Stein’s Latest: Rivers, Karnisovas, Donovan, Splitter
Bucks coach Doc Rivers was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame, and there may be more news coming from him in the months ahead.
Marc Stein, in his latest newsletter, writes that there is a growing sense that Rivers and the Bucks could either part ways or change his responsibilities after a season that has gone off the rails, including a 31-47 record and the franchise growing increasingly at odds with star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
While Stein doesn’t specify what such a restructuring would look like, the implication is that it could include a move to the front office.
“At the very least, Rivers’ Springfield induction in August, at age 64, has helped fuel the notion that he will not be coaching the Bucks after the regular season concludes,” Stein writes.
Jake Fischer, also of the Stein Line, writes (via Twitter) that there is a lot of change expected to come out of the Bucks organization after this season.
Stein adds that former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins is seen as a potential top candidate to replace Rivers should the Bucks decide to move on this summer.
We have more updates from Stein:
- The Bulls may be weighing the future of executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas, as the team will miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season. Chicago has made the playoffs once during Karnisovas’ tenure, a first-round exit in 2022 against the Bucks, and has struggled to find a direction or extract peak value in trades. Stein writes that meetings to determine his future with the team will be taking place soon.
- Despite the uncertainty around the shape of the front office, the Bulls would like to retain head coach Billy Donovan, Stein writes, noting that the team denied the Knicks’ request to interview him for their head coaching vacancy last summer before signing him to a multi-year extension. Donovan has recently been linked to the UNC head coaching job, but Stein writes that the Bulls’ coach will likely want to wait until after the season concludes on April 12 to meet with UNC, and the university may want to make a decision sooner than that.
- The Trail Blazers may be one of the teams this offseason looking for a new coach. New owner Tom Dundon is said to be looking at the coaching landscape as he determines interim head coach Tiago Splitter‘s future with the team. Stein writes in the newsletter that there’s an expectation that this summer could bring in more coaching movement than last year, and Splitter, who took over at the beginning of the season following the arrest of Chauncey Billups, could be one of the coaches on the move.
Giannis Says Co-Owner’s Comments ‘A Slap In My Face’
In an exclusive interview with Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscriber link), Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo says he felt disrespected by the comments co-owner and current governor Wes Edens made to ESPN a couple weeks ago.
“Giannis is going into the last year (of his contract),” Edens told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “So one of two things will happen: Either he will be extended or he’ll be traded. The likelihood you’ll let him just kind of play out the last year, we can’t afford that. It’s not consistent with what’s good for the organization. That’s not a Giannis issue. That’s any player that’s in their last year.”
While those comments could be interpreted as an ultimatum, Antetokounmpo told Nickel he views it a little differently.
“For me, it’s like a slap in my face,” Antetokounmpo said.
Antetokounmpo will earn $58.5MM in 2026/27, followed by a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28. He’ll become eligible on October 1 to sign a four-year, maximum-salary extension (the exact value would depend on where the ’27/28 cap ends up). If he doesn’t sign an extension and opts out of that player option, he would be an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
The 31-year-old forward told the Journal Sentinel he found out about Edens’ stance when ESPN’s story was released. Antetokounmpo admits he wasn’t thrilled with the indirect communication.
“It says a lot …” Antetokounmpo said.
According to Nickel, the two-time MVP wasn’t “angry” or “accusatory” when he answered questions, but he was “straightforward.”
Nickel asked Antetokounmpo how many times he has spoken to Edens during the 2025/26 season, and he only recalled one conversation, which came via Zoom. Co-owner Jimmy Haslam was also on that Zoom call, and Antetokounmpo said he talked to Haslam one additional time.
ESPN reported that Milwaukee has an unusual ownership structure that involves the governor title changing hands between co-owners Edens and Jimmy Haslam every five years (Haslam will become governor in 2028). In addition to controlling ownership rotating between those two men, another franchise shareholder, Jamie Dinan, is reportedly involved in major decisions.
Antetokounmpo wondered aloud whether the Nuggets or Thunder would ever make similar comments about Nikola Jokic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, respectively.
“Especially [as] somebody that has been this loyal, and I’ve showed appreciation, to the team, to the community, to the fans, to everybody that I’ve worked with, you know?” Antetokounmpo said. “And that’s almost, like, a slap in my face.”
This isn’t the first time Antetokounmpo and Edens have made differing public comments. Edens told reporters at the Bucks’ media day in late September that he had a “great conversation” with Antetokounmpo last June and that the nine-time All-Star “made it clear that he was very committed to Milwaukee.” At the time, Giannis said he didn’t recall that discussion.
Antetokounmpo reiterated his commitment and love for Milwaukee again during the interview, according to Nickel, who writes that the 10-time All-Star also made it clear he hopes future conversations between he and the Bucks remain private.
“I’m here, I committed, I’m wearing the jersey, and it is disrespectful to my teammates, to my coaching staff, to the people that I go and sweat with, and go to war with, to say, ‘I don’t want to be here’ − and I will never do that,” Antetokounmpo told the Journal Sentinel.
“Now, what goes on in private rooms? It’s not my job, it’s not my responsibility, and it should not − in no shape or form − be shared in public. I believe in etiquette. I believe in human etiquette, I believe in basketball etiquette. So with my owners, I have addressed what I feel and what I believe the situation is.
“Same with my GM, same with my coaches.
“And for me, that [Wes Edens] comment was a slap [in] the face. But, it’s my boss. So I just gotta keep on moving forward.”
A Bucks employee was instructed to listen in on the conversation Antetokounmpo was having with the Journal Sentinel, Nickel writes. Antetokounmpo, who agreed that his contract gave him a degree of leverage this summer, said that while he still speaks to GM Jon Horst, the communication between the two isn’t as regular as it once was. He also made it clear he doesn’t trust the front office.
“Nobody,” he said. “I don’t feel comfortable talking to nobody.”
Antetokounmpo told Nickel he’s been more closed off this season.
“I tried this whole year to stay to myself, and also this past summer,” Antetokounmpo said. “I was more closed off to myself. I don’t know if that’s because I don’t feel comfortable opening up enough. Or if it’s just, I just don’t want to open up at this point.
“It’s definitely not like before.”
The league continues to investigate the Bucks for possible player participation policy violations over disagreements with Antetokounmpo about whether he’s healthy enough to play this season. The Bucks insist the perennial MVP candidate is still injured due to a left knee injury, while Antetokounmpo says he’s ready to play.
“You know who you are dealing with,” Antetokounmpo said Friday. “So for somebody to come and tell me to not play or not to compete, it’s like a slap in my face. So, I don’t know where the relationship goes from there.”
Head coach Doc Rivers said after Friday’s loss to Boston that he was tired of being in the middle of the public disagreements between management and Antetokounmpo, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Rivers said it wasn’t up to him whether Antetokounmpo would be active or not.
“I’m out of the business of trying this subliminal messaging or all that crap,” Rivers said. “I’ve heard all the stuff. I just want everybody to be on the same side, (because) they deserve it. All of ‘em. I don’t think there’s a bad person in this group — none of the guys that I’m talking about. I think they’re all good people. But we gotta figure out how to put good people on the same page and it stays inside.”
Pacific Notes: LeBron, Curry, Post, Horford, Ott
After Lakers star LeBron James made disparaging comments about Memphis on a YouTube show this week, he may have alienated a couple of other fan bases on Saturday, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Given a chance to clarify his statements about the city and his feeling that the Grizzlies should move to Nashville, James pointed out to reporters that he criticized the Bucks‘ hometown as well.
“Milwaukee was, too. Did they miss that one, too? They didn’t see that?” James said. “Forty-one years old, it’s two cities I do not like playing in right now. That’s Milwaukee, and that’s Memphis. What is the problem?”
James was reacting to a question about NBA travel, telling the host that “it just wears on you more” at his age. The Akron, Ohio, native also listed Cleveland as one of the cities he doesn’t enjoy visiting, which probably comes as a surprise to Cavaliers fans.
“I don’t like going home either … and I’m from there,” he said. “People are ridiculous. They also get mad at my son (Bronny) being on the (Lakers), too. So what are we talking about? People need to figure out other ways to put their energy to other things that’s important. Like seriously? I’m not talking about the city, like the people in Memphis. I don’t like staying at the Hyatt Centric. What’s wrong with that? Nothing! What are we talking about? … People need to chill the hell out.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Warriors are likely stuck in 10th place, but there’s optimism that the season can be saved with Stephen Curry expected to return Sunday after missing more than two months with a knee issue, per Noah Furtado of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required). “Now, Superman’s back,” Gary Payton II said, “so we’ll figure it out with that.” After being out of action since January 30, Curry is looking forward to teaming up with Kristaps Porzingis, who wasn’t acquired until the trade deadline in February. “I was telling him, I don’t know how people are going to guard our pick-and-roll,” Curry said. “Anytime you have talent like that and two guys that can demand attention, it’s always a good thing, to create good offense and help elevate whoever we’re out there with.”
- The Warriors say Quinten Post, who’s sidelined with soreness in his right foot, is making progress and will be reevaluated next week, relays Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). Al Horford is also set for a reevaluation next week and seems to be getting close to returning before the regular season ends, adds Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- Jordan Ott picked up his first technical foul as Suns head coach in Thursday’s loss at Charlotte, notes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. His players weren’t sure if he might make it through all 82 games without one. “I’ve been waiting all season for him to get one,” Royce O’Neale said. “I think it was right timing. Moments like those help us get a boost of energy. Just shows that he got our back in every situation.”
Central Notes: Giannis, Bucks, Trade Market, Bulls Shakeup, Pistons
The NBA weighed in with a statement on Saturday as it continues the investigation of a disagreement between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bucks, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Antetokounmpo, who has been sidelined since March 15 with a left knee hyperextension and a bone bruise, contends that he’s healthy enough to return to action, but the team won’t give him medical clearance. The Bucks say he hasn’t fully healed and isn’t sincere about wanting to play.
“The investigation has found that the Bucks scheduled Giannis to work out last week in three-on-three scrimmages as part of his return-to-play process, but he declined to participate,” the NBA said on Saturday. “There is a disagreement as to whether the team requested that Giannis participate in a group workout earlier this week, and the league is continuing to monitor the situation.”
The NBA has held conversations with Bucks officials as part of the probe, a source told Nehm. Antetokounmpo emphatically expressed his desire to return to action during an interview after Milwaukee’s loss to Boston on Friday, but with only five games remaining, it may be too late even if the dispute is resolved in his favor.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Trading Antetokounmpo this summer could be the first step in a massive roster overhaul for the Bucks, suggests Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link). He points to Bobby Portis, Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma as other veteran players who might be moved and says coach Doc Rivers’ future with the team is also uncertain. Scotto expects the Heat, Warriors, Knicks, Cavaliers and others to approach Milwaukee with offers.
- Major changes could be coming to the Bulls over the next 10 days, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley could both be held accountable for the disappointing season, and a coaching move is possible as well. Cowley notes that Billy Donovan is one of the main targets for the vacant North Carolina job, and there are also suggestions that he could stay and help revamp the front office or move into the top management role himself.
- If there’s a bright side to Cade Cunningham‘s injury, it’s that his teammates are learning how to succeed without him as the playoffs approach, notes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Isaiah Stewart is also out indefinitely with a left calf strain, but the Pistons keep winning and look ready to be a force in the playoffs if the roster gets healthy again. “Obviously, we’re better with (Cade), Stew and today Tobias (Harris) on the floor,” Jalen Duren said. “But I think having guys come in and get reps in, get shots up, see the ball go through (the rim) — the type of offense we’re playing with everybody being involved — it gets everybody’s confidence up. It gets everybody’s juices flowing going into that postseason.”
NBA Tells 13 Teams To Look For New Regional TV Deals
The NBA has informed the 13 teams affiliated with Main Street Sports Group that they’re free to seek new in-market media rights deals ahead of the 2026/27 season, reports Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal.
Main Street, previously known as Diamond Sports Group, runs FanDuel Sports Network, which broadcasts local and regional TV games for the Thunder, Spurs, Pistons, Cavaliers, Clippers, Heat, Timberwolves, Magic, Hornets, Hawks, Pacers, Grizzlies, and Bucks. However, the company is headed for insolvency and will discontinue broadcasting for those teams when the regular season concludes on April 12.
“FanDuel Sports Network has reached agreements with the NBA and NHL to broadcast games and other programming through the end of the 2026 NBA regular season and the end of the first round of the NHL playoffs,” a Main Street Sports Group spokesperson said in a statement to Sports Business Journal.
“We are preparing to wind down our operations upon seasons’ end unless we reach a strategic transaction. We’re pleased to finish out the NBA and NHL seasons, and we appreciate the collaborative relationships we have enjoyed with our team and league partners as well as the connections we have fostered with local fans.”
While this has been an expected outcome for months, it leaves nearly half of the teams in the league without in-market broadcasting contracts for next season. According to Friend, the 13 teams could opt for over-the-air channels or streaming options (or both), but whichever route they take, the league has been urging those clubs to sign one-year agreements or to at least have an opt-out after one season, so they can join the streaming hub for local broadcasts the NBA plans to launch down the line.
While previous reporting indicated the NBA might try to launch that streaming RSN hub for 2026/27, it didn’t come up at last month’s Board of Governors meetings, Friend writes, and teams are operating as though it won’t be ready until ’27/28 at the earliest. DAZN has been aggressively reaching out to those 13 clubs to try and secure media rights with an eye on possibly running the streaming RSN platform.
As Friend details, DAZN could have competition for that national streaming project, with Amazon, YouTube TV and the ESPN app all potentially in the mix. DAZN also has competition for local rights, as multiple teams are considering streaming-only options instead of having over-the-air broadcasts. Victory+ (streaming only), ViewLift (Altitude for Denver and Monumental for Washington) and Kiswe (Jazz) are the other companies vying for regional streaming projects.
None of the 13 teams have received rights fee payments from Main Street in 2026, but multiple sources tell friend each club could receive up to 60% of its lost TV money once dissolution agreements are finalized with the NBA and Main Street.
Those lost payments impacted the latest salary cap projection for 2026/27, decreasing it by $1MM. It’s unclear whether the projection might bounce back slightly if part of that lost money is recouped or if that was already factored into the most recent estimate.
Pacers Sports and Entertainment CEO Mel Raines confirmed to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star that Indiana is seeking a new broadcast partner for next season.
“We’re throwing a very wide net and looking to both potential over-the-air partners and direct-to-consumer partners and looking at every possible option to reach as many of our fans as we can next season over local television,” Raines said.
NBA Investigating Bucks As Giannis Insists He’s Healthy
The NBA is investigating the Bucks for potentially violating the player participation policy as well as possible inconsistent statements regarding the health status of superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Charania, the league has already interviewed Antetokounmpo, as well as the team and its doctors.
The two sides have presented differing views of the situation, Charania adds (via Twitter), with the Bucks expressing a belief that Antetokounmpo isn’t ready and doesn’t actually want to play, while Giannis insists he’s healthy but the team refuses to give him medical clearance.
Antetokounmpo has been out since March 15 with what the team has referred to as a left knee hyperextension and a bone bruise. He has played just 36 games this season due to knee, groin, ankle, and calf issues. The fewest games he had played in a season leading up to 2025/26 was 61.
As Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports, Antetokounmpo gave an interview with local reporters on Friday and said there’s a growing rift between himself and the organization.
“You know who you are dealing with,” Antetokounmpo said. “So for somebody to come and tell me to not play or not to compete, it’s like a slap in my face. So, I don’t know where the relationship goes from there.”
Nehm reported a few days after Antetokounmpo’s Mar. 15 injury occurred that Milwaukee had approached the Greek forward about having him sit out the rest of the season to prioritize his health, but the 31-year-old wasn’t on board with the idea. Giannis said Friday that he discussed the concept with head coach Doc Rivers and general manager Jon Horst a few weeks ago, but no one on the team has talked to him about it since.
The two-time MVP told The Athletic and other media outlets that he has been healthy for weeks. He went through yet another full pregame workout on Friday, according to Nehm, just as he’s done numerous times since the team approached him about sitting out. The 31-year-old finished the workout with a windmill dunk, Nehm notes.
“I’m available to play, but I’m not in the game,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’m available to play today. Right now. I’m available. Do I look like I’m not available? … I don’t see myself in the first 12. I don’t see myself in the starting lineup.
“I don’t know what game is being played right here, I just don’t wanna be a part of it.”
Antetokounmpo downplayed the severity of the left knee issue after the Mar. 15 game and said he wasn’t going to seek out imaging. He was initially questionable for the following contest due to an ankle injury, not his knee, and Rivers said the scans on Antetokounmpo’s knee came back clean when he was a late scratch ahead of the Mar. 17 matchup vs. Cleveland.
“The good news was it was a really good image, so there was no damage,” Rivers said at the time. “Nothing. It was really just good news. But I don’t know the next part (regarding a timeline).”
The NBPA put out a statement on Mar. 24 that both supported Antetokounmpo and questioned whether the NBA is committed to enforcing its player participation policy.
“I’ve never seen a case of a player saying, my caliber of player, that’s like — I’m saying it publicly — I want to f–-ing play. You know what I’m saying?” Antetokounmpo said Friday, per Nehm. “I don’t think I’ve seen this. So, if there needs to be an investigation, great. There should be. I don’t know. There should be. Until we figure something out.”
As Nehm details, Antetokounmpo tried to walk back his comments to some extent, saying he and the Bucks needed to find an “amicable solution” to the disagreement. He also acknowledged he understood the team’s logic in wanting him to sit out to prioritize his health and the team’s draft positioning — he just disagreed with the premise.
“What are you telling me? The next time I’m going to be play basketball is October? Why? I don’t want to do that. I don’t,” Antetokounmpo said. “I want to play basketball. I was born to play basketball.
“I’ve been here 13 years and I understand the team gets eliminated from the playoffs, be smart. Taking care of your body, being in and out, just to be careful, to prepare for the next season, prepare for the next generation and the young players to get some minutes, go out there — I get that. But that wasn’t the time that this took place. That’s what bothers me. It’s almost like you waved the white flag and I don’t do that. I am sorry. I don’t. And I never, never will.”
The Bucks reportedly listened to trade offers for Antetokounmpo ahead of the February deadline, though it sounds as though they never came close to actually pulling the trigger on a deal. Bucks co-owner Wes Edens told ESPN a couple weeks ago that the nine-time All-NBA member would either be extended or traded this offseason.
Gary Trent Jr. Is Listed As Questionable After Suffering A Hip Contusion
- The Bucks were down to seven available players when Gary Trent Jr. was forced out of Wednesday’s game at Houston with a hip contusion. Trent is listed as questionable for Friday’s home contest against Boston as the team’s injury report remains long.
- Eric Nehm of The Athletic provides a list of players for Bucks fans to watch during Final Four weekend as the team gets ready to make its first lottery pick since 2016.
Cavs Notes: Allen, Mobley, Enaruna, Fanan, Playoffs
Jarrett Allen‘s right knee injury remains a concern for the Cavaliers as the regular season winds down. Allen missed 10 consecutive games in March due to what multiple people within the organization have referred to as “severe” tendonitis, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). Allen has been back in the starting lineup for two of the team’s past three contests, but that doesn’t mean he’s fully healthy.
“Definitely still sore out there. Definitely not 100 percent,” the Cavs’ center told Fedor after Tuesday’s loss to the Lakers. “I’m not able to put a lot of pressure on my knee sometimes. Jumping and landing on the knee still hurts. Not as much as before, when I first got hurt, but still managing it and definitely still struggling with it.”
While head coach Kenny Atkinson expressed hope that Allen will be back to full strength for the playoffs, the 27-year-old admitted he’s not sure whether or not that will be the case, as Fedor relays.
“I don’t know,” Allen said. “It’s just the truthful answer to that. Hopefully it gets better. I’ve gone through tendonitis all of my career. That’s just a big man’s thing you have to deal with. I think it is going to get better. We have been doing so much to make it get better — and it has — but I can’t answer that question.”
We have more on the Cavs:
- After not making this year’s All-Star Game, Evan Mobley was challenged by Atkinson to come out of the break with a “chip on your shoulder,” Fedor writes in another story for Cleveland.com (subscription required). Mobley has responded to that challenge admirably. Prior to a quiet game on Tuesday vs. the Lakers, he had put up 20.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 62.4% from the floor in his first 17 post-All-Star outings. “It was a simple conversation about using it as a chip on my shoulder and knowing the value that I bring to this team,” Mobley said of his February discussion with Atkinson. “Since then, just been working and trying to get better with the team as new guys came. Just focus on my game and trying to expand it as much as possible.”
- Rookie forward Tristan Enaruna, who is on a two-way contract with the Cavaliers and is in his second season in the G League, has been named the NBAGL’s Most Improved Player (Twitter link). After averaging 11.0 points per game on .466/.294/.588 shooting in 46 appearances for the Maine Celtics last season, Enaruna has increased those numbers to 20.3 PPG with a .548/.378/.750 shooting line in 38 outings for the Cleveland Charge in 2025/26. Bucks two-way player Cormac Ryan was the runner-up for the award, with another Charge player – guard Darius Brown II – placing third in voting.
- Enaruna wasn’t the only member of Charge to be recognized today by the G League. The team’s general manager, Liron Fanan, was named G League Basketball Executive of the Year for 2025/26, becoming the first woman to win the award (Twitter link). Fanan helped compile a Charge roster that went 23-13 during the regular season and had six players – including Enaruna and Brown – called up to the NBA.
- The Cavaliers can officially clinch a playoff spot on Wednesday, but it will require the Sixers to lose to the 17-58 Wizards, per the NBA (Twitter link). Washington has won just one of its last 20 games.
Draymond Green Considered Unlikely To Test FA Market
Longtime Warriors forward Draymond Green holds a $27.7MM player option for the 2026/27 season, giving him the ability to opt out of his contract and test the unrestricted free agent market in search of a change of scenery. However, league and team sources don’t expect him to take that route, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
As Slater explains, the expectation is that Green will either exercise his option, locking in a $27.7MM salary for next season, or turn down that option in order to negotiate a multiyear deal with Golden State that features a lower first-year cap hit. Taking the latter route, Slater writes, would likely increase the odds of the 36-year-old finishing his career with the Warriors.
Slater’s update on Green’s contract situation comes within a larger profile on the former Defensive Player of the Year and his place within the organization as he nears the end of his 14th season in the NBA. Although Green didn’t discuss his next contract with ESPN, he did address a number of other topics, including the trade rumors involving him earlier this year.
The Warriors reportedly pursued Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo at February’s trade deadline and almost certainly would’ve included Green in their package in order to match Antetokounmpo’s maximum-salary contract. Green was aware of the situation, and while he admits he was initially irked by the idea, he understood the team’s thinking and quickly accepted it.
“I’m a human being,” Green said. “There was a second of me that felt like, ‘Damn, they really going to do that to me?’ … (But) I understand this business probably (as) good as any player. I understand like, yo, this is Giannis Antetokounmpo. They’re not just about to trade me for a bag of peanuts. It would’ve almost been a point of pride.
“I’ll be honest though. I didn’t want to play for Milwaukee.”
League sources tell Slater that if the Warriors and Bucks had made a trade involving Giannis and Draymond, Green had the Los Angeles teams – the Lakers and Clippers – on his radar as possible landing spots he could be rerouted to. However, it doesn’t sound at this point as if being involved in those trade rumors will spur him to seek an exit from Golden State this summer.
Whether or not Green’s Warriors career continues beyond 2025/26, he remains confident that he can be an impact player, especially on defense. While he admitted that he’s “not as fast” as he was and doesn’t “jump as high” as he used to, Green still believes he’s among the NBA’s most impactful defenders, placing only Victor Wembanyama above himself, according to Slater.
“I feel better defensively than I ever have,” Green said. “The numbers won’t show with straight up steals and blocks. Stocks, which is what people look at. But I just do it a different way. I can’t get the block shot all the time anymore, but I can cover it. I may not come up with the steal, but I make sure (the action is) gridlocked.”
Green is technically already eligible for a veteran contract extension that would replace his ’26/27 player option, so there’s nothing stopping him and the Warriors from discussing his next deal sooner rather than later.
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.