Raptors Notes: Barrett, Rajakovic, Ingram, Quickley, Temple
Raptors forward RJ Barrett was thrilled to clinch his first playoff appearance with his hometown team, as Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Toronto secured a playoff berth after blowing out Brooklyn on Sunday.
“I don’t even know what to say,” said Barrett, grinning broadly. “Just from when I got here, I would always be one of the ones saying, when you do things the right way, the results are going to come. We’ve been doing things the right way. We’ve been working, building. This is the result of that. Obviously, it’s still a process. But this is a good step for us. I don’t think many people thought we were gonna be here. I’m just very proud of this group, how hard we work, how together we are.”
The main reason the Raptors are back in the playoffs for the first time in four years is because they followed the lead of head coach Darko Rajakovic, according to Koreen. Rajakovic said during training camp the team would improve its half-court offense, force turnovers on defense, and score points in transition, all of which came to fruition as Toronto went 46-36, a 16-game improvement on 2024/25’s 30-52 mark.
Rajakovic is the first European-born head coach to lead an NBA team to the playoffs, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Rajakovic initially downplayed the achievement before praising those who came before him.
“Well there’s not many of us, it’s no huge accomplishment,” he said. “ … So many players, so many coaches from ex-Yugoslavia, especially Serbia, made this path possible. … Without their successes, I would never be (here).”
Here’s more from Toronto:
- All-Star forward Brandon Ingram played in 77 regular season games in 2025/26, by far his most appearances since he was a rookie, Koreen notes. The 28-year-old said he believed in the Raptors’ potential after the team acquired him ahead of the February 2025 deadline. “I saw the team before I integrated into it. I saw how hard everyone worked, the care factor from every player, one through 15,” said Ingram, who missed most of last season with an ankle injury. “Even the coaching staff, how they adjust game to game, the focus on the defensive end and letting it transition to the offensive end (was huge). And I thought if I could step into the fold and be effective, that we would be … right where we are today.”
- While the Raptors were understandably happy to make the playoffs, the news wasn’t all positive on Sunday. Starting point guard Immanuel Quickley, who was already hampered by plantar fasciitis in his right foot, suffered a “mild” hamstring strain during the victory over Brooklyn and is considered day-to-day, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Quickley will be available for Game 1 of Toronto’s first-round series against Cleveland, which tips off on Saturday. Even if Quickley is active, it certainly sounds like he’ll be less than 100%.
- Veteran wing Garrett Temple has been one of Toronto’s locker room leaders the past few years, but he recognizes his career is nearing its end, according to Grange. “I’m 17 years in, I’m definitely thinking about (retirement),” Temple told Grange. “Now, if I’m thinking about it, doing it this year or next year or the year after, who knows. But it’s definitely on my radar. I’m closer to retirement than the beginning of my career, that’s for sure. So, you know, we’ll see what happens. But I’m cherishing this time for sure. It went by fast, and the rest, whether it’s a year, two years or whatever, it will go by faster.”
Knicks Notes: Hawks Matchup, Prospects, McBride
The third-seeded Knicks were unfazed when they learned they’d be playing the Hawks in the first round instead of Toronto, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. The Raptors needed to win Sunday’s regular season finale against the tanking Nets — which they did — to earn the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta could have secured the fifth seed if it had won at Miami, but the team sat most of its rotation members and lost. The Hawks’ defeat, combined with Orlando losing to Boston, moved Toronto up to No. 5, with Atlanta sliding down one spot to No. 6.
“Right now, I think we’re excited to be in this situation,” Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said ahead of Sunday’s game. “Whoever we play is gonna be really good. It’s hard to even try to figure that out. It’s possible that certain teams wanna play us. The primary thing is for us to be healthy going into the postseason. That’s been the one thing that has been consistent the last few weeks and months — you don’t know what’s gonna happen. It’s hard to predict all these games, they’re all going on. Wherever it falls is where it falls, and we’ll prepare for the playoffs, regardless of who that is.”
Guards Jordan Clarkson and Miles McBride said the Knicks are focused on playing their own game, Schwartz notes.
“We didn’t pay any attention to that,” Clarkson said. “It’s just what they wanted to do.”
We have more on the Knicks:
- James L. Edwards III and John Hollinger of The Athletic preview the first-round matchup with Atlanta, with both writers predicting the Knicks to win in six games. Edwards and Hollinger think New York’s size and rebounding will be too much for Atlanta to overcome, though they wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a competitive series. Edwards views Mikal Bridges as the X-factor for New York, while Hollinger lists Jonathan Kuminga as a key swing factor for the Hawks.
- The Knicks hosted a pre-draft workout on Monday that included Kowacie Reeves Jr. (Georgia Tech), Toby Harris (Iona), William Kyle (Syracuse), Jayden Epps (Mississippi State), and Wyatt Fricks (Marshall), reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv (via Twitter). None of those five prospects are on ESPN’s top 100 list. New York controls one first-round pick and two second-rounders in the 2026 draft, Begley notes.
- McBride struggled in his first five games back since returning from sports hernia surgery, but he played well in Sunday’s finale with the Knicks resting all their starters, per Fiifi Frimpong of The New York Daily News. The 25-year-old had 21 points (on 8-of-15 shooting), three rebounds, one assist and one steal through three quarters (24 minutes) prior to sitting out the fourth. McBride said pain management will be key for him for the rest of the season. “Dealing through residual pain of the surgery is not fun, but it’s part of the journey, just trying to do anything I can do to help the team win,” McBride said.
Pelicans Opening Coaching Search, Borrego Among Candidates
The Pelicans are searching for a new permanent head coach and the process will include James Borrego, who spent most of 2025/26 as the team’s interim head coach, report Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
The news doesn’t come as a major surprise, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype previously reported that the Pelicans had several other candidates in mind aside from Borrego, including Darvin Ham and former Nets coach Kevin Ollie. Scotto added that current Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley has “several admirers” in New Orleans and could be a top candidate for the job if he’s let go by Orlando.
Fischer also reported last week that the Pelicans were mulling opening up a coaching search, citing Mosley, Borrego and Ham as possible candidates.
The Pelicans had a disappointing first season under the new front office regime, which is led by head of basketball operations Joe Dumars and general manager Troy Weaver. New Orleans fired former head coach Willie Green after the team got off to a 2-10 start, then went 24-46 under Borrego to finish out the season.
New Orleans’ 26-56 record was the third-worst win-loss percentage (.317) in franchise history, slightly ahead of 2024/25’s mark of 21-61. Former top executive David Griffin was fired after that campaign.
After dealing with a series of prolonged injury absences in ’24/25, the Pelicans had better luck on that front this season, with Zion Williamson (62 games), Trey Murphy III (66) and Herbert Jones (56) all playing far more often than they did a year ago (30, 53, and 20 appearances, respectively). The team also received solid contributions from lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, who only missed one combined game, and trade acquisition Saddiq Bey.
However, Jordan Poole — who was acquired from Washington along with Bey — struggled mightily in his first season with the Pelicans, ’24/25 All-Rookie selection Yves Missi saw his minutes reduced in year two (he was drafted by Griffin), and Dejounte Murray was limited to just 14 appearances after tearing his Achilles tendon in January 2025.
Borrego, 48, was previously the Hornets’ head coach for four seasons (from 2018-22). He was New Orleans’ associate head coach for a little over a year prior to taking over for Green. Borrego has compiled a 172-222 (.429) win-loss record as an NBA head coach and is also believed to be on the Bucks’ radar.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 4/13/2026
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 3:00 pm Central time (4:00 pm Eastern).
LeBron James, Brandon Ingram Named Players Of Week
Lakers forward LeBron James and Raptors forward Brandon Ingram have been named Players of the Week for the week of April 6-12, according to the league (Twitter links).
The Western Conference winner, James averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds per contest as the Lakers won three straight contests to close the season and clinch home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs despite playing without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. LeBron had back-to-back double-doubles on Thursday and Friday, putting up 26 points and 11 assists in Golden State and then 28 points and 12 assists vs. Phoenix.
Ingram averaged 25.5 points per game on 57.8 percent shooting from the field across four games as the Raptors went 3-1 to wrap up their season and clinched the No. 5 seed in the East. The veteran forward poured in a season-high 38 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists in Thursday’s victory over Miami.
It’s the first Player of the Week award of the season for either James or Ingram, though it’s the 70th time LeBron has won it over the course of his 23-year NBA career. Ingram has now earned the honor five times.
Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers), Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson (Rockets), and Terrence Shannon Jr. (Timberwolves) were the other nominees from the Western Conference, while Paolo Banchero (Magic), Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) and Jalen Duren (Pistons) were also nominated in the East.
Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Siakam, Carlisle, Contract Decisions
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who missed the seaon while recovering from an Achilles tear, said his bout with shingles has been depressing, painful and lengthy, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.
“Mine’s been on my face,” Haliburton said. “I couldn’t even go in front of a camera if I wanted to early because my eye was basically closed shut and it was all over my face. They told me I would be really itchy. I wasn’t itchy for the first two weeks. I just had a bad rash. Then once the rash went away, the itching came and it’s been miserable. Hence why every time you’ve seen me I’ve been in glasses just to not touch my face, really. That’s really the only reason I’ve been wearing them.
“I’ve lost part of my eyebrow. My eye is always swollen from itching it. I have good days and bad days, but for the most part, it’s bad days. It has not been any fun. I’m still, honestly, dealing with it. I’ve been taking unbelievable amounts of medication, it hasn’t worked.”
Haliburton’s weight has increased, mainly due to the medications.
“I’m out of shape like crazy like I’ve never been before,” Haliburton said. “… I told you guys I’ve been gaining weight. You’ve probably heard me talk about it. I’ve been gaining weight all season. But it’s been good weight. I feel like it’s been good. Well now, it hasn’t. But I credit a lot of that to the medication in all honesty.”
Haliburton added that his Achilles recovery has gone well and he should be ready to go by training camp.
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Injuries wrecked the Pacers’ season but better health alone won’t turn their fortunes around next year, according to forward Pascal Siakam. “We know that it’s not going to just take flipping a switch,” Siakam said, per Dopirak. “Like, ‘Oh, we have everybody back and we’re going to right back where we were at.’ It’s going to take a lot of rebuilding. Making sure that we start over. That’s what it’s going to take. As long as we all have that mindset and we go into the summer with that level of seriousness of understanding what it takes to win, what we’re going to need to do to win, I think we’ll be OK.”
- Coach Rick Carlisle credited his players for continuing to work and play hard throughout a trying season, Dopirak tweets. Indiana went 4-7 in its last 11 games following a 16-game losing streak.“It’s a humbling year. There’s a saying that you’re either humbled or you’re about to be humbled. After last year, just the rash of things that happened was humbling enough. … We started 1-13 but our guys played their butts off the entire year.”
- If they hang onto their first-round pick, the Pacers could enter the offseason $11.7MM over the luxury tax and $3.2MM above the first apron threshold, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes. Indiana has decisions to make with Micah Potter‘s team option and the partially guaranteed salaries of Kam Jones and Quenton Jackson — the team has until June 29 to exercise the $2.8MM Potter option and the following day to guarantee the $2.2MM contract of Jones, who already has $1.1MM guaranteed. Jackson’s contract increases from $275K to $2.6MM on July 15 if he remains on the roster.
Pistons Notes: 60-Win Season, Playoffs, Pick Swap, Smith
The Pistons secured the third 60-win season in franchise history by defeating the lottery-bound Pacers on Sunday. They’ll now await their first-round opponent in a series that begins on Sunday night.
“It’s a sign of the work that’s been done by everybody who’s a part of this,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “Front office, coaching staff, players, medical staff — everybody that’s touched these guys and helped them with that consistency, with that effort. It’s a group thing. Everybody who’s been part of it should be celebrated for it. But again, our work’s not done. That’s the mentality that we have, but there is an appreciation and respect for all of the work that everybody’s put in to help us get here.”
Veteran forward Tobias Harris, a free agent after the season, has been impressed by his teammates’ even keel approach.
“I think we’ve done a great job of handling success this season,” Harris said. “Just being able to weather the storm, really lock in with one another, communicate and just pull for one another in whatever we’re doing. We had guys, including myself, in and out of the lineup with injuries earlier in the year. Everybody just stepped up and has been super supportive of the next guy getting ready. The guy who is up takes on the challenge of being their best. We’ve had great moments from different guys excelling, playing and showing who they are in this league. Some amazing stories have come about from our group. So we just embrace all of it.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- On the heels of the worst season in franchise history in 2023/24, Detroit lost in the first round to the Knicks last spring. While ’24/25 was considered a success based on their 30-win jump during the regular season, the Pistons certainly won’t just be happy to make the postseason this time around. They’re coming in as the No. 1 seed in the East with their sights set on the Finals. “Playoffs, man. We’re excited about it. Playoffs are on the mind,” Cade Cunningham said, per Patterson. “It’s been a great regular season. Now it’s time for the real fun.”
- The three-team trade that sent Jaden Ivey to the Bulls produced additional dividends for the franchise, Christian Romo of the Detroit Free Press notes. Not only did the Pistons acquire another key reserve in Kevin Huerter, they also wound up with a higher first-round pick this season. As part of the deal, Detroit received a pick swap from the Timberwolves that was top-19 protected, so the team will now have the No. 21 overall pick while Minnesota moves down to the No. 28 slot.
- Big man Tolu Smith received a promotion last week, getting his two-way deal converted to a standard contract. Bickerstaff told Coty Davis of the Detroit News that Smith earned his way onto the 15-man roster. “He’s competed at a high level when given an opportunity, but he’s continued to work and work and work and improve and get better and establish an NBA skill set in a way that he can impact the game,” Bickerstaff said. “There have been stretches this year where we’ve had him on the floor, whether it’s here or Motor City, where he’s just been dominant. His ability to rebound the basketball, protect the paint, and finish around the rim. He just adds a different dynamic. He can move his feet; he’s physical. He fits right in with the identity of this team and the rest of our big guys.”
Sixers Notes: Play-In, Embiid, Nurse, Maxey
As the No. 7 seed, the Sixers are assured of two opportunities to advance through the play-in tournament, but they don’t want to take any chances entering Wednesday’s game with Orlando, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Philadelphia got an unexpected opportunity to host its first game when the Magic lost Sunday night at Boston, and players are determined to take advantage of their good fortune.
“We’ve got a great opportunity to lock in a playoff seed here on our floor,” Paul George said. “It don’t get no better than that in this situation. So we should look at it as ‘win or go home.’ We shouldn’t be looking at a Plan B or an Option B. … It’s the mentality we need to have now. Wednesday is too late. We need to have that mentality now.”
The Sixers and Magic both finished at 45-37, but Philadelphia claimed the tiebreaker by winning two of their three meetings during the season. Both teams battled injuries that may have kept them from finishing in the top six, and coach Nick Nurse said Sunday that he’s proud of how his players held together after collapsing under similar circumstances last year.
“We’ve got a lot of ceiling to go yet,” Nurse said. “… So hopefully, we get to play a bunch of games and keep improving.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- The Sixers know they’ll have to get through at least the play-in stage without Joel Embiid, who remains without a timetable to return after undergoing an emergency appendectomy last week, Mizell adds. Adem Bona started at center in Sunday’s win over Milwaukee, but Andre Drummond replaced him in the starting lineup for the beginning of the second half. “That’s the one thing that we can kind of check off,” Drummond said, “that we know that (Embiid) won’t be available for a little bit. So now we have to focus on what we can do and who we do have in this locker room, and focus around that.”
- Nurse talked about the matchup with the Magic following Sunday’s game, per Dereck Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). “Physical team. Big wings and aggressive guards,” Nurse said. “(Jalen) Suggs and (Desmond) Bane are two competitive, physical guys back there. … They’ve been one of many teams in the league that hasn’t been very healthy this year, so it’s gonna be a tough game.”
- This will be this first time in Tyrese Maxey‘s career that he’s entered the postseason as the team’s primary scoring option, Adam Aaronson of Philly Voice observes in an overview of the roster. Maxey’s challenge is being made more difficult by a finger injury on his right hand that limits his movement and is forcing him to wear a splint.
Numerous Teams Considering Coaching Changes
The NBA’s coaching carousel has already started spinning with Doc Rivers‘ decision to step down from the Bucks, and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype suggests it could be an active offseason throughout the league on that front.
Milwaukee has a potential replacement on hand in lead assistant Darvin Ham, but sources tell Scotto the Pelicans could also have interest in Ham if they decide not to retain interim head coach James Borrego, echoing recent reporting from Jake Fischer.
Former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins may be the top name on the market and is expected to draw interest from the Bucks, Scotto confirms. Jenkins previously served as an assistant under Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee.
Scotto states that Borrego could also emerge as a candidate for the Bucks if New Orleans decides to move on, noting that he interviewed with the organization before it hired Adrian Griffin in 2023.
Scotto shares more coaching and front office rumors from around the NBA:
- The Bulls are hoping to hold onto coach Billy Donovan after upending their front office last week. Scotto believes Donovan may have some interest in taking over the Magic if they decide to fire Jamahl Mosley, pointing out that Orlando hired Donovan in 2007 before he changed his mind a few days later and decided to remain at Florida. Scotto cites Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd as a potential front office addition in Chicago, noting that Lloyd began his career with the Bulls. He also points to CAA’s Austin Brown as a possibility if the organization wants to make a run at one of the top agents in the business.
- Jenkins and Tom Thibodeau could also be options for the Magic if they make a coaching move, according to Scotto. Borrego, a former assistant in Orlando, may emerge as another possibility. Sources tell Scotto that Michael Malone had been considered throughout the league as a potential candidate for the Magic before he accepted a job with North Carolina.
- The Pelicans will consider keeping Borrego, but sources tell Scotto that Ham and Kevin Ollie will also be in the mix, while Mosley has “several admirers” in New Orleans and could be among the leading candidates for the position if he becomes available. Scotto also points out that Ham worked with Pelicans executive vice president of basketball 0perations Joe Dumars for two years in Detroit, while Ollie interviewed for the head coaching job when New Orleans general manager Troy Weaver was running the Pistons.
- Steve Kerr and the Warriors will discuss their future this summer, Scotto hears. Stephen Curry remains a huge advocate for Kerr and wants them to finish their careers together, but Kerr is the league’s highest-paid coach and there are concerns about burn-out after a difficult season.
- Interim head coach Tiago Splitter will be a candidate to remain with the Trail Blazers after leading the team to the eighth seed in the West, but several top assistant coaches throughout the league and some college coaches will also be considered, sources tell Scotto.
- Wizards coach Brian Keefe still has strong support from his front office, but Scotto’s sources say his future is “undecided” as the organization hopes to transform into a playoff contender next season.
- The Hawks‘ late-season surge could result in an extension for coach Quin Snyder, according to Scotto.
Checking In On NBA’s 2026 Lottery Standings, Projected Draft Order
The 2025/26 NBA regular season is officially over, but the draft order for this June has not yet been set.
A handful of factors, including the play-in results, random tiebreakers, and - of course - the lottery results themselves will ultimately determine what the 60 picks in the 2026 NBA draft look like. But with the season in the books, there's plenty we do know.
Let's dive in and check in on several key aspects of the lottery standings and projected draft order...
