Eastern Notes: Bulls, Lloyd, Mazzulla, Tatum, More
Among the known candidates for the Bulls‘ open head of basketball operations job, Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd is the “obvious frontrunner,” reports Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required).
Lloyd has been a “top target” for the Bulls since they began their front office search, according to Poe, who writes that the veteran executive “cares deeply about the process of evaluating, acquiring and developing talent.” That should make him an obvious fit for a Chicago team that seems to be embarking on a rebuild, Poe adds.
Outside of his strengths as a front office executive, Lloyd – who grew up in the Chicago suburbs – is a match for the Bulls due to his existing connection to the franchise and the city. He worked for the organization beginning in 1994 as a game-day and special projects employee in the team’s video room and was later hired to work in the media relations department. Eventually, he made the move to the Bulls’ front office, where he was eventually promoted to the role of director of college scouting before leaving for a job in Orlando in 2012.
While the Reinsdorfs have vowed to cast a wider net in their search for a top basketball executive this time around, they have a history of not straying too far from what they know, Poe observes.
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- A Coach of the Year finalist, Joe Mazzulla has made it clear he believes it’s a “stupid award,” but the Celtics‘ head coach wouldn’t oppose an alternative that honors more than one person on a team’s staff. “I would like to see that changed to staff or organization, for sure. I think those things are important,” Mazzulla said, per Jay King of The Athletic. “If it was Staff of the Year, it’s different, (or) if it’s Organization of the Year. But at the end of the day, I haven’t made one basket all year. Our staff hasn’t made a basket. We haven’t got a block. We haven’t ran back on defense. We didn’t play a back-to-back. We didn’t have to play hurt. We haven’t really done s–t. So if you don’t have the guys you know to be able to put you in position, it doesn’t really matter.”
- Celtics forward Jayson Tatum scored 25 points in the team’s Game 1 blowout of Philadelphia on Sunday, but he admitted after that win that he’s “still rehabbing” from the Achilles tear that sidelined him until March 6. Tuesday’s Game 2 loss provided a reminder of that, writes Steve Buckley of The Athletic. Although Tatum nearly had a triple-double (19 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists), he made just 8-of-19 shots from the field and has now hit only 3-of-15 three-pointers in the series.
- Signing head coach Jordi Fernandez to a contract extension increasing the pressure on general manager Sean Marks in Brooklyn, according to C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). As Holmes outlines, the extension suggests that Marks believes the Nets have the right coaching staff in place, which means he now needs to get Fernandez the right players to lead the team back to the playoffs.
- With Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes squaring off in the first round of the playoffs, Eric Koreen of The Athletic takes a look at how both players have progressed since being drafted back-to-back in 2021, noting that Mobley and Barnes have shown they’re capable of being foundational players on good teams, though it remains to be seen whether either one is headed for superstardom.
Nets Coach Jordi Fernandez, Assistants Receive Extensions
The Nets have signed head coach Jordi Fernandez and the entire coaching staff to multiyear contract extensions, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Fernandez was hired as Brooklyn’s head coach prior to the 2024/25 season after assistant coaching stints with the Cavaliers, Nuggets and Kings. He posted a 26-56 in his first season with the Nets and 20-62 this season.
Of course, the Nets were focused on player development and protecting their lottery status rather than victories this season. Brooklyn drafted five players in the first round last June. They had the third-worst record in the league, giving them a 14 percent shot at the No. 1 overall pick and a 52.1% chance of being in the top four — those are the same odds that the Wizards and Pacers, who finished with the two worst records, possess.
Brooklyn’s assistant coaching staff includes Steve Hetzel, Juwan Howard, Jay Hernandez, Dutch Gaitley, Deividas Dulkys, Ryan Forehan-Kelly, Connor Griffin, Corey Vinson and Travis Bader.
“Jordi is a tremendous leader who, along with his coaching staff, put his stamp on this franchise from the moment he arrived in Brooklyn,” GM Sean Marks said, per a team press release. “Over his first two seasons, Jordi has built a strong foundation rooted in player development, a competitive spirit and honest communication, all of which have been embraced throughout our roster. The energy and passion the entire staff relentlessly pour into our players reverberates throughout the organization, and we are excited to have this group continue to lead our franchise into the future.”
Nets Notes: Offseason, MPJ, Clowney, Minott, Draft
After going 46-118 over the past two seasons, the Nets have some incentive to take a step forward in 2026/27. They won’t control their own first-rounder in the 2027 draft, so another year spent near the bottom of the standings won’t necessarily net them a lottery pick. Still, general manager Sean Marks was somewhat evasive when asked on Monday just how aggressively the Nets will try to accelerate their rebuild this offseason, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
“It depends a little on what becomes available. You just never know,” Marks said. “We’ve put this Nets team and franchise in a place to be able to be opportunistic. Does that fit our timeline? Does this particular trade work for us right now?
“You can always add talent, but does that talent fit our approach and for the development of these young guys, fit in with the group we have? So, those are discussions I look forward to having with (head coach) Jordi (Fernandez) and the rest of the coaching staff, front office, mostly (team owner) Joe (Tsai) — when we want to add and how we want to add.”
Besides considering how vigorously to pursue outside talent, the Nets will also face a major decision on their leading scorer, with Michael Porter Jr. eligible for a contract extension as he enters the final year of his current deal. Porter will earn $40.8MM next season and would be come an unrestricted free agent in July 2027 if he’s not extended before then.
“This summer there’s going to be a lot of those discussions, whether it’s with Michael, there’s a variety of decisions we have to make with a variety of our players on the team,” Marks said, according to C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). “But in terms of a long-term build, short-term build, I think we’ve positioned ourselves over the last year or two to maintain flexibility and have optionality.”
Here are a few more notes on the Nets as their offseason gets underway:
- Speaking on Monday to reporters, including Holmes, Porter suggested he enjoyed his first year in Brooklyn despite the team’s poor record and would be very open to extending his stay with the Nets. “If it was up to me, I would love to sign an extension with this franchise,” he said. “I would love to spend many, many years in Brooklyn and make this my home and build and watch this franchise take off. … I think as a team we can really have something to build off of.”
- Nets forward Noah Clowney, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension beginning in July, said on Monday that he felt like his third NBA season was a mixed bag, as Lewis relays. The 21-year-old set new career highs with 12.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game but believes he’s capable of more defensively. “I progressed this year, maybe not as much as I wanted to, which I thought I would have,” Clowney said. “But I got better at some different things, and I got more experience. So I’m gonna take that for what it is. I got a lot better at getting to the rim. (My handle) can get a lot better, and that would prevent my turnovers. … Defensively, it’s just always been consistency. I can do it at times, and other times I just don’t.”
- The deal that sent Josh Minott from Boston to Brooklyn in February was essentially a salary dump from the Celtics’ perspective, but the fourth-year forward finished the season strong with the Nets, averaging 10.8 PPG on .491/.395/.800 shooting in 16 games despite battling an ankle injury. Could Minott, whose deal includes a $2.6MM team option for 2026/27, be part of the club’s young core going forward? “I think he’s the best young prospect on the Nets,” a league source told Lewis (subscription required). “He’s probably better than any of their first-round picks, and he’s damn near the same age.”
- After finishing with the NBA’s third-worst record, the Nets will enter the draft lottery tied for the best odds at the No. 1 pick (14.1%), but their single most likely draft slot is No. 6 (26.0%), as Lewis outlines.
Ten Postseason Seeds Up For Grabs On Final Day Of Regular Season
While we’ve known which 20 NBA teams will be competing in the 2025/26 postseason for some time, 10 seeds are still in flux entering April 12, the final day of the 2025/26 regular season. Most importantly, three Eastern Conference teams are still vying for the final guaranteed playoff spot ahead of Sunday’s slate of games, which will see all 30 teams take the floor.
Here are the current playoff and play-in standings in both conferences, as well as where each team could finish, per the league (Twitter links).
Eastern Conference:
- Detroit Pistons (59-22)
- Boston Celtics (55-26)
- New York Knicks (53-28)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (51-30)
- Atlanta Hawks (46-35) — fifth or sixth
- Toronto Raptors (45-36) — fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth
- Orlando Magic (45-36) — sixth, seventh or eighth
- Philadelphia 76ers (44-37) — sixth, seventh or eighth
- Charlotte Hornets (43-38) — ninth or 10th
- Miami Heat (42-39) — ninth or 10th
Western Conference:
- Oklahoma City Thunder (64-17)
- San Antonio Spurs (62-19)
- Denver Nuggets (53-28) — third or fourth
- Los Angeles Lakers (52-29) — third or fourth
- Houston Rockets (51-30)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (48-33)
- Phoenix Suns (44-37)
- Portland Trail Blazers (41-40) — eighth or ninth
- Los Angeles Clippers (41-40) — eighth or ninth
- Golden State Warriors (37-44)
Notes: Teams in bold are locked in to their current seeds. A top-six seed ensures a guaranteed playoff spot, while the Nos. 7-10 teams will compete in the play-in tournament to determine the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference.
The most critical matchup Sunday is Brooklyn at Toronto. If the Raptors win, they can finish no worse than sixth place, securing the final guaranteed playoff berth.
The Hawks have ruled out most of their top players ahead of Sunday’s game at the Heat after securing a guaranteed playoff spot on Friday, tweets Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks. That matters for Miami, because if they beat Atlanta and the Hornets lose at New York, the Heat would move ahead of Charlotte due to a head-to-head tiebreaker. That said, the Knicks will be playing without four of their five starters tonight, and if the Hornets win, they stay at No. 9.
It would be shocking if the Raptors don’t win Sunday, since the tanking Nets have already ruled out nine players (a 10th is doubtful) and have an incentive to lose the game. We’ll get more into that shortly.
Still, if the Raptors do lose Sunday’s game, it opens the door for the Magic or Sixers to move up to No. 6. A Raptors loss combined with a Magic win at Boston — the Celtics are likely to be without their top-seven rotation members — would see Orlando earn the guaranteed playoff berth. The 76ers, who face Milwaukee, need to win and need Toronto and Orlando to lose to move up two spots.
If the Hawks, Raptors, Magic and Sixers all win, they will finish where they currently are in the standings.
In the West, the scenarios are more straightforward. If the Nuggets win at San Antonio, they stay at No. 3. If they lose and the Lakers beat the Jazz, Denver and Los Angeles will switch places in the standings.
The Trail Blazers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Clippers, so if they beat Sacramento tonight they will finish No. 8. The Clippers could move up if they beat Golden State and Portland loses to the Kings.
Lottery odds and traded draft picks
At the other end of the standings, the Wizards (17-64) have clinched the worst record in the league and thus have the top draft-lottery floor, notes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Washington has a 52.1% chance at landing a top-four pick in the 2026 draft lottery and 47.9% odds at No. 5, which is the worst selection the team can end up with.
The Pacers (19-62) and Nets (20-61) are also guaranteed to finish with bottom-three records and will have identical 52.1% odds at moving into the top four, including a 14.0% chance at No. 1 overall. If the Nets lose this evening and the Pacers beat Detroit, the two teams would tie and a coin flip would determine which team has the second-best lottery floor. The winner of the coin flip can finish no worse than sixth in the draft lottery, while the loser can finish no worse than seventh.
The Clippers will be hoping the Pacers lose tonight, since Indiana will send its 2026 first-round pick to L.A. if it lands outside the top four. The Pacers will retain the pick if it stays in its protected range (top four).
Several other lottery situations are still in flux entering Sunday. The Jazz and Kings are currently tied for the fourth-worst record (22-59), the Grizzlies and Mavericks are tied for the sixth-worst record (25-56), and the Pelicans (26-55) have a chance at making the latter situation a three-way tie. The Hawks will be hoping the Pelicans lose and Grizzlies and Mavericks win, since they control the better of New Orleans’ or Milwaukee’s first-rounders.
Utah will send its first-round pick to the Thunder if it’s not in the top eight. But even if the Jazz finish with the NBA’s fifth-worst record (or finish tied for the fourth-worst record and lose a coin flip), the odds of their pick landing at No. 9 would be minuscule (0.6%).
There’s a chance the Bulls (31-50) and Bucks (32-49) could have a coin flip for the ninth and tenth spots. It would require Chicago to win at Dallas and Milwaukee to lose at Philadelphia.
The four other lottery teams will be the four clubs that are eliminated in the play-in tournament.
Nets Re-Sign Tre Scott On Hardship Deal
The Nets have re-signed Tre Scott via a hardship exception, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post (via Twitter). Scott’s previous 10-day hardship contract with Brooklyn expired on Saturday night.
Scott’s new contract with the Nets will cover Sunday’s regular season finale at Toronto. He will be an unrestricted free agent after Sunday, since he’s technically not on the standard 15-man roster.
A team qualifies for a hardship exception when it has four players who have missed three consecutive games due to an injury and are expected to remain out for at least two more weeks. Day’Ron Sharpe (thumb), Egor Dëmin (foot), Michael Porter Jr. (hamstring), and Danny Wolf (ankle) all fit that bill for Brooklyn.
Scott, 29, has competed in Puerto Rico, France, and Canada since going undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2020, though he has spent most of his time in the G League, suiting up for the Salt Lake City Stars, Cleveland Charge, Ontario Clippers, Greensboro Swarm, Osceola Magic, and – most recently – the Long Island Nets.
In 47 total outings this season for Long Island, the 6’8″ combo forward averaged 12.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 27.9 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .453/.358/.609.
Scott, who had a 10-day stint with Cleveland back in 2021/22, has appeared in five games with the Nets this season, averaging 8.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 block in 31.2 minutes per contest. His shooting slash line is .381/.286/.667.
Scott will earn $11,773 on the final day of the regular season, increasing his year-end total to $174,503. That total includes both hardship deals and a $45K partial guarantee on a training camp contract he signed last fall.
Nets Notes: Claxton, Fernandez, Giannis, Draft
After winning 26 games a year ago, the Nets will enter the final weekend of the 2025/26 season with a 20-60 record, their worst mark in a decade. All of that losing has taken a mental toll, starting center Nic Claxton admits, but the 26-year-old is trying to find the silver linings in a challenging year and is hoping better things are in store for the team beginning in ’26/27, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
“You can’t let it affect your preparation and your mindset. Even this year I struggled with that some. Going into games you have to go in with the mindset, ‘OK, we’re going to win this game,'” Claxton said. “But as far as wins and losses, I get what (head coach) Jordi (Fernandez) is saying. It doesn’t always come with the scoreboard. It can be seeing our rookies go out and spread their wings and gain confidence. … It can be me maturing and finding that peace within myself no matter what’s going on out there on the court. … Then next year hopefully we get some more actual wins.”
Claxton, who has averaged 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and a career-high 3.7 assists in 27.8 minutes per game across 69 outings this season, has missed the past three games due to a right fifth finger sprain and may not play again this spring. Although he underwent an MRI on that finger this week, the big man is optimistic that the injury won’t require surgery, Lewis tweets.
“No, I don’t think so,” Claxton said. “Give it some time to rest. I think it’ll heal up. Not trying to have any procedures.”
Here are a few more notes on the Nets:
- Fernandez’s career winning percentage as a head coach has dropped to .284 (46-116) as a result of Brooklyn’s poor season, but he said this week that he appreciates the trust the organization has placed in him and that holding one of the NBA’s 30 head coaching job is “very special” for him. “This job means a lot to me and my family,” Fernandez said, per C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News, adding that Brooklyn is “home for us and will be home forever.” The second-year coach is hopeful he’ll get the opportunity to lead the team out of its rebuild and back towards contention. “My goal is not just to keep it but help the organization with the plan that we have and build success and sustain it,” he said. “Good things are going to happen in the long run.”
- The Nets weren’t among the teams pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of February’s trade deadline, but they may be in better position to explore a trade for the Bucks star this summer, Lewis writes for the New York Post. Brooklyn’s front office has long viewed Antetokounmpo as its “white whale,” says Lewis, and the team wants to become more competitive beginning in 2026/27. “They’ll make calls (on the biggest stars),” one source told The Post. “They’ve made calls in the past.”
- The draft lottery reform measures the NBA is considering implementing may benefit the Nets, who have stockpiled a surplus of future first-round picks to supplement their own selections, but the concepts reported so far look like shortsighted solutions that will have problematic unintended consequences, Lewis argues in another story for the Post.
Atlantic Notes: Rajakovic, Smith, McBride, Lidell
This season will mark the first time Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic has a chance to compete for a playoff spot, and he deserves credit for helping the team get to this point, Michael Grange writes for Sportsnet.
Toronto won 30 games last season and had the NBA’s 25th-best defense, Grange notes, while they’re up to 44 wins and rank sixth defensively this season, with three games still to go. The team currently sits in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, with a one-game lead on the Sixers and Magic, and a 1.5-game lead over the Hornets entering Wednesday’s slate of games.
“This is what you sign up for,” Rajakovic said. “It’s very, very exciting … the path that we had the past two years and this in my third year of coaching here to be in a position to plan, to fight for something, to fight for the playoffs, to fight for seeding, it’s all very, very meaningful.”
While the on-court numbers and results have been moving in the right direction, backup big Sandro Mamukelashvili also vouched for his head coach’s ability to connect with the team on a personal level.
“You go through things mentally, physically … (and) his office is always open, so it’s easy to step in there,” Mamukelashvili said. “A lot of head coaches are a little bit unapproachable, so just having the freedom to step in there and tell him what I feel and what I think I can do, where do I see myself, where does he see me? … I think that helps you through the long run.”
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Malachi Smith‘s work for the Nets recently paid off as he was rewarded with a two-year deal. Now, after a start-and-stop beginning of his NBA career, partially as a result of injuries, he’s ready to take the next step, CJ Holmes writes for the New York Daily News. “I just always was like, I know I can do this,” Smith said. “I just have to be healthy to play.“
- E.J. Liddell had a career night on Tuesday, scoring 21 points in his second start of the season to power the Nets past the Bucks. While that marked a milestone for the 25-year-old forward, it also represented a minor blow to Brooklyn’s lottery position, as it moved the Jazz and Kings both a half-game away from seizing the third-worst record, and with it, the last available 14% chance at landing the top pick, Holmes writes. The Nets have three games left in the season, including a matchup with the 18-61 Pacers, while the Kings have just two games left against teams looking to improve their postseason standing in the Blazers and Warriors.
- Knicks guard Miles McBride had a scare in his return from a lengthy absence due to core muscle surgery when he tweaked the injury in his first game back, Kristian Winfield writes for the New York Daily News. However, he said he had been warned this kind of reaggravation could happen. “It’s really just a part of the recovery process,” he said. “Basically everything was tightened, and now I’m back to moving around, so it’s just part of it.” New York’s key reserve guard is taking a patient approach to his ramp-up, knowing that the process of making sure he’s at his best for the playoffs will be slower than he’d like.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Atlantic Division
For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents – or could become free agents – during the 2026 offseason. We’ll consider whether each player’s stock is rising or falling due to his performance and several other factors.
Today, we’re focusing on a handful of players in the Atlantic Division, starting with a former second-round pick having a breakout season.
And-Ones: Coaches, Lottery Teams, 65-Game Rule, HoF, More
Kurt Helin of NBC Sports recently listed five head coaches who could be on the hot seat as the 2025/26 regular season enters its final week.
Doc Rivers was part of the 2026 Hall of Fame class, but there’s an expectation around the league that he won’t be brought back as head coach of the Bucks in 2026/27, Helin writes. Marc Stein reported similarly on Sunday, though Stein suggested Rivers might stay in the organization in some capacity.
Jamahl Mosley of the Magic and Brian Keefe of the Wizards are two of the other names on Helin’s list.
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Should Brooklyn extend or trade Michael Porter Jr. this summer? That’s the big question ESPN’s Bobby Marks poses for the Nets ahead of next month’s draft lottery. Marks lists one big question facing each of the 10 teams who have been eliminated from postseason contention. It’s worth noting the article was written last week, before the Bulls dismissed top front office executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley.
- Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic are among the star players who won’t meet the 65-game requirement this season to be eligible for major postseason awards (Doncic may still qualify, depending on what an “independent expert” rules). Several people around the league recently weighed in on the 65-game rule, which was collectively bargained by both the NBA and the NBPA in 2023, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch pointed out that there could be unintended consequences of lesser players making All-NBA teams, and suggested those who are clearly All-NBA caliber should still be eligible for the three teams, but without receiving the salary bump that sometimes goes along with it. “That’s one of the things that’s not talked about [with] it,” Finch said. “Some of these awards are going to go to players [who], not to say they’re not necessarily deserving. But they’re going to get these rewards and they’re going to get the financial bonus that comes with these rewards, and maybe they’re not quite of the standard that would normally demand that. … To me, the money piece seems to be the obvious trigger.”
- Doug Feinberg of The Associated Press passes along some quotes from the members of the 2026 Hall of Fame class, which was officially announced over the weekend. “It means everything from a basketball point of view,” Amar’e Stoudemire told the AP. “When you look back at my career not only as a pro, but even high school and, and nationally, and since I was a kid playing the game of basketball. I love the game. You play the game because you love it, and then you work to become the best you can possibly be, despite circumstances, and to get into the Hall of Fame, it shows that the voters appreciate it. And now we’re enshrined forever.”
- Several ESPN insiders list the biggest questions and what to watch in the final week of the regular season.
Nets Sign Malachi Smith To Two-Year Contract
3:00 pm: Smith’s contract is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
9:49 am: Malachi Smith‘s second 10-day contract with the Nets expired overnight on Friday, but he’ll be sticking with the team for the rest of the season — and potentially beyond that.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), the Nets and Smith have agreed to a two-year contract that will cover 2026/27 in addition to the rest of this season. While the exact terms of the deal aren’t yet known, it’s unlikely to include guaranteed money for next year.
A G League veteran who has also spent time with the Rip City Remix, Wisconsin Herd and Memphis Hustle since going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2023, Smith spent most of this season with the Long Island Nets before being called up by Brooklyn on a 10-day deal in March.
The 6’4″ guard ended up signing a pair of 10-day deals with the Nets and has been a regular contributor off the bench in the first 10 NBA games of his career, averaging 7.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 18.2 minutes per night, with an excellent shooting line of .527/.545/1.000. The 26-year-old has made 29-of-55 shots from the floor, including 12-of-22 three-pointers.
“The mentality is leave it all on the floor,” Smith said after scoring 15 points against Atlanta on Friday (Facebook video link via YES Network) “I’m someone that has been praying for this opportunity and working for this opportunity for years, so I’m not going to take any minute for granted. I always tell myself, I don’t care if I get one minute or 10 minutes. I’m going to be able to go to sleep at night knowing I played as hard as I can, and whatever happens after that, I can live with the results.”
Although the Nets technically already have 15 players on standard contracts, one of those 15 – Tre Scott – is on a hardship 10-day deal, so Brooklyn will be able to bring back Smith without having to place anyone on waivers.
Smith, who signed a training camp contract that included a $42,650 partial guarantee and then made $73,153 on each of his two 10-day contracts, would earn a rest-of-season salary of $65,838 if he officially signs a new minimum-salary contract on Saturday, bringing his total NBA earnings this season to $254,794.
That total would dip to $247,479 (including a $58,523 rest-of-season salary) if he doesn’t re-sign until Sunday, though it could also come in higher if the Nets – who have the NBA’s lowest payroll – decide to give him more than the minimum using their remaining cap room.