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What To Watch For In Final Weekend Of NBA’s Regular Season

April 12th, 2024 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s 2023/24 regular season will wrap up on Sunday , which means we now have just three days left in the season. Here are a few things worth keeping an eye on during those three days:

Playoff berths and seeding

Eastern Conference:

The Celtics locked up the No. 1 seed in the East long ago, but no other Eastern Conference club between No. 2 and No. 8 has clinched a specific seed, and the Bucks and Knicks are the only other teams that have secured playoff berths. Here are the standings in that section of the East entering Friday:

Milwaukee Bucks (49-31)
New York Knicks (48-32)
Cleveland Cavaliers (47-33)
Orlando Magic (46-34)
Indiana Pacers (46-34)
Philadelphia 76ers (45-35)
Miami Heat (44-36)

The NBA’s schedule-makers did well with Friday’s slate — the Magic will face the Sixers in Philadelphia, while the Cavaliers host the Pacers in Cleveland.

Road wins by Orlando and Indiana would lock in the East’s six playoff teams, leaving the 76ers and Heat to compete in the 7-8 play-in game. Victories by the Cavs and Sixers, on the other hand, would clinch Cleveland’s playoff spot and put Orlando, Indiana, and Philadelphia in a three-way tie for the final two playoff spots, with Miami – which hosts the Raptors on Friday – potentially just a single game back.

The Cavaliers (vs. Hornets), Pacers (vs. Hawks), Sixers (vs. Nets), and Heat (vs. Raptors again) all have favorable home matchups on Sunday. The Magic may be the one exception, as they’ll be hosting the Bucks, who will likely need at least one win this weekend to clinch the No. 2 seed. Milwaukee visits the Thunder on Friday in a challenging matchup, while the Knicks’ schedule wraps up with very winnable home games against the Nets and Bulls.

Western Conference:

Five teams have clinched playoff spots in the West, but the No. 1 seed remains up for grabs, with the Nuggets (56-24) holding a slight edge over the division-rival Timberwolves (55-25) and Thunder (55-25).

Denver is on the road for its final two games, but faces a pair of lottery teams in San Antonio and Memphis. Winning both of those contests would lock up the No. 1 seed for the Nuggets, but they can’t afford a misstep, since both the Wolves and Thunder hold the tiebreaker edge over them. Still, Minnesota (vs. Atlanta, vs. Phoenix) and Oklahoma City (vs. Milwaukee, vs. Dallas) have tougher weekend matchups.

The Clippers (51-29) and Mavericks (50-30) are locked into the 4-5 matchup in the West, but home-court advantage remains up for grabs. Since L.A. has the tiebreaker advantage, the Clippers need just one more win or one Mavs loss this weekend to secure the No. 4 seed. Since the Clips are at home vs. Utah and Houston, that’s a pretty safe bet.

The rest of the West’s playoff picture looks like this:

New Orleans Pelicans (48-32)
Phoenix Suns (47-33)
Sacramento Kings (45-35)
Golden State Warriors (45-35)
Los Angeles Lakers (45-35)

Either the Pelicans or the Suns will claim the sixth guaranteed playoff spot in the West, while the other will have to win a play-in game to secure their playoff berth.

Phoenix has the tiebreaker edge over New Orleans, but as long as the Pelicans win out, they remain in the driver’s seat. That’ll be easier said than done though. The Pels have a showdown with the Warriors in Golden State on tap for Friday night, then host the Lakers on Sunday. The Suns also have a difficult path to two wins though, with road games against the Kings on Friday and Timberwolves on Sunday.

If the Pelicans beat out the Suns for the No. 6 seed, it’ll be four Pacific teams in the play-in tournament, with the Kings, Warriors, and Lakers all battling to avoid ending up in the 9-10 matchup — the winner of that game would have to win a second play-in game (on the road) to earn the No. 8 playoff seed, so getting into the 7-8 play-in contest would be big.

Sacramento has been the coldest of those three teams as of late, but holds the tiebreaker advantage and finishes its season by hosting the lottery-bound Trail Blazers on Sunday. A win over Phoenix on Friday would be huge for the Kings, almost certainly assuring them of a spot in the 7-8 play-in game.

The Warriors also close the season on Sunday with a favorable matchup (vs. Utah), so if they can pull out a home victory over the Pelicans on Friday, they’ll be in good position to get either the No. 8 or 9 seed.

The Lakers have the friendliest matchup on Friday (at Memphis), but would place last in a three-team tie with the Kings and Warriors, so they’ll be under pressure to win in New Orleans on Sunday.

Here are the details from the NBA on the clinching scenarios in both conferences for Friday’s games.

Traded draft picks and lottery odds

The Kings‘ 2024 first-round pick will be sent to the Hawks if it lands outside the top 14. Given that Sacramento is now in play-in territory and is at risk of missing the playoffs, that’s a first-rounder worth watching closely. That obligation to Atlanta would be rolled over to 2025 if the Kings are a lottery team this year.

There are several more traded first-round picks that have a wide range of possibilities depending on where teams finish in the standings and how the play-in tournament plays out. For example, the Pacers owe the Raptors their (top-three protected) first-round pick. If Indiana clinches a top-six spot in the East, that pick figures to be around 18 or 19. On the other hand, if the Pacers fall into play-in territory and then get eliminated, it’ll be a lottery selection.

The Warriors‘ (top-four protected) pick to the Trail Blazers and the Lakers‘ (unprotected) pick to the Pelicans also fall into this category. It’s worth noting that New Orleans has the option to defer Los Angeles’ first-rounder to 2025. There has been an expectation that the Pels might go that route due to this year’s weak draft class, but it’ll be hard to pass on that ’24 pick if it’s in the lottery.

Speaking of the lottery, there are still some odds to be finalized there. The Pistons and Wizards will be among the teams with a league-best 14% chance at this year’s No. 1 pick, but who will join them as the third team in that group? The Spurs (20-60), Hornets (20-60), and Trail Blazers (21-59) all still have a chance.

For what it’s worth, in the event that two or more of those teams finish with identical records, the odds for their lottery slots will be averaged out, as we explain in our glossary entry on the draft lottery.

For instance, let’s say San Antonio, Charlotte, and Portland each lose their final two games and the Spurs and Hornets are tied for the NBA’s third-worst record. In that scenario, instead of the third-worst team having a 14% shot at the top pick and the fourth-worst team having a 12.5% chance, a coin flip would determine which team’s odds are 13.3% and which team gets a 13.2% chance at No. 1.

Notably, the Raptors also need one more loss – or one more Grizzlies win – to secure the No. 6 spot in the lottery standings, which would significantly increase their odds of hanging onto the top-six protected first-rounder they owe the Spurs. In that scenario, Toronto would have a 45.8% chance to keep the pick and a 54.2% chance that it slides to No. 7 or lower and is sent to San Antonio.

Award races

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic appears to have locked up his third Most Valuable Player in the past four seasons, but it’s possible that voters for other end-of-season awards could be swayed by what happens in the final weekend of the season.

For instance, if Tyrese Maxey has huge games on Friday and Sunday to help the Sixers secure a top-six seed in the East, it would put an emphatic stamp on his case for Most Improved Player. If Naz Reid has a big weekend for a Timberwolves team that reclaims the No. 1 seed, it would only make him a stronger Sixth Man of the Year candidate.

I wouldn’t expect any awards to be decided by what happens in the next few days, but certain scenarios could help clarify a difficult choice for a voter who’s on the fence.

Teams with open roster spots

As we outlined on Tuesday, there are still a handful of teams with open spots on their standard 15-man rosters. Those teams are as follows:

Golden State Warriors
New Orleans Pelicans
Philadelphia 76ers
Toronto Raptors
- Note: The Raptors technically have a full 15-man roster on Friday, but will open up a spot on Saturday following the expiration of Malik Williams‘ 10-day contract.

It’s not unprecedented for a team to leave a roster spot open at the end of the season, but it’s somewhat rare — all 30 teams finished the season with full 15-man squads in each of the past two years.

Most of all of these teams are good bets to make a roster move before their final games tip off on Sunday, even if it’s as simple as promoting a two-way player to a standard contract to make him postseason-eligible.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Sixers, Holiday, Celtics, Raptors

April 12th, 2024 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

While some star players may play reduced roles in the final days of the regular season to ensure they’re fresh for the postseason, Sixers center Joel Embiid is looking to go in the opposite direction. After logging nearly 36 minutes on Tuesday in his fourth game back following a knee procedure, Embiid suggested he’d welcome a big workload again on Friday and Sunday, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required).

“Playing as many minutes as possible,” Embiid said when asked what he needs to do to get ready for the playoffs. “.. The next one, I hope the game’s not close, but if it is, to go over that 35-minute mark. Try and get to 40 and then the last game of the season, same thing.”

While the 76ers won’t want to push their franchise player too hard so soon after his return, they’re still battling for positioning in the Eastern Conference playoff race and have a chance to claim a top-six spot with victories in their final two games. Embiid is also still working on getting his conditioning back to its pre-injury level and may get a chance this weekend to build chemistry with a relatively healthy Sixers roster.

“We haven’t played with the full crew yet,” Nicolas Batum said on Tuesday, according to Pompey. “I think the next game will be finally the one. We will have Tyrese (Maxey) and KL (Kyle Lowry) back. We got Joel. We just miss RoCo (Robert Covington). … I think we are more focused on (players returning than seeding). We are focused on how we can be the best team past (Sunday).”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

In a mailbag for The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required), Pompey addresses several Sixers-related topics, indicating that he doesn’t expect Tobias Harris to be moved to the bench and confirming that Paul George is expected to be the team’s top free agent target this offseason.
Jrue Holiday will turn 34 this June, so he knows that the four-year, $135MM extension he signed with the Celtics this week could be his last NBA contract, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Holiday said it was a “pretty easy” decision to sign that deal and to remain in Boston. “I think mutually we just came to an agreement and felt like this was what was best for not only me, but for the team and, just hope it works,” Holiday said. “I want to be here. I want to win multiple rings. I’ve heard people say that here plenty of times, so I’m ready for that.”
Holiday’s extension ensures that the Celtics‘ top six players will be under contract for next season and reduces the team’s projected 2025 tax bill, but it raises some questions about the club’s long-term cap situation, according to Brian Robb of MassLive.com, who explores the possibility of an eventual extension for Derrick White and considers how long Boston can keep its core intact.
Who’s to blame for a miserable Raptors season? Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca explores that question, ultimately suggesting that Toronto’s front office probably deserves more criticism than it has received for the current state of the team.

Injury Notes: Ingram, Giannis, Green, Robinson, Melton

April 12th, 2024 at 7:40am CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, who has been sidelined since March 21 due to a left knee bone contusion, is expected to return to action on Sunday vs. the Lakers, TNT’s Chris Haynes said on Thursday night’s broadcast (Twitter video link via Pelicans Film Room).

Ingram’s impending return will give him an opportunity to get acclimated back into the Pelicans’ lineup ahead of the postseason. He’ll also get the chance to try to help New Orleans clinch a playoff berth — the team currently has a one-game lead on Phoenix for the No. 6 seed in the West. Since the Suns hold the tiebreaker, the Pelicans will need to win its remaining two games or have Phoenix lose at least once to hang onto the sixth spot.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said this week that he isn’t sure whether or not star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will be ready for the start of the playoffs (Twitter link via Jamal Collier of ESPN). Antetokounmpo was in a walking boot on the sidelines during Wednesday’s game (Twitter link via Harris Stavrou of SPORT24). Milwaukee had another player bitten by the injury bug during that contest, as swingman A.J. Green went down with a left ankle sprain (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic). Green has been ruled out for Friday’s matchup with Oklahoma City.
After missing five games due to a back issue in late March, Heat forward Duncan Robinson returned to action on March 31 and appeared in four more contests after that, but still wasn’t quite right, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Robinson will miss a third consecutive contest on Friday vs. Toronto as a result of that nagging back problem, and his availability for the start of the postseason is up in the air.
Sixers guard De’Anthony Melton returned on Tuesday from a lumbar spine injury, playing for just the fourth time since January 12. He admitted that the recovery process was a long, challenging one, as Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays. “Throughout the whole process, it was a lot of ups and downs,” Melton said. “Some days [were] better than others. Definitely there was a little doubt that crept into my mind. But I just kind of tried to stay with it and, every day, just take it moment by moment. And now we’re here.” Head coach Nick Nurse said Melton felt good after playing nearly 16 minutes on Tuesday, adding that the team will look to increase his minutes a little on Friday (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports).

Bulls Notes: Self-Induced Errors, Drummond, Dosunmu, More

April 11th, 2024 at 10:58pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Bulls lost to the Knicks on Tuesday in disappointing fashion, making a series of self-induced errors, including Torrey Craig attempting to throw an alley-oop to himself before getting knocked down by teammate Andre Drummond, who thought the pass off the backboard was intended for him. The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry sees that play as a microcosm of Chicago’s season: style over substance.

“To me, it was just really disappointing,” coach Billy Donovan said. “You’re down by (nine points). There were a lot of self-induced things that I thought we contributed to. Not only that play but other plays that weren’t as loud as that. But that play was disappointing to me.”

The Bulls are locked into the play-in tournament but clinched home-court advantage in the No. 9 vs. 10 game against the Hawks by defeating the Pistons on Thursday.

We have more on the Bulls:

Drummond left Tuesday’s game with a badly turned left ankle. According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Drummond had to be taken to the training room in a wheelchair and Donovan said his ankle was very swollen. On Thursday, Donovan said Drummond is using a motorized scooter because of weight-bearing issues regarding the swelling in his ankle, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets.
Ayo Dosunmu missed Tuesday’s game with an injured quad, Cowley adds in the same piece. “I don’t know how long it will or will not be because I think he felt OK after the game [Sunday] in Orlando,” Donovan said. “I think after he felt a little better, it just hasn’t progressed.” According to Johnson, Dosunmu’s deep thigh contusion is giving him issues with being able to contract his quad muscle.
In case you missed it, Kentucky is reportedly finalizing a deal to hire Mark Pope of BYU as their next head coach. But if there were any doubts, Donovan reaffirmed his commitment to the Bulls on Tuesday and shot down any rumors of him potentially leaving for the college ranks, ESPN’s Jamal Collier writes.
With the Bulls headed for the play-in and potentially out of the playoffs in the coming weeks, Cowley opines that general manager Arturas Karnisovas and the Bulls should change their philosophy when it comes to this roster. Cowley believes this version of the team has reached its peak and the front office should consider trading some of its star players and entering a rebuild.

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Mamukelashvili, Collins, Brooks

April 11th, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Grizzlies will be without 13 of their 15 standard contract players when they take on the Lakers on Friday (Twitter link via Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Damichael Cole), epitomizing an injury-mired and disappointing season.

Memphis dealt with long-term injuries to almost everyone on its roster and continues to cycle through 10-day contract hardship players to see what sticks. Two-way players have started over 50 combined games for the team that has seen an NBA-record 33 individual players suit up this year.

That leaves the Grizzlies, a team that is widely expected to be a playoff contender at full health, in a unique position this offseason. Players like GG Jackson and Vince Williams proved themselves as valuable young rotation pieces, while others like Jake LaRavia and Lamar Stevens are shouldering big minutes down the stretch. But with the likes of Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane set to return from injury next season, the Grizzlies will have crucial decisions to make.

Cole writes about the Grizzlies’ wing rotation logjam, noting that if you factor in Yuta Watanabe (player option), Ziaire Williams and John Konchar, the Grizzlies have nine wing players to account for next season. Some sort of movement on the roster, either by way of trade or waiver, would need to take place to balance the rotation.

Cole says that all signs point to the team picking up Kennard’s $14.7MM team option next season, but ponders whether the team could trade Ziaire Williams, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. The Grizzlies have shown a tendency to trade players in the final years of their deals, like Steven Adams and Tyus Jones, as well as former first-rounders on rookie contracts, such as David Roddy.

The Athletic’s Kelly Iko and John Hollinger explore a similar topic, with Hollinger expressing that he expects Memphis to trade Kennard or decline his option in an effort to dodge the tax. The pair also discuss the fact that the Grizzlies hold a lottery pick and explore potential free agent options the team could look to sign.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Spurs big man Sandro Mamukelashvili is playing a prominent role in the rotation as of late, including starting two of San Antonio’s last three games. As Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News writes, Mamukelashvili has become something of a favorite for coach Gregg Popovich, who has played the Georgian forward 20 or more minutes in his last five games. He has been on a rebounding tear over that stretch, pulling down 9.8 boards per contest, including a career-high 16 on Tuesday. “He’s like a perpetual motion kind of thing,” Popovich said. “He’s moving all the time, with or without the ball. Sometimes I think he doesn’t know exactly why, but I love his movement and his IQ. He knows how to play.” Mamukelashvili will be eligible for restricted free agency after the season.
After a disappointing start to the season, Spurs center Zach Collins is determined to finish the year in a strong fashion, according to Tom Orsborn of San Antonio Express-News. Collins lost his starting job after 20 games during a shooting slump, but it looks like he has regained his form from beyond the arc as of late. He shot 42.9% from three in March and has made 33.3% of his outside attempts through five games in April, a big improvement from the 29.3% he shot from October to February. “He’s becoming a real pro, a consistent player who we know what we can get from night after night,” Popovich said. “He’s a good competitor. His skills are improving, his understanding of the game is improving, and he’s getting more confident.” Collins is under contract with San Antonio for two more seasons.
Dillon Brooks has been thankful for his season with the Rockets but said he wants to be more like himself next season, writes Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen. According to Feigen, Brooks would like to be a more physical defender next year. “I don’t want to stir the pot too much, but I feel like the NBA restrained me from playing that type of game,” Brooks said. “But I’ve got to be on a ‘I don’t care’ mentality and just deal with what comes with it.“

Stein’s Latest: Bickerstaff, Mitchell, Kidd, Stone, Donovan

April 11th, 2024 at 8:51pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Pressure is mounting on the Cavaliers, who have stumbled to an 11-16 record after the All-Star break after once sitting at 36-17, NBA insider Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack post. While an 18-2 record spanning through December and January improved coach J.B. Bickerstaff‘s standing within the organization, he may be on the hot seat following this disappointing stretch of games.

As Stein writes, Bickerstaff is still dealing with the fallout from losing to the Knicks in the first round of last year’s playoffs in just five games. Frustration is growing in Cleveland after last season’s playoffs and this season’s lackluster recent stretch, according to Stein.

The Cavaliers as a whole are feeling pressure, given the need to sign Donovan Mitchell to a contract extension this offseason. Mitchell is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract next year if there’s no extension and there’s a “growing belief” from rival teams that the Cavs might be forced to trade their superstar if the two sides can’t agree to an extension, Stein writes.

The Cavaliers paid a hefty price to bring in Mitchell in 2022, sending out Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton and multiple first-round picks for the All-Star guard.

We have more from Stein:

The Mavericks are 16-2 since they inserted Daniel Gafford and Derrick Jones Jr. into the starting lineup, and have officially secured their second 50-win season since Jason Kidd took over as head coach in 2021. An offseason extension for Kidd seems likely, according to Stein.
Likewise, the Rockets‘ strong play in the second half of their season means general manager Rafael Stone may also earn a contract extension, Stein writes. The Rockets are hovering around the .500 mark after winning just 22 games last season. The Ime Udoka hiring and the additions of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks are among the reasons for Houston’s impressive season, which were all accomplished without sacrificing any of its core pieces. Still, future decisions regarding whether the team will continue to build around Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green or trade for a higher-profile star are percolating, per Stein.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan‘s name was thrown around in regard to the newly opened Kentucky coaching job, but Stein expressed skepticism about the chances of him moving back down to the college ranks, where he most notably coached at Florida from 1996-2015. It looks like Stein’s skepticism was warranted, as Kentucky is reportedly targeting BYU’s Mark Pope to be its next head coach, meaning Donovan will stay with the Bulls, tweets NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson.

Raptors Notes: Dick, Quickley, Freeman-Liberty, Barnes, Temple, Porter

April 11th, 2024 at 7:27pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Raptors rookie guard Gradey Dick, the 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft, began his first season in the league bouncing in and out of the rotation. However, he has been firmly entrenched as a rotation player since Jan. 20 and is averaging 11.2 points per game while shooting 39.3% from beyond the arc since then. Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange details how Dick underwent a mid-year turnaround and became one of the bright points in an otherwise disappointing Raptors season.

The rookie sharpshooter struggled in the fall, shooting just 24.4% from three in his first 14 games and going through G League assignments. According to Grange, a mid-January meeting with head coach Darko Rajakovic led to a plan to save Dick’s rookie season — a plan that included more intense, hands-on trainings. Since then, he has looked like the player the Raptors thought they were getting when they selected him in last year’s draft out of Kansas.

“I told somebody just the other day: He’s progressed the most as a rookie — easily — on the court, as anyone I’ve seen,” teammate Garrett Temple said. “His game play, his ability to accept coaching and put it into play, the defensive things that he’s able to do now versus what he was able to do to begin his season. On court, he’s been even more impressive than just off-court in my opinion because he progressed so much and you know, I’m really proud of him for that. He’s gonna be a player in this league, no question. He’ll be fine in this league for a long time.”

We have more from the Raptors:

Immanuel Quickley is set to be the Raptors’ point guard of the future after arriving in the OG Anunoby trade alongside RJ Barrett, and he’s due for a major pay raise as he approaches restricted free agency this summer, Grange writes. Quickley has averaged 18.7 points and 6.8 assists per contestsince arriving in Toronto, and there’s little doubt he’s going to be the team’s long-term starter there, assuming he re-signs this offseason.
While there’s no wondering who the starter will be at point guard, there are more questions regarding who will back up Quickley moving forward. In the same piece, Grange points to Javon Freeman-Liberty as one potential option to monitor. “[Freeman-Liberty] is showing really good signs of willingness to be exposed, to be vulnerable, to learn, to fail and to grow through the process,” Rajakovic said. “I think it’s just the question a lot, a lot of repetition. He is going to have amazing summer, amazing opportunity ahead of him, another summer league opportunities. So it’s gonna be good opportunity for him to make that next jump.“
After being ruled out for the season with a hand injury, it sounds as though Scottie Barnes is progressing well. According to Grange (Twitter link), Barnes is progressing to reconditioning and has gone through some controlled scrimmages. Grange adds that Barnes should be 100% healthy and available by the summer.
Jontay Porter remains away from the Raptors as he deals with an NBA investigation regarding betting irregularities surrounding his games. Temple, a vocal veteran voice for the team, said during an appearance on The Raptors Show (Twitter link) that he plans to reach out to Porter in the coming days. “In the days ahead I’ll probably send a text, ‘Just checking on you, seeing how you’re doing,‘” Temple said. “No reply is needed in those scenarios… just a situation to let guys know we didn’t forget about you.“

Southeast Notes: Bertāns, Micić, Wizards, Wagner

April 11th, 2024 at 5:58pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Hornets forward Dāvis Bertāns joined the team alongside Tre Mann and Vasilije Micić at the February trade deadline, but wasn’t viewed as a centerpiece of the deal that sent Gordon Hayward out of Charlotte. However, as The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone points out, Bertāns is performing well for the Hornets after working his way into the rotation, averaging his most points (8.8) and minutes (20.8) per game since he was with the Wizards in 2020/21.

Bertāns quickly became one of former head coach Steve Clifford‘s trusted reserves, with the team running set plays for the dangerous three-point scorer. In his 27 games with the Hornets so far, he’s shooting 37.3% from deep on 6.3 attempts per night. In fact, he has 18 games with multiple three-pointers made off the bench, marking the most in the NBA during that stretch.

“He’s a terrific shooter, obviously, but he creates a lot of problems for the defense just with his movement,” Clifford said. “And he never holds the ball. He either shoots it or moves it, which is the play.”

Bertāns’ play provides a glimpse into what could be next season when LaMelo Ball is healthy, with the 6’10” allowing the star guard more room to maneuver with his floor-stretching capabilities. However, Boone ponders whether Bertāns will remain with the team next season. Bertāns has an early termination option for next season worth $16MM and could get multiyear offers from contending teams if he hits the open market, Boone writes.

For what it’s worth, Bertans seems to have enjoyed his time in Charlotte so far this season.

“I’ve always loved shooting in [Spectrum Center], so it’s good to have more games [there] than before,” Bertāns said. “And definitely the crowd. Even though the season hasn’t been great winning-wise, the fans have been great and it’s a lot more people in [that] arena than other teams that are not making the playoffs. So, I think a bright future is ahead for the organization.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Like Bertāns, Micić didn’t play much for the Thunder after coming over from Europe to begin his NBA career this season. However, he has turned a corner after earning playing time with the Hornets, averaging 11.3 points and 6.4 assists in his first 28 games (19 starts) with Charlotte. “I’m more comfortable every day,” Micić said this week, according to Eurohoops.net. “… I’m trying to play more relaxed, at my own rhythm, without chasing anything. It’s hard when you don’t have enough minutes, but at this moment, with these circumstances, I have these minutes, and I’m just hoping it looks good from the outside.” Micić is in the first year of the three-year, $23.6MM deal he signed last offseason. He’s under contract for about $7.7MM next year and has a team option worth $8.1MM in 2025/26.
At 15-65, the Wizards are wrapping up what will be the worst season in franchise history in regard to record. ESPN’s Dotun Akintoye explores Washington’s rebuild and how the Wizards have gotten to this point. Akintoye cautions against the ritual of losing and expecting to lose, along with the lack of cohesion that can follow.
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said Franz Wagner is “progressing slowly” from his right ankle sprain, according to Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede (Twitter link). “He’ll go through some work tomorrow as well and we’ll continue to see how he responds to those treatments,” Mosley said.

Karl-Anthony Towns Expected To Return Friday

April 11th, 2024 at 5:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

APRIL 11: Towns is on track to return on Friday against the Hawks, according to Charania (Twitter link). He was upgraded to questionable for the game.

APRIL 10: Towns is expected to play in at least one of Minnesota’s final three regular season games this week, according to Charania (Twitter link). The Wolves will visit Denver on Wednesday night before concluding the regular season with home games vs. Atlanta on Friday and Phoenix on Sunday.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), Towns isn’t planning to play on Wednesday, but a return on Friday or Sunday is a possibility.

APRIL 9: The Timberwolves have confirmed in a press release that Towns has been cleared for full-contact 5-on-5 work and is “progressing toward his return to play.”

APRIL 8: Karl-Anthony Towns appears likely to return to the Timberwolves‘ lineup before the end of the season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Towns took part in a team scrimmage on Sunday, marking his first action since undergoing knee surgery on March 12. He has been sidelined since being diagnosed with a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee following a March 4 game.

“KAT will be back,” Wolves teammate Anthony Edwards told reporters after Sunday’s game in Los Angeles.

Charania hears that Towns is “very, very close” to playing again and will likely be on the court for at least one game this week. Minnesota will host Washington tomorrow night before traveling to Denver on Wednesday and then returning home to face Atlanta on Friday and Phoenix on Sunday.

The Wolves have been able to survive for more than a month without one of their top players and are currently tied with the Nuggets for the top spot in the Western Conference at 54-24.

Towns, who earned his fourth All-Star selection this season, is averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 60 games while shooting 50.6% from the field and 42.3% from three-point range.

Draft Notes: Shead, Bona, K. Jones, Mock

April 11th, 2024 at 4:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Houston senior Jamal Shead is entering the 2024 NBA draft and forgoing his final year of college eligibility, he told Chancellor Johnson of KPRC 2.

The 2023/24 Big 12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, the 6’1″ point guard was also named to the All-America First Team after leading the Cougars to a 32-5 record. Shead sustained an ankle injury in Houston’s Sweet 16 loss to Duke, which ended the team’s season.

Shead is ranked No. 61 on ESPN’s big board, making him a potential second-round pick. Jonathan Givony of ESPN describes Shead as an exceptional defender, leader and strong floor general, but there are questions about his relatively diminutive stature (by NBA standards) and jump shot.

In 37 games this season (31.1 MPG), Shead averaged 12.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.3 APG and 2.2 SPG on .409/.309/.779 shooting.

Here are a few more notes regarding June’s draft:

UCLA sophomore big man Adem Bona is expected to declare for the draft and is “unlikely to return to college,” a source tells Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 (Twitter link). A Nigerian forward/center, Bona is another possible second-rounder, currently ranked No. 50 on ESPN’s list. He was the 2023/24 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 12.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.1 SPG and 1.8 BPG in 33 games for the Bruins (26.5 MPG).
Guard Kameron Jones, who is ranked No. 67 on ESPN’s board, has decided to return to Marquette for his senior season, he announced on Twitter. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic says (via Twitter) Jones should be the Big East’s preseason Player of the Year next season, writing that he had a top-50 grade for Jones this year.
Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports recently released her latest mock draft for 2024, with some noteworthy differences compared to ESPN’s rankings. For instance, she has UConn’s Stephon Castle, who is No. 9 on ESPN’s board, going No. 3 to Charlotte. Peek is also high on Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II, who goes No. 27 to Utah. Holmes is No. 53 on ESPN’s list.

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