NBA Player News

Another game, another double-double for Ayton, who has recorded one in six straight games. Some teams may have shut down Ayton by now, but Portland is shorthanded due to injuries. That may protect his value for the final two games of the season. And it will be two more opportunities to improve his chemistry with Scoot Henderson, who hit double digits in assists for the second straight game. Henderson finished with 18 points, three rebounds, 12 assists, two steals, and two 3-pointers in 40 minutes. The turnovers (nine) will be an issue; hopefully, that doesn’t carry over into 2024-25.

Carlisle said that Haliburton went through strength testing and did “very well.” He also mentioned that there won’t be a minutes restriction, but they will monitor Haliburton closely. Trips to the NBA Finals don’t come around often, so it isn’t surprising that Haliburton will play through the injury. We’ll see if Haliburton’s presence, along with the home crowd, is enough to force a Game 7.

Bailey has long been considered a lock to be selected in the top-three, but he has yet to workout for any team. Givony’s report does indicate that Philly haven’t ruled out selecting Bailey, but other reports indicate that Bailey may want to go to a team where he can be the top scoring option, which wouldn’t be the case with the 76ers. There is a lot that could happen on draft night; Philly could take Bailey, trade down and let another team take him or Bailey could slide down the board.

Haliburton is currently listed as questionable with a right calf strain. The 25-year-old point guard participated in practice on Wednesday and is expected to go through walkthrough ahead of Game 6 on Thursday. Shams said he was told Haliburton would miss multiple weeks if this were the regular season, but this game carries paramount importance as the Pacers are facing elimination in Game 6. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said earlier this week Haliburton would probably be a game-time decision.

While exact terms of the deal are still unknown, Charania reported that the extension will make Udoka one of the NBA’s highest-paid coaches. Udoka, 47, was one of the coaches the Knicks attempted to interview but were denied last week. He led the Rockets to a 52-win season and a two-seed in the playoffs. Udoka previously coached the Celtics, taking over for Brad Stevens in the 2021-22 season. He was suspended for the 2022-23 season for violating team policies and became the Rockets coach on April 25, 2023.

Acquired from the Mavericks at the trade deadline in exchange for Caleb Martin, Grimes made an extremely positive impression on the 76ers. With Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George sidelined due to injury, Grimes recorded some gaudy stat lines during the “silly season.” Unsurprisingly, keeping the restricted free agent in Philadelphia is the team’s desire. According to Stein, his sources say re-signing Grimes remains a “priority” for the 76ers. In a healthy rotation, his fantasy ceiling is considerably lower than it was when Philadelphia was shorthanded. That said, re-signing Grimes will be critical for the 76ers, whose bench disappointed for most of the 2024-25 season.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said during his availability that Haliburton would be questionable for Game 6, so the official designation is unsurprising. The star point guard suffered a strained right calf during the first half of Monday’s Game 5 defeat. While Haliburton did his best to play through the injury, he lacked his usual burst and spent most of his time lingering on the perimeter. Even if Haliburton can play on Thursday, the Pacers will need more production from backup T.J. McConnell, who played well on Monday.

A few months after the majority ownership of the Celtics was sold at a valuation of $6 billion, the Lakers were sold to Walter, who is also the primary owner and chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The reported valuation of $10 billion is the highest for a professional sports franchise in world history. Once the NBA approves Wednesday’s reported sale, the Lakers will be owned by someone other than the Buss family for the first time since 1979. The late Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers, the Los Angeles Kings, the Inglewood Forum and a 13,000 square foot ranch from Jack Kent Cooke for a total of $67.5 million. That’s equivalent to nearly $296 million in 2025.

Haliburton downplayed the severity of the injury that was noticeably bothering him in Game 5 by saying that, because it’s the NBA Finals, if he can walk, he’ll play. Well, if he does half a strained calf, that could certainly keep him from walking. If there is any chance of Haliburton playing, he’ll do it, but this an MRI isn’t an optimistic update. Hopefully Charania’s next report will have better news, but as of now, Indiana may have turn to T.J. McConnell for more minutes off the bench, with Andrew Nembhard sliding over to point guard in the starting unit.

The Pacers still hold the 54th pick in this draft, but they no longer have a first-round selection. However, they were able to get their own pick in 2026 back. The Pelicans now have two first-round picks, including pick No. 7. New Orleans will be able to add some young talent this summer, and there are still more moves for them to make. King was selected with the 47th pick in 2023, and after spending time in the G League, he has most recently been playing in New Zealand. This trade won’t change that, unless he ends up returning to the NBA.

With Randle and Reid have player options for next season, and while there hasn’t been any official update about whether they will pick those options up or not, Finch expects them to remain in Minnesota. That could mean they decline their options and sign new contracts; it would be surprising if Reid accepted a $15 million option for next season. If he signs elsewhere, Reid could find a starting role, which would be ideal for his fantasy production.