Mavs Deny They Botched Austin Reaves’ MRI
The Mavericks denied Lakers coach JJ Redick‘s claim that they botched Austin Reaves‘ MRI, Christian Clark of The Athletic reports.
Reaves underwent an MRI on his left oblique/rib area on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s game in Dallas after suffering the injury against Oklahoma City on Thursday. Redick told the media that Reaves had to get two MRIs done because the first one didn’t focus on the correct portion of his body.
“I don’t know where the chain of command lies with Dallas imaging, but they scanned the wrong area,” Redick said. “Not on our end. We made it explicit what was supposed to be scanned, but they scanned the wrong area.”
The Mavericks issued an official statement that they didn’t make a mistake administering an MRI on Reaves.
“Our medical team followed standard imaging protocols based on the information provided at the time,” the statement read. “There was no error in the scan performed.”
Reaves was eventually diagnosed with a Grade 2 oblique strain, which is expected to sideline him for four-to-six weeks.
Wizards Hold Onto Lottery Pick As Losses Pile Up
The Wizards preserved their 2026 lottery pick with their latest loss.
Washington won’t have to convey its first-round pick to the Knicks after falling to 17-62 on the season with a 129-98 loss to Chicago on Tuesday. The pick was top-eight protected and the Wizards are now assured of finishing among the bottom three teams in the league, Josh Robbins of The Athletic points out (Twitter link). That means Washington can’t wind up with a pick lower than seventh, regardless of the draft lottery results.
The Wizards no longer owe the Knicks a first-rounder. Instead, they’ll convey their second-round pick this June and their 2027 second-rounder to New York. This year’s second-round selection will be No. 31 overall if the Wizards don’t win one at least one of their final three games.
The Wizards cycled through 26 players this season while failing to win more than two games in a row. They added former All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis via midseason deals, but Young only appeared in five games for the team while Davis has yet to make his D.C. debut.
After winning their first two games following the All-Star break, the Wizards went into all out tank mode and have won just one of their last 24 games. They’ll wrap up their season with home games vs. Chicago on Thursday and Miami on Friday, followed by a visit to Cleveland on Sunday.
Blazers Notes: Dundon, Arena Renovation, Cronin, Splitter, Roster
After officially taking over as the Trail Blazers‘ majority owner last week, Tom Dundon didn’t exactly offer a full-throated vow to keep the team in Portland long-term. Dundon’s ambiguous remarks at his introductory press conference and in interviews with local media left Jason Quick of The Athletic wary about the new owner’s long-term plans. Explaining that he hasn’t gotten the sense that Dundon has much attachment to the city, Quick notes that Dundon responded to a question about why he bought the Blazers by suggesting it was the only NBA team for sale.
Still, as Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link) observes, Dundon’s unwillingness to unequivocally commit to Portland may have been about preserving some leverage in negotiations with the city government as the franchise seeks the public funding necessary to complete a $600MM renovation project on the Moda Center.
Blazers alternative governor Sheel Tyle, the only member of the new ownership group who resides in Portland, was essentially playing “good cop” to Dundon’s “bad cop” at that introductory presser, Highkin observes. Tyle stated in plainer terms that relocation isn’t something the group is considering.
“Tom would not have asked me to join this group had that been on the table,” Tyle told reporters, including Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. “And so I just want you guys to know, we’re optimistic people. We met with the mayor (on Thursday). We know that the state has done some amazing work (on funding an arena renovation). We’re full-speed ahead.”
For what it’s worth, when Bill Oram of The Oregonian (subscription required) asked Dundon if securing the necessary public funding from the city and Multnomah County would take the idea of relocation off the table, he replied, “Of course.”
Here’s more from the new Blazers’ owner:
- Speaking to Freeman of The Oregonian (subscription required), Dundon said that he’ll be “looking at everything” and that he has high expectations for every area of the organization, but he stressed that he doesn’t want to make changes for the sake of change. “I seek out improvement,” he said. “The first thing I’m going to do is give the people there a chance to see if they can go at my pace.” To that end, he said he views the job statuses of general manager Joe Cronin and team president Dewayne Hankins as “solid.”
- With head coach Chauncey Billups on indefinite leave after being arrested on money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges, interim coach Tiago Splitter will have a chance to earn the permanent job, but Dundon acknowledged that he’ll likely consider other candidates as well. “If we go win the championship, (Splitter) probably puts himself in a pretty good spot,” Dundon told Freeman. “I’d love to keep everybody. It’s way easier than making changes. Reaching in the mystery box isn’t always the best thing. There’s no guarantee the next person is going to be better than the one you’ve got. I just want to maximize our probability of winning.”
- Dundon stressed in his conversations with Freeman, Oram, Quick, and other local media members that he wants to turn the Blazers into a team capable of contending for titles. With that in mind, he’ll be interested in finding a way to add more star power to Portland’s roster. “I think our plan is to work hard to make good decisions,” Dundon told reporters when asked if he wants to make a big splash this offseason. “Joe had a deal that he looked at at the trade deadline that I was aware of that would have been what you would describe as a big splash. And if that opportunity exists, I’m probably more aggressive than most. If it doesn’t exist, then you’ve got to go about finding the pieces to continue to get better, and then decide if you can do good enough to win a championship or you have to take a step back. Joe and I have talked about this a lot. There’s no one way this is going to go for sure. If we get a star, we have a chance to win. If we can’t find a star, then we’ve got to add some pieces and hope some things develop. And if that doesn’t work, then we’ve got to try again with a new plan and I think there’s equal chances for all those things to happen.”
- Dundon spoke privately last week with Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan, Jrue Holiday, and Damian Lillard last week and met briefly with the entire team — he came away with the impression that the Blazers’ players are eager to push forward next season, per Freeman. “What stuck out is, they want to win, they know there’s more here,” Dundon said. “They’re very confident in their team. They think there’s a lot of talent and that it’s kind of ready for that next step. I think everybody wants it to be just a little more demanding, a little more structured, a little higher expectations.”
Shaedon Sharpe, Out For Two Months, Upgraded To Doubtful
The Trail Blazers are close to getting a key player back for the play-in tournament.
Shaedon Sharpe, who has not played since Feb. 6, has been upgraded to doubtful for Portland’s game against San Antonio on Wednesday, according to Joe Freeman of Oregonlive.com. Sharpe has been sidelined by a stress fracture in his left fibula.
While Sharpe likely won’t be activated on Wednesday, it’s a signal that his return isn’t far off, which is a major development for a club sitting in the ninth spot in the Western Conference standings. The 2022 lottery pick is averaging a career-high 21.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.0 minutes per game while appearing in 48 contests (42 starts).
The latest development is somewhat of a surprise, according to Freeman. Acting coach Tiago Splitter said last week that Sharpe had not yet resumed full basketball activities.
“He’s getting better, but still not like on a court,” Splitter said. “He’s shooting free throws and stuff like that.”
Sharpe signed a four-year, $90MM rookie scale extension in October, which kicks in next season.
Vit Krejci, who has not played since March 15, is also listed as doubtful. He has missed the last 11 games with a left calf bruise. The Blazers acquired him on Feb. 1 from Atlanta for Duop Reath and two second-round picks. He’s averaged 7.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 18 games.
Atlantic Notes: George, Knicks, Poeltl, Queta, Stevens
Paul George has come back strong from his 25-game league suspension for violating the league’s drug policy, averaging 24.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his last seven games. However, it’s unlikely the Sixers forward has meaningfully increased his trade value, according to Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com.
Aaronson notes that George will soon turn 36 years old and will make over $54.1MM next season while holding a player option worth more than $56.5MM for the following season. George’s injury history would also likely discourage any potential suitors this offseason.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks coach Mike Brown doesn’t anticipate making a starting lineup change in the postseason, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports. “I don’t believe in never ever. But right now we’re going to start that five and that’s how I foresee it,” the coach said. “If I feel I need to make a change at any time, I’ll make a change. But I don’t feel that way right now.” There were discussions about moving Landry Shamet into the lineup. Earlier this season, Brown downsized his starting five, replacing Mitchell Robinson with Josh Hart.
- Jakob Poeltl was handed a three-year contract extension last offseason to remain with the Raptors. Now, the big man appears to be an awkward fit for Toronto’s rotation and cap sheet, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen opines. Poeltl has appeared in just 42 games due to a back ailment. He’s also not a scoring threat outside the paint and isn’t a good enough defensive player in the paint to make up for that, Koreen adds. Making a move involving Poeltl will be complicated due to his contract being guaranteed through 2028/29.
- Celtics forward Jaylen Brown is lobbying for Neemias Queta to receive consideration for the Most Improved Player award. “Neemi’s been great,” Brown said, per The Athletic’s Jay King. “He’s been just consistently getting better, protecting the rim, finishing, making those little shots, rebounding. He’s been great. In my opinion, he’s probably one of the most improved players this year. And I don’t know if he’s up for the award, but he should be.” Queta has started 72 of 73 games, averaging career bests in points (10.2), rebounds (8.4) and blocks (1.3) per game.
- Celtics top executive and former head coach Brad Stevens guided Butler to two NCAA Tournament championship games. However, Stevens indicated he has no interest in going back to the college ranks, Brian Robb of MassLive.com tweets. “I’m not motivated to do anything but what I’m doing,” he said.
Bucks Guard Kevin Porter Jr. Undergoes Knee Surgery
Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Tuesday, the team tweets. Porter will miss the rest of the season and the team has not yet determined a timetable for his recovery.
Porter hasn’t played since March 17, when he racked up 25 points and 10 assists against Cleveland. The 25-year-old put up good numbers when he was able to suit up this season but only appeared in 38 total games.
Porter averaged 17.4 points — the second-highest total of his career — and a career-best 7.4 assists per game in 2025/26. He also posted averages of 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals per night.
This is actually the second knee procedure for Porter this season. He sprained his left ankle in the Bucks’ season opener, and as he was working to make his way back from that injury, he sustained a torn meniscus in his right knee. The guard wound up missing another four weeks due to that injury following surgery and also missed four straight games earlier in March due to swelling in his right knee.
Porter Jr. was re-signed by the Bucks last summer on a two-year, $10.5MM contract that also included a $5.4MM player option for next season. He’ll have an interesting decision to make whether to take the guaranteed money or become a free agent again. His knee injury could factor into that choice.
Victor Wembanyama Has Rib Contusion, Doubtful To Play Wednesday
April 7: Wembanyama is listed doubtful to play in Wednesday’s game against Portland but there’s confidence he will play at least one of the team’s final three regular season games, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. The big man’s MRI came back clean, Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime tweets.
April 6: Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been ruled out of the second half of Monday’s matchup vs. Philadelphia due to a left rib contusion, the team announced (Twitter link via Jared Weiss of The Athletic).
According to Weiss, the injury occurred in the first half when the French big man fell to the ground. Luke Kornet started the third quarter with Wembanyama sidelined.
The silver lining for Wembanyama is he was able to play 16 minutes in the first half, so the appearance will still count toward the 65-game minimum. The 22-year-old had one previous outing where he played 17 minutes and that will also count toward the games-played requirement.
Wembanyama needs to play at least 20 minutes in one of San Antonio’s final three games to be eligible for major postseason awards. In that scenario, he would be at 64 regular season games but would still meet the 65-game threshold because he played in the NBA Cup final, which counts toward the minimum requirement even though the statistics from that game aren’t officially recorded.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Wembanyama had 17 points, five rebounds and three blocks in his 16 minutes Monday. The team was plus-seven when he was on the court.
Assuming he qualifies, Wembanyama is viewed as a lock to win Defensive Player of the Year and appears likely to be a finalist for MVP. He’s a strong candidate for first-team All-NBA as well.
In the latest straw poll from ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, which was released Thursday morning, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the overwhelming favorite to win his second consecutive MVP award. The Canadian superstar received 88 of the 100 potential first-place votes for a total of 958 points.
Wembanyama, who has touted his own MVP credentials a couple times in recent weeks, was in second place with eight first-place votes and 644 total points. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who has either won or finished second in MVP voting in each of the past five seasons, was in third with 500 points.
The only other player to receive a first-place vote was Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, who received one and was in fifth place with 123 points. Lakers guard Luka Doncic was fourth with 347 points.
Of course, the bigger concern for the Spurs is the health of their best player as they look to make a deep playoff run. Wembanyama has also been battling right ankle pain the past few weeks, though that injury evidently doesn’t bother him all the time.
Pistons Promote Tolu Smith, Waive Bobi Klintman
5:00 pm: The Pistons have officially converted Smith to a standard deal and waived Klintman, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
2:07 pm: Confirming that the Pistons are waiving Klintman to open up a 15-man roster spot, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press adds (via Twitter) that Smith’s new contract will be non-guaranteed in 2026/27.
1:41 pm: The Pistons are promoting two-way player to Tolu Smith to their 15-man roster and will sign him to a new standard two-year contract, agent Corey Marcum tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Smith, who went undrafted out of Mississippi State in 2024, signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Pistons in January of 2025 and has been on that deal since then. He played just once for Detroit last season and has made only 13 NBA appearances in 2025/26, but several of those appearances have come in recent weeks. He had eight points and three rebounds in 13 minutes of action in Orlando on Monday.
Smith has had a more significant role in the G League this season, averaging 19.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 28.7 minutes per game across 26 outings for the Motor City Cruise.
Adding the 6’11” forward to their standard roster will allow the Pistons to use Smith in the postseason if they need to, giving them a little more frontcourt depth. He wouldn’t have been playoff-eligible if he had remained on his two-way contract.
The Pistons’ 15-man roster is currently full, so someone will need to be waived in order to create an opening for Smith. Based on usage and contract situations, second-year forward Bobi Klintman may be the odd man out. The 23-year-old has made just 20 NBA appearances since being drafted 37th overall in 2024, including 12 this season, and isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond 2025/26.
Christian Anderson, Labaron Philon Among Prospects Entering Draft
Texas Tech sophomore point guard Christian Anderson is declaring for the 2026 NBA draft, agent Aaron Mintz tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link).
Anderson, who turned 20 last Thursday, played a whopping 38.4 minutes per game in 33 starts for the Red Raiders this season and enjoyed a breakout season, claiming a spot on the All-Big 12 first team and being named the conference’s Most Improved Player. He averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, with a strong shooting line of .472/.415/.805.
Anderson currently ranks 19th on ESPN’s big board for the 2026 draft, with Jeremy Woo writing in last month’s mock draft that NBA evaluators like Anderson’s “well-rounded” game, including his ability to play both on and off the ball.
Here are a few more of the latest draft decisions from NCAA prospects:
- Another breakout sophomore, Alabama guard Labaron Philon, is entering the draft pool, he announced on Instagram. Philon, the No. 21 prospect on ESPN’s board, more than doubled his scoring average, from 10.6 PPG as a freshman to 22.0 PPG in 2025/26. He also contributed 5.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, making 50.1% of his shots from the floor and 39.9% of his three-pointers. Philon has improved his draft stock after testing the waters and unexpectedly withdrawing a year ago.
- Texas junior wing Dailyn Swain is declaring for the draft, his agents at WME Basketball tell Givony (Twitter link). After transferring from Xavier to the Longhorns for the 2025/26 season, Swain emerged as an All-SEC second-teamer, scoring 17.3 PPG on 54.2% shooting to go along with 7.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, and 1.6 SPG. The 6’8″ swingman is viewed as a potential first-round pick, coming in at No. 29 on ESPN’s board.
- Wisconsin guard John Blackwell will test the draft waters on the heels of a big junior year that saw him make the All-Big Ten third team, he told Jeff Borzello of ESPN (Twitter link). Blackwell, the No. 65 prospect on ESPN’s board, isn’t a lock to be drafted and has also entered the transfer portal, so he may be playing for a new school if he returns to college for his senior season.
- Kentucky center Malachi Moreno, who started 30 games for the Wildcats as a freshman, is testing the draft waters this spring, agent George S. Langberg tells Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Moreno averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 22.6 minutes per contest across 36 total outings in 2025/26. If he decides not to go pro, the plan is for him to return to Kentucky, Chepkevich notes.
Rockets Promote JD Davison To Standard Roster
2:55 pm: The Rockets have made it official, announcing Davison’s new deal in a press release.
2:05 pm: The Rockets have agreed to a two-year contract with guard JD Davison and will promote him to their standard 15-man roster, agent Corey Marcum tells ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). The second year of Davison’s deal will be a team option, add Varun Shankar of The Washington Post (Twitter link).
Davison, who previously spent three seasons with Boston, has appeared in a career-high 27 games for the Rockets this season but has played sparingly, logging just 192 total minutes. He’s averaging 2.2 points and 1.0 assist in 7.1 minutes per contest.
Although Davison has only seen action in 27 games, he has been active for 23 more, so he had reached his 50-game limit and was ineligible to play again in 2025/26 unless he was promoted to Houston’s standard roster.
As we outlined on Monday, in addition to the fact that Davison had hit his personal 50-game cap, the Rockets had used up all 90 of their “under-15” games. Teams are only permitted to use their two-way players for a combined total of 90 games if they’re carrying fewer than 15 players on standard contracts, and Houston reached that limit.
Promoting Davison will address both issues for the Rockets. He’ll now be able to play in the team’s remaining regular season games and in the postseason, with his 50-game limit no longer in place. Meanwhile, Houston will also be able to its other two-way players (Tristen Newton and Isaiah Crawford) during the final week of the regular season, if needed, since the club will have a full 15-man roster.