Raptors Rumors

Some Pessimism About Rockets' Chances Of Hiring Nurse

  • While Houston has widely been considered the most likely landing spot for Nick Nurse if the Raptors‘ head coach leaves Toronto, Marc Stein says on Substack that he recently got his “first whiff of pessimism” about the Rockets‘ chances of hiring Nurse in the event that he becomes available.

Wizards May Inquire About Masai Ujiri

  • Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said the team will replace general manager and president Tommy Sheppard with “an executive from outside the organization,” per Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Robbins expects the team to check on the availability of Raptors vice chairman and president Masai Ujiri and Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly. Robbins points out that Connelly is originally from Baltimore and broke into the NBA as an intern with the Wizards in 1996.

Raptors’ Anunoby Becomes Part-Owner Of London Lions

Raptors forward OG Anunoby has invested in the London Lions of the British Basketball League, becoming a part-owner of the team, the club announced in a press release.

While the BBL hasn’t historically been considered one of Europe’s top-basketball leagues, it has been growing in popularity in recent years.

The Lions have been one of the league’s most successful franchises during that time, winning the BBL Cup in the 10-team league in both 2019 and 2023 and reaching the postseason final in three of the BBL’s last four full seasons. The 30-4 Lions will enter this year’s playoffs as the league’s top seed.

“It’s great to see everything that is going on in British basketball right now, which is why I am really excited to join the London Lions,” Anunoby said in a statement. “I just want to do my part as a role model to all the young hoopers in London and across the entire UK. I look forward to visiting the team in the off-season and can’t wait to help build with the organisation.”

It’s not unprecedented for international NBA players to invest in professional teams in their home countries. Yao Ming (Shanghai Sharks) and Tony Parker (ASVEL Basket) are among the NBA stars who have done so over the years. They controlled – or still control, in Parker’s case – majority shares of those teams, while Anunoby will have a minority stake in the Lions.

Anunoby, whose four-year, $72MM contract with the Raptors is guaranteed through next season with a player option for 2024/25, was born in London.

2023 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker

With another regular season in the books, multiple teams around the NBA are making head coaching changes in advance of the 2023/24 campaign.

In the space below, we’ll provide regular updates on the head coaching searches for each club that has yet to give anyone the permanent title. Some of these searches could extend well into the offseason, so be sure to check back often for the latest updates.

You’ll be able to access this page anytime under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar on our desktop site, or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu.

Updated 6-10-23 (7:49pm CT)


Active Searches

None


Completed Searches

Detroit Pistons

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Other finalists:
    • Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
    • Former Overtime Elite coach Kevin Ollie (story)
    • Pelicans assistant Jarron Collins (story)
  • Also interviewed/considered:
    • Heat assistant Chris Quinn (story)
    • Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin (story)
    • Nets assistant Brian Keefe (story)
    • Pistons assistant Rex Kalamian (story)
    • Pistons assistant Jerome Allen (story)
  • Other rumored candidates/targets:

The Pistons went just 121-263 (.315) in five years with Casey at the helm, but his transition to a front office role was framed as his decision rather than the team’s. Casey, 66 in April, may prefer a less hands-on position as he nears retirement age.

Following Casey’s move to an executive role, the Pistons reportedly narrowed their coaching search to Ollie, Collins, and Lee, then didn’t make a decision for weeks. During that time, Williams was let go by the Suns and it became clear that he immediately moved to the top of Detroit’s wish list, supplanting the other three finalists.

Williams rebuffed the Pistons’ initial advances, indicating that he planned to take a year off, but he ultimately relented and agreed to a record-setting six-year, $78.5MM contract to become the Pistons’ new head coach.

After Casey guided the Pistons through the most challenging years of their rebuild, Williams will be tasked with turning the roster from a collection of promising young pieces into a team capable of making it back to the postseason.

Houston Rockets

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Also interviewed/considered:

    • Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel (story)
    • Suns assistant Kevin Young (story)
    • Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin (story)
    • Sixers assistant Sam Cassell (story)
    • Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson (story)
    • Former Hornets coach James Borrego (story)
  • Other rumored candidates/targets:
    • Raptors coach Nick Nurse (story)
    • Trail Blazers assistant Scott Brooks (story)

Silas signed up to coach a team led by veteran stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook, but both players were gone 10 games into his first season in Houston. The first-time head coach ended up presiding over a full-scale rebuild — no NBA team posted a worse record during Silas’ three years with the franchise than the Rockets’ 59-177 mark.

After some reports indicated that Houston would be seeking a more experienced candidate this time around, the Rockets seriously considered veteran head coaches like Vogel and Borrego before landing on Udoka, who led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his first and only season as an NBA head coach in 2021/22.

Udoka’s tenure with Boston ended abruptly after he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate within the organization. The Rockets presumably did their due diligence on that incident and determined they were comfortable with hiring Udoka, whose on-court résumé is strong. He reportedly signed a four-year, $28.5MM contract and will be tasked with turning a raw Rockets team made up of promising young pieces into a more coherent whole capable of making the playoffs.

Milwaukee Bucks

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Other finalists:
    • Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson (story)
    • Former Raptors coach Nick Nurse (story)
  • Also interviewed/considered:
    • Former Hornets coach James Borrego (story)
    • Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
    • Trail Blazers assistant Scott Brooks (story)
    • Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson (story)
    • Heat assistant Chris Quinn (story)
    • Suns assistant Kevin Young (story)
    • University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson (story)
    • Wizards assistant Joseph Blair (story)
    • Paris Basketball coach Will Weaver (story)
    • Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel (story)
  • Other rumored candidates/targets:
    • Former Suns coach Monty Williams (story)
    • Clippers coach Tyronn Lue (story)

The NBA is a “what have you done for me lately?” sort of league, so the fact that Budenholzer led the Bucks to a title in 2021 and to the NBA’s best regular season record in 2022/23 was essentially negated by the team’s embarrassing first-round playoff exit this spring. As a result, Milwaukee opted to move on from the veteran head coach, who still had two years left on his contract.

Following an extensive search, the Bucks narrowed their options to three finalists: Griffin, Atkinson, and Nurse. Two of those candidates had prior head coaching experience, but Milwaukee opted to hire the one that didn’t, landing on Griffin, a veteran assistant who has worked for five teams over the last 15 years. He’s reportedly receiving a multiyear deal worth about $4MM annually.

This Bucks roster, headed by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, still looks capable of contending for championships. The organization – including Antetokounmpo, who gave Griffin his endorsement – is rolling the dice on a first-time NBA head coach helping the team once again reach those heights.

Philadelphia 76ers

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Also interviewed/considered:
    • Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel (story)
  • Other rumored candidates/targets:
    • Former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer (story)
    • Former Suns coach Monty Williams (story)
    • Former Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni (story)
    • Sixers assistant Sam Cassell (story)

The Sixers posted an impressive 154-82 (.653) regular season record during Rivers’ three years in Philadelphia, but the team’s inability to make a deep playoff run reflected poorly on the veteran coach, who had similar issues in Los Angeles with the Clippers. The 76ers were eliminated in the second round in three consecutive years, losing home games to end their season in 2021 and 2022 and then getting blown out in a Game 7 in 2023.

With Joel Embiid locked up for years to come, the Sixers have a franchise player to build around, but they could make some significant changes around Embiid this offseason, with James Harden a candidate to depart in free agency and Tobias Harris likely to end up back on the trade block.

Nurse, who led the division-rival Raptors to a championship in his first year as head coach in 2018/19, will be tasked with getting Embiid to the conference finals (at least) for the first time in his career. Nurse was reportedly a finalist for the head coaching jobs in Milwaukee and Phoenix before agreeing to join the Sixers.

Phoenix Suns

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Other finalists:
    • Former Sixers coach Doc Rivers (story)
    • Suns assistant Kevin Young (story)
    • Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez (story)
    • Former Raptors coach Nick Nurse (hired by Sixers)
  • Also interviewed/considered:

    • Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
    • Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson (story)
    • Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic (story)
  • Other rumored candidates/targets:
    • Clippers coach Tyronn Lue (story)

Williams helped reshape the culture in Phoenix over the last several seasons, leading the Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021 and earning Coach of the Year honors in 2022. However, after suffering embarrassing blowout home losses to end their playoff runs in both 2022 and 2023, the Suns decided to make a change.

Phoenix initially narrowed its search to five finalists before choosing Vogel, who has won a title and will be coaching his fourth NBA team. Given his experience and his résumé, Vogel should command the respect of veteran stars like Kevin Durant and Devin Booker as he tries to get the team over the hump in 2023/24 and beyond.

Vogel’s deal with the Suns will reportedly be worth $31MM over five years.

Toronto Raptors

  • New coach:
    • Darko Rajakovic (story)
  • Previous coach:
  • Other finalists:

    • Virtus Bologna coach Sergio Scariolo (story)
    • Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson (story)
    • Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
  • Also interviewed/considered:
    • Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez (story)
    • Suns assistant Kevin Young (story)
    • Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson (story)
    • Heat assistant Chris Quinn (story)
    • Nuggets assistant David Adelman (story)
    • ESPN analyst JJ Redick (story)
    • Former Nets coach Steve Nash (story)
    • Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin (hired by Bucks)
  • Other rumored candidates/targets:
    • Barcelona coach Sarunas Jasikevicius (story)
    • Suns assistant Patrick Mutombo (story)
    • Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse (story)
    • Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon (story)
    • Former Suns coach Monty Williams (hired by Pistons)
    • Former Celtics coach Ime Udoka (hired by Rockets)

Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters on March 31 that he would take some time after the season to evaluate his future. The Raptors took the same approach and eventually announced nine days after their season ended that they were relieving Nurse of his duties.

Toronto exercised extreme patience with its head coaching search and was the last team to make a decision this spring — word of Nurse’s dismissal broke on April 21, while Rajakovic was reported as the team’s choice of replacement on June 10, over a month-and-a-half later.

Nurse won a championship and a Coach of the Year award in separate seasons during his five-year stint as the Raptors’ head coach, so Rajakovic has big shoes to fill as a first-time NBA head coach. His résumé includes head coaching stints in Europe and in the G League, along with a decade as an NBA assistant, so he certainly seems qualified for his new role.

Rockets Notes: K. Young, Griffin, Culture, Free Agency

The Rockets‘ interview with Suns assistant Kevin Young for their head coaching position took place on Friday, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Houston followed up that meeting by interviewing Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin on Saturday, Iko adds (via Twitter).

Young and Griffin are at least the third and fourth candidates known to have interviewed for the Rockets’ coaching vacancy. Frank Vogel and Ime Udoka also reportedly met with the team.

Kenny Atkinson, James Borrego, and Sam Cassell have been mentioned as candidates Houston plans to talk to, though there’s no indication those meetings have happened yet.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

  • Speaking this week to the media, including Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required), general manager Rafael Stone strongly pushed back against criticism of the rebuilding Rockets’ culture. “We have not managed to turn that culture into wins at this point in time,” Stone said. “But culture — I would put our team up there with anybody in the NBA. We work really hard. People are very supportive of each other. They get along very well. They spent a ton of time together off the court. A lot of that is a function of their youth, which is always one of the reasons why we’ve struggled to win. It’s all interrelated. I’m willing to fight with anyone who will say that our culture, on this team, this year was challenged.”
  • Stone went on to speculate that there are people in the media who have a residual distaste for how Houston conducted business under Daryl Morey, including the unconventional way the front office built the roster and the organization’s deference to stars like James Harden. “I was part of these teams, so I don’t want to walk away from it,” said Stone, who was an assistant GM under Morey. “… Those teams were very successful. They did things in their own way. I think some people didn’t like the way they did them. One of the things that happened is complaints about the way those people did things are being conflated with us now, even though the only commonality is the Houston Rockets. The players, coaches, front office has changed hugely. That’s my perception.”
  • Iko teamed up with John Hollinger of The Athletic to take a closer look at the offseason decisions facing the Rockets. As The Athletic’s duo notes, Houston owes its top-four protected 2024 first-round pick to Oklahoma City, so the team may be motivated to use its cap room (approximately $60MM) to add win-now veteran help. In addition to Harden, Hollinger names Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent, Cameron Johnson, and Grant Williams as some of the free agents the Rockets could look into.

Pistons To Interview Kevin Ollie, Charles Lee For Head Coaching Job

The Pistons are interviewing Kevin Ollie for their head coaching vacancy, sources tell Shams Charania and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A former NBA point guard, Ollie began his coaching career after retiring as a player in 2010. He was the head coach at UConn from 2012-18 and won a national title with the Huskies in 2014 but lost his job after the NCAA opened an investigation into UConn and its coaches for recruiting violations.

More recently, Ollie was the head coach of the Overtime Elite program for two years, beginning in 2021. He issued a statement last month announcing that he was leaving that position.

In addition to meeting with Ollie, the Pistons have been granted permission to interview Bucks assistant Charles Lee as they seek a replacement for Dwane Casey, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Wojnarowski classifies Lee as a “significant” candidate in Detroit’s search.

[RELATED: Dwane Casey To Transition To Pistons’ Front Office]

Lee is a former Bucknell shooting guard who played professionally in international basketball leagues for several seasons. He has been a longtime assistant under Mike Budenholzer, first with the Hawks (2014-18) and now with the Bucks (since 2018).

Lee and fellow Bucks assistant Darvin Ham received consideration for multiple head coaching openings before Ham was hired by the Lakers last spring — Lee has a chance to be the next Budenholzer assistant to land a head coaching job during this hiring cycle.

Wojnarowski, who previously reported that Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and Heat assistant Chris Quinn would be candidates the Pistons consider, reiterates today (via Twitter) that Griffin and Quinn are expected to “factor prominently” into Detroit’s search. The Pistons are expected to receive permission to interview both veteran assistants, sources tell ESPN.

Raptors Notes: Siakam, Nurse, Anunoby, VanVleet, Trent

There’s an expectation around the NBA that changes will be coming in Toronto after the Raptors were eliminated from the play-in tournament on Wednesday, capping a disappointing season, writes Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com.

“I think everybody in the league knows that Toronto is going to be heading to a break-up,” an opposing executive told Bulpett.

It remains to be seen what those changes might look like. Three of the Raptors’ top six players – Fred VanVleet, Jakob Poeltl, and Gary Trent Jr. – appear headed for free agency; OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam could see their names resurface in trade rumors; and there’s no guarantee that head coach Nick Nurse will return.

“They’re going to get rid of some of their assets and just go in another direction,” a source from another team said to Bulpett. “Who it is, I don’t know. But I know that Anunoby’s name comes up all the time. Interestingly enough, Siakam’s name is not as well regarded as you would have thought. The guy gets buckets. He can score. But it do think he and Gary Trent carry the same label. They can score, but I’m not sure they help you win.

“VanVleet’s a player, and so is Scottie Barnes. Poeltl is a competent center. … Siakam is one of the better scorers in the league. And all Gary Trent does is make buckets. … I like their talent level. We’d love to have some of that. But together, what they have doesn’t work. It just doesn’t. I think Nurse has been around, and he realizes when the bloom is off the rose.”

For his part, Nurse was noncommittal when asked about his own future this week. He previously stated that it’s something he’ll consider and discuss with the front office after the season and reiterated that point on Thursday.

“(Raptors president) Masai (Ujiri) really wants to win. I really want to win,” Nurse said (Twitter link via Lewenberg). “We’re driving to figure out how to get back to a championship level. Our communication is open and honest with each other. That’s all I can say there.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

  • While there’s an expectation that both players will turn down their 2023/24 player options, neither VanVleet nor Trent was willing to commit to that direction when they spoke to reporters on Thursday, according to stories from ESPN and The Canadian Press (via The Toronto Star). “Not too much rush to jump into a decision about opting out,” VanVleet said. “It will take some time.”
  • Asked if he would be interested in discussing a contract extension with the Raptors this offseason, Anunoby expressed a willingness to do so, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “They haven’t come to me with anything (yet) and if they did I would definitely talk to them,” Anunoby said. “I love Toronto. I love our teammates. I love the staff.” The NBA’s new CBA will allow Toronto to offer Anunoby a raise of up to 40% on next year’s $18.6MM salary instead of just 20%, putting the team in position to make a stronger offer.
  • Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star argues that the Raptors are in the midst of an identity crisis and “need a serious organizational rethink,” while Eric Koreen of The Athletic conveys a similar sentiment, writing that the team is due for an overhaul from both a stylistic and personnel perspective.
  • With the Raptors’ 2019 championship growing more distant in the rear view mirror, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca says the team needs to “mentally, emotionally, and spiritually” cut ties with that era in order to move forward. VanVleet doesn’t disagree. “I think we just got to find another identity, whatever that is,” said the veteran guard. “… We can’t try to do that by osmosis and try to carry over a championship from four years ago and expect to add that to a group that we have now.”
  • Doug Smith of The Toronto Star identifies five key areas the Raptors need to deal with this summer, starting with Nurse’s status.

Raptors Notes: Free Agents, Nurse, Porter, Poeltl

After seeing their season end with Wednesday’s play-in loss to Chicago, the Raptors are about to enter a very expensive era if they hope to keep the team’s current core together, writes Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. New contracts will have to be negotiated for five veteran players during the next two years, along with a rookie scale extension for Scottie Barnes.

The first priority is this summer when Fred VanVleet, Jakob Poeltl and Gary Trent Jr. are all likely to be free agents. VanVleet, who’s expected to decline a $22.8MM player option, is eligible for an extension through June 30, but he’s in position to land a bigger contract through free agency. Gozlan expects VanVleet’s next deal to be on par with Jrue Holiday, Kyle Lowry and Jalen Brunson.

Poeltl, who was acquired at the trade deadline, is also eligible for an extension, but like VanVleet it will be more profitable for him to become a free agent. Gozlan foresees a new contract that will put him in the neighborhood of Jarrett Allen, Nikola Vucevic and Clint Capela.

Trent could also choose free agency if he turns down an $18.6MM player option. Trent, who no longer starts but remains one of Toronto’s only dependable shooters off the bench, is likely to stay in his same salary range but on a long-term deal, according to Gozlan.

There’s more from Toronto:

  • There has been a lot of speculation about coach Nick Nurse’s future, but there’s still “a pathway forward” for him to remain with the Raptors, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on “NBA Countdown” before Wednesday’s game (video link). Nurse has been communicating with team president Masai Ujiri, according to Wojnarowski, who expects those conversations to continue. If Nurse and the team part ways, Woj mentions the Rockets as a potential next destination, saying he’s “very high on their list.”
  • Wednesday’s loss capped a frustrating season that began with an injury in training camp to free agent addition Otto Porter Jr., notes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Porter, who signed a two-year, $12.3MM deal, played just eight games before being lost for the season with a dislocated toe, leaving the Raptors with depth problems that were never solved.
  • The addition of Poeltl helped to turn Toronto’s season around to some extent, Grange states in another Sportsnet.ca article. He provided a presence in the middle that the team had been lacking and helped the Raptors post a 15-10 record once he entered the starting lineup.

Bulls Notes: Caruso, DeRozan, Offseason, Donovan

Alex Caruso has been recognized as one of the best defenders in the NBA for several years, but he’s never been voted to a spot on the All-Defensive Team, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Caruso has a good chance to change that this season, Johnson adds, noting that the veteran guard played a career-high 67 games for the Bulls while leading the league with 5.2 deflections per 36 minutes and finishing 10th in drawing charges.

“Coming from a spot where I was undrafted and teams didn’t think I was good enough to be in the league to being, in my eyes, one of the best defenders in the league, we’ll see what other people think,” Caruso said. “But I’m really proud of how much work I’ve put in and the growth I’ve had to get to this point. There are a lot of good defenders in the league. It’s a tough list to make, especially being a guard and only four spots. But I think I am (worthy).”

Caruso started just 36 games this season, but he’s in the starting lineup tonight for Chicago’s must-win play-in game against the Raptors. He’ll be matched up with Toronto’s Pascal Siakam, who’s four inches taller, but Caruso likes the challenge of defending bigger players.

“That’s where I think some of the intangibles I have—being tough, being able to compete—really carry me. Because obviously physically with some of those bigger matchups, I’m a little overwhelmed statistically speaking,” Caruso said. “I try to be smart and use the court to my advantage, know where I have help.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

  • After years as a fan favorite in Toronto, DeMar DeRozan is ready for his first postseason game in an enemy uniform, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. DeRozan expects to be the focus of Nick Nurse‘s defensive scheme, just as he was during their regular season meetings. “Playing against Nick and those guys, they try to do everything in their power to make sure I don’t beat them,’’ DeRozan said. ‘‘… I’m aware of it, for sure. For my sake, I definitely have my own theory of how I’m going to deal with it.’’
  • The Bulls are paying the price for not being more aggressive as sellers at the trade deadline, Darnell Mayberry of the Athletic states in a conversation with fellow Athletic writer Eric Koreen about the play-in matchup. Mayberry notes that limited draft assets and cap space this summer leave Chicago with little hope of improving on this year’s 10th-place finish.
  • In a video posted by NBC Sports Chicago, coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls can’t afford to get distracted by the fact that their season is on the line tonight.

Poll: Wednesday’s NBA Play-In Games

In each of the first two years after the NBA introduced the play-in tournament in its current form in 2021, the No. 7 seeds defeated the No. 8 seeds — the Lakers and Celtics won at home in 2021, and the Timberwolves and Nets followed suit in 2022.

So history was made on Tuesday night, when the Heat became the first No. 7 seed to lose a play-in game, falling at home to the No. 8 Hawks. As a result, Atlanta will face the second-seeded Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, while Miami will get another chance to secure a playoff berth at home on Friday.

In Tuesday’s late game, the Lakers nearly followed Miami’s lead, falling behind by double digits to Minnesota. But Los Angeles’ defense keyed a comeback and the Lakers ultimately prevailed in overtime, clinching the No. 7 playoff spot and a first-round date with Memphis. The Wolves will return to Minnesota to host Friday’s play-in game for the right to face Denver.

The Heat’s and Timberwolves’ play-in opponents will be determined on Wednesday, starting in the East, where the No. 9 Raptors will host the No. 10 Bulls at 7:00 pm Eastern time.

Both Toronto and Chicago underachieved relative to their expectations this year after finishing among the East’s top six teams a year ago. While neither team was fully healthy – Lonzo Ball‘s season-long absence, in particular, hurt the Bulls – it’s hard to blame injury luck for their lack of success.

Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes all appeared in at least 67 games and logged at least 2,386 minutes, while DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic played at least 74 games and 2,682 minutes apiece. None of those players are on the injury report today, so Wednesday’s matchup will feature two relatively healthy clubs looking to salvage disappointing seasons.

The Raptors will enter Wednesday’s game as 5.5-point favorites, according to BetOnline.ag. They went 27-14 at home this season and have taken a step forward since acquiring Jakob Poeltl at the trade deadline. Toronto has a 15-11 record with a +3.0 net rating since Poeltl’s debut, and its new starting lineup (Poeltl, Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby, and Barnes) has a +9.5 net rating in 313 minutes together.

But the Bulls seemingly acquired their own missing piece in February, when they signed Patrick Beverley on the buyout market. Since Beverley’s debut on February 24, Chicago has a 14-9 record and a +5.7 net rating (third-best in the NBA). The Bulls’ new go-to starting lineup (Beverley, DeRozan, LaVine, Vucevic, and Alex Caruso) has outperformed Toronto’s new group, posting a +14.7 net rating across 267 minutes.

Over in the West, the No. 10 Thunder will battle the No. 9 Pelicans for the right to travel to Minnesota on Friday.

Widely viewed as one of the NBA’s worst teams entering the season, the Thunder have exceeded expectations due in large part to the contributions of All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, breakout rookie Jalen Williams, and second-year guard Josh Giddey.

The Pelicans, meanwhile, had aspirations of a top-four seed in the fall and were a much better team when they had Zion Williamson available. They’ve looked average since the former No. 1 pick went down with a hamstring injury, recording a modest +0.2 net rating when Williamson isn’t on the court this season.

Both teams could find reasons for optimism in the results of their four-game regular season series. The Pelicans went 3-1 in those contests, including a pair of wins without Williamson available. On the other hand, Gilgeous-Alexander had a 44-point night against New Orleans and all three of OKC’s losses came by four points or less, so the Thunder actually outscored the Pelicans on the season.

The Pelicans’ home court advantage (they were 27-14 in New Orleans) helps make them 5.5-point favorites on Wednesday, per BetOnline.ag.

We got one upset on Tuesday. Will we get one or two more today? We want to know what you think. Make your play-in picks in the poll below, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts!