Northwest Notes: Randle, Collins, Jazz, Thunder
Timberwolves forward Julius Randle earned a bonus worth $1.4MM on Sunday when Minnesota clinched a playoff spot, reports ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). As Marks explains, the terms of Randle’s contract called for him to earn that extra $1.4MM on top of his base salary if he appeared in 65 games and the Wolves made the playoffs.
That contract incentive had been deemed “unlikely” entering the season and hadn’t counted against Randle’s cap hit — even though the veteran forward made the playoffs last season with New York, he didn’t appear in 65 games and therefore didn’t earn the bonus in ’23/24.
However, Randle had another $1.4MM bonus for making the All-Star team which was considered likely entering this season and counted against the cap because he was an All-Star in 2024. He didn’t earn that bonus this season, so he essentially just swapped one bonus out for a second one worth the same amount, meaning it won’t affect Minnesota’s financial situation this season and won’t change his cap hit for ’25/26.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Several Jazz veterans, including Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Jordan Clarkson, were asked during their end-of-season media sessions whether they want to remain in Utah. Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune passes along the responses from those players, all of whom said the right things about hoping to stick with the Jazz. Asked about exercising his 2025/26 player option, Collins expressed interest in doing so, but added, “I’m just open to anything at the end of the day. And I just want it to be the right move. If it does mean staying here, being in Utah, I’m cool with that. I just want it, like I said, to be right, and something I can cherish going forward and look back on in my career and be happy.”
- The Jazz‘s 17-65 record this season was the worst mark the team has posted in its 51-year history. But, given that Utah finished the season atop the draft lottery order and is assured of a top-five pick in this year’s draft, was 2024/25 actually a success? Larsen weighs that question for The Salt Lake Tribune, evaluating whether or not the team tanked effectively, adequately developed its young players, and maintained fan interest.
- On the other end of the Western Conference standings, the 68-win Thunder set a new NBA record by finishing the season with a point differential of +12.9 points per game, notes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The previous record was set by the 1971/72 Lakers, who outscored opponents by 12.3 points per contest.
Postseason Seeding Set For Western Conference
The seedings for the Western Conference playoffs came down to the very last game — the Clippers‘ 124-119 overtime victory over the Warriors on Sunday afternoon. That outcome assured L.A. of a playoff spot and pushed Golden State into the play-in tournament.
The red-hot Clippers, winners of eight straight, nailed down the No. 5 seed. The Timberwolves, who won their last three games, grabbed the last automatic berth into the first round, joining the Nuggets, who secured the No. 4 seed with their win over Houston on Sunday.
Here’s how the top 10 teams in the West finished the regular season, as the NBA confirms (via Twitter):
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Denver Nuggets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Golden State Warriors
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Sacramento Kings
- Dallas Mavericks
The play-in tournament in the Western Conference will feature the Warriors hosting the Grizzlies on Tuesday and the Kings hosting the Mavericks on Wednesday. The Golden State/Memphis winner will claim the No. 7 spot in the playoffs and face the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. The loser of that game will host the Sacramento/Dallas survivor on Friday for the No. 8 spot and the right to face the top-seeded Thunder in round one.
The Lakers will have home court advantage in the first round and face the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. The Nuggets will also have home court advantage in their first-round series against the Clippers.
The seedings for the Eastern Conference playoffs were decided prior to Sunday’s action and can be found here.
Anthony Edwards Has 18th Tech Rescinded, Won’t Be Suspended
The NBA has announced that the technical foul assessed to Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards in the second quarter of Friday’s game has been rescinded (Twitter link).
It’s a significant decision, since the technical foul was Edwards’ 18th of the season and would’ve resulted in an automatic one-game suspension for Sunday’s regular season finale if it hadn’t been rescinded, as we explained on Friday night.
An NBA player is suspended for one game when he reaches 16 technical fouls in a regular season and faces additional one-game bans for every two techs he picks up after reaching that threshold. As a result of the NBA’s decision, Edwards’ technical foul count for the season will revert to 17 and he’ll be available to play on Sunday vs. Utah in a game that the Wolves need to win in order to clinch a guaranteed (ie. top-six) playoff spot.
Bill Kennedy, the crew chief of Friday’s officiating crew, said after the game that Edwards received his technical foul for directing profanity toward a referee (Bluesky video link via CJ Folger).
The Timberwolves star told reporters that he asked “where was the f—in’ foul,” according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who notes that both Edwards and head coach Chris Finch said they didn’t feel the comment warranted a tech (Twitter links). Upon review, the league agreed with them.
A player’s technical foul count resets in the postseason, so Edwards won’t be in any immediate danger of another suspension if the Wolves secure a playoff berth. He would have to accrue seven techs in the playoffs to be suspended.
Anthony Edwards Facing Another One-Game Suspension After 18th Tech
[UPDATE: The NBA has rescinded Edwards’ technical foul. The full story on the decision can be found here.]
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was assessed with a technical foul during the second quarter of Friday’s game vs. Brooklyn. It’s his 18th tech of the season, which means he’ll be suspended for Minnesota’s regular season finale unless the NBA decides to rescind it, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune tweets.
An NBA player is suspended for one game when he reaches 16 technical fouls in a season and faces additional one-game bans for every two techs he picks up after reaching that threshold.
Edwards was previously suspended for the Timberwolves’ February 28th game in Utah after being assessed his 16th tech on Feb. 27.
While Edwards has been able to mostly avoid additional technical fouls in March and April, his 18th comes at an inopportune time, with Minnesota looking to clinch a spot in the playoffs. The team is wrapping up its schedule by facing a pair of lottery-bound teams – the Nets tonight and the Jazz on Sunday – but that doesn’t mean it won’t miss Edwards. The Wolves lost that Feb. 28 game vs. Utah without their leading scorer.
A player’s technical foul count resets in the postseason, so Edwards won’t be in any immediate danger of another suspension if the Wolves secure a playoff berth.
Postseason Scenarios To Watch Friday
With only two regular season games remaining on each team’s schedule, 15 of the 20 seeds entering the 2025 postseason are still up for grabs, the NBA noted today (Twitter link).
All 30 teams will be playing on Friday and again on Sunday. Friday’s slate has several matchups with important postseason implications.
Here’s a quick rundown of the the most important scenarios in play tonight, per the league (Twitter link):
- The Nuggets will clinch a top-six seed and thus a guaranteed playoff spot with a win AND a loss by either the Clippers, Warriors or Timberwolves.
- The Clippers will clinch a playoff spot with a win AND a loss by either Denver, Golden State or Minnesota.
- The Warriors will secure a playoff berth with a win AND losses by both Memphis and Minnesota.
- The Grizzlies will be locked into the play-in tournament with a loss AND a Warriors win.
- The Timberwolves will be locked into the play-in tournament with a loss AND wins by Denver, Golden State and the Clippers.
- The Lakers will clinch the Pacific Division with a win OR a Clippers loss.
Western Notes: Jones, Davis, Wolves, Blazers, Cronin
Kai Jones has filled a critical role since joining the Mavericks on a two-way contract in early March. In 11 games (six starts) for a Dallas team suffering from crucial injuries, Jones is averaging 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 84.8% from the field.
According to RG.org’s Grant Afseth, head coach Jason Kidd was complimentary of Jones and recognized his impact on keeping Dallas in the postseason picture.
“Kai’s been phenomenal,” Kidd said. “We’re very lucky to have him because he’s part of what saved our season.”
In an exclusive interview with Afseth, Jones spoke about what allowed him to emerge for the Mavericks and how he’s developed since entering the league in 2021.
“I’ve been working on everything, from the summertime to now, just working on my all-around game — understanding the game, understanding when to take certain shots, when to shoot three, when to shoot the mid-range, when to attack,” Jones said. “Just continuing to rep everything out. I feel comfortable everywhere on the floor, so it’s been a good opportunity to show that. Just continuing to work every single day, you know how it is.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Terence Davis was thankful to receive the call to join the Kings and is excited to be back with the team he spent parts of three seasons with from 2021-23, according to Fox 40 Sacramento’s Sean Cunningham (Twitter link). “Any time you come to a familiar place and you have friends and front office guys, teammates that show love to you, it’s awesome, it’s an amazing feeling,” Davis said. “In my case, I feel like I kind of made a small impact on this organization. … I’m just thankful.” In 121 appearances (16 starts) with the Kings during his original stint, Davis averaged 8.6 points per game.
- The Timberwolves showed what kind of team they were when they lost a Tuesday game against Milwaukee in which they led by 24 points in the fourth quarter, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic opines. The Bucks were able flip the script of the game by switching to a zone defense. “It’s a bad fourth quarter against a zone defense,” coach Chris Finch said. “I don’t think it’s a microcosm of the season.” Krawczynski believes it’s deeper than that, with Minnesota rolling through parts of the season before coming to a screeching halt in a difficult loss.
- Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin earned an extension on Monday, showcasing the club’s dedication to fulfilling his vision for the organization, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report writes. Portland has had a respectable season, staying in play-in contention until the spring, with young players like Toumani Camara among those who have taken serious strides. Now, as Highkin notes, the Blazers will need to make decisions on key veterans Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant and the future of coach Chauncey Billups.
Latest On Nuggets’ Dismissals Of Calvin Booth, Michael Malone
Team officials and players had grown weary of the disconnect between Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone. That, plus a desire to audition top assistant David Adelman for the head coaching job, led to the dismissals of both Booth and Malone, The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Tony Jones report.
Booth wanted to fire Malone as the team struggled down the stretch but knew he no longer had the power to make that bold move because of his contract situation. In the last year of his deal after failing to sign extension with ownership, Booth figured he would have to wait until after the playoffs to dismiss Malone, depending upon how the team performed.
Instead, owner Stan Kroenke and team president Josh Kroenke chose to part with both of them. The Kroenkes had made previous efforts to repair the relationship between Booth and Malone to no avail and ultimately decided to get rid of the negativity that was affecting the team. The team’s most important players, including Nikola Jokic, had grown frustrated and weary by Malone’s fiery approach.
Having replaced Malone shortly before the regular season ended, Adelman will have a chance to show whether he should have the interim tag removed after the postseason. Adelman has the support of the team’s regulars due to his steady and calm demeanor.
The ownership group is also aware that Adelman, whose contract is expiring, could have other head coaching opportunities. The Trail Blazers are likely to pursue him if they decide to fire Chauncey Billups, league sources tell Amick and Jones.
Here’s more from The Athletic’s in-depth reporting:
- It’s expected that the Kroenkes will mull a possible reunion with Tim Connelly, the former Nuggets GM who took over as the Timberwolves’ top exec in May 2022. Connelly has an opt-out in his contract for this summer. However, it’s believed that the Timberwolves’ new owners, Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, will try to retain him. If the Nuggets can’t pry away Connelly, they could instead make a run at Minnesota GM Matt Lloyd.
- Malone had more input on personnel decisions when Connelly ran the show. Once Booth took over, Malone had much less influence and that irked the head coach. Booth had considered firing Malone prior to the team’s 2023 championship run.
- Booth had extensive discussions with the Kroenkes heading into the season but chose not to sign what he believed was a below-market offer. However, Booth believed that an extension was a mere formality. The Kroenkes pulled their offer when the club got off to a mediocre start.
- As previously reported, Booth wanted Malone to give more minutes to the younger guys that he drafted, particularly Jalen Pickett and Peyton Watson. After the team was eliminated by Minnesota last season, Booth thought Malone should have expanded the rotation during the regular season to keep the top players fresher, while Malone thought Booth should have given him a more well-rounded roster.
- Booth’s offseason decisions to give Zeke Nnaji a four-year contract and sign Dario Saric further strained the relationship. Malone hasn’t used either player in the rotation in recent months. Malone’s decision to stick with Russell Westbrook, another offseason pickup, over Pickett also caused considerable friction.
- Westbrook’s future with the organization, even if he picks up his $3.4MM option, is uncertain. Adelman was quicker to sub out Westbrook for Pickett during the team’s win over the Kings on Wednesday. Jamal Murray is expected to return from his hamstring injury on Friday.
Five West Teams Have 32 Losses In Regular Season’s Final Week
The Thunder clinched the No. 1 seed entering the Western Conference playoffs two-plus weeks ago, but the remaining 19 postseason seeds are up for grabs in the final week of the 2024/25 regular season, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
There isn’t too much drama in the East, with the Cavaliers and Celtics leading the conference for the entire season. Four other clubs — the Knicks, Pacers, Bucks and Pistons — are guaranteed of making the playoffs, while the Magic, Hawks, Bulls and Heat will be in the play-in tournament. But the final seeds are technically still up in the air.
The West is a totally different story, however. Five teams — the Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors, Timberwolves and Grizzlies — each have 32 losses, with the Nuggets holding a slim half-game lead on their competitors by virtue of having one more win.
After losing four straight, the Nuggets are currently 47-32, while the Clippers, Warriors, Timberwolves and Grizzlies all have identical 46-32 records. They are, in that order, the current Nos. 4-8 seeds in the West.
This is the first time since the current playoff format was introduced in 1983/84 that the Nos. 4-8 seeds in a conference are within a half-game of each other in the standings 78-plus games into a season, per the NBA (Twitter link).
It’s also just the second time teams ranked 3-8 in a conference are within two games of each other 78-plus games into a season, with the other also coming in the West back in ’17/18.
The 48-30 Lakers currently hold the No. 3 spot, but could theoretically end up anywhere from No. 2 to No. 8 (moving up to No. 2 would require the Lakers to win their final four games and the Rockets to lose their final three; Houston is guaranteed of being either No. 2 or No. 3)
If the Lakers hold onto the No. 3 seed — certainly not a given considering how unpredictable and close the West is — and there ends up being a five-way tie between the current 32-loss clubs, then the final standings would be as follows, according to ESPN researcher Matt Williams (Twitter link via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk):
- Timberwolves
- Clippers
- Warriors
- Nuggets
- Grizzlies
The Suns have the league’s highest payroll, but are in imminent danger of falling out of the West’s play-in picture. Phoenix has dropped six straight and is three games behind No. 9 Sacramento and two-and-a-half behind No. 10 Dallas with only four games remaining.
Pistons Clinch First Playoff Berth Since 2019
With their win in Toronto on Friday, the Pistons have officially clinched a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference, securing their first playoff berth since the 2018/19 season (Twitter link).
It’s the latest achievement in what has been a remarkable turnaround for the Pistons, who posted the worst record in the NBA – and the worst mark in franchise history – a year ago when they went 14-68. Detroit has more than tripled that win total this season, sitting at 43-34 with five games still to play.
The Pistons’ bounce-back season has been driven by an All-NBA caliber performance from former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham, though he wasn’t in action in Friday’s playoff clincher, having missed his sixth consecutive game due to a left calf contusion.
Instead, it was rising third-year center Jalen Duren (21 points, 18 rebounds, six assists, four blocks), Sixth Man of the Year contender Malik Beasley (21 points), and veteran role player Tim Hardaway Jr. (23 points) who played key roles in the 117-105 win over the Raptors.
Veteran forward Tobias Harris and second-year wing Ausar Thompson are among the other most important contributors in Detroit, along with veteran guard Dennis Schröder, who has taken on a role similar to the one Jaden Ivey played before breaking his leg in January.
While the Pistons have now secured their spot in the postseason, their exact seed in the Eastern Conference is still to be determined.
Friday’s victory moves them a half-game ahead of the 42-34 Bucks for the No. 5 spot, which would likely line them up for a first-round date with the No. 4 Pacers. Sliding to No. 6 would probably result in a matchup with the Knicks in round one, though neither New York nor Indiana is officially locked into its seed yet.
As Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press notes, the Timberwolves are now assured of receiving the Pistons’ 2025 first-round pick, which had been top-13 protected.
Wolves Notes: Ownership Battle, Gobert, Alexander-Walker, DiVincenzo
The nearly year-long battle that Glen Taylor waged to keep control of the Timberwolves gave Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez more time to improve their financial position, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Taylor gave up that fight this week and reportedly won’t appeal an arbitration case that was decided in favor of the new owners.
As Krawczynski writes, Lore and Rodriguez were able to secure former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg as a minority investor and set aside $950MM in an escrow account. Although they still need formal approval from the NBA’s Board of Governors, having that much cash on hand takes away any financial concerns about their ability to operate the team.
Sources tell Krawczynski that the long-running dispute has ended any plans of having Taylor remain as a limited partner after the sale is finalized. Taylor will be fully bought out, and complete control will be transferred to the Lore-Rodriguez group, which also includes former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and several other high-profile investors.
Krawczynski speculates that Taylor, who underwent hip surgery in December, wanted to put the issue behind him now that he’s feeling better physically. He also recognized that it’s difficult to get an arbitrator’s decision reversed, and he doesn’t want to be responsible for the team’s tax bill of nearly $90MM when the league’s fiscal year ends this summer.
There’s more from Minnesota:
- Rudy Gobert‘s presence in the middle gives the Wolves hope of recapturing the dominant defense that led the NBA last season, Krawczynski adds in a separate story. The team has been more sporadic this year, Krawczynski observes, ranking sixth in defensive efficiency, but Gobert is asserting himself more as the playoffs approach. “I just try to set the tone,” he said. “I know that when I do that, it’s contagious for the team. For me, it’s really important to do it for the first minute of the game to the last and in practice every day and in the weight room. Wherever I’m at, I try to lead by example.”
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker described himself as “lost” when he was sent to Minnesota along with Mike Conley at the 2023 trade deadline, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Alexander-Walker has developed into a valuable rotation player, but he feared at the time that his NBA career might be close to an end. “Traded twice in 18 hours, not knowing what my reality of my career was gonna be,” he recalled. “Especially going into year four, I truly believed this could be my last year, going into my contract year, haven’t really had the opportunity to show what I could do.”
- In an interview with Simone Sandri of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Donte DiVincenzo said he hopes to play for Italy at EuroBasket this summer. DiVincenzo recently talked to officials from the Italian national team and just has to finalize his passport. “I would say yes, we are all on the same wavelength,” he said. “For me it would be great to represent Italy, now we just have to wait for the documents to arrive.”