Magic Waive Two-Way Player Ethan Thompson
The Magic have waived two-way player Ethan Thompson, the team’s PR department tweets.
Thompson signed a two-way deal with Orlando in February but never appeared in an NBA game. The 6’5” guard played 31 games with the Magic’s G League affiliate in Osceola, averaging 18.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 34.2 minutes per contest.
Thompson, 26, has made 127 G League outings in total, including 33 with the Mexico City Capitanes during the 2023/24 season. He went undrafted in 2021 out of Oregon State and had a couple of training camp deals with Chicago but was waived during camp both times. Thompson also signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Magic last year and was waived during training camp.
The Magic signed center Orlando Robinson to a two-way contract earlier this week. As a result of waiving Thompson, they now have two open two-way slots.
Northwest Notes: Shannon, A-Rod, Avdija, Hansen
Terrence Shannon Jr. was named to the All-Summer First Team on Tuesday. The Timberwolves guard stood out in Las Vegas and he’ll look to parlay that success in his second NBA season, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes.
Shannon could be as the main candidate to fill the void left by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who averaged 25.3 minutes per game last season and signed with the Hawks as a free agent. Shannon will battle Jaylen Clark and Rob Dillingham for those minutes. A late first-round pick in 2024, the 24-year-old appeared in 32 regular season games as a rookie.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- A conversation with Magic Johnson early in his pro baseball career inspired Alex Rodriguez to become an NBA owner after his retirement. Rodriguez and Marc Lore were unanimously approved as majority owners of the Timberwolves last month. “When I was 21 years old, Magic sat with me. I was supposed to have 30 minutes,” Rodriguez told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. “And that 30 minutes went to about three and a half hours and nine pages of notes. I asked him a few years later, ‘Magic why did you give me three-plus hours?’ And he said, ‘Because you came in, you were focused, you were making eye contact and you were engaged. I saw your passion. I saw you writing all those notes.’ The main thing he said is, ‘When you do your thing, your obligation is to pass it down to the next generation of us.’”
- Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija is focused on playing for Israel in the upcoming EuroBasket tournament this summer, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net. “I am not currently thinking about the NBA. Playing for the national team of Israel is the most important honor for any player,” he said in a press conference, “Joining players I grew up with from the junior national teams is exciting. We have an amazing squad here, capable of great things. I will do everything possible to make this team successful.” Israel will face Iceland, Poland, France, Belgium, and Slovenia between Aug. 28-Sept. 4 in the preliminary round. “I am aiming for the top. I have always aimed for the top,” Avdija said.
- Suns draft pick Rasheer Fleming found out during a pre-draft workout with the Trail Blazers how skilled Yang Hansen was. Portland wound up using the No. 16 pick on the Chinese big man. “They’ve been saying he’s the next Jokic,” Fleming told Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link). “He’s so skilled. We got to see all of that in the workout. He was on my team. He threw me some dimes. He can really pass.”
Haliburton Unsure Why Achilles Tears Have Seemingly Increased
Tyrese Haliburton doesn’t have a theory about why he and other NBA players have suffered Achilles tendon tears. The Pacers star guard made his first public comments since suffering that injury in Game 7 of the Finals, which is expected to sideline him all of next season, during ESPN’s ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Tuesday.
“I think that there’s like a notion when guys get injured or when this has happened so many times that everybody thinks that they have the answer to why this is happening,” Haliburton said, per an ESPN story. “Everybody thinks we play too many games, we play too many minutes — all those things could be true, but I don’t think that is what’s causing these injuries.”
Haliburton was among three star players in the postseason and seven NBA players overall to go down with serious Achilles injuries during the 2024/25 season. Nuggets rookie DaRon Holmes also sustained an Achilles tear during Summer League last July.
“I don’t think that anybody has necessarily the answer,” Haliburton said. “I think injuries are just bad luck sometimes and that’s just what happened. I think that’s just what happens in sports sometimes.”
As it’s often described, Haliburton felt the sensation of someone kicking him in the back of the leg when the injury occurred and realized immediately what the diagnosis would be. Haliburton had been battling through a calf injury and was devastated that he couldn’t help his team win a championship in the decisive contest against the Thunder.
“I think I was just hurt that I wasn’t going to be out there,” Haliburton said, as relayed by Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “I think it was all those emotions coming at once, but I wasn’t thinking about next year or what’s led up to this. All I was thinking about was being in the moment of Game 7 and that happening definitely sucked.”
Haliburton underwent an MRI after Game 5, when the calf injury was constantly on his mind and he scored only four points. He was told by doctors if it were the regular season he would have had to sit out a few weeks. But since it was the Finals, he was determined to play. He was able to pass a calf stress test prior to Game 6.
“After Game 6, I’m like ‘it’s done, it’s gone, adrenaline is going to get to me, I’m going to be good,'” Haliburton said. “I go to Game 7, I feel nothing. I feel great going into the game. I think that’s why I had a great start to the game. My body felt great. Then obviously, that happens in the end.”
Haliburton is still in the early stages of his rehab. He’s using a scooter and keeping the leg mostly elevated, so he’s mainly been working on his upper body strength. He looks at next season as a time to heal while remaining a team leader and becoming a de facto assistant coach.
“I haven’t even thought about what the season will call for,” Haliburton said. “I probably won’t be traveling as much early in the year depending on what stage of rehab I’m in. But I still want to be around the guys as much as possible. I think I want to take this time to keep growing my mind for the game. Being around coach (Rick) Carlisle. Sit in on coaches meetings. (President of basketball operations) (Kevin) Pritchard, talking to those guys and helping. I feel like I have a pretty decent basketball mind myself. So I’m just trying to help the guys as best as I can. I’m going to be on the bench as soon as I can walk.”
You can access the video of the interview here.
Ricky Rubio Signs With Joventut Badalona
Ricky Rubio isn’t retiring after all. He has signed a contract with Spain’s Joventut Badalona, according to an announcement from the team.
Rubio ended his NBA career in January 2024 and returned to his home country of Spain, where he finished that season with Barcelona. He didn’t play for Barcelona this past season after taking a hiatus for mental health reasons.
Rubio indicated in June after posting a thank-you message on social media that he was still deciding whether to play again.
“Everything is open. I might play again – why not? – or I might not, and that wouldn’t be a bad idea either,” Rubio said. “It’s something I’d like to consider in the near future. For now, I just wanted to say thank you and also see how it affects me as a person, and if it gives me energy to move in one direction or another.”
Playing for Joventut Badalona represents a full circle move. Rubio started his pro career with the organization in 2005 and remained there until he signed with Barcelona in 2009.
Rubio was the fifth pick of the NBA draft in 2009 and came stateside two years later. He played for Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix and Cleveland over the course of 12 seasons, averaging 10.8 points and 7.4 assists in 698 career games.
Marcus Smart Officially Signs With Lakers
Marcus Smart has officially joined the Lakers. The team announced the signing of the veteran guard in a press release.
“Adding a player like Marcus Smart to our roster allows us to compete at the highest level,” Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said in the statement. “Marcus epitomizes what it means to prioritize winning above all else – whether that’s making huge plays on the defensive end or hitting critical shots in key moments of the most intense games. He knows and understands playoff winning and will be a key leadership voice in our group.
“Surrounding our stars with two-way players like Marcus is critical to our overall vision of how we want to play and win next season. This is an exciting player acquisition, for sure.”
Smart reached a buyout agreement with the Wizards over the weekend and was placed on waivers. At that time, it was reported that the combo guard had decided to join the Lakers. Smart’s new contract is worth roughly $10.5MM over two years and includes a player option for the second season.
Smart, who gave up $6.8MM of his $21.59MM salary as part of his buyout with Washington, could back up both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and will boost his new team with his leadership, ball-handling and defensive prowess.
Smart, 31, has battled health problems over the past two seasons. He was named Defensive Player of the Year with Boston in 2022, but his career took a downturn after a trade to Memphis in the summer of 2023. A wide swath of injuries limited him to 39 total games in a year and a half with the Grizzlies before he was sent to Washington in a three-team deal at this year’s trade deadline.
He appeared in 19 games with Memphis and 15 games with the Wizards last season, averaging 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 20 minutes per night with .393/.348/.761 shooting numbers.
Leonard, Harden Signed Off On Paul Addition
Chris Paul‘s return to Los Angeles and the Clippers goes beyond sentimentality. Paul could be a piece to a championship puzzle as a key second-unit floor leader, according to president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.
Paul signed a one-year contract for a second stint with the organization for which he played from 2011-17. He started for the Spurs all of last season but accepted a backup role offered by the Clippers.
“Chris takes care of the ball and runs an offense about as well as anyone who’s ever done it,” Frank said, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “He’ll slot into our roster as a reserve point guard. There’ll be nights when Chris plays a lot, there’ll be nights he does not. Chris is excited to be here, to be part of the group, to help lead the group and to play when called on.”
Paul was looking to play closer to his family in Los Angeles. The 40-year-old had issues with James Harden when the two stars played in Houston but there’s no lingering bitterness. In fact, Harden felt Paul would be an ideal choice to back him up.
“When talking to James, talking to Kawhi (Leonard) … both guys said CP would be the best guy for this role,” Frank said. “I think James is all about winning. … He thought that Chris would be a great fit for the team.”
This could be Paul’s last season and last chance to win a championship, a goal which has eluded him in his career.
“Well, I think there’s the nostalgic aspect,” Frank said, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “But I think the No. 1 question that we always say, is how can he help impact winning? … And yeah, look, there’s the heartstrings part of it, of someone who was such a significant part of the Clippers’ rise to be able to bring it back. Whether this is his last year or not, that’s obviously Chris’ story in terms of what he feels and what he wants. But I think No. 1 is his ability to help impact winning.”
Frank also touched on a few other topics during his Zoom session:
- Amir Coffey remains a free agent after appearing in 72 games with the Clippers last season. Jordan Miller, who starred in the Summer League for the Clippers, was waived earlier this month. Frank isn’t sure that the team will be able to bring back either player due to first apron concerns, Law Murray of The Athletic tweets. “If there’s an opportunity here, we’d love to be able to create it. If there isn’t, then we wish those guys nothing but the best,” Frank said.
- Frank believes there’s more quality players than rotation spots on the current roster, according to Murray (Twitter link). “We’ll probably have a nine-man rotation… but you have 11 quality players,” he said.
- The frontcourt, ball-handling and shooting were areas Frank was looking to upgrade this summer. He feels those goals have been achieved, Murray tweets. “I think we feel really, really good and excited about where we’re at, but you never stop,” he said. The Clippers traded for forward John Collins, signed guard Bradley Beal after he was bought out by Phoenix and also added veteran center Brook Lopez in free agency.
NBA Names Kyle Filipowski Summer League MVP, Announces All-SL Teams
Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski has officially been named the Summer League Most Valuable Player for 2025, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). Filipowski is also one of five players who earned a spot on the All-Summer League first team.
Here are the full All-Summer League teams, per the league (Twitter links):
First Team
- Kyle Filipowski (Jazz)
- Nique Clifford (Kings)
- David Jones-Garcia (Spurs)
- Jordan Miller (Clippers)
- Terrence Shannon Jr. (Timberwolves)
Second Team
- Ron Holland (Pistons)
- Isaac Jones (Kings)
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
- Ajay Mitchell (Thunder)
- KJ Simpson (Hornets)
Filipowski, who is entering his second NBA season after playing 72 games as a rookie, appeared in a total of six Summer League contests (Salt Lake City and Las Vegas). He averaged 23.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 blocks in 27.6 minutes per game. He especially excelled in Las Vegas, averaging 29.3 PPG and 7.7 RPG in three outings.
Clifford, a rookie drafted with the No. 24 pick last month, posted averages of 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals in six contests. Jones-Garcia, who is seeking a contract, finished an eight-game summer campaign with averages of 22 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He posted averages of 21.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in a handful of games in Vegas.
Miller (22.0, 7.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists) racked up impressive number in five summer games after being waived earlier this month by the Clippers. Entering his second season with Minnesota, Shannon (22.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists) excelled in three contests.
After competing in the Summer League championship game on Sunday, both the Hornets (Knueppel and Simpson) and Kings (Clifford and Jones) had multiple players recognized for their play in Las Vegas. Knueppel was named the MVP of the championship game.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Beal, Paul, Harden
The Suns are comfortable with their current roster, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports, though they must make at least one more move.
Aided in large part by the Kevin Durant trade and the buyout of Bradley Beal‘s contract, the Suns have dropped under the tax aprons and can now aggregate contracts in a trade, do a sign-and-trade and use mid-level exceptions. However, it’s unlikely they’ll make another significant move.
While Rankin confirms the Suns have some interest in restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, they likely lack the draft capital and assets to pique the Warriors’ interest. Veteran free agents Russell Westbrook and Al Horford are not on their radar, Rankin adds.
Phoenix will have to add another player to the standard roster by the fall to meet the minimum of 14.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- What does the Suns‘ starting lineup look like after all the roster additions and subtractions? Rankin predicts Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Ryan Dunn and Mark Williams will claim those spots. Collin Gillespie, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Oso Ighodaro and lottery pick Khaman Maluach project as the top reserve candidates.
- Beal, who joined the Clippers on a two-year, $11MM contract, has a 15 percent trade kicker as part of his new deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Beal officially signed with L.A. on Friday after clearing waivers.
- There’s no lingering friction between Chris Paul, who signed with the Clippers on Monday, and his former Rockets teammate James Harden, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. In fact, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank declared that Paul will back up Harden next season. Frank was intent this offseason on getting quality depth, considering his aging roster and the proliferation of injuries throughout the league. “I’ll knock on wood, but the reality is for any NBA team, the amount of times you have your top 10 all available is usually 21 to 25 times throughout the course of a year. So, you literally need everyone on your roster to be able to contribute,” Frank said.
Southeast Notes: Da Silva, Wagner, Bitadze, Knueppel, McNeeley, Heat
Magic forwards Tristan Da Silva and Franz Wagner have been named to Germany’s preliminary roster for this summer’s EuroBasket tournament, according to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.
Wagner is one of the top players for Germany, which finished third at the competition in 2022. NBA veterans Dennis Schröder and Daniel Theis are also on the 16-man roster, which must be cut down to 12 for the tournament. Magic assistant coach Randy Gregory will serve as an assistant coach.
Orlando center Goga Bitadze will play for the Republic of Georgia at the event. The tournament will take place Aug. 27-Sept. 14 in Cyprus, Finland, Poland and Latvia.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets won the Las Vegas Summer League title and Kon Knueppel was named the tourney’s MVP. In doing so, Knueppel proved he had much to offer than just his ability to knock down jumpers, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes. Late first-round pick Liam McNeeley played with a chip on his shoulder and he could prove to be a steal at No. 29 overall, Boone adds.
- The Heat essentially have one two-way contract available. Did any of the unsigned players on their Summer League roster earn that deal? The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang identifies five players — center Dain Dainja, forwards Javonte Cooke and Myron Gardner and guards Erik Stevenson and Bryson Warren — who deserve consideration for that spot.
- How does the current Heat roster stack up against their Eastern Conference peers? Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald believes that Miami could finish anywhere from fifth to 10th in the East and identifies Cleveland and New York as the only clubs clearly better than the Heat, unless Philadelphia’s top players are healthy.
Hayden Gray Signs Exhibit 10 Contract With Celtics
Rookie Hayden Gray has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.
Gray led Division I in steals last season, averaging 11.2 points, 3.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game in 35 starts for UC San Diego. Gray, a 6’4” guard, shot 47.9 percent overall and 41.8 percent on 3-point attempts. He was a two-year starter for the Tritons.
Gray was a member of the Celtics’ Summer League team and appeared in one game, posting seven points, two assists and two steals in 20 minutes.
“I’ve got pretty good anticipation, reading the ball-handler’s eyes, knowing where they want to go with it,” Gray told Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog. “I take pride in defense. A lot of teams are really focusing on creating more possessions, and I think I can do that by causing turnovers and also just being a floor general, handling the ball, and setting the table for everyone.”
If Gray is waived, he would be in line for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he joins the G League’s Maine Celtics and spends at least 60 days with Boston’s affiliate.