The 2025-26 NBA regular season is nearing its conclusion, and the postseason landscape is taking shape, yet anticipation surrounding the draft and offseason is already vibrant.
For the 10 teams whose postseason hopes have been dashed, attention has shifted towards the May 10 NBA draft lottery order and its potential influence on their organizations.
The 2026 draft (June 25 and 26) is generally perceived as a particularly strong and gifted class; numerous elite prospects are anticipated to become future league luminaries, a factor that has led to some of the most transparent instances of strategic losing in recent memory.
In other news, the Golden State Warriors anticipate Stephen Curry will be back on Sunday for the game versus the Houston Rockets after a 27-game absence due to a right knee injury; the Los Angeles Lakers disclosed on Friday that their star player, Luka Doncic, is sidelined for the remainder of the regular season with a hamstring injury; and the Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration inquiry persists without a clear resolution in view. Commissioner Adam Silver made no mention of the investigation during the board of governors’ assembly held last week.
Below are the latest insights our informed contacts have gathered throughout the association.
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April 3
Lakers star Luka Doncic is sidelined for an unspecified period due to a Grade 2 right hamstring injury, according to reports from ESPN’s Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin. Doncic is set to be absent for the remainder of the regular season, and his participation in the postseason remains questionable.
Within 20 minutes of the announcement, the Lakers’ odds of winning the championship plummeted from 30-1 to 100-1, as reported by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Doncic, who has participated in 64 games and placed fourth in ESPN’s most recent MVP informal survey, intends to request what is termed a “hardship exemption” regarding the 65-game requirement for eligibility for individual accolades, his agent, Bill Duffy, stated.
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
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Doncic is eligible to seek the exemption for the two games he was absent in December following the birth of his daughter. The formal request needs to be submitted no sooner than 12 p.m. ET on the final day of the regular season and no later than 11:59 p.m. ET the day subsequent to the regular season’s conclusion.
Doncic inked a three-year contract renewal in August past and has achieved All-NBA recognition in five of the preceding six seasons.
There will be no monetary repercussions concerning his subsequent agreement should the request be rejected.
Even though the Lakers have not furnished a return schedule for him, Grade 2 hamstring injuries usually necessitate about a month for recuperation. Doncic has posted a league-leading average of 33.5 points this season, in addition to 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists.
The Lakers, boasting an 8-2 record over their last 10 contests, occupy the third position in the Western Conference standings, a single game in front of the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets, two and a half games ahead of the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets, and three and a half games ahead of the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
April 2
The probe concerning a purported agreement between the LA Clippers, Kawhi Leonard, and the company Aspiration is continuing, as reported by ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.
“Wachtell’s investigation is ongoing,” said an NBA spokesperson. “There is more work to be done and no set timeline.”
It was revealed in September 2025 that the Clippers were under scrutiny due to claims that a $28 million endorsement deal between Leonard and Aspiration represented an attempt to bypass salary cap rules. The team’s owner, Steve Ballmer, has refuted these claims.
Further reading: The most recent updates on the NBA’s investigation into the LA Clippers
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo and Tim Bontemps consulted with league executives regarding the forthcoming 2026 NBA draft, covering their predictions for the first overall pick, as well as front office anxieties regarding prospects and optimal team pairings.
“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 is scheduled for May 10, preceding the draft slated for June 25 and 26.
Further details: 2026 NBA draft: What scouts and executives are observing in the top five picks
March 31
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Dave McMenamin analyzed the six potential paths LeBron James might pursue this coming offseason, such as remaining with the Los Angeles Lakers, rejoining Cleveland, or potentially joining a few unexpected dark-horse teams throughout the league.
Explore further: LeBron’s future? NBA experts on Lakers, Cavs, unrestricted player choices
March 27
Within their weekly intelligence report, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst consulted with coaches, front office personnel, and scouts to assess the escalating excitement surrounding the San Antonio Spurs’ postseason performance.
“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 presently trail the Oklahoma City Thunder by two games in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference.
Discover more: NBA insights: Spurs championship speculation intensifies among executives, coaches, scouts