Collin Murray-Boyles Entering 2025 NBA Draft
South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles will enter his name in the 2025 NBA draft pool. He informed ESPN’s Jonathan Givony of his decision in addition to announcing it on Instagram.
Although Murray-Boyles has the option of maintaining his NCAA eligibility and withdrawing later in the spring, both his Instagram statement and his comments to Givony suggest he intends to go pro.
“This is exactly how I thought my college career would turn out,” Murray-Boyles said. “South Carolina had a vision for me to lead the team. They gave me freedom to express myself.”
After establishing himself as a potential first-round pick with a strong freshman season, Murray-Boyles took another step forward as a sophomore in 2024/25, averaging 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 30.6 minutes per game across 32 outings. The 6’8″ forward made 58.6% of his shots from the floor and 70.7% from the free throw line.
Murray-Boyles was the No. 10 pick in ESPN’s latest mock draft. As Givony writes, he’s considered one of the most “physical and intelligent” defenders in the draft class and also served as an offensive focal point for the Gamecocks, giving him the opportunity to show off his play-making skills and feel for the game.
The 19-year-old has earned comparisons to Warriors forward Draymond Green as a result of his “versatility, competitiveness, and aggressiveness,” according to Givony.
“When people that know basketball watch me play, it’s the smaller things that standout,” Murray-Boyles told ESPN. “I’m not one to get oohs and aahs, but know what it takes to win games and impact a team positively. I hang my hat on how hard I play and my unselfishness. I love to play defense.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden Named Players Of The Week
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week for a second straight Monday, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
Antetokounmpo sat out Milwaukee’s regular season finale on Sunday, but was stellar in three Bucks wins over Minnesota, New Orleans, and Detroit earlier in the week, averaging 27.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 10.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 34.0 minutes per game.
It’s the fourth time this season that Antetokounmpo has earned Player of the Week honors, which is the most of any player in 2024/25. No one else in the East won the award more than twice this season; Nuggets center Nikola Jokic claimed it three times in the West.
It was Clippers guard James Harden, not Jokic, who was named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week for April 7-13, marking the second week in a row that a Clippers star has earned the award. Kawhi Leonard won it last Monday.
Harden helped the Clippers secure a guaranteed playoff spot (No. 5 in the West) by leading the team to a 4-0 week to wrap up the regular season, with victories over San Antonio, Houston, Sacramento, and – most crucially – Golden State. In those four games, the former MVP averaged 29.5 points, 10.5 assists, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 41.5 minutes per night, with a .534/.484/.862 shooting line.
Back in his prime years, Harden typically earned multiple Player of the Week nods every year, but this is the first time he has been recognized with the weekly award since February 2021, per Basketball-Reference.
Scottie Barnes, Trae Young, Onyeka Okongwu, and Payton Pritchard were the other Player of the Week nominees in the Eastern Conference, while Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Aaron Gordon, Aaron Wiggins, and Harden’s teammate Ivica Zubac were nominated in the West (Twitter link).
Nuggets Name Ben Tenzer Interim GM
Speaking today to reporters, Nuggets vice chairman Josh Kroenke announced that vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer has been named the team’s interim GM (Twitter link).
Tenzer was a minor league coordinator for the Nuggets from 2005-09 and a legal extern in 2012 before being formally hired by the organization in 2013 as its director of team operations.
He has since worked his way up the basketball operations department, serving this past season as the general manager of Denver’s G League team (the Grand Rapids Gold) in addition to holding the title of Nuggets VP of basketball operations. According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link), Tenzer is considered a salary cap expert.
A report last week indicated that Kroenke himself would serve as the Nuggets’ president of basketball operations – assisted by Tenzer and assistant general manager Tommy Balcetis – until the club hires a permanent replacement for GM Calvin Booth.
It’s safe to assume that Kroenke will still be the one signing off on any roster moves or personnel decisions Denver makes, but it sounds as if Tenzer will handle the day-to-day GM duties for now. With no trades or free agent signings permitted during the postseason, the Nuggets shouldn’t face any real roster decisions until this summer.
A full-fledged search for Booth’s replacement will be conducted once the Nuggets’ season comes to an end, Durando confirms.
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- During Monday’s media session, Kroenke disputed a report which stated the Nuggets have been reluctant to trade Michael Porter Jr. due to his ties to the University of Missouri (which Porter and Kroenke both attended). According to Kroenke, the Nuggets are willing to trade anyone to improve their roster, as Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette relays (via Twitter).
- Kroenke also pushed back on rumors that Russell Westbrook caused any problems in the Nuggets’ locker room, telling reporters that he “can’t say enough good things” about his experience with Westbrook and referring to the veteran guard as a “spicy ingredient” the team needed (Twitter links via Benedetto and Durando).
- Jamal Murray, who had only played for Michael Malone since entering the NBA in 2016, spoke on Friday about the dismissal of the Nuggets’ longtime head coach, as Durando writes for The Denver Post. “I think he’s done a great job of also setting the example for the group behind us — not just us but for the group behind us,” Murray said. “He always preached a lot of sacrifice and playing for one another and stuff, but I thought Coach always showed a lot of humility in himself. Always taking control of the room. Always hating to lose. He was always setting the tone in that regard. So it sucks to kind of see him go like that, especially the way it happened this late (in the season). But we’re still gonna remain in contact and stuff like that.”
- If interim head coach David Adelman leads the Nuggets to at least the second round of the playoffs, the team should give him the full-time job, contends Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
Joe Dumars Emerges As Serious Candidate For Pelicans’ Top Front Office Job
Veteran NBA executive Joe Dumars is a “serious frontrunner” to become the Pelicans‘ new head of basketball operations, replacing David Griffin, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links). New Orleans announced on Monday that Griffin has been relieved of his duties.
According to Charania, Dumars and the Pelicans are expected to engage in discussions about the job and could finalize a deal as soon as this week.
Dumars, who won a pair of championships and made six All-Star teams as a Pistons guard, spent his entire playing career in Detroit from 1985-99 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 2006.
Dumars remained in Detroit following his retirement, transitioning to a front office role and spending 14 years as the Pistons’ president of basketball operations in Detroit from 2000-14. He won an Executive of the Year award in 2003 and built the Pistons team that earned a championship in 2004.
After spending three decades with the Pistons as a player and executive, Dumars had a stint in the Kings’ front office too, holding a variety of roles in the organization from 2019-22. He joined Sacramento as a special advisor to then-GM Vlade Divac and became the Kings’ interim head of basketball operations when Divac was fired in 2020.
Dumars subsequently transitioned into a chief strategy officer role following the hiring of general manager Monte McNair and held that position for two years before joining the league office as the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations in 2022.
Dumars turned the Pistons into a perennial contender during the first half of his front office tenure in Detroit, making a series of savvy moves to compile a roster led by Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince. The club advanced to at least the Eastern Conference Finals for six straight years from 2003-08.
However, Dumars made his share of missteps while running the Pistons, most memorably drafting Darko Milicic with the No. 2 overall pick in 2003, right ahead of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade. Detroit had a losing record in each of Dumars’ last six seasons at the helm and wasn’t set up for success following his exit.
Dumars is a Louisiana native who played his college ball at McNeese State.
Suns Dismiss Mike Budenholzer
Mike Budenholzer is out as head coach of the Suns, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Budenholzer’s firing was widely anticipated after Phoenix fell far short of expectations despite a payroll approaching $400MM between salaries and tax penalties. After a fast start, the Suns stumbled to 36-46 record and failed to reach the play-in tournament.
Budenholzer, a two-time Coach of the Year, was in his first season with the team after agreeing to a five-year deal worth more than $50MM last May. This marks the third straight offseason that Phoenix will make a coaching change since Mat Ishbia bought the team. The Suns parted with Monty Williams in 2023 and Frank Vogel in 2024.
The organization’s dissatisfaction with Budenholzer went beyond the losing record, sources tell Doug Haller, Sam Amick and Fred Katz of The Athletic. There were concerns about his ability to manage the locker room and his “contentious” relationship with Devin Booker and other players. While there’s heavy trade speculation surrounding Kevin Durant, the authors report that Suns management plans to rebuild around Booker and couldn’t envision “a productive path forward” with Budenholzer as head coach.
Haller, Amick and Katz note that Budenholzer inherited many of the problems that led to his downfall. Hefty salaries for Booker, Durant and Bradley Beal led to second-apron restrictions that limited the Suns’ ability to make roster moves. Budenholzer was left with a team short on defensive ability and toughness that ranked 27th in points allowed per possession.
The authors point out that Budenholzer used 35 different starting lineups and made rotation changes that sometimes led to confusion in the locker room. They cite examples such as rookie Ryan Dunn, who was benched for a while despite being the team’s best defender, and Bol Bol, who averaged 21 minutes during a 16-game stretch in January and February then barely got off the bench for the rest of the season.
Despite the coaching change, league sources tell Haller, Amick and Katz that no immediate moves are planned in the front office, although that could change as the offseason wears on. President of basketball operations James Jones will have his contract expire in June, and Ishbia is expected to consider replacing him. They add that it’s not clear what plans Ishbia has for CEO Josh Bartelstein.
Suns insider John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 tweets that Budenholzer’s dismissal is “just the beginning” and many more changes are coming to the organization. Gambadoro adds (via Twitter) that he doesn’t expect Michael Malone or Taylor Jenkins to emerge as serious candidates for the coaching job in Phoenix.
Pelicans Fire David Griffin
The Pelicans have dismissed head of basketball operations David Griffin, the team announced in a press release. Griffin was given the news this morning following a disappointing 21-61 season.
“After considerable thought and evaluation, I have decided to relieve David Griffin of his duties as executive vice president of basketball operations,” team governor Gayle Benson said. “This was a difficult decision, but one that I feel is necessary at this time to bring a fresh approach to our front office and build a culture that will deliver sustainable success, on and off the court.
“I am committed to hiring the right person to lead our basketball operations department and deliver an NBA Championship to our city. That is what our fans deserve. I am truly appreciative of David for his leadership and many contributions to the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community over the last six years. We wish David and his wife, Meredith, and their family all the best moving forward.”
The move isn’t a surprise, as Griffin had been telling members of his staff to “brace for his exit” over the weekend, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). There had been reports that Griffin’s job was in jeopardy and that the organization wanted a new direction in its front office.
Head coach Willie Green will remain in place for now, per Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), as the Pelicans prepare to conduct a league-wide search for their next lead basketball operations executive. Green told reporters on Sunday that there haven’t been any discussions about his future with the team. His status will be determined after Griffin’s replacement is hired, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic.
Fischer hears that Green could be a candidate to replace Mike Budenholzer if the Suns decide to make a coaching change (Twitter link). Those rumors stem from Green’s relationships with team owner Mat Ishbia and star Devin Booker, adds NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).
Griffin spent six years with the Pelicans, compiling a 209-263 record with two playoff appearances. The team won the lottery shortly after he was hired in 2019 and drafted Zion Williamson with the No. 1 pick. Although that seemed like incredibly good fortune at the time, Williamson’s injury-plagued career ultimately played a huge role in getting Griffin fired.
Griffin also had a run of bad luck with injuries throughout this season. Dejounte Murray, who was his major offseason acquisition, broke his hand on opening night and suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon tear in late January. The trade that brought Murray from Atlanta began to look like a huge mistake as Dyson Daniels became a Defensive Player of the Year candidate with the Hawks. Meanwhile, New Orleans dropped near the bottom of the league as Herbert Jones, Brandon Ingram and Trey Murphy also missed significant time due to injuries.
The cumulative effect convinced ownership that a change had to be made.
“While our focus is a championship on the court,” Benson added, “we are also making sure that we do the same off the court, by continuing to prioritize the fan experience, and ensuring our games are easily accessible across our entire Gulf South region on multiple convenient platforms. In addition, we are working to determine the best path forward to transform the Smoothie King Center into the best arena in the NBA. We look forward to delivering on these priorities for our fans.”
Victor Wembanyama Discusses Recovery From Deep Vein Thrombosis
Although Victor Wembanyama didn’t provide many details on the deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder that ended his season in February, he said “I’m over this problem” when he spoke to reporters on Sunday, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.
Wembanyama hasn’t been cleared for contact, but he has begun a light program of weightlifting along with on-court work in a limited setting, Wright adds. The second-year big man refused to say if his condition involved a structural issue or whether his treatment included surgery.
“There’s many more things than surgery when you go to the hospital for a blood clot,” he explained. “We’re taking our time and I’m neither late or early (in recovery), but it’s a process and there are definitely steps for me to reach. At the time, I definitely didn’t know (the extent of the condition). But looking back I did feel a certain way. I wasn’t in the best shape ever at the All-Star Game. By no means was it easy to learn and process. I think I did and I’m still doing the best we can do, taking care of my body and trusting the incredible work of the medical staff. I’m sure it’s something I’m going to use to grow and be better.”
Wembanyama’s medical issues began with discomfort in his shoulder during a road trip immediately following All-Star Weekend, sources tell Wright. He went through numerous exams before the issue was diagnosed as a blot clot.
He wound up missing the final 36 games of the season as San Antonio slipped out of the play-in race and ultimately finished 34-48. Wembanyama relied on “perspective” to help deal with the frustration of being unable to play.
“All the attention I got from the incredible people here [who are] incredible at their jobs, from my visits to the hospital and such, I think I got as good of care as you can get as a patient,” he said. “Looking back, I’m really lucky. This happened. But all of us, we deal with what we get. I’m still in the 1% luckiest people. I’ve got nothing to complain about.”
At 21, Wembanyama was in the midst of a spectacular season before the shoulder issue arose. He averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per night and led the league with 176 total blocked shots even though he was limited to 46 games. He was likely headed for Defensive Player of the Year honors, but fell well short of the 65-game minimum needed to qualify.
Acting coach Mitch Johnson called Wembanyama’s progress “good news” and reiterated that he’s expected to be fully recovered in time for training camp. Wright points out that the Spurs head into the offseason with uncertainly regarding their coaching staff as Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich tries to make it back from a stroke that caused him to miss 76 games.
“I trust the organization,” Wembanyama said about the coaching situation. “I trust Pop to [do] all he can to come back and get his energy back. I also trust Mitch to grow into that role. So I think we are in good hands supporting each other all throughout the organization. So I don’t know. I’m ready for anything.”
Wembanyama seems doubtful about representing France in this year’s EuroBasket, which gets underway in late August, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. French officials recently expressed hope that Wembanyama could participate in the tournament.
“I don’t know if it’s realistic,” he said. “There are a lot of uncertainties.”
Willie Green: No Discussions Yet On Future With Pelicans
Head coach Willie Green talked about his uncertain future after the Pelicans closed out the season by losing to Oklahoma City Sunday afternoon, writes Brett Martel of The Associated Press. The loss ended a disappointing year for Green’s injury-ravaged team, which began the campaign with playoff aspirations, but would up with the second-worst record in the West and the fourth worst in the league at 21-61.
“I haven’t had any discussions, any talks yet,” Green said. “I didn’t do great great. I have to take full ownership of where we are as a team. We failed. I failed.”
“I think that’s important. You try to look at the body of work,” Green said. “But I didn’t give myself this job. I had to be chosen for this position, and I’m grateful.”
A wave of injuries to key players took away any chance the Pelicans had of being competitive. After playing in 70 games in 2023/24, star forward Zion Williamson was limited to 30 due to several health issues, with a strained hamstring being the worst. Dejounte Murray, who was acquired in a trade last summer, broke his hand on opening night and suffered a torn Achilles in late January, limiting him to 31 games.
A shoulder injury forced Herbert Jones to miss 62 games. An injured ankle limited Brandon Ingram to 18 games before he was traded to Toronto in February. Multiple injuries sidelined Trey Murphy for 29 games.
Although the injuries help to explain the Pelicans’ downfall, that may not be enough to save Green or head of basketball operations David Griffin, whose job is also rumored to be in jeopardy. Griffin didn’t speak to reporters after Sunday’s game, according to Martel.
Whether they involve the front office, coaching staff or players, changes are expected in New Orleans during the offseason.
“We truly don’t know who’s going back. I’m just trying to be honest with you,” Murphy said. “Nobody is safe.”
Sixers President Daryl Morey, Head Coach Nick Nurse To Return Next Season
The Sixers’ disastrous year won’t lead to changes at the top. Following the team’s season-ending loss to the Bulls on Sunday, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said he and coach Nick Nurse will return next season, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reports.
Morey divulged that news during a postgame press conference.
“We expect more. We really feel for the fans who put their heart and soul into this team, and we know we’ve let you down,” Morey said. “Ownership gave us the resources to make aggressive moves this offseason to put a championship roster around Joel [Embiid] and Tyrese [Maxey] and sometimes those aggressive moves don’t initially work out, but we feel good about [them].”
Morey hoarded salary-cap space to make a big splash last offseason and landed the biggest free agent on the market, Paul George. The front office also added Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, Guerschon Yabusele, and Andre Drummond while re-signing Maxey, KJ Martin, Kyle Lowry, and Kelly Oubre Jr. with sights on a championship.
Instead, the season disintegrated due to injuries. Promising rookie Jared McCain went down early and the team’s “big three” barely had any time to develop chemistry. Embiid was limited to 19 games and eventually underwent another knee procedure. George only appeared in half of Philadelphia’s 82 games and Maxey was limited to 52 appearances. They suited up together in just 15 games.
“In my opinion when you have an MVP-level talent, you need to make aggressive moves to upgrade around that talent in that window,” Morey said. “That’s what we did last offseason, and we feel good about it going forward. I think it’s such a unique thing to have a player of that caliber. Are we somewhat indexed to talented players who are a little bit more injured? Yes, but that’s why we need to have a younger, deeper roster on them and then have them healthy going into the playoffs next year.”
Despite Embiid’s knee issues and George’s multitude of injuries in recent seasons, Morey expressed optimism that they’ll be “100%” next season.
Given their contractual obligations, the Sixers can only hope that’s the case. Embiid signed a monstrous three-year extension in September worth nearly $193MM that runs through the 2028/29 season with a player option. George has three years and more than $162MM remaining on his contract, which also includes a player option.
Morey says he’ll retool one of the oldest rosters in the league. The Sixers will hold onto their first-round pick if it’s in the top six. Otherwise, it will be conveyed to Oklahoma City.
“If everything sets up well, we’ll have a younger, more dynamic roster around a healthy Joel, Tyrese and Paul,” Morey said. “I never felt like Coach had a healthy literally one game with all three of ’em. I know they played some games together, but they didn’t finish all of ’em and even the ones where it was like their first game back. It was tough … for me personally it was obviously the toughest season of my career, and I’ll just say personally I will spend every waking hour figuring out how turn this team around going into next season.”
Postseason Seeding Set For Western Conference
The seedings for the Western Conference playoffs came down to the very last game — the Clippers‘ 124-119 overtime victory over the Warriors on Sunday afternoon. That outcome assured L.A. of a playoff spot and pushed Golden State into the play-in tournament.
The red-hot Clippers, winners of eight straight, nailed down the No. 5 seed. The Timberwolves, who won their last three games, grabbed the last automatic berth into the first round, joining the Nuggets, who secured the No. 4 seed with their win over Houston on Sunday.
Here’s how the top 10 teams in the West finished the regular season, as the NBA confirms (via Twitter):
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Denver Nuggets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Golden State Warriors
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Sacramento Kings
- Dallas Mavericks
The play-in tournament in the Western Conference will feature the Warriors hosting the Grizzlies on Tuesday and the Kings hosting the Mavericks on Wednesday. The Golden State/Memphis winner will claim the No. 7 spot in the playoffs and face the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. The loser of that game will host the Sacramento/Dallas survivor on Friday for the No. 8 spot and the right to face the top-seeded Thunder in round one.
The Lakers will have home court advantage in the first round and face the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. The Nuggets will also have home court advantage in their first-round series against the Clippers.
The seedings for the Eastern Conference playoffs were decided prior to Sunday’s action and can be found here.