Luka Doncic Posts Triple-Double In EuroBasket
Lakers superstar Luka Doncic notched a rare triple-double in the EuroBasket tournament on Sunday. He scored 26 points, had 11 assists and grabbed 10 rebounds in Slovenia’s 86-69 victory over Belgium in Poland. According to The Associated Press, the triple-double was the fourth in EuroBasket history since 1995 and fifth overall.
Doncic also became the youngest player to reach 400 career EuroBasket points since Tony Parker in 2007.
“This is a normal day at the office for him,” Slovenia small forward Edo Muric said of Doncic. “I’m even more glad that today we showed we can play good defense. And that we won.”
The Slovenian team lost to Poland and France in their first two tournament games.
“For me, I’d prefer he score 50,” Belgium coach Dario Gjergja said, per Dan Woike of The Athletic. “To be honest, I’d prefer he score 50 but the others don’t execute … because he’s capable to make everybody better, never mind about quality around him. And this is why he’s a superstar.”
Doncic scored a combined 73 points in Slovenia’s first two games.
“It’s not about me being perfect. I think everybody, you know, we lose as a team, we win as a team,” he said.
Slovenia’s tournament schedule continues Tuesday against Iceland before the group stage concludes Thursday against Israel. The top four teams from each six-team group advance to the single-elimination portion of the tournament in Latvia.
USA Team Squanders Big Lead In AmeriCup Semifinals
Team USA squandered a 20-point second-half lead in the semifinals of the FIBA AmeriCup in Nicaragua, according to a FIBA press release.
The Brazilian team outscored the USA squad 34-9 in the last 10 minutes of a 92-77 win and avenged their prior loss in the Group Phase. With Saturday’s win, Brazil picked up its fourth victory in 11 AmeriCup matchups against the United States. The Brazilians will play in a second consecutive final.
Brazil will face Argentina for the championship on Sunday. Argentina defeated Canada in the other semifinal matchup, 83-73. The United States and Canada will square off for third-place honors.
Bruno Caboclo, who played 105 games during his NBA career, sparked the Brazilian comeback, finishing with 20 points (11 in the fourth quarter), nine rebounds, and two blocks. He was limited to 24 minutes due to foul trouble.
Crvena Zvezda guard Yago Santos finished with game highs of 25 points and 12 assists, while Lucas Dias played all 40 minutes and had a double-double (18 points, 13 rebounds).
Former NBA guards Langston Galloway (22 points) and Javonte Smart (13 points, five assists) led the way for Team USA in the loss.
Giannis To Start Season With Bucks After Team Re-Signs Brother Thanasis
In a move to solidify Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s desire to stay with the Bucks, the franchise is re-signing his brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, on a guaranteed one-year, $2.9MM (minimum-salary) contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link).
The signing is official, according to a team press release relayed by The Athletic’s Eric Nehm (Twitter link).
According to Charania, after a summer of exploring options, Giannis Antetokounmpo — who is currently playing for Greece in the EuroBasket tournament — is staying in Milwaukee to start the season. This will quell speculation that the superstar might request a trade this offseason.
Naturally, if things don’t go well for the Bucks as the season progresses, that could always change. But having his brother back in the fold gives Giannis some added incentive to stay put.
Thanasis is also playing for Greece in the tournament. He was medically cleared to play again this spring after recovering from an Achilles tendon injury.
The 32-year-old underwent surgery in early May of 2024 after tearing his Achilles. He was a free agent this past season after signing mainly minimum contracts to play with his brother in Milwaukee.
Thanasis, who made two appearances with the Knicks in 2015/16, saw action in 196 Bucks games from 2019-24. He played 34 games during the 2023/24 season and has posted averages of 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 7.7 minutes per contest over the course of his NBA career.
The Bucks will now have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. This could put Andre Jackson Jr.‘s roster status in jeopardy — the former UConn guard has an $800K guarantee on his $2,221,677 contract. It becomes fully guaranteed if he makes the opening night roster.
Bogdan Bogdanovic Ruled Out Of EuroBasket With Hamstring Injury
Bogdan Bogdanovic has been ruled out of the EuroBasket due to a ruptured hamstring muscle, according to reports from Eurohoops.net and BasketNews.com.
The Serbian Federation released a statement regarding Bogdanovic’s injury, which also revealed that the Clippers wing will return to the United States to receive treatment.
“Bogdanovic has been diagnosed with a ruptured hamstring muscle, which will prevent him from playing in the remainder of the European Championship. In agreement with Bogdan’s club, the Los Angeles Clippers, the captain will undergo intensive therapy in the United States in the coming period to recover as quickly as possible,” the statement read.
Bogdanovic, the captain of the Serbian national team, was injured on a drive to the basket late in the second quarter against Portugal on Friday. Bogdanovic was examined by the Serbian and Clippers medical teams, which determined the extent of his injury.
In two EuroBasket 2025 appearances, the 33-year-old averaged 9.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 20 minutes per contest. Serbia has a 3-0 record in Group A and will now try to win the tournament without him.
The overriding concern for Bogdanovic now is whether his injury will linger into the NBA season. The veteran guard dealt with hamstring injuries early in the 2024/25 season, but played 30 games during the second half of the season for the Clippers, averaging 11.4 points and 3.2 assists in 25.0 minutes per game. He began the season with the Hawks, who dealt him to the Pacific Division club at the trade deadline.
Bogdanovic is set to make just over $16MM during the upcoming season and the Clippers hold a $16MM club option for the final year of his contract in 2026/27.
Heat Notes: Stretch Provision, Rozier, Jovic, Fontecchio, Larsson
The Heat could have created more flexibility below the luxury tax line for the upcoming season by using the waive-and-stretch provision, but they passed on that option prior to Friday’s deadline, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald notes.
The most obvious candidate would have been Terry Rozier, as his contract carries a $26.7MM cap hit. The Heat could have stretched that to $8.9MM over each the next three seasons. However, there was no real urgency to take that route once they traded Haywood Highsmith to the Nets.
Miami is approximately $1.7MM under the luxury tax threshold and around $7.2MM below the first apron. The Heat have 15 players signed to standard deals, including one training camp contract, but only 12 have fully guaranteed salaries, as our roster counts display.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Speaking of Rozier, it’s unlikely he’ll be part of the rotation if he remains on the roster, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The Heat will likely go with younger players like Pelle Larsson, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and/or rookie Kasparas Jakucionis off the bench, rather than Rozier. The veteran could find his way into the mix if one of their wing scorers gets injured, suggests Winderman.
- Nikola Jovic had another solid outing in the EuroBasket tournament on Friday. He made all six of his field goal attempts while scoring 18 points during Serbia’s win over Portugal, Chiang tweets. Jovic added six rebounds in 31 minutes.
- Simone Fontecchio, acquired from Detroit in the Duncan Robinson sign-and-trade, continued to struggle for Italy in its win over Georgia on Saturday. Fontecchio scored four points on 1-for-11 shooting in Italy’s opening game in EuroBasket. In Italy’s second tournament game, Fontecchio scored 14 points but missed all five of his three-point attempts and committed six turnovers, Chiang relays (Twitter link).
- Larsson missed Sweden’s second EuroBasket game on Friday due to an illness but quickly bounced back. Larsson had 23 points on 8-of-17 shooting, four rebounds, two assists and two steals with five turnovers in a 78-59 victory over Great Britain on Saturday, Winderman tweets.
And-Ones: Top Wings, Expectations, Hughes, G League Trade
LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard stand atop The Bounce’s ranking of the NBA’s top 40 wins, according to The Athletic’s Zach Harper, who classifies those three stars as all-time legends who are still elite. Harper’s second tier, comprised of All-NBA level performers, includes Jimmy Butler, Jaylen Brown, Paul George and Jalen Williams.
We have more from the basketball world:
- Which NBA teams will exceed their predicted win total? Which will fall below expectations? ESPN’s Tim Bontemps makes his selections on five teams for each side of the ledger, with the Thunder and Clippers among the clubs on the plus side and the Pistons and Mavericks that won’t reach their projected records.
- Former NBA player and coach Kim Hughes has died, according to an Instagram post from former NBA center Meyers Leonard. Hughes, 73, played in the ABA and NBA from 1975-81. Following his playing career, Hughes worked as a scout and assistant coach, most recently with the Trail Blazers through the 2014/15 season. He also had a 33-game stint as the Clippers‘ head coach during the 2009/10 season.
- The Noblesville Boom, the Pacers‘ NBA G League affiliate, recently acquired the returning player rights to forward Jalen Slawson from the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans‘ G League affiliate, in exchange for returning player rights to center Garrison Brooks, according to a team press release. Slawson played for the Osceola Magic last season, averaging 11.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Brooks has played in Lithuania the past two seasons.
Timberwolves Hire NHL Panthers’ Caldwell As CEO
The Timberwolves have hired Matthew Caldwell as Chief Executive Officer of the organization, effective Sept. 2, according to a team press release.
Caldwell will oversee day-to-day business operations and high-level strategic initiatives for the Timberwolves, WNBA Lynx, and G League Iowa Wolves. New team owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez gave Caldwell, who had served as President and CEO of the NHL Florida Panthers the past nine years, a 10-year contract.
Caldwell is the first major hire by Lore and Rodriguez since the NBA’s Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale of the franchise following a lengthy legal battle with previous majority owner Glen Taylor. The Panthers have won the last two Stanley Cups.
“I’m honored and humbled to join the Timberwolves and Lynx organization at such a pivotal moment in its history,” Caldwell said in a statement. “I am inspired by Marc and Alex’s vision and passion for Minnesota basketball and their commitment to excellence. I look forward to making my mark across the organization, and to building a lasting foundation that gives Minnesota basketball fans what they deserve – the best experience in sports, bar none.”
Caldwell’s leadership played an instrumental role behind the Panthers’ most successful period in franchise history which culminated with the organization being named 2025 Sports Business Journal Team of the Year. Caldwell first joined the Panthers in 2014 as Chief Operating Officer, before being appointed CEO in 2016, at which time he was the youngest CEO in U.S. professional sports at age 36.
“Our vision is for the Timberwolves and Lynx to set a new standard of excellence in pro sports and we’re confident that Matthew is the leader needed to make that a reality,” Lore and Rodriguez said in a joint statement. “Leading our organization into an innovative new era requires an exceptional individual at the helm and Matthew’s proven track record leading the business of the Florida Panthers is undeniable. We can’t wait to see the remarkable impact his bold leadership will have on this organization.”
Panthers owner Vincent Viola calls Caldwell’s departure “bittersweet,” according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).
“There are very few opportunities I would advise him to pursue, but working with Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore on a global platform like the NBA is at the top of that list,” Voila said.
Caldwell will take over responsibilities from interim CEO Kelly Laferriere, who has led the organization during its ownership transition period. Laferriere will assume the role of senior advisor to ownership. Tim Connelly will continue to oversee oversee basketball operations.
Pistons President Langdon: Young Core Remains Top Priority
Building and developing the team’s young core remains the top priority for the Pistons, president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon told The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson.
Despite their surprising resurgence last season in which the Pistons — who had the worst record in the league in 2023/24 — made the playoffs, Langdon didn’t feel this offseason was the right time to make a splashy move for a big-time player.
Langdon planned to re-sign Malik Beasley before the sixth man was investigated as part of a federal gambling probe. Langdon then pivoted in free agency, signing Caris LeVert and acquiring Duncan Robinson in a sign-and-trade. He also re-signed backup big Paul Reed.
Langdon opted not to trade away any of his young regulars for a star-level player.
“We want to see what those guys’ ceilings are. It’s continuing to put players with them that can continue to help them grow, develop and reach their potential,” Langdon said. “That’s one thing we try to be as cognizant as possible of, which is something at times that can be challenging. Of course, you want to continue to get better, but we’re very aware of what the timing of that is. We want our guys to continue to develop and at least get close to their ceiling or potential. Then maybe at that point is when we realize, OK, what is the proper player fit for these guys when it’s time to really go?”
Once Langdon and the Pistons can assess how those young pieces fit, they’ll have a better idea what kind of player can lift the team to a higher echelon.
“I don’t think we truly understand who our players can be at this point,” he said. “I just think it’s too early for us to truly understand what the best way to press the proverbial gas pedal is right now. So, we’re gonna try to be patient with that and let our young guys continue to develop.”
Here’s more from Patterson’s interview with Langdon:
On potential rookie scale extensions for Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren:
“I’ll never speak to that. We’re happy to have them as Pistons, and we’ll continue to help them be the best possible versions of themselves and reach their potential. I thought (Duren) had a tremendous year last season, especially in the second half when we made the run. And (Ivey) got off to a great start before getting injured. We’re excited to have them both back at the start of this season.
On Cade Cunningham‘s leadership:
“He uses his voice well, in terms of holding them accountable and driving them in the right direction when he needs to. He’s also very supportive of them and allows them to be who they are as human beings, but also as basketball players.”
On not having any long-term commitments beyond Cunningham’s extension:
“Having optionality with your group, that’s all it is at the end of the day. You can’t predict how your team’s going to be from year to year. You want to make sure that if it’s going well, you can continue. Or, if there’s a way that you can get better, you want to be able to pivot. That’s how it is with us and not getting locked into something that you can’t get out of if it doesn’t go well. That’s always a difficult thing, for every team, for every organization, for every decision maker, because you can go either way. If you have a really good player that you don’t lock in long-term and then he leaves … well, that’s on you.”
Which Veteran Free Agent Should Knicks Sign?
The Knicks have been identified as one of the teams interested in free agent guard Malik Beasley. However, it’s not entirely clear whether teams are prepared to move forward on Beasley while he remains a subject of a federal gambling investigation. If they are, he may receive more than a minimum-salary contract, which is all New York can offer.
Besides Beasley, who might make sense for the Knicks’ open veteran’s minimum roster slot? James Edwards III of The Athletic explores this topic in depth.
Edwards’ list includes a pair of guards who played for the Knicks last season under former coach Tom Thibodeau — Landry Shamet and Delon Wright. The issue with signing Shamet or Beasley is that the Knicks already added shooting guard Jordan Clarkson in free agency after he was waived by Utah. Wright might be a more logical choice, since the team is lacking in true point guards beyond Jalen Brunson and Tyler Kolek.
Edwards also identifies a handful of other players who could end up filling New York’s open veteran-minimum roster slot, including Alec Burks, Monte Morris, Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Malcolm Brogdon.
Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News believes Shamet or Wright would make the most sense, given their familiarity within the organization. Winfield argues that either one could be the kind of low-maintenance finishing piece a title team might end up leaning on in a crucial situation.
Speaking of Kolek, Edwards believes that only one of the young players on the current roster, a group which also includes Pacome Dadiet and Ariel Hukporti, will crack Mike Brown‘s rotation, given that there are already nine solid proven veterans at the new head coach’s disposal.
And-Ones: Award Predictions, Top Forwards, Free Agency, Cui
Will Nikola Jokic win a fourth Most Valuable Player award in 2025/26? He’s the top choice among a panel of ESPN Insiders to capture the league’s top individual honor next season. Luka Doncic ranks as the second pick, with reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander getting the third-most votes.
The panel also offers their predictions on five other major awards, including Rookie of the Year (no surprise, they picked No. 1 draft choice Cooper Flagg) and Sixth Man of the Year (Alex Caruso and Naz Reid received the most votes}.
We have more from around the international basketball world:
- Who’s the top forward in the NBA? Giannis Antetokounmpo is in a class of his own, according to The Athletic’s Zach Harper. The Bucks superstar holds the tier-one level all by himself in “The Bounce’s Top 40 Forwards.” Jayson Tatum, Paolo Banchero and Zion Williamson are in the tier-two “Still Elite, Just Not Giannis” level. Heading up the group of six players who round out the top 10 and start the tier-three level is Draymond Green.
- Free agency isn’t what it used to be in the NBA, with most star players signing extensions before they ever reach that point. HoopsHype’s Alberto De Roa examines the decline in free agency’s importance, noting that only one player this summer who changed teams — new Bucks center Myles Turner — secured a contract with at least $100MM in guaranteed money.
- Cui Yongxi – also known as Jacky Cui – is working toward an NBA comeback after tearing his ACL in December with the G League’s Long Island Nets, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. He has been working out in Brooklyn and is now participating in 5-on-5 scrimmages in Los Angeles. The 22-year-old free agent guard had been on a two-way contract and appeared in five games with the Nets but was waived by Brooklyn in December following the injury.