International Notes: Napier, Markkanen, Williams, Birch
After winning a championship and being named 2025 Finals MVP of the German Bundesliga for Bayern Munich, Shabazz Napier is hitting free agency, writes Dario Skerletic of Sportando.
The 34-year-old point guard averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 41.1% on three-pointers during EuroLeague play.
Napier was the 24th pick in the 2014 draft and averaged 7.1 points and 2.5 assists during his six-year NBA career. He split time between the G League and EuroLeague throughout the 2022/23 season, playing 10 games for the Mexico City Capitanes and averaging 22.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.9 steals while shooting 47.1% from three before joining Olimpia Milano, where he averaged 15.0 points and 3.9 assists and knocked down 45.6% of his threes.
Since then, he has bounced between Olimpia Milano and Crvena Zvezda before heading to Bayern this past season.
We have more from the world of international hoops:
- Lauri Markkanen will lead Team Finland in EuroBasket as the lone NBA player on the roster, as the team at Eurohoops.net notes. He’s not the only NBA personnel, though, as Jazz assistant Sean Sheldon will serve as an assistant coach. The Finnish team will play Sweden, Great Britain, Montenegro, Lithuania, and Germany in the group stage, which starts on August 27.
- Johnathan Williams III has signed a one-year deal with the London Lions, reports Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Williams spent two seasons in the NBA, from 2018-2020, splitting time between the Lakers and Wizards. He spent the previous three years in the Japanese league, playing last year for the Chiba Jets, for whom he averaged 11.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 17 games.
- In case you missed it, Khem Birch has finalized his contract extension with Fenerbahce. The new deal is for one year as the Turkish powerhouse looks to defend its title. The 32-year-old center was named Finals MVP of the Basketball Super League playoffs last season.
Jack McVeigh Hopes To Continue NBA Journey
Unrestricted free agent Jack McVeigh is actively pursuing options that will keep him in the NBA, reports ESPN’s Olgun Uluc (via Twitter).
McVeigh, who spent last season on a two-way contract with the Rockets, played nine games at the NBA level, as well as 34 games with Houston’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He averaged 16.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest in the NBAGL while making 37% of his three-point attempts.
Last year was the first NBA experience for the 29-year-old, 6’8″ forward from Australia, who had played the previous six years with the Adelaide 36ers and Tasmania JackJumpers before coming stateside.
He played four games with the Rockets’ Summer League team this offseason, averaging 14.0 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 45.5% from three in 22.8 minutes per game.
Uluc adds that McVeigh is seriously considering offers to play in Europe as well and that he has received offers from multiple high-level EuroLeague teams.
Uluc also notes (via Twitter) that McVeigh has a strong set of options back in the NBL. The JackJumpers recently relinquished their rights of first refusal, which would allow him to sign with another Australian team if he decides to return home. The Cairns Taipans and Illawara Hawks are expected to be the top two suitors should McVeigh head back to the NBL.
Latest On Knicks’ Offensive Coordinator Search
Hornets assistant Chris Jent is considered a leading candidate to become the Knicks‘ offensive coordinator, according to SiriusXM NBA Radio host Frank Isola (Twitter link).
Ian Begley of SNY, meanwhile, reports (via Twitter) that the Knicks have been in contact with Pacers assistant Mike Weinar. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post confirms (via Twitter) Begley’s report while adding that Weinar is also in consideration for the offensive coordinator role and is considered a strong candidate for the lead assistant job on Mike Brown‘s staff.
Jent is a longtime NBA assistant coach who joined the Hornets in 2024 and guided Charlotte’s Summer League title to a title last month. Prior to arriving in Charlotte, he spent five years on the Hawks’ bench (2017-22) and two seasons with the Lakers (2022-24).
Jent served as the interim head coach for the Magic for the final 18 games of the 2004/05 season. He had a brief playing career in the NBA, which included a three-game stint with the Knicks in 1996.
Weinar, prior to his time with the Pacers, served as an assistant for the Mavericks, having transitioned from a basketball operations role to join the coaching staff. His tenure in Dallas included the club’s 2011 title run.
The Knicks have also reportedly shown interest in Greg St. Jean from the Lakers and Patrick Mutombo from the Grizzlies as they continue to search for candidates to fill out the coaching staff under Mike Brown.
Kings To Add D.J. Ham To Coaching Staff
The Kings are adding D.J. Ham to their coaching staff, reports James Ham (no relation) of The Kings Beat (Twitter link). D.J. Ham will serve as the head of player development under head coach Doug Christie.
The Kings had previously announced Paul Jesperson as the head of player development for the 2025/26 season, but he stepped away from the team last month, per James Ham, so the team is making a new hire for that position.
D.J. Ham previously served as a player development coach and video assistant for the Cavaliers after spending two seasons as an assistant with the Cavaliers’ G League team, the Cleveland Charge. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Northwood University, his alma mater.
Ham is the son of former Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham, who is currently an assistant coach for the Bucks.
Stein’s Latest: Kuminga, Doncic, Vucevic, Fox, Love
Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agent negotiations with the Warriors continue to be one of the top lingering storylines of the NBA offseason. Following up on recent reports indicating that Kuminga has turned down a two-year, $45MM offer with a team option on the second year, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) notes that the team’s request for the forward to waive his implicit no-trade clause is part of the holdup.
A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract or a two-year deal with a second-year option gets the right to veto trades for the rest of the season, but that right can be waived as part of the contract agreement. Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince, and Jeff Green are among several players who have waived their veto rights when re-signing with their respective teams this summer.
A player in that position who consents to a trade – either by waiving his veto rights when he signs or by eventually approving an in-season trade – would lose any form of Bird rights as part of the deal and would have Non-Bird rights at the end of the season.
Aside from the contract negotiations, Stein writes that while Kuminga has returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he is still not expected to play in FIBA’s AfroBasket tournament this summer. No official decision has been announced yet, but it’s unlikely that Kuminga would suit up for the Congolese team if his contract situation remains unresolved.
Here’s more from Stein:
- Much has been made about Luka Doncic‘s three-year max extension with the Lakers and what it means for him and the team’s future, but Stein points out an important detail regarding the timeline of the deal. The contract would allow Doncic to become an unrestricted free agent in 2028 when he has more than eight years of NBA service and four seasons with his current team, which means he would be eligible for a no-trade clause if he were to wait until ’28 free agency to sign a new contract with the Lakers. Stein writes that while Doncic will have technically played three-and-a-half years with the Lakers, he’d still meet the no-trade criteria because he would have finished four seasons with the Lakers, even if he started the first one in Dallas.
- While the offseason buyout market has been particularly active this offseason, Stein cautions fans not to expect Bulls center Nikola Vucevic to join the likes of Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard this summer. He writes that unless a trade materializes in the next couple of months, Vucevic will very likely begin next season in Chicago. There has been speculation that the veteran big man could be a prime mid-season buyout candidate if no deal occurs by February’s trade deadline.
- Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox became eligible on Sunday for a three- or four-year extension that would look like the one Doncic signed in L.A. However, Stein notes that with the rise of reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and the addition of Dylan Harper with the No. 2 overall pick, there are questions league-wide about whether such a max deal is an automatic decision for San Antonio.
- Kevin Love is actively exploring landing spots in the case of a potential buyout from the Jazz after landing in Utah as a part of the Heat’s trade for Norman Powell, though Stein doesn’t name any possible suitors.
Khem Birch Signs One-Year Extension With Fenerbahce
August 3: Birch’s one-year extension with Fenerbahce — which covers the 2025/26 season — is now official, according to a team press release.
August 1: Veteran center Khem Birch is nearing a contract extension with EuroLeague champions Fenerbahce Istanbul, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. Urbonas indicates that the deal would at least lock up Birch for next season, though it’s unclear if it would extend beyond that.
Birch was named the Turkish League Finals MVP this season after averaging 11.2 points and 5,2 rebounds per game during the Finals. He averaged 3.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per night throughout EuroLeague play. BasketNews named him one of the best defenders in the EuroLeague.
After starting his career with Olympiacos in the Greek league, Birch played six seasons in the NBA, splitting his time between the Magic and the Raptors. He then returned overseas and has been playing in Europe since the 2023/24 season.
The Fenerbahce roster is loaded with players who have spent time in the NBA, including Nicolo Melli, Onuralp Bitim, Bonzie Colson, Devon Hall, and Wade Baldwin IV. The Turkish team will look to defend its domestic and EuroLeague titles this coming season.
Javon Freeman-Liberty Signs With Brisbane Bullets
Javon Freeman-Liberty has joined the Brisbane Bullets in Australia’s National Basketball League, reports ESPN’s Olgun Uluc (via Twitter). He will head overseas on a one-year deal.
Freeman-Liberty played 22 games for the Raptors in the 2023/24 season, averaging 7.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per night. The 25-year-old spent last year with the Windy City Bulls G League team, for whom he averaged 19.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 35.6% on 7.9 three-point attempts per game.
A 6’4″ guard, Freeman-Liberty is coming off a strong Summer League with the Bulls that saw him average 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in five contests.
The Bullets came in eighth in the NBL last season out of 10 teams and are hoping that the addition of Freeman-Liberty can help boost them up the standings.
“To add a talent of Javon’s caliber to our roster at this stage is really exciting,” said head coach Stu Lash, according to the NBL website. “He’s a hungry player who’s ready to take the next step in his development as a professional. His toughness, ferocity, and willingness to compete make him a natural fit for what we value at the Brisbane Bullets.”
Trail Blazers To Fully Guarantee Duop Reath’s Contract
The Trail Blazers will fully guarantee Duop Reath‘s contract for the 2025/26 season, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Reath’s deal will pay him $2.22MM. Portland would have had to waive him on or before Friday in order to avoid guaranteeing that full amount, as our early salary guarantee tracker shows.
Reath has spent the last two seasons with the Blazers. He averaged 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 35.9% from three as a rookie, but saw his playing time diminish from 17.9 minutes per night over 68 games to 10.2 minutes per night over 46 games last season following the addition of rookie center Donovan Clingan.
While previous starting center Deandre Ayton is now with the Lakers, the Blazers once again took a big man in the first round in Yang Hansen. If Hansen is able to earn minutes as a rookie, Reath’s pathway to minutes will remain somewhat blocked, especially if Robert Williams is healthy.
Spurs To Guarantee Julian Champagnie’s 2025/26 Salary
The Spurs will fully guarantee Julian Champagnie‘s 2025/26 salary, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Champagnie is set to make $3MM in the third season of his four-year contract, which also includes a $3MM team option for the 2026/27 season. August 1 represented the guarantee date for this season’s salary.
The fourth-year small forward carved out a role for himself in San Antonio over the past two seasons, playing 74 games in 2023/24 and all 82 games last year. He averaged 9.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per night last season while shooting 37.1% from three on 5.9 attempts per game.
The Spurs have upgraded their roster in multiple spots this summer, adding Dylan Harper, Kelly Olynyk, Luke Kornet, and Carter Bryant, which will make it harder for Champagnie to command the same role he did in ’24/25. However, the team remains relatively light on wings and could use his three-point shooting.
Skylar Mays Signs With KK Buducnost
Skylar Mays has signed with the Montenegrin team KK Buducnost, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando. The team officially announced the deal in a press release.
Mays played four seasons in the NBA, with the majority of his time coming with the Hawks. He last played in the NBA in 2023/24, suiting up for 21 games with the Trail Blazers and 17 with the Lakers. Across 105 career appearances, he holds career averages of 4.3 points and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 34.5% from three and 85.9% from the free throw line.
Mays played 19 games with the Iowa Wolves G League team last season, averaging 12.5 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 39% from three. He also spent time with EuroLeague champion Fenerbahce last year, averaging 3.7 PPG in 10.1 MPG during league play.
Mays will join a Buducnost roster that boasts former NBA players Juwan Morgan and Yogi Ferrell.