Central Notes: Pacers, Bryant, Pistons, Duren, Giannis
The intensity and pace at which the Pacers play makes them a tough out in the postseason. Indiana dusted off a weary, banged-up Cavaliers team in five games and now awaits the winner of the Boston-New York series in the Pacers’ second straight trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
“It’s hard to play at our pace over a seven-game series,” guard Tyrese Haliburton told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “It’s hard to play at our pace in a one-game series. I think we’re doing a great job of playing our way, controlling what we can. I really feel like that’s important. Coach has been stressing that the last few years. It’s not just about one game, it’s how can you wear on teams for 48 minutes every game every day. I feel like we did that with our physicality, we did that with our pace, many different ways.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- In-season acquisition Thomas Bryant played an underrated role in Game 5 on Tuesday, Dopirak notes. The veteran center made several key third-quarter plays that swung the momentum in the Pacers’ favor. He finished with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, along with three rebounds. “Thomas Bryant in the second half gave us some of the greatest minutes you can ask of a backup center,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He ran. He rebounded. The three in the right corner was enormous during a run where we were starting to get into their legs a little big. His enthusiasm, it just permeates our team.”
- Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tackles a number of topics in his latest mailbag, ranking the Pistons’ priorities this offseason, in order, as player development, retention of their own free agents and a strategic addition via trade or free agency.
- Center Jalen Duren is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason and his growth this season stamps him as an integral part of the franchise’s future, Langlois writes. The Pistons’ lead executive, Trajan Langdon, indicated as much during his postseason press conference. “J.D. took a huge step,” Langdon said. “After the first 25 games of the season, he was a different player the last 50, 60 games of the season. Got off to a slow start and we’re going to push him this summer, as well, and I think he’s willing to take that up to another level.”
- Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t requested a trade, though he’s reportedly open to considering the idea of joining another team. The Athletic’s trio of Sam Amick, Eric Nehm and David Aldridge take a closer view of how this offseason might play out regarding the Bucks’ superstar, noting that the next move — whether to stay or go — is up to him.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Wizards, Giannis, Heat, Isaac
The Hornets were one of the finalists in the draft lottery but wound up with the fourth pick, dropping one spot from their pre-lottery position. However, Charlotte’s front office and coach put a positive spin on the outcome.
“Up until this moment, everyone just (had) a ton of anxiety, just waiting to see where we would be picking,” president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson told the Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone (subscription required). “But now that we know we are picking four, it helps clear some things up in conversations with other teams and continue the process as we are here with the draft prospects at the draft combine. So we are really excited.”
Hornets head coach Charles Lee expressed similar feelings.
“Excitement, clarity,” he said. “I think that this whole time, you are sitting and (wondering) what pick do you get? But I know talking to Jeff, talking to (assistant GM) Dotun (Akinwale) and the entire front office. They’ve talked about how deep of a draft class this is.I think they have a lot of the intangibles, in terms of great work ethic and great competitiveness, and they understand the team game and what it’s going to take to really impact winning at a high level. So, I look forward to kind of getting into the weeds with Dotun, and Jeff and the front office, and figuring out who is that next pick to continue to help us to build. ”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Wizards had miserable lottery luck, falling from No. 2 to No. 6. “We started the day with zero, and we walked away with six. So that’s the mindset we have coming in,” general manager Will Dawkins told Varun Shankar of the Washington Post. “We gained the sixth pick this year, and we also have 18,” he said. “So time to get back to work with our scouts.” The latter pick was the first-rounder acquired from the Grizzlies ahead of the trade deadline. Dawkins is apparently open for business if some team wants to move up in the draft or if the Wizards chose to seek a higher pick by packaging both of theirs. “We’ll look to move … but we’re very comfortable staying where we’re at,” Dawkins said.
- Could the Hawks be a dark-horse candidate to pull off a Giannis Antetokounmpo deal? Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution believes the franchise should pull out all the stops to make that happen. Cunningham anticipates that the Hawks could offer the Bucks two of their three top players — Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels — plus their two first-round picks this season (Nos. 13 and 22) and up to three more first-round picks through the 2032 draft.
- The Heat aren’t going anywhere — at least in terms of their local broadcasts. They have reached a multiyear agreement with FanDuel Sports Network to remain on FanDuel Sports Network Sun, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets.
- Magic forward Jonathan Isaac appeared in 71 games, the second-most of his career, but he was far from satisfied with his season. His playing time was spotty, partly due to his offensive struggles. He shot 41.4 percent overall and 25.8 percent on threes. Isaac believes he needs improve his stamina, he told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “Definitely inconsistent,” he said. “I started to feel a little better towards the end of the season, started to feel a little lighter, a little more agile. So, I’m taking that into the summer to just focus on my game, focus on really getting in shape, shedding some weight and kind of getting back to where I was before.” Isaac has three years left on his contract.
Cavaliers Notes: Early Exit, Mitchell, Allen, Jerome, Garland, Atkinson
Donovan Mitchell was in a state of disbelief after the Cavaliers’ second-round flameout.
“I love playing in that (bleeping) arena,” Mitchell said of Cleveland’s Rocket Arena after the team’s Game 5 elimination by the Pacers on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “That energy, that crowd. We were 0-3 at home, let the city down. This place is special. This place is really special and we didn’t get it done.”
Mitchell said the early exit will provide extra motivation heading into the offseason.
“We’ve had a lot of positives,” Mitchell said. “But we didn’t capitalize. Now we’ve got to use this motivation. Everybody’s going to write us off.”
The Cavs became the fourth team in NBA history to win at least 64 regular season contests and check out in the first or second round.
“I do feel like we got better,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “From the team aspect and then we had a lot of individuals make a step, so I just want to make that clear. But the truth of the matter is we didn’t get to the level we wanted to get to. So, I’m not pleased with that. And we’re not celebrating the season, if that all makes sense. But I do think we made strides. I think we took a jump. Now we got to figure out this last piece, how to get over this hump. And I was quite honestly expecting more, especially coming off the [first-round] Miami series.”
We have more on the Cavaliers:
- The Cavs’ lack of toughness was evident in the postseason, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic opines. They were pushed around physically, and overmatched and overwhelmed by what was supposed to be an inferior opponent. Jarrett Allen, in particular, has failed to provide a nasty streak in the interior during recent postseasons, Lloyd writes.
- Cleveland is deep into the luxury tax and projects to operate over both tax aprons next season, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes. Re-signing second unit star Ty Jerome is a priority — they hold his Early Bird rights. However, Jerome’s salary would cost exponentially more due to luxury tax penalties. Adding a reserve big capable of playing rotational minutes and turning Jaylon Tyson into a rotational player are some other priorities, in Marks’ view.
- Trading Darius Garland, who has three years left on his deal and is eligible for a two-year extension this offseason, might be the Cavaliers’ best option in a summer filled with hard choices, John Hollinger of The Athletic writes. That could potentially reinvent the team, ease some of their financial burden and keep the Mitchell-Evan Mobley core in title contention.
- Atkinson won the 2024-25 Rudy Tomjanovich Award, which honors an NBA coach for his cooperation with the media and fans, as well as his excellence on the court, the Professional Basketball Writers Association announced in a press release. “Kenny has always brought great candor, humility and a sense of humor to the job, and to his regular sessions with the media,” PBWA president Howard Beck said. “He’s always eager to explain the nuances of the game and to discuss the bigger issues across the league.”
Celtics Reserve Forward Sam Hauser Listed As Probable For Game 5
The Celtics got a small bit of good news in an otherwise dark day. Sam Hauser, a key reserve forward, is listed as probable to play in Game 5 at Boston on Wednesday, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets. Boston trails New York, 3-1, with the second-round series returning to the Celtics’ home floor.
Hauser only played four minutes in Game 1 before being sidelined with a right ankle sprain. He has missed the past three games.
Hauser was the eighth man in the rotation for much of the season and played a regular role off the bench in the first round against Orlando, averaging 14.6 minutes per game across those five contests. Hauser scored 10 points in the clinching Game 5 win.
During the regular season, he averaged 8.5 points and 3.2 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per game across 71 outings (19 starts), knocking down 41.6% of his three-pointers.
Hauser gives his team another quality option as it tries to make up for the enormous loss of star Jayson Tatum, who underwent surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon on Tuesday.
Community Shootaround: Draft Lottery Changes
Is it time for another change to the draft lottery?
That’s what many people are thinking after seeing the Mavericks leapfrog 10 other teams and win the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes on Monday.
If not for a wave of injuries – and of course, the controversial Luka Doncic trade – Dallas wouldn’t have even held any lottery combinations. The Mavs’ good fortune comes one year after the Hawks jumped from No. 10 to the top spot.
The current lottery format was introduced in 2019, in which the teams with the three worst records have an equal chance – 14 percent – of getting the top pick. Since that time, no team entering the lottery at No. 1 has gained the top pick, though four teams in either the second or third spot has had the winning combination.
With the lottery determining the top four slots, the team with the worst record has dropped from No. 1 to No. 5 three consecutive times – the Pistons twice and this time the Jazz. It can be argued that Utah, which overtly tanked for a good portion of the season, deserved its fate.
And that’s the issue. The current system was designed to discourage tanking, as was the creation of the play-in tournament to get more teams into the postseason. But it certainly hasn’t erased that strategy by struggling or rebuilding franchises.
There could be ways to make the lottery seem more fair. Perhaps not allowing a team to win the lottery more than once in a short span. Similarly, there could be a rule against a team moving up from its slot more than once or twice in a certain time frame. It certainly seems unfair that San Antonio has wound up with the top pick, the No. 4 pick and the No. 2 pick in three straight drafts.
The lottery could also be changed so that teams near the bottom of it can’t get the No. 1 pick. Any number of tweaks could be considered and it appears the current system could use some.
That brings us to today’s topic: How do you feel about the current lottery format? Should changes be made? If so, what should be done to make it fairer?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Southwest Notes: Spurs, Giannis, Pelicans, Grizzlies, Shorts
The Spurs got lucky in the lottery for the third straight year, landing the No. 2 pick. They’ll get to add another high-quality young player to a mix that already includes the last two Rookies of the Year.
“When you jump into the top four again, you put yourself as an organization in a place to make a really big acquisition with a really good player,” coach Mitch Johnson said, per Michael Wright and Jonathan Givony of ESPN. “And that’s what we’re going to look forward to doing.”
Johnson was referring to getting a high pick, rather than dealing it.
We have more
- The Spurs are well-positioned to make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo, but LJ Ellis of SpursTalk.com doubts the Bucks star will wind up there. Antetokounmpo’s timeline doesn’t quite mesh with Victor Wembanyama’s timeline, Ellis notes, so San Antonio going all-in for the 30-year-old superstar seems like a premature move.
- The Pelicans dropped from No. 4 to No. 7 in the draft lottery but the franchise still has some reason for optimism, Will Guillory of The Athletic writes. Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones and Yves Missi are good building blocks and the possibility of Antetokounmpo being traded could also aid their cause. New Orleans owns the rights to the Bucks’ first-round pick swaps in 2026 and 2027 and those picks would rise in value if the Bucks deal their top player.
- While the Grizzlies have genuine interest in European star guard T.J. Shorts, he’s expected to get a much more lucrative offer if he remains overseas, according to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net. Memphis is willing to give him a guaranteed deal but it’s unlikely he’d get much more than the minimum. If Shorts decides to stay in Europe, he will easily get a multiyear deal with a much bigger net annual salary, Barkas adds. Given that Shorts will turn 28 in October, it would be tough for him to pass up the biggest contract of his career, but he has also said it would be a “dream” to play in the NBA.
Northwest Notes: Edwards, Westbrook, Jazz, Blazers
With the Timberwolves trailing Golden State at halftime in Game 4 on Monday, a locker-room speech from Anthony Edwards helped spark a huge third-quarter turnaround, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“I told them, ‘We only got two wins,'” Edwards told reporters after Minnesota’s Game 4 win. “I’ve never seen a series end 2-1. I told them we have to get two more wins and right now we’re playing like we already got four wins. … We had to figure it out because if we would have kept playing like that, we would have lost tonight.”
Edwards made good on his halftime speech by coming out and scoring 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the third quarter. The Timberwolves as a whole outscored the Warriors 39-17, making it the largest positive margin in a single quarter in Wolves playoff history, per McMenamin.
As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes, the Timberwolves will need to remain cognizant of Edwards’ message and avoid getting complacent going forward in order to finish off the series. After building a big lead in the third quarter on Monday, they saw that lead whittled down to seven points in the fourth before putting the game way. As they head home for Game 5, guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker spoke about a need to “understand the moment.”
“Have to be present and understand that these are situations that are pivotal,” he said. “You have a chance to close out on your home court as opposed to having to go elsewhere and try to win and then do it again and come back on the road and travel.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- The Nuggets had been interested in Russell Westbrook for years before signing him last summer, believing that his energy and competitiveness would be a welcome addition to the roster, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. However, the veteran guard remains a volatile personality who reportedly pouted after being taken out near the end of a first-round loss and got into a heated discussion with Aaron Gordon in the locker room after being challenged over his attitude, sources tell ESPN. According to Shelburne, the Nuggets’ chances of advancing in the playoffs and having a shot at another title could come down to which version of Westbrook they get going forward.
- Even though there was nearly a 50/50 chance that the Jazz would end up at No. 5 in the draft, that outcome was still a gut-punch for fans in Utah on the heels of a 17-win season. Tony Jones of The Athletic weighs what’s next for the Jazz after a disappointing lottery night, suggesting that the team should still land a promising young building block at No. 5. But since that player likely won’t make an immediate impact on winning as a rookie, Utah could be back in this position in 2026, hoping for better lottery luck.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac previews the coming offseason in Portland, evaluating the Trail Blazers‘ top trade candidates and considering what a rookie scale extension might look like for Shaedon Sharpe (Smith projects $112MM over four years).
Warriors’ Stephen Curry Won’t Play In Game 5 On Wednesday
5:50pm: Curry has been declared out for Game 5, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.
8:22am: The Warriors are facing a 3-1 deficit in their second-round series against Minnesota after dropping Game 4 on Monday night.
Star guard Stephen Curry, who sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Game 1 against the Wolves, told Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he does not expect to play in Wednesday’s Game 5 with Golden State on the brink of elimination (Twitter link).
“Even if I wanted to be Superman, I couldn’t,” Curry said.
As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes, the two-time MVP was referring to a comment made by Draymond Green after Monday’s loss.
“No, we’re not going to Superman this thing,” Green said when asked if he expects Curry to try to push to come back, and if so, would Green be a part of that conversation. “If he’s in a place where he can play, I’m sure he will. Him and Rick (Celebrini, Warriors vice president of player health and performance) and everybody will figure that out. But we don’t need (Curry to try to be) Superman.
“Got to play the long game. If he can, we know he will. But there’s no pressure. We’ve got to figure out how to win whether he plays or not.”
Curry is set to be reevaluated on Wednesday after initially sustaining the injury on May 6. He suggested last week that he was unlikely to play in Game 5, with a subsequent report from ESPN’s Shams Charania stating that the Warriors viewed a possible Game 6 as “the earliest potential window” for Curry to resume playing.
Due to a scheduling quirk, Golden State would have three days off between Game 5 and Game 6, which is tentatively scheduled for Sunday. Of course, that best-case scenario would require the Warriors to win on Wednesday in Minnesota.
As for Game 4, the Warriors were largely undone by a poor third quarter which saw Minnesota break open the tight game and build a large lead following a 17-0 run. According to Youngmisuk, Green said Jimmy Butler was feeling under the weather on Monday after the star forward managed just 13 points on nine field goal attempts. Butler had 33 points on 26 shots in Game 3.
“We obviously need him shooting the ball,” Green said of Butler. “But their defense, they were collapsing on him today. So, we tried to pick up that slack. But I know he’s not feeling well; been pretty crappy all day. That also affects the energy, as well. No excuses made here.
“I think that’s on me. I’ve got to find a way to get him into more positions to score. I think tonight, I was just trying to get him the ball, and I don’t think I got him the ball in good spots, which then allowed the defense to load up on him. So, I’ve got to do a better job of getting him the ball in better spots to where it’s not as easy for the defense to key on him.”
Donovan Mitchell To Start Game 5; Merrill Out
With their season on the brink, the Cavaliers will have Donovan Mitchell in the lineup on Tuesday. Mitchell will suit up against the Pacers as top-seeded Cleveland tries to stave off elimination, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com tweets.
Mitchell had been listed as questionable on Monday due to a left ankle injury. Mitchell missed the second half of the Cavaliers’ Game 4 blowout loss to the Pacers after feeling discomfort in his left ankle while going up for a warm-up shot during halftime, as we relayed on Sunday night. Mitchell underwent an MRI on Monday.
Mitchell has carried the Cavs offensively, averaging 28.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals during their first eight playoff games. Indiana leads the series, 3-1.
However, one of the Cavs’ key reserves won’t play. Sam Merrill has been declared out due to a neck strain, according to Fedor. Merrill had a 14-point outing earlier in the series. Isaac Okoro and Max Strus could see more playing time in his absence.
Jayson Tatum Undergoes Surgery To Repair Torn Achilles
Celtics star Jayson Tatum has undergone surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
Tatum’s 2024/25 season is over, and given the typical recovery timeline following an Achilles tear, his ’25/26 availability is very much in jeopardy as well. According to the Celtics, no timeline is available for his return yet, but he’s expected to make a full recovery.
This is exactly the diagnosis that Tatum and the Celtics feared when the 27-year-old was carried off the court on Monday after suffering a non-contact right leg injury. After taking an awkward step near the top of the key, Tatum crumpled to the floor and was unable to put any weight on the leg as he was helped off the floor.
It’s a devastating blow in both the short term and the long term for the Celtics, who face a 3-1 deficit in their second-round series against the Knicks and will face a significant uphill climb as they look to make a comeback without their leading scorer.
Tatum, who has earned three consecutive First Team All-NBA nods, will almost certainly make it four in a row this spring after averaging 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game in 72 regular season outings. He had put up 28.1 PPG, 11.5 RPG, and 5.4 RPG through eight playoff contests.
Besides dealing a massive blow to the Celtics’ chances to repeat as NBA champions, Tatum’s injury casts a major cloud over the 2025/26 season.
There had already been speculation about the possibility of Boston making cost-cutting roster moves this offseason after spending the last two seasons operating above the second tax apron. With Tatum unlikely to play much – if at all – next season, shedding salary could become a greater priority for a Celtics team that will be hard-pressed to repeat the success of the past two years without its star forward on the court.
This is the first major injury of Tatum’s NBA career — the 10 games he missed this season represented a career high, as he had never been sidelined for more than eight in any of his previous seven years in the league.
Tatum signed a five-year, super-max contract extension last July that will go into effect beginning in 2025/26. The deal, which runs through at least 2029, with a ’29/30 player option, projects to be worth nearly $314MM.