Injury Notes: Curry, Harris, Embiid, Giddey, Jones Garcia
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr provided an encouraging update on Stephen Curry after the 38-year-old went through another scrimmage on Thursday evening, tweets Nick Friedell of The Athletic.
“He looked good … he looks like Steph Curry,” Kerr said.
Kerr wouldn’t commit to Curry playing on Sunday, saying that would be up to the star guard and director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini. A final call will likely happen on Friday, Friedell adds, but it certainly sounds like Curry is on track to suit up this weekend, barring a last-minute setback.
The two-time MVP has been sidelined since late January due to patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee.
Here are a few more health-related updates from around the NBA:
- Veteran forward Tobias Harris suffered a left knee contusion in the first half of Thursday’s matchup with Minnesota and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the Pistons announced (via Twitter). Harris, who has started each of the 59 games in which he’s appeared this season, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
- Sixers center Joel Embiid has been listed as doubtful ahead of Friday’s game vs. Minnesota because of an illness, per Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice. Embiid sat out Wednesday’s win against Washington because he was sick and the doubtful designation suggests he’s likely to miss a second consecutive game.
- Josh Giddey was held out of Wednesday’s contest vs. Indiana after experiencing left hamstring tightness and his status for the final six games of the season is up in the air, according to Brian Sandalow of The Chicago Sun-Times. The Australian guard missed 19 games due to left hamstring issues earlier in 2025/26 and is considered day-to-day, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said.
- Rookie wing David Jones Garcia, who is about two months removed from season-ending ankle surgery, is no longer using a scooter and is traveling with the Spurs during their ongoing road trip, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Jones Garcia is expected to make a full recovery at some point in the offseason. “He’s a big part of the locker room and the group and the guys, so it’s been good to have him around,” head coach Mitch Johnson said.
Central Notes: Toppin, Giddey, Antetokounmpos, Haliburton, Pacers
Pacers forward Obi Toppin has scored double-digit points in seven of his last nine contests. He missed most of the season while recovering from foot surgery and has gotten more comfortable with each game, he told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.
“When I’m out there on the floor, I really try not to think about my foot,” Toppin said. “Adrenaline is pumping. We’re just super fast running up and down the court. Those lobs or putbacks I got are just reactive things. I don’t think about my foot in those situations. It’s just, get the ball in the rim.”
Toppin has been on a minutes restriction since his return and has yet to play more than 23 minutes in a game. He agrees with that plan.
“It’s not frustrating,” said Toppin, who has two years and $31MM left on his contract after this season. “Obviously, we’re doing it for a reason. I trust coach’s judgment always. He’s been doing this for a long time and we have the best trainers in the world. Whatever they say, I’m going to do. I feel good out there. I know I had like 20 minutes (against the Lakers). I felt really good, but I’m still getting back. I don’t feel like I’m 100 percent back yet. I’m still getting back, getting my feet under me and still getting that feel.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Josh Giddey has three full seasons remaining on his four-year, $100MM contract. The Bulls point guard would like to know just what the front office plans to do to make the club a contender, according to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. “Everyone wants to know what’s going on,” Giddey said. “We want to know what the strategy is going forward. If you look at the way this team’s put together now, I don’t know if we’re put together to win a championship this year or whether we’re going into a rebuild or a younger phase.” Over its last 30 games, Chicago is 6-24.
- It’s logical to assume that Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s brother knows whether the superstar will remain with the Bucks or ask for a trade this offseason. That’s not the case, Eurohoops.net relays. Speaking to Toni Canyameras of Mundo Deportivo, Alex Antetokounmpo said he’s not sure, either. “I don’t know. I hope (he stays). We all love him here in Milwaukee, we all want him to stay here in Milwaukee,” said Alex , who is on a two-way deal. “So whatever he decides. I’m his family, but when I mean his family, his kids and wife decide, it’s going to be what’s best for them.”
- Tyrese Haliburton‘s recovery from an Achilles tear was enough for the Pacers guard to endure, but he had another health issue this season. Haliburton endured a bout with shingles, which he discussed on NBA on Prime (Twitter video link). “It has been so awful,” he said.
- Pacers forwards Aaron Nesmith (cervical strain) and Jarace Walker (low back bruise) will sit out Wednesday’s game against the Bulls, coach Rick Carlisle told Dopirak. Andrew Nembhard (low back) and T.J. McConnell (right hamstring) have also been ruled out due to nagging injuries, according to the injury report released Tuesday evening.
Latest On Jaden Ivey
Jaden Ivey will receive the full remaining portion of his $10.1MM salary for 2025/26 after being waived by the Bulls on Monday, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
Ivey’s salary has been fully guaranteed since Detroit exercised his fourth-year rookie scale team option back in the fall of 2024, but in instances where a player is accused of “conduct detrimental to the team,” a team can attempt to recoup some of the money it owes him. That won’t happen in this case, Vorkunov explains.
Asked on Monday about the Bulls’ decision to waive Ivey, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan spoke in more general terms rather than getting into specifics, as Vorkunov relays.
“I think there’s a certain level of standards and expectations that are here,” Donovan said. “I mean, we have people from all different walks of life working in the building and players from all different walks of life, right? So, the first thing is, everybody comes with their own personal experiences. But one is, we’ve got to all be professional. I think there’s got to be a high level of respect for one another, and we got to help each other and then be accountable to those standards.”
The decision to waive Ivey was reportedly connected in large part due to several appearances on Instagram Live, where he has made inflammatory remarks about religion and the LGBTQ community, among other things. According to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic, Ivey was once again streaming on social media just hours after being cut by the Bulls on Monday.
“They’re liars, bro. This is lying,” Ivey said on Instagram Live. “They’re lying saying my conduct is detrimental to the team. That’s a lie. Ask any one of them coaches in there, ‘Was I a good teammate?’ All I’m preaching about is Jesus Christ and they waived me. They say I’m crazy, right? I’m psycho.”
Here’s more on the Ivey situation:
- Describing the decision to trade for Ivey last month as another poor one by Arturas Karnisovas and the Bulls’ front office, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times says there were rumblings prior to the deal that the former No. 5 overall pick was a “preacher.” Those rumblings undersold it, Cowley writes, adding that Ivey’s interviews with the media “became sermons” and that he asked team reporters if they’ve been “saved” and whether they’ve “fornicated before marriage.” According to Cowley, “Not one Bulls player was shedding a tear for Ivey’s removal from the roster.”
- Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune also published a column critical of Karnisovas and the front office, describing the trade to acquire Ivey as an “unnecessary risk on a clearly troubled player.” According to Poe, religion isn’t considered a taboo subject in NBA locker rooms, where players “read the Bible before games and praise Jesus after them.” However, Ivey became increasingly insistent on preaching his beliefs in professional settings and “lost the ability to provide basic answers to the media without redirecting the topic to religion,” Poe writes.
- Ivey took to Instagram Live again on Tuesday to describe the reaction to his comments, per Lorenzi. “Those who are around me, those who are my family members betraying (me) because of what I spoke,” Ivey said. “The truth. Betraying me. Saying that I’m losing my mind. Saying that I’m crazy. Saying that I don’t know the truth. These are my own family members who love me. My blood. Those who raised me saying that I don’t know the truth. ‘Man, he’s psycho.’ He’s this, he’s that. Those are my own household. All because of the gospel. All because I said the truth.”
Doc Rivers To Be Inducted Into Hall Of Fame
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers will be among the Hall of Fame inductees for the class of 2026, a person familiar with the matter told Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. The full class will be revealed this Saturday, April 4.
Rivers, who was named a North American committee finalist last month, has compiled the sixth-most wins in NBA history across his 27 seasons as a head coach. The 64-year-old holds a career regular season record of 1191-861, for a .580 win-loss percentage.
Rivers’ teams have made the playoffs in 21 of his 27 seasons, including the longtime coach’s lone championship with Boston in 2008. He also led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in 2010, when they lost to the Lakers in seven games.
Aside from those two deep postseason runs, Rivers’ playoff results have been pretty mixed. Despite having a ton of regular season success with the Clippers and Sixers from 2013-23, none of those clubs advanced past the second round.
The only other team Rivers coached that reached a conference final was Boston in 2012. He holds a career playoff record of 104-102 (.504 win percentage).
Milwaukee was eliminated from postseason contention on Saturday for the first time since 2016.
A native of Illinois, Rivers also played 13 years in the league (from 1983-96). He was named an All-Star with Atlanta, with whom he spent his first eight seasons, in 1988.
Townsend’s story is largely centered on former Mavericks head coach Dick Motta, whose family was told on Monday that he won’t be inducted this year. It was the third time the 94-year-old has been a finalist but the first time since 2012, Townsend notes.
Motta, who had two different stints with Dallas, also coached the Bulls, Bullets (now Wizards), Kings and Nuggets. He holds a career regular season mark of 935-1017 (.479) and a playoff record of 57-70 (.444).
As Townsend writes, Motta is 14th on NBA’s all-time win list, and of the coaches in the top 15, only Rivers, Motta and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle aren’t in the Hall of Fame. Obviously that will change for Rivers later this year.
Motto also coached junior high, high school, junior college and major college basketball, according to Townsend, who points out that the Utah native led the Washington Bullets to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 1978 and ’79. The Bullets won the championship in ’78.
Bulls Waive Jaden Ivey
5:03 pm: The Bulls just put out a press release confirming they have waived Ivey for conduct detrimental to the team.
4:30 pm: The Bulls have waived Jaden Ivey, according to the official transaction log at NBA.com (hat tip to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line).
According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Chicago decided to release Ivey due to his recent “anti-LGBTQ comments amid several rants on religion and other topics.”
Ivey has made a string of recent “inflammatory comments” on Instagram Live over the last week, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. Monday’s comments about the NBA’s advocacy for the LGBTQ community was reportedly the final straw for the Bulls.
“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?” Ivey told viewers on Monday morning. “They proclaim Pride Month. And the NBA, they proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month, to celebrate unrighteousness.’ They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it in the streets. Unrighteousness.”
Ivey has also been condemning those he thinks haven’t been “saved,” per Joe Cowley of The Chicago-Sun Times, who first reported that the team was working with the league “on an exit strategy” from the 24-year-old.
Ivey only made four appearances with the Bulls due to a left knee injury the team later called patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee. He was shut down for the rest of the season last Thursday.
As Cowley notes, the former Purdue star made some unprompted comments that raised eyebrows around the league about two weeks after he was acquired from Detroit ahead of the February trade deadline. Ivey repeatedly referenced his faith at the time and declared that he doesn’t “really trust the NBA setting.”
Asked on February 19 if there were still health-related steps to take before he regains his former athleticism, Ivey replied, “I’m sure people can call it out — I’m not the same player I used to be,” he said. “(The knee soreness is) why. I’m not the J.I. I used to be. The old J.I. is dead. I’m alive in Christ no matter what the basketball setting is.”
According to ESPN, Ivey has talked in the past about battling depression.
The fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft, Ivey was having a career year for the Pistons in 2024/25, averaging 17.6 points and 4.0 assists per game with a .460/.409/.733 shooting line, before he suffered a broken fibula in his left leg that ended his season. His return in the fall was delayed after he underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee.
Ivey lacked his previous explosiveness in 37 games for Detroit and Chicago this season, registering averages of 8.5 PPG and 1.8 APG on .445/.373/.809 shooting in a reduced role (18.1 MPG).
Ivey would have been on track for restricted free agency this summer if he had received a qualifying offer, but that will no longer be the case. He will be unrestricted in a couple days if he clears the waiver wire.
Central Notes: Thompson, Stewart, Dillingham, Miller
Ausar Thompson has quickly become one of the league’s premier defenders for the Pistons, a feat which didn’t happen by accident — it came about through work and film study, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (subscriber link). As Sankofa details, after the final buzzer sounds, Thompson can be found in the locker room, still in uniform, watching film from the game that just concluded.
“I watch it the next day too, but I watch it immediately after to see, I don’t know. It’s close to the game,” Thompson said earlier in the year. “You still feel the emotions of the game, the one I just played. And it’s easier to remember stuff that happened.”
Sanfoka notes that the habit often means the rest of the team has already showered, dressed, and gotten ready to leave while Thompson continues to study up.
“Right after the game he wants to watch the whole game,” Cade Cunningham said. “We’re trying to get on the plane. I think that’s where a lot of the teasing comes from… He has to see the highest-level scorers every night. Takes his job seriously. That’s what you want from your primary defender like that.“
The attention to detail will quite possibly result in an All-Defense selection for the 23-year-old wing, who is in the 99th percentile in wing steal percentage and the 96th percentile in block rate. He’ll have to play at least 20 minutes in seven of Detroit’s final eight games to meets the 65-game requirements.
We have more from around the Central Division:
- Isaiah Stewart took an important step forward in his calf strain recovery, receiving clearance to resume on-court basketball activities for the Pistons, writes Coty M. Davis for The Detroit News. “He’s progressing,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It is something that we will take our time with, making sure he is right with the timing of everything. Every day when he takes a step, we evaluate and take another step the next day.” There’s still no set timetable for Stewart’s return, and his extended absence means that the defensive-minded big man will miss out on All-Defense eligibility.
- Rob Dillingham has played in 22 straight games for the Bulls since being acquired in the Ayo Dosunmu deal with the Wolves, but that doesn’t mean he feels at ease about his long-term status with the team, Joe Cowley writes for the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s a good feeling that I’m getting the opportunity, but I don’t feel comfortable at all,” Dillingham said. “I don’t feel like I’ve proven anything, so my goal is just to help us win, help us get better, be the best I can be.” The Bulls will have plenty of decisions to make regarding the many young guards on the roster, and Dillingham – whose contract is guaranteed through 2026/27 – is hoping to prove that he’s someone worth investing in.
- Leonard Miller went from fringe rotation player in Minnesota to valued contributor with the Bulls nearly overnight, a role change he has fully embraced, Julia Poe writes for the Chicago Tribune. “This has never happened for me before,” Miller said. “But I just knew — like, I wanted to carve out a role with this group. So it’s new, but at the same time it doesn’t feel like anything crazy. This is what I’m born to do.” Over his last 10 games, Miller has averaged 13.1 points and 7.0 rebounds in 26.5 minutes per game. He credits teammate Matas Buzelis, whom he played with on the G League Ignite, for helping him acclimate to the new environment.
Central Notes: Buzelis, Donovan, Giddey, Allen, Stewart
Amid rumors about Billy Donovan‘s future with the Bulls, second-year forward Matas Buzelis made it clear he hopes Donovan remains in his role as head coach next season, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
“He’s been everything, man,” Buzelis said. “He’s been a role model to me; he’s someone I look up to as a person, as a human being. He’s a guy that’s been a cornerstone for me. He’s pushed me to my limits, and he’s going to keep pushing me until I can’t be pushed anymore.
“I can’t thank somebody like that enough. He tells you the truth every time. It’s hard to do that, especially in this league, to have someone in your corner that is going to tell you everything you need to hear.”
Here’s more from around the Central Division:
- Bulls guard Josh Giddey hopes the team is able to “keep playing the right way” to close out the season, Cowley writes in another story. Giddey acknowledged Chicago’s roster situation is a little unusual with so many impending free agents. “I’m not going to speak for other guys because I know how it is to be in a contract year, and individually you are always worried about yourself,” said Giddey, who signed a four-year, $100MM contract as a restricted free agent last year. “Everybody wants to play well, that’s no secret, contract-wise or not, especially coming into free agency. You want to perform, you want your visibility to be as high as possible, so I get it from that point of view. But it’s important to make everything about the team. It’s easy for guys to waver and think about themselves. I was guilty of it, as well. I just think it’s important to let that stuff get handled in the offseason. Don’t drag it into the team. In stints I thought we played selfish ball [Wednesday] and started to get in one-on-one stuff, iso stuff, and it’s just not the way we play. It’s not sustainable and not how we have to win games.”
- Veteran center Jarrett Allen provided a major boost to the Cavaliers in Friday’s lopsided victory over Miami, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Allen, who had missed the previous 10 games due to right knee tendonitis, had eight points in the first four minutes, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said the former All-Star big man would be on a restriction of about 20 minutes prior to the game, Withers notes. “It was great,” Allen said of his quick start. “Shout-out to Kenny, he drew up the first play for me. I usually don’t get the first play sometimes, but he wanted to get me going, wanted to get me back in the groove of things and from there, things just started rolling for me.” Max Strus, who was making his sixth appearance of 2025/26 following offseason foot surgery, led the Cavs with a season-high 29 points (on 10-of-14 shooting) in 23 minutes, Withers adds.
- Reserve big man Isaiah Stewart has been cleared to resume on-court activities, the Pistons announced in a press release. The 25-year-old center/forward is recovering from a left calf strain, having last suited up on March 13.
Bulls Eliminated From Postseason Contention
The Bulls were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention on Friday when they lost at Oklahoma City. Chicago (29-44) has nine games remaining and is 9.5 games behind Miami (39-35), the current No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference.
After another mediocre start to the season — the team was 24-25 through the end of January — Chicago pivoted to a rebuild by trading away several veteran’s ahead of the February 5 deadline. The Bulls have gone just 5-19 since the start of February.
Chicago’s roster could look quite different in 2026/27, as 10 of the 18 players currently under contract could be free agents this summer. That group includes third-year forward Leonard Miller, who has a $2.4MM team option for next season.
The Bulls are the ninth NBA team to be eliminated from postseason contention, joining Indiana, Brooklyn, Washington, Sacramento, Utah, Dallas, Memphis and New Orleans. The Bucks (29-43) will be the 10th and final team eliminated prior to the play-in tournament if they lose another game or the Hornets, Magic and Heat each win another game (they’re all at 39 victories).
Chicago is also currently ninth in the reverse standings, giving the team a 20.3% chance at a top-four pick and 4.5% odds at No. 1 overall. If the Bulls remain in that same spot when the regular season ends, they’d have a 50.7% chance of selecting at No. 9 in the 2026 draft.
Billy Donovan Addresses UNC Rumors, Says Focus On Bulls
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan‘s future has been a major subject of speculation of this week, with reports linking him to the open coaching job at the University of North Carolina and suggesting that he may be considering leaving his position in Chicago at the end of this season.
Asked ahead of Wednesday’s game in Philadelphia about the UNC rumors, Donovan didn’t explicitly deny that he’d be interested in the job, but said he’s focused on guiding the Bulls to a strong finish to the season, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic.
“My main focus is on these guys and this new team,” Donovan said. “I understand that there’s stuff out there, and I understand that there is going to be certain speculation. But, I have to concentrate on this group, and really, my focus is on what we’re doing here in Chicago, having a game (Wednesday), and traveling to go and play in a back-to-back.”
Before Donovan began being linked to the UNC vacancy, a Chicago Sun-Times report cited rumblings about the possibility that the veteran coach will step down as the Bulls’ head coach in order to take a year off and evaluate what he wants to do next.
While Donovan, who will turn 61 this May, didn’t confirm his plans one way or the other during his pregame media session on Wednesday, he acknowledged that the Bulls’ recent playoff drought has been frustrating. The team is headed for its fourth straight losing season and hasn’t advanced beyond the play-in tournament since 2022.
Donovan told reporters, including Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times and Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required), that he’d have to talk to executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas this spring about the ongoing rebuilding process and the plan to get back to the postseason.
“We’re pivoting right now,” he said. “A lot of it’s going to be me sitting down with ownership, with Arturas, just to find out — OK, what’s the next step? How are we all looking at going through this? What do we need to do to continue to improve and to get better?
“The biggest thing, clearly, with the moves that were made at the trade deadline was — how do we get out of the middle? And if we’re taking a step back, what do we have to do to take a step forward where we’re actually building something? We may have to go through a play-in again, but how are we going to get into the playoffs?”
As Poe writes, there’s an understanding within the organization that if Donovan isn’t enthusiastic about management’s vision for the future, a split is a possibility.
“I wanted to get into coaching to win,” the Bulls’ coach said. “How are we going to work to get into a place where we’re really competing? And how do we build this out going forward? Those are the things I think we need to talk about. Because, yeah — selfishly, competitively, I want us to be in that situation where we’re playing in real, legitimate (games). … I want to be in that situation. I understand that that doesn’t happen overnight or in a blink of an eye. It takes a lot of hard work and diligence.”
Bulls Rule Out Jaden Ivey, Jalen Smith For Rest Of Season
Bulls guard Jaden Ivey and big man Jalen Smith will miss the rest of the 2025/26 season, the team announced on Thursday (via Twitter).
Ivey, who was acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline, appeared in just four games for Chicago before being shut down due to left knee pain. There had initially been hope that he’d return to action this season, but the team says he’ll continue his rehabilitation work and won’t play again this spring.
Smith, meanwhile, has missed seven of the Bulls’ 14 games since February 24 due to a right calf issue. According to the club, he aggravated that injury in Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia and will be held out for the final two-and-a-half weeks of the season in order to fully recover.
The fact that Ivey spent so little time on the court following the deadline deal sending him to Chicago clouds his future to some extent. The Bulls will have to decide this June whether or not to issue him a qualifying offer worth $8.77MM in order to make him a restricted free agent. Even if the team puts that QO on the table, the next step would be figuring out if a multiyear contract agreement between the two sides is viable.
Before making either decision, the Bulls will want to ensure they have a clear and complete understanding of Ivey’s knee issue in order to assess the likelihood that the former fifth overall pick will be able to recapture his old form. Ivey was having a career year for the Pistons in 2024/25, averaging 17.6 points and 4.0 assists per game with a .460/.409/.733 shooting line, before he suffered a broken fibula in his left leg that ended his season. His return in the fall was delayed after he underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee.
Ivey lacked his usual explosiveness in 37 games for Detroit and Chicago this season, registering averages of 8.5 PPG and 1.8 APG on .445/.373/.809 shooting in a reduced role (18.1 MPG). He spoke last month about not feeling like “the same player I used to be.”
Smith’s calf issues appear unlikely to be a long-term concern. He’ll earn $9.43MM next season in the final season of the three-year, $27MM contract he signed with the Bulls as a free agent during the 2024 offseason.
Nick Richards and Guerschon Yabusele figure to play increased frontcourt roles in the short term with Smith sidelined. The Bulls have no shortage of options in the backcourt, where Josh Giddey, Tre Jones, Collin Sexton, and Rob Dillingham have all been playing regular minutes as of late.