NBA Free Agents Who Signed With Overseas Teams
With dozens of new players entering the NBA every season as part of that year’s rookie class, there aren’t enough roster spots to go around for all of the veterans who become free agents in a given offseason.
Some of those vets left on the outside looking in will retire. But many of the NBA’s job-seeking free agents wind up accepting opportunities in other parts of the world, signing with a team that competes in one of the many professional basketball leagues in Europe, Asia, Australia, or South America.
Listed below are the players who finished last season on an NBA roster and have since signed contracts overseas with non-NBA (and non-G-League) clubs.
Since this list is focused exclusively on players who finished the 2024/25 season under contract with an NBA team, there are some notable names who made the move overseas in recent months but aren’t included. For instance, Cam Reddish spent five-and-a-half seasons in the league before being waived by the Lakers in March. He didn’t find work in the NBA for the remainder of the ’24/25 campaign, then opted to join BC Siauliai in Lithuania this offseason.
Here are the 2025 NBA free agents who signed with overseas clubs this offseason, listed alongside the NBA team with whom they finished last season:
Australia
Brisbane Bullets: Alex Ducas, Thunder (story)- Cairns Taipans: Jack McVeigh, Rockets (story)
- Melbourne United: Jesse Edwards, Timberwolves (story)
- Perth Wildcats: Mason Jones, Kings (story)
China
- Guangdong Southern Tigers: Trevelin Queen, Magic (story)
France
- Paris Basketball: Lamar Stevens, Grizzlies (story)
Greece
- Panathinaikos: Richaun Holmes, Wizards (story)
Israel
- Hapoel Tel Aviv: Vasilije Micic, Hornets (story)
- Ironi Ness Ziona: Damion Lee, Suns (story)
- Maccabi Tel Aviv: Jeff Dowtin Jr., Sixers (story)
- Maccabi Tel Aviv: Lonnie Walker IV, Sixers (story)
Italy
- Olimpia Milano: Vlatko Cancar, Nuggets (story)
Serbia
- KK Partizan: Shake Milton, Lakers (story)
Spain
- Barcelona: Miles Norris, Celtics (story)
- Real Madrid: Trey Lyles, Kings (story)
- Real Madrid: Chuma Okeke, Cavaliers (story)
Turkey
- Anadolu Efes: Kai Jones, Mavericks (story)
- Fenerbahce: Brandon Boston Jr., Pelicans (story)
- Fenerbahce: Talen Horton-Tucker, Bulls (story)
- Manisa Basket: Isaiah Mobley, Sixers (story)
- Tofas: Maxwell Lewis, Nets (story)
United Arab Emirates
- Dubai Basketball: Taran Armstrong, Warriors (story)
Wizards Notes: Sarr, Vukcevic, McCollum, Watkins
Five talent evaluators from around the NBA spoke to Josh Robbins of The Athletic about what to expect from Wizards big man Alex Sarr and none of those sources expect the former No. 2 overall pick to develop into the best or second-best player on a contender, according to Robbins.
One scout questioned whether Sarr will become a reliable enough outside shooter to qualify as a stretch big man, while another suggested the seven-footer will have to bulk up and become more imposing physically in order to maximize his potential as a rim protector. “He weighs less than some of the bigger wings and forwards that are starting in the NBA,” that scout said.
Still, multiple sources who talked to Robbins are optimistic about Sarr’s ability to build on what he showed during his rookie season and to continue making strides toward becoming a reliable starting center.
“I would be surprised if he doesn’t take a big leap this year, and that big leap will be being effective on the floor and trying to impact the team outcome as opposed to impacting his individual outcome,” one evaluator told Robbins. “There’s still a lot (of untapped potential) as to what he could be. It was probably a slower start than maybe the general fan would hope for. But I think by the end of (last) season, he had been put in a position to succeed, and we’re going to see more of that built on this season. We’re going to see it start to pay dividends this season.”
Here’s more on Sarr and the Wizards:
- Sarr, who sustained a left calf injury during the EuroBasket tournament, told reporters on Saturday that he expects to be available to play in Washington’ preseason opener on Sunday after spending the past week ramping up, tweets Robbins. The Wizards will be taking on the Raptors, who have Alex’s brother Olivier Sarr on their roster on an Exhibit 10 deal. It will be the first time the brothers play one another in an organized game, according to the Wizards center (Twitter video link via Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network).
- Representing Serbia at EuroBasket, Wizards big man Tristan Vukcevic got the chance to team up with three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. As Hughes writes for Monumental Sports Network, Vukcevic said he was inspired by how hard the Nuggets star practices and paid close attention to specific aspects of Jokic’s game that he hopes to emulate. “Just seeing him in the short roll and how he reads – is he going to finish or pass to the corner – with those reads it helped me a lot being with him,” Vukcevic said. “Hopefully I can translate.”
- In a conversation with Hughes, Wizards guard CJ McCollum shared his early impressions on Wizards rookies Tre Johnson, Will Riley, and Jamir Watkins. While he shared positive feedback on all three players, McCollum notably spoke at length about Watkins, describing the second-round pick as a potential “lock-down” defender capable of guarding positions one through five. “He asks questions about defense. He was in the cold tub yesterday asking me about Herb Jones and what makes him such a good defender,” McCollum said. “He was asking me how he got to that point. I was telling him that he cares. He watches film, he makes the extra effort, and the body type matches. He’s got a good body – 6-foot-5, 6-foot-6 with long arms, quick enough to guard ones, strong enough to guard threes and fours. He can probably switch onto some fives and then it’s 3-and-D. The league loves that.”
Joe Tsai: ‘Good Pick’ In 2026 Draft A Priority For Nets
Asked during a panel hosted by the All-In Podcast about his predictions for the Nets‘ this season, team owner Joe Tsai acknowledged that contending for a playoff spot probably isn’t a realistic goal for the team in 2025/26 (YouTube link).
“I have to say we’re in a rebuilding year,” Tsai said (hat tip to Brian Lewis of The New York Post). “We spent all of our (2025) picks — we had five first-round draft picks this past summer.
“We have one (first-round) pick in 2026, and we hope to get a good pick. So, you can predict what kind of strategy we will use for this season. But we have a very young team.”
Tsai isn’t saying anything that any Nets or NBA fan doesn’t already know. Brooklyn entered the summer as the only team with significant cap space, but used that room to take on unwanted contracts and continue stockpiling draft picks rather than acquiring win-now help. With five rookie first-round picks on their roster, the Nets will be prioritizing player development over their win-loss record in the coming months.
Although Brooklyn’s approach to the season is no secret, the NBA typically frowns upon any public remarks from an executive or owner suggesting that his team might be in tanking mode. Tsai’s comment about being able to predict the “kind of strategy” the Nets will use to achieve their goal of getting a “good” draft pick can certainly be interpreted that way, so we’ll see if the league office responds at all, perhaps with a fine.
After the Nets won 32 games in 2023/24 and 26 in ’24/25, oddsmakers have set their over/under for ’25/26 at just 20.5 wins. While general manager Sean Marks has insisted he was happy the team exceeded preseason expectations last season, his moves since last December – including trading away veterans Dennis Schröder, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Cameron Johnson – suggest he wouldn’t mind if the Nets were to drop a few more games this year and land a pick higher than No. 8 in the 2026 draft lottery.
In the process of reducing the number of veterans on the roster, Marks has loaded up youth, selecting Egor Demin (No. 8), Nolan Traore (No. 19), Drake Powell (No. 22), Ben Saraf (No. 26), and Danny Wolf (No. 27) in this June’s draft. Brooklyn projects to have the NBA’s youngest team in 2025/26, as Lewis notes.
Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Kerr, Podziemski, Horford
Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency saga was finally resolved on September 30, when the 23-year-old forward re-signed with the Warriors on a two-year, $46.8MM deal. Despite the lengthy negotiations and a contract that could make him a prime trade candidate, Kuminga tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape he’s “at peace” with his situation and doesn’t feel any anxiety about the future.
“I don’t think about things like that. I let the day just tell us what’s going to happen,” Kuminga said. “But when it comes to future stuff and things like that, no. I don’t worry about things like that. I just try to get better. You never know with this life. It’s the NBA. One day you’re going to be here. One day you’re going to be somewhere else.
“The biggest thing about it is just to work and just get better every day and be a winner. No matter where I’ll be, no matter if I’m going to be here or they might ship me somewhere else. I just want to get to wherever I’ll get, or be here and just be involved and win and impact right away. That is my biggest concern. I’m at that point now where I’ve got a couple years in now. So, I know what’s right and what is not right.”
Kuminga acknowledged some frustration with the way his role has fluctuated during his time with Golden State and said he doesn’t plan to bring the topic up with head coach Steve Kerr. For his part, Kerr still believes Kuminga can be an important piece for the Warriors, according to Spears.
“It’s been an interesting fit,” Kerr told Andscape. “He’s made it pretty clear that he wants the ball and an opportunity that a lot of his cohorts get and people that were drafted near him. And we weren’t able to offer that. We were a championship team. We won the title his rookie year (2021/22) and have been in the mix the last few years. So, it’s been tough. I respect the fact that he is competing and fighting in a set of circumstances that maybe isn’t ideal for him. But the thing I keep telling him is he can play a role for us, absolutely, with his size, speed and athleticism.
“He can play an important role on a very good team. He just turned 23 (on Monday). He has plenty of basketball ahead. One day, hopefully, he will look back on this as a valuable time in his career. But I know he’s frustrated. He’s made it very clear publicly. I don’t mind that, but I want him to embrace the idea that he can be a part of something special.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- As he enters his third season, guard Brandin Podziemski hopes to take major strides in multiple aspects of his game, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. In order to do so, Podziemski knows he’ll have to do a better job of regulating his emotions. “There’s a next step in evolving emotionally, and as a leader,” Podziemski told The Athletic. “Having confidence from your teammates is one thing, especially the vets, but them trusting you in big moments that could define their career. Could add another piece to their career. For them to have trust in you is a different thing, and you got to earn that over time, and I think that’s a goal of mine going into this season.”
- Veteran center Al Horford has quickly developed impressive chemistry with two-time MVP Stephen Curry, Friedell adds in another story. “It’s a level of awareness that I’ve never really had to think about before,” Horford said of playing with Curry. “But when I’m on the floor with him, the whole mindset is trying to make the game easier for him. And for me, that is either getting him the ball, or setting a good screen, or doing anything that I can to make sure that our offense moves and flows. He’s such a smart player that it’s easy to play off of him. And sometimes he’ll kind of tell you what to do. He passed me that ball, but I knew that he was gonna cut, so I guess that’s the unspoken (chemistry) he’s talking about right there. He expected me to pass the ball and I did.”
- Erik Spoelstra is expected to be named the new head coach of the United States’ men’s basketball team. Kerr believes USA Basketball made a great choice, per Kenzo Fukuda of Clutch Points (Twitter video link; hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “Spo’s an incredible, phenomenal coach. Watching him the last two summers, getting to know him up close… Spo was the perfect choice.”
Southeast Notes: Magic Rotation, Suggs, Achiuwa, Knueppel
Free agent addition Tyus Jones and trade acquisition Desmond Bane started their second straight preseason game on Friday for the Magic, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. The veteran guards were once again paired with mainstays Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley praised Carter after the 26-year-old big man accumulated 20 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes during the 30-point victory over Philadelphia, Beede notes.
“The work that he continues to put in, his presence around that rim, his presence on the floor, his demeanor, it changes the way we play,” Mosley said about Carter. “When he plays with that presence, that poise and that strength for our team, it goes such a long way.”
According to Beede, the first five players of the bench for Orlando were Anthony Black, Jase Richardson, Jett Howard, Tristan Da Silva and Goga Bitadze. The Magic selected four of those players in the first round of the past three drafts, with Bitadze being the lone exception.
Here are a few more notes from around the Southeast Division:
- While president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said a couple weeks ago that the Magic were targeting opening night for Jalen Suggs‘ return from the left knee injury that has sidelined him since January, the team continues to take a cautious approach to his recovery. Mosley said before Friday’s contest that Suggs has done a limited amount of contact work to this point, according to Beede. “We’re slowly ramping him up,” Mosley said. “I think he’s different in the sense that how he responds to what we do on a day-to-day [basis]. He’s been in some 5-on-0, does that, not much contact in situations. But slowly trying to bake him in there. As we go on the next couple weeks, we’ll be able to see and tell more from that.”
- Forward/center Precious Achiuwa went unsigned for most of the offseason before agreeing to a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the Heat in late September. Achiuwa, who was drafted by Miami and spent his rookie year with the team before being traded to Toronto in the 2021 offseason, said he’s happy to be back with his first NBA team, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays. “I think there’s some unfinished business,” Achiuwa said of returning to the Heat. “Just the culture of the Miami Heat kind of fits the way I play. A lot of tenacity, a lot of intensity. So I feel right at home here.”
- Brandon Miller has been impressed with fellow wing Kon Knueppel during training camp and preseason, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “Definitely a great competitor,” Miller said of Knueppel. “He’s going to have a great career in this league. I’m rooting. We’re going to be right there behind him, supporting him as he continues to get better every day. So, hats off to him for coming in with the most confidence, just continue to have that confidence and that competitive spirit. You can’t ask for much more from him.” Miller was the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 draft, while Knueppel was selected fourth overall in June.
Raptors Notes: Murray-Boyles, Boucher, Barrett, Hepburn, More
Alongside Brandon Ingram, who has looked “healthy and free of rust” while averaging nearly a point per minute, No. 9 overall pick Collin Murray-Boyles has been one of the early standouts for the Raptors during preseason, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic.
As Koreen details, Murray-Boyles has displayed an intriguing blend of defensive versatility and court vision, and has also been ready — and willing — to shoot open three-pointers, which will be important part of his development going forward.
“We did make a couple of tweaks on his shooting mechanics,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said of Murray-Boyles’ outside shot. “He’s put a lot of work in. I’m encouraging him to take those shots. And he feels that he’s very comfortable actually in games. He looks like a player that’s looking for those shots and not shying away.”
Unfortunately, the 6’7″ forward sustained a right elbow contusion in the first quarter of Friday’s loss to Boston, limiting him to just eight minutes of action. Rajakovic told reporters that X-rays on the elbow were negative (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca), but Murray-Boyles was in “visible pain” in the locker room, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who reports that the 20-year-old will likely undergo an MRI.
“I don’t know what happened, but when the adrenaline wore off, it really hurt,” Murray-Boyles told Grange.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- After spending the past seven seasons with the Raptors, veteran big man Chris Boucher signed with Boston in free agency. He had a big game on Friday against his former club, recording 19 points (on 7-of-10 shooting) and nine rebounds in 23 minutes. In an interesting story for The Players’ Tribune, the 32-year-old forward/center discussed his journey from being an unhoused teenager in Montreal to having a long NBA career. Boucher had nothing but good things to say about the Raptors and Canadians in general.
- According to Grange, while Toronto explored trades involving RJ Barrett this summer, the team didn’t find much of a market for the former No. 3 overall pick. Barrett, a Toronto native, will earn $27.7MM this season and $29.6MM in 2026/27 before hitting unrestricted free agency.
- With all five starters resting on Friday, undrafted rookie Chucky Hepburn had a solid outing, recording 13 points, eight assists and four steals in 27 minutes, Grange notes. The 22-year-old guard is on a two-way contract with the Raptors.
- Both Koreen and Grange suggest the Raptors may opt to carry 14 players on standard contracts to open the season. According to Grange, A.J. Lawson has supporters in the organization, but he’s signed to a non-guaranteed contract, and the Raptors already have a surplus of “skinnier swingmen,” as Koreen writes.
- For his part, Lawson said he’s focused on the present. “You just got to be yourself,” Lawson said, per Grange. “Don’t worry about all the other factors that could possibly happen. Just do what you can do, control what you can control, and for me, play hard every time I’m out there, show I can defend at a high level, show I can create and knock down the shot. If I keep doing that, I feel like I’ll be okay. I just can’t focus on the things that are out of my control.”
Kings’ Keegan Murray Exits Friday’s Game With Thumb Injury
Kings forward Keegan Murray, who is entering his fourth NBA season and is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 20, suffered a left thumb injury in Friday’s preseason loss to Portland, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee relays.
Murray sustained the injury late in the second quarter, Anderson writes, with Sacramento later ruling him out for the second half. The 25-year-old compiled nine points, five rebounds and a steal in 16 minutes of action before leaving the contest.
It’s possible the Kings may simply have been exercising an abundance of caution by ending Murray’s night early. Still, it’s never a great sign when a starter is forced out of a game, preseason or otherwise.
We’ll have to wait for further updates to see if Murray will miss additional time as a result of the left thumb issue.
James Ham of ESPN 1320 and The Kings Beat notes (via Twitter) that forward/center Dario Saric was an unexpected bright spot for Sacramento in the one-point loss. The Croatian veteran only appeared in 16 games for the Nuggets last season and didn’t play in the Kings’ first preseason contest, but he went 4-of-4 from three-point range en route to 14 points in 14 minutes on Friday.
Mavs Notes: Williams, Powell, Medical Staff, Camp
With Kyrie Irving injured, fourth-year guard Brandon Williams is expected to take on a larger ball-handling role with the Mavericks behind D’Angelo Russell.
Williams has spent the past two seasons with Dallas, averaging 8.3 points and 2.3 assists per game and making 40.0% of his three-point shots in 33 outings last saeson. The 25-year-old played twice for the Mavs this offseason at Summer League, where he averaged 16.0 PPG and 4.5 APG and drew the praise of head coach Jason Kidd.
“I thought at the end of the summer, he was playing at a high level,” Kidd said, as relayed by Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “When he’s healthy, he’s a problem.”
Williams’ health has been a question mark as of late, as Kidd announced on October 1 that the guard sustained a hamstring strain that would keep him out for at least a week. When asked about his status for Saturday’s preseason game against the Hornets, Williams said that he’s “playing it day-by-day,” according to Curtis (via Twitter).
As for what Kidd expects when Williams returns to the floor, the head coach said: “Growth as always. Understanding time and score, who hasn’t gotten a shot, how are we playing on the offensive end. When we have the ball, you’re a leader so some of that leadership role is something that he’s going to have to show us again this year.”
We have more from the Mavericks:
- Dwight Powell is the longest-tenured Maverick, having played the last 10-plus seasons in Dallas after a quick five-game start to his career in Boston. Having seen many iterations of the team, he’s excited about the season to come, writes Eddie Sekfo for NBA.com. “It’s one thing to be talented,” Powell said. “But you got to have that competitive edge and want to compete on every possession. Our ability so far to be able to do that in practice is a great sign for what’s to come in the season ahead. That’s something I’m very excited about.” With Daniel Gafford injured, Powell has a better chance to earn minutes early in the season than he will when the team is fully healthy, but regardless of his role, he’s ready to contribute any way he can. “I try my best,” he said. “Try my best to help any way I can, be a spark where I can and lead where I can. And find ways to help us be successful. That role’s going to change throughout the year. You just got to be ready for the opportunities.”
- After facing a slew of injuries last season, most notably to Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, and Irving, the Mavs overhauled their medical staff this season, writes Curtis. Curtis notes that last year’s team was one of the NBA’s most injured, losing 444 total man games. In the hopes of reversing that trend, the Mavs promoted Jana Austin from assistant athletic trainer to head athletic trainer and hired Geoff Puls from the Bulls as their head of strength and performance. They also let go of Dionne Calhoun, who had been with the team for 21 years. Johann Bilsborough, who was at the center of an in-depth article last season detailing the turmoil within the Mavs’ health and performance team, will oversee the staff for the second straight year.
- One of the changes the Mavericks will have to deal with this season, especially while Irving recuperates, is adjusting to a more egalitarian style that relies less on a ball-dominant guard like Doncic, Sekfo writes. “In this league or any league as a coach, you got to be able to pivot with the roster you have,” Kidd said. “This is a different roster than I’ve had in the past. When you have players that I’ve had, you play to their strengths. This team is different. So to be able to be big and play with that type of pace is to our advantage.” Kidd noted that players like Russell and Klay Thompson will likely benefit from the team’s emphasis on pushing the pace.
Rockets’ Tate Aiming To Be Ready For Start Of Season
Jae’Sean Tate isn’t back on the court yet, but he’s hoping to be healthy and available for the Rockets‘ season opener against the Thunder on October 21, writes Danielle Lerner for the Houston Chronicle.
Tate underwent surgery on his right ankle this summer because of an impingement that kept him out of the postseason for Houston. The injury has forced him to miss the Rockets’ training camp and preseason as well, but he’s optimistic that he’ll be able to return soon.
“I’m going day-by-day. I hope [returning for the season opener is] the case,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been on a leg and a half the last couple of years, so looking to just be able to move a little better, not be in my head about it. And, yeah, I can’t wait.”
Head coach Ime Udoka said that Tate and Dorian Finney-Smith are in the midst of similar recoveries, but that Tate is slightly further ahead in the process.
According to Tate, the surgery address an issue that has been bothering him since his second year in the league. Going into his sixth year, he’s looking to earn a role for the suddenly resurgent Rockets. He was in and out of the rotation last season, but he believes his well-rounded skill set can help him provide whatever Udoka needs.
“Whatever I’m asked to do, I can, if that’s helping us get the ball up the court, spacing in the corner, guarding one of their best players, or going small ball,” he said. “It just doesn’t matter. You know, coach will put me in a position where he thinks I could be successful, and I’m gonna just try to do that to the best of my ability.”
After re-signing with the Rockets on a one-year, minimum-salary contract this summer, Tate said that he wanted to stay in Houston rather than explore the market.
“I believe in the staff, I believe in everything here,” he said. “And you know, it wouldn’t sit right with me to leave, especially now, with all the other things we have going for us, are the pieces that we’ve added, I’m excited to see what we can do.”
Atlantic Notes: Edgecombe, Minott, Bridges, Raptors
VJ Edgecombe missed the Sixers‘ game on Friday against the Magic due to hip soreness, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Pompey notes that despite receiving a day-to-day injury designation, Edgecombe was a part of shootaround this morning and will be a participant in practice next week, barring a setback.
Staying healthy is crucial for Edgecombe, especially since he has an opportunity to play a big role for the Sixers this season. Tony Jones of The Athletic writes that the rookie guard has a real shot at being a starter, though his role could hinge in large part on the health of Paul George and Joel Embiid.
Regardless of whether he starts or not, Edgecombe should be in line for plenty of minutes this year, according to Jones, who highlights Edgecombe’s ability to play as a pick-and-roll ball-handler and passer off the dribble as a more underrated part of his skill set. As is the case for many athletic guards, Edgecombe’s development will hinge on how good he can become as a shooter and ball-handler.
We have more notes from around the Atlantic Division:
- As part of the Celtics‘ plan to reset their books with Jayson Tatum injured, the team brought in younger, unproven players to try to rebuild its depth following the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. One such player who has stood out so far, according to Brian Robb of MassLive, is Josh Minott. The 23-year-old forward, who came to Boston after three years with the Wolves, showed a bit of everything except for shooting in the Celtics’ preseason game on Wednesday. While all of the Celtics’ young players played well on Wednesday, Robb writes, Minott’s hustle and defensive ability stood out. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (subscription required) echoed that sentiment, while adding that Minott’s versatility could allow him to carve out a role in head coach Joe Mazzulla‘s game plan.
- The Knicks are still adjusting to Mike Brown‘s offense, but there’s excitement about the changes the new head coach is bringing to the team, with second-year Knick Mikal Bridges expressing appreciation for Brown’s approach, writes Ian Begley for SNY. “He and his coaches, they all run a tight ship. You can tell that whatever we’re doing out there, they’re all on the same page, no matter what the situation is,” Bridges said. “And that’s a lot of credit to him… for everybody to be on the same page makes it easier for us players when they talk to us because any coach you talk to, you’re going to hear the same thing.” Brown knows it’s going to be a process to incorporate his changes. “Right now, I don’t care if we win or lose, as long as we keep trying to play the right way and trust it,” he said. “I want them to learn how to play basketball the right way offensively within our staples. That’s pace, whether it’s in the full court or the half court… If you hit that paint and you don’t have the ball, don’t just stand there. Get out right now and re-space to create more opportunities for driving and kicking…. Space the right way all the time… Hey, it hits your hands, shoot it, pass it, snap drive it to try to collapse the defense. Those are things that we believe in.”
- With 14 Raptors on guaranteed standard contracts, head coach Darko Rajakovic is unsure if the team will fill its 15th spot for the regular season, indicating on Friday that Toronto is weighing its options, per TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (via Twitter). A.J. Lawson would likely be the favorite if the team does carry a 15th man, Lewenberg notes. Lawson was a standout for the Raptors’ Summer League team and has averaged 4.0 points in 5.4 minutes through two preseason games.