Lakers Notes: Playoff Picture, Goodwin, Koloko, Jemison, Bronny
“Devastation” is how coach J.J. Redick described the feeling after the Lakers let a lead slip away on Thursday and lost in Chicago on Josh Giddey‘s half-court shot at the buzzer (Twitter video link), writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. L.A. led by 18 points in the fourth quarter and was up by five with 12.6 seconds left, but couldn’t close out the game.
Patrick Williams hit a corner three-pointer for the Bulls with 9.8 seconds remaining, then Giddey stole a LeBron James inbounds pass that James called a “horrible turnover.” Coby White nailed a three to put Chicago in front, but Austin Reaves responded with a layup with 3.3 seconds left, setting the stage for Giddey’s heroics.
“It sucks,” Reaves said. “We probably had a high-percentage chance of winning after my layup went in. There’s not many half-court buzzer-beaters to lose a game. And it’s just, it’s frustrating.”
It’s a loss that could have huge playoff implications for the Lakers as the season winds down. L.A. dropped into a tie with the Grizzlies for fourth place at 44-29 ahead of a trip to Memphis on Saturday. Both teams are two losses ahead of the Clippers and Warriors and three losses ahead of the Timberwolves as the race for the six automatic playoff spots in the West becomes tighter.
“There’s another game in two days, less than two days, that’s how you do it,” James said. “That’s the NBA. You can’t go into a game on Saturday thinking about what happened on Thursday.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Jordan Goodwin had eight points, a steal and two blocks in his first game since being promoted to the 15-man roster. Speaking to reporters before Thursday’s contest, Redick cited “competitive spirit” and “toughness” as the main things Goodwin brings to the team, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register (Twitter link). “I joked with him this morning, he can’t get soft on us now,” Redick said. “He’s been a banshee for us since he’s been with us on the two-way and has provided not just the attitude, the toughness on the court, but he’s played some really good basketball for us. We’re very confident in him.”
- Two-way players Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison could be battling for another promotion before the season ends, Jovan Buha of The Athletic states in his latest podcast (hat tip to BasketNews). Buha notes that Koloko is more of a rim protector, while Jemison contributes on both ends of the court. He expects both players to be given minutes over the final nine games to help the coaching staff determine who would be more valuable in a playoff series.
- Bronny James turned in his best G League performance this week with a 39-point outing for the South Bay Lakers, per Chuck Schilken of The Los Angeles Times. James admits being motivated by those who doubt that he can succeed at the highest level. “Just that I belong out there,” he said. “That’s all I’m trying to prove. A lot of people say I don’t, but I just come out, work every day, try to get better every day and prove myself every day. … All the criticism that’s thrown my way, it’s just amazing to shut all that down and keep going.”
NBA Searching For New All-Star Format For 2026
The NBA will scrap its mini-tournament format for the All-Star Game and go back to the drawing board in a search for new ideas, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
At a press conference Thursday in New York, commissioner Adam Silver admitted that this year’s experimental format was “a miss.” It involved a four-team tournament featuring the 24 NBA All-Stars divided up into three teams, along with another squad consisting of rookies and second-year players who won the Rising Stars event. Instead of being timed, all the games were played to a 40-point target score.
“We’re not there in terms of creating an All-Star experience that we can be proud of and our players can be proud of,” Silver admitted.
Finding a workable solution to the All-Star Game has been a problem for the league for roughly the last decade. The traditional East vs. West matchup grew stale, as there was nothing to motivate players or inspire them to put forth much effort on defense. The NBA had captains pick their teams for a few years, and the Elam ending was a brief success, but most often the quality of play has been low.
This year’s changes were instituted after the 2024 game resulted in a 211-186 final score that drew intense criticism from league insiders and media members.
One drawback to this year’s competition was a nearly 20-minute break during the championship game that was used to recognize TNT’s broadcast team, which was airing the game for the last time.
“It was well-intentioned,” Silver said. “But I think the long stoppage in play in that final game didn’t work for anyone.”
NBC will televise the game next year as part of its new broadcast deal, and Silver said the league is talking to network officials about potential changes. Reynolds notes that the game will take place during the Winter Olympics, which could lead to a U.S. vs. the World format that has been proposed for some time.
The 2026 game, which will be hosted by the Clippers at their new Inuit Dome, will have an earlier starting time, Reynolds adds. It will be played in the afternoon, leading up to Olympics coverage at night.
France Eyes Victor Wembanyama For EuroBasket
The Spurs shut down Victor Wembanyama last month due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, but there’s hope that he might be able to represent France at EuroBasket this summer.
In an interview with L’Equipe, French national team coach Frédéric Fauthoux said Wembanyama’s condition is being monitored to see if he can return for the international tournament, which gets underway in late August.
“We had Victor before his operation, he is motivated to be part of the team,” Fauthoux said. “We’ll see as he evolves physically, we’ll make the decision when it’s the right time, until then, we’ll be in the dark. But he feels good, everything is going well (in his rehabilitation).”
Wembanyama underwent surgery for the condition, which was discovered when he returned to San Antonio following the All-Star Game. Deep vein thrombosis is a form of a blood clot that affects the flow of blood to his shoulder. The Spurs don’t believe it’s a concern for Wembanyama’s long-term health, and he’s expected to be ready when training camp opens in late September.
Wembanyama was in the midst of an outstanding second NBA season before the medical issue arose. He averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and a league-high 3.8 blocks in 46 games and had been considered a heavy favorite for Defensive Player of the Year honors. He made his first All-Star appearance after being selected by coaches as a reserve.
Having Wembanyama, who starred at the Olympics last summer, would significantly improve the prospects for the French team, which wound up with difficult early matchups at Thursday’s draw. France will meet Luka Doncic and Slovenia in the group stage and could face Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Greek team later on.
Fauthoux expects to have several NBA players on his EuroBasket roster, including the Hawks’ Zaccharie Risacher and the Wizards’ Alex Sarr, who were the top two picks in last year’s draft.
“They are close to a pre-selection,” he said. “They are two players with a great future, with a lot of talent, and both have playing time in the NBA, it’s very important for me, for possible selections, it’s essential with the competition from EuroLeague, Eurocup, Champions League players.”
EuroBasket will take place from August 27 to September 14 with games in Cyprus, Finland, Poland and Latvia.
Wizards’ Khris Middleton To Undergo MRI On Right Knee
After playing 14 first-half minutes on Thursday against Indiana, forward Khris Middleton was ruled out for the second half due to right knee soreness, the Wizards announced (via Twitter).
In his post-game press conference, head coach Brian Keefe said Middleton would undergo an MRI on his right knee, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter link).
It’s unfortunate news for the three-time All-Star, who was traded to Washington last month after spending 10-plus seasons in Milwaukee. Middleton was a key part of the Bucks’ championship run in 2022, but his career has been derailed by a series of injuries the past few seasons.
The 33-year-old has appeared in just 36 total games in 2024/25, averaging 12.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists on .476/.362/.866 shooting in 23.0 minutes per contest. That’s the fewest minutes he’s averaged since he was a rookie with Detroit back in ’12/13.
Middleton holds a $33.3MM player option for ’25/26 that he’s widely expected to exercise.
In other Wizards injury news, forward Anthony Gill was also ruled out for the remainder of Thursday’s game after playing three minutes in the first half. He’s dealing with left hip soreness, per the team (Twitter link).
Knicks Clinch Playoff Berth
Atlanta’s loss in Miami on Thursday ensured that the Knicks will earn a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference and thus a guaranteed spot in the playoffs, the NBA announced (Twitter link).
2024/25 is the third straight season in which New York has made the postseason, all without needing to advance through the play-in tournament. The last time the Knicks made the playoffs for three straight years was 2011-13.
“That’s part of the goal, obviously to get to the playoffs,” Josh Hart said recently, per Steve Popper of Newsday. “That’d be a check. Check that box. I think it shows the stability that we’re building, the foundation that we’re building. Now it’s time to build off of that. Clinching would be nice. It shows the good stability and foundation that we’re building.”
The Knicks (45-27) have been the No. 3 seed in the East for much of the season and that seems likely to be the case entering the postseason, as New York trails Boston by 8.5 games and has a 2.5-game lead on Indiana with 10 games remaining (the Pacers only have nine games left).
The Hawks, currently the No. 7 seed, lost their 38th game tonight, so they can only win up to 44 games, assuming they’re victorious in each of their next 10 games.
The Knicks join the Cavaliers (59-14) and Celtics (54-19) as Eastern teams that have secured playoff spots.
International Notes: Sabonis, NBA Candidates, Canada, PSG
Kings star Domantas Sabonis is expected to miss this summer’s EuroBasket tournament due to personal reasons, sources tell BasketNews.com.
According to BasketNews, the Lithuanian big man is expected to inform Linas Kleiza — the GM of Lithuania’s national team — of his decision when Kleiza visits the United States. Kleiza will also meet with Matas Buzelis and Jonas Valanciunas during the trip, per the report.
Here are a few more international notes:
- A handful of EuroLeague players could land NBA contracts this summer. Some hold previous NBA experience; others do not. According to EuroHoops.net, Anadolu Efes guard Darius Thompson is the strongest candidate to sign with an NBA club in the offseason. Veteran guards Tyler Dorsey and Nigel Williams-Goss are among the other players to watch.
- Who will replace Jordi Fernandez as the next men’s head coach of Canada’s national team? Multiple sources have suggested to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca that Gordon Herbert is the frontrunner for the job. Herbert, a Canadian who played for the team that made the Olympics in 1984, is currently the head coach of Bayern Munich and recently coached Germany’s national team. Former NBA assistant Nate Mitchell and current Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela are among the other possible candidates, Grange reports.
- Paris Saint-Germain has interest in joining the NBA’s European league, either by purchasing Paris Basketball or by starting a new team, according to Laurent Perrin and Julian Lesage of Le Parisien (hat tip to Sportando). Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday that the NBA and FIBA are moving forward on the possibility of a new European league, though he noted the process is still in the early stages.
Western Notes: Curry, K. Jones, Payton, Mitchell, Jazz
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is optimistic that Stephen Curry will return from his pelvic contusion on Friday in New Orleans, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
According to Slater, Curry took part in a six-minute scrimmage followed by an individual workout on Thursday. The two-time MVP, who has missed the past two games, will be listed as questionable for Friday’s contest. Curry sustained the injury on March 20 after a hard fall against Toronto.
Here are a few more notes from the Western Conference:
- Mavericks center Kai Jones had an impressive block on Franz Wagner in the first quarter of Thursday’s game in Orlando and immediately followed it up with an alley-oop dunk off an assist from Naji Marshall (Twitter video link via Christian Clark of The Athletic). Unfortunately, Jones was unable to brace himself after the dunk and had a scary-looking fall, with all of his weight landing on his left hip. The Mavericks later ruled him out for the remainder of the contest with a left hip contusion (Twitter link). Jones, who is on a two-way deal with Dallas, has started each of his past four games and played well over that span. He recently missed seven games with a left quad strain.
- Veteran guard Elfrid Payton, who is on a 10-day contract with the Pelicans, shined in Monday’s victory over Philadelphia, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. The Louisiana native finished with six points, six rebounds, 14 assists and was plus-14 in 25 minutes off the bench. “It felt good,” Payton said. “Felt like I was at home again. I love being here. This is the best thing ever.”
- Star guard Donovan Mitchell recently returned to Utah to face the Jazz for just the second time since he was traded to Cleveland in the 2022 offseason. While in town, he reflected on his Jazz tenure, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscriber link). “I think we had our opportunity. We had a lot of windows. I think we had our opportunity, we just missed it,” Mitchell said. “I think it’s just one of those things, we had plenty of opportunities to get things done. We had injuries that one year. The last year we were together, you know, we just didn’t capitalize. Sometimes you just miss your window. I talk about it with my friends a lot, we’re comparing this team we have now versus the first place team we had here (in Utah). I’ve gotten to a point that is like, ‘It’s okay,‘ We did a lot of positive things.”
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Watson, MPJ
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was “nervous” ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with Milwaukee due to the absences of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post relays. Malone explained that teams have a tendency to “relax” when facing shorthanded rosters — just a couple weeks ago, Denver pulled off a major upset in Golden State without Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic.
While it may not have been the best version of the Nuggets, particularly defensively, they came out victorious in Jokic’s first game back from elbow and ankle injuries. The three-time MVP looked rejuvenated after being sidelined for the previous five games leading up to Wednesday, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who writes that Jokic had been playing through the ailments for a while before he and the training staff decided he needed time off to heal.
“I felt a lot better than I thought I was going to feel,” said Jokic, who finished with 39 points (on 16-of-25 shooting), 10 rebounds and 10 assists. “I don’t want to say percentages or anything, but I feel much better than I thought I was going to be. I still feel the ankle a little bit, but it’s much, much, much less than how it was before.
“I think the most important thing is that we were able to win the game. What we want to do is figure out how to establish a rhythm in these last stretch of games. We want to be able to go to the playoffs and perform at our peak, and we can’t do that without being on the floor. We have to find some consistency. That’s what I want out of the rest of the regular season.”
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- Jokic’s left ankle injury — an impingement — was particularly problematic, with the 30-year-old center telling reporters after the game that he was unable to jump off that leg for a time, per Luca Evans of The Denver Post. “It was really painful, and it was just better to feel good,” Jokic said. “And I don’t want to be on the floor and be nervous because I cannot play how I want to play, and on the level that I want to play.” Jokic is known for his durability and willingness to play through injuries.
- Third-year forward Peyton Watson, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason, has been playing some of his best basketball of the season as of late, Durando writes for The Denver Post. “Peyton’s playing so good,” Murray raved. “He’s not just playing with confidence, but he’s being so active on both ends of the floor. Cutting, moving even if he doesn’t get it, setting screens, rebounding, back-taps, running the floor, causing confusion.” Over the past six games, the 22-year-old is averaging 13.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while shooting 58.2% from the field (50% from deep) in 30.2 minutes per contest.
- Michael Porter Jr. broke out of a prolonged slump in Wednesday’s win, finishing with 23 points on just nine field goal attempts (he made seven, including 6-of-8 from three-point range). After the game, Porter said a lingering hamstring injury was to blame for his shooting woes — he’s at 33.3% from three since the All-Star break, compared to 41.7% in 52 games before the break. If the Nuggets hope to win another title in 2025, they’ll need a much more consistent version of Porter in the postseason, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post, who argues that the 26-year-old is a detriment to the team when he isn’t making shots.
Thomas Sorber To Enter Draft While Maintaining Eligibility
Georgetown forward/center Thomas Sorber is entering the 2025 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
According to Givony, Sorber wasn’t viewed as a one-and-done candidate entering his freshman season in the fall, but he quickly moved up draft boards with his impressive play for the Hoyas. He’s currently ranked No. 24 on ESPN’s big board (Insider link), making him a projected first-round pick.
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic is even higher on Sorber, writing that no NBA teams he’s spoken to recently have the 19-year-old outside of the first round, with several projecting him to land in the teens. He’s No. 12 on Vecenie’s latest mock draft, despite the fact that he underwent season-ending foot surgery last month, which will likely cause him to miss much of the pre-draft process.
In 24 games in 2024/25, Sorber averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks in 31.3 minutes per contest. His shooting slash line was .532/.162/.724 (he was 6-of-37 from long distance, so pretty low volume).
“I am the type of player who will always make the right play,” Sorber told Givony. “I can do a little bit of everything — pass, rebound, sit down, and switch onto guards. Read plays and come from the weakside for blocks. I have a good touch. A feel for the game. But the main thing is to try and help my team win. Everyone says they want to be like (Nikola) Jokic. I also like to watch Bam Adebayo. His hustle, the way he’s expanded his game and switches from 1-5.”
Silver Confirms NBA, FIBA Taking Next Steps Toward European League
Speaking to reporters in New York on Thursday, commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the NBA and FIBA are moving forward on their exploration of a new professional basketball league in Europe, per Joe Vardon, Adam Crafton, and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic and Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
“We feel now is the time to move to that next stage,” Silver said Thursday. “At our (Board of Governors) meeting today, there was enthusiastic support from our club owners about continuing to explore this opportunity.”
While Silver confirmed a few of the details about the league reported by Sportico earlier this week, some of the information he shared today was new or differed slightly from that initial report.
Here are a few of the highlights:
- Silver said the plan would be for the league to have 16 teams, with 12 permanent slots and four rotating.
- The league would be “integrated into the current European basketball landscape,” according to the NBA, meaning teams would also compete in their respective domestic leagues. Non-permanent members would be offered a “merit-based path to qualification,” per the NBA.
- Silver would want a salary cap system in place for the league.
- Current NBA owners would own equity in the league, but not in individual clubs.
- The league would likely use FIBA rules, including a 40-minute game instead of the NBA’s 48 minutes.
- As Marc J. Spears of Andscape tweets, Silver said the NBA is looking at existing facilities as well as the possibility of “new state-of-the-art arenas.”
The process remains in the early stages, with Silver referring to it as being in the “modeling phase.”
The NBA doesn’t yet have any formal agreements in place with existing clubs or investors who would establish new teams. However, it sounds like those conversations are ongoing. The NBA’s press release states that discussions have been taking place with “prospective investors, teams, arena developers, and commercial partners.”
Sources tell The Athletic that Real Madrid, Barcelona, ASVEL Basket, and Fenerbahce are among the EuroLeague teams worth watching as possible defectors to the new NBA league, though none of those teams have informed the EuroLeague of their intent to leave at this point. Former NBA star Tony Parker is the controlling owner of ASVEL and has been speaking to the NBA as a “conduit” between the two sides, The Athletic adds.
The NBA previously attempted to partner with the EuroLeague, which is Europe’s top existing professional basketball league, but the EuroLeague rejected those advances, per The Athletic.
The NBA’s statement indicates that additional updates from the league and FIBA will be provided at a later date.