Houston’s Kingston Flemings Declares For 2026 NBA Draft
Houston guard Kingston Flemings announced Sunday that he’s declaring for the 2026 NBA draft, per Joseph Duarte of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter video link).
Flemings comes in at No. 7 on ESPN’s best available players list, making him a potential mid-lottery pick. He earned numerous accolades for his stellar freshman campaign with the Cougars, whose season ended after losing to Illinois in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.
The San Antonio native averaged 16.1 points, 5.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 37 games (31.7 minutes per contest) for the Cougars in 2025/26. His shooting slash line was .476/.387/.845.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo praises Flemings’ “size, pace and upside” and calls him a “winning player” who’s also an “explosive play-maker.” There are some question marks about the 19-year-old’s outside shot (he only attempted 2.9 threes per game), but Flemings largely had excellent season on team that went 30-7, Woo writes.
This coming Friday, April 24, is the deadline for early entrants to declare for this year’s draft.
Raptors Notes: Inexperience, Adjustments, Ingram, CMB
The Raptors‘ “limitations and inexperience” were significant factors in Saturday’s Game 1 loss in Cleveland, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Toronto had the fifth-best defensive rating in the NBA during the regular season largely because the team was so good at forcing turnovers. Those takeaways led to fast-break opportunities, with the Raptors leading the league in transition points.
However, the Raptors were unable to get enough stops on Saturday in a loss that was more lopsided than the final score (126-113) suggests. They also only had three transition points, Koreen writes.
“I feel like they were getting back,” Scottie Barnes said. “Just trying to wait for us, other than them top-locking (Brandon Ingram). But everyone else was just trying to stay compact, stopping us from running.”
“I think you could see it was a focus for them to get back in transition,” added RJ Barrett, one of the biggest beneficiaries when the Raptors are able to score on the move. “We ran against them a lot during the year. I think that was a focus. But also, we’ve got to get stops.”
While some players pointed to improved effort as a necessity heading into Game 2, Koreen believes the larger issue is the Cavs are the more experienced and talented team, which makes them more adept at making in-game adjustments.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Head coach Darko Rajakovic is mulling lineup changes ahead of Monday’s game, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “Every scenario is on the table,” said Rajakovic, who pointed to turnovers, defensive rebounding and overall defense as improvement areas for Game 2.
- Another adjustment Rajakovic was focused on was getting Brandon Ingram more involved offensively, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca relays (Twitter links). The All-Star forward had 17 points on Saturday but only had one field goal attempt in the second half. “We had a long day yesterday watching film, long meetings this morning, great conversations today,” Rajakovic said Sunday. “So, we’re going to have some solutions and try to adjust. But, definitely, we’ve gotta involve Brandon much more in our offense and we have a plan to do so.” For his part, Ingram said he needs to up his aggression and find ways to score on and off the ball, Lewenberg adds.
- In an interesting interview with Forbes contributor Mark Medina, lottery pick Collin Murray-Boyles discusses his growth over his rookie season, prioritizing team success over individual accolades, and his nagging left thumb injury, which he admits will likely continue to bother him for the rest of 2025/26. “I know the team needs me,” Murray-Boyles said. “I know I’m a big part of what Darko needs with the energy that I bring, the defensive intensity and being a play-maker in our offense. I’m trying to get back into the flow of our game and how we play. I’m just trying to impact it.”
Nuggets/Wolves Notes: Jokic, Gobert, Murray, Edwards, Braun
The fact that Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets weren’t at their best on Saturday yet still managed to pull out a series-opening victory should scare both the Timberwolves and the rest of the NBA’s playoff field, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.
While Jokic finished with 25 points (on 12-of-19 shooting), 13 rebounds and 11 assists (five turnovers) in 40 minutes, his performance was just OK by his lofty standards. Rudy Gobert, who had 17 points (on 8-of-9 shooting) and 10 rebounds, deserves a lot of credit for slowing Jokic down, especially in the first half, according to Thompson.
“It’s all Rudy,” Jaden McDaniels said. “Rudy did a good job the whole game just guarding and taking the challenge. That’s what we need every time we play against Jokic, just Rudy coming to compete. That’s the best game we’ve had from Rudy this year.
“He keep doing that,” McDaniels continued, “we’re going to win.”
The problem what that statement is the Wolves dropped a winnable Game 1, Thompson observes, even with Gobert playing near his peak and Jokic being merely good. If Denver’s depth can continue to deliver, Jokic will have more energy left in the tank as the Nuggets look to make a deep playoff run.
Here’s more on the first-round series between the two Northwest Division rivals:
- Another troubling takeaway for Minnesota from Game 1? Denver shot just 1-of-17 from three point range in the second half, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), and 10-for-36 overall (27.8%). The Nuggets, who converted a league-high 39.6% from deep as a team, went just 1-7 during the regular season when they shot under 28% from deep, but still came away with a win on Saturday, notes Wolf Wise Statistics (via Twitter).
- Jamal Murray also wasn’t at his best in Game 1, shooting just 7-of-22 from the field, including 0-of-8 from long distance. However, the Canadian star still finished with a game-high 30 points as he went 16-for-16 at the foul line, notes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. While several members of the Timberwolves took digs at the overall free throw discrepancy (33 to 19), they said that wasn’t the main reason they lost the game, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “Just key mistakes. Just little things, we put them on the free-throw line. A bunch of little things at certain moments,” said Julius Randle, who scored 16 points and was 7-for-16 from the field. “We’d get it to five, and they’d go on a 4-0 run, 6-0 run, stuff like that. We just gotta limit our mistakes down the stretch and try not to put ourselves in that position.”
- Although Anthony Edwards‘ overall stats (22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 38 minutes) were solid, he didn’t look completely healthy as he continues to battle a nagging right knee injury and the Wolves definitely need more from him to win the series, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Head coach Chris Finch said Edwards wasn’t physically compromised, and Edwards agreed. “I felt good,” Edwards said. “I mean, a little fatigued. I haven’t played in like a month, month-and-a-half, so a little fatigued. But that was expected. Other than that, I felt good.”
- Nuggets coach David Adelman said Christian Braun did a “great” job limiting Edwards to an off shooting night (he was 7-of-19 from the field), according to Jason Quick of The Athletic, who says Braun looks forward to the challenge of slowing down the best players in the league. “I’m gonna learn what Ant does throughout the series … and it’s a series for a reason,” Braun said. “But I love the challenge. I love being able to guard the best players every night. I take pride … and obviously, it’s my job. So I gotta do it.“
2026 NBA Awards Finalists To Be Announced Sunday Evening
The finalists for seven major regular season awards will be revealed on NBC starting at 6 pm ET on Sunday, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
During the pregame show of tonight’s first-round series between Orlando and Detroit, the league will reveal the finalists for the following awards:
- Clutch Player of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year
- Most Improved Player
- Sixth Man of the Year
At halftime of the Magic-Pistons game, the finalists for three more awards will be unveiled:
- Most Valuable Player
- Rookie of the Year
- Coach of the Year
There are typically three finalists for each award. While we don’t know for sure who will win the individual honors, Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the favorite to win his second straight MVP award and seems to be the runaway frontrunner for Clutch Player of the Year. Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, a potential MVP finalist, could be the unanimous choice for Defensive Player of the Year.
The other awards are more up in the air, with former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel in a neck-and-neck race for Rookie of the Year. Pistons center Jalen Duren and Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker are among the candidates for Most Improved Player, while Joe Mazzulla (Celtics) and J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons) are likely on the short list for Coach of the Year.
As for Sixth Man of the Year, Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. appears likely to be a finalist, with Spurs forward Keldon Johnson, Nuggets wing Tim Hardaway Jr., and Timberwolves big man Naz Reid among the other candidates. Reid won the award in 2024.
Hornets Notes: Lee, Physicality, LaMelo, Knueppel, Offseason
There were several positive developments for the Hornets in 2025/26, who improved from 19 to 44 wins and had the best net rating in the NBA from the start of January through the end of the regular season.
Still, as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes, the team extended its playoff drought to a league-worst 10 straight years following Friday’s drubbing at Orlando. Head coach Charles Lee said the Hornets need to learn from the loss and use it as motivation for the future.
“You’re one step away from being in the playoffs, so I don’t want to discredit that,” Lee said, “but this has got to hurt a little bit. And you’ve got to think about this offseason. When you’re in the weight room, when you’re on the court. What am I going to do to go that extra mile to get even better, because we had a ton of growth this year.
“I don’t want those guys to lose sight of the positives that they did do. I think that the resilience of the team, the competitiveness, the togetherness continue to grow. And we earned an opportunity to be right there. So, ton of good, but that was not our best effort.”
Lee referred to ’25/26 as a “stepping stone” for the Hornets, Boone adds.
“Let this fuel you,” Lee said. “But also don’t take for granted the fact that you guys earned a ton of respect from everyone throughout the league with how hard you played, how well you played. And I think that they also helped build another stepping stone for this organization.”
Here’s more from Charlotte:
- “Physicality” was a constant theme throughout the team’s exit interviews on Saturday after the Hornets were pushed around by the Magic, according to Boone. Both Lee and LaMelo Ball said getting stronger will be an area of emphasis for the former All-Star point guard. “Being able to handle physicality,” Lee said. “I think that’s just a global theme for our team. I have to figure out how to help them in that regard, but then we also have to figure out how do we have the physical toughness? Which is a lot of weight room. And then I think some of it is also just the mental execution of how to best combat it. What play do we need to run? How fast do we need to play? What are some of the basketball situations? So a lot of that will follow Melo, because he’s one of our primary ball-handlers. But then it gets spread around to the whole team, too.”
- Kon Knueppel played exceptionally well for most of ’25/26 after being selected No. 4 overall in last year’s draft, but he struggled down the stretch and especially so in the team’s two play-in games, Boone observes. The Rookie of the Year candidate didn’t make any excuses for his late-season slump. “Yeah, no excuses,” said Knueppel, who appeared in 83 of Charlotte’s 84 games. “I just didn’t make a lot of shots. I shot really well throughout the year and you just got to the point in the last week of the season, the last two weeks of the season, just didn’t shoot it great. Sometimes that’s how it rolls. Obviously, there are some big games and you want to be able to shoot it well and you want to have your best stuff. I just didn’t have it. So, it’s frustrating. It is a long season. It’s my first time doing it, so some of that I think is a learning experience, just how to keep yourself fresh because these seasons are long. I haven’t had any off time since last college season, and so I’m looking forward to some rest. But it’ll be something I think about for sure, going forward, just one of the best ways to manage that come out ready to go next year.” Lee said he wants to see the former Duke wing become a more vocal leader, and Knueppel agreed that it was “definitely an area of improvement.”
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks previews the Hornets’ offseason, writing that re-signing Coby White and finding another prospect with their lottery pick will be top priorities. Ball, Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges will all be extension-eligible this summer, Marks notes.
Trail Blazers Notes: Splitter, Head Coach, Avdija, Scoot
Tiago Splitter has done an admirable job as the Trail Blazers‘ interim head coach, guiding the team to its first playoff appearance in five years while overseeing the development of several key young players, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (subscriber link).
However, there has been a lot of speculation about Splitter’s future with Portland, with multiple reports indicating new owner Tom Dundon doesn’t want to pay the going rate for even a first-time NBA head coach. Dundon himself suggested the team would look at other coaching options beyond Splitter.
Splitter, who purchased a home and moved his family from France when he was hired away as head coach of Paris Basketball to be an assistant last summer, pointed out that he has improved throughout the season and continues to get better. According to Freeman, Splitter chuckled and said he wasn’t sure how he’d approach his interview with Dundon about the position.
“I don’t know yet,” the 41-year-old said. “I’ve still got to think it through. I’ll probably just go with the facts, what happened, what I did and why I did it at that moment, why it worked or didn’t work. We’re going to go down with the facts.”
A former NBA big man, Splitter laughed when he was asked earlier in April if he wanted the job, replying, “Of course I do.” The Brazilian coach also had no issues with Dundon interviewing other candidates, Freeman writes.
“He’s probably going to interview a bunch of coaches and probably I’m going to be one of them,” Splitter said. “We’ll see what he wants from me and what he wants from the head coach, and we’ll see if I’m the best option or not. This is a normal thing to happen, right? When you buy a team for $4.25 billion, you probably want to make that decision. So it’s fair. I understand. I think he’s smart to wait and talk to other coaches. I would do the same. Right now, I’m not losing sleep because of it, honestly, I’m just trying to do the best I can and finish the season.
“But me and my family, we love it here. Honestly, before we came here, we were not sure if we would like it or not. But we love it. The outdoors — my kids are playing outside all day — and my wife says it feels like home. We love the city and we love the organization.”
Here’s more on the Trail Blazers:
- Splitter, who was previously an assistant in Brooklyn and Houston, took over for Chauncey Billups prior to the second game of the season after Billups was arrested on federal charges related to illegal gambling. Splitter recorded a 42-39 regular season record and has the support of the locker room, Freeman adds in the same story. Robert Williams, Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija are among the players who voiced their public support for Splitter. “Results speak for themselves,” Avdija said. “He was put into a challenging situation when he took over the team and we’ve had to use different rotations and guys all season. But I feel like he adjusted amazing through all that. I feel like he got the best out of everybody. We love playing for him. I appreciate the job he’s done and I respect him as a coach and a human.”
- In addition to his own team, Splitter has drawn praise from rival clubs as well. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson is a fan of Splitter’s, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “I think Tiago’s crushed it,” Johnson said. “I think when you see their team, and they’ve had a lot of in and out and the rosters and lineups, the temperament that he’s had and being able to lead that team and just what they’ve done recently (it’s impressive). The way they finished and the way they’re playing is a testament to him and the way those guys are playing and fighting for him and each other.”
- Although Scoot Henderson admits the first three years of his career haven’t gone the way he imaged after being selected No. 3 overall in the 2023 draft, the former G League Ignite guard remains supremely confident in his abilities, according to Bill Oram of The Oregonian. Henderson still thinks he should have gone No. 1 that year, ahead of Victor Wembanyama, his opponent in the first round. “Hell yeah,” he said after a practice this week. “I do. I think I bring so much to any team I go on. I bring that winning mentality, my confidence in my game and my approach to the game.” As Oram writes, Henderson obviously hasn’t approached Wembanyama’s level as a player to this point in their careers, with Henderson essentially acting as undersized 3-and-D shooting guard when he re-entered the starting lineup a few years ago. Still, Henderson has a chance to show he’s part of the team’s long-term future with a strong series, Oram notes, and Henderson says he’ll do whatever he can to contribute. “The way I look at it,” Henderson said, “however I can get on the court, however long I can stay on the floor, whatever I got to do, I’m out there. I’m trying to do it, trying to get stops.”
Suns Notes: Green, Booker, Williams, Allen, Fleming, Brooks
Injuries prevented Jalen Green from contributing to the Suns for most of the season, but he made up for it with 36 points and eight three-pointers in Friday’s play-in victory over Golden State, writes Doug Haller of The Athletic. It was a satisfying performance for Green, who was limited to 32 regular season games, mostly due to a hamstring injury he suffered during training camp that led to a long and frustrating healing process.
“Getting injured in the first place, coming back,” he recalled. “Getting injured again, coming back. I think it happened like three or four times. It was hard.”
Green admitted that he enjoyed eliminating the Warriors, who defeated his Houston team in seven games last year in his first playoff appearance. Even so, he was grateful for a post-game chat with Stephen Curry, whom he credits for helping to develop his game, relays Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“He was just telling me to handle business in OKC,” Green said. “Coming from Steph, it means a lot to chop it up with him and just hear from him at the end of the day, just because I was maybe 16 years old when he was having me come out to Oakland just to work out with him. So he’s kind of been somewhat of a mentor. I was able to get his number and reach out throughout these years. So he’s been kind of something like a mentor. And playing against him is always great. He’s one of the greatest shooters — greatest players of all time.”
There’s more from Phoenix:
- Devin Booker and Draymond Green both got tossed from Friday’s game after a prolonged shouting match late in the fourth quarter, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Booker downplayed the heated exchange in a post-game session with the media. “It’s nothing man,” he said. “I’ve been there before and I understand the situation. My big brother used to beat me in NBA Live back in the day and I’d throw a fit. He’s a competitor. He loves the sport.”
- Mark Williams (left foot soreness) and Grayson Allen (left hamstring) are listed as questionable for Sunday’s series opener at Oklahoma City, Rankin states in a separate story. Both players sat out Friday’s game, although Williams played 22 minutes in Tuesday’s play-in contest against Portland. Allen, who was injured on April 10, was on the active roster on Friday but wasn’t used.
- Rasheer Fleming looks like part of the Suns’ future after a promising rookie season, Rankin adds in another piece. Phoenix traded up to the top of the second round in last year’s draft to get Fleming, who made his first career start in the season finale and posted 16 points. “It’s been a great experience, honestly, on both ends,” he said. “For me to be able to watch and to be able to be on the floor throughout the season, it’s been great.”
- The Suns’ playoff appearance will result in a $1MM bonus for Dillon Brooks, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). The bonus had been classified as unlikely because Phoenix didn’t qualify for the postseason last year.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Brown, Walsh, Vucevic, Garza
Jayson Tatum is grateful for his 16 regular season games, but the chance to compete for a title is the real reason he worked so hard to come back from a torn Achilles tendon, writes Jay King of The Athletic. The Celtics star will see his first playoff action on Sunday since suffering the injury in the second round last May.
“I didn’t even know if I was going to play this year,” he said, “so I get the opportunity to be a part of the team and play in the playoffs. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Tatum admitted it can be “frustrating at times” to not fully be back at 100%, but he and the team were very successful in the games that he played. Boston went 13-3 with Tatum in the lineup and outscored opponents by 10.5 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court. He was on a minutes restriction in most of his games, but still averaged 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night, and his stats improved as he got used to playing again.
“I’m excited,” Tatum added. “My perspective has changed these last 48 weeks (since the injury). I remember when I got injured, there was a lot of uncertainty. The playoffs wasn’t a sure thing. And now that I get that opportunity, couldn’t be more happy.”
There’s more from Boston:
- The Celtics believe Tatum and Jaylen Brown are still improving in their ninth season together, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe states in a subscriber-only piece. It’s an unusually long run for NBA teammates, and it has enabled both players to move into the top 10 on the career scoring list for the franchise. “I think it’s great, it’s been a historic sort of run,” Brown said. “We were able to deliver a championship in 2024. Unfortunately we had our opportunities in the past that got away from us, but we’ve been right there for a long amount of time. We gained a lot of experience. I personally gained a lot of experience. It’s been a pleasure.”
- After holding Tyrese Maxey to 1-of-9 shooting as his primary defender in a November game, Jordan Walsh is eager for the chance to match up with the Sixers guard in the playoffs, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “Just taking away tendencies and then knowing the small things that get under his skin,” Walsh said. “But I think the biggest thing is, like I’ve been saying all year, not letting the guy do what they want to do. Make them go to their second option, their third option, their second move, stuff like that. Like, if he wants to go right and do a step-back, just don’t let him do that. Make him do something else. And then usually we’ll live with the end result.”
- Coach Joe Mazzulla will face a tough decision on whether to give most of the backup center minutes to Nikola Vucevic or Luka Garza, Brian Robb of MassLive notes in a mailbag column. Vucevic is only shooting 43.9% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc since being acquired from Chicago in February, but he’s a more experienced option and Robb points out that the team’s overall net rating has been fine with him on the court.
Kristaps Porzingis Unsure About Returning To Warriors
Kristaps Porzingis is uncertain of his next step as he heads toward unrestricted free agency after the Warriors‘ season ended Friday with a play-in loss at Phoenix, writes Melissa Rohlin of The California Post.
The health problems that have followed Porzingis through most of his career continued after he was traded to Golden State in February. A lingering battle with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) contributed to him playing just 15 of a possible 31 regular season games after joining the Warriors. It’s also causing him to reflect on the current state of his career before making any decisions about his future.
“That’s a good question,” Porzingis responded when Rohlin asked if he wants to re-sign with Golden State. “I do love my time here, honestly. Not one bad thing I can say about the organization, the team, the teammates. I really love it here, I really do. As I said before, I haven’t had a good year. If I had a good year, I think I’d have a more clear picture of what I want to do. Because I’ve had an up-and-down year like this, this is an offseason in my career that I think I’m just going to take a step back, look at the whole picture and then see what’s the best direction for me.”
Porzingis averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game with the Warriors and showed occasional flashes of brilliance despite the health issues. One of them came during Wednesday’s play-in victory over the Clippers when he contributed 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes and looked like a natural fit alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
“[Wednesday] honestly was a big step forward for me,” Porzingis said. “To have a game like this, it means a lot. To pull it out of somewhere, and it was there. Definitely a big step in the right direction.”
Rohlin notes that if Porzingis wants to remain with Golden State, he’ll likely have to accept a large reduction in salary. He made $30.7MM this season in the final year of an extension he got from Boston, but the Warriors are unlikely to offer him nearly that much on an annual basis. They’re also facing other roster decisions such as a potential extension for Curry and the possible trade of Green or Jimmy Butler in pursuit of a superstar.
Even with Porzingis’ frequent absences, Rohlin states that the team likes the way he fit in over the past two months and will have interest in keeping him if the money can be worked out.
“Kristaps was fantastic,” coach Steve Kerr said after Friday’s loss, which saw Porzingis struggle with ankle soreness. “He changed our team. The dynamic of having that floor spacing and shot-blocking.”
Braylon Mullins To Play Another Season At UConn
Braylon Mullins, who was considered a potential lottery pick in this year’s draft, has decided to return to Connecticut for his sophomore season, according to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 (Twitter link).
The 20-year-old guard produced a legendary March Madness moment last month when he drilled a long three-pointer in the final second to oust top-seeded Duke in the Elite Eight. He turned in a solid first season for the Huskies, averaging 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 33 games while shooting 42.1% from the field and 33.5% from three-point range.
Mullins hopes to become a guaranteed top-10 pick after another season in college, Goodman adds, noting that he was “highly compensated” through NIL money to continue playing at UConn for his sophomore season.
Mullins, who earned a spot on the Big East All-Freshman team, ranked 17th on ESPN’s latest list of the top 100 draft prospects.
He impressed scouts with his shooting ability and willingness to take clutch shots, but there’s also a desire to see what else he has in his offensive game. ESPN notes that he’ll have a strong chance to move up the board in 2027, with fewer stars projected to be in the draft class.