International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Gordon Herbert To Coach Canadian National Team

May 1st, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Gordon Herbert will be the new head coach of the Canadian men’s basketball national team, Canada Basketball confirmed on Thursday in a press release. The news was first reported by Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

Herbert has more than three decades of coaching experience, including two previous stints as an assistant for Canada Basketball from 2001-02 and 2018-21.

Although he briefly served as a Raptors assistant in 2008/09 and a consultant for the Nets in 2019/20, the Canadian-born Herbert has spent most of his career overseas. He’s currently the head coach of Bayern Munich and is coming off a three-year run as the head coach of the German national team, which won the 2023 FIBA World Cup and finished fourth at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Herbert also previously coached professional teams in Finland, France, Greece, Austria, and Russia.

Before transitioning to coaching, Herbert played professionally for more than a decade in non-NBA leagues, primarily in Finland, and was a member of the Canadian national team at the 1984 Olympics.

“We are proud to announce Gordie as the next head coach of our Senior Men’s National Team,” Team Canada general manager Rowan Barrett said in a statement. “His championship pedigree, command of the FIBA game, and understanding of what it takes to compete for medals on the world stage make him the ideal leader for this next chapter of Canada Basketball.

“It’s great to welcome Gordie back to our program. He knows what it means to represent Canada and brings the experience, leadership, and vision to guide this group through the next chapter of our journey.”

Barrett will officially take the reins in the summer of 2026 and will be tasked with getting Canada on the podium at the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.

Expectations for the Canadian national team are on the rise after the program earned a third-place finish at the 2023 World Cup and sent a roster made up entirely of NBA players to Paris in 2024. That team, led by Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, missed out on a medal after falling to France in the quarterfinals.

Barrett is replacing Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, who formally stepped down from the role in February to focus on his job in Brooklyn and to spend more time with his family.

Heat Notes: Butler, Herro, Adebayo, Love, Jovic, Larsson

April 30th, 2025 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Head coach Erik Spoelstra admitted Wednesday that the months-long drama involving Jimmy Butler brought “turbulent waters” to the Heat, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Butler was a distraction during the first half of the season, becoming unhappy when the team was unwilling to give him a contract extension and team president Pat Riley challenged him to be available for more regular season games. Butler publicly feuded with management and was suspended three times before being sent to Golden State shortly before the trade deadline.

Speaking at today’s exit interviews, Tyler Herro said the Butler situation was a distraction in the locker room.

“I think it was just the overall wondering when is it going to end,” Herro said. “That was kind of the main thing of when can we just focus on basketball? That’s what this profession is, it’s basketball. That’s what we’re here to do and that’s what we all get paid to do is play basketball. At the end of the day, that’s what we wanted to worry about.”

The Heat’s season didn’t get better after Butler was gone, as they posted a 12-21 record following the trade and suffered through a 10-game losing streak in March. They were able to win eight of their last 12 regular season games and made history by becoming the first 10th seed to advance through the play-in tournament, but the season crashed to an end with a first-round sweep by Cleveland and 37- and 53-point losses in their two home playoff games.

“When I say it’s a memorable season, the memories will be like the last four weeks,” Spoelstra said. “The rest of the season was a grind. But we finally started to turn the corner even during the losing streak and you felt momentum, you felt progress, you felt like everybody was coming together and it led to two play-in games. … All the other adversities, it made me better. I’ve never been in a situation like that, to try to keep a locker room together and to try to handle it during those weeks. But then also to fully change course stylistically in how to play and what to emphasize at the All-Star break. That was an invigorating challenge.”

There’s more from Miami:

Bam Adebayo talked about the need for changes after Game 4, but he declined to get into specifics while speaking with reporters today, Chiang and Barry Jackson add in a separate story. “That’s more of a Pat Riley question,” Adebayo said. “I hope you can ask that question to him and he doesn’t blow you off. He knows how much I want to win. We want to be in the best way possible to do that. After he talks to you, he will probably talk to me and we will figure out what happens.”
Kevin Love confirms that he intends to continue playing next season, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link). The 36-year-old big man, who has one year left on his contract at $4.15MM, missed 22 games this year while caring for his ailing father, former NBA player Stan Love, who passed away over the weekend.
Nikola Jovic will represent Serbia and Pelle Larsson will play for Sweden at this summer’s EuroBasket (Twitter links from Reynolds).

And-Ones: Wade, Parker, Amazon, Shaq, EuroBasket

April 30th, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Dwyane Wade and Candace Parker are expected to join Amazon Prime Video’s NBA coverage for the 2025/26 season, reports Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. As Glasspiegel explains, deals for Wade and Parker aren’t finalized yet, but appear likely to get done.

Wade, who did color commentary for NBC’s Olympic coverage in Paris last year, would be a hybrid game and studio analyst for Amazon, according to Glasspiegel. Parker, meanwhile, would be part of Amazon’s studio show for both NBA and WNBA broadcasts after having long worked for TNT.

With the company set to become a broadcasting partner for the NBA beginning in ’25/26, Amazon is in the process of filling out its roster of on-air talent. Reporting earlier this week indicated that Steve Nash and Stan Van Gundy will join the streamer as analysts.

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

Former NBA star and current TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal will become the men’s basketball general manager for Sacramento State, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who says it will be an unpaid, voluntary role. O’Neal’s son – Shaqir O’Neal – is transferring from Florida A&M to Sacramento State for his senior year and will play for the Hornets under new head coach Mike Bibby.
FIBA has revealed the schedule for the EuroBasket 2025 tournament, formally announcing in a press release that the event will tip off on August 27 with a six-game slate. The group stage will wrap up on September 4, with the elimination phase taking place from Sept. 6-14. The full schedule for EuroBasket 2025, which should feature many NBA players, can be viewed here.
In the wake of Chris Finch‘s claim that the physicality in the NBA playoffs has “gone too far” and disrupted the flow of games, a panel of writers from The Athletic debate that subject, with Eric Koreen, Fred Katz, Kelly Iko, and Law Murray discussing whether any particular moment or series has crossed the line and whether the increased physicality this spring has been good or bad for the league.

NBA Mulling International Format For All-Star Game

April 28th, 2025 at 9:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA is mulling an “international competition” for the annual All-Star Game, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reports.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver and president of league operations Byron Spruell said discussions were being held with new broadcast partner NBC regarding an original format for the All-Star Game. Next season’s game will be held at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome on Feb. 15, 2026. The Intuit Dome will also be the home base for the basketball events in the 2028 Summer Olympics.

The league has been inspired by the NHL, which held a wildly successful four-team international tournament in place of its All-Star Game. The NBA is considering a U.S. vs. the rest of the world matchup.

“Looking to do something new and different yet again, but excited about the possibility,” Spruell said.

The NBA has been groping for ways to regain interest in the All-Star Game, which in recent years has essentially turned into a defensively-absent dunk contest. If the NBA goes in this direction, it will be the third format in three years.

This February, the NBA experimented with a four-team tournament with three squads of All-Stars and a fourth of “rising stars.” However, the tournament was a flop, lacking suspense and drawing poor TV ratings.

Approximately 25 percent of current NBA players were born outside of the U.S., including many of its top stars.

And-Ones: Awards, Fredette, Silver, Early Entrants

April 28th, 2025 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

After announcing Stephen Curry as this season’s Teammate of the Year on Monday afternoon, the NBA will unveil three more award winners later this week, according to the league (Twitter link).

The 2024/25 Rookie of the Year is scheduled to be announced on Tuesday at 7:00 pm Eastern time, with Most Improved Player to follow on Wednesday, 24 hours later. The league’s Sportsmanship Award winner will be revealed on Thursday at 12:00 pm ET.

Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher, and Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells are the finalists for Rookie of the Year honors, while Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, and Clippers center Ivica Zubac remain in the running for Most Improved.

The Sportsmanship Award isn’t one of the major ones voted on by media members — it’s voted on by players after league executives select six finalists, who were announced earlier this month. Those finalists are Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Celtics guard Jrue Holiday, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, and Magic forward Franz Wagner.

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

Less than a week after announcing his retirement as a player, former NBA lottery pick Jimmer Fredette has a new job. USA Basketball stated in a press release on Monday that Fredette has been named the first-ever managing director for Team USA’s 3×3 men’s national team. Fredette will be responsible for compiling USA Basketball’s coaching staff and roster for 3×3 international competitions, essentially taking on the same role that Grant Hill performs for the 5×5 men’s national team.
Appearing on ESPN’s Numbers on the Board podcast (YouTube link), NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke about a number of topics, including whether shortening the regular season from 82 games is a viable possibility for player health reasons. While Silver said that “nothing is off the table,” his response suggested the idea of reducing the 82-game schedule is likely a long shot (YouTube clip).
We can probably expect a full, official list from the NBA in the coming days, but in the meantime, news of early entrants who declared for the 2025 draft ahead of Saturday’s deadline continues to trickle out. Here are a few more of the players who are testing the draft waters this spring:
- Mouhamed Faye, C, Reggio Emilia, Italy (born 2005) (Twitter link via Jonathan Givony of ESPN)
- Elijah Fisher, G/F, Pacific (junior) (Twitter link via Jon Chepkevich of Rookie Scale)
- Ousmane N’Diaye, F/C, Baskonia, Spain (born 2004) (Twitter link via Chepkevich)

Sterling Brown Signs Two-Year Deal With KK Partizan

April 26th, 2025 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA wing Sterling Brown has signed a two-year contract extension with KK Partizan, according to Eurohoops. The new deal was first revealed by team president Ostoja Mijailović and was later confirmed by the club via social media (Twitter link).

Brown, 30, was the 46th overall pick in the 2017 draft out of SMU and spent the next six years in the NBA, appearing in 268 regular season games for the Bucks, Rockets, Mavericks, and Lakers. The 6’5″ swingman averaged 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per night, with a .419/.363/.796 shooting line.

Brown has been out of the NBA since playing on a 10-day contract with the Lakers in January 2023, having spent the past two seasons in the EuroLeague, first with Alba Berlin in Germany and then with Partizan in Serbia.

Brown is coming off a very productive season for the Belgrade-based team. He averaged 12.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 25.8 minutes per game with a .523/.469/.929 shooting line across 34 EuroLeague outings, and put up 11.0 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 2.2 APG on .527/.505/.886 shooting in 26 ABA (Adriatic League) contests (21.7 MPG).

Partizan finished the EuroLeague season with a 16-18 record and missed the playoffs, but remains alive in the domestic Serbian league (KLS) and the ABA.

Projected First-Rounder Joan Beringer Entering Draft

April 25th, 2025 at 12:52pm CST by Rory Maher

French big man Joan Beringer is entering the 2025 NBA draft, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The 18-year-old is ranked No. 17 on ESPN’s latest big board, making him a projected first-round pick.

“It’s been my dream to play in the NBA,” Beringer said. “It’s a good moment to go. I want to say thank you to my teammates. They made everything a lot easier for me.”

Beringer has spent the 2024/25 campaign with Slovenian club Cedevita Olimpija, which competes in the Adriatic League and EuroCup. He has averaged 4.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 17 EuroCup appearances (17.5 minutes per game).

As Givony details, Beringer is an intriguing prospect for multiple reasons. He’s the third-youngest player in the draft class, as he won’t turn 19 until November. He also wasn’t on NBA radars entering the season, as Beringer says he had never touched a basketball until the summer of 2021.

“I first started playing basketball in the street with my friends,” Beringer said. “Just for fun. I played football before, and there was a basketball court nearby the field. My feet got too big, so I couldn’t find soccer cleats anymore. I was 6-8 then. I’m 6-11 without shoes now. I joined a small club, Saint-Joseph Strasbourg, two weeks later. My work and willingness to go after things are the reason I was able to be where I am now.”

With a 7’5″ wingspan, impressive timing, and exceptional mobility, Beringer is viewed as having considerable defensive upside, according to Givony, who notes that the teenage center led the ABA in block percentage.

French Guard Nolan Traore Declaring For Draft

April 24th, 2025 at 10:25am CST by Dana Gauruder

Nolan Traore, a potential lottery pick, is entering the draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reports.

Traore, an 18-year-old guard, is currently playing in his home country of France. He’s averaging 11.5 points and 4.9 assists in 23 minutes per game for Saint-Quentin, which competes in both the domestic Pro A league and the intercontinental Basketball Champions League.

Traore is currently ranked No. 18 by ESPN. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie had Traore coming off the board with the No. 16 pick in his most recent mock draft.

“I’m excited to take the next step in my career and declare for the NBA draft,” the 6’4” Traore told ESPN. “I still have many goals with my team, to finish the regular season strong, make the playoffs and then have a great draft process. I want to be drafted to the best situation with a pathway to earn playing time right away. I’m ready for that challenge.”

Traore was one of the standouts at last year’s Nike Hoop Summit but has taken some lumps in France’s pro league. Turnovers, shooting efficiency and the league’s physicality have been issues for a teenager with a 29 percent usage rate, second-highest in the league, according to Givony.

“It has been a challenging year in France that has made me a much better and tougher player,” Traore said. “The NBA is not going to be easy, and I think that this season will help me a lot I that regard.”

Knicks, Sixers To Play Preseason Games In Abu Dhabi

April 24th, 2025 at 7:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and Sixers will participate in the NBA’s Abu Dhabi Games 2025 this fall, the league announced today in a press release.

New York and Philadelphia will play a pair of preseason contests at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, October 2 and Saturday, Oct. 4.

The NBA had never played in the United Arab Emirates prior to 2022, but this will be the fourth straight year that the league has held preseason games in Abu Dhabi.

It will be the first time that the Knicks have played a game outside of North America since they faced the Wizards in London, England for a regular season game in January 2019. The 76ers haven’t played overseas since they squared off against Dallas for a pair of preseason matchups in China (Shanghai and Shenzhen) in October 2018.

The Abu Dhabi Games are the third international preseason contests announced by the NBA ahead of the 2025/26 season. The Nets and Suns will be playing in Macao on Oct. 10 and 12, while the Pelicans will face teams from Australia’s National Basketball League in Melbourne on Oct. 3 and 5.

International Prospects Ruzic, Lewis Declare For Draft

April 22nd, 2025 at 7:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A pair of international prospects, Croatian power forward Michael Ruzic and South East Melbourne wing Malique Lewis, are entering the draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reports (Twitter links).

The 6’10” Ruzic is just 18 years old. He’s played for Joventut Badalona in Spain the past two seasons, posting modest numbers. He has averaged 5.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game through seven EuroCup contests this season. In Liga ACB action, Ruzic played 14 games and averaged 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per contest.

Ruzic is ranked No. 49 on ESPN’s Best Available list.

Lewis, 20, played for SE Melbourne in Australia’s National Basketball league this season. He averaged 6.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game while making 34 appearances.

In 2023/24, Lewis played in the NBA G League for the Mexico City Capitanes. He averaged 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 27.7 minutes per game while seeing action in 34 contests. He made 37.7% of his 3-point attempts that season, though that success rate dropped in 31.6% in Australia.

Lewis is currently ranked No. 69 by ESPN, making him a possible second-round pick.