Southeast Notes: Black, Heat, KD, George, Swirsky
The Magic will get a key rotation player back on Monday against Detroit, as Anthony Black has been upgraded to available, the team announced (via Twitter).
As Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel tweets, Black was initially listed as questionable, then was upgraded to probable and available. The third-year guard, who was having a breakout season prior to suffering a left lateral abdominal strain on March 7, has missed Orlando’s last 16 games due to the injury.
Black, 22, will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. He was the sixth overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- The Heat should consider adding a “disruptor” to their front office to challenge the current regime’s ways of thinking, contends Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Miami is likely headed to the play-in tournament for the fourth straight season, and while the team has had many developmental success stories over the years, the Heat are still the lacking top-end talent necessary to break out of their current cycle of mediocrity, Winderman explains. A drastic overhaul would be an overreaction and unlikely anyway given the lengthy tenures of the majority of the front office, but it’s clear the current roster isn’t good enough, Winderman adds.
- Rockets star Kevin Durant made a “lasting mark” on Kyshawn George in what turned out to be the Wizards wing’s final game of 2025/26, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. George, who suffered a partial UCL tear in his left elbow in the third quarter of the game, grew up watching Durant. “I’m working on particular parts of my game that he’s pretty much mastered over his career,” George told The Athletic. “There’s no better way than to learn from the best. So I just went and asked him a couple questions and he was cool enough to answer.” Durant, 37, said he’s happy to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of players. “If somebody has a question, needs some advice, and seeks it out, then I’m gonna give it to him as honest as I can,” Durant said. “I want players to reach their full potential. And I want them to get everything on and off the court cause there’s a lot that comes with this lifestyle if you do it right.”
- Capital City Go-Go assistant coach T.C. Swirsky has agreed to join the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury as an assistant under Nate Tibbetts, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). Before joining the Wizards‘ G League affiliate, Swirsky was previously the head coach of the Memphis Hustle, Scotto notes.
SGA, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league (Twitter links). This includes games played from March 30 through April 5.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player, averaged 31.7 points, 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in three Thunder victories as he puts the finishing touches on another MVP-caliber season. That three-game stretch included a 47-point outburst in an overtime win over the Pistons last Monday.
It’s the fourth Player of the Week award this season for Gilgeous-Alexander, who also claimed it twice in November and once in January. He and Luka Doncic are the only players to win the weekly award four times this season.
Brown earned Player of the Week honors for the third time in 2025/26 and the seventh time of his career by averaging an East-leading 31.0 points, 5.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game as Boston went 3-1. Celtics wings have now been named Player of the Week on each of the past two Mondays, as Jayson Tatum won the award last week.
Kevin Durant (Rockets), Cooper Flagg (Mavericks), Jrue Holiday (Blazers), Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (Nuggets), and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were the other Western Conference nominees, according to the NBA.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks), OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks), LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Desmond Bane (Magic), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) and Jayson Tatum (Celtics) were also nominated in the East.
Southeast Notes: Mosley, George, Jovic, Hawks
The Magic have had a disappointing year relative to their preseason expectations. They have played at around a .500 level since a 10-4 run in November and find themselves just a half-game ahead of the 10th-seed Heat coming into Sunday’s game against the Pelicans.
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes that the team is likely to make head coach Jamahl Mosley the scapegoat for the team’s struggles, a move Bianchi considers to be typical of how NBA teams operate but still misguided.
Bianchi notes the injuries to players like Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Anthony Black that derailed Orlando’s attempts at building momentum throughout the season, but also focuses on the team’s lack of effort and toughness in moments when it matters most, such as losing big games to the Raptors and Hawks while trying to make up ground for the postseason. He suggests that if the Magic fire Mosley, it will not be because he’s a bad coach, but to provide an excuse for a team that has disappointed and shown a lack of heart.
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- Following up on the recent news that Kyshawn George will miss the rest of the Wizards‘ season, head coach Brian Keefe spoke on what he saw from the second-year forward’s season. “He had a terrific year,” Keefe said, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter video link). “This guy made a huge jump, and that’s a credit to him and the amount of work he put in this summer. We’re really excited for a bright future for him.” Keefe added that George planned to work on his body this offseason and called him “a great example for our organization and the kind of guys we want.”
- Nikola Jovic was expected to step into a larger role for the Heat this season after signing a four-year rookie scale extension, but he struggled to adjust to the team’s increased pace and new style, Barry Jackson writes for the Miami Herald. Jovic only appeared in two of Miami’s last 10 games, the most recent one ending with him limping off with a sprained ankle. “Last year was easy because of the offense we ran and the way we played, I kind of knew what my role was,” he said. “This year, with an offense where you don’t have calls and don’t really know where to be at what time, it’s hard for me because sometimes I play five [center], sometimes I play [four], sometimes I have the ball in my hands, sometimes I don’t… It’s hard because you never get similar looks.”
- The Hawks have won four straight games and six of their last seven. With a week to go, they will now face one of their toughest tests of the season as they look to secure a top-six seed, Lauren Williams writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hawks will play the Knicks, the Cavaliers twice, and finally the Heat over the next week, which Williams notes is the second-hardest remaining schedule in the league. With a record of 45-33, they sit two games ahead of the Raptors and Sixers, who are tied for sixth in the East following Toronto’s loss on Sunday.
NBA Tells 13 Teams To Look For New Regional TV Deals
The NBA has informed the 13 teams affiliated with Main Street Sports Group that they’re free to seek new in-market media rights deals ahead of the 2026/27 season, reports Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal.
Main Street, previously known as Diamond Sports Group, runs FanDuel Sports Network, which broadcasts local and regional TV games for the Thunder, Spurs, Pistons, Cavaliers, Clippers, Heat, Timberwolves, Magic, Hornets, Hawks, Pacers, Grizzlies, and Bucks. However, the company is headed for insolvency and will discontinue broadcasting for those teams when the regular season concludes on April 12.
“FanDuel Sports Network has reached agreements with the NBA and NHL to broadcast games and other programming through the end of the 2026 NBA regular season and the end of the first round of the NHL playoffs,” a Main Street Sports Group spokesperson said in a statement to Sports Business Journal.
“We are preparing to wind down our operations upon seasons’ end unless we reach a strategic transaction. We’re pleased to finish out the NBA and NHL seasons, and we appreciate the collaborative relationships we have enjoyed with our team and league partners as well as the connections we have fostered with local fans.”
While this has been an expected outcome for months, it leaves nearly half of the teams in the league without in-market broadcasting contracts for next season. According to Friend, the 13 teams could opt for over-the-air channels or streaming options (or both), but whichever route they take, the league has been urging those clubs to sign one-year agreements or to at least have an opt-out after one season, so they can join the streaming hub for local broadcasts the NBA plans to launch down the line.
While previous reporting indicated the NBA might try to launch that streaming RSN hub for 2026/27, it didn’t come up at last month’s Board of Governors meetings, Friend writes, and teams are operating as though it won’t be ready until ’27/28 at the earliest. DAZN has been aggressively reaching out to those 13 clubs to try and secure media rights with an eye on possibly running the streaming RSN platform.
As Friend details, DAZN could have competition for that national streaming project, with Amazon, YouTube TV and the ESPN app all potentially in the mix. DAZN also has competition for local rights, as multiple teams are considering streaming-only options instead of having over-the-air broadcasts. Victory+ (streaming only), ViewLift (Altitude for Denver and Monumental for Washington) and Kiswe (Jazz) are the other companies vying for regional streaming projects.
None of the 13 teams have received rights fee payments from Main Street in 2026, but multiple sources tell friend each club could receive up to 60% of its lost TV money once dissolution agreements are finalized with the NBA and Main Street.
Those lost payments impacted the latest salary cap projection for 2026/27, decreasing it by $1MM. It’s unclear whether the projection might bounce back slightly if part of that lost money is recouped or if that was already factored into the most recent estimate.
Pacers Sports and Entertainment CEO Mel Raines confirmed to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star that Indiana is seeking a new broadcast partner for next season.
“We’re throwing a very wide net and looking to both potential over-the-air partners and direct-to-consumer partners and looking at every possible option to reach as many of our fans as we can next season over local television,” Raines said.
NBA G League Announces ROY, DPOY, COY Award Winners
Clippers two-way guard Sean Pedulla has been named the NBA G League’s Rookie of the Year for the 2025/26 season, the league announced in a press release.
Pedulla, who went undrafted out of Mississippi last June, averaged 23.6 points, 6.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 28 combined games (32.0 MPG) with the Rip City Remix (the Trail Blazers‘ affiliate) and the San Diego Clippers this season. He posted a shooting line of .443/.369/.845.
Pedulla ranked first in points per game and second in assists per game among rookies who qualified.
The 23-year-old signed a two-way contract with Los Angeles in February. He has made four NBA appearances with the Clippers this season, averaging 3.3 PPG in 5.8 MPG.
Raptors two-way guard Alijah Martin and Clippers two-way forward Norchad Omier finished second and third in voting for the award, respectively, per the NBA (Twitter link).
The NBAGL also announced the Defensive Player of the Year and Head Coach of the Year award winners. Dallas Legends (Mavericks’ affiliate) center Jamarion Sharp won the former award, while Mexico City Capitanes coach Vitor Galvani won the latter.
Sharpe averaged 7.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and a league-high 3.9 BPG across 25 regular season appearances for the Legends (24.9 MPG). Lakers two-way guard Chris Manon and Martin of the Raptors finished second and third in voting, respectively.
Galvani guided the Capitanes to a 24-12 record in his first season with the team, who entered the G League playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. It’s the first NBAGL playoff appearance for the league’s lone independent club.
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets‘ affiliate) head coach DJ Bakker and Osceola Magic head coach Dylan Murphy finished second and third in voting, respectively.
All three awards were voted on by G League head coaches and general managers, according to the NBA.
Luka Doncic, Jalen Johnson Named Players Of The Month
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Hawks forward Jalen Johnson have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for March in the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter link).
It was a monster scoring month for Doncic, who became one of just 10 players in league history to pour in 600 points in any calendar month. He did so across 16 contests, for an average of 37.5 points per night. That run included a 60-point game, a 51-point game, and five additional outings of at least 40 points.
The star guard also contributed 8.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game while posting a shooting line of .492/.392/.794. The Lakers went 15-2 in March (14-2 when Doncic played), and the 27-year-old was even recognized for his defensive contributions — he was a Defensive Player of the Month nominee after averaging 2.3 steals per night.
The Hawks have been another one of the NBA’s hottest teams as of late, with Johnson playing a crucial role in their recent success. Atlanta went 13-2 in March (11-2 when Johnson played) and he averaged 22.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 8.5 APG while shooting 48.9% from the floor, 39.2% from beyond the arc, and 80.7% from the free throw line.
Johnson’s best games of the month came against conference rivals, including a 35-point, 10-rebound performance vs. Philadelphia on March 7 and a 24-point, 15-rebound, 13-assist triple-double against Orlando on March 16.
It’s the second time this season and the seventh time in his career that Doncic has been named a Player of the Month. He beat out fellow nominees Kevin Durant of the Rockets, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder, Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers, Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs, and Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray of the Nuggets, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
Johnson, meanwhile, is a first-time Player of the Month winner. The other nominees in the Eastern Conference were his Hawks teammate Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Cavaliers guard James Harden, Magic teammates Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane, and the Knicks duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Checking In On Playoff Picture, Expired 10-Day Contracts
Although we already know which 20 teams will be taking part in the NBA’s postseason, only seven of those clubs have officially clinched playoff spots, assuring themselves of a top-six finish in their respective conferences. The Pistons, Celtics, and Knicks have booked their tickets in the East, while the Thunder, Spurs, Lakers, and Nuggets have done so in the West.
Two more teams could secure top-six playoff spots on Thursday. According to the NBA (Twitter link), the Cavaliers will clinch a playoff berth with a win tonight in Golden State, while the Rockets will be assured of a playoff appearance if the Suns lose in Charlotte.
Although the Timberwolves can’t clinch their own playoff spot with a win tonight, they hold a 4.5-game lead over Phoenix for the No. 6 spot in the West, where we’re getting pretty close to the playoff and play-in fields being set. Barring a late-season collapse, Minnesota and Houston will almost certainly join Oklahoma City, San Antonio, the Lakers, and Denver as top-six seeds, leaving the Suns, Clippers, Trail Blazers, and Warriors to battle it out in the play-in tournament. Those last three teams are already locked into the play-in, though seeding remains up for grabs.
The most compelling remaining playoff race figures to be for the final guaranteed playoff spot(s) in the East. The Cavs, who could’ve clinched with a win on Tuesday or a Philadelphia loss on Wednesday, will undoubtedly secure their spot sooner or later, but the fifth and sixth seeds in the conference are far from settled. The No. 5 Hawks (44-33) are separated from the No. 10 Heat (40-37) by just four games, with the Sixers (42-34), Raptors (42-34), Hornets (40-36), and Magic (40-36) also battling to finish in the top six — or at least to take part in the No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in game, which would guarantee them two chances to make the playoffs.
While none of those Eastern teams is locked into the play-in yet, blowout home losses on Wednesday have made it increasingly difficult for Orlando and Miami to claw their way into the top six. Conversely, Atlanta strengthened its hold on the No. 5 seed with an impressive win over the Magic. The Hawks have now won 17 of their last 19 games.
In other housekeeping news, a total of four 10-day contracts expired overnight on Wednesday: Bez Mbeng (Jazz), DeJon Jarreau (Grizzlies), Tyler Burton (Grizzlies), and Markelle Fultz (Raptors).
Reporting has already indicated that the Jazz intend to re-sign Mbeng for the rest of the season, but that’s not an option for the Grizzlies with Jarreau or Burton unless they waive someone from their 15-man roster, since they were on hardship deals and aren’t eligible to sign another 10-day contract with Memphis. The Grizzlies remain eligible to re-add two players in those hardship slots, but barring more significant roster changes, they’ll likely have to bring in a pair of newcomers to replace Jarreau and Burton.
The Raptors, meanwhile, have the ability to re-sign Fultz, since they now have an open 15-man roster spot and the former No. 1 overall pick has only received a single 10-day deal with the team. He did appear in five games during his first 10 days with the club, but played very limited minutes and wasn’t all that effective (four total points on 2-of-11 shooting in 36 minutes).
The expectation is that the Raptors will sign someone else to replace Fultz, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who identifies Raptors 905 sharpshooter Tyreke Key as a potential candidate for a 10-day deal. If Toronto signs Key or someone else to a 10-day contract on Thursday, it would expire next Saturday night, allowing the team to promote one of its two-way players to the standard roster ahead of the postseason next Sunday.
Since there are only 11 days left in the season, time is quickly running out for teams to sign players to standard 10-day contracts. Starting on Friday, a team with an open roster spot would simply be signing a player to a rest-of-season deal. However, hardship “10-day” signings are still permitted through the end of the season. They would expire after the regular season finale, making those players free agents immediately.
Several more 10-day contracts, including Omer Yurtseven‘s with the Warriors, Malachi Smith‘s with the Nets, and Charles Bassey‘s with the Celtics, will end this weekend. Boston will have to either re-sign Bassey or bring in a new 14th man on Saturday after the center’s second 10-day deal expires on Friday night, since the Celtics aren’t permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for a full day for the rest of the season.
Our 10-day tracker shows the full list of active deals.
Magic’s Franz Wagner Returning On Wednesday
4:02 pm: Wagner will be available for Wednesday’s game vs. Atlanta, the Magic have confirmed (via Twitter).
12:32 pm: Magic forward Franz Wagner has missed 47 of the team’s last 51 games while battling a left high ankle sprain, but he could make his return to action on Wednesday vs. Atlanta. According to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link), Wagner has been upgraded to questionable on the Magic’s injury report.
The expectation, tweets Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, is that Wagner will go through pregame warmups on Wednesday before the team determines whether or not he’ll be active tonight. Barring a setback, there’s a good chance he’ll suit up vs. the Hawks on a minutes restriction.
Wagner got off to a strong start this season, averaging 23.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 34.5 minutes per game through his first 23 outings. He posted a shooting line of .487/.354/.823 in those games and led Orlando to a 14-9 start.
However, the 24-year-old suffered a high ankle sprain in his 24th game of the season and missed the Magic’s next 16 contests before returning to the court for a game in his home country of Germany on January 15. Although he also played in London three days later, Wagner later admitted that he probably rushed his comeback due to his desire to play in front of fans in Berlin.
Wagner sat out another nine games, then played twice on Feb. 9 and 11, but he suffered another setback related to his ankle and was ruled out indefinitely to allow for it to fully heal. If he plays on Wednesday, it will be just his 29th game of the season.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley indicated on Tuesday that Wagner was “progressing well” and had done some 5-on-5 work, which suggested his return was around the corner. Mosley previously told reporters there was no minimum number of games the German forward must play during the final couple weeks of the regular season in order for him to be available for the postseason.
Wednesday’s showdown with the Hawks could have be significant for playoff seeding purposes. The No. 8 Magic are currently one game back of the No. 7 Sixers, two games behind the No. 6 Raptors, and 2.5 games back of the No. 5 Hawks. They also have only a half-game cushion on the Heat and Hornets, who are tied for ninth in the East.
If Wagner isn’t activated on Wednesday, his next opportunity to suit up would be on Friday in Dallas.
NBA Announces Finalists For Sportsmanship, Teammate Of The Year Awards
The NBA announced the 2025/26 finalists for a pair of awards on Tuesday, naming the six players who are eligible to win the Sportsmanship Award for this season, as well as the 12 players who are in the running to be named Teammate of the Year.
The Sportsmanship Award honors the player who “best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court,” per the NBA. Each of the league’s 30 teams nominates one of its players for the award, then a panel of league executives narrows that group to six finalists (one from each division) and current players voted for the winner.
The trophy for the Sportsmanship Award is named after Joe Dumars, the Hall-of-Fame guard who won the inaugural award back in ’95/96. This season’s finalists are as follows (via Twitter):
Bam Adebayo (Heat)- Harrison Barnes (Spurs)
- Al Horford (Warriors)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- T.J. McConnell (Pacers)
- Derrick White (Celtics)
Gilgeous-Alexander is the only one of this year’s finalists for the Sportsmanship Award who was also nominated last season. Whoever earns the honor for 2025/26 will be a first-time winner. Jrue Holiday took home the Joe Dumars Trophy a year ago.
Meanwhile, the NBA also announced its finalists for the Teammate of the Year award for 2025/26. According to the league, the player selected for the honor is “deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.”
The voting process is similar to the Sportsmanship Award — a panel of league executives selects 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the award, then current players vote on the winner.
Holiday is a three-time Teammate of the Year, having earned the honor in 2020, 2022, and 2023. He’s the only past recipient who is among this season’s group of finalists.
Those Teammate of the Year finalists are as follows (via Twitter):
- Desmond Bane (Magic)
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Pat Connaughton (Hornets)
- De’Aaron Fox (Spurs)
- Jeff Green (Rockets)
- Jrue Holiday (Trail Blazers)
- DeAndre Jordan (Pelicans)
- Duncan Robinson (Pistons)
- Marcus Smart (Lakers)
- Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
- Garrett Temple (Raptors)
- Jaylin Williams (Thunder)
Injury Notes: Giannis, Wagner, Smart, Melton
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said on Sunday that there’s still a chance star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee hyperextension; bone bruise) will be cleared to return before the end of the regular season on April 12, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
However, teammate Bobby Portis is skeptical that will happen. The veteran Bucks forward/center stated during a recent appearance on FanDuel TV (Facebook video link) that he doesn’t think it makes sense for the two-time MVP to come back at this point, with the team having been eliminated from postseason contention.
“I don’t think he’ll play another game this year, for sure,” Portis said (hat tip to Nehm). “Obviously, he’ll stay in the gym and keep his body tight and keep his game tight. But playing a game on court, I don’t think that’s in the picture at all.”
Reports earlier this month indicated that the Bucks wanted to shut Antetokounmpo down for the season and that he was resisting that plan and pushing to return to action. However, Portis made it clear that he understands why the club would be motivated to keep his superstar teammate off the floor during the final couple weeks of 2025/26, even if he recovers from his knee injury.
“If y’all talking about trading him, you don’t want any injury to knock value off or whatever,” Portis said. “That’s just business-wise, and then player-wise, obviously, you gotta look at just the total picture of what’s going on. We’re (9.5) games behind for the 10th seed and (with eight) games left, we can’t even make up ground.”
We have more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Magic forward Franz Wagner is “progressing well” as he looks to make it back from a high ankle sprain for the final stretch of the season, head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). Wagner has done some 5-on-5 work, according to Mosley, who said the team will see how the 24-year-old responds to today’s treatment before determining next steps. It sounds like Wagner’s return may not be far off. He has played just four times since December 7, having experienced multiple setbacks related to his ankle.
- Lakers guard Marcus Smart missed a fourth consecutive game on Monday due to a right ankle contusion, but there’s no expectation the injury should result in a long-term absence. Head coach JJ Redick said Smart remains “day-to-day” in his recovery process and potential return, per NBA reporter Mark Medina (Twitter link).
- Although De’Anthony Melton has appeared in – and started – seven of the Warriors‘ past eight games, the veteran guard isn’t at 100%, as head coach Steve Kerr explained to reporters after Melton went scoreless in 25 minutes of action in a loss to Denver on Sunday. “He’s banged up,” Kerr said, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “His thumb is really bothering him, and I think he’s pressing a little bit. … De’Anthony will bounce back. He’s had a great season. His last couple games have been tough, but he’s banged up. We’ll help him get right. I have total faith in his ability to bounce back.”