Poll: Who Will Win Saturday’s Gold, Bronze Medal Games?
Saturday’s gold and bronze medal matchups at the Paris Olympics may look awfully familiar to fans of international basketball.
In the battle for gold, the United States and France will meet in a rematch of the 2020 Olympic final, when Team USA beat the French team by a score of 87-82 in Tokyo.
The U.S. squad is currently a 16-point favorite in Saturday’s rematch, according to BetOnline.ag. That’s no real surprise. Team USA, with a more loaded roster than the one it took to Tokyo, dominated the group stage with a 3-0 record and a +64 point differential, while France had just a +2 point differential and needed an overtime victory over Japan to secure a 2-1 record.
But France has the home crowd on its side and has pulled off an impressive pair of upsets in the knockout round, defeating Canada and Germany in consecutive contests to get back to the gold medal game. The U.S., meanwhile, looked beatable for the first time this tournament in its semifinal vs. Serbia and needed to erase a 17-point deficit to advance to the final.
Team USA has won men’s basketball gold in every Olympics since 2004 and it would be a major surprise if it didn’t happen again, but if the French team – led by rising star Victor Wembanyama – plays like it did against Canada and Germany, it should at least be a competitive game.
As for the bronze medal matchup, it’s another rematch of a recent international showdown — Germany defeated Serbia at the 2023 FIBA World Cup last September for gold. On Saturday, the two nations will square off in the hopes of earning an Olympic medal. It would be the first Olympic men’s basketball medal for Germany or the second for Serbia, which won silver in Rio in 2016.
While Germany took last year’s gold medal game, the Serbians didn’t have star center Nikola Jokic on their World Cup roster. Having the three-time NBA MVP available for this game makes Serbia the favorite, but oddsmakers are expecting a close one — BetOnline.ag has the Germans listed as just two-point underdogs.
While Jokic has led the way for Serbia with 18.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game, Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has been a reliable sidekick, matching Jokic’s scoring average (18.8 PPG) while also chipping in 4.4 RPG and 4.0 APG and making 42.9% of his three-point attempts. Vasilije Micic (12.2 PPG, 5.0 APG), Filip Petrusev (9.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG), and Aleksa Avramovic (10.0 PPG) are among the team’s other key contributors.
On the other side, the Germans have been led by Dennis Schröder (18.0 PPG, 7.8 APG) and Franz Wagner (18.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG), with Daniel Theis (9.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG), Isaac Bonga (9.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG), and Moritz Wagner (8.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG) also playing significant roles.
Prior to their semifinal loss to France, Germany looked like perhaps the second-best team in the tournament, with a 4-0 record and a +60 point differential. But Serbia has been awfully good too — they’ve lose twice to the U.S., but have gone 3-0 with a +57 point differential against everyone else.
We want to know what you think. Who will win the gold and bronze medal games in Paris on Saturday?
Vote in our poll below, then head to the comment section below to share your predictions!
Who will win Saturday's gold and bronze medal games?
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United States and Serbia 61% (212)
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United States and Germany 27% (92)
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France and Serbia 7% (26)
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France and Germany 5% (17)
Total votes: 347
Team USA Notes: Durant, Holiday, Brown, Tatum, Embiid
Team USA will make a lineup change for its gold medal game on Saturday vs. France, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who says that Suns forward Kevin Durant will be inserted into the starting five, with Celtics guard Jrue Holiday expected to make the move to the bench.
Durant missed all of Team USA’s exhibition contests leading up to the Olympics due to a calf strain, or else he might have been a starter from day one. Despite not getting any game reps in before the Olympics, Durant has been one of the team’s most-used players and top scorers in France, averaging 13.6 points in 20.5 minutes per contest and posting a white-hot shooting line of .579/.611/.929.
The French team’s frontcourt is its biggest strength, with Victor Wembanyama, Guerschon Yabusele, and Mathias Lessort playing key roles in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Rudy Gobert is also in that mix, though he’s banged up and has played a limited role in the knockout round. Adding Durant to the starting five will put the U.S. squad in a better position to match up with France’s size.
Here’s more on Team USA ahead of Saturday’s gold medal game:
- USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill spoke to Joe Vardon of The Athletic and Rachel Nichols on the All The Smoke podcast (YouTube link) about the process of building the U.S. roster and his areas of concern entering the tournament. In his conversation with Nichols, Hill discussed the omission of Jaylen Brown from the 12-man squad, indicating that the Celtics wing will receive consideration for the 2028 team in Los Angeles despite the public criticism Brown offered last month. “He’ll be a candidate if he wants in ’28,” Hill said (Twitter video link). “One thing I’ve learned is you can’t take anything personal. My objective is to win.”
- After Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was a DNP-CD for the second time in the Olympics in Thursday’s comeback win over Serbia, head coach Steve Kerr explained that it’s hard to find playing time for 11 players in a 40-minute game, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “It’s not about anything Jayson is doing or not doing,” Kerr said. “It’s just about combinations and the way that group has played together, the way Kevin has filled in since he came back from his injury. It’s just a math problem more than anything.” While it’s a small sample size, Tatum’s .389 FG% in Olympic play is the worst among U.S. players.
- Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic take a look at the Joel Embiid subplot that will play a part in Saturday’s final, given that the former NBA MVP chose to play for United States over France in these Olympics. Embiid fully anticipates a cool reception from the home crowd in Paris. “They’re going to boo me,” he said with a smile. “I’m going to go back at them and tell ’em to suck it. And so it’s going to be fun.”
Ten Minimum-Salary Free Agent Signings With Bargain Potential
The Suns' deal with Tyus Jones and the Bucks' addition of Gary Trent Jr. have been widely lauded as steals, with each contract coming in well below what the player was expected to earn on the open market.
But those aren't the only minimum-salary signings that could pay off in a big way in 2024/25. In fact, they're not even the only potential minimum-salary bargains on Phoenix's or Milwaukee's roster.
Listed below are 10 players - not including Jones or Trent - who signed for the veteran's minimum as free agents this summer and are in position to return surplus value for their respective teams. Let's dive in...
1. Spencer Dinwiddie (Mavericks)
The fact that Dinwiddie had to settle for a minimum-salary deal this offseason isn't a huge surprise, given that he's coming off a down year and finished last season on a minimum contract after hitting the buyout market in February.
But the veteran point guard is just one year removed from averaging 17.3 points and 6.5 assists in 34.5 minutes per game across 79 outings (all starts). He was also especially effective during his previous stint with the Mavericks from February 2022 to February 2023, posting an impressive shooting line of .466/.404/.788 while averaging 17.1 PPG.
Kings Sign Orlando Robinson
AUGUST 7: The Kings have announced Robinson’s signing, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
JULY 24: The Kings and free agent center Orlando Robinson have agreed to a one-year deal, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Robinson, 24, spent the past two seasons with the Heat after going undrafted out of Fresno State in 2022. Across two seasons in Miami, he appeared in 67 NBA regular season contests, averaging 3.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 10.9 minutes per game.
Robinson’s contract with the Heat included a non-guaranteed minimum salary for the 2024/25 season. However, the club waived him earlier this month before that salary became fully guaranteed. The 6’10” big man subsequently suited up for the Rockets’ Summer League team in Las Vegas, averaging 14.2 PPG and 9.4 RPG in 23.5 MPG across five appearances.
The Kings’ depth chart behind All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis is fairly limited — Alex Len is currently the only other true five on the roster. Trey Lyles is another option in the middle, but he’s more of a power forward. Veteran center JaVale McGee, who finished last season with the club, remains unsigned as an unrestricted free agent.
In other words, there’s a possible path to playing time for Robinson in Sacramento, assuming he makes the regular season roster. The details of his contract aren’t yet known, but it will likely be worth the veteran’s minimum and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not fully guaranteed.
Once Robinson’s deal is official, the Kings will have 14 players on standard contracts, with all three two-way slots filled. Sacramento currently has 12 players with fully guaranteed salaries for 2024/25, while Keon Ellis is on a non-guaranteed contract.
Details On Lauri Markkanen’s New Contract
The official details on Lauri Markkanen‘s new renegotiated and extended contract with the Jazz are in.
As expected, Utah used its cap room to bump Markkanen’s 2024/25 salary from approximately $18MM all the way up to his maximum (over $42MM). He’ll also receive a maximum salary in the first year of his extension. However, the second, third, and fourth years of the extension will come in a little below the max.
Here’s the year-by-year breakdown:
- 2024/25: $42,176,400
- Note: This is up from $18,044,544, for $24,131,856 in new money in 2024/25.
- 2025/26: $46,394,100
- Note: This salary is based on a projected $154,647,000 salary cap in 2025/26, which would be the maximum allowable 10% raise. If the cap comes in lower than that, this salary would too (it will be worth 30% of the cap).
- 2026/27: $46,113,154
- 2027/28: $49,824,681
- 2028/29: $53,536,209
In total, Markkanen is projected to earn $238,044,544 over the next five years, including $195,868,144 across his four-year extension that begins in 2025. The deal provides exactly $220MM in total new money.
Given that the Jazz were OK with Markkanen waiting until Wednesday to sign this contract – which makes him ineligible to be traded for the entire 2024/25 regular season – it’s a pretty favorable arrangement overall for the star forward.
Technically, Markkanen could have earned a maximum of $207,845,568 over four years with the Jazz as a free agent next summer, or $199,494,630 over four years if he left Utah for a new team, so his $195.9MM extension comes in a little below both figures. But after taking into account his $24MM+ raise for ’24/25 – which only the Jazz could have offered – he’ll come out well ahead financially over the next five seasons.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac observes (via Twitter), the 2026/27 dip in Markkanen’s deal could open the door for the Jazz to create significant cap room during the 2026 offseason. Outside of Markkanen’s new contract, the only salaries on Utah’s books for that season right now are rookie scale deals.
Here are a few more notes on Markkanen’s lucrative new long-term contract:
- The Jazz renounced their free agent rights to Talen Horton-Tucker and Kira Lewis in order to create the cap room necessary to renegotiate Markkanen’s contract, per RealGM’s transaction log. The team no longer holds any form of Bird rights on either player.
- With Markkanen’s deal on the books, the Jazz have surpassed the minimum salary floor and can create up to $11,295,112 in cap space. They’ll need to use a small portion of that room to re-sign Johnny Juzang to his reported four-year, $12MM deal. Utah has also reached a two-year, $10MM agreement with free agent center Drew Eubanks, though the club could complete that signing using the room exception if necessary.
- Jazz CEO Danny Ainge and general manager Justin Zanik both issued statements on Markkanen in the team’s official press release announcing his extension. “Lauri’s ability to score in multiple ways and his versatility as a player makes our team better,” Ainge said. “He embodies our team’s core values on and off the court. We’re glad that he wants to be a part of our future and what we’re building here in Utah.”
- Zanik’s statement is as follows: “Lauri’s combination of size, skill, and shooting is really unique, and he’s proved he’s an All-Star level player with his improvement over the past two seasons. We’re excited that he shares the same vision of what our team can be long-term and to have him not only as a building block for the Jazz, but also as a member of the Utah community for years to come, is huge.”
Warriors Notes: Podziemski, Kuminga, Curry, Green, Moody, More
The Warriors viewed the Jazz‘s asking price in trade talks for Lauri Markkanen as one that would have made it a “bad deal” if they’d met it, sources tell Kendra Andrews of ESPN, which is why discussions between the two teams stalled. Those talks officially came to an end on Wednesday when Markkanen renegotiated and extended his contract with Utah, making him ineligible to be dealt until the 2025 offseason.
Confirming previous reporting from The Athletic, Andrews says the Warriors aren’t feeling any urgency to shift their focus to a new trade target now that Markkanen is off the board, citing team sources who say the club isn’t “hot on” any of the players currently available on the market.
The negotiations with Utah also showed that the Warriors intend to hang onto young players like Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga “very tightly,” Andrews writes, and would only be willing to move one or both of them in an “overwhelming” deal that made the team better in the long run.
For now, Podziemski, Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Trayce Jackson-Davis all appear poised to take on larger roles with the Warriors in 2024/25, though nothing will be handed to them, a source tell Andrews, meaning they’ll have to show that they deserve increased minutes and possibly starting spots. While Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are, of course, penciled in as starters, the other three spots in the starting five are considered “wide open” entering training camp, Andrews reports.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Curry and Green want to be consulted on the Warriors’ roster moves, but they’ve made it clear they don’t want to be “final decision-makers,” sources tell ESPN. “Steph has said, ‘Look, I do not want to be making those decisions. It puts me in a different spot than all of my teammates. I do not want that,'” one source said to Andrews. While the two stars are still adjusting to the fact that Klay Thompson is no longer on the roster, they’re excited about the moves Golden State has made this offseason, Andrews adds.
- With Thompson and Chris Paul exiting Golden State this summer, adding scoring was the team’s top priority, which was the impetus for the addition of Buddy Hield in particular. The Warriors also expect Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton to contribute in that area while helping to solidify the defense, Andrews writes.
- The Warriors haven’t engaged in any serious rookie scale extension discussions with Kuminga or Moody yet, but general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has expressed interest in exploring deals for both players. Andrews suggests Moody’s next deal could be in the range of $11-13MM per year.
- One front office source told Andrews that it was “actually really fun” to be able to operate below the tax aprons this offseason for the first time in years. That allowed the Warriors to use their full mid-level exception (on Melton) and acquire two players (Hield and Anderson) via sign-and-trade.
- “Diversifying” the coaching staff and bringing in fresh faces was a goal this offseason, which led to the additions of Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse. A source referred to head coach Steve Kerr and Stotts as “kindred spirits” and said Kerr appreciates the offensive acumen and communication skills the former Blazers head coach will bring to the club. Stackhouse, meanwhile, is expected to team up with assistant coach Chris DeMarco in focusing on the defensive side of the ball, says Andrews.
Jazz Renegotiate, Extend Lauri Markkanen’s Contract
AUGUST 7: Markkanen has renegotiated and extended his contract, agent Michael Lelchitski confirms to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Jazz have officially announced the deal (Twitter link).
According to Wojnarowski, the agreement actually features $220MM in new money. That works out to a total of approximately $238MM over the next five seasons after accounting for his previous $18MM salary for 2024/25.
That means, in addition to having his salary bumped up to the ’24/25 maximum (just over $42MM), Markkanen has tacked on another $196MM across the next four seasons.
As noted below, based on the NBA’s latest cap projections for 2025/26, Markkanen’s maximum four-year extension would have been worth about $208MM, so his new deal is much closer to the max than Tuesday’s reporting suggested. The extension features no options, Wojnarowski adds.
“They’ve all showed their belief in me, from the ownership to the front office to (head coach) Will (Hardy),” Markkanen told ESPN. “It’s a comfortable environment and those guys’ resumes speak for themselves. I trust in the organization to help grow me as a person and a player, to build our team and I’m ready to take on the challenge.”
Markkanen is now officially ineligible to be traded until the 2025 offseason.
AUGUST 6: Star forward Lauri Markkanen and the Jazz are expected to finalize an agreement on a contract renegotiation and a long-term extension that will be signed on August 7 or later, according to Shams Charania, Tony Jones, and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
The Jazz will be able to use their cap room to renegotiate Markkanen’s 2024/25 salary ($18,044,544) all the way up to his maximum of $42,176,400, then extend him based off of that number. Extending him based on his previous salary would have limited his maximum extension to about $113MM over four new years, for a total of approximately $131MM over five years.
League sources tell The Athletic that Markkanen’s new deal is expected to be worth upwards of $200MM over the next five seasons (including ’24/25).
Markkanen became eligible for a contract renegotiation on August 6. If he were to sign today, he’d become trade-eligible on February 6, the day of the 2025 deadline. However, multiple recent reports stated that signing on Aug. 7 or later is the more likely outcome, and The Athletic’s latest story confirms that’s the plan.
Because players are prohibited from being dealt for six months after completing a contract renegotiation, the former All-Star will become ineligible to be traded for the entire 2024/25 regular season once he signs.
According to The Athletic’s trio, Markkanen has repeatedly expressed a desire to stay in Utah and wants to be part of the team’s rebuild. The Jazz, in turn, view him as a potential franchise cornerstone who can be part of their long-term plans. The front office reportedly pursued Jrue Holiday in 2023 and Mikal Bridges earlier this offseason in an effort to get Markkanen more help.
Still, Utah had been willing to listen to trade inquiries on the Finnish forward and has had trade conversations with the Warriors, Kings, and Spurs, among other teams, since the offseason began. Sacramento reportedly made progress in negotiations before those discussions collapsed in early July.
Golden State made an offer centered around Moses Moody and several draft assets, including first-round picks, second-round picks, and swaps, per The Athletic. However, the Warriors kept Brandin Podziemski out of their proposal, which was a sticking point for the Jazz and prevented the two sides from gaining any real momentum. Talks between the two teams were most active in early July and have been more infrequent in recent weeks as Golden State became resigned to the fact that a long-term extension for Markkanen was the most likely outcome, league sources tell The Athletic.
Because a contract renegotiation requires cap room, the Jazz are the only team in position to give Markkanen a raise up to his 2024/25 maximum salary this offseason, which also complicated trade talks. Any team that acquired the 27-year-old would likely have had to be comfortable going to unrestricted free agency with him next summer.
The only scenario in which Markkanen could realistically have been both extended and traded before next offseason would be if he signed a new deal today and then was moved on Feb. 6. If Utah had considered it a top priority to ensure Markkanen became trade-eligible at the deadline, the team could have played hardball in extension negotiations, making a lucrative long-term offer that would come off the table as of Aug. 7.
But it benefits the Jazz to lock up Markkanen now to avoid the risk of losing him for nothing in free agency next summer — he’ll still be trade-eligible during the 2025 offseason and could have more value at that time on a four-year contract than he does now on an expiring deal, so this new extension doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll spend the next five seasons in Utah.
For what it’s worth, if The Athletic’s five-year, $200MM estimate includes a $42MM salary for ’24/25, that would mean the four-year extension would be worth about $158MM, which is well below Markkanen’s potential maximum (approximately $208MM). Those figures suggest the Jazz were able to use some leverage to get more favorable terms in later years, though we’ll have to wait for the specific contract details to know that for sure.
Renegotiating Markkanen’s contract to give him a significant raise this season will allow the Jazz to surpass the minimum salary floor ($126.5MM). It’s unclear if the Jazz will officially complete their reported agreements with free agents Drew Eubanks and Johnny Juzang once the Markkanen situation is resolved or if the team will continue to retain as much cap room as possible for now as it explores the trade market for other possible deals.
Markkanen, who was sent to Utah from Cleveland as part of the Donovan Mitchell trade in 2022, has averaged 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 33.8 minutes per game across 121 appearances with the Jazz, recording a shooting line of .490/.395/.885.
Markkanen’s strong play has helped the Jazz remain relatively competitive in each of the past two seasons, especially in the first half. Utah won 37 games in 2022/23 and 31 in ’23/24, which resulted in the team picking no higher than No. 9 in either of the past two drafts.
Securing a higher lottery pick in a loaded 2025 draft is expected to be a priority for the Jazz, so it will be interesting to see how the team manages its lineup and rotation next season. The expectation is that Utah will give its young players, including Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, and Cody Williams, significant playing time and lean less heavily on its veterans.
Furkan Korkmaz Signs With AS Monaco
After spending the past seven seasons in the NBA, Furkan Korkmaz is returning to Europe, having signed a contract with AS Monaco Basket, according to a press release from the team. The deal includes one guaranteed season, with a second-year option.
The 26th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Korkmaz was initially a draft-and-stash prospect who made the move to the NBA in 2017. Across seven seasons with the Sixers, he averaged 6.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 16.6 minutes per game across 328 total outings (49 starts). He posted a career shooting line of .406/.356/.761.
Korkmaz’s time in Philadelphia came to an end in February, when he was traded to Indiana as part of the three-team deal that sent Buddy Hield to the 76ers. He was immediately waived by Indiana and has been a free agent since then. Earlier this week, he sent a belated farewell message (via Twitter) to the fans in Philadelphia.
“Thank you to the Sixers organization, to the amazing fans, and to my coaches and teammates,” he wrote. “Your support and love have been incredible. I’ve made incredible friendships along the way, and I’m grateful for every moment spent on and off the court. We’ve shared so many good and tough times together. Philadelphia, The City of Brotherly Love, you will always hold a special place in my heart.
“Thank you for the memories and the journey. Now, a new chapter begins in my career.”
Korkmaz, who was born in Istanbul, is no stranger to international basketball, having played for Anadolu Efes, Pertevniyal, and Banvit in his home country of Turkey between 2013-17.
He’ll be joining an AS Monaco club that’s coming off an impressive season in 2023/24 — the team went 29-5 in the LNB Elite (France’s top league) and had a 23-11 record in EuroLeague competition. Monaco won a championship in France, but was knocked off by the lower-seeded Fenerbahce in the EuroLeague playoffs.
Rudy Gobert Dealing With Finger Injury
Reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert was on the court for just 3:41 in France’s upset win over Canada in Tuesday’s Olympic quarterfinal showdown. Matchup and health concerns were both factors in that decision, according to post-game quotes from Gobert and French head coach Vincent Collet.
Speaking to reporters, including Sam Amick of The Athletic and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter links), Gobert said that he injured his left ring finger in a Sunday practice and underwent surgery to address the injury on Monday. He added that he was thankful he was able to play at all in the victory, which secured France a spot in the semifinals. Teammate Evan Fournier also said after the game that Gobert had a “little surgery” on his finger, according to BasketNews.com.
However, Collet later disputed that Gobert underwent surgery, telling reporters that the big man had an exam – including an MRI – and was in pain leading up to Tuesday’s game, but was eventually cleared to play (Twitter link). While the injury was one reason for Gobert’s limited role, Collet also wanted to use a smaller lineup to match up with the Canadians.
“They always start the game with Dillon Brooks at (the) four, and they play small ball,” Collet said of Canada, per Amick. “…I wanted (Victor Wembanyama) to start at (the) five, so that’s why I put back (Guerschon) Yabusele at (the) four, and the second change was (Isaia) Cordinier for Evan Fournier, because I wanted to start with a defensive starting five.”
Gobert played at least 18 minutes in each of France’s three pool-play games, averaging 6.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per contest while making 8-of-11 (72.7%) of his shot attempts. On Tuesday, he didn’t score in his four minutes of action, grabbing a single rebound to go along with one turnover.
Despite Gobert being a non-factor, France played its best game of the tournament, with Yabusele (22 points, five rebounds), Mathias Lessort (13 points, five rebounds), and Wembanyama (seven points, 12 rebounds, five assists) providing productive minutes in the frontcourt.
In the short term, it’s unclear how much Gobert will play in Thursday’s semifinal vs. Germany. In the longer term, the Timberwolves probably aren’t too concerned about his availability this fall. With about seven weeks to recover between the end of the Olympics and the start of training camp, I’d expect the veteran center to be good to go for the NBA regular season.
D’Moi Hodge Signs With Greek Team
Former Lakers guard D’Moi Hodge has signed with Aris Thessaloniki, the Greek team announced in a press release. The contract will cover the 2024/25 season.
Hodge signed a two-way deal with the Lakers last summer after going undrafted out of Missouri. Although he opened the regular season with the team, the 25-year-old was waived in January ahead of the league-wide salary guarantee date, making him a free agent after he logged just 41 total minutes in seven NBA games.
Hodge subsequently joined the Rip City Remix for the rest of the 2023/24 campaign, averaging 13.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in 28.1 minutes per game across 26 outings for Portland’s G League affiliate. He posted a shooting line of .391/.355/.774 for the Remix.
While Hodge only earned about $248K of his two-way salary as a result of being waived in January, he claimed a $250K bonus when the Lakers won the NBA’s first in-season tournament in December, so he nearly earned the equivalent of a full-season two-way salary.
Hodge will be joining an Aris team that registered a 12-10 record in Greek League action last season before falling to Panathinaikos in the semifinals in the postseason.