Wizards Confirm Kyshawn George Won’t Return This Season
As expected, Wizards forward Kyshawn George has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2025/26 season due to a Grade 2 ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear in his left elbow, the team announced today (Twitter link).
When the Wizards first revealed George’s diagnosis on March 4, they indicated he’d miss at least three weeks. Last week, they ruled him out at least one more week and stated that his injury was being treated “conservatively,” strongly suggesting he wouldn’t be brought back this spring.
According to today’s announcement, George’s elbow requires additional healing and will be reevaluated in another two weeks. The expectation is that he’ll make a full recovery well ahead of the 2026/27 season, with additional updates to come, per the club.
The injury will officially close the book on George’s second NBA season after 48 appearances (all starts). The 22-year-old, who was drafted 24th overall in 2024, took a significant step forward in 2025/26, increasing his numbers across the board to 14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 29.0 minutes per game, with a .438/.381/.802 shooting line.
George’s modest breakout year should solidify his place among the Wizards’ young core as the team – which acquired veteran stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis prior to this season’s trade deadline – looks to become more competitive in 2026/27.
George, who made $2.97MM this season, has a guaranteed $3.11MM salary for next year, while the Wizards have until October 31 to make a decision on his $5.44MM team option for 2027/28. It’s safe to assume that option will be exercised, which will put the 6’8″ forward on track to become extension-eligible during the 2027 offseason. If he doesn’t sign a rookie scale extension at that time, he’d be eligible for restricted free agency in 2028.
Jazz To Sign Bez Mbeng To Two-Year Deal
11:31 am: Mbeng will be signing a two-year contract, agent Jason Tranos tells ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). While Charania doesn’t provide any additional details, that second year is unlikely to be guaranteed.
7:43 am: Bez Mbeng‘s second 10-day contract with the Jazz expired on Wednesday night, but he won’t be going anywhere, reports Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. According to Todd, Utah will be signing Mbeng for the rest of the season.
Mbeng, 22, made 11 appearances during his first 20 days with the Jazz after first joining the team on March 13. The 6’4″ shooting guard played regular rotation minutes during that time for a banged-up Utah squad, averaging 5.0 points, 3.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 29.9 minutes per night.
While Mbeng’s shooting numbers (.429/.167/.667) have been modest, the Jazz have apparently liked what they’ve seen from the former Yale star, especially on defense. The 22-year-old, who earned three Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year awards from 2023-25 before going undrafted last June, spent most of his rookie year with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate, until he signed with Utah.
The Jazz would have the ability to sign Mbeng to a multiyear deal, though Todd doesn’t confirm that’s the plan. We’ll have to wait for the full details of the agreement to confirm the terms, but if it’s just a rest-of-season contract, the guard would be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.
Mbeng earned $73,153 on each of his two 10-day deals. If he officially re-signs on Thursday, a rest-of-season minimum-salary contract would pay him slightly more than that ($80,469), for a total of $226,775 on top of the salary he earned in the G League.
Once Mbeng is signed, the Jazz will have have 14 players on full-season or multiyear standard contracts, with Kennedy Chandler filling the 15th roster spot on a 10-day deal.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 4/2/2026
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included the Sixers' chances of beating the Knicks in a playoff series, potential draft outcomes for the Bulls, Will Riley's future with the Wizards, successful tanking by the Pacers and Bucks and more!
Southwest Notes: Wemby, Harper, Zion, Rockets
In recent days, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lakers guard Luka Doncic have each declined when given the opportunity to campaign for Most Valuable Players honors. However, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama doesn’t regret arguing his own case for MVP last week. In fact, he doubled down on Wednesday night after a monster game in Golden State in which he had 41 points, 18 rebounds, and three blocks on 16-of-22 shooting in just 29 minutes.
“I do care deeply about (the MVP award),” Wembanyama told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt (story via Anthony Slater of ESPN.com). “I think that of the greats that are in the Hall of Fame — or the best of all time — they have fought and grabbed everything they could grab early on in their career. If I want to make my spot among the greats, I got to try to not miss any occasion to put my name up there.”
The Spurs have gone 26-2 since the start of February and Wembanyama has played some of his best basketball as of late, including averaging 30.0 points and 15.8 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game in his past five outings. However, the Thunder – winners of 15 of their last 16 games – and Gilgeous-Alexander (three 40-point games in his last eight contests) have been just as hot, so the OKC guard remains the betting favorite for MVP.
Still, as Slater writes, even if he isn’t named MVP, Wembanyama is a lock to claim the Defensive Player of the Year award. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr referred to the Spurs star on Wednesday as “obviously the best defensive player in the league.”
“He’s got unbelievable confidence now,” Kerr said. “He looks like he knows exactly what to do on both ends. His first couple years, he looked young at times. He doesn’t look young anymore. He just looks like he knows exactly what he’s doing. Dominated the glass. There’s plays you can’t do anything. Several lobs where it looked like a Nerf hoop. He’s brilliant.”
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Last year’s No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper is averaging just 22.3 minutes per game this season, far below what fellow top-five picks like Cooper Flagg, VJ Edgecombe, and Kon Knueppel are playing. However, the Spurs guard tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape that playing rotation minutes for a team with the potential to make a deep playoff run makes the trade-off well worth it. “That’s every kid’s dream, to play on the big stages,” Harper said. “I might come off the bench, but in a month or so, I will be playing in the playoffs. Not many rookies can say that they can do that at a high level and play meaningful minutes.”
- While Zion Williamson‘s camp hasn’t been given any indication that the Pelicans will look to trade him this summer, many outside observers are expecting it to happen, given the forward’s injury history and his awkward fit alongside new cornerstone Derik Queen, writes Yaron Weitzman of Yahoo Sports. For his part, Williamson recognizes his long-term future in New Orleans is far from assured. “New Orleans is home for me. It’s where I want to be,” he told Weitzman. “But at the end of the day, if we’re going to be realistic about it, the NBA is a business. I could be traded in the offseason, or I could be traded before (next season’s) trade deadline. Not that I want that to happen, but that’s just the realism of it.”
- Rockets head coach Ime Udoka inserted Tari Eason into his starting five on Tuesday vs. New York for matchup purposes before Reed Sheppard reclaimed his starting role on Wednesday vs. Milwaukee, as Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle details in a pair of subscriber-only stories. The moves paid dividends — the starting lineup with Eason outscored the Knicks 43-25 in 14 minutes in Tuesday’s win, while the same group with Sheppard outscored the Bucks 39-21 in just under 13 minutes in Wednesday’s victory. “(We) want to formulate what we want to go to this late in the season and getting into the playoffs,” Udoka said of his lineup tweaks. “Got five, six more games to figure that out.”
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 conference. 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 Sunday after the center’s second 10-day deal expires on Saturday 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.
Nets Sign Tre Scott To 10-Day Contract
The Nets have signed forward Tre Scott to a 10-day deal, according to NBA.com’s official log of transactions. Confirming the deal with agent Darrell Comer, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link) notes that it’s a hardship contract, allowing Brooklyn to complete the signing without cutting anyone from its 15-man roster.
A team qualifies for a hardship exception when it has four players who have missed three consecutive games due to an injury and are expected to remain out for at least two more weeks. It seems Day’Ron Sharpe (thumb), Egor Dëmin (foot), Michael Porter Jr. (hamstring), and Danny Wolf (ankle) all fit that bill for Brooklyn. Porter and Wolf haven’t been formally ruled out for the season, but Porter’s return has been considered doubtful and Scotto notes Wolf is wearing a walking boot and isn’t expected to play again this spring.
Scott, 29, has competed in Puerto Rico, France, and Canada since going undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2020, though he has spent most of his time in the G League, suiting up for the Salt Lake City Stars, Cleveland Charge, Ontario Clippers, Greensboro Swarm, Osceola Magic, and – most recently – the Long Island Nets.
In 47 total outings this season for Long Island, Scott averaged 12.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 27.9 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .453/.358/.609.
The 6’8″ forward has made two regular season appearances, but those came way back in 2021 when he was on a 10-day deal with the Cavaliers. If he sees action for Brooklyn, Scott will be playing in an NBA game for the first time in nearly four-and-a-half years.
Scott’s 10-day contract will pay him $117,730, with the Nets taking on an identical cap hit. The deal will run through April 11, covering five of the club’s six remaining games.
Mutual Interest In Jalen Duren Being ‘Piston For Life’
Within a profile on Pistons center Jalen Duren that details the big man’s breakout season and growing bond with star point guard Cade Cunningham, Logan Murdock of The Ringer briefly touches on Duren’s contract situation, noting that the former lottery pick failed to come to terms on a rookie scale extension with the club last offseason and will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Duren suggested to Murdock that his physical, “gritty” style of play is a perfect match for a “blue-collar” city like Detroit, adding that he would have liked to reach a deal in 2025 and remains hopeful about working something out in 2026.
“I mean, it was what it was,” Duren said of last year’s negotiations. “I think it’s tough because there is a business aspect to it. Like I said, I would love to be a Piston for life. It was nothing personal. Nothing I took personal with the organization or anything. It was just business. They felt one way, I felt another. And at that moment we couldn’t come to an agreement.”
Last offseason, Duren was coming off a solid but unspectacular season in which he averaged a double-double (11.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG) for a second straight year but didn’t significantly improve upon his 2023/24 production.
He has taken a significant step forward in 2025/26, increasing his scoring average to 19.5 PPG, making his first All-Star team, and establishing himself as an indispensable contributor on both ends of the court for a 55-21 Pistons team that sits atop the Eastern Conference. Detroit has a +12.0 net rating when Duren is on the court and a mark of just -4.3 when he’s not.
Still just 22 years old, Duren has also emerged as a locker room leader for the Pistons. Veteran wing Javonte Green said the fourth-year center is “more aware of his voice on the team,” while reserve center Paul Reed said it has been “inspiring” to see the progress Duren has made as a leader and a player.
“It’s not even something I thought of or tried to do,” Duren said when asked about his leadership role. “I think (it happened) naturally, I just f–k with my guys. I’m cool with my guys. … I like to bring guys together. I like to joke. I like to play around. Serious when I need to be serious, though.”
As for Duren’s improvement on the court, Murdock notes that the big man entered last summer determined to prove he could be more than just a lob threat and intent on becoming a legitimate second star alongside Cunningham. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff helped him together a plan to try to make that happen.
“We talked about the offensive stuff and how he can be not only a scorer, but he can be a hub that you can play through and that can create for other people,” Bickerstaff told Murdock. “But defensively, his ability to lock down the paint, protect the rim, rebound the basketball, close possessions, be the anchor of our defense—that’s what the five man’s responsibility is.”
In all likelihood, Duren’s breakout year means his next contract will be worth the maximum salary or something very close to it, which wouldn’t have been the case if he had accepted the Pistons’ best extension offer last offseason. While there will likely be rival suitors curious to see if they can pry him away from Detroit, general manager Trajan Langdon indicated to Murdock that the team reciprocates Duren’s interest in a long-term relationship.
“We want him to be a Piston for life, too,” Langdon said. “(Not working out a deal last offseason) had nothing to do with what he had or hadn’t done.”
Mavericks Notes: Flagg, Kidd, Cuban, Williams, Welts
Cooper Flagg has lived up to the hype of being the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, but he admits the Mavericks‘ poor record has taken some of the joy out of his first NBA season, Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal writes in a subscriber-only piece. Flagg played with dominant teams in high school and college, so it’s been an adjustment to be part of a 24-52 Dallas squad that’s far removed from the playoff race.
“Obviously, it’s been tough,” Flagg said Wednesday in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link). “I only lost four games last year [at Duke]. There’s been times through the season where it’s been mentally taxing on me, not having success that I would’ve hoped for.”
There was reason to believe the Mavs might be at least a play-in contender at the start of the season with Flagg teaming with Anthony Davis in the front court and Kyrie Irving expected to return from a torn ACL around the All-Star break. However, Davis’ continued injury issues led to a trade to Washington in February, and Irving’s comeback was delayed until the fall.
Flagg has still been brilliant overall and is locked in a tight race for Rookie of the Year honors with former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel. Afseth notes that he’s just the fifth teenager in NBA history to average 20 points per game.
“Obviously, we’ve had a lot of injuries and unfortunate things happen throughout the year,” Flagg said. “It’s obviously not been ideal, but I’ve had growth along the way, and I’ve had to get better and learn on the fly. It’s definitely not the start I would’ve looked for, but hopefully I’ll be able to look back on it and know that I was able to learn a lot from it.”
There’s more from Dallas:
- The controversy over trading Luka Doncic was revived on Tuesday during a podcast appearance by former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Among Cuban’s comments was, “That doesn’t justify it for our coach and our general manager to stand up and trade our best player.” Head coach Jason Kidd, who has previously suggested he was caught off guard by the Doncic deal, said he called Cuban in response, but declined to elaborate before Tuesday’s game. “When are we going to move on?” Kidd asked. “We have to move forward. We’re focused on the present and the future and we’ve got an incredible opportunity to build.”
- Brandon Williams displayed his full offensive game in the first half Tuesday by scoring 11 points in the first quarter and handing out six assists in the second quarter, states Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. The Mavs will face a decision this summer on the free agent guard, who has seen his role expand since Irving’s injury. “I think everybody knows that I can really score the ball and use my speed, as well, but just organizing the floor, getting the floor set up before I even make an attack is pretty much the main key,” Williams said. “I have a Hall of Fame coach, so picking his brains, seeing what he sees and molding that into my game.”
- In an interview with Curtis, CEO Rick Welts talks about Flagg’s rookie season, Kidd’s future as head coach, and his desire to have a new head of basketball operations in place before the draft.
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Doncic, Centers, Smart
The amount of money LeBron James is willing to accept in his next contract will help determine where he plays next season or if he plays at all, according to Dave McMenamin and Tim Bontemps of ESPN. James will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, which is an unusual position as he typically holds a player option that gives him leverage in determining his future.
“Will he play for the mid-level exception? For the minimum?” one scout asked the authors. “A big part of this is knowing what he will be willing to do [financially].”
McMenamin and Bontemps point out that if James is willing to accept a veteran’s minimum deal just to continue his career, he becomes an attractive option for any team in the league. If he demands the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which will be about $15MM, or tries to work out a sign-and-trade, his next team may have to make other roster moves to get below the first tax apron.
The Lakers will hold James’ Bird rights and won’t face the same salary restrictions as their competitors. However, the need to re-sign free agent Austin Reaves, who could be in line for a max deal, will affect how much L.A. might be willing to spend in other areas. Sources tell the authors that along with Reaves, the Lakers are hoping to reach new deals with Jaxson Hayes, Luke Kennard and possibly Rui Hachimura if he can be re-signed at a reasonable price.
McMenamin and Bontemps list the Warriors, Cavaliers, Knicks, Nuggets and Clippers as teams to watch if James decides to go elsewhere.
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Head coach JJ Redick is touting Luka Doncic for Most Valuable Player honors, McMenamin adds in a separate story. L.A. went 15-2 in March with Doncic scoring 600 points, making him one of 10 players in NBA history to reach that total in any month. “He’s the engine that’s driving all of our winning,” Redick said. “Certainly, we have a ton of guys starring in their roles, but he’s the driver.” Doncic declined a chance to campaign for himself as MVP, per Melissa Rohlin of The California Post (Twitter video link).
- The Lakers have been getting improved play at center with the postseason approaching, notes Khobi Price of The California Post. It’s a welcome change from last year, when Redick was sometimes forced to use centerless lineups in a first-round loss to Minnesota.
- Marcus Smart will miss his sixth straight game with an ankle contusion when the Lakers travel to Oklahoma City on Thursday, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).
NBA Europe Venture Attracting Plenty Of Interest
The effort to line up teams for NBA Europe has been getting an enthusiastic response, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
With the deadline for non-binding proposals passing at midnight Tuesday, two sources tell Vardon that multiple bidders submitted offers of at least $1 billion, while numerous others matched or exceeded the $500MM threshold the NBA had been targeting. Vardon’s sources cite “serious” interest from more than 120 investors, and he hears that commissioner Adam Silver’s office is delighted with the results.
Several existing European teams are among the bidders, Vardon adds, including some that currently compete in the EuroLeague. Vardon suggests that could have dire consequences for the league as the NBA moves into its territory.
“We have received significant interest from a range of prospective teams and investors for permanent franchise spots in a new league in Europe,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said in a statement. “The level of engagement and the scale of the bids reflect the marketplace’s belief in our proposed model and the enormous, untapped potential for European basketball. We will now review the bids in more detail and shortlist the partners who share our vision and commitment to accelerating the growth of the game across the continent.”
Potential investors signed non-disclosure agreements with the NBA, two sources tell Vardon. One source describes the initial submissions as “declarations of interest” rather than actual offers. The teams detailed how much they would be willing to spend to be part of the new venture, with investments in potential new arenas factored in.
Vardon hears that the NBA hopes to receive $500MM to $1 billion from each team admitted to the new league, with the amount varying depending on the size of the market. Another source cautions that some European bidders are questioning the NBA’s business plan and that “weeks of contentious negotiations” could be upcoming.
The Athletic has previously cited interest from the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund in submitting a bid for a team based in London. In addition, Qatar Sports Investments hopes to own a franchise in Paris, and Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital is eyeing a club in Milan.
The NBA is focusing on a dozen cities for the league, and sources tell Vardon that there’s “competition across each of (the) 12 target cities from a variety of investor types.” Along with London, Paris and Milan, Vardon states that the preferred locations are Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Athens, Istanbul, Berlin, Munich, Lyon and Manchester.
AEK Athens submitted a bid to be the Athens franchise, according to Stefan Acevski of Eurohoops.
With the bids now in hand, the NBA and its partners will begin narrowing the field to the most qualified groups, Vardon adds. Final approval is required from the Board of Governors, but Vardon sees that as a formality.
Vardon reports that the NBA plans to announce the license holders in waves, rather than all at once. Silver remains focused on having the new league begin playing in October 2027.