Kings’ Sabonis: ‘I’m Happy I’m In Sacramento’
After leading the NBA in rebounds per game in 2022/23 and ’23/24, Kings center Domantas Sabonis is set to achieve the feat for a third straight season. His 13.9 rebounds per game this year represent a career high.
As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes, unless Nikola Jokic blows away the NBA’s single-game rebounding record on Sunday, Sabonis will become the seventh player in NBA history to win at least three straight rebound titles, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Dennis Rodman, Moses Malone, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, and Andre Drummond. Outside of Drummond, who is still active, all of those players are Hall of Famers.
“I didn’t know that they’re all there,” Sabonis said of the group. “That’s pretty cool, pretty cool. Pretty exciting, you know. At the same time, I’m just trying to go out there and play and do my job for the team and help whatever I can do to let them win. But obviously, it’s an honor to be mentioned with those guys. I think that’s really cool.”
Sabonis is also vying to be named to an All-NBA team for a third consecutive year. He made the third team in both 2023 and 2024 and said it “would be an honor” to do so again this season.
As Reynolds points out, Sabonis is one of just six players who have a chance to receive a third straight All-NBA nod in 2025 — Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry are the others.
“I never dreamt of being in the top 15 players of a season, let alone my name carrying a legacy, my dad’s name, the number, everything,” said Sabonis, the son of Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis. “It’s just awesome.”
While the Kings’ playoff hopes are still alive, they’ll have to win a pair of play-in games just to earn the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Given that the team has fallen well short of expectations this season, there’s a chance that Sabonis’ future in Sacramento will become a popular topic of speculation over the summer, Reynolds notes.
A report in March suggested that Sabonis is expected to “seek clarity” on the Kings’ direction this offseason following the in-season trade of his longtime running mate De’Aaron Fox. For his part, the star big man – who has three more years left on his contract – insists he’s just fine where he is and isn’t seeking a change of scenery.
“I’m happy I’m in Sacramento,” Sabonis said, per Reynolds. “My offseason home’s in Napa. I couldn’t be happier here. I love the fans. I love playing for the city. I just wish we could perform better and give them what they deserve.”
What To Watch For On Final Day Of NBA’s Regular Season
All 30 NBA teams have Saturday off and will play their regular season finales on Sunday. Here are a few things worth keeping an eye on during the season’s final weekend:
Playoff berths and seeding
The Eastern Conference postseason seeding has already been set, as we outlined on Friday night. However, the Western Conference playoff picture remains very much in flux.
The Thunder wrapped up the No. 1 seed weeks ago and the Rockets and Lakers have since clinched the second and third seeds, respectively. But at least two teams remain in play for each of the other seven spots in the West, with an incredible five clubs still in the mix for the No. 7 seed.
Here are the current standings from Nos. 4 through 10:
- Denver Nuggets (49-32)
- Los Angeles Clippers (49-32)
- Golden State Warriors (48-33)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (48-33)
- Memphis Grizzlies (47-34)
- Sacramento Kings (39-42)
- Dallas Mavericks (39-42)
And here are the relevant Sunday matchups involving those teams:
- Denver Nuggets at Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors
- Utah Jazz at Minnesota Timberwolves
- Dallas Mavericks at Memphis Grizzlies
- Phoenix Suns at Sacramento Kings
There are too many possible scenarios to list them all here, but the NBA has published a handy chart (on Twitter) explaining all of the various outcomes. In short, the Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors, and Timberwolves are vying for the final three guaranteed playoff spots and each need a win to clinch their spot in the top six of the West.
The Nuggets would also clinch a playoff spot if the Warriors or Timberwolves lose, while the Clippers can secure their spot if the Nuggets or Timberwolves lose and the Warriors can sew up a playoff berth with a Timberwolves loss. Minnesota must beat Utah in order to finish in the top six. If the Wolves and Nuggets both win, they’ll finish in the top six along with the winner of the Clippers/Warriors game.
The Grizzlies are locked into a play-in spot and will face whichever one of those four teams fails to clinch a playoff berth on Sunday. They still have a chance to host that 7 vs. 8 play-in game if they beat Dallas and Utah upsets Minnesota.
The only outstanding question for the Kings and Mavericks is which team will host their play-in game — Sacramento can lock up home court advantage with a victory over the Suns.
Traded draft picks and lottery odds
While a win on Sunday would guarantee the Kings a home play-in game, it would reduce the odds that they’ll hang onto their top-12 protected first-round pick, which they owe to the Hawks. In order to hang onto that pick, Sacramento must miss the playoffs and then either move into the top four in the draft lottery or pick 11th or 12th, ahead of multiple play-in teams.
That second scenario technically remains in play. For example, let’s say the Kings lose on Sunday and finish the season with a 39-43 record. And let’s say the Mavericks and Hawks each win on Sunday and finish 40-42, while the Bulls win too to end up at 39-43. Finally, let’s say the Heat claim one of the final playoff spots in the East via the play-in tournament.
In that scenario, there would be two lottery teams (either the Magic or Hawks and one Western team) with better records than the Kings, who would be in a coin flip with the Bulls for the No. 11 spot in the draft lottery. That would give the Kings a strong chance of hanging onto their protected first-rounder, but a lot would have to fall into place for that to happen, starting with a loss on Sunday.
There are several more traded first-round picks that have a wide range of outcomes depending on where teams finish in the standings and how the play-in tournament plays out. For example, the Grizzlies owe the Wizards their lottery-protected first-round pick. If Memphis wins its first play-in game, that pick figures to land at 17 or 18. On the other hand, if the Grizzlies lose consecutive play-in games, they’d keep the pick and Washington would instead get a pair of second-rounders.
Another example: the Timberwolves owe their first-round pick to the Jazz, with no protections. A win on Sunday for Minnesota would mean that pick lands in the late teens or early 20s. A loss, followed by a pair of losses in the play-in tournament, would make it a lottery pick.
Speaking of the lottery, there’s still some positioning to be finalized there too, starting with whether the Wizards and Jazz, who are tied at 17-64, will finish atop the lottery standings. If both teams win (or if they both lose) on Sunday, a coin flip will decide their order. The team that gets the No. 1 spot will have the same odds at a top-four pick as the No. 2 team, but won’t be able to fall further than fifth overall in the draft. The coin flip loser could fall as far as sixth if several teams leapfrog them into the top four.
Most other guaranteed lottery teams are locked into their respective positions, but the Trail Blazers (35-46) and Suns (36-45) at No. 9 and No. 10 could still end up swapping spots if Portland wins and Phoenix loses on Sunday. In that scenario, a coin flip would decide which team is ninth in the lottery order.
Award races
It may seem safe to assume that no awards will be decided based on what happens on the final day of the season, but you never know.
For instance, if the Nuggets lose on Sunday and end up falling all the way to No. 7 in the Western Conference standings, we can probably just hand the MVP trophy to Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. On the other hand, if Nikola Jokic helps Denver clinch the No. 4 seed with a 50-point triple-double, maybe that will sway some voters who are on the fence.
There are no serious candidates for end-of-season awards who absolutely need to play at least 20 minutes on Sunday in order to meet the NBA’s 65-game criteria. Technically, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes has one game to go to reach 65, but he’s pretty unlikely to warrant any real consideration for awards like All-NBA and All-Defense.
Teams with open roster spots
As we outlined on Thursday, there are still a handful of teams with open spots on their standard 15-man rosters. Those teams are now as follows:
- Boston Celtics
- Golden State Warriors
- Toronto Raptors (2)
The Mavericks (Brandon Williams) and Pelicans (Elfrid Payton) have signed players since Thursday to fill spots on their 15-man rosters, and reports have indicated that the Celtics (JD Davison) and Raptors (A.J. Lawson and Colin Castleton) have lined up deals for their openings too. So the Warriors are really the only team we’re waiting on here.
It’s not unprecedented for a team to leave a roster spot open at the end of the season, but it’s pretty rare — all 30 teams finished the season with full 15-man squads in each of the past three years.
That makes the Warriors a good bet to make a roster move before their final game tips off on Sunday, even if it’s as simple as promoting a two-way player to a standard contract to make him postseason-eligible.
Postseason Seeding Set For Eastern Conference
Wins by the Orlando, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Chicago on Friday night have locked in the playoff seeds for all six Eastern Conference playoff teams, along with the four play-in clubs.
Here’s how the top 10 teams in the East will finish the regular season, as the NBA confirms (via Twitter):
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Boston Celtics
- New York Knicks
- Indiana Pacers
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Detroit Pistons
- Orlando Magic
- Atlanta Hawks
- Chicago Bulls
- Miami Heat
The play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference will feature the Magic hosting the Hawks on Tuesday and the Bulls hosting the Heat on Wednesday. The Orlando/Atlanta winner will claim the No. 7 spot in the playoffs and face the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The loser of that game will host the Chicago/Miami winner on Friday for the No. 8 spot and the right to face the Cavaliers in round one.
The Knicks will match up with the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, while the Pacers and Bucks will meet in round one for a second consecutive year, with Indiana claiming home court advantage this time around.
We got a little more clarity on the Western Conference playoff picture by the end of Friday night, with the Lakers clinching the No. 3 seed by beating Houston and the Grizzlies now locked into the play-in tournament as a result of their loss to Denver. However, there are still several playoff berths and seeds up in the air, with the Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors, and Timberwolves vying for the final three spots in the West’s top six.
Kyle O’Quinn Announces Retirement, Takes Job At Norfolk State
Former NBA center Kyle O’Quinn has announced his retirement as a player, breaking the news this week to Tina Cervasio of FOX 5 NY (Instagram video link).
As Cervasio relays – and as the school confirms (via Twitter) – O’Quinn has accepted a position at Norfolk State University and will serve as the executive director of athletic advancement for his alma mater.
The 49th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, O’Quinn made 472 regular season appearances from 2012-20 for the Magic, Knicks, Pacers, and Sixers.
The 35-year-old served primarily as a backup center, starting just 65 contests and playing 14.2 minutes per night over the course of his eight-year NBA career. He averaged 5.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 block per game.
Although O’Quinn hasn’t been on an NBA roster since 2020, he remained active overseas in recent years. From 2021-23, he had stints with teams in Turkey, France, Japan, and China.
O’Quinn was a standout at Norfolk State from 2008-12, earning Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference twice and claiming the MEAC Player of the Year award in 2012. He ranked first in the conference in rebounds and blocks per game as both a junior and a senior and led No. 15 Norfolk State to a first-round upset of No. 2 Missouri in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. His No. 10 jersey was retired by the Spartans in 2019.
Anthony Edwards Facing Another One-Game Suspension After 18th Tech
[UPDATE: The NBA has rescinded Edwards’ technical foul. The full story on the decision can be found here.]
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was assessed with a technical foul during the second quarter of Friday’s game vs. Brooklyn. It’s his 18th tech of the season, which means he’ll be suspended for Minnesota’s regular season finale unless the NBA decides to rescind it, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune tweets.
An NBA player is suspended for one game when he reaches 16 technical fouls in a season and faces additional one-game bans for every two techs he picks up after reaching that threshold.
Edwards was previously suspended for the Timberwolves’ February 28th game in Utah after being assessed his 16th tech on Feb. 27.
While Edwards has been able to mostly avoid additional technical fouls in March and April, his 18th comes at an inopportune time, with Minnesota looking to clinch a spot in the playoffs. The team is wrapping up its schedule by facing a pair of lottery-bound teams – the Nets tonight and the Jazz on Sunday – but that doesn’t mean it won’t miss Edwards. The Wolves lost that Feb. 28 game vs. Utah without their leading scorer.
A player’s technical foul count resets in the postseason, so Edwards won’t be in any immediate danger of another suspension if the Wolves secure a playoff berth.
2025 NBA Draft Dates, Deadlines To Watch
We’re still nearly two-and-a-half months away from the 2025 NBA draft, but before we get to June 25, there are several other important dates and deadlines on the calendar. Here are some of those dates and deadlines worth keeping an eye on:
April 26 (11:59 pm ET): Deadline for early entrants to declare for the draft
College and international players who aren’t automatically draft-eligible this year have until the end of the day on April 26 to submit their names into the 2025 NBA draft pool. Those early entrants can withdraw their names later if they decide they’re not quite ready to go pro, though if college players want to maintain their NCAA eligibility, they can’t hire an agent who’s not certified by the NCAA.
Once the early entrant list is officially set, NBA teams can begin conducting or attending workouts for those players.
May 9-11: NBA G League Combine
The NBA has experimented in recent years with the format of this event, which was previously known as the G League Elite Camp. It was revamped in 2019 and consisted that year of 40 veteran G League invitees participating in the first half of the event, followed by 40 top draft-eligible players (who weren’t invited to the actual combine) taking part in the second half.
However, after being canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, the Elite Camp only featured 40 draft-eligible prospects, without the G League players, when it returned in 2021. That format has carried over to subsequent years, with the league inviting between 44 and 50 prospects who didn’t make the initial list of invitees for the NBA’s actual draft combine.
While the event has been rebranded again this year as the G League Combine, there’s no indication at this point that the format will change as well. Assuming it remains the same, several standouts from the G League combine will likely be invited to remain in Chicago for the full-fledged combine that follows.
May 12: NBA draft lottery
The 2025 draft lottery will be the seventh one employing the format that was introduced in 2019. With the lottery odds flattened out, the NBA’s worst team has a 14% shot at the No. 1 overall pick, as opposed to the 25% chance it had prior to ’19.
Although the current system reduced the odds of the league’s very worst teams claiming the picks at the top of the draft, we had gone a few years without any major surprises. That changed in 2024, when the Hawks jumped up from 10th in the lottery standings to nab the No. 1 overall pick, which they used on Zaccharie Risacher.
If we get another surprise in this year’s lottery, it figures to be even more meaningful than it was for Atlanta in 2024, since Duke star Cooper Flagg is considered one of the top prospects of the past decade and is viewed as a lock to be 2025’s No. 1 overall pick. That wasn’t the case for Risacher a year ago, when the race for the top pick was more wide open.
May 11-18: NBA draft combine
This week-long event, which takes place annually in Chicago, allows NBA teams to get a first-hand look at many of the year’s top draft-eligible players.
The combine is often particularly important for early entrants who have yet to decide whether or not to stay in the draft. The feedback they get at the combine could go a long way toward dictating whether they keep their names in the draft or return to school for another year.
In the past, the draft lottery has taken place after the conclusion of the combine. The NBA flipped the two events on its calendar last year and is sticking with that schedule in 2025. The May 12 lottery results figure to have an impact on which teams focus on which lottery-caliber players in Chicago.
May 28 (11:59 pm ET): NCAA early entrant withdrawal deadline
College underclassmen – and seniors who are eligible to play for more one season – who want to retain their NCAA eligibility will have to withdraw their names from the draft pool by May 28. NBA rules call for a later withdrawal deadline, but the NCAA has its own set of rules that say the deadline is 10 days after the combine ends.
An early entrant could technically wait until after May 28 to withdraw from the draft and could still retain his NBA draft eligibility for a future year. However, he would forfeit his amateur status in that scenario, making him ineligible to return to his NCAA squad. College players who want to play overseas for a year or two before entering the NBA draft could take this route.
June 15 (5:00 pm ET): NBA early entrant withdrawal deadline
This is the NBA’s final deadline for early entrants to withdraw their names from the draft pool and retain their draft eligibility for a future year.
By this point, we generally know whether or not a college player decided to keep his name in the draft, but this is an important deadline for international players, who aren’t subject to the same restrictions as college players. We’ll likely hear about several international early entrants withdrawing from the draft during the days leading up to June 15.
June 25 and 26: NBA draft days
The most exciting few weeks of the NBA offseason unofficially get underway on draft day, which is often when several of the first major trades of the summer are completed and when we get a sense of which direction certain teams are heading.
In 2024, for the first time, “draft day” actually referred to two days, as the NBA and NBPA agreed to make the draft a multi-day event, with the first round occurring on a Wednesday and the second round taking place on a Thursday. The league is sticking with that format this year, with round one scheduled for Wednesday, June 25 and round two to follow on Thursday, June 26.
The change drew mixed reviews from fans a year ago.
The NBA’s thinking in splitting the draft into two days was that it would benefit teams, who get to regroup halfway through the draft to reset their boards and have more time to consider possible trades; the league’s broadcast partners, who will be able to devote more attention to second-round picks that are often made when the television broadcast is in the midst of an ad break; and fans, who won’t have to stay up so late into the night to see the end of the second round.
In 2024, the first day of the draft began at 8:00 pm Eastern on Wednesday, with day two starting at 4:00 pm ET on Thursday. A U.S. presidential debate took place on the evening of day two last year, so it remains to be seen if the NBA will stick with that afternoon start time for the second round or if it will also get the prime-time treatment in 2025.
The hours and days after the second round ends will be hugely important for many of this year’s draft-eligible prospects — a ton of players who aren’t selected with one of the 59 picks in the draft will reach agreements shortly thereafter to play for an NBA team’s Summer League squad, to attend training camp with a club, or to sign a two-way contract.
Jamal Murray Cleared To Return For Nuggets
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who has been out since March 26 with a right hamstring injury, is available to play in Friday’s game vs. Memphis, the team announced (via Twitter).
Murray is expected to be on a minutes restriction in his first game back, tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette.
Having Murray back in the lineup should be a big boost for a Nuggets team that lost four of the six games he has missed in the past two weeks. A win over the Grizzlies on Friday, combined with a loss by either the Clippers, Warriors, or Timberwolves, would clinch a playoff spot for Denver, as we detailed earlier today.
Before he was let go from his position as the Nuggets’ head coach, Michael Malone expressed uncertainty about Murray’s return timeline, telling reporters that “hopefully” Denver would have its second-leading scorer back by the playoffs. It’s unclear if Murray will suit up on Sunday – that may depend on tonight’s outcome – but it appears he should be available for the start of the postseason, barring some sort of setback.
Murray got off to a slow start this season, averaging just 17.8 points per game with a .420/.333/.803 shooting line in his first 17 games, but he has turned things around since then. In his past 48 contests, he has averaged 23.0 PPG on .493/.417/.919 shooting.
Magic’s Jonathan Isaac Earns $2.6MM Bonus
Magic forward Jonathan Isaac appeared in his 70th game of the 2024/25 season, earning a $2.6MM bonus that will be tacked onto his $25MM base salary, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
The bonus had been considered unlikely to be earned and hadn’t counted against the cap because Isaac didn’t appear in at least 70 games last season. In fact, this is the first time since 2018/19 that he has achieved the feat. The 6’10” forward, who tore his ACL during the ’19/20 season, saw the floor in just 103 total contests in the five seasons preceding this one.
Isaac has played a far more modest role this season than he did earlier in his career, averaging 5.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 15.2 minutes per game entering Friday’s contest. He continues to be an impactful defender in his part-time role — Orlando has allowed just 106.5 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor, a slightly better mark than Oklahoma City’s league-best 106.7 defensive rating.
The Magic have one of the NBA’s lowest payrolls this season and will remain far below the tax line even after accounting for Isaac’s bonus, which will bump his ’24/25 earnings from $25MM up to $27.6MM.
Typically, when a bonus is earned in one season, it’s considered “likely” for the following season and is added to the player’s cap hit. However, that bonus for 70 games played wasn’t included in the contract extension Isaac signed last summer, which goes into effect in 2025/26, so his $15MM cap hit for next season will remain unchanged.
Suns Notes: Gillespie, Offseason, Durant
Signed last July to a two-way contract, guard Collin Gillespie emerged as a reliable rotation player for the Suns within the last month, averaging 8.3 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per night with a .421 3PT% across his past 13 games. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency this summer when his deal expires and said on Friday that he’d be interested in sticking with the Suns going forward, as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter video link) relays.
“I have not had any conversations,” Gillespie said when asked if he and the Suns have talked about his future. “It’ll probably be something I (discuss) with my agents toward the end of the year after these last two games, but I love Phoenix. They gave me an opportunity, coming from Denver. I would love to be here if they’ll have me back. But we’ll see. I really don’t know right now, but I would like to be here.”
This was Gillespie’s first season with the Suns and he remains eligible for a two-way contract, which means his qualifying offer would be the equivalent of another two-way deal. Assuming he receives that QO, Gillespie would have the option of accepting it or attempting to negotiate a new contract with Phoenix or another team. The Suns would have the ability to match any offer sheet he signs with a rival suitor as long as they have the cap flexibility to do so.
Here’s more out of Phoenix:
- Discussing the decisions facing the Suns this summer, ESPN’s Bobby Marks refers to it as “the most important offseason in franchise history” (Twitter video link). Marks runs through the issues facing the team, including whether to retain head coach Mike Budenholzer, what will happen with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, and whether ownership is willing to entertain the idea of a rebuild.
- If Durant’s time in Phoenix comes to an end this summer, how will his Suns stint be remembered? Doug Haller of The Athletic explores that topic, noting that Durant “doesn’t have a true NBA home.” As Haller explains, the future Hall of Famer still hears boos in Oklahoma City for the way he left the Thunder and was viewed by many as a hired gun in Golden State before falling short of expectations in Brooklyn and Phoenix.
- Durant’s ongoing absence due to a sprained ankle means he’ll fall short of the 65-game minimum required for end-of-season award consideration, notes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Despite Phoenix’s sub-.500 record, the star forward would have been an All-NBA candidate due to his impressive individual stats (26.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.2 APG, .527/.430/.839 shooting).
Joel Embiid Undergoes Knee Surgery, Will Be Reevaluated In Six Weeks
As expected, Sixers center Joel Embiid has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
According to a press release from the team, the procedure occurred on Wednesday and was performed by Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow at at NYU Langone Sports Medicine Center. Embiid will be reevaluated in approximately six weeks, per the Sixers.
The 76ers ruled out Embiid for the rest of the season on February 28 after he continued to be affected by ongoing left knee issues. He and the team spent several weeks consulting with medical specialists and weighing treatment options before deciding to go the surgical route.
The knee in question is the same one Embiid underwent surgery on in February 2024 after he sustained a lateral meniscus injury. The former MVP was able to return last April and played all six games of the Sixers’ first-round playoff series vs. New York in the spring before suiting up for Team USA at the Paris Olympics over the summer. However, he continued to deal with swelling in the knee in the fall, which delayed his season debut until November 12.
He never looked fully healthy after that, making just 19 appearances this season and averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 30.2 minutes per game. While those numbers would be impressive for most players, the scoring and rebounding rates were well below Embiid’s career averages, as were his 44.4% field goal percentage and 29.9% mark on three-pointers.
The Sixers had reportedly been hoping that Embiid’s knee would improve over the course of the season with more reps, but when he continued to experience soreness and swelling, he began to believe he needed another surgery. The disagreement over his treatment resulted in some tension between the franchise and its star center, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Philadelphia’s season will come to an end this Sunday, since the team has fallen well out of the playoff race, so we won’t see Embiid back in action until the fall at the earliest. However, his recovery process will be fascinating to monitor over the course of the offseason. As head coach Nick Nurse acknowledged this week, getting a healthy Embiid back next season will be crucial for the 76ers to have a chance to contend in the East.
The Sixers are invested heavily in Embiid for the next several years. He is owed $179MM in guaranteed money over the next three seasons, with a $69MM player option for 2028/29.