The 2025-26 NBA regular season is complete and the first-round playoff picture is nearly set, but buzz around June's draft and the 2026 offseason is already humming.
For the teams already eliminated from playoff contention, the focus has turned to the draft lottery May 10 and how it will impact each franchise. The 2026 draft is widely viewed as deep and talented; several of the top players are expected to be future stars in the league, which has resulted in some of the most overt tanking efforts in years.
Check back here for all the latest buzz, news and reactions from our ESPN NBA insiders, with the latest info at the top:
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April 17
Hoop Collective: NBA playoff preview and NBA awards rulings
Brian is joined by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the recent LaMelo Ball fine and whether he should've been suspended for his actions. They then move on to the 65-game exemption that made Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham eligible for regular season awards before closing on a full playoff preview of each series.
"I did not believe he should have been suspended, but I'm going to tell you, I wavered on that when I saw multiple instances of him doing this exact same thing. Not just the Bam Adebayo game two years ago where he thought he got fouled and tripped Bam. But in February, he did this to Jabari Smith Jr. against the Rockets. Almost the same type of play. (He) was driving, thought he got bumped, and he actually got called for a Flagrant 1 in that situation. -- Brian Windhorst
The Charlotte Hornets face the Orlando Magic Friday night with the winner advancing to the playoffs.
April 16
Why LaMelo's flagrant 2 falls into a gray area
The NBA retroactively assessed Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball with a flagrant foul 2 for tripping Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo in Tuesday's Eastern Conference play-in game, which Charlotte won in overtime thanks to Ball's last-second layup.
But for the Heat and their fans, it doesn't erase Adebayo's injury, it doesn't remove Ball from Friday's 8-9 game against the Orlando Magic and it all but certainly won't impact the Hornets should they reach the first round.
That's because one quirk of the tournament's addition is that, not unlike the NBA Cup title game, the play-in tournament lives as its own statistical entity. They are neither playoff nor regular-season games, with no bearing on postseason and regular-season stats or awards.
That's also the case with flagrant foul points, which can have a massive impact when they start to add up. In 2016, Draymond Green was suspended for Game 5 of the NBA Finals for accumulating four flagrant points over the course of the postseason, something that helped Cleveland pull off its stunning 3-1 comeback.
While the Hornets' playoff stay isn't likely to last as long -- Charlotte needs to win Friday just to set up a first-round meeting with the top-seeded Detroit Pistons -- Ball entering the playoffs with two flagrant points would have at least given heft to the belated punishment.
Instead, the decision felt fairly hollow. And in asking sources around the league Wednesday ahead of the NBA's announcement that Ball wouldn't be suspended, opinions were mixed. Some argued that a hefty fine would suffice, because you shouldn't retroactively remove him from the next game because of Adebayo's unfortunate injury. Others argued the opposite, saying he should have to sit out Friday's win-and-in showdown.
None of it, however, will reverse the agonizing end to Miami's season.
"I'm not really thinking about that anymore," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters Thursday during the team's exit interviews. "I don't think [Ball] is a dirty player. It should have been caught in the moment, and it wasn't. And you move on." -- Tim Bontemps
April 15
Hoop Collective: Chaotic play-in games and the full LaMelo Ball experience
Brian is joined by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to cover the two exciting play-in games from Tuesday night, including the wild ending between the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat and whether LaMelo Ball's controversial trip of Bam Adebayo will have ramifications moving forward. They then move on to the Portland Trail Blazers' late win over the Phoenix Suns in the West before closing on previews of this week's other play-in games.
"I had a GM text me tonight and ask, because they saw the play later, 'This guy's got to get suspended, right?" -- Tim Bontemps
The Hornets will face the loser of Wednesday's Orlando Magic-Philadelphia 76ers play-in game for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs on Friday.
April 14
Charania: Heat looking for star in the offseason
The Miami Heat and team president Pat Riley will be in the market for a superstar this offseason, including the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
"The Heat, Pat Riley, it's clear around the NBA when I talk to rival executives: Pat Riley wants his whale, his shark, his tiger," Charania said on "NBA Today." "They'll be back in the Giannis hunt and then whatever star they can find that becomes available to see, 'Can we get that No. 1 guy?'"
The Heat play the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night to keep their season alive as the No. 10 team in the East play-in.
Mavericks target Wolves' Connelly for front office
ESPN's Tim MacMahon detailed the Dallas Mavericks' search for a new head of basketball operations on his podcast, "Howdy Partners," on Tuesday. Dallas has targeted the Minnesota Timberwolves' president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, for the same position with the franchise.
"Tim Connelly is the primary target for the Dallas Mavericks," MacMahon said. "Tim Connelly is obviously an outstanding executive. He helped build the championship team in Denver [and] the Wolves -- a franchise that had been out of the first round of the playoffs one time in their existence, [now] has gone to back-to-back conference finals with the roster that he constructed. Great candidate. There's just one problem, Mike. I think he's got a job, doesn't he?
MacMahon also listed Detroit Pistons vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsay as a potential target for the Mavericks opening.
April 13
Hoop Collective: Upsets help shape playoff matchups
Brian is joined by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the final day of the NBA regular season, including how upsets influenced the playoff seeding. They then move on to the most exciting first-round playoff storylines and if the Los Angeles Lakers can get their injured stars back in the first round. They close on interesting comments from the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo about his future with the franchise.
"There are potential Laker playoff opponents who felt that it was a better chance -- based on their analysis of the situation -- that Austin Reaves could play sooner rather than later, and that as this team was preparing to potentially see the Lakers, that they were preparing for Austin Reaves potentially to play in that first-round series at some point." -- Brian Windhorst
The Lakers face the Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
April 10
Wemby reaches 65-game mark
After seeing his season cut short a year ago because of a blood clot in his right shoulder, Victor Wembanyama is now eligible for postseason awards. He reached the 65-game criterion in the San Antonio Spurs' 139-120 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. He finished with 40 points and 13 rebounds in just 26 minutes.
Wembanyama is eligible to sign a five-year, $251 million extension this offseason. Because he was ineligible for league honors last year, there are no financial implications in the extension if he were named All-NBA or Defensive Player of the Year this season.
The extension will likely include a 30% clause that increases the total amount $50 million if he is named MVP, All-NBA or Defensive Player of the Year in 2026-27.
Wembanyama has 10 games of at least 20 points and 15 rebounds this season. That trails only Tim Duncan for the most in Spurs history. He has 16 games of at least 25 points and four blocks this season, the most by any player. -- Bobby Marks
Duren hits 65-game mark
After failing to reach an extension last offseason, the Detroit Pistons' Jalen Duren is set to cash in.
Duren, who is a restricted free agent this summer, has now reached the 65-game mark to be eligible for All-NBA honors. Entering their game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Duren had played 68 games. However, four of the games did not qualify because he played fewer than 15 minutes.
Due to a clause in the CBA, Duren and his representatives are allowed to negotiate a contract up to 30% of the maximum salary if he's named to an All-NBA team. The contract can be for up to five years and $287 million.
If Duren is not named All-NBA, he is eligible for a five-year, $239 million contract.
Duren led the NBA in total points per game and was named to the All-Star team for the first time in his career. -- Bobby Marks
April 9
Curry to miss Thursday's game, no matchups with LeBron this season
The Golden State Warriors have announced Stephen Curry will miss Thursday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers due to it falling on a back-to-back, as the star player returns from injury.
The missed game means that Curry and LeBron James will not have met in the regular season, and they likely won't meet in the playoffs.
Embiid to undergo surgery for appendicitis
The Philadelphia 76ers announced that Joel Embiid will undergo surgery for appendicitis in Houston on Thursday afternoon. They also reported that further updates will come.
April 8
The NBA's take on tanking
ESPN's Anthony Slater talked to players, coaches and executives about how they feel about tanking in the NBA and the future it has in the league.
In ESPN's conversations with dozens of players, coaches and front office executives, a consistent theme emerged: Nobody likes it -- "I hate it," Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said -- but not many deny it is often the most prudent team-building path when stuck near the bottom. Different seasons and different drafts will generate different forms, but everyone agrees it'll continue until the NBA figures out either the proper rules or punishments to curb it.
"These teams are doing the whole gamut: sitting guys in the fourth, playing analytically bad lineups, drawing up plays for bad shots," one Western Conference general manager said. "The creativity is impressive and I don't blame them. It's the best strategy to get better. Look at all the most promising teams in the league: Thunder, Spurs, Pistons, Rockets, Hornets. Years of being bad and building up on high picks. It's painful but worthwhile."
The strategies are growing in audaciousness and frequency of use. The orders from management are coming in earlier in the season, creating months of competitively compromised and often unwatchable basketball. The average margin of victory in NBA games this season is 13.1 points, the largest spread in history, and a record 89 games have been decided by 30 or more points.
Hoop Collective: Bulls changes and playoff seeding battles
Brian is joined by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the Chicago Bulls firing president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley and why the franchise could finally be moving in the right direction. They then move on to the potential playoff matchups, including the possibility of an intriguing series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks and why the Denver Nuggets' wins of late have them set up for a deep playoff run. They close on whether the Los Angeles Lakers should shut down LeBron James for the regular season
April 7
Bulls hiring search firm for front office replacements
The Chicago Bulls are expected to engage a search firm in order to find a replacement for vice president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley, whom the team fired after six seasons running the basketball operations department, sources told ESPN.
It's a different approach from the process Chicago used when it hired Karnisovas in 2020. Team president and CEO Michael Resindorf said then that he targeted the top "No. 2" in basketball and went after general managers such as Karnisovas, who was then with the Denver Nuggets, and Bobby Webster, who was then general manager of the Toronto Raptors, but has since been promoted to their head of basketball operations.
This is only the second time since 2003 that the Bulls have hired a new head of basketball operations. Before Karnisovas got the job in 2020, John Paxson assumed the role for 17 years from 2003 to '20. Karnisovas and Eversley went 224-254 across six seasons leading the organization to one winning season and one playoff appearance.
Even though Chicago sits 29-49 and in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, the opening is expected to be an attractive one around the league. The Bulls have flexibility on how they can build their roster with their own lottery pick, approximately $60 million in cap space and young players on the roster without long-term salary commitments.
Chicago is still expected to try to retain coach Billy Donovan in some capacity after the season. -- Jamal Collier
The fractured relationship between Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks
ESPN's Shams Charania went inside the drama between two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, as a crucial summer window approaches. The story details what has led to the falling out in Milwaukee and what it means for the future of both Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
This season, the Bucks have gone 17-19 with Antetokounmpo in the lineup and 14-28 without him, and they rank 25th in offensive rating and 26th in defensive rating overall. They are one of six NBA teams to rank in the bottom five in both categories.
All the while, the uncertainty of Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee lingered. The Bucks engaged in trade talks ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline but chose to hold on to him, even as it became increasingly clear that they didn't have much hope of even elevating into the play-in race. Milwaukee is now headed to the draft lottery for the first time since 2016, snapping a streak of nine consecutive years in the playoffs. The Bucks haven't won a postseason series since 2022. Antetokounmpo, who is under contract for one more season, has played in a career-low 36 games and privately feuded with the organization for several months, culminating in rebuking the team's requests to shut down in the final month of the season and setting up another contentious summer.
"When your best player is one foot in, one foot out," said one team source, "you're not going to win."
The Bucks have officially been eliminated from the playoffs.
April 6
Bulls part ways with front office leaders, Karnisovas and Eversley
The Chicago Bulls have dismissed the executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley after six seasons, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
The 29-49 Bulls sit in 12th in the East and are bound for the lottery.
Former Nuggets coach Malone intends to take North Carolina opening
The North Carolina Tar Heels are expected to hire former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone for the same position with the school, per ESPN Pete Thamel.
Malone won the 2022-23 NBA championship with the Nuggets.
Hoop Collective: Flagg's ROY statement and final week drama
Brian is joined by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss Cooper Flagg's big weekend and where the Rookie of the Year award race currently stands. They then jump into the biggest storylines over the final week of the regular season, including the drama between the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the playoff races to watch and the mounting injuries hampering the Los Angeles Lakers' playoff hopes.
"I don't know who's going to still have their jobs in Chicago by the end of next week," Brian Windhorst said on the podcast. "Whether it's by their own decision or by other people's decision."
April 4
Williamson unlocks more money in 61st game
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has reached another financial benchmark for games played.
The salary protection for his $42.2 million salary in 2026-27 was nonguaranteed headed into the season. But now that he has played in 61 games, 80% ($33.7 million) of his $42.2 million salary for next season is protected.
The remaining $8.4 million will become guaranteed if Williamson's combined body weight and body fat percentage is less than 295. There were seven times he was required to weigh in this season. It's unclear what he weighed during those check-ins.
Williamson has one of the league's most unusual contracts. His salary next season and in 2027-28 originally became nonguaranteed when he missed more than 22 games in the 2022-23 season. His $44.9 million salary in 2027-28 remains nonguaranteed.
The 61 games played this season is tied for the third most in his career. He's averaging 21.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. The Pelicans, who have been eliminated from playoff contention, have four games left on their schedule. -- Bobby Marks
April 3
Doncic out for the rest of the regular season
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is out indefinitely with a Grade 2 right hamstring injury, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin. Doncic will miss the rest of the regular season, and his availability for the playoffs is uncertain.
In the 20 minutes after the news broke, the Lakers' title chances dropped from 30-1 to 100-1, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
Doncic, who has played in 64 games and ranked fourth in ESPN's latest MVP straw poll, will apply for what's called an "extraordinary circumstances challenge" to the 65-game rule for award consideration, per his agent, Bill Duffy.
Statement from Luka Doncic's agent Bill Duffy of WME Basketball: "This season, Luka Dončić has performed at a historic level, leading the league in scoring, carrying the Lakers to third place in the Western Conference and placing himself in the middle of one of the most tightly... https://t.co/bKVOmzheDE
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 3, 2026
Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, Doncic can apply the exception for the two games he missed in December for the birth of his daughter. The application must be made no earlier than 12 p.m. ET on the last day of the regular season and no later than 11:59 p.m. on the day after the last day of the regular season.
Doncic signed a three-year extension last August and has been named All-NBA in five of the six previous seasons.
There will be no financial implications in his next contract if the application is denied.
Though the Lakers haven't provided a timeline for his return, Grade 2 hamstring injuries typically require a monthlong recovery. Doncic has averaged a league-high 33.5 points this season, along with 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists.
The Lakers, who have gone 8-2 in their past 10 games, are third in the Western Conference, one game ahead of the No. 4-seeded Denver Nuggets, 2.5 games ahead of the No. 5-seeded Houston Rockets and 3.5 ahead of the No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
Maxey reaches important milestone
Reaching the 65-game criteria for postseason honors could have significant financial implications for Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey.
In the scenario Maxey is named All-NBA this season, he would become eligible to sign a four-year, $300 million supermax extension in the 2027 offseason if he is also named All-NBA next season. The first year of the extension would begin in 2029-30.
A player with seven or eight years of NBA service is supermax eligible if they are named All-NBA in the immediately preceding season or in two of the immediately preceding three seasons. Maxey ranks fourth in the league in points per game (28.8) and third in total clutch points. -- Bobby Marks
Hoop Collective: The final straw poll: Can Wemby catch SGA?
Brian is joined by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to go over this season's final edition of the MVP straw poll, including whether Victor Wembanyama still has a chance to catch reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, for the award. They also cover the close battle in the Rookie of the Year race between Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg.
April 2
Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration investigation ongoing
The investigation into an alleged deal between the LA Clippers, Kawhi Leonard and the company Aspiration is ongoing, sources told ESPN's Baxter Holmes.
"Wachtell's investigation is ongoing," said an NBA spokesperson. "There is more work to be done and no set timeline."
The news broke in September of 2025 that the Clippers were being investigated over allegation that a $28 million endorsement deal between Leonard and Aspiration constituted salary cap circumvention. Owner Steve Ballmer has denied the allegations.
Front offices debate the NBA draft's No. 1 pick
ESPN's Jeremy Woo and Tim Bontemps talked to executives across the league about the upcoming 2026 NBA draft, including whom they believe will be taken with the first overall selection, what concerns front offices have with prospects and best fits.
"I think this draft is, in some ways, similar to the [2024 Zaccharie] Risacher year, but on a higher level," they said. "That year it was like, 'Is anyone going to be really good?' This year, it's like, 'Well, s---, there's a lot of guys.' You have high confidence that at least some of them are going to be really, really good. You're not really sure which ones.
"You don't want to be drafting at 1 and end up with the fifth-best player."
The NBA draft lottery takes place on May 10 ahead of the draft on June 25 and 26.
March 31
What's next for LeBron this offseason?
ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Dave McMenamin broke down the six possible avenues LeBron James could take this offseason, including staying with the Los Angeles Lakers, returning home to Cleveland and or landing with some surprising wildcard teams around the league.
March 27
How scouts and front offices view the Spurs' playoff chances
In their weekly intel file, ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst talked to coaches, front offices and scouts to gauge the growing hype around the San Antonio Spurs' playoff run.
"They're my favorite now," the scout told ESPN. "I've been thinking a lot about it. His game is going to be even more dominant in the playoffs and every game he's going to get more and more into your head. In Game 1, your players will think about him on some of their shots. By Game 4, they'll be having full-on nightmares."
The Spurs are currently two games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the top seed in the Western Conference.