Nathan Mensah Signs With Olympiacos
Former Hornets big man Nathan Mensah has signed with Olympiacos for the rest of the 2024/25 season, the Greek team announced today in a press release. The deal includes a team option for a second year.
Mensah, who played his college basketball at San Diego State from 2018-23, caught on with Charlotte last season after going undrafted. He spent much of his first professional season with the Greensboro Swarm in the G League, but also appeared in 25 NBA games with the Hornets while on a two-way contract from December to March.
The 6’11” center played in a total of 23 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Swarm, averaging 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 24.9 minutes per contest. In 25 NBA outings, he posted averages of 1.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 0.6 BPG in 12.3 MPG.
Mensah played for the Spurs‘ Summer League team this July and then was with San Antonio in training camp before being waived during the preseason. The Austin Spurs – San Antonio’s NBAGL affiliate – acquired his rights from the Swarm and he has played 12 games for the G League club this fall, averaging 5.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 2.1 BPG in 21.0 MPG.
Mensah will provide depth up front for an Olympiacos squad that had been actively seeking another big man due to injury issues. The Greek team has championship aspirations this season, having gone 8-1 in domestic play and 9-5 in EuroLeague competition so far. Olympiacos has the top point differential in both the Greek Basketball League (+167) and EuroLeague (+69).
Dirk Nowitzki Expected To Join Amazon As NBA Analyst
Former NBA champion and 14-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki is expected to launch his broadcasting career by joining Amazon Prime Video’s coverage of the NBA beginning in the 2025/26 season, according to Dallas-area insider Marc Stein, who reports (via Twitter) that Nowitzki and Amazon are nearing a deal.
Having long broadcast its games on ABC/ESPN and TNT Sports, the NBA will welcome two new television partners next season, when Amazon and NBC join Disney (ABC/ESPN) as the league’s media rights holders, replacing TNT. Amazon and NBC have both begun the process of hiring play-by-play and color commentators for their game broadcasts.
As Andrew Marchand of The Athletic wrote earlier this week, Amazon previously agreed to hire Ian Eagle and make him its top play-by-play announcer, but has yet to hire any game analysts. Marchand identified Nowitzki, Blake Griffin, ESPN’s Richard Jefferson, and Stan Van Gundy as a few potential targets to watch for the streaming giant.
Since retiring as the most accomplished Maverick in franchise history in 2019, Nowitzki has been laying relatively low, having not immediately transitioned into a role as a coach, front office executive, or broadcaster. The Hall of Famer reportedly rebuffed interest from good friend Steve Nash to join his coaching staff in Brooklyn in 2020 and then was named a special advisor by the Mavericks in 2021 when Dallas was seeking a new head coach and general manager.
Nowitzki spoke this past summer about his interest in working in basketball, but made it clear that he wasn’t looking for a coaching job. Instead, it appears he’ll go the broadcasting route.
NBC has reportedly agreed to hire Jamal Crawford as a game analyst and is expected to have Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle as its top two play-by-play men. Both Amazon and NBC figure to make several more hires before they begin their NBA broadcasts next year.
And-Ones: Dybantsa, NBC, Crawford, Miller, T. Antetokounmpo
Top recruit A.J. Dybantsa, projected to be a top pick in the 2026 NBA draft, has committed to BYU for the 2025/26 season, he announced on ESPN’s First Take on Tuesday (YouTube link). Sources tell Sam Lance and Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com that Dybantsa’s NIL figure was close to $7MM.
While Dybantsa is still at least a year-and-a-half from being drafted, there’s plenty of excitement among scouts and evaluators about how his game will translate to the NBA. He has been considered the frontrunner to be the No. 1 pick in 2026 since he reclassified last fall to the 2025 recruiting class.
“Let’s put it this way,” ESPN’s Jay Bilas told Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter on Tuesday (link via Zagoria at NJ.com). “If Dybantsa was in this (2025) draft class, along with Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper and all the outstanding players — this is a great draft class — he may very well be No. 1.”
With Dybantsa not eligible to be drafted for another year, Flagg, Harper, and Bailey – in that order – continue to hold the top three prospects on ESPN’s newest big board for the 2025 draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link). In his latest rankings update, Givony has moved BYU’s Egor Demin up to No. 7 (from No. 11), Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis to No. 8 (from No. 15), and Illinois’ Will Riley to No. 12 (from No. 22).
We have a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world to pass along:
- NBC, which will begin broadcasting NBA games during the 2025/26 season, has reached a deal to hire Jamal Crawford as an analyst, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, who says the three-time Sixth Man of the Year is expected to call games for the network. Crawford, who has worked with TNT Sports, NBA TV, and MSG Network, isn’t the only former NBA guard drawing NBC’s attention — Marchand says the company also has interest in lead TNT analyst Reggie Miller and that talks with Miller are ongoing.
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo will turn 33 in July and is recovering from an Achilles tear, but he has no plans to call it a career, according to Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who spoke to the former Buck about his recovery and comeback efforts. “I didn’t miss a beat when it came to my rehab. I’ve been working almost every day, six out of seven days,” Antetokounmpo said. “That’s why I’m in this condition that I am now. Guys see me out there like, ‘Hey man, you look great.’ I was like, thank you, I’ve been working my butt off, I’m not gonna lie. I’m just proud.”
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) breaks down which players are currently trade-eligible and which players will join that list in the coming days and weeks, providing an in-depth summary of the trade restrictions affecting players around the league. Most offseason signees will become trade-eligible on December 15, though others will remain ineligible to be dealt until January 15 or other dates.
Scottie Barnes Expected To Miss Several Weeks Due To Ankle Injury
9:56am: The Raptors have confirmed that Barnes’ right ankle injury is a sprain and have announced he’ll be reevaluated in one week. The press release from the team doesn’t provide a specific timeline for the forward’s return to the court.
9:26am: Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is expected to miss “several” weeks as a result of the right ankle injury he sustained on Monday, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Barnes injured his ankle in the third quarter of a home loss to the Knicks when he contested a Karl-Anthony Towns shot attempt near the basket — the two players got tangled up and Towns came down on Barnes’ foot (video link). The 2022 Rookie of the Year fell to the floor in obvious pain and was helped off the court by teammates before hopping to the locker room, unable to put weight on his right foot.
According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), Barnes was in a walking boot on Tuesday and was expected to undergo more imaging on the injury, initially diagnosed as a right ankle sprain, with the Raptors expected to provide an update on Wednesday. I’d expect that formal update from the team will come soon, but Charania’s report makes it clear that Barnes is facing an extended absence.
It’ll be the second lengthy layoff already this season for Barnes, who missed 11 games over three-plus weeks in October and November due to a right orbital fracture.
Barnes has been extremely effective when healthy, averaging career highs in points (20.6), rebounds (8.4), and assists (7.4) per game in 14 outings (33.2 MPG). The Raptors have been more competitive when the 23-year-old has been available, going 5-9 with him and 2-9 without him this fall.
It’s a rebuilding season for Toronto, so Barnes’ absence isn’t the same sort of setback it would be for a team with championship or playoff aspirations — in fact, it might ultimately benefit the franchise in the long run if it helps the Raptors’ draft position. Still, it’s a disappointing development for a team that still hasn’t had a chance to see two of its cornerstone players – Barnes and Immanuel Quickley – play together this season.
Another extended absence will also have major financial implications for Barnes, who is now on track to fall short of the 65-game threshold in 2024/25, making him ineligible for end-of-season awards, such as All-NBA.
Given the Raptors’ place in the standings, an All-NBA nod was probably a long shot for Barnes anyway, but missing out on that honor will ensure that his maximum-salary rookie extension begins at 25% of the salary cap next season instead of 30%. That means it’ll be worth a projected $224MM over five years instead of $269MM.
Barnes’ injury will result in more offensive responsibilities for RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick, with Jonathan Mogbo, Chris Boucher, and Jamison Battle among the candidates for increased roles. Bruce Brown, who should make his season debut soon after undergoing offseason knee surgery, should also help fill the hole created by Barnes’ absence.
GM Rafael Stone: Rockets Not Looking To Make Big In-Season Trade
With the Heat said to be open to listening to inquiries on star forward Jimmy Butler, the Rockets have been identified multiple times as a possible landing spot for the Houston native. However, while Rafael Stone couldn’t address Butler specifically, the Rockets general manager made it clear during a SiriusXM NBA Radio appearance on Tuesday that he doesn’t plan to pursue a star on the trade market this season (Twitter audio link).
“Of course, my job is to be open to everything, so I’m not going to not do my job,” Stone said. “(But) we like this team. We definitely do not intend to change anything and I would be shocked if something changes this season.
“We like where we’re at. We want to continue to develop our guys, full stop. Will I listen to other teams? Of course I will, that’s my job. But again, there’s no part of me, there’s no part of our decision-making process that suggests that we’re looking to do anything big now or in the near term.
“We definitely want this group to be as good as it can be this year and then we’ll evaluate things at the end of the year. But the hope is very much that this core group can lead us to where we want to go and that – from a transactional perspective – we’re largely done.”
That messaging isn’t new. Reporting from both The Athletic and ESPN in recent weeks indicated the Rockets are spreading the word that they’re not interested in breaking up their core this season. Stone is now expressing that sentiment publicly and even taking it a step further, suggesting that Houston’s belief in its current roster is so strong that the team won’t be looking to shake up the roster even after this season.
Whether Stone and the Rockets stick that stance remains to be seen. It will depend in part on how the rest of the 2024/25 campaign plays out and how the club’s young players continue to develop.
Of course, Stone’s comments and the Rockets’ position could also be a negotiating tactic. That was one point that ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst made during their discussion about Houston’s plans on an episode of the Hoop Collective podcast last week.
“This is exactly what you do when you have 19 interesting trade assets, all these draft picks and all these young guys,” Bontemps said at the time. “You say, ‘Hey, every good thing we’ve got, we’re not sure we’re going to do anything with any of those.’ And then you start to negotiate.”
The 16-8 Rockets, the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, are loaded with valuable trade chips – including players and future draft picks – and are well equipped to make a major deal if the right player is available. Seven players on the roster were first-round picks in the past four drafts and are 23 or younger. Houston also controls an extra first-round pick and draft swap rights in both 2027 and 2029.
FIBA, NBA Discuss Potential European League
The NBA has put off expansion domestically in recent years but the league could expand its reach into Europe. There are reportedly serious conversations regarding an NBA-owned league in Europe that could initially compete with the EuroLeague and top pro leagues in individual countries, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reports.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver and his office have had discussions with FIBA officials regarding the possibility of starting a new league overseas.
“There is clear interest (by the NBA) and there are ongoing discussions with FIBA,” Andreas Zagklis, the secretary general for FIBA. “We’ve been having and will continue having discussions with … the company that operates the EuroLeague. It is something that has been on our radar. We tried to bring everyone together. This was not possible. So our job is to continue having serious conversations with our partners at the NBA.”
As Vardon explains, the EuroLeague is a conglomerate of 18 teams comprising two tiers of franchises — 13 permanent members and five that must qualify. The permanent members are shareholders in the EuroLeague and operate under a license, but the license expires after the 2025/26 season.
Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul are mulling whether to allow their licenses to expire. Another European club, ALBA Berlin, would reportedly be excluded from becoming a permanent EuroLeague member if current licensing agreements are extended. Those four clubs have academy systems for developing players that are being studied by the NBA, Vardon adds.
Another issue that is being addressed between FIBA and the NBA regards a minor adjustment to the league’s calendar for the 2027/28 season.
The 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles begin July 14 of that year, approximately three weeks after Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Eight teams will qualify for the Olympics at the World Cup in 2027 but FIBA must host four qualifying tournaments shortly before the Olympics to decide the final four bids to Los Angeles.
FIBA scheduled those qualifying tournaments from June 26- July 2 in 2028. Teams in those qualifiers will undoubtedly have NBA players and FIBA would like to give those national teams a reasonable amount of prep time.
“We cannot play any later because of the Olympics, and we cannot play earlier because we don’t have the availability of the players,” Zagklis said. “The conversation with the NBA is there. I do not expect a major adjustment to their schedule. But if it is a question of one or two or three days, we’ve always been collaborating well and I think we will find a solution.”
Atlantic Notes: Fernandez, Nets Trade Talks, Celtics, Hart, Towns
Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez struck a threatening tone after his team’s loss to the Bucks on Sunday. After seeing Brooklyn’s defense allow 67 second-half points, Fernandez had a pointed message for his players.
“If our guys who wear a Brooklyn Nets jersey don’t play harder defense, they don’t have a place in our roster,” he said, per Jared Schwartz of the New York Post.
The Nets shot over 50% from the field but it was offset by the leaky defense, particularly on the perimeter.
“No defense to finish that third [quarter]. No defense to finish the fourth,” Fernandez said. “That’s how you win and lose games in the NBA. … You look at the offensive line, it’s pretty good. It’s just our defense was worse than bad.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets are very active in the trade market, according to an ESPN report, however they are being picky with what types of players they might take back in a trade, according to NetsDaily.com. A source familiar with the Nets discussions says that GM Sean Marks only wants to take back expiring contracts in order to preserve his cap space. However, another source told NetsDaily that Brooklyn might be willing to take on a contract with another year left on it if the draft assets are rich enough.
- The Celtics are taking a high volume of three-point shots and making them. The Athletic’s Jared Weiss details how the defending champion’s offense has changed from last season. One notable difference is that the second unit is not as reliant on Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown to orchestrate the attack.
- Josh Hart is questionable to play in the Knicks‘ NBA Cup quarterfinal game against Atlanta on Wednesday due to a left ankle sprain, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets. Karl-Anthony Towns is probable with a right knee ailment.
Raptors Notes: Carton, Barrett, Quickley
Injuries apparently played a role in the Raptors decision to waive two-way player D.J. Carton.
With Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and Bruce Brown dealing with injuries, Toronto wanted to add depth. Carton couldn’t provide that in the short run because he’s expected to miss the next three-to-four weeks with an ankle injury of his own, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
It’s possible that Carton will be re-signed at some point, Scotto adds.
We have more on the Raptors:
- While the team awaits an update on Barnes, who injured his right ankle and foot against the Knicks on Monday, RJ Barrett will have to ramp up his production in Barnes’ absence, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Barrett wound up with 30 points, eight rebounds and four assists against his former team, and did his best to get the Raptors good looks in crunch time, Koreen notes. However, after this season Barrett could see a much different role if the Raptors get a high lottery pick who commands a high percentage of the offense.
- In an extensive interview with Michael Grange of Sportsnet, Barrett says that playing for coach Darko Rajakovic has been a boon for his career. “He’s very, you know, straight to the point, but very encouraging, very encouraging. He believes in me,” Barrett said. “Whenever a coach has that spirit, you want to run through a wall for him.” Barrett still has two years and over $57MM remaining on his contract but that might be considered a relative bargain with the way he’s expanded his game since he was acquired from the Knicks.
- Quickley had more imaging done on his injured left elbow that has kept him out since Nov. 10, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. He’s progressing, per the Raptors, but he still hasn’t been cleared to ramp up or practice. There’s still no timeline for his return.
Injury Updates: Clingan, P. Williams, Rockets, Pacers
Donovan Clingan, the No. 7 overall pick of June’s draft, has been cleared for on-court workouts as he ramps up toward a return, according to the Trail Blazers, who announced (via Twitter) that the rookie center is day-to-day going forward.
Clingan has been sidelined for the past seven games after sustaining a sprained MCL in his left knee. The former UConn big man, who won back-to-back national championships with the Huskies, was off to an impressive start to his professional career prior to the injury, averaging 5.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in just 17.0 minutes per game in his first 17 appearances.
Clingan nearing a return is welcome news for the Blazers, who have lost six of their past seven games, including four straight. He’s not the only reserve big man who has been out lately, as Robert Williams has missed the past six games while in the NBA’s concussion protocol. Duop Reath, another backup center, also missed Sunday’s loss with back soreness.
According to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link), head coach Chauncey Billups said Clingan was able to do “pretty much everything” during Tuesday’s practice. Billups is optimistic that Clingan will be able to return for Friday’s matchup vs. San Antonio, Highkin adds.
Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Bulls forward Patrick Williams, who has been out since November 18 due to inflammation in his surgically repaired left foot, was a full participant in Tuesday’s non-contact practice and is slated to participate in tomorrow’s “contact, scrimmage-filled practice,” tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network). “It’s been tough. I don’t even know how long it’s been since I played,” Williams said, according to Johnson (Twitter link). Head coach Billy Donovan said last week that there was a chance Williams could return at some point this week — Chicago’s next game is Friday vs. Charlotte.
- The Rockets will get a couple of key reinforcements back for Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal against Golden State, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Point guard Fred VanVleet said he’ll return to action after missing Sunday’s game with a right knee injury, and third-year forward Tari Eason has cleared the league’s concussion protocol following a two-game absence.
- Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle recently provided updates on injured wings Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star relays (via Twitter). Nesmith, who has been out since Nov. 1 due to a left ankle sprain, is still “weeks away” from returning, while Sheppard, who has been sidelined since Nov. 17 due to an oblique injury, is closer to playing.
Clippers’ Derrick Jones Out At Least Two Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Clippers forward Derrick Jones will be sidelined for at least a couple weeks after suffering a right hamstring strain, the team announced (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN).
Jones will be reevaluated in two weeks, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he misses additional time beyond that, given the nature of soft-tissue injuries.
According to Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points (Twitter link), Jones was ruled out for the remainder of Sunday’s game vs. Houston after experiencing soreness in the hamstring. He played 12 minutes in the loss.
Jones signed a three-year, $30MM contract with the Clippers over the offseason after playing a key role in helping Dallas make the NBA Finals last spring. He was off to a solid start in his first season in Los Angeles, averaging 10.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 1.3 SPG on .500/.417/.871 shooting through 25 games, all starts (25.0 MPG).
With Jones out, forwards Jordan Miller and Nicolas Batum saw an uptick in minutes vs. Houston. That figures to continue for at least the next two weeks.
In other injury news, James Harden (groin), Amir Coffey (shoulder contusion) and Mohamed Bamba (left knee) practiced today, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. All three players were sidelined on Sunday.
Head coach Tyronn Lue also provided an injury update on star forward Kawhi Leonard, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter links). Lue said that Leonard went through non-contact drills during Tuesday’s practice and he’ll remain out for Friday’s contest in Denver.
“He did offensive script, defensive work, just no contact. But he did pretty much everything else,” Lue said of Leonard (Twitter video link via McMenamin). “He looked good. He’s not playing this week but he’s getting better. … Just keep building up until he’s able to do contact. We’re not sure when that’s going to come.”