SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 01: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors smiles as he warms up before their game against the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center on April 01, 2026 in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the Golden State Warriors all but locked into a play-in spot as the 10th seed, the likelihood that they will enter the playoffs outright is looking dimmer and dimmer, even with the return of Steph Curry to the lineup tonight against the Houston Rockets. Even if the Warriors survive the play-in gauntlet, they will find themselves facing the defending champions in a seven-game series that will more than likely knock them out and into an early vacation.
With that in mind, some have begun to look toward the offseason, with one question prevailing: Will the Warriors acquire a star to bolster their roster? SB Nation asked Warriors fans that very question; here’s how they responded:
Warriors fans are generally pessimistic that the Dubs will acquire a star this offseason. With Curry’s career winding down, the organization has hard decisions left to make: Will they go all in on with Curry while he still can provide high-level play as a main option? Or will they shift toward a rebuilding phase?
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 5: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks to pass the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on April 5, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
38 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal
This was the Donovan Mitchell show. He set the tone immediately by attacking the paint on every other possession. Mitchell ended the game with a career-high 28 points in the paint, 38 points total before rolling his ankle in the closing minutes.
Harden stepped back and buried countless jumpers over the Pacers today. There aren’t many moves in the league that are more unguardable than that. Indiana looked hopeless trying to contain him — especially when Harden was using his gravity to create openings for his teammates.
He finished the game hitting 5-11 three-pointers, giving the Cavs enough offensive juice to get over the hump.
Grade: A
Keon Ellis
13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal
The Cavs needed Ellis to hit a few three-pointers today. He was the only Cavalier other than Harden to connect on 3+ three-pointers. That extra boost was needed, not only because the rest of the team struggled, but because Ellis himself hadn’t hit that many outside shots in a game since March 13.
Ellis had been shooting 8-32 from deep in his 10 games before this.
Grade: B+
Max Strus
4 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
Strus had a rough night. He was tangled up more than a few times and suffered an injury to his left wrist as a result. He shot 1-710 from the floor and bricked a dunk.
He avoids flunking this one because of his contributions elsewhere.
Grade: D+
Thomas Bryant
14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
This is why the Cavs signed Bryant in the summer. Gone are the days of having no viable option in the case of losing both Mobley and Allen to injury. Bryant stepped up and hung a double-double on his former team to help the Cavs win this game.
Can you rely on Bryant as the starting center in a playoff series? No. But eating innings in the regular season is nothing to scoff at. The Cavs have been needing this.
Grade: A+
Craig Porter
5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks
Porter’s been phased out of the rotation lately. This was his first time playing 20+ minutes in more than a month. I’d say he handled it well, attacking the glass and throwing a bullet pass to the corner for a Nae’Qwan Tomlin three-pointer. More on that later.
Grade: B+
Dennis Schroder
6 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds
Schroder can be erratic at times, but this was one of his more neutral games. He was a steady presence, shooting 2-6 from the floor but not sticking out at any point.
He matched Harden as a team-high plus-12, for whatever that’s worth.
Grade: C+
Larry Nance Jr
6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block
Nance hasn’t played nearly as big a role as I thought he would when the season began. That said, this was a solid showing from the veteran forward. He had some rough moments, but he also nailed a three-pointer and dunked all over the Pacers at one point.
His three steals, one of which came at a key point in the fourth quarter, helped the Cavs win this game on the margins.
Grade: B
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
3 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block
Tomlin hasn’t been able to stay on the court recently, as his lack of a three-point shot has buried him in the rotation. Well, he converted on a big one tonight in the fourth quarter. It was only his 22nd make on more than 100 attempts this season. But I’d argue it was his most impactful one.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 05: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots over Jalen Slawson #18 of the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter at Rocket Arena on April 05, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers beat an even more depleted Indiana Pacers team. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.
WINNER – Next Man Up
This was one of the larger injury reports you’ll see for an NBA game. That’s saying something in today’s age.
Cleveland wasn’t as banged up as the Pacers, who were missing more than half of their roster due to injury. But the Cavs were still knackered enough to be without five rotational players. That puts a strain on any team.
Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Jaylon Tyson, and Sam Merrill were all out today. That meant the Cavs would need a ‘next man up’ mentality to pull out this win, regardless of the opponent.
I can’t say it was perfect. Both the offense and defense struggled at various points. A few role players missed the mark and weren’t able to be super productive in their opportunities. But helpful contributions from Dennis Schroder, Craig Porter Jr., and Keon Ellis made up the difference. Even Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who is shooting 20.4% from deep this season, nailed a huge shot in the fourth quarter.
Thomas Bryant, who started as the lone big man in place of Allen and Mobley, put up 14 points and 10 rebounds on 6-9 shooting against his former team. His dunk at the end was a cherry on top.
Beggars can’t be choosers in these situations. Would you have liked to see the Cavs run up the score and obliterate an inferior opponent? Sure. Yet given the circumstances, this was a hard-fought win that was made possible by support from Cleveland’s deep reserves.
LOSER – Three-Point Defense
I don’t want to beat a dead horse. We’ll make this quick.
The Pacers opened this game by shooting 6-8 from downtown in the first five minutes. That’s… never going to be acceptable. The Cavs failed to set the tone in this game, and once a team gets rolling, it’s much harder to slow them down.
Per usual, it was a mixture of good shooting from the Pacers and poor defensive communication that led to Indiana’s hot start. But in this league, giving an inch often comes with your opponent taking a mile. Cleveland must do a better job of stopping this trend before it starts.
The Cavs eventually tightened up defensively and did enough to get this job done. It’s just worth mentioning that this has been a consistent issue for the team.
WINNER – Bagcourt
As mentioned, the Cavs were down key players for this game. That puts some onus on James Harden and Donovan Mitchell to carry even more weight than usual.
They handled that with ease.
Mitchell quickly made his presence felt by relentlessly attacking the paint. He finished with 38 points, 28 of which were in the paint, setting a new career-high for a single game.
The Cavs felt like they had an advantage inside, even without Mobley and Allen. That allowed Mitchell to knife into the lane and finish below the rim throughout the game. This is a skill that can be overlooked by Mitchell’s electric three-point shooting. He’s still one of the best below-the-rim finishers in basketball, and it’s always a treat when he makes an extra effort to attack the basket.
Harden took a different approach. He launched an aerial assault, bombarding the Pacers with step-back three-pointers and earning multiple trips to the line on jump-shot attempts. At one point, Harden had 21 points on just 9 field goal attempts. That’s pretty efficient.
In total, the two guards combined for 66 points and 13 assists on 24-44 shooting. With other stars across the league at risk of being ineligible for end-of-season awards, it’s possible the Cavs backcourt could both land All-NBA nods this year.
"We had a great conversation about his future at Michigan and my commitment to him, his staff and his team," Manuel told the Detroit Free Press on Sunday evening. "Thrilled to have him continuing to lead our men's basketball team and to have Anna [his wife] and his family remain in Ann Arbor.
"His focus and mine is on the game Monday night versus UConn."
May fielded multiple questions about his name being tossed into the North Carolina job search at the Final Four in Indianapolis, but never named the Tar Heels directly in his responses.
"After last year, I decided I'll never respond to any job speculation. I had already agreed to terms with Michigan, was 100% done, and I made the comment that I was flattered about a certain job opening because of my background, and that was misconstrued, so I just decided I'm never going to comment on any job that I don't have," May said on Friday, April 3 in a media availability.
"I think it's well documented how happy I am at Michigan. Obviously, my private life, my personal life, my family, their happiness is very important. I love it at Michigan, but you'll never hear me comment on any other job unless Michigan lets me go, and then I'll comment on every job."
In two seasons under May, the Wolverines have quickly jumped back up to the top of the Big Ten standings. Last season, Michigan improved its win total by 19 games under May from a year prior and made it to the Sweet 16, where it lost to Auburn.
This year, the Wolverines have been one of the top programs in the country for much of the season. He led the program to the Big Ten outright regular season title and a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance for the fourth time in program history.
As noted by USA TODAY, May signed a new contract with Michigan in February 2025, just under a year after he became the Wolverines' next coach. His current deal is through the 2030 season, according to his contract obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
His base salary for the 2025-26 season was $4.6 million and will see an increase to $4.85 million next season if his current deal doesn't change, which seems likely to happen after the type of season the Wolverines have had.
Monday night's national championship game at 8:50 p.m. ET inside Lucas Oil Stadium against No. 2 UConn will be the first May has coached in, and the program's first since they lost to Villanova in 2018. The Wolverines cruised through their Final Four semifinal over No. 1 Arizona, even with Yaxel Lendeborg sustaining multiple injuries and playing through them.
Should the Wolverines win April 6, it will be the first men's basketball title for the Big Ten in over two decades, with the last one coming from their in-state rival, Michigan State, in 2000.
Monday represents an unwanted milestone for the Knicks.
It marks one month since they beat a team above .500. Their last such win came against the Nuggets in Denver on March 6. Since then? They’ve gone 0-5 against teams with winning records. All of those games were on the road against the Lakers, Clippers, Hornets, Thunder and Rockets.
Monday starts a final four-game stretch against teams above .500 to close the regular season, beginning in Atlanta against the Hawks, followed by home games against the Celtics, Raptors and Hornets.
Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks and guard Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks speak on the court during the first half at Madison Square Garden, Friday April 3rd, 2026, in New York, NY. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
“For us, I think it’s just making sure we’re locked in and focused,” Josh Hart said after practice Sunday. “Obviously this is a good little stretch to end the season to make sure we’re as sharp as we can be going into the playoffs. The past is the past, nothing you can do about it now. Our focus is on tomorrow being 1-0 against playoff teams, and then we move on to the next one, and then we want to be 1-0, and then we want to move onto the next one and be 1-0. Nothing in the past really matters. It’s about what we do moving forward that we’ll be judged on and what we judge ourselves on.”
Those five losses are sandwiched between seven- and two-game winning streaks against teams well below .500 and, for the most part, tanking. And they are part of a growing concern that the Knicks have struggled against higher quality opposition for a while now.
The NBA, this year more than ever, has clear haves and have-nots in team quality. A few wins or blowouts over bottom-feeders composed of youngsters or G-Leaguers don’t quell the alarm bells regarding how the Knicks fare in real tests.
And it’s not just the results that are troubling, it’s how the Knicks lose. Their offense becomes more stagnant and Jalen Brunson-heavy. There are particularly bad starts to games, which they might be able to overcome against lowly teams but find much harder to overcome against quality teams. Their transition defense is shoddy, betraying so much of their improvement on that side of the ball in the second half of the year.
“You gotta give Charlotte, Oklahoma City and Houston credit, they played well,” coach Mike Brown said. “I said it postgame, we did not play well in some areas. … We didn’t play well in those three games and we deserved to lose, as much as you hate to say it. And hopefully we’ll play better going forward because we’ve got a couple of teams above .500, so we’ll see.”
Beyond simply being above .500, all four of the Knicks’ remaining opponents will be Eastern Conference playoff or play-in teams. One thing Brown acknowledged is that they don’t want to show these potential playoff opponents everything and that they want to keep a few looks in their back pocket to unleash during the postseason.
It creates a weird dynamic this final week.
Knicks guard Landry Shamet puts up a shot as guard Josh Giddey #3 of the Chicago Bulls defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden, Friday April 3rd, 2026, in New York, NY. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
“It’s a challenging stretch that not a lot of people talk about,” Landry Shamet said Sunday. “This last stretch of the season, these last few games, you’re kind of gearing up for the playoffs, you know what you’re building for, but you gotta be here and locked in each night, each team, each challenge in front of you. I think it’s more about approaching each game with the right mentality. Make it more about us than who we’re playing. We’re working on something bigger and building for something bigger, keeping that top of mind while still taking each game seriously and approaching them as you should.”
Last year, the Knicks’ struggles against top opposition in the regular season — particularly with the Celtics — didn’t really translate to the postseason. But they should not just be ignored or considered meaningless.
Just relying on everything changing once the playoffs start is a risky mindset.
“It’s not something you can just flip a switch in the playoffs and say, ‘OK the playoffs are here, let’s go out there and do our thing,’ ” Hart said. “We gotta make sure that we take these next four games as serious as we can, make sure we lock in mentally and physically to what the game plan is and to what this team wants to do moving forward and execute.”
Four more games means four final chances for the Knicks to quiet a worrying narrative that has recently begun hovering over them.
HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 3: Alperen Sengun #28, Amen Thompson #1, Reed Sheppard #15, and Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on during the game against the Utah Jazz on April 3, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors
April 5, 2026
Location: Chaste Center, San Francisco, CA
TV: NBC/Peacock,
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)
With a chance to pull even with the Wizards atop the lottery standings, the Nets instead pulled out a come-from-behind 121-115 win that saw them consigned to third place.
The Nets are two full games behind Washington and a game behind the Pacers, pending their tilt vs. Cleveland. They’ll host Milwaukee on Tuesday and the Pacers two nights later, with huge tanking ramifications in each.
The Nets (19-59) are 2 ¹/₂ games ahead of the Jazz and two ahead of the Kings, who played the Clippers at home on Sunday.
Nets guard Nolan Traore (88) shoots past Washington Wizards Leaky Black during the first half at Barclays Center, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Brooklyn, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The Nets (19-59) were two games ahead of the Jazz and Kings, pending Utah’s game against OKC and Sacramento’s tilt vs. the Clippers.
They trailed a skeleton Wizards crew 105-101 after Jamir Watkins’ 3-pointer with 3:50 left. But the Nets reeled off eight unanswered points to seize the lead for good, part of a game-breaking 14-3 run.
Nolan Traore — who’d been fighting through the rookie wall — had 10 of his team-high 23 points in that Nets blitz to lead the comeback.
His 3-pointer made it 105-105 with 2:56 left, and his layup capped the 8-0 spurt. Traore’s final 3 off a Jalen Wilson feed made it 115-108 with 1:15 left.
Drake Powell (4) shoots one Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill (16) during the first half at Barclays Center, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Brooklyn, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“He did a great job,” said Jordi Fernández. “He’s a big reason why we won this game, especially towards the end.”
It remains to be seen how much the win costs them in the lottery. But for the struggling Nets, it felt sweet on Easter Sunday.
Josh Minott (15 points, three blocks, two steals) gave the Nets a 17-point lead in the first quarter, before they gave it up with a shaky second and third.
But they settled in for a clean fourth, their 13-0 edge in points off turnovers the difference.
“We just had a collective mindset to be better than what we did in the third quarter,” said Wilson. “I feel like we got away (from our plan), let them get comfortable. Give any team confidence in the NBA, it can be a tough game.”
But we were able to get them to turn the ball over a lot and capitalize on that.”
Wilson finished with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Will Riley scored 30 for the Wizards, who suited up just eight players and dropped their sixth straight to fall to 17-61.
But Washington moved 1½ games clear of the Pacers and two ahead of Brooklyn.
Ben Saraf, Terance Mann (right patella tendon soreness/left Achilles) and Noah Clowney (left ankle) were ruled out, with Michael Porter Jr., Egor Dëmin, Nic Claxton, Danny Wolf, Ziaire Williams and Day’Ron Sharpe already sidelined.
But not to be out-tanked, the Wizards played without Anthony Davis (finger), Trae Young (back/right quad), Justin Champagnie, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr, Cam Whitmore and D’Angelo Russell.
“An important figure in the evolution of modern basketball who elevated the game through his uptempo, space and pace philosophy that helped redefine offensive strategy… emphasizing ball movement, shooting, and efficiency and shaping the analytics-driven era of the sport — known as Seven Seconds or Less,” Hall of Fame officials wrote in the announcement.
In the previous 2016-17 season, D’Antoni won NBA Coach of the Year honors after leading the Rockets to a 55-27 record — a 14-win improvement relative to the previous season under a different coaching staff. D’Antoni finished his Houston tenure (2016-17 through 2019-20) in the No. 2 spot in both categories, trailing only Hall of Fame coach and two-time NBA champion Rudy Tomjanovich. He’s easily the top coach in Rockets history by winning percentage (217-101, .682). D’Antoni holds the best winning percentage in Houston Rockets history at .682 (217–101).Dantoni led the Rockets to a franchise-best 65-17 record in the 2017-18 season, where he was named NBA Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, and during his four seasons with Houston, the Rockets reached the playoffs each year, often battling as a top contender in the Western Conference.
Those Houston years included a memorable 2017-18 campaign in which the Rockets (65-17) finished with the most wins of any NBA team, and it remains a franchise record to this day. As the star player and centerpiece of D’Antoni’s high-powered offense, James Harden easily won league Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors.
Although none of D’Antoni’s teams won an NBA championship, they were close on several occasions. The 2017–18 Rockets, who were possibly just one Chris Paul hamstring injury away from overthrowing the Golden State Warriors, were on that list.
As it stands, they did enough to ensure that D’Antoni’s legacy would be honored and acknowledged in Springfield, Massachusetts, as a member of the 2026 Hall of Fame class. The dates of the enshrinement weekend are August 14–15, 2026.
BROOKLYN, NY - APRIL 5: Anthony Gill #16 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on April 5, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Gotta admit: when I saw the lineups for this Wizards at Nets game, I set aside the notepad. There were two key numbers that jumped out at me before the game began. They were:
Washington: 2
Brooklyn: 1
Those numbers represent how many players each had available who’d be expected to be part of the team’s full-health rotation next season. For the Wizards, it was Bub Carrington and Will Riley. For the Nets, Nolan Traore. If you want to stretch to include either Drake Powell or Jalen Wilson, I wouldn’t squawk much, but the core point remains.
Will Riley attacks the paint during the Washington Wizards loss to the Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Pamela Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Both teams are committed to losing as much as possible to finish the season.
Despite that commitment, the Wizards blew a 17-point first quarter deficit to actually take the lead a few times in the fourth quarter. Then the Nets got a case of “competence” and closed the game on a 20-10 run to give Washington the loss.
This was an odd game in a few ways. The Wizards had just eight players available, yet head coach Brian Keefe barely played Sharife Cooper and Jaden Hardy.
No one from the Wizards was particularly impressive, though there were some positives. Riley led the offense throughout the afternoon, and closed with a flurry of pointless buckets to juice his final tally to 30 points. He got the experience of trying to attack a defense loading up to stop him, and acquitted himself decently, despite four turnovers.
JuJu Reese once again mashed a center-free opponent, this time with 16 rebounds in 44 minutes.
I’d caution against reading much into anything that happened in this game because of the dearth of genuine NBA talent on the floor for either team.
None of this should undermine enjoyment of the game itself. I had fun watching — Traore is super-fast and seems to be developing as a shooter. Chaney Johnson had some oomph to his game. Watching Reese battle on the boards is entertaining. And Riley hit some crazy fluky shots, including that one off the top of the backboard while getting fouled and falling out of bounds, and a banked in three. They count though!
Just four left in the 2025-26 season.
Four Factors
Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).
The four factors are measured by:
eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORS
WIZARDS
NETS
LGAVG
eFG%
61.4%
57.4%
54.5%
OREB%
30.6%
25.0%
26.0%
TOV%
20.4%
11.2%
12.7%
FTM/FGA
0.228
0.227
0.207
PACE
98
99.3
ORTG
117
123
115.7
Stats & Metrics
PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).
PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.
POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.
ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.
USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median so far this season is 17.7%.
ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.
+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.
Players are sorted by total production in the game.
Donovan is the big fish still swimming in the pond. Can UNC hook him? Donovan has been linked since the Tar Heels fired Hubert Davis on March 24. The Bulls' season ends April 12, and they won't be in the playoffs. Is UNC willing to wait and miss out on the first week of the transfer portal? For the right fit, why not? Plus, the Bulls are reportedly set for a front office shakeup, so it may be time to jump ship.
After 11 years away from college basketball, is Donovan ready for a return to campus? College ball is basically pro ball, anyway now. He'd be the candidate most UNC fans are pinning their hopes on after other high-profile rejections.
Mark Byington, Vanderbilt
Byington, 49, played at UNC Wilmington and was an assistant at Virginia and Virginia Tech, so he's got some familiarity with the state and ACC. He may not have the name recognition as some of the other coaches linked to the job, but he's averaged 25 wins across his past four seasons as a head coach, including 27 victories this season in his second year at Vanderbilt
He’s never made a Sweet 16, but he’s never been at a program like North Carolina, either.
Todd Golden and Nate Oats had never been to a Sweet 16 before coaching at Florida and Alabama, respectively. Now, they’re two of the best coaches in the sport.
Sean Miller, Texas
Miller is a winner. He's coached in 14 NCAA tournaments, reached the Sweet 16 nine times and the Elite Eight four times.
Miller spent five seasons on Herb Sendek's NC State staff, so knows the state. His firing at Arizona will raise some red flags with his involvement in 2017 Adidas FBI probe, but if Rick Pitino, Will Wade and Bill Self (among others involved) can still coach at the top level, why shouldn't Miller?
He just finished his first season at Texas, going 21-15, taking the Longhorns from the First Four to the Sweet 16, and a last-second tip-in away from the Elite Eight.
Ben McCollum, Iowa
McCollum is a proven winner at multiple levels and a program builder. The 44-year-old coach won four Division II national championships before jumping to the Division I level. He's won more than 80% of his games, leading Drake to 31 wins before making the move to Iowa and taking the Hawkeyes to the NCAA Tournament this season. Imagine what he could do with a blue-blood program?
Scott Drew, Baylor
Two years ago, Drew claimed a spot near the top of Kentucky’s wish list. He turned down the Wildcats, a humbling blow to UK. Two years later, you must wonder whether Drew would benefit from a restart. His Baylor team went 16-16 and got trampled within the Big 12. Drew last reached a Sweet 16 in 2021, when he produced a national title.
Take the macro view, and Drew’s Baylor accomplishments are phenomenal. He rescued from the trash bin a program that had been rocked by a deadly scandal. He took the Bears up, up, up, until they reached the top of the sport.
Zoom in, and you realize Drew’s best days at Baylor are behind him. He’s still widely respected, and if Drew, 55, is ever going to leave Baylor, right now is likely his last best chance.
Like McCollum, Schertz cut his teeth coaching in Division II, reaching four Final Fours at Lincoln Memorial. His 2024 Indiana State team was electric — and an NCAA Tournament snub before reaching the NIT final. He's rebuilt Saint Louis in just two seasons and plays a brand of basketball that's easy on the eye.
Grant McCasland, Texas Tech
All but one of his 12 seasons as a head coach have been in Texas. It'll likely be hard to pry him East, especially with the deep pockets in Lubbock.
But he'd be an interesting option. Another former Division II and JUCO head coach, McCasland's teams win. He won the NIT at North Texas in 2023 and led Texas Tech to the Elite Eight in 2025. Had JT Toppin not gotten hurt this year, who knows how far the Red Raiders could have advanced.
Jerry Stackhouse, Golden State assistant
Stackhouse is a candidate if the Tar Heels stay in the family, His Vanderbilt tenure was up and down, and before the Commodores really dipped into the NIL space. He had two winning seasons in his five years in Nashville, but that 28-60 SEC record will be hard for UNC fans to swallow.
Mike Malone, former NBA coach
An underrated possibility, the 54-year-old Malone is a championship-caliber coach and has a daughter who plays volleyball at UNC. He’s been around the Tar Heels’ basketball program at times and has history as a college and NBA coach. Malone led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA title in 2023.
T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State
If UNC wants to build its identity around defense, Otzelberger is the guy to do it. The 48-year-old coach has produced top-10 defensive units in four of his five seasons at Iowa State. The Cyclones are elite at creating turnovers. The Heels would have a clear identity and structured program under Otzelberger. Considering what he's built in Ames, this could be UNC's safest, most reliable option.
USA TODAY Sports reporters Blake Toppmeyer and John Brice contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (AP) — Nolan Traore hit five three-pointers and finished with 23 points and seven assists, Jalen Wilson added 19 points and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Washington Wizards 121-115 on Sunday.
The Wizards (17-61) have a two-game lead on the Nets (19-59) for the best lottery odds. Indiana is 18-58 entering Sunday’s game at Cleveland.
Washington has lost six in a row and 22 of its past 23. The Wizards had given up 305 combined points in back-to-back losses to Philadelphia (153-131) and Miami (152-136).
Brooklyn won for just the second time in its past 14 games.
Will Riley, who had a career-high 31 points Saturday against the Heat, scored 30, Jamir Watkins added 20 points, and Julian Reese had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Wizards. Anthony Gill also scored 17 points and Bub Carrington had 13 points.
E.J. Liddell and Josh Minott each scored 15 for Brooklyn. Drake Powell added 13 points and Ochai Agbaji scored 12.
Watkins hit a three-pointer that gave the Wizards a four-point lead with 3:50 left in the game. The Nets answered with an 8-0 run that culminated when Traore made a layup that made it 109-105 with two minutes remaining and Brooklyn led the rest of the way.
Leaky Black responded with a three-pointer that cut the deficit to a point, but Wilson and Traore hit back-to-back threes before Trevon Scott’s layup made it 117-108 with 42 seconds to go.
BROOKLYN, NY - APRIL 5: Will Riley #27 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on April 5, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards lost to the Brooklyn Nets, 121-115 on Easter Sunday. This game was important for the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery! The Brooklyn Nets coming in a full game behind the Wizards in the standings, and if the Wizards managed not to lose, they would enlarge that gap to 2 full games!
Yes, the Wizards were standing at 17-60, and the Nets at 18-59.
Things started well for the Nets (and the Wizards’ Draft Lottery hopes) as the Nets stormed to a 35-24 lead at the end of the first quarter. Traore and Agbaji were hitting their threes, and on the other side the Wizards were kept in the game by their 6th man of the month, Will Riley, who would go on to score 15 points in 20 minutes of action in the first half alone.
Indeed, the second quarter shifted towards the Wizards, much thanks to Riley, and at halftime the scoreboard showed a close contest 59-54 in favor of the hosts in Brooklyn.
The Nets came strong out of the gates in the locker-room, pushing the lead quickly (within less than a minute) to double digits after two quick turnovers by the Wizards. Four quick buckets by the Wizards showed they are in this game, and the remainder of the third quarter remained close with several lead changes. Ultimately, the Nets took a one-point lead 85-84 heading into the final stanza.
The final quarter started with a couple quick buckets by Gil and Watkins, with Washington taking a small but quick lead 89-85. And, the contest remained close! The scoreboard showed 105-105, knotted up, with less than three minutes to go.
At that point the Nets made two quick buckets, by Powell and Traore (who is shaping up to be quite a player), but Leaky Black answered with a clutch three, 109-108 with 100 seconds to go. Traore then drew a couple defenders and sprayed out to Jalen Wilson who nailed a clutch three of his own from straight ahead, 112-108 in favor of the nets, with 92 seconds on the clock.
Timeout for the Wizards.
Whatever the ATO was, Will Riley turned the ball over in-bounding…. Jalen Wilson heat-check for a dagger three, missed, but after a rebound, Traore (who else) came up big with a three, 115-108 for the Nets, and the game was pretty much sealed.
Some stats to close: Anthony Gil played 40+ minutes. Black, Reese, and Watkins topped 42 minutes. Overall the Wizards were decent with 55 percent from the field and 36 from deep. But they missed a ton from the charity stripe (18-for-28). Will Riley led the Wizards in scoring with 28 in 35 minutes off the bench.
Traore led the Nets with 23 points including 5-for-11 from deep in 28 minutes. Nobody on the Nets actually played more than 29 minutes. Which makes sense.
The Wizards now return home where they will face the Chicago Bulls twice in the last stretch of the regular season.
BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 26 points, Jayson Tatum had 23 points and 13 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors 115-101 on Sunday.
Neemias Queta had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Payton Pritchard scored 17 points for the Celtics, who won their third straight to move closer to clinching second place in the Eastern Conference.
Ja’Kobe Walter led Toronto with 16 points, and Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett each had 15.
Coming off consecutive games of putting up at least 43 points in the opening quarter, the Celtics looked a bit sluggish and were cold from long range early, missing 13 of their initial 16 shots from 3-point range. The teams were tied at 26 after one.
Fighting for a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference to avoid the play-in tournament, the Raptors were outscored 35-24 in the final quarter that was filled with their turnovers and breakdowns defensively. Walter even missed all three free throw attempts on one trip to the line.
BUCKS 131, GRIZZLIES 115
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ryan Rollins scored 24 points and Milwaukee withstood a triple-double from Memphis’ Rayan Rupert to outlast the Grizzlies in an afternoon matchup of short-handed, lottery-bound teams.
Rupert established new career highs with 33 points and 10 assists, and he matched a career best with 10 rebounds. The 21-year-old Rupert entered Sunday averaging 4.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists.
Milwaukee snapped an eight-game skid in this series and beat the Grizzlies for the first time since a 126-114 decision on Jan. 19, 2022. The Bucks committed 20 turnovers but shot 60.2% overall and went 16 of 32 on 3-pointers.
The Grizzlies have lost four straight and 17 of their last 19.
Memphis had so many injury-related absences that it dressed four players on 10-day contracts (Dariq Whitehead, Toby Okani, Lucas Williamson, Adama Bal).
NETS 121, WIZARDS 115
NEW YORK (AP) — Nolan Traore hit five 3-pointers and finished with 23 points and seven assists, Jalen Wilson added 19 points and Brooklyn beat Washington.
The Wizards (17-61) have a two-game on the Nets (19-59) for the best lottery odds. Indiana is 18-58 entering Sunday’s game at Cleveland.
Washington has lost six in a row and 22 of its past 23. The Wizards had given up 305 combined points in back-to-back losses to Philadelphia ( 153-131 ) and Miami ( 152-136 ).
Brooklyn won for just the second time in its past 14 games.
Will Riley, who had a career-high 31 points Saturday against the Heat, scored 30, Jamir Watkins added 20 points, and Julian Reese had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Wizards. Anthony Gill also scored 17 points and Bub Carrington had 13 points.
E.J. Liddell and Josh Minott each scored 15 for Brooklyn. Drake Powell added 13 points and Ochai Agbaji scored 12.
SUNS 120, BULLS 110
CHICAGO (AP) — Devin Booker scored 30 points, Jalen Green added 25 and Phoenix ended the game on an 11-2 run to top Chicago.
Dillon Brooks scored 15, and the Suns shook off back-to-back losses at Orlando and Charlotte.
The Suns led by 13 late in the third quarter before the Bulls went on an 11-0 run. They were clinging to a 109-108 advantage with about three minutes remaining when Brooks hit a turnaround jumper to start the decisive run and added a 3-pointer.
The Bulls missed four shots on their next possession, including three straight at point-blank range by Leonard Miller, before Booker made a 3 to make 117-108 with 1:33 remaining.
Chicago’s Josh Giddey (strained left hamstring) and Matas Buzelis (illness) missed the game. And with their two best players out, the Bulls lost their seventh in a row.
Tre Jones scored 29 for Chicago. Collin Sexton had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Miller scored 17.
In a very messy, stop‑and‑go kind of game that wasn’t exactly pleasant to watch, the Suns pulled out a 120–110 win against a courageous Chicago team. The matchup was defined by constant rhythm swings, sloppiness, and physical intensity. In short: a classic Sunday game at a European-friendly tipoff.
The night was highlighted by Booker and Green on the Suns’ side (54 points combined), and by Tre Jones (29 points) along with the Miller/Sexton duo (35 points and 20 rebounds between them) for the Chicago piece. Phoenix shot the ball relatively well (50% from the field, 40% from three), didn’t get crushed too badly on the boards (41 vs 46), and dominated in forcing turnovers: 18 turnovers created, 10 steals.
The win moves the Suns to 43-35 on the season.
Game Flow
First Half
Rough start, clearly. Tons of sloppiness on both sides: Chicago coughing up the ball, Phoenix stacking up short misses. It takes 2–3 minutes before Devin Booker finally gets the Suns on the board with a fadeaway. In the middle of this messy opening, Leonard Miller is already locked in: 8 points in 4 minutes, mixing it up perfectly (drive, corner three, transition).
First real turning point: as expected, the Bulls impose their presence on the glass and push the pace. Push it hard. As a result, Phoenix’s paint is under pressure, and offensive possessions become rushed and poorly constructed. After six minutes, Chicago is in control (12–19). Jordan Ott goes to his bench: Grayson Allen first, then Oso Ighodaro, Collin Gillespie, and Royce O’Neale.
End of the quarter is more encouraging for Phoenix. The defense ramps up, gets more aggressive, disrupts Chicago’s flow, and slows down transition, but at the cost of fouls. Offensively, though, it’s still very poor: little movement, lots of static situations, and points coming almost exclusively from individual creation. Despite that, the Suns manage to stay afloat and tie it up: 30–30 after one.
The main issue remains obvious: Chicago scores way too easily in transition. The Suns’ transition defense and overall floor balance are not good enough and need to be fixed quickly.
Start of the second quarter follows the same pattern: the Bulls keep hurting Phoenix in transition, and the Suns still struggle to match the pace. Offensively, it’s a bit cleaner, more fluid in stretches, but still heavily reliant on individual talent — mainly Jalen Green and Collin Gillespie. The point guard does a genuinely good job as a creator, repeatedly finding Oso Ighodaro on pick‑and‑rolls, helping Phoenix take the lead (39–38).
First real adjustment from the Suns: they play faster, but more importantly, they play smarter. Physical intensity rises, transition defense improves, and Chicago is gradually forced into half-court offense. Immediate result: bad decisions pile up for the Bulls, shots get tougher, and turnovers increase (already 10 with four minutes left in the half, shooting percentage dropping below 50%). Phoenix capitalizes and builds its first real gap (52–47).
But as has been the theme of this first half, the end of the quarter collapses into chaos again. Sloppy, choppy, poorly managed. Phoenix’s defense holds up, but the offense wastes possessions instantly: 5 turnovers in just a few minutes. Jordan Ott calls a timeout with 3 minutes left (54–49). Despite the messy stretch, the Suns limit the damage and head to the locker room up 63–56.
Worth noting: Grayson Allen already has 4 fouls, and Phoenix gave up way too many free throws (13 team fouls). On the bright side, they dominated the rebounding battle in the second quarter (15–6). Individually, Jalen Green is on fire: 18 first‑half points with a real impact on the offensive rhythm.
Second Half
Phoenix comes out of the locker room locked in. This time, they dictate the pace from the jump — and even outrun the Bulls. The offense is sharper, cleaner, and more decisive, and it shows immediately: +10. Billy Donovan has to burn a timeout quickly (69–59).
Phoenix stays in control afterward. The plan is clear and well executed: limit Chicago’s transition and force them to play in the halfcourt. And collectively, the Suns do a solid job. The Bulls remain dangerous whenever they can run, but overall, they’re contained. On the other end, Phoenix keeps producing and maintains a solid lead (82–69 with four minutes left in the quarter).
And then… another collapse. Again. The end of the quarter completely kills the momentum. Just when Phoenix seemed in control, the lead doesn’t grow — it evaporates. A 13–2 run allowed, with the offense going totally silent. No field goals in the last four minutes, only free throws. Instead of putting the game away, the Suns let Chicago right back in it.
86–84 heading into the fourth. Everything resets.
Start of the fourth is fairly balanced. Both teams score, but no real run emerges. The rhythm is constantly broken: fouls, turnovers, interference calls… the game never finds flow. Phoenix still holds a small edge (102–97) with seven minutes left.
Tension rises, but the Suns handle it reasonably well at first, especially physically. The tempo slows down — maybe too much. In trying to control the game, Phoenix lets Chicago hang around, giving up easy buckets both inside and from three. Jordan Ott calls a timeout with four minutes left (109–106), aware that the game could swing.
And then, individual talent takes over. Dillon Brooks, quiet until then, completely shifts the momentum: valuable connective play on offense, strong defensive impact, influence on both ends. At the same time, Devin Booker takes command in the clutch and punishes Chicago, pushing the lead to +9 with 1:30 left.
The Bulls fade on the final possessions, and Phoenix closes it out without trembling: 120–110.
Up Next
After this hard‑earned win, Phoenix will host the Rockets to kick off the final week of the regular season.
NEW YORK (AP) — Nolan Traore hit five 3-pointers and finished with 23 points and seven assists, Jalen Wilson added 19 points and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Washington Wizards 121-115 on Sunday.
The Wizards (17-61) have a two-game on the Nets (19-59) for the best lottery odds. Indiana is 18-58 entering Sunday's game at Cleveland.
Washington has lost six in a row and 22 of its past 23. The Wizards had given up 305 combined points in back-to-back losses to Philadelphia ( 153-131 ) and Miami ( 152-136 ).
Brooklyn won for just the second time in its past 14 games.
Will Riley, who had a career-high 31 points Saturday against the Heat, scored 30, Jamir Watkins added 20 points, and Julian Reese had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Wizards. Anthony Gill also scored 17 points and Bub Carrington had 13 points.
E.J. Liddell and Josh Minott each scored 15 for Brooklyn. Drake Powell added 13 points and Ochai Agbaji scored 12.
Watkins hit a 3-pointer that gave the Wizards a four-point lead with 3:50 left in the game. The Nets answered with an 8-0 run that culminated when Traore made layup that made it 109-105 with two minutes remaining and Brooklyn led the rest of the way.
Leaky Black responded with a 3-pointer that cut the deficit to a point, but Wilson and Traore hit back-to-back 3s before Trevon Scott's layup made it 117-108 with 42 seconds to go.
