Pistons’ Cade Cunningham Exits Early Due To Back Spasms
Pistons All-Star guard and Most Valuable Player candidate Cade Cunningham departed his team’s game against the Wizards on Tuesday during the first quarter due to back spasms, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.
He asked to sub out with 6:40 remaining in the quarter. Moments earlier, Cunningham collided with Wizards rookie Tre Johnson when the two were attempting to corral a loose ball, according to Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.
Afterward, coach J.B. Bickerstaff did not provide an update on Cunningham’s condition or availability for upcoming games. Detroit defeated the lottery-bound Wizards 130-117 behind a career-high 36 points from its other All-Star, Jalen Duren.
Cunningham is averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons. He needs to play in at least five more games to meet the NBA’s 65-game rule regarding eligibility for major awards. Detroit has 14 regular season games remaining.
The Pistons play the Wizards in Washington, D.C. once again on Thursday before beginning a four-game home stand against Golden State on Friday. If Cunningham needs to miss some time, they will have to rely on Marcus Sasser and Daniss Jenkins to run the point. The duo combined for 24 points and 11 assists on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, we’ve dealt with a lot this season and had to call on different guys throughout the year,” Bickerstaff said, per Patterson. “Tonight was an opportunity to do that, give guys minutes and give guys opportunities to see what they could do.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the Pistons announced that key reserve Isaiah Stewart would miss at least a week of action due to a calf strain.
“The most important thing is health and habits,” Bickerstaff said of approaching the postseason. “We’ve got to make sure, this month has been a lot of games for us, it will be a lot of games for us. So, making sure that we’re doing things right on the off days, how we’re recovering and all those things, to get guys opportunities to get on the floor, so that we can continue to work those habits. That’s priority number one for us.”
Warriors Notes: Porzingis, Melton, Kerr, Butler, Injury Report
A pair of impending free agents provided a glimpse of what an ideal Warriors lineup could look like if they’re re-signed, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes.
Kristaps Porzingis and De’Anthony Melton combined for 57 points against the Wizards on Monday in a 125-117 victory that snapped Golden State’s five-game losing streak.
Porzingis will be an unrestricted free agent after this season and Melton is expected to decline his $3.5MM option and hit the free agent market. If they remain with Golden State, the lineup next season could feature Porzingis at center, Draymond Green and Gui Santos at forward, with Stephen Curry and Melton in the backcourt, Poole notes. Jimmy Butler would slot in after he fully recovers from the torn ACL in his right knee.
“Working my way back into good shape,” Porzingis said. “Today I think was a pretty big step forward for me. I was having fun out there playing with the guys that were finding me. I probably should have ended with more [points]; I smoked three or four that I should have made, so there’s still a lot of room for improvement.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- The victory carried some historical significance for head coach Steve Kerr. He became the 28th coach in NBA history to reach 600 regular season wins, Nick Friedell of The Athletic notes. He also became the seventh coach to notch 600 victories with a single team. “I owe, I guess the honor, to incredible talent and a great organization,” Kerr said. “To work for the Warriors, to be part of this group, amazing group of people, that Joe Lacob and Peter Guber put together, just to be a part of this, I’m so blessed. Most organizations are not this strong and this aligned. I’m very, very lucky.”
- Butler, who reunited with the team for the first time since his ACL surgery on Feb. 9, provided an update on his knee rehab, indicating that he anticipates playing at some point next season. “I do want to come back,” Butler said, per Friedell. “I can’t say when. Obviously, as early as I can to help my guys win some games. But you’ll probably hear me say from time to time (in this process), whenever my body’s ready … whenever my body’s ready, I promise I’m trying to get back out there.”
- Al Horford, Stephen Curry, Seth Curry and Moses Moody remain out for the Warriors’ game against Boston on Wednesday, Celtics reporter Bobby Manning tweets. Quinten Post (foot) and LJ Cryer (hamstring) are listed as questionable.
Thunder Become First Team To Clinch Playoff Spot
The Thunder became the first team to clinch a playoff spot by virtue of their 113-108 victory over Orlando on Tuesday. It’s the 13th playoff spot earned by the franchise since 2010, the team tweets.
The Thunder, winners of nine straight games, improved their record to an NBA-best 54-15 with 13 games remaining. Oklahoma City is now assured of a top-six finish in the Western Conference and a berth in the first round of the playoffs. The Suns, who held the No. 7 spot in the conference entering Tuesday’s action, had 39 wins pending the result of their game against Minnesota.
The Thunder still has plenty of work to do to notch the top seed in the playoffs. The Spurs have 50 wins entering their game against Sacramento on Tuesday and remain in hot pursuit of the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
The defending champions set a blistering pace, winning 24 of their first 25 games. The Thunder then split their next 12 games before a four-game winning streak in late December and early January. They also reeled off five straight victories in mid-January, then went 10-8 over their next 18 games prior to their latest winning streak.
Oklahoma City’s depth has allowed it to overcome extended injury absences from two starters — Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Bulls Notes: Dillingham, Ivey, McClung, Essengue
Former Timberwolves lottery pick Rob Dillingham continues to settle in with his new team, the Bulls. In his last three games, Dillingham has averaged 13 points and five assists while shooting 6-of-15 (40%) from three-point range, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes.
Dillingham has received steady playing time after getting traded last month, unlike his experience with Minnesota.
“I’m just thankful for Coach (Billy Donovan), honestly,” Dillingham said. “Giving me that leash, it’s like I’m renewed. I’ve been able to play freely. My mental when I’ve been out on the court has been bad like for the last couple months, so I’m just thankful that I’m able to play, able to add confidence, able to help us win, and really, I’m just thankful to learn and keep growing.”
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Another trade deadline acquisition, Jaden Ivey, will be a restricted free agent after the season if the Bulls issue a qualifying offer. Though he’s only played four games with Chicago due to left knee soreness, the organization continues to signal that it intends to retain him, Cowley reports. “The unfortunate part was that when he got here, you’re dealing with him coming into a completely new situation after the trade deadline and then trying to get acclimated,” Donovan said. “I mean, the intention when [made the trade] is this could be somebody that would be here for a while. How all this plays out with the contract in July and the free agency part of it, understanding he’s restricted, I don’t know. But our intention organizationally was, this is a guy we feel could be a very, very good player, and this guy’s got a pretty long runway of being somewhat youthful and young.” Ivey, currently sidelined, will be reevaluated next week.
- Mac McClung has been thriving in the NBA G League with the Windy City Bulls. Under a two-way contract with Chicago, the three-time dunk champion was named the G League’s Player of the Week (March 9-15) by averaging 38.3 points and 12.3 assists in three games, according to the league office (Twitter link). McClung was recognized as the G League’s Player of the Month for February.
- Rookie Noa Essengue was declared out for the season in early December due to a shoulder injury. However, he’s still working diligently on his comeback. Essengue was shooting and undergoing a full, non-contact workout after Bulls practice on Tuesday, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network tweets.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Out At Least One Week Due To Knee Injury
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been diagnosed with a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise and will be reevaluated in one week, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Milwaukee ruled out Antetokounmpo approximately 90 minutes before its game against Cleveland on Tuesday. Coach Doc Rivers told reporters during his pregame press conference that Antetokounmpo underwent testing on the knee, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets.
“The good news was it was a really good image, so there was no damage,’ Rivers said. “Nothing. It was really just good news. But I don’t know the next part (regarding a timeline).”
The Bucks also ruled out Myles Turner for Tuesday’s game due to a calf injury.
Antetokoumpo suffered his injury on Sunday, late in the third quarter of a 134-123 victory over Indiana, when he came down awkwardly on a dunk following a spin move. The two-time MVP stayed in the game for a little over a minute before exiting the rest of the night.
After the game, Antetokounmpo didn’t anticipate undergoing imaging but obviously that thinking changed over the past two days. The veteran forward has only played in 36 of the Bucks’ games this season, having battled knee, groin, and repeated calf ailments. He’s averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest.
The Bucks are barely clinging to hopes of a play-in tournament berth. They’re currently 11th in the East at 28-39, five-and-a-half games behind 10th place Charlotte (34-34).
Antetokounmpo’s latest injury could extinguish all hopes of making the postseason. Following their home game on Tuesday, the Bucks embark on a four-game road swing that begins in Utah on Thursday.
Santi Aldama Undergoes Knee Procedure, Out For Remainder Of Season
The Grizzlies have ruled out big man Santi Aldama for the remainder of the season, the team announced (Twitter link).
Aldama underwent an arthroscopic procedure and received an orthobiologic injection on Tuesday to address discomfort in the trochlear compartment of his right knee. He is expected to make a full recovery prior to the start of next season.
The team revealed on Sunday that Aldama would undergo the procedure.
Aldama hasn’t played since February 4 due to ongoing knee pain. He averaged a career-high 14.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game in 43 appearances for Memphis this season after signing a three-year, $52.5MM contract in restricted free agency last summer. He shot 47.9% from the floor and 35.0% from beyond the three-point line, both above his career rates.
Earlier on Tuesday, the team announced that Scotty Pippen Jr. underwent toe surgery and would sit out the rest of the season.
The Grizzlies’ training room has been busy all season. Ty Jerome, Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke and Ja Morant have all missing significant chunks of action. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was ruled out for the remainder of ’25/26 last month after undergoing finger surgery.
2026’s Most Valuable Traded Second-Round Picks
Fans of lottery-bound NBA teams will be keeping a close on the bottom of the league’s standings down the stretch because of the effect that “race” will have on the draft order and lottery odds for the 2026 first round.
However, it’s not just the first round of the draft that’s worth keeping an eye on. Those reverse standings will also dictate the order of the draft’s second round, and an early second-round pick can be nearly as valuable as a first-rounder.
[RELATED: Traded Second-Round Picks For 2026 NBA Draft]
Here are a few of the traded 2026 draft picks that will land near the top of the second round:
From: Indiana Pacers
To: Memphis Grizzlies
Current projection: No. 31
When the Pacers first sent this pick to the Bucks in a 2021 offseason deal, it was one of four second-rounders they gave up to move up to No. 31 in that draft in order to select Isaiah Todd, who was subsequently flipped to Washington with Aaron Holiday for No. 22 pick Isaiah Jackson.
Technically, Indiana was giving up the most favorable of its own 2026 second-round pick and the Heat’s 2026 second-rounder in that deal, so there was always a decent chance it would end up in the first half of the second round. But it’s probably safe to assume the Pacers didn’t expect it to end up at the very top of the round, which is where it’d be if the season ended today thanks to Indiana’s NBA-worst 15-53 record.
The Grizzlies ended up acquiring the pick from the Bucks just a few days later in 2021 as part of a package for Grayson Allen. Five years later, it looks like a pretty valuable asset for a Memphis team leaning more aggressively into a rebuild.
From: Washington Wizards
To: New York Knicks
Current projection: No. 32
Technically, the Wizards owe the Knicks their 2026 first-round pick, not their second-rounder. But that first-rounder is top-eight protected, and with Washington sitting near the bottom of the NBA standings at 16-51, it appears increasingly likely that it’ll land in its protected range.
In that scenario, the Wizards would keep their first-round pick and would instead send their 2026 and 2027 second-rounders for New York.
While that’s not the outcome the Knicks would’ve preferred, this year’s Wizards second-rounder will at least end up in the early 30s, giving New York a pair of picks in that section of the draft (the Knicks’ first-rounder currently projects to be No. 26). Those assets should come in handy for a front office that could use some younger, cheaper talent to fill out the back of its roster and showed last year that it’s capable of finding value in the second round (Mohamed Diawara at No. 51).
From: Utah Jazz
To: San Antonio Spurs
Current projection: No. 35
Originally traded to Minnesota at the 2023 deadline, this pick was one of several valuable chips that went from the Jazz to the Timberwolves in that three-team deal, along with Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and two more second-rounders (one of which was the No. 31 pick a year ago).
The Jazz acquired the Lakers’ top-four protected 2027 first-round pick in that trade, which they later used as part of their package to land Jaren Jackson Jr., so it’s not as if the deal was a total disaster for Utah. But the Jazz probably don’t love the fact that the Spurs, one of the Western Conference’s ascending powers, will be drafting in their place early in the second round this June.
San Antonio acquired the pick from the Timberwolves at the 2023 draft as part of a package for that year’s No. 33 selection. The Wolves used that pick to select forward Leonard Miller, who never developed into a regular NBA rotation player in Minnesota.
From: Dallas Mavericks
To: Oklahoma City Thunder
Current projection: No. 36/37
Like the Jazz with their second-round pick, a retooling Mavericks team won’t be excited about the prospect of shipping this selection to one of the powerhouses in their own conference. But Oklahoma City will receive the most favorable of Dallas’, Philadelphia’s, and its own second-round picks, so even if the Mavs finish the season on a hot streak, Dallas’ selection will almost certainly head to OKC.
Currently, the Mavs and Pelicans have matching 23-46 records and are tied for sixth in the lottery standings — if they were to finish the season in that same position, a tiebreaker would determine the order of the two teams in the lottery, and whichever team drafted lower in the first round would receive the higher second-round pick.
Like many of the picks the Thunder accumulated during their most recent rebuilding process, they landed this second-rounder when they accommodated a salary-dump deal. It occurred during the 2020 offseason when they took on Trevor Ariza and Justin Jackson in a three-team trade with the Mavericks and Pistons.
From: New Orleans Pelicans
To: Chicago Bulls
Current projection: No. 36/37
The Pelicans have been playing their best basketball of the season as of late, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if this pick ends up moving down a couple more spots into the late 30s. Still, it will be a nice replacement selection for a Chicago team that has traded away its own 2026 second-rounder — depending on what the final standings look like, the Bulls could end up moving up a couple spots in the second round by essentially swapping their own pick for New Orleans’ selection.
The Bulls are technically owed the most favorable of four teams’ second-round selections, but the Pelicans are way behind the Knicks and Timberwolves in the standings and it’s all but impossible for them to catch the Trail Blazers too, so it’s safe to say New Orleans’ pick is the one Chicago will receive.
The selection was one of many the Bulls acquired at this year’s trade deadline. This one was part of their Anfernee Simons/Nikola Vucevic swap with the Celtics.
Grizzlies’ Pippen Undergoes Toe Surgery, Won’t Return This Season
March 17: The Grizzlies confirmed today that Pippen underwent his sesamoidectomy on Tuesday and that he’ll miss the rest of the season (Twitter link). He’s expected to make a full recovery for the start of 2026/27, per the team.
March 13: Pippen is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
March 12: Fourth-year guard Scotty Pippen Jr. is undergoing a sesamoidectomy to address pain in his right big toe, the Grizzlies announced in a press release (Twitter link).
A return timeline for Pippen will be established after the procedure, per the team, but the 25-year-old is expected to make a full recovery.
If you’re experiencing a bit of déjà vu, you’re not alone. Pippen underwent a sesamoidectomy back in October to deal with discomfort in his big toe, but that was on his left foot, not his right.
Pippen wound up missing 15-plus weeks of action following his initial toe surgery, having made his season debut on February 6. Given how long he was out after the first procedure, it’s probably safe to say he’ll miss the rest of the season following this one.
In 10 appearances (21.2 minutes per game) for Memphis in 2025/26, Pippen averaged 11.4 points, 4.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals on .448/.313/.783 shooting splits. He was a key reserve for the Grizzlies last season, appearing in a career-high 79 games while averaging 9.9 PPG, 4.4 APG, 3.3 RPG and 1.3 SPG in 21.3 MPG. He posted a shooting slash line of .480/.397/.713.
The Grizzlies have been ravaged by injuries again in ’25/26, with Pippen, Ty Jerome, Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke and Ja Morant all missing the majority of the season. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was also ruled out for the remainder of ’25/26 last month after undergoing finger surgery.
Memphis was granted a hardship exception on Thursday and used it to sign Tyler Burton to a 10-day deal. The 26-year-old wing has spent this season in the G League with the Grizzlies’ affiliate club, the Memphis Hustle.
Wolves Rule Out Anthony Edwards (Knee) For 1-2 Weeks
After being ruled out for Tuesday’s matchup with the Suns due to right knee soreness, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards underwent an MRI that revealed inflammation in that right knee, the team announced today in a press release.
According to the Wolves, the plan is for Edwards to be reevaluated in a week or two, with further updates to be provided when available.
While that timeline doesn’t necessarily give us a clear idea of when Edwards will be able to return, it suggests he’ll miss at least three games beyond Tuesday’s contest vs. Phoenix, even if he’s reevaluated and cleared one week from today. Minnesota hosts the Jazz on Wednesday and the Trail Blazers on Friday before visiting the Celtics in Boston on Sunday.
Edwards, 24, has been enjoying a career year for the Timberwolves, averaging 29.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.4 steals in 35.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .492/.402/.796.
After earning a spot on the All-NBA second team in each of the past two seasons, he’s making a case for first team honors in 2025/26 — but he’ll need to play in at least eight of Minnesota’s 14 remaining games to qualify for end-of-season awards. He has appeared in 58 contests so far, but one of those 58 won’t count toward the 65-game minimum since he exited after just three minutes.
The Wolves, meanwhile, are in the midst of a competitive race for postseason seeding in the Western Conference. Entering Tuesday’s games, they’re the No. 6 seed at 41-27, but they’re only a half-game behind the No. 4 Rockets and two games up on the No. 7 Suns, their opponent tonight.
While Minnesota certainly won’t want to rush back its franchise player, the team might need his help sooner rather than later to secure a guaranteed playoff spot.
Expansion Notes: NBPA, NBA Cup, SuperSonics, More
The NBA’s decision to take a vote later this month on whether to explore adding expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle doesn’t necessarily mean expanding to 32 teams is a lock. However, it has been seen as the eventual outcome in league circles for years, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks, who note that expansion to Vegas and Seattle, specifically, has been widely viewed as “inevitable” since commissioner Adam Silver said in December that a decision on the issue would be made in 2026.
Within an in-depth look at why expansion is likely and how it would work, Bontemps and Marks point out that the National Basketball Players Association has no vote on the subject of expansion. Still, sources tell ESPN that the players’ union would be “very much in favor” of adding two new teams to the league, since it would result in another 36 roster spots (30 standard and six two-way).
Adding two new teams would likely have an impact on how the NBA Cup functions, ESPN’s duo writes. Sorting 32 teams into eight groups made up of four clubs apiece would be a more logical format for the in-season tournament. The league could simply have the winners of each of those eight groups advance to the NBA Cup’s knockout round or could expand the knockout round to feature 16 teams like the single-elimination stage of the FIFA World Cup, Bontemps and Marks suggest.
Here’s more on possible NBA expansion:
- As part of the deal between Thunder ownership and the city of Seattle when the team relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, the two sides agreed that the name SuperSonics and all associated branding would be transferred to a new franchise approved to play at a renovated KeyArena at no cost, Bontemps and Marks write. Sources tell ESPN that the Thunder would also allow a new Seattle team to reclaim the SuperSonics’ history and records, which currently apply to the OKC franchise.
- Both ESPN and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic explore some of the rules related to an expansion draft and the salary cap for expansion teams, noting that the current CBA calls for a new franchise to have a salary cap worth 66.6% of the standard cap in its first season. That figure increases to 80% in year two and to 100% in year three.
- If two expansion teams are approved, NBA revenues will be split among 32 teams instead of 30, which is one reason why current team owners haven’t necessarily been eager to expand in the past. However, with ESPN’s Shams Charania reporting that the expansion fees for new franchises – which are divided up among the league’s existing teams – could exceed $7 billion apiece, each current ownership group figures to be in line for significant one-time payments. Additionally, Joe Vardon of The Athletic observes that the NBA’s European league could create a new revenue stream that helps make up for the the dilution of each club’s current share of the NBA’s revenue. Owners of Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Newcastle United are among the groups expected to submit bids for NBA Europe teams, Vardon adds.