Aaron Nesmith Ready For Game 6; Tony Bradley Cleared To Play
7:00pm: Bradley will be active, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday.
6:12pm: Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith has responded well to treatment on his sprained right ankle and should be ready for a full workload in tonight’s Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).
In his pregame session with the media, coach Rick Carlisle said the team has been giving Nesmith extra rest to aid the healing process, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. That includes cutting down the preparation routine he normally does to get ready for games. He played just 16 minutes in the Game 5 loss — finishing with three points, two rebounds and a steal — but wasn’t listed on the team’s injury report for tonight.
With Nesmith limited, backup swingman Bennedict Mathurin logged 25 minutes on Thursday, his largest total of the series. Mathurin was the Pacers’ most productive player in Game 5, finishing with 23 points and nine rebounds while shooting 6-of-10 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range.
“He’s learned a lot,” Carlisle said of Mathurin (Twitter link from Dopirak). “There’s an experience factor of playing in the games. … He’s a better man for the experience.”
Indiana is less certain about the status of reserve center Tony Bradley, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Sources tell Scotto that Bradley is still being treated for his injured left hip and will be a game-time decision. Bradley got hurt in Game 5 when he was fouled on a layup attempt.
Bradley didn’t play in the series opener, but Carlisle began using him regularly after the Knicks inserted center Mitchell Robinson into their starting lineup. If Bradley is unavailable, Carlisle may have to turn to Thomas Bryant, who has played nine total minutes over the past four games.
Latest On Hawks’ Front Office Search
Danny Ferry appears to be a legitimate candidate to join the Hawks‘ revamped front office, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link). Stein, who first mentioned Ferry as a potential target three weeks ago, states that he could be hired as a senior adviser to new general manager Onsi Saleh.
Atlanta has been conducting interviews for a new president of basketball operations, but with numerous executives already involved in the decision-making process, the team could opt for a senior advisor instead.
Ferry, who currently serves as a consultant with the Spurs, ran Atlanta’s front office from 2012 until 2014, when he was involved in a controversy that involved making racially insensitive remarks while reading a scouting report on Luol Deng during an organizational conference call. After stepping down from his position with the Hawks, Ferry became a special advisor with the Pelicans in 2016 and briefly served as the organization’s interim GM in 2019.
Stein reports that the 58-year-old Ferry was involved in Atlanta’s interview process after former GM Landry Fields was fired in April. Vice president of pro personnel Grant Liffmann and executive advisor Chris Emens are also reportedly leaving the organization.
The Hawks have spoken to several prominent candidates to become president of basketball operations, including Sixers GM Elton Brand, former Nuggets GM Calvin Booth, former Kings GM Monte McNair, Raptors executive Masai Ujiri and Alex Saratsis, agent for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Karl-Anthony Towns Active For Game 5
May 29: Towns will start on Thursday after previously being referred to as a game-time decision by head coach Tom Thibodeau, tweets Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
May 28: The Knicks need a win Thursday night to extend their season, but they aren’t assured of having star big man Karl-Anthony Towns available. Towns has been listed as questionable on the official injury report for Game 5 with a left knee contusion.
Towns fell to the court in pain while grabbing his left knee after a collision with Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith with 2:11 left to play in Game 4 (YouTube link). He was able to stay in the game, but Peter Botte of The New York Post notes that he seemed to be favoring the same knee earlier in the night.
“I’m only thinking about this loss, I’m not thinking about that right now,” Towns told reporters when asked about his chances to play on Thursday. “It’s disappointing when you don’t get a win. Just didn’t do enough to get the job done tonight.”
Coach Tom Thibodeau was optimistic about Towns’ condition, saying “it’s a good sign” that he was able to continue playing. Thibodeau added that “we’ll see where he is after he gets evaluated” by the team’s medical staff.
Towns was the hero of Game 3 with a 20-point fourth quarter that sparked New York to its only victory so far in the series. He posted 24 points and 12 rebounds in 37 minutes in Game 4, but only attempted two three-pointers. He was pulled from the game four minutes into the first quarter after picking up two early fouls.
If Towns is unavailable on Thursday, Josh Hart will presumably return to the starting lineup. He started all 77 games he played during the regular season, but Thibodeau moved him to the bench in Games 3 and 4 while using a double-big approach with Mitchell Robinson alongside Towns.
Heat Notes: Ware, Larsson, Anderson, Jaquez
The Heat suffered through a rare losing season in 2024/25, but they were encouraged by the progress made by rookies Kel’el Ware and Pelle Larsson, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Both players saw little action early in the year, but worked their way up to regular minutes by the playoffs.
Chiang notes that Ware, the 15th pick in last year’s draft, only logged double-digit minutes in two of the first 25 games, but became a consistent starter in January. He averaged 10.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks over his final 38 games of the season, finishing sixth in the Rookie of the Year voting and earning a spot on the All-Rookie second team. Although Ware struggled against Cleveland in the playoffs, he said the experience of battling Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in a high-stakes situation will benefit him in the future.
“Just learning how the game was played,” Ware said. “It’s different from the regular season. Even the play-in games are different. So I would say now I have the experience of that. So just knowing what it is and how it will be next time.”
Larsson, the 44th pick last year, lived up to coach Erik Spoelstra‘s prediction that he could be an “elite role player,” Chiang adds. He ended the season strong as his playing time increased, averaging 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals in his final six regular season games.
“I think going into the season, I really had no expectations,” Larsson said. “I kind of just went in with an open mindset. And I got into some good rhythm, had some injuries that kind of set me back a few times and tried to regain that rhythm. But I think just having a year under my belt kind of just helps me calm down a little bit and realize what’s more important than other things, and that’s what I can focus my work on.”
There’s more on the Heat:
- Kyle Anderson credits Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro for making him feel welcome in Miami after he was acquired from Golden State in February’s five-team Jimmy Butler trade, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. It was the first in-season trade Anderson has experienced in his 11 NBA seasons. “Bam was awesome, Bam and Tyler. The leaders of this team bring their hard hats to work every day. They’re great teammates. They really care about you,” Anderson said. “I’m not just saying that ’cause it’s cliche and I’m supposed to. Those guys are really fun to be around. They really care about everybody. And they know that they have the team on their back.” Winderman suggests that Anderson would be an appealing trade asset because his $9.7MM salary for 2026/27 is non-guaranteed, so there’s a chance he won’t be with the team next season.
- In a recent Sun Sentinel mailbag, Winderman considers whether it would make sense for the Heat to include Ware in a trade offer for Kevin Durant this summer and concludes it’s worth considering.
- Chiang of The Miami Herald explores what’s next for Jaime Jaquez after the forward endured a second season that he described during his exit interview as “extremely humbling.” The fourth-place finisher in Rookie of the Year voting in 2023/24, Jaquez saw his playing time drop off significantly in year two as his shooting percentages dipped across the board. “I think the mental part of the game is almost more important than the physical,” Jaquez said. “That’s something that I’ve learned this year. You have to be mentally sharp at all times and never have any lapses. Because the second that that happens, teams are taking advantage. So that was one of my biggest lessons this year. So taking that into this offseason, it’s something I’m going to work on extremely hard. I’m looking forward to just learning and getting better.”
Luke Adams contributed to this article.
Niederhauser Staying In Draft; Others Announce Withdrawals Before Deadline
Penn State big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser has decided to remain in the NBA draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).
Givony states that Niederhauser moved into first-round consideration with a strong performance at the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month. He was also impressive at the G League Elite Camp, making him one of five players from the event to earn an invitation to the combine.
A seven-footer out of Switzerland, Niederhauser spent two years at Northern Illinois before transferring to Penn State last summer. He averaged 12.9 points and 6.3 rebounds in 29 games for the Nittany Lions while shooting 61.1% from the field and leading the Big 10 in blocks with 2.3 per night. He’s listed as the No. 85 prospect on ESPN’s latest big board, but has reportedly moved up significantly in the eyes of scouts since it was published.
Givony describes Niederhauser as “one of the best athletes in the draft” (Twitter link), weighing 243 pounds and combining a 7’3″ wingspan with a 9’3″ standing reach. Givony also cites his “significant potential as a vertical pick and roll spacer.”
We have updates on a few more early entries who reached their decisions shortly before Wednesday night’s deadline to withdraw and maintain their NCAA eligibility:
- Miles Byrd will take his name out of the draft and return to San Diego State for his senior season, his father tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Ranked No. 51 by ESPN, Byrd was also impressive at the combine. He averaged 12.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.1 steals for the Aztecs last season.
- Quincy Ballard tells Rothstein (Twitter link) that he’s also pulling out of the draft and will transfer from Wichita State to Mississippi State. It will be the third school for the senior center, who averaged 10.0 points and 9.2 rebounds for the Shockers last season.
- Jaron Pierre, who played at Jacksonville State last season, will leave the draft and transfer to SMU, according to Rothstein (Twitter link). He’ll be a fifth-year senior after posting 21.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game with the Gamecocks.
- Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli will return to school after putting up 20.5 points per game for the Wildcats last season, Rothstein tweets. Rothstein expects the rising senior to be one of the Big Ten’s top players.
- Tae Davis will leave the draft and transfer from Notre Dame to Oklahoma for his senior season, Rothstein adds (Twitter link). Davis averaged 15.1 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Irish as a junior.
Nuggets’ David Adelman Plans Style Changes Next Season
David Adelman talked about changes in philosophy and style of play at an introductory news conference Wednesday to officially make him the Nuggets‘ permanent head coach, writes Pat Graham of The Associated Press.
Adelman held the job on an interim basis after taking over when Michael Malone was fired on April 8 with three games left in the regular season. Adelman led the team to a first-round victory over the Clippers before dropping a seven-game series to the Thunder in the second round.
Players responded positively to the increased input they were able to provide under Adelman, along with the lifting of tensions that occurred with the dismissal of Malone and general manager Calvin Booth.
Looking ahead to next season, Adelman said he wants the team to get in “better shape” and he’s planning to expand the rotation beyond what Malone normally utilized. He’s looking at a slower style of play to maximize the skills of star center Nikola Jokic.
“We have to get back to being an execution-based team,” Adelman said. “If that takes away some of our pace numbers, or whatever the analytics want to say, I think that’s OK if it wins you a game in May, as opposed to playing a game in December. The majority of the time, if you want to win big, you’ve got to play slow. You’ve got to be efficient. You’ve got to be clean. So that will be things we’ll talk about throughout the summer, going to training camp.”
Graham points out that it won’t be easy to add talent to the roster because the Nuggets don’t own any picks in next month’s draft. Any significant trade would likely have to break up the current starting five, so the best avenue toward improvement will be progress from young players Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, Jalen Pickett and DaRon Holmes, who missed his entire rookie season after suffering an Achilles tear in a Summer League game.
There’s more from Denver:
- Between the reduced pace and Adelman’s desire for “a premium on shot-making,” Russell Westbrook shouldn’t be part of the team next season, contends Troy Renck of The Denver Post. Westbrook holds a $3.47MM player option, and Renck says the best outcome would be for him to decline it and join a team like Brooklyn that’s looking for a big name. Renck suggests using the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign free agent Tyus Jones, who would provide a steadier option as backup point guard.
- Team president Josh Kroenke wants a better relationship between his coach and GM this time, so Adelman will have at least a small role in filling that position, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “DA will come into that process at some point. … But I think the input will be relatively minimal, because what I’ll be looking for is cohesion between those two (roles),” Kroenke said. “And I think that once we decide on that, I think I’ll have a lot of comfort on how they work together.” Kroenke added that he has “no news on that front” when asked about hiring an outside firm to identify potential GM candidates. He also praised interim GM Ben Tenzer for the way he’s handled the role since Booth was fired.
- Adelman needs to send a strong message to Jamal Murray about coming to camp in shape and being at his best when the season starts, states Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. Murray’s four-year, $207.8MM extension will take effect next season.
Brandin Podziemski Has Wrist Debridement Surgery
Brandin Podziemski underwent left wrist debridement surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles, the Warriors announced (via Twitter). He’s expected to make a full recovery and be ready when training camp opens this fall.
There had been no indication that Podziemski was dealing with a wrist injury before Wednesday night’s announcement. He appeared in all 12 of Golden State’s playoff contests and led the team with 28 points in the Game 5 loss to Minnesota two weeks ago.
The second-year guard struggled with his shot during the postseason, which could have been a result of the wrist ailment. After connecting at 44.5% from the field and 37.2% from beyond the arc during the regular season, those numbers dropped to 36.4% and 32.8% in the playoffs.
According to the San Jose Mercury News (subscription required), the University of California San Francisco’s Department of Surgery states that the debridement procedure “involves thoroughly cleaning the wound and removing all hyperkeratotic (thickened skin or callus), infected, and nonviable (necrotic or dead) tissue, foreign debris, and residual material from dressings.”
Podziemski quickly made an impact with the Warriors after being selected out of Santa Clara with the 19th pick in the 2023 draft. He immediately earned a spot in coach Steve Kerr‘s rotation and finished fifth in the 2024 Rookie of the Year race.
He turned 22 in February and appears to be a long-term fixture for a Golden State team that needs more production from its younger players to ease the burden on Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.
Wolves Notes: Game 5, Conley, Edwards, Randle, Defense
The Timberwolves understand what’s at stake as they prepare for tonight’s Game 5 in Oklahoma City, writes Cassidy Hettesheimer of The Star Tribune (subscription required). Minnesota narrowly missed a chance to tie the series on Monday, which means three straight wins will now be necessary to reach the NBA Finals. Two of those will have to come at the Paycom Center, where the Thunder won by 26 and 15 points to open the series.
“We’re just trying to get another home game and trying to play in front of our home crowd again,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “Everybody has counted us out all year. We’ve been through a lot. We’re together as a locker room. We don’t care what the media is going to say.”
This is the second straight year the Wolves have reached the Western Conference Finals, and Hettesheimer notes that they were expected to be in a better position this time. Last year, Minnesota was exhausted after coming off a seven-game series with Denver and lost to Dallas in five games. This time, the Nuggets took OKC to seven games while the Wolves had time to rest after a five-game series with Golden State. Despite that, Minnesota is back in the same position, staring at a 3-1 deficit.
Jaden McDaniels believes the key to Game 5 will be getting off to a fast start and not letting the Thunder build up momentum in front of their fans.
“At home, they start super well, so we’ve just got to [slow] their little run at the beginning,” he said. “We’ve got to play tougher, playing stronger and just hold them to one shot.”
There’s more on the Wolves:
- Veteran guard Mike Conley is counting on Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle to bounce back after subpar performances in Game 4, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). OKC’s swarming defense held Edwards to 16 points on 5-of- 13 shooting and Randle to five points on a 1-of-7 night. “We need our best guys to be our best guys,” Conley said.
- Randle seems to have found a home in Minnesota, which is the fourth stop in his 11-year career, McMenamin observes in a full story. He notes that the surprise trade that sent Randle to the Wolves in October reunited him with head coach Chris Finch, who was an assistant in New Orleans earlier in Randle’s career, and he has bonded with president of basketball operations Tim Connelly over their shared love of cuisine. Randle’s comfort level could become important this summer, as he holds a $30.1MM player option and may be interested in a long-term contract.
- The most disappointing part of Minnesota’s performance in the two conference finals has been the failure of its vaunted defense, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. The Wolves weren’t able to control Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving last year, and the Thunder are averaging 115.3 points through the first four games of this series.
RJ Luis To Remain in NBA Draft
St. John’s star RJ Luis has officially decided to keep his name in this year’s draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). The decision confirms a statement Luis made two weeks ago when he said he’s “all-in” for the draft.
The 6’7″ guard is coming off an outstanding season with the Red Storm, being named Big East Player of the Year and earning second-team All-America honors. He was also voted the Most Outstanding Player in this year’s Big East Tournament.
Luis averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 35 games while leading St. John’s to its first conference championship in 40 years. He shot 43.9% from the field and 33.6% from three-point range on 3.9 attempts per game.
Despite the accolades, Luis isn’t considered a sure thing to be drafted. He’s ranked 62nd on ESPN’s latest big board, although that could rise as some of the players ahead of him return to school.
Givony states that Luis would have been one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal if he had opted for another year of college. North Carolina, Kansas, Mississippi, Villanova and Georgetown were among the schools that have expressed interest. There were some substantial NIL offers involved, Luis’ father told college basketball writer Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 (Twitter link).
“We understand the situation, we were offered a lot of money to go back to college,” Reggie Luis said. “But we have a plan and we’re going to stick with the plan.”
NCAA early entrants who want to maintain their college eligibility will have to withdraw from the draft by the end of the day on Wednesday.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 5/27/2025
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included a potential new center for the Hawks, next season's MVP race, the Bulls' chances to move up in the draft, speculation on the future for LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and more! Use the link below to read the transcript.
