Mar 31, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
We are within the ultimate weeks of the 2024-25 NBA steady season, and groups are zeroing in at the postseason. However there are many video games left sooner than the steady season ends April 13.
Although the Oklahoma Town Thunder have clinched the No. 1 seed within the Western Convention, the race for the West’s No. 2 seed is tight. In the meantime within the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks have already secured playoff spots.
From the contract incentives to the tank race for the No. 1 pick out within the draft, our NBA insiders Brian Windhorst, Bobby Marks, Tim MacMahon, Zach Kram and Jamal Collier damage down what we will have to be looking at within the ultimate weeks of the steady season.
Which participant’s contract incentives will have to we be looking at?
Fifty-three avid gamers, together with Kevin Durant, Derrick White, Aaron Gordon and Dejounte Murray, had incentives of their contracts sooner than the season. The incentives ranged from being decided on for the All-Famous person Recreation (Durant) to 3-pointers made in a season (White). Durant, White and Jae’Sean Tate (crew wins) have reached the standards and can earn a mixed $2 million. White additionally picked up an additional $500,000 for taking part in in a minimum of 70 video games.
As for the remainder of the record, ESPN tasks handiest 5 avid gamers — Dillon Brooks, Jonathan Isaac, Cameron Johnson, Chris Paul and Julius Randle — are on tempo to earn regular-season bonuses.
In his moment season in Houston, Dillon Brooks is averaging 13.9 issues and 1.8 assists. Troy Taormina-Imagn Pictures
Brooks will earn $1 million when the Houston Rockets clinch a playoff spot. Johnson will pick out up $562,000 if his true taking pictures proportion stays above 60% — he’s taking pictures 63.2%. In the meantime, Paul is one win from $262,000. Paul additionally has two bonuses (web ranking and true taking pictures) that he’s on tempo to achieve. Each will web the guard an extra $523,000. Randle’s $1.4 million bonus depends at the Timberwolves achieving the primary around. They’re within the play-in however just a half-game in the back of the Golden State Warriors for the No. 6 seed.
Isaac’s bonus — an additional $2.6 million for showing in 70 regular-season video games for the Orlando Magic — used to be probably the most not going to occur sooner than the season. The ahead has handled accidents during his profession and performed handiest 69 video games the previous two seasons. He has performed in 65 video games this season, on tempo to play his maximum since 2018-19. — Bobby Marks
Which playoff-contending crew has probably the most at the line this postseason?
Editor’s Selections
2 Comparable
Memphis has zoomed up the record after it fired Taylor Jenkins with lower than 3 weeks left within the season, bringing two large issues into play.
First, the Grizzlies are taking a possibility by means of handing the crew to period in-between trainer Tuomas Iisalo, a high-intensity and system-devoted trainer who has had luck in another country however does not have NBA playoff revel in. Leaning into that is interesting and might be impressed by means of normal supervisor Zach Kleiman, who believes in Iisalo’s high-tempo, high-movement offense that greenbacks NBA norms. In a month, in all probability the readability from this transfer — Jenkins have been shifting clear of an competitive offensive taste in fresh weeks because the Grizzlies floundered — propels Memphis right into a postseason run.
2nd, how do the crew’s stars really feel about this path? This season, Ja Morant and Desmond Bane have had their mins, photographs and issues lower. The Grizzlies’ offensive potency has stepped forward season over season. However questions referring to how Morant, who’s eligible to signal a freelance extension this summer season, feels concerning the adjustments caused some rumors about his long run in Memphis and led Kleiman to rebuke that noise after the business time limit in February.
The secret’s the Grizzlies have underachieved. They have been the No. 2 seed within the West after nice steady seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23 however failed to achieve the convention finals, with Morant’s off-court problems certainly contributing. Remaining season used to be derailed by means of unrelenting accidents and Morant’s suspension. Now, after being the No. 2 seed once more in early February, the Grizzlies were shedding within the standings and misplaced all momentum because the playoffs manner. Sooner or later, they want to turn out it when it issues. — Brian Windhorst
Which playoff positioning will have to we be looking at closest within the East?
Keep watch over the three-way combat for the fourth thru 6th seeds involving the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Dollars. This race has gotten fascinating after the Dollars introduced Damian Lillard is out indefinitely as a result of blood clots in his proper calf. Although ESPN reported there may be optimism Lillard will play once more this season, the Dollars might be with out their big name guard for a longer stretch and feature already dropped six in their previous 10 video games, falling to No. 6.
The Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers are combating to protected the No. 4 seed within the Japanese Convention. (Picture by means of Ron Hoskins/NBAE by means of Getty Pictures)
Indiana, in the meantime, has been one in all the freshest groups within the league because the All-Famous person damage, going 13-8, whilst Tyrese Haliburton seems like an All-NBA participant once more. After which there are the surging Pistons, who’re combating to host a first-round matchup of their first playoff look since 2019. If the Dollars cannot climb out of the No. 6 seed, they’re going to most probably meet the Knicks in a star-studded first-round matchup the place the winner of that sequence is prone to face the Celtics in the second one around. In the meantime, the Cavs would have a far clearer trail to the convention finals with two less-experienced groups of their method in a possible second-round sequence. — Jamal Collier
Which of the tanking groups wishes Cooper Flagg probably the most?
In every of the previous two seasons, the Utah Jazz remained aggressive for greater than half of in their time table sooner than tanking on the finish of the season. Because of this, they picked 9th and tenth, respectively, up to now two drafts and did not land a franchise cornerstone. So this season, they began to tank early — and have been fined for violating the league’s participant participation coverage — and now they are virtually assured to have the most productive lottery odds.
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Utah has a better want for Flagg than any of the opposite groups jostling for a awesome lottery place. The Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets are nonetheless early of their rebuilds, whilst the Charlotte Hornets have already got a possible dynamic duo in LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Plus, the New Orleans Pelicans and Philadelphia 76ers will have to be aggressive once more subsequent season with higher well being. However the Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert 3 years in the past, and they are nonetheless caught with no younger big name to construct round. Flagg would fill that void. And even though the Duke freshman can be a super are compatible for any crew within the lottery, he’d glance specifically potent in Utah, forming a dominant defensive entrance line with Walker Kessler and partnering with some other large, professional ahead in Lauri Markkanen. — Zach Kram
OKC is 13½ video games forward within the West. Who locks up the No. 2 seed?
The West’s moment seed is Houston’s to lose at this level, as not going as that gave the impression coming into the season. The Rockets have a two-game cushion over the Nuggets, and the tiebreaker between the ones groups might be determined at the ultimate day of the steady season in Houston.
The Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers are inside of hanging distance if the Rockets fade down the stretch, sitting 4½ and 3½ video games again within the standings, respectively. Two of the Rockets’ last 8 video games are at the highway in opposition to the Lakers. — Tim MacMahon
Which avid gamers will have to we be looking at to hit the 65-game standards?
NBA Playoff Problem
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There is not any want to concern about stars equivalent to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Anthony Edwards being ineligible for postseason honors. All 3 avid gamers have met the 65-game standards. Gilgeous-Alexander is eligible to be named MVP and Jackson has certified to enroll to a five-year, $345 million tremendous max extension if he is called All-NBA or Defensive Participant of the 12 months. On the other hand, a bunch of earlier award winners is in need of the standards. The record contains Nikola Jokic (64), Evan Mobley (64), LeBron James (63), Jalen Brunson (61), Stephen Curry (62), Giannis Antetokounmpo (62), Kevin Durant (62), Domantas Sabonis (61), Jaylen Brown (59) and Draymond Inexperienced (59). A participant has to look in a minimum of 20 mins or extra for the sport to rely, and they’re allowed two video games between 15 to twenty mins. — Marks
