Michael Porter Jr. Won’t Be Suspended For Game 5
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. won’t face a suspension for leaving the bench area during an altercation that took place in Game 4 of the team’s series vs. the Clippers, a league spokesperson confirmed to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link) and Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required).
As we outlined on Saturday night, Porter left the bench and came onto the court when Nuggets and Clippers players began to push and shove one another just before halftime after James Harden took exception to a reach-in foul committed by Christian Braun near the half-court line (Twitter video link via Joey Linn of SI).
Porter apologized after the game and explained that he didn’t know about the NBA’s rule that prohibits players who aren’t in the game from leaving the “immediate vicinity” of the bench area during an on-court altercation.
As Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets, the rule states that a player can be subject to a one-game suspension and a fine of up to $50K, but the league takes into account “the distance the player traveled from his team’s bench, and the extent to which he entered the immediate proximity of the altercation.” Porter didn’t go far before he was pulled back by an assistant coach and didn’t come close to entering the fray.
Porter was held out of Denver’s closing lineup in Game 1 of the first-round series, injured his shoulder in Game 2, and was a -25 in 35 minutes during a Game 3 blowout loss. However, the veteran forward played an important role in the Nuggets’ Game 4 win, which evened the series at 2-2, scoring 17 points and making four three-pointers in 42 minutes.
Porter is still listed on the injury report due to his left shoulder sprain, but is considered probable to play on Tuesday. Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, who missed Saturday’s contest with left foot inflammation, is questionable.
Steve Nash, Stan Van Gundy To Join Amazon’s NBA Coverage
Amazon Prime Video is hiring Steve Nash and Stan Van Gundy as part of NBA coverage team for the 2025/26 season, according to reports.
Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein has the scoop on Nash, writing (via Substack) that the two-time MVP will be part of Amazon’s NBA studio and game coverage. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reports that Van Gundy will be joining Amazon as a game analyst.
Nash, a former NBA point guard and head coach, only recently forayed into the media space, joining LeBron James as a co-host on the recently relaunched Mind The Game podcast. Van Gundy, on the other hand, is a veteran broadcaster, having spent time with both ESPN and TNT as an NBA analyst. The former head coach of the Heat, Magic, Pistons, and Pelicans will be making the move to Amazon with TNT set to lose its broadcasting rights at the end of this season.
Amazon previously reached deals with former NBA stars Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki, who will be part of the streamer’s studio show hosted by Taylor Rooks, so it will be a reunion for former Mavericks teammates – and close friends – Nash and Nowitzki.
Ian Eagle is set to be Prime Video’s top play-by-play announcer, though it remains unclear whether Van Gundy will join Eagle on that No. 1 team, Marchand writes.
According to Marchand, Amazon has also shown interest in ESPN’s Richard Jefferson as an analyst, and has spoken to TNT’s Kevin Harlan and Timberwolves broadcaster Michael Grady about possible play-by-play roles. Dwyane Wade is among Prime Video’s other candidates for potential color commentator positions, Marchand adds.
Amazon is one of three broadcasting partners – along with Disney (ESPN/ABC) and NBC – that are part of the NBA’s new media rights agreement, which will go into effect for the ’25/26 season.
NBA Announces Initial Early Entrant List For 2025 Draft
The NBA has officially released the initial list of early entrants for the 2025 NBA draft, announcing in a press release (Twitter link) that 106 players have filed as early entry candidates. Of those prospects, 73 are from colleges, 30 had been playing for teams internationally, and three were playing non-college ball stateside (in the G League).
While that early entrant total exceeds the number of players who will be selected in this year’s draft (59), it’s down significantly from the figures we’ve seen in recent years. A record 353 early entrants initially declared for the draft in 2021, but that number dropped to 283 in 2022, 242 in 2023, and 201 a year ago.
The NCAA’s NIL policy, which allows college athletes to be paid based on their name, image, and likeness, has been a major factor in that downward trend — fewer prospects feel the need to go pro as soon as possible when they’re earning big money at the college level.
The huge dip this year can also be attributed in large part to the fact that most college seniors are now automatically draft-eligible. In recent years, most fourth-year seniors faced an “early entrant” decision because they were granted an extra year of NCAA eligibility due to COVID-19 and didn’t have the 2020/21 season count toward their typical limit.
This year’s total of 106 early entrants figures to decline significantly by May 28 and again by June 15, the two deadlines for players to withdraw their names from the draft pool. The leftover early entrants will join the college seniors with no remaining eligibility and other automatically eligible players in this year’s draft pool.
Our tracker of early entrants for the 2025 draft is fully up to date and can be found right here.
Here are the changes we made to our tracker today:
Newly added players
College players:
These players either didn’t publicly announce that they were entering the draft or we simply missed it when they did.
- Chad Baker-Mazara, G/F, Auburn (senior)
- Quincy Ballard, C, Wichita State (senior)
- Jaden Bradley, G, Arizona (junior)
- Tayton Conerway, G, Troy (senior)
- Melvin Council Jr., G, St. Bonaventure (senior)
- Jerry Deng, F, Florida State (sophomore)
- Isaiah Evans, G/F, Duke (freshman)
- Dominick Harris, G, UCLA (senior)
- Chris Howell, G, UC San Diego (junior)
- Camron McDowell, G, Northwestern Oklahoma State (junior)
- Devin McGlockton, F, Vanderbilt (junior)
- Kebba Njie, F, Notre Dame (junior)
- AK Okereke, F, Cornell (junior)
- Omar Rowe, G, Morehouse (senior)
- Bruce Thornton, G, Ohio State (junior)
- Brandon Walker, F, Montana State (junior)
- Money Williams, G, Montana (sophomore)
International players:
These players weren’t previously mentioned on our list of international early entrants. The country listed here indicates where they last played, not necessarily where they were born.
- Alec Anigbata, F, Germany (born 2004)
- Asim Djulovic, G/F, Serbia (born 2005)
- Lazar Gacic, C, Serbia (born 2005)
- Ben Henshall, G/F, Australia (born 2004)
- Muodubem Muoneke, G, Spain (born 2003)
- Eli Ndiaye, C, Spain (born 2004)
- Zaion Nebot, G, France (born 2004)
- David Torresani, G, Italy (born 2005)
- Rocco Zikarsky, C, Australia (born 2006)
Players removed
Despite reports or announcements that the players below would declare for the draft, they didn’t show up on the NBA’s official list.
That could mean a number of things — they may have decided against entering the draft; they may have entered the draft, then withdrawn; they may have had no NCAA eligibility remaining, making them automatically draft-eligible; they may have incorrectly filed their paperwork; or the NBA may have accidentally omitted some names.
Because they’re absent from the NBA’s official list, we’ve removed the following names from our own early entrant list.
Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools.
- Abdi Bashir, G, Monmouth (sophomore)
- Terrence Brown, G, FDU (sophomore)
- Christian Coleman, F, UAB (senior)
- Jason Edwards, G, Vanderbilt (junior)
- Keyshawn Hall, G/F, UCF (junior)
- Nate Johnson, G, Akron (junior)
- Duncan Powell, F, Georgia Tech (junior)
- Nick Pringle, F, South Carolina
- Oziyah Sellers, G, Stanford (junior)
- Daniel Skillings, G/F, Cincinnati (junior)
- Marquel Sutton, F, Omaha (senior)
- Lamar Wilkerson, G, Sam Houston State (senior)
- Kam Williams, G/F, Tulane (freshman)
- Shelton Williams-Dryden, F, West Georgia (junior)
According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link), two-time national champion Alex Karaban of UConn also initially filed paperwork to test the draft waters, but withdrew from the pool before the NBA put out today’s early entrant list. He’ll return to the Huskies for his senior season.
NBA Team Option Decisions For 2025/26
Having already created a space to track this offseason’s player option decisions, we’re turning our attention today to team options. Over the next couple months, we’ll use the space below to keep tabs on all the team options for 2025/26, making note of whether they’re exercised or declined.
True team options are different than non-guaranteed salaries, which aren’t listed in the space below. Non-guaranteed salaries are less restrictive and provide a little more flexibility than team options, which clubs must act upon by a specific date (June 29) each year.
However, team options can be useful at the end of a contract, since turning down that option allows the team to retain some form of Bird rights on the player — waiving a player with a non-guaranteed salary doesn’t present that same opportunity. Additionally, a handful of contracts still don’t become fully guaranteed once an option is picked up, giving teams an extra level of flexibility.
The list below doesn’t include rookie scale team options for 2025/26, since those third- and fourth-year options function differently than team options on standard veteran contracts. Those ’25/26 rookie scale team option decisions were made during the 2024 offseason, and can be found here.
The standard team options for 2025/26 are listed below. This list – which can be found anytime under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar on our desktop site or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu – will be updated throughout to note the latest decisions as they’re reported and/or announced.
Unless otherwise indicated, a player’s salary will become guaranteed once his team option is exercised.
Atlanta Hawks
- Dominick Barlow ($2,270,735): Declined
Boston Celtics
- JD Davison ($2,270,735): Exercised
- If Davison’s option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed.
Brooklyn Nets
Keon Johnson ($2,349,578): Exercised
- If Johnson’s option is exercised, his salary would be partially guaranteed for $271,614.
- Jalen Wilson ($2,221,677): Exercised
- If Wilson’s option is exercised, his salary would be partially guaranteed for $88,075.
- Tyrese Martin ($2,191,897): Exercised
- If Martin’s option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed.
- Drew Timme ($1,955,377): Exercised
- If Timme’s option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed.
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Chuma Okeke ($2,546,675): Declined
- Note: If Okeke’s option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed.
Golden State Warriors
- Gui Santos ($2,221,677): Exercised
- Note: If Santos’ option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed.
- Quinten Post ($1,955,377): Exercised
Houston Rockets
- Fred VanVleet ($44,886,930): Declined
- Aaron Holiday ($4,901,400): Declined
Indiana Pacers
- Tony Bradley ($2,940,876): Exercised
- Note: If Bradley’s option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed.
Los Angeles Lakers
- Jordan Goodwin ($2,349,578): Exercised
- If Goodwin’s option is exercised, his salary would be partially guaranteed for $25,006.
Miami Heat
- Keshad Johnson ($1,955,377): Exercised
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Luka Garza ($2,349,578): Declined
- Josh Minott ($2,187,699): Declined
- Note: If Minott’s option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed until June 28.
New Orleans Pelicans
- Elfrid Payton ($3,153,598): Declined
- Note: If Payton’s option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed.
- Brandon Boston Jr. ($2,349,578): Declined
New York Knicks
- P.J. Tucker ($3,468,960): Declined
- Note: If Tucker’s option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed.
- Ariel Hukporti ($1,955,377): Exercised
- Note: If Hukporti’s option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Ajay Mitchell ($3,000,000): Declined
- If Mitchell’s option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed.
- Jaylin Williams ($2,187,451): Declined
- Note: If Williams’ option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed.
Orlando Magic
- Moritz Wagner ($11,000,000): Declined
- Gary Harris ($7,500,000): Declined
- Cory Joseph ($3,468,960): Declined
- Caleb Houstan ($2,187,451): Declined
- Note: If Houstan’s option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed until June 30.
Philadelphia 76ers
- Lonnie Walker ($2,940,876): Declined
- Jared Butler ($2,349,578): Declined
- Decision due by June 27, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
- Justin Edwards ($1,955,377): Declined
Phoenix Suns
- Vasilije Micic ($8,109,150): Exercised
- Note: Micic has been traded to the Hornets as part of the option pick-up.
Portland Trail Blazers
- Rayan Rupert ($2,221,677): Exercised
- Note: If Rupert’s option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed until July 1.
Sacramento Kings
- Keon Ellis ($2,301,587): Exercised
- Note: If Ellis’ option is exercised, his salary would remain non-guaranteed.
- Isaac Jones ($1,955,377): Exercised
- Note: There have been conflicting reports on whether or not Jones’ salary would remain non-guaranteed if his option is exercised.
Rockets’ Udoka To Consider Lineup Change For Game 5
With a second straight loss in Golden State on Monday, the Rockets fell behind 3-1 in their series vs. the Warriors and will head back home facing their first elimination game of the postseason on Wednesday.
Asked after Monday’s defeat whether he’ll roll with the same starting lineup he has used in the first four games of the series, head coach Ime Udoka told reporters, including Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link), that he intends to “take a look at everything” for Game 5, adding that the starters’ poor start to the third quarter stood out in Game 4.
Houston’s starting five of Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Sengun had been a +12 in 44 minutes of action through the first three games of the series, but was outscored by 13 points in 12 minutes on Monday. That included a 10-0 run by the Warriors at the start of the second half, which turned a seven-point Houston lead into a three-point deficit.
If Udoka does decide to make a change, it could involve Green, who was subbed out for Tari Eason just three minutes into the third quarter and has been ineffective against the Warriors’ defense for much of the series. Green went off for 38 points in Houston’s Game 2 win, but has made just 10-of-34 shots from the floor (29.4%) in the three losses and hasn’t reached double-digit points in any of those games. He attempted eight shots in a series-low 25 minutes on Monday.
Meanwhile, even though Sengun led the Rockets with 31 points, he missed 16 field goal attempts and three free throws as his shooting struggles from Game 3 carried over to Game 4. Converting at the foul line was an issue for the Rockets as a whole — they went to the line 31 times on the night, compared to 22 times for the Warriors, but made fewer free throws (19) than Golden State (20).
The Rockets’ 12 missed free throws represented the most in a single game by a team in this year’s playoffs, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN, which is likely one reason why Udoka spoke during his post-game media session about the need for “consistency.” Houston also committed 27 turnovers in the last two games, compared to 18 for the Warriors.
“Guys are down, but they understand that the game we played well — the one game out of four (Game 2) – we had a blowout win and other games, it’s been a one-possession game, or we’ve had a fourth quarter lead and not played well,” Udoka said. “Consistency wins in this series, and we’ve talked about that from Day 1. We have to be more consistent across the board.”
The Rockets’ players echoed their head coach’s message after the game, with Sengun expressing a need to be more “disciplined” and VanVleet noting that the Rockets have to keep their composure and execute in crunch time.
“These (last two) games suck,” VanVleet said, per Wright. “We had two (games) that could have went our way. This is the playoffs. The margin of error is so slim they can go either way. And you learn that it comes down to possessions. Possessions are so important.”
Jrue Holiday To Remain Out For Game 5
Veteran guard Jrue Holiday, who has missed the past two games of the Celtics‘ series vs. Orlando due to a right hamstring strain, will remain sidelined for Game 5 on Tuesday, the team announced today (Twitter link).
The Celtics lost Game 3 in Orlando without Holiday available on Friday, but bounced back with a 107-98 victory on Sunday to take a 3-1 lead in the series.
Al Horford has taken Holiday’s spot in the starting lineup, with Sam Hauser playing an increased role off the bench and Boston leaning heavily on its stars. Jayson Tatum and Derrick White each played at least 39 minutes in Games 3 and 4, with Jaylen Brown logging 41 minutes in Sunday’s win.
Speaking of Brown, he’s listed as questionable for Game 5 due to a posterior impingement in his right knee, per the Celtics. However, the reigning NBA Finals MVP had that same questionable designation prior to Games 3 and 4 and ultimately saw a full workload in both contests, so it would be a bit of a surprise if he joins Holiday on the inactive list.
If the Celtics can wrap up their first-round series with a win over the Magic on Tuesday, the team will have a lengthier layoff before beginning its second-round series, which would give Holiday some additional recovery time.
Pelicans Announce Surgeries For Kelly Olynyk, Brandon Boston
A pair of Pelicans players have undergone surgical procedures, according to the team, which put out a press release on Monday to provide updates on center Kelly Olynyk and wing Brandon Boston Jr.
Olynyk underwent a “minimally invasive” surgery on his left heel, along with an ultrasound-guided tendon debridement, on Friday at the Fortius Clinic in London, England. The veteran big man had missed the final three games of New Orleans’ season due to what the team referred to at the time as left Achilles tendonosis, so it sounds like the procedure was meant to address that injury.
Boston, meanwhile, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle on Friday in Los Angeles. The 23-year-old swingman didn’t play after February 8 due to what the team diagnosed as a stress reaction in his left ankle.
Both players are expected to have a recovery timeline of approximately three to four months, according to the Pelicans. That projection suggests that Olynyk and Boston should be ready to go when training camp gets underway in the fall, though that’s not necessarily a lock — their recoveries will be worth monitoring closely this offseason.
Olynyk, acquired from Toronto in February’s Brandon Ingram trade, emerged as a starter for the Pelicans down the stretch, averaging 10.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 25.5 minutes per game across 20 outings (all starts) with New Orleans. He posted a shooting line of .500/.389/.754 and made a strong case to be part of next season’s roster. The 34-year-old is owed approximately $13.4MM in the final year of his deal in ’25/26.
Boston spent training camp last fall with San Antonio and was claimed off waivers at the start of the season by the Pelicans, who converted him a to a two-way deal. The former Clipper earned a rotation spot and, eventually, a promotion from his two-way deal to the standard roster. In 42 games (10 starts), he averaged 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 steals in 23.6 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .436/.350/.788.
The Pelicans hold a $2.35MM team option on Boston for next season. His ankle procedure makes it less likely that option will be picked up, though that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t eventually return to the team on a new deal.
And-Ones: Awards, Fredette, Silver, Early Entrants
After announcing Stephen Curry as this season’s Teammate of the Year on Monday afternoon, the NBA will unveil three more award winners later this week, according to the league (Twitter link).
The 2024/25 Rookie of the Year is scheduled to be announced on Tuesday at 7:00 pm Eastern time, with Most Improved Player to follow on Wednesday, 24 hours later. The league’s Sportsmanship Award winner will be revealed on Thursday at 12:00 pm ET.
Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher, and Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells are the finalists for Rookie of the Year honors, while Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, and Clippers center Ivica Zubac remain in the running for Most Improved.
The Sportsmanship Award isn’t one of the major ones voted on by media members — it’s voted on by players after league executives select six finalists, who were announced earlier this month. Those finalists are Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Celtics guard Jrue Holiday, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, and Magic forward Franz Wagner.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Less than a week after announcing his retirement as a player, former NBA lottery pick Jimmer Fredette has a new job. USA Basketball stated in a press release on Monday that Fredette has been named the first-ever managing director for Team USA’s 3×3 men’s national team. Fredette will be responsible for compiling USA Basketball’s coaching staff and roster for 3×3 international competitions, essentially taking on the same role that Grant Hill performs for the 5×5 men’s national team.
- Appearing on ESPN’s Numbers on the Board podcast (YouTube link), NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke about a number of topics, including whether shortening the regular season from 82 games is a viable possibility for player health reasons. While Silver said that “nothing is off the table,” his response suggested the idea of reducing the 82-game schedule is likely a long shot (YouTube clip).
- We can probably expect a full, official list from the NBA in the coming days, but in the meantime, news of early entrants who declared for the 2025 draft ahead of Saturday’s deadline continues to trickle out. Here are a few more of the players who are testing the draft waters this spring:
- Mouhamed Faye, C, Reggio Emilia, Italy (born 2005) (Twitter link via Jonathan Givony of ESPN)
- Elijah Fisher, G/F, Pacific (junior) (Twitter link via Jon Chepkevich of Rookie Scale)
- Ousmane N’Diaye, F/C, Baskonia, Spain (born 2004) (Twitter link via Chepkevich)
Former Knicks Guard Dick Barnett Dies At 88
Dick Barnett, a former NBA guard who won a pair of championships with the Knicks, has died at age 88, writes Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press.
The Knicks, who announced Barnett’s death on Sunday, didn’t provide any additional details, but said in a statement they were “terribly saddened” to learn of his passing (Twitter link).
“Throughout his illustrious career, Dick Barnett embodied everything it meant to be a New York Knick, both on and off the court,” the team stated. “He left a positive impact on everyone he encountered and this organization is incredibly fortunate to have him be such an integral part of its history.
“His jersey will forever hang in the rafters of Madison Square Garden, and his play throughout his career will forever be a part of Knicks fans memories.”
A star at Tennessee A&I College (now Tennessee State University), Barnett won three NAIA titles from 1957-59 and was selected fourth overall in the 1959 NBA draft by the Syracuse Nationals (the future Philadelphia 76ers). He spent two years in Syracuse, then a single season with the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League before joining the Lakers in 1962 and eventually the Knicks in 1965.
Barnett’s most memorable NBA seasons came in New York, where he averaged a career-high 23.1 points per game in 1965/66, made an All-Star team in ’67/68, and won championships with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973.
Barnett appeared in a total of 971 NBA regular season games from 1959-73, averaging 15.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 29.8 minutes per contest. He ranks ninth on the Knicks’ all-time scoring list with 9,442 points, putting him right between former teammates Earl Monroe and Bill Bradley. He had his No. 12 jersey retired by the organization in 1990.
Barnett was enshrined twice to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, first as a member of that three-time champion Tennessee A&I College team in 2019, then as a player in 2024.
Our condolences go out to Barnett’s family and friends.
Stephen Curry Named 2024/25 Teammate Of The Year
Warriors star Stephen Curry has been named the NBA’s Teammate of the Year for the 2024/25 season, the league announced today (via Twitter).
The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award “recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment to his team,” per the NBA.
The award isn’t voted on by media members. A panel of league executives select the 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the award, while current players vote on the winner. Players receive 10 points for a first place vote, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, and one point for fifth place.
Curry just narrowly won this season’s vote ahead of Rockets center Steven Adams.
Here are this season’s full voting results, according to the NBA, with the player’s point total noted in parentheses:
- Stephen Curry, Warriors (1,257)
- Steven Adams, Rockets (1,237)
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks (925)
- DeAndre Jordan, Nuggets (897)
- Nicolas Batum, Clippers (868)
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers (850)
- Al Horford, Celtics (834)
- James Johnson, Pacers (751)
- Jaylin Williams, Thunder (690)
- Brook Lopez, Bucks (657)
- Tobias Harris, Pistons (648)
- Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies (552)
It’s the first Teammate of the Year award for Curry, though it’s the seventh time in a row that a point guard has earned the honor.
The award, which was introduced in ’12/13, had gone to either Mike Conley (2019 and 2024) or Jrue Holiday (2020, 2022, and 2023) in five of the past six seasons, with Damian Lillard claiming it in 2021.