And-Ones: Rivers, Awards, Playoff X-Factors, Wemby, Morant
In a podcast appearance with Bill Simmons of The Ringer (Twitter video link), Doc Rivers suggested his coaching career might be finished. The 64-year-old stepped down as head coach of the Bucks earlier this week.
“We met about seven weeks ago, me and (Bucks) ownership,” Rivers said (hat tip to Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports). “We had a great meeting. They asked me what I wanted to do. One of the owners says one plan is, ‘If we do this, you can hang in there for a year or two.’ I literally said, ‘Oh, no, no, no.’
“I told my coaches, I’m done. I loved coaching. Loved it. I had a lot of success at it, had way more ups than downs. But at the end of the day, I’ve given 47 years or whatever, I don’t even know how old I am … with no off time. I just wanted a break. I want to get away. The grandkids and just life in general, man. Right now, I can tell you, Bill, I think it was time, so I’d be surprised if I coached another game, I’ll put it that way.”
Rivers, who will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later this year, compiled a 1194-866 regular season mark (.580) over the course of 27 seasons as an NBA head coach.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports and Tim Bontemps of ESPN have released their full 2026 NBA awards ballots. While both media members have the same top-five finishers for Most Valuable Player, with Luka Doncic fourth and Cade Cunningham fifth, the order of the three finalists are different. O’Connor has Victor Wembanyama as his MVP, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, whereas Bontemps had SGA winning his second straight MVP award, with Jokic the runner-up and Wembanyama in third.
- In another story for Yahoo Sports, O’Connor lists his playoff X-factors for every team competing in the postseason. Celtics center Neemias Queta, Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson and Spurs guard Dylan Harper are a few of the players mentioned.
- The Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA) has named Spurs center Wembanyama the winner of the Magic Johnson award for the 2025/26 season, per a press release. The award “honors the NBA player who best combines excellence on the court with cooperation and grace in dealing with the media and fans.” Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) was the runner-up for the second straight season, while Stephen Curry (Warriors), Jaylen Brown (Celtics) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) were the other finalists.
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has purchased a stake in the Metropolitans 92, Wembanyama’s former team in France, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “I’m excited about how this first season with the Metros is going,” Morant told ClutchPoints. “They represent the culture, just like we do. I like what we are building and hopefully we get to take it into NBA Europe.” Morant made the investment alongside his media and business venture company, Catch12.
Ja Morant Trade Market Expected To Expand In Offseason
The Grizzlies discussed possible Ja Morant trades with a handful of teams prior to February’s deadline, but they didn’t gain traction in those talks, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Michael C. Wright, who say that at least one potential trade partner – the Kings – wanted Memphis to attach a first-round pick to the two-time All-Star, prompting the Grizzlies to end their negotiations.
Morant’s trade value has fallen off drastically in recent years due to a combination of health issues, declining production, and off-court transgressions. However, even though he made just 20 appearances in 2025/26, the expectation is that the Grizzlies will be in better position to find a viable deal this offseason, per MacMahon and Wright — even if the return for the veteran guard will fall well short of what the team could’ve gotten a few years ago.
[RELATED: Grizzlies Plan To Trade Ja Morant In Offseason]
As MacMahon and Wright explain, there are a few factors that could help grease the wheels on a Morant deal in the coming months. For one, a suitor will likely feel comfortable about incorporating a ball-dominant player like Morant during the summer rather than midway through the season. Interested teams should also have more time during the offseason to conduct thorough background research on Morant, including going through his medical history.
Additionally, if Giannis Antetokounmpo is traded this summer, teams that miss out on the star forward may feel more compelled to pivot to a Plan B like Morant. And even if Antetokounmpo isn’t dealt, clubs who didn’t meet their expectations in 2025/26 could feel more pressure to roll the dice on a buy-low opportunity.
“There’s certainly going to be hesitation,” one Western Conference director of pro personnel told ESPN, “but there’s going to be several desperate teams.”
“There will be teams that will feel like they didn’t get what they wanted in the draft or free agency, and that’s when something could happen for Ja,” another West executive added.
Here’s more from MacMahon and Wright on Morant:
- Many rival executives were preparing for Morant to become available last offseason after the Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane and declined to engage in extension talks with the star point guard, MacMahon and Wright say. The belief that Morant’s time in Memphis is nearing an end only grew after he had an early-season disagreement head coach Tuomas Iisalo and was suspended for one game by the team. That suspension rubbed Morant the wrong way, according to ESPN’s reporters, who say he told “players around the league and some of his former coaches that he isn’t playing for Memphis anymore.”
- The return that the Hawks got when they traded Trae Young to Washington in January – CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, with no draft picks – is the type of package that many league executives view as “reasonable” for Morant, per ESPN’s duo.
- There’s a sense that the Kings could circle back to Morant during the summer if they don’t land a lead guard of the future with their lottery pick, sources familiar with the team’s thinking tell MacMahon and Wright.
- Some executives believe Morant – who is still just 26 years old – is a strong bounce-back candidate in the event of a trade. “Maybe I’m naive, but that type of talent doesn’t grow on trees,” one exec told ESPN. “Especially if he’s going to a different place and he’s motivated: ‘OK, I’ll show you guys.’ I could see some teams talking themselves into it, at least kicking the tires.”
Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Jerome, Offseason, Coward
Since winning 48 games in 2024/25, the Grizzlies have traded away Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. and appear to be embarking on a full-fledged rebuild after posting a 25-57 record this season. Will star point guard Ja Morant be the next veteran on the move this summer?
General manager and executive VP of basketball operations Zach Kleiman was noncommittal on Monday when asked about Morant’s future with the team. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal observes, the fact that he didn’t refer to the two-time All-Star as a franchise cornerstone represented a notable departure from his remarks in past end-of-season pressers.
“I’ll reiterate Ja has been a pro,” Kleiman said. “Ja has been a pro behind the scenes the last few months here. We have had open dialogue, we’ve had respectful dialogue. I think everyone is on the same page as much as they can be in this situation. I’m not going to speculate on potential transactions.”
Like Morant, reserve point guard Ty Jerome was limited by injuries in 2025/26. But the 28-year-old, a free agent addition last summer, was excellent in his 15 outings, averaging 19.7 points and 5.7 assists in just 22.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .474/.420/.875. While Jerome would likely have real value on the trade market this summer, Kleiman suggested the veteran guard remains part of Memphis’ plans going forward, according to Cole.
“I think we were all impressed with the balance Ty was able to strike as a scorer and as a facilitator,” Kleiman said. “He’s a very good basketball player. Of course, we see what he can be as part of this group.”
Here’s more on the Grizzlies:
- Kleiman acknowledged on Monday that there’s plenty of work still to do to turn the Grizzlies’ roster into one capable of contending, but he’s optimistic about the foundation already in place and the assets the team has on hand to keep building. “I’m confident that this is going to be a group people can rally around and be excited about going forward,” he said, per Cole. “I think if you zoom all the way out and look at the group of young players we already have, coupled with having as many first-round assets as nearly anyone in the league, it’s going to speak for itself soon.”
- After another injury-plagued season in Memphis, Kleiman suggested that the team will look this offseason into whether changes can be made within the organization to improve player availability and durability, according to Cole. “Every season, we look at the entire operation and make sure we’re doing what we can to put the group in the best possible spot going into the following season,” he said. “We’ll do that this offseason just like we always do.”
- A bright spot in a forgettable season for the Grizzlies, rookie wing Cedric Coward has made a case for a place on the All-Rookie first team, Cole writes in another Commercial Appeal story. The 11th overall pick averaged 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game on 47.1% shooting across 62 contests. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo lauded Coward for his contributions to winning, noting that he’s “just scratched the surface of what he can be,” while veteran big man Taj Gibson said on Monday that Coward reminds him of a “young Jimmy (Butler),” per Jonah Dylan of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- In his preview of the Grizzlies’ offseason, Bobby Marks of ESPN examines some of the decisions facing Kleiman and the front office this summer, including what to do with Morant. Marks also observes that swingman Jaylen Wells will be extension-eligible beginning in July and could sign an extension of up to four years if the team declines his 2027/28 option as part of a deal.
Grizzlies’ Morant, Clarke, Edey Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
The Grizzlies released medical updates for Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke, and Zach Edey today (via Twitter), announcing that all three players have officially been ruled out for the remainder of the 2025/26 season.
Morant has been dealing with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left elbow and hasn’t played since January 21. In early March, the team announced he would be reevaluated in two weeks. According to today’s update, it was recommended that the point guard receive a platelet-rich plasma injection to aid the healing process. He is expected to make a full recovery before next season.
Clarke, who missed the start of the season while recovering from a procedure on his right knee, has only played two games in 2025/26 and is currently working his way back from a right calf strain. Following recent imaging, the Grizzlies determined that he requires more time before he can resume “high-intensity court work.”
Edey hasn’t played since the first week of December and there was already an expectation that he’d miss the rest of the season after undergoing ankle surgery. While he continues to recovery from that surgery, he also underwent a procedure to alleviate lingering discomfort in his left elbow, the Grizzlies announced.
Like Morant, Clarke and Edey are both expected to make full recoveries for the 2026/27 season, per the team.
Morant, a trade candidate at last month’s deadline who will likely be back on the block this offseason, will have two years and $87MM left on his maximum-salary contract. Clarke will be on an expiring $12.5MM contract in ’26/27, while Edey is entering the third year of his rookie scale deal and will earn $6.33MM.
Ja Morant Discusses JJJ Trade, Possible Return This Season
Ja Morant was one of the most discussed players in the NBA heading into the trade deadline, but the Grizzlies guard hadn’t made any public comments since January 21, when he suffered a UCL sprain in his left elbow. That changed on Saturday as Morant conducted a pregame session with reporters, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes.
Just as he did at a January press conference in Berlin, Morant stuck to short answers while still expressing his opinion on a variety of topics, including the surprising trade that sent Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah last month. Morant called that deal, which sent away another core member of Memphis’ last playoff team, “difficult.”
“I wasn’t a fan of it,” he replied, “but it’s a business, so, like I told him, he’s been a pro for eight years now, so continue to be that.”
Trade rumors surrounding Morant began to percolate roughly two months ago when sources told The Commercial Appeal that the team was willing to listen to offers. None of those offers turned out to be good enough, but the Grizzlies are expected to renew their pursuit of a deal this summer.
General manager Zach Kleiman has stated that the team is looking to get younger, and Morant’s contract, which pays him more than $87MM over the next two years, could be burdensome for an organization that’s not expected to be a contender.
Although Morant has clashed with head coach Tuomas Iisalo since he was appointed late last season, he said on Saturday that he enjoys being in Memphis and would like to remain with the team.
“Why can’t I be? I’ve been happy this whole time,” Morant said.
Reporters pressed him on the subject, asking if he believes he’ll still be with the Grizzlies next season.
“I hope so,” Morant said. “You would know more than me. The internet is right there. Everything you’re asking me has been on the internet.”
Morant also discussed the injury that has kept him out of action for more than six weeks. He still feels discomfort in the elbow, especially when he tries to make a cross-body pass.
“If I was basically whipping a pass to the opposite side with that hand is the biggest problem,” Morant said. “Other than that, I feel like I can fight through it, but also still have to be smart.”
Morant added that he hopes to return at some point this season and doesn’t think he’ll need time to recondition because the injury doesn’t affect his legs. He believes he can adapt to a core of Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Cam Spencer and Jaylen Wells as easily as he did with his former teammates.
“The same I would fit with any other team,” Morant said. “Just whatever Ja brings to the table.”
Ja Morant (Left Elbow) Will Be Reevaluated In Two Weeks
Point guard Ja Morant, who sprained the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left elbow on January 21, continues to experience discomfort in his elbow, the Grizzlies announced in a press release (Twitter link).
According to the team, Morant underwent follow-up imaging on Wednesday, which revealed incomplete healing of his injury. He’s out at least two more weeks, which is the next time he’ll be reevaluated.
Morant has appeared in just 20 games this season and has only been available three times since the start of the new year. Memphis is currently 23-38, six games out of the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.
Morant was one of the top names on the trade market heading into February’s deadline and was reportedly surprised that he didn’t get moved. That was partially due to his lack of availability, as he’s been limited to 79 total games over the past three seasons. His contract also factored in, as teams were reluctant to take on an unreliable player who’s owed $42.4MM and $44.9MM during the next two years.
The 26-year-old’s production has been declining as well. In his 20 appearances this season, the former All-NBA selection has averaged 19.5 points, 8.1 assists (3.6 turnovers), 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 28.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .410/.235/.897.
Memphis is expected to resume its search for a Morant trade this summer, but the return may be limited given the aforementioned factors. The Grizzlies reportedly talked to Miami, Minnesota, Sacramento, and Milwaukee about Morant deals prior to the deadline.
Fischer’s Latest: Antetokounmpo, Morant, Bulls, Yabusele
The rumors circulating about the Bucks trading Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t amount to anything at the February 5 deadline, but that will only postpone speculation about Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee rather than ending it.
Jake Fischer, writing for The Stein Line (Substack link), says his sources around the situation still believe that a move to what he calls “a true title contender” is the most likely outcome for Giannis this summer, especially since many of those contenders will be able to offer more than they did at the deadline.
According to Fischer, many people around the league are also expecting the Nets to emerge as a legitimate suitor for the two-time MVP, either using a package built around Michael Porter Jr. and draft picks or one that keeps Porter in Brooklyn.
Fischer adds that how teams like the Rockets and Spurs fare in the playoffs could impact Antetokounmpo’s trade market too.
We have more from around the league:
- Ja Morant wasn’t traded at the deadline, with reports indicating that the Grizzlies weren’t ready to accept a package similar to the one the Hawks received for Trae Young. While there wasn’t a strong market for the Memphis point guard at the deadline, multiple teams believe that the Bucks have real interest in bringing Morant in, Fischer reports, whether as a successor to Antetokounmpo in their next phase of team-building or as a complement to him.
- Trade deadline moves by the Wizards and Jazz reduced the future financial flexibility of two of the projected cap space teams in 2026, leaving Chicago, Brooklyn, and the two Los Angeles teams as the summer’s probable cap room clubs. According to Fischer, the Bulls have signaled that their primary directive in free agency will be going after wings. The list of free agent wings ranges from unrestricted veterans like Khris Middleton and Tobias Harris to younger restricted FAs such as Bennedict Mathurin and Tari Eason. In addition to wings, the guard-heavy Bulls will also need to find a starting center.
- After removing his second-year player option in order to facilitate a trade from the Knicks to the Bulls, Guerschon Yabusele is expected to have a competitive EuroLeague market this summer, Fischer writes, noting that the French forward had considered signing with the Nuggets prior to joining the Knicks.
Ja Morant To Be Reevaluated In Two Weeks; KCP Set For Finger Surgery
Ja Morant is making progress in his recovery from a UCL sprain in his left elbow and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).
The team also revealed that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will undergo a surgical procedure on Thursday to address misalignment of his right pinky finger.
Morant suffered his injury in a January 21 game against Atlanta and hasn’t played since. He continues to experience discomfort in the elbow, according to the team. The point guard has appeared in just 20 games this season and has only been available three times since the start of the new year.
Morant was one of the top names on the trade market heading into the deadline and was reportedly surprised that he didn’t get moved. That was partially due to his lack of availability, as he’s been limited to 79 total games over the past three seasons. His contract also factored in, as teams were reluctant to take on an unreliable player who’s owed $42.4MM and $44.9MM during the next two years.
His productivity has also been declining, which could be related to the injuries. He’s averaging 19.5 points per game this season while shooting career lows of 41% from the field and 23.5% from three-point range.
Memphis is expected to resume its search for a Morant trade this summer, but the return may still be limited, especially if he continues to battle injuries for the rest of the season. The Grizzlies reportedly talked with Miami, Minnesota, Sacramento and Milwaukee about Morant deals prior to the deadline.
Caldwell-Pope has been a mainstay for a team affected all season by injuries, appearing in 51 of Memphis’ first 53 games. The 33-year-old shooting guard, who was acquired from Orlando last summer, is averaging 8.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 21.3 minutes per night, mostly as a reserve.
Caldwell-Pope has the team’s second-highest salary at $21,621,500 and he holds a player option for the same amount next season.
The Grizzlies state that a timeline for Caldwell-Pope will be set after the operation is completed, and he’s expected to make a full recovery. Memphis is 20-33 and five-and-a-half games out of the 10th spot in the West, so there’s a chance that Caldwell-Pope won’t return this season.
Post-Deadline Rumors: Morant, JJJ, Bulls, Missi, Celtics
The fact that Ja Morant wasn’t traded at last week’s deadline came as a bit of a surprise to him, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints, who says the Grizzlies weren’t willing to accept a package similar to what Atlanta got for Trae Young.
The Grizzlies talked to the Heat, Timberwolves, and Bucks about Morant, but didn’t come close to making a deal, Azarly writes. League sources tell ClutchPoints that Ryan Rollins was a player Memphis and Milwaukee talked about, but the Grizzlies were averse to taking back Kyle Kuzma and/or Bobby Portis, who are both on multiyear guaranteed contracts.
According to reporting last week, Memphis signaled a willingness to take on long-term salary if it came attached to first-round draft compensation, but there’s no indication the Bucks would’ve put their lone tradable first-rounder on the table for Morant.
The expectation is that the Grizzlies will try to trade Morant again in the summer, and Azarly suggests that the point guard should be able to return from his left elbow injury not long after the All-Star break. As Azarly explains, even though Memphis has pivoted to a full-on rebuild and would benefit from piling up losses down the stretch, both the team and Morant himself would appreciate the opportunity to have the 26-year-old rebuild his trade value with a strong finish to the season.
Here are a few more leftover rumors from last week’s trade deadline:
- In addition to Golden State and Toronto – whose talks with the Grizzlies were previously reported – the Pistons and Hawks also “checked in” on Jaren Jackson Jr. before he was dealt to the Jazz, while the Suns and Hornets also had interest, says Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. There’s no indication that any of those teams made any real progress toward acquiring Jackson from Memphis.
- The Bulls, who acquired a total of eight second-round picks in their various pre-deadline deals, made an effort to flip some of those second-rounders to the Pelicans last Thursday in a deal for second-year center Yves Missi, Siegel writes. However, New Orleans was holding out for a first-round pick and ended up retaining Missi through the deadline.
- Sources who spoke to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) viewed the Celtics‘ swap of Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic as a “clear indicator” that Boston thinks forward Jayson Tatum will be able to return before the end of the season. Simons’ was the team’s fourth-leading scorer prior to the trade, but would’ve likely seen his role reduced in a rotation that featured a healthy Tatum.
Heat Notes: Deadline, Giannis, Morant, Rozier, Young, More
The Heat were one of only three teams that didn’t make a trade ahead of Thursday’s deadline. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, the team has been trending in the wrong direction for two months, going just 13-18 over its past 31 games after a 14-7 start.
Despite having another middling record (27-25), the Heat are optimistic brighter days are ahead.
“League-wide, I think everybody is just glad that all of that is behind us,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said following Friday’s morning shooting shootaround in Boston. “And we can just focus on the next 30 games. We have great opportunities still ahead of us. We know what we have to work on is our consistency. We have a high ceiling, but we need to do it more consistently.”
Consistency was a major talking point for Spoelstra, who said variations of the word several more times on Friday.
Captain and starting center Bam Adebayo said the players breathed a sigh of relief when they learned they were sticking with Miami, according to Chiang.
“Guys got that weight off their shoulders, where they don’t know what’s going to happen to them,” Adebayo said. “It’s good to have that type of clarity. So now we can focus on basketball and try to stack these wins.”
Here’s more from Miami:
- The Heat were one of the primary suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and aside from Adebayo, they were willing to discuss every other player on the roster in talks for the Bucks star, a league source tells Chiang. Miami also had “some level of interest” in Ja Morant, but his maximum-salary contract and injury history were among the factors that made the Heat leery of pursuing the Grizzlies guard, Chiang reports.
- Andrew Wiggins was mentioned as a possible trade candidate this season, but the Heat were never offered a first-round pick for the veteran forward, according to Chiang. Terry Rozier, who has been away from the team throughout 2025/26 after being arrested and indicted on federal charges related to illegal gambling, was another player who stayed put. Chiang hears Miami’s brain trust is still weighing the possibility of waiving Rozier’s expiring contract, which would open up a second spot on the standard roster — the Heat have only been carrying 14 players due to their proximity to the luxury tax line.
- Jahmir Young has been named the G League’s Player of the Month for games played in January, the NBA announced (via Twitter). Young, a second-year guard who is on a two-way contract with the Heat, averaged 29.5 points, 9.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds last month for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s NBAGL affiliate.
- Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel takes a look at some options the Heat could consider to fill out their standard roster, including converting a two-way player like Young or taking a flier on a veteran on the buyout/free agent market. Pat Connaughton, Georges Niang and Chris Boucher are a few of the veterans Winderman lists.
- For better or worse, the Heat stuck to their guiding principles ahead of the deadline, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who considers whether that was the right call and explores what the consequences of maintaining the status quo could be both now and going forward.