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Terence Davis Signs With Kings

April 9th, 2025 at 1:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

April 9: Davis has officially signed with the Kings, the team announced in a press release.

April 8: The Kings are signing guard Terence Davis to fill the open spot on their 15-man roster, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

Davis averaged 14.3 points on 40.2% three-point shooting for the NBA G League’s Wisconsin Herd this season. The veteran guard has 227 games of NBA experience, mostly with Sacramento from 2021-23. He has not played in the NBA since the 2022/23 season, when he saw action in 64 games with the Kings, averaging 6.7 points in 13.1 minutes per contest.

Davis ruptured his Achilles while playing for the Rip City Remix in 2023/24. He signed a training camp deal with the Bucks prior to this season, then was waived in mid-October. Davis joined the Herd shortly thereafter while waiting for another NBA opportunity to materialize.

Davis will provide some depth at the wing spots. Sixth man Malik Monk suffered a calf injury against Detroit on Monday and Keegan Murray has missed the last two games due to a back ailment.

The Kings have been carrying just 16 players instead of the maximum 18, with 14 on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals. They aren’t eligible to sign another two-way player before the end of the season, but the addition of Davis will give them a full standard roster.

Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells Diagnosed With Broken Wrist After Fall

April 8th, 2025 at 8:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

8:42 pm: Wells has a broken right wrist, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. The Grizzlies rookie is able to move his extremities and will continue to receive medical care.

8:19 pm: Grizzlies rookie forward Jaylen Wells was taken off the court on a stretcher on Tuesday after a hard fall while getting fouled on a dunk late in the first half at Charlotte, according to ESPN.

Wells was fouled from behind on Hornets guard KJ Simpson and landed face first on the court. Upon an official review, Simpson was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul, resulting in an automatic ejection.

Fred Wells, Jaylen’s father, posted on Twitter that “Jaylen is awake and alert. Wanted 2 know the score! Swollen wrist. Face, jaw and back pain. About to get X-ray and CT.”

Wells, drafted with the No. 39 pick, has been one of the league’s most accomplished rookies this season. He quickly emerged as a starter, averaging 10.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in just over 26.1 minutes while appearing in every game. He’s also one of the Grizzlies’ top perimeter defenders.

If Wells has to miss some time, it could seriously hamper Memphis in the postseason. The Grizzlies are currently tied with three other teams with a 46-32 record and are trying to avoid the play-in tournament. It’s been a tumultuous time as of late for the team, which recently fired head coach Taylor Jenkins.

Vince Williams Jr. figures to absorb a majority of Wells’ minutes if he’s sidelined, with John Konchar also getting a bump in playing time.

Texas’ Tre Johnson Entering 2025 NBA Draft

April 8th, 2025 at 3:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Texas freshman Tre Johnson announced on ESPN’s NBA Today that he’s entering the 2025 NBA draft, Jonathan Givony writes for ESPN.com.

Johnson is projected to go No. 5 overall in the today’s mock draft from Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link).

A 6’6″ shooting guard with a 6’10” wingspan, Johnson averaged 19.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists on .427/.397/.871 shooting in 33 games (34.7 minutes) for the Longhorns in 2024/25.

Johnson, who was named SEC Rookie of the Year and claimed a spot on the All-SEC Second Team, said he watches a number of NBA players to help improve his game, per Givony.

“It will be constant work, just trying to take advantage of every day to try and get better,” the 19-year-old said of preparing for the draft. “I’m a big basketball nerd, so I’m spending a lot of time watching film, both full games and individual players on Synergy.

“I like to watch Shai Gilgeous-Alexander because we have similar body types. Devin Booker, with how he scores and his footwork coming off pin-downs, and also Klay Thompson with the Warriors, seeing how he uses different actions.”

Nuggets Fire Coach Michael Malone, GM Calvin Booth

April 8th, 2025 at 12:46pm CST by Rory Maher

12:46pm: The Nuggets confirmed in a press release that both Malone and Booth have been let go.

“This decision was not made lightly and was evaluated very carefully, and we do it only with the intention of giving our group the best chance at competing for the 2025 NBA Championship,” Josh Kroenke said as part of a larger statement.

12:30pm: The Nuggets are firing head coach Michael Malone, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Denver is also firing general manager Calvin Booth, according to Charania (Twitter link).

Malone was dismissed in a meeting earlier today, Charania reports. The 53-year-old helped Denver win its first NBA championship less than two years ago.

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne hears that vice chairman Josh Kroenke informed Malone and Booth of the news this morning (Twitter link).

According to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link), longtime assistant David Adelman will be the Nuggets’ interim head coach. Adelman has been the acting coach a few times in the past when Malone was unavailable.

The timing of the news is pretty shocking, primarily because there are only three regular season games remaining on Denver’s schedule. The Nuggets have dropped four straight games, including a dispiriting loss to Indiana on Sunday, and are in danger of falling into the play-in tournament.

Denver is currently 47-32, the No. 4 seed in the West, but sits only a half-game ahead of four other teams who have one fewer win and the same number of losses.

Malone had been the head coach of the Nuggets for nearly 10 years, having been hired in June of 2015. He is the organization’s all-time leader in wins, compiling a 471-327 record (.590 winning percentage) during the regular season and 44-36 mark in the playoffs (.550).

According to Charania (Twitter link), Malone’s ouster is tied for the latest coaching change in NBA history, matching Hubie Brown being let go by Atlanta back in 1980/81. Malone is the second longtime coach of a potential playoff team to be fired in the past two weeks, joining Taylor Jenkins, who was dismissed by Memphis.

While Malone was reportedly under contract through 2027, Booth was on an expiring deal. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Booth and the Nuggets failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension before the 2024/25 season began (Twitter link).

A former NBA player, Booth had been with the Nuggets for eight years, having been promoted to GM in 2020. Although he was not formally given the title of president of basketball operations, he had been atop the front office hierarchy since 2022, when former president Tim Connelly was hired away by the Timberwolves.

Multiple reports last year indicated that Malone and Booth often butted heads and had differing views on the best way to build around superstar center Nikola Jokic. Instead of keeping one or the other, the Nuggets have decided to part with both before the season concludes.

Forward Michael Porter Jr. acknowledged at beginning of the season that major changes could be in store if the Nuggets failed to win a championship in 2025. Surprisingly, the team decided to make some of those changes before even seeing how the rest of ’24/25 played out.

Jase Richardson To Enter NBA Draft

April 8th, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Michigan State’s Jase Richardson tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he’ll declare for the NBA draft.

The 19-year-old guard averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game with the Spartans this season while shooting 41% from three-point range. He earned a spot on the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team and was named Third-Team All-Conference.

“I’m incredibly grateful to my teammates and coaches for the season we had,” Richardson said. “After evaluating everything with my family, this was the best decision for me. We had so many incredible moments as a team. Even though we didn’t go as far as I had hoped in the NCAA tournament, this is exactly how I wanted my freshman year to go. Winning the Big Ten championship and making the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019.”

The 6’3″ Richardson is viewed as a potential late lottery selection, ranking 13th in ESPN’s latest draft projections. Givony notes that his production increased after he was inserted into the starting lineup on February 8.

Givony cites Richardson’s “pace, skill level, feel for the game, perimeter shooting and high-intensity defense” as assets that he’ll bring to the NBA. He was also very accomplished at protecting the ball, committing just 30 turnovers in 912 minutes.

“Coach (Tom) Izzo taught me how to think the game through countless hours of film and conversations on and off the court,” Richardson said. “He actually coached me harder as the season moved on, pushing me more as he was putting more responsibility on my plate.”

Richardson, a second-generation player, is the son of Jason Richardson, who had a 13-year career in the NBA. Jase credits his father for putting him on the right track to succeed.

“My dad had the blueprint laid out for me for how I was going to get to my goals,” he said. “It’s really special to have someone like him next to me that has been through the process. I am always asking him for feedback and advice. We’re totally different players, so I don’t feel any pressure if people expect me to do what he did. I need to go out and show myself on my own.”

BYU’s Egor Demin To Declare For NBA Draft

April 8th, 2025 at 10:09am CST by Arthur Hill

BYU freshman Egor Demin has decided to enter the NBA draft, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

The 19-year-old guard is considered a borderline lottery pick, ranking 12th in ESPN’s draft projections and 15th in the latest mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.

Demin averaged 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 27.5 minutes per game this season and was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team.

At 6’9″, Demin played point guard for the Cougars, leading them to a 26-10 record and an appearance in the Sweet 16 for the first time in 15 years. Givony notes that he showed creativity with his passing — finishing fourth in the conference in assists — but frequently had issues with outside shooting, turnovers and defense.

Demin was born in Moscow and moved to Spain when he was 15 to play for Real Madrid. He became one of the top prospects in European basketball, prompting BYU to pay a $1MM buyout to Real Madrid for his services.

Sixers’ Nurse: Health Of Embiid, George Crucial For Next Season

April 8th, 2025 at 8:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers‘ nightmare season is about to end, but there are no guarantees that next season will be any better or that their stars will be any healthier. Before Monday’s game at Miami, which marked Philadelphia’s 12th straight loss and its 29th in 32 games, coach Nick Nurse talked about the prospects for 2025/26, acknowledging that everything centers around the availability of Joel Embiid and Paul George, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“There’s, obviously, a good number of them that need to get taken care of, get back to health, but obviously, Joel and Paul will be the big concerns,” Nurse said. “Can they get back and get ready to go? And I guess we won’t find that out for a little while, and then you start unpacking and then you get back to thinking there’s some really, really good players there and start piecing it together and then we get ready to build out the rest of the roster around them.”

Embiid dealt with left knee issues all season long and was limited to just 19 games. Swelling in the knee delayed his season debut until November 12, and he was in an out of the lineup after that. He was eventually shut down for good on February 28 and will undergo arthroscopic surgery later this week.

Embiid remains a force when he’s healthy, having averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 30.2 minutes per game, but the Sixers will need him on the court far more often to be competitive. The extension he signed last summer gives him $179MM in guaranteed money over the next three years, with a $69MM player option for 2028/29.

The Sixers viewed George as the missing piece to a title contender when they signed him to a four-year max deal in free agency. Various injuries limited him to 41 games before he was ruled out for the rest of the season on March 17 due to adductor and knee issues.

George averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in his first season with Philadelphia, but he never reached the All-Star level he displayed during his time with the Clippers. He’s owed $51.7MM next season, $54.1MM in 2026/27 and holds a $56.6MM player option for 2027/28.

As Pompey notes, the Sixers’ injury woes didn’t end with their two veteran stars. Tyrese Maxey appeared in just 52 games and hasn’t played since March 3 due to an injured finger tendon. Rookie guard Jared McCain quickly found his way into the rotation, but was lost for the season after 23 games with a torn meniscus. Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry and several others have also missed significant time due to injuries.

The results have been ugly, as the Sixers have struggled to field a competitive team since the All-Star break. Nurse used his 53rd different starting lineup of the season on Monday, Pompey notes in a separate story, consisting of Lonnie Walker, Quentin Grimes, Adem Bona, Marcus Bagley and Jared Butler. Pompey points out that Bona was the only member of that group who was on the roster before February.

Leonard, Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Week

April 7th, 2025 at 2:54pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week, according to the NBA (Twitter link), while Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has won the award in the East.

Leonard helped guide the Clips to a perfect 4-0 week for games played from March 31 to April 6, averaging 24.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals on .513/.381/.857 shooting.

The two-time Finals MVP missed the first 35 games of the season due to a knee injury, but he has rounded into form at a critical time, scoring 20-plus points in each of the past 12 games. Los Angeles is currently the No. 5 seed in a remarkably close Western Conference playoff race.

Antetokounmpo was spectacular in leading the Bucks to three victories last week (he missed one game, which Milwaukee also won), averaging 36.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, 13.7 assists and 1.7 steals on .638/.500/.838 shooting.

The 30-year-old superstar’s efforts helped the Bucks secure their ninth straight playoff appearance. Milwaukee is currently 44-34, the East’s No. 5 seed.

This is Antetokounmpo’s third Player of the Week award in 2024/25, and 26th of his career. It’s the first time Leonard has earned the weekly honor this season, and 10th time in his career.

Despite averaging 45.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, 10.7 assists and 2.0 steals on .620/.448/.800 shooting in three appearances last week, including an incredible 61-point triple-double, Nikola Jokic somehow wasn’t nominated for the West’s award, presumably because the Nuggets went 0-4 (he missed one game).

Instead, Leonard beat out Deni Avdija, Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Austin Reaves, Alperen Sengun and teammate Ivica Zubac. The other nominees in the East were OG Anunoby, Donovan Mitchell, Magic forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, Bulls guards Josh Giddey and Coby White, and Pacers teammates Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner (Twitter link).

Five West Teams Have 32 Losses In Regular Season’s Final Week

April 7th, 2025 at 1:55pm CST by Rory Maher

The Thunder clinched the No. 1 seed entering the Western Conference playoffs two-plus weeks ago, but the remaining 19 postseason seeds are up for grabs in the final week of the 2024/25 regular season, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

There isn’t too much drama in the East, with the Cavaliers and Celtics leading the conference for the entire season. Four other clubs — the Knicks, Pacers, Bucks and Pistons — are guaranteed of making the playoffs, while the Magic, Hawks, Bulls and Heat will be in the play-in tournament. But the final seeds are technically still up in the air.

The West is a totally different story, however. Five teams — the Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors, Timberwolves and Grizzlies — each have 32 losses, with the Nuggets holding a slim half-game lead on their competitors by virtue of having one more win.

After losing four straight, the Nuggets are currently 47-32, while the Clippers, Warriors, Timberwolves and Grizzlies all have identical 46-32 records. They are, in that order, the current Nos. 4-8 seeds in the West.

This is the first time since the current playoff format was introduced in 1983/84 that the Nos. 4-8 seeds in a conference are within a half-game of each other in the standings 78-plus games into a season, per the NBA (Twitter link).

It’s also just the second time teams ranked 3-8 in a conference are within two games of each other 78-plus games into a season, with the other also coming in the West back in ’17/18.

The 48-30 Lakers currently hold the No. 3 spot, but could theoretically end up anywhere from No. 2 to No. 8 (moving up to No. 2 would require the Lakers to win their final four games and the Rockets to lose their final three; Houston is guaranteed of being either No. 2 or No. 3)

If the Lakers hold onto the No. 3 seed — certainly not a given considering how unpredictable and close the West is — and there ends up being a five-way tie between the current 32-loss clubs, then the final standings would be as follows, according to ESPN researcher Matt Williams (Twitter link via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk):

Timberwolves
Clippers
Warriors
Nuggets
Grizzlies

The Suns have the league’s highest payroll, but are in imminent danger of falling out of the West’s play-in picture. Phoenix has dropped six straight and is three games behind No. 9 Sacramento and two-and-a-half behind No. 10 Dallas with only four games remaining.

Trail Blazers Sign GM Joe Cronin To Multiyear Extension

April 7th, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Rory Maher

12:30 pm: The extension is now official, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release.

“Joe has demonstrated leadership and vision during his time as General Manager, and I’m excited to see him continue building the foundation for a long-term, winning team,” said Jody Allen, chair of the Portland Trail Blazers. “We are all thrilled with the team’s forward momentum and excited for the future of Trail Blazers basketball.”

12:15 pm: General manager Joe Cronin has agreed to a multiyear contract extension with the Trail Blazers, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

While the Blazers will be selecting in the lottery for the fourth straight season under Cronin, they have already have 14 more wins (35) than last season with three games left on their schedule. Portland has gone 22-16 since January 19, Charania notes, led by a strong defense.

Cronin joined the organization as a basketball operations intern in 2006, having been with the team for 19 years.

He was promoted to assistant general manager in 2021, then replaced former head of basketball operations Neil Olshey as interim GM in December of that year. Cronin was given the permanent GM job in May 2022, after the ’21/22 campaign ended.

According to Charania, Cronin signed a four-year contract in May 2022. Given that he just agreed to a multiyear extension, his deal should now run through at least 2028.

Cronin has made several trades and draft picks since he became GM, most notably trading away Damian Lillard in a 2023 deal that brought back Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara and multiple draft assets. He also acquired Deni Avdija — who has been on a tear of late — last summer.

Over the past three drafts, the Blazers have selected Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan with their three lottery picks. They are currently projected to have the ninth-best odds of landing the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.