Derrick White of the Boston Celtics is the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award winner for this season. He was selected by his fellow players across the league. TJ McConnell of the Indiana Pacers was second, while Harrison Barnes of the San Antonio Spurs was third and Al Horford of the Golden State Warriors was fourth. Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat was fifth and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — the only repeat finalist from last season — was sixth. McConnell actually got the most first-place votes.

The executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches says input from coaches is “vital” in discussions about going to an age-based model that would include five years of eligibility for college athletes. That comes as an NCAA panel has discussed the revamp that would give athletes five years of eligibility with the clock starting when an athlete turns 19 or graduates from high school, whichever is earliest. NABC executive director Craig Robinson said Thursday says his group views “collaboration and communication with coaches as non-negotiable.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves are getting the superstar energy they need from Anthony Edwards in their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets. Minnesota hosts Game 3 after rallying from a 19-point deficit to beat Denver in Game 2 and even the series. Edwards has been playing through knee pain and providing steady leadership as well as production on both ends. The other Game 3s on Thursday are New York at Atlanta and Cleveland at Toronto. The Hawks and Knicks are tied 1-1. The Cavaliers lead 2-0 and have tied an NBA record with 12 straight playoff wins over the Raptors.

If Florida wins the national championship next season, Draymond Green should get a ring. The Golden State Warriors forward was instrumental in convincing Gators star Thomas Haugh to postpose his NBA future and stay in school another year. Haugh re-signed with Florida nearly a week after teammate and close friend Alex Condon did the same. Haugh's announcement came following a conversation with Green in which they discussed an NBA lifestyle versus college. Coach Todd Golden will be around, too. He says he's “definitely planning on coaching the Gators” amid a report that he would be a target if the Warriors and coach Steve Kerr part ways.

Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan has resigned after six seasons, opting to step aside rather than work with a new front office. President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf made it clear after firing executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley near the end of the season that he wanted the 60-year-old Donovan to remain on the job. He said anyone who wanted to bring in a new coach was “probably not the right candidate for us.” Now, it looks like whoever the Bulls hire to run their organization will get that opportunity.

Immanuel Quickley remained out of the Toronto Raptors’ lineup for Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The point guard was ruled out by coach Darko Rajakovic during his pregame availability, marking the second straight game Quickley has missed since he strained his right hamstring in the April 12 regular-season finale against the Brooklyn Nets. Rajakovic said Quickley participated in the Monday morning shootaround. The five-year veteran also missed eight games from March 23 to April 5 because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Jamal Shead is expected to start again in Quickley’s place. Shead scored 17 points in Saturday’s 126-113 loss, including five 3-pointers.

Caitlin Clark looked right at home inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday. She wore her favorite Indiana Fever practice gear. She stretched and ran with teammates. And she of course flashed her trademark smile. While she didn’t line up any 3-pointers during the open portion of the team’s first training camp practice, everyone knows that will be back — in time. For now, just getting back to work in her adopted hometown served as a welcome respite after she missed all but 13 games during an injury-plagued 2025 season.

NCAA Tournament star Braylon Mullins will stick around one more season at UConn in hopes of winning a national championship instead of heading straight to the NBA. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard made his announcement Saturday on his Instagram account with highlight clips of his biggest shots and the words “unfinished business.” Mullins was projected to be a first-round pick. The 2025 IndyStar Indiana Mr. Basketball Award winner became a national sensation when he made a 35-footer with 0.4 seconds left to cap UConn’s incredible comeback to beat top-seeded Duke 73-72 to win the East Region title, sending the Huskies to the Final Four.

There’s a cliche that gets unearthed at this time of year, without fail, reminding everyone that a playoff series doesn’t truly begin until one team wins on the other team’s home floor. If so, then the Toronto-Cleveland, Atlanta-New York and Minnesota-Denver series still haven’t gotten going. The Cavaliers, Knicks and Nuggets all held serve in their playoff openers on Saturday and will simply look to successfully defend their home floors again when Game 2 of those series get played on Monday night.

Kevin Durant was ruled out of Houston’s playoff opener against the Los Angeles Lakers with a bruised right knee about 90 minutes before tipoff. The rest of the Rockets were neither ready nor able to pick up the slack. Houston is in an early postseason hole and the Lakers are feeling awfully good about their upset chances after Los Angeles’ 107-98 victory. Both teams were without their top scorer, but only the Lakers responded to the challenge. With Durant, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — a combined 82.8 points per game — all watching in street clothes, Los Angeles controlled Game 1.