Category: Basketball

As has been said even before last year’s NBA draft, this wasn’t the most impressive rookie class to come through the league. However, it does have some quality players who are going to help their teams going forward. Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle is at the top of that list.

Those players were rewarded by being named to the NBA All-Rookie Teams, which were announced on Tuesday.

NBA All-Rookie Teams

First Team

Stephon Castle (Spurs)
Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies)
Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks)
Zach Edey (Grizzlies)
Alex Sarr (Wizards)

Second Team

Matas Buzelis (Bulls)
Yves Missi (Pelicans)
Donovan Clingan (Trail Blazers)
Kel’el Ware (Heat)
Bub Carrington (Wizards)

If you’re looking for a snub (which is a dubious argument with this class), look no further than Utah, where Isaiah Collier (who had a strong second half of the season) and Kyle Filipowski were both were left off the teams. Here is a look at the voting (done by a global panel of 100 media members).

After a 64-win season behind a core four of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the Cleveland Cavaliers were penciled in as a lock Eastern Conference Finals participant. After cruising in the first round past Miami, it looked like making the Finals was within reach.

Then Indiana — and injuries — came in with an eraser and wiped out those plans, leaving only questions behind.

Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman answered those questions saying the Cavaliers were going to run it back, speaking with the media Monday, via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

"We’re disappointed how it ended. But it was a remarkable year on so many fronts and you guys were all invested in this. We’re not going to go anywhere. We’re going to keep fighting for that championship and this window is wide open, we believe...

“I love our foundation. I love our core. Our starting lineup, the average age is 26.8. We have two All-Stars that are 25 (Garland) and 23 (Mobley), respectively, and they’re going through it, they’re going through these experiences, they’re going through these battles and we’re sustainable in a lot of ways, not just because guys are under contract, but our youth... Us figuring out our offensive identity happened this year and so I’m really high on and optimistic about our future. That being said, it can’t just be 82 games. We have to figure out this next 16, we have to figure out how to get over the hump."

There had been calls in some quarters for the Cavaliers to do something radical — try and trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo? Trade Jarrett Allen? — to improve their chances. Don't bet on anything drastic happening.

“If we were going to be reactionary, it would have been last year after everything that was written about that group, and all the rumors and all this and that and we stood pat and look what happened, right? I think the same thing now as you lean in even more to what we’re building, the culture that we have here, the internal growth, the youth, the sustainability of that. I think there’s a championship window that we have here that’s wide open and that’s one that we’re going to try to pursue next year and the year after and the year after and so forth. We’re not done by any stretch."

Considering the Jayson Tatum injury throwing the Celtics' ability to contend next season into serious doubt, and with Antetokounmpo possibly being traded out of the conference, this is the right play by Altman. Don’t break this thing up now, the East should be down next season. That doesn't mean there is an easy path past the Knicks, Pacers, and improving teams like Orlando and Detroit, but the Cavaliers were held back this year by injuries — especially Garland suffering turf toe — and the team could use a little more veteran grit. However, these Cavaliers should not be one-and-done.

Do expect Altman to make some changes. It's possible that after a strong season, the market for free agent Ty Jerome may be too rich for the Cavaliers, and they will be looking for veterans and win-now guys to help round out the roster.

However, expect the Cavaliers' core to be back for another run at a ring.

New York is a Knicks town, and that fan base has been starved for a winner for decades, getting fed mostly scraps in the James Dolan era. That has changed in the last couple of years, as the Jalen Brunson-led Knicks are winning — and New York went wild after the Knicks knocked off the Celtics to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since Shaq and Kobe started winning titles together.

That celebration turned on a fan, Hanz Perez, who wore Pacers gear in New York — the team the Knicks will face in the next round. It wasn't pretty.

Monday, Perez went on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" and talked about being a firefighter and a lifelong Pacers fan (complete with a Pacers tattoo on his arm). That's when Tyrese Haliburton joined the conversation and did what franchise icons do, stepping up and offering to fly Perez and a friend out to Indianapolis for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

"Everybody in our organization wants to make sure you're taken care of. All the team's excited to meet you. It's all we've been talking about," Haliburton said.

Well played by Haliburton and the Pacers.

Perez is in for what should be an intense, incredibly even game and series — this one is a genuine coin toss. In that case, the Pacers could use all the good karma they can get, and Haliburton got them some.

New York is a Knicks town, and that fan base has been starved for a winner for decades, getting fed mostly scraps in the James Dolan era. That has changed in the last couple of years, as the Jalen Brunson-led Knicks are winning — and New York went wild after the Knicks knocked off the Celtics to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since Shaq and Kobe started winning titles together.

That celebration turned on a fan, Hanz Perez, who wore Pacers gear in New York — the team the Knicks will face in the next round. It wasn't pretty.

Monday, Perez went on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" and talked about being a firefighter and a lifelong Pacers fan (complete with a Pacers tattoo on his arm). That's when Tyrese Haliburton joined the conversation and did what franchise icons do, stepping up and offering to fly Perez and a friend out to Indianapolis for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

"Everybody in our organization wants to make sure you're taken care of. All the team's excited to meet you. It's all we've been talking about," Haliburton said.

Well played by Haliburton and the Pacers.

Perez is in for what should be an intense, incredibly even game and series — this one is a genuine coin toss. In that case, the Pacers could use all the good karma they can get, and Haliburton got them some.

While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.

In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.

The Clippers were finally healthy for a playoff run, but they weren’t able to get past the Nuggets in the first round. However, there’s no reason to think this team isn’t going to run things back again, though the clock certainly continues to tick.

Los Angeles Clippers 2024-25 Season Recap

Record: 50-32 (5th, West, lost first round)

Offensive Rating: 1146.7 (15th)

Defensive Rating: 109.4 (3rd)

Net Rating: 4.9 (5th)

Pace: 98.24 (22nd)

2024 Draft Picks: 30, 51

After Paul George left for Philadelphia in free agency, Norman Powell called it “addition by subtraction.” Well, the Clippers ended up winning one less game and finishing one spot lower in the standings, but they lost in seven games instead of six games in the first round. Improvement? Perhaps, but either way, it’s difficult to lose a player as talented as George (well, at least the player he was for them last season) and still be just as competitive, which made this season impressive. However, that doesn’t mean it was a successful year. When your team is built on stars that are 35 and 33 years old, it’s championship or bust.

That doesn’t mean that it was a waste of a season. Both Ivica Zubac and the aforementioned Powell had the best years of their careers, and Kawhi Leonard had a lot of success after he finally made his season debut. James Harden was excellent after a down 2023-24 season. Still, it wasn’t enough for them to make it out of the first round of the playoffs once again. This was their third straight first round exit, and they haven’t made it to the second round since the 2020-21 season.

Fantasy Standout: James Harden

Despite a poor postseason, Harden was awesome during the regular season. He struggled in his first year with the Clippers, but he averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.5 steals and three triples per game this season. The 4.3 turnovers per game and 41 percent shooting from the field were poor, but he was still able to provide top-20 value in nine-cat leagues.

The only narrative that will come out of this season is that the 35-year-old Harden couldn’t get it done in the playoffs once again. His lowest-scoring performance of their series against Denver came in Game 7; he had seven points on eight shots. However, that shouldn’t alter how he is viewed in fantasy basketball. He isn’t vying for the top spot in the rankings anymore, but he is still fantastic during the regular season. The turnovers and poor field goal percentage aren’t going anywhere, which makes it important to account for them in category leagues. Harden isn’t slowing down, and he played 79 games during the regular season this year. There were no signs that would indicate he isn’t ready to repeat his production from this season once again.

Fantasy Revelation: Ivica Zubac

For years, head coach Tyronn Lue simply refused to play Zubac like a typical starter. He had him splitting the center minutes with multiple different players, including Isaiah Hartenstein and Mason Plumlee. Even when there wasn’t another quality center, Lue opted to play smaller lineups that featured Nicolas Batum at center. However, that changed this season, and the results were fantastic. Zubac’s minutes jumped from 26.4 per game last year to 33.1 this season, and he averaged 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game, which resulted in him providing third-round value in nine-cat leagues.

The 28-year-old proved that it’s never too late to enjoy a breakout season. Zubac has long been a solid option, but at his Yahoo! ADP of 86.8, he was one of the steals of the draft and a true league-winner. Zubac was the runner-up for the Most Improved Player award and finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He’ll go significantly earlier in fantasy drafts next season and should be in for another strong year, assuming Lue doesn’t reduce his role or put him in another minutes split at center. With the way he played this year, that seems unlikely.

Fantasy Disappointment: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Since making his NBA debut during the 2017-18 season, Bogdanovic has been a strong producer in fantasy basketball, especially as a three-point threat. However, this was a down year for him, and he ended up being traded to LA after starting the year with the Hawks. Though he was slightly better with the Clippers than he was with Atlanta, he only averaged 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and two triples per game for LA. That ranked outside the top 150 after he was a top-75 player in nine-cat leagues the year before.

The 32-year-old was mostly ineffective during the playoffs as well, though he was able to knock some shots down during Games 5 and 7. Still, he didn’t miss any games with the Clippers after making his debut just before the All-Star break, but he was sidelined a lot early on when he was with the Hawks. Bogdanovic will hopefully enjoy a healthier season during the 2025-26 campaign, which will give him a chance to bounce back.

Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads 

Kawhi Leonard

Though he didn’t suit up until January, Leonard was productive during his time on the floor. In 37 appearances, he averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.1 triples in 31.9 minutes per game. He was eased in slowly after missing the start of the season due to the same knee issue that kept him from playing in the Olympics last summer and forced him to miss Games 4-6 against the Mavericks in the playoffs last year.

The injury concerns and questions aren’t going anywhere, but Leonard remains effective when he is on the floor. He’ll be 34 at the start of next season, and with his injury history, there have to be concerns about how much longer he’ll keep playing. Still, he was productive during the playoffs and after the All-Star break, he was able to provide first-round value in nine-cat leagues. Leonard will likely continue to slip in fantasy drafts because of the headache that he has caused for managers over the past half-decade. However, that just makes him an excellent value pick.

Norman Powell

Powell was certainly a candidate for “Fantasy Revelation” with his breakout performance this season. He averaged 21.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and three triples in 32.6 minutes per game, which led to arguably the best season of his career. Powell really took advantage of Kawhi’s absence early on and was in the conversation to make the All-Star Game. However, he only played one game in a month-long stretch from mid-February to mid-March and wasn’t able to produce at the same level over the final month of the regular season. Still, It was an impressive year for a 31-year-old, and he’ll continue to be an excellent source of offense for them, assuming he remains in a starting role like he did this season after being LA’s sixth man the last few years.

Kris Dunn

The former top-five pick has bounced around the league without finding a consistent place to call home. This was his first season with the Clippers, and he started 58 of his 74 games while averaging 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 steals and one three-pointer per game. Dunn’s steals were valuable, but he wasn’t able to do much else for fantasy managers. LA had him in the starting lineup for his defense, but he was able to provide some points and assists occasionally. Still, his role in fantasy basketball next season will be as a steal streamer once again.

Derrick Jones Jr.

Early in his career, Jones Jr. was known as a dunk specialist, but he has reinvented himself over the last two seasons. After an excellent year in Dallas, he earned a three-year deal with the Clippers. He started 55 of his 77 appearances, averaging 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, one steal and one triple per game. Jones Jr. was a solid defender in the rotation, but his limited offensive game prevents him from being dominant in fantasy basketball. He’ll continue to play heavy minutes, but he makes more of an impact on the court than he does in the box score.

Ben Simmons

After playing 90 games across two and a half seasons with the Nets, Simmons’ contract was bought out in February, and he signed with the Clippers for the rest of last season. In his 18 games, he averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 16.4 minutes per game. Simmons’ fall from grace has been well documented, and the once-dominant fantasy player doesn’t provide much optimism for the future. Sure, he’s still talented, but it’s going to take a lot more than that for him to be a reliable player.

Amir Coffey

Coffey has spent six years with the Clippers, and this was his best yet. Across his 72 appearances, he averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 triples in 24.3 minutes per game. He has had some stretches as a starter where he has been effective, but he was out of the rotation for the final two weeks of the regular season and didn’t see the floor during the playoffs. He’ll continue to be a rotation piece for LA, but he won’t make much of an impact in fantasy basketball.

Nicolas Batum

While speaking with BeIN Sports, Batum said that the 2025-26 season will likely be his last year in the league. He has a player option, so he could finish out his career with the Clippers. However, he likely won’t see his role increase after averaging 4.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 threes in 17.5 minutes per game this year. Batum will be a solid veteran presence again next season, but he shouldn’t be considered in any fantasy format.

Kobe Brown

Since they took Jerome Robinson in the 2018 draft, Brown has been the lone first-round pick made by the Clippers that also suited up for them. However, his role decreased in his second year with the team. He averaged 1.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in just 6.8 minutes per game while suiting up 40 times. The 25-year-old is one of the few young pieces on this Clippers team, but it is unlikely they pivot to a youth movement next season. He’ll continue to try and develop from the bench.

Jordan Miller

The 2023 second-round pick saw his role increase in year two, but not by much. He played 11.4 minutes per game across 37 appearances and averaged 4.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Miller played a larger role than Brown last season, but it was still insignificant. That is unlikely to change next season.

Restricted Free Agents: Jordan Miller, Trentyn Flowers

Unrestricted Free Agents: Amir Coffey, Patty Mills, Ben Simmons

Player Option: James Harden, Nicolas Batum

The matchups are set for the 2025 NBA conference finals, as the Thunder will meet the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals and the Knicks will play the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. You can find everything you need to know about those series in the links below.

For the purposes of this roundtable, we got NBC Sports' Kurt Helin and Rotoworld's Raphielle Johnson and Noah Rubin together to offer their thoughts on the teams who were eliminated in the conference semifinals and their respective paths moving forward. We also asked for a temperature check on their NBA Finals predictions. Check it out!

2025 NBA Conference Finals Previews:

• Pacers vs. Knicks
• Timberwolves vs. Thunder

NBA Postseason Players Power Ranking: The 10 best players in conference finals

The old guard is out — no LeBron or Curry remain — and the young guard is taking over, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

• Kurt Helin,

• Kurt Helin,

1) Given the Jayson Tatum Achilles injury, what are your expectations for the Celtics in 2025-26? Should they consider significant changes due to the salary/luxury tax bill coming their way?

Kurt Helin: The winds of change were sweeping over Boston this summer long before Tatum’s injury. The buzz around the league for a year has been that the Celtics would move on from one of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, say goodbye to Al Horford, and might want to find a new home for Kristaps Porzingis as well (how strong the trade market is for Porzingis is up for debate).

However, the Tatum injury turning next season into a “gap year” for the Celtics means Brad Stevens and Boston’s new ownership need to take a step back and ask the bigger question: Should they consider trading Jaylen Brown? If they can get a package of quality young players and picks (as Houston or San Antonio could offer), allowing Boston to retool everything around Tatum’s full-speed return for the 2026-27 season, they have to seriously consider it. The rumors will fly, but my bet is they stick with the Tatum and Brown era in Boston. However, everyone else on that roster is and should be available at the right price.

Noah Rubin: They have to. Even in the weaker conference (which could get weaker if Giannis Antetokounmpo gets traded out West), Boston probably doesn’t have enough to win a championship next season without Tatum, even if he could be back a couple months before the playoffs. With multiple teams needing center help (hello Rob Pelinka) and everyone else in the East likely looking to take advantage of the Celtics not having Tatum, it’s the perfect year for Boston to zig while everyone else zags.

Not many contending teams also have control of their draft capital like the Celtics do. The question is how proactive does Brad Stevens want to be? Assuming next season is a wash (and this isn’t a given), Jaylen Brown will be 31 at the start of the 2026-27 season. Derrick White will be 33, Jrue Holiday will be 37, Kristaps Porzingis will be 32, etc. Do they feel confident that Tatum, coming off an Achilles tear, can win a championship at 29 with this cast? It seems unlikely that they will keep this team together, though that doesn’t mean everyone will be gone. If I were in charge, I’d think long and hard about taking advantage of a stacked 2026 class, highlighted by Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa, to give the Celtics their own version of the Tim Duncan-David Robinson Spurs. Or potentially trade an early pick in that draft for a different co-star for Tatum.

Raphielle Johnson: At surface level, the Celtics are in a position where it makes sense (and saves some cents) to consider what they can do via the trade market. Kristaps Porzingis is heading into the final year of his contract, likely making him the easiest player to move if ownership were to go this route. However, he remains a medical question mark due to the late-season illness that impacted his stamina during the postseason. Acquiring him without clarity on that situation would be a significant risk for any team. Jrue Holiday will be 35 in June and has three seasons remaining on his contract, and 38-year-old Al Horford will be a free agent this summer.

However, the fact that a new ownership group has taken over makes this difficult to read. Would it make a good impression on the fan base if your first course of action were to cut costs and break up a team that would remain one of the best in the East, even with Jayson Tatum out for most of next season? I would say no. I think Boston looks to make another run at advancing out of the East, with a player like Payton Pritchard taking on an expanded role. Who knows whether or not it works? But I believe Boston won’t go into a complete rebuild just yet.

2) Will the Warriors truly contend next season? What moves can they make to give them a chance?

Helin: Father Time wins every race. A year from now Curry will be 38, while Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green will be 36, as much as experience helps at some point the combination of talent and youth with teams like Oklahoma City, Houston and Minnesota will overwhelm them (and that’s not even getting into a retooled Lakers squad, and the Nuggets still have Nikola Jokic). Truly contending next season is off the table.

That doesn’t mean you don’t try. Mike Dunleavy and the Golden State front office need to spend the offseason finding a legitimate center, adding athleticism and shooting, and do all that while keeping under the second apron. The Warriors will be a lot of fun next season, but come the playoffs, they will just be an appetizer for the better teams.

Rubin: Steph Curry is a player that I just won’t ever write off. After the All-Star break last season, the Warriors had the best defensive rating and seventh-best offensive rating in the league, per NBA.com. That’s while inserting Jimmy Butler into the rotation and having him figure things out on the fly.

There are two factors that will give Golden State a chance next season. The first is health, which is entirely out of their hands. The second is to truly commit to building a winning team. There should be no reports that anyone not named Steph is “off the table.” They’ve slowly veered away from the two timeline approach, but there needs to be more commitment. Jonathan Kuminga is a restricted free agent, and he could be part of a sign-and-trade. Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and every other young player that holds trade value, as well as any picks, should all be up for grabs. It’s entirely possible that the Warriors would rather keep a player like Podz because they like him long-term. That’s fine. He’s a talented player. I just think the path to contention is to truly upgrade the roster and worry about picking up the pieces after 30 calls it a career.

Johnson: Stephen Curry is the key. As long as he’s healthy, the Warriors will have a chance to make noise in the West, even with that being the stronger conference of the two. Having Jimmy Butler with the team from the start of training camp would also help. However, the depth is a concern for me. What do they truly think about Jonathan Kuminga as a consistent contributor? He didn’t get back into the rotation until Curry’s hamstring injury forced Steve Kerr’s hand, and there’s no guarantee that another team won’t make Kuminga an offer he can’t refuse…and Golden State can’t match.

It would likely be in Golden State’s best interest to work out a sign-and-trade, potentially fortifying the roster with multiple players who can remain in Kerr’s rotation. They’ll need Brandin Podziemski to continue to improve, but there is a path to this group being a contender next season. They’ll likely need some help in the form of a team with considerable cap space putting a lucrative offer in front of Kuminga to make that happen, though.

3) Was this the start of a dynasty in Cleveland, or was this a “one-year wonder” season for them that was cut short by injuries?

Helin: There is no dynasty in Cleveland, but the Tatum injury opened the door for this to be more than a one-and-done roster. The Cavaliers should run it back next season and try to take a step forward. Two things became clear this postseason: 1) Darius Garland is critical to this team and they need him to stay fully healthy; 2) The front office needs to add some toughness, some grit to the roster. A veteran built for the playoffs. Do that and this should be more than a one-year thing in Cleveland.

Rubin: I think if they play their cards correctly, Cleveland will be among the top teams in the East for a while. If injury luck was on their side, they would have at least been more competitive in the Indiana series. It was the first season with Kenny Atkinson at the helm, and they added De’Andre Hunter halfway through the season. Continuity will be helpful, but the growth of both Darius Garland and Evan Mobley will be critical. Donovan Mitchell is still the superstar, but Garland and Mobley have plenty of upside. Their core four is under contract through 2028, and there’s no reason for them to break things up. It was a disappointing end to the season, and there is room for improvement, but it’s difficult to not be encouraged by a 64-win season.

Johnson: To be fair, the definition of the word “dynasty” appears to be changing in the NBA, as we’re headed toward a seventh different champion in seven years. I can’t buy into Cleveland unless the front office makes significant adjustments in the toughness department. Does this mean they part ways with one of their “core four”? Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley should not go anywhere, but the Cavaliers may have to consider potential offers for Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen. Given the current state of the East, especially with Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury, the Cavaliers should believe they can remain among the best for the next few seasons. But the postseason is an entirely different animal, and they’ll need to remember that this summer.

4) Has Denver’s core run its course?

Helin: Not as long as Nikola Jokic is the best player walking the face of the earth, he gives them a chance even when the talent around him is not up to the level needed (see this last series against OKC). That said, it might be time to tweak the team’s core if that means trading away Michael Porter Jr. for depth and defense.

Rubin: It’s a new era in Denver with interim head coach David Adelman and interim general manager Ben Tenzer both hoping to have their interim tags removed. The Nuggets had relied on continuity for success in recent years, but it may be time for a change. Today’s teams rely on depth more than ever, and the Nuggets’ lack of it was a glaring issue that was exposed in consecutive seven-game series. I don’t think it’s time to clean house, but I don’t think anyone other than Jokic should be off the table in a potential deal. Having more than eight players you can trust in the playoffs is helpful.

Johnson: Like Kurt said, as long as you have a player of Nikola Jokic's caliber on your roster, you have a shot. But they’ll need to make moves to improve the team’s depth and athleticism to contend in the West. Of course, many will zero in on Michael Porter Jr. and his hefty contract, and with good reason. It would not surprise me if he were the subject of trade rumors this summer.

5) Who is your updated pick to win the NBA Finals?

Helin: I picked the Oklahoma City Thunder to win it all before the playoffs started, I’m not getting off that bandwagon now.

Rubin: I’m going with the Timberwolves. I think the combination of elite defense and go-to scorers will give them a chance to beat anyone. Plus, Julius Randle is just playing at a much higher level than I expected him to. I think he poses matchup problems for every remaining team.

Johnson: I liked the Thunder to win the title before the postseason began, and I will stick with them. Their ability to answer nearly any problem thrown their way makes them the favorite heading into the conference finals.