Raptors Convert A.J. Lawson To Standard Contract
4:00 pm: Lawson’s new deal is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
3:16 pm: The Raptors are promoting two-way player A.J. Lawson to a standard contract that covers the rest of 2025/26, agents Todd Ramasar and Mike Simonetta tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Blake Murphy of Sportnet.ca confirms (via Twitter) that Lawson’s contract will expire this summer, making him a free agent. Converting Lawson’s contract will make him eligible for the postseason, as two-way players are unable to compete after the regular season ends.
A 6’5″ guard/forward, Lawson has appeared in 23 NBA games in his second season with the Raptors, averaging 4.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per contest while shooting 41.5% from three-point range. He has also spent extended time in the G League with the Raptors 905, averaging 21.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.4 SPG on .465/.360/.792 shooting in 36 games (31.9 MPG).
Lawson, a Toronto native who went undrafted in 2021 out of South Carolina, is in his fourth NBA season, having previously spent time with Minnesota and Dallas. The 25-year-old was also promoted from a two-way deal to a standard contract by the Raptors last April. He was waived in mid-October, but re-signed with his hometown team two days later on a new two-way agreement.
Toronto created a roster opening on Friday when the team waived Tyreke Key, a G League standout who was essentially given a nice bonus for his play with the 905. The 27-year-old combo guard didn’t make any appearances during his brief stint with the Raptors, who were believed to be deciding between Lawson and two-way player Alijah Martin to fill the newly opened roster spot.
Assuming Lawson receives a minimum-salary deal and is officially converted on Saturday, he’ll make $27,343 on top of his $636,435 two-way salary. If he’s promoted on Sunday, he’ll earn $13,672.
The Raptors need to win Sunday’s regular season finale against the tanking Nets to clinch their first playoff berth since 2021/22.
Celtics’ Chisholm On Mazzulla, Stevens, TD Garden, More
Celtics owner Bill Chisholm recently gave an interview to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). The conversation covers a number of topics, including Chisholm’s first year as the team’s governor and majority stakeholder, his thoughts on Jaylen Brown‘s excellent season, Jayson Tatum‘s return from a torn Achilles tendon, and more.
Here are a few highlights from Himmelsbach’s interview with Chisholm.
On whether Chisholm has built a connection with the Celtics:
“I feel extremely welcome. I try to find the right balance of being supportive and visible to them without making them feel like I’m looking over their shoulder. I try to be super available, super positive, and I’ve tried to develop a relationship with all the players, and certainly with [head coach Joe Mazzulla]. We’re on the same page, and I’m a huge fan. And [president of basketball operations Brad Stevens] and his team are tremendous.”
On how having Mazzulla and Stevens, whom Chisholm called the “best basketball executive there is,” in place has brought stability to the team:
“I do not take that for granted. I look around at the owners’ meetings and talking to other folks and hear of the challenges they have and the wholesale changes they have to make, not just to their rosters but their management. It is extraordinary here. It’s all I know, but I know enough to know this is not normal to have this. I am going to fight and claw and do everything in my power to make sure we keep it going with those guys.”
On the perception that Chisholm was concerned about cutting costs after the Celtics made a series of offseason and in-season transactions to move below the salary tax line, easing several roster-building restrictions in the process:
“I think it’s out there, but ultimately I have to prove every day in the near term, medium term, and long term that I want to win, I want to win desperately, and I’m a huge fan. I can understand where some short-term decisions might feel like they’re not necessarily headed in that direction, but I put hand on heart and know I’m doing and we’re doing the right things to win, and that’s what we care about. So, you have to trust in that.
“I compare us to other teams coming into the season that looked a lot like us. We were completely aligned that we’re about winning. We’re going to compete, play hard, develop our talent, find additional talent, and this is not a gap year. We’re just not doing that. I can put my hand on heart saying that. I’ll prove it and I’ll continue to prove it every day, that I just want to win.”
On the status of TD Garden and the possibility of building a new arena in the future:
“It’s pretty much the same as it was at the beginning of the season. The philosophy there is the same. The Garden is a great place to play. It’s consistently ranked one of the best places in the league for player and fan experience. It’s loud, a lot of energy, and it’s got a storied history.
“My starting point is if we can make it work, we’d love to stay where we are. And making it work means improving the fan experience and the player experience. If we can do those things and remain where we are now, that’s great. And if that doesn’t work there, we’ll think about other places. But my goal here is to see if we ideally make it work where we are, and I think there’s a commitment with us, with the Bruins and Delaware North, with all of that. That’s where we want to end up and we’re working on it as we speak.“
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Playoff Seed, Kennard, Vanderbilt
If there’s a silver lining for the Lakers after losing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to injuries, it’s the fact that LeBron James has shown he can still dominate when asked to spearhead an offense, says Melissa Rohlin of The California Post.
The 41-year-old superstar was the third offensive option for the first time in his 23-year career before his teammates got injured, but he has averaged 28.0 points, 12.7 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals while shooting 60.0% from the field, including 46.2% on three-pointers, in three games as the team’s primary offensive hub, Rohlin notes.
“I had to tap back into a role that I’ve been accustomed to in the past, but obviously it wasn’t what it was this year,” James said. “But circumstances have put me back in there, and I’m just trying to feed off my teammates, teammates are feeding off of me, and just trying to make things happen for us to continue to stay afloat.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- While the team’s final seed is still up in the air, Los Angeles secured home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs after Friday’s slate of games, writes Khobi Price of The California Post. The Nuggets and Lakers are assured of being the third and fourth seeds, in some order, while Houston is locked in at No. 5 and Minnesota is No. 6. The Lakers, who are currently No. 4, need to beat Utah Sunday and need Denver to lose at San Antonio to move up to No. 3.
- Luke Kennard has been given far more on-ball and play-making duties with Doncic and Reaves out and has responded with 31 assists in the last four games, per Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times. Head coach JJ Redick praised the veteran guard’s professionalism and willingness to embrace various responsibilities, while James lauded Kennard’s versatility. “He’s just a ball player,” James said. “… People just kind of gave him the narrative of just being a shooter. But he does so many more things. He can handle the ball, he can rebound the ball, he can make plays. … And what we’re missing right now, we need it [from him]. We need it more and more than ever.”
- Veteran forward Jarred Vanderbilt addressed his recent confrontation with Redick after Friday’s win over Phoenix, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays (Twitter video link). “We talked about it, we moved on from it,” Vanderbilt said. “At this point in the season, we both realize this is the group we got. So it’s definitely not a time for anybody to separate.”
Heat Promote Jahmir Young To Standard Contract
April 11: Young’s promotion is official, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).
April 10: The Heat are converting Jahmir Young‘s two-way contract to a standard deal, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
Young will be promoted a two-year contract, agent Scott Nichols tells ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Young’s salary for 2026/27 will be non-guaranteed, reports Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (via Twitter).
Young’s promotion will make him eligible for the postseason. The Heat will be in the play-in tournament for the fourth straight season and will have to win two games to advance as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
A 6’0″ point guard who went undrafted in 2024, Young has played sparingly for the Heat in his second NBA season. In 13 appearances (including Friday’s win over Washington), he has played 55 total minutes for Miami.
While his NBA role has been very modest, Young thrived at the G League level with the Heat’s affiliate team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. In 25 regular season contests (38.1 minutes per game) for the Skyforce in 2025/26, the 25-year-old averaged 26.0 points, 8.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals on .471/.376/.815 shooting splits.
Young, who spent his rookie season on a two-way deal with Chicago, was named the G League’s Player of the Month in January and earned a spot on the All-NBAGL Second Team for his play with Sioux Falls.
Miami created a roster opening on Friday when the team waived Terry Rozier, who has been on leave for essentially the entire season after being arrested in October on federal charges related to illegal gambling.
Bulls Notes: Giddey, Donovan, Buzelis, Miller, Dillingham
Bulls guard Josh Giddey had been away from the team over the past week and didn’t have an opportunity to weigh in on the recent firings of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley until Friday, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Giddey, who will end up missing the final five games of 2025/26 due to a nagging hamstring injury, gave a diplomatic response, saying he understood it was a business but appreciated what the two front office executives had done for him the past couple years.
Giddey also discussed the future of head coach Billy Donovan, and he made it clear he’s a big fan of the 60-year-old. Donovan will meet with the team’s ownership after the regular season ends.
“He’s been awesome,” Giddey said. “I’ve loved him ever since I got here. He’s been very straightforward, and I think all the guys would say the same thing. He’s very direct. He tells you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear, and he gives it to you straight. He coaches hard; he wants to win every game. You see how competitive he is on the sidelines. I couldn’t speak highly enough about him. I hope he’s here for a long time.”
As for his own performance this season, Giddey said it was, “OK, up and down” on an individual level but he hopes to have more team success going forward.
“I’ve got to find ways to impact winning, and that’s probably the next step for me as a player,” he said.
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Second-year forward Matas Buzelis, another perceived member of Chicago’s core, reiterated his support for Donovan on Friday, tweets Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. Buzelis, who was away from the team at the time due to an illness, said he called Donovan on the phone when he learned Karnisovas and Eversley were being dismissed. “I told him, ‘I hope you don’t leave. I’m riding with you forever. You’re a cornerstone for my career,'” Buzelis said.
- Scoop Jackson of The Chicago Sun-Times argues Donovan should walk away from his contract and reject any overtures from ownership to remain with the organization in a different role, writing that the veteran coach will likely have better coaching offers in the future and won’t be under the constraints of the Reindsorfs, who have done a miserable job operating the franchise over the years.
- Leonard Miller seemed like a throw-in as part of the trade that sent Ayo Dosunmu to Minnesota, but he has continued to impress the Bulls over the past several weeks and is making a strong case to stick around beyond 2025/26, Cowley writes for The Sun-Times. While Donovan admitted he wasn’t familiar with the Canadian’s game before the trade because he had played so little at the NBA level, he’s quickly grown to appreciate Miller’s play. “He’s a live body, he competes [and] he’s really long,” Donovan said. “He kind of has this instinctive way about him on the glass and chasing balls. Even defensively, he’s multidimensional. I think the biggest thing with him is he plays so instinctively that he catches up to the league and really understands digging in on film and personnel, guarding, game plans. I think he’s only going to get better because he’s got a really good motor.” The Bulls hold a $2.4MM option for next season on Miller, who is averaging 14.6 points and 7.3 rebounds on .538/.358/.743 shooting splits in his last 17 games (28.0 minutes per contest).
- The other player the Bulls received in that deal, Rob Dillingham, acknowledged he needs to add more strength to his lean frame this summer, according to Cowley. The former Kentucky guard also said he wants to make better in-game decisions and plans to watch a lot of film ahead of his third season.
Hawks Clinch Playoff Spot; Top Four East Seeds Now Locked In
The Hawks have become the fifth Eastern Conference team to clinch a playoff spot after defeating Cleveland on Friday, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
Dyson Daniels recorded his second career triple-double (13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists) and CJ McCollum registered a game-high 29 points in just 24 minutes during the 22-point win, notes Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link).
Atlanta, which is currently 46-35, also secured the Southeast Division title with Friday’s victory. This is the first time the Hawks have avoided the play-in tournament since 2020/21, when they made a surprise run to the conference final as the No. 5 seed.
Detroit secured the East’s No. 1 spot following last Saturday’s win in Philadelphia, but the other seeds had been up in the air until now. Friday’s results have provided a little more clarity. The Celtics locked up the No. 2 seed by demolishing New Orleans; the Knicks are No. 3 after they beat Toronto and Cleveland lost; and the Cavaliers are No. 4.
The Hawks can clinch the No. 5 seed if they win Sunday’s game at Miami. The 45-36 Raptors, who are currently No. 6, also control their own fate — a win Sunday over the tanking Nets will secure a guaranteed playoff berth.
There’s theoretically still a pathway for the No. 7 Magic (45-36) or the No. 8 Sixers (44-37) to sneak in as the East’s sixth guaranteed playoff team on Sunday. The Magic would need a win at Boston combined with a Raptors loss, which would make Orlando the No. 6 seed (the Hawks would be No. 5 in that scenario no matter how they fare against Miami). Philadelphia needs Orlando and Toronto to lose Sunday and it has to beat Milwaukee at home to finish No. 6, with Atlanta again the No. 5 in that scenario.
If the Hawks, Raptors, Magic and Sixers all win on Sunday, they will finish where they currently are in the standings. That outcome wouldn’t be surprising.
The Hornets are now locked into the play-in tournament after losing to the Pistons on Friday. They’ll face the Heat in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game. Charlotte will be No. 9 with either a win Sunday (at New York) or a Miami loss. The Heat need to beat Atlanta and need Charlotte to lose to the Knicks to move up to No. 9.
Southeast Notes: Knueppel, W. Carter, Keefe, Sarr
Several members of the Hornets — including head coach Charles Lee, executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson, and Brandon Miller — recently explained why they think Kon Knueppel deserves to be named Rookie of the Year, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
“I understand why the race is tight,” Lee said. “The rookie class this year has been pretty impressive. [Cooper] Flagg is one of the guys that’s up there, and I think that he’s shown some good moments. But I said it about a month ago, to me it’s not even close. I still feel that way.
“I think that this period of time has shown it even more, when you have a guy that’s been as productive as Kon has been, when he’s been as consistent as he is, and as efficient as he’s been on a playoff-caliber team. I think that’s pretty impressive.
“There’s things that show historically what he’s been able to do as a rookie,” Lee continued. “but then there’s even some stats if you dive even deeper into the advanced stats and stuff, he’s just one of the best players in the NBA — not even just as a rookie.
“So, I can go on and on, but I think that he has definitely made his case just from a production, consistency and efficiency perspective, and also impacting winning games.”
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. broke his nose in Monday’s loss to Detroit and is wearing a protective mask, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Entering Friday, Carter had already appeared in 76 games this season, eclipsing last year’s career high of 68. “It was something that’s been a goal of mine for the past two or three years,” he said. “So for it to actually come to life and me to able to be available for these games, it means a lot. But now it’s about being a little bit more consistent. I’ve had stretches throughout this year where I haven’t been playing my best basketball whether that’s from tiredness, injury or whatever. It’s just about being better while I’m out there.”
- Determining the future of head coach Brian Keefe will be the first order of business for the Wizards this offseason, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. While Monumental Basketball president Michael Winger spoke highly of the job Keefe has done the past two seasons, there has been a sense around the league that it might be difficult for Keefe to transition from coaching a tanking team to a group trying to be more competitive in 2026/27, Robbins notes.
- Wizards big man Alex Sarr is “unlikely” to play in Washington’s season finale on Sunday, Keefe said earlier this week (story via The Associated Press). The French center, who was selected second overall in the 2024 draft, will end up missing the final nine games of his season season due to a left toe injury.
Injury Notes: Wemby, Castle, Nuggets, Bulls, Tyson, Barrett
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been upgraded from questionable to available for Friday’s game vs. Dallas, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
Orsborn’s colleague Jeff McDonald wrote on Thursday that San Antonio was privately optimistic that Wembanyama would be active Friday. The third-year center needs to play at least 20 minutes against the Mavs to qualify for major postseason awards. He left Monday’s game early due to a left rib contusion, an injury which sidelined him for Wednesday’s win over Portland.
Reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, who also missed Wednesday’s game, will be out again Friday, Orsborn adds. Head coach Mitch Johnson said Castle is dealing with multiple nagging injuries; he was listed as having right knee soreness two days ago, while Friday’s designation is left foot soreness.
“Eighty games and the way he plays. It’s real. We’re not just sitting him just to sit him,” Johnson said.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Nuggets will be playing without all five of their normal starters on Friday against Oklahoma City, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post tweets. All five players (Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson) had previously been listed as questionable. Jokic sitting out means he’ll need to play at least 15 minutes in Sunday’s finale at San Antonio to be eligible for year-end awards.
- After missing three games with an illness, Bulls forward Matas Buzelis will return to action for Friday’s penultimate game vs. Orlando, according to Will Gottlieb of CHGO Bulls (Twitter link). Isaac Okoro (left quad contusion) will be out Friday but there’s a chance he could return for Sunday’s finale vs. Dallas, while Josh Giddey (left hamstring strain injury management), Guerschon Yabusele (left shoulder and left elbow sprains), Nick Richards (right elbow sprain) and Anfernee Simons (left wrist fracture) will miss the final two games of Chicago’s season.
- Jaylon Tyson is in the Cavaliers‘ starting lineup on Friday, tweets Danny Cunningham of Locked on Cavs. The second-year wing has missed Cleveland’s past 10 games due to a left great toe bone bruise. Tyson is starting in place of Donovan Mitchell, who is out with what the team calls right ankle injury management.
- Raptors wing RJ Barrett was a late scratch ahead of Friday’s contest vs. New York, as Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca relays (via Twitter). Barrett is dealing with right knee soreness. It’s the second night of a back-to-back for Toronto, which will also be without Immanuel Quickley and Collin Murray-Boyles. The Raptors can clinch a playoff spot if they beat the Knicks.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Horford, Santos, Durant, Suns
After missing nine straight games due to a right ankle contusion, former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart will return to action on Friday for the Lakers, tweets Jovan Buha. Los Angeles, which is jockeying for playoff seeding in the Western Conference, faces Phoenix tonight.
Head coach JJ Redick said Thursday that he spoke to Luka Doncic, who is rehabilitating from a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in Europe, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). Redick said Doncic was in “relatively good spirits,” adding that it’s been good to have Austin Reaves around the team as he recovers from his own injury (oblique strain).
Redick also had a conversation with Jarred Vanderbilt about Tuesday’s spat in which the 27-year-old forward accosted Redick for calling a timeout to remove him from the game (Twitter link via McMenamin). Redick didn’t divulge any details about that conversation but said it went “great.” Vanderbilt played 26 minutes in Thursday’s win at Golden State after receiving just five on Tuesday.
Here’s more from around the Pacific Division:
- As expected, Al Horford will return from a 14-game absence on Friday in Sacramento, relays Anthony Slater of ESPN (via Twitter). The Warriors big man has been out since March 13 due to a right calf (soleus) strain. Horford, who holds a $5.97MM player option for next season, has averaged 8.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 blocks in 43 appearances in 2025/26 (21.7 minutes per game).
- Several filmmakers from Brazil have been recording documentary footage of Gui Santos throughout the course of the Warriors forward’s third NBA season, as Danny Emerman of The San Francisco Standard details. The former second-round pick has unexpectedly been thrust into a major rotation role the past couple months after Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL in his right knee. Santos said he watches every episode and his family back home in Brazil loves the series, which is released on YouTube with English subtitles. “It’s on the internet, so that’s one thing that’s never going to get lost,” Santos told Emerman. “So, when I’m 50 years old or 40 years old, sit with my grandsons on the sofa just watching that: ‘Look, your grandpa was strong, your grandpa was playing in the NBA.’ That will be nice.“
- Rockets forward Kevin Durant said prior to Tuesday’s matchup in Phoenix that he’s “pretty much over” the way his Suns tenure ended, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. It was Durant’s first game in Phoenix since he was traded to Houston last summer. “At the time, it was tough to take. A place I wanted to be. I wanted to keep building, but it’s the business of the league and it’s the business of basketball,” Durant said. “You’re not going to be in the same place all the time. It is what it is. Yeah, I was sour early on, but I think I’ve gotten over it. Time heals all. Just move on.” The 37-year-old star had 24 points, four rebounds and three assists during Tuesday’s game, which Houston won.
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Duren, T. Smith, M. Williams
The 65-game rule has been a hot topic of conversation in recent weeks amid injuries to Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic, all of whom would have been shoo-ins for All-NBA spots prior to getting hurt. Pistons star Cunningham reflected on the rule after Wednesday’s win over Milwaukee, his first game back from a collapsed lung, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.
“I feel a lot of different ways about it,” Cunningham said. “What they were trying to do with it is have superstars play and not sit out just to rest, because fans pay a lot of money to come watch us play games. I have a lot of respect for that; I know fans come to watch me play. I want to make sure I’m available and I give them a show whenever they come out. So in that way, I respect the rule. I think it’s a good rule.
“It’s tough for me right now, this year, because I think I did a lot of work to be in consideration for awards and All-NBA. I’m in a tough spot, but I think it’ll all play out how it’s supposed to play out. I’m just trying to do my best to help my team win. I’m hearing all this stuff about exceptions … I don’t know how all that works. I just keep doing my job day by day. Whatever comes will come, whatever is meant to be will be.”
Here’s more from Detroit:
- While Cunningham may not qualify for major postseason awards, All-Star center Jalen Duren met the minimum requirement on Wednesday, Patterson notes. Duren, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, offered some insight into Cunningham’s mentality while he was recovering from the injury. “Time away for him, probably personally, was needed,” Duren said. “It sucks that he was injured, but I think it gave him a mental break, obviously a physical break. He was able to kind of shake back and get his body right going into the playoffs. In terms of the team, I don’t think we really missed a beat because he wasn’t away. We were still around him, he would still be talking, he was still in the facility, still in the group chat, still giving his opinion on games. So it wasn’t really like he was away and today was the first time we’d seen him. His presence was always around.”
- Second-year big man Tolu Smith was converted from a two-way deal to a two-year standard contract earlier this week. The former Mississippi State star said his family was emotional when he FaceTimed them to inform them of the news, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter video link). Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters that the 25-year-old earned the promotion, Sankofa adds (via Twitter). “He’s been great. Over the past couple of years he’s done everything we’ve asked him to and more,” Bickerstaff said. “He plays a similar brand we play … we’ve seen stretches this year where he’s just dominated the painted area and dominated the offensive and defensive boards.”
- In an interesting interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, former Pistons head coach Monty Williams said he still follows the team and remains in contact with members of the organization. “Yeah, I do. I was talking to [Pistons assistant coach] Fred Vinson today, actually,” Williams told Spears. “Those guys have done an unreal job there. … I’ve been on teams that won. I’ve been on teams that didn’t win, and that was a failure for me — Detroit was. And I don’t shy away from that. What J.B. [Bickerstaff] and that staff have been able to do there should be applauded. Those guys are knocking it out of the park, and Cade is exactly what I thought he was. I couldn’t bring it out of him like J.B. has. And Jalen is knocking it out of the park, and Ausar [Thompson] and all those kids, man, they’re awesome. Would I have loved to have been a part of that? Absolutely. … But man, I’m cool with where I am and happy for those guys. I still talk to a number of people up there. … But yeah, I don’t shy away from that. I failed and that’s only going to make me better as a coach. And I’ve been able to share my failures with other people so that they can be better. I think that’s what life is about — or part of living — is to be able to talk about your shortcomings and failures so that you can help another person not go down that road. And that’s how I view it.” Williams has spent the past two seasons coaching his sons in Texas — his older son Elijah Williams, who has committed to Baylor, could be a one-and-done prospect in the 2027 draft, Spears writes. Williams added that he hasn’t ruled out a potential NBA return down the line, but he’s not actively seeking out head coaching jobs.