Poll: Who Will Win Wednesday’s Play-In Games?
Entering the 2025/26 season, both the Clippers and Warriors were widely projected to finish among the top seven teams in the Western Conference, with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac leading the way for L.A. and Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler as the co-stars in Golden State.
Nearly six months later, much has changed for both teams.
The Clippers, who have been the subject of an NBA investigation all season long due to allegations of salary-cap circumvention, got off to a miserable 6-21 start that had fans questioning whether blowing up the roster at the trade deadline was a real possibility for the club. L.A. rebounded nicely, finishing the season on a 36-19 run to get above .500 (42-40), but the team did break up its veteran core at the deadline after all, sending Harden to Cleveland and Zubac to Indiana.
The Clippers got enough back in those deals – including two-time All-Star Darius Garland – to remain competitive, especially with Leonard staying healthy and delivering a vintage season. But his future in Los Angeles remains a major question mark as he and the Clippers fight to earn a playoff spot this spring.
In Golden State, the Warriors’ star duo was broken up by an injury rather than a trade. Butler suffered a torn ACL in January that prematurely ended his season, while Curry went down shortly after that with a knee injury that kept him on the shelf for over two months. Without their top two scorers, the Warriors’ offense predictably nosedived — of the 20 teams that eventually made the postseason, none had a worse offensive rating from February 1 onward than Golden State. And none entered the play-in tournament with a worse record than the Warriors’ 37-45 mark.
Curry is back for the play-in tournament, but he’s still not at 100%, having played no more than 29 minutes in any of his four tune-up games at the end of the season. And without Butler available, the Warriors’ ceiling is limited.
Still, these are two veteran clubs with a ton of postseason experience between them, so Wednesday’s win-or-go-home game in L.A. will be a fascinating one. The No. 9 Clippers are currently favored over the No. 10 Warriors by about five points by most sportsbooks.
Before the Warriors and Clippers tip off, the Sixers and Magic will face one another in Philadelphia in Wednesday’s early game to determine which team will get the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The 76ers have looked like a dangerous team at times in 2025/26, but the inconsistent availability of Joel Embiid and Paul George has once again made it hard for them to generate a ton of momentum. While Philadelphia posted a 24-14 record when Embiid played this season, he’s currently unavailable after undergoing an emergency appendectomy last week.
The Sixers were a sub-.500 team with Embiid inactive this season, but the good news is that both George and Tyrese Maxey are ready to go this week, and the club went 20-14 in the games they played together this season.
The 76ers are favored by two points against the Magic, who were viewed by oddsmakers as the third-best team in the East entering the season. Like Philadelphia, Orlando has been affected by injuries — star forward Franz Wagner was limited to 34 games due to a nagging high ankle sprain.
Still, even when they’ve been healthy, the Magic haven’t lived up to preseason expectations. They’ve struggled to maintain their past defensive level, dropping to 13th in defensive rating after finishing in the top three in each of the previous two seasons. And while Desmond Bane has been everything the team hoped for when it gave up four first-round picks to acquire him last summer, it hasn’t been enough to significantly improve Orlando’s offense, which was just 18th-best in the league this season.
The last week-and-a-half of the regular season was a microcosm of the Magic’s year as a whole. Battling for a top-six seed in the East, Orlando reeled off five straight wins from April 3-10, including an impressive victory over Detroit last Monday. But in Sunday’s regular season finale against a Celtics team resting nearly all of its regulars, the Magic failed to take care of business, losing 113-108 to slip to the No. 8 spot in the East.
Orlando wouldn’t have clinched a playoff spot with a win on Sunday, but that loss in Boston was the difference between hosting tonight’s game or visiting Philadelphia. And it’s probably safe to assume home court advantage would’ve made the Magic the favorites. Instead, they’re viewed as narrow (two-point) underdogs.
We want to know what you think. Which veteran Western Conference team will keep its season alive on Friday? Can the Emibid-less Sixers pull out a win against the up-and-down Magic to clinch a playoff spot?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your predictions!
Who will win Wednesday's play-in games?
Southeast Notes: Jakucionis, Fontecchio, Young, Davis, Magic
Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis wound up playing in 53 games, including 12 starts, during his rookie season. The Miami brass was pleased with his development, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.
“I’m very encouraged by the progress that he’s made,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s willed himself through his work and consistent actions to be pretty consistent in our rotation the last several weeks. That was hard-earned. “He’s a lot better now than where he was coming into training camp, and certainly where he was in summer league. But he’s relentless, and he wants to get better. You have to respect his competitive spirit. He’s a competitor out there, even as a young player, so he’ll continue to get better.”
Jakucionis scored in double figures in three of his last seven games and also had a nine-assist performance against Washington earlier this month.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Despite an erratic season, Simone Fontecchio would like to re-sign with the Heat, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net relays. He’ll be a free agent this summer. “I’d love to stay here,” Fontecchio told Italy’s Sky Sports. “I wouldn’t want to move my family again because we’re great in Miami. Just as importantly, I feel really comfortable with everyone here, from the owners to the coaching staff, and especially in this locker room, which is special because of the group it’s created.” Fontecchio appeared in 70 regular season games but his playing time and production weren’t consistent. He has averaged 8.5 points in 16.7 minutes per game.
- In his offseason guide, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says the top priorities this summer for the Wizards are Trae Young‘s and Anthony Davis‘ contract situations. Young has a June 23 deadline to either exercise his $49MM player option or become an unrestricted free agent and could sign a longer-term deal with Washington either way. Davis cannot become a free agent but is eligible to sign a four-year extension as of Aug. 6. The first year of such an extension would replace his $62.8MM option for 2027/28.
- While the Magic‘s season won’t end if they lose a play-in game at Philadelphia 0n Wednesday, it will call into question the direction of the franchise, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel opines. Bianchi believes it stands as a referendum as to the progress they’ve made in recent years.
Magic Notes: Sunday’s Loss, Banchero, F. Wagner, Bane
Head coach Jamahl Mosley has bemoaned the Magic lacking a sense of urgency throughout the season, and it was a talking point again after Sunday’s loss in Boston, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. The Magic had a chance to secure the No. 7 seed and home court advantage for Wednesday’s play-in contest vs. the Sixers, but instead they’ll travel to Philadelphia for their first of two chances to advance to the playoffs.
“It was a must-win game, at least I thought,” forward Paolo Banchero said. “I just think we didn’t come out with urgency. It’s frustrating, honestly.”
According to Beede, Orlando led by 16 points early in the game, but a disastrous third quarter turned out to be too much to overcome. Banchero finished with a triple-double (23 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds) and was plus-two in 38 minutes during the five-point loss, though he shot just 7-of-22 from the field and had six turnovers.
“I definitely didn’t play my best basketball,” Banchero said. “I think collectively, we just have to have more urgency. We can’t expect to win just because guys are out.”
Here’s more on the Magic:
- As Beede notes, the “guys” Banchero was referring to on the Celtics included the team’s entire starting lineup and several key reserves. Boston was already locked in as the No. 2 seed in the East and only had eight players available, but four of them — Baylor Scheierman (30 points), Ron Harper Jr. (27), Luka Garza (27) and John Tonje (13) had career scoring nights. “They hit a ton of shots, we turned it over, gave them a couple extra opportunities and that was a big portion of the ballgame,” Mosley said. “But you’ve got to give Boston a hell of a ton of credit for the way they came out with those seven-eight guys and played their tails off.”
- Forward Franz Wagner was on a minutes restriction in his sixth game back from a high ankle sprain, Beede adds. The German star had 20 points and four rebounds in 26 minutes, but didn’t score efficiently (7-of-18 from the field) and was wearing a wrap on his left leg while on the bench. “I’m trying to push through and get as much time out there as I can,” Wagner said. “I feel all right. … For sure, it’s frustrating but there’s only one way to get past that and that’s to push through it and do it in a smart way. But to go to that point consistently, and that’s all I can do.”
- Desmond Bane appeared in all 82 regular season games in 2025/26 for the first time in his career, but Mosley’s plan to limit the 27-year-old’s minutes on Sunday backfired, per Beede. The sixth-year wing played the first six minutes of the game and the original plan was to sit out the remainder of the contest. However, after the Magic fell behind in the third quarter, Bane wound up playing nearly the entire fourth period, finishing with 18 minutes. “I kept my mind ready to go, my body ready to go, riding a bike, putting heat on my knees and stuff like that,” Bane said. “But I don’t think coach really wanted to (put me back in), just to protect me. Keeping me healthy was his main goal. But I appreciate him letting me go back in the game and giving me a chance to try to help us win.”
- Both Wagner and Bane struck an optimistic tone following Sunday’s loss, according to Beede. “I’m excited,” Bane said. “We’ve got an opportunity to go and play postseason basketball. Not everybody gets to say that. That’s not something that everybody gets to experience so I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”
Pelicans Opening Coaching Search, Borrego Among Candidates
The Pelicans are searching for a new permanent head coach and the process will include James Borrego, who spent most of 2025/26 as the team’s interim head coach, report Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
The news doesn’t come as a major surprise, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype previously reported that the Pelicans had several other candidates in mind aside from Borrego, including Darvin Ham and former Nets coach Kevin Ollie. Scotto added that current Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley has “several admirers” in New Orleans and could be a top candidate for the job if he’s let go by Orlando.
Fischer also reported last week that the Pelicans were mulling opening up a coaching search, citing Mosley, Borrego and Ham as possible candidates.
The Pelicans had a disappointing first season under the new front office regime, which is led by head of basketball operations Joe Dumars and general manager Troy Weaver. New Orleans fired former head coach Willie Green after the team got off to a 2-10 start, then went 24-46 under Borrego to finish out the season.
New Orleans’ 26-56 record was the third-worst win-loss percentage (.317) in franchise history, slightly ahead of 2024/25’s mark of 21-61. Former top executive David Griffin was fired after that campaign.
After dealing with a series of prolonged injury absences in ’24/25, the Pelicans had better luck on that front this season, with Zion Williamson (62 games), Trey Murphy III (66) and Herbert Jones (56) all playing far more often than they did a year ago (30, 53, and 20 appearances, respectively). The team also received solid contributions from lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, who only missed one combined game, and trade acquisition Saddiq Bey.
However, Jordan Poole — who was acquired from Washington along with Bey — struggled mightily in his first season with the Pelicans, ’24/25 All-Rookie selection Yves Missi saw his minutes reduced in year two (he was drafted by Griffin), and Dejounte Murray was limited to just 14 appearances after tearing his Achilles tendon in January 2025.
Borrego, 48, was previously the Hornets’ head coach for four seasons (from 2018-22). He was New Orleans’ associate head coach for a little over a year prior to taking over for Green. Borrego has compiled a 172-222 (.429) win-loss record as an NBA head coach and is also believed to be on the Bucks’ radar.
LeBron James, Brandon Ingram Named Players Of Week
Lakers forward LeBron James and Raptors forward Brandon Ingram have been named Players of the Week for the week of April 6-12, according to the league (Twitter links).
The Western Conference winner, James averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds per contest as the Lakers won three straight contests to close the season and clinch home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs despite playing without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. LeBron had back-to-back double-doubles on Thursday and Friday, putting up 26 points and 11 assists in Golden State and then 28 points and 12 assists vs. Phoenix.
Ingram averaged 25.5 points per game on 57.8 percent shooting from the field across four games as the Raptors went 3-1 to wrap up their season and clinched the No. 5 seed in the East. The veteran forward poured in a season-high 38 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists in Thursday’s victory over Miami.
It’s the first Player of the Week award of the season for either James or Ingram, though it’s the 70th time LeBron has won it over the course of his 23-year NBA career. Ingram has now earned the honor five times.
Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers), Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson (Rockets), and Terrence Shannon Jr. (Timberwolves) were the other nominees from the Western Conference, while Paolo Banchero (Magic), Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) and Jalen Duren (Pistons) were also nominated in the East.
Sixers Notes: Play-In, Embiid, Nurse, Maxey
As the No. 7 seed, the Sixers are assured of two opportunities to advance through the play-in tournament, but they don’t want to take any chances entering Wednesday’s game with Orlando, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Philadelphia got an unexpected opportunity to host its first game when the Magic lost Sunday night at Boston, and players are determined to take advantage of their good fortune.
“We’ve got a great opportunity to lock in a playoff seed here on our floor,” Paul George said. “It don’t get no better than that in this situation. So we should look at it as ‘win or go home.’ We shouldn’t be looking at a Plan B or an Option B. … It’s the mentality we need to have now. Wednesday is too late. We need to have that mentality now.”
The Sixers and Magic both finished at 45-37, but Philadelphia claimed the tiebreaker by winning two of their three meetings during the season. Both teams battled injuries that may have kept them from finishing in the top six, and coach Nick Nurse said Sunday that he’s proud of how his players held together after collapsing under similar circumstances last year.
“We’ve got a lot of ceiling to go yet,” Nurse said. “… So hopefully, we get to play a bunch of games and keep improving.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- The Sixers know they’ll have to get through at least the play-in stage without Joel Embiid, who remains without a timetable to return after undergoing an emergency appendectomy last week, Mizell adds. Adem Bona started at center in Sunday’s win over Milwaukee, but Andre Drummond replaced him in the starting lineup for the beginning of the second half. “That’s the one thing that we can kind of check off,” Drummond said, “that we know that (Embiid) won’t be available for a little bit. So now we have to focus on what we can do and who we do have in this locker room, and focus around that.”
- Nurse talked about the matchup with the Magic following Sunday’s game, per Dereck Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). “Physical team. Big wings and aggressive guards,” Nurse said. “(Jalen) Suggs and (Desmond) Bane are two competitive, physical guys back there. … They’ve been one of many teams in the league that hasn’t been very healthy this year, so it’s gonna be a tough game.”
- This will be this first time in Tyrese Maxey‘s career that he’s entered the postseason as the team’s primary scoring option, Adam Aaronson of Philly Voice observes in an overview of the roster. Maxey’s challenge is being made more difficult by a finger injury on his right hand that limits his movement and is forcing him to wear a splint.
Numerous Teams Considering Coaching Changes
The NBA’s coaching carousel has already started spinning with Doc Rivers‘ decision to step down from the Bucks, and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype suggests it could be an active offseason throughout the league on that front.
Milwaukee has a potential replacement on hand in lead assistant Darvin Ham, but sources tell Scotto the Pelicans could also have interest in Ham if they decide not to retain interim head coach James Borrego, echoing recent reporting from Jake Fischer.
Former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins may be the top name on the market and is expected to draw interest from the Bucks, Scotto confirms. Jenkins previously served as an assistant under Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee.
Scotto states that Borrego could also emerge as a candidate for the Bucks if New Orleans decides to move on, noting that he interviewed with the organization before it hired Adrian Griffin in 2023.
Scotto shares more coaching and front office rumors from around the NBA:
- The Bulls are hoping to hold onto coach Billy Donovan after upending their front office last week. Scotto believes Donovan may have some interest in taking over the Magic if they decide to fire Jamahl Mosley, pointing out that Orlando hired Donovan in 2007 before he changed his mind a few days later and decided to remain at Florida. Scotto cites Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd as a potential front office addition in Chicago, noting that Lloyd began his career with the Bulls. He also points to CAA’s Austin Brown as a possibility if the organization wants to make a run at one of the top agents in the business.
- Jenkins and Tom Thibodeau could also be options for the Magic if they make a coaching move, according to Scotto. Borrego, a former assistant in Orlando, may emerge as another possibility. Sources tell Scotto that Michael Malone had been considered throughout the league as a potential candidate for the Magic before he accepted a job with North Carolina.
- The Pelicans will consider keeping Borrego, but sources tell Scotto that Ham and Kevin Ollie will also be in the mix, while Mosley has “several admirers” in New Orleans and could be among the leading candidates for the position if he becomes available. Scotto also points out that Ham worked with Pelicans executive vice president of basketball 0perations Joe Dumars for two years in Detroit, while Ollie interviewed for the head coaching job when New Orleans general manager Troy Weaver was running the Pistons.
- Steve Kerr and the Warriors will discuss their future this summer, Scotto hears. Stephen Curry remains a huge advocate for Kerr and wants them to finish their careers together, but Kerr is the league’s highest-paid coach and there are concerns about burn-out after a difficult season.
- Interim head coach Tiago Splitter will be a candidate to remain with the Trail Blazers after leading the team to the eighth seed in the West, but several top assistant coaches throughout the league and some college coaches will also be considered, sources tell Scotto.
- Wizards coach Brian Keefe still has strong support from his front office, but Scotto’s sources say his future is “undecided” as the organization hopes to transform into a playoff contender next season.
- The Hawks‘ late-season surge could result in an extension for coach Quin Snyder, according to Scotto.
Southeast Notes: Jaquez, Herro, Carrington, Cain
The Heat entered the season hoping for a bounce-back performance following last season’s 10th-place finish in the East, but it has been a disappointing year in Miami, where the Heat once again find themselves entering the postseason as the No. 10 seed in the East.
While the team might not have achieved its regular season goals, it was a successful season from an individual perspective for third-year forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., who is one of the frontrunners for the Sixth Man of the Year award, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
After averaging career-highs in points (15.2), rebounds (5.1), and assists (4.7) per game, Jaquez has the second-best odds to win the award according to BetOnline, Chiang notes, behind only Keldon Johnson of the Spurs.
“I think, obviously, I didn’t want to have the year I had last year. But life happens,” Jaquez said. “The only thing you can do is get back up. I heard a great quote, ‘Failure isn’t falling down, failure is staying down.’ And I think just being able to come back and improve on my game, it would just be a great recognition of the hard work.”
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- Tyler Herro isn’t shying away from the disappointment of the Heat‘s 2025/26 regular season, but he’s ready to put it behind him and move forward, Chiang writes. “It’s been a long, weird, awkward season,” he said. “Different injuries, in and out. I started the season out, obviously, for kind of like an indefinite time, not really knowing when I was coming back. So it’s just like taking it one step at a time, one day at a time and one game at a time.” One goal is clear for the shooting guard. “I need to get out of the play-in,” he said.
- By suiting up in the Wizards‘ loss to the Cavaliers today, Bub Carrington became the first player since Karl-Anthony Towns to play in 164 straight games over his first two NBA seasons. Towns achieved the feat of not missing a game through the first two years from 2015-2017, and added a third straight year in 2017/18. Carrington played 38 minutes in the last game of the season, scoring 20 points and adding nine assists for Washington on Sunday.
- While the Magic‘s regular season ended in disappointment following a loss to the Celtics’ reserves, fourth-year player Jamal Cain has plenty to be happy about with his performance this year, Jason Beede writes for the Orlando Sentinel. Cain carved out a role for himself and earned his place in the rotation, as Beede details. “All the work that me and my trainer put in is actually coming to fruition,” Cain said. “Also, my teammates believe in me and give me confidence.” Cain’s deal includes a team option for the 2026/27 season.
Raptors Clinch Final Guaranteed Playoff Spot In East
The Raptors have clinched a playoff spot in the East after beating the Nets 136-101. This will be Toronto’s first playoff appearance in four years.
Scottie Barnes closed out his season with an 18-point triple-double, while RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram contributed 26 and 25 points, respectively.
“It’s a big relief,” Barnes said about reaching the playoffs for the first time since his rookie season, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter link).
It wasn’t all good news for Toronto though. Immanuel Quickley left the game after just 17 minutes with right hamstring tightness, according to TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (Twitter link). Quickley has been battling plantar fasciitis in recent weeks, but avoiding the play-in will allow the point guard more time to get healthy before the Raptors’ first-round matchup.
Because they won on Sunday and the Hawks dropped their regular season finale to Miami, the Raptors will enter the postseason as the East’s No. 5 seed, with Atlanta slipping to No. 6.
The Sixers and Magic were also in the hunt for a top-six spot in the East entering Sunday, and while Toronto’s victory kept both teams in play-in territory, the 76ers finished their season with a win over Milwaukee to claim the No. 7 seed. Despite facing a Celtics team sitting their entire starting lineup, Orlando lost on Sunday to slip to No. 8 and will visit Philadelphia in the play-in tournament, with the No. 9 Hornets hosting the No. 10 Heat.
The Players Who Could Be Financially Impacted By The 65-Game Rule
Earning a spot on an All-NBA team is the simplest way for a player to become eligible for a Designated Veteran or Rose Rule contract, allowing them to earn a higher maximum salary than they'd typically qualify for (35% instead of 30% for veterans, or 30% instead of 25% for players coming off rookie contracts). But that doesn't mean that there are financial benefits for every player who receives All-NBA recognition.
In order to become "super-max" eligible, a player must meet a set of specific criteria related not just to his on-court achievements but to his total NBA years of service, his contract situation, and how he joined his current team.
For instance, Luka Doncic would have been super-max eligible last summer as a member of the Mavericks, but the trade that sent him to the Lakers took that option off the table, since a player who changes teams via trade during his second contract isn't permitted to sign a Designated Veteran deal. With a super-max deal no longer in play, Doncic signed a standard max-salary extension (starting at 30% of the cap) with his new team last summer.
So, while Doncic's bid to be granted an "extraordinary circumstances" exception to circumvent the 65-game rule and gain All-NBA (and MVP) eligibility this spring could have a real impact on his career résumé, there are no financial implications hinging on that ruling.
For other players who narrowly met the 65-game criteria or will fall just short of it, there are more significant financial consequences to take into account. In the space below, we're taking a closer look at the All-NBA caliber players whose future earnings figure to be impacted the most by whether or not they got to 65 games this season.
