Clippers Notes: Kawhi, Lue, Investigation, Garland, Offseason
A couple days after Kawhi Leonard declined to discuss his future, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank reaffirmed the Clippers‘ commitment to the star forward, writes Kris Rhim of ESPN.com.
“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Frank said. “We obviously showed as an organization that we want to continue and we are driven to win. So, at the appropriate time, we’ll sit down with Kawhi, and very similar to 2024, lay out our plan. And if our goals are aligned, then we’d like to win with Kawhi.”
The two-time Finals MVP is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $50.3MM in 2026/27. He’ll be eligible this offseason to sign a two-year extension.
As Rhim notes, the Clippers made a couple major trades ahead of the February deadline, sending James Harden to Cleveland for Darius Garland and Ivica Zubac to Indiana for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and two first-round picks. Frank thinks those moves put the team in a better position to contend in the future.
“I think we do have great hope and optimism with our future,” he said. “Because as we build that bridge from competitive to contender, we’ve put ourselves in a very good position with emerging young players, draft capital and cap space going forward.”
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- Law Murray of The Athletic passes along several more quotes from Frank’s 45-minute press conference. The longtime executive confirmed head coach Tyronn Lue, who is under contract until 2029, isn’t going anywhere, as Murray previously reported. “I thought Ty and the staff did an unbelievable job of, every day, showing up with a great spirit, and just kept at it,” Frank said. “Ty’s an incredible coach, an incredible partner. And one of the characteristics we look for, not just in staff, but also in players, are people who are driven to improve. And all of us, you know, are very much driven to improvement.”
- Frank also doubled down on comments he made at the beginning of 2025/26, expressing confidence that the NBA’s investigation into Leonard’s alleged no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration won’t result in a significant punishment for the franchise. “If you know (owner) Steve (Ballmer) and know Steve’s integrity, you know there’s nothing to it,” Frank said. “And I can’t comment on the investigation, but I will stand by what I said up here back in September, October, whenever it was, that, you know, we believe and we’re very confident we’re on the right side of this.”
- Frank said he’d like to see Garland focus on adding strength to his frame in addition to getting healthy after dealing with a nagging toe injury for most of the last year, Murray writes. “The offseason is the time where you can make great gains with your body,” Frank said. “And I think when you look at the — in this league — smaller guards who have been able to excel, it’s the strength part of it.”
- Frank said the team needs to improve its rebounding, secondary ball-handling, and shooting, according to Murray, who points out that Frank made similar comments last year.
- Determining Leonard’s future, finding a workable contract with Mathurin, who will be a restricted free agent, and looking for a new starting center should be the Clips’ top three priorities entering the offseason, per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
Latest On LeBron James’ Future
LeBron James has yet to make any decisions about his future beyond this season, league and team sources tell Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
According to Woike and Amick, a number of options remain in play for the Laker star, including the possibility of retiring this summer. The idea that James wouldn’t call it a career without embarking on a season-long farewell tour isn’t accurate, sources tell Woike and Amick, who say that several of those sources have heard as much from LeBron himself.
Still, after having his season debut delayed due to a bout with sciatica, the 41-year-old has continued to play at a high level in his 23rd NBA season, averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds in 33.2 minutes per game while shooting 51.5% from the floor. There are no indications that his production is about to fall off a cliff, so it’s safe to assume that if he wants to keep playing, many teams will be interested in employing him.
That list starts with the Lakers, despite the fact that the club didn’t offer James a multiyear deal before he decided to exercise his player option last June. There had been speculation since that opt-in decision that this would be LeBron’s last year with the team, but Los Angeles’ hot streak during the second half of the season may have changed the equation, per Woike and Amick.
Before Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves went down with injuries at the start of April, the Lakers closed out March by winning 13 of 14 games, with their only loss during that stretch coming in Detroit in a tight 113-110 contest. One executive told The Athletic that the Lakers’ performance during that time was “real,” and James agreed. Another league source told Woike and Amick that the team’s high-level play made LeBron more inclined to believe the Lakers are capable of contending for another title, assuming they’re healthy and they perhaps make another roster upgrade or two this summer.
The organization has long expressed a desire to have James retire as a Laker, and team and league sources tell The Athletic that the idea of re-signing the four-time MVP to a new contract this offseason remains very much in play from the club’s perspective. But the Lakers figure to have competition.
The Cavaliers and Warriors have frequently been cited as potential suitors for James if he decides to leave Los Angeles, and both clubs remain “plausible” landing spots for the star forward, according to Woike and Amick, who describe Golden State’s interest as “serious.” However, neither team is currently positioned to offer LeBron more than mid-level money, and it’s unclear if the Lakers would be willing to facilitate a sign-and-trade, so James may have to be willing to play at a discount if he wants to join either team.
Family considerations will also be a significant factor in James’ decision, with one executive from a possible suitor acknowledging that the veteran’s reluctance to leave Los Angeles is something that other teams are well aware of. Given that context, it’s possible that the Clippers could enter the conversation, league sources tell The Athletic.
While James has a history with Tyronn Lue and would be able to remain in L.A. in that scenario, it’s viewed as a longer shot, Woike and Amick admit. The sense among The Athletic’s sources is that if James were to change teams, he would only join a team that he believes would be a legitimate championship threat. It’s unclear if the Clippers, who were eliminated in the play-in tournament this week, would fit that bill after trading away James Harden and Ivica Zubac in February.
Warriors Notes: Curry, Green, Horford, Porzingis, Kerr, Payton
Vintage performances from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green sparked the Warriors to a comeback victory in Wednesday’s elimination game against the Clippers, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. As Anthony Slater of ESPN details, Golden State trailed by as many as 13 points with under 10 minutes remaining, but clutch shots from Curry — and clutch defense from Green — led the team to a play-in win.
“We came back every single time they made a run,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “An incredible display of guts and competitiveness and connection. Then obviously Steph and Dray took over down the stretch. Draymond is the best defender I’ve ever seen in my life.”
According to Slater, Green prevented Kawhi Leonard (21 points on 8-of-17 shooting, five turnovers) from attempting a field goal in the 12 half-court possessions he defended the Clippers star in the fourth quarter. Green sealed the victory with two steals in the final minute — one on on inbound pass which led to an and-one for Brandin Podziemski, and the other a clean strip of Leonard when the Clips were down six and desperate to score.
“They had a great game plan,” Leonard said, per Thompson. “Just being physical all game. Making sure I don’t get catch-and-shoot shots. Blasting every pick and roll. … And then, you know, Draymond, Hall of Fame defender. So, yeah, it was hard to even get shots off.”
Green has long relished the chance to compete against — and beat — the best players in the league, notes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
“There will never be a person that I would want to prove more to than myself,” said Green. “The same people that say I lost a step said I never had a step. They’re the same people that said I would never make it and I should be out the NBA and I ride a coattail. And the list goes on and on. Those are the same people. So ultimately, when you step on the floor, this is competition. You want to be your best.”
Here’s more on the Warriors, who will play at Phoenix on Friday to determine the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference:
- Curry shook off a rough first half (eight points on 2-of-9 shooting) and to deliver a sublime final two quarters, scoring 27 points (on 10-of-14 shooting) and dishing out four assists after halftime. The 38-year-old star showed why he was determined to return this season after a persistent right knee injury caused him to miss 27 consecutive games, as Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “This is why Steph came back,” Kerr told reporters in Inglewood. “So, everybody out there who thought Steph should have taken the rest of the year off, this is what he does! This is who he is! If he can compete, he’s going to compete. And it was just incredible to watch.”
- Curry and Green had plenty of help to win Wednesday’s game, with Gui Santos (20 points, six rebounds, five assists), Kristaps Porzingis (20 points, five rebounds five assists, two blocks) and Al Horford all delivering in key moments. Horford’s contributions may have been the most unexpected, per Nick Friedell of The Athletic — the veteran big man was 0-for-3 from three-point range entering the fourth quarter, then converted all four of his attempts down the stretch. “Steph was in my ear,” said Horford, who returned to action from a calf strain with two games left in the regular season. “Draymond was in my ear the whole time, giving me that confidence and letting me know that I do that, that I’m capable of (that). And for me, that was a special moment that I shared with them there, and with our season on the line, it was pretty fitting.”
- Porzingis is listed as questionable for Friday’s game due to right ankle soreness (Twitter link via Slater). The impending free agent center was “limping a bit” after Wednesday’s victory, Slater writes.
- According to Slater (Twitter video link), Kerr isn’t expected to make a decision about his coaching future in the immediate aftermath of whenever the Warriors’ season comes to an end. For what it’s worth, Golden State’s longtime coach, who is on expiring contract, was euphoric after Wednesday’s win. “There’s a reason we have four championships,” Kerr said, per Slater. “With all the wins we’ve ever had here — a lot of them with a lot more at stake — this is right up there. Just because of where we are and our age and the decline of our performance this year and our injuries. It was just a beautiful display of competitive will.”
- In an interview with Mark Medina of RG.org, Gary Payton II discusses playing with Curry and Green and the news that Seattle is being considered for an expansion team. Payton, the son of SuperSonics legend Gary Payton, was born in the Emerald City. “It’s about time. Hopefully, I can get there before my career is over and put on a Sonics jersey,” the younger Payton said. “We’ll see how it plays out. But if not, it’ll be good to go up there and see some games.”
Clippers Notes: Lue, Garland, Kawhi, Offseason, CP3
The Clippers have registered an NBA-best 15 consecutive winning seasons, but they’ve gone five straight years without winning a playoff series and, after Wednesday’s loss to Golden State, have now failed to make it out of the play-in tournament twice during those five years, writes Law Murray of The Athletic.
Following an unceremonious end to a turbulent season, the Clippers’ next steps are unclear. A league source tells Murray that head coach Tyronn Lue – under contract through 2029 – isn’t going anywhere this offseason, and neither is the team’s new point guard of the present and future, Darius Garland. But beyond that, everything is in flux.
Kawhi Leonard‘s future, which he declined to discuss after Wednesday’s loss, is the biggest question mark hanging over the franchise. A league source tells Murray that the Clippers don’t believe the NBA’s investigation into Leonard’s alleged no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration will result in a significant punishment for the franchise — or in the star forward’s contract being voided. But even if that’s the case, Leonard will have to be traded or extended in order to avoid having him play out an expiring contract in 2026/27.
And beyond Leonard, there are several decisions facing the Clippers up and down their roster. John Collins, whom Murray describes as a good locker room fit, will be an unrestricted free agent, while newcomer Bennedict Mathurin is entering restricted free agency. The team holds options on Brook Lopez, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nicolas Batum, Jordan Miller, and Kobe Sanders, while defensive aces Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. will be eligible for extensions.
As the Clippers prepare for an eventful offseason, here are a few notes on the club:
- Garland, who underwent surgery on his left big toe last offseason and sprained his right big toe earlier in the season, said on Wednesday that he has been playing on “nine toes,” per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Garland explained, the right toe feels fine now, but the left one has remained an issue. The guard’s goal this offseason is to “get healthy.”
- Previewing the Clippers’ summer, ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggests that adding frontcourt help and acquiring a play-maker to back up Garland should be priorities for the club. Marks also points out that operating as an under-the-cap team is a possibility, though it would require L.A. to part ways with several role players, so operating above the cap seems more likely. The Clippers should have more than enough flexibility to re-sign Mathurin and use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception if Collins isn’t re-signed, Marks adds.
- Over four months after the Clippers announced they were parting ways with him, Chris Paul wasn’t shedding any tears when their season ended on Wednesday. As Murray notes (via Twitter), the veteran point guard posted the “I stopped by one of my biggest hater’s funeral” meme on his Instagram account shortly after L.A. was eliminated.
Kawhi Leonard Not Ready To Discuss Future, ‘Not Stressing’ Aspiration Probe
On the heels of one of the best regular seasons of his NBA career, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard was hounded by Draymond Green on Wednesday and was held to 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting with five turnovers in L.A.’s home loss to the Warriors. In the fourth quarter of the do-or-die play-in game, the Clippers surrendered 43 points and blew a 13-point lead, ending their season.
Although the Clippers’ offseason is now underway, Leonard wasn’t ready to discuss his future immediately after the game. The star forward will be eligible this offseason to tack on up to two years to the one season left on his current contract, but he said those conversations could wait, as Ramona Shelburne of ESPN relays.
“Let me cry about this loss a little bit more,” Leonard said when asked his future with the Clippers. “We’ll have our discussions when that time comes.”
A Los Angeles native, Leonard prioritized a return home when he reached free agency in 2019 just days after winning a title in Toronto. Since choosing the Clippers that summer, he has signed two more extensions with the team, signaling his desire to remain in L.A. However, there has been speculation following in-season trades of James Harden and Ivica Zubac that the Clippers intend to retool their roster around a younger core. If that’s the case, Leonard probably won’t remain at the center of their plans going forward.
There has also been some discussion about whether Leonard will even be able to play out the final year of his current contract, which will pay him $50.3MM in 2026/27. Some league observers have predicted that if the NBA determines Leonard’s and the Clippers’ agreements with the now-bankrupt green banking company Aspiration were designed to circumvent the salary cap, it would result in the 34-year-old’s contract being voided.
Investigative reporter and podcaster Pablo Torre alleged the Clippers were using a no-show endorsement deal between Leonard and Aspiration to funnel the star forward additional money on top of his NBA salary, which the team and Kawhi have vociferously denied. Leonard told reporters after Wednesday’s loss that he’s not concerned about the findings of the investigation.
“I never thought about it too much other than questions asked,” Leonard said, per Shelburne, when asked if he knows the status of the probe. “You’ll have to ask the NBA, not me. I’m not the one doing the investigation. … I think we’re going to be in the clear. I’m not stressing it.”
Between the outcome of the Aspiration investigation and Leonard’s uncertain future in L.A., there are plenty of questions hanging over the two-time Finals MVP this summer. Fortunately, this time around, his health isn’t one of them. Leonard has been plagued in past years by health issues, but he said on Wednesday that his “body’s in a good place” and that his surgically repaired right knee wasn’t a problem at all in 2025/26, per Law Murray of The Athletic.
“I had no headaches with (the knee) the past two years, so I feel great,” Leonard said.
Clippers’ Play-In Loss Ensures Thunder Control Lottery Pick
The NBA’s rich got richer on Wednesday night, as the play-in tournament loss to Golden State that ended the Clippers‘ season guaranteed that the 2026 first-round pick L.A. owes the defending champion Thunder will end up in the lottery.
The pick’s spot in the lottery order will depend on whether or not the Warriors win their play-in game in Phoenix on Friday. If the Warriors lose that game and become a lottery team themselves, the Clippers’ pick would be 12th entering lottery night; a Golden State win would move it up to No. 11, which is the slot from which the Mavericks won the 2025 draft lottery.
The odds of that first-rounder turning into a top-four selection will be 7.2% if it’s 12th in the lottery or 9.4% if it’s 11th, with either a 1.5% or 2.0% chance of it becoming the No. 1 overall pick.
The pick is the last remaining asset that the Clippers are conveying to the Thunder as part of 2019’s blockbuster Paul George trade. In addition to sending superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Oklahoma City, that deal also famously included the 2022 first-rounder that became Jalen Williams.
As Tony East of Circle City Spin points out (via Twitter), the Clippers will probably be the only team besides the Thunder who won’t mind if that pick jumps into the top four, since that outcome would increase the odds of the Pacers’ pick falling to No. 5 or No. 6. Los Angeles will receive Indiana’s pick and regain a 2026 lottery selection if it doesn’t end up in the top four on lottery night.
Besides controlling the Clippers’ first-round pick, the Thunder will also receive the Sixers’ selection, which can still be either No. 16, 17, or 18, depending on Friday’s play-in outcomes and possible tiebreakers.
Injury Notes: Jackson, Watson, Jones, Harper, Wemby
Clippers center Isaiah Jackson has been upgraded from questionable to probable for Wednesday’s play-in game vs. Golden State, the team announced today.
Acquired in February’s Ivica Zubac trade, Jackson didn’t initially have a role with L.A., but began to play regular minutes behind starter Brook Lopez in early March after Yanic Konan Niederhauser went down with a season-ending foot injury. However, Jackson suffered a right high ankle sprain on March 27 and missed the final eight games of the regular season.
Assuming Jackson is active on Wednesday, it’s unclear whether the Clippers plan to immediately reinsert him into their rotation or if the team will continue to rely on big man John Collins and smaller lineups when Lopez isn’t on the floor.
Let’s round up a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA…
- Nuggets wings Peyton Watson (right hamstring strain) and Spencer Jones (right hamstring strain) didn’t take contact during Wednesday’s practice, but they took part in all non-contact work, according to head coach David Adelman (Twitter link via Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette). Although Watson has been out since April 1 and Jones hasn’t played since March 29, Adelman believes both players could be available on Saturday vs. Minnesota. “My hope is they’ll play in Game 1,” he said. “If not, we’ll play the group that’s fully healthy.”
- Spurs guard Dylan Harper exited Sunday’s regular season finale after injuring his left thumb, but he’s trending toward being available for Game 1 against Portland, reports Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). “We expect him to play Sunday,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “He just got it hit and there’s going to be some pain there … He’s got to work his way through that, but we expect him to play.”
- While Victor Wembanyama sat out two of the Spurs‘ final three games of the regular season due to a rib contusion, he indicated after Wednesday’s practice that he’ll be ready for Sunday’s contest, per Orsborn. “I’m very close, but we never really go back to 100%, except before your season (in) the offseason,” Wembanyama said when asked how close he is to 100%. “… There’s always something going on. In terms of regular season shape, I’m very close.”
And-Ones: Player Movement, J. Harper, CP3, More
It could be an eventful summer across the NBA, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link), who suggests within his look ahead to the offseason that there’s “growing anticipation” in rival front offices that more than one of Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, and Lakers forward LeBron James could end up changing teams in the coming months.
Of the three, only James will be a free agent, Stein notes. But both Antetokounmpo and Leonard were involved in trade rumors in February ahead of the deadline and those rumors figure to resurface as both stars enter potential contract years.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA point guard Jared Harper has been out of the league since 2022, but he’s building an impressive résumé overseas. Playing for Hapoel Jerusalem, Harper has been named the EuroCup MVP for a second straight year after averaging 19.5 points and 5.2 assists per game and leading his team to a league-best record of 13-5 during the 2025/26 regular season.
- After retiring from the NBA in February, future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul will reportedly join the staff at Campbell Hall High in California and coach his son, Chris Paul II. Hunter Shelton of On3.com has the details.
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) evaluates what the next contracts for several players eligible for rookie scale extensions in 2026 might look like, exploring whether maximum-salary deals are within reach for Jazz guard Keyonte George and Hornets forward Brandon Miller.
- With the first round of the playoffs set to tip off on Saturday, Zach Kram of ESPN ranks the 50 most impactful players taking part in the postseason, from play-in stars like Stephen Curry and Tyrese Maxey to top options on title contenders, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama.
Poll: Who Will Win Wednesday’s Play-In Games?
Entering the 2025/26 season, both the Clippers and Warriors were widely projected to finish among the top seven teams in the Western Conference, with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac leading the way for L.A. and Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler as the co-stars in Golden State.
Nearly six months later, much has changed for both teams.
The Clippers, who have been the subject of an NBA investigation all season long due to allegations of salary-cap circumvention, got off to a miserable 6-21 start that had fans questioning whether blowing up the roster at the trade deadline was a real possibility for the club. L.A. rebounded nicely, finishing the season on a 36-19 run to get above .500 (42-40), but the team did break up its veteran core at the deadline after all, sending Harden to Cleveland and Zubac to Indiana.
The Clippers got enough back in those deals – including two-time All-Star Darius Garland – to remain competitive, especially with Leonard staying healthy and delivering a vintage season. But his future in Los Angeles remains a major question mark as he and the Clippers fight to earn a playoff spot this spring.
In Golden State, the Warriors’ star duo was broken up by an injury rather than a trade. Butler suffered a torn ACL in January that prematurely ended his season, while Curry went down shortly after that with a knee injury that kept him on the shelf for over two months. Without their top two scorers, the Warriors’ offense predictably nosedived — of the 20 teams that eventually made the postseason, none had a worse offensive rating from February 1 onward than Golden State. And none entered the play-in tournament with a worse record than the Warriors’ 37-45 mark.
Curry is back for the play-in tournament, but he’s still not at 100%, having played no more than 29 minutes in any of his four tune-up games at the end of the season. And without Butler available, the Warriors’ ceiling is limited.
Still, these are two veteran clubs with a ton of postseason experience between them, so Wednesday’s win-or-go-home game in L.A. will be a fascinating one. The No. 9 Clippers are currently favored over the No. 10 Warriors by about five points by most sportsbooks.
Before the Warriors and Clippers tip off, the Sixers and Magic will face one another in Philadelphia in Wednesday’s early game to determine which team will get the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The 76ers have looked like a dangerous team at times in 2025/26, but the inconsistent availability of Joel Embiid and Paul George has once again made it hard for them to generate a ton of momentum. While Philadelphia posted a 24-14 record when Embiid played this season, he’s currently unavailable after undergoing an emergency appendectomy last week.
The Sixers were a sub-.500 team with Embiid inactive this season, but the good news is that both George and Tyrese Maxey are ready to go this week, and the club went 20-14 in the games they played together this season.
The 76ers are favored by two points against the Magic, who were viewed by oddsmakers as the third-best team in the East entering the season. Like Philadelphia, Orlando has been affected by injuries — star forward Franz Wagner was limited to 34 games due to a nagging high ankle sprain.
Still, even when they’ve been healthy, the Magic haven’t lived up to preseason expectations. They’ve struggled to maintain their past defensive level, dropping to 13th in defensive rating after finishing in the top three in each of the previous two seasons. And while Desmond Bane has been everything the team hoped for when it gave up four first-round picks to acquire him last summer, it hasn’t been enough to significantly improve Orlando’s offense, which was just 18th-best in the league this season.
The last week-and-a-half of the regular season was a microcosm of the Magic’s year as a whole. Battling for a top-six seed in the East, Orlando reeled off five straight wins from April 3-10, including an impressive victory over Detroit last Monday. But in Sunday’s regular season finale against a Celtics team resting nearly all of its regulars, the Magic failed to take care of business, losing 113-108 to slip to the No. 8 spot in the East.
Orlando wouldn’t have clinched a playoff spot with a win on Sunday, but that loss in Boston was the difference between hosting tonight’s game or visiting Philadelphia. And it’s probably safe to assume home court advantage would’ve made the Magic the favorites. Instead, they’re viewed as narrow (two-point) underdogs.
We want to know what you think. Which veteran Western Conference team will keep its season alive on Friday? Can the Emibid-less Sixers pull out a win against the up-and-down Magic to clinch a playoff spot?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your predictions!
Who will win Wednesday's play-in games?
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Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers 35% (239)
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Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers 30% (203)
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Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors 21% (140)
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Orlando Magic and Golden State Warriors 15% (100)
Total votes: 682
Pacific Notes: Lue, Curry, Jackson, Westbrook, Allen
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was the head coach of the Cavaliers in three of Cleveland’s matchups with the Warriors in the Finals. He now must face Golden State and Stephen Curry again in the play-in tournament on Wednesday. The losing team in the No. 9 vs. 10 matchup will see its season end.
“I’m sick of it,” Lue said playfully when asked about facing Curry again in the postseason. “He’s just a guy that can explode. He can score 50 if you’re not careful. He only had 24 last game, but he had nine three-point attempts. We can’t let him get that many attempts up from the three-point line. We gotta try to keep him down as much as possible… We gotta be locked in to what we’re trying to do defensively.”
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers could have big man Isaiah Jackson — out since March 27 due to an ankle injury — available for the play-in game against the Warriors. He played 5-on-5 on Monday and practiced on Tuesday, Law Murray of The Athletic reports, and is listed as questionable (Twitter links). Jackson averaged 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game in 15 appearances off the bench last month.
- Russell Westbrook wouldn’t mind staying put with the Kings, Sean Cunningham of KCRA News tweets. “If I’m welcomed back, then I’ll be back,” Westbrook said. The veteran guard was on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract this season. Playing for his seventh team, Westbrook, 37, averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds in 64 games.
- Suns wing Grayson Allen isn’t active for Tuesday’s play-in tournament game against Portland due to left hamstring soreness, the team tweets. Allen, who suffered the injury last Friday against the Lakers, averaged 16.5 points per game this season, the fourth-best mark on the team. It’s unclear if he’d be available for a second play-in game this Friday or Game 1 of a playoff series on Sunday.