Thunder Notes: SGA, Bench, Turnovers, McCain, Caruso
The Spurs scored the first 15 points. Then the Thunder came roaring back in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, led by two-time Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA had 26 points and 12 assists in the 123-108 victory, which gave Oklahoma City a 2-1 series lead.
“We just went out there and competed,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, per Raul Dominguez of The Associated Press. “They obviously jumped on us early. First game in their building, their crowd behind them, they were excited to play. We just wanted to make sure we competed from that point on. We obviously didn’t give our best effort to start that game, but can’t do nothing about it. It’s behind us. All we can do is focus on the next possession, and we did that.”
Here’s more on the Thunder:
- Head coach Mark Daigneault pointed to his team’s low turnover total, 10, as a key to the comeback. “Other than the first 15 points, our defense was really tight,” Daigneault said. “We got back, settled down into the halfcourt. Our offense had something to do with that. We ran good offense tonight, despite the fact that they were amped up and ready to go, the Spurs were. It’s a discipline series. We did that. We couldn’t be reckless against them, they are too good with the ball, too well coached, too talented. So you’ve got to be able to do it with discipline. I thought we really were disciplined tonight.”
- Despite Jalen Williams (hamstring) being sidelined, the Thunder have so much depth that their reserves outscored the Spurs’ bench, 76-23. In-season acquisition Jared McCain led the way with 24 points. “He just oozes confidence,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. “He knows exactly who he is, he knows exactly what he does, and he goes out there and does it no matter what. Whether the ball goes in or out he makes the next play, he makes the best play for himself and for the guys out there. He’s always aggressive, always in attack mode and we needed it tonight.”
- Who is the series MVP thus far? Not SGA or Victor Wembanyama, according to Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman, whose pick is Alex Caruso. The veteran guard has not been simply a defensive dynamo but has made all-around contributions, scoring 15 points in 24 minutes in Game 3, Carlson notes. He is averaging 21.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks in the series and is a plus-46 during his minutes. “I think the most impressive thing is, he makes the plays that have nothing to do with physical ability,” Chet Holmgren said.
Pistons Notes: Thompson, Langdon, Contention Window, Offseason Needs
The Pistons are facing a critical offseason as they continue to try to build their roster into a title contender. One decision they will face is whether or not to extend Ausar Thompson, who was recently named First Team All-Defense.
While the playoffs exposed some of the limitations of the current roster, it also illustrated the importance of Thompson to what Detroit wants to do, writes Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News.
“(Thompson) was big-time,” president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said. “He took a huge step last year, and as the season went on, you saw how much he impacted the game on both ends of the floor. … He competes at a high level. He is team-first. He is going to put in the work. We are excited about our future with him.”
While a majority of Thompson’s impact comes on the defensive end, Langdon believes Thompson can continue to grow his offensive skill set.
“Remember, last year, he did not play a full season,” Langdon said. “He worked through the summer, but it wasn’t like he was going to this year. We won’t have as many restrictions on him this summer as he had last year. He will be able to go out and do some serious work, and I know he is excited about it. You will not have to worry about Thompson putting in the work and competing.”
We have more Pistons notes and news:
- Langdon didn’t make a major move at the trade deadline, opting to send out Jaden Ivey to bring in Kevin Huerter and a pick swap that ended up moving the team from No. 28 to No. 21 in this year’s draft. The lack of added firepower may or may not have hurt the team in the playoffs, but it helped show where the roster really is, Omari Sankofa II writes for the Detroit Free Press. Now the question becomes whether Langdon will make a bigger offseason swing to bring in a true second scoring option next to star Cade Cunningham. “We’re always going to feel like we can get better and that’s the goal, is to be a championship contender,” he said. “We didn’t think it would come this fast, these questions about being a championship contender after Year 2. We have to factor that into the equation as well. Two years ago when I took the job, nobody in here thought I’d be getting championship contender questions two years later. But here we are.”
- While Detroit’s regular season success raised its playoff expectations considerably, losing in the second round was not the end of the team’s window of contention, but rather the start of it, Sankofa writes. The Pistons have all their future first-round picks, including five tradable firsts, as well as 15 future second-rounders, while also maintaining considerable financial flexibility moving forward, especially relative to some of their peers in the Eastern Conference. “We’re still super young,” Langdon said. “All of our guys are going to iterate and get better. They’re going to all be better players next year than they were this year, just like we saw from last year to this season. We’ll take a deep dive, we’ll figure out what we need to add and we’ll step out, we’ll look at it at 35 thousand feet. We won’t look at us as a one seed. We look at us as, ‘How do we get better?'” While the Eastern Conference is expected to get tougher next season as the Pacers and Celtics get back to full strength, the Pistons expect to improve as well, both internally and externally.
- One key area the team will need to address this offseason is adding more ball-handling, Shawn Windsor writes for the Free Press. This is not only to take some of the burden off Cunningham, but also to add more variability to the attack. “The more ball-handling you can have on the floor, the better,” Langdon said. “I think you see these teams that are successful have a lot of people that can … whether it’s initiate [offense], bringing the ball up, or actually execute in the halfcourt in terms of getting paint touches and making decisions. I think the more guys like that you have, the more difficult it is to guard.” Thompson’s improvement as a ball-handler will be crucial, but the Pistons may also need to turn to outside help to maximize their offensive potential.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers Free Agents, Nets Rookies, Brunsons
The Sixers‘ core four of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Paul George, and Joel Embiid are all under contract for next season, but three of their rotation players are unrestricted free agents: Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Andre Drummond.
Grimes had an up-and-down season, with career-low three-point efficiency despite some strong stretches of play, particularly in March, when Maxey was injured, Gina Mizell writes for the Philadelphia Inquirer. After signing a qualifying offer last summer, it’s unclear where his relationship stands with the organization, which is currently searching for its next head of basketball ops. His potential departure could leave the once-stocked guard rotation very thin.
Meanwhile, Oubre was able to find a home in Philadelphia and it’s unclear what kind of market he’ll see this summer.
“The game of basketball has reinvented itself to me through different lenses and different eyes throughout my tenure here, and I’m forever appreciative for the opportunity to play for this city,” he said.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Entering the 2025 draft with five first-round picks, the Nets had hopes that they could jump-start their rebuild. After somewhat surprisingly using all five selections, Brooklyn was shut out of the 2026 All-Rookie awards, with only Egor Demin receiving votes. The Nets didn’t bring in these five players in order to make All-Rookie teams, C.J. Holmes writes for the New York Daily News, but the voting exemplifies how far away the franchise still is from turning things around, especially given that they fell to No. 6 in the 2026 draft lottery. While they don’t need all five of the 2025 rookies to hit, they do need to see proof moving forward that at least a couple of them can become real rotation players.
- A public confrontation between Jalen Brunson and his father, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, during Game 4 of the first round immediately became social media fodder. The heated, yet respectful, exchange was nothing dramatic, however, but rather a natural part of the competitive father-son duo’s dynamic, going back to when Rick began coaching at the University of Virginia in 2007, Ian Begley writes for SNY. The elder Brunson would give his son no quarter as he put him through training, looking to see how he would respond. “I wanted to see if he would fold or if he would keep coming back,” Rick said. “Are you going to give in? Are you going to talk back? Or are you just going to work and keep showing that you can do it? I would always tell him, ‘This is what a college coach is going to do — the difference is I love you, he doesn’t.'” To the surprise of no one who has watched the Villanova champion’s career trajectory, he kept coming back.
- In case you missed it, we relayed several Knicks notes this morning in the wake of their Game 2 win over Cleveland.
De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper To Play In Game 3; Jalen Williams Out
The Spurs’ backcourt will be fully available for Game 3 in San Antonio on Friday, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper have both been cleared to play (Twitter link).
Fox missed the first two games of the series with a high right ankle sprain, while Harper left Game 2 in the third quarter after suffering an adductor injury.
Harper started the first two games in lieu of Fox and put up historic numbers in Game 1. While the Spurs were able to take that game on the road in double overtime, Fox’s absence was strongly felt during the two games in Oklahoma City, particularly when it came to organizing the offense and taking care of the ball.
Stephon Castle took over a large portion of the point guard duties, and while he had 19 assists through two games, he also committed 20 turnovers.
Still, the Castle/Harper combination was formidable defensively against Thunder MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Spurs may have to adjust their scheme with the return of Fox.
Meanwhile, Jalen Williams has been ruled out for the Thunder, Charania reports (via Twitter). Williams is dealing with the effects of a recurring left hamstring injury that caused him to miss the entire second round against the Lakers. He appeared to aggravate that injury in Game 2 vs. San Antonio.
Ajay Mitchell, who started for Williams in the Lakers series, also suffered a minor injury near the end of Game 2, but it won’t keep him from suiting up on Friday.
NBA Announces 2025/26 All-Defensive Teams
The NBA has officially announced its All-Defensive teams for the 2025/26 season (Twitter links).
The teams are determined by a panel of 100 media members, with players receiving two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote.
Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama was this season’s lone unanimous First Team pick, earning the maximum allowable 200 points after being named to the First Team by all 100 voters. DPOY runner-up Chet Holmgren fell short of being a unanimous pick, earning 93 First Team votes and four Second Team votes.
The honorees are as follows, along with their point totals (Twitter link):
First Team
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (200 points)
- Chet Holmgren, Thunder (190)
- Ausar Thompson, Pistons (166)
- Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves (151)
- Derrick White, Celtics (146)
Second Team
- Scottie Barnes, Raptors (130)
- Cason Wallace, Thunder (94)
- Bam Adebayo, Heat (71)
- OG Anunoby, Knicks (67)
- Dyson Daniels, Hawks (50)
The All-Defensive teams have been positionless for the last three years. Previously, each team was required to have two guards, two forwards, and a center, but that’s no longer the case. This season’s First Team leans more heavily toward rim protectors, while the Second Team features a wider variety of guards and wings alongside forward/center Adebayo.
This year’s All-Defensive squads feature a number of first-time honorees. Holmgren, Thompson, Barnes, and Wallace had never previously been named to an All-Defensive team. Wembanyama (2024) and Daniels (2025) had earned First Team honors once apiece prior to this year, while Anunoby made a Second Team in 2023.
Gobert is the most accomplished of these defenders — the four-time Defensive Player of the Year has now made nine total All-Defensive teams and is an eight-time member of the First Team. Adebayo is also no stranger to All-Defensive recognition either, having now made two First Teams and four Second Teams. White, meanwhile, got a First Team nod for the first time after previously making the Second Team twice.
There are four players across the league who would’ve earned bonuses if they’d made an All-Defensive team, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), but none of them made the cut. That group includes Thunder wing Luguentz Dort, whose $500K bonus for All-Defense had been considered “likely” because he made the First Team in 2025.
That $500K will come off Dort’s cap hit this season and will reduce his 2026/27 team option by $500K to roughly $17.7MM, since the bonus is considered “unlikely” going forward. If Dort’s team option is exercised, his $500K bonus would continue to count for apron purposes next season despite not counting toward his cap hit, and he could still earn it if he makes an All-Defensive team next season.
Besides the 10 players who made All-Defense, 15 other players showed up on at least one ballot. That group was led by Spurs guard Stephon Castle (46 points), Rockets guard Amen Thompson (46), Warriors forward Draymond Green (40), and Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (28), each of whom was named to the First Team on between four and eight ballots.
Clippers guard Kris Dunn, who had 14 points, would have rounded out a hypothetical “third team.” Notably, his $5.7MM salary for 2026/27 would have become fully guaranteed if he had made an All-Defensive team. Still, it’s a pretty safe bet that Dunn will be retained through June 30, at which time his full salary will become guaranteed anyway.
The rest of the players who received All-Defensive votes, including Dort and former Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, can be viewed here (Twitter link).
Blazers Notes: Coaching Search, Grant, Wesley, Cissoko
The Trail Blazers‘ search for their next head coach is starting to take shape, with a multitude of names being added to the list of interviewees this week, and seemingly still more to come.
Five candidates have progressed to the second round of the process and will interview in person, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (subscriber link): Jeff Van Gundy (Clippers), Tiago Splitter (Blazers), Micah Nori (Timberwolves), Tyler Lashbrook (Celtics), and Mike Williams (Jazz). While those coaches have been identified as “finalists,” more candidates could still join that group, as the team continues to hold preliminary interviews with other potential targets, including Jerry Stackhouse.
Part of the cause of the lack of clarity in reporting is the unusual method of the hiring search, Freeman writes, as the team still hasn’t decided whether it will hold in-person interviews in Portland, Dallas, or Raleigh, North Carolina, which would help new owner Tom Dundon stay close to his NHL team, the Carolina Hurricanes, who are currently in the Eastern Conference finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
One name has already been eliminated from the search, as Jared Dudley (Nuggets) had an interview via Zoom, but did not make it to the next round, Freeman writes.
A source told The Oregonian that Portland will look to make its decision by the end of May, though that’s not necessarily viewed as a firm deadline.
We have more from around the Blazers:
- After a disappointing 2024/25 season, veteran forward Jerami Grant had a good year in ’25/26, averaging 18.6 points while hitting 38.9% of his threes in 29.7 minutes per game. He started 38 of his 57 games and provided a steadying presence throughout the year. It’s unclear what his future is with the team or elsewhere, given the large amount of money still owed to him and the ways his game has aged, Freeman writes (subscriber link). Grant is under contract for $34.2MM next season, with a $36.4MM player option in 2027/28, and his defense and rebounding have fallen off considerably since his time in Denver, making the prospect of trading him a tricky one.
- Blake Wesley looked poised to contribute in a real way this year, but a broken bone in his foot derailed his season in late October. He missed three months, during which time Splitter changed the team’s playing style, according to Freeman in a separate piece. When he returned, Wesley couldn’t quite match his early-season impact, but he remained a well-liked locker room presence. Whether he stays or goes this summer will depend on who else is out there. “If you, as an organization, feel like you can upgrade that third point guard spot, you do it. If you feel like you like him, you bring him back,” an anonymous scout said. “He’s an end-of-the-bench guy. Still young and not much more than a backup.” Another scout was slightly more complimentary: “I liked him. He’s a third point guard. Dynamic. He’s quick, athletic, (has) long arms, plays both side of the ball, puts pressure on the defense. He’s a minimum (contract) guy. He was really good for them. I like what I saw from him last year.”
- Another young player who was a pleasant surprise in 2025/26 was Sidy Cissoko, Freeman writes. The 22-year-old wing, who has a $2.5MM partially guaranteed deal for next season, ended up starting 26 games and having his two-day deal converted into a standard contract. “He’s only 22, but I feel like I’ve been watching this kid for five years,” a scout said. “He’s got a good feel for the game and he plays hard. That’s why coaches love him. But his lack of ability to shoot the ball is going to hurt him.” Cissoko shot 29.8% from three this season on 2.6 attempts, both of which were career-high numbers.
Thunder Notes: Williams, McCain, Bench, Presti
The Thunder are heading into San Antonio with a tied series and a question mark hanging over their All-NBA wing, Jalen Williams, who is currently listed as day-to-day with a left hamstring injury and is questionable to play on Friday.
Whether Williams returns for Game 3 or misses the rest of the series, the Thunder should still feel good about their chances to beat the Spurs and advance to the NBA Finals, Joe Mussatto writes for The Oklahoman. That’s partly because of the injuries facing the Spurs’ backcourt, as both De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper are questionable for Game 3. It’s also because the Thunder are, by now, experienced in winning without Williams.
“Obviously if we don’t have him it hurts,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I still believe in this team, though. Like you said, we played a bunch of games without him, won big games without him, but I still think we can get the job done. But yeah, losing a guy like that, a caliber of player like that, no matter how good your team is otherwise, it hurts a little bit. And also for him as a human being. He had a tough year with injuries.”
While Williams is a more accomplished, experienced player than Harper, Mussatto posits that in this particular matchup, Harper might be more important to the Spurs’ game plan than Williams is to the Thunder’s, especially if Fox remains out.
We have more notes from the Thunder:
- While Jared McCain is known for his three-point shooting, as well as his TikTok dances, he knows that to play in this hard-fought series, he will need to tap into a more gritty skill set. “Anything I can do. Shot’s not falling, I want to stay on the court no matter what,” he said, per Jordan Davis of The Oklahoman (video link). “So if I can make some hustle plays, get some rebounds, anything I can to stay in the floor I wanna do.” McCain contributed four offensive rebounds, three assists, and two steals in his 26 minutes during Game 2, bringing a level of hustle that seemed to help energize the team even though he shot just 4-of-14 from the field.
- McCain isn’t the only Thunder reserve who understands what it will take to earn minutes at the highest level. The Thunder’s bench is deep with players who stay ready for their number to be called, Justin Martinez writes for The Oklahoman. That includes Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, and Alex Caruso, the last of whom has been integral to the team’s success so far this season. “I think it’s just a team that, one through 15, everyone is always ready,” Mitchell said. “Everyone really buys into it. I feel like every time we put someone in, he’s going to have an impact, which is huge.” Caruso, who has two championships to his name and is looking for a third, said that having that mindset is a prerequisite for achieving what the team hopes to achieve. “It’s that time of year,” he said. “If you’re not fearless, then you’re probably gonna lose and go home. You’ve got to lay it all out on the line if you want to win. If you want to win big, at least. If you want to win the last game of the season, which I do. Every time that I’m here, I want to win the last one. For me, it’s pretty easy to get myself going and lock into that mentality.”
- When general manager Sam Presti recruited Isaiah Hartenstein as a free agent, there was little in the way of flash, despite the fact that he would eventually offer the German center the largest free agent contract in Thunder history. Instead, Presti focused on what really mattered to him: the team identity he had spent years building. “I can’t promise you minutes,” Presti told Hartenstein, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I can’t promise you a role. But I can promise you a culture.” After losing to the Mavericks in the second round of the 2024 playoffs, Presti didn’t panic or go star-hunting. Instead, he focused on bringing in the kinds of players who would enhance the stars already on the roster: Hartenstein, for one. Caruso, for another. It’s a decision that has been felt and appreciated throughout the organization. “Sam has passed on talents to get human beings,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That mindset has really helped this group. It’s a big reason why we all get along so well and have this chemistry that everyone talks about. Sam brings a certain type of person in here.” Those two players proved crucial in Oklahoma City’s first title run last season, and have been equally critical this postseason, as they’ve hit timely shots, played physical defense against the likes of Victor Wembanyama, and made the hustle plays that set the Thunder’s hard-nosed defense apart.
Cavaliers Notes: Culture, Mitchell, Tyson, Process
One of the hardest things a team can do is try to rebuild an identity from scratch after the departure of a superstar, but that’s what the Cavaliers have done in the years since LeBron James‘ second departure, Dave McMenamin writes for ESPN.
“When LeBron left, we just fell flat on our faces because we just weren’t rooted in anything,” a team source told ESPN. “We weren’t rooted in anything foundational in terms of culture or team-building or player development. We were just rooted in the culture of LeBron.”
After several years of slowly setting pieces in place, the Cavs’ rebuild took a leap forward when they brought in Donovan Mitchell. The athletic shooting guard quickly became a steadying influence on the team, both as a leader in the locker room and a rising tide on the floor. His leadership emphasized empowering and preparing the younger players on the team for the rigors that come with being a top team in the league.
“Four years without him, in the rebuild: one play-in game,” a team source said of Mitchell. “Four years with him: four playoff appearances, three second-round appearances, a conference finals appearance.”
With Mitchell in place, the Cavaliers became one of the most successful regular season teams in the league, but the highest levels of playoff success still eluded them. Sources told McMenamin that the second-round loss to the Pacers in 2025 was like “getting punched in the face” for the team that had the second-best regular-season record in the league. That disappointment created the necessary conditions to trade Darius Garland for James Harden this season.
“We needed to change … I said it even before we won these two series. We’re a better team,” coach Kenny Atkinson said of the Harden deal. “I’ve been saying, ‘We’re a better team, we’re a better team, we’re a better team.’ And even though with James, it’s not perfect because we’ve only been together [for] two and a half months. …I’ll take the character and kind of toughness we added over that.”
We have more from the Cavaliers:
- Mitchell appeared limited by an injury of some sort in Game 1, which prompted conversations, including on the broadcast, about his health status during Game 2, which he started more tentatively than usual. He denied any such injury, writes Stephen Whyno of AP News, saying that he felt “great.” However, Atkinson was less ready to dismiss the idea. “Donovan, he’s not complaining about it to me,” the coach said. “I did see him trying to work through it — probably some stiffness. But I asked him if he wanted to come out in the fourth quarter and he’s like, ‘I’m fine,’ so I think he’s fine.” Game 3 on Saturday night will be Cleveland’s seventh game in 13 days, whereas the Knicks got well over a week to rest after their second-round sweep of the Sixers. The Cavs star isn’t letting that be an excuse, though. “We’re not tired,” Mitchell said. “We’re not tired. We’re ready to go for Game 3.“
- Jaylon Tyson was one of the Cavs’ standout role players this season, raising his points per game from 3.6 as a rookie to 13.2 in his second year while making 42 starts. After playing just 10 minutes over the last three games of the team’s seven-game series against the Pistons, Tyson didn’t see the court in Game 1 against the Knicks. Atkinson said after the first loss that he wasn’t ruling out Tyson and that his decision had been more about how he felt about the group that was already on the floor, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “He’s still alive. We’ll need him,” Atkinson said prior to Game 2. “Don’t know if it’s tonight, but he’s right there. We were playing well with the group we had out there most of the game. He’s in the bullpen warming up.” The 6’6″ guard ended up playing over 10 minutes on Thursday, the most playing time he’d seen since May 9, but he struggled to find the range from deep, going 0-for-3 on three-pointers.
- Despite the 2-0 hole the Cavs find themselves in, they believe in the way they’ve approached the series, Joe Vardon writes for The Athletic. “Our process was right tonight,” Mitchell said after Game 2. Despite not taking a single shot in the fourth quarter, Evan Mobley used the same terminology, saying, “It was definitely the right process. There’s definitely a few possessions you want back and a few turnovers and stuff like that, but overall, I feel like we played a pretty good game.” One aspect of the Cavs’ process was forcing the ball away from Knicks star Jalen Brunson and into Josh Hart‘s hands. For a quarter, it looked like it was working, but Hart caught fire beginning in the second quarter and finished the game with 26 points on 5-of-11 shooting from three.
- Still, the Cavaliers aren’t heading back to Cleveland feeling defeated, writes ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “That’s just how our whole playoffs have been, our back against the wall,” Jarrett Allen said. “We like to keep things interesting. We like to keep everybody stressing about what the next game is going to be like. This is no different from what we’re doing now. We’ve got to take care of home court.” The Cavs shot just 25.7% from three in Game 2, with sharpshooters Max Strus and Sam Merrill combining to go 1-for-11. They’re relying on their role players finding the range now that they’ll be at home for the next two games.
Latest On NBA’s ‘3-2-1’ Lottery Reform Proposal
The NBA has sent the latest version of its “3-2-1” draft lottery reform plan to team owners ahead of their Board of Governors meeting next week, reports Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports. The governors are expected to vote on May 28 on whether or not to approve the proposal.
As O’Connor writes, the NBA’s proposal hasn’t undergone any real changes since the details were first reported last month. It still features 16 teams, 37 total lottery balls, flattened odds, a “relegation zone” for the league’s bottom three teams, protection restrictions in the 12-15 range, and each of the top 16 picks being determined by a lottery drawing.
However, according to O’Connor, the league has since provided additional information how a pair of rules affecting repeat lottery teams would work. One of those rules prohibits teams from winning the No. 1 overall pick in back-to-back drafts, while another prevents clubs from landing top-five picks in three consecutive years.
The NBA has since offered the following clarifications related to those rules, per O’Connor:
- Those restrictions will apply in 2027 based on the 2025 and 2026 lottery results, which means the Wizards would be prohibited from landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 lottery after winning it this year.
- In the event that the lottery ball of a prohibited team is drawn, they would be moved down to the first permissible draft slot. For instance, if the Wizards’ ball comes up at No. 1 in next year’s lottery, they’d be moved to No. 2 instead.
- These restrictions apply to the team that originally owned the draft pick.
While the first two clarifications seem reasonable enough, the third may result in some push-back.
Using the Jazz as an example, O’Connor explains that because they had the No. 5 overall pick in 2025 and have No. 2 in 2026, Utah’s pick wouldn’t be permitted to land in the top five in 2027 even though it’s controlled by the Grizzlies, who will receive the most favorable of Utah’s, Minnesota’s, and Cleveland’s first-rounders next year.
If it had been the Grizzlies and not the Jazz who had landed in the top five in each of the past two drafts, Memphis could still have a shot at a top-five pick in 2027 via Utah’s selection, since it wouldn’t be subject to the same three-year restriction — in that hypothetical scenario, only the Grizzlies’ own pick would be prohibited from being in the top five, whether or not Memphis still controlled it.
As O’Connor notes, this rule could materially change the value of several future traded picks between 2027-29. When the Grizzlies acquired that “most favorable” 2027 first-rounder from the Jazz in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade in February, they presumably viewed Utah as the likeliest of the three teams to end up in the lottery and believed that pick could move as high as first overall. If Minnesota and Cleveland make the playoffs next season and Utah doesn’t, it would – from Memphis’ perspective, at least – essentially add top-five protection to that traded first-round pick.
We should get a better sense in the coming days about how teams feel about that rule and about the proposal in general. While the NBA is determined to institute a new anti-tanking policy that begins next season, the “3-2-1” plan could still undergo changes before it receives approval from the Board of Governors.
And-Ones: Wemby’s Impact, FAs, World Cup Qualifiers, Okobo
Rival teams are watching what Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs are doing in this postseason with interest and trepidation, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. As Amick details, front offices around the NBA – recognizing that Wembanyama will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come – are thinking hard about ways to combat him.
“Teams will definitely have to start figuring out, ‘How do we get through this guy?'” an Eastern Conference executive said. “So you look at it, and it’s like, ‘What do we need? How do we build our team to get better to compete against (Wembanyama and the Spurs)?’ Trust me, it’s on everybody’s mind. Teams will try to find ways that they can build a roster out to beat the Spurs, just like they are to beat OKC.”
That executive pointed to Utah’s mid-season acquisition of Jaren Jackson Jr. as a move that may have been made with Wembanyama in mind, since the Jazz now have three athletic frontcourt players – Jackson, Walker Kessler, and Lauri Markkanen – to throw at the Spurs star. That same exec also suggested that a prospect like 7’3″ Michigan center Aday Mara could see his draft stock rise as teams seek players capable of slowing down Wembanyama.
Wembanyama’s impact could even have a ripple effect on Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s trade value this offseason, as one Western Conference executive told Amick: “Giannis is a matchup solution for Wemby, so I could definitely see teams factoring that in when they’re discussing trading for him.”
Still, there’s no obvious answer for stopping this sort of unique player who looks capable of becoming one of the league’s all-time greats.
“He’s a problem from inside the half court, and there’s just no one like that,” an exec said to Amick with a laugh. “At least Shaq was human in the sense that you needed three centers to bang with him. You’ve got 18 fouls (to work with). Maybe one was skilled, and the other two could hold him up while the other guys get rest. But there’s no archetype like (Wembanyama) — no player ever. It’s a problem, and it’s going to be a problem for 15 years.”
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks takes a closer look at 20 of this summer’s top free agents, breaking down what sort of contract he’d offer each player. Marks’ hypothetical offers include five years and $180MM for Pistons center Jalen Duren, four years and $155MM for Lakers guard Austin Reaves, three years and $130MM for Wizards guard Trae Young, and two years and $40MM for Warriors forward Draymond Green.
- Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, Wizards big man Alex Sarr, and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher are among the players included on France’s preliminary roster for this July’s FIBA World Cup qualifying games (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Serbian head coach Dusan Alimpijevic told Mozzart Sport that Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is expected to suit up for the Serbian national team during both World Cup qualifying windows this offseason, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays.
- Former NBA guard Elie Okobo has been named the Most Valuable Player of France’s top basketball league (LNB Elite), Askounis writes for Eurohoops. Okobo, who appeared in 108 regular season games for Phoenix from 2018-20, averaged 16.7 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game with an outstanding .621/.506/.883 shooting line in 24 domestic league games for AS Monaco in 2025/26.
- Kevin Sweeney of SI.com explores how new eligibility requirement guidance distributed by the NCAA could impact international players looking to play college basketball going forward.