The Eastern Conference seeds are set following the end of regular season on Sunday. The first round begins on Saturday, April 20th.

First Round Matchups

• No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 (Sixers, Heat, Bulls or Hawks)

• No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 (Sixers or Heat)

• No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers

• No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic

Play-In

• No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 8 Miami Heat

• No. 9 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 10 Atlanta Hawks

Donovan Mitchell is expected to decline his $37.1 million player option with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2025-26 season, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.

Mitchell would then become an unrestricted free agent next July.

There is also buzz in league circles that Mitchell will decline an extension from the Cavs unless the team makes a run to the NBA Finals.

Dan Gilbert has previously stated his confidence that Mitchell will sign a long-term extension with the Cavs.

Dean Wade hasn't played for the Cleveland Cavaliers since March 8. He was initially out due to personal reason, but then a sore knee came up and Wade has been out since. Now, the Cavs are calling it a sprained knee for Wade.

Cleveland hasn't given any official update, nor issued a timeline. But, given how few games are left, Wade may miss the remainder of the regular season due to the injury.

Wade has been a key rotation played for the Cavaliers this season. The 6-foot-10 combo forward started in 32 of the 54 games he played. Wade has averaged 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game. He's also shot 39.1% on three-pointers and given Cleveland good defense against scoring forwards.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed Marcus Morris Sr. for the remainder of the season.

Morris Sr. (6-8, 235) signed a 10-day contract with the team on March 18th and appeared in five games, averaging 7.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 18.4 minutes while also shooting .438 from the three-point line.

Prior to joining the Cavaliers, Morris Sr. appeared in 37 games this season with the Philadelphia 76ers, before being traded to San Antonio as part of a three-team deal on February 8th. He was later waived on February 29th.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are confident Donovan Mitchell will sign a long-term contract extension with the franchise.

“We’ve been talking to him, sure, for the last couple of years about extending this contract,” Dan Gilbert told Larry Lage of the Associated Press. “We think he will extend. I think if you listen to him talk, he loves the city.

“He loves the situation in Cleveland because our players are very young and we’re just kind of putting the core together that he’s clearly the biggest part of.”

Mitchell signed a five-year, $163 million contract in 2020 with Utah and is under contract through the 2026 season.

Mitchell is eligible to sign a four-year extension this summer worth approximately $200 million.

There has been some speculation in the media that Mitchell could reject an extension offer by the Cavaliers and either seek a trade or leave in free agency in 2025. 

Donovan Mitchell is targeting a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Mitchell has been out since March 16th due to a knee issue and nasal fracture.

In 49 games this season, Mitchell is averaging 27.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 35.4 minutes. 

Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra became the latest NBA personnel to speak out against sports betting. After Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said he feels like a "prop" because some gamblers complain about his stat-lines, Bickerstaff shared that things have gone further for him and his family.

"I have had my own instances with some of the sports gamblers," Bickerstaff said Wednesday night. "They got my telephone number and were sending me crazy messages about where I live and my kids and all that stuff. It is a dangerous game and a fine like that we’re walking for sure."

Bickerstaff said those instances were reported to NBA security and were handled appropriately. However, Bickerstaff noted he's hearing it in person during games too.

“No doubt it’s crossed the line,” Bickerstaff said. “I’m standing up there and we may have a 10-point lead and the spread is 11 and people are yelling at me to leave the guys in so that we can cover the spread. It’s ridiculous. I understand the business side of it and the nature of the business of it. But it’s something I believe has gone too far.”

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra relayed a story from a game where security had to intervene with a sports bettor.

"I do think it’s somewhat contradictory," Spoelstra said Wednesday night. "I think it treads on a weird line. We had an incident behind our bench last year with (Victor) Oladipo. Somebody was screaming. Security had to take him away. The game was already over, and evidently, he didn’t shoot an open 3 at the end of the game. The game was already decided, and this fan was totally beside himself, and he was a gambler. He had money on whatever the score was. There’s just a lot of unintended consequences with that from a security standpoint that I’m not sure everybody totally understood."

Donovan Mitchell will be out at least one week after undergoing a procedure to realign a nasal fracture.

Mitchell suffered the injury during the March 16th game at the Houston Rockets.

Mitchell has appeared in 49 games this season and is averaging 27.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are signing Marcus Morris Sr. to a 10-day contract. Morris was waived by the San Antonio Spurs, after a trade deadline day deal from the Philadelphia 76ers. Because San Antonio waived Morris on February 29, he retains playoff eligibility, if he's signed by the end of the regular season.

Cleveland will add some additional frontcourt depth. Evan Mobley is still out with a sprained ankle, and Max Strus has also been out with a sore knee.

Morris played in 37 games with the Philadelphia 76ers, after being traded from the LA Clippers in the James Harden trade. The veteran forward averaged 6.7 points in 17.2 minutes per game.

Donovan Mitchell returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup for the first time in seven games when they met the New Orleans Pelicans.

Mitchell had been out with a left knee bruise. 

The Cavaliers have lost four of the seven games Mitchell missed. I