Eastern Notes: Bucks, Powell, Brunson, Johnson
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers shuffled his lineup and it worked on Saturday, as the team ended a four-game losing streak with a 113-99 win over Utah. Giannis Antetokounmpo was joined in the starting five by Ryan Rollins, Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma and Ousmane Dieng, Eric Nehm of The Athletic notes (Twitter links).
“I love the starters because of our size,” Rivers said. “I loved how we played the first seven minutes of the game. The ball just flew up the floor.”
Cam Thomas only saw six minutes of action off the bench, his lowest single-game total since joining the Bucks.
“Tonight wasn’t the night,” Rivers said. “And we’ve got a lot of guys that can play.”
Antetokounmpo sat out Sunday’s game against Orlando.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- While the Nets were pulling off a stunning comeback at Detroit on Saturday, Drake Powell was in the G League with the Long Island Nets. C.J. Holmes of the New York Daily News notes that over his last 17 NBA appearances, Powell has averaged just 5.2 points in 19.1 minutes per game, and his efficiency dropped to 35.4 percent from the field and 20.9 percent from deep. Powell was recalled by Brooklyn on Sunday, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets.
- Jalen Brunson‘s shooting numbers have dipped as of late, but the Knicks floor leader has become a high-volume and highly composed facilitator during that stretch, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes. Entering Sunday, Brunson had racked up three consecutive double-digit assist games. He had seven assists on Sunday against the Lakers but also committed seven turnovers. He has shot 36.2 percent from the field in five March games. “He’s taking what the defense is giving him,” coach Mike Brown said. “They’re switching, they’re blitzing, they’re trying to throw the kitchen sink at him. And he’s doing a great job of getting off [the ball and passing].”
- The Hawks won their sixth straight on Saturday, thanks to Jalen Johnson. He scored nine of his 35 points in the fourth quarter of a 125-116 win over Philadelphia. He added 10 rebounds and seven assists. “I think I’m always locked in,” he told Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “Yeah, I’m always locked in. I mean, obviously, you get in when the momentum’s high, you’re on a run and stuff like that, emotions are running much higher than they are at the beginning of the game. So maybe the emotions piece of it looks locked in more.”
Checking In On 10-Day Contracts
After Mo Bamba‘s 10-day contract with the Jazz expired on Saturday night, there are currently just two active 10-day deals around the NBA, as our tracker shows. Those deals are as follows:
- Brooklyn Nets: Grant Nelson (runs through March 8)
- Sacramento Kings: Killian Hayes (runs through March 14)
Bamba, the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, was technically active six times for Utah but only made two appearances with the Jazz. He averaged 5.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.0 block in 19.0 minutes per contest during road games in Philadelphia and Washington.
Bamba was on his first 10-day deal with the Jazz, who could re-sign him to a second 10-day pact if they so choose. At the expiration of that theoretical second 10-day contract, Utah would have to either let the veteran center go or sign him for the remainder of the season.
Hayes, another former lottery pick, is on his second 10-day agreement with Sacramento after re-signing with the Kings on Thursday. The 24-year-old point guard’s deal runs through this Saturday.
As for Nelson, the former Alabama forward will become a free agent on Sunday night. The seven-footer appeared in four games with the Nets, averaging 4.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks in 8.8 minutes per contest.
Head coach Jordi Fernandez discussed Nelson’s 10-day contract ending prior to Saturday’s game at Detroit, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
“[He’s] a very good basketball player. Everything he does, he does it well,” Fernandez said. “He doesn’t over-dribble or try to do too much. Everything is efficient. His size is great. He’s a multi-positional defender, very good play-maker, fast. All of those things have been very good. It translates to this level. Obviously right now we have one more game and then after that we’ll have to discuss and see what the next move going forward is.”
Nets Notes: Fernandez, Dëmin, Thomas, Carrino
Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez was critical of his starters and a pair of young players after Tuesday’s lopsided loss at Miami, per Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. As Reilly writes, Tuesday was “easily” Michael Porter Jr.‘s worst game of 2025/26 — he finished with nine points on 3-of-17 shooting, including going 0-for-9 from long distance.
“I want Mike and the first group to play as hard as they can,” Fernandez said. “I want to challenge them to do it, because I’ve seen them doing it, especially on the defensive end. If that happens, I can live with whatever happens. If that is there, then you’re being selfless, you’re playing for the team, and just good things happen. I’m trying to just challenge every guy in different ways.”
Rookie Nolan Traore actually received two points of criticism, as he was part of the starting unit. He recorded six turnovers and zero assists, and fellow rookie Ben Saraf had six turnovers as well (he dished out four assists).
“(Traore and Saraf) need to grow. They need to grow and watch it and learn from it,” Fernandez said. “And I know they’re better. It’s not an excuse if they’re young. I’ve watched them play and they’re way better than 12 turnovers. How they organize the team, how vocal they are, all that, it’s important.”
The 19-year-old guards played better in Thursday’s rematch in Miami, combining for 11 assists (nine for Traore) and four turnovers (three for Traore), though Brooklyn still lost its 10th straight game.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Saraf has received backup point guard minutes in recent games because fellow first-round pick Egor Dëmin has been sidelined due to a left foot injury. Fernandez said the Russian guard, who missed missed most of training camp and the preseason while rehabilitating from a plantar fascia tear, has experienced more soreness of late, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “He’s struggled with plantar fasciitis, and the soreness has increased lately,” Fernandez said. “So we’re being cautious and trying to figure out what’s the best way for him moving forward.”
- Cam Thomas said last week that his departure from the Nets was “absolutely” because the team didn’t believe in him, adding that the lack of belief wasn’t exclusive to him. Fernandez responded to those comments prior to Thursday’s game, as Lewis relays (via Twitter). “No, I mean, I wish Cam the best. We loved him while he was here,” Fernandez said. “We hope he does very well where he is. I don’t know if he has a right to speak about others; but we’re happy with the guys we have here. I believe that everybody here can help us with what we have planned, and we wish nothing but the best for him.” Thomas signed with Milwaukee last month after being waived by Brooklyn following the trade deadline.
- Play-by-play announcer Chris Carrino has been named the recipient of the Curt Gowdy electronic media award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Friday (Twitter link).
Injury Notes: Flagg, Niederhauser, Nuggets, Demin
Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, who has been out since February 10 due to a left midfoot sprain, is expected to return to action on Thursday in Orlando after missing the club’s past eight games. Co-interim general manager Michael Finley first suggested during a Wednesday radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan that Flagg’s return was imminent, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
“That’s the plan right now,” Finley said of Flagg returning on Thursday. “I think it’s still a game-time decision, but he looked good in his workouts yesterday, he looked good earlier today, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that he could come back and give us some minutes tonight.”
Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link) has since confirmed that Flagg will return tonight, while Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News echoes that report. According to Curtis, the plan is for the first-year forward to be on a minutes restriction vs. Orlando, then see an uptick in usage on Friday in Boston, barring a setback.
We have more injury updates from around the NBA:
- After sustaining a right foot injury in the Clippers‘ win over Indiana on Wednesday, reserve center Yanic Konan Niederhauser will miss at least the next two games, staying home as the team visits San Antonio on Friday and Memphis on Saturday, tweets Joey Linn of SI.com. Isaiah Jackson, who took Niederhauser’s place in the rotation in Wednesday’s game, scored 10 points in 18 minutes against his former team and should see an increased role going forward.
- The Nuggets have formally ruled out forwards Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain), Peyton Watson (right hamstring strain), and Spencer Jones (right shoulder strain) for Thursday’s game vs. the Lakers, the first of a back-to-back set, tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. Gordon is reportedly targeting Friday’s matchup with New York for his return, while Watson may not be far behind him. Jones, meanwhile, is missing a third straight game, while Cameron Johnson (right ankle inflammation) is listed as questionable after sitting out on Monday in Utah.
- Rookie guard Egor Dёmin will miss his third straight game on Thursday when the Nets play at Miami, per C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News. The eighth pick in last year’s draft is currently sidelined with what the team calls left plantar fascia injury management. “Right now, he’s not good to go,” head coach Jordi Fernández said. “We’ll see what the next step is. It’s important that we manage them.” As Holmes notes, Dёmin missed most of Brooklyn’s training camp and the preseason while rehabilitating from a plantar fascia tear.
Rory Maher contributed to this post.
Checking In On 10-Days, Pending Deals, Open Roster Spots
Two important roster-related dates for the 2025/26 NBA season are now behind us — teams can no longer sign players to two-way contracts and players who are waived by their current clubs from here on out won’t be playoff-eligible for a new team.
That certainly doesn’t mean there won’t be any players signed or waived in the coming weeks, but the NBA’s transaction wire should be a little less busy going forward. That makes it a good time to step back and take stock of where things stand with rosters and contract situations around the league as we enter the home stretch of the season.
10-day contracts
After Killian Hayes‘ 10-day contract with the Kings expired on Wednesday night, there are currently just two active 10-day deals around the NBA, as our tracker shows. Those deals are as follows:
- Utah Jazz: Mo Bamba (runs through March 7)
- Brooklyn Nets: Grant Nelson (runs through March 8)
Following a flurry of 10-day signings during and after the All-Star break, no team has finalized a 10-day deal in nearly a week, but I’d expect action to pick up on that front shortly.
A year ago, a total of 23 10-day contracts were signed between March 6 and the end of the season, with a handful of players receiving multiple deals – and, in some cases, rest-of-season commitments – from their respective teams. There are still a number of clubs across the league with open roster spots, and many of those openings figure to be temporarily filled with 10-day signees in the coming days and weeks.
Pending deals
Before we take a look at exactly which teams have roster spots to fill, it’s worth noting that there’s still one reported transaction that hasn’t been officially completed. The Nuggets reached an agreement with point guard Tyus Jones on Monday but have yet to formally announce his new deal.
No corresponding roster move will be needed for Denver, since the team already has an open spot on its 15-man roster, and it shouldn’t be long before Jones officially joins the roster. As Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets, the 29-year-old was at the Nuggets’ practice facility on Wednesday and is expected to be available for the club’s game against the Lakers on Thursday.
[UPDATE: Jones has officially signed with the Nuggets.]
Open roster spots
As our tracker shows, the following teams currently have one spot available on their 15-man standard rosters:
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Orlando Magic
- Sacramento Kings
- Toronto Raptors
The Nuggets technically belong on this list too, but they’ll have a full roster once they officially sign Jones. The Jazz and Nets could also join this group if they don’t re-sign Bamba and Nelson, respectively, after their 10-day contracts expire.
The Warriors and Rockets are operating in luxury tax territory, and while they have plenty of room below their hard caps to add a 15th man, they’re probably not all that eager to increase their projected tax bills by bringing in someone who won’t play at all.
The Magic, Kings, and Raptors are all operating less than $1MM away from the tax line, but each team has enough room to bring in a minimum-salary veteran on a rest-of-season contract without becoming a taxpayer, so if there’s someone out there they like, they don’t necessarily have to wait.
Finally, there’s one notable team not mentioned in the list above because they technically have three open 15-man roster spots, not just one. That’s the Celtics. Boston is in the midst of executing an intricately timed plan to meet the NBA’s rules related to roster minimums for the rest of the season while narrowly staying out of the tax.
After 10-day deals for Dalano Banton and John Tonje expired over the weekend, it’s a safe bet that Boston will stick with just 12 players for the maximum allowable 14 days before making a couple roster additions in mid-March. Current two-way player Max Shulga will likely get a promotion at that time for financial reasons (his rookie minimum salary wouldn’t be subject to “tax variance“). If all goes according to plan, the Celtics will be able to sign a 15th man on the last day of the regular season without surpassing the tax threshold.
Eastern Notes: Young, Ellis, Jackson, Nets, G League Awards
His Wizards debut won’t happen until Thursday, but Trae Young has already earned his first ejection as a member of his new team. As Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes, Young was lobbying for referees in Monday’s game to make a call on Tari Eason after the Rockets forward shoved Wizards wing Jamir Watkins multiple times. Young was initially called for a technical foul before officials conferred and ejected him for walking onto the court.
Head coach Brian Keefe explained to reporters after the game why he didn’t mind the ejection.
“I think he was just sticking up for his teammates, which I thought was great,” Keefe said. “Obviously, the refs missed a call, (in) which our guy got knocked down, and I loved how our teammates stuck with him. So, whatever happened in that moment, I was actually proud of him, because he stuck up for us teammates, and I really care about that type of stuff.”
Young didn’t speak to reporters about the incident, but tweeted a laughing emoji accompanied by the message, “Don’t expect me to get ejected too many more times, D.C. But I’m definitely bringing that energy and competitiveness when I’m back for my brothers!”
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link), Young isn’t expected to face any additional discipline from the league office for coming onto the court from the bench.
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- While he was somewhat overshadowed at the deadline because the Cavaliers also acquired James Harden and Dennis Schröder, guard Keon Ellis has impressed his new teammates and head coach with his tenacity on defense, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). A potential 2026 unrestricted free agent who is currently eligible for a contract extension, Ellis had an incredible five blocks and three steals in Sunday’s win in Brooklyn. “He never gives up on a play,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I’ve never quite seen a player like him defensively. He’s not a massive guy but he plays way bigger than he looks. Length counts. Activity counts. He makes up for probably the strength deficit with his activity.”
- Quenton Jackson‘s new three-year deal with the Pacers will pay him $601,553 – his minimum – for the rest of the season and includes a partial guarantee of $275K on his minimum salary ($2,584,539) for 2026/27, Hoops Rumors has learned. Indiana used a portion of its mid-level exception to complete the signing, which includes a fully non-guaranteed third year.
- The Nets have lost eight straight games to drop to 15-45 on the season, but they’re seeing positive development from rookies like Nolan Traore and Danny Wolf. Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) takes a look at the strides Traore is making, while Peter Botte of The New York Post examines Wolf’s growth.
- Although MarJon Beauchamp has only appeared in two NBA games since signing a two-way contract with the Sixers in December, he’s putting up some big numbers for the Delaware Blue Coats. Beauchamp was named the G League’s latest Player of the Week for averaging 32.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in a pair of Blue Coats victories (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Bulls two-way guard Mac McClung was named the league’s Player of the Month for February after averaging 33.0 PPG and scoring no fewer than 24 points in any of his seven games last month for the Windy City Bulls (Twitter link).
Kon Knueppel, Dylan Harper Named Rookies Of The Month
Hornets wing Kon Knueppel has won a fourth consecutive Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). No other Eastern rookie has earned the honor in 2025/26, as Knueppel has now claimed the award in October/November, December, January, and February.
Knueppel continued to solidify his case for Rookie of the Year recognition by leading Charlotte to an 8-3 record in 11 games in February. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 31.5 minutes per game while knocking down more than half of his field goal attempts (50.3%).
Perhaps most impressively, Knueppel made 49-of-101 three-pointers, averaging 4.5 makes per game at a 48.5% clip.
Knueppel had shared Rookie of the Month honors with his former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg three times in a row, but with Flagg sidelined for much of February due to a foot injury, Spurs guard Dylan Harper became the first non-Blue Devil to break through this season, earning the Rookie of the Month award in the West.
Harper’s Spurs didn’t lose a single game in February, going 10-0 when he was active. The No. 2 overall pick registered 12.5 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 3.9 RPG in 25.1 MPG while shooting 55.4% from the floor. San Antonio had a +21.0 net rating during Harper’s 252 minutes on the court in February.
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe, Wizards forward Will Riley, and Nets guard Nolan Traore were also nominated for Rookie of the Month in the Eastern Conference, while Jazz forward Ace Bailey, Grizzlies guard Javon Small, Kings big man Maxime Raynaud, and Mavericks forward Flagg were the other nominees in the West, per the league (Twitter link).
Nets Notes: Atkinson, Nelson, Mann, Minott
Former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson is confident that the team’s current rebuilding process will wind up being successful, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Atkinson offered his assessment after his Cavaliers barely escaped Brooklyn with a 106-102 win on Sunday. It was the eighth straight loss for the Nets, but Atkinson sees signs of progress for coach Jordi Fernandez and his young roster.
“No doubt, you definitely go through those moments. You’re going home and you’re taking that L after the game. It’s hard, especially when they start stacking up,” Atkinson said. “Of course you worry if you’re a competitor. But that’s part of it, part of going through a rebuild and part of being a young coach.
“And you see the development … It’ll happen here, because they drafted really good talent. They got really good coaching, good coaching staff, good front office. It’ll break through. You’re just waiting for that, ‘When is that gonna happen?’ I’m sure Jordi’s going. ‘Man, everyone is saying it’ll happen.’ But they play so hard, it’s eventually going to happen with their talent.”
The latest loss leaves the Nets at 15-45, half a game behind Indiana and 1 1/2 games away from Sacramento in the race for the league’s worst record.
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- In his first home game since signing a 10-day contract, Grant Nelson posted 11 points, four rebounds and three blocks on Sunday, Lewis states in a separate story. Nelson was playing his fourth game in four cities over five days between the NBA and the G League and said “adrenaline” helped him get through it. “It’s really been my dream my whole life. So it’s just fun to get out there, play with some of the best players in the world,” he added. “It’s just really a dream. But I know the work’s not done. I still got a lot to work on.”
- Terance Mann, who was acquired from Atlanta in July, has been an ideal example for his younger teammates to follow, according to C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). Mann is the oldest player on the roster at 29 and he’s happy to accept his leadership responsibilities. “I had great vets in my day as a rookie, so they showed me how to be great vets,” he said. “They showed me how to be positive no matter what the role is. They showed me how to be able to take care of the young guys and that’s just really what I’m here to do.”
- After the Nets faced the Celtics on Friday, Jaylen Brown admitted that Josh Minott faced a “tough” situation in Boston before being traded to Brooklyn at the deadline, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Minott didn’t spend much time in the rotation before suffering an ankle injury in December that sidelined him for several weeks, but he said he can accept how things turned out. “I left on no bitter note,” Minott said. “You see it, I dapped everybody up. It’s always love with everybody here unless we play them, then it’s hate. After the game is over, those 48 minutes we’re enemies but I definitely had a great experience here for sure.”
Cam Thomas On Nets: ‘They Don’t Believe In Nobody’
Speaking to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link) prior to Milwaukee’s lopsided loss to New York on Friday, Bucks guard Cam Thomas said his departure from the Nets was “absolutely” because the team didn’t believe in him. However, Thomas said that lack of belief wasn’t exclusive to him.
“That’s just who they are,” Thomas told The Post. “They don’t believe in nobody.”
After failing to find a suitable deal involving Thomas, the Nets waived him shortly after the trade deadline passed on February 5. He had a de facto no-trade clause after signing his $6MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent last summer.
Thomas’ representatives preferred that outcome so he could pick his next team; he signed a minimum-salary deal that covers the rest of the season with Milwaukee a few days later.
Asked by Bondy why the Nets didn’t believe in him, Thomas said he was more focused on the present than the past.
“I never asked. I don’t even care anymore. I’m on a different team. I don’t want to talk about them much. But that’s what it was. They didn’t believe,” Thomas said. “Always thought — I don’t know. They always thought something was better, I guess. I don’t know. Always chasing something.”
According to Bondy, the former first-round pick said “nothing” came to mind when he was asked to reflect on his four-and-a-half years in Brooklyn.
As Bondy writes, Thomas’ Nets tenure was marked by a significant amount of roster turnover, which may explain his opinion that the team doesn’t believe in anybody. He also played for four different head coaches in Brooklyn.
Thomas, 24, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Nets Sign Grant Nelson To 10-Day Contract
8:58 am: The Nets have officially signed Nelson to a 10-day deal, the team confirmed in a press release.
8:50 am: The Nets intend to fill the open spot on their 15-man roster by calling up Grant Nelson from their G League affiliate in Long Island and signing him to a 10-day contract, agent Max Wiepking tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Nelson, a seven-foot power forward, went undrafted out of Alabama last June and signed a non-guaranteed camp deal with Brooklyn in October. After being waived at the end of the preseason, he reported to the Long Island Nets, with whom he has spent his entire rookie year up until this point.
In 23 total outings at the G League level, Nelson has averaged 11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 19.1 minutes per game, making 55.0% of his shots from the floor and 80.9% from the free throw line.
Nelson’s 10-day deal will give him an opportunity to potentially make his NBA debut and to earn a nice bonus on top of his modest G League salary. A 10-day contract for a rookie is worth $73,153.
The Nets have been carrying an empty roster spot since acquiring and waiving Hunter Tyson in the last of their trade-deadline moves on February 5, so no corresponding move is necessary to make room for Nelson.