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Spanish Prospect Hugo Gonzalez Entering NBA Draft

April 19th, 2025 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Real Madrid wing Hugo Gonzalez has decided to enter the 2025 NBA draft, agents Carlos Sanchez and Saul Lopez tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Gonzalez, a 6’7″ forward from Spain, has played limited minutes in domestic (ACB) and EuroLeague competition, averaging 3.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game across 50 outings. However, he has compiled an impressive résumé in international tournaments, Givony writes, having competed in the U17 World Cup in 2022 and the U18 EuroBasket in 2023 and 2024.

Although Gonzalez doesn’t play much for a veteran-heavy Real Madrid team, the Spanish club has championship aspirations in both the ACB and EuroLeague and could still be playing deep into June, which would complicate the 19-year-old’s ability to work out for NBA teams prior to the draft, as Givony notes.

Despite his modest role in Madrid, Gonzalez has made an impression on NBA evaluators with his athleticism, defensive versatility, and intensity, according to Givony, who has him ranked at No. 22 on ESPN’s big board of 2025 draft prospects.

That makes Gonzalez a potential first-round pick, assuming he keeps his name in the draft pool. He has until June 15 to decide whether or not to withdraw.

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Ben Saraf, Tyrese Proctor Among Draft’s Latest Early Entrants

April 18th, 2025 at 7:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Israeli guard Ben Saraf has decided to enter the 2025 NBA draft, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Saraf, who is the No. 23 player on ESPN’s big board of 2025 prospects, plays overseas for the German team Ratiopharm Ulm. In 16 EuroCup games this season, the 19-year-old has averaged 12.8 points, 4.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 24.4 minutes per contest.

“This is the right time for me,” Saraf said. “After playing against the highest levels of competition in European basketball, I am ready and excited for the draft, but first we need to finish the season strong in Ulm.”

As Givony writes, Saraf is well regarded by NBA evaluators for several reasons, including his size, scoring instincts, and feel for the game. He’s also a creative play-maker, though his outside shot remains a work in progress. He has made just 10-of-45 three-point attempts (22.2%) in EuroCup competition this season.

Here are a few more updates on prospects who are entering the draft as early entrants:

  • Duke junior guard Tyrese Proctor is entering the NBA draft, as Colton Schwabe writes for the Duke Chronicle. Proctor had his best season as a Blue Devil in 2024/25, starting all 38 games he played in for the Final Four team and averaging 12.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per contest, with a .452/.405/.680 shooting line. The 6’6″ guard, who named to the All-ACC third team, is the No. 47 player on ESPN’s big board.
  • Hansen Yang, a 7’1″ center who plays for Qingdao in China, has declared for the draft, his representatives at Klutch Sports tell Givony (Twitter link). The 19-year-old has averaged a double-double in 45 outings this season, posting 16.6 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 2.6 BPG in 32.8 MPG. He comes in at No. 79 on ESPN’s board and could be a second-round draft-and-stash candidate if he keeps his name in the draft.
  • Forward/center Izan Almansa is entering the draft, agent Guillermo Bermejo tells Givony (Twitter link). Almansa already has an impressive résumé, having spent time with Overtime Elite, the G League Ignite, and – most recently – the Perth Wildcats in Australia. The 19-year-old has also represented the Spanish national team in several competitions, including at the 2023 U19 World Cup, where the Spaniards won gold and Almansa earned MVP honors. He’s the No. 89 prospects on ESPN’s top-100 list.
  • As we detailed last week, international early entrants like Saraf, Yang, and Almansa have until June 15 to decide whether or not they want to keep their names in the draft. Most college prospects will make that decision by May 28, which is the deadline for a player to withdraw and preserve his NCAA eligibility.
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And-Ones: Porzingis, Windler, Walker, Awards Ballot

April 17th, 2025 at 3:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Assuming he’s healthy, Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis intends to play for Latvia during the EuroBasket tournament this summer, as EuroHoops.net relays.

“Whether I want to play for the national team or not – that’s a silly question,” Porzingis said, according to FIBA. “The past few summers didn’t work out because I was injured. I’ve never refused the national team. When I haven’t played, it’s because of injuries. This summer, I’ll be there. Health is the main thing – then everything else will follow.”

Here are a few more items of interest from around the basketball world:

  • Former NBA wing Dylan Windler spent the 2024/25 season with the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League. The Australian team announced in a press release that it has re-signed the 28-year-old to a new two-year contract. “It just felt right to come back to Perth, I feel like we’ve got some unfinished business in the playoffs after going out in the semi-finals like we did,” Windler said. “We enjoyed it there and it’s a great situation for me basketball-wise and I look forward to continuing to build on the team that we had last year and see what new faces we can bring in and what we can build together.”
  • Veteran NBA guard Kemba Walker, who made four All-Star teams during his time in the league, announced his retirement as a player last July. However, evidently he will return to the hardwood this summer, according to Chris Haynes, who reports (via Twitter) that Walker has reached an agreement to play in the BIG3. Dwight Howard will also be competing in the 3-on-3 league. Walker spent this past season as a player enhancement coach with the Hornets.
  • Tim Bontemps of ESPN has an official NBA awards ballot. He recently revealed his choices for all the major 2024/25 awards as well as some of the reasoning behind the selections. Perhaps most interestingly, Bontemps voted for Clippers center Ivica Zubac as Defensive Player of the Year, with Cavaliers forward/center Evan Mobley finishing as his runner-up.
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Central Notes: Giddey, Ball, Jones, Buzelis, Pistons, Sims

April 15th, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls guard Josh Giddey is dealing with a muscle issue on the side of his hand but he’s expected to suit up for the play-in game against Miami on Wednesday, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network reports.

“It’s just about managing the pain,” Giddey said, adding that the injury will be addressed in the offseason (Twitter links).

Giddey can’t imagine watching Wednesday’s game in street clothes.

“I’m good to go,” he said, per Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. “Play-in game, must-win game, there’s not way I’m going to sit out.”

Lonzo Ball (wrist) and Tre Jones (foot) won’t play.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis plans to play for the Lithuanian national team, but he’s unsure about representing his country this offseason. “I’m not sure that I will come this summer. We have problems with the coaches,” he told Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net, referring to controversial comments by an assistant coach of the senior national team, Tomas Pacesas. “I have to talk to Jonas [Valanciunas], Domantas [Sabonis] and see what they will do.” Lithuania will participate in the EuroBasket tournament this summer. Sabonis is expected to sit out for personal reasons, while Valanciunas is expected to play.
  • The Pistons apparently don’t want Little Caesars Arena to have a large continent of Knicks fans during the first round of the playoffs, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes. Potential ticket buyers for upcoming playoff games in Detroit must produce a credit card with a mailing address “located in Michigan and in certain parts of Ohio, Indiana and Ontario, Canada,” according to Ticketmaster. However, a Pistons spokesman told Bondy that the restrictions are intended to target ticket brokers and reduce fraud.
  • Bucks coach Doc Rivers is “pretty sure” reserve big man Jericho Sims will be available for their opening-round series against Indiana. Sims participated in a majority of Tuesday’s practice, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. He hasn’t played since March 16 due to a thumb injury.
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And-Ones: Clutch Player Award, NBA Europe, Award Picks, Oweh

April 15th, 2025 at 6:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The official candidates for Clutch Player of the Year have been revealed, NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor tweets. Here’s the list of candidates that voters can select for the award, as chosen by the league’s 30 head coaches:

Curry won the award last year.

We have more from around the international basketball world:

  • While the NBA is trying to establish a new league in Europe, NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum insists that the goal is not to replace the EuroLeague, Eurohoops relays via a Reuters interview. “Our goal is to create a commercially viable league that features high quality on -court competition and respects the rich tradition of European basketball. And we think that that will better serve fans and players on the continent,” Tatum said. He notes that there are major cities in Europe that don’t have a team where the NBA can establish roots. “There are big markets in Europe that aren’t being serviced today, where there are millions of basketball fans that aren’t being serviced,” he said. London, Paris, Berlin and Rome are among the candidates that NBA Europe considers as prime targets.
  • The Athletic’s John Hollinger reveals his award picks. He has Gilgeous-Alexander atop his MVP list and the Rockets’ Amen Thompson as his Defensive Player of the Year. O’Connor, writing for Yahoo Sports, has the same duo winning those awards. They also both have Stephon Castle taking Rookie of the Year honors, Payton Pritchard atop their Sixth Man of the Year lists, and Kenny Atkinson as Coach of the Year.
  • Kentucky junior guard Otega Oweh will test the draft waters, Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 tweets. Oweh averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals this past season. He played his first two seasons at Oklahoma.
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Sixers Notes: George, Bona, Grimes

April 14th, 2025 at 9:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Paul George acknowledged that his first season with the Sixers was a complete mess. George signed a four-year, $211.6MM contract last offseason.

“To be honest, it was one of the toughest seasons for me, just with a lot of adversity on the court, off the court,” George told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “The injury stuff … was some stuff I didn’t necessarily know I had going on until deep diving and finding out. There was other stuff I didn’t know that was causing my limitations, which was frustrating — not being able to do things I normally could do, and finding out the reason why. Those things are being addressed, so that’s the positive.”

George missed half of Philadelphia’s games due to a variety of injuries. He’s preparing to get back to full health by training camp.

“All in all, I’m expecting to ramp up to a great summer and hitting the ground running,” he said. “So there shouldn’t be any limitation for me in the future to train and get prepared for this next season.”

George believes he can return to an All-Star level if he can get his body right. “I know what level I can play at when I am healthy,” he said, “and obviously, it’s a struggle when I’m not healthy.”

We have more on the Sixers:

  • Second-round pick Adem Bona, who appeared in 58 games during his rookie campaign, has a decision to make this offseason. Should he represent Nigeria or Turkey in international competitions? “I’ve played for the national team for almost every age group since U16 to U20. So, the Turkish national team is very important to me. Also, I’m from Nigeria. The Nigerian national team is important to me.” he told Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.  “I don’t think there’s any preference. I represent both countries equally, but there’s going to be a decision that has to be made during the summer.” Turkey will participate in EuroBasket this August and September.
  • How will the Sixers handle Quentin Grimes‘ restricted free agency? Yossi Gozlan of ThirdApron.com (Substack link) tackles that subject and many others in his offseason preview, speculating that something in the range of the full mid-level (a little over $60MM across four years) might make sense for Grimes.
  • In case you missed it, Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse will return next season. Get the details here.
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And-Ones: Wong, 82 Games, Powell, Jamaica, More

April 13th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After being waived by the Hornets prior to the All-Star break, guard Isaiah Wong signed a rest-of-season contract with the Lithuanian team Zalgiris Kaunas in February. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links), Wong has since agreed to extend his relationship with Zalgiris, though his new deal comes with opt-out potential.

As agent Darrell Comer explains to Scotto, Wong’s new three-year contract includes outs for the NBA, EuroLeague, and China. Specifically, it features an opportunity for the 24-year-old to opt out during the summer of 2025 for a two-way contract offer from an NBA team, and Wong is indeed expected to generate two-way interest, Scotto reports.

The 55th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Wong spent his rookie year on a two-way deal with the Pacers, then appeared in 20 games off the bench for Charlotte this season. He averaged 6.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 13.3 minutes per night as a Hornet, with a shooting line of .390/.394/.735.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has previously expressed a desire to reduce the 82-game NBA season and still feels strongly about the issue, having emailed NBA commissioner Adam Silver to make his case before the start of this season, according to Christian Clark of The Athletic. However, even though he believes it’s a logical way to address load management and player participation issues, Kerr is skeptical it will ever happen. “We should be playing fewer games,” he said. “Everyone knows that. But it’s a money issue. How many of the constituents are willing to take less money?”
  • Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press takes a closer look at the players who appeared in all 82 regular season games this season, including Spurs point guard Chris Paul, who became the first player to start 82 games in his 20th NBA season (John Stockton previously made 82 starts in his 19th year). As Reynolds notes, Knicks forward Mikal Bridges played just six seconds on Sunday in order to keep his streak of 556 consecutive regular season appearances alive.
  • Clippers guard Norman Powell has committed to representing Jamaica during the pre-qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup this summer, according to an announcement from the Basketball Jamaica Association. The games will be played from August 8-10. “I’m super excited to join Team Jamaica,” Powell said in a statement. “Coach (Nick) Turner and I have worked on this for a while, and now it’s a reality. I’m ready to grind and need everyone’s support to make it happen.”
  • ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) has launched his offseason preview series for 2025 by identifying the top front office priorities for the Jazz, Hornets, and Wizards this offseason. While the draft will be crucial for all three clubs, they also have several veteran players to make decisions on, including Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, LaMelo Ball, and Jordan Poole.
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Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Griffin, Green, Suns, Beal, More

April 13th, 2025 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

There has been buzz around the NBA this weekend about the future in New Orleans, where the futures of Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin and head coach Willie Green appear tenuous, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). League sources tell The Stein Line that some people around the league are “undeniably bracing” for Griffin’s exit from the franchise, with Green also said to be on the hot seat.

While injuries were once again a significant factor this season, it has been a disappointing run in recent years for the Pelicans, who haven’t been able to capitalize on getting the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft and acquiring significant trade hauls for Anthony Davis (in 2019) and Jrue Holiday (2020). The club has made the playoffs in only two of the past six seasons and won just two total games in those postseason appearances.

Dyson Daniels‘ rise in Atlanta this season, after he was sent to the Hawks in last summer’s Dejounte Murray trade, has been a “source of tension” within the Pelicans organization, Stein and Fischer say, noting that Green has been questioned internally for having often leaned on Jose Alvarado over Daniels from 2022-24.

Still, Stein and Fischer caution that there were “whispers” about Green’s job being in danger following New Orleans’ 5-29 start in the fall and he has made it through the season, so there’s a chance he could be retained through the offseason too. He’s known to hold “significant support” from owner Gayle Benson, according to The Stein Line.

Here are a few more items of interest from Stein and Fischer:

  • While it’s somewhat rare for a team to clean house by firing its head of basketball operations and head coach at the same time, Denver did it last week and the Suns have been “painted” as a team that could follow suit, write Stein and Fischer. General manager James Jones has been atop the front office hierarchy since 2018, whereas head coach Mike Budenholzer just joined the organization on a five-year contract in 2024.
  • In addition to exploring a Kevin Durant trade, the Suns are “known to be trying to extricate themselves” from the final two years of Bradley Beal‘s contract, Stein and Fischer confirm. That will be easier said than done, given his no-trade clause and the $111MM he’s still owed. But for what it’s worth, plugged-in Phoenix insider John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 said last week that there’s a “zero percent change” Beal will be back on the Suns next season (Twitter link).
  • If Chauncey Billups hadn’t signed a contract extension with the Trail Blazers, there was a belief he might emerge as a candidate in Phoenix and/or Denver, according to Fischer and Stein. It remains to be seen whether the Suns will make a coaching change this spring, but some of their players were said last May to be high on Billups. The Nuggets, meanwhile, will definitely have a coaching vacancy, but it’s unclear whether or not they would have targeted Billups — as Fischer and Stein explain, there was a sense that Billups, a Denver native, would have been interested in that job if Portland hadn’t retained him.
  • Berlin, Germany and London, England are viewed as the frontrunners among European cities to host NBA regular season games next season, with Manchester also believed to be in consideration, per The Stein Line.
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And-Ones: Howard, Rookies, Stanley, Europe

April 10th, 2025 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Officially announced last weekend as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2025 class, longtime NBA star Dwight Howard has decided to play one more season of professional basketball in the BIG3, as first reported by Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

The BIG3 – the 3-on-3 league created by Ice Cube – officially issued a press release on Wednesday confirming that Howard has signed on to play for the Los Angeles Riot this summer.

Howard will team up with former NBA guard Jordan Crawford and former USC standout Elijah Stewart under head coach Nick Young. While Howard played for the Wizards like Crawford and the Lakers like Young, he didn’t overlap with either player during their stints in Washington and Los Angeles.

“I’m excited to join Ice Cube and the BIG3 – especially right after being inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame,” Howard said in a statement. “Words can’t describe how grateful I am for these opportunities. I can’t wait to join the L.A. Riot and try to bring another championship to the city of LA. But, the ultimate goal I have is to help the league go global.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • In the final 2024/25 installment of his rookie rankings, Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com (Insider link) places Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher atop his list, writing that the French forward is delivering on his top-pick status. Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Grizzlies center Zach Edey, Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan, and Bulls forward Matas Buzelis round out the top five in Woo’s rankings, in that order.
  • Former Pacers and Pistons guard Cassius Stanley has signed with ESSM Le Portel for the rest of the season, the French club announced in a press release (hat tip to Sportando). Stanley, who was in the NBA from 2020-22, was playing in the G League for the Valley Suns this season.
  • In the wake of EuroLeague shareholders meeting this week to discuss the future of the league and the NBA’s potential foray into European basketball, the EuroLeague Players Association issued a statement calling for “united efforts” to grow the game on the continent, as BasketNews.com relays. “Despite significant progress, it must be acknowledged that there is still much work to be done to unravel the true potential of European club basketball,” the statement reads, in part. “That potential is lost when the relevant leagues, clubs and governing bodies do not work harmoniously, but seemingly against each other, without consideration for the perspective of players and fans who are the lifeblood of any competition.”
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Kendrick Nunn, Cedi Osman Sign Extensions With Panathinaikos

April 9th, 2025 at 2:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA players Kendrick Nunn and Cedi Osman have signed extensions with defending EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos, team owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos announced today (story via BasketNews.com).

According to Giannakopoulos, Nunn has signed a three-year extension with the Greek powerhouse, while Osman’s deal covers two more years.

Greek outlet SDNA reported a couple weeks ago that Nunn had agreed to a three-year extension that will make him the highest-paid player in the EuroLeague, with an annual average salary of €4.5MM (hat tip to EuroHoops.net). Nunn’s contract does not feature NBA out clauses and is fully guaranteed, tweets Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.

The €4.5MM yearly figure is after taxes have been taken out, according to Urbonas (Twitter link). That’s approximately $4.9MM annually, Urbonas notes.

Nunn, who last played for the Wizards during the 2022/23 campaign, has become one of the best players in Europe, averaging 20.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 32 EuroLeague contests this season (31.1 MPG). The American guard has been extremely efficient offensively, posting a .503/.419/.846 shooting slash line in those appearances.

Osman, 30, played for San Antonio in ’23/24, but was unable to find an NBA deal to his liking over the summer, eventually signing with Panathinaikos in September. The following month, the Turkish forward sounded optimistic about returning to the NBA at some point, but his new extension will keep him under contract through 2027. It’s unclear if his deal contains out clauses.

A seven-year NBA veteran, Osman has averaged 7.9 PPG and 2.4 RPG on .444/.379/.812 shooting in 31 EuroLeague games in ’24/25 (18.2 MPG).

Panathinaikos has a stacked roster featuring several other former NBA players and EuroLeague veterans. The team is currently in third place in the league’s standings with a 21-12 record.

Panathinaikos also went 22-0 during the regular season in Greece’s top domestic league, with the playoffs coming up this week.

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