Checking In On Active 10-Day Contracts
NBA teams have been permitted to sign standard 10-day contracts since January 5 and hardship 10-days since October. However, the busiest period of the season for 10-day deals often occurs after the trade deadline — open roster spots no longer need to be preserved for possible trades, many teams have newly opened roster spots to be filled, and rebuilding clubs are more likely to give G League standouts a shot at NBA auditions.
As our tracker shows, six 10-day deals have been signed since last Thursday, and that number figures to continue growing steadily after clubs return from the All-Star break.
Here are the 10-day contracts that are currently active around the league:
- Philadelphia 76ers: Patrick Baldwin Jr. (runs through Feb. 14)
- Philadelphia 76ers: Charles Bassey (runs through Feb. 14)
- Washington Wizards: Keshon Gilbert (runs through Feb. 15)
- Los Angeles Clippers: Dalano Banton (runs through Feb. 16)
- Memphis Grizzlies: Lawson Lovering (runs through Feb. 20)
- Washington Wizards: Kadary Richmond (runs through Feb. 20)
It’s worth noting that 10-day contracts signed just before the All-Star break can sometimes technically run beyond 10 days. That’s because those deals are required to cover a minimum of three games.
Baldwin, Bassey, Gilbert, and Banton were under contract for at least three games prior to the All-Star break, which is why their deals will expire before the NBA schedule resumes. Richmond signed on Feb. 11, so his contract is perfectly timed to cover three games during those 10 days — the Wizards played on his first day under contract and will be in action again on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20.
However, Lovering signed with Memphis on Feb. 9, with just two games left on the team’s schedule prior to the All-Star break. As a result, his deal will extend to become a 12-day contract in order to cover the first post-All-Star game on the Grizzlies’ schedule on Feb. 20.
You can use our 10-day contract tracker to continue to keep tabs on all the 10-day deals signed for the rest of the season.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Vucevic, Simons, Garza, Queta
Monday’s practice with Boston’s G League affiliate represented the first time that Celtics forward Jayson Tatum had taken part in a 5-on-5 scrimmage with NBA and NBAGL players – as opposed to coaches – during his Achilles recovery process, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link). Charania hears that Tatum looked “great,” but cautions that there are still several more checkpoints for the 27-year-old to pass before he could suit up for an NBA game.
“I’m feeling good,” Tatum said after his first practice with the Maine Celtics, per Brian Robb of MassLive. “… (Tuesday) is 39 weeks (since the injury), so it’s been a long journey. And it’s just like the progression of rehab. It was the next step. Doesn’t mean that I’m coming back or I’m not. It’s just following the plan. So it’s just another step.”
The 35-19 Celtics hold the No. 2 record in the Eastern Conference despite not having Tatum available at all this season. He said this week that there had been “no doubt” in his mind entering the season about the club’s ability to play at this level while he recovered from his Achilles tear, adding that it’s been “really fun and cool” to see what his teammates have done. He also spoke positively about Boston’s pre-deadline trade to acquire veteran center Nikola Vucevic, as Robb relays.
“Vuc is a hell of a player,” Tatum said. “Obviously I’ve competed against him for the last eight years. I’m excited about the things he brings to this team and the different dynamic. So we’re all excited to have him.”
We have more on the Celtics:
- Less than a week after being traded from the Celtics to the Bulls for Vucevic, Anfernee Simons was back in Boston on Wednesday as a visiting player. Before the game, the veteran guard spoke glowingly about his brief stint with the Celtics and said he could “for sure” see himself returning to the team later in his career if the opportunity arises (Twitter video link via Bobby Manning of CLNS Media). Simons added that he understood why Boston made the trade, referring to Vucevic as a “great player” who will give the C’s another floor-stretching option in the frontcourt.
- After using a double-big starting lineup featuring Neemias Queta and Luka Garza in the first three games since trading Simons, head coach Joe Mazzulla made an adjustment on Wednesday, moving Garza back to the bench. As Robb writes for MassLive.com, the move helped get the Celtics’ offense going but resulted in Garza playing just seven minutes, his lowest single-game total since early December. That could be a trend going forward with Vucevic likely to eat into his playing time.
- In a mailbag for MassLive.com, Robb considers whether or not Vucevic will eventually find his way into the Celtics’ starting lineup and argues that it makes more sense for Queta to hang onto that spot because he’s steadier on the defensive end.
Pacers Notes: Zubac, Jackson, Toppin, Roster
After losing Myles Turner in free agency last summer, the Pacers experimented this season with players like Isaiah Jackson and Jay Huff in the starting center role. However, the team felt that acquiring a veteran five was a priority, according to general manager Chad Buchanan, who tells Tony East of Forbes that Ivica Zubac emerged as Indiana’s “number one clear target” ahead of the trade deadline due to his fit, age, production, and character.
The Pacers are lottery-bound this season and could’ve waited until the summer to address their center spot, but Buchanan and the front office felt like it made more sense to come up with a solution now rather than wait to see what options were available in a few months.
“You just never know if you wait, is the opportunity still there? There could be other opportunities. There could be no opportunities. You just don’t know,” Buchanan said. “Other teams may have a need this summer and now you have more competition for a player. I kind of equate it as if there’s a race taking place for a championship – some teams are in the race, some teams are preparing for the race, some teams are watching the race. And we wanted to be in the race, not standing on the sidelines watching.”
The package that the Pacers sent the Clippers for Zubac includes a 2026 first-round pick that will stay in Indiana if it lands in the top four or outside the top nine, with L.A. receiving it if it’s between No. 5 and No. 9. There’s a possibility the Pacers will end up surrendering the fifth or sixth overall pick in a strong draft, but Buchanan said the team was happy not to have to sacrifice the upside at the very top of the draft and recognized giving up assets of real value was necessary to land a player like Zubac.
“Ideally, you don’t have to give up anything, but hey, to get a good player, you’ve got to give up something too. There’s a little pain on both sides in any trade,” Buchanan said. “The pain for us is giving up two players that we drafted and developed and had a lot of good experiences together (Bennedict Mathurin and Jackson). And obviously the picks. On their end, they’re giving up a player who was a big part of who their organization was. Had a lot of longevity there, a lot of attachment emotionally to what he’d done for that team. So there’s always a little pain on both sides.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Indiana has an open spot on its 15-man roster after its deadline moves and Buchanan acknowledged to East that promoting Quenton Jackson from his two-way contract is a “real possibility” to fill that opening. The Pacers’ GM referred to Jackson as “a big part of our culture in our locker room” and lauded his energy, toughness, and positive attitude. Jackson still has 18 games of eligibility remaining on his two-way deal, so if he’s going to fill that 15th roster spot, there’s no real urgency for the Pacers – who are operating less than $900K from the tax line – to convert him right away.
- Zubac has yet to make his Pacers debut due to an ankle issue while forward Obi Toppin has been out since October as he recovers from foot surgery. However, Buchanan tell East that he expects to see both players back on the court this season.
- Asked by East what the Pacers’ roster still needs now that it has a new starting center, Buchanan joked that it’d be great to add a top-four pick in this year’s draft. The GM went on to say that the team will use the final two months of the season as an evaluation period before making additional roster decisions in the summer. “Depending on if we have the pick or don’t have the pick determines some of what we do roster-wise, what we have flexibility-wise with the cap,” he said. “But we’re going to be aggressive to try to put ourselves in a position to compete and contend for a championship next year. And whatever that means, we’re going to try and do it.”
- Zubac has made just 1-of-12 three-pointers since entering the NBA in 2016, but he said this week that he and head coach Rick Carlisle have already talked about him spending more time in the corner and having more opportunities to shoot from beyond the arc. “I always thought I could shoot that shot,” Zubac said, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). “I obviously didn’t get a lot of chances to do it with the Clippers, but I always worked on it and wanted to shoot it but never had a chance. We’ll see how open he will be for that. If that’s what they want me to do, I have the rest of the season and the whole summer to work on it and be ready for next year.”
Southeast Notes: Banchero, Magic, Sarr, AD, Whitmore, Dennis
Fourth-year forward Paolo Banchero doesn’t seem enthusiastic about the Magic‘s offensive system, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Asked after Wednesday’s loss to Milwaukee whether Orlando was playing to its potential in half-court offense, Banchero replied, “I think our record answers that question, honestly. I’m not going to sit here and harp on the problems with our offense or what I think is wrong with our offense. But I don’t think anyone would say that it’s where it should be or could be.”
As Robbins writes, the Magic currently rank 23rd in the league in points per possession in the half court. Injuries to key players (Banchero, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner) have once again been an issue, and floor spacing and outside shooting remain problems as well, despite the blockbuster trade to acquire Desmond Bane.
The Magic entered the season with aspirations of being a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference, but they’re currently 28-25, the No. 7 seed. They’re 16th in the NBA in offensive rating, with a -0.4 net rating that ranks 17th. They have also lost their defensive identity, currently ranking 14th after being second and third in that category the previous two years, Robbins notes.
Big man Wendell Carter Jr. says the team’s offensive woes have bled into the defense.
“(It’s) human nature,” Carter said. “It’s an offensive-driven league. Everybody wants to do good offensively, including myself, and sometimes we fall into that aspect of when it’s not going our way offensively, we allow it to affect our effort. We allow it to affect our defense. We allow it to affect us getting back (on defense after we miss shots). And that’s something, as a fairly young team, that we have to do a better job of, including myself.”
While president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman has publicly backed head coach Jamahl Mosley, Robbins wonders if Weltman will reassess that stance if the Magic struggle after the All-Star break. Orlando has been one of the more disappointing and underachieving teams this season, Robbins writes, even when accounting for injuries.
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- As Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel writes, the Magic enter the All-Star break in a similar position as they have been the past couple years. They were 30-25 at the break two years ago and 27-29 last season. They wound up making the playoffs during both of those campaigns, but lost in the first round each time. “We’ve kind of been in the same position every year so … coming off the All-Star break is when we’ve got to start to turn it up,” Banchero said. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to figure out how we can be better for the postseason because we don’t want to have the same result as the last two years. We’ve got to come out hungry off the break … and figure out what type of team we want to be.”
- Wizards center Alex Sarr is confident about how he’ll fit next to Anthony Davis once both players are healthy, per Bijan Todd of Monumental Sports Network. “He has a very complete game. I can also step out and play inside-out, so I think it’ll be pretty seamless [playing alongside him],” Sarr said. “Just getting the reps in, that’s definitely going to help us.”
- Wizards wing Cam Whitmore is out for the remainder of his third season after being diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis — a form of blood clot — in his right shoulder. He recently discussed the serious health issue, which required three surgeries to address, with play-by-play announcer Chris Mills of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter video link).
- Second-year guard RayJ Dennis, who is on a two-way contract with the Hawks, has set a G League scoring record with the College Park Skyhawks (Twitter link). Dennis scored a franchise-record 47 points on Thursday, per the Skyhawks, and is the first player in team history to have multiple games with 45-plus points.
Knicks Notes: Sochan, Alvarado, Diawara, Deadline, Grades
The Knicks like Jeremy Sochan‘s “defensive versatility, upside” and ability to handle the ball, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link). The former lottery pick will reportedly sign a veteran’s minimum deal with New York covering the remainder of the season once he clears waivers.
As Begley observes, the Knicks’ ability to sign Sochan is largely due to the fact that Guerschon Yabusele agreed to decline his $5.8MM player option for next season because he wanted an opportunity to play again. New York was able to deal Yabusele to Chicago for Dalen Terry, then flipped Terry ($5.4MM) and a pair of second-round picks to New Orleans for Jose Alvarado ($4.5MM).
The Knicks saved enough money in those moves that they were able to add a player on the buyout market right away, rather than having to wait until the final weeks of the season.
The Spurs reached a buyout agreement with Sochan on Wednesday once he had another team lined up, tweets Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. While McDonald’s use of the term “buyout” suggests the fourth-year forward gave up some money as part of his release, that hasn’t been confirmed or reported elsewhere.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Backup guard Alvarado has quickly made a strong impression on his new team, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Alvarado took umbrage with Trendon Watford on Wednesday after the Sixers forward committed a hard foul on Mitchell Robinson, sparking a Knicks run that blew the game open and ultimately resulted in a 49-point victory. “He did a hard foul, but I think he did a little extra with the staring,” Alvarado said. “I’m just not gonna go for none of that. It was just in the moment. That’s when I’m at my best, I guess, getting a little active. It worked out in my favor.” The Brooklyn native had a huge game, tying a career high with eight threes en route to a season-high 26 points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds in just 19 minutes. He was a team-high plus-35 as well, Schwartz notes. “That’s what we need,” Josh Hart said of Alvarado. “That’s what we want from him. Obviously that toughness, ability to help us get organized, ability to knock down shots. And defensively bring energy, bring physicality, get in the passing lanes, those kinds of things. That’s why he’s here.”
- Second-round pick Mohamed Diawara wasn’t expected to play much for the Knicks as a rookie, but the 20-year-old forward has taken advantage of his recent opportunities with OG Anunoby sidelined, James L. Edwards III writes for The Athletic. Hart says he noticed Diawara’s potential in training camp. “In camp, I thought he was going to be real good,” Hart said. “He’s young, raw and inexperienced. He’s good defensively, and he’s an even better shooter than I thought. It always looked good, but now it’s going in. I think he’s a good decision-maker in the pocket. He’s athletic and can finish at the rim, get guys involved. I love where he’s at, and he’s continued to work.”
- Fred Katz and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic review New York’s deadline deals and look ahead to the remainder of the season. Both writers stuck with their preseason predictions that the Knicks will make the NBA Finals, though neither feels as confident in that prediction as they did a few months ago.
- In a subscriber-only story for The New York Post, Stefan Bondy gives out midseason grades for each player on the standard roster, with Jalen Brunson receiving the lone A (Hart and Landry Shamet each got an A-minus). He also grades the performance of head coach Mike Brown (B) and the offseason moves of Leon Rose (C-minus).
Jazz Fined $500K By NBA; Pacers Docked $100K
The Jazz have been fined $500K for “conduct detrimental to the league” related to Utah’s games on February 7 (at Orlando) and Feb. 9 (at Miami), the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
Star forwards Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. sat out the entire fourth quarter of both of those contests, even though the league says they were “otherwise able to continue to play and the outcomes of the games were thereafter in doubt.” Utah was up seven points entering the fourth quarter against Orlando and wound up losing by three; on Monday, the team was up three points entering the final period and won by four.
Jackson, whom the Jazz recently acquired in a trade with Memphis, will undergo season-ending surgery for a growth on his knee over the All-Star break. According to Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Jazz wanted to shut Jackson down when they discovered the issue in his physical, but the former Defensive Player of the Year was “adamant” about his desire to play at least one home game before the procedure.
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports has heard similarly, stating (via Twitter) that Jackson wanted to play a few games with the Jazz prior to undergoing surgery, which O’Connor calls preventive.
Sources tell Jones that Jackson was on a restriction of 25 minutes, which is one reason why he didn’t play in the fourth quarter of either of those games. Of course, even if that’s true, it doesn’t explain Markkanen’s late-game absence.
Jazz owner Ryan Smith responded to the fine on social media (Twitter link), posting an eye roll emoji along with, “Agree to disagree … Also, we won the game in Miami and got fined? That makes sense …”
The Pacers, meanwhile, were fined $100K for violating the NBA’s player participation policy in relation to Indiana’s game vs. Utah on Feb. 3.
On the second night of a back-to-back, the Pacers didn’t play Pascal Siakam — who is considered a “star” under the terms of the policy — and two other starters (they weren’t specifically named, but the league was likely referencing Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith). The league claims all three of those players could have suited up.
Alternatively, per the NBA, the Pacers could have sat the players in other games in a way that would have “better promoted compliance with the policy.” The player participation policy discourages teams from sitting several healthy players in the same game of a back-to-back set.
“Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games,” commissioner Adam Silver said in the press release. “Additionally, we are working with our Competition Committee and Board of Governors to implement further measures to root out this type of conduct.”
Heat Notes: Jovic, Jakucionis, Herro, Health, Ware
Head coach Erik Spoelstra says Heat forward Nikola Jovic is working on his comportment when his shot isn’t falling, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The 22-year-old has been in a season-long slump, with a subpar shooting line of just .370/.272/.687.
“It’s just something to work on and he is,” Spoelstra said of such visible exposure of fading confidence. “He’s working on it and you just want to have that strong face always throughout the course of competition. We like him shooting open shots, being aggressive offensively.
“You can’t control always whether the ball is going to go in or not. His process behind the scenes has been solid the last three weeks. He’s been putting in the time and that’s what you can control. He’s working on it, working on the strong face at all times.”
Jovic downplayed the issue, explaining that he remains internally confident despite how it might look from the outside.
“I think I’m just being true to myself,” he said. “Does it look good? Probably not. But I’m working on it. I think it’s a smart thing from them, telling me that I should maybe look better, and look better for the others, and help. So I’m just working on it. But I don’t think it’s any big issue.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Backcourt injuries have created playing time opportunities for rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis, who has been trending upward recently despite the team’s struggles, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The 19-year-old had 22 and 20 points earlier this week and has been extremely accurate from behind the arc this season (45.1%), though he has struggled from two-point range (30.4%). “I love Kas, man. He’s such a hard worker,” All-Star guard Norman Powell said. “I mean, he’s doing two, three workouts before shootarounds and before practice. I think the sky is the limit for him, just his approach, his mentality. He’s very mature for his age. He’s very focused and very locked in. I think it shows. He’s been put into the starting lineup when guys have been hurt. He’s been able to play and showcase his ability and why this organization loves him so much. I’m really excited for him.”
- Spoelstra was asked on Wednesday if Tyler Herro (rib injury) would return after the All-Star break, Winderman tweets. “He will be back. Yes, for sure,” Spoelstra said. “I don’t have a timeline exactly of when that will be. We’ll see. We’ll see how he progresses.”
- Miami remains confident that it can recapture the form that led to a 14-7 start to the season, rather than the 15-20 stretch that has followed, according to Chiang. Spoelstra was quick to point out that injuries have been a factor in the team’s inconsistency. “You just look at our defense, our defense is improving,” Spoelstra said. “It’s getting better, we’re third or fourth, depending on the metric you look at. It’s the same thing with our offense. The efficiency isn’t exactly where we need it to be, but we can explode on teams. We’re fourth in scoring. It’s a matter of doing it in those moments of truth when it really matters to push a win. Offensively, I think when we get our guys back, I think we’re going to be a really dangerous offensive team. We can be fourth in the league in scoring with large parts of our rosters on the sideline. Just wait until we get our guys back into the fold.”
- As Winderman notes, Spoelstra has been critical of second-year center Kel’el Ware multiple times this season, particularly after a December loss to Boston. It’s a small sample size, but Ware has fared better in two-big lineups alongside Bam Adebayo recently. “And I appreciate that,” Spoelstra said after Wednesday night’s win. “I also appreciate Kel’el’s process the last three weeks or a month, since whenever that game was, the infamous postgame quote. But his process really improved and you’re going to go through stretches where it’s up and down. But he just came in every day since then, just trying to work on getting better in the shootarounds and practices and film sessions. And it’s translating to the court. It doesn’t always guarantee that it will. But I appreciate his approach of late.”
Hornets Notes: Knueppel, LaMelo, Improved Play, More
While his former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg has received more media attention, No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel continues to thrive for the Hornets, writes Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer. Knueppel, a 6’6″ wing, is one of the top shooters in the NBA as a 20-year-old rookie, averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists on .484/.431/.902 shooting in 54 games (32.1 minutes per contest).
Knueppel, who has won all three of the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards thus far in 2025/26, points to Charlotte’s defensive turnaround as the main factor in the team winning 10 of its past 11 games, Fowler notes.
“I really think just defensively, our attention to detail and our competitiveness on that end,” Knueppel said. “We’re a pretty good offensive team. … But I think the biggest reason is just our change of mindset a little bit on the defensive end.”
Here’s more from Charlotte:
- As Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes, LaMelo Ball has played a major role in the Hornets’ surge up the standings by being healthy (he has appeared in 29 consecutive games) and showing growth in terms of leadership and maturity. Head coach Charles Lee challenged Ball on Wednesday after the star point guard had some defensive lapses in the first half against Atlanta, and the 24-year-old responded with some key stops down the stretch. “Yeah, and by challenge, it’s not like you go at him, but definitely just try to make him aware,” Lee said. “Atlanta’s game plan, it seemed like they were trying to put him in almost every action. And so to make him aware of it, to let him see the plays in our film session of how they’re trying to attack him … And then for him to step up, I thought was big time. It just shows he continues to grow to be the consistent competitor trying to impact winning any way he possibly can, even at the end of the game. … So, just a super mature adjustment by him on both ends of the floor.”
- Veteran guard/forward Pat Connaughton has witnessed Ball’s development over the course of the season, Boone adds. “I just see the maturity level growing,” Connaughton said. “I see his belief in not just his own abilities, but the abilities of the team. And then not just the abilities of the team, but what he’s capable of. He also knows he’s got four guys that are going to be playing with him and when he moves the basketball, it’s going to come back.”
- The Hornets improved to 26-29 on Wednesday despite missing starters Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate, who were suspended four games apiece for their roles in a Monday fight. Lee says the Hornets, who are currently the No. 9 seed in the East, will reflect on the their recent success over the All-Star break with an eye on the future. “With 27 games to go, we’ve built this mindset, we’ve built some resolve, we’ve built an identity — I really, truly believe,” Lee said, per Boone. “And so, as they get a day or two to let their bodies recover, think about what we want to accomplish when we come back here. And I think I know the answer, but it’s the perfect time to reflect on everything we’ve done, and then figure how we can stay hungry and take advantage of a couple of days to rest and recover.”
Thunder’s Nikola Topic Available To Make NBA Debut Thursday
Nikola Topic is not on the Thunder‘s injury report for Thursday’s game vs. Milwaukee, which means he’ll be active to potentially make his NBA regular season debut, notes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscriber link).
The 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Topic missed the entire 2024/25 season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. The Serbian point guard participated in 2025 Summer League, training camp, and part of the preseason prior to being diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Topic’s agent, Misko Raznatovic, announced at the beginning of January that his client had successfully completed chemotherapy to treat his cancer. Topic made his G League debut on Monday and played in the second of a back-to-back on Tuesday, averaging 14.5 points, 5.5 assists and 1.0 steal on .588/.556/.667 shooting in 17.9 minutes per game.
As Martinez writes, Topic will likely be on a minutes restriction on Thursday, but there’s a decent chance he could play with the Thunder shorthanded; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain), Jalen Williams (hamstring strain) and Ajay Mitchell (abdominal strain, left ankle sprain) are all injured.
More importantly, Thursday represents a significant milestone in the 20-year-old’s recovery from a serious illness.
And-Ones: Wilson, 2026 Draft, Cunningham, Summer League
North Carolina star Caleb Wilson has been diagnosed with a fracture in his left hand, the school announced in a press release. A timeline for the freshman big man’s return has not yet been established.
Wilson, who sustained the injury in the first half of Tuesday’s loss at Miami (FL), has been one of the most productive players in college basketball, averaging 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks in 31.3 minutes per game across 24 appearances.
A 19-year-old forward/center, Wilson is ranked No. 4 on the latest big board from Jeremy Woo of ESPN. According to Woo, while the consensus top three prospects for the 2026 draft continue to be Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, some talent evaluators believe Wilson has a chance to be selected in the top three, depending on how things shake out over the next handful of months.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The three biggest risers among Woo’s top 25 prospects are Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (No. 6; was No. 25), Arizona guard Brayden Burries (No. 17; was No. 41) and Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson (No. 19; was No. 38). As for players trending in the opposite direction, Woo points to Arizona forward/center Koa Peat (No. 16; was No. 8) and Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance (No. 18; was No. 9). As Woo explains, while Peat has several positive attributes, there are question marks about his shooting, rim protection and size. Quaintance, meanwhile, has been shut down indefinitely due to knee swelling after tearing his ACL last March.
- Pistons star Cade Cunningham has purchased a minority stake in the Texas Rangers, he tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The former No. 1 overall pick, who will make his second consecutive All-Star appearance this weekend, is a native of Arlington, Texas, where the MLB is based.
- The primary Summer League event will be held in Las Vegas again this year, the NBA announced on Wednesday (via Twitter). The games will be held from July 9-19.