Central Notes: Thompson, Stewart, Dillingham, Miller
Ausar Thompson has quickly become one of the league’s premier defenders for the Pistons, a feat which didn’t happen by accident — it came about through work and film study, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (subscriber link). As Sankofa details, after the final buzzer sounds, Thompson can be found in the locker room, still in uniform, watching film from the game that just concluded.
“I watch it the next day too, but I watch it immediately after to see, I don’t know. It’s close to the game,” Thompson said earlier in the year. “You still feel the emotions of the game, the one I just played. And it’s easier to remember stuff that happened.”
Sanfoka notes that the habit often means the rest of the team has already showered, dressed, and gotten ready to leave while Thompson continues to study up.
“Right after the game he wants to watch the whole game,” Cade Cunningham said. “We’re trying to get on the plane. I think that’s where a lot of the teasing comes from… He has to see the highest-level scorers every night. Takes his job seriously. That’s what you want from your primary defender like that.“
The attention to detail will quite possibly result in an All-Defense selection for the 23-year-old wing, who is in the 99th percentile in wing steal percentage and the 96th percentile in block rate. He’ll have to play at least 20 minutes in seven of Detroit’s final eight games to meets the 65-game requirements.
We have more from around the Central Division:
- Isaiah Stewart took an important step forward in his calf strain recovery, receiving clearance to resume on-court basketball activities for the Pistons, writes Coty M. Davis for The Detroit News. “He’s progressing,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It is something that we will take our time with, making sure he is right with the timing of everything. Every day when he takes a step, we evaluate and take another step the next day.” There’s still no set timetable for Stewart’s return, and his extended absence means that the defensive-minded big man will miss out on All-Defense eligibility.
- Rob Dillingham has played in 22 straight games for the Bulls since being acquired in the Ayo Dosunmu deal with the Wolves, but that doesn’t mean he feels at ease about his long-term status with the team, Joe Cowley writes for the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s a good feeling that I’m getting the opportunity, but I don’t feel comfortable at all,” Dillingham said. “I don’t feel like I’ve proven anything, so my goal is just to help us win, help us get better, be the best I can be.” The Bulls will have plenty of decisions to make regarding the many young guards on the roster, and Dillingham – whose contract is guaranteed through 2026/27 – is hoping to prove that he’s someone worth investing in.
- Leonard Miller went from fringe rotation player in Minnesota to valued contributor with the Bulls nearly overnight, a role change he has fully embraced, Julia Poe writes for the Chicago Tribune. “This has never happened for me before,” Miller said. “But I just knew — like, I wanted to carve out a role with this group. So it’s new, but at the same time it doesn’t feel like anything crazy. This is what I’m born to do.” Over his last 10 games, Miller has averaged 13.1 points and 7.0 rebounds in 26.5 minutes per game. He credits teammate Matas Buzelis, whom he played with on the G League Ignite, for helping him acclimate to the new environment.
Jaylen Wells To Undergo Toe Surgery, Will Likely Miss Rest Of Season
Second-year wing Jaylen Wells will undergo surgery to address a tendon avulsion fracture in his right big toe, the Grizzlies announced today (via Twitter). The team didn’t provide a timeline for Wells’ recovery, but he’s expected to miss the rest of the season.
Wells played 69 games this season, all starts, and averaged 12.5 points in 26.4 minutes per night on .431/.353/.784 shooting splits. He contributed 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest, putting up similar numbers across the board to the ones he posted in 2024/25, when he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.
Wells missed the previous three games for the Grizzlies while dealing with this injury. The club indicated in its announcement that he’s expected to make a full recovery.
Memphis was officially eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday, and Wells now joins an extensive list of Grizzlies who have been ruled out for the rest of the season as the team looks to maximize its draft positioning. Michael Wallace of Grind City Media notes (Twitter link) that he is the fifth Grizzlies player this season to undergo season-ending surgery, joining Zach Edey (elbow), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (finger), Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), and Santi Aldama (knee).
Injury Notes: McBride, Grant, Edwards, Pistons
Miles McBride will return to action for the Knicks on Sunday after being sidelined since January 27 due to a sports hernia surgery, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (via Twitter).
McBride is scoring at a career-best rate this season, averaging 12.9 points per game while hitting a career-high 42.0% of his 6.9 three-point attempts per contest.
His return comes during a key stretch for the Knicks, who are looking to catch the Celtics for the No. 2 seed in the East while playing in Oklahoma City on Sunday and Houston on Tuesday in two of their remaining regular season tests. Entering Sunday, the Knicks trail the Celtics by 1.5 games.
Edwards adds (via Twitter) that McBride will be on a minutes restriction, though he doesn’t specify what the restriction will be. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post adds that Landry Shamet is with the Knicks on their road trip, and, according to coach Mike Brown, is progressing in his recovery from a bone bruise in his knee (Twitter link).
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- According to Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter, veteran forward Jerami Grant underwent an MRI on his calf and will remain without a recovery timeline until he can go through more testing, per Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (via Twitter). Grant said he “felt a pop” in his right calf during the third quarter of Friday’s loss to the Mavericks.
- Anthony Edwards has been upgraded to questionable for the Timberwolves‘ game on Monday, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Edwards has missed Minnesota’s last six games with a knee injury, with the team going 4-2 during that stretch. The Wolves currently hold a half-game lead over the Rockets for the No. 5 seed in the West.
- The Pistons have a lengthy injury report for Monday’s game against the Thunder, with Jalen Duren (right knee), Tobias Harris (left hip), and Duncan Robinson (right hip) all listed as doubtful, while Ausar Thompson (right ankle) is questionable. Detroit is already missing Cade Cunningham (left lung) and Isaiah Stewart (left calf).
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Maxey, Celtics, Bassey
When the Sixers put together a big three of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, they had a vision that looked something like the team’s Saturday win over the Hornets, Tony Jones writes for The Athletic.
Embiid, George, and Maxey combined for 81 points, 26 rebounds, and nine three-pointers in the victory, with George submitting possibly his best game as a Sixer. Beyond the counting stats, Jones writes, it was evident how the skill sets of the three stars complement each other.
Most importantly, Jones notes, this was a rare example of the trio shining together in a high-stakes game. Philadelphia is battling for playoff positioning and this win gave the team the season tiebreaker over Charlotte, in addition to the tiebreakers it already held over Toronto and Orlando.
With the Sixers just a half-game behind the Hawks and Raptors for a top-six playoff spot, those edges could turn out to be massively important at season’s end.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Maxey was able to return to the Sixers quicker than anticipated from the tendon injury in his finger that was supposed to sideline him for at least three weeks, thanks in large part to his diligence in the rehab process, Gina Mizell writes for the Inquirer. “I’ve been working my tail off,” Maxey said. “And I want to be there for my team, so I was there.” As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN adds, the team knew the importance of the game in terms of standings, which prompted Maxey to push himself to play his best ball despite the lengthy absence. “I let the game come to me at the beginning,” said Maxey. “Everybody was like, ‘Dude, all right. We know you just got back. Come on, let’s play.’ And I was like, ‘I got you.‘”
- Jaylen Brown is out for Sunday’s game against the Hornets on Sunday with left Achilles tendinitis, per the Celtics (via Twitter). Derrick White, who was listed as questionable with a right knee contusion, has also been downgraded to out (Twitter link). In their place, Jordan Walsh and Payton Pritchard will start alongside Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum, and Neemias Queta, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe notes (via Twitter).
- Charles Bassey, on his second 10-day contract, has only made two brief appearances for the Celtics entering Sunday’s game, but he already feels comfortable with the organization, Noa Dalzell writes for CelticsBlog. “When the coach says, ‘Okay, there’s optional stuff, but you don’t [have to] come in’, everybody still shows up,” Bassey said. “That just helps the team grow, and helps build connection with the team. Guys are just coming in ready to work every day, regardless if it’s optional — you got to show up. They’re always in the gym, they’re always in the practice facility, so they put in the work. Me coming in and seeing that, it’s fun.” Bassey observed that playing for Boston’s Summer League last July helped familiarize him with the teammates and coaching staff, which has allowed for a smoother transition than might otherwise have occurred.
Raptors Notes: Barnes, Walter, Quickley, CMB, Barrett
The Raptors picked up an important victory over New Orleans on Friday as they look to claim a guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
Jamal Shead had started two games in a row with Immanuel Quickley sidelined, but head coach Darko Rajakovic replaced Shead with Ja’Kobe Walter on Friday. That left Scottie Barnes as the team’s primary offensive initiator, and he had an excellent all-around game, finishing with 23 points (on 10-of-14 shooting), 12 assists, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals in 36 minutes.
“First of all, he’s a pass-first player,” Rajakovic said of Barnes. “He likes to move, to pass, he likes to find his teammates in transition. He’s scanning the floor and it really allows him with his size and his athletic ability to play over the top of the defense.”
Second-year wing Walter also had a strong showing, recording 18 points and four assists in 34 minutes.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- It’s unclear when the plantar fascitiis in Quickley’s right foot began to really bother him, according to Grange, but he’s out for the fourth straight game on Sunday vs. Orlando. “It is at the point now that it needs to be managed. The best and the only way to get it completely healed is to not do anything for two, three, four weeks. Obviously that’s not going to be the case with IQ. He’s going to get better through this,” said Rajakovic. “This is going to help him recover. He’s going to be available to play. We’ve just got to get him off his feet right now. It was there. It was kind of nagging. He was able to play through it through recovery and therapy and everything. It just flared up quite a bit and put him in a situation where he has to sit out a couple games.”
- Collin Murray-Boyles was a late scratch for Sunday’s contest due to lower back spasms, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. The rookie big man was previously listed as questionable and had been expected to play before he was ruled out.
- RJ Barrett sustained a left shoulder injury in Friday’s win and is a game-time decision for Sunday’s matchup with the Magic, according to Murphy (Twitter link). Barrett was able to play through the shoulder issue, which is being referred to as tightness, on Friday. His former Duke teammate Zion Williamson was the cause of the injury, Grange notes. “I was just trying to box him out,” said Barrett, demonstrating how he put his forearm on Williamson’s shoulder. “And when he jumped, he took my arm up with him. He didn’t even know he did it. He’s a force, man.”
Warriors Rumors: Kawhi, LeBron, Porzingis, Kerr, More
There’s a significant amount of curiosity around the NBA about what the Warriors will do this offseason, writes Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
According to Stein, Golden State made a “determined trade run” for Clippers star Kawhi Leonard in the final hour before the February 5 deadline. Los Angeles wasn’t interested in moving Leonard at the time, but the Warriors may revisit that concept this summer.
Rival teams also view the Warriors as “one of the few credible destinations” for Lakers star LeBron James, who will be a free agent this summer, Stein notes.
“It has some legs,” one league source told Stein.
League insiders had already been anticipating that the Warriors would re-sign Kristaps Porzingis this summer, per Stein, and that expectation has increased after the Latvian big man recently praised Rick Celebrini, Golden State’s director of sports medicine and performance.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Appearing on the Warriors Plus Minus podcast with Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard, Nick Friedell of The Athletic said he believes Porzingis will be on the roster in 2026/27. “I absolutely, as we’re sitting here right now, believe that Porzingis and the Warriors will work something out where we will see him again next season in a Warriors jersey,” Friedell said (hat tip to HoopsHype).
- Friedell also weighed in on the future of head coach Steve Kerr, whose contract expires after the season. “Stephen Curry wants Steve Kerr,” Friedell said (transcription via HoopsHype). “I’ve been asked repeatedly: ‘Do you think Steve’s coming back?’ I absolutely do because I think this team, especially because of what we’ve been talking about now tonight on this episode, they want to go for it. There’s not another person you’re going to plug in that’s going to take them to some other spot more than Steve Kerr. Plus the fact that Steph wants him and they have a partnership for all these years.“
- In a column for The San Francisco Standard, Kawakami argues the Warriors should pursue either Leonard or James this summer. Kawakami says there are rumblings that the NBA might void the final year of Leonard’s contract, which will pay him $50.3MM in 2026/27, as part of the punishment for the ongoing investigation into the Clippers allegedly circumventing the salary cap to sign the 34-year-old forward. In Kawakami’s scenario, the Warriors would try to re-sign Draymond Green and Porzingis to two-year, $40MM contracts, which would open up the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign either Leonard or James, assuming they’re open to taking a major pay cut (the MLE is projected to start at $15.05MM next season).
And-Ones: All-Defense, G League Playoffs, Acuff, Fertitta
Yahoo Sports contributor Nekias Duncan lists his picks for the two All-Defensive teams (as of March 27). Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Rudy Gobert, Bam Adebayo and Derrick White comprise Duncan’s first team, while Cason Wallace, Stephon Castle, Dyson Daniels, Scottie Barnes and Marcus Smart are on the second.
Duncan also cites nine honorable mentions who didn’t quite make the cut, including Evan Mobley, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year. Duncan says Ausar Thompson would replace Smart if he qualifies; the third-year forward needs to play at least 20 minutes in seven of Detroit’s last eight games to be eligible (Smart may not qualify either due to the requirements of the 65-game rule).
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The 16-team field and schedule for the NBA G League playoffs has been set, the league announced in a press release. The Osceola Magic (26-10) are the top seed in the Eastern Conference, while the South Bay Lakers (26-10) are the No. 1 seed in the West. The NBAGL playoffs feature a single-elimination tournament until the finals, which is best-of-three. Osceola and the Stockton Kings (23-13, the third seed in the West) faced off in last year’s finals, with Stockton winning the title.
- Darius Acuff Jr. is widely projected to be a top-nine pick in the upcoming draft and one NBA general manager recently told Marc J. Spears of Andscape he thinks the Arkansas guard is the third-best prospect in the 2026 class, behind BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and UNC’s Caleb Wilson. Razorbacks head coach John Calipari, who has coached numerous future NBA stars in college, says teams would be foolish to pass over Acuff, a first-team All-American as a freshman. “Pass on him, you’ll regret it,” Calipari told Andscape. “I said it about Tyrese (Maxey). I’ve said it about a bunch of guys. I said it about Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander): ‘You’re going to regret passing on this kid.’ And I know there are other good players, but this kid (Acuff) is unique.”
- Rockets owner Tillman Fertitta and his family have reached an agreement to purchase the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun and relocate the team to Houston, confirms Alexa Philippou of ESPN. Chris Baldwin of PaperCity Magazine first reported the news. The plan is for the Sun to finish 2026 in Connecticut before relocating in 2027. The Fertitta family is spending $300MM to buy the team, which is expected to be called the Comets. The Houston Comets were a WNBA team from 1997-2008.
Cavaliers’ Tyson, Wade Out At Least Three More Games
Forwards Jaylon Tyson (left great toe sprain) and Dean Wade (right ankle sprain) won’t travel with the Cavaliers on their three-game road trip, the team announced (via Twitter).
Cleveland plays at Utah on Monday, at the Lakers on Tuesday, and at Golden State on Thursday before returning home ahead of next Sunday’s contest vs. Indiana. That game against the Pacers is the first of a back-to-back — the Cavs play at Memphis next Monday, April 6.
Both players will stay in Cleveland for treatment and rehabilitation, per the team.
Tyson, a 2024 first-round pick who is having a strong second season for the Cavs, suffered the toe injury in a March 19 victory in Chicago. He has missed the last four games with the injury and will be out for at least three more.
Wade, who is extension-eligible ahead of unrestricted free agency this summer, has been sidelined the past two games due to the ankle injury, which he sustained last Tuesday vs. Orlando. He’ll be at five consecutive absences once Cleveland’s road trip concludes.
The Cavs are currently 46-28, the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Western Notes: Edwards, Dosunmu, McDaniels, Matkovic, McCain
While Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards still has to go through a workout Sunday and a shootaround Monday before being cleared to play in Monday’s game in Dallas, “all signs” point to that happening, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
“We can’t relax now that Ant’s coming back and say, ‘Hey, give Ant the keys and just go,’” point guard Mike Conley said. “I think we’ve got to let Ant do his thing. But at the same time, continue to push the ball, continue to involve everybody, and I think that’s when we’re our best self. When the ball’s moving, guys are being selfless.”
Edwards has missed the last six games due to patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee. He was cleared for on-court activities on Friday.
In order to meet the 65-game minimum to qualify for end-of-season awards, Edwards would have to suit up for each of Minnesota’s final eight games of the season, beginning on Monday. He has been named second-team All-NBA each of the past two seasons and is a strong candidate to make another All-NBA team in 2025/26 if he qualifies, Krawczynski notes.
We have more from around the Western Conference:
- In addition to Edwards, the Timberwolves were also playing without Ayo Dosunmu (right calf soreness) and Jaden McDaniels (right knee soreness) in Saturday’s loss to Detroit. Both players are considered day-to-day, per Krawczynski, which suggests their returns shouldn’t be far off.
- Big man Karlo Matkovic has been a bright spot for the Pelicans in his second NBA season, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. Interim head coach James Borrego raved about the 2022 second-round pick, who spent a couple seasons overseas after he was selected 52nd overall. “I love his spirit,” Borrego said. “His competitiveness. He’s an incredible teammate. He’s so coachable.” In addition to the intangible qualities the forward/center brings to the second unit, Borrego also praised Matkovic’s speed, athleticism, outside shooting, and ability to both finish at and protect the rim. “Those guys are hard to find in the NBA,” Borrego said, per Walker. “Guys that are that athletic and can play multiple positions and are switchable defensively and can knock down threes.” New Orleans holds a $2.3MM team option for Matkovic in 2026/27.
- Second-year guard Jared McCain recently talked about his role when the Thunder are fully healthy and the team’s battle with the Spurs for the No. 1 seed in the West, relays Jordan Davis of The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City currently has a two-game lead on San Antonio with eight games remaining for both teams.
Previewing 2026/27 Player Option Decisions
A total of 21 NBA veterans hold player options on their contracts for the 2026/27 season, as our free agent list shows.
Those 21 players range from stars like Trae Young to minimum-salary reserves like Jericho Sims. The value of their respective options reflects that wide gap -- Young would earn nearly $49MM if he opts in for next season, whereas Sims would make approximately $2.8MM.
Still, despite the huge difference between those two players' potential '26/27 salaries, Young isn't a lock to opt in and Sims isn't a lock to opt out. Each player facing an option decision will weigh several factors, including his 2025/26 performance, his role, his age, and what sort of offers might be available to him on the open market if he chooses free agency.
Most players holding options won't have to finalize a decision until the league-wide deadline of June 29, but it's certainly not unprecedented for certain options to be exercised in April, shortly after a player's season wraps up. So we're looking ahead today at all 21 of those decisions to try to get a sense of which direction they might go.
Let's dive in...
