Ajay Mitchell On Track To Return For Thunder
Oklahoma City wrapped up the top overall seed entering the 2025 playoffs when Cleveland lost to Indiana on Thursday. Unsurprisingly, most of the Thunder‘s rotation regulars — including the entire starting lineup — have already been ruled out for Friday’s matchup in Utah.
However, as Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman tweets, one player not listed on the injury report is rookie guard Ajay Mitchell. The 38th overall pick of last year’s draft, Mitchell has been out of action since January 3 due to a turf toe injury.
The Thunder announced on Jan. 10 that Mitchell had undergone a procedure to address the injury and would be reevaluated in 10-to-12 weeks. It has been 13 weeks since that announcement, so his recovery process seems to have gone pretty well.
According to Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire, Mitchell has ramped up his activity over the past week, including going through pregame warmups on Tuesday.
Mitchell was one of the more impressive impressive rookies of 2024/25 prior to sustaining the injury, appearing in each of the Thunder’s first 34 games while averaging 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists on .506/.431/.848 shooting in 16.5 minutes per contest.
The 22-year-old was on a two-way deal at the time, but he was promoted to a two-year standard contract in February, making him eligible for the postseason.
It seems unlikely that Mitchell will be a part of the playoff rotation after such a lengthy layoff, but it’s obviously good news that he will be active for the first time in three months. OKC’s regular season will conclude on Sunday in New Orleans.
More Details On Nuggets’ Decision To Fire Malone, Booth
While the timing of the Nuggets‘ firings of head coach Michael Malone and Calvin Booth was certainly surprising, team president Josh Kroenke and his father, owner Stan Kroenke, had decided “days earlier” to move on from both when the season ended, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. A season-worst four-game losing streak — and the possibility of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018 — accelerated that timeline.
Malone and Booth continually butted heads over lineup and roster decisions since Denver won its first title in 2023, resulting in a culture in which “coaches don’t trust the front office and front office (employees) don’t trust the coaches,” as one source told Durando.
According to Durando’s sources, part of the impetus behind ownership’s decision to fire the winningest coach in team history was that “multiple key players” began tuning out Malone’s messaging, something he seemed to allude to last month after a loss in Portland.
“They’re not going to go back and watch their minutes, because nobody watches their minutes,” Malone said at the time. “Nobody watches film. So we’ll have to show them the film.”
The bickering between Malone and Booth only got worse over time.
“It wasn’t fun to be around that environment,” another source told The Post. “Everyone was waiting for an endpoint.”
Here’s more on the dismissals of Malone and Booth:
- Malone was frustrated both privately and publicly about the Nuggets’ defensive regression, but their decline on that end of the court also factored into the organization’s frustration with its coach, according to Durando. After having the eighth-ranked defense last season, Denver has fallen to 20th in 2024/25.
- Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports also hears the tension between the coach and GM “began to mount” during Denver’s late-season skid, with Booth making lineup suggestions that Malone disagreed with and which he did not take “kindly.” Booth was also critical of Malone’s coaching and usage of Jamal Murray, league sources tell Goodwill. Booth wanted Malone to push Murray more defensively and play him fewer minutes — he’s averaging a career-high 36.3 MPG and is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury which might jeopardize his postseason availability.
- League sources told Yahoo Sports in January that Malone was likely to resign from his position after the season due to his poor relationship with Booth. Malone was reportedly under contract through 2027, while Booth was on an expiring deal.
- Harrison Wind and Brendan Vogt of DNVR Sports (subscriber link) discuss why the Nuggets chose to fire Malone and Booth, and why the team made the decision with only three regular season games remaining on its schedule.
- Durando of The Denver Post lists five candidates to replace Booth as general manager, including assistant GM Tommy Balcetis, who has been with the franchise since 2013.
- In a similar story for The Post, Luca Evans lists 10 candidates to replace Malone, including interim head coach David Adelman, a longtime assistant. Frank Vogel and Taylor Jenkins are among the other coaches listed.
- How did opposing head coaches react to Malone’s firing? Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press has the story and quotes.
- The timing of the decision to fire Malone and Booth was “rude, crude and disrespectful,” according to Mark Kiszla of The Denver Gazette, but he contends it was overdue, since their broken relationship was wasting the prime of Nikola Jokic, who is having one of the best individual seasons in NBA history.
- Mark Medina of RG.org views the situation differently, arguing that ownership is ultimately “at the heart” of the disconnect between the coaching staff and front office.
Kendrick Nunn, Cedi Osman Sign Extensions With Panathinaikos
Former NBA players Kendrick Nunn and Cedi Osman have signed extensions with defending EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos, team owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos announced today (story via BasketNews.com).
According to Giannakopoulos, Nunn has signed a three-year extension with the Greek powerhouse, while Osman’s deal covers two more years.
Greek outlet SDNA reported a couple weeks ago that Nunn had agreed to a three-year extension that will make him the highest-paid player in the EuroLeague, with an annual average salary of €4.5MM (hat tip to EuroHoops.net). Nunn’s contract does not feature NBA out clauses and is fully guaranteed, tweets Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.
The €4.5MM yearly figure is after taxes have been taken out, according to Urbonas (Twitter link). That’s approximately $4.9MM annually, Urbonas notes.
Nunn, who last played for the Wizards during the 2022/23 campaign, has become one of the best players in Europe, averaging 20.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 32 EuroLeague contests this season (31.1 MPG). The American guard has been extremely efficient offensively, posting a .503/.419/.846 shooting slash line in those appearances.
Osman, 30, played for San Antonio in ’23/24, but was unable to find an NBA deal to his liking over the summer, eventually signing with Panathinaikos in September. The following month, the Turkish forward sounded optimistic about returning to the NBA at some point, but his new extension will keep him under contract through 2027. It’s unclear if his deal contains out clauses.
A seven-year NBA veteran, Osman has averaged 7.9 PPG and 2.4 RPG on .444/.379/.812 shooting in 31 EuroLeague games in ’24/25 (18.2 MPG).
Panathinaikos has a stacked roster featuring several other former NBA players and EuroLeague veterans. The team is currently in third place in the league’s standings with a 21-12 record.
Panathinaikos also went 22-0 during the regular season in Greece’s top domestic league, with the playoffs coming up this week.
Hornets Notes: Simpson, Wells, Salaün, Flagg, G. Williams
Hornets guard KJ Simpson took to social media (Twitter links) to profusely apologize to Jaylen Wells, who was taken off the court on a stretcher and sustained a broken right wrist after being fouled by Simpson while he was in the air going up for a dunk (YouTube link). Simpson was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul upon review.
“My prayers are with @jaylen_wells, I know we already spoke and are good friends bro but again I just wanted to express not only to J but to his family as well how deeply sorry I am,” Simpson wrote. “I would never purposely do that to anyone. I’m just extremely sorry.
“Especially with the talent J is. I know he’s gonna be special and just from the many times our paths have crossed I’m blessed to know he’s an even better person with an amazing story. I just wanted to again say sorry to J and his family I can’t say it enough.”
The Grizzlies wing accepted Simpson’s apologies, replying (via Twitter), “Much love brother. Thank you.”
Here’s more on the Hornets:
- No. 6 overall pick Tidjane Salaün is wrapping up his first season with Charlotte. While the 19-year-old has struggled with efficiency during his rookie campaign, he has looked much more comfortable — and been more productive — since the start of March, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The French forward says he wants to improve in multiple areas in the offseason. “I would like to continue to develop some winning habits,” Salaün said. “Get faster on defense, keep blocking out the player and on offense, play my game, try to develop my ball-handling, some good passes and keep the game simple. And be the most efficient. That’s it.”
- Winning the draft lottery would give the Hornets the opportunity to select consensus top prospect Cooper Flagg, who just finished his freshman season at Duke. In a column for The Charlotte Observer, Scott Fowler explains why he thinks landing with the Hornets could be a good thing for Flagg, whose family lived in North Carolina while he was attending college. Instead of going to a team with a track record of success, Flagg could become an icon in the area if he’s able to help turn the Hornets into a winner, Fowler notes. Charlotte has the NBA’s longest postseason drought, last making the playoffs in 2016.
- 2024/25 has been a disappointing season for the Hornets, with injuries once again being a major issue. Forward Grant Williams, who tore the ACL in his right knee in November, says he’s making good progress in his recovery, according to Boone. “I’m feeling great, positive,” Williams told Boone. “That’s really the one word that I’ve tried to stay consistent with throughout this whole process. … The team, they are not rushing me. They are just focused on making sure I get better every single day and taking it one day at a time. I’m trying my best just to stay focused on the moment, and attacking every single little thing with the right mentality and come back stronger than I was before.”
Georgia’s Asa Newell Declaring For 2025 NBA Draft
Georgia freshman Asa Newell is declaring for the 2025 NBA draft, his agents at Excel Sports Management tell Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Newell goes No. 21 overall in ESPN’s latest mock draft (Insider link) and No. 14 on Bleacher Report’s, making him a projected first-round pick.
A 6’10” forward/center, Newell averaged 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block on .543/.292/.748 shooting in 33 games for the Bulldogs (29.0 minutes per contest). He helped Georgia advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015, Givony notes.
Scouts praise Newell for his consistent motor, mobility, production and assertive play, though there are questions about his outside shooting and what position he’ll ultimately play in the NBA. Still, at 19 years old, he has plenty of time to develop.
Newell is the latest of several projected first-rounders who have declared for June’s draft in the past couple days.
Cavaliers Clinch Top Seed In Eastern Conference
By defeating Chicago on Tuesday, the Cavaliers secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2016, as ESPN.com relays.
“Yeah, I mean I think you celebrate these moments,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “You know, we’ll talk about going forward, what that looks like, but today, tonight we celebrate. And, you know, I think the guys are super happy in that locker room.”
Cleveland’s victory also means that the defending champion Celtics are locked into the No. 2 seed in the East entering the playoffs.
Atkinson said he’ll talk to his coaching staff and players about the plan for the final three games of the season — resting regulars is one option. He said he would prefer Donovan Mitchell to sit the remaining regular season contests to fully heal after sustaining a left ankle sprain on Sunday. Mitchell missed Tuesday’s game with the injury.
“I think there are various options on the table. It’s going to be a collaborative thing and the players are part of it,” Atkinson said. “What is their feel on rhythm? We can do intrasquad scrimmages to prepare. We can do a lot of things to get ready.”
The Rockets didn’t play on Tuesday, but they clinched the No. 2 seed in the West when the Thunder beat the Lakers, notes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. The Thunder secured the West’s top seed three weeks ago.
Unlike the East, where the six guaranteed playoff spots were already known last week, the three through six spots in the West are still up for grabs. Only two games separate the No. 3 Lakers from the No. 8 Timberwolves with the regular season set to conclude on Sunday.
And-Ones: Luka Trade Offers, Coaches, Lithuania, Howard
In an article for ESPN.com (Insider link), Bobby Marks examines what the other 28 NBA teams could hypothetically have offered the Mavericks for Luka Doncic, who was sent to the Lakers in February in arguably the most stunning trade in NBA history.
Marks’ exercise comes with a couple of caveats. The first is that a Doncic trade may have fallen apart had every team been able to make a bid for the superstar guard, which is why Dallas was so determined to keep its talks with Los Angeles quiet. The second is that the hypothetical offers are based on each team’s financial restrictions as of February 1, the day before the trade.
Which teams could have offered the Mavericks the most compelling combinations of win-now players and draft assets? According to Marks, the Cavaliers (Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, 2031 unprotected first-round pick) and Rockets (Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith, Reed Sheppard, unprotected first-round picks in 2025 and 2027 via Phoenix) could have put the best packages together for Doncic (Cleveland would have been required to take back Maxi Kleber as well for salary-matching purposes, Marks notes).
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- In a story that was released before the Nuggets fired Michael Malone, Zach Harper of The Athletic listed four other head coaches who could be on the hot seat, with Mike Budenholzer of the Suns considered the most likely to be dismissed.
- Confirming a report from BasketNews.com, Linas Kleiza said on his podcast (YouTube link) that Domantas Sabonis is unlikely to compete in this summer’s EuroBasket due to personal reasons (hat tip to EuroHoops.net). Kleiza, a former NBA player who is now general manager of the Lithuanian national team, also said that Jonas Valaniunas and Matas Buzelis are expected to compete in this year’s tournament.
- Georgia businessman Calvin Darden Jr. was recently sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for cheating former NBA star Dwight Howard out of $7MM in a phony scheme to purchase the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, reports Philip Marcelo of The Associated Press. Darden was also convicted of stealing $1MM from former NBA forward Chandler Parsons in a separate scam. Darden was found guilty in October of wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering charges.
Nets Notes: Beekman, Timme, Williams, Lottery
Reece Beekman is the latest young player to get a shot a major minutes for the Nets, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
The 23-year-old rookie hadn’t appeared in seven of the previous eight games leading up to Thursday’s matchup with Minnesota, when he played 18 minutes off the bench, then received his first career start in Sunday’s loss to Toronto. The 6’1″ point guard finished with 14 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals in 36 minutes.
“First, it’s a blessing for this to be my first year and have a start in the NBA; that doesn’t happen a lot. So I’m just blessed to be in this opportunity,” said Beekman, who is on a two-way contract with Brooklyn. “But it just took time to settle in. It’s a fast-paced game. I’m still learning in my first year. So, just learning different spots on the court, learning where to be effective and just try to make a mark on both ends of floor.”
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Rookie big man Drew Timme also got his first career start Sunday, Lewis writes in another story for The New York Post. Head coach Jordi Fernandez has been pleased thus far with Timme, who signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract at the end of March. “Yeah he’s been very good. Like again he connected with his teammates right away,” Fernandez said. “He fits in, his personality and his game. … So very happy with him. But not just the production. Sometimes the ball’s going to go in, sometimes it’s not going to go in. But his intentions, how good of a teammate he is. He comes in and works every day. So I’m very happy with Drew.”
- In a subscriber-only story, Lewis details how Ziaire Williams has become a regular contributor for Brooklyn, averaging 10.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 1.0 SPG in 61 appearances, including 43 starts (24.7 MPG). Williams will be a restricted free agent this summer if he’s tendered a qualifying offer (he’ll be unrestricted if he doesn’t get a QO).
- Sunday’s matchup with Toronto had lottery implications, and the loss means that the Nets are now 3.5 games “ahead” of the Raptors in the reverse standings with four games left on their schedule, as Lewis relays. Brooklyn will likely finish with the sixth-worst record entering the 2025 draft lottery, with a 37.2% chance of landing a top-four pick, per Tankathon.
Texas’ Tre Johnson Entering 2025 NBA Draft
Texas freshman Tre Johnson announced on ESPN’s NBA Today that he’s entering the 2025 NBA draft, Jonathan Givony writes for ESPN.com.
Johnson is projected to go No. 5 overall in the today’s mock draft from Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link).
A 6’6″ shooting guard with a 6’10” wingspan, Johnson averaged 19.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists on .427/.397/.871 shooting in 33 games (34.7 minutes) for the Longhorns in 2024/25.
Johnson, who was named SEC Rookie of the Year and claimed a spot on the All-SEC Second Team, said he watches a number of NBA players to help improve his game, per Givony.
“It will be constant work, just trying to take advantage of every day to try and get better,” the 19-year-old said of preparing for the draft. “I’m a big basketball nerd, so I’m spending a lot of time watching film, both full games and individual players on Synergy.
“I like to watch Shai Gilgeous-Alexander because we have similar body types. Devin Booker, with how he scores and his footwork coming off pin-downs, and also Klay Thompson with the Warriors, seeing how he uses different actions.”
Thiero, Penda, Pettiford Among Latest Draft Early Entrants
French forward Noah Penda is declaring for the 2025 NBA draft, agent Francois Nyam tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).
Penda has spent the 2024/25 season playing in France’s top domestic league, the LNB Élite. In 24 games with Le Mans, he has averaged 10.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 25.8 minutes per contest, with a shooting slash line of .431/.292/.753.
The 20-year-old combo forward comes off the board at No. 32 overall in ESPN’s latest mock draft (Insider link), and No. 24 in the latest mock from Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, making him a potential late first-round pick.
Arkansas junior Adou Thiero is also declaring for the 2025 draft (Instagram link). Theiro, who goes No. 26 overall in ESPN’s mock and No. 39 in Bleacher Report’s, didn’t say anything about keeping his remaining college eligibility, so it sounds like he’s committed to staying in the draft.
An athletic forward, Thiero had a productive season for the Razorbacks, averaging 15.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.9 APG and 1.6 SPG on .545/.256/.686 shooting in 27 games (27.5 MPG). He’s viewed as a project at this point, per ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, but has considerable upside if he can improve in certain areas (ball-handling, shooting, among others).
Here are a couple more draft early entrants:
- Auburn freshman Tahaad Pettiford will declare for the draft while maintaining his college eligibility, according to Givony (Twitter link). The 6’1″ point guard goes No. 39 overall in ESPN’s mock. He averaged 11.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 3.0 APG and 0.9 SPG on .421/.366/.804 shooting in 38 games (22.9 MPG) in ’24/25, helping the Tigers advance to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
- Junior forward Tae Davis, who spent this past season with Notre Dame, will enter the draft with the goal of securing a guaranteed contract, agent Ron Shade tells Givony (Twitter link). If Davis withdraws from the draft, he will transfer to Oklahoma, Givony adds. Davis goes undrafted in the mocks from ESPN and Bleacher Report.