Magic To Sign Phillip Wheeler To Exhibit 10 Deal
The Magic are signing Phillip Wheeler to an Exhibit 10 training camp deal, according to The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer (via Twitter).
Wheeler, 23, played five games for the Sixers last season, averaging 1.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per night. The 6’9″ forward played 19 games for the Texas Legends G League team and averaged 16.9 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 36.2% from three.
Orlando had previously signed four players to Exhibit 10 deals: Justin Minaya, Reece Beekman, Lester Quinones, and Colin Castleton. The Magic currently have one open two-way contract slot, so they may have their training camp invitees compete for that final spot.
If any of the five Magic players are cut ahead of the season and spent at least 60 days with the club’s NBAGL affiliate, the Osceola Magic, they’ll be eligible to earn bonuses worth up to $85,300 on top of their standard G League salaries.
Dylan Harper Undergoes Thumb Surgery, Hopeful For Opener
The Spurs‘ No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft, Dylan Harper, underwent surgery on Friday, reports Shams Charania for ESPN (via Twitter). The procedure addressed a partially torn ligament in the guard’s left thumb.
The hope is that the surgery will allow Harper to return in time for San Antonio’s October 22 season opener against the Mavericks. However, it will prevent the rookie point guard from participating in training camp, a crucial development step for any young player.
According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, Harper sustained the injury during an offseason workout in the Spurs’ practice facility on Wednesday. Team sources suggest Harper is considered unlikely to play during San Antonio’s preseason, McDonald adds.
The highly touted guard was expected to come off the bench behind De’Aaron Fox to start the season. If Harper is forced to miss regular-season time, the team will have to rely on its guard rotation of Jordan McLaughlin and reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle to handle backup point guard duties (Castle also figures to start alongside Fox).
Thomas Sorber Diagnosed With Torn ACL, Will Miss Season
Thunder rookie Thomas Sorber has been diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee, which he sustained during an offseason workout on Thursday, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The team announced in a press release that Sorber will miss the entire 2025/26 season while he recovers from the injury.
Sorber averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game during his one-and-done season at Georgetown before a left foot injury that required surgery caused him to miss the latter part of 2024/25.
The Thunder selected Sorber 15th overall in the 2025 draft. The big man will become the second straight Oklahoma City first-round pick to miss his rookie year, after last season’s 12th overall pick, Nikola Topic, missed his debut season with an ACL injury of his own.
With the Thunder’s extensions for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams signed, Sorber was expected to play a part in determining the future of the big man rotation and Isaiah Hartenstein‘s long-term status with the team.
The Thunder will now have to wait another season to see what he can provide them on the floor, though they have plenty of on-court insurance this season in Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams.
Rivers, Ham, Spanoulis Discuss Antetokounmpo At EuroBasket
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Team Greece to a win in their EuroBasket opener against Italy on Thursday, scoring 31 points in a 75-66 victory. In attendance for that victory were Bucks general manager Jon Horst, head coach Doc Rivers, and assistant coaches Vin Baker and Darvin Ham, writes Michalis Gioulenoglou of EuroHoops.
After the game, Rivers spoke about the experience of watching his star compete for the Greek national team.
“I love watching the movement and how they play,” he said, as relayed by Giorgos Kyriakidis of BasketNews. “I always steal plays, I watch it, and I take some of these plays back home and I run them. Yeah, I love all the movement, all the elbow action.”
Rivers, who is planning on staying to watch at least one more of Antetokounmpo’s games, noted that the two-time MVP tends to operate out of the post more at EuroBasket than in the NBA. Ham elaborated on some of the other differences he’s seen.
“He’s trying to involve his teammates and allow his teammates to help him help them,” said Ham. “It’s more team-oriented, more sets, and all of that here is different. They don’t play as fast as we do in the NBA, but in the NBA, his usage rate is off the charts. He constantly has the ball in his hands, so a little bit different role for him over there.”
While Ham was clear that Antetokounmpo is an unselfish player regardless of the situation, he summed it up in a simple sentence: “With us, he has to be Superman.”
Antetokounmpo’s Greek team coach, Vassilis Spanoulis, also answered questions about the star player and whether he’d be load-managed during games that might not be as crucial for the Hellas, according to Gioulenoglou.
“Giannis can play as much as I want him to play, we are in the official games now and there’s no limitations anymore,” Spanoulis said.
When asked about the experience of coaching Antetokounmpo this year versus prior years, Spanoulis saw a clear difference in approach despite the same personality he’s used to.
“He is more vocal this year. He is very humble for his status and the kind of player he is, and that extends off the court,” he said. “He wants to win, he wants to get this team to another level. He listens, but he can also lead the team in his own way.”
Team Greece, which most recently won the EuroBasket tournament in 2005, will next face off against Cyrpus on Saturday, followed by a matchup with Georgia on Sunday.
Charles Lee Talks About His, Hornets’ Offseason
Hornets head coach Charles Lee is in Rwanda as a part of the NBA’s yearly Basketball Without Borders program, and he’s hoping that his time there can pay unexpected dividends for his up-and-coming team, writes Roderick Boone for the Charlotte Observer.
Lee is working with a group that includes forward NBA forward Marvin Williams, who spent five-and-a-half seasons with the Hornets. That growing relationship has borne unexpected fruit, according to Lee.
“He’s been my assistant coach and he’s drawn up some beautiful [after-time-out] plays,” Lee said. “He brings a knowledge to the game that probably supersedes mine at that time, and so I’m learning from him.”
While Williams has been a helpful presence, he’s far from the only person to provide that educational experience for the Hornets’ head coach.
“There’s a lot of growth ideas that come from a trip like this,” Lee said. “Number one, you get to watch other coaches coach their teams here at BWB and watch their practices and learn some of their terminology and the different ways that they teach things… In between camp sessions, you get to spend time with other head coaches, assistant coaches… The conversations never stop, the learning never stops. So, there’s a ton of growth opportunities and ideas that I can kind of take from this experience.”
While Lee is continuing to grow as a coach, he’s also making sure to keep tabs on the Hornets, both through his coaching staff and through personal check-ins. Despite being away from the group, he’s excited about the progress the team has made this summer.
“I just love the offseason that we’ve had,” he said. “I think the focus that everyone’s had, the commitment to trying to get better, increasing their intensity of their workouts, and I’m looking forward to getting back after it… Charlotte Hornets basketball is always on my mind. Everything I do is for that organization, that program while those players just continue to get better.”
Lee added that he’s particularly excited about the team retaining restricted free agent Tre Mann.
“Tre has this great quality about himself where he can build the relationships, gain the trust and earn the trust of his teammates,” he said. “So, I’m looking forward to having him back out there on the court and off the court as well, to help kind of keep just bringing this thing together and building.”
Bogdan Bogdanovic Leaves EuroBasket Game With Injury
The Serbian national team, and possibly the Clippers, suffered a blow during Serbia’s EuroBasket game against Portugal as Bogdan Bogdanovic exited the game with an apparent hamstring injury.
Bogdanovic, who serves as the captain of the national team, was injured on a drive to the basket late in the second quarter, according to Semih Tuna of EuroHoops. BasketNews adds that Bogdanovic came up grabbing the back of his leg, and wasn’t seen on the bench in the second half.
“He’s dealing with a hamstring problem, stayed in the locker room, and will need scans to determine more,” commentator Slobodan Sarenac clarified later in the game.
Bogdanovic ended the game with seven points and five rebounds. Serbia held on for an 80-69 victory, powered by Nikola Jokic, who led the way with 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Nikola Jovic, who contributed 18 points.
Bogdanovic dealt with hamstring injuries early in the 2024/25 season, but finished the second half of the season with the Clippers, averaging 11.4 points and 3.2 assists in 25.0 minutes per night off the bench for LA
Team Serbia also lost Filip Petrusev, who was ejected after four minutes for what was deemed a violent act during a box out. Petrusev will be fined €5,000, and placed on a three-year probation, FIBA announced after the game. If he commits a similar offense during that three-year period, he would be suspended for one game on top of any additional sanctions handed out for the new incident.
Diogo Brito, who was the subject of Petrusev’s foul, expressed some level of disagreement with the referee’s ruling after the game, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. “It was a hard box-out, but I still think it was just a basketball play,” Brito said.
Knicks Notes: Robinson, McBride, Brunson, Thibodeau
The Knicks took care of plenty of business this summer, extending Mikal Bridges, hiring Mike Brown, and adding Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson in free agency. But one area the team has yet to address is the upcoming free agency of center Mitchell Robinson.
In a mailbag for The Athletic, James Edwards III discusses the Robinson conundrum for the Knicks, which revolves around both the immense value he has displayed for the team in back-to-back playoff runs, as well as the injury concerns that have limited him to just 48 games over the last two regular seasons.
Edwards’ sense is that the Knicks would be interested in a team-friendly extension, but if Robinson wants to bet on himself, that could complicate extension talks. Edwards also notes that should the center stay healthy during the first half of the season, the Knicks could consider trading him for value ahead of February’s deadline rather than risk losing him in free agency.
We have more from the Knicks:
- One player who could see an uptick in responsibility this season is Miles McBride, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. Bondy notes that Bridges struggled in his role as the primary point-of-attack defender last season and was less effective than in the past at staying in front of high-level ball-handlers, a role McBride is perfectly suited to. Having McBride take primary guard matchups would allow Bridges to slot in as a tertiary defender while not forcing Jalen Brunson into defensive matchups he would struggle with. Bondy notes that former head coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t lean very heavily on lineups that included both McBride and Brunson, likely due to size concerns, but that Brown might be more open to the idea.
- The addition of Brown is expected to bring more balance and structure to players’ roles, Bondy writes, and to increase the pace at which the team plays. As Bondy notes, that change may impact Brunson,w ho held the ball longer than any player in the NBA last season, with an average of 6.06 seconds per touch. By comparison, Tyrese Haliburton averaged just 3.65 seconds per touch. While Brunson is undeniably elite with the ball in his hand, encouraging him to make quicker decisions, especially when it comes to finding Karl-Anthony Towns along the perimeter, could help energize the offense and introduce more unpredictability.
- At least one prominent coach is still grappling with the Knicks’ decision to fire Thibodeau, according to Bondy, who cites recent comments by Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue. “Should he have been fired? Hell no,” Lue said on the Club Shay Shay podcast. “The players did a hell of a job. And Thibs did a hell of a job. And to take a team to their first [conference finals] in 25 years and then get fired, like, it just doesn’t make sense.” Lue also believes that the circumstances around Thibodeau’s firing and the expectations conveyed by the front office make for a difficult situation for Brown. “That’s a tough spot to be in,” he said.
Team Greece Finalizes EuroBasket Roster
Greece officially announced its finalized national team roster on Sunday. The EuroBasket tournament is tipping off this week, with the Hellas tipping off Group Play in a bracket with Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Spain, Georgia, and Cyprus as part of Group C. Their first game will be against Italy on August 28.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will headline the team as the lone NBA player on the roster. The two-time MVP is coming off an All-NBA First Team season in which he averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game.
While Antetokounmpo is the only player on the roster who is still in the league, the Greek team boasts a handful of former NBAers who now play in Europe, including two of Antetokounmpo’s brothers. Here is the complete list of players who will represent Greece in EuroBasket:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Kostas Antetokounmpo
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo
- Tyler Dorsey
- Panagiotis Kalaitzakis
- Dimitrios Katsivelis
- Giannoulis Larentzakis
- Dinos Mitoglou
- Kostas Papanikolaou
- Alexandros Samodurov
- Kostas Sloukas
- Vasileios Toliopoulos
Outside of the trio of brothers, Dorsey and Papanikolaou are likely the two names most familiar to NBA fans. Dorsey played 107 games over three seasons, starting 16 of them, and averaged 6.6 points on 35.1% three-point shooting. Papanikolaou played two seasons, one with the Rockets and one with the Nuggets, averaging 2.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per night.
The 20-year-old Samodurov is another interesting name to watch after being named to the All-Star Five in FIBA’s Under-20 tournament this season. A 6’10” center, Samadurov averaged 17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.4 blocks in the seven games Greece played.
Antetokounmpo recently began official work with the team, following a delay related to the size of his contract relative to FIBA’s insurance policy for players.
He played in the team’s exhibition game against France, which Greece lost 92-77 as Antetokounmpo scored 18 points on seven shots in just under 22 minutes. Team Greece ended the exhibition games with a record of 4-3.
P.J. Washington Likely To Reach Extension With Mavericks
After Dallas unexpectedly earned the No. 1 pick and the ability to draft Cooper Flagg this spring, the team’s crowded frontcourt has been a popular topic of speculation. In Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, the recently extended Daniel Gafford, and Dwight Powell, the team has a number of talented big men. Add in Flagg, Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin as forwards who can play the four, and the rotation quickly fills up.
However, P.J. Washington shouldn’t be considered the odd man out, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link). It’s a sentiment shared by general manager Nico Harrison, who has expressed enthusiasm this summer about the idea of Washington and Flagg sharing the floor together.
Washington will become extension-eligible this Friday, two years after he signed his current contract, for a four-year deal worth nearly $90MM, according to Stein, who hears from league sources that the two sides are expected to reach a deal.
Stein notes that the newly-27-year-old Washington has admirers around the league following a productive season-and-a-half in Dallas, including the 2024 Finals run in which he averaged 13.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and hit the clutch free throws that helped the Mavs advance to the Western Conference Finals.
However, due to extend-and-trade restrictions, any extension that includes a first-year raise exceeding 20%, has a subsequent raise exceeding 5%, or adds four new years to his deal would make Washington ineligible to be traded before the 2026 deadline, ensuring he plays out the season in Dallas.
Washington started all but one of his 57 games last year for the Mavs, averaging 14.7 points, a career-high 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks per contest while shooting 38.1% from three.
Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers Take Home Big3 Championship
Eleven years after helping the LeBron James-led Heat reach the Finals, Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley once again found themselves as Miami teammates vying for a championship, this time in Ice Cube’s Big3 league. Unlike in 2014 against the Spurs, when the Heat lost in five games, the pair came out victorious in the 3×3 title game on Sunday, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Beasley put up 25 points and 12 rebounds, but his biggest play of the night came off an isolation possession in which he found Chalmers waiting in the corner to hit a game-winning three-pointer to clinch the championship. Chalmers, the team’s captain, had just five points, but three of them were the biggest of the night.
Former Pacers wing Lance Stephenson was the second-leading scorer for the Miami 305 with 14 points. Beasley, Chalmers, and Stephenson were joined by former NBA players Reggie Evans and Sean Williams. They beat the Chicago Triplets, whose roster includes former NBA big men Montrezl Harrell and Amir Johnson.
Winderman notes that the title marked the fifth different league in which Chalmers has taken home a championship. The 39-year-old point guard also won two titles with the Heat, two championships in high school, an NCAA championship with Kansas in 2008, and a Champions League title with Virtus Bologna in 2019.
Beasley and Chalmers had previously made the 2024 Big3 Finals but ultimately lost to the team Bivouac, which featured Gerald Green and Corey Brewer.