Luka Doncic, LaMelo Ball Named Players Of The Week
Lakers guard Luka Doncic has been named the Player of the Week for the Western Conference, while Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has won the award in the East, the NBA announced today in a press release.
It’s the second straight week Doncic has claimed the award. The 27-year-old had a spectacular showing from March 16-22, helping guide Los Angeles to a 4-0 road record by averaging 42.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 3.0 steals on .500/.390/.723 shooting in 38.5 minutes per contest.
The highlight of Doncic’s week came on Thursday in Miami, when he poured in a season-high 60 points. The Slovenian superstar has now won Player of the Week four times in 2025/26, moving past Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has three.
Ball helped lead Charlotte to a 3-0 record last week, averaging 26.3 PPG, 7.3 APG, 5.0 RPG and 2.3 SPG on .500/.412/.846 shooting in just 27.3 MPG. This is the first time the former All-Star point guard has claimed the weekly award in 2025/26 (and in his career).
According to the league (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan, Ayo Dosunmu, Rudy Gobert, Gilgeous-Alexander, Amen Thompson and Victor Wembanyama. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaylen Brown, Jalen Duren, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Karl-Anthony Towns were nominated in the East.
Southeast Notes: Johnson, Kuminga, Bitadze, Ball
Jalen Johnson missed the Hawks‘ win over the Warriors on Saturday with a shoulder injury, but head coach Quin Snyder is hopeful the star forward be back in time for Monday’s game against the Grizzlies, per Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks (Twitter link). Snyder didn’t elaborate on Johnson’s injury, simply stating, “He’s okay.”
A first-time All-Star this season, Johnson has played 63 of Atlanta’s 71 games this season, averaging 22.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per night while ranking second in the league in triple-doubles.
The Hawks are currently tied with the Sixers for sixth place in the East, having won nine of their last 10 games.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Jonathan Kuminga‘s first game with the Hawks against his former team didn’t end up being can’t-miss television, as he scored just two points on 1-of-9 shooting in Atlanta’s win over Golden State. Despite their very public split, both Kuminga and his former team maintain that their personal relationship is still positive, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “I like Jonathan. We always got along well,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “The basketball part was the hard part. We couldn’t quite offer him what he needed and vice versa.” Kuminga focused on his teammates in discussing his former team, stating, “I’ve still got great friendship and connection like they’re my brothers. I could call them at any time if they need something and they could call me anytime if they need something, so I think that shows a lot. Our relationship is very strong and we’re brothers at the end of the day.”
- Goga Bitadze refuted Luka Doncic‘s account of the interaction that took place during the Magic‘s one-point loss to the Lakers that led to both players being given technical fouls, which were subsequently rescinded. Doncic claimed that Bitadze made a comment about his mother. “Where I come from, it’s really sacred and we really respect each other’s families, and I would never directly say that,” Bitadze said. “He just said some inappropriate things in the Serbian language, which, I played in Serbia, I understand.” The Georgian big man also extended an olive branch to the Slovenian superstar. “It was just in the heat of the moment. I heard what he said, and I felt like I had to respond the same way,” he said. So, from my side, if he feels like I said something too much or crossed the line, I apologize as a man. I can take [accountability], but I didn’t say anything, but what he said.”
- LaMelo Ball has led the Hornets to a 37-34 record, including 21 wins in their past 27 games. Head coach Charles Lee credits Ball’s infectious energy and approach as a tone-setter for the team, according to Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “There’s just so much joy that he brings. His teammates love him. They love being around him,” Lee said. “He is one of those guys that’s so open-minded to being coached. He’s still hungry to learn.” Teammate Brandon Miller credited Ball’s defensive focus, which Miller believes has been underrated this season, as another example of the point guard’s adaptability and growth as a player.
Community Shootaround: Final Four Eastern Playoff Spots
With three weeks remaining in the 2025/26 regular season, only three games separate the No. 5 Raptors (39-30) from the No. 10 Hornets (37-34). The Hawks (39-32), Sixers (39-32), Magic (38-32) and Heat (38-33), in order of their seeds, are currently in between those two clubs in the Eastern Conference standings.
Those six teams are vying for the fifth and sixth seeds in the East to secure guaranteed playoff berths. The four clubs that end up in the Nos. 7-10 spots would have to advance through the play-in tournament to make the playoffs.
While it’s obviously not as advantageous as making the playoffs outright, the No. 7 seed does get a significant leg up in the play-in tournament, as that team plays at home and has two chances to advance. The No. 8 team also gets two cracks at a playoff spot, whereas the ninth and 10th clubs have to win two consecutive games to move on.
Barring an unexpected collapse (and a major surge up the standings from one of the aforementioned teams), Detroit, Boston, New York and Cleveland are likely going to be the top four seeds in the East, in some order. The No. 4 Cavs (44-27) are four games ahead of the Raptors right now, and the No. 1 Pistons (51-19) have essentially locked up a top-four spot.
No. 11 Milwaukee and No. 12 Chicago haven’t been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention quite yet, but they will almost certainly soon join Indiana, Washington and Brooklyn as Eastern teams formally ruled out of the playoff picture.
Toronto controls its own destiny. The Raptors not only have the most remaining games (13) and fewest losses of the six teams vying for the fifth and sixth spots, they also have the easiest remaining schedule by opponent winning percentage (.476), according to Tankathon.
The No. 6 Hawks went 4-0 against the No. 7 Sixers this season, which is why they’re ahead of them in the standings despite having identical records. Atlanta, which has won 12 of its past 13 games, has a slightly more difficult (.534 opponent winning percentage) schedule than Philadelphia (.527) over the final 11 games of the season.
The Magic and Heat have been inconsistent in 2025/26. Both teams recently won seven consecutive games and are now in the midst of four-game losing streaks. Orlando theoretically has an easier schedule (.485) than Miami (.505) to wrap up the regular season.
The Hornets have been one of the best teams in the NBA for several weeks, but they got off to such a poor start that they’re still trying to dig out of that hole. After a January 21 loss to Cleveland, Charlotte was 16-28; the team has gone 21-6 ever since. The Hornets have three easy games left, but also have eight matchups with teams ahead of them in the standings (.525 opponent winning percentage).
We want to know what you think. Which teams will end up as the fifth and sixth seeds in the East? Which of the four remaining clubs will advance through the play-in tournaments in the seventh and eight spots? Head to the comments section to weigh in with your thoughts!
Southeast Notes: Kuminga, Powell, White, Wizards
Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (left knee) has been ruled out for Friday’s game in Houston, but the expectation is that he’ll be available on Saturday for his first matchup with his former team, the Warriors, tweets Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.
While Kuminga’s stint in Golden State turned sour over the course of his four-and-a-half years with the franchise, no one in the organization holds any ill will toward him, according to head coach Steve Kerr, who said the Warriors want to see Kuminga succeed in Atlanta.
“To be honest, I haven’t given (the first matchup against Kuminga) much thought because we’re trying to win a damn game,” Kerr told Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “But I can tell you that everybody likes JK. Everybody on our team wants the best for him. I want the best for him.
“… I think players need the right set of circumstances to thrive. And the trade made sense because these were not the right circumstances for JK. And you can see right away that Kristaps (Porzingis) has a very clear role on this team, something we’ve needed for years. And we’re looking forward to getting him out there with Steph (Curry). And so in the end, hopefully it’s a trade that works for both guys and both teams.”
Although the on-court fit wasn’t right for him, Kuminga developed several strong relationships during his time with the Warriors. One of those relationships was with current Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh, who was the vice president of basketball strategy in Golden State before being hired by Atlanta in 2024.
“I would go in the front office and mess with him,” Kuminga said of Saleh, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). “He was somebody that you could really sit down and communicate with.”
Saleh may be looking to negotiate a new contract with Kuminga this summer. According to Fischer, sources say there’s mutual interest between the Hawks and the forward’s camp in the possibility of the team declining its $24.3MM option on Kuminga for the 2026/27 season in order to work out a new, multiyear deal.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Since missing seven games due to a groin strain, All-Star guard Norman Powell has come off the bench in two of the Heat‘s last three games. He has still played at least 30 minutes in each of those contests and is taking the adjustment to his role in stride, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I feel like I’m a starter. I’ve worked to be in that role,” Powell said. “But if the team feels that me coming off the bench some games or whatever it is based on a matchup is going to put us in position to win games, I’m going to accept the role and go out there and play basketball.”
- Coby White is playing fewer minutes in Charlotte so far than he did in Chicago, but the Hornets guard is looking more and more comfortable in his sixth man role, averaging 23.0 points in 23.0 minutes per game on .512/.417/.938 shooting in his past three outings. “I appreciate his humility in wanting to kind of fit in, but he’s a heck of a player, and he’s gotta be himself,” head coach Charles Lee said, per Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. “And I think the guys encouraged him and continue to do that too, and be aggressive. He’s another guy who can just generate more offense, get the offense flowing. He helps us get to the free throw line because he understands how to use his body, and when he feels contact he starts to get into his shot. But the passing has been really good, too. So I’m really proud of Coby’s growth and evolution since he’s been here.”
- David Aldridge of The Athletic takes a look at what the Wizards and Trae Young are looking to accomplish in the final few weeks of the regular season, noting that Young and rookie guard Tre Johnson each expressed a desire to get plenty of reps alongside one another.
Hornets Finding Success On The Road
- Wednesday’s victory at Sacramento was the Hornets‘ 12th in their last 13 road games, which gives the team confidence that it can succeed in any postseason scenario, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer (subscription required). “All these games feel like they have a little bit more intensity to them, they have a little bit more meaning,” coach Charles Lee said. “They have a little bit more physicality to them and so every game we are almost looking at it as a postseason game. And you’ve got to develop your habits now because that time of the year, it’s for the prepared. That’s not the time to start preparing for things. And so our guys are trying to find that next level even right now during the regular season.”
And-Ones: 2026 Mock, Schedule, Contracts, Weaver
Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Duke big man Cameron Boozer, and UNC forward Caleb Wilson are the top four picks — in that order — in the latest 2026 mock draft from Jeremy Woo of ESPN.
As Woo writes, while Peterson is the most talented offensive player in the 2026 class, injuries and inconsistency have led to a perception that selecting him first overall might carry more risk than adding Dybantsa or Boozer, who are both still in the mix for the top spot. Woo suggests which team wins the draft lottery might ultimately determine which player goes No. 1, with Peterson and Dybantsa viewed as the two frontrunners.
Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (No. 6) and Texas wing Dailyn Swain (No. 29) are among the prospects who have boosted their stocks this season, while Arizona forward Koa Peat (No. 19) and Baylor wing Tounde Yessoufou (No. 30) are trending in the opposite direction, according to Woo.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Dean Oliver of ESPN takes a look at how teams’ remaining strength of schedule could impact which NBA teams secure the third and fourth seeds in the Western Conference, the No. 2 spot in the East, and the fifth and sixth seeds in the East.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report predicts which NBA contracts will be the riskiest ahead of the 2027/2028 season. Although he’s the “most likely” player to live up to his lucrative long-term contract, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s super-max extension will be the riskiest deal in the league in a couple seasons, per Pincus. The reigning MVP will be owed a projected $273.3MM over four years in ’27/28.
- Former NBA assistant Will Weaver has been named head coach and president of basketball operation of the Brisbane Bullets, he told Olgun Uluc of ESPN. The Bullets compete in the National Basketball League, which features nine Australian teams and one based in New Zealand. Weaver, who previously coached the Sydney Kings in 2019/20, is currently a coaching advisor for the Hornets and will continue in that role through the end of ’25/26, Uluc reports.
Heat To Receive Second-Rounder From Hornets To Resolve Rozier Dispute
The Heat will receive a 2026 second-round pick from the Hornets as additional compensation for the Terry Rozier trade made in January 2024, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
The pick will be the most favorable of the Warriors’ and the Nuggets’ second-rounders this June, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel tweets. Given that Denver is 6.5 games ahead of Golden State in the standings, Miami will almost certainly receive the Warriors’ selection.
A dispute between the Southeast Division clubs arose due to Rozier’s alleged involvement in an illegal betting scheme. Rozier has been on indefinite leave all season after being arrested in October on federal charges related to illegal gambling.
The Heat were reportedly unaware of the unusual betting activity — or the NBA’s investigation — tied to Rozier (he was a member of the Hornets at the time) when they traded for him in January 2024, several months after the incident took place.
This past December, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he was “sympathetic” to Miami’s plight and was seeking a resolution.
“This is an unprecedented situation,” Silver said. “And I think I’m incredibly sympathetic to the Heat and to their fans. But I think we’re going to try to work something through, work this out with them. … But this is an unfortunate circumstance. But sometimes there’s these unique events and maybe sometimes they require unique solutions. So we’ll be looking at this with the Heat and the other teams in the league and see if there’s any satisfactory relief.”
Miami still owes Charlotte a future first-round pick from that deal — it will be top-14 protected in 2027, and if it does not convey, the Heat will send the Hornets an unprotected first-rounder in 2028.
Rozier was originally placed on unpaid leave shortly after the federal charges were lodged. He later won an arbitration case, allowing him to collect his full $26.6MM salary. While Rozier remains on Miami’s roster, there’s still a possibility he could be waived before the end of the regular season.
NBA Explores Launching Streaming RSN Hub For 2026/27
The NBA has let its teams know that there’s a chance it will introduce a streaming hub for local broadcasts as soon as next season, sources tell Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal. Many clubs’ local broadcasts have been thrown into disarray due to the fact that Main Street Sports Group, which has regional TV agreements with 13 NBA teams, is likely headed for insolvency.
That group of 13 teams – which includes the defending champion Thunder, along with the Spurs, Pistons, Cavaliers, Clippers, Heat, Timberwolves, Magic, Hornets, Hawks, Pacers, Grizzlies, and Bucks – would be the most likely candidates to be involved in the NBA’s new streaming hub.
As Friend points out, there are a few more teams (the Suns, Jazz, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, and Pelicans) who have already abandoned their respective regional sports networks and could be candidates for the new venture as well. On top of that, Friend’s sources suspect the four teams who have deals with NBC Sports – the Celtics, Warriors, Sixers, and Kings – could be in play due to a sense that NBC may want out of the regional sports network business.
The other eight teams broadcast games on their own networks, which doesn’t necessarily rule them out, but would make it more complicated for the league to negotiate deals with each of them.
While it remains unclear exactly what the new setup will look like, Friend hears that the NBA has engaged in talks with potential partners like YouTube TV, DAZN, Amazon, and ESPN as it considers a package that might resemble NFL Sunday Ticket.
The total number of teams that opt in figures to be a major factor in determining the viability of this new streaming hub, Friend writes, citing sources who think the NBA would need to guarantee a broadcast partner a certain threshold of clubs in order to secure a significant deal. With enough teams involved, industry insiders believe an agreement would be worth billions, Friend adds.
Due to its financial woes, Main Street has missed payments to its teams on January 1, February 1, and March 1, per Sports Business Journal. The NBA originally didn’t plan on launching this sort of streaming hub until down the road, Friend writes, but it has become a higher priority in order to help teams make up for those lost rights-fee payments.
Although the league has informed its teams that it’s trying to get something together for the 2026/27 season, there’s no guarantee that will happen, so Main Street clubs have been advised to explore lining up a bridge deal for their local broadcasts. Those teams are exploring both linear and streaming options, Friend notes.
Friend also points out that, since a new league-wide streaming hub may overlap with League Pass, the NBA may need to either restructure League Pass or eliminate it all together down the road. Amazon currently distributes League Pass as part of its national broadcast agreement with the NBA, so those negotiations would be simpler if the league ultimately strikes a deal to make Amazon its partner on a new streaming RSN.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Bitadze, T. Young
Head coach Charles Lee had a simple explanation for why the red-hot Hornets have been the best team in the NBA since January 22, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The Hornets have gone 16-3 since that date and have won six straight games, with each of those victories coming by at least 16 points.
“It’s been cool to have a healthy roster,” Lee said. “That has definitely played into some of the shifts that we’ve had going along. But I think that our guys have just embraced the process even more. It started in the offseason, I thought everyone elevated their work habits, their work standards, their togetherness of how we can elevate each other. We’ve gotten stronger through all of it.”
Charlotte’s latest victory was one of its most impressive of the season. Playing on the second night of a home-road back-to-back, the Hornets dominated the 41-21 Celtics in Boston, winning by 29 points.
“They are a great team, we also believe we are a great team,” starting center Moussa Diabate said, per Boone. “At the end of the day, we are not trying to focus too much on them. Obviously we want to win the game but it’s going to take care of itself if we focus on what we have to do. For us, it’s a great thing, it’s a great message to the league as well — understand that the Hornets are here.”
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets were 4-14 at one point, but they are now over .500 (32-31) in March for the first time since 2021/22, notes James Jackson of The Athletic. Prior to that campaign, when Charlotte finished 43-39, the last time the team was over .500 this late in the season was ’15/16, which is also the last time the Hornets made the playoffs. A prolonged stretch of strong play is proof that Charlotte is no longer rebuilding and the club’s young core looks promising for years to come, Jackson adds.
- Reserve center Goga Bitadze had been out of the Magic‘s rotation in recent weeks, only making one appearance over the team’s last nine games heading into Tuesday. However, with Wendell Carter Jr. sidelined due to a left ankle injury, Bitadze was placed into the starting lineup against Washington and the Georgian big man delivered nine points, six rebounds, two assists and a block in 21 minutes, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “Goga’s the best,” Jalen Suggs said about Bitadze. “He’s just in the right spots, sets good screens, rolls (and) has so much gravity when he rolls. And then he’s always behind you ready to block a shot. So, shout out to Goga (for) staying ready.”
- Trae Young was on a restriction of approximately 17-to-20 minutes on Thursday in his Wizards debut, head coach Brian Keefe said before the game (Twitter links via Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network). “I think our guys are going to enjoy playing with him and I think he’s going to enjoy playing with our guys because they’re similar in mindset,” Keefe said. “It’s just another step on our process… and someone who’s going to help us get better.” The four-time All-Star point guard finished with 12 points, six assists, two rebounds and two steals in 19 minutes.
Eastern Notes: Knueppel, McCain, Edgecombe, Suggs, Carter
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg appeared to be the frontrunner for this season’s Rookie of the Year award after he scored 49 points against Charlotte on January 29 in his first NBA meeting with Kon Knueppel. However, that was no longer the case by the time the two teams faced one another again on Tuesday, writes Christian Clark of The Athletic.
Flagg’s extended absence due to a foot injury, combined with a 15-3 stretch for the Hornets, has given his former Duke teammate the upper hand back in the Rookie of the Year race. At least, that’s how Charlotte head coach Charles Lee feels.
“I don’t even think it’s close,” Lee said, per Clark. “(Knueppel) probably would be mad at me for saying something like that, because he just wants to focus on our team winning games and impacting games any way he possibly can.”
While Knueppel slightly lags behind Flagg in points (20.4 to 19.2), rebounds (6.6 to 5.5), and assists (4.1 to 3.5) per game, he has been the far more efficient scorer, with an effective field goal percentage of 61.6% compared to Flagg 51.5%. The Hornets wing has also appeared in more games (61 to 49), plays for the better team, and has been arguably the best outside shooter in the NBA — he has knocked down his three-pointers at a 43.5% clip and has made a total of 212, 15 more than second-place Tyrese Maxey.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- With Jared McCain thriving for the Thunder, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports each revisit the Sixers‘ surprising decision to trade the second-year guard at last month’s deadline, exploring whether Philadelphia’s front office was really “selling high” like president of basketball operations Daryl Morey suggested at the time. “I don’t think he meant any harm from it,” McCain said of Morey’s “selling high” comment, per Fischer. “I just kind of take it as: That’s his job. And if he feels that’s the best decision (for the organization), then that’s his decision. But obviously I’m gonna have confidence in myself.”
- Sixers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe, who left Tuesday’s game early due to a back injury, underwent an MRI and has been diagnosed with a lumbar contusion, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. While Edgecombe has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Utah, he’ll be reevaluated ahead of Saturday’s contest in Atlanta, per the team.
- Recently signed Magic point guard Jevon Carter, an eight-year NBA veteran, is having a positive impact on 24-year-old Jalen Suggs, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “My favorite part about (him) is, he’s held me accountable on multiple occasions,” Suggs said of his new teammate. “Just raw, uncut comms, not trying to sugarcoat, not trying to make me feel good. He’s just sharing real truth with me and I’ve appreciated that. It’s been nice having him around.”