Southeast Notes: Kuminga, Powell, White, Wizards
Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (left knee) has been ruled out for Friday’s game in Houston, but the expectation is that he’ll be available on Saturday for his first matchup with his former team, the Warriors, tweets Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.
While Kuminga’s stint in Golden State turned sour over the course of his four-and-a-half years with the franchise, no one in the organization holds any ill will toward him, according to head coach Steve Kerr, who said the Warriors want to see Kuminga succeed in Atlanta.
“To be honest, I haven’t given (the first matchup against Kuminga) much thought because we’re trying to win a damn game,” Kerr told Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “But I can tell you that everybody likes JK. Everybody on our team wants the best for him. I want the best for him.
“… I think players need the right set of circumstances to thrive. And the trade made sense because these were not the right circumstances for JK. And you can see right away that Kristaps (Porzingis) has a very clear role on this team, something we’ve needed for years. And we’re looking forward to getting him out there with Steph (Curry). And so in the end, hopefully it’s a trade that works for both guys and both teams.”
Although the on-court fit wasn’t right for him, Kuminga developed several strong relationships during his time with the Warriors. One of those relationships was with current Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh, who was the vice president of basketball strategy in Golden State before being hired by Atlanta in 2024.
“I would go in the front office and mess with him,” Kuminga said of Saleh, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). “He was somebody that you could really sit down and communicate with.”
Saleh may be looking to negotiate a new contract with Kuminga this summer. According to Fischer, sources say there’s mutual interest between the Hawks and the forward’s camp in the possibility of the team declining its $24.3MM option on Kuminga for the 2026/27 season in order to work out a new, multiyear deal.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Since missing seven games due to a groin strain, All-Star guard Norman Powell has come off the bench in two of the Heat‘s last three games. He has still played at least 30 minutes in each of those contests and is taking the adjustment to his role in stride, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I feel like I’m a starter. I’ve worked to be in that role,” Powell said. “But if the team feels that me coming off the bench some games or whatever it is based on a matchup is going to put us in position to win games, I’m going to accept the role and go out there and play basketball.”
- Coby White is playing fewer minutes in Charlotte so far than he did in Chicago, but the Hornets guard is looking more and more comfortable in his sixth man role, averaging 23.0 points in 23.0 minutes per game on .512/.417/.938 shooting in his past three outings. “I appreciate his humility in wanting to kind of fit in, but he’s a heck of a player, and he’s gotta be himself,” head coach Charles Lee said, per Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. “And I think the guys encouraged him and continue to do that too, and be aggressive. He’s another guy who can just generate more offense, get the offense flowing. He helps us get to the free throw line because he understands how to use his body, and when he feels contact he starts to get into his shot. But the passing has been really good, too. So I’m really proud of Coby’s growth and evolution since he’s been here.”
- David Aldridge of The Athletic takes a look at what the Wizards and Trae Young are looking to accomplish in the final few weeks of the regular season, noting that Young and rookie guard Tre Johnson each expressed a desire to get plenty of reps alongside one another.
Draft Notes: Dybantsa, Boozer, Pacers, Wilson, Guards, More
BYU’s NCAA tournament run ended early, with the West’s No. 6 seed knocked off by No. 11 Texas on Thursday. However, forward AJ Dybantsa did little to hurt his draft stock in the process, putting up 35 of his team’s 71 points in the losing effort.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), Dybantsa may have entered this week as the frontrunner to be the No. 1 overall pick in June due to some concerns related to Kansas guard Darryn Peterson‘s health over the course of his freshman year with the Jayhawks and skepticism about whether Cameron Boozer‘s “athletic profile” will limit his ceiling at the NBA level.
Fischer clarifies that no one expects any sort of draft-night fall for Peterson or Boozer, who have widely been considered top-three prospects alongside Dybantsa for months. In fact, he says some rival teams believe Boozer would be the Pacers‘ top choice if they got the No. 1 pick due to his potential fit with their current personnel.
However, Fischer also suggests that there’s been momentum toward UNC’s Caleb Wilson joining that top tier of prospects, despite the fact that hand and thumb injuries prematurely ended the forward’s season. Wilson has drawn comparisons to players like Chris Bosh and Evan Mobley, and there’s no sense that his thumb surgery will impact his standing as a top-five lock, Fischer adds.
“I don’t think anyone is taking Wilson No. 1 overall,” one NBA general manager said. “But I think every team is going to have him above one of those other three guys.”
Here’s more from Fischer on the 2026 NBA draft:
- One Eastern Conference scout recently predicted that there might be “an entire lottery of freshmen” this June, according to Fischer, who adds that the draft class is considered especially heavy on backcourt talent. Some scouts view it as the strongest group of guards since 2018, when Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entered the league, while one executive compared it to a 2008 class that was headlined by Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, Fischer writes.
- Illustrating the depth of the 2026 draft, Fischer notes that one veteran scout suggested that whichever team lands the No. 1 overall pick should seriously consider the idea of trading down to maximize the value of that selection. “There’s just too much opportunity to still get an All-Star caliber player and another future asset,” the scout said. According to Fischer, multiple executives have also expressed that there could be lottery-caliber prospects available in the 20s and a number of NBA-ready players available in the second round. “This might be a draft where more guys are getting guaranteed (NBA contracts) in the second round,” a Western Conference scout speculated.
- While the lottery will consist mostly of college freshmen, there are several “plug-and-play” upperclassmen who will appeal to teams later in the first round. Fischer identifies Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson, Florida forward Thomas Haugh, Michigan center Aday Mara, Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz, and Texas wing Dailyn Swain as juniors and seniors frequently mentioned as intriguing targets in that range.
- Fischer also singles out Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner, Purdue guard Braden Smith, and Santa Clara forward Allen Graves as players who are “generating intrigue” among NBA evaluators, observing that Tanner and Graves in particular are analytics darlings.
Ivica Zubac To Miss Rest Of Season With Fractured Rib
Pacers center Ivica Zubac sustained a fractured rib in Wednesday’s loss to Portland, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link), who reports that Zubac will sit out the rest of the season while he recovers from the injury.
Zubac left Wednesday’s game early, though his exit happened after he was on the wrong end of a Donovan Clingan elbow, and the head contusion he suffered on that play was the ailment he discussed during his post-game media session. It’s unclear when the rib fracture occurred.
Zubac, who was traded from the Clippers to Indiana at February’s deadline, was still recovering from a left ankle sprain at the time of the deal and didn’t make his Pacers debut until last week. He has been limited to just 48 total appearances this season due to various health issues.
In his five games as Indiana’s starting center – all losses – Zubac averaged 11.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 23.6 minutes per contest. His full-season averages were 14.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 30.1 MPG.
Although Zubac was able to suit up for a few games as a Pacer this season, the team traded for him with an eye toward 2026/27 and beyond. With a healthy Zubac in the middle and star point guard Tyrese Haliburton back from his Achilles tear, Indiana is hopeful that it will once again become a title contender after coming within one win of a championship last June.
With Zubac unavailable, big man Jay Huff figures to reclaim a spot in the starting lineup. He started 15 of 16 games at the five between the start of February and Zubac’s debut. Reserve center Micah Potter, who lost his rotation spot with Zubac healthy, will likely resume playing regular minutes once he’s healthy. He was inactive on Tuesday and Wednesday due to a right triceps strain.
Wizards To Reevaluate Anthony Davis At End Of Month
Anthony Davis had the ligament damage in his left hand reevaluated on Thursday in Los Angeles, according to the Wizards, who announced today in a press release that the big man’s recovery “continues to progress positively” (Twitter link). However, the volar plate tissue in Davis’ left hand has yet to fully heal, per the team.
The plan, the Wizards say, is for Davis to continue with “conservative” treatment and to ramp up his basketball activity “as tolerated.” He’ll be evaluated again at the end of March.
After Washington acquired Davis at February’s trade deadline, there were conflicting accounts on whether he’d make his Wizards debut in 2025/26. Multiple reporters suggested that the 32-year-old’s season was likely over, but general manager Will Dawkins stated in a media session that he expected Davis to return before the team’s regular season finale on April 12.
The Wizards have the NBA’s second-worst record at 16-53 and aren’t particularly motivated to win games down the stretch. Besides wanting to ensure they hang onto their top-eight protected first-round pick – rather than sending it to New York – they’ll want to maximize their odds of landing a top-four selection in the draft lottery.
Still, the Wizards showed by bringing back guard Trae Young earlier this month following his own lengthy injury absence that they like the idea of having their new veteran additions establish some chemistry with the team’s young core before the end of the season.
It’s entirely possible Davis won’t play again in 2025/26, but it also wouldn’t be a total surprise if he’s active for a few games at the end of the season, assuming his hand has fully recovered by then and the Wizards are in little danger of compromising their favorable lottery position.
Davis has been limited to just 20 outings so far this season, all with Dallas. He averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 blocks in 31.3 minutes per night.
Bucks Co-Owner Edens: Giannis Will Be Extended Or Traded
The Bucks have no intention of letting Giannis Antetokounmpo play out the final guaranteed year of his contract in 2026/27 and opt for free agency during the 2027 offseason, team co-owner Wes Edens told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
“Giannis is going into the last year (of his contract),” Edens said. “So one of two things will happen: Either he will be extended or he’ll be traded. The likelihood you’ll let him just kind of play out the last year, we can’t afford that. It’s not consistent with what’s good for the organization. That’s not a Giannis issue. That’s any player that’s in their last year.”
Antetokounmpo’s contract, which pays him $54.1MM this season, includes a $58.5MM guaranteed salary for ’26/27, followed by a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28. He’ll become eligible on October 1 to sign a four-year, maximum-salary extension that would be worth a projected $275MM (the exact value would depend on where the ’27/28 cap ends up).
However, if Giannis informs the Bucks this offseason that he doesn’t intend to sign that extension once he’s eligible to do so, it sounds like the team is prepared to reopen trade discussions that began in earnest prior to last month’s deadline, even if the two-time MVP doesn’t explicitly request a change of scenery.
[RELATED: Giannis Resisting Bucks’ Plan To Shut Him Down For Season]
Still, according to Shelburne, rival executives and insiders around the league are skeptical about whether the Bucks’ choice will be quite that simple.
As Shelburne explains, the team has an unusual ownership structure that involves the governor title changing hands between co-owners Edens and Jimmy Haslam every five years. In addition to controlling ownership rotating between those two men, another franchise shareholder, Jamie Dinan, is involved in major decisions. The setup has created some confusion among rival teams about who would get the final say in Milwaukee on a roster move as monumental as an Antetokounmpo trade.
“This has nothing to do with Giannis and whether he asks out,” one source told Shelburne. “It’s about who’s making the decision on whether to trade Giannis, and I don’t think anyone knows that. I deal with them all the time and honestly it depends on the day. They’re not even close to being ready to make a decision like that.”
Edens, who will be the controlling owner for two more years before handing the reins to Haslam for five years beginning in 2028, tells ESPN that his partnership with Haslam is “unbelievably good” and that he has no concerns about the arrangement, but Shelburne suggests there have been signs that Haslam’s influence within the organization is growing since he bought Marc Lasry‘s share of the team in 2023.
When longtime Bucks president Peter Feigin left the organization earlier this season, he was replaced by Haslam Sports Group executive Josh Glessing, according to Shelburne, who also hears from sources that one team discussing a potential Giannis trade last month had direct negotiations with Haslam.
“The more time goes on, the more power Jimmy’s going to have,” a source close to the team said. “And long term, it’ s going to be his anyway, so he’s not going to let the guy that’s [passing controlling ownership on] eventually dictate what it looks like.”
“We mostly dealt with (general manager Jon) Horst,” added a rival executive whose team pursued Antetokounmpo. “But our impression was that Jimmy was really the one who would decide this.”
Although Edens insists that he and Haslam are “completely united” on the Giannis situation, other teams and Bucks minority shareholders are keeping a close eye on the situation due to the way in which the relationship between Edens and Lasry fell apart before Lasry sold his stake in the franchise. Notably, Shelburne writes, the two co-owners disagreed on who to hire to replace former GM John Hammond in 2017 — Horst was eventually promoted to fill the role after the team seriously considered its own assistant GM Justin Zanik and Nuggets executive Arturas Karnisovas.
Here are a few more items of interest from Shelburne’s story, which is well worth reading in full:
- Multiple sources told ESPN that the Bucks’ asking price for Antetokounmpo prior to February’s deadline was “enormous,” with one team suggesting that Milwaukee was simply gauging the market and sought “all our draft picks and good young players.” Another rival executive said there was “no question” that the Bucks wanted to hang onto the star forward. “Because it never reached a point in time, in any of our discussions with them, where they said, ‘We will do it if you do X,'” that exec told Shelburne.
- The Warriors made an offer for Giannis that included four unprotected first-round picks, but they never seemed to gain any real momentum toward a deal, sources tell ESPN. According to Shelburne, the Bucks were more interested in pursuing concepts that would net them a young cornerstone like Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley or Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe, though there’s no indication Cleveland or Philadelphia would’ve been willing to discuss those players.
- While the Bucks may be preparing to offer Antetokounmpo another maximum-salary extension during the offseason, multiple league executives believe the club would be better off accepting the best possible trade offer for him, Shelburne writes.“He’s still a game changer, but he’s 31 with a history of leg injuries,” one exec said. “And now you’d basically be trading for a guy on an expiring deal, so I’m not sure the offers they’ll get this summer are going to be better than what they already got.”
Jazz To Sign Kennedy Chandler To 10-Day Contract
Former NBA point guard Kennedy Chandler has agreed to a 10-day contract with the Jazz, agent Ryan Davis tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The 38th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Chandler spent his rookie season with Memphis but was waived during the 2023 offseason and hasn’t been in the NBA since then, having played for the Long Island Nets, Raptors 905, and Delaware Blue Coats in the G League in recent years.
In 36 games this season for the Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s NBAGL affiliate, Chandler has averaged 17.3 points and 9.7 assists in 35.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .449/.299/.686.
The Jazz currently have a full 15-man standard roster, but two of those 15 players are on 10-day deals, with Andersson Garcia‘s contract set to expire on Friday night and Bez Mbeng‘s deal running through Sunday.
While Chandler could simply replace one of those two players on the roster, Utah may also qualify for a hardship exception, allowing the team to temporarily exceed 15 standard contracts. A team becomes eligible for a hardship exception when it has at least four players who have missed three or more games and are expected to be out for at least two more weeks.
In the Jazz’s case, Jaren Jackson Jr., Walker Kessler, and Jusuf Nurkic have been ruled out for the season, while Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George are currently on the shelf with multi-week injuries. If either Markkanen or George is expected to miss the next two weeks, Utah would qualify for a hardship deal.
Chandler will earn $117,730 over the course of his 10-day contract. If the Jazz wait until Saturday to sign him, he could replace Garcia on the roster and his deal would cover the team’s next six games.
Nets Notes: Dëmin, Thunder Loss, Clowney
Nets guard Egor Dëmin underwent a successful non-surgical procedure help with the plantar fasciitis in his left foot, though neither he nor head coach Jordi Fernandez specified what type of procedure it was, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
“Everything went well, and now it’s just the process of rehab and getting back on the court as soon as the season ends, as we planned,” the Russian rookie said in his first comments since being shut down for the season. “Hopefully everything’s going to go in the right direction and I’ll be able to get back to work as soon as I can.”
Dëmin said the foot injury, which he originally sustained last offseason, had been bothering him more and more as 2025/26 went on, Lewis writes. The 2025 lottery pick is looking forward to being fully healthy ahead of summer league.
“Yeah, I’m taking this … I don’t want to say time off, but this time being off the court with a positive approach where I’ve really tried to take advantage of it, where I can have more time in the lifting room without worrying about being sore and not being able to play the same as I could,” Dëmin said. “So I’m just trying to kill as much as I can right now [since] it’s not going to affect my game because I’m not playing.
“So there’s a lot of advantage from not playing, even though I really like basketball and I’d prefer to be [playing]. But everything is happening for a reason and I believe in it, and I’m trying to be intentional with whatever I have in front of me.”
Here’s more on the Nets:
- The Nets had a historically awful first half on Wednesday against the defending champion Thunder, per Lewis. They only managed 24 points, the lowest-scoring half in franchise history, and trailed by 36 at the break. “Obviously you feel embarrassed when you score 24 points in a half of basketball,” said Fernandez. “And I do believe, no doubt in my mind, our guys are better than this. But it’s not about what I believe; it’s about going out there and doing it.” Brooklyn had 68 points in the second half but still lost by 31.
- Third-year forward Noah Clowney was forced out of Wednesday’s game in the fourth quarter due to a right wrist issue, but he told Lewis the injury isn’t serious and he should be OK. “Yeah, we have to take a look and see what’s there, and obviously prioritize his body and his health,” Fernandez said. “That’s the most important thing, especially now with 13 games to go. And hopefully he’s fine.”
- In case you missed, leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. may have played his last game of 2025/26 after being diagnosed with a left hamstring strain. He’ll be reevaluated in two-to-three weeks.
Spurs Clinch Playoff Spot
The Spurs became the second NBA team to clinch a playoff spot after pulling off a comeback victory over Phoenix on Thursday.
Victor Wembanyama, who had game highs of 34 points and 12 rebounds in 35 minutes, converted a game-winning fadeaway jump shot with 1.1 seconds remaining to put San Antonio up one (Twitter video link via the NBA). The Suns didn’t have a timeout to advance the ball, and Devin Booker missed a heave from beyond half court as time expired.
The Spurs, who have the second-best record in the league and are currently the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, improved to 52-18 with the win, while the No. 7 Suns dropped to 39-31. Phoenix is now 13 games behind San Antonio with only 12 games remaining, so there’s no way for the Suns to make up the deficit.
This will be the first playoff appearance for the Spurs since 2019, when they were eliminated in a seven-game first-round series against Denver. No one from that roster is on the current iteration of the team.
The Spurs had a strong start to the season, going 23-7 over their first 30 games. They had a brief lull in the middle of the season, compiling a 9-9 record from December 27 through January 31, but have been on fire ever since, reeling off 20 wins in their past 22 games.
San Antonio trails Oklahoma City, the only other team to secure a playoff berth, by three games for the top seed in the West.
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Duren, Bickerstaff, Thompson
The Pistons were dealt a major blow on Thursday when Cade Cunningham was diagnosed with a collapsed lung. However, there was some relief in Detroit that the star guard didn’t sustain a broken rib, Vincent Goodwill of ESPN said on NBA Today (Twitter video link).
According to Goodwill, Cunningham appears likely to miss the remainder of the regular season, but the team is hopeful its best player will recover from the ailment in time for Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, which will begin on April 18.
When the Pistons announced Cunningham’s injury, they said he’d be reevaluated in two weeks. Goodwill hears they’re optimistic Cunningham’s lung will have healed by that point, and then he’ll ideally begin doing non-contact work for a week, followed by a week (or more) of contact work ahead of the playoffs.
“It’s tough. Tough for Cade to go through what he’s going through now,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said prior to Thursday’s game at Washington (Twitter link via Hunter Patterson of The Athletic). “… He’s a huge part of what we do from a leadership standpoint. The talent’s there, but being around him every single day makes people’s days better. We’ll miss that.”
We have more on the Pistons:
- Bickerstaff said before the game that Detroit will be playing through All-Star center Jalen Duren more often with Cunningham sidelined, per Patterson (Twitter link). “That’s what it’s going to be,” Bickerstaff said. “The ball is going to be in his hands a ton, and he has the ability. It’s been great to see his growth overall as a connector. … He’s a guy we’ll play through.” Duren had a strong performance against the tanking Wizards, recording 24 points, 11 rebounds and two steals in 25 minutes in the 22-point victory.
- The Pistons collected their 50th win of the season on Thursday. It’s the first time they’ve won 50-plus games since 2007/08, when they went 59-23, the team noted (via Twitter). Detroit now has a four-game lead over Boston for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
- In his third game back from a right ankle sprain, third-year wing Ausar Thompson finished with 10 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal in 22 minutes. The team’s top perimeter defender discussed Cunningham’s absence after the win, as Patterson tweets. “We play with him in our mind,” Thompson said. “How hard he goes every day, his energy, we’ve got to step up as a collective and bring that. … When he comes back we’re going to be very excited and ready for him to step in and do what he does.“
Injury Notes: Mitchell, Hart, Edwards, Isaac, Carter
Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was downgraded from questionable to out ahead of Thursday’s matchup at Chicago, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The 6’2″ combo guard is dealing with a left eye contusion and said his vision was obstructed after Tuesday’s win in Milwaukee, per Fedor (Twitter link).
“Can’t really see out of my left eye,” Mitchell said. “It was tough — tonight. It is what it is. I was still able to get to the free throw line. Was still able to make plays. My biggest thing was like, I may not have it scoring wise, but what else am I doing to help?”
Second-year wing Jaylon Tyson got the starting nod for Cleveland on Thursday with Mitchell sidelined.
Here are few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart has been ruled out of Friday’s game at Brooklyn due to patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link). As Jared Schwartz of The New York Post notes (via Twitter), Hart missed a couple of games last week because of knee soreness, but that was to his left knee, not his right. Patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee, is the same issue which has prevented Stephen Curry from playing for several weeks, though there’s no indication Hart’s injury is that severe.
- Hart and Curry aren’t the only NBA players battling runner’s knee. The Timberwolves announced today (via Twitter) that Anthony Edwards, who is out one-to-two weeks due to right knee inflammation, also has patellafemoral pain syndrome in that same knee. The updated diagnosis won’t impact the star guard’s projected return timeline, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link).
- The Magic were shorthanded in the frontcourt for Thursday’s game at Charlotte, as Wendell Carter Jr. (bruised left rib) and Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) were both ruled out, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. As Beede writes in a full story, Isaac was relieved his knee injury, which he suffered last Thursday, wasn’t more serious. The 28-year-old previously missed two-and-a-half seasons with a torn ACL in the same knee. “It sucked,” Isaac said Tuesday. “It was tough. Based on what I felt, it was like an ‘Oh man, not again’ type of moment. So, I kind of just tried to manage my expectations when I (was) hearing from the doctor, but gratefully, they said it’s just a sprain, and that’ll be something I can come back from this season.” Isaac’s return isn’t imminent, Beede adds — the veteran big man won’t start ramping up his activity until next week. “I’m really glad it wasn’t something worse,” Isaac said. “So, I just have to manage this sprain and get better. Just wait until it calms down a little bit with the inflammation and the pain, and then slowly work back.”