Injury Notes: Giannis, Cade, Edwards, Kings, K. George, Wade
The National Basketball Players Association seemed to imply in a statement earlier this week that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy enough to play, but that’s not the case, according to head coach Doc Rivers. As Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays, Rivers told reporters on Wednesday that Antetokounmpo continues to recover from the left knee hyperextension and bone bruise that have sidelined him since March 15.
“He’s not (healthy),” Rivers said. “He’s progressing. He’s just not healthy. Our focus right now is just getting him healthy. We’re just trying to get Giannis cleared and healthy; that’s our only focus. All the other stuff, we stay above.”
Reporting last week suggested that Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were at odds over whether he should be shut down for the rest of the season, with Milwaukee preferring to take a conservative approach and the two-time MVP pushing to return. The NBPA’s statement suggested that the Bucks are motivated to hold Giannis out of action to potentially improve their draft position, an idea Rivers downplayed.
“We didn’t have a meeting about this (statement from the NBPA),” Rivers said. “We didn’t have one discussion. (General manager) Jon Horst didn’t call me to talk about this, just to show you the concern we have.”
Here are several more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Appearing on NBA Countdown on Wednesday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania provided health updates on Cade Cunningham (collapsed lung) and Anthony Edwards (knee inflammation). According to Charania, the Pistons are optimistic that Cunningham will be able to return in time for the start of the playoffs, while the Timberwolves consider Edwards day-to-day at this point, and he could return as Saturday vs. Detroit or Monday at Dallas.
- Kings forward Keegan Murray, out since February 25 due to a left ankle sprain, is making “good progress” in his return-to-play process and is resuming contact work, the team announced on Wednesday (Twitter link via James Ham of ESPN 1320). The update suggests Sacramento plans on having Murray back before the end of the season. Veteran guard Russell Westbrook, meanwhile, underwent an MRI on his sore right foot and has been diagnosed with joint irritation of the first toe. He’ll remain out, with further updates provided as appropriate, per the Kings.
- The Wizards, who announced on March 4 that forward Kyshawn George had sustained a partial UCL tear in his left elbow and would be reevaluated in three weeks, provided an update right on schedule on Wednesday. According to the team (Twitter link), elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister confirmed this week that George has a Grade 2 distal UCL tear. The plan is to continue to treat the injury “conservatively” and evaluate the 22-year-old again next Wednesday.
- Cavaliers forward Dean Wade appeared to suffer an ankle injury during warm-ups prior to Wednesday’s contest vs. Miami, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). While Wade was held out of the game, Fedor refers to it as a “precaution,” which suggests the injury probably isn’t serious.
Atlantic Notes: George, Embiid, McBride, Tatum, Knicks
Paul George returned for the Sixers on Wednesday after serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy, and Philadelphia came away with the 157-137 victory over the Bulls. Prior to the game, Tony Jones of The Athletic broke down five crucial aspects that the team has been missing in George’s absence.
The number one attribute George brings to the table at this point is his perimeter defense, Jones writes, given his ability to guard larger forwards due to the weight he’s added over the years. Jones also highlights his perimeter shooting and how his presence allows other plays to slot into their natural roles more smoothly.
After the game, George spoke about the rest of the year, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link), saying that his goal is to play in all nine remaining regular season games, assuming his body allows him to do so. He added that he felt more explosive in his return than he did prior to the suspension.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers center Joel Embiid was also back in action on Wednesday following a 13-game absence due to an oblique strain. He scored 35 points in the blowout victory over Chicago, adding seven assists and six rebounds. After the victory, he spoke to reporters about how his body felt. “My knees haven’t been an issue for a long time. That’s past me,” Embiid said, via PHLY Sports (Twitter video link). “The oblique was very tricky, and it still is tricky. Really nothing you can do about it, gotta let it ride and hope it doesn’t get worse.”
- Knicks head coach Mike Brown says key reserve Miles McBride has begun scrimmaging as he continues his rehab from sports hernia surgery, according to SNY’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). The defensive-minded guard is listed as out for Thursday’s game against the Hornets, but James L. Edwards III of The Athletic speculates (via Twitter) that Sunday’s game against the Thunder could be the day he returns to action. McBride, who had been having a career year, hasn’t played since January 27.
- Jayson Tatum‘s reintegration into the Celtics mid-season has gone as well as could be hoped, but there are still moments of frustration for the six-time All-Star, as he expressed earlier this week. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps talks to Celtics coaches and NBA insiders to get their takes on how much of his usual form Tatum will be able to regain for this year’s playoff run. “I think they’re the best team in the East,” one rival assistant coach said. “I don’t think him being back helps now, but I think it will help in the playoffs. He just doesn’t look like he has confidence in that leg yet. (But) if you let him shoot spot-up jumpers and rhythm looks, he’ll be good.”
Grizzlies, Pelicans Eliminated From Playoffs; Warriors Locked Into Top-10 Seed
With the Grizzlies‘ 123-98 loss to the Spurs tonight, Memphis has officially been eliminated from playoff contention, while the Warriors have been locked into a top-10 seed. The Pelicans had their playoff possibilities officially extinguished by virtue of their 121-116 loss to the Knicks on Tuesday.
That means that the top 10 teams in the West, and therefore the playoff/play-in pool, have been finalized: the Thunder, Spurs, Lakers, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Rockets, Suns, Clippers, Trail Blazers, and Warriors will all be participating in the postseason, though there is still plenty of room for the seeding to change over the last few weeks of the season.
Wednesday night was a big night for the Western Conference playoff race, as the Nuggets, Rockets, Warriors, Clippers, Blazers, and Lakers were all in action. Coming into the night, three games separated the No. 6 Rockets from the No. 3 Lakers, and the No. 10 Warriors were just two games behind the No. 8 Clippers.
While no team is likely to catch the Spurs in second place, San Antonio is just two games behind the top-seeded Thunder, who had their 12-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson spoke about the team clinching home court advantage in the first round tonight. “I would expect it to be loud with a lot of excitement, enthusiasm,” he said, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). “But it’s still a little bit away, so hopefully we can continue to get better and make some improvements in a lot of areas.”
On the other end of the postseason picture, the Warriors technically haven’t been eliminated from contention for a top-six seed, but they trail No. 6 Houston by 8.5 games and both teams have just nine left to play, so that will likely happen at some point in the coming days.
NBPA To Seek Change To 65-Game Rule
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is working to put forward a change to the league’s 65-game awards-eligibility rule, reports Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, citing an anonymous source within the players’ union.
The NBPA would like to introduce stipulations related to significant injuries and reevaluate the games-played criteria, Vorkunov writes, adding that the union intends to present its proposal to the league within the next few weeks.
The NBPA previously put out a statement calling for the rule to be either abolished or reformed, citing the looming potential ineligibility of Cade Cunningham, who has had an All-NBA season but currently sits at 60 games played with 20 or more minutes.
League commissioner Adam Silver, however, told reporters today that he believes the rule has been a success and is working as intended, seemingly resisting the call for changes to be made.
“We always knew when there’s a line you draw, that somebody’s going to fall on the other side of that line,” Silver said. “And it may feel unfair in that particular instance. Let’s see what happens at the end of this year… we also have to remember that to the extent that one player is no longer eligible, some other player will then be All-NBA and will slot into that spot. So I’m not ready to stand here saying I don’t think it’s working. I think it is working.”
Vorkunov notes that the rule has come under scrutiny for potentially pressuring players to return too quickly from injuries so as not to lose out on contract incentives based on end-of-year awards.
“There’s not nearly as much discussion around load management as there was, in part because the teams and the players have responded. You see them on the floor now,” Silver said. “So, now we have a separate issue that we’re dealing with in terms of tanking, and we’ll deal with that. And I get it. There’s part of my job. There’s always new issues, but I’m not ready to say, standing here today, that because there may be a sense of unfairness for one player, that means the rule doesn’t work.”
Southwest Notes: VanVleet, B. Williams, Nembhard, McLaughlin
It seems increasingly unlikely that Fred VanVleet will be able to rejoin the Rockets for their playoff push, Varun Shankar writes for the Houston Chronicle.
The veteran point guard, who has been out since September with a torn ACL, expressed hope earlier this month that he’d be able to return this season, but head coach Ime Udoka‘s recent comments made that seem unlikely, Shankar notes.
“On-court shooting, cutting, moving, non-contact. That’s pretty much the extent of the on-court (work),” Udoka said. “… (Contact will) come soon but you’re obviously not looking at playing if you’re not getting on the court and making contact this late in the season.”
VanVleet’s contract includes a $25MM player option for the 2026/27 season, which he seems likely to pick up coming off his ACL tear. General manager Rafael Stone expressed support for his his point guard and his role on the team.
“He’s a big part of what we’ve done over the last two years and we expect he’s going to be a big part of what we do moving forward,” Stone said. “He’s literally the toughest NBA player I’ve ever met. If he can play, he’ll play.”
The Rockets are sixth in the West heading into Wednesday’s games, but are just a game behind the fourth-place Nuggets.
We have more from around the Southwest Division:
- After missing the past three games with a concussion, Brandon Williams took to the court on Wednesday morning’s shootaround for the Mavericks and was upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s game, Grant Afseth writes for Dallas Hoops Journal. Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News speculates (via Twitter) that his changed status could indicate his favorable chances of clearing concussion protocol.
- Ryan Nembhard recently discussed his rookie season growth with the Mavericks, Afseth writes. “I’ve been trying to get more catch-and-shoot threes off — that’s a big thing for me,” Nembhard said. “Just trying to space the floor, make guys close out, and respect my jump shot has been important.” He admitted that the length and demanding nature of the NBA season was unlike anything he’d experienced as a basketball player until now, but added that the All-Star break was a good break to get back to his usual form.
- Jordan McLaughlin‘s presence and professionalism have allowed the Spurs to rest some of their starters down the stretch without losing any ground in the standings, Tom Orsborn writes for the San Antonio Express-News. “J-Mac gave us 10 minutes of really mature, professional basketball,” coach Mitch Johnson said after a close win over the Clippers last week. “We needed every second.” Johnson said that the team specifically targeted the veteran point guard in their trade negotiations with the Kings for De’Aaron Fox last season. “We definitely didn’t view him as a throw in,” Johnson said. “… McLaughlin had good times in Minnesota and played well for Sacramento at times. And he was someone we thought could be a good member of this team. And we brought him back this year when he was a free agent.”
Sixers’ Joel Embiid, Paul George Return On Wednesday
Star center Joel Embiid will officially return to action for the Sixers in tonight’s game against the Bulls, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports notes (Twitter link).
Embiid was upgraded to questionable on Tuesday as he worked his way back from an oblique strain that has kept him sidelined since late February. Paul George is also set to return after serving his 25-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.
Philadelphia has struggled to find its rhythm with both George and Embiid in the lineup this season, going just 10-9, but the team still has 10 games left before the postseason to try to find its footing. The Sixers are currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 39-33, trailing the No. 5 Raptors by a game-and-a-half.
Earning a top-six seed and not having to participate in any play-in games would likely be beneficial to the Sixers’ hopes of advancing beyond the first round.
And-Ones: Holmes, Expansion, Project B, More
Panathinaikos has parted ways with former NBA big man Richaun Holmes, the Greek EuroLeague team announced on Tuesday (Twitter link).
After playing in the NBA for 10 seasons from 2015-25, Holmes signed with Panathinaikos last August, agreeing to a one-year deal that included a team option for a second season. The deal reportedly made him one of the highest-paid players in Europe.
Although Holmes got off to a good start in the EuroLeague, he sustained an MCL injury in the midst of his integration period with his new team, notes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops, and he saw his minutes decline after he returned to action. The 32-year-old averaged 7.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game across 19 EuroLeague appearances.
Holmes played in 489 regular season games during his decade in the NBA, but was forced to accept a lesser role as he bounced around the league in his last few years after being Sacramento’s primary starting center from 2019-22.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Expanding to 32 teams and establishing a European league could net NBA owners $20 billion or more, according to Kurt Badenhausen and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico, who conservatively estimate $15 billion in expansion fees for new franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle and another $5 billion in fees for NBA Europe teams. As Badenhausen and Novy-Williams point out, expansion money isn’t shared with players, since it falls outside of basketball-related income, which means each team owner is likely looking at $650MM or more if the NBA expands both domestically and into Europe.
- Joe Vardon and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic provide the latest details on the emerging global basketball league known as Project B, which is working with European super-agent Misko Raznatovic and counts LeBron James‘ longtime friend and business partner Maverick Carter as an adviser. Project B has reached deals with several women’s basketball players and is looking to establish a foothold in men’s basketball as well, per Vardon and Vorkunov, who say the league will aim to bring in current and former NBA players, as well as top young prospects from outside the NBA for its developmental program.
- ESPN’s Zach Kram ranks the NBA’s best and worst 10 transactions since last summer. The Hornets‘ selection of Kon Knueppel at No. 4 in the draft tops Kram’s list of the best moves, while the Bucks waiving and stretching Damian Lillard in order to sign Myles Turner headlines his list of the worst moves.
Adam Silver Discusses Expansion, NBA Europe, Tanking, More
Adam Silver‘s press conference at the conclusion of the league’s latest Board of Governors meetings on Wednesday was an eventful one, as the NBA commissioner discussed next steps for potential expansion, the latest developments related to NBA Europe, the league’s anti-tanking efforts, and more.
Here are some of the highlights from Silver’s presser, sorted by subject:
On exploring expansion to Vegas and Seattle:
- Silver hopes to have a formal decision by the end of this year on the possibility of expanding to Las Vegas and/or Seattle, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “Our goal was in 2026 to resolve this issue one way or the other,” Silver said. “So, my timeline — we weren’t so specific with the board — is that we need to know by the end of this calendar year what it is we’re doing. It may not be that every ‘I’ is dotted, but that would be our goal, this year.”
- The NBA has yet to reach any deals with potential ownership groups, Silver said, adding that the bidding process is wide open. “If you are interested, and I’ll say that now to people who may be listening or watching this, if you’re interested, call the league office, call PJT Partners directly in New York,” Silver said, referring to the investment bank the league hired as a strategic adviser. “I just want to make sure everybody understands there’s been no handshakes on the side. There’s been no commitments. There’s no promises to anyone. This is a completely transparent process.”
- Expanding to 32 teams isn’t a given, Silver said today (Twitter link via Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints): “There is absolutely a chance expansion may not happen. It’s also possible we could expand to one market, maybe two, or no markets.” Silver did add that there’s reason to believe there will be “enormous” interest in the Vegas and Seattle markets.
- Silver acknowledged that some team owners don’t see the need to expand beyond 30 teams, citing concerns about possible dilution of talent and further divvying up NBA revenue shares, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. However, the substantial potential of the Vegas and Seattle markets factored into the decision to move forward with exploring expansion. That vote was unanimous, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an NBA Today appearance (Twitter video link).
On NBA Europe:
- Mark Tatum, the NBA’s deputy commissioner, provided team owners with an update on plans for NBA Europe at the Board of Governors meetings, but no vote was conducted on the potential European league, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
- Although Silver said there has been a ton of enthusiasm about NBA Europe, he acknowledged that the “best outcome” would be if the NBA could join forces with the EuroLeague on the venture rather than the two leagues competing against one another (Twitter link via Marc Stein).
On tanking:
- The NBA will hold a special Board of Governors meeting in May to make a decision on what new rules will be implemented to deter tanking, Silver told reporters (Twitter link via Reynolds).
- “We are going to fix it … full stop,” Silver said in reference to the NBA’s tanking issue (Twitter link via Stein).
- The commissioner added that the league needs to do something more “extreme” than it has in the past, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Going into next season, the incentives will be completely different than we are right now,” Silver said.
On the 65-game rule:
- Despite backlash from media members, the National Basketball Players Association, and agents, it doesn’t sound like Silver is eager to abolish – or even make changes to – the 65-game rule for end-of-season award eligibility, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
- Calls to modify the rule have increased with Pistons star Cade Cunningham looking likely to fall a few games short of the minimum. While Silver is sympathetic to Cunningham’s situation and says he’s always open to talking to the NBPA, he’s less convinced it’s a major problem. “I’m not ready to say it’s not working,” Silver said of the rule (Twitter link via Siegel). “It is working… I’m not ready to say because there is a sense of unfairness for one player, that the rule doesn’t work.”
[UPDATE: NBPA To Seek Change To 65-Game Rule]
On the Trail Blazers’ sale to incoming owner Tom Dundon and their future in Portland:
- Reporting last summer suggested that March 31 was the target date for Tom Dundon to close his purchase of majority control of the Trail Blazers. Silver suggested on Wednesday that timeline hasn’t changed. “We expect that there’ll be a vote shortly from our board,” he said, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (subscription required). “Tom and his group were just interviewed yesterday, so that’s now the additional process. But that should happen in short order. I think Tom is anxious and ready to go and wants to build a championship franchise there.”
- As the Blazers look to secure a long-term future in Portland, they’ve focused on making renovations to the Moda Center rather than building a new arena, writes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (subscription required). Asked if the NBA views those renovations as sufficient to keep the team in Portland and incentivize Dundon to agree to the 20-year lease terms being discussed, Silver replied, “I believe so. The plan is to have long-term stability for the franchise. I’ve talked directly to the governor, the mayor, the city council. We wouldn’t be going through this process if the plan wasn’t to have a long-term lease in Portland. I don’t want to speak for Tom Dundon, but I know he sees the opportunity to be very successful in Portland. It’s an important market for the NBA. Tom understands that, and I admire the way the community has come together.”
Community Shootaround: Potential Head Coaching Changes
It’s extremely rare for an offseason to come and go without at least one NBA team making a head coaching change. Half of the league’s 30 coaches have taken over their respective roles since the start of 2024, an indication of the kind of turnover that’s typical of the position.
With that in mind, it’s worth looking ahead to the end of the regular season to see if we can get a sense of which head coaching positions might open up this spring.
We should probably start in New Orleans and Portland, where James Borrego and Tiago Splitter aren’t technically the permanent head coaches for the Pelicans and Trail Blazers, respectively. Borrego replaced Willie Green when he was let go earlier in the season, while Splitter took the reins in Portland after Chauncey Billups was arrested in October in relation to an investigation into illegal gambling.
Whether those two coaches hang onto their jobs through the start of the 2026/27 season remains to be seen, but Borrego has the Pelicans playing their best basketball of the season in recent weeks, and it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Billups reclaims his position with the Trail Blazers, regardless of how his legal situation plays out. Time will tell whether either of those clubs deems it necessary to conduct a coaching search in the coming weeks or months.
Elsewhere, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan‘s future has been the subject of speculation this week, starting with a report from Joe Cowley of The Chicago-Sun Times that cast doubt on whether Donovan will remain in Chicago beyond this season.
According to Cowley, there has been “growing speculation” that Donovan will step down from his position with the Bulls in order to take a season off and reevaluate his options going forward. It has been an emotional year for Donovan, Cowley writes, noting that the veteran head coach lost his father and mother-in-law within weeks of one another.
A return to college basketball is another rumored path for Donovan, with Jeff Borzello of ESPN suggesting that he’d be “at or near” the top of UNC’s list following Hubert Davis‘ exit from Chapel Hill. Sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints that Donovan would “seriously consider” the idea of coaching the Tar Heels if the school targeted him for the job.
Siegel (Twitter link) was also among the NBA observers speculating about Jamahl Mosley‘s job security in Orlando after the Magic – losers of six straight games – dropped Monday’s game to the Pacers, who entered the night on a 16-game losing streak of their own. While Mosley and the Magic have had to deal with a handful of injury issues this season, the 38-34 team has still underperformed relative to expectations after parting ways with four first-round picks last offseason for Desmond Bane.
Doc Rivers is one of the NBA’s most widely respected head coaches, and it would be a surprise if the Bucks were to unceremoniously fire him at season’s end, but he’s about to have a losing record across a full season for the first time since 2006/07, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. It’s not all that hard to envision a scenario where he and the Bucks determine they’re better off going their separate ways and mutually announce that they’re “parting ways.”
Steve Kerr is another esteemed member of the NBA’s head coaching ranks and won’t be let go by the Warriors. However, he doesn’t have a contract beyond this season and it’s unclear how enthusiastic he’ll be to remain in his current role on the heels of a disappointing season in Golden State. A banged-up Warriors team would be lucky at this point to claw its way into the playoffs as a massive first-round underdog to Oklahoma City or San Antonio.
Among lottery-bound teams, Doug Christie of the Kings and Brian Keefe of the Wizards are also worth keeping an eye on. The Sixers will at least make the play-in tournament, but if they don’t advance any further than that, we’ll see if Philadelphia sticks with Nick Nurse.
It’s also not uncommon for clubs with championship aspirations to make a change after being ousted in the playoffs, even if they win a series or two, as we saw a year ago in New York with Tom Thibodeau, so it will be interesting to see which clubs are eliminated earlier than expected. While there are no playoff coaches in obvious, imminent danger, first-round exits would be discouraging outcomes for the likes of Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers), Chris Finch (Timberwolves), Ime Udoka (Rockets), and Mike Brown (Knicks).
We want to know what you think. Which teams do you expect to hire a new head coach this offseason? Will it be a busy spring on the coaching market, or will we only see a couple clubs make changes?
Head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts!
Warriors Sign Omer Yurtseven To Second 10-Day Contract
2:19 pm: Yurtseven’s new 10-day deal is now official, the Warriors announced in a press release (Twitter link).
10:54 am: The Warriors will re-sign center Omer Yurtseven for another 10 days after his first 10-day contract with the team expired overnight on Tuesday, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link).
Yurtseven, who initially signed with Golden State on March 15, made five appearances during his first deal, averaging 3.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game. Big man Kristaps Porzingis has been in and out of the Warriors’ lineup while Al Horford has been on the shelf with a calf strain, opening the door for Yurtseven to play a little, though he received his first DNP-CD on Monday vs. Dallas.
Yurtseven averaged 5.0 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 11.8 MPG in 113 NBA regular season appearances with the Heat and Jazz from 2021-24 before spending most of the past two years overseas playing for Panathinaikos. He recently parted ways with the Greek EuroLeague team and signed a G League contract, appearing in three games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers before being promoted to the NBA by Golden State.
As we relayed over the weekend, Yurtseven made a positive first impression on Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
“I’m a fan of Omer — he’s a very good player, very talented,” Kerr said. “He’s a good passer, he can shoot, and he’s had success in the NBA. We’ve only had him for a few days, but I enjoy watching him every day and seeing how he fits with the other guys.”
Assuming Yurtseven officially re-signs with the Warriors on Wednesday, his contract will run through April 3, covering the club’s next five games. Once it expires, Golden State would have to either let him walk or sign him to a rest-of-season or multiyear deal.
Yurtseven’s second 10-day contract will pay him $141,463, while the Warriors will carry a $131,970 cap hit.