International Rumors: Dozier, Oturu, Bryant, Guduric, Moore
Veteran guard PJ Dozier, who has spent parts of seven seasons in the NBA, is in advanced talks with Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv, reports Aris Barkas of Eurohoops (story via Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops).
Dozier, 28, spent the first few months of 2024/25 with the Timberwolves prior to being released in late December. He only appeared in nine games with Minnesota for a total of 35 minutes. Dozier subsequently signed with Anadolu Efes and is currently competing in the Turkish League playoffs.
As Askounis writes, Anadolu Efes would like to keep Dozier and plans to make him an offer. The 6’5″ wing played for Serbia’s Partizan Belgrade in ’23/24. Both Efes and Partizan are members of the EuroLeague, while Hapoel is set to join as an expansion team in ’25/26, sources tell Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.
Known for his defense, Dozier has played a total of 130 regular season games in the NBA with Oklahoma City, Boston, Denver, Sacramento and Minnesota. The South Carolina native holds career averages of 5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 15.4 minutes per contest.
Here are a few more notes from overseas:
- Former Clippers and Raptors big man Daniel Oturu is finalizing a multiyear contract with Hapoel Tel Aviv, per Moshe Barda and Reef Gross of Israeli media outlet ONE (Twitter link; hat tip to Askounis of Eurohoops). The 33rd overall pick of the 2020 draft, Oturu has spent the past two years with Anadolu Efes.
- A third member of Efes, guard Elijah Bryant, has also been linked to Hapoel Tel Aviv, as reported by Barda and Gross of ONE (via Twitter). Gross hears it’s a three-year deal worth in excess of €7.5MM, though the contract has yet to be finalized. Bryant, 30, won a title with Milwaukee in ’20/21 after signing at the very end of the regular season. He has been one of Efes’ best players over the past four years.
- Olimpia Milano has extended a lucrative offer to Marko Guduric, per Meridian Sport. The Serbian guard, who played 44 games with Memphis in ’19/20, is under contract with Turkey’s Fenerbahce through 2026, but has an opt-out clause to negotiate with other teams, according to Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops, who reports that Panthinaikos and Crvena Zvezda are interested in Guduric as well. Guduric, 30, recently helped Fenerbahce win the EuroLeague title, Strogglakis notes, recording 19 points (on 8-of-10 shooting) and six rebounds in the final against Monaco.
- Former San Jose State guard Omari Moore, who spent a few months with the Bucks on a two-way deal during the 2023 offseason, is signing a one-year contract with the South East Melbourne Phoenix of Australia’s National Basketball League, sources tell Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Moore spent this past season with Darüşşafaka of Turkey’s BSL.
Eastern Notes: Pacers, Knicks, Edgecombe, Hornets, Raptors
After taking a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers‘ high-octane offense only managed 94 points in a Game 5 loss in New York. As Jamal Collier of ESPN writes, that total was a playoff-low for the Pacers, who also turned the ball over 20 times, the most turnovers they’ve committed in a game this postseason.
“We’re a resilient group,” star point guard Tyrese Haliburton said after the game. “We always want to respond when things don’t go well after a game like that. We understand what the stakes are. … We’re fine. There’s no need to panic or anything.”
Despite the wire-to-wire defeat, All-Star forward Pascal Siakam is confident Indiana will rebound with a strong home showing tonight in Game 6, according to Collier.
“You’re going to have bad games,” Siakam said. “This is the NBA, and there’s going to be times where a team is going to play hard. In fact, they’re going to beat you.
“It is just all about us, man. It’s always been us against the world, and I don’t expect it to change. … We are 3-2 in a series, and we have an opportunity to go back home and show what we’re made of.”
Here are a few more notes from around the East:
- ESPN insiders Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Zach Kram and Chris Herring list some keys to watch ahead of Game 6. Kram views the health and play of Aaron Nesmith as the Pacers‘ biggest X factor, while how well Jalen Brunson holds up on defense will be critical for the Knicks.
- Rival executives believe the Hornets will target V.J. Edgecombe if he’s still available at No. 4 in next month’s draft, according to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, who hears the Baylor guard had an “excellent” interview with Charlotte. Unsurprisingly, O’Connor has the Hornets selecting Edgecombe — who’s also the fourth-rated prospected on ESPN’s big board — at No. 4 in his latest mock draft.
- According to O’Connor, several rival teams think the Raptors are leaning toward selecting a prospect who can contribute right away rather than a long-term project with their lottery pick. Toronto holds the No. 9 pick in June’s draft. For what it’s worth, O’Connor has the team picking Washington State wing Cedric Coward.
Knicks Notes: Injury Report, Hart, Turnovers, Game 6
No Knicks are listed on the team’s injury report this morning ahead of Saturday’s pivotal Game 6 in Indiana, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. That’s certainly a good sign for the Knicks, as one of their best players was considered a game-time decision on Thursday.
Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns was initially questionable to suit up for Game 5 due to a left knee issue, but he wound up playing 36 minutes and recording 24 points and 13 rebounds in New York’s victory.
Here are a few more notes on the Knicks:
- Wing Josh Hart had a bounce-back performance on Thursday after being disappointed with his effort in Game 4, writes Barbara Barker of Newsday (subscriber link). Hart fouled out in Game 4 and only dished out one assist while committing five turnovers. “I was really embarrassed about what I was doing, how I looked and the lack of intensity, lack of passion and lack of competitiveness,” Hart said of how he felt after watching the Game 4 loss that gave the Pacers a 3-1 lead. “I was embarrassed, honestly. Not even the turnovers. But giving up back cuts, not communicating. I’m the guy who’s supposed to play with a high competitive nature, a high motor. Those were things I wasn’t doing. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror, let alone look at these guys.” The Knicks will need Hart to continue playing like he did in Game 5 in order to stave off elimination again tonight, Barker adds.
- Although Game 5 was the Knicks’ first decisive victory of the Eastern Conference Finals, they still committed 15 turnovers, which has been an ongoing issue in the series, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Eliminating some of those miscues will be important in Game 6. “It’s not just [Towns, who had four turnovers],” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “The big thing is keeping it simple. The first open man, hit him. Oftentimes, the intent is good, but we’re trying to thread the needle and we can’t do that.”
- Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required) lists three keys for the Knicks ahead of Game 6, with the first — and most important — being finding a way to slow down Tyrese Haliburton again. After recording 32 points (on 11-of-23 shooting), 15 assists and 12 rebounds in Game 4, New York limited Haliburton to eight points (on 2-of-7 shooting), six assists and two rebounds in the Game 5 victory.
‘No Untouchables’ On Pelicans’ Roster?
Kevin O’Connor’s latest 2025 mock draft for Yahoo Sports features a few interesting tidbits. Citing league sources, O’Connor writes that there are “no untouchables” on the Pelicans, who are gauging the trade value of every player on their roster.
O’Connor cautions that major roster changes in New Orleans may not be in the works, but at the very least the team seems open to listening to offers for core players and could decide to shake things up if an attractive opportunity presents itself.
Assuming it’s accurate, the news doesn’t come as a major surprise. The Pelicans are coming off disappointing, injury-plagued season in which they won just 21 games, leading to an overhaul in the front office. Former Pistons executive Joe Dumars now runs the basketball operations department, with Troy Weaver also in a prominent position.
Star forward Zion Williamson has been floated as a possible trade candidate, though an offseason deal is reportedly considered “very unlikely.” Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones and Yves Missi are among the other Pelicans who would likely receive significant interest on the market.
O’Connor also updated his 2025 big board, with several noteworthy differences compared to ESPN’s.
For instance, O’Connor is very high on Washington State wing Cedric Coward (No. 5), Stanford center Maxime Raynaud (No. 14), and North Carolina wing Drake Powell (No. 16), who are ranked 29th, 24th, and 31st, respectively, on ESPN’s list, respectively. O’Connor is also relatively lower on some prospects, including BYU’s Egor Demin (No. 22 vs. No. 11 on ESPN), Michigan’s Danny Wolf (No. 32 vs. No. 19) and French big man Joan Beringer (No. 34 vs. No. 15).
Zalgiris, Deividas Sirvydis Nearing Extension
Guard/forward Deividas Sirvydis, a former second-round pick (No. 37 overall in 2019) who played 22 games with the Pistons from 2020-22, is nearing a contract extension with EuroLeague club Zalgiris Kaunas, sources tell Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.
Zalgiris is based in Lithuania, Sirvydis’ home country.
According to Urbonas, the 24-year-old wing received “significant interest” on the market this spring after a solid season in which he averaged 8.4 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 38.8% from long distance in 34 EuroLeague appearances (16.5 minutes per game). Although his current contract runs through 2027, it features an opt-out clause, giving him an opportunity to negotiate with other teams.
Urbonas hears that Sirvydis’ new deal with Zalgiris will cover at least one season and could extend beyond the original contract’s expiration date.
Draft Notes: Trail Blazers, Mock, Coward, Nets, More
The Trail Blazers hosted a pre-draft workout on Thursday with six high-level prospects, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (subscriber link).
Michigan State guard Jase Richardson (No. 14 on ESPN’s big board), Illinois wing Will Riley (No. 15), Georgia forward/center Asa Newell (No. 19), UConn wing Liam McNeeley (No. 21) and Saint Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming (No. 28) are all potential first-round picks, while Chinese center Hansen Yang — a combine standout — is viewed as a possible second-rounder, coming in at No. 67 on ESPN’s list.
As Highkin notes, Portland currently controls one pick in June’s draft, No. 11 overall. The team’s previous workouts mainly focused on less heralded players, but some of today’s group could be in contention for the lottery selection.
Richardson, who says he emulates Mike Conley, is out to prove he can orchestrate an NBA offense.
“There are a lot of questions about what position I can play at the next level,” Richardson said. “Playing at Michigan State, I was a two, because coach [Tom Izzo] wanted me to score. But I want to show teams I’m a point guard and I can facilitate.”
In addition to Portland’s front office and coaches, three players on the current roster — Scoot Henderson, Justin Minaya and Jabari Walker — also attended Thursday’s workout. According to Highkin, Newell thinks he’d fit in well with the Blazers.
“They like to [push] the pace a lot with Scoot and [Donovan] Clingan,” Newell said. “He cleans up anything down low. I think I’d be a plug-and-play player.”
Here are a few more notes related to June’s draft:
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report updated his mock draft following Wednesday’s deadline for early entrants to withdraw in order to their NCAA eligibility. Wasserman, who has the Trail Blazers selecting Newell at No. 11, says Washington State forward Cedric Coward appears to be one of the big winners of the pre-draft process, with one scout comparing his rise to that of Jalen Williams, who went No. 12 overall in 2022. Coward goes No. 14 to San Antonio in Wasserman’s mock.
- Freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford was voted by four of his peers as the “most underrated” prospect in the 2025 class, according to ESPN, but he wound up withdrawing and returning to Auburn prior to yesterday’s deadline. Arizona forward Carter Bryant (three votes) and North Carolina guard/forward Drake Powell (two) also received multiple votes. “Carter Bryant is super underrated,” Newell told ESPN. “I just feel like his game translates to the NBA really well. He’s got the size, he’s got the touch, he’s got the 3-point ability. And seeing him, he can definitely be a versatile defender.”
- The Nets held a pre-draft workout on Thursday with six prospects, including Colorado State wing Nique Clifford and Tennessee guards Chaz Lanier and Jahmai Mashack, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post (via Twitter). According to Lewis, the Nets — who control a league-high five picks (all in the top 35) — also have an upcoming workout scheduled with Duke wing Kon Knueppel (Twitter link). Knueppell (No. 8 on ESPN’s board) and Clifford (No. 24) are projected first-round picks, while sharpshooter Lanier (No. 40) is viewed as a second-rounder.
Bulls Draft Rumors: Demin, Queen, Powell, More
The Bulls are “zoning in” on BYU’s Egor Demin ahead of the 2025 NBA draft, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The Bulls control the 12th and 45th picks in next month’s draft. However, the Russian guard, who is ranked No. 12 on ESPN’s big board, may not be available at that spot — Cowley hears he could go in the top 10.
While the Bulls are interested in Demin, they’re lower on Maryland big man Derik Queen. A source tells Cowley that Queen — who tested poorly at the combine, per Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report — has been sliding down draft boards, and Chicago has concerns about how his lack of athleticism would fit in the team’s up-tempo playing style.
K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter video link) hears the Bulls will likely end up taking the best player available at No. 12, but they would “prefer” to select a big man or wing. And if they do go with a guard, it will likely be someone with the size to play multiple positions — Demin seems to fit that bill, as he’s a 6’9″ point guard.
Johnson, who also noted that Queen might slide on draft night, says that North Carolina wing Drake Powell recently had a “very, very impressive” workout with the Bulls and could return a second time. Johnson isn’t sure if Powell will be selected in the lottery — he’s No. 32 on ESPN’s board — but he performed well in both athletic testing and interviews at the combine.
For what it’s worth, in his latest mock draft, Wasserman has Chicago selecting South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles at No. 12 and Wake Forest guard Hunter Sallis at No. 45.
Pacific Notes: Holiday, Clips, Hayes, Knecht, Bronny, Kings
A recent report indicated that the Clippers are expected to show interest in Celtics guard Jrue Holiday this summer. In an appearance on The Garden Report podcast with Bobby Manning of CLNS (Twitter video link), Law Murray of The Athletic said he thinks L.A.’s interest in Holiday was overstated, pointing to his contract and James Harden‘s likely return as reasons why it might be unrealistic for the Clippers to pursue a Holiday trade.
“For what Jrue does well, you already have a player like that in Kris Dunn, who is going to make like $25 million less than Jrue (next season), who is younger than Jrue, who arguably is at least as athletic, right around around the same size,” Murray said. “And the key thing for me is the role. This doesn’t sound like something that would come from the Clippers’ side of things.”
As Murray noted, there’s a sizeable gap between Holiday’s ($32.4MM) and Dunn’s ($5.43MM) salaries for 2025/26 (and beyond). And while Holiday certainly has a more accomplished résumé than Dunn, he’s also nearly four years older (Holiday turns 35 in June, whereas Dunn turned 31 in March) and is coming off a down year in ’24/25.
Here are a few more notes from around the Pacific:
- Jaxson Hayes‘ second season with the Lakers was more successful than his first, but it’s uncertain if he’ll return in ’25/26 following a disappointing playoff showing against Minnesota, writes Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group. The 25-year-old center will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Lakers are known to be looking for upgrades in the middle.
- Lakers rookies Dalton Knecht and Bronny James each experienced “roller coaster” debut seasons in different ways, according to Price. Knecht, who had some big scoring outbursts early on in ’24/25, was sent to Charlotte in the Mark Williams deal, only to have the trade rescinded by Los Angeles due concerns over Williams’ medicals. “Anything can happen,” Knecht said during his end-of-season media availability. “Crazy year.”
- As for James, he had a slow start to his rookie campaign, most of which was spent in the G League. But the late second-round pick played some his best basketball of the season toward the end of ’24/25, Price notes. “It’s a huge difference in my confidence,” the Lakers guard said. “The start of the year, I was under a lot of pressure. And it was getting to me a little bit. So just having those games like the Bucks game, just having those games in the G League, just built my confidence every day and proved to me I know what I can do and I’m ready to keep growing as a player.”
- The Kings hosted a pre-draft workout with six prospects on Thursday, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat. Brooks Barnhizer (Northwestern), Saint Thomas (USC), Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Providence), Stefan Todorovic (Pepperdine), Matt Cross (SMU) and Tyson Degenhart (Boise State) were the six participants. Abdur-Rahim, whose father Shareef Abdur-Rahim played in Sacramento, said Thursday’s workout was his first with an NBA team, but he has more scheduled in the coming weeks (Twitter video link via Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento). The Kings control the 42nd pick in next month’s draft.
David Fizdale Reportedly Advancing In Suns’ Coaching Search
The Suns‘ search for a new head coach has reportedly advanced to a third round of interviews, which will be conducted in person after the first two rounds were primarily done via Zoom.
While initial reports indicated that Phoenix had trimmed the list of candidates down from nine to three or four, at least five finalists have been confirmed to have in-person meetings with the team’s brass. And now a sixth name has been added to that group.
According to Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link), David Fizdale is expected to have a third interview for the head coaching vacancy after spending the past two seasons as the Suns’ associate head coach.
Fizdale, who turns 51 years old next month, is a longtime NBA assistant who previously served as head coach of the Grizzlies and Knicks. Some “key Suns players” are in favor of Phoenix hiring Fizdale, sources tell Spears.
It has been six-plus weeks since Mike Budenholzer was fired as head coach after a disappointing season in which Phoenix went 36-46 and failed to make the play-in tournament. He had just wrapped up his first season with the Suns after signing a five-year deal in 2024.
The Suns have been taking their time to find a replacement for Budenholzer, in part because they are the only team actively searching for a new head coach. Owner Mat Ishbia said in a press conference shortly after the season ended that he wants to find a coach who will bring increased toughness to the organization.
Latest On Jonathan Kuminga
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is set to hit restricted free agency this summer after an up-and-down fourth season in Golden State. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic details, Kuminga’s future with the Warriors is uncertain due a number of factors.
League sources tell Slater that Kuminga still views himself as a future All-Star and is trying to find a home where he can have an expansive offensive role to showcase his abilities. The 22 year-old forward had a rocky playoff run, having been outside of the rotation for most of the first-round series against Houston, only to have a featured role in the second-round series vs. Minnesota after Stephen Curry sustained a hamstring strain.
Kuminga was an effective and efficient scorer (24.3 PPG on .554/.389/.720 shooting) in those four games against a strong defense, Slater notes, giving some credence to the notion that the former lottery pick could put up big individual numbers under the right conditions. And despite some differences of opinion in how Kuminga sees — and values — himself and the way the team has wanted him to play, none of the differences between the involved parties are “irreconcilable,” according to Slater’s sources.
However, Kuminga may not be able to achieve his individual goals playing for the Warriors, who are trying to build out a championship roster around Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. The “cleanest path” forward might be finding a sign-and-trade that could work for both the Warriors and Kuminga, Slater writes.
As Slater observes, head coach Steve Kerr has long hoped Kuminga would become a Shawn Marion-type player — someone who can excel without the ball, defend multiple positions, and rebound at a high level. But Kuminga is more of a ball-dominant scorer who is inconsistent in other areas, making his on-court fit in Kerr’s system an awkward one at times.
While the Nets are not currently expected to give Kuminga an offer sheet, Brooklyn may be open to the idea of multi-team sign-and-trade scenarios this offseason as a means to maximize its cap space, league sources tell Slater. That could give the Warriors, Kuminga, Nets and interested suitors a mutually beneficial way of finding something they’re all seeking.
The problem with a potential sign-and-trade, Slater explains, is that Kuminga will be subject to base year compensation rules, and the Warriors would be hard-capped at the first apron if they take back more than 50% of Kuminga’s starting salary. While everyone involved is “expected to explore all options,” due to the aforementioned restrictions, Warriors sources have been dropping hints to Slater that the “most obvious and prudent path” might be simply re-signing Kuminga.
Going that route would give Golden State more time to assess Kuminga’s fit, and the base-year restrictions would be removed in that scenario in January, when Kuminga would theoretically become trade-eligible.
Owner Joe Lacob is known to be a big fan of Kuminga’s and told the young forward to stay open-minded about a potential return, according to Slater, who hears Kuminga “hasn’t slammed the door shut” on that possibility. The Warriors have final say due to Kuminga being a RFA, but Slater suggests Kuminga might not be thrilled with a reunion unless certain circumstances change.