Doncic, Slovenia Advance In EuroBasket With Win Over Italy
Despite a mild injury scare during the first half of Sunday’s game, Lakers star Luka Doncic led the Slovenian national team to an 84-77 victory over Italy at EuroBasket 2025, securing the country’s spot in the quarterfinals.
After pouring in 22 points in the first quarter, Doncic left the court to get his quad muscle stretched out in the Slovenian locker room, a league source tells Dan Woike of The Athletic. However, he returned to the floor a few minutes later and finished the first half with 30 points, en route to a 42-point, 10-rebound performance.
It was the first time in the tournament that Doncic has scored at least 40 points in a game, but he got close a couple times during the group stage and is now averaging 34.0 points per contest, making him this year’s leading scorer at EuroBasket by a considerable margin. He’s just the third player in the past 30 years to have at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in a EuroBasket game, per Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops, joining Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki (2001) and Spain’s Pau Gasol (2015).
Shooting guard Klemen Prepelic (11 points on 3-of-10 shooting) was the only other Slovenian player to score in double-digits.
Heat forward Simone Fontecchio led the way for the Italians with 22 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Italy was a +11 when Fontecchio was on the court, but was outscored by 18 points during his time on the bench.
Sunday’s game may be longtime NBA forward Danilo Gallinari‘s last for Italy, as he has suggested he plans to retire from the national team after EuroBasket. He had 10 points and three rebounds in 12 minutes of action.
Italy’s head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco also confirmed after Sunday’s loss to Slovenia that he plans to step down from his role with the national team, as Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews.com relays.
“It’s my last game with Italy,” Pozzecco told reporters. “I want to thank my president, Giovanni Petrucci, for giving me this honor to become coach of the national team. From deep of my heart, it’s like… Maybe, for sure, the best moment of my life. It was a real honor to have this role in Italian basketball.”
Three of the EuroBasket quarterfinals have now been set. Turkey will face Poland on Tuesday, while Slovenia matches up with Germany and Finland plays Georgia on Wednesday. Lithuania, which will play on Tuesday, awaits the winner of today’s showdown between Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Greek team and Deni Avdija‘s Israeli squad.
Finding Contract Compromises For Top Three Remaining RFAs
It's September 7 and three of the summer's top restricted free agents remain unsigned. By all accounts, there has been no real movement in weeks for Bulls guard Josh Giddey, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, and Sixers wing Quentin Grimes, but we're still expecting resolution at some point this month, prior to the October 1 deadline for restricted free agents to accept their qualifying offers.
As those standoffs drag on, we're taking a closer look today at what "compromise" contracts might look like for Giddey, Kuminga, and Grimes.
These aren't necessarily the contracts we expect them to eventually sign. There's no guarantee that one side or the other will budge from its current position -- either the team or the player may have to cave sooner or later, rather than the two sides meeting somewhere in the middle. In the case of Nets guard Cam Thomas, for instance, signing his $6MM qualifying offer wasn't a "compromise," but it was how his free agency ultimately concluded.
In our view, the proposals below represent fair resolutions for both the player and team, leaving both sides feeling like they came out of the negotiations with a reasonable outcome.
Let's dive in...
Georgia Surprises France, Poland Ousts Bosnia At EuroBasket
Sunday produced another shocking upset at EuroBasket, as Georgia defeated France to reach the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time ever, writes Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops.
Kamar Baldwin and Tornike Shengelia each scored 24 points and Shengelia added eight rebounds in the 80-70 victory. Orlando center Goga Bitadze also chipped in eight points. The French team got 14 points from Sylvain Francisco and 12 from Guerschon Yabusele.
“We said from the pregame meeting that we are playing to win,” Shengelia said. “We are happy to be here, but we are not satisfied.”
Next up for Georgia is a meeting on Wednesday with Finland, who took down Serbia on Saturday. Loaded with NBA talent, the French and Serbian teams were expected to be top contenders for the gold medal.
“We missed sometimes some easy shots,” French coach Frederic Fauthoux said after watching his team shoot 35% from the field, “so this is basketball.”
France was undersized with Vincent Poirier having to withdraw just before the start of the tournament due to right knee issues and Victor Wembanyama, Mathias Lessort and Rudy Gobert also unavailable. However, Georgia’s Sandro Mamukelashvili told reporters after the game that it wouldn’t have mattered if France was at full strength, per Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews.
“I wish them nothing but the best, but right now I can text Victor Wembanyama and tell him we just beat France,” the former Spurs center said, “and it’s too bad he was not here because we would beat them with him too.”
Poland kicked off Sunday’s elimination games with a 90-82 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milanti adds in a separate story. Former NBA guard Jordan Loyd led the way with 28 points, and Mateusz Ponitka contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Poland will face unbeaten Turkey on Tuesday in a quarterfinals matchup.
Celtics Notes: White, Walsh, Tatum, Simons, Luis
After achieving his dream of playing for a championship team in 2024, Celtics guard Derrick White never expected it to be torn apart so quickly. Second apron limitations and luxury tax concerns, combined with Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury, caused the organization to make several cost-cutting moves this summer. Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday were both traded, while Luke Kornet left in free agency and Al Horford figures to do so too.
White talked about the changes this week in an interview with Liam McKeone of Sports Illustrated.
“That is the tough part about the business,” he said. “But it is a business at the end of the day. Jrue, KP, Luke, all of them, it was definitely tough to see them leave. You wish we could play with them forever, but this is kind of the way it is. I always wish them the best. There will be a lot of fun when we see them again. and I’m just excited to play with the people we do have.”
White is expected to take on a larger leadership role as he enters his fourth full season in Boston, and he may have to provide more scoring as well. He averaged a career-high 16.4 PPG last season while still earning votes for Defensive Player of the Year honors.
“I’m excited,” he said. “It’s obviously a different year than last year, but I think we have the same expectations and standards. So I’ve been attacking this offseason as, ‘I gotta get better.’ It’s been really fun trying to get in the gym and improve on things that I need to work on. When we get back to Boston, it’ll be a lot of fun.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Jordan Walsh is the latest person inside the organization to rave about the progress Tatum has made in his recovery, per Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston. During a recent appearance on the Celtics Talk Podcast, the third-year forward indicated that Tatum is well ahead of expectations. “We’ve seen him so often,” Walsh said. “I’ve seen him from when he messed up his Achilles to now, and it’s a big difference. He’s moving around way better. So he’s progressing well. I’m definitely happy to see him getting back healthy.”
- Anfernee Simons‘ $27.7MM contract provides the Celtics with their best chance to trade for a starting center, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. He notes that Boston has been accumulating traded player exceptions, but they won’t become useful until next offseason if the team plans to move below the tax threshold. Assuming the current roster remains intact, Robb expects Neemias Queta to get the first shot at the starting job, but adds that Chris Boucher and Luka Garza are both offensive threats who fit well into coach Joe Mazzulla‘s system.
- RJ Luis was recently honored by Ecuador president Daniel Noboa for becoming the nation’s first NBA player, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. The rookie swingman, whose mother was born in Ecuador, was acquired from Utah in a trade last month after he signed a two-way contract with the Jazz.
Jordan Clarkson Explains Why He Signed With Knicks
Joining the Knicks was an easy decision for Jordan Clarkson after he reached a buyout agreement with Utah in early July, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The veteran guard explained the process during a taping of “The Roommates” podcast Saturday night with new teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.
Clarkson said he was at the Wimbledon tennis tournament when his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, called to ask where he wanted to go. Clarkson picked New York, and Paul contacted the team to see if there was mutual interest.
“It all happened in two minutes,” Clarkson said. “Then I was a Knick.”
Heading into his 12th NBA season, Clarkson is joining an organization that gives him his best shot at winning a title. The Knicks are coming off an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals and are considered by many to be the favorites in the East this season.
Clarkson said the passion of New York fans also played a major role in his decision.
“The arena (Madison Square Garden), honestly,” he said. “Feeling the energy from the fans. Knowing they’re going to let you have it if you’re playing like s–t. But when you’re playing great, it’s all love. At the end of the day, I just want to feel the energy. Get to play with y’all (Brunson and Hart).”
Brunson indicated that he and Clarkson have discussed teaming up in the past, telling the crowd at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, “I’m not going to say when, but me and Jordan talked about this a while ago.”
Clarkson only appeared in 37 games last season with the Jazz, but he was still productive when he was on the court, averaging 16.2 PPG in 26 minutes per night while shooting 40.8% from the field and 36.2% from three-point range.
He’s a former Sixth Man of the Year, earning that honor with Utah during the 2020/21 season, and the Knicks will be counting on him to provide instant offense off the bench. Bondy points out that at age 33, Clarkson will be the oldest player in New York’s projected rotation.
“Y’all been doing great things over here,” he told Brunson and Hart. “I just want to come in here and enhance what y’all got going on.”
Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard Inducted Into Hall Of Fame
Former NBA greats Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard headlined a stellar class that was officially welcomed into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday night, writes Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press.
Anthony, who ranks 12th in career scoring with 28,289 points, played for six teams in 19 NBA seasons. The 10-time All-Star was serenaded with “Melo!” chants as he walked to the podium to deliver his induction speech and teared up as he addressed the crowd.
“Tonight I just don’t step into the Hall of Fame, I carry the echoes of every voice that ever told me I couldn’t,” Anthony said. … “I had to build a new road. I had to write a new ending.”
“I never got an NBA ring,” he later added. “… But I know what I gave to the game.”
Howard was one of the league’s most dominant big men during his 18-year career, which saw him spend time with seven teams. He paid tribute to other historically great centers, mentioning Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Dikembe Mutombo, and referenced his long-running “Superman feud” with Shaquille O’Neal.
The eight-time All-Star wrapped up his speech with a message for his children, telling them, “You only die once, but you live every day.”
Anthony and Howard were also inducted as members of the “Redeem Team,” which reclaimed the gold medal for the U.S. at the 2008 Olympics after Team USA for the bronze in 2004. All the members of that team were present at the ceremony, except for Kobe Bryant, who died in 2020. Anthony and Howard joined Bryant, Jason Kidd, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as double enshrinees.
Also inducted on Saturday were former WNBA players Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, Bulls coach Billy Donovan, Heat managing general partner Micky Arison and longtime referee Danny Crawford. Arison delivered one of the night’s funniest lines, referencing LeBron James‘ prediction when he teamed up with Bosh and Wade in Miami.
“In 2010, with Dwyane, LeBron and Chris Bosh we knew we could win,” Arison said. “Not one, not two … I guess it was just two.”
EuroBasket Notes: Wagner, Doncic, Larkin, Serbia
Germany advanced to the EuroBasket quarterfinals earlier today by beating Portugal, but the experience is somewhat bittersweet for Franz Wagner because his brother isn’t involved, writes Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews. Moritz Wagner, normally a regular part of the German national team, is still recovering from an ACL tear in his left knee that he suffered in December.
“He’s now doing some media stuff, I think, for German television as well,” Franz said. “So he’s watching all the games for sure. And obviously, we talk to him a bunch, so I know that he would love to be here.”
Moritz has been representing Germany for more than a decade, dating back to under-18 tournaments. He was part of the 2023 squad that went undefeated while capturing the gold medal at the World Cup, and he earned MVP honors in the qualifying tournament for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Franz, who led the team with 16 points in the win over Portugal, said his brother has been offering encouraging words from the sidelines.
“Just have fun, go out there and enjoy the game,” he said. “Obviously, there’s pressure and all this stuff involved, but at the end of the day, we’re playing the game.”
There’s more from EuroBasket:
- After posting a triple-double last Sunday against Belgium, Luka Doncic narrowly missed another one in Thursday’s win over Israel, according to Eurohoops. The Slovenian star, who finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, said he and his teammates are confident about their medal chances. “We’re hoping for the medal. We think we can win a medal,” he said. “I know a lot of others don’t, but we believe in us. Everybody that’s here, we all believe, everyone in everyone.”
- Shane Larkin, who became a star in Turkey after a brief NBA career, wants to pay back the country by winning a medal, per Samih Tuna of Eurohoops. “If I’m part of the team that went out there and did something special, bring a medal back home to Turkiye, it would mean everything to me,” Larkin said.
- Serbian head coach Svetislav Pesic blamed a lack of physicality for today’s upset loss to Finland, BasketNews relays. Finland collected 20 offensive rebounds, resulting in numerous second-chance points. “We can look for excuses, but the reality is that you need to be in better physical shape at a tournament like this,” Pesic said. “We weren’t. Several players played through injuries. We also had a virus in the team — an illness. Nikola Jovic didn’t practice. Those things are not excuses, but when you play against a team like this, at a tournament like this, you need to be physically stronger. You can’t say the players didn’t give what they could — you can always give more, but it just didn’t happen.”
Grizzlies Sign Lawson Lovering, Tyler Burton To Camp Deals
The Grizzlies have announced (via Twitter) the signings of center Lawson Lovering and forward Tyler Burton. No details were provided on the contracts, but they’re likely Exhibit 10 deals for G League purposes.
Lovering, whose expected signing was first reported in late July, went undrafted after playing three years at Colorado and the past two seasons at Utah. He appeared in seven combined games with Memphis’ Summer League team in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, averaging 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.9 minutes while making 62.5% of his field goal attempts.
Burton spent last season with the G League’s Memphis Hustle, appearing in eight games and averaging 2.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12 minutes per night. He played three years at Richmond and two years at Villanova before going undrafted in 2024.
The Grizzlies have 15 players with guaranteed contracts, and all three of their two-way slots are filled with this week’s addition of Olivier-Maxence Prosper. Today’s signings bring their roster to 20 players, one short of the offseason maximum.
Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into two-way deals prior to the NBA’s regular season. A player who signs an Exhibit 10 contract also becomes eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.
Lovering would qualify as an affiliate player for Memphis, while Burton would be a returning-rights player.
Heat Notes: Arison, Training Camp, Jakucionis, Highsmith
In advance of tonight’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Micky Arison participated in Friday’s media session and spoke about his memories from three decades as majority owner of the Heat, per Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Under Arison, who was elected in his first year as a finalist, Miami has made seven trips to the NBA Finals and captured three titles.
“I would just say I’m appreciative. It is an honor… It was never a goal,” he said of the Hall of Fame selection. “Our goal was to win championships. Was fortunate enough to win three. Our goal was to create a fantastic atmosphere in Miami. Most great NBA players, coaches it’s a goal for them. It’s never been a goal for me. Despite that, I’m extremely appreciative.”
Hall of Fame weekend marks a rare moment in the spotlight for Arison, as Jackson and Chiang note that he hasn’t spoken with beat reporters since 2013 and declined interview requests regarding his election. As his presenters, he chose Heat president Pat Riley and franchise legends Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade.
“They were three key elements to our history for 30 years,” Arison said. “Pat was with me almost from the very beginning. Zo (was acquired) the first year. From there the culture was created. Dwyane Wade helped take it to the top. Obviously the greatest player in Heat history; (he has) a statue on the top steps (of Kaseya Center). I’m glad those three will be with me.”
There’s more on the Heat:
- Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel (subscription required) previews several battles to watch when training camp opens later this month, including Kel’el Ware vs. Nikola Jovic for a potential starting spot and Tyler Herro vs. Davion Mitchell to be the crunch-time point guard. Winderman expects Andrew Wiggins and newly acquired Norman Powell to both be in the starting lineup, but coach Erik Spoelstra‘s decision on how to use them could factor into their long-term future with the team. Powell has an expiring contract, and Wiggins holds a player option for next season.
- The fate of Kasparas Jakucionis is also worth keeping an eye on, Winderman adds. The first-round pick struggled during Summer League games and seemed like he might need some time in the G League, but Winderman suggests he may be able to avoid that fate with a strong showing in camp and the preseason.
- Haywood Highsmith, who was traded to the Nets last month, recently offered a heartfelt farewell to the Heat organization and fans on his Instagram account. “You gave an undrafted kid from Baltimore a chance and I’m forever grateful for the journey, challenges, and growth I’ve experienced here,” he wrote. “Miami will always have a special place in my heart.”
Finland Shocks Serbia; Lithuania Also Reaches EuroBasket Quarterfinals
Finland pulled off one of the biggest international upsets in recent years, surprising Serbia on Saturday in a EuroBasket elimination game, writes Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews. Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen led the way for the Finnish team with 29 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals in the 92-86 victory.
“Unreal,” Markkanen said. “Great performance by the team. We needed every single one of them tonight — everybody in the stands, the staff, the players. Big credit to them. We’re not done yet, but we’re gonna enjoy this. Obviously, that’s a heck of a team we just beat, and now we move forward.”
Led by perennial MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and with six other current and former NBA players on its roster, Serbia was considered among the favorites for the EuroBasket title when the tournament began. But its prospects took a major hit when Bogdan Bogdanovic suffered a ruptured hamstring muscle last week that forced him out of the competition.
Serbia cruised to victories in its first four games behind dominant performances from Jokic. However, they dropped to second in Group A after Wednesday’s loss to Turkey and didn’t respond well in the knockout round.
Jokic delivered 33 points and eight rebounds on Saturday, but Serbia didn’t offer much other scoring punch outside of Nikola Jovic‘s 20 points. Despite his many career accomplishments, Jokic has never medaled at EuroBasket.
Up next for Finland will be the winner of Sunday’s game between France and Georgia.
Lithuania also advanced to the quarterfinals on Saturday with an 88-79 victory over Latvia, joining Turkey and Germany, who won earlier in the day.
With Rokas Jokubaitis sidelined by a serious knee injury, Arnas Velicka starred for the Lithuanians with 21 points, 12 assists and five rebounds, while Azuolas Tubelis contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds and Deividas Sirvydis added 18 points.
Latvia was eliminated despite a stellar performance from Hawks big man Kristaps Porzingis, who finished with 34 points and 19 rebounds before fouling out late in the game. Porzingis told reporters that he has mostly recovered from the illness that sapped his strength last season with Boston, according to BasketNews.
“It’s true that there were still some days when I wasn’t feeling perfect, and I’m still working my way back to having my gas tank full,” he said. “But as the tournament went on, I started to feel really good physically, and I knew I could push my body, I could push myself to go. Today was an example of that. It’s just up from now. Overall, a great summer with my Latvian teammates, being back home, enjoying time with family. And yeah, I would have liked to finish on a more beautiful note.”
Lithuania’s quarterfinals opponent will be the winner of Sunday’s Greece-Israel matchup.