Given that only 13 of 295 teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 playoff deficit (a 4.4 percent success rate) and that the Celtics just lost their best player, there’s no way Boston can join that exclusive comeback club… right?
Well, the Celtics took the first step Wednesday by winning Game 5 without Tatum at TD Garden. And ahead of Friday’s Game 6 at Madison Square Garden, there are a few stats that may make Knicks fans sweat a bit.
Consider these these stats for starters, courtesy of NBC Sports Boston stats guru Dick Lipe:
The Celtics are 9-2 in their last 11 elimination games (chance to lose the series). No other NBA team has more than four wins during that stretch.
Boston is 5-0 in its last five elimination games on the road.
The Knicks are 2-5 in their last seven closeout games (chance to win the series) and are 4-9 in closeout games since 2001.
New York is 0-5 in its last five closeout games at home.
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The obvious caveat here is that the Celtics don’t have Tatum, who delivered legendary performances in two of Boston’s most recent elimination-game wins. His 16 points in the fourth quarter of Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers in 2023 rescued them from an early exit, and he put the team on his back the previous year in Milwaukee with 46 points on the road in Game 6.
But this is a resilient Boston team that’s won without Tatum before; in fact, the Celtics are now 17-3 (including 2-0 in the playoffs) over the last two seasons when Tatum is sidelined. And while making a full comeback from down 3-1 is a steep challenge, the C’s have fared quite well in this particular spot:
Boston is 13-11 all time in Game 6 when trailing 3-2, and has won three of its last four Game 6s while facing a 3-2 deficit.
For Celtics fans, the biggest reason for optimism might be the pressure facing the Knicks. The storied franchise hasn’t reached the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000 and was in this exact spot last postseason (up 3-1 on the Indiana Pacers in the second round) before losing three straight, including Games 5 and 7 on their own floor.
The stars will be out at Madison Square Garden on Friday night with the hope of watching the Knicks finally get over the hump. But they’ll have plenty of ghosts to contend with if the Celtics can rally for another win.
Game 6 tips off at 8 p.m. ET, with NBC Sports Boston’s coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.
Lakers coach JJ Redick, left, and basketball executive Rob Pelinka enter an offseason with questions about the roster, including who will be the team's next big man. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
One year ago, the seats at the bar and the tables near the coffee shop inside the Marriott Marquis hotel and the seats and concourse in the adjoining Wintrust Arena were filled with people wondering what in the hell was going to be next for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The team had fired its coach, Darvin Ham, after a second consecutive playoff loss to Denver and rumors were everywhere that the team had zeroed in on broadcaster JJ Redick. At the same time, LeBron James, his wife Savannah and their security team filed into the stands to watch Bronny James try to earn a spot in the NBA draft.
They were an inescapable topic of conversation, their position at the center of the NBA’s universe certainly annoying to the other 29 teams but inarguable.
This year, though, under those same roofs, the Lakers haven’t been the main event. They took their turn in the spotlight earlier this year when they traded for Luka Doncic. They’ve got their coach in Redick and Rob Pelinka has a promotion and a contract extension.
By NBA standards, they’re operating fairly status quo.
This week at the NBA draft combine in Chicago, people have buzzed about the 2025 draft class led by Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the kind of sure-thing prospect that eliminates any suspense. Winning the lottery, termed by multiple people as an “all-time” crazy one, could help undo some of the goodwill the Mavericks surrendered when they dealt Doncic to the Lakers.
There’s been a lot of speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo and his future in Milwaukee and where Kevin Durant will land, assuming his time in Phoenix is over. People have started to speculate how Boston will approach a season without Jayson Tatum and the ripple effects of that.
But it’s the Lakers and something will eventually break through.
When people have wanted to gossip, they’ve pointed to the Lakers’ strength and conditioning job posting that somehow carried an ESPN segment on “Get Up” earlier this week. (According to people with knowledge of the situation, the team routinely posts jobs like this on LinkedIn and TeamWork online and did so last summer when they were hiring an assistant strength and conditioning coach.)
The method of the job posting, more than anything else, caught some people in Chicago off-guard — “We’d never post a job like that,” one rival team executive said — most people have lost the general thread, which is the Lakers trying to reimagine their strength and conditioning program.
The Lakers and strength coach Ed Streit parted ways last week, people with knowledge of the situation told The Times. Streit, a well-liked presence in the organization, joined the team in 2019 as an assistant strength coach and earned a promotion in 2021.
Following the season, though, Redick said he felt the team needed to be in “championship shape” next season. The Lakers’ two biggest stars, like most, work with their own strength and medical teams. Whoever joins the Lakers’ staff will be leaned on to help the rest of the roster, most notably Austin Reaves, who is set for free agency next summer and in line for a massive raise.
A new voice around the weight room could jolt the team as it tries to get to a different level with conditioning.
People, including the Lakers’ scouts and executives here in Chicago, have openly spoke about the team’s needs at the center position — an obvious priority for Pelinka and Redick.
The team has shown no interest in using Reaves in a trade that nets them anything less than a top-tier big, and there really aren’t any of those available, with the two most common names linked to them in the earliest stages of the offseason — Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton and Dallas’ Daniel Gafford.
Neither is a lock for a variety of reasons.
In Claxton, the Lakers would have the prototypical rim-protecting, lob-catching center that’s tailor-made for Doncic. Claxton's due more than $66 million over the next three seasons and is two years removed from his most impactful stretch as a pro when he averaged 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks on a league-best 70.5% shooting from the field. This season in 70 games, those numbers dipped to 10.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks with 56.3% shooting.
An optimistic read on the situation would point to the Nets’ losing as a reason for his dip in production. A pessimist would point to his narrow frame (just 215 pounds), the two straight years in which his numbers have slumped and the high salary.
Gafford, we know, is a surefire Doncic fit because of their time together in Dallas. He’s about to enter the final year of his deal and plays on a roster with Dereck Lively and Anthony Davis, making it unlikely that there’s more cash headed his way from the Mavericks.
The trouble, of course, is that people around the NBA wonder how it would look if Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison engaged Pelinka and the Lakers on another trade after the last deal between the teams was so unpopular that it caused protests.
All-Star guard Luka Doncic (77) and the Lakers need a big man with the departure of Anthony Davis in the trade. Will Austin Reaves or Dorian Finney-Smith be traded to acquire one? (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
According to rival scouts and executives, the Lakers best’ assets (minus Reaves) are their 2031 first-round pick, second year wing Dalton Knecht and a bunch of expiring contracts. Some combination of them would be a must in any deal the team would make for a center.
The free-agency options, like the in-season trade options, are considered to be pretty lean. Indiana center Myles Turner is set to be a free agent, but he was already out of the Lakers’ price range before the Pacers' current run to the Eastern Conference finals. Brook Lopez is 37 and already had a one-year stint with the Lakers before leaving to play his best basketball elsewhere. Clint Capela could be an option depending on how the market reacts, but there are questions around the league about whether he’s still a full-time starter.
Jaxson Hayes, who started for the Lakers this season, is also a free agent, but the Lakers clearly had their doubts with him when they decided to bench him in the playoffs. You can assume that some bridges would need to be rebuilt if that were an option.
Another possibility or two could develop on draft night depending on how teams value this group of young bigs. A player such as Duke’s Khaman Maluach could be viewed as too good to pass up even if a team has a center on the roster, and that could create an opportunity for a player to unexpectedly hit the trade market.
Otherwise, the Lakers are looking for what every team in the NBA is looking for — versatility, toughness, athleticism and shooting.
Those markets are slowly starting to develop behind the scenes as agents meet with teams and as teams build out their offseason free-agency boards now that lottery has been settled.
The Lakers are working on all of this too. Just this time, it’s not what everyone is talking about.
Following the Warriors’ season-ending Game 5 loss to the Timberwolves on Wednesday night, TNT’s Charles Barkley addressed Kuminga’s situation.
“Man, the Kuminga thing is interesting, because the three old guys are making a lot of money, so you’re pretty much stuck with them for the next two years,” Barkley said on “Inside the NBA.” “The Kuminga thing, we’re in the back and we’re like ‘Damn. He either plays or he doesn’t play.’ But now you’ve got to make a decision. You’ve got to make a decision whether to pay him or not.”
"You can't go to war with three old guys against the West."
“Well, they made their decision,” Smith said. “They didn’t extend him and they don’t play him when Steph is there. Meaning, his contribution, they don’t feel helps when Steph is there. They’ve said it.”
Barkley, a long-time Warriors detractor, made the case that Kuminga helped balance the roster that features a 37-year-old Curry, and Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, both 35 years old.
“And I’m going to disagree with you,” Barkley said to Smith. “He’s the only one on that bench that’s explosive and you can’t go to war with three old guys against the West. Like, he was the only guy out there, when you said, he can play with these Minnesota Timberwolves guys. But he’s a restricted free agent … I don’t want to make a comment because they know him better than we do. They didn’t extend him when all the other rookies got extended. So it tells me they don’t believe in him.”
Kuminga is a restricted free agent, so he can sign an offer sheet from another team and the Warriors have the right to match. Or they can work out a sign-and-trade with another team, giving the 2021 No. 7 overall draft pick a fresh start elsewhere.
But Kuminga showed his immense talent during several stretches this season. In 15 games from Dec. 3 to Jan. 4, he averaged 20.4 points on 48.2 percent shooting from the field. In back-to-back games on Dec. 27 and Dec. 28, he scored 34 points off the bench.
Then a severe ankle injury sidelined him for two months, and when Kuminga returned, Jimmy Butler was in the fold and took most of the minutes at power forward.
In his final 15 regular-season games, Kuminga averaged just 12.2 points and fell out of favor with Kerr, to the point that he wasn’t in the first-round rotation against the Houston Rockets.
Kerr had no choice but to turn to Kuminga when Curry went down with the hamstring strain, and the young forward stepped up, averaging 24.3 points in the final four games against the Timberwolves.
Kuminga’s performance in the Western Conference semifinals likely served as an audition for prospective teams, and if the Warriors decide a sign-and-trade is the best route, his potential could be tantalizing to rival general managers.
“I don’t know how those things go,” Kuminga told reporters during his end-of-season availability on Thursday at Chase Center. “I’ll learn more going through the summer. It don’t really matter. I’m going to let my agent handle things like that. I’ll just listen to what he’ll tell me.
“I just tell him to take his time. I’m going to take my time too, figure out what I’m going to do with my day because I’m bored.”
Barkley often isn’t spot-on regarding the Warriors, but concerning the Kuminga situation, he hit the nail on the head.
ESPN NBA analyst Brian Windhorst believes there is a pathway to the Warriors acquiring Antetokounmpo but there’s a big BUT involved in any hypothetical trade.
“Yes, there is a package that the Warriors could use,” Windhorst said on “Get Up” on Friday morning. “They have some future draft picks. They have interesting young players. Like last year, Brandon Podziemski was off limits. Who knows if that’s going to be the case this year? But they can’t win a bidding war.
“First off, I just want to say Giannis has not let it be known he certainly wants out of Milwaukee, so I do not think we should assume that. If we do reach that point where Giannis was going to look around, he will have agency in this. He has two years left on his contract. The Bucks don’t have to listen to him. But if he were to come to Milwaukee and say, I want to play with Steph [Curry], there could be a deal worked out. The same would apply, in my view, to the [New York] Knicks or [Los Angeles Lakers], if he says I want to be a Knicks, send me to New York or I want to be a Laker. These are big ifs. Those trades can get worked out. But if it’s just an open market, none of those three teams, in my opinion, could win a bidding war with the Bucks.”
.@RealJayWilliams poses a way for Steph Curry and the Warriors to get back to the biggest stage.
"There is a world in which Giannis says, 'I want to be a part of this team.'" pic.twitter.com/sGGke2aKpV
As “Get Up” host Mike Greenberg and analysts Chiney Ogwumike and Jay Williams discussed how Antetokounmpo’s Warriors fit and how the 30-year-old might convey to the Bucks where he wants to go, Windhorst doubled down on his earlier statement.
“If you’re asking, can the Warriors get Giannis?” Windhorst said. “The answer is yes. But, and it’s the but that is going to be a big thing that’s going to define this offseason.”
The Warriors have been linked to Antetokounmpo in previous offseasons, but nothing ever came close to materializing.
Now, with Curry’s NBA title window closing, the Warriors might be inclined to push for Antetokounmpo to get the four-time NBA champion a fifth ring.
As Windhorst alluded to, other NBA teams have more coveted trade assets to send to the Bucks. But if Antetokounmpo tells Milwaukee he only wants to go to the Warriors, the sides must try to work out a deal.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted that the Warriors have four tradeable future first-round draft picks in 2026, 2028, 2030 (if picks 1 through 20) and 2032, and Golden State can offer first-round pick swaps in any of the next seven years.
To make the money work, the Warriors almost assuredly would have to include Draymond Green or Jimmy Butler in an Antetokounmpo trade, but Golden State publicly is committing to the core of Curry, Green and Butler.
Nikola Jokic led the scoring for the Denver Nuggets [Getty Images]
Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and recorded 14 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-107 to force a decisive seventh game in their Western Conference semi-final series.
Denver headed into Thursday's match 3-2 down in the series after squandering late leads in games five and six, but fought back after half-time to earn a trip to Oklahoma City for Game seven on Sunday, 18 May at 14:30 local time (20:30 BST).
"To win that [fourth] quarter, after what's happened the last two games, says a lot of our guys and the fact that they can bounce back from anything - I keep saying that," said Denver interim coach David Adelman. "We just keep finding our way."
Jamal Murray shook off an illness to produce 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Christian Braun added 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Julian Strawther came off the bench to score 15 points, his postseason career high.
The Nuggets needed a seventh game to eliminate the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points for the Thunder, who ended the regular season top of the Western Conference with a 68-14 record.
Chet Holmgren wound up with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace scored 10 points apiece.
The Minnesota Timberwolves await either Denver or Oklahoma City in the Western Conference final - last year they defeated the Nuggets in game seven of the Western Conference semi-finals.
May 15, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) and center Nikola Jokic (15) and guard Christian Braun (0) in the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game six of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
This series had to go seven. Basketball fans deserved it. Denver vs. Oklahoma City has been too close, too back-and-forth, and just too entertaining not to go seven.
That Game 7 takes place on Sunday because Nikola Jokic got the help he lacked in a Game 5 loss two nights earlier. Jamal Murray, playing through an illness that had him listed as doubtful earlier in the day, scored 25, while Christian Braun added a career playoff-high of 23 points and 12 rebounds.
The game was tied 80-80 in the later stages of the third quarter when Denver went on a 10-0 run, and held on from there. The Nuggets won 119-107 to force a Game 7 on Sunday back in Oklahoma City.
This is the second straight series Denver will have to go seven games. The Nuggets comfortably beat the Clippers at home in the last Game 7.
“We just keep finding a way,” Nuggets interim coach David Adelman said of forcing a second Game 7.
Who found a way was little-used forward Julian Strawther. He sparked the Nuggets’ third-quarter run and finished with a career playoff-high 15 points, all of them coming in the second half.
Julian Strawther stepped up BIG-TIME off the bench in the @nuggets Game 6 W
Denver's biggest concern out of the night was Aaron Gordon, who was seen grabbing his hamstring at points in the fourth quarter and seemed slowed for that stretch. Gordon said postgame he was fine and that recovery for him started immediately.
The advantage they have is two days off in a series that has been every other day up until this point. The older, thinner Nuggets, in particular, were clearly excited about having a couple of days off to rest between games.
The MVPs did their part in this game, with Jokic scoring 29 points with 14 rebounds and eight assists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 32 points, with 18 of those coming in the second half despite him having four fouls by halftime.
SGA did not get enough help. Jaylen Williams scored six points on 3-of-16 shooting — he has to be better on Sunday if OKC is going to advance. Chet Holmgren poured in 19.
It’s Friday, May 16, and the Boston Celtics (61-21) and New York Knicks (51-31) are all set to square off from Madison Square Garden in New York for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Celtics owned Game 5 with a 25-point blowout win at home (127-102) amid the loss of Jayson Tatum (Achilles injury in Game 4). Boston is still one game away from elimination and split 1-1 in New York. Derrick White is coming off a game-high 34-point outing on 7-of-13 from three (53.8%), while Jaylen Brown scored 26 points to go along with 12 assists and 8 rebounds.
Jalen Brunson had his second-lowest point outcome of the series with 22 points on 7-of-17 from the field (41.2%), while Josh Hart added a playoff-high 24 points. Karl-Anthony Towns had his lowest output (19 points) since Game 1 but also dealt with foul trouble as he's had four or more fouls in all five games.
The Celtics are currently 33-8 on the road with a point differential of 9, while the Knicks have a 6-4 record in their last ten games at home. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Celtics vs. Knicks live today
Date: Friday, May 16, 2025
Time: 8:00 PM EST
Site: Madison Square Garden
City: New York, NY
Network/Streaming: ESPN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Celtics vs. Knicks
The latest odds as of Friday:
Odds: Celtics (+119), Knicks (-142)
Spread: Knicks -2.5
Over/Under: 210 points
That gives the Celtics an implied team point total of 104.43, and the Knicks 105.73.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Friday’s Celtics vs. Knicks game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes the Knicks to close the series at home with a strong start:
"This has been one fun series to watch and despite two blowouts in the past three games, I think we see a tight contest like we did in Game 3. Four of the Celtics' starting five went a combined 28-of-48 from the field (58.3%) in Game 5 and I don't think that translates as well in MSG. This is a moment that the New York franchise has been waiting on and from the gate, the home crowd will make it a tough environment. With Mr. Clutch on the Knicks side at home, I trust New York with a lead or trailing. I will back the Knicks to win and like the Celtics first quarter team total Under after two strong starts in Games 4 and 5."
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Celtics & Knicks game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Boston Celtics at +2.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 210.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Celtics vs. Knicks on Friday
The Celtics have won 4 of 5 games at divisional opponents
The Over is 12-9 in the Celtics' divisional matchups this season
The Celtics have failed to cover in 12 of their 21 matchups against Eastern Conference Atlantic Division teams this season
The Celtics have won 4 of 5 games at divisional opponents
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) - Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) - Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) - Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
When NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum held up the Dallas Mavericks logo Monday night, announcing they had turned their 1.8% chance into the No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg's reaction was understated. To put it mildly. The presumptive No. 1 pick in this draft, he seemed as stunned as everyone else Dallas was going to be his new home, but also he was not reacting excitedly like Victor Wembanyama when he found out he was headed to San Antonio.
The Dallas Mavericks win the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery/the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes!
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 12, 2025
Flagg admitted was as caught off guard by the outcome as everyone else, but then spoke highly of Dallas, talking to reporters at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Quotes via Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal:
"It was a crazy draft lottery. It was a cool experience to be there and go through that experience...
"I'm grateful to get this opportunity, or any opportunity to hear my name called on draft night. I'm just really excited for this whole experience. Not everybody gets to go through this, so I just feel really blessed. As far as Dallas goes, they've got a lot of really good pieces."
Among those pieces is fellow Duke player Dereck Lively II.
"To be able to learn from D-Live—that's pretty cool. So I think it would be a really cool opportunity."
Flagg also talked about what he learned being on the USA Select team last summer, practicing and scrimmaging against the USA Basketball team that won gold in the Paris Olympics. He got to see up close how hard the best in the game work and how much they prepare, mentally and physically, and he said he took that to heart.
With a front line of Anthony Davis, Lively and Flagg, plus Kyrie Irving (eventually, he will miss most if not all of next season after tearing his ACL in March), there is a path to the Mavericks being a dangerous team — if they can get everyone healthy. The lottery ping-pong balls also bailed maligned GM Nico Harrison out: One of the biggest flaws of the Luka Doncic trade was that Davis was six years older, and with that, Dallas got a lot older. Flagg is 18 and gives the Mavericks a clear path to the future.
Flagg is excited about that future, no matter what his face looked like seconds after the announcement.
(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)
The Philadelphia 76ers own the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft after lottery luck, but what to do with it has already sparked a heated debate among the fan base. The name at the center of it? Ace Bailey, the 6-foot-9 athletic marvel with tantalizing upside but uneven production at Rutgers.
Kevin O’Connor didn’t mince words on the latest episode of "The Kevin O'Connor Show" with ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony, suggesting Bailey is “most likely to bust of the top five guys.” But Givony shot down the skepticism. “Absolutely not. I love Ace Bailey,” Givony said, even after acknowledging valid questions about Bailey’s track record. Givony stressed Bailey’s maturity, competitiveness and game-changing potential: “He’s 18 years old, doesn’t turn 19 until August. … I firmly believe Ace Bailey is going to be a star in the NBA.”
Bailey’s case feels eerily similar to past draft debates — upside versus college-winner credentials. Detractors say, “He couldn’t help Rutgers win, how is he going to help win games in the NBA?” But Givony has spent time at Rutgers, at Team USA camps and describes a player and person who checks all the right boxes for long-term success.
The Sixers’ current options at No. 3 aren’t jaw-dropping, as both host and guest agree. “VJ Edgecombe? How does that make sense with [Tyrese] Maxey and [Jared] McCain?” asks Givony. For a team that’s always looking for the next Joel Embiid running mate, Givony urges Bailey: “I’m 100% drafting him third.”
Warriors forward Jimmy Butler didn’t live up to his “Playoff Jimmy” moniker in Golden State’s final two losses of its Western Conference semifinals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Butler, under the weather during Games 4 and 5, attempted 20 combined shots and scored 31 total points, well below what was expected from the six-time NBA All-Star.
With Steph Curry moving closer to returning, the Warriors needed to win just one game to extend the series long enough for the 37-year-old to have a chance to play in Game 6.
But Butler wasn’t able to put the Warriors on his back. His performances on Monday and Wednesday were criticized by a pair of ESPN analysts on Thursday morning.
“You weren’t asked to win the war. You were asked to hold the damn line,” Jay Williams said on “Get Up” on Thursday. “Right? For one game. One game. Not two games. Not three games. Just one game. Give the sun in your solar system a chance to rise again for Game 6. That sun is Steph Curry. And what we came off last game, where he took nine shots, the fact that Jimmy Butler only took 11 shots when you needed him … the most in this game, it’s shocking to me. It’s shocking to me.
“It’s the biggest question I have from this series. This is a guy who is going to get paid $120 million over the next two years. $120 million. Took only 11 shots. Now, I know the game got away. But [Udonis Haslem], you’re going to swing. If you’re going to go out, you’re going to go out swinging, not taking two more shots than the nine shots you took in the game you didn’t come out for [two nights] before.”
.@RealJayWilliams sounds off on Jimmy Butler's performance after the Warriors' loss to the Timberwolves in Game 5.
While Stephen A. Smith believes the Warriors’ trade for Butler lived up to expectations, he echoed Williams’ sentiments, though in a more toned-down manner.
“When Butler first arrived in Golden State, a lot of us didn’t think much of it because we said, ‘How does this really pair with seeing a guy like Steph with a guy like Klay [Thompson]? How does this mesh? How does this work exactly?’ And then they were playing lights out together and so we got our hopes up. But then it came crashing down once Steph hurt his hamstring. And it is what it is.
“Here’s what makes this look bad. Butler obviously forced his way out of Miami. We know you didn’t want to be a No. 1 option. You wanted to play with someone who’s a No. 1. You didn’t mind being that ‘Robin.’ Then you go to Golden State and y’all have major success. Steph gets hurt. You got your money. And Joe Lacob and the Golden State Warriors, all they needed was one game.
“See, it ain’t like Steph went down like [Boston Celtics star Jayson] Tatum did [with a ruptured Achilles] and he’s out for the next year, at least. It’s not like that. Everybody had projected, it’s going to take about a week. Steph Curry should be back for Game 6. All you got to do, being [Game] 3, 4 or 5, give me one game and he couldn’t do it. Eleven shot attempts last night. Twenty shot attempts over the last two games.”
Butler’s arrival jump-started the Warriors’ season and helped them secure the No. 7 seed. But his last impression wasn’t good and he left himself open to sharp criticism.
So, what is the Warriors’ offseason plan? ESPN’s Shams Charania provided insight into Golden State’s mindset.
“The Golden State Warriors have up to four first-round picks they can trade,” Charania said on “SportsCenter” on Thursday. “They have tradeable contracts, pick swaps as well. Sources told me in the last few hours, the Warriors will be incredibly aggressive in the marketplace to go find help, to continue to retool around their big three of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.
“I’m told their priority is finding a play-making wing defender or a center to add to this group. A lot of it will come down to someone that Steve Kerr and the big feel like will help this team and fits their culture and their identity.”
"One key player to keep an eye on … right now is forward Jonathan Kuminga."@ShamsCharania on how the Warriors plan to reshape their roster in the offseason for a return to success. pic.twitter.com/atSNNVIHx6
Kuminga was in and out of Kerr’s rotation and has had an uneven four years with the Warriors, but the young forward averaged 24.3 points in the four games Curry missed against the Timberwolves
So, while Kuminga might not fit the Warriors’ roster, another team might value him and provide Golden State with the pieces it desires.
“One key player to keep an eye on on this roster right now is forward Jonathan Kuminga,” Charania said. “I’m told he’s going to have a strong sign-and-trade market coming up. He’s an exciting young wing player. Both sides are expected to have conversations commencing over the next several weeks ahead of free agency to see, is there a potential sign-and-trade landing spot that gives him a lucrative deal while also potentially bringing the Warriors some additional help for their roster so that both sides end up as winners.”
The Warriors’ window to win a title with Curry, Green and Butler is closing and the front office understands the team wasn’t good enough to win games without their two-time NBA MVP.
So, changes around the three superstars are coming this summer.
The core of the team – Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler – almost certainly will come back for another title run. There are questions, however, about the rest of Golden State’s roster.
Restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga obviously is priority No. 1 in the offseason for general manager Mike Dunleavy. Fringe players like Quinten Post and Gui Santos have deals ending, too, although the Warriors have team options for both players.
Payton, one of the Warriors’ best on-ball defenders, would seem to be a no-brainer to bring back. The 32-year-old guard has expressed a desire to remain with Golden State, but after earning nearly $18 million over the last two seasons, he likely will have to take a pay cut or move on.
“Hopefully I can run off a couple more years in the league,” Payton said Wednesday. “It would be great to do it here. I love this organization. I love playing for Steve (Kerr). Love the guys they bring in to try to help win.
“They know how I feel. We’ll take it one day at a time.”
Payton isn’t a big scorer in Kerr’s offense but he does a lot of the little things that don’t show up in a box score. He is the Warriors’ top utility guy, a player who will guard anyone and do anything it takes to stay on the floor.
That was somewhat of a challenge this season as Payton dealt with left knee soreness, torn ligaments in his left thumb and a non-displaced noose fracture.
Through it all, Payton missed 20 games but improved his numbers for scoring, assists, rebounding and shooting percentage from the 2023-24 season.
About the only thing Payton fell short on was helping Curry get one for the thumb.
“I know everybody on this team is sad, disappointed that we couldn’t even give him a chance to come back and help out and do what he does,” Payton said. “That’s the biggest thing, that we’re disappointed and that we didn’t give him a shot.”
Looney, Golden State’s first-round pick in 2015, had to accept a backup role this season while Kerr experimented with his different lineups. Green absorbed most of the minutes at center when Kerr went with a small lineup, while Post had some extended looks as well.
The 29-year-old Looney said he’s already had preliminary discussions with the Warriors front office about returning, and the feeling seems to be optimistic that a deal will get done.
“But it’s the NBA, things always change, especially when you don’t win it all,” Looney said. “I’m just ready for whatever.”
Looney averaged 4.5 points and 6.1 rebounds this season in his reduced role. A consummate teammate and the ultimate definition of a true professional, he never once publicly voiced any displeasure or frustration and simply showed up to work every night.
Looney just completed the final year of a three-year, $22.5 million deal that paid him a cool $8 million for this season.
Because of his size (6-foot-9, 222 pounds) and age (29), Looney should garner decent attention on the open market. To stay with the Warriors, however, he might have to take a pay cut because the team has so many other needs.
“They’re going to try to do whatever is best to make the team better,” Looney said. “Hopefully I’m in those plans.”
During TNT’s broadcast of the game, analyst Reggie Miller shared a text exchange he had with Tatum earlier Wednesday.
“I was talking to him earlier, seeing mentally where he was,” Miller said. “I said, is there anything you want to tell your fans, the fanbase? He said, ‘I’m devastated by this. I appreciate all the love and support from everyone.’ But he wanted people to know, ‘This injury will not define me, and I can’t wait to be back in Celtic green to show you why.'”
Tatum posted a picture of himself in the hospital to his Instagram page on Wednesday, along with a caption that read “Thankful for all the love and support.”
Tatum was leading the Celtics with 28.1 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game in the playoffs at the time of his injury.
The Celtics will try to extend their season once more Friday night when they take on the Knicks in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden. The C’s have won five straight elimination games on the road, while the Knicks have lost five straight series-clinching games at home.
Legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells once said, "If you're thinking about retirement, you're already retired." That logic can be applied to a lot of monumental changes we face in life, from relationships to jobs.
It also might apply to a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo split with the Milwaukee Bucks. The two-time MVP is reportedly “open-minded” to a trade for the first time, and while that is not yet asking to be moved, it feels like if he's thinking about asking for a trade, he's asking for a trade.
What would be the best Antetokounmpo landing spots? All 29 teams will call, but here are seven to keep an eye on.
BEST OFFERS
San Antonio Spurs
If Antetokounmpo is serious about winning another ring as his highest priority, he should push for a trade to San Antonio, pairing with Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox.
With the Greek Freak next to the still-improving Wembanyama, this team would be elite defensively from Day 1 and could be a real threat next year, even in the deep West. There would be a few years when both Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama would be top-10 players in the league at the same time. Then, while Antetokounmpo's game fades, Wembanyama's will continue to rise and keep the Spurs in contention for years.
Thanks to the NBA Draft Lottery ping pong balls, the Spurs may be able to put together the best trade package, too. San Antonio can offer this year's No. 2 pick (which will be Dylan Harper) and the No. 14 pick (Atlanta's), the reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, plus Harrison Barnes and Keldon Johnson to balance the salaries. The Spurs also have their own 2029 first-round pick that could be part of the package. That package is a jump start on a rebuild.
Houston is another team that can offer Antetokounmpo instant contention for a title and send a package of players and picks back to Milwaukee that would fit the haul it seeks.
Houston finished as the No. 2 seed in the West this season and played high-level defense, but showed in the playoffs that it lacked a true No. 1 option on the offensive end. Antetokounmpo fits that bill perfectly — the Rockets' defense would remain elite, they would be a transition terror off of turnovers and missed shots, and Antetokounmpo gives them a half-court offensive focus.
Houston has optionality, this trade can be structured in many different ways. Houston would be open to trading Alperen Sengun, league sources told NBC Sports, but the Bucks may be higher on a Jalen Green-based trade (depending on how they rate Green). Jabari Smith Jr. is likely part of any deal, and the Rockets have a lot of future first-round picks — their own and others, such as Brooklyn and Phoenix picks — that could be part of the trade. It likely takes a third team to make the math work, but it's very doable.
Brooklyn Nets
Trading for Antetokounmpo is Brooklyn’s Plan A. They have a lot of future draft picks they can throw into the deal (including No. 8 this year), with Cameron Johnson (and maybe D'Angelo Russell) at the heart of the player package that goes back to Milwaukee.
The bigger question: Is this a trade Antetokounmpo would support? While there have been reports about him seeking a bigger spotlight — and being in New York is a bright spotlight — this would be moving from one team that can't contend right now despite having him on the roster to another team that would not be ready to contend despite having him on the roster. Still, the Nets must be near the top of the list of contenders.
One note: The Bucks do not control their own first-round pick for the next five years after a series of win-now moves (such as trading for Damian Lillard), so they want a lot of picks back as part of any trade. That is an issue when talking to other contenders.
Golden State Warriors
As evidenced by the Jimmy Butler trade, the Warriors are all-in to win another ring during the Stephen Curry era. Landing Antetokounmpo would undoubtedly make them contenders, even in a deep West. That said, the most reliable reports after the Warriors’ Curry-less playoff exit are that Golden State is not likely to be involved in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, the Warriors want to round out the roster around Butler and Curry. That said, never count out Joe Lacob suddenly pushing for it.
If the Warriors get involved, a trade likely consists of a sign-and-trade of Jonathan Kuminga plus other players (Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II are options) and some of their own future first-round picks for Antetokounmpo. How excited the Bucks would be about that depends on their feelings about Kuminga (he is polarizing), and even then it's not the best offer out there because of the picks. Antetokounmpo would have to push for it. (In theory, the Warriors could extend Jimmy Butler then trade him straight up for Antetokounmpo, but in reality there is no way the Bucks trade for a disgruntled Butler who would not want to be there.)
Miami Heat
Miami is a glamorous destination that has been mid for a couple of years, and needs to shake things up to win now, so they will kick the tires on an Antetokounmpo trade. The problem is that the Heat do not have the draft picks that the Bucks will seek in any rebuild to make this trade likely. Salary-wise, a trade of Andrew Wiggins, Duncan Robinson, and Nikola Jovic works (although the Bucks likely want Tyler Herro over Wiggins), but Miami can only trade one or two future first-rounders — their own in 2030 and beyond — and that's not going to entice a rebuilding Bucks team.
Still, expect the Heat rumors to swirl because Pat Riley has a way of making things happen.
Los Angeles Lakers/New York Knicks
We're combining the two biggest market teams in the NBA into one because it's essentially the same story: Yes they would be interested; Yes they are good enough that adding Antetokounmpo could put them over the top; But no, they do not have the picks and players to pull this trade off.
The Lakers could base a trade around Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, plus other smaller-salaried players (Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht), and likely would have to get a third team involved. However, the real problem is that the Lakers only have one first-round pick they can trade, their own in 2031 (or 2032, after July 1). The Bucks will want multiple first-rounders, ideally from multiple teams (so as not to have all their eggs in one basket, so to speak), and the Lakers can't offer that.
New York is in the same situation — they traded every pick they could last year to Brooklyn in the Mikal Bridges deal and have no first-rounders they can offer that will interest the Bucks. A trade could be constructed around OG Anunoby and others, but a deal with New York doesn't bring the young players and picks the Bucks will seek.
Despite being in and out of coach Steve Kerr’s rotations due to injury and scheme fit, Kuminga still managed to make a big impact and was a key reason the Warriors made it as far in the postseason as they did.
The question now is whether the Warriors deem Kuminga valuable enough to bring him back. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft is a restricted free agent now, meaning he’s free to sign with any other NBA team. Golden State can match any offer and keep him, work out a sign-and-trade with another team or let him walk away after four seasons at Chase Center.
Speaking to reporters a day after the Warriors were eliminated from the playoffs following their Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals, Kuminga said he hadn’t given much thought to what happens next.
“I don’t know how those things go,” Kuminga said. “I’ll learn more going through the summer. It don’t really matter. I’m going to let my agent handle things like that. I’ll just listen to what he’ll tell me.
“I just tell him to take his time. I’m going to take my time too, figure out what I’m going to do with my day because I’m bored.”
The Warriors made an earlier-than-expected departure from the postseason largely due to the hamstring injury that Stephen Curry suffered in Game 1 against the Timberwolves.
Kuminga helped pick up the slack and averaged 24.3 points a game over the final four games of the series, a spirited run through the playoffs during which he displayed his phenomenal athleticism.
For a player whose career has been a journey through peaks and valleys, Kuminga’s postseason performances were a sharp reminder of just how meaningful he can be under the right circumstances.
“I think he’s grown a lot,” Curry said. “He’s been dealt a very tough hand, to be honest. He’s handled his business in terms of just getting better, just trying to focus on what it means to become a better version of himself and the way that he plays.
“I commend him on staying ready. Seeing what he did the last couple of games, that’s not easy to do to not know if your number is going to be called and then go out and climb that ladder at his own pace.”
Since joining the Warriors four years ago, Kuminga has been a lightning rod for debate. Supporters point to his natural and pure athleticism, while detractors will focus on his injuries and inconsistencies.
He missed 31 games this season due to an ankle injury and saw his playing time reduced when the Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler in February. Kuminga also sat out Game 5 against the Houston Rockets because of a migraine.
When he’s healthy, however, there’s no denying that Kuminga can be a steady force for the Warriors.
In 47 regular-season games with 10 starts, Kuminga was the Warriors’ fourth-leading scorer at 15.3 points a game. Curry, Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins averaged more but Curry is the only one of the three to play all season for the Warriors, like Kuminga.
As a bonus for how well we played in the postseason, Kuminga became the youngest player in franchise history to score 20 or more points in three consecutive playoff games while coming off the bench.
The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the Warriors are leaning toward a sign-and-trade deal with Kuminga, although Draymond Green would prefer that the 22-year-old stay with Golden State.
“His future is bright, whether it’s here or whether it’s somewhere else,” Green said. “That type of talent usually figures it out. I think he’ll figure it out. I don’t know where that will be but wherever it’ll be, he’ll be just fine. When I look at his four years, I think he’s grown a ton.
“In this business that we’re in, there’s no way to be certain that’ll be here or somewhere else. But the beautiful thing about it is when you’re a talent like that, people usually find a way to make it work. Whether that’s the Warriors finding a way to make it work or another team finding a way to make it work, he has my utmost love and support because I want to see him do well. In an ideal world, that’ll be here.”
The Warriors had the option of extending Kuminga’s deal last season but passed on the opportunity. His price tag has risen since then and it will be interesting to see what other teams around the NBA feel his value is.
Kuminga definitely is open to returning and made it a point to mention how he and Warriors coach Steve Kerr spoke in the aftermath of Wednesday’s loss. The two didn’t always see eye-to-eye this season, especially after Kerr benched Kuminga late in the year.
“I talked to Steve about how he wanted me to get better at rebounding,” Kuminga said. “I feel like I was doing better before I got hurt. And I liked where he was going with it.”
Techniques and fundamentals will be conversations to be had down the road. For now, the only meaningful discussion between Kuminga and the Warriors will be about his future with the team.
“I’ve grown a lot,” Kuminga said. “When I look back from Day 1 when I got here compared to now, it’s a lot of things that people don’t see. Me personally. I feel like I’ve grown a lot, as a player and as a person.”
As for remaining with the Warriors, Kuminga essentially shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know. I still got to figure it out,” Kuminga said. “Just finished playing one day ago. I don’t know what the future is going to be. I still got a long summer to go to figure things out.”
