It’s an important day for the Bucks: the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery takes place at 2 p.m. Central this afternoon. Shortly thereafter, we’ll know where Milwaukee will select for their first lottery pick since 2016: will they get really (and I mean really) lucky and receive a top-four selection in what’s long been called a loaded draft class? Or will they be in the most likely places of 10th and 11th? Wherever they end up, will they use that pick to draft someone, or trade it for someone who helps them become a winning team again? Or will they trade down and try to net another first, this year or in the future?

As we wait for that answer, here’s a rundown of what you should expect when you’re watching today.

The Bucks’ draft odds

We started discussing Milwaukee’s likely landing spot as the second half wore on, and it became clear they wouldn’t be making the postseason. When the tanking battles finished, the Bucks slotted in with the league’s 10th-worst record. Based on the current system (which appears to be changing later this month), the Bucks have a 3% chance of winning the lottery and landing the first overall pick, a 3.3% chance for second, 3.6% for third, and 4% for fourth. Far more likely is their 65.9% chance of receiving 10th, followed by their 19% chance at 11th. They have about a 1.4% chance of ending up 12th through 14th.

However, those are not actually the Bucks’ odds. New Orleans owned the right to swap selections with Milwaukee, part of their return for sending Jrue Holiday to the 414 in late 2020. They could have chosen to take the most favorable of their pick and the Bucks’, while the Bucks got the least favorable. But they traded that right to Atlanta in a widely panned draft night trade in 2025. So the Hawks actually receive the most favorable of the Bucks’ and Pelicans’ picks (note that Atlanta’s record doesn’t enter into the equation at all here).

This means there is no chance the Bucks actually draft first overall, because if they won the lottery, that would mean they possess the most favorable pick between them and the Pelicans, and they’d have to swap back. Their pick would go to Atlanta. Likewise, the only ways they’d draft second is if the Pelicans won the lottery (6.8% chance) and the lottery balls gave the Bucks two, or if the Bucks won the lottery and the Pelicans were blessed with two. Another way of looking at it: if Milwaukee draws a top-four pick, they’d have to swap out of the top four completely 73.1% of the time.

It’s complicated. But Morgan and I did the math for you, so you know what their shot of eventually landing at any spot actually is, factoring in the swap. Here are the Bucks’ “true” lottery odds:

Pick	Odds
1	0.0%
2	0.5%
3	1.1%
4	2.1%
5	0.0%
6	0.0%
7	0.0%
8	5.4%
9	5.6%
10	61.7%
11	21.5%
12	1.7%
13	< 0.1%
14	< 0.1%

You can look at this in many ways, but here’s one I think is interesting. Yes, had the Bucks finished with a stinkier record than 10th-worst, their odds of falling out of the top 10 would have been significantly lower. But with the swap, since the Pelicans were worse than them this year, the Bucks have a slightly higher chance of moving up from 10. Compare the two situations:

Pick	With Swap	Without Swap
1	0.0%	3.0%
2	0.5%	3.3%
3	1.1%	3.6%
4	2.1%	4.0%
5	0.0%	0.0%
6	0.0%	0.0%
7	0.0%	0.0%
8	5.4%	0.0%
9	5.6%	0.0%
10	61.7%	65.9%
11	21.5%	19.0%
12	1.7%	1.2%
13	< 0.1%	< 0.1%
14	< 0.1%	< 0.1%

The Pelicans’ crappiness—and crucially, the Bucks not being as crappy—gives the Bucks a small chance at drafting eighth or ninth. So while they saw a 10.2% drop in their top-four odds due to the swap, they do have a slightly better chance of moving up from 10, even if it’s only by one spot. Without the swap, they’d have a 13.9% chance of rising but with it, they have a 14.7% chance. The difference is that without the swap, the only place they would move up to would be the top four, while now they could also wind up with eight or nine—picks they couldn’t get otherwise.

How the lottery actually works

I discussed last month how end-of-season tiebreakers between teams with identical records benefitted the Bucks slightly. To quickly sum it up: because New Orleans and Dallas finished tied in the standings for the NBA’s seventh-worst record, a coin flip determined who received the seventh-best odds and who was eighth. New Orleans won that toss and with it, a marginal uptick in their chances to receive a top-four pick. It also gives them a shot at seventh and higher instead of eighth and higher. Here are their odds for each selection:

Pick	Odds
1	6.8%
2	7.1%
3	7.5%
4	7.9%
5	0.0%
6	0.0%
7	19.8%
8	35.6%
9	13.8%
10	1.4%
11	< 0.1%
12	0.0%
13	0.0%
14	0.0%

You might be thinking, “why do your odds say the Bucks can’t get seventh, but the Pelicans can? Say the Bucks got three and the Pels got seven—wouldn’t they swap?” Well, the Bucks cannot actually receive the seventh pick because the lotto drawing occurs for the top four selections only (read more on the whole process here). Once that happens, five through 14 use reverse standings order. So if Milwaukee leaped into the top four, surpassing several of the nine teams with worse records than them, those teams would see their selections fall one spot, potentially more if another team also rose significantly. Here are some examples:

• The Bucks’ pick lands at third in the lottery drawing, and the other three teams in the top four all had worse records than the Pelicans. Milwaukee displaces one of the six teams that finished worse than New Orleans, moving New Orleans’ pick to eighth. Milwaukee must swap back to eight, and three goes to Atlanta.
• The Bucks’ pick is third in the lottery drawing, and another team with a better record than the Pelicans (the Mavs, Bulls, Warriors, Clippers, Heat, or Hornets) is also drawn in the top four. Milwaukee and that other team displace one of the six teams worse than New Orleans, moving New Orleans’ pick to ninth. Milwaukee must swap back to nine, and three goes to Atlanta.
• The Bucks’ pick is third in the lottery drawing, and two other teams whose record is better than the Pelicans are also drawn in the top four. Milwaukee and the other two teams displace the six teams worse than New Orleans, moving New Orleans’ pick to 10th. Milwaukee must swap back to 10 (where they’re likeliest to be anyway), and three goes to Atlanta.

Make sense? This would be the same situation if the Bucks drew first, second, or fourth. None of these scenarios is particularly likely, though. In 83.2% of all possible outcomes, the Bucks end up with the 10th or 11th selection, either outright (due to reverse standings order) or because the Pelicans drew one of those picks and the Bucks had to swap back.

The lottery drawing itself takes place behind closed doors right before the results are aired. Bucks vice president of basketball operations Dave Dean will be present for that drawing, as will Journal Sentinel beat writer Jim Owczarski and other media. Then, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum stands at a dais before cameras and a 14-person panel of representatives from all involved teams to reveal the order, taking teams’ cards out of envelopes one by one. Just like in 2014, when Milwaukee won the second pick in the lottery, they’re trotting out Mallory Edens, the daughter of co-owner Wes Edens, on stage.

The bottom line

Here’s a good rule of thumb for when you watch the lottery selections get unveiled: if the Pelicans’ card comes out of an envelope before the Bucks’ does, the spot Tatum is currently announcing is where the Bucks will be drafting. If the Bucks’ card comes out before the Pelicans’ does, it’s the same thing: the spot he’s announcing is where the Bucks will be drafting. Remember, the Hawks don’t become a part of this until we know where the Pelicans and Bucks are, then they take the most favorable of their two picks.

Once the order is set, we’ll post the outcome and set up the ensuing discussions. Who should the Bucks draft, wherever they actually fall? Should they keep the pick or trade it (note: they technically would have to wait until after the draft is finished to complete such a deal, due to the Stepien Rule)? If they do, should it be for a win-now vet, another first this year, or a first in future seasons? What would any of those paths mean for Giannis? Would a rival suitor for Giannis dangle their lotto pick in trade talks? The draft is on Tuesday, June 23, so we’ll have over six weeks to debate these and other points.

Why Warriors can feel optimistic despite lack of 2026 NBA draft lottery luck originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The expression on Larry Harris’ face Sunday afternoon divulged a truth the Warriors assistant general manager could not have known.

There was no Mother’s Day luck for Golden State in the 2026 NBA Draft lottery.

The Warriors entered the lottery holding the No. 11 overall pick – with only a 2 percent chance of rising into the top four – and that’s where they stood after the envelopes were opened and the order was revealed.

 “We’d love to be greedy and get No. 1,” Harris said Friday 49 hours before the order was announced. “But if we stay at 11, or even in that range, 11 or 12 – we’d hate to go back – but there are numbers that tend us to go that way as well. We feel really good in the early stages of our draft prep from (No. 1) through 15, 16 or 17.

“I do believe that if it ends up 11 . . . the prep work we’ve done and leading into the Combine that’s starting next week, we feel very, very, very good about this draft.”

The look on Harris’ face as representatives from each team were introduced conveyed not the slightest trace of contentment, much less confidence. He looked rather dejected in the minutes before the envelopes were opened.

Yet there are reasons for the Warriors to be optimistic in advance of the June 23 draft. For one, the last time Golden State held the 11th pick, in 2011, it came away with a Washington State guard named Klay Thompson. He became a five-time NBA All-Star and an essential member of four championship teams.

Thompson was by far the best No. 11 pick in franchise history, with a career that laps previous selections Andris Biedrins (2004), Mickael Pietrus (2003), Todd Fuller (1996) and Tyrone Hill (1990).

Another reason for optimism is the depth of the ’26 draft, which is widely considered the best of the millennium. The lite tier exists of four freshmen – Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Caleb Wilson – but most of those among the six to eight players in the second tiers have star potential.

“I’ve heard the noise,” Harris said on Friday. “Certainly, there’s four players that everybody seems to talk about when I look at all the mock drafts and everything. But the way we look at it is we really believe it’s beyond 11. But up to 11, we feel really, really, really good about whatever player lands in our lap.”

Among those listed between 10 and 12 on most mock drafts are Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr., Arizona guard Brayden Burries, Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, Mexican forward Karim Lopez and Michigan center Aday Mara. Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy made the long trip a couple months ago to get a first-hand look at Lopez, who was playing for the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League.

The Warriors still could offer the No. 11 pick in a trade, but it wouldn’t carry the weight that would have come with landing in the top four.

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It might not seem like it by looking at the score. 

But the Lakers have shown heart. They’ve shown fight. They’ve shown grit. 

Those may seem like crazy statements considering the Lakers have lost all three of their games against the Thunder in their second-round playoff series by an average of 19.7 points, including falling in Game 3, 131-108.

But let’s face reality: The Thunder are just vastly superior.

Lakers coach JJ Redick recently called them “one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history.” LA never had a chance in this series. 

It’s fair to wonder if any team can challenge them this postseason. 

The Lakers are running uphill against a team that’s jogging on flat ground. They’re playing six guys against a roster so deep that they constantly have fresh legs on the court and never dip in productivity. 

That’s the reason LA trails the series, 3-0. That’s the reason they’re one game away from their season ending. 

It’s not because the Lakers haven’t poured out their hearts trying to stay in these games. It’s not because they rolled over without superstar Luka Doncic, who has been sidelined since April 2 because of a strained hamstring. It’s not because they haven’t given this their all. 

The Lakers have done so much right this series.

In Game 2, the score was close for 3 ½ quarters. In Game 3, it was neck-and-neck for 2 ½ quarters. 

But the problem is the Lakers were gassed in both games. Their legs gave out. Meanwhile, the Thunder were barely out of breath. 

The Thunder have outscored the Lakers by an average of 18 points per game in the second half of this series. 

In the first half of Game 3, the Lakers outshot the Thunder from beyond the 3-point line, 55% to 33.3%, but they only entered halftime up by two points, 59-57. And two of their role players were nearly perfect over that period, with Rui Hachimura shooting 5-for-7 from the field and Luke Kennard shooting 5-for-6.

But none of that mattered.

The Thunder outscored the Lakers in the third quarter, 33-20. In the fourth quarter, they had a 41-29 advantage — and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander only played three minutes.

The Lakers have to be perfect to be competitive.

The problem is they can only sustain that level of play for so long with 41-year-old LeBron James as the head of the snake and a roster that’s not very deep.

As soon as they slow down, the Thunder come roaring into the game, ripping it open.

They’re so good. So deep. So overwhelming.

Redick couldn’t help but throw his hands in the air after Game 3, pointing out that they’ve done an excellent job containing Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been a shell of himself this series after closing the first round leading all postseason scorers with 33.7 points per game.

But that hasn’t made a dent. 

“The MVP [scores] 18 [points in Game 1], 22 [points in Game 2], 7-of-20 tonight [23 points], and they’ve kicked our ass three straight games,” Redick said. “They’re an incredible basketball team. It has been that way all series.”

Guarding the Thunder is like playing Whac-A-Mole.

Stop one guy? There are four other guys on the court who can score and another five guys on their bench who are just as good.

What’s scary is their defense is even better than their offense. 

The Thunder make James look his age. They make Austin Reaves look frenzied. They make the team’s role players look inconsistent. They pick apart everyone with their top-rated defense. 

James had just 19 points on 7-for-19 shooting. Reaves had only 17 points on 5-for-13 shooting. The Thunder’s bench outscored the Lakers’ reserves, 44-31.

Those numbers might not reflect it, but the Lakers are giving this their all.

This isn’t an issue with any particular player. This is an issue with their roster. It’s just not able to contend with one of the youngest and deepest teams in the league.

They’re too top heavy. Too slow. Too outmanned. 

Now they’re staring at a 3-0 precipice, a series deficit so large that no team has ever recovered from it. 

If they can avoid a sweep, that would be a huge accomplishment. 

“Obviously, we gotta [give] everything, s–t,” James said. “Everything and more to beat a team like this. So we gotta be our best. Be at our best on Monday [in Game 4].”

But let’s be real, their best won’t cut it.

It can’t. 

Regardless of how much the Lakers fight, the truth is they’re in the wrong weight class against the heavyweight champions.  

The Lakers have shown a lot of heart. 

But against this team, that’s just not enough. 

The New York Knicks will try to close out their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4. The Knicks own a 3-0 lead in the series and can sweep the 76ers with a win. The Knicks are 1.5-point favorites in Game 4. The over/under for the game is set at 213.5.

How to watch New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers

• Date: Sunday, May 10

• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT

• Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• TV Channels: ABC

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

Odds

• Spread: Philadelphia 76ers +1.5

• Moneyline: Philadelphia 76ers +100 (47.8%) / New York Knicks -120 (52.2%)

• Over/Under: 213.5

Game 1:Knicks 137, 76ers 98
Game 2:Knicks 108, 76ers 102
Game 3:Knicks 108, 76ers 94
Game 4: New York at Philadelphia (Sunday May 10, 3:30 ET, ABC)
Game 5: Philadelphia at New York (Tuesday May 12)*
Game 6: New York at Philadelphia (Thursday May 14)*
Game 7: Philadelphia at New York (Sunday May 17)*

*if necessary

Here…

Come…

The Brooms!

blocked out the noise. found a way to win. pic.twitter.com/a1saA2rU6l

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 9, 2026

Mike Brown

On OG Anunoby’s status heading into Game 4:

“He’s still day-to-day. I had not followed up to ask any specifics. I just wanna let them know, ‘OK, when’s he gonna be ready to play?’ It’s all medical-related and it starts with [the training and medical staff]. All I want them to do is tell me when he can play.”

On the 76ers’ ability to rally:

“They’re a really good team, man, and they’ve already done it once before. We addressed it, but the biggest thing is just trying to stay present, not getting ahead of yourself and however you can do that, try to do it. And the simplest way for me is just keep reminding myself, reminding people around me it’s one game at a time — but it’s also one quarter, one possession at a time and trying to lock in on each possession like it’s your last.”

On balancing playoff adjustments:

“What we’re doing now, I think, can have great carryover next year and down the line because we’d be able to expand on it the right way through a training camp and all that other stuff. Right now it’s a little limited, but there’s still enough options within what we kind of stumbled upon to make it effective, but hopefully as time goes on, we’ll be able to expand on it, and if we can get to it during this playoff run, great. If not, we feel pretty good about where we’re at, going forward even afterwards.”

On Mikal Bridges’ athleticism:

“He runs like a deer. His gait is beautiful, which makes him fast and it doesn’t even look like it.”

On the current Knicks culture:

“When guys are engaged like that 24/7 throughout the course of the year, it bodes well for the environment, for the culture and guys are actively trying to keep their mind present because when they get an opportunity, they want to perform well.”

On his trust on the full Knicks rotation and his players’ professionalism:

“As a coach, you love to see it. That’s why you give different guys opportunities at different times. Sometimes, you start Landry. Sometimes, you start Mo. Sometimes, you start this guy. And what hopefully it shows at the end of the day coming from me is that I have confidence in them, and not only that, your number can be called any time, so be ready. And our guys have taken that to heart. We’ve got a lot of good guys that are resilient. They’re fighters. And they’ve done a good job of keeping their mind on staying present in whatever we’re doing, and it’s showing when they go out there and get the opportunity.”

On deploying an “equal opportunity” offense:

“Anybody can be in any position. Anybody can set screens. Anybody can initiate it, but it’s going to take some time to expand on it.”

On offensive growth potential:

“What we’re doing now, I think, can have great carryover next year and down the line because we’d be able to expand on it the right way through a training camp.”

Mike Brown interrupts Karl-Anthony Towns' answer to a question about Brown's offensive adjustments this season:

"He's gonna tell the truth, Mike's done a s–tty job, but Mike's trying and KAT and the rest of the players are carrying Mike's big behind" 😂 pic.twitter.com/wYmqHXzZtr

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 9, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns

On the need to stay focused for Game 4:

“I just look at us as a team that’s trying every single day to stay in the present and find a way to win. Every single time we step on the court. We just got to stay in the present. The next game is the most important game. There’s a lot of things we need to clean up and we want to clean up and we have another game to do that. It’s about just staying about us.”

On offering condolences to Nick Nurse:

“I got to say one thing, I missed saying this. I told Derek the other day, I was so tired after Game 2. I feel like we’ve played five games already. Game 2, Game 3, but I didn’t get to say, my family, at least, wanted to give love and condolences to Nick Nurse’s brother and his family. I never got to say that after Game 2. I was exhausted, as you can see on the court. So it kind of skipped my mind in Game 3 yesterday. It skipped my mind, the mad house, media coming in and everyone trying to get out. I don’t care if you don’t write it or anything, but I wanted y’all to know that. I could’ve told y’all in the locker room but y’all was trying to get to every player, so just wanted to make sure that was known. Wanted to say that on TV, on the podium after Game 2, but I was just so tired. I was so tired I couldn’t even get to the Gatorade. I couldn’t even make another Gatorade joke. Really wanted to give my condolences to him. I haven’t been able to talk to him personally, but I know it’s real tough. I don’t know what he’s going through, but in a similar fashion I know how it is to have to show up to work and to have a lot of pressure on you to do something special when you’re kind of not fully there.”

On whether or not he had anything to do with the Knicks’ offensive adjustments this playoffs:

“I feel like we all had an opinion, and we were able to figure out what was best for our team, especially in a spot like that — down 2-1. I had my opinion, I feel like we’ve done a great job adjusting to have all of us be our best.”

On Mikal Bridges’ growth:

“I think that he’s always been athletic, he’s always been talented. I think what’s better is just to see the experience kicking in for him. He’s using that experience to help us and help himself. It’s great to see that his career has helped make him the best version of himself right now, today.”

On the timing of the Knicks’ offensive shift:

“I feel like the real change for us came before Game 4 in Atlanta. I think that’s when we really changed our offense. It’s been great. It’s been something I’ve talked about for a lot of the season, to feel like we can help our guys more. We made the right moves. [Brown] set the table for us to have this kind of run.”

On the alignment between the Knicks players and Coach Brown:

“It was the perfect time for all of us to really get on the same accord. There’s no better time to be playing your best basketball than right now. So shout out to Mike and really the whole coaching staff for putting us in the best position to succeed.”

On playing on Mother’s Day:

“It’s work. Just work to me. I’m glad we got a game on Mother’s Day. It gets me doing what I love and what gets me off of everything off the court.”

On trusting his passing chops:

“I feel like I’ve always had this my whole career. It’s just I never had the opportunity to utilize that skill set. It’s being utilized. My teammates have been in great positions for me to find them when they’re open.”

On making collaborative adjustments:

“I feel like we all had an opinion and we were able to figure out what was best for our team, especially in a spot like that – down 2-1. I had my opinion. I feel like we’ve done a great job adjusting to have all of us be our best.”

"What they gonna say about me and Brunson now? What they gonna say about Brunson and I now? Nobody gonna say something about me and Brunson. Like they always overlooking me and Brunson…Nobody stopping me and you Brunson" pic.twitter.com/lwPXL2J27r

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 10, 2026

Jalen Brunson

On internal growth and outside perceptions:

“These guys understand that you guys only see the finished product. You guys see what’s on the court. You guys see what’s what when the cameras are on, when there’s media access. You guys don’t see the ups and downs of us talking things out. You guys don’t see us in practice trying to figure things out. And we all want to win. Obviously, there’s ups and downs to it. And we have times where we look disconnected and we look connected. That’s just team sports. That’s basketball. That’s sports. That’s life. There’s going to be ups and downs. It’s all about how you move on, how you get positive, how you move in a positive direction regardless of whether things are negative or positive. You got to block out the noise. You got to focus on inside those lines. You got to focus on just us as a team. There’s going to be times where things aren’t going your way. It’s how you respond. How you respond as a team is going to define who we are. And I think it took time. I think we still have a lot of room where we can grow. But it’s really key for us. I think our mental approach is a positive for us.”

On Mikal Bridges’ durability:

“Obviously, he’s played an unlimited amount of games in a row. And that’s just a testament to who he is.”

Mitchell Robinson on IG: pic.twitter.com/XGU9rsNyIi

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 9, 2026

Mitchell Robinson

On his dunk over Joel Embiid:

“It’s just a basketball play. You’re trying to bait me. That’s a good one. But no, just playing ball, just happy. It’s part of this league.”

On not planning on using his poster on Embiid as a screensaver:

“Not mine, no. It don’t got no truck in it.”

SHAMET pic.twitter.com/NXRPYpGFkM

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) May 10, 2026

Landry Shamet

On Mikal Bridges’ impact:

“I would take it a step further. There’s a ton of stuff that I would argue people don’t see that he does throughout the course of the game that’s far more important than just a couple of the big plays and coming up with a loose ball down the stretch. He does that for 48 minutes. So does his level go up and does he show up in big moments? Absolutely, but I would argue that he’s the type of guy that does that for all 48 and finds a way to do it every night.”

Josh Hart

On playing through thumb injury:

“It’s something I’ll revisit in the offseason. There’s people that played through this. They got (Kyle Lowry) on their team, who played through it and won a championship. So it’s something that’s doable.”

On Mikal Bridges’ defense:

“He’s going to take each matchup personal. When he gets into that mindset and that mode he’s a heck of a player. He’s doing an amazing job. [Tyrese Maxey] is a tough task, a tall order. The way [Mikal] is able to maneuver and navigate screens, do all those things, and on top of that, give us good shots, good minutes and a good quality of executing on the offensive end is great.”

PJ Tucker courtside pic.twitter.com/m5FiNMLfX1

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 9, 2026

Jordan Clarkson

On staying ready despite a swinging role:

“Never. I was just going with the flow, staying locked in. I don’t really think too far ahead. Whatever is in the moment is what’s going on. I got out the mud, bro. I was a second-round pick, damn near undrafted. I just stick with the grind and stick with the process, try to find ways to impact the game. I only care about winning. I came here for the opportunity to play winning basketball.”

.@nyknicks, you heard him! 🧛‍♂️@DanhausenADpic.twitter.com/wK6qw2KAJG

— WWE (@WWE) May 10, 2026

Nick Nurse

On missed open shots steadily against the Knicks:

“There’s certainly an element of that for sure that has got us in the last two games. I don’t expect to make them all. But you make one of those, it’s a one-point game. Make two of them, you’re up two. I don’t know what else you can do other than create wide-open shots. Certainly, in Game 2, down the stretch there, all we did was have really good offensive creation. We just didn’t make enough. I can’t fault the guys’ effort and trying to do the right thing. We just need them to go in.”

"I was embarrassed…people talking about how dumb you are"

By age 9 JR Smith was diagnosed with learning disability

He shied away from school

Focused on sports.

Today

2 titles later

At the age of 40

JR graduated college pic.twitter.com/YFd4I7RrUi

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 10, 2026

VJ Edgecombe

On missed shots dooming Philly:

“We’re not making shots, we’re getting a lot of looks. We just watched the film. We’re generating a lot of good looks. Nothing is going in for us.”

On fatigue impacting the Sixers play:

“Obviously, fatigue is a factor. But fatigue’s a factor for every team this late in the season. If you want to win, that shouldn’t matter. We’ve just been missing wide-open shots.”

Smile your Knicks play today 🧹 pic.twitter.com/nwiLPcHygT

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 10, 2026

Coming out of a December that started off well but ended poorly, the Mavs were looking to build on the momentum of an ever-growing Cooper Flagg, all the while hoping Anthony Davis would finally string together a run that could help propel Dallas to a PlayIn berth or better. For the most part, Flagg was playing his more natural position and while still shaky, the team was beginning to show they were going to hang in almost any game.

January Record: 7-8 (19-30 overall)

January began with the Mavs splitting their first six games. Another loss was followed by what proved to be a season-long winning streak of four games. Two of the victories came against the Utah Jazz, with the other two against the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors. All of that momentum was immediately lost however, as they closed out the month with an equally long losing streak.

Anthony Davis goes down with season-ending injury

Although we didn’t know it at the time, January 8, 2026 was the last time Anthony Davis would play as a Dallas Maverick. Any remaining holdouts hoping that Davis was finally going to put a run together most likely knew that was now not to be the case. Those hoping he would stay healthy long enough to be traded were also holding their breath. The injury looked so mundane yet elicited such a visceral reaction from Davis, that you almost knew it was going to shelve him for a while, despite a variety of conflicting reports in the following days. When it was all said and done, Davis only played in 29 regular season games and two PlayIn games for the Mavericks.

Naji Marshall finally sits one out

In yet another injury-plagued season, though not nearly as bad as the prior year, Marshall proved to be the Mavericks’ ironman in the early going. On January 28, Marshall had played in all 47 games of the season to that point, before sitting out the following night. He came on strong to start the new year, scoring in double figures in all but a single game in January leading up to his first absence. His best outing of the month was a 30 point, 7 rebound, 9 assist game in a win over the Warriors on January 22. By season’s end, Marshall logged 74 games played, second on the team to only Max Christie.

Klay Thompson drains his 2,800th three-pointer

Thompson will go down as one of the very best shooters in the history of the NBA. Despite missing more than two full seasons straight, he joined elite company as only the fifth player to ever to hit 2,800 three-pointers. In the January 12 matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, Thompson connected on 3-for-7 from downtown. By the end of the season, he drained 99 more three-pointers for a solid hold on fourth all-time in three-point makes.

After the calendar turned on January, things got very rocky for the Mavericks, but more changes with an eye on the future were soon to come as well.

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

NBA Draft Lottery winners and losers: Wizards earn top pick, trade dooms Pacers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Washington Wizards are officially on the clock.

The NBA’s worst team this season was rewarded with some lottery luck on Sunday, winning the top pick in a loaded draft.

The Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls filled out the top-four picks, in that order. Now, it’s time to start scouring mock drafts and studying some of the top players in this potentially historic class.

Here are some winners and losers from the lottery:

Winner: Wizards

Starting with the obvious, winning the lottery is monumental for the Wizards.

The team has won fewer than 20 games in three straight seasons, but lottery luck hasn’t given them the first overall pick since 2010. John Wall, who was their representative at Sunday’s drawing, was the pick that year. Washington, in 2025, fell from second to sixth, where it selected Tre Johnson.

There isn’t an obvious No. 1 player in this class, but that’s only due to the glut of talent at the top. BYU forward AJ Dybantsa projects as a potential pick, but you could make the argument for Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer or North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson. For a roster that just added Trae Young and Anthony Davis in mid-season trades, perhaps a wing talent like Dybantsa is the pick.

Loser: Nets

Lottery luck hasn’t been on Brooklyn’s side recently.

Last year, the Nets dropped from sixth to eighth. This year, they fell from third to sixth. These results come after years of surrendering their own first-round picks to teams like the Celtics and Rockets — where they picked players like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Reed Sheppard.

The Nets can still add talent at No. 6, but they will miss out on the top-four talent that seems to be on another tier. Arkansas guard Darius Acuff, Houston guard Kingston Flemings, Illinois guard Keaton Wagler and Arizona guard Brayden Burries could be options for Brooklyn.

Winner: Trades shake up the order

Four trades were revisited during this lottery, with the results impacting the Pacers, Clippers, Pelicans, Hawks, Bucks and Thunder.

The Pacers-Clippers trade this season involving Ivica Zubac meant that Indiana kept its pick if it was top-four, or else it went to LA. Well, it was fifth — so the Clippers now have a premium pick after losing in the Play-In Tournament. The reigning Eastern Conference champions, meanwhile, have nothing to show for their 19-win campaign — although they will get Tyrese Haliburton back from injury next season.

The Pelicans gave up their unprotected first-rounder to the Hawks last year during the draft, but the Hawks could also swap picks with the Bucks if Milwaukee’s pick jumped over New Orleans’. Neither pick moved into the top four, so the Hawks will take the Pelicans’ No. 8 pick and the Bucks will keep their No. 10 pick.

The Thunder, who are rolling through the playoffs and seem poised to win consecutive titles, own the Clippers’ unprotected first from the trade that also gave them reigning (and potentially repeat) MVP winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. For the rest of the NBA, it was a sigh of relief that their pick stayed put at No. 12.

Winner AND loser: Tanking

It was tough to watch for most of the season, but fans of many bad teams were rewarded Sunday. Others, not so much.

The Wizards had the worst record in the NBA, blatantly resting Young and Davis and letting their young talent play extended minutes. The Jazz and Grizzlies had a similar strategy, with Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant missing time and both teams opting for development over victories in 2025-26.

Other teams that tanked weren’t as lucky. The aforementioned Pacers and Nets fell just outside of the top-four despite their year-long losing effort. The Kings dropped from fifth to seventh despite going 22-60, which was their worst record since 2008-09.

The good and the bad of tanking were on full display Sunday, and it’s unclear how these results will impact the NBA’s potential plans to revamp the lottery odds moving forward.

We’re fully into the month of May on the calendar, which means a few things in the sporting world. Several of the college sports are getting down to the nitty gritty, with lacrosse soon crowning champions and the baseball and softball NCAA Tournaments soon to start. Meanwhile, in the pros, the MLB season is in full swing, the WNBA season is just getting underway, while two other leagues are only partway through their playoff journeys.

The spring and summer months feature the multi-week long battles that are the NBA and NHL playoffs. Around here at Tar Heel Blog, we have several Carolina Hurricanes fans on staff and probably as readers, there aren’t really any obvious UNC connections other than them being another local team. (It would be very cool if UNC sponsored an NCAA hockey team at some point, though).

However, there are plenty of connections to the NBA playoffs, as many Tar Heels have gone on to NBA careers following their time in Chapel Hill. Many of those names have also had notable moments and careers in the playoffs. It’s with that in mind that I ask today’s Question of the Day. What’s your most favorite or most memorable moment from a Tar Heel in the NBA Playoffs?

Several Carolina alumns had their moments in the NBA Playoffs, but of course, Michael Jordan has an abnormally large amount of them. Whether it be his shot over Craig Ehlo, his “flu game” in the 1997 NBA Finals, or winning the 1998 Finals with the shot over Bryon Russell, there are plenty to choose from. There are plenty I didn’t even get to in those examples.

However, I’m going to go a little off the board for my answer. One of my favorite ever Tar Heels whose time in Chapel Hill I can actually remember is Danny Green. It was especially fun watching him go from a second round pick and somewhat of an afterthought in the pros to a legitimate option for the Spurs, including in 2013.

While his San Antonio team didn’t end up winning that particular championship over the Heat — they did get revenge the following year — Green was incredible in the 2013 Finals. Including a 27-point, 6-10 from three effort in Game 3, Green led San Antonio in scoring in two games in the series and may very well have won Series MVP had the Spurs held on to finish off the series in Game 6. He ended up shooting an incredible 55.5% from three over the course of the seven games.

That’s my answer, but we want to hear from you! What is your favorite game or memory from a Tar Heel in the NBA Playoffs?

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. San Antonio Spurs
Date: May 10th, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM CDT
Location: Target Center
Television Coverage: NBC, Peacock

On Friday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves entered Target Center entrenched in a tug-of-war with the San Antonio Spurs. With a victory, they could seize control of the Western Conference Semifinals, wash away the stench of that Game 2 disaster, defend home court, remind the young Spurs that playoff experience actually matters, and turn Game 4 into a chance to put San Antonio on the brink.

Instead, they spent the first seven minutes of Game 3 acting like someone had unplugged the offense.

For over half of the first quarter, the Wolves managed one point. One. A single Anthony Edwards free throw. That was it. No rhythm, no flow, no composure, no ability to finish, no ability to breathe offensively. It was the basketball equivalent of trying to start a lawn mower in March after leaving it in the garage all winter. Pull the cord. Nothing. Pull again. Nothing. Everyone starts looking around awkwardly. Maybe this thing is broken.

By the time Minnesota finally woke up, San Antonio had already built a 15-point hole. And yes, to their credit, the Wolves clawed back. They showed fight. They turned what could have been a first-quarter burial into a real game. But that opening stretch mattered. In a playoff game that came down to the wire, you cannot give away seven minutes and expect the basketball gods to refund them later.

The cruel part is that once the Wolves stopped hitting the snooze button, they were right there. They competed and held leads. They had moments where it felt like the veteran team was about to take control. But every time Minnesota seemed ready to tilt the game, San Antonio had an answer: a better look, a cleaner possession, or Victor Wembanyama acting like a cheat code with a jump shot.

Ultimately that was the difference. The Spurs got easier offense. The Wolves had to work for almost everything. San Antonio attacked the rim with purpose. Minnesota too often ran into Wemby’s shadow and started negotiating with itself. San Antonio generated better looks closer to the basket. Minnesota had too many possessions that felt forced.

So now the series sits in the exact place Minnesota absolutely did not want it to be.

Spurs 2, Wolves 1.

Game 4 at Target Center.

Win, and this becomes a 2-2 series where both teams have shown they can hurt the other, where the Wolves still have every reason to believe their experience and toughness can carry them forward. Lose, and suddenly they are down 3-1, needing three straight wins against Wembanyama, including two in San Antonio, while still nursing injuries and searching for answers.

That is not a hill. That is Everest with a Spurs logo painted on it.

So let’s call this what it is: Game 4 is a must-win in everything but the mathematical sense. The Wolves do not technically go home if they lose. But if they drop this one, the series starts feeling like a funeral procession with a Game 5 tipoff time.

This is the desperation game. This is the bite-back game. This is where Minnesota either reasserts itself as the battle-tested, bruising, playoff-hardened team that just knocked out Denver, or it lets a young Spurs team start believing this whole thing belongs to them.

With that, here are the keys to the game….

1. Body Victor Wembanyama

Game 3 was too easy for Wembanyama. He got to his spots. He impacted the rim. He punished Minnesota from multiple levels. The Wolves talked a lot about physicality after Game 1, but in Game 3, they didn’t deliver enough of it. That has to change immediately.

This is where Julius Randle becomes one of the most important players in the series. We have seen him body Wemby before. We have seen him put a shoulder into that narrow frame, move him off his spot, and make him look like a baby giraffe fighting a lion. That version of Randle has to show up.

Every Wembanyama catch needs contact. Every drive needs bodies. Every rebound needs someone putting a forearm into his chest. The Wolves cannot let him float through this game like he is playing in open space. They need to make him feel the weight of the series.

Rudy Gobert has to do his part. Naz Reid has to do his part. Randle has to do a lot of it. This has to be a collective effort built around one simple idea: no comfort.

If Wemby gets comfortable, San Antonio becomes incredibly difficult to beat. If he gets battered, pushed, forced to work, forced to play through bodies for 48 minutes? Then the Wolves have a chance to tilt the game back toward their strengths.

2. Lock Down Everyone Else

Wembanyama is going to get his. That’s the starting point. You do not beat San Antonio by pretending you can make him disappear. But the Wolves absolutely cannot let the rest of the Spurs get comfortable around him.

This is where Minnesota has to borrow from the Denver series, even if the matchup is completely different. Against Denver, the Wolves made life miserable for Jamal Murray. Jaden McDaniels snatched his soul. Rudy battled Jokic, but the perimeter pressure was what allowed the whole defense to breathe.

Against San Antonio, the assignment is less obvious but just as important. De’Aaron Fox cannot be allowed to bend the defense at will. Stephon Castle cannot be handed easy lanes and confidence. Devin Vassell cannot be allowed to get into rhythm. Champagnie cannot be gifted clean catch-and-shoot looks.

The Wolves need connected perimeter defense. McDaniels, Edwards, Dosunmu, Shannon, Clark, whoever is on the floor, has to hound the ball, fight over screens, cut off penetration, and close out with purpose. They cannot allow the Spurs guards to waltz into the paint, force Gobert into impossible decisions, and then spray the ball out to shooters.

And yes, this might be a Jaylen Clark game. If the Wolves need chaos, put in the rabid wolverine. Let him pick up full court. Let him make someone uncomfortable. Let him blow up a possession or two. Sometimes in a playoff game, you don’t need elegance. You need disruption. You need someone who makes the other team say, “Why is this guy guarding me like I owe him money?”

3. Dominate the Glass

The Wolves technically outrebounded San Antonio in Game 3, but that number does not tell the whole story. Some of that came from Minnesota missing so many first looks and cleaning up its own mess. The bigger issue came on the defensive end, where the Wolves had multiple chances to finish possessions and simply didn’t. Three different times, balls that should have been secured by Minnesota ended up back in San Antonio’s hands, eventually turning into Spurs threes. In a seven-point game, that is basically the whole thing.

This is where playoff basketball becomes cruel. You can defend for 20 seconds, force a miss, and do almost everything right. But if you don’t finish the possession, none of it matters. Against a team with Wembanyama, Fox, Castle, Vassell, and shooters waiting around the arc, you cannot hand out second and third chances.

Everybody has to rebound like the ball is the series, because once Minnesota secures those boards, it can run. And that is the second half of the equation. Defensive rebounds are not just about preventing Spurs points; they are Minnesota’s best pathway to easier offense. Get the ball, push, attack before Wemby gets set, make San Antonio defend in transition. None of that happens if the ball keeps bouncing back to silver and black jerseys.

Finish possessions. Or get finished.

4. Make Shots, But Stop Letting Wemby Scare You Out of Good Ones

Minnesota’s offense in Game 3 started as a horror show and eventually became merely inconsistent. That’s not good enough. The Wolves shot 35% from three, which is around the target range they probably need in this series. But it still felt like too many important shots rattled out, too many possessions died late, too many looks near the rim got rushed, altered, or outright abandoned because Wembanyama was nearby.

That is the Wemby effect. He doesn’t have to block every shot. Sometimes he wins just by existing. The Wolves have to fight that.

This does not mean driving blindly into him and getting the ball slapped into the 15th row. It means attacking with a plan and not making the defensive play for him. If you have a lane, take it. If he commits, make the pass. If he stays home, finish strong. If the defense collapses, kick out. But the Wolves cannot allow his presence to turn good offensive opportunities into awkward, off-balance, self-defeating attempts.

There has to be a balance between respect and fear. Respect Wemby’s length. Do not fear it so much that you stop playing basketball.

From deep, the Wolves need to be more than adequate. They need to be timely. They need to hit the shots that stop runs, the shots that punish help, the shots that make San Antonio think twice about collapsing. This team has lived and died by the three all season.

Find a way to live.

5. Treat This Like the Season Is on the Line

The Wolves have spent the entire season playing with the switch. On, off, on, off… In Game 2, it was off. In the first seven minutes of Game 3, it nearly fell off the wall. That cannot happen again.

Not for a quarter. Not for five minutes. Not for two careless possessions. Game 4 demands full desperation from the opening tip.

The Wolves need to come out like the more urgent team, because they are the more urgent team. They need to defend 94 feet. They need to run back. They need to hit people legally, preferably. They need to box out. They need to attack. They need to play with the kind of edge that tells San Antonio immediately, “You are not walking into our building and taking this series from us.”

Target Center will be ready. The crowd will bring it. But the crowd cannot make the first shot, keep Wembanyama off the glass, or stop the Spurs in transition. The players have to bring the force.

This is where experience matters. This is where two straight Western Conference Finals runs are supposed to matter. This is where the Wolves are supposed to look like the team that has been through playoff wars and knows exactly how much a Game 4 can swing a series.

If they treat this like just another game, they will lose. If they treat it like a fight for survival, they can even the series and make this a best-of-three.

Bite Back

The Wolves were bitten in Game 3. They cornered the Spurs with Game 1, got mauled in Game 2, and then let Game 3 slip because they started too slowly, defended too inconsistently, and failed to make San Antonio feel the full weight of a desperate veteran team protecting its home floor.

Now it is time to bite back.

This series is not over. The Wolves have enough talent, enough toughness, enough playoff scar tissue, and enough defensive weaponry to beat San Antonio. But they cannot keep waiting until the game starts slipping away before they decide to fight. They cannot keep giving away stretches and asking themselves to climb back uphill. They cannot let Wembanyama and the Spurs grow more confident by the quarter.

Game 4 is the response game. Win, and the series is tied 2-2. Home court is technically gone, but momentum is alive. The Wolves head back to San Antonio having restored order and reminded the Spurs that this is going to be a long, painful, physical fight.

Lose, and everything changes. Down 3-1. Two games left in San Antonio if it gets that far. Wembanyama and this young team smelling blood and gaining belief. A battered Wolves team staring at the edge.

That cannot be the outcome.

The Wolves need to land their shot. They need to play with force. They need to turn Target Center into a place San Antonio wants no part of. They need to show, from the opening tip, that this series still runs through their defense, their physicality, and their refusal to go quietly.

This is the hunt.

The prey bit back.

Now the Wolves need to answer.

You may or may not remember this, but a while back, Kelly Flagg counseled Cooper not to go crazy when he bought his first car.

From all reports, he listened.

She also counseled him to hold off on a girlfriend. And on that point, he may not have listened. And while we can’t be sure, he may have ignored that particular piece of advice for a while now, as he is apparently dating Duke Basketball player Arianna Roberson.

They were both freshmen last year, and Roberson is from San Antonio, which is about 250 miles from Dallas. And by Texas standards, that ain’t bad, more or less a Sunday drive.

We will say this, though. We would never suggest that someone date an NBA player, because, well, they’re generally players, as Megan Thee Stallion recently discovered with Flagg’s teammate Klay Thompson.

In Flagg’s case, we wouldn’t worry nearly as much. Why?

Because he’s a very loyal guy, and he’s already proven it.

He could’ve taken a much bigger deal from Nike, rather than signing with home-state shoe company New Balance. And when he signed that deal, he explicitly mentioned being loyal to Maine.

Given what we’ve seen from Flagg so far, the state is going to profit from that decision – already has, really. Nike is roughly 5 times the size of New Balance, but Nike has been struggling lately, while New Balance is coming on. A lot of people back home are very grateful to Flagg for looking out for them.

And there has always been speculation about Flagg signing with the Boston Celtics when his rookie contract is up. This spring, though, someone asked him about that, and he said that he was in Dallas, and that he’s a very loyal person.

Given those public examples, he seems like a good man to bet on romantically.

• Cooper Flagg enjoying Turks and Caicos vacation with rumored girlfriend
• Cooper Flagg Sparks Dating Rumors with Duke Player Arianna Roberson
• Cooper Flagg Goes Viral With His Girlfriend Arianna Roberson in Turks and Caicos
• Steamy new pics suggest Cooper Flagg and Arianna Roberson are officially an item

Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line

In Saturday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Jared McCain and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled right on by Luke Kennard and the Los Angeles Lakers, 131-108. OKC now has a 3-0 lead and will win the series. This team is 7-0 so far in the playoffs. There will be no collapse.

McCain didn’t score as well as he has recently, but didn’t need to. He finished with one three-pointer in 10 minutes and also had one assist.

For the Lakers, Kennard had a nice night with 18 points on 7-10 shooting, including 4-6 from behind the line.

On Sunday, Mason Plumlee and the San Antonio Spurs will square off with the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4. The Spurs currently lead, 2-1.

• ‘Sam Presti knows what he’s doing’: Dave Pasch on Thunder acquiring Jared McCain
• Luke Kennard Explains How Lakers Can Stop Thunder Scoring Runs
• The trade Blazers refused to make was their worst deadline mistake
• Thunder depth becoming the biggest storyline of Lakers series
• Why Jared McCain’s Unwavering Confidence Has Been Important For The Thunder Against The Lakers
• Thunder charge past Lakers 131-108 in Game 3 for another blowout in the champs’ 7-0 playoff run
• Interior Dominance Leads OKC Thunder to Commanding 3-0 Series Advantage Over Lakers

Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line

Keep the broom handy. The Knicks will face the 76ers on Mother’s Day in Game Four of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Xfinity Mobile Arena. New York holds a commanding 3-0 series lead and sits one win away from a second straight trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Sixers, meanwhile, are desperate to extend their season, to avoid a sweep on their home floor. The Knicks have ripped through six straight playoff wins, while Philly has looked washed and pressed after tumbling with the Celtics in the first round.

Much of the Knicks’ success has come from dominating in the paint and on the glass, repeatedly turning missed shots into crushing second-chance points. Philadelphia has struggled to match New York’s conditioning, size, and physicality for a full 48 minutes.

In Friday’s Game Three, the Knicks pulled away for a 108-94 win behind another sterling performance from Jalen Brunson, who finished with 33 points and nine assists. Mikal Bridges added 23 points while Josh Hart chipped in 12 points and 11 rebounds. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the Sixers with 22 points, while Tyrese Maxey added 17 points and seven assists. Paul George piled up 15 first-quarter points before vanishing, missing his final nine shots.

The postseason has exposed Philly’s lack of depth and heavy reliance on star creation. The Cheesesteaks can still generate bursts of offense, but not for long. New York’s defense (especially the wings) has simply suffocated them. 

Maxey remains the engine of Philly’s offense, but the Knicks have neutralized him effectively for most of the series. Joel Embiid continues to battle through all sorts of aches and pains, relying on flops and dirty plays to make any headway. Oubre has been one of Philadelphia’s few consistently aggressive contributors, attacking the rim and crashing the boards. George remains an aging veteran; he can light up the first quarter and then fades into the ether. Rookie VJ Edgecombe offers athleticism and defensive energy, but has been unreliable offensively.

New York looks fully in control right now. Brunson has dictated the pace of the series, Towns has turned his passing ability into a true weapon, and Bridges has stepped seamlessly into a larger defensive role, especially with OG Anunoby sidelined. Hart continues doing it all on the margins—rebounding, defending, pushing pace, and playing massive minutes without slowing down. Landry Shamet also gave the Knicks an unexpected offensive lift in Game Three off the bench.

Anunoby remains day-to-day with a hamstring strain and is unlikely to play. For Philadelphia, Embiid is expected to play despite ongoing problems with his ankle, hip, etc.

Prediction 

ESPN gives New York roughly a 66% chance to close out the series. Right on. Expect the Phillies to play with desperation early, but if the Knicks continue winning the rebounding battle and forcing Maxey into difficult half-court possessions, New York should pull away again. For the Knicks to finish the sweep: keep Brunson in attack mode, keep Towns out of foul trouble, and continue turning missed shots into extra possessions. The formula has worked three straight times already.

Interesting fact: the Knicks have not completed a best-of-seven playoff sweep since 1999. Today, the fatigue factor favors New York. Philadelphia’s core players have logged enormous minutes throughout the postseason. Maxey already leads all playoff players in total minutes played, and his legs have turned to rubber in the last two fourth quarters. He’s a fine young player. He’s no Jalen Brunson. Look for Cap to lock this game down in the third quarter and a party in the fourth. New York by 15!

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (3-0) at Philadelphia  76ers (0-3) 
Date: Sunday, May 10, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Place: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
TV: ABC
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we revisit every player who suited up during the 2025–26 campaign through the lens of expectation, reality, and what it ultimately meant.

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Player Snapshot

• Position: SF/PF
• Age: 23
• 2026-27 Contract Status: $2.8 million (team option)
• SunsRank (Preseason): 6
• SunsRank (Postseason): 11

*SunsRank is based on Bright Side writers’ ranking.

Season in One Sentence

Dunn’s development stalled out as he declined from a key rotation player to being out of the rotation.

By the Numbers

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	STL	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
70	19.4	5.8	4.2	1.5	0.9	45.3%	33.1%	48.9%	110.4	108.7	+4

The Expectation

Going into this season, everyone (myself included) hoped that Dunn would build off of a promising rookie season and continue to grow into a solid rotation player for the Suns’ future. Whether he started or came off the bench, we expected him to play high minutes and have a positive impact on games with his defense and rebounding. Offensively, the expectation was that he would continue to improve his three-point jumper and get comfortable in the new Jordan Ott offense.

The Reality

It was a frustrating season for Dunn as he showed the limitations and holes in his game during his sophomore campaign. He started the first six weeks of the season playing about 24 minutes a game in October and November, averaging over 8 points per game and shooting well from distance. As with many young players, the Dunn experience was highly volatile, and Ott opted to play more experienced players in his place, including Royce O’Neale, Jordan Goodwin, Haywood Highsmith, and Rasheer Fleming.

Dunn showed slight improvement in some areas this season; his three-point percentage ticked up from 31.0% to 33.1%, and he averaged more rebounds and assists than last season, too. However, the concerns remain about his shooting. He has yet to shoot over 50% from the free-throw line in his career, and while improving his three-point percentage from his rookie season, Dunn still looks hesitant and uncomfortable shooting wide-open threes. He only made 12 total threes above the break this year.

His strengths as a cutter and mover on offense do not outweigh his inconsistencies. So, until Dunn can become a reliable shooter, teams will opt to leave him open or foul him at the rim without any concerns because of his limitations.

Defensively, Dunn still gets whistled for fouls, making it hard for him to stay on the court against the league’s best players, and his energy and hustle did not match those of others around him. What we were hoping to get from Dunn this season was what Jordan Goodwin actually provided, and now the Suns have to decide if Dunn is worth building around moving forward.

What It Means

Dunn’s overall lack of development has him on the outs of the rotation heading into next season. He will not fetch much in return as a trade piece in any deal the Suns could pull off this summer, and his offensive limitations do not align well with the current roster, which relies heavily on spacing and three-point shooting.

Dunn is one of the most intriguing pieces on the Suns’ roster, as one of the few first-round draft picks of the decade. If Dunn can elevate his shooting and defensive impact, then the Suns could look to sign him to a team-friendly extension next season. If he continues to bounce in and out of the rotation, the Suns could move on after this season or next, when he has a team option for the fourth and final year of his contract.

Dunn has a lot of pressure to take a big leap in his third season. Right now, he is fifth in the pecking order of the Suns’ young players who need development. Jalen Green, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, and Oso Ighodaro are all ahead of Dunn in priority because of their untapped potential. Last offseason, Ryan Dunn was a core piece to the Suns’ future; this offseason, he has become almost an afterthought.

Defining Moment

Dunn’s defining moment came early in the season against the San Antonio Spurs in November when he scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds in a dominant win. He showcased everything he could be for the franchise if he could consistently knock down open threes, attack the rim, and play aggressive defense against one of the best teams in the NBA. Unfortunately, that confident version of Dunn rarely showed up in games the rest of the season.

Grade: C

Ryan Dunn deserves a C because even though his minutes in the rotation were inconsistent, he never detracted from the Suns’ identity and was always ready when his number was called on. It was not the big season we were hoping for, but he still contributed 19 minutes of hard-nosed, Suns brand of basketball every game this year.

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