The Brooklyn Nets are giving Malachi Smith an extended look.

After inking him to a 10-day contract on March 13, the Nets are renewing the combo guard’s 10-day deal, per Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto.

The Brooklyn Nets are signing Malachi Smith to a second 10-day contract, league sources told @hoopshype. Smith has averaged 6.2 points on 50% shooting from the field and 3-point range, 2.7 assists, and 2.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes during six games played for the Nets. pic.twitter.com/wY42VJo1ir

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) March 25, 2026

After going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2023, Smith bounced around the G League, spending time with the Trailblazers, Bucks, and Grizzlies affiliates before being dealt to Long Island last September.

While playing in 39 total games for Brooklyn’s affiliate this season, production took off January 6, when Long Island head coach Mfon Udofia handed him the keys at point guard following Nolan Traore’s call-up to Brooklyn.

Since the move, Smith dominated. Over his last 24 games in the G League, he averaged 17.7 points, 7.3 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per night, all while shooting an efficient 51.9% from the field and 42.9% from three.

Throughout six games with Brooklyn on his initial 10-day contract, Smith averaged 6.2 points, 2.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds, and a steal in 19.5 minutes while shooting 50% from the field and beyond the arc.

Against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, he notched a career high of 18 points along with three steals, four assists, and two rebounds.

All together, he compiled 37 points, 16 assists, 13 rebounds, six steals, and three blocks in 117 minutes while hitting 15 of his 30 field goal attempts and five of his ten tries from 3-point range. He also committed nine turnovers.

By signing him to a second 10-day contract, Smith is expected to remain with Brooklyn through April 4.

From there, the Nets face a decision.

Because this is his second 10-day stint, Brooklyn can either convert Smith to a standard NBA deal for the final five games of the season or have him to return to Long Island, where he remains under a standard G League contract.

While it’s an excellent opportunity for Smith to continue to build up his stock in the NBA, it’s a tough break for Long Island at the worst possible time.

The team clinched a playoff spot, but momentum is not in their favor. They’ve dropped five straight and have been shorthanded, missing all three two-way players, Chaney Johnson, Tyson Etienne, and E.J. Liddell, while also dealing with Grant Nelson’s season-ending injury and now losing Smith.

And there’s not much time left to figure it out, as the G League playoffs begin March 31 and are single elimination, meaning one night ends the season.

At the same time, Smith’s rise is another example of Long Island’s player development paying off.

Head coach Mfon Udofia, associate head coach Sean Swords, and their staff have consistently put players with all different types of backstories in position to reveal their value, and Smith is the latest to benefit. He is the third player from Long Island to earn an NBA opportunity this season, joining Nelson, who signed a 10-day contract with Brooklyn, and Nate Williams, who landed with the Golden State Warriors on a two-way deal.

Overall, Smith gets a longer look in Brooklyn, while Long Island heads into their final regular-season game hoping to get in the win column before postseason play kicks off.

Following North Carolina's firing of Hubert Davis, one of college basketball's biggest blue-blood programs is in the market for a new coach.

Could a second team soon join the Tar Heels in the coaching market?

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self told reporters on Sunday, March 22 that he has not "decided" on his future amid health concerns. He added that he would discuss it with family.

REQUIRED READING: Kansas coach Bill Self considering retirement amid health concerns

No. 4 seed Kansas exited the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament short of a Sweet 16 berth after St. John's game-winning — and season-ending — buzzer-beater. It is the fourth straight season the Jayhawks have been eliminated in the first weekend, with the Jayhawks last advancing to the second weekend in 2022, when they won the national championship.

The Jayhawks finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-11 record.

Since taking over in Lawrence, Kansas in 2003-04, Self has led the Jayhawks to the Men's NCAA Tournament every season in which March Madness was held. That includes four Final Four appearances, three national championship game appearances and two national titles, in 2008 and 2022.

Here's everything to know about Self's decision, including updates:

Bill Self live updates: Latest on Kansas basketball coach

Bill Self 'got to think about this'

Jeff Goodman, in a separate report for The Field of 68, reported Self didn't say "he wasn't going to retire," adding that the Jayhawks coach has "got to think about this." The ball remains in Self's court, but on his own timeline.

"Bill Self told me there's no truth to the speculation that he's retiring today... but he didn't say he wasn't going to retire. He said, 'I've got to think about this.' I don't know what he's going to do" - @GoodmanHoops

🎥: https://t.co/g3l00M4NXbhttps://t.co/GLe0NI2aYT

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 25, 2026

No announcement expected Wednesday for Bill Self-Kansas

According to a report from Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68, Bill Self is still "in (the) process of making a decision," and there is no expected announcement from the Jayhawks coach on March 25.

Kansas coach Bill Self told me that there is no truth to the fact that he will announce his retirement today.

Said he is still in process of making a decision on his future.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 25, 2026

Bill Self says 'no news to report'

According to a report from Gary Bedore of the Kansas City Star, Bill Self said "as of now there is no news to report regarding his decision."

Bill Self tells me as of now there is no news to report regarding his decision. In fact he told me "b.s., bad info" referring to some comments out there. That's as of now from the head coach.

— Gary Bedore (@GaryBedore) March 25, 2026

Will Bill Self retire?

Following Kansas' loss to St. John's in the second round of the Men's NCAA Tournament on March 22 in San Diego, Self was noncommittal about what his coaching future looks like.

"No, I haven't decided," Self said in the postgame news conference. "I'll get back and visit with family. I've had obviously some issues off the court health-wise. And that will be discussed.

"But I love what I do. I want to feel good while I'm doing it, though. We'll get back and we'll discuss that when we get back."

The 63-year-old Self has experienced some health concerns in recent years and was briefly hospitalized in January. Self's hospitalization was out of "abundance of caution" due to being under the weather, and kept him from traveling with his team to a road game at Colorado.

"I feel as good as I've felt in a long time," Self said on March 22. "I'm not making any statements whatsoever. But every year, I think — it used to be you work — when you get to be doing it as long as I've done it, I look at it in five-year increments. Now I'm probably looking at it in more two-year increments, so to speak."

What are Bill Self's health issues?

Self has been dealing with heart conditions for several years. 

He missed the 2023 Big 12 Tournament and 2023 Men's NCAA Tournament after being hospitalized for chest tightness and balance concerns. Self "underwent a standard heart catheterization and had two stents placed for the treatment of blocked arteries" that year, according to the Topeka Capital Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Self was taken to the hospital in July 2025 after he “felt unwell and experienced some concerning symptoms," according to a statement from Kansas at that time. He had two stents inserted, and the "procedure went very well," per Kansas.

This season, Self was taken to the hospital out of an "abundance of caution" due to being under the weather.

How old is Bill Self?

Self is 63 years old. He'll turn 64 on Dec. 27th.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Bill Self retire? Latest updates on Kansas basketball coach

PRAGUE (AP) — It's time to say goodbye for Kaori Sakamoto, and she's aiming to go out on a high with the world figure skating title.

Sakamoto's short-program music, “Time to Say Goodbye,” was charged with emotion as she targets a fourth world title before retirement.

Sakamoto shouted with joy and clapped as she learned her score of 79.31, a season-best which put her into first place by less than a point from her fellow Japanese skater Mone Chiba on a personal-best 78.45 in her disco-themed program.

There's a strong U.S. challenge for the medals with Amber Glenn third and Isabeau Levito fourth.

Without Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu, who withdrew from the world championships amid a hectic media schedule, the focus was on whether Sakamoto could regain the title she won three times in a row from 2022 through 2024, and whether three-time U.S. champion Glenn could claim a first world medal.

Glenn came to the world championships with an Olympic team gold but missed the individual medals after a short-program error. She was back on form Wednesday, starting with a big triple axel on her way to scoring 72.65. Levito was just behind her with 72.16 for fourth in her return to form after 12th at the Olympics.

Ami Nakai's triple axel propelled her into the Olympic short-program lead — she ended up with bronze — but went missing Wednesday. The 17-year-old Japanese skater could only manage an awkward double as her opening jump and has a tough task to recover from eighth.

The championships continue with the pairs short program later Wednesday.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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Much like the first week of spring, the Miami Heat have been hot and cold due to a constant influx of bodies in and out of the lineup.

Superstar Bam Adebayo has been the one constant, but Miami is starting to get healthy, and that takes pressure off Adebayo to perform — especially in the wake of his historic 83-point performance.

My Heat vs. Cavaliers predictions size up Miami’s main man in the middle, and my NBA picks don’t see Bam having as big a night in Cleveland on March 25.

Heat vs Cavaliers prediction

Heat vs Cavaliers best bet: Bam Adebayo Under 21.5 Points (-110)

There is light at the end of this losing tunnel for the Miami Heat. For the second straight game, head coach Erik Spoelstra will have a healthy lineup with all key rotation players ready to run.

Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez, and Tyler Herro have all missed time over the past month, putting a lot of weight on Bam Adebayo’s sculpted shoulders. 

His usage rate shot through the roof, jumping from 23.7% to 30.1% in March. His floor time increased by five minutes as those injuries mounted, leading to an uptick in touches, field goal attempts, and, naturally, points.

Bam was taking almost 22 shots per game after averaging around 16 on the season, scoring just over 29 points per night. That stretch includes his 83-point performance on March 10, which nuked his points props. Those totals now hover between 21.5 and 24.5 points O/U.

He’s coming off a quiet outing in a one-sided loss to the San Antonio Spurs. He played 29 minutes and went 5-for-17 from the field for just 18 points. 

That was Miami’s first game in a while with everyone healthy, and there will be more offensive balance in its second full-strength outing at Cleveland tonight.

Player projections are tempered for Bam, sitting between 18.5 and 20.9 points — reflecting a return to his normal workload and usage rate.

My number boils down to 19.6 points, which should have the Under 21.5 priced as high as -180.

Heat vs Cavaliers same-game parlay

A full-strength Heat squad is teetering on the play-in cutoff and desperate to stop the bleeding against a Cleveland Cavaliers team playing the second of back-to-back games after failing to cover vs. a struggling Orlando squad last night.

Rising tides raise all ships, and Davion Mitchell benefits from all those bodies back in the rotation, opening up space to operate. He goes up against a softer Cavs backcourt, with game models forecasting close to nine points tonight.

Heat vs Cavaliers SGP

• Miami +2.5
• Bam Adebayo Under 21.5 points
• Davion Mitchell Over 7.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: The Mitchells vs. the machines

First off, have you seen “The Mitchells vs. the Machines”? Hilarious. Go watch it after you watch the two Mitchells in this game:

Donovan and Davion (no relation). Some models call for 30+ points and six assists from the Cavs' guard, while the Heat’s Mitchell is projected for nine points and as many as six dimes.

With a total of 243, there are plenty of points up for grabs, and the floor generals will certainly get involved.

Heat vs Cavaliers SGP

• Donovan Mitchell Over 28.5 points
• Donovan Mitchell Over 4.5 assists
• Davion Mitchell Over 7.5 points
• Davion Mitchell Over 5.5 assists

Heat vs Cavaliers odds

• Spread: Heat +2.5 | Cavaliers -2.5
• Moneyline: Heat +125 | Cavaliers -150
• Over/Under: Over 243 | Under 243

Heat vs Cavaliers betting trend to know

The Cleveland Cavaliers played last night and are 7-4 SU but just 4-7 ATS on the second of back-to-back games this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Heat vs. Cavaliers.

How to watch Heat vs Cavaliers

Heat vs Cavaliers latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

NEW YORK (AP) — NBA owners vote to explore expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle.

Even with Monday’s loss to the Pistons, the Lakers are rolling as the season races down the home stretch.

In congruence with the postseason nearing, the rotation for the purple and gold is shrinking. Head coach JJ Redick has picked the nine players he can rely upon the most and only injury has altered things in recent weeks.

While those nine players, and specifically the four off the bench, have gained Redick’s trust, where do they stand with Lakers fans? Let’s dive in.

Starters: Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, LeBron James, Deandre Ayton

Rui Hachimura

While Rui’s raw numbers have dropped over the last two weeks, his efficiency certainly has not. Over the last six games, he’s averaging 7.3 points, but doing it on 55.9% shooting from the field and 42.9% shooting from range.

Luke Kennard

The star of the week off the bench, Kennard had one of the biggest shots of the win streak with his game-winner in Orlando.

As great as that shot and moment was, it cast a shadow over his recent struggles. In his last seven games, Kennard is shooting 37% from the field and 33.3% from the 3-point line.

Hopefully, that shot kickstarts him once again before the playoffs arrive.

Jaxson Hayes

On the flip side, Hayes is heading toward the postseason playing well, not too dissimilar from last season.

Defensively, he’s stepped up and is averaging 1.7 blocks per game over his last six outings. The rebounds are still lower than you’d want at 3.7 per contest, but the high energy level has been noticeable.

Jake LaRavia

LaRavia has the loosest grip on his spot in the rotation of any of the four players. He has offered little offensively, hitting just 33.3% of his threes in the last seven games.

The reason he’s staying in the rotation has been his overall effort level, which shows up in his rebounding and activity on the defensive side of the ball.

But if that dips, then minutes for Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxi Kleber or even someone like Adou Thiero could come in the final weeks.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Pro basketball is seemingly on its way back to Seattle.

The NBA's ownership group has approved the vote to explore adding two new franchises, with expansion team applicants exclusively for the Seattle and Las Vegas markets, the league announced Wednesday, March 25.

"Today’s vote reflects our Board’s interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle – two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday, March 25, in a statement. "We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties."

The NBA Board of Governors are holding their regularly-scheduled meeting at the St. Regis Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where the vote took place. The league has been targeting the 2028-29 season as the inaugural season for the new expansion franchises. Silver will hold a press conference later in the day.

The NBA has also contracted PJT Partners, an investment bank, to consult on prospective ownership groups, infrastructure and the overall health of the prospective markets.

Over the years, rumors had suggested that Las Vegas, Nevada and Seattle, Washington, have been considered frontrunners to acquire a new franchise.

Now that two cities have been identified, the next steps would be a bidding process for potential owners, and the price tag for ownership is expected to be steep, estimated to be between $7 billion and $ 10 billion.

The league's 30 governors would then vote on the franchises' approval, which requires 23 to vote in the affirmative; thus, it would be the league's first expansion since the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004, which paid a $300 million expansion fee.

The Bobcats rebranded as the Hornets in 2014, and the original Hornets left and relocated to New Orleans. That team has since been renamed the Pelicans.

If Las Vegas is approved, the city would be home to all four major North American sports, with the expansion Vegas Golden Knights starting play in 2017 in the NHL, the NFL's Raiders moving from Oakland in 2020, and the Athletics also moving from Oakland to start its first MLB season in Nevada in 2028. For decades, the league has avoided putting teams in Las Vegas, worried that the state's legal gambling would negatively influence play.

That went away in 2018, after the United States Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, allowing states to legalize betting on sports, and the leagues followed suit, embracing gambling and earning billions more in revenue through sponsorship deals and advertising.

Seattle has been without a professional basketball team since 2008, when the owners failed to secure funds for a new arena, were ultimately sold for $350 million, and relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where they were renamed the Thunder.

The SuperSonics began play in the NBA in 1967, winning six division titles, three conference championships, and the NBA title in 1979 before moving to Oklahoma.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA approves vote to explore expansion teams in Seattle, Las Vegas

Stephon Castle is having himself a season. He has followed up his Rookie of the Year with improvements to every aspect of this game. Averaging 16.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7.1 assists sounds great, but for a player like Castle, it just doesn’t tell the whole story.

Currently, he doesn’t shoot particularly well, averaging a below-average 51.1 percent effective field goal percentage. That isn’t great, but he’s still one of the most effective players on the court. He brings a number of intangible qualities that don’t quite make it in the box score but do make their effect felt in the win column.

Diving a little deeper, is there a way to quantify more of what Castle brings night after night? Yes. The advanced stats start to shed more light on the Spurs and Castle’s success in a more tangible way.

Plus/minus stats are the first place to look. How does the team do with him on the court versus off? Overall, it’s not a great metric because the data carries so much noise and outliers (such as who he shares the court with) and can be misleading in any particular game, but it’s not a bad place to start when looking at a large sample size. Castle’s raw plus/minus is +5.5. Not bad at all.

Second is his defense. Castle is one of the best point-of-attack defenders out there and a genuine pest to any ball handler in the NBA. Looking at opponent points per 100 possessions, it drops 4.7 points with Castle on the floor, per cleaningtheglass.com. That isn’t all attributable to Castle, but it is notable. It would be surprising if Castle isn’t on an All-Defense team.

Next up is offense, beginning with transition, where the Spurs have been very efficient this season. Per Cleaning the Glass, they are first in points per 100 possessions off live rebounds (+1.9) and 6th in overall points per 100 (+3.4). Where Castle comes in is how often the team is able to get into transition play when on the floor. That transition frequency goes up 2.3 percent (93rd percentile) overall, and 6.3 percent off of live rebounds (97th percentile) with Castle in the game. In short, the team gets rebounds and goes with Castle on the floor.

What about getting to the rim? His shooting may not be there yet, but he gets to the basket. 43 percent of his shots are at the rim (93rd percentile among combo guards). Not only this, Castle is getting fouled on a whopping 20.5 percent of his shots. He isn’t shooting particularly well, but if one out of every five of those shots gets him to the free-throw line, where he shoots 74 percent, he’s making up for it.

Looking at a more sophisticated all-in-one metric, one that tries to pare down the noise to a player’s actual contributions, there is Estimated Plus-Minus from Dunksandthrees.com. He’s at +2.8. For context, that’s 93rd percentile league-wide. Overall, a pretty remarkable figure for a player who is only 21 years old and only going to get better.

All of this is to say that Castle is a winning player. He isn’t out for his own stats and finds ways to impact the game, no matter what that looks like. Now, as this young team enters its first postseason, we’ll see if Castle can keep it up, if not find another gear.

The recent injury to Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham could be remembered as the event that ultimately led to the end of the NBA's 65-game eligibility rule for individual awards. That, at least, is the resolution the players' union hopes will come from the awkward situation

The National Basketball Players Association called Cunningham's potential ineligibility for postseason awards "a clear indictment of the 65-game rule and yet another example of why it must be abolished or reformed to create an exception for significant injuries," in a statement released to multipleoutlets on March 24.

Cunningham was diagnosed with a collapsed lung last week after falling to the court in a March 17 game against the Washington Wizards. The Pistons' No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft has been the driving force behind the team's rise to the top of the Eastern Conference standings and would be a top candidate for all-NBA honors with an outside shot at MVP if he meets the league's requirement for games played.

AROUND THE NBA: Why is Giannis Antetokounmpo sitting? Players Association questions Bucks

Cunningham has appeared in 61 games this season, but played fewer than 20 minutes on March 17 due to his injury occurring in the first quarter. Under current NBA rules, he must play in five of Detroit's remaining 11 games to be eligible.

"Since its implementation," the NBPA said about the league's rule requiring players to appear in at least 65 of their team's 82 regular-season games in order to receive individual postseason awards, "far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors by this arbitrary and overly rigid quota.”

The Pistons announced on March 19 that Cunningham would be re-evaluated in two weeks. He's averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists per game this season.

The NBPA agreed to the 65-game eligibility clause through collective bargaining and it was introduced ahead of the 2023-24 season as a way to combat load management. The rule has become especially controversial this season, with stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and LeBron James already ineligible for postseason awards and all-NBA candidates Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama right on the edge of being unable to play the required 65 games despite strong seasons.

The NBA does have an exemption giving awards eligibility to a player who appeared in at least 62 regular-season games and suffered a season-ending injury after playing in at least 85% of the regular-season games played by his team prior to the injury. But that does not currently apply to Cunningham since his injury is not considered season-ending.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBPA demands NBA end, change to 65-game rule for Cade Cunningham injury

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Paul George was set to return to the Philadelphia 76ers' lineup following a 25-game suspension for a failed drug test and play Wednesday night against Chicago.

The Sixers went 13-12 in his absence and began the day at 39-33 and in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings.

George was suspended in late January for violating the terms of the NBA’s anti-drug program.

In his first public remarks since the suspension, George apologized Tuesday to the team, its fans and his family for the poor judgement that led to his flunked test.

“To let people down hurt more than kind of anything,” George said.

He said his choice to take a banned substance was connected to a mental health issue that developed because of an offseason knee injury that limited his production this season.

“The most difficult thing is when your body isn’t where you know it needs to be or where it once was,” George said. “That leads and bleeds into the mental side of things, knowing that you’re limited. But for me, I feel good, my body is feeling great. Mentally, I know I’m capable of doing what I can do and what I’ve been able to on the court for years.”

George has averaged 16 points in 27 games this season for the Sixers. He had one of his best games of the season in the week he was suspended, a 32-point outburst fueled by nine 3-pointers in a win over Milwaukee.

The 35-year-old George signed a $212 million, four-year contract in free agency ahead of the 2024 season. But his first year in Philly was marred by knee and adductor injuries that resulted in the forward having one of the worst years of his NBA career.

The Sixers also said two-time NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid was questionable against the Bulls after he missed the last 13 games with a right oblique strain. All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey has missed nine straight games with a right finger tendon strain.

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

MONACO (AP) — Three U.S. runners who were mistakenly led off the course by a guide vehicle in the women’s race at the U.S. half marathon championships will be allowed to compete at the world championships in September, the world track and field governing body said on Wednesday.

World Athletics said it made an “exceptional decision” to allow the U.S. to bring seven runners to the event instead of the usual four. However, only four of them will be entered as “scoring athletes," meaning the other three will not be able to compete for medals or prize money at the world road running championships in Denmark.

World Athletics said it made the decision because of the extraordinary nature of the incident during national qualifying for the event.

Jess McClain was ahead by a wide margin with about 1.5 miles to go on March 2 when she and three other runners followed the guide vehicle on a wrong turn. McClain, who is from Phoenix, ended up finishing ninth. The next two runners who followed her off the course — Emma Hurley of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Ednah Kurgat of Roswell, Georgia — were 12th and 13th, respectively.

“In working to find a solution, World Athletics has been sympathetic to the impacted athletes who would otherwise miss out on competing at the WRRC Copenhagen 2026, and understanding of the unprecedented situation USATF – one our leading Member Federations – has found itself in,” World Athletics said.

It will be up to the USATF to pick which four athletes are entered as scoring athletes, World Athletics said.

USATF said on X that "we are grateful for their collaboration in helping us honor all the athletes involved in this extraordinary situation.”

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

The Mavericks were 0-3 this past week and remain in 13th place in the West. Defense was optional during their losing streak, as the Mavericks lost three barn burners to Atlanta (135-120), the Clippers (138-131), and Golden State (137-131). Cooper Flagg led the team in scoring with 22.3 points per game. 

Grade: C+

The Mavericks hung tough with the Clippers and Warriors. In both games, they attempted a shot to win in regulation, and both were facilitated by Cooper Flagg (one was a shot he took, and one was a pass to the guy who shot). Neither play was successful, and Dallas lost both overtimes in a similar way: by running out of steam. The games are starting to run together as the season reaches the final stages.

Daniel Gafford continues his resurgence and now owns the fourth-most 20-point games ever without a miss. Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington maintained steady play, averaging 16.0 and 17.7 points over the last three games, respectively. Klay Thompson heard my criticism from last week and made 13 of the 23 threes he attempted. Max Christie’s play has leveled back out with a 12-of-25 shooting performance over his last 86 minutes.

The Mavericks have a quick road trip out west this week to Denver and Portland before they return home to face Minnesota next Monday.

Straight A’s: Cooper Flagg

The Mavericks have 10 games left before the 2025-26 campaign is a wrap. Flagg is currently averaging 20.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. All of these rank in the top-five among rookies, and his points per game ranks 33rd among all 450-plus players in the NBA. He is outscoring guys like Karl-Anthony Towns and DeMar DeRozan, and yet, according to FanDuel, Flagg is not the favorite to win rookie of the year. That honor goes to Kon Knueppel, who is having a fantastic rookie season. But he is not Cooper Flagg.

Flagg is coming off of his eighth 30-point game of the season, which ties Luka Doncic for second-most in franchise history for a rookie, and seventh-most in the last 30 years of the NBA. His 56 blocks this season place him behind Dereck Lively as the only Mavericks rookies to record 50-plus blocks since 2004 (Josh Howard, 54). The 277 assists he has dished out are fourth behind Dennis Smith Jr., Luka Doncic, and current head coach Jason Kidd in the Mavericks rookie ranks. He has done a little of everything, and all at the ripe age of 19. 

In the one head-to-head matchup between the two, Flagg had 49 points and 10 rebounds. But, in what is likely the reason Knueppel is ahead of Flagg in the race, the Hornets won that game. I am not sure if there has ever been a rookie of the year race decided by team success. It is not usually a relevant statistic, given that a lot of these guys are drafted to bad teams. If that ends up being the reason Knueppel wins, so be it. Flagg will just beat him to more important awards. But it shouldn’t be the reason Flagg loses, because if you watch the two of them play consistently, it is clear who the better rookie is. And it is the guy who plays in Dallas.

Currently Failing: Khris Middleton

Last week, I mentioned that “The Unction” (Klay Thompson and Khris Middleton) was huffing and puffing to get to the finish line. Thompson found some life, but Middleton seemingly keeled over and gasped for air after I wrote that. This past week was one of the worst he has had in recent memory. He made just one of every three shots he took, and played under 20 minutes in each game (this includes two overtime contests). He turned it over five times while recording just three assists and has not reached 10 points in six consecutive games. That is especially hilarious because the seventh game was a 35-point explosion in Memphis. There is no one more eager to get to the offseason than Middleton.

Extra Credit: Marvin Bagley III

Bagley has been a gem after he was seemingly a throw-in to the Anthony Davis trade. He has given Dallas a great boost at center off the bench, so much so that he has made a case to be the team’s backup next season. What really separated him from Daniel Gafford or Dwight Powell, however, has been his willingness to take open threes. He took four this week and made three, and if he can build on that going into the offseason, he will find himself a home in Dallas.