Magic Notes: Roster, Coaching Search, Mosley, Isaac
The Magic are making a head coaching change this spring, but president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman doesn’t believe significant roster changes are necessary for the team to take the next step toward title contention, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
Although Weltman admitted that losing a first-round series after leading 3-1 – and holding a 24-point lead in Game 6 – was a “gut punch” for his team, he believes that it’s a positive that Orlando was one game from closing out the top-seeded Pistons before Franz Wagner went down with a calf injury.
“When healthy, we were top five (on) defense and top 10 (on) offense,” Weltman said. “… I think we saw some of what we had hoped to see (against Detroit). So I don’t want to tear this thing down and dismantle it because of the way it ended and certainly one half.”
Injuries have been a recurring issue for this version of the Magic. Wagner was limited to 34 regular season appearances this season, largely due to a nagging ankle problem, while Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Jalen Suggs all had extended health-related absences in 2024/25.
“It’s very frustrating,” Weltman said, per Youngmisuk. “But it’s also very encouraging because whenever they are together, they have been elite. I feel like there are different ways to build a team. We are built on physicality, versatility, good defensive personnel and ultimately guys that can elevate their games in the playoffs. I think what we had hoped to happen in the playoffs happened. But obviously it’s hard to outrun injuries.
“… Had we stayed healthy, I’d like to imagine where we would have gone in this series and beyond. I think when you build a team for the playoffs, you try to construct a roster that has the attributes that we have. It’s not easy to get the positional versatility, guys that can elevate their games when it matters the most. The physicality, a lot of the way that we are built is designed to be successful in the playoffs.
Here’s more on the Magic:
- Not everyone around the league shares Weltman’s rosy view of his roster. One Eastern Conference scout who spoke to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN said the Magic are “kind of a mess,” adding that Banchero and Wagner overlap as “iffy” shooters who need the ball in their hands to be most effective. “Their ceiling just isn’t very high with Paolo. Their roster construction is just off,” the scout said. “Paolo has to have the ball to make an impact. He reminds me of Julius Randle: great size, great talent, but he’s more of a floor-(raiser) than ceiling-raiser. Having him lead your team is tough to pull off.”
- Weltman spoke at length at his end-of-season presser about the Magic’s impending head coaching search, though he said the team isn’t looking for a “particular trait or a quality,” suggesting that he wants to keep an open mind about potential candidates, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). Weltman wouldn’t even say whether he prefers someone with or without prior head coaching experience. “I don’t want to kind of come to it with any preconceived non-negotiables,” he explained. “There are some really talented young guys out there that haven’t gotten a chance yet – as (Jamahl Mosley) was. There are also some guys that have proven that they can do the job. What’s the best fit for our team right now? I don’t think you can really know more than speculate until we really like … get in and talk to them and exchange ideas and their thoughts on our team. That’ll hopefully lead us where we need to go; the more preconditions you put on that, maybe you kind of give yourself a worse chance of getting to the right place.”
- Speaking of Mosley, he put out a formal statement on Monday after being let go by the team, referring to his five years on the job as “incredible.” Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) has the full statement.
- Within his preview of the Magic’s offseason, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says adding more shooting off the bench will be a priority, as will acquiring an athletic, rebounding big man and a play-making reserve guard. Marks also considers whether Orlando will sign Anthony Black to a rookie scale extension and suggests Jonathan Isaac is a potential release candidate, since only $8MM of the $44MM left on his contract is guaranteed and that money could be spread across seven seasons using the stretch provision.
Magic Fire Jamahl Mosley
9:39 am: The Magic have issued a press release formally announcing the move.
“We’re grateful to Jamahl for all he’s done for the Orlando Magic,” Weltman said. “We appreciate his leadership and the positive contributions he made as head coach. While this was a difficult decision, we feel it’s time for a new voice and fresh perspective. We wish Jamahl and his family nothing but the best.”
8:55 am: The Magic are making a coaching change following their first-round playoff loss to Detroit, having dismissed Jamahl Mosley after five seasons, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Rumors that Mosley’s job was in jeopardy followed him all season as the team seemed to underachieve despite a talented roster. The Magic wound up as the eighth seed in the East at 45-37 and were eliminated in the first round for the third straight year. Orlando has been hampered by injuries to its star players over the past two seasons, but that consideration wasn’t enough to save Mosley.
Mosley, 47, took over as head coach in 2021 after spending 15 years as an assistant with Denver, Cleveland and Dallas. The Magic were in the midst of a rebuilding project during his first two seasons, which ended with 22 and 34 wins, but he turned them into a playoff team in 2023/24. However, he was never able to guide Orlando past the first round, losing in seven games to Cleveland in 2024, five games to Boston in 2025 and seven games to Detroit this season after squandering a 3-1 series lead.
There was speculation that Mosley would be dismissed at several points during the regular season, as expectations were high following an offseason trade for Desmond Bane. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman chose to stick with Mosley, but rumors of an eventual change grew after the team slipped to the eighth seed by dropping its season finale to a Boston team that was playing with reserves and G Leaguers.
Those rumors intensified after a play-in loss to Philadelphia that forced the Magic to have to beat Charlotte just to reach the playoffs. They appeared poised for a major surprise after outplaying Detroit early in their series, but couldn’t hold on to a 24-point lead on Friday in a potential closeout game and lost by 22 points in Game 7. It’s not clear if beating the Pistons and reaching the second round would have been enough to save Mosley’s job.
Mosley finishes with a 189-221 regular season record in Orlando and a 7-12 mark in the playoffs.
Charania confirms a report from earlier this morning that Weltman received a contract extension during the season and will remain in place to lead the coaching search. Former Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has been identified as a prominent candidate, with Bucks associate head coach Darvin Ham and former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau being mentioned as well. Michigan head coach Dusty May has also been raised as a possibility, but he’s expected to stay at the school after winning the national championship.
An immediate opportunity could be awaiting Mosley in the wake of his dismissal, with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reporting last month that he has “several admirers” in New Orleans. The Pelicans have begun the interview process, with four frontrunners already identified.
In addition to Orlando and New Orleans, coaching searches are currently ongoing in Chicago and Portland. Milwaukee made the first hiring of the offseason last week, taking Taylor Jenkins off the market.
Magic Won’t Replace Jeff Weltman After First-Round Loss
The Magic are expected to make changes to their roster and coaching staff after losing Game 7 in Detroit on Sunday, but president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman‘s job is safe, two sources tell Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Weltman reportedly signed an extension early in the season around the time that the team advanced to the semifinals of the NBA Cup.
Everything else appears to be on the table after another disappointing playoff run that saw Orlando lose in the first round for the third straight year. The Magic seemed to be on the way to upsetting the top-seeded Pistons after winning Game 1 in Detroit and taking a 3-1 series advantage, but they let a 24-point lead slip away in Game 6 and never recovered.
The first expected move is the dismissal of head coach Jamahl Mosley, who has been the target of rumors about his job security since the season began in October. Weltman opted to stick with Mosley even after some puzzling losses that led to a 45-37 record and the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, but the fifth-year coach may not survive this latest playoff ouster.
The Magic were hoping to become one of the East’s top teams after trading for Desmond Bane last summer, and management was very confident that they were headed in that direction with a healthy starting lineup, according to Robbins. The season took an unfortunate turn when Franz Wagner suffered a high ankle sprain on December 7 that sidelined him for most of the campaign.
Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs also missed time with injuries, meaning that the team’s preferred starting lineup was only available for 19 games. Robbins notes that Orlando outscored opponents by 11.6 points per 100 possessions when they were all on the court together and posted an elite defensive rating of 105.2 points per 100 possessions.
They were putting up similar numbers in the first round before Wagner suffered a right calf strain in Game 4 that knocked him out for the rest of the series. Robbins states that Wagner is the Magic’s best all-around player, and his absence created a huge hole for the team as it tried to close out Detroit. Mosley was using him as the primary defender on Pistons star Cade Cunningham, who shot just 42.4% from the field and 28.6% from three-point range while averaging 6.8 turnovers in the first four games of the series.
“When one of your best players goes down, it definitely changes a lot, especially a guy like Franz,” Wendell Carter Jr. said. “Franz’s IQ for the game, his will, his determination — he’s the ultimate competitor and one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. So, when he went down, it was tough, for sure. But we still gave ourself a chance even with him being out. I think we just drank the Kool-Aid. We were just right there.”
Robbins observes that Orlando’s defensive identity has come at the expense of outside shooting. Suggs, Banchero, Wagner and Anthony Black are all below-average three-point shooters for their positions, while Jett Howard, who was drafted in the first round in 2023 to help with shooting issues, never progressed enough defensively to earn the trust of the coaching staff.
Finding a traditional point guard to run the offense could be a priority for the summer, Robbins suggests. Wagner and Banchero handle most of the play-making duties, while Suggs is more of a defensive specialist who has struggled with turnovers and his outside shot. Tyus Jones was signed in free agency last summer, but he was disappointing on both ends of the court and the Magic traded him at the deadline to avoid the tax in a deal that cost them two second-round picks.
Banchero’s maximum extension will kick in next season, making the core of the roster even more expensive. Robbins points to Suggs, who has four years left on his contract, as a potential trade candidate, but notes that his injury history might limit his value.
While a roster shakeup could be necessary along with a coaching change, Robbins cautions that Orlando’s cap situation and reduced stock of draft picks after the Bane trade will limit its ability to make moves this offseason.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Magic, Banchero, Riley
While the Hawks‘ playoff run ended in disappointing fashion, it helped them gain a better understanding of the roster and where it needs to go moving forward, Lauren Williams writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Hawks have two first-round picks and plan on not skipping steps as they work to build the team into a contender. They also have financial flexibility, which could be used to bring in free agents or negotiate new deals with current players. They are unlikely to make a huge swing, but will continue to build piece by piece.
“We’re not a single player away from being what we want to be,” general manager Onsi Saleh said. “When I came here, the biggest thing was, how do we become sustainable?”
CJ McCollum is likely to return, as is Jonathan Kuminga, Williams writes. On the other hand, she considers players like Gabe Vincent, Keaton Wallace, Buddy Hield, and Tony Bradley “a coin toss” to be back.
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- The Magic failed to end a 16-year run without winning a playoff series, falling in Game 7 to the Pistons after having held a 3-1 series lead. They have to be wondering what would have happened had wing Franz Wagner not missed the final three games of the series, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The series showed that Orlando needs someone who organizes the offense, rather than the point-guard-by-committee approach the team employed this season. Guard Desmond Bane also pointed to rebounding as an area that cost the Magic, as they were out-rebounded in all four losses, notes Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter video link).
- Magic star Paolo Banchero had an up-and-down series, and he issued a warning that the team is not at the level it needs to be after the Game 7 defeat. “Losing in the first round is not acceptable. That should be the attitude,” he said, per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter video link). “It shouldn’t be comfortable in the building. It should be everybody on their Ps and Qs feeling pressure to be great. I think that’s the mindset that needs to be there from top to bottom.”
- Much of Pat Riley‘s end-of-season press conference has been widely discussed, but some talking points from the Heat president deserve more attention, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Twice in the presser, Riley seemed to hint that head coach Erik Spoelstra needed to be more willing to allow young players to play through mistakes. “Even if it costs you during the regular season, you got to play it through their bad times, and you got to play it through their ups and downs,” he said. “I’ve read all the criticism of our young players, but nobody ever really… gives them the space to be young and to make mistakes, and not to be who you think they should be in three or four years…. They’re not the top five picks in the draft.” He also seemed to hint at the possibility of putting the Heat’s lottery pick, which projects to be 13th overall, on the table in a potential deal for a star, while adding that he doesn’t want to bring in someone he considers “damaged goods.”
Stein’s Latest: Mosley, Nuggets, Bulls, Mavs, Kerr
The job security of Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley has been one of the bigger points of speculation around the league for some time, and it remains widely expected that he will take the blame for Orlando’s first-round exit, writes Marc Stein in a recent edition of The Stein Line (subscriber link).
As far who would take over should Mosley be let go, Stein notes that there have been rumors since before he left the Bulls about Billy Donovan taking the job, which he was first offered in 2007. Another name of interest for Orlando is Michigan head coach Dusty May, though Stein notes that the expectation is May will remain with Michigan after winning the national championship this year.
As for Mosley, Stein cites a previous report from Jake Fischer about the Pelicans‘ ongoing interest in bringing the Magic head coach into the fold if he becomes a free agent.
We have more league-wide news from Stein:
- The Nuggets will have to look in the mirror and figure out what comes next after losing in Round 1. Stein confirms reports that head coach David Adelman‘s job is expected to be safe, but adds that Denver is rumored to be open to any trade possibilities that would improve the athleticism and defense around star Nikola Jokic.
- The Bulls are close to reaching their decision regarding their head of basketball operations search, and while many people believe the Timberwolves’ Matt Lloyd is the frontrunner, Dennis Lindsey, Bryson Graham, and Dave Lewin remain in the running for the position.
- As the Mavericks look to find their long-term head of operations, owner Patrick Dumont is hoping to hire the splashiest name possible in an attempt to put Nico Harrison‘s tenure firmly in the rear view mirror, Stein reports. It appears unlikely that the Mavs will get to interview their top choice, the Wolves’ Tim Connelly, or their second choice, Bob Myers. Still, Stein muses about how unavailable Connelly truly is and whether his future contract extension talks will come into play. Former owner Mark Cuban has endorsed Detroit’s Lindsey in the past, but the team has yet to seek permission to interview him. Finally, Stein notes that the Mavs could choose one of their co-interim GMs, Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley, for the position. Dumont has stated previously that he intends to fill the position by mid-May.
- A decision is imminent for Steve Kerr and his future with the Warriors. Stein reports that ESPN has been recruiting Golden State’s coach to return to his role as a broadcaster, but the team is expected to meet with him as soon as Monday and has been operating as if he’s likely to return.
Magic Notes: Game 6 Collapse, F. Wagner, Game 7
The No. 8 Magic had a great chance to complete their first-round upset of the top-seeded Pistons on Friday. They led 60-38 at halftime and were up 24 points early in the third quarter, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
However, the rest of the game was an entirely different story, as Orlando only managed to score 19 points over the final two quarters, the fewest points in a half in NBA playoff history. The Magic missed 23 shots in a row over a prolonged stretch, ultimately losing by 14 points.
“I think they were just playing more desperate than us, playing harder than us,” guard Desmond Bane said. “Whether it was offensive rebounds or heating up their pressure to get steals, it really kind of took us out of our stuff, messed with our flow. I mean, it’s going to be hard to win games (when) you score 19 points in a half, and I thought a lot of that was because they came out with more energy than us in the second half.”
While there’s recent precedent for the Magic collapsing — Toronto went on a historic 31-0 run against Orlando on March 29, Robbins notes — Friday’s game was different due to the stakes.
“This team always shows fight,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “There’s no other way to put it: This does suck. You know, you have a 24-point lead, and we let it go, and I think that the reality is it’s got to sting, and it’s got to hurt right now. But you’ve got to be able to bounce back, and you’ve given yourself an opportunity to go get it done in Game 7.”
Here’s more on the Magic, whose Game 7 matchup at Detroit will take place on Sunday at 3:30 pm ET:
- Mike Prada of The Athletic shares some of the historically inept stats from Game 6. The Magic shot just 4-of-37 in the second half, the worst field goal percentage (10.8%) in a half by any team — regular season or playoffs — since 1997/98. They were 3-for-17 in the third quarter, when they scored 11 points, and 1-of-20 in the fourth, when they only managed eight. The 1-for-20 mark was, unsurprisingly, the worst field goal percentage (5.0%) in a playoff quarter in the play-by-play era, Prada adds.
- Star forward Franz Wagner has been ruled out of Game 7 as he continues to deal with a right calf strain, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. The 24-year-old German suffered the injury in the third quarter of Game 5.
- As badly as the second half of Game 6 went for Orlando, the team remains confident it can emerge victorious on Sunday and advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2010, according to Beede. “We all believe already what we’re about to go do,” guard Anthony Black said. “It’s one game. That’s all that matters,” added star forward Paolo Banchero. “We’ve got to do whatever it takes.”
NBA Announces Schedule For Second Round Of Playoffs
The NBA has announced the schedule for the second round of the playoffs, which will feature a total of eight teams (four from each conference). Each series’ schedule is subject to change, per the league.
While we know the Western Conference semifinal matchups, the Eastern Conference matchups are still up in the air, with three first-round series going the full seven games. Boston and Philadelphia are playing on Saturday to determine New York’s second-round opponent. The other side of the Eastern bracket features Detroit/Orlando and Cleveland/Toronto, with both deciding games to be played on Sunday.
Below are the tentative schedules for all four series (all Twitter links here). All of the times listed are for the Eastern time zone. Games marked with an asterisk (*) are if necessary, and the times and TV broadcasts for those potential contests are to be determined.
Western Conference
No. 2 Spurs vs. No. 6 Timberwolves:
- Game 1: 5/4 at 9:30 pm on Peacock/NBCSN
- Game 2: 5/6 at 9:30 pm on ESPN
- Game 3: 5/8 at 9:30 pm on Prime
- Game 4: 5/10 at 7:30 pm on NBC/Peacock
- Game 5: 5/12*
- Game 6: 5/15*
- Game 7: 5/17*
No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 4 Lakers:
- Game 1: 5/5 at 8:30 pm on NBC/Peacock
- Game 2: 5/7 at 9:30 pm on Prime
- Game 3: 5/9 at 8:30 pm on ABC
- Game 4: 5/11 at 10:30 pm on Prime
- Game 5: 5/13*
- Game 6: 5/16*
- Game 7: 5/18*
Eastern Conference
No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 2 Celtics OR No. 7 Sixers
- Game 1: 5/4 at 8:00 pm on NBC/Peacock
- Game 2: 5/6 at 7:00 pm on ESPN
- Game 3: 5/8 at 7:00 pm on Prime
- Game 4: 5/10 at 3:30 pm on ABC
- Game 5: 5/12*
- Game 6: 5/14*
- Game 7: 5/17*
No. 1 Pistons OR No. 8 Magic vs. No. 4 Cavaliers OR No. 5 Raptors
- Game 1: 5/5 at 7:00 pm on Peacock/NBCSN
- Game 2: 5/7 at 7:00 pm on Prime
- Game 3: 5/9 at 3:00 pm on NBC/Peacock
- Game 4: 5/11 at 8:00 pm on NBC/Peacock
- Game 5: 5/13*
- Game 6: 5/15*
- Game 7: 5/17*
Injury Updates: Ingram, Harris, Huerter, F. Wagner, Isaac
As expected, the Raptors will be down their leading scorer as they try to avoid elimination on Friday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). After being downgraded to doubtful earlier in the day due to right heel inflammation, All-Star forward Brandon Ingram will be sidelined for the Game 6 home contest vs. Cleveland.
Ingram, who exited Game 5 in the second quarter after aggravating a heel issue that sidelined him for three games during the final few weeks of the regular season, is still experiencing pain in that right heel and wasn’t on the court for the portion of Friday’s shootaround. Toronto will also be without starting guard Immanuel Quickley, who will miss the entire series due to a hamstring strain.
On a more positive note for the Raptors, Scottie Barnes wasn’t on the injury report ahead of tonight’s game after Toronto’s other All-Star took a hit to the thigh in Wednesday’s loss.
“He’s feeling good,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said of Barnes (Twitter link via Lewenberg). “It’s awesome to be young and recover quickly.”
Here are more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Pistons starting forward Tobias Harris (left ankle sprain) will be active for Friday’s Game 6 in Orlando, but reserve wing Kevin Huerter (left adductor strain) is out, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. As we noted earlier on Friday when both players were questionable, Huerter has played a modest role in the series, but Harris has scored at least 16 points in each of the first five games. Detroit is also facing elimination, currently at a 3-2 deficit in the first-round matchup.
- Magic star Franz Wagner will miss his second straight game on Friday due to a right calf strain, and his return doesn’t sound imminent. Head coach Jamahl Mosley said the German forward wasn’t able to do anything at Friday’s shootaround, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Wagner, who was in a walking boot on Wednesday, suggested ahead of Game 5 that he and the team would take a cautious approach due to the nature of the injury.
- In addition to Wagner, the Magic will be without Jonathan Isaac again on Friday. The veteran big man continues to battle a left knee sprain he suffered on March 12. Mosley said Friday morning that Isaac still hasn’t done contact work, Beede writes. “Just how he responds to each part of treatment,” Mosley said. “Some days it’s feeling a certain way. Some days it might not feel as great. So we’re always going to be cautious and smart about how they respond to each treatment each time they go through it.”
Magic’s Franz Wagner (Calf) To Remain Out For Game 6
Magic forward Franz Wagner will remain out for Friday’s Game 6, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. The 24-year-old German strained his right calf during Monday’s Game 4, which gave the No. 8 Magic a 3-1 lead in their first-round matchup against the top-seeded Pistons, and was sidelined for Wednesday’s Game 5 loss in Detroit.
Through four playoff games this spring, Wagner averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 steals in 30.5 minutes per night, with a .439/.333/.933 shooting line. He was also Orlando’s primary defender on Cade Cunningham, who erupted for 45 points on Wednesday to help Detroit stave off elimination, observes Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
Cunningham, who set the Pistons’ single-game playoff record for points, had only recorded 17 points on 6-of-24 shooting (plus six turnovers) when he was being defended by Wagner, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.
Still, as Robbins writes, the Magic’s problems on Wednesday were largely self-inflected, as they gave up 16 offensive rebounds and made just 16 of their 30 free throws in the seven-point loss. Paolo Banchero (45 points on 17-of-31 shooting, nine rebounds, seven assists in 41 minutes) had “one of the best games of his life,” but even he struggled at the line (5-of-12), according to Robbins.
“They played really hard, but that’s how they always play,” Banchero said of the Pistons. “In front of their home crowd, they brought their energy, they attacked the boards, gave themselves second-chance points. Yeah, we didn’t expect them to lay down, and they didn’t lay down, and we gave ourselves a chance. But they did just a little more on some of the little things.”
Cunningham and Banchero became just the second pair of players in NBA history to score 45 points while dueling against each other in the playoffs, per Youngmisuk, joining Donovan Mitchell (51) and Jamal Murray (50) in 2020.
“That’s what’s up,” Cunningham said. “I’m sure it was a great game. Hope the fans enjoy it, but it was a great win for us.
“… Not everybody is blessed with those types of opportunities to have pressure and things on the line like that. A lot of times I feel undeserving of how great of moments I get to be a part of. Just try to make the most of it.”
The Magic will be looking to bounce back and wrap up the first-round upset on Friday in a matchup of two teams with very similar strengths (physicality, defense) and weaknesses (shooting), Robbins notes. The Orlando has gone 8-1 at home in the playoffs under head coach Jamahl Mosley, but the team will be missing Wagner, one of its best players.
“We’re going to be in front of our home crowd on Friday, so it’s our turn to protect home,” Banchero said. “We’ve done a great job at that. Obviously, they’re going to be desperate. We’re going to be desperate. So it’s going to be another war. We’ve just got to be ready for it.”
Injury Notes: Gordon, Hyland, Wagner, Isaac, Huerter, Hart
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon is listed as questionable in the official injury report for Thursday’s Game 6 at Minnesota. Gordon wasn’t available for Games 3 and 5, but he managed to play through the pain caused by tightness in his left calf and logged 23 minutes in Saturday’s Game 4.
Tomorrow will be another must-win for Denver, which trails 3-2 in the series. Coach David Adelman talked to reporters, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link), about what will go into making the decision on Gordon’s availability.
“I though Aaron in the first half (of Game 4) was very different from Aaron in the second half,” Adelman said. “And I know in both halves, he wasn’t moving great. So I’m not saying he looked great the first half. But I thought his mobility, the way he guarded (Julius) Randle in the post, we need that. I thought in the second half, you could see the wear and tear. Not to mention, for me, one of the hardest parts of a guy like that is you’ve gotta get him back on the court quicker (after he subs out). And I think when you get to halftime, you sit there for 20 minutes, that doesn’t help anyone.
“So I’m not a doctor. I’m not a trainer. But obviously, you guys could see it. I could see it. There’s a point where it’s not good for him; it’s not good for the team. And everybody knows that Aaron wants to play. The guy’s the ultimate teammate. He’s been so good for us over the years. But we have to do what’s right for him and the team.”
Gordon and Peyton Watson, who remains sidelined with a hamstring issue, worked out after today’s walkthrough, according to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).
Other than Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards, who both suffered serious injuries on Saturday, the only player listed on the Timberwolves‘ injury report is Bones Hyland, who is questionable due to left knee soreness.
We have a few more injury-related updates from around the league:
- Magic forward Franz Wagner, who was ruled out of tonight’s Game 5 with a calf strain, offered an update on his condition, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).“I hate to miss any game, especially in this situation,” Wagner said. “But I think there are things that are really important. Obviously, we know the history of other guys that have gotten hurt. So like I said, you’ve got to be careful with this kind of injury.” Wagner had his right foot in a boot as he spoke with the media, adds Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Jamal Cain took Wagner’s place in the starting lineup.
- The Magic are also missing backup big man Jonathan Isaac, who’s out with a left knee sprain, per Marc Stein of the Stein Line (Twitter link).
- The Pistons are playing tonight without Kevin Huerter, who’s sidelined with a left adductor strain, relays Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- The Knicks are listing Josh Hart as questionable for Thursday’s Game 6 with a lower back contusion, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.