Trail Blazers To Sign Duop Reath
Free agent center Duop Reath will sign a one-year contract with the Trail Blazers, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Reath will likely receive a minimum salary, and there’s no indication if the deal includes any guaranteed money.
The 27-year-old played for Portland’s Summer League team, averaging 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in five games, and started for Australia during the World Cup. He has played overseas since going undrafted out of LSU in 2018, spending time in Serbia, Australia and China.
The 6’11” Reath will be just the fourth Blazers player 27 or older, joining Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic and Jerami Grant, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Portland had the NBA’s youngest roster prior to adding Reath.
The signing will bring the Blazers to the offseason limit of 21 players following the weekend agreements with Kevin Knox and George Conditt IV. However, several of the team’s reported deals aren’t yet official.
World Cup Notes: F. Wagner, Schröder, Top Players, Banchi
Germany’s Franz Wagner was thrilled not only to win a gold medal at the World Cup, but to be able to accomplish the feat while playing alongside his brother, writes Cesare Milanti of EuroHoops. Franz and Moritz Wagner are also teammates on the Magic, but their undefeated run through the World Cup field is the highlight of their careers.
“It’s special,” Franz Wagner said after Sunday’s win over Serbia. “Special to have our parents here too. This is so surreal, it doesn’t make sense that we are both on this team and we can enjoy it.”
Wagner appears to be fully recovered from a sprained ankle he suffered in Germany’s opening game. Although he missed the rest of pool play, he was back for the knockout round, scoring 22 points and grabbing five rebounds in a semifinal win over Team USA, then posting 19 points and seven rebounds in the gold medal contest.
“There were so many moments this year in so many games that the other team made a run, this game, the game before against the States,” he added. “We never let it slip, we just kept playing and kept staying together. That made a huge difference in all these games.”
There’s more from the World Cup:
- Tournament MVP Dennis Schröder hopes Germany’s success will lead to more exposure for basketball in his home country, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. The German team has become more successful in international competitions, but the games aren’t widely available to the public. “We first thought the tournament was going to be on the TV. Only the final was on the TV,” Schröder said. “Basketball is a great sport and I hope we can get our respect for what we are doing the last two years. I wish that every single game is on TV. Ten years ago when I started, we had Dirk Nowitzki but nobody knew who were the other guys on the team. Now we go to Japan and the Philippines and they know us. We hope to get this respect also in our country and get recognized.”
- Schröder was a first-team selection by Brian Windhorst of ESPN on his list of the best players at the World Cup. Joining him on the first team are Team USA’s Anthony Edwards, Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Slovenina’s Luka Doncic and Serbia’s Bogdan Bogdanovic. Making up Windhorst’s second team are the USA’s Mikal Bridges, Australia’s Josh Giddey, South Sudan’s Carlik Jones, Serbia’s Nikola Milutinov and the Dominican Republic’s Karl-Anthony Towns.
- Luca Banchi was honored as the tournament’s best coach after leading Latvia to a fifth-place finish in its first-ever World Cup.
LeBron James Recruiting NBA Stars For 2024 Olympics
LeBron James wants to play in the 2024 Olympics and has started recruiting other veteran stars to join him, multiple sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.
James reached out to Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum and Draymond Green, who are all planning to be part of the team next summer in Paris, Charania adds. Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, De’Aaron Fox and Kyrie Irving are also interested in participating, according to Charania’s sources.
Team USA is coming off a fourth-place finish at the World Cup, but Charania reports that James’ team-building efforts started well before that tournament and aren’t related to the disappointing result. Charania points out that although the U.S. has failed to medal in the last two World Cups, it has won four straight Olympic golds and James wants to see that streak continue.
James was part of gold medal teams in 2008 and 2012, but he hasn’t played in the Olympics since then. He will be 39 in December, and sources tell Charania that he and Durant, who will turn 35 later this month, are viewing the 2024 Games as their “last dance” with USA Basketball.
They have both talked to Curry, who will be 36 next summer, about forming the core of the U.S. team, Charania adds. Curry has never played in the Olympics, but he has two World Cup gold medals.
Charania states that USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill refused to comment on the reported interest from James and other stars, but he is aware of it.
NBA Teams Expressing Interest In Arturs Zagars
Latvia’s Arturs Zagars is generating NBA interest after his standout performance in the World Cup, sources tell Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.
The 23-year-old guard led Latvia to a fifth-place finish in its first-ever World Cup appearance and set a tournament record with 17 assists in the team’s final game against Lithuania. Zagars averaged 12.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 25 minutes per game as Latvia defeated established powers such as France, Spain and Brazil.
That showing will increase the opportunities for Zagars, who is a free agent after spending last season with Nevėžis Kėdainiai in the Lithuanian Basketball League. Urbonas states that BC Wolves Vilnius of Lithuania had interest in signing Zagars before the World Cup began, but now it has competition from several top EuroLeague clubs. Some NBA teams are also considering a two-way contract for Zagars, according to Urbonas’ sources.
“I think it’s a fair shot. It’s all about timing, chance and opportunity,” Latvian teammate Davis Bertans said about Zagars’ NBA prospects. “Everything can happen if you end up at the right place at the right time. He has all the tools to do it. He’s relentless, as you can see. They’re putting their best defender on him every single night, and he still delivers for us.”
At 6’3″, Zagars is capable of handling either backcourt position, but he’s primarily used as a point guard. Urbonas notes that he plays with a swagger and is willing to take control of the offense, either by scoring or creating opportunities for teammates. He got a taste of NBA basketball while playing for the Wizards during the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League.
Zagars has played professionally in Europe since 2017, but his progress has been slowed by injuries, including a torn ligament in his ankle that required surgery in 2019. He withdrew from that year’s NBA draft, joining teams in Estonia and Germany before landing in Lithuania. He was hurt again late last season and wasn’t considered definite to play in the World Cup until coach Luca Banchi got to see him in person.
“Only in the training camp I understood that his body was responding well,” Banchi said. “Before, there were question marks, but the guy worked seriously during the summer and probably achieved so much that he couldn’t even predict himself.”
Germany Wins Gold Medal, USA Fourth At World Cup
Germany wrapped up an undefeated World Cup by topping Serbia, 83-77, in Sunday’s gold medal game. Team USA, which had been favored to win the gold, left without a medal after falling to Canada in an overtime thriller in the bronze medal contest.
Dennis Schröder led the Germans with 28 points in the finals and Franz Wagner added 19. Germany was able to take down all challengers in the tournament despite playing much of it without Wagner, who suffered a sprained ankle in the opener against Japan.
Schröder was named World Cup MVP (Twitter link) and was joined on the All-Star 5 by Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, USA’s Anthony Edwards, Serbia’s Bogdan Bogdanovic and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic (Twitter link).
Canada’s victory was noteworthy as it marked the nation’s first-ever medal in World Cup competition and only its second win against the U.S. in a senior men’s tournament. The Canadians were led by 31 points and 12 assists from Gilgeous-Alexander and 39 points from Dillon Brooks, who continues to rebuild his reputation following a playoff embarrassment and an unpleasant separation with the Grizzlies in free agency.
“It was so enjoyable. Obviously the hate doesn’t stop, it keeps going,” Brooks told reporters, including Brian Windhorst of ESPN. “It’s hard to battle against the world and a team.”
Before earning their medals, the Canadians had to survive a miracle finish from Team USA that sent the game to overtime. Trailing by four points with 4.2 seconds remaining, Mikal Bridges hit his first free throw and purposely missed the second before chasing down the rebound in the right corner and hitting a spinning three-pointer with 0.6 left on the clock. Bridges, who scored 19 points and battled Gilgeous-Alexander on defense, may be one of the members of the World Cup roster with a strong chance of returning for the Olympics.
However, Canada controlled play in the overtime to capture a 127-118 victory that sent the U.S. home without a medal for the second straight World Cup. The Americans dropped three of their last four games as defense and rebounding became persistent issues.
“We just didn’t defend well enough against Germany (in the semifinals) or against Canada, and that’s the bottom line,” coach Steve Kerr said. “Every year when you try to build a team, you try to build the best two-way team you can and be able to get stops and score, and everybody’s trying to do that.”
Windhorst points out that the Americans have now lost seven combined games over their last three major tournaments, creating a wide open race for the gold at the Paris Olympics next summer. The U.S. may have to reconsider the type of players it wants to invite, although Kerr said USA Basketball officials felt good about the World Cup roster they put together.
“We’ve really studied everything about FIBA and the history of United States basketball when we’ve won, what has been the reason and when we’ve lost what has been the reason,” Kerr said. “So we study all that stuff, and what it comes down to for us in this tournament, we put ourselves in a great position. We got to the semifinals and were right there.”
Heat Notes: Lillard, Starters, Wood, Rebounding
The Heat don’t have any reason to increase their offer for Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard unless they’re determined to have him when training camp opens, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes in a mailbag column. No other team has made a significant offer for Lillard, Chiang notes, so Miami would essentially be bidding against itself by giving more assets to Portland.
Chiang adds that the first step would be for the Heat and Blazers to resume trade discussions, which have been dormant for several weeks. Sources around the league tell Chiang that they expect the teams to start talking again some time before they both open camp in early October.
Chiang also speculates that things might get “messier” in Portland if Lillard is still on the roster at the start of camp, which would mark three months after he submitted his trade request. It’s not ideal for the Heat to start preparing for a new season amid so much uncertainty, so the time pressure could renew both teams’ interest in getting a trade completed.
There’s more from Miami:
- Without a trade, the Heat’s most likely starting lineup appears to be Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love and Bam Adebayo, Chiang adds in the same piece. Butler and Adebayo are the only full-time starters returning from a team that just reached the NBA Finals a few months ago, although Herro was sidelined with an injury and Lowry and Love both have extensive starting experience. Chiang speculates that Caleb Martin could take Love’s place on occasions when Miami wants to use a smaller starting five, and Herro could be used as a makeshift point guard with Josh Richardson starting alongside him in the backcourt.
- The Heat were mentioned as a possible destination for Christian Wood before he signed with the Lakers this week, but Miami isn’t in position to make complementary roster moves until it knows what’s going to happen with Lillard, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Wood reportedly had been watching the trade requests involving Lillard and James Harden to see if a situation might open up that would offer him regular playing time, but he decided not to wait any longer to find his next team.
- Erik Spoelstra’s experience as an assistant coach with Team USA during the World Cup provided him with another example of the need for size on the front line, Winderman adds. The Americans were routinely outrebounded by larger opponents, just as Miami was in losing to the Nuggets in the NBA Finals. The Heat finished 27th in the league in rebounding last season, which may affect Spoelstra’s decision on whom to start at power forward.
Community Shootaround: 2024 U.S. Olympic Roster
Two losses this week in World Cup competition offered another reminder that USA Basketball isn’t as far ahead of the rest of the world as it used to be.
The Americans couldn’t overcome a huge early deficit on Sunday against Lithuania as bigger and stronger opponents continue to cause problems for the U.S. team. After blowing out Italy on Tuesday in the start of the elimination round, the same issues emerged on Friday against Germany, which held on for a two-point victory that sent Team USA into the bronze-medal game.
It might be easy to dismiss the losses as a result of not having its best players participating, but that’s true for a lot of nations with the Olympics looming in 2024. Only two All-NBA players took part in the World Cup — Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — and neither represented the U.S.
The stakes will be much higher in Paris next summer, as Olympic gold medals are considered the greatest prize in international basketball. Few of the 12 players who made up the World Cup team may get Olympic invitations, as the USA will have its traditional collection of All-Stars to pick from. But with opening ceremonies only about 10 months away, it’s not too early to think about who should be there.
With Steve Kerr serving as head coach, Warriors star Stephen Curry will be an obvious target. Curry hasn’t played in an international tournament since the FIBA World Championship in 2010, but the NBA’s best-ever three-point shooter would be a perfect weapon in the international game.
Kerr may also push for Klay Thompson, who’s also a deadly shooter but hasn’t been as effective since missing two full seasons with injuries. Draymond Green, who was part of the gold medal winners in the last Olympics, provides versatility and aggressive defense in the frontcourt, but he’ll turn 34 next year.
Age is an issue for several traditional USA Basketball standouts. LeBron James will turn 39 in December, and although he still plays at a high level, it may be tough for him to commit to an Olympic schedule if the Lakers make another long playoff run. The same goes for Kevin Durant, the leading scorer for the 2021 gold medalists, who will celebrate his 35th birthday this month.
Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard and Bam Adebayo are the most obvious candidates to return from the last Olympic team, and Zach LaVine and Jrue Holiday should get consideration as well. That provides plenty of wing scoring, but leaves the U.S. at risk of being undersized.
Joel Embiid would solve the center problem if he commits to the U.S., but he also has French citizenship and France may be aggressive in its pursuit after failing to advance past pool play at the World Cup. Anthony Davis might be the best option if the U.S. can’t land Embiid.
Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton and Austin Reaves have all impressed in World Cup play and may be asked back for the Olympics. Jimmy Butler, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Julius Randle, Paul George and Ja Morant are current All-Stars who might receive consideration, along with anyone who has a breakout performance in the upcoming season.
We want to get your opinion. If you were putting together USA Basketball’s Olympic roster for 2024, who would make up the core of your team? Please leave your answer in the space below.
World Cup Notes: USA-Canada Rivalry, Valanciunas, Latvia
They both fell short of the gold medal game, but Sunday’s meeting between Team USA and Canada could be the beginning of a significant rivalry in international basketball, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. The teams will face off for third place as the Canadians hope to win their first-ever World Cup medal and their first in any tournament since the 1936 Olympics.
Both countries have rosters filled with NBA talent, and both had successful runs in the World Cup before slipping in Friday’s semifinals. The U.S. lost to Germany by two points, and Canada fell to Serbia by nine.
“They haven’t won a medal since the 1930s, so they’re coming for us,” Tyrese Haliburton said. “I think both of our countries will expect to see each other for the coming years. So it seems like this is kind of the start.”
Familiarity is part of the storyline as players bring their NBA rivalries into international competition. There are even some ex-teammates involved as Jaren Jackson Jr. will face Dillon Brooks for the first time since Brooks left the Grizzlies in free agency to sign with the Rockets.
“I hope Dillon does talk trash,” Jackson said. “Otherwise it wouldn’t be him. It wouldn’t be real.”
There’s more on the World Cup:
- Following an All-NBA season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the biggest stars of the tournament, notes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. The Canadian guard is sixth overall in World Cup scoring at 23.6 PPG and he’s number one in terms of scoring efficiency. “It’s the change of pace, yeah,” Thunder and Canadian teammate Luguentz Dort said. “Also, it’s the way he explodes, the way he can get off the defender to rise for his shot. The way that he handles the ball, the way that he creates for himself. There’s so much more.”
- Jonas Valanciunas has represented Lithuania in every major tournament since 2011 and he’s not ready to think about stopping, per George Efkarpidis of Eurohoops. The 31-year-old center considers it an important part of his basketball responsibilities. “I feel proud playing for my country,” Valanciunas said. “That is what I can give for my country. This is how I can put my country on the map. I am going to keep doing that (as long as) my body lets me and the team needs me.”
- Latvia wrapped up the No. 5 spot in its first-ever World Cup, defeating Lithuania by 35 points on Saturday. It’s an impressive statement from a team that played without Kristaps Porzingis, who sat out the tournament to recover from plantar fasciitis, and lost captain Dairis Bertans to an injury, observes Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.
And-Ones: Seattle, Carlesimo, Germany, Bone, Von Nieda
P.J. Carlesimo, the last coach the SuperSonics had before moving to Oklahoma City, is confident that the NBA will return to Seattle soon, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Carlesimo still lives in Seattle, which is considered among the favorites to land a team in the next round of NBA expansion. However, the league doesn’t have any immediate plans to expand, and it’s not expected to happen until after the next television package is in place.
“I have no inside info, but I’m very, very confident. Have been for a long time, but more so now than ever that we will get a team,” Carlesimo said. “I think there’s a very good chance and a better chance that it’s expansion than (a team) moving. Either way we’re going to be on top of the list. The building, now called Climate Pledge (Arena), is ready to go.”
It’s been 15 years since the Sonics left town, but Carlesimo said they’re still a prominent topic of conversation among city residents. He believes the new team will have a solid fan base waiting whenever it returns.
“I just think for so many years it was a great franchise,” he said. “A week doesn’t go by during the year that I don’t see somebody and they say, ‘I can’t believe we’re not in Seattle anymore.’ I think yeah, we’re going to get a team. It’s going to be sooner rather than later, but who knows the timetable?”
There’s more from around the basketball world:
- Appearing on FIBA’s Talk Show, Pau Gasol said Germany’s success in the World Cup is the result of a long commitment to its basketball program, per Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. Gasol cites the contributions of Dirk Nowitzki in making the nation relevant in basketball circles and says Germany has shown over the past six years that it can compete with anyone. “They’re taking steps forward with the same guys,” Gasol added. “It’s a process, it’s all about making steps in terms of growth.”
- Former NBA guard Jordan Bone has left Vanoli Cremona before playing a game with the Italian Lega Basket Serie A club, according to Sportando. A second-round draft pick in 2019, Bone had brief stays with the Pistons and Magic. He spent last season in the G League before signing with Vanoli Cremona in July.
- NBA pioneer Stanley “Whitey” Von Nieda died Wednesday, The Associated Press reports. He had been the oldest living former player at age 101, having spent time with the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and Baltimore Bullets during the 1949-50 season.
Trail Blazers To Re-Sign Kevin Knox
Kevin Knox will return to the Trail Blazers on a one-year contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. It’s likely a minimum-salary deal, and there are no details yet on whether it includes any guaranteed money.
The 24-year-old forward became an unrestricted free agent after Portland declined to pick up his $3MM option for the upcoming season. With the start of training camp about three weeks away and most teams close to having complete rosters, he decided to join the Blazers for another year.
Knox began last season with the Pistons, but was sent to Portland in a four-team deal at the trade deadline. He appeared in 21 games with the Blazers, averaging 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per night.
Knox was a lottery selection in 2018, going to the Knicks with the eighth pick in the draft. He spent more than three seasons in New York, but was never able to establish himself as a rotation player and was traded to the Hawks in 2022.
Knox will have one more season to try to build his value before re-entering free agency next summer.
Once the Knox signing and their other reported deals are official, the Blazers will have 19 players under contract, two short of the offseason minimum. Portland currently has 12 players with fully guaranteed deals, Moses Brown with a partial guarantee, and a pair of two-way players. They’ve reportedly reached Exhibit 10 agreements with three other free agents.