Pacific Notes: LeBron, Warriors, Marciulionis, Booker, Dwyer
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
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
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
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
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).
Chisholm, Grousbeck Plan To Keep Celtics In Title Contention
After the Celtics announced their new ownership structure on Tuesday, majority owner and team governor William Chisholm and alternate governor Wyc Grousbeck talked to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe about their plans for the future.
Chisholm, who headed up the group that purchased the franchise from the Grousbeck family at a valuation of $6.1 billion, said he understands the immediate need to cut costs to escape the second apron and get control of the team’s salary structure. However, he promised that won’t affect his overall vision for the franchise.
“We’re not playing for second; we’re playing for championships and banners,” Chisholm said. “We’re playing for them in the near term, although we obviously had to do some things to get below the second apron. But we’re also playing for them in the medium and long term. The second apron means you can’t do it by just throwing money at the problem. You have to do it with talent, you have to do it with leadership, and with Wyc and with (president of basketball operations Brad Stevens) and (president Rich Gotham) and (coach Joe Mazzulla), I feel like we have the best leaders in the league.”
Chisholm also expressed optimism that the Celtics can exceed expectations this season with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard leading the way. He added that there’s “real talent” on the roster “that hasn’t been fully realized.”
Chisholm also emphasized that his plan to run the team in a close partnership with Grousbeck hasn’t changed. League rules prevented Grousbeck from retaining his position as governor because he owns less than 15% of the franchise, but both men insist that’s a technicality that won’t affect day-to-day operations.
“When it became clear the governor title was not going to be available because of technical reasons, because of math, Bill said, ‘Well, then we’re just not going to use that word around the office.’ So that says a lot about Bill, that he doesn’t care,” Grousbeck said. “He just wants to do the right thing for the team, and I feel the exact same way. We’re shoulder to shoulder.”
They also addressed the decision to give Mazzulla a multiyear extension ahead of what should be his most challenging season as head coach. Grousbeck said they want him “happy and empowered” as he leads a team that’s suddenly in the middle of the pack in the East.
“I’m really excited to see what he does in this kind of environment,” Chisholm added. “I think people will really appreciate what he’s all about. When he doesn’t have the loaded team, what can he do? And I think that’s going to be really interesting, and I have every confidence he’s going to crush it.”
Northwest Notes: Wallace, Thunder, Niang, Wolves
With a roster virtually identical to last season’s championship team, the Thunder are counting on improvement to come from internal development of young players. One of those players is 21-year-old guard Cason Wallace, who may develop into a more efficient scoring threat in his third season, writes Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated.
Wallace’s elite defense helped him remain an important part of the rotation, but his shooting took a step backward. After connecting at 49.1% from the field and 41.9% from three-point range as a rookie, those numbers dropped to 47.4% and 35.6% in his second season. The three-point impact was most obvious from the corners, where he declined by about 10 percent.
Stiles points out that Wallace found other ways to get buckets, ranking in the 81st percentile as a cutter at 1.463 points per possession and adding 1.222 points per possession as the pick-and-roll man in guard-to-guard screening sets. Stiles believes Wallace is too talented for his shooting percentages to remain low and expects him to bounce back this season.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- In a separate story, Stiles lists the five Thunder lineups he’s most looking forward to watching. While Oklahoma City can go heavy on offense or defense, Stiles believes the five-man group of Wallace, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will be its best overall option. Stiles also expects big things from Nikola Topic, who sat out last season after ACL surgery, and believes he’ll thrive as a point guard if he’s surrounded by shooters.
- A trade with Boston brought Georges Niang back to the Jazz after a four-year absence, so Trent Wood of The Deseret News examined how much Niang has changed during that time. Wood notes that Niang put up the best scoring numbers of his career after Atlanta acquired him from Cleveland at last season’s trade deadline and reunited him with former Utah coach Quin Snyder. In 28 games with the Hawks, Niang averaged 12.1 PPG while shooting 44.1% from the field and 41.3% from beyond the arc. Wood expects Niang to provide a consistent three-point threat for the Jazz while serving as a mentor to young wings Taylor Hendricks, Cody Williams and Ace Bailey.
- Now that Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have full ownership of the Timberwolves and WNBA’s Lynx, they’re focusing their changes on the business side of the organizations, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).
EuroBasket Notes: Bogdanovic, Bona, Bertans, Avdija
Serbia is among the favorites as EuroBasket gets ready to open next week, and captain Bogdan Bogdanovic recognizes the expectations for his star-filled team, according to Eurohoops. Serbia hasn’t won the event in 24 years, and it has been placed in a challenging Group A along with Turkey, Czechia, Portugal, Estonia and host Latvia.
“We are aware of it, but our focus should be on the upcoming tournament,” Bogdanovic said of the long drought. “Do we feel it? Yes. But that’s part of the game. You have to embrace it and push through.”
Bogdanovic has the advantage of playing alongside one of game’s elite talents in Nikola Jokic, and he said Jokic has a “front vision” that allows him to remain a few steps ahead of the action. He also discussed some of the tournament’s other stars, including Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic.
“Giannis is pure athleticism,” Bogdanovic said. “You can’t make mistakes against him because he punishes them all the time. His defense is incredible, and running in transition makes him unstoppable. (Doncic) can kill anyone in a tournament. He can go for 50, 60 points … that’s what makes him special.”
There’s more from EuroBasket:
- Sources tell BasketNews that Turkish big man Adem Bona is expected to be fine after limping off the court in Wednesday’s win over Lithuania (Twitter video link). Bona, who’s coming off a promising rookie season with the Sixers, played just seven minutes before the injury.
- Former NBA forward Davis Bertans credits coach Luca Banchi with helping to make Latvia a legitimate contender on the international stage, per Giorgos Kyriakidis of BasketNews. EuroBasket will be Banchi’s final tournament with the national team. “Few coaches have left such a visible imprint in such a short span,” Bertans said. “Under his leadership, Latvia not only shed its underdog label but also carved out a new identity — one built on collective confidence, tactical sharpness, and the belief that no opponent was beyond reach.”
- Deni Avdija leads Israel’s final 12-man roster for EuroBasket, according to BasketNews. He’s the only player with NBA experience for the Israelis, who went 3-2 in exhibition play and will be in Group D along with Belgium, France, Iceland, Slovenia and host Poland.
Kristaps Porzingis Discusses Possibility Of Eventual Return To Europe
After Wednesday’s Latvia-Greece matchup in the opener of the Acropolis tournament, Kristaps Porzingis‘ post-game press conference included a question about a possible return to Europe to finish out his career, writes Giorgos Kyriakidis of BasketNews. The Hawks‘ big man, who began playing professionally with Sevilla in 2012, seems open to the idea.
“Sure, sure, why not?” Porzingis responded. “I mean, I haven’t really given it too much thought, but just seeing some of the clubs here in Greece, you know, the atmosphere here for the games and stuff would be a really, really unbelievable atmosphere to play in.”
Pressed about the idea of signing in Greece, he said, “Possibly, possibly, but I would have to look at everything and … and who knows, who knows. I love the fans here and I love the rivalry they have here, so who knows.”
Porziginis didn’t have a great showing in Wednesday’s tune-up for EuroBasket, as he was limited to seven points and four rebounds in a little more than 19 minutes. Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated the matchup with 25 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes in a 104-86 victory.
“It was tough. It was a tough game for us,” Porzingis admitted. “Giannis had an unbelievable first half. We could have done a better job with him, to be fair, but today was just a tough day for us, and we look forward to bouncing back tomorrow (against Italy).”
It’s significant that Porzingis is back on the court after a dealing with a mysterious illness – later described as post-viral syndrome – that plagued him from February through the second round of the playoffs. He stated in a July interview that he took time to rest after Boston was eliminated and he was back to feeling “fantastic.”
Any talk of playing in Europe is probably a few years away, as Porzingis is only 30 and remains a very effective NBA player when healthy. He’s expected to have a huge role with Atlanta this season before entering free agency next summer.
Kyriakidis notes that because of Porzingis’ long injury history, this marks the first time he’s been able to take part in a major international competition since leading Latvia to a fifth-place finish in EuroBasket 2017. He talked today about the similarities between FIBA tournaments and the NBA playoffs.
“Playoffs is pretty similar because every game is life or death, and even now in the preparation you can feel the intensity. It’s going to ramp up even more once we actually start the tournament,” Porzingis said. “So I think these kind of games are fun, not just for the players but for the fans, for the atmosphere, and there’s gonna be no better place to play these kind of games than at home in Latvia. So we look forward to it.”
Dru Smith ‘On A Great Trajectory’ In Return From Achilles Tear
After landing a new contract with the Heat over the weekend, the next challenge for Dru Smith is to be ready to participate without restrictions when training camp opens September 30, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Smith is recovering from an Achilles tear that ended his season prematurely in December. He tells Chiang that he has already been involved in some contact work and hopes to be cleared soon for five-on-five scrimmages.
“Honestly, it’s all been going really well,” Smith said. “I feel like I’ve been on a great trajectory as far as the rehab stuff goes. I’ve started to do some contact stuff now. I haven’t jumped fully back into five on five. I would say probably here in the next few weeks or so. I think it’s all just basically going to be how I respond to the more and more live sessions that I get in. I think the goal, obviously, is to be ready by camp. And I think that as of right now, with no setback, that’s kind of what we’re looking at.”
Smith had established himself as an important part of Miami’s rotation before the injury and appeared to be on the verge of being promoted from a two-way deal to a standard contract. The 27-year-old guard averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals in 14 games last season, and coach Erik Spoelstra was regularly using him as part of his closing lineup.
The Heat kept Smith on the roster following the injury, even though it wouldn’t have affected the team’s salary cap to replace him with a healthy player. He became a restricted free agent when Miami extended a qualifying offer in late June and continued to work out with the team throughout the summer. A roster opening emerged last Friday when Haywood Highsmith was traded to Brooklyn.
“It was obviously a little stressful and things like that,” Smith said. “I think any time, whenever you have nothing signed and nothing set in stone, I think it’s just a little worrisome. But overall I think we love this organization and we’re just excited to be able to be back and be a part of this.”
Smith’s relationship with the Heat dates back to 2021, when he signed a training camp contract. He got his first two-way deal the following year and has spent at least part of every season with the team despite injury setbacks and other obstacles. Miami has waived Smith four times, but keeps bringing him back.
“I’m extremely appreciative of an organization that believes in me the way that they have up to this point,” he said. “But also I think, obviously, this hasn’t been easy. There have been a lot of days where I’ve questioned whether this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I have amazing people around me.”
After playing 38 combined games in his first three seasons — 10 of them with Brooklyn — Smith is hoping to remain healthy enough to finally prove himself as a full-time NBA player. Offseason moves have left Miami with a crowded backcourt, but Smith is eager to seize the opportunity after recovering from two serious injuries (he tore his ACL in November 2023).
“Honestly, the biggest challenge from this rehab specifically was just the mental part of it,” he said. “Just really having to lean in on my faith and things like that and just understand for whatever reason, this is where my story was supposed to go. So just continuing to attack with a positive attitude. I think that was probably the toughest part because there are definitely days in there where it just seems like I’ve been rehabbing for two years at this point.”