Rockets Notes: Sheppard, Eason, Durant, Sengun
Head coach Ime Udoka added some life to the Rockets‘ offense on Friday by inserting second-year guard Reed Sheppard into the starting lineup, Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle writes in a subscriber-only story. It was Sheppard’s 11th start of the season, but his first when Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason were both healthy.
The immediate results were promising as Houston scored 117 points while ending Atlanta’s 11-game winning streak. Sheppard contributed 14 points, four rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes while shooting 4-of-7 from three-point range.
“Just another threat outside the three-point line, somebody that can create for us and himself,” Kevin Durant said of the decision to put Sheppard in the starting five. “All the great basketball teams got multiple guys that create for themselves in others… we got five guys that can put the ball on the floor, make a play, knock down the shot, so we got to utilize that.”
Speaking to reporters after the game, Udoka said he wanted to experiment with Sheppard as a starter before the postseason to see how effective it would be. He plans to evaluate the move over the next few games, but didn’t commit to keeping Sheppard as a starter for the rest of the regular season.
“Obviously Reed has taken a nice step — jump — lately,” Udoka said. “Wanted to have more spacers out there… have different guys who can handle… get a last look at something before the playoffs.”
There’s more from Houston:
- Sheppard’s promotion meant Eason, who has been slumping with his shot lately, was back in a sixth-man role, Shankar adds. He had missed 23 straight three-point attempts before sinking one in the third quarter on Friday. Asked about the advice he gave to Eason during his shooting struggles, Smith responded, “You didn’t get to the league knocking down three-point shots. Impact the game how you impact the game. The other stuff gonna come naturally.”
- Durant, who’s now 25 points behind Michael Jordan for fifth place on the career scoring list, talked to William Guillory of The Athletic about the influence that Jordan had on his career. “Jordan has always been my inspiration. There’s a reason why I wanted to be able to knock down those shots,” Durant said. “He was always unstoppable, but when he became a mid-range maestro, you never knew how he would attack you. You never knew what MJ was going to do. He scared defenders every night, and I wanted to put that same kind of fear in the defender who’s guarding me.”
- Alperen Sengun made his second All-Star appearance this year, but his overall season has been uneven, Shankar states in a video analysis of the 23-year-old center. Sengun was listed as questionable for tonight’s game against Miami due to back tightness, but Udoka confirmed that he’ll be able to play, according to Guillory (Twitter link).
Stephen Curry To Miss At Least Two More Games
Stephen Curry will miss the Warriors‘ games tonight at Atlanta and Monday at Dallas, but he’s expected to return to practice in the next few days, the team announced (via Twitter).
Curry was reevaluated on Saturday for patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee, which has sidelined him since January 30. The team stated that he’s making “good progress” and has intensified his individual on-court workouts. Another reevaluation will take place when the team returns home Tuesday.
A recent report cited “cautious optimism” that Curry will return to the court by the end of March. He’s focused on improving his conditioning and making sure he can run and jump without aggravating his right knee.
The 38-year-old guard remains an All-Star-level player when he’s healthy, leading Golden State in scoring at 27.2 points per game while shooting 46.8% from the field and 39.1% from three-point range. The Warriors have a 23-16 record when he has played this season, but are just 10-21 without him and have fallen to 10th place in the West.
The team also provided an update on Moses Moody, who has missed the past nine games after spraining his right wrist on March 2. Moody is also making progress in individual on-court drills and will begin participating in live action soon. Like Curry, he will be reevaluated when the road trip ends.
Moody said on Friday that he’s been through some “high-intensity workouts” and is still feeling pain in his wrist.
Magic Notes: Cain, Mosley, Losing Streak, W. Carter
Fourth-year forward Jamal Cain was converted from a two-way deal to a standard contract on Friday. His new deal covers two seasons — the Magic hold a team option on Cain for 2026/27, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Speaking to the media ahead of Saturday’s game against the Lakers, Cain discussed his promotion, which occurred on his 27th birthday (video link via the Magic).
“I’ve been waiting four years for that,” said Cain, who spent all his previous time in the league on two-way contracts (story via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). “All the hard work and grind is paying off. But I wasn’t more excited than my mom and my family. They surprised me for my birthday, and just seeing the excitement on their faces made it all worth my while. I’m definitely blessed, for sure.”
Cain’s head coach and teammates were thrilled to learn the news, according to Beede.
“He’s a young man that has worked his tail off for years in this league to try to make it to this level,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “He comes in with a sense of joy, a work ethic, a professionalism every single day — what we ask our guys to do night in and night out.”
We have more from Orlando:
- After seven consecutive victories, the Magic have now dropped three straight games ahead of Saturday’s matchup with the Lakers, who are riding an eight-game winning streak. As Beede writes for The Orlando Sentinel, Mosley received his first career ejection in Thursday’s lopsided loss at Charlotte after a pair of technical fouls in the second quarter. “Mose always goes to bat for us,” Desmond Bane said. “I don’t think that’s ever a question, on whether or not he’s got our back. So, definitely like the fire and it’s on us to match that and display that on the court.”
- Mosley explained what he wants to see from the Magic on Saturday, Beede adds. “In front of our home fans, just to be able to scrap, to be able to continue to fight, play with that sense of intensity, urgency (and) joy for one another, together,” Mosely said. “All of those pieces are key, but it’s got to be our defense that sets the tone and then our ability to keep moving and sharing the basketball, and that urgency that we need to continue to play with nightly is very important down this stretch.”
- Starting center Wendell Carter Jr. has been upgraded from questionable to available for tonight’s game, the Magic announced (via Twitter). Carter was sidelined on Thursday due to a bruised left rib, which the team referred to as mild.
Mavericks Notes: GM Search, Flagg, Middleton, Lively
Mavericks CEO Rick Welts and president Ethan Casson provided an update on the team’s search for a permanent general manager on Thursday, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Both executives said the team isn’t in a rush to make a hire, while Welts confirmed the Mavs are aiming to have a top basketball decision-maker in place ahead of June’s draft.
Dallas currently has Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi operating as co-interim GMs, and both are candidates for the permanent job. Finley believes he’s prepared for the position.
“I think I am Dallas,” Finley said before Thursday’s Mavs Ball. “I’m everything that Dallas is about. I played here through the good times and bad times and as a fan of the Mavericks, I know what it takes and I know what the fans are looking for. I would love to have the chance to lead this franchise into the future and to, ultimately, championship contenders.”
Riccardi, meanwhile, said it hasn’t been difficult to manage being a candidate for the permanent role.
“I think it’s easy for Fin and myself,” Riccardi said. “All we care about is what’s best for the organization. We put the organization first in everything that we do. Let the rest of it take care of itself.”
Multiple sources who spoke to Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com praised Riccardi’s experience, relationship-building acumen, “selflessness and substance.”
“He has no ego,” one source said of Riccardi. “That’s who you want running a front office. Just look at where ego got Nico Harrison.”
Previous reports have indicated that the Mavericks are looking at external candidates with experience running a basketball operations department.
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- Guard Max Christie and head coach Jason Kidd explained why they believe Cooper Flagg deserves to be named Rookie of the Year on Friday, according to Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. Flagg’s primary competition for the award is his former Duke teammate, Kon Knueppel. “To see what he’s doing on a nightly basis – points, rebounds, assists – he’s playing the game at the right level,” Kidd said. “And these names that (people) have brought up are very impressive (to be compared with). I truly believe he deserves rookie of the year. It’s not easy to come in with all the hype and expectations and be able to deliver – if not be even better than what the expectations were.” Last year’s No. 1 overall pick currently ranks in the top five among rookies in all five major counting statistics (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks), tweets play-by-play announcer Mark Followill.
- Veteran forward Khris Middleton considered reaching a buyout agreement with Dallas last month to sign with a playoff contender, but decided to stay with the Mavs, who control his Bird rights. As Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal writes, the 34-year-old recently signaled he’s open to re-signing with the team this summer. “For sure. I love the city of Dallas, I’ve been here before,” Middleton said when asked if he could see himself playing in Dallas beyond this season. “I’m familiar with Dallas, I love the area. As far as the organization, it’s been great. I stayed here for a reason. I like where things are headed here. I like the way they’re trying to do things here, so we’ll see what happens.”
- Third-year center Dereck Lively II, who is on the mend after suffering a right foot injury in December which required season-ending surgery, recently said he’s provided an update on the progress he’s making in his recovery, as Afseth relays. “I went from being on a scooter, two crutches, and now I can walk around with a cane,” Lively said. “So I’m definitely getting there. Making sure I don’t rush myself, taking it real slow, and making sure that the scans are gonna give me the advice on what I should do. Not how I feel.”
Peyton Watson Expected To Return Sunday For Nuggets
After missing six-plus weeks due to a right hamstring strain, Nuggets forward Peyton Watson is expected to be active for Sunday’s game against Portland, as Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter).
Watson was having a breakout fourth season for Denver prior to the injury, which he sustained in a double overtime loss at New York on February 4. In 49 games this season, including 39 starts (30.7 minutes per contest), the 23-year-old wing has averaged 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steal on .496/.417/.727 shooting.
The 30th and final first round-pick in the 2022 draft, Watson will be a restricted free agent this summer if he’s given a qualifying offer. That QO is currently worth $6.53MM, but would increase to $9.62MM if he meets the starter criteria by starting two more games this season.
In part because of injuries — Watson, Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas have each missed extended time because of various ailments — the Nuggets have been pretty inconsistent this season, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. They opened the season with a 20-6 record, but have gone 23-22 since.
Denver’s up-and-down play was on full display on Thursday, when the team trailed Toronto by nine points entering the fourth quarter before pulling out a comeback victory. While head coach David Adelman acknowledged the Nuggets’ erratic season, he also said he has “extreme confidence” in his team.
“With what we have in the locker room, there’s no reason for us not to believe,” Jamal Murray said. “Of course we’re confident.”
The Nuggets are currently 43-28, the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
Magic’s Jalen Suggs Fined $25K By NBA
Magic guard Jalen Suggs has been fined $25K for “throwing his mouthpiece in the direction of the spectator stands,” the NBA announced on Saturday (via Twitter).
Suggs received a technical foul for the incident, which occurred with 5:35 remaining in the first quarter of Orlando’s loss at Charlotte on Thursday. Frustrated after taking a push from Hornets guard LaMelo Ball after he made pass, Suggs removed his mouthpiece, turned, and fired it past the baseline (video link via NBA.com).
The fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Suggs is averaging 13.8 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals on .435/.325/.838 shooting through 46 appearances in 2025/26 (26.8 minutes per game). The 24-year-old is known for his stout defense, having been named to the All-Defensive second team a couple years ago.
Suggs signed a five-year, $150.5MM rookie scale extension in the 2024 offseason. He’s earning $35MM in first year of that deal, which features a descending structure, so the fine won’t impact him much financially.
What Teams Got In Return For Their Traded 2026 Draft Picks
The origins of 2026's most valuable draft picks - the ones that could turn into top-10 selections - are pretty widely known. For instance, it's no secret that the Hawks control the most favorable of New Orleans' and Milwaukee's 2026 first-rounders as a result of the Pelicans trading up for Derik Queen on draft night last June.
But there are dozens of other 2026 draft picks likely to change hands, and the reasons that teams gave up some of those picks aren't quite so memorable. That's especially true of traded second-rounders, but it applies to a few first-round selections too.
For instance, if you're a Timberwolves fan, you probably haven't forgotten why the Pistons will almost certainly have Minnesota's first-round pick this June. But if you root for another team, you might not remember that the Wolves gave up swap rights on that pick just last month in a deal involving Mike Conley.
Going down memory lane and revisiting past deals to see what sort of impact they'll have on this year's draft is a fun exercise, so we're going to run through all of this year's traded draft picks and identify the deal in which they were initially given up.
A couple caveats before we dive in: First, we're just looking at the initial trade in which the pick was moved, so if it has changed hands a few times since then, we're not covering all of those subsequent deals.
Second, we're not including the traded picks that are locks (or near-locks) to fall into their protected range this season, such as the top-eight protected first-rounder the Wizards owe New York. We're just focusing on picks that will - or at least have a realistic chance to - change hands this spring.
With all that in mind, let's revisit the deals in which teams gave up 2026 draft picks...
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Duren, Jenkins, Injuries, Robinson
With Cade Cunningham likely to miss out on postseason awards, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said this week that he’d like to see some alterations to the current rules.
Cunningham was diagnosed with a collapsed lung this week and won’t be reevaluated for two weeks. He needs to play in five more games to reach the 65-game minimum to be eligible for most postseason awards. He had been a candidate for Most Valuable Player, as well as a surefire pick for an All-NBA team.
“There are so many different things now that you have to take into consideration that you shouldn’t have to take into consideration,” Bickerstaff said. “The guys are good enough. They deserve certain things. They play a certain way. Guys shouldn’t have to feel like they have to play hurt or injured to make something like that happen.
“I don’t have an answer for you as to what the best thing is moving forward, but I do think if you have serious injuries and you’ve played a certain way throughout the season and you’ve played a certain amount of games, a certain amount of minutes, whatever it may be, you should still be able to qualify for those awards. Again, I get the intent behind it. I just think there has to be a better way.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Detroit’s other All-Star, center Jalen Duren, had a team-high 23 points and six rebounds in Friday’s 115-101 victory over the Warriors. Duren, who is averaging 19.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per contest, has led the team in scoring during their three-game winning streak. “For me, I’m just proud of my group. Proud of where I’m at now,” said Duren, who will be a restricted free agent after the season. “This is something that I’ve always known I can be. I’ve always known I can be one of the better players in this league, and I’ve still got a lot of room to grow. I don’t feel like I’m anywhere near as good as I can be. There’s still a lot of things I can get better at, but I’m proud of everybody… From where we’ve started to now, I’m proud of everybody who has been a part of it.”
- Starting in place of Cunningham, Daniss Jenkins supplied 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds against Golden State. It’s the fourth time this season Jenkins has reached the 20-point mark. “It’s just a different challenge,” Jenkins said during a TV interview regarding the loss of Cunningham. “We get to test ourselves, how can each guy take their game to the next step to pick up for that missing piece in Cade. We know he’s a big piece – that’s our guy. So we’ve just all got to step up in different ways to pick up for his loss. That’s all we’re trying to do. It’s a challenge.” Jenkins was promoted from a two-way deal to a two-year contract last month.
- Along with Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart (left calf strain), they played the second game of a back-to-back without guards Marcus Sasser (right hip soreness) and Kevin Huerter (right shoulder contusion).
- In case you missed it, the Pistons clinched a playoff spot with their victory on Friday. Detroit was knocked out during the first round by the Knicks last season and Bickerstaff believes that experience in the postseason will pay off this spring. “I do still believe that you have to have experience,” Bickerstaff said, per Jeff Zillgitt of NBA.com. “But that experience that we had last year versus the Knicks is enough. That experience gave our guys an opportunity to understand exactly what playoff basketball looks like and how to win in the playoffs. Our guys were able to go on the road and win two playoff games in the Garden, with all the allure that comes along with that and the pressures of the moment. That says our guys have what it takes to do it and then do it again. That’s the thing that gives me such belief that we’re capable of doing that.”
- Duncan Robinson wasn’t on the roster when the Pistons won a league-low 14 games two seasons ago. He sees the franchise’s dramatic turnaround as part of a culture shift, he told Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “Having an identity is a big piece,” Robinson said. “We know who we are, and we know what’s required night to night in order to win games. Having guys you can really rely on on a night-to-night basis. A guy like Cade, that’s your leader. (Duren) has obviously flourished into that role as well. So it’s fun, man.”
Sixers Center Andre Drummond Fined $25K
Sixers center Andre Drummond has been fined $25K for making an objectionable gesture on the playing court, the NBA announced on Saturday (Twitter link).
The incident occurred with eight seconds remaining in the third quarter of Philadelphia’s 139-118 win over the Kings on Thursday. After knocking down a corner three-pointer, Drummond briefly mimed shooting at the Kings’ bench (video link via NBA.com).
Drummond had one of his best games of the season against Sacramento, posting 13 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 24 minutes. The big man’s playing time has increased in recent games due to frontcourt injuries in Philadelphia.
The 32-year-old is averaging 6.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in 2o.0 minutes per game over the course of 52 appearances (24 starts) this season. He’s headed to unrestricted free agency this summer after his two-year, $10MM contract expires.
Jazz Sign Kennedy Chandler To 10-Day Contract
March 21: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
March 20: Former NBA point guard Kennedy Chandler has agreed to a 10-day contract with the Jazz, agent Ryan Davis tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The 38th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Chandler spent his rookie season with Memphis but was waived during the 2023 offseason and hasn’t been in the NBA since then, having played for the Long Island Nets, Raptors 905, and Delaware Blue Coats in the G League in recent years.
In 36 games this season for the Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s NBAGL affiliate, Chandler has averaged 17.3 points and 9.7 assists in 35.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .449/.299/.686.
The Jazz currently have a full 15-man standard roster, but two of those 15 players are on 10-day deals, with Andersson Garcia‘s contract set to expire on Friday night and Bez Mbeng‘s deal running through Sunday.
While Chandler could simply replace one of those two players on the roster, Utah may also qualify for a hardship exception, allowing the team to temporarily exceed 15 standard contracts. A team becomes eligible for a hardship exception when it has at least four players who have missed three or more games and are expected to be out for at least two more weeks.
In the Jazz’s case, Jaren Jackson Jr., Walker Kessler, and Jusuf Nurkic have been ruled out for the season, while Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George are currently on the shelf with multi-week injuries. If either Markkanen or George is expected to miss the next two weeks, Utah would qualify for a hardship deal.
Chandler will earn $117,730 over the course of his 10-day contract. If the Jazz wait until Saturday to sign him, he could replace Garcia on the roster and his deal would cover the team’s next six games.