Fischer/Stein’s Latest: Sweeney, Sixers, Snyder, Harden, Bulls
A league source tells Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) that the Magic are “very interested” in hiring Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney to fill their head coaching vacancy. Orlando officials were planning a trip to San Antonio this week to interview Sweeney during the Western Conference finals, according to the authors.
Sweeney, who’s in his first season with the Spurs, is considered the architect of the team’s aggressive defense that has helped to fuel this year’s playoff run. The Magic were perennially among the league’s best defensive teams under Jamahl Mosley, so the infrastructure is already in place for Sweeney to succeed.
Former Bulls head coach Billy Donovan and current Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy are the only candidates reported to have interviewed for the Magic opening since Mosley was fired May 4. Sweeney has also been linked to the head coaching vacancies in Chicago and Dallas.
Fischer and Stein share more inside information from around the league:
- Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey and Phoenix Mercury GM Nick U’Ren recently had interviews in Philadelphia to become the Sixers‘ head of basketball operations. Sources tell Fischer and Stein that Gansey and Sixers assistant GM Jameer Nelson are considered the leading candidates for the position.
- An extension for Hawks head coach Quin Snyder has been considered “inevitable” since the team’s playoff run ended, according to Fischer and Stein. They cite regular season rumors that Snyder could have been a potential candidate to replace Kenny Atkinson in Cleveland, but sources tell them that Atkinson was always expected to remain with the Cavaliers for a third season.
- Fischer and Stein’s sources also say the Cavaliers are optimistic about re-signing James Harden to a multiyear deal with a lower annual salary than the $39.4MM he made this season. “Rough early estimates” are in the range of $30MM per year, which could help the team escape the second apron.
- The Bulls are closer than the Mavericks to completing their head coaching search, but they’re still talking to several prospects, according to Fischer and Stein. Known candidates so far include Minnesota’s Micah Nori, Miami’s Chris Quinn, Cleveland’s Johnnie Bryant, Oklahoma City’s Dave Bliss and former New Orleans interim coach James Borrego. Nori is also a finalist for the Trail Blazers‘ opening, along with Van Gundy, Boston’s Tyler Lashbrook, Utah’s Mike Williams and acting head coach Tiago Splitter.
Cavs’ Altman Hopes To Reach Extension With Donovan Mitchell
Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman confirmed at Friday’s end-of-season press conference that reaching an extension with Donovan Mitchell will be a priority, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only piece.
“Donovan is our guy,” Altman told reporters during the 32-minute exchange. “He’s elevated everything about this franchise and this organization, so when he professes his love for being here, we’re fortunate to have him and we’ll work out those details when it comes time.”
The 29-year-old guard has one guaranteed year left on his current contract at $50.1MM, along with a $53.8MM player option for 2027/28. He will become extension-eligible July 7 when the Cavs can offer a new four-year deal worth up to $272MM, but Fedor notes that it may be in Mitchell’s best interest to wait.
Mitchell will be a 10-year veteran next summer, which allows him to sign a five-year supermax deal in the neighborhood of $350MM. He will also become eligible for certain contract perks, including a no-trade clause.
Altman didn’t directly answer a question about whether he plans to submit an extension offer to Mitchell on July 7, Fedor adds.
“All I can tell you is Donovan has been steadfast in how much he loves it here and so there hasn’t been any question of will he be here and does he want to be here,” Altman said. “I think that’s the biggest thing, right? That’s the best thing, right? When we have a superstar of his caliber that wants to be in Cleveland, that’s our best ambassador, that’s our best recruiter … I think the bigger question is the one that’s been answered is, does he want to be here and does he want to be here long term? I think he’s answered that. He’s still playing the best basketball of his career, and he finally broke through to get to a conference finals and he wants more. We’re getting him at his peak right now and we hope that that continues.”
Mitchell indicated a desire to remain in Cleveland after the team’s playoff run came to an end on Monday, saying “I love it here” at the post-game press conference. He also expressed confidence that the organization can continue to compete for a championship.
The Cavaliers have focused on building a title contender around Mitchell ever since he was acquired from Utah in the summer of 2022. He’s coming off his seventh straight All-Star season and earned Second-Team All-NBA honors after averaging 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 70 games.
“Eight long years to get back here,” Altman said of the conference finals appearance, which was the team’s first since 2018. “The four years without him, no playoffs. Four years with him, playoffs.”
Cavaliers Considered Unlikely To Pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Cavaliers‘ concerns about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo would sign an extension in Cleveland will likely keep them out of the trade sweepstakes for the Bucks star, according to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (subscription required).
There has been some speculation that the Cavs might be willing to part with Evan Mobley to acquire Antetokounmpo and maximize their title chances by teaming him with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. However, sources tell Fischer and Stein that Cleveland “should be regarded as unlikely to factor into the trade chase” for Antetokounmpo.
The authors note that Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman seemed to verify that sentiment as his end-of-season press conference Friday morning when he stated that Mobley is “part of our future.” Altman sidestepped a specific question about Antetokounmpo, telling reporters, “We’re not going to speculate on any player outside these walls.”
The report from Fischer and Stein gels with a weekend story from Joe Vardon of the Athletic claiming that Cleveland hasn’t expressed any interest in a Mobley-Antetokounmpo swap.
Antetokounmpo will earn $58.5MM next season and holds a $62.8MM player option for 2027/28. The ability to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent next summer gives him a degree of control in choosing his next team. It also makes potential suitors reluctant to part with valuable assets such as Mobley without an assurance that Antetokounmpo plans to stay long-term.
Fischer reported earlier this month that the Cavaliers might be viewed as a reasonable destination for Antetokounmpo if they encountered playoff disappointment again. The team wound up reaching the Eastern Conference finals, but mostly wasn’t competitive during a four-game sweep by New York.
Fischer and Stein also state that the Cavs are reluctant to part with Mobley because he’s only 24 and can provide “a legitimate bridge to a successful post-Mitchell future.” They add that team officials haven’t forgotten how difficult it was to rebuild after LeBron James left Cleveland in 2010 and 2018 and they’re hesitant to part with Mobley unless it’s a “sure-thing trade.”
Southeast Notes: Black, Diabate, Wizards
The sixth overall pick in the 2023 draft, Magic guard Anthony Black will become eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason as he enters his fourth year in the league. With significant long-term money already owed to Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, and Jalen Suggs, Orlando will likely be cautious in its negotiations with Black. But he has emerged as a key part of the team’s rotation, so it seems safe to assume the club will be interested in a new deal.
Black would absolutely reciprocate that interest, suggesting to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required) that he’d welcome the opportunity to sign an extension with the Magic in the coming months.
“It’s just an opportunity to officially stamp it as like my home,” Black said. “It’s just something I’ll be looking forward to doing. Starting my young life, this is the first city I’ve played in, so it would mean a lot being able to play here for years.
“Obviously I want to win a lot too and I feel like we’re in a great position to do that and we came really close to doing that,” he continued. “So, for me, that would be ideal, but it’s the NBA and it’s always a decision that has to be made.”
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Hornets center Moussa Diabate had a breakout year in 2026/27, establishing career highs in points (7.9), rebounds (8.7), assists (1.9), and blocks (1.0) per game as he started 47 games in the middle. The 24-year-old, who is entering the final season of his minimum-salary contract in Charlotte, tells Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer that he has no intention of getting “complacent” and wants to continue improving, especially on the offensive end. “Not saying that at the end of the day, I want to (have) a pull-up jumper and all this, but being a threat offensively is going to make me even better, and it’s going to help my teammates,” Diabate said. “So for me, definitely being comfortable with the ball more. Whether it’s me pushing it on the break or just on my handoffs or anything like that, me driving to the basket. Just really expand my game.”
- NBA fans in Washington haven’t had much to cheer about in recent years, as the Wizards have been below .500 for eight straight seasons and haven’t won more than 18 games in a season since 2022/23. However, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic details, ticket sales are soaring in D.C. in the wake of trades for Trae Young and Anthony Davis and the team’s draft lottery win. President of business operations Jim Van Stone told Robbins the team has seen a 190% increase in new full-season ticket revenue from 2025 to 2026.
- In case you missed it, we rounded up several notes on the Heat on Thursday night, including items on Pelle Larsson, Davion Mitchell, and the team’s offseason plans.
NBA Officials Explain Thinking Behind Draft Lottery Changes
After the Board of Governors approved changes to the draft lottery format on Thursday, members of the league office explained on a conference call why the NBA felt those changes were necessary, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic.
Speaking to reporters, NBA executive VP and head of basketball operations James Jones said that the league’s ability to punish tankers under the previous system by conducting investigations and levying fines wasn’t satisfactory — especially since those tanking teams often had plausible deniability when it came to decisions related to lineups and player availability.
“Having done a lot of these investigations and inquiries with teams, when you get to the place of investigating your way to an outcome, it’s really hard to say that it’s just not coaching error, bad player performance, or some underlying basketball (thing),” Jones said. “It’s all subjective. We want to be in a place where no matter the outcome of the game, you don’t feel like you’re better off if you lose. You can’t punish your way to that.”
In addition to flattening teams’ odds throughout the lottery and introducing a “relegation zone” for the bottom three clubs in the NBA, whose odds at a top pick become slightly less favorable, the new format will give the league office wider latitude to penalize teams believed to be tanking.
While league officials don’t anticipate teams tanking the 7/8 play-in game or trying to get to No. 9 or No. 11 in their conference to get an extra lottery ball, commissioner Adam Silver will have the ability to reduce a team’s lottery odds or modify its draft position if it’s egregiously tanking in those situations.
“The consensus was that teams would not want to do that for one lottery ball, (but) that’s why they added additional disciplinary pieces as a fallback,” said Evan Wasch, the NBA’s executive vice president, head of basketball strategy and growth.
Here are a few more highlights from the conference call:
On the top-five restriction affecting the Grizzlies:
Because the new format includes a rule prohibiting teams from winning a top-five pick in three consecutive years, the Grizzlies won’t be able to get a top-five selection via Utah’s first-rounder, which they control from the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, since the Jazz landed at No. 5 in 2025 and No. 2 in 2026. Wasch explained that by applying that restriction to a team’s first-rounder even if that team no longer owns it, the league is attempting to avoid creating an “imbalance” between traded and non-traded picks.
“It essentially becomes a windfall to the teams that own those (traded) picks, because unlike other picks, they would benefit from the upside of the restrictions without any of the downside,” Wasch said, per Hollinger. “If you were to grandfather traded picks, you essentially differentiate those picks as being more valuable than all other picks. … That didn’t feel like a systematically fair way to go about this.”
According to Wasch, this rule was communicated to teams prior to this year’s draft lottery, so if the lottery results had played out differently, it may have been a different team – rather than Memphis – affected by the rule.
For what it’s worth, while the Grizzlies were upset enough by this rule that they were the lone team to vote against the lottery changes on Thursday, they still may benefit from the new system. If an improved Jazz team ends up in the 8-11 range in the West next season, the Grizzlies will still likely end up with a better pick than they would have had under the old format, even if the ceiling isn’t as high.
Wasch’s full comments on the Jazz/Grizzlies pick and the rule change impacting it can be viewed here (Twitter link via Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian).
On why the top-five restriction is written the way it is:
As Hollinger notes, there have been questions about why the rule prohibiting teams from being in the top five for three straight years wouldn’t apply – for example – to any pick that the Jazz controlled in 2027, rather to their own pick that they no longer control.
However, multiple GMs have pointed out to The Athletic that this would’ve create imbalances in the trade market. For instance, if the Jazz still owned their 2027 pick and were prohibited from landing in the top five, but could trade it to a team that would be able to turn it into a top-five pick, “There would have been a market inefficiency, and it would have undermined the integrity of the rule,” Wasch said.
There would be other ways for teams to exploit that loophole, Hollinger notes — for instance, two teams with roughly similar expectations could trade picks with each other to circumvent the restrictions.
On why the top 16 picks in the second round will be in reverse order of the first round:
As first reported on Thursday, the new format calls for the lottery order to be flipped in round two. That means the team that wins the No. 1 overall pick will get the 46th overall pick and the team that picks 16th in the first round will get the No. 31 pick, regardless of win-loss record.
According to Wasch, there were two reasons for this decision. For one, the league wanted to “counterbalance to the luck of the draw in the first round.” Additionally, while it’s probably unlikely that a team would tank for a higher second-round pick, league officials didn’t want that to even be an option.
Jalen Williams ‘Obviously Not 100%’ In Return
Returning on Thursday from a three-game absence following his second left hamstring strain of the postseason, Thunder forward Jalen Williams showed clear rust during the team’s 118-91 loss, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Coming off the bench for the first time since December 22, Williams scored a single point in his 10 minutes of action. He also committed a pair of turnovers and Oklahoma City was outscored by 18 points during his time on the floor. The 25-year-old, who made the All-NBA third team a year ago, didn’t speak to the media after the game, MacMahon notes, but head coach Mark Daigneault came to his defense.
“He’s obviously not 100%,” Daigneault said. “He didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what to expect. So it was a matter of getting him out there in kind of an insulated role and see what he can bring to the team.
“He’s an All-Star player, he’s an All-NBA player. He hasn’t done a full return to play (protocol) like he would if this was the regular season, and yet he just wants to do whatever he can to try to contribute whatever he can to the team. I give him a lot of credit to get himself out there. He did the best he could. He’s certainly not the reason we lost.”
Williams missed 26 of 28 games from January 19 to March 21 due to right hamstring issues, then strained his left hamstring in Game 2 of the Thunder’s first-round series vs. Phoenix. He returned to action for the start of the Western Conference finals following an absence of nearly four weeks, but re-injured the left hamstring in Game 2 last Wednesday, forcing him to the sidelines again.
Oklahoma City has posted an 8-1 record during the playoffs when Williams has been inactive. However, seven of those wins came in games that Ajay Mitchell played. Mitchell, who has been the Thunder’s go-to starter when Williams is out, has been sidelined for the past three games vs. San Antonio due to a right soleus (calf) strain. OKC has 21-point and 27-points losses during that stretch.
Speaking to reporters, including MacMahon, after Thursday’s loss, Daigneault admitted he’s not sure what Williams’ role will look like in Game 7 on Saturday.
“There’s a lot of conversations to be had,” Daigneault said. “I don’t have any information about how he came out of the game. Relative to the situation, I thought he looked pretty good, but we’ll see how he feels. We’ll huddle back up and do everything we can to get him ready and then take it from there.”
Mitchell Robinson Undergoes Finger Surgery, Aims To Play In Game 1
May 29: Robinson has undergone surgery to repair the break in his pinky finger, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Charania, the veteran center “fully plans” to play in Game 1 of the Finals next week. The expectation is that he’ll wear a brace on his right hand to protect the finger.
May 28: Mitchell Robinson suffered a broken right pinky finger earlier this week, according to James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz of The Athletic, who report that there’s no timetable for the Knicks center’s return.
It’s unclear how Robinson broke his pinky, per The Athletic.
The injury news has been confirmed by several other outlets, including ESPN (Twitter link).
While the unknown timeline may seem a little ominous, that doesn’t necessarily mean Robinson will miss any of the NBA Finals, with New York set to face either Oklahoma City or San Antonio on Wednesday for Game 1. It simply means his availability is currently unclear.
Still, Robinson’s absence would certainly be felt if he’s unable to suit up. He’s physically imposing, a fantastic rebounder, and a strong, versatile defender.
Robinson, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his eight years in the league, made 60 regular season appearances in 2025/26, his most since ’21/22. The 7’0″ big man averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 0.9 steals in 19.6 minutes per night, leading the league in offensive rebounding percentage and ranking in fourth in offensive rebounds per game (4.2), note Edwards and Katz.
Robinson has been a key part of New York’s identity throughout the season and has appeared in 13 of the Knicks’ 14 playoff games, but his playing time (14.2 MPG) has been cut back due to opponents intentionally fouling him; he has converted just 30.2% of his 3.3 free throw attempts per game in the postseason. He’s averaging 5.3 PPG and 5.5 RPG so far in the playoffs.
The 36th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Robinson has spent all eight of his NBA seasons with the Knicks, the team that drafted him. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign a veteran extension before then.
Second-year center Ariel Hukporti and fourth-year forward Jeremy Sochan are among the candidates for more playing time if Robinson is sidelined during the finals.
Heat Notes: Larsson, Mitchell, Fontecchio, Giannis, Lottery
Following an uneven rookie campaign with the Heat, Swedish wing Pelle Larsson took significant strides forward in year two, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
“I’m happy with how I performed and played this year, compared to last year,” Larsson said after Miami was eliminated in the play-in tournament. “I definitely stepped up in my development. I think just getting more minutes, being on the court more and getting more familiarity with everyone around here. I got trusted more with our new offense, and that was great. I think it resulted in a lot of good things for me.”
The Heat hold a $2.3MM team option on Larsson for next season that they seem very likely to exercise because he’d still be eligible for restricted free agency in 2027 if they pick it up. He’ll be extension-eligible in July assuming that option is exercised, according to Chiang, who considers the pros and cons of Miami offering Larsson a new deal — assuming he’s still on the roster.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- In another story for The Miami Herald, Chiang evaluates Davion Mitchell‘s 2025/26 season, writing that the 27-year-old point guard was a steady floor general for the Heat as he enters the final year of his contract. Mitchell, who will make $12.4MM in 2026/27, is valued highly by the coaching staff and front office, Chiang notes. “He’s been one of our most important guys that’s kind of been under the radar,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “There’s been a lot of big factors to us winning versus losing. But in the games that he missed, it definitely changed the look of how we play. I just think he’s an elite on-ball defender. And he’s fully embracing everything in our system. So it’s giving him an opportunity to be seen in this league as a competitor. And that’s not even talking about his offense. He’s in many ways the engine of when we run, and we’re at our best and in our pace. Oftentimes it’s him, the one that’s igniting it and pitching the ball ahead.”
- Italian forward Simone Fontecchio recently reiterated his desire to remain with the Heat, according to Eurohoops, citing a report from Sky Sport Italia. “I hope to find a place for next season,” said Fontecchio, who will be an unrestricted free agent next month. “I would love to stay in Miami because I felt very comfortable there and my family enjoyed it too. It would be important for me to continue what I built over the last year.” The 30-year-old also confirmed he’ll play for the Italian national team during the August qualifying window for the 2027 World Cup.
- While “Plan A” for the Heat’s offseason would be to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, if they’re unable to do so, “Plan B” would consist of chasing another star talent, Chiang states in a mailbag. If neither of those scenarios come to pass, “Plan C” would be to preserve cap room for summer of 2027, when Antetokounmpo could be a free agent, Chiang adds.
- Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel considers how the “3-2-1” lottery reform changes, which will take effect next year, could impact the Heat’s ability to pursue Antetokounmpo this summer.
Western Notes: Kings, Warriors, DiVincenzo, Sorber
UConn forward Alex Karaban headlines a group of six prospects set to work out for the Kings on Friday, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Karaban, a senior who was automatically eligible for the draft, goes 31st overall in the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Jeremy Woo and comes in at No. 30 on ESPN’s big board.
The other five draft prospects are Ryan Conwell (Louisville), Otega Oweh (Kentucky), Toibu Lawal (Virginia Tech), Tyler Nickel (Vanderbilt), and Mark Mitchell (Missouri). All are in ESPN’s top 100, with Conwell (No. 36) the only other player aside from Karaban in the top 50.
Sacramento controls the seventh, 34th and 45th picks in next month’s draft, Anderson notes.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- The Warriors hosted six prospects — Trey Campbell (Northern Iowa) Oscar Cluff (Purdue), Carson Cooper (Michigan State), Jaden Henley (Grand Canyon), Elias Ralph (Pacific), and Jalen Warley (Gonzaga) — for a pre-draft workout on Thursday, per an announcement from the team (Twitter link). Boilermakers center Cluff (No. 63) is the top-ranked player in that group, according to ESPN, with Henley (No. 72) also in the top 100.
- Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Donte DiVincenzo was the “heart and soul of so many things we do” after the veteran guard tore his right Achilles tendon in the first round of the playoffs, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. It was a brutal blow for the 29-year-old, who brought a consistent toughness and competitiveness to Minnesota. Now he faces an uncertain future, as he’s likely to miss most — if not all — of next season as he enters the final year of his contract, which will pay him $12.5MM in 2026/27. “He’s trying to get back as soon as possible, and I think he’s going to have a great recovery, the way he’s treating it and the attitude he has about it, getting right, getting better, it’s just great to see,” Jaden McDaniels said. “I mean, we all love Donte. Hopefully he’s going to have a speedy recovery.”
- Thomas Sorber has missed his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL, but the Thunder big man is still getting his NBA education on the sidelines and hopes to play in Summer League in July, per Dan Woike of The Athletic. “I’m still reading the scouting report. I’m still seeing who’s a hot shooter, who to worry about, who not to worry about,” Sorber said. “Just trying to get the game plan in my head so when I am ready next year to play, then I’ll be able to, you know, already have it under my belt.” The 20-year-old center was the 15th overall pick in last year’s draft.
Thunder’s Jalen Williams (Hamstring) Active For Game 6
Thunder wing Jalen Williams has been upgraded to available for Thursday’s Game 6 in San Antonio, tweets Rylan Stiles of SI.com. Williams will come off the bench as Oklahoma City looks to clinch its second straight NBA Finals appearance, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Williams, who has missed the past three games after aggravating a left hamstring injury in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, was initially listed as questionable. The Thunder currently hold a 3-2 lead on the Spurs after Tuesday’s Game 5 victory in OKC.
As we relayed on Wednesday, second-year guard Ajay Mitchell will remain out on Thursday. The Belgian guard is battling a right soleus (calf) strain.
Williams first strained his left hamstring on April 22 in Game 2 of Oklahoma City’s first-round series vs. Phoenix. He was absent for the entire second-round sweep of the Lakers due to that injury, then aggravated it in Game 2 vs. San Antonio.
After playing through a right wrist injury during the Thunder’s title run in 2025, Williams underwent surgery on that wrist in the offseason and then had a second procedure for the same ailment in the fall. Williams made his season debut in late November but missed extended time in 2025/26 due to a pair of right hamstring strains, ultimately only playing 33 regular season contests.
Williams, a third-team All-NBA selection last season, has averaged 17.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 24.3 minutes per game across four playoff appearances this spring.