Ten Postseason Seeds Up For Grabs On Final Day Of Regular Season
While we’ve known which 20 NBA teams will be competing in the 2025/26 postseason for some time, 10 seeds are still in flux entering April 12, the final day of the 2025/26 regular season. Most importantly, three Eastern Conference teams are still vying for the final guaranteed playoff spot ahead of Sunday’s slate of games, which will see all 30 teams take the floor.
Here are the current playoff and play-in standings in both conferences, as well as where each team could finish, per the league (Twitter links).
Eastern Conference:
- Detroit Pistons (59-22)
- Boston Celtics (55-26)
- New York Knicks (53-28)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (51-30)
- Atlanta Hawks (46-35) — fifth or sixth
- Toronto Raptors (45-36) — fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth
- Orlando Magic (45-36) — sixth, seventh or eighth
- Philadelphia 76ers (44-37) — sixth, seventh or eighth
- Charlotte Hornets (43-38) — ninth or 10th
- Miami Heat (42-39) — ninth or 10th
Western Conference:
- Oklahoma City Thunder (64-17)
- San Antonio Spurs (62-19)
- Denver Nuggets (53-28) — third or fourth
- Los Angeles Lakers (52-29) — third or fourth
- Houston Rockets (51-30)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (48-33)
- Phoenix Suns (44-37)
- Portland Trail Blazers (41-40) — eighth or ninth
- Los Angeles Clippers (41-40) — eighth or ninth
- Golden State Warriors (37-44)
Notes: Teams in bold are locked in to their current seeds. A top-six seed ensures a guaranteed playoff spot, while the Nos. 7-10 teams will compete in the play-in tournament to determine the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference.
The most critical matchup Sunday is Brooklyn at Toronto. If the Raptors win, they can finish no worse than sixth place, securing the final guaranteed playoff berth.
The Hawks have ruled out most of their top players ahead of Sunday’s game at the Heat after securing a guaranteed playoff spot on Friday, tweets Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks. That matters for Miami, because if they beat Atlanta and the Hornets lose at New York, the Heat would move ahead of Charlotte due to a head-to-head tiebreaker. That said, the Knicks will be playing without four of their five starters tonight, and if the Hornets win, they stay at No. 9.
It would be shocking if the Raptors don’t win Sunday, since the tanking Nets have already ruled out nine players (a 10th is doubtful) and have an incentive to lose the game. We’ll get more into that shortly.
Still, if the Raptors do lose Sunday’s game, it opens the door for the Magic or Sixers to move up to No. 6. A Raptors loss combined with a Magic win at Boston — the Celtics are likely to be without their top-seven rotation members — would see Orlando earn the guaranteed playoff berth. The 76ers, who face Milwaukee, need to win and need Toronto and Orlando to lose to move up two spots.
If the Hawks, Raptors, Magic and Sixers all win, they will finish where they currently are in the standings.
In the West, the scenarios are more straightforward. If the Nuggets win at San Antonio, they stay at No. 3. If they lose and the Lakers beat the Jazz, Denver and Los Angeles will switch places in the standings.
The Trail Blazers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Clippers, so if they beat Sacramento tonight they will finish No. 8. The Clippers could move up if they beat Golden State and Portland loses to the Kings.
Lottery odds and traded draft picks
At the other end of the standings, the Wizards (17-64) have clinched the worst record in the league and thus have the top draft-lottery floor, notes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Washington has a 52.1% chance at landing a top-four pick in the 2026 draft lottery and 47.9% odds at No. 5, which is the worst selection the team can end up with.
The Pacers (19-62) and Nets (20-61) are also guaranteed to finish with bottom-three records and will have identical 52.1% odds at moving into the top four, including a 14.0% chance at No. 1 overall. If the Nets lose this evening and the Pacers beat Detroit, the two teams would tie and a coin flip would determine which team has the second-best lottery floor. The winner of the coin flip can finish no worse than sixth in the draft lottery, while the loser can finish no worse than seventh.
The Clippers will be hoping the Pacers lose tonight, since Indiana will send its 2026 first-round pick to L.A. if it lands outside the top four. The Pacers will retain the pick if it stays in its protected range (top four).
Several other lottery situations are still in flux entering Sunday. The Jazz and Kings are currently tied for the fourth-worst record (22-59), the Grizzlies and Mavericks are tied for the sixth-worst record (25-56), and the Pelicans (26-55) have a chance at making the latter situation a three-way tie. The Hawks will be hoping the Pelicans lose and Grizzlies and Mavericks win, since they control the better of New Orleans’ or Milwaukee’s first-rounders.
Utah will send its first-round pick to the Thunder if it’s not in the top eight. But even if the Jazz finish with the NBA’s fifth-worst record (or finish tied for the fourth-worst record and lose a coin flip), the odds of their pick landing at No. 9 would be minuscule (0.6%).
There’s a chance the Bulls (31-50) and Bucks (32-49) could have a coin flip for the ninth and tenth spots. It would require Chicago to win at Dallas and Milwaukee to lose at Philadelphia.
The four other lottery teams will be the four clubs that are eliminated in the play-in tournament.
Sixers Notes: Maxey, Edgecombe, Barlow, Terry
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey aggravated an injury to the little finger on his right hand in the third quarter of Friday’s win at Indiana, but he didn’t let it slow him down, according to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Maxey went to the locker room and asked trainers to numb the finger and rewrap it before returning to the game and leading his team to a much-needed victory in the Eastern Conference battle for playoff seeding.
Maxey has been wearing a splint on the finger during the past few games and admitted it has affected the way he’s played.
“I don’t have time to be timid right now,” he said. “My teammates need me. … I did it all year and had a high spirit and kept their spirits high. There’s just no way I’m going to let them down now.”
Joel Embiid‘s emergency appendectomy this week has increased the Sixers’ reliance on Maxey as they prepare for what’s likely to be a trip to the play-in tournament. They could still finish as high as sixth, but a lot would have to go right on Sunday, starting with a win over Milwaukee.
No matter where they finish, Paul George believes the players need to accept their underdog status with Embiid out of the lineup.
“Teams that make it further than their expectation, it’s because they’re playing together,” George said. “So that’s just the mentality and the mindset that we’ve got to have.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- Rookie VJ Edgecombe is feeling the effects of his first full NBA season, telling Mizell, “I’ve never been so tired in my life.” However, he added, “I’m ready for the next game,” indicating that he won’t let the grind wear him down. Edgecombe stated that he feels like he’s been playing basketball since the pre-draft process began nearly a year ago. While his body might be aching, Edgecombe emphasized that there’s no mental fatigue. “I think I’m built for it,” he said. “I just want to continue to grow with my teammates. I just want us to continue growing our chemistry. … Obviously, I’m tired, but there’s always a ‘but.’ I’m ready to hoop. I’m ready to go out there and leave it on the floor any given night.”
- This week’s trip to San Antonio was meaningful for Dominick Barlow, who began his career with the Spurs in 2022, per Mizell. He said the organization put the “foundational blocks” in his game, and he’s happy to see them back among the top teams in the West. “They deserve to celebrate the success that they have now,” Barlow said.
- Dalen Terry thought he was about to receive bad news when he woke up after a late flight and saw five missed calls from his agent, Mizell adds. Instead, he learned that the Sixers were promoting him from a two-way contract to a standard deal. Coach Nick Nurse gave Terry an “A-plus” for his professionalism since joining the team in February. “I hold myself to a higher standard than I think I’m viewed as,” Terry said. “When I came to Philly, I was like, ‘This is finally a chance I get to show everything I can do.’”
Hawks Clinch Playoff Spot; Top Four East Seeds Now Locked In
The Hawks have become the fifth Eastern Conference team to clinch a playoff spot after defeating Cleveland on Friday, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
Dyson Daniels recorded his second career triple-double (13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists) and CJ McCollum registered a game-high 29 points in just 24 minutes during the 22-point win, notes Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link).
Atlanta, which is currently 46-35, also secured the Southeast Division title with Friday’s victory. This is the first time the Hawks have avoided the play-in tournament since 2020/21, when they made a surprise run to the conference final as the No. 5 seed.
Detroit secured the East’s No. 1 spot following last Saturday’s win in Philadelphia, but the other seeds had been up in the air until now. Friday’s results have provided a little more clarity. The Celtics locked up the No. 2 seed by demolishing New Orleans; the Knicks are No. 3 after they beat Toronto and Cleveland lost; and the Cavaliers are No. 4.
The Hawks can clinch the No. 5 seed if they win Sunday’s game at Miami. The 45-36 Raptors, who are currently No. 6, also control their own fate — a win Sunday over the tanking Nets will secure a guaranteed playoff berth.
There’s theoretically still a pathway for the No. 7 Magic (45-36) or the No. 8 Sixers (44-37) to sneak in as the East’s sixth guaranteed playoff team on Sunday. The Magic would need a win at Boston combined with a Raptors loss, which would make Orlando the No. 6 seed (the Hawks would be No. 5 in that scenario no matter how they fare against Miami). Philadelphia needs Orlando and Toronto to lose Sunday and it has to beat Milwaukee at home to finish No. 6, with Atlanta again the No. 5 in that scenario.
If the Hawks, Raptors, Magic and Sixers all win on Sunday, they will finish where they currently are in the standings. That outcome wouldn’t be surprising.
The Hornets are now locked into the play-in tournament after losing to the Pistons on Friday. They’ll face the Heat in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game. Charlotte will be No. 9 with either a win Sunday (at New York) or a Miami loss. The Heat need to beat Atlanta and need Charlotte to lose to the Knicks to move up to No. 9.
Sixers Promote Dalen Terry, Cut Cameron Payne
4:48 pm: Terry has been promoted and Payne has been waived, the Sixers confirmed in a press release.
1:55 pm: The Sixers are making a change at the back of their roster ahead of the postseason, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that wing Dalen Terry is being promoted from his two-way contract to a standard deal, while point guard Cameron Payne will be placed on waivers.
A first-round pick in 2022, Terry spent his first three-and-a-half NBA seasons in Chicago before being traded twice and then waived by New Orleans in February. He caught on with Philadelphia on a two-way deal after clearing waivers and has since appeared in 13 NBA games for the team, averaging 4.3 points, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per night.
Terry, who was one game away from reaching his active-game limit as a two-way player, can be active on both Friday and Sunday if his promotion is finalized today. As a member of the standard 15-man roster, he will also be eligible to take part in any of the Sixers’ play-in and/or playoff games this spring.
According to Jones, Terry’s new contract will feature a team option for the 2026/27 season, giving the 76ers the opportunity to bring him back next season at a minimum-salary rate if they so choose.
As for Payne, he was another post-trade-deadline addition for Philadelphia, having signed a rest-of-season, minimum-salary deal on February 18. He saw action in each of his first 20 games as a Sixer but had fallen out of the rotation as of late, receiving a pair of DNP-CDs last week before suffering a hamstring strain over the weekend. The 31-year-old averaged 7.4 PPG and 2.6 APG on .376/.330/.864 shooting in 17.0 MPG.
Payne will clear waivers and become a free agent on Sunday.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Embiid, Grimes, Ingram, CMB
The nine players the Knicks used in Thursday’s win over Boston will likely make up the team’s playoff rotation, head coach Mike Brown said after the game, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. That group includes starters Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Miles Bridges and Josh Hart, plus reserves Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, and Jordan Clarkson.
“Those guys are probably our top nine when you’re talking about the playoffs,” Brown said. “And it’s hard to play more than nine guys (in the playoffs).”
While it’s probably no shock that rookie forward Mohamed Diawara and second-year guard Tyler Kolek didn’t make the cut, it’s notable that veteran guard Jose Alvarado – whom New York gave up a couple second-round picks to acquire in February – isn’t among that top nine. The former Pelican has been a DNP-CD in each of the Knicks’ past two games, but he suggested on Thursday that he’s unfazed by his declining role.
“I’m good. I’m chilling. I’m ready for my moment. I’m ready for my name to get called, whenever it is,” Alvarado said, according to Bondy. “Like you said, I started off here high. That was the best way to start. So there’s only one way to go — down. We just stay there mentally. This is my home team. I love the organization, I love the Knicks. So just whenever it’s Jose’s time, whenever that time is, I’m ready.”
Here’s more from out of the Atlantic:
- Joel Embiid‘s emergency appendectomy changes everything for the Sixers, making the team’s path to a playoff spot more difficult and significantly reducing its odds of winning a series, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. The 76ers issued an update on Embiid on Friday, announcing that he’s returning to Philadelphia following a successful procedure in Houston, but no timeline has been set for his return to basketball activities (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports).
- Quentin Grimes will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after accepting his one-year qualifying offer as a RFA last offseason. The Sixers guard’s role has fluctuated throughout the season with teammates in and out of the lineup, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer, but Grimes recently described his performance in 2025/26 as “solid” and he believes he “maximized” his opportunities. “Be in attack mode. Be a good on-ball defender. Make plays for myself and teammates,” Grimes said last week. “The whole year has asked for me to do different things. But I feel like, when the whole team’s healthy, my natural self is still playing my same game I’ve been playing the whole year.”
- There was some uncertainty entering the fall about what the Raptors could expect from forward Brandon Ingram – who missed most of last season due to ankle injury – and lottery pick Collin Murray-Boyles, who wasn’t viewed as an immediate difference-maker at the NBA level. But Toronto has gotten near best-case outcomes from both players, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who says Ingram’s All-Star play and Murray-Boyles’ rapid development have helped get Toronto on the verge of its first playoff appearance since 2022. The Raptors can clinch a playoff berth with a win over New York on Friday, but they’ll be missing Murray-Boyles (neck sprain) and point guard Immanuel Quickley (plantar fasciitis injury management), tweets Grange.
Rory Maher contributed to this post.
Joel Embiid Diagnosed With Appendicitis, Undergoes Surgery
7:28 pm: Embiid’s appendectomy was successful, the Sixers announced (Twitter link).
2:34 pm: After initially ruling out Joel Embiid for Thursday’s game against the Rockets due to an illness, the Sixers have provided an update on the star center’s status, announcing (via Twitter) that Embiid has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will undergo surgery on Thursday in Houston.
The 76ers didn’t provide a timeline for Embiid’s recovery, stating that more updates will be shared as appropriate. But an appendectomy isn’t the type of procedure a player returns from in a matter of days.
Nikola Mirotic (in 2016) and Matthew Dellavedova (2021) are among the NBA players who have had in-season appendectomies in recent years. Both players were sidelined for between five and six weeks.
Trey Lyles underwent the same procedure in mid-July 2020 when he was a member of the Spurs and wasn’t able to play before the end of San Antonio’s season on August 13. OG Anunoby is another player who underwent an appendectomy that ended his season, though Anunoby, who had his procedure on April 12, 2019, probably could’ve suited up later in the Raptors’ championship run that year if they’d needed him.
The upshot is that Embiid’s regular season is certainly over and – barring a very rapid recovery – he likely won’t be available for any play-in or first-round playoff games, so Philadelphia will have to try to extend its season without one of its top players in order to give him a chance to return this spring.
It’s a disappointing turn of events for a team that has looked dangerous when its best players – Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George – are all available. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened as often as the Sixers have hoped. Embiid has been limited to 38 appearances due to various health issues, while George, who has battled some injuries and served a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s drug policy, has played 34 games.
The Sixers currently rank eighth in the East with a 43-36 record. They’re within a game-and-a-half of the No. 5 Hawks but only have a half-game lead on the No. 9 Hornets. They have a tough game in Houston on Thursday before finishing their season with more favorable matchups in Indiana (Friday) and vs. Milwaukee (Sunday).
As for Embiid, the 32-year-old has averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 31.6 minutes per game this season, with a .489/.333/.854 shooting line. He’ll earn guaranteed salaries of $59.5MM in 2026/27 and $64.3MM in ’27/28, with a $69.1MM player option for ’28/29.
Thunder Secure West’s No. 1 Seed For Third Straight Season
The Spurs have been on an absolute heater since the start of February, winning 29 of 32 games during that stretch, but it won’t be enough to catch the Thunder in the regular season standings.
On Wednesday, shortly after San Antonio won its 61st game of the season, Oklahoma City picked up its 64th victory, beating the Clippers in L.A. by a score of 128-110. With only two games left in the regular season, the Thunder now can’t be caught for the No. 1 seed and will finish atop the Western Conference for a third straight year. They’ve also secured the NBA’s best record, which means they’ll have home court advantage in all of their playoff series this spring, including – potentially – the Finals.
The Thunder have won 19 of their past 20 games and have become just the third team in NBA history to compile at least 64 wins in back-to-back seasons, notes Brandon Rahbar of Daily Thunder (Twitter link). The only other two franchises to achieve that feat were the Bulls, who did it from 1995-97, and the Warriors, who won at least 67 games in three straight seasons from 2014-17.
“It’s impressive,” Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of the team’s regular season success, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “Obviously, none of it means anything if you don’t win in the end, and you know that. But teams that win in the end have some of the same characteristics and traits and check off the same boxes. So checking off those boxes is kind of just like knowing we’re headed in the right direction. Obviously, we’re far from the finish line of where we want to go, but like I said, it lets us know we’re heading right there.”
With the Thunder now locked into the No. 1 seed and the Spurs having clinched No. 2, they’ll face the two teams that come out of the play-in tournament in the first round of the playoffs.
Phoenix’s win over Dallas on Wednesday ensured that the Suns will enter the play-in tournament as the No. 7 seed, meaning they’ll host the No. 7/8 game and would get a second home game against the No. 9/10 winner if they lose that first contest. The Warriors are locked into the No. 10 seed in the West and will have to win two road games to make the playoffs, while the Clippers and Trail Blazers continue to jockey for No. 8.
The Timberwolves‘ loss to Orlando on Wednesday also guaranteed that Minnesota will finish sixth in the Western Conference standings. The Nuggets are in the driver’s seat for No. 3, with a two-game lead over the Rockets and Lakers.
Over in the East, the Hawks could’ve clinched a playoff berth with a win in Cleveland on Wednesday, but their fourth-quarter comeback attempt came up short. Atlanta still currently holds the No. 5 seed in the East with two games left to play, but the Raptors, Magic, and Sixers – in that order – are all within 1.5 games, and the Hawks will face the Cavaliers again on Friday.
Atlantic Notes: George, Knicks, Poeltl, Queta, Stevens
Paul George has come back strong from his 25-game league suspension for violating the league’s drug policy, averaging 24.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his last seven games. However, it’s unlikely the Sixers forward has meaningfully increased his trade value, according to Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com.
Aaronson notes that George will soon turn 36 years old and will make over $54.1MM next season while holding a player option worth more than $56.5MM for the following season. George’s injury history would also likely discourage any potential suitors this offseason.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks coach Mike Brown doesn’t anticipate making a starting lineup change in the postseason, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports. “I don’t believe in never ever. But right now we’re going to start that five and that’s how I foresee it,” the coach said. “If I feel I need to make a change at any time, I’ll make a change. But I don’t feel that way right now.” There were discussions about moving Landry Shamet into the lineup. Earlier this season, Brown downsized his starting five, replacing Mitchell Robinson with Josh Hart.
- Jakob Poeltl was handed a three-year contract extension last offseason to remain with the Raptors. Now, the big man appears to be an awkward fit for Toronto’s rotation and cap sheet, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen opines. Poeltl has appeared in just 42 games due to a back ailment. He’s also not a scoring threat outside the paint and isn’t a good enough defensive player in the paint to make up for that, Koreen adds. Making a move involving Poeltl will be complicated due to his contract being guaranteed through 2028/29.
- Celtics forward Jaylen Brown is lobbying for Neemias Queta to receive consideration for the Most Improved Player award. “Neemi’s been great,” Brown said, per The Athletic’s Jay King. “He’s been just consistently getting better, protecting the rim, finishing, making those little shots, rebounding. He’s been great. In my opinion, he’s probably one of the most improved players this year. And I don’t know if he’s up for the award, but he should be.” Queta has started 72 of 73 games, averaging career bests in points (10.2), rebounds (8.4) and blocks (1.3) per game.
- Celtics top executive and former head coach Brad Stevens guided Butler to two NCAA Tournament championship games. However, Stevens indicated he has no interest in going back to the college ranks, Brian Robb of MassLive.com tweets. “I’m not motivated to do anything but what I’m doing,” he said.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Atlantic Division
For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents – or could become free agents – during the 2026 offseason. We’ll consider whether each player’s stock is rising or falling due to his performance and several other factors.
Today, we’re focusing on a handful of players in the Atlantic Division, starting with a former second-round pick having a breakout season.
Cameron Payne Out At Least Two Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Reserve Sixers point guard Cameron Payne will miss at least the next two weeks due to a right hamstring strain, according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones (Twitter link).
Payne exited Saturday’s loss to the Pistons after playing just nine minutes and did not return to the game. An MRI today revealed the strain.
The 31-year-old guard has appeared in 22 games for the Sixers this season, averaging 7.4 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 steals in 17.0 minutes per contest.
Jones notes that this timeline would keep Payne out past the end of the regular season and that he’ll be reevaluated at the two-week mark. The Sixers are currently tied with the Raptors for sixth place in the East following Toronto’s loss the Celtics today, with Philadelphia owning the tie-breaker over Toronto.
Although Payne emerged as a regular rotation player after signing with the Sixers in February, appearing in each of his first 19 games and averaging 18.4 MPG, his playing time had been more sporadic as of late. Prior to Saturday’s outing, he had been a DNP-CD in two of the 76ers’ previous four games and logged just 16 total minutes in the other two.