DeAndre Jordan Named 2025/26 Teammate Of The Year
Veteran center DeAndre Jordan appeared in just 12 games as a member of the Pelicans this season, but he has been named the 2025/26 Teammate of the Year, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award recognizes “the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment to his team,” per the league.
Pelicans players and interim head coach James Borrego spoke repeatedly over the course of the year about the impact that Jordan had on a young roster despite his extremely limited role.
“To see the growth of our young team, DeAndre had a massive impact on that,” Borrego said near the end of the regular season. “He brought professionalism every day. A voice every day. A respect for every drill, every practice and every moment together.”
The Teammate of the Year award isn’t voted on by media members. A panel of league executives select the 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the award, while current players vote on the winner. Players receive 10 points for a first place vote, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, and one point for fifth place.
Jordan just narrowly won this season’s vote ahead of Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday, who has won the award three times and was the last Pelicans player to claim it back in 2020. Jordan earned 66 first-place votes to Holiday’s 39, but the Blazers veteran nearly made up the difference by accumulating more second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-place votes than the big man.
Here are this season’s full voting results, according to the NBA, with the player’s point total noted in parentheses:
- DeAndre Jordan, Pelicans (1,445)
- Jrue Holiday, Trail Blazers (1,437)
- Jeff Green, Rockets (1,420)
- Garrett Temple, Raptors (1,223)
- Pat Connaughton, Hornets (672)
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks (659)
- Jayson Tatum, Celtics (651)
- De’Aaron Fox, Spurs (640)
- Duncan Robinson, Pistons (523)
- Jaylin Williams, Thunder (471)
- Desmond Bane, Magic (445)
- Marcus Smart, Lakers (424)
Jordan’s win snaps a seven-year streak of a point guard being named Teammate of the Year. From 2018-25, Holiday won it three times, Mike Conley won twice, and Damian Lillard and Stephen Curry won once apiece.
Magic Notes: Bane, Isaac, Cain, Series Lead
The Magic‘s big offseason addition came through on Saturday when they needed him most. After scoring 17 points on 20 shots in Game 1 and 12 points on 11 shots in Game 2, Desmond Bane got hot in Game 3, scoring 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting and hitting 7-of-9 three-pointers.
Not only did Bane lead the Magic to a 2-1 series lead over the top-seeded Pistons, but he also tied Dennis Scott‘s franchise playoff record for made threes in a postseason game, Mike Bianchi writes for the Orlando Sentinel.
“Hopefully, I break (the record) before these playoffs are over,” Bane said after the game.
That kind of shooting from Bane is what the Magic envisioned when they traded for him. And at least for one game, it changed the way the Pistons had to guard them.
“I think that opens up another dimension for our group,” Franz Wagner said of Bane’s shot-making, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.
We have more news and notes from the Magic:
- Previously listed as doubtful, Jonathan Isaac has been ruled out for Game 4 with a left knee sprain, The Sentinel’s Jason Beede notes (via Twitter). Isaac hasn’t suited up since March 12, when he played just one minute. He hasn’t logged 10 minutes since February 26, and he has only been available for 52 games this season.
- Jamal Cain‘s box score impact might not be significant, but he has earned the trust of his teammates with his steady, veteran play, Beede writes. “[The players] celebrate him when he has some success, but he just does all the little things within a game, rebounding, guarding multiple players,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “And just does it without saying anything, just (does) what’s necessary to help this team get a win.” While Cain was a member of the 2023 Heat, who went from a No. 8 seed to the NBA Finals, this series represents his first chance to actually get on the floor in the playoffs. “I knew he was a rotational player (back) in open gym,” Bane said. “Just the way he defends, the way he’s able to make open shots … (He’s) unselfish and plays extremely hard. Those guys don’t grow on trees. So, I knew it was only a matter of time, and in this league when you get your opportunity, you’ve got to be ready. And he was ready.”
- It has been sixteen years since the Magic led a playoff series after three or more games, Josh Robbins writes for The Athletic. It hasn’t been an easy road to get to this point, but the players and coaching staff have overcome adversity and earned this opportunity to extend the series lead on Monday night through their resilience and timely coalescing, Beede adds. “We just want to win so bad,” star forward Paolo Banchero said. “Once we got into the play-in, got our spot in the playoffs … It’s a new season, that’s all we kept saying. It’s a new season, new energy.” The Magic know that the Pistons are not going to make things easy on them as Detroit faces an unexpected uphill climb. “We know what the next game holds,” said Jalen Suggs. “We know the magnitude of it, and we’ve got to come out and continue doing the things that we did tonight and build off of a couple key learning moments that we can take with us into the next one.”
Magic Notes: Game 1, Wagner, Banchero, Suggs, Bane
The Magic‘s 112-101 upset victory in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Pistons may have surprised some people, but the players in the locker room weren’t among them.
“I think everybody knows we have a really talented team,” forward Franz Wagner said. “Obviously, we didn’t have the regular season that we wanted, but that’s how it goes sometimes. I think we showed (Sunday) that we belong here and it has to be consistent, though. One game doesn’t win the series. That’s got to be our mindset going forward.”
Coach Jamahl Mosley felt that the fact his team had two play-in tournament games last week while the Pistons had the week off played a role in the upset.
“They’ve been off. We found a little bit of rhythm playing so many games, so that always plays a part in it,” he said. “But I’m still just happy that our guys came out and defended the right way. We were intentional in how we executed our offense. I think those are the things that we talked about being able to do against a great team like this. How they turn you over, how they defend, how they rebound the basketball – all those small things within the game. I was happy that we accomplished that with this group.”
Here’s more on the Magic:
- Paolo Banchero led the offense with 23 points. He also supplied nine rebounds and four assists. “I thought Paolo’s dominance in his approach to the game was excellent,” Mosley said. “His voice, his command on the floor, his court presence was special. I think that’s how the team follows. When he has that presence, it’s something to be seen. His aggression downhill, attacking, stepping into a shot with a high level of confidence, finding the matchups that he wanted, all those small things within the game, the guys fed and read off of that.”
- Banchero feels the team has put aside its uneven regular season and believes it can continue to make noise in the postseason. “There’s nothing you can do to go back and change what happened. At the end of the day, we’re here in the playoffs, and we have a chance to go and do what we set out to do since October,” he said. “You can’t get too caught up in what happened in the regular season and the frustrations. You have to just come together, realize that we’re fully healthy right now, and we feel like we’re clicking as a group. We found something against Charlotte with our defense and our energy and our communication. We know that if we just reciprocate that, we give ourselves a chance every night no matter who we’re playing. It’s definitely a new season and a new energy.”
- Jalen Suggs seemed to be all over the court, contributing 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals before fouling out in the late going. Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link) said Suggs was favoring his left knee at times but came out of the contest “feeling solid.”
- In his breakdown of the contest, Beede provides his insights into the upset, including the fact that Desmond Bane played 35 minutes despite dealing with an illness.
Magic, Suns Advance; NBA’s Playoff Field Set
After losing their first play-in games earlier in the week, the Magic and Suns bounced back in impressive fashion on Friday, winning home games against the Hornets and Warriors, respectively, to clinch their spots in the playoffs. Orlando and Phoenix will enter the first round as No. 8 seeds, with the Magic taking on Detroit in round one and the Suns facing Oklahoma City.
The Magic ran out to a 22-point lead by the end of the first quarter in Friday’s early game and expanded that cushion to 31 points by the end of the second quarter. Their defense set the tone early by allowing the Hornets to make just 5-of-20 (25.0%) shots from the floor in the first period and 13-of-41 (31.7%) in the first half. Orlando maintained that significant lead in the second half, winning by a score of 121-90.
“When you play with a sense of desperation and urgency, when you know you’re either going home or extending your season, that’s what it looks like,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said after the game, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “There (are) no second chances.”
Paolo Banchero contributed 25 points and a team-high six assists to lead a balanced offensive attack that saw all five of the Magic’s starters score in double-digits. Franz Wagner added 18 points and matched Banchero’s six assists, while Desmond Bane was a team-best plus-30 in his 35 minutes of action despite scoring just 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
In the late game, the Suns emulated the Magic by building a big lead in the first quarter, though Phoenix gave most of that 18-point edge in the second quarter before putting the win away in the second half by a score of 111-96.
Suns guard Jalen Green, who struggled in his first taste of playoff action with Houston a year ago, was excellent in this week’s play-in games, scoring 35 points in Tuesday’s loss and then pouring in 36 more in Friday’s win over Golden State. Green made 14-of-20 shots, including 8-of-14 from beyond the arc, and also contributed six rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals. His eight three-pointers matched a career high.
The Suns also did an admirable job holding Warriors star Stephen Curry in check after he went off for 35 points in Wednesday’s win over the Clippers. Curry made just 4-of-16 shots from the field in Phoenix and had as many turnovers as assists (four apiece).
The Suns and Thunder will tip off their series in Oklahoma City at 3:30 pm Eastern time on Sunday, with Game 1 of the Magic/Pistons matchup to follow in Detroit at 6:30 pm.
While Phoenix and Orlando will enter the series as massive underdogs, their regular season results against their first-round opponents offer a sliver of hope — the Suns went 2-3 against the Thunder, while the Magic went 2-2 vs. the Pistons.
Magic Notes: Sunday’s Loss, Banchero, F. Wagner, Bane
Head coach Jamahl Mosley has bemoaned the Magic lacking a sense of urgency throughout the season, and it was a talking point again after Sunday’s loss in Boston, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. The Magic had a chance to secure the No. 7 seed and home court advantage for Wednesday’s play-in contest vs. the Sixers, but instead they’ll travel to Philadelphia for their first of two chances to advance to the playoffs.
“It was a must-win game, at least I thought,” forward Paolo Banchero said. “I just think we didn’t come out with urgency. It’s frustrating, honestly.”
According to Beede, Orlando led by 16 points early in the game, but a disastrous third quarter turned out to be too much to overcome. Banchero finished with a triple-double (23 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds) and was plus-two in 38 minutes during the five-point loss, though he shot just 7-of-22 from the field and had six turnovers.
“I definitely didn’t play my best basketball,” Banchero said. “I think collectively, we just have to have more urgency. We can’t expect to win just because guys are out.”
Here’s more on the Magic:
- As Beede notes, the “guys” Banchero was referring to on the Celtics included the team’s entire starting lineup and several key reserves. Boston was already locked in as the No. 2 seed in the East and only had eight players available, but four of them — Baylor Scheierman (30 points), Ron Harper Jr. (27), Luka Garza (27) and John Tonje (13) had career scoring nights. “They hit a ton of shots, we turned it over, gave them a couple extra opportunities and that was a big portion of the ballgame,” Mosley said. “But you’ve got to give Boston a hell of a ton of credit for the way they came out with those seven-eight guys and played their tails off.”
- Forward Franz Wagner was on a minutes restriction in his sixth game back from a high ankle sprain, Beede adds. The German star had 20 points and four rebounds in 26 minutes, but didn’t score efficiently (7-of-18 from the field) and was wearing a wrap on his left leg while on the bench. “I’m trying to push through and get as much time out there as I can,” Wagner said. “I feel all right. … For sure, it’s frustrating but there’s only one way to get past that and that’s to push through it and do it in a smart way. But to go to that point consistently, and that’s all I can do.”
- Desmond Bane appeared in all 82 regular season games in 2025/26 for the first time in his career, but Mosley’s plan to limit the 27-year-old’s minutes on Sunday backfired, per Beede. The sixth-year wing played the first six minutes of the game and the original plan was to sit out the remainder of the contest. However, after the Magic fell behind in the third quarter, Bane wound up playing nearly the entire fourth period, finishing with 18 minutes. “I kept my mind ready to go, my body ready to go, riding a bike, putting heat on my knees and stuff like that,” Bane said. “But I don’t think coach really wanted to (put me back in), just to protect me. Keeping me healthy was his main goal. But I appreciate him letting me go back in the game and giving me a chance to try to help us win.”
- Both Wagner and Bane struck an optimistic tone following Sunday’s loss, according to Beede. “I’m excited,” Bane said. “We’ve got an opportunity to go and play postseason basketball. Not everybody gets to say that. That’s not something that everybody gets to experience so I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”
SGA, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league (Twitter links). This includes games played from March 30 through April 5.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player, averaged 31.7 points, 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in three Thunder victories as he puts the finishing touches on another MVP-caliber season. That three-game stretch included a 47-point outburst in an overtime win over the Pistons last Monday.
It’s the fourth Player of the Week award this season for Gilgeous-Alexander, who also claimed it twice in November and once in January. He and Luka Doncic are the only players to win the weekly award four times this season.
Brown earned Player of the Week honors for the third time in 2025/26 and the seventh time of his career by averaging an East-leading 31.0 points, 5.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game as Boston went 3-1. Celtics wings have now been named Player of the Week on each of the past two Mondays, as Jayson Tatum won the award last week.
Kevin Durant (Rockets), Cooper Flagg (Mavericks), Jrue Holiday (Blazers), Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (Nuggets), and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were the other Western Conference nominees, according to the NBA.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks), OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks), LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Desmond Bane (Magic), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) and Jayson Tatum (Celtics) were also nominated in the East.
Luka Doncic, Jalen Johnson Named Players Of The Month
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Hawks forward Jalen Johnson have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for March in the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter link).
It was a monster scoring month for Doncic, who became one of just 10 players in league history to pour in 600 points in any calendar month. He did so across 16 contests, for an average of 37.5 points per night. That run included a 60-point game, a 51-point game, and five additional outings of at least 40 points.
The star guard also contributed 8.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game while posting a shooting line of .492/.392/.794. The Lakers went 15-2 in March (14-2 when Doncic played), and the 27-year-old was even recognized for his defensive contributions — he was a Defensive Player of the Month nominee after averaging 2.3 steals per night.
The Hawks have been another one of the NBA’s hottest teams as of late, with Johnson playing a crucial role in their recent success. Atlanta went 13-2 in March (11-2 when Johnson played) and he averaged 22.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 8.5 APG while shooting 48.9% from the floor, 39.2% from beyond the arc, and 80.7% from the free throw line.
Johnson’s best games of the month came against conference rivals, including a 35-point, 10-rebound performance vs. Philadelphia on March 7 and a 24-point, 15-rebound, 13-assist triple-double against Orlando on March 16.
It’s the second time this season and the seventh time in his career that Doncic has been named a Player of the Month. He beat out fellow nominees Kevin Durant of the Rockets, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder, Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers, Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs, and Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray of the Nuggets, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
Johnson, meanwhile, is a first-time Player of the Month winner. The other nominees in the Eastern Conference were his Hawks teammate Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Cavaliers guard James Harden, Magic teammates Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane, and the Knicks duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
NBA Announces Finalists For Sportsmanship, Teammate Of The Year Awards
The NBA announced the 2025/26 finalists for a pair of awards on Tuesday, naming the six players who are eligible to win the Sportsmanship Award for this season, as well as the 12 players who are in the running to be named Teammate of the Year.
The Sportsmanship Award honors the player who “best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court,” per the NBA. Each of the league’s 30 teams nominates one of its players for the award, then a panel of league executives narrows that group to six finalists (one from each division) and current players voted for the winner.
The trophy for the Sportsmanship Award is named after Joe Dumars, the Hall-of-Fame guard who won the inaugural award back in ’95/96. This season’s finalists are as follows (via Twitter):
Bam Adebayo (Heat)- Harrison Barnes (Spurs)
- Al Horford (Warriors)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- T.J. McConnell (Pacers)
- Derrick White (Celtics)
Gilgeous-Alexander is the only one of this year’s finalists for the Sportsmanship Award who was also nominated last season. Whoever earns the honor for 2025/26 will be a first-time winner. Jrue Holiday took home the Joe Dumars Trophy a year ago.
Meanwhile, the NBA also announced its finalists for the Teammate of the Year award for 2025/26. According to the league, the player selected for the honor is “deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.”
The voting process is similar to the Sportsmanship Award — a panel of league executives selects 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the award, then current players vote on the winner.
Holiday is a three-time Teammate of the Year, having earned the honor in 2020, 2022, and 2023. He’s the only past recipient who is among this season’s group of finalists.
Those Teammate of the Year finalists are as follows (via Twitter):
- Desmond Bane (Magic)
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Pat Connaughton (Hornets)
- De’Aaron Fox (Spurs)
- Jeff Green (Rockets)
- Jrue Holiday (Trail Blazers)
- DeAndre Jordan (Pelicans)
- Duncan Robinson (Pistons)
- Marcus Smart (Lakers)
- Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
- Garrett Temple (Raptors)
- Jaylin Williams (Thunder)
Magic Notes: Cain, Mosley, Losing Streak, W. Carter
Fourth-year forward Jamal Cain was converted from a two-way deal to a standard contract on Friday. His new deal covers two seasons — the Magic hold a team option on Cain for 2026/27, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Speaking to the media ahead of Saturday’s game against the Lakers, Cain discussed his promotion, which occurred on his 27th birthday (video link via the Magic).
“I’ve been waiting four years for that,” said Cain, who spent all his previous time in the league on two-way contracts (story via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). “All the hard work and grind is paying off. But I wasn’t more excited than my mom and my family. They surprised me for my birthday, and just seeing the excitement on their faces made it all worth my while. I’m definitely blessed, for sure.”
Cain’s head coach and teammates were thrilled to learn the news, according to Beede.
“He’s a young man that has worked his tail off for years in this league to try to make it to this level,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “He comes in with a sense of joy, a work ethic, a professionalism every single day — what we ask our guys to do night in and night out.”
We have more from Orlando:
- After seven consecutive victories, the Magic have now dropped three straight games ahead of Saturday’s matchup with the Lakers, who are riding an eight-game winning streak. As Beede writes for The Orlando Sentinel, Mosley received his first career ejection in Thursday’s lopsided loss at Charlotte after a pair of technical fouls in the second quarter. “Mose always goes to bat for us,” Desmond Bane said. “I don’t think that’s ever a question, on whether or not he’s got our back. So, definitely like the fire and it’s on us to match that and display that on the court.”
- Mosley explained what he wants to see from the Magic on Saturday, Beede adds. “In front of our home fans, just to be able to scrap, to be able to continue to fight, play with that sense of intensity, urgency (and) joy for one another, together,” Mosely said. “All of those pieces are key, but it’s got to be our defense that sets the tone and then our ability to keep moving and sharing the basketball, and that urgency that we need to continue to play with nightly is very important down this stretch.”
- Starting center Wendell Carter Jr. has been upgraded from questionable to available for tonight’s game, the Magic announced (via Twitter). Carter was sidelined on Thursday due to a bruised left rib, which the team referred to as mild.
Luka Doncic, Bam Adebayo Earn Player Of Week Honors
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Heat big man Bam Adebayo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league office (Twitter links). The awards cover games played from March 9-15.
Doncic led the Lakers to a 3-0 week by averaging 37.3 points, 11.0 assists and 10.3 rebounds per game. He came one assist away from registering three consecutive triple-doubles, had 51 points on Thursday vs. Chicago, and made a last-second basket to defeat Denver in overtime on Saturday.
The selection of Adebayo was a foregone conclusion after his historic 83-point game against the Wizards, which represented the second-highest single-game scoring output in NBA history. Overall, Adebayo averaged 41.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals per contest last week as the Heat won two of three games.
Doncic became the second player to win a third Player of the Week award in 2025/26, joining Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. For Adebayo, it’s his second Player of the Week selection this season and the fourth of his career.
Devin Booker (Suns), DeMar DeRozan (Kings), Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Austin Reaves (Lakers) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were the other nominees from the Western Conference. Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane (Magic), Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren (Pistons), Brandon Ingram (Raptors) and Jalen Johnson (Hawks) were the other nominees from the East.