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.”
Projected NBA Taxpayers For 2025/26
As we outlined in February, a total of 14 teams projected to be taxpayers prior to an eventful trade deadline week, with the 16 non-taxpayers on track to receive about $13.8MM apiece in tax distribution money at that point.
However, the Celtics, Nuggets, Suns, Mavericks, Sixers, Magic, and Raptors all ducked below the luxury tax line with their pre-deadline transactions, while a few other teams remained in the tax but took steps to significantly reduce their end-of-season bills.
As a result, seven NBA teams project to finish over the luxury tax line in 2025/26, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
Here are those seven clubs, along with their projected tax penalties:
- Cleveland Cavaliers ($68.7MM)
- Golden State Warriors ($67.9MM) *
- New York Knicks ($44.4MM)
- Los Angeles Lakers ($22.2MM) *
- Houston Rockets ($7.2MM)
- Los Angeles Clippers ($6.7MM) *
- Minnesota Timberwolves ($6MM)
Total: $223.1MM
Note: Teams marked with an asterisk are paying repeater tax rates.
While the projected tax payments are quite similar to the ones from a couple months ago, the total is up slightly overall. That’s because the Warriors, Rockets and Timberwolves signed players to fill out the back ends of their rosters. The Lakers will undoubtedly finalize their roster today — they have one standard opening ahead of Sunday’s deadline.
Based on the current figures from Marks, each non-taxpayer is projected to receive a payout of about $4.9MM. That figure is determined by cutting the total league-wide tax penalties in half, then dividing them evenly among the non-taxpaying teams (in this case, 23 clubs). The projected payout was at $4.8MM in February.
In 2024/25, 10 taxpayers paid a total of $461.2MM in penalties and the 20 non-taxpayers reportedly received $11.5MM apiece. This season’s projected distribution payment of $4.9MM is the lowest figure since 2020/21, according to Marks.
It’s worth noting that the tax penalties could still change again before the 2025/26 league year ends. According to Marks (Twitter links), 36 players had a total of 133 different incentives in their contracts entering the fall, and 15 of those bonuses are still up in the air entering the final day of the regular season. Some of those bonus situations may not be resolved until the playoffs end.
The Warriors, Lakers, and Clippers would all be subject to repeater penalties in 2026/27 if they’re taxpayers again next season. Additionally, the Bucks, Celtics, Suns, and Nuggets would pay repeater rates if they’re in the tax in ’26/27, since all four clubs were in the tax for three straight years from 2023-25. They’ll each need to spend one more season as a non-taxpayer in order to reset the repeater clock.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Brown, Queta, Shulga
This week’s return to Madison Square Garden, the site where he suffered an Achilles tear last May, was a huge milestone for Celtics star Jayson Tatum, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. After posting 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in 40 minutes in a loss to New York, Tatum talked about the feeling of relief that came with being back on the court where he experienced the worst injury of his career.
“It was a big moment, a big hurdle for me,” he said. “I was nervous and anxious to come back here. Obviously, I wanted to win and play great, but more importantly, I just kind of wanted to walk off the floor on my own two feet.”
Tatum is back to his regular workload a little more than a month after returning to action, but he’s still not being used on back-to-back nights. That meant he had to decide whether to play Thursday in New York or Friday against New Orleans. He opted for MSG to try to erase some of the bad memories from last year’s playoffs.
“Today was important to me, especially when I made the decision to come back and then made the decision to play today,” Tatum told reporters. “I’m glad I did. I feel a lot better.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- After undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus last summer, Jaylen Brown isolated himself to prepare for the challenges of this season, he tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Brown understood that a lot more would be asked of him in the wake of Tatum’s injury and the loss of several key veterans from Boston’s 2024 championship team, and he wanted to be mentally ready to handle the increased responsibility. “From a financial standpoint, this was a rebuild, right?” he said. “But I didn’t look at it like that. … I looked at it as an opportunity to show the world who I am and what I could do.”
- Coach Joe Mazzulla is touting Neemias Queta for Most Improved Player honors, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscription required). Queta took over as the team’s starting center this season and is averaging career highs of 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. “He deserves it,” Mazzulla said. “To me, again, obviously as a player, but more what it means to do it for the Celtics, I think, goes a long way. And where he’s been on his journey in the NBA, but also his journey with us in our organization, he should seriously be considered for that because of where he was, and where he is now, and we wouldn’t be in that position without him.”
- One of the highlights of Max Shulga‘s rookie season happened on March 22 when he became the first player to appear in games with the Celtics and their G League affiliate in Maine on the same day, notes Souichi Terada of MassLive. The 57th pick in last year’s draft began the season on a two-way contract, then became playoff-eligible when he was promoted to a standard deal last month. “A lot of learning,” Shulga said of his first NBA season. “Obviously, got a lot of time, a lot of playing in the G League. Lot of ups and downs and stuff like that. Just getting adjusted to the NBA-style game. Just learning the system and stuff like that. It’s been a good first year.”
Celtics’ Chisholm On Mazzulla, Stevens, TD Garden, More
Celtics owner Bill Chisholm recently gave an interview to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). The conversation covers a number of topics, including Chisholm’s first year as the team’s governor and majority stakeholder, his thoughts on Jaylen Brown‘s excellent season, Jayson Tatum‘s return from a torn Achilles tendon, and more.
Here are a few highlights from Himmelsbach’s interview with Chisholm.
On whether Chisholm has built a connection with the Celtics:
“I feel extremely welcome. I try to find the right balance of being supportive and visible to them without making them feel like I’m looking over their shoulder. I try to be super available, super positive, and I’ve tried to develop a relationship with all the players, and certainly with [head coach Joe Mazzulla]. We’re on the same page, and I’m a huge fan. And [president of basketball operations Brad Stevens] and his team are tremendous.”
On how having Mazzulla and Stevens, whom Chisholm called the “best basketball executive there is,” in place has brought stability to the team:
“I do not take that for granted. I look around at the owners’ meetings and talking to other folks and hear of the challenges they have and the wholesale changes they have to make, not just to their rosters but their management. It is extraordinary here. It’s all I know, but I know enough to know this is not normal to have this. I am going to fight and claw and do everything in my power to make sure we keep it going with those guys.”
On the perception that Chisholm was concerned about cutting costs after the Celtics made a series of offseason and in-season transactions to move below the salary tax line, easing several roster-building restrictions in the process:
“I think it’s out there, but ultimately I have to prove every day in the near term, medium term, and long term that I want to win, I want to win desperately, and I’m a huge fan. I can understand where some short-term decisions might feel like they’re not necessarily headed in that direction, but I put hand on heart and know I’m doing and we’re doing the right things to win, and that’s what we care about. So, you have to trust in that.
“I compare us to other teams coming into the season that looked a lot like us. We were completely aligned that we’re about winning. We’re going to compete, play hard, develop our talent, find additional talent, and this is not a gap year. We’re just not doing that. I can put my hand on heart saying that. I’ll prove it and I’ll continue to prove it every day, that I just want to win.”
On the status of TD Garden and the possibility of building a new arena in the future:
“It’s pretty much the same as it was at the beginning of the season. The philosophy there is the same. The Garden is a great place to play. It’s consistently ranked one of the best places in the league for player and fan experience. It’s loud, a lot of energy, and it’s got a storied history.
“My starting point is if we can make it work, we’d love to stay where we are. And making it work means improving the fan experience and the player experience. If we can do those things and remain where we are now, that’s great. And if that doesn’t work there, we’ll think about other places. But my goal here is to see if we ideally make it work where we are, and I think there’s a commitment with us, with the Bruins and Delaware North, with all of that. That’s where we want to end up and we’re working on it as we speak.“
Celtics Sign Dalano Banton To Two-Year Deal
11:23 am: The Celtics have officially signed Banton, the team announced today in a press release.
10:06 am: The Celtics and free agent guard Dalano Banton have reached an agreement on a two-year deal, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). He’ll fill the open slot on the team’s 15-man roster.
Banton, 26, has appeared in 221 total regular season games since making his debut with Toronto in 2021. The former No. 46 overall pick holds career averages of 6.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 14.3 minutes per night, with a .402/.304/.730 shooting line.
Although he has made more total appearances for the Trail Blazers and Raptors, Banton is very familiar with the Celtics. The 6’8″ swingman had a stint with Boston during the 2023/24 season and signed a 10-day contract with the team this February. He’ll give the C’s an emergency 15th man who will be playoff-eligible and won’t be a total newcomer to their system.
Outside of 10-day stints with the Celtics and Clippers, Banton spent most of the 2025/26 season with the Texas Legends in the G League. He appeared in 44 games for the Mavericks’ affiliate, averaging 24.9 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 32.8 minutes per contest with a .438/.321/.799 shooting line.
The Celtics have been carefully managing their payroll since the trade deadline in order to ensure they’ll finish the season below the tax line. They currently have $38,040 in breathing room below that threshold. If Banton officially signs on Saturday, his prorated minimum salary would be $28,293; if he signs on Sunday, it would be $14,146. Either way, the club will finish the season as a non-taxpayer.
Banton’s 2026/27 salary will be $2,801,346, though it will be non-guaranteed, confirms Brian Robb of MassLive.com.
Hawks Clinch Playoff Spot; Top Four East Seeds Now Locked In
The Hawks have become the fifth Eastern Conference team to clinch a playoff spot after defeating Cleveland on Friday, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
Dyson Daniels recorded his second career triple-double (13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists) and CJ McCollum registered a game-high 29 points in just 24 minutes during the 22-point win, notes Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link).
Atlanta, which is currently 46-35, also secured the Southeast Division title with Friday’s victory. This is the first time the Hawks have avoided the play-in tournament since 2020/21, when they made a surprise run to the conference final as the No. 5 seed.
Detroit secured the East’s No. 1 spot following last Saturday’s win in Philadelphia, but the other seeds had been up in the air until now. Friday’s results have provided a little more clarity. The Celtics locked up the No. 2 seed by demolishing New Orleans; the Knicks are No. 3 after they beat Toronto and Cleveland lost; and the Cavaliers are No. 4.
The Hawks can clinch the No. 5 seed if they win Sunday’s game at Miami. The 45-36 Raptors, who are currently No. 6, also control their own fate — a win Sunday over the tanking Nets will secure a guaranteed playoff berth.
There’s theoretically still a pathway for the No. 7 Magic (45-36) or the No. 8 Sixers (44-37) to sneak in as the East’s sixth guaranteed playoff team on Sunday. The Magic would need a win at Boston combined with a Raptors loss, which would make Orlando the No. 6 seed (the Hawks would be No. 5 in that scenario no matter how they fare against Miami). Philadelphia needs Orlando and Toronto to lose Sunday and it has to beat Milwaukee at home to finish No. 6, with Atlanta again the No. 5 in that scenario.
If the Hawks, Raptors, Magic and Sixers all win on Sunday, they will finish where they currently are in the standings. That outcome wouldn’t be surprising.
The Hornets are now locked into the play-in tournament after losing to the Pistons on Friday. They’ll face the Heat in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game. Charlotte will be No. 9 with either a win Sunday (at New York) or a Miami loss. The Heat need to beat Atlanta and need Charlotte to lose to the Knicks to move up to No. 9.
Injury Notes: Curry, Brown, J. Green, Goodwin, Powell, Hall
The Warriors have ruled out star guard Stephen Curry for Thursday’s game against the Lakers, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
Curry returned earlier this week from a knee injury after sitting out for over two months, so Golden State is taking a cautious approach with its leading scorer and most valuable player. Slater had reported on Wednesday that the 38-year-old would likely be held out of one end of the team’s back-to-back set on Thursday and Friday. The fact that Curry is missing Thursday’s game means he should be back in action on Friday vs. Sacramento.
It also means that Curry and Lakers star LeBron James won’t face each other at all this season. James missed the first meeting between the two teams in the fall while dealing with sciatica and Curry missed the next two as a result of his knee injury.
We have more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Celtics can clinch the No. 2 seed in the East with one more win, but they won’t be at full strength as they look to pick up that victory in New York on Thursday. Star wing Jaylen Brown will miss the game due to left Achilles tendinitis, the team announced (via Twitter). It’s the first game of a back-to-back set for Boston, though it remains to be seen whether Brown will be back in action on Friday vs. New Orleans.
- Jalen Green suffered a right leg injury early in the first quarter of Wednesday’s win over Dallas and did not return, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The former No. 2 overall pick wore a sleeve at halftime and warmed up to see how he was feeling prior to being ruled out. Fellow Suns guard Jordan Goodwin also exited Wednesday’s game due to a left ankle injury, which he suffered in the second quarter, Rankin adds.
- Although Heat wing Norman Powell said after shootaround on Thursday morning that he’s “feeling good” and will be active for tonight’s game in Toronto, he admitted his nagging right groin injury will likely linger until he gets an extended break for it to heal in the offseason, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “When you have muscle strains and things like that, you can rehab and everything. But it takes time,” Powell said. “You just need rest, and I just feel like I need rest. I need time to let the body do what it needs to do. But even though I can get it to a certain point where it feels good, there’s no pain and everything, it doesn’t mean that it’s 100% healed. So then over time, an accumulated amount of stress on that area, then it starts to flare back up.”
- Second-year big man PJ Hall underwent surgery to address his right ankle fracture, the Hornets announced in a press release. The former Clemson star, who suffered the injury in the first round of the G League playoffs with the Greensboro Swarm, will miss the rest of the 2025/26 season.
Rory Maher contributed to this story.
Injury Notes: Wembanyama, Cunningham, Curry, Tatum
Victor Wembanyama‘s status for the Spurs‘ penultimate game of the season remains up in the air as he works his way back from a rib injury, Tom Orsborn writes for the San Antonio-Express News.
The MVP candidate was ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Blazers, but the team is confident that Wembanyama will play at least 20 minutes in one of their two remaining games so that he will be eligible for end-of-season awards. He is considered the strong favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year.
“He’s improved quite a bit, so I don’t think it’s a long-term concern, but we’ll obviously be very cautious in the situation and circumstances we’re under,” coach Mitch Johnson said.
With the star big man’s health the priority heading into the playoffs, it’s unclear if Johnson would simply play him the minimum required minutes to hit his eligibility or if he would receive a normal workload.
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- Cade Cunningham returned from the collapsed lung that kept him out for 11 games on Wednesday, contributing 13 points and 10 assists in nearly 26 minutes as the Pistons beat the Bucks. After the game, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said that Cunningham’s playing time for the rest of the season will depend on how he feels, according to The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson (via Twitter). It’s unclear whether he will suit up for their game against the Hornets on Thursday. For his part, Cunningham said that this was a new experience for him that he’s still figuring out how to deal with, per Patterson (Twitter video link). “It was different than any injury I’ve ever had as far as how it progressed initially,” Cunningham said. “From whenever I got hit to how I felt immediately to how I started to feel as time went on. Thanks to all the staff and medical that was around and helped.”
- While Stephen Curry was supposed to be on a minutes restriction in his Monday night return from a prolonged absence due to a knee injury, he exceeded the expected playing time, scoring 29 points in 26 minutes. With the Warriors playing three times in the final four days of the regular season, Curry will likely sit out either Thursday or Friday, ESPN’s Anthony Slater reports (Twitter video link). Slater speculates that Curry will miss Friday’s matchup with the Kings as he looks to get back to as close to 100% as possible before the Warriors try to win two play-in games to advance to the playoffs.
- Jayson Tatum will return to Madison Square Garden for the first time since rupturing his Achilles there in last year’s playoffs, and once again it will be in a crucial game for the Knicks, Jared Schwartz writes for the New York Post. A Celtics win will seal their hold on the second seed, while the Knicks are fighting off the Cavaliers, who are looking to seize the third seed. Tatum admitted that the experience will likely bring up some complicated feelings. “I’m not, like, thrilled to go back and play there,” he said. “Last time I played there, obviously, it was a traumatic experience for me. Obviously, I knew at some point I would have to get over that hurdle and play there again. So, it’s going to have to be this Thursday. But it’s not like I’m thrilled about it. But it’s part of it.”
Atlantic Notes: George, Knicks, Poeltl, Queta, Stevens
Paul George has come back strong from his 25-game league suspension for violating the league’s drug policy, averaging 24.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his last seven games. However, it’s unlikely the Sixers forward has meaningfully increased his trade value, according to Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com.
Aaronson notes that George will soon turn 36 years old and will make over $54.1MM next season while holding a player option worth more than $56.5MM for the following season. George’s injury history would also likely discourage any potential suitors this offseason.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks coach Mike Brown doesn’t anticipate making a starting lineup change in the postseason, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports. “I don’t believe in never ever. But right now we’re going to start that five and that’s how I foresee it,” the coach said. “If I feel I need to make a change at any time, I’ll make a change. But I don’t feel that way right now.” There were discussions about moving Landry Shamet into the lineup. Earlier this season, Brown downsized his starting five, replacing Mitchell Robinson with Josh Hart.
- Jakob Poeltl was handed a three-year contract extension last offseason to remain with the Raptors. Now, the big man appears to be an awkward fit for Toronto’s rotation and cap sheet, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen opines. Poeltl has appeared in just 42 games due to a back ailment. He’s also not a scoring threat outside the paint and isn’t a good enough defensive player in the paint to make up for that, Koreen adds. Making a move involving Poeltl will be complicated due to his contract being guaranteed through 2028/29.
- Celtics forward Jaylen Brown is lobbying for Neemias Queta to receive consideration for the Most Improved Player award. “Neemi’s been great,” Brown said, per The Athletic’s Jay King. “He’s been just consistently getting better, protecting the rim, finishing, making those little shots, rebounding. He’s been great. In my opinion, he’s probably one of the most improved players this year. And I don’t know if he’s up for the award, but he should be.” Queta has started 72 of 73 games, averaging career bests in points (10.2), rebounds (8.4) and blocks (1.3) per game.
- Celtics top executive and former head coach Brad Stevens guided Butler to two NCAA Tournament championship games. However, Stevens indicated he has no interest in going back to the college ranks, Brian Robb of MassLive.com tweets. “I’m not motivated to do anything but what I’m doing,” he said.
Victor Wembanyama Has Rib Contusion, Doubtful To Play Wednesday
April 7: Wembanyama is listed doubtful to play in Wednesday’s game against Portland but there’s confidence he will play at least one of the team’s final three regular season games, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. The big man’s MRI came back clean, Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime tweets.
April 6: Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been ruled out of the second half of Monday’s matchup vs. Philadelphia due to a left rib contusion, the team announced (Twitter link via Jared Weiss of The Athletic).
According to Weiss, the injury occurred in the first half when the French big man fell to the ground. Luke Kornet started the third quarter with Wembanyama sidelined.
The silver lining for Wembanyama is he was able to play 16 minutes in the first half, so the appearance will still count toward the 65-game minimum. The 22-year-old had one previous outing where he played 17 minutes and that will also count toward the games-played requirement.
Wembanyama needs to play at least 20 minutes in one of San Antonio’s final three games to be eligible for major postseason awards. In that scenario, he would be at 64 regular season games but would still meet the 65-game threshold because he played in the NBA Cup final, which counts toward the minimum requirement even though the statistics from that game aren’t officially recorded.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Wembanyama had 17 points, five rebounds and three blocks in his 16 minutes Monday. The team was plus-seven when he was on the court.
Assuming he qualifies, Wembanyama is viewed as a lock to win Defensive Player of the Year and appears likely to be a finalist for MVP. He’s a strong candidate for first-team All-NBA as well.
In the latest straw poll from ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, which was released Thursday morning, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the overwhelming favorite to win his second consecutive MVP award. The Canadian superstar received 88 of the 100 potential first-place votes for a total of 958 points.
Wembanyama, who has touted his own MVP credentials a couple times in recent weeks, was in second place with eight first-place votes and 644 total points. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who has either won or finished second in MVP voting in each of the past five seasons, was in third with 500 points.
The only other player to receive a first-place vote was Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, who received one and was in fifth place with 123 points. Lakers guard Luka Doncic was fourth with 347 points.
Of course, the bigger concern for the Spurs is the health of their best player as they look to make a deep playoff run. Wembanyama has also been battling right ankle pain the past few weeks, though that injury evidently doesn’t bother him all the time.