Category: NBA

The 2026 men's basketball transfer portal has been full of swings and misses for high-major programs.

Kentucky coach Mark Pope was seen in recent days at a Maccabi Tel Aviv game in Israel on an apparent recruiting trip. First-year LSU coach Will Wade, who has one player on his roster for next season — former Kentucky forward Mouhamed Dioubate — is also reportedly in Europe as he looks to fill out the Tigers' roster.

The Wildcats landed a pair of top-ranked lead guards in Zoom Diallo from Washington and Alex Wilkins from Furman, although questions have been raised of how the backcourt will fit together. Wilkins, a true freshman last season, averaged 17.8 points with 4.7 assists per game, but also was one of the least-efficient guards nationally, averaging 3.8 turnovers per contest. The two similar players aren't the best of shooters, either.

Who has best haul so far? College basketball transfer portal team rankings

Under-the-radar transfers: When the stars are gone, the smart portal moves matter most

Both programs are likely holding out hope for Santa Clara forward Allen Graves, the No. 3 overall player of the transfer portal this offseason, per USA TODAY Sports' rankings. The Louisiana native's older brother, Marshall Graves, played four seasons at LSU under Wade during Wade's first stint with the program.

While the teams on the list have made some intriguing moves and aren't done filling their rosters, they perhaps have more question marks than normal, given some of their positions on college basketball's totem pole.

Here's a look at the high-end programs with the worst transfer portal hauls so far:

Kentucky

Kentucky lost out on the Tyran Stokes sweepstakes, which likely put a dent in its portal plans. Still, it's hard to overlook the Wildcats' apparent shortcomings as one of the most successful programs in the sport's history.

Kentucky was also unable to land BYU guard Rob Wright III, who withdrew from the portal to stay with the Cougars, and Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman, who picked St. John's.

After landing its awkward-fitting backcourt duo of Diallo and Wilkins, Kentucky and Pope also grabbed a commitment from Ousmane N'Diaye, a 22-year-old Senegalese forward that was playing in the highest tier of professional basketball in Italy. Kentucky also grabbed James Madison transfer Justin McBride, a four-time transfer who averaged 15.9 points per game last season.

Mark Pope’s bluegrass honeymoon is over: Kentucky paid for a Final Four. Not this.

Opinion: Mark Pope, stop comparing yourself to John Calipari — or wind up like Hubert Davis

Kentucky has a chance at putting its roster questions to bed, though, if it can lure Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou. However, the former five-star prospect is reportedly considering staying in the NBA Draft after declaring. As a true freshman, he averaged 17.8 points with 5.9 rebounds per game last season.

To make matters worse, all seven of Kentucky's transfers landed at Power Five programs, with three of them staying in the SEC. While the Wildcats grabbed some intriguing players, their roster makeup certainly has some question marks and definitely wasn't their preferred outcome.

• Transfers in: Zoom Diallo (Washington), Alex Wilkins (Furman), Justin McBride (James Madison), Jerone Morton (Washington State).
• Transfers out: Collin Chandler (BYU), Andrija Jelavic (Ohio State), Denzel Aberdeen (Florida), Mouhamed Dioubate (LSU), Brandon Garrison (Alabama), Jasper Johnson (Oregon), Jaland Lowe (Georgetown).
• Returners: Malachi Moreno, Kam Williams, Trent Noah

LSU

LSU has one player on its roster as of May 3.

While it hasn't been ideal by any measure, the Tigers still have a few options: International recruiting, plucking a G Leaguer, convince the few uncommitted portal players or maybe even a late high school addition.

Former NC State guard Paul McNeil Jr., who played under Wade last season, could end up with the Tigers. So could Graves, who has connections to the program. But cutting it this close doesn't give much room for error, especially with Dioubate not being a go-to scoring option by any means.

Opinion: A scoundrel returns: Will Wade's LSU comeback makes perfect sense

Maybe LSU has an underlying plan that isn't immediately understood by the fan base. But the clock is ticking.

• Transfers in: Mouhamed Dioubate (Kentucky)
• Transfers out: Jalen Reece (Texas A&M), Robert Miller III, Marcus Vaughns (Arizona State), Mazi Mosley (Loyola Marymount), Mike Nwoko (Xavier), Mat Gilhool (Kansas State), Jalen Reed (Michigan), Ron Zipper, Dedan Thomas Jr. (Houston)
• Returners: None

Kansas

Kansas' gamble on waiting out Stokes' decision worked out, as it landed the No. 1-ranked player out of high school who will instantly be the team's go-to scorer next season. The addition still wasn't enough to overcome some of the Jayhawks' offseason blunders, though.

Kansas lost a pair of high-end big men in Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller, who went to Louisville and Missouri, respectively. It replaced Bidunga with College of Charleston transfer Christian Reeves, a clear step down from USA TODAY Sports' No. 2-ranked portal player.

Kansas also grabbed Utah transfer Keanu Dawes, a solid Big 12 pickup who averaged 12.5 points with 8.8 rebounds last season, and Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden Jr., who averaged 16.4 points with four rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in 2025-26 as a true freshman in the MAC, one of the weakest non-Power Four conferences in college basketball.

The Jayhawks did, however, also sign five-star high schooler Taylen Kinney, along with three other top-150 ranked recruits. Still, they have no full-time returning starters from last season, with their top returner being Kohl Rosario, who averaged 3.4 points per game. Kansas already tried putting all its eggs in one basket last season with five-star phenom Darryn Peterson, which resulted in a second-round exit at the NCAA Tournament.

Maybe the Jayhawks will have more luck this time around?

• Transfers in: Christian Reeves (College of Charleston), Leroy Blyden Jr. (Toledo), Keanu Dawes (Utah).
• Transfers out: Flory Bidunga (Louisville), Bryson Tiller (Missouri), Elmarko Jackson (Georgetown), Jamari McDowell (Wake Forest), Samis Calderon (Butler), Jayden Dawson, Corbin Allen (Appalachian State).
• Returners: Kohl Rosario, Paul Mbiya

Notre Dame

Micah Shrewsberry has a 41-56 record in three seasons at Notre Dame, and has yet to reach the NCAA Tournament, or any other postseason competition for that matter.

The transfer portal hasn't been kind for Shrewsberry and the Fighting Irish, as they lost their two best players in Markus Burton (Indiana) and Jalen Haralson (Tennessee). Sophomore guard Cole Certa, Notre Dame's third-leading scorer in 2025-26, left for Clemson.

It also doesn't look great that Notre Dame's only returning starter from last season is Braeden Shrewsberry, the son of its head coach.

Notre Dame added part-time starting guard Braeden Smith from Gonzaga, center Logan Duncomb from Winthrop and sharpshooting guard Ethan Roberts from Penn, although the roster's talent as of now appears to be far off last season's squad, which wasn't a good team either.

• Transfers in: Bryce Dortch (Rutgers), Braeden Smith (Gonzaga), Devin Brown (Davidson), Logan Duncomb (Winthrop), Ethan Roberts (Penn).
• Transfers out: Kebba Njie, Cole Certa (Clemson), Markus Burton (Indiana), Jalen Haralson (Tennessee), Ryder Frost (George Washington), Garrett Sundra (James Madison), Sir Mohammed.
• Returners: Braeden Shrewsberry, Brady Koehler, Logan Imes

TCU

TCU won nine of its last 11 games to end the regular season before taking down Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. It also gave Duke a scare in the first half before falling apart in the second half of the second round.

The Horned Frogs were set to return four starters in 2026-27, including star forward David Punch, making them one of the most experienced teams in the Big 12. However, Punch entered the portal and left for Texas, and TCU has struggled to add to its returning group.

TCU has landed a pair of transfers in West Virginia's DJ Thomas and Long Beach State's Gavin Sykes. The true freshmen were solid last season, as Thomas averaged 6.6 points per game off the bench, while Sykes was one of the best scorers in the Big West at 19.4 points per game, although he'll have to prove his ability at a much higher level in the Big 12.

TCU also lost part-time starter Liutauras Lelevicius to Clemson and rising bench contributors Kayden Edwards to Creighton, RJ Jones to Washington State and Jace Posey, turning an intriguing team for next season into one with a much lower ceiling.

• Transfers in: DJ Thomas (West Virginia), Gavin Sykes (Long Beach State)
• Transfers out: Malick Diallo (Loyola Chicago), David Punch (Texas), Liutauras Lelevicius (Clemson), Ashton Simmons, Kayden Edwards (Creighton), Jace Posey, RJ Jones (Washington State).
• Returners: Xavier Edmonds, Micah Robinson, Brock Harding, Tanner Toolson

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kentucky basketball, Kansas, LSU among transfer portal biggest losers

CLEVELAND — Reputations don’t change overnight, especially ones built through years of playoff failures.

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t alter how they were perceived with a gutsy 114-102 Game 7 win over the Toronto Raptors. They did, however, show that they don’t have to be defined by previous postseason letdowns.

Jarrett Allen was the exact opposite of the caricature he’s been made out to be. He was the toughest player on the court on Sunday with the way he thoroughly dominated the paint on both ends of the floor.

Defensively, Allen made it impossible for Toronto to finish inside.

He cut off both passing and driving lanes with his activity on defense, resulting in three blocks and two steals. Allen did this while grabbing 25% of missed shots himself when he was on the floor, translating to 19 rebounds.

This all added up to Cleveland having an impressive 101.4 defensive rating with him playing.

That impact carried to the other end of the floor as well.

Allen played with a forcefulness that Toronto couldn’t match. Every cut, screen, or drive to the hoop was made with an effort that we don’t always see from Allen, but when he has few can stop.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson saw a game like this coming with the way Allen looked in pregame intros.

“He was flying around,” Atkinson said. “Normally, he’s enthusiastic, but it was like, ‘Man, what got into this guy?’ But he was ready for the moment.”

Allen’s game is momentum-based. When he starts to see a few go through, his energy and effort continue to rise. That’s what we saw, especially in the third quarter. He finished the evening with 22 points on 7-8 shooting in the restricted area with eight huge offensive rebounds.

There was a simple message still written on the Cavs’ whiteboard after Game 7: “Win the possession game again!” Underneath that was a box with +9 in it, signaling how much they won that category.

The guards did a good job of limiting turnovers, but the real difference maker was Allen’s offensive rebounding.

Allen’s lowest playoff moment came when he couldn’t keep Mitchell Robinson and the New York Knicks off the glass three years ago. That was one of the many reasons Cleveland lost that first-round series so convincingly. It’s also where Allen made the infamous reference to the lights being “brighter than expected.”

This game was the exact opposite.

Allen wasn’t the one getting pushed off his spots; he was the one moving defenders out of the way and breaking their spirit in the second half.

This one game doesn’t change who Allen is moving forward. In basketball and in life, you continually need to confront and overcome the same problems.

Allen conquering his previous challenges is emblematic of the team as a whole.

In this series, the Cavs repeatedly showed that they can meet the moment. RJ Barrett’s game-winning three in Game 6 that hung in the air for eternity before falling through might’ve broken previous versions of this team. It didn’t for this one.

Every time they had a chance to collapse after a bad break, they picked themselves back up and continued fighting. That’s something that we haven’t consistently seen before and will help them in the postseason.

“I’m proud of our group,” Max Strus said after an impressive game of his own.

“Overcoming adversity, losing, coming back from it, showing some toughness, showing some character, showing some resilience. I think it’s going to be awesome for us to go through that. Now that we’ve gone through it, we know what it takes to get over the hump. I think it’ll be better for us in the next rounds.”

That is undeniably true.

However, it’s also true that the Cavs proved their loudest critics right on multiple occasions over the last two weeks. Mental mistakes, such as struggling to get the ball over half court late in games, cost them both Game 4 and Game 6. Championship-level teams can’t afford to give away road games, especially not two in similar ways.

The Cavs are both the team that showed they don’t have to be defined by their postseason failures, and that what has led to them can pop up at any moment. The first option wasn’t there for previous groups. That, more than anything, is reason to be optimistic if you want to be.

Talent has never been the problem with the Cavs.

The pieces are in place for a deep postseason run. The issue, both individually and as a collective, lies in rising to the occasion in the biggest moments.

Allen isn’t the only one who’s earned the reputation as a playoff failure. He’s on the same team as James Harden — the modern superstar most known for falling short in the clutch — and Donovan Mitchell — someone who hasn’t gotten out of the second round in his previous eight postseason attempts. Both will have to defeat their demons if this team is going to get over the hump.

Luckily for them, Allen provided the roadmap for doing so.

“I always feel like in this league, when you get a certain label, it always sticks with you no matter what,” Allen said. “No matter how hard you try to change it, it’s always going to follow you around. I think that if I…want to change the narrative that was placed on me…that’s going to weaken my strengths going forward and always try to weigh me back.

“I’ve always been the guy that always just moves forward. Things happen in the past that go my way, that don’t go my way. It’s just part of playing basketball, being at the professional level. [All I can do is] just be my best going forward.”

If Harden, Mitchell, and the rest of the team can continue following Allen’s example and just be their best going forward, then maybe this group can accomplish something meaningful.

What are we supposed to do now?

But seriously, after watching the Celtics collapse against the 76ers and seeing their season come to a crashing halt, it feels like something is missing from spring.

We’ve all devoted countless hours to watching this team play in May and June, and knowing that the journey is completely finished as of May 2 just doesn’t feel right.

In one sense, this team ultimately underachieved and fell short of its potential. In another, if you view it through a broader lens, the Celtics also overachieved and exceeded expectations from the start.

“When you start a season, you think you’re going to be playing until June every single year,” Sam Hauser told reporters. “That’s the expectation, especially being in Boston and with the Celtics — the standard is a championship, and when you fall short of that, it’s disappointing. But there’s a lot of good that we can take from this year and a lot of things that we can build off of.”

Asked Sam Hauser how he processes loss/disappointment on the heels of what was a great regular season:

“When you start a season, you think you're going to be playing until June every single year. That's the expectation, especially being in Boston and with the Celtics — the… pic.twitter.com/uiwRXa0Y3p

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) May 3, 2026

As you wake up in a somber daze, and solemnly stare out your window, I encourage you to view this season through both a glass-half full and glass-half-empty prism. I don’t think it’s accurate to say it was a complete success, and I also don’t think it’s fair to say it was a complete failure.

In that sense, it’s a very unique season and one unlike any other I can recall. The only one that comes close is the Isaiah Thomas masterpiece in 2017, but that one felt different as the Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. This playoff run was over before it began. So, how can fans not be disappointed?

No, no, don’t get me wrong … You can absolutely be disappointed, but you should also be grateful. Back when the season began, many expected it would end somewhat like it eventually did. The Celtics would lose in the first round to a more-talented opponent and fade into the night as a middling team.

But, they didn’t do so as the 7-seed. They did so as the 2-seed, which makes it so much more difficult to digest.

Remember, they weren’t supposed to be here. In my opinion, these are the most gratifying seasons, where a team defies the odds and the whole becomes greater than the parts.

“This season, what the expectations were and how we came out and we rose to meet that level of uncertainty with this group,” Jaylen Brown told reporters. “There’s nothing more I could ask for. I had a great time with my teammates. We played hard. Feel like we left it all out there. Tonight, we came up short.”

Asked Jaylen Brown how he looks at failure and success, and whether anything short of a title feels like a failure:

“It's hard to reflect on it just right now, because it's so fresh from the moment. But, obviously this organization is used to playing later into the season. I… pic.twitter.com/q1l5UA5GI3

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) May 3, 2026

Brown took his game to the next level this season. Derrick White was a dominant force defensively. Payton Pritchard created even more for himself and others. Hauser evolved as a driver and defender. Neemias Queta was one of the most-improved players in the NBA. Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr., Hugo González and Jordan Walsh stayed ready and all made significant strides.

Oh yeah, and Jayson Tatum busted his butt and came back. He didn’t just come back. He was back. Back to his old ways, terrorizing opponents and making the game look easy. Then came another injury. Life isn’t always fair, but Tatum should be applauded for his resilience and determination. Full stop.

When you look closely at the roster, and compare it to Celtics teams of the past and other rosters around the NBA, it’s truly a remarkable feat that the Celtics secured the 2-seed. Joe Mazzulla and his staff deserve a great deal of credit for maximizing each player’s skills and pushing the right buttons throughout the regular season.

At the same time, this series exposed what is clearly a flawed roster with several holes. The Celtics need a versatile big who can defend, rebound and score at a high level. They need a wing who can give Brown and Tatum a breather and get buckets. They need a scrappy on-ball defender (it may be González, but he’s still learning) who can pester opponents and let them know he’s there.

While there are many layers to this series, when you break it down to its core, the deciding factor (besides Joel Embiid, of course) was that the Sixers felt way too comfortable in the games they won. There was no resistance. Where was Kevin Garnett, Marcus Smart or Jrue Holiday to channel that intensity the right way?

I admire the youth approach, and it’s quite amazing how much each player grew, but they need more defensive-minded veterans to complement that young talent.

Oh yeah, and there’s the 3-point shooting. I love 3-pointers more than anyone I know, so if I’m saying you’re shooting too many 3’s, you’re probably shooting too many 3’s. There’s nothing wrong with having it as your bread and butter, but you need to be able to diversify your offensive approach when the 3-ball isn’t falling.

Asked (a very visible disappointed) Payton Pritchard how he balances processing a 56-win season with this outcome:

“Just because you don't win a championship one year doesn't mean it didn't build for the next championship. So, when we won Banner 18, four years before that, we… pic.twitter.com/Ow3sxKhSfw

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) May 3, 2026

This will be an interesting offseason, and I expect the team to look different moving forward. I don’t think this is the end of the Tatum and Brown era, but otherwise, nothing would surprise me.

As you digest this season, and analyze what went wrong with a glass-half-empty mind-set, this is your friendly reminder to also look at the glass half full. It was one hell of a ride. Be grateful it happened. For now, maybe read a book, get outside, spend time with your family.

The Celtics will be back. They’ll learn from this, and next time, they’ll be ready to shatter the glass to smithereens.

Pritchard summed it up perfectly while speaking with reporters Saturday night.

“Just because you don’t win a championship one year doesn’t mean it didn’t build for the next championship.”

Occam’s razor is attributed to a 14th-century friar named William of Ockham. He doesn’t seem to be widely remembered for much else. The simplest explanation is: his idea that the explanation with the fewest elements is probably the most logical one was by far his best work.

The Houston Rockets had a disappointing 2025-26 season. It culminated in a disappointing first-round exit. Now, it’s time for explanations, diagnoses, and plans.

Here, the focus is on the playoff exit. There’s minimal value in considering plans that will bolster the team’s regular-season record if they aren’t playoff viable. So, why did the Rockets lose to a Lakers team that was without Luka Doncic and largely without Austin Reaves?

There are likely multiple Occam-friendly explanations, which may disqualify the razor from being applied. Firstly, and most obviously, the Rockets were without Kevin Durant. That’s a sound explanation, but it’s not very satisfactory. With Doncic and Reaves (mostly) sidelined, the Rockets’ young core should have taken care of business.

So, the task becomes explaining why they couldn’t. Here’s where the razor cuts:

Having two non-shooters in the same starting lineup is likely the primary culprit.

People don’t like that explanation. They’d prefer to believe there are multiple ways to build an NBA contender. It’s a reaction to the NBA’s optimization movement. It’s disheartening to think that team-building concepts are so rigid.

Here’s the issue: Everyone else is optimizing. The only other would-be contender to feature two non-shooters in the starting lineup would be the Detroit Pistons. As of this writing, they’re due to face the eighth seed in the weaker conference in a do-or-die Game Seven in seven hours.

So it’s not going well for them either (Editor’s note: The Pistons won last night, but doesn’t take away from James’ point).

Otherwise, go look at the playoff bracket. Every other serious team’s starting lineup features four, if not five, players whose three-point attempts must be defended. This is reality. The Lakers predictably packed the paint, and that’s the primary reason why the Rockets lost. When the paint isn’t available, it’s easier for defenses to guard the entire floor.

So what’s the solution?

Rockets have to explore three options

Let’s start with one option that shouldn’t be an option (even if it’s the most probable course of action):

Running it back.

Rafael Stone: Please. You cannot run this back. This is not a team that’s a Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams away from accomplishing anything substantial. Even adding a Tim Hardaway Jr. or a Gary Trent Jr. or a (wait, why are you throwing a tomato) Luke Kennard won’t be enough to move the needle.

Why? The explanation is, thematically enough, simple. The Rockets will still be starting two non-shooters. That’s still going to be tremendously easy to exploit in the playoffs. Adding bench shooters would allow them to stagger Sengun and Thompson, but if they can’t both be on the floor when the stakes are high, the problem persists. The Rockets will be choosing between keeping their best playmaker and best defender on the floor.

Put differently: It’s not just about shooting, it’s about spacing. You could surround Sengun and Thompson with the best shooting trio that could be assembled. Thompson’s defender will still sag off of him to put an extra man in the paint, which will result in the same problem.

That leaves two obvious options (spoiler: There’s a third): Trade Sengun, or trade Thompson. Full disclosure: I lean towards moving Sengun.

*I dug my own grave on this, but I can no longer say anything about Alperen Sengun other than “Nikola Who?” without becoming painfully self-conscious. Yet, when I was telling whoever would listen that a non-shooting, non-defending big man was a tough sell in 2024, I was a pariah. Now, the notion of moving Sengun is much more fashionable. I’ll credit myself for being early and move on.

This is less about Sengun himself and more about roster construction and market scarcity. Sengun is Houston’s primary playmaker. It’s more feasible to find a better primary playmaker than it is to find a better defensive wing than Amen Thompson. Thompson’s skillset is rarer, and that’s one of two reasons why I’d lean towards keeping him between the two.

The other reason? Sorry, but Sengun hasn’t hit 60% True Shooting yet in his career (yes, he hit 59.9% in 2023-24, but 60% isn’t even an especially high bar, and that’s one season). You can blame spacing, but Sengun had ample one-on-one opportunities with Deandre “Don’t call me Gobert” Ayton in this year’s series. When he doesn’t have a strength advantage, he has a tremendously difficult time scoring, and that has nothing to do with spacing. There is a legitimate concern that Sengun just doesn’t have great touch.

If the Rockets go this route, they don’t need to push chips in for a superstar. It could be wiser to retool. Trading Sengun for a lesser five who’s a better stylistic fit with the rest of the roster and future assets could put the Rockets in a better overall position.

That could mean a stretch five. Could Myles Turner and two first-round picks be had in a multi-team deal? Bobby Portis and picks? A non-Buck and picks?

Yet, it doesn’t have to be a stretch five. A lower usage big man with defensive value who can comfortably be benched could work. What about Yves Missi and two unprotected future firsts? In that permutation, you’re relying on Jabari Smith Jr. at the 5 minutes to be viable.

And yes, you could just flip Sengun and a bunch of other stuff for Giannis Antetokounmpo. You’re still running two non-shooters, and almost certainly not winning a title, and totally berift of assets, but…yeah, you could.

Alternatively, you could build a high-octane offense and live with the defensive shortcomings by pairing Sengun and Kevin Durant with a third star – but it has to be the right star. It can’t be a paint merchant, or even a midrange maestro. This player would need to be a high-volume three-point shooter.

Who might be available? Jaylen Brown feels like an obvious candidate given his ties to Udoka, but he’s one of those players whose reputation as a three-point shooter doesn’t quite align with reality. Donovan Mitchell is a thought, but pairing him with Fred VanVleet (and if he’s not in the deal, Reed Sheppard) makes for two small guards in a defense that’s still anchored by Sengun. No bueno.

We don’t need to identify the specific star. The simpler point is that if the Rockets want to test the theory that Sengun would thrive with better spacing, they’d need to bring in a third star who’s a significant three-point threat. Even if Sengun’s scoring efficiency never improves, his passing processing would surely improve with three-point threats around him.

So, those are the obvious routes. There is a third one:

But it almost certainly won’t happen.

Rockets could trade Kevin Durant

A starting lineup featuring two non-shooters isn’t championship viable in 2026.

If you don’t have championship aspirations, that’s a moot point.

Why did the Rockets acquire Durant? Was it to make a championship push? Or, was it to get off Jalen Green expeditiously and bring in a veteran who, at least in basketball terms, should elevate the rest of the core?

If it’s the latter, there should be no qualms about moving the guy with the burner accounts. If the Rockets could flip Durant for complementary players (ie, shooters) and a future first, they’d buy themselves some time. Time to build around the sneaky superstar they grab in the 2027 or 2029 draft.

Time to see if one of Sengun or Thompson makes a shooting leap. Time for Anthony Edwards to shake loose to pair with Sengun.

I love this option, but it’s likely a tough sell for ownership. That’s why it’s being treated as an addendum here. Assuming that it’s not an option, the Rockets should move one of their non-shooting starters this summer:

It’s the simplest solution.

After a convincing 3-1 defeat of the Portland Trail Blazers in round one, the San Antonio Spurs will face a familiar foe in the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves are red hot, coming off a 3-2 victory over the Denver Nuggets, despite missing several key rotation players. The series is set to be a defensive, physical battle that will test the young Spurs and give the Wolves a chance to reach their third straight Western Conference Finals.

The Timbewolves enter the series as underdogs, with multiple players on the injury report. Anthony Edwards’ status is the most interesting of the series as a whole. Edwards has been cleared for on-court opportunities after suffering a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise against Denver. He is listed as questionable for Game 1. Donte DiVincenzo will miss the series after tearing his Achilles tendon in round one. Ayo Dosunmu, who dominated the Nuggets in the first round, is listed as questionable with calf soreness.

The Spurs come into the series with a full bill of health, but they struggled against Minnesota in the regular season. The Wolves took the regular season series between these two teams 2-1. Two of the three games were settled by 3 points or fewer, and the teams never played each other at full strength. It’s hard to take much from the regular season, other than the fact that these are two top-ten defenses, with superstar shotmakers in Victor Wembanyama and Edwards.

The Timberwolves are undefeated at home in the playoffs, which makes home-court advantage crucial for the Spurs. Winning two games at home will put them in a good position to take the series. It all starts with setting the tone in game one, with the chance to make the WCF for the first time since 2017.

San Antonio Spurs (0-0) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (0-0)

May 4th, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT

Watch: Peacock | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Carter Bryant – Questionable (foot)

Timberwolves Injuries: Donte DiVincenzo – Out (achilles), Ayo Dosunmu – Questionable (calf), Anthony Edwards – Questionable (knee)

What to watch for:

Minnesota’s Offense

If Edwards and Dosunmu sit, the key question for Minnesota becomes, where do they get offense from? Against Denver, it came from Jaden McDaniels, who is emerging as a star in these playoffs. McDaniels is averaging 17.8 points per game on 49.4% shooting from the field in the playoffs. He’s been a force getting to the rim, but is shooting just 11.1% from deep. The Wolves have also gotten solid production from Naz Reid and Terrance Shannon Jr. without Edwards.

Denver and San Antonio are two very different defensive teams. The Spurs have been excellent at funneling drivers toward Wembanyama, who has dominated around the rim this postseason. Stephon Castle will have a major challenge in front of him in guarding the Wolves’ best perimeter player, whether it’s Edwards or someone else. If San Antonio’s defense can slow down a surging Minnesota offense attack, they should be in a good position for Game One.

Defensive matchups

Portland showed the league what the blueprint for guarding the Spurs could be in the postseason. They put a big man on Castle, a wing on Wembanyama, and their best perimeter defender on De’Aaron Fox. Ultimately, the Blazers didn’t have the personnel to match up with San Antonio, but the Timberwolves have enough talent to make it interesting.

Minnesota head coach Chris Finch could elect to put former Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert on Castle, allowing him to roam the paint as an elite rim protector. Then he could put Julius Randle on Wembanyama. That matchup gave Wembanyama some issues in the regular season, as Randle could get under him and play physical defense. Then, McDaniels, the best perimeter defender, could take the Fox assignment.

Or, Finch could ride the hot hand and just put Gobert on Wembanyama. The Wolves’ center played great defense on Nikola Jokic in round one. That could give Minnesota the confidence to let Gobert handle Wembanyama, even if San Antonio’s star big man has historically dominated that matchup.

Spurs three-guard lineup

San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson has been hesitant to play his three best guards together this season and in the playoffs. Fox, Castle, and Dylan Harper only logged 10 minutes together in Round One, with a neutral net-rating. In the regular season, the trio played 25 minutes together with a -26.9 net rating. If that doesn’t sound good, it’s because it isn’t. However, this lineup could come in handy against Minnesota.

The Wolves don’t have a lot of strong ball-handlers themselves, and could be bothered by the Spurs’ tough guards on the perimeter. Then, on the other end, the Wolves would need to contest with multiple players who can create their own shots and open up looks for others. If Castle and Harper continue to knock down threes, this is a lineup that could swing the series.

Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (60-22, first in the Eastern Conference)

Detroit; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT

LINE: Pistons -3; over/under is 213.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Pistons host first series matchup

BOTTOM LINE: The Detroit Pistons host the Cleveland Cavaliers to begin the Eastern Conference second round. Detroit and Cleveland tied the regular season series 2-2. The Cavaliers won the last regular season matchup 113-109 on Wednesday, March 4 led by 22 points from Jaylon Tyson, while Jalen Duren scored 24 points for the Pistons.

The Pistons are 12-4 against opponents in the Central Division. Detroit is the top team in the Eastern Conference with 57.9 points in the paint led by Duren averaging 14.6.

The Cavaliers are 11-5 against Central Division teams. Cleveland is sixth in the Eastern Conference with 32.7 defensive rebounds per game led by Evan Mobley averaging 6.6.

The Pistons make 48.5% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.1 percentage points higher than the Cavaliers have allowed to their opponents (46.4%). The Cavaliers score 9.9 more points per game (119.5) than the Pistons allow (109.6).

TOP PERFORMERS: Cade Cunningham is averaging 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.9 assists for the Pistons. Tobias Harris is averaging 19.3 points over the last 10 games.

Donovan Mitchell is averaging 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals for the Cavaliers. James Harden is averaging 18.5 points, 5.2 assists and 1.7 steals over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 7-3, averaging 110.5 points, 47.2 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 8.7 steals and 9.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 101.6 points per game.

Cavaliers: 6-4, averaging 113.7 points, 45.3 rebounds, 22.8 assists, 8.0 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.8 points.

INJURIES: Pistons: Kevin Huerter: day to day (adductor).

Cavaliers: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Los Angeles Lakers (53-29, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Thunder -16; over/under is 213.5

WESTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Thunder host first series matchup

BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Los Angeles Lakers to open the Western Conference second round. Oklahoma City went 4-0 against Los Angeles during the regular season. The Thunder won the last regular season matchup 123-87 on Wednesday, April 8 led by 25 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, while Rui Hachimura scored 15 points for the Lakers.

The Thunder are 41-11 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City averages 119.0 points and has outscored opponents by 11.1 points per game.

The Lakers are 33-19 in conference play. Los Angeles ranks sixth in the Western Conference scoring 52.0 points per game in the paint led by LeBron James averaging 11.1.

The Thunder score 119.0 points per game, 4.4 more points than the 114.6 the Lakers allow. The Lakers score 8.4 more points per game (116.3) than the Thunder give up (107.9).

TOP PERFORMERS: Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points and 6.6 assists for the Thunder. Chet Holmgren is averaging 14.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks over the past 10 games.

Austin Reaves is averaging 23.3 points and 5.5 assists for the Lakers. James is averaging 21.1 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 8-2, averaging 123.7 points, 44.4 rebounds, 29.1 assists, 10.2 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 50.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.8 points per game.

Lakers: 7-3, averaging 104.5 points, 40.4 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 9.5 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 49.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 99.8 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

Lakers: Luka Doncic: out (hamstring).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The Detroit Pistons fought back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Orlando Magic in the NBA play-offs and advance to the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

The Pistons won the final match of their best-of-seven series 116-94, their first play-off series win since 2008.

They are the 15th team in NBA history to come back from 3-1 down, and the second in the space of two days after the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics.

Cade Cunningham top-scored for the Pistons with 32 points and 12 assists, while Tobias Harris added 30 points.

"We had a great regular season, we built a lot of momentum going into these play-offs," said Cunningham.

"To lose in the first round would have really stung. To come back from 3-1, odds against us, and to come back and win it at home - it feels good."

The Pistons will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the semi-finals, another best-of-seven series starting on 5 May.

The Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors to book their place in the second round with a 114-102 victory.

Jarrett Allen starred for the Cavaliers with 22 points and 19 rebounds as they recovered from a 10-point deficit after the first quarter.

The scores were tied 49-49 at the halfway mark but the Cavaliers surged ahead in the third quarter with Allen contributing 14 points and 10 of his rebounds.

"I just wanted to show my team-mates that we can win this game," said Allen.

"Energy and effort, that's what I believe wins games. Every single possession, it means a lot. Every single possession means it could be the end of the season."

Donovan Mitchell added 22 points and James Harden scored 18.

For the Raptors, who were in the play-offs for the first time since 2022, Scottie Barnes had 24 points and nine rebounds while RJ Barrett scored 23.

Jaylen Brown never shies away from voicing his opinion and that didn't change following the Boston Celtics’ 109-100 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Brown went on the streaming platform Twitch on Sunday, May 3 to discuss what happened in Game 7 and spoke about the officiating. Brown had been critical of the officiating during the regular season and believes it played a role in how things were called during the postseason.

“They clearly had an agenda, maybe because I spoke so critically of them in the regular season,” Brown said on his stream. “I actually spoke to some refs, and they told me there’s an agenda going on each game, every time Jaylen puts his arm up, just call it.”

Brown explained that it was a simple basketball play that several other players do.

“Philly took advantage of that and the officiating and it cost us to some degree,” he added.

The five-time all-star also shared his displeasure with 76ers star Joel Embiid.

"Flopping has ruined our league,” Brown said. “Joel Embiid is a great player. One of the best bigs in basketball history. Flops. He knows it.”

Brown also made mention of a back brace he was wearing during the broadcast, saying that he was dealing with back pain after having to guard Embiid and the size difference between the two players.

Brown is listed at 223 pounds. Embiid is listed at 270.

“A (expletive) almost took me out,” Brown said. “I can't even bend down to tie my shoe (after guarding) Embiid.”

Brown showed a clip from Game 7 where he was seen guarding Embiid while saying, “I tried to bump and throw my weight and I felt something in my back give out.”

The former NBA Finals MVP said he wasn’t willing to share some of his grievances until after the series had ended because he didn’t want to be a distraction for his team.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jaylen Brown vents on Twitch his displeasure for referees, Joel Embiid

Pistons fans got in one final dig at the Magic as their side blew out Orlando in Game 7 of the first round of the NBA playoffs, specifically getting a shot in at Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. 

At one point during the 116-94 Pistons win on Sunday, fans inside Little Caesars Arena broke out into a chant of “Angel Reese!”

The backstory is very reality TV-esque.  

Angel Reese chants break out as the Detroit Pistons give the Magic the BELT in Game 7 pic.twitter.com/V1HsthWjhS

— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) May 3, 2026

Carter is currently dating the WNBA star, and the two were first romantically linked last May. 

But before she dated the Magic center, she had been dating Jalen Duren, who plays for the Pistons — adding an extra layer of spice to the first round series between Detroit and Orlando. 

As if that wasn’t enough, Reese then got in on the chirping, taking to social media late last month to share a highlight on her Instagram Story of Carter, her current beau, slam dunking on Duren, her ex. 

It’s clear that Duren and the Pistons got the last laugh in the end, taking the best-of-seven series at home, and Duren finished the game with 15 points and 15 rebounds. 

Going into Game 7, Duren had averaged 9.8 points per game while shooting 52.3 percent from the field and averaging 8.5 rebounds during the postseason.

When the Knicks faced the 76ers in the playoffs two years ago, Josh Hart was a pivotal factor in the series. 

In large stretches, Philadelphia used Joel Embiid on Hart, daring him to shoot from the perimeter, and Hart shot a robust 43.6 percent from distance on 6.2 attempts per game. 

He would welcome that same plan from the 76ers. 

“Each series is different. Atlanta, I don’t think there were many catch-and-shoot opportunities,” Hart said Sunday on the eve of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Knicks and 76ers. “Most of my 3s were off the bounce or within the last five seconds of the shot clock. [In this series], it’s going to be a completely opposite story. If it’s similar to what it was in the past, I’ll probably have as many catch-and-shoot opportunities as I want. I got to go out there, shoot the ball with confidence. I’m a good shooter, I know I’m a good shooter. I trust my work.

“Do that, and then when I’m not taking those shots, screening off-ball, screening on-ball, holding my screens, and just being decisive.” 

The 6-foot-5 Hart shot only 21.7 percent from deep in the Hawks series, although he did make 41.3 percent of his 3s during the regular season on 3.7 attempts per game.

Odds are, the 76ers are going to challenge him to make them pay by playing off him like they did two years ago. 

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The 76ers feature some local connections.

Reserve guard Quentin Grimes was drafted by the Knicks and played parts of three seasons for them before being dealt to the Pistons in February 2024 for veterans Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks.

Rookie VJ Edgecombe spent two years at Long Island Lutheran before one season at Baylor.

In the series win over the Celtics, the 6-4 guard from the Bahamas averaged 15.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and three assists.

Philadelphia also includes assistant coach Rico Hines, who was a St. John’s assistant under Steve Lavin from 2010 to 2015. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are moving on, courtesy of a certain Fro.

Let’s check on tonight’s winners and losers.

WINNER – Jarrett **c**** Allen

I’m not sure if there was a more encouraging way for the Cavs to exorcise some demons and advance to the second round than Jarrett Allen going full-on beast mode in a Game 7.

Are the lights no longer too bright?

Allen was steady in the first half, immediately making his presence felt on both ends of the floor. But it wasn’t until the third quarter that all hell broke loose. Allen scored 14 points and hauled in 10 rebounds during that period, suddenly appearing anywhere a rebound was available.

This was the total package from Allen. Offensive rebounds and second-chance opportunities. Rejecting shots at the rim, then securing stops with his defensive rebounding. All the while, Allen rolled hard to the basket and kept applying pressure on Toronto’s undersized frontcourt to stave him off. They weren’t successful, and Allen made sure to take full advantage of it.

The Cavs fired off their fake-snow machine for a ‘Cavalanche’ in the fourth quarter. Moments before, Allen received loud MVP chants at the free-throw line. He finished with 22 points and 19 gigantic rebounds. To say it again, beast mode.

Allen has had some real stinkers in big spots. We’ve seen him look totally invisible in some of the most important games of the season. Tonight couldn’t have been any more different. You couldn’t watch a possession without noticing Allen on the floor. This was the best performance of his career in arguably his biggest game to date.

LOSER – First Half Turnovers

Every second you’re trailing in a Game 7 feels like you’re drowning. The Cavs drowned for nearly the entire first half, only getting a brief gasp of breath when the game was tied in the closing moments of the second quarter.

Turnovers were the primary reason for that struggle.

The Cavs turned it over 13 times in the first half. To his credit, only one of those came from James Harden. The rest of the Cavalier starters coughed it up 10 times. That’s the type of stuff that can end your season.

Cleveland knew this would be an area of concern against the Raptors. This is a team that thrived on generating steals and taking them in transition. Toronto flexed its strengths early in this game by scoring 14 points off turnovers in the first half.

WINNER – The Role Players

As mentioned, the first half of this game wasn’t pretty. The Cavs were flirting with an early deficit that could have closed the door on anything meaningful happening in the second half. There are a lot of reasons they avoided that outcome.

One of them is Merrill.

This wasn’t a super explosive game from Merrill. But his timely shot-making was a life jacket during an otherwise stormy section of the game. Toronto recovers and closes out to shooters as quickly as any defense in the NBA. Merrill is just faster.

Merrill also deserves credit for his defense. The tone of this game shifted when he and Max Strus began pressuring the ball full court. Neither one can be considered a defensive stopper, but hustle and heart go a long way in a win-or-go-home setting.

Next on the list are Max Strus and Jaylon Tyson. Each player came up in crucial moments throughout this game.

Strus did a little bit of everything, scoring 10 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing 5 assists. Oh, he had 2 steals and 1 block, as well. He might have struggled at various points in this series, but Max remains the type of player who you want on the floor in the biggest spots.

Then there’s Tyson, who is quickly proving that even in his sophomore season, no moment is too big.

Tyson changed the dynamic of this game by being able to float around the free-throw line and create from the middle of the floor. His guard-guard screening unlocked so much for the Cavs offense, and his game-tying shot near the end of the first half gave the Cavs their first gasp of breath all night.

“I thought Jaylon was huge,” said Kenny Atkinson. “It was amazing, James and Don just gave him the ball and let him go ahead — we needed that.”

CLEVELAND — Jarrett Allen tied his playoff career high with 22 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 114-102 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of their series Sunday night.

Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 22 points and James Harden added 18 in a series in which the home team won all seven games.

Cleveland, the No. 4 seed, will visit top-seeded Detroit on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the second round. The Central Division rivals split their four regular-season meetings.

“I think we’ve already moved on (to focusing on Detroit),” Mitchell said on the court immediately after the final buzzer. “We understand we won this game, but we play in a couple days.,”

Scottie Barnes had 24 points and nine rebounds and RJ Barrett scored 23 for the Raptors, who were in the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

All-Star forward Brandon Ingram missed his second straight game with a bruised right heel.

“We gave it all, everything we had today,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “Our guys were awesome. We made it hard on them.”

Allen had 14 points and 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, as Cleveland went on a 49-21 run during a 15-minute span over the second and third quarters where it turned a nine-point deficit into an 19-point advantage.

One of Allen’s baskets during the third quarter was a fast-break dunk after Max Strus stole the ball from Barnes to make it 74-59.

Cleveland was 17 of 33 from the field, including five 3-pointers, during the run while converting seven of Toronto’s turnovers into 14 points. The Raptors shot 6 of 23 and were 1 of 8 behind the arc.

The Cavaliers also had a 25-8 rebounding advantage during the spurt, and converted 10 offensive boards into 14 points.

“They were scoring in transition, getting some offensive rebounds,” Barnes said. “The offensive rebounds were giving them extra possessions. That really hurt us, giving them momentum.”

Toronto led for most of the first half and had a 10-point lead midway through the second quarter before Cleveland began its comeback.

The Cavaliers were down 47-38 with 2:58 remaining before going on a 11-2 run to close the half and tie it at 49. The Cavs were 4 of 17 on 3-pointers before Harden, Strus and Jaylon Tyson connected from beyond the arc.

“Sam (Merrill) said this whole series, we haven’t closed out the second quarter. We all took that to heart. We all looked at ourselves and decided that now was the time to do it,” said Allen, who had his 11th double-double in a playoff game. “I think the defensive stops, rebounds and the offense is still shaky in some areas, but I think when we rebound the ball and get stops, that just translates to the offense so much better and transition and open shots for everybody.”

Cleveland took the lead with nine straight points to open the third quarter as Mitchell scored five and Mobley added four.

“In the first half, we were forcing it too much, driving down tunnels and forcing it to the basket,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Sometimes you have to move the defense. We just kept hammering that message.”

The Cavaliers are 6-5 in Game 7s, including unbeaten in five home games. Toronto fell to 3-4 in Game 7 and 0-2 on the road.

DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 32 points and 12 assists, Tobias Harris added 30 points and the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 116-94 in Game 7 on Sunday to win a playoff series for the first time in 18 years.

Cunningham averaged 32.4 points for Detroit, which last won a postseason series by beating Orlando in the second round in 2008. The Pistons advance to play the winner of Sunday evening’s Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors. Game 1 will be Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena.

The Pistons became the 15th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit and the second in the last two nights, after the Philadelphia 76ers came back to eliminate Boston.

They trailed by 24 points in Game 6 in Orlando before rallying to take the series at home. Orlando only scored 113 points in the final six quarters of the series — an average of 18.8 per period.

Cunningham and Harris became the first Pistons teammates to score 30 points in a playoff game since Bob Lanier (33) and Howard Porter (30) against the Golden State Warriors on April 17, 1977.

CAVALIERS 114, RAPTORS 102

CLEVELAND (AP) — Jarrett Allen tied his playoff career high with 22 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as Cleveland advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a victory over Toronto in Game 7 of their series.

Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 22 points and James Harden added 18 in a series in which the home team won all seven games.

Cleveland, the No. 4 seed, will visit top-seeded Detroit on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the second round. The Central Division rivals split their four regular-season meetings.

Scottie Barnes had 24 points and nine rebounds and RJ Barrett scored 23 for the Raptors, who were in the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

Allen had 14 points and 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, as Cleveland went on a 49-21 run during a 15-minute span over the second and third quarters where it turned a nine-point deficit into an 19-point advantage.

Toronto led for most of the first half and had a 10-point lead midway through the second quarter before Cleveland began its comeback.

The Cavaliers were down 47-38 with 2:58 remaining before going on a 11-2 run to close the half and tie it at 49. The Cavs were 4 of 17 on 3-pointers before Harden, Max Strus and Jaylon Tyson connected from beyond the arc.