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Pelicans Sign Jalen McDaniels

September 3rd, 2025 at 10:17am CST by Arthur Hill

September 3: The signing of McDaniels is official, according to a team press release.

August 18: Jalen McDaniels has agreed to a contract with the Pelicans, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 27-year-old small forward saw limited time in four games last season after signing a 10-day deal with the Wizards in February. He spent most of the season with Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, where he averaged 13.5 points and 7.2 rebounds in 38 total games.

McDaniels played his first three and a half NBA seasons in Charlotte after being selected with the 52nd pick in the 2019 draft, but he has bounced around the league since then. He was sent to Philadelphia in a four-team deal at the 2023 trade deadline, then signed with Toronto that summer. He was traded twice last year, being shipped to Sacramento in June and San Antonio in October. The Spurs waived him a day later, and he remained in the G League until he joined the Wizards.

In total, McDaniels has appeared in 252 NBA games with career averages of 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.1 minutes per night.

Charania doesn’t release any details of McDaniels’ new contract, but it could be an Exhibit 10 deal with an invitation to training camp. With 14 standard contracts, the Pelicans have one roster opening and are roughly $4.2MM below the luxury tax line, so they could carry a 15th man into the regular season without going into the tax.

McDaniels is ineligible for a two-way contract because he has already played six NBA seasons.

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Pelicans Sign Garrison Brooks

September 3rd, 2025 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

September 3: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

September 2: The Pelicans have reached an agreement to sign free agent forward Garrison Brooks, agent Darrell Comer tells NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

While Haynes doesn’t specify the terms of the deal, it’s almost certain to be an Exhibit 10 contract. The Birmingham Squadron, New Orleans’ G League affiliate, recently acquired Brooks’ returning rights, so if the Pelicans sign him to an Exhibit 10 deal and then waive him prior to the start of the season, he’ll be in line to earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with the Squadron (on top of his base NBAGL salary).

Brooks, 26, went undrafted out of Mississippi State in 2022. He spent his rookie season in the G League with the Westchester Knicks, played in Korea for a few months in 2023, and then spent most of the past two seasons with BC Wolves in Lithuania.

In 18 EuroCup outings for the Wolves last season, Brooks averaged 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per game. During his previous NBAGL stint, in 2022/23, he put up 13.6 PPG and 11.6 RPG in 37 games (30.5 MPG) for Westchester.

Spencer Davies of RG.org reported in July that Brooks was among the players who took part in a Las Vegas pro day for the agency CSE and was drawing interest at the time as a potential NBA training camp option.

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Stanley Umude Joins Spurs On Camp Deal

September 3rd, 2025 at 9:10am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs have signed Stanley Umude to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot (Twitter link). Umude’s addition bumps San Antonio’s roster count to 20, one below the maximum with training camps looming later this month.

Umude played last season with the Bucks on a two-way contract. He made 22 cameo appearances for Milwaukee, never scoring more than three points. In 13 games with the Wisconsin Herd of the G League, Umude averaged 17.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest.

Umude, who also played for Milwaukee’s Summer League team this July, was in the Pistons organization the previous two seasons, playing on a two-way deal in 2023/24. The 26-year-old went undrafted in 2022 after playing at Arkansas.

If Umude is waived ahead of the season and spends at least 60 days with the club’s NBAGL affiliate, the Austin Spurs, he’ll be eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 on top of his G League salary.

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EuroBasket Notes: Giannis, EuroLeague, FIBA, Micic

September 2nd, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo missed his native Greece’s EuroBasket group play contest against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday with a sore knee, per Harris Stavrou of SPORT24 (Twitter link).

Stavrou tweets that the two-time NBA MVP’s head coach, Vassilis Spanoulis, expects Antetokounmpo to be available for Greece’s Thursday tilt against Spain — a Greek win in that contest would put the Spaniards in danger of being eliminated before the round of 16.

Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama and former NBA journeyman forward Juancho Hernangomez lead the Spanish national team this summer.

There’s more out of EuroBasket:

  • The leaders of EuroLeague and FIBA chatted on the sidelines in Cyprus during EuroBasket’s ongoing group play round, according to Eurohoops.net. EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas conferred with FIBA Europe president Jorge Garbajos and secretary general Andreas Zagklis, as chatter continues about a potential European NBA league.
  • Spanish team coach Sergio Scariolo called out FIBA for its the timing of its doping tests during EuroBasket, writes Michalis Gioulenoglou of Eurohoops.net. “Since it’s my last championship and I’m in a position where, after many years in FIBA national basketball, I can advise FIBA not to put doping controls on a team that is playing back-to-back games and finished playing at midnight,” Scariolo said. “This is extremely disrespectful. With so many days available, the doping control could have been scheduled earlier instead of this crazy late-night timing.”
  • While playing for Serbia, former Hornets guard Vasilije Micic appeared to injured his ribs in the fourth quarter of a clash with the Czech Republic, per Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. Although the Nikola Jokic-led squad had been the heavy favorite to win EuroBasket heading into the tournament, Serbia’s backcourt has struggled with the injury bug so far. Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has already been ruled out for the rest of the competition with a hamstring injury.
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Atlantic Notes: Queta, Porzingis, Celtics, Knicks

September 2nd, 2025 at 8:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Former Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis, who was traded to Atlanta earlier this summer, has high praise for one of his ex-teammates in Boston. In a EuroBasket group play encounter this week, Porzingis led his native Latvia to a 78-62 blowout victory over Neemias Queta‘s home country of Portugal.

Porzingis scored 21 points, grabbed nine boards, dished out three dimes, and blocked one shot. Queta, however, held his own against his former teammate, registering 16 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and a block. As Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews relays, Porzingis lauded Queta for his recent growth.

“Nimi has been getting better each year,” Porzingis said. “And Coach [Joe] Mazzulla has been pretty tough on him. And I believe he’s getting to a point where he deserves some real minutes, some real rotation minutes.”

Queta will likely compete with new signings Chris Boucher and Luka Garza and fellow holdover Xavier Tillman for minutes at the five spot.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

  • With training camp fast approaching for the new-look Celtics, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston polled a panel of colleagues about their top questions and concerns ahead of the team’s 2025/26 season. Boston will be without injured All-Star forward Jayson Tatum and former starters Porzingis and Jrue Holiday — both of whom were traded away to save money. Third-string center Luke Kornet left in free agency, while sixth man big Al Horford is still unsigned. Questions about Celtics president Brad Stevens‘ team building, Joe Mazzulla‘s ability to coach up a non-championship roster, and more popped up.
  • The Knicks are hiring former L.A. Clippers director of international pro scouting Ermal Kuqo to serve as their senior director of minor league operations, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
  • In case you missed it, Sixers guard Jared McCain has indicated that he expects to be available when Philadelphia’s training camp opens up later this month.
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Sixers’ McCain Says He’s ‘On Pace’ To Be Ready For Camp

September 2nd, 2025 at 6:29pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Second-year Sixers guard Jared McCain‘s rookie campaign in 2024/25 was ended by a lateral meniscus tear after just 23 games. However, the 6’2″ pro is optimistic about his ability to return to the hardwood in time for training camp this fall, reports Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire.

On hand to celebrate Philadelphia’s new arena name reveal, the No. 16 pick in 2024 detailed his recovery process to date.

“Yeah, my plan, for sure, is to participate (in camp),” McCain said. “I mean, anything can happen, but for right now, I’m on pace, and I’m doing great for that.”

Given McCain’s expectation that he’ll be available for training camp, it seems that he is very much on track to suit up for the Sixers’ October 22 regular season opener against the Celtics, Carlin notes.

“I think right now, it’s just kind of taking it day by day,” McCain said. “I’m getting on-court (work), doing a lot of stuff, a lot of live stuff, but I still have to talk to them about exactly if I’m free for everything, but I’m definitely getting there.”

Across his 23 healthy contests on the 24-58 Sixers last year, the Duke alum averaged 15.3 PPG, 2.6 APG, 2.4 RPG and 0.7 SPG. He posted an impressive .460/.383/.875 shooting line and finished seventh in Rookie of the Year voting despite his limited availability.

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Magic Sign Four Players To Exhibit 10 Contracts

September 2nd, 2025 at 4:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Magic have announced four new signings ahead of training camp (Twitter link). Orlando has added free agent guard Reece Beekman, wings Justin Minaya and Lester Quinones, and center Colin Castleton.

Although the team didn’t divulge terms of the agreements, Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel reports that all four deals are Exhibit 10 contracts.

Castleton’s signing was previously confirmed in the NBA’s transaction log, while Quinones’ deal with the Magic was reported last month. The additions of Beekman and Minaya are new. Beekman is especially notable since he had reportedly reached a tentative agreement to join the Nuggets in June. That deal was never officially finalized, however.

Castleton has spent the previous two seasons with the Lakers, Grizzlies, Sixers and Raptors. He began his pro career out of Florida on two-way contracts with Los Angeles and Memphis, but graduated to 10-day deals with Toronto and Philadelphia. He was brought back by the Raptors on a two-year standard deal at the end of 2024/25, but they ultimately waived him earlier this summer.

A 6’4″ guard out of Memphis, Quinones most recently split the 2024/25 season with two-way deals for the Sixers and Pelicans. He has appeared in 54 total NBA regular season games in three years since going undrafted out of Memphis in 2022. His best season came in 2023/24, when he averaged 4.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per night with a .364 3PT% in 37 outings for Golden State.

Beekman signed a two-way deal with Golden State last July after going undrafted out of Virginia. He made just two brief appearances for the Warriors before being sent to the Nets in mid-December as part of the Dennis Schröder trade. Beekman got a larger NBA opportunity after arriving in Brooklyn, appearing in 34 games and averaging 2.7 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 13.7 minutes per night.

Minaya, a 6’5″ small forward, has been a two-way player for the Blazers since 2022. He has made 57 total appearances but played a very limited role, averaging 1.7 points and 1.4 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per contest.

All four players are eligible to have their Exhibit 10 deals converted into two-way contracts before the start of the regular season. The Magic currently have one open two-way slot alongside Jamal Cain and Orlando Robinson.

If any of the four new Magic players are cut by Orlando ahead of the season and spent at least 60 days with the club’s NBAGL affiliate, the Osceola Magic, they’ll be eligible to earn bonuses worth up to $85,300.

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Longest-Tenured NBA Players By Team

September 2nd, 2025 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Since we last checked in on the NBA’s longest-tenured players by team one year ago, a handful of names who were in the top 10 have changed teams either via trade or free agency.

That group includes Karl-Anthony Towns and Myles Turner, who had been with the Timberwolves and Pacers, respectively, since the 2015 draft. De’Aaron Fox is among the other longtime members of a franchise to change teams since last summer, having been dealt from the Kings to the Spurs in February after having played in Sacramento since 2017.

In addition to Minnesota, Indiana, and Sacramento, teams with a new longest-tenured player include the Bulls, Trail Blazers, Raptors, and Jazz, who have parted ways with Zach LaVine, Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, and Jordan Clarkson within the past year.

The top name on our list remains unchanged, as Stephen Curry – a member of the Warriors since 2009 – is still the player who has been with his current club for the longest period. He’s entering his 17th season with Golden State this fall.

Because our list includes just one player per team, Draymond Green doesn’t show up in the space below, but if we were simply listing the players who have been with their current clubs the longest, he’d own the No. 2 spot behind Curry, having been with the Warriors since being drafted in 2012. Jamal Murray (a Nugget since June 2016) is another player who would place highly on that version of the list.

Finally, it’s worth noting that a player like Damian Lillard – who was with Portland from 2012-23, spent two years in Milwaukee, then rejoined the Trail Blazers this summer as a free agent – won’t show up on this list, since he has spent time with another team since first becoming a Blazer since 2012. In our view, his tenure with the Blazers reset during his time with the Bucks and restarted this offseason.

Here’s each team’s longest-tenured player, along with how he was acquired:

(Note: This is a snapshot as of September 2, 2025 and won’t be updated throughout the season. Because this list only features each team’s longest-tenured player, one player per team is listed.)

  1. Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry (draft), June 2009
  2. Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo (draft), June 2013
  3. Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid (draft), June 2014
  4. Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic (draft), June 2014
  5. Dallas Mavericks: Dwight Powell (trade), December 2014
  6. Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker (draft), June 2015
  7. Boston Celtics: Jaylen Brown (draft), June 2016
  8. Orlando Magic: Jonathan Isaac (draft), June 2017
  9. Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo (draft), June 2017
  10. Memphis Grizzlies: Jaren Jackson Jr. (draft), June 2018
  11. Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young (draft trade), June 2018
  12. Charlotte Hornets: Miles Bridges (draft trade), June 2018 (*)
  13. New York Knicks: Mitchell Robinson (draft), June 2018
  14. Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James (free agent), July 2018
  15. Los Angeles Clippers: Ivica Zubac (trade), February 2019
  16. New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson (draft), June 2019
  17. Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Garland (draft), June 2019
  18. Brooklyn Nets: Nic Claxton (draft), June 2019
  19. Chicago Bulls: Coby White (draft), June 2019
  20. San Antonio Spurs: Keldon Johnson (draft), June 2019
  21. Minnesota Timberwolves: Naz Reid (free agent), July 2019
  22. Oklahoma City Thunder: Luguentz Dort (free agent), July 2019
  23. Indiana Pacers: T.J. McConnell (free agent), July 2019
  24. Detroit Pistons: Isaiah Stewart (draft trade), November 2020
  25. Houston Rockets: Jae’Sean Tate (free agent), November 2020
  26. Washington Wizards: Anthony Gill (free agent), November 2020
  27. Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes (draft), July 2021
  28. Sacramento Kings: Domantas Sabonis (trade), February 2022
  29. Portland Trail Blazers: Shaedon Sharpe (draft), June 2022
  30. Utah Jazz: Walker Kessler (trade), July 2022

* Note: Bridges was a free agent for the entire 2022/23 season, but the Hornets retained his RFA rights during that time and brought him back for the following season, extending his tenure with the team. If we don’t count Bridges, Charlotte’s longest-tenured player is LaMelo Ball, who was selected in the 2020 draft.

While it’s a safe bet that many players on this list – especially a few near the top – will remain the same when we check in again during the summer of 2026, it’s a lock we’ll see some changes too. Powell (Mavericks), Young (Hawks), Robinson (Knicks), White (Bulls), and – of course – James (Lakers) are among the players on this list who can reach free agency next summer.

Which players do you expect to change teams and come off this list in the next 12 months?

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12 Teams Have Clinched Spots In EuroBasket’s Round Of 16

September 2nd, 2025 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Twelve of the 16 spots in EuroBasket’s single-elimination phase have now been secured, with Luka Doncic and the Slovenians among the teams that have qualified for the round of 16.

As a result of Slovenia’s 87-79 win over Iceland and Israel’s 92-89 victory over Belgium on Tuesday, Iceland and Belgium have been eliminated from round-of-16 contention, while Slovenia, Israel, and France have clinched their spots, joining Poland as the top four teams in Group D.

Both France and Slovenia have just two wins so far in the group stage and could theoretically finish tied with Belgium at 2-3 after Thursday’s games. However, both teams hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Belgium, as France defeated the Belgians on Thursday and Slovenia did so on Sunday.

[RELATED: France’s Alex Sarr To Miss Rest Of EuroBasket Due To Calf Injury]

In Group A, Latvia joined the undefeated Turkish and Serbian teams in the top four by beating Portugal on Monday. Portugal will square off against Estonia on Wednesday with the final Group A single-elimination-round slot up for grabs — both teams are 1-3 so far, while Czechia is 0-4 and has no path to the round of 16.

After Germany and Finland became the first two teams in Group B to advance to the round of 16, Lithuania followed suit on Monday with a victory over Finland to improve to 3-1 in group play. However, the Lithuanians lost point guard Rokas Jokubaitis, who suffered a significant knee injury in Monday’s contest.

Montenegro (1-3), led by Nikola Vucevic, would become the last Group B squad to clinch a spot in the round of 16 with a win over Great Britain (0-4) on Wednesday. If Great Britain pulls off the upset in that game, it would open the door for Sweden (1-3) to advance if they knock off Lithuania on Wednesday. If Montenegro, Sweden, and Great Britain all finish 1-4, it would come down to point differential. And at -12, Sweden has the significant edge in that category over Montenegro (-71) and Great Britain (-136).

Finally, Group C remains the most wide open, with Italy joining Greece as the only teams to qualify for the round of 16 so far. Cyprus (0-4) has been eliminated, with Spain (2-1), Georgia (2-2), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-2) vying for the two remaining spots in the group’s top four.

Spain is currently in action against Italy and would secure its place in the single-elimination round with a victory. In that scenario, the winner of Georgia vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday would claim the final Group C spot. If Spain were to lose today and again on Thursday vs. Greece, the Spaniards would be eliminated in the event of a Bosnia and Herzegovina win over Georgia, since Georgia holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Spain.

To recap, here are the teams that have qualified for EuroBasket’s round of 16:

  • Group A
    • Serbia (4-0)
    • Turkey (4-0)
    • Latvia (2-2)
  • Group B
    • Germany (4-0)
    • Finland (3-1)
    • Lithuania (3-1)
  • Group C
    • Greece (3-1)
    • Italy (2-1)
  • Group D
    • Poland (3-0)
    • Israel (3-1)
    • France (2-1)
    • Slovenia (2-0)

And here are the teams still in the mix for the remaining spots:

  •  Group A (one spot available)
    • Estonia (1-3)
    • Portugal (1-3)
  • Group B (one spot available)
    • Montenegro (1-3)
    • Sweden (1-3)
    • Great Britain (0-4)
  • Group C (two spots available)
    • Spain (2-1)
    • Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-2)
    • Georgia (2-2)
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Alex Sarr To Miss Rest Of EuroBasket Due To Calf Injury

September 2nd, 2025 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

1:40 pm: Wizards officials expect Sarr to be ready for the start of the NBA regular season, a team source tells Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who adds (via Twitter) that the injury won’t require surgery.

11:31 am: Wizards center Alex Sarr, who had been competing for France in this year’s EuroBasket tournament, has been ruled out for the rest of the event due to a right calf injury, according to an official announcement from the national team.

Translated from French, the statement indicates that Sarr’s “healing time is incompatible with (his) participation for the rest of the competition.”

Sarr injured his calf during Saturday’s victory over Slovenia and was held out of Sunday’s loss to Israel as a result of the ailment. He’ll also miss Tuesday’s matchup with Poland and Thursday’s contest against Iceland, as well as any games in the round of 16, assuming France advances.

With a 2-1 record so far, France is well-positioned to make the single-elimination portion of the tournament with a win in either of its two remaining group-stage games. However, the team’s frontcourt – which was already without Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, and Mathias Lessort for EuroBasket – has now taken another hit, putting increased pressure on Guerschon Yabusele and Zaccharie Risacher to lead the way up front.

While it’s unclear if Sarr’s availability for training camp will be compromised by his calf injury, it sounds like the recovery period could be measured in weeks rather than days. The Wizards’ camp will get underway in about four weeks, with the regular season opener still more than seven weeks out, so hopefully that will be enough time for Sarr to get back to 100%.

Last year’s No. 2 overall pick, Sarr earned All-Rookie first team honors after averaging 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 27.1 minutes per game. Shooting efficiency figures to be an area of focus for the 20-year-old in year two after he made just 39.4% of his field goals and 67.9% of his free throws as a rookie.

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