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Magic’s Banchero Discusses ‘Challenging’ Season, Potential Extension, More

May 6th, 2025 at 9:33am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to Marc J. Spears of ESPN as part of a diary series for Andscape, Magic forward Paolo Banchero described the 2024/25 campaign as “more challenging than any other season I can remember in my life.” In addition to missing more than two months due to a torn oblique, Banchero saw his team take a step backward in the standings — Orlando finished with a 41-41 record after winning 47 games a year earlier.

“There was the injury and then coming back and playing myself back in shape. All the while, I’m still trying to compete with my team and win games,” Banchero said. “We were going through a rough month, losing a lot of games, dropping in the standings. And then you are coming back during the All-Star break, finding a little bit of a rhythm, winning some games, clinching the postseason (spot) and going up against the defending champ in the playoffs.”

According to Banchero, the season served as something of a “wake-up call” for him and his Magic teammates, who were plagued by health issues and didn’t take the step forward they hoped to after breaking through and making the playoffs in 2024 for the first time in four years.

“That’s just what I’ve learned over my first three years in this league: you can’t take any years in this league for granted,” Banchero said. “Every season is a new race. You have to approach it as such. You can’t just expect to have success or expect to be somewhere without actually putting the work in. Also, having luck; some of that is luck as well the way the cards are dealt.”

Here are a few more highlights from Banchero’s final diary entry of the year for Andscape:

On learning to be mindful of how his body is feeling:

“Getting hurt so early in the season — I had just come off a 50-point game, fourth game of the year — I was feeling in tip-top shape physically and I just felt like nothing could stop me or harm me. The game I did get hurt, I felt myself being really fatigued. And instead of asking for a sub or saying I need one, I kept it all in and said, ‘I’m good. I’m going to be fine.’ I ended up getting hurt in what would be a season-altering injury for me. So, I learned to listen to your body. Don’t overwork or over push yourself trying to be Superman in the first month of the season. It’s not worth it. Obviously, be smarter about that.”

On not being satisfied with new career highs in points (25.9) and rebounds (7.5) per game:

“Statistically, this is my best season, but to me, it doesn’t feel that way. … I really did come into this season expecting to dominate the whole season into the playoffs, accomplish all my goals. So, when that doesn’t happen, it leaves a lot to be desired and makes you even more hungry. I’m not going into the offseason like, ‘I just had a career year. I’m good.’ Stop. I feel like food was taken off my plate, in a sense. I feel like something was stolen from me. Not saying no one stole anything from me, but that’s just how I feel. … I’m just looking forward to bouncing back.”

On the possibility of signing a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension worth a projected $247MM this offseason:

“I don’t know, man. I was in over my head when I signed my rookie (contract). So, I really haven’t thought much about that. … But it’s a blessing and hopefully all that stuff works out if I’m able to sign with the team and lock in my future. That’s every young player’s goal coming into this league, establishing yourself early, get a second contract. So, when (the) time comes, I’m sure all that stuff we can figure out. I don’t know. They say more money, more problems. So, we’ll see what happens.”

On potential roster upgrades for the Magic:

“We have a good feel of what our weaknesses are and what we need to work on. We just have to address some of those things. I’m looking forward to it, what changes are made. If there aren’t any changes, then there aren’t any changes, but if there are then I’m going to be ready to get to work and embrace it with open arms. … I’ve never really been a big recruiter, I’m not going to lie, but hey, if you’re interested, I can sell you. I have to play that by ear and just wait and see.”

Community Shootaround: Are NBA’s Top Seeds In Trouble?

May 6th, 2025 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

The second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs are off to an unexpected start, with the league’s top three regular season teams all dropping the first game of their respective series.

The 64-win Cavaliers, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, fell to the Pacers on Sunday, and the No. 2 Celtics followed suit on Monday by losing to the Knicks. In Monday’s late game, the Thunder, who led the league with 68 regular season wins and dominated Memphis in round one, blew a late-game lead to the Nuggets and lost Game 1.

None of the three games were one-sided. The Pacers and Cavaliers were neck-and-neck through three-and-a-half quarters before Indiana pulled away late in the game; the Knicks required overtime to sneak past the Celtics; and the Thunder fell to the Nuggets on an Aaron Gordon three-pointer in the game’s final seconds.

It’s also worth noting that the Pacers are unlikely to make nearly 53% of their three-point tries (19-of-36) on a regular basis, as they did in Game 1. The Celtics probably aren’t going to miss 45 three-point attempts (they went 15-of-60) very often. And the Thunder could have easily won Game 1 if not for some questionable fouling decisions in crunch time.

In other words, the higher seeds may have no reason to panic — it’s not as if their opponents found glaring weaknesses that can be exploited for the rest of the series. Still, the margin for error in a competitive matchup can be slim, and the fact that those three higher seeds have all given up home-court advantage already could come back to haunt them later in the series.

Of the three teams who trail 1-0 in their respective series, the Cavaliers appear to be in the most danger due in large part to their injury situation. Darius Garland has been out since Game 2 of the first round due to a toe injury and is considered questionable to play in Game 2 vs. Indiana. Evan Mobley (ankle) and De’Andre Hunter (thumb) have joined him on the injury report with the same questionable designation after suffering injuries in Game 1.

Still, oddsmakers don’t appear overly concerned about the top seeds just yet. Despite the fact that they’re trailing in their series, the Cavaliers (-230), Thunder (-325), and Celtics (-355) are listed as solid favorites to advance by BetOnline.ag at the time of this writing. By comparison, the Timberwolves are just a -200 favorite against the lower-seeded Warriors despite that series not yet getting underway.

We want to know what you think. Do you still expect the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Thunder to make it through to the conference finals, or have the Game 1 results of any of those three series made you more inclined to pick an underdog to advance?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts.

2025 NBA Free Agent Preview: Shooting Guards

May 6th, 2025 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

There are no stars among 2025's free agent shooting guards, but that doesn't mean the class is bereft of useful players. A pair of restricted free agents look like strong candidates to cash in this summer, assuming they don't squeezed by the market. Meanwhile, several role players - including a pair of Sixth Man of the Year finalists - increased their value in contract years by logging heavy rotation minutes for playoff teams.

Let’s take a closer look at this summer’s free agent shooting guards, as we continue our breakdown of the 2025 free agent class by position.

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Clippers To Continue To Build Around Leonard, Harden

May 5th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank says that retaining James Harden is the front office’s “first priority” this offseason, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

Harden has a $36.3MM option on his contract for next season. He must decide whether to pick it up before the free agent period begins. If he doesn’t, Frank will look to re-sign Harden to a multiyear deal.

“Because James has a player option, it would be irresponsible for me not to have contingency plans with it,” Frank said. “But I’m going in with the intent that if he doesn’t pick up his option, that we’re going to be able to reach an agreement that works well for James and works well for the Clippers.”

Frank lavished praise on Harden despite the veteran guard’s underwhelming playoff performances against Denver. Frank noted that Harden appeared in 79 regular season games, played the fifth-most total minutes in the NBA (2,789), was fifth in the league in assists per game (8.7), while also averaging 22.8 points per game.

“We really asked James to do a lot,” Frank said via Zoom. “And at his age to deliver what he did…[He played in] 79 games, and he does that time and time and time again. We have a deep appreciation for that sort of availability and to be able to deliver and do what he did…We have a great level of appreciation for what James did this year.”

Frank plans to continue to build the team around Kawhi Leonard and Harden. Leonard appeared in 37 regular season games this season after returning from a knee ailment that delayed his season debut until Jan. 4.

“There’s another level for him out there that he’s going to get to next year,” Frank said, per Beth Harris of The Associated Press. “I think looking at next year that we can be better with more games from Kawhi.”

Here’s more from Frank’s press conference:

Despite the Game 7 meltdown against the Nuggets, Frank is optimistic the core of the roster can produce better results in the postseason. “It was great that we were healthy for the first time in a long time, but that doesn’t mean you only get one shot at it,” he said. “We’ll keep on taking cracks at it, and at the same time we’ve always been open-minded and learning the errors of our way and finding areas where we can correct and get better.”
Nicolas Batum has a $4.9MM option on his contract and Frank hopes the veteran forward picks it up. “Yes, 1,000 percent, we hope that Nico comes back,” he said.
He admits the team needs some younger bodies. “We’re the oldest team in the league,” he said, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “Always the quandary that we’ve had is you that can have youth, but if the deck is stacked … if you have a bunch of veterans ahead of ’em, when does the youth really ever get in the game?”
While the Clippers generally lack financial flexibility, Frank feels he can round out the roster with some lower-cost options. “We have the non-taxpayer mid-level, which is the same tool that was used to sign Derrick Jones Jr. last summer,” he said. “We also have some trade exceptions and we’ll always be an attractive place at the minimum market based on our history of not just how the guys making the minimum have played, but how we’ve taken care of ’em and rewarded ’em.”

Spurs Notes: Popovich, Johnson, Offseason Outlook, Fox, Paul

May 5th, 2025 at 9:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A few days after the Spurs announced Gregg Popovich would permanently vacate the head coaching job and move to the front office, he made a surprise appearance at a press conference for his replacement, Mitch Johnson, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports.

Popovich, who suffered a stroke in November, explained why the move was necessary.

“Things are getting better by the day but it’s not good enough for what we plan ahead, and so it’s time to make this change,” he said.

The press conference at the practice facility was his first public appearance since the health crisis. Popovich, who retains his title of president of basketball operations, was pleased to be able to remove Johnson’s interim tag.

“We saw him in action and he was brilliant. … I couldn’t be more thrilled for him,” he said.

Here’s more on the Spurs:

Johnson said the franchise has brighter days ahead. Spurs first-rounders Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle have won the last two Rookie of the Year awards. “We have a hold on the direction and want to build upon something,” Johnson said, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “This is not a reboot or restart. It’s a new chapter because it looks different, but the theme of the book isn’t changing.”
Johnson credited Popovich for teaching him the coaching ropes, including attention to detail, competitiveness and player development. “You understand the moment and how important every single moment is. And no moment is like any other,” Johnson said. “The discipline you have to be grounded and present, giving yourself to every moment is what I will never forget. And at this moment, I would like to say thank you.”
The Spurs possess two first-rounders in this year’s draft with a chance to move up with both picks in the lottery, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes. San Antonio has 10 players under contract for next season and even though it pulled off the De’Aaron Fox blockbuster during the season, it is well-positioned to make another big move this summer. Fox is eligible for a four-year, $229MM max extension this summer.
The Spurs could be in the market for a free agent shooter and need to sort out their point guard situation, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith notes in his offseason preview. Chris Paul is headed back to free agency and his future with the franchise is uncertain, Smith writes, identifying Sandro Mamukelashvili as the most likely to return among the team’s free agents.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Gobert, Bradds

May 5th, 2025 at 7:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets–Thunder second-round series features a clash between the top two contenders for the Most Valuable Player award, Denver big man Nikola Jokic and Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But it would be a stretch to call it a showdown, according to Jokic, since they play different positions.

“He’s a very different player,” Jokic said, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “He’s playing on so many levels, speed, as a scorer. Everything looks so easy for him. Even when you are like, ‘Oh, that’s a good defense.’ It feels so easy for him and he’s amazing with a change of speed, change of rhythm, ball-handling. He can post up guys, he can go by guys, his shooting at the mid-range is unguardable basically. He’s a very special player.”

OKC coach Mark Daigneault feels neither player will care to make an individual point in the series.

“I know Shai a lot better than I know Jokic,” Daigneault said. “But I think I know enough to know that neither one of them are going to get distracted by that. Both of them are going to be fully invested in the series. It’s a supplement to the series. But it’s really, it’s not part of the series at all.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

It’s important for SGA to be well-liked by his teammates and peers beyond just being a superstar player, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman writes. “He wants to be one of the greats,” Daigneault said. “He also wants to be one of the guys.”
Minnesota center Rudy Gobert posted 27 points and 24 rebounds against the Lakers in the deciding Game 5 of the series. The Timberwolves big man became the first player with at least 25 points and 20 boards in a series-clinching win on the road since Shaquille O’Neal achieved that for the Heat against the Bulls in 2006, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic relays. “That’s the Rudy that can win you championships,” guard Mike Conley said. “When you have that type of mentality to go get every rebound, go get every block, defend every guy at the rim, we needed that. He came at the biggest moment of our season.”
Will Hardy received a contract extension on Monday but the Jazz will need to replace at least one of his assistants. Assistant coach Evan Bradds has left the organization to join Duke’s staff, according to the school’s basketball social media account (Twitter link).

Atlantic Notes: Hart, Knicks, Robinson, Kornet, Nets

May 5th, 2025 at 6:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Josh Hart‘s contributions will be even more invaluable to the Knicks in their second-round series, which began tonight, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post notes.

While the Knicks were able to answer runs against the inexperienced Pistons in their first-round series, the defending champion Celtics possess a killer instinct to bury teams once momentum shifts their way. Hart can guide his teammates through those storms.

“For me, I’ve said it all year, it’s how can I get my guys going? How can I help them get an easy shot or an open look or get their energy into the game? A lot of that I do by example,” Hart said. “I’ll talk to guys obviously, but it’s making a big play here or there, a hustle play that will get one of those guys an open shot that they knock down, now they’re feeling good, the energy is up. That’s something I always try to do, that I hang my hat on.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

A big concern for the Knicks is matching up against the Celtics‘ bench, Schwartz notes. Boston has the Sixth Man of the Year, Payton Pritchard, and several other contributors in reserve, while Miles McBride struggled during New York’s first-round series. Mitchell Robinson was the only second-unit player who provided consistent production against Detroit and they’ll need that again from him in this series.
Speaking of Celtics reserves, Luke Kornet had to make a major career adjustment with the team. They asked him to be more of an interior presence, rather than joining the long list of big men tasked with stretching the floor. “It was actually really hard,” Kornet told Brian Robb of Masslive.com. “All of a sudden, the thing that I was most proud of and felt was my identity, and the reason I was in the NBA was kind of gone.”
The Nets‘ stockpile of draft picks is more valuable than ever, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. They have multiple picks in this year’s loaded draft, plenty of extra picks and picks swap in future seasons. Cheap rookie contracts are more important now because of the restrictions in the current CBA.

Cavaliers’ Kenny Atkinson Named Coach Of Year

May 5th, 2025 at 5:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kenny Atkinson has been named the NBA’s Coach of the Year, the league announced on Monday (Twitter link).

In his first year with the Cavaliers, Atkinson led the franchise to a 64-18 record and the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Atkinson was hired by Cleveland after a three-year stint as one of Steve Kerr‘s top assistants with Golden State. Atkinson, who was also an assistant with three other NBA franchises, was Brooklyn’s head coach from 2016-20.

The Pistons‘ J.B. Bickerstaff and the Rockets’ Ime Udoka were the other finalists. Atkinson received 59 of the 100 first-place votes from the global media panel and accumulated 401 points in the voting. Bickerstaff earned 31 first-place votes and 305 points to finish second, while Udoka had seven first-place votes and 113 points.

After getting fired by the Cavs at the end of last season, Bickerstaff resurfaced in Detroit, where he led the Pistons to a stunning turnaround. Under Bickerstaff’s guidance, the Pistons improved from a franchise-worst 14 victories to 44 victories and a berth in the playoffs.

The Rockets finished second in the Western Conference with a 52-30 record, an 11-game improvement over their 2023/24 campaign.

Atkinson is the first Cavaliers coach to win the award since Mike Brown earned that distinction in 2009.

Outside of the finalists, only three other head coaches – Mark Daigneault (Thunder), Tyronn Lue (Clippers), and JJ Redick (Lakers) – showed up on Coach of the Year ballots, with Daigneault and Lue earning the remaining first-place votes. The full results can be found here.

Draft Notes: Toohey, Markovic, D. Williams, Sanon, Omier

May 5th, 2025 at 4:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Australian forward Alex Toohey plans to turn some heads at the NBA draft combine later this month, he tells Olgun Uluc of ESPN.

“Pretty much every area a basketball player can show, I feel like I’m gonna surprise some people over there,” Toohey said.

Toohey, who turns 21 years old today (happy birthday), is ranked No. 39 on ESPN’s big board ahead of June’s draft. He has spent the past two seasons with the Sydney Kings of Australia’s National Basketball League.

According to Uluc, Toohey has already begun working out for NBA teams. The 6’8″ wing discussed a number of topics with Uluc, with the draft obviously being the primary focus.

Here are a few more draft notes:

Serbian forward/center Bogoljub Markovic will not be able to attend the combine due to his team — Mega Basket — competing in the ABA playoffs, agent Misko Raznatovic announced (via Twitter). The combine takes place in Chicago from May 11-20, while the first round of the ABA playoffs will run from May 11-20. Markovic is ranked No. 38 on ESPN’s board.
Texas Tech forward Darrion Williams, who comes in at No. 44 on ESPN’s board, worked out for the Kings on Monday, per Sean Cunningham of KCRA News (Twitter video link). The Sacramento native said it was a “dream come true” to have his first pre-draft workout with his hometown team. Williams helped the Red Raiders make the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, falling to eventual champion Florida.
Former Arizona State guard Joson Sanon, who has committed to transferring to St. John’s if he returns to college, has declined an invitation to the 2025 G League Elite Camp, a source tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Scotto hears that Sanon, who is not ranked on ESPN’s big board, has upcoming workouts with NBA teams selecting in the 30s.
According to Scotto (Twitter link), forward Norchad Omier received an invite to the G League Elite Camp after Sanon declined to attend. Omier averaged a double-double in each of his five collegiate seasons with Arkansas State, Miami (FL) and — most recently — Baylor.

Cavs’ Garland, Mobley, Hunter Questionable For Game 2

May 5th, 2025 at 3:04pm CST by Rory Maher

Behind an impressive, balanced offensive attack and full-court defensive pressure, Indiana won its series opener in Cleveland against the top-seeded Cavaliers. As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes (subscriber link), the big question now for the Cavs isn’t necessarily how they’ll respond in Game 2 — it’s who will be available.

Point guard Darius Garland appeared in a career-high 75 games this season, but he aggravated a sprained left big toe in Game 2 of Cleveland’s first-round series vs. Miami and has missed the past three games, including Sunday’s loss to the Pacers.

“I know it’s a tough one, especially being able to stop and start (on the toe),” head coach Kenny Atkinson said when asked about Garland’s injury. “But we don’t want him out there (at) 60 percent, 50 percent the way they pressure the ball. It just doesn’t make sense.”

While Jared Greenberg of TNT hears there’s no structural damage to Garland’s toe and there’s a chance he could suit up on Tuesday (Twitter link), the two-time All-Star continues to deal with “significant pain and swelling,” according to Fedor.

Garland’s absence in Game 1 caused a “trickle-down effect” on the rest of the roster, says Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, particularly Donovan Mitchell and Ty Jerome, who put up 30 and 20 shots, respectively — more than half (5o) of the team’s overall field goal attempts (98). The Cavaliers will be under real pressure to play Garland in Game 2 after losing homecourt advantage, according to Lloyd.

“I know he’s desperate to play,” Atkinson said after the loss. “We need his speed and shot-making.”

Garland isn’t the only noteworthy Cavalier whose status for Game 2 is uncertain. Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley tweaked his left ankle in the fourth quarter of Game 1 after landing on Myles Turner‘s foot, while forward De’Andre Hunter sustained a dislocated right thumb on a dunk attempt mere seconds later. Atkinson was miffed that neither play resulted in a foul on Indiana, per Jamal Collier of ESPN.

“I don’t think they were dirty plays, but I think it passed a line of physicality,” Atkinson said Monday. “That line we’ve kind of been talking about where it became excessive. I don’t think this is on Indiana; I have so much respect for how they play. But the fact of the matter, that’s on the referees. Maybe they weren’t missed calls, and maybe I’m misinterpreting the rules, but I have a problem when we got two of our best players doubtful for tomorrow’s game. It’s hard for me to get my head around that.”

According to Fedor, Atkinson referred to Mobley and Hunter as both questionable and doubtful during Monday’s media session. When asked to clarify, Atkinson said they’d be listed as questionable, but there’s “real concern” about their availability for Tuesday’s game. Garland will also be listed as questionable.

“We just did shootaround today, so it was tough to really gauge kind of where he is,” Atkinson said of Garland. “So yeah, he’ll be questionable, too, for tomorrow.”

For what it’s worth, Hunter told Fedor after Sunday’s loss that he’d be ready to go on Tuesday, but Mobley was a little more circumspect about whether or not he’d be healthy enough to suit up.

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