Cavs’ Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen Out For Game 5

In addition to star guard Donovan Mitchell (left calf strain), the Cavaliers will also be without guard Caris LeVert and center Jarrett Allen for Wednesday’s Game 5 in Boston, tweets Cavs sideline reporter Serena Winters.

Cleveland will tweak its starting lineup tonight, Winters adds (via Twitter), with Dean Wade sliding into the power forward spot. The other four starters are Darius Garland, Max Strus, Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley.

Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff indicated earlier this evening that Wade would likely receive more minutes, though it’s unclear how many — this is only his third game back after missing a little over two months with a knee injury (Twitter link via Jay King of The Athletic).

LeVert, who is typically a reserve but started Game 4 in place of the injured Mitchell, aggravated a left knee bone bruise in Monday’s loss, which put the Cavs in a 3-1 hole in the second-round series with the Celtics. Former All-Star big man Allen, meanwhile, continues to be sidelined with a right rib contusion that has kept him out of action since April 27 (Game 4 vs. Orlando).

Obviously, being without three of their top players while trying to stave off elimination is less than ideal for Cleveland. Especially with Mitchell’s future with the organization seemingly uncertain.

Sharpshooter Sam Merrill is another candidate to receive more playing time on Wednesday evening amid the team’s injuries.

Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell To Miss Game 5

5:25pm: Mitchell is out for Game 5, the team announced (Twitter link via Cavs sideline reporter Serena Winters). As we relayed in a separate story, LeVert and Allen are out as well.


10:51am: Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell is expected to miss Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday in Boston, sources tell Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Mitchell, who was unavailable for Game 4 due to a left calf strain, had been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s contest, which is a do-or-die game for a Cavs team trailing the Celtics 3-1 in the series. The All-Star guard admitted on Monday that his availability for Game 5 was very much up in the air.

Two other key Cleveland players are also listed as questionable: starting center Jarrett Allen (right rib contusion) and sixth man turned starter Caris LeVert (left knee bone bruise). None of the three players were on the floor when reporters were let into the Cavs’ shootaround on Wednesday morning, though Mitchell and LeVert did later come onto the court, notes Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter links).

Allen has missed seven straight playoff games as a result of his rib injury, while LeVert reportedly aggravated his knee issue in Game 4, which he started in Mitchell’s place.

Barring some last-minute good news on Mitchell’s status – or a big-time upset on Wednesday by a Cleveland team listed as a 16-point underdog – there’s a chance the 27-year-old has played his last game as a Cavalier. He’ll enter a potential contract year this offseason and if he doesn’t sign an extension, the Cavs will have a major decision to make on his future, with rival teams already said to be preparing their trade offers.

Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Gordon, Watson, Holiday

Nikola Jokic was awarded the Michael Jordan trophy as this season’s Most Valuable Player prior to the tip-off of Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday. Then the Nuggets star went and showed why he won the award for a third time, dismantling the Timberwolves and Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert with 40 points and 13 assists in a victory that gave Denver a 3-2 edge in the series.

As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes, Jokic made 15-of-22 shots from the floor, including 8-of-9 when Gobert was his primary defender, en route to a performance that teammate Aaron Gordon referred to as “incredible,” “astounding,” and “ridiculous.” Even Jokic’s opponents couldn’t help but be in awe of the way the big man played on Tuesday.

“I just laugh,” Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards said. “That’s all I can do. I can’t be mad, because he’s good, man. I think I said that after Game 1, when we won, and Game 2. He’s the MVP. He’s the best player in the NBA; he showed it the last three games, three games in a row. .. He was special tonight. I got to give him his flowers. I don’t know what we were supposed to do.”

Head coach Michael Malone, who lauded Jokic for his basketball smarts and said he “probably belongs to Mensa,” pointed out that the timing of the superstar center receiving his latest Most Valuable Player trophy was more appropriate than the timing of the initial MVP announcement.

“Nikola was named MVP after that (106-80) Game 2 loss,” Malone said. “And I think the last three games he has shown everybody why he is arguably one of the best players to play this game.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

  • Gordon, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the Game 5 win, has been a crucial X-factor for Denver in the series, writes Ryan McFadden of The Denver Post (subscription required). In an in-depth feature published prior to Tuesday’s contest, Rob Mahoney of The Ringer explored how Gordon has “found his basketball destiny” with the Nuggets, adding a component to the roster that helped the team reach its ceiling.
  • In an entertaining story for The Athletic, Sam Amick details how Gordon has been left out of recent team dinners since he was the only Nuggets player who didn’t make it to last Thursday’s dinner in Minneapolis before the Nuggets won their first game of the series following two straight losses. Denver hasn’t want to risk messing with what’s working by changing its routine since then. Reggie Jackson said that dinner ahead of Game 3 helped the team stop being so tense: “We needed to be around each other. We knew what we had to do, and we knew we had something to accomplish. But it was time between the games to breathe and relax and talk about life. That really helped.”
  • In the first round of the playoffs, Peyton Watson averaged 12.0 minutes per game off the bench, while veteran Justin Holiday played just 7.1 MPG. In the second round, Holiday has seen his minutes jump to 18.3 per contest while Watson has essentially fallen out of the rotation. Bennett Durando of The Denver Post explores the thinking behind the rotation tweak, explaining that the Nuggets are prioritizing Holiday’s offense over Watson’s defense. “Just trying to find a lineup that can give us the best chance to have success,” Malone said last week. “With the way (the Timberwolves) guard and how effective they are defensively, sometimes you have to put your best offensive lineup out there to give yourself a chance to score and stay in the game.”
  • Now that the Nuggets have regained the upper hand in their series vs. Minnesota and are just one win away from advancing to the Western Conference Finals, Dan Wolken of USA Today argues that Denver is the clear favorite to win its second consecutive championship.

Mavericks Notes: Jones, Doncic, Irving, Lively

Four years after nearly being dealt to the Mavericks in a trade that fell apart over a miscommunication, veteran forward Derrick Jones chose Dallas last summer over a handful of rival suitors, including the Bulls and Suns, reports Tim Cato of The Athletic. According to Cato, Jones ultimately narrowed his options to the Mavs and Celtics before deciding to sign with Dallas.

Speaking to Cato, Jones’ agent Aaron Turner said he encouraged his client to sign with the Mavericks because it was the situation where the forward would get the best opportunity to display his full skill set and claim a major role if he impressed the coaching staff.

“You’ve got to go somewhere not where you’re wanted, but you’re needed,” Turner said in describing the advice he gave to Jones. “Whether (the Mavericks) know they need you yet, it doesn’t matter. They need you.”

Jones ended up starting 66 of 76 games for the Mavs, serving as the team’s primary defensive stopper while establishing new career highs in points (8.6) and minutes (23.5) per game, as well as three-point percentage (34.3%). Head coach Jason Kidd calls Jones a player “we count on” on both ends of the court, and Turner says the 27-year-old would like to be back in Dallas next season.

The Mavericks will only hold Jones’ Non-Bird rights, which allow for a raise of just 20% above his minimum, so they may have to dip into their mid-level exception to make him a competitive offer. Turner expects his client to test the market, but the hope is that the Mavs will be able to put an offer on the table that makes sense for both sides. For his part, Kidd doesn’t want to let Jones get away.

“We understand the business (and that) there’s other teams that can maybe pay him more,” Kidd said. “But we definitely want him back.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

  • It’s hard to blame Luka Doncic, who’s playing through multiple injuries and may not even be active if this were the regular season, but the Mavericks will need more from him if they hope to advance past the Thunder, Cato says in another article for The Athletic. As Cato notes, Dallas built its roster around defense and relies heavily on Doncic and Kyrie Irving for scoring, so those two stars will likely have to be operating at the peak of their powers to get the team two more wins over Oklahoma City.
  • How a resilient Mavs team responds in Game 5 after a meltdown in Monday’s Game 4 loss will be a defining moment for this group, as Irving said following that defeat. “This is the telltale sign of whether or not we’re going to be that group that gets over the hump,” Irving said, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “Or we’re going to be one of those groups that looks back and sees OKC (advance) and kind of living with some of the woulda, coulda, shoulda.”
  • Of the 12 active NBA players who have made at least seven All-Star teams, only Irving advanced past the first round of the playoffs. The veteran guard spoke to Tim MacMahon of ESPN about being the last star standing from the “older” generation this spring, as well as his impressions of the league’s rising young stars. “It’s been pretty much our generation running the Finals, the Eastern Conference Finals, Western Conference Finals,” Irving said. “(The shift has) just been quick. I don’t want to say I know that those guys are looking at the light in the tunnel. I can’t speak for them. But to see this newer generation come in and to see how it’s played out, I’m excited. It keeps me motivated and inspired to continue to lead my generation, because I was the youngest of that generation watching them.”
  • Mavericks center Dereck Lively and Thunder guard Cason Wallace have both played key roles as rookies for their respective teams in the playoffs. The fact that they’ve each fit in so well and adapted so quickly to playoff basketball makes last year’s draft-day trade involving the two players a win-win, writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City moved up two spots to nab Wallace with the No. 10 pick, with Dallas drafting Lively after sliding down to No. 12.

Latest On Lakers’ Head Coaching Search

The Lakers have received permission to interview several assistants from around the NBA for their head coaching job, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links). Wojnarowski reports that Los Angeles has been granted permission to talk to the following candidates:

  • Nuggets assistant David Adelman
  • Pelicans assistant James Borrego
  • Celtics assistant Sam Cassell
  • Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori
  • Heat assistant Chris Quinn

A report on Tuesday from The Athletic indicated that Borrego, Cassell, and J.J. Redick are the “initial leading targets” in the Lakers’ search for Darvin Ham‘s replacement. Because Redick is working as an analyst at ESPN/ABC, L.A. obviously wouldn’t need to seek permission from a rival team to meet with him.

Kenny Atkinson of the Warriors and Sean Sweeney of the Mavericks are the other assistants who have been linked to the Lakers’ open head coaching position. Their omissions from Wojnarowski’s report don’t necessarily mean they’re no longer on Los Angeles’ radar, since Woj’s list isn’t necessarily exhaustive. But Atkinson and Sweeney don’t appear to be among the frontrunners at this point.

Of course, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue has been mentioned as the candidate who would be atop the Lakers’ wish list if he were available, but there’s still no indication that the Clips will grant their cross-town rivals permission to talk to Lue, who is under contract for one more year and is expected to discuss an extension this offseason.

In his latest Substack story, Marc Stein also checks in on the Lakers’ coaching search, writing that he’s gotten the “distinct vibe” from insiders gathered at the draft combine in Chicago that if there’s an early favorite for the job, it’s Redick. Several people in coaching circles, Stein says, believe it will be Redick’s job to lose in the interview process.

However, Stein has also heard from league sources that Cassell is a “legitimate candidate to watch.” Like Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Cassell is represented by Klutch Sports. Additionally, Stein notes, the veteran assistant has a reputation for connecting with star players.

If Cassell doesn’t get the Lakers’ job or another head coaching position, the belief is that Doc Rivers will aggressively push to bring him to Milwaukee to join his Bucks coaching staff, Stein reports. Cassell previously served as an assistant under Rivers with both the Clippers and 76ers.

With only one other team (the Wizards) currently in the market for a head coach and Redick expected to finish out the playoffs with ESPN/ABC, there’s an expectation that the Lakers’ search may end up extending well into June, Stein adds.

2024 NBA Offseason Preview: Washington Wizards

The 2023/24 season was the first of the Wizards‘ full-fledged rebuild, which was arguably long overdue after five straight campaigns of finishing between 25 and 35 wins. While expectations were very low from a results standpoint, given the dearth of talent on the roster, I don’t think Washington’s new front office, which is run by president Michael Winger and GM Will Dawkins, anticipated the team to be as non-competitive as it was for much of the season — hence the mid-season coaching change from Wes Unseld Jr. to Brian Keefe.

In some ways, the Pistons being as dreadful as they were made things a little easier on the Wizards, since Detroit endured a historic 28-game losing streak and has been abysmal for multiple years now. But the Wizards only finished with one more win and a very similar net rating (-8.7 vs. -9.0; somehow the Hornets had the worst mark in the league at -10.6, while Portland was also at -9.0).

Detroit should be a cautionary tale for Washington of the pitfalls of being a perpetual bottom-feeder. The Wizards will be looking to make incremental gains in the coming season, as there doesn’t appear to be a straightforward way to infuse this roster with star-level talent, even with the addition of the No. 2 overall pick.

That’s not to say the season was a total lost cause. Fourth-year forward Deni Avdija had a breakout season, averaging 14.7 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 3.8 APG on .506/.374/.740 shooting in 75 games (30.1 MPG). It was pretty much a best-case scenario for his development, and the four-year, $55MM rookie scale extension he signed last offseason, which begins in ’24/25 and has a declining structure, looks quite team-friendly now.

Rookie Bilal Coulibaly also showed flashes of tantalizing two-way upside in his age-19 season. As one of the youngest players in his class, the No. 7 overall pick of the 2023 draft is still early in his development, but at minimum, he looks like a promising 3-and-D player with much more room to grow.

One player who has not impressed over his first two seasons is Johnny Davis, who was the last lottery pick (No. 10 overall in 2022) made by the previous front office regime led by Tommy Sheppard. The former Big Ten Player of the Year has struggled in his G League minutes, let alone the NBA, and despite having a real opportunity to carve out playing time at the end of the season amid injuries, he was largely outperformed by players on two-way deals. At this point, it would be a little surprising if the Wizards exercise their fourth-year option on his rookie scale contract.


The Wizards’ Offseason Plan

Hiring a new head coach — Keefe is reportedly in the running and viewed by some as the leading candidate — and selecting a player with All-Star upside in the draft are the top priorities for the Wizards this offseason. The latter is easier said than done, of course.

Some people have compared the 2024 draft class with 2013, which saw Anthony Bennett go No. 1 overall. That draft had three All-Stars, including an all-time great in Giannis Antetokounmpo. It also featured quality players like CJ McCollum, Steven Adams, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Otto Porter Jr., Kelly Olynyk, and Dennis Schröder, among others.

After the lottery, general manager Will Dawkins said he believed June’s draft will produce multiple All-Stars, but they will likely take a few years to develop. That’s another clear indication Washington’s new front office is willing to be patient. A recent report indicated they’re trying to get as many low-cost chances as possible at landing a player (or players) who could develop into a star, which makes a lot of sense.

The cap hold for the No. 2 pick ($11,278,680), plus Richaun Holmes opting into his $12,876,780 player option, which is a lock to happen, means operating with cap room probably isn’t practical.

Even if the Wizards waived their non-guaranteed deals and renounced all their cap holds, they wouldn’t be a major player in free agency without attaching assets to move off unwanted salaries (Davis, Holmes, Marvin Bagley III). Going under the cap and using space would also make the Wizards lose access to their non-taxpayer mid-level exception and bi-annual exception, which are available to teams operating over the cap but under the first tax apron.

It’s more complicated than simply signing a player outright, but going the sign-and-trade route could be one option to add free-agent talent. While the Wizards didn’t really have any team-wide strengths in ’23/24, their lack of size, rebounding and interior defense were glaring weaknesses. If I were in the team’s front office, I would be pushing to try and acquire Isaiah Hartenstein in a sign-and-trade with New York.

Of course, the Knicks don’t have to agree to that, which is the primary reason sign-and-trades are more complicated. But New York also only has Hartenstein’s Early Bird rights and is limited to offering him a deal that starts at about $16MM per year. Hartenstein has proven to be a reliable and formidable defender with New York, plus he sets solid screens, crashes the glass, is an above-average passer, and he can even create for himself in a pinch. He’s only 26 years old. While there have been rumors Brooklyn center Nic Claxton could get a lot more money, I think Hartenstein is the more valuable player right now.

That said, I don’t think that scenario is particularly likely, even if having a player like Hartenstein would provide a much-needed presence in the frontcourt. For what it’s worth, The Athletic’s David Aldridge recently made a similar argument pushing for the Wizards to draft UConn center Donovan Clingan with the No. 2 overall pick.

Retaining Tyus Jones past the trade deadline was an indication that Washington will likely re-sign the veteran point guard, preferably to a short-term contract. That might mean paying him a little more annually but for fewer years (maybe he gets something like $35MM over two seasons). It also creates a mid-sized salary for matching purposes, and Jones is very reliable in what he provides, which is a consistently elite assist-to-turnover ratio and solid play-making. I also expect the Wizards to keep Landry Shamet‘s non-guaranteed $11MM deal on the books, as it expires after the ’24/25 season and could be useful in a trade.

Corey Kispert will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer and it will be interesting to see if a deal gets done. Winger and Dawkins have already shown a willingness to extend players they inherited (Avdija), and something in the range of $11-13MM annually over three or four years could be a reasonable outcome for both sides.

Kyle Kuzma will certainly pop up in trade rumors again, though it’s unclear if he’ll be moved. The declining nature of his deal — plus the fact that he’s under contract for three more years — means the Wizards can be patient in waiting for what they view as an ideal return package for the 28-year-old.

I do not think the Wizards will find any takers for Jordan Poole, who is owed $95.5MM over the next three years, and that’s fine. While Keefe’s 8-31 record was very similar to Unseld’s 7-36 mark, several players performed better when he became interim coach, including Avdija, Kispert and Poole.

If Poole continues to provide an offensive spark, it will further improve his value and increase Washington’s chances of moving him. He’s only 24 (he turns 25 next month), and I’d still much rather have his deal on the books than Bradley Beal‘s ($161MM over the next three years, with a full no-trade clause).


Salary Cap Situation

Guaranteed Salary

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Dead/Retained Salary

Player Options

Team Options

Restricted Free Agents

  • None

Two-Way Free Agents

Draft Picks

  • No. 2 overall pick ($11,278,680 cap hold)
  • No. 26 overall pick ($2,630,040 cap hold)
  • No. 51 overall pick (no cap hold)
  • Total (cap holds): $13,908,720

Extension-Eligible Players

  • Marvin Bagley III (veteran)
  • Richaun Holmes (veteran)
    • Extension-eligible until June 30 (or beyond, if his player option is exercised).
  • Corey Kispert (rookie scale)
  • Landry Shamet (veteran)
    • Extension-eligible as of October 1.

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, these players are eligible for extensions beginning in July.

Unrestricted Free Agents

Other Cap Holds

Note: The cap holds for these players are on the Wizards’ books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.

Cap Exceptions Available

Note: The Wizards project to be over the cap but below the tax line.

  • Non-taxpayer mid-level exception: $12,859,000
  • Bi-annual exception: $4,681,000
  • Trade exception: $12,402,000
  • Trade exception: $9,800,926
    • Expires on July 8.
  • Trade exception: $5,379,250
    • Expires on June 24.
  • Trade exception: $3,500,000
  • Trade exception: $1,508,547
    • Expires on July 8.
  • Trade exception: $308,380
    • Expires on June 24.
  • Trade exception: $300,000
    • Expires on June 24.

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, trade exceptions don’t expire before the regular season begins.


Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Bronny, Suns, Budenholzer, Green, Nurkic

Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up earlier this week (YouTube link), Brian Windhorst said that he believes Lakers star LeBron James will decline his player option for 2024/25. There are a number of reasons why James may be motivated to opt out, Windhorst says, and creating “optionality” to play with his son Bronny James is among them.

However, agent Rich Paul has made an effort in recent weeks and months to dispel the idea that his father-and-son clients need to play together, according to Windhorst, who suggests that if LeBron does opt out, that’s unlikely to be the primary reason why. Windhorst also says he believes the four-time MVP will ultimately end up back with the Lakers, whether or not his son lands there too.

“I think if the Lakers have an opportunity to draft Bronny James, they will do so, whether that’s with the 55th pick or if they make another deal around the draft where they (acquire) another pick, I think they will try,” Windhorst said. “I do not think it’s going to be their top priority. And I don’t think the league right now is looking at this like, ‘Draft Bronny James and you can get LeBron.'”

Shams Charania of The Athletic expressed a similar sentiment regarding the Lakers and Bronny during an appearance on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link). “In a perfect world,” Charania stated, Los Angeles would like to have a chance to draft Bronny, but the team won’t be structuring its draft plans around that goal.

Charania also went on to discuss how many years LeBron might have left in the NBA, explaining why family considerations will be a factor in that decision and why the longtime NBA superstar may just play a couple more seasons.

“He knows how much people around him have sacrificed,” Charania said. “His wife, his kids, his close friends, his loved ones – they’ve sacrificed a lot for him over these 21 years, could end up being up to 23 years that he plays in the league, and so pouring that back to them at some point in the next one to two years, I know that’s a priority as well.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • The Suns are expected to be “aggressive” on the trade market this summer, Charania said during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link). Charania points out that Phoenix will be able to trade its 2024 first-round pick (a deal could be agreed upon prior to the draft and officially finalized after the Suns make the pick) and its 2031 first-rounder this offseason. Still, the team’s ability to be aggressive will be somewhat limited due to the restrictive trade rules that apply to teams whose salaries are above the second tax apron, including an inability to aggregate player salaries.
  • Doug Haller of The Athletic takes a look at what the Suns are getting in new head coach Mike Budenholzer, speaking to some of Budenholzer’s former players and outlining why the coach’s “bulldog” personality might be just what Phoenix needs.
  • Warriors forward/center Draymond Green and Suns center Jusuf Nurkic, who had their share of run-ins during the 2023/24 season, have continued to trade barbs following the end of their teams’ respective seasons, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic details. After Green said during a TNT segment that the Suns “have no big man” (Twitter video link), Nurkic tweeted, “I see that brother still needs help,” and suggested that Green still hasn’t gotten over Suns tar Kevin Durant leaving Golden State in 2019.

Central Notes: Ball, Mitchell, Pacers, Haliburton, Turner

Lonzo Ball continues to make positive forward progress in his rehab from the latest procedure on his knee, the Bulls guard said in the first episode of his What An Experience podcast (hat tip to Ryan Taylor of NBC Sports Chicago). Asked at the start of the show to provide an update on his status, Ball said it’s “coming along week by week.”

“It’s improving, so that’s all I can ask for,” Ball said. “It’s still not where I want it to be. Out of 100 (percent), I’d probably say I’m about 70 (percent). Good enough to play, but can still get better. I still got a long summer ahead of me. But definitely looking forward to the future.”

Ball has undergone three separate surgeries on his knee since last playing in an NBA game in 2022. He experienced setbacks during his first two rehab processes, but there was optimism following his cartilage transplant in 2023 that the third surgery would be the one that allowed him to make a full recovery and eventually get back on the court. While there’s still a ways to go to make that a reality, this appears to be the closest Ball has come to getting healthy in the past two-and-a-half years, Taylor notes.

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • With the Cavaliers on the brink of elimination, Brian Windhorst appeared on ESPN’s Get Up (Twitter video link) to discuss what this offseason might look like for the team and star guard Donovan Mitchell. As Windhorst notes, the front office will have a difficult decision to make if Mitchell claims publicly that he’s happy in Cleveland and doesn’t ask to be dealt, but also doesn’t sign an extension entering a potential contract year. “I’m trying to walk the line because I don’t want anybody to freak out in my home town of Cleveland, but there are a number of teams that have their (trade) offers ready,” Windhorst said, identifying the Lakers and Nets as a couple of the clubs expected to pursue Mitchell if the Cavs consider moving him.
  • Rick Carlisle was disappointed with the Pacers‘ complete level in Tuesday’s Game 5 blowout loss to the Knicks, referring to their effort as “very poor,” according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “Lost every quarter. Got annihilated on loose balls and rebounds,” Indiana’s head coach said in his postgame media session. “… We all own it, but very embarrassing.” Carlisle added that it was a “hard lesson” to learn for an Indiana team that doesn’t have much experience playing together on this sort of stage. “There’s no excuses, but all the guys on our roster, I believe it’s the first time they’ve been in a Game 5 tied 2-2 and going on the road,” he told reporters. “So you learn a lot in those situations very quickly. … This is a different circumstance. As a playoff series progresses, it’s going to be harder and harder.”
  • Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and center Myles Turner took their share of responsibility for the team’s poor showing on Tuesday, as Dopirak details in a pair of Indy Star stories. Haliburton, who attempted just nine shots and scored 13 points, said he has to “do a better job of being aggressive,” while Turner told the media he has to be more assertive on the boards after grabbing just five rebounds. “I know I didn’t do my job and I need to personalize that going into the next game,” Turner said after Indiana was out-rebounded 53-29. “I take full ownership, and it starts with me down there on a lot of that stuff.”

Jack White Signs With Melbourne United

Free agent forward Jack White, who finished the 2023/24 season with the Grizzlies, has signed a two-year contract with Melbourne United in Australia’s National Basketball League, the team announced. White’s new deal includes a second-year player option and an NBA-out clause.

An Australian native, White also played for Melbourne from 2020-22, winning an NBL title with the team in 2021. He subsequently made the leap to the NBA and was a member of the Nuggets during their championship season in 2022/23.

White signed with the Thunder last offseason, but was waived at the end of the preseason and spent most of the ’23/24 season in the G League. In 29 total appearances for the South Bay Lakers in the Showcase Cup and NBAGL regular season, the 26-year-old averaged 9.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 26.1 minutes per game on .442/.321/.595 shooting. He shot the ball much better with the Grand Rapids Gold – Denver’s affiliate – in ’22/23, posting a .438 3PT% and a .767 FT% in 26 contests.

White signed with the Grizzlies during the final days of the regular season, but because it was a hardship contract, it expired immediately after Memphis’ final regular season game and didn’t give the team any form of Bird rights on him. That allowed the forward to immediately return to the free agent market, clearing the path for him to sign with Melbourne.

According to Olgun Uluc of ESPN, White will have the ability to exercise the NBA out in his new deal if he’s offered a standard contract or a two-way deal.

Uluc goes on to posit that Melbourne United’s deal with White signals that the NBL team is preparing to be without forward Luke Travers for the 2024/25 season. Travers just finished the first season of his three-year contract with Melbourne, but his NBA rights are held by the Cavaliers, who drafted him in the second round in 2022, and there’s an expectation that he’ll make the move stateside this summer, Uluc notes, adding that White and Travers essentially play the same position.

Knicks Notes: McBride, Hartenstein, DiVincenzo, Anunoby, Burks

After losing back-to-back games in Indiana, the Knicks made a lineup change ahead of Game 5, inserting Miles McBride into Precious Achiuwa‘s spot in the starting five. As Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes, the move paid major dividends.

The Knicks outscored the Pacers by 26 points during McBride’s 40 minutes on the court, and the extra spacing afforded by his presence gave Jalen Brunson more room to operate — the Knicks star took advantage by scoring a series-high 44 points in the blowout victory. McBride was also one of the primary defenders on Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who contributed just 13 points and five assists on the night.

“Huge,” Donte DiVincenzo said of McBride’s impact, per Begley. “Offensively, spacing the floor, being aggressive. And defensively making it hell full court, denying it. Being able to be in help and get back. He was special tonight.”

Despite using a smaller lineup, with the 6’2″ McBride replacing the 6’8″ Achiuwa, the Knicks dominated the game inside. They outscored Indiana by a 62-36 margin in the paint and grabbed 53 rebounds (20 offensive) compared to just 29 (five offensive) for the Pacers. Seventeen of those rebounds, including 12 offensive boards, went to Isaiah Hartenstein, who said playing “physical” basketball was a priority for him heading into Tuesday’s game.

“I feel like the games in Indiana, I wasn’t playing like myself, wasn’t physical,” Hartenstein said, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. “I was letting them kind of play how I play, so just coming in, that was the biggest thing I wanted to do.”

Here’s more on the Knicks as they prepare to head back to Indianapolis with a 3-2 series lead:

  • DiVincenzo and Myles Turner got into a brief altercation in the third quarter of Tuesday’s game and had to be separated (Twitter video link). After DiVincenzo threw down a big dunk, he came back up the court and attempted to fight through a Turner screen, but got called for a foul. According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, Turner seemed to take exception with an elbow to the gut from the Knicks wing on the play. “They were trying to be tough guys. And that’s not their identity, and there’s nothing more to that,” DiVincenzo told reporters after the game. “I don’t agree with trying to walk up on somebody. … Nobody is going to fight in the NBA. So take the foul, keep it moving. You’re not a tough guy. Just keep it moving.”
  • Head coach Tom Thibodeau said on Tuesday that injured forward OG Anunoby (hamstring strain) was doing some “light work” on the court, as Begley tweets. However, in a pregame TNT segment, sideline reporter Chris Haynes (Twitter video link) suggested that Anunoby is probably a long shot to play again in this series, stating that a potential return for the Eastern Conference Finals is more likely.
  • After not playing in any of the Knicks’ first seven games of the playoffs, Alec Burks has emerged as a reliable rotation piece since Anunoby went down, scoring 14, 20, and 18 points in his past three games. “He’s been giving us huge minutes this series,” Josh Hart said (story via Botte). “He’s a true professional, someone who’s staying ready. You see him every day working hard, getting his shots up. That’s what pros do. When they’re not in the rotation they continue to get better, continue to stay ready. When his number was called he came out and provided for us when we desperately needed it. He’s a true pro, someone who we’re going to continue to rely on for those minutes.”