Knee Injury To Sideline Kevin Durant For Game 1
Rockets star Kevin Durant will miss Saturday night’s series opener against the Lakers due to a right knee contusion, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). “Hopefully it’s a one-game thing,” coach Ime Udoka told reporters.
Durant was injured on Wednesday when he bumped knees with a teammate during practice, relays Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link). Udoka said Durant underwent testing on the knee and is just dealing with soreness, adds Don Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Houston was 4-0 with0ut Durant this season, defeating Phoenix and Golden State in November, Indiana in February and Memphis in the season finale, notes Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).
It’s still a huge loss for Houston heading into what appeared to be a favorable matchup against an L.A. team that has Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined with injuries. With Durant unavailable, Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Josh Okogie, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun will make up the Rockets’ starting lineup.
“It’s soreness. It’s very tender. It’s tough to bend in certain ways,” Udoka said, per Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Not a lot of swelling. He hit it in a very awkward spot, I guess, more than anything. It could’ve been a regular bumped knee and he would’ve played through that. But it was right above the knee, the patellar tendon area.”
Durant has been the focus of the offense in his first season with Houston after being acquired from Phoenix last summer. At age 37, he appeared in 78 games and averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists while playing 2,840 minutes, the second-highest total in the league. He continued his typical stellar shooting by connecting at 52% from the field and 41.3% from three-point range.
The Rockets tend to rely heavily on Durant, particularly late in possessions. The team was a +88 with him on the court, according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
Game 2 of the series is Tuesday and Game 3 won’t take place until Friday, so the schedule will provide a chance for Durant’s contusion to heal.
Lakers Notes: Smart, LeBron, Bronny, Schedule, Ayton
The Lakers are big underdogs in their series against the Rockets due to the injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. At least initially, that could work to the Lakers’ advantage, accoding to guard Marcus Smart.
“It’s going to take everybody,” Smart said, per Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. “With that, it’s a different style of play, and I don’t think it’s something that Houston has prepared for. To be fair, they haven’t seen us without those guys. When they’re playing us, they’ve always played us with them. They’ve always had a matchup and game plan for them, and it’ll be interesting to see how they play us without them.”
In any case, Smart says his team will put up a fight, regardless of playlng shorthanded.
“We’re competitors,” he said. “They’re going to try to come in and punk us, and if you will allow that, you will be punked. I don’t think we have any guys that are going to be punked on this team. We might not be the most athletic and the strongest, but we’ve got to have the most heart.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- LeBron James and son Bronny James will share the floor at times during the series. Bronny has carved out a rotation role due to the backcourt injuries. “Me being on the floor with him, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career, above everything that I’ve accomplished,” LeBron said to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “So, the fact that he’s put himself in a position to get his number called for a postseason game is pretty remarkable and pretty cool given the circumstances that he’s been given the last couple years. He earned it, he deserves it, and he’ll be ready.”
- If the Lakers can make it a series, they could get Doncic and/or Reaves back at some point. The playoff schedule works in the Lakers’ favor, with a day or two off between each game, Dan Woike of The Athletic tweets. “The mindset for our team and for those two guys, like we’re gonna try to make this season as long as possible so that we can get those guys back at some point,” coach JJ Redick said. “We don’t know what that is, and that’s just our job. And their job is to do everything they can to be in a position to come back at some point. It may not work, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”
- Deandre Ayton will be making his first playoff appearance since 2023. The Lakers big man knows he’ll have to ramp up his production. “I can play hard on offense. I can play hard on defense,” he said, per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “So, that’s just really my goal — running the floor always and closing out possessions with rebounds and protecting the rim. So, just trying to enhance everything I can coming into the playoffs.” Redick says the team can play at an elite level when Ayton is productive. “The whole season for him has been about finding consistency,” he said. “When he’s at his best, we’re an elite basketball team. That’s just the reality. He raises our ceiling so much — and it’s on both sides of the ball.”
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.
Details On NBA’s Playoff Bonus Money For 2025/26
The pool of bonus money for NBA playoff teams this season is worth approximately $36MM, according to Kurt Badenhausen and Lev Akabas of Sportico.
The top six teams in each conference earn bonuses based on their regular season records, while the 16 playoff teams also receive a chunk of money from the playoff pool, increasing the value of their payout with each series win. That bonus money is divvied up among the players on each club’s 15-man roster.
Teams eliminated in the play-in tournament aren’t entitled to any of the playoff bonus money, even if they had the seventh- or eighth-best regular season record in their conference.
The breakdown for 2026’s playoff pool money is as follows (rounded to the nearest thousand), per Sportico:
Regular season achievements:
- Best record in NBA (Thunder): $896K
- No. 1 seeds in each conference (Pistons, Thunder): $784K per team
- No. 2 seeds (Celtics, Spurs): $628K per team
- No. 3 seeds (Knicks, Nuggets): $471K per team
- No. 4 seeds (Cavaliers, Lakers): $384K per team
- No. 5 seeds (Raptors, Rockets): $297K per team
- No. 6 seeds (Hawks, Timberwolves): $210K per team
Postseason achievements:
- Teams participating in first round (all 16 playoff teams — the 12 listed above, plus the Sixers, Trail Blazers, and Friday’s play-in winners): $481K per team
- Teams participating in conference semifinals (eight teams): $586K per team
- Teams participating in conference finals (four teams): $980K per team
- Losing team in NBA Finals: $3,921,000
- Winning team in NBA Finals: $9,078,000
A team that makes a deep playoff run will cash in on more than one of the bonuses listed above.
For example, if the Thunder win the championship, their payout from the playoff pool would be worth more than $12.8MM in total — that amount would include their bonuses for posting the NBA’s best record, claiming the West’s No. 1 seed, making the first round, making the conference semifinals, making the conference finals, and winning the NBA Finals.
The total amount of the playoff bonus pool, which is based on a formula connected to basketball-related income (BRI), is up 3% from last season, according to Badenhausen and Akabas.
NBA, NBPA Deem Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham Award-Eligible
Neither Lakers guard Luka Doncic nor Pistons guard Cade Cunningham met the 65-game criteria required for award eligibility in 2025/26, but the NBA and NBPA have ruled that both players will be on voters’ ballots this spring, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link), who reports that the league and players’ union granted the “extraordinary circumstances” exceptions requested by both players. The NBA and NBPA officially confirmed the decision in a joint statement (Twitter link).
The 65-game rule requires players to log at least 20 minutes in 63 games and at least 15 minutes in two others in order to qualify for most end-of-season awards, including Most Valuable Player and All-NBA.
Doncic played 62 games of 20-plus minutes and two more of 15-plus minutes in 2025/26. While he sat out a series of games for health reasons and was suspended for one contest after accumulating 16 technical fouls, he also missed two games in December in order to travel to Slovenia for the birth of his child.
As for Cunningham, he played at least 20 minutes in 60 of Detroit’s first 67 games, but he exited the team’s 68th game early due to an injury and was later diagnosed with a collapsed lung. He was able to return and suit up for the final three games of the season, but finished the season with 64 appearances, including one of just five minutes.
The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement allows players to appeal for award eligibility if they feel they would’ve met the 65-game criteria if not for “extraordinary circumstances” and states that those requests can be granted if an expert jointly designated by the NBA and NBPA determines it would be “unjust to exclude the player from eligibility” for awards. However, the CBA doesn’t define what constitutes an extraordinary circumstance, so it was unclear whether Doncic or Cunningham would be successful.
By contrast, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards also applied for an extraordinary circumstances exception after finishing the season with 60 appearances of at least 20 minutes and a 61st in which he played three minutes, but his application was denied by an independent arbitrator. As a result, Edwards won’t be award-eligible this spring.
Doncic and Cunningham presumably had stronger cases than Edwards in part because they got closer to the 65-game threshold, while the Timberwolves guard fell several games short and dealt with relatively “normal” injuries by NBA standards. Still, Cunningham is hardly the first NBA player to deal with a collapsed lung, and missing time for the birth of a child is pretty typical, so the league’s definition of “extraordinary” seems a little arbitrary.
Regardless, now that qualify for award consideration, Doncic and Cunningham are well-positioned to earn All-NBA nods, and it’s safe to assume they’ll show up on plenty of MVP ballots as well.
While earning an All-NBA spot won’t have any financial ramifications for Doncic, it would be more meaningful from a contract perspective for Cunningham — assuming he’s named to an All-NBA team in 2026, he’ll have to do so just once more in either 2027 or 2028 in order to sign a super-max contract extension (worth up to 35% of the cap instead of 30%) with the Pistons in 2028.
Edwards would have been eligible to sign a super-max deal of his own with the Timberwolves in 2027 if he had made an All-NBA team this season. Instead, he’ll have to achieve the feat next year in order to meet the performance criteria.
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.
Lakers’ Redick: Doncic, Reaves Remain Out Indefinitely
Neither Luka Doncic nor Austin Reaves is close to returning to action for the Lakers, according to head coach JJ Redick, who told reporters on Tuesday not to expect a formal update on either player before Game 1 of the team’s first-round series on Saturday.
“They’re out indefinitely,” Redick said of his injured guards (Twitter video link via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin). “I’m not going to have an update for you this week. They’re out indefinitely.”
The news doesn’t come as a real surprise. Doncic suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2, while Reaves sustained a Grade 2 oblique strain in the same game, and both injuries typically require a recovery period of at least four weeks or so.
Given the fact that the Lakers’ first-round series may already be over by that four-week mark, both players are doing their best to make it back as quickly as possible, and news that Doncic will return stateside later this week after undergoing treatment in Spain for his injury generated some buzz. But it was never realistic to expect him or Reaves to be available for the start of the playoffs.
Without Doncic or Reaves, the Lakers have leaned more heavily on LeBron James and Luke Kennard for ball-handling and play-making. James averaged 11.0 assists per game in his last four outings of the season, while Kennard averaged 6.4 APG in five appearances after Doncic and Reaves went down.
Marcus Smart, who returned on Friday following a nine-game absence due to a right ankle injury, also figures to play a key role in Los Angeles’ backcourt in the first round against Houston.
Injury Notes: Doncic, Heat, Allen, Hunter, Butler
Lakers star Luka Doncic is scheduled to return to the United States and rejoin his team on Friday, reports Melissa Rohlin of the California Post.
Doncic, who suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain on April 2, had been in Spain receiving treatment on the injury in the hopes of accelerating his recovery timeline. According to Dave McMenamin and Shams Charania of ESPN, the All-Star guard has received multiple injections during his time overseas.
Although Doncic will be reporting back to the Lakers, his status going forward remains up in the air. Typically, a Grade 2 hamstring strain requires a recovery period of approximately a month, and Los Angeles won’t want to be cavalier about its franchise player’s health. Still, Doncic is pushing to return as quickly as he can and the team hasn’t offered any updates on his status since ruling him out for the regular season earlier this month.
We have more health updates from around the NBA:
- Heat guard Dru Smith (right big toe sprain / right foot soreness) and Nikola Jovic (left ankle sprain) have been ruled out for Tuesday’s play-in game in Charlotte, but forward Pelle Larsson expects to be available despite being listed as questionable due to a right lower leg contusion, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
- Suns wing Grayson Allen has been listed as questionable for Tuesday’s play-in game vs. Portland, with head coach Jordan Ott referring to him as “day-to-day,” according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Allen, who is dealing with left hamstring soreness, missed Sunday’s regular season finale. It sounds like his availability will be determined closer to tip-off.
- Kings forward De’Andre Hunter said he has made a “complete and successful recovery” from the eye injury that ended his season, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat. Hunter underwent surgery on his left eye just after the All-Star break due to a detached retina. Although Sacramento’s season is over, the the 28-year-old has been cleared for basketball activities and should be able to go through his usual offseason routine.
- While Jimmy Butler‘s recovery from ACL surgery figures to extend well into the 2026/27 season, he’s making progress, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link), who notes that the Warriors swingman is no longer using crutches.
LeBron James, Brandon Ingram Named Players Of Week
Lakers forward LeBron James and Raptors forward Brandon Ingram have been named Players of the Week for the week of April 6-12, according to the league (Twitter links).
The Western Conference winner, James averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds per contest as the Lakers won three straight contests to close the season and clinch home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs despite playing without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. LeBron had back-to-back double-doubles on Thursday and Friday, putting up 26 points and 11 assists in Golden State and then 28 points and 12 assists vs. Phoenix.
Ingram averaged 25.5 points per game on 57.8 percent shooting from the field across four games as the Raptors went 3-1 to wrap up their season and clinched the No. 5 seed in the East. The veteran forward poured in a season-high 38 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists in Thursday’s victory over Miami.
It’s the first Player of the Week award of the season for either James or Ingram, though it’s the 70th time LeBron has won it over the course of his 23-year NBA career. Ingram has now earned the honor five times.
Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers), Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson (Rockets), and Terrence Shannon Jr. (Timberwolves) were the other nominees from the Western Conference, while Paolo Banchero (Magic), Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) and Jalen Duren (Pistons) were also nominated in the East.
Injury Notes: Wembanyama, Leonard, Curry, James, Highsmith
Two days after meeting the 65-game criteria, Victor Wembanyama is out for the Spurs‘ season finale against the Nuggets on Sunday.
“He’s doing well but just a little sore and felt it was the appropriate decision,” said head coach Mitch Johnson, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
Wembanyama is dealing with a sore rib cage following a collision with the Sixers’ Paul George on Wednesday.
“I think he’s the strongest, the best in shape he’s been since I’ve been around,” Johnson said. “But, yeah, I think he’s fought through some games just in terms of, not injury, I’m talking about just physicality, the toll of a really competitive high-level game.”
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic will suit up tonight, per The Athletic’s Jared Weiss (via Twitter), as he needs to play at least in 15 minutes in order to reach the 65-game threshold and become award-eligible.
We have more injury news from around the NBA:
- Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for the Clippers as they face off against the Warriors in their season finale. Head coach Ty Lue said of his star forward that he “has been dealing with some things with his wrist and ankle the last couple weeks,” per Mark Medina of Essentially Sports (via Twitter). Leonard recently hit the 65-game mark, making him eligible for end-of-season awards.
- Stephen Curry will start for the Warriors against the Clippers on Sunday, and head coach Steve Kerr hopes to get him up to around 30 minutes played, ESPN’s Anthony Slater reports (Twitter link). Curry has played between 25 and 27 minutes in each of his three games since returning from his extended absence due to a knee injury.
- LeBron James will play for the Lakers on Sunday against the Jazz, Dave McMenamin of ESPN notes (via Twitter), adding that, according to coach JJ Redick, no Laker is expected to play more than low-30s in terms of minutes, including Marcus Smart, who will be on a minutes restriction. Redick wants to try to “control what they can control” by going for the win against Utah, McMenamin writes (Twitter link).
- Haywood Highsmith will play for the Suns tonight after being out since March 17 with right knee injury management, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic notes (Twitter link). “I think that’s what he was shooting for this whole time, just to get back and be available, credit to him,” said head coach Jordan Ott. “He’s had a season where he’s been off the court a ton, and when he’s been on the court for us he’s been super helpful. So excited to see him go back out there and be available.“