Category: NBA

A look at each team in the NBA draft lottery — and how it's gone for them in the past originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The NBA draft lottery is Sunday, with Washington, Indiana and Brooklyn having the best odds of winning the No. 1 pick.

The lottery began in 1985, when the New York Knicks received the top selection and altered the course of their franchise by taking Patrick Ewing. The format has had its share of changes since then, and there might be another coming soon, but for now the process should be pretty familiar. The top four selections are determined via a weighted draw. Then picks No. 5-14 are dispersed in reverse order of finish from this season.

Last year, The Associated Press reviewed each franchise’s draft lottery history. Here is an updated version — including only the teams involved in this year’s lottery.

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Washington Wizards/Bullets

Lottery Wins: 2001 (Kwame Brown) and 2010 (John Wall)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2024; No. 3 in 2012 and 2013

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1993, 1995, 2004, 2009 and 2025

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 14%

Details: Only 11 teams have received multiple No. 1 picks in the lottery era, so the Wizards’ luck hasn’t been all bad. But dropping from second to sixth last year was a blow. If their pick had fallen out of the top eight this year, it would have gone to the Knicks, but after finishing with the league’s worst record, Washington doesn’t have to worry about that.

Indiana Pacers

Lottery Wins: None

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1985 and 1988

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1986

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 14%

Details: Indiana was one of the worst teams in the league when the lottery began and narrowly missed out on Ewing in 1985. The Pacers’ pick this year goes to the Los Angeles Clippers if it is outside the top four.

Brooklyn/New Jersey Nets

Lottery Wins: 1990 (Derrick Coleman) and 2000 (Kenyon Martin)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1991; No. 3 in 1987 and 2010

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1988

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 14%

Details: The Nets had just a 4% chance at the No. 1 pick when they won it in 2000, and they would have another top pick to their credit if they hadn’t dealt their selection away before the 2017 lottery.

Utah Jazz

Lottery Wins: None

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 3 in 2011

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 2025

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 11.5%

Details: The Jazz haven’t been in the lottery much over the past four decades, and when they have they’ve often been an afterthought. A trade gave them the Nets’ pick at No. 3 in 2011. Last year, Utah was in the top pre-lottery spot but fell to the No. 5 pick.

Sacramento Kings

Lottery Wins: 1989 (Pervis Ellison)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2018; No. 3 in 1991

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 2009 and 2010

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 11.5%

Details: Sacramento’s lone lottery victory led to a forgettable selection at No. 1, but the Kings haven’t had as many heartbreaking drops as you might think. Only once, in 2009, have they had the top pre-lottery position.

Memphis/Vancouver Grizzlies

Lottery Wins: None

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009 and 2019; No. 3 in 1996

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2018

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 9%

Details: Plenty of No. 2 picks but no No. 1s. In 2003, the Grizzlies moved up four spots to No. 2, but that pick belonged to Detroit because of a trade. Had Memphis moved up one more spot to No. 1, its pick would have been protected — and the Grizzlies would have had a chance to draft LeBron James.

Atlanta Hawks

Lottery Wins: 2024 (Zaccharie Risacher)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2005; No. 3 in 2001, 2007 and 2018

Dropped Out Of Top 3: None

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 9.8%

Details: The Hawks finally exited the never-won-the-lottery club two years ago, making good on a 3% chance to land the first pick. This year Atlanta gets either New Orleans’ first-round pick or Milwaukee’s, whichever is better. (The Pelicans are seventh in the pre-lottery pecking order and the Bucks are 10th.)

Dallas Mavericks

Lottery Wins: 2025 (Cooper Flagg)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1994

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1986, 1992, 1993 and 2018

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 6.7%

Details: The Mavericks were one of the unluckiest franchises in lottery history before capitalizing on a 1.8% chance to land Flagg. Before that, Dallas had never once improved its pick position. The mid-1990s were particularly dire. In 1993 the Mavericks went 11-71 but dropped three spots to No. 4. A 13-69 mark the following season didn’t yield the top pick either.

Chicago Bulls

Lottery Wins: 1999 (Elton Brand) and 2008 (Derrick Rose)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2002 and 2006; No. 3 in 2004

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 2000 and 2001

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 4.5%

Details: The Bulls landed the No. 1 pick just a season after losing Michael Jordan. They’ve struggled to build a contender since then, but they’ve had their chances.

Milwaukee Bucks

Lottery Wins: 1994 (Glenn Robinson) and 2005 (Andrew Bogut)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2014

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 2007

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: None

Details: Neither of those No. 1 picks was as much of a game changer for the Bucks as Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was taken outside the lottery in 2013. If Milwaukee’s pick this year is higher than New Orleans’, it would go to Atlanta and the Bucks would get the Pelicans’ selection.

Golden State Warriors

Lottery Wins: 1995 (Joe Smith)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2020; No. 3 in 1986, 1993 and 2002

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1985, 1988 and 2001

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 2%

Details: The Warriors were the lottery’s first big losers, receiving the No. 7 pick in the very first edition in 1985 after finishing tied for the worst record in the league. It wasn’t long before the NBA changed the rules to make drops of that size impossible.

Oklahoma City Thunder/Seattle SuperSonics

Lottery Wins: None

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1990, 2007 and 2022; No. 3 in 2009

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 2008

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 1.5%

Details: Of the eight franchises that have never won the lottery, this is one of the luckiest. While in Seattle, the team moved up eight picks to get Gary Payton in 1990 and climbed three spots to select Kevin Durant in 2007. Now the Thunder have the Los Angeles Clippers’ pick.

Miami Heat

Lottery Wins: None

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2008; No. 3 in 1990

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1989 and 1991

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 1%

Details: The Heat have neither needed nor received much help in the lottery recently, but they could have used some during the franchise’s difficult early years. Miami dropped from first to fourth in 1989 after winning 15 games, then fell from second to fifth a couple of years later.

Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats

Lottery Wins: 1991 (Larry Johnson)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1992, 2012 and 2023; No. 3 in 1999, 2006 and 2020

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1989, 2005, 2013, 2024 and 2025

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 0.5%

Details: Charlotte has had so many lottery appearances that it is not surprising the franchise has experienced some good and bad. Jumping six spots to get Alonzo Mourning in 1992 might’ve been even more important than landing Johnson at No. 1 the year before. The Hornets also moved up a whopping 10 spots to No. 3 in 1999 and took Baron Davis.

Los Angeles Clippers

Lottery Wins: 1988 (Danny Manning), 1998 (Michael Olowokandi) and 2009 (Blake Griffin)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1989, 1995, 2001 and 2004; No. 3 in 1985 and 2000

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1987 and 1999

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: None

Details: The Clippers have had bad luck in a variety of ways, but the lottery has generally treated them fairly. Three No. 1 picks and six more top-three picks more than make up for occasional disappointments, like missing out on David Robinson after a 12-win season in 1987. Los Angeles has to give its pick to Oklahoma City, but the Clippers receive Indiana’s if it is No. 5 or No. 6.

Joel Embiid believes the fix is in.

The 76ers center said, “I guess it’s good when New York wins” after pointing out the Knicks tallied twice as many free-throw attempts as Philadelphia in their 108-94 road win in Game 3 of the second-round series.

Friday’s physical contest featured the Knicks notching their most free throw attempts in the series with 32, while the 76ers attempted their fewest with 16.

“Maybe [some potential fouls] was let go or not. They shot 32 free throws, we had 16. We’re not a team that shoots a lot of 3s. We attack, put the ball on the ground. I don’t know,” Embiid said.

“I guess it’s good when New York wins, so we’ve just got to have that mentality of just not fouling, I guess, and being smart enough to not put ourselves in a position where they’re going to take advantage of it.”

The 76ers find themselves in a 3-0 hole, and Embiid’s frustrations are seemingly boiling over after Philadelphia missed a chance to make this a series Friday night.

Philadelphia attempted more free throws in the first two games — 62 to 42, including a 34-17 edge in Game 1 — but did not receive the same advantage in what could have been billed as a must-win.

The Knicks’ high free-throw attempt total was boosted by Mitchell Robinson’s eight shots from the line, with the 76ers employing the Hack-a-Mitch strategy, but even if one were to exclude those from the Knicks’ total, they still would have finished with 50 percent more tries than Philadelphia.

Jalen Brunson, who has attempted at least eight free throws in all three games and 25 total, had more than half of Philadelphia’s total with his nine attempts.

Emibiid, who had attempted at least seven free throws in each of his five postseason games entering Friday, only had six tries in his 18-point, six-rebound performance.

Both Embiid and Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns — who played just 26 minutes due to five fouls — showed frustration with the whistle during the game.

Early in the first quarter, both Embiid and Towns fell to the ground while fighting for a rebound and Embiid could not believe the referees did not call a foul on the Knicks’ big man.

He then fouled Towns on the other end and demonstratively yelled at the referees.

Embiid was also surprised after being called for a moving screen in the second quarter while Landry Shamet ran through him with the Knicks ahead by 11.

One particular play that enraged the 76ers — and particularly their fans — came late in the third quarter a critical juncture.

After Philadelphia sliced the deficit to 80-76 with less than 50 seconds remaining, the referees called Quentin Grimes for a questionable foul on Brunson, who embellished the contact.

When in doubt, just throw your head back and yell. pic.twitter.com/NOrxscfoQV

— Jason Timpf (@_JasonLT) May 9, 2026

Brunson hit two free throws to push the lead to six, the 76ers missed two 3s on the other end and Landry Shamet then drilled a 3 to give the Knicks an 85-76 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The cruel reality for the 76ers is that even if one subtracts the extra free throw makes (10) from the final score, Philly still would have fallen short Friday.

And now they are one loss away from being eliminated by the Knicks for the second time in three years.

“Tough loss tonight,” Embiid said. “Got to take it one game at a time.”

The Dallas Mavericks hired Masai Ujiri last Monday to lead the team as President and Alternate Governor. Naturally, questions abound as to what the organization will look like under the new regime. The Draft Lottery is mere days away and garnering much of the Mavericks-related attention. Where will they land? What type of player will Ujiri target? That all remains to be determined, but along with that comes questions about the leadership structure already in place, particularly in respect of head coach Jason Kidd. Since Monday’s hire, a few interesting tidbits have surfaced which are rife with speculation.

Kidd wanted the President role in Dallas

Tim MacMahon appeared on The Hoop Collective Wednesday with some interesting tidbits of information. MacMahon proclaimed unequivocally that Kidd lobbied for the role of President. There was suspicion of this for some time, but it is now all but confirmed.

Mavericks HC Jason Kidd tried to become team president, according to @BannedMacMahon but has known for months he wasn’t getting the job.

Kidd wasn’t involved in the search for Masai Ujiri & was informed of the move when the deal was done #MFFL

(@ESPNNBA via Hoop Collective/YT) pic.twitter.com/YVPEweN4DX

— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) May 6, 2026

There are at least two layers to this particular onion. First, Kidd is apparently open to migrating away from the head coaching spot he’s held since 2021. Second, Kidd just watched someone else get hired into the role he wanted for himself. While the first isn’t necessarily an indication of imminent change, and the second isn’t a guarantee of resentment, the combination at least makes it plausible to believe Kidd could, of his own volition, be desirous of a change in scenery.

Patrick Dumont did not consult Kidd on his hiring decision

Marc Stein indicated that Mavs’ owner Patrick Dumont had a select few in his brain trust when it came to hiring Ujiri – namely, Mavs’ CEO Rick Welts, and President of Business Operations Ethan Casson. That’s it. Meanwhile, Stein also reported that Dumont wanted to hire an executive that was willing to keep Kidd in place. This is where things get interesting. It isn’t necessarily common practice to consult a coach on the hiring of whomever will eventually be their boss, but Kidd is now the only remaining person in the organization with some of the residue of the Luka Doncic trade on him. Gone are Nico Harrison and Anthony Davis, arguably the two biggest reminders of the trade. However, Kidd has also been implicated (by former majority owner Mark Cuban, no less), so it births some curiosity as to whether Dumont – and his new-found commitment to making things right – is more ambivalent than he once was when it comes to retaining Kidd, especially when viewed against the backdrop of saying “no thanks” to Kidd’s efforts to land the President role himself.

Looking at it “from head to toe”

During his introductory press conference, Ujiri was asked point blank about the ongoing status of Kidd. As he had done throughout the presser, Ujiri responded with aplomb, stating:

“I’m going to meet with Jason Kidd and hear his thoughts on everything. He’s done a great job. We’re going to look at this thing from head to toe and evaluate in every way that we can.”

In a way, this ties together all that we are seeing and hearing on the matter. Ujiri provided a politically correct yet sincere response, but stopped well short of committing to Kidd remaining head coach. In no uncertain terms, he made it clear that every aspect of the organization will be looked at, with the implication it will be done with a scalpel rather than a hacksaw. Nothing is guaranteed beyond a full and precise assessment of everything. This of course leaves every door open. Kidd may ask out. Ujiri may relieve him of his duties. The entire coaching staff may remain intact going into next season.

We close with an attempt to pull away from the speculative and focus on what we know. Kidd wanted the President role. Kidd was informed he would not be given said role. Ujiri holds the reigns. Change on all levels of the organization is a possibility under the new leadership. Going against Kidd is his 49.6% winning percentage as a head coach and quasi-involvement in the Doncic trade. Going for him is his incumbent status and apparent support of Dumont. Well-regarded as a player’s coach, Kidd still makes plenty of sense to guide the Mavericks into the future, but time will tell if that will be the case.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Lakers haven’t had a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander problem. 

They’ve had a non-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander problem.

Which is much worse, and one of the biggest reasons they’re trailing the Thunder, 0-2, in their best-of-seven second-round playoff series, which shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday after the Lakers’ Game 2 loss Thursday.

The Lakers are looking to avoid falling behind 0-3 — a deficit no team has overcome in a playoff series.

And if they don’t figure out how to win the minutes when Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP who’ll likely repeat, isn’t on the floor, they’re facing quick elimination at the hands of the defending NBA champions. 

“I talked about it a little bit [on Wednesday], them being plus-nine in the non-SGA minutes [in Game 1],” coach JJ Redick said. “And then in the second half, we just got blitzed, 32-14, seven turnovers. They shot 14 free throws during that stretch. So we got to look at lineups, look at everything, try to figure out how we can be better in those minutes.”

The Thunder outscored the Lakers by nine points in the 13 minutes Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t play during Game 1.

They were even better without their best player in Game 2’s 125-107 victory, outscoring the Lakers by 13 points in the 20 minutes Gilgeous-Alexander was on the bench, giving the Thunder a combined 22-point advantage across 33 minutes in the first two games of the series when Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t on the floor.

The Thunder have been a plus-14 in the 63 minutes he has played in the series.

“We got to keep up the intensity even when he’s out,” Rui Hachimura said. “When he got off the court, we kind of relaxed a little bit. We still have to keep our intensity up. All these guys, they can make plays. We can’t have those little mistakes.”

Those “little mistakes” Hachimura referred to were on full display during the third quarter the Lakers lost 36-22, including 32-14 in the final 10 ½ minutes of the quarter after Gilgeous-Alexander subbed out early after picking up his fourth personal foul.

Poor defensive rebounding also hurt LA; the Thunder had four offensive rebounds for nine second-chance points off those extra opportunities when Gilgeous-Alexander was on the bench during the third.

The Thunder scored 17 second-chance points off nine offensive rebounds in Game 2. OKC took advantage of the Lakers’ switching defense, having its big men create extra opportunities by grabbing offensive boards over the Lakers’ smaller players. 

“We did a good job with our first defense,” LeBron James said. “But we got to clean the glass. We got to do a better job. We let Chet [Holmgren] get some offensive rebounds, get to the free-throw line or get some putbacks. Against a team like that, you can’t give up second-chance points. We got to do a better job of hitting and not allowing them to get second-chance points.”

Another issue was not staying attached to Jared McCain, who followed a 15-point performance on four 3-pointers in Game 1 with an 18-point showing on 4-for-5 shooting on 3s in Game 2.

Too many fouls. Too many turnovers.

Too many lapses that the Thunder took advantage of with ease.

Holmgren (22 points, nine rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocked shots), Ajay Mitchell (20 points and six assists) and McCain combined for 60 points, including outscoring the Lakers 23-22 in the third. 

“We need to up our physicality,” Luke Kennard said. “Obviously, we’ve been putting two guys on Shai a lot. And kind of let some of those guys get open looks. But when Shai’s off the floor, we really got to sit down and guard, and try to take some of those guys out.
Our physicality has to go up another level, and we know that. And it’s something we’ll definitely talk about and, hopefully, figure out.”

And if the Lakers don’t figure it out, they won’t have any shot against the Thunder.

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The 2026 NBA Draft lottery feels like one of the most important in the recent history of the sport, and not necessarily because there’s a no-brainer future MVP candidate available at the top of the order. This draft is special because the top-four prospects all have the potential to be a franchise player down the line. Cameron Boozer is the No. 1 player in the class in our eyes, but A.J. Dybantsa feels like the favorite to be drafted with the first-pick, while Darryn Peterson will have plenty of fans as well. North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson has the potential to be as good as any of them.

The available talent is just one reason why this lottery is so important. The NBA is rushing through anti-tanking reform for next year’s draft that flattens the odds to such a degree that it will essentially randomize the draft order. The floor has also been taken out of the new rules, so while the worst team in the league can only fall to the No. 5 pick this year, next season they could fall as far as No. 12 overall.

The stakes are so high. Check out our most recent mock draft, and read our take on who deserves lottery luck. Now, let’s rank every lottery team by how desperate they are to move into the top-4.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder

No. Just no. If the Thunder cash in on their seven percent chance to move into the top-4, the rest of the league is in deep, deep trouble.

13. Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets already look like the Team of the Future in the East to me after posting the league’s best net-rating after Jan. 1. The Hornets are going to be good either way next year, and they’ll have a chance to add two solid long-term pieces to the draft in this draft with multiple picks in the teens.

12. Indiana Pacers

The stakes are higher for the Pacers than any other team. If their pick drops out of the top-4, it goes to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade. It’s hard to see the Pacers as “desperate” for lottery luck though because they were just in the NBA Finals last time they had a healthy Tyrese Haliburton. Let’s hope the star point guard recovers quickly from his shingles, but he should be ready to go coming off the Achilles tear.

11. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks took two games off the Knicks in the first-round this year, and they already have a nice young core in place led by Jalen Johnson. Atlanta is still searching for a true No. 1 option in this draft, but they have a bright future even if their pick remains in its expected range around No. 8.

10. Miami Heat

The Heat feel like they’re stuck in no-man’s land. The current team is just good enough to make the play-in tournament but not the playoffs, and they’ll never be bad enough to have decent odds for a top pick. Next year’s lottery changes really helps a team like Miami who is always in the middle. Lottery reform is basically a bailout package for the Heat, so they don’t need luck as badly this year as some other teams.

9. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs needed a miracle to land Cooper Flagg last year, and now they really need to make this year’s pick count to find him a co-star. Dallas doesn’t control its pick from 2027-2030, so this chance is precious. Flagg is going to be an A1 star starting next season, so they already have a bright future just with him plus a top-10 pick this year even if they don’t move into the top-4.

8. Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies appear ready to trade Ja Morant after already trading Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. Memphis has a decent young core in place with Zach Edey and Cedric Coward, and I fully trust this franchise to keep uncovering hidden gems in the draft. They would love lottery luck, but they don’t need it.

7. Utah Jazz

The Jazz should be pretty good next season even if their pick falls out of the top-4. Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Keyonte George are a solid core, and Ace Bailey could also take a leap in his second season. Landing Dybantsa or Peterson would be the perfect final piece, and give Utah a real chance to be contenders in the future.

6. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are staring down the reality that they’re just not going to be good enough to contend in Steph Curry’s golden years. Moving into the top-4 wouldn’t necessarily get the Warriors back on top, but it would at least give them a plausible exit strategy after Curry retires. I could see a big fall from Golden State coming soon if they don’t get lottery luck and/or nail this pick.

5. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls’ roster feels bottom-3 in the league for next year before the offseason gets started. Chicago does have a lot of cap space and two top-15 picks in this draft, and best of all Arturas Karnisovas isn’t calling the shots anymore. New EVP Bryson Graham seems prepared to take a long-term view of the franchise’s recent struggles, but the best way to turn things around is a little lottery luck. Chicago hasn’t picked in the top-3 since it moved up to No. 1 for Derrick Rose despite being one of the league’s worst teams over the last decade.

4. Washington Wizards

The Wizards traded for Anthony Davis and Trae Young to accelerate their rebuild, but AD doesn’t seem thrilled to be there. Washington has a decent young core led by Alex Sarr after a few years of tanking, but they still don’t have a young franchise player. If the Wizards fall in the draft lottery again and can’t get Davis to buy-in, they could be in danger of falling off the deep end when the new lottery odds begin.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga continues to hold the Bucks hostage. It feels like we’re finally going to get some finality to the situation this summer as Milwaukee has the ability to offer their superstar a max extension. If Giannis turns it down, Bucks ownership has already said it will trade him. Getting lottery luck would change everything for the future of this franchise — whether that involved Giannis or not. The Bucks can pick as high as No. 2 — but only if the Hawks land No. 1.

2. Brooklyn Nets

The Nets had five first-round picks in last year’s draft, but none of them are likely to turn into the franchise player this organization desperately needs. Brooklyn has a bottom tier roster right now and really needs a young star to build around. The Nets also owe a pick swap to Houston next year, so this is their last chance to add a premium young talent until 2028.

1. Sacramento Kings

The Kings didn’t want to tank — they just built a terrible team on accident. Sacramento’s core is old and expensive, and somehow none of the main pieces are on expiring contracts. How are the Kings ever going to compete in the West if they don’t get lottery luck this year? The new odds are going to hurt them, and the roster probably has less young talent on it than any team in the league currently. I’d love to see more top picks land in the East to address conference imbalance, but the Kings are the most desperate team in the league for a little bit of luck.

Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep-down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week, the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — gives their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.

Fantable Questions of the Week

Q1: How important do you think it is for the Suns to re-sign Mark Williams this summer?

GuarGuar: For the right price, I absolutely would bring Mark back next season. It was very apparent after the All-Star break that we were a different team, and his absence during that time is no coincidence. His size and presence are things Oso doesn’t have, and we sorely missed them during our OKC series. The health of Mark is a big concern for sure, so I wouldn’t commit too much to him, but I saw enough last year that I do want him back.

Diamondhacks: On the court, not even Dillon Brooks or Collin Gillespie was as integral to our early success as Mark Williams. But if you think he’s our center of the future, I have a bone to pick. The third metatarsal. It’s come to my attention (a year or so after Rob Pelinka’s) that this is a very important basketball bone, and further, that Mark Williams performing at the lofty standards he set is cumulatively bad to the bone.

Absent more hopeful orthopedic expertise, I guess Ishbia could foot the bill for a quality center, good for a thousand minutes or so, but more or less on the foot’s schedule.

Ashton: I can take it or leave it, but as it stands now, I think the Suns must do it. Giannis is not walking through that door anytime soon.

I was impressed with Oso’s development, but he needs another season, and I still question if he is a long-term piece. I really have no idea what affordable centers may be on the FA market to replace him.

And the draft to save the day? Centers are returning to school for big NIL paydays. Well beyond the money that the Suns could offer with their second-round pick.

Rod: At this point in time, I don’t think either Khaman Maluach or Oso Ighodaro should be starting at center for the Suns, so bringing back Williams is pretty important. That being said, it’s even more important to bring him back on a team-friendly deal because I believe Maluach could be ready to start in 2027-28 or perhaps even before next season ends.

I don’t want to let him walk this summer, but I also don’t see him as the Suns’ long-term answer at center, so if the price of bringing him back is too high, I would let him go rather than committing too much money to a contract longer than a year. Personally, I’d be fine with him returning to play on the 1-year qualifying offer of $9.6 millon.

Q2: There’s been talk of offering Dillon Brooks a 4-year contract extension worth up to $125 million this summer. What are your thoughts on this?

GuarGuar: I am okay with giving Dillon that type of contract. He isn’t a max player or close to one. I want to be clear about that. He’s a great culture setter and plays very hard and with so much energy, which I love. He can be a black hole offensively, though, and can really take us out of a rhythm at times. On the flip side, sometimes he’s the only one aggressive enough to keep our offense afloat, so you take the good with the bad with him.

I’d love to keep him here in Phoenix; he seems to get along really well with this group.

Diamondhacks: My thought is to do whatever the opposite of an extension is. Truncation? Swap Dillon for someone who does things the Suns actually and desperately need. Like pass and rebound the ball. Honestly, I’m not sure what Brooks does out there sometimes, other than miss a lot of shots and stare at people. He really is an exceptional starter. You have to go back a long way to find someone who stares like that. Kurt Thomas, maybe?

Brooks likely had a significant intangible influence early (i.e., in Flagstaff and beyond) on a younger, impressionable roster, and our FO appears to be “all in” on the idea that this will continue. My poker observation is that his performative intensity generated valuable returns but, eventually, trickled in, less of a river than the flop. Teammates modeled and internalized some of his toughness, which is great. Now seems like a good time for those cheaper and more active proteges (or possibly an outside ‘leader’ type) to run with the competitive culture Brooks instilled. Without some of his ‘thirtysomething’ basketball and adolescent excess.

Ashton: H-E-Double-Picks no. Four years?

Look, I realize that some fans want the Dillon Brooks Fanclub pinned to the sidebar conversations, and for good reason. He is a motivational speaker, and that is putting it politely.

I looked it up. Does everyone here know that Brooks led the charge in technical fouls last season? Sure, you did. But did you know Booker was third? These mouthy “shooting guards” are complaining about not getting the calls and what to you expect? Love Thy Ref and get the calls.

Personal fouls? Brooks is doing well in that area as well, ranking number four (Booker is 21st). I pulled my stats using team rankings if you want to double-check.

All of this to say that you want to extend a player who couldn’t even get through his first season without legal trouble. What is the encore? Buckeye prison system basketball team? You do not reward bad behavior in any system.

If an argument were to be made for Brooks, then consider him as future trade bait? I almost wish the Suns could do an incentive-based contract that stipulates staying out of the top 20 in both foul areas and making a million or two. That and it would save him fines,

But I am a solid pass.

Rod: I really like having Brooks on the team, but $125 millon over 4 years seems a bit too high to me. As important as he is to the team, I don’t want to insult him with a low-ball offer either. Hopefully they can come to an agreement closer to $100 million over 4 years instead or, my personal favorite, agree to put off talking about an extension until the 2026-27 offseason begins. By then, we should have a much better idea of whether the team is indeed headed in the right direction with the current core and really worth making big investments to keep it together.

Q3: Both Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin will be unrestricted free agents this summer. If the Suns could only afford to bring one of them back, which would you choose?

GuarGuar: This is a very tough question, but if we could only afford to bring back one, I would bring back Collin. He’s a true playmaking PG, and when he’s hot, he can literally take over games offensively, which Goody can’t do. Gillespie isn’t a starter for a championship team, but he is a very serviceable rotation guard on one. Would hate to lose either of those guys though!

Diamondhacks: No two Suns executed Ott’s up-tempo Chaos Culture better – or frankly, as well — as Gillespie and Goodwin. These G-stringers won’t win you a sexy championship, but they personify a timeless ethic about how basketball should be played. Relentless, physically courageous, unselfish, opportunistic – and self-controlled. And since we’re not winning a title anyway, I suspect that ethic and execution may have more currency to some fans — and perhaps even to Mat Ishbia — than the Illusory Trophy itself.

I would, with appropriate compensation, sooner move on from more established players like Green, Brooks, or one of Allen/O’Neale, than part with either Jordan Goodwin or Collin Gillespie. Sorry. I’m keeping them both.

Ashton: Some chatter about how some teams could really use Collin Gillespie, and I wonder if he is being over-valued. Loved Goodie, but in the same vein of trade conversations later down the line, it has to be Collin Gillespie. He is generating the most NBA interest.

Also, if you study mock drafts for 2026, you are going to scroll past a lot PGs and PFs in the first round. A playmaker position is valued this year.

Rod: In all the years I’ve been doing Inside the Suns, this is the first question that I’ve ever put forth to the Fantable that I didn’t already have some idea of how I would answer it. Goodie vs Gillespie is a tough one because I love having both of these guys on the team.

Of the two, Collin is the better point guard while Goodie is the better all-around player. They’re both very important to this team and losing either one would be a shame, but I’m going to have to give Collin the nod as being the more important of the two to keep…by a very narrow margin.

As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!

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Quotes of the Week

“With the continuity of our players, with the continuity of our staff, with a huge focus and emphasis on development, we’re going to take big jumps this summer and you’re going to see it next year.” – Brian Gregory

“There’s never a point where we’re not always looking and having communication on are there players out there that fit what we’re all about .” – Brian Gregory

“I like this team, I like where we’re going, I like the direction of the organization, I like the culture that we built, I like the identity that we have and we’re not going to do anything silly to mess that up.” – Mat Ishbia

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Suns Trivia/History

On May 9, 2010, the Suns defeated the San Antonio Spurs 107-101 in San Antonio to sweep the Spurs 4-0 in the Western Conference Semifinals. It was only the 2nd time in franchise history that the Suns had swept a team in a 7-game playoff series. The First occurred 5 years earlier when the Suns swept the Memphis Grizzlies 4-0 in a first round series.

On May 11, 1992, the Suns lost 153-151 to the Portland Trail Blazers in a double overtime Western Conference Semifinals game. Phoenix’s 151 points are the most ever scored by a Suns team in a single playoff game and the most points scored by the Suns in a loss.

On May 14, 2007, after defeating the San Antonio Spurs 104-98 to tie their Western Conference Semifinals series 2-2, Amar’e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were suspended for one game by the NBA for stepping off the bench and onto the court after Robert Horry’s hit on Nash in the final minute of the game even though Stoudemire and Diaw never got close to the altercation on the court. Horry also received a two-game suspension from the league for his flagrant foul on Nash and for striking Raja Bell above the shoulders in the subsequent fracas.

On May 15, 1994, Kevin Johnson posterized Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon.

On this day in 1994… Kevin Johnson drove baseline and got way up for the emphatic slam! #NBAVault#NBA75pic.twitter.com/M842HgALcK

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) May 15, 2022

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Important Future Dates

May 10-17 – NBA Draft Combine (ESPN2/ESPNU/NBA App/YouTube TV)
Mid-June (date TBD) – Teams can begin negotiating with their own free agents (following the Finals)
June 23 – NBA Draft First Round, 8 ET (ABC/ESPN)
June 24 – NBA Draft Second Round, 8 ET (ESPN)
June 30 – Free agency begins
July 6 – Moratorium ends, official free agent contract signings can begin
July 9-19 – NBA 2K Summer League 2026 in Las Vegas

The Lakers’ second-round series against the Thunder is shifting from Paycom Center, widely considered one of the NBA’s loudest arenas. 

That could be good news for the team’s role players. 

Against the Thunder’s deep roster, the Lakers need everyone to make a positive contribution. 

What is one major advantage the Thunder have had this series?

Bench points. 

In Game 1, the Thunder’s reserves outscored the Lakers’ bench, 34-15. In Game 2, that advantage ballooned to 48-24.

The Thunder, quite simply, have more players who are playing well than the Lakers, which makes all the difference in the playoffs. 

The Lakers have actually done a good job limiting reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led all postseason scorers in the first round of the playoffs with 33.7 points a game. This series he’s averaging just 20 points.

But unfortunately for the Lakers, trying to limit the Thunder has been like playing Whac-A-Mole at an arcade. In Game 1, Chet Holmgren led the team with 24 points and 12 rebounds. In Game 2, Holmgren, Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell each had 20 or more points. 

Meanwhile, for the Lakers, nearly everyone not named LeBron James has struggled offensively at various points this series. 

Austin Reaves went from scoring eight points in Game 1 to finishing with a game-high 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. 

Deandre Ayton had three points on 1-for-7 shooting in Game 2. Luke Kennard had a disappearing act in Game 1, shooting 1-for-4 from the field. Jake LaRavia has struggled to make an impact. Marcus Smart has been quiet on the offensive end after having a few scoring explosions in the first round. Jaxson Hayes hasn’t made much of an impact.

Rui Hachimura has been consistent, finishing with 18 points in Game 1 and 16 points in Game 2. But other than him, the team’s role players have left a lot to be desired. 

If the Lakers’ role players could become a threat, that would greatly help spread the court for James and Reaves, who are trying to carry the Lakers while Luka Doncic remains sidelined with a strained hamstring. 

The Thunder have had the NBA’s top-rated defense the last two years. The Lakers need bigger contributions from their role players both in the starting lineup and on the bench. 

They need to become a threat. They can’t allow the defense to collapse on James and harass Reaves. Everyone on the court needs to make the Thunder respect them. 

Even though the Lakers are down 2-0 in their second-round playoff series, losing both games by 18 points, the final score made those games seem more lopsided than they appeared. 

In Game 1, the Lakers jumped to a 7-0 start and trailed by only eight points at halftime, 61-53. In Game 2, they were neck-and-neck with the Thunder for much of the game until OKC pulled away midway through the fourth quarter. 

Now the Lakers are going home.

They’re going to be on their turf, in front of their crowd, shooting on the baskets they’ve developed a feel for over 41 regular-season games. 

If the Lakers’ role players step up, they could claw their way back into this series.

The Lakers’ second-round series against the Thunder is shifting away from Paycom Center, which is widely considered one of the loudest arenas in the NBA. 

That could be good news for the team’s role players. 

Against the Thunder’s deep roster, the Lakers need everyone to make a positive contribution. 

One major advantage the Thunder have had this series?

Bench points. 

In Game 1, the Thunder’s reserves outscored the Lakers’ bench, 34-15. In Game 2, that advantage ballooned to 48-24. 

The Thunder, quite simply, have more players who are playing well than the Lakers, which makes all the difference in the playoffs. 

The Lakers have actually done a good job limiting reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led all postseason scorers in the first round of the playoffs with 33.7 points a game. This series he’s averaging just 20 points.

But unfortunately for the Lakers, trying to limit the Thunder has been like playing Whac-A-Mole at an arcade. In Game 1, Chet Holmgren led the team with 24 points and 12 rebounds. In Game 2, Holmgren, Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell each had 20 or more points. 

Meanwhile, for the Lakers, nearly everyone not named LeBron James has struggled offensively at various points this series. 

Austin Reaves went from scoring eight points in Game 1 to finishing with a game-high 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. 

Deandre Ayton had just three points on 1-for-7 shooting in Game 2. Luke Kennard had a disappearing act in Game 1, shooting 1-for-4 from the field. Jake LaRavia has struggled to make an impact. Marcus Smart has been quiet on the offensive end after having a few scoring explosions in the first round. Jaxson Hayes hasn’t made much of an impact.

Rui Hachimura has been consistent, finishing with 18 points in Game 1 and 16 points in Game 2. But other than him, the team’s role players have left a lot to be desired. 

If the Lakers’ role players could make themselves a threat, that would greatly help spread the court for James and Reaves, who are trying to carry the Lakers while Luka Doncic remains sidelined with a strained hamstring. 

The Thunder have had the top-rated defense in the league the last two years. The Lakers need bigger contributions from their role players both in the starting lineup and on the bench. 

They need to make themselves a threat. They can’t allow the defense to collapse on James and harass Reaves. Everyone on the court needs to make the Thunder respect them. 

Even though the Lakers are down 2-0 in their second-round playoff series, losing both games by 18 points, the final score made those games seem more lopsided than they appeared. 

In Game 1, the Lakers jumped to a 7-0 start and trailed by only eight points at halftime, 61-53. In Game 2, they were neck-to -neck with the Thunder for much of the game until OKC pulled away midway through the fourth quarter. 

Now the Lakers are going home. 

They’re going to be on their turf, in front of their crowd, shooting on the baskets they’ve developed a feel for over 41 regular season games. 

If the Lakers role players could step up, the Lakers could claw their way back into this series. 

Broderick Turner and Thuc Nhi Nguyen reported that Lakers coach JJ Redick said, "The Thunder is one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history." Maybe Redick is right. The Lakers were able to contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and with Jalen Williams not playing, OKC still won Games 1 and 2 by 18 points each.

Hopefully the Lakers can avoid a sweep when they return to The Crypt, but it doesn't look very likely, not when committing 39 turnovers in two games.

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

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It was so bush league to see the Lakers crowd around the beleagued referees at the end of an 18-point loss to the Thunder in Game 2. The number of free throws was nearly even, favoring OKC 26-21. There are no bigger whiners in the league than LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton, who have in their minds never committed a foul and are always fouled with no call on any possession. This is playoff basketball — grow up and play ball. The results in this series speak for themselves.

Bob Goldstone

Corona del Mar

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You cannot tell me that the defensive “mauling” allowed by NBA officials during the playoffs would be tolerated during the regular season. It almost looks like the NBA upper brass — Adam Silver and his cohorts/consultants — have directly or indirectly “suggested” that referees simply “let ‘em play.”

This inconsistency and change of “style“ by the officials has either confused or frustrated many offensive players as well as some fans. To me, a foul is a foul, period! Considerations like superstar or rookie, home team or visitors, the fourth quarter versus the first, closing minutes or seconds of a game, regular season versus the playoffs should not matter.

Rick Solomon
Lake Balboa

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I'm watching Lakers-Thunder Game 2 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is running into people and getting the Michael Jordan treatment. Everything is a foul against the Lakers. On the another hand, LeBron James is getting the stuffing beat out of him and no calls. Coach JJ Redick needs to bring this bias up with the media and put the spotlight on the refs. That’s what Phil Jackson and Pat Riley would do. Lakers fans can start a go-fund-me page for the fine.

Ed Villanueva
Chino Hills

It ain't over yet

So is now a good time for Times columnist Bill Plaschke to jump off the Lakers bandwagon and go back to his column from April 9th and say the Lakers should shut it down against the Thunder? Of course that proclamation was made before the Lakers won their final three games of the regular season to clinch the fourth seed in the playoffs and then proceeded to overwhelm the favored Rockets in the first round. Remember, the series Plaschke called over after just two games?

Danny Balber Jr.
Pasadena

LeBron spells GOAT

LeBron James' performance against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs should put to rest the discussion of whether LeBron or Michael Jordan is the NBA's GOAT. The number of championship rings a player obtains is dependent on teammates and coaching systems. Based on both individual play and contributions to his teams, LeBron's entire body of work is unmatched and LeBron's play at age 41 is still magnificent.

Richard Raffalow
Valley Glen

Cut Trout loose

Mike Trout is having a renaissance season so far with the Angels. He is back to playing center field and is hitting home runs like the Trout of old. He has avoided injuries which have plagued him for several years. Now is the time for the Angels to give Trout a real shot at a postseason by trading him. The Angels are once again in last place and going nowhere. Trout will turn 35 soon and he deserves to go to a contender and play meaningful baseball in September and October. Free Trout!

Dave Ring
Manhattan Beach

Reign of pain

Since 2017, the L.A. Kings have employed a dizzying array of players, coaches, general managers and front office executives. Despite all that personnel turnover, in that time they have amazingly failed to win even a single playoff series much less be a consistent regular-season threat. The one constant who is responsible for all the hockey decisions and has overseen this astounding lack of success over the previous nine years is team president Luc Robitaille.

Why does absentee ownership group AEG continue to allow him to remain in charge, annually selling hope instead of actually providing results? Could it be that the Kings' steadily increasing valuation, most recently pegged at $3.5 billion (2nd highest among all U.S. teams), is really all that motivates AEG as opposed to accountability and on-ice success?

Andre Miller
El Segundo

Will fit right in

Detroit Tigers free agent ace Tarik Skubal will miss time on the IL after elbow surgery, which means he’ll fit right into the Dodgers’ rotation next season.

Steve Ross
Carmel

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Email: sports@latimes.com

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It feels like the Lakers are close to putting together a winning performance in at least one of their games against the Thunder in their second-round playoff series.

But their 18-point losses in Game 1 and Game 2 in Oklahoma City suggest they aren’t as close as it feels. 

The series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday, with the Lakers looking to avoid falling into the dreaded 0-3 hole — a series deficit no team in NBA history has overcome. 

If the Lakers want to have a shot at winning the best-of-seven series, they need to make a few adjustments for Game 3:

Zone defense

The Lakers spent a significant chunk of the regular season deploying a zone defense.

And yet, they haven’t played zone during the playoffs.

The Thunder faced the second-most zone defense in the league this season, scoring 1.005 points per possession (ranked 20th), compared with the 1.039 points per possession they score when playing against man-to-man defense (ranked second).

The Lakers played zone defense the third most of any team this season, allowing 0.955 points per possession (ranked sixth in the NBA).

The Lakers have stuck with putting two on the ball when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the ball handler.

It’s produced the results they’ve wanted when it comes to limiting Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s averaged 20 points and five turnovers to go with four assists through the first two games. The Lakers are getting the ball out of his hands and forcing other Thunder players to make plays.

The problem for the Lakers is that the “others” have been making those plays when the Lakers’ defense voluntarily puts itself in rotation. 

The Thunder are scoring 1.75 points per possession in the playoffs when their opponent sends a double team on isolations — which is by far the highest mark in the league. And when teams have doubled Gilgeous-Alexander’s isos during the regular season and playoffs, the Thunder are scoring 1.286 points per possession, an elite mark.  

The Thunder are comfortable when the Lakers put two on the ball against Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Lakers need to throw in different looks more consistently. Playing zone defense again, even if it’s only in doses, should be part of the equation. 

Attack Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Another way to limit Gilgeous-Alexander is attacking him on the other end of the floor, which the Lakers did once Game 2 was pretty much decided. 

Austin Reaves kept having the Laker that Gilgeous-Alexander was defending, which was Luke Kennard at the time, set ball screens late in the fourth quarter when the Thunder had full control.

Gilgeous-Alexander was hedging to try to avoid switching. 

The Thunder may not have been as locked in defensively as they were earlier in the game, but the Lakers were creating the kind of advantages they wanted.

If they have a similar strategy in Game 3, it could help them wear down Gilgeous-Alexander in other ways outside of the defensive double teams. 

Less switching 

The Lakers’ 1-5 switching is allowing the Thunder to pick their preferred matchups, even if the Lakers show up or double like they have with Gilgeous-Alexander.

Even if the Thunder aren’t scoring on the first shot, mismatches are in the Thunder’s favor, leading to easier offensive rebounding opportunities for Thunder players including Chet Holmgren.

Being more judicious with the switching could help the Lakers on the defensive glass, which is an area they need to win to have a chance of beating the Thunder.

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History is on the side of the San Antonio Spurs.

In a 7 games series, when tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 goes on the win the series 73% of the time.

In Game 1, Anthony Edwards came off the bench. After a rapid recovery from a knee hyperextension he gave the Timberwolves a boost with 18 points in 25 minutes of play. In Game 2, the Spurs dominated as Ant-Man was held to 12 points in a blow out. But in Game 3, Edwards did what he does, playing an impressive 41 minutes and tallying a more impressive 32 points. 12 consecutive points at the end of the first including a buzzer-beater followed by taking the lead at the start of the second quarter.

The Timberwolves problem isn’t Anthony Edwards.

And that’s the problem.

Edwards has been one of the league’s most promising players since going first overall in 2020. He’s stayed hot while many of his contemporaries have cooled off. Edward’s skillset, showmanship, youth and vitality had pundits predicting him as a future face of the NBA…until Victor Wembanyama came along.

The Timberwolves have made some high profile trades since Edwards proved to be worth the hype, hedging future draft picks for Rudy Gobert, sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, and parting with a developing Rob Dillingham in lieu of the more seasoned Ayo Dosunmu.

If statistics prove correct and the Spurs do win the series, to what length will the organization go to please their generational talent? Who would be on the chopping block?

Minnesota are the most “win now” team in the Western Conference. I’d say in the league, but the Knicks hold that honor. Ever since the Karl- Anthony Towns trade, they’ve both been in line to be the league’s top squad.

The Timberwolves have also been to the Western Conference Finals the last two seasons, losing to the Dallas Mavericks in 2024 and the Oklahoma City Thunder in 20205.

For perspective, since the 2024 Finals the Dallas Mavericks have since blown it up. After winning in 2025, the Oklahoma City Thunder are still at the top of the their game and favorites to win it all.

If they lose a round earlier to a team still on their rise, their window begins to close.

At Edward’s age, the Timberwolves will still be contenders. They could be a piece or two before plateauing, but let’s be honest, the T-wolves are less likely to resemble the late 90s Chicago Bulls and more likely to fare like the late 90s Utah Jazz.

And ultimately Edwards will live in the shadow of Victor Wembanyama. True, most will, but many saw it coming. This will be Ant-Man’s first true reckoning,

He’s lost to Luka Doncic, he’s been knocked out by Shai Gilgeous- Alexander. Losing to Wemby now could have a more profound effect on his ego than he’s ready for.

But It’s not just Anthony Edwards who needs this win. The organization needs it to keep the team on the rise. A step backward will surely rock the whole program and give them a lot to think about in the offseason.

The question is — when will Minnesota’s offseason start?

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Jaylen Brown has three years and about $183 million left on a 5-year contract he signed in July of 2023. It was a controversial deal at the time, but Brown was headed to free agency the next year and the Celtics knew they needed to keep him.

Fast forward three years later and Jaylen Brown will once again be eligible to sign a contract extension on July 26th. This deal would tack on an additional two years and an estimated $142 million to his deal.

That in total would have Brown on Boston’s books for the next five years at $325 million and he would be 34-years-old when the deal runs out.

Last summer, the Phoenix Suns were presented a very similar situation with Devin Booker. Booker, like Brown, had three years left on a super-max extension he signed in 2022 and was eligible to add two more years on to his deal. The Suns did offer him that extension, which was reported at $145 million but based on future cap projections, Spotrac estimates that it will come in at $132 million. No matter what the deal is worth, Booker is going to make a lot of money.

Brown just had his best NBA season this past year and, to me, is a better player than Booker is. If Brown is going to sign a new deal, it is going to be a max.

With that said, I am in no rush to extend him.

There are reasons for the Celtics to ink Brown to an extension.

Number one, it would keep him happy. Earlier this week, Brown said on his Twitch stream that he wants to be in Boston for the next ten years. No one turns down the 35% super max and Brown is no different. If the Celtics were to offer him a max extension, I am very confident that Brown would sign it.

Number two, and the far more compelling reason, is that Jaylen Brown is a great player who the Celtics should want to keep around for a really long time. I know he didn’t have a great series against the 76ers but he was so awesome this season. He averaged career highs in points (28.7) and assists (5.1) in the regular season while being the best player on a team that won 56 games without Jayson Tatum.

On the other hand, why should Boston rush to sign him? As was mentioned, Brown has three years left on his current deal with no player option. Free agency is not lurking like it was back in 2023.

Another aspect of this is that the Celtics have Jayson Tatum. The Suns were backed into a corner with Booker because he is their best player. Phoenix had just traded Kevin Durant and bought-out Bradley Beal — they needed to keep Booker on the team and happy so they paid him.

The Tatum and Brown duo has brought Celtics fans a lot of joy over the years, including a championship, and the Celtics should want to keep them paired together. Extending Brown this summer and Tatum next summer, when he becomes extension eligible, would accomplish that.

However, the Celtics did lose in the first round this season and Brad Stevens talked about how they were not good enough at his end of season press conference on Wednesday.

pic.twitter.com/JaJweYJIDX

— Karan (@ksenguptaa) May 8, 2026

However, I don’t think the Celtics need to rush into signing Brown to a new deal because their team wasn’t good enough this season and locking into this core doesn’t sound like something Brad Stevens is ready to do.

A look at each team in the NBA draft lottery — and how it's gone for them in the past originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The NBA draft lottery is Sunday, with Washington, Indiana and Brooklyn having the best odds of winning the No. 1 pick.

The lottery began in 1985, when the New York Knicks received the top selection and altered the course of their franchise by taking Patrick Ewing. The format has had its share of changes since then, and there might be another coming soon, but for now the process should be pretty familiar. The top four selections are determined via a weighted draw. Then picks No. 5-14 are dispersed in reverse order of finish from this season.

Last year, The Associated Press reviewed each franchise’s draft lottery history. Here is an updated version — including only the teams involved in this year’s lottery.

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Washington Wizards/Bullets

Lottery Wins: 2001 (Kwame Brown) and 2010 (John Wall)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2024; No. 3 in 2012 and 2013

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1993, 1995, 2004, 2009 and 2025

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 14%

Details: Only 11 teams have received multiple No. 1 picks in the lottery era, so the Wizards’ luck hasn’t been all bad. But dropping from second to sixth last year was a blow. If their pick had fallen out of the top eight this year, it would have gone to the Knicks, but after finishing with the league’s worst record, Washington doesn’t have to worry about that.

Indiana Pacers

Lottery Wins: None

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1985 and 1988

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1986

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 14%

Details: Indiana was one of the worst teams in the league when the lottery began and narrowly missed out on Ewing in 1985. The Pacers’ pick this year goes to the Los Angeles Clippers if it is outside the top four.

Brooklyn/New Jersey Nets

Lottery Wins: 1990 (Derrick Coleman) and 2000 (Kenyon Martin)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1991; No. 3 in 1987 and 2010

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1988

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 14%

Details: The Nets had just a 4% chance at the No. 1 pick when they won it in 2000, and they would have another top pick to their credit if they hadn’t dealt their selection away before the 2017 lottery.

Utah Jazz

Lottery Wins: None

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 3 in 2011

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 2025

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 11.5%

Details: The Jazz haven’t been in the lottery much over the past four decades, and when they have they’ve often been an afterthought. A trade gave them the Nets’ pick at No. 3 in 2011. Last year, Utah was in the top pre-lottery spot but fell to the No. 5 pick.

Sacramento Kings

Lottery Wins: 1989 (Pervis Ellison)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2018; No. 3 in 1991

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 2009 and 2010

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 11.5%

Details: Sacramento’s lone lottery victory led to a forgettable selection at No. 1, but the Kings haven’t had as many heartbreaking drops as you might think. Only once, in 2009, have they had the top pre-lottery position.

Memphis/Vancouver Grizzlies

Lottery Wins: None

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009 and 2019; No. 3 in 1996

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2018

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 9%

Details: Plenty of No. 2 picks but no No. 1s. In 2003, the Grizzlies moved up four spots to No. 2, but that pick belonged to Detroit because of a trade. Had Memphis moved up one more spot to No. 1, its pick would have been protected — and the Grizzlies would have had a chance to draft LeBron James.

Atlanta Hawks

Lottery Wins: 2024 (Zaccharie Risacher)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2005; No. 3 in 2001, 2007 and 2018

Dropped Out Of Top 3: None

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 9.8%

Details: The Hawks finally exited the never-won-the-lottery club two years ago, making good on a 3% chance to land the first pick. This year Atlanta gets either New Orleans’ first-round pick or Milwaukee’s, whichever is better. (The Pelicans are seventh in the pre-lottery pecking order and the Bucks are 10th.)

Dallas Mavericks

Lottery Wins: 2025 (Cooper Flagg)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1994

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1986, 1992, 1993 and 2018

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 6.7%

Details: The Mavericks were one of the unluckiest franchises in lottery history before capitalizing on a 1.8% chance to land Flagg. Before that, Dallas had never once improved its pick position. The mid-1990s were particularly dire. In 1993 the Mavericks went 11-71 but dropped three spots to No. 4. A 13-69 mark the following season didn’t yield the top pick either.

Chicago Bulls

Lottery Wins: 1999 (Elton Brand) and 2008 (Derrick Rose)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2002 and 2006; No. 3 in 2004

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 2000 and 2001

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 4.5%

Details: The Bulls landed the No. 1 pick just a season after losing Michael Jordan. They’ve struggled to build a contender since then, but they’ve had their chances.

Milwaukee Bucks

Lottery Wins: 1994 (Glenn Robinson) and 2005 (Andrew Bogut)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2014

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 2007

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: None

Details: Neither of those No. 1 picks was as much of a game changer for the Bucks as Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was taken outside the lottery in 2013. If Milwaukee’s pick this year is higher than New Orleans’, it would go to Atlanta and the Bucks would get the Pelicans’ selection.

Golden State Warriors

Lottery Wins: 1995 (Joe Smith)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2020; No. 3 in 1986, 1993 and 2002

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1985, 1988 and 2001

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 2%

Details: The Warriors were the lottery’s first big losers, receiving the No. 7 pick in the very first edition in 1985 after finishing tied for the worst record in the league. It wasn’t long before the NBA changed the rules to make drops of that size impossible.

Oklahoma City Thunder/Seattle SuperSonics

Lottery Wins: None

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1990, 2007 and 2022; No. 3 in 2009

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 2008

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 1.5%

Details: Of the eight franchises that have never won the lottery, this is one of the luckiest. While in Seattle, the team moved up eight picks to get Gary Payton in 1990 and climbed three spots to select Kevin Durant in 2007. Now the Thunder have the Los Angeles Clippers’ pick.

Miami Heat

Lottery Wins: None

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 2008; No. 3 in 1990

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1989 and 1991

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 1%

Details: The Heat have neither needed nor received much help in the lottery recently, but they could have used some during the franchise’s difficult early years. Miami dropped from first to fourth in 1989 after winning 15 games, then fell from second to fifth a couple of years later.

Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats

Lottery Wins: 1991 (Larry Johnson)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1992, 2012 and 2023; No. 3 in 1999, 2006 and 2020

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1989, 2005, 2013, 2024 and 2025

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: 0.5%

Details: Charlotte has had so many lottery appearances that it is not surprising the franchise has experienced some good and bad. Jumping six spots to get Alonzo Mourning in 1992 might’ve been even more important than landing Johnson at No. 1 the year before. The Hornets also moved up a whopping 10 spots to No. 3 in 1999 and took Baron Davis.

Los Angeles Clippers

Lottery Wins: 1988 (Danny Manning), 1998 (Michael Olowokandi) and 2009 (Blake Griffin)

Other Top-3 Picks: No. 2 in 1989, 1995, 2001 and 2004; No. 3 in 1985 and 2000

Dropped Out Of Top 3: 1987 and 1999

Chance Of Receiving No. 1 Pick This Year: None

Details: The Clippers have had bad luck in a variety of ways, but the lottery has generally treated them fairly. Three No. 1 picks and six more top-three picks more than make up for occasional disappointments, like missing out on David Robinson after a 12-win season in 1987. Los Angeles has to give its pick to Oklahoma City, but the Clippers receive Indiana’s if it is No. 5 or No. 6.

Victor Wembanyama scored 39 points as the San Antonio Spurs moved into a 2-1 lead in the NBA's Conference semi-finals - while the New York Knicks are one win from progressing from their series with Philadephia 76ers.

France international Wembanyama took 15 rebounds and blocked five shots against the Minnesota Timberwolves, helping seal a 115-108 victory on the road.

The 22-year-old scored nine of the Spurs' first 11 points as they raced into an 18-3 lead, but Anthony Edwards, who scored 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, dragged his side back into contention and the match was tied at 51-51 at the end of the second quarter.

The Spurs led 106-103 with three minutes to go, before Wembanyama's third three-pointer and a flurry of free throws helped the Western Conference second seeds pull away from their hosts.

In Philadelphia, Jalen Brunson scored 33 points for the Knicks as they won 108-94 to take a 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semi-final.

The visitors had turned around a four-point first quarter deficit to lead 60-52 at half-time.

Quentin Grimes made a pair of three-pointers to bring the 76ers within four points in the fourth quarter, before Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart all scored to set up the victory for the Eastern third seeds.

The two best-of-seven series resume on Sunday, with the Knicks hoping to progress to the Conference final and the Spurs aiming for a third consecutive win.

• Thunder and Pistons extend leads in play-off semis
• Wembanyama shines as Spurs and Knicks win in play-offs

MINNEAPOLIS — Victor Wembanyama delivered another masterpiece with 39 points, 15 rebounds and more game-wrecking defense for the San Antonio Spurs, who took a 2-1 lead in the second-round NBA playoff series with a 115-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.

Wembanyama went 13 of 18 from the floor and 10 of 12 from the line, adding five blocks and a full night of paint deterrence as the Spurs won their second straight game after dropping the opener at home.

“It was like holding the ship together. We had a lead. We didn’t need to rush. We needed to be consistent,” Wembanyama said.

De’Aaron Fox scored 17 points, and Stephon Castle had 13 points and 12 assists with a team-high plus-17 rating.

Anthony Edwards had 32 points and 14 rebounds and Naz Reid added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Wolves, whose defense kept them alive after a woeful start but allowed the Spurs to shoot 6 for 10 from 3-point range in the pivotal third quarter.

Minnesota will host Game 4 on Sunday night. The series shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday.

Jaden McDaniels drew Wembanyama’s fifth foul with 6:18 left and brought the Wolves within 99-98 on pair of free throws, but the Spurs never trailed in the second half despite never leading by double digits. Wembanyama sat for about a minute before coach Mitch Johnson sent him back in.

“We were going to not leave any bullets in the chamber in terms of keeping him on the bench,” Johnson said. “We were going to play him, and then if he fouled out, we deal with that.”

Wembanyama didn’t flinch despite the foul risk, finishing with 16 points in the fourth quarter. His 3-pointer that answered Reid’s pushed San Antonio’s lead to six with 3:06 to go. Reid tried another one near the end of the shot clock on the next possession that hit the rim and Wembanyama snagged for another rebound.

Edwards, who showed Minnesota yet again his swift healing ability by returning from a deep bone bruise in his hyperextended left knee after just one week to make the start of the series, had 22 points in the first half to help them snap back from an early 18-3 deficit.

“He needed that. We needed that,” coach Chris Finch said. “He’s battling back to find a game like this, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the result that went along with it.”

The Wolves missed their first 12 shots and didn’t get a basket to go down until Rudy Gobert’s putback with 6:52 had elapsed, but unlike in the 133-95 drubbing they took in Game 2 on Wednesday they had the defensive intelligence and tenacity at the ready to make up for the long shooting lulls.

Edwards hit a buzzer-beating 31-footer at the end of the first quarter, and McDaniels swished a 3-pointer from the wing to end the first half with a 51-all tie.

McDaniels and Julius Randle were the most affected by Wembanyama’s presence, unable to get their short-range and rim-attacking game going. They shot a combined 8 for 34 from the floor.

“I went in the locker room and told the guys we had a bunch of great looks,” Edwards said. “If we make our shots, we win this game.”