Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla Named 2025/26 Coach Of Year
Joe Mazzulla of the Celtics has been named Coach of the Year, the NBA announced on Tuesday (Twitter link). He earned the Red Auerbach Trophy, named after the Celtics’ coaching legend.
Mazzulla is the first Celtics head coach to win the award since Bill Fitch in 1979/80 and the fourth in franchise history. That group also includes Auerbach (1964/65) and Tom Heinsohn (1972/73). At 37, Mazzulla is the youngest Coach of the Year since Phil Johnson in 1974/75.
Boston was missing star forward Jayson Tatum for most of the season and parted with key contributors like Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet last summer due to a cap crunch. However, Mazzulla led the Celtics to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, including a 51-19 mark after a 5-7 start.
Mazzulla received 62 first-place votes, 24 second-place votes and 10 third-place votes, totaling 392 points. Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff finished second in the voting with 312 points (29 first-place votes, 51 second and 14 third). Spurs coach Mitch Johnson finished a distant third with 133 points (9 first, 17 second, 37 third).
A global media panel of 100 voters selected the Coach of the Year. In addition to the three finalists, nine other coaches showed up on at least one ballot, led by Charles Lee of the Hornets (31 points), Jordan Ott of the Suns (11), and Mark Daigneault of the Thunder (10), each of whom received at least one second-place vote.
The full voting results can be found here (Twitter link).
The Celtics issued a statement in which Mazzulla expressed his thanks but indicated he feels it should be a shared award, echoing comments he made earlier in the year.
“Thank you to the Lord for the platform he has given me, and to my wife and family who support me on this journey,” he said. “Thank you to our players who compete and give it everything they have each night. I am grateful for every member of the Celtics organization whose dedication impacts winning every day. This award belongs to our staff, who are there for the guys every day. Their relentless work ethic improves our team daily. This award should be named Staff of the Year.”
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens praised his head coach and staff.
“This is well deserved recognition and a testament to both Joe and his staff,” he said. “With all of our unknowns entering the season, Joe did a fantastic job building and growing a team. He pours everything he has into competing at a high level, while helping players find the best versions of themselves within the framework of a team. On top of all of that, Joe leads with an authentic care for the Celtics and everyone he works with – players, coaches, and staff.”
And-Ones: OKC/Spurs Impact, Anderson, Joerger, More
The Thunder and Spurs have built talented young rosters that look capable of contending for championships for the next five or 10 years, but rival teams won’t be content to take a step back and wait their turn until those potential dynasties in Oklahoma City and San Antonio eventually crumble, writes Howard Beck of The Ringer.
“The notion that everyone is just gonna accept it is insane,” an executive from an Eastern Conference playoff team told Beck. “Everybody that are in these jobs are competitive. They’re not just gonna accept it. A team like San Antonio, who have gotten lucky to get generational talent multiple times (in the lottery), people take that s–t personally, and they have a drive to beat those guys. They’re not gonna sit back and take a beating for the next 10 years.”
As Beck writes, teams around the NBA figure to seek “advantages in the margins” as they considers ways to match up with and beat these two Western Conference powerhouses. Wild-card factors like injuries could also affect the ability of OKC and San Antonio to make deep playoff runs in certain years. Plus, there’s no guarantee that either team will be able to maintain the star power and depth of their respective rosters as their key players get more expensive and they have to navigate punitive apron-related restrictions.
“People are gonna figure it out, how to beat them,” that same exec told Beck. “With the rules the way they are, San Antonio may not be able to keep all those guys. So a window opens up again. You have to be prepared for when that window is there.”
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson will be keeping name in the 2026 NBA draft pool, agent Aaron Mintz tells Jeff Borzello of ESPN. Anderson, a projected top-20 pick, was always expected to forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility and go pro, but now it’s confirmed. “This is a dream I’ve worked toward my entire life, and the fact that it’s now a real opportunity is something I don’t take for granted,” said Anderson, who ranks 16th on ESPN’s board. “I’m incredibly grateful for the chance to compete at the highest level in the world, and I’m ready to make the most of it.”
- Former NBA head coach Dave Joerger has interviewed with Melbourne United for their head coaching vacancy, reports Pete Hooley for NBL.com.au. Joerger compiled a 245-247 record in six seasons coaching Memphis and Sacramento and has spent the past two years as a Bucks assistant. As Hooley notes, he has a strong relationship with veteran forward Joe Ingles, who is joining Melbourne United for the 2026/27 season.
- ESPN’s Zach Kram, Ben Golliver, and Andre Snellings propose six hypothetical offseason trades that could shake up the league, including one that sends Ja Morant to Minnesota and one sending Kyrie Irving to Detroit. Evaluating the trade concepts, Bobby Marks is most intrigued by one that sends Daniel Gafford from Dallas to the Lakers, reuniting him with former pick-and-roll partner Luka Doncic.
- In a story open to non-subscribers, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron hands out his front office awards for the 2025/26 season. Gozlan lauds the Celtics for the best salary cap management and the Thunder for maintaining the most efficient payroll, while dubbing the Hawks‘ deal with Nickeil Alexander-Walker the best value signing.
Hawks, Rockets, Trail Blazers Interested In Jaylen Brown?
Some people around the NBA think the Hawks, Rockets and Trail Blazers all have “legitimate trade interest” in Celtics star Jaylen Brown, Marc Stein reports at The Stein Line (Substack link).
Stein references Brown within a story largely centered on the uncertain future of Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is believed to have interest in joining Boston, though whether the Celtics reciprocate that interest is not yet known.
The framework of a possible blockbuster trade between Milwaukee and Boston that sees Antetokounmpo land with the Celtics would likely have to involve at least three teams, according to Stein, with Brown rerouted to a third club — potentially Atlanta, Houston or Portland — and the Bucks receiving unspecified assets.
Brown, 29, is coming off a career-best regular season in which he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.0 steal in 34.4 minutes per game across 71 appearances. He was named to his fourth straight All-Star team (fifth overall), finished a career-high sixth in MVP voting, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the second time.
Brown still has three years and $183MM remaining on the super-max extension he signed with Boston in 2023. The Georgia native was named Finals MVP when the Celtics won their 18th title in 2024.
Latest On Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Heat and Celtics are believed to be atop Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s current list of desired trade destinations, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
While Miami has long coveted the Bucks superstar and will likely have “substantive” talks with Milwaukee about a possible deal, Stein say’s it’s not certain how Boston feels about a potential franchise-altering trade that would likely have to involve Jaylen Brown and at least three teams.
Stein continues to hear Antetokounmpo prefers a trade to an Eastern Conference team capable of competing for championships rather than a move to the West. That presumably has to do with the strength of the Thunder and Spurs, whose young cores could make the two teams fixtures atop the conference for years to come.
Although Stein doesn’t expect the Mavericks to pursue Antetokounmpo this summer because they’re focused on building around Cooper Flagg (for what it’s worth, they also lack future first-round picks), league sources tell The Stein Line that the two-time MVP has long been intrigued by the possibility playing in Dallas.
As Stein explains, Antetokounmpo’s Mavs interest was first piqued by the possibility of teaming up with Luka Doncic, who was shockingly traded to the Lakers in February 2025. The 31-year-old continued to monitor the team from afar due to his close relationship with Jason Kidd, who recently parted ways with the team after five years as head coach, Stein writes.
The Mavericks did some background work leading up to the deadline to try to determine if Antetokounmpo was still interested in a possible trade to Dallas, according to Stein, who says Kidd’s exit wouldn’t necessarily preclude a deal. New Mavs president Masai Ujiri is also close to Antetokounmpo and the Raptors — Ujiri’s former team — were long linked to the Greek forward.
Still, Stein reiterates that Antetokounmpo is focused on Eastern clubs and he’s expected to have a considerable amount of say in trade talks, since he only has one guaranteed year on left on his contract. Antetokounmpo becomes extension-eligible in October.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, J. Brown, Broome, Edgecombe
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill would like to move the Nets back to her state. However, the Nets are content in their current home in New York City, the New York Post’s Brian Lewis reports.
“They’re perfectly happy in Brooklyn,” a league source told Lewis.
Sherrill hinted that at least one sports team might be coming to New Jersey. The Nets have played in Brooklyn since 2012 after 35 years in New Jersey, mostly in the Meadowlands.
“I mean, would I support it? I ask about it all the time,” Sherrill said of getting the Nets back. “I love the idea. So, I have been pressing for that. I haven’t made a lot of headway yet; you know, maybe in my second 100 days. But I do think there is some work being done for some — I don’t know if I’m allowed to say too much about it — but some people are working on some different sports coming into the Rock.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Celtics forward Jaylen Brown was chosen for the All-NBA Second Team, getting the most votes of any player who didn’t make the First Team. Brown suggested during a Twitch stream, as relayed by MassLive’s Brian Robb, that he hadn’t expected to get so much support. He received 44 First Team votes, 54 Second Team votes and two Third Team votes. “I’m not the most-liked, [by] fans or media,” Brown said. “Sometimes I use my platform a little controversial, so I’m surprised I’m on any team, let alone first or second. I’m grateful for everything. I’m not surprised about nothing.”
- Daryl Morey‘s last draft pick for the Sixers got very little playing time as a rookie, Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com notes. Johni Broome, who was selected at No. 35 last June, logged just 55 regular season minutes and made only four of his 24 shot attempts. Of his 11 appearances, 10 came in garbage time. Broome also dealt with a knee injury. However, it’s too early to completely dismiss the young power forward, Aaronson adds.
- On the flip side, the Sixers hit it big with lottery selection VJ Edgecombe, who immediately jumped into the starting lineup, Aaronson writes. Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey could be the league’s most promising long-term backcourt after Edgecombe averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game in his rookie campaign.
NBA Announces 2025/26 All-NBA Teams
The league has officially announced its three All-NBA teams, recognizing the top performers for the 2025/26 season (all Twitter links).
A total of 100 media members voted on the All-NBA teams, with First Team votes counting for five points, Second Team votes counting for three points, and Third Team votes counting for one point.
This year’s All-NBA teams are as follows (each player’s point total is noted in parentheses):
First Team
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (500 points)- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (500)
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (498)
- Luka Doncic, Lakers (482)
- Cade Cunningham, Pistons (414)
Second Team
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics (384)
- Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (277)
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers (276)
- Kevin Durant, Rockets (241)
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks (197)
Third Team
- Tyrese Maxey, Sixers (168)
- Jamal Murray, Nuggets (149)
- Jalen Johnson, Hawks (125)
- Jalen Duren, Pistons (121)
- Chet Holmgren, Thunder (87)
Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic, this season’s Most Valuable Player and runner-up, respectively, were the only unanimous first-teamers, with Wembanyama coming a single vote away — he had one Second Team vote to go along with 99 First Team votes.
Doncic and Cunningham each technically fell short of meeting the 65-game minimum required to be eligible for All-NBA and other major awards, but they appealed that ruling and were deemed award-eligible by the league. Doncic would have met the criteria if he hadn’t missed time due to the birth of a child, while Cunningham fell short after suffering a collapsed lung, so both players were granted “extraordinary circumstances” exceptions.
Notably, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who played 61 games, also applied for an extraordinary circumstances exception. However, his request was denied, so his name didn’t show up on award ballots even though he likely would’ve been voted onto an All-NBA team if voters could’ve selected him. Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron James – who had made 21 consecutive All-NBA teams – were among the other superstars who didn’t meet the 65-game criteria.
Outside of the 15 players who made All-NBA teams, another dozen players showed up on at least one ballot, starting with Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who had 26 voting points (Twitter link).
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (14 points), Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (9), Cavaliers guard James Harden (6), Rockets center Alperen Sengun (6), Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (5), Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5), Heat big man Bam Adebayo (4), and Celtics guard Derrick White (3) all earned multiple votes, while Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, and Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley earned one Third Team vote apiece.
As usual, there are also financial implications worth noting related to the All-NBA teams. First and foremost, Duren will now be eligible to sign a contract with the Pistons that starts at up to 30% of the 2026/27 salary cap as a restricted free agent this summer. That means he could earn up to a projected $287.1MM over five years.
If he hadn’t made All-NBA, Duren’s maximum five-year contract with Detroit would’ve been worth a projected $239.3MM. Either way, the most a rival team can offer him is four years and $177.4MM.
Maxey and Cunningham are on their way to meeting the super-max (ie. Designated Veteran) criteria but would need to earn All-NBA honors again in 2027 to become eligible for maximum-salary extensions worth up to 35% of the cap instead of 30%.
Wembanyama is in a similar boat — despite making the All-NBA First Team and being named Defensive Player of the Year, he would need to achieve one of those feats again in 2027 in order to increase the maximum value of his next contract from 25% to the cap to 30% via the Rose rule. Wembanyama will be eligible to sign a rookie scale extension this offseason and is a lock to do so.
Paolo Banchero and Jalen Williams had Rose rule language in their maximum-salary rookie scale extensions, which were signed last offseason and will go into effect this July. They could’ve increased their respective starting salaries beyond 25% of the cap if they’d made an All-NBA team, but neither player did.
Interestingly, the maximum-salary rookie scale extension that the Thunder negotiated with Holmgren in 2025 did not include a Rose rule escalator, so the projected value of the big man’s contract (five years, $239.3MM) remains unchanged even though he earned a spot on the Third Team. It’ll go into effect this year and will be identical to Williams’ deal.
Finally, Edwards would have become eligible to sign a super-max extension with the Timberwolves during the 2027 offseason if he had been named to an All-NBA team this season. Because he didn’t qualify, he’ll need to make All-NBA next season in order to meet the performance criteria for a Designated Veteran extension.
Celtics Notes: Thomas, White, Wing Depth, Giannis
Isaiah Thomas hopes his decision to become a scout with the Celtics will lead to bigger things in his post-playing career, Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe writes in a subscriber-only story. Speaking on his “Point Game” podcast, Thomas revealed that discussions regarding the scouting position have been “in the works for a while.”
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, be a part of an organization, be a part of the front office and help make these decisions that are being made down the line,” he said. “So this is a step in the right direction in terms of, you know, hopefully one day being a GM or head of basketball operations or whatever the game of basketball takes me.”
Thomas, who will be based in his hometown of Seattle, has already begun working, and his first duties included representing the Celtics at last week’s draft combine in Chicago. He took part in some player interviews and said the prospects were comfortable with him because they’re familiar with his playing career.
“To go through that process as a player is hectic,” he said. “You’re a little nervous. You know that they know a lot, but you don’t know what they’re going to ask. So, being in that space as obviously not like a player, and being able to ask questions and really relate to these kids because they know me. They don’t always know anybody in the front office, like they know the face of the organization but they don’t know everybody else that is involved in the front office. So, it’s easy for me. I’m able to chop it up with these guys because I can relate to them. Obviously I’m a lot older than them, but I’m still a part of the game.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Derrick White‘s selection for First Team All-Defensive honors marked the first time in his career he has received that recognition, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. White, who was the only guard named to the First Team, was a Second Team selection in 2023 and 2024.
- The Celtics have a surplus of wing depth now that Jayson Tatum is healthy, which may lead to an offseason trade, Robb states in a mailbag column. He explores the pros and cons of parting with Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez or Jordan Walsh.
- Chad Finn of The Boston Globe (subscription required) makes the case for sending out Jaylen Brown in a deal to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Bucks. He argues that a “big swing” is necessary to get the Celtics back into title contention and that Antetokounmpo would represent an upgrade over Brown.
NBA Announces 2025/26 All-Defensive Teams
The NBA has officially announced its All-Defensive teams for the 2025/26 season (Twitter links).
The teams are determined by a panel of 100 media members, with players receiving two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote.
Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama was this season’s lone unanimous First Team pick, earning the maximum allowable 200 points after being named to the First Team by all 100 voters. DPOY runner-up Chet Holmgren fell short of being a unanimous pick, earning 93 First Team votes and four Second Team votes.
The honorees are as follows, along with their point totals (Twitter link):
First Team
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (200 points)
- Chet Holmgren, Thunder (190)
- Ausar Thompson, Pistons (166)
- Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves (151)
- Derrick White, Celtics (146)
Second Team
- Scottie Barnes, Raptors (130)
- Cason Wallace, Thunder (94)
- Bam Adebayo, Heat (71)
- OG Anunoby, Knicks (67)
- Dyson Daniels, Hawks (50)
The All-Defensive teams have been positionless for the last three years. Previously, each team was required to have two guards, two forwards, and a center, but that’s no longer the case. This season’s First Team leans more heavily toward rim protectors, while the Second Team features a wider variety of guards and wings alongside forward/center Adebayo.
This year’s All-Defensive squads feature a number of first-time honorees. Holmgren, Thompson, Barnes, and Wallace had never previously been named to an All-Defensive team. Wembanyama (2024) and Daniels (2025) had earned First Team honors once apiece prior to this year, while Anunoby made a Second Team in 2023.
Gobert is the most accomplished of these defenders — the four-time Defensive Player of the Year has now made nine total All-Defensive teams and is an eight-time member of the First Team. Adebayo is also no stranger to All-Defensive recognition either, having now made two First Teams and four Second Teams. White, meanwhile, got a First Team nod for the first time after previously making the Second Team twice.
There are four players across the league who would’ve earned bonuses if they’d made an All-Defensive team, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), but none of them made the cut. That group includes Thunder wing Luguentz Dort, whose $500K bonus for All-Defense had been considered “likely” because he made the First Team in 2025.
That $500K will come off Dort’s cap hit this season and will reduce his 2026/27 team option by $500K to roughly $17.7MM, since the bonus is considered “unlikely” going forward. If Dort’s team option is exercised, his $500K bonus would continue to count for apron purposes next season despite not counting toward his cap hit, and he could still earn it if he makes an All-Defensive team next season.
Besides the 10 players who made All-Defense, 15 other players showed up on at least one ballot. That group was led by Spurs guard Stephon Castle (46 points), Rockets guard Amen Thompson (46), Warriors forward Draymond Green (40), and Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (28), each of whom was named to the First Team on between four and eight ballots.
Clippers guard Kris Dunn, who had 14 points, would have rounded out a hypothetical “third team.” Notably, his $5.7MM salary for 2026/27 would have become fully guaranteed if he had made an All-Defensive team. Still, it’s a pretty safe bet that Dunn will be retained through June 30, at which time his full salary will become guaranteed anyway.
The rest of the players who received All-Defensive votes, including Dort and former Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, can be viewed here (Twitter link).
Latest On Trail Blazers’ Head Coaching Search
Jerry Stackhouse will be interviewing with the Trail Blazers for their head coaching vacancy this weekend, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
An NBA player for 18 seasons from 1995-2013, Stackhouse transitioned into coaching following his retirement. He has been an assistant for the Raptors (2015-16), Grizzlies (2018-19), and Warriors (2024-26) and also had head coaching stints with the Raptors 905 in the G League (2016-18) and Vanderbilt University (2019-24).
Reporting last week indicated that Stackhouse’s contract with Golden State had expired and that he wouldn’t be returning to the team, as he was “actively” seeking a head coaching position. He has also been connected to the coaching vacancy in Chicago.
Meanwhile, Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime (Twitter link) hears from league sources that the Blazers have been impressed by Jazz assistant Mike Williams, who is among the candidates the team is still considering.
Formerly a Wizards player development coach, Williams became the head coach of the Capital City Go-Go in the G League at age 25 and served in that role from 2021-23 before being hired by the Jazz in 2023 as an assistant under Will Hardy.
Finally, Fischer also reports within the latest Substack article for the Stein Line that Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook has advanced to the next stage of Portland’s coaching search as well.
Lashbrook worked for the Sixers from 2014-23, serving in player development roles during his last few years in Philadelphia. He has been on the Celtics’ staff for the past three years and was the head coach of the team’s G League affiliate in Maine during the 2024/25 season.
There has been a flurry of updates on Portland’s head coaching search in the past 24 hours, with Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, and Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter all identified on Thursday as finalists for the job.
Today’s reports adding several new names to the mix suggest that “finalists” may be a loose term — the team reportedly wanted to look at upwards of 30 candidates during the initial stages of its search, so while the field may have narrowed since then, it sounds like there are still several candidates receiving consideration.
According to Fischer and Marc Stein, the Blazers’ search has been difficult for insiders to keep track of, since some candidates have spoken to general manager Joe Cronin, some have spoken directly to team owner Tom Dundon, and have some have talked to both.
Here are some additional notes from Stein on the Blazers’ search:
- Van Gundy’s salary as a Clippers assistant is believed to be in the neighborhood of $3MM per year, so there’s “great curiosity” about what sort of salary Dundon would be willing to offer him, Stein writes, amid rumors that the new Blazers owner doesn’t want to spend big on his new head coach.
- Celtics assistant D.J. MacLeay, Heat consultant Noah Laroche, and Brisbane Bullets coach and president Will Weaver (a former NBA assistant) are among the other names that have been connected to the Blazers’ head coaching vacancy in recent days, according to Stein.
- One league source tells Stein that Dundon is seeking a candidate who will “coach players hard.”
We’re tracking all of this offseason’s NBA head coaching searches right here.
NBA Announces 2025/26 All-Rookie Teams
The NBA has officially revealed its All-Rookie teams for the 2025/26 season (Twitter links). The First Team is made up the top four picks in the 2025 draft, along with the No. 11 overall selection, while the Second Team consists of four additional lottery picks and one second-rounder.
A panel of 100 media members selected the All-Rookie teams, with players earning two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team nod. The 10 players who made the cut, along with their corresponding point totals (Twitter link), are as follows:
First Team
- Cooper Flagg, Mavericks (200 points)
- Kon Knueppel, Hornets (200)
- VJ Edgecombe, Sixers (200)
- Dylan Harper, Spurs (193)
- Cedric Coward, Grizzlies (125)
Second Team
- Derik Queen, Pelicans (110)
- Maxime Raynaud, Kings (110)
- Jeremiah Fears, Pelicans (109)
- Ace Bailey, Jazz (107)
- Collin Murray-Boyles, Raptors (66)
Flagg, Knueppel, and Edgecombe were the three finalists for Rookie of the Year and received nearly all the votes for that award, so it comes as no surprise that they’re the three players who were unanimously selected to the All-Rookie First Team.
Harper played a key role for the 62-win Spurs, while Coward emerged as a reliable scorer for the Grizzlies, averaging 13.6 points per game on 47.1% shooting. They were the only two players besides the three finalists to show up on any Rookie of the Year ballots.
Fears and Bailey ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, among rookies in scoring, while Queen and Raynaud earned starting roles for their respective teams and responded well, with Queen averaging 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, while Raynaud put up 12.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG. Raynaud, the only non-lottery pick on the All-Rookie teams, was the 42nd overall pick last June.
Murray-Boyles’ counting stats were modest, but he played a rotation role and showed off impressive defensive versatility for a Raptors team that finished fifth in the East. His eight first-team votes and 50 second-team votes helped earn him the final All-Rookie spot over Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who had 43 second-team votes.
Wizards guard Tre Johnson (19 points), Celtics wing Hugo Gonzalez (5), Wizards swingman Will Riley (4), Spurs forward Carter Bryant (3), Nets guard Egor Demin (2), Hornets guard Sion James (2), Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis (1), and Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (1) were the other players who showed up on at least one ballot.
Among all the players who received All-Rookie votes, only Nembhard went undrafted — he signed a two-way contract with Dallas as a free agent, then was promoted to the Mavs’ standard roster in February.
All-Rookie is one of the few awards that doesn’t require players to meet the 65-game minimum and certain minutes-played thresholds. Harper, Coward, Queen, Raynaud, Bailey, and Murray-Boyles each would have been ineligible for consideration if the 65-game rule applied to All-Rookie voting.