Central Notes: Duren, Rivers, Donovan, Bulls
Jalen Duren has carefully studied the replay of the Pistons’ Game 1 loss to No. 8 seed Orlando. Duren has taken heavy criticism for only contributing eight points on four shot attempts and seven rebounds in the 112-101 defeat.
“For me, just being more aggressive, finding my spots and attacking more; I think I could have done a better job of that,” Duren said after Tuesday’s practice, per Coty Davis of the Detroit News. “I just spent time watching the film over, and, over, and over again, seeing where I wasn’t most effective at and just trying to capitalize on that next game.”
The All-Star center acknowledged that the Magic had an effective strategy to neutralize him. The Pistons will have to develop some counters for Game 2 on Wednesday.
“They just had a good game plan, packing the paint. Anytime I had catches deep, they collapsed on me,” Duren said. “They were coming from everywhere. I did not get as many shot attempts (four) as I should have. There were times when I did catch myself one-on-one, and I’ve seen those moments before, and I want to get more of those opportunities. But for the most part, they were collapsing from anywhere.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Doc Rivers’ stint with the Bucks is over and he insists it was “100%” his decision and not management’s edict. “It wasn’t a hard decision. It’s probably on your mind your last couple years,” Rivers said to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. “It had nothing to do with the season or anything like that. There’s times where you feel like you’ve had your run. I still love it. I still love coaching. But I don’t ever want my job to become work. I guess that is the best way of saying that. It’s more of a labor of love. So, I just felt like it was time. It was not like some lightning strike or something like that. I told ownership that a while ago.”
- The Bulls are also seeking a new coach after parting ways with Billy Donovan on Tuesday. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania (video link), Donovan was offered the opportunity to not only remain as Chicago’s coach but also a front office job as an alternative. He chose instead to walk away. “They offered him any amount of years that he wanted to stay as coach, any type of extension he wanted, even a high-ranking managerial role,” Charania said. “But Billy Donovan wanted to keep coaching and he actually had an option in his contract for next season and he decided to decline it and step down as head coach.”
- The Bulls currently hold the ninth and 15th overall picks in this year’s draft with hope of moving up from No. 9 during the draft lottery. The way it shakes out and the choices that they make will have a cascading effect on the roster, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Players such as Anfernee Simons, Leonard Miller, Zach Collins and Nick Richards could be impacted by which rookies the Bulls select this June.
Warriors Rumors: Kerr, Melton, Stars, Post, Horford
The “general belief” both within the organization and around the NBA is that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is more likely to step down from his current position than to sign a new contract to remain in Golden State, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Poole reports that Kerr will meet with team owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. to discuss his future and that the expectation is his decision will come in a matter of days, rather than weeks.
While it sounds like Kerr is leaning toward ending his run with the Warriors, he has left the door open to returning. For that to happen, Poole suggests the veteran coach would need to have “renewed faith in his role as the franchise shifts toward the future.” Kerr’s decision won’t be based on money, Poole adds.
“They could offer Steve $25 million a year and I doubt that alone would make a difference,” one league source told NBC Sports Bay Area.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- According to Nick Friedell and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, Golden State was operating for most of the season as if it would be tough to bring back De’Anthony Melton, since he seemed likely to decline his $3.5MM player option in favor of a much more lucrative offer that the Warriors wouldn’t be able to match using the guard’s Non-Bird rights. However, an up-and-down finish to the season may hurt Melton’s market and make a return to Golden State more viable. For his part, the 27-year-old said on Monday that he’d “most definitely” like to stay with the Warriors but that he’ll “leave that type of stuff up to my agent and upstairs,” per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.
- Although the Warriors reportedly offered several future first-round picks for Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo prior to February’s trade deadline, one team source who spoke to Friedell and Thompson said the front office isn’t planning on giving up several future assets to load up on veterans for 2026/27. Noting that Golden State was the most aggressive suitor for Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard prior to the deadline, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) posits that the team may be less inclined to pursue a veteran star like Giannis or Kawhi this offseason if Kerr doesn’t return.
- A restricted free agent this summer, Quinten Post said on Monday that he hopes to remain with the Warriors, per Friedell (Twitter link). Post, who is recovering from a foot injury, added that he thinks he’s about two weeks away from resuming on-court work and hopes to play for the Dutch national team this summer.
- Warriors big man Al Horford explained in greater detail on Monday why he left Boston last summer to sign with Golden State. Brian Robb of MassLive has the story and the quotes from Horford, who holds a $6MM player option for ’26/27.
Central Notes: Giannis, Strus, Wade, Walker, Pacers
Although this wasn’t the first time in his 13-year NBA career that Giannis Antetokounmpo found himself involved in trade rumors, he admitted during a recent appearance on Gogi’s Garage (YouTube link) that he wasn’t ready for just how persistent they would become over the course of the 2025/26 season.
Antetokounmpo spoke publicly about his desire to stay with the Bucks, but he consistently added caveats to those statements, suggesting that competing for a title is his top priority and that he only wants to remain in Milwaukee if the team is capable of doing so. The two-time MVP ultimately didn’t go anywhere at the trade deadline, but the constant trade speculation was a distraction for the Bucks, prompting Antetokounmpo to express regret that he didn’t try more forcefully to shut down those rumors.
“If I could turn time back, I would maybe come out a little bit earlier and say, ‘Hey, guys, this ends today,'” Giannis said (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “‘Look at me in the eyes. I’m staying with Milwaukee until further notice. It ends today. Stop making stories, and after stories, and after stories.'”
The relationship between the Bucks and Antetokounmpo became tenser down the stretch when the two sides disagreed about how to handle a late-season injury. Given how the season ended, it seems safe to assume the Giannis rumor mill will roar back to life in the coming months.
We have more from around the Central:
- Sidelined until mid-March with a foot injury, Max Strus is playing a significant role for the Cavaliers off the bench in the postseason, scoring 24 points in Game 1 on Saturday and logging nearly 27 minutes of action in Game 2 on Monday. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com takes a closer look at Strus’ extended recovery period following surgery to repair a Jones fracture, noting that there was some doubt about the veteran wing’s ability to make it back and play meaningful minutes this spring.
- While the Cavaliers initially envisioned Strus as their starting small forward this season, it’s Dean Wade who has taken on that role in the playoffs. Wade, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, is considered more of a defensive specialist and his play on that end of the court has helped Cleveland stymie Raptors leading scorer Brandon Ingram through the first two games of the series, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic details. Ingram scored just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting on Monday, prompting Cavs star Donovan Mitchell to single out Wade as someone who “deserves a bunch of credit” for his performance. “I know he only had three points, but his impact is extremely high outside of just the scoring,” Mitchell said.
- Breaking down Jarace Walker‘s third NBA season, Tony East of Circle City Spin observes that the Pacers forward got off to a slow start before taking a step forward in the middle of the year and then finishing strong. While Walker will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, he’ll likely need to prove that he can maintain his second-half level in order to get the sort of second contract he’ll be seeking.
- A pair of assistant coaches from the Noblesville Boom – the Pacers‘ G League affiliate, are leaving the organization for WNBA jobs, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, who tweets that Kelly Faris will be an assistant on the Chicago Sky’s staff, while Amiee Book will serve as the Phoenix Mercury’s head video coordinator.
Bucks Met With Taylor Jenkins About Coaching Job
The Bucks have met with former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins as they ramp up their search for a new head coach following the departure of Doc Rivers, according to Eric Nehm and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Jenkins has been considered one of the top targets for Milwaukee since news broke that Rivers would not be returning to the sidelines next season. Jenkins amassed a 250-214 record during his time in Memphis, making the playoffs in four of his six years at the helm. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach for the Bucks after spending five seasons as an assistant in Atlanta.
Amick and Nehm say that no specific contract details were discussed; rather, the meeting’s purpose was to outline the vision for the team’s future. Jenkins is expected to meet with Bucks leadership again in the near future to continue discussing the job.
The Athletic’s duo adds that Jenkins is seen as one of the top candidates on the market this summer, so it’s possible he’ll be patient and explore other options before committing to a team.
One team listed as a potential suitor for his services is the Magic, who have been rumored to be considering parting ways with head coach Jamahl Mosley. However, having advanced through the play-in tournament and won Game 1 in Detroit, Mosley is making his case to hang onto his job.
2026 NBA Draft Tiebreaker Results
Tiebreakers among teams with identical regular-season records were broken on Monday through random drawings to determine the order for this year’s draft prior to the lottery.
The NBA has posted a video of the tiebreaking procedure (Twitter link). The results are as follows, according to a press release from the league (Twitter link):
- Utah Jazz (No. 4) over Sacramento Kings (No. 5)
- The Jazz’s pick will land in the top eight, meaning their obligation to the Thunder will be extinguished.
- New Orleans Pelicans (No. 7) over Dallas Mavericks (No. 8)
- The Pelicans will get one more lottery ball combination (out of 1,000) than the Mavericks.
- The Pelicans’ pick will be sent to the Hawks (if it’s more favorable than Milwaukee’s) or Bucks (if it’s not).
- Phoenix Suns (No. 16) over Philadelphia 76ers (No. 17) over Orlando Magic (No. 18)
- The Suns’ pick will be sent to the Grizzlies.
- The Sixers’ pick will be sent to the Thunder.
- The Magic’s pick will be sent to the Hornets.
- Toronto Raptors (No. 19) over Atlanta Hawks (No. 20)
- The Hawks’ pick will be sent to the Spurs.
- Houston Rockets (No. 22) over Cleveland Cavaliers (No. 23)
- The Rockets’ pick will be sent to the Sixers.
- The Cavaliers’ pick will be sent to the Hawks.
- New York Knicks (No. 24) over Los Angeles Lakers (No. 25)
While the tiebreaker winner will pick ahead of the loser(s) in the first round, that order will be flipped in the second round.
For instance, the Magic’s second-round pick will be at No. 46, followed by the Sixers’ pick (traded to Phoenix) at No. 47, and the Suns’ second-rounder (traded to the Mavericks) at No. 48 — that’s the opposite of their order in the first round.
For lottery teams that finished with identical records, the second-round order is still to be determined depending on the lottery results.
For example, if the Jazz’s first-round pick stays at No. 4 and the Kings’ first-rounder stays at No. 5, Sacramento’s second-round pick would be at No. 34 and Utah’s (traded to San Antonio) would be at No. 35. But if the Kings win the No. 1 overall pick on lottery night, moving ahead of Utah in the first round, then the Jazz’s second-round pick (to San Antonio) would be No. 34, while Sacramento would move down to No. 35.
We’ll publish the full lottery odds and pre-lottery draft order for 2026 later today.
Kerr’s Decision Could Lead To Major Changes For Warriors
The Warriors could be embarking on an “organizational reset” if head coach Steve Kerr decides not to return, several team sources tell Ramona Shelburne and Anthony Slater of ESPN. That could involve significant changes to the roster and coaching staff as the team tries to find a new direction following a 37-45 season and an exit in the play-in tournament.
After Friday’s loss at Phoenix, Kerr indicated that he’ll take a week or two before deciding whether to continue coaching. Team sources tell Shelburne that timeline is respectful to Kerr while giving the organization enough time to address its coaching situation before moving on to roster decisions. The sources also state that staff and philosophy questions will be discussed if Kerr returns, as management believes the team has become too reliant on three-point variance and wants to see more diversification in the offense and a greater emphasis on winning the possession battle.
There are lingering concerns about the 13-15 start when the roster was mostly healthy, Shelburne adds. Late-game performance, turnover problems and a sub-.500 record during a season when so many opponents were tanking were also worrisome.
“We didn’t find it earlier in the season,” Kerr said after the team was eliminated. “We were blowing some games we should’ve closed out. I could’ve done a better job. But when Jimmy (Butler) got hurt, it felt like we were finding it.”
Sources tell Shelburne that a wide search is expected for Kerr’s successor if he opts for retirement. College coaches could be in the mix, although Shelburne cites concerns about pairing someone who has no NBA experience with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Butler as they move into the final stages of their careers.
Changes to the coaching staff are expected even if Kerr stays, per Shelburne. Long-time assistant Chris DeMarco has already left to become head coach of the WNBA’s New York Liberty, and sources tell Shelburne that former Pelicans head coach Willie Green could return to the Warriors to work under Kerr again.
When Kerr discusses his future with management, owner Joe Lacob will want him to exhibit a strong desire to handle the day-to-day responsibilities of the job rather than stay out of loyalty to Curry and Green, according to Shelburne’s sources. They add that Lacob will ask Kerr to sign a multiyear contract instead of returning for a brief farewell tour.
According to Shelburne, the Warriors remain committed to general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., despite some outside rumors that he may be a candidate to run Chicago’s front office. She reports that Dunleavy recently signed an extension without any fanfare and has multiple years remaining on the deal.
Shelburne also notes that if Golden State’s roster remains largely intact next season, there will still be the issue of having three players in their late 30s who take up nearly 80% of the payroll. Curry will be eligible for an extension of up to two years this summer and has already talked about wanting to keep playing for multiple seasons. Butler will become extension-eligible in February, which is about when he’s projected to return from an ACL tear. Shelburne hears that he’s expected to focus on getting healthy again and work out his future next summer.
Green has a $27.6MM player option for next season that he’s expected to either exercise or use as the basis to negotiate a longer deal. He was reportedly included in the Warriors’ offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo at the deadline and while there’s a still a chance he could be moved for a star, sources tell Shelburne there is “no desire or mandate” to trade Green.
Shelburne suggests that Golden State could make another offer to the Bucks this summer or try again for Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who became a target in February after the Antetokounmpo deal fell through. She adds that LeBron James could also be a possibility in free agency if he decides to leave the Lakers.
Fischer’s Latest: Horst, Bucks, Jenkins, Blazers, Bulls
The Bucks endured a disappointing and drama-filled season in 2025/26, going just 32-50 amid injuries to — and trade rumors involving — Giannis Antetokounmpo. Head coach Doc Rivers officially stepped down from his role on Monday and suggested in a subsequent podcast appearance that his NBA coaching days may be over.
Could general manager Jon Horst be the next key member of the organization on the move? According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), the early signs in Milwaukee indicate the answer to that question is no.
There had been speculation around the league about Horst’s job status, but his contract runs through 2027/28 and he has initiated contact with several agents as the Bucks commence their search for Rivers’ replacement, sources tell Fischer.
As Fischer writes, Horst hasn’t really spearheaded a coaching search since 2018, when the team hired Mike Budenholzer. Adrian Griffin, who went 30-13 in ’23/24 before being replaced by Rivers, was believed to be the favored choice of Antetokounmpo, while Rivers was hand-picked by ownership.
Fischer reiterates that ex-Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins and Bucks top assistant Darvin Ham are among the candidates for the position, but Horst appears to be casting a wide net in his search, with several other names in play as well.
On the other end of the search, candidates for the job likely won’t have a great feel for what Milwaukee’s roster will look like next season until at least this summer, Fischer notes, since Antetokounmpo’s situation remains unresolved.
Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:
- Jenkins, who was fired by Memphis near the end of the ’24/25 regular season, may be the “hottest name” on the coaching market, Fischer writes. There has been speculation the Wizards could be interested in Jenkins, but Washington’s front office recently said Brian Keefe is expected to remain in his role next season. Sources tell Fischer the Wizards want to give Keefe a chance to lead a team trying to win after Washington prioritized draft positioning in his first two-and-a-half years at the helm. The Magic are believed to be fans of Jenkins too, though the team still has Jamahl Mosley under contract.
- According to Fischer, part of the reason the Kings decided to retain Doug Christie is because Sacramento doesn’t project to be a playoff team next season and the former NBA guard has one year left on his contract. Given the current state of the team, paying two coaches doesn’t make much sense, Fischer writes.
- While Tiago Splitter has seemingly done as well as anyone could have hoped in Portland after Chauncey Billups was arrested and placed on leave as part of an illegal gambling probe, the Trail Blazers may be leaning in a different direction as they look to hire the first head coach under new majority owner Tom Dundon. According to Fischer, that’s not a reflection on Splitter’s performance as Portland’s interim replacement but rather Dundon’s reticence to pay the going rate for an NBA head coach. Fischer hears it has been “widely communicated” for weeks that Dundon is evidently looking to spend a maximum of $1.5MM per year on a new head coach, which is more in line with what top assistant coaches make. It’s also far less money than high-level college head coaches earn, Fischer continues, which is why some people believe an NBA assistant is more likely to accept the job unless a deal can be reached with Splitter. Fischer hears the Blazers have held exploratory talks with 20 college and international coaches about the position.
- The Bulls have hired the firm TurnkeyZRG to lead the search process for their new head of basketball operations, Fischer reports, but head coach Billy Donovan is also expected to have a “strong voice” in the search, assuming he stays in his current role. The Mavericks, meanwhile, decided not to use a search firm, with governor Patrick Dumont leading that process, Fischer adds.
And-Ones: Rivers, Awards, Playoff X-Factors, Wemby, Morant
In a podcast appearance with Bill Simmons of The Ringer (Twitter video link), Doc Rivers suggested his coaching career might be finished. The 64-year-old stepped down as head coach of the Bucks earlier this week.
“We met about seven weeks ago, me and (Bucks) ownership,” Rivers said (hat tip to Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports). “We had a great meeting. They asked me what I wanted to do. One of the owners says one plan is, ‘If we do this, you can hang in there for a year or two.’ I literally said, ‘Oh, no, no, no.’
“I told my coaches, I’m done. I loved coaching. Loved it. I had a lot of success at it, had way more ups than downs. But at the end of the day, I’ve given 47 years or whatever, I don’t even know how old I am … with no off time. I just wanted a break. I want to get away. The grandkids and just life in general, man. Right now, I can tell you, Bill, I think it was time, so I’d be surprised if I coached another game, I’ll put it that way.”
Rivers, who will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later this year, compiled a 1194-866 regular season mark (.580) over the course of 27 seasons as an NBA head coach.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports and Tim Bontemps of ESPN have released their full 2026 NBA awards ballots. While both media members have the same top-five finishers for Most Valuable Player, with Luka Doncic fourth and Cade Cunningham fifth, the order of the three finalists are different. O’Connor has Victor Wembanyama as his MVP, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, whereas Bontemps had SGA winning his second straight MVP award, with Jokic the runner-up and Wembanyama in third.
- In another story for Yahoo Sports, O’Connor lists his playoff X-factors for every team competing in the postseason. Celtics center Neemias Queta, Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson and Spurs guard Dylan Harper are a few of the players mentioned.
- The Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA) has named Spurs center Wembanyama the winner of the Magic Johnson award for the 2025/26 season, per a press release. The award “honors the NBA player who best combines excellence on the court with cooperation and grace in dealing with the media and fans.” Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) was the runner-up for the second straight season, while Stephen Curry (Warriors), Jaylen Brown (Celtics) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) were the other finalists.
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has purchased a stake in the Metropolitans 92, Wembanyama’s former team in France, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “I’m excited about how this first season with the Metros is going,” Morant told ClutchPoints. “They represent the culture, just like we do. I like what we are building and hopefully we get to take it into NBA Europe.” Morant made the investment alongside his media and business venture company, Catch12.
Central Notes: Turner, Cade, Langdon, Zubac, Walker
Among the free agents who changed teams in 2025, no player received a bigger payday than Myles Turner, who signed a four-year, $109MM contract with the Bucks. But it was a disappointing first year in Milwaukee for Turner, as the big man saw his production drop off and went from playing in the NBA Finals to finishing in the lottery. Speaking to Eric Nehm of The Athletic and Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required), Turner reflected on a challenging season.
“It was definitely a rude awakening,” Turner said. “It was difficult throughout the year, obviously, with all the injuries and whatnot. But one thing I was really encouraged by was, honestly, the spirit of all of the guys, man. I feel like, especially on the players’ side, guys had the right approach, and that’s made it more easy to go about the days for myself. It’s obviously been a rough adjustment, but I think that kind of just comes with anything new.”
As Nehm points out, Turner isn’t the kind of player who generates his own shots on offense, so the fact that two of Milwaukee’s primary play-makers – Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Porter Jr. – were injured for large chunks of the season made it difficult for the big man to find his rhythm in the offense. For his part, Turner wonders if he should have done more to advocate for a role that he could’ve had more success in.
“It wasn’t easy,” Turner said. “I don’t want to throw Doc (Rivers) under the bus and say he said, ‘Myles, you’re not allowed to do this,’ or, ‘Myles, you’re not allowed to do that.’ I think a lot of it was me, maybe being a little passive and kind of acquiescing to others when I could’ve stepped up in a different role quicker for myself. But I do think there is a push and pull. It goes both ways. You could put me in a better position to be successful, and then I could be a little more assertive in ways that I have been in the past. There was definitely a lot of frustration on both ends. I think the frustration came more from not figuring it out fast enough, kind of just sinking.”
If the Bucks decide to move Antetokounmpo this offseason, it may have a ripple effect on Turner, who could join Giannis on the trade block in the event of a full-scale rebuild. For now though, he’s planning on finishing out his contract in Milwaukee.
“I did sign a four-year deal, and with that being said, I plan to honor it, that commitment,” Turner said. “All I can do is kind of sit here and wait for direction and go out there and voice my opinion during exit meetings and whatnot. I think we’re in wait-and-see-what-happens mode right now as opposed to what can happen.”
Here’s more from across the Central:
- Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was happy to learn on Thursday that Cade Cunningham has been ruled award-eligible despite not meeting the 65-game criteria, as Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press relays. “He deserves it, you know what I mean?” Bickerstaff said. “That’s what you don’t want to see happen is things taken away from guys that are completely out of their control. I think the league did the right thing.”
- In an in-depth feature for Andscape, Marc J. Spears examines the path Trajan Langdon took to the Pistons‘ president of basketball operations position and the role he has played in the team’s renaissance since being hired in 2024. Within the story, Langdon explained why he didn’t want to do anything too drastic at the trade deadline despite the possibility that Detroit could be just one piece away from a title. “I want to see our guys continue to grow, give them room to grow,” Langdon said. “I didn’t want to do anything that could impact that.”
- After being acquired at the trade deadline, center Ivica Zubac was only able to play in five games for the Pacers before a rib fracture ended his season. Still, he says he “got a feel for how this team wants to play” during that time, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star details (subscription required). “About the pace, about defensive coverages, about defensive rotations,” he said. “Offensively, where they want me to be, what they want me to do. It definitely helped. I wish it was more games, for sure, to get a better feel for it. (But) I kind of understood what they want from me.”
- Playing for a 17-65 team was a new experience for Pacers forward Jarace Walker, who had never been part of a losing team since he began playing basketball. And while he didn’t enjoy all that losing, the third-year forward did take a major step forward individually over the course of the season, Dopirak writes for The Star (subscription required). “I’ll never take this year for granted because I’ve grown so much throughout this season,” said Walker, who averaged a career-high 25.7 minutes per game and made 41 starts before becoming extension-eligible this July. “That’s because I was able to play through mistakes, play with different lineups, play with different people that I’ve never played with before. It’s been beautiful. It’s been a blessing in disguise for sure.”
Central Notes: Donovan, Bulls, Cavs, Bucks, Gores
Before the Bulls fired top executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley last week, it felt like there was a 90% chance that head coach Billy Donovan would be leaving the team, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, who suggests that the former front office didn’t seem to have a plan that would make Donovan optimistic about the team’s future.
However, with Karnisovas and Eversley no longer in the picture, Donovan’s decision feels more like a coin flip, Cowley writes, speculating that there’s now a “49%” chance of the head coach departing.
Within his story, Cowley writes that Karnisovas’ and Eversley’s talent evaluation had long been considered questionable, dating back to the 2020 draft, when Karnisovas “fixated” on Patrick Williams with the No. 4 overall pick. According to one of Cowley’s sources, there were scouts and executives within the organization who preferred Tyrese Haliburton, but Karnisovas didn’t view the point guard as a “serious prospect.” Haliburton has since made two All-NBA teams and gotten within one win of a championship.
We have more from around the Central:
- In a separate story for the Chicago Sun-Times, Cowley considers a few potential targets for the Bulls with their newly secured second first-round pick, courtesy of Portland. Cowley identifies UConn’s Braylon Mullins, Michigan’s Aday Mara, and Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance as prospects who Chicago may consider drafting using that pick, which will be either 15th or 16th overall.
- What’s at stake for the Cavaliers during this year’s playoffs? “Everything,” according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required), who believes that any number of organizational and roster changes could be on the table if Cleveland fails to advance to at least the conference finals this spring after spending more than any other team on its roster in 2025/26.
- Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required) poses some of the most pressing questions facing the Bucks this summer, including whether ownership wants to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo long-term, who will be the next head coach, and whether they can nail their first lottery pick since 2016.
- Pistons owner Tom Gores published a letter on Tuesday thanking fans for sticking with the team through a challenging rebuild that included five straight years between 14 and 23 wins, including a franchise-worst 14-68 mark in 2023/24. “What we’re building here is a story for the ages,” Gores wrote. “One of the great comeback stories in sports, and not just because of where we are today but because of how we got here.”