LeBron Says He’s Not Interested In Owning NBA Team
Lakers star LeBron James has spoken multiple times in the past about his desire to be part of an NBA ownership group after he retires, having specifically named Las Vegas as a market he had his eye on. However, with momentum seemingly growing toward Vegas being awarded an expansion team, James suggested on Wednesday that his enthusiasm about becoming a team owner has dwindled.
Asked by Dan Woike of The Athletic if ownership is still something he’s interested in, James quickly replied, “No, I’m not. Not at all” (Twitter video link via Khobi Price of the California Post).
James’ comments come in the wake of a report indicating that Fenway Sports Group – the sports holding conglomerate that counts LeBron among its partners – won’t be pursuing a team in Vegas due primarily to the exorbitant cost of the anticipated expansion fee.
ESPN’s Shams Charania has reported that the fee for incoming expansion teams will likely be in the $7-10 billion range, while The Athletic cited an estimate of $8 billion.
Of course, James’ brief post-game comments on Wednesday aren’t binding, so it’s not as if he can’t change his mind and become involved with an expansion franchise – or buy into an existing team’s ownership group – down the road. Still, it sounds like it’s no longer part of his future plans for now.
It’s also worth reiterating that active players aren’t permitted to own a stake in an NBA team, and even at age 41, James isn’t looking like a player ready to coast into retirement. In Wednesday’s win over Houston – the Lakers’ seventh consecutive victory – the four-time MVP racked up 30 points on 13-of-14 shooting.
After the game, Rockets star Kevin Durant told reporters that he doesn’t see why his longtime rival couldn’t keep playing for several more seasons beyond this one.
“I think he could play until he’s 45 years old,” Durant said of James (Twitter video link). “I don’t know if he wants to be around that long, but I think he could play for another four to five years, to be honest.”
Jazz Eliminated From Postseason Contention
The Jazz suffered a 147-111 loss at Minnesota on Wednesday, officially eliminating them from playoff contention, according to the NBA league office (Twitter link).
At 20-49, the best Utah could do is tie 10th-place Golden State (33-36), but even in that unlikely scenario, the Warriors would win the tie-breaker. The Jazz become the fifth team to be eliminated, joining Indiana, Sacramento, Washington and Brooklyn.
Wednesday’s game was never really close, even though the Timberwolves were playing without Anthony Edwards (right knee inflammation) and Naz Reid (right shoulder contusion). Ayo Dosunmu, who was acquired at the trade deadline, made his second straight start and led Minnesota with 23 points.
As expected, it’s been a rough season for the Jazz, who haven’t been above .500 since getting off to a 2-1 start. They went through a four-game losing streak in November, another four-game skid in December, a five-game slide in late December and early January, then slipped far out of play-in territory by losing 10 of 11 games starting in mid-January.
Injuries to Lauri Markkanen contributed to the decline as the star forward has only played 42 times and has been available just once since February 11 due to a right hip impingement. He hasn’t been ruled out for the season, but there’s little incentive for him to return with Utah already out of postseason contention.
Starting center Walker Kessler suffered a torn left shoulder labrum early in the season and only appeared in five games.
The Jazz had been projected to finish among the bottom teams in the league, putting themselves in position to land one of the top picks in a loaded draft. Utah currently holds the fifth-worst record and is three games away from Brooklyn for a bottom-three spot and a share of the best odds heading into the lottery.
The Jazz may have been too aggressive in their pursuit of tanking, as they were fined $500K last month for “conduct detrimental to the league” after sitting Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. for the fourth quarters of games February 7 at Orlando and February 9 at Miami.
The blockbuster trade that brought Jackson from Memphis signified that Utah is ready to start winning soon. Jackson underwent knee surgery three games after joining the Jazz, but he’s expected to be ready for the start of next season, along with Kessler, who’s headed for restricted free agency but is considered likely to be re-signed.
The Jazz will head into next season looking for their first winning record and playoff appearance since 2021/22.
Central Notes: Strus, Siakam, Pacers, Ivey
Max Strus has only been back for two games, but it’s clear that Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson has big plans for him heading into the playoffs, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only piece. Strus was part of the closing lineup in Tuesday’s win over Milwaukee, and Atkinson intends to keep him in a featured role moving forward.
“I have such a comfort level with him,” Atkinson said. “I could see it going any way with him. Maybe starting lineup. Maybe sixth man. We will see how that plays out. But it’s hard not to finish with the guy because he is such a clutch player. We’ll see where it ends up. He has a way of imposing his will and makes you put him in the lineup.”
Strus, who had been sidelined since undergoing foot surgery in late August, contributed six points, six rebounds and four assists Tuesday in 23 minutes off the bench and hit a late three-pointer that helped Cleveland put the game away. Fedor states that Atkinson plans to steadily increase Strus’ minutes over the 13 remaining games in hopes of having him consistently in the high 20s by the start of the postseason.
Strus’ return will lead to difficult decisions for Atkinson as he sets his nine-man rotation for the playoffs. The Cavs acquired Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder from Sacramento at the trade deadline to upgrade their perimeter defense, and Fedor states that Sam Merrill seems to be another one of Atkinson’s favorite players because of his reliability from three-point range. Fedor speculates that second-year swingman Jaylon Tyson, whom general manager Koby Altman called a franchise cornerstone earlier in the season, may be left out.
“I’m still evaluating who fits and who is going to kind of take the lead in terms of getting in that rotation,” Atkinson said. “We haven’t made a clear decision on who those nine are. Still think we have to evaluate, especially our wings. Have a lot of wings right now.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- While Pascal Siakam is making progress in his recovery from a right knee sprain, it’s still uncertain when he’ll return to action, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). The Pacers forward missed his sixth consecutive game on Wednesday, but coach Rick Carlisle told reporters he expects Siakam back before the end of the season.
- Tony East of Circle City Spin examines the circumstances surrounding the Pacers‘ long losing streak, which reached 15 games on Wednesday. It’s the most consecutive losses in franchise history, and Indiana is on pace for its worst record since entering the NBA.
- Coach Billy Donovan plans to have Jaden Ivey accompany the team on its upcoming road trip in hopes that he can return to action, relays Bulls reporter Will Gottlieb (Twitter link). Ivey hasn’t played since February 11, but Donovan said the pain in his left knee is gone.
FSG Reportedly Not Interested In Expansion Team, Limiting LeBron James’ Ownership Options
LeBron James‘ partnership with Fenway Sports Group won’t help him get any closer to becoming an NBA owner, according to Joe Vardon and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Two sources with direct knowledge of the firm tell the authors that FSG currently has no interest in pursuing ownership of an expansion team in Las Vegas.
Cost was cited as the main reason, as the NBA will reportedly seek fees of up to $8 billion per team if the Board of Governors approves exploring expansion opportunities in Las Vegas and Seattle at its meeting next week.
Vardon and Vorkunov note that James first expressed his desire to someday own an NBA franchise in 2016, and he stated four years ago that he would like to be part of the investment in Las Vegas. He has been a business partner with FSG since 2011.
“With Fenway no longer pursuing NBA ownership, it is less likely that LeBron will pursue a team,” a source close to James told the authors.
Forbes cites James’ worth at $1.4 billion, which doesn’t come close to covering the expected expansion fee, and Vardon and Vorkunov state that he always understood that he would have to be part of a team of investors. They also point out that he has connections with wealthy business owners apart from FSG. That includes a 2023 visit to Saudi Arabia as a guest of the Ministry of Sport, which is a partner of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, but the authors explain that the NBA doesn’t permit sovereign wealth funds to own more than 20% of a franchise.
Vardon and Vorkunov also note that James would have to retire as a player before he could pursue an ownership opportunity. He hasn’t stated publicly if he plans to return next season, and with the new franchises targeted to possibly begin playing in 2028, there will be a limited window for James to round up new investment partners and submit a formal bid.
The authors state that James viewed FSG as his path toward ownership. He’s an equity stockholder in the company and became a partner in 2021, giving him partial ownership in the Boston Red Sox, Roush Fenway Racing and the firm’s other properties. His longtime friend Maverick Carter is also an FSG partner, and they were given more equity in 2023.
Pistons Notes: Jenkins, Rotation, Cunningham, Thompson
Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins has been one of this season’s biggest surprises, but he’s gone through a difficult stretch since receiving a standard contract on February 8. That changed on Tuesday against Washington as he was forced into a larger role as a result of an injury to Cade Cunningham, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press writes in a subscriber-only story.
Jenkins entered the game at the start of the second quarter and posted 15 points, seven assists and two steals in 21 minutes. With Cunningham’s return date still uncertain, Sankofa notes that Jenkins will have an opportunity to reclaim his normal role before the playoffs begin.
“That’s what life is about,” he said. “Don’t get too high, don’t get too low. It’s a part of it. I shot out of a cannon and then you hit some rough patches. It’s all good, that’s what life is about. I take it on the chin and I keep working. I don’t shy away from nothing. Stay ready so when my number is called I do what I’m supposed to do.”
Sankofa notes that injuries to Jaden Ivey, Caris LeVert and Marcus Sasser gave Jenkins a shot at regular playing time early in the season, and he responded with several huge scoring performances. He quickly used up his 50 games of eligibility as a two-way player and was promoted shortly after the trade deadline passed. An extended slump followed, but he received reassuring words from coach J.B. Bickerstaff after being benched following a March 7 loss to Brooklyn.
“He just told me just to be me because that’s what got me this position,” Jenkins said. “Try to do nothing extra, try to do nothing different other than who I am. I just look myself in the mirror every day and I just stay with it, good, bad and ugly.”
There’s more from Detroit:
- Bickerstaff has been forced to tinker with his rotation because of injuries to Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart, who’s expected to miss at least another week with a strained left calf, Sankofa adds. Sasser and Kevin Huerter have been seeing rotation minutes lately after being kept on the bench through most of February, and backup big man Paul Reed has seen an increase in playing time with Stewart unavailable. “It’s one of those things that, unfortunately, we’ve dealt with a lot this season and had to call on different guys throughout the year,” Bickerstaff said after Tuesday’s game. “Tonight was an opportunity to do that, give guys the minutes, give guys the opportunities to see what they can do. It’s extremely important trying to find the right combinations for the different situations that we might face. And we’ll continue to grow.”
- Cunningham has already been ruled out of Thursday’s rematch with Washington due to a left back contusion, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- Ausar Thompson was limited to four points and three assists in 23 minutes on Sunday in his return to action after spraining his right ankle, notes Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News (subscription required). “Being on a minutes restriction is hard,” Bickerstaff said. “Trying to figure out how to keep him in a rhythm, getting back to playing with the group. His effort was great — his ability to defend was great. He is just working his way back. He’ll be fine.”
Deandre Ayton Says He Has ‘Bought In’ To Role With Lakers
After airing his displeasure last month with the way the Lakers were using him, Deandre Ayton now says he’s fully committed to succeeding in his role and helping the team win, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. Since returning from a brief bout with knee soreness, Ayton has been stringing together productive outings and has been a factor in L.A.’s six-game winning streak.
“I’ve completely … I bought in,” he said. “Completely, like 110 percent. I hope you see the work.”
Woike notes that coach JJ Redick‘s reliance on Ayton fluctuates from night to night, as he sometimes closes games with Jaxson Hayes or Maxi Kleber in the middle or goes without a traditional center. The Lakers have been asking Ayton to accept a smaller role on offense than he had in his other NBA stops. His primary responsibilities are to work hard on defense, attack the boards on both ends and blend into the offense by setting screens and rolling to the basket.
The limitations of that role caused him to declare three weeks ago, “They’re trying to make me Clint Capela,” but Woike states that Ayton has been learning how to make an impact on the game without being a primary scorer.
“I scratched that, I took that out,” Ayton said. “I said … when it comes to scoring, we don’t need that. We need you to put that energy what you have for offense and into defense. I just started looking in the mirror and said ‘Yo bro, … you’re not that guy. You don’t need to be on this team doing that at all. This team, you came here to be the effort guy and close out possessions, rebound. Run the damn floor hard as hell, make bigs work, make superstars work.’ And I’m having fun with it.”
The first pick in the 2018 draft, Ayton wasn’t able to achieve stardom during his five seasons in Phoenix or two years in Portland. He was ready for a fresh start after reaching a buyout agreement with the Trail Blazers last summer and signed with the Lakers for $8.1MM this season and the same amount as a player option for 2026/27.
Ayton relishes the thought of returning to the playoffs for the first time in three years, even if it’s in a reduced role.
“I really like that the team is trusting me, man,” he added. “I just don’t want to lose the trust, bro. That’s really what’s getting my juices going and me biting my fingernails waiting to get back in the damn game for real. Just getting back to having fun — I’m not gonna lie.”
Southeast Notes: Johnson, NAW, Wagner, Black, Isaac, Bam
Within a feature on the NBA’s hottest team, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) notes that the Hawks could’ve been a viable trade suitor for Giannis Antetokounmpo prior to last month’s deadline, but says the idea of including Jalen Johnson in an offer for the Bucks star was viewed as a “non-starter” in Atlanta.
Johnson’s own agent, Rich Paul, fueled trade speculation when he suggested in a December episode of the Game Over podcast that Milwaukee should target his client in Giannis trade talks (Twitter video link). However, according to Fischer, the Hawks believe the 24-year-old, who made his first All-Star team this season, has MVP-level upside.
“That was probably the first time in my career (hearing) the rumors and stuff like that,” Johnson told Fischer. “But I got reassurance from everyone around here that that’s not the plan. Obviously it means a lot … the trust they have in me and the belief they have in me.”
Johnson is averaging career highs in points (23.0), rebounds (10.4), and assists (8.1) per game in 2025/26. He’s in the first season of a five-year contract that will pay him $30MM annually through 2029/30.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- The Hawks extended their winning streak to 10 games on Tuesday as guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a career-high 41 points and made a career-best nine three-pointers. As Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes (subscription required), Alexander-Walker is building a strong Most Improved Player case in his first season in Atlanta. His scoring average of 20.3 points per game is more than double last season’s mark (9.4 PPG), and he has done it without sacrificing efficiency — his 59.2% true shooting percentage is a career high.
- After playing in each of the Magic‘s first 24 games, forward Franz Wagner has missed 40 of the past 44 due to a troublesome left ankle injury. Speaking to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required), Wagner acknowledged it has been a “very frustrating process” rehabbing that high ankle sprain. “Going into it, I was kind of expecting to feel really good within, like, four, six weeks of the injury,” he said. “And obviously that wasn’t how I felt. So, I think that’s always frustrating probably not just for me (but) for everybody involved.”
- In addition to being without Wagner vs. Charlotte on Thursday, the Magic will also be missing Anthony Black (left lateral abdominal strain) for a seventh straight game and Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) for a fourth straight contest. According to Beede, Isaac was wearing a knee brace on Tuesday, while head coach Jamahl Mosley said that Black “hasn’t touched the floor, really, at all.”
- Heat big man Bam Adebayo appears likely to return to action on Thursday vs. the Lakers after sitting out on Tuesday due to calf tightness. He’s listed as probable to play, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Shams: ‘Cautious Optimism’ Steph Curry Will Return In March
There’s “cautious optimism” in Golden State that Warriors star Stephen Curry will be able to return to action at some point before the end of March, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Wednesday during a segment on NBA Today (Twitter video link).
Curry, who last played on January 30, has missed the past 18 games due to patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee. However, both he and head coach Steve Kerr have expressed optimism about his ability to return before the end of the regular season. Charania’s latest update suggests it could happen within the next couple weeks.
“I’m told he had a strong on-court workout Tuesday afternoon in Boston,” Charania told ESPN’s Malika Andrews. “Starting to run, cut, move, take some slight contact, like the Stephen Curry that we know. The most important part though is that he’s not experiencing the swelling that he’s had over the last several weeks or a month ago, when he needed to get a PRP injection, from my understanding, due to those knee issues.”
As Anthony Slater of ESPN tweeted earlier today, Curry is still doing individual workouts and hasn’t progressed to team activities, but the fact that he’s ramping up his on-court work is a positive sign. According to Charania, the next steps for the 38-year-old will be to improve his conditioning and to make sure he’s comfortable running and jumping with that right knee.
While injuries have limited Curry to 39 games so far this season, he has continued to perform at an All-NBA level when he’s been available, averaging 27.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per night, with a .468/.391/.931 shooting line. He earned his 12th All-Star berth this winter and has led Golden State to a 23-16 record in games he’s played. The team has gone just 10-19 without him.
Despite losing 10 of their past 14 games, the Warriors still have a firm hold on a play-in spot. At 33-35, they have a 9.5-game cushion on the No. 11 Grizzlies. However, they’ve fallen behind the No. 8 Clippers in the standings and are ahead of the No. 10 Trail Blazers by just a half-game.
Giannis Resisting Bucks’ Plan To Shut Him Down For Season
It has been an injury-plagued season for star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has appeared in just 36 of the Bucks‘ 68 games due to knee, groin, ankle, and calf issues and is currently sidelined due to a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise.
With just 14 games left in the regular season and Milwaukee now six-and-a-half games out of a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks have made it clear to Antetokounmpo that they believe it would be in both parties’ best interest to have him sit out the rest of the season and focus on getting healthy for 2026/27, reports Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
However, Antetokounmpo isn’t on board with the Bucks plan and has let the team know he wants to get back on the court immediately once he has recovered from his latest injury, according to Nehm.
Confirming Nehm’s reporting, Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links) says there have been multiple meetings about Antetokounmpo’s status within the past 24 hours and that the two sides disagree about the best path forward. In an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link), Charania added that the 31-year-old has been “adamant” about his desire to return this season.
The Bucks must tread especially carefully with Antetokounmpo due to their desire to keep him happy in the hopes of reaching an agreement on a long-term extension with him when he becomes eligible this October. Milwaukee reportedly entertained trade offers for Giannis prior to last month’s deadline, but never came close to making a deal involving the two-time MVP, who didn’t request a trade and has repeatedly stated that his preference would be to stick with the Bucks if they have a roster capable of contending for another championship.
While they don’t want to upset their franchise player, the Bucks presumably recognize they have no path to a playoff spot this spring and would be better off sliding a little further down the lottery standings. They don’t technically control their own 2026 first-round pick, but the Bucks will receive the least favorable of their own selection and the Pelicans’ pick. At 28-40, Milwaukee remains several games ahead of New Orleans (23-46) in the standings, so even the least favorable of those two first-rounders should be a top-10 selection.
Of course, shutting down Antetokounmpo for the final few weeks of the season would also ensure that he gets a head-start on getting back to 100% health, whereas having him play in meaningless games in late March and early April would put him at risk of re-aggravating one of his previous injuries or suffering a more significant one.
Whether the Bucks plan to revisit trade talks involving their star forward or try to continue reshaping the roster around him during the offseason, having him fully healthy would be in the team’s best interest going forward.
Bucks’ Nance Among Two-Way Players Nearing Game Limit
Bucks forward Pete Nance had one of his best games of the season in Tuesday’s loss to Cleveland, scoring 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, grabbing seven rebounds, and blocking two shots. Although Milwaukee lost the game by a score of 123-116, Nance was a +7 during his 30 minutes of action.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac observes (via Twitter), it was the 29th consecutive game – and the 47th overall – in which Nance was active. That’s important because the 26-year-old is on a two-way contract, which comes with a limit of 50 active games.
The Bucks still have 14 games left on their regular season schedule, but if they want Nance to be active for more than three of those contests, they’d have to promote him to their standard 15-man roster, which is currently full.
Most promotions from a two-way contract to a standard deal in a given league year occur between the trade deadline and March 4. That way, teams don’t prematurely fill a roster spot they might need for a deadline deal and have the ability to back-fill a newly opened two-way slot on or before March 4, the deadline to sign players to two-way contracts. Promoting a two-way player to the 15-man roster after that deadline means that a club would have to leave one of its two-way slots open for the rest of the season.
Promotions can still happen between March 5 and the end of the regular season, but it’s a less pressing priority for teams who don’t have 15-man roster spots available and/or won’t need their two-way standouts for the postseason. The Bucks, whose playoff chances are on life support, probably fall into both of those categories, so it will be interesting to see whether they feel compelled to make a move with Nance as he nears his 50-game limit.
Here are the other players are on two-way contracts around the NBA who have fewer than 10 games of eligibility remaining (their remaining games are noted in parentheses):
- Moussa Cisse, Mavericks (4)
JD Davison, Rockets (4)
Tyrese Martin, Sixers (4) - Caleb Love, Trail Blazers (5)
David Roddy, Nuggets (5) - Tristan Enaruna, Cavaliers (6)
Blake Hinson, Jazz (6)
Rayan Rupert, Grizzlies (6)
Payton Sandfort, Thunder (6)
Dalen Terry, Sixers (6) - Norchad Omier, Clippers (7)
Nate Williams, Warriors (7) - Patrick Baldwin Jr., Kings (8)
Jamal Cain, Magic (8)
Julian Reese, Wizards (8) - Trevor Keels, Heat (9)
KJ Simpson, Nuggets (9)
Jalen Slawson, Pacers (9)
Ethan Thompson, Pacers (9)
Chris Youngblood, Trail Blazers (9)
Some of these players were just signed a couple weeks ago and didn’t have that many games of two-way eligibility to begin with, so the fact that they’re nearing their limit isn’t a big deal for their respective teams.
Sandfort, for instance, joined the Thunder on March 2, giving him 12 total games of regular season eligibility. He has been active for six, but has a DNP-CD in all of them. It’s safe to assume Oklahoma City won’t be looking to find a way to promote him to its standard roster.
Others on this list were regular contributors earlier in the season but have been deactivated since they got close to their respective limits. Cisse, for example, was at 42 active games at the trade deadline, but has been in the Mavericks’ lineup for just four of 18 contests since then. Davison and Love are among the others who have found themselves exiled to the inactive list on a permanent basis in recent weeks. Their teams have gotten by without them lately and don’t appear to be prioritizing promotions.
That doesn’t mean none of these players will be converted to standard contracts by April 12 though. The Jazz, Warriors, and Magic are among the teams that have open roster spots, so Hinson, Williams, and Cain, each of whom has been seeing a decent amount of playing time recently, should be considered candidates to fill those openings.