Category: Basketball

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Across 1,960 career playoff and regular-season NBA games, LeBron James has never been a larger underdog than he is against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. 

According to Yahoo Sports’ Ben Fawkes, the 15.5-point Game 1 line represents the largest perceived deficit of James’ illustrious 23-year career. 

Key Takeaways

• LeBron hasn’t been as large of a series underdog since 2006.
  
  
• The Lakers beat the Houston Rockets at +550 underdogs in the first round.
  
  
• Bronny James has +500 odds of scoring 15 points in the upcoming series.

The Los Angeles Lakers are taking on a real-life Goliath in the form of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are -15.5 at home ahead of tip-off in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. 

The Los Angeles Lakers are consensus 15.5-point underdogs in Game 1 tonight at the Oklahoma City Thunder.

➡️That would be the biggest underdog LeBron James has been in ANY game in his 23-year career

— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) May 5, 2026

James is already 11 regular-season games clear of Robert Parish and 39 playoff outings ahead of Derek Fisher for the NBA’s all-time record in career appearances. But while he has won four championships and produced countless unforgettable moments, he has never been a larger underdog than he is tonight.

The Lakers’ +600 moneyline odds at DraftKings suggest they only have a 14.3% chance to steal Game 1 on the road. Notably, they’re still without leading scorer Luka Doncic, who suffered a hamstring injury on April 2 against this same Thunder team.

Upsets aren’t impossible. The Lakers overcame huge +550 odds to win their first-round series against the Houston Rockets, eliminating a team they were given a 15.4% chance of beating in six games.

However, in extending their season, they also accepted a date with a team that tormented them during the regular season. 

LeBron, Lakers face daunting task

The defending-champion and NBA Finals odds favorite Thunder (-155) went 4-0 against the Lakers during the regular season. Those wins came by nine, 29, 36, and 43 points, and they did not have MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the nine-point victory.

DraftKings has the Thunder at -1600 (94% implied chance) to eliminate the Lakers and move on to the Western Conference Finals. LA is only +900 (10% chance) to continue past the series.

For context, here are all of the opening series odds for the other NBA conference semifinals:

• San Antonio Spurs (-525), Minnesota Timberwolves (+350)
  
• New York Knicks (-260), Philadelphia 76ers (+215)
  
• Detroit Pistons (-125), Cleveland Cavaliers (+105)

According to SportsOddsHistory, that makes this the second-most lopsided series of LeBron’s career as an underdog. The only other time he faced a greater deficit was in the 2006 Conference Semifinals, when his Cleveland Cavaliers were +1200 against the Detroit Pistons. Detroit won the series in seven games after falling behind 3-2.

Oddsmakers at DraftKings don’t believe that James has much of a hope of extending the series as he did back in ‘06. There are -320 odds the Thunder cover a 2.5-game spread, meaning they have an implied 76.2% chance of winning the series in four or five games.

Notably, the Thunder enter the series having already swept the Phoenix Suns. They also swept their first-round opponent, the Memphis Grizzlies, before they were taken to seven games by the Denver Nuggets one year ago. 

They went on to win the NBA Finals, beating the Indiana Pacers in seven games.

Bronny James prop special

As LeBron looks to add a possible final crowning achievement to his playoff resume, his son, Bronny James, is enjoying his first taste of playoff action.

Bronny finished the first round against the Rockets with 10 total points scored while getting playing time in five of six games. FanDuel Sportsbook published a special market for Bronny to reach 15 total points in the series with the Thunder for +500 odds, suggesting he only has a 16.7% chance to hit the mark.

Bronny had 10 total points the Lakers' series vs. the Rockets 😳

Can he get 15+ points in their series vs. the Thunder? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/IxJtPxGtPJ

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) May 4, 2026

The younger James scored zero, four, and 10 points in three previous matchups with OKC. 

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The New York Knicks scorched the nets at Madison Square Garden in the series opener and take aim at a 2-0 lead when they host the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night.

My same-game parlay for Game 2 of this Eastern Conference semifinal likes the points to keep flowing, along with standout efforts from Kelly Oubre Jr. and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Here are my best NBA picks and SGP predictions for 76ers vs. Knicks on May 6.

Our best 76ers vs Knicks SGP for Game 2

SGP leg #1: Over 215

The New York Knicks shot 63% from the floor and scored 137 points in the series opener. While I expect New York’s success to come back to earth, its offense throws a lot at Philadelphia, especially with Joel Embiid limping around on defense.

As for the Philadelphia 76ers, they need to promote pace on offense, and I expect the Sixers to do their share of the scoring in Game 2. This total has jumped only two points from the closing number of 213 O/U in Game 1, leaving a low bar for the Over.

SGP leg #2: Kelly Oubre Over 5.5 rebounds

Kelly Oubre Jr. is averaging six rebounds for the postseason, but his work on the boards surges in this series. Embiid is being drawn away from the rim and isn’t mobile enough to chase down misses.

Oubre had five boards on eight rebounding chances in Game 1, with New York not missing much. There will be more rebounding chances in Game 2, and Oubre is projected for six or more rebounds after pulling down seven in both regular-season meetings with the Knicks.

SGP leg #3: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 18.5 points

Karl-Anthony Towns has served more as a conduit for the Knicks' offense in the playoffs, passing off rather than attacking. However, Philadelphia has to change how they defend KAT.

That means sending smaller players at him up top or sagging off with Embiid. Either way, Towns can find the bottom of the basket, and Game 2 forecasts have him scoring around 22 points.

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See our full 76ers vs Knicks Game 2 preview

Get Jason Logan's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his 76ers vs Knicks predictions for Game 2.

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Anthony Edwards’ improbable return to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ lineup for the team's shocking Game 1 victory over the San Antonio Spurs caused a seismic change in NBA betting odds.

Key Takeaways

• Edwards was expected to be out for part or all of the series.
  
  
• The Spurs are still a comfortable second place in odds to win the NBA Finals.
  
  
• Teams that go up 1-0 in a playoff series end up winning more than 77% of the time.

FanDuel sportsbook opened with the Spurs, the West's second-place finishers, at -3,000 amid uncertainty over Edwards' future. The Timberwolves' star guard sustained a hyperextension and bone bruise to his left knee in Game 4 of the first round against the Denver Nuggets and was given a two-to-six-week return timeline.

Rumors swirled that there was a chance Edwards could be ready for Game 1, so FanDuel dropped San Antonio to -2,200 on Sunday, a day before the series opener. Oddsmakers pivoted again when it was announced Monday that Edwards was likely to play in Game 1. The Spurs were knocked down to -600, while Minnesota shortened to +450.

The T-Wolves still had a ton of work to do in Game 1. They entered as 9.5-point underdogs without Donte DiVinceno and Ayo Dosunmu against a Spurs team that had enjoyed several extra days of rest and was at home, where it went 32-8 in the regular season.

Despite the Spurs’ advantages, the T-Wolves emerged with a two-point victory as Julian Champagnie’s would-be game-winning 3-pointer clanked off the rim at the buzzer. Julius Randle led the way with 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Edwards had 18 points (11 in the fourth quarter) in 25 minutes off the bench.

Victor Wembanyama set an all-time playoff record with 12 blocks to go with his 15 rebounds, but he only scored 11 points on 29.4% shooting.

FanDuel now has the Spurs at -186 (65% implied chance) and the Timberwolves at +156 (39% chance) to win the series. The Spurs are -9.5 favorites again for Game 2.

NBA Finals odds picture

The Timberwolves’ early advantage hasn’t caused a massive change in the championship picture.

The Spurs still find themselves second in NBA championship odds at +470, behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (-170). However, they are down from about +340, where they were before their Game 1 loss.

On the flip side, the Timberwolves are sixth of the eight remaining teams in title odds at +3,000. Only the Los Angeles Lakers (+3,500) and Philadelphia 76ers (+7,000) have longer odds.

BetMGM insights shared with Covers on Monday revealed that the Spurs led all remaining teams in tickets (10.9%) and were second in money wagered (16.8%) in the NBA Finals futures market. The Timberwolves were sixth in tickets (5.5%) and handle (5.2%). 

Bettors also loved the Spurs to win the Western Conference. They drew 21.3% of bets and 23.3% of the pot, which ranked first and second, repectively, in the West.

The Timberwolves were fourth in wagers (12.6%) and handle (9.5%) of the eight remaining teams.

History favors underdogs

While the Spurs are still favored to win their second-round series, they will have to overcome a strong historical precedent.

Teams that take a 1-0 series lead have won 700 of 901 series (77.1%), according to Land of Basketball. Stripping away all other data points, that would suggest the Timberwolves have -337 odds to win the series, and the Spurs should be +337 (assuming no vig). 

Minneosta now has a combined regular-season and playoff record of 3-1 against San Antonio. The teams will meet for Game 2 on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

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The Philadelphia 76ers wrangled just 28 rebounds in their series-opening loss to the New York Knicks. That’ll happen when your opponent knocks down 63% of their shots.

Philadelphia had no answers for a red-hot New York attack and pretty much packed it in by the third quarter, saving its legs for Game 2.

Forward Kelly Oubre Jr. led the Sixers with five boards in the blowout defeat, and our 76ers vs. Knicks predictions like him to keep cleaning the glass.

My NBA picks take Oubre to round up the rebounds on May 6.

76ers vs Knicks Game 2 prediction

76ers vs Knicks best bet: Kelly Oubre Jr. Over 5.5 Rebounds (+100)

Kelly Oubre Jr.’s role as a rebounder spikes in this series. 

The New York Knicks’ high action drags center Joel Embiid away from the paint on defense, and his lack of mobility prevents him from crashing the glass.

Oubre will often be the closest defender to the rim, and he’s active enough to contest for rebounds. He hauled in five boards on eight potential chances in just 27 minutes in Game 1.

So far in the postseason, Oubre is averaging 5.9 rebounds on 10.0 chances. New York’s shooting will regress in Game 2, leaving more rebounding opportunities, and Oubre’s projections sit at 6+ boards.

COVERS INTEL: Before Oubre’s five rebounds in Game 1, the 6-foot-8 forward pulled down seven rebounds in each of his two meetings with the Knicks in the regular season.

76ers vs Knicks Game 2 same-game parlay

The Philadelphia 76ers couldn’t pick up the pace in Game 1. The Knicks’ hot shooting forced them to start too many possessions from the inbounds.

Philadelphia’s best plan of attack is to avoid the half-court defense by fueling fastbreaks and transition. New York won’t shoot as well as it did in the opener, but its offense is a tough solve for Philly. 

Karl-Anthony Towns has been more of a playmaker for the Knicks in the playoffs. But with the 76ers trying to keep Joel Embiid anchored inside, KAT could see smaller checks and more space from the top of the key. He’ll either attack inside or let it fly from mid-range. Projections are as high as 22 points for Game 2.

76ers vs Knicks SGP

• Over 215
• Kelly Oubre Over 5.5 Rebounds
• Karl-Anthony Towns Over 18.5 Points

76ers vs Knicks odds for Game 2

• Spread: 76ers +7 | Knicks -7
• Moneyline: 76ers +225 | Knicks -275
• Over/Under: Over 215 | Under 215

76ers vs Knicks betting trend to know

The Knicks make good on big spreads at home. New York is 24-4 SU and 21-7 ATS (75%) when laying more than five points at Madison Square Garden, including 3-1 SU and ATS so far in the playoffs. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Knicks.

How to watch 76ers vs Knicks Game 2

76ers vs Knicks latest injuries

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If you love rock-em-sock-em wars, the last Detroit Pistons series was for you. The Cleveland Cavaliers are not as physical as the Orlando Magic. We may not get a Hagler-Hearns collision in Round 2, but Cleveland presents other challenges.

Cade Cunningham had his playoff coming-out party against the Magic. He will be the best player in this series too, and if his jumper continues to fall, he could play even better. There’s no doubt Jalen Duren wants to have a bounce-back series, and there are signs that he could.

JB Bickerstaff goes head-to-head with his former team. Of course, Cleveland has different schemes and players, but Bickerstaff should know Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley’s tendencies like the back of his hand.

Game vitals

Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI

When: 7:00 PM EST

Watch: Peacock/NBC

Odds: Pistons (-3.5)

Analysis

The Cavaliers are coming off a grueling 7-game series with the Toronto Raptors. Toronto had the fifth-ranked defense in the regular season. They and Detroit play a similar brand of fly-around defense.

Detroit is the superior rim-protecting team and has better perimeter defenders. We saw how much trouble Scottie Barnes and Jamal Shead gave the Cavs backcourt.

It’s not far-fetched to assume Ausar Thompson, Cade Cunningham, and the other stout perimeter defenders can make it tough for James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

Detroit can make it tough, but that is still a lot of firepower. Harden or Mitchell are capable of getting it going after slow starts, so the attention on them cannot waver.

Mitchell in particular is due for a good series. He’s risen in the playoffs historically (27.8 PPG, 7th all-time), but he also has some stinkers. He’s a lot to handle when the shotmaking gets going, but if anybody can make him struggle in back-to-back series, it is Ausar.

Continuing to stay out of foul trouble will be major for the future Defensive Player of the Year. Ausar only had a 2.3 foul percentage (91 percentile) against Orlando compared to 7.4 (3rd percentile) against the Knicks last year. He is the defense-to-offense king, and staying out of foul trouble keeps him on the floor. They’ll need him for closer to 35 minutes per game. He may take some Harden minutes, and Harden is a historic foul drawer.

Harden will always have a dogged defender on his bumper. He may not have the burst he once had, but he is still a PnR maestro and a laser shooter. Harden makes the game easier for their bigs and role players. He can make every pass in the book, and the Cavalier shooters relish sharing the floor with him. Detroit cannot sag off this point guard as they did with Jalen Suggs.

Cleveland’s bigs were a bit more impressive than the guards in some pockets of the last series. Jarrett Allen had a double-double in the third quarter alone in Game 7. Mobley approached the series with more scoring aggression, and his long-range shot was falling (39% on 3.3 3PA).

It’s on Isaiah Stewart and Duren to take away their basketball spirit. We have seen Allen say the playoff lights were too bright. Mobley has disappeared in a series before. Granted Mobley was younger, but these Pistons are certainly the best paint-defense Allen and Mobley have seen on this stage. Take them away and force the guards to create vs a set defense.

On the other side of the ball, Cleveland’s frontcourt is lengthier than Orlando’s, but they don’t play with the same physicality. Cleveland has not shown that they have crisp enough rotations to tag and grab Duren on every roll as Orlando did.

Duren may or may not be his regular-season self in this matchup, but Cleveland is more favorable than Orlando. There are two 7-footers in Cleveland, but maybe physicality can mitigate the height difference a bit. The PnR with Cade may be there a bit more since there is no Suggs flying around causing chaos.

Cade was the big man on campus last series. Orlando has more premier perimeter defenders than Cleveland. The Cavs’ go-to stoppers are Dean Wade and Jaylon Tyson. Two very good defenders, but Cade has seen every type of coverage at this point and is a man on a mission. He is going to get his and be him in this matchup.

Role players

Daniss Jenkins found some much-needed rhythm in Game 7. Carry some of that over because Detroit’s offense is more lethal when he makes open shots. Duncan Robinson had highs and lows, but his shooting will be needed as Cleveland has snipers.

Sam Merrill is one of the best pure shooters in the series. He is a mover that the Pistons chasers cannot leave. Tyson only shot 35 percent from 3 vs Toronto, but he is not a role player who you dare to shoot either.

Cleveland has the shooting advantage all around. 42 percent of their playoff shots have been 3s compared to 33 percent for Detroit. Cleveland’s backcourt has off-the-bounce juice, and other role players like Max Strus hit shots. Detroit has a bit more self-creation from its role players.

Tobias Harris was cooking the Magic. He made pivotal shots and was a safety blanket for Detroit’s offense. Can he average over 20 points again? That is asking a lot, but if Duren and Jenkins are better, Detroit won’t be so dependent on its 15-year veteran. Harris will still be a bailout option and may have a favorable matchup if Cleveland elects to stick Mobley on Ausar so Mobley can roam.  

Dennis Schröder is one of Cleveland’s self-creating role players Pistons fans know very well. He can be impactful if Kenny Atkinson presses that button. He only played about 14 minutes a game against Toronto, so it will be interesting to see how much run he gets against a team he helped in the offs last year.  

Cleveland has the better offense, more star power, but questionable basketball character. Detroit has the defensive infrastructure to do even better than Toronto and an MVP-caliber first option (Barnes was amazing, but Cade is a different animal).

Detroit should view the Cavs as punkable. Bickerstaff had a front row seat to those Cavs postseason flameouts. He knows how and why his former players shrank.

The game plan devised will note every single micro detail on guys like Mitchell, Mobley, and Allen. Film already shows you players’ tendencies, but being with players for over two years reveals tendencies that film can’t show.

The Magic started strong, punching Detroit in the nose in Game 1. The Pistons cannot let that happen again against a team with more firepower. Set the tone early and hold down homecourt. You won 60 games for a reason.

Lineups

Detroit Pistons (0-0): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Cleveland Cavaliers (0-0): James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Question of the day

Does Ron Holland get more burn in this series to slow down one of the Cavs guards?

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Maybe the Detroit Pistons simply needed a wake-up call. They certainly got it in the first round.

A Game 1 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers would give some assurance that all the Eastern No. 1 seed needed was a wake-up call.

My Cavaliers vs. Pistons props and these free NBA picks expect Detroit to prove as much on Tuesday, May 5.

Best Cavaliers vs Pistons props for Game 1

Player	Pick
Cade Cunningham	30+ points	+100
Jarrett Allen	Under 7.5 rebounds	+105
Tobias Harris	Over 17.5 points	+102

Game 1 Prop #1: Cade Cunningham 30+ points

+100 at bet365

As much as a wake-up call, Cade Cunningham needed to get his lungs back. A collapsed lung is obviously nothing to take lightly, and missing three weeks at the end of the regular season certainly cost Cunningham some cardiovascular health.

But as any endurance athlete would tell you, their lungs can get back into shape after only a week or two of work following some inactivity. It is the blessing of all the preceding training.

Cunningham opened the series against the Magic shooting an ugly 42.4% from the field and 28.6% from deep through four games. No wonder the Detroit Pistons trailed 3-1 in that series.

Cunningham closed the series shooting 54.1% from the field and 11-for-18 (61.1%) from deep in the final three games. No wonder the Pistons swept those games. Cunningham averaged 36.3 points in those three games, desperation the mother of innovation, but also boosted by sheer health.

With his lungs back, don’t bet against Cunningham anytime soon.

Game 1 Prop #2: Jarrett Allen Under 7.5 rebounds

+105 at bet365

For a veteran who averaged 8.5 rebounds this season and 9.2 across his career, this is a modest rebounding prop, right? Yet, Jarrett Allen fell short of this number in five of the seven games the Cleveland Cavaliers needed to get by the Raptors.

And now Allen faces a superior rebounding team, one that emphasizes the offensive glass, one that is significantly bigger than Toronto.

Jalen Duren should make Allen’s life miserable in this series, a harsh truth for Cleveland’s future beyond this month.

Game 1 Prop #3: Tobias Harris Over 17.5 points

+102 at bet365

Not to try to give the Magic more credit than they are due, but their injured roster most of the season obscured their defensive possibilities. It was clear once it was healthy in April, that was a defense to worry about.

Cleveland’s defense is not. From the All-Star Break to the end of the regular season, the Cavaliers’ defensive rating sat at No. 18 in the NBA. None of the 12 teams behind the Cavs made the playoffs proper.

Even the shorthanded Magic sat at No. 12 in that stretch.

Tobias Harris cleared this prop in the last five games of the series against Orlando. Even in the first two, he scored 17 and 16 points. He should, quite frankly, feast against a lackluster defense like Cleveland’s.

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Getting it right starts with getting it wrong. It’s true in math, mental health and Madison Square Garden, where last night the New York Knicks took a 1-0 series lead over Philadelphia with a 137-98 shellacking of the 76ers.

Through all the fits and false starts of this season, there were glimpses. Early on the Knicks were an offensive dynamo but struggled to get stops. Then there were periods of defensive dominance. Early in December, they won nine of 10 games; two weeks later, they dropped nine of 11, followed by an eight-game winning streak. All the while, the hares heard the hype. Cleveland got Harden! Look at Boston not even need Tatum! Detroit! Detroit! Detroit!

All the while, the tortoise kept on keeping on. Over the last four games, the tortoise has mutated into the Ninja Turtles. Leonardo, Michaelangelo and Raphael were Games 4-6 versus Atlanta. Last night the Knicks were Donatello: brilliant, focused, and carrying a big stick.

Jalen Brunson reminded everyone with short-term memory loss who’s the best player in the series East. Karl-Anthony Towns continues to look right at home playing point center. Mikal Bridges is playing like he’s worth 10 first-round picks. OG Anunoby is shooting a playoff-record 99% from the field while locking down anyone within reach. Josh Hart is doing 99% of all the things, and doing them well.

What’s different about these Knicks — than any Knick team I’ve seen in my life — is their depth. Miles McBride looks more in-rhythm. Mitchell Robinson looks springy. Ariel Hukporti was terrific backing up KAT and Mitch, who both committed four fouls. Every Knick played and scored besides Jeremy Sochan. Everyone played like they knew their role and it was the role they were born to play.

Contrast that with the opposition. Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe combined to shoot 11-of-30. The Sixers were -24 in the 3-point battle. New York had 34 assists to 15 turnovers; Philadelphia had 15 dimes and 19 oopsies. Their bench was outscored by 12. Their starters were outscored by 27. And those are just what the numbers say.

The eye test wasn’t any better, which doesn’t bode well for the Sixers, who’ve mostly stuck with a six-man rotation to get this far. Quentin Grimes had a pissiness about him that suggests he still hasn’t gotten over the end of his time as a Knick, when he complained, “It feels like if I don’t hit the shot, I’m coming out. Every shot I shoot probably weighs like 100 pounds if I don’t make it.” Grimes missed three of his four looks last night but did get 24 minutes of run, so hopefully he’s happy.

At least Grimes mostly kept his issues internal. In just four minutes of playing time, Adem Bona committed five fouls (I think all offensive) and three turnovers, and “committed” is putting it gently. He played like the Kool-Aid man high on bath salts, running through every Knick he could. The Knicks, similar to Game 6 in Atlanta, didn’t let up, even with the game decided by the third quarter. There’s a difference between aggression and anarchy.

Quoth LadyKnick: “It is really surreal . . . similar to the ‘90s Knicks, but more on [offense].” This team really is something special. I know, I know, they’re just “quirky” enough to where you can see them losing Game 2. But they’re also doing things we haven’t seen from any Knick team in the past, or any team, period. Sometimes a win is just a win, a 1-0 lead, the home team handling its business. Sometimes it’s something more.

In 1969 the Knicks hadn’t won a playoff series in 16 years. They opened their postseason against the league’s best team that year, the Baltimore Bullets. The Bullets had never had any success, but landing Earl Monroe and Wes Unseld in consecutive glowed them up from rags to riches. The Knicks won Game 1 in Baltimore impressively, then went on to sweep them. It was a statement win, the birth of the Golden Age in club history.

In 1992 the Knicks were a year removed from a sub-.500 record and an embarrassing first-round sweep. They faced the Pistons in the opening round, a Pistons team that had owned the East the prior five years, winning 15 of 18 series. The Knicks won Game 1 by 34, then went on to win a dogfight. It was a statement win, the birth of the Silver Age in Knick history.

What does last night mean? Depends on what happens tomorrow. If the Knicks slip, the Sixers will take the split as “mission accomplished,” and the Knicks will face two games in Philly MSG West. If they win? Then the joyride continues, and hopefully the surreal never stops.

FIBA Hall of Famer and Puerto Rican basketball legend José ‘Piculin’ Ortiz has passed away at the age of 62. Ortiz was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Puerto Rican basketball history. He had been battling colorectal cancer since 2023, according to FIBA.

Throughout his career, Ortiz played college basketball for the Oregon State Beavers, averaging 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. His performance earned him the Pac-10 Player of the Year honors in 1987. That same year, he made history as the first Puerto Rican player ever selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, going 15th overall to the Utah Jazz. Ortiz went on to play two seasons in the NBA, averaging 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds over 64 games.

Following his time in the NBA, Ortiz played professional basketball in Europe, with teams in Spain and Greece, before returning to Puerto Rico to continue his career.

Ortiz was a pillar of the Puerto Rican National Team, representing his country in four Olympic Games (1988, 1992, 1996, and 2004) and competing in numerous FIBA World Championships and international tournaments. On August 30, 2019, Ortiz’s contributions were recognized with his induction into the FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame, honoring a career spanning two decades.

“Today  Puerto Rico loses more than an athlete, it loses a legend,” Puerto Rico’s Basketball Federation told FIBA. “Thank you for all the joys, for representing our flag with pride and for taking the name of our island to the highest. Rest in peace, José “Piculin” Ortiz Rijos. Your legacy will live on every court, with every fan and with every generation that you inspire.”

More: Magic fire coach Jamahl Mosley after NBA playoffs collapse vs Pistons

The Dallas Mavericks shocked the basketball world on Monday morning by hiring veteran executive Masai Ujiri as their new President of Basketball Operations and Alternate Governor. Ujiri enjoyed largely successful stints as the top decision maker with the Denver Nuggets and Toronto Raptors throughout the 2010s, winning both an Executive of the Year award and an NBA title during that time. He was let go by the Raptors in June of 2025.

Though Ujiri’s track record through 2019 is virtually bulletproof, the last few years of his Toronto tenure were tumultuous to say the least. After winning the 2019 title, the Raptors became imprisoned in mediocrity from 2020 to 2023 before finally embarking on a long-overdue rebuild. According to reporting around the organization, this was in large part due to a mandate from ownership group Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. Chairman Ed Rogers had no interest in a rebuild so soon after winning the title, and Ujiri was prevented from hitting the reset button at an ideal time.

But even factoring in the troublesome Toronto ownership piece, Ujiri’s final six years in Toronto can’t be described as anything less than a failure. Is this guy cooked? Has the game passed him by? OR was Ujiri fed up with Toronto ownership, mentally checked out during the final years of his tenure, and desperate for a break and change of scenery? With these questions in mind, let’s take a hard look at all the major moves Ujiri made after winning the 2019 title. Through the good, the bad, and the neutral, we might be able to discern whether Ujiri can rediscover his fastball and build a winner around Cooper Flagg.

The Good

June 2021- Toronto selects Scottie Barnes fourth overall in the NBA Draft

This is by far the best move of Ujiri’s post-title tenure. Barnes has blossomed into a superstar for the Raptors, a top-15 player worth building a franchise around. And while it may seem like giving Ujiri credit for hitting on the fourth overall pick is a bit generous, Barnes wasn’t the consensus best player available when Toronto made their selection. After Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, and Evan Mobley were off the board, many assumed the Raptors would take Jalen Suggs with their pick. Others argued for guys like Jonathan Kuminga or Franz Wagner. At the time of the draft, The Ringer, The Athletic, and SB Nation had Barnes ranked fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively, on their big boards. This wasn’t a no-brainer pick at fourth overall, and Ujiri nailed it.

August 2021- Toronto signs & trades Kyle Lowry to Miami for Precious Achiuwa and Goran Dragic

You could argue that Toronto should have traded Lowry a year earlier, but Ujiri did well to avoid paying him a three-year mega contract while getting something in a sign-and-trade. Lowry was a franchise legend and had played an instrumental part in delivering their first title, so he had a lot of say in whether he stayed or went. When it became clear that his time as a Raptor was over, Ujiri worked with his preferred destination to facilitate a deal. And though Dragic infamously did not work out, Achiuwa did enough to establish himself as a rotation player in the league. Ujiri dodged a bullet by not paying Lowry, who declined dramatically in Miami. This should have launched the rebuild in earnest, but OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam were too young to trade and too good to bottom out.

June 2024- Toronto acquires Davion Mitchell, Jamal Shead, Sasha Vezenkov, and a 2025 2nd round draft pick from Sacramento for Jalen McDaniels

If you want to fleece someone, call the Sacramento Kings. This return was highway robbery for Jalen McDaniels, a player not to be confused with his much more talented brother. Sacramento made this trade to duck the luxury tax, and Ujiri smartly preyed on their desperation, snagging a good role player in Mitchell and a rookie flyer in Shead. The latter’s defensive prowess should allow him to maintain a rotation role in Toronto for a long time. This was a nice bit of business from Ujiri that went under the radar when it happened.

February 2025- Toronto acquires Brandon Ingram from New Orleans for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a 2026 1st round draft pick (from Indiana), and a 2031 2nd round draft pick

The last major deal of Ujiri’s Raptors stint was a blockbuster. And though it may be a controversial take, I think this was a good deal from a process and value standpoint. Ingram’s value was depressed at the time, and Ujiri saw an opportunity.

As I’ll detail later, the Raptors have had a tough time attracting free agents, and Ingram represented a chance for them to add an All-Star on the relatively cheap. They essentially gave up one first-round pick and some garbage. And look, here’s where it gets thorny— that pick is currently slotted as second in the 2026 NBA Draft. Now, it looks like Toronto paid a hefty price for Ingram. But a year ago, who could have foreseen Tyrese Haliburton tearing his Achilles in the NBA Finals, triggering a supertank gap year from Indiana, and exponentially inflating the value of their draft pick? I suppose that’s the danger in dealing those assets, but I think this was solid process by Ujiri. Ingram was fantastic for Toronto this season, making the All-Star team and helping them to the fifth seed before injuries ended his season.

The Bad

November 2020- Toronto drafts Malachi Flynn 29th overall over Desmond Bane

Ujiri has mostly nailed the draft throughout his career, and lots of people passed on Bane, but this one hurts. Flynn was a bad basketball player, and he wasn’t even the usual archetype Ujiri goes for. You would have hoped that he would have recognized Bane’s obvious talent instead. Making the wrong pick one slot before Bane went adds insult to injury.

March 2021- Toronto trades Norman Powell to Portland for Rodney Hood and Gary Trent Jr.

This was the first big blunder of Ujiri’s 2020s run. I understand the process here— Ujiri decided he didn’t want to pay Norman Powell entering his age-28 season and flipped him for a guy (Trent Jr.) of a similar archetype who’s nearly six years younger. Trent had a couple of good years in Toronto, but it’s clear that Toronto gave up on Powell too quickly. Paying him the modest $18 million AAV contract he got from the Clippers would have been a solid investment.

February 2022- Toronto trades Goran Dragic and a 2022 1st round draft pick to San Antonio for Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks, and a 2022 2nd round draft pick 

While this trade wasn’t that consequential, it was bad process. Toronto was on a hot streak heading into the deadline and looking to bulk up for the playoffs, and Ujiri thought that Thaddeus Young was the guy to put them over the top. They dangled Dragic’s expiring contract and the 20th overall pick (essentially moving down 13 spots) to acquire the veteran forward. Young gave Toronto very little during his tenure, and Ujiri was wrong in believing he had more left in the tank. The pick they gave to San Antonio ended up being Malachi Branham, who stinks. But they missed the opportunity to draft Walker Kessler, Andrew Nembhard, Christian Braun, or Peyton Watson, all of whom would have been great additions for the future.

February 2023- Toronto acquires Jakob Poeltl from San Antonio for Khem Birch, a 2023 2nd round draft pick, a 2024 1st round draft pick, and a 2025 2nd round draft pick

Again, value-wise, this isn’t a bad deal. Poeltl was still a very good player at the time, and Toronto only gave up one significant pick for him. And the 2024 draft was horrible, so the eighth-overall pick they gave up (Rob Dillingham) doesn’t hurt that much. Ultimately, this trade was a failure because of what it represented in a timeline sense. Toronto was clearly staring a rebuild in the face, and trading a lottery pick for Poeltl, a good, not great center, didn’t make any sense. He didn’t make the team any better, and they had to rebuild the next year anyway.

July 2023- Toronto loses Fred VanVleet for nothing in free agency

VanVleet has opened up about his desire to leave Toronto before the 2023 offseason. The Raptors weren’t good that year, but they didn’t trade VanVleet at the deadline because Ujiri wanted to push for the playoffs. Maybe the offers weren’t great, but they likely could have gotten something. Instead, they finished .500, lost in the Play-In, and let a franchise legend walk for nothing.

December 2024- Toronto trades OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn to New York for R.J. Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a 2024 2nd round draft pick

There’s no way around it; this was a disastrous trade for Ujiri. He dealt Anunoby when his value was at its lowest in years and failed to get back a single first-round pick. Sure, Barrett has turned into a nice player for them, but the contract Ujiri gave Quickley after the deal basically negates that. After seeing the leap Anunoby took in New York, it’s painful to see just how little Toronto got back for his services.

July 2024- Toronto signs Immanuel Quickley to a 5-year, $162.5 million contract

This was just a crazy overpay by Ujiri. Quickley isn’t a bad player, but he’s a one-way guy who doesn’t guard at 6’2. Giving him $32.5 million per year never made sense because that’s a number you give someone if you anticipate a star leap on the way. Nothing about Quickley’s game made it seem like that was possible. A contract like this on the books for a non-star player (with injury issues) makes team building really difficult.

February 2025- Toronto trades Davion Mitchell to Miami in a five-team deal that nets them PJ Tucker and a second-round pick (Jimmy Butler trade)

2025 PJ Tucker was unquestionably cooked like the Christmas goose. Why did Ujiri feel like he had to force his way into the Jimmy Butler trade so he could give up a good role player for this guy? It was apparently just salary dumping Mitchell and getting a second-rounder in the process. After Ujiri was fired, they flipped that pick to the Warriors for Trayce Jackson-Davis, who stinks. I bet they wish they had Mitchell back, because they didn’t use that cap relief for anything.

The “Whatever”

Most of the transactions Ujiri made in the 2020s fall into this category. Here are some highlights:

Trading a first-rounder for Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji: This is one of the more “sure, why the hell not” deals in league history. Ujiri traded the 29th pick in a bad draft (Isaiah Collier) for two okay role players who played decently in Toronto, and Olynyk helped them get Ingram later. Perfectly adequate.

The Pascal Siakam Trade– Toronto got three picks for Siakam. One was used to acquire Olynyk and Agbaji. One was used on Ja’Kobe Walter in 2024 (19th overall). He’s fine! And one was used to trade for Brandon Ingram (2026). It’s not a great return for a star player, but given how long they waited to do the deal, this wasn’t bad value.

Selecting Gradey Dick 13th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft: Dick had a decent sophomore season before regressing in a big way this year. While he might not be very good, it’s not like the Raptors whiffed on a bunch of other players to take him. Sure, they could have drafted Keyonte George or Jaime Jaquez Jr., but that’s hardly a franchise-ruiner. And Dick is still just 22 years old with plenty of time to figure things out.

Every Single Free Agency Signing: The Raptors free agency history in the 2020s is hilarious. They could not get anyone to come to Canada. Here is a list of some marquee names they added:

• Stanley Johnson
• Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
• Aron Baynes
• Alex Len
• Khem Birch
• Svi Mykhailiuk
• Otto Porter Jr.
• Will Barton
• Jalen McDaniels
• Dennis Schroeder
• Garrett Temple
• Bruno Fernando

Ujiri just wasn’t interested in free agency. None of those guys got big deals, none of them were any good. It’s remarkable. At least we know he won’t be counting on Plan Powder!

Objectively, this is a pretty poor run for any executive. Most of the moves made during this time didn’t work out, and it’s fair to wonder if Ujiri’s philosophy is still congruent with winning basketball in today’s game. However, when you consider the context of the entire post-title Raptors ecosystem, I think it’s easy to take a glass-half-full approach toward Ujiri’s next chapter in Dallas. Here, he has complete control with new organization, one with a generational superstar tailor-made for Ujiri’s sensibilities. If this doesn’t re-energize him, he’s probably got nothing left.

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After having more than a week to rest, the Oklahoma City Thunder welcome the Los Angeles Lakers to town on Tuesday, May 5. 

To help with your NBA picks, we're here to provide NBA player prop projections for tonight's game, including one for LeBron James.

For more intel, read our complete Lakers vs. Thunder predictions. 

Lakers vs Thunder computer picks for Game 1

Lakers	Thunder
Kennard o1.5 threes +145	Mitchell u3.5 rebounds +115
James o19.5 points -145	Dort o6.5 points -112
Ayton o9.5 points -120	Caruso o1.5 assists -145

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Lakers Game 1 computer picks

Luke Kennard Over 1.5 threes (+145)

Projection: 2.02 threes

This is a five-star play according to our model, providing a whopping 26.08% EV edge. Luke Kennard has slowed down since his first few games against Houston, but we all know how good a shooter he is.

Two threes is not asking for much, and it's a great play at this price.

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LeBron James Over 19.5 points (-145)

Projection: 22.63 points

LeBron James refuses to age, averaging 23.2 points per game in the Los Angeles Lakers' series win over the Rockets. Twenty points is a line Bron crossed in four of six games in Round 1, and with still no Luka, the King will need to wear the crown on offense.

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Deandre Ayton Over 9.5 points (-120)

Projection: 11.53 points

Deandre Ayton may not be the guy, but he certainly did his part in helping the Lakers advance. The big man averaged 11.8 ppg on 60% shooting vs. Houston, and he's the best option L.A. has to keep up with the Oklahoma City Thunder's size. 

He might put up the quietest 10 points you'll ever see, but it'll cash all the same.

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Thunder Game 1 computer picks

Ajay Mitchell Under 3.5 rebounds (+115)

Projection: 3.31 rebounds

Our model sees a 20.01% EV edge on this bet. Ajay Mitchell cruised by this line in all three games vs. Phoenix, but the Lakers will provide more of a fight on the glass. There are only so many boards to go around, and OKC might be up so big in the fourth that Mitchell's playing time could be cut.

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Luguentz Dort Over 7.5 points (-112)

Projection: 8.15 points

Lu Dort is an effective 3-and-D option for the Thunder, and he eclipsed this points line in three of four against Phoenix. The Lakers will have their hands full with SGA and Chet, which will leave Dort wide open for makable threes.

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Alex Caruso Over 1.5 assists (-145)

Projection: 2.62 assists

Alex Caruso knows how to create for his teammates, and he'll be asked to do more against L.A. than he was in Round 1. Averaging over 20 minutes per game, Caruso will create enough shots for his teammates to collect two dimes.

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How to watch Lakers vs Thunder Game 1

Location	Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Date	Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Tip-off	8:30 p.m. ET
TV	Peacock/NBC

Not intended for use in MA.
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After a pair of frustrating first round exits in recent years, the Lakers exorcised some demons in a cathartic win over the Rockets.

Awaiting them now, though, is the best team in the NBA in the Thunder. To say the Lakers had limited success against OKC in the regular season would be an understatement.

In the two meetings in Oklahoma, LA trailed by 30 before halftime. The only close game between the two sides was when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the likely back-to-back MVP, was out. Even if the Lakers were without Luka Dončić in that contest — a situation they’ll be in for at least the start of this series — it’s going to take a dramatic improvement from the purple and gold to make this a competitive series.

Predictably, when I fielded questions for the mailbag, all of them were about this upcoming series, ranging from how the Lakers close the gap and what the rotations are going to look like.

So, let’s dive in.

Definitely the offense. The biggest takeaway from those two games in Oklahoma City was how much the Lakers’ offense was out of whack.

The Thunder feast off turnovers. At their worst, LA is prone to bad turnovers. We saw it often in the last series against the Rockets. If they commit those unforced errors against the Thunder, it’s curtains.

In multiple games, Houston used those turnovers to get back into the game, particularly in Games 1 and 2. Oklahoma City will use those turnovers to blow the game open.

Concerningly, Austin struggled mightily in those games, turning the ball over. He’s going to have to handle the ball a lot in this series. It’s going to be a huge ask considering it’s only going to be his third game back, but if the Lakers want to have any chance, they’re going to have to replicate their performance in Game 6 against Houston by being smart and taking care of the ball.

Because if you toss a lazy pass into the post, the Thunder are sprinting the other way for a huge dunk.

I actually wonder how much Vando will play in this series. The Thunder do have athletic wings, but the issues, as always, are going to come on the other end. If the Lakers are going to have a center on the floor that isn’t a floor-spacer, then Vando is forced into one of the corners.

Oklahoma City is one of the best help defenses in the league. Adding a player on that end they don’t have to worry about only strengthens their defense.

It will allow them to either hide one of their centers in Isaiah Hartenstein or Chet Holmgren on Vando or it will allow them to have a player like Alex Caruso or Cason Wallace play free safety and ball hawk.

The old adage goes trust eight, play nine. I think the Lakers’ eight are going to be the starters — Austin, Marcus Smart, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton — along with Jaxson Hayes, Jake LaRavia and Luke Kennard. Vando is the ninth guy that’s going to have to earn some trust.

As for the Adou point, he’s still pretty far away. I know he’s a fun intriguing prospect and I’m very excited to see him in Summer League, but it seems unlikely he’s going to see the court. If things are really going haywire with Vando and the Lakers really need a body out there, maybe. But in that case, I still think they’d turn to even Bronny James before Adou.

I think Austin is going to be the lead ballhandler, but I also think LeBron is going to do a lot of playmaking this round, too.

While the Thunder have a bunch of athletic wings, they don’t have many players built to slow down LeBron. The Lakers have unlocked some things with him in the post and I think they can find ways to exploit that against a smaller OKC team.

Austin also isn’t going to have the legs to be as on-ball as he was earlier in the year. Not with so little time back and heading into a playoff series that’s going to be physically demanding.

It’s going to have to be a different dynamic than it was in March, certainly. No one is going to be as ball-dominant as Luka was, but it won’t be quite as egalitarian as it was early in the Rockets series either. Expect a lot lower usage for Marcus and Luke.

One of my favorite traits about the bubble Lakers was their adaptability. Whatever a series called for, they had the solution. It just required them to drop Game 1 to figure things out. But by Game 2, the staff and players knew what needed to be done.

Being concerned about Redick’s adaptability is fair. It’s going to hang over him for a while after playing five players in a second half of a playoff game.

But I think the Rockets series showed that he can adapt. Take Game 6, for example. The Lakers went from doubling Alperen Şengün to playing single coverage against him. It was a bold call and required big performances from Ayton and Hayes. But it was the right call as it stalled out the Rockets’ offense.

JJ is still a second-year coach. In the 2019-20 season, Vogel was in his ninth year as a head coach after eight years as an assistant. That’s a library of knowledge he had that Redick didn’t.

In my book, Redick wiped away a fair amount of concerns about his playoff performance with that Rockets series, where he coached laps around Ime Udoka, even if that’s not hard to do.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.