Bucks GM Jon Horst Talks Offseason, Rivers, More
Speaking to local reporters Eric Nehm of The Athletic and Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required), Bucks general manager Jon Horst said he hasn’t yet committed to taking any specific path with the roster or with superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason.
Although Bucks co-owner Wes Edens suggested last month that Antetokounmpo would be either extended or traded within the next year, Horst told Nehm and Owczarski that those are “not actually the only two doors” available and that he’s keeping an open mind as he approaches the offseason.
“The truth is I don’t know. We don’t know what we’re going to do today, and we don’t have to,” Horst said. “What I do think we have to do is be very honest, very direct, make a big assessment. We learned a lot this year. It’s a pretty great opportunity. Of course, I’d rather be in the playoffs and be planning for whoever we’re going to play, but we’re not. So, what can we learn from it and figure out how do we get to where we want to get as quick as we can.”
Horst pointed out that the Bucks will have three tradable first-round picks (2026, 2031, and 2033) this summer, including a potential top-10 selection in June’s draft, and will have some cap flexibility, with movable contracts on their books. According to the Bucks’ GM, while trading Antetokounmpo and embarking in a new direction is one route the team could take, he believes hanging onto Giannis and using those draft assets in trades to improve the roster is also a path he’s empowered to go down.
“I do, yeah. Absolutely,” Horst said. “And not only just from my perspective, but I also believe from Giannis’ mindset and his perspective. Whether we need ‘couples therapy’ or whatever, the assets will still be there. I do feel empowered that, yeah, those things are both viable things for us to look at and consider.”
Here are a few more notes from Horst’s interview with local media:
- Asked about Antetokounmpo’s injury recovery, Horst reiterated that the two-time MVP has yet to be medically cleared, despite Giannis’ belief that he’s healthy enough to play. “He’s not cleared to play yet in a game and we’re going to continue to evaluate it,” the GM said, per Nehm. “I don’t know what the outcome in that world will be, but the only lens has been to make our best professional judgment for him and for us. And it has nothing to do with draft picks. It has nothing to do with tanking. It has everything to do with the health of the player.”
- Horst believes the Bucks would have been far more competitive this season if not for the injury issues that plagued Antetokounmpo and starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr. “I’m not making excuses. I’m not saying this was a perfectly built team,” Horst said. “We might have overcalculated or miscalculated on whatever, but I do know that — and you’re probably like, ‘OK, Jon, we’ve heard it before,’ but it’s true — we have two of the top 20 lineups in the NBA in net rating and the best offensive lineup in the NBA with a real sample size.”
- Horst insists that Doc Rivers did an “incredible” job this season amid difficult circumstances, adding that the the veteran head coach has been an “unbelievable partner” since arriving in Milwaukee. However, he declined to comment on whether Rivers will be the Bucks’ head coach in 2026/27. “I don’t know the outcome; we’re gonna figure it all out,” Horst said. “I think we’ll figure it all out pretty quickly and what that looks like going forward.”
- According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Rivers isn’t likely to walk away from the guaranteed money left on his contract, but transitioning to a different role within the organization is a possibility. League sources tell Amick that Rivers is expected to meet with Horst and team ownership soon to discuss the future.
Board Of Governors To Vote May 28 On Anti-Tanking Measures
The NBA’s Board of Governors has a meeting scheduled on May 28 to vote on draft lottery reform and new anti-tanking measures, ESPN’s Shams Charania said today during an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link).
The league’s tanking problem, which commissioner Adam Silver has vowed to address this offseason, was one of the topics of discussion during March’s Board of Governors meeting. Conversations about potential solutions are ongoing — according to Charania, there was a general manager call on Tuesday night to continue talking through the issue.
The NBA presented three separate lottery reform concepts to its governors at March’s meeting, though reporting earlier today suggested that the league-wide response to those idea has been lukewarm. Each of the three proposals involves expanding the lottery to at least 18 teams and reducing the odds of the league’s very worst teams landing the No. 1 overall pick.
During his NBA Today segment, Charania said that the concept that has gained the most momentum in recent weeks is the one that would expand the lottery to 18 teams and give the bottom 10 teams equal odds at the top pick (8% each). The remaining 20% would be split among the eight play-in teams, with each of the top 18 spots in the draft drawn via lottery.
According to Charania, the expectation is that if the NBA moves forward on that concept, it would undergo some modifications before it’s officially implemented and wouldn’t look exactly like initial reporting suggested. Any changes the league makes to the lottery won’t go into effect earlier than 2027.
The NBA has also sought the ability to assess more punitive penalties for teams engaging in lineup manipulation or other tanking tactics, while the players’ union has suggested implementing a “merit payment” system like the one in soccer’s Premier League, which would give winning teams larger shares of the league’s national television revenue. However, there’s no indication that the latter idea has gained traction with the league or team owners.
Southwest Notes: Edey, Prosper, Kyrie, Fears, Rockets
Speaking to reporters earlier this week for the first time since December, Grizzlies center Zach Edey said he was pleased with how he performed in his 11 games this season, suggesting he “showed who I can be,” per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Edey was excellent in his limited appearances, averaging 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in just 25.8 minutes per contest and leading the team to a 7-4 record, though he acknowledged that his health issues made it feel like a “wasted” season.
“Every game it kind of got a little worse,” he said of the left ankle injury that eventually required a second surgery following the initial repair last June. “My first few games, I didn’t feel it at all. Then I may have pushed it too much — played too many minutes or whatever it was. Toward the end of that stretch, it started giving me problems.”
In addition to getting a second surgery on his left ankle, Edey also underwent a procedure on his left elbow in March. However, the big man downplayed the elbow issue, confirming that it wasn’t a new injury.
“Just a little clean-up,” Edey said. “I’ve had some problems with my elbow since middle school. I played through it for a while. I figured I might as well just get it cleaned up while I have this boot on my foot.”
Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (right knee surgery), guard Jaylen Wells (right big toe surgery), and Scotty Pippen Jr. (right big toe surgery) also spoke this week about their respective injury recoveries, as Jonah Dylan of The Memphis Commercial Appeal relays.
Aldama indicated he expects to be fully recovered by mid-summer; Wells said he should be good to go by late June; and Pippen projected a three-month recovery timeline following his mid-March surgery. In other words, all three players expect to be ready for training camp in the fall.
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Waived after two seasons in Dallas, former first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper has had a breakout year with the Grizzlies (10.0 PPG on .549/.405/.754 shooting). Speaking to Ben Steele of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Prosper says it was important for him to find his “niche” and make sure he excels in that area. “For me, it was focusing on my ability to guard multiple positions and be versatile on both sides of the ball,” the former Marquette forward said. “Offensively, you can put me as a three, four, five. And defensively, I can guard one through five. So that’s been my calling card. Now you can add to your game after that. Add to your shooting, add to your bag, but first you have to do what your calling card and do that and be consistent and stay poised the whole way through the season.”
- Kyrie Irving hasn’t played at all in the past year while recovering from a torn ACL, but the Mavericks have appreciated how his calm, level-headed presence and locker-room leadership have helped the team navigate a turbulent season, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “He sees when guys are in their heads,” big man Daniel Gafford said. “He’s taking all of his experience, all of his game knowledge and he’s giving it to the younger generation.” Irving has a guaranteed $39.5MM contract for 2026/27 with a $42.4MM player option for ’27/28.
- While it hasn’t been a successful season overall for the Pelicans, the development of their rookies has been a silver lining. Jeremiah Fears provided a reminder of that in the team’s home finale on Tuesday, setting a new career high and a new franchise rookie record by scoring 40 points in a victory over Utah, according to Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required). “I’m really just proud of his growth,” interim head coach James Borrego said. “From training camp to where he’s at today, he’s taken a massive step. This franchise is in a really good place because of players like him. Fantastic.”
- The Rockets have a $180MM renovation plan for Toyota Center in the works, according to Houston mayor John Whitmire, who said on Wednesday that the state is expected to contribute $95MM to the project, with Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta funding the rest. Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) has the details.
Injury Notes: Wolves, Wizards, Spurs, Cavs, Quickley
After clinching a playoff spot on Tuesday in Indiana, the Timberwolves will hold some regulars out on the second night of a back-to-back set on Wednesday in Orlando. According to the team (Twitter link), Julius Randle (right hand soreness), Ayo Dosunmu (right calf injury maintenance), and Mike Conley (rest) are all out, while Rudy Gobert (rest) is considered questionable to play.
Star guard Anthony Edwards, who has missed nine of Minnesota’s past 11 games due to patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee) and an illness, will also sit out again as the team prioritizes getting him as healthy as possible for the playoffs. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic suggested earlier this week that the Wolves may want Edwards to play a game or two at the end of the regular season before he gets another week off ahead of Game 1 of the first round.
The most notable Timberwolves injury update affects forward Jaden McDaniels, who has been on the shelf since March 25 due to left knee patella tendinopathy. According to a press release, McDaniels has been cleared for full-contact, 5-on-5 work and has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s game vs. Orlando. Even if the 25-year-old isn’t upgraded to available tonight, it sounds like he’ll make his return before the regular season ends.
Here are more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Unsurprisingly, Wizards big man Anthony Davis and point guard Trae Young aren’t expected to play again this season, head coach Brian Keefe said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network). Davis, who has yet to make his Wizards debut, has been ramping up his work in recent weeks as he recovers from a hand injury, but will run out of time to return this spring. As for Young (low back pain; right quad contusion), he’s not as far along is his recovery process as Davis.
- The Spurs have ruled out Victor Wembanyama (left rib contusion) and Stephon Castle (right knee soreness) for Wednesday’s matchup with Portland, but they’re optimistic about both players’ chances of playing on Friday vs. Dallas, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). Wembanyama will need to play at least 20 minutes in one of San Antonio’s final two games of the season in order to qualify for end-of-season awards, including MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.
- Cavaliers wing Jaylon Tyson, out since March 19 with a left great toe bone bruise, went through Wednesday’s shootaround and then conducted an individual workout with coaches and trainers, but his toe was still bothering him and he has been downgraded to doubtful for Wednesday’s contest against Atlanta, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Cavs forward Dean Wade, who has been sidelined since March 24 due to a right ankle sprain, has a better chance of making his return tonight — he’s listed as questionable.
- Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley played nearly 18 minutes in Tuesday’s win over Miami after missing the previous eight games due to plantar fasciitis. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link), Quickley said he has been battling an issue “a little bit deeper than just plantar fasciitis” that flared up in February, and while the time off helped, he recognizes that he’s still not 100%.
Cade Cunningham Expected To Return On Wednesday
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is expected to return to action on Wednesday when the team hosts the Bucks in Detroit, reports Vincent Goodwill of ESPN (Twitter link).
Cunningham has missed the Pistons’ past 11 games, having exited a March 17 contest after playing just five minutes due to what was initially referred to as back spasms and was later said to be a back contusion. However, two days later, word broke that he had a collapsed lung, with reports at the time indicating that he was facing an extended absence.
Before being diagnosed with left lung pneumothroax, Cunningham looked like a strong candidate to show up on MVP ballots. Across 61 games for the East-leading Pistons, the fifth-year guard has averaged 24.5 points, 9.9 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 34.4 minutes per contest, with a .461/.346/.814 shooting line.
However, with only three games left in the regular season, Cunningham won’t be able to reach the 65-game minimum required for award consideration. That will make him ineligible for MVP votes and a spot on an All-NBA team unless the league grants him an “extraordinary circumstances” exception.
Still, Cunningham’s award eligibility is a secondary concern for the 57-22 Pistons, who will enter the playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s top seed. Detroit has played well without its leading scorer in recent weeks, winning eight of 11 games with a pair of overtime losses during that stretch, but they’ll need a healthy Cunningham in order to have a realistic shot at making a deep playoff run.
Cunningham, who is still formally listed as questionable on the Pistons’ latest injury report, figures to be on a minutes restriction on Wednesday if he’s cleared to return.
Response To NBA’s Anti-Tanking Ideas Has Been Lukewarm
The three lottery reform concepts that the NBA presented at last month’s Board of Governors meeting haven’t generated much enthusiasm around the league, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN, who says the reaction to those proposals was lukewarm.
Each of the three proposals would expand the lottery to at least 18 teams (one of the three would include 22 teams) and would further flatten the odds for the league’s very worst clubs. The three ideas were viewed as frameworks that could use some tweaking rather than finished products.
However, as Slater details, the NBA faces two problems as it attempts to revamp the lottery and alter other rules in an effort to deter tanking. For one, there’s a “wide array of opinions” around the league on the best way to tackle the issue, with little consensus on the ideal solution. Additionally, Slater writes, some of the most popular concepts – such as beginning to count wins as losses for lottery purposes midway through the season – are complicated and wouldn’t be easy to explain plainly to casual fans.
Still, the NBA is determined to do something this offseason to address its tanking problem, which has, in Slater’s words, gone from a “largely ignored side issue to a full-on epidemic.” As he points out, the average margin of victory in games this season is 13.1 points, which would be the highest mark in league history. There have also been a record 89 games decided by at least 30 points.
John Hollinger of The Athletic took a closer look earlier this week at the one-sided nature of many of the games played during the second half of the season, noting that the nine lottery-bound teams that own first-round picks (all but New Orleans) have posted a 17-148 record against the 20 playoff and play-in teams since the All-Star break. To put that in perspective, Hollinger writes, the Bulls alone won 18 games against those top 20 teams prior to the end of January.
Here’s more on the NBA’s tanking problem:
- As Slater observes, teams have gotten more creative about their approach to tanking — one strategy that has been employed this season by teams like the Jazz and Grizzlies is signing non-standout G League players, then having them play significant roles at the NBA level. For instance, rookie guard Bez Mbeng is playing a more significant role in recent weeks for Utah than he did for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and the Jazz have a net rating of -18.1 in his 406 minutes. “These teams are doing the whole gamut: sitting guys in the fourth, playing analytically bad lineups, drawing up plays for bad shots,” a Western Conference general manager told ESPN. “The creativity is impressive and I don’t blame them. (Losing to get a high lottery pick) is the best strategy to get better.”
- That sort of lineup manipulation is especially frustrating for the veterans who are losing playing time as their teams go into tank mode, Slater notes. “It’s easier to stomach if it’s a young player they’ve just drafted with a future in the franchise,” one Western Conference player told ESPN. “But when they’re just bringing in dudes off the street and playing them over you in a contract year? That s–t will piss anyone off.”
- Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said on Tuesday that he’s a “huge proponent of doing everything we can to make sure that every night is as competitive as humanly possible,” per Jay King of The Athletic. “We have the best players in the world and I think it’s important to let them be that on that stage,” Stevens said. “There are a lot of discussions going on about how to best focus on that, both in the near term and long term, and maybe there is a near-term solution that is a stopgap before a longer-term solution, when people have time to really think about it and break it down.”
- Warriors forward Draymond Green would like to see the NBA be more liberal with the fines it hands out to tanking teams, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic. The league handed out penalties of $500K and $100K to Utah and Indiana, respectively, earlier in the season, but hasn’t been fining teams for tanking or dubious player management since then. “Just fine the hell out of people,” Green suggested. “We love taking money from players, keep fining the teams. I’ve seen two fines. And we all know everybody tanking. But you’ve seen two fines. … Everybody loves money. The punishment for players is always, let’s take the money. Well, now it becomes time to punish teams and all of a sudden nobody don’t know what to do. Why not? We know exactly what to do when somebody gets a technical foul. Or suspended for a game. We know exactly what to do.”
Coaching Rumors: Jenkins, Wizards, Mosley, Pelicans, Kerr, More
There wasn’t a whole lot of NBA head coaching turnover last spring, when several teams retained coaches who had previously had interim tags and only the Suns and Knicks made new hires. There haven’t been many changes since then either, with only New Orleans having made an in-season change, though Portland was also forced to elevate assistant Tiago Splitter after Chauncey Billups was arrested in October.
The expectation is that a relatively quiet 12 months on the coaching market could result in an eventful few weeks once the regular season ends, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
“There’s going to be eight to 12 (coaching changes),” one source predicted to Fischer.
With several head coaching jobs expected to open up this spring, Fischer identifies a few candidates to monitor for those openings, naming current assistants Sean Sweeney (Spurs), Micah Nori (Timberwolves), Jared Dudley (Nuggets), Dave Bliss (Thunder), Chris Quinn (Heat), Royal Ivey (Rockets), and Luke Walton (Pistons).
Here are several more coaching-related rumors from Fischer:
- Confirming that Taylor Jenkins is a potential target to watch for the Bucks if they part ways with Doc Rivers, Fischer says there have been “whispers for months” that the Wizards would also have interest in Jenkins if they decide to move on from Brian Keefe. It’s unclear at this point if Washington intends to bring back Keefe for another season as the team aims to take a step toward contention in 2026/27. “It’s very difficult for any young coach to survive a years-long rebuild and (then) oversee a dramatic cultural shift of losing to competing,” one general manager told The Stein Line.
- If the Magic let go of Jamahl Mosley, he’s expected to draw interest from New Orleans, according to Fischer, who says Pelicans general manager Joe Dumars is a fan. James Borrego is also expected to receive consideration for the permanent job in New Orleans, Fischer notes, adding that Bucks assistant Darvin Ham is another candidate to watch if the team conducts a full-fledged search.
- While it’s too early to say what will happen with Steve Kerr, Fischer has heard that the Warriors would ideally like to sign the veteran coach for more than a single season if he decides to return, since team officials would prefer to avoid a “Last Dance scenario,” if possible. Stephen Curry‘s current contract expires in 2027, as does Jimmy Butler‘s. Draymond Green‘s would too if he exercises his 2026/27 player option.
- The Kings are still evaluating Doug Christie‘s performance and are taking into account that injuries decimated his roster this season, Fischer writes. Christie has one more guaranteed year left on his contract (with a 2027/28 team option) and it’s not impossible that he’ll return for next season, Fischer adds.
- Although the Trail Blazers discussed a potential extension for Splitter at one point, per Fischer, the acting head coach’s future is up in the air with new owner Tom Dundon taking over the franchise. Dundon has talked about evaluating every aspect of the organization. That includes its head coach and its front office, according to Fischer, who suggests that changes in the basketball operations department are possible. For what it’s worth, Dundon said recently that general manager Joe Cronin’s job status is “solid.”
Bulls Notes: Donovan, Front Office, Buzelis, More
As the Bulls embark on a search for their next head of basketball operations, CEO and president Michael Reinsdorf made it clear during a video press conference on Tuesday that he doesn’t want to lose head coach Billy Donovan — and that the team likely wouldn’t be a good match for an executive who wants to make a coaching change.
“If I interview someone and they’re not sold on Billy, they’re not sold on a Hall of Fame coach, they’re not sold on a person who’s won championships in college, who’s gone deep in the playoffs with Oklahoma City,” Reinsdorf said, per Jamal Collier of ESPN. “… If Billy wants to be our coach and someone’s not interested in that, then they’re probably not the right candidate for us.”
While the Bulls want to retain Donovan, the veteran coach will have a say in that decision too. As Collier details, Bulls ownership is scheduled to meet with Donovan right after the regular season ends to discuss his future. On Tuesday, Reinsdorf suggested he expects a resolution – one way or the other – relatively quickly, adding that he’d like Donovan to be more involved in personnel decisions if he sticks with the team.
“I don’t think it’s going to take Billy a long time to come to a conclusion on what he wants to do,” Reinsdorf said, according to Andrew Seligman of The Associated Press. “I don’t think the draft or any of that’s going to come into play. The season ends next week. We’ll sit down with Billy as soon as possible, and we’ll find out where his head’s at.”
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Reinsdorf confirmed on Tuesday that the Bulls are employing a search firm to lead the hunt for a new top front office executive and said the organization wants to cast a wide net for potential candidates. As Collier observes, the Bulls didn’t use a firm in 2020 when they hired Arturas Karnisovas, and they had to conduct that interview process via video calls during the early days of COVID-19 — Reinsdorf didn’t meet Karnisovas in person until after he’d been hired.
- Describing his ideal candidate to run the front office, Reinsdorf said he wants someone who is “process-oriented” and isn’t afraid to “pull the trigger” on personnel moves, per Seligman. Strong communication skills are also a must, Reinsdorf added. “I want someone who’s really strong in communication not just internally within the organization, but also externally when he’s talking to people like you, talking to our fans,” he said. “I think that’s really important. What are we trying to accomplish? What is the plan? Our fans have a right to understand what we’re trying to accomplish so I think that’s incredibly, incredibly important.”
- Although the Bulls signaled with their trade deadline moves in February that they’re in rebuilding mode, Reinsdorf stated on Tuesday that he isn’t a fan of tanking, as Collier relays. “It’s unfair to the coach. It’s unfair to the players. It’s actually unfair to our fans,” Reinsdorf said. “Sure, there are some fans, many fans who might say, ‘Lose games on purpose, tank, do whatever you can to hopefully win the lottery.’ But there are a lot of fans that go to the games who aren’t there to see us get blown out every game and who want to see us compete.”
- Despite his aversion to tanking, Reinsdorf indicated that he wants the Bulls’ front office to have an eye toward the long term rather than focusing on short-term success. “Going forward, it’s about sustainability,” Reinsdorf said. “We want to build this for the long term. I don’t want to be just good for one or two years. I want it to be year in and year out, we have a chance to be competitive and win.”
- Second-year forward Matas Buzelis, who figures to be at the center of the team’s plans going forward, is making it a priority to bulk up and add muscle this offseason, as he tells Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. “I mean, look at me. I’m skinny as hell,” Buzelis said. “I definitely have to add strength. Your body’s a temple, so you really want to take care of it.”
Timberwolves Clinch Playoff Spot
The Timberwolves secured a guaranteed playoff berth on Tuesday night as a result of their 124-104 win in Indiana and the Suns‘ 119-105 home loss to Houston, per the NBA (Twitter link).
The top six teams in the Western Conference have now been determined. While seeding remains up for grabs, the Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, Lakers, Rockets, and Wolves are each assured of at least a first-round series, while the Suns, Clippers, Trail Blazers, and Warriors will take part in the play-in tournament, vying for the last two playoff spots in the conference.
Minnesota has made the Western Conference finals in each of the past two seasons but will face a difficult path to make it back there for a third straight year. Trailing the No. 4 Lakers and No. 5 Rockets by three games, the Wolves will likely enter the postseason as the West’s No. 6 seed, which could mean a first-round series against Denver and a potential second-round matchup with San Antonio.
As for the Suns, while they’re now guaranteed to be a play-in team after letting a 21-point lead slip away against the Rockets on Tuesday, they still have a two-game cushion on the No. 8 Clippers and will face the 25-54 Mavericks at home on Wednesday while L.A. hosts the 63-16 Thunder. A Phoenix win and a Clippers loss would assure the Suns of finishing the regular season in seventh, which would mean they’d potentially have two chances at the Mortgage Matchup Center to earn a playoff berth in the play-in tournament.
Over in the East, the congestion in the back end of the playoff race began to clear a little on Tuesday, with Miami becoming the first team to be locked into a play-in berth. The Heat‘s loss in Toronto last night means that they can’t finish the regular season higher than seventh in the conference standings.
The Hawks, Raptors, Sixers, Magic, and Hornets continue to battle for the fifth and sixth seeds in the East, with Atlanta and Toronto currently holding those spots.
Mavs Deny They Botched Austin Reaves’ MRI
The Mavericks denied Lakers coach JJ Redick‘s claim that they botched Austin Reaves‘ MRI, Christian Clark of The Athletic reports.
Reaves underwent an MRI on his left oblique/rib area on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s game in Dallas after suffering the injury against Oklahoma City on Thursday. Redick told the media that Reaves had to get two MRIs done because the first one didn’t focus on the correct portion of his body.
“I don’t know where the chain of command lies with Dallas imaging, but they scanned the wrong area,” Redick said. “Not on our end. We made it explicit what was supposed to be scanned, but they scanned the wrong area.”
The Mavericks issued an official statement that they didn’t make a mistake administering an MRI on Reaves.
“Our medical team followed standard imaging protocols based on the information provided at the time,” the statement read. “There was no error in the scan performed.”
Reaves was eventually diagnosed with a Grade 2 oblique strain, which is expected to sideline him for four-to-six weeks.