Grizzlies Claim West’s Final Playoff Spot
The Grizzlies locked up the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with a convincing win over the Mavericks on Friday night in Memphis.
The Grizzlies scored the first seven points of the game and built a double-digit lead within the first five minutes. They never trailed en route to a 120-106 victory, locking up the No. 8 seed in the West and lining up a first-round series with the top-seeded Thunder.
Jaren Jackson Jr. (24 points, seven rebounds), Ja Morant (22 points, nine assists, seven rebounds), and Desmond Bane (22 points, nine assists) led the way for the Grizzlies, overcoming a 40-point performance by Dallas big man Anthony Davis.
While the Heat became the first No. 10 seed to win back-to-back play-in games earlier in the night, the No. 10 Mavericks couldn’t repeat that feat, bringing a tumultuous season in Dallas to a close. The Western play-in tournament played out largely as expected, with the No. 7 Warriors and No. 8 Grizzlies entering the playoffs with the same seeds they held at the end of the regular season.
Memphis’ win was crucial for the Wizards, who will now receive the Grizzlies’ first-round pick — it will be either No. 18, 19, or 20, depending on the results of a Monday tiebreaker. If the Grizzlies had lost on Friday, Washington would have instead received a pair of future second-round picks, since that first-rounder was top-14 protected.
The Mavericks will now be a lottery team and will end up either 11th or 12th in the pre-lottery draft order, depending on the results of a tiebreaker with Chicago.
While the Grizzlies will be significant underdogs against the 68-win Thunder in round one, it’s worth noting that Memphis was the second seed in the West for weeks at a time during the season, including as late as February 28. If the Grizzlies, who went 35-16 prior to the trade deadline, can recapture that form, they have a chance to make it a competitive series.
And-Ones: Expansion, Playoff Schedule, Awards, Betting Scandal
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday (Twitter video link), commissioner Adam Silver once again addressed the topic of possible NBA expansion.
Silver has said in the past that he wanted to finalize the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement and TV/media deals before looking seriously at bringing new teams into the NBA. That new CBA was implemented in 2023 and the new media deals will take effect later this year, clearing a path for expansion discussions to finally begin in earnest.
“Now that those things are done, we’re just beginning a process, internally at the league, of exploring the opportunity to expand,” Silver said (hat tip to RealGM). “I will say sometimes on the outside (expansion) looks like a no-brainer because it seems like you’re printing money to expand. But you’re really selling equity in the league. You have 30 teams that own the league, and now you’re saying, ‘We’re gonna have 32 teams that own the league,’ so you’re diluting the economic interest of all the 30 teams.
“You’re also potentially diluting the talent, because with roughly 450 players in the NBA, even among those – the greatest in the world – there’s only so many difference-makers. And then how are those players going to be distributed around the league? That’s a lot of what we spend time on in Collective Bargaining Agreements, the right distribution of players. And so we’re looking hard at it, we’re sort of modeling it, for lack of better term, in the league office.”
Silver went on to specifically name Las Vegas and Seattle as cities that will be involved in expansion discussions, but made it clear that the NBA will also be looking at other markets as well. The commissioner added that progress could be made this summer, though he doesn’t view it as a “foregone conclusion” that the league will expand.
“I don’t want to jump the gun here,” he said. “We have the 30 existing teams who all need to weigh in on this process, and also at some point need to have direct conversations with the people who are interested in those teams. It’s premature to do that right now. We’ve been contacted by groups who are saying, ‘We have interest in potentially being part of expansion,’ not just in (Las Vegas and Seattle) but others, and we’ve sort of said, ‘We’re not quite ready yet.’ But again, we will go through a very methodical approach to it and do it very cautiously, but we’ll continue to look at it.”
Here are more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- The NBA has unveiled the schedules for the first round of the playoffs for both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference series (Twitter links). The latest possible Game 7 for a first-round series would take place on May 4, while the playoffs will get underway on Saturday at 1:00 pm Eastern time with Game 1 of the Bucks/Pacers series.
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) takes a look back at the recent history of Executive of the Year voting and explains why he’s predicting that Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka will win the award this year, with Koby Altman of the Cavaliers and Sam Presti of the Thunder right behind him. Unlike most of the other major end-of-season awards, Executive of the Year is voted on by NBA general manager, not media members.
- According to the NBA (Twitter link), the finalists for seven of the league’s major awards, including MVP, will be announced on Sunday at 6:30 pm Eastern time on TNT. The finalists are made up of the top three vote-getters for each award.
- Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic checks in on where things stand with the betting scandal that resulted in Jontay Porter being permanently banned from the NBA. As Vorkunov details, the Porter case is linked to investigations into match-fixing across college sports, with five schools being looked at by the federal government for possible ties.
Heat Become First No. 10 Seed To Win Two Play-In Games
For a third straight year, the Heat have earned the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot via the play-in tournament.
This time around, Miami made history by becoming the first No. 10 seed to make it through the play-in tournament since the event’s inception in 2021. After defeating the No. 9 Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday, the Heat registered their second consecutive road play-in win in Atlanta on Friday against the No. 8 Hawks.
The Heat led for most of the night until the Hawks made a fourth-quarter comeback and forced overtime. Trade-deadline acquisition and free-agent-to-be Davion Mitchell helped Miami secure the 123-114 win by knocking down a trio of three-pointers in the extra frame.
Tyler Herro (30 points), Bam Adebayo (17 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks), and Andrew Wiggins (20 points, eight rebounds, eight assists) also played key roles in the victory.
As a result of the win, the Heat have a first-round series on tap with the No. 1 Cavaliers. As the NBA announced this week (via Twitter), that series will get underway in Cleveland on Sunday evening. The Hawks’ season is over.
Friday’s game also had major draft-related implications. Because they made the playoffs, the Heat will no longer control their first-round pick, which will land at No. 15 overall and will be sent to the Thunder. Miami will still receive Golden State’s first-round pick, which will end up at No. 18, 19, or 20, depending on the outcome of a random tiebreaker on Monday.
If they’d missed the playoffs, the Heat would’ve hung onto their own 2025 pick and would’ve owed their unprotected 2026 first-rounder to Oklahoma City and their unprotected 2028 first-rounder to Charlotte. Instead, the Heat will keep their 2026 pick and will owe their lottery-protected 2027 first-rounder to the Hornets. That pick would become unprotected in 2028 if it lands in the top 14 in 2027.
The Spurs, meanwhile, control the Hawks’ first-round pick, which will now be No. 12, 13, or 14 in the lottery standings, depending on the outcome of Friday’s Grizzlies/Mavericks game and a Monday tiebreaker between Atlanta and Sacramento, both of whom finished with 40-42 regular season records.
If Dallas beats Memphis on Friday, that Hawks/Kings tiebreaker would be incredibly meaningful, since it would determine the 12th and 13th spots in the lottery — Sacramento owes its first-round pick to Atlanta if it lands outside the top 12, so the odds of the Kings keeping that pick would increase significantly if they move up to No. 12 in the lottery standings.
If the Grizzlies beat Dallas on Friday, that tiebreaker between Atlanta and Sacramento would be for the 13th and 14th spots in the lottery standings, putting the Hawks in position to claim the Kings’ pick regardless of the tiebreaker outcome (unless it jumps into the top four on lottery night).
Ja Morant Available For Friday’s Play-In Game
The Grizzlies will have their star point guard available on Friday vs. Dallas as they look to clinch the eighth and final playoff seed in the West. After testing out his injured ankle during pregame warmups, Ja Morant will be in Memphis’ starting lineup, tweets Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Morant turned his right ankle in the third quarter of Tuesday’s loss to Golden State when he came down on Buddy Hield‘s foot. Although he looked hobbled for the rest of the night, the 25-year-old was able to finish the game and vowed to suit up on Friday.
However, after being diagnosed with a right ankle sprain, Morant didn’t practice on Thursday and was listed as questionable for Friday’s do-or-die game, with Grizzlies interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo referring to him as a game-time decision, per Cole.
Shams Charania of ESPN said during an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link) that Morant underwent an MRI on the injury, and while it showed no structural damage, the sprain is considered “severe.” According to Charania, the Grizzlies guard received an injection on Thursday to address swelling and pain in the ankle and got another injection on Friday (Twitter link).
After missing most of the 2023/24 season with a shoulder injury, Morant was limited to 50 appearances in ’24/25, having dealt with a series of injuries, including some recurring issues in his surgically repaired shoulder. He was still effective when he did suit up, averaging 23.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per contest.
As expected, both Anthony Davis (adductor strain) and Brandon Williams (oblique strain) will be available on Friday for the Mavericks, according to the team (Twitter link). Both players had been listed as probable.
The winner of Friday’s Southwest Division showdown will face Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs, while the losing team will end up in the draft lottery.
Ben Saraf, Tyrese Proctor Among Draft’s Latest Early Entrants
Israeli guard Ben Saraf has decided to enter the 2025 NBA draft, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Saraf, who is the No. 23 player on ESPN’s big board of 2025 prospects, plays overseas for the German team Ratiopharm Ulm. In 16 EuroCup games this season, the 19-year-old has averaged 12.8 points, 4.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 24.4 minutes per contest.
“This is the right time for me,” Saraf said. “After playing against the highest levels of competition in European basketball, I am ready and excited for the draft, but first we need to finish the season strong in Ulm.”
As Givony writes, Saraf is well regarded by NBA evaluators for several reasons, including his size, scoring instincts, and feel for the game. He’s also a creative play-maker, though his outside shot remains a work in progress. He has made just 10-of-45 three-point attempts (22.2%) in EuroCup competition this season.
Here are a few more updates on prospects who are entering the draft as early entrants:
- Duke junior guard Tyrese Proctor is entering the NBA draft, as Colton Schwabe writes for the Duke Chronicle. Proctor had his best season as a Blue Devil in 2024/25, starting all 38 games he played in for the Final Four team and averaging 12.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per contest, with a .452/.405/.680 shooting line. The 6’6″ guard, who named to the All-ACC third team, is the No. 47 player on ESPN’s big board.
- Hansen Yang, a 7’1″ center who plays for Qingdao in China, has declared for the draft, his representatives at Klutch Sports tell Givony (Twitter link). The 19-year-old has averaged a double-double in 45 outings this season, posting 16.6 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 2.6 BPG in 32.8 MPG. He comes in at No. 79 on ESPN’s board and could be a second-round draft-and-stash candidate if he keeps his name in the draft.
- Forward/center Izan Almansa is entering the draft, agent Guillermo Bermejo tells Givony (Twitter link). Almansa already has an impressive résumé, having spent time with Overtime Elite, the G League Ignite, and – most recently – the Perth Wildcats in Australia. The 19-year-old has also represented the Spanish national team in several competitions, including at the 2023 U19 World Cup, where the Spaniards won gold and Almansa earned MVP honors. He’s the No. 89 prospect on ESPN’s top-100 list.
- As we detailed last week, international early entrants like Saraf, Yang, and Almansa have until June 15 to decide whether or not they want to keep their names in the draft. Most college prospects will make that decision by May 28, which is the deadline for a player to withdraw and preserve his NCAA eligibility.
Pacific Notes: Butler, Booker, Clippers, Lakers
Although six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler has never won an NBA championship, he told Sam Amick of The Athletic this week that, as the playoffs get underway, he’s thinking more about getting a fifth title for two of his Warriors teammates than getting one for himself.
“Look, I’m not gonna say I’m not hungry, but I’m doing this for Steph (Curry),” Butler said. “I’m doing this for Dray (Draymond Green). I’m doing this for these guys. As much as I want to win a championship, I want Dray to win another one. I want Steph to win another one. I know I ain’t got mine yet, but they deserve it. They’ve been putting this city and this organization on their back for a very long time, and I’m glad that I can be here to try and do something special.”
The Warriors will enter the first round as the No. 7 seed, but they’re the solid betting favorites against the No. 2 Rockets, whose top players have far less postseason experience than Golden State’s stars. Given Curry’s and Green’s four championships – along with his own two NBA Finals appearances – Butler believes the Warriors’ veterans have a “target on their back” this spring, which he’s just fine with.
“I love having a target on my back,” Butler told Amick. “I think I’ve had it the last couple of years over in the East, and (the Warriors) are gonna always have it, until 30 (Curry) and 23 (Green) are gone out this motherf—er. They’re always gonna be the squad to beat. Everybody always fears them. Everybody always knows that they’re not out of any game, out of any series, and I love to be a part of it. I ain’t scared of nobody. You know me. I’m not scared of nobody. I know what I’m capable of.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- In the wake of reports stating that the Suns have no interest in trading Devin Booker, team owner Mat Ishbia reiterated that stance in his end-of-season media session, referring to the veteran guard as Phoenix’s “franchise player,” as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (Twitter video link). “I speak with him and we’re very aligned on what we want to do and what we’re gonna do,” Ishbia said. “And his mission and my mission are very similar: Let’s bring a championship to Phoenix. And he understands the vision.”
- Following the offseason departure of Paul George, oddsmakers projected the Clippers to finish last in the Pacific and finish below .500 this season. Instead, the club won 50 games and claimed a top-five seed in a competitive Western Conference. “I think our group has been playing with a chip on its shoulders all year because of that (outside skepticism),” head coach Tyronn Lue said this week, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “We just found ways to win. We just found ways to win. No matter whose night it was, we just kind of featured that guy, played hard defensively and competed and we played together. … Being counted out and staying the course and playing with that chip on your shoulder all year long.”
- How did the Lakers take a significant step forward on defense in the second half despite having traded away longtime anchor Anthony Davis? Ramona Shelburne of ESPN digs into that question, exploring how the acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith, the return of Jarred Vanderbilt, J.J. Redick‘s scheme, and improved communication have all factored into the team’s success on that end of the floor.
Western Notes: Popovich, Durant, Rockets, Thompson, Randle, DiVincenzo
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who spent most of the season away from the team while recovering from a stroke, was taken to a hospital on Tuesday following a medical incident at a restaurant, as first reported by TMZ and confirmed by Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to TMZ, Popovich was taken out of the restaurant on a stretcher and was transported to a hospital in an ambulance after officials reportedly received a call about a patron who had “fainted” while eating dinner. The incident was described as non-life-threatening, per TMZ, and Popovich was said to be alert and talking by the time he entered the ambulance. The Spurs coach is now home and doing fine, Charania confirms.
Popovich was replaced on the Spurs’ bench by assistant coach Mitch Johnson in early November after suffering a stroke. Although he didn’t return to his role this season, though he met with players in February and put out a statement indicating he hopes to eventually reclaim his spot on the sidelines.
It’s still unclear whether or not that will ultimately be possible. At age 76, Popovich is the oldest head coach in NBA history by a considerable margin — he passed Hubie Brown (71) for that mark several years ago.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Following the latest round of rumors linking Kevin Durant to Houston, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) say a Rockets pursuit of the Suns forward actually appears “less likely” than previously believed. Stein and Fischer have repeatedly reported that Houston is focused more on stars who would better fit the timeline of the team’s young core, rather than a veteran like Durant who will turn 37 later this year.
- Rockets guard Amen Thompson has been one of the NBA’s breakout players of the 2024/25 season, emerging in his second season as a candidate for Most Improved Player, All-Defense, and even Defensive Player of the Year. Chris Mannix of SI.com takes an in-depth look at one of Houston’s long-term cornerstones, whose improvement on both ends of the court has earned high praise from head coach Ime Udoka. “When I coached Kyrie (Irving, in Boston), you would be wowed at something he did offensively every night,” Udoka said. “It’s the same thing with Amen on the defensive end. You can’t teach what he does. … He can be a top 15-level player. All-NBA level. People are seeing flashes. We see more.”
- It’s rare for major NBA trades to occur at the start of training camp, but that’s when the Timberwolves and Knicks completed their blockbuster deal that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota for Karl-Anthony Towns. As Chris Hine of The Star Tribune details, the unexpected move upended the lives of Randle and DiVincenzo off the court as well as on it, and it took the duo some time to adjust to the change of scenery. Hine explores how the two Timberwolves got settled in Minnesota and how their increased comfort level helped fuel an impressive late-season run for the club, which won 17 of its last 21 games.
Bulls Notes: Karnisovas, Vucevic, Ball, Patton, More
Before talking about his plans for the Bulls‘ future, executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas addressed a couple rumors about himself at Thursday’s press conference, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
First, Karnisovas said he has no interest in returning to the Nuggets to replace recently fired general manager Calvin Booth. He also emphasized that he considers his job with the Bulls to be safe because he still has a strong relationship with owners Jerry Reinsdorf and Michael Reinsdorf.
“We take pride, especially in this building, in everybody being on the same page,” Karnisovas said. “It’s very hard to accomplish, but that’s how it is in this building between the ownership, front office, coaching staff, performance staff, so they have always been very supportive of my decisions, my thoughts, about this direction.”
He added that the team achieved many of its goals coming into the season, such as changing its style of play, developing its young talent and keeping its first-round pick for 2025. He admitted that major changes are unlikely to happen this summer, but noted that the Bulls will have more financial flexibility in 2026.
“I’m asking fans for patience because we’re in the first year of that transition,” Karnisovas said. “I thought the way we finished the year showed some promise. It’s hard to win games in this league and to finish 15-5, yeah, it’s not a victory lap, but I think there are some positives.”
There’s more from Chicago:
- The trade speculation that surrounded Nikola Vucevic heading into the February deadline is likely to re-emerge this summer. After Wednesday’s play-in loss, the 34-year-old center talked about wanting to be with a team that can “win now” and make long playoff runs (Twitter video link from Chicago Sports Network).
- Lonzo Ball was never able to return from the sprained right wrist that kept him out of action since February 28, but he said it won’t require surgery, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). After missing two and a half seasons due to a knee injury, Ball said his knee “did better than expected” and he’s looking forward to a normal offseason without having to concentrate on rehab. “I went above the goals I set for myself (physically),” Ball added (Twitter link).
- Bulls director of player development Peter Patton won’t be returning to the team next season, Johnson confirms (via Twitter). According to Cowley, the news of Patton’s exit left some players on the roster “beyond pissed,” as one told the Sun-Times in a text message.
- Within the same Sun-Times story, Cowley says there’s a feeling in the organization that while Karnisovas often asks for player input before making decisions, he doesn’t always take those opinions into account. “They have to fit his,” one source explained to Cowley.
- Given that the Bulls have only won a single playoff game since Karnisovas and Billy Donovan joined the organization in 2020, Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune wonders why the team’s head of basketball operations and head coach aren’t on hotter seats.
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks previews the Bulls’ offseason in an Insider-only story, as well as in a YouTube video. Working out a new contract with restricted free agent Josh Giddey and determining what to do with veterans on expiring contracts are among the top summer priorities in Chicago, as Marks details.
Luke Adams contributed to this story.
Lakers Extend, Promote Rob Pelinka
The Lakers have announced an extension and promotion for Rob Pelinka, who is now the team’s president of basketball operations as well as general manager, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
“For eight seasons, I have relied on Rob’s vision and leadership to do what’s best for the Lakers organization,” team governor Jeanie Buss said. “I value his partnership and professionalism and believe in his ability to deliver championship-caliber basketball for Los Angeles and Lakers fans everywhere.”
The Lakers hired Pelinka as general manager in 2017 and gave him the title of vice president of basketball operations in 2020.
He has delivered one championship during his tenure and may have the team in position to win more after acquiring Luka Doncic from Dallas in the season’s biggest deal. The addition of Doncic sparked L.A. to a 50-32 record and the third seed in the Western Conference.
Pelinka was also responsible for bringing LeBron James to Los Angeles during the summer of 2018. That gave the Lakers a star to build around after Kobe Bryant‘s retirement two years earlier and has made them a perennial playoff team.
In addition, Pelinka engineered a blockbuster deal in 2019 that brought Anthony Davis to the Lakers. Although Davis was later sent to Dallas in exchange for Doncic, the move showed that Pelinka wasn’t afraid to gamble to add star power to his team.
Pelinka, 55, won an NCAA title as a player with Michigan in 1989. He served as an agent, representing several prominent NBA stars, before getting hired by the Lakers.
Mavericks Notes: Williams, Davis, Gafford, New Arena, Silver
Mavericks guard Brandon Williams suffered a left oblique strain on Sunday, but he wasn’t going to let that stand in the way of his first postseason opportunity, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required). After sending a text to head coach Jason Kidd promising that he was fine to play, Williams delivered 17 points and five assists in 18 minutes off the bench Wednesday as Dallas extended its season with a win at Sacramento.
“Ultimately, I was ready,” Williams said. “The medical staff, training staff and everybody that played a good part. And then my teammates lifted me up, hooking me up. So, it was just up to me to come out here and just play my all.”
Williams, who spent most of the season on a two-way contract, helped Dallas survive a manpower shortage caused by injuries and hard-cap spending restrictions. He averaged 8.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists during the regular season and was rewarded with a two-year standard contract on April 10. He has some security for the first time in his NBA career and looks ready to be a valuable contributor if Dallas can reach the playoffs by winning at Memphis tonight.
“Oh, my goodness! B-Will? I can’t say enough good things about him,” Klay Thompson said. “To go from being a two-way player to making an impact in the play-in — it’s a testament to his hard work and his character. He’s got a really bright future in this league.”
There’s more on the Mavericks:
- Players are expecting a tough matchup with the Grizzlies, whether or not Memphis has Ja Morant, who suffered an ankle injury on Tuesday, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. The Mavs lost to the Grizzlies by 35 points in the regular season finale as both teams rested their best players. “I’ve been in a playoff series with them before,” Anthony Davis said. “Not sure about the update on Ja, but they still play well without Ja as well. Nothing changes. (Desmond) Bane got in a good rhythm (Tuesday). Big (Zach) Edey. He’s a big body. Jaren Jackson. All-Star. Defensive Player of the Year candidate, so it’s going to be a battle. We gotta come in locked in and prepared.”
- It has been a tumultuous season in Dallas coming off last year’s run to the NBA Finals, but Daniel Gafford sidestepped a question on whether it would be considered a failure if the Mavericks don’t win at Memphis, Curtis tweets. “We’re gonna save that question for whenever it ends,” Gafford said, “because we don’t plan on losing tonight.”
- The Mavericks appear to be nearing the end of their long-time relationship with the NHL’s Dallas Stars as tenants of American Airlines Center and Reunion Arena, according to Lia Assimakopolous of The Dallas Morning News. At a press conference with week with selected media members, CEO Rick Welts talked about moving into a new arena when the current lease expires in 2031. “At least for this point, we think the best option for the Mavericks right now and for the experience of going to Mavericks games would be to build a basketball-first facility,” Welts said.
- Appearing Wednesday on the Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link), commissioner Adam Silver tried to quash a persistent rumor that the Mavericks’ owners are conspiring to move the team to Las Vegas.