Injury Notes: Edwards, Nuggets, Durant, Allen
As expected, star guard Anthony Edwards has been upgraded to available for Saturday’s Game 1 at Denver, the Timberwolves announced (via Twitter). Edwards was previously listed as questionable due to a right knee injury which caused him to miss multiple games at the end of the regular season.
That nagging right knee injury ultimately cost Edwards the ability to earn major postseason awards, such as All-NBA, when his extraordinary circumstances appeal was denied. The 24-year-old shot career-best percentages on two-pointers (55.4%) and three-pointers (39.9%) while averaging a career-high 28.8 points per game in 2025/26. Edwards was named second-team All-NBA each of the past two seasons.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Nuggets forward Spencer Jones will be active today against Minnesota after previously being listed as questionable, per the team (Twitter link). Jones, a former undrafted free agent in his second NBA season, has been sidelined since March 29 due to a right hamstring strain. Fourth-year forward Peyton Watson, meanwhile, remains out due to his own right hamstring strain, which he aggravated on April 1. Watson previously missed several weeks due his initial strain prior to returning in late March.
- Rockets star Kevin Durant is questionable to suit up tonight against the Lakers due to a right knee contusion, but the injury doesn’t sound serious. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the 37-year-old forward sustained the injury in a practice this week. Houston is confident Durant’s knee bruise won’t be a “significant issue” in the first-round series vs. Los Angeles, a source tell ESPN.
- While Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen was in the team’s starting lineup for the afternoon matchup vs. Toronto on Saturday, he acknowledged earlier this week that the right knee tendonitis he’s been experiencing since March 3 is likely to continue bothering him until the offseason, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. As Fedor writes, Allen’s tendonitis has been described as “severe,” and he’s tried a variety of treatment methods to reduce inflammation and pain in his knee. “I’d be lying if I said I would expect it to be 100%,” Allen said. “I don’t think anybody will be 100% going into the playoffs. That’s just how it is. That’s my very political answer to not give you a yes or no. But I think it’s definitely something I’m going to have to deal with and manage. Get treatment before and take the medicine that I’m supposed to try to be at my best.”
Fischer’s Latest: Horst, Bucks, Jenkins, Blazers, Bulls
The Bucks endured a disappointing and drama-filled season in 2025/26, going just 32-50 amid injuries to — and trade rumors involving — Giannis Antetokounmpo. Head coach Doc Rivers officially stepped down from his role on Monday and suggested in a subsequent podcast appearance that his NBA coaching days may be over.
Could general manager Jon Horst be the next key member of the organization on the move? According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), the early signs in Milwaukee indicate the answer to that question is no.
There had been speculation around the league about Horst’s job status, but his contract runs through 2027/28 and he has initiated contact with several agents as the Bucks commence their search for Rivers’ replacement, sources tell Fischer.
As Fischer writes, Horst hasn’t really spearheaded a coaching search since 2018, when the team hired Mike Budenholzer. Adrian Griffin, who went 30-13 in ’23/24 before being replaced by Rivers, was believed to be the favored choice of Antetokounmpo, while Rivers was hand-picked by ownership.
Fischer reiterates that ex-Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins and Bucks top assistant Darvin Ham are among the candidates for the position, but Horst appears to be casting a wide net in his search, with several other names in play as well.
On the other end of the search, candidates for the job likely won’t have a great feel for what Milwaukee’s roster will look like next season until at least this summer, Fischer notes, since Antetokounmpo’s situation remains unresolved.
Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:
- Jenkins, who was fired by Memphis near the end of the ’24/25 regular season, may be the “hottest name” on the coaching market, Fischer writes. There has been speculation the Wizards could be interested in Jenkins, but Washington’s front office recently said Brian Keefe is expected to remain in his role next season. Sources tell Fischer the Wizards want to give Keefe a chance to lead a team trying to win after Washington prioritized draft positioning in his first two-and-a-half years at the helm. The Magic are believed to be fans of Jenkins too, though the team still has Jamahl Mosley under contract.
- According to Fischer, part of the reason the Kings decided to retain Doug Christie is because Sacramento doesn’t project to be a playoff team next season and the former NBA guard has one year left on his contract. Given the current state of the team, paying two coaches doesn’t make much sense, Fischer writes.
- While Tiago Splitter has seemingly done as well as anyone could have hoped in Portland after Chauncey Billups was arrested and placed on leave as part of an illegal gambling probe, the Trail Blazers may be leaning in a different direction as they look to hire the first head coach under new majority owner Tom Dundon. According to Fischer, that’s not a reflection on Splitter’s performance as Portland’s interim replacement but rather Dundon’s reticence to pay the going rate for an NBA head coach. Fischer hears it has been “widely communicated” for weeks that Dundon is evidently looking to spend a maximum of $1.5MM per year on a new head coach, which is more in line with what top assistant coaches make. It’s also far less money than high-level college head coaches earn, Fischer continues, which is why some people believe an NBA assistant is more likely to accept the job unless a deal can be reached with Splitter. Fischer hears the Blazers have held exploratory talks with 20 college and international coaches about the position.
- The Bulls have hired the firm TurnkeyZRG to lead the search process for their new head of basketball operations, Fischer reports, but head coach Billy Donovan is also expected to have a “strong voice” in the search, assuming he stays in his current role. The Mavericks, meanwhile, decided not to use a search firm, with governor Patrick Dumont leading that process, Fischer adds.
And-Ones: Rivers, Awards, Playoff X-Factors, Wemby, Morant
In a podcast appearance with Bill Simmons of The Ringer (Twitter video link), Doc Rivers suggested his coaching career might be finished. The 64-year-old stepped down as head coach of the Bucks earlier this week.
“We met about seven weeks ago, me and (Bucks) ownership,” Rivers said (hat tip to Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports). “We had a great meeting. They asked me what I wanted to do. One of the owners says one plan is, ‘If we do this, you can hang in there for a year or two.’ I literally said, ‘Oh, no, no, no.’
“I told my coaches, I’m done. I loved coaching. Loved it. I had a lot of success at it, had way more ups than downs. But at the end of the day, I’ve given 47 years or whatever, I don’t even know how old I am … with no off time. I just wanted a break. I want to get away. The grandkids and just life in general, man. Right now, I can tell you, Bill, I think it was time, so I’d be surprised if I coached another game, I’ll put it that way.”
Rivers, who will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later this year, compiled a 1194-866 regular season mark (.580) over the course of 27 seasons as an NBA head coach.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports and Tim Bontemps of ESPN have released their full 2026 NBA awards ballots. While both media members have the same top-five finishers for Most Valuable Player, with Luka Doncic fourth and Cade Cunningham fifth, the order of the three finalists are different. O’Connor has Victor Wembanyama as his MVP, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, whereas Bontemps had SGA winning his second straight MVP award, with Jokic the runner-up and Wembanyama in third.
- In another story for Yahoo Sports, O’Connor lists his playoff X-factors for every team competing in the postseason. Celtics center Neemias Queta, Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson and Spurs guard Dylan Harper are a few of the players mentioned.
- The Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA) has named Spurs center Wembanyama the winner of the Magic Johnson award for the 2025/26 season, per a press release. The award “honors the NBA player who best combines excellence on the court with cooperation and grace in dealing with the media and fans.” Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) was the runner-up for the second straight season, while Stephen Curry (Warriors), Jaylen Brown (Celtics) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) were the other finalists.
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has purchased a stake in the Metropolitans 92, Wembanyama’s former team in France, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “I’m excited about how this first season with the Metros is going,” Morant told ClutchPoints. “They represent the culture, just like we do. I like what we are building and hopefully we get to take it into NBA Europe.” Morant made the investment alongside his media and business venture company, Catch12.
Suns’ Williams Out Friday; Porzingis Active For Warriors
The Suns received good and bad news on Friday, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Veteran guard Grayson Allen (left hamstring) was upgraded from questionable to available, but starting center Mark Williams (left foot soreness) was downgraded from questionable to out for Friday’s elimination game vs. Golden State.
As Rankin observes, Williams missed 15 consecutive games late in the regular season after sustaining a stress reaction in his left foot. Head coach Jordan Ott said the foot was bothering the fourth-year big man in the third quarter of Tuesday’s play-in loss to Portland.
“Just flared up,” Ott said. “Now we’re just waiting for the inflammation to calm down.”
Second-year center Oso Ighodaro will start in place of Williams (Twitter link via the team).
Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis also entered Friday’s game with a questionable tag. While his right ankle was “clearly bothering him” during warmups, the Latvian big man will suit up tonight, as Anthony Slater of ESPN reports (via Twitter).
Allen is under contract for two more years, while Williams (restricted) and Porzingis (unrestricted) are both heading for free agency this summer. Porzingis is also extension-eligible through June 30.
Clippers Notes: Kawhi, Lue, Investigation, Garland, Offseason
A couple days after Kawhi Leonard declined to discuss his future, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank reaffirmed the Clippers‘ commitment to the star forward, writes Kris Rhim of ESPN.com.
“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Frank said. “We obviously showed as an organization that we want to continue and we are driven to win. So, at the appropriate time, we’ll sit down with Kawhi, and very similar to 2024, lay out our plan. And if our goals are aligned, then we’d like to win with Kawhi.”
The two-time Finals MVP is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $50.3MM in 2026/27. He’ll be eligible this offseason to sign a two-year extension.
As Rhim notes, the Clippers made a couple major trades ahead of the February deadline, sending James Harden to Cleveland for Darius Garland and Ivica Zubac to Indiana for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and two first-round picks. Frank thinks those moves put the team in a better position to contend in the future.
“I think we do have great hope and optimism with our future,” he said. “Because as we build that bridge from competitive to contender, we’ve put ourselves in a very good position with emerging young players, draft capital and cap space going forward.”
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- Law Murray of The Athletic passes along several more quotes from Frank’s 45-minute press conference. The longtime executive confirmed head coach Tyronn Lue, who is under contract until 2029, isn’t going anywhere, as Murray previously reported. “I thought Ty and the staff did an unbelievable job of, every day, showing up with a great spirit, and just kept at it,” Frank said. “Ty’s an incredible coach, an incredible partner. And one of the characteristics we look for, not just in staff, but also in players, are people who are driven to improve. And all of us, you know, are very much driven to improvement.”
- Frank also doubled down on comments he made at the beginning of 2025/26, expressing confidence that the NBA’s investigation into Leonard’s alleged no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration won’t result in a significant punishment for the franchise. “If you know (owner) Steve (Ballmer) and know Steve’s integrity, you know there’s nothing to it,” Frank said. “And I can’t comment on the investigation, but I will stand by what I said up here back in September, October, whenever it was, that, you know, we believe and we’re very confident we’re on the right side of this.”
- Frank said he’d like to see Garland focus on adding strength to his frame in addition to getting healthy after dealing with a nagging toe injury for most of the last year, Murray writes. “The offseason is the time where you can make great gains with your body,” Frank said. “And I think when you look at the — in this league — smaller guards who have been able to excel, it’s the strength part of it.”
- Frank said the team needs to improve its rebounding, secondary ball-handling, and shooting, according to Murray, who points out that Frank made similar comments last year.
- Determining Leonard’s future, finding a workable contract with Mathurin, who will be a restricted free agent, and looking for a new starting center should be the Clips’ top three priorities entering the offseason, per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
Pelicans Making ‘Significant’ Changes To Basketball Staff
The Pelicans have begun to make “significant” changes to their basketball operations, coaching, and medical staffs, multiple sources tell Shamit Dua of In The N.O. (Twitter links).
Several staff members have been informed they won’t be brought back for next season, according to Dua, who says a “significant portion” of the basketball operations, coaching, and medical departments were either on expiring contracts or had team options. New Orleans decided to go in a different direction as the team begins “restructuring” and “reorganizing” those three key departments, Dua adds.
In a full story at his Substack, Dua reports that assistant coaches Casey Hill and Corey Brewer were among the “more than a dozen” employees who won’t return in 2026/27.
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line confirms Dua’s report (via Twitter), writing that “sweeping” organizational changes were made on Friday. As Fischer notes, the Pelicans have commenced a search for a new head coach and several positions on the coaching staff will be available once the lead coach has been hired.
Dua hears Nuggets assistant Jared Dudley is a name to watch in the Pelicans’ coaching search (Twitter link).
The Pelicans are entering their second offseason under executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars, who was hired last April. There have been rumors that Dumars has taken a hands-off approach as a decision-maker, with senior VP of basketball operations and general manager Troy Weaver believed to be behind last summer’s trades for Jordan Poole and Derik Queen.
Injury Notes: Edwards, Diabate, Quickley, Bryant
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is officially listed as questionable for Saturday’s Game 1 at Denver, the team announced (via Twitter). The former No. 1 overall pick’s injury designation is right knee injury maintenance.
While Edwards’ status suggests he may or may not play tomorrow, he was doing on-court work after Friday’s practice, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic “fully expects” the 24-year-old shooting guard to suit up on Saturday (Twitter link).
Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:
- Starting center Moussa Diabate (left hip soreness) has been upgraded from questionable to available for Friday’s contest at Orlando, the Hornets announced (Twitter link). As we noted in our poll this morning, the winners of tonight’s play-in games will advance as the No. 8 seeds in their respective conferences, with the losers being eliminated from postseason contention.
- Raptors point guard Immanuel Quickley is questionable for Game 1 at Cleveland on Saturday, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Quickley, who was already battling right foot plantar fasciitis, strained his right hamstring in Toronto’s regular season finale vs. Brooklyn on April 12. The 26-year-old said he wasn’t sure if the injuries were related, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). “Just day-to-day. Trying to take care of myself so I can be back on the floor with my teammates,” Quickley said.
- Cavaliers backup center Thomas Bryant, who missed the last four games of the regular season due to a left calf strain, has been ruled out of Saturday’s game vs. Toronto, per the league’s official injury report. The veteran big man, a free agent this summer, averaged 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per game across 60 appearances in 2025/26. His shooting slash line was .506/.359/.803.
Brazilian Legend Oscar Schmidt Dies At 68
Oscar Schmidt, who was inducted into the FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, died on Friday at age 68, per Mauricio Savarese of The Associated Press.
Schmidt’s family released a statement that said the 6’8″ forward battled a brain tumor for 15 years “with courage, dignity and resilience … while remaining a role model of determination, generosity and love of life.”
“Oscar leaves a legacy that transcends sport and inspires generations of athletes and admirers in Brazil and worldwide.”
Schmidt was selected by the Nets in the sixth round of the 1984 draft, but he never played in the NBA, deciding instead to continue representing the Brazilian national team in international competitions. As Savarese notes, at the time players had to choose between playing in the NBA or for their countries.
“The biggest player of Brazilian basketball history bids farewell as an absolute symbol of sport, the holder of a trajectory that redefined the boundaries of what was possible in a court,” the Brazil Basketball Confederation said in a statement. “His death closes an era. But his greatness remains.”
Schmidt, who retired in 2003 at 45, is one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history. Known as “Mão Santa” (Holy Hand), Schmidt led Brazil to a major upset over the United States in the final of the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, scoring 46 points in the victory. He is the all-time leading scorer in Olympic and World Cup competitions and holds the single-game scoring records in both tournaments, according to Savarese.
We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Schmidt’s family and friends.
Northwest Notes: Splitter, Nuggets, Daigneault, Hardy
Tiago Splitter has emulated Gregg Popovich as interim head coach of the Trail Blazers, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Splitter, 41, spent five of his seven NBA seasons playing in San Antonio under Popovich, including winning a title in 2014.
“The way he treats people makes you feel like you are part of a family,” Splitter said of Popovich, who retired from coaching last May as the NBA’s all-time winningest coach after leading the Spurs to five NBA titles and six trips to the Finals in 29 seasons.
“That’s really what I am trying to do here,” Splitter continued. “I have everybody involved. From one to 18 on the roster, everybody has to be part of this. I think that is what I learned most from him, the off-the-court stuff. The Xs and Os, yeah, they are important. I think everybody does that in the league. But the relationship part with the players is what really, really separates Pop from all the coaches.”
As Orsborn points out, multiple reports have suggested Splitter isn’t a lock to be promoted to Portland’s full-time head coach despite taking over under difficult — and extraordinary — circumstances and helping the team exceed expectations in 2025/26.
Here’s more from the Northwest:
- After expressing optimism earlier this week that Nuggets forwards Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones could both be available for Saturday’s Game 1 matchup vs. Minnesota, head coach David Adelman said on Friday that Jones has a better chances of suiting up than Watson, tweets Brendan Vogt of DNVR Sports. Both players are recovering from right hamstring strains — Watson has been out since April 1, while Jones suffered his injury on March 29.
- Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault continued to improve in 2025/26 after leading the team to the championship last season, according to star swingman Jalen Williams (subscriber-only story via Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman). While Daigneault may not be a finalist for Coach of the Year after leading Oklahoma City to the best record in the league for the second straight season, his players continue to sing his praises, Carlson writes. “And I think especially for us this season, it’s been big because coming off winning a championship, winning however many games, the margins are small for where you can find improvement,” veteran Alex Caruso said. “But I think he’s done a great job of searching for it and pushing us to try and find some ways to get better as well.”
- Will Jazz head coach Will Hardy show a different side of himself next season after guiding a tanking team over the past four years? Sarah Todd of The Deseret News explores that subject, writing that third-year guard Keyonte George expects Hardy to be a little more intense in 2026/27. “Oh, absolutely,” George said with a knowing laugh and shake of his head. “Will is already a maniac and he’s gonna have his moments. But I know Will, and I know he wants the best for us, so whatever that looks like from Will — I know there’ll be a lot of screaming and yelling — it’s gonna make us great.”
Raptors Notes: Barnes, Quickley, Ingram, Walter
Scottie Barnes had an excellent all-around season in 2025/26 and should be a lock for a spot on an All-Defensive team, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says the two-time All-Star will have to take his game to another level in the playoffs for the Raptors to have “a real shot” in their first-round series vs. Cleveland.
Head coach Darko Rajakovic is confident Barnes’ play will translate well to the postseason. The 24-year-old hasn’t been in the playoffs since he was a rookie in ’21/22.
“I think the way Scottie’s competing, the way Scottie is contributing to the team at so many levels, it’s built for a playoff series,” Rajakovic said. “It’s a stage he’s going to be shining [on]. He just needs to be himself and do what he does, and I think that’s more than enough.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- In addition to taking on challenging defensive assignments, Barnes will also have more play-making duties because Immanuel Quickley remains hobbled by hamstring and foot injuries, Lewenberg notes. Toronto’s starting point guard was unable to practice this week and his status for Saturday’s Game 1 is up in the air, Lewenberg adds.
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic takes a look at Brandon Ingram‘s bounce-back first season with Toronto, which resulted in his second All-Star berth and 77 regular season appearances, his highest total since he was a rookie nine years ago. Ingram had been plagued by various injuries in recent years, including an ankle issue which limited him to a career-low 18 games played last season. Part of the reason he was more available this season is because Ingram learned not to overexert himself when he went through a rough patch. The 28-year-old forward credited the team’s medical staff for keeping close tabs on his activity level. “(It’s) just constant communication. ‘How’s your body feeling? Is this a day we pull back a little bit? Is this a day we can still go hard?’” Ingram said. “They’re giving me all the information I need to know if I need to exert or if I need to take a step back.”
- After an uneven start to his second NBA season, Ja’Kobe Walter thrived after the All-Star break and emerged as a key contributor for the Raptors, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Veteran Garrett Temple and Rajakovic praised Walter’s competitiveness, adaptability and how easy he is to coach, while Barnes complimented the 21-year-old’s three-and-D skill set. “We all know he’s been great defensively for us,” Barnes said. “Being able to put pressure on the ball, turning guys, trapping guys, helping us get out and run, but his shooting is just something that we need on our team, and he’s been on fire. Each shot he takes, it feels like it’s going in and he’s been super important for our team. Sometimes, we get in these ruts where we’re not making shots. But we can count on him to play defense and make shots.”