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Phoenix Suns’ Dead Money Pool Deepens With Budenholzer Firing

The Phoenix Suns are on the hunt yet again for a head coach, their fourth in as many seasons, after firing Mike Budenholzer, who led the team through a disappointing season that was exacerbated by missing the playoffs despite having the NBA’s highest team payroll.

The team issued a statement saying its “fans deserved better” and that a change was needed. Budenholzer, a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, exits with $40 million remaining on a five-year, $50 million deal signed last year. The decision is a costly one as the Suns are now on track to have three coaches on payroll entering the 2025-2026 season. The Suns’ coaching carousel (combined with the luxury tax penalties) shows the financial hits that billionaire owner Mat Ishbia is willing to take to build a championship contender.

The Suns were also due to pay former head coach Monty Williams, who was fired in 2023 with $20 million still on his contract after signing a five-year deal in 2019. But Williams reportedly had his owed money from Phoenix offset by his most recent NBA contract with the Detroit Pistons when they hired him in 2023.

Williams was replaced by Frank Vogel, who was fired after one season when the Suns were swept in the first round of the playoffs last year. Vogel was owed $24 million of a five-year, $31 million deal. Vogel, who led the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA title in the pandemic bubble during the 2020 season, was dismissed for under-performing with a roster that included perennial NBA All-Stars Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

Budenholzer won an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, but did even worse than Vogel with the Suns’ three stars, finishing 11th in the West despite ownership spending $366 million on payroll (including a league-leading $152 million tax bill) this past season. The Suns were the only team this year with a top-10 payroll not to qualify for the playoffs; their tax bill alone surpassed the playoff-bound Detroit Pistons’ entire payroll ($142 million).

It’s not uncommon for teams in major pro sports to pay buyouts for head coaches fired before their deal expired. The NFL’s Cleveland Browns, for example, have a history of paying coaches not to work, with several over the last decade or so being canned with years remaining on their deals.

Both Vogel and Budenholzer were hired during the new ownership of Ishbia, who purchased the team for a league record $4 billion in 2022. The United Wholesale Mortgage CEO has been aggressive since taking over. In addition to spending to acquire players, he has also invested in a slew of player-related resources, including a new training facility for his WNBA team, the Phoenix Mercury.

The outlook for next season for the Suns is murky at best. Beal, who has a no-trade clause, Booker and Durant will again take a large chunk of the league salary cap. Meanwhile, Suns general manager James Jones, who oversaw the team’s NBA Finals run in 2021-22, is on a contract set to expire this offseason.

The team also has mortgaged the future by sending noteworthy draft capital to acquire stars like Durant (four first-round picks to land him in 2023). Oddsmakers are pointing to former Nuggets coach Michael Malone and former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins as candidates for the Suns’ job—one of the league’s true hot seats.

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2025 NBA Awards: Ballot, picks including Shai Gilgeous Alexander wins first MVP

Every year, a couple of awards and positions on the ballot keep me up at night, trying to make the right call — but rarely is that tough call at the top of the MVP ballot.

It was this year. What follows is my official ballot for the NBA's end-of-season awards, and we'll start with the hardest choice on the board.

NBA Most Valuable Player

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
2. Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
4. Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
5. LeBron James (Lakers)

I could write 3,000 words here to explain — Nuggets fans may say "try to justify" — my pick here. The reality is that both Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic are deserving (and in some years, Antetokounmpo could have won with the campaign he had). This is as difficult a decision on MVP as I can remember.

For me, it came down to two things, both based around the idea of how valuable each player is to his team — something many people seemed to think applies to Jokic but I think is far more even, and even tilts SGA. First, both players are incredibly valuable. However, the fact that Sam Presti did a better job of roster construction than Denver's now-fired GM Calvin Booth can't be held against SGA. When it comes to driving winning, Gilgeous-Alexander is a better defender, which helps earn wins. Besides, SGA has more win shares per 48 minutes.

Also, I could not get this stat out of my head: Ten times in NBA history the NBA's leading scorer was on a 60+ win team, something Gilgeous-Alexander became the 11th player to do with his play this year. Nine of those players won MVP. The one that didn't was Michael Jordan in the 1996-97 season when voters gave it to Karl Malone, a case now seen as voter fatigue with Jordan.

The other difficult choice for me was the fifth spot, which I ultimately gave to LeBron James because — whether it was Anthony Davis or Luka Doncic on the team — he was the glue that held the Lakers together this season. He was the reason they racked up all the wins.

All-NBA Teams

First Team

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
2. Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
4. Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
5. LeBron James (Lakers)

Second Team

1. Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)
2. Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
3. Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks)
4. Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
5. Stephen Curry (Warriors)

Third Team

1. Jalen Williams (Thunder)
2. Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
3. Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers)
4. Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
5. Cade Cunningham (Pistons)

It was very tough to leave Alperen Sengun off this list, he was my 16th guy, and while I don't buy into the "this team needs a representative" crap, not having a Rocket felt like an oversight. Along the same lines, I felt terrible not having Ivica Zubac or James Harden on the list after a quality season for a team that exceeded expectations. It was the opposite problem with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant — they put up great numbers, but with the way the Suns played all season, the way the team let go of the rope at the end, how do you reward them with a spot on the top 15?

NBA Defensive Player of the Year

1. Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
2. Luguentz Dort (Thunder)
3. Draymond Green (Warriors)

This was brutal — Victor Wembanyama was running away with this award before the deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder ended his season and kept him shy of the 65-game, league-mandated cutoff. (Wembanyama played in 46 games but still finished with 176 total blocked shots, the most in the league, 28 more than the Bucks' Brook Lopez, who was second.)

Everyone remaining had a case was flawed. For my money, Mobley was the most valuable defender for his team because he both defended guys on the perimeter and did it consistently all season long (which is why I had him in front of Green).

Dort was the best perimeter defender I saw this season, with all due respect to Dyson Daniels. Dort just gets in guys' heads.

NBA All-Defensive Teams

First Team

1. Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
2. Draymond Green (Warriors)
3. Luguentz Dort (Thunder)
4. Dyson Daniels (Hawks)
5. Amen Thompson (Rockets)

Second Team

1. Ivica Zubac (Clippers)
2. Jalen Williams (Thunder)
3. Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
4. OG Anunoby (Knicks)
5. Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves)

I could have filled a third team with deserving guys, including Jaden McDaniels (Timberwolves) and Bam Adebayo (Heat), who just feel like snubs here.

NBA Coach of the Year

1. Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers)
2. J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons)
3. Ime Udoka (Rockets)

Leaving Tyronn Lue (Clippers) and Jamahl Mosley (Magic) off this list hurts, let alone deserving guys like Joe Mazzulla (Celtics) and Mark Daigneault (Thunder). It was a deep class, but Atkinson gets the credit for taking the same players the Cavaliers had for a few years and getting more out of them with an improved offense.

NBA Sixth Man of the Year

1. Payton Pritchard (Celtics)
2. Malik Beasley (Pistons)
3. Ty Jerome (Cavaliers)

Pritchard is a 6'1" guard who does the things you expect from a smaller guard — like shoot 40.9% from 3 — but also things you don't expect, like being an elite offensive rebounder. I looked for a way to give this to Beasley, because he meant so much to Detroit, but this is Pritchard's year.

NBA Rookie of the Year

1. Stephon Castle (Spurs)
2. Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies)
3. Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks)

It was a down year for rookies, especially after Jared McCain was injured and out for the season before it even started.

NBA All-Rookie Teams

First Team

1. Stephon Castle (Spurs)
2. Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies)
3. Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks)
4. Zach Edey (Grizzlies)
5. Kel'el Ware (MIA)

Second Team

1. Matas Buzelis (Bulls)
2. Alex Sarr (Wizards)
3. Yves Missi (Pelicans)
4. Donovan Clingan (Trail Blazers)
5. Kyle Filipowski (Jazz)

NBA Most Improved Player

1. Dyson Daniels (Hawks)
2. Christian Braun (Nuggets)
3. Cade Cunningham (Pistons)

Let me be clear: My vote for Daniels to win this award had zero to do with the fact that Cunningham is a former No. 1 pick and this was expected of him. My guideline for this award is "which player do I think improved the most year-over-year?" That's it. If Jokic improved the most this season over last, give him the award. Cunningham had a big year and made an All-NBA leap, but Daniels saw the bigger improvement. As did Christian Braun, flying under the radar

NBA Clutch Player of the Year

1. Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
2. Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
3. Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)

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Steph hilariously had ‘nice' request for Draymond after 3-point miss

Steph hilariously had ‘nice' request for Draymond after 3-point miss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

“You’re not that guy, pal.”

For the record, that’s not what Steph Curry told Draymond Green in the final minutes of the Warriors’ 121-116 NBA Play-In Tournament win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday at Chase Center, but it’s somewhat close to the general message Golden State’s superstar had for his longtime teammate in one particular moment.

What Curry told Green after the veteran forward missed a corner 3-pointer with 2:48 remaining in the fourth quarter was much nicer and more respectful, and Green understood and appreciated his teammate’s plea.

Green spoke to reporters after the game and was asked how special it was to see Curry ignite the Warriors’ offense down the stretch by scoring the team’s final 10 points of the game, and revealed what his sharpshooting teammate told him after his 3-point miss.

“It was even more special for me to see, because when I shot that three in the corner, he very nicely told me it wasn’t time for me to shoot,” Green told reporters. “He came over to me saying ‘Hey man, we’ve got to get into [a certain action we call that we like to run]’ and I was like ‘All right, no problem.’ Like, that was a very nice way of telling me, ‘don’t shoot right now.’ No problem, I got him the ball the next play and he hits a three.”

Curry, as Green mentioned, buried a clutch 3-pointer approximately one minute later in the game that gave the Warriors a 114-109 lead with 1:50 remaining.

All’s well that ends well.

While Green might not have been “that guy” that Curry and the Warriors wanted shooting 3-pointers at that specific moment, he certainly is more than capable of hitting a clutch shot, or two, or three, when the team needs them most.

However, sometimes it’s best to let Curry take over and do what he does best. And Green would agree.

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Warriors seeing clear road to success only the start for playoff run

Warriors seeing clear road to success only the start for playoff run originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors can exhale. For a full day, maybe two, having dispatched the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. And then, on Sunday evening, they will step onto the court in Houston and try to win a first-round playoff series against the Rockets.

The same Rockets that 10 days ago blasted the Warriors off the Chase Center floor. That outshot them, outrebounded them, forced 20 turnovers, punished them in the paint, plastered them with 26 fast-break points and wrestled Stephen Curry into three points on 1-of-10 shooting from the field.

Yet there is a serenity and confidence about the No. 7 seed Warriors. They believe they know the way to success against the second-seeded Rockets.

Much of that confidence comes from their collective faith in coach Steve Kerr and his staff. While the players are at ease Wednesday, the coaches will pore over video, craft a game plan and deliver it to them on Thursday.

One thing coaches and players know for certain: They must take care of the ball.

“We have to win the possession game against Houston for sure,” Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area Tuesday night after the play-in tournament win over Memphis. “And then they’re going to come after us with everything defensively. They’re going to play two bigs, with (Steven) Adams and (Alperen) Sengun.

“We like our chances. We’ve got counters for everything.”

This is why veterans like Draymond Green and Curry are bristling with kinetic energy. They’re like boxers freed from the arduous tedium of the gym – the regular season – and finally making their way to the place they want to be. The championship ring.

“I was just telling the guys the only thing I was thinking about earlier today was just I want the opportunity to go through that first film session that we go through, just our every series,” Green said. “It’s like no other. And I’ve been looking forward to that. It’s just a different level of preparation that you just … it’s impossible to get in the NBA. There’s just way too many games.

“But you get to the playoff series, and the level of preparation is so different. So, I’m looking forward to not tomorrow but the following day. He can have tomorrow. But that preparation, getting ready for a team that you know you got to see possibly seven times in a row, is so fun. It’s like no other.”

That 106-96 loss to Houston on April 6 was, the Warriors tell themselves, fool’s gold for the Rockets. As if a convincing win means nothing. Golden State’s veterans know regular-season results are irrelevant once the postseason begins.

It’s a completely different game, requiring a sharpened mentality and a profoundly advanced level of focus.

“The beauty of these (playoff) games is that every possession counts,” Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area. “And you know what? If you try to coach like this all year, it’s hard to implement everything during an 82-game season. If you approach every 48-minute game trying to hammer home how important everything is, you’ll just exhaust the guys after the quarter of the season. They won’t have anything left.

“What we’re really trying to do is build habits during the season. Then, if the habits are good, come playoff time you can commit and focus for 48 straight minutes and play a game where every possession matters.”

This is a familiar script to Golden State veterans. Curry has participated in 147 postseason games, Green in 157 and Kevon Looney in 77. Jimmy Butler III had appeared in 119 games, but his first as a Warrior comes Sunday. Kerr has played in 128 postseason games, coached another 140 in his first 10 seasons with the Warriors.

The playoffs are, for these folks, their comfort zone. A psychological living room.

“It is just attention to detail,” Curry said late Tuesday night. “You just flip the book on Houston and their patterns. You want to truly understand, a ‘know them better than they know themselves’ kind of vibe. Just be as prepared as possible. It’s fun because you have everybody locked in.

“What we enjoy about playoff series is it’s just one opponent, and it’s a chess match from before the first game and in between every game, just trying to find the subtle changes or game plan or discipline that can help just win four games.”

The Warriors, players and coaches, seem to believe the key to winning this series lies in ball security because that inhibits Houston’s transition game, which was fueled by turnovers 10 days ago. The analytics show the Rockets’ offense is much tamer when playing against set defense.

Knowing how to contain an opponent is one thing. That’ll be in the game plan. It’s the execute that’s more difficult and will dictate the difference between success and failure.

No question, though, the Warriors have more postseason soldiers than the Rockets.

“This is what we do,” Kerr said at the postgame podium. “I mean, this is so fun. This is the best time of the year. You know, this is Year 11. My favorite – maybe my favorite – day of the season is (Wednesday). We come in as a staff, we look at Houston tape. We start to put together our game plan. The players are resting. We’ve got a couple of days before we’ll see the players again.

“We get to go to work and try to beat a great team in a seven-game series. There’s nothing better. So, I can’t wait.”

The players can wait, particularly super vets Curry, Butler and Green. Mostly to treat their aches and catch their breath before beginning what they hope will be a trek that takes them into June.

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Playoff Jimmy Butler scores 38, Stephen Curry adds 37, Warriors beat Grizzlies to grab No. 7 seed

NBA: Play-In-Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors

Apr 15, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) and guard Stephen Curry (30) meet after a play against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Playoff Jimmy — or, should we say Play-in Jimmy — is back.

Jimmy Butler III scored 38 points, got to the free-throw line 18 times, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists — and the Warriors needed all of that on a night their offense was sluggish much of the game. Then in the clutch, Golden State got a couple of key Stephen Curry 3-pointers and hung on to beat the Grizzlies 104-101.

That win officially advances the Warriors as the No. 7 seed in the West, and they will travel to Houston to face the Rockets in the first round, starting Sunday (a series that will be very evenly matched). Memphis will head home and prepare for Friday, when it will face the winner of Wednesday’s Dallas/Sacramento game in a fight for the No. 8 seed.

This was the kind of game that is a reminder of why the Warriors will be such a tough out. That starts with Playoff Jimmy, who just takes some of the offensive pressure off Curry.

“I know I want to win a championship so he needs, his what, this would be No. 5?” Butler said, via the Associated Press.

From the opening tip, Butler went right at the Grizzlies' anchor, 7’4” Zach Edey. When Edey played off him early, Butler drained a couple of 3-pointers right over him. That brought Edey out, and Butler started going downhill, getting past him, into the paint, and drawing fouls.

Beyond Butler, other Warriors stepped up, including Gary Payton II and Quinten Post off the bench. And, as always, in the clutch there was Curry doing Curry things.

After a fast 11-2 start to the game by the Grizzlies, the Warriors settled down and did a good job keeping Memphis out of the paint. The Warriors' defense held the Grizzlies to 38.7% shooting for a quarter and a half, then used those misses and a bunch of turnovers to get buckets in transition, force cross-matches early in the clock, and essentially get whatever they wanted on offense. Which is why they led by 20.

Give the Grizzlies credit, they fought back and showed real grit — they took the lead in the fourth quarter and made it a one-point game inside of 10 seconds left. Desmond Bane led the way with 30 for Memphis including hitting five 3-pointers, Ja Morant scored 22 and returned to play the fourth quarter despite turning his ankle in the third quarter, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points. While picked on defensively, Edey finished with 14 points, 17 rebounds and was a +6 for the game.

When it got to the clutch, the Warriors simply executed better. Stephen Curry helps with that, but so does the player and organizational experience.

That experience is what makes the Warriors a threat against a young Rockets team.

“It took 83 games but we’re right where we want to be, which is back in the playoffs and we’ve got a chance,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

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Magic and Warriors seal NBA play-off spots

Stephen Curry celebrates scoring a basket
Stephen Curry scored six three-pointers and hit all 13 of his free-throw attempts [Getty Images]

The Golden State Warriors and the Orlando Magic secured their places in the first round of the NBA play-offs with victories in the Conference play-in games.

Jimmy Butler III scored 38 points and Stephen Curry 37 as the Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 at Chase Center in San Francisco to progress as the Western Conference seventh seeds.

"I'm telling you, that's a Batman if I've ever seen a Batman - always coming to save the day," Butler said of Curry.

"You're never out of any game. He's so poised, so calm and he was a huge part of getting us the victory."

In the East, Cole Anthony scored 26 points off the bench as the Magic beat the Atlanta Hawks 120-95 at Kia Center in Orlando.

The Warriors will meet the Houston Rockets in the play-offs and the Magic will face the Boston Celtics, with game one of their best-of-seven series scheduled for Sunday.

The Grizzlies have a second chance to reach the play-offs when they play the winner of Wednesday's game between the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat.

The Hawks face the Sacramento Kings or the Dallas Mavericks for the right to progress in the West.

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Celtics playoff schedule: Dates, times for Round 1 series vs. Magic

Celtics playoff schedule: Dates, times for Round 1 series vs. Magic originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The NBA has released dates and times for all first-round series, including the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics’ matchup with the No. 7 seed Orlando Magic. That series is set to begin Sunday, April 20, at 3:30 p.m. ET at TD Garden.

The Magic secured the No. 7 seed by beating the Atlanta Hawks in Tuesday’s 7-8 matchup of the NBA tournament, while the Celtics cruised to the No. 2 seed with a 61-21 record, winning 60-plus games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2009.

Boston is looking to become the first NBA team to win back-to-back championships since the 2018 Golden State Warriors, and the first Celtics team to repeat since 1969. The C’s won 15 of 18 games last postseason to steamroll to their 18th title.

Here’s a look at the Celtics’ full first-round schedule, with tip-off times already set for Games 1through 4. Games 2 through 6 will all air on NBC Sports Boston, with play-by-play announcer Drew Carter on the call alongside color analyst Brian Scalabrine.

NBC Sports Boston will have coverage of every game an hour before tip-off with Celtics Pregame Live, as well as postgame coverage immediately after the game with Celtics Postgame Live.

  • Game 1: Magic vs. Celtics; Sunday, April 20 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
  • Game 2: Magic vs. Celtics; Wednesday, April 23 (7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Boston)
  • Game 3: Celtics at Magic; Friday, April 25 (7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Boston)
  • Game 4: Celtics at Magic; Sunday, April 27 (7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Boston)
  • Game 5: Magic vs. Celtics; Tuesday, April 29 (TBD, NBC Sports Boston)*
  • Game 6: Celtics at Magic; Thursday, May 1 (TBD, NBC Sports Boston)*
  • Game 7: Magic vs. Celtics; Saturday, May 3 (TBD, TBD)*

*If necessary

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Anthony, Magic claim 7th seed with 120-95 win over Hawks in Play-In Tournament

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Cole Anthony came off the bench with 26 points and six assists to lead the Orlando Magic to a 120-95 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night in the first game of the Play-In Tournament.

Paolo Banchero had 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Magic, and Wendell Carter Jr. added 19 points and seven rebounds. Anthony Black scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting off the bench in the Magic’s first appearance in a play-in game.

Earning the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed after a 41-41 regular season, the Magic will start their first-round playoff series at Boston on Sunday. Orlando split its four games against the defending NBA champs this season, but the Celtics rested their top six players in a loss at Orlando last week.

“It’s a great opportunity to play against the best team in the league, and they’re the champs still until somebody beats 'em,” said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley. “What they present is a lot of challenges, and we have to try to find a way to figure that out.”

Trae Young led the Hawks with 28 points and six assists before getting two technical fouls and an automatic ejection with 4:47 left in the game.

“I thought we did a good job on Paolo and Franz (Wagner),” said Hawks coach Quin Snyder, “and they had some other players who really stepped up and made plays.”

The Hawks, who have reached the playoffs through the play-in route in two of the last three seasons, will play at home Friday night for the eighth spot against the winner of Wednesday night’s game at Chicago between the Bulls and the Miami Heat.

Banchero and Black produced most of the offense and the Hawks scored just two points in the final 6 minutes of the first quarter, and the Magic led by as many as 22 late in the first half.

The Hawks cut the gap to three and had a chance to tied the game when they turned it over with 2:36 left in the third quarter.

“They went on their own run and we weathered the storm. We didn’t let them back in the game from that point on,” Anthony said. “We got stops, we pushed the pace and we held a really good offensive team to 90 points.”

Anthony, who averaged 9.4 points in an injury-plagued season, made 10-of-17 shots including 4 -of-9 3-pointers.

---

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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Mavericks' GM Nico Harrison, 'There's no regrets on the trade'

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison met with a very limited, hand-selected number of Dallas media on Tuesday (much to the surprise of a lot of media members who regularly cover the team). Harrison repeatedly defended his shocking February decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers, using the phrase "defense wins championships" repeatedly during the session, according to multiple reports. Here are some quotes from the meeting, via Tim MacMahon at ESPN, Christian Clark at The Athletic, and Tim Cato.

"There's no regrets on the trade," said Harrison... "Part of my job is to do the best thing for the Mavericks, not only today, but also in the future, and some of the decisions I'm going to make are going to be unpopular. That's my job, and I have to stand by it."

“When you look at this trade, we targeted A.D. with our philosophy of defense wins championships," Harrison said. "We wanted a two-way player to lead our team, and that was Anthony Davis. Everybody's going to have their critics. … But we got what we wanted... The team post-trade that was intended to be on the floor … that's a championship-caliber team. You guys were able to see it for 2 1/2 quarters. Unfortunately, that's a small sample size."

Mavericks fans are not going to get to see that team for most or all of next season as Kyrie Irving recovers from a torn ACL. Any debate about whether this is really a championship-caliber team is on hold for the foreseeable future.

Harrison is correct that a GM should trust his instincts and convictions, and not hesitate to make what he sees as a move that betters the franchise. However, when others are waving red flags about the trade, a smart GM puts aside his ego and thinks from outside his perspective. In this trade, one red flag is that, as highly as one might think of Anthony Davis (and he had an All-NBA season before injuries limited his game), he is six years older than Doncic — trading stars to get that much older is not wise. The other major red flag is this: If you're keeping this trade under wraps because you know there will be massive fan backlash to the idea, maybe enough to kill the trade, is this really a wise trade? Not just from a basketball sense but from a fan sense — the NBA is an entertainment business, angering the people who are fans and pay for your product is just not smart.

Harrison is convinced he will be vindicated with this trade in time. At least he doesn't have to worry about people forgetting this trade and not wanting to talk about it. For now, he can watch Anthony Davis and the Mavericks in the play-in Wednesday night while Luka Doncic and the No. 3 seed Lakers rest, waiting for their first game of the playoffs on Saturday evening.

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Warriors set to unleash ‘different' Playoff Jimmy Butler against Rockets

Warriors set to unleash ‘different' Playoff Jimmy Butler against Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – The world around us begs for stress, anxiety and far too many worries. Smiles and laughs feel secondary at the moment. A basketball exercise that’s sure to bring both takes almost no time and is meant for all ages. 

Fire up Basketball Reference and type in your favorite player. Below their complete name – first, middle and last – are nicknames for players. Some are known worldwide, others have never even been heard by the player. 

Threezus. Yeah, that’s apparently Steph Curry. The Dancing Bear. Don’t call Draymond Green that, but it’s included in his list of nicknames as well. 

Ever since the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler, two words have been brought up over and over again for a team eyeing their fifth championship during this dynastic run, and a player looking for his first ring after two trips to the NBA Finals that fell short with his previous team. 

Playoff Jimmy.

“He different, that guy,” Green said, his eyes lighting up at the sound of Butler’s nickname. “He’s different. You can just see a whole different intensity level and focus. I’m a basketball fan, you know, so I’ve watched it on TV for years. To see it up close and personal, like it’s a real thing. Sometimes you get in the NBA and these guys get these nicknames and you’re like, man, stop it. There’s some other nicknames out there, they not real. 

“That one’s real. And I’m happy he’s on our side.” 

Butler’s game is built on consistently making the right plays, often deferring to teammates. He isn’t going to force shots or toss up heat checks. Golden State was given another star alongside Curry upon Butler’s arrival, but that didn’t mean scoring barrages came in bunches. 

Until the right time came. 

The Warriors needed Game 83 to punch their ticket to the NBA playoffs, beating the Memphis Grizzlies in a fight to the very end, 121-116, Tuesday night at Chase Center in a play-in tournament matchup that decided the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. When reminded of Butler’s Playoff Jimmy moniker, Gary Payton II pulled out something else from his Basketball Reference page. 

“Jimmy Buckets,” Payton said. “Give him the ball. Go where he tells you to go, and sit and wait until Jimmy needs help, or he’s going to score or get fouled.”

Knowing the importance of fast starts and having the ultimate closer at his disposal in Curry, Butler scored 10 points in the first quarter for the second straight game. With a 7-foot-4 rookie center Zach Edey sagging off him, Butler hit two threes in the first quarter and calculated in real time how to either take advantage of extra space or maneuver his way closer to the basket, pressing all the right buttons of the computer that buzzes inside his head. That also led to his second straight game of 20 shot attempts.

And it also resulted in his second straight 30-point game. 

Butler had scored 30 points just once since joining the Warriors, which happened to be Sunday’s regular-season finale – an overtime loss against the LA Clippers. He was up to 21 points at halftime Tuesday, which turned to 34 through three quarters and a season-high 38 on 12-of-20 shooting when it was all said and done. 

The 35-year-old scored twice behind the 3-point line, climbed the ladder for multiple dunks and a tip shot, delivered a 15-foot jumper for his only made shot in the fourth quarter, and, of course, racked up frequent flyer miles at the free-throw line. Butler attempted a season-high 18 free throws and made 12, a number far too low for his standards. 

“At the end of the day, you need somebody that can put the ball in the basket, and he knows how to do that,” Curry said. “We have to keep doing all of our parts, and you know, Playoff Jimmy will hopefully be a big unlock for us.” 

Beating the Grizzlies means a series with the young, long, athletic and ultra-physical Houston Rockets. Butler, in his final three games to end the regular season, plus Tuesday’s play-in game, scored 28, 24, 30 and 38 points. He dropped just 13 in a loss to the Rockets a week and a half ago. 

There won’t be a lumbering rookie guarding him, but doses of Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks and others trying to play in the rough-and-rowdy image of coach Ime Udoka. Butler’s message to his first opponent in the way of him and the Warriors’ path towards a championship? Bring it on, all of it.

“We’ll go back to the drawing board and see how I can be effective on the offensive side of the ball,” Butler said. “But I really believe I can score with the best of them. I don’t care who I’m lined up against.”

That loss is long gone to the mind of a winner. The calendar has turned its pages to Playoff Jimmy time.

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‘Playoff guy' GP2 ready to answer Warriors' postseason call

‘Playoff guy' GP2 ready to answer Warriors' postseason call originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – As critical as it is for teams to get big games from their superstar players, in order to get deep into the NBA playoffs, it’s equally important to get steady and solid production from the backups.

That was the formula that played out nicely in the Warriors’ 121-116 play-in victory against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.

Jimmy Butler was in complete Playoff Jimmy mode and poured in a season-high 38 points while Stephen Curry shrugged off a slow start and finished with 37 points.

A deeper dive into the game, however, shows that while those two paved the way for Golden State, it was players like Gary Payton II and Quinten Post who held it down during critical moments.

Payton scored 12 points and made one of the game’s biggest plays when he snuck up from behind and blocked a shot attempt by Grizzlies’ 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey.

Post, the No. 22 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft who has been a revelation as a perimeter shooter, added 11 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes and combined with Payton and Jimmy Butler to limit Edey’s output. He grabbed 17 rebounds and scored 14 points albeit on 4-of-11 shooting.

For Post it was a satisfying night considering it was his first taste of a postseason atmosphere.

For Payton, it was basically another night at the office where the scrappy guard was all over the court diving for loose balls, going chest-to-chest with opposing players and doing whatever he could to make a difference.

“This is time,” Payton said. “You lead up all year to get to this moment. I’m more of a playoff guy … so when it’s that time of year, lock in and get right and try to be as efficient as I can.”

Payton has been very efficient almost from the moment he joined the Warriors.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr was very outspoken about Payton’s impact with the Warriors, specifically pointing out the impact that GPII had when the Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals.

“We don’t win that championship in (2022) without Gary,” Kerr said. “He’s a big-time player, playoff performer, two-way player. Understands how to play with Steph probably as well as anybody on our team. He’s basically a power forward on offense and a point guard on defense. Very unique player.”

Butler, who was a one-man wrecking crew for most of the game against Memphis, took it a step further and said Payton will definitely be a key factor in the upcoming playoffs.

“He’s going to be a reason that we win a couple games in the playoffs,” Butler said. “But what I love most about GP is he makes sure everybody’s calm. He lets everybody know, ‘We’re going to be just fine. We just have to get a stop, get a bucket. We got to execute.’

“He’ll take and make some big shots (and) for sure he’ll get a big-time dunk to get the crowd into the game and then guard whoever you ask him to guard.”

Payton realizes, too, that the Warriors bench will have to keep producing if the Blue and Gold are going to reach their final destination.

“We know what’s at stake,” he said. “In a regular normal series, you got two games (that) your superstars are going to win for you. You got another game that the bench is going to win for you, and then the third is probably execution. We do our part and we know that Wardell, Jimmy and (Draymond Green) are going to do their part.

“So as much as we can take the load off them and they come in and do what they normally do, it just gives us extra bump, extra run that we have later in the game.”

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Butler uses ‘hellified' superhero analogy for Steph's big play-in game

Butler uses ‘hellified' superhero analogy for Steph's big play-in game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Every Batman needs his Robin.

That’s exactly who Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler were in the Warriors’ 121-116 NBA play-in win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday at Chase Center — and Butler made sure everyone knew it.

“That we got a hellified Batman in Steph,” Butler told NBA on TNT’s Allie LaForce after the win of what gave him the confidence Golden State would pull it off. “And we just got a group of guys that got a lot of fight and never give up, and we did what we were supposed to do finally.”

Butler scored a game-high 38 points on 12-of-20 shooting from the field and 2 of 4 from 3-point range while also sinking 12 free throws on a season-high 18 attempts in the victory. Curry was right behind Butler with 37 points, 15 of which came in a fourth-quarter takeover that secured the Warriors’ first-ever play-in win and pushed them to the NBA playoffs as the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed.

There’s no one like Curry, and Butler is well aware. The Chef is the Bay Area’s very own superhero — and now he has the perfect sidekick.

“I think any team has a chance with me on it,” Butler told reporters at the postgame podium. “But I know every team has a chance with Steph on it. I get to play Robin. That’s my Batman.”

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Full Warriors vs. Rockets schedule released for first-round NBA playoff series

Full Warriors vs. Rockets schedule released for first-round NBA playoff series originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors escaped the NBA play-in tournament and will face the Houston Rockets in a best-of-seven first-round Western Conference playoff series beginning Sunday night.

Shortly after Golden State held off the scrappy Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 on Tuesday night at Chase Center, the NBA released the full schedule for the Warriors-Rockets series:

Game 1: Sunday, April 20 — Golden State at Houston — 6:30 p.m. PT — NBC Sports Bay Area
Game 2: Wednesday, April 23 — Golden State at Houston — 6:30 p.m. PT — NBC Sports Bay Area
Game 3: Saturday, April 26 — Houston at Golden State — 5:30 p.m. PT — ABC
Game 4: Monday, April 28 — Houston at Golden State — 7:00 p.m. PT — NBC Sports Bay Area
Game 5*: Wednesday, April 30 — Golden State at Houston — Time TBD — TV TBD
Game 6*: Friday, May 2 — Houston at Golden State — Time TBD — TV TBD
Game 7*: Sunday, May 4 — Golden State at Houston — Time TBD — TV TBD

The Warriors won three of the five regular-season matchups against the Rockets.

In the last contest on April 6 in San Francisco, the Rockets assigned second-year guard Amen Thompson to guard Steph Curry, which worked. Golden State’s star was held to 1-of-10 shooting and finished with three points in a 106-96 loss to Houston.

The winner of the Warriors-Rockets series will face the victor of the Minnesota Timberwolves-Los Angeles Lakers series.

This will be the fifth playoff series all-time between the Warriors and Rockets, with the teams meeting in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Golden State has won all four previous series against Houston.

The Warriors will need the best from Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green if they want to pull off the upset over the No. 2-seeded Rockets.

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What we learned as Warriors outlast Grizzlies to reach NBA playoffs

What we learned as Warriors outlast Grizzlies to reach NBA playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Jumping on the backs of Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler, the Warriors are headed to the NBA playoffs as the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed to face the Houston Rockets.

Once ahead by 20 points, the Warriors were outscored by nine points in the third quarter and lost their lead early in the fourth. But behind a Curry flurry in the final few minutes, the Warriors broke their NBA play-in tournament losing streak and took down the Memphis Grizzlies in epic fashion Tuesday night at Chase Center, 121-116.

Curry’s clutch gene was on full display, scoring 15 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter. He splashed two threes in the final two minutes, and also made four free throws in the final five seconds left to close out the win. Curry was just 9 of 22 from the field, but went 6 of 13 on threes, 13 of 13 on free throws, and also had eight rebounds, four assists and a steal.

This was yet another night showcasing how Butler completely changed the Warriors’ season. Butler scored a season-high 38 points on 12-of-20 shooting. The do-it-all veteran was a man on a mission, also providing seven rebounds, six assists and three steals to go with a season-high 18 free-throw attempts and 12 makes.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ play-in win over the Grizzlies.

Play-In Jimmy 

When Butler found himself in the play-in tournament as a member of the Miami Heat last season, he scored 19 points and added four rebounds, five assists and five steals, but sustained a sprained right MCL that kept him out for the remainder of the postseason. While the Warriors didn’t have any play-in tournament success coming into the night, Butler sure did. 

That same success followed him to the Bay Area, too. 

It was as if Butler saw every inch of the 7-foot-4 Zach Edey and made it his personal mission to show the rookie what big games are all about. Edey dared Butler to shoot behind the 3-point line, and he drained both his treys in the first quarter. He went at him, too. Butler in the first quarter alone had 10 points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Butler was the leading scorer in the first half with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting. His only miscues were missing three free throws. His first 30-point game with the Warriors came in the last game of the regular season. Through three quarters Tuesday, Butler was up to 34 points on 11-of-18 shooting. Whether it’s the play-in tournament or the playoffs, the Warriors know Butler also will be ready for the big stage. 

Winning The Battles 

In the final regular-season game, the Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers needed five more minutes of basketball to decide which team would advance straight to the playoffs or need at least one play-in tournament game before moving on. After their loss, the Warriors didn’t point to huge performances from Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, as well as Ivica Zubac. The game was decided by the small details. 

Always at a size disadvantage, the Warriors weren’t just crushed on the glass but they were late to loose balls. That’s an aspect of the game Golden State typically thrives in. So does Memphis. 

Both teams averaged 5.4 loose balls per game during the regular season, ranking second in the NBA. The Warriors grabbed a grand total of 440 loose balls, and the Grizzlies grabbed 441. 

While the Warriors were outrebounded 50-39 on Tuesday, Golden State swiped nine more steals than Memphis – 13-4. The Warriors also had three blocks, and the much bigger Grizzlies only had one. Each team had 11 fastbreak points, and the Grizzlies scored 48 points in the paint compared to the Warriors’ 42.

The activity and effort by the Warriors can’t be questioned.

The Other Guys

The stars always were going to garner the headlines and spotlight, and likely determine the outcome. But neither team could rely on one, two or even five players. The Warriors’ bench ranked third in points per game in the regular season, and the Grizzlies were second. To earn a trip to Houston, Golden State’s reserves were downright better. 

What first made the night flip in the Warriors’ favor was Gary Payton II and Quinten Post entering the game. Payton and Post accounted for the Warriors’ first eight points upon coming off the bench. Payton’s quickness proved to be an asset offensively and defensively, and Post, a 25-year-old rookie, wasn’t afraid of the bright lights. 

Post made three first-half 3-pointers and was a game-high plus-16 through the first two quarters. In one sequence, he defended an Edey dunk attempt and then nailed a three at the other end to the delight of Dub Nation. 

Warriors coach Steve Kerr went with a nine-man rotation Sunday in the regular-season finale. On Tuesday, he turned to 10 players, adding Gui Santos to the mix. Almost immediately, Santos grabbed an offensive rebound, got the crowd fired up and converted a three-point play. 

The Warriors wound up with 30 points off the bench, seven more than the Grizzlies’ 23. However, the Warriors will need much better shooting performances out of Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski moving forward. As Curry and Butler scored a combined 75 points, Moody (nine) and Podziemski (three) had 12, and were 2 of 9 from deep.

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