Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
There is an anticipation that Mark Williams, like Detroit's Jalen Duren and Utah's Walker Kessler, will attempt to generate interest from Chicago in restricted free agency since the Bulls are projected to wield some $65 million in salary cap space. Projecting the Bulls' offseason intentions with certitude will naturally be easier once they've installed a new head of basketball operations, but Chicago's lack of a proven center on the current roster is undeniable.
Keith Smith: The Utah Jazz winning the tiebreaker drawing with the Sacramento Kings means that even in the very unlikely scenario that four teams leapfrog Utah in the Lottery, the Jazz will keep their first-round pick. This is because Utah's pick can now no longer fall lower than 8th.
Utah’s 46-point margin of victory last Friday was particularly one-sided, but uncompetitive basketball was par for the course during the regular season. It got worse as the year went along. In April, 34% of all games were decided by at least 20 points—by far the highest rate for any month in NBA history. That followed a March in which the blowout percentage was 28% (the second-highest month ever) and a February with a 25% blowout rate (the fifth-highest month ever). This was an historic season for shellackings, but it continued a multi-season trend. Aside from the final three months of 2025-26, only three other months in NBA history had a blowout rate of 25% or greater, and two of them were April 2022 and April 2025.
LeBron James had 18 points, six assists and four rebounds in the first half, and the Los Angeles Lakers tuned up for the postseason with a 131-107 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday night. Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton each had 22 points and 10 assists. James and Luke Kennard were held out of the second half as a precautionary measure, and the Lakers closed the regular season on a three-game winning streak.
Advertisement
Law Murray: The Los Angeles Lakers have upgraded Jaxson Hayes (foot) to questionable for regular season finale vs Jazz LeBron James is questionable. If he plays, full Game 1 roster could be available Sunday
Utah used seven players in its 147-101 win over Memphis -- and was the deeper team. Memphis had only six players. It wasn't the game of the year, to put it mildly.
Law Murray: Cavaliers say that Dean Wade (ankle) and Jaylon Tyson (toe) will miss west road trip that begins in Utah tomorrow and continues through Los Angeles Tuesday
Advertisement
Josh Lewenberg: Fultz is expected to be available in Utah tonight & could get some run with Quickley out. Alijah Martin is another option; currently listed as out (on G League assignment) but 905 played in Salt Lake this AM so he’s with the team & impressed in spot minutes earlier this season.
Rudy Gobert: So I have a small apartment in Paris. So in the summer, I try to spend a lot of time in France too, because it’s the only time when I can really do it. But I also really like it there. I still have the house in Utah, so I have everything I need there. I have a half basketball court, a weight room, a pool. Before every season, I spend a few weeks in Utah.” Interviewer: “Okay. Because of the altitude too?” Rudy Gobert: “Yeah. So, for the oxygen…” Interviewer: “You’re always chasing performance, even on vacation.” Rudy Gobert: “Well, listen, I’m teasing, but yes, it’s true. That’s it. I really appreciate the place already, but on top of that, the fact that there are benefits that help me with my performance, my career, and my longevity—well, it’s all upside. It’s important.”
The three worst teams in the league - Indiana, Washington, and Sacramento - call the most timeouts. The Bulls and Pelicans are fourth and fifth in timeouts, and not much better in the standings. Meanwhile, the same is true on the other end. The teams that call the fewest timeouts include the Pistons, Rockets, Knicks, Celtics, and Thunder, five of the top six teams in net rating. They don’t often have to worry about their opponent going on a threatening scoring run. And then there’s the Utah Jazz. Utah has the fifth worst record in the NBA, is outscored by eight points per 100 possessions, but Head Coach Will Hardy hasn’t stepped in to stop the bleeding. In the past, Hardy has talked about the value of letting players learn how to handle pressure and communicate under duress while taking responsibility for fixing mistakes rather than being bailed out by a stoppage. He may also be scared from that one time he lost his team a game with a timeout.
Michael Scotto: The Utah Jazz are waiving Vince Williams, league sources told @hoopshype. WIlliams previously suffered a torn ACL and is out for the rest of the season. He’s averaged 7.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 21.3 minutes per game in four seasons with the Grizzlies and Jazz.
