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EuroBasket Notes: Championship Game, Bonga, Pesic, Rules Changes

September 13th, 2025 at 9:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Turkish coach Ergin Ataman is supremely confident heading into Sunday’s EuroBasket title game against Germany, according to BasketNews. Ataman is one of the most successful coaches in Europe, making five appearances in the EuroLeague Final Four and winning it three times. He has never won an international competition, but he believes his unbeaten team is ready to change that.

“I like to win. Before every game, we talk with our assistants. Even five minutes ago (before this conference), they told me that everybody is under a lot of stress and pressure now, especially in the federation. I told all our guys I have had this stress maybe in my first EuroLeague final,” Ataman said at Saturday’s press conference. “After that, it’s the same every game; it’s the same for me. I don’t have any stress. It’s a basketball game.”

In a separate story, Dennis Schröder, who has been through numerous huge games with Germany, refused to react to Ataman’s comments and said he and his teammates will concentrate on the task at hand.

“I mean, we try to focus on ourselves,” Schröder said. “I know the strategy he’s trying to do. And it’s been working for him for sure. So, at the end of the day, good job. We just try to focus on ourselves, go out, compete, stay together as a team, and bring the trophy home.”

There’s more as EuroBasket 2025 nears its end:

  • Franz Wagner believes German teammate Isaac Bonga deserves another shot at the NBA, per Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews. Wagner responded to a question after Bonga contributed 10 points and five rebounds and helped shut down Lauri Markkanen in the semifinal win over Finland. “I think (Bonga’s) shown for a couple of years now that he’s an elite defender, shoots the three really well, and can make some plays off the bounce too,” Wagner said. “So I think he could have a lot of teams interested in him.” Bonga spent four total seasons with the Lakers, Wizards and Raptors, but has been playing overseas since 2022.
  • Veteran coach Svetislav Pesic will step down from the Serbian national team when his contract expires later this month, according to Eurohoops. With a roster full of current and former NBA players, Pesic’s team had been considered among the favorites at EuroBasket, but the Serbians were upset by Finland in the round of 16. “It was a privilege to be the head coach of the Serbian national team, to train and lead the best Serbian basketball players,” Pesic said. “… However, the time has come to find a new coach who will be able to continue what we started in the previous period.”
  • FIBA Europe officials are considering changes to EuroBasket when the tournament returns in 2029, states Pijus Sapetka of BasketNews. President Jorge Garbajosa said injury replacements may be permitted and teams won’t be required to play on consecutive days.
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Germany Into EuroBasket Final With Win Over Finland

September 12th, 2025 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Germany will compete in the gold medal game at EuroBasket for the first time since 2005 after defeating Finland by a score of 98-86 in the first of the tournament’s semifinals on Friday.

Germany piled up 61 first-half points and withstood a third-quarter surge from the Finnish team to hang onto its lead. A trio of NBA players were the team’s top scorers, with Dennis Schröder leading the way. The Kings point guard totaled 26 points, 12 assists, and five rebounds, and was a +22 in his 31-plus minutes on the court.

Franz Wagner (22 points, five rebounds) and Tristan Da Silva (13 points, four rebounds) of the Magic also played key roles for the Germans, who got contributions from former NBA players like Daniel Theis (10 points, 11 rebounds) and Isaac Bonga (10 points, five rebounds) as well.

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was Finland’s star player over the course of the tournament but struggled to make an impact on Friday. Although he scored 16 points, Markkanen needed 17 field goal attempts to earn those points and was a -24 in 28 minutes of action.

It will still be a historic finish for Finland, which made the EuroBasket final four for the first time ever. Markkanen and the Finnish team will compete in the third-place game on Sunday in the hopes of claiming a bronze medal.

As for Germany, EuroBasket 2025 represents the latest deep run for a national team that has been one of the world’s best in recent years. The Germans finished third at EuroBasket 2022, won the 2023 World Cup, and placed fourth at the 2024 Olympics.

Greece and Turkey will square off this afternoon for the right to face Germany in Sunday’s final, with the loser taking on Finland in the third-place game.

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Turkey, Germany Advance To EuroBasket Quarterfinals

September 6th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Rory Maher

After trailing by a slim margin for the majority of the game, Turkey eventually defeated Sweden, 85-79, to advance to the quarterfinals of EuroBasket 2025, writes Semih Tuna of Eurohoops. The game was surprisingly competitive, considering Sweden went just 1-4 during the group phase while Turkey was 5-0, including Wednesday’s victory over Serbia.

Rockets big man Alperen Sengun was once again the standout performer for the Turkish national team, recording game highs of 24 points and 16 rebounds to go along with six assists and two blocks. Heat wing Pelle Larsson finished with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal in Sweden’s loss.

Head coach Ergin Ataman complained both before and after the game about Turkey having to compete at noon local time despite being the top seed from Group A, as Tuna relays in another story for Eurohoops.

“We didn’t wake up for the beginning of the game. After we understood we were in a difficult situation, in the third quarter, and came back in the game with very good defense, but we gave back this confidence to Sweden,” Ataman said. “Finally, we found a way to win. Now, we will think about the quarterfinal, which I think we will play in regular time, if they don’t want to change again and play in the morning at 11 o’clock.”

Turkey will face the winner of tomorrow’s matchup between Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Germany, which won the 2023 World Cup, was the only other undefeated team during the group phase and is the top seed from Group B. The Germans struggled mightily from three-point range on Saturday against Portugal, starting out just 1-of-24 before finishing 10-of-36, and only had a one-point lead entering the final period, according to Tuna.

However, Germany dominated the final frame, 33-7, to emerge with a 27-point victory.

“Obviously, you can improve in every game. I saw the first game with Sweden; they gave a great fight to Turkey, like Portugal gave a great fight to us,” said AS Monaco center Daniel Theis. “It’s the knockout stage. There are no easy games anymore.”

The German national team had five players — including Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, Tristan Da Silva and Isaac Bonga — finish with double-digit points. Portugal was led by Celtics center Neemias Queta, who finished with game highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds in 27 minutes.

Germany will face the winner of Sunday’s matchup between Italy and Slovenia on Wednesday.

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28 Current NBA Players Competing In FIBA EuroBasket 2025

August 27th, 2025 at 7:07am CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of the FIBA World Cup in 2023 and the Paris Olympics in 2024, the 2025 NBA offseason doesn’t feature a major international tournament in which the United States’ top stars are competing.

However, several of the league’s biggest names – including three-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and five-time All-NBA first-teamer Luka Doncic – are taking part in FIBA EuroBasket 2025, which tipped off on Wednesday.

The tournament, also known as the European Basketball Championship, takes place every four years and features 24 European countries vying for a gold medal. The 24 teams who qualified for EuroBasket are split up into four groups and will face the other teams in their group across five games from August 27 to September 4.

At the end of group play, the top four teams from each group will advance to the knockout round, which is a single-elimination tournament featuring the remaining 16 countries.

By our count, 28 active NBA players are taking part in EuroBasket 2025, along with 30 former NBA players and several more who were selected in an NBA draft but have yet to play in the league.

Here’s the full list of current and former NBA players set to compete in EuroBasket, sorted by group and country:

Group A

Czechia (Czech Republic)

  • Current NBA players: Vit Krejci (Hawks)
  • Former NBA players: None

Estonia

  • Current NBA players: None
  • Former NBA players: Henri Drell

Latvia

Portugal

  • Current NBA players: Neemias Queta (Celtics)
  • Former NBA players: None

Serbia

Serbia’s roster also includes Nikola Milutinov and Vanja Marinkovic, who are former NBA draft picks but have never played in the league.

Turkey

Group B

Finland

Germany

Great Britain

Lithuania

Lithuania’s roster also includes Rokas Jokubaitis, a former NBA draft pick who has never played in the league, and Azuolas Tubelis, who was on a two-way contract with the Sixers during the 2023 offseason but was waived before the season began.

Montenegro

Sweden

  • Current NBA players: Pelle Larsson (Heat)
  • Former NBA players: None

Group C

Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • Current NBA players: Jusuf Nurkic (Jazz)
  • Former NBA players: None

Cyprus

  • Current NBA players: None
  • Former NBA players: None

Georgia

Greece

Italy

Italy’s roster also includes Matteo Spagnolo, Gabriele Procida, and Saliou Niang, who are former NBA draft picks but have never played in the league.

Spain

Group D

Belgium

  • Current NBA players: None
  • Former NBA players: None

France

France’s roster also includes Isaia Cordinier, a former NBA draft pick who has never played in the league.

Iceland

  • Current NBA players: None
  • Former NBA players: None

Israel

  • Current NBA players: Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers)
  • Former NBA players: None

Israel’s roster also includes Yam Madar, a former NBA draft pick who has never played in the league.

Poland

  • Current NBA players: None
  • Former NBA players: Jordan Loyd

Slovenia

  • Current NBA players: Luka Doncic (Lakers)
  • Former NBA players: None
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Franz Wagner, Dennis Schröder Lead Germany’s EuroBasket Roster

August 23rd, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Germany has finalized its 12-man roster for EuroBasket, highlighted by Magic star Franz Wagner and new Kings guard Dennis Schröder, writes Pijus Sapetka of BasketNews.

The Germans also feature Wagner’s Orlando teammate, Tristan Da Silva, and a couple of former NBA big men in Daniel Theis and Isaac Bonga. Making up the rest of the roster are Oscar Da Silva, Justus Hollatz, Leon Kratzer, Maodo Lo, Andreas Obst, Johannes Thiemann and Johannes Voigtmann.

Germany has several significant absences due to injuries. Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein will miss the tournament because of an Achilles tendon issue, while Magic big man Moritz Wagner continues to recover from a torn ACL in his left knee that he suffered in December.

In addition, Real Madrid refused to sign a release for guard David Kramer to participate after he suffered a muscle injury, according to Eurohoops. Kramer averaged 15.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game during the EuroBasket Qualifiers.

“This is a bitter blow for us,” German coach Alex Mumbru said. “David was planned to be an important part of our team. We now have to compensate for his absence as best we can. Of course, I’m also very sorry for him personally; David would have deserved to be there.”

The Germans have become one of international basketball’s top teams in recent years, winning a gold medal in the 2023 World Cup. Four years ago, they finished third in EuroBasket, which they hosted, and they came in fourth at the 2024 Olympics.

Schröder has been a member of the senior national team since 2014 and was named to the All-Star Five Team at last year’s Olympics. Wagner was a second-team all-tournament choice at both the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics.

Germany has been placed in Group B for EuroBasket, along with Lithuania, Great Britain, Sweden, Montenegro and Finland. Group play will start Wednesday, and all games will be held in Tampere, Finland.

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Free Agent Notes: Simmons, Knicks, Shamet, Ayton, Bonga, More

July 2nd, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have “checked in” on former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Simmons has also met with three other teams and is expected to make a decision on his next destination soon, sources familiar with the situation tell Begley.

Simmons is a three-time All-Star who has made a pair of All-Defensive first teams, but has battled injuries in recent years, having appeared in just 108 regular season games since the start of 2021/22.

Begley adds in the same story that the Knicks maintain interest in re-signing free agent wing Landry Shamet, but have competition from teams in both conferences for the 28-year-old. Shamet made 50 appearances for New York last season, averaging 5.7 points per game on .461/.397/.667 shooting.

Given how close the Knicks are to the second tax apron, it would probably be a case of signing Simmons or Shamet (or another veteran free agent), rather than adding both, unless they create a little more spending flexibility via trade.

Given their roster situation

  • After Jake Fischer reported that the Pacers have some interest in center Deandre Ayton, David Aldridge of The Athletic suggests that interest will be reciprocated. According to Aldridge, a source close to Ayton said Indiana will be considered as a possible landing spot for the former No. 1 overall pick. The big man will clear waivers later today.
  • The Serbian club KK Partizan recently announced (via Twitter) a contract extension through 2027 for former NBA forward Isaac Bonga, who appeared in 143 regular season games for three teams from 2018-22. However, Bonga remains on NBA radars, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, who notes that the 25-year-old’s new deal includes an out clause that would give him the ability to return stateside later this summer if he gets an opportunity he likes.
  • Another former NBA forward is headed to Belgrade, with the Serbian club Crvena Zvezda announcing (via Twitter) that it has signed Semi Ojeleye. The 2017 second-round pick made 284 NBA appearances for three teams across five seasons, but hasn’t been in the league since 2022.
  • In accepting a one-year, minimum-salary offer from the Suns, veteran forward Nigel Hayes-Davis turned down a lucrative offer from Fenerbahce, his team in Turkey, that would have had made him one of the highest-paid players in the EuroLeague, Urbonas reports. While Hayes-Davis won’t earn as much in Phoenix, the 30-year-old will be back in the NBA for the first time since a brief stint in 2017/18.
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Partizan Belgrade Confirms Additions Of Pokusevski, Other Former NBAers

August 19th, 2024 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Serbian club KK Partizan, which is based in Belgrade and competes in the EuroLeague, held an event on Monday to formally introduce its roster for the 2024/25 season, according to Eurohoops.

Partizan’s squad features several players with NBA experience, including guards Frank Ntilikina and Gabriel Lundberg, whose deals were previously announced.

On Monday, the team also confirmed several signings which had been reported earlier in the summer but hadn’t yet been officially confirmed, such as Aleksej Pokusevski, Sterling Brown, Isaac Bonga, Duane Washington, and Brandon Davies.

Pokusevksi is perhaps the most notable name in the group. The 22-year-old forward was the 17th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft and spent most of the past four seasons with the Thunder before being waived in February. He finished the season in Charlotte, averaging 7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 19.2 minutes per game across 18 outings down the stretch for the Hornets.

Brown has 268 NBA regular season appearances under his belt, while Bonga has 143, Washington has 79, and Davies has 78. However, none of the four played in the league in 2023/24.

As Eurohoops notes, former NBA guard Carlik Jones will also play for KK Partizan this season, but wasn’t at Monday’s event — his flight was delayed, according to a report from Mozzart Sport, which indicates that Jones will be at the team’s first practice of the season this week.

Former NBA first-rounder Bruno Caboclo is also under contract with Partizan, but wasn’t in attendance on Monday and isn’t a lock to return to the club. He has reportedly received an offer from Hapoel Tel Aviv, a team in Israel.

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Olympic Notes: Murray, Yabusele, Giddey, Barrett, More

August 14th, 2024 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

There are concerns about Jamal Murray following a lackluster Olympic performance with Team Canada, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. After dealing with injuries during the latter part of the season, the Nuggets guard was limited to 36.6% true shooting and a 4.7 PER in four Olympic games.

While Hollinger admits that’s a small sample size, he notes that Murray wasn’t any better in Canada’s exhibition contests and didn’t look like the same player he was during Denver’s 2023 title run. Hollinger observes that Murray played without “zip” while having a hard time getting separation from his defender and finishing at the rim. If there’s a physical issue affecting Murray, it could be a significant story heading into training camp and the start of the season, Hollinger adds.

A report in late June stated that the Nuggets and Murray were nearing agreement on a four-year, $208MM extension. Hollinger wonders if the team might be reconsidering that offer in light of Murray’s recent downturn.

Hollinger shares a few more thoughts on the Olympics:

  • Guerschon Yabusele helped his NBA prospects tremendously with his Olympic performance, but Hollinger is skeptical that he’ll join the league this season. A league source confirms to Hollinger that Yabusele has a $2.5MM buyout in his contract with Real Madrid. Any NBA team that signs him would have to pay that amount, which would count against the cap above the $850K maximum international buyout, along with Yabusele’s salary. Hollinger sees a better chance for Yabusele to return to the NBA next summer when he’ll be a free agent.
  • Australia used Josh Giddey as its primary ball-handler, a role he’ll assume with the Bulls this season. Hollinger points out that although Giddey could have used better outside shooting around him, he was effective running the offense. He made 11 three-pointers in four games, easing some of the concerns about him in Oklahoma City, while taking on a 30% usage rate.
  • Hollinger believes Raptors swingman RJ Barrett could be headed for a breakout season. Playing for Canada, Barrett ranked fourth in the Olympics in scoring at 19.8 PPG with 58/44/84 shooting splits. Hollinger adds that Barrett was impressive after being traded to Toronto last season and should have a high-usage role on a rebuilding team.
  • Khem Birch may have sparked NBA interest after being Canada’s top center in France, per Hollinger. Birch will be 32 by the time training camps open, but Hollinger suggests he could fill a role as a third center.
  • Mathias Lessort, who helped France reach the gold medal game, could be a “last-resort option” for the Knicks next summer if they still haven’t found a reliable backup center, Hollinger states. The 29-year-old big man is under contract with Panathinaikos in Greece this season.
  • Isaac Bonga is a free agent after wrapping up a strong Olympics with Germany. Hollinger notes that Bonga is only 24 and could return to the NBA and a three-and-D specialist, even if it doesn’t happen right away.
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Atlantic Notes: Pritchard, D. Green, Ross, Harden, Raptors

February 11th, 2023 at 9:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Payton Pritchard was a little surprised and disappointed to still be with the Celtics when the trade deadline passed Thursday afternoon, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The third-year guard has proven he can contribute when he gets the opportunity, but he’s only averaging 12.6 minutes per game this season, the lowest figure of his career.

“I definitely was expecting and hoping (for a trade),” Pritchard said. “But you know, I (have to) look at the good things. We’re the best team in the NBA right now and we have a great team with really great players, so for me it’s an opportunity to learn and to keep growing.”

The Celtics were open to trading Pritchard and reportedly explored the market to see what they could get in return for him and Danilo Gallinari. One report said Pritchard was part of Boston’s offer to the Spurs for Jakob Poeltl, but San Antonio opted to send Poeltl to the Raptors.

Pritchard, a four-year college player, is already 25 and is hoping to find a situation soon that offers consistent playing time. The Celtics already picked up his option for next season, so there’s little he can do about his situation until the summer of 2024.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Danny Green and Terrence Ross are probably the most realistic targets for the Celtics in the buyout market, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. He points out that the $3.2MM disabled player exception that Boston received for Gallinari puts the team in position to outbid most competitors.
  • James Harden played his first game in Brooklyn tonight since being traded to the Sixers at last year’s deadline. Harden offered his thoughts about what went wrong for the Nets‘ Big Three and said he was glad to get out when he did, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPN. “I don’t look like the crazy one,” Harden said. “I don’t look like the guy or the quitter or whatever the media want to call me. I knew what was going on and I just decided to … hey, I’m not built for this. I don’t want to deal with that. I want to play basketball and have fun.”
  • The Raptors had to renounce their rights to six former players to complete the Poeltl trade, tweets Spotrac contributor Keith Smith. They are Isaac Bonga, Jeremy Lin, Jodie Meeks, Lucas Nogueira, Jason Thompson, and longtime restricted free agent Nando De Colo.
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Isaac Bonga Signs With Bayern Munich

August 19th, 2022 at 7:38am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent forward Isaac Bonga is headed back overseas, having signed a two-year contract with Bayern Munich, the German team announced today in a press release.

The 39th overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, Bonga spent time with the Lakers, Wizards, and Raptors over the past four seasons, averaging 3.1 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 143 total games (13.1 MPG).

Although he spent the entire 2021/22 season in Toronto, Bonga played an extremely limited role, logging just 69 total minutes in 15 appearances. He saw more action in the G League, putting up 12.7 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 3.5 APG in 25 regular season contests (26.9 MPG) for the Raptors 905, Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate.

According to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, who first reported Bonga’s agreement with Bayern Munich, the 22-year-old drew some NBA interest as a free agent this summer. However, given how little he played at the NBA level last season, Bonga presumably recognized that a return to Europe would be his best chance at guaranteed money and a more expansive role.

Bonga was born in Germany and began his professional career in his home country, playing for Skyliners Frankfurt’s reserve team from 2016-18. This time around, he’ll be competing in a pair of Europe’s top leagues — Bayern Munich is a member of both Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and the EuroLeague.

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