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INDIANAPOLIS – The first of two road games to close the Orlando Magic's regular season comes Friday night against the Indiana Pacers. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
After securing the No. 7 seed and a second straight Southeast Division title, the Magic (40-40) have nothing left to play for in the regular season. They will host the No. 8 seed (TBD) in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday, April 15.
The Pacers (48-31) will play Friday night on the second night of a back-to-back, hosting the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday in Indianapolis.
Will the Magic and Pacers play their usual starters?
Here's the latest on each team's player health, status and injuries.
Orlando Magic Injury Report
- Cory Joseph: Questionable (left knee soreness)
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Questionable (left knee strain)
- Franz Wagner: Questionable (right ankle soreness)
- Paolo Banchero: Questionable (right knee soreness)
- Wendell Carter Jr.: Questionable (right hip contusion)
- Jalen Suggs: Out (left knee trochlea cartilage tear)
- Moe Wagner: Out (left torn ACL)
- Ethan Thompson: Out (G League)
- Mac McClung: Out (G League)
The Magic's entire starting five from Wednesday's win over the Celtics, which clinched the No. 7 seed and the Southeast Division title, are listed as questionable for the contest vs. Indiana on Friday.
Indiana Pacers Injury Report
- Not yet submitted.
The Pacers will have until 1 p.m. ET on Friday to submit their injury report due to it being the second night of a back-to-back.
For Thursday's game versus Cleveland, the Pacers had nearly all of their rostered players available aside from Ben Sheppard, who was listed as questionable.
More must-reads:
- Six NBA players most likely to be traded
- Portland Trail Blazers to be sold to Hurricanes owner and pickleball enthusiast
- The 'NBA minutes leaders by season' quiz
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Veteran Center Rejected Knicks Offer
The New York Knicks imagine themselves as a championship contender, and those dreams looked like they may be rapidly approaching reality in last season's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. They've spent much of this offseason patching holes in their roster, requiring significantly more firepower from their bench to scare their opponents with a well-rounded rotation that they lacked in 2024-25. They're not looking to burst at the seams with reserve bucket-getters, but have done plenty to consolidate their backup guards and bigs with a summer of moves that's still continuing. Though their most recent on-court developments have provided the Knicks' hopes with real wind behind their sails, those wishes to bolster the frontcourt aren't new. New York reportedly tried to woo a veteran center in Daniel Theis over to last season's situation, but failed to seal the deal. Theis, now playing for AS Monaco, could have joined the Knicks mid-season last year before opting for a European return, according to BasketNews.com. He spent the first leg of the 2024-25 campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans, the sixth team that the 33-year-old's suited up for in the last five seasons. New York's offer gave Theis yet another chance to fill in as a role-playing big on another contender, but he chose to bet on himself. "I could have gone to the Knicks, for example, but it was more for insurance that Mitchell Robinson came back from a long injury," Theis said on a recent Euro Insiders podcast. "And then I talked to Tom Thibodeau and he said, 'Yeah, you will be like insurance in case he can't play and this and that.' It's like what I did with P.J. Tucker. "For me, it was like, 'Okay, if I sit for the rest of the year, what are my chances in the summer?' So if I’m like, 'Okay, I go overseas to Europe and play great, I might have a better chance.' That was my whole intention and thought behind it — just consider Europe and see what it is." Robinson did indeed manage to remain healthy when it counted, seeing the floor in all 18 Knicks playoff games after playing in just 17 during the regular season. His reliability as a defender and rebounder up front would have negated Theis' presence, as he would have spent all but a few garbage time minutes occupying the same seat on the bench that Tucker took in the postseason. Though he would've likely been constrained to a minimum contract that would've expired at season's end alongside other role playing veterans like Landry Shamet, Cameron Payne and Precious Achiuwa, he'd have been a little more playable than some other deep-cut Knicks as a rim-rolling center, and that's the sort of job that New York's looked to fill in the months since. Theis chose his path, and the Knicks stayed young in building a roster that's expected to blow every other 21st century Knicks team out of the water.
One Crucial Element Holding Up Terry McLaurin's Commanders Contract
We are nearly at the end of training camp, and Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin is still without his new deal. Given the Commanders know how valuable he is to Jayden Daniels and the offense, it does seem odd that the franchise, which hasn't had any significant bumps in the road since Dan Quinn took over, now has a big one, and one that can be avoided. With no movement on a contract, McLaurin pulled the trigger on a trade request weeks ago, but still no movement on a deal...and now we know why. Per ESPN's John Keim it isn't money that is holding up negotiations, it is something else entirely...and the Washington analytics department has a big say in it. “This likely remains the biggest sticking point because it frames the argument for Washington,” Keim wrote. “McLaurin will turn 30 on Sept. 15, which means he’d be 31 when an extension begins. The Commanders rely heavily on analytics, and the numbers aren’t kind to receivers at that age. According to ESPN Research, over the past five seasons only three receivers 31 years or older have played at least 10 games and averaged 70-plus receiving yards per game; six have averaged 60-plus.” So is Washington basing on whether or not to pay McLaurin is he age? It certainly seems like it. But there can be no denying that the Commanders' offense, without Terry, would be a shell of itself and would likely be missing a key ingredient that makes it a dangerous unit. Do we still think McLaurin and Washington will come to terms? Yes, but if age is a big sticking point, well, there's no changing that, and in truth, the franchise would have known this was coming down the pipeline, so if this was an issue, why not get out ahead of it and move on and get draft capital? Either way, this contract saga shows no signs of ending, but if there is a player who can buck the trend for aging receivers, it might just be Terry.
Cowboys fans won't like Jerry Jones' update on Micah Parsons standoff
With the regular season approaching, the Dallas Cowboys should be aiming to extend EDGE Micah Parsons promptly. But they're still in no rush to do that. Parsons is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract in 2025 and has requested a trade. Dallas insists it has no plans to move the 26-year-old pass-rusher but hasn't clarified when it will extend him. Giving him a new deal before the regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 4 at 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock) seems wise. Dallas owner Jerry Jones, however, said that's not the team's deadline, nor does it need one. "No, not at all," Jones said Wednesday, via Jonah Javad of WFAA-TV in Dallas. "You don't have deadlines when you're playing under contract." Parsons is under contract, but that doesn't mean he must suit up. The EDGE could hold out of regular-season games, like former Cowboys star running back Emmitt Smith did in 1993. The Pro Football Hall of Famer missed the first two games of the season before becoming the league's highest-paid RB at that time. Parsons hasn't said whether he would hold out of regular-season games, but it's apparent he's unhappy with where things stand. "My mouth is closed," Parsons said Wednesday while leaving the practice field in Oxnard, California, via Field Level Media. Jones didn't say if talks with Parsons would resume when the Cowboys return to Texas for their second preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. The matchup is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The owner still seems confident Parsons will play on the fifth-year option if Dallas doesn't sign him before the start of the regular season. "Again, all you've got to go on are contracts," Jones said. "We are negotiating for a contract. When you do a contract, you would hope that after a negotiation, that's what both the team and player look to see what our obligations are. I have a lot of respect for the contract." Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb played the last years of their rookie contracts. Perhaps Jones wants Parsons to do the same. Still, that would be silly. Paying the four-time Pro Bowler should be a no-brainer for the Cowboys, so they should stop wasting time and show him the money.
Commanders have major hang-up preventing them from paying Terry McLaurin what he's due
It’s been two weeks since Washington Commanders star wide receiver Terry McLaurin publicly revealed his trade request, and a resolution doesn’t appear to be in sight. Thanks to ESPN’s John Keim, we’re starting to get more insight into how the Commanders are approaching negotiations…and how they run counter to their star wide receiver’s financial desires. As we’ve assumed all along, the Commanders are wary of giving McLaurin a lucrative contract that would extend well into the player’s 30s. As Keim notes, the Commanders “rely heavily on analytics,” and those numbers aren’t particularly kind to receivers on the wrong side of 30. They may be onto something. Per ESPN Research, over the past five years, only three receivers 31 years or older have played at least 10 games and averaged 70-plus receiving yards per game (that number jumps to six players if you adjust for 60-plus receiving yards). Further, the team can simply point to the NFL landscape, as other teams are also clearly wary of paying aging wideouts. Among the 24 active wide receivers who are attached to the most guaranteed money, only Tyreek Hill was older than 30 when the deal was signed. McLaurin has continually pointed to his lack of mileage despite his age; he barely played during his first two years at Ohio State, meaning he may not have the same wear and tear as similar players his age. McLaurin is also naturally pointing to the stat sheet, as the receiver has continually produced despite uncertain QB play, uncertain ownership and a handful of different coaching staffs. Per Keim, the Commanders don’t want to pay McLaurin based on his past performance, with the front office preferring to shape any future contracts based on his projections for age-31-plus seasons. The organization also doesn’t want to set a new precedent by paying McLaurin, as it could convince future veterans to push for lucrative deals in their 30s. While McLaurin has taken the drastic measure of requesting a trade out of Washington, the organization is still convinced they have leverage in this showdown. After all, the player is still under contract for the 2025 campaign, meaning McLaurin will have to forfeit game checks if he sits out games. The team could even choose to slap him with the franchise tag next offseason (which could come in north of $30M), meaning they’re in full control of the player’s fate moving forward. The team is also skeptical that another suitor is going to willingly pay McLaurin the type of money he’s seeking. Per Keim, there’s doubts around the league about whether another team would be willing to meet the receiver’s demands. Even if a clear suitor does emerge, Keim makes it clear that Washington’s front office won’t give the star away without receiving a haul. We heard recently that McLaurin wasn’t necessarily seeking a deal that matched fellow 2019 draftee D.K. Metcalf‘s deal with the Steelers. However, Keim says Metcalf’s contract has generally served as a guide for McLaurin, but it’s uncertain whether the Commanders wideout is looking to match the AAV ($33M) or total guarantees ($60M). Ultimately, one source believes the Commanders may agree to pay McLaurin a contract that will pay $28M per year. Of course, it’s uncertain if the player would even accept that offer. If that hypothetical maximum offer doesn’t end in a signing, a divorce may be the logical next step.
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