would allow their new top basketball operations executive to have a hand in picking Donovan’s replacement.
Central Notes: Giannis, Strus, Wade, Walker, Pacers
Although this wasn’t the first time in his 13-year NBA career that Giannis Antetokounmpo found himself involved in trade rumors, he admitted during a recent appearance on Gogi’s Garage (YouTube link) that he wasn’t ready for just how persistent they would become over the course of the 2025/26 season.
Antetokounmpo spoke publicly about his desire to stay with the Bucks, but he consistently added caveats to those statements, suggesting that competing for a title is his top priority and that he only wants to remain in Milwaukee if the team is capable of doing so. The two-time MVP ultimately didn’t go anywhere at the trade deadline, but the constant trade speculation was a distraction for the Bucks, prompting Antetokounmpo to express regret that he didn’t try more forcefully to shut down those rumors.
“If I could turn time back, I would maybe come out a little bit earlier and say, ‘Hey, guys, this ends today,'” Giannis said (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “‘Look at me in the eyes. I’m staying with Milwaukee until further notice. It ends today. Stop making stories, and after stories, and after stories.'”
The relationship between the Bucks and Antetokounmpo became tenser down the stretch when the two sides disagreed about how to handle a late-season injury. Given how the season ended, it seems safe to assume the Giannis rumor mill will roar back to life in the coming months.
We have more from around the Central:
- Sidelined until mid-March with a foot injury, Max Strus is playing a significant role for the Cavaliers off the bench in the postseason, scoring 24 points in Game 1 on Saturday and logging nearly 27 minutes of action in Game 2 on Monday. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com takes a closer look at Strus’ extended recovery period following surgery to repair a Jones fracture, noting that there was some doubt about the veteran wing’s ability to make it back and play meaningful minutes this spring.
- While the Cavaliers initially envisioned Strus as their starting small forward this season, it’s Dean Wade who has taken on that role in the playoffs. Wade, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, is considered more of a defensive specialist and his play on that end of the court has helped Cleveland stymie Raptors leading scorer Brandon Ingram through the first two games of the series, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic details. Ingram scored just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting on Monday, prompting Cavs star Donovan Mitchell to single out Wade as someone who “deserves a bunch of credit” for his performance. “I know he only had three points, but his impact is extremely high outside of just the scoring,” Mitchell said.
- Breaking down Jarace Walker‘s third NBA season, Tony East of Circle City Spin observes that the Pacers forward got off to a slow start before taking a step forward in the middle of the year and then finishing strong. While Walker will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, he’ll likely need to prove that he can maintain his second-half level in order to get the sort of second contract he’ll be seeking.
- A pair of assistant coaches from the Noblesville Boom – the Pacers‘ G League affiliate, are leaving the organization for WNBA jobs, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, who tweets that Kelly Faris will be an assistant on the Chicago Sky’s staff, while Amiee Book will serve as the Phoenix Mercury’s head video coordinator.
Hornets GM Peterson Talks Offseason, White, Mann, Lee
Although the Hornets were blown out by Orlando in last Friday’s do-or-die play-in game, there are plenty of reasons for optimism in Charlotte entering the 2026 offseason. The team finished the season on a 33-15 run, has a promising core of young players, and is in position to continue adding to its roster.
As Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer notes, the Hornets have a favorable cap situation, control two first-round picks in this year’s draft, and have a surplus of additional first- and second-round picks going forward. In other words, the front office is well-positioned to take a big swing on the trade market this summer if the right opportunity arises.
Still, president of basketball operations and general manager Jeff Peterson said in his end-of-season press conference on Monday that he’s wary of trying to take shortcuts to contention.
“We can’t skip steps,” Peterson said. “Again, I’ve seen it too many times and it ends up not going the way that you think it goes, in terms of trying to speed things up. Look, we’ve made a ton of progress this season internally, and I’m excited because I know that’s going to continue to happen. But we’ll continue to be strategic and when the opportunity presents itself, I know we’ll be ready because of the flexibility that we have.”
The Hornets’ own first-round pick will likely end up at No. 14 — there’s just a 2.4% chance it jumps into the top four. They also own the No. 18 pick, giving them a pair of top-20 selections in a draft that’s considered particularly strong.
“I’m very excited about this draft,” Peterson said, per Boone. “It’s if not the deepest, one of the deepest that I’ve ever been a part of. A lot of good players all over the draft, of course. But again, where we are from an asset standpoint, it’s going to allow us to be flexible. So whether that means we bring two players in, consolidate, we’ll have different options that we’ll continue to explore and look at.
“But I’m excited for whoever we bring in because I know that it’s going to be someone who is a Hornet, and about what we’re about and at some point will contribute to what we are building here.”
Peterson also addressed several other Hornets-related topics ahead of an important offseason for the organization. Here are a few more highlights, via Boone:
On the team’s desire to re-sign guard Coby White after acquiring him at the trade deadline:
“Like I said when we traded for Coby, we envisioned him as somebody who’s going to be with the Hornets for a long time. He embodies what we’re about in terms of just of course on the court he’s a really, really good player. But the human being, his approach, his professionalism … I’m just happy for him what he’s been able to accomplish in this short amount of time. I’m excited to see what this offseason looks like. He gets a full off season with us and then going into next season as well.”
On a disappointing year for guard Tre Mann in the first season of his new three-year, $24MM contract:
“He certainly didn’t have the season that he wanted to. I think he’d be the first to admit that. At the same time, I do want to applaud him. I told him just, it’s not easy to come to work every day and be excited, even though you’re winning, because we’re all competitors. He wasn’t individually having the season that he wanted to have. But he was always there for his teammates. He was always cheering them on.
“He would speak up when he needed to speak up, and he continued to work. So, he’s a guy that I know feels like he’s going to have a huge summer. We talked about that. And I don’t have any doubt in my mind that he’s going to do everything in his power to be ready to go next season and contribute.”
On the job Charles Lee has done as the Hornets’ head coach:
“Charles and his entire staff, I think they did a tremendous job. I appreciate a lot about Charles, but the one thing that I would highlight is Charles is the same every day. So when we were 4-14, he’s coming in and preaching the exact same things as when we won our 43rd game. He has a great way about him in terms of being able to coach the guys hard and hold them accountable. And at the same time, love them and invite them over for dinner and go to coffee with them, things like that. It’s important also to realize this is his second year, so he’s developing. I think he did a great job, though, in terms of leading us to where we ultimately got to.”
Kevin Durant Considered Questionable For Game 2
Kevin Durant missed the first game of the Rockets‘ series vs. the Lakers – a 107-98 loss – due to a knee injury. He is listed as questionable for Game 2 on Tuesday after going through a portion of the team’s practice on Monday, per The Athletic’s Will Guillory (Twitter link).
ESPN’s Shams Charania provided more clarity on the injury during an appearance on NBA Today.
“My understanding is Kevin Durant is dealing with a deep bruise in his right patellar tendon that he suffered last Wednesday during a practice drill when he was chasing after a loose ball and collided that knee with a teammate, and that has since caused swelling (and) pain. It has impacted his range of motion in the leg as well,” Charania said (Twitter video link). “For Kevin Durant to miss a playoff game, that speaks to the severity of the injury in and of itself.”
When asked what he’s looking to see from his star player ahead of Game 2, head coach Ime Udoka said it comes down to one thing.
“I would say mobility probably,” he said, per Will Guillory (via Twitter). “The pain tolerance is one thing, but actually moving and feeling comfortable doing all the movements is going to be the biggest thing.”
The Rockets struggled to string together offense without Durant, shooting 37.6% from the field and missing eight of their 25 free throws.
Charania adds that Houston is optimistic that Kevin Durant will be available, but his status will be determined by how the leg responds between now and tip-off on Tuesday at 10:30 pm ET.
Lakers Notes: Doncic, Kennard, Game 2, Hayes
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves remain out for the Lakers‘ Game 2 matchup against the Rockets on Tuesday, The Athletic’s Dan Woike notes (via Twitter). This was expected as the star backcourt continues to work its way back from a left hamstring strain and left oblique muscle strain, respectively.
While Doncic hasn’t been able to suit up in the playoffs, he has been a valuable presence on the bench, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
“I think people don’t know how much impact Luka has, not only on the court, but off the court,” teammate Rui Hachimura said. “He’s a guy that always wants to be around. … We love him just being around, just hanging out, talking. So, yeah, we’re happy that he’s back finally and he’s doing funny things always. … We missed him for sure.”
Turner writes that Doncic was active on the sideline during Game 1, providing both feedback and encouragement to his teammates. He remains without a firm timeline for return.
We have more from the Lakers:
- Lakers’ coach JJ Redick has loved what he’s seen from Luke Kennard, the hero of Game 1. One of his challenges for the elite shooter was sacrificing some efficiency for volume, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin notes (Twitter video link). “One of the things messaging-wise was, ‘You shooting six or seven threes a game at 38% for the series is better than you shooting three a game at 45%,‘” Redick said. “It’s unlikely he’ll go five-for-five every game, but I loved his level of aggression.” Teammate Jaxson Hayes says Kennard’s outburst came as no surprise. “I used to grow up watching him drop 40, 50 a game in high school,” Hayes said, per McMenamin (Twitter video link). “I’ve known he’s been able to do all that. I watched him do it.”
- Redick knows the Rockets will come out with desperation in Game 2 and is determined to have his Lakers match the energy they played with in Game 1, Benjamin Royer writes for the Orange County Register. “Every day requires something different,” he said. “Yesterday required an elevated recovery day. Today required an elevated focus. It was a longer film session. A decent amount of teach, talk on the court beyond just the practice session. Tomorrow is going to require an elevated sense of desperation on our part because they’re going to come in with that.”
- Hayes has been granted a Slovenian passport, per Michael J. Duarte of The California Post (Twitter video link), allowing him to play with Doncic during international play as the Slovenian team’s designated naturalized player. Hayes says that Doncic has been calling him “my Slovenian brother” since the paperwork came through.
Northwest Notes: Edwards, Wolves, Blazers, Nuggets
The Timberwolves‘ hopes for evening up their series with the Nuggets hinge primarily on the health of star shooting guard Anthony Edwards, who is listed as questionable for Monday’s game due to ongoing discomfort from runner’s knee. However, there’s reason for optimism, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
“Anthony Edwards is gonna be playing tonight,” Charania reports (Twitter video link). “He’s gonna gut through it.”
Edwards’ ailment, which is similar to the one that sidelined Stephen Curry for two-plus months, causes swelling and pain in the knee and requires rest to heal fully. It became enough of an issue that a platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, injection was needed toward the end of the season to reduce inflammation.
Edwards played 38 minutes in Game 1, scoring 22 points on 19 shots while adding nine rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks.
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- The Timberwolves came away from Game 1’s loss to the Nuggets knowing that they left points on the board, Tyler King writes for the Denver Gazette. “It’s a lot of composure issues,” coach Chris Finch said. “We’ve gotta make smarter, more solid plays. We had two turnovers right in the middle of one run back (into the game). We gotta be more composed. Plays like that really hurt you in the playoffs, especially against an experienced team… A lot of self-inflicted wounds.” Finch went on to note the lack of movement off-ball on offense and the team getting stuck playing around the perimeter, but didn’t seem overly concerned. “Road team losing Game 1 on the road is nothing to really worry about, as long as you come out with the right mindset and approach and are sharp,” he said. “Everything flips when you win Game 2 and on goes the series. I would expect our guys to be confident.”
- Prior to the Trail Blazers‘ Game 1 on Sunday, Jerami Grant hadn’t played a playoff game since the NBA “bubble” season of 2019/20. He’s excited to be playing at the highest levels of competition again, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “I miss the playoffs so much,” Grant said at the end of the regular season. “It’s been a long time. Unbelievable. I can never get accustomed to it.” However, things didn’t go according to plan for Portland’s veterans in a Game 1 loss to the Spurs. Jrue Holiday and Grant combined to shoot 6-of-21 from the field. “I didn’t play great,” Grant said, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. “There wasn’t really a lot of opportunity out there, but I didn’t play great. I think we’ve all got to be better, make some shots, figure out where we are going to get our shots and just try to execute the game plan better.”
- The Nuggets’ defensive intensity has waxed and waned all season, but it was on full display in their Game 1 victory, Bennett Durando writes for The Denver Post. “They tried to bully us a little bit in the front. We knew that was gonna happen. That’s how this team tries to get under our skin,” Spencer Jones said. “So for us to match it from beginning to end and never give in, and see them be the ones to kind of complain to the refs more than we were — it shows how focused we were.” Nikola Jokic put the strategy even more succinctly, saying, “Just be annoying the whole game.”
Knicks/Hawks Notes: Robinson, Anunoby, Okongwu, Gueye
The Hawks attempted to take Mitchell Robinson out of the equation for the Knicks in Game 1 by employing Hack-A-Mitch, intentionally fouling him to send him to the free throw line. After going 1-for-4 from the line, Robinson was pulled from the game after 15 minutes without having recorded a single offensive rebound.
Discussing how he will approach Robinson’s minutes in Monday’s Game 2, Knicks coach Mike Brown said that the team wasn’t overreacting to the strategy.
“We’ll probably just use a normal rotation, and at the end of the day, he’s gonna get an opportunity, and we’re confident that he’ll knock ’em down,” Brown said. “If we need to make a change, we feel confident with Josh [Hart] going and playing the center. Especially the way we’re playing, it allows us to switch the pick and roll and all that other stuff, so we’re okay with them fouling Mitch if that’s what they want to do.”
Robinson’s rim protection and ability to generate extra possessions on the offensive glass have been a huge part of the Knicks’ success over the last few years.
Brown adds that in some ways, the intentional fouling strategy can work in New York’s favor.
“If they want to start fouling him, that’ll get us closer to the bonus, and so that’s the time for us to go back to him,” he said, according to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News.
The Knicks had 30 free throw attempts against 19 for the Hawks in Game 1, some of which had to do with Atlanta putting itself into the bonus to send Robinson to the line.
We have more from the Knicks/Hawks series:
- OG Anunoby is available to play for the Knicks on Monday, James L. Edwards III notes (via Twitter). The 6’8″ wing, who came in 10th in Defensive Player of the Year voting, was a crucial part of New York’s Game 1 victory, scoring 18 points in 38 minutes despite missing some time in the second half after twisting his ankle.
- Onyeka Okongwu is available for the Hawks, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (Twitter link), after previously being listed as questionable due to knee inflammation. Okongwu was productive in his 37 minutes in Game 1, scoring 19 points and hitting four of his six three-pointers. His presence is a welcome sight for the Hawks, who are thin at the center position as a result of Jock Landale‘s ankle injury.
- Due to the Hawks‘ aforementioned frontcourt depth – or lack thereof – the team turned to Mouhamed Gueye as their primary backup center behind Okongwu in Game 1, and he managed to hold his own, Lauren Williams writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While Gueye didn’t put up impressive box score numbers, he didn’t allow Karl-Anthony Towns to bully him down low. With Okongwu dealing with knee inflammation, the Hawks may need Gueye to play more than the 10.5 minutes he saw on Saturday, Williams observes.
Warriors Notes: Kerr, Green, Podziemski, Horford
With another season in the books, a summer of uncertainty is on tap for the Warriors, who have a series of questions to answer in the coming weeks and months, including what the future holds for longtime head coach Steve Kerr.
Kerr is not under contract for next season. He signed a two-year extension in 2024, but now faces a team with a much murkier outlook. He recently said that he was unsure of his plans moving forward.
According to Nick Friedell and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, the odds are good that Kerr comes to an agreement with ownership to stick around, though Draymond Green recently expressed his doubts on the matter, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
“I hope he’s our coach next season,” Green said. “You want my opinion? I think not. Just because it feels like that. It felt like that was it.”
Kerr is expected to take the next week or two to make his decision, per Slater. According to Friedell (via Twitter), the sentiment from Golden State’s exit interviews was that the players hope Kerr will be on the sidelines next season.
Slater adds that the team is not interested in a “last dance” with this team and coach, but is looking to come back with a refreshed roster and wants a coach with the energy to match (Twitter video link).
We have more Warriors news:
- Green’s name appeared in trade rumors this season. That is unusual for his tenure in Golden State, but it could also be indicative of questions the Warriors are grappling with. Green has a $27MM player option for next season, and Friedell and Thompson write that the team is waiting to see what the former Defensive Player of the Year decides to do before they entertain the idea of trading him. It has been speculated that he is unlikely to test free agency, but the Warriors are light on tradable contracts, so if they want to change the roster, dealing Green would likely be the easiest way to do so. “I’ve never been so uncertain since earlier in my career in what happens next,” Green said, per Slater. “But I’m truly at a loss now because you don’t know what direction will be next. … I also hope I’m on this team next season. We also don’t know that. Man, if it was, what a run.” Discussing how long he hopes to keep playing on a recent podcast, Green said, “I feel great, and I just want to go until I’m done. I think for me, that’s probably another three years,” per Florito Maniego of NBC Sports Bay Area.
- Brandin Podziemski is hopeful that he’ll be able to get a rookie scale extension completed with the Warriors this summer, according to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports. “I want to be here for the long term,” the 23-year-old guard said. “It’s always special having been the team that drafted you.” Friedell and Thompson indicate that there is a desire from the Warriors’ side to lock up Podziemski, despite a sometimes rocky relationship between the young player and the fanbase.
- After a somewhat disappointing season, Al Horford is going to take some time before deciding if he wants to pick up his player option to stay with the Warriors next season, Friedell reports (via Twitter), adding that the 39-year-old expects to play for at least one more year but isn’t certain that will happen. Horford averaged 8.3 points and 4.9 rebounds this season, both career lows.
Victor Wembanyama Named Defensive Player Of The Year
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama has been named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025/26 season, the league announced on Monday (Twitter link). He’s the youngest player in league history to win the award, tweets Shams Charania of ESPN, and is the first player to win it in a unanimous vote, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
Wembanyama, who received all 100 first-place votes, led the NBA in total blocked shots (197) and blocks per game (3.1) by a significant margin and ranked second in defensive rebounds per game (11.5) despite playing just 29.2 minutes per night. His 28.5% defensive rebounding percentage was the highest mark in the league among qualified players.
The Spurs star also limited opponents to a 42.0% field goal percentage and anchored the NBA’s third-best defense. San Antonio allowed 103.6 points per 100 possessions when Wembanyama was on the court and gave up 113.7 points per 100 possessions when he sat.
Wembanyama was the favorite to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024/25, but a blood clot prematurely ended his season in February, preventing him playing in the 65 games necessary to qualify for consideration. He missed some time this year due to health issues, but met the 65-game criteria during the final week of the regular season.
Thunder big man Chet Holmgren, who previously finished second in Rookie of the Year voting to Wembanyama in 2023/24, once again finished as the runner-up to his conference rival for a major award — he earned the second-most votes for Defensive Player of the Year, including 76 second-place votes and 11 for third place. Holmgren ranked second in the NBA in blocks per game (1.9) and was the primary interior presence on a Thunder team that had the league’s No. 1 defensive rating (106.5).
Pistons wing Ausar Thompson was the top Defensive Player of the Year vote-getter among perimeter players, coming in third behind Wembanyama and Holmgren with nine second-place votes and 33 third-place votes. Thompson ranked first in the NBA in steals per game (2.0) despite playing fewer minutes per contest (26.0) than the seven players who ranked right behind him in that category. Detroit was sandwiched between OKC and San Antonio with the league’s second-best defensive rating (108.9).
A total of 13 players showed up on at least one Defensive Player of the Year ballot, with Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes rounding out the top five, in that order.
Celtics guard Derrick White, Thunder guard Cason Wallace, Rockets guard Amen Thompson, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, and Knicks forward OG Anunoby each received multiple votes, while Pistons center Jalen Duren, Warriors forward Draymond Green, and Heat big man Bam Adebayo showed up on one ballot apiece.
The full results can be viewed here (via Twitter).
While Defensive Player of the Year honors can, in some cases, ensure that a player qualifies for a higher maximum salary on his next contract, that won’t be the case for Wembanyama despite the fact that he’ll likely sign a maximum-salary rookie extension with the Spurs during the coming offseason. The Rose Rule criteria will require him to win MVP or DPOY or simply earn an All-NBA spot in 2026/27 in order to qualify for a contract that starts at 30% of the ’27/28 cap (instead of 25%).