Category: NBA

Finally, Hudson Mayes got a solid night’s sleep.

The All-Big West Conference honorable mention selection out of UC-San Diego and, most notably this month, NCAA transfer portal entrant had lost track of days, let alone the “hundreds” of phone calls and texts from potential basketball suitors.

On Tuesday, Mayes made official the next step in his blossoming college basketball career — and spoke about the choice exclusively to USA TODAY Sports.

Top 50 players: College basketball transfer portal rankings

The 6-5, 200-pound rising sophomore guard has signed with Eric Olen’s New Mexico program. Olen guided the Lobos to 26 wins and an NIT semifinals appearance in his debut, 2025-26 season at the helm.

“It felt like absolutely forever. If you asked me how long ago, I would tell you two months ago not officially one week in the portal,” Mayes, the Tritons’ No. 2 scorer at 11.1 points per game, told USA TODAY Sports after he ended a recruitment that also included Baylor, Notre Dame and Syracuse among top contenders. “I tried not to let myself get too stressful with it. My agent (NBA certified agent KJ Smith of Range Sports) told me once you do enter, you’re going to get hundreds of texts and calls.

“I wasn’t thinking about the portal; I was trying to help us win the Big West (tournament). But there were too many opportunities that we heard about and knew from trusted sources that were real. My dream has always been to play the highest level of college basketball and get to the highest level of college basketball. I told coach Olen (Monday afternoon), and I slept great last night.”

The son of former Notre Dame All-America wideout and Green Bay Packers Super Bowl champion Derrick Mayes, grandson of Naismith Hall of Famer and former ABA star Roger Brown, Hudson Mayes started 12 of San Diego’s final 13 games, scored in double figures in the season’s last 10 games and helped the Tritons close with eight wins in their final 11 games.

Multiple Power conference programs “offered significant money” and “multiple six figures.” Olen’s New Mexico program offered an immediate chance to compete for a starting role — and the familiarity of having already been recruited by Olen and multiple members of the Lobos staff from their previous time at San Diego.

“Coming into the portal, I obviously had pretty much every Power Five Conference and every other conference trying to get me to commit there,” Mayes said. “They were throwing me different offers. I kept money out of my decision and made a basketball decision.

“We were prepared for that, for the money, but we knew this was going to be a decision that we would have to make based on relationships and what’s best basketball-wise and what’s the best path.”

Olen doubled down on the Lobos program's ability to stand toe-to-toe with the sport's more renowned program.

"New Mexico’s rich with tradition and we want to continue that here and that just starts with building really good basketball teams," Olen told USA TODAY Sports Tuesday afternoon by phone. "It’s a great place to play college basketball, up there with the best home environments anywhere in the country and we believe in what this place can be.

"We think New Mexico basketball is a national brand, we want to be relevant on that stage and Hudson helps us do that."

With three years’ eligibility remaining, Mayes hasn’t given his New Mexico decision a moment of doubt — even as teams pressed for a final opportunity to woo the versatile combo guard who led San Diego with 5.7 rebounds per game.

“I turned down several offers from teams, at-large (NCAA) tournament teams that I kind of just decided to go with my gut,” Mayes said. “I believe next year New Mexico can be an NCAA Tournament team.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA basketball transfer portal: Hudson Mayes picks New Mexico over big offers

Steve Kerr explains why Steph Curry, Warriors stars on NBA play-in minutes limit originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After missing 27 consecutive games with a knee injury before returning earlier this month, Steph Curry will look to drag the Warriors to more postseason success.

The Warriors secured the No. 10 seed in the NBA play-in tournament and will be taking on the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. While Curry is back in the lineup, coach Steve Kerr confirmed that the sharpshooter, along with big men Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis, will be on a minutes restriction of sorts.

He elaborated on the topic during a Tuesday appearance on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.”

“I think that’s just a figure of speech of ‘Minutes Restriction,’ it’s not like hey we want to limit this person to a certain number of minutes,” Kerr explained. “It’s literally that the person cannot play that many minutes. This is all about health, and so you have to be mindful of health as you play these games. You have to be mindful of how many minutes can a guy play and be expected to be effective. So that’s really what we’re facing.”

"It's not about how badly we want to win, it's just how many minutes guys can literally play and stay effective."

– Steve Kerr explains why Steph Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford will be on minutes limits tomorrow night vs. the Clippers (via @WillardAndDibs). pic.twitter.com/O0XQJQBnLA

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 15, 2026

When asked if limiting these players was due to them not being in good enough shape to play more minutes or for further risk of injury, Kerr revealed it was actually both.

“Both, those things go hand in hand,” Kerr said. “I would say if we had another couple of weeks of Steph recovering from his absence, he’d be able to play more minutes. This is just the reality of where he is, where Al is, Kristaps…”

If Golden State wins, they will take on the Phoenix Suns for the No. 8 seed on Friday.

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The NBA Play-In Tournament continues tonight with the first Western Conference matchup, which will determine the No. 7 seed.

The Portland Trail Blazers (42-40) are hoping to end a five-year playoff drought with a win tonight against the Phoenix Suns (45-37). The last time the Trail Blazers appeared in the playoffs was 2021, while the team’s last playoff series win came in 2019.

Phoenix won two of three games against Portland in the regular season, but Portland won the most recent matchup on February 22.

Both teams in tonight’s Play-In game will have a chance to continue on in the playoffs; the winner will advance directly into the playoff bracket as the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed (to face the Spurs in the first round), while the loser will face off with either the Clippers or Warriors on Friday to determine the No. 8 seed.

Trail Blazers vs. Suns start time:

Tonight’s (April 14) Trail Blazers vs. Suns game tips off at 10:00 p.m. ET.

How to watch Trail Blazers vs. Suns for free:

The NBA Play-In Tournament, including tonight’s Trail Blazers vs. Suns matchup, is streaming exclusively on Prime Video, so you’ll need an Amazon Prime subscription to watch the game.

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NBA Playoffs key dates:

• April 14-17: NBA Play-In Tournament
• April 18: NBA Playoffs First Round begins
• June 3: Game 1 of the NBA Finals

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After reports surfaced on Monday, April 13 that Los Angeles Lakers stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are inching closer to their returns from injuries, head coach JJ Redick made it clear on Tuesday, April 14 that there will be no further updates in the near future.

"Look, they're out indefinitely," Redick told reporters during his media availability at Tuesday's practice. "I'm not gonna have an update for you this week. They're out indefinitely."

NBA insider Marc Stein confirmed an earlier report that Doncic is scheduled to return to the Lakers on Friday and will be re-evaluated after undergoing multiple injection procedures in Spain in hopes of accelerating his recovery from a grade 2 left hamstring strain.

Reaves, meanwhile, has been rehabbing a grade 2 left oblique muscle strain in Los Angeles. Both Reaves and Doncic sustained their injuries during a blowout loss in Oklahoma City on April 2 and missed the rest of the regular season and will likely be out through at least the first round of the playoffs, where the No. 4-seeded Lakers will take on the No. 5 seed Houston Rockets.

While they're considered out indefinitely, both injuries usually carry a standard recovery window of about four-to-six weeks, which would sideline Doncic and Reaves through the first week of May. It's currently unclear how effective the treatment Doncic got in Spain actually was or if it impacted his timeline at all, and it most likely won't be known until after his re-evaluation at the end of the week.

What is a grade 2 hamstring strain?

A Grade 2 hamstring strain is a “moderate injury that is typically a partial tear in the muscle; patients are likely to limp when walking and will have occasional twinges of pain during activity,” according to Mercy Health.

The injury could take close to a month to heal, but “returning to sports before the injury is fully healed can cause more severe injuries.”

What is a grade 2 oblique strain?

A grade 2 oblique strain is another moderate strain in which "one of the abdominal muscles (internal or external oblique muscles) becomes frayed, torn or detached, often from the lower four ribs," according to Performance Place. The injury makes it painful for someone to breathe, cough and laugh and is common among baseball players and golfers.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves injury updates, latest on Lakers stars

Later tonight, the NBA Playoffs are set to begin. Well, somewhat. Tonight starts the Play-In Tournament that decides the final teams to make the playoffs, but either way, the march towards the NBA Finals begins over the next couple days. While UNC’s lack of a former player being a leading player on a championship-contending team has been well covered (and will hopefully change with Caleb Wilson’s ascendance), there are still a number of former Tar Heels around the bracket. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the former North Carolina players who will try and bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy this year.

We’ll start with a Tar Heel who will quickly be in action this postseason, but will be up against it as far making a long stay is concerned.

After a midseason trade sent him to the Charlotte Hornets, Coby White has helped them back to the playoffs…somewhat. Later tonight, the Hornets will host the Heat in the 9/10 game in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament. In order to get into the main bracket, White and Charlotte will have to knockoff Miami tonight and then beat the loser of the 7/8 game between the 76ers and Magic. Even if they make it through that, the Hornets would then be tasked with facing the #1 seed and 60-win Pistons squad.

The Tar Heel with probably the most intriguing title chances this year is Harrison Barnes with the San Antonio Spurs. While Victor Wenbanyama is the key cog in the Spurs’ machine, Barnes has been a solid veteran presence as they’ve returned to the postseason this year. He’s put up 9.9 points per game and is knocking down a little under 40% of his three-point attempts as San Antonio cracked the 60-win mark. Barnes and the Spurs will go in as the #2 seed in the West, and will take on the winner of the Suns/Blazers play-in game. However, as a #2 seed, it’ll be hard for them not to hope for a deep playoff run.

Harrison Ingram is also on the Spurs’ roster, although he averages less than four minutes per game in only seven appearances this season, so he likely won’t be a key part of their playoff run.

Another Carolina player on a team hoping to make it far will be Cameron Johnson on the Denver Nuggets. He’s one of my favorite recent Tar Heels, so by no means do I say this to disparage him; by all accounts, he hasn’t been quite as good as what Denver was hoping for when they added him in on offseason trade. However, he’s still put up over double digits points per game and makes threes at a good clip. Denver will probably need him to be even better than that if they want to make another run at a championship, though. Their run will start with a series against the Timberwolves, which begins Saturday.

As mentioned, the Blazers will compete for one of the last couple places out West in the play-in tournament. He spent time in the G-League, as he’s on a two-way deal, but Caleb Love plays for Portland. When he’s been up with the NBA team, he’s averaged over 20 minutes a game in 49 appearances, so he’ll probably get some amount of run should the Blazers make the full playoffs — how much remains to be seen.

Best of luck to all the Tar Heels who will be competing over the coming weeks and months. My personal rooting interest does not have a former Carolina player, so I can’t say as of now that I’m rooting for one of them to win it all, but I certainly hope they all play well.

Welcome to the 2026 play-in tournament! This is the sixth season of the play-in.

History of the NBA play-in tournament

The play-in tournament technically started in the bubble in the 2019-20 season. It differs from the current form, but the first game was the Grizzlies vs. the Trail Blazers. Portland went on to win and earn the No. 8 seed, facing the Lakers in the first round.

The play-in expanded the following season to its current format, with the 7-10 seeds at the end of the regular season facing off to earn the seven and eight seeds in both conferences.

Who can forget the “I see three baskets” game-winner from LeBron James in the matchup versus the Golden State Warriors?

In 2021, the Grizzlies beat the Warriors in OT. This was the first time the lower seed beat the higher seed. The Grizzlies beat the Warriors, the No. 8 seed, as the No. 9 seed in a 117-112 overtime game.

2022 brought typical results in the matchups with the seedings. In the 2023 play-in, the Lakers beat the Timberwolves in the 7-8 matchup. The Wolves would go on to defeat the Thunder. This is the game where Pat Bev climbed on the announcing desk to celebrate the win.

In 2024, the Lakers beat the Pelicans twice, once at the end of the regular season and then in the play-in. That season, the Lakers lost to the Nuggets in the first round. Finally, last season, the Heat and Hawks matchup to become the No. 8 seed wasn’t exciting.

Here is a more extensive history of the play-in tournament.

Play-In Tournament schedule

This years Tournament schedule is below. All games will be on Prime Video.

Tuesday, April 14

East — No. 10 seed Heat vs. No. 9 seed Hornets at 7:30 p.m. Eastern (Loser goes home)

West — No. 8 seed Trail Blazers vs No. 7 seed Suns at 10:00 p.m. Eastern (Winner earns No. 7 seed)

Wednesday, April 15

East — No. 8 seed Magic vs No. 7 seed 76ers at 7:30 p.m. Eastern (Winner earns No. 7 seed)

West — No. 10 seed Warriors vs No. 9 seed Clippers at 10 p.m. Eastern (loser is eliminated)

Friday, April 17

East — 7/8 loser vs 9/10 winner at 7:30 p.m. Eastern

West — 7/8 loser vs 9/10 winner at 10 p.m. Eastern

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• The first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs will start April 18.
• Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals will be June 3.

Have at it in the Play-In thread and remember all the typical game thread rules and have fun!

The Lakers have been without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for nearly two weeks, and that isn’t changing entering the playoffs.

Coach JJ Redick said after Tuesday’s practice, the first before the Lakers’ first round series against the Rockets, that the team’s star guards remain sidelined and there isn’t an update on their status. 

“They’re out indefinitely,” Redick said. “I’m not going to have an update for you this week. They’re out indefinitely.”

Game 1 of Lakers-Rockets is scheduled for Saturday (5:30 p.m. tipoff) at Crypto.com Arena. 

Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique strain) both suffered their regular season-ending injuries during the Lakers’ April 2 road loss to the Thunder.  

Reaves was at the Lakers’ practice facility on Tuesday and was seen shooting on the court during the portion of practice that was open to media members.

While wearing slides, Reaves participated in a free throw shooting contest at the end of practice, missing a trio of free throws to the delight of his teammates. He made a corner 3-pointer before walking off the court.

Doncic, who went to Spain to receive treatment on his injured hamstring, will return to the United States on Friday, sources told the California Post.

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The chase for the Larry O’Brien Trophy is officially on! Every night of the 2026 NBA Playoffs brings fresh drama, from superstar takeovers to bracket-busting upsets that can flip the postseason picture in a heartbeat.

Whether you're tracking every first-round matchup, checking the latest results, or looking ahead to what's next, our NBA bracket hub has you covered.

Follow along for live scores, updated schedules, and playoff format details to help guide your NBA picks.

2026 NBA playoffs bracket

NBA Playoff printable and downloadable bracket

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Print the PDF for a clean, easy-to-read bracket you can fill out by hand, or save it digitally if you prefer to make your picks on a screen.

Start by writing in your winners for each matchup and advancing teams round by round. Whether you are joining an office pool, competing with friends, or following the tournament for fun, this blank bracket makes it simple to keep up with every result.

2026 NBA Playoffs matchups and results

First Round - East 

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers

(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Atlanta Hawks

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Toronto Raptors

First Round - West 

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Portland Trail Blazers

(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

(4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets

2026 NBA Playoffs schedule

NBA playoff format

The NBA playoffs adopt a format designed to favor successful teams while giving underdogs a shot at the championship. Here's a brief look at the structure:

• The postseason begins with a Play-In Tournament featuring the 7th through 10th-ranked teams in each conference. This extends from April 14 to 17.
• The NBA Playoffs kick off with the first round on April 18, where the top one to six teams in each conference join the winners of the Play-In.
• The matchups are set as No. 1 vs. No. 8 seed, No. 2 vs. No. 7 seed, No. 3 vs. No. 6 seed, and No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed.
• Each playoff round, including the Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and NBA Finals, features a seven-game series.
• In these series, the higher-seeded team hosts Games 1, 2, 5 (if necessary), and 7 (if necessary) following a 2-2-1-1-1 format.
• The NBA Finals start on June 3.

Looking for more intel? Our NBA Championship odds breaks down the clubs with the best odds of winning the NBA Finals. And be sure to check out our NBA Finals MVP odds page to see which player is most likely to hoist the Bill Russell Trophy when the dust settles.

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.

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The Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers fight over the East's No. 7 seed in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

With Joel Embiid out and Orlando reeling from a bellyflop in the season finale, oddsmakers expect a tight finish in Philly.

I’m leaning toward the home side but giving each team’s respective superstar their due in my NBA same game parlay for Wednesday night.

Here are my best NBA picks and predictions for Magic vs. 76ers on April 15.

Our best Magic vs 76ers SGP for April 15

The Philadelphia 76ers are short chalk for this Play-In tilt, scoring home court thanks to the Orlando Magic missing the mark in the season finale against the Celtics’ skeleton crew. Philadelphia is used to playing without Embiid and owns a 19-8 SU record as home favorites this season.

Paolo Banchero took the blame for the loss to Boston – a game in which he fired up 22 field goal attempts. I see another aggressive attack from Orlando’s standout, with game projections sitting between 23.5 and 25 points Wednesday.

Tyrese Maxey seems to find another gear when Embiid goes down. He’s become a fantastic inside-out scorer with improved shooting from deep. He knocked down three or more triples in two of the three meeting with the Magic and projection call for another 3+ day from 3-point land for Maxey.

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.

On today’s episode, Ryan Eichten and Leo Sun discuss the Minnesota Timberwolves drawing the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs and what the series might look like:

— With the Nuggets’ win as huge underdogs while sitting most of their roster in the final game of the season against the San Antonio Spurs, they secured the third seed and a matchup with the Wolves. It ends up as a huge missed opportunity for the Wolves, who could have instead played an injured Los Angeles Lakers team.

— Can Julius Randle get back to his near All-Star level of play from the first half of the season? If he can, the Wolves will have a much better chance of upsetting the Nuggets in this series.

— Another looming question for this series is whether or not Rudy Gobert can impact the game on the offensive end of the court. Given how good the Nuggets’ offense has been this season, the Wolves will likely need Gobert to play as much as possible and will need to find a way to better incorporate him into the offense to keep him on the court this series.

— The Nuggets do not have a great option to guard Anthony Edwards; instead, they will likely throw double-teams at him whenever they can. How well Edwards can deal with different types of coverage will play a big role in which team advances out of the first round.

— The Nuggets are -350 to win the series over the Wolves (roughly 75 percent implied odds). Is that giving the Wolves enough credit in this matchup?

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The NBA Finals are the true show-stopper of the basketball season, where fortunes can change as quickly as a chase-down block, a ruptured Achilles, or an improbable offensive rebound turning into a corner-3.

We've got you covered for all things NBA Finals, including NBA odds, picks, and predictions for the league's ultimate showdown.

NBA Finals odds

Keep an eye on our NBA Finals odds page as we document which teams' fortunes are falling and rising ahead of the NBA's championship series. 

📅 2026 NBA Finals schedule

NBA Finals format

The NBA Finals take place between the winners of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals, following a best-of-seven format. The team with the better regular-season record is awarded homecourt advantage, hosting Games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the lower seed hosts Games 3, 4, and 6.

📊 2026 NBA Finals odds over time

Here's a visual representation of how the NBA championship odds have evolved over the course of this season.

📺 Where to watch the NBA Finals

The NBA Finals will air on ABC in the United States. Mike Breen will handle play-by-play duties for the 21st straight year. Those without cable can stream the games live on Fubo and NBA League Pass.

How to bet on the NBA Finals

The NBA Playoffs bring out plenty of new bettors looking to wager on basketball for the first time. If you fit this category, let us teach you how to bet on basketball with some betting basics and tips for tackling the basketball world’s biggest competition.

💵 Where to bet on the NBA Finals

Basketball betting is booming, and the NBA has embraced it with open arms. Basketball’s popularity spawns fun and unique ways to wager on the action almost all year round. Where you bet on basketball is just as important as what you bet, and we review the best basketball betting sites available in your region.

🏆 NBA Finals winners since 2000

Year	Team
2025	Oklahoma City Thunder
2024	Boston Celtics
2023	Denver Nuggets
2022	Golden State Warriors
2021	Milwaukee Bucks
2020	Los Angeles Lakers
2019	Toronto Raptors
2018	Golden State Warriors
2017	Golden State Warriors
2016	Cleveland Cavaliers
2015	Golden State Warriors
2014	San Antonio Spurs
2013	Miami Heat
2012	Miami Heat
2011	Dallas Mavericks
2010	Los Angeles Lakers
2009	Los Angeles Lakers
2008	Boston Celtics
2007	San Antonio Spurs
2006	Miami Heat
2005	San Antonio Spurs
2004	Detroit Pistons
2003	San Antonio Spurs
2002	Los Angeles Lakers
2001	Los Angeles Lakers
2000	Los Angeles Lakers

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.

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The NBA regular season is in the rearview mirror and playoffs officially begin on April 18, but first, the No. 7 and 8 seeds in both conferences will be determined during the NBA Play-In Tournament.

The first game of this year’s tournament is between the No. 10 Miami Heat and No. 9 Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets are back in the playoff race for the first time since 2016, and finished this season 44-38, their largest single-season win total since 2015-16. Miami (43-39) is seeded lower, but won the season series against Charlotte, 3-1.

The winner of tonight’s game will advance into a second Play-In game where they’ll face the 76ers or Magic, depending on the outcome of that matchup tomorrow. The loser of tonight’s game will be eliminated from playoff contention.

Heat vs. Hornets start time:

Heat vs. Hornets tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET tonight (April 14), but pregame coverage on Prime Video will begin at 7 p.m.

How to watch Heat vs. Hornets for free:

The NBA Play-In Tournament, including Heat vs. Hornets, is streaming exclusively on Prime Video, so you’ll need an Amazon Prime subscription to watch the game.

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NBA Playoffs key dates:

• April 14-17: NBA Play-In Tournament
• April 18: NBA Playoffs First Round begins
• June 3: Game 1 of the NBA Finals

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Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

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Fueled by the momentum of last year’s blockbuster trade for Jimmy Butler, the Golden State Warriors entered the 2025-26 season with hopes of being amongst the top teams in the Western Conference.

However, hopes don’t carry much weight over the course of an 82-game season, which quickly unraveled into despair for Golden State. Injuries defined their year starting with Butler’s season-ending ACL tear in January setting the tone. Not long after, Steph Curry’s anticipated short-term absence due to runner’s knee stretched into a long 27-game layoff. Then, the final blow came just last month as Moses Moody went down on a non-contact injury with what was later diagnosed as a torn patellar tendon.

And yet, despite the adversity, the Warriors kept showing up.

Night after night, they competed — often undermanned and outmatched — but never lacking effort under head coach Steve Kerr. Now as the 10th seed with the regular season in the rearview and Curry back in the lineup, the Warriors’ postseason hopes come down to two more road wins in this year’s Play-In Tournament.

Final 2025-2026 NBA Standings

Here are the final standings for each conference, with the play-in ultimately set to decide who will face the top two seeds in each. The No. 2 seed in each conference will play the winner of the 7-8 game, while the No. 1 seed will play the winner of the next game, between the loser of the 7-8 game and winner of the 9-10 game. 

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder are currently the favorites to win the NBA Finals at +115. On the other end, the Warriors — who could end up facing Oklahoma City as the No. 8 seed if they get through the play-in — are listed as one of the biggest underdogs at +70,000.

The Warriors’ odds are understandable given how their season has unfolded. But with a relatively healthy roster, playoff-tested veterans, and, most importantly, a rested and motivated Curry eager to get back to what he calls “meaningful basketball,” Golden State may have a more compelling case to make a title run than the odds would suggest.

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Los Angeles Lakers
5. Houston Rockets
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
7. Phoenix Suns (play-in)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (play-in)
9. LA Clippers (play-in)
10. Golden State Warriors (play-in)
11. New Orleans Pelicans
12. Dallas Mavericks
13. Memphis Grizzlies
14. Sacramento Kings
15. Utah Jazz

Eastern Conference

1. Detroit Pistons
2. Boston Celtics
3. New York Knicks
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Toronto Raptors
6. Atlanta Hawks
7. Philadelphia 76ers (play-in)
8. Orlando Magic (play-in)
9. Charlotte Hornets (play-in)
10. Miami Heat (play-in)
11. Milwaukee Bucks
12. Chicago Bulls
13. Brooklyn Nets
14. Indiana Pacers
15. Washington Wizards

*Eliminated teams in italics.

Official 2026 NBA Lottery Odds

And with the 2025-26 NBA season behind us, here is the final lottery order (with their odds to get the No. 1 pick) for the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery on May 10.

This year’s draft class is viewed as one of the strongest in recent memory, headlined by a group of elite freshmen in BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson. FanDuel Sportsbook currently lists Dybantsa as the favorite to go No. 1 overall thanks to his rare blend of size, skill, and athleticism, but any of the top four prospects would provide a major boost to the teams picking at the top of the draft.

1. Washington Wizards — top-8 protected (14%)
2. Indiana Pacers — pick goes to Clippers if it falls 5-9 (14%)
3. Brooklyn Nets (14%)
4. Sacramento (12.5%)
5. Utah — top-8 protected (10.5%)
6. Memphis (9%)
7. Dallas (7.5%)
8. Hawks — via Pelicans (6%)
9. Chicago (4.5%)
10. Milwaukee (3%)
11. Golden State (2%)
12. OKC — via Clippers (1.5%)
13. Miami (1%)
14. Charlotte (0.5%)

LaMelo Ball has been a lightning rod for criticism throughout his NBA career due to his loose play, seemingly unserious attitude, and deservedly for his dangerous driving. One thing that has been a total myth is his lack of basketball IQ, because inside of his floaty, street ball style is a guy who really understands ball.

A new story from ESPN on the rise of the Hornets this season put Melo’s impact on the team into full focus, especially when it came to the team finding their missing piece. Charlotte seemingly had shooters with their nucleus of Ball and Brandon Miller, but when LaMelo was asked by GM Jeff Peterson about the player in the 2025 class that he liked, there was only one answer.

Although Cooper Flagg was the consensus can’t-miss prospect, Ball was talking up Kon Knueppel to the Hornets GM. Ball had watched Duke play during the season and told Peterson how savvy he thought the forward was. He was struck by Knueppel’s basketball IQ and understanding of the game — impressive even for a five-star prospect. And of course, there was Knueppel’s elite shooting.

This discussion happened before the NBA Draft lottery took place, without Charlotte knowing they would be picking 4th overall. The 19-63 Hornets had the third-worst record in the NBA, which gave them the identical 14% chance to land the top pick as the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards. Despite all this Knueppel was the player that Ball couldn’t stop talking about.

“He’s spot on with those traits,” Peterson told ESPN of that break-of-dawn draft breakdown. “He was very detailed in his evaluation of why he liked him. That was even more impressive that he was able to kind of highlight him because there were some other guys that he didn’t highlight.

“He may have a future in the front office if he wants.”

The Hornets improved to 44-38 this season, good enough to make the NBA Play-In Tournament, and Knueppel is a mammoth reason why. His lights out shooting, and veteran-level ability to play off the screen has paired perfectly with a healthy Ball and Miller this season to transform Charlotte into one of the NBA’s hottest teams, and a legitimate nightmare matchup should they manage to make it through to the playoffs and face a top seed.

It’s impossible to know what the Hornets would have looked like had they landed the No. 1 pick and Flagg. There is no question that Flagg has the superstar ability to take over the league and become a legitimate top player in the NBA, but it’s unclear if he would have been a good fit alongside Ball and Miller. Meanwhile, Knueppel’s team-first, unselfish play has allowed Charlotte to flourish with perimeter shooting, stretching the floor, and morphing from a spot-up shooter early in the season, to now being a threat that has to be accounted for, opening up passing lanes for LaMelo Ball.

All in all, Kon Knueppel to Charlotte has been a match made in basketball heaven, and the Hornets are now a team to watch in the East for 2026-27, regardless of what happens in the postseason. LaMelo Ball is a huge part of that for identifying the Duke forward and helping to turn everything around.