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Jayson Tatum Out For Game 2 Due To Wrist Injury

April 23rd, 2025 at 5:25pm CST by Luke Adams

5:25 PM: Tatum has officially been ruled out for Game 2, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter).

3:14 PM: Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has been listed as doubtful to play in Game 2 of the team’s first-round series vs. Orlando on Wednesday, as Jared Weiss of The Athletic tweets. Tatum’s injury designation is a right distal radius bone bruise.

The Celtics star injured his right wrist in the fourth quarter of Game 1 on Sunday when he drove to the basket and was met by Magic defenders Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wendell Carter Jr. The Orlando duo collided with the Celtics star and sent him to the floor and into the basket stanchion (Twitter video link via ESPN).

Tatum grabbed his right wrist and remained on the floor for some time. He was eventually able to get up and remain in the game, but he seemed to be favoring that wrist for the rest of the night. Following Boston’s victory, the six-time All-Star underwent an X-ray, which he said came back clean.

While Tatum initially expressed optimism about his availability going forward, Shams Charania of ESPN reported today during a SportsCenter appearance (Twitter video link) that the 27-year-old underwent an MRI and was diagnosed with a bone bruise. Charania referred to it as a “pain tolerance” injury that could linger, adding that Tatum’s availability for Game 2 is “up in the air.”

Head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters earlier on Tuesday that Tatum is considered day-to-day, per Souichi Terada of MassLive.com.

If Tatum is unable to play on Wednesday, the Celtics figure to lean more heavily on starters Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis for offense, with Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser among the reserves who could see more significant roles.

Kings’ Perry Plans To Make Decision On Coach Within Next Week

April 23rd, 2025 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

New Kings general manager Scott Perry told reporters during his introductory press conference on Wednesday that he intends to make a decision on the team’s head coaching situation within the next week, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).

Perry will have to determine whether he wants to retain interim head coach Doug Christie for the 2025/26 season or launch a search for a new coach.

Perry praised Christie on Wednesday, noting that he has known the former NBA guard since he was a player in Toronto and has spoken to him since being hired by the Kings on Monday. However, Sacramento’s new head of basketball operations also said he has been receiving calls from potential coaching candidates who are interested in the job and that he still needs to consider his options.

Christie, who had been an assistant under head coach Mike Brown, was promoted in December when the Kings parted ways with Brown following a 13-18 start to the season. Sacramento’s performance was up and down the rest of the way and the team was unable to secure a playoff spot through the play-in tournament, but Christie did post a winning record of 27-24.

Anderson has reported that Christie has a good chance to hang onto the job, but has stressed that nothing’s official yet.

Here are a few other notes from Perry’s first media session upon returning to the Kings:

Perry, who briefly served as Sacramento’s VP of basketball operations in 2017, said he and Kings owner Vivek Ranadive have kept in touch since then, so when Ranadive decided to revamp the team’s front office, he and Perry had an easy conversation that developed quickly, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link).
Addressing the point guard position and adding length and athleticism to the roster will be some of the top offseason priorities for the front office, Perry told reporters (Twitter link via Ham).
According to Perry, Ranadive has “pledged his support and his resources” and empowered the new GM to make the personnel decisions necessary to build a sustainable winner in Sacramento (Twitter links via Ham).
Asked about comments he made during a 2023 podcast appearance questioning whether Zach LaVine is a winning basketball player, Perry responded that he’s “not worrying about it haunting me,” adding that has already spoken to LaVine and that his job will be to build around the guard’s strengths (Twitter link via Ham).
Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 in Sacramento has uploaded the full half-hour video of Perry’s Wednesday media session to Twitter. It can be viewed in full right here.

Former Lottery Pick Jimmer Fredette Announces Retirement

April 23rd, 2025 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Former BYU standout and NBA lottery pick Jimmer Fredette has announced his retirement from basketball, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press relays. Fredette published a social media post confirming the news (Twitter link).

“It’s time to say goodbye to basketball,” Fredette wrote. “I have loved every second of my career through the good and the bad! … Basketball has taken me all around this world: from Glens Falls NY, to BYU, the NBA, China, Greece, and even Team USA at the Olympics! This game and my love for it has shaped me into the person I am today and for that I am forever grateful. So many memories and amazing moments. It wasn’t always easy, but it was always worth it! The next journey starts now.”

An NCAA scoring champion and the Naismith College Player of the Year in his final season at BYU, Fredette was drafted 10th overall in 2011 on behalf of the Kings, who acquired his rights from Milwaukee in a draft-night deal.

The 6’2″ guard struggled to establish himself as a reliable NBA rotation player, averaging 6.0 points and 1.4 assists in 13.3 minutes per game across 241 career regular season appearances for Sacramento, Chicago, New Orleans, New York, and Phoenix from 2011-19.

Fredette, who is now 36, spent several years during his playing career overseas, establishing himself as a star in China with the Shanghai Sharks from 2016-19 and later returning to the Sharks for one more season. He also spent a year in Greece with Panathinaikos.

During the final act of his career, Fredette focused on 3×3 basketball and represented Team USA at several international competitions, including the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics.

Fredette earned a variety of accolades over the course of his career, claiming MVP honors and three All-Star nods in the Chinese Basketball Association, winning a Greek League championship, and bringing home a pair of gold medals from the 2022 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup and 2023 Pan American Games.

Rutgers’ Ace Bailey Declares For NBA Draft

April 23rd, 2025 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

Rutgers guard/forward Ace Bailey, considered one of college basketball’s top prospects, has declared for the 2025 NBA draft, he tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

A freshman in 2024/25, Bailey averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steal in 33.3 minutes per game across 30 outings (all starts) for the Scarlet Knights, posting a shooting line of .460/.346/.692. He was named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team, as well as the All-Big Ten third team.

The No. 3 pick on ESPN’s big board, right behind Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper, Bailey had a “polarizing” season, Jeremy Woo noted in ESPN’s most recent mock draft, but the 6’10” swingman’s rare skill set ensured that he remains near the top of most NBA evaluators’ boards.

“I did good,” Bailey told ESPN. “I could have done way better, but I matured this season. The game slowed down for me. My IQ got higher. I got faster and way stronger. My ball-handling and shooting tightened up. Rutgers had me guarding everyone from point guards to power forwards. I learned a lot.”

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony writes that Bailey has “exceptional” shot-making ability and has displayed impressive defensive intensity. He’s also one of the youngest prospects in the 2025 draft class — he’ll turn 19 in August.

“I’m nowhere close to reaching my potential,” Bailey said. “I’m still young, still learning, but I’m working every day. My play-making is improving. NBA teams will get an energetic player ready to talk, lead and put people in the right positions. I can take a good team to a better level.”

Pelicans’ Dumars Won’t Reveal Plans For Zion Williamson

April 22nd, 2025 at 9:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

New Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars wouldn’t tip his hand regarding his plans for Zion Williamson.

In his introductory press conference, Dumars said he’s had multiple discussions with the team’s oft-injured franchise player but didn’t reveal any details, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press.

“At the league office, I’ve had to talk to Zion a few times,” said Dumars, who spent the past three seasons as the NBA’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations. “I won’t go into those conversations. But we talked since then, and I’ve talked to Zion since I became the EVP here, and we had exceptional conversations on the phone.”

There’s been plenty of speculation that Williamson could be one of the big names on the trade market this summer. The former No. 1 overall pick appeared in just 30 games this season, making it the fourth time he’s played 30 or fewer games in his six-year career. Williamson, who missed the entire 2021/22 season, still has three years left on his max contract.

Dumars, the longtime Pistons president of basketball operations, says he wants to “find out what’s happening” regarding the rash of injuries that have hit the roster the past two seasons. He also wants a high level of professionalism and commitment throughout the organization. Williamson was suspended one game this season for violating team policies.

“You have to set standards — and you can’t waver from those standards,” Dumars said.

As for head coach Willie Green, Dumars once again didn’t indicate whether he’d return or not, though Green was in attendance at the press conference and Dumars paid him a compliment.

“I’ve been knowing Willie forever — great man,” Dumars said.

A Louisiana native, Dumars indicated he was content with his NBA office job but was persuaded to return to his home state to revive the Pelicans franchise.

“Sometimes opportunities come along and, you know, right place, right time, right people,” Dumars said.

Celtics’ Payton Pritchard Named Sixth Man Of Year

April 22nd, 2025 at 6:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics guard Payton Pritchard has won the Sixth Man of the Year award, the NBA announced on Tuesday (Twitter link).

Pritchard beat out the other finalists, the Pistons’ Malik Beasley and the Cavaliers’ Ty Jerome, for the honor. Pritchard received 82 of a possible 100 first-place votes and recorded 454 total points. Beasley notched 13 first-place votes and 279 points, while Jerome earned two first-place votes and 91 points.

Pritchard posted career-high numbers across the board for the defending champions, averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 0.9 steals in 28.4 minutes per game.

Pritchard, who played 80 regular season contests, shot 47.2% overall and 40.7% from distance. He’s in the first year of a four-year, $30MM contract that he signed in October 2023, which now looks like a major bargain.

Beasley, playing on a one-year contract, averaged 16.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.9 steals in 27.8 minutes per night and didn’t miss a game. The three-point specialist shot 43% overall and 41.6% from distance and was a major reason why Detroit more than tripled its win total.

Jerome, who barely played last season due to an ankle injury, averaged 12.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 19.9 minutes per game while making 70 appearances. He shot 51.6% overall and 43.9% from three-point land.

This is the second time in three seasons a Celtics guard has won the award. Malcolm Brogdon earned Sixth Man honors in 2023. The Timberwolves’ Naz Reid captured the award last spring.

In total, eight players showed up on at least one Sixth Man ballot this year, with five players receiving a first-place vote. The full results can be viewed here.

NBA Fines Anthony Edwards $50K For Exchange With Fan

April 22nd, 2025 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has been fined $50K by the NBA for directing inappropriate language and making an obscene gesture toward a fan, the league announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

The incident occurred midway through the third quarter in Game 1 of the Wolves’ series vs. the Lakers on Saturday.

A video clip circulated on social media showing Edwards responding to fans heckling center Rudy Gobert by reminding them of Gobert’s career earnings (Twitter video link). The Wolves guard earned his fine in the last few seconds of that clip when he escalated the trash talk by telling a fan, “My d— bigger than yours.”

Edwards was fined several times by the league over the course of the season for various transgressions, including repeatedly using profane language during media interviews. He was docked $320K for six separate incidents prior to the playoffs, and that total doesn’t include the $242K he lost as a result of a one-game suspension or the smaller fines automatically assessed for each of his league-leading 17 technical fouls.

All that lost salary still represents a relative drop in the bucket for Edwards, who had a cap hit of $42.2MM this season and is owed $202.4MM over the next four years.

Bucks’ Damian Lillard To Return For Game 2

April 22nd, 2025 at 10:11am CST by Rory Maher

April 22: Lillard told reporters in Indiana on Tuesday that he’ll return to action for Game 2 tonight, tweets Nehm.

April 21: Star point guard Damian Lillard has been listed as questionable by the Bucks ahead of Tuesday’s Game 2 at Indiana, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.

Shortly before the team announced the injury designation, head coach Doc Rivers said he wasn’t sure if Lillard would suit up, but he practiced on Monday and went through scrimmages the past two days, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link).

“He’s close. He looks great to me,” Rivers said.

Lillard has recovered remarkably well from a blood calf in his right calf — he recently discussed the “scary” diagnosis, which occurred late last month. Although he missed Game 1, he was cleared of his deep vein thrombosis last week and began practicing. Lillard has continued to ramp up his activity in recent days and shows up on the injury report with a designation of “return to competition reconditioning,” Nehm notes (via Twitter).

Lillard made his ninth All-Star appearance in 2024/25, averaging 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals on .448/.376/.921 shooting in 36.1 minutes per contest. He would have been a strong candidate to make an All-NBA team for the eighth time, but did not qualify due to the 65-game rule — the 34-year-old appeared in 58 games this season.

Milwaukee certainly missed Lillard in Game 1, having been blown out by the Pacers. His potential return would be a boon for the Bucks, particularly on the offensive end. The team only managed 98 points while shooting just 9-of-37 from long distance (24.3%) in the series opener.

Kings Hire Scott Perry As General Manager

April 21st, 2025 at 8:42pm CST by Rory Maher

APRIL 21: The Kings have officially named Perry their general manager, according to a team press release.

“Scott brings a wealth of experience, a sharp basketball mind, and a strong track record of building talented rosters,” Ranadive said in a statement. “He shares our commitment to developing and sustaining a winning culture, and I am excited to welcome him back to Sacramento.”

“I appreciate the opportunity to rejoin the Kings organization and help build a successful team that competes at a high level,” Perry said in a statement of his own. “I’m eager to get to work with the players and staff to continue moving the organization forward.”

APRIL 17: The Kings are finalizing a contract with veteran NBA executive Scott Perry to be their new general manager, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

Charania’s report has been confirmed by several other outlets, including The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Fox 40 Sacramento, and TheKingsBeat.com (all Twitter links here).

Sacramento and former GM Monte McNair mutually agreed to part ways after the team was eliminated from the play-in tournament on Wednesday night.

The Athletic reported overnight that Perry was the frontrunner to replace McNair. Mere hours later, he will be rejoining the Kings, having previously served as the team’s VP of basketball operations from April-June 2017.

Perry’s first stint with Sacramento was brief because he was hired away by New York to be the Knicks’ GM, but he reportedly had a strong working relationship with owner Vivek Ranadive. That connection undoubtedly helped him land his new position.

Perry, 61, played college basketball in the 1980s and then transitioned to coaching, primarily working in his home state of Michigan. The Detroit native got his first NBA job back in 2000 as an executive with the Pistons.

He had two separate stints in Detroit’s front office and also worked for Seattle and Orlando. Perry was the Knicks’ GM from 2017-23.

The Kings haven’t even conducted their exit interviews, tweets Sam Amick of The Athletic, yet they’ve already found a new head of basketball operations. Perhaps the impetus for hiring Perry so quickly is that he was rumored to be a candidate to join the Pelicans’ front office under Joe Dumars, his former boss and longtime colleague in Detroit.

Perry, who has also worked as an ESPN analyst, was reportedly one of four candidates who received serious consideration to become the Pistons’ head of basketball operations last year. Trajan Langdon was ultimately hired for the job.

2025 NBA Draft Tiebreaker Results

April 21st, 2025 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Tiebreakers among teams with identical regular-season records were broken on Monday through random drawings to determine the order for this year’s draft prior to the lottery.

The results are as follows, according to a press release from the league (Twitter link):

Phoenix Suns (No. 9) over Portland Trail Blazers (No. 10)
- The Suns will get one more lottery ball combination (out of 1,000) than the Trail Blazers.
- The Suns’ pick will be sent to the Rockets.
Dallas Mavericks (No. 11) over Chicago Bulls (No. 12)
- The Mavericks will get one more lottery ball combination (out of 1,000) than the Bulls.
Sacramento Kings (No. 13) over Atlanta Hawks (No. 14)
- The Kings will get one more lottery ball combination (out of 1,000) than the Hawks.
- The Kings’ pick will be sent to the Hawks if it’s outside of the top 12.
- The Hawks’ pick will be sent to the Spurs.
Memphis Grizzlies (No. 18) over Milwaukee Bucks (No. 19) over Golden State Warriors (No. 20)
- The Grizzlies’ pick will be sent to the Wizards.
- The Bucks’ pick will be sent to the Nets.
- The Warriors’ pick will be sent to the Heat.
Los Angeles Lakers (No. 22) over Indiana Pacers (No. 23) over Los Angeles Clippers (No. 24) over Denver Nuggets (No. 25)
- The Lakers’ pick will be sent to the Hawks.
- The Clippers’ pick will be sent to the Thunder.
- The Nuggets’ pick will be sent to the Magic.

While the tiebreaker winner will pick ahead of the loser(s) in the first round, that order will be flipped in the second round.

For instance, the Warriors’ second-round pick (traded to the Grizzlies) will be at No. 48, followed by the Bucks’ pick (traded to Detroit) at No. 49, and the Grizzlies (traded to New York) at No. 50 — that’s the opposite of their order in the first round.

For lottery teams that finished with identical records, the second-round order is still to be determined depending on the lottery results.

For example, if Phoenix’s first-round pick (traded to Houston) stays at No. 9 and the Blazers’ first-rounder stays at No. 10, Portland’s second-round pick (traded to Toronto) would be at No. 39 and Phoenix’s (traded to Washington) would be No. 40. But if the Trail Blazers win the No. 1 overall pick on lottery night, moving ahead of Phoenix in the first round, then the Suns’ second-round pick would be No. 39, while Portland’s would be No. 40.

We’ll publish the full lottery odds and pre-lottery draft order for 2025 later tonight.