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The Washington Wizards were one lottery ball away from landing Zion Williamson in 2019 and Cooper Flagg in 2025. In 2023, Washington held six of the possible 11 remaining numbers in the draft lottery before narrowly missing out on the No. 1 pick, which became Victor Wembanyama.

But the franchise many called “cursed” after its several near misses in the lottery finally got its glorious moment on Sunday afternoon when NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum revealed the Wizards had won the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery.

So, after all those years awaiting the top pick to select the franchise’s next star, surely they wouldn’t consider trading down, right!? Well, it’s not as simple as that.

It should come as no surprise to Wizards fans that Michael Winger, the team’s President of Basketball Operations, told TheSteinLine’s Jake Fischer that the Wizards ”will at least consider trading down.“

Washington is keeping all of its options open, as it should, in a draft deprived of a sure-fire No. 1 pick. The 2026 draft class lacks a Wemby or a Williamson that everyone knows is going first overall and every executive understands would be impossible to trade for.

While AJ Dybantsa is viewed by most as the favorite to be selected by Washington, it’s not a lock. Darryn Peterson, and even Cameron Boozer, have drawn buzz as potential candidates to go No. 1. Just look at how certain draft boards differ.

ESPN and The Ringer pinned Dybantsa as their top prospect, while DraftExpress has Peterson going No. 1.

In a draft that lacks a clear top choice, Washington would be smart to keep it’s hand close to its chest. Why openly admit your preference between Dybantsa and Peterson? Why say there’s a clear No. 1 choice? Why give rival teams any information regarding your draft strategy?

There’s no reason to do any of those things, which is why Winger said Washington will consider trading down.

Winger means this in the same way he means there’s several prospects Washington will consider with the top choice. Maybe they internally view Dybantsa as miles ahead of Peterson and Boozer. Maybe they don’t.

But why offer that information to the Utah Jazz, or other teams, who could offer a lucrative trade package for the top pick?

If Utah truly wants Dybantsa — the two have several connections spanning from the 6-foot-9 forward’s playing days at Utah Prep and BYU to the many Jazz games he attended last season — they’ll have to pay a premium price. And they know that.

The Wizards will do their homework. They’ll bring Dybantsa and Peterson in for private workouts, meetings and physical tests. Just as they’ll do for prospects like Boozer, Caleb Wilson and more. And Washington’s brass — comprised of Winger, general manager Will Dawkins, senior vice president of player personnel Travis Schlenk and others — will determine its top prospect.

If the Wizards believe Dybantsa is the obvious choice at No. 1, they can simply select him and move forward with a generational talent as the face of their franchise. Should they believe Peterson is on the same level, if not a step better, than Dybantsa, they can milk Utah for several key assets while still selecting their preferred prospect at No. 2.

Bottom line: Washington is in a terrific spot. They can draft the best player in the class, or they can trade down, pick up an additional first-round pick and maybe more, and still leave with a generational talent they likely believe is better than whoever goes No. 1.

Will Washington trade the top pick? I think it’s unlikely. But they’d be dumb to not keep their phones open to at least here Utah’s offer.

In the first round, it was the Lakers who were up 3-0 over the Rockets, looking to complete a sweep. Now, in the second round, they are on the other side, looking to avoid going out in four games against the Thunder.

So far, the odds don’t look so good. Not only have the Lakers lost all three games, but they have been blown out in each. Oklahoma City has an average margin of victory of 19.6 points and a net rating of +20, which is the best in the second round.

Add in the fact that the Lakers lost all four games against the Thunder in the regular season and will have to play Game 4 without Luka Dončić, and it’s hard to find any sort of optimism. So, it’s no surprise that FanDuel’s odds have the Thunder ending this series in a sweep as they are currently -560 favorites.

Still, for the Lakers, it’s not over till it’s over.

“You just come and compete,” Austin Reaves said after Game 3. “It’s a bunch of guys in this locker room that are competitors. Basically, the message after the game was we’re going to come in here Monday and we’re going to win. Obviously, the situation sucks, but that doesn’t give us the license to quit.

“We got to come in here and compete. We owe the organization that. We owe each other that. We owe our fans that. So, we’re going to come here Monday and play as hard as we can.”

The Lakers might not have found the recipe for success, but it hasn’t been due to a lack of trying.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick has made defensive adjustments, has found success limiting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring and has gone to players who were out of the rotation, like Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero.

However, it hasn’t turned a loss into a win, since the Thunder just have too many playable guys who can step up and perform.

“Typically, if you can poke holes at a team in a playoff series, there’s a good chance they might have like a temporary solution or can sort of adjust maybe a little bit,” Redick said. “This team in-game, because of their personnel, can just adjust like that. They need shooters on the floor? Great. They need multiple wing defenders on the floor? Great. They need two bigs on the floor? Great. They’re a terrific basketball team. I said that before the series. I’ve been very impressed with them. I still think we can beat them. But we got to be better.”

To the Lakers’ credit, there has been no sign of quitting from this team. Redick can be seen coaching every night like it’s Game 7.

Marcus Smart’s defending SGA hard, Reaves keeps trying to attack the paint and generate offense and LeBron James is playing well over 30 minutes per game at 41 years old.

The room for error that the Lakers have is slim to none. OKC is the defending champion and hasn’t lost a playoff game yet. Clearly, beating them isn’t easy and to do so will take a complete performance.

“Well, obviously, everything,” LeBron said of what will be needed in Game 4. “Everything and more to beat a team like this. We’ll have to be at our best on Monday.”

Winning four straight games after losing the first three in a best-of-seven is daunting. It’s never been done before. Someone will eventually do it.

The Lakers will attempt to be that first team, and it starts on Monday with Game 4.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Game 4 was a must-win for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

That was true coming into the night with the Wolves down 2-1 in the series, and certainly became true after Victor Wembanyama launched an elbow at the neck of Naz Reid and ejected the San Antonio Spurs’ best player from the game with a Flagrant Two foul.

When Wembanyama exited the game with 8:39 left in the second quarter, the opportunity for Minnesota was obvious. With the other team’s best player out for the rest of the game, the Wolves’ path to winning Game 4 became a lot cleaner and, to put it bluntly, easier.

The Timberwolves showcased why in the next few possessions. Without Wembanyama’s rim protection, the Wolves went straight to the rim for layups and took what was a two-point lead when Wemby went out to a nine-point lead within a few minutes.

What happened from there was classic Minnesota Timberwolves basketball in the worst and best way.

The Wolves stopped attacking the paint or getting many good looks on offense. Their ball pressure relaxed, which allowed the Spurs to get to their preferred spots on the floor, and at times, Minnesota mentally lost track of the game, including more than once allowing the Spurs to get a fastbreak bucket following a made basket on the other side of the floor.

As has consistently happened during this era of Timberwolves basketball, instead of stomping out any chance for the Spurs to come back, the Wolves let their foot off the gas. They appeared to play down to the level of their opponent, despite that team being of high quality even without their best player.

“I thought we let our mind slip more than anything else,” Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch said after the game. “I felt like we lost our way a little bit and then gave them life. We never expected them to just go away.”

The Timberwolves only won the second quarter minutes following Wemby’s ejection by two points, which put their lead at four points heading into the third quarter, which allowed the Spurs during the halftime break to reset their rotations and their strategy for the rest of the game.

The start of the second half didn’t go much better for Minnesota. They missed 13 of their first 17 shots, while the Spurs made nine of their last 11 shots to win the third quarter 28-20.

The San Antonio lead grew to eight points, and with less than eight minutes left in the game, a nervous energy began to take hold inside the arena. While that feeling of anxiety has been absent from this Timberwolves postseason run, it is certainly an emotion that Target Center crowds have become well acquainted with going back years and decades.

The difference with this Timberwolves team is that they have Anthony Edwards. With the season on the line, Edwards scored 16 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter to drag a lifeless Timberwolves offense back into the lead.

“Today is Mother’s Day, so I just wanted to win for my mom,” Edwards said of his late mother, whom he lost in 2015 when he was in eighth grade. “I couldn’t lose this game for her.”

Edwards did exactly that. He did not allow the Timberwolves to lose this game while playing 40 minutes for the second straight game. With offense stuck in the mud and the Spurs throwing constant double-teams at the Timberwolves’ superstar, Edwards did just enough to get the Wolves over the finish line.

In the same way that the Wolves often play down to the perceived level of their opponent, Edwards and the Timberwolves responded when their back was up against the wall. Despite having numerous poor stretches of play, when the game mattered most, the Wolves made enough winning plays to get the job done.

It was an ugly win for the Timberwolves in Game 4, but the manner in which they got the win doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the series is tied 2-2 with a set of three games left to determine who advances to the Western Conference Finals.

“Now it’s just take it one game at a time, trying to figure out how to get a win,” Edwards said about the rest of this series. “That’s the only thing that’s on my mind right now, trying to figure out how to get a win.”

The Celtics joined the Lakers, Knicks, Cavaliers and Timberwolves in pursuing Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo before the NBA trade deadline in February, according to Shams Charania. ESPN also indicated that disappointing postseason finishes for some of those teams — Boston the only one eliminated already — could dictate pursuits this summer.

The Bucks will listen to Antetokounmpo offers ahead of the NBA Draft next month, opening the offseason’s biggest blockbuster early after Milwaukee co-owner Jimmy Haslam expressed a desire last week to resolve Antetokounmpo’s future before then. Charania added that the Bucks, who can offer Antetokounmpo a four-year, $275 million extension in October, continue to leave the door open to Antetokounmpo remaining with the Bucks.

That could lead to a maddening summer of indecision and posturing meant to improve offers. Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee’s similar assessment of interest ahead of the deadline fielded no offers that intrigued the franchise to move on, and Antetokounmpo’s own stated interest in leaving the team emerged tepidly. There is hope, ahead of his extension date, that such a deadline could spur action.

Charania’s reporting, connecting the Celtics to Antetokounmpo, followed Sam Amick’s that stretched back before Boston’s elimination in the first round and indicated that sources around the league expected the Celtics to make a run at Antetokounmpo. Such a move won’t happen without a significant roster overhaul that could include one of their superstars — Antetokounmpo makes $58.5 million next season, Tatum earns the same, and Brown comes in slightly below them at $57.1 million.

The Celtics’ relatively small assortment of draft picks and challenging salary-matching rules would almost certainly call for additional teams to become involved. Chris Mannix recently reported that Boston and the Hawks, Brown’s hometown team in Atlanta, briefly discussed a Brown deal last summer that the Hawks balked at over Brown’s salary.

Antetokounmpo, 32 in December, saw his averages drop across the board to 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game on 62.4% shooting, an improvement alongside his three-point shooting (33.3%) at low volume. He appeared in only 36 games due to a calf ailment that Antetokounmpo and the team reportedly disagreed about his ability to return from late in the season. Another calf injury in 2024 cost him the ability to appear in the Bucks’ first round loss to Indiana, and he missed two games in 2023 while the Heat upset Milwaukee in three games. His Bucks’ tenure over that stretch also became marked by roster overhauls and coaching changes that made the team worse since his last healthy postseason push in 2022, when the Celtics defeated him in seven games.

Still, Antetokounmpo ranks among the 4-5 best players in the league when healthy, making seven straight All-NBA First Teams prior to this season. He led the NBA in player efficiency rating this year, and provides the rim-threatening, defensive impact at the center position that Brad Stevens desired in his end-of-season press conference. A move would come with excruciating sacrifices, though, whether several years of draft picks, Brown or Tatum, or the entirety of the roster’s significant depth. Antetokounmpo has some say in his destination as well, long connected to New York City and complimentary of Joe Mazzulla, unprompted, in an interview late this season.

He can become an unrestricted free agent next summer by declining his $62.8 million team option. Giannis’ brothers Thanasis, an impending free agent, and Alex Antetokounmpo, who played on a two-way last year, have also joined him on the Bucks’ roster.

“My general feeling watching us play in each of the last two playoffs, in the second round against New York and even against Orlando in the first round, was we had a hard time generating really good looks on that first shot,” Stevens said last week. “We’ve got to figure out a way to do better in that. One of the things we’ve got to figure out is how to have more impact at the rim, and I think we do need to add to our team to do that.”

The ball is beginning to roll on the Milwaukee Bucks’ offseason, which could include moving on from Giannis Antetokounmpo. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Bucks are listening to offers on a potential Antetokounmpo trade over the next several weeks:

“The Milwaukee Bucks are open for business on trade calls and offers for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo entering the NBA draft combine and over six weeks away from the draft, league and team sources told ESPN. There is expected to be a robust market for Antetokounmpo, and ownership and front-office officials expect to maintain their trade deadline asking price of a young blue-chip talent and/or a surplus of draft picks, sources said.“

This report doesn’t exactly tell us anything new about a possible Giannis trade, and Charania has said this type of thing many times before. But it could have other teams pandering between now and the NBA Draft, which is just over a month away on June 23–24. It would be wise for the Bucks to drum up as much interest as possible to create a bidding war between the teams that are interested in Antetokounmpo, which would allow the Bucks to get the best offer possible.

Teams like the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers (since they own Milwaukee’s first-round picks from 2028–30) make the most sense out of the gate, but other teams could emerge as possible destinations for him. The main thing Antetokounmpo wants is a chance to win another championship, so teams that are a player away could be other options for him. If squads like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, and Denver Nuggets are willing to make a move, the Bucks should look to do business with them.

Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel discussed what teams would and wouldn’t make sense in a trade offer, but also adds this important caveat:

“Heading into the February trade deadline, team sources maintained to the Journal Sentinel that any potential deal for the star would require ‘everything’ in terms of young players and future draft assets. If the Bucks maintain such a firm stance on a big return, it might be more indicative of the team’s willingness to continue to retool around its star.“

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Luka Doncic isn’t coming to the Los Angeles Lakers’ rescue. And at this rate, the Purple and Gold would need a lot more than their superstar to counter the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Oklahoma City can sweep Los Angeles in Game 4 of this Western Conference semifinal tonight, laying double-digits in La-La Land tonight. 

Our Thunder vs. Lakers props dig into this do-or-die game (at least for L.A.), breaking down my best NBA picks and prop predictions for May 11.

Best Thunder vs Lakers props for Game 4

Player	Pick
Luke Kennard	Over 1.5 threes	-125
Isaiah Hartenstein	Over 8.5 points	-105
Lu Dort	Over 1.5 threes	-130

Game 4 Prop #1: Luke Kennard Over 1.5 threes 

-125 at bet365

Luke Kennard was one of the Los Angeles Lakers’ few highlights in Game 3. The reserve guard was much more aggressive offensively, jacking up 10 shots and finishing with 18 points in the loss. Twelve of those tallies came from beyond the 3-point arc.

Kennard finished 4-for-6 from distance on Saturday. He’d been MIA since Austin Reaves returned to the L.A. rotation but was big to open the playoffs. 

He started Round 1 making 8 of 11 triples in the first two games then cooled for a 3-for-10 slump from outside before going 2-for-3 from 3-point land in Game 3. In Game 4, the Lakers scaled back a struggling Marcus Smart and Kennard’s usage jumped to 14.5%.

The way I see it, Los Angeles needs Kennard to take and make shots from outside — either in a competitive game or a blowout, that could see the bench get extra run. Game 4 projections agree, with Kennard pegged for two triples with a positive game script for this prop.

Game 4 Prop #2: Isaiah Hartenstein Over 8.5 points

-105 at bet365

On the long list of things L.A. can’t compete with is the Oklahoma City Thunder's size.

The Thunder’s twin 7-footers really stress the Lakers’ size restrictions. Center Isaiah Hartenstein is having an excellent series beating up on Los Angeles around the rim.

Hartenstein is getting his share of looks, especially with L.A. selling out to stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That past two games, he’s a collective 11-for-13 from the floor for totals of 10 and 12 points with his usage almost doubling to 13.2% from 7.3% in Game 1.

His 31 minutes in Game 3 tied his season high in floor time and his seven shots matched his postseason pinnacle. His scoring prop for tonight remains modest, however, at 8.5 O/U.

Game 4 projections are very bullish on the Oklahoma City’s big man, with most north of 9.5 points and a ceiling of 11.0 from Hartenstein.

Game 4 Prop #3: Lu Dort Over 1.5 threes

-130 at bet365

Thunder small forward Lu Dort logged only 20 minutes in Game 3 due to foul trouble yet made both of his looks from long range.

Dort attempted 11 total triples in the two games prior, making just three of those 3-pointers. He has, however, connected for two more treys in five of OKC’s first seven playoff games and is shooting 37% from deep in the postseason.

With Los Angeles throwing the kitchen sink at SGA and Oklahoma City owning the inside, Dort is getting clean looks the perimeter versus the Lakers. 

All 13 of his 3-point attempts are graded as “open” or “wide open,” with no defender within at least four feet — including 10 3PAs with no Lakers within six feet of Dort.

Dort, who strangely shoots significantly better beyond the arc on the road (39.4% vs. 30.8% at home), is projected for two makes from distance in Game 4 with models either leaning toward the Over or calling for 2+ triples.

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.

“The Roast of Kevin Hart” on Sunday night somehow turned into the blasting of Draymond Green.

The Warriors star, whose NBA season came to an end just a couple weeks ago via a playoff loss to the Suns, attended Netflix’s special event at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, and while the evening was supposed to be all about hearing celebrities throw barbs at Kevin Hart, Green sure took a verbal beating.

Tom Brady led off the attack on the polarizing hooper just minutes into the start of the show, right after he got done grilling Hart.

“Draymond Green is here,” the seven-time Super Bowl champion roared to the crowd. “Yeah. Draymond’s here. For now. He’ll probably get thrown out in the next 10 minutes. You know we’re not roasting Steve Kerr, right?”

Green laughed at the quip, but a few minutes later, he found himself in the crosshairs of comedian Shane Gillis.

Tom Brady: “Draymond Green is here. Draymond’s here, for now. He’ll probably get thrown out in the next 10 minutes.” #KevinHartRoastpic.twitter.com/tFpafgakTU

— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) May 11, 2026

“Draymond Green is here, give it up for Draymond,” Gillis, the event’s host, said. “Yeah. Sick. F–k him. Boo.

“With a name like Draymond Green, he only had a few options in life: Pro athlete, pimp in a documentary or wealthy cartoon duck.”

“Steph Curry couldn’t make it tonight, but he did carry Draymond Green all the way here.”

Jeff Ross came with the jokes for Draymond Green #KevinHartRoastpic.twitter.com/dkzPpEJSej

— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) May 11, 2026

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also made fun of Green’s name, telling him, “Maybe it’s time to retire.” Pete Davidson also lit him up over the Warriors’ loss to Phoenix.

But perhaps the most painful dig came from Jeff Ross, who poked fun at the four-time All-Star’s relationship with Steph Curry.

“Steph Curry couldn’t make it tonight, but he did carry Draymond Green all the way here,” Ross said. “Love you, buddy. I’m not going to make fun of you because you’re violent. You’ve been ejected more times than a Kevin Hart DVD.”

"I never have, and never will, smash Chelsea Handler. I'm Draymond Green. I don't hit threes." #KevinHartRoastpic.twitter.com/7ujebgnG7y

— Netflix (@netflix) May 11, 2026

Green, though, did get a chance to dish some jokes back, and one he hit Chelsea Handler with went viral on X.

“I never have, and never will, smash Chelsea Handler,” he said. “I’m Draymond Green. I don’t hit threes.”

It’s been an eventful month already for Green, who was criticized for some on-air sparring he did with Charles Barkley last week, and with the Warriors not slated to begin the 2026-27 campaign for a few more months, it seems the Green offseason headlines might only be just getting started.

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