Cavs’ Riley Minix Reportedly Nearing Deal With ASVEL
Cavaliers forward Riley Minix is close to signing a contract with ASVEL in France, according to a report from Blazo Komnenic of Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops).
After going undrafted out of Morehead State in 2024, Minix initially signed an Exhibit 10 training camp contract with San Antonio and was promoted to a two-way deal shortly before the 2024/25 season began.
The 25-year-old only played seven minutes in one game as a rookie with the Spurs, but he was a steady contributor for the team’s G League affiliate in Austin, averaging 19.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks on .524/.414/.853 shooting in 19 games (31.6 minutes per contest).
Minix returned to the Spurs on a two-way contract last summer and appeared in three games with the club in 2025/26 before being waived in mid-December. He signed a two-year, two-way contract with Cleveland in February, making six appearances for the Cavs late in his second season.
In 34 NBAGL games (31.9 MPG) with the Austin Spurs and Cleveland Charge in 2025/26, Minix averaged 18.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.3 SPG on .519/.428/.800 shooting splits.
While Minix is technically under contract for 2026/27, his two-way deal is non-guaranteed, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Cavaliers permit him to pursue an overseas opportunity. Signing with ASVEL would represent Minix’s first stint in Europe.
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Houston Rockets
The Rockets took major strides toward relevancy in the Western Conference playoff picture in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, increasing their win total from 22 to 41 to 52, and entering the '24/25 playoffs as the No. 2 seed.
However, the upstart Rockets were upset by the seasoned Warriors in the first round of last year's playoffs, with the lack of a go-to scoring option being a major factor in the team's seven-game loss. Houston averaged just 104 points per game in that series after averaging 114.3 PPG in the regular season.
Recognizing they needed a top offensive talent to complement their young core of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard, the Rockets traded Jalen Green, the 10th pick in last year's draft (Khaman Maluach) and Dillon Brooks to Phoenix for 12-time All-NBA forward Kevin Durant, a four-time scoring champion still playing at a high level late in his career.
Houston also re-signed Fred VanVleet to a more affordable contract ($50MM over two years instead of $45MM for one), extended Steven Adams, who played an important role anchoring the team's defense and bludgeoning opponents on the offensive boards, and signed three-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
While the Durant trade mostly worked the way the Rockets hoped during the 2025/26 regular season, when he averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 0.9 blocks in 78 games (36.4 minutes per contest), the playoffs were another story: the 37-year-old managed to play in just one game during Houston's first-round loss to the Lakers due to knee and ankle injuries.
It was a disappointing outcome for the Rockets, who won 52 games again despite missing their on- and off-court leader in VanVleet, who tore his ACL last September and missed all of 2025/26. They also only had Adams for 32 games before he tore ligaments in his ankle in December, and Finney-Smith was a disappointing non-factor in 37 appearances after his '25/26 debut was delayed by offseason ankle surgery.
In some ways it's impressive that Houston managed to have the success that it did considering how little the team received in aggregate from those three players, who were earning a combined $51.8MM this season. The development of the Rockets' young players was an overall positive but was slightly choppy as well, with Smith and Sheppard taking strides forward while Sengun, Thompson and Eason were more up and down.
The Rockets have been a paper tiger for the past two seasons, ranking seventh and sixth in the NBA in net rating. They were in the top 10 in the NBA in both offensive (eighth) and defensive (sixth) rating in 2025/26, but struggled to replicate that success in the playoffs. Houston's core is still pretty young, but the team projects to be considerably more expensive in both 2026/27 and '27/28, leaving lingering questions about its long-term future.
The Rockets' Offseason Plans
General manager Rafael Stone didn't strike me as someone eager to make major changes when he discussed the Rockets at the end of the season. Instead, Stone projected confidence in the group he had assembled and lamented the injuries that never gave the roster a chance to reach its ceiling.
James Harden Arrested, Charged With Unlawfully Carrying Gun
1:31 pm: The Cavaliers released a brief statement acknowledging Harden’s arrest, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
“The Cleveland Cavaliers are aware of the arrest of James Harden this morning and are in the process of gathering additional information. We are in contact with James and his representation and will continue to monitor developments as they become available. At this time, we will have no further comment.”
12:43 pm: Cavaliers guard James Harden, who could be a free agent this summer if he declines a $42.3MM player option that’s partially guaranteed for $13.3MM, was arrested early Saturday morning in Texas on a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully carrying a weapon after police say a handgun in his car was in plain sight rather than in a holster, according to TMZ.
Harden was released on bond, with a court date set for June 22, per TMZ. His bond terms prohibit him from possessing a firearm or other weapons, and he has to submit to a random urinalysis and can’t consume alcohol, controlled substances, marijuana or other drugs without a doctor’s prescription.
Citing court records, Edward Lewis of The California Post reports that Harden’s arrest occurred at 3:41 am local time in Houston. The complain alleges the 11-time All-Star “unlawfully, intentionally and knowingly” had the weapon in his vehicle.
Harden had the most productive years of his career with the Rockets, leading the league in scoring three consecutive seasons and finishing in the top three in Most Valuable Player voting four straight times. Sources tell Lewis that Harden and a large group of friends were at a Hookah lounge before the arrest.
An eight-time All-NBA member and two-time assists champ, Harden spent two-and-a-half seasons with his hometown Clippers before angling his way to Cleveland ahead of the deadline when it became clear he didn’t have a long-term future in Los Angeles. The Cavs traded two-time All-Star point guard Darius Garland to the Clippers in the blockbuster deal.
In 70 total regular season games (34.8 minutes per contest) in 2025/26, Harden averaged 23.6 points, 8.0 assists (against 3.5 turnovers), 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals on .434/.375/.884 shooting splits. After an uneven first two rounds against Toronto and Detroit, Harden really struggled in Cleveland’s Eastern Conference finals sweep at the hands of New York. Overall, he averaged 19.2 PPG, 5.5 APG (4.7 turnovers), 5.1 RPG and 1.7 SPG on .410/.299/.831 shooting splits in 18 playoff games (37.3 MPG).
Harden, Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers each expressed interest in continuing their working relationship after the team was eliminated by the Knicks. Harden, a former third overall pick, turns 37 years old in August.
Luigi Suigo Withdraws From Draft; Sergio De Larrea Staying In
Italian center Luigi Suigo has withdrawn from the 2026 NBA draft and has committed to playing college basketball at Villanova in 2026/27, reports Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link).
Suigo is a massive presence in the middle, having been measured at 7’3″ without shoes (likely at least 7’4″ with them) and 289 pounds at the draft combine. He was viewed as a possible late first-round pick, typically ranking either in the late 20s or early 30s (No. 32 at ESPN) on most big boards.
Still only 19 years old, Suigo has a chance to become a lottery pick if he plays well for the Wildcats next season. He spent the ’25/26 campaign playing professionally for Mega Superbet in the Adriatic League, averaging 8.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 16 games (18.2 minutes per contest).
While Suigo may test the draft waters again as an early entrant in 2027, Spanish wing Sergio de Larrea intends to stay in the 2026 draft, according to Givony (Twitter link).
A 6’6″ guard/forward, de Larrea has spent the past four seasons with EuroLeague club Valencia. In 28 games (18.3 MPG) in Spain’s top domestic league (Liga ACB), the 20-year-old has averaged 9.7 PPG, 3.7 APG and 3.0 RPG on .443/.407/.833 shooting splits.
De Larrea is viewed as likely to get a guaranteed contract, whether it comes late in the first round or early in the second. He’s No. 34 on ESPN’s board.
We’re still awaiting the decisions on a handful of other international early entrants. They have until 5:00 pm ET on Saturday to decide whether to stay in or withdraw from the draft.
Central Notes: Giannis, Pacers Workout, Pacers Extensions, Buzelis
Assuming the Bucks trade Giannis Antetokounmpo before the draft, they apparently are looking to rebuild quickly through this draft class.
The Bucks will assuredly receive the Heat’s No. 13 pick along with other draft capital if they deal their franchise player to Miami, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line tweets. Fischer also hears that Milwaukee is calling other teams in search of a third top-20 pick in this draft, potentially another pick in the top 10.
Milwaukee already holds the No. 10 selection in the draft, which is 10 days away.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- The Pacers will hold another pre-draft workout on Monday, featuring Donovan Atwell (Texas Tech), Anthony Dell’Orso (Arizona), Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue), Xaivian Lee (Florida), Rienk Mast (Nebraska), and Braden Smith (Purdue), according to a team press release. It’s their fifth pre-draft workout this year. This group is mainly comprised of second-round prospects, headlined by former Boilermakers point guard Smith (ranked No. 38 on ESPN’s Best Available list).
- The Pacers have eight extension-eligible players on the roster, including Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac. The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak notes the eligibility date, current contract and highest possible extension for each of those players and gives his insights on how the front office might approach each of those decisions.
- In an interview with K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (video link), Bulls forward Matas Buzelis describes the impact that broadcaster and former Bull Stacey King had on the team’s younger players. King, 59, passed away last weekend.
And-Ones: Lewis, Edwards, Option Decisions, Championship Rosters, BIG3
Lithuanian club Zalgiris Kaunas is close to an agreement with former NBA wing Maxwell Lewis, who finished the 2025/26 season with Juventus Utena, BasketNews reports.
Lewis is expected to sign a multiyear contract but he would be loaned in the first year to another team, most likely the London Lions. The 23-year-old Lewis averaged 13.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists last season with Juventus in 22 games. He also played 22 games with Turkey’s Tofas before parting ways with that club in March.
Lewis was selected 40th overall in the 2023 draft and spent two seasons in the NBA. Drafted out of Pepperdine, Lewis began his professional career with the Lakers, but logged just 103 total minutes in 34 appearances at the NBA level as a rookie, playing primarily in garbage time. The 6’7″ forward played in seven more games for Los Angeles during the 2024/25 season before being dealt to the Nets. Lewis was limited to 21 appearances for Brooklyn after fracturing his tibia in his first game as a Net. He averaged 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per game.
Zalgiris is also finalizing an agreement with former NBA guard Carsen Edwards, according to BasketNews. Edwards spent the 2025/26 season with Virtus Bologna, averaging 17.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists in 25 minutes per game in the EuroLeague. Edwards logged 72 games in the NBA, mainly with Boston.
Here’s more from around the international basketball world:
- Trae Young, Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, Isaiah Hartenstein and Fred VanVleet are some of the big-name players who have options on their contracts for next season. What will happen with their contractual situations? The Athletic’s John Hollinger makes his prediction for each of these decisions, as well as several other players with partial guarantees or options.
- The look of a championship team has evolved, Hollinger opines in a separate piece. He notes that the model of having a dominant regular season built around a superstar is no longer the blueprint. While superstars always matter, teams that have a strong overall lineup are increasingly emerging as true contenders. That’s due to defenses switching nearly everything and offenses hunting matchup advantages. Having the least-bad weakest link can and does matter as much as, or even more than, having the best superstar, Hollinger adds.
- Want to own a piece of BIG3? You may soon get your wish. The league, co-founded by rapper Ice Cube, is eyeing a $290MM valuation as it plans to go public later this year, according to ESPN. The league announced Friday that it will offer fans a chance to buy stock in the league. They are targeting an offering on one of the major stock exchanges in the fourth quarter of 2026 under the ticker TONT (short for 3-on-3). The BIG3 is starting its ninth season next week in Los Angeles.
Knicks Notes: Game 5, Brunson, McBride, Alvarado, MVP, More
The Knicks are on the verge of erasing over a half-century of frustration. They can win their first NBA championship since 1973 with a victory in Game 5 on the Spurs’ home floor on Saturday night.
Jalen Brunson is embracing the possibility, according to Howie Kussoy of the New York Post.
“I think the one thing that stays constant is I’ve always told myself, and always been taught by my parents, ‘Never be afraid to fail,’” Brunson said Friday at Frost Bank Center. “You put yourself in those positions in the summertime when you’re envisioning what’s going on the court, when you’re by yourself on the court … When those opportunities come about, you’re not afraid of the moment because you worked hard enough to where if you do fail, you’re going to learn anyway. You put the confidence you have in everything you do when the lights aren’t on, when no one’s watching.”
Brunson is averaging 29.5 points per game for the series despite shooting just 39.6% from the field. He had 36 points and seven assists during Game 4, making several crucial baskets during the team’s historic comeback.
“Whenever you win or lose a game, that night, you’re going to think about it, think about the things you’ve done well or what you did wrong, [but] I’ve always told myself when you wake up the next day, it’s time to turn the page,” Brunson said. “Yes, we won [Game 4], but we still have a lot of work to do. We have a lot to learn. We didn’t play our best basketball. We still have a lot to revisit to make sure that we don’t really put ourselves in that position again.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Backup guard Miles McBride has been a non-factor in the series, averaging 2.8 points in 13.3 minutes per game while shooting 20% from the field. McBride says he hasn’t lost confidence, Kussoy writes. “I’m always going to stay confident, knowing I can impact the game in a lot of different ways,” McBride said. “I’m going to make shots. I’m never worried about that. … Anybody is capable of it, 1 through 15 on this team. We’re pushing each other to be better. That’s how our team has been. We’re motivators. We want to uplift everybody. I think having a team like that, you can do a lot of great things.”
- Coach Mike Brown took a gamble in Game 4 and it paid off. He paired small guards Brunson and Jose Alvarado together and in the 12 minutes they shared the court, the Knicks outscored the Spurs by 21 points. “I think he did a great job of coming in and changing the game,” Brunson said of Alvarado, per Zach Braziller of the New York Post. Alvarado scored eight big points in the win, all coming in the second half, and added three assists and two rebounds. Alvarado has a $4.5MM option on his contract for next season.
- The Knicks are relying on their maturity to reach the finish line, according to Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. “Obviously, we have some veteran guys on the team. But you can be a veteran and still have a little bit of immaturity about you, as we all know,” Brown said. “From top to bottom, this group is pretty mature. That rubs off on the rest of the group. It makes my job easier. We’ve been preaching all year that it’s about the next possession, the next possession, the next possession. We understand any time you try to play a closeout game, the level of desperation for your opponents increases, the level of desperation for the fans of your opponents is increased. You have to bring your best effort.”
- Who is the Finals MVP at the moment, Brunson, OG Anunoby or Karl-Anthony Towns? A team of writers from The Athletic tackles that question, giving the edge to Game 4 star Anunoby, given his overall impact and efficiency in the series.
- Speaking of Towns, he’s on the verge of becoming a franchise and New York legend, The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor writes. Towns has shed the label of being a soft player with his playoff performances, offensive aggression and defensive toughness. “I’ve always had to change the way I play so it could be most beneficial for the team,” he said. “Taking all that experience this year, I’ve had to do it on the fly. It wasn’t 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. … I think that right now, whatever it takes to win, especially when you’re in the NBA Finals, I’m willing to do.”
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Heat, Draft Workouts, Hawks
The Hornets are coming off their most encouraging season in years, and while they have a locked-in core three of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller, they still have decisions to make on how best to complement the high-powered offensive trio.
Despite not being as firmly a part of the starting lineup of the future, Coby White and Moussa Diabate should be considered “not going anywhere” candidates this offseason, Roderick Boone writes for the Charlotte Observer.
Diabate is entering the last year of a very team-friendly deal after stabilizing the Hornets’ center position and providing the club with a strong source of offensive rebounding in 2025/26. White is expected to stay with the Hornets after the team traded for him at this season’s deadline — he’ll be an unrestricted free agent, but Charlotte controls his full Bird rights.
Miles Bridges is the top name on the watch list category for players who could be on the move, Boone writes, as are Pat Connaughton, Josh Green, Tre Mann, and Grant Williams.
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets hosted four players for pre-draft workouts on Wednesday: Christian Anderson (Texas Tech), Anthony Dell’Orso (Arizona), Mark Mitchell (Missouri), and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (Alabama), per Boone (Twitter link). Anderson, a smooth shooter and pick-and-roll operator, is the highest-ranked player of that group, coming in at No. 18 on Jeremy Woo’s big board for ESPN. Given that the Hornets control the 14th and 18th overall picks, Anderson could be under consideration with one of their first-rounders.
- Barring a trade, including a Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, the Heat will have the 13th pick in the 2026 NBA draft, along with No. 41. They have begun hosting pre-draft workouts, with Ezra Ausar (USC) coming in on Friday, per SNY’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). They will also bring in Bryce Hopkins (St. John’s) next week, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Hopkins, a fifth-year senior, is only a career 32.4% shooter from three, but he has raised that average to 36.6% over the last two seasons.
- The Hawks have two main paths they have to choose between as they look to keep building on last year’s encouraging season. They could free up to $32MM in cap space and be a free agency player, or they could stay over the cap while prioritizing re-signing their own players and working the trade market, Spotrac’s Keith Smith writes in his offseason preview. Either way, one offseason goal should be to add more size, even if they keep reserve big man Jock Landale. Since the Hawks own two first-round picks, it would make sense to target a big man with one of them, Smith writes.
Draft Notes: Top Prospects, Wilson, Lendeborg, Trades
The 2026 NBA draft class has been lauded as a particularly strong one at the top of the lottery. AJ Dybantsa (BYU), Cameron Boozer (Duke), and Darryn Peterson (Kansas) make up a formidable trio, and Caleb Wilson (UNC) is by no means a consolation prize.
Even though they’re all great prospects in their own right, they’re not quite at the top of the list of the best draftees to come into the league over the last decade, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.
In Vecenie’s rankings of top prospects since 2015, Dybantsa, Boozer, and Peterson come in at sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively, while Wilson is 18th, one spot below the Spurs’ Dylan Harper. Even though the UNC forward falls out of the top 15, Vecenie writes that he considers Wilson’s value to be equivalent to the second overall pick in a normal draft lottery.
At the top of his rankings, based on how they were evaluated before they got to the league, Vecenie has a top five of Victor Wembaynama, Cooper Flagg, Zion Williamson, Cade Cunningham, and Karl-Anthony Towns, in that order.
We have more draft news and notes:
- When it comes to Wilson’s projections at the next level, his trainer, Robert Swain, believes that the sky is the limit, given his versatile skill set and high character. “He’s going to explode,” Swain said in an interview with Mark Medina of R.org. “He’s going to be a great teammate. He’s going to be able to provide whatever the coach wants him to do. He’ll be able to do it at a high level.” Swain says Wilson has been working on his face-up game since the college season ended. While the athletic forward showed some self-creation skills in the mid-range in college, smoothing out the jump shot will go a long way in helping him reach his ceiling. As far as player comparisons, Swain’s are ambitious. “With Magic Johnson, I can see Caleb getting a rebound and taking it coast-to-coast, whether he’s scoring for himself, creating for a teammate to score or creating for a teammate to create for another teammate,” he said. “So I see him making those quick decisions with the basketball in his hands. With Paul George, you can see him spacing up and taking the elbow jumper and getting into his one-two dribble pull-up. As far as (Kevin) Garnett, you can see Caleb scoring 18 feet in, grabbing defensive and offensive rebounds and blocking shots.”
- Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan) is hoping to become the NBA’s next versatile, do-it-all forward, and there are four players he is using to help shape how he works on his game, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “One is [Paolo Banchero], I always tried to mimic his game,” Lendeborg said, following a workout with the Warriors. “(Timberwolves big man) Naz Reid as well. In a way, I try to mimic some of [LeBron James’] drives and how physical he is and how he uses his body, when to use it, stuff like that. And somebody I still watch to this day is, just highlights, is Magic Johnson. I learned a lot of different things. Little pieces from each player.“
- Rumors have circulated about teams looking to trade up or down in the draft, and while the high pedigree of the top players makes it unlikely that we will see major movement at the top, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. That’s why ESPN’s NBA insiders put together six potential major draft-day trades that could shake up the landscape. The first would be an unprecedented move: the Wizards trading pick No. 1, Bub Carrington, and Cam Whitmore to the Jazz for No. 2, Ace Bailey, and a 2029 pick. The top two picks have never been swapped before, according to ESPN. Could this be the year it happens?
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Kornet, Johnson, Fox, Discipline
The Spurs lost Game 4 of the 2026 Finals in heartbreaking fashion to go down 3-1, but they headed home to San Antonio for Game 5 with the belief that they can defy the odds and make a comeback.
“Everybody (on the Spurs) thinks – everybody knows – we’re going to do it,” Victor Wembanyama said, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I feel like we need to isolate that one game and take it one game at a time. I think it would be a mistake to waste our energy on multiple games. It’s one game at a time.”
Wembanyama acknowledged that the heavy minutes load and Finals intensity have, at times, made it difficult to play his best basketball, but he made no excuses, saying that everyone is dealing with the same challenges. Besides, the two days off between Games 4 and 5 should ensure everyone is fully recovered from a draining Game 4.
“We still have this belief because we’ve seen it,” said De’Aaron Fox. “We’ve seen it be done, that teams have come back from 3-1. I think even with those series, the games that they lost, they were losing by double digits. The games that we’re losing have all been close games. We still have that belief that we have a chance to win.”
We have more from the Spurs:
- Luke Kornet has been listed as questionable for Saturday’s game due to an illness, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon notes (via Twitter). Due to Wembanyama’s increased workload, Kornet is averaging just 7.8 minutes per game this series despite being the Spurs’ primary backup center. He played just four minutes in Game 4.
- While Fox has taken a lot of scrutiny for his game management at the end of Wednesday’s loss, head coach Mitch Johnson has remained steadfast in his belief in the All-Star point guard, Michael C. Wright writes for ESPN. “People have their opinions,” Johnson said. “I don’t care. I care what the people that matter in our building, our organization, in that locker room, that they know how I feel. De’Aaron Fox will have the basketball in his hands at the end of the game tomorrow, and I have the utmost confidence he’s going to deliver like he’s done countless times for us.” Fox didn’t downplay his miscues, but he indicated he’s not letting outside criticism bother him. “I don’t watch those shows. It doesn’t matter,” he said. “It is what it is. Can’t change it now. It is what it is. We’re trying to move on from that, continue to learn from the mistakes we made, how we lost the lead, finished the game poorly. We think about the next game.“
- While putting the loss behind them is necessary, it’s also important for the Spurs to learn from their breakdowns in discipline, as keeping their composure will likely be the deciding factor in whether or not they win Game 5, ESPN’s Ben Golliver writes in a Game 5 prediction roundup. The good news for the Spurs is that most of the reasons they lost Game 4 were fixable errors. Now they just have to show they can hold onto a lead.
- If there’s one word the Spurs can always hang their hats on, it’s “belief,” Jeff McDonald writes for the San Antonio Express-News. It’s a word the head coach repeated to every player in the Spurs locker room after the heartbreak of Game 4. “You don’t get here without belief, without faith in each other, and that’s not going to change now,” Johnson said. “If it was easy, everybody would do it.” This young team has shown itself to be a resilient bunch, but to come back from a 3-1 Finals deficit, it will take all the belief it can muster. “Backs against the wall,” rookie guard Dylan Harper said. “If we believe we are who we think we are, then it’s going to show.”