SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 27 points, Sandro Mamukelashvili added 23 and the Toronto Raptors defeated the Utah Jazz 143-127 on Monday night.
Ja’Kobe Walter had 21 points and Scottie Barnes finished with 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as the Raptors (40-31) stopped a two-game skid. They remained a half-game ahead of Atlanta for fifth place in the Eastern Conference — the top six teams are assured a playoff berth without needing to qualify via the play-in tournament.
Utah rookie Ace Bailey had 37 points and Brice Sensabaugh scored 24 off the bench for the Jazz (21-51), who have lost six of seven and are eliminated from playoff contention.
Toronto outscored Utah 49-30 in the third quarter to open a 29-point cushion. Led by Walter and Barrett, the Raptors shot 54% from 3-point range (20 of 37) and 61% from the field overall.
Walter went 6 for 8 on 3-pointers and 7 of 10 from the floor. Barrett was 10 for 15 from the field, including 4 of 5 on 3s. He added six assists without committing a turnover in 25 minutes.
Jamal Shead had 15 assists for the Raptors to go with his seven points. Jamison Battle scored 17 off the bench, and Gradey Dick had 13.
Markelle Fultz, the top pick in the 2017 draft, played 16 minutes off the bench for Toronto in his first NBA game this season. He had two points on 1-of-5 shooting with five assists and three turnovers.
The 27-year-old Fultz signed a 10-day contract with the Raptors, the team announced earlier in the day. He had been playing for their G League affiliate.
Up next
Raptors: Wrap up a five-game trip Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Jazz: Finish a four-game homestand Wednesday night versus the Washington Wizards.
Golden State's Moses Moody was carted off late in overtime against Dallas with what appeared to be a serious knee injury after his left leg buckled when he went up for a shot with nobody around him.
Moody, who missed the previous 10 games with a sprained right wrist, had just stolen the ball from Mavericks rookie standout Cooper Flagg and was dribbling all alone, planted his left leg to go up for the shot and instead lost the ball as he crumpled to the court with 58 seconds remaining in the extra period.
Play continued at the Dallas end until the ball went out of bounds. After the whistle, Warriors coach Steve Kerr put his hands to his face as the Mavericks' home arena went silent.
The Warriors led 136-131 when Moody was injured, and only one more point was scored in a victory that extended Dallas' home losing streak to 12 games.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks requested waivers on guard Cam Thomas and converted forward/center Pete Nance, who had been on a two-way deal, to a multi-year standard NBA contract.
Nance, 26, entered Monday night’s game with the Los Angeles Clippers having averaged 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 12.1 minutes in 37 games while playing on a two-way deal.
Thomas scored 34 points in a 116-108 victory at Orlando in his Bucks debut and had 27 points in a 139-118 win at New Orleans nine days later, but his role eventually decreased. He didn’t play at all in back-to-back games with Indiana and Cleveland last week.
This move continues what’s been a difficult season for Thomas, who had scored 22.5 points per game in 2023-24 and 24 points per game in 2024-25 while playing for Brooklyn.
Thomas was averaging 15.6 points in 24 games with Brooklyn this season before the Nets waived him. He averaged 10.7 points and 16.6 minutes in 18 games with Milwaukee.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Sahith Theegala picked the right time to find a fairway, setting up a two-putt birdie on the final hole Monday night to flip the match and give Los Angeles a 6-5 victory over Jupiter Links and a 1-0 lead in the TGL finals.
Match 2 is Tuesday night at the SoFi Center, followed immediately by Match 3, if necessary.
LA was without Collin Morikawa, who suffered a back injury at The Players Championship.
Tiger Woods heads the Jupiter team but has sat out all year as he recovers from back surgery last fall. Jupiter had been using Akshay Bhatia as an alternate, but Bhatia is playing the Hero Indian Open this week in New Delhi on the European tour.
That put Kevin Kisner — who has been in the broadcast booth for NBC during the Florida swing on the PGA Tour — in the lineup for Jupiter for only the second time since Feb. 2.
Theegala twice hit tee shots out of play, and hit another drive into a bunker that kept LA from reaching the green in two on a par 5. He also missed a 3-foot putt that cost his team a point. But he wound up hitting a winner.
Jupiter led 5-4 going to the par-5 closing hole and LA threw the hammer, meaning the hole was worth two points. Theegala ripped his drive into the fairway to set up a second shot to 35 feet. Kisner found the rough off the tee, the rough on his second shot and a wedge came up short of the green. His birdie chip from 20 feet to tie the hole — and win the match — narrowly missed.
Jupiter had taken a 3-2 lead after alternate shot involving all three players through nine holes.
LA won the first two holes of singles for the lead, only for Kisner to hit driver onto the green at No. 12 after Theegala had gone into a hazard. That tied the match at 4.
Jupiter regained the lead at 5-4 when Justin Rose three-putted from long range. Tom Kim hit his tee shot on a par 3 to 6 feet and Jupiter threw the hammer. LA accepted, meaning if it lost the hole it would lose the match. Tommy Fleetwood responded with a tee shot to 4 feet for matching birdies.
That sent it to the 15th and final hole, and Theegala's length — and accuracy — was the difference.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki had another rough spring training start Monday night.
Sasaki issued six walks while allowing five runs in two-plus innings against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium. He threw 66 pitches, 32 for strikes.
The Japanese right-hander has a 15.58 ERA over four exhibition starts for the defending World Series champions. He has walked 15 in 8 2/3 innings, raising questions about his preparedness for the beginning of the regular season.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts for the Dodgers when they host Arizona in their opener on Thursday night.
Sasaki failed to get an out in the first. He hit Zach Neto with a 3-0 fastball before Mike Trout reached on a fielder's choice. Sasaki then walked three consecutive batters before he was replaced by Ronan Kopp.
The 24-year-old Sasaki returned for the start of the second. He hit Neto again and walked Trout before escaping the jam on a pair of grounders.
He issued a leadoff walk to Yoán Moncada in the third before striking out Jo Adell and Josh Lowe. Logan O'Hoppe then lined to second for the final out of the inning.
Sasaki was replaced by Ben Casparius after he walked Adam Frazier leading off the fourth. Frazier ended up scoring on Nolan Schanuel's sacrifice fly.
Sasaki signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in January 2025, receiving a $6.5 million signing bonus because he was under age 25 and subject to international signing bonus pool rules. He had spent the previous four seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan.
Sidelined for much of last season because of a right shoulder impingement, Sasaki went 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA in eight starts and two relief appearances.
He returned in September and became a key piece of the bullpen during the postseason, giving up just one earned run over 10 2/3 innings and earning three saves to help the Dodgers win their second straight championship.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The mound visit Carter Baumler received from Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker wasn't to take the rookie right-hander out of his last spring training game, but rather to let him know he made the opening day roster.
Schumaker came out of the dugout after Baumler retired the first two Kansas City Royals batters in the fifth inning Monday night. Texas catcher Danny Jansen and all four infielders were also on the mound when the new Rangers manager told the 24-year-old reliever he will start the season in the Texas bullpen.
“I wasn’t expecting it. I was like, why is he coming out here? And he got on the mound and told me I made the team,” Baumler said during an in-game TV interview on the Rangers Sports Network. “I mean, honestly, I thought I was like getting taken out of the game. ... Obviously, whenever the manager comes out, you’re usually done.”
Jansen patted his catcher's mitt on Baumler's chest and the infielders offered their congratulations. Baumler, looking to make his major league debut after never pitching above Double-A, had a big smile on his face but composed himself to strike out Isaac Collins swinging on a 96.8 mph fastball to end the inning.
In his eight spring training games, Baumler allowed one earned run and struck out 10 over 9 1/3 innings.
Baumler hugged Schumaker when he got back to the dugout after the third out, then was greeted by high-fives from teammates.
Baumler was selected by Baltimore in the fifth round of the 2020 amateur draft out of high school in Iowa and had Tommy John surgery soon after that. He pitched in the Orioles organization from 2022-25, but was left off their 40-man roster last fall. He was scooped up by Pittsburgh in the first round of the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings in December and traded to Texas the same day.
“A few years ago I never would have expected this,” Baumler said. “Looking back ... I’m glad I kept my head down and kept hammering away.”
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points, Jalen Williams added 18 in his return to the lineup and the Oklahoma City Thunder won their 12th game in a row Monday night with a 123-103 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers.
Jared McCain had 13 points for the Thunder in his first game in Philadelphia since last month’s trade. The defending NBA champions improved to 57-15, the best record in the league.
VJ Edgecombe scored 35 points for the 76ers, who played without Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George. Philadelphia began the day as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament but was just a half-game back of fifth-place Toronto.
Williams was back in the lineup after missing 16 games with a right hamstring strain.
PACERS 128, MAGIC 126
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 37 points and blocked Paolo Banchero’s attempted layup in the final seconds to help Indiana end their franchise-record 16-game losing streak with a win over Orlando.
Banchero scored 39 points for the Magic, who have lost five straight.
Banchero drove to the basket with a chance to tie the game after Orlando won a jump ball with 6.4 seconds left. But 7-foot-1 Jay Huff and the 6-9 Siakam were under the basket, and Banchero could not get the shot over them.
Jarace Walker had 20 points for the Pacers, and Aaron Nemith added 19. Andrew Nembhard, who hit a 3-pointer with 1:33 remaining for Indiana’s final points, finished with 13 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds.
PISTONS 113, LAKERS 110
DETROIT (AP) — Daniss Jenkins scored a career-high 30 points, including six in the final 34 seconds, and Detroit ended Los Angeles' nine-game winning streak.
The Pistons overcame 32 points from Luka Doncic and 24 from Austin Reaves to win their fourth straight and seventh in eight games. Jalen Duren added 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Doncic was cleared to play Sunday after the NBA rescinded his 16th technical foul of the season, which triggers a one-game suspension.
LeBron James went scoreless in the first half, but finished with 12 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
SPURS 136, HEAT 111
MIAMI (AP) — MIAMI (AP) — Victor Wembanyama scored 26 points as San Antonio beat Miami Heat for their sixth straight win.
Wembanyama added 15 rebounds and five blocks for the Spurs. Keldon Johnson scored 21 points while adding six rebounds. Dylan Harper went 9 of 14 from the field (3 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 21 points.
Norman Powell led the Heat with 21 points. Tyler Herro had 18 points.
HAWKS 146, GRIZZLIES 107
ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 26 points and eight Atlanta players scored in double figures as the Hawks routed Memphis.
Atlanta outscored the Grizzlies in the first three quarters and had an insurmountable 41-point advantage at 116-75 after three periods. The Hawks led by 10 points (32-22) after one and 25 points (71-46) at halftime on the way to their 11th straight home win and 13th victory in 14 games. Atlanta kept its lead around 40 points through most of the final period, which was won by the Grizzlies 32-30.
Onyeka Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga scored 16 points apiece, CJ McCollum had 15 and Dyson Daniels 12. Corey Kispert, Zaccharie Risacher and Jock Landale each added 11 as the Hawks shot 49 for 92 (53%) from the field overall and 25 of 54 (46%) from 3-point range.
Atlanta (40-32) had its highest point total of the season. The Hawks entered the game in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Toronto, which was playing at Utah later Monday.
GG Jackson scored 26 points, Tyler Burton added 20, Ty Jerome finished with 17 and Walter Clayton Jr. 16 for Memphis, which shot 33% (14 for 43) from 3-point distance.
BULLS 132, ROCKETS 124
CHICAGO (AP) — Matas Buzelis’ layup in the final seconds put Chicago ahead to stay and Collin Sexton came off the bench to score 25 points as Chicago beat Houston Rockets.
Houston’s loss, combined with San Antonio’s 136-111 win over Miami, allowed the Spurs (54-18) to clinch the Southwest Division.
The Bulls (29-42) led by as many as 22 points after scoring a season-high 41 points in the first quarter. But, Chicago trailed by four points late and needed Buzelis’ basket with 10.2 seconds remaining to move ahead to stay and post their first win over Houston in the teams’ last five games.
Kevin Durant fueled the Rockets’ (43-28) comeback by scoring 15 of his game-high 40 points in the fourth quarter. Durant was 15 of 23 from the field, marking the ninth straight game he shot 50% or better, which is the third-longest streak of his career.
Australian loses 6-2, 6-2 in last 16 against world No 2 Kazakh
Gibson had beaten five top-20 tennis players in three weeks
Talia Gibson’s impressive run at the Miami Open has come crashing down at the hands of world No 2 and two-time grand slam champion Elena Rybakina.
The in-form 21-year-old Australian, who came through two rounds of qualifying in Florida before upsetting Czech Sara Bejlek, Japan’s four-time slam winner Naomi Osaka and American teenage sensation Iva Jovic in the main draw, suffered a 6-2, 6-2 loss in her last-16 clash with Kazakh Rybakina.
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 23: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #7 of the Atlanta Hawks drives to the basket during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 23, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks delivered one of their most complete performances of the season Monday night, rolling past the Memphis Grizzlies 146-107 behind a balanced offensive attack and relentless pace at State Farm Arena.
Atlanta (40-32) seized control early and never let up, outscoring Memphis in every quarter but the fourth while shooting efficiently and spreading the scoring load across the roster. The Hawks led by double digits before halftime and blew the game open with a 45-point third quarter that turned a comfortable lead into a rout.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker paced Atlanta with 26 points on an ultra-efficient 8-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, while adding six assists. Onyeka Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga each contributed 16 points, combining for 10 rebounds and providing energy on both ends.
Veteran guard CJ McCollum orchestrated the offense with nine assists to go along with 15 points, helping Atlanta rack up a high assist total and maintain constant ball movement. The Hawks finished with multiple players in double figures, including Dyson Daniels (12 points), Corey Kispert (11), and Zaccharie Risacher (11 points, eight rebounds).
Atlanta’s depth proved overwhelming. The bench unit kept the pressure on throughout, with strong contributions from Jock Landale (11 points), Keaton Wallace (nine), and others as the Hawks shot over 50 percent from the field and knocked down 3-pointers at a high clip.
Memphis (24-47) was led by GG Jackson’s 26 points, while Tyler Burton added 20 and Ty Jerome chipped in 17. However, the Grizzlies struggled defensively and could not keep pace with Atlanta’s scoring bursts, particularly in the second and third quarters.
The Hawks built a 32-22 lead after one quarter and extended it to 71-46 by halftime. Their 45-point third quarter effectively ended any chance of a Memphis comeback, pushing the margin beyond 30 points.
Atlanta’s performance showcased its offensive ceiling crisp passing, efficient shooting and contributions from throughout the lineup while also highlighting improved defensive activity, forcing turnovers and limiting Memphis’ rhythm.
Rising star Georgia Voll has proven she’s a worthy successor for the retired Alyssa Healy in the national side, cracking her maiden T20I century during the rain-affected series finale against the West Indies in St. Vincent.
Next up are four arms, some holdovers and some new entrants. and each finishing the year at a different level of the minors.
36. Ryan Jennings, RHP, age 26 (DOB: 8/22/1999), grade: 35, 2025: 16th
The Blue Jays’ 2022 fourth round pick out of Louisiana Tech, Jennings has had an up-and-down transit through the Blue Jays system. He popped up in his draft spring after a move to the bullpen allowed him to run his fastball up into the mid-90s and touch 99. In 2023-24, he missed significant time with injuries and his velocity fluctuated though the results were generally good with particularly dominant results in 2024.
Jennings has the arsenal of a starter, with three secondaries that have at least flashed potential. His primary swing and miss weapon is a gyro slider in the mid/upper 80s, paired with a short power curve around in the low-80s. As a starter he also used a mid-80s changeup which flashed swing and miss potential, but which has been largely shelved with his move to the bullpen.
While he had success as a starter, the hope was that a move to the bullpen would allow the stuff to play up consistently, particularly the fastball velocity. That didn’t come to pass in 2025, as he sat but also topped out in the mid-90s. Additionally, the strike throwing backed up as Jennings walked 43 in 58 innings (with another eight HBP). That was a letdown on the heels of 2024, and while the potential keeps on the backend where he previously tended to be, another year like that will really call into question his major league potential.
Signed in 2022 by the Red Sox out of the Dominican Republic , Batista was one-third of the return for Danny Jansen in 2024. At that point he had yet to pitch outside of a complex league, but the Jays bumped him up to Dunedin where turned in four promising outings and returned for 2025.
In 2025, he worked as a swingman, throwing 85 innings to pedestrian results (4.96 ERA) but with intriguing underlying numbers (83 strikeouts against 26 free passes). Once again, his undoing was the long ball, yielding 15 home runs.
As with the performance, broadly speaking it’s the same story as a year ago in terms of stuff. Batista’s fastball sits 92-94, his best off-speed a change-up that flashes plus with some feel, and rounded out with an inconsistent slider (85-87). He’s still just 21, so it’s still possible there’s more in there at least in terms of refining secondaries, but absent that there’s a lot pointing towards a future in relief. Accordingly, while the grade and ranking remains similar to last year, the upside tail is pared back.
An undrafted free agent out of Louisiana State in 2024 where he pitched to undistinguished results over four years in various roles, the Jays appear to found a real gem. Debuting in 2025, Coleman’s 36% strikeout rate in Dunedin was interesting, but not that unusual for an experienced SEC pitcher facing a lot of teenagers and came with some control issues.
It was the latter half of the year that proved an even bigger step forward in Vancouver. Against a more appropriate level competition to serve as a measuring stick, not only did the strikeout rate tick up to 40% but he threw more strikes as well. The resulting 1.40 ERA anchored Vancouver’s bullpen down the stretch.
Coleman’s arsenal is as promising as the results. A low slot lefty, it’s tough for batters to pick up the ball. His fastball velocity has jumped up into the mid-90s, and he’s got a good frisbee slider and change-up to complement that. Neither are truly stand out beyond the tough arm angle, but it’s more than enough to overwhelm lower level hitters and should be enough to keep better hitters off balance. To that end, looked good in several Spring Training outings
There’s an obvious major league role for a lefty with good stuff, and at the rate he’s taking steps forward it may be sooner than later. If everything clicks he could end up on the higher end of relief outings, providing some upside, but there’s also a relatively higher floor.
33. Grant Rogers, RHP, age 25 (DOB: 4/22/2001), grade: 35, 2025: NR
Drafted in the 11th round of the 2023 draft from McNeese State, Rogers has succeeded as a workhorse starter across the three lowest levels with almost 50 starts and over 250 innings over two years. While his peripherals have been solid, his calling card is generating weak contact on the ground.
For a starter, Rogers has something of an unconventional arsenal, at least in today’s game. His two seamer sits in the low-90s, deriving its effectiveness from significant horizontal movement. He complements that with three breaking balls that are more three variants on a spectrum: a mid-80s slider, low 80s curve and upper-80s cutter. Once in a while I’ve seen a change-up but it’s not a factor. None rate as swing-and-miss offerings, they’re part of a mix to keep hitter off-balance.
The question is how this translates to higher levels, and I have my doubts. I don’t know the shape of his breaking balls, and they got hit pretty hard in Spring Training where he got a few starts and decent look. To some extent, the outcome feels dichotomous: either it works and he ends up an inning eating backend (or maybe mid rotation at peak) workhorse starter, or it’s tough to see major league value. Once upon a time, there was a niche sinker/slider pitchability relievers (think Shawn Camp) or longmen, but there aren’t so many in today’s game.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 18: Marcus Smart #36 of the Los Angeles Lakers in action during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After having a relatively long stretch in which their entire rotation was available, the Lakers took the floor in Detroit on Monday without a starter in Marcus Smart and key reserve Rui Hachimura.
Both were listed as questionable in the initial injury report. Prior to the team’s loss to the Pistons, head coach JJ Redick provided updates on both, starting with Rui’s right calf soreness.
JJ Redick says Rui Hachimura was hit in his right calf in the Miami game and it tightened up on him in the Orlando game. He had a MRI that came back clean. He is day to day, per Redick.
Ironically, Rui missed the last game against the Pistons with right calf soreness in late December. It was, however, a short-term injury that Rui returned from in about a week. However, it does show that there’s a bit of a history with this injury.
As for Smart, he has taken a beat recently and while he was listed on the injury report with right ankle soreness, he was also dealing with a hip injury.
Redick added that Marcus Smart is dealing with a right hip issue from the Orlando game as well as the right ankle from the collision with Goga Bitadze. Redick said Smart is also day to day. https://t.co/HW2u9cgdmi
The collision in question was one of the most absurd calls of the season for the Lakers in which a fairly innocuous coming together with Goga Bitadze ended with Smart receiving a technical foul.
The refs just gave Marcus Smart a tech foul for this play.
Given his injury history and the beating he takes on a game-to-game basis, having him sit out for a night or two to heal up isn’t the worst thing. Especially given the Lakers’ upcoming schedule, which includes games against Pacers, Wizards and Nets, sneaking in some rest for players wouldn’t be a bad strategy.
As for Rui and Smart, it appears neither injury is serious. The Lakers should be able to welcome them back soon and potentially in their road trip finale on Wednesday in Indiana.
ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 26 points and eight Atlanta players scored in double figures as the Hawks routed the Memphis Grizzlies 146-107 on Monday night.
Atlanta outscored the Grizzlies in the first three quarters and had an insurmountable 41-point advantage at 116-75 after three periods. The Hawks led by 10 points (32-22) after one and 25 points (71-46) at halftime on the way to their 11th straight home win and 13th victory in 14 games. Atlanta kept its lead around 40 points through most of the final period, which was won by the Grizzlies 32-30.
Onyeka Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga scored 16 points apiece, CJ McCollum had 15 and Dyson Daniels 12. Corey Kispert, Zaccharie Risacher and Jock Landale each added 11 as the Hawks shot 49 for 92 (53%) from the field overall and 25 of 54 (46%) from 3-point range.
Atlanta (40-32) had its highest point total of the season. The Hawks entered the game in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Toronto, which was playing at Utah later Monday.
GG Jackson scored 26 points, Tyler Burton added 20, Ty Jerome finished with 17 and Walter Clayton Jr. 16 for Memphis, which shot 33% (14 for 43) from 3-point distance.
The Grizzlies lost for the 11th time in 12 games. Memphis' only victory in that span was a 125-118 decision over the Denver Nuggets on March 18.
The Hawks were without Jalen Johnson due to left shoulder inflammation.
Memphis was without Cedric Coward, who missed his third straight game due to personal reasons. The Grizzlies were also without Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke and Jahmai Mashack , who are recovering from injuries. And, Zach Edey, Santi Aldama, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Scotty Pippen Jr. are out for the remainder of the season with injuries.
Up next
Grizzlies: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
Brendon McCullum and England’s leadership cohort have survived the Ashes debacle but Aussie icon Adam Gilchrist said it is clear the rival regime needs to learn from the mistakes they made in a disastrous tour of Australia.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 10: Pete Nance #35 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on during the first half of the game against the Phoenix Suns at Fiserv Forum on March 10, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ahead of their matchup with the Clippers, 110 minutes prior to game time, the Bucks announced one expected move and one somewhat unexpected. First off, they are converting forward Pete Nance from his two-way contract to a standard, multi-year deal. But in order to do that, they needed to open up a slot on their 15-man roster (two-way players aren’t included in that number), so they elected to waive guard Cam Thomas. That one’s a bit surprising.
Let’s begin with Nance: he had just one game remaining of his 50-game eligibility given to two-way players, so if Milwaukee wanted to make him active in any NBA game after tonight, he would have to be converted to a standard deal before the deadline for doing so on April 12th. He’s impressed a fair bit since first seeing rotation minutes in mid-January: while he averages just 4.5 MPG in 12.1 MPG, he shoots a stellar 56.4% from the field and 47.9% from deep. That comes with what appears to be capable perimeter defense; I’ve heard his athleticism compared unfavorably to his older brother Larry Jr. and his father, a former All-Star, but he moves his feet quite well and stays in front of his mark. His playing time ebbed a little bit in February, though he’s since been pretty consistently above 15 each contest.
All that considered, the 26-year-old looked a lot like part of Milwaukee’s future, and he seemed a near-lock to be promoted from his two-way. While contract terms haven’t been reported yet (we’ll update this story when they are), it will likely be a minimum deal, and include team options and/or non-guaranteed salary after this year. This is typical of late-season two-way conversions, so he may still have to earn his 2026–27 roster spot during camp, if not in Summer League.
The 6’9” Northwestern alum will make about $277k the remainder of the year; his minimum salary is projected to be just under $2.6m in 2026–27, which will be his cap hit if it is a three-year deal. If this is a two-year deal expiring in summer 2027, his cap hit will be just under $2.5m. Milwaukee technically opened a two-way spot converting Nance, but the deadline to sign two-way players was March 4th, so it’ll remain open into summer.
Now onto Thomas. After four-plus years in Brooklyn, the high-scoring 24-year-old was waived mere minutes after the NBA trade deadline on February 5th. And not long after, the Bucks were reported as interested, so he signed on February 8th. According to Thomas himself, Milwaukee had been interested in him for years and apparently sold him as being a part of their future. No reason to believe Thomas was lying about this, but it appears their calculus changed.
The results looked good early, with a 34-point outing in his second appearance with the Bucks on February 11th, then 27 two games later. Since then, however, he’s struggled to make a similar impact. He was in double-digits in just five of his following 14 games and shot a poor 37.8% from the field. A slightly below average three-point shooter (34% for his career), he dipped to 25% on 32 attempts after that February 20th game. All told, he put up 10.7 PPG as a Buck on .431/.275/.754 shooting, all beneath his career averages.
At 6’4”, he’s too small to play anywhere but guard, and doesn’t have any defensive chops. While he can sometimes create for others and move the ball, he’s mostly a ballstop, though one really good at creating his own shot and getting to the line. His free-throw rate jumped in Milwaukee, but he sank them 10% less often than his career 85.8% as a Net.
Thomas will return to the free-agent market in search of a new home, but can’t play in the postseason, which he may have thought he was doing when signing with the Bucks. Since he was waived after March 1st, he is ineligible to appear in any playoff games, so he may opt to play in a non-NBA league and/or sit out to try again this summer. Last summer, he picked up his qualifying offer from the Nets in order to hit unrestricted free agency in 2026, rather than restricted free agency a year early. His $845k cap hit will stay on the Bucks’ ledgers until the end of June, but Milwaukee is far beneath the luxury tax line and can afford to keep that while adding Nance’s $277k.
What’s surprising here is that Milwaukee is waiving Thomas just over a month-and-a-half after signing him instead of Andre Jackson Jr. These were always the two most logical release candidates when it became clear Nance should be converted because they could be the Bucks’ only two unrestricted free agents this summer outside of Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who obviously wasn’t getting cut. Jackson has a fully $2.4m non-guaranteed team option for 2026–27, so waiving him or Thomas, who has no money due to him next year, means Milwaukee would owe $0 to either after the season. Gary Harris, Gary Trent Jr., and Taurean Prince each have player options for next year worth $3.8–3.9m; if the Bucks waive one of them, that $3.8m would need to be stretched over three years, so $1.3m in dead cap every season through summer 2029.
However, I got some intel last week that Jackson was the release candidate, echoed by some comments from Doc Rivers during a pregame presser. Jackson was a key rotation piece much of last season, even starting 43 games, but has been relegated to garbage time in 2025–26. In 37 games, he’s averaging just 2.7 PPG on a stinky .258/.176/.900 shooting in 5.9 MPG. Strictly a defensive player at this point, he’s never broken into this year’s rotation and has played upwards of 10 minutes just five times. He’s had 33 DNP-CDs and saw no on-court action for over two weeks surrounding New Year’s.
Rivers’ reticence to play him during a lost season seemed to spell doom for his NBA future, but he’ll survive for now. In fact, Thomas had increasingly been on the outs lately too, with two DNP-CDs last week after just three minutes on March 12th. So it’s not exactly out of the blue, and you’ll certainly find fans who agree with Doc benching him, given some of his struggles in Milwaukee. With Giannis injured again, Thomas got back on the floor for 23 then 15 minutes since Thursday, but a 14-point outing followed up by seven on Saturday wasn’t enough to save him.
Nevertheless, signing him was a low-risk endeavor, and with Nance looking the part of a future rotation piece, there is nothing to be mad about moving on from Thomas. Sure, maybe some preferred Jackson and would have given Thomas a new contract this summer, but in either case, the Bucks assure themselves of keeping Nance, which is the more important part. All that’s actually changed here is the decision between retaining Jackson or retaining Thomas into 2026–27. Best of luck to Thomas elsewhere, and we’ll always appreciate that first week.
