And-Ones: Beasley, FIBA, 2026 Draft, More
A federal judge in New York has found former NBA sharpshooter Malik Beasley liable for $1MM in damages (plus interest) to be paid to Hazan Sports Management, the agency that previously represented him, according to David Purdum of ESPN.
The agency filed a lawsuit earlier this year seeking $2.25MM in damages and legal fees for breach of contract. Hazan Sports alleged in that suit that Beasley left the agency in February 2025 without paying back a $650K marketing advance.
Judge Jeannette A. Vargas wrote in her ruling that “no objections have been filed and no request for an extension of time to object has been made” by Beasley. According to Purdum, the suit doesn’t list an attorney for Beasley.
Beasley finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2024/25 and appeared poised to land a lucrative multiyear deal in free agency. However, his contract negotiations ended when word broke that federal investigators and the NBA were investigating him due to possible connection to illegal betting activity. The veteran wing signed last month with Cangrejeros de Santurce, a Puerto Rican team owned by Bad Bunny, as he awaits clarity on his NBA future.
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- FIBA has reached an agreement on a broadcasting deal with TNT Sports that will give the network the rights to several international basketball competitions, including the 2026 women’s World Cup in Germany and the 2027 men’s World Cup in Qatar, according to a press release.
- In his latest preview of the 2026 NBA draft, Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com explores one big question facing each of the top nine prospects on his board, including how real Kingston Flemings‘ shooting improvements are and whether Tennessee’s Nate Ament can make a leap as a shot creator.
- ESPN’s Tim Bontemps shares his “all-contract team” for the 2025/26 season, building the best possible 15-man roster without exceeding the salary cap and without selecting any players on maximum-salary, minimum-salary, or rookie scale contracts. Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, and Hawks forward Jalen Johnson are among Bontemps’ headliners.
- One month removed from this year’s trade deadline, Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports checks in on the early returns of some of February’s biggest deals, noting that Cavaliers guard James Harden, Thunder guard Jared McCain, Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga, and Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu are some of the players off to strong starts with their new teams.
NBA Explores Launching Streaming RSN Hub For 2026/27
The NBA has let its teams know that there’s a chance it will introduce a streaming hub for local broadcasts as soon as next season, sources tell Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal. Many clubs’ local broadcasts have been thrown into disarray due to the fact that Main Street Sports Group, which has regional TV agreements with 13 NBA teams, is likely headed for insolvency.
That group of 13 teams – which includes the defending champion Thunder, along with the Spurs, Pistons, Cavaliers, Clippers, Heat, Timberwolves, Magic, Hornets, Hawks, Pacers, Grizzlies, and Bucks – would be the most likely candidates to be involved in the NBA’s new streaming hub.
As Friend points out, there are a few more teams (the Suns, Jazz, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, and Pelicans) who have already abandoned their respective regional sports networks and could be candidates for the new venture as well. On top of that, Friend’s sources suspect the four teams who have deals with NBC Sports – the Celtics, Warriors, Sixers, and Kings – could be in play due to a sense that NBC may want out of the regional sports network business.
The other eight teams broadcast games on their own networks, which doesn’t necessarily rule them out, but would make it more complicated for the league to negotiate deals with each of them.
While it remains unclear exactly what the new setup will look like, Friend hears that the NBA has engaged in talks with potential partners like YouTube TV, DAZN, Amazon, and ESPN as it considers a package that might resemble NFL Sunday Ticket.
The total number of teams that opt in figures to be a major factor in determining the viability of this new streaming hub, Friend writes, citing sources who think the NBA would need to guarantee a broadcast partner a certain threshold of clubs in order to secure a significant deal. With enough teams involved, industry insiders believe an agreement would be worth billions, Friend adds.
Due to its financial woes, Main Street has missed payments to its teams on January 1, February 1, and March 1, per Sports Business Journal. The NBA originally didn’t plan on launching this sort of streaming hub until down the road, Friend writes, but it has become a higher priority in order to help teams make up for those lost rights-fee payments.
Although the league has informed its teams that it’s trying to get something together for the 2026/27 season, there’s no guarantee that will happen, so Main Street clubs have been advised to explore lining up a bridge deal for their local broadcasts. Those teams are exploring both linear and streaming options, Friend notes.
Friend also points out that, since a new league-wide streaming hub may overlap with League Pass, the NBA may need to either restructure League Pass or eliminate it all together down the road. Amazon currently distributes League Pass as part of its national broadcast agreement with the NBA, so those negotiations would be simpler if the league ultimately strikes a deal to make Amazon its partner on a new streaming RSN.
Northwest Notes: Anderson, Jazz, Dundon, Caruso, Hartenstein
It’s rare for a player added on the buyout market to make a significant impact on his new team, but the Timberwolves believe Kyle Anderson is capable of doing just that, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Besides the fact that the 32-year-old is very familiar with the Wolves, whom he played for from 2022-24, the team also has a need for a versatile wing like Anderson, according to head coach Chris Finch.
“We’re very comfortable, I think, in what he can do and how he fits into us,” Finch said. “We need more connectors, more play-makers. We’ll put the ball in his hands. We’ll treat him like a point guard. Defensively, he gives us versatility, switching, intelligence. He’s a great quarterback of the defense.”
Anderson left Minnesota in free agency in 2024 with the Wolves facing a cap crunch. He received a three-year, $27MM deal from Golden State that his former team likely wasn’t in position to offer, but his time with the Warriors didn’t last long. Anderson was traded from Golden State to Miami to Utah to Memphis in the past two seasons, and after being let go by the Grizzlies, he jumped at the chance to rejoin the Wolves.
“With Kyle, it feels good that A) he had such a great experience here, B) he went on and was rewarded for that experience financially, which we always root for, and C) he wanted to come back because he enjoyed being here, and his family enjoyed being here,” Finch said. “The circle is complete in that regard, and hopefully we can all benefit from it in these last 20 games and in the playoffs.”
We have more from around the Northwest:
- Anderson, who appeared in 20 games with the Jazz this season before being dealt to Memphis, admitted he didn’t love playing for a team that was more focused on preserving its top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick than making the playoffs. “I had a lot of fun in the organization and everybody in the organization was awesome,” Anderson said (Twitter video link via Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Coverage). “Obviously, playing not to win (a championship) is tricky and tough, and I didn’t enjoy it personally, but the staff and the players, I loved the players… the people in the organization were awesome, nothing bad to say about them.”
- Tom Dundon, whose purchase of the Trail Blazers is expected to close at some point in the coming weeks, has reached a deal to sell a 12.5% stake in the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes at a valuation of $2.66 billion, according to Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams, and Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico. It’s unclear, per Sportico, whether the timing of the transaction means Dundon is seeking additional liquidity as he prepares to finalize the Blazers sale.
- The Thunder earned their fourth consecutive victory on Wednesday, beating the Knicks 103-100 on the second night of a road back-to-back. However, they didn’t leave New York unscathed. As Marc Stein tweets, both Alex Caruso (left hip contusion) and Isaiah Hartenstein (left calf tightness) exited early and were ruled out for the rest of the night. It remains to be seen whether they’ll miss more time as a result of those injuries.
Eastern Notes: Knueppel, McCain, Edgecombe, Suggs, Carter
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg appeared to be the frontrunner for this season’s Rookie of the Year award after he scored 49 points against Charlotte on January 29 in his first NBA meeting with Kon Knueppel. However, that was no longer the case by the time the two teams faced one another again on Tuesday, writes Christian Clark of The Athletic.
Flagg’s extended absence due to a foot injury, combined with a 15-3 stretch for the Hornets, has given his former Duke teammate the upper hand back in the Rookie of the Year race. At least, that’s how Charlotte head coach Charles Lee feels.
“I don’t even think it’s close,” Lee said, per Clark. “(Knueppel) probably would be mad at me for saying something like that, because he just wants to focus on our team winning games and impacting games any way he possibly can.”
While Knueppel slightly lags behind Flagg in points (20.4 to 19.2), rebounds (6.6 to 5.5), and assists (4.1 to 3.5) per game, he has been the far more efficient scorer, with an effective field goal percentage of 61.6% compared to Flagg 51.5%. The Hornets wing has also appeared in more games (61 to 49), plays for the better team, and has been arguably the best outside shooter in the NBA — he has knocked down his three-pointers at a 43.5% clip and has made a total of 212, 15 more than second-place Tyrese Maxey.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- With Jared McCain thriving for the Thunder, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports each revisit the Sixers‘ surprising decision to trade the second-year guard at last month’s deadline, exploring whether Philadelphia’s front office was really “selling high” like president of basketball operations Daryl Morey suggested at the time. “I don’t think he meant any harm from it,” McCain said of Morey’s “selling high” comment, per Fischer. “I just kind of take it as: That’s his job. And if he feels that’s the best decision (for the organization), then that’s his decision. But obviously I’m gonna have confidence in myself.”
- Sixers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe, who left Tuesday’s game early due to a back injury, underwent an MRI and has been diagnosed with a lumbar contusion, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. While Edgecombe has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Utah, he’ll be reevaluated ahead of Saturday’s contest in Atlanta, per the team.
- Recently signed Magic point guard Jevon Carter, an eight-year NBA veteran, is having a positive impact on 24-year-old Jalen Suggs, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “My favorite part about (him) is, he’s held me accountable on multiple occasions,” Suggs said of his new teammate. “Just raw, uncut comms, not trying to sugarcoat, not trying to make me feel good. He’s just sharing real truth with me and I’ve appreciated that. It’s been nice having him around.”
Northwest Notes: Hyland, Dort, Nuggets, Blazers
In an excellent profile, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic explores the journey Bones Hyland has taken to end up with the Timberwolves, detailing the tragic 2018 fire that burned down Hyland’s childhood home and took the lives of his grandmother and 11-month-old cousin. Hyland, who jumped out of a second-floor window to safety, tore the patellar tendon in his right knee and was initially told by doctors that they didn’t think he’d play basketball again, Krawcyznski writes.
“I cried my eyes out,” Hyland said. “But I knew it wasn’t the end for me. God always got the last say-so.”
Grieving the loss of two family members and recovering from his own injuries with the overwhelming support of a Wilmington community that made sure he was never alone in his hospital room, Hyland began rehabbing his knee and eventually made it back onto the basketball court, earning a scholarship to VCU and then becoming a first-round pick in the 2021 NBA draft.
Although earlier stints with the Nuggets and Clippers didn’t end the way he hoped, Hyland has found a new NBA home in Minnesota, where he has settled into a second-unit role for the Wolves this season, averaging 7.1 points and 2.5 assists in 14.7 minutes per game, with a 38.8% three-point mark.
“I love having him on the team,” head coach Chris Finch said, per Krawczynski. “He’s the same every day. He’s a super happy guy. He’s one of these guys who brings joy to the game in the way that he plays it.”
We have more from around the Northwest:
- Four days after being ejected from a showdown with the Nuggets after tripping Nikola Jokic on his way up the court, Thunder forward Luguentz Dort expressed some regret for the play that was ruled a flagrant 2 foul, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. “Obviously, that was unnecessary contact that I shouldn’t have done,” Dort said. “… That’s a physical game and there’s limits to it. And I went over the limit.” Informed of Dort’s comments, Nuggets coaches and players were unmoved, with David Adelman, Bruce Brown, and Jonas Valanciunas each responding with a “no” when asked by Troy Renck of The Denver Post if Dort’s acknowledgement meant anything to them (Twitter video links).
- Efforts to secure public funding for the Trail Blazers‘ arena renovation took a step forward on Wednesday as the Oregon state senate passed Senate Bill 1501, which would allow the state to issue up to $360MM in bonds toward the renovation plan (Twitter links via Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report). The bill, which will be sent to the state’s house of representatives for a vote, is just one piece of the overall puzzle, according to Bill Oram of The Oregonian (subscription required), who notes that the project will also require funding from the city and the county. Additionally, the Blazers still need to negotiate a new Moda Center lease once new owner Tom Dundon takes control of the franchise.
- The two-way deals recently signed by guard Chris Youngblood and forward Jayson Kent with the Trail Blazers will each cover two seasons, running through 2026/27, Hoops Rumors has learned.
Northwest Notes: Sandfort, Harkless, Nuggets, Wallace, Avdija
Payton Sandfort, signed on Monday by the Thunder on a two-way contract, will “fit in well,” coach Mark Daigneault told Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (Twitter link) and other media members.
“He’s a great professional and he’s a really good guy,” Daigneault said. “He hasn’t played a lot this year. He’s been injured, but he’s a guy our scouts really liked coming out of college. He can really shoot the ball with some size, and he’s a great kid. Just a really, really good dude.”
Sandfort, who has been playing for the G League’s Oklahoma City Blue, signed a two-year contract, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Another two-way player, the Jazz‘s Elijah Harkless, played rugged defense on Denver star Nikola Jokic on Monday. Jokic only scored two points with Harkless guarding him. Afterward, coach Will Hardy paid Harkless a strong compliment. “I think Elijah is our best defender,” Hardy said, per Kevin Reynolds of the Salt Lake City Tribune. “It’s about trying to build a sense of fatigue as the game goes on, because every catch is hard to get. That’s Elijah’s identity. That’s who he is. That’s who we need him to be. And I think when Elijah plays like that, it raises the level of the group.”
- Prior to defeating the Jazz, the Nuggets were defeated by Oklahoma City and Minnesota. The time that Jokic was off the floor was key, as the Nuggets were outscored in both games when the big man rested. Coach David Adelman hinted at rotation changes, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post reports. “It’s just something that we have to learn from,” Adelman said. “I have to find a unit that will actually do it, compete at a higher level. Because to me, that was the game. Then I had to extend minutes, and I’m playing guys into the ground. I can’t do that. Especially with the way the schedule has been very dense.”
- Taking advantage of extended playing time due to injuries, Thunder guard Cason Wallace averaged 14.6 points, 4.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals in 30.9 minutes per game last month. Wallace is extension-eligible this summer and his recent play enhanced his résumé. “You never know when a guy’s gonna pop,” Daigneault told Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, “but he’s had a week and a half now of offense that’s been really, really good and intriguing.”
- Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who hasn’t played since departing in the opening minute on Feb. 22 due to a lower back injury, has been upgraded to questionable for the team’s game against Memphis on Wednesday, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report tweets.
Spurs’ Johnson, Cavs’ Atkinson Recognized As Coaches Of The Month
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson was named the Coach of the Month for the Western Conference after leading his team to an 11-0 record in February, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
It’s the second Coach of the Month honor this season for Johnson, who also won it after guiding San Antonio to an 8-3 mark in December. He’s the first NBA head coach to claim the award twice in 2025/26.
It also represents a clean sweep of the NBA’s monthly awards for the Spurs — in addition to Johnson’s Coach of the Month award, Victor Wembanyama was recognized as the West’s Player of the Month and Defensive Player of the Month for February, while Dylan Harper was named Rookie of the Month.
Mark Daigneault of the Thunder, Chris Finch of the Timberwolves, and Ime Udoka of the Rockets were also nominated for Coach of the Month in the West, per the league (Twitter link)
In the Eastern Conference, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson was named Coach of the Month for February, beating out fellow nominees J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons), Mike Brown (Knicks), Charles Lee (Hornets), and Joe Mazzulla (Celtics).
After a shaky first half of the season, Cleveland has righted the ship in recent weeks and reclaimed a top-four spot in the Eastern standings. Atkinson’s team had an 8-3 record in February despite only playing three of those 11 games at home.
The East has yet to have a repeat Coach of the Month winner this season, with Bickerstaff (October/November), Mazzulla (December), and Lee (January) having previously been honored.
Wembanyama, White Named Defensive Players Of The Month
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama has been named February’s Defensive Player of the Month for the Western Conference, while Celtics guard Derrick White has earned the honor for the Eastern Conference, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
Wembanyama, who is the betting favorite for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, led the NBA in blocks per game (3.5) in February, increasing his league-best mark to 2.9 BPG. According to the NBA, he also ranked second in the Western Conference in defensive rebounds per game (9.3) as the Spurs enjoyed a perfect month (11-0).
San Antonio’s league-best +15.1 net rating in February was buoyed by a defensive rating of 106.2, which was the second-best mark in the league and ranked first among Western Conference teams. That rating improved to 100.0 during Wembanyama’s 323 minutes and dipped to 111.1 when he wasn’t on the floor.
Wembanyama was also named the West’s Defensive Player of the Month in January, so he’s the first repeat winner in either conference so far this season.
The Celtics were the only team with an overall defensive rating (105.5) better than the Spurs’ mark in February, and White was a crucial part of that effort. Despite standing just 6’4″, the veteran guard averaged 1.7 blocks per game for the month, which ranked third in the East. He also contested 75 shots, the highest total among guards, per the NBA.
As was the case with Wembanyama in San Antonio, the Celtics posted a defensive rating of just 100.0 when White was on the court in February.
Wembanya’s teammate Stephon Castle was among the other nominees for Defensive Player of the Month in the Western Conference, along with Clippers guard Kris Dunn, Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., and Thunder teammates Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace (Twitter link).
Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Knicks forward OG Anunoby, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, and Pistons wing Ausar Thompson were nominated in the East.
Anthony Edwards, Jalen Duren Named Players Of The Week
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week, while Pistons center Jalen Duren has claimed the award in the East, the NBA announced on Monday (via Twitter).
Edwards, who was named to his fourth straight All-Star team this season, helped Minnesota go 3-0 in a trio of road games played from February 23 – March 1. The former No. 1 overall pick averaged 28.7 points, 5.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals on .457/.357/.667 shooting in those three appearances (37.7 minutes per game).
Duren, a first-time All-Star in 2025/26, helped guide Detroit to a 3-1 record last week. The 22-year-old big man averaged 25.8 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 1.3 SPG and 1.3 BPG in 34.0 MPG. He shot 63.9% from the field and 73.5% on free throws over the four games.
According to the league (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Saddiq Bey (Pelicans), Luka Doncic (Lakers), Kevin Durant (Rockets) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder).
Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Duren’s teammate Cade Cunningham, Jonathan Kuminga (Hawks), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers) and Brandon Miller (Hornets) were nominated in the East.
Payton Sandfort Joins Thunder On Two-Way Deal
12:05pm: The Thunder have announced the signing of Sandfort via a press release, beat reporter Rylan Stiles tweets. To make room for him, they’ve waived Boeheim, who made four cameo appearances with Oklahoma City after signing a two-way deal on Feb. 6.
10:00am: The Thunder will sign Payton Sandfort to a two-way contract, agents Ross Aroyo and Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
The 23-year-old guard inked an Exhibit 10 deal with OKC in October after going undrafted out of Iowa. He was waived the next day and has been playing for Oklahoma City Blue in the G League, where he’s averaging 11.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 16 regular season games with .375/.331/.800 shooting numbers.
Sandfort spent four years with the Hawkeyes, being named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year in 2023 and earning third-team All-Conference honors in 2024.
The Thunder currently have all three of their two-way slots filled, so a move will have to be made with Brooks Barnhizer, Branden Carlson or Buddy Boeheim before Sandfort’s signing can become official. Wednesday is the final day this season that two-way players can be added to the roster.