Southeast Notes: Bogdanovic, Wizards, Poole, Joseph, Houstan
Before being traded from the Hawks to the Clippers at last month’s deadline, Bogdan Bogdanovic had changed teams once before in his NBA career, having initially signed with Atlanta in 2020 after three years in Sacramento. However, last month’s trade represented the first in-season move for the veteran guard, who said it has been a more challenging adjustment period and that he was “nervous” returning to Atlanta to face his old team on Friday, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“This, in-season (move) is really tough,” Bogdanovic said. “And as much as I told you I was ready, I wasn’t ready. As you can see it at the beginning, the way I played and just the way I felt. So how the time goes, everything, it’s getting better.”
Bogdanovic, who said he didn’t know where the visitors’ locker room was when he entered the arena ahead of Friday’s game, scored 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting in a win over the Hawks on Friday. He also got to match up on a few possessions with Trae Young and admitted that going up against his friend and former teammate took some getting used to.
“I won’t lie to you, there’s one situation, I gave him a high-five on the floor,” Bogdanovic said. “But you see the face, and it’s like ‘Let’s go.’ But it’s just a normal reaction, as I said. Yeah, it was weird. It was weird to play against them, but it’s business at the end of the day. And I wish them all the best, honestly. They’re great group of guys. I know how hard they are working, and they had a good run. They’re gonna have a good run.”
We have more from around the Southeast:
- The Pistons‘ impressive turnaround this season should serve as an inspiration for the Wizards as they make their way through a slow rebuilding process, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Washington may not have its future franchise cornerstone on the roster yet like Detroit did with Cade Cunningham, Robbins acknowledges, but the Pistons’ success this season shows the importance of having the right head coach in place and how a few smart veteran additions can help unlock the potential of a club’s young players.
- Speaking to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Wizards guard Jordan Poole said he believes the team’s “ceiling is high” and that there’s already “a lot of talented guys” on the roster. “The ball is rolling. Snowball effect right now,” he said. “It’ll take a little bit, but we got the right group, the right setup. We’re in a really good situation right now. We’re playing some fun basketball. It’s something going to be more competitive, better as we go.” Poole also discussed a number of other topics, including what he’s learning from Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart and why he has felt more comfortable this season than he did during his first year in D.C.
- Veteran Magic point guard Cory Joseph has made his first three starts of the season in the past two weeks and played a season-high 30 minutes in Thursday’s win over New Orleans, earning praise from head coach Jamahl Mosley, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays (via Twitter). “His poise and his ability to get guys in the right spot,” Mosley said when asked what has stood out about Joseph’s performance. “And then defensively picking up full-court. The energy that he brings as a veteran, you can’t say enough about his positive spirit, his positive energy.” Orlando holds a minimum-salary team option on Joseph for 2025/26.
- Like Joseph, Magic forward Caleb Houstan has a minimum-salary team option on his contract for next season and was lauded this week by Mosley for stepping up after being out of the rotation for much of the year. Houstan scored 18 points in 26 minutes in Friday’s loss to Minnesota. “I say this with no hesitation. He might be one of the hardest workers I’ve seen,” Mosley, according to Beede. “This kid is in early, stays late, comes back, works on his shot. … He is determined. He is focused. He’s a pro. He stays ready no matter if his number is called for two minutes or 22 minutes.”
Western Notes: Wolves, Mavs, Missi, Zion, Thunder
After flirting with .500 for most of the first half of the season as they got accustomed to their new-look roster, the Timberwolves are 17-8 in their past 25 games and have won seven in a row. The Wolves won’t match their 56-win total from last season, but they’re pushing hard for a top-six spot in the Western Conference, which would guarantee them a place in the playoffs.
Following the blockbuster fall trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York and Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota, there was an adjustment period for the newcomers. DiVincenzo, in particular, struggled in the early part of the season, averaging 8.3 points per game on 35.3% shooting in his first 25 games. Since then, he’s putting up 15.1 PPG on 46.6% shooting.
Randle also took some time to get used to playing alongside center Rudy Gobert, but that duo has gotten more and more comfortable together. The Wolves have won the last 12 games in which Randle has been active and were just 5-8 last month when he missed time with a groin strain.
“We came a long way in our chemistry,” Gobert said after Wednesday’s victory in Denver, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “I would say it really starts with Ant (Anthony Edwards) and Julius. The way they’ve been playing and the way they’ve been making the right play for the teammates has been having a tremendous impact for us.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- NBA teams are required to have at least eight healthy players suit up for each game. The Mavericks, who can’t currently sign a player due to their proximity to the hard cap, are flirting with that cut-off and are at risk of falling below the minimum threshold with two-way players Kessler Edwards and Brandon Williams nearing their active-game limits. Bobby Marks of ESPN (YouTube link) explores what would happen if the Mavs don’t have eight healthy players on hand, suggesting that the club would likely have to violate the league’s injury-reporting rules by listing an injured player as available in order to meet the required minimum and avoid a forfeit.
- The Pelicans will be missing a pair of frontcourt starters on Saturday night in San Antonio. Forward Zion Williamson is unavailable for personal reasons, while center Yves Missi will sit for a second straight game due to a left ankle sprain, per the team (Twitter link).
- What do the Pelicans have to left to play for as they enter the home stretch of a disappointing season? Rod Walker of NOLA.com spoke to head coach Willie Green and a few New Orleans players about that topic. “It’s different for every player,” big man Kelly Olynyk said. “Obviously for the young guys, you want to get out here and get experience and show the organization, the franchise and the rest of the league what you can do. For an older player, you just continue to build and grow chemistry. For me, it’s trying to build inside this system and get some chemistry and cohesiveness with these guys heading into next year.”
- The Thunder‘s win in Boston on Wednesday was “a window into the versatility that makes (them) so unstoppable,” according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who says Oklahoma City continues to convincingly answer every question asked about the team’s legitimacy as a title contender.
Cam Thomas Expected To Miss Rest Of Season With Hamstring Injury
Cam Thomas is expected to miss the rest of the regular season, according to the Nets, who announced today that the fourth-year guard has been diagnosed with another left hamstring strain (Twitter link via Evan Barnes of Newsday).
It’s a disappointing end to an injury-plagued season for Thomas, who missed most of December due to a left hamstring strain, returned for two games, then aggravated the injury on January 2 and was sidelined for 24 more contests before making his most recent return in late February.
Thomas was a major offensive threat when he was healthy, leading the Nets in scoring with 24.0 points per game and bumping his assists to a career-high 3.8 per game. However, his production was inconsistent after he began dealing with those hamstring issues.
Through his first 17 outings in October and November, Thomas was scoring efficiently, with a .461 FG% and .389 3PT% — those rates dropped to a .395 FG% and .275 3PT% in his final eight appearances.
It’s a contract year for Thomas, who is in the final year of his rookie deal and will be eligible for restricted free agency this offseason. Back in the fall, he appeared headed for a significant payday, but it’s unclear how his lost second half might affect his negotiations over the summer.
It at least seems safe to assume the 23-year-old will still receive a qualifying offer from the Nets, making him an RFA. Because he’ll fall eight starts shy of meeting the “starter criteria,” that QO will be worth $5.99MM instead of $8.74MM.
As long as that qualifying offer is on the table, Thomas would have the option of accepting it and playing out next season on a one-year deal before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2026. He’d likely only consider that path if he can’t agree to terms on a multiyear deal with Brooklyn and doesn’t receive an offer sheet he likes from a rival suitor.
Keon Johnson has frequently been the odd man out of the starting lineup since Thomas’ return a couple weeks ago. He figures to regain his starting spot alongside Nic Claxton, Cameron Johnson, D’Angelo Russell, and Ziaire Williams now that Thomas is inactive again.
Mavericks’ Exum Breaks Bone In Hand, Likely Out For Season
March 15: The Mavericks have issued a formal update on Exum, announcing (via Twitter) that he has a fractured left hand and will be reevaluated in four weeks.
March 14: The injuries just keep piling up for the Mavericks.
Having entered Friday’s game in Houston with only nine available players, Dallas lost guard Dante Exum in the second quarter due to a left hand injury. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Exum has broken a bone in that hand and will be sidelined indefinitely.
Confirming that Exum has a broken bone in his hand, head coach Jason Kidd told reporters after Friday’s game that the guard is “probably out for the season,” per Christian Clark of The Athletic (Twitter link).
It has been a comically bad run of injury luck for the Mavericks, who have lost Kyrie Irving and Olivier-Maxence Prosper to season-ending ailments, with Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively among the key players who are in the midst of long-term absences. P.J. Washington, Jaden Hardy, and Kai Jones are all currently on the shelf as well.
Exum missed the first 48 games of this season while recovering from wrist surgery before making his debut on January 31. He has been a reliable role player since then — entering Friday’s game, he had averaged 9.5 points and 2.9 assists in 19.8 minutes per game across 17 outings (11 starts), with a shooting line of .484/.447/.742.
The 29-year-old, who is also considered a stout point-of-attack defender, had still been on a restriction of about 20-25 minutes per game.
While it sounds like Washington should be ready to return from an ankle sprain on Sunday, the Mavericks are far from out of the woods in terms of their injury issues. In fact, it could get worse before it gets better, since two-way players Kessler Edwards and Brandon Williams are only eligible to appear in up to three and six more regular season games, respectively, as we outlined earlier this week.
The Mavericks also don’t have the ability to add reinforcements via free agency, since they’re only about $51K away from their hard cap, which means they don’t have room for a 10-day contract and don’t have the ability to sign a 15th man until April 10.
10 Players Having Career Years Ahead Of Free Agency
There will be at least a handful of high-level free agents this offseason who score significant paydays, but it may not be a great time for mid-level free agents to reach the open market.
Cap space will be scarce around the NBA and over-the-cap teams have shown an increasing willingness to preserve their mid-level exceptions until later in the league year, especially now that they can be used to acquire players via trade. Additionally, concerns about the punitive impact of the tax aprons will prompt several clubs to be cautious about their spending, or even to shed salary rather than further increasing their payrolls.
Those factors may result in certain second- or third-tier free agents being squeezed this summer and signing for less than expected. There's not necessarily a lot that a free-agent-to-be can do about that -- it's just the reality of the market.
Of course, one way for a player to reassert some control in the process and to reduce the risk of a disappointing foray into free agency is to play the best basketball of his career in the months before his contract expires.
With few impact players likely to change teams via free agency this summer, mid-level free agents who show out in their contract years should attract the interest of would-be contenders on the lookout for a missing piece, putting themselves in position to receive a fair slice of what could be a limited pie.
Here are 10 NBA players who are enjoying contract years ahead of 2025 free agency:
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.”