Bulls Notes: Jones, Buzelis, Collins, Mirage
Following Thursday’s victory over Brooklyn, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan praised Tre Jones, saying the fifth-year point guard has a knack for making winning plays, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link), who points out that the impending free agent recorded five points, four rebounds and four assists in the fourth quarter.
“Being a part of a winning culture, a winning team, that’s the whole reason of playing basketball really,” Jones said.
Jones, who was acquired from San Antonio in the Zach LaVine trade, has started each of the past five games, averaging 14.0 points, 6.0 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals on .500/.500/.769 shooting over that span (33.3 MPG). Like his older brother Tyus Jones, Tre is known for his ability to take care of the basketball, having recorded 54 assists against only eight turnovers in 14 games with Chicago (an assist-to-turnover ratio of 6.75-to-1).
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Lottery pick Matas Buzelis hit the rookie wall at some point over the past couple weeks, observes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. As Poe details, Buzelis was visibly exhausted on Monday against Indiana, and while he had more energy on Thursday vs. Brooklyn, he only played 15 minutes after averaging 27.5 over his past 17 games. “That’s part of his development,” Donovan said. “Is he eating well? Is he hydrating well? Is he getting good sleep? You can maybe get away with that playing 10 minutes a game. When you all of a sudden start playing 26, 28, 30, 32 minutes a night on a regular basis, there’s a toll it takes on your body.”
- In the same story, Poe notes that Zach Collins has been ahead of Jalen Smith on the center depth chart the past two games after Nikola Vucevic returned from a calf injury that sidelined him for seven contests. Collins, who was also acquired in the LaVine deal, has averaged 11.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.8 BPG on .554/.333/.879 shooting in 12 games for the Bulls (25.0 MPG). He’s owed about $18.1MM next season prior to 2026 free agency, while Smith is under contract through 2027.
- The Bulls have won four straight, bolstering their chances of not only securing a play-in berth, but perhaps passing Miami or Orlando to move up a spot or two in the standings. The recent stretch of play is nothing but a mirage, in the view of Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, who argues that head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas should be blamed for his refusal to embrace a rebuild ahead of a 2025 draft that is highly touted, particularly at the top. Advancing to the playoffs would likely be viewed by Karnisovas as a sign of progress, but it would be catastrophic for the Chicago’s long-term outlook, according to Cowley.
Nuggets Notes: Gordon, Murray, Watson, Rest
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon was able to return to action on Friday following a two-game absence, but the right calf injury he has been battling for much of the season continues to cast a murky cloud as the postseason nears, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Gordon, who has also been dealing with a left ankle sprain recently, has missed a total of 27 games thus far in 2024/25.
“You’ve gotta remember, and I think about this all the time, there’s a big difference between, ‘Hey, Aaron can go out there and play,’ and, ‘He can go out there and play effectively,'” head coach Michael Malone said. “So I think most of the times when he’s not available to play, it’s because — calf strain, ankle, whatever it may be — it’s been, ‘I can’t go out there and do my job.’
“Obviously, we know what Aaron means to this team. And every chance he’s had a chance to play, he’s played really well for us. But it’s just been a very up-and-down season in terms of availability, and that’s been really frustrating for him.”
Gordon was a game-high plus-16 in Friday’s victory, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a block in 31 minutes.
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- Durando describes Friday’s comeback victory over Los Angeles as an “awful night” for the Nuggets, who needed another Jamal Murray game-winner to emerge victorious against a Lakers team missing LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Dorian Finney-Smith, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes. Three of the last seven meetings between the two teams have been capped off by game-winning shots from Murray, Durando notes. “This isn’t a beauty pageant,” Malone said. “We don’t get rated on our wins. It’s a win.”
- Third-year forward Peyton Watson struggled in his limited playing time during Sunday’s loss at Oklahoma City, but he enacted revenge by scoring 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting and playing strong defense in Monday’s victory over the Thunder, according to Durando of The Denver Post. “I was fired up to play today,” Watson said after the game. “I knew I was going to get another chance. And this is how I respond to things like this, when I’m being challenged by my coach or my team.”
- Malone talked extensively after last year’s playoffs about trying to find ways to get his rotation regulars more rest ahead of another potential postseason push in 2025. However, with only two games separating Denver, Houston, Memphis and the Lakers as they jockey for positioning behind the top-seeded Thunder, Malone said finding an ideal balance between rest and winning will be “really hard, if not impossible,” as Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette relays (via Twitter).
Southwest Notes: Eason, Aldama, B. Brown, Mavericks
Tari Eason offered the Rockets a reminder of his importance when he erupted for a career-high 30 points in Friday’s blowout victory over Dallas, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. Eason, who shot 11-of-15 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the foul line, also recorded eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in 31 minutes.
“I think that every night Tari plays, he’s super impactful,” Jalen Green said. “Getting steals, playing defense. Tonight he did a little bit of everything: scoring, rebounding, playing defense. So nothing that he doesn’t do every time out for us.”
Lerner notes that Eason has been starting for most of the past six weeks due to injuries to Fred VanVleet and Amen Thompson. Eason, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason, has increased his production over that span, averaging 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks on .520/.380/.895 shooting over his past 13 games (29.1 MPG)
“His effort and intensity is always there,” head coach Ime Udoka said. “Just continues to grow as a player. Also liked when some guys got going, (Spencer) Dinwiddie, got to put (Eason) on him and slowed him down some. And yeah, did what he does at both ends.”
Here are a few more notes from the Southwest Division:
- Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama is posting career-best averages of 12.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 2.8 APG ahead of restricted free agency this summer. In an interview with Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda, the Spanish big man said he has worked to add muscle to his frame and credited the team’s offensive system — and his own improvement — for his output thus far in 2024/25. “The way that we move the ball, just getting more opportunities to actually make some plays,” Aldama told Afseth. “I think that’s, that’s been big, and I think the natural growth. I’m still super young, so I feel like every year, I’m just getting better.”
- Veteran swingman Bruce Brown has struggled mightily since he was traded to the Pelicans ahead of last month’s deadline, but he had a solid performance in Tuesday’s victory over the Clippers, notching 12 points, five rebounds and five assists (no turnovers). “It was good,” Brown said, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “As you all know, I’ve been struggling with the transition. So for my confidence, this helps a lot. Still, I’m learning. I’ve got to keep going. Being aggressive and making my shots. I think that’s the biggest key for me — making my shots and continuing to put my work in.” Brown, who will be an unrestricted free agent in a few months, is shooting just 32.4% from the floor in 12 games with New Orleans, including 16.7% from long distance.
- Due to the shocking trade of Luka Doncic and the ensuing tidal wave of injuries, most notably losing Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL, the Mavericks hold the top spot on Zach Harper of The Athletic‘s “Misery Index.” The injury-ravaged Pelicans also make an appearance, coming in at fourth on the five-team list.
Pacific Notes: Sabonis, Kings, Lakers, Reaves, Suns, Plumlee
Friday’s loss to Phoenix was the latest in a string of ugly defeats for the Kings, writes Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. The Kings were blown out for the third game in a row and have now dropped four straight and five of their past six.
“I expected a way better performance out of our guys,” interim head coach Doug Christie said to open his postgame press conference.
Opposing teams have been feasting from behind the arc of late against Sacramento, which gave up a season-high 24 three-pointers to the Suns and made only eight of their own. As Biderman notes in another story, things went from bad to worse in the fourth quarter, when star center Domantas Sabonis appeared to aggravate the left hamstring injury that had sidelined him for the past six games.
“I think he wanted to continue to play,” Christie said. “But (there’s) no conversation. Sit down. When I see you do that, I’m not even playing around with that one. You are way too important to us.”
The Kings, who are currently the No. 9 seed in the West, have dropped to .500 at 33-33 and are only one game up on Dallas and 2.5 games ahead of Phoenix as they vie for a postseason spot.
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- Prior to Friday’s game in Denver, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said that LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes all have a good chance to suit up within the next week, tweets Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet. “They’re all very close to returning,” Redick said. James has missed the past three games with a groin strain, while Hachimura and Hayes are battling knee injuries. The Lakers wound up losing their fourth straight game to conclude their road trip.
- Austin Reaves was a bright spot for the Lakers in their shorthanded road loss to the Nuggets, as Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times relays. Reaves wasn’t sure whether he’d play after injuring his right wrist on Thursday in Milwaukee, but he wound up recording 37 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and four steals in 39 minutes. “We know when we’re full healthy and got everybody on the team that we have a really good chance to beat anybody,” Reaves said. “I just see this group, coming together, locking in on one common goal and that’s to win. And tonight I think is the biggest testament to that. Very shorthanded and went and played a really good basketball team with probably the best player in the world. And went toe to toe and had an opportunity to win it and just didn’t execute the last 50 seconds.”
- Suns star Kevin Durant credited the play and professionalism of Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro following Friday’s victory over Sacramento, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter video link). “It was incredible. … Love playing with those guys and it’s something we need to build on,” Durant said. “We’ve been talking about it for so long, but each game matters, every possession matters. They came out there with that type of mindset.” Both rookies have been in and out of the rotation over the past month.
- Suns backup center Mason Plumlee was ejected for the second straight game on Friday after elbowing Sabonis in the neck area (YouTube link via ESPN). The play was reviewed and Plumlee’s actions were deemed “unnecessary and excessive with contact above the shoulders,” leading to a flagrant 2 foul and automatic ejection. Plumlee was also ejected from Wednesday’s game vs. Houston after a brief scuffle with Steven Adams.
Bontemps/Windhorst’s Latest: Nets, Sixers, Zion, Wizards, Raptors
The Nets project to have significantly more cap room than any other NBA team this offseason — they’re in position to open up more than $60MM in space. However, they’re unlikely to take the same approach as last year’s top cap-room team, Philadelphia, which spent big on win-now free agents.
As Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes in an Insider-only article, the Nets signaled when they reacquired control of both their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks that they might require at least a two-year rebuild. Some rival teams believe Brooklyn will end up rolling much of its 2025 cap room over to the 2026 offseason, according to Windhorst.
“They’re going to use it in trade because they’re not going to have anyone to pay in this free agent market,” one executive said of the Nets’ cap space. “They could end up right back in this spot next year.”
Here are a few more items of interest from Windhorst and his ESPN colleague Tim Bontemps:
- While the hope in Philadelphia is that better health luck next season will result in a bounce-back year for the Sixers, there’s still no update on what the treatment plan for Joel Embiid is and no assurances that he’ll be back to 100% in 2025/26, as Windhorst and Bontemps note. “Until they know what is happening with Embiid, there is no way to project what they will be next year,” a league executive told ESPN. “They will have a hard time changing that roster.”
- The Pelicans are just 9-19 in games that Zion Williamson has played this season and project to have an expensive roster next season, so even though Williamson has been healthy and performed well as of late, rivals continue to wonder if he’ll end up on the trade block, Windhorst writes. “The question about the Pelicans is whether they would consider trading Zion,” a rival general manager told ESPN. “It hasn’t really been an option over the last couple of years because he’s been injured, and his value hasn’t been high enough. Even now, I don’t think they could get great value. So they will probably see if he can carry this play over into next year.”
- Multiple executives who spoke to Bontemps lauded the Wizards for their work at the trade deadline, including bringing in veterans like Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart while taking a flier on 2024 first-rounder AJ Johnson. “I like what they are doing,” an executive said. “They’re doing things the right way.” Conversely, there’s some skepticism around the league about the way in which the Raptors – who traded a first-round pick as part of a package for Brandon Ingram – are attempting to accelerate their rebuild, says Bontemps. “I don’t like what Toronto is doing,” one exec told ESPN. “Trying to flip it quick is dangerous.”
Celtics Officially Clinch Playoff Berth
The defending champion Celtics formally clinched a spot in the 2025 NBA playoffs on Friday, the league confirmed (via Twitter). Boston is now assured of a top-six finish in the Eastern Conference.
Entering the day, the Celtics needed a win over the Heat as well as a Hawks loss to the Clippers in order to secure their playoff spot. They registered a 103-91 victory in Miami, while the Clippers rode a dominant 35-8 third quarter to a 121-98 win over Atlanta.
While Boston isn’t fully locked into the No. 2 seed in the East, it’s hard to envision the team ending up anywhere else. The No. 1 Cavaliers set a new franchise record on Friday by winning their 16th straight game and hold an 8.5-game lead over the 48-19 Celtics, who in turn have a five-game cushion on the No. 3 Knicks.
Assuming the Celtics finish at No. 2, they’ll face the winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in game in the first round of the postseason. The Hawks and Magic currently hold those spots.
Three teams have now officially clinched playoff berths, with Boston joining Cleveland and Oklahoma City.
NBA Looking At Thunder, Sixers For Possible Player Participation Policy Violations
The NBA is investigating the Thunder and the Sixers for possible violations of the league’s player participation policy, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, the NBA is looking specifically at the Thunder’s March 7 game vs. Portland, in which the team sat its entire starting five: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (rest), Chet Holmgren (lower leg contusion), Jalen Williams (wrist sprain), Luguentz Dort (patellofemoral soreness), and Isaiah Hartenstein (nasal fracture re-injury). Cason Wallace (right knee contusion) also missed the game, which wasn’t part of a back-to-back set.
While Holmgren sat out Oklahoma City’s March 5 contest too, the other five players who missed the Portland game were available on both March 5 and March 9.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the only Thunder player who meets the “star” criteria as defined by the player participation policy, but there’s a precedent for teams being penalized for sitting several “non-star” starters in the same game — the Nets were hit with a $100K fine last season for making a similar move.
Still, Rylan Stiles of SI.com (Twitter link) and Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) are among the reporters to question the necessity of investigating the Thunder for their approach to the Portland game, given that they’ve had a strenuous post-All-Star schedule and still won the game by 18 points. Marks suggests that the league should be focused more on lottery-bound teams who may be flaunting the policy in an effort to improve their draft odds.
The Jazz, one such lottery-bound team, were fined $100K two days ago for a player participation policy. The Sixers, who have also seemingly pivoted to prioritizing lottery position in recent weeks, ruled out 11 players for Friday’s game vs. Indiana.
According to Charania, the league is looking at the Sixers due to the recent absences of Paul George (knee/back/finger) and Tyrese Maxey (back/finger). George has missed the past five games, while Maxey has been out for the past six, though head coach Nick Nurse said after Friday’s loss that Maxey should return at some point during Philadelphia’s upcoming six-game road trip (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports).
The league may determine that the absences of George, Maxey, and the rest of the inactive Sixers players are legitimate, but if the club is determined to have violated the player participation policy, it could face a fine of $250K. That’s the amount for a second violation, and the 76ers already received a $100K fine earlier this season.
Domantas Sabonis Set To Return From Hamstring Injury
Star center Domantas Sabonis will be available on Friday in Phoenix, the Kings announced about an hour before tip-off (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat).
Sabonis has been on the shelf since sustaining a Grade 1 left hamstring strain on March 1 in Houston. He has missed Sacramento’s past six games, four of which have been losses. The Kings now sit ninth in the Western Conference at 33-32, just one game ahead of the injury-plagued Mavericks and 3.5 games in front of the No. 11 Suns.
Sabonis has been the Kings’ most valuable player this season, averaging 19.5 points, a league-leading 14.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game with a .596/.432/.747 shooting line in 56 outings. It’s the third straight season in which the big man has led the NBA in rebounds per contest, and Sacramento has been 7.8 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the floor.
With Sabonis back in action, veteran center Jonas Valanciunas figures to return to his reserve role after starting each of the past six games.
Sabonis will have to play in at least 10 of the Kings’ final 17 regular season games to reach the 65-game requirement and become eligible for end-of-season awards. He looks like a strong candidate for All-NBA consideration.
Cody Martin On Track To Make Suns Debut
Veteran forward Cody Martin, traded from Charlotte to Phoenix at last month’s deadline, has yet to play for the Suns as he recovers from a sports hernia injury. However, he has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game vs. Sacramento and is expected to be available if all goes well during his pregame workout, per head coach Mike Budenholzer (Twitter link via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports).
Martin, who missed most of the 2022/23 and ’23/24 seasons due to injuries, was healthy for the first half of ’24/25 with the Hornets, appearing in 39 of the team’s first 41 games. He averaged 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 24.8 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .433/.323/.694, before being sent to the Suns along with Vasilije Micic and a second-round pick in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic and a first-rounder.
Martin has never been a significant offensive threat, but he’s known as a solid, versatile defender who can guard multiple positions. That could make him a useful piece for a Suns team that currently ranks 27th in the NBA in defensive rating (116.8), though he admitted today that he’s not sure whether Budenholzer plans to immediately incorporate him into the rotation.
“I’m the player. I’m coming to do my job and making sure I stay prepared and I’m going to come here to work. They make the decisions,” Martin said (Twitter video link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). “I’m just going to show up, be myself and when it is time to play and I get my opportunity, go in there and be myself and do everything I can to help win.”
Martin did tell reporters that a recent stint in the G League with the Valley Suns provided him the opportunity to go through “game situations” and got him ready for his NBA return.
“High-intensity workouts,” he said. “They did a good job getting me prepared and put me situations that I feel like are going to be able to simulate the game as much as possible.”
The Suns remain firmly in the hunt for a play-in spot — they’re currently 2.5 games back of Dallas for the No. 10 seed in the West. And while Martin is technically under contract for next season, his $8.68MM salary is non-guaranteed, so he’ll be have plenty of motivation to play well down the stretch if he gets the chance to earn regular minutes.
Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. Cleared To Return
Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. will be available to play on Friday in a showdown vs. the East-leading Cavaliers, the team announced today (Twitter link).
As William Guillory of The Athletic tweets, head coach Taylor Jenkins initially told reporters that Jackson, who has missed the past five games due to an ankle sprain, would be a game-time decision. The big man went through his pregame warmups without any setbacks, clearing the way for him to return to action.
Jackson was initially said to be “week-to-week” as a result of his sprained ankle, so the fact that he’s back just 10 days after that announcement is good news for the Grizzlies, who are battling for playoff position. The club is currently No. 2 in the Western Conference at 42-24.
While the Grizzlies played well during Jackson’s absence, winning four of five games, they’ll certainly be happy to have their leading scorer and defensive anchor back in the lineup. Memphis has a +9.0 net rating this season when the 25-year-old is on the court compared to a +1.4 mark when he’s not.
Jackson’s return also bodes well for his award eligibility. He needs to play at least 20 minutes in seven more games to meet the 65-game minimum and qualify for All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year consideration. He’s considered a strong candidate for both awards, either of which would make him eligible for a super-max contract extension this offseason.