Wolves Notes: Edwards, Offseason Changes, Reid, Dosunmu
The course for the Timberwolves‘ season was set by a strategic decision coach Chris Finch made shortly before opening night, Chris Hine of The Minnesota Star-Tribune writes in a subscriber-only piece. Finch replaced veteran point guard Mike Conley in the starting lineup with Donte DiVincenzo, making Anthony Edwards the team’s primary ball-handler. Although he believed in the move at the time, Finch referred to it at Saturday’s end-of-season press conference as an “original sin” that the team could never overcome.
“Flipping Ant to the point guard spot just on the eve of the season, it certainly helped with Donte,” Finch said. “But it probably didn’t put everybody in the best position there, Ant included.”
Hine states that the adjustment wound up affecting the team on and off the court. Conley posted the worst season of his career before being traded in February and ultimately re-signed; Edwards’ pairing with Julius Randle never became as smooth as the organization had hoped; and Edwards’ increased playmaking responsibilities seemed to affect his defense.
The lack of an experienced point guard to make sure everyone felt like they were contributing to the offense created a “moodiness” that several players referenced during their exit interviews. Hine cites a “detrimental impact” if certain players weren’t getting the shots they expected, even when the team was winning.
Sources told Hine that it didn’t take much for players to get into a “funk” and affect the team’s overall performance. Finch points to better “connectivity” as one of the themes for the offseason, and Naz Reid notes that the West’s top two teams, the Thunder and Spurs, seem to be on the same page more than the Wolves are.
“Being consistent, not moody, and having that competitive edge we had last year and the year before,” Reid told reporters. “… You can’t get anywhere if you’re fighting yourself, so I think that’ll help for sure.”
There’s more from Minnesota:
- The Wolves are expected to explore major changes this offseason, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. He notes that president of basketball operations Tim Connelly opted to keep the core of the team together after losing in the conference finals last year, but is expected to aggressively seek trades this summer. Minnesota was among the teams that contacted the Bucks about Giannis Antetokounmpo before the deadline, and that pursuit will likely resume over the next few weeks. Krawczynski reports that talks with Milwaukee seemed to affect the locker room, particularly Randle, who was rumored to be headed out in a potential deal.
- Krawczynski expects changes to focus on the frontline, where Rudy Gobert, ($36.5MM), Randle ($33MM) and Reid ($23.3MM) will combine to make nearly $95MM next season. Center Joan Beringer showed promise as a rookie, and the Wolves will want to give him more playing time in his second year.
- Reid was playing with a lingering shoulder injury he experienced around the All-Star break, Hine tweets. “There were times I couldn’t even shoot the ball, for real,” he said.
- Re-signing Ayo Dosunmu, who was acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline, should be an offseason priority, states Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Wolves hold Bird rights on Dosunmu, who will be eligible for to sign a three-year, $52.4MM extension until June 30. Marks points out that the team would have to unload at least $58.5MM in salary to be able to give Dosunmu that figure without triggering a second apron hard cap.
- Edwards is also extension eligible this summer, Marks adds, but only at $121.6MM over two seasons. He’s likely to wait a year and could be in line for $300MM over four seasons in 2027 if he earns a spot on the All-NBA team.
Bucks Notes: Giannis, Accountability, Prospects, Offseason
Giannis Antetokounmpo played a career-low 36 games due to a variety of injuries in 2025/26. However, the Bucks superstar says he’s feeling healthy and spry in his first extended offseason in several years, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscriber link).
Antetokounmpo, 31, says he’s particularly excited about being able to work on developing his skills over the next few months until training camps begin in the fall.
“I’ve seen the difference, which I’m very excited for,” he said. “Because this is going to be the first year in my career that I’m going to go from January, pretty much, until October, fully healthy. I can work on whatever I want. All the skills that I want. I can make mistakes. It’s May. Nobody’s in the gym with me. There’s no crowds. There’s no media. I can fail many times and I can just get up and pat myself on the back and come back the next day and try to be better.”
While Antetokounmpo is hoping to recapture his MVP-level form next season, he admitted he wasn’t sure which team he’ll be on, simply saying, “We’ll see.” But the nine-time All-NBA forward did say he’s using external doubts about his health and/or game as motivational fuel, Owczarski writes.
“I feel good. I feel really good,” Antetokounmpo said, his voice rising a pitch. “And I love when people doubt me. I love it. I want more doubt. Everybody on your social media; follow me on that stuff and talk [expletive] to me all year long. All summer, all offseason. That’s all I want to see. I want to see doubt. No compliments.
“Tell me how much I suck and I didn’t make the playoffs and I’m not good at that or I’m not good at this. Just keep on putting gasoline in the fire and just keep on adding to that. That’s what I love. I love when people don’t believe in me. And when I come [back] I’ll do what I’m supposed to do.”
Here’s more from Milwaukee:
- Center Myles Turner raised some eyebrows recently when he claimed ex-head coach Doc Rivers didn’t fine any Bucks players for being late to team activities. Turner also singled out Antetokounmpo as his teammate most likely to be tardy for those activities. According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, “accountability” was a talking point during the press conference to introduce new head coach Taylor Jenkins, and that theme continued this week during combine interviews with prospects. Milwaukee controls the 10th pick in June’s draft. “I had a really good conversation with them and Coach Jenkins,” projected lottery pick Mikel Brown said. “He’s just talking about the stuff that I can work on, right? They know what I’m capable of, and they know the strengths that I have. It’s really just about trying to key in on the stuff that I could be better on. And I can appreciate that, because I love to be coached hard. I appreciate being held accountable, right? I love that type of coaching, and that’s how I’ve been raised all my life, and every single coach that I’ve played for has done that and got me to this point. So I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
- Darius Acuff, Nate Ament, Brayden Burries, Cameron Carr, Chris Cenac, Aday Mara, Labaron Philon and Keaton Wagler are among the other prospects who confirmed to The Athletic that they’d spoken to the Bucks, Nehm adds.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac previews the Bucks’ offseason, writing that determining whether to trade or keep Antetokounmpo is the clear top priority in Milwaukee, but there are other roster moves to consider as well. Smith expects Kevin Porter Jr. to decline his $5.4MM player option in search of a more lucrative contract in free agency, predicting that the 26-year-old will return to the Bucks on a new multiyear deal in the range of $12-16MM annually. Smith also thinks restricted free agent Ousmane Dieng is a good bet to return, and suggests signing the French forward to a multiyear deal worth around $10MM per year would be a reasonable contract for both sides.
Bontemps/Windhorst’s Latest: Pistons, Giannis, Kawhi, More
After averaging 22.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game on 67.8% shooting following the All-Star break, Pistons center Jalen Duren has struggled to make an impact during the postseason. Duren is putting up just 10.1 PPG and 8.3 RPG through 12 playoff games and was benched in the fourth quarter and overtime of Detroit’s Game 5 loss on Wednesday in favor of Paul Reed.
Duren’s poor postseason play has the potential to complicate his contract negotiations with the Pistons when he reaches restricted free agency this summer, notes ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“He’s not a max player, but they’re probably going to have to give him the max,” one Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. “Because now teams (with cap room) like Chicago or Brooklyn might see him as someone they could get with a max offer sheet and Detroit will have to match. With the new apron rules, it might come back to bite (the Pistons), and it’s just another example of how the CBA crushes team building.”
The Pistons will also face a tricky negotiation this offseason with wing Ausar Thompson, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension ahead of his fourth NBA season. Thompson is a defensive dynamo but remains a very limited offensive player who made six three-pointers all season and converted just 57.1% of his free throws. Like Duren, he has been benched in some clutch-time situations during the postseason.
Still, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, some league insiders he spoke to about Thompson predicted the Defensive Player of the Year finalist could command an extension in the range of $25MM per year, the same average annual salary that Dyson Daniels (four years, $100MM) and Christian Braun (five years, $125MM) got on their rookie scale extensions last fall.
Here’s more league-wide chatter from Windhorst and Bontemps:
- While there have been a few false alarms on the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade front, there’s a growing belief around the NBA that the Bucks will actually trade their two-time MVP this offseason, Bontemps reports. “It just feels like they’re done with the circus, more than anything,” an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. “They seem to want a clean break and to move on.”
- Most sources who spoke to Bontemps at this week’s draft combine in Chicago about the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard believe the team should retain its star forward as he enters the final year of his current contract. However, not everyone agreed on whether or not to extend him — one scout pointed out that Leonard “clearly” wants to be in L.A. and argued the club should be no rush to lock him up, while another expressed that an extension is the right move as long as the terms “make sense for the team.” One Eastern Conference executive also suggested to Windhorst that Leonard could have significant trade value if the Clippers are willing to make him available: “Every day you hear about what’s going to happen with Giannis, but everyone ignores that Kawhi has been better and healthier over the last two seasons. If you had a chance to acquire one or the other, I might go Kawhi.”
- Despite the fact that the Sixers have a pair of pricey multiyear contracts on their books for injury-prone veterans Joel Embiid and Paul George, their head of basketball operations job is viewed as “enticing” due to the Tyrese Maxey/VJ Edgecombe backcourt duo, several executives told Windhorst at the combine.
- The general consensus at the combine was that returning to the Lakers is the most likely outcome for LeBron James this summer, since it’s “hard to fit him anywhere” else, as one Western Conference scout told Bontemps. An East executive who spoke to Windhorst indicated he’d be willing to pay James whatever he wanted on a one-year deal if he were running the Lakers. “Give him the no-trade clause,” the exec said. “Everything (Lakers owner Mark) Walter has done so far has been about good business. LeBron sells tickets. He keeps the (local) TV partner happy. Re-signing LeBron is good business.”
Central Notes: Turner, Giannis, Bulls, Unseld, Cavs, Pacers
Asked by WNBA star Breanna Stewart during the latest episode of the Game Recognize Game podcast (YouTube link) whether NBA players face in-house fines for minor on- or off-court transgressions, Bucks center Myles Turner said “it depends on the coach.”
“Doc Rivers, he didn’t fine anybody, ever,” Turner said of the Bucks’ former head coach. “So guys were late all the time. Guys were showing up to film whenever they wanted to show up. Guys were missing meetings. It was one of the craziest things I’ve personally experienced.
“But any other team I’ve been on, guys got fined. And there was a sense of order and a sense of understanding. So yeah, you’re late to the plane? Fined. You’re late to treatment? Fined. You’re late to film? Fined. But I personally did not experience that last year for the first time in my career.”
When Stewart followed up to ask which of Turner’s teammates was most likely to show up late to a team activity, the big man singled out two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“Giannis is gonna show up whenever he wants, really,” Turner said. “I think that this kind of just came with the territory of that. And once I kind of saw what was going down, I was like, ‘Hey man, more power to you. (If) they ain’t going to fine you, s–t, do what you do.'”
We have more from around the Central:
- With the Bucks once again fielding inquiries on Antetokounmpo, ESPN’s Bobby Marks takes a closer look at the assets that 10 possible suitors have to offer for the superstar forward.
- Although the Bulls are hiring a new head coach, several of their assistants are expected to return in 2026/27, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. One of those assistants, Wes Unseld Jr., is a candidate to be interviewed for the head coaching vacancy, Johnson adds. Unseld was the Wizards’ head coach for two-and-a-half seasons from 2021-24.
- Head coach Kenny Atkinson was critical of the Cavaliers‘ mental toughness after the team was upset by Indiana in the second round of the playoffs, but the Cavs are starting to rewire that narrative this spring, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic and Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). Cleveland has bounced back from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals and overcame Detroit’s nine-point lead with less than three minutes to go in Game 5 on Wednesday. “We just made big plays,” Atkinson said, per Fedor. “I think that stretch says a lot about our progress, mental performance progress, mental toughness progress. Kept at it. These guys, they never get down.”
- It could be a relatively quiet summer in Indiana, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link), who notes within his offseason preview that the Pacers are hovering right below the luxury tax line with 14 players projected to be under contract. The team has some extension candidates and could make some tweaks around the margins, but the front office might not have a ton of work to do this offseason, Gozlan writes.
2026 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker
Multiple teams around the NBA are making head coaching changes in advance of the 2026/27 season. In the space below, we’ll provide regular updates on the head coaching searches for each club that has yet to give anyone the permanent title. Some of these searches could extend well into the offseason, so be sure to check back often for the latest updates.
You’ll be able to access this page anytime under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar on our desktop site, or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu.
Updated 5-14-26 (9:50 pm CT)
Active Searches
Chicago Bulls
- Previous coach:
- Billy Donovan (story)
- Potential candidates:
The Bulls parted ways with top front office executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley shortly after the regular season ended, but seemed prepared – or even eager – to bring back Donovan. Ultimately though, with the team seemingly entering a rebuilding period, Donovan decided against returning, having reportedly determined that both sides would benefit from a fresh start.
Donovan’s exit puts new executive VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham in position to choose his own head coach in his first year on the job. So far, there haven’t been many rumblings about which candidates he’s got his eye on.
New Orleans Pelicans
- Previous coach:
- James Borrego (interim)
- Reportedly considering:
After firing Willie Green early in the 2025/26 season, the Pelicans turned to Borrego, who was the lead assistant on Green’s staff and had previous head coaching stints in Orlando and Charlotte. New Orleans played a little better after the coaching change, but Borrego didn’t exactly lock up the permanent job by leading the club to a 24-46 record, so the front office is considering a wide range of candidates this spring.
The Pelicans will be looking for a coach who can get the most out of a roster featuring a handful of talented players who don’t always seem to fit seamlessly together. Whether that means turning to a first-timer like Hetzel or Rondo or someone with some past experience like Ham or Mosley remains to be seen.
Orlando Magic
- Previous coach:
- Jamahl Mosley (story)
- Reportedly considering:
The Magic entered the season projected to be one of the top three or four teams in the East and instead spent most of the year battling for play-in positioning. Injuries were a factor, but the club’s performance was still disappointing enough that Mosley was on the hot seat for much of the second half. It briefly looked in the first round of the playoffs like he might be able to save his job when Orlando took a 3-1 lead on the top-seeded Pistons, but with Franz Wagner sidelined, the team lost the final three games of that series and Mosley was dismissed less than 24 hours later.
No Magic players under contract for 2026/27 are over 28 years old, but this is still a veteran roster with win-now expectations, so the team’s head coaching hire figures to reflect that. In other words, a candidate with some head coaching experience could have the edge over another first-timer.
Portland Trail Blazers
- Previous coach:
- Tiago Splitter (interim)
- Reportedly considering:
The Trail Blazers may end up technically replacing two head coaches this offseason. While Chauncey Billups was never technically fired, it seems pretty safe to assume his coaching tenure in Portland is over following his October arrest on money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges. Splitter did an admirable job upon being promoted from his assistant role, leading the Blazers to their first playoff berth in five years, but he’s reportedly considered unlikely to get the permanent job.
The involvement of new team owner Tom Dundon is a wild-card factor here. At least one report has indicated that Dundon wants to interview upwards of 30 candidates for the job in the hopes of gathering as much intel as possible on the coaching market. There have also been rumors suggesting that Dundon isn’t looking to spend more than about $1.5MM per year, which would make the Blazers’ coach the lowest-paid in the NBA. However, sources connected to the Blazers’ owner and the team have pushed back on those reports.
For what it’s worth, some experienced coaches – including Michael Malone and Tom Thibodeau – reportedly rebuffed the Blazers’ efforts to speak to them when they launched their search while Splitter was still coaching the team in the playoffs.
Completed Searches
Milwaukee Bucks
- New coach:
- Taylor Jenkins (story)
- Previous coach:
- Doc Rivers (story)
- Also reportedly considered:
- Bucks assistant Darvin Ham (story)
When the Bucks announced their split with Rivers, they said he was “stepping down,” and the Hall of Famer later insisted it was “100%” his decision to leave. Still, it sure seemed by the end of the season that both sides were ready for a change, with one report in early April suggesting there had been a “season-long disconnect” between Rivers and his players.
While Milwaukee likely looked at a few more candidates who went unreported, it didn’t take the team long to zero in on Jenkins. He was identified even before the end of the regular season as a top target, and the Bucks reportedly reached a deal with him just 10 days after confirming that Rivers wouldn’t return.
Jenkins’ track record of player development, culture-setting, and competitiveness during his time as Memphis’ head coach was said to appeal to the Bucks, who invested heavily in him. One report said he received a six-year deal, while another said he’ll be paid “well north” of $10MM annually.
Bucks Cleared Of Wrongdoing For Shutting Down Giannis
The NBA has ruled that it will not take any action against the Bucks over their decision to shut down Giannis Antetokounmpo late in the season, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).
The dispute between the Bucks and their franchise player displayed the disconnect and increasing acrimony between the two parties. Charania reported on Monday that the Bucks are fielding offers for Antetokounmpo, with a chance that a trade could be made prior to next month’s draft.
An investigation into the dispute over Antetokounmpo’s health was launched in early April as the Bucks held out the two-time MVP due to a left knee hyperextension and a bone bruise.
The two sides presented differing views of the situation, with the Bucks expressing a belief that Antetokounmpo wasn’t ready to return and didn’t actually want to play, while Giannis insisted he was healthy but the team refused to give him medical clearance. The NBA’s decision to not take further action implies that it sided with the team’s version of events — or at least that there wasn’t enough evidence to disprove it.
Antetokounmpo didn’t play after March 15 due to that knee injury. He appeared in just 36 games over the course of the season due to knee, groin, ankle, and calf issues. The fewest games he had played during a regular season leading up to 2025/26 was 61.
Central Notes: Mitchell, Mobley, Duren, Edens
Star guard Donovan Mitchell made just 1-of-8 shots for four points in the first half of Game 4 on Monday as the Cavaliers faced a four-point deficit at halftime. However, Mitchell turned things around in a major way after the intermission, scoring 21 third-quarter points and leading Cleveland on a 22-0 run to open the second half, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required).
Mitchell added 18 more points in the fourth quarter for a total of 39 in the second half, tying Sleepy Floyd‘s playoff record for a single half. After the game, the Cavs veteran attributed his success in the last two quarters to “everybody having my back” after he struggled earlier in the night.
“They continued to understand that, hey, this is what you do,” Mitchell said. “They’re not really tripping on the fact that I started out one-of-whatever, so I think that helps.”
Mitchell had an opportunity to break Floyd’s record at the free throw line in the game’s final minute, but he made just one of two attempts and finished tied with the former Warriors guard. After the victory, Mitchell made it clear he wasn’t bothered by not being able to claim the record for himself.
“We won the game and we’re 2-2 going to Detroit,” Mitchell said. “Everybody let me know that I missed the free throw to break the record though. I will say that. But we’re 2-2 headed to Detroit. That was what we came home to do and that’s all that matters.”
We have more from out of the Central:
- While Mitchell was the star on offense for the Cavaliers in Game 4, head coach Kenny Atkinson was eager to heap praise on former Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley after the victory, as Fedor writes in another Cleveland.com story (subscription required). Mobley has faced some criticism in the postseason, especially after grabbing just one rebound in Cleveland’s Game 2 loss, but Atkinson has insisted that the big man’s impact goes well beyond the box score. “Evan Mobley was phenomenal,” the Cavs’ coach said on Monday. “That was the Defensive Player of the Year right there. I don’t know what the stats say, the traditional stats say, but we know within our locker room how great he’s playing. He affects winning on both ends. We should give a lot of flowers to Evan Mobley for tonight’s performance. Maybe the best I’ve seen him defensively.”
- While Mobley and Jarrett Allen thrived for Cleveland, Pistons center Jalen Duren struggled again in Game 4, registering just eight points and two rebounds. The big man, a restricted free agent this summer, is now averaging 9.5 PPG and 7.0 RPG in the series, and Detroit has been outscored when he’s on the court. “I’ve just gotta be better, man,” Duren said after the loss, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). “I have no excuses. I’m my biggest critic. I know what I’ve gotta do to be able to contribute to our team and our success, and I’m staying on myself about doing that no matter what the case may be. I’ve got great teammates, a great coaching staff. I know that as a group we’re going to come back stronger, I have no doubt about it.”
- Bucks co-owner Wes Edens is the victim of an alleged $1 billion extortion scheme, according to reports from James Fanelli and Corinne Ramey of The Wall Street Journal and Steven Martinez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Changli “Sophia” Luo faces federal blackmail and extortion charges after threatening to publicize explicit videos and photos of her and Edens after a brief affair. A spokesperson for Edens said the Bucks governor “expects to testify under oath at the upcoming trial.”
Lakers Rumors: Doncic, Reaves, LeBron, Offseason
Although the Lakers began to believe during a 16-2 run in the second half of the season that their roster was good enough to compete with the Thunder and contend for a title, running back a “mostly similar” group in 2026/27 isn’t viewed as a viable option, team and league sources tell Sam Amick and Dan Woike of The Athletic. Even if Luka Doncic had been available for the second-round series vs. Oklahoma City, the general sense is that the Lakers need more firepower to match up with the NBA’s very best team(s).
“We just don’t have enough good players,” one locker room source told The Athletic.
As Amick and Woike detail, the Lakers told Doncic after they acquired him that they wanted to build a roster around him that looked similar – and ideally better – than the one he had in Dallas during the Mavericks’ 2024 NBA Finals run. That’s still the goal, which means Los Angeles’ front office will be looking to upgrade at the five – ideally by adding an elite lob threat – as well as ensuring the roster features more two-way wings and a secondary play-maker to complement Doncic.
Austin Reaves is the most obvious fit for that latter role, and Doncic has made it clear to the Lakers that he’d like to continue playing with Reaves, according to Amick and Woike, who hear from league sources that the Slovenian star told people within the organization that he’d be opposed to including Reaves in a trade package for Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Still, while Doncic would prefer to play alongside Reaves and another star, acquiring that star without including Reaves would be a challenge, given the Lakers’ relative lack of valuable trade assets.
This past season, LeBron James was that third star alongside the two high-scoring guards, and it’s possible he’ll stick with the Lakers for another year — the two sides have mutual interest in extending their relationship, sources tell The Athletic. While L.A. could open up about $50MM in cap room in the event LeBron departs, that figure assumes Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart pick up their player options rather than seeking raises and doesn’t account for new deals for Luke Kennard or Rui Hachimura, whom the Lakers have interest in retaining.
[RELATED: LeBron James: ‘I Don’t Know What The Future Holds For Me’]
If LeBron and some of those other players return and the Lakers end up operating over the cap, team sources believe there are still avenues for real improvement, Amick and Woike write, with the club expected to be aggressive on the trade market using this year’s No. 25 overall pick and tradable first-rounders in 2031 and 2033.
Here’s more on the Lakers as they prepare for an eventful offseason:
- Although Doncic’s hamstring injury was reported to be a Grade 2 strain following an MRI in Dallas, further evaluation in Spain revealed a “deeper and more severe” injury, according to Amick and Woike. Doncic acknowledged after the Lakers were eliminated that he wasn’t close to returning and that he was still a week or two away from taking contact, per Greg Beacham of The Associated Press. However, The Athletic’s duo says he’s pain-free in his hamstring, adding that the injury shouldn’t have a major impact on the guard’s offseason routine.
- As Beacham relays, Doncic announced on social media on Monday night that he won’t play for the Slovenian national team this summer because he wants to spend time with his daughters as he works toward acquiring joint custody. “Right now, my daughters and my responsibilities as a father are my priority,” he wrote.
- The ability to win and contend will be a “significant factor” for Reaves as he considers his free agent options this summer, league sources tell Amick and Woike. According to The Athletic’s duo, rival executives have predicted that Reaves’ next contract could be worth $40MM annually, though it remains unclear which clubs the Lakers might be bidding against. The Bulls and Nets are the only teams projected to have that kind of cap room, while other teams believed to have interest in Reaves, including the Jazz and Hawks, would need to either shed salary or negotiate a sign-and-trade to make that sort of offer.
- While Amick and Woike say the Lakers are expected to explore possible Antetokounmpo trade scenarios this offseason, Mirjam Swanson of The Los Angeles Times explains why she’s advising against pursuing the two-time MVP.
- Within their larger story on the Lakers’ summer, Amick and Woike also explore the franchise’s decision to move its G League affiliate from Los Angeles to Coachella Valley, noting that not having the NBA and NBAGL teams practice in the same building could make things a bit harder for the basketball operations staff. Multiple G League business operations employees were also laid off as part of the move, per The Athletic, though the Lakers are anticipating an increase in revenue as the G League team relocates to a bigger venue in a new market. That additional revenue will be used, in part, to fund infrastructure upgrades to the Lakers’ personnel, scouting, and medical departments, according to Amick and Woike.
2026 NBA Draft Picks By Team
The Bulls, who pivoted to rebuilding mode after being eliminated in the play-in tournament in three straight years from 2023-25, and the Spurs, who went from 34 wins a year ago to 62 this season, appear headed in opposite directions. But the two organizations do have one thing in common — they’re the only two teams in the NBA who control more than three picks in this year’s draft.
Chicago, which moved up to No. 4 as a result of Sunday’s draft lottery, also controls the 15th, 38th, and 56th picks. San Antonio has just one first-rounder at No. 20, but its other three picks – Nos. 35, 42, and 44 – are in the top half of the second round.
Besides the Spurs and Bulls, nine other teams own more than the typical two picks, and several of those clubs have at least one top-10 selection. The Wizards, Grizzlies, Clippers, Nets, Kings, Hawks, and Mavericks each have three selections, including one in the top nine. The Thunder and Knicks are the other two clubs who control three 2026 picks.
Those 11 teams own a combined 35 picks in June’s draft, while eight others control two apiece and nine more have one each. That means there are just two teams without a pick this year: the Pacers and Trail Blazers. Both teams had protected first-rounders, but Portland sacrificed its lottery-protected pick when it earned a playoff spot, while Indiana had a worst possible outcome in the lottery, as its top-four protected pick fell to No. 5.
To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2026 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 60 selections by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…
Teams with more than two picks:
- Chicago Bulls (4): 4, 15, 38, 56
- San Antonio Spurs (4): 20, 35, 42, 44
- Washington Wizards (3): 1, 51, 60
- Memphis Grizzlies (3): 3, 16, 32
- Los Angeles Clippers (3): 5, 36, 52
- Brooklyn Nets (3): 6, 33, 43
- Sacramento Kings (3): 7, 34, 45
- Atlanta Hawks (3): 8, 23, 57
- Dallas Mavericks (3): 9, 30, 48
- Oklahoma City Thunder (3): 12, 17, 37
- New York Knicks (3): 24, 31, 55
Teams with two picks:
- Golden State Warriors: 11, 54
- Miami Heat: 13, 41
- Charlotte Hornets: 14, 18
- Toronto Raptors: 19, 50
- Denver Nuggets: 26, 49
- Boston Celtics: 27, 40
- Minnesota Timberwolves: 28, 59
- Houston Rockets: 39, 53
Teams with one pick:
- Utah Jazz: 2
- Milwaukee Bucks: 10
- Detroit Pistons: 21
- Philadelphia 76ers: 22
- Los Angeles Lakers: 25
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 29
- Orlando Magic: 46
- Phoenix Suns: 47
- New Orleans Pelicans: 58
Teams with no picks:
- Indiana Pacers
- Portland Trail Blazers
Warriors Notes: Giannis, 11th Pick, Prospects, Kerr
The Warriors should — and almost certainly will — be among the suitors for Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, but if they’re unable to pull off a deal, it doesn’t mean the pursuit was a failure, argues Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.
The possibility of trading for Antetokounmpo now carries much more risk than it would’ve several years ago, when the team first viewed the two-time MVP as its “holy grail,” Poole writes. The Warriors’ best current offer — centered around draft picks but not much in the way of young players — could also theoretically be topped by several rival teams, Poole observes.
Still, Poole thinks it’s the right call to trade for the 31-year-old star, assuming he’s open to the idea and Golden State can convince Milwaukee’s front office to get on board. He just doesn’t view that outcome as likely.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Assistant general manager Larry Harris expressed optimism before the draft lottery that the Warriors would select a prospect they like if they stayed at the 11th pick, which would up happening, Poole writes in another story. “I’ve heard the noise,” Harris said when asked about the top four prospects being in their own tier. “Certainly, there’s four players that everybody seems to talk about when I look at all the mock drafts and everything. But the way we look at it is we really believe it’s beyond 11. But up to 11, we feel really, really, really good about whatever player lands in our lap.”
- Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area lists five “very different” prospects the Warriors could target at No. 11, including Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg and his college teammate Aday Mara. Johnson also weighs the pros and cons of each prospect, particularly from Golden State’s perspective.
- Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic isn’t surprised that Steve Kerr signed a two-year deal to stay the Warriors’ head coach and views Kerr as the fitting person to guide the rest of Stephen Curry‘s career. While he acknowledges Kerr will have to evolve his way of thinking in some respects, Thompson also believes Kerr has earned an enormous amount of respect and trust over the course of his long career and is definitely the right coach if the Warriors end up acquiring another star player.