NBA NewsFriday, Apr 17, 2026

BOSTON — Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum woke up on Friday morning and was officially 340 days removed from rupturing his Achilles last May. Since then, Tatum has rehabbed, returned to play, and bounced back even faster than he could have imagined. “Short answer would be yes,” he responded at the Auerbach Center when asked […] The post Celtics’ Jayson Tatum leaves no doubt about his prime after Achilles injury appeared first on ClutchPoints.

As much as there is a conversation about what the Los Angeles Lakers are going to do without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in the first round, many are still thinking beyond that. When the Lakers’ season wraps up, everyone’s eyes will be on the future of LeBron James and what he plans to do […] The post NBA rumors: Why LeBron James could return to Lakers despite Cavs, Warriors, Clippers buzz appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Alperen Sengun and the Houston Rockets are gearing up for their best-of-seven series against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. It is Sengun’s second straight appearance in the playoffs, and he is expected to carry a heavy load for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who will have homecourt disadvantage. […] The post How facing Draymond Green, Warriors changed Alperen Sengun’s playoff approach appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s days with the Milwaukee Bucks are clearly numbered. Antetokounmpo has been expressing his discontent with how the Bucks handled his injury status in a multitude of ways before the 2025-26 season ended, and with the Greek Freak being featured prominently in trade talks prior to the deadline, it makes sense for the Bucks […] The post 3 players Bucks must trade as Giannis Antetokounmpo situation comes to a head appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Orlando Magic are on the brink of elimination as they host the Charlotte Hornets in the Play-In Tournament at Kia Center on Friday for the last ticket to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. The winner will face the Detroit Pistons in the first round. The Magic had the chance to enter the playoffs […] The post Kendrick Perkins ‘sick and tired’ of Magic’s Paolo Banchero as coaching rumors swirl appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The first year of the Joe Dumars era for the New Orleans Pelicans could not have gone any worse. The new front office regime believed that the team would be a contender for the 2025-26 season, which explains why they would trade an unprotected pick of theirs in the draft-night deal that brought Derik Queen […] The post 4 players Pelicans must trade after train-wreck season appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Metta World Peace provided some intriguing insight about his pick on the NBA playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. World Peace represented the Lakers (2009-13, 2015-17) and the Rockets (2008-09) throughout a chunk of his playing career from 1999 to 2017. He won a championship with the former in 2010, […] The post Metta World Peace spices up Lakers-Rockets series with honest opinion appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The future of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro’s time with the Miami Heat might be in question. It is one that Kendrick Perkins wants Pat Riley to answer as soon as this summer in the offseason. The Heat’s 2025-26 campaign came to end after losing to the Charlotte Hornets in the play-in tournament. As the […] The post Growing doubts around Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro as Heat’s future duo appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Before Anthony Edwards became the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves, he was a 19-year-old prospect facing a barrage of questions. During the 2020 NBA Draft cycle, the biggest knock on the Georgia product wasn’t his shooting or his defense, it was his heart. Pundits openly wondered if the guard even loved the game of basketball. […] The post Timberwolves Coach recalls Anthony Edwards’ NSFW to harsh draft critque appeared first on ClutchPoints.

No matter the metric, Kawhi Leonard in a Clippers jersey has been a failed experiment. The gleaming glass of the Intuit Dome reflected the somber faces of a fanbase wondering “what if” for yet another year. When Leonard arrived in 2019, it felt like a shift in the tectonic plates of the NBA. The “Little […] The post 3 best Kawhi Leonard trade destinations if Clippers decide to finally end underwhelming era appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Despite being linked to trade rumors for the majority of the season, Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. kept his chin up, tuned out the noise, and did his job. The result? A bounce-back year for the third-year player. Although the Heat failed to advance to the playoffs after suffering a painful loss to the […] The post This unique Jaime Jaquez Jr. ability led to instrumental ‘bounce-back year’ with Heat appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Fans of the Miami Heat were almost inconsolable after the team lost to the Charlotte Hornets by a solitary point in overtime, 127-126, in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday. The painful defeat ended the Heat’s season. They failed to qualify for the playoffs, snapping their six-year streak, as they bowed out in the Play-In Tournament […] The post Heat’s Erik Spoelstra fires back at narrative after painful play-in exit appeared first on ClutchPoints.