Thunder Notes: Mitchell, Jalen Williams, McCain, Caruso, Hartenstein, Holmgren
Ajay Mitchell will remain sidelined when the Western Conference Finals resume Thursday night at San Antonio. Mitchell is listed as out on the Thunder’s official injury report with a right soleus (calf) strain, marking the third straight game he will miss since suffering the injury last Friday.
OKC’s offense struggled in Game 4 without Mitchell and Jalen Williams, who are two of the team’s primary ball-handlers. However, the Thunder posted 127 points in Tuesday’s Game 5, repeatedly pushing the tempo to create easier scoring opportunities.
Williams remains questionable due to left hamstring strain injury management, and his official status may not be determined until shortly before tipoff. He was a late scratch in Games 4 and 5.
There’s more on the Thunder:
- Coach Mark Daigneault was looking for an offensive spark when he opted to start Jared McCain instead of Cason Wallace, and the move seemed to shake the team from its malaise, states Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman. Although McCain got off to a slow start, his presence on the floor created more room for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, who combined for 15 first quarter points, Carlson notes. McCain finished with 20 points in 33 minutes in his first career playoff star.
- The Thunder got another dominant effort from their bench in Game 5, and their reserves are now outscoring San Antonio’s by a 257-127 margin for the series, according to Tim Willert of The Associated Press. “We have good players on our bench. They’ve got good players on their bench,” said Alex Caruso, who contributed 22 points and six assists in 28 minutes. “So, we know that’s an area of the game where you can try to find some positive plus-minus time for that group.”
- Daigneault often used smaller defenders against Victor Wembanyama during the regular season, but that task has mostly fallen to Isaiah Hartenstein in the playoffs, notes Ben Golliver of ESPN. Hartenstein’s physicality has bothered the Spurs star, who shot just 4-of-15 from the field on Tuesday.
- Holmgren, who turned in his best game of the series with 16 points and 11 rebounds in nearly 30 minutes, talked to Fred Katz of The Athletic about his approach to basketball and the balance between individual and team success. “Ego has been the downfall of many people’s careers,” Holmgren said. “I feel like ego gets in the way of maximizing the moment and also understanding. Basically, what you’re asking me is, would I trade what we just accomplished last year and the opportunity that we have (this year) and the group that we have? Would I sacrifice that to go be able to shoot 20 shots a game? I don’t think so.”
Amari Allen Withdrawing From Draft, Returning To Alabama
Alabama forward Amari Allen revealed on Twitter that he will withdraw from the draft and play another season for the Crimson Tide. Allen’s announcement included a graphic stating “I’m back” and a 55-second highlight reel.
The 20-year-old earned a spot on the SEC’s All-Freshman Team with a solid performance during his first college season. He averaged 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 32 games (24 starts) while shooting 44.6% from the field and 34.1% from three-point range.
Allen announced in April that he planned to test the draft waters without giving up his NCAA eligibility. He was invited to the draft combine earlier this month and was measured at slightly above 6’5″, well below his listed height of 6’8″, which may have influenced his decision to return to school.
Allen ranked 29th on ESPN’s big board of the top 100 draft prospects, which was last updated before the combine began. ESPN’s Jeremy Woo projected Allen to go to Memphis with the 32nd pick in his most recent mock draft. It likely made more financial sense for Allen to play another year at Alabama and try to boost his draft outlook for 2027.
Allen had pre-draft workouts with the Grizzlies, Knicks, Thunder and Heat, according to Emilee Smarr of The Tuscaloosa News.
And-Ones: Lyles, Brooks, Lottery, Extensions, Peterson
Veteran forward Trey Lyles, who spent 10 years in the NBA with Utah, Denver, San Antonio, Detroit, and Sacramento from 2015-25, is drawing significant interest from European teams on the heels of a successful season in Spain, writes Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. Relaying reporting from Sport5, Maggi says Real Madrid hopes to re-sign Lyles but is worried about being outbid by rival suitors, including perhaps Fenerbahce and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Lyles, 30, helped Real Madrid reach this year’s EuroLeague championship by averaging 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 20.9 minutes per game across 36 outings in Europe’s top league. He posted an excellent shooting line of .515/.443/.792.
According to Maggi, the expectation is that Lyles would prioritize a return to the NBA over offers from EuroLeague teams if a favorable opportunity arises stateside.
Here are a few more odds and ends from across the basketball world:
- Former NBA guard Armoni Brooks, who made 84 regular season appearances for three teams from 2021-24, is set to join ASVEL in France on a two-year deal, according to Matteo Andreani and Andrea Calzoni of BasketInside (Twitter link). Relatedly, Joey Buss and Jesse Buss – former part-owners and basketball operations executives of the Lakers who were let go by the team last year – are candidates to invest in the French club, as Aris Barkas of Eurohoops details.
- With the NBA’s “3-2-1” lottery reform plan appearing increasingly likely to be approved, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps evaluates the pros and cons of the plan. One added benefit, according to Bontemps, is that the lottery drawing itself is expected to be aired live beginning in 2027. The NBA has typically conducted the lottery behind the scenes and then unveiled the results after the fact in a more viewer-friendly TV broadcast, but the format change could make the drawing itself less confusing to follow live.
- Bobby Marks of ESPN takes a closer look at 20 of this offseason’s top extension candidates, including superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and Stephen Curry of the Warriors, and predicts whether or not they’ll end up signing new contracts in the coming months.
- Does Darryn Peterson‘s explanation that high doses of creatine caused his cramping issues at Kansas pass muster? Sarah Todd of The Deseret News speaks to medical experts to make sense of Peterson’s remarks and to get an idea of what NBA teams will be looking for when they evaluate the top prospect’s health.
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Los Angeles Clippers
A year ago, the Clippers entered the summer with high hopes for the offseason and the season to come after posting a surprising 50-32 regular 2024/25 season record and holding their own in a highly competitive, seven-game first-round series vs. Denver despite having lost Paul George in 2024 free agency.
The newfound cap flexibility the Clippers generated as a result of George's departure allowed the team to bring in multiple quality role players and provided the front office with a more viable blueprint for maintaining a balanced roster going forward.
But the 2025/26 season was a turbulent one. The NBA launched an investigation last September into possible salary cap circumvention related to a "no-show" endorsement deal for Kawhi Leonard. One key offseason addition, Bradley Beal, underwent season-ending hip surgery in the fall, while another, future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul, had an unceremonious split with the franchise less than two months into the season. The team got off a 6-21 start, leading to the decision to trade James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the deadline with an eye toward the future.
To be fair, the Clippers recovered admirably from that 6-21 start. Even without Harden and Zubac on the roster, the club clawed its way back above .500 by late March and finished at 42-40, earning a play-in spot. But those mid-season trades signaled that short-term contention was no longer a top priority for the organization, and L.A.'s very brief postseason run came to an end with a home loss to the Warriors in the 9/10 play-in game.
Following that abrupt postseason exit, the outlook in Los Angeles is cloudier than it was a year ago for multiple reasons. For one, the Clippers are still awaiting resolution on the NBA's probe into the team's and Leonard's relationships with the now-bankrupt green banking company Aspiration. While there haven't been any indications that Leonard's contract agreement with L.A. is in real danger of being voided as a result of that investigation, it remains very possible that the franchise will face some sort of penalty, such as lost draft picks, once it wraps up.
Even if the Clippers are cleared of wrongdoing by league investigators, there's uncertainty about what exactly the front office's plans are in the wake of the Harden and Zubac deals. Is L.A. still committed to trying to contend with Leonard as its centerpiece, as president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank insisted during his end-of-season press conference? Or did the team's willingness to move off veterans earlier this year suggest that a soft rebuild around Darius Garland and this year's No. 5 overall pick is around the corner?
The Clippers' Offseason Plans
Leonard is entering the final year of his current contract and will earn $50.3MM in 2026/27 before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2027. The two-time Finals MVP is also coming off arguably his best all-around season since he arrived in Los Angeles -- he finished seventh in MVP voting and was named to the All-NBA second team after averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game on .505/.387/.892 shooting across 65 healthy outings (32.1 MPG).
With all that in mind, the question that will determine the direction of the Clippers' offseason is whether they seek an extension with Leonard, who will turn 35 in June, or sell high on the trade market, completing the roster reset they kicked off earlier this year by trading Harden and Zubac.
Draft Notes: Grizzlies, Tanner, Withdrawals, Warriors, Hornets
The Grizzlies are working out Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner on Wednesday, along with Chase Ross (Marquette), Sam Alexis (Indiana), and J’Vonne Hadley (Louisville), reports Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).
Tanner, a potential first-round pick, is the most highly regarded prospect of that group and will face a decision in a matter of hours on whether or not to keep his name in the draft. The deadline for early entrants to withdraw and retain their NCAA eligibility is 11:59 pm Eastern on Wednesday.
Tanner is one of the more notable prospects who has yet to finalize his decision — it’s possible the feedback he gets on Wednesday from the Grizzlies, who hold this year’s third, 16th, and 32nd overall picks, will help sway him in one direction or the other.
We have a few more draft-related updates:
- Flory Bidunga, who is transferring from Kansas to Louisville, has withdrawn from the draft, per Joe Tipton of On3 (Twitter link). So has Shane Blakeney, who is transferring from Drexel to South Carolina, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link), as well as Anton Bonke, who is transferring from Charlotte to Michigan State, agent Scott Nichols tells Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Bidunga is entering his junior season in 2026/27, while Blakeney and Bonke will be seniors and will be automatically draft-eligible next year.
- In addition to Dillon Mitchell, Tre Donaldson, and Tyler Nickel, whose participation was previously reported, the Warriors are bringing in Nevada guard Corey Camper, South Carolina guard Kobe Knox, and San Diego State guard Reese Dixon-Waters for Wednesday’s group workout, according to the team (Twitter link).
- Nick Boyd (Wisconsin), Wyatt Fricks (Marshall), Nate Johnson (Kansas State), and Tre White (Kansas) are among the prospects visiting the Hornets for a pre-draft workout on Wednesday, league sources tell Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Charlotte currently only holds the 14th and 18th overall picks, while Boyd and White rank 76th and 93rd, respectively, on ESPN’s top-100 list, so the team could be eyeing potential undrafted targets for two-way offers.
- Cincinnati forward Baba Miller had been scheduled to take part in a group workout with the Kings on Wednesday, but he was unable to participate due to an illness, tweets Sean Cunningham of KCRA News.
Hawks Promote, Extend Onsi Saleh
1:19 pm: The Hawks have officially confirmed in a press release that Saleh is now the team’s president of basketball operations and has signed a “long-term” contract extension.
“Onsi possesses a rare combination of valuable leadership qualities and a clear vision that will position our franchise to compete at a championship level. He is a gifted communicator and talent evaluator, widely respected by his peers within the NBA community,” team owner Tony Ressler said in a statement. “He has already demonstrated a level of decisiveness and acumen that has changed the trajectory of our organization, and we are delighted to have him lead our basketball operations for a very long time.”
1:17 pm: The Hawks are promoting general manager Onsi Saleh, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Saleh’s new title will be president of basketball operations. He’ll also receive a contract extension, Charania adds.
Saleh, who had been working in Golden State as the Warriors’ VP of basketball strategy and team counsel, was initially hired by Atlanta in 2024 as an assistant general manager. He was elevated to the GM role last April after the Hawks fired head of basketball operations Landry Fields.
Saleh has been running the Hawks’ front office since last spring, so the promotion to president of basketball operations likely won’t materially change his job description. However, it figures to come with a raise and will solidify his place atop the team’s basketball operations department. It also opens the door for the team to potentially hire a GM down the road to take on some of the day-to-day responsibilities that Saleh currently handles.
Saleh finished second in Executive of the Year voting this spring after a very solid first year on the job. He landed 2026 Most Improved Player Nickeil Alexander-Walker on a four-year, $60MM deal in free agency last offseason, signed 2025 Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels to a four-year, $100MM rookie scale extension, and negotiated a draft-night trade that moved the Hawks down from No. 13 to No. 23 in last year’s draft while netting them this year’s eighth overall pick.
Saleh also acted aggressively on the trade market during the season, sending Trae Young to Washington in January for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert and then landing Jonathan Kuminga in a deal with Golden State. The newcomers helped Atlanta finish the season strong and earn the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks won 20 of their last 26 regular season games.
As Charania notes (via Twitter), Saleh and the Hawks are well-positioned to continue adding to a core headlined by Jalen Johnson, Alexander-Walker, Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu, armed with extra draft assets and a good deal of long-term cap flexibility.
Fischer’s Latest: Lottery Reform, Thunder, Clippers, NIL
The NBA’s “3-2-1” draft lottery reform plan remains on track to get the votes necessary for it be ratified in advance of the 2027 draft, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, who explores in his latest Substack article what sort of ripple effect those changes to the lottery could have on the trade market going forward.
As Fischer has noted before, middle-of-the-pack teams may become more reluctant to trade first-round picks going forward, since the value of the selections in the back half of the lottery will substantially increase under the new system. Additionally, since the proposed format includes a sunset provision and could be altered by 2030, teams may hesitate to move first-rounders beyond that, since another lottery overhaul a few years down the road could drastically changed the value of those picks in the 2030s.
“I’m not trading any picks beyond 2029,” one general manager told Fischer.
As Fischer notes, teams selling off star players for draft-heavy packages in recent years have often prioritized far-off picks in the hopes that the team acquiring the veteran star will no longer be a contender in five to seven years, increasing the value of their future first-rounders. But the new system might actually encourage teams to try to compile as many picks as possible in a single draft between 2027-29 in the hopes of maximizing their lottery odds that year. One strategist told Fischer that he’d advise the Bucks to take that approach this offseason if they trade Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Here’s more from Fischer:
- Echoing earlier reporting from Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Fischer says rival teams are consistently pointing to the Thunder, who hold the 12th and 17th overall picks, as a strong candidate to trade up. If they stay at No. 12, they’d be “very much open” to moving their second first-rounder, Fischer writes, adding that executives are preparing for Oklahoma City to be aggressive on the trade market. “What’s to stop them from packaging No. 12, 17, and future picks to try to go get (Cameron) Boozer or (Caleb) Wilson?” one Eastern Conference exec asked Fischer. As I noted on Tuesday, I expect a move like that would probably require a significant overpay, given that no teams will be eager to help OKC add another young cornerstone.
- Rival teams are “working hard” to determine how likely the Clippers are to trade the fifth overall pick, according to Fischer, who says there’s “considerable curiosity” around the league about what L.A. will do with that selection.
- With the NCAA’s draft withdrawal deadline for early entrants looming, Fischer breaks down the math on the decisions that several notable prospects are facing, pointing out that star players at high-major schools have no problem earning between $4-6MM per season via NIL. In order to crack $6MM in first-year earnings in the NBA, a player would have to be drafted no lower than 11th. That’s why potential mid-to-late first-rounders like Koa Peat and Tyler Tanner are weighing whether it makes more sense to spend another year at college and try to increase their draft stock for 2027.
Victor Wembanyama Skips Media Session After Game 5 Loss
12:28 pm: The NBA has issued a warning to Wembanyama about violating media access rules but won’t fine him, reports Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link).
8:56 am: After playing his worst game of the 2026 postseason, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama exited Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center on Tuesday night without speaking to the reporters who were waiting to hear from him, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
As Amick writes, it was a surprising move from a young star who was voted the most media-friendly player in the NBA this year by the Professional Basketball Writers Association. Wembanyama’s decision to duck his post-game media duties will force the league office to decide whether to issue him a fine, since those media sessions are mandated by league rules.
It was a frustrating night for Wembanyama and the Spurs, who were defeated by a score of 127-114 and now trail the Thunder 3-2 in the series. The 22-year-old made just 4-of-15 shots from the floor, including 0-of-5 from beyond the arc. His 20 points represented his lowest mark of the series and his six rebounds were well below his playoff average.
San Antonio was outscored by eight points when Wembanyama was on the floor, marking the first time in the Western Conference finals and just the third time in the playoffs that the Defensive Player of the Year had a negative net rating. The only other two postseason contests in which the Spurs were outscored during Wembanyama’s minutes were the ones he exited early due to an injury (in round one) or ejection (in round two).
Head coach Mitch Johnson acknowledged during his own post-game media session that the team will need a bigger game from its superstar in San Antonio on Thursday in order to avoid elimination and force a Game 7, as Michael C. Wright of ESPN relays.
“He’s got to take more than 15 shots,” Johnson said. “Even with the (12) free throws, he’s going to have to score more than 20 points for sure.”
Asked whether Wembanyama’s off night was a result of a lack of aggression or if it was a game plan issue, Johnson suggested it was a combination of both factors, Wright notes.
“OKC did a good job. We’ve got to do a better job,” Johnson said. “That’s probably the easiest in terms of when you (look at) surface-level stuff that he’ll definitely need to take more shots. But there’s a lot of things all over the place. Even when we had advantages, we just didn’t make simple plays and take advantage of the opportunity, that possession. In this type of game, you’ve got to be sure of everything you’re doing in a very secure, mature way.”
“I think they send so many bodies towards him, it’s hard at times,” teammate Stephon Castle added. “I think he just wants to make the right play and wants to win. So, it’s tough. But yeah, he’s our best player. We need him to be aggressive. I feel like him being aggressive opens up shots for other guys.”
NBA Reveals Full Voter Ballots For 2025/26 Awards
The NBA has formally revealed the full ballots submitted by the 100 media members who voted for each of this season’s awards, per a press release from the league.
Over the past several weeks, the NBA gradually unveiled its major award winners for the 2025/26 season, starting with Defensive Player of the Year on April 20 and wrapping up with Coach of the Year on Tuesday. While the league confirmed at the time of those announcements how many votes each player received, we now know exactly which NBA reporter or analyst submitted each vote.
So if you’ve been wondering who had Neemias Queta on their All-Defensive first team, who gave Cade Cunningham his two first-place votes for Most Valuable Player, or who snuck Cedric Coward onto their Rookie of the Year ballot ahead of VJ Edgecombe, now you can find out.
Here are the results of this season’s award votes, in the order they were announced, along with our stories on each winner and links to the full media voter ballots:
Defensive Player of the Year
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
- Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
- Ausar Thompson (Pistons)
Clutch Player of the Year
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
- Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
Sixth Man of the Year
- Keldon Johnson (Spurs)
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Heat)
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (Nuggets)
Most Improved Player
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks)
- Jalen Duren (Pistons)
- Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers)
Rookie of the Year
- Cooper Flagg (Mavericks)
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
- VJ Edgecombe (Sixers)
Most Valuable Player
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
All-Rookie Teams
First Team
- Cooper Flagg, Mavericks
- Kon Knueppel, Hornets
- VJ Edgecombe, Sixers
- Dylan Harper, Spurs
- Cedric Coward, Grizzlies
Second Team
- Derik Queen, Pelicans
- Maxime Raynaud, Kings
- Jeremiah Fears, Pelicans
- Ace Bailey, Jazz
- Collin Murray-Boyles, Raptors
All-Defensive Teams
First Team
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
- Chet Holmgren, Thunder
- Ausar Thompson, Pistons
- Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves
- Derrick White, Celtics
Second Team
- Scottie Barnes, Raptors
- Cason Wallace, Thunder
- Bam Adebayo, Heat
- OG Anunoby, Knicks
- Dyson Daniels, Hawks
All-NBA Teams
First Team
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
- Luka Doncic, Lakers
- Cade Cunningham, Pistons
Second Team
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics
- Kawhi Leonard, Clippers
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
- Kevin Durant, Rockets
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks
Third Team
- Tyrese Maxey, Sixers
- Jamal Murray, Nuggets
- Jalen Johnson, Hawks
- Jalen Duren, Pistons
- Chet Holmgren, Thunder
Coach of the Year
- Joe Mazzulla (Celtics)
- J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons)
- Mitch Johnson (Spurs)
The NBA handed out a few more awards this spring, including Executive of the Year (story), Teammate of the Year (story), the Hustle Award (story), and the Sportsmanship Award (story). But those honors weren’t voted on by 100 media members like the ones above, so specific voting results won’t be revealed for them.
Northwest Notes: Valanciunas, Nuggets, Avdija, Jazz
After flirting with a move overseas during the 2025 offseason, Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas is once again drawing interest from teams in Europe, he confirmed during an appearance this week on the Pikenrolas podcast (YouTube link).
“I received attention,” Valanciunas said, per BasketNews.com. “Yes, there were talks with one team, another team, and the Lithuanian club. There are discussions, and we are deciding. But the final word belongs to Denver. First of all, it depends on whether they trade me, keep me, or not. That’s their decision.
“Right now, I think the bigger question for them is what they will do with the roster overall: who stays and who goes. As I understand it, only Nikola (Jokic) is untouchable, and everyone else can be moved. I think everything will be clear in the first week of July, or maybe even earlier.”
A year ago, Valanciunas appeared to be on the verge of joining the Greek team Panathinaikos, but Sacramento traded him to the Nuggets, who wanted to him to honor his NBA contract and become Jokic’s primary backup. This time around, the cap-strapped Nuggets seem less likely to retain Valanciunas, whose $10MM salary is partially guaranteed for just $2MM. A move to the EuroLeague would become a whole lot more viable if the big man is waived by Denver.
Citing a report from the outlet Sport24, Alessandro Maggi of Sportando says Panathinaikos is once again in the mix for Valanciunas this offseason, with the Turkish team Fenerbahce and Lithuanian club Zalgiris Kaunas also reportedly showing interest.
We have more from around the Northwest:
- There are three types of trades the Nuggets could make this offseason, according to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette, who weighs the merits of a salary-dump deal, a sign-and-trade involving Peyton Watson, or a more significant move involving an impact player like Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon.
- Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link) takes a look at the potential paths the Trail Blazers could take with Deni Avdija‘s next contract, observing that a standard veteran extension is unlikely because Portland’s maximum offer would be well below the forward’s market value due to his modest $11.9MM salary for 2027/28. If they want to avoid waiting until Avdija’s free agency to negotiate a new deal, the Blazers will likely have to open up cap room next summer in order to renegotiate that ’27/28 figure, Highkin writes. Bumping up that ’27/28 figure would increase Avdija’s maximum extension, which could be completed at the same time.
- While there has been some chatter about the possibility that the Jazz could trade up or down in the draft, Tony Jones of The Athletic argues that the team’s approach to the No. 2 pick should be straightforward: take whichever of AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson is available. As Jones outlines, Utah’s roster lacks a starting-caliber shooting guard, and either Dybantsa or Peterson is capable of filling that hole while providing elite long-term upside. In the event that Cameron Boozer is the surprise No. 1 pick, Jones advocates for the Jazz taking Dybantsa over Peterson.