Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat: 4/23/2026
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill will hold a live chat Thursday at 11 am Central time (noon Eastern) exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Use the link below to ask a question in advance, participate in the live event and read the transcript afterward.
Northwest Notes: Henderson, Watson, Gobert, Edwards
It hasn’t been an easy season for Scoot Henderson, who didn’t play until February due to a torn hamstring. In fact, it’s been an up-and-down first three years in the league for the guard selected third overall by the Trail Blazers in the 2023 draft.
However, Henderson enjoyed a career night on Tuesday, scoring 31 points in a 106-103 victory that tied the series with the Spurs at one game apiece. His head coach, Tiago Splitter, was blown away by the performance, Ramona Shelburne writes for ESPN.
“I don’t know if I have words for it,” Splitter said. “That was the best game of the season for him, maybe his career. To have a game like that in playoffs against a great team like the Spurs, it’s something else. Not just offensively, but defensively. He carried us, scored when we needed, got stops and really won a game for us.”
Henderson, at one point, was considered the 1B draft prospect to Victor Wembanyama‘s 1A, which led to the two players facing off in an exhibition game when the point guard was with the G League Ignite and Wembanyama was still a member of the Metropolitans 92. Both players showed the best of what they could do in that exhibition, but since then, Henderson has dealt with injuries and has struggled to find his rhythm.
“I’m so blessed to even play in a situation like this,” Henderson said. “Playoffs, third year, younger team, with great vets. The picture couldn’t have painted itself better.”
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- Peyton Watson is still working his way back from a hamstring strain as he seeks to get back on the court for the Nuggets. He has been ruled out for Game 3 of the series against the Wolves, but was able to get some work in on the side of Denver’s practice today, Anthony Slater writes for ESPN. Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette adds (via Twitter) that Watson was mostly working out with and against the coaching staff on Wednesday.
- The Timberwolves believe that Rudy Gobert‘s performance against Nikola Jokic through two games is emblematic of why voters made a grave mistake this season, Tyler King writes for The Denver Gazette. “It’s a joke that he wasn’t a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year,” head coach Chris Finch said after the Wolves won Game 2. King notes that Jokic went 1-for-8 in Game 2 when guarded by Gobert, and seven of those shots came in the fourth quarter. “I know who I am,” Gobert said. “It’s not the first time I get disrespected, probably not the last. If they want to disrespect greatness, take it for granted or whatever, sooner or later, they’ll realize the impact.”
- Anthony Edwards‘ stats for the Timberwolves in Game 2 were impressive, but it was his “superstar energy” as he fought through pain in his knee that really fueled his team, writes Dave Campbell of The Associated Press. “It definitely uplifts me,” Julius Randle said. “I feel like I can’t let him down. If he’s out there battling, then there’s no excuse why I can’t give my best and make the extra effort plays and just go out there and compete at the highest level.” Edwards finished the game with 30 points and 10 rebounds despite clearly being bothered by the knee ailment that kept him out for 11 of the team’s last 13 regular season games.
Heat Notes: Offseason, Wiggins, Jaquez, Jovic
Despite some highlights and internal growth from their younger players, the Heat had a disappointing season that ultimately ended with a play-in loss. Now the team has to determine its next steps as it looks to regain a competitive foothold in the East.
After re-signing Davion Mitchell and extending Nikola Jovic, Miami is not expected to be a cap space team this summer, but the club still has real financial flexibility, Yossi Gozlan writes in his offseason preview for The Third Apron (Substack link).
The Heat have 13 roster slots accounted for, including their first-round pick in the 2026 draft, which projects to be No. 13, barring a change on lottery night. The Heat will also be able to trade up to four first-round picks this summer. That leads Gozlan to suggest that a consolidation trade could make sense.
The team will also have access to its $15.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, Barry Jackson notes for the Miami Herald in a two-part look at potential roster additions. He lists CJ McCollum, Ayo Dosunmu, and Quentin Grimes, as potential guard and wing targets using that exception.
Miami also needs help at the power forward spot, Jackson writes in part two of the column, noting that Rui Hachimura, Kristaps Porzingis, and John Collins could be among the team’s targets if it looks to address its frontcourt using the MLE.
We have more from the Heat:
- One factor that will help determine how much spending flexibility the Heat have is what Andrew Wiggins chooses to do with his $30.2MM player option, Ira Winderman writes for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Wiggins has until June 29 to pick up the option or until June 30 to decline it and work out an extension, if both sides want to pursue that route. Exercising the option could make a star trade easier for the Heat, but the decision ultimately rests with the 31-year-old. “I’m not sure yet,” he said of his future plans. “I’m going to see what’s going on and talk to my agent. Obviously, I love Miami.”
- Jaime Jaquez Jr.‘s excellent season wasn’t rewarded with a Sixth Man of the Year award, but his play in 2025/26 has left him feeling better than ever, Anthony Chiang writes for The Miami Herald. “I feel a lot more confident,” Jaquez said last week. “I feel like I really belong in this league. I think this year kind of solidified that for at least myself, knowing that I can really do this. And going forward, continue to stay ambitious, continue to strive for more, continue to improve, continue to help this team win games.” After a disappointing sophomore season, Jaquez turned in an impressively versatile third year, one that he’s eager to build on moving forward.
- Jovic has expressed frustration with his play as well as the standards he feels held to by the coaching staff, but says that former Heat teammate Duncan Robinson has helped him navigate the ups and downs of his uncertain role. However, coach Erik Spoelstra says that the 6’10” forward needs to get out of his head and out of his own way, Winderman write. “Niko’s objective this offseason?” Spoelstra said. “To not have a victim mindset about it, to not blame anything, just get to work and improve the things that he needs to improve — take it on his shoulders and he’ll be just fine.”
Pacific Notes: Suns, Smart, Reaves, Doncic, Lakers
The Suns have ruled Mark Williams out for Game 2 against the Thunder on Wednesday, Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic notes (via Twitter), adding that the big man is still in a walking boot.
Williams, who was previously considered questionable, is still experiencing soreness related to a left foot third metatarsal stress reaction that kept him on the shelf for 15 straight games in March. He returned for four contests in early April before being sidelined again.
Jordan Goodwin has also been ruled out while Grayson Allen has been upgraded to available after both warmed up with the intention to play, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports (Twitter link). Head coach Jordan Ott acknowledged earlier in the day that Allen was the most ready to return of the trio, having been a full participant in shootaround and shown the ability to sprint at full speed.
Goodwin missed the second half of Game 1 as he continues to fight through a calf injury that has limited him since February. Allen is dealing with a hamstring strain that has kept him sidelined since April 10.
We have more from around the Pacific Division:
- Marcus Smart was tasked with taking the Kevin Durant matchup for the Lakers in Game 2’s win over the Rockets and he delivered, Dave McMenamin writes for ESPN. Durant made 1-for-3 shots and committed three turnovers when guarded by Smart. The former Defensive Player of the Year served as the team’s tone-setter, according to Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times, scoring 25 points and adding seven assists along to go with his five steals.
- The Lakers are weathering their first-round series without their two top scorers, but they are encouraged by the progress Austin Reaves (oblique) and Luka Doncic (hamstring) have made, Khobi Price writes for the California Post. Reaves has already begun his return-to-play protocols, while coach JJ Redick says that Doncic will be following suit soon. There is still no exact timeline for either player to be reactivated.
- Through two games, Smart has joined LeBron James and Luke Kennard to form an unexpected “big three” for the Lakers, Broderick Turner writes for the Los Angeles Times. The trio combined for 76 points and 16 assists in the club’s Game 2 victory, led by James’ 28-point, eight-rebound, seven-assist performance. “When you’ve got two big guns out like we have, we all got to pick up our play,” the four-time MVP said. “And that’s all it’s about. We’re all just trying to contribute, make contributions in all facets of the game, pick up our play. Obviously, we’re missing Luka and missing AR, so we’re just trying to seize the opportunity. That’s all.”
Hawks’ Keshon Gilbert Undergoes Core Muscle Surgery
Keshon Gilbert, a guard on a two-way deal with the Hawks, underwent surgery on a core muscle on Tuesday, according to the team (Twitter link via Lauren L. Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
Gilbert, a 6’4″, 22-year-old rookie, played just one game with the Hawks this season after signing with the team in March. He started the season with the Wizards, making three NBA appearances during his time in Washington after going undrafted out of Iowa State in 2015.
Gilbert scored 11 points and added nine assists in 26 minutes of action during the last game of the season for the Hawks, a 143-117 loss to the Heat.
He will be reevaluated in June, and his status will be updated at that time.
Gilbert’s two-way contract with the Hawks is a two-year deal that covers 2026/27, so the team won’t have to decide this June whether or not to issue him a qualifying offer.
Isaiah Evans Declares For 2026 NBA Draft
Duke wing Isaiah Evans has declared for the 2026 NBA draft, he announced on Wednesday (via Instagram). The university’s basketball program confirmed the report on Twitter.
Evans is a 6’6″ wing who spent two seasons with the Blue Devils and made the 2025/26 All-ACC third team after making the third-most three-pointers in the conference this season. He averaged 15.0 points and 3.2 rebounds while knocking down 36.1% of 7.4 three-point attempts per game. Last season, in a more limited role, he hit 41.6% of his threes on 4.1 attempts per contest.
Evans currently sits at No. 21 on ESPN’s big board, and Jeremy Woo describes him as a gifted movement shooter with good positional size. The 20-year-old from North Carolina is very thin, weighing in at 175 pounds, which has raised questions about his ability to hold up defensively against stronger wings. Still, he was an active defensive play-maker in college and showed solid instincts, averaging 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game this year.
Evans’ teammate at Duke, Caleb Foster, is returning to Duke, the team announced (via Twitter). Foster, who is unranked on ESPN’s board, averaged 8.3 points and 2.8 assists on .447/.398/.582 shooting splits in 33 games this season.
College underclassmen who want to go pro or test the NBA draft waters have until the end of this Friday to file their paperwork. Our early entrant tracker can be found right here.
Spurs’ Keldon Johnson Named Sixth Man Of The Year
For the second time in three days, a Spurs player has won a major award. After Victor Wembanyama was named the 2025/26 Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, Keldon Johnson has earned Sixth Man of the Year honors, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
Coming off the bench in all 82 games for the 62-20 Spurs, Johnson averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 23.3 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .519/.363/.794. According to the league (Twitter link), he set a single-season franchise record by scoring 1,081 bench points, surpassing the mark previously set by Manu Ginobili, the only other Sixth Man of the Year winner in Spurs history.
Johnson epitomized the sixth man role by becoming the only NBA player in 2025/26 who appeared in all 82 games without making a single start, per the team.
Johnson earned 63 first-place votes and showed up on 96 out of 100 total ballots, accumulating 404 total points to beat out Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nuggets wing Tim Hardaway Jr., his fellow finalists. They finished second and third in the voting, respectively, with Jaquez receiving 34 first-place votes and 331 points, while Hardaway was a distant third (no first-place votes, 45 points).
In 75 games for the Heat, including 74 as a reserve, Jaquez averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 28.3 minutes per game, making 50.7% of his shots from the floor.
It’s fair to wonder how big an impact the delay in award voting had on the Sixth Man of the Year race. Because a handful of stars appealed to be ruled award-eligible despite not meeting the 65-game criteria, the NBA needed a little extra time to make decisions on those cases. Ballots weren’t sent out until last Thursday and and had to be submitted by Friday evening.
By that time, the Heat had been eliminated in a play-in game that Jaquez didn’t play especially well in (he made 5-of-14 field goal attempts). That prompted at least one voter – Bill Simmons of The Ringer – to admit that he changed his vote from Jaquez to Johnson, despite the fact that Sixth Man is a regular season award.
Outside of the three finalists, nine more players received at least one vote. Timberwolves big man Naz Reid (42 points) and Thunder wing Ajay Mitchell (29) rounded out the top five, while Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (28) was the only other player to show up on more than three ballots.
Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu, Raptors forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili, Spurs guard Dylan Harper, and Raptors guard Jamal Shead also earned votes. The full results can be viewed here (Twitter link).
And-Ones: Golden, Warriors, World Cup, Hifi, Aspiration
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports stated on his podcast earlier this week that the Warriors are expected to pursue Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden if Steve Kerr decides to step down, noting that Golden has an existing relationship with the Lacob family (Twitter video link). However, Golden told reporters on Wednesday that he has no plans to leave his current position.
“(I’m) definitely planning on coaching the Gators,” he said (Twitter video link).
Interestingly, Thomas Haugh‘s decision to return to the Gators for his senior year and continue playing under Golden was influenced by a conversation he had with Warriors forward Draymond Green. According to Mark Long of The Associated Press, Warriors rookie Will Richard, who played at Florida from 2022-25, arranged a conversation between his current teammate Green and his former teammate Haugh, who was viewed as a potential lottery pick if he had entered the 2026 draft.
“I think Draymond gave him great perspective on what life in the NBA is like and what life in college is like and how enjoyable it is,” Golden said. “And it allowed him to be like, ‘All right, the NBA, not sounding arrogant, but it will be there for him.’ It’s going to be there. And he only has one more opportunity to be at Florida. So they had a great conversation, and I think that got him kind of thinking.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- FIBA has officially announced the hosts for the 2030 and 2031 World Cups. The women’s basketball event in 2030 will take place in Tokyo, Japan, while the men’s tournament the following year will be held in France, with games played in Paris, Lyon, and Lille (Twitter links).
- Paris Basketball guard Nadir Hifi, who went undrafted in 2023, tells the French outlet Le Parisien that he’s interested in the possibility of signing with an NBA team this offseason, as Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays. Hifi, 23, won the EuroLeague Rising Star award in 2024/25 and was the EuroLeague’s third-leading scorer this season at 18.9 points per game.
- In advance of the sentencing of Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg, the NBA and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer both submitted letters to the federal judge overseeing the case, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN. The attorney leading the league’s investigation into the Clippers’ relationship with Aspiration said Sanberg’s cooperation “substantially assisted our investigation, including our ability to develop a more complete understanding of key events,” whereas Ballmer’s attorney said the Clippers owner was “flagrantly defrauded” out of $60MM by Aspiration and requested that the judge’s sentence account for “the reputational damage that will take years to remediate.”
Darius Acuff Declares For 2026 NBA Draft
Appearing on Wednesday’s episode of NBA Today on ESPN, Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff told host Malika Andrews that he has decided to declare for the 2026 NBA draft (Twitter video link).
The announcement comes as no surprise, given that Acuff is widely expected to be a top-10 pick in June. He’s ranked sixth overall on ESPN’s big board and shows up at No. 5 in the latest mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.
A 6’3″ guard, Acuff started all 36 games he played as a freshman in 2025/26 and led the SEC with 23.5 points and 6.4 assists in 35.1 minutes per contest. He also pulled down 3.1 rebounds per game and posted an excellent shooting line of .484/.440/.809.
The 19-year-old’s standout season, which included a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA tournament, earned him several year-end honors, including the SEC Player of the Year award and a consensus first-team All-American nod.
As ESPN’s Jeremy Woo observes, NBA scouts and executives have some concerns about Acuff’s defense, due in part to his size. However, he’s a dynamic offensive player who handles the ball well, creates – and makes – his own shots, and is a savvy finisher and play-maker.
Arkansas head coach John Calipari believes NBA teams are underrating Acuff. He has stated that Acuff is as talented as any freshman guard he has ever coached and told Marc J. Spears of Andscape last month that clubs who pass on the Razorbacks star will “regret it.”
“I said it about Tyrese (Maxey). I’ve said it about a bunch of guys,” Calipari said. “I said it about Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander): ‘You’re going to regret passing on this kid.’ And I know there are other good players, but this kid (Acuff) is unique.”
College underclassmen who want to go pro or simply test the NBA draft waters have until the end of this Friday to file their paperwork. Our early entrant tracker can be found right here.
Bulls’ Dillingham Undergoes Wrist Procedure
Bulls guard Rob Dillingham has undergone a minor surgery to remove a ganglion cyst from his right wrist, the team announced on Wednesday in a press release.
According to the Mayo Clinic, ganglion cysts are lumps filled with a “jellylike” fluid that most frequently show up on hands or wrists. They’re non-cancerous and are generally harmless, but can affect joint movement and can cause pain if they press on a nerve.
It’s unclear whether Dillingham’s play was meaningfully impacted by his cyst during the 2025/26 season, but the fact that it needed to be addressed surgically suggests it may have been bothering him.
The eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft, Dillingham was unable to carve out a consistent role in the Timberwolves’ backcourt. After spending a season-and-a-half in Minnesota, the 21-year-old was traded to Chicago at this season’s deadline as part of the Wolves’ package for Ayo Dosunmu.
Dillingham appeared in 30 games off the bench for the Bulls after that trade, averaging 9.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 21.5 minutes per contest and shooting 42.8% from the floor, including just 30.0% on three-pointers.
Entering the third year of his rookie scale contract this July, Dillingham will earn a guaranteed salary of roughly $6.89MM in 2026/27. The Bulls will have until October 31 to decide whether or not to exercise his $8.76MM team option for ’27/28. If that option is picked up, he’d be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2027 offseason and, potentially, restricted free agency in 2028.