Injury Notes: Edwards, Bryant, Doncic
The Timberwolves will have their top player for Wednesday’s Game 2 against the Spurs, as Anthony Edwards is officially playing. He was originally listed as questionable as a precautionary measure due to his ongoing recovery from a knee hyperextension in the first round, but has been upgraded to available.
Edwards’ return in Game 1 came as something of a surprise, but he managed to score 18 points in his 25 minutes while helping lead the Wolves to an upset victory over the Spurs with some timely shot-making.
Head coach Chris Finch said that the team will hopefully be able to increase his minutes restriction tonight, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (via Twitter). Edwards will come off the bench for the second straight game, per the Timberwolves (Twitter link).
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- Carter Bryant has been cleared to play for the Spurs in Game 2, per The Athletic’s Jared Weiss (Twitter link). Bryant missed Game 1 due to a right foot sprain and came into Wednesday with an uncertain outlook. His status was determined after going through warmups, Tom Orsborn reports for the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). Bryant played just 46 total minutes in the first round, but he is one of the few players on the Spurs’ roster with the size to match up with Wolves forward Julius Randle.
- Lakers fans are impatient for the return of their superstar, Luka Doncic, but it’s not worth it for him to rush back and risk a more severe injury, Melissa Rohlin writes for the California Post. Doncic knows this, as he has dealt with similar conundrums in the past. “It’s a tough one for me because I came back from injuries before too soon, and it wasn’t the best result,” he said. “But like I say, this is the first time I have the hamstring injury. It’s not the same like other injuries. You have to be very careful.”
- In case you missed it, we rounded up several other injury updates earlier today.
Haslam: Bucks Hope To Resolve Giannis Situation By 2026 Draft
After one Bucks co-owner – Wes Edens – told ESPN in March that the team figures to either trade or extend Giannis Antetokounmpo in the coming year, another one of the team’s co-owners – Jimmy Haslam – said on Wednesday that he’d like to see the team reach a resolution on Antetokounmpo by next month’s draft.
“I just think before the draft is a natural time, right? Because if Giannis does play somewhere else, then we ought to get a lot of assets, and it’s (general manager Jon Horst‘s) job to do it,” Haslam said, per Karley Marotta of TMJ4 News (Twitter video link). “If he’s here, then you build the team differently.”
Rumors surrounding Antetokounmpo have been persistent since last summer and only intensified during the season, even after the two-time MVP stayed put through the trade deadline. Giannis and the Bucks clashed publicly on multiple occasions. The two sides were at odds over his ability to return to action following a knee injury, and Antetokounmpo took exception to those aforementioned remarks made by Edens.
For his part, Haslam downplayed the notion that there’s a rift between the team and its longtime superstar.
“I just want to stress that our relationship with him, despite what is reported by certain ESPN writers, is very positive,” Haslam said.
He also reiterated the team’s respect and appreciation for everything Antetokounmpo has done for the franchise, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
“Giannis has brought Milwaukee its second championship and the first in 50 years,” Haslam said. “He’s a phenomenal player. He’s a phenomenal person. He’s arguably one of the best basketball players in the world, and we will do what’s best for Giannis and what’s best for the organization. We don’t know whether Giannis will stay with us or not, but we’ll work through that with Giannis in the coming weeks.”
There are already teams preparing trade packages for Antetokounmpo, including the Trail Blazers. Many more made offers at last season’s trade deadline, such as the Magic, who were reportedly “very active” in pursuit of the Greek forward. The Heat, Warriors, Timberwolves, and Knicks were also said to be in the mix leading up to February’s deadline.
The star forward has resisted outright demanding a trade and hasn’t ruled out signing an extension with the only NBA team he’s played for, though he doesn’t become extension-eligible until October. That could complicate plans to reach a resolution next month — while Giannis could let the team know in June whether or not he plans to sign a new deal in October, he may want a more complete picture of Milwaukee’s offseason roster moves before he makes that sort of commitment.
Haslam stressed that he and the rest of the front office and ownership understand the magnitude of the decision for the franchise and how important it is to get right. He also added that there was transparency during the lead-up to the hiring of new head coach Taylor Jenkins.
“We didn’t hold back with Taylor,” he said. “We just said, ‘Listen, (Antetokounmpo) may or may not be with us, so don’t come because of that,’ because you want to be straight up with people.”
While Edens is technically the Bucks’ governor, the franchise has an unusual ownership arrangement that sees he and Haslam swap that title every five years. Haslam will take over as governor in 2028.
Atlantic Notes: Robinson, M. Brown, Nurse, Vucevic
The Knicks have ruled backup center Mitchell Robinson out for Game 2 against the Sixers due to an illness, SNY’s Ian Begley writes (Twitter link). Robinson had previously been listed as questionable, having been added to the injury report this afternoon.
Robinson played just 12 minutes in Game 1, limited by foul trouble as well as the Sixers’ decision to intentionally foul him early in the game to take advantage of his 37.7% career playoff percentage from the free throw line. He went 0-for-4, though Philadelphia did not go back to the strategy in the second half.
With Robinson on the bench, Knicks head coach Mike Brown turned to second-year center Ariel Hukporti, playing him almost as many minutes in the series opener (17) as he did in the entire first-round matchup against the Hawks (19). Hukporti also picked up four fouls, but contributed nine rebounds and two blocks.
With Joel Embiid ruled out due to ankle and hip injuries, New York will hope that their defensive-minded big man will not be as sorely missed as he would be otherwise.
We have more notes from around the Atlantic Division:
- Brown isn’t burdened by the weight of the championship mandate from the Knicks‘ leadership, because he already puts the same pressure on himself, Zach Braziller writes for the New York Post. “It doesn’t matter what others say. I’m disappointed if we’re not in the Finals and having a chance to win it,” he said. Brown is known for his steady temperament; it’s something the players admire about him. “He doesn’t listen to the outside noise and doesn’t let that affect him. And he’s focused every day on how he can come in and make this team better,” Josh Hart said. “He listens to his coaches and listens to us with our feedback and what we have to say and asks us questions and stuff like that.”
- Sixers‘ head coach Nick Nurse is back after a brief absence to mourn the unexpected loss of his older brother, Steve Nurse. Nick says that his brother would want him back with the team, per The Associated Press. “I’m here coaching and my brother would expect me to be,” Nurse said. “He was a huge fan. He wants us to go play, he wants us to play hard, so that’s what we’re going to try to do tonight.”
- After being eliminated in the first round by the Sixers, the Celtics have personnel decisions to make as they try to rebuild a championship roster around their core players. Nikola Vucevic will be a key factor in their offseason as his $21.5MM deal comes off the books this summer. President Brad Stevens spoke about the mid-season addition, though he stopped short of offering insight into the team’s plans for the veteran center. “I thought that Vooch gave us all that he had and, did what we asked…” Stevens said. “I have a lot of respect for Vooch as a person and as a pro. I thought he was really good in our locker room. I thought he was a really good person to have around. Certainly, a positive experience with him.”
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Magic, Banchero, Riley
While the Hawks‘ playoff run ended in disappointing fashion, it helped them gain a better understanding of the roster and where it needs to go moving forward, Lauren Williams writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Hawks have two first-round picks and plan on not skipping steps as they work to build the team into a contender. They also have financial flexibility, which could be used to bring in free agents or negotiate new deals with current players. They are unlikely to make a huge swing, but will continue to build piece by piece.
“We’re not a single player away from being what we want to be,” general manager Onsi Saleh said. “When I came here, the biggest thing was, how do we become sustainable?”
CJ McCollum is likely to return, as is Jonathan Kuminga, Williams writes. On the other hand, she considers players like Gabe Vincent, Keaton Wallace, Buddy Hield, and Tony Bradley “a coin toss” to be back.
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- The Magic failed to end a 16-year run without winning a playoff series, falling in Game 7 to the Pistons after having held a 3-1 series lead. They have to be wondering what would have happened had wing Franz Wagner not missed the final three games of the series, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The series showed that Orlando needs someone who organizes the offense, rather than the point-guard-by-committee approach the team employed this season. Guard Desmond Bane also pointed to rebounding as an area that cost the Magic, as they were out-rebounded in all four losses, notes Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter video link).
- Magic star Paolo Banchero had an up-and-down series, and he issued a warning that the team is not at the level it needs to be after the Game 7 defeat. “Losing in the first round is not acceptable. That should be the attitude,” he said, per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter video link). “It shouldn’t be comfortable in the building. It should be everybody on their Ps and Qs feeling pressure to be great. I think that’s the mindset that needs to be there from top to bottom.”
- Much of Pat Riley‘s end-of-season press conference has been widely discussed, but some talking points from the Heat president deserve more attention, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Twice in the presser, Riley seemed to hint that head coach Erik Spoelstra needed to be more willing to allow young players to play through mistakes. “Even if it costs you during the regular season, you got to play it through their bad times, and you got to play it through their ups and downs,” he said. “I’ve read all the criticism of our young players, but nobody ever really… gives them the space to be young and to make mistakes, and not to be who you think they should be in three or four years…. They’re not the top five picks in the draft.” He also seemed to hint at the possibility of putting the Heat’s lottery pick, which projects to be 13th overall, on the table in a potential deal for a star, while adding that he doesn’t want to bring in someone he considers “damaged goods.”
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Bryant, Johnson, Team Chemistry
Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert have a long history together, with Gobert serving as something of a mentor for the Spurs‘ superstar as he was growing up, Tim Reynolds writes for The Associated Press.
“He’s meant a lot as a role model,” Wembanyama said. “There’s lots of (ways) that he inspired me and I think he should inspire more people in terms of taking care of your body. He should be a model for all big men. So, I would say that’s the main thing.”
Gobert was similarly complimentary of his fellow Frenchman, both on and off the court.
“I’m very excited to watch him grow every day, to see his work paying off,” Gobert said. “Outside of the talent, he’s someone that has a very unique soul, a very unique mind and nothing is an accident. It’s not an accident that he’s having the success that he’s having.”
Now the two Defensive Player of the Year winners are set to face off in Round 2 of the NBA playoffs, with Game 1 on Monday, and Wembanyama is excited to go up against a player he has long looked up to.
“It’s even more fun if I’m meant to play against Rudy,” he said, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.
We have more Spurs news:
- Rookie forward Carter Bryant is being listed as questionable for Game 1 on Monday with a right foot sprain after the team had previously stated that everyone was healthy heading into the second round, Tom Orsborn writes for the San Antonio Express-News. Bryant played 9.2 minutes per game in the first round, hitting four of his nine three-point tries.
- Head coach Mitch Johnson wants his team, and himself, to “embrace the mundane” and not get caught up in the ups and downs of a playoff series, Orsborn writes. “I think the one thing that stuck with me at times is as much as you want to do (more) and as far as your mind wanders, you just keep doing the same thing (you did in the regular season) and do it better,” Johnson said. This is the message that Johnson has preached since the season started, and it becomes even more important in the playoffs. Stephon Castle had a simpler way of putting it. “Don’t get lackadaisical, don’t get satisfied, just stick to what is working,” Castle said. “Don’t get bored of doing things the right way.”
- While it’s unclear where the 2025/26 Spurs will rank in team history in terms of greatness, it’s increasingly clear they’re one of the franchise’s most close-knit teams ever, Orsborn writes in a separate piece. “Guys like being around each other,” De’Aaron Fox said. “Guys like hanging out.” The Spurs look to be well-rested heading into the series.
Stein’s Latest: Mosley, Nuggets, Bulls, Mavs, Kerr
The job security of Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley has been one of the bigger points of speculation around the league for some time, and it remains widely expected that he will take the blame for Orlando’s first-round exit, writes Marc Stein in a recent edition of The Stein Line (subscriber link).
As far who would take over should Mosley be let go, Stein notes that there have been rumors since before he left the Bulls about Billy Donovan taking the job, which he was first offered in 2007. Another name of interest for Orlando is Michigan head coach Dusty May, though Stein notes that the expectation is May will remain with Michigan after winning the national championship this year.
As for Mosley, Stein cites a previous report from Jake Fischer about the Pelicans‘ ongoing interest in bringing the Magic head coach into the fold if he becomes a free agent.
We have more league-wide news from Stein:
- The Nuggets will have to look in the mirror and figure out what comes next after losing in Round 1. Stein confirms reports that head coach David Adelman‘s job is expected to be safe, but adds that Denver is rumored to be open to any trade possibilities that would improve the athleticism and defense around star Nikola Jokic.
- The Bulls are close to reaching their decision regarding their head of basketball operations search, and while many people believe the Timberwolves’ Matt Lloyd is the frontrunner, Dennis Lindsey, Bryson Graham, and Dave Lewin remain in the running for the position.
- As the Mavericks look to find their long-term head of operations, owner Patrick Dumont is hoping to hire the splashiest name possible in an attempt to put Nico Harrison‘s tenure firmly in the rear view mirror, Stein reports. It appears unlikely that the Mavs will get to interview their top choice, the Wolves’ Tim Connelly, or their second choice, Bob Myers. Still, Stein muses about how unavailable Connelly truly is and whether his future contract extension talks will come into play. Former owner Mark Cuban has endorsed Detroit’s Lindsey in the past, but the team has yet to seek permission to interview him. Finally, Stein notes that the Mavs could choose one of their co-interim GMs, Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley, for the position. Dumont has stated previously that he intends to fill the position by mid-May.
- A decision is imminent for Steve Kerr and his future with the Warriors. Stein reports that ESPN has been recruiting Golden State’s coach to return to his role as a broadcaster, but the team is expected to meet with him as soon as Monday and has been operating as if he’s likely to return.
Injury Notes: Edwards, Ingram, Dosunmu, Embiid
In a surprising turn of events, Anthony Edwards has been upgraded to questionable for the Timberwolves‘ Game 1 matchup against the Spurs on Monday, the team announced in a press release.
Edwards missed the last two games of the Wolves’ series against the Nuggets after hyperextending his left knee and was initially considered week-to-week with the injury.
A recent report had indicated optimism that he could return for Game 3 or 4 of the series, but Edwards takes pride in his ability to return to form quicker than expected.
“We call him Wolverine,” said Wolves’ vice president of medical operations and performance David Hine, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “Certain things you see other players might not be able to play through, those are injuries that Ant has been able to recover quickly from.”
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama expressed his desire to see the Wolves’ star shooting guard on the court in their series, as well as his sadness about the injuries to Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, who tore his Achilles during the first round.
“Those two are players that I like watching, I like playing against,” he said, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “They go hard.”
We have more injury notes from around the playoffs:
- Raptors wing Brandon Ingram is out for Sunday’s Game 7 matchup against the Cavaliers, The Stein Line’s Marc Stein confirms (via Twitter). Ingram had previously been listed as doubtful with right heel inflammation. “We’ve gotta dig very deep. We’ve gotta find a way,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said of playing without two starters, per TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (Twitter link). “If we lose the game tonight, there’s no practice tomorrow, there is not another game tomorrow. So, we’ve gotta (find) our last energy tonight.” Ingram has struggled in the series, shooting just 32.8% from the field, but Toronto will still miss the threat his shot creation provides.
- Backup guard Ayo Dosunmu is also listed as questionable for Game 1 vs. San Antonio after missing the final game of the Timberwolves‘ first-round series due to right calf soreness, ESPN’s Anthony Slater writes. Dosunmu had two big games for the Wolves, helping them stay on track after the injury to Edwards. Head coach Chris Finch said that Dosunmu was “pretty much involved in all parts of practice” in Sunday’s medium-intensity workout, Chris Hine of the Star Tribune notes (Twitter link).
- Joel Embiid is considered probable for the Sixers‘ Game 1 matchup against the Knicks on Monday, Adam Aaronson writes for the Philly Voice. He is dealing with a right hip contusion and was visibly struggling with the injury during Saturday’s Game 7 victory.
Celtics Notes: Offseason, Tatum, Stevens, Mazzulla
The Celtics‘ unexpected first-round loss to the Sixers, which featured the franchise’s first-ever blown 3-1 lead, made clear that even with a healthy Jayson Tatum back next season, there’s work to be done to turn the roster into a true championship favorite, Brian Robb writes for MassLive.
Boston holds a $27.7MM trade exception from the Anfernee Simons deal that expires at next year’s trade deadline, along with several other smaller trade exceptions, and will also have access to the $15MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception and $5.4MM bi-annual exception. Using some of those tools, the team will need to shore up its frontcourt and make some decisions regarding its plethora of young wings.
They will also have to decide what to do with Neemias Queta, who broke out as the team’s year-long starting center. They could pick up his 2.7MM team option and then extend his contract off that up to four years for $92MM, which would give some level of financial flexibility. They could also decline the option and give him a new contract, which would eat into their salary flexibility, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says in his offseason guide (video link).
We have more from the Celtics:
- After a nearly seamless return from his torn right Achilles, Tatum was sidelined for Game 7 due to left knee stiffness, which left a sour note on what was the feel-good story of the year. “My recovery and comeback were going so well that how it ended, I didn’t think it was going to end that way. It was just unfortunate,” Tatum said, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “I worked really, really, really, really hard to come back in the fashion that I did and play at the level I was playing at. So for it to end the way it did was a tough pill to swallow.” Despite the negative outcome, he hopes his recovery and the level he was able to reach with his play this season can serve as an inspiration for other players who suffer similar injuries.
- Brad Stevens had a clear goal at this year’s trade deadline: getting under the tax and avoiding repeater penalties while still improving the roster in the immediate future. One of the moves the Celtics made in service of that goal was trading Simons for Nikola Vucevic. While the financial part worked, the on-court part didn’t, as evidenced by Vucevic being benched in favor of Luka Garza in the pivotal Game 7, Robb writes. Given the foul trouble Queta dealt with throughout the series, Robb calls the lack of a viable backup big man a rare mistake for the Celtics’ president, and one that had a huge impact on the team’s inability to get out of the first round.
- Another mistake came from the Celtics’ coach, Joe Mazzulla, according to Robb. With Tatum out, Mazzulla turned not to rotation regulars Payton Pritchard or Sam Hauser, but rather to Baylor Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr., and Garza as his three starters alongside Jaylen Brown and Derrick White — the five-man group had not played a single minute together in the regular season. The trio of new starters finished the must-win game with a combined zero points on seven shots. “I thought it was a couple things we saw tactically we wanted to test out,” Mazzulla said. “Obviously, give the series a little bit of a different feel and take advantage of the roster that we had, and take advantage of the guys that can impact plays and whatnot. So that was great by the guys, and we came up short.”
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Edwards, Dosunmu, Thunder
After a somewhat shocking first-round exit, the Nuggets need to figure out what comes next. Part of that will revolve around finding way to generate offense outside of Nikola Jokic, Bennett Durando writes for the Denver Post.
While the three-time MVP struggled, producing the first series without a 30-point game in his career, Durando notes that Denver’s offseason additions failed to provide any offensive spark to jump-start the team and help get Jokic in rhythm. As a team, the Nuggets shot 32.1% on wide-open threes, and Bruce Brown had nine turnovers to 10 assists for the series.
“I think you have to look at the different formulas of how we played (offensively) this year, what was most successful,” head coach David Adelman said of the offense not translating from the regular season. “And you have to really break it down more so into the types of teams that we struggled with, and what are the answers there to make things flow better for us. And I think that takes time.”
The Nuggets will now have to figure out what comes next, and that includes considering options that might not have been on the table before, such as trading Jamal Murray, coming off the most successful regular season of his career, writes Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette.
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is hopeful that he’ll be able to return for the second-round series against the Spurs, after missing Game 7 and being ruled week-to-week due to a hyperextended knee. Edwards has been doing constant rehab work and has told his teammates he expects to return at some point in the series, Jon Krawczynski writes for The Athletic.
- The Timberwolves lost Ayo Dosunmu in their close-out game over the Nuggets, and it’s unclear how soon he’ll be back. “Ayo is more day to day,” coach Chris Finch said, per Andrew Dukowitz (Twitter video link). “He went through things but just the light stuff.” Dosunmu was the hero of Game 4, scoring 43 points to lead the Wolves to a win without Edwards.
- The Thunder have built a culture that includes relationships with previous franchise mainstays, such as Serge Ibaka. Chet Holmgren spoke recently on how important that is. “I think it’s amazing. One, I think it speaks to the culture that those guys, Serge, still coming back around however many years since he left here,” Holmgren said, per Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (video link). “… It was cool to sit down and talk to Serge about some of his experiences in this exact building. It’s been fun.“
Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Robinson, Bridges, Alvarado
In the Knicks’ first-round victory over the Hawks, they relied on the offensive output of their best defender to help take them over the top. OG Anunoby stepped out of the role player spotlight and assumed the role of leading man, Howie Kussoy writes for the New York Post.
The 6’8″ wing had 29 points and seven rebounds in the record-setting Game 6 victory, a performance that epitomized his play throughout the matchup. Over the course of the series, he averaged 21.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while hitting 56.7% of his threes and playing versatile defense against Atlanta’s best scorers.
“[He was] just doing everything — scoring, defense, rebounding, making plays,” said Mikal Bridges. “He’s doing everything out there and that’s what we need. And I think he’s gonna continue to do that for us.”
It was a performance impressive enough to beg the question if we should be thinking about Anunoby more as a third star than another elite role player, contends Jake Nisse of the New York Post.
We have more from the Knicks:
- The Knicks have struggled at times to establish their toughness, often operating as more of a finesse team than one built on brute force, but in Game 6, Mitchell Robinson showed his ability to play enforcer, Kristian Winfield writes for the New York Daily News. It was a message he was trying to show since Game 1, when he wrote “Standing on business” on the tape wrapping his ankles. An altercation with the Hawks’ Dyson Daniels brought all of that to the forefront again. “Mitch is a big part of our locker room. What he does on the court — obviously y’all know he impacts winning, and he does a lot of things that sometimes don’t end up on the stat sheet, but makes us come out with a W,” Karl-Anthony Towns said.”So, Mitch is very vital for our locker room, for our team, and we’re always gonna support him. We’re always gonna stand behind him when he wants to, I guess – quote-unquote – ‘stand on business.'”
- After a brutal start to the series, Bridges found the range offensively in Game 6 and may have recaptured some of his usual swagger, the Post’s Stefan Bondy writes. Bridges finished the game with 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting and hit big momentum shots over the course of the night. “He just did what he’s capable of doing,” coach Mike Brown said. “Now, is he going to go 10-for-12 every night? No. But he was aggressive and took great shots. And it shouldn’t go unnoticed that his defense was phenomenal. … A big night on both ends of the floor by Mikal.”
- Jose Alvarado got to experience a special moment in the Game 5 victory over the Hawks, as his hometown crowd sang “Jose, Jose, Jose” while he was being subbed out in the third quarter, Peter Sblendorio of the New York Daily News writes. It’s a feeling he isn’t taking for granted. “It’s amazing,” Alvarado said. “I can’t really put it into words. I always had a Knicks jersey on. I always think, ‘This is crazy.’ But it’s a good feeling. I’m excited to be in the city I’m from and compete for a championship.” Alvarado wasn’t just a hometown kid in the series though — he was an impactful player off the bench, culminating with his Game 5 performance, when he scored 12 points in 11 minutes.