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Several Countries Finalize Rosters For EuroBasket 2025

August 24th, 2025 at 9:17am CST by Rory Maher

Several countries have made their final roster cuts ahead of EuroBasket 2025, according to FIBA, which has compiled a tracker of each finalized 12-man squad.

The tournament begins on Wednesday and is made up of four groups of six teams apiece, with 16 of the 24 total clubs advancing to the knockout round. All knockout round games — including the final and third-place matchup on September 14 — will take place in Riga, Lativa.

We’ll have another story in the coming days on all the NBA players participating in the tournament, including stars such as Luka Doncic and Lauri Markkanen, who headline the rosters of Slovenia and Finland, respectively.

Here are the 16 countries that have finalized their rosters (all links courtesy of FIBA):

Here are the eight countries that have not yet finalized their rosters (links go to preliminary rosters):

Belgium
Cyprus
Estonia
Georgia
Great Britain (technically comprised of multiple countries)
Greece
Italy
Turkey

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Warriors, Marciulionis, Booker, Dwyer

August 23rd, 2025 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors haven’t given up hope of trading for LeBron James and teaming him with Stephen Curry, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required). Sources tell Fischer that Golden State has reached out to the Lakers on multiple occasions over the past 18 months to work out a deal, but has come up empty.

James and Curry played together at the Paris Olympics last August, combining their talents to capture a gold medal for Team USA. Coach Steve Kerr was in charge of that team, and the Warriors would like to create that same dynamic in the NBA.

Even though there are persistent rumors that James might be headed elsewhere after picking up his $52.6MM player option in June, Fischer points out that it would be tough for Golden State to put together a trade proposal that matches salaries without tearing apart the core of the roster. He adds that also holds true if Giannis Antetokounmpo were to ask out of Milwaukee.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Augustas Marciulionis chose the Lakers over the Bucks for his first NBA opportunity, according to BasketNews. The son of former NBA player Sarunas Marciulionis signed an Exhibit 10 contract in July and will be in L.A.’s training camp next month. “The attention was similar from both teams,” he said. “But in Los Angeles, there were more people my agent and I knew and trusted. We understood the situation better there. For some reason, L.A. just felt like the right choice. Still, it wasn’t easy because I don’t know that much about the NBA environment yet. But we thought this was the best place for me.” The 23-year-old point guard, who played at St. Mary’s, was dealing with a broken foot during the pre-draft process.
Devin Booker is expected to carry more of the Suns‘ offensive load with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal gone, so Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic examines whether he can average 30 points per game. Booker scored 25.6 PPG last season with uncharacteristically low shooting numbers, so Rankin believes 30 PPG is well within reach if he takes at least 20 shots per night, goes to the free throw line more often, improves his three-point efficiency and gets more easy baskets in new head coach Jordan Ott‘s offense.
In a separate story, Rankin states that trust was behind Ott’s decision to hire Sean Dwyer as an assistant coach after they worked together at Michigan State.

Texas Notes: Irving, Mavericks’ Arena, Spurs’ Arena, Rockets

August 23rd, 2025 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Appearing on the Mixed Signals podcast (Twitter link), former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban gave credit to an unexpected source for helping to bring Kyrie Irving to the team in a 2023 trade. Cuban said ESPN’s Shams Charania, who was with The Athletic at the time, played an important role in making the deal possible.

“He was a big help with us getting Kyrie when we traded for Kyrie,” Cuban said, “and for us extending him when we extended because he had a great relationship with Kyrie’s agent.”

Teams were reluctant to trade for Irving at the time due to his contract and his troubled reputation in Brooklyn. But he became a star again after coming to Dallas and helped the Mavs reach the 2024 NBA Finals. He’s currently recovering from a torn ACL with hopes of returning at some point this season.

Charania broke the news of Irving’s trade to Dallas, and Cuban stated that they often exchanged valuable information.

“The flip side of it was, he would help educate me about other things happening around the league,” Cuban added. “So, we had a great relationship. He knew when not to ask, and I knew when not to ask about other teams because he wouldn’t tell me. But there were certain things he would tell me as it related to players and what their interests were.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The City of Dallas hired a commercial real estate investment and development company to find a site for the Mavericks to build a new arena, according to Everton Bailey Jr. and Nick Wooten of The Dallas Morning News. The team’s lease at American Airlines Center will expire in 2031, and the new ownership group has expressed interest in a basketball-first facility.
Spurs managing partner Peter Holt posted a message on NBA.com about a potential $1.3 billion project to build a new arena in downtown San Antonio. The team has pledged to commit $500MM and cover any unforeseen costs, while the city has agreed to provide up to $489MM. City council authorized the project earlier this week, but the final decision will be up to Bexar County voters in November. “This will be a true public-private partnership,” Holt wrote. “The arena will be publicly owned, funded by visitors, and built to revitalize our downtown, create jobs and give future generations a place to celebrate together.”
The Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League affiliate, announced in a press release that they have agreed to a trade with the Iowa Wolves. Austin received the 13th pick in this year’s draft in exchange for the returning player rights of Luke Avdalovic, Justin Smith, a second-round pick in 2026 and a 2026 international draft selection.
Rockets fans are very optimistic about the upcoming season, with nearly two-thirds expecting at least a spot in the Western Conference Finals, Kelly Iko of The Athletic states in sharing the results of a survey that attracted more than 700 responses. The trade for Kevin Durant drew an almost unanimously positive reaction, with 50.1% cautiously optimistic and 47% extremely excited.

Franz Wagner, Dennis Schröder Lead Germany’s EuroBasket Roster

August 23rd, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Germany has finalized its 12-man roster for EuroBasket, highlighted by Magic star Franz Wagner and new Kings guard Dennis Schröder, writes Pijus Sapetka of BasketNews.

The Germans also feature Wagner’s Orlando teammate, Tristan Da Silva, and a couple of former NBA big men in Daniel Theis and Isaac Bonga. Making up the rest of the roster are Oscar Da Silva, Justus Hollatz, Leon Kratzer, Maodo Lo, Andreas Obst, Johannes Thiemann and Johannes Voigtmann.

Germany has several significant absences due to injuries. Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein will miss the tournament because of an Achilles tendon issue, while Magic big man Moritz Wagner continues to recover from a torn ACL in his left knee that he suffered in December.

In addition, Real Madrid refused to sign a release for guard David Kramer to participate after he suffered a muscle injury, according to Eurohoops. Kramer averaged 15.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game during the EuroBasket Qualifiers.

“This is a bitter blow for us,” German coach Alex Mumbru said. “David was planned to be an important part of our team. We now have to compensate for his absence as best we can. Of course, I’m also very sorry for him personally; David would have deserved to be there.”

The Germans have become one of international basketball’s top teams in recent years, winning a gold medal in the 2023 World Cup. Four years ago, they finished third in EuroBasket, which they hosted, and they came in fourth at the 2024 Olympics.

Schröder has been a member of the senior national team since 2014 and was named to the All-Star Five Team at last year’s Olympics. Wagner was a second-team all-tournament choice at both the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics.

Germany has been placed in Group B for EuroBasket, along with Lithuania, Great Britain, Sweden, Montenegro and Finland. Group play will start Wednesday, and all games will be held in Tampere, Finland.

Rockets’ GM Says Bucks Weren’t Willing To Discuss Major Deal

August 23rd, 2025 at 7:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the target of trade speculation ever since the Bucks were ousted in the first round of the playoffs, but a rival general manager indicated that Milwaukee hasn’t been willing to discuss deals involving the two-time MVP.

Appearing Friday on ESPN Radio’s Houston affiliate (YouTube link, hat tip to Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire), Rockets GM Rafael Stone said he wasn’t able to make any headway on a major deal with the Bucks. League rules preclude Stone from commenting on specific players, but he responded to a question from the hosts about “the big man from Greece in Milwaukee.”

“I deal well with (Bucks general manager) Jon Horst, I really like him,” Stone said. “Jon was very clear that they weren’t doing anything. So that was that.”

Numerous stories have indicated that the Bucks don’t plan to pursue an Antetokounmpo trade unless he requests one. There have been multiple reports this summer that Antetokounmpo is still assessing his future in Milwaukee to determine if he can win a title there, but he hasn’t made any public comments to indicate that he wants out.

Antetokounmpo is currently focused on representing Greece in EuroBasket, which ends a couple weeks before the start of NBA training camps, so it’s probably too late in the offseason for him to ask for a trade. His current contract runs through the 2026/27 season, and he holds a $62.8MM player option for the following year.

Horst has been aggressively maneuvering to keep the Bucks in title contention in an effort to convince Antetokounmpo to stay. With Damian Lillard lost for next season with an Achilles tear, Horst waived and stretched the $112.6MM that Lillard had left on his contract for the next two years, creating enough cap space to sign center Myles Turner away from Indiana.

Horst also added Gary Harris, Jericho Sims and Cole Anthony through free agency and re-signed free agents Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins and Taurean Prince.

Atlantic Notes: Mann, McCain, Yabusele, Beasley, Raptors

August 23rd, 2025 at 6:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

After spending the first five-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career with the Clippers, Terance Mann was ready for a change when he was dealt to the Hawks at last season’s trade deadline, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Even though his stay in Atlanta only lasted a few months, Mann believes it was good for his career.

“I was super excited to be traded the first time, I kind of felt like my time in L.A. was up and it was time for me to get out of there,” he said. “I did six seasons there as a second-round pick and a lot of guys don’t get to do that so, I really felt excited to get traded to the East Coast and to an organization like Atlanta. The coaching staff was great and we had a good time.”

Mann was productive during his 30 games with the Hawks, averaging 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 22.7 minutes per night while shooting 54.1% from the field and 38.6% from three-point range. However, Atlanta was willing to part with him this summer for the chance to land Kristaps Porzingis, and he was shipped to the Nets in a three-team deal.

“It didn’t come as a surprise to me,” Mann said of the trade. “It’s going to be crazy to play in an environment like that, something new. I’m one of the oldest guys on the team, want to be a leader, show those guys what it takes to win. I’ve been with those guys a ton (this summer) and they’re super hungry, willing to learn basketball. It’s going to be fun. I’m excited for the challenge and I feel like I was built for this. I’m in my prime right now and ready to show the world what I’ve really got outside this role I’ve been playing for the last six seasons.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Sixers guard Jared McCain tells Declan Harris of Sports Illustrated that he lost a close friend and mentor when Guerschon Yabusele signed with the Knicks in free agency. Yabusele helped McCain deal with a difficult rookie season that was cut short by a torn meniscus in December. “Man, I’m gonna miss him, that’s one of the best people I’ve ever been around,” McCain said. “I could go to him for anything; a lot of my teammates are like that, but him, I gravitated to a lot. He was just super nice, just a good person and fun to play with, also another great energy person, so I’m sad to see him go.”
A league source confirms to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post that the Knicks have interest in Malik Beasley now that he’s no longer a target of a federal gambling investigation (Twitter link). However, New York can only offer a veteran’s minimum contract, and Beasley may have more lucrative options elsewhere.
The Raptors‘ G League affiliate traded its first-round pick in this year’s draft to the College Park Skyhawks in exchange for the returning player rights to Jarkel Joiner, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).

Eight Under-The-Radar Free Agents To Watch

August 23rd, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

There are still several free agents who will sign contracts that include fully guaranteed 2025/26 salaries - Dru Smith was the most recent to do so - but many of the deals being finalized in mid-August are of the non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed variety.

Javonte Green recently signed a minimum-salary contract with the Pistons, for example, that carries a partial guarantee of $925K. Meanwhile, Kessler Edwards - who gave the Mavericks good minutes in the second half of last season - settled for a non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Nuggets. Amir Coffey, a solid rotation player for the Clippers in 2024/25, reportedly signed a similar deal with the Bucks, as did Caleb Houstan with the Hawks.

Green, Edwards, Coffey, and Houstan are examples of free agents who flew mostly under the radar this summer before finding new homes on pretty team-friendly deals.

We've spent the past few weeks focusing more on the big-name restricted free agents still on the market - Josh Giddey, Jonathan Kuminga, Quentin Grimes, and Cam Thomas - as well as several notable unsigned veterans, including Al Horford, Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons, and Malcolm Brogdon. Malik Beasley should join that group now that he's no longer the target of a federal gambling investigation.

But beyond those top remaining free agents, there are still a number of quality role players available who are capable of earning roster spots and possibly rotation minutes this fall.

Today, we're highlighting eight of those under-the-radar free agents whose landing spots are worth monitoring ahead of training camps this fall. Let's dive in...

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Community Shootaround: Malik Beasley’s Future

August 23rd, 2025 at 3:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malik Beasley could be considered the top unrestricted free agent on the market now that he is no longer a target of a federal gambling investigation.

Beasley played a major role in Detroit’s return to relevance last season. He was the runner-up in the Sixth Man of the Year voting after knocking down 319 three-pointers during the regular season, second only to Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards (320).

The investigation – and Beasley’s financial issues – came to light at the worst possible time. He was reportedly poised to sign a three-year, $42MM contract with the Pistons but that offered was pulled during the federal probe.

Detroit pivoted from Beasley and acquired Caris LeVert via free agency and Duncan Robinson in a sign-and-trade to serve as the wings on its second unit. The Pistons still hold Beasley’s Non-Bird rights but can only offer him a starting salary of $7.2MM. On paper, the Pistons don’t really have a pressing need to bring back Beasley.

If Detroit doesn’t re-sign him, Beasley will almost certainly have to take less in the marketplace, considering the salary cap challenges that a majority of teams are facing. Beasley might even have to settle for a veteran’s minimum deal and hope for better luck next summer.

The Knicks are one of the teams believed to have interest in Beasley but they could only give him a minimum deal. The Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Warriors and Sixers are some of the other teams with roster openings that might be looking to add another shooter, but all four clubs project to be taxpayers and have limited cap flexibility.

That brings us to today’s topic: Now that Malik Beasley is no longer a target in a federal gambling investigation, where will the unrestricted free agent wind up? Will he re-sign with Detroit or head elsewhere? Which contender would benefit the most from signing Beasley, one of the league’s premier three-point shooters?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Damion Lee Signing With Israeli Team

August 23rd, 2025 at 3:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Free agent Damion Lee is signing with Israel’s Ironi Ness Ziona, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. The team announced the deal in a social media post (Instagram link).

Lee has been in the NBA since 2017. He made 25 appearances with the Suns last season after seeing action in 74 games for Phoenix two seasons earlier. Lee also had a four-season stint with Golden State from 2018-22.

Lee missed all of the 2023/24 campaign due to a knee injury. He re-signed with the Suns on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract last July, but had a very limited role in his return, playing double-digit minutes in just three games last season.

Overall, he has appeared in 315 regular season NBA contests, averaging 7.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 19.6 minutes per contest.

Shawn Kemp Avoids Jail Time In Shooting Incident

August 23rd, 2025 at 1:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former SuperSonics forward and six-time NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp was sentenced to 30 days of electronic home monitoring for shooting at two men inside a vehicle in a Washington state mall parking lot in 2023. He must also serve one year of state Department of Corrections supervision and complete 240 hours of community service, according to The Associated Press.

Kemp entered a guilty plea to a second-degree assault charge in May. At the time, prosecutors recommended a nine-month jail sentence, a year of supervision and pay restitution. However, Judge Michael Schwartz of Pierce County Superior Court found the circumstances surrounding the case warranted a lesser sentence, allowing Kemp to avoid jail time.

Kemp claimed he acted in self-defense and returned fire after one of the men shot at him from inside their Toyota 4Runner vehicle. The defense also claimed that the two men Kemp shot at provoked the shooting by stealing Kemp’s truck, his cellphone and memorabilia in Seattle.

The Toyota 4Runner the men were inside and another vehicle were damaged in the March 2023 shooting, but the men were not hurt.

Kemp’s attorney, W. Scott Boatman, issued a statement from his client to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears (Twitter link) that expressed gratitude regarding the sentence.

“Shawn is extremely grateful that the Court exercised its discretion to not impose any jail time and further based that decision on the fact that Shawn’s actions occurred as a result of a failed attempt of self defense. Shawn is genuinely regretful of certain decisions he made that day and is committed to working with kids to help them understand the potential consequences of not thinking twice or acting impulsively.”

Kemp played in the NBA from 1989-2003.