Sixers’ Nurse: Health Of Embiid, George Crucial For Next Season
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
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
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
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.
Donovan Mitchell Returns To Game After Injury Scare
The Cavaliers missed a chance to clinch the best record in the East on Sunday night, but they’re relieved that Donovan Mitchell‘s left ankle injury wasn’t as bad as it first appeared to be, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Mitchell turned the ankle early in the third quarter of a loss to Sacramento when he stepped on the back on Keon Ellis‘s foot. He fell to the court in obvious pain, but was eventually able to walk to the locker room without help. After having it examined, he returned with 3:01 left in the quarter and played the rest of the game.
“I wanted to get the No. 1 seed and then go from there,” Mitchell told reporters in explaining his decision to resume playing. “If I’m able to go, I’m gonna go. Obviously, a little hobbled after the first adrenaline rush … but I’m trying to win, trying to help my team win in any way possible.”
Vardon adds that Mitchell was limping in the locker room after the game and may have to miss Tuesday’s contest at Chicago. The Cavaliers will play Thursday at Indiana and Friday at New York before returning home Sunday to face the Pacers again. They need just one win or one Boston loss to wrap up the No. 1 seed, so there’s little urgency to get Mitchell back in the lineup until he’s fully healed.
Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson admits he feared the worst when he saw his star player writhing on the court, Vardon states. His message to Mitchell was to make certain he wasn’t taking an unnecessary risk by returning.
“‘If it’s even five percent where you’re a little weak or it’s bothering you, you just got to tell me,” he told Mitchell. We gotta get you out, we’ve got multiple games to try and close this thing, but we don’t have to do it tonight.’ He said he was fine, felt fine. I look at it as a positive. Imagine his ankle is bad, he’s out for a couple of weeks, that could easily happen. So I am looking at it like a positive, man. He came back, finished playing the whole fourth quarter, so that might be the most positive thing of the night.”
Also Sunday, the Cavs welcomed back sixth man Ty Jerome, who had missed the previous five games with soreness in his left knee. Jerome contributed 20 points in 23 minutes, including 10 in the fourth quarter when Cleveland erased a 12-point deficit.
Jerome said he sat out to “let (his knee) calm down a little bit, let the swelling go down,” but he never lost confidence that he could return before the end of the regular season.
Jamal Murray’s Postseason Availability In Jeopardy?
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray missed his fifth straight game on Sunday against Indiana. Speaking to reporters prior to the game, head coach Michael Malone discussed Murray’s injury, which the team has described as right hamstring inflammation, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post relays.
“Jamal’s hurt. It’s not careful. He’s hurt,” Malone said when asked how careful the team is being with Murray by withholding him from games. “So there’s a big difference. Careful is if a guy can play and you want to be smart. We’re not in a situation to do that. There are six teams vying for four (playoff) spots. So if Jamal Murray is not out there, it’s not careful. It’s because he literally just is not able to play at the moment.”
A few weeks ago, it seemed like the Nuggets would be a lock to clinch a top-six seed and a guaranteed playoff spot in the Western Conference. But they have gone just 5-8 over their past 13 games, including losing three straight. The standings are so tight that Denver is one game back of the No. 3 seed while also being one game ahead of the No. 8 seed, Durando notes.
Murray has initially been listed as questionable before being ruled out in recent games, but it doesn’t sound like his return is imminent. Malone admitted he wasn’t sure if Denver’s second-leading scorer would be active for the start of a first-round series if the Nuggets make the playoffs. Presumably that would apply to a potential play-in tournament appearance as well, which would take place prior to the playoffs.
“Hopefully he’s able to be back by (the playoffs),” Malone said. “This has been a weird one. It was day-to-day, day-to-day, and then next thing you know, it’s not day-to-day.”
The Nuggets actually have a winning record (8-5) without Murray this season, but they’re a much better team when he’s on the court than when he’s not. He has averaged 21.6 points, 6.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 36.3 minutes per contest across 65 appearances in 2024/25, with a shooting slash line of .476/.396/.887.
As Durando observes, Murray was hampered by injuries during last year’s playoff run and during last summer’s Olympics. The 28-year-old signed a four-year, maximum-salary extension before ’24/25 began and is under contract through 2029.
Second-year guard Jalen Pickett received his third start of the season on Sunday in place of Murray.
Clippers To Use Kawhi Leonard In Back-To-Back For First Time This Season
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will be active for Saturday’s rematch with the Mavericks after playing 24 minutes in Friday’s win over Dallas, according to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda (Twitter link). Leonard is likely to be on a restriction of about 25-30 minutes, adds Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).
This marks the first back-to-back of the season for Leonard, which is a significant development, especially so close to the playoffs. It’s a sign that the Clippers are fully confident in the state of his right knee, which required an offseason surgical procedure that kept Leonard out of action until early January.
“Kawhi has trying to do it for some time now, playing in back to backs, but our medical staff has been very cautious with making sure everything is right,” coach Tyronn Lue told reporters.
L.A. cruised to a 114-91 victory on Friday, so Leonard and the rest of the starters didn’t have to play heavy minutes. He was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points, making 8-of-17 shots from the field, while adding six assists and two rebounds.
Leonard has been expanding his workload lately, playing 38 minutes Wednesday against New Orleans, 39 minutes Monday at Orlando and 41 minutes March 26 at New York. The Clippers have won the last five games with him in the lineup.
Injuries have been a major part of Leonard’s story over the past decade, especially in the playoffs. He was only able to appear in two postseason games last year before being sidelined by knee inflammation, which eventually led to the surgery.
The Clippers will need him as much as possible down the stretch, as they’re locked in an intense battle for playoff positioning. L.A. entered the night in a three-way tie with Minnesota and Memphis for sixth place in the West and could potentially finish anywhere from third to eighth.
Bucks Become Sixth Eastern Team To Clinch Playoff Berth
Atlanta’s loss to New York this afternoon ensures that the Bucks will land one of the East’s six automatic playoff spots (Twitter link). Milwaukee entered today needing either a win at Miami or a Hawks loss against the Knicks to become the sixth Eastern team to officially clinch a berth. Atlanta’s 121-105 defeat means the Bucks are definitely in before they take the court.
It’s the team’s ninth consecutive playoff appearance, and while that’s a significant achievement, it’s not going to be enough to satisfy fans in Milwaukee after being ousted in the first round in the past two years amid injuries to Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks may have to put together a significant postseason run to avoid major changes this summer.
A large question looming over the organization ahead of the playoffs is the health of Damian Lillard, who has been sidelined since March 18 with a blood clot in his right calf. Coach Doc Rivers expressed optimism about Lillard’s condition earlier this week, and it appears the chances are increasing that he’ll be ready when the playoffs begin in two weeks.
The Bucks are also preparing for the return of Bobby Portis, who will be able to resume playing Tuesday after serving his 25-game suspension. Portis is one of the league’s top reserves, averaging 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 46 games before being suspended.
As always, Milwaukee’s fortunes will rest heavily on Antetokounmpo, who was selected to the All-Star Game this season for the ninth straight year. He’s putting up MVP-level numbers once again at 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 63 games, and he’s leading the NBA in both shots and free throws attempted per night. He missed All-Star Weekend due to a calf strain, but he’s been healthy for most of the season.
The Bucks made three additions at the trade deadline, picking up Kyle Kuzma from the Wizards, Kevin Porter Jr. from the Clippers and Jericho Sims from the Knicks. Kuzma moved into the starting lineup, Porter has become a valuable reserve and Sims was seeing minutes as a backup big man before undergoing thumb surgery last month.
At 42-34, Milwaukee is a half-game behind Detroit for fifth place in the East. The Bucks appear headed for a first-round series against the Knicks or Pacers, depending how the rest of the season plays out.
Cavaliers Sign Chuma Okeke
April 5: Okeke’s deal with the Cavaliers is now official, per a team press release.
April 3: The Cavaliers and Chuma Okeke have reached a contract agreement, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the 6’7″ forward will fill the open spot on Cleveland’s 15-man roster.
Okeke, the 16th overall pick in the 2019 draft, spent a year recovering from a torn ACL before signing his rookie scale contract with Orlando in 2020. He appeared in 189 regular season games over the course of four seasons with the Magic, averaging 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 20.3 minutes per night.
After becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2024, Okeke has spent most of the current season with the Westchester Knicks in the G League. In 45 total outings for Westchester, he has put up 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks in 36.5 minutes per game.
The 26-year-old also appeared in seven NBA games while on a pair of 10-day contracts with the Sixers in February and March.
Known as a talented perimeter defender, Okeke didn’t display much upside on the offensive end during his time in Orlando, shooting 38.3% from the floor and 31.8% on three-pointers. He has taken some positive steps forward as a shooter this season, however, hitting 36.2% of his outside shots in the G League and 45.5% in a very small sample at the NBA level.
The Cavaliers have been carrying 14 players on standard contracts since Nae’Qwan Tomlin‘s 10-day deal expired about a month ago, so they won’t need to cut anyone to open up a roster spot for Okeke.
Okeke’s deal will include a second-year team option, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Assuming it’s worth the veteran’s minimum, Okeke would earn $12,860 per day for the rest of this season (through April 13) — his exact earnings and the Cavs’ exact cap hit would depend on when the team officially completes the signing.
Anthony, Howard Headline 2025 Hall Of Fame Class
Former NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard headline the 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The organization has confirmed the news.
The full list of inductees is as follows:
- Carmelo Anthony – 10-time All-Star, six All-NBA teams, three Olympic gold medals with Team USA, NCAA championship with Syracuse, member of the 75th Anniversary team.
- Dwight Howard – Eight-time All-Star, eight All-NBA teams, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, five rebounding titles, NBA champion, Olympic gold medal.
- Sue Bird – 13-time WNBA All-Star, eight-time All-WNBA, four-time WNBA champion, five Olympic gold medals.
- Maya Moore – Seven-time All-WNBA, six-time WNBA All-Star, four-time WNBA champion, 2013 Finals MVP, 2014 MVP.
- Sylvia Fowles – Eight-time All-WNBA, eight-time WNBA All-Star, four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, two-time WNBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, 2017 MVP.
- Danny Crawford – Officiated over 2,000 regular season games and 30 NBA Finals.
- Billy Donovan – Currently head coach of the Bulls, Donovan will be inducted for his accomplishments at the college level, including winning back-to-back national championships with Florida in 2006 and ’07.
- Micky Arison – The longtime Heat owner was inducted as a contributor. Miami has won three NBA titles and made the NBA Finals seven times during his tenure.
- 2008 U.S. Olympic Men’s Team – Known as the “Redeem Team,” the Americans went 8-0 en route to a gold medal in Beijing after finishing with a surprising bronze in 2004.
As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press notes, Anthony and Howard will essentially be inducted twice in the same year, as both were members of Team USA in 2008. Dwyane Wade, Jason Kidd, Chris Bosh and Kobe Bryant, all of whom were already in the Hall of Fame, were also members of that team, as were LeBron James and Chris Paul — both of whom are still active NBA players.
The 17 finalists for the 2025 class were announced in February.