On April 17 Beijing time, the third day of the NBA play-in tournament will take place on April 18, determining the final eighth seeds in both conferences. The NBA official website previewed these two games, favoring the Hornets and Warriors to advance respectively.

On April 17th, in Miami, the NBA's ruling that LaMelo Ball's ("Melo") pull on Bam Adebayo was a Flagrant 2 foul warranting immediate ejection did not cause much stir. In Charlotte, the league's decision not to impose an additional suspension on Ball allowed the team to breathe a sigh of relief.

On April 17 Beijing time, the Lakers conducted training to prepare for their first-round playoff series against the Rockets. After the training session, James spoke with the media. Here are the relevant details— Reporter: How do you evaluate the team's preparation training for this series? James: We must be fully focused and committed.

On April 17, Beijing time, the Professional Basketball Writers Association announced that San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama has won the 2025-26 season Magic Johnson Award. This award honors NBA players who excel on the court while also demonstrating cooperation and grace when interacting with media and fans. This season, Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.

On April 17th Beijing time, Donovan Mitchell, the core player of the Cavaliers, will become eligible for free agency next year: his salary for the 2026–27 season is $50.1 million, and he holds a player option worth $53.8 million for the 2027–28 season. This summer, Mitchell is eligible to sign an early extension contract expected to be worth $277 million over four years. Recently, he gave an exclusive interview to The Athletic.

On April 16 Beijing time, according to the collective bargaining agreement reached between the NBA and the players' union, both parties jointly ruled: Detroit Pistons guard Cunningham and Los Angeles Lakers guard Doncic are eligible for all annual awards of the 2025-26 NBA regular season.

Hey, he's back~ A well-known domestic basketball platform reports: Former head coach of the Chinese men's basketball team, Li Nan, is about to return from suspension......

Leonard's season campaign has concluded, having played 65 regular-season games, averaging 32 minutes per game with contributions of 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals, and three shooting percentages of 50.5%, 38.7%, and 89.2%. This guy, at 34 years old, has achieved his highest average points per game in his regular-season career.

On April 16 Beijing time, ESPN reported that multiple executives widely believe: this summer, the probability of the Grizzlies finding a new home for Morant has greatly increased, but expectations must be lowered, with no hope for a rich return package. Meanwhile, a potential major trade involving Giannis could completely revitalize the entire star trade market. Teams that miss out on Giannis are likely to lower expectations and gamble on Morant at a low price, hoping a change of environment helps him return to peak form.

On April 16 Beijing time, ESPN reporter Shelburne reported, multiple sources confirmed: shortly after the Harden trade was finalized in February, the Warriors contacted the Clippers to inquire about Leonard. Although the talks ended without result at that time, sources revealed that both sides are likely to restart discussions this offseason. Previous reports also indicated the Warriors will pursue one of Kawhi, Giannis, or LeBron this summer.