The No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft will go to the nihilists

Good morning. The Mavericks, Spurs and Sixers will get the top three picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. What the hell? What the hell. Also, Jayson Tatum might have torn his Achilles as the Knicks went up 3-1. Let's basketball.

First Thing's First

Sending prayers to Jayson Tatum, who appears to have torn his Achilles late in the Celtics' Game 4 loss to the Knicks. If true, it'd be the second torn Achilles of the playoffs after Damian Lillard. Heartbreaking then, heartbreaking now. Tatum is a top-5 player in the world and Boston faced an enormous challenge trying to fight back from down 3-1 to the Knicks. That challenge looks far less achievable now.

Tatum was just brilliant on offense for much of Game 4 with 42 points on 70% effective field goal percentage. The assumption now is that the C's will go much of next season with Tatum in rehab, which puts some summer decision-making on the roster in a different perspective.

Let's hope we're all wrong and Tatum's injury is less serious. If the worst is true, I'm looking forward to seeing Tatum back on the court, as good as ever, next year.

Nothing Matters

The NBA Draft: a method to incorporate amateur and international players into the league for the primary benefit of the worst teams who need the most help. But thanks to those terrible teams regularly abusing the process to achieve further mathematical benefit, the NBA leveled out the lottery odds somewhat in the last decade, giving lesser advantage to the very teams the draft is designed to help and opening the door for eyebrow-raising possibilities.

Like, say, the top three picks not going to the teams that won 17, 18 or 19 games this season, but to teams that:

• Were a title contender before injuries and bad vibes ruined last season (the Philadelphia 76ers)
• Have the last two Rookies of the Year, one of whom is approaching MVP candidacy (the San Antonio Spurs)
• WERE IN THE NBA FINALS A YEAR AGO BUT THEN TRADED THEIR TOP-5 PLAYER IN A PIQUE OF DELUSION ONLY TO IMPLODE OUT OF THE PLAYOFF PICTURE FROM THERE (I don't need to spell it out, do I?)

Instead of the Wizards, Jazz and Hornets getting chances to draft Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, it's the Mavericks, Spurs and Sixers. Maybe this is Sam Hinkie's legacy: he built a process so effective the NBA changed the odds, which later led to the Sixers potentially getting bailed out.

Ironically, the other NBA general manager most closely associated with effective tanking – Sam Presti – is a big loser here. Thanks to the newer odds, two conference rivals pick up huge assets and one of Presti's own assets – the Sixers' pick – stays in Philadelphia. (Given the jumps by Dallas and San Antonio, OKC would have received it had the Sixers not also jumped into the top four.) Chances are when the Thunder do get the Sixers' pick next year, it won't be in the lottery.

Shout out to Nico Harrison. Trade the face of the franchise in a universally panned deal, miss out on the playoffs, land the No. 1 pick. Nothing matters!

The Biggest Domino

ESPN's Shams Charania reported some interesting news before the lottery.

The two-time NBA MVP has not made any firm decisions on his Bucks future after the franchise's third consecutive postseason exit in the first round, but, for the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo is open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere, league sources told ESPN.

Shams also reports that Antetokounmpo's agents will meet with the Bucks front office this summer. You know that everyone else is hoping that meeting happens sooner rather than later since the future of Giannis is likely to be a key inflection point for a bunch of teams who might think they have a shot at wooing him. In fact, all three teams that leapt into the top of the draft might have designs on leveraging those picks for Antetokounmpo. San Antonio is an intriguing contender here, with Nos. 2 and 14, lots of young talent and some outstanding draft equity (a Hawks pick, a Hawks swap option, a Wolves pick, a key Kings swap option, another weird multi-team swap).

I'm going to keep citing the piece I wrote about the high likelihood all hell breaks loose this summer so long as it still looks accurate. But all hell is probably going to break loose. Giannis is the biggest piece of that.

Scores

Oh yeah, the games.

Knicks 121, Celtics 113 | NYK leads 3-1
The New York Knicks are one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals. The defending champion Boston Celtics are one loss away from a shocking second-round ejection. This result was basically set before Tatum's injury – the Knicks went up nine with three minutes remaining on the fateful play – though obviously the rest of the series, be it one game or three, will be colored by the inflection point.

In any case, Jalen Brunson was freaking amazing, pulling together a signature game with incredibly high stakes and a highly worthy opponent on his home court. Tatum's injury aside, this will be a game all 20,000 in attendance will remember for a very, very long time.

Most of this stuff is on Derrick White and Jrue Holiday – Brunson's not really hunting switches constantly, but just fantastic footwork and shooting touch over top-notch perimeter defenders. Impressive as hell.

The Knicks have three chances to clinch their first Eastern finals berth since 2000 ...

... where they lost to the Pacers. Hmm.

Timberwolves 117, Warriors 110 | MIN leads 3-1
This series has landed in a relatively predictable place in quite unpredictable fashion. With Steph Curry going down, the Warriors' path to survival was by leaning on their defense. But the defense has fallen apart. Julius Randle looks like an All-NBA level forward. Anthony Edwards looks ready to grab a mantle of some sort. The Wolves found an opening and are driving right through it.

Jonathan Kuminga has a significant chance of finishing the series as the top scorer for the Warriors. He was No. 10 on the team in total points in the first round. Trayce Jackson-Davis has two starts in this series. He was tied for No. 13 on the team in minutes played in the first round. Steve Kerr, 93 games later, still searching to find his rotation in this weird bouillabaisse of a roster.

The Wolves are playing awesome though not consistently. They are one win away from a repeat trip to the West finals.

Schedule

Two Games 5 on the docket. All times Eastern.

Pacers at Cavaliers, 7, TNT (IND leads 3-1)
Nuggets at Thunder, 9:30, TNT (Series tied 2-2)

Be excellent to each other.