Warriors Sign Charles Bassey
1:33 pm: Bassey’s deal is official, per the Warriors (Twitter link).
8:10 am: The Warriors plan to sign Charles Bassey, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
The 53rd overall pick in the 2021 draft, Bassey spent his first four NBA seasons with the 76ers and Spurs, appearing in 113 games and averaging 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per contest from 2021-25. However, despite a strong Summer League showing last July in Las Vegas, he was unable to secure a regular roster spot at the NBA level this season and has bounced around among several teams in between G League stints.
Bassey signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Grizzlies in October, inked a pair of 10-day deals with Philadelphia in January and February, and recently nearly three weeks with the Celtics on two more 10-day contracts. He became a free agent on Saturday when his second 10-day deal with Boston expired on Friday night.
A 6’10” center from Nigeria, Bassey has averaged 2.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 6.6 minutes per game across eight appearances with Memphis, Philadelphia and Boston in 2025/26.
He had a much larger role in the G League, averaging 20.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 20 games (29.9 MPG), with a shooting slash line of .606/.426/.654. The majority of those appearances (17) came with the Warriors’ affiliate team in Santa Cruz.
Bassey will essentially replace Turkish big man Omer Yurtseven, whose second 10-day contract with Golden State expired on Friday night.
If Bassey’s deal is completed on Sunday, he would be eligible to appear in five games over the last eight days of the regular season. He’ll likely earn the veteran’s minimum due to the Warriors’ cap situation.
Nikola Vucevic To Return Sunday For Celtics
Veteran center Nikola Vucevic will return to action in Sunday’s game vs. Toronto, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed to reporters, including Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Vucevic has been sidelined since March 6 due to a fractured right ring finger. The injury, which required surgery, was expected to sideline him for at least three-to-four weeks, and he’ll return in just under a month.
The 16th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Vucevic spent his rookie season with Philadelphia, then was traded to Orlando in the 2012 offseason as part of the four-team deal that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers. Vucevic played eight-and-a-half years for the Magic prior to being traded to Chicago ahead of the 2021 deadline.
Vucevic spent six years with the Bulls, who traded him to the Celtics last month.
In his 11 healthy games with Boston, Vucevic averaged 11.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists on .445/.351/.824 shooting in 23.5 minutes per contest. He has been coming off the bench with the Celtics after starting nearly every game in which he appeared over the past 10 years.
Overall, Vucevic has played 60 games (29.0 MPG) in 2025/26, averaging 15.6 PPG, 8.6 RPG and 3.4 APG on .496/.373/.835 shooting. The 35-year-old, who is playing on an expiring $21.5MM contract, will be an unrestricted this summer if he doesn’t sign a veteran extension with Boston before July 1, the start of the new league year.
Giannis Says Co-Owner’s Comments ‘A Slap In My Face’
In an exclusive interview with Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscriber link), Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo says he felt disrespected by the comments co-owner and current governor Wes Edens made to ESPN a couple weeks ago.
“Giannis is going into the last year (of his contract),” Edens told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “So one of two things will happen: Either he will be extended or he’ll be traded. The likelihood you’ll let him just kind of play out the last year, we can’t afford that. It’s not consistent with what’s good for the organization. That’s not a Giannis issue. That’s any player that’s in their last year.”
While those comments could be interpreted as an ultimatum, Antetokounmpo told Nickel he views it a little differently.
“For me, it’s like a slap in my face,” Antetokounmpo said.
Antetokounmpo will earn $58.5MM in 2026/27, followed by a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28. He’ll become eligible on October 1 to sign a four-year, maximum-salary extension (the exact value would depend on where the ’27/28 cap ends up). If he doesn’t sign an extension and opts out of that player option, he would be an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
The 31-year-old forward told the Journal Sentinel he found out about Edens’ stance when ESPN’s story was released. Antetokounmpo admits he wasn’t thrilled with the indirect communication.
“It says a lot …” Antetokounmpo said.
According to Nickel, the two-time MVP wasn’t “angry” or “accusatory” when he answered questions, but he was “straightforward.”
Nickel asked Antetokounmpo how many times he has spoken to Edens during the 2025/26 season, and he only recalled one conversation, which came via Zoom. Co-owner Jimmy Haslam was also on that Zoom call, and Antetokounmpo said he talked to Haslam one additional time.
ESPN reported that Milwaukee has an unusual ownership structure that involves the governor title changing hands between co-owners Edens and Jimmy Haslam every five years (Haslam will become governor in 2028). In addition to controlling ownership rotating between those two men, another franchise shareholder, Jamie Dinan, is reportedly involved in major decisions.
Antetokounmpo wondered aloud whether the Nuggets or Thunder would ever make similar comments about Nikola Jokic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, respectively.
“Especially [as] somebody that has been this loyal, and I’ve showed appreciation, to the team, to the community, to the fans, to everybody that I’ve worked with, you know?” Antetokounmpo said. “And that’s almost, like, a slap in my face.”
This isn’t the first time Antetokounmpo and Edens have made differing public comments. Edens told reporters at the Bucks’ media day in late September that he had a “great conversation” with Antetokounmpo last June and that the nine-time All-Star “made it clear that he was very committed to Milwaukee.” At the time, Giannis said he didn’t recall that discussion.
Antetokounmpo reiterated his commitment and love for Milwaukee again during the interview, according to Nickel, who writes that the 10-time All-Star also made it clear he hopes future conversations between he and the Bucks remain private.
“I’m here, I committed, I’m wearing the jersey, and it is disrespectful to my teammates, to my coaching staff, to the people that I go and sweat with, and go to war with, to say, ‘I don’t want to be here’ − and I will never do that,” Antetokounmpo told the Journal Sentinel.
“Now, what goes on in private rooms? It’s not my job, it’s not my responsibility, and it should not − in no shape or form − be shared in public. I believe in etiquette. I believe in human etiquette, I believe in basketball etiquette. So with my owners, I have addressed what I feel and what I believe the situation is.
“Same with my GM, same with my coaches.
“And for me, that [Wes Edens] comment was a slap [in] the face. But, it’s my boss. So I just gotta keep on moving forward.”
A Bucks employee was instructed to listen in on the conversation Antetokounmpo was having with the Journal Sentinel, Nickel writes. Antetokounmpo, who agreed that his contract gave him a degree of leverage this summer, said that while he still speaks to GM Jon Horst, the communication between the two isn’t as regular as it once was. He also made it clear he doesn’t trust the front office.
“Nobody,” he said. “I don’t feel comfortable talking to nobody.”
Antetokounmpo told Nickel he’s been more closed off this season.
“I tried this whole year to stay to myself, and also this past summer,” Antetokounmpo said. “I was more closed off to myself. I don’t know if that’s because I don’t feel comfortable opening up enough. Or if it’s just, I just don’t want to open up at this point.
“It’s definitely not like before.”
The league continues to investigate the Bucks for possible player participation policy violations over disagreements with Antetokounmpo about whether he’s healthy enough to play this season. The Bucks insist the perennial MVP candidate is still injured due to a left knee injury, while Antetokounmpo says he’s ready to play.
“You know who you are dealing with,” Antetokounmpo said Friday. “So for somebody to come and tell me to not play or not to compete, it’s like a slap in my face. So, I don’t know where the relationship goes from there.”
Head coach Doc Rivers said after Friday’s loss to Boston that he was tired of being in the middle of the public disagreements between management and Antetokounmpo, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Rivers said it wasn’t up to him whether Antetokounmpo would be active or not.
“I’m out of the business of trying this subliminal messaging or all that crap,” Rivers said. “I’ve heard all the stuff. I just want everybody to be on the same side, (because) they deserve it. All of ‘em. I don’t think there’s a bad person in this group — none of the guys that I’m talking about. I think they’re all good people. But we gotta figure out how to put good people on the same page and it stays inside.”
Pacers Notes: Humbling Season, Siakam, Injuries, Offseason
David Aldridge of The Athletic takes a look at the “humbling” season the Pacers have endured in 2025/26 after they were two quarters away from winning their first NBA championship last June. Indiana is just 18-59 with five regular season games remaining in ’25/26.
“We talk a lot about just staying with the process,” guard Andrew Nembhard said. “I think it’s the competitiveness, bringing that energy every night, kind of when the season’s getting to the end, and it’s already out of (playoff) contention. It’s something you’ve got to work on. It’s only going to make us better for next season, having that competitive energy when it doesn’t really matter.”
The Pacers have been decimated by injuries this season, opening the campaign with a 1-13 record and signing several replacement players to temporary hardship deals in the fall. Head coach Rick Carlisle admits it was a “daunting” task to find consistency with so many players in and out of the lineup.
“When things get like this,” Carlisle said, “you’ve just got to find a way to operate that’s consistent and positive. That’s the tack that we’ve taken.
“The players have been terrific. … We acquire guys that are great people along with being good players. If you don’t have that kind of character, something like this can be a lot more arduous.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- All-Star forward Pascal Siakam suffered a left ankle sprain and a lower back bruise in the fourth quarter of Friday’s loss to Charlotte and has been ruled out of Sunday’s game in Cleveland, relays Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link). Only Siakam’s ankle sprain is listed on the NBA’s official injury report.
- Siakam isn’t the only starter who will be sidelined Sunday, as Nembhard (thoracic and lumbar injury management), Aaron Nesmith (cervical strain) and key reserve T.J. McConnell (bilateral hamstring injury management) will be out as well. Ben Sheppard (right hip strain) and Jarace Walker (sacral contusion) are questionable to suit up against the Cavs.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac previews the Pacers’ offseason, writing that he doesn’t expect the team to make a major splash on the trade market after acquiring Ivica Zubac ahead of the February deadline. Indiana projects to be over the first tax apron if it keeps its top-four protected 2026 first-round pick, Smith notes, so a cost-cutting move could be on the horizon for a team that hasn’t been a taxpayer in more than 20 years. If the pick lands between Nos. 5-9 and conveys to the Clippers, the Pacers could end up being just below the 2026/27 luxury tax line, Smith adds.
Pistons Clinch Top Seed In Eastern Conference
The Pistons clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2006/07 following Saturday’s lopsided victory in Philadelphia, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
Detroit is currently 57-21 with four games left in the regular season. The team now has home-court advantage throughout the East playoffs.
Veteran forward Tobias Harris was among seven Pistons who scored in double figures on Saturday, finishing with a team-high 19 points, four rebounds, four steals and two assists in 27 minutes. The 33-year-old, who spent five-plus years with the Sixers, was booed throughout the game, per ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill, and viewed it as test against a team trying to secure a playoff berth.
“It’s a good opportunity to go out there and play and figure it out,” Harris said. “It gets you ready for the playoffs, high intensity basketball. In any other arena, they boo the other team, not specifically you. For me I look at it as a challenge. Use it as a training, really.”
The Pistons have gone 8-2 since Cade Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung on March 17, with Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins continuing their strong play in the All-NBA guard’s absence. Detroit’s only two losses over that 10-game span were in overtime (vs. Atlanta and at Oklahoma City).
Fourth-year center Duren has averaged 22.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 66.0% from the field and 83.8% from the foul line in nine games over that stretch (he was out for the loss to the Thunder), while second-year guard Jenkins has put up 19.0 PPG, 7.7 APG and 4.4 RPG on .448/.438/.911 shooting in 10 contests.
“With Cade here we were more relaxed, we knew we had more of a superstar to get us to wins,” Pistons swingman Ausar Thompson told ESPN. “But since he’s been gone we all gathered around and knew we had to be more gritty, missing such a big piece. We had to make up for less offense on the defensive side.”
The last formal update on Cunningham came a few days ago, when the Pistons announced that he “continues to make progress in his return to play process” and would be reevaluated in a week. According to Goodwill, all signs continue to point to Cunningham being ready to return for Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs.
Pacific Notes: LeBron, Curry, Post, Horford, Ott
After Lakers star LeBron James made disparaging comments about Memphis on a YouTube show this week, he may have alienated a couple of other fan bases on Saturday, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Given a chance to clarify his statements about the city and his feeling that the Grizzlies should move to Nashville, James pointed out to reporters that he criticized the Bucks‘ hometown as well.
“Milwaukee was, too. Did they miss that one, too? They didn’t see that?” James said. “Forty-one years old, it’s two cities I do not like playing in right now. That’s Milwaukee, and that’s Memphis. What is the problem?”
James was reacting to a question about NBA travel, telling the host that “it just wears on you more” at his age. The Akron, Ohio, native also listed Cleveland as one of the cities he doesn’t enjoy visiting, which probably comes as a surprise to Cavaliers fans.
“I don’t like going home either … and I’m from there,” he said. “People are ridiculous. They also get mad at my son (Bronny) being on the (Lakers), too. So what are we talking about? People need to figure out other ways to put their energy to other things that’s important. Like seriously? I’m not talking about the city, like the people in Memphis. I don’t like staying at the Hyatt Centric. What’s wrong with that? Nothing! What are we talking about? … People need to chill the hell out.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Warriors are likely stuck in 10th place, but there’s optimism that the season can be saved with Stephen Curry expected to return Sunday after missing more than two months with a knee issue, per Noah Furtado of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required). “Now, Superman’s back,” Gary Payton II said, “so we’ll figure it out with that.” After being out of action since January 30, Curry is looking forward to teaming up with Kristaps Porzingis, who wasn’t acquired until the trade deadline in February. “I was telling him, I don’t know how people are going to guard our pick-and-roll,” Curry said. “Anytime you have talent like that and two guys that can demand attention, it’s always a good thing, to create good offense and help elevate whoever we’re out there with.”
- The Warriors say Quinten Post, who’s sidelined with soreness in his right foot, is making progress and will be reevaluated next week, relays Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). Al Horford is also set for a reevaluation next week and seems to be getting close to returning before the regular season ends, adds Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- Jordan Ott picked up his first technical foul as Suns head coach in Thursday’s loss at Charlotte, notes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. His players weren’t sure if he might make it through all 82 games without one. “I’ve been waiting all season for him to get one,” Royce O’Neale said. “I think it was right timing. Moments like those help us get a boost of energy. Just shows that he got our back in every situation.”
Celtics Sign Ron Harper Jr. To Two-Year Deal
9:54 pm: The signing is official, the Celtics announced (via Twitter).
3:01 pm: The Celtics will promote Ron Harper Jr. to their standard roster and sign him to a new two-year contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link).
Boston had to make a roster move today to add a 14th man after Charles Bassey‘s second 10-day contract expired overnight on Friday. Teams are permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to 28 total days during a season, but the Celtics had already reached that limit.
Harper, who is currently on a two-way deal, has played 26 games for the Celtics this season after spending the previous three years with the Raptors and Pistons.
The 6’5″ forward is averaging 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per contest, with a majority of his games played coming in the second half of the season.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac notes (via Twitter), because Harper will be signing a multiyear contract instead of a rest-of-season deal, his cap hit will be equivalent to the prorated minimum for a three-year veteran instead of a two-year veteran. That means he’ll count against the cap and tax for $123,045 this season.
The Celtics, who have made a series of roster moves since the trade deadline with an eye toward remaining out of the tax, will remain about $38K below that threshold after signing Harper, meaning they’ll have enough flexibility to add a 15th man during the final days of the season without becoming a taxpayer.
Central Notes: Giannis, Bucks, Trade Market, Bulls Shakeup, Pistons
The NBA weighed in with a statement on Saturday as it continues the investigation of a disagreement between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bucks, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Antetokounmpo, who has been sidelined since March 15 with a left knee hyperextension and a bone bruise, contends that he’s healthy enough to return to action, but the team won’t give him medical clearance. The Bucks say he hasn’t fully healed and isn’t sincere about wanting to play.
“The investigation has found that the Bucks scheduled Giannis to work out last week in three-on-three scrimmages as part of his return-to-play process, but he declined to participate,” the NBA said on Saturday. “There is a disagreement as to whether the team requested that Giannis participate in a group workout earlier this week, and the league is continuing to monitor the situation.”
The NBA has held conversations with Bucks officials as part of the probe, a source told Nehm. Antetokounmpo emphatically expressed his desire to return to action during an interview after Milwaukee’s loss to Boston on Friday, but with only five games remaining, it may be too late even if the dispute is resolved in his favor.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Trading Antetokounmpo this summer could be the first step in a massive roster overhaul for the Bucks, suggests Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link). He points to Bobby Portis, Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma as other veteran players who might be moved and says coach Doc Rivers’ future with the team is also uncertain. Scotto expects the Heat, Warriors, Knicks, Cavaliers and others to approach Milwaukee with offers.
- Major changes could be coming to the Bulls over the next 10 days, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley could both be held accountable for the disappointing season, and a coaching move is possible as well. Cowley notes that Billy Donovan is one of the main targets for the vacant North Carolina job, and there are also suggestions that he could stay and help revamp the front office or move into the top management role himself.
- If there’s a bright side to Cade Cunningham‘s injury, it’s that his teammates are learning how to succeed without him as the playoffs approach, notes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Isaiah Stewart is also out indefinitely with a left calf strain, but the Pistons keep winning and look ready to be a force in the playoffs if the roster gets healthy again. “Obviously, we’re better with (Cade), Stew and today Tobias (Harris) on the floor,” Jalen Duren said. “But I think having guys come in and get reps in, get shots up, see the ball go through (the rim) — the type of offense we’re playing with everybody being involved — it gets everybody’s confidence up. It gets everybody’s juices flowing going into that postseason.”
Celtics Notes: Queta, Mazzulla, Pritchard, Vucevic
Center was viewed as a potential Celtics weakness heading into the season, but Neemias Queta has turned aside any doubts about whether he can handle the position, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe writes in a subscriber-only story. Queta continued his career-best season on Friday with 19 points, 10 rebounds and a plus-33 rating in a win over Milwaukee.
“It’s unbelievable,” Jayson Tatum said. “I couldn’t be more proud and happy for Neemy. The way he’s seeing the game, the leap he’s made as a screener, as a passer, someone we can trust when we throw him the ball in the seams, finishing, protecting the rim. He is an NBA starting big man, that’s who he is now. He’s only going to continue to get better.”
Queta had only made six total starts in four seasons before being asked to take over when Al Horford and Luke Kornet left in free agency and Kristaps Porzingis was traded in a cost-cutting move. Through 72 games, he’s averaging 10.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 25.4 minutes per night, and his emergence is one of the reasons Boston has been able to post the second-best record in the East.
“I think maybe at the beginning of the year we didn’t trust him as much as we do now, and now every time we throw it to him, we expect him to make the right read and right play,” Derrick White said. “He’s developed a lot of confidence, and we all have confidence in him.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Joe Mazzulla recently dismissed Coach of the Year as a “stupid award,” but Payton Pritchard thinks he deserves to win it, Himmelsbach adds. Mazzulla is considered one of the leading candidates, along with Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff. “He’s a competitor, and he focuses on how this team is going to get better and better,” Pritchard said. “He changed some things up this year as far as film sessions. He went to more, instead of a dictatorship, like a classroom setting where we’re just going to learn through all the ups and downs in that setting.”
- Nikola Vucevic, who has been sidelined with a fractured finger since March 6, could make his return Sunday afternoon against Toronto, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Vucevic was acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline, but was only available for 12 games before the injury forced him to undergo surgery. He was originally projected to be reevaluated in three to four weeks, and a Sunday return would have him back on the court in a little less than a month. Terada expects him to replace Luka Garza as the primary backup center.
- Vucevic will be playing for his next contract when he returns, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. The 35-year-old big man has a $21.4MM expiring deal, and Robb suggests that his salary for next season might be less than half of that. The Celtics could be interested if he plays well in the postseason, but only at a low-cost, one-year deal because they still might be focused on avoiding the luxury tax. Robb adds that the Celtics may also be considering a younger option on the offseason trade market.
Stephen Curry Talks About ‘New Normal’ As He Nears Return
Ahead of his expected return from a knee condition that has sidelined him since January 30, Warriors star Stephen Curry held a press conference on Saturday to address questions about his lengthy recovery process, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN. Curry is listed as questionable for Sunday’s home game against Houston, but Slater states that he’s expected to play, barring any setbacks.
Curry, who has been suffering from patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee) in his right knee, said “yes and no” when asked if it’s something he’ll have to manage for the rest of his career.
“There’s nothing structurally wrong with my knee,” Curry explained. “So it’s not like I’m compromised out there. It is a new normal, though, if that makes sense.”
Curry first began experiencing pain and swelling in the knee during a January 24 workout and tried to play through it before opting for rest. He was expecting to return to the lineup quickly, but said it turned out to be “unpredictable.”
“I thought I was going to be out a week,” Curry said. “Ten days max. [But] every time I got on the court or tried to push it in that first month, there was always a reaction. You just knew it wasn’t healing as fast as you thought.”
He believed resting the knee would enable him to return after the All-Star break, but there wasn’t enough improvement by mid-February. He also targeted an Eastern road trip in March, according to Slater, but suffered a setback two weeks ago in Atlanta when he felt he was on the verge of returning.
“You’d start running and doing your normal [rehab] workout,” Curry said. “[Then] toward the end of however long the session was, you’d start to feel the pain creep back in and the next day it’d be awful. Played that song and dance so many times over the last two months.”
Although progress was slow, he made a breakthrough over the past week when he was cleared to participate in five-on-five scrimmages. If all goes well over the next 24 hours, he’ll be back on the court Sunday night, giving him about a week to prepare for the play-in tournament, with Golden State virtually locked into the 10th seed.
Curry said he never gave serious consideration to sitting out for the rest of the season, and coach Steve Kerr told reporters that the team never approached him with that suggestion.
“He’s the greatest face of a franchise that I’ve ever seen,” Kerr said. “We owe it to our fans to give them the opportunity to watch Steph Curry play basketball this year. And Steph doesn’t even think twice about that. That’s what he wants. That’s what we want. That’s what our fans want. So we’re going to do that.”