Full 2026 NBA Draft Order
Now that the NBA’s draft lottery results are in, the full 2026 draft order has been set.
We’ll likely see some of these picks change hands on June 23 or 24, or in the days leading up to the draft — we’ll be sure to update the list below if and when picks are traded.
Here’s the full 2026 NBA draft order:
First round
- Washington Wizards
- Utah Jazz
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Chicago Bulls
- Los Angeles Clippers (from Pacers)
- Brooklyn Nets
- Sacramento Kings
- Atlanta Hawks (from Pelicans)
- Dallas Mavericks
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Golden State Warriors
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers)
- Miami Heat
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls (from Trail Blazers)
- Memphis Grizzlies (from Suns)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Sixers)
- Charlotte Hornets (from Magic)
- Toronto Raptors
- San Antonio Spurs (from Hawks)
- Detroit Pistons (from Timberwolves)
- Philadelphia 76ers (from Rockets)
- Atlanta Hawks (from Cavaliers)
- New York Knicks
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Denver Nuggets
- Boston Celtics
- Minnesota Timberwolves (from Pistons)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (from Spurs)
- Dallas Mavericks (from Thunder)
Second round
- New York Knicks (from Wizards)
- Memphis Grizzlies (from Pacers)
- Brooklyn Nets
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs (from Jazz)
- Los Angeles Clippers (from Grizzlies)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Mavericks)
- Chicago Bulls (from Pelicans)
- Houston Rockets (from Bulls)
- Boston Celtics (from Bucks)
- Miami Heat (from Warriors)
- San Antonio Spurs (from Trail Blazers)
- Brooklyn Nets (from Clippers)
- San Antonio Spurs (from Heat)
- Sacramento Kings (from Hornets)
- Orlando Magic
- Phoenix Suns (from Sixers)
- Dallas Mavericks (from Suns)
- Denver Nuggets (from Hawks)
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards (from Timberwolves)
- Los Angeles Clippers (from Cavaliers)
- Houston Rockets
- Golden State Warriors (from Lakers)
- New York Knicks
- Chicago Bulls (from Nuggets)
- Atlanta Hawks (from Celtics)
- New Orleans Pelicans (from Pistons)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (from Spurs)
- Washington Wizards (from Thunder)
Wizards Win 2026 NBA Draft Lottery; Jazz, Grizzlies, Bulls In Top Four
The Wizards, who had the worst record in the league during the 2025/26 season, have won the 2026 NBA draft lottery. Washington entered the lottery tied for the best possible odds (14%) to land the No. 1 overall pick.
The full lottery order for the 2026 NBA draft is as follows:
- Washington Wizards
- Utah Jazz
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Chicago Bulls
- Los Angeles Clippers (from Pacers)
- Brooklyn Nets
- Sacramento Kings
- Atlanta Hawks (from Pelicans)
- Dallas Mavericks
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Golden State Warriors
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers)
- Miami Heat
- Charlotte Hornets
The Wizards have won 15, 18, and 17 games in the last three seasons, but didn’t have a clear-cut franchise player to show for it yet. They drafted Alex Sarr second overall in 2024 and slipped to sixth in 2025, opting to select Tre Johnson at that spot. This year, the ping pong balls landed in their favor and have put them in position to draft a long-term centerpiece.
While BYU forward AJ Dybantsa is the favorite to be the top pick, the Wizards figure to seriously consider prospects like Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer, and UNC forward Caleb Wilson before making their selection on June 23.
The lottery results were also great news for the Jazz, who entered the day fourth in the pre-lottery order and moved up to No. 2. Like the Wizards, Utah has been rebuilding for multiple years and had been preparing to take a step forward in 2026/27 even before the lottery outcome was known. While Washington traded for Trae Young and Anthony Davis ahead of this year’s trade deadline, Utah acquired former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. in February.
Now, the Jazz are set to land a potential future All-Star to a roster that already features Jackson, Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, 2025 lottery pick Ace Bailey, and restricted free agent center Walker Kessler.
Notably, both the Wizards and Jazz had technically traded away their 2026 first-rounders, but both picks included top-eight protection, meaning they remained in Washington and Utah, respectively.
The same can’t be said for the Pacers, who traded their 2026 first-round pick with top-four protection to the Clippers in February’s Ivica Zubac blockbuster. After posting the second-worst record in the league this season, Indiana entered the day with a 52.1% chance of retaining that pick. Instead, L.A. won what was essentially a coin flip, with the pick slipping just outside of the top four. It’s a best-case scenario for the Clippers, who get the No. 5 overall selection and will add a young building block from a strong draft class to their core.
[RELATED: Pacers Hopeful Of Retaining Pick But Won’t Regret Zubac Deal]
Assuming neither the Jazz nor the Wizards do anything too surprising with the top two picks, the Grizzlies and Bulls, the day’s other two big winners, should have their choice of the remaining two prospects from a consensus top four of Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, and Wilson.
Memphis, sixth in the pre-lottery order, had a 27.6% chance of moving into the top three, while Chicago made the biggest move up, from No. 9 to No. 4. The Bulls had just a 20.2% shot at a top-four pick entering the lottery.
The next tier of prospects in the 2026 class is made up of a handful of guards, including Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff, and Houston’s Kingston Flemings. Louisville guard Mikel Brown, Tennessee forward Nate Ament, Arizona guard Brayden Burries, Alabama guard Labaron Philon, Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, and Mexican forward Karim Lopez are among the other players in the mix for teams with top-10 picks.
That group of teams in the top 10 is rounded out by the Nets, Kings, Hawks, Mavericks, and Bucks. Besides Milwaukee, each of those teams fell one or more spots as a result of the lottery outcome. That’s especially disappointing for Brooklyn and Sacramento, two retooling teams whose rosters lack star power.
Atlanta was likely also hoping for a better result, having controlled the more favorable of the Pelicans’ and Bucks’ first-rounders entering the lottery. While the Hawks had a 40.2% chance at a top-four pick, they instead moved down a spot from No. 7 to No. 8, as New Orleans was leapfrogged by Chicago while Milwaukee’s pick remained at No. 10.
That pick was the one the Hawks acquired from the Pelicans at last year’s draft — we now know that the terms of that trade turned out to be Derik Queen for Asa Newell and this year’s eighth overall pick.
After teams eliminated in the play-in tournament won each of the past two draft lotteries – Atlanta in 2024 and Dallas in 2025 – there was no movement among this year’s play-in clubs, with the Warriors remaining at No. 11 and the Heat and Hornets staying at No. 13 and No. 14, respectively. Additionally, the Clippers’ own first-rounder, which was controlled by the Thunder, remained at No. 12 — it’s safe to assume the rest of the NBA breathed a sigh of relief when that envelope was opened and OKC’s logo was revealed.
Although the NBA doesn’t air the actual lottery drawing process during its half-hour broadcast announcing the results, the league has put out a behind-the-scenes video that shows the draw taking place. It can be viewed right here (via Twitter).
Knicks’ OG Anunoby Out For Sunday’s Game 4
Knicks forward OG Anunoby will miss his second straight game on Sunday due to a right hamstring strain, head coach Mike Brown told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).
The Knicks currently hold a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal matchup vs. the 76ers. Game 4 will be played in Philadelphia.
Onunoby, who was in the midst of a remarkable playoff run, sustained the injury on Wednesday in the Game 2 victory against the Sixers. The 28-year-old was originally listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest before being downgraded to out.
Miles McBride and Landry Shamet took the majority of the minutes that would have gone to Anunoby in Game 3. McBride, who got the start, played 21 minutes and had three points on (1-of-6 shooting), two assists and two blocks. Shamet was 5-of-6 from the field, scoring 15 points and grabbing three boards in 26 minutes.
Anunoby has been referred to as day-to-day since he strained his hamstring on Wednesday. The strain is considered mild, but obviously the Knicks need to exercise caution with the soft-tissue injury, which could be easily aggravated if it’s not fully healed.
Anunoby has been outstanding in his eight playoff appearances this spring, averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks in 35.3 minutes per contest, with a scorching hot shooting line of .619/.538/.811.
Knicks Notes: Towns, Brown, Hart, Bridges, Potential Sweep
Coach Mike Brown made a strategic adjustment heading into Game 4 of the first-round series against Atlanta, and the Knicks haven’t lost since, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Trailing 2-1 in the series, Brown opted to station Karl-Anthony Towns on the perimeter more often and use him as a playmaker. The results have been spectacular as New York has reeled off six straight wins by an average of 25.8 points per game and is now one victory away from the conference finals.
“The real change for us came before Game 4 in Atlanta,” Towns told reporters. “That’s when we really changed our offense. It’s been great. It’s been something I’ve talked about for a lot of the season, to feel like we can help our guys [on offense] more. We made the right moves.”
Brown likes having an “equal opportunity” offense where anyone can contribute in a variety of ways, and he believes the Knicks are “just scratching the surface” of what they can become on that end of the court. He plans to keep the philosophy in place beyond the current playoff run.
“What we’re doing now, I think, can have great carryover next year and down the line because we’d be able to expand on it the right way through a training camp,” Brown said.
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Josh Hart is still feeling the effects of a sprained left thumb he suffered in Game 2, Begley adds. An X-ray taken during that game showed that it wasn’t broken, so he opted to keep playing. “It’s something I’ll revisit in the offseason,” he said. “There’s people that played through this.”
- The Knicks are seeing the version of Mikal Bridges that caused them to send five first-round picks to Brooklyn in a 2024 trade, per Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News (subscription required). Bridges is playing shutdown defense on Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey and is contributing on offense as well. “I would take it a step further. There’s a ton of stuff that I would argue people don’t see that he does throughout the course of the game that’s far more important than just a couple of the big plays and coming up with a loose ball down the stretch,” Landry Shamet said. “He does that for 48 minutes. So does his level go up and does he show up in big moments? Absolutely, but I would argue that he’s the type of guy that does that for all 48 and finds a way to do it every night.”
- The Knicks have a chance to sweep their rivals from Philadelphia for the first time in 37 years, but they’re not looking past Sunday’s game, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The Sixers overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat Boston in the first round, and the Knicks don’t want to offer them any hope of another big comeback. “We just gotta stay in the present,” Towns said. “The next game is the most important game. There’s a lot of things we need to clean up and we want to clean up and we have another game to do that. It’s about just staying about us.”
Lakers Notes: Ayton, Doncic, LeBron, Redick
Beyond the imposing 3-0 deficit they face after a trio of blowout losses, the biggest concern for the Lakers in their series with Oklahoma City might be the uninspired performance of Deandre Ayton, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times writes in a subscriber-only piece. L.A. was counting on Ayton to help neutralize OKC’s big front line, but he only played 24 minutes on Saturday, finishing with 10 points and six rebounds. He’s shooting 39.3% in the series after connecting at 60.4% during the regular season and was just 3-of-11 in the restricted area during the first two games.
Coach JJ Redick pulled Ayton from Game 3 after a sequence that saw the Thunder collect three offensive rebounds within 19 seconds, ending with a foul when he shoved Ajay Mitchell on a drive to the basket. Redick didn’t want to reinsert Jaxson Hayes, who was ineffective in the 8:30 of playing time he got on Saturday, so he turned to rookie forward Adou Thiero to patrol the middle. The Lakers surrendered another offensive rebound off a free throw after Thiero entered the game, and Nguyen observes that Hayes “stared blankly ahead and shook his head slowly” with his arms folded across his chest.
It’s a frustrating repeat of last year’s playoffs, when Redick eventually opted to play without a center in a first-round loss to Minnesota. Ayton was signed last summer to fix that and was mostly effective during the regular season and the series against Houston. However, his meltdown against a superior OKC team raises questions about whether he’s a long-term solution. He holds an $8.1MM player option for next season, with a decision due by June 29.
“DA is a hell of a player,” Marcus Smart said after Saturday’s loss. “We all know it. We just want to get him the touches and get him the feel early, just to give them a different look. … All the guards are doing their thing. So we’re just trying to get the big fella involved.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- It looks like L.A. will be eliminated before Luka Doncic has a chance to return from his hamstring injury, which is bad news for the future as well as the current season, notes Mirjam Swanson of The Los Angeles Times (subscription required). Without their top player, it’s hard for the Lakers to gauge how far away they are from being able to compete with the Thunder. “Look, yeah, when you have the league’s leading scorer out there – if he was – it definitely changes the dynamic of a team,” Luke Kennard said. “Obviously, we miss him. And we know he’s working his butt off right now [to return to play] … but yeah, I mean, he would definitely change it for us. But right now, he’s not.”
- LeBron James looked old and tired as OKC seized control of the game in the third quarter, contends Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times (subscription required). James played nearly 11 minutes in the quarter, but finished with just one made shot, no rebounds and a minus-13 rating.
- Redick may be out of answers as he tries to match up with the league’s deepest team, suggests Nick Friedell of The Athletic. The Thunder have pummeled the Lakers in the second half of all three games and have clear talent advantages throughout the roster. “Typically, if you can poke holes in a playoff series, there’s a good chance they might have a temporary solution or can sort of adjust maybe a little bit,” Redick said. “This team in-game, because of their personnel, can just adjust like that. They need shooting on the floor? Great. They need multiple wing defenders on the floor? Great. They need two bigs on the floor? Great.”
Warriors Notes: Kerr, Curry, Green, Lottery
Steve Kerr’s new two-year contract with the Warriors was the result of rediscovering his passion for coaching, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN.
Kerr expressed doubts about whether he wanted to continue in the profession following a difficult season that ended with a play-in loss to Phoenix last month. He told reporters after that game that he wasn’t certain if he would be back, noting that “these jobs all have an expiration date” and suggesting it might be time for “new blood and new ideas.”
Sources tell Slater that Kerr took a week off before beginning talks with controlling owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. He then went on a golf trip and returned with a new excitement about leading the team.
Kerr would have plenty of media opportunities available if he wanted to transition to a lower-stress environment, but he loves the highly competitive atmosphere of being on the sidelines and was never really happy with front office work, Slater states.
There were other obstacles to reaching a new deal that went beyond Kerr’s desire to return, Slater adds. The discussions with Lacob and Dunleavy went deep into possible changes regarding playing style and staffing as well as the state of the roster following a 37-45 season. The Warriors already know that Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody won’t be available for much of next season as they recover from serious injuries.
Slater cites a “consensus” that Kerr might not have been brought back if management was ready to commit to rebuilding. He adds that there’s an “internal understanding” that the team may not be able to return to title contention with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green nearing the end of their careers, but keeping Kerr is a sign that an effort will be made this summer to become more competitive.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Slater hears that Curry preferred to keep playing under Kerr as his career winds down, but didn’t make any demands from management. Team sources tell Slater that Curry would likely have been part of the search for a new coach if that had become necessary. There’s also an expectation that keeping Kerr in place will simplify extension talks with Curry when he becomes eligible in August. Curry has one season remaining on his current deal and can be extended for one or two more years.
- With a $27.6MM player option, Green’s future with the team is less certain, but Slater views Kerr’s return as a “beneficial development” toward Green staying. Team sources told Slater that they don’t plan to shop Green this summer or try to force him out, as he’s still seen as an elite defender who raises the team’s chances to be successful. Management believed he had “a positive season as a leader” and essentially became an extra assistant coach, according to Slater. The benefits of opting in or out will be discussed, Slater adds, but a long-term extension at a lower number is only likely if it creates enough cap room to make a significant roster addition.
- The results of today’s draft lottery could play a major role in setting the course for the offseason, Slater notes. Landing a top-four pick would provide a valuable asset that could be used in a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard or another star, but it could also deliver an infusion of youth for a team filled with veterans. The Warriors are slotted at No. 11 and have a 9.4% chance of moving up.
Hawks Could Be Among Suitors For Jaylen Brown
The Celtics and Hawks had a “brief conversation” last offseason about Jaylen Brown, according to Chris Mannix of NBC Sports (video link), who expects them to revisit the idea of a trade this summer (hat tip to BasketNews).
Mannix adds that initial talks between the teams were only exploratory because Atlanta was “leery” about taking on Brown’s $53.1MM salary and wasn’t “really in a position to go all in” with a developing roster. He states that Boston wasn’t “looking to give Jaylen Brown away” so there wasn’t much common ground to work out a deal.
Brown wound up posting the best statistical season of his career as the team’s primary scoring threat while Jayson Tatum was recovering from an Achilles tear. However, the season ended in disappointment with a first-round playoff loss to Philadelphia, so Mannix believes the Celtics could consider moving on from Brown’s pricey deal, which still has three years remaining at more than $183MM.
A late-season surge propelled the Hawks to the No. 6 seed, so they could be more open to taking on salary this offseason in hopes of becoming a serious contender in 2026/27.
In addition to the Hawks, Mannix states that several other clubs could make a run at Brown if he becomes available. He mentions the Heat, Rockets and Warriors as teams that are expected to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo and suggests they could turn their attention to Brown if they fail to land the Bucks star.
As Mannix notes, it has been a tumultuous week for Brown since the Celtics were eliminated last Saturday. He blasted series officials on his Twitch stream, claiming they had “an agenda” against him that resulted in an unusually high number of offensive fouls, and singled out Sixers star Joel Embiid for flopping. His remarks on the referees resulted in a $50K fine from the league.
There was also a backlash from Boston fans after Brown called this his “favorite season” even with the early playoff exit. NBC’s Tracy McGrady, who has served as Brown’s mentor, claimed that he has “frustration” with the Celtics behind the scenes, leading president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to tell reporters at his end-of-season press conference on Wednesday that Brown hasn’t expressed any unhappiness to him.
Brown tried to diffuse the situation later in the week by reaffirming his commitment to the organization and stating that he would like to finish his career in Boston. He also denied any friction with Stevens, saying they have a “great relationship.”
While Brown is an all-NBA talent and won’t turn 30 until October, his contract could make some teams think twice about making a deal. He’ll earn $57MM next season, $61MM in 2027/28 and nearly $65MM in 2028/29 before becoming a free agent that summer.
Thunder Notes: Mitchell, SGA, Wallace, Joe, Lottery
With the Lakers holding reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in check, a new star is emerging for the Thunder, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Second-year guard Ajay Mitchell, who wasn’t part of OKC’s rotation during its march to the title last season, had 24 points, 10 assists and no turnovers on Saturday as his team grabbed a 3-0 series lead with another dominant victory.
“I think the biggest thing for me was just going out there and being confident,” Mitchell said. “I know what I can do. When I go out there, I just want to compete and help this team win and play freely.”
Mitchell, who finished fifth in the Sixth Man of the Year voting, is only starting because Jalen Williams is sidelined with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. He has been a difference-maker in the first three games of the series, averaging 20.7 points, 6.7 assists and 1.0 turnovers while connecting at 53.3% from the field. He has also been the primary defender on Austin Reaves, who hasn’t shot well for most of the series.
“He’s just finding his footing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s obviously his first run in the playoffs. It’s obviously a different ballgame. He’s just getting more and more comfortable as the game goes on, as the series goes on. I said this before, he had a rough [Game 2 in Phoenix], but he was so confident out there. I was never worried that he was going to figure it out, and he’s showing that.”
There’s more on the Thunder:
- L.A.’s focus on controlling Gilgeous-Alexander has been effective, even though Oklahoma City is finding other ways to win, MacMahon adds. SGA finished with 23 points in Game 3, but was uncharacteristically inefficient, making just seven of his 20 shots. The Lakers are using former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart to deny him the ball and then employing double teams whenever it does come to him. “Obviously, I haven’t been my best in performances, but I think I’ve been able to help the team win and that’s most important,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “As long as we win. If the rest of the playoff run or the rest of my career look like what it looked like the past few games, I’d be OK with it because we won games.”
- Mitchell could become one of the league’s biggest bargains over the next couple of years, notes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. As the 38th pick in the 2024 draft, he’s already the lowest-paid player on the roster at $3MM, and his salary falls to $2.85MM next season with a team option for the same amount for 2027/28. He’ll be extension-eligible by that point, and Mussatto expects the Thunder to reward him with a long-term contract that’s more in line with his production.
- Cason Wallace, who posted the highest-scoring playoff performance of his career with 12 points in Game 2, nearly exceeded it in the first quarter on Saturday, notes Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman. The third-year guard scored 11 points in the quarter by hitting all four of his shots, including three from beyond the arc, before finishing with 16. Isaiah Joe, who was losing playing time to Jared McCain earlier in the series, added 12 points and went 4-of-6 from three-point range.
- The Thunder, who already have the deepest roster in the league, could get even better with some lottery luck Sunday afternoon. They own the Clippers’ selection at No. 12, giving them a 1.5% chance to land the top overall pick and a 7.1% chance to finish in the top four, as we outlined in our lottery primer.
Celtics Notes: Gonzalez, Tatum, Williams, Mazzulla
Hugo Gonzalez turned in a surprisingly strong rookie season after being selected with the 28th pick in last year’s draft, but it wasn’t enough to earn him a spot in the Celtics‘ playoff rotation, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Gonzalez made three brief appearances before playing 13 minutes in the Game 7 loss to Philadelphia, ceding time to Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh. Gonzalez went scoreless in the series, missing all three shots he took from the field and two from the line.
“He didn’t separate himself from those other guys,” president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said. “As a front office person, I can’t sit here and say that one person should have been playing over another. There wasn’t enough separation. I knew Jaylen (Brown) should be playing. I knew Derrick (White) should be playing, I knew Payton (Pritchard) should be playing. At the end of the day, that’s part of a team, but I’m encouraged by all of them, but there wasn’t a lot of separation.”
Gonzalez finished second on the team in plus/minus rating during the regular season, and Stevens indicated that the Celtics still have confidence in him to be part of their future. Robb views Gonzalez as likely to work on his skills in the Las Vegas Summer League.
“Hugo has had a great rookie year and I think is a critical part of us moving forward because his athleticism can beat the moment in the big games,” Stevens said. “That’s a real thing. You can see it, you know it. His strength is off the charts. He’s probably the strongest, he’s one of the strongest guys on our team pound for pound right now as a 20-year-old, so he’s got a bright future.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Stevens told reporters that the decision to hold Jayson Tatum out of Game 7 came after watching him work out last Saturday morning, per Souchi Terada of MassLive. It became clear that the stiffness in Tatum’s left knee wouldn’t allow him to participate. “It’s not like a long-term concern, but it certainly didn’t look right when he was working out and didn’t feel right,” Stevens said. “So it made sense to be smart about that. I think the obvious answer is anytime you’re coming back from an injury like he was coming from, there’s a tendency to overcompensate, and there’s probably a little bit of that there.”
- The Celtics promoted Amari Williams from a two-way deal to a standard contract in early February, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be part of the main roster moving forward, Robb states in a mailbag column. Robb notes that Williams will be given plenty of opportunities to prove himself during Summer League, but he’s already 24 and doesn’t offer much shooting range or strength around the rim. Robb suggests that Williams might come back on another two-way contract next season.
- In the same piece, Robb observes that Stevens offered only a tepid endorsement of head coach Joe Mazzulla while saying that everyone in the organization has to be better. Robb points out that Mazzulla didn’t do a good job of incorporating Nikola Vucevic after he was acquired at the deadline, and some of the rotation decisions in the playoff series were puzzling. Robb expects Mazzulla to be “under the microscope” in next year’s playoffs, especially if Stevens is able to improve the roster.
Cavaliers Notes: Harden, Mitchell, Bickerstaff, Merrill
James Harden has tried to ignore the doubts raised by his checkered playoff history, but those concerns became louder after a pair of subpar performances in Detroit. Harden may have silenced his critics for at least a little while by hitting several clutch shots in a Game 3 victory on Saturday that kept the Cavaliers‘ playoff hopes alive, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only story.
“It was the James Harden I’ve seen for how many years we’ve been in the NBA,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “That’s the James we know. We needed it tonight. We were searching and he went to work.”
After a 16-point halftime lead slipped away, the Cavs found themselves in another clutch-time battle with the top-seeded Pistons. With less than two minutes remaining, Harden sank a step-back jumper that extended the lead to four. After a Cade Cunningham dunk, Harden responded with a floater in the lane to make it a four-point game again. Cunningham drilled a three-pointer, setting the stage for Harden’s biggest shot of the afternoon. Closely guarded by Tobias Harris, Harden maneuvered his way for a step-back shot from beyond the arc that effectively put the game out of reach.
“It’s not even about anybody else,” said Harden, who was acquired from the Clippers in February in hopes of bringing a title to Cleveland. “I’m literally here to find my spots, figure out what needs to be done and try to contribute in the best way possible. Chatter is going to be chatter regardless, whether you do something good or you do something bad. For me, you give me opportunities in this fourth quarter, and I take advantage of them. I’ve done an unbelievable job throughout the course of my career just understanding what the job needs to be, especially as I get older and doing whatever it takes to win the game. That’s the most important thing.”
There’s more from Cleveland:
- A loss on Saturday would have resulted in a 3-0 series deficit and likely set up a summer of change for the franchise. Atkinson talked about the importance of fighting through adversity in the third quarter and staying in position to pull out the victory, Fedor adds. “You know how important it is to get this first win to make it a series,” he said. “I felt like that third quarter we had great looks and the ball wasn’t falling. That’s the spirit of this team. They don’t get down. We’re not like, ‘Oh man, they came back.’ It’s like, it’s a veteran team. They kind of know that’s how this goes.”
- Donovan Mitchell‘s role in the dismissal of Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff as Cavaliers coach two years ago is one of the overlooked subplots of the series, contends Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Vardon reports that Mitchell was one of the first players to get frustrated by Bickerstaff’s refusal to trust his veterans and by a simplistic offensive approach that often relied on Mitchell to bail the team out. Vardon adds that Mitchell was negotiating a contract extension at the time, so he was in position to demand that Bickerstaff be retained if he had wanted to.
- Sam Merrill was back in the lineup after sitting out Game 2 with a minor left hamstring strain that he suffered early in the series opener. He played 14 minutes off the bench and finished with seven points.