LaMelo Ball Fined $60K, But Won’t Be Suspended

The NBA announced (via Twitter) that Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has been assessed a flagrant foul 2 and fined $35K for “making unnecessary and reckless contact” with Heat center Bam Adebayo during Tuesday’s play-in game. Ball also received a $25K fine for “using profane language during a live post-game television interview.”

The action means Ball won’t be suspended for Friday’s game at Orlando, which will determine whether Charlotte can advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.

The play occurred in the first half when Ball had his shot blocked by Miami’s Simone Fontecchio. Ball fell to the court and grabbed Adebayo’s foot, bringing him to the floor as he grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Fontecchio (video link via NBA.com).

Ball would have been ejected if the officials had whistled a flagrant 2 when the play happened, but no call was made at the time. He wound up hitting a game-winning layup in the closing seconds of overtime to end the Heat’s season.

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra called it a “dangerous play” in his post-game session with the media and said Ball should have been “thrown out of the game” for his actions. “There’s no place in the game for that,” Spoelstra added.

After a hard landing, Adebayo limped to the locker room and was ruled out in the second half due to a lower back injury. He was only available for 11:26, finishing with six points and three rebounds.

Ball expressed regret after the game, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer (subscription required).

“I apologize on that one,” he said. “I got hit in the head, didn’t know where I was. But I’m going to check on (Adebayo) and see if he is OK and everything.”

Blazers Clinch Playoff Spot; NBA Announces Full First-Round Schedule

Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija scored 41 points on Tuesday as Portland held on to win a back-and-forth contest over the Suns by a score of 114-110. The victory clinched the Blazers’ first playoff berth since 2021, locking them into the No. 7 seed and lining up a first-round matchup against the No. 2 Spurs.

“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career so far,” Avdija said after the game, per David Brandt of The Associated Press.

Veteran point guard Jrue Holiday contributed 21 points for the Blazers, while forward Jerami Grant scored 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench in his first game back from a calf strain that sidelined him for the last seven games of the season. But it was Avdija who stole the show in Phoenix, shooting 15-of-22 from the field and handing out 12 assists to go along with his 41 points.

“I feel like he’s unique. Nobody does what he does,” Holiday said. “Deni coming out here, carrying us, especially down the stretch, getting that winning bucket and being able to go home knowing we’re playing San Antonio is something you love to see in Deni because this is what we expect from him now.”

The Suns will get a second chance on Friday to secure a playoff spot of their own by winning a play-in game in their home arena. They’ll host either the Clippers or Warriors, depending on the results of Wednesday’s contest, with Friday’s winner claiming the No. 8 seed and a first-round date with the defending champion Thunder.

The Bulls were the other big winner on Tuesday. As a result of Portland making the playoffs, the Trail Blazers’ top-14 protected first-round pick will now be sent to Chicago. That pick originally changed hands during the 2021 offseason and was supposed to be a 2022 selection, but had landed in its protected range for four straight years until now.

If the Suns win on Friday, that first-rounder will be 15th overall; if the Clippers or Warriors make it through to the No. 8 seed, it’ll drop to 16th. Either way, it’ll be a valuable asset for the rebuilding Bulls, whose own first-round pick will be ninth in the lottery standings.

Following the conclusion of the Blazers/Suns game, the NBA revealed the full schedule for all eight first-round series. Those schedules can be found right here. As usual, the first round is relatively drawn out — if any Game Sevens are necessary, they’ll take place on either May 2 or 3.

The conference semifinals are tentatively scheduled to begin on May 4, but could move up a day or two if certain series wrap up quickly.

Pelicans’ Dumars: ‘No Intentions’ Of Trading Zion Williamson

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson told reporters on Monday that he hopes to remain in New Orleans going forward. On Tuesday, executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars suggested in his own end-of-season press conference that the former No. 1 overall pick will get his wish.

“We have no intentions of doing that,” Dumars responded when asked about the possibility of trading Williamson this summer (subscriber-only story via Rod Walker of NOLA.com). “We are going into the offseason looking forward to Zion coming back next year and playing great again next year.”

Williamson, who was limited to 30 games in 2024/25 due primarily to hamstring and adductor strains, had a healthier year in ’25/26, making 62 appearances and averaging 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 29.7 minutes per game. It was just the third time in seven NBA seasons that the 25-year-old has been able to play in at least half of New Orleans’ games.

The fact that he avoided major injuries this season and has just two seasons remaining on his five-year, maximum-salary contract should give Williamson’s trade value a bump entering the summer, but it doesn’t sound as if Dumars is eager to pursue a deal.

Obviously, the Pelicans’ head of basketball operations isn’t under oath when he’s speaking to reporters, so there’s nothing to stop him from stating that he plans to keep Williamson and then changing his mind later in the offseason. But it’s worth noting that Dumars gave the former Duke star a similar vote of support early in the 2025 offseason, shutting down the trade rumors surrounding Zion at that time, and he ultimately stuck to his vow that Williamson would open the 2025/26 season with the team.

More trade rumors swirled around Williamson during the season, but he once again stayed put, and Dumars suggested on Tuesday that the Pelicans weren’t the ones initiating the discussions that led to those rumors.

“Those phone calls come in and people ask about a player and two hours later it comes out that you had a conversation about (trading) a player,” Dumars said. “But you left out the most important part. We said no.”

Because he appeared in 61-plus games this season, Williamson’s 2026/27 salary of $42.2MM is at least 80% guaranteed entering the offseason — it would be fully guaranteed if he meets certain weight-related benchmarks or if he remains under contract through July 15, which appears to be a lock. The Pelicans forward, who will be extension-eligible this offseason, will make $44.9MM in 2027/28 and would reach unrestricted free agency in ’28 if he doesn’t sign a new contract before then.

NBA Schedules 2026 Draft For June 23-24

The 2026 NBA draft will begin on Tuesday, June 23 and wrap up on Wednesday, June 24, the league announced today (Twitter link). It will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

As has been the case since 2024, the draft will be held across two days, with the first 30 picks made on day one and the second round – beginning at No. 31 – happening the following day. Each round will begin at 8:00 pm Eastern time, per the NBA.

While the draft format is unchanged, the schedule looks a little different than usual. When the draft was a single-day event, it was regularly held on Thursday evenings, and after switching to the two-day format two years ago, the league has kept the second round on Thursdays while conducting the first round on Wednesdays.

This year, the draft will begin on a Tuesday. The change may be designed to avoid a direct conflict with the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. is one of the host countries for the event and Team USA will be in action against Türkiye on the evening of Thursday, June 25.

Certain draft-related deadlines that are connected to the date of the draft itself have now been established, including the NCAA’s deadline for early entrants to declare for the draft — it falls 60 days before the draft, which will be April 24 (11:59 pm ET). Additionally, the NBA’s deadline for early entrants to withdraw from the draft pool falls 10 days before the draft. That will be June 13 (5:00 pm ET).

Anthony Davis Discusses Wizards In First D.C. Media Session

Monday marked the first time Anthony Davis was made available to speak to the media since the Wizards traded for him ahead of the February deadline, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. As Robbins observes, the Wizards held a press conference after they traded for Trae Young in early January, but didn’t do the same for Davis a month later.

According to Robbins, the 33-year-old big man raised doubts on Monday about the Wizards’ ability to quickly transition from the NBA’s worst team to a contender. Davis made it clear he wants to have lengthy talks with president Michael Winger and GM Will Dawkins this offseason about how Washington intends to become a championship-caliber team in 2026/27 or ’27/28.

I’ve been in this league a long time, and I’ve been with losing teams, been on losing teams,” Davis said. “It’s very hard to be a losing team and then a championship contender, right? I think one team has only done it: Boston in ’08. The only team, right? Even when I was in New Orleans and we had two losing seasons, then we made the playoffs our third year — that, within itself, is a huge jump: showing that you want to be on a path to winning.

And that’s what it takes. So, if something comes out of the conversation where that’s the path — and, obviously, you won’t know until the season starts — that’s what I would like to see. What is our plan for winning going into next season? And how? Not like this is a plan, but how do we execute that? And based on that, we’ll kind of see what happens.”

As Robbins notes, the “see what happens” comment raised some eyebrows and led to a follow-up question asking whether Davis expected to be on the roster to open next season. The 10-time All-Star will earn a guaranteed $58.5MM in ’26/27, followed by a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28.

Yeah, I mean, I’m under contract,” Davis replied. ” … Whether we figure something out in the summer (that’s) good or bad, whatever … if it doesn’t get figured out, then come October, mid-October, late October, I will have a Washington Wizards uniform on, and I will go out there, and I will do everything I can to win a basketball game. That’s never going to change.

… In the summer, right now, I’m going to compete, train and have the mindset that I will be here next year. Not only because I’m under contract, but also, I like these young guys. I ain’t going to lie. I feel like they’re all my children.”

Davis was complimentary of the Wizards’ young players as well as the franchise as a whole, saying his previous (negative) perception of the franchise wasn’t accurate, Robbins adds.

The organization is a very good organization. Ted [Leonsis] is a great owner, the coaching staff and the players, their development. Obviously, the city is phenomenal,” Davis said, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network.

Because the Wizards had the worst record in the league, they can finish no worse than fifth in the draft lottery, with a 52.1% chance at a top-four pick, including 14.0% odds at selecting No. 1 overall. They also have young players like Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George who are considered part of the team’s core, Robbins writes.

Still, Davis made it clear he’s on the fence about Washington’s short-term direction, per Robbins. The 10-time All-Star appeared in a career-low 20 games this season due to a variety of injuries, including ligament damage in his left hand that prevented him from making his Wizards debut in ’25/26.

Pelicans Opening Coaching Search, Borrego Among Candidates

The Pelicans are searching for a new permanent head coach and the process will include James Borrego, who spent most of 2025/26 as the team’s interim head coach, report Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

The news doesn’t come as a major surprise, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype previously reported that the Pelicans had several other candidates in mind aside from Borrego, including Darvin Ham and former Nets coach Kevin Ollie. Scotto added that current Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley has “several admirers” in New Orleans and could be a top candidate for the job if he’s let go by Orlando.

Fischer also reported last week that the Pelicans were mulling opening up a coaching search, citing Mosley, Borrego and Ham as possible candidates.

The Pelicans had a disappointing first season under the new front office regime, which is led by head of basketball operations Joe Dumars and general manager Troy Weaver. New Orleans fired former head coach Willie Green after the team got off to a 2-10 start, then went 24-46 under Borrego to finish out the season.

New Orleans’ 26-56 record was the third-worst win-loss percentage (.317) in franchise history, slightly ahead of 2024/25’s mark of 21-61. Former top executive David Griffin was fired after that campaign.

After dealing with a series of prolonged injury absences in ’24/25, the Pelicans had better luck on that front this season, with Zion Williamson (62 games), Trey Murphy III (66) and Herbert Jones (56) all playing far more often than they did a year ago (30, 53, and 20 appearances, respectively). The team also received solid contributions from lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, who only missed one combined game, and trade acquisition Saddiq Bey.

However, Jordan Poole — who was acquired from Washington along with Bey — struggled mightily in his first season with the Pelicans, ’24/25 All-Rookie selection Yves Missi saw his minutes reduced in year two (he was drafted by Griffin), and Dejounte Murray was limited to just 14 appearances after tearing his Achilles tendon in January 2025.

Borrego, 48, was previously the Hornets’ head coach for four seasons (from 2018-22). He was New Orleans’ associate head coach for a little over a year prior to taking over for Green. Borrego has compiled a 172-222 (.429) win-loss record as an NBA head coach and is also believed to be on the Bucks’ radar.

LeBron James, Brandon Ingram Named Players Of Week

Lakers forward LeBron James and Raptors forward Brandon Ingram have been named Players of the Week for the week of April 6-12, according to the league (Twitter links).

The Western Conference winner, James averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds per contest as the Lakers won three straight contests to close the season and clinch home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs despite playing without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. LeBron had back-to-back double-doubles on Thursday and Friday, putting up 26 points and 11 assists in Golden State and then 28 points and 12 assists vs. Phoenix.

Ingram averaged 25.5 points per game on 57.8 percent shooting from the field across four games as the Raptors went 3-1 to wrap up their season and clinched the No. 5 seed in the East. The veteran forward poured in a season-high 38 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists in Thursday’s victory over Miami.

It’s the first Player of the Week award of the season for either James or Ingram, though it’s the 70th time LeBron has won it over the course of his 23-year NBA career. Ingram has now earned the honor five times.

Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers), Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson (Rockets), and Terrence Shannon Jr. (Timberwolves) were the other nominees from the Western Conference, while Paolo Banchero (Magic), Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) and Jalen Duren (Pistons) were also nominated in the East.

Doc Rivers Will Not Return As Bucks’ Coach

APRIL 13: The move is official, the Bucks announced Monday morning (Twitter link).

“I have truly loved my time in Milwaukee,” Rivers said in a statement. “Coming back to where I got my start, to a city that has always embraced me, has been a privilege. I am disappointed that things did not turn out the way any of us hoped, but I am deeply grateful for this experience, the relationships built and unwavering support from our fans and the community. Milwaukee will always mean a lot to me, and this chapter will hold a special place in my heart.”


APRIL 12: Doc Rivers will not be the Bucks‘ head coach next season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link), who reports that Rivers is departing his role.

Echoing prior reportingMichael Scotto of HoopsHype says the expectation around the league is that Rivers could join the Bucks’ front office in a role that has yet to be determined.

Following a three-year stint in Philadelphia from 2020-23, Rivers was hired by the Bucks during the 2023/24 season to replace Adrian Griffin. He compiled a 97-103 record (.487) across two-and-a-half seasons in Milwaukee, leading the team to two playoff appearances. The club went 3-8 in the postseason under Rivers and didn’t get out of the first round.

While ill-timed injuries to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard played a role in the Bucks’ lack of playoff success in 2024 and 2025, the team was never close to making the postseason this year. Milwaukee finished the season with a 32-50 record, its worst mark since the 2013/14 season.

A longtime coach who won a title in Boston and had a winning record on the sidelines for the Magic, Clippers, and Sixers, Rivers compiled a 1194-866 regular season mark (.580) over the course of 27 seasons as an NBA head coach. He will be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later this year as a member of the class of 2026.

As Charania notes (via Twitter), Rivers had one more year remaining on his contract, so Milwaukee will be on the hook for his 2026/27 salary. The Bucks will now embark upon a search for his replacement, with former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins expected to be a prominent target.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Doesn’t Rule Out Extension With Bucks

With the Bucks‘ season officially over, the focus can fully turn toward Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Big changes appear to be on the horizon in Milwaukee, starting with Doc Rivers’ revelation Sunday night that he won’t be returning as head coach. An Antetokounmpo trade is also expected at some point during the offseason, but nothing is set in stone.

Antetokounmpo will become eligible on October 1 to sign a four-year, maximum-salary extension, which provides a powerful financial incentive to extend his time with the Bucks. He will earn $58.5MM next season and holds a $62.8MM player option for 2027/28, enabling him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, so the odds of a trade will increase dramatically if he informs the organization that he won’t accept an extension.

Antetokounmpo didn’t provide much clarity about his future in a session with reporters Sunday night.

“That’s a very good question,” he replied when asked if he has already played his last game in a Milwaukee uniform. “I don’t know. It’s not up to me. We’ll see.”

Antetokounmpo has been open about his desire to win another championship and didn’t hide his frustration with the Bucks’ 32-50 campaign, Bontemps adds. He stated that the team is as far away from title contention as it’s been at any point in his 13-year career and addressed communication issues that have clouded the season.

“I feel like sometimes people just don’t listen,” he said. “They listen to the sources. The main source is me. It is what it is. So again, do not disturb on my phone, go about my day, improve, and come back better.”

Antetokounmpo has been in a public dispute with the team over whether he was healthy enough to return from a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise that he suffered on March 15. The NBA launched an investigation into the disagreement, as Antetokounmpo insisted that he wanted to play again, while the Bucks contend he never fully healed and wasn’t being totally sincere in his public statements.

Antetokounmpo told reporters on Sunday that he had “zero control” over the situation, but emphasized that he did everything the team asked him to, including participating in three-on-three scrimmages “multiple times.”

“I don’t know who said that, who came up with that, but that’s disrespectful towards what I’ve done for this team and the way I carry myself my whole career, pretty much,” he said. “But I did what I was supposed to do. I wasn’t able to come on the court now. Who has that say? It probably comes from my boss, probably comes from the members of the front office or the owners. So, I thought I had control, kind of like, ‘OK, if I’m healthy, I’m going to play.’ But this shows me that not just me, just players in general, don’t have no control. We got to do what we’ve been told. So, to answer your question, no. I didn’t feel like I had control.”

In an interview last month, team co-owner Wes Edens indicated that Antetokounmpo will either be extended or traded during the offseason. On Sunday, Antetokounmpo didn’t dismiss the idea of accepting the extension, pointing out that the decision is months away and saying he’ll “try to make the best decision for me and my family.” But he also stressed that the team is very far away from where he expected it to be.

“I didn’t think we’re going to be in this position last year, so I don’t know what position we’re going to be next year,” he added. “So, if everything goes well, hopefully, the Bucks want me here, why not? But if they don’t? OK.”

NBA’s Play-In Field, Top-Six Playoff Seeds Set

The NBA wrapped up its 2025/26 regular season on Sunday, locking in the top six teams in each conference and lining up the teams and seeds for this year’s play-in tournament.

While most of the top seeds had already been secured ahead of Sunday’s regular season finale, there were still some meaningful outcomes in today’s games. Most notably, the Raptors’ win over Brooklyn secured their first playoff berth in four years and moved them up to No. 5 in the Eastern Conference standings while ensuring that the Sixers and Magic will have to book their playoff tickets via the play-in tournament.

Over in the West, the Trail Blazers’ victory over Sacramento locked up the No. 8 seed for Portland. That means the Blazers will get two opportunities to win a play-in game and make the playoffs, while the Clippers, bumped down to No. 9, will have to win a pair of play-in contests to advance to the first round.

Here are the play-in matchups:


Eastern Conference

Tuesday, April 14

  • Game 1: Miami Heat (10) at Charlotte Hornets (9), 7:30 pm ET
    • Winner plays on Friday; loser is eliminated.

Wednesday, April 15

  • Game 2: Orlando Magic (8) at Philadelphia 76ers (7), 7:30 pm ET
    • Winner secures No. 7 seed; loser plays on Friday.

Friday, April 17

  • Winner of Game 1 at Loser of Game 2, 7:30 pm ET
    • Winner secures No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated.

Western Conference

Tuesday, April 14

  • Game 1: Portland Trail Blazers (8) at Phoenix Suns (7), 10:00 pm ET
    • Winner secures No. 7 seed; loser plays on Friday.

Wednesday, April 15

  • Game 2: Golden State Warriors (10) at Los Angeles Clippers (9), 10:00 pm ET
    • Winner plays on Friday; loser is eliminated.

Friday, April 17

  • Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1, 10:00 pm ET
    • Winner secures No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated.

Once the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in each conference are set later this week, the eight first-round matchups will be finalized. Those first-round series will tip off on April 18 and 19.

Here are the top six seeds in each conference, along with the matchups that are set so far (and Game 1 info, per the NBA):


Eastern Conference

  • Detroit Pistons (1) vs. No. 8 seed (play-in) ^
  • Boston Celtics (2) vs. No. 7 seed (play-in) ^
  • New York Knicks (3) vs. Atlanta Hawks (6) *
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. Toronto Raptors (5) *

* Series begins on April 18.
^ Series begins on April 19.


Western Conference

  • Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs. No. 8 seed (play-in) ^
  • San Antonio Spurs (2) vs. No. 7 seed (play-in) ^
  • Denver Nuggets (3) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (6) *
  • Los Angeles Lakers (4) vs. Houston Rockets (5) *

* Series begins on April 18.
^ Series begins on April 19.

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