Grizzlies’ Kleiman: We Should Have Picked Up LaRavia’s Option
Before the 2024/25 season began last fall, the Grizzlies declined to exercise their fourth-year team option on forward Jake LaRavia. That 2025/26 option was worth $5,163,127.
Because his option was declined, LaRavia is now on track for unrestricted free agency in 2025 instead of restricted free agency in 2026. It also made his free agency more complicated than it is for most players — the team he ended the season with cannot offer him a starting salary that exceeds the declined option.
With those factors in mind, the Grizzlies wound up trading LaRavia to Sacramento ahead of February’s deadline, even though he was having his most productive campaign as a pro.
At his end-of-season press conference on Sunday, executive vice president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman admitted he made a “mistake” by turning down that option, tweets Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
“I think we should’ve picked up Jake LaRavia’s team option,” Kleiman said. “The mistake was there. … I think Jake could’ve helped us down the stretch.”
According to Cole (Twitter link), Kleiman explained that he thought Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson would be able to replace LaRavia in the rotation. Both players dealt with injuries in the first few months of the season and returned to action before the deadline.
“I probably overweighted just how much of a burden they would have been able to put on in a playoff push,” Kleiman said.
Memphis was eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday after being swept in its first-round series with Oklahoma City.
Duke’s Khaman Maluach Declares For NBA Draft
Duke freshman Khaman Maluach declared for the 2025 NBA draft prior to Saturday’s early entrant deadline, the school announced (via Twitter).
A 7’2″ center from South Sudan, Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21.2 minutes per game while shooting 71.2% from the field and 76.6% from the line across 39 appearances for the Blue Devils in 2024/25. He is a projected lottery pick, coming in at No. 8 on ESPN’s latest big board (subscriber link).
Maluach won’t turn 19 years old until September, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony notes, making him one of the youngest players in the class. Maluach has a strong motor, is quite mobile for his size, and is viewed as having a great deal of long-term upside, according to Givony.
Pistons Notes: Schröder, Beasley, Stewart, Ivey, Game 3
Veteran guard Dennis Schröder struggled with his shot after the Pistons traded for him in February, averaging 10.8 points on .378/.302/.833 shooting in 28 regular season games (25.2 minutes per contest).
However, as Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press writes, the 31-year-old has played a critical role for the Pistons in the playoffs, making timely shots and serving as a secondary ball-handler alongside All-Star Cade Cunningham. Through three playoff games (28.3 MPG), Schröder is averaging 15.3 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds on .556/.615/.800 shooting.
“He’s played in so many big games, and when you go back and watch his history, he’s clutch in big games,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after Game 2, when Schröder made the winning basket, securing Detroit’s first playoff victory in 17 years. “We talked about it early on when he got here, he’s just fearless. There’s no moment, there’s no crowd, there’s no noise that’s too big or that’s gonna rattle him. Works his tail off on his game, but a lot of people in that situation don’t have the courage and he’s got the courage to take big shots.”
Schröder will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, Sankofa notes.
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- While Schröder has caught fire in the playoffs, the opposite has been true for Malik Beasley, another impending free agent. After averaging 16.3 points and converting 41.6% of his three-point tries in the regular season, the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up has posted 13.7 PPG while shooting 30.0% from long distance thus far in Detroit’s first-round series vs. New York. “I think he’s getting his looks. They just haven’t fallen for him … we know he’s capable of making those shots,” Bickerstaff said of Beasley (Twitter link via Sankofa).
- Big man Isaiah Stewart battled through a right knee injury in Game 1 and missed the second and third games of the series. He’ll also be sidelined for Sunday’s Game 4 due to ongoing right knee inflammation, as Hunter Patterson of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).
- Although the Pistons technically didn’t rule out Jaden Ivey for the remainder of the postseason when they provided an update on his status last night, Bickerstaff sounded skeptical about the third-year guard’s chances of playing again in ’24/25, per Patterson (Twitter video link). “Our aim will always be to protect our guys,” Bickerstaff said. “This would just be a very difficult situation for a guy to come back into after dealing with the injury. … The more he progresses, we’ll take a look.” Ivey is recovering from a broken fibula in his left leg.
- Both the Pistons and Knicks were frustrated by the officiating following a controversial ending to Game 3, writes Chris Herring of ESPN. Detroit was livid that Jalen Brunson wasn’t called for a backcourt violation in the closing seconds, though the NBA supported that non-call, notes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. The Knicks, meanwhile, were angered that Detroit got possession of the ball after Brunson intentionally missed a free throw with 0.5 seconds left.
- Despite finding themselves in a 1-2 hole, the Pistons remained positive after the Game 3 loss, as Patterson writes for The Athletic. “We won’t be deflated,” Bickerstaff said when asked about the mood in the Pistons locker room. “Our guys are too committed to one another. We’re not results-driven. We’ll show up Sunday and we’re going to lay it on the line. We’re going to fight like hell and see what happens.”
Carter Bryant Among Draft’s Final Early Entrants
The deadline for early entrants to declare for the 2025 NBA draft was last night at 10:59 pm CT. Arizona freshman Carter Bryant was among the players who declared for the draft before the deadline passed, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).
It’s unclear whether or not the 19-year-old intends to stay in the draft, but Bryant is ranked No. 20 on ESPN’s latest big board (Insider link), making him a projected first-round pick.
A 6’8″ combo forward, Bryant averaged 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 block in 37 appearances for the Wildcats in 2024/25 (19.3 minutes per game). He posted a shooting slash line of .460/.371/.695.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, Bryant is a plus athlete with a strong frame, and has shown flashes of versatility on both ends of the court. While Bryant is viewed as being somewhat raw right now, his upside is considerable and he has a chance to move up draft boards over the next couple months.
Here are a few more players who entered the draft before yesterday’s deadline:
- Guard Joson Sanon, who spent his freshman season at Arizona State but has committed to transfer to St. John’s, is testing the draft waters, per Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Sanon will be looking for feedback from NBA teams, but he is expected to eventually withdraw from the draft and suit up for the Red Storm in ’25/26, according to Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media.
- Sophomore forward Devon Pryor will also be testing the draft waters, reports Jon Chepkevich of Draft Express (via Twitter). Pyror spent ’24/25 in a limited role with Texas, but he has committed to transfer to Oregon for his junior season.
- Bassala Bagayoko, a 6’10” center from Mali, submitted the paperwork necessary to enter the draft, according to Chepkevich (Twitter link). Bagayako has played for Spanish club Bilbao this season, Chepkevich notes.
Nuggets Notes: Gordon, Adelman, Porter, Westbrook
After letting a 22-point fourth quarter lead slip away, the Nuggets turned Saturday’s Game 4 against the Clippers into an instant classic, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Nikola Jokic‘s desperation three-pointer was badly off target, but Aaron Gordon was able to catch the ball in the air and dunk it with a tenth of a second left on the clock (Twitter video link from the NBA), giving Denver a 101-99 win that ties the series at 2-2.
“Air balls are really hard to defend against,” Gordon said. “I was just in the right place at the right time.”
Officials took a long look at video replays before determining that the game-winning shot counted. Referee Zach Zarba said in a pool report interview that the ball had to be fully out of Gordon’s hand before the buzzer sounded and the red light went on. Frame-by-frame analysis showed that it was, but just barely.
“That (game) is going to be on NBA TV someday,” interim coach David Adelman said. “… I’m glad it’ll be on Nuggets day and not Clippers day.”
There’s more on the Nuggets:
- With Russell Westbrook unavailable due to inflammation in his left foot, Adelman leaned heavily on his starters in Game 4, Durando adds in the same piece. Jokic, Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., Jamal Murray and Christian Braun all played at least 42 minutes and no reserve saw more than 13. “Trying to find breaks at the right time. Using the TV timeouts as best we can,” Adelman said in outlining his strategy before the game. “You hate to use timeouts to rest players, but sometimes you have to do that in these games. … It’s Game 4. We’re down 2-1. Our main people, they’re gonna roll. They’re gonna play a lot.”
- Six technical fouls were handed out in an altercation shortly before halftime (Twitter video link from Bleacher Report), but no one was ejected, per Law Murray and Tony Jones of The Athletic. Porter briefly left the bench area and ran onto the court before an assistant coach pulled him back, which means he could face a one-game suspension and a fine of up to $50K. “Sorry. I didn’t know the specific rule. I’m glad I didn’t make it very far,” Porter said (Twitter video link from Clippers beat writer Joey Linn). “… To see my guys get in it like that, I’m just glad I didn’t make it very far. The coaches and my teammates were aware. Because I wasn’t fully aware of any type of rule, but I’m very thankful that I did not get tossed from this game or anything like that. Definitely a learning experience for sure.”
- Westbrook was noncommittal when asked about his status for Tuesday’s Game 5, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. After calling it a “trick question,” Westbrook’s only comment was, “I’ll be in the building.”
Heat Notes: Game 3 Loss, Starting Lineup, Ware, Herro
The Heat were hoping to make their series against the top-seeded Cavaliers competitive after a close call Wednesday at Cleveland. Instead, they suffered the worst playoff loss in franchise history on Saturday and are staring at a likely insurmountable 3-0 deficit, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Miami built an early 15-6 lead, but things fell apart quickly as the Cavs strung together a 33-5 run to put the game out of reach. The lead got up to 40 points in the second half as Miami fans expressed their displeasure with the effort.
“Once we jumped on them at the start of the game, then they just took control of it from there and it became an avalanche going the other direction,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And sometimes when you care, there’s a level of discouragement that kind of fed into that avalanche and that’s what we all feel disappointed about.”
The Cavaliers dominated the game near the basket, registering 11 dunks and outscoring Miami 60-30 in the paint. Cleveland also collected 13 offensive rebounds while building a 22-10 advantage in second-chance points and had a 21-11 edge in points off turnovers.
“I know how much everybody cares,” Spoelstra added. “We just laid an egg today. A big part of it was Cleveland.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Davion Mitchell replaced Alec Burks in the starting lineup for Game 2, and Spoelstra went with the same approach on Saturday, Chiang adds. The starting five kept the game even during their 13 minutes together, but Miami was outscored by 37 points otherwise. Chiang notes that Cleveland was relentless in its attack on rookie center Kel’el Ware, who is minus-24 in 57 minutes so far in the series. “I understand he’s being fed through a fire hose,” Spoelstra said. “… We’re coaching him hard and I feel for him because there’s an expectation that he has to be there like a vet. These are important learning experiences.”
- In an interview with Jared Weiss of The Athletic, Tyler Herro speculates that Miami’s season would have turned out much better if Jimmy Butler hadn’t forced a trade. Butler, who played just 25 games with the Heat this season before being dealt to Golden State in February, provided Herro with a complementary offensive weapon. “Obviously, I know I need Jimmy to win. If we had Jimmy right now, I feel like it’d be a completely different situation,” Herro said. “We probably wouldn’t even be the eighth seed. So finding that middle balance of like, damn, we need him, but also understanding, sh–, that’s his career and what he wants is ultimately his right to want what he wants. It was just tough to be in the middle of both sides.”
- Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson commented on this week’s war of words between Herro and Darius Garland, Weiss tweets. “I don’t control what they say at all,” Atkinson said. “… Tyler is a great player, he’s an All-Star. Great competitor on both ends, much like Darius. It’s like the playground, you got someone you’re going at at both ends and there’s some verbal stuff that’s overblown. But once the ball goes up, none of it matters.”
Pistons Provide Medical Update On Jaden Ivey
Jaden Ivey, who has been sidelined since January 1 with a broken left fibula, is taking part in “a progression of basketball shooting and skill work” in addition to ongoing reconditioning and strength exercises, the Pistons announced (Twitter link). The team stated that another update will be provided in two weeks.
The third-year shooting guard was in the midst of his best NBA season when he suffered the injury during a New Year’s Day game against Orlando as Cole Anthony landed on his leg while they were chasing a loose ball. Ivey underwent surgery on January 2.
Ivey seemed to regain his confidence under new coach J.B. Bickerstaff after struggling last season when Monty Williams tried to adjust his role. In the 30 games he played this season, Ivey averaged career highs with 17.6 points and 4.1 rebounds while posting career-best shooting numbers of 46% from the field and 40.9% from three-point range. He regained his status as a full-time starter and logged 29.9 minutes per night.
Ivey was ruled out for the rest of the regular season in mid-March, but the Pistons haven’t confirmed that he won’t be able to return at some point in the playoffs. However, it appears that it will take a long postseason run for that to be considered, and Detroit is currently trailing 2-1 in its series with New York.
Ivey is a solid foundation piece for the improving Pistons, who went 44-38 after winning just 14 games last season. The fifth pick in the 2022 draft, Ivey will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer that could ensure his long-term future in Detroit.
Tuomas Iisalo Would Like To Become Grizzlies’ Permanent Head Coach
Tuomas Iisalo expressed interest in remaining head coach of the Grizzlies, but he understands that it won’t be his decision to make, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscription required). Iisalo was asked about his future after Memphis’ season ended today with a first-round sweep by Oklahoma City.
“I don’t have any thoughts on that subject,” Iisalo responded. “. . . I tried to do my best in those (games). Those decisions are for somebody else in the future. Do I want to be permanent head coach? Yes, why not.”
Iisalo was selected to run the team on an interim basis following the surprise firing of Taylor Jenkins in late March with nine games left on the schedule. He guided the Grizzlies to a 4-5 record to close out the regular season, then lost to Golden State in the play-in tournament before beating Dallas to earn the No. 8 seed.
Iisalo, 42, coached for nearly a decade in Europe before Memphis hired him last summer to run the offense when the front office restructured Jenkins’ coaching staff by replacing five assistants. General manager Zach Kleiman didn’t indicate whether Iisalo would be a candidate for the job on a permanent basis when he spoke to reporters last month.
There’s more from Memphis:
- The Grizzlies still have confidence in Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant to be the foundation of the team, according to Cole, but their lack of postseason success is concerning. Cole points out that they’ve only won a single playoff series in their five years together, and they will continue to get more expensive when Jackson becomes eligible for a contract extension this summer.
- Rookie center Zach Edey and third-year point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. were pleasant surprises throughout the season and both had strong playoff performances, Cole adds. Edey emerged as the team’s best rebounder and screen setter, while Pippen scored 28 and 30 points in the final two games against OKC. “I’ve been very encouraged by Zach’s improvement, from the first game on,” Iisalo said. “He felt a little overwhelmed with the tempo and the physicality of the game, but then game-by-game he was improving and (made an) impact in improving on both ends. Scotty in (Game 3), especially (at the) beginning, was tremendous. He’s been doing those things for a while now, and (it’s) especially great to see the consistency.”
- Cole doesn’t expect unrestricted free agents Luke Kennard, Marvin Bagley and Lamar Stevens to return next season, but he believes restricted free agent Santi Aldama will be re-signed. Aldama, a 24-year-old power forward, is coming off his best NBA season, averaging 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds in 65 games.
Warriors’ Jimmy Butler To Miss Game 3
Jimmy Butler will be inactive tonight as the Warriors host the Rockets in Game 3 of their playoff series, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Butler is recovering from a deep gluteal muscle contusion that knocked him out of Game 2 in the first quarter.
Butler had been listed as questionable and was expected to be a game-time decision. With his status leaking more than an hour before tip-off, he may not have been close to getting medical clearance from the training staff.
Butler was a huge presence in Golden State’s Game 1 win at Houston, finishing with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals in 42 minutes. He only played eight minutes in Game 2 before landing hard on his back after a collision with the Rockets’ Amen Thompson (Twitter video link).
On Friday, coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Butler is “day-to-day” and described it as a “pain tolerance thing.” Butler tried to stay in Game 2 after the hard fall, but was in obvious discomfort and had difficulty moving.
Game 4 is set for Monday, so Butler will have just one more night off to recover.
Jonathan Kuminga will take Butler’s place in the starting lineup tonight, Charania adds. The fourth-year forward sat out the Warriors’ play-in game and the series opener, but he was on the court for 26 minutes in Game 2 after Butler’s injury, contributing 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting and hitting two of his five three-point attempts.
Kuminga will get another chance to impress Warriors management before becoming a restricted free agent this summer. He averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 47 games this season, but saw his playing time drop sharply after Butler was acquired at the trade deadline.
Rookie center Quinten Post will also start, according to Charania (Twitter link). Post hit 4-of-8 three-point shots in Game 2 and finished with 12 points in 25 minutes.
Celtics Rule Out Jrue Holiday For Game 4
Jrue Holiday will miss his second straight game with a strained right hamstring when the Celtics face the Magic on Sunday, according to Brian Robb of MassLive.
Robb notes that Holiday had been listed as questionable going into Friday night’s contest and was ultimately ruled out shortly before tip-off. The injury was detected after Game 2, in which Holiday put up 11 points, four rebounds and six assists in 36 minutes.
During a session with reporters on Saturday, coach Joe Mazzulla indicated that Holiday is making progress.
“He’s doing well,” Mazzulla said. “He’s day-to-day. Just taking it one day at a time. Kind of seeing how he comes out of it.”
Boston’s hopes of sweeping the first-round series ended with a 95-93 loss at Orlando in Game 3. It was an intense, defensive-oriented matchup that was perfectly suited for Holiday’s style of play, observes Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe.
“Obviously you can’t replace what Jrue Holiday brings on both sides of the ball,” Derrick White said. “Everybody kind of has a little bit different role and responsibility on both sides. Jrue is a special player and obviously we’re a better team with him, but everybody just has to take a step up when he’s not out there.
After being acquired in October of 2023, Holiday played a huge role in helping the Celtics capture a championship last season after years of close calls. He provides elite-level defense in the backcourt, another reliable three-point shooter and veteran experience that includes his role on Milwaukee’s 2021 title team.
He was rewarded with a four-year, $135MM extension last April.
The Celtics are listing Jaylen Brown as questionable for the second straight game with a right knee posterior impingement that has bothered him for several weeks, Robb adds. Brown played 34 minutes on Friday, finishing with 19 points and six rebounds, and talked ab0ut the overly physical nature of the series after the loss.
Robb notes that Jayson Tatum is no longer on the team’s injury report. He missed Game 2 and was listed as questionable for Game 3 after suffering a bone bruise on his right wrist in the series opener.