

Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. continued to raise his stock despite a tumultuous season that saw the team finish in 13th place in the East and miss the playoffs. He has a player option for the 2025-26 season, and when asked about it during a press conference, he said, "This is a business, but at the end of the day I'm happy. And I like to finish what I start, and I don't feel complete. So godspeed." This seems very encouraging for the Sixers, but it also seems like he's waiting to see how the offseason plays out and would like to negotiate a pay raise. This offseason is extremely important for the Sixers and could ultimately change the way the franchise looks from top to bottom. Oubre averaged 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game as a starter, so his role on the team is not in question.


Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (ankle) missed the last four games of the season due to an ankle injury, but he's trending in the right direction before the NBA Playoffs start. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said before their final game that Mitchell would be "full-on" during practice leading up to Game 1, which is waiting for the play-in games to be scheduled. The 28-year-old was voted to his sixth straight All-Star Game this season and averaged 24.0 points, 5.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. The Cavaliers' big three of Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley will need to be fully healthy to make a playoff run, and it seems that they're moving closer to that.

Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller was asked during his final press conference whether or not he'd be returning soon. The second-year wing stated that he's not sure when exactly he'll fully return, but they're currently working on his range of motion. Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer stated that it sounds like Miller is still a few months away. He only appeared in 27 games this season due to a torn ligament in his right wrist, and finished with a stat line of 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.9 threes per game. Miller is one of the Hornets' core pieces alongside LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams, but their issue has been staying on the court so far.


Philadelphia 76ers guard Kyle Lowry just finished out the remaining year on his contract and will be a free agent this summer. When asked about his plans next season, the Villanova product said he'd like to play one more year. Whether that's in Philly or not remains to be seen. He appeared in 35 games this season and averaged 3.9 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.9 rebounds across 18.8 minutes per game. He played more of a veteran mentor type of role on the bench for Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain. If he accepts the veteran minimum, head coach Nick Nurse may welcome that type of help from a player-coach, but his value doesn't go much higher than that.


Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele made a huge impression during the 2024 Olympics, which turned into a contract offer from Daryl Morey and the Sixers' front office. In his first season back in the NBA since 2018-19, Yabusele delivered with averages of 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 threes per game. He played a solid complementary game to Joel Embiid when he was able to play, and filled a backup role that the team sorely missed. In a press conference, Daryl Morey said that they loved what Yabusele brought to the team and they would like to retain him this offseason.
