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Hawks Notes: Young, Snyder, Daniels, Offseason

April 19th, 2025 at 5:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Trae Young described the season as a “failure” after being eliminated from the play-in tournament with Friday’s loss to Miami, writes Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hawks appeared to be in a good position to earn a playoff spot after finishing eighth in the East, but they were overwhelmed in the play-in opener at Orlando and couldn’t overcome the Heat in an overtime battle.

You could make a case that the Hawks overachieved considering their young roster and numerous injuries, including the loss of star forward Jalen Johnson, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in late January. But Young doesn’t believe there should be any excuses for not advancing past the play-in.

“For me, personally, not making the playoffs is a failure for me,” he said. “No matter who’s out there, no matter how much adversity we faced, I still feel like we’ve got a good enough group to make the playoffs and at least go in there and compete.”

As Cunningham notes, the early exit casts more doubt on Young’s future with the team. He has one guaranteed year remaining on his contract at $46MM, along with a nearly $49MM player option for 2026/27. The Hawks reportedly explored potential deals involving Young last season and could decide to revisit that option this summer. But after Friday’s loss, he sounded like he plans to stay in Atlanta.

“The goal is to always win, of course, but when you have the kind of team that we have, you know there is going to be bumps and bruises,” Young added. “It’s not easy for me. Hopefully next year can focus on winning.”

There’s more on the Hawks:

  • General manager Landry Fields shot down any speculation that he might consider replacing head coach Quin Snyder (Twitter video link from Caleb Johnson of 929 The Game). “Quin has done a terrific job. I couldn’t be more thrilled,” Fields told reporters. “I’m excited about what we’ve built and are building.”
  • One of the most positive developments for the Hawks was the emergence of Dyson Daniels as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate after he was acquired in an offseason trade with the Pelicans. Daniels talked to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about what led to his breakthrough season. “I don’t point fingers at anyone but myself,” Daniels said. “I came in there in New Orleans and took a step back. I let the superstars be the superstars. I didn’t fit into being a role player. Coming into the NBA, you can’t do that. If you want to settle for being a role player, then you’re going to be out of the league in a few years. So, that’s what I did in New Orleans and I know it wasn’t me. … It was my confidence. I was second-guessing myself and in my head too much. I came here [Atlanta] with a free mind.”
  • ESPN’s Bobby Marks looks ahead to the Hawks’ offseason in an Insider-only story and a YouTube video. Marks points out that Daniels will be extension-eligible this summer and states that making a decision on Young’s future will be a priority.
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And-Ones: Clutch Player Award, NBA Europe, Award Picks, Oweh

April 15th, 2025 at 6:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The official candidates for Clutch Player of the Year have been revealed, NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor tweets. Here’s the list of candidates that voters can select for the award, as chosen by the league’s 30 head coaches:

Curry won the award last year.

We have more from around the international basketball world:

  • While the NBA is trying to establish a new league in Europe, NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum insists that the goal is not to replace the EuroLeague, Eurohoops relays via a Reuters interview. “Our goal is to create a commercially viable league that features high quality on -court competition and respects the rich tradition of European basketball. And we think that that will better serve fans and players on the continent,” Tatum said. He notes that there are major cities in Europe that don’t have a team where the NBA can establish roots. “There are big markets in Europe that aren’t being serviced today, where there are millions of basketball fans that aren’t being serviced,” he said. London, Paris, Berlin and Rome are among the candidates that NBA Europe considers as prime targets.
  • The Athletic’s John Hollinger reveals his award picks. He has Gilgeous-Alexander atop his MVP list and the Rockets’ Amen Thompson as his Defensive Player of the Year. O’Connor, writing for Yahoo Sports, has the same duo winning those awards. They also both have Stephon Castle taking Rookie of the Year honors, Payton Pritchard atop their Sixth Man of the Year lists, and Kenny Atkinson as Coach of the Year.
  • Kentucky junior guard Otega Oweh will test the draft waters, Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 tweets. Oweh averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals this past season. He played his first two seasons at Oklahoma.
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Southeast Notes: Anthony, Houstan, Daniels, Rozier

April 1st, 2025 at 5:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic guard Cole Anthony returned to action on Tuesday after missing seven games with a left big toe strain. He was upgraded from questionable to available prior to Orlando’s contest against San Antonio, the team’s PR department tweets.

Anthony has appeared in 61 games this season, averaging 9.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest. He’s in the first year of a three-year, $39.1MM contract.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • Caleb Houstan received rotation minutes over the past six Magic games in Anthony’s absence. The highlight of that stretch for Houstan was an 18-point outing against Sacramento on Saturday. “He’s always consistent, no matter if he’s playing or not playing, if he’s in or out of the rotation,” Paolo Banchero told Beede. “He’s always showing up, getting his work in. Every time he shoots it, it has a pretty good chance of going in.” Orlando holds a $2.19MM club option on Houstan’s contract for next season, which must be exercised by the end of June.
  • Hawks defensive ace Dyson Daniels, just named Defensive Player of the Month in the Eastern Conference, is pleased with the chemistry on the team. “I think we have really good pieces on this team, and pieces that work well together,” Daniels told Sportskeeda’s Grant Afseth. “Obviously, (Trae Young is) our guy, the motor of the team. We try to look after him, set him screens, get him open, and he does the same for us. He’s a really good passer.”
  • Terry Rozier had dropped out of the Heat‘s rotation until Monday, when he played 33 minutes against Washington with a host of players missing the contest. Rozier contributed 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. The veteran guard, who has one year left on his contract, admits it’s best a rough season for him. “It’s never easy for a competitor, especially me,” he said, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “You work so hard and then it just becomes unfortunate with the situation. But you just try to stay positive through it all, and give grace and still be thankful that I’m in this position. You try to keep working hard, waiting for my name to be called again.”
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Trae Young Named Assistant GM For Oklahoma’s Basketball Program

March 31st, 2025 at 5:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks star guard Trae Young announced on ESPN’s NBA Today (video link) that he has accepted the position of assistant GM for the Oklahoma Sooners basketball program, as Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. Concurrently, Young announced that he would donate $1MM to the program to aid efforts to put together a championship team.

Young only played one year of college ball for the Sooners during the 2017/18 season but made a huge impact. He averaged 27.4 points and 8.7 assists per game, leading all Division I players in both categories that season. He then declared for the NBA draft and was selected fifth overall, which traded him and a future first-rounder to Atlanta for Luka Doncic.

He’ll now be involved in his former college program in a much different capacity.

“It’s exciting to be a part of this and being from Norman and playing there, obviously, it’s exciting times and I’m looking forward to being in this new role,” he said during his ESPN appearance.

The school issued a press release confirming Young’s administrative position and donation. According to the announcement, Young will “lend support in OU player personnel and strategic roster management planning, and will serve a critical role in helping build student-athletes’ brands and maximizing their potential.”

Young’s responsibilities will include assisting with the evaluation of high school and transfer portal prospects, as well as helping negotiate player contracts in accordance with NCAA and conference rules and the team’s revenue share budget. He will also assist with university fundraising initiatives to help grow support for OU’s men’s basketball program.

“This is a really big day and incredibly exciting,” Sooners head coach Porter Moser said. “First, just a huge thank-you to Trae for the $1 million gift to our program. What an unbelievably gracious offering. It will be put to effective use as we continue on our path toward sustained high-level success. We are extraordinarily grateful for the generous contribution.

“Second, Trae’s addition as assistant general manager is going to pay significant dividends for our program on multiple levels. He is a basketball junkie in so many ways,” Moser added. “He’s obviously one of the biggest and most recognizable on-court talents in the world, so he brings immediate credibility with younger players. But I can tell you that Trae also pays close attention to the national basketball landscape and is dialed in to all levels of the sport. His knowledge, coupled with his desire for our program to be the best it can be, will absolutely move us forward.”

Young is the second high-profile active NBA player to take a similar role at his former college. Stephen Curry was named the assistant GM for Davidson’s basketball programs three weeks ago.

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Hawks Notes: Young, LeVert, Daniels, Capela

March 28th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

A year ago, there was trade speculation regarding Trae Young, but the Hawks now seem committed to him as the veteran leader of an inexperienced roster. Young, who’s in his seventh year with Atlanta, talked about his situation in an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, saying it’s “not new territory.”

“People probably know that this isn’t the first time I’ve been a part of a team with young guys and where they wanted me to lead,” he said. “I think this is really what they wanted me to do this year. Not focus on the wins and losses. It’s more about how I can bring the young guys along and build them up and build their confidence up as much as possible.”

The Hawks appear to have a bright future after remaking their roster over the past 12 months. The most significant moves were trading for Dyson Daniels and drafting Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick. They form a promising young core along with Jalen Johnson, who was in the midst of his best NBA season before it was ended in January by a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Young will become eligible for an extension this summer, but he sidestepped a question from Scotto about whether he expects to sign a new deal.

“I’m still stuck in the moment right now and not really focusing on that right now,” he said. “I know it’s going to come. People will be asking questions here. I’m just focusing on this team, building these young guys, and giving them confidence. At the end of the year, everything else will be discussed.”

There’s more on the Hawks, all from Scotto:

  • Caris LeVert, who was acquired from Cleveland at the trade deadline, tells Scotto that he’s interested in staying with Atlanta when he becomes a free agent this summer. LeVert adds that he was “playing a certain role” with the Cavaliers and he “can play more like myself” in the Hawks’ system. “I love this situation that I’m in right now. I love this team,” LeVert said. “The staff has welcomed me with open arms. I didn’t really know (head coach) Quin (Snyder) previously before coming here. Obviously, I’ve admired his style from afar for a long time. Antonio (Lang), Ekpe Udoh and Ron Nored on the staff I’ve had relationships with, so I feel pretty comfortable here. Like I always tell them, I’d love to re-sign here. My focus right now is the rest of the season and making the playoffs. It’s definitely something I’d want.”
  • Daniels is among the favorites for Defensive Player of the Year honors, but he tells Scotto it feels like “a big man’s award.” Daniels, who leads the league in steals by a wide margin, adds that he gained more confidence in his game since coming to Atlanta. “Coach Quin has instilled confidence in me to play freely and be myself,” Daniels said. “My teammates have given me confidence as well. It’s just that my mindset has changed. I’ve come in wanting to be more aggressive and play more freely without any restrictions. I think it’s been more that my mindset has changed rather than anything between the two organizations.”
  • Clint Capela is expected to leave the Hawks in free agency this summer, sources tell Scotto. The veteran center is currently sidelined with a ligament injury in his left hand and may not return if Atlanta doesn’t reach at least the first round of the playoffs.
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Southeast Notes: Risacher, Young, Carter, Hornets

March 19th, 2025 at 5:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rookie of the Year race is still wide open, but Hawks guard Trae Young believes teammate Zaccharie Risacher should be the favorite, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The top pick in last year’s draft has been given more responsibility than some of his competitors, becoming an instant starter for a team that appears headed to the play-in tournament.

“He should be, in my eyes, and I’m not saying it because I’m biased, but I think (he) should be Rookie of the Year,” Young said. “What he’s been doing this year, he’s been thrown into the fire as a starter. You put him up against some of the guys in the running. I think his numbers speak for himself, too. So he’s just not even focused on that. And that’s the best part about it. And we’re kind of, we’re kind of making it easy for him to just focus on the game, focus himself and having fun and having games like tonight, and just letting it loose and letting it fly.”

Risacher, who won’t turn 20 until next month, has posted solid numbers in his first season, averaging 11.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game with .443/.350/.719 shooting stats. His teammates have tried to ease the transition as he adjusts to the NBA after playing in France, and Risacher said it has helped.

“I feel like every game I feel more comfortable. I’m able to learn like every possession,” Risacher said. “Honestly, it’s a new environment. I got great teammates, too. They helped me a lot on the court and off the court, and I’m just in great condition to learn, with, like, the coaches, my teammates, the organization. We’re playing a lot of games, so it’s like it’s great for young player like me to be able to compete every night with those guys.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • A technical foul called against Young late in the third quarter of the Hawks‘ win over Charlotte on Tuesday has been rescinded, the league announced (via Twitter).
  • Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. is having a down year statistically, but he proved at Cleveland on Sunday that he can still affect the outcome of a game, observes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Carter had 16 points and 14 rebounds as Orlando snapped the Cavaliers’ 16-game winning streak. “Wendell was super aggressive in the game being really physical,” Franz Wagner said. “When he’s like that, he’s one of the best bigs in the league. He was a game-changer on both sides of the floor for us in that game. He’s one of those guys when his spirit is like that, it carries over to a lot of the other guys as well. When I talked about aggressiveness, I don’t just mean making shots or anything like that. It’s just the demeanor that they played with, finding different ways, especially on defense, to change the game.”
  • LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges both sat out the Hornets‘ game Tuesday night, and that could happen more often as the season winds down, suggests Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
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Southeast Notes: Bogdanovic, Wizards, Poole, Joseph, Houstan

March 15th, 2025 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Before being traded from the Hawks to the Clippers at last month’s deadline, Bogdan Bogdanovic had changed teams once before in his NBA career, having initially signed with Atlanta in 2020 after three years in Sacramento. However, last month’s trade represented the first in-season move for the veteran guard, who said it has been a more challenging adjustment period and that he was “nervous” returning to Atlanta to face his old team on Friday, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“This, in-season (move) is really tough,” Bogdanovic said. “And as much as I told you I was ready, I wasn’t ready. As you can see it at the beginning, the way I played and just the way I felt. So how the time goes, everything, it’s getting better.”

Bogdanovic, who said he didn’t know where the visitors’ locker room was when he entered the arena ahead of Friday’s game, scored 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting in a win over the Hawks on Friday. He also got to match up on a few possessions with Trae Young and admitted that going up against his friend and former teammate took some getting used to.

“I won’t lie to you, there’s one situation, I gave him a high-five on the floor,” Bogdanovic said. “But you see the face, and it’s like ‘Let’s go.’ But it’s just a normal reaction, as I said. Yeah, it was weird. It was weird to play against them, but it’s business at the end of the day. And I wish them all the best, honestly. They’re great group of guys. I know how hard they are working, and they had a good run. They’re gonna have a good run.”

We have more from around the Southeast:

  • The Pistons‘ impressive turnaround this season should serve as an inspiration for the Wizards as they make their way through a slow rebuilding process, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Washington may not have its future franchise cornerstone on the roster yet like Detroit did with Cade Cunningham, Robbins acknowledges, but the Pistons’ success this season shows the importance of having the right head coach in place and how a few smart veteran additions can help unlock the potential of a club’s young players.
  • Speaking to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Wizards guard Jordan Poole said he believes the team’s “ceiling is high” and that there’s already “a lot of talented guys” on the roster. “The ball is rolling. Snowball effect right now,” he said. “It’ll take a little bit, but we got the right group, the right setup. We’re in a really good situation right now. We’re playing some fun basketball. It’s something going to be more competitive, better as we go.” Poole also discussed a number of other topics, including what he’s learning from Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart and why he has felt more comfortable this season than he did during his first year in D.C.
  • Veteran Magic point guard Cory Joseph has made his first three starts of the season in the past two weeks and played a season-high 30 minutes in Thursday’s win over New Orleans, earning praise from head coach Jamahl Mosley, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays (via Twitter). “His poise and his ability to get guys in the right spot,” Mosley said when asked what has stood out about Joseph’s performance. “And then defensively picking up full-court. The energy that he brings as a veteran, you can’t say enough about his positive spirit, his positive energy.” Orlando holds a minimum-salary team option on Joseph for 2025/26.
  • Like Joseph, Magic forward Caleb Houstan has a minimum-salary team option on his contract for next season and was lauded this week by Mosley for stepping up after being out of the rotation for much of the year. Houstan scored 18 points in 26 minutes in Friday’s loss to Minnesota. “I say this with no hesitation.  He might be one of the hardest workers I’ve seen,” Mosley, according to Beede. “This kid is in early, stays late, comes back, works on his shot. … He is determined. He is focused. He’s a pro. He stays ready no matter if his number is called for two minutes or 22 minutes.”
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Trae Young Named Players Of The Week

March 10th, 2025 at 2:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Hawks guard Trae Young have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week, the league announced on Monday (via Twitter).

Gilgeous-Alexander won for the Western Conference, while Young claimed the East’s award. It was the second Player of the Week honor this season for each of them.

The presumed frontrunner for the 2024/25 MVP award after finishing as the runner-up last season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 44.0 points, 6.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.3 blocks on .540/.400/1.000 shooting in victories over Memphis, Houston and Denver last week. He missed one game, which Oklahoma City also won (against Portland).

The 26-year-old superstar leads the league in scoring with a career-best 32.9 PPG on elite efficiency for the West’s No. 1 seed. The Thunder have all but wrapped up the best record in the conference, leading their closest competition — the Lakers and Nuggets — by 12 games.

As for Young, he helped guide Atlanta to a 3-1 record last week, averaging 24.5 PPG, 13.0 APG and 2.8 RPG. He struggled a bit with efficiency, shooting just 39.0% from the field, including 20.0% from three-point range, though he did convert 96.7% of his 7.5 free throw attempts per contest.

The Hawks currently hold a half-game lead on both Orlando and Miami for the No. 7 seed in the East.

Desmond Bane, Ja Morant, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, James Harden, Ivica Zubac, Nikola Jokic and Julius Randle were the other nominees in the West, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, Cade Cunningham, Josh Giddey, Coby White, Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were nominated in the East (Twitter link).

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Southeast Notes: Hornets, Kokoskov, Heat, Adebayo, Banchero

March 6th, 2025 at 9:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

Have the Hornets already gone into tank mode? It might seem that way, considering they’ve lost 17 of their 19 games. Head coach Charles Lee denies that’s the case.

“I think it would be very easy to sometimes lay down when you are in the position that you are, but we are obsessed with daily improvement,” Lee told Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “Part of daily improvement is going into every game and facing a different type of opponent, different strategy, different coverages, different matchups, and adjusting and adapting. And they’ve done a really good job of doing that.”

Miles Bridges says the players aren’t giving up, even as the losses pile up.

“We’ve got to play with pride — we’re in the NBA,” Bridges said. “We are blessed to be in the NBA. That’s my mindset coming into a game. I’m blessed to be here in the NBA, so I want to go out and give 100% and I try to give that to the other guys. Just going out and playing with pride. Being on a losing streak sucks for everybody. If we can get a win next game against the best team in the league (Cleveland on Friday), that will probably turn us up.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • Igor Kokoskov became an NBA head coach again — at least for one night. The Hawks assistant filled in on Tuesday for Quin Snyder, who was battling an illness. Atlanta lost to Milwaukee, 127-121. Kokoskov was Phoenix’s head coach during the 2018/19 season. “None of us knew until right before tipoff,” point guard Trae Young told Charles Odum of the Associated Press. “He was here early. It kind of surprised us but we still had a game to go play. It sucks we couldn’t get him the win.”
  • As things stand, the Heat could wind up with two first-round picks in this year’s rich draft. The Heat will keep its own pick if it misses the opening round of the playoffs, most likely by losing in the play-in tournament. The Heat will receive the Warriors first-round pick if it falls between 11-30, which is becoming an increasing likely outcome. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald takes a look at some of the players who might be available in the middle of the first round, including UConn’s Liam McNeeley, Duke’s Kon Knueppel and Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears.
  • Bam Adebayo‘s offensive production has increased since rookie Heat center Kel’el Ware was inserted into the starting lineup. That’s no coincidence, he told Jackson. “It gave me more energy to play offense,” he said. “I’m not in every pick-and-roll. Obviously, he’s guarding the five [the center]. A lot of four men [power forwards] don’t and do the things that fives do. For me, it definitely let a load off me where I definitely could focus more on scoring.” Adebayo averaged 15.7 PPG in the first 40 games and 21.3 PPG in the past 19 games, including 17 with Ware starting.
  • The Magic anticipated they’d be on the upswing once Paolo Banchero started producing at his usual levels again. It hasn’t worked out that way. Banchero, who was sidelined for two-and-a-half months with an abdominal injury, has averaged 29.6 points on 47.8% shooting, 6.3 rebounds, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 34.7 minutes over the past seven games. However, Orlando has lost four straight, including twice to the Raptors. “We’ve got to do some soul-searching,” Banchero told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “The good thing about a time like this is that, really, the only way you can go is up.”
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Scotto: Trae Young, LaMelo Ball Among Players To Monitor In Offseason

March 3rd, 2025 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Hawks guard Trae Young has just one guaranteed year left on his contract after this season, with a player option for 2026/27. As he nears potential free agency, executives around the NBA are wondering whether Atlanta will be looking to extend Young this offseason or whether he might emerge as a trade candidate, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

As Scotto notes, Young has spoken about wanting to win a championship in Atlanta with head coach Quin Snyder, and the Hawks have an intriguing collection of young talent around him, including forward Jalen Johnson, defensive ace Dyson Daniels, and 2024’s No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.

However, the Hawks have been a middle-of-the-pack team since making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, compiling between 36 and 43 wins and failing to get out of the first round of the playoffs in each of the three years since then — this season, they’re on pace for 37 wins and another play-in spot. They also don’t control their own first-round picks in any of the next three drafts.

Additionally, Scotto writes, Hawks ownership will be looking to avoid surpassing the luxury tax threshold in 2025/26, which could affect their ability to re-sign free agents such as Clint Capela, Caris LeVert, and/or Larry Nance Jr. — or to bring in additional talent.

Atlanta did have talks with the Pelicans prior to this year’s trade deadline about forward Brandon Ingram, with Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, De’Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic among the names that came up in those multi-team discussions, Scotto reports. Ingram was ultimately sent to Toronto, with the Hawks sending Hunter to Cleveland and Bogdanovic to the Clippers.

Shortly after the trade deadline passed last month, NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link) referred to Young’s future in Atlanta as “murky,” while Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) wondered if the 26-year-old might request a trade this summer. Scotto doesn’t quite go that far, but says Young’s situation in Atlanta is one that executives around the league will be monitoring in the coming months.

Here’s more from Scotto on players to watch entering the 2025 offseason:

  • Rival executives are curious about whether point guard LaMelo Ball is still at the forefront of the Hornets‘ long-term plans and will be keeping an eye on him this offseason, Scotto reports. Veteran forward Miles Bridges is another name to watch in Charlotte, since his contract has a declining salary structure that was meant to make it more trade-friendly, Scotto adds. It also remains to be seen whether the Hornets will put center Mark Williams back on the trade block after a deadline deal with the Lakers fell through due to medical concerns.
  • RJ Barrett‘s name came up in the Ingram trade talks between the Raptors and Pelicans, but New Orleans didn’t view the forward as an ideal fit on their roster, according to Scotto, who suggests that Barrett could emerge as a trade candidate this summer with Toronto prioritizing Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and Gradey Dick. The former No. 3 overall pick is under contract for $57MM+ across two more years after this season.
  • NBA executives widely expect Wizards forward Khris Middleton to pick up his $33.35MM player option for 2025/26, Scotto reports. If he does, he and guard Marcus Smart – who will have an expiring $21.59MM deal, will be trade candidates to monitor in Washington. The same goes for Richaun Holmes, though his expiring $13.28MM contract only features a small partial guarantee ($250K), so he’s probably more likely to be waived than traded.
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