Category: NBA

Update, 8:41 p.m.: The Sixers announced Joel Embiid has successfully underwent an appendectomy.

Update, 6:30 p.m.: We’ve learned Joel Embiid is currently in surgery.

There are wide ranges for athletes missing time after appendicitis. The most recent NBA player to undergo surgery for it is OG Anunoby, then a member of the Toronto Raptors, back in 2019. The outlook doesn’t seem great for a return this season.

This probably rules Embiid out for play-in games next week, which the Sixers are likely to play in at this point. If they somehow manage to be in a first-round series and keep it competitive, maybe there’s a chance of an Embiid return, but would that even be worth it?

Just another brutal break for the big fella.

Update, 3:30 p.m.: Only the Sixers.

The team announced that Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will undergo surgery in Houston this afternoon.

Here’s hoping everything turns out OK for Embiid and he can return for whatever the postseason looks like for the Sixers.

Of all the things the Sixers could least afford to happen ahead of their most important game of the season, Joel Embiid being ruled out is probably at the top.

The star center has officially been ruled out with an illness against the Houston Rockets, according to the 1:15 p.m. injury report.

Just last week, there was a great deal of drama as Embiid was dealing with an illness and missed shootaround in D.C. before the team took on the Wizards. The Sixers ruled him out while Embiid took to social media to claim the team was holding him out when he was ready to play. He also said after the team’s loss to the Heat in Miami last week that he played through an illness.

He came back for the Sixers’ win over the Minnesota Timberwolves that Friday and voiced his displeasure postgame with being made to sit out the win over Washington:

“I was pissed off. I wanted to play basketball. I wasn’t allowed to play basketball, so I think this is more of a question for Daryl Morey and whoever makes the decisions. Going into Miami, I was pretty sick, but I understood how important the game was and I still want to go out there and give us a chance to try to do something. … Felt a little better going into Washington. Definitely much better than I felt against Miami. Woke up [Wednesday], didn’t sleep until like 5 or 6 in the morning, with that, I couldn’t make it to shootaround. And then after that I found out online that I wasn’t playing that night. So, that kind of caught me off guard and that pissed me off. But then again, I guess they make the decisions, so it doesn’t matter what I think or not. I just got to follow. So, to answer your question, it’s more of a question for Daryl and them. I don’t know what’s going on. I just want to play basketball.”

We don’t have many details, but Tony Jones of The Athletic had this:

With the Sixers vying for the sixth seed and final guaranteed playoff spot, the team really needed to be at full strength against a good Houston squad. Instead, they’ll have to figure out how to contain Rockets big man Alperen Sengun and the rest of the Rockets without Embiid.

A loss Thursday doesn’t guarantee the Sixers will be a play-in team, but things will not be looking good.

NBA general managers and scouts are heading home from the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament with plenty to think about after three weeks of incredible action on the court. Now they have to figure out which March Madness performances are indicators of future greatness and which are more of a mirage.

The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Houston's Chris Cenac Jr.  is expected to go in the first round after officially declaring on Thursday. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the Forward-Center's draft night will play out.

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For those hoping to get an up close look at LeBron James — and hopefully Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — during the NBA playoffs, the Lakers are offering a ‘new premium experience.’

Revealed on Thursday morning, the Lakers front office announced a second-row of courtside seating will be made available during the postseason.

According to the press release, floor seats at games have been sold out for nearly 50 years.

“The new on-floor seating features premium hospitality, including in-seat food and beverage service, VIP club access and a seamless, elevated experience from the moment guests enter the arena.”

Courtside tickets for Lakers game typically cost between $4,000-$10,000 per seat depending on the day of the week and the matchup. For the postseason, that cost can range from $20,000-$40,000, again dependent on the game and matchup.

Lakers are expanding their courtside seating for the playoffs: pic.twitter.com/bII023V98y

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) April 9, 2026

Beginning with the Showtime Lakers in 1979, courtside seats at The Forum and the famed and then-named Staples Center were some of the must-have tickets in all of sports entertainment. Courtside tickets at Crypto.com Arena are widely considered one of the best vantage points in all of the NBA considering the amount of star power who typically attend Lakers games.

Jack Nicholson is the most famous Lakers fan, consistently seen courtside since the 1970s, although his appearances lately have dropped off. Denzel Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ice Cube, Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Justin Bieber, Eddie Murphy and Dustin Hoffman are other celebrities who are consistently seen courtside at games.

Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led that ‘Showtime” era, which was followed by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal winning three straight titles from 2000-2002. Bryant then became the main attraction before retiring in 2016 — which led to the next generation of stars. James and Anthony Davis combined with a title in 2020, before the team’s current iteration and its new Big 3 of James, Doncic and Reaves.

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Have you ever seen a sudden sequel to a so-so movie pop up and thought, “Who the hell thought that was a good idea?”

Well, that’s tonight’s tilt between the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls. It’s the “Grown Ups 2” of bad basketball games.

These Eastern Conference flops play for the second time in three days, following Chicago’s 31-point blasting of Washington on Tuesday.

And just like so many of these “straight to video” sequels, the cast is loaded with unknown talents. Both rosters are running thin with several starters shut down or sitting out Thursday.

That brings us to Guerschon Yabusele. 

Our Bulls vs. Wizards predictions go deep into Chicago’s depth chart and like the journeyman forward to make the most of this mess. My NBA picks take Guerschon to top his rebounding total tonight.

Bulls vs Wizards prediction

Bulls vs Wizards best bet: Guerschon Yabusele Over 6.5 rebounds (-140)

If you don’t know who Guerschon Yabusele is, don’t sweat it. Most folks don’t.

The 6-foot-7 forward has been around the world – literally – playing hoops since being drafted by Boston in 2016. He finally cracked the NBA with Philadelphia last year and was barely getting minutes with New York this season before being traded to the Chicago Bulls in February.

Since then, he’s been mainstay of a bad Bulls team. Yabusele has played the role of reserve center, averaging around 25 minutes for the past two months. But with Chicago’s rotation in shambles, the 30-year-old Frenchman is getting increased action.

He’s averaging almost 28 minutes and putting up 11.4 points and six rebounds in his past five outings. Yabusele’s rebounding chances jumped to 13.6 per game in that stretch, up from 11.0 in his first 19 games with Chicago.

Yabusele snatched six rebounds against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday and his projections for this rematch sit between 6.2 and 9.0 boards with most models above the rebounding total of 6.5 O/U.

What’s more, Yabusele has added motivation to pack the stats in these final games. He declined a player option from the Bulls last week to chase a new contract in free agency.
 
A couple matchups with the Wizards will go a long way in securing that bag, at least for his rebounding output. Washington is the worst team at cleaning the glass, giving up a league-high 56.7 rebounds per game, and their current lineup doesn’t go bigger than 6-foot-9.

Bulls vs Wizards same-game parlay

The Bulls bounced the Wizards by 31 points earlier this week and have at least shown some fight down the stretch of the schedule, going 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games.

Tre Jones dished out nine dimes in the win over Washington and with Josh Giddey out, he’s become the primary playmaker for Chicago. His projections sit at 7+ assists against a Wizards defense allowing a 74% assist-to-FGM rate the past three games.

Bulls vs Wizards SGP

• Bulls -6.5
• Guerschon Yabusele Over 6.5 rebounds
• Tre Jones Over 6.5 assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: The French Connection

Guerschon Yabusele is betting on himself during these closing games, trying to score a new deal in free agency this offseason and avoid going back to Europe. Projections sit as high as 13.8 points and nine rebounds for the Frenchman.

Bulls vs Wizards SGP

• Bulls -6.5
• Over 248.5
• Guerschon Yabusele Over 9.5 points
• Guerschon Yabusele Over 6.5 rebounds

Bulls vs Wizards odds

• Spread: Chicago -6.5 | Washington +6.5
• Moneyline: Chicago -260 | Washington +210
• Over/Under: Over 248.5 | Under 248.5

Bulls vs Wizards betting trend to know

The Washington Wizards have gone Over the total in 26 of their last 40 games (+10.60 Units/24% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Bulls vs. Wizards.

How to watch Bulls vs Wizards

Bulls vs Wizards latest injuries

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Social media can be a toxic place, even if you stick to sports like me. Facebook doesn’t police propaganda or fake news, and I can’t tell you how many people in the Spurs Facebook group fall for these fake posts. Twitter X is a tad bit better at rooting that stuff out, but the attitude can be worse, especially if you’re on the “For You” timeline instead of “Following”, and you get a bunch of extra stuff. For me, if I stray away from “Following”, my timeline gets flooded with Longhorn, Thunder and Canadian (?) fans who are just out to troll. I’m also willing to bet 60% of the Thunder accounts are bots. So many of them use anime as their profile photos, strange font and usernames that make zero sense, and they post similar or identical stuff, especially hating on Victor Wembanyama.

However, even if I stick to just my “Following” timeline, which is primarily Spurs and Texas A&M stuff, it’s not always sunshine and roses, even during these happy times. One characteristic of the Spurs fanbase (and every other, to be fair) is there always needs to be a fall guy when things aren’t perfect, and this season, that has largely been De’Aaron Fox. Of course, I knew this would be the case the instant he signed a max contract extension this offseason, which to be sure will make fans expect the best from you each and every night and bring more scrutiny.

That being said, sometimes I’m not sure fans consider the role he’s playing. Despite being their highest paid player (for now), he’s not the Spurs’ number one option, and yet some fans still seem to expect him to put up numbers like he is. I see posts of his Sacramento days asking, “what happened to this version of Fox?” The answer is simple: NOTHING! He’s right here, doing exactly what he did there, just in a smaller sample size because he’s usually playing next to a certain generational talent that has GOAT potential, as well as two other young guards with ceilings at least as high as his. Wouldn’t you be mad if he was hogging the ball from Wemby, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper? Of course, you would, so you can’t have it both ways.

When Wemby is playing or someone else is hot, Fox rightfully plays the role of facilitator while picking his spots within the flow of the offense, as well as stepping up in crunch time. He has been perfect in that role for the Spurs, filling the gap of play-making point guard and clutch time player they had been missing in recent years. When Wemby doesn’t play is when Sacramento Fox shows up, averaging about 7 more points per game and carrying the team on his back, just like he did last night against the Portland Trail Blazers, where the Spurs were also missing Castle, and Harper wasn’t having his finest night.

Fox finished with 25 points on 10-20 shooting, including 3-6 from three, as well as 7 assists and 5 rebounds. Sure, he had a case of butter fingers with 4 turnovers, but so did seemingly everyone else on both teams, who combined for 31 of them. It was just one of those nights in the turnover department, but tell me honestly, did you have a great feeling coming into this game? The Spurs with nothing to play for and down two of their three best players against a Blazers team with everything on the line that had already beaten them once without Wemby this season felt iffy. I knew a win was certainly possible, but it ended up being easier than expected, and that was in no small part thanks to Fox stepping up into that role when called upon. There’s a reason he’s a nominee for Teammate of the Year: he has not only filled his role perfectly, but has also been an amazing mentor to the Spurs young guards while sacrificing stats and status in the process.

I didn’t exactly come in here expecting to write a Fox Appreciation post, but this is the beauty of What we Learned: you just start writing what the game made you think about, and it becomes something entirely unique from the normal game coverage I’m used to writing.

Takeaways

• On one hand, I’m thrilled the Spurs are no longer beholden to small ball when Wemby either sits or is out due to the lack of a back-up center. That being said, they have been treating it that way lately when Kornet is either out or starting, and to be honest, it hasn’t been bad in no small part thanks to the physicality of Carter Bryant. His strength and athleticism allows him to guard the post and grab rebounds without being pushed around, but the added bonus is when you get offense out of him. Last night, he reminded us that he can also be their long-term answer at power forward with a career high 17 points on 5-6 shooting from three. You could point out that he was simply hot and the Blazers made the decision to leave him open, but what a leap he has had from the beginning of the season to now. Folks were saying he would be raw to to start the season but give him until January or February, and they couldn’t have been more right.
• How good is Harper that it feels like he had a “meh” game while putting up 16 points on 6-14 shooting, 1-2 from three, along with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks? Maybe it felt worse than it was because it was his least impressive game as a starter and, like Fox, he had a case of the butter fingers with an uncharacteristic four turnovers, but regardless, you know you’re reaching a high tier when this type of performance is merely okay.
• I’ve said this multiple times this season, but I’m just so happy for Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson. ESPN made sure to give them their flowers during the broadcast last night, and I’m going to do the same. While not on the same level as Fox as a player, they too have accepted a reduced role for the betterment of the team, and they fill it perfectly. While it wasn’t Vassell’s most efficient shooting night last night, with 14 points just 2-7 from three, he made up for it by being a rebound machine. He grabbed some insane boards against one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the league and continues to be a steadying presence, never getting too high or low. As for KJ, while I don’t know what has recently changed that suddenly shot him to the favorite for 6th Man of the Year (at least according to Vegas, I’m skeptical of the voters), he still showed why he’s had a case all season with 20 points on 8-15 shooting and joined Vassell to lead the team in rebounds with 8, 4 of which were on offense. They aren’t the stars of this team, but they’re the heart and soul, and the Spurs wouldn’t be where they are without them.

Appendicitis yet another chapter with Embiid's absurd injury misfortune originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The absurd extent of Joel Embiid’s health misfortune is impossible to exaggerate. 

The latest addition to the Sixers’ star big man’s extensive injury history is that he’s been diagnosed with appendicitis and will undergo surgery Thursday afternoon in Houston. Needless to say, he won’t play Thursday night in the Sixers’ important meeting with the Rockets. There’s no timeline yet for his potential return.

The Sixers’ immediate concern is that Embiid’s surgery goes smoothly and he feels like himself again soon. Assuming that happens, he’d still be well within his rights to ponder if he’s cursed. Last time the Sixers were in the postseason, Embiid played through Bell’s palsy. Other playoff health troubles include multiple orbital fractures and a torn meniscus.

As far as life without Embiid, the Sixers have gotten many reps. He’s been much healthier this year than last but has still only played in 38 games, averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists. 

Both common sense and the numbers point to the Sixers having many more challenges when Embiid’s absent. According to Cleaning the Glass, the team’s net rating has been 10.0 points better with Embiid on the floor compared to off it this season. Second-year center Adem Bona and veteran Andre Drummond are the next men up. Even at their best, neither has close to Embiid’s immense two-way impact. 

The Sixers will hope Paul George can remain aggressive, efficient and healthy post-suspension. To fare well without Embiid, they’ll need George and Tyrese Maxey to play like superstars. They’ll also need their role players to be solid, perhaps even outstanding on occasion. Maybe a player or two outside of the current rotation like Jabari Walker will get some chances in the short term. 

As Sixers head coach Nick Nurse highlighted often last season, he became accustomed to on-the-fly adjustments during his days coaching overseas and in the G League. He’ll have to crumple up his primary game plan and find savvy solutions that are nowhere near Plan A. 

Keeping his team confident and focused is also an awfully tough task for Nurse. Even with Embiid available, the Sixers were in a position where they needed quite a bit to go their way to avoid the NBA’s play-in tournament, and then to spring an upset in Round 1 of the playoffs.

The Sixers do have ways they could manage big wins without Embiid, but there’s no question their outlook has darkened with yet another health woe for their cornerstone center. 

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Golden State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Despite being one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, Steve Kerr has been a controversial topic among online segments of the Golden State Warriors fanbase ever since he agreed to take the job 12 years ago.

Since then, he’s led the Warriors to four championships, six NBA Finals appearances, and the greatest regular season in NBA history, while overseeing Steph Curry’s rise from All-Star to all-time great. But there have been quips from the fanbase, mainly about Kerr’s Curry-centric offensive system, and his struggles with developing young, raw talent like Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman.

All good things run their course, and that will happen for Kerr at some point. But will it be this summer? The Warriors coach is about to see his contract expire, and there haven’t been any reports of working on a new contract. Even though there’s occasionally been some tension between Kerr and owner Joe Lacob, the simple fact is that Kerr has an open invite to coach the Warriors for as long as Curry is on the roster. Curry very openly does not want to play for any other coach … but of course, it takes two to tango, and Kerr will have to make the decision.

So we’re asking Warriors fans: do you want to see Kerr return next year? Or would you prefer he call it quits, and the organization can bring in a new face?

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It is possible to have an NBA game in the final week of the season where both teams care and have incentive to win.

It may be rare, but that is very much the case tonight with the Boston Celtics heading to face the New York Knicks with hopes of clinching the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

My Celtics vs. Knicks predictions and these NBA picks are glad to consider legitimate rotations in a game with real stakes on Thursday, April 9.

Celtics vs Knicks prediction

Celtics vs Knicks best bet: Jaylen Brown Over 26.5 points (-115)

While the Boston Celtics are just about locked in as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks could technically still catch them. That would require the Celtics to lose out and the Knicks to finish 3-0, but neither thought is impossible.

So, for once this week, both teams may play genuine basketball with their actual rotations.

Perhaps more earnestly, New York has to worry about Cleveland snagging the No. 3 seed, and Boston has to continue reintegrating Jayson Tatum into the lineup. His 15 games thus far have been quite impressive, but the Celtics should want even more consistency before the playoffs.

It very well may be Tatum is firmly the No. 2 option for Boston all spring behind Jaylen Brown. Brown’s 28.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists this season deserve more praise. He took a team expected to meander and has it firmly in the No. 2 spot in the East. Brown gave Tatum reason to return, and that made the Celtics the Eastern Conference favorites (+165 at bet365).

Brown has cleared this prop in eight of his last 10 games, both exceptions coming by merely the hook.That kind of production should be immune to New York’s slowed pace, particularly since Boston works at nearly as slow a tempo by default.

Celtics vs Knicks same-game parlay

What Jayson Tatum is doing is somewhat absurd. This is not to take away from his recovery or subsequent production. But he is shooting just 41.9% from the field and 33.8% from deep, while averaging 21.6 points. He has cleared this prop only three times in his 15 games back.

Tatum is, understandably, more focused on rebounds and assists than points currently, which should serve to further boost Brown.

Taking this first-half Under is entirely an acknowledgement that these are the two slowest teams in the NBA.

Celtics vs Knicks SGP

• Jaylen Brown Over 26.5 points
• Jayson Tatum Under 24.5 points
• First Half Under 111.5

Our "from downtown" SGP: Tatum's Intentional Choices

This may look absurd, but realize Tatum has cashed this exact same-game parlay once in his last three games and came a point away from doing so an additional time in his last four games.

He is not driving with abandon. Instead, he is pulling up from deep, albeit with inconsistent results, while looking to impact the game beyond scoring.

Celtics vs Knicks SGP

• Jayson Tatum Under 24.5 points
• Jayson Tatum Over 3.5 3-pointers
• Jayson Tatum Over 8.5 rebounds
• Jayson Tatum Over 5.5 assists

Celtics vs Knicks odds

• Spread: Boston +4.5 | New York -4.5
• Moneyline: Boston +155 | New York -185
• Over/Under: Over 216.5 | Under 216.5

Celtics vs Knicks betting trend to know

Boston has gone 10-5 against the spread this season with Jayson Tatum in the lineup. Find more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. Knicks.

How to watch Celtics vs Knicks

Celtics vs Knicks latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Celtics fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

In this march (and April) to the playoffs, head coach Joe Mazzulla has been checking items off his to-do list.

First and foremost has been the assimilation of Jayson Tatum back into the rotation. It hasn’t exactly been seamless. There’s been the expected rust and acclimation to the speed and timing of the NBA game. He’s had to get his legs underneath him and after fourteen games, he’s starting to look like he’s got his quick twitch back.

Second, Brown’s game has shifted slightly to more scoring and less playmaking with his partner-in-crime back into the fold. During his Player of the Week campaign, he averaged he averaged 31 points, 5.5 rebounds, and (still getting his teammates involved with) 5.8 assists.

Third, Mazzulla has also trimmed the rotation. Before Tatum’s return, the Celtics routinely went ten-deep. But with everybody back and the injury list clean, Boston has gone to an 8-to-9-man depth chart:

• Jaylen Brown
• Jayson Tatum
• Derrick White
• Neemias Queta
• Sam Hauser
• Payton Pritchard
• Luka Garza
• Baylor Scheierman
• Jordan Walsh

Now, with Nikola Vucevic back from a fractured finger that has had him out since Tatum’s return, will anything change? On Sunday, Vucevic replaced Garza in those backup big minutes. We’ve also seen Hugo Gonzalez effectively phased out over the last two weeks.

In a seven-game series, teams will systematically take things away and force teams to do something different. One of the benefits of this “gap year” has been getting intel for every player, from Jaylen Brown all the way down to Ron Harper Jr. who just signed a standard contract to be eligible for the playoffs. So, come Game 4, 5, 6, or even 7, Mazzulla could throw an unexpected curveball — or shall we say “uneXpected?”

X-factors have littered the Celtics long-storied history. Danny Ainge dusted off a retired P.J. Brown to join the 2008 run. The aptly named Xavier Tillman helped put Dallas on the brink in just twelve minutes in Game 3 of the Finals. Throughout the regular season, we’ve seen nearly every player either start or make an impact on the bench, so who’s your favorite x-factor heading into April, May, and June?

The NBA investigated a head-scratching move by the Sacramento Kings amid a crackdown on tanking, but the league found there was no foul play.

The league looked at a curious foul directed by head coach Doug Christie with his team up by one point with 3:15 left against the Warriors on Tuesday. Doug McDermott intentionally fouled Seth Curry, putting the Warriors guard at the line for free throws.

Sacramento (21-59) is one of the worst teams in the NBA this season and is on track to finish in the bottom five in the league.

The Kings were INTENTIONALLY fouling Seth Curry in crunch time to lose the game…

We've NEVER seen this level of tanking pic.twitter.com/fU9q7d4JEV

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) April 8, 2026

Sources claimed to ESPN that the move by Christie was a mistake, as he allegedly believed there was a foul to give and he wanted to get a timeout in before the clock ticked under three minutes.

The NBA believes that explanation.

“The NBA has completed an investigation of the Sacramento Kings and Head Coach Doug Christie’s decision to foul intentionally late in the team’s game against the Golden State Warriors on April 7. The league’s investigation determined that Christie mistakenly believed that the Warriors were not in the penalty and therefore instructed his team to foul in an attempt to stop the clock and utilize one of the team’s remaining timeouts,” the league said Wednesday in a statement. “The investigation found that Christie made no intentional effort to give the Warriors a shooting foul, or to cause the Kings to lose the game.”

The Kings went on to lose, 110-105, raising plenty of eyebrows, including Draymond Green’s.

“I saw a team tonight foul Seth Curry with three minutes to go in the game for no reason. In the penalty,” the Warriors star said after the game. “I get fined when I do wrong. Fine the hell out of people. We love taking money from players.”

The Kings, who have been ravaged by injuries, were down by 13 in the third quarter and did take a three-point lead after the “mistake” by Christie in a 101-100 game, as Curry made one free throw before McDermott drained a 3-pointer.

But back to back 3-pointers by Golden State put the Warriors up for good.

Christie did say after a win over the Jazz last month that “tanking is the last thing” he’d do.

The NBA recently presented three anti-tanking proposals to its board of governors, and they’re set to vote on them on May 28, per ESPN, which said the proposal with the most “momentum” is one in which 18 teams would be in the lottery: the bottom 10 teams and the eight teams that reach the play-in tournament.

Under that proposal, the bottom 10 teams would have an eight percent chance of moving up from their slot, while the remaining 20 percent would be split among the other eight teams.

Just a few days into the offseason, Duke has already seen two rotation pieces—Nik Khamenia and Darren Harris—enter the transfer portal. What the Blue Devils haven’t heard yet are any decisions regarding the NBA Draft.

Cam Boozer is surely off to be a Top 3 pick. Dame Sarr and Pat Ngongba have challenging stay-or-go decisions to make. But interestingly, most reporters with inside knowledge of the Duke program, including The Athletic’s Brendan Marks, are operating under the assumption that Isaiah Evans will join Boozer in the draft.

Even a couple of years ago this would be a no-brainer decision for Evans, who is consistently projected as a first-round pick and tested the draft waters last season. But things have changed drastically. Case in point: recent reporting from Jeff Goodman stating that top wings in the portal could demand around $3 million dollars this offseason.

Even that number could be low, with some reports stating that John Blackwell—one of the top scoring guards in the portal and a potential Duke target—could fetch closer to $5 million.

Goodman’s reporting, coming directly from coaches, is likely more realistic than the reported number for Blackwell (potentially put out by his agent to drive up his asking price). Still, if you split the difference and say a player of Evans’ caliber would demand $4 million in NIL, you’re faced with a fascinating thought experiment.

That sum would exceed the first year of a Rookie Scale NBA contract for any player drafted below 15 overall. By the time you reach the mid 20s—where Evans is most consistently projected—a $4 million NIL payday would dwarf the first year of an NBA contract by more than $1 million dollars.

There are, of course, other factors to consider than the raw dollars. Many players enter the NBA as early as possible so that their second contract—the first chance to get a 9 figure payday—comes in their prime. But many players drafted in Evans’ range don’t even reach that second deal, with a 2018 study finding that the average career for players drafted in the 20s in the first round is much closer to 5 (the maximum length of a Rookie contract) than 10 years. A player like Evans certainly maximizes his career earning potential by entering the NBA as early as possible, but very few hit that ceiling.

There’s also a unique confounding factor to making a draft decision this year—the 2026 Draft is universally viewed as one of the best in recent memory, while the 2027 is seen as much weaker. Were Evans to return to Duke, likely making more money in the 2026-27 season than he would in the NBA, he might also jump up in the 2027 Draft. Moving up from the 25th pick to the 15th pick would be worth millions more over the length of a rookie contract.

Finally, there’s this: college players are now getting paid more than some of their NBA counterparts to play less than half of the games. At Duke, you play those games consistently in front of a national television audience, rather than the local sports networks of your average NBA contest. That’s less wear and tear on your body and an increased potential to build a brand that will yield lucrative endorsements now and into the future.

It’s highly likely this is nothing more than an interesting thought experiment given the various reports on Evans’ status. But more Duke players will face similar decisions like this as the college game continues to change. For college stars, it may soon be the case that—with the notable exception of surefire lottery picks—the best purely financial decision will be to forego the draft as long as possible.

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A shooting star, seen as a symbol of hope and good luck, is actually just a small piece of rock or meteor burning while entering the Earth’s atmosphere. With Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves now sidelined for the rest of the regular season, LA’s late push shifts toward searching for any beams of light they can find.

Against OKC on Tuesday, that image shining in the sky was Adou Thiero. The moments gave flashes of a tantalizing athletic two-way wing while also being far enough away to notice the raw skills as a chunk of unmolded clay.

An already shorthanded purple and gold team was also playing without LeBron James. A valiant effort kept it close in the first half before the eventual takeover, as the number one seed led by as many as 41 points.

The rookie contributed to the early competitiveness. He immediately began flying around the floor after checking in. Watch as he rises for the impressive offensive rebound in the clip below, tracking it down and snatching it away from seven-foot Isaiah Hartenstein.

On the extra possession, Thiero cuts behind and attempts to finish over the top of the big man. He draws two of his ten free throws on the night. Getting to the line is one thing. Converting is another, as he finished 5-10 from the charity stripe, an example of both the potential and the unmolded clay.

His two field goals made were a spot-up 3-pointer and a double pump dunk off a baseline cut. The jumper is still as shaky as it was when he was drafted out of Arkansas. The swish on one was evened out by hitting the side of the backboard on the other.

Thiero took just three 3-pointers all season, but did shoot 9-14 during his South Bay tenure. It’s a small sample, but something the team hopes will translate next season.

The dunks are extremely fun to watch and help reverberate the hype around Thiero. Everything in between still needs clear work as the lack of creativity around the rim in traffic leads to turnovers or rushed decisions.

On defense, he flashed the potential of strong on-ball chops by leveraging that 220-pound frame and 6’4” height with a 7-foot wingspan. Watch below as he closes out on Lu Dort, a candidate for the strongest player in the association, absorbing the body blow and forcing a turnover.

He got impressive stops on the MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and first-time All-Star Chet Holmgren during the contest. As with most young players, those defensive wins are tempered by losses on certain possessions and by being out of sync with the team’s strategy on that end.

“The starting point for him has got to be playing hard, banshee mentality, all of those things, and I think he showed some signs of that in the G,” Redick said. “For him to be an NBA rotation player, it’s got to be every single night, every single possession, and that’s what we’re building for. And then obviously the skill work. He’s had a lot of trouble finishing this year, but we’re confident with his athleticism, he’ll build in his counters when he can’t dunk it. He’s going to end up being a really good player.”

It was a career high in minutes for Thiero against OKC, touching 20 minutes for the first time in his rookie season, a mark that Redick noted was “right at his minutes restriction” postgame. Thiero has dealt with constant injuries all season with a perfect representation of that being getting elbowed by Holmgren in the second quarter, leading to eight stitches.

That didn’t stop him from returning to the game. He gave Laker fans another look at one of the few bright spots in a blowout loss. He is a shooting star they are wishing on for better health next season.

“I’ve built confidence for sure, going out there and being able to still do a couple of the things that I usually do,” Thiero said. “Helps me definitely believe I belong. I can definitely do more of these things, so just trying to build that confidence a little bit more.”

You can follow Raj on X at @RajChipalu

The Houston Rockets still have a chance to catch the Denver Nuggets for the Western Conference’s No. 3 playoff seed. The Philadelphia 76ers are trying to move into the East’s No. 6 seed and avoid the play-in tournament.

How to Watch Philadelphia 76ers vs. Houston Rockets

• Date: Thursday, April 9

• Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

• Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

• TV Channels: SCHN, NBCS

• Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Philadelphia 76ers: 43-36 (No. 4 in Atlantic Division)

• Houston Rockets: 50-29 (No. 2 in Southwest Division)

Odds

• Spread: Houston Rockets -3.5

• Moneyline: Houston Rockets -180 (61.2%) / Philadelphia 76ers +145 (38.8%)

• Over/Under: 225.5