With 20 postseason berths already secured, only seven NBA teams have mathematically locked in top-six finishes. In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons, Celtics and Knicks have clinched. The Thunder, Spurs, Lakers and Nuggets have done the same in the West.
The list could grow on Thursday. The NBA said the Cavaliers will clinch a playoff spot by beating the Warriors in San Francisco, while the Rockets would secure a berth if the Suns fall to the Hornets in Charlotte.
Western landscape almost set
Minnesota cannot clinch Thursday, but the Timberwolves hold a 4.5-game edge over Phoenix for sixth place. Absent a late collapse, Minnesota and Houston are expected to join Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Los Angeles and Denver as guaranteed West playoff teams. That would leave the Suns, Clippers, Trail Blazers and Warriors to navigate the play-in tournament. The Clippers, Blazers and Warriors are already locked into the play-in, though seeding remains unsettled.
Eastern race still crowded
The East offers the tightest battle. Five games separate fifth-place Atlanta (44-33) from tenth-place Miami (40-37). Philadelphia (42-34), Toronto (42-34), Charlotte (40-36) and Orlando (40-36) remain in contention for a top-six slot or at least the 7-vs-8 play-in game, which gives two chances to reach the postseason.
Orlando and Miami suffered lopsided home defeats Wednesday, damaging their push for a guaranteed spot. Conversely, the Hawks strengthened their hold on No. 5 by beating the Magic and have now won 17 of 19.
Four 10-day deals expire
Four 10-day contracts ended overnight Wednesday: Bez Mbeng (Jazz), DeJon Jarreau (Grizzlies), Tyler Burton (Grizzlies) and Markelle Fultz (Raptors).
- Jazz: Plan to keep Mbeng on a rest-of-season deal.
- Grizzlies: Cannot re-sign Jarreau or Burton without waiving a player because both were hardship additions. Memphis can fill two hardship slots but would need newcomers.
- Raptors: Hold an open roster spot and can re-sign Fultz, who logged five games and four points on 2-for-11 shooting. However, Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange reports the club is expected to look elsewhere, with Raptors 905 guard Tyreke Key mentioned as a possibility. A 10-day pact signed Thursday would expire next Saturday, freeing Toronto to convert a two-way player before the postseason roster deadline the following day.
Clock ticking on standard 10-day contracts
Only 11 days remain in the regular season. Beginning Friday, teams with open roster spots must sign players for the balance of the season; standard 10-day deals will no longer fit within the calendar. Hardship 10-days remain permissible through the finale but expire immediately afterward.
More contracts end this weekend, including Omer Yurtseven’s (Warriors), Malachi Smith’s (Nets) and Charles Bassey’s (Celtics). Boston must re-sign Bassey or add another player by Sunday, when the club can no longer carry fewer than 14 standard contracts for an entire day.
Source: Hoops Rumors
