Cavaliers’ Merrill, Pistons’ Huerter Out For Game 2
Cavaliers sharpshooter Sam Merrill has been ruled out for Thursday’s Game 2 in Detroit, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The sixth-year wing was initially considered questionable for tonight’s contest due to a left hamstring strain, which he suffered during Tuesday’s Game 1 loss vs. the Pistons.
Merrill had a career year for the Cavs after re-signing with the club on a four-year, $37MM contract in 2025 free agency. He averaged 12.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists in 26.5 minutes per game — all career highs — while shooting 42.1% from long distance during the regular season.
Merrill didn’t participate in Wednesday’s practice and it would have been surprising if he had suited up on Thursday, given the nature of his injury. But the fact that the 29-year-old was initially listed as questionable suggests his injury may not be severe.
Pistons wing Kevin Huerter will also be sidelined on Thursday, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link). Huerter was downgraded from doubtful to out because of a strained left adductor he suffered on April 27.
Huerter was playing rotation minutes for the top-seeded Pistons in the first-round series against Orlando. The impending free agent suffered the injury in Game 4.
Bucks Notes: Giannis, Celtics, Cavs, Jenkins, More
People around the league continue to believe that regaining control of their own draft capital is likely to appeal to the Bucks in any potential trade involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). That could bode well for the involvement of the Trail Blazers, who control Milwaukee’s three drafts from 2028-30.
Jaylen Brown recently reaffirmed his commitment to the Celtics after his mentor Tracy McGrady suggested the veteran wing was frustrated in Boston. While Fischer says there has been some speculation about a Brown-for-Giannis trade, he hears the Celtics only expressed “cursory interest” in Antetokounmpo ahead of the February deadline.
Fischer “never got the sense” that Boston was a real suitor for Giannis and also never got the impression that the two-time MVP was intrigued by the possibility of joining the Celtics. But if a deal involving those two players did come to pass, rival teams believe the Bucks would look to involve other teams to acquire additional assets for Brown, rather than keeping him for themselves.
Here are a few more rumors and notes related to the Bucks:
- The Celtics may or may not be a suitor for Giannis, but people around the league think the Cavaliers could be if they fail to advance past the second round of the playoffs, Fischer writes. Sources tell The Stein Line that Cleveland contacted Milwaukee about the 31-year-old power forward ahead of the deadline and the Bucks asked for Evan Mobley and all of the Cavs’ available draft capital. As Fischer notes, Donovan Mitchell‘s contract situation is very similar to Antetokounmpo’s — he’ll be extension-eligible this offseason and could be a free agent in 2027 if he declines his 2027/28 player option.
- General manager Jon Horst told reporters — including Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required) — that Antetokounmpo didn’t meet with new head coach Taylor Jenkins during the team’s interview process, but the two have spoken. For what it’s worth, Antetokounmpo told Owczarski he endorsed the move. Jenkins is a former Bucks assistant who was the Grizzlies’ head coach for six years prior to being let go at the end of 2024/25. “I think he’s an incredible person,” Antetokounmpo said of Jenkins. “Obviously, he’s an incredible coach. I was able to be with him in 2019 and we made the Eastern Conference Finals. After that he left, he was one of the first coaches that left the coaching staff and went to Memphis and he had an incredible six years in Memphis. He made them contenders in the West. He had incredible culture in Memphis. I had the conversation. I don’t think Milwaukee is just getting just a good coach, I think they’re getting a good person. And that’s where it starts with. Having a good person around that’s gonna be able to set the tone, that set the culture and what Milwaukee Bucks basketball is all about. He’s a really good coach.”
- In a separate subscriber-only story, Owczarski passes along some highlights from Jenkins’ introductory press conference, which also featured Horst and co-owner Jimmy Haslam. Jenkins said his one-year stint in Milwaukee and his respect for Horst played critical roles in his decision to rejoin the Bucks. “When this opportunity became available, I was like, I know the people,” Jenkins said as part of a larger quote. “I know what they stand for. I know what their standards are going to be on a day-to-day basis, and naturally, as we navigated this past season as a family – got to spend a lot of great quality time with them – we were very intentional about the things that matter to us, both personally and professionally. And the people, that’s the thing that really gravitated us back here to Milwaukee.”
And-Ones: Cuban, CEBL, Tanking, 2026 Draft
Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban has made an investment in a Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) team. The Brampton Honey Badgers announced on Thursday that Cuban has joined the club’s ownership group. Former Mavs executive Al Whitley currently serves as the Honey Badgers’ CEO.
“I am thrilled that Mark has decided to formally join me on this journey after having already helped along the way, including introducing me to our current CEO Al Whitley,” team owner Leonard Asper said in a statement. “No one brings more basketball knowledge and winning culture than Mark, and all of us at the Honey Badgers are honored to have him join this organization.”
The CEBL, which began play in 2019, features 10 teams across six Canadian provinces. There has been no shortage of players with NBA experience competing in the league in recent years. During the 2025 season, four of the CEBL’s top five scorers – Javonte Smart, Mitch Creek, Donovan Williams, and Terquavion Smith – were players who have appeared in NBA games.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Only about 28% of the players polled by The Athletic don’t view tanking as a problem for the NBA, according to Joe Vardon, Sam Amick, and Josh Robbins, with the other 72% viewing it as either a “big” or “little” issue. “I’m salty on this one, I think the league needs to do something about it,” one player said. The Athletic’s reporters also relayed players’ thoughts on whether the NBA’s integrity is in any real danger (75% said no) and what changes they would make if they were running the league. Reducing the amount of regular season games and eliminating back-to-backs were among the top responses to that last question, along with tweaking rules to favor defense and expanding the league beyond 30 teams.
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his 2026 mock draft ahead of the upcoming lottery, with no major surprises among the first few picks. Notably, Arizona’s Brayden Burries has moved into Wasserman’s top 10 along with the usual suspects after UConn’s Braylon Mullins opted not to go pro.
- Jeremy Woo of ESPN previews this Sunday’s draft lottery by breaking down each team’s odds for the No. 1 pick and a top-four selection, from the Wizards to the Hornets, and outlining the prospects who would best fit each of those clubs.
Coaching Rumors: Splitter, Blazers, Pelicans, Thibodeau
Tiago Splitter did an admirable job in Portland after taking over for Chauncey Billups during the first week of the 2025/26 season, leading the team to a 42-39 record the rest of the way and earning a playoff spot. However, sources with knowledge of the situation tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) that Splitter appears unlikely to be hired as the Trail Blazers‘ permanent head coach.
The Blazers’ goal is to interview upwards of 30 candidates for the job, according to Fischer, who explains that new team owner Tom Dundon wants to gather as much intel as possible on the coaching market before making a decision. However, the manner in which Dundon has operated since taking over control of the team – immediately implementing cost-cutting measures and launching the head coaching search before the season ended – has turned off some potential targets.
According to Fischer, multiple assistant coaches around the NBA have declined to reciprocate the Blazers’ interest due to Dundon’s approach and rumors that the team is looking to pays its new coach well below the standard market rate.
Nets assistant Steve Hetzel and Nuggets assistant Jared Dudley are among the candidates to watch, per Fischer, though he notes that Hetzel is also in the running for the Pelicans’ vacancy. Hetzel previously worked in Portland and overlapped with Damian Lillard during the point guard’s previous stint with the team, and Lillard has suggested some potential candidates to management during the coaching search, Fischer says.
Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Twitter link) also identifies Lakers assistant Greg St. Jean as one possible candidate getting a look from the Blazers.
Here are a few more coaching rumors and notes from around the NBA:
- Both Hetzel and Bucks assistant Darvin Ham have made “strong impressions” on Pelicans team officials during New Orleans’ coaching search, Fischer reports. However, he says there’s a growing sense that Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney, who is also believed to be drawing interest from the Bulls and Magic, won’t be attainable for the Pelicans. It’s also unclear, Fischer says, whether anything will come of New Orleans’ reported interest in Jamahl Mosley, since it’s possible he won’t want to jump right into a new head coaching job after being fired by Orlando.
- Although Tom Thibodeau would be open to reuniting with the Bulls, the rebuilding club may not be a match for the veteran head coach, who is more likely to seek out a win-now situation, Fischer writes. Based on Fischer’s conversations with sources, the Magic job is the one viewed as most appealing to that type of candidate.
- Conner Varney, who had been working as a coaching associate under Quin Snyder in Atlanta, is leaving the Hawks to take a job with the Butler Bulldogs, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Varney will reunite with Ronald Nored, a former Hawks assistant who was hired as Butler’s head coach in March.
Hornets Sign Charles Lee To Multiyear Extension
The Hornets have signed head coach Charles Lee to a multiyear contract extension, the team announced today in a press release.
Lee, who took over for Steve Clifford in 2024, won just 19 games in his first year on the job as the rebuilding Hornets battled the injury bug. However, he guided the team to a 25-win improvement in 2025/26. Although Charlotte ultimately fell one win short of the playoffs, the club’s 44-38 record was its best regular season mark since 2015/16.
“Charles has done an outstanding job establishing a foundation for who we want to be as a team,” president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said in a statement. “From day one, Charles and his staff have prioritized player development, creating an environment where each of our players are committed to getting better and continue to improve. He has built a team-first culture rooted in accountability, hard work and professionalism. I’m excited to keep working closely with Charles as we continue to build the Hornets for long-term success.”
The Hornets actually got off to a poor start again in ’25/26, opening the regular season by losing 14 of their first 18 games and compiling an 11-23 record heading into a January 3 game in Chicago. From that point on though, Charlotte was one of the NBA’s best teams, finishing the season on a 33-15 run and ranking first in the NBA in offensive rating (120.6), fourth in defensive rating (109.9), and first in net rating (+10.7) during that stretch.
After winning the 9/10 play-in game over the Heat, the Hornets lost their second play-in game to the Magic, but their second half performance still provided plenty of optimism for the team’s future.
We don’t know the exact terms of Lee’s new contract, but when he was hired in 2024, reports indicated he signed a four-year contract. Presumably, he still had two years left on that deal, though it’s possible the final year was an option. Even if his new deal replaced that last season and only tacked on one additional year beyond that, that means he’ll be under contract through at least 2029 — and it’s entirely possible his new deal goes beyond that.
OG Anunoby Considered Day-To-Day With Hamstring Strain
Knicks forward OG Anunoby, who exited Wednesday’s game after sustaining an apparent leg injury, has been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain and will be considered day-to-day, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Charania, Anunoby is being listed as questionable to play in Game 3 in Philadelphia on Friday.
Anunoby appeared to suffer the injury on a missed dunk attempt with just over three minutes left in Game 2. The 28-year-old landed a little awkwardly and briefly grabbed at the back of his right leg, then was limping as he begin running up the court following the offensive possession (video link via NBA.com). He signaled to the bench that he needed to check out of the game and was subbed out shortly thereafter.
The diagnosis is probably a best-case scenario for the Knicks, given that a more severe hamstring strain can sideline a player for weeks or even months — Luka Doncic, notably, has been out since April 2 due to a Grade 2 strain. Anunoby’s day-to-day designation suggests his strain is a mild one.
Still, even a mild hamstring strain typically requires a recovery period of at least a few days, if not a week or two. Thunder forward Jalen Williams, who is currently recovering from a Grade 1 strain, hasn’t played since April 22.
While it sounds like Anunoby’s absence might not be an extended one, the team’s medical staff will want to ensure he’s not rushing back before he’s ready, since soft-tissue injuries can easily be aggravated if they’re not fully healed.
Anunoby is averaging a team-high 35.3 minutes per game so far in the postseason, so head coach Mike Brown will have to reconfigure his rotation if the two-way wing is forced to miss time. That would likely result in an increased role for reserve guard Miles McBride, who was part of the Knicks’ closing lineup on Wednesday following Anunoby’s exit. The team would probably lean a little more heavily on wings Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, with Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, and Jose Alvarado among the other candidates for more playing time.
The Knicks hold a 2-0 lead in the series, but the Sixers came back from a 3-1 deficit in the first round, so New York won’t want to take its foot off the gas as the series shifts to Philadelphia.
Pacific Notes: Reaves, Gillespie, Suns, Gordon, Green
Lakers guard Austin Reaves converted just 3-of-16 shots from the floor for eight points in Game 1 vs. Oklahoma City on Tuesday, dropping his postseason shooting percentage to 30.4%. While Reaves may still be shaking off some rust after missing about four weeks due to an oblique strain, he isn’t about to use that as an excuse for his struggles, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“I mean, nobody cares about that,” Reaves said. “I got to go out there and play better.”
LeBron James was more willing to point to Reaves’ lengthy layoff as a reason why the fifth-year guard isn’t exactly in rhythm, telling reporters, “His presence alone helps us no matter what.” Still, as Sam Amick of The Athletic writes, with Luka Doncic out, the Lakers will need more from Reaves if they hope to seriously compete with the defending champions in this series.
The timing of the slump also isn’t great from an individual perspective for Reaves, who is expected to decline a $14.9MM player option next month to become a free agent. If he’s not able to bounce back with some big games, it may raise some questions about whether he’s worthy of a massive long-term investment, Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times contends. However, the Lakers still love Reaves and all that he brings to the table, says Amick, adding that “all signs” point to the team making re-signing him a top priority this offseason.
Here are a few more items from around the Pacific:
- Gerald Bourguet of Sports360AZ.com considers what kind of contract it would take for the Suns to re-sign breakout guard Collin Gillespie, suggesting that something similar to T.J. McConnell‘s current deal (which is worth $45MM over four years) might make sense for both sides. Using Gillespie’s Early Bird rights, Phoenix could go as high as roughly $67MM over four seasons, but Bourguet is skeptical that the 26-year-old will get that full amount.
- While it’s possible that the Nuggets will explore the possibility of trading forward Aaron Gordon this summer, don’t expect the Suns to be interested, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who suggests (via Twitter) that it should be safe to rule out Phoenix as a landing spot for Gordon due to the forward’s concerning injury history.
- Warriors forward Draymond Green briefly addressed his future during an appearance on Inside The NBA on Wednesday, indicating that he can’t picture himself wearing another uniform as long as Golden State wants to keep him, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). According to Spears, Green conveyed a similar message to him recently,
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 5/7/2026
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included the Bulls' best draft options, the status of Sixers GM Daryl Morey and coach Nick Nurse, how a top-four pick might affect Giannis Antetokounmpo's future with the Bucks, the Hawks' offseason decisions and more!
Celtics Notes: Stevens, Offseason, Mazzulla, More
Speaking to the media on Wednesday at his end-of-season press conference, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens didn’t delve too deeply into specific details about his vision for the upcoming offseason. However, as Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press writes, Stevens did identify one area that he’d like to upgrade.
“I think that one of the things that we’ve got to figure out is how to have more of an impact at the rim,” Stevens said. “And I think we need to add to our team to do that.”
No team attempted fewer shots from within five feet of the basket this season than the Celtics, per NBA.com — Boston averaged just 21.9 shots per game from that range, comfortably behind the 29th-ranked Suns (23.7) and far back of the No. 1 Pelicans (38.7).
The Celtics leaned heavily on three-point shooting throughout the year, ranking fourth in the NBA in attempts per game during the regular season (42.1). They increased that average to 46.1 during their first-round loss to Philadelphia, putting them first among playoff teams by a significant margin. Asked whether changes will be made to Boston’s offensive approach going forward, Stevens suggested that it “should be dependent on who’s on your team.”
“I just want to win,” Stevens said, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “I don’t think play style comes before roster. You got to figure out who you have and then play to the strengths of your team. But that’s on both ends of the court. And listen, I thought our coaching staff did an amazing job this year. This series, I think we all could have done better, there’s no question about it, and I think we’re all looking forward to improving all of that.”
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- Although Stevens didn’t exclude head coach Joe Mazzulla and his staff from that group who “could have done better” during the first round of the playoffs, he indicated that he still has full confidence in Mazzulla and his assistants, as Hightower relays. “I think our coaching staff, like all of us, can continue to improve and get better,” Stevens said. “That said, I think they’re very good, and we need to continue to provide them the resources to grow and to get better and to continue to be the best that we can be.”
- Stevens didn’t really make any major headlines with his remarks on Wednesday, but he dropped “just enough breadcrumbs” to allow for speculation about whether major roster changes could be coming in Boston this offseason, observes Steve Buckley of The Athletic.
- Speaking of major changes, while there have been no real indications to this point that the Celtics will be among the suitors for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report considers what it might look like if Boston were to put together a trade package for the two-time MVP.
- A pair of Celtics minority owners, Aditya Mittal and Wyc Grousbeck, are preparing a bid for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, according to a report from Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico. Mittal bought into the Celtics when Bill Chisholm took control of the team and is reportedly the second-largest stakeholder in the franchise, while Grousbeck is the former governor and majority owner of the club. They both hold alternate governor titles.
Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Bridges, McBride, Fouls, Workout
The Knicks came through in crunch time on Wednesday to pull out a victory in Game 2 of their second-round series vs. the 76ers and will carry a 2-0 lead into Philadelphia. However, the win may have come out a cost, as standout forward OG Anunoby exited the game in the fourth quarter due to an apparent right hamstring injury and didn’t return, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post.
Anunoby appeared to sustain the injury on a missed dunk attempt with just over three minutes left in the game. The 28-year-old landed a little awkwardly and briefly grabbed at the back of his leg, then was limping as he begin running up the court following the offensive possession (video link via NBA.com). He signaled to the bench that he needed to check out of the game and was subbed out shortly thereafter.
“It looked like he was hopping, but I don’t know anything,” head coach Mike Brown said after the game, per Vincent Goodwill of ESPN. “They haven’t told me. I just know he left the game. Nobody said he was back. I haven’t talked to anybody yet.”
There have been on additional updates on Anunoby since last night, so we’re still waiting to get a sense of whether the injury is a minor one or if it’s more significant. As Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post and Ian O’Connor of The Athletic write, it’s a concerning development for a team that has been playing its best basketball since Game 4 of the first round, given how important Anunoby has been during that stretch. He holds overall playoff averages of 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in 35.3 minutes per game.
We have more on the Knicks:
- Mikal Bridges‘ scoring average dropped to 14.4 points per game this season, making him a target for criticism given what the Knicks paid to acquire him (five first-round picks) and to extend him ($150MM over four years). However, he has been on a roll in the postseason, showing why the team valued him so highly, writes Jake Nisse of The New York Post. Bridges has scored 35 points on 16-of-23 (69.6%) shooting through the first two games of the second round and has been one of the primary defenders on Sixers star Tyrese Maxey, who has made just 12-of-32 shots (37.5%) while committing 10 turnovers. Bridges’ contributions could be even more important going forward if Anunoby misses time, Nisse notes.
- Count Miles McBride among the Knicks who is prepared to take on a larger role if necessary, depending on Anunoby’s diagnosis, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. McBride said he’d be “extremely comfortable” if asked to do more. “I feel like the coaching staff trusts me, I know my teammates trust me and I trust myself overall,” McBride said. “So if that happens, I know I’ll be ready.”
- After his big men got into foul trouble for the second straight game, Brown suggested in his post-game media session that he hopes the free throw discrepancy between the two teams gets “evened out a little bit more” over the course of the series, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. “I think it was (Karl-Anthony Towns)’ third or fourth foul where Maxey came off him,” Brown said, presumably referring to this play. “I’m not sure what’s a bump and what’s not a bump, but up by half-court, I gotta go back and I gotta watch that, because you can literally call somebody getting bumped every time down the floor if you want to. And so, for KAT to pick up his third or fourth foul that way — I can’t remember which one it was — that was tough.”
- Texas Tech wing Donovan Atwell, Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau, Kentucky center Malachi Moreno, and Ohio guard Jackson Paveletzke were among the prospects who took part in a pre-draft workout with the Knicks on Tuesday, a league source tells Adam Zagoria of NJ.com (Twitter link). New York holds three picks in this year’s draft — Nos. 24, 31, and 55.