Mitchell, Harden Express Desire To Remain With Cavs
The Cavaliers‘ season ended in disappointing fashion on Monday night, as the team couldn’t muster enough resistance to prevent the Knicks from completing a dominant four-game sweep. However, in the wake of that Game 4 loss, star guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden didn’t sound like players who would be seeking a changed of scenery this summer.
“I love it here,” Mitchell told reporters (Twitter video link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). “I don’t know how else to say it.”
Mitchell, who advanced to the conference finals for the first time in his nine-year NBA career this spring, won’t be able to reach free agency this offseason, but he’ll be entering the final guaranteed year of his current contract and could sign an extension for up to four years. That deal would begin in 2027/28, replacing his player option for that season.
Although he didn’t outright commit to signing a new contract with the Cavaliers, Mitchell expressed confidence that the team remains capable of contending for a championship.
“I have no doubt that this group can get there,” Mitchell said, per Jamal Collier of ESPN. “I’ve said that all year. The biggest thing is you just use it as a learning lesson. It’s a tough learning lesson, but now we know. This team that we just faced had to go through this. Maybe not this way, but they’ve been together, they’ve been a core group and had to go through this tough experience. So, this is our turn.
“… I’m sorry for the city of Cleveland, for it to be like this in a sweep,” Mitchell added, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). “That’s ass. But I told y’all last year and I would say again, we’ll be back and we’ll be ready and we’ll be hungry and we’ll be locked in. The city deserves a ring and we’ve just got to keep going.”
As for Harden, the Cavaliers’ major mid-season acquisition holds a $42.3MM player option for 2026/27 that would become partially guaranteed for $13.3MM if he exercises it. Reporting earlier this month indicated that he’s more likely to decline that option and work out a new multiyear deal with the team.
It remains to be seen whether that’s still the plan after a disappointing Eastern Conference finals in which Harden averaged 16.0 points per game on .389/.179/.810 shooting and had more turnovers (17) than assists (12). However, he said on Monday that he “100%” wants and expects to return to Cleveland for next season.
“Definitely want to be here,” Harden said (Twitter video link via Scotto). “I think we found something. It’s tough. It’s not ending how we wanted to, but I think we found something.”
While Harden struggled against New York, Mitchell was among the members of the Cavs who were quick to point out that the team made a deeper postseason run this spring with the former MVP on the roster than it had during any of the past few seasons. Cleveland was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2023 and in the second round in 2024 and 2025.
“I hope he is back,” Mitchell said of Harden (Twitter link via Fedor). “He helped myself and this group get somewhere we have never been.”
The Cavaliers will hold Harden’s Bird rights, so they’ll face no cap or CBA restrictions if they want to negotiate a new contract with him. Still, the team will likely be wary of the cost of that deal. Cleveland had the highest payroll in the NBA this past season and was the only team to operate over the second tax apron. Outside of Harden, the team’s other six highest-paid players are all on guaranteed contracts for next season, so the cost of the roster will remain high, barring major changes.
Knicks Advance To NBA Finals; Jalen Brunson Named ECF MVP
The Knicks‘ dominant playoff run continued on Monday, as they blew out the Cavaliers by 37 points to complete another 4-0 sweep. New York has now advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Following the Knicks’ Game 4 win, the league announced the full schedule for the Finals (via Twitter). Game 1 against either San Antonio or Oklahoma City will tip off at 8:30 ET on Wednesday, June 3. All of the games will air on ABC.
Jalen Brunson was the unanimous choice as Most Valuable Player of the Eastern Conference finals, per the NBA (Twitter links). The Knicks’ captain and star point guard received the Larry Bird trophy for claiming the award, which was voted on by nine media members.
Brunson averaged 25.5 points, 7.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 39.5 minutes per game during the four-game series.
While there was plenty of drama in Game 1 of the conference final matchup with Cleveland, including a 22-point fourth quarter comeback, the Knicks thoroughly outplayed the Cavs in the other three contests, winning comfortably on each occasion. New York defeated Atlanta in the first round of round of the playoffs and swept Philadelphia in round two.
The Knicks actually lost two of their first three playoff games this spring, but that’s a distant memory at this point. They have now reeled off 11 consecutive victories, tied for the third-longest postseason streak in league history (Twitter link). New York has outscored its opponents by 262 points over that span, the best point differential over 11 games — regular season or playoffs — in NBA history, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
New York’s +19.4 average point differential this postseason is the largest for any team entering the NBA Finals in league history, according to Keerthika Uthayakumar (Twitter link). The 2017 Warriors previously held the record at +16.3.
The Knicks will be vying for their third NBA championship and first since 1973. This will be their ninth trip to the NBA Finals.
The Western Conference final matchup between the Thunder and Spurs is still ongoing, with the series currently tied 2-2. Game 5 is set for Tuesday in Oklahoma City. Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell had been ruled out, while Jalen Williams is questionable to play due to a hamstring injury.
Southeast Notes: Sweeney, Magic, Heat, Hawks, Hornets
Although the Magic are said to be prioritizing an experienced head coach to replace Jamahl Mosley, with Billy Donovan and Jeff Van Gundy at the forefront of their search, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) says there have been “ongoing whispers” that Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney is still a candidate for the position.
As Stein notes, Sweeney would be a first-time head coach. The 41-year-old was an assistant for a handful of years in Dallas and received consideration for previous head coaching positions before becoming San Antonio’s top assistant under Mitch Johnson last year.
Sweeney has been credited by the Spurs as the key to their impressive defensive turnaround in 2025/26. They had the fifth-worst defensive rating in the NBA last season, but held the third-best mark in ’25/26.
Sweeney has also been linked to the head coaching vacancies in Chicago and Dallas, with one report referring to him as a “prime candidate” to join the Bulls as Donovan’s replacement. That same report from Jake Fischer said people around the league viewed Donovan as the frontrunner for the job in Orlando, though that was nearly a week ago.
Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:
- The Heat control the 13th and 41st overall picks in June’s draft. As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes (subscriber link), the goal for Miami is to work out and speak to as many as many prospects as possible, but the team recognizes that isn’t always possible. “At the end of the day,” said assistant general manager Adam Simon, “you want to feel as comfortable as you can with the player you’re selecting. And you don’t want to not have that opportunity to spend time with the player. So I think part of it is seeing the player on the court, which for the most part, we’ve seen these players for many years on the court. There’s also the part off the court, how they spend time in our building and getting to know them and having a meal with them. I think that’s also a part of it. But we can’t say we wouldn’t take a player that we didn’t bring in for a workout.”
- After an encouraging 2025/26 campaign, the Hawks appear to be on the upswing, with several talented young players and both the draft assets and financial flexibility to make additional roster upgrades, Yossi Gozlan writes in his offseason preview for Third Apron (Substack link). While Atlanta could technically open up cap room this summer, Gozlan expects the team to operate over the cap and below the first tax apron, giving the front office access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. The Hawks’ most likely pathway for upgrades is via the trade market, Gozlan adds.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac previews the Hornets‘ offseason, writing that re-signing Coby White will be a top priority after Charlotte traded for the North Carolina native prior to the February deadline. Smith suggests the Hornets should attempt to re-sign White to a descending contract in the range of $72-88MM over four years and notes that frontcourt and wing depth should be priorities with the 14th and 18th picks in next month’s draft. Smith doesn’t think Brandon Miller will receive a maximum-salary rookie scale extension, pointing to a four-year, $140MM offer as potential compromise.
Sixers Eyeing Four ‘Main Candidates’ In Front Office Search
While a variety of names have been linked to the Sixers as they look for a new president of basketball operations, the team is currently eyeing four “main candidates,” according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link): Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey, Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd, Phoenix Mercury GM Nick U’Ren and 76ers assistant GM Jameer Nelson.
Despite technically being No. 3 in command in 2025/26, Nelson is the only internal candidate Philadelphia is considering to replace Daryl Morey, Stein reports, and even if he doesn’t become the Sixers’ new head of basketball operations, the former NBA guard is viewed as a lock to be promoted to general manager “at worst.”
After Stein reported on May 17 that Nelson was a candidate for an “expanded role” following Morey’s ouster and Jake Fischer confirmed that Nelson has many supporters within the organization, Tony Jones of The Athletic reported last week that Nelson is a legitimate candidate to become the 76ers’ next president of basketball operations.
Stein reiterates in his latest story that Nelson has been “all but assured of a significant role going forward” regardless of whether or not he lands the top job.
There have been rumblings that current GM Elton Brand might be offered a new position within the 76ers once the Bob Myers-led search is complete, Stein adds, but for now he continues to scout ahead of June’s draft. The Sixers control the 22nd pick in the 2026 draft.
League sources tell The Stein Line that the 76ers are optimistic about their chances of retaining VP of player personnel Prosper Karangwa, who has drawn external interest from the Lakers and Mavericks. Los Angeles has been granted permission to speak to Karangwa about an assistant GM opening, Stein reports.
Although the Mavs have not yet issued their own request to speak to Karangwa, they’re expected to do so, according to Stein, who confirms that new president Masai Ujiri is also expected to register interest in hiring away his longtime Raptors colleague Patrick Engelbrecht. Engelbrecht is Toronto’s director of global scouting.
Cavs Starting Strus Over Wade For Game 4; Schröder Out
The Cavaliers are making a change to their starting lineup ahead of Monday’s do-or-die Game 4 vs. New York, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who reports that Max Strus will replace Dean Wade at small forward.
As Fedor notes, while Wade has been in Cleveland’s starting five for most of the team’s playoff run, head coach Kenny Atkinson has turned to Strus multiple times as Wade’s replacement. This will be Strus’ fourth start of the 2026 postseason after he previously got the starting nod in Games 5 and 6 of the first-round series vs. Toronto and Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Detroit. Cleveland went 2-1 in those three games.
After blowing a 22-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 1 and eventually losing in overtime, the Cavaliers proceeded to drop Games 2 and 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Knicks. They enter Monday’s game in a 3-0 hole and are on the brink of elimination for the third time this playoff run after each of their first two series went the full seven games.
Strus, who didn’t make his 2025/26 season debut until mid-March following offseason foot surgery, has averaged 9.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 27.0 minutes per game in 17 playoff appearances this spring. His shooting slash line over that span is .409/.363/.917, but he has struggled thus far against New York, averaging 8.7 PPG on .280/.333/1.000 shooting splits.
Wade, who’s known for his solid defense, has averaged 4.6 PPG and 4.1 RPG on .469/.383/.333 shooting in 17 playoff games (23.2 MPG). The poor free throw percentage is a little misleading, since he has made one of just three attempts.
In other news ahead of Game 4, the Cavs have ruled out veteran point guard Dennis Schröder due to an illness, Fedor writes for Cleveland.com. The 32-year-old German was initially listed as questionable before being downgraded.
“Willing to take more risks,” Atkinson said. “Talked about playing more guys, trying some new tactics. I think your risk meter could go up because you got to try to find something to break their momentum.”
Jalen Williams Questionable For Game 5; Ajay Mitchell Out
The Thunder have listed Jalen Williams as questionable for Tuesday’s critical Game 5 against the Spurs, tweets Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman.
Williams’ official injury designation is left hamstring strain injury management. He has missed the past two games due to the left hamstring issue, which he first strained on April 22 in Game 2 of Oklahoma City’s first-round series vs. Phoenix. He was absent for the entire second-round sweep of the Lakers due to that injury, then aggravated it in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals vs. San Antonio.
While Williams, a 2024/25 All-Star and All-NBA wing, has a chance to play on Tuesday, the defending champions have already ruled out Ajay Mitchell, who injured his right calf in the third quarter of Game 3. The second-year guard, who also missed Game 4, is dealing with a right soleus strain.
The Thunder struggled to score in Sunday’s Game 4 loss without two of their main offensive initiators, putting extra pressure on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder will host the Spurs on Tuesday with the series tied at two games apiece.
The Spurs are banged up as well, with De’Aaron Fox playing through a right ankle sprain and Dylan Harper battling through right adductor soreness. Neither player is on Tuesday’s injury report even though they’re both less than 100%, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link).
Hawks, Rockets, Trail Blazers Interested In Jaylen Brown?
Some people around the NBA think the Hawks, Rockets and Trail Blazers all have “legitimate trade interest” in Celtics star Jaylen Brown, Marc Stein reports at The Stein Line (Substack link).
Stein references Brown within a story largely centered on the uncertain future of Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is believed to have interest in joining Boston, though whether the Celtics reciprocate that interest is not yet known.
The framework of a possible blockbuster trade between Milwaukee and Boston that sees Antetokounmpo land with the Celtics would likely have to involve at least three teams, according to Stein, with Brown rerouted to a third club — potentially Atlanta, Houston or Portland — and the Bucks receiving unspecified assets.
Brown, 29, is coming off a career-best regular season in which he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.0 steal in 34.4 minutes per game across 71 appearances. He was named to his fourth straight All-Star team (fifth overall), finished a career-high sixth in MVP voting, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the second time.
Brown still has three years and $183MM remaining on the super-max extension he signed with Boston in 2023. The Georgia native was named Finals MVP when the Celtics won their 18th title in 2024.
Latest On Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Heat and Celtics are believed to be atop Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s current list of desired trade destinations, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
While Miami has long coveted the Bucks superstar and will likely have “substantive” talks with Milwaukee about a possible deal, Stein say’s it’s not certain how Boston feels about a potential franchise-altering trade that would likely have to involve Jaylen Brown and at least three teams.
Stein continues to hear Antetokounmpo prefers a trade to an Eastern Conference team capable of competing for championships rather than a move to the West. That presumably has to do with the strength of the Thunder and Spurs, whose young cores could make the two teams fixtures atop the conference for years to come.
Although Stein doesn’t expect the Mavericks to pursue Antetokounmpo this summer because they’re focused on building around Cooper Flagg (for what it’s worth, they also lack future first-round picks), league sources tell The Stein Line that the two-time MVP has long been intrigued by the possibility playing in Dallas.
As Stein explains, Antetokounmpo’s Mavs interest was first piqued by the possibility of teaming up with Luka Doncic, who was shockingly traded to the Lakers in February 2025. The 31-year-old continued to monitor the team from afar due to his close relationship with Jason Kidd, who recently parted ways with the team after five years as head coach, Stein writes.
The Mavericks did some background work leading up to the deadline to try to determine if Antetokounmpo was still interested in a possible trade to Dallas, according to Stein, who says Kidd’s exit wouldn’t necessarily preclude a deal. New Mavs president Masai Ujiri is also close to Antetokounmpo and the Raptors — Ujiri’s former team — were long linked to the Greek forward.
Still, Stein reiterates that Antetokounmpo is focused on Eastern clubs and he’s expected to have a considerable amount of say in trade talks, since he only has one guaranteed year on left on his contract. Antetokounmpo becomes extension-eligible in October.
New Blazers Owner: Franchise Needed To Be Leaner
Tom Dundon, the Trail Blazers’ new majority owner, told Bill Oram of The Oregonian that laying off 70 employees of the franchise last week was mainly due to overstaffing rather than frugality. Dundon said the organization had twice as many employees as the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, another franchise he owns.
“My experience is that less layers gives people more accountability and they do a better job,” Dundon said. “Then you know that you’re getting a great job done and you don’t end up in the situation where many companies end up, which is everyone’s looking around for somebody else to do it, complaining about what’s fair and not fair. I’ve seen the job done really well with a lot of accountability, no drama and a lot of, honestly, happiness. People are happier when they’re busy and productive. That is the way I think things should be done. And more people just creates more problems, usually. I think Portland just had too many people.”
Dundon has also been criticized for some cost-cutting measures involving the team. They were reportedly the only team not to bring their two-way players on the road for their first-round series; they have begun requiring support staffers to check out of their hotel rooms early in order to avoid incurring late check-out fees; and they reportedly want to pay their next permanent head coach a bargain-basement rate.
However, Dundon insisted he would not pinch pennies when it came to the players.
“This was mostly on the business side,” Dundon said of his budgetary decisions. “The basketball, they’re two separate businesses. Taking care of the players is not… We don’t have a budget for that. It’s whatever it takes to put them in the best position to win. That’s what we’re going to do. The business I’m going to run like you run every other business.”
Here’s more from Oram’s interview with the Blazers owner:
On the Portland City Council’s impasse regarding funding for Moda Center renovations (the state has already agreed to contribute $365MM):
“I don’t know enough about their process. I know that we came in with an intention to do something that, that could just start moving forward immediately. Because the building is older and we do need to get to work and time never helps deals. And now they have a choice. I would have thought it would be done by now, but they are elected to do their job and they’re going to do whatever they think is right and then we’ll respond to that.”
On the team’s trade deadline approach this past season:
“We were talking during the trade deadline and we had a choice. You could sell off some things for (future assets) or you could try to create the culture where you win. To me, that’s way more important than the stuff that’s out there. The choice we made was to add a piece (Vit Krejci) and try to create the culture of we’re here to win. And a lot of these other things, I don’t think have anything to do with that. I haven’t been in a lot of situations where people don’t think that the relentless pursuit of trying to win (is) an advantage. I’m pretty sure over time that will become obvious.”
On duplicating the success of the Hurricanes with the Blazers:
“Ultimately, you do everything you can to get the best players possible. Create a culture where they taken care of but also pushed. And creating a culture where everybody is doing what’s best for the team. It’s some of the cliche stuff. Great coaching and accountability and standards. I think we’ll be at the top of the league in creating that environment where we get the best out of players and we create a roster full of players that, that are put in the best position to win. And I think that’s replicable.”
Northwest Notes: Paul, Dundon, Jazz, Nuggets
Chris Paul doesn’t play for the Thunder or Spurs. However, he had a major impact on both of the Western Conference finalists, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News writes.
Paul was a mentor to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a member of the Thunder during the 2019/20 season. He also played a leadership role for the young Spurs squad last season.
“He helped the young guys, including myself, really understand the game at a different level,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said. “He’s a winning basketball player, and I can see how he contributed to winning here as well.”
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Trail Blazers fans have some concerns about new majority owner Tom Dundon, who has made cost-cutting measures since taking over the franchise. There are also fears Dundon might look to move the franchise to another state. The Oregonian’s Bill Oram spoke with numerous executives and fans of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, a franchise Dundon also owns, and their comments should generally ease fears about Dundon’s long-term plans. Dundon has committed to investing $800MM into development around the Lenovo Center, where the Hurricanes play. Any concerns about relocation were erased after a new 20-year lease was signed in 2023. “If he bought (the Hurricanes) with a plan to leave,” Hurricanes CEO Brian Fork said, “he could have tried to execute on that. But he did the opposite of that and sort of doubled down in this market.”
- The Jazz had some major lottery luck, securing the No. 2 pick. Team president of basketball operations Austin Ainge represented the team at the lottery. He’s hoping this will be their last visit to the league’s lottery drawing room for a long time, according to Kevin Reynolds of the Salt Lake Tribune. “I hope I’m not back here,” he said.
- The Nuggets hold the No. 26 and 49 picks in next month’s draft. Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette takes a closer look at some of the prospects who might be available at those points in the draft.