Jazz’s Elijah Harkless Named NBAGL Most Improved Player
Guard Elijah Harkless, who is on a two-way contract with the Jazz, has been named the NBA G League’s Most Improved Player for the 2024/25 season, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
Harkless earned the award for his time with the San Diego Clippers and Salt Lake City Stars. He’s the first player from the Stars to win NBAGL MIP, according to the press release.
After averaging 11.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steal in 20 regular season games (22.7 MPG) for San Diego in 2023/24, the 25-year-old improved his counting stats across the board in ’24/25, averaging 26.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.3 SPG in 19 regular season appearances, 17 of which came for Salt Lake City (31.4 MPG). He has posted a .447/.419/.745 shooting line during the G League’s regular season.
Harkless, who went undrafted out of UNLV in 2023, was named to the NBAGL’s Up Next event — essentially the G League’s All-Star game — earlier this season. He also had a stint in the Canadian Elite Basketball League with the Saskatchewan Rattlers this past spring.
Known for his defense, Harkless has played 10 games for Utah in what is technically his rookie NBA season. The combo guard has averaged 3.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG and 1.0 SPG in 13.8 MPG during those appearances.
Drew Timme and Tyson Etienne of the Nets finished second and third in voting for the award, respectively. Both players have been standouts for Brooklyn’s affiliate in Long Island.
Heat Notes: Winning Streak, Herro, Assets, Mitchell, Highsmith
The Heat have made NBA history for an unusual reason, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes.
Wednesday’s impressive road victory in Boston extended Miami’s winning streak to six games, with each triumph coming by double-digits. The Heat are the first team to accomplish that feat directly after a losing streak of at least 10 games.
“We’re just trying to take care of our business and continue to try to play well, compete hard, have this connectivity that’s growing as this season is going on and prepare,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “… Our locker room is alive. It’s been alive even when we were losing games just for this opportunity to compete, have these games matter and grow together through all of this stuff.”
Ending the Celtics’ own nine-game winning streak was a noteworthy accomplishment for the Heat, who also snapped a six-game regular season losing streak vs. the defending champions, Chiang notes.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- President Pat Riley famously challenged his players, particularly Jimmy Butler, to focus on availability after last season ended. Tyler Herro, who recorded 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds, two steals and zero turnovers against Boston, took that message to heart, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The first-time All-Star has appeared in a career-high 73 games in 2024/25. He said that reaching the 70-game threshold for the first time “feels really good” and is “meaningful,” but he hopes to achieve another goal too. “I’ve missed only three games this season,” Herro said. “My goal was to only miss four. So I’m there, hopefully. Got a couple more to go, but I’ve just got to keep playing, getting treatment and staying healthy and I want to play as many games as possible. I’ve never been a guy that wants to sit out.”
- Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald takes a look at the team’s most valuable trade assets ahead of what could be a busy offseason, with up to seven players who could hit free agency and Herro among those eligible for extensions.
- Spoelstra appreciates the “tenacious” defense that Davion Mitchell and Haywood Highsmith bring to the second unit, Winderman writes for The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The two players sometimes battle to take on the opposing team’s best offensive player. “I let (Mitchell) get the first crack,” Highsmith said with a laugh. “And if he starts getting cooked, then it’s, ‘I got him.’ We go back and forth.“
Sixers Guard Tyrese Maxey Expected To Miss Rest Of Season
Sixers star guard Tyrese Maxey is expected to be shut down for the rest of the season, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Maxey has not played since March 3 due to finger tendon injury. He has attempted to rehab the finger, but continues to deal with discomfort and needs treatment. The team’s other stars, Joel Embiid and Paul George, have already been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Maxey has started 52 games this season, averaging a career-high 26.3 points to go along with 6.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds per contest.
He was named the league’s Most Improved Player last season, then signed a five-year, maximum-salary contract during the summer. Maxey averaged 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in 37.5 minutes per game across 70 outings (all starts) last season.
The Sixers have lost 26 of their last 30 games with six games remaining. Philadelphia, which has lost nine straight, faces Milwaukee tonight. The Sixers owe a first-round pick to Oklahoma City but will retain it if they wind up with one of the top six selections.
Central Notes: Allen, Okoro, Ball, Budenholzer, Williams
With the playoffs approaching, Jarrett Allen and Isaac Okoro are playing at a peak level for the Cavaliers. Allen is shooting 77.8 percent from the field over the last six games, while Okoro has impacted recent games with his hustle plays and defense, Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes.
Allen, who has appeared in every game this season, missed most of last season’s playoff run due to broken ribs.
“I feel like every year I’ve had something happen in the playoffs to me whether it’s hurt or, yeah, it’s always getting hurt,” Allen said. “I’m just ready to showcase what I have to offer.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is still dealing with pain in his sprained right wrist but there are no plans to shut him down, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune writes. Ball missed the team’s six-game road trip and still hasn’t been cleared to play. He’ll have to deal with the injury the rest of the season but the team doesn’t anticipate that it will require surgery.
- Former Bucks coach and current Phoenix coach Mike Budenholzer admitted his return to Milwaukee was an emotional one. The Suns lost 133-123 on Tuesday. “I’ve always said it was a great five years here in Milwaukee,” Budenholzer said, per The Associated Press’ Steve Megargee. “I’m forever appreciative to the organization, to the players, to the fans here. The people here were great to me. It’s tough to lose tonight. I want to keep the focus on my guys, my team. But I’ve said it a million times: It was five great years here.” Milwaukee snapped a four-game losing streak by shooting a franchise-record 68.9% (51-of-74) from the floor. “I kept saying to my teammates, ‘We’re fighting for our lives. We’re fighting for our lives,’” Giannis Antetokounmpo said, per Megargee. “They think I’m joking, but I’m not joking. We’re fighting for our lives right here. Every win counts.”
- Patrick Williams hasn’t played up to the contract he signed last summer, but the Bulls forward said this season hasn’t been all gloom and doom, he told The Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley. ‘‘When we’re winning, I’m having fun, regardless of how I’m playing,’’ Williams said. ‘‘I come from a culture, obviously, at [Florida State] where winning was the top priority. When you win, everybody gets taken care of. You hold the trophy up, everybody gets to hold it up. But, for sure, as one of the young staples of this group, there’s a lot that comes with that off the court, being professional that way, but also on the court, holding yourself to that standard. The team holds me to that standard; I hold myself to that standard. And when I’m not playing at that standard, you shouldn’t be happy.”
Sixers Sign Colin Castleton To 10-Day Deal
April 3: Castleton’s 10-day deal is official, according to a team press release. As expected, he has taken Bagley’s spot on the roster.
April 2: The Sixers intend to sign big man Colin Castleton to a 10-day contract, league sources tell NBA insider Jake Fischer (Twitter link).
Castleton, who went undrafted out of Florida in 2023, spent his rookie year on a two-way contract with the Lakers and was on a two-way deal with the Grizzlies for the first half of this season before being waived in January.
The 6’10” center didn’t play much for either of those teams, but saw rotation minutes with the Raptors on a pair of 10-day deals last month, averaging 6.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 25.9 minutes per game across 10 outings (four starts).
Outside of his time with Memphis and Toronto, Castleton has spent much of this season in the G League playing for the Osceola Magic, Orlando’s affiliate. He has averaged 17.4 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and 2.8 APG in 17 regular season contests for Osceola.
The Sixers have a full 15-man roster but have been granted a series of hardship exceptions due to the various injuries afflicting their players down the stretch of this season.
A team qualifies for a hardship exception – which allows the club to exceed the usual 15-man limit – when it has at least four players who have missed three straight games and who are expected to be out for at least two more weeks. If a team has a fifth player meeting that criteria, it can receive a second hardship exception, which has been the case in Philadelphia recently — both Marcus Bagley and Phillip Wheeler are currently on hardship 10-day deals.
Bagley’s contract will expire overnight on Wednesday, so it seems likely that Castleton will take his spot on the roster, though we’ll have to wait for official confirmation from the team to be sure. Castleston will earn $107,027 over the course of his 10 days with the 76ers.
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Schröder, Gores, Harris
Cade Cunningham made his first All-Star appearance this season. The Pistons guard wants even greater recognition as his career unfolds, he told Eric Woodyard of ESPN.
“I think I can be the best basketball player in the world. I think I’m on my way,” Cunningham said. “I want people to understand that and that’s what I’m working to show people every time I play.”
Prior to the team’s astonishing turnaround, the No. 1 pick of the 2021 draft heard whispers that he was a bust, even after signing a max extension last summer. He understood the criticism and took it constructively.
“There was a time where I didn’t give them much else to think,” said Cunningham, who has missed the last five games with a calf contusion. “But I felt support since day one being here, though, and more than anything I wanted to hold up my end of the bargain.”
We have more on the Pistons:
- Ron Holland and Marcus Sasser served their one-game suspensions and Isaiah Stewart began his two-game ban in the Pistons’ 119-103 loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday. The suspensions resulted from an altercation with the Timberwolves on Sunday. That led to a 40-minute outing for veteran point guard Dennis Schröder, who produced 15 points and seven assists. Schröder, a trade-deadline acquisition, has also been increasingly relied upon in crunch time, even when Cunningham plays. “I love watching him play in the fourth quarter,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff told the Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II. “I love watching him play in those big moments because he finds a way to impact the game.”
- Owner Tom Gores is fighting back on criticism of his players in the aftermath of the dust-up with the Timberwolves. He issued a statement via the team’s PR department (Twitter link) which read, “In recent days, our team has faced scrutiny stemming from moments of intensity on the court. Let me be absolutely clear: We stand behind our players. While I wish the penalty outcome had been different, I write to you with a full heart — with pride in our players, passion for our city, and a clear voice of support for all those who wear the Pistons’ colors. We are bonded through our challenges. Our players compete with passion and teamwork — values that so many of us share. Detroit has always been a city that plays with hustle and pride. The Pistons have never shied away from playing hard and having each other’s backs, and we won’t start now. In Detroit, we rise together. To our players and coaches: Continue to work hard and play hard. We see you. We appreciate you. We support you. Your dedication fuels this franchise, and your courage inspires us all. To our fans: thank you for riding with us through every game, battle, and moment. Your energy fuels our players and makes the Pistons who we are. Together, we will keep building. together, we will keep competing. and together, we will keep proving that Detroit basketball is more than a game — it’s a way of life.”
- Starting forward Tobias Harris left Wednesday’s game in the second half due to right Achilles tendinopathy, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link). Harris, who scored 10 points in 22 minutes, missed the previous two games with the same issue. Harris has appeared in 70 games, averaging 13.8 points and 6.0 rebounds in the first season of his two-year contract he signed as a free agent.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, McBride, Payne, Anunoby, Hart, More
Jalen Brunson, who has been out since March 6 with a sprained ankle, is with the Knicks on their current two-game road trip and is expected to participate in the team’s next practice, which could happen on Friday, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
Given where Brunson is in his rehab process, it’s logical to assume he could return to action for one of the Knicks’ two games this weekend, either on Saturday in Atlanta or on Sunday back home vs. Phoenix, Bondy writes. Ian Begley of SNY.tv made a similar prediction, suggesting that he anticipates seeing Brunson play in one of those two games based on his current recovery trajectory.
The Knicks have six games left on their regular season schedule, so if Brunson is back in action for one of the next two contests, he’d have a week to get his feet back under him before the playoffs get underway. A weekend return would also put him in position to play the four games he needs to meet the 65-game minimum and qualify for end-of-season award consideration.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Brunson isn’t the only Knicks guard nearing a return from an injury. Miles McBride, who has missed seven games with a groin issue, and Cameron Payne, sidelined for the last four with a sprained ankle, are both close, head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters on Wednesday. “Deuce and Cam should be any day,” Thibodeau said, per Bondy.
- OG Anunoby is playing some of the best basketball of his career as of late, averaging 23.3 points per game on .476/.394/.843 shooting with his usual lock-down defense over the past 17 games. The key for the Knicks will be to see if they can keep getting this version of Anunoby after Brunson returns, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, noting that the forward is driving to the basket and getting to the free throw line more effectively than ever. “He’s got a great mix going right now with attacking the rim, getting to the line and high-volume threes … he’s not hesitating,” Thibodeau said. “It’s really, really good basketball. And his defense is elite.”
- The construction of the Knicks’ roster “fits me like a glove,” forward Josh Hart tells Bondy (subscription required), explaining that the healthy version of the starting lineup allows him to be the best version of himself. “We have three guys who can be No. 1 options (Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges). And you got OG, who can be a 2-3 option. So for me, it’s a benefit. Because I always got the worst defender,” Hart said. “And then if it’s a small guy on me, he got to worry about me crashing the boards. If it’s a big, we’re not hiding him. He’s going to be put into the action, and that allows me to kind of get into space and play my game.”
- Begley checks in on where things stand with Mitchell Robinson‘s conditioning and talks to veteran wing Landry Shamet about the role he’s playing for the Knicks.
- It would behoove the Knicks to lock up the No. 3 seed in the East sooner rather than later, according to Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post (subscriber link), who notes that the team would benefit from getting its regulars some rest (or at least reduced minutes) in the final games of the season. New York’s magic number to clinch the No. 3 spot is down to three.
Spurs Notes: Paul, Vassell, McLaughlin, King, Ingram
When a player signs a contract that includes unlikely incentives, those incentives can be worth up to 15% of the player’s base salary. The Spurs took full advantage of that rule last summer when they signed Chris Paul, making the most of their cap room by agreeing to a one-year deal with a base salary of $10.46MM and another $1.569MM in achievable unlikely incentives that wouldn’t count against the cap.
Paul began cashing in on those incentives on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), when the Spurs registered their 32nd win of the season, beating the Nuggets in Denver. The veteran point guard earned a $262K bonus as a result of the team reaching that win total, Marks reports.
Paul is on track to earn another $523K before the end of the season by meeting two more individual performance benchmarks, Marks tweets. As Marks previously wrote for ESPN.com, those bonuses are related to Paul’s net rating and true shooting percentage.
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- Spurs wing Devin Vassell was held out of Wednesday’s win for left ankle injury management, missing a game for the first time since December 6. Acting head coach Mitch Johnson explained that the team decided to rest Vassell because he was “getting a little bit too much in the danger zone” after having been playing through an ankle injury, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “It’s being mindful of the big picture, keeping him healthy, and so we made the call,” Johnson said.
- A throw-in piece in the De’Aaron Fox blockbuster in February, guard Jordan McLaughlin has barely played for the Spurs since being dealt from Sacramento to San Antonio. But he was a +8 in 17 minutes of action in Denver on Wednesday and made a crucial three-point shot in the fourth quarter. With just nine Spurs players active for the game, McLaughlin said the reserves’ attitude was to “go out there and have fun,” as Orsborn relays. “We all work really hard behind the scenes even when we’re not playing, so it was just a great opportunity for us to go out there and play basketball,” the veteran guard said.
- Scott King, the head coach of the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League affiliate, has been named the NBAGL’s Coach of the Year, the league announced on Wednesday (Twitter link). A former Knicks player development coach, King led Austin to a 22-12 record and the No. 2 seed in the G League’s Western Conference in his first year at the helm, finishing ahead of runners-up DeSagana Diop (Westchester Knicks) and Quinton Crawford (Stockton Kings) in a vote conducted by the league’s 31 head coaches and GMs. At the time of his hiring, one report indicated that King was viewed as a future NBA head coach — he likely bolstered his case with his performance this season.
- Speaking to Grant Afseth of RG.org, Spurs two-way forward Harrison Ingram said his goal is to earn a standard contract. The 48th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Ingram has appeared in just three games for San Antonio this season, having spent most of the year in Austin, an experience he discussed with Afseth. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.
Draft Notes: Quaintance, Martinelli, Hubbard, Mock Draft
Arizona State freshman forward Jayden Quaintance underwent knee surgery on March 19 for a tear in his right ACL, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Quaintance, who is seen as a potential top-five prospect in the 2026 draft, is also entering the NCAA transfer portal to seek out his next collegiate opportunity, according to Givony.
“He’s already ahead of schedule, the doctor says, and should be cleared for contact in September,” his father Haminn Quaintance said.
With the 2025/26 season slated to tip off in November, that recovery timeline sounds optimal.
“I’m planning on coming back better than last year,” the younger Quaintance told ESPN. “I’m already attacking my rehab aggressively.”
A Big 12 All-Freshman and All-Defensive teamer, Quaintance logged averages of 9.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game in his debut college season. Quaintance, born in 2007, graduated high school a year early, so he is not eligible to declare for the NBA until next year’s draft. He was the youngest player in college basketball this season, Givony notes.
There’s more from the upcoming draft:
- Northwestern swingman Nick Martinelli, the leading scorer in the Big Ten this season, is testing the draft waters while retaining his college eligibility, per Givony (Twitter link). The 6’7″ forward, who averaged 20.5 PPG in 2024/25 for the Wildcats, would remain at Northwestern – rather than transferring – were he to return to the NCAA. Martinelli was not among the top 100 prospects on Givony’s latest 2025 pre-draft big board.
- Two-time All-SEC Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard will declare for the 2025 draft, but plans to preserve his collegiate eligibility, the 5’10” NBA hopeful informed Joe Tipton of On3 Sports (via Twitter). Hubbard is also not among Givony’s top 100. In 34 contests this season, the sophomore registered averages of 18.9 PPG, 3.1 APG and 2.1 RPG. He posted shooting splits of .402/.345/.878.
- In his latest 2025 mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report highlights the upside of three intriguing prospects out of Florida and speculates about the appeal of two potential picks out of Auburn, big man Johni Broome and guard Tahaad Pettiford.
Rockets Clinch Playoff Spot, Southwest Division
In blowing out the Jazz, 143-105, on Wednesday, the Rockets earned their 50th win of the 2024/25 season and locked in a top-six playoff seed in the Western Conference. Houston also secured the Southwest Division crown with the victory.
With no starter playing more than 29 minutes in a dominant win over the rebuilding Jazz, Houston was paced by Jalen Green‘s 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting. All-Star Rockets center Alperen Sengun and reserve forward Jabari Smith Jr. each notched 15-point, 14-rebound double-doubles. Sengun was also one assist shy of a triple-double.
Houston didn’t emerge from the contest totally unscathed, however. Starting wing Dillon Brooks incurred his 16th technical foul of the season for kicking Utah guard Collin Sexton in an inconvenient place, and will net a one-game suspension unless the tech is rescinded.
In their second season under head coach Ime Udoka, the Rockets have returned to the playoffs for the first time in five years. This iteration of the club is quite different from the club’s last playoff team.
Young talents like Sengun, Green, Smith, Tari Eason and Amen Thompson will get their first postseason run, and will be supported in that effort by playoff-seasoned pros like Brooks and Fred VanVleet. It will be fascinating to see how this relatively inexperienced squad might stack up in a battle with one of the West’s more veteran-heavy playoff teams.
At present, Houston is the No. 2 seed in the West. Only six games separate the Rockets from the West’s No. 8 seed, the 43-32 Clippers. Houston is also just 2.5 games better by record than the 47-29 Nuggets, and three games better than the 45-29 Lakers, so the Rockets’ seed and first-round opponent remain very much up in the air.
Houston hardly has an easy road for its final six games of the 2024/25 regular season. The Rockets will face off against only postseason-bound West rivals, with two games against the Warriors, two games against the Clippers, and matchups with the Lakers and the top-seeded Thunder left on the docket.