A back-and-forth battle between a pair of 8-0 teams went down to the wire in Sunday’s EuroBasket championship game, with Kings point guard Dennis Schröder helping to secure a gold medal for Germany by scoring the final six points and turning an 83-82 deficit into an 88-83 victory over Turkey.
Schöder (16 points, 12 assists), former NBA wing Isaac Bonga (20 points, 4-of-4 three-pointers), and Magic forward Franz Wagner (18 points, eight rebounds) were the standout performers for Germany, which has won two of the past three major international basketball competitions.
Although the Germans didn’t make the podium at the Paris Olympics last summer, the country is now the defending FIBA World Cup (2023) and EuroBasket (2025) champion and has posted a 21-2 record in those three tournaments, per HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Germany outlasted a Turkish national team that was led by Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28 points), former NBA forward Cedi Osman (23 points, 6-of-9 on three-pointers), former NBA guard Shane Larkin (13 points, nine assists, six rebounds), and Sixers big man Adem Bona (12 points, 5-of-5 shooting).
While they weren’t able to claim their first EuroBasket championship, Turkey matched their best-ever result by taking silver. The Turkish team lost to Yugoslavia in the 2001 final, which was the only other time the country made the championship game.
Schröder was named the EuroBasket Most Valuable Player after leading the Germans to their first title in the event since 1993. He scored at least 16 points in all nine games, averaging 20.3 points and 7.2 assists per contest.
The 2025 EuroBasket All-Star Five was made up entirely of NBA players, with Lakers guard Luka Doncic (Slovenia) and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) joining Schröder, Wagner, and Sengun (Twitter link).
Antetokounmpo and the Greek national team beat Finland in the third-place game earlier on Sunday.
Zach Harris has been named general manager of the Warriors’ NBA G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, according to a team press release. Additionally, Noah Robotham has been promoted to assistant GM.
Harris is entering his second season with the Santa Cruz Warriors after serving as an assistant GM last year. He joined the Warriors organization with four years of G League experience, having worked for the Grand Rapids Gold as a basketball strategy coordinator for the 2022/23 season, the Capital City Go-Go as a basketball operations assistant from 2018-20, and as an intern for the Iowa Wolves in 2017.
Robotham is entering his third season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, having spent last year as the team’s manager of basketball operations. In his first season with the Warriors in 2023/24, he served as a coaching associate and basketball operations coordinator.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
After stating in mid-July that he was “pretty confident” the Lakers weren’t interested in Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, Dan Woike of The Athletic confirms reporting from Marc Stein, writing that the Lakers appear more inclined to pursue an upgrade on the wing – including a player like Wiggins – in the wake of Luka Doncic‘s long-term commitment to the team. Doncic signed a three-year, maximum-salary extension with Los Angeles last month.
Although the Lakers seem more open to taking on contracts that run beyond the 2025/26 season in the right deal, they also may want to see how new additions like Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia look this fall before they cash in any of their limited trade assets, Woike cautions.
The Lakers can currently only trade one future first-round pick, either their 2031 or 2032 selection.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
Former NBA forward Cedi Osman has been a key part of Turkey’s run to the EuroBasket semifinals, ranking second on the team in points per game (14.9) and third in minutes (26.8) and plus/minus (+14.0) while converting 51.2% of his three-pointers (5.9 attempts per contest).
However, Osman sustained an ankle injury in Tuesday’s quarterfinal win over Poland. While he returned to that game, he was seen limping off the team bus on Thursday (Twitter video link) and was unable to practice (story via BasketNews).
Head coach Ergin Ataman told Turkish media the 30-year-old will likely be a game-time decision for Friday’s matchup against Greece, as Semih Tuna of Eurohoops relays.
“Their biggest concern was a stress fracture. That’s what it looked like. Thankfully, he avoided a stress fracture,” explained Ataman, “He has bone swelling in that area, preventing him from putting any weight on his foot. He wanted to return to the court in this condition. He will play under any circumstances, but we do not know how effective he can be.
“... We will make a decision based on possible progress,” Ataman continued. “Cedi definitely wants to play, but his injury is serious. He has some time until Friday night, so I hope he can make progress. If the game were (Wednesday or Thursday), he surely would not be able to play.”
Here are a few more notes related to EuroBasket 2025:
With most of the NBA’s offseason action now in the books, Chris Herring and Kevin Pelton of ESPN identify the 14 NBA “newcomers” whose changes of scenery will have the greatest impact in 2025/26.
There are no surprises at the top of the list, which features new Rockets forward Kevin Durant at No. 1, Magic guard Desmond Bane at No. 2, and Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson at No. 3. However, Herring and Pelton deviate a little from expectations at No. 4 by including a head coach: Mike Brown of the Knicks. As Herring writes, it’s possible no coach in the league will face more “title-or-bust pressure” than Brown in his first year on the job.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton rounds out the top five on the 14-man list, which – outside of Brown – is made up exclusively of players.
We have more from around the basketball world:
Tragedy has struck Timberwolves big man Naz Reid and his family. His sister, Toraya Reid, was shot and killed Saturday in New Jersey, Eva Herscowitz of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. A New Jersey prosecutor charged Shaquille Green, whom the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said was in a relationship with Toraya Reid, with her murder.
Reid’s former teammate, Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns, was devastated by the news.
“Heartbroken. No words can ever take away the pain for my brother,” Towns tweeted. “Holding everyone close in prayer today.”
The Lakers are open to upgrading on the wing if they can find a player who contributes on both ends of the court and is capable of helping the team raise its ceiling, Marc Stein reports for The Stein Line (Substack link).
Stein cautions that Los Angeles isn’t looking to trade just for the sake of revamping the roster, but the Lakers are hoping the right opportunity presents itself in the coming months.
According to Stein, the Lakers were believed to be reluctant to take on anything more than expiring contracts earlier in the offseason, but that stance has “thawed somewhat.” Several weeks ago, multiple reports stated that L.A. was prioritizing preserving cap room for the summer of 2027.
Stein points to Andrew Wiggins as the type of player the Lakers are likely to be interested in, though it’s unclear if the Heat would move him, having recently sent signals that the team expects the former No. 1 overall pick to open the season in Miami. But if the Heat eventually decide to trim their payroll, Wiggins is a name to watch.
Wiggins will earn about $28.2MM in 2025/26, with a $30.2MM player option for 2026/27.
Stein hears the possibility of Wiggins being pursued by the Lakers gained steam after Luka Doncic signed a three-year extension in early August.
Reporting earlier this summer indicated that the Lakers had checked in with the Heat about Wiggins, but found Miami’s asking price to be “pretty high.” Dan Woike of The Athletic reported in mid-July that he was “pretty confident” the Lakers weren’t interested in Wiggins, though that was a few weeks before Doncic’s extension.
In an article for HoopsHype, Mike Shearer lists seven players who could be primed for breakout seasons in 2025/26. Here’s his full list:
Shearer acknowledges that Sharpe’s inclusion is a little unconventional, as the 22-year-old averaged a career-best 18.5 points per game in ’24/25. But the Canadian wing is entering the final year of his rookie scale contract and is eligible for an extension until October 20, so he certainly has financial reasons to be motivated for a big season.
Mathurin, who is also eligible for a rookie scale extension, should have a big role for Indiana with Tyrese Haliburton out for the year. Ditto for Nembhard, one of the league’s more unheralded role players who has a chance to show he can be more than that this season.
Boston revamped its roster this offseason for financial and roster-building reasons. There were rumblings that Hauser might be on the trade block, but he’s still a Celtic, and Shearer believes the former Virginia star should have plenty of opportunities to shine in ’25/26.
Shearer also describes why he thinks Miller (second season cut short due to wrist surgery), LaRavia (essentially replacing Dorian Finney-Smith) and Shannon (a Nickeil Alexander-Walker replacement?) could take leaps forward.
We want to know what you think. Do you agree with the players on Shearer’s list? If not, why? Which other players could be primed for breakout seasons? Head to the comment section to weigh in.
Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Deandre Ayton: Two years, $16,208,000. Second-year player option. Signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.The Lakers’ offseason began in somewhat dramatic fashion when agent Rich Paul announced on June 29 that LeBron James was picking up his player option for 2025/26. James was one of 10 players who exercised a player option in June, but two factors made his case unique. First, the ’25/26 season will be the first time in his career that LeBron is on an expiring contract; and second, Paul was the only agent who put out a lengthy statement accompanying his client’s opt-in decision.
Within that statement, Paul said that LeBron “knows the Lakers are building for the future,” wants to contend for a title, and understands “the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future.”
“We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career,” Paul’s statement concluded. “He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
Even for a player like James, whose two-plus decades in the NBA have included countless cryptic – some might say passive-aggressive – interview responses, social media posts, and media leaks, this one was a pretty rich text. Was LeBron suggesting he wanted a trade? Expressing displeasure that he didn’t work out a multiyear deal with the Lakers? Putting pressure on the team to go all-in in 2025/26? Hinting that he plans to retire next year?
We haven’t gotten a definitive answer to those questions over the past two months, but Paul’s statement also didn’t lead to any sort of summer fireworks involving the Lakers and James. We know based on their stunning Luka Doncic deal in February that the Lakers are capable of keeping a blockbuster trade under wraps, but there has been no indication that we’re headed in that direction with James, at least not in 2025. All indications are that the 40-year-old will open the season in Los Angeles and look to win a title alongside Doncic.
Still, it’s clear that a passing of the torch is in process in Los Angeles. While the organization has revolved around James since 2018, the spotlight has shifted to Doncic, who was also at the center of some early offseason speculation. As of August 2, Doncic’s extend-and-trade restrictions would lift and he’d be eligible to sign a maximum-salary extension with the Lakers. Would he take advantage of that opportunity and commit to the team long-term?
As August 2 approached, it became clear that there would be no drama on that front either. Not only did Doncic sign a maximum-salary extension with the Lakers, but he did so on the first day he was eligible, forgoing potential 2026 free agency and signaling that he’s all-in on L.A.
With Doncic extended and things relatively quiet on the LeBron front following that June statement, the Lakers’ focus this offseason was primarily on upgrading the roster around their two stars. The front office, which backed out of a trade for center Mark Williams at February’s deadline due to concerns about his physical, didn’t return to the trade market to make those upgrades, instead using a series of cap exceptions in free agency to improve the team’s depth.
One of four teams to use its entire non-taxpayer mid-level exception this offseason, the Lakers split their MLE between forward Jake LaRavia and center Deandre Ayton.
Ayton, a former No. 1 overall pick, is the more familiar name of the two and fills a greater hole for the Lakers, whose lack of a reliable big man was an Achilles heel in their first-round playoff loss to Minnesota in the spring. But LaRavia, an underrated, defensive-minded forward who is still just 23 years old – and whose shooting percentages significantly improved in his third NBA season – shouldn’t be overlooked.
LaRavia could play an important role for L.A., especially since the team lost Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency to Houston. Finney-Smith’s exit was a little surprising, given that he thrived following his mid-season trade to the Lakers and only got two fully guaranteed years on his deal with the Rockets. The Lakers could’ve matched that offer even while prioritizing 2027 cap flexibility, but they’re betting on LaRavia and a healthy Jarred Vanderbilt providing the wing defense they sacrificed with Finney-Smith’s departure.
The Lakers also prioritized defense with their bi-annual exception, using it to add former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. The veteran guard has battled injuries over the past couple seasons, but if he’s back to full health, Smart would be a bargain on his $5.1MM cap hit this season — even if he’s not quite the player he was in his prime years.
Finally, in need of more depth at center beyond Ayton, the Lakers used Jaxson Hayes‘ Non-Bird rights to give him a raise to 20% above his minimum salary. Hayes was overextended as the club’s starting center in the second half of last season, but as a backup on a fairly team-friendly deal, he’s certainly capable of returning positive value.
Obviously, if anything is going to happen before next summer with James, it will be the most pressing item on the Lakers’ agenda. But if we assume that the four-time MVP at least plays out his record-setting 23rd NBA season in Los Angeles, there’s not much left on the club’s offseason to-do list.
While the Lakers only have 14 players on standard guaranteed contracts, they don’t currently have a path to adding a 15th man, since they’re only operating $1.1MM away from their first-apron hard cap. If they don’t shed salary by making a trade or buying out a player, they’d have to wait until at least mid-January to sign a veteran free agent.
The Lakers do have a two-way contract slot open alongside Christian Koloko and Chris Manon. With five players signed to Exhibit 10 deals, there could be an open competition in training camp for that spot. Undrafted rookie forward Eric Dixon would presumably be the favorite if he’s healthy — he was reportedly expected to sign a two-way deal in June, but after a foot injury prevented him from suiting up for Summer League games, he got an Exhibit 10 contract instead.
The Lakers do still have a handful of extension-eligible players on the roster after agreeing to terms with Doncic. Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber, Gabe Vincent, and Austin Reaves could all sign new deals. But Kleber and Vincent haven’t been healthy enough since arriving in L.A. to prove themselves as reliable, regular rotation players, and Hachimura may be more valuable as a trade chip if his contract remains expiring.
As for Reaves, he was offered an extension, but because he can’t sign for more than $89MM over four years at this point, he’s expected to wait until at least next summer, when he’d be eligible for a more lucrative contract.
Despite a mild injury scare during the first half of Sunday’s game, Lakers star Luka Doncic led the Slovenian national team to an 84-77 victory over Italy at EuroBasket 2025, securing the country’s spot in the quarterfinals.
After pouring in 22 points in the first quarter, Doncic left the court to get his quad muscle stretched out in the Slovenian locker room, a league source tells Dan Woike of The Athletic. However, he returned to the floor a few minutes later and finished the first half with 30 points, en route to a 42-point, 10-rebound performance.
It was the first time in the tournament that Doncic has scored at least 40 points in a game, but he got close a couple times during the group stage and is now averaging 34.0 points per contest, making him this year’s leading scorer at EuroBasket by a considerable margin. He’s just the third player in the past 30 years to have at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in a EuroBasket game, per Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops, joining Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki (2001) and Spain’s Pau Gasol (2015).
Shooting guard Klemen Prepelic (11 points on 3-of-10 shooting) was the only other Slovenian player to score in double-digits.
Heat forward Simone Fontecchio led the way for the Italians with 22 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Italy was a +11 when Fontecchio was on the court, but was outscored by 18 points during his time on the bench.
Sunday’s game may be longtime NBA forward Danilo Gallinari‘s last for Italy, as he has suggested he plans to retire from the national team after EuroBasket. He had 10 points and three rebounds in 12 minutes of action.
Italy’s head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco also confirmed after Sunday’s loss to Slovenia that he plans to step down from his role with the national team, as Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews.com relays.
“It’s my last game with Italy,” Pozzecco told reporters. “I want to thank my president, Giovanni Petrucci, for giving me this honor to become coach of the national team. From deep of my heart, it’s like… Maybe, for sure, the best moment of my life. It was a real honor to have this role in Italian basketball.”
Three of the EuroBasket quarterfinals have now been set. Turkey will face Poland on Tuesday, while Slovenia matches up with Germany and Finland plays Georgia on Wednesday. Lithuania, which will play on Tuesday, awaits the winner of today’s showdown between Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Greek team and Deni Avdija‘s Israeli squad.