International Notes: Vezenkov, Anderson, Gillespie, Brazdeikis, Jokubaitis, Moneke
Sasha Vezenkov is thrilled to be back in Europe, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net writes. He signed a five-year contract with Olympiacos after getting waived by the Raptors.
“The goal is to reach the top. With a few words and a lot of work. I am happy to be back with all of you, to rejoin my old teammates and the new players,” Vezenkov said in a press conference.
The Greek team is equally as excited to have Vezenkov back in the fold. “Vezenkov is the best player in Europe. He went to the NBA as the best player in Europe. He has won and will continue winning championships with Olympiacos for the next five years,” team co-owner Panagiotis Angelopoulos said.
Vezenkov was so eager to return that he reportedly gave up his entire $6,658,536 NBA salary for 2024/25 in a buyout agreement with Toronto. According to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops, the forward’s new deal with Olympiacos is worth 18.5 million Euros across five years, post-taxes.
We have more international news:
- Former NBA wing Justin Anderson has joined FC Barcelona on a one-year deal, Sportando relays. Anderson played last season for Valencia Basket. Anderson appeared in 242 NBA games after being a 2015 first-round pick, most recently with Cleveland and Indiana during the 2021/22 season.
- Freddie Gillespie has signed a one-year deal with the New Zealand Breakers, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc tweets. The American forward last played for KK Crvena Zvesda. He appeared in 29 games for Toronto and Orlando from 2020-22.
- Forward Ignas Brazdeikis is returning to Zalgiris Kaunas, according to a press release. The University of Michigan product appeared in 64 NBA games, mostly with Orlando, from 2019-22.
- Rokas Jokubaitis has officially signed his three-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, according to a team press release. His former team, Barcelona, announced this week that it has officially parted ways with him. Jokubaitis played for the Knicks during the Summer League and his NBA rights continue to be held by New York.
- After a report surfaced this week claiming that he had agreed to sign with Partisan Belgrade, former NBA big man Chima Moneke declared on his social media account (Twitter link) that he is committed to playing for Baskonia next season. “I genuinely don’t know who is making up all these rumors but they’re getting tiring. I’m a Baskonia player and I’m really excited for this season,” he wrote. Moneke appeared in two games with Sacramento in 2022/23.
Rockets’ Tari Eason Discusses Leg Injury, Rehab
Following a solid rookie season, Tari Eason fell victim to the injury bug last season. Eason appeared in just 22 games, none after January 1st.
The Rockets forward underwent surgery to treat a benign growth on his lower leg, with the procedure involving “excising and bone grafting the lesion along with inserting an intramedullary rod in his tibia to help accelerate healing.”
Eason told The Athletic’s Kelly Iko it was all a new experience for him.
“It was a trying time,” Eason said. “I’ve never really dealt with a major injury or anything that has kept me out of basketball for a long period of time. It was tough on me mentally, but I had the right people in my corner, giving me good, positive energy and praying. That helped me stay grounded through the process.”
Indeed, Eason appeared in all 82 games in his rookie campaign, averaging 9.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 21.5 minutes per night. The rehab process has been arduous but he’s confident he’ll be ready to reestablish himself in training camp.
“I feel good. I feel like I’m close to 100 percent. You’ve seen me jumping, running, dunking,” he said. “I feel pretty normal, to be honest. It’s really about getting all the movements back to where they were.”
Eason was the 17th pick of the 2022 draft and projects as a key reserve on the much-improved Rockets. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason.
Here’s more from his interview with Iko:
- Eason said he felt soreness in his shin before the season began: “I’d say right before training camp in the Bahamas during the team trip. Working out, I would notice that my shin would be really, really sore. I thought that was maybe through lack of treatment or stretching, things like that. I put more time in the training room and just ignored it. But definitely around training camp, because every time I jumped, I was in pain.”
- The injury took a mental toll on him: “It was weird going to games and not suiting up, wearing regular clothes. It was sad. There was a point where I really was sad, a low point. I didn’t know what was going to happen, I didn’t know what the solution was. That thought of not knowing is uncomfortable.”
- On how he views next season: “I don’t have too many words on that. I’m going to let my game do the talking. A lot of stuff has been said, a lot of ways people view me, I hear it all. But I’m not here to prove anything.”
Olympic Notes: Murray, Schroder, Rankings
There’s been a lot of speculation regarding Jamal Murray‘s spotty minutes for Team Canada, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.
After attending to a personal matter, Murray didn’t dress for Canada’s game against France and played just seven minutes against Puerto Rico. It’s anticipated he’ll play about twice as much during Canada’s scrimmage against Brazil on Wednesday.
The slow ramp-up has led to rumors that Murray is dealing with an injury or that some other factor is limiting his participation. Team Canada achieved a World Cup bronze last summer without Murray, so it remains to be seen how he’ll impact this year’s squad.
- While LeBron James has been named a flag bearer for the United States and Giannis Antetokounmpo will carry the Greek flag, another NBA player will have that honor for Germany. Dennis Schröder and Anna-Maria Wagner (judo) will carry the German flag during the opening ceremonies on Friday in Paris, according to a tweet from the German Olympic Committee.
- It’s no surprise that Team USA and Team Canada are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt’s Olympic men’s basketball power rankings. France, Germany and Serbia round out the top five in the 12-team event.
- In case you missed it, Team USA coach Steve Kerr said there are no plans to replace Kevin Durant on the roster. Durant didn’t play in any exhibition games due to a calf strain.
Heat Notes: Summer League, Christoper, Larsson, Ware
The Heat won the Las Vegas Summer League championship with a dramatic 120-118 overtime victory over the Grizzlies on Monday. The Heat won all six of their games in Vegas, plus the last two in the California Classic. Second-rounder Pelle Larsson made the game-winning shot.
“By the end of this (Monday), a lot of us coaches, we were really hoping that it wouldn’t be over,” Summer League coach Dan Bisaccio said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “Obviously, yes the priority is we want to win the championship. But at the same time, this journey that we were on with this group was amazing. It was something truly special.
“I understand this is summer league. But the fact that these guys came together as a group like that, they kind of put aside their individual goals for the better of the team. I just think that speaks volumes to who they are and what their character is.”
We have more on the Heat:
- The team has 14 players on standard contracts and don’t plan to add a 15th player until later in the regular season due to tax apron concerns. They also have all three two-way slots filled. Those two-way spots could change — they don’t count against the cap — in the aftermath of Summer League performances. Josh Christopher, Caleb Daniels, Cole Swider and Alondes Williams — all of whom are free agents at the moment — made compelling cases to receive a two-way deal or at least a training camp invite, according to Chiang.
- Speaking of Christopher, he was named Most Valuable Player of the championship game, Chiang tweets. The former first-round pick scored a team-high 24 points, including six 3-pointers. He also added four rebounds, one assist, three steals and two blocks. “I think this Heat culture thing just brought the best out of me. I don’t think I’ve had a series of games better than this in my life, honestly,” Christopher said.
- Larsson signed a three-year contract prior to summer competition and impressed the coaches in a number of ways, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “He’s a tireless worker,” Bisaccio said. “He’s a great leader on the floor and he’s just got a really good disposition and he’s a man of a craft, is the word I’m looking for. Behind the scenes, he’s always trying to work on his shot. He’s always trying to find that new angle that he can give you, that extra detail on a pick and roll.”
- First-round pick Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez and Keshad Johnson earned A grades on Winderman’s Summer League report card.
International Notes: Jokubaitis, Hall, Harper
Rokas Jokubaitis has a clear path to sign with Maccabi Tel Aviv now that his former team, Barcelona, has announced that it has officially parted ways with him.
Jokubaitis played for the Knicks during the Summer League and is reportedly in “advanced talks” with the Israeli team. According to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (Twitter link), Maccabi is very likely Jokubaitis’ destination.
The Lithuanian point guard spent the past three years with Barcelona, where he averaged 5.3 points and 2.8 assists per game last season.
Jokubaitis appeared in five games for New York in Las Vegas, averaging 9.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 19.1 minutes per contest.
We have more international news:
- Former NBA forward Donta Hall has signed a two-year deal with Spain’s Baskonia, according to a press release from the club. The American big man most recently played for Monaco. He averaged 4.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.4 minutes over 38 games in EuroLeague action last season. Hall has made 22 NBA regular season appearances with Detroit, Brooklyn and Orlando.
- Former NBA point guard Jared Harper has signed a two-year contract with Hapoel Jerusalem, according to a team press release. Harper, who went undrafted in 2019 and made a total of 16 appearances for the Suns, Knicks and Pelicans, has played for Valencia in the EuroLeague for the past two years. In 53 EuroLeague appearances, he averaged 9.3 points and 3.0 assists in 17 minutes per game.
- In case you missed it, Mavericks second-round pick Melvin Ajinca will play for France’s ASVEL Basket next season.
New York Notes: Johnson, Barrett, Kolek, Payne, Achiuwa
Now that Mikal Bridges has been dealt, which Nets player currently has the most trade value? Cameron Johnson could fit that description, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Johnson is entering the second year of a four-year, $94.5MM contract. Johnson averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last season, despite battling numerous injuries. He’s a career 39.2% 3-point shooter and has good size for a wing.
The Kings, Magic and Lakers are among the teams who may have interest in the Nets sharpshooter, Lewis adds.
We have more from the New York teams:
- The Nets have hired Andre Barrett as a scout, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto tweets. Barrett worked four years for the league after a playing career in the NBA and a few foreign stops. He had been the scouting director for the now-defunct G League Ignite.
- Second-round pick Tyler Kolek is eager to learn from Knicks starting point guard Jalen Brunson, the rookie out of Marquette told The Athletic’s Fred Katz. “It’s just playing under control, picking angles, getting to the line,” Kolek said. “That’s a really big thing. (Brunson) does a great job at getting to the line. I really gotta learn that. In the NBA, it’s so different. … You can over-exaggerate things, just little tricks of the trade you can pick up from older guys.” Kolek averaged 9.6 points and 7.0 assists in 27.2 minutes per contest for the Knicks’ Summer League team.
- Despite the free agent addition of Cameron Payne, Kolek is currently viewed as the backup point guard ahead of Payne, according to Ian Begley of SNY TV. However, unless coach Tom Thibodeau goes with a 10-man rotation, Kolek may not get regular minutes. Miles McBride still projects to be in the rotation with Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart also coming off the bench.
- The main backup big for the Knicks is still a question mark but they remain in regular contact with one of their free agents, Precious Achiuwa, Begley writes. However, Achiuwa has drawn interest from several other teams.
Pelicans Sign Antonio Reeves To Three-Year Deal
JULY 23: Reeves’ deal is official, according to the NBA’s transaction log.
JULY 22: The Pelicans and second-round pick Antonio Reeves have agreed on a three-year, $5.41MM contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. The third year is a team option.
New Orleans likely used the second-round pick exception to sign Reeves at the minimum-salary level. A three-year rookie minimum deal this season is worth $5,408,801.
Reeves averaged 11.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game in five appearances for the Pelicans’ Summer League team in Las Vegas.
Reeves was the No. 47 overall pick and was dealt by Orlando to New Orleans in a draft-night trade. The Magic acquired second-round pick swaps in 2030 and 2031 in the deal.
Adding Reeves puts the Pelicans at 14 standard contracts if Matt Ryan, whose deal becomes guaranteed on opening night, is included in that total, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweets.
A Chicago native who spent his first three college seasons at Illinois State, Reeves transferred to Kentucky in 2022 and spent his final two seasons with the Wildcats.
Reeves could emerge as an offensive spark-plug. The 6’4″ guard had a very efficient offensive season in 2023/24, averaging 20.2 points and 4.2 rebounds on .512/.447/.863 shooting in 33 games (31.4 MPG).
Team USA Notes: Durant, James, Embiid, Holiday
Kevin Durant didn’t participate in any of Team USA’s exhibition games due to a right calf strain. Regardless, his spot on the 12-man roster is not in jeopardy as the team heads to Paris for the Olympics, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
“There’s no thought of replacing Kevin,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I was hoping he would get a game in here, but it just didn’t work out that way.”
The current plan for Durant is to practice with the team several times when it gets to France later this week. Kerr said he wants Durant to have some contact and go through a scrimmage before the Suns superstar suits up. His availability for Sunday’s pool play opener against Serbia is uncertain but Durant practiced last week and ramped up his activity level over the weekend.
We have more on Team USA:
- After its stunning close call against South Sudan, Team USA had another tough challenge in its exhibition finale against Germany on Monday. LeBron James came to the rescue, supplying 20 points, six rebounds and four assists. He made several clutch plays and baskets down the stretch of a 92-88 win, scoring the team’s last 11 points. “Just putting the team on his shoulders,” said Jrue Holiday, per Windhorst.
- Joel Embiid had his best exhibition outing on Monday, as he contributed 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists. “People who watch me know that every season it takes me a couple of games to get going, and this is no different,” Embiid said. “That’s the reason we’ve got preseason games. I feel like myself and I’m going to keep going and I’m going to be playing at that MVP level I’ve played for the last five or six seasons.”
- Holiday is appearing in his second straight Olympics. He had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists on Monday. “Plug into the gaps where I can,” Holiday told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.com, explaining how he expects to contribute. “Knowing that because of the caliber of the team that we have, the minutes might not be there. Or we might not even play in some games. Whenever you get the chance to shoot, you might just get one or two shots. I feel like somebody like me, it’s not about the shots. It’s about going out there and experiencing the game and doing the things that is a little bit of the dirty work. You can impact the game without scoring. I’d like to think I’ve always been that type of player.”
Pistons Add Gianluca Pascucci To Front Office
Gianluca Pascucci has joined the Pistons front office, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Pascucci spent last season as a Bulls scout after a stint as assistant GM with the Timberwolves. He left Minnesota in May 2022 after the organization decided not to pick up its option on his contract.
Pistons first-year president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon previously worked with Pascucci in the Nets’ front office.
Pascucci joins several other hires this summer in Detroit’s revamped front office. Former Mavericks executive Dennis Lindsey was brought in to be their senior VP of basketball operations and former Pelicans executive Michael Blackstone was added as an executive VP of basketball operations.
They also hired former Nets director of player personnel J.R. Holden in an executive role.
Western Notes: Sengun, Dunn, Westbrook, Pelicans, Bassey
Alperen Sengun would like to sign a rookie scale extension this offseason but he admits he may have to wait until next offseason, Eurohoops relays. The Rockets center was asked about his contract situation during a “Sunday Chat with Fatih Altayli” broadcast.
“We are waiting. My managers are negotiating with them,” he said. “I don’t become a free agent next year. This year, teams can’t make offers to me. Next year, other teams can make offers.”
Sengun would become a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t reach an extension agreement this offseason. There has been speculation that the Rockets might follow the Sixers’ approach to this offseason, where they delayed a max extension with Tyrese Maxey until this summer in order to open up as much cap space as possible to pursue top free agents.
Sengun, who finished third in the Most Improved Player balloting, would rather get long-term security sooner than later.
“Right now, they don’t have to sign, but of course, I want to sign. Because then your mind is at ease. You secure your future,” Sengun said.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- The Clippers signed Kris Dunn to a three-year, $16,279,200 contract which is non-guaranteed in the final year, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. The third year can become fully guaranteed if Dunn is named to the All-Defensive First or Second Team during either the 2024/25 or 2025/26 season — if he doesn’t earn All-Defensive honors, his guarantee date for the third-year salary would be June 30, 2026. Los Angeles acquired Dunn in a sign-and-trade with Utah.
- The Nuggets shouldn’t put Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup to fill Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s spot, Sean Keeler of the Denver Post opines. Westbrook is joining Denver after clearing waivers on Monday. Westbrook would be better off anchoring a mostly youthful second unit, providing leadership and a change of pace. He’d be a better backup at the point than Reggie Jackson – who was dealt to Charlotte – was last season, Keeler adds. Westbrook would still get chances to start if and when Murray is unavailable.
- Assuming Brandon Ingram doesn’t get traded, what does the Pelicans’ depth chart look like? Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune explores that topic, projecting a starting five of Dejounte Murray, Herbert Jones, Ingram, Zion Williamson and Daniel Theis. That would leave Jose Alvarado, Trey Murphy, Yves Missi, and – most notably – CJ McCollum as the top reserves.
- Spurs center Charles Bassey gave up his right to veto a trade during the 2024/25 league year, Hoops Rumors has learned. A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract (or a two-year deal with a second-year option) is typically given a de facto no-trade clause for the season, but that right can be waived as part of a contract agreement.