NBA Player News

Richardson was traded from the Heat to the Pistons on Wednesday, and then he was swung to Utah on Thursday. However, the Jazz had no plans to keep him and were more interested in the draft pick that came with him. Richardson will likely have the chance to join another team, but it is unlikely that he finds an organization that wants to give him a consistent role.

Edey reinjured the left ankle that he sprained during the regular season, resulting in the center undergoing surgery to stabilize the area. The Grizzlies announced on Tuesday that the procedure was successful, and he will be re-evaluated in four months. With Edey not expected to be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season, Memphis can either slide Brandon Clarke into the starting lineup or move Jaren Jackson Jr. to the five as part of a smaller quintet. Edey’s surgery may also impact Memphis’s approach to Santi Aldama, who will be a restricted free agent next month.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said ahead of Sunday’s Game 2 that Walker was “not close” to returning, so Tuesday’s update is unsurprising. Obi Toppin has been Pascal Siakam’s primary backup throughout the season, but was ineffective in 19 minutes in Indiana’s Game 2 defeat. He’ll hold onto the role, also seeing a little time at the center position when the Pacers decide to go small.

Haliburton was seen limping after Game 2, but he downplayed the severity of it. “I’m fine,” Haliburton said. “Really just a lower leg thing. I’ll leave it at that. I feel fine, and I’ll be ready to go for Game 3.” After being the hero in Game 1, Haliburton was solid in Game 2, but it wasn’t enough for the Pacers to steal Game 2 on the road. Still, the series is tied 1-1, and the Pacers have homecourt advantage for the rest of the series. We’ll see if Haliburton has more magic up his sleeve on Wednesday.

The expectation that Durant will be moved this offseason has been around since the trade deadline. Reports from then indicated that Durant didn’t want to be traded in the middle of the season again, but they did shop him. The draft starts on June 25, and trade negotiations should heat up around then. There are multiple teams that would be interested in parting with assets to bring Durant in to help elevate their team to contention. Regardless of where he ends up, Durant will continue to be one of the best players in the league, and he should have the ball in his hands as much as he wants it.

Windhorst said this during an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, and he also said that trade discussions haven’t happened. Reports from shortly after the Bucks lost to the Pacers in the first round indicated that Giannis would be “open-minded” about playing somewhere other than Milwaukee. That has led to plenty of rumors and mock trades over the past month, but there appears to be a scenario where Giannis remains with the Bucks and runs things back. They don’t have many pieces to build a contender around him, especially after Damian Lillard tore his Achilles during the playoffs. Still, this doesn’t mean there won’t be a trade. The offseason hasn’t even started yet. A lot could change over the next few weeks between the draft and the start of free agency.

Garland picked up the injury on March 23 against the Jazz and played through it before ultimately missing time. He missed four of the Cavs’ final seven games of the regular season and Games 1 and 2 of the first-round playoff series with Indiana, re-aggravating the injury in the process. If Ty Jerome re-signs with Cleveland this offseason, he’s the guy most likely to replace Garland in the starting five. Donovan Mitchell’s usage rate spiked when Garland sat and he’d appear to be in line for some big fantasy lines early in the season while Garland is sidelined.

Caruso has been Oklahoma City’s most productive reserve in the NBA Finals, which makes some sense due to him being the lone player on the roster with a championship ring. After recording 11 points and a complete stat line in Game 1, Caruso was more lethal as a scorer in Game 2. A double-digit score in three of his last four appearances, the 20 points are the most Caruso has tallied in a game since Game 1 of the Thunder’s second-round series against Denver. Given the matchup, he should continue to hit the high-20s in minutes, which raises Caruso’s ceiling on both ends of the floor. Game 3 is on Wednesday in Indianapolis.

After only scoring 28 points in Game 1, Oklahoma City’s reserves were more impactful in Game 2, finishing with 48. Wiggins helped lead the way, as the 18 points were the most he’s scored in a game since the Thunder’s Game 1 win over the Grizzlies in the first round. Expecting production of this caliber from Wiggins consistently would be a bit much. Still, he’ll need to be a factor, especially if Oklahoma City continues to start Cason Wallace (4/3/1/2/1 in 24 minutes). Sunday’s rout was a reminder of what Wiggins is capable of offensively.

After shooting 6-of-19 from the field in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Williams was better in Sunday’s victory. While the percentage still has room for growth, J-Dub attempted nine free throws after getting just four on Thursday. Add in the rebounds and assists, and Williams managed to bring more to the table following his disappointing Finals debut. Oklahoma City outscored Indiana by a 33-21 margin in the second quarter, and Williams was a factor, shooting 3-of-6 from the field and scoring nine points. That’s the level of offensive aggression the Thunder will need J-Dub to bring to the table consistently if they’re to win the series. Game 3 is on Wednesday in Indianapolis.

While Holmgren’s point total wasn’t much to write home about in Game 2, it represented a marked improvement over what he brought to the table in Game 1. Having scored six points in the opening game of the NBA Finals, Holmgren exceeded that number in the first quarter of Game 2 by putting up nine points. He was held in check for the rest of the night, but other Thunder players stepped up to help Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shoulder the offensive workload. If the Holmgren who showed up to begin Game 2 is the norm, Oklahoma City’s chances of winning the franchise’s first NBA title increase substantially.