Cavaliers Notes: Strus, Merrill, Wade, Tyson, Hunter, Ball
In a subscriber-only mailbag for Cleveland.com, Chris Fedor states that Max Strus was slated to be the Cavaliers‘ starting small forward this fall prior to suffering a Jones fracture in his left foot last week. The injury required surgery and will sideline Strus for multiple months.
Fedor cautions that while the team gave a three-to-four month timeline for Strus to return to basketball activities, his actual absence will likely extend beyond that period. As Fedor observes, Jones fractures can be tricky and slow to heal, plus the Cavaliers typically take a cautious approach to injuries — it’s possible Strus might end up missing about half of the season.
Here’s more on the Cavaliers:
- Strus isn’t the only starter likely to be out to open 2025/26, Fedor notes, as All-Star point guard Darius Garland is still recovering from offseason toe surgery after being hobbled by the injury in the postseason. Sam Merrill, who re-signed with the Cavs on a four-year, $38MM deal this summer, is the “most obvious” player who needs to step up with Garland and Strus out, according to Fedor, who says the former second-round pick (60th overall in 2020) will likely be a replacement starter.
- It will take a team effort to cover for Strus and Garland during their absences. Veteran forward Dean Wade and second-year guard Jaylon Tyson are among the other players who should get more opportunities, Fedor writes, with Wade perhaps slotting in as the fifth starter. Head coach Kenny Atkinson may prefer to have De’Andre Hunter in a sixth man role to have more scoring punch off the bench, Fedor adds.
- According to Fedor, Tyson may be the biggest X-factor for the rotation, because the team had already planned him give him more run prior to Strus’ injury. The 2024 first-round pick (20th overall) will have a real chance to carve out minutes if he plays well, as Atkinson is high on him and is curious to see how he’ll mesh with the “core four” of Donovan Mitchell, Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen once Garland returns.
- Offseason trade acquisition Lonzo Ball is another player who will fit into the rotation, Fedor writes. However, it remains to be seen how active the 27-year-old guard will be. After missing two-plus years with a knee injury, Ball played surprisingly well in his return to action in ’24/25, but he was limited to just 35 games due to multiple wrist injuries.
17 Players Remain Eligible For Rookie Scale Extensions
Players who are entering the fourth and final year of their rookie scale contracts were permitted to sign rookie scale extensions as of early July. Those players, who were all 2022 first-round selections, will have until the day before the 2025/26 regular season starts (October 20) to finalize long-term agreements with their current teams.
Players eligible for rookie scale extensions can sign new deals that run for up to five years, with those contracts taking effect beginning in 2026/27. If they don’t sign extensions during the offseason, those players will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2026.
As our tracker shows, four players — Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith Jr., Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams — have already signed rookie scale extensions with their respective teams this offseason. A fifth — Blake Wesley — is no longer eligible after reaching a buyout agreement with Washington and subsequently signing a one-year deal with Portland.
Eight other 2022 first-round picks are ineligible rookie scale deals for various reasons.
That leaves 17 players — including Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Dyson Daniels — who remain eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason:
Ochai Agbaji (Raptors)- Malaki Branham (Wizards)
- Christian Braun (Nuggets)
- Dyson Daniels (Hawks)
- Ousmane Dieng (Thunder)
- Jalen Duren (Pistons)
- Tari Eason (Rockets)
- Jaden Ivey (Pistons)
- Nikola Jovic (Heat)
- Walker Kessler (Jazz)
- Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers)
- Keegan Murray (Kings)
- Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers)
- Jeremy Sochan (Spurs)
- Dalen Terry (Bulls)
- Peyton Watson (Nuggets)
- Mark Williams (Suns)
While some of these players almost certainly won’t sign new deals, we should still see several more extensions signed before the October 20 deadline. There has been an uptick in rookie extensions over the past several offseasons as more teams look to lock up their promising young players in advance of free agency. Since 2020, at least 10 players have signed rookie extensions every year, topping out at a record-setting 14 in 2023.
Jeremy Lin Announces Retirement
Former NBA guard Jeremy Lin announced today on Instagram that he’s retiring as a basketball player following a lengthy professional career (hat tip to RealGM).
“As athletes, we are always aware that the possibility of retirement is never far away,” Lin wrote as part of a longer statement. “I’ve spent my 15-year career knowing that one day I would have to walk away, and yet actually saying goodbye to basketball today has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made.
“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to compete against the fiercest competitors under the brightest lights and to challenge what the world thought was possible for someone who looks like me. I’ve lived out my wildest childhood dreams to play in front of fans all around the world. I will forever be the kid who felt fully alive every time I touched a basketball.”
After starring in college at Harvard, Lin went undrafted in 2010 but quickly caught on with Golden State. He didn’t play much as a rookie, only making 28 NBA appearances for the Warriors (9.8 minutes per game) and spending a good chunk of 2010/11 in the G League (then known as the D-League).
Lin, now 37, was cut by both Golden State and Houston (which claimed him off waivers) before the lockout-shortened 2011/12 season began. A couple days after being released by Houston, he was claimed again, this time by the Knicks.
While his time with New York was relatively brief, he was a major contributor during a 26-game stretch from February-March 2012, memorably averaging 18.5 points, 7.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 34.2 minutes per contest and helping the team turn its season around.
As a restricted free agent in the 2012 offseason, Lin signed a lucrative Arenas provision contract with the Rockets, which New York declined to match. Lin spent two seasons in Houston but bounced around the league over the following five years, playing for the Lakers, Hornets, Nets, Hawks and Raptors, winning an NBA title as a role player with Toronto in 2019.
Overall, Lin appeared in 480 NBA regular season games — including 221 starts — from 2010-19. He held career averages of 11.6 PPG, 4.3 APG, 2.8 RPG and 1.1 SPG in 25.3 MPG, with a shooting slash line of .433/.342/.809.
Lin has mostly played in China and Taiwan over the past six years, though he did attempt an NBA comeback during the ’20/21 campaign with the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors.
Four Countries Advance To EuroBasket Round Of 16
There are still five days left of group phase play at EuroBasket 2025, but four countries — Finland, Germany, Serbia and Turkey — have already advanced to the round of 16, according to FIBA.
As the group phase standings show, both Finland and Germany have 3-0 records in Group B, while Serbia and Turkey are each 3-0 in Group A.
None of the other 20 national teams have been officially eliminated, though Czechia (Group A), Great Britain (Group B) and Montenegro (Group B) aren’t in a great position after starting 0-3 in their respective groups.
A handful of additional teams could advance to the knockout round on Sunday, with Greece (2-0 in Group C), France (2-0 in Group D) and Poland (2-0 in Group D) off to solid starts.
The top four teams from each six-team group qualify for the round of 16, which is the start of a single-elimination tournament.
Germany, which won the 2023 World Cup and finished fourth at the 2024 Olympics, defeated Lithuania on Saturday. The Germans had a balanced attack, spearheaded by Dennis Schröder (26 points, six assists, four steals), Franz Wagner (24 points, seven rebounds, four assists) and Daniel Theis (23 points, six rebounds), notes Eurohoops.
Unfortunately, German captain Schröder was subjected to racial abuse while walking to the locker room at halftime, per The Associated Press.
“Making monkey noises, that’s something I don’t respect,” Schröder told reporters in German after the game. “No matter what status, insults, that’s all fine. But racism simply doesn’t belong in this sport. That’s something that’s not OK.”
FIBA announced in a statement that one spectator has been banned from attending the rest of the tournament after being identified by video. The group also said it would meet with the Lithuanian delegation to discuss the incident and try to prevent it from occurring again in the future.
“FIBA unequivocally condemns hate speech, discriminatory conduct, and racist language in any form. Creating an inclusive, respectful, and safe environment for players, teams, and fans remains a fundamental priority of our sport. FIBA has provided the relevant footage and information to local law enforcement authorities, who are continuing to investigate the matter.”
Yongxi “Jacky” Cui Signs With Chinese Team
Yongxi Cui, also known as Jacky Cui, has signed with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to Zhang Duo (Twitter link).
Cui announced the news on his Weibo channel, notes NetsDaily (via Twitter). The 22-year-old’s deal with the Tigers will reportedly cover the 2025/26 season, per Albert De Roa of HoopsHype.
A 6’6″ guard/forward, Cui suffered a torn ACL last December while playing for the Nets‘ G League affiliate in Long Island. He had been on a two-way contract with Brooklyn but was released a couple days after the unfortunate injury.
Cui, who went undrafted in 2024, made five NBA appearances as rookie for the Nets in ’24/25, playing just 10 total minutes. He also played in five games for Long Island, averaging 6.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 1.2 APG in 16.9 MPG.
Cui graduated from the NBA Global Academy and spent a couple of seasons with the CBA’s Guangzhou Loong Lions before catching on with the Nets.
Brian Lewis of The New York Post provided an update on Cui’s recovery progress a few days ago, stating that the young wing had been working out at the Nets’ practice facility but was recently playing 5-on-5 in Los Angeles. Now the Chinese national team member will be heading back to his home country for the upcoming season.
Mavericks Waive, Stretch Olivier-Maxence Prosper
9:00 pm: Prosper has been officially waived, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
3:50 pm: The Mavericks are waiving former first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper and using the stretch provision on his $3MM cap hit, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the 6’8″ forward is expected to draw interest as an unrestricted free agent when he hits the open market in a couple days.
Dallas was reportedly trying to trade Prosper ahead of the 4:00 pm CT deadline to use the stretch provision. However, the Mavs were said to be reluctant to part with one of their two remaining second-rounders to shed Prosper’s salary, and instead will stretch it over three years, with annual cap hits of about $1MM through 2027/28.
The Mavericks will automatically decline their $5.3MM team option on Prosper for ’26/27 by releasing him.
Dallas needed to open up room under the second tax apron — at which the team is hard-capped — to re-sign Dante Exum, whose minimum-salary contract can now be finalized after being agreed to on July 2. Exum will essentially replace Prosper as the 15th standard contract on the team’s roster.
The 24th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Prosper has played a very limited role during his first two years in Dallas, averaging 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game across 92 regular season outings, with a .396/.260/.658 shooting line.
Prosper, who is from Montreal, also played 25 G League games with the Texas Legends as a rookie in 2023/24. The 23-year-old averaged 18.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.0 APG and 0.9 SPG on .498/.418/.762 shooting.
Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic Discusses Karnisovas, Future
Speaking to Lukas Katilius of BasketNews.com ahead of Montenegro’s 27-point loss to Lithuania at EuroBasket 2025, a game in which he recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block, Bulls center Nikola Vucevic said he has a strong relationship with head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.
Vucevic has been the subject of trade rumors for several months, including speculation in late July about a potential mid-season buyout if Chicago is unable to eventually find a deal it likes.
“It has been very good. We have good communication,” Vucevic said of his relationship with Karnisovas. “He has always been pretty open with me. Even just a couple of weeks ago, when the buyout news came out, he actually texted me to tell me not to worry about it and not to read into it.
“I have known AK for a long time. When I did my pre-draft workout, he was with Houston and took me out to dinner for an interview. So I have known him for a very long time.”
Vucevic, who turns 35 years old in October, is on an expiring $21.48MM contract. He defended Karnisovas’ tenure, saying he liked a lot of the moves the front office has made over the years, but noted the previous iteration of the team battled injuries (Lonzo Ball, among others) and the Bulls weren’t sure how to pivot until they decided to turn to “slightly younger players.”
Vucevic said earlier this month he has “almost no doubt” that he’ll open the season with the Bulls and told BasketNews he was very open to staying in Chicago, though he acknowledged that wasn’t necessarily in his control.
“Yes, of course. I mean, it has been good for me there,” Vucevic said. “We will see—I have one more year left with them, so we will see what happens if I stay or if something changes. But yeah, obviously, I would love to win in Chicago.”
While he isn’t the most nimble defender or a great rim protector, Vucevic’s per-game production has been quite consistent over his Bulls tenure and he has also been durable. The two-time All-Star had one of his most efficient offensive seasons in 2024/25, averaging 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game with a shooting line of .530/.402/.805 in 73 regular season appearances (31.2 MPG).
Nets Waive Tosan Evbuomwan
8:00 pm: The move is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
2:18 pm: The Nets are waiving Tosan Evbuomwan, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The former Princeton star had been on a two-way contract with Brooklyn.
A 6’8″ combo forward from England, Evbuomwan went undrafted in 2023 following a standout college career with the Tigers. He signed a two-year two-way deal with the Nets on January 1.
In 28 games with Brooklyn last season, the 24-year-old averaged 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.9 steals in 23.8 minutes per contest. Evbuomwan’s shooting slash line was .427/.312/.753.
Brian Lewis of The New York Post believes waiving Evbuomwan may be a precursor to a potential trade for the Nets (Twitter link). Two-way deals are non-guaranteed and don’t impact a team’s salary cap, plus the Nets already have a two-way opening, but Lewis is certainly a plugged-in reporter.
Evbuomwan started 2023/24 — his rookie season — in the NBA G League with the Pistons’ affiliate, later inking a 10-day deal with Memphis and 10-day and two-way contracts with Detroit. He appeared in 17 NBA games with the two clubs (21.6 MPG), averaging 5.9 PPG and 3.5 RPG on .507/.375/.680 shooting.
After being cut from his two-way deal by the Pistons last October, Evbuomwan signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Clippers to secure a G League bonus, which he achieved by spending 60-plus days with the San Diego Clippers. He landed with the Nets a couple months later.
In 31 NBAGL games (33.1 MPG) with the San Diego Clippers and Long Island Nets in ’24/25, Evbuomwan averaged 19.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 2.6 APG on .501/.354/.766 shooting.
Former Villanova Coach Kyle Neptune Joining Hornets’ Staff
Former Fordham and Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune has agreed to become an assistant coach on Charles Lee‘s staff with the Hornets, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).
Neptune, who played four years of college basketball at Lehigh, was an administrative intern/video coordinator for Villanova from 2008-10. He got his assistant coaching job with Niagara from 2010-13, then rejoined the Wildcats, serving as an assistant under former Villanova coach Jay Wright for eight years.
Neptune was hired as Fordham’s head coach in 2021 and spent one season with the Rams, compiling a 16-16 record, before taking over the reins at Villanova when Wright retired in 2022. The 40-year-old was dismissed in March following a disappointing three-year tenure in which the Wildcats went 54-47 and failed to make the NCAA tournament each season.
While Neptune hasn’t had much success as a head coach to this point, a handful of years ago he was viewed as a rising star in the industry, making “40 Under 40” lists at both ESPN and The Athletic in 2020. Villanova won two NCAA championships and averaged 29 wins per season during Neptune’s eight-year run as an assistant and made the Final Four in 2009 during his initial stint with the university.
As Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer tweets, the Hornets had an opening on their coaching staff after Chris Jent was hired away by the Knicks to be the top assistant under Mike Brown.
Veteran Nuggets Executive Martynas Pocius Joining Real Madrid
Veteran Nuggets executive Martynas Pocius is leaving the NBA to become a deputy general manager for Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.
Pocius has spent the past eight years working in Denver’s front office, most recently holding the title of assistant director of pro personnel, Urbonas writes. The 39-year-old has also served as a Nuggets scout both in the NBA and around the globe.
Pocius played college basketball for — and graduated from — Duke and competed in the EuroLeague for several years prior to retiring in 2017, as Kendra Andrews wrote for The Athletic in 2020. Pocius, who was a guard, played for Zalgiris Kaunas in his native Lithuania as well as Real Madrid and Galatasaray (Turkey).
“Since I played at Duke, I had seven surgeries,” Pocius told Andrews. “It took a toll on my body and I was in this cycle of getting injured, having surgery, trying rehab, all to come back and then have it happen all over again … I was reaching a point where I wasn’t enjoying basketball as much as I used to. I was a gym rat and I loved the gym, and it wasn’t fun being there anymore.”
Pocius also won a pair of medals — a bronze at the 2010 World Cup and a silver at EuroBasket 2013 — with the Lithuanian national team, Urbonas notes.
Pocius will be working alongside former Real Madrid backcourt mate Sergio Rodriguez in running the team’s front office. Rodriguez, a former NBA first-round pick, retired as a player last year.
It’s worth noting that Pocius got his start with the Nuggets due to his connection to childhood friend Tommy Balcetis. According to Andrews, while they were both attending Balcetis’ wedding, former head of basketball operations Tim Connelly offered Pocius a job if he decided to retire, something he wound up doing a year later.
The Nuggets decided not to retain Balcetis in June after the team’s former assistant GM had spent 12 years with the organization.