Mavericks Rumors: Ujiri, Dumont, Front Office, Kidd
While the Mavericks‘ hiring of Masai Ujiri was somewhat unexpected, it makes sense for a number of reasons, Marc Stein writes in his latest story for The Stein Line (Substack link).
As Stein reported multiple times, there had been a belief around the NBA that governor Patrick Dumont was hoping to find a big name to run Dallas’ basketball operations department, and the longtime Raptors president certainly fits that bill. Dumont also wanted to stick to his self-imposed deadline of filling the position by the middle of May. The draft lottery takes place on May 10.
League sources tell Stein that Dumont wanted to find a top executive with a “proven track record” who was also willing and able to speak to the media. Tuesday’s press conference to introduce Ujiri will only be Dumont’s second time speaking to the media since he became an owner of the team, Stein notes, and former head of basketball operations Nico Harrison was just as reticent to address the public.
Ujiri, on the other hand, is well known for holding press conferences as well as making bold public proclamations, Stein observes.
According to Stein, the search process was “essentially conducted” by Dumont, CEO Rick Welts and president of business of operations Ethan Casson. Sources tell The Stein Line that Dumont spoke to ex-Warriors executive Bob Myers multiple times, but Myers decided to stay in his position with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the group that owns the Sixers.
Stein reiterates that Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly was another target, but the Mavs were not granted permission to talk to him. Ujiri, meanwhile, was awaiting another opportunity after being dismissed by Toronto last June.
Here are a few more Mavs-related rumors from Stein:
- Ujiri will be given the freedom to fill out the front office as he sees fit, according to Stein, who reports that the 55-year-old is expected to hire a general manager to work alongside him in the coming days.
- On a related note, Stein hears Ujiri is expected to meet with Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley, who acted as co-interim GMs in the wake of Harrison’s dismissal, to determine whether either executive will remain in Dallas.
- While Ujiri will likely be asked on Tuesday about the status of head coach Jason Kidd, Stein has heard for months that Dumont desired to hire an executive who wanted to keep Kidd in place. Sources tell Stein that Kidd still has four years left on his contract after signing offseason extensions in both 2024 and 2025.
- The staff of The Dallas Morning News lists 10 things to know about Ujiri, who played professionally in Europe before he became an NBA executive.
Northwest Notes: Connelly, Wolves, Lloyd, Gonzalez, Jazz
The Timberwolves have registered interest in extending the contract of president basketball operations Tim Connelly, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Scotto reported last week that Minnesota was hoping to sign Connelly to a new deal. His current contract will expire in 2027.
Connelly, a longtime Nuggets executive, was hired by the Timberwolves in 2022. Minnesota has made the Western Conference finals each of the past two years and advanced to the second round of this year’s playoffs last week when it eliminated Denver for the second time in three seasons.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch congratulated Bryson Graham — his former colleague in New Orleans — for landing the Bulls‘ head of operations job, but admits he was pulling for Wolves GM Matt Lloyd, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Congrats to Bryson Graham,” Finch said. “I worked with Bryson in New Orleans for a number of years. He’s a class act and an outstanding talent evaluator. I’m sure he will be a great pick for the Bulls. … Gunning for Matt. He’s one of the best executives I’ve ever worked with anywhere I’ve been. He’s an absolute rock star when it comes to that, from running processes to connecting with people in the building, to positivity to leadership, to being able to manage up and down. It’s only a matter of time until he gets his chance, I’m convinced of it. These are really hard jobs to get, highly coveted. Lots of things go into them. We’re fortunate to have him here and he’s been a huge part of our success.”
- The Jazz plan to add Ben Gonzalez to their front office, according to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 (Twitter link). Gonzalez is currently the director of basketball operations at the University of Georgia.
- Regardless of where their pick lands in next week’s draft lottery, Jazz fans have something to look forward to next season, since the team will no longer be prioritizing draft positioning, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News.
Anthony Edwards Will Return For Game 1
8:04 pm: Edwards will indeed suit up on Monday, but he’ll come off the bench and be on a minutes restriction, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter links).
2:03 pm: Edwards has gained medical clearance and is expected to play, Charania tweets.
12:40 pm: Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards is lobbying to play on Monday in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Spurs, Shams Charania of ESPN tweets.
Edwards was a significant participant in Timberwolves shootaround this morning, according to Charania. Edwards and the team’s medical staff will make a final decision on his status later today.
On Sunday, the team upgraded Edwards to questionable. The star guard missed the last two games of the Wolves’ series against the Nuggets after hyperextending his left knee and was initially considered week-to-week with the injury. He played just 18 minutes and made only one field goal in Game 4 of the series before sitting out.
Injuries limited Edwards to 61 games during the regular season, making him ineligible for postseason awards.
Bulls Hire Bryson Graham As Head Of Basketball Operations
The Bulls have officially hired Bryson Graham to lead their basketball operations department, per a team press release. Graham’s title will be executive vice president of basketball operations.
“We’re excited to name Bryson Graham as our Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations,” Bulls president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf said in a statement. “Bryson is an elite talent evaluator who has earned tremendous respect across the league, and that stood out immediately during our process. He has worked his way up through basketball operations from the ground level, and that experience has given him a deep understanding of how to build and sustain a successful organization.
“He is an effective communicator, a disciplined and thoughtful decision-maker, and someone who truly connects with players and people. He understands today’s league, today’s players, and what it takes to develop talent and build a winning culture. Just as important, Bryson is committed to building a high-level group around him. He knows what he does well, and he is focused on surrounding that with strong leadership across strategy, scouting, and player development. This is an important step for our organization. We know there is work ahead, but we are confident in Bryson’s ability to lead, build, and move us forward.
The news was first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links).
Graham was the Hawks‘ senior VP of basketball operations for the 2025/26 season. He spent 15 years in New Orleans before that, Charania notes, working his way up the ranks from an intern to general manager.
The 39-year-old was GM for the Pelicans under former top executive David Griffin until the end of last season, when Griffin was fired and replaced by Joe Dumars. Graham is highly regarded around the league for his scouting acumen, Charania writes, which will be important for the rebuilding Bulls.
While Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd had been reported by some outlets as the frontrunner for the top front office job in Chicago, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported over the weekend that Graham, Pistons senior vice president Dennis Lindsey, and Celtics assistant GM Dave Lewin were still in contention for the position as well.
According to Charania, the Bulls conducted in-person interviews last week and considered Graham, Lloyd and Lindsey over the weekend before selecting Graham on Monday.
K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network says (via Twitter) there were four finalists, and hears all of them interviewed well. However, Graham was the unanimous pick, Johnson reports.
In a full story for ESPN.com, Charania and Jamal Collier report that Graham (in his executive role with Atlanta) helped facilitate trade talks between the Hawks and Pelicans last summer, when New Orleans moved up from No. 23 to No. 13 to select Maryland big man Derik Queen. The 2026 first-rounder the Pelicans sent the Hawks is unprotected and will be the most favorable of the Pels’ and Bucks’ picks.
Trey Murphy III (No. 17 overall), Herbert Jones (No. 35), Dyson Daniels (No. 8) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (No. 17) are among the players Graham has been credited for drafting, in addition to his work on trades.
Graham will replace former head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, who was fired near the end of the regular season alongside ex-GM Marc Eversley.
Wolves’ Ayo Dosunmu Out For Monday’s Game 1
Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu has been downgraded from questionable to out for Monday’s Game 1 matchup in San Antonio, the team announced (via Twitter).
Dosunmu, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension before then, is dealing with right calf soreness. It’s the same injury which caused Dosunmu to miss Game 6 of Minnesota’s first-round series against Denver.
The 26-year-old had a huge series against the Nuggets, leading the Wolves in scoring at 21.8 points per game, with a scorching hot shooting line of .609/.545/.950. He also contributed 4.0 APG and 2.8 RPG in 32.4 MPG across five appearances.
A former second-round pick (38th overall in 2021), Dosunmu spent his first four-and-a-half seasons in Chicago, his hometown team. The Wolves traded for the former Illinois star ahead of the February deadline.
Minnesota will be shorthanded in the backcourt tonight, as Donte DiVincenzo tore his right Achilles tendon in the first round and will be sidelined indefinitely. On a brighter note, star guard Anthony Edwards will reportedly be available after hyperextending his left knee on April 25.
Injury Notes: Edwards, Ingram, Dosunmu, Embiid
In a surprising turn of events, Anthony Edwards has been upgraded to questionable for the Timberwolves‘ Game 1 matchup against the Spurs on Monday, the team announced in a press release.
Edwards missed the last two games of the Wolves’ series against the Nuggets after hyperextending his left knee and was initially considered week-to-week with the injury.
A recent report had indicated optimism that he could return for Game 3 or 4 of the series, but Edwards takes pride in his ability to return to form quicker than expected.
“We call him Wolverine,” said Wolves’ vice president of medical operations and performance David Hine, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “Certain things you see other players might not be able to play through, those are injuries that Ant has been able to recover quickly from.”
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama expressed his desire to see the Wolves’ star shooting guard on the court in their series, as well as his sadness about the injuries to Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, who tore his Achilles during the first round.
“Those two are players that I like watching, I like playing against,” he said, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “They go hard.”
We have more injury notes from around the playoffs:
- Raptors wing Brandon Ingram is out for Sunday’s Game 7 matchup against the Cavaliers, The Stein Line’s Marc Stein confirms (via Twitter). Ingram had previously been listed as doubtful with right heel inflammation. “We’ve gotta dig very deep. We’ve gotta find a way,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said of playing without two starters, per TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (Twitter link). “If we lose the game tonight, there’s no practice tomorrow, there is not another game tomorrow. So, we’ve gotta (find) our last energy tonight.” Ingram has struggled in the series, shooting just 32.8% from the field, but Toronto will still miss the threat his shot creation provides.
- Backup guard Ayo Dosunmu is also listed as questionable for Game 1 vs. San Antonio after missing the final game of the Timberwolves‘ first-round series due to right calf soreness, ESPN’s Anthony Slater writes. Dosunmu had two big games for the Wolves, helping them stay on track after the injury to Edwards. Head coach Chris Finch said that Dosunmu was “pretty much involved in all parts of practice” in Sunday’s medium-intensity workout, Chris Hine of the Star Tribune notes (Twitter link).
- Joel Embiid is considered probable for the Sixers‘ Game 1 matchup against the Knicks on Monday, Adam Aaronson writes for the Philly Voice. He is dealing with a right hip contusion and was visibly struggling with the injury during Saturday’s Game 7 victory.
Charania’s Latest: Edwards, Doncic, Adelman, Nuggets
While Anthony Edwards will be sidelined to open the Timberwolves‘ second-round matchup vs. San Antonio, there’s optimism he could return to action as early as Game 3 or 4, league sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (YouTube link; story via ESPN’s Anthony Slater).
Edwards released a video on his YouTube channel about his recovery progress from the left knee injury he suffered in the second quarter of Game 4 against Denver. He hyperextended his knee at the time, causing a bone bruise, and he had already been battling patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee) in his opposite leg.
According to Charania, Minnesota will take a cautious approach to Edwards’ bone bruise, but he has historically healed quickly and is working diligently to come back. The four-time All-Star has done light on-court work the past two days, Slater writes.
Timberwolves VP of medical operations and performance David Hines said in the video that Edwards’ return timeline is one-to-two weeks, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). Game 3 will be played on Friday, with Game 4 scheduled for next Sunday.
Here’s more from Charania:
- Lakers superstar Luka Doncic appears unlikely to be active in the near future with Los Angeles set to face Oklahoma City in the Western Conference semifinals. The Slovenian guard, who is recovering from a left hamstring strain, is considered week-to-week, according to Charania. Although Doncic has been doing more on-court activities in recent days, a source tells Charania he hasn’t done any “full-fledged running or full-contact workouts” to this point.
- Confirming recent reporting from The Denver Post, Charania says Nuggets head coach David Adelman “is going to be back” for a second full season in Denver. “His job is safe,” Charania added.
- Charania reiterates that Nikola Jokic is expected to sign a maximum-salary contract to remain with the Nuggets. However, the rest of Denver’s roster could look much different in 2026/27. “There is going to be real roster changes coming to Denver to identify how they can surround Nikola Jokic with the right pieces to get this team over the top,” Charania reported. “… They’re going to get calls and listen to calls on everyone on the roster besides Nikola Jokic.”
Central Notes: Bulls, Lloyd, Nori, Reed, Pistons, Furphy
The Bulls have reportedly narrowed down their list of candidates for their head of basketball operations job to Matt Lloyd, Bryson Graham, Dennis Lindsey and Dave Lewin. Of those four finalists, Timberwolves general manager Lloyd is considered the frontrunner, a source confirms to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
Lloyd, who grew up in the Chicago suburbs and got his NBA start with the Bulls, could be hired within the “next several days,” Cowley writes. Like Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Cowley has heard Lloyd has a head coach in mind if he lands the Bulls job — Wolves top assistant Micah Nori.
Lloyd may not be the only significant front office addition the Bulls make, according to Cowley, who suggests Lewin could become the general manager and head of the analytics department. Lewin is currently an assistant GM with the Celtics.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Backup big man Paul Reed was an unlikely playoff hero for the Pistons during their second-half comeback in Orlando on Friday, writes Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link). Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff turned to Reed, who had been buried on the depth chart behind Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, in the third and fourth quarters with the season on the line, and Reed delivered six points, six rebounds and three blocks in 11 minutes. “Anytime his number is called,” Cade Cunningham said, “he’s ready to go, comes right out there and imposes himself on the game. I don’t think there is any situation in basketball where you bring him in, and he’s not going to bring some type of productivity to the floor. … He’s like a safety blanket for us. He’s won us so many games with his intensity.”
- Pistons wing Duncan Robinson had high praise for Reed after Friday’s Game 6 victory, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. “I’ve said this before but I’ve never been around a teammate like him,” Robinson said. “The way he handles his work every day behind the scenes and prepares for a moment that honestly, he doesn’t know is going to come … he shows up every day with spirit and works his tail off.”
- Cunningham credited the Pistons‘ defensive intensity for their epic comeback, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Detroit outscored Orlando 55-19 over the final two periods after trailing 60-38 at halftime. “It’s our defense,” Cunningham said. “When we’re guarding the way that we’re supposed to be, it’s really hard for them to score on us. And there’s just been too many stretches throughout this series where we haven’t guarded the way we supposed to. So, we’ve allowed them to have life. We’ve allowed them to move and get their shots and all that stuff. But whenever we really lock in on our defense, it’s tough for them to score on us, and we know that.”
- Johnny Furphy showed signs of growth in his second season prior to suffering a torn ACL in February, according to Tony East of Circle City Spin. “I think I was finding my feet when I was getting some more [playing time]. I was really starting to settle in. So I’m happy I had that experience,” the Pacers forward said. “And I think, obviously, I learned a lot from that. But now it’s just a matter of building on that, not taking any steps backwards.” The 21-year-old Australian said there’s no specific timetable for his return from the major knee injury, East adds.
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Edwards, Dosunmu, Thunder
After a somewhat shocking first-round exit, the Nuggets need to figure out what comes next. Part of that will revolve around finding way to generate offense outside of Nikola Jokic, Bennett Durando writes for the Denver Post.
While the three-time MVP struggled, producing the first series without a 30-point game in his career, Durando notes that Denver’s offseason additions failed to provide any offensive spark to jump-start the team and help get Jokic in rhythm. As a team, the Nuggets shot 32.1% on wide-open threes, and Bruce Brown had nine turnovers to 10 assists for the series.
“I think you have to look at the different formulas of how we played (offensively) this year, what was most successful,” head coach David Adelman said of the offense not translating from the regular season. “And you have to really break it down more so into the types of teams that we struggled with, and what are the answers there to make things flow better for us. And I think that takes time.”
The Nuggets will now have to figure out what comes next, and that includes considering options that might not have been on the table before, such as trading Jamal Murray, coming off the most successful regular season of his career, writes Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette.
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is hopeful that he’ll be able to return for the second-round series against the Spurs, after missing Game 7 and being ruled week-to-week due to a hyperextended knee. Edwards has been doing constant rehab work and has told his teammates he expects to return at some point in the series, Jon Krawczynski writes for The Athletic.
- The Timberwolves lost Ayo Dosunmu in their close-out game over the Nuggets, and it’s unclear how soon he’ll be back. “Ayo is more day to day,” coach Chris Finch said, per Andrew Dukowitz (Twitter video link). “He went through things but just the light stuff.” Dosunmu was the hero of Game 4, scoring 43 points to lead the Wolves to a win without Edwards.
- The Thunder have built a culture that includes relationships with previous franchise mainstays, such as Serge Ibaka. Chet Holmgren spoke recently on how important that is. “I think it’s amazing. One, I think it speaks to the culture that those guys, Serge, still coming back around however many years since he left here,” Holmgren said, per Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (video link). “… It was cool to sit down and talk to Serge about some of his experiences in this exact building. It’s been fun.“
Northwest Notes: McDaniels, Wolves, A. Mitchell, Lillard
In a first-round series featuring a perennial MVP candidate (Nikola Jokic) and several other stars, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels was the best all-around player on the court, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
McDaniels put an exclamation point on his dominant two-way performance in Game 6, limiting Jamal Murray to 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting while registering a game-high 32 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in 45 minutes. The 25-year-old also sealed the series-clinching victory with key baskets down the stretch, as Krawczynski details.
Several other Timberwolves stepped up on Thursday with Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles), Anthony Edwards (knee), Ayo Dosunmu (calf) and Kyle Anderson (illness) sidelined, including Terrence Shannon Jr. (24 points, six rebounds, two steals), Rudy Gobert (10 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks), and Naz Reid (17 points, seven rebounds, four assists).
But McDaniels was the driving force for Minnesota throughout the series, which saw the Wolves eliminate Denver from the playoffs for the second time in three years.
“He talked all series, and he backed it up all series,” head coach Chris Finch said. “And that’s called legitimate tough.”
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Timberwolves took the Nuggets’ late-season jockeying for position as a shot at them and used it as motivation throughout the hard-fought series, Troy Renck writes for the Denver Post. “Our guys took it personally. Denver had the chance to pick who they wanted to play coming down the stretch and they chose us,” coach Chris Finch said. “We used that as motivation in our preparation and all the way through the series.” Denver, in truth, seemed to try to avoid the Wolves by sitting several starters and limiting Jokic (who needed one more appearance to qualify for award consideration) to 18 minutes in its regular season finale, but its bench rose to the occasion and won anyway, setting up the familiar intra-divisional matchup.
- Ajay Mitchell didn’t realize he’d taken 20 shots for the Thunder in his Game 3 start until after the win, when he looked at the stat sheet, Justin Martinez writes for The Oklahoman (subscriber link). However, he knew that it was his job to be extra aggressive with Jalen Williams out, and he embraced that responsibility. “Ajay is one of the toughest dudes in the league,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Mentally, he’s never shaken. He’s never afraid of the moment. Ajay could be having the worst day ever, and you would never know. He’s so solid. Having a teammate like that makes you more confident by just knowing that no matter what, you know what you’re gonna get from him. The ball might not always go in, but you know what you’re getting from Ajay every time he steps on the floor.”
- The Trail Blazers took a big step in their team development by making the playoffs. Damian Lillard says it also became clear what the team needs heading into next season, Sean Meagher writes for The Oregonian. “I think the obvious thing is, you know, we just need to be a better shooting team,” Lillard said. “I think when you got a guy like Deni [Avdija], who’s constantly getting downhill and in the paint and, you know, forcing teams to have to help is going to generate good shots, you know, is going to generate opportunities. And we got to be able to capitalize on that. And you know I’m going to be in the paint. I’m gonna get around my guy. And teams are going to help. You know I know that I’ll get attention. And it’s going to lead to open shots as well.”
Rory Maher contributed to this post.