The NBA Playoffs have been like a warzone with the amount of injuries that occurred. Get the latest updates on players like Kristaps Porzingis and Dereck Lively II below.
Talented Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s Game 5 against the Timberwolves, after he sustained a neck sprain in Game 3.
The center didn’t participate Tuesday’s Game 4 loss to the Wolves and his physicality on both ends of the floor was missed.
Lively, who earned second-team All-Rookie honors, picked up the injury in Game 3 when Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns accidentally kneed him in the back of the head.
Luka Doncic is also listed as questionable due to a right knee sprain and lingering soreness in his left ankle, though Luka has been listed as questionable multiple times this postseason and is yet to miss a game.
Although Boston have done just fine without Porzingis in the postseason, the franchise will need to be at full strength for the NBA Finals against the Mavericks / Timberwolves.
Porzingis himself seems pretty confident he’ll be making his return from a calf strain for the Finals after posting on X.
“Thank you to everyone who supports and sympathizes throughout the season,” he said in his native language of Latvian. “I’ll be back in line soon. See you in the finals.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said on Zolak & Bertrand that Porzingis is “ramping up the intensity level” ahead of the Finals.
NBA insider Shams Charania said Tuesday on Run It Back,” “There’s definitely hope. There’s definitely optimism. There are still some hurdles, I’m told, that he has to clear before he can play in Game 1 of the Finals, but there’s of course hope that this next week-plus will give him the time that needs to ramp up and get ready for that Game 1 next Thursday.”
A reunion would that every 76ers fans would love to see is Jimmy Butler returning to Philly and the ownership group are reportedly keen to make that happen.
The Sixers didn’t offer Butler a full max contract five seasons ago, so he was signed and traded to his preferred destination, Miami.
But the 76ers can now see what a big mistake that was, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“Talking to my sources, the 76ers’ ownership group — they kinda regret what they did five years ago [in trading Jimmy Butler] and they see the success that he’s had,” Pompey said on Locked On 76ers. “And they realize … he could be in their eyes, the missing piece, and they’re willing to give him the money he wants.”
Money sounds like it will be the key for Butler this offseason, since he is reportedly determined to snag a max extension.
“Jimmy Butler wants a max extension this offseason, preferably from the Heat,” the Miami Herald‘s Anthony Chiang reports. “But whether it’s from the Heat or another team, he wants a max extension.”
Jimmy has $48.8 million guaranteed for next season and a player option for $52.2 million for the 2025-26 season. He is said to be seeking a two-year maximum extension for $113 million.
Heat team president Pat Riley recently spoke about Butler’s extension and seemed reluctant to commit to it at this stage.
“We don’t have to do that for a year. So we have not discussed that internally right now,” Riley said on May 6. “But we have to look at that, making that kind of commitment and when do we do it. We don’t have to do it until 2025, actually. But we’ll see.”
Butler will be the Sixers backup target if the franchise aren’t able to land Clippers forward Paul George.
Having Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jimmy Butler on the same team could just be a championship-winning formula.