Knicks Notes: Shamet, McBride, Robinson, Diawara
Knicks guard Landry Shamet, who has missed the past five games due to a bone bruise in his right knee, is no longer on the injury report and will return to action on Wednesday when the team visits Memphis, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
However, a couple other Knicks rotation players will be unavailable, as center Mitchell Robinson (left ankle injury management) and guard Miles McBride (pelvic/core muscle injury management) will sit out on the second end of a back-to-back set. Star guard Jalen Brunson is also considered questionable to play, having been added to the injury report due to right ankle soreness.
Although McBride appeared to reinjure himself on Sunday in his first game back from sports hernia surgery, he was back on the court on Tuesday and is only being held out on Wednesday because he’s not ready for back-to-backs yet. McBride explained on Tuesday that he was simply experiencing some discomfort in his first game back as a result of scar tissue breaking down, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
“Scar tissue is built up because it tightens everything. And now it’s getting more elastic, stretching out,” McBride said. “I came down (defending a Thunder player), tried to switch gears, and the scar tissue is ripping and getting better. … Surgery is going to cause pain. I’m not sure when it’s going to fully subside. So whatever I can do to help the team win.”
We have more on the Knicks:
- In a separate story for the New York Post, Bondy considers what Robinson’s value might be in unrestricted free agency this summer. The big man, who turns 28 today, has averaged just 19.5 minutes per game this season, but describes his impact as “incredible,” in part due to his rebounding — he’s pulling down 8.7 boards per night, including 4.2 on the offensive end.
- After Mohamed Diawara saw just four total minutes of action in losses to Oklahoma City and Houston, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News (subscription required) questions why the rookie forward isn’t playing a more prominent role in the Knicks’ rotation, arguing that the team could use his versatility, floor spacing, and energy.
- Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports evaluates where the Knicks are at with the postseason around the corner and cites a few red flags, including the team’s inconsistent play against high-end competition, its defensive holes when Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns share the court, and the fact that Towns is still talking about “working through” his fit in Mike Brown‘s offense with just a couple weeks left in the regular season.
Magic’s Franz Wagner Could Return On Wednesday
Magic forward Franz Wagner has missed 47 of the team’s last 51 games while battling a left high ankle sprain, but he could make his return to action on Wednesday vs. Atlanta. According to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link), Wagner has been upgraded to questionable on the Magic’s injury report.
The expectation, tweets Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, is that Wagner will go through pregame warmups on Wednesday before the team determines whether or not he’ll be active tonight. Barring a setback, there’s a good chance he’ll suit up vs. the Hawks on a minutes restriction.
Wagner got off to a strong start this season, averaging 23.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 34.5 minutes per game through his first 23 outings. He posted a shooting line of .487/.354/.823 in those games and led Orlando to a 14-9 start.
However, the 24-year-old suffered a high ankle sprain in his 24th game of the season and missed the Magic’s next 16 contests before returning to the court for a game in his home country of Germany on January 15. Although he also played in London three days later, Wagner later admitted that he probably rushed his comeback due to his desire to play in front of fans in Berlin.
Wagner sat out another nine games, then played twice on Feb. 9 and 11, but he suffered another setback related to his ankle and was ruled out indefinitely to allow for it to fully heal. If he plays on Wednesday, it will be just his 29th game of the season.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley indicated on Tuesday that Wagner was “progressing well” and had done some 5-on-5 work, which suggested his return was around the corner. Mosley previously told reporters there was no minimum number of games the German forward must play during the final couple weeks of the regular season in order for him to be available for the postseason.
Wednesday’s showdown with the Hawks could have be significant for playoff seeding purposes. The No. 8 Magic are currently one game back of the No. 7 Sixers, two games behind the No. 6 Raptors, and 2.5 games back of the No. 5 Hawks. They also have only a half-game cushion on the Heat and Hornets, who are tied for ninth in the East.
If Wagner isn’t activated on Wednesday, his next opportunity to suit up would be on Friday in Dallas.
Jazz Sign Kennedy Chandler To Second 10-Day Contract
Following the expiration of Kennedy Chandler‘s first 10-day contract with the Jazz on Monday night, he has been re-signed to a second 10-day deal, the team announced on Wednesday in a press release.
Chandler, who joined the Jazz on March 21 after spending most of the 2025/26 season with the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League, saw plenty of action during his first 10 days in the NBA since 2023. The 23-year-old point guard averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.2 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game across six appearances for Utah, registering a shooting line of .431/.364/.652.
The Jazz are dealing with injuries to several regulars, including usual starting point guard Keyonte George, and have long been eliminated from postseason contention, opening the door for Chandler to play a significant rotation role in the final weeks of the regular season.
His second 10-day deal will run through April 10, covering five of Utah’s remaining six games. After it expires, the Jazz would have to sign Chandler to a rest-of-season or multiyear contract in order to retain him for the regular season finale.
Chandler will earn another $117,730 on his second 10-day deal, bringing his total earnings with the Jazz to $235,460. He’ll carry an identical cap hit.
Mavericks Targeting Big Names In Front Office Search
Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont has some big names on his wish list as the team seeks a new head of basketball operations, according to reports from Chris Mannix of SI.com and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Mannix and Stein both identify Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and Thunder executive VP of basketball operations Sam Presti as targets for Dallas, while Mannix also mentions Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman and Stein adds Spurs CEO R.C. Buford to the list.
However, Mannix describes some of those options as “fanciful,” while Stein agrees, suggesting the Mavericks know they probably don’t have a realistic shot at executives like Stevens and Presti, who have recently won championships with their respective teams. Still, those names reflect Dumont’s “lofty ambitions,” Stein writes, explaining that the Mavs governor wants to do his due diligence on some of the NBA’s top front office executives in case one might be attainable.
Another possible target cited by both Mannix and Stein is Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, whose deal in Minnesota expires at season’s end. Some rival teams believe Connelly might leave his current position, and Dallas hired former Wolves executive Ethan Casson as their president on the business side, according to Stein, though he adds that Minnesota appears motivated to work out a new deal to retain Connelly.
The target most frequently linked to the Mavericks by Stein’s sources is former Warriors general manager Bob Myers. But Myers accepted an “extremely lucrative” job last fall with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the group that owns the Sixers, and his responsibilities in that position span multiple sports. It remains to be seen whether he’d leave that role to return to an NBA front office, so he should probably be considered a long shot for the Mavs as well, Stein says.
Here’s more on the Mavs’ front office search:
- Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd had some conversations about transitioning to a front office role, sources tell Mannix. But both he and Stein hear that Kidd is much more likely to remain in his current position and partner with a new general manager.
- A number of “top aides to lead decision-makers” around the NBA have expressed back-channel interest in the Mavericks’ job, Stein reports. Even though the team has begun doing its homework on potential candidates, the search isn’t expected to begin “in earnest” until the regular season wraps up, Stein continues, adding that current co-interim GMs Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley are still considered candidates for the full-time job.
- Following up on his recent note about the Mavs not hiring a firm to guide their front office search, Stein says Dumont is considered the “point person” in the process.
- Speaking on Tuesday to a group of reporters, Mavs CEO Rick Welts had the following to say about the front office search, per Stein: “There is no specific set of characteristics. I can tell you there is a variety of candidates who present a variety of different personalities … different track records. It’s the most important decision that the organization is going to make for the coming seasons. So we are going to take our time and get it right.”
Pistons Notes: LeVert, Jones, Division Title, Ivey
After signing a two-year, $28.9MM contract with the Pistons last summer, Caris LeVert has had the worst statistical season of his career. His 7.5 points and 19.5 minutes per game are career lows, as is his 41.8% shooting percentage from the floor. The 31-year-old, who has made 223 career starts, is also on track to finish a season without starting a single game for the first time since he entered the league in 2016.
“It has been up-and-down for me all season,” LeVert told Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News. “Obviously, everyone wants to play well. Everyone wants to play a lot of minutes. For me, the most frustrating part has been all about my game and minutes. But, it is what it is.”
Health issues have contributed to LeVert’s struggles. He underwent surgery on his right wrist shortly before training camp, delaying his preparation for the season, then battled knee problems. He has also dealt with a more unusual health issue since then, as he informed Spencer Davies of RG.org.
“I had a weird, like, vertigo sickness for like a month-and-a-half; I just got over that a few weeks ago,” LeVert said. “So this year’s been kinda weird for me, but I feel really good right now. As far as preparation, I think just doing more as far as table work, stretching on my own, getting my sleep, diet — just to another level.”
While it’s been a somewhat disappointing year for LeVert on an individual level, he tells Davies that he has made an effort to be a positive locker-room leader as one of the elder statesmen on a younger roster. The fact that it has been a hugely successful season from a team perspective has also allowed him not to worry as much about his own struggles.
“We control our own destiny from now until the end of the season. I think it has been amazing for what we have done as a team,” LeVert told Davis. “We are building in the right direction.”
We have more out of Detroit:
- Pistons two-way player Isaac Jones has nabbed NBA G League Player of the Month honors, according to the league (Twitter link). Playing for the Motor City Cruise, Jones averaged 29.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while shooting 68.4% from the field in March. The second-year forward began the season with Sacramento and was claimed off waivers by Detroit when the Kings cut him in November. He was waived by Detroit in early February, but the team brought him back on a two-way deal a week later.
- While winning the Central division is far less important than claiming the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference would be, the Pistons were still pleased about clinching their first division title since 2008, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. “You take pride in understanding how hard it is to do any of those things in this league,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “You take pride in the fact that you have a group of young guys, young men who collectively have grown and achieved certain milestones. It’s a part of the process, and we expect more. But you just respect how difficult it is to do any of those things in this league. It is a big deal for our guys and this organization to get ourselves back in that position and in position to do more, because you can’t win the level you want to win at if you don’t take those steps.”
- Bickerstaff also spoke on Tuesday about Jaden Ivey, whom he coached for a season-and-a-half before the former No. 5 overall pick was traded to Chicago in February. Ivey was waived this week due to “conduct detrimental to the team,” according to the Bulls. “I know how it’s been extremely difficult for him as far as the way he was playing, the injuries, trying to make the comeback and trying to overcome that. I don’t think we can overlook the human aspect of these things and how that impacts people and their decisions,” Bickerstaff said (Twitter link via Sankofa). “Having said that, I also believe the NBA is one of the most inclusive environments in pro sports. and it’s a genuine thing that celebrates different ethnicities, heritages, sexual preferences, whatever it may be. The NBA brings people together. … This environment should be an environment that supports that and gives people the opportunity to be the best version of themselves no matter who that is or what they believe, or what choices they may make that don’t impact or infringe on other people.”
How The Grizzlies Are Carrying A 22-Man Roster
During the NBA’s regular season, teams are typically limited to carrying a maximum of 18 players — 15 on standard contracts (full-season or 10-day) and another three on two-way deals.
However, a team dealing with major injury issues can be granted a hardship exception, allowing that club to temporarily exceed the usual 18-man maximum. A team qualifies for a hardship exception when it meets all of the following criteria:
- It has at least four players unavailable due to injury or illness.
- All four of those players have missed at least three consecutive games.
- All four of those players are expected to remain sidelined for at least two more weeks.
A team becomes eligible for a single hardship exception when it has four players who meet the criteria, but it can also qualify for an additional hardship exception for each additional injured player beyond those initial four.
For instance, a team with five players who have missed at least three games due to injuries and will remain out for another two weeks would be eligible for two hardship exceptions, allowing that club to complete a pair of 10-day signings beyond its usual 18-man roster limit.
The banged-up Grizzlies have taken this rule to the extreme as of late. The team currently has seven players who meet the hardship criteria. The following seven players have all been ruled out for the season:
- Zach Edey (left ankle/elbow surgery recoveries): Out since Dec. 7
- Brandon Clarke (right calf strain): Out since Dec. 20
- Ja Morant (left elbow UCL sprain): Out since Jan. 21
- Santi Aldama (right knee surgery recovery): Out since Feb. 4
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (right fifth finger surgery recovery): Out since Feb. 11
- Scotty Pippen Jr. (right big toe surgery recovery): Out since Mar. 7
- Jaylen Wells (right big toe surgery recovery): Out since Mar. 23
As a result, the team qualifies for four hardship exceptions — one for the first four players above, then an additional one for each of the remaining three.
That means the Grizzlies are currently carrying 22 players. They have 15 players on full-season (or multiyear) deals, three on two-way contracts, and four on 10-day hardship pacts. DeJon Jarreau and Tyler Burton are under contract through Wednesday night, with Adama Bal‘s hardship deal running through next Monday and Lucas Williamson‘s expiring next Thursday night.
As our 10-day contract tracker shows, Jarreau and Burton are on their second 10-day deals with Memphis. Neither players is eligible to sign a third one, and unless the Grizzlies plan to waive one of their full-season players, there’s no room to promote them to the standard 15-man roster. That means there’s a good chance the team will be bringing in two new players on hardship deals as soon as Thursday.
Draymond Green Considered Unlikely To Test FA Market
Longtime Warriors forward Draymond Green holds a $27.7MM player option for the 2026/27 season, giving him the ability to opt out of his contract and test the unrestricted free agent market in search of a change of scenery. However, league and team sources don’t expect him to take that route, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
As Slater explains, the expectation is that Green will either exercise his option, locking in a $27.7MM salary for next season, or turn down that option in order to negotiate a multiyear deal with Golden State that features a lower first-year cap hit. Taking the latter route, Slater writes, would likely increase the odds of the 36-year-old finishing his career with the Warriors.
Slater’s update on Green’s contract situation comes within a larger profile on the former Defensive Player of the Year and his place within the organization as he nears the end of his 14th season in the NBA. Although Green didn’t discuss his next contract with ESPN, he did address a number of other topics, including the trade rumors involving him earlier this year.
The Warriors reportedly pursued Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo at February’s trade deadline and almost certainly would’ve included Green in their package in order to match Antetokounmpo’s maximum-salary contract. Green was aware of the situation, and while he admits he was initially irked by the idea, he understood the team’s thinking and quickly accepted it.
“I’m a human being,” Green said. “There was a second of me that felt like, ‘Damn, they really going to do that to me?’ … (But) I understand this business probably (as) good as any player. I understand like, yo, this is Giannis Antetokounmpo. They’re not just about to trade me for a bag of peanuts. It would’ve almost been a point of pride.
“I’ll be honest though. I didn’t want to play for Milwaukee.”
League sources tell Slater that if the Warriors and Bucks had made a trade involving Giannis and Draymond, Green had the Los Angeles teams – the Lakers and Clippers – on his radar as possible landing spots he could be rerouted to. However, it doesn’t sound at this point as if being involved in those trade rumors will spur him to seek an exit from Golden State this summer.
Whether or not Green’s Warriors career continues beyond 2025/26, he remains confident that he can be an impact player, especially on defense. While he admitted that he’s “not as fast” as he was and doesn’t “jump as high” as he used to, Green still believes he’s among the NBA’s most impactful defenders, placing only Victor Wembanyama above himself, according to Slater.
“I feel better defensively than I ever have,” Green said. “The numbers won’t show with straight up steals and blocks. Stocks, which is what people look at. But I just do it a different way. I can’t get the block shot all the time anymore, but I can cover it. I may not come up with the steal, but I make sure (the action is) gridlocked.”
Green is technically already eligible for a veteran contract extension that would replace his ’26/27 player option, so there’s nothing stopping him and the Warriors from discussing his next deal sooner rather than later.
Northwest Notes: SGA, Hartenstein, Pullin, Gordon, Johnson
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to win Most Valuable Player honors for the second straight season. He’s battling the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama and the Lakers’ Luka Doncic — the league’s top scorer — for that distinction.
However, SGA declined to argue his case following an overtime win over Detroit on Monday, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The Thunder star is the league’s second-leading scorer at 31.6 points per game while averaging a career-high 6.5 assists as well.
“No, I’m good. Thanks for asking, though,” he said. “Yeah, I’m good. I let my game do the talking.”
[RELATED: Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama Argues MVP Case]
Gilgeous-Alexander does believe the MVP talk is a benefit to the NBA.
“I think it’s good for the league. I think it’s good chatter,” he said. “It gives people something to talk about. There’s a lot of good players in this league and a lot of guys in the conversation because of that.”
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Isaiah Hartenstein‘s decision to bolt the Knicks in free agency during the summer of 2024 has proven to be a wise one, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes. Hartenstein collected a three-year, $87MM payday and he’s become the Thunder‘s defensive anchor while also getting more offensive opportunities. “I think [the play-making] has always been there,” Hartenstein said. “I think before I got to the Knicks, it was one of the main things I was doing with the Clippers. But I think as an NBA player you just have to put your ego aside and kind of do what’s best for the team. I think when I was with the Knicks, I kind of had to change the role I was playing. And so, again, I’m just here to help the team whatever way I can, and I think with the Knicks it was more doing stuff differently.” He’s averaging 9.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 24.8 minutes per game this season.
- Timberwolves two-way player Zyon Pullin has been named the NBA G League Player of the Week, the league announced (via Twitter). The award covers games played from March 23-28. In two games, Pullin averaged 37.5 points and 5.5 assists while making 75 percent of his three-point attempts. The undrafted 25-year-old has appeared in just two games for Minnesota this season.
- The Nuggets got some good news on the injury front, Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette reports. After missing Sunday’s win over the Warriors due to a calf issue, starting power forward Aaron Gordon returned to practice Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s game in Utah. “’AG’ looked good today. His comfort level seemed like it was in a good place with the calf. I’m hoping he’ll play (Wednesday),” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. Cameron Johnson, who left Sunday’s game with back spasms, also practiced. “They just kind of popped up on me, maybe after a little bit of contact or something,” Johnson said. “I’m fine now, though. It goes away.”
Lakers, Nuggets Clinch Playoff Berths
The Lakers and Nuggets clinched playoff spots on Tuesday. Both teams entered tonight’s action in position to clinch those spots if the Suns lost, according to the league office. Phoenix obliged by falling to Orlando, 115-111.
Los Angeles, which also secured the Pacific Division title on Tuesday, is looking to hold off Denver for the third spot in the Western Conference. The Lakers won their 50th game on Tuesday and currently have a two-game lead over the Nuggets.
Both teams are trying to stay ahead of the Timberwolves and Rockets — the fifth and sixth place teams in the standings — to secure home-court advantage during the first round of the playoffs.
The Lakers have ridden the excellence of Luka Doncic, the league’s top scorer, to go 15-2 over the last 17 games. Carried by their MVP candidate, Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets have overcome injuries throughout the season and will head into Wednesday’s action on a six-game winning streak.
The Lakers and Nuggets join the Thunder and Spurs as teams in the Western Conference that have already secured guaranteed (ie. top-six) playoff berths.
Grizzlies Sign Lucas Williamson To 10-Day Deal
The Grizzlies have agreed to a 10-day contract with guard Lucas Williamson, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. The deal is official, the team announced in a press release.
The former Loyola Ramblers wing has spent this season with the Memphis Hustle and Windy City Bulls in the G League. Williamson went undrafted in 2022, joined the Clippers that fall for training camp and was waived. He spent some time that season in Canada with the Edmonton Stingers.
Otherwise, he has spent most of his pro career in the G League with the Hustle. This season, he’s averaged 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals in 23.7 minutes per game over 46 contests.
Memphis, overwhelmed by injuries, has been filling out its roster with players on 10-day hardship contracts. There’s no indication in the team’s announcement that anyone was cut to accommodate Williamson, which suggests the Grizzlies have been granted a fourth hardship exception.
The Grizzlies brought back Tyler Burton and DeJon Jarreau on second 10-day contracts this month — those contracts will expire on Wednesday night. Adama Bal is also on a 10-day deal with Memphis.
Jaylen Wells (toe) became the fifth Grizzlies player to undergo a season-ending surgery this week, joining Zach Edey (elbow), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (finger), Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), and Santi Aldama (knee). Ja Morant (elbow) and Brandon Clarke (calf) have also been ruled out for the season.