According to multiplereports, LSU is working on hiring McNeese athletic director Heath Schroyer for a senior administrator position in Baton Rouge that would oversee the Tigers' men's basketball program. The reported attempt to hire Schroyer is an important one for LSU's rumored plans of bringing back North Carolina State's Will Wade to lead the program.
This comes at a time that fourth-year coach Matt McMahon is still employed by LSU following his third losing record in his last four seasons at LSU. Since his hiring, LSU has never won more than 17 games in a season, never finished better than .500 in SEC play and has never made the Men's NCAA Tournament, advancing only as far as the first round of the 2024 Men's NIT.
Conversely, Wade just wrapped his first season at NC State, which saw the Wolfpack go 20-14 to finish tied for seventh in the ACC. Their season ended with a First Four loss to 11-seed Texas, which is still dancing in March Madness.
Wade, of course, formerly coached LSU from 2017-22, where despite on-court success he was fired for cause after the NCAA accused him of committing multiple Level I and Level II violations, including "lack of institutional control." Following a season in which he didn't coach, Wade took over at McNeese in 2023-24, going 50-9 and appearing in the NCAA Tournament twice in two seasons, helping him land the Wolfpack head coaching position.
Should Wade leave NC State to return to LSU, here is what he would owe the Wolfpack:
Will Wade buyout at NC State if Wolfpack coach leaves
According to Wade's contract, obtained by the USA TODAY Network, he would owe NC State $5 million if he were to leave the Wolfpack for another job, like LSU, before the end of his contract. That payout drops to $3 million on April 2.
There is a total of $14,756,250 million left across the remaining five years of Wade's contract with NC State, according to his contract that was obtained by the USA TODAY Network. Here is his year-by-year base salary, beginning in 2027:
The Detroit Pistons are sending a clear message to anyone who thought they’d fall apart without Cade Cunningham, and they’ve got the Atlanta Hawks in their sights tonight at Little Caesars Arena.
While Atlanta is 9-1 in its last 10 games, the schedule has been favorable. My Hawks vs. Pistons predictions side with a Detroit team that’s won three in a row since Cade was ruled out.
Check out my NBA picks for a March 25 matchup that could yet be a first-round playoff preview.
Hawks vs Pistons prediction
Hawks vs Pistons best bet: Pistons -2.5 (-115)
The Detroit Pistons doubters have been loud at times this season, even before Cade Cunningham’s injury, but the Pistons just keep on winning.
After Monday’s impressive victory over the red-hot Lakers, they’re now 27-8 SU at home, and I’m picking Jalen Duren & Co. to cover this small spread tonight.
Detroit has won six of the past seven meetings with the Atlanta Hawks, including a 142-115 beatdown in December, and the hosts can match the Hawks’ recent surge.
Like Atlanta, the Pistons have made hay against weaker opposition, winning seven of their last eight games — six by a double-digit margin.
Of course, Cade’s absence hurts, but Daniss Jenkins continues to show he can handle big minutes, and his 30-point, eight-assist explosion was the catalyst for stunning the Lakers.
The Hawks’ loss in Houston last week may be an indicator of what happens when they face a physical defense, and the Pistons have held opponents to 110 points or fewer in seven of their last 10 contests. The visitors lean heavily on three guards in their starting five, and that could be a recipe for Duren feasting on the glass.
Sure, Atlanta is scrapping to stay above the play-in line in an increasingly tight race, but no one loves a bruising battle more than Detroit. Plus, Jalen Johnson is listed as questionable with a shoulder issue, and the Pistons can turn to Ausar Thompson for any perimeter assignment.
It may not be pretty, but this one feels like a home win.
Hawks vs Pistons same-game parlay
I like the Pistons to grab a fifth straight win tonight, and the script has to start with a monster Duren outing.
He’s finished with 11 rebounds in four of his last five games, and he hauled in four offensive boards on Monday against L.A.
Duncan Robinson’s production — even without Cade to set him up — is an important ingredient, too. He’s made 10 3-pointers across his last three contests.
Hawks vs Pistons SGP
Pistons moneyline
Jalen Duren Over 10.5 rebounds
Duncan Robinson Over 2.5 3-pointers
Our "from downtown" SGP: Mr. MIP
Duren is the front-runner for the Most Improved Player award, and he’s embracing the chance to be Detroit’s lead dog. This SGP taps into his all-around production, and he’s shooting 67% from the field in March.
I'm also adding in the Over, which is 8-2 in the past 10 matchups between these teams.
Hawks vs Pistons SGP
Jalen Duren Over 22.5 points
Jalen Duren Over 10.5 rebounds
Over 228.5
Pistons moneyline
Hawks vs Pistons odds
Spread: Hawks +2.5 | Pistons -2.5
Moneyline: Hawks +130 | Pistons -154
Over/Under: Over 228.5 | Under 228.5
Hawks vs Pistons betting trend to know
The Pistons are 34-11 SU against Eastern Conference opponents this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Hawks vs. Pistons.
How to watch Hawks vs Pistons
Location
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Date
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Hawks vs Pistons latest injuries
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Nobody expected Ja Morant to return to the court this season, but now it is official.
Morant is out with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left elbow and will now receive a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to help speed the healing process, the team announced. That will sideline him for the rest of the season.
The Grizzlies explored the trade market for Morant at the deadline but didn't find a deal to their liking. He is expected to be back on the trade market and likely to be moved this offseason.
Also in that release, the team says centers Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke will be out for the remainder of the season as well. Edey hasn't played since December following ankle surgery (which was expected to keep him out the rest of the season), but now he has undergone a procedure to alleviate lingering discomfort in his left elbow. Clarke has only played in two games this season, missing the start of it recovering from knee surgery, then returning for two games before straining his calf. That calf injury continues to keep him out.
Memphis, 24-27, is headed to the lottery and currently has the seventh-worst record in the league. That would give them a 31.9% chance of landing a top-four pick in the draft and guarantees them a top-10 spot.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Trump administration gave San Jose State University 10 days to resolve what the U.S. Education Department has deemed are Title IX violations involving transgender athletes, saying the school will face legal action and the possible loss of federal funding if it fails to comply.
The department in January found that the university had discriminated against women by letting a transgender athlete play on the women’s volleyball team. The department issued its ultimatum in a Tuesday letter.
Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary for civil rights, said the administration had provided the university with multiple ways to resolve the violations, including separating “male” and “female” athletes based on the administration's definitions of those terms.
"Yet, SJSU remains obstinate, choosing a radical ideology over safety, dignity, and fairness for its own students,” she said. “With today’s action, the Department is putting the university on notice: comply with the law or risk losing its federal funding.”
Title IX is a 1972 gender equity law.
A spokesperson for the California State University system directed The Associated Press to a web page in which the system and university say they disagree with the department's legal position and findings.
In a letter to the department, the university said Title IX prohibits discriminating against transgender individuals.
The Education Department has taken action against a series of states, schools and colleges that allow transgender athletes to participate on sports teams, something President Donald Trump has promised to end.
The investigation into San Jose State was opened in February 2025 alongside a similar one at the University of Pennsylvania. Penn later agreed to a deal similar to the one being offered to San Jose State, modifying school records set by a transgender swimmer and apologizing to other athletes on the swim team.
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 21: De'Anthony Melton #8 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 21, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Golden State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
De’Anthony Melton’s first season with the Golden State Warriors didn’t go very well. He fit in with the team exceptionally well during the 2024-26 campaign, but in early November suffered a season-ending ACL injury. The Warriors later traded the veteran as they sought reinforcements and were able to use his salary to get something done.
His second pass through the Bay Area has gone much better. Melton re-joined the Warriors as a free agent this year and, after finishing up his rehab, hit the ground running. In 41 games with the Dubs, he’s averaged a career-high 13.0 points per game, along with 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 steals. He’s slid into a starting role with Steph Curry injured, and has played admirably.
He’ll be a free agent again this summer. The Warriors will certainly want to bring him back, but will he be a priority for them? And will he be in their price range?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 22: Head coach Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics looks on against the Brooklyn Nets in Game One of the First Round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center at Barclays Center on May 22, 2021 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) | Getty Images
‘Make him say no,’ is always popular this time of year when discussing Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens and every single major college coaching job that opens up.
Gotta make Brad Stevens say no, which he will, but have to make him say no https://t.co/NEf4RODJBL
This year was no different when North Carolina moved on from Hubert Davis after five seasons. UNC made the call and Stevens, as expected, said no.
NEWS: Brad Stevens—who was atop the list of targets—has already removed himself from consideration for the UNC job, sources told @CBSSports. No surprise of course, but notable all the same as Carolina starts its search to replace Hubert Davis.
“As for Stevens, the news is anything but surprising yet still an important public update that allows North Carolina to sharpen its focus on realistic candidates,” wrote CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander. “An Indiana native, Stevens has turned down the Hoosiers job the past three times it opened since he left Butler for the Celtics. The 49-year-old hasn’t strutted the sidelines as a coach since 2021, when he pivoted to the organization’s front office as its chief decision-maker.”
There are rumors that Bill Self might retire from the Kansas job so if that happens, I’m sure another call will be lobbed into the Auerbach Center and greeted with a similar response.
The Boston Celtics will be signing Charles Bassey to a second 10-day contract according to a report by Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Bassey signed his first 10-day contract with the Celtics on March 14th, making today, March 25th, its expiration date. As such, Boston opted to bring him back to stay in compliance with league minimum roster rules as they try to duck the luxury tax.
Charles is just 25 years old, and a five-year vet of the NBA. The 6’10 center has had stints with the Philadelphia 76ers, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Memphis Grizzlies before his time with Boston. In his five years, he’s played a combined 118 games, most of those coming from his three-year run with the Spurs from the 22-23 season through the 24-25 season. He averages 4.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 0.8 blocks across his career, with a field-goal percentage of 62.7%.
This signing brings Boston’s roster back up to 14 players on standard contracts, at least for the next 10 days. At the end of that timeline, it is widely expected that the Celtics will convert Ron Harper Jr.’s two-way contract to a standard deal to ensure he is playoff eligible, while also keeping the team in roster compliance, and giving them just enough room to stay under the Luxury Tax for the season.
Boston is signing Bassey to a second 10 Day, per @AdamHimmelsbach.
This gives the Celtics maximum flexibility with managing roster spots through the end of the regular season.
Ron Harper Jr. will get a standard deal before the season ends, but as I've said for weeks, it'll come… https://t.co/i7mdAnVbZ3
At this point, Bassey has only played in two games for the Celtics this season, a combined four minutes across those two games, all in garbage time. Given the limited on-court opportunity, Bassey didn’t have much room to prove himself, but he did score 4 points on 2-3 shooting while picking up 2 rebounds and 1 steal.
Charles was with Boston before the season as well, playing three games as part of the Celtics Summer League roster. He managed to impress fans who tapped in during that time, averaging 15.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game, shooting 70.4% from the floor. His Summer League performance likely influenced the Celtics decision to bring Bassey in for the two recent 10-day contracts. While it’s unlikely that he will be retained for the season after this most recent contract expires, it’s clear he made an impression on the team.
NBA superstar Kevin Durant played his rookie season for the Seattle Supersonics before the team relocated to Oklahoma City [Getty Images]
Seattle could regain an NBA team after the league's board of governors voted to explore adding two expansion franchises, with Las Vegas the other potential location.
The Seattle Supersonics competed in the NBA from 1967 to 2008 before being relocated to Oklahoma City and renamed the Thunder after the franchise was bought by an Oklahoma-based group in 2006.
If the expansion is approved, it would increase the number of NBA teams from 30 to 32.
Las Vegas has not previously had an NBA team, but has two teams in the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.
NHL side the Las Vegas Knights were founded in the Nevada city as an expansion franchise in 2017, while the NFL's Raiders moved there from Oakland in 2020.
MLB team the Athletics, previously based in Oakland and currently playing in Sacramento, will move to Las Vegas from the 2028 season.
Seattle hosts teams in three of the four major leagues - reigning NFL Super Bowl champions the Seahawks, MLB's the Mariners and the NHL's Kraken.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the current NBA champions, while the franchise previously won one title as the Supersonics in 1979.
Seattle would reportedly be able to use the Supersonics name and logo if a franchise were to return to the city.
Las Vegas has hosted NBA all-star events and summer league games, while Women's National Basketball Association side the Aces are also based there.
Any expansion is still several steps away and would require approval by at least 23 of the 30 NBA governors to pass.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the vote "reflects our board's interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle - two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball."
He added: "We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties."
If both expansion teams are created, they would be placed in the Western Conference, with either the Memphis Grizzlies or Minnesota Timberwolves moving to the Eastern Conference to ensure 16 teams in each.
Ronald Nored will be returning to Butler as the head coach of the men’s basketball program, vice president and director of athletics Grant Leiendecker announced Wednesday.
Nored succeeds coach Thad Matta, who announced his retirement last week after leading Butler for the past four seasons, all of which the Bulldogs finished with losing records in Big East conference play. Matta will stay on board at the school as special assistant to the president and athletic director.
Nored graduated from Butler in 2012, helping the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA national championship games as the team’s starting point guard under coach Brad Stevens. He leads the program in games played (143) and postseason games played (16).
Nored brings experience coaching in various capacities for several NBA franchises, including the Hawks, Pacers, Hornets and Celtics. He was also the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets’ G-League team, the Long Island Nets, from 2016-18.
He most recently served as a Hawks assistant coach over the past three seasons.
“The term ‘dream job’ doesn’t do justice to how I feel about the opportunity to lead the Butler program,” Nored said in a statement. “Butler is an incredibly special place. As a player, I poured blood, sweat and tears into this program. No one appreciates both the responsibility and the potential that comes with this position more than me.”
Leiendecker describes Nored as “the absolute best leader to spearhead the future of Butler basketball.”
The Bulldogs finished the 2025-26 season with a 16-16 record following a 91-81 loss to Providence in the Big East Tournament on March 11.
“There is incredible momentum at Butler right now," Nored said, "and I can’t wait to hit the ground running as we elevate Butler to new heights.”
The Milwaukee Bucks will play their fourth road game in six days when they travel west to face the surging Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center tonight.
My Bucks vs. Trail Blazers predictions call for the home team’s defense to lock down the shorthanded visitors’ offense.
Read more in my best free NBA picks for this non-conference tilt on Wednesday, March 25.
Bucks vs Trail Blazers prediction
Bucks vs Trail Blazers best bet: Bucks Team Total Under 106.5 (-115)
It’s no secret that the Milwaukee Bucks have struggled this season, and that’s been strikingly evident across the team’s last 10 games.
In that span, the Bucks rank 29th in scoring at a paltry 107.2 points per game. They scored 106 points or fewer in five of their last 10, and they were held under 100 points in two of their last three.
On the flip side, the Portland Trail Blazers have allowed the fifth-fewest points to opponents across their last 10 games (108.8) and sport the second-best defensive rating at 106.9.
The Blazers have held opponents to 106 points or fewer in five of their last 10 outings, including two of their last three overall and two of their last three at home.
Over the last 10 games, Portland’s defense ranks top-12 in fewest points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers allowed.
Tonight’s matchup of a deflated offense traveling on the road to face a surging defense offers the perfect storm for the Bucks to post a dud in the scoring column. I’ll take the home team to put the clamps on Milwaukee’s lackluster offense.
Bucks vs Trail Blazers same-game parlay
The Bucks are hitting the skids right now, having lost by 30+ in two of their last three games on the current road trip. The Blazers have won four of their last five, including a 134-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. I’ll take the home team to win comfortably.
Donovan Clingan swatted seven shots against Brooklyn on Monday, and he’s averaged three rejections across his last eight outings. The big man has blocked multiple shots in six of his last eight.
Bucks vs Trail Blazers SGP
Milwaukee Bucks Team Total Under 106.5
Trail Blazers -12.5
Donovan Clingan Over 1.5 blocks
Our "from downtown" SGP: Blazers Bottle Up Bucks
Clingan has averaged 13.1 rebounds across his last eight games, corralling 13+ five times in that span. Toumani Camara has reached 5+ boards in five of his last 10 outings, and he grabbed seven in his first matchup with Milwaukee.
Camara has recorded at least one swipe in 13 of 17 games since the All-Star break. Scoot Henderson has averaged 1.5 steals across his last six games, recording at least one theft three times. Both players should have no problem picking the pockets of a depleted Milwaukee roster.
The Milwaukee Bucks have only covered the 1Q Spread in 19 of their last 50 games (-16.50 Units / -29% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Bucks vs. Trail Blazers.
How to watch Bucks vs Trail Blazers
Location
Moda Center, Portland, OR
Date
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Tip-off
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN-WI, KUNP
Bucks vs Trail Blazers latest injuries
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NBA owners approved a plan to explore expansion franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle at their board of governors meeting Wednesday in New York. The NBA, in a statement, said it hired investment bank PJT Partners to “evaluate prospective markets, ownership groups, arena infrastructure and the broader economic implications of expansion.”
The league is also moving aggressively on its plans for NBA Europe to launch in the fall of 2027 with 10 to 12 teams; the entry prices for domestic and international expansion are still TBD.
These two developments could conservatively mean a $20 billion pot for the current NBA owners—roughly $15 billion in expansion fees for two U.S. clubs and $5 billion in fees from Europe.
The expansion money is not shared with players, as it sits outside of basketball-related income (BRI), which is used is used to set the salary cap and ensure players receive 51% of BRI annually. Each current team owner is looking at a check of at least $650 million, or even more if the NBA can trigger a bidding war in Vegas and Seattle that pushed the price to $8 billion or higher.
For context, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers sold last year in transactions with enterprise values of $6.1 billion and $10 billion. In October, Sportico’s NBA valuations had the average team at $5.51 billion, with only the Golden State Warriors ($11.33 billion), Lakers ($10 billion) and New York Knicks ($9.85 billion) valued higher than $7 billion.
The NBA last expanded in 2004 when the then-Charlotte Bobcats became the league’s 30th franchise after Bob Johnson paid a $300 million expansion fee. The city was awarded a team to replace the one that moved to New Orleans.
Seattle, which lost its team to Oklahoma City in 2008, and Las Vegas, where the NBA holds its summer league, have long been the front-runners for NBA expansion. The expansion process was expected to launch after the league completed its most 2023 CBA and 2024 media deals, but commissioner Adam Silver put the brakes on those talks publicly and privately.
The latest macro issue for the NBA is the collapse of the RSN market which has left a hole in the income statements of many teams; the league just lowered its projected salary cap for the 2026-27 season on RSN weakness. There has also been a group of anti-expansion owners, who don’t want to see their equity in the league diluted from 1/30 to 1/32.
The NHL’s most recent expansion additions were in Seattle and Las Vegas with the Kraken and Golden Knights. Vegas added the WNBA’s Aces in 2018 and NFL’s Raiders in 2020, with MLB’s Athletics moving in time for the 2028 season.
Multiple groups are expected to compete for the franchise in Las Vegas, while Kraken owner Samantha Holloway has made clear her interest in bringing the NBA back to Seattle. This week, Holloway created an umbrella company for the Kraken and their home, Climate Pledge Arena, and increased her ownership stake in the venue. Climate Pledge was built with basketball in mind.
NBA owners also discussed the league’s plans for the creation of NBA Europe. The league is looking to sell franchise licenses in a dozen cities, including London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Berlin, Madrid and Barcelona.
NBA executives have spent time overseas meeting with potential buyers, and interest has come from a variety of investors, including the owners of the Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and AC Milan soccer teams, and sovereign wealth funds like Saudi Arabia’s PIF. Silver has previously said he did not want ownership overlaps between the NBA and its European offshoot, which is being launched in partnership with FIBA.
First-round bids are due March 31, according to people familiar with the details, and while prices are yet to be set, those inside the industry expect most licenses to sell in the $300 million to $500 million range. Using a blended average, that means the 12 teams could net roughly $5 billion in expansion fees.
Some potential buyers, like Real Madrid, would come to the league with an existing basketball team while others, like PSG, would be starting from scratch. Others may take a middle ground, with investors looking at existing club teams like Alba Berlin or ASVEL Basket in Lyon as acquisition targets.
The NBA would own 50% of the new league, with team owners holding the other 50%, a setup identical to the equity structure of the WNBA until 2022, when the league raised outside capital. Raine Group and JPMorgan Chase are advising the league on the matter.
As was expected, on Wednesday the NBA's Board of Governors — made up of the 30 league owners — voted to explore expansion, specifically in Seattle and Las Vegas.
This means the league will take the next step of surveying interested bidding groups for two cities. Those discussions will include the franchise fee to buy the team — expected to be at least $7 million per team — and details such as where the team would play in the city. There would be other votes needed down the line to formally expand the NBA to 32 teams, but the fact that at least 23 of the current 30 owners voted for this step means expansion is very likely coming to the league before the end of the decade.
"Today's vote reflects our Board's interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle — two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement announcing the vote. "We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties."
The hope is that both franchises could start playing in the 2028-29 season, a fairly tight timetable.
While expansion talk has been floating around league circles for at least a decade, Silver wanted a new CBA with the players and a new television deal in place before seriously exploring the matter. Those things done, and with the rapidly rising value of franchises driving up the expansion fee, it has finally reached the point where the majority of owners think it is time for expansion.
Seattle and Las Vegas have been the frontrunners for NBA expansion for a while now.
Putting a team in Seattle rights an old wrong. Seattle had a thriving franchise and fan base in the Sonics, but a fight over arena renovations led to the team's sale to an ownership group looking to move the team to Oklahoma City, which led to the team's relocation and the formation of the Thunder. It was unfair to the loyal fans of Seattle — who didn't want their tax dollars to fund an arena for a billionaire owner — and that remains a massive television market the league has not touched.
"Seattle is ready to welcome the Sonics home," Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said in a statement released this week in advance of the vote. "We never stopped being a basketball city, and the fans have never given up. You see it in our parks, in our schools, in packed gyms in every neighborhood, and in our Seattle Storm championships. We built a world-class arena. We have a strong economy and a dedicated workforce. We are prepared, we are united, and we are ready for the next chapter of our Sonics."
While there will be multiple bidders in Seattle, Samantha Holloway — owner of the NHL's Kraken — has let it be known she is interested. Whoever the new owners are, they will take over the old SuperSonics name, logo and image.
Las Vegas and the NBA have a strong relationship, it's where the NBA Summer League goes every year, and where the NBA Cup semi-finals and finals are conducted. Las Vegas also has become a pro sports city with a championship and well-backed team in the WNBA's Aces, a thriving NHL team in the Golden Knights, the NFL's Raiders, and construction of a baseball stadium for the Athletics is underway.
"I think Seattle and Las Vegas are two incredible cities," Silver said last December. "Obviously, we had a team in Seattle that had great success. We have a WNBA team here in Las Vegas, the Aces. We've been playing the summer league here for 20 years. We're playing our Cup games here, so we're very familiar with this market. I don't have any doubt that Las Vegas, despite all of the other major league teams that are here now, the other entertainment properties, that this city could support an NBA team."
Both cities also have arenas that an NBA team could step into now. In Seattle, the team will play at the renovated Climate Pledge Arena (formerly the Key Arena), home to the NHL's Kraken. In Las Vegas, the team very likely will play at the T-Mobile Arena, already home to the Aces and Golden Knights. While there has been talk of the new owners (whoever it ends up being) building a new arena further down the Las Vegas strip, an arena that would anchor a new resort and casino, the current economics of visitors to Las Vegas may mean that project is off the table, at least in the short term.
The last time the NBA expanded was 2004, when the Charlotte Bobcats joined the league.
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 24: OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks is introduced before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 24, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It looked like a game against the Pels…
…until Knicks captain Jalen Brunson took over.
Here’s what was said before and after New York won its seventh consecutive game.
Mike Brown picked up a reporter's recorder to start his press conference
On Brunson’s clutch performance against New Orleans:
“That’s what great players do. Great players, when it matters the most, when the pressure’s the highest, sometimes that means drawing two and kicking it out to OG for a wide-open three or someone else. He was great at that tonight. For who he is and for me as a coach, I never put a cap on those guys. You don’t put a cap on Steph Curry in Golden State. Jalen Brunson here, and Jaylen Brown in Boston. You let those guys be who they are.
“Great players, when it counts the most, when the pressure is the highest, they make the game easier for everyone else.”
On a high-scoring back-and-forth game against the Pelicans:
“It was a funky game. Both teams offensively were really good, nobody could really get a stop.”
On the Pelicans’ physical challenge:
“Zion is on another level, in terms of his drives to the rim. Physically, athletically, extremely powerful. It takes all five guys being in the right position to try and make it tough on him. And they might not even be able to make it tough on him, he’s that powerful, athletic, strong. They’ve been playing fast, you know, as of late. Getting out in transition and been doing a good job overall, defensively. And even offensively since the All-Star Break, Dejounte Murray just takes them to another level, with his ability to run their team and to score. Think since the All-Star Break, they’re like 10-5. So they’ve been playing some really good basketball.”
On OG Anunoby’s defense on Zion:
“Our defensive player of the game was OG. He guarded a lot of different players throughout the game, but to close the game the way he did against Zion, he’s a monster. He’s a handful for anybody but for OG to be able to do the job that he did on him down the stretch was huge.”
On adjusting the offense for Karl-Anthony Towns:
“I had to adjust to him…and that’s what a season’s about. We’re not playing the same way offensively as we did to start the year. So I had to make some adjustments to try to figure out how I can get him involved a little bit better, get him to feel a little more comfortable and it’s showing a little bit. He’s obviously put in the work but … it’s a two-way street and it’s good to see him playing at the level he’s playing at right now.”
On simplifying Towns’ role at the four:
“When he is at the four spot, we’ve really simplified it so that he doesn’t have to think as much. And when he doesn’t have to think as much, he can just react.”
On spacing and preferred spots for Towns:
“He loves being at the top of the floor; he’s not always there, but we’ve added a couple more things that put him there with appropriate space. And then we found a post-up and an iso situation for him that is pretty good from a spacing standpoint in how he likes to operate. Those things, we didn’t have at the beginning of the year for him. So again, he’s made adjustments, he’s kept working, he continues to work, but as the head coach, I have to make adjustments, too. Especially with him being one of our two best players.”
On Jordan Clarkson’s two-way impact:
“Jordan has been playing well on both ends of the floor. He’s giving it to us defensively and he’s giving it to us offensively. I tell ya, his ability to read the defense and make timely cuts and finish in that painted area is a lot of fun to watch. It just adds another dimension to what we’re trying to do.”
On Clarkson’s defensive play:
“You can see the level of awareness and sense of urgency that he plays with now, especially on that end of the floor. What I like more than anything else is his physicality on the ball. You feel him. He’s relentless with it.”
On letting his assistants lead in huddles:
“It’s great for the guys to hear different voices. It’s like with your kids, if you’re the one talking all the time, sooner or later they tune you out. I have the utmost confidence in all of my assistants. So, for them to have a voice or a presence in what we’re doing, I’m all for it because they handle their business the right way. It also gives me an opportunity to save my voice. Maybe when I’m speaking, it can be magnified a little louder if you have that around you. All of my guys on the front of the bench, all of my guys on the back of the bench, I’ll close my eyes and let them coach and be OK with it.”
“Just focus on playing as best we can, control what we can control. That’s what’s most important to us right now.”
On sticking to his habits late in games:
“Just trying to be myself. I stick to my habits, focus on my work ethic and what got me here, and keep it that way.”
On Brown’s assistants gaining experience by leading huddles:
“I feel like it helps us but also helps the coaches. They get more experience and put in positions where they’re leading. I think it’s all-around good for everybody.”
Josh Hart on the Knicks getting through the soft part of their schedule with a 7-game winning streak
"Good teams win games that they're supposed to. Obviously anyone in the league can beat you on any given day" pic.twitter.com/7D0AqeVJ8B
“That’s a position he wants to be in. We want him in that position. You learn when you watch his game and play this game that the last 3-4 minutes of a game are winning time. That’s where your superstars show why they are at that level. That’s what he did.”
On hearing different voices in huddles:
“Sometimes it’s good to hear different voices. I think there is a sweet spot because you don’t want to hear too many different voices, but I think he does a good job of holding guys accountable but letting other coaches have our attention and mixing in other voices.”
Ogugua Anunoby Junior just became the first New York Knickerbocker in known history with double-digit DPOGs:
“I was just trying to make it difficult for him. Trying to make the catches difficult, push them out further and then just play one-on-one defense. I have great teammates who help me out, communicating what’s behind me. Just executing.”
On the team’s defensive execution on Tuesday:
“We have great defensive pieces all over the floor, so we’ve just been executing, communicating better and it’s been showing on the court.”
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 23: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors is defended by Max Christie #00 of the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at American Airlines Center on March 23, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images DALLAS, TEXAS – MARCH 23: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors is defended by Max Christie #00 of the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at American Airlines Center on March 23, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The days all blend in to each other. The Brooklyn Nets continued their western road trip with a visit to Oregon to face the Portland Trailblazers. The Nets didn’t have much of anything for the play-in bound Blazers and lost by 35 points. The team’s current losing streak is at eight. And if you’re keeping track at home, that was the team’s seventh loss by at least 30 points this season.
Tonight’s opponent is firmly locked in to the tenth seed and the final play-in position. The Golden State Warriors are making through the end of a frustrating and disappointing season as they look ahead to the future. They beat the Dallas Mavericks in overtime on Monday night, but that was the last thing on anyone’s minds following the game. More on that shortly.
Where to follow the game
YES Network on TV. WFAN on radio. Gotham Sports on streaming. Tip after 10 PM.
🤕 Injuries
The following are out:
Noah Clowney
Michael Porter Jr
Day’ron Sharpe
Nolan Traore
Egor Demin
Danny Wolf
As expected, Malachi Smith has been extended another 10 days.
In overtime, Moses Moody went up for a layup and suffered a horrifying leg injury. Moses was diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon and will be out for indefinitely. All the best to him on his road to recovery.
One game away from the top of the standings Nets fans care about. The journey continues.
Ben Saraf, this is your moment. With Traore out, Ben will get the start and get all the minutes he can handle at the one. This matchup in particular will be a great challenge for his decision making skills as the Warriors are fifth in the NBA in opponent’s turnover rate this season. Ben has had turnover trouble for much of the season and tonight will be a great opportunity for him to work on it.
What do you do without Stephen Curry? For the Warriors, it’s relying on a whole lot of Brandin Podziemski. It’s been a learning lesson for him, and when Curry does return, we’ll see how Podz gets reacclimated to a familiar role. In the meantime, he’s got to navigate this rocky road.
“So in my mind right now, where he is: if he’s playing off of Steph, off of the ball, if he’s playing more of a secondary ball-handler role, he’s really good,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “He does a lot of things that a lot of players don’t do. He’s got a knack. When he tries to be too on-ball, you see him get into some trouble. You see the warts.”
No time better than the present to figure this stuff out.
👀 Player to watch: Kristaps Porzingis
KP came over from the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline, and it’s been a rocky start to his new adventure. Porzingis missed time due to illness and it led to more questions about the Warriors’ future. When this group is healthy, they have the potential to be championship contenders. However, they’re not healthy, they’re older, and the clock is getting closer and closer to midnight. It’s a lot to navigate for this proud franchise and the hope is Porzingis can remain healthy long enough so this group can make one more attempt to reach the top of the mountain.
Nic Claxton will be the vet tasked with keeping the young Nets within range tonight. It’s been difficult, but that’s why you play the games. For Clax, he’ll look to see if his guards can find him some good looks near the basket tonight. The Warriors allow teams to shoot 68.9 percent inside the restricted area, seventh highest mark in the NBA this year. Against a shorthanded frontcourt, tonight could be the night for Nic Claxton to have a big scoring game.
📺 From the Vault
What you about to witness is my thoughts Right or wrong Just what I was feelin’ at the time
Also, we are one day away from the best baseball team returning to our lives. HIT THE MUSIC!
Since becoming commissioner in 2014, Adam Silver has floated Seattle and Las Vegas as targets for the NBA’s next franchises.Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images
The NBA has moved a step closer to adding teams in Seattle and Las Vegas.
The league’s board of governors met this week and voted to explore bids and applicants for teams exclusively in those two cities, beginning the process for its first expansion in more than two decades. Bids are expected to be in the $7bn to $10bn range per franchise.
Commissioner Adam Silver had previously described this year as a target for a decision on expanding the 30-team league, which last added a new franchise in 2004. The league will now evaluate bids over the next several months.
“Today’s vote reflects our Board’s interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle – two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball,” Silver said in a statement Wednesday. “We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties.”
Here’s a breakdown of what this expansion would mean for the NBA.
Wait, the NBA has new teams?
It soon may. The NBA’s board of governors voted this week to approve a formal exploration of adding teams in Seattle and Las Vegas. The league is reportedly targeting the 2028-29 season for debuts.
Why?
These markets look ripe – sports-mad large urban areas with viable arenas. But mainly because for billionaires, too much is never enough. The NBA has been at 30 teams since the Charlotte Bobcats arrived in 2004. The value of franchises and media rights have since skyrocketed and the Los Angeles Lakers were sold last year for a record $10bn, giving fresh momentum to a process the league has been considering for a few years. According to ESPN, the NBA could demand an expansion fee of $7bn to 10bn per team – delivering about $500m into the pockets of the owners of each current franchise.
Isn’t that outrageously expensive?
Yes! But it could still be a good deal.
The NBA has a history of failed and relocated franchises – including in Seattle and nearby Vancouver. However, these days team valuations are only going up, driven by the league’s 11-year, $77bn media deals that began this season. In 2025 the average team was valued at $5.5bn – more than double the estimate from three years prior, according to Sportico. The least valuable team, the Memphis Grizzlies, was put at $4bn. So it’s a solid bet even at such an eye-watering price. Back in 1966 the Seattle SuperSonics’ original ownership group paid a $1.75m expansion fee – the equivalent of $17m in today’s money.
How did Vegas go from zero major league men’s teams to four?
In the past, Vegas’ reputation as a seedy tourist-oriented city and the leagues’ previous anti-gambling stances counted against it. It was seen as a place for boxing, wrestling and other exhibition-type one-off events designed to fill hotel rooms, rather than a location for numerous regular-season games that rely on a committed local fanbase.
But now sports are all-in on legal betting, the metro area’s population has soared to about 2.5 million, and the city has modern venues. The first major pro team, the Golden Knights, were an instant success when they joined the NHL in 2017. The NFL’s Raiders relocated from Oakland in 2020 and MLB’s Athletics plan to take the same road in 2028. The NBA has staged its summer league in Vegas since 2004, as well as Cup games, so it’s familiar with the city.
Who would own the teams?
Not LeBron James. Though the Lakers megastar has previously expressed a desire to own a team in Vegas, he firmly ruled that out when speaking to reporters earlier this month. The Athletic reported that James’s partner, the Fenway Sports Group – which owns Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox – balked at the potential price tag.
Some reports have surmised that the owners of the NHL’s Kraken would be in pole position in Seattle, which would be logical. There has also been speculation that Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos might be interested. (Buying a major league basketball team after eliminating the Post’s sports desk would seem a tad weird, but these are strange days.)
What happened to Seattle’s first NBA team?
The Seattle SuperSonics boomed and busted and were reborn in 2008 as the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Sonics won their lone NBA title in 1979 but then went mostly quiet. The team signed Kevin Durant in the 2007 draft for what proved their final season in Washington state. Amid failing to strike a deal with local and state officials over renovating their arena or building a new one, majority owner Howard Schultz – the former Starbucks boss – sold the team for $350m in 2006 to an Oklahoma-based investment group that controversially but predictably dispatched it to Oklahoma.
The Thunder flourished and are the reigning NBA champions. Schultz called the sale the “biggest regret of my professional life”.
Is there room for two more teams?
In an enormous country of more than 340 million people? Of course. That said, the bigger the league, the more diluted the talent pool, and the NBA depends heavily on star power.
Prosperous Seattle is the 15th-biggest urban area in the US and can easily support a franchise in a modern arena. Vegas is smaller but has enough rich people to fill luxury boxes. The NBA’s global appeal makes it an attractive night out to many international visitors (though that’s a dwindling cohort). That said, Vegas isn’t a huge TV market – only the 40th biggest in the country, per Nielsen – and its tourism-dependent economy is slumping.
What would the teams be called?
Seattle has surely maxed out its climate and location-related team names – it’s already got the Mariners, Seahawks, Kraken, Sounders, Storm, Reign, Orcas, Torrent and Seawolves. We get it: it’s rainy and coastal. The city has a proud coffee tradition but we can expect the team to forgo anointing itself the Grinders or the Roast in favour of the obvious: resurrecting the SuperSonics brand, tapping into a rich seam of history and nostalgia and righting a perceived wrong as it drops anchor. (Sorry.)
Considering the NBA’s recent betting scandals, it’s debatable whether the Vegas team would follow the WNBA’s Aces and go for a gambling-related moniker. The hostile desert environment has no shortage of vicious critters that could offer inspiration in addition to the glitz of the city itself, though US sports are already rife with snakes, scorpions and wildcats, Miami brings the Heat and Phoenix shines its Suns.
Where would they play?
There’s plenty of talk about constructing a new arena, as you’d expect in a dynamic city that loves to build spectacular edifices. It’d be cheaper and more logical, at least in the short term, to share T-Mobile Arena, the Strip-situated home of the Golden Knights. It has hosted the NBA Cup semi-finals and final since 2023. But a sensible and restrained choice wouldn’t feel very Vegas, would it?
A decade too late to save the Sonics, the KeyArena near downtown Seattle was renovated with private money for $1.15bn and rebranded as Climate Pledge Arena in 2020 by locally headquartered Amazon, who acquired the naming rights to highlight their avowed commitment to sustainability. How that squares with the company reportedly donating $1m in 2024 to the second inauguration fund of a coal-loving and regulation-repealing US president is one question. Another is: could an NBA team share it with tenants including the WNBA’s Storm and NHL’s Kraken? Certainly.
How would they fill their rosters?
In addition to the usual draft, there would be an expansion draft. Typically these require existing teams to produce lists of unprotected and protected players. The new franchises form their squads by picking no more than one unprotected player from each team. Sounds simple … too simple.
There’s ample scope to complicate proceedings by making trades and deals with salaries, roster balance and other conditions imposed by the league in mind. There could be some shock names on unprotected lists if existing teams see the draft as a chance to offload overpaid and underperforming stars.
Would there be conference realignment?
Those who paid attention in geography class don’t need telling that Seattle and Las Vegas are firmly in the western US. So they’ll go in the Western Conference. To balance the two conferences at 16 teams each, one club would need to join the Eastern: probably Minnesota or Memphis. Maybe New Orleans, but they’re conveniently close to the Texas teams.
Minnesota makes the most sense because they’re distant from the other Western teams but relatively near to a cluster of Eastern teams in the midwest. That may also help competitive balance by moving a reliably-strong team to a usually-weaker conference.
Would this be it for expansion?
For the foreseeable future. Exclusivity helps keep franchise values high and sustains more power in the hands of individual owners. Still, there are plenty of mid-sized American cities that could make a case: Nashville, Baltimore, Austin, San Diego, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Kansas City, St Louis.
Success in Seattle could revive chatter about Vancouver regaining a team, while NBA commissioner Adam Silver has referenced Montreal and Mexico City as contenders. But economic uncertainty – such as currency fluctuations – and burgeoning international political tensions make it unlikely that the league would look outside the US for another franchise in the short or medium term. It’ll focus on continuing to bring teams to Europe for regular-season games and forming a new European league.
