Mike Budenholzer’s Job With Bucks In Jeopardy?
Head coach Mike Budenholzer has led the Bucks to a 271-120 regular season record in his five seasons at the helm, which is the best mark in the NBA over that span.
Under Budenholzer, the Bucks won their first championship in 50 years in 2020/21. Milwaukee once again had the best record in the league this season at 58-24.
However, Budenholzer’s late-game decision-making in the team’s first-round loss to the Heat has been called into question. He didn’t use a timeout in the middle of a 13-0 run by the Heat at the end of Game 4.
He also didn’t use his final timeout to advance the ball with the game tied with 0.5 seconds left at the end of regulation in Game 5, or use one at the end of overtime with 11 seconds left down two points — both possessions culminated in the Bucks failing to get a shot off.
As Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes, Budenholzer also continued to use Jrue Holiday to defend Jimmy Butler in the final two games with Giannis Antetokounmpo back in the lineup, even though putting the two-time MVP on Butler is partly how the Bucks swept the Heat in the playoffs two years ago. Butler was great all series, but particularly in Games 4 and 5, when he averaged 49.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block on .590/.333/.741 shooting in 43.4 minutes.
“Out of respect, you gotta let the coach make that adjustment,” Antetokounmpo said of guarding Butler. “We have our best defender on him. There are conversations with Jrue. Whenever he gets tired, I can take him, but he’s so competitive. He plays so hard. He wants to take the challenge. But at the end of the day, I wish I could guard him more, for sure.”
When Nehm asked Budenholzer if he viewed the season as a failure, he framed it in slightly different terms.
“This team has incredibly high expectations,” Budenholzer said. “(General manager) Jon Horst has put together an amazing roster. The ownership has done what they’re supposed to do. We made a push, we were the No. 1 seed, but all that matters is the playoffs.
“And so, I think we’re just disappointed. I would not use that word (failure). We’re disappointed, we’re frustrated. It hurts. But I said it all year, we love this team, we love these guys, I believe in ’em, we believe in ’em, we didn’t get it done tonight. So, to me, disappointed, hurt, frustrated, I think is more characteristic of how we feel about tonight.”
People around the league think Budenholzer will eventually be fired following the five-game series, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, who said on his podcast that he believes that’s the most likely outcome.
“There’s some losses for which there’s just no going back,” Lowe said (hat tip to RealGM). “You cannot come back the same team. And the Bucks cannot come back the same team from this. I don’t know how it will go…
“League insiders, you don’t really have to be an insider, but league insiders are extremely skeptical that Mike Budenholzer can return as head coach of the Bucks after this. He has, according to [Adrian Wojnarowski], his last extension which happened after they won the title runs through the ’24/25 season, so he has two years left. I just don’t see any coming back from it. It’s just logic.
“I think the league insiders are going to be right. I just don’t see any other way.”
Wolves Notes: Edwards, McDaniels, Reid, Gobert, Finch, Connelly
As former first-round picks entering their fourth seasons, Timberwolves wings Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels will be eligible for rookie scale extensions this summer. President of basketball operations Tim Connelly didn’t hesitate when asked if the team would commit to the two young players, tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.
When the Wolves are permitted to have extension discussions with Edwards and McDaniels, both players will have “really, really nice offers with a lot of money in their inbox,” Connelly said.
Edwards is highly likely to receive a rookie scale max extension after emerging as the team’s best player in 2022/23, while McDaniels could potentially get a nine-figure offer himself — particularly with the addition of a fifth year on non-max rookie extensions — following a career season.
Here’s more on the Wolves:
- Edwards’ attorney released a statement saying the guard intends to fight the “baseless” assault charges he’s facing in Denver, Hine writes for The Star Tribune. “With the game over, Anthony’s exit from the court was partially obstructed by a chair, which he moved and set down three steps later,” attorney Harvey Steinberg said via Klutch Sports, Edwards’ agency. “As video of the incident confirms, Anthony did not swing the chair at anyone and of course did not intend to hurt anyone. Despite these innocent facts, the Denver Police Department inexplicably chose to charge Anthony with two counts of misdemeanor assault. Anthony intends to vigorously defend against these baseless charges.”
- Both Connelly and head coach Chris Finch said that bringing back reserve big man Naz Reid will be a top priority for the Wolves, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link). Reid will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension. The 23-year-old averaged career highs in points per game (11.5), rebounds (4.9) and field goal percentage (53.7%), but missed the end of the regular season and postseason after fracturing his left wrist, which required surgery.
- Center Rudy Gobert has been a mainstay for the French national team in international play, but he says he’s not sure if he’ll compete in the World Cup, which starts in late August, per Krawczynski (Twitter link). The three-time Defensive Player of the Year added that he wants to “come back like I want to have the best year of my career next season. I know that this summer I’m going to put myself in position that I’ve never put myself in before.”
- It certainly sounds like Finch’s job will be safe entering next season, as Connelly called the coach and his staff “elite,” tweets Krawczynski. As for the rumors linking Connelly to the Wizards‘ front office opening, he says he’s “pretty committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves right now” and is focused on advancing in the playoffs and building for the future (Twitter video link via SneakerReporter, who covers the Wolves).
Clippers Notes: George, Kawhi, Future, Westbrook
Despite a disappointing first-round playoff exit that saw Paul George (right knee sprain) and Kawhi Leonard (torn right meniscus) sidelined with injuries, the Clippers remain committed to their star duo, a person with knowledge of the situation tells Mark Medina of Sportsnaut.com.
As Medina writes, both players have missed significant time due to injuries since the Clippers acquired them in the 2019 offseason, but they are under contract through at least 2023/24, with player options for ’24/25. The Clippers still believe George and Leonard are in the prime of their careers and are “enamored” with their ability to play both ends of the court.
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- Leonard is still exploring his options with team doctors to determine whether or not he’ll need surgery for his meniscus tear, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times, who reports that the process could take a while. Greif points out that the Clippers will have a challenging offseason because they’re projected to be well over the luxury tax again and three of their veteran forwards (Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington) had inconsistent seasons, making them difficult to trade.
- Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times believes the Clippers should trade Leonard or George, or perhaps even both, arguing that their inability to stay on the court has made them more detrimental than beneficial. Plaschke considers the Clippers legitimate contenders when both players are healthy and praises the organization as a whole, in particular owner Steve Ballmer, but thinks all of that is ultimately irrelevant when Leonard and George simply don’t play enough games for it to matter.
- Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca makes the opposite case, arguing that the Clippers should stick with Leonard because he is perhaps the most dominant postseason performer in the world when healthy. Grange believes Leonard’s desire to win championships is undeniable, pointing to Toronto’s title run in 2019 as evidence.
- George, who turns 33 next week, believes he can be productive for several more seasons, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. “I think I got a lot of good years in me, I know Kawhi thinks he’s got a lot of good years in him,” George said before Game 5. “I mean, I’m not going to put any pressure on that anytime soon. The only thing I can do is continue to just work on my game, work on myself and just try to be available as much as possible. … It hurts to not play and watch the guys put it all in the line and not be able to do the same. It’s very frustrating, and it sucks. It really does suck.”
- In another article for The Athletic, Murray writes that guard Russell Westbrook made a positive impact on many people within the organization during his few months with the Clippers. His strong playoff showing may convince a rival team to offer him more money in free agency than the Clippers are able to, so retaining him might be difficult unless he’s willing to take a discount, says Murray.
Heat Notes: Martin, D. Robinson, Adebayo
Caleb Martin was removed from the Heat‘s starting lineup when they signed Kevin Love on the buyout market. He was productive in both roles, and has been a major difference-maker thus far in their first-round series against Milwaukee, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald details (subscriber link).
Through four games (28.0 MPG) against the Bucks, Martin is averaging 13.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.3 SPG on a stellar .643/.467/.846 shooting line. According to Chiang, Martin leads all playoff players in plus/minus at plus-75, and he was particularly effective in Game 4’s fourth-quarter comeback, recording 10 points, five rebounds and a steal without missing a shot in the final frame.
“How many games can you have said that about him this year?” head coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked about Martin’s impactful playoff performances in the series. “That’s the kind of X-factor that he is. He has just a burst of energy and effort where you feel him immediately. He was really good for us as a starter. But I think as a bench guy, it just gives that instant change of energy that I think fits very well with that unit.”
For his part, the 27-year-old forward said he feels comfortable in high-pressure situations.
“Any way I can contribute,” Martin said. “Most of the time, I know it’s going to be on the defensive end. So to be able to come in and knock down timely shots when I needed to was big. I just felt comfortable in those moments.”
Here’s more on the Heat, who lead the series three games to one entering Wednesday’s Game 5:
- Duncan Robinson was an afterthought for much of the 2022/23 season, but he has emerged as a key contributor in the playoffs, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Robinson only played 24-plus minutes in nine regular season games during his 42 appearances, averaging 16.5 MPG. But he has played 24-plus minutes in three straight games, averaging 14.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 2.0 APG with a scorching hot .682/.750/1.000 shooting line over that span. “Our staff and team is yelling at me on the shots I don’t shoot,” said Robinson, who turned 29 over the weekend. “So that’s a pretty freeing place to be between the ears, just knowing you got to go out there and fulfill your job to the best of your ability.” Robinson has gotten the opportunity for more playing time in part due to Tyler Herro breaking two fingers on his right hand, which required surgery.
- Bam Adebayo, an All-Star for the second time this season, has been listed on the team’s injury report throughout the series with a strained left hamstring. While it isn’t severe enough to prevent him from playing, the starting center says he’s receiving around-the-clock treatment on the injury, Winderman writes in another story. “Constant treatment, 24 hours,” said Adebayo, who sat out Miami’s Wednesday morning shootaround. “In the treatment room, three, possibly four times a day. And just trying to make sure I’m healthy enough to play and keep playing.” Adebayo added that he wasn’t sure when he first sustained the strain. The 25-year-old was listed as probable for Game 5 before being upgraded to available.
- In case you missed it, Victor Oladipo will likely have surgery later this week to repair his torn left patellar tendon, which he suffered in Game 2. There’s optimism he could return early next season, assuming the procedure and his rehab go well.
Knicks’ Julius Randle Re-Sprains Left Ankle In Game 5
Forward Julius Randle missed the final five games of the regular season following a left ankle sprain. Unfortunately, he re-sprained the same ankle in Wednesday’s Game 5 against Cleveland, the Knicks announced (via Twitter).
Randle appeared to be in considerable pain after landing on Caris LeVert‘s foot with 1:17 remaining in the first half, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday. A couple trainers assisted Randle when he first got back up, but he was able to limp to the locker room on his own, notes Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Third-year forward Obi Toppin started the second half in Randle’s place. The Knicks currently lead by 12 at the end of the third quarter, and a victory would clinch the first-round series.
Randle earned his second All-Star nod in 2022/23, averaging 25.1 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 4.1 APG on .459/.343/.757 shooting in 77 games (35.5 MPG). He said he wasn’t feeling the effects of the initial sprain after Game 1, but he averaged just 14.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.0 SPG on .323/.258/.643 shooting through the first four games of the series (31.8 MPG).
According to Popper, Randle returned to the bench in street clothes, so he will be out for at least the rest of Game 5 (Twitter link). The 28-year-old had a productive half, recording 13 points, six assists and four rebounds in 16 minutes.
In other health-related news for the Knicks, guard Quentin Grimes missed his second straight game with a right shoulder contusion (Twitter link via the team). As Katz observes (via Twitter), Grimes was considered a game-time decision, but he didn’t go through pre-game warmups, indicating that he would be ruled out.
Trade deadline addition Josh Hart, who has been terrific for the Knicks since they acquired him from Portland, started his second straight game in place of Grimes.
Anthony Edwards Faces Assault Charges After Game 5 Loss
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards faces assault charges after missing a potential game-tying shot to conclude Tuesday’s Game 5 loss in Denver, which eliminated Minnesota from the playoffs, multiple sources tell Jake Shapiro of DenverSports.com.
After sprinting off the court into the tunnel following the game, Edwards allegedly picked up a folding chair and swung it, hitting a female security guard and a second female employee, per Shapiro. Both women were reportedly injured and asked to file charges, though neither injury was serious.
The Denver Police Department confirmed that they were called to the scene and cited Edwards for two counts of third-degree assault, according to Shapiro.
The Wolves’ team bus was held up by police after the game in order to cite Edwards, a source tells Shapiro. Part of the alleged incident appears to be shown at 21 seconds into the following clip taken from NBA TV (Twitter video link).
As Shapiro writes, in Colorado third-degree assault carries a potential jail punishment of up to 18 months and/or a fine of up to $1,000. It is a class-one misdemeanor. According to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, Edwards is due to appear in a Denver court on June 9.
The Timberwolves released a statement regarding the incident.
“We are aware of the alleged incident regarding Anthony Edwards following Game 5 in Denver and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this moment.”
NBA, NBPA Ratify New Collective Bargaining Agreement
The NBA Board of Governors and the National Basketball Players Association have officially ratified the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the league announced (via Twitter).
The new CBA will take effect on July 1 and will last seven years, running through the 2029/30 season, per the NBA.
As Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca notes (via Twitter), while the CBA technically kicks in at the start of July, certain changes in the new agreement will be phased in over the next few years. Perhaps most notably on that front is the implementation of a second tax apron, which will penalize teams that are $17.5MM above the luxury tax threshold in the future.
There are lots of major alterations in the new CBA, which was tentatively agreed to on April 1. Our running list of the reported changes can be found right here.
CJ McCollum Had Thumb Surgery, Won’t Require Shoulder Surgery
Pelicans guard CJ McCollum underwent successful right thumb surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament, the team announced in a press release.
According to the Pelicans, McCollum consulted with a specialist about the torn labrum in his right shoulder, but that injury will not require surgery. Instead, he will rehab the shoulder in the offseason in order to stabilize and strengthen it.
The 31-year-old is expected to fully recover from both injuries before training camp begins in the fall, per the team.
The news of the thumb surgery was expected, as McCollum had previously revealed that it was the most likely outcome. He had been playing through the injury for months, but he never seriously considered shutting it down during the season despite the thumb affecting nearly everything he did offensively.
The torn labrum was a more recent development. He reportedly played through it for the final seven games of the 2022/23 regular season and New Orleans’ loss in the play-in tournament.
It was a difficult season for the Pelicans, who were the top seed in the West in mid-December at 18-8, then went on a 10-game losing streak in January to drop below .500. A late-season surge saw the Pelicans rebound and make the play-in tournament, but they lost their matchup with the Thunder.
Several key players were injured throughout the season, including Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones, Zion Williamson, Larry Nance Jr., Jose Alvarado and McCollum. The veteran guard described ’22/23 as “the most difficult season I’ve been a part of physically and mentally.”
Despite dealing with the injuries, McCollum managed to play 75 games (35.3 MPG) and averaged over 20 points per game (20.9) for the eighth consecutive season. He also recorded 5.9 APG and 4.4 RPG along with a .437/.389/.769 shooting line.
NBA Announces Initial Early Entrant List For 2023 Draft
The NBA has officially released the initial list of early entrants for the 2023 NBA draft, announcing in a press release that 242 players have filed as early entry candidates. Of those prospects, 192 are from colleges, two played in the NBA G League, and 48 are international early entrants.
Those are big numbers, but they fall well short of the 353 early entrants who initially declared for the draft in 2021 and the 283 who entered last year. Beginning in 2021, the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in seniors having to decide between staying at college for one more season or declaring for the draft as an “early” entrant.
This year’s total of 242 early entrants figures to shrink significantly by May 31 and again by June 12, the two deadlines for players to withdraw their names from the draft pool. But it still looks like the pool will remain extremely crowded, with the eventual number of early entrants certain to exceed 58, the number of picks in the draft.
Our tracker of early entrants for the 2023 draft is fully up to date and can be found right here.
Here are the changes we made to our tracker today:
Newly added players:
College players:
These players either didn’t publicly announce that they were entering the draft or we simply missed it when they did.
- Damezi Anderson, F, Detroit (senior)
- Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State (sophomore)
- Will Baker, C, Nevada (junior)
- Josh Bannan, F, Montana (junior)
- Grant Basile, F, Viginia Tech (senior)
- T.J. Bickerstaff, F, Boston College (senior)
- Keylan Boone, G/F, Pacific (senior)
- Jordan Brown, F/C, Louisiana (senior)
- Tyler Burton, F, Richmond (senior)
- Wesley Cardet Jr., G, Chicago State (sophomore)
- Dylan Cardwell, C, Auburn (junior)
- Clarence Daniels II, F, New Hampshire (junior)
- Alou Dillon, F, Purdue-Northwest (senior)
- Eric Gaines, G, UAB (junior)
- Myron Gardner, G/F, Little Rock (senior)
- Jacksun Hamilton, F, Wisconsin-Parkside (sophomore)
- Joey Hauser, F, Michigan State (senior)
- A.J. Hoggard, G, Michigan State (junior)
- Ithiel Horton, G, UCF (senior)
- Jordan Ivy-Curry, G, Pacific (junior)
- Djordjije Jovanovic, G/F, Ontario Clippers (NBAGL) (born 2003)
- Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (junior)
- Jackson Kenyon, F, Miami (OH) (senior)
- Bol Kuir, C, San Diego (freshman)
- Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona (junior)
- Madison McCall, G, Lesley (MA) (senior)
- Demetrius Mims, G, Gannon (PA) (senior)
- Isaiah Miranda, F/C, NC State (freshman)
- Jelanie Morgan, G/F, Lesley (MA) (freshman)
- Jordan Nesbitt, G/F, Hampton (sophomore)
- Toby Okani, G/F, Illinois-Chicago (junior)
- Nick Ongenda, C, DePaul (senior)
- Nijel Pack, G, Miami (FL) (junior)
- Rob Perry, G, Murray State (senior)
- Uros Plavsic, C, Tennessee (senior)
- Luis Rodriguez, G, UNLV (senior)
- Dontrell Shuler, G, Cal State San Bernardino (senior)
- Russel Tchewa, C, South Florida (senior)
- Tyler Thomas, G, Hofstra (senior)
- Drew Timme, F/C, Gonzaga (senior)
- Keisei Tominaga, G, Nebraska (senior)
- Nae’Qwan Tomlin, F, Kansas State (senior)
- Mady Traore, F, New Mexico State (freshman)
- Damjan Vukcevic, F, Los Angeles Trade Tech (freshman)
- Anton Watson, F, Gonzaga (senior)
- Tyler Willoughby, G, Voorhees (SC) (senior)
- Tyrese Wineglass, G, Southwestern Adventist (TX) (junior)
International players:
These players weren’t previously mentioned on our list of international early entrants. The country listed here indicates where they last played, not necessarily where they were born.
- Miguel Allen, F, Spain (born 2003)
- Idrissa Ba, C, France (born 2002)
- Elian Benitez, G, France (born 2003)
- William Beugre-Kassi, G/F, France (born 2004)
- Sasa Ciani, F, Croatia (born 2003)
- Ege Demir, F/C, Turkey (born 2004)
- Thijs De Ridder, F, Belgium (born 2003)
- Nikola Djurisic, G/F, Serbia (born 2004)
- Ruben Dominguez, G, Spain (born 2003)
- Quinn Ellis, G, Italy (born 2003)
- Juan Fernandez, F/C, Spain (born 2002)
- Clement Frisch, F, France (born 2002)
- Sananda Fru, F, Germany (born 2003)
- Gloire Goma, G, Spain (born 2003)
- Hassane Gueye, F, France (born 2003)
- Ondrej Hanzlik, F, Spain (born 2002)
- Ilias Kamardine, G, France (born 2003)
- Konstantin Kostadinov, F, Spain (born 2003)
- Oleksandr Kovliar, G, Estonia (born 2002)
- Liutauras Lelevicius, G, Lithuania (born 2003)
- Gilad Levy, C, Israel (born 2002)
- Ruben Lopez, F, Spain (born 2002)
- Assemian Moulare, G, France (born 2003)
- Daniel Onwenu, G, Brazil (born 2002)
- Ivan Perasovic, F, Croatia (born 2002)
- Mantas Rubstavicius, G, Lithuania (born 2002)
- Musa Sagnia, F/C, Spain (born 2003)
- Marcio Santos, F/C, Brazil (born 2002)
- Enzo Shahrvin, F, France (born 2003)
- Birahima Sylla, G, France (born 2003)
- Dez Andras Tanoh, G, Hungary (born 2002)
- Hugo Toom, F, Estonia (born 2002)
- Armel Traore, F, France (born 2003)
- Ricards Vanags, G/F, Latvia (born 2002)
Other notable draft-eligible early entrants:
The NBA typically sends its teams a list of “also-eligible” names. That list isn’t public. However, we’re assuming that at least one projected top-three pick is on it: Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite. Overtime Elite standouts Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson would also be on this list, as would Henderson’s Ignite teammate Leonard Miller.
Players removed:
Despite reports or announcements that the players below would declare for the draft, they didn’t show up on the NBA’s official list.
That could mean a number of things — they may have decided against entering the draft; they may have entered the draft, then withdrawn; they may have had no NCAA eligibility remaining, making them automatically draft-eligible; they may have incorrectly filed their paperwork; or the NBA may have accidentally omitted some names.
In any case, we’ve removed the following names from our early entrant list, at least for the time being.
- Jalen Carey, G, Rhode Island (senior)
- Jalen Cook, G, Tulane (junior)
- Ta’Lon Cooper, G, Minnesota (senior)
- Austin Crowley, G, Southern Mississippi (senior)
- Eli Ndiaye, C, Spain (born 2004)
- Kario Oquendo, G, Georgia (junior)
- Tylor Perry, G, North Texas (senior)
- Zhuric Phelps, G, SMU (sophomore)
- Tyrese Samuel, F, Seton Hall (senior)
- Primo Spears, G, Georgetown (sophomore)
- Noah Thomasson, G, Niagara (senior)
- Deshawndre Washington, G, New Mexico State (junior)
- Warren Washington, F, Arizona State (senior)
Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II Among Final Draft Early Entrants
Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II was among the players who declared for the 2023 NBA draft ahead of Sunday’s deadline, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Holmes will be maintaining his remaining college eligibility or going pro outright.
In 34 games as a sophomore in 2022/23, Holmes averaged 18.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks for the Flyers. He is currently ranked No. 65 on ESPN’s big board, making him perhaps a borderline second-round pick.
Senegalese center Ousmane N’Diaye, who plays for a third division Spanish team (Grupo Eleyco Baskonia), and Spanish small forward Michael Caicedo, who plays for Covirán Granada of Spain’s top league (Liga ACB), have also entered the draft (Twitter links courtesy of Sigma Sports and Global Scouting). N’Diaye is ranked No. 59 on ESPN’s list, while Caicedo is No. 86.
Another possible second-rounder, Spanish point guard Juan Nunez, decided not to declare for the draft, according to Givony (Twitter link). The 18-year-old, who is ranked No. 60 on ESPN’s board, plays for German club Ratiopharm Ulm and is considered a talented passer. He could improve his stock and possibly be a first-round pick next year, Givony adds.
Here are a few more players who entered the draft before yesterday’s deadline:
- Miami (FL) junior forward Norchad Omier declared while maintaining his eligibility (Twitter link via the team).
- Forward David Okwera of Australia’s NBL (Twitter link via Jon Chepkevich of RookieScale.com).
- Mexican forward Gael Bonilla of the Mexico City Capitanes (Twitter link via Enrique Garay).
- Michigan State sophomore guard Jaden Akins declared while maintaining his eligibility (Instagram link).
- Croatian centers (and twin brothers) Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic of SC Derby Podgorica (Twitter link via agent Misko Raznatovic).