Free Agent Jusuf Nurkic Wants To Remain In NBA
Jusuf Nurkic has no intention of leaving the NBA despite a post that hinted he might be interested in going to Europe to continue his career.
Nurkic, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, made an appearance on the X and O’s Podcast and spoke about the Serbian club Partizan, as relayed by Eurohoops.net.
“I didn’t have an offer from the black-and-whites (Partizan). I didn’t, at least I don’t know that I did, but I wish that I had,” the Bosnian big man said.
Nurkic posted on social media that he was speaking about the early days of his career, not his current status.
“My statement was taken out of context. I was referring to the very beginning of my basketball career,” he wrote. “Of course I didn’t have an offer from Partizan back then. I’m a fan and I have great respect for @PartizanBC, but I have no intention of leaving the NBA.”
Nurkic spent this season with the Jazz, averaging 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 26.4 minutes per game. He only played 41 games (36 starts) as his season was cut short after the All-Star break by nasal surgery.
Earlier in the season, he missed time due to a toe injury and also had several DNP-CDs. He was a prime candidate to be dealt before the Feb. 5 trade deadline due his expiring $19.3MM contract.
Nurkic reportedly would like to re-sign with Utah, though it’s uncertain whether the team will pursue that avenue. In any case, Nurkic will likely have to take a pay cut to stay in the league. Nurkic, 31, has been a fixture in the NBA since the 2014/15 season.
Central Notes: Altman, Mitchell, Suter, Pistons Free Agents
Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman doesn’t think the roster needs major changes after his team got swept by New York in the conference finals, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
“Everybody is aligned in where we want to get to,“ Altman said. ”We all know we need to dig deep to take that next step. I always say two things can be true. We hated the way it ended. We were disappointed with the way it ended. I think the reason for that is we have higher expectations. ,,. We believe in the players that we have in house. It’s been a long road to get here. It’s been five years of sustained success, and we’re still doing this [gradually improving], but we have to figure out how we break through it one more time, and that’s going to be the most difficult step.”
How they make that step is up for discussion among the front office.
“Over the last five years, we’ve retooled this roster, added to this roster. We’ve looked internally. We’ve grown internally. We’re operating at a position of real strength in terms of our foundation,” he said. “And I think those discussions happen now. Do we have enough? Do we add around the edges? This is certainly not a place where we’re like, ‘We need to blow this up and start again.’ That’s certainly not where we’re at. But those discussions will happen. But certainly, internally right now, there’s more that we have that we can get to.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- In the last installment of his Andscape diary via Marc J. Spears, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell admits that getting swept was a difficult way to go out this season. “It was a very painful ending. To go out like that, you try to put on a smile and try to move past it,” he said. “It’ll take a little bit. The worst part about it is just the sweep. We had an opportunity, right? It was right there. I’m saying we go ahead and win the series. Whatever happens, happens. But when you have an opportunity, man, and you watch it go past, that’s killer. And at the end with the 35-, whatever it was, point loss. That s‑‑‑, I don’t really know how else to describe it. But that’s one of the things. It don’t matter all the success we’ve had. Yeah, it’s great. But when you lose like that, it’s tough.”
- Peter Suder, who hails from Carmel, Ind., visited the Pacers practice facility for a draft workout on Thursday. Suder averaged 14.8 points and 4.0 assists for Miami (Ohio) last season. “It’s definitely surreal,” Suder said to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “(Growing up) 30 minutes away from this facility, it’s just crazy. It’s always been a dream growing up, especially being an Indiana fan, a Pacers fan. All my friends, family back at home, they’re all rooting for me to go to the Pacers, so it’s just a surreal feeling.” Indiana currently doesn’t have a pick in the draft.
- Kevin Huerter is the only significant Pistons free agent who is likely to leave, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press predicts. He believes the team will reach agreements with RFA Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris and Javonte Green and exercise its option on Daniss Jenkins‘ contract.
Mavs Notes: Irving, Schmitz, Coaching Search, Lottery Pick
Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving took to Twitch to declare that he’s nearly 100 percent 14 months after ACL surgery.
“I am definitely close to being over at 100% in terms of my ACL recovery,” Irving said, per Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal. “It’s been a while now … I’m so grateful that I’ve had the time to heal and just experiment with my body more on the court and off the court in the weight room and just pushing myself to the limit.”
Irving said the long layoff gave his body plenty of time to recover from the rigors of playing NBA ball since 2011.
“At this age, I feel like the game is slowing down, but also I’m able to do more out there just more efficiently,” Irving said.
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- New GM Mike Schmitz has no doubt Irving will mesh his talents with franchise player Cooper Flagg, according to Afseth. “I think it’s the body of work. I think it’s his approach to the game. Seeing him almost daily around the facility, completely locked in to everything we’re doing, it’s been really impressive to see,” Schmitz said. “Being around that every day, combined with everything he’s done to get to this point, gives us a ton of optimism alongside his fit with Cooper.” Schmitz has also been impressed by Irving’s dedication during his rehab. “I can say he’s been doing everything humanly possible to maximize his talent and to do that,” Schmitz said. “Just to see his approach and how he’s attacking things every day has been incredibly impressive. To see his leadership, to see the way he carries himself, to see the way he pours into Cooper and pours into the rest of the guys. It’s May 29, and there’s a level of buy-in that is really impressive.”
- While there’s an expectation that the Mavs will hire an experienced head coach to replace Jason Kidd, Schmitz said the front office is “looking at everything” during its search. “We’re being very thorough in our approach and just continuing to kind of stick to our process there and evaluating everything. So no official update on that,” Schmitz said, per Afseth. “We don’t have an exact timeline for it, and our goal is to focus on a handful of the traits that we’re looking for, evaluate the market and make the best decision possible for the franchise. Obviously, we understand that this is a huge decision and one we’re going to do everything we can to get right.”
- Getting an impact player is more important than targeting a specific need or position with their lottery pick at No. 9, Schmitz told Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News. “It’s about just finding a difference maker at 9,” Schmitz said. “It’s not about a big or a guard or a wing. Year after year, you see prospects who don’t go one, two, three or four who end up as high-level contributors. That’s the exciting part of the draft and that’s our challenge, is to find a difference maker at 9, and we love that range. We’re really, really excited about the level of player that we can get there. And just the optionality of having (picks) 9, 30, 48 is super exciting for us.”
And-Ones: Yessoufou, Free Agents, Blakeney, Automatic Calls
Viewed as a potential first-round pick after one season at Baylor, Tounde Yessoufou withdrew from the draft earlier this week and will transfer to St. John’s for his sophomore campaign. The 20-year-old wing secured a lucrative NIL payday from the Red Storm, according to basketball insider Adam Zagoria, who reports (via Twitter) that Yessoufou’s deal was worth “close to” $6MM.
A native of Benin, Yessoufou averaged 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.6 assists per game in 34 appearances for the Bears in 2025/26. His shooting slash line was .465/.293/.746.
For what it’s worth, $6MM would be roughly the same first-year salary as the 11th overall pick in the 2026 draft, but rookie scale contracts are guaranteed for the first two years, with team options in years three and four.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report has updated his ranked list of potential free agents, with Heat wing Norman Powell (No. 10), Sixers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (No. 20) and Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (No. 30) among the 70 players listed.
- Marves Fairley, who claims he paid Terry Rozier as part of an illegal gambling scheme, also said he paid a Chinese Basketball Association player so he could win bets on a pair of CBA games in March 2023, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Fairley made the admission in a Brooklyn federal court on Thursday when he pleaded guilty to seven felony charges stemming from two separate cases. While Fairley didn’t name that player, prosecutors said Fairley paid Antonio Blakeney, a former NBA guard who was charged with wire fraud in January.
- Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link via ESPN), commissioner Adam Silver said the NBA plans to implement an automated AI system to quickly review out-of-bounds calls in the future, rather than leaving it up to the officials. Silver suggested all “so-called objective calls” would eventually fall under that review system.
Pacific Notes: Brooks, LeBron, Suns, Acuff, Kings, Clippers
Suns owner Mat Ishbia has spoken publicly about his fondness for Dillon Brooks, who will be eligible this summer for an extension worth up to a projected $125.4MM over four years, writes Gerald Bourguet of Sports360AZ. While Bourguet doesn’t expect Brooks to command that much money, he does think it’ll be a priority for Phoenix to sign the Canadian forward to a long-term deal.
Bourguet weighs the pros and cons of Brooks’ first season with the Suns, observing that the 30-year-old was a consistently valuable tone-setter and leader in the locker room even though his on-court contributions were a little uneven. Brooks has never been an efficient offensive player even though he’s certainly not shy about getting shots up, but he also brought toughness and an excellent work ethic to Phoenix.
Ultimately, Bourguet thinks Brooks could land a three-year extension in the range of $70-75MM or a four-year deal worth $90-100MM. As Bourguet observes, that potential contract might not look great on the back end as Brooks moves into his mid-30s, but the team values the ninth-year wing beyond what he brings on the court.
“Leadership and toughness doesn’t age,” one source told Bourguet.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- He acknowledges the odds of it happening are probably “very slim to none,” but Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (subscriber link) lists five reasons the Suns would be an intriguing landing spot for LeBron James. The 41-year-old could be a primary play-maker in Phoenix rather than the secondary or tertiary ball-handler he was asked to be with the Lakers this season, Rankin writes, and James is familiar with Devin Booker (teammates at the 2024 Olympics), head coach Jordan Ott, a former Lakers assistant, and Jordan Goodwin, who finished 2024/25 with the Lakers. It only takes an hour to fly from Los Angeles to Phoenix, Rankin notes, and Tuscon — where James’ younger son Bryce attends the University of Arizona — is about a two-hour drive from Phoenix.
- The Kings are said to be “enamored” with Arkansas guard Darius Acuff, but should they actually draft the standout freshman if he’s still on the board at No. 7? Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee considers that question, writing that while Acuff showed star potential on offense, his college tape on the other end left a lot to be desired. Still, Anderson hears there are “high-ranking” executives in Sacramento who aren’t worried about Acuff’s defense. If the Kings are confident Acuff can hold up defensively, they should select him if he’s available, Anderson concludes.
- The Aspiration investigation continues to cast a cloud over the Clippers‘ offseason, according to Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron (Substack link), who previews what moves the Clips might make this summer. L.A. could operate with room or over the cap, Gozlan writes, with the latter scenario seeming more likely. Either way, the Clippers will have a good deal of financial flexibility to pursue roster upgrades. In case you missed it, our Luke Adams also previewed the Clippers’ offseason in a Front Office article.
Bulls Have Spoken To Kevin Young About Coaching Vacancy
The Bulls have expressed interested in and spoken to Kevin Young as they continue to look for a new head coach, reports Jamal Collier of ESPN (via Twitter).
Young, who interviewed for several previous NBA head coaching vacancies, is currently the men’s basketball head coach at Brigham Young University. He reportedly signed a seven-year, $30MM contract with the Cougars in 2024 offseason.
A former Division II college basketball player, Young quickly transitioned to coaching, spending several years as both an assistant and head coach in the G League (then known as the D-League). He became an assistant coach with the Sixers in 2016 and landed the top assistant job with the Suns in 2020.
Young, a native of Salt Lake City, spent four years as the associate head coach in Phoenix prior to joining BYU two years ago.
As our tracker shows, the Bulls are casting a wide net in their search, having been linked to several candidates. Collier specifically mentions Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter as one of those candidates (Twitter link). Jake Fischer of The Stein previously reported that Chicago was interested in speaking to Splitter, but it was unclear if Portland would permit those talks.
Chicago’s search is being led by new head of basketball operations Bryson Graham, who was hired away from Atlanta earlier this month.
Atlantic Notes: Giannis, Celtics, Edwards, Wagler, Nets
While multiple reports have linked the Celtics to Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two clubs have not yet had direct trade talks regarding the two-time MVP, a league source tells Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com (Twitter link).
Bulpett acknowledges the situation is “fluid,” and suggests if Antetokounmpo does get traded from Milwaukee, it’s considered “increasingly likely” to be a multi-team deal.
The Celtics reportedly expressed a level of interest in Antetokounmpo ahead of the February trade deadline, though it’s unclear how serious those conversations were.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Jay King of The Athletic answers several Celtics-related questions in a mailbag, discussing possible free agent targets at center or big men they might consider acquiring using their $27.7MM traded player exception. King likes the idea of pursuing either Mitchell Robinson or Robert Williams using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception rather than using the TPE on a center already under contract for multiple seasons. As King notes, Robinson seems likely to command a long-term agreement, while ex-Celtic Williams would presumably be a little cheaper and perhaps more amenable to a short-term deal.
- While Justin Edwards showed some promising flashes in his second season, the Sixers wing failed to establish himself as a rotation fixture going forward, per Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice. Aaronson reviews Edwards’ 2025/26 season, writing that head coach Nick Nurse is a strong supporter of the 22-year-old despite his playing time dropping considerably in year two. Becoming a more consistent three-point shooter, pulling down more defensive rebounds, and improving on defense should be goals for Edwards this offseason, Aaronson adds.
- How would Keaton Wagler fit with the Nets if they select him sixth overall in next month’s draft? Brian Lewis of The New York Post explores that question in a subscriber-only story, noting that Wagler has been widely projected to be drafted by the Clippers at No. 5 due to his positional size as a 6’6″ guard. The 19-year-old was a relatively unheralded recruit, ranking outside the top 150 entering college, but quickly rose up draft boards in 2025/26 after an excellent freshman season at Illinois, Lewis writes. Wagler is lauded for his quick decision-making, versatility and ability to change speeds, but he’s not the most explosive athlete and didn’t record a single dunk last season, a rarity for a draft prospect at his size, Lewis adds. “I mean, I’ve heard it my whole life, that I’m not the most athletic, not the fastest,” Wagler said. “I think all last year I showed that you don’t have to be the most athletic to score the ball or be a really good player. And that’s kind of what I did. I just find different ways to use my body, even though I’m not the strongest, but being the aggressor, using my pace [of play] and then getting into the lane.”
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Dallas Mavericks
The 2024/25 season was one of the most eventful years in the history of the Mavericks, for better (winning the Cooper Flagg draft lottery) or for worse (trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers). So it probably came as a bit of a relief to fans in Dallas and staffers within the organization that the '25/26 campaign was a whole lot more ordinary, especially after Nico Harrison, the general manager responsible for the stunning Doncic deal, was removed from his position in November.
That's not to say there weren't highs and lows. Among the highs was Flagg, who was everything the team hoped he would be, earning Rookie of the Year honors in a tight race with former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game across 70 outings.
Conversely, star big man Anthony Davis continued to battle health issues during his second season as a Maverick. He was limited to just 20 regular season games in 2025/26 - and 29 overall after being acquired in the Doncic blockbuster - before Dallas sent him to the Wizards at February's trade deadline. Harrison's belief that Davis could be the centerpiece of the next Mavs championship team was ultimately misguided, and it was up to his temporary successors, co-interim GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi, to try to salvage some value for an aging, injury-plagued star who was no longer part of the team's long-term plans.
With Davis not playing enough, young center Dereck Lively II also sidelined due to foot problems, and the team's other veteran star, Kyrie Irving, still recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in March 2025, Dallas opened the season by losing 23 of its first 35 games, quickly falling out of playoff contention. That simplified the club's decisions to trade Davis and to hold out Lively and Irving for the entire season. It also allowed the Mavs to feature not just Flagg but several other promising youngsters and breakout role players, including Max Christie, Naji Marshall, and rookie Ryan Nembhard.
With both Doncic and Davis gone, Irving and Lively returning from major injuries, Flagg still just 19 years old, and the Mavs coming off a 26-56 showing, it's fair to be dubious about the team's ability to contend again in the short term. But there are plenty of reasons for optimism in Dallas.
Flagg is the most obvious one, and it can't be overstated how lucky the Mavericks were to land a young cornerstone who looks like a future perennial All-Star after giving up on another player who fit that bill. Even beyond Flagg though, there are bright spots.
This roster still features several of the pieces that it did when Dallas advanced to the NBA Finals in 2024, starting with Irving, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington. Throw in promising recent additions like Christie, Marshall, and Nembhard, along with the No. 9 overall pick in this year's draft, and this looks like a group capable of being competitive sooner rather than later -- especially with new president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri now running the show in the front office, bringing championship experience with him to Dallas.
Does that mean we'll see the Mavericks back in the playoffs in 2027? Not necessarily. But given that 2026 is the last draft until 2031 in which they'll control their own first-round pick, a full-fledged rebuild probably isn't in the cards here. So what exactly will Ujiri's first summer on the job look like? Let's dig in.
Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell Ruled Out For Game 7
The defending champion Thunder will be without two of their primary offensive initiators when they face San Antonio on Saturday in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, tweets Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman.
Star wing Jalen Williams has been ruled out due to left hamstring strain injury management, while second-year guard Ajay Mitchell remains sidelined with a right soleus (calf) strain.
Williams returned to action on Thursday in the Game 6 loss to the Spurs, but was clearly hindered, which head coach Mark Daigneault admitted after the 25-year-old had one point, one assist and two turnovers and was minus-18 in 10 minutes. Williams aggravated a left hamstring strain in Game 2 vs. the Spurs and missed Games 3 through 5.
A member of the All-NBA Third Team in 2024/25, Williams initially strained his left hamstring in Game 2 of the first-round series vs. Phoenix, which Oklahoma City went on to win 4-0. He missed the entire second-round sweep of the Lakers as a result of the injury.
Mitchell was excellent against Los Angeles in the second round after an up-and-down first round against the Suns. The 2024 second-round pick had a relatively slow start to the Western finals against the Spurs, then strained his calf in Game 3.
The Thunder have gone 1-1 so far vs. San Antonio without both Williams and Mitchell, losing Game 4 on the road and winning Game 5 at home. Game 7 will be played in Oklahoma City.
Sixers To Hire Mike Gansey As President Of Basketball Operations
Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey has reached an agreement to become the Sixers‘ new president of basketball operations, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Gansey will replace Daryl Morey, who was fired after Philadelphia was swept by New York in the second round of the playoffs.
A former college basketball player at St. Bonaventure and West Virginia, Gansey was viewed as a potential NBA draft pick in 2006 but he contracted MRSA during the pre-draft process, ultimately signing a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the Heat. He was waived after being hospitalized for two weeks and losing 30 pounds as a result of the infection, per ESPN, then contracted MRSA again in his ankle, which required surgery.
“I mean people have lost lives from this, have lost body parts,” Gansey said in 2007. “It’s something you don’t want to mess around with, and if you see any little thing that looks suspicious, get it checked out. You never know what it could be.”
Gansey played in a couple of summer leagues, but never suited up in the NBA, having spent time in the G League (then called the D-League) on top of playing professionally in Italy, Germany and China. He transitioned to a front office role with the Cavaliers in 2011/12.
The 43-year-old steadily worked his way up the ranks with his hometown team. Gansey was named the G League’s Executive of the Year in April 2017, then was promoted to assistant GM of the Cavs a few months later. He was elevated again to GM in 2022 and has been in that role with Cleveland for the past four years.
This will be Gansey’s first opportunity to run a team of his own, as he has spent the past several years working under Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman. Bob Myers, who led the search process, is expected to collaborate with Gansey during key times of the league year, including the draft, free agency and trade deadline.
The Cavs have won 51, 48, 64 and 52 regular season games over the past four years with Gansey as general manager, making the playoffs on each occasion. Cleveland was eliminated from the postseason last week when the team was swept by New York in the Eastern Conference finals.
Gansey and Sixers assistant GM Jameer Nelson were reportedly the frontrunners for the top front office job in Philadelphia, with Phoenix Mercury GM Nick U’Ren and Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd viewed as the other finalists. Multiple reports have indicated that Nelson, a former NBA point guard, is likely to be promoted.