Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Embiid, Dowtin, Chisholm
After facing a lot of high-level competition and working through a tough schedule early into the 2024/25 season, the Raptors have seen their slate during the year’s home stretch get significantly easier — just as they’ve been looking to stack up losses.
Toronto is hoping to cement its bid for the best possible lottery odds in this summer’s draft, but playing fellow rebuilding squads could complicate that plan, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
To wit, Grange notes that the Raptors are still scheduled to play Charlotte and Brooklyn twice each, and have one more game against seemingly lottery-bound clubs in Philadelphia, San Antonio, Portland, Chicago and Dallas as the season winds down.
As of this writing, the 25-47 Raptors have the seventh-worst record in the league. They could conceivably overtake the 23-49 Nets and Sixers – and maybe even the 20-53 Pelicans – in the lottery order if they play their cards “right.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers coach Nick Nurse said today that injured former MVP center Joel Embiid has finished consulting various specialists about his lingering knee inflammation, and Philadelphia intends to make a decision on next steps “soon-ish,” per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).
- Sixers guard Jeff Dowtin is rapidly approaching the 50-contest active game limit for two-way players. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscriber link), the Rhode Island alum has just two games left before Philadelphia faces a decision on his fate. If the Sixers want to give the 27-year-old any more run in 2024/25 beyond those two games, the front office will need to promote Dowtin to its standard roster. Through 38 games this year (he has been a DNP-CD in 10), the 6’3″ guard boasts averages of 6.4 PPG, 1.8 APG, 1.6 RPG and 0.5 SPG in 14.1 minutes per night.
- Incoming Celtics owner Bill Chisholm spoke with All-Star forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and team president Brad Stevens ahead of the club’s recent tilt in Sacramento, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). “It’s the most incredible feeling to think that maybe I can just play a tiny little part in the future,” Chisholm said, “and now I’ll just let these guys do what they’re doing, let Brad do his thing. If I can help in any way, that’s amazing to think about.”
- Stevens himself spoke about the Celtics‘ impending new ownership situation too, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. “My only thing is just asking to be kept in the loop on everything I need to know from the standpoint of making decisions here and now and moving forward,” Stevens said. “As we get to spend more time with Bill, with [current team governor Wyc Grousbeck] and Bill, then we’ll have more clarity on how we are going to do things.
Nikola Jokic Returning For Nuggets Wednesday
Three-time MVP Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is returning to the hardwood for Denver’s Wednesday clash with the Bucks, the team has announced (via Twitter).
The 6’11” superstar had been on the shelf for Denver since the club’s 126-123 loss against Washington on March 15 due to a left ankle impingement.
Milwaukee, conversely, will be missing both of its nine-time All-Stars — plus two rotational big men, to boot.
Bucks guard Damian Lillard is out indefinitely due to a blood clot in his right calf. He’ll be joined on the bench by two-time MVP forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’s dealing with a sprained left foot, Milwaukee announced today (Twitter link).
Jokic is angling to pick up his fourth MVP honor across the last five years. He’s averaging a triple-double for the 45-28 Nuggets, with excellent shooting efficiency. The seven-time All-Star is averaging 29.1 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 10.3 APG, 1.8 SPG and 0.7 BPG. He’s connecting on .575/.413/.807 shooting splits.
Denver has also made Jokic’s fellow starters Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon available. Braun is dealing with a left foot strain, Porter has a strained low back, and Gordon is managing a right calf injury plus a left ankle sprain.
The absences of Antetokounmpo and Lillard are compounded by the long-term unavailability of sixth man big Bobby Portis (suspension) and reserve center Jericho Sims (thumb surgery), both out until at least April.
Knicks Notes: Towns, Hart, Robinson, McCullar, McBride
Knicks wing Josh Hart and All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns both logged triple-doubles during a historic performance against the reeling Mavericks on Tuesday night, writes Chris Herring of ESPN. Hart and Towns became the first New York players to simultaneously achieve the feat, Herring writes.
In the 128-113 win, Towns racked up 26 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Hart, meanwhile, had 16 points, 12 boards, and 11 dimes. Herring reports that this marked just the 17th time ever that two NBA teammates secured triple-doubles in the same game.
It was also Hart’s ninth triple-double of the 2024/25 season, besting Hall of Famer Walt Frazier‘s previous single-season Knicks record of eight in 1968/69. This is Towns’ first triple double of the year.
“I didn’t envision this,” Hart said. “This is more than I ever dreamed of.”
“[Hart’s] got nine this season; I’ve got one,” Towns remarked. “But the way he does it is special. It’s always with effort and for the betterment of the team. I’m just happy there’s a way to see on the stat sheet the impact he’s having on the game. He sacrifices so much for the team, so I’m happy that he can have this moment.”
There’s more out of the Big Apple:
- The Knicks’ big man tandem of Towns and Mitchell Robinson is considered to be “a work in progress” even by head coach Tom Thibodeau, although metrics indicate that the dynamic duo is yielding strong early returns, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link). Robinson has played just 10 games this season due to injury.
- Knicks rookie wing Kevin McCullar Jr. made his NBA debut during Tuesday’s Dallas clash, and scored the first two points of his career during his three minutes of action, Bondy notes in another New York Post article. For McCullar’s achievement, Hart awarded the young guard the game ball. McCullar had spent roughly a full year recovering from a knee injury. “It’s been rough, but I kept my head on straight,” McCullar said. “Adversity makes you who you are and everybody goes through it in different ways of life… Growing up, that’s all I’ve known is playing basketball.”
- Knicks reserve guard Miles McBride is out for a third straight game on Wednesday vs. the Clippers with a left groin strain, per Newsday’s Steve Popper (Twitter link). Robinson, who continues to sit out one game in back-to-back sets, is active on Wednesday after sitting out Tuesday’s contest against Dallas. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (via Twitter), Thibodeau told reporters today that McBride was “limited” during the team’s latest practice.
Hawks’ Larry Nance Out For Rest Of Regular Season
Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr. is expected to miss the rest of Atlanta’s 2024/25 regular season as he continues to rehabilitate from a lingering right medial femoral condyle fracture, the team has announced (via Twitter). Nance initially suffered the injury on February 10 against Orlando.
The Hawks indicated they’ll provide an update on Nance’s status after the regular season concludes next month.
At 35-37 on the year, the Hawks are currently the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed. They are 10 games clear of the No. 11-seeded Raptors, so they’ve essentially clinched a play-in tournament berth.
Assuming Atlanta survives the play-in as either a No. 7 or No. 8 seed in the East and qualifies for the actual playoffs, the wording of today’s announcement seems to indicate there’s a chance the club could add Nance back to the fold in the postseason.
The 6’8″ big man has battled injuries and has seen a limited role even when healthy for the Hawks this season. In the 24 contests he’s played, the Wyoming alum logged averages of 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game during his first season with Atlanta. He was acquired as part of the Hawks’ offseason deal that sent former guard Dejounte Murray to New Orleans.
Nance is now the fourth Hawks player who will miss at least the end of the regular season. Most critically, starting forward Jalen Johnson tore the labrum in his left shoulder in January. Reserve center Clint Capela injured a ligament in the fourth metacarpal of his left hand last week, and is expected to be back in three-to-four weeks — i.e. at the end of the regular season. Guard Kobe Bufkin underwent surgery for a right shoulder instability in December.
Trail Blazers’ Bryce McGowens Fractures Rib, Out For Season
Trail Blazers two-way player Bryce McGowens fractured his right rib during a game with Portland’s G League affiliate squad, the Rip City Remix, the Trail Blazers announced on Wednesday (Twitter link).
According to the team, the injury will sideline McGowens for the rest of the 2024/25 season. Portland expects him to make a full recovery.
McGowens has made a bigger impression with the Remix than he did with the Trail Blazers. In 16 regular season bouts with Portland’s NBAGL affiliate, he finishes the year with averages of 29.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.5 SPG and 0.8 BPG. He has a shooting line of .487/.330/.806.
Across 13 contests with Portland proper this season, the 6’7″ wing played just 32 total minutes, scoring 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
McGowens had a larger role last season as a member of the Hornets, appearing in 59 games (14 starts) and averaging 5.1 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 14.9 MPG.
Because his two-way contract only covers the ’24/25 season, McGowens will be eligible for restricted free agency this offseason if Portland issues him a two-way qualifying offer.
Draft Notes: Stirtz, Byrd, Big Boards, Early Entrants
After starring at Drake as a junior, guard Bennett Stirtz intends to follow head coach Ben McCollum from the Bulldogs to the Hawkeyes by transferring to Iowa for next season, Tyler Tachman of the Des Moines Register confirms. While the plan is for him to make the move to Iowa, Stirtz will also test the NBA draft waters this spring, he told Tachman.
Stirtz averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game with a .498/.395/.794 shooting line in 2024/25 and led Drake to a first-round victory over Missouri in the NCAA Tournament last week. He’s currently the No. 35 prospect on ESPN’s big board, suggesting he’d have a good chance to get drafted if he decides to go pro this year.
ESPN’s No. 50 prospect, San Diego State guard Miles Byrd, is also declaring for the 2025 draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he announced on Instagram. Byrd became a full-time starter as a redshirt sophomore this season and put up 12.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 2.1 SPG in 30 outings.
Byrd has flashed impressive defensive tools but has struggled to score efficiently, making just 38.1% of his shots from the floor this season, including 30.1% of his three-pointers. He had just four points and committed three turnovers in the Aztecs’ First Four loss to UNC last week.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Ahead of the NCAA’s Sweet 16 round, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com (Insider link) have updated their list of 2025’s top 100 prospects and checked in on whose stock is on the rise (including Stirtz) and whose stock has dipped a little (including Byrd).
- After making the move this past year from The Ringer to Yahoo Sports, Kevin O’Connor has a new-look version of his annual big board and mock draft up for his new employer. After No. 1 prospect Cooper Flagg, O’Connor has Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, Derik Queen, and Khaman Maluach rounding out his top five.
- The following prospects are also declaring for the 2025 NBA draft, according to various reports or announcements:
- Keyshawn Hall, G/F, UCF (junior) (Twitter link via Givony)
- Kobe Knox, G, South Florida (junior) (Twitter link via Sam Kayser of League Ready)
- Nick Pringle, F, South Carolina (senior) (Twitter link via Joe Tipton of On3 Sports)
- Marquel Sutton, F, Omaha (senior) (Twitter link via Jeff Goodman of Field of 68)
Kings Exec Wes Wilcox Named University Of Utah GM
March 26: The Utes have formally announced Wilcox as their new general manager.
March 25: The University of Utah is targeting Kings assistant general manager Wes Wilcox as the new GM of its men’s basketball program, reports Pete Thamel of ESPN.
While nothing’s official yet, Thamel says the two sides are expected to reach a deal in the near future. James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link) confirms that Wilcox is expected to leave Sacramento for the Utes.
Wilcox initially joined the Kings under general manager Monte McNair in 2020 and was signed to a contract extension in 2023. Prior to his stint in Sacramento, Wilcox held front office jobs in Cleveland and Atlanta, including serving as the Hawks’ GM from 2015-17. He also worked for the Heat and Pelicans earlier in his career.
According to Thamel, if Wilcox officially joins the Utes, he would become the highest-ranking sitting NBA front office executive to accept a college front office job.
This sort of NBA-to-NCAA move is becoming increasingly common due to the ongoing professionalization of college sports, Thamel writes, adding that schools are expected to be able to pay athletes directly through revenue sharing beginning next season.
The University of Utah reached a deal earlier this month to hire Mavericks assistant Alex Jensen as the team’s new head coach. Wilcox hired Jensen as the head coach of the G League’s Canton Charge back when he worked in the Cavaliers’ front office, Thamel notes.
Southwest Notes: Wells, Rockets, Champagnie, Pelicans
Although he has fallen to fourth in the betting odds for Rookie of the Year, Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells has “exceeded expectations” in his first NBA season, according to head coach Taylor Jenkins, who says Wells’ consistency has “blown us away,” per Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.
Fellow rookies Stephon Castle, Alex Sarr, and Zaccharie Risacher have surpassed Wells in terms of scoring and may finish ahead of him in Rookie of the Year voting. However, Jenkins insists that Wells’ all-around impact for a team positioned to make the playoffs shouldn’t be overlooked. The former Washington State standout has handled challenging defensive assignments and knocked down 35.6% of his three-pointers as a complementary option on offense.
“It’s impact on winning,” Jenkins said, according to Medina. “Obviously, we still have a lot more basketball left in the season to see where this team is going to end up. But he’s kind of entrenched himself in First Team All-Rookie for sure. Everyone is going to look at the stat lines, this, that and the other. But his opportunity, he’s playing a unique role where he’s not one of the featured guys offensively. But he’s got great offensive numbers.”
Wells, who spoke at length to Medina about his rookie season and how much he enjoys guarding the top scorers on opposing teams, said that the Rookie of the Year award is “not really something I’m striving for.”
“When you’re on a team like this that has an opportunity to win a championship like this, that’s the main goal,” Wells said. “That’s the end-of-the-season award that I’m looking forward to — a championship. If it happens while playing winning basketball, then I would love to have that (Rookie of the Year) award. But it’s not the number one goal on my list.”
We have more from around the Southwest:
- The Rockets‘ twin-tower lineup featuring Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams has been remarkably successful and could come in handy during the postseason this spring, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Through 117 minutes across 17 games, lineups featuring the two centers have an outstanding +33.3 net rating and a 50.0% offensive rebounding rate. “It’s been real big for us,” forward Jabari Smith Jr. said. “I see the numbers on it are crazy. When we get a shot with that offense, it’s almost a 50 percent chance that we’re going to get a rebound, especially with me in there too — I’m crashing too. It’s a great staple. And then with the zone, you got three almost 6-(foot)-10-plus people out there. It’s tough. It’s a good wrinkle we found. I’m glad we found it.”
- Spurs forward Julian Champagnie spoke to Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda about how he’s grown in in his second full season in San Antonio, the impact that veteran leaders Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes have had on him, and what has most impressed him about teammates Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, among other topics.
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) previews the Pelicans‘ offseason, explaining why he views CJ McCollum as a stronger candidate to be extended than traded and touching on several other decisions facing the team, including whether to entertain trading Zion Williamson and whether to retain head coach Willie Green.
Lonzo Ball On Track To Return Before End Of Season
Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball has been out since February 28 due to a sprained right wrist and isn’t ready to return quite yet, but he still intends to make it back before the end of the regular season, tweets Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.
Ball took part in a 5-on-5 scrimmage at the Bulls’ practice on Wednesday (Twitter video link via Poe) and was “upbeat and optimistic” afterwards when he spoke to reporters, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link).
The expectation is that Ball will need another week to get his conditioning back up to speed. Poe suggests that next Friday’s game against Portland might be a target date for his return.
Ball returned to action last fall after having been sidelined for more than two-and-a-half years due to a series of knee problems. Given how long he was away from the game, it has been a successful comeback season in 2024/25 for the 27-year-old, who has averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals in 22.2 minutes per game across 35 outings (14 starts). The Bulls have posted a +5.5 net rating when he’s on the court, compared to a -4.8 mark when he’s not.
Although the knee injury hasn’t been a problem for Ball this season, his wrist has been a recurring issue. He missed 15 straight games in October and November due to a right wrist sprain, so this is his second extended absence this season as a result of that same injury.
According to Poe and Johnson (Twitter links), Ball has been experiencing pain during his shooting follow-through all season and doesn’t expect his wrist to be pain-free until he gets the opportunity for a longer recovery period during the offseason.
While Ball entered the season on an expiring contract, he signed an extension with Chicago last month and now has a guaranteed $10MM salary for next season, followed by a $10MM team option in 2026/27.
Sixers Sign Phillip Wheeler To 10-Day Deal
2:07 pm: Wheeler’s 10-day deal with the Sixers is now official, the club announced in a press release.
1:58 pm: The Sixers intend to sign G League forward Phillip Wheeler to a 10-day contract, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Wheeler, who went undrafted in 2022, has spent the last few years playing in the G League and the Puerto Rican league. He has appeared in a total of 38 NBAGL games this season for the Texas Legends and Maine Celtics, averaging 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 steal in 28.2 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .495/.365/.612.
Wheeler should have a good opportunity to make his NBA debut for a banged-up Sixers team that has awarded rotation roles to several young prospects, two-way players, and 10-day signees in recent weeks.
Chuma Okeke, who averaged 24.4 minutes per game across seven outings with Philadelphia, had his second 10-day contract with the team come to an end on Tuesday night, which will create a roster slot for Wheeler.
Technically, the 76ers have a full 15-man standard roster, but due to all their injured players, they’ve qualified for multiple hardship exceptions as of late and figure to use another one to bring Wheeler aboard. Forward Marcus Bagley is also currently on a 10-day hardship deal with Philadelphia.
Wheeler will earn $66,503 over the course of his 10-day contract and will be eligible for the Sixers’ next five games if the signing is officially completed on Wednesday.