Milwaukee Bucks star guard Damian Lillard has been upgraded from doubtful to questionable for Thursday's Game 6 of the Eastern Conference first-round series against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.

• Lillard sat out the last two games with a right Achilles injury for the Bucks, who trail 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. The eight-time All-Star averaged 32.3 points in the first three games of the series.

  Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo remained doubtful on the league's official injury report as he deals with a calf injury sustained in an April 9 victory against the Boston Celtics.

  Without the All-Stars in the lineup for Game 5, Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis scored 29 points apiece in Milwaukee's 115-92 victory over Indiana on Tuesday.

  --Field Level Media

Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso was named the winner of the NBA's 2023-24 Hustle Award on Thursday.

• The award honors players who "make the effort plays that don't often appear in the traditional box score but impact winning on a nightly basis."

  Caruso, 30, averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals in 71 games (57 starts) this season.

  He also excelled in the so-called "hustle stats," leading the league in deflections per game (3.7), finishing fifth in loose balls recovered (1.0 per game) and placing seventh in charges drawn (0.17 per game).

  An All-Defensive First Team selection in 2022-23, Caruso finished third in the NBA with 120 steals in 2023-24.

  He is the second Chicago player honored in the Hustle Award's eight-year history, joining Thaddeus Young (2020-21).

  Toronto's Scottie Barnes finished second to Caruso, followed by Golden State's Brandin Podziemski, Oklahoma City's Luguentz Dort and Charlotte's Grant Williams.

  --Field Level Media

Current and former owners of the 76ers bought more than 2,000 tickets to mute the presence of New York Knicks fans attending Game 6 in Philadelphia on Thursday night.

• Sixers star Joel Embiid voiced his displeasure following Game 4 at the Wells Fargo Center, when boisterous Knicks fans cheered their team's 97-92 comeback victory on Sunday.

  "Disappointing," Embiid said after New York seized a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series. "I love our fans. Think it's unfortunate, and I'm not calling them out, but it is disappointing. Obviously, you got a lot of Knicks fans, and they're down the road."

  Philadelphia trimmed New York's lead to 3-2 with a 112-106 overtime victory at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, but still faces elimination Thursday in the best-of-seven set.

  Former minority owner Michael Rubin announced Wednesday that he teamed up with owners Josh Harris, David Blitzer and David Adelman to buy "more than 2,000 tix" for Game 6.

  "We absolutely CANNOT let Knicks fans take over our arena again!!!" Rubin posted on X.

  He said the tickets are being given away to first responders, healthcare professionals and other "local Philadelphia-based organizations once we know they're legit Sixers fans and not imposters!!"

  The 76ers posted a video on their official Instagram account Wednesday of tickets being given away to fans on the streets of Philadelphia.

  --Field Level Media

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch is expected to be with the team in Denver for the Western Conference semifinals that start Saturday, but where exactly he'll sit is another matter.

• Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori told reporters that Finch's surgery to repair his ruptured patellar tendon on Wednesday went well and that he'll travel to Denver if his initial recovery goes as planned.

  "It went well. His spirits are remarkably high," Nori said.

  Now it's logistics, Nori said: Where does Finch sit during the game?

  Nori said it's possible Finch could join the team on the bench if Minnesota can reconfigure the chairs in a way that would work; Finch will need to be out of harm's way and keep his surgically repaired leg extended and immobilized. If that doesn't work, Finch will be in the locker room before the game and at halftime and watch from a suite.

  According to ESPN and NBA TV, Finch would be permitted to communicate with assistant coaches if he's unable to be on the bench.

  "In typical Finchy fashion, he's like, ‘I don't want to sit there and send text messages to somebody behind the bench,'" Nori said.

  Finch suffered the injury in the final minutes of Game 4 at Phoenix in the Timberwolves' first-round series when he collided with Minnesota point guard Mike Conley.

  The Timberwolves travel to Denver on Thursday, but Finch, if he does go, would travel separately at a later date.

  Finch, 54, was third in NBA Coach of the Year voting after leading Minnesota to a 56-26 regular-season record.

  Denver split four games with the Timberwolves this season, including Minnesota's 111-98 win on March 29 at Denver and an April 10 game on the same court that went to the Nuggets, 116-107.

  --Field Level Media

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis will miss the rest of the team's first-round series against the Miami Heat and likely the start of the Eastern Conference semifinals, if Boston is able to move on.

• Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla gave the update Wednesday during an interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Zolak & Bertrand" radio show.

  "I don't know the specifics of it; they use a lot of fancy words. But I do know it will be re-evaluated next week," Mazzulla said. "We'll see how he responds to the treatment and how much better he gets here in the first week. That's kind of the goal is to rehab it like crazy over the next week and see where we're at from there."

  Porzingis had already been ruled out for Wednesday night's Game 5 in Boston. The Celtics lead the Heat 3-1. The Athletic also reported Wednesday that Porzingis is "week to week."

  Provided the Celtics move past the Heat, their next series would begin either Sunday or Tuesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers or Orlando Magic. The Cavs lead that series 3-2.

  Porzingis was diagnosed with a right soleus strain, the same injury that the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo sustained near the close of the regular season and has kept him out of the playoffs so far.

  In the second quarter of Game 4, Porzingis caught a pass from Jaylen Brown and began to drive before giving it back to Brown and hobbling off the court and into the locker room. It didn't appear that anybody made contact with Porzingis.

  In his first season with the Celtics, Porzingis has been a key piece to the team's success, averaging 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in 57 games in the regular season.

  He had seven points and three rebounds in 14 minutes on Monday, dropping his playoff averages to 12.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest in the Miami series.

  --Field Level Media

It's extremely rare that the status of a 39-year-old is the tip of the iceberg for any sport's offseason.

• However, that's what the Los Angeles Lakers -- and the NBA -- are facing with the uncertain future of LeBron James.

  James could choose to become a free agent, or he could decide to pick up his $51.4 million player option for the final year of his current contract. He could even opt to retire.

  James declined to address his future following the Lakers' first-round exit, offering only that, "I haven't given it much thought," and his priority was returning home to spend time with his family.

  The playoffs will go on without the Lakers and James, but what his future plans are will continue to dominate the pending offseason debate.

  One sportsbook opened odds on all 29 potential destinations should James decide to part with the Lakers. The early favorite is the team facing arguably the second most impactful offseason questions.

  Will the Golden State Warriors bring back Klay Thompson, or is this the end of the "Splash Brothers" era? And as they try to position themselves for another title run with Stephen Curry on the backside of his prime, could a pairing with King James be in the offing?

  The other leading candidates are a third stint with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, or perhaps becoming the piece that helps launch the New York Knicks into a true title contender.

  LeBron James Next Team Odds*

  Golden State Warriors (4/1)

  Cleveland Cavaliers (5/1)

  New York Knicks (6/1)

  Chicago Bulls (7/1)

  Philadelphia 76ers (8/1)

  Miami Heat (9/1)

  Orlando Magic (12/1)

  San Antonio Spurs (14/1)

  Dallas Mavericks (18/1)

  LA Clippers (18/1)

  Brooklyn Nets (22/1)

  Sacramento Kings (28/1)

  Atlanta Hawks (33/1)

  Houston Rockets (33/1)

  New Orleans Pelicans (33/1)

  Milwaukee Bucks (40/1)

  Phoenix Suns (40/1)

  Minnesota Timberwolves (45/1)

  Toronto Raptors (45/1)

  Memphis Grizzlies (50/1)

  Washington Wizards (50/1)

  Charlotte Hornets (66/1)

  Detroit Pistons (66/1)

  Indiana Pacers (66/1)

  Oklahoma City Thunder (66/1)

  Boston Celtics (75/1)

  Denver Nuggets (75/1)

  Portland Trail Blazers (75/1)

  Utah Jazz (75/1)

  *SportsBetting.ag. Odds provided for information purposes only.

  The Lakers won the inaugural in-season tournament, beating the Indiana Pacers 123-109 in the final at Las Vegas on Dec. 9. James was selected the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

  If he decides to come back, James' choice is whether to hit free agency or to pick up a $51.4 million player option for the last year of his deal with the Lakers.

  James just completed his 21st NBA season, which included his 20th consecutive All-Star Game selection. He is a four-time NBA champion, a four-time NBA Finals MVP and a four-time regular-season MVP.

  On Monday against the Denver Nuggets, James amassed 30 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. That ended a campaign in which he averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds in the regular season, then 27.8 points, 8.8 assists and 6.8 rebounds in the Lakers' five playoff games.

  Asked about taking any confidence moving forward from the Lakers pushing the defending champion Nuggets in the series that went five games, James said, "No, 'cause we lost. ... I'm not a 'participation' guy. We lost and you move on and see how you can get better.

  "Our season has been derailed all season with ... injuries and guys in and out. I talked about it all year. ... It's hard to say who we are, what we can be 'cause we have yet to be whole. I think we were only probably whole one or two times this year. I know one of them was during the in-season tournament, we got whole and we showed what we (are) capable of doing.

  "But we were just hit with injuries after injuries after injuries, and it's just hard to come back from that."

  --Field Level Media

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard might be improving but Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers might not have the two stars in the starting lineup for Game 6 of the best-of-seven series with the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.

• Rivers said Tuesday night his injured All-Star tandem was "very, very, very close" to being available and would work out Wednesday. But the team listed both players as doubtful on Wednesday afternoon.

  Antetokounmpo (left calf) has missed the entire series and Lillard (right Achilles) had missed the past two games.

  Milwaukee beat the Pacers 115-92 in Game 5 to force another must-win situation Thursday night in Indianapolis. The Pacers own a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series.

  If Antetokounmpo and Lillard both suit up for the Bucks, it would be the first time that they'll take the court together in nearly a month.

  Antetokounmpo injured his calf in an April 9 victory against the Boston Celtics, when a postgame MRI exam revealed a strained muscle.

  Lillard strained his Achilles in a 121-118 overtime loss in Game 3 and said he sprained his knee -- but returned -- in the first half of that game. Lillard said he "couldn't move" before Game 4.

  Without the All-Stars in the lineup for Game 5, Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis scored 29 points apiece to push the series back to Indiana.

  Myles Turner said the Pacers might have missed an opportunity on Tuesday with the Bucks talking about the potential return of their superstars. Head coach Rick Carlisle reminded his players that the ball is still in their court.

  "I don't think we were playing with the kind of intensity we needed to even when we had the lead," Carlisle said. "We paid the price for it."

  --Field Level Media

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley was named the NBA's Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year for the second time on Wednesday.

• Conley, 36, previously won it with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2018-19. He joined three-time winner Jrue Holiday as the only multiple-time recipients of an award that "recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team."

  Conley is the second player in Timberwolves history to win the honor, joining Jamal Crawford (2017-18).

  Conley collected a total of 1,172 points in the voting by league executives to edge out runner-up Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets with 1,041 points. Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks finished third with 783.

  In his 17th NBA season, Conley started 76 games and averaged 11.4 points, 5.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He shot 44.2 percent from 3-point range and 91.1 percent from the free-throw line -- both career highs.

  He helped the Timberwolves (56-26) post the second-most wins in franchise history and earn the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Minnesota swept the Phoenix Suns in the first round and opens the conference semifinals Saturday in Denver against the defending champion Nuggets.

  In addition to his two Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year awards, Conley is also a record four-time winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award.

  --Field Level Media

Tyrese Maxey scored 46 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. hit a tiebreaking layup in overtime as the visiting Philadelphia 76ers avoided elimination with a 112-106 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.

• Game 6 of the Eastern Conference series is Thursday in Philadelphia, and if the 76ers can continue to stay alive, the teams will play a seventh game on Saturday in New York. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 40 points.

  The Knicks were 28.9 seconds away from closing out the series after Miles McBride's 14-footer put them up 96-90. Following a timeout, Maxey, who scored a career playoff high in points, converted a four-point play with 25.4 seconds left in regulation. After New York's Josh Hart split two free throws, Maxey buried a 35-foot trey with 8.5 seconds remaining for a tie at 97.

  Maxey made 17 of 30 shots overall and hit seven 3-pointers for the Sixers, who survived Joel Embiid hobbling throughout the game. Embiid added 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists after missing the morning shootaround with a migraine.

  Bucks 115, Pacers 92

  Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis scored 29 points apiece and injury-riddled Milwaukee stayed alive with a victory over visiting Indiana in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

  The Bucks controlled the contest despite both Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) sitting out. Antetokounmpo has missed the entire series and Lillard has sat out the past two games.

  Tyrese Haliburton scored 16 points and Myles Turner added 13 for the Pacers. Milwaukee outscored Indiana 64-36 over the two middle quarters to take control. The Bucks pulled within 3-2 in the series.

  Cavaliers 104, Magic 103

  Evan Mobley blocked Franz Wagner's attempted layup with 5.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, helping host Cleveland secure a win over Orlando in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

  Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell erupted for 28 points, and Darius Garland scored 17 of his 23 points in the first quarter. Mobley collected 14 points and 13 rebounds.

  Orlando's Paolo Banchero recorded 39 points and eight rebounds after being limited to just nine points on 4-of-14 shooting from the floor in Game 4.

  --Field Level Media

Milwaukee Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard will sit out Tuesday's Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers due to their injuries, coach Doc Rivers said before the first-round contest.

• Antetokounmpo has missed the entire series due to a left calf injury. Lillard will miss his second straight game due to a right Achilles injury.

  Lillard was seen shooting prior to Tuesday's game, while Rivers said Antetokounmpo didn't partake in any team activities.

  Antetokounmpo and Lillard were listed as doubtful on the injury report Monday. Lillard averaged 32.3 points in the first three games of the series.

  Milwaukee trails 3-1 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series.

  --Field Level Media

The Boston Celtics will be without forward Kristaps Porzingis on Wednesday when they attempt to close out a first-round playoff series in Game 5 against the visiting Miami Heat.

• Porzingis was diagnosed with a right soleus strain, the same injury that the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo sustained near the close of the regular season and has kept him out of the playoffs so far.

  According to ESPN, Porzingis is expected to miss "several games."

  In the second quarter of Game 4, Porzingis caught a pass from Jaylen Brown and began to drive before giving it back to Brown and hobbling off the court and into the locker room. It didn't appear that anybody made contact with Porzingis.

  In his first season with the Celtics, after an offseason trade, Porzingis has been a key piece to the team's success, averaging 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in the regular season.

  He had seven points and three rebounds in 14 minutes on Monday, dropping his playoff averages to 12.3 points and five rebounds per contest in the Miami series.

  --Field Level Media

New York Knicks forward Bojan Bogdanovic will have surgery for a left foot injury that occurred in Game 4 of an Eastern Conference series against the Philadelphia 76ers and miss the remainder of the playoffs, multiple outlets reported.

• Bogdanovic, 35, also will have left wrist surgery to address a previous injury, according to the reports.

  The foot injury occurred Sunday when Bogdanovic and the Sixers' Nicolas Batum were chasing a loose ball. Batum landed on Bogdanovic's foot when he dived for the ball.

  The Knicks have a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series against the Sixers and can advance with a victory in Tuesday's home game against Philadelphia.

  In 29 regular-season games, after joining the Knicks from the Detroit Pistons, Bogdanovic averaged 10.4 points with 2.0 rebounds and was shooting 37 percent from 3-point range.

  In 10 NBA seasons, for six different organizations, Bogdanovic has averaged 15.6 points and 3.6 rebounds over 719 games (572 starts).

  --Field Level Media

Miami's injury woes are multiplying with the Heat trailing the Boston Celtics 3-1 in the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

• Already without starting guards Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck), rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. did not travel with the team to Boston and was ruled out for Game 5 on Wednesday because of a hip injury.

  Jaquez started the first four games in the series but was injured in the fourth quarter of Miami's Game 4 loss to the Celtics. He had nine points in 22 minutes before leaving the game.

  "I just felt something, felt something give in the hip, and we'll take it day by day as of now," Jaquez said after Game 4. "It was really just my hip, my right hip. I felt something give in the beginning in the third quarter going up for a rebound. I tried to get back in there, tried to give it everything I had."

  Jaquez averaged 11.9 points per game during the regular season, and 12.8 points per game in the four playoff games against the Celtics.

  --Field Level Media

Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out of Wednesday's Game 5 of the Western Conference first-round series versus the visiting Dallas Mavericks due to inflammation in his right knee.

• Leonard also sat out Games 1 and 4 in the series, with the Clippers winning both contests. The best-of-seven series is tied at two victories apiece.

  Amir Coffey started in place of Leonard in Game 4, scoring four points in 23 minutes in Los Angeles' 116-111 win on Sunday.

  The injury forced Leonard out of the Clippers' final eight regular-season games. It also continues a trend of knee issues keeping the two-time NBA champion out of recent playoff series.

  Knee injuries knocked Leonard out of the 2021 and 2023 playoffs, with the Clippers quickly eliminated after his departures. When knee surgery kept him out of the 2021-22 season, Los Angeles didn't even make the playoffs.

  Leonard, 32, averaged 23.7 points with 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 68 games this season. In 696 regular-season games over 12 seasons, Leonard has averaged 20.0 points with 6.4 boards and 3.0 assists.

  Leonard won NBA titles in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs and 2019 with the Toronto Raptors. He was named the MVP of the NBA Finals both years.

  A six-time All-Star, Leonard has been named to the All-NBA first team three times. The veteran also was included on the Team USA roster for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

  --Field Level Media

New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin appreciates the success of a 49-win season but signaled he's determined to shift away from the current makeup of his roster this summer.

• "Whereas in the past we've always erred on the side of continuity, and our takeaway has been, 'Let's see this group healthy,' I think we've seen it enough," Griffin said at his season-ending press conference Tuesday. "We've had some really, really good opportunity to see Zion (Williamson) play a career high in games. I think we saw it for segments of time well enough to understand we've got a lot of work to do."

  The Pelicans reached the playoffs via the play-in tournament only to fold due to another injury to Williamson. The No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft is the only lottery pick from that year who hasn't appeared in a playoff game.

  This was the first season Williamson, 23, played more than 61 games, and he flashed MVP-level dominance. Williamson averaged 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists before he was injured in the play-in tournament with 3:19 left in a 40-point outburst against the Lakers. He called the injury "super-demoralizing."

  Griffin discussed expectations placed on Williamson at his 2023 season-ending press conference when he felt Brandon Ingram was having an All-NBA season with a dominant finish to the regular season while Williamson nursed an injury.

  "Every story don't have a good ending," Ingram said Tuesday of the early exit from the playoffs. "We can do some things internally to make us a better ballclub, make us a better organization. We'll look back at it and see how we can be better."

  Griffin didn't indicate he'd rather part with either player. But with Trey Murphy, Herb Jones and Naji Marshall in the fold as primarily wing players, the Pelicans could be in position to consider a trade from a position of strength.

  "He did a remarkable job this year," Griffin said of Williamson, while calling the timing of his latest injury "disheartening" because Williamson responded to coaches suggesting he take more pull-up jump shots. Those shots starting falling, and Williamson's confidence went through the roof.

  "I think you saw so much evolution in his game that came from the evolution (of) his body and the work he put in," Griffin said. "We're really excited about where Zion is and where he intends to go."

  A commitment to Williamson could mean a split with Ingram, who was acquired by New Orleans from the Los Angeles Lakers in the Anthony Davis trade in June 2019.

  Ingram, 26, has averaged at least 20 points in each of his five seasons with the Pelicans.

  New Orleans finished eighth in the West in 2023-24 and last finished higher in the conference standings in 2017-18 (sixth place) with 48 wins.

  From the timing is everything department, Griffin lamented the Pelicans would've been third in the West last season with 47 wins.

  However, he was clear that the Pelicans as constituted delivered a great season by their own recent standards and still landed in the play-in tournament. That's a driving factor in Griffin's mission to seek changes.

  "Because it's a historically good Western Conference -- there's teams that didn't make the playoffs that are going to get radically better this offseason," he said. "We need to do the same. I think you'll see a real sense of urgency from all of us to do that."

  --Field Level Media

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was named NBA Executive of the Year on Tuesday.

• Stevens spent the offseason revising the roster of the reigning Eastern Conference champions to create a team that posted an NBA-best 64-18 record in the 2023-24 regular season.

  Trades sent point guard Marcus Smart and backup Malcolm Brogdon away and added point guard Jrue Holiday and forward Kristaps Porzingis.

  Stevens said at the 2024 trade deadline that all of his roster-mending was done with an approach of keeping the "championship window" a moving target. Stevens also signed Jaylen Brown to a long-term contract extension, traded explosive center Robert Williams and sent restricted free agent Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks in a sign-and-trade deal.

  Thunder general manager Sam Presti finished second to Stevens in award voting and had four first-place votes to 16 for Stevens. Oklahoma City posted a record of 57-25 and is the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

  Executive of the year voting is conducted by the NBA with only fellow general managers and team presidents submitting ballots.

  "If you're not trying to get better, you're probably getting caught," Stevens said in February.

  Stevens, 47, has been in the front-office role for three years and previously served as head coach of the Celtics for eight seasons.

  NBA Executive of the Year Award winners since 2000:

  2022-23 - Monte McNair, Sacramento Kings

  2021-22 - Zach Kleiman, Memphis Grizzlies

  2020-21 - James Jones, Phoenix Suns

  2019-20 - Lawrence Frank, LA Clippers

  2018-19 - Jon Horst, Milwaukee Bucks

  2017-18 - Daryl Morey, Houston Rockets

  2016-17 - Bob Myers, Golden State Warriors

  2015-16 - R.C. Buford, San Antonio Spurs

  2014-15 - Bob Myers, Golden State Warriors

  2013-14 - R.C. Buford, San Antonio Spurs

  2012-13 - Masai Ujiri, Denver Nuggets

  2011-12 - Larry Bird, Indiana Pacers

  2010-11 - Gar Forman/Pat Riley, Chicago Bulls/Miami Heat

  2009-10 - John Hammond, Milwaukee Bucks

  2008-09 - Mark Warkentien, Denver Nuggets

  2007-08 - Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics

  2006-07 - Bryan Colangelo, Toronto Raptors

  2005-06 - Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Clippers

  2004-05 - Bryan Colangelo, Phoenix Suns

  2003-04 - Jerry West, Memphis Grizzlies

  2002-03 - Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons

  2001-02 - Rod Thorn, New Jersey Nets

  2000-01 - Geoff Petrie, Sacramento Kings

  --Field Level Media

With multiple weeks to decide whether to stay in the draft or withdraw, a whopping 195 players filed as early entry candidates for the 2024 NBA Draft.

• There are 60 total picks in the NBA draft and second-round selections sign non-guaranteed contracts.

  The league announced a full list of players who have applied for early entry but maintain the right to withdraw from consideration no later than 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 16. Under NCAA rules, in order to retain college basketball eligibility, college players who have entered the draft face an earlier deadline of Wednesday, May 29.

  Seniors are listed with "early entry" prospects because of the existing COVID-era eligibility rule granting players an additional season if they were enrolled during the pandemic.

  It's not uncommon for large numbers of players to "test" the draft process with plans to return.

  College basketball All-Americans in 2023-24 -- Zach Edey (Purdue), Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois), Kyle Filipowski (Duke) and Jamal Shead (Houston) -- were in the 2023 NBA Draft class one year ago, but all opted to return to school before the May deadline and helped their teams to the Sweet 16 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

  Shannon used his COVID year of eligibility last season and is not among the early entry prospects.

  The first round of the draft is scheduled for Wednesday, June 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

  The league created a two-day event for the first time this year and will hold the second round on June 27 at ESPN's Seaport District Studios in New York.

  A complete list of early entry and international prospects was sent to NBA teams this week and can be found below.

  Player, Team, Height, Eligibility Status

  Achor Achor, Samford, 6-9, Senior

  Chibuzo Agbo, Boise State, 6-7, Senior

  Abdullah Ahmed, Westchester Knicks (G League), 6-10, 2003 DOB

  Jonas Aidoo, Tennessee, 6-11, Junior

  Michael Ajayi, Pepperdine, 6-7, Junior

  Posh Alexander, Butler, 6-0, Senior

  Trey Alexander, Creighton, 6-4, Junior

  Izan Almansa, G League Ignite, 6-10, 2005 DOB

  Mark Armstrong, Villanova, 6-2, Sophomore

  Adama Bal, Santa Clara, 6-6, Junior

  Joe Bamisile, VCU, 6-4, Senior

  Aziz Bandaogo, Cincinnati, 7-0, Senior

  Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern, 6-6, Junior

  Reece Beekman, Virginia, 6-3, Senior

  Jesse Bingham II, Indianapolis, 6-6, Senior

  Jalen Blackmon, Stetson, 6-3, Junior

  Adem Bona, UCLA, 6-10, Sophomore

  Malik Bowman, Overtime Elite/Lusitania (Portugal) 6-8, 2004 DOB

  Jaden Bradley, Arizona, 6-3, Sophomore

  Trevon Brazile, Arkansas, 6-10, Sophomore

  Koby Brea, Dayton, 6-6, Senior

  Jack Brestel, Roanoke College, 6-5, Senior

  Jalen Bridges, Baylor, 6-9, Senior

  Dion Brown, UMBC, 6-3, Sophomore

  Nimari Burnett, Michigan, 6-4, Junior

  Markus Burton, Notre Dame, 5-11, Freshman

  Lamont Butler Jr., San Diego State, 6-2, Senior

  Matas Buzelis, G League Ignite, 6-10, 2004 DOB

  Wesley Cardet Jr., Chicago State, 6-6, Junior

  Andrew Carr, Wake Forest, 6-11, Senior

  Carlton Carrington, Pittsburgh, 6-4, Freshman

  Devin Carter, Providence, 6-3, Junior

  Stephon Castle, Connecticut, 6-6, Freshman

  Cam Christie, Minnesota, 6-6, Freshman

  Nique Clifford, Colorado State, 6-6, Senior

  Donovan Clingan, Connecticut, 7-2, Sophomore

  Isaiah Collier, USC, 6-5, Freshman

  Jalen Cook, LSU, 6-0, Senior

  Cedric Coward, Eastern Washington, 6-6, Junior

  Isaiah Crawford, Louisiana Tech, 6-6, Senior

  Somto Cyril, Overtime Elite, 6-10, 2005 DOB

  Thierry Darlan, G League Ignite, 6-8, 2004 DOB

  Tristan Da Silva, Colorado, 6-9, Senior

  DJ Davis, Butler, 6-1, Senior

  Johnell Davis, Florida Atlantic, 6-4, Senior

  Anthony Dell'Orso, Campbell, 6-6, Sophomore

  Mohamed Diarra, NC State, 6-10, Junior

  Rob Dillingham, Kentucky, 6-2, Freshman

  Eric Dixon, Villanova, 6-8, Senior

  Reynan Dos Santos, Overtime Elite, 6-5, 2004 DOB

  Garwey Dual, Providence, 6-5, Freshman

  Ryan Dunn, Virginia, 6-8, Sophomore

  Xavier DuSell, Fresno State, 6-4, Senior

  Zach Edey, Purdue, 7-4, Senior

  Justin Edwards, Kentucky, 6-8, Freshman

  Noah Farrakhan, West Virginia, 6-2, Senior

  RJ Felton, East Carolina, 6-3, Junior

  Frankie Fidler, Omaha, 6-7, Junior

  Kyle Filipowski, Duke, 7-0, Sophomore

  Rasheer Fleming, St. Joseph's, 6-9, Sophomore

  Trentyn Flowers, Adelaide (Australia), 6-8, 2005 DOB

  Johnny Furphy, Kansas, 6-9, Freshman

  Eric Gaines, UAB, 6-2, Senior

  Kyshawn George, Miami, 6-8, Freshman

  Tyon Grant-Foster, Grand Canyon, 6-7, Senior

  Keyshawn Hall, George Mason, 6-7, Sophomore

  PJ Hall, Clemson, 6-10, Senior

  Tyler Harris, Portland, 6-8, Freshman

  Coleman Hawkins, Illinois, 6-10, Senior

  A.J. Hoggard, Michigan State, 6-3, Senior

  Ron Holland II, G League Ignite, 6-8, 2005 DOB

  DaRon Holmes II, Dayton, 6-10, Junior

  Ben Humrichous, Evansville, 6-9, Senior

  Chase Hunter, Clemson, 6-4, Senior

  CJ Huntley, Appalachian State, 6-10, Senior

  Oso Ighodaro, Marquette, 6-9, Senior

  Harrison Ingram, North Carolina, 6-8, Junior

  Jahzare Jackson, Overtime Elite, 7-0, 2004 DOB

  Andrej Jakimovski, Washington State, 6-8, Senior

  Bronny James, USC, 6-4, Freshman

  Sion James, Tulane, 6-5, Senior

  AJ Johnson, Illawarra (Australia), 6-6, 2004 DOB

  Meechie Johnson, South Carolina, 6-3, Senior

  David Jones, Memphis, 6-6, Senior

  Dillon Jones, Weber State, 6-6, Senior

  Dordije Jovanovic, Ontario Clippers (G League) 6-7, 2003 DOB

  Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, 7-0, Senior

  Arthur Kaluma, Kansas State, 6-7, Junior

  Alex Karaban, Connecticut, 6-8, Sophomore

  Miles Kelly, Georgia Tech, 6-4, Junior

  Bobi Klintman, Cairns (Australia), 6-10, 2003 DOB

  Tyler Kolek, Marquette, 6-3, Senior

  Chaz Lanier, North Florida, 6-4, Senior

  Pelle Larrson, Arizona, 6-5, Senior

  Toibu Lawal, VCU, 6-8, Sophomore

  Xaivian Lee, Princeton, 6-3, Sophomore

  Jalen Lewis, Overtime Elite, 6-10, 2005 DOB

  KJ Lewis, Arizona, 6-4, Freshman

  Malique Lewis, Mexico City Capitanes (G League) 6-8, 2004 DOB

  Kino Lilly Jr., Brown, 6-0, Junior

  Jared McCain, Duke, 6-3, Freshman

  Javian McCollum, Oklahoma, 6-2, Junior

  Robert McCray V, Jacksonville, 6-4, Sophomore

  Scotty Middleton, Ohio State, 6-6, Freshman

  Igor Milicic Jr., Charlotte, 6-10, Junior

  Baba Miller, Florida State, 6-11, Sophomore

  Judah Mintz, Syracuse, 6-3, Sophomore

  Yves Missi, Baylor, 7-0, Freshman

  Ajay Mitchell, Santa Barbara, 6-4, Junior

  Jonathan Mogbo, San Francisco, 6-8, Senior

  Jalon Moore, Oklahoma, 6-6, Junior

  Shahid Muhammad, Southern Idaho, 6-10, Sophomore

  Matthew Murrell, Mississippi, 6-4, Senior

  Baye Ndongo, Georgia Tech, 6-9, Freshman

  Carlos Nichols, Southern Crescent Tech (GA) 6-5, Freshman

  Zarique Nutter, Northern Illinois, 6-7, Senior

  Toby Okani, UIC, 6-7, Senior

  Norchad Omier, Miami, 6-7, Senior

  Great Osobor, Utah State, 6-8, Junior

  Wooga Poplar, Miami, 6-5, Junior

  Kasean Pryor, South Florida, 6-9, Senior

  Will Richard, Florida, 6-4, Junior

  Jordan Riley, Temple, 6-4, Junior

  Jeremy Roach, Duke, 6-2, Senior

  Jaxson Robinson, BYU, 6-7, Senior

  Payton Sandfort, Iowa, 6-7, Junior

  Babacar Sane, G League Ignite, 6-8, 2003 DOB

  Mark Sears, Alabama, 6-1, Senior

  Jamal Shead, Houston, 6-1, Senior

  Reed Sheppard, Kentucky, 6-3, Freshman

  Max Shulga, VCU, 6-5, Senior

  KJ Simpson, Colorado, 6-2, Junior

  Tyler Smith, G League Ignite, 6-9, 2004 DOB

  Jason Spurgin, Bowling Green, 6-11, Senior

  A.J. Staton-McCray, Samford, 6-5, Junior

  Jarin Stevenson, Alabama, 6-11, Freshman

  AJ Storr, Wisconsin, 6-7, Sophomore

  Jahmyl Telfort, Butler, 6-7, Senior

  Saint Thomas, Northern Colorado, 6-7, Junior

  JT Toppin, New Mexico, 6-9, Freshman

  Yacine Toumi, Evansville, 6-9, Senior

  Trey Townsend, Oakland, 6-6, Senior

  Jaylon Tyson, California, 6-7, Junior

  Milos Uzan, Oklahoma, 6-4, Sophomore

  Ja'Kobe Walter, Baylor, , 6-5, Freshman

  Jaykwon Walton, Memphis, 6-7, Senior

  Kel'el Ware, Indiana, , 7-0, Sophomore

  Bryson Warren, Sioux Falls Skyforce (G League) 6-2, 2004 DOB

  Marques Warrick, Northern Kentucky, 6-2, Senior

  Deshawndre Washington New Mexico State, 6-7, Junior

  Jamir Watkins, Florida State, 6-7, Junior

  Jaylen Wells, Washington State, 6-8, Junior

  Amari Williams, Drexel, , 6-10, Senior

  Cody Williams, Colorado, 6-8, Freshman

  Terrance Williams II, Michigan, 6-7, Senior

  Joseph Zaher, Bowling Green, 6-0, Sophomore

  Below is the list of international players who have applied for early entry into NBA Draft 2024.

  Player, Team/Country of Team, Height, Eligibility Status

  Melvin Ajinca, Saint Quentin (France) 6-8, 2004 DOB

  Miguel Allen, Joventut (Spain), 6-8, 2003 DOB

  Roberts Blums, VEF Riga (Latvia), 6-4, 2005 DOB

  Luka Bogavac, Derby Podgorica (Montenegro), 6-5, 2003 DOB

  Gael Bonilla, Caceres (Spain), 6-9, 2003 DOB

  Michael Caicedo, Girona (Spain), 6-6, 2003 DOB

  Milhan Charles, BAL Weert (Holland), 6-7, 2004 DOB

  Ulrich Chomche, NBA Academy (Africa) 6-11, 2005 DOB

  Yongxi Cui, Guangzhou (China), 6-6, 2003 DOB

  Pacome Dadiet, Ulm (Germany), 6-8, 2005 DOB

  Thijs De Ridder, Bilbao (Spain), 6-8, 2003 DOB

  Brice Dessert, Blois (France), 6-11, 2003 DOB

  Mohamed Diawara, Poitiers (France), 6-8, 2005 DOB

  Nikola Djurisic, Mega (Serbia), 6-8, 2004 DOB

  Ruben Dominguez, Castello (Spain), 6-5, 2003 DOB

  Ugo Doumbia, Chalons-Reims (France) 6-4, 2003 DOB

  Lucas Dufeal, Vichy Clermont (France) 6-9, 2003 DOB

  Quinn Ellis, Trento (Italy), 6-4, 2003 DOB

  Mouhamed Faye, Reggio Emilia (Italy), 6-10, 2005 DOB

  Andrija Jelavic, Mega (Serbia), 6-10, 2004 DOB

  Ilias Kamardine, Vichy Clermont (France) 6-4, 2003 DOB

  Gustav Knudsen, Bakken (Denmark), 6-8, 2003 DOB

  Konstantin Kostadinov Alicante (Spain), 6-8, 2003 DOB

  Liutauras Lelevicius, Lietkabelis (Lithuania) 6-7, 2003 DOB

  Timotej Malovec, Mega (Serbia), 6-7, 2004 DOB

  Bogoljub Markovic, Beograd (Serbia), 6-9, 2005 DOB

  Eli John Ndiaye, Real Madrid (Spain), 6-8, 2004 DOB

  Ousmane Ndiaye, Palencia (Spain), 6-11, 2004 DOB

  Juan Nunez, Ulm (Germany), 6-4, 2004 DOB

  Noah Penda, Vichy Clermont (France) 6-8, 2005 DOB

  Zacharie Perrin, Antibes (France), 6-9, 2004 DOB

  Zaccharie Risacher, Bourg (France), 6-9, 2005 DOB

  Musa Sagnia, Manresa (Spain), 6-8, 2003 DOB

  Tidjane Salaun, Cholet (France), 6-9, 2005 DOB

  Alexandre Sarr, Perth (Australia), 7-0, 2005 DOB

  Nikola Topic, Crvena Zvezda (Serbia) 6-6, 2005 DOB

  Armel Traore, Blois (France), 6-9, 2003 DOB

  Cezar Unitu, Constanta (Romania), 6-2, 2005 DOB

  Fedor Zugic, Goettingen (Germany), 6-5, 2003 DOB

  --Field Level Media

Despite missing shootaround earlier in the day, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and guard Kelly Oubre Jr. were in the starting lineup for Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the host New York Knicks.

• Embiid, who was officially questionable for the game due to left knee injury management, was absent from shootaround with a migraine.

  Oubre was dealing with an illness. He was added to the injury report as probable to play for the Sixers, who trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

  Embiid, the reigning NBA MVP, has averaged 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists in the first four games of the series.

  Oubre is contributing 12.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists this series.

  --Field Level Media

Reports of an imminent divorce between the Los Angeles Lakers and Darvin Ham multiplied on Tuesday in the aftermath of the season-ending loss to the Denver Nuggets.

• Denver bounced the Lakers from the postseason with a 4-1 series victory and the second buzzer-beating win of the first-round matchup delivered from Jamal Murray on Monday night. The defending champion Nuggets also defeated the Lakers in the Western Conference finals last season.

  Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Ham, previously an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks, deserves to be coaching.

  "I think Darvin Ham is a hell of a coach," Malone said. "That's not an easy job. I think Darvin does it with class. He's a good man, good coach, and I wish him all the best. Hopefully, he'll be around there for a long time because he deserves to be."

  Ham, 50, has a 90-74 record in two seasons.

  Turmoil between Ham and the Lakers' stars was first reported late last season and resurfaced in December 2023. Ham defended some of his decisions after a Jan. 5 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies and reminded the fan base the season is "a marathon."

  Lakers fans chanted "Fire Darvin Ham" during Game 3 and as All-Star Anthony Davis said the Lakers "don't know what we're doing on both ends of the floor" for stretches of games.

  "It's been a hell of a two years sitting in this seat, I'll tell you that. It's been a hell of a two years," Ham said Monday after the Game 5 loss.

  --Field Level Media

Post-operative protocol could push Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch from the bench to an off-court location for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals at Denver on Saturday.

• Finch is scheduled for surgery to repair his right patellar tendon on Wednesday, an injury suffered in the final minutes of Game 4 at Phoenix when he collided with Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley.

  Minnesota swept the Suns and plays the first two games of the series with the defending champion Nuggets on the road. Finch, according to ESPN and NBA TV, would be permitted to communicate with assistant coaches from the locker room if he's unable to be on the bench due to physical limitations. The procedure requires Finch to keep his right leg immobilized, and he is unlikely to be fully cleared to travel with the team until after the operation.

  The Timberwolves haven't announced any contingency plans if Finch isn't available or would be unable to travel.

  ESPN reported assistant coach Micah Nori would be the choice to run the team from the sideline.

  Finch, 54, was third in the NBA Coach of the Year voting after leading Minnesota to a 56-26 regular-season record.

  Denver split four games with the Timberwolves this season, including Minnesota's 111-98 win on March 29 at Denver and the April 10 game on the same court that went to the Nuggets, 116-107.

  --Field Level Media

LeBron James wouldn't address his future plans in the wake of the Los Angeles Lakers' season-ending loss on Monday.

• Shortly after the host Denver Nuggets edged Los Angeles 108-106 on a late, tiebreaking basket by Jamal Murray to end their first-round Western Conference playoff series in five games, James was asked if there any thought he might have played his last game with the Lakers.

  James paused a long time before replying, "Uhhh, I'm not gonna answer that."

  As to whether he plans to plan another season, the 39-year-old veteran replied, "I don't have an answer ... to be honest. I haven't given it much thought."

  Asked about taking any confidence moving forward from the Lakers pushing the defending champion Nuggets, James said, "No, 'cause we lost. ... I'm not a 'participation' guy. We lost and you move on and see how you can get better.

  "Our season has been derailed all season with ... injuries and guys in and out. I talked about it all year. ... It's hard to say who we are, what we can be 'cause we have yet to be whole. I think we were only probably whole one or two times this year. I know one of them was during the in-season tournament, we got whole and we showed what we (are) capable of doing.

  "But we were just hit with injuries after injuries after injuries, and it's just hard to come back from that."

  The Lakers won the inaugural in-season tournament, beating the Indiana Pacers 123-109 in the final at Las Vegas on Dec. 9. James was selected the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

  If he decides to come back, James could decide whether to hit free agency or to pick up a $51.4 million player option for the last year of his deal with the Lakers.

  James just completed his 21st NBA season, which included his 20th consecutive All-Star Game selection. He is a four-time NBA champion, a four-time NBA Finals MVP and a four-time regular-season MVP.

  On Monday, James amassed 30 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. That ended a campaign in which he averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds in the regular season, then 27.8 points, 8.8 assists and 6.8 rebounds in the Lakers' five playoff games.

  The Akron, Ohio, native is the league's all-time leading scorer, having passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for that distinction last November.

  --Field Level Media

Jamal Murray hit a tiebreaking 14-footer with four seconds left to send the host Denver Nuggets to the Western Conference semifinals with a 108-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series on Monday.

• The second-seeded Nuggets won the best-of-seven series 4-1 and will face the third-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals beginning Saturday in Denver.

  As he did in Game 2, Murray came alive in the fourth quarter and beat Los Angeles with a clutch jumper. He finished with a game-high 32 points, 12 in the fourth quarter, despite playing on a strained left calf.

  Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 20 rebounds, nine assists and seven turnovers, Michael Porter Jr. scored 26 points and Aaron Gordon grabbed 13 rebounds for the Nuggets.

  LeBron James put up 30 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds for the seventh-seeded Lakers. Anthony Davis had 17 points and 15 rebounds while playing through an injured left shoulder. Taurean Prince missed a long 3-point attempt for the win at the buzzer.

  Celtics 102, Heat 88

  Derrick White scored a career-high 38 points on 15-for-26 shooting, including 8-for-15 success from 3-point range, and Boston cruised to a win at Miami.

  Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who seized a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. However, Boston lost Kristaps Porzingis to a calf injury in the first half.

  Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 25 points, 17 rebounds and five assists. Tyler Herro contributed 19 points and Caleb Martin had 18 for Miami.

  Thunder 97, Pelicans 89

  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams scored 24 points each, Gilgeous-Alexander added 10 rebounds and visiting Oklahoma City completed a first-round playoff sweep of New Orleans.

  Williams put up eight of his points during a pivotal 10-0 fourth-quarter run for the top-seeded Thunder, who advance to face either the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers or the fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals.

  CJ McCollum registered 20 points while Jonas Valanciunas had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the eighth-seeded Pelicans, who didn't score more than 92 points in any game of the series.

  --Field Level Media

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis injured his right calf in the second quarter of Game 4 against the host Miami Heat on Monday and was listed as doubtful to return, per the team.

• The Celtics announced that Porzingis, who exited with 2:27 left in the first half, was dealing with right calf tightness.

  Boston beat Miami 102-88 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven, Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

  On the play in which he was injured, Porzingis caught a pass from Jaylen Brown and began to drive before giving it back to Brown and hobbling off the court and into the locker room. It didn't appear that anyone made contact with Porzingis on the play.

  Per ESPN, it didn't appear that Porzingis injured his Achilles tendon. The veteran center reportedly will undergo testing on Tuesday.

  Al Horford started the second half in place of Porzingis.

  In his first season with the Celtics after an offseason trade, Porzingis has been a key piece to the team's success, averaging 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in the regular season.

  He had seven points and three rebounds in 14 minutes on Monday, dropping his playoff averages to 12.3 points and five rebounds per contest in the Miami series.

  --Field Level Media

When the Minnesota Timberwolves begin the second round of the playoffs this week, they'll have one more active observer tuning in to see what Anthony Edwards does next.

• "So impressed with Ant. My favorite player to watch," Suns All-Star Kevin Durant said Sunday night.

  "Just grown so much since he came into the league. His love for the game shines so bright. That's one of the reasons I like him the most. He just loves basketball. He's grateful to be in this position. He's taken advantage of every opportunity that he's gotten. Love everything about Ant ... everything. I'll be watching going forward. I was really impressed with him. It's going to be somebody I'm following the rest of his career."

  Durant and Edwards are part of Team USA this summer, but the 22-year-old has more work to do before getting to Paris for the Summer Olympics.

  Edwards led the Timberwolves to a four-game sweep of the Suns, who had taken all three games from Minnesota in the regular season. Head coach Frank Vogel used a swarm defense to hold Edwards to fewer than 15 points per game in the regular season.

  But Edwards turned the playoff series into a personal highlight tape. In Game 4, he transitioned quickly from denying All-Star and Olympic teammate Devin Booker at the rim to throwing one down over Durant at the other end of the court.

  "Certain players get into a zone," Vogel said. "He's got to see five defenders."

  Booker scored 49 points in Game 4, but Edwards had 40 of his own and pushed Minnesota into the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2004 with the first playoff sweep in franchise history.

  Now the Timberwolves transition into another unfamiliar feeling -- how to fill the next seven days without a game. Likely to begin the second round on the road with the Denver Nuggets leading the Los Angeles Lakers (3-1), the earliest possible start date for the Timberwolves' next series is Saturday.

  Edwards said last season he wouldn't view himself as a player who reached star status until he gets the job done in the playoffs.

  "He's the face of the league," Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns said. "He hates when I say it, but it's true. Like I said, 'Future so bright, got to put the sunglasses on.'"

  --Field Level Media

Victor Wembanyama will return to his native France next year to lead the San Antonio Spurs in two regular-season games against the Indiana Pacers.

• The NBA Paris Games 2025 will take place on Jan. 23 and 25, the league announced Monday.

  Wembanyama, the presumptive 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft after starring for Metropolitans 92 in the French capital.

  Wembanyama, 20, averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-leading 3.6 blocks per game this season. The 7-foot-4 center averaged 29.7 minutes in 71 games (all starts).

  These will be third and fourth games for the Spurs in Paris, having last played there in a 2006 preseason game. Indiana has never played a game in France.

  --Field Level Media