Southeast Notes: Hornets, Risacher, Larsson, Magic
Hornets president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson, who was hired in March 2024, saw his team win just 19 games during his first full season on the job, but he remained confident in the work the front office was doing and isn’t shocked that Charlotte has taken a significant step forward in 2025/26, he told Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
“The thing that excites me the most or brings me the most joy is that we implemented the process when I first got here in multiple different facets of the organization, and we’ve been able to stick to those processes,” Peterson said. “That doesn’t mean that the result is always what we want it to be. But I sleep well knowing that we had a process going into the draft, and trade deadline and free agency, and we were able to execute what we wanted to execute.
“So, I’m not necessarily surprised that the team looks better this year. Not surprised because the process started when I first got here, but even this past summer. I’ve never been a part of a team where the entire team was here this summer working. And that was on their own.”
Currently the No. 9 seed, the Hornets still aren’t assured a playoff spot – or even a home play-in game – in a surprisingly competitive Eastern Conference. But after an 11-23 start, they’ve gone 32-14 since January 3, with young players like Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Moussa Diabate, Sion James, and Ryan Kalkbrenner emerging as key contributors. Will that internal improvement give Peterson the confidence to go out and seek another roster upgrade on the trade market this summer?
“I think there’s a lot of variables that go into that,” he told Boone. “I think sometimes people think trades are easy. They’re not. You’re dealing with another team, they have to want your player or want to trade that player that you may want. Salary’s got a match. There’s just a ton of variables at stake. So, it just kind of depends on which team you’re dealing with or what not, what the market is.
“I certainly don’t want to be in the business of overpaying for a player at this point. There could be a point where you have to do that. It’s not an exact science. You’re certainly going to get something wrong. But you’ve got to be pretty sure, the confidence interval has to be high if you’re going to put all your chips in and go get a player.”
We have more from around the Southeast:
- After playing a career-low seven minutes on Monday, Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher received the first DNP-CD of his NBA career on Wednesday in Cleveland, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. The former No. 1 overall pick was a starter through the first half of the season, but has seen his playing time dip to 22.5 minutes per game through 65 total outings. Risacher, who was replaced in the rotation by Corey Kispert on Wednesday, has averaged 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per night, with a .457/.373/.636 shooting line.
- It has been a disappointing regular season for the Heat, who are trending toward a 10th-place finish that will require them to win two road games in the play-in tournament to make the playoffs. But the development of Pelle Larsson has been a bright spot, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, who notes that the second-year forward has become one of the club’s most reliable, consistent players. “Being an enhancer in every lineup, that’s just a credit to the way he plays,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He does all the effort things, he does all the intangibles, he does all the little things. That, of course, will work with any lineup. Every lineup needs energy, effort, and he provides that.”
- Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley is believed to be on the hot seat as the offseason nears, but center Goga Bitadze expressed appreciation on Wednesday for the job the coaching staff has done over the course of a challenging year, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays (Twitter video link). “(The) coaches (have) done a great job staying positive,” Bitadze said. “You can’t get down on yourself and bring that negative energy, but they haven’t done that at all. You know, Mose has been nothing but positive all season.”
Thunder Secure West’s No. 1 Seed For Third Straight Season
The Spurs have been on an absolute heater since the start of February, winning 29 of 32 games during that stretch, but it won’t be enough to catch the Thunder in the regular season standings.
On Wednesday, shortly after San Antonio won its 61st game of the season, Oklahoma City picked up its 64th victory, beating the Clippers in L.A. by a score of 128-110. With only two games left in the regular season, the Thunder now can’t be caught for the No. 1 seed and will finish atop the Western Conference for a third straight year. They’ve also secured the NBA’s best record, which means they’ll have home court advantage in all of their playoff series this spring, including – potentially – the Finals.
The Thunder have won 19 of their past 20 games and have become just the third team in NBA history to compile at least 64 wins in back-to-back seasons, notes Brandon Rahbar of Daily Thunder (Twitter link). The only other two franchises to achieve that feat were the Bulls, who did it from 1995-97, and the Warriors, who won at least 67 games in three straight seasons from 2014-17.
“It’s impressive,” Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of the team’s regular season success, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “Obviously, none of it means anything if you don’t win in the end, and you know that. But teams that win in the end have some of the same characteristics and traits and check off the same boxes. So checking off those boxes is kind of just like knowing we’re headed in the right direction. Obviously, we’re far from the finish line of where we want to go, but like I said, it lets us know we’re heading right there.”
With the Thunder now locked into the No. 1 seed and the Spurs having clinched No. 2, they’ll face the two teams that come out of the play-in tournament in the first round of the playoffs.
Phoenix’s win over Dallas on Wednesday ensured that the Suns will enter the play-in tournament as the No. 7 seed, meaning they’ll host the No. 7/8 game and would get a second home game against the No. 9/10 winner if they lose that first contest. The Warriors are locked into the No. 10 seed in the West and will have to win two road games to make the playoffs, while the Clippers and Trail Blazers continue to jockey for No. 8.
The Timberwolves‘ loss to Orlando on Wednesday also guaranteed that Minnesota will finish sixth in the Western Conference standings. The Nuggets are in the driver’s seat for No. 3, with a two-game lead over the Rockets and Lakers.
Over in the East, the Hawks could’ve clinched a playoff berth with a win in Cleveland on Wednesday, but their fourth-quarter comeback attempt came up short. Atlanta still currently holds the No. 5 seed in the East with two games left to play, but the Raptors, Magic, and Sixers – in that order – are all within 1.5 games, and the Hawks will face the Cavaliers again on Friday.
Coaching Rumors: Jenkins, Wizards, Mosley, Pelicans, Kerr, More
There wasn’t a whole lot of NBA head coaching turnover last spring, when several teams retained coaches who had previously had interim tags and only the Suns and Knicks made new hires. There haven’t been many changes since then either, with only New Orleans having made an in-season change, though Portland was also forced to elevate assistant Tiago Splitter after Chauncey Billups was arrested in October.
The expectation is that a relatively quiet 12 months on the coaching market could result in an eventful few weeks once the regular season ends, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
“There’s going to be eight to 12 (coaching changes),” one source predicted to Fischer.
With several head coaching jobs expected to open up this spring, Fischer identifies a few candidates to monitor for those openings, naming current assistants Sean Sweeney (Spurs), Micah Nori (Timberwolves), Jared Dudley (Nuggets), Dave Bliss (Thunder), Chris Quinn (Heat), Royal Ivey (Rockets), and Luke Walton (Pistons).
Here are several more coaching-related rumors from Fischer:
- Confirming that Taylor Jenkins is a potential target to watch for the Bucks if they part ways with Doc Rivers, Fischer says there have been “whispers for months” that the Wizards would also have interest in Jenkins if they decide to move on from Brian Keefe. It’s unclear at this point if Washington intends to bring back Keefe for another season as the team aims to take a step toward contention in 2026/27. “It’s very difficult for any young coach to survive a years-long rebuild and (then) oversee a dramatic cultural shift of losing to competing,” one general manager told The Stein Line.
- If the Magic let go of Jamahl Mosley, he’s expected to draw interest from New Orleans, according to Fischer, who says Pelicans general manager Joe Dumars is a fan. James Borrego is also expected to receive consideration for the permanent job in New Orleans, Fischer notes, adding that Bucks assistant Darvin Ham is another candidate to watch if the team conducts a full-fledged search.
- While it’s too early to say what will happen with Steve Kerr, Fischer has heard that the Warriors would ideally like to sign the veteran coach for more than a single season if he decides to return, since team officials would prefer to avoid a “Last Dance scenario,” if possible. Stephen Curry‘s current contract expires in 2027, as does Jimmy Butler‘s. Draymond Green‘s would too if he exercises his 2026/27 player option.
- The Kings are still evaluating Doug Christie‘s performance and are taking into account that injuries decimated his roster this season, Fischer writes. Christie has one more guaranteed year left on his contract (with a 2027/28 team option) and it’s not impossible that he’ll return for next season, Fischer adds.
- Although the Trail Blazers discussed a potential extension for Splitter at one point, per Fischer, the acting head coach’s future is up in the air with new owner Tom Dundon taking over the franchise. Dundon has talked about evaluating every aspect of the organization. That includes its head coach and its front office, according to Fischer, who suggests that changes in the basketball operations department are possible. For what it’s worth, Dundon said recently that general manager Joe Cronin’s job status is “solid.”
Hawks Notes: Snyder, Landale, NAW, Risacher, Kispert
Appearing on 92.9 The Game on Tuesday morning, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder referred to the play that injured Jock Landale last Wednesday as a “dirty” one by Magic center Goga Bitadze (Twitter video link). Bitazde pulled Landale down by his shoulder as he took the ball up for a scoring chance at the basket, resulting in the Atlanta big man landing awkwardly and spraining his ankle. He was ruled out for at least two weeks.
“I wish it would have been taken more seriously than it was,” Snyder said, per Mike Conti of 92.9 The Game (Twitter link). “To get to a point where there’s no penalty, there’s no suspension, there’s nothing?”
Snyder went on to point out that it wasn’t a first-time offense for the division-rival Magic, whom the Hawks beat by 29 points in Orlando last week (Twitter video link).
“The part of it that’s even more concerning to me is that we played (the Magic) last year — we were in a similar situation, where we had a trade at the deadline and we were playing really well,” Snyder said. “And we went down to Orlando and two guys on our team were knocked out for the season, Larry Nance and Vit (Krejci), both on dirty plays.
“So here we are, a year removed, and you could see it coming. That’s the game plan against the Hawks is to try to punk us. And you know what? It didn’t work, because we were tough and we competed. And then it turned into that when the game was over. It makes me really, really angry.”
We have more on the Hawks:
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker continues to strengthen his case for Most Improved Player recognition. The guard scored 36 points in Monday’s loss to New York and hit seven shots from beyond the arc, increasing his three-point total for the season to 244. That’s a new single-season team record, per the Hawks (Twitter link), surpassing Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s 240 threes in 2023/24.
- Former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher played a career-low seven minutes on Monday, which Snyder chalked up to a crowded rotation, stressing that it wasn’t an indictment of the second-year forward. “We only have so many guys that we can actually put in the game,” he said (Twitter link via Maura Carey of The Associated Press). “… It’s not anything about one player, that’s just the game.”
- Sharpshooter Corey Kispert has also been a DNP-CD in three of the past four games after appearing in each of his first 35 contests with the team. “Corey didn’t play (on Monday), and Corey played great last game,” Snyder said (Twitter link via Carey). “We can only have so many guys that we can actually put in the game, and in certain situations we’re giving Nickeil, Dyson (Daniels) and those guys more minutes… (Jonathan Kuminga) played a little more, so those minutes come from somewhere.”
- After winning 18 of their previous 20 games, the Hawks fell at home on Monday to a potential playoff opponent, losing 108-105 to the Knicks. Atlanta viewed the defeat as a learning experience, writes Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required). “This is like a lesson,” Alexander-Walker said. “It’s good for us to be battle-tested headed for the postseason. That’s a good team. Now we know how much better we can be. And we know their strengths, they know ours, and it’s how do we make an adjustment should we meet in the playoffs.”
NBA G League Announces 2025/26 All-NBAGL Teams
Four days after being named the 2025/26 NBA G League Most Valuable Player, Bulls two-way guard Mac McClung has also earned a spot on the All-NBAGL first team, the league announced (all Twitter links).
McClung, who averaged 31.8 points, 7.9 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game on .515/.381/.775 shooting in 29 regular season outings for Windy City, headlines that five-man group of G League standouts along with Rockets two-way player Tristen Newton and NBA veteran DaQuan Jeffries, who finished second and third, respectively, in MVP voting.
Newton, who made five appearances for the Iowa Wolves before joining the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for 30 more games, registered averages of 25.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.5 APG with a .480/.376/.859 shooting line. Jeffries, who had a brief NBA stint this season on a 10-day contract with Sacramento, made 28 regular season appearances for the Stockton Kings and contributed 23.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 2.4 APG with an excellent shooting line of .515/.436/.831.
Pistons two-way player Isaac Jones and veteran NBA guard Lester Quinones round out the All-G League first team.
The complete breakdown of the 2025/26 All-NBA G League teams is below. Players who are currently on standard NBA contracts are noted with an asterisk (*), while those on two-way contracts are noted with a caret (^).
All-NBAGL First Team
- DaQuan Jeffries (Stockton Kings)
- Isaac Jones (Motor City Cruise) ^
- Mac McClung (Windy City Bulls) ^
- Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) ^
- Lester Quinones (Osceola Magic)
All-NBAGL Second Team
- Kobe Bufkin (South Bay Lakers) *
- Killian Hayes (Cleveland Charge) *
- Note: Hayes played for the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate but is on a standard contract with the Kings.
- A.J. Lawson (Raptors 905) ^
- Drew Timme (South Bay Lakers) ^
- Jahmir Young (Sioux Falls Skyforce) ^
All-NBAGL Third Team
- RayJ Dennis (College Park Skyhawks) ^
- PJ Hall (Greensboro Swarm) ^
- Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics) *
- Alijah Martin (Raptors 905) ^
- Daishen Nix (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
And-Ones: Coaches, Lottery Teams, 65-Game Rule, HoF, More
Kurt Helin of NBC Sports recently listed five head coaches who could be on the hot seat as the 2025/26 regular season enters its final week.
Doc Rivers was part of the 2026 Hall of Fame class, but there’s an expectation around the league that he won’t be brought back as head coach of the Bucks in 2026/27, Helin writes. Marc Stein reported similarly on Sunday, though Stein suggested Rivers might stay in the organization in some capacity.
Jamahl Mosley of the Magic and Brian Keefe of the Wizards are two of the other names on Helin’s list.
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Should Brooklyn extend or trade Michael Porter Jr. this summer? That’s the big question ESPN’s Bobby Marks poses for the Nets ahead of next month’s draft lottery. Marks lists one big question facing each of the 10 teams who have been eliminated from postseason contention. It’s worth noting the article was written last week, before the Bulls dismissed top front office executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley.
- Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic are among the star players who won’t meet the 65-game requirement this season to be eligible for major postseason awards (Doncic may still qualify, depending on what an “independent expert” rules). Several people around the league recently weighed in on the 65-game rule, which was collectively bargained by both the NBA and the NBPA in 2023, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch pointed out that there could be unintended consequences of lesser players making All-NBA teams, and suggested those who are clearly All-NBA caliber should still be eligible for the three teams, but without receiving the salary bump that sometimes goes along with it. “That’s one of the things that’s not talked about [with] it,” Finch said. “Some of these awards are going to go to players [who], not to say they’re not necessarily deserving. But they’re going to get these rewards and they’re going to get the financial bonus that comes with these rewards, and maybe they’re not quite of the standard that would normally demand that. … To me, the money piece seems to be the obvious trigger.”
- Doug Feinberg of The Associated Press passes along some quotes from the members of the 2026 Hall of Fame class, which was officially announced over the weekend. “It means everything from a basketball point of view,” Amar’e Stoudemire told the AP. “When you look back at my career not only as a pro, but even high school and, and nationally, and since I was a kid playing the game of basketball. I love the game. You play the game because you love it, and then you work to become the best you can possibly be, despite circumstances, and to get into the Hall of Fame, it shows that the voters appreciate it. And now we’re enshrined forever.”
- Several ESPN insiders list the biggest questions and what to watch in the final week of the regular season.
Southeast Notes: Black, Heat, KD, George, Swirsky
The Magic will get a key rotation player back on Monday against Detroit, as Anthony Black has been upgraded to available, the team announced (via Twitter).
As Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel tweets, Black was initially listed as questionable, then was upgraded to probable and available. The third-year guard, who was having a breakout season prior to suffering a left lateral abdominal strain on March 7, has missed Orlando’s last 16 games due to the injury.
Black, 22, will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. He was the sixth overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- The Heat should consider adding a “disruptor” to their front office to challenge the current regime’s ways of thinking, contends Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Miami is likely headed to the play-in tournament for the fourth straight season, and while the team has had many developmental success stories over the years, the Heat are still the lacking top-end talent necessary to break out of their current cycle of mediocrity, Winderman explains. A drastic overhaul would be an overreaction and unlikely anyway given the lengthy tenures of the majority of the front office, but it’s clear the current roster isn’t good enough, Winderman adds.
- Rockets star Kevin Durant made a “lasting mark” on Kyshawn George in what turned out to be the Wizards wing’s final game of 2025/26, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. George, who suffered a partial UCL tear in his left elbow in the third quarter of the game, grew up watching Durant. “I’m working on particular parts of my game that he’s pretty much mastered over his career,” George told The Athletic. “There’s no better way than to learn from the best. So I just went and asked him a couple questions and he was cool enough to answer.” Durant, 37, said he’s happy to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of players. “If somebody has a question, needs some advice, and seeks it out, then I’m gonna give it to him as honest as I can,” Durant said. “I want players to reach their full potential. And I want them to get everything on and off the court cause there’s a lot that comes with this lifestyle if you do it right.”
- Capital City Go-Go assistant coach T.C. Swirsky has agreed to join the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury as an assistant under Nate Tibbetts, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). Before joining the Wizards‘ G League affiliate, Swirsky was previously the head coach of the Memphis Hustle, Scotto notes.
SGA, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league (Twitter links). This includes games played from March 30 through April 5.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player, averaged 31.7 points, 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in three Thunder victories as he puts the finishing touches on another MVP-caliber season. That three-game stretch included a 47-point outburst in an overtime win over the Pistons last Monday.
It’s the fourth Player of the Week award this season for Gilgeous-Alexander, who also claimed it twice in November and once in January. He and Luka Doncic are the only players to win the weekly award four times this season.
Brown earned Player of the Week honors for the third time in 2025/26 and the seventh time of his career by averaging an East-leading 31.0 points, 5.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game as Boston went 3-1. Celtics wings have now been named Player of the Week on each of the past two Mondays, as Jayson Tatum won the award last week.
Kevin Durant (Rockets), Cooper Flagg (Mavericks), Jrue Holiday (Blazers), Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (Nuggets), and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were the other Western Conference nominees, according to the NBA.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks), OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks), LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Desmond Bane (Magic), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) and Jayson Tatum (Celtics) were also nominated in the East.
Southeast Notes: Mosley, George, Jovic, Hawks
The Magic have had a disappointing year relative to their preseason expectations. They have played at around a .500 level since a 10-4 run in November and find themselves just a half-game ahead of the 10th-seed Heat coming into Sunday’s game against the Pelicans.
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes that the team is likely to make head coach Jamahl Mosley the scapegoat for the team’s struggles, a move Bianchi considers to be typical of how NBA teams operate but still misguided.
Bianchi notes the injuries to players like Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Anthony Black that derailed Orlando’s attempts at building momentum throughout the season, but also focuses on the team’s lack of effort and toughness in moments when it matters most, such as losing big games to the Raptors and Hawks while trying to make up ground for the postseason. He suggests that if the Magic fire Mosley, it will not be because he’s a bad coach, but to provide an excuse for a team that has disappointed and shown a lack of heart.
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- Following up on the recent news that Kyshawn George will miss the rest of the Wizards‘ season, head coach Brian Keefe spoke on what he saw from the second-year forward’s season. “He had a terrific year,” Keefe said, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter video link). “This guy made a huge jump, and that’s a credit to him and the amount of work he put in this summer. We’re really excited for a bright future for him.” Keefe added that George planned to work on his body this offseason and called him “a great example for our organization and the kind of guys we want.”
- Nikola Jovic was expected to step into a larger role for the Heat this season after signing a four-year rookie scale extension, but he struggled to adjust to the team’s increased pace and new style, Barry Jackson writes for the Miami Herald. Jovic only appeared in two of Miami’s last 10 games, the most recent one ending with him limping off with a sprained ankle. “Last year was easy because of the offense we ran and the way we played, I kind of knew what my role was,” he said. “This year, with an offense where you don’t have calls and don’t really know where to be at what time, it’s hard for me because sometimes I play five [center], sometimes I play [four], sometimes I have the ball in my hands, sometimes I don’t… It’s hard because you never get similar looks.”
- The Hawks have won four straight games and six of their last seven. With a week to go, they will now face one of their toughest tests of the season as they look to secure a top-six seed, Lauren Williams writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hawks will play the Knicks, the Cavaliers twice, and finally the Heat over the next week, which Williams notes is the second-hardest remaining schedule in the league. With a record of 45-33, they sit two games ahead of the Raptors and Sixers, who are tied for sixth in the East following Toronto’s loss on Sunday.
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.