Knicks Notes: Brunson, Towns, Brown, NBA Finals
It was family connections that brought Jalen Brunson to the Knicks in 2022, more than the money or the chance to play in the NBA’s biggest city, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN writes in a lengthy profile of the All-Star guard. Brunson had deep connections to team president Leon Rose, who had served as an agent for both him and his father, Rick, and worked hard to get the elder Brunson a job in the NBA after his playing career ended. When the Knicks hired Rick as an assistant coach shortly before Brunson hit free agency, the deal was virtually sealed.
“I think Jalen had a loyalty to the Mavs because they’d drafted him, but the Knicks were his actual family,” a Mavericks source told Shelburne. “I don’t think we fully grasped that.”
Former Dallas general manager Donnie Nelson was thrilled to land Brunson in the second round in 2018 and team him with his other draft prize, Slovenian guard Luka Doncic. Both became rotation players right away, but Doncic showed immediate signs of stardom and their defensive liabilities raised questions about whether they could play together.
With the chance to offer Brunson an extension in the summer of 2021, the Mavs told him that they wanted to further evaluate the fit of the roster, according to Shelburne, who adds that they were also determining whether they could afford to keep Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith. Brunson reportedly told Dallas officials the following January that he would agree to an extension if it was offered then, but the Mavericks preferred to keep their options open if they had the chance to trade for a star, and an extension would have taken Brunson off the market. They made identical offers to Brunson and Finney-Smith after the deadline passed, but Brunson turned it down.
With free agency looming, the Knicks began clearing cap space on draft day with Brunson as their obvious target. The four-year, $105MM deal they ultimately gave Brunson was ridiculed by some as an overpay, but it turned out to be a huge bargain. Brunson became a star in New York and is on the verge of giving the city its first NBA title in 53 years.
“He’s comfortable there,” former Knick Jamal Crawford said. “They empowered him. They believed in him. He’s got guys on the team from Villanova that he knows and who fit his play style. He’s got his dad on the bench who knows exactly what buttons to push to get him going. He knows Leon. So with that comfortability, I think you’re going to get the best of him.”
There’s more from New York City:
- Karl-Anthony Towns‘ ability to alter his game in the midst of the playoffs has made the Knicks a more dangerous team, Steve Popper of Newsday notes in a subscriber-only story. After months of clashing with first-year head coach Mike Brown over his role in the offense, Towns accepted Brown’s vision when the team faced a 2-1 deficit against Atlanta in the first round. “It’s about impacting winning,” Towns said. “Especially this year throughout the year, I’ve always had to change my role for the betterment of the team. I’ve always had to change the way I play so it could be most beneficial for the team.”
- The Knicks began their coaching search last summer by calling several teams to ask about the status of their incumbent coaches, recalls James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. When Chicago, Houston, Dallas and others refused to grant permission for an interview, New York turned to Brown, who wound up being the perfect candidate and wasn’t bothered that he wasn’t the team’s first choice.
- Five Athletic writers discuss whether Towns is headed for Finals MVP honors and several other topics in a roundtable about the championship series.
Scout Discusses Building Around Cooper Flagg
The Mavericks are entering an important offseason as they look to build their team around star rookie Cooper Flagg. They have the ninth, 30th, and 48th overall picks in the 2026 draft, along with a new front office headlined by new president Masai Ujiri and first-time general manager Mike Schmitz.
NBA draft scout James Barlowe spoke recently about the options facing Dallas this summer as they look to add another cornerstone alongside Flagg, per Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal.
Barlowe points to more consistent outside shooting as a need for the team moving forward. He highlights Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville), Kingston Flemings (Houston), Brayden Burries (Arizona), and Nate Ament (Tennessee) as likely top options when the Mavs are on the board, and calls Brown the top long-term guard prospect, given his ceiling as a shooter and play-maker. Brown is seventh on ESPN’s big board by Jeremy Woo, with Flemings ranked one spot lower at No. 8.
As teams like the Knicks, Spurs, and Thunder have shown, having as many players as possible with positional size who can dribble, pass, and shoot can make a huge difference in terms of injecting versatility and unpredictability in a team’s offense, which is why Barlowe says the team shouldn’t hesitate if Brown is available when they’re at the podium.
While Ujiri has a reputation for valuing positional size above all things, due largely to the team he built in Toronto, Barlowe calls that an oversimplification, saying, “He’s a rule changer instead of a rule follower.”
The Mavs also face a decision on Kyrie Irving, who is expected to be healthy after missing this season with an ACL tear. They could value Irving as a scorer and play-maker alongside Flagg, in which case it would behoove them to draft a guard who could play alongside Irving until it’s time to inherit more responsibility. However, Barlowe also believes that a smart front office would at least explore what Irving could return in trade if it helps continue to build a young foundation around Flagg.
Another option for Dallas would be to look into moving down in the draft, either with pick No. 9 or 30, to continue compiling future assets — the Mavs have very limited access to future draft picks after this summer.
Knicks Notes: Towns, Brunson, Bench, Sprays
Karl-Anthony Towns has arguably been the best player on the floor through two Finals games, and it’s not just Knicks fans who are appreciating his stellar play.
Many Timberwolves fans have been following the former No. 1 overall pick from Minnesota, not with bitterness at the success he’s experiencing far removed from the team that drafted him, but with joy for a player and personality they came to love during his nine years with the Wolves, Jon Krawczynski writes for The Athletic.
Towns, the player, has long been criticized, whether for his defensive limitations, his losing years in Minnesota, or even the way he carries himself. Meanwhile, Towns, the person, has built a reputation as one of the genuinely good people in the league.
“Towns has taught me so much about dealing with the loss of my mom two years ago,” one Wolves fan told Krawczynski. “He also donated $5,000 to my mom’s GoFundMe when she was battling pancreatic cancer. He is a great human. Me and my family will forever root for this man. So happy for him.”
Now, the Minnesota fan base has come together to watch Towns, the player, play the best basketball of his life, and be lauded by many of the same people who once criticized him. His composed, disciplined defense on Victor Wembanyama has been possibly the most important aspect of the Knicks’ play through two games, and he has carried the team through stretches when it needs a go-to scorer.
It hasn’t been easy to reach this level. It’s taken a mid-career transformation to address the inconsistencies in his game that came about at the most important stage of his career, Steve Popper writes for Newsday (subscriber link).
“Taking all that experience this year, I’ve had to do it on the fly. It wasn’t like game by game. It’s been quarter by quarter. That comes with experience and just knowledge of the game and just time. Time playing the game, time putting shots up, time reading defenses, seeing defenses, offenses,” Towns said. “One game Jalen [Brunson] got hurt, that’s when I have to be a primary scorer. Other games when he’s cooking, I’ve got to be a facilitator, a hub, assist maker, aggressive in play-making. Then there’s games when I need to do both when he’s in and I’m in and be able to do both when his shot is warming up. There’s also days where I got to be a decoy, I got to be the best screener, I got to be the best spacer for our offense. So I think that right now, whatever it takes to win, especially when you’re in the NBA Finals, I’m willing to do.“
We have more Knicks news and notes:
- Brunson had a simple response when asked by a reporter what teams missed when they allowed him to fall to 33rd overall in the 2018 draft: “Everything,” he said with a laugh (Twitter video link via SNY Knicks). The three-time All-NBA guard has struggled to find his scoring rhythm against the Spurs’ elite backcourt defense, shooting just 33.9% from the field and 23.5% from three with a 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. But, true to form, he has found ways to contribute in the biggest moments, hitting clutch shots to seal both games and collecting five steals in Game 2.
- Coming into this season, much of the focus on the hiring of Mike Brown revolved around how he could better empower the Knicks’ bench so that the team didn’t break down in the playoffs. As the Knicks look to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals, the second unit has provided a constant boost for Brown’s team, Vincent Goodwill writes for ESPN. Landry Shamet, the last player signed to the Knicks roster in the offseason, has become a critical part of the rotation. Mitchell Robinson has been a strong defensive presence against Wembanyama, despite playing through a broken bone in his hand. Jose Alvarado, acquired at the trade deadline, provided a huge boost for the team in Game 1 when Brunson went to the locker room with an apparent knee injury. It took all season to find the right balance, but it’s come together at the right time. “One of the many things I learned from [Gregg Popovich] and [Steve Kerr]. Steve was really good at trying to play a lot of different guys,” Brown said. “Not only that, a guy that hadn’t been in the rotation for a while, one game [a coach] might throw him out there as a starter. That kept guys engaged or on their toes.”
- A key bit of vocabulary needed to understand the Knicks’ success against the Spurs is the word “spray,” according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger. Sprays, or kick-outs from inside the paint to shooters outside the three-point line, are a critical part of Brown’s offensive ideology, whether off a Robinson offensive rebound or a Brunson drive to the paint. No play better embodied the concept than a sequence in the second quarter where four different Knicks penetrated off a pass, sprayed to a shooter, and the team ultimately got an open three to beat the shot clock. This movement is critical in terms of getting Wembanyama in motion and not allowing him to set up in a position to provide easy help, but it requires players ready to make quick decisions: either drive, pass, or shoot. “We have to try to keep touching the paint, trying to spray it if Wemby comes,” Brown said. “If you’re open, let it fly.”
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Castle, Knicks Defense, Popovich
The ending of Game 2 of the Finals was chaotic and unpredictable, as the Spurs watched a golden opportunity to tie the series at one game apiece slip away.
Victor Wembanyama knows he bailed the Knicks out of the game, between his costly late-game turnover and back-to-back missed perimeter jumpers to take the lead in the final minute. The Knicks know it too, and they’re aware they can’t expect the same luck next time, Kristian Winfield writes for the New York Daily News.
“You can’t do that to the team that is that good, give chances like that,” Mikal Bridges said. “We got to be way better.”
As for Wembanyama, he’s undaunted by the 2-0 hole his team faces heading into New York, embracing the challenge of trying to overcome that deficit as part of the Spurs’ “journey,” Michael C. Wright writes for ESPN.
“This is everything that I wished for,” he said. “There’s really no reason to overthink it. This is what I’m built for.”
He is determined to take the right things away from his first two Finals games, even if they didn’t go the way he wanted.
“It felt like we did a lot of things wrong, but we were also relentless and kept pushing, but kind of wasted that effort,” Wembanyama said. “I know it’s not wasted because our lessons are learned. I know we’re not going to make the mistakes of the past again. But in a moment like this, we need to make these things matter.”
We have more from the Spurs:
- Stephon Castle sat out much of the fourth quarter of Game 2 after landing on Bridges’ foot while coming down from a jumper. He’s not worried about it going into Game 3, Peter Sblendorio writes for the Daily News. “It feels a lot better than I thought it would initially. Obviously, I had some adrenaline running, [and] kind of once I settled down, I started to feel it,” Castle said. “Waking up the next day, actually felt really good.” Castle’s defense has been a critical part of the Spurs’ efforts to slow down Knicks’ star Jalen Brunson, who has shot just 2-of-10 with Castle as his primary defender during this series. The Spurs are entering Monday with no one on the injury report, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News notes (via Twitter).
- One thing the Spurs will have to figure out to get back into this series is how to deal with the Knicks’ defensive scheme, Howie Kussoy writes for the New York Post. Karl-Anthony Towns‘ combination of size and mobility has made it difficult for Wembanyama to get to his spots comfortably, though the Spurs’ big man has still managed to put up impressive box score numbers. “It’s very different from [the] previous series,” Wembanyama said after Game 2. “It’s bringing us into difficult areas because they’re good players. [Towns is] a good player… We need to put ourselves in better [positions]. We’re digging ourselves a hole. That’s been the theme so far.”
- Knicks coach Mike Brown has multiple connections to the Spurs, including spending two-and-a-half years as De’Aaron Fox‘s head coach in Sacramento. But his ties go back further, to the three years he spent from 2000-03 as an assistant coach under Spurs legend Gregg Popovich. However, a simple reason prevented Brown from reaching out to Popovich coming into the Finals series, according to Melissa Rohlin of the New York Post. “He’s savvy,” Brown said, tongue-in-cheek. “He’s very competitive. If I reached out to him and asked him for some advice, he’d give me some BS that worked against us.” Brown credited Popovich for teaching him the value of a coach connecting with not just the players on the roster, but the rest of the organization and the city as a whole. ““He’s second to none [in] how he treats people off the floor in their personal lives,” the Knicks’ said. “I grew a lot personally. Everybody goes through good times and bad times off the floor in their personal life. When I was here, I went through good times and bad times. He helped me tremendously with those.”
Thunder Notes: Hartenstein, Holmgren, Picks, Williams
After falling short of their title aspirations, the Thunder enter the 2026 offseason with a good amount of flexibility, but some questions still need to be answered.
One decision they will have to make is whether to retain big man Isaiah Hartenstein, and if so, by what mechanism. Hartenstein has a $28.5MM team option for next season. Oklahoma City could either pick that up or decline it and negotiate a new deal.
Whichever avenue they decide to go down – the latter seems more likely – it’s crucial that they retain the 7’0″ big man, Rylan Stiles writes for Sports Illustrated. Hartenstein demonstrated his value in the Thunder’s series over the Spurs, as his impact was felt strongly against Victor Wembanyama after Game 1, when the team adjusted to a more traditional coverage.
Hartenstein spoke of his desire to stick around during the team’s exit interviews.
“I love being here. I love the organization, but it’s a lot in their hands,” he said. “I think that them and my agent will talk. It’s a business at the end of the day. But whatever happens, I’m truly grateful.”
The expectation among reporters in Oklahoma City is that the Thunder will look to decline his option and sign him to a new deal.
We have more from around the Thunder:
- Chet Holmgren was the subject of intense scrutiny after a disappointing series against the Spurs, especially on the offensive end, but he still had a very positive season. Not only did he make his first All-Star game, finish second in Defensive Player of the Year, and make Third-Team All-NBA, but he had a strong case for best Thunder player through their first two playoff rounds, Joe Mussatto writes for The Oklahoman in his end-of-year report card. The Spurs series was a real cause for concern though, as is the year-by-year decline of his three-point volume. Holmgren’s off-season homework is to forget about Wembanyama for a bit, try to speed up his three-point shot, and develop a deeper face-up game, Mussatto writes, giving his 2025/26 season a B grade overall but an A for the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs.
- Given that Oklahoma City is already facing a crunch of having more good players than roster spots, many have suggested they package their two first-round picks, Nos. 12 and 17, to move up in the draft. However, it may be more beneficial for them to use both picks, Stiles opines. With extensions set to kick in for their “big three” over the next two years, the aforementioned Hartenstein decision looming, and extension decisions around the corner on Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, and Jared McCain, having high-upside rookie contract players could be more important than ever for the team, Stiles explains. They will likely make decisions this summer on Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Kenrich Williams, and how the draft plays out could help inform those choices.
- It’s not hard to imagine the Thunder coming to terms on a cheaper deal to keep Kenrich Williams around, Justin Martinez writes for The Oklahoman, but more questions remain for this team. Perhaps the most important one is: can Jalen Williams get healthy after a snake-bit season that saw him deal with wrist and hamstring injuries that prevented him from ever getting right? “I think rest, like everything, will really help a little bit,” he said. “We’ll just go from there … I think just having a nice cool-down period where I don’t have to try and rush or accelerate anything is going to be nice to just let my body completely settle, get back to zero.”
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Castle, Game 2, Biyombo
After veteran forward Harrison Barnes implored the Spurs not to take being in the NBA Finals for granted, Victor Wembanyama compared the team to a group of “spoiled kids,” writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required).
“They (the Knicks) understand how fortunate they are to be in the Finals, and they know it’s not guaranteed they’ll ever get another chance like this,” the 22-year-old star told a French reporter in their native language.
“As for us, we’re kind of like spoiled kids,” Wembanyama added. “For some of us, it’s our first season, or one of our first seasons, and we’re already in the Finals. We don’t fully realize it yet. And to me, the team that appreciates the position we’re in the most will be the one that wins.”
The Spurs are the second-youngest team to make the Finals, Orsborn notes, just a little older than the 1977 Trail Blazers.
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- The Game 2 loss, which put San Antonio in a 2-0 hole as the series head to New York, taught Wembanyama a valuable lesson about how difficult it is to become a champion, Marcus Thompson II writes in an excellent story for The Athletic. While Wembanyama spearheaded a furious late-game rally, he was responsible for a disastrous turnover and subsequent foul that gave the Knicks back the lead, then missed a potential game-winning jump shot in the closing seconds. The third-year center has been open in his pursuit of greatness, and every all-time great has experienced similar low points. As Thompson puts it, “the road to being legendary is paved with hard lessons and heartbreaks.”
- Second-year guard Stephon Castle stepped on Mikal Bridges‘ foot in Game 2 and was forced out of the game for about six minutes. He said the injury was feeling much better on Sunday, according to Orsborn (Twitter link). “It’s been feeling good…It feels a lot better than I thought it would initially,” Castle said. “Obviously, I had some adrenaline running, kind of once I settled down, I started to feel it. Waking up the next day, actually felt really good.”
- Zach Kram of ESPN.com takes a closer look at the most important moments from Game 2.
- Veteran center Bismack Biyombo recently spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about being a mentor to Wembanyama.
Towns, Knicks Expected To Discuss Extension This Offseason
Karl-Anthony Towns‘ inspired two-way play has the Knicks two wins away from their first NBA championship in 53 years. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, if the team goes on to win the title, there’s an expectation the two sides will discuss a contract extension this offseason.
That may be true whether or not the Knicks win the championship, but Amick suggests a Finals victory would bolster Towns’ odds of signing a lucrative long-term deal. The former No. 1 overall pick will make $57.1MM next season and holds a $61MM player option for ’27/28, which he would need to decline to sign an extension this summer worth up to a projected $272MM over four years.
Amick suggests the star big man is unlikely to receive that full max, given the Knicks already have a high payroll that projects to get more expensive next season. Mitchell Robinson is reportedly expected to receive a good deal of external interest this summer, and Landry Shamet, a key reserve, will be an unrestricted free agent as well. The Knicks could have up to 10 free agents, including all of three of their two-way players.
Towns has outplayed Spurs star Victor Wembanyama so far to help the Knicks go up 2-0 on the road in the NBA Finals, with Game 3 set for Monday in New York. This is the third time in history the road team has won the first two games of the Finals; unsurprisingly, the previous two clubs — the 1993 Bulls and 1995 Rockets — went on to win the championship (Twitter link via the NBA).
Teams that have won the first two road playoff games in a seven-game series have gone on to win those series 27 out of 31 times since 1984, Amick notes.
Less than a year ago, the Knicks decided to table extension talks with Towns, who still still had three years on his contract at the time, per Amick. Shortly thereafter, his name popped in trade rumors involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Towns was floated as a possible trade candidate again in January when New York had a mid-season slump after the team’s NBA Cup victory over San Antonio the month before.
Now Towns has a chance to cement his name as a Knicks legend after helping to lead the team to 13 consecutive playoff wins, the second-longest streak in NBA history (the Warriors won 15 straight in 2017) (Twitter link). They’ve won eight straight road contests during this stretch, tied for the longest road winning streak in playoff history.
Towns, 30, has the best on/off numbers of all the Knicks’ rotation regulars in the playoffs, Amick observes. Through 16 games, he’s averaging 17.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 steals in 30.7 minutes per contest. He has posted an elite .570/.481/.900 shooting line while providing strong defense.
Sixers Promoting Jameer Nelson To EVP Of Basketball Ops
Sixers assistant general manager Jameer Nelson is being promoted, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports that Nelson’s new title will be executive vice president of basketball operations. He will be second in command in the front office, behind new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey.
The news was expected, as Marc Stein and a few other reporters had indicated that Nelson was essentially a lock to be promoted from his current position regardless of who was hired to replace former president Daryl Morey. Gansey ended up getting that job, which Nelson also interviewed for.
Nelson, who is from Chester, Pennsylvania (southwest of Philadelphia but in the metropolitan area) and played his college basketball at Saint Joseph’s, spent 14 years in the NBA as a player, making one All-Star team as a member of the Magic. The former first-round pick has worked his way up the 76ers’ front office over the last six years, initially starting as a scout.
Sixers executive Prosper Karangwa has also agreed to a contract extension, sources tell ESPN, after Stein reported he received interest from the Lakers and Mavericks. Stein was the first to report Karangwa was expected to remain in Philadelphia.
Charania also confirms longtime GM Elton Brand will not return in that role, as Stein has reported. However, Brand is in talks to stay with the 76ers’ parent company in a new position. Charania hears the former NBA star opted not to interview for the president of basketball operations job and remains well-respected within the organization.
Former Bulls Player, Broadcaster Stacey King Dies At 59
Former NBA big man Stacey King, who won three championships as a role player with the Bulls during his eight years in the league, has died at age 59, the team announced in a press release.
King was a longtime and beloved Bulls broadcaster known for his humor, enthusiasm, and generally objective views — he often credited the opposing team for playing well when warranted. His time with the organization spanned more than three decades, per the statement.
“Stacey loved being a Bull. You could feel it in everything he did – the way he played, the way he called games and the way he connected with our fans,” said president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf. “He had a unique gift for bringing people together and making every game feel personal. He brought an energy and love for the game that came through in every broadcast, helping fans feel connected to our team. Whether it was through a broadcast, a conversation or a photo with a fan, Stacey made people feel seen and valued.
“We were fortunate to know him not only as a player and broadcaster, but as a friend. Stacey genuinely cared about people, and he made our organization better. We will miss him dearly, and his impact, memory and legacy will remain a part of the Chicago Bulls forever.”
The Bulls selected King with the sixth overall pick of the 1989 draft. He spent parts of five seasons in Chicago to open his career and had stints with Minnesota, Miami, Boston and Dallas at the end of his NBA playing career.
The left-handed big man was a star in college at Oklahoma, where he was from. King was a consensus first-team All-America selection as a senior for the Sooners in 1988/89.
We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to King’s family and friends.
International Notes: K. Edwards, C. Edwards, NBA Europe, Zizic
Former NBA forward Kessler Edwards and Hapoel Tel Aviv have parted ways, the Israeli team announced (via Twitter). Edwards, who turns 26 years old in August, signed a rest-of-season deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv in February.
A 2021 second-round pick (44th overall), Edwards spent four seasons in the NBA, last suiting up for Dallas in 2024/25. He signed a non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Nuggets last fall and spent a good portion of ’25/26 with their G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, prior to joining Hapoel Tel Aviv.
In 30 games (33.6 minutes per contest) with the Gold this season, Edwards averaged 14.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks on .500/.403/.781 shooting splits. He played a fairly modest role with Hapoel Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague, making nine appearances while averaging 3.4 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 11.7 MPG.
Here are a few more notes from overseas:
- Lithuanian EuroLeague team Zalgiris Kaunas has made a contract offer to Carsen Edwards worth just under $2MM, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. A former Purdue star who played three years in the NBA, Edwards has spent the past four seasons in Europe. The 28-year-old guard has played for Virtus Bologna in Italy during the 2025/26 campaign.
- While he only made one NBA appearance with Milwaukee in 2020/21, Elijah Bryant has become a star in Europe, making the All-EuroLeague First Team this season and finishing third in MVP voting after averaging 15.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 3.4 APG on .544/.387/.893 shooting in 34 games (29.6 MPG). At his Substack, the veteran guard recently discussed the possibility of the NBA partnering with FIBA and the EuroLeague for NBA Europe, as Eurohoops relays. Bryant takes an in-depth look at the state of European basketball and what the NBA’s inclusion might mean. “What Europe might need is help turning a great competition into a great business. And that is the one thing the NBA is better at than anyone on earth. So maybe need is the wrong word. The real question is whether they are bigger together. I think they are. As long as the NBA grows the business without flattening the soul, this is a yes for both sides,” Bryant wrote.
- Three-year NBA veteran Ante Zizic will undergo surgery after suffering an AC joint injury in his left shoulder, his Turkish club Besiktas announced (story via Eurohoops). The Croatian big man was injured in the semifinals of the Turkish league playoffs.