LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 31: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers talk before the game on March 31, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, 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 the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
CLEVELAND — Telling someone back in 2015 that a Cleveland Cavaliers head coach would compare his point guard, James Harden, to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James would probably break their brain. We live in a weird world.
The Cavs have been rolling offensively since adding Harden in February. The speed at which he processes the game, combined with his skill, has done that. This is most seen with his passing, which is on a level that Atkinson could only compare to one other superstar in the league.
“There might be another player like him, but him and LeBron are the only guys that I’ve seen in that category where the accuracy and the speed of the pass is just a whole other level,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said before Game 2 against the Toronto Raptors. “I think that speaks to their skill level, IQ, but also the strength part. You got to be really strong to throw some of the passes they throw through traffic.”
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Harden displayed this during their Game 1 win on Saturday. He racked up 10 assists, with two of those leading to Max Strus triples. Both were delivered on time and on target.
“It obviously makes a difference,” Strus said when asked about how a good pass helps the ensuing shot. “He’s been doing this for a very long time. He knows how to help guys be great, and I’ve experienced it. He’s a phenomenal basketball player, one of the best players in the world ever, for a reason. And we’re lucky to have him. He just makes the game easier for everyone else.”
There’s more to just passing than accuracy and velocity of passes. Harden is good at both of those things, but his ability to read the defense, manipulate where he wants the defenders to go, and then deliver the pass is what separates excellent passers from some of the greatest all-time.
“He’s just got a great, great feel,” Atkinson said. “Like I’ve said all year, since we’ve gotten him, he’s just a way better passer than I thought he was.”
May 12, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Duke University’s Kyle Filipowski at the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery at McCormick Place West. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
The Utah Jazz rejoice as a coin flip for the 4th-best lottery odds fell in their favor, securing the first-round pick away from Oklahoma City’s greedy clutches. At the fifth odds, there was a chance of slipping to the ninth pick and falling out of the top-8 protection bubble. At four, those odds are erased — the Jazz won’t slip below 8 on lottery night.
Have you ever felt so much dread over a 50/50 chance?
I’ve never been so confident that a coin flip was going to turn out one way. If the NBA truly were unfair, corrupt, or manipulated, it would be on full display with the tiebreaker between the Utah Jazz and the Sacramento Kings for the 4th and 5th positions in the lottery standings.
Win the 50/50 split, and Utah retains its first-round pick no matter what. Lose, however, and the chances of the pick dropping to 9th were almost zero. But almost zero and actually zero are fundamentally different, and Murphy’s Law can get off its couch and wrangle control if Utah’s .6% chance
I could envision the glint on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s glasses. The snyde smirk flashing across the left side of his face as a quarter rolls over his knuckles. Winding up and tossing the coin into the sky, we watch as the odds flip Jazz, Kings, Jazz, Kings, Jazz, Kings over and over and over as the decider of fate falls to the earth.
The Utah Jazz have been Adam Silver’s scapegoat all season long. They are the flagbearers of the tanking movement. The most heinous and blatant example of basketball’s great shame. The league has fined Utah half a million dollars for their perceived crime — a number unmatched to any degree by any of basketball’s other 10 or so active tankers. It seemed inevitable; if Utah could be forced to part with their first-round pick, Utah would be stripped of their drafting rights. Murphy’s Law in motion, with a little help from the decision-makers atop the National Basketball Association.
Maybe I’m just cynical. Maybe I’m jaded. Maybe I believe that the Utah Jazz just aren’t afforded the same joys as other, more notable organizations in the NBA. I sincerely believed the basketball governing powers intended to make an example of the lowly Jazz — one final kick before the team is ready to compete for the playoffs next season.
The chances of Utah losing the coin flip andthen slipping all the way to ninth were infinitesimal — I know that —but the relief of that number turning to zero is cause for celebration.
With the lottery order officially set, here’s how Utah’s odds stand.
*Players are listed as they appear on our Big Board, for reference.
Utah breathes a sigh of relief. Though Sacramento (the coin flip’s loser) may well jump Utah in the order on lottery night, the Jazz had one goal. That was to keep their pick out of OKC’s hands. Mission accomplished.
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dribbles with the ball around Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The Lakers will have the 25th pick in the 2026 NBA draft, the league announced on Monday after ties among teams with identical regular-season records were broken through random drawings to determine the order selection.
The Lakers and Knicks finished the 2025-26 season with 53-29 records, resulting in the drawing taking place to determine which team would get the higher pick.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dribbles with the ball around Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The Knicks won, and will have the No. 24 pick in the draft, which will take place in June.
The 2026 NBA draft will once again be split up across two days, with the first round taking being on June 23 and the second round taking place on June 24.
The Lakers traded their 2026 second-round pick in November 2020 when they sent JaVale McGee, along with the second-rounder, to the Cavaliers for Jordan Bell and Alfonzo McKinnie, so they could have room to sign Marc Gasol.
There were five other tiebreakers that were determined on Monday as a result the drawings:
The Jazz (22-60) won a tiebreaker with the Kings;
The Pelicans (26-56) won a tiebreaker with the Mavericks;
The Suns (45-37) won a tiebreaker with the Magic and the 76ers. Second and third place in the tiebreaker drawings went to the 76ers and the Magic, respectively;
The Raptors (46-36) won a tiebreaker with the Hawks;
The Rockets (52-30) won a tiebreaker with the Cavaliers.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers smile during the game against the Chicago Bulls on March 12, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
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SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 19: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs drives against the Portland Trailblazers in the first half of Game One of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on April 19, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For all the talk of a young team with little experience, the San Antonio Spurs did exactly what contenders should do in the first round of the playoffs: handle a lower seed in front of their home crowd. The Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers in Game One, 111-98.
The Spurs were led by their superstar big man, Victor Wembanyama, who scored a franchise-high 35 points in his playoff debut. The Blazers didn’t have an answer for the MVP candidate while raining threes from deep and dominating inside. He didn’t do it alone. The Spurs’ supporting cast showed up when it was needed. When Portland staged a comeback in the third quarter, Devin Vassell got hot and rebuilt the Spurs’ lead.
Vassell and Wembanyama will lead the player grades for Game One. As a quick reminder, these grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.
Cold take here: Wembanyama is pretty good! The narrative that Portland’s bigs could slow him down was obviously overblown. Wembanyama creates an insane mismatch for the Spurs in this series. Not only does he neutralize most of their paint attack, but he has proven he can score against slower bigs like Donovan Clingan or over the top of smaller defenders like Toumani Camara. Oh, and he can casually go coast-to-coast for dunks and drain fadeaway corner threes.
It’s only Game One, but if Wembanyama plays like this in every game, San Antonio is going to be hard to beat. The Spurs are a -700 favorite to win Game Two on FanDuel.
The Blazers struggled to stay in front of Fox in Game One. He had Portland defenders sliding as he pulled up for threes or got to the basket for twos. Most importantly, he was a steadying force with the ball in his hands. If inexperience is this team’s sickness, Fox is the cure. He had 8 assists and 0 turnovers in Game One. These are exactly the type of games the Spurs need from their veteran point guard.
Despite his inefficient shooting, Castle still made an impact on the game. He was relentlessly attacking the basket, and then went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line when he got into the paint. The first interesting strategic move of the series was Portland’s decision to guard Castle with a big man and force him to shoot from deep. He hit one three-ball, but missed a few wide-open ones off the dribble. Castle is going to be forced to hit a few deep shots in this series. We’ve seen him knock down open catch-and-shoot shots this season. It’ll be interesting to see how San Antonio attacks this matchup moving forward.
Champagnie did exactly what great role players should: take advantage of the opportunities that come to you and play strong defense. Champagnie only took three shots, but he hit two of them when he was wide open. He played strong defense on the wing, grabbing three steals and snatching 5 rebounds. The playoffs are all about being exceptional at your role. Champagnie’s is to hit open threes and play solid defense. He did both on Sunday night.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Vassell won the game for the Spurs. When Portland cut a ten-point lead to just two points, it was Vassell who got San Antonio going again. He hit big-time threes in transition, made an impactful block on defense, and secured a tough long defensive rebound that led to a runout score.
Vassell is a real X-factor in this series. When he’s hitting shots and creating turnovers on defense, the Spurs go up another level. That third-quarter run was the perfect example of the value he brings to the team.
Harper was on the floor when the Spurs were at their best, but he wasn’t as impactful as he typically is. Harper was sound defensively and didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes on the offensive end. He just didn’t pop like he typically does offensively. He had a nice stretch in the fourth quarter to help the Spurs build a 20-point lead. Perhaps that stretch will build some confidence for the rookie heading into the rest of the series.
Kornet’s stellar play against Portland this season continued in the postseason. He thrived as a lob catcher and rim protector once again. The drop off from Wembanyama to Kornet, defensively at least, wasn’t all that noticeable. On the other end, it felt like he caught every lob that came his way, including a sick one-hander off a lob. Kornet’s best play was a tough offensive rebound and put-back in the second quarter. It’s the kind of winning play that swings playoff series.
Barnes didn’t make much of an impact in his limited minutes. He grabbed one offensive rebound and went 2-2 from the free-throw line, but otherwise was held in check. As the rotation shrinks, Barnes’ minutes will likely decrease. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him have a big game at some point in the playoffs, especially if he’s hot from three.
Johnson’s one made shot on Sunday was a big one. He hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer in the first quarter to give the Spurs a 9-point lead. He didn’t score the rest of the game. KJ lacked the aggression we typically see from him in big games. He was still able to power his way into the paint when he chose to, but couldn’t convert at the rim.
Grade: C+
Carter Bryant
4 minutes, 2 rebounds, 3 fouls, +1
Bryant got limited minutes on Sunday. He was super aggressive while he was on the floor, picking up three fouls in his four minutes.
Grade: Incomplete
Bismack Biyombo
1 minute, no stats
Good for Biyombo for logging a playoff minute in his fourteenth NBA season.
Grade: Incomplete
Kelly Olynyk
1 minute, no stats
Do we think Olynyk was expecting to play on Sunday? He was wearing ankle socks for the game. The broadcast team even called it out. He did buy the team black suits for Game One, so he would get an A+ for that if he had played enough minutes.
Grade: Incomplete
Lindy Waters III
1 minute, no stats
Waters got into the game but logged no stats, just like the rest of the Spurs’ depth players.
Grade: Incomplete
Inactives: Harrison Ingram, David Jones-Garcia, Emanuel Miller
The window to enter the transfer portal closes on Tuesday, April 21, although numerous top-tier players remain uncommitted in men's college basketball.
The transfer portal opened at midnight on Tuesday, April 7, just a few hours after Michigan won the national championship game over UConn. Nearly 4,800 players have entered the transfer portal since, according to a USA TODAY Network source.
Former Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic is USA TODAY's No. 1-ranked player to have entered the transfer portal this offseason, although the sharpshooter could be off to the NBA draft. Momcilovic entered the 2026 NBA Draft while retaining his eligibility and entering the transfer portal simultaneously.
Players can still sign with their new school outside of the two-week transfer portal window, although only if they entered their name during the period. It could still be a few days before the top players are wrapped up.
Here's a look at our top uncommitted players in the men's college basketball transfer portal:
John Brice contributed to this story.
Transfer portal rankings: Top uncommitted players in men's college basketball
Rankings as of 4:46 p.m. ET on Monday, April 20
1. Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Iowa State forward Milan Momicilovic entered the transfer portal on April 12, and instantly became the top player available thanks to his length and 3-point shooting ability. The 6-foot-8 junior averaged 16.9 points per game last season while shooting an NCAA-leading 48.7% from distance, which was 1.6% better than Liberty's Brett Decker Jr., who had the second-best mark.
Momcilovic has 101 starts in 102 career games for the Cyclones, and led the No. 2-seeded team in scoring this season. He's also entering his name in the 2026 NBA Draft while in the portal.
2. Juke Harris, Wake Forest
Sophomore guard Juke Harris took a massive leap in 2025-26, going from 6.1 points per game off the bench as a true freshman to one of the ACC's top scorers at 21.4 points per game as a sophomore. The 6-foot-7 guard also averaged 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, and shot 33.2% from 3-point range on 7.5 attempts per game.
Harris offers elite length at guard and also top-tier scoring ability, making him one of the top available players. He has been linked to Michigan, having taken a visit to the national champions, but has yet to commit, at least publicly.
Santa Clara forward Allen Graves previously declared for the NBA draft before later entering the transfer portal April 10.
The 6-foot-9 true freshman averaged 11.8 points with 6.5 rebounds per game this season off the bench, but he established himself as one of the best mid-major players late in the year. He scored 17 points with seven rebounds and a block in Santa Clara's NCAA Tournament loss to Kentucky, even making a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final seconds before Kentucky's Otega Oweh forced overtime.
Graves has three seasons of eligibility left and is already on the NBA draft radar, making him an enticing prospect.
4. Massamba Diop, Arizona State
Arizona State center Massamba Diop emerged as one of the top rim-protecting big men in the Big 12 this season despite being a true freshman, averaging 2.1 blocks per game. The 7-foot-1 former 3-star prospect from Senegal also averaged 13.6 points with 5.8 rebounds per game.
The market for top-tier big men is expensive, and Diop will be near the top.
5. Paulius Murauskus, Saint Mary's
Paulius Murauskus was one of the most productive-scoring big men in college basketball last season, averaging 18.4 points with 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a second-year starter for Saint Mary's. He also shot 33.3% from 3-point range.
The 6-foot-8 former Arizona transfer started 67 games across two seasons with the Gaels, helping lead the program to No. 7 seed selections in the NCAA Tournament in both years. His former Saint Mary's coach, Randy Bennett, is now at Arizona State, which could be an option for one of the top uncommitted players.
He's also reportedly an option for Louisville, who's looking to pair Murauskus with Flory Bidunga, the No. 1-ranked center to enter the portal this offseason.
6. John Blackwell, Wisconsin
Another productive scorer, former Wisconsin guard John Blackwell has a long list of suitors thanks to his offensive prowess.
The All-Big Ten third-team selection last season averaged 19.1 points with 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season, despite playing second fiddle to Nick Boyd, Wisconsin's leading scorer. The 6-foot-4 junior has one season of eligibility left, and scored 22 points in the Badgers' NCAA Tournament upset loss to High Point.
7. Moustapha Thiam, Cincinnati
Former Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam has elite size and shot-blocking ability, making him one of the best bg men available. The 7-foot-2, 250-pound center averaged 12.8 points with 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game last season for the Bearcats after transferring from UCF.
Thiam has 65 career starts and still has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
8. Donnie Freeman, Syracuse
Former five-star recruit Donnie Freeman opted to not return to Syracuse after it fired Adrian Autry and hired former Orange legend Gerry McNamara as his replacement.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 16.5 points with 7.2 rebounds per game last season, and is one of the top power forward options in the transfer portal. He's been tied to numerous blue-blood programs, with St. John's reportedly making a push for him to help replace Bryce Hopkins and Zuby Ejiofor.
9. Terrence Brown, Utah
Terrence Brown showed he can score at the Power Four level last season at Utah, averaging 19.9 points per game in his first season after leaving Fairleigh Dickinson.
The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 20.6 points per game at FDU as a sophomore, and brings one season of eligibility to his new team. He has been linked with numerous top-tier programs like North Carolina and others.
10. Paul McNeil, NC State
Paul McNeil is one of the best shooters in the transfer portal, as he shot 42.7% from distance last season on 7.2 attempts per game. The former NC State guard also averaged 13.6 points per game.
The 6-foot-5 sophomore scored a career-high 47 points in a nonconference game against Texas Southern in December, making 11 3-pointers while securing 10 rebounds. He'd be an elite shooting option next to an established point guard at his next school.
Former NC State coach Will Wade left the Wolfpack for LSU, and it'll be interesting to see if McNeil is an option for the Tigers.
While Brooklyn has won just 46 games across the last two seasons, coach Jordi Fernandez has impressed. He motivated players and got them to play hard, he ran clever sets to utilize the talent he did have, so much so that general manager Sean Marks had to keep trading away players so they wouldn't win so much. If Fernandez were made available, he would jump to the top of the list for almost every coaching search.
Which is why the Nets locked down Fernandez and his entire coaching staff with multyear extensions, the Nets announced Monday.
OUR COACH
The Brooklyn Nets have signed Head Coach Jordi Fernández and his entire coaching staff to multi-year contract extensions. pic.twitter.com/nyJiUsZM6d
"Jordi is a tremendous leader who, along with his coaching staff, put his stamp on this franchise from the moment he arrived in Brooklyn," Marks said in a statement announcing the extension. "Over his first two seasons, Jordi has built a strong foundation rooted in player development, a competitive spirit and honest communication, all of which have been embraced throughout our roster. The energy and passion the entire staff relentlessly pour into our players reverberates throughout the organization, and we are excited to have this group continue to lead our franchise into the future."
Fernandez, a native of Spain, got the Brooklyn job following 15 years working as an assistant coach in Cleveland, Denver and Sacramento.
Brooklyn's front office is looking to turn the ship around, which starts with this year's NBA draft. While it was a rough 20-62 season, Brooklyn ended it with the league's third-worst record, meaning it has a 14% chance of the No. 1 pick and a 52.1% chance of landing in the top four. The Nets used all five of their first-round picks a year ago, but the rookies' seasons were a bit disappointing, with the possible exception of Egor Demin, who showed promise. That said, the Nets need a foundational talent to build around and are counting on the draft to provide it.
SAN FRANCISCO — The direction of the Warriors’ offseason waits on Steve Kerr, so with the coach still undecided about his future, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. also put his traditional postseason news conference on hold.
With Steph Curry and Draymond Green already addressing their futures following Friday’s play-in loss to the Suns that ended their season, that meant there wasn’t much of any consequence left as the remainder of the roster took the podium one-by-one Monday inside Chase Center.
Still, here’s one thing we learned about each player in the last time we hear from them before they regroup at the end of summer for a training camp that could look different from years past.
Al Horford of the Golden State Warriors three point basket against the Phoenix Suns during the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament on April 17, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Al Horford: Still contemplating future
Horford described his first year with the Warriors as a “positive experience,” despite not getting the chance to chase a championship like he had hoped when he decided to leave the Celtics.
Horford, 39, possesses a player option for next season but said he’s undecided about his future. He did not rule out retirement and said he would talk it over with his wife, Amelia.
“Fortunately for me, I’m healthy. I feel good. I still feel like I can contribute and play at a very high level still. Those are all things that I’m going to look at,” Horford said. “Now that everything kind of gets quiet, you know, it’s something that I’ll reflect on all that.”
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Horford isn’t the only player with a decision to make, with Melton also holding a $3.45 million player option for next season.
The 27-year-old guard said he would “love to come back,” but he will take time to weigh his options, which should be more lucrative after re-establishing himself in his first year back from knee surgery.
“You’ve got to give yourself time to kind of decompress and see everything that’s going on, kind of let the dust settle,” he said. “I think that type of stuff is what I’m going to worry about next week.”
Brandin Podziemski: Hopes to sign contract extension
Melton’s backcourt partner won’t be a restricted free agent until after next season, but now that he is eligible for an extension to his rookie deal, the 23-year-old hopes it can get done this summer.
Podziemski, who took on more responsibility with Curry sidelined, said he look lessons away from watching the different ways Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody handled their contract situations.
“I want to be here for the long-term,” he said. “I think both seeing (Kuminga) and Moses do two different things for me helped, just seeing the goods and bads to both sides. I don’t think one is better than the other, but seeing that as a teammate and seeing how they handled both situations, I think is going to help me.”
Podziemski also walked back comments from before the season, when he said his goal was to be better than Curry. The brashness earned criticism inside and outside the organization.
“I know I’m not going to be better than Steph. He’s the only person that can be Steph,” Podziemski said. “So for me it’s just having that confidence, but understanding that I’m just trying to be the best version of Brandin Podziemski I can be, and wherever that kind of takes me in this career.”
Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors points during the game against the Sacramento Kings on April 10, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Quinten Post: Foot injury won’t prevent him from playing with Dutch national team
An injury to his right foot prevented the 26-year-old center from appearing in all but one of the Warriors’ final 13 games, but he said he was gearing up to be ready for a potential first-round series.
“I kept trying to play through it, and I put myself back,” he said.
Post also lost playing time once Horford was healthy and the Warriors had added another big man in Kristaps Porzingis. Post and Porzingis are set to be unrestricted free agents.
In the meantime, Post said he hopes to continue to improve his defense, get leaner and “play a bunch of basketball.” That includes suiting up for the Dutch national team.
“I think I’ll be back in about two weeks and start ramping it up from there,” Post said of his health. As far as his future with the Warriors, he added: “I would love to be here for as long as possible.”
Will Richard of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on April 12, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Will Richard: Plans to play Summer League despite hitting ‘rookie wall’
The Warriors looked like they found a diamond in the rough with Richard, the 56th overall pick in this past draft, but the rookie guard admitted he wasn’t the same player from about the All-Star break onward.
“It’s been a long season just from playing in the (NCAA) National Championship to predraft workouts, Summer League, training camp,” Richard said. “It’s been nonstop.”
Still, Richard said he planned for only a little downtime before getting back to work. He confirmed that he plans to play in the NBA Summer League this July for a second year in a row.
Joseph Savarino, the grandson of former Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, faces a misdemeanor charge of driving while impaired in a crash that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old boy in North Carolina.
According to WRAL News — an NBC TV affiliate in Raleigh, North Carolina — Savarino is accused of hitting a cyclist riding their electric bike at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 18, at the intersection of Cole Mill Road and Wyndham Lane in Durham, North Carolina. WRAL reports that the boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to online records from the Durham County Sheriff's Office, Savarino, 26, was booked into jail at 2:45 a.m. ET on Sunday, April 19, before posting out on $100,000 bond on Monday, April 20.
According to a public report of the incident obtained by WRAL News, Savarino told police he had been drinking earlier in the night, and that his blood alcohol content level registered at 0.11 on a breathalyzer test. WRAL also reported that a judge issued an order to revoke Savarino’s driving license.
Savarino is the son of Krzyzewski's daughter, Debbie Savarino, according to a 2024 article from the Raleigh News & Observer.
Krzyzewski has been retired from coaching since the end of the 2021-22 season. He served as the Blue Devils' coach for 42 seasons and posted a career overall record of 1,129-309.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 12: Dallas Mavericks have officially won the in NBA Draft Lottery with 1.8% pre-lottery chance to win the pick in Chicago, Illinois, United States on May 12, 2025. San Antonio Spurs got the second pick, Philadelphia 76ers got 3rd and Charlotte Hornets got the 4th pick in the lottery. (Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
The NBA held its draft tiebreaker drawings on Monday, April 20. It is worth clarifying what this process actually is, as this is not the Draft Lottery itself. Instead, the league uses these drawings to establish the order among tied teams before the lottery takes place, ensuring each team receives the appropriate odds (for lottery bound teams) or settles tiebreakers accordingly (for the 16 teams picking outside the lottery).
The Sixers do have a first-round pick in play, one that was directly affected by Monday’s tiebreaker. Philadelphia holds Houston’s first-round pick, acquired as part of the Jared McCain trade, and the Rockets finished the regular season at 50-32. Houston found themselves in a tiebreaker situation with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who finished with an identical record. Following a coin flip, the NBA awarded the Rockets the 22nd pick, which belongs to Philadelphia.
While it is only one slot, winning this tiebreaker is a win. Every position matters, especially in this draft. Most talent evaluators consider this class to run particularly deep, with viable prospects expected to be available as far down as picks 20 to 25. With the Sixers slotted at 22, it is a good place to be whether they keep and use the selection or ship it out for immediate help.
As for the Sixers’ own first-round pick, it will be conveying to Oklahoma City as part of the Al Horford deal that sent him to OKC for Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson. Philadelphia finished the regular season in a three-way tie with the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns, prompting a coin flip to determine picks 16, 17 and 18. While it was always known this pick would head to OKC, Monday’s drawing officially locked in exactly where it will land, slotting in at 17. With that, the long running obligations stemming from the Horford trade are now fully resolved.
Armed with the 22nd pick, the Sixers will have some significant decisions to make in the coming weeks and months. They are right in range to pounce if a coveted name slides down the board, but having a first-round selection also opens the door to moving up or down in ways that simply would not have been realistic without it.
Trading the pick outright remains on the table as well. In the past, I have been bullish on Philadelphia’s ability to move first-round picks mid-draft despite speculation to the contrary. This time around feels different, however. The league has taken notice of this draft class’s talent, and there will be no shortage of teams looking to shuffle their positions and lock up their preferred prospects. The Sixers may find the market for this pick more active than ever.
However it plays out, the 22nd pick gives Philadelphia a legitimate asset and real flexibility heading into one of the more compelling drafts in recent memory. The next few months should be interesting to see play out.
Knicks two-way center Trey Jemison III and his fiancée Alex Jean Glover are a sports power couple, which is why she can't support him in person during New York's first-round playoff series against the Hawks.
Knicks two-way center Trey Jemison III and his fiancée Alex Jean Glover are a sports power couple.
In a recent TikTok video, Glover, who is a professional volleyball broadcaster for numerous networks, explained that she can’t make it to the Knicks’ first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks because “mama’s gotta work” — and she doesn’t want to be a stay-at-home WAG.
“Dont kill me but I’m not gonna be able to make it to those playoff games. Working in sports, I would say, is one of my biggest blessings, but with my fiancé playing in the NBA, I can’t make it to all of the big accomplishments,” Glover, who is a former Division 1 athlete for the SMU women’s volleyball team, said in a “get ready with me” video posted before New York’s 113-102 Game 1 victory at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
Glover explained that she scheduled herself to work volleyball games before the Knicks clinched a playoff berth.
“That poses the question of, ‘If you knew it was during playoff time, why would you take it?'” she said. “If I waited for every single time the NBA had something come up… I wouldn’t work at all.”
Alex Jean Glover, fiancée of Knicks two-way center Trey Jemison III, explained that she will miss the Knicks-Hawks first-round playoff series due to work. TikTok/ Alex Glover
Glover added that she missed Jemison’s first NBA G-League start with the Westchester Knicks, as well as the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup, where the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 in the championship game in Las Vegas in December.
“Before Trey got with me, he knew he was getting a working baddie,” she said. “But that doesn’t make it any easier.
“That being said, we’re OK with it. I absolutely love my job down. It actually allows me to see him more than I would if I had a normal 9-5 with being I able to do something that I love, being able to travel and see Trey for weeks at a time. I don’t have complaints. I want to be there… But a girl’s gotta work.”
Knicks two-way center Trey Jemison III and his fiancée, Alex Jean Glover, on the court at Madison Square Garden. Instagram/Alex Glover
Glover also explained that she often gets asked why she works so much.
“Because I want to work. It’s OK if you don’t want to work… I will also say this with my full chest: People glamorize the life of a stay-at-home WAG. That is a hard job to have. Basically your whole life is revolving around someone else’s schedule and then you can add another component if you have children.
“It’s not as easy as it looks. Running a household while you’re trying to keep everything together is difficult and it can be so easy to lose yourself in the midst of it all… It’s a lot harder than these women are making it look from the outside.
Trey Jemison III #50 of the New York Knicks boxes out during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on April 12, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NBAE via Getty Images
“… Props to all the girlfriends and the WAGs and everybody holding it down for these men. Happy playoff season and go Knicks.”
Glover and Jemison got engaged last August
She previously shared that they met when he slid in her DMs in the fall of 2024.
Glover graduated from SMU in 2023. She finished her SMU volleyball career playing 92 sets and recording 80 kills with a .367 hitting percentage and 93 blocks — and finished tied for seventh all-time for most matches played as a Mustang with 126.
Glover added that she’ll be watching the Knicks while on the road at work.
“Mama’s gotta work, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be SAT during the games,” she captioned her post. “As always GO NY GO.”
Game 2 of the Knicks-Hawks best-of-seven first-round series is set for Monday night at MSG.
With six ties among teams with identical regular season records, the NBA held random drawings on Monday to help determine the order for the 2026 Draft.
The Knicks were among those teams after finishing with the same record as the Lakers (53-29).
New York won the tiebreaker over Los Angeles via the drawing, meaning they now own the 24th overall pick.
That is the first of three selections for the Knicks this year, with the other two being second-rounders, one of which comes via the Washington Wizards.
New York's last first round selection was Pacome Dadiet at 25th overall in 2024, because they shipped out their first rounder last year as part of the Mikal Bridges trade.
The NBA Draft takes place on June 23-24 at the Barclays Center.
With Steve Kerr’s future up in the air, the Warriors are reportedly considering a larger “organizational reset” if their longtime coach opts not to run it back for a 13th season.
While it remains to be seen who will be coaching Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Co. next season and beyond, there is less uncertainty when it comes to Golden State’s front office.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. will be pulling the levers no matter what direction the Warriors go, according to a report from Anthony Slater and Ramona Shelburne on Monday. Per ESPN, the Golden State general manager quietly signed an extension earlier this season and has multiple years remaining on the deal.
General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. of the Golden State Warriors talks to the media before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 7, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California.(Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
NBAE via Getty Images
Dunleavy, 45, is a former Warriors player who took over the top job in the front office when Bob Myers departed in 2022 following Golden State’s fourth championship in eight seasons.
Myers saw the difficult decisions coming down the road, many of which will come to a head for Dunleavy this offseason. Top of mind is Kerr, whose contract expired after their play-in loss to the Suns and spoke openly about whether returning for a 13th season was the right choice for him.
According to ESPN, citing anonymous team sources, Golden State would like Kerr, 60, to commit to a multiyear extension if he does decide to come back.
If Kerr does walk away, like Green believes he will, that could lead to larger changes for what has been the league’s most stable organization since he teamed up with Curry and Green in 2014.
Not only would the Warriors be expected to include several external coaching candidates in their search, they could also look to the college ranks, according to ESPN. Florida’s national championship-winning coach Todd Golden, who previously led the University of San Francisco, is one potential name.
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Within the league, former Pelicans coach Willie Green was mentioned by ESPN as a possibility to return to the Warriors’ staff, where he was an assistant under Kerr from 2016-19.
If the Warriors opt to move forward with what team sources described to ESPN as a potential “organizational reset,” it could involve further changes to the coaching staff and the roster.
Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green gestures to head coach Steve Kerr after being assessed a technical foul in the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers in Inglewood, Calif., on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) AP
While Steph Curry stopped short of publicly endorsing Kerr after they were eliminated, he said he wanted “Coach to be happy” and that “he knows how I feel about him.” At the same time, Curry acknowledged Golden State needed to change things up after an injury-riddled 37-45 finish.
“I’ve only been in one locker room for the last 17 years,” he said. “Before you win the title, there’s only like those first two years, you’re building the foundation for what a championship team looks like, even though you have no idea what that really meant, then you accomplish it and everything else is based off of that.
“It’s been that way since 2015. … With how the game is played now, with how fast it is, how young and athletic it is, all those things, we kind of have to put everything on the drawing board and get back to just being competitive every single night.”
Kerr acknowledged after the loss that every coaching job has “an expiration date” and that “sometimes it’s time for new blood and new ideas.” Curry agreed but said he believed Kerr was up to the task.
“You have to adapt and evolve, for sure,” he said. “I think Coach is fully capable of doing that and thinking outside the box as we go. But to his point, your spirit has to be in it. Your mind has to be in it. Your coaching staff. Every dynamic has to be on that journey with you.”
“You’ve got to look at what’s there,” Nurse said following his team’s practice at Harvard University. “Obviously, it was pretty painful to watch. There were a lot of things that we didn’t do very well and a lot of things out of character. So it was long. Lots to look at, lots to talk about.”
Entering the playoffs, multiple Sixers had highlighted the importance of “attention to detail.” The team had a rough Sunday in that regard.
The Sixers’ defense was nowhere near its disruptive best and Boston’s star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 51 points before subbing out for the non-competitive fourth quarter.
“It was more so a lot of miscommunications, not being on the same page altogether,” Quentin Grimes said. “Nothing crazy, but we’ve just got to be on the same page for 48 minutes. … We watched that and we’ve got a good feel for how can play tomorrow.”
“It’s a make-or-miss league,” Justin Edwards said. “The basketball Gods weren’t on our side. I expect them to be on our side tomorrow.”
While greater precision with Nurse’s schemes and sharper in-game adjustments will be necessary Tuesday, some of the Sixers’ problems in Game 1 were obviously intangible.
Andre Drummond believes the team will have a better, more focused collective mindset in Game 2.
“Take some pressure off ourselves,” Drummond said. “I think we were so excited to be out there that we made little mistakes we normally wouldn’t make. We were hesitant on shots that we normally aren’t hesitant taking. Not that anybody’s nervous or scared, I think we’re just so excited to have made it this far and be a part of something bigger than ourselves compared to what happened last year. I think just those jitters kind of took over.
“So I think we’re going to be fine. … A lot of the mistakes we made, we can control. So just be prepared. We watched film for a little while today, so we understand what needs to be changed and we’re ready to go.”
The Sixers’ hope is that their thorough review of Game 1 leads to a much different Game 2 performance.
“We needed that,” Drummond said. “We could’ve just come here, walked through our sets and prepared for tomorrow. But I think physically watching what we did to kind of beat ourselves, things we could’ve done better and could’ve done more … it was very long and very detailed. There’s a lot of things we wrote on the board that we need to do tomorrow.
“I think we’re ready, I think we’re prepared. … Regardless of what the score was, I think we needed to get that game under our belt to kind of feel what the atmosphere is going to be, and I think we’ll be fine.”
The latest on Embiid
On the injury front, Joel Embiid (appendectomy recovery) was still the one player listed as out for either side going into Game 2. The Celtics listed Ron Harper Jr. as probable with a right ankle sprain.
A Sixers official said Monday that Embiid has started a strength and conditioning program post-surgery in Philadelphia. He had the procedure on April 9 and was back around his teammates for the first time last Wednesday when the Sixers won their play-in tournament game vs. the Magic.
Mar 19, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
In case you need reminding, go ahead and rewatch Sunday’s game to see how much the Sixers miss Joel Embiid when he’s out.
The team looked hopeless without the big fella, getting crushed by the Boston Celtics 123-91 in Game 1 Sunday. Sure, the Celtics are the favorites to get out of the East and Nick Nurse didn’t seem to have any answers for anything Joe Mazzulla was doing, but Embiid’s absence was undeniably felt.
Adem Bona and Andre Drummond struggled mightily on both ends of the floor. Bona couldn’t finish anything at the rim and got into early foul trouble. Drummond yet again couldn’t keep up with Neemias Queta and also got into early foul trouble. Dominick Barlow had to play some five and didn’t find any success, either.
Like it or not, the Sixers are stuck in this Embiid limbo, praying there’s any chance he can return for this series. The team is only as good as his health allows them to be — which obviously hasn’t been good for nearly his entire career. Trading him isn’t likely to help the franchise now or in the future. It’s frustrating, but there really aren’t many alternatives other than getting serious about building a roster that can at least withstand his absences.
Embiid’s three-year extension kicks in next season, when he’ll make (an estimated) $57.9 million. That number goes up to $62.6 million in 2027-28. He then has a player option for the 2028-29 season at $67.2 million. Put yourself in the shoes of another general manager — as great as Embiid is when he plays, are you giving up real assets for that cap hit and sorted injury history? Of course you aren’t.
Think about Daryl Morey’s history here as well. He won’t salary dump players, for better or worse. He did so immediately upon his arrival with Al Horford in a move that absolutely had to happen. Since then, he’s held on to players like Ben Simmons and James Harden, despite their desires to be traded. This is a guy who held on to Tobias Harris for the entirety of his contract because he couldn’t get positive value in return. To think he would happily hand over picks to get off Embiid’s contract isn’t based in reality.
Of course, there’s a non-zero chance Morey isn’t running things this offseason. So, you’re then expecting the next executive to trade a guy in Embiid who is a franchise icon and, again, attach assets to do it. It would be the defining move of the next executive’s tenure. That’s a lot of weight to put on a potential Morey successor.
And take into account what the team looks like post-Embiid salary dump. It’s doubtful the players they receive in return will offer any type of upgrade. Those guys are likely to be salary dumps in their own right. Maybe a player like a Nicolas Batum will sneak in the deal like in the Harden trade, but how much better does that make this version of the Sixers? They’ll also have less picks to build for the future, hurting any future team-building around Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
Again, there’s no great solution here. The best and most logical step is to fortify the center position behind Embiid. The Sixers have done well on the margins in so many other areas. Their inability to find just a decent backup big or two, knowing Embiid’s injury history, is mind-boggling.
Bona is fine as a backup playing 15-20 minutes a night while he continues to develop, but the team needs more. With respect to Drummond, who is giving the Sixers everything he can right now, an upgrade is needed. You don’t need a world-beater, just a big who can do the basics — set good screens, roll to the rim and finish, rebound and protect the rim. There are centers who fit this mold you can acquire without needing premium trade assets or money. Johni Broome is here, but it still could be beneficial to bring in another young big after the 23-year-old rookie couldn’t get minutes before suffering a meniscus injury.
The Sixers couldn’t be in a stranger spot. Embiid is likely too good to salary dump, but can’t be relied upon to stay healthy through a playoff run. There’s no perfect answer, but the team can do better starting this offseason.
Learn to spell his name. Learn to pronounce his name. Learn to enjoy the absurdities that come when Victor Wembanyama is on the court. They will likely define the next few weeks of the NBA playoffs, to the San Antonio Spurs’ great delight and the Portland Trail Blazers’ great misery.
Victor Wembanyama may not go 5-for-6 from beyond the arc again, but even by missing a few 3-pointers, he would likely increase his own playing time. Yes, the San Antonio Spurs superstar scored 35 points in fewer than 33 minutes in Game 1. His own dominance lessened the need for more action.
Wembanyama has scored at least 34 points in five of his last six games, clearing 40 in three of those. He has been in a dominant form for a bit now, something that should worry not only the Portland Trail Blazers but also everyone in the NBA.
The Trail Blazers' concern stems largely from an inability to defend Wembanyama. Second-year center Donovan Clingan is actually an imposing defensive presence, but he has neither the quickness nor the agility to keep up with Wembanyama away from the rim.
Portland needs to trim Clingan’s minutes and try a different approach. That approach will still be unlikely to work, but some adjustment is a must.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
