And-Ones: Top Newcomers, Realignment, McGrady, St. Bonnie’s
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:
- What might NBA realignment look like if the league were to expand to Las Vegas and Seattle? Zach Harper of The Athletic takes a closer look at that topic, exploring scenarios in which either the Timberwolves, Pelicans, or Grizzlies move to the Eastern Conference and considering how the league might shuffle its divisions around in each hypothetical case.
- Former NBA star Tracy McGrady has signed a new endorsement deal to reunite with Adidas, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the two parties are expected to work with longtime sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro to revive the ABCD (Academic Betterment and Career Development) Camp. As Charania explains in a follow-up tweet, the ABCD Camp was a youth basketball camp that ran for over two decades from 1984-2006 and featured several future stars, including McGrady himself.
- The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball program will host its first ever pro day on Saturday, October 11 at the NBPA training facility in Manhattan, according to a press release from the school. “The first Bonnies Pro Day is a tremendous opportunity for NBA and G League front office executives to scout our players in a competitive practice and workout environment,” former ESPN reporter and current St. Bonnie’s general manager Adrian Wojnarowski said in a statement.
Eastern Notes: White, Donovan, Johnson, Wall, Shammgod
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, who won back-to-back NCAA titles with Florida during his college coaching career, was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday. Starting guard Coby White attended the ceremony and spoke to Chicago Sports Network about Donovan’s “amazing accomplishment” and what he likes about having him as a coach (Twitter video link).
“He’s honest,” White said of Donovan. “He pushes you, he’s going to get the most out of you. And for the most part, he’s always been upfront with me.
“But he also believes in his players. He gets his players to compete every night. He builds a relationship with his players, which often times you don’t see (with NBA head coaches).”
Donovan signed a multiyear extension with the Bulls in late July, while White is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him about $12.9MM in 2025/26.
Here are a few more notes from around the East:
- Wizards lottery pick Tre Johnson III was viewed as one of the best shooters entering the 2025 draft but he also displayed improved ball-handling a couple months ago at Las Vegas Summer League, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. “I watch bits and pieces of Kyrie (Irving) and Darius Garland, just from a guard’s perspective how they can change speeds,” Johnson said. Second-year big man Alex Sarr believes Johnson is more than capable of creating shots for both himself and others. “I like his play-making in general. I already knew that about him, but it’s just good to see. I feel like we’re just seeing the surface of what he’s capable of,” Sarr said.
- John Wall announced his retirement as a player last month and will cover the NBA for Amazon Prime Video in 2025/26. In an interview with Michael Lee of The Washington Post, Wall said he hopes to have his No. 2 jersey retired by the Wizards. Varun Shankar of The Washington Post considers whether the Wizards should retire Wall’s jersey, noting that the former No. 1 overall pick made five All-Star appearances with the franchise and is the team’s all-time leader in both assists and steals. While it’s been a long time since the organization has retired a player’s jersey, Shankar believes Wall could be a “logical” choice to be honored, as he was the driving force behind Washington’s “best stretch since (Wes) Unseld retired.”
- Assistant coach God Shammgod, who joined Orlando this offseason after nine years in Dallas, believes the Magic have a talented roster capable of taking a step forward this season, he tells Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. “Paolo (Banchero) and Franz (Wagner) and them, they’re coming into their own right now,” Shammgod said. “They’re at the right age where they still young, but they young enough to dare. Dare to be great. And I believe like Paolo and Franz is going to be great, but Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, we got Tyus Jones. Now we got so many great players. … And I feel like right now they all are ready to make their mark. So I’m just happy and honored to be a part of it.”
And-Ones: ESPN Panel, Top SGs, Lundberg, Hayes-Davis
The Spurs and Hawks are considered the co-favorites to make the biggest leap in the NBA during the upcoming season, according to a panel of ESPN Insiders.
The panel made its predictions on a wide variety of topics, including the team most likely to make a big move before the trade deadline (the Warriors received the most votes) and the next superstar to request a trade (Zion Williamson was the top vote-getter).
Here’s more from around the international basketball world:
- Anthony Edwards tops the list of shooting guards ranked by The Athletic’s Zach Harper. Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell fill out tier one — players who are potential MVP candidates — in “The Bounce’s Top 40 Shooting Guards.” Desmond Bane, Klay Thompson, Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine comprised the second tier as players “who can take over” a game.
- Gabriel ‘Iffe’ Lundberg won’t return to Serbia’s Partizan Belgrade, according to Sportando. The Danish guard, according to a TeleSport report, has drawn interest from both Zenit St. Petersburg and Olympiacos. Lundberg had a brief stay in the NBA, playing four games with Phoenix during the 2021/22 season.
- Tel Aviv’s owner Ofer Yannay had a verbal agreement this offseason with Nigel Hayes-Davis in the event that the free agent forward couldn’t find an NBA contract. Hayes-Davis, who played in Turkey last season, wound up signing a one-year deal with the Suns. “We were sure we were bringing Nigel Hayes-Davis. We were sure it was happening. He had an option to go to the NBA, and he basically said, ‘I’ll try to get a contract in the NBA, and if I don’t, I’ll come to you,’” Yannay said, per Eurohoops.net.
Eastern Notes: Bane, Heat, Magic-Heat Rivalry, Bulls
The Magic made one of the biggest moves of the offseason, trading multiple assets and veteran players to acquire Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies. John Schuhmann, the senior stats analyst for NBA.com, examines how Bane can impact Orlando’s offense.
Using a film study approach, Schuhmann lays out Bane’s strengths and details how he can blend with Orlando’s roster. Bane should help the Magic get more easy buckets on the break, increase off-the-ball movement and provide more off-the-catch opportunities for star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson takes a deep dive into the Heat‘s asset management over the past decade, breaking them down into regrettable, commendable and defensible decisions. Jackson notes that the reason why the franchise hasn’t hoarded first-round picks is that it would go against its philosophy of never tanking or intentionally taking steps back with the hope of a brighter future. The Heat’s yearly goals also include trying to win as many games as possible every season, even if the roster isn’t championship-caliber.
- Orlando Sentinel Mike Bianchi opines that the Magic must resurrect their rivalry with the Heat. The Southeast Division foes play against each other on opening night and Bianchi urges Orlando fans to muster up passion and hatred toward their in-state opponent.
- The Bulls have promoted Austin Dufault to director of player development and Isiah Price to coordinator of player development, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network tweets. Dufault was an assistant coach with the Pistons from 2021-23.
Southwest Notes: Spencer, Marshall, Nembhard, Wembanyama
In an exclusive interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer discussed the “shocking” trade that sent Desmond Bane to Orlando, how his competitive fire was stoked by growing up playing against older brother Pat Spencer, and what he has learned from Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., among other topics.
After spending his rookie season on a two-way deal with Memphis, Cam Spencer signed a four-year standard contract with the Grizzlies on Monday. The 2024 second-round pick is thrilled to have an opportunity to stay with the team long term.
“I’m super excited,” Spencer told Medina. “There’s no other organization that I’d rather compete with. I’m super grateful. It makes you think about all of the people that helped you get to this point. But I’m more motivated than ever. I told (general manager) Zach (Kleiman) that I’m going to prove him right every single day. I’m going to get after it for him.”
Spencer is also looking forward to a full season under new head coach Tuomas Iisalo, who had his interim tag lifted in early May.
“Coach Tuomas coming in, I think we have a lot of momentum going into this year,” Spencer said as part of a larger quote. “He’s been great. He’s a super-smart coach and very personable as a player. He really communicates what he wants from us out there on the court. I think we’re all going to be on the same page in a big way this year.”
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Mavericks wing Naji Marshall is coming off a 2024/25 season in which he averaged career highs in points (13.2), rebounds (4.8), assists (3.0) and steals (1.0) and minutes (27.8) per game, while shooting a career-best 50.8% from the field. However, Dallas failed to make the playoffs amid a wave of devastating second-half injuries. While the 27-year-old said he was “pretty good” last season, he believes he has “more in the tank he can accomplish” in ’25/26, according to Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “No question (that a deep playoff run is the next step). Just win,” Marshall said. “It’s beautiful. I feel good. I feel like we have all the right pieces to do what we all want to do. I’m looking forward to it.”
- After going undrafted out of Gonzaga last month, Ryan Nembhard quickly agreed to a two-way contract with the Mavericks. The 6’0″ point guard, who led all Division I players in assists last season, tells Christian Clark of The Athletic that signing with the Mavs wasn’t a coincidence. “They showed the most love (during the pre-draft process),” Nembhard said. “I think they really wanted me. They showed the most care for me. And I feel like I have a chance to come do something over here.” The 22-year-old averaged 11.3 PPG, 6.7 APG and 2.7 RPG in three Summer League games in Las Vegas.
- Spurs star Victor Wembanyama did kung fu training with monks at a Shaolin temple in China this offseason and believes the sessions helped him improve his “mental focus” and taught him “more about how to achieve optimal body positioning through a better range of movement,” sources tell Michael C. Wright of ESPN. The French center thinks the training will help him on the court as he prepares for his third season, Wright adds.
Southwest Notes: Flagg, Harper, Morant, Murphy, Peavy
The top two picks in this year’s draft put on a show for Summer League fans as they matched up Saturday in Las Vegas, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN. Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg thrilled the crowd with a few highlight dunks on his way to 31 points, while Spurs guard Dylan Harper countered with 16 points in his Summer League debut after recovering from a minor groin injury.
“[There’s] not a better time to come back [than] in a game like this and a crowd as electrifying as this,” Harper said. “He had a good game. I had a good game. We kind of just showed the NBA world what we’re about.”
Saturday’s matchup should be the beginning of a long rivalry for Flagg and Harper. Considered to be the top two prospects in this year’s class by a wide margin, they wound up joining teams with established talent already in place when Dallas and San Antonio both defied the odds at the lottery. They’ll meet four times a year as division opponents and may have a few playoff matchups in their future.
“We’re going to play them a lot this year,” Harper said. “So, the future battles are going to be great. One thing that we’ve both got: We’re just competitors. We’re going to go out and compete.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant said he was surprised by the trade of longtime backcourt partner Desmond Bane and addressed a few other topics in an interview with Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscriber link). “I was shocked, personally,” Morant said. “I got the message from Des. To see it all over the internet, I thought the (expletive) was fake, honestly. It’s best for both sides. Des is going to a very talented Orlando team. I feel like he’s the piece that they’ve been missing.” Morant added that the additions of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the trade and Ty Jerome in free agency should make Memphis a better team.
- Appearing Saturday on ESPN, Pelicans forward Trey Murphy provided an update on his progress since undergoing surgery in late March for a torn labrum in his right shoulder (Twitter video link from Pelicans Film Room). “I feel pretty good,” Murphy said. “I have started up my skill workouts. I am able to do things without restriction. Just waiting to get cleared for contact.”
- X-rays were negative for an ankle injury suffered by Pelicans rookie shooting guard Micah Peavy, according to Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link). The second-round pick was held out of Saturday’s game.
Southeast Notes: Knueppel, Bane, Christopher, Risacher, Johnson
After Cooper Flagg referred to his Thursday Summer League debut as “one of the worst games of my life,” his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel conveyed a similar sentiment in the wake of a 1-of-8 performance from the field on Friday in his first Summer League game with the Hornets.
“Probably one of the worst games I’ve played in a while,” Knueppel said, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “I just couldn’t get one to go. Didn’t feel great, especially missing free throws. But I thought I did a good job defensively, held my own. I’ve got to be a little smarter with the ball. A couple of bad turnovers but it’s good to get my feet underneath me a little bit and get ready for the next game.”
Although Knueppel struggled to score, Charlotte’s other rookies made a positive first impression. Liam McNeeley, in particular, had a huge debut in Vegas, registering a team-high 22 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists in 28 minutes off the bench to help lead the Hornets to a win over Utah.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Appearing on ESPN Today on Friday (YouTube link), Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley spoke glowingly about new addition Desmond Bane, stating that it’s “fantastic” to have the veteran wing on his roster. “He was in the gym the other day with Franz (Wagner) and Anthony Black already,” Mosley said. “Just his work ethic, his character, his care factor, just (the) leadership that he brings to the table is going to be so special for us.”
- Former first-round pick Josh Christopher, who spent last season on a two-way contract with Miami, was a late addition to the Hawks‘ Summer League roster, tweets Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 6’4″ guard didn’t play at all on Friday in Atlanta’s first game in Vegas.
- During an ESPN interview at halftime of the Hawks‘ Friday game, general manager Onsi Saleh said the team “couldn’t be more happy” with the development of last year’s No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, per Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com (Twitter link). “He has gotten his body so right, especially given how young he is,” Saleh said. “… I saw him in the summertime and he looked like he put on some more weight.”
- There weren’t a ton of bright spots for the Wizards in their blowout loss to Phoenix on Friday, but the play of No. 6 overall pick Tre Johnson was one of them, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Johnson scored 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting and earned praise from coach J.J. Outlaw and his teammates for his Summer League debut. “He played aggressive. He played with a lot of confidence, which was expected,” second-year forward Kyshawn George said. “It was his first game, his first start. He’s only going to get better from here.”
Southeast Notes: Bane, Hornets, Brogdon, Magic
Priority number one for freshly acquired Magic shooting guard Desmond Bane is getting to work building chemistry with his new teammates, writes Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.
Orlando managed to stay afloat through a barrage of injuries last season, thanks in large part to the chemistry they built, which Beede says starts with head coach Jamahl Mosley. Mosley is known as a players’ coach, giving his roster the freedom they need to be their best selves while finding balance in also holding them accountable.
Bane specifically wants to spend time with star Paolo Banchero this summer.
“I want to get to connect with him, whether he’s in Seattle or wherever he’s at, link up with him for a weekend, and we can get in the gym but low-key, put basketball to the side and get a chance to know him as a person,” Bane said.
We have more from the Southeast division:
- The Hornets almost have to take Ace Bailey if he falls to No. 4 in the 2025 draft, contends Roderick Boone for the Charlotte Observer. In his mailbag article, Boone suggests that the Hornets could pair Bailey with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller or use him as another high-profile trade chip. Boone also writes that Mark Williams being on the roster when next season starts would be something of a surprise after last season’s failed trade with the Lakers.
- Unrestricted free agent point guard Malcolm Brogdon is not expected to return to the Wizards, reports RG’s Grant Afseth. Brogdon played 24 games for Washington last season, averaging 12.7 points and 4.1 assists in 23.5 minutes per night. Afseth writes that the Mavericks may be a suitor for Brogdon. Meanwhile, the Wizards will continue searching for a long-term answer at point guard.
- The Magic have released their preseason schedule, Beede writes. Fans will get to see their new-look team kick off on October 12 against the Heat. They will play two home preseason games, with the second coming on Thursday, October 16 at 7:00 pm against the Pelicans.
Desmond Bane Had Orlando At Top Of Wish List
Desmond Bane believes the package the Magic gave up for him was worth it. The Grizzlies moved the high-scoring guard to Orlando, receiving Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap in return.
Bane anticipates he’ll have no trouble fitting in with Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and the rest of the Magic’s core as they strive to become a top contender in the Eastern Conference.
“It’s time to win,” Bane said, per Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “It’s pretty much as simple as that. If we do what we’re supposed to do … Not to say those picks weren’t valuable, but they would have fallen in place that, we’ve got a lot of young talent here already in the building, and we have a lot of talent at the top of the roster, so I think it’s a perfect for the organization to do what they did.”
Bane was asked by his agent after the Grizzlies’ season ended that if he were traded where would he prefer to wind up.
“I promise you, Orlando was right at the top of the list,” Bane said. “It’s a perfect fit.”
Orlando had a crying need for another play-maker and shooter and Bane fits that bill. He averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game this season while shooting 39.2% from three on 6.1 attempts per contest. Bane slots in alongside Jalen Suggs in the starting backcourt.
It was a calculated risk by the Magic, not only for the loss of draft capital but also because Bane’s big contract pushes them closer to luxury tax territory. He has four years left on his five-year, $197.2MM deal.
“I’ve gotten a chance to play against them — not a ton coming from the Western Conference — but it was always tough to put the ball in the basket against them,” Bane said of his new teammates. “They guard and I’ll fit right into what they’re trying to do on that end, and hopefully help out on the spacing front on offense.”
When Memphis general manager Zach Kleiman contacted Bane regarding the trade, Bane’s emotions went from concern to elation.
“Before he told me where I was going, my heart sank, just because there’s 29 other teams outside of the Grizzlies that I could have ended up on,” Bane said. “Once he said Orlando, I was smiling through the phone. I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful like I was moving on from Memphis that fast, but I was genuinely excited about the new opportunity.”
Weltman: Acquiring Bane Was Priority For Offensively-Starved Magic
Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman believes Desmond Bane is the perfect fit for his team, according to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.
“The guy is almost the player you would design if you could start from scratch,” Weltman said. “Because obviously we’ve spoken a lot about our need for shooting but we’ve also talked about play-making and adding skill … Desmond is such a unique player because he’s one of the best shooters in the NBA, but he’s also a gifted play-maker and he generates shot-creation for himself and others. He creates advantages with and without the ball.”
In desperate need for more offense from the backcourt to complement high-scoring forward Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, Weltman dug deep into the team’s assets to acquire Bane from the Grizzlies. He traded guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony, four first-round picks and a 2029 pick swap in order to acquire Bane.
Weltman believes Bane’s timeline fits in well with his young core and the loss of draft capital was offset by the possibility of Bane making the Magic one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference.
“We feel that the other unique thing about a guy like Des being available to obtain in a trade is the fact that he’s just about to turn 27, so if we are a good team then we hope to be a good team for a while,” Weltman said. “Hopefully, we’ll have this group together for a long time wearing Magic uniforms. That will determine what the value of those picks are and some of this is what the NBA is about. It’s betting on yourself. It’s putting pressure on yourself and elevating your standard.”
Bane averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals this season while shooting 39.2% from 3 on 6.1 attempts. Orlando shot a league-low 31.8% from 3-point range and averaged the third-fewest points.
Weltman said that the trade talks for Bane were a gradual process.
“We valued him very highly for a while,” Weltman said. “There are few guys in the league that if they become available, you’re going to be aggressive. When I stood here after the season, I honestly didn’t expect him to be available in these conversations. But when we learned about that as we did our laps around the league, we shifted gears and made it a priority for us.”
Bane’s contract could become an issue if the trade doesn’t work out as planned. He has four years left on his five-year, $197.2MM deal.