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Injury Notes: Heat, Lillard, VanVleet, Coulibaly, Yabusele

April 3rd, 2025 at 6:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat forward Andrew Wiggins will miss his fourth consecutive game on Thursday due to right hamstring tendinopathy, but another Miami forward, Duncan Robinson, will make his return vs. Memphis, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Robinson hasn’t played since March 23, having been sidelined for the club’s past five contests due to a back problem. However, he feels “a lot better,” according to head coach Erik Spoelstra, who reiterated that the injury is different than the one the veteran sharpshooter dealt with at the end of last season (Twitter link via Chiang).

In addition to being without Wiggins, the Heat will still be missing Kevin Love (personal reasons), as well as Terry Rozier, who is listed as out due to an illness, but neither player has been a regular rotation contributor since the All-Star break anyway.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

The Bucks decided against bringing Damian Lillard on their three-game road trip that begins Thursday in Philadelphia, but head coach Doc Rivers is increasingly optimistic about the guard’s ability to return before the end of the season, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays (Twitter link). Lillard was diagnosed last month with a blood clot in his calf. “He had a great report the other day…the numbers are phenomenal,” Rivers said. “‘Why mess with it?’ was our thing. Why fly him or anything? It could affect (his progress). … We have much more hope today than we did three days ago, I can tell you that. And so, we’re going to take everything that we can do to see if there is a way we can get him back.”
Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet didn’t suit up on Wednesday for the victory that clinched Houston its first playoff spot since 2020, having sat out due to knee and ankle soreness. VanVleet had played in the Rockets’ previous 11 games and should be back in the lineup in short order, but that ankle issue, which forced him to miss 16 games in February and March, likely won’t clear up anytime soon. “It’s going to take some time,” head coach Ime Udoka said, per ESPN. “We will have to deal with it the rest of the season, coming off the injury.”
The Wizards didn’t formally rule out Bilal Coulibaly for the rest of the season when they announced on March 13 that he’d miss about four-to-six weeks due to a right hamstring strain. However, head coach Brian Keefe acknowledged on Thursday that the second-year forward will “probably not” be back before the team wraps up its regular season schedule, as Varun Shankar of The Washington Post tweets.
After missing a pair of games with a right knee sprain, Sixers forward/center Guerschon Yabusele will be activated for Thursday’s matchup with Milwaukee, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pacific Notes: Payton, Beal, Hayes, Carter, Kings

April 3rd, 2025 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Golden State should have one of its top defensive players back in the near future. While veteran swingman Gary Payton II has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Lakers, he is making “good progress” from the partially torn ligament in his left thumb is now considered day-to-day, according to an announcement from the Warriors (Twitter link).

Initial reports on Payton’s thumb injury indicated he would be sidelined indefinitely, but the Warriors announced last Thursday that he’d be reevaluated in one week and it sounds as if that exam went well. While the defensive specialist won’t suit up on Thursday, he has yet to be ruled out for the second end of the team’s back-to-back set, so it’s possible he could return as soon as Friday vs. Denver.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Bradley Beal isn’t listed on the Suns‘ injury report for Friday’s game in Boston and is on track to make his return after missing eight games with a left hamstring strain. He shares fans’ frustrations about his inconsistent availability this season and is hopeful he won’t have to miss any more games this spring, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “It’s not ideal, obviously, it’s not fun,” Beal said. “You don’t enjoy it. You control what you can control. That’s all I can do. I always preach about being available and that’s something I’m definitely kicking myself about, but that’s sometimes how the cookie crumbles. All I can do is keep my head up and keep getting better. The staff has been great, my body is in a better place and I feel really good right now. Hopefully it continues to stay that way.”
Jaxson Hayes averaged a career-low 12.5 minutes per game in his first season with the Lakers in 2023/24, but has taken on a significantly more important role in the second year of his minimum-salary deal following the trade sending Anthony Davis to Dallas. Hayes, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, is looking to make the most of the chance to start at center alongside an elite pick-and-roll play-maker like Luka Doncic. “I just view it as opportunity to make a name for myself, an opportunity to go win some games and win a ring,” Hayes said on Wednesday, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “And I just look at it as I gotta come in locked in every day and just try to make the most out of every day, be the best version of myself.”
The Kings got good news on Devin Carter after the rookie guard exited Saturday’s game early due to a right shoulder injury. Carter is considered day-to-day due to a shoulder contusion and is being listed as questionable to play on Friday in Charlotte (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat). Carter has a history of shoulder issues, so the team can breathe a sigh of relief now that the injury appears to be relatively minor.
While the Carter update was a positive one, there hasn’t been much else to celebrate in Sacramento as of late. As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes, the Kings‘ loss in Washington on Wednesday represents a new low for a team struggling to separate itself in the play-in race from a Phoenix squad that has lost four games in a row. The 36-40 Kings have a one-game lead on the Suns for the No. 10 seed in the West.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Hornets Sign Jaylen Sims To 10-Day Contract

April 3rd, 2025 at 3:58pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets have officially signed Jaylen Sims to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.

Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer first reported that the team would be signing Sims (Twitter link).

As our tracker shows, the Hornets currently have a full 15-man standard roster. However, they were able to sign Sims using a hardship exception, as the team has multiple players dealing with significant injuries.

A Charlotte native who went undrafted out of UNC Wilmington in 2022, Sims has spent each of the past three seasons with the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets’ NBA G League affiliate. The 6’6″ guard has made 49 combined appearances for the Swarm in 2024/25, averaging 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 32.9 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .442/.375/.837.

Sims will earn $66,503 over the course of his 10-day contract, with the Hornets carrying an identical cap hit on their books. The 26-year-old will be eligible to play in five games for his hometown team.

Kylor Kelley Signs 10-Day Contract With Pelicans

April 3rd, 2025 at 3:50pm CST by Rory Maher

3:50pm: Kelley’s 10-day contract is official, per the Pelicans. He will earn $66,503 over the next 10 days and New Orleans will carry an identical cap hit.

1:18pm: Free agent center Kylor Kelley will be signing a 10-day contract with the Pelicans, league sources tell NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms the news (via Twitter).

As Stein notes, Kelley made his NBA debut earlier this season while on a two-way deal with the Mavericks. The 27-year-old big man was waived at the beginning of March to make roster space for Kai Jones.

Kelley appeared in eight games for Dallas, averaging 3.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 8.4 minutes per contest. He has spent most of 2024/25 in the NBA G League with the South Bay Lakers after signing an Exhibit 10 deal with Los Angeles for training camp last fall (he was released by L.A. before the season began).

Kelley, who went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2020, has played in the G League and a handful of other non-NBA leagues – including in England and Denmark – since going pro.

The 7’0″ center spent the ’23/24 season with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s affiliate, and earned NBAGL All-Defensive honors after averaging a league-leading 2.9 blocks per game in 29 regular season appearances (22.0 MPG). In 32 games with South Bay in ’24/25, he has averaged 11.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 26.6 minutes per contest.

After signing Elfrid Payton to a second 10-day contract, the Pelicans currently have a full 15-man standard roster. New Orleans will add Kelley via the hardship exception, as the team has lost several players for the remainder of an injury-plagued season.

Hawks’ Terance Mann Named Assistant GM At Florida State

April 3rd, 2025 at 3:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Hawks wing Terance Mann has been named an assistant GM of Florida State’s men’s basketball program, the school confirmed in a press release (Twitter link). NBA insider Chris Haynes was first to report the news (via Twitter).

Haynes’ report suggested that Mann was recruited by Luke Loucks, the former Kings assistant and new Noles head coach. The 34-year-old replaced Leonard Hamilton, FSU’s all-time leader in wins.

Mann was a second-round pick (48th overall) in the 2019 draft after playing four years at Florida State from 2015-19. He’ll be returning to his alma mater in a new role.

It’s unclear at this time what Mann’s specific job duties will entail. Warriors superstar Stephen Curry (Davidson) and Mann’s backcourt mate Trae Young (Oklahoma) are among the other NBA players who have accepted assistant GM jobs at their former schools.

Mann, 28, was traded to Atlanta ahead of the February deadline. He’s under contract through 2028 after signing a three-year extension before the 2024/25 season began.

Dillon Brooks Receives 16th Technical, Suspended One Game

April 3rd, 2025 at 2:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

April 3: The NBA put out a press release (Twitter link) confirming that Brooks will be suspended for one game without pay. He will serve the suspension tomorrow against the Thunder, as noted below.

April 2: Rockets forward Dillon Brooks has been hit with his 16th technical foul of the 2024/25 season after kicking Jazz guard Collin Sexton during Wednesday’s game between Houston and Utah, per Bleacher Report (Twitter video link).

By league rule, Brooks’ 16th technical will result in a one-game suspension for the veteran swingman, Bleacher Report notes, unless the NBA rescinds the call.

Sexton was defending Brooks as the Rockets wing pivoted into the post. Brooks leapt up and dropped the ball in what looked like an effort to sell a foul call against Sexton, but in so doing appeared to kick Sexton in a sensitive area.

Houston can ill afford to lose Brooks at all, as the club strives to hold on to its No. 2 overall seed in a very crowded Western Conference playoff picture.

At 49-27, the Rockets are currently just two games ahead of the No. 3 Nuggets, and 2.5 games in front of the No. 4 Lakers. The 44-31 Warriors and 44-32 Grizzlies aren’t far behind, either. With six games left in the Rockets’ season, the young team still has to work to do to secure its playoff seed.

When he isn’t caught fouling the opposition, the 29-year-old Brooks is a highly valuable piece on both sides of the ball. Through 72 games this year, the 2023 All-Defensive Teamer is averaging 13.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.8 steals per night, with a .422/.395/.824 shooting line.

Assuming Brooks’ 16th technical isn’t rescinded, he’d serve his suspension on Friday vs. Oklahoma City. If he accumulates two more techs before the end of the regular season, that would result in another one-game ban.

Jazz’s Elijah Harkless Named NBAGL Most Improved Player

April 3rd, 2025 at 2:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Guard Elijah Harkless, who is on a two-way contract with the Jazz, has been named the NBA G League’s Most Improved Player for the 2024/25 season, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).

Harkless earned the award for his time with the San Diego Clippers and Salt Lake City Stars. He’s the first player from the Stars to win NBAGL MIP, according to the press release.

After averaging 11.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steal in 20 regular season games (22.7 MPG) for San Diego in 2023/24, the 25-year-old improved his counting stats across the board in ’24/25, averaging 26.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.3 SPG in 19 regular season appearances, 17 of which came for Salt Lake City (31.4 MPG). He has posted a .447/.419/.745 shooting line during the G League’s regular season.

Harkless, who went undrafted out of UNLV in 2023, was named to the NBAGL’s Up Next event — essentially the G League’s All-Star game — earlier this season. He also had a stint in the Canadian Elite Basketball League with the Saskatchewan Rattlers this past spring.

Known for his defense, Harkless has played 10 games for Utah in what is technically his rookie NBA season. The combo guard has averaged 3.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG and 1.0 SPG in 13.8 MPG during those appearances.

Drew Timme and Tyson Etienne of the Nets finished second and third in voting for the award, respectively. Both players have been standouts for Brooklyn’s affiliate in Long Island.

Heat Notes: Winning Streak, Herro, Assets, Mitchell, Highsmith

April 3rd, 2025 at 12:03pm CST by Rory Maher

The Heat have made NBA history for an unusual reason, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes.

Wednesday’s impressive road victory in Boston extended Miami’s winning streak to six games, with each triumph coming by double-digits. The Heat are the first team to accomplish that feat directly after a losing streak of at least 10 games.

“We’re just trying to take care of our business and continue to try to play well, compete hard, have this connectivity that’s growing as this season is going on and prepare,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “… Our locker room is alive. It’s been alive even when we were losing games just for this opportunity to compete, have these games matter and grow together through all of this stuff.”

Ending the Celtics’ own nine-game winning streak was a noteworthy accomplishment for the Heat, who also snapped a six-game regular season losing streak vs. the defending champions, Chiang notes.

Here’s more on the Heat:

President Pat Riley famously challenged his players, particularly Jimmy Butler, to focus on availability after last season ended. Tyler Herro, who recorded 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds, two steals and zero turnovers against Boston, took that message to heart, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The first-time All-Star has appeared in a career-high 73 games in 2024/25. He said that reaching the 70-game threshold for the first time “feels really good” and is “meaningful,” but he hopes to achieve another goal too. “I’ve missed only three games this season,” Herro said. “My goal was to only miss four. So I’m there, hopefully. Got a couple more to go, but I’ve just got to keep playing, getting treatment and staying healthy and I want to play as many games as possible. I’ve never been a guy that wants to sit out.”
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald takes a look at the team’s most valuable trade assets ahead of what could be a busy offseason, with up to seven players who could hit free agency and Herro among those eligible for extensions.
Spoelstra appreciates the “tenacious” defense that Davion Mitchell and Haywood Highsmith bring to the second unit, Winderman writes for The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The two players sometimes battle to take on the opposing team’s best offensive player. “I let (Mitchell) get the first crack,” Highsmith said with a laugh. “And if he starts getting cooked, then it’s, ‘I got him.’ We go back and forth.“

Sixers Guard Tyrese Maxey Expected To Miss Rest Of Season

April 3rd, 2025 at 10:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers star guard Tyrese Maxey is expected to be shut down for the rest of the season, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

Maxey has not played since March 3 due to finger tendon injury. He has attempted to rehab the finger, but continues to deal with discomfort and needs treatment. The team’s other stars, Joel Embiid and Paul George, have already been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Maxey has started 52 games this season, averaging a career-high 26.3 points to go along with 6.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds per contest.

He was named the league’s Most Improved Player last season, then signed a five-year, maximum-salary contract during the summer. Maxey averaged 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in 37.5 minutes per game across 70 outings (all starts) last season.

The Sixers have lost 26 of their last 30 games with six games remaining. Philadelphia, which has lost nine straight, faces Milwaukee tonight. The Sixers owe a first-round pick to Oklahoma City but will retain it if they wind up with one of the top six selections.

Central Notes: Allen, Okoro, Ball, Budenholzer, Williams

April 3rd, 2025 at 10:47am CST by Dana Gauruder

With the playoffs approaching, Jarrett Allen and Isaac Okoro are playing at a peak level for the Cavaliers. Allen is shooting 77.8 percent from the field over the last six games, while Okoro has impacted recent games with his hustle plays and defense, Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes.

Allen, who has appeared in every game this season, missed most of last season’s playoff run due to broken ribs.

“I feel like every year I’ve had something happen in the playoffs to me whether it’s hurt or, yeah, it’s always getting hurt,” Allen said. “I’m just ready to showcase what I have to offer.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is still dealing with pain in his sprained right wrist but there are no plans to shut him down, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune writes. Ball missed the team’s six-game road trip and still hasn’t been cleared to play. He’ll have to deal with the injury the rest of the season but the team doesn’t anticipate that it will require surgery.
Former Bucks coach and current Phoenix coach Mike Budenholzer admitted his return to Milwaukee was an emotional one. The Suns lost 133-123 on Tuesday. “I’ve always said it was a great five years here in Milwaukee,” Budenholzer said, per The Associated Press’ Steve Megargee. “I’m forever appreciative to the organization, to the players, to the fans here. The people here were great to me. It’s tough to lose tonight. I want to keep the focus on my guys, my team. But I’ve said it a million times: It was five great years here.” Milwaukee snapped a four-game losing streak by shooting a franchise-record 68.9% (51-of-74) from the floor. “I kept saying to my teammates, ‘We’re fighting for our lives. We’re fighting for our lives,’” Giannis Antetokounmpo said, per Megargee. “They think I’m joking, but I’m not joking. We’re fighting for our lives right here. Every win counts.”
Patrick Williams hasn’t played up to the contract he signed last summer, but the Bulls forward said this season hasn’t been all gloom and doom, he told The Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley. ‘‘When we’re winning, I’m having fun, regardless of how I’m playing,’’ Williams said. ‘‘I come from a culture, obviously, at [Florida State] where winning was the top priority. When you win, everybody gets taken care of. You hold the trophy up, everybody gets to hold it up. But, for sure, as one of the young staples of this group, there’s a lot that comes with that off the court, being professional that way, but also on the court, holding yourself to that standard. The team holds me to that standard; I hold myself to that standard. And when I’m not playing at that standard, you shouldn’t be happy.”