And-Ones: Extensions, Draft Sleepers, Edwards, Partizan
In a subscriber-only story for The Third Apron, Yossi Gozlan takes a look at 11 players around the NBA who are currently eligible for veteran contract extensions.
According to Gozlan, Spurs wing Julian Champagnie has been a complete bargain on his current deal and should be in line for a considerable raise. San Antonio holds a $3MM team option on Champagnie for 2026/27, which the team would have to decline to extend him.
As Gozlan writes, the maximum the 24-year-old could receive on an extension would be $87MM over four years. Gozlan suggests a four-year deal in the $75-76MM range could be a reasonable compromise for both sides.
Gozlan also projects extensions for Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (two years, $24MM) and Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (exact same structure), among others.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- John Hollinger of The Athletic lists nine of his favorite sleepers ahead of the 2026 draft. Hollinger acknowledges that some of the players on his list, including Santa Clara forward Allen Graves and Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie, may decide to return for another college season in 2026/27. A couple other sleepers Hollinger mentions (Corey Camper and Emanuel Sharp) will be automatically draft-eligible, as they’re both fifth-year seniors.
- Former NBA big man Jesse Edwards, who spent last season on a two-way deal with the Timberwolves, is in advanced talks with Spanish club Baskonia about a rest-of-season contract, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. The Dutch center played for Melbourne United in Australia in 2025/26, averaging 13.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 1.1 BPG in 35 games (22.4 MPG).
- In an extensive interview with Milun Nesovic of Serbian outlet Meridian Sport, Partizan Belgrade president Ostoja Mijailovic discussed a number of current and former NBA players, as Eurohoops and Sportando relay. The Sixers were limited to offering Partizan $875K as part of a buyout for Cameron Payne, yet the EuroLeague club received $1.75MM in that agreement. According to Mijailovic, the remaining $875K came from Payne himself. Mijailovic confirmed Partizan forward Isaac Bonga received NBA interest last month, but the team had the option to decline the $875K buyout it was offered for Bonga and did so because it values him. However, the former second-round pick could be on the move this summer, as Partizan will no longer have the option to turn down a buyout offer for Bonga once ’25/26 ends.
- Mijailovic also expressed regret for the lucrative deals given to Jabari Parker and Shake Milton, and said the team remains fond of Dante Exum, who was waived by Washington last month after being traded by Dallas. Exum hasn’t played at all this season due to a knee injury. “It is certainly our desire to bring back players who left a mark at Partizan and who can help the team on the court,” Mijailovic said, per Eurohoops. “Exum is one of the players we all adored, and we still adore him.”
And-Ones: Bonga, Tanking, Giannis
KK Partizan recently received lucrative buyout offers for Isaac Bonga from four unnamed NBA teams, according to Pedrag Saric of Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops). However, the Serbian club rejected those offers for the German forward, who played in the NBA from 2018-22, because Partizan didn’t want to lose its most consistent player.
Bonga is still just 26 years old and could receive NBA interest again this summer, assuming he stays with the Belgrade-based team for the remainder of the 2025/26 season. In 41 total games (26.3 minutes per contest) this season, Bonga has averaged 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .505/.312/.830 shooting.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Tanking has come under increased scrutiny this season, in part because of the perceived strength of the 2026 draft class. “This draft has a chance to be legendary,” one NBA executive told Forbes contributor Adam Zagoria. How can the league combat teams trying to intentionally lose to boost their lottery odds? Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports lays out his idea to address the tanking issue.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s investment in prediction market company Kalshi isn’t a great look for the NBA, says Dan Wetzel of ESPN.com. As Wetzel writes, Antetokounmpo’s minority stake in Kalshi technically doesn’t break any league rules, but it’s easy to see how it could cause fans to lose confidence in the integrity of the sport — one popular category a couple weeks ago was whether or not the Bucks‘ star forward would be traded.
- Speaking to the media on Saturday, Antetokounmpo said he would the welcome opportunity to be an owner in the NBA’s proposed European league, per Javier Molero of Eurohoops. “Being an owner? 100%,” the two-time MVP said. “If there’s an opportunity that comes across my desk to be an owner in sports, anything, I would consider it 100%. In the real NBA, I don’t know if I have that type of money. If I ever come into a position where I’m able to make that decision and it won’t affect my lifestyle, my family’s lifestyle, and it won’t be too risky for my wealth and network, I will consider doing it.”
Stein’s Latest: Banton, Love, Warriors, NBA Europe, Bonga
Free agent guard Dalano Banton has received interest from teams overseas but continues to seek an NBA opportunity after spending the past season-and-a-half in Portland, Marc Stein writes for The Stein Line (Substack link).
According to Stein, Banton has recently auditioned for multiple NBA teams, including the Warriors and Pacers, though Indiana decided to pass on him.
Banton, who was traded from the Celtics to the Trail Blazers at the 2024 deadline, has since appeared in 97 games for Portland, averaging 10.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 20.6 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .399/.319/.751. He has been an unrestricted free agent since his contract expired on June 30.
Here’s more from Stein:
- The Jazz and Kevin Love have yet to engage in serious discussions about a buyout, per Stein. While it’s “widely known” that Love would like to play for a team closer to contention, it doesn’t sound as if he has a post-buyout spot lined up yet, Stein explains, so there has been no urgency to get out of his contract with Utah.
- Stein reiterates that the expectation around the NBA is that veteran free agents Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II will sign with the Warriors once Jonathan Kuminga‘s situation is resolved. According to Stein, the latest round of negotiations between the Warriors and Kuminga has “sparked some fresh optimism” that both he and those other vets will be signed prior to the team’s media day on September 29.
- After FIBA Europe president Jorge Garbajosa predicted that the NBA’s new European league could tip off in 2027, Stein says his own reporting suggests Garbajosa’s timetable may not be exact but also isn’t far off.
- Although Isaac Bonga‘s NBA exit clause for 2025 expired, he drew interest from a few teams earlier in the summer, according to Stein, who says Bonga committed to spending the coming season with Partizan Belgrade after not getting a concrete offer from any of those clubs. Stein anticipates Bonga will receive more serious NBA interest next offseason.
EuroBasket Notes: Schröder, Nowitzki, Wagner, Spanoulis, Awards
Dennis Schröder credited Dirk Nowitzki with inspiring the current crop of players who have turned Germany into an international basketball power, writes Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews. After capturing MVP honors while leading his team to the gold medal at EuroBasket, Schröder paid tribute to the Mavericks legend, who was a German basketball icon in addition to his 21-year NBA career.
“Dirk, what he’s been doing for the German national team and what he’s done in the NBA and in the national team made us come to the national team and represent our country,” Schröder said.
Nowitzki is one of the greatest players in European history and earned a long list of honors in international competitions. Schröder is also building an impressive resume, adding the EuroBasket gold to the championship he won at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and a bronze medal in the 2022 EuroBasket, but he doesn’t want to be compared to Nowitzki.
“At the end of the day, my name is Dennis Schröder, and I’m just Dennis Schröder, and that’s my legacy,” he said. “Whatever I can bring to the table to make sure my teammates are good and we compete at the highest level and win gold medals. That’s what I’m going to do. Everything else doesn’t matter.”
There’s more from EuroBasket:
- German teammate Franz Wagner dedicated the championship to his brother, Moritz Wagner, who was unable to play due to an ACL tear in his left knee that he suffered with Orlando last season, per Pijus Sapetka of BasketNews. Franz said his brother is “super happy” about the gold medal, and he wore Moritz’s jersey during the victory celebration as a way to include him. “Obviously, he had a tough injury, and he’s trying to get back as fast as possible,” Franz said. “Couldn’t be here, but I think everybody on the team knows that he’s part of the group. It’s part of what we’re building.”
- Greek coach Vassilis Spanoulis was happy to leave with the bronze, which represents the nation’s first international medal in 16 years, according to Michalis Gioulenoglou of Eurohoops. “This medal belongs to all Greeks,” Spanoulis said. “We wanted to bring basketball to the top again. This generation deserved it. Thank you very much, and I hope this medal returns basketball to the golden era.”
- We covered Schröder’s MVP and the naming of the First Five on Sunday, but several other awards were also handed out. FIBA’s EuroBasket website lists Poland’s Jordan Loyd, Turkey’s Cedi Osman, Israel’s Deni Avdija, Finland’s Lauri Markkanen and Serbia’s Nikola Jokic as second-team honorees. In addition, Germany’s Isaac Bonga was named Best Defensive Player, Finland’s Miikka Muurinen received the Rising Star award and Turkey’s Ergin Ataman was recognized as Best Coach. Full standings for all 24 tournament teams have also been released.
Isaac Bonga Can’t Return To NBA This Season
Isaac Bonga played a huge role in helping Germany capture the gold medal at EuroBasket, and his stellar play at both ends of the court has prompted speculation about a possible return to the NBA. However, that can’t happen during the 2025/26 season, according to BasketNews, which relays a report from Serbian outlet Mozzart Sport.
Bonga recently extended his contract with Partizan Belgrade, keeping him with the team until the summer of 2027. The deal includes an NBA exit clause, but it has already expired for this year.
Bonga was an important contributor for the German squad, which posted a 9-0 record at the tournament. He averaged 9.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game and was named the Best Defender at the competition.
The 25-year-old swingman began his NBA career with the Lakers after being selected with the 39th pick in the 2018 draft. After seeing limited playing time during his first season, Bonga was traded to Washington the following summer in the three-team deal that brought Anthony Davis to L.A.
He spent two seasons with the Wizards, starting 49 of the 66 games he played in 2019/20, then signed with Toronto as a free agent in 2021 before returning to Europe the following year.
German teammate Franz Wagner suggested over the weekend that Bonga could still have an NBA future, saying that teams would be interested in an “elite defender” who can hit three-pointers and make plays with the ball. According to Meridian Sport, when Wagner approached him about the idea, Bonga laughed and responded, “That’s something so you have something to talk about.”
EuroBasket Standouts For NBA Teams To Monitor
The 2025 EuroBasket tournament has officially concluded, with Germany taking home the gold medal after defeating Turkey 88-83. Soon, the NBA players involved in the competition will rejoin their teams as they gear up for training camp, while EuroLeague players get ready for the September 30 season tip-off.
While the competition was a great way for teammates like Franz Wagner and Tristan Da Silva of the Magic to further build chemistry and for international stars like Dennis Schröder and Giannis Antetokounmpo to continue to shape their FIBA legacies, it was also a chance for less-heralded players to gain the eye of NBA executives and scouts, write Cyro Asseo and Sam Yip of HoopsHype.
Asseo and Yip break down eight players who proved during competition that they are worth NBA teams’ attention. They start with Isaac Bonga, who was named MVP of the EuroBasket Final after scoring 20 points and making 4-of-4 three-pointers.
Bonga played four seasons in the NBA from 2018-22, and averaged 3.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 13.1 minutes per night. Since leaving the league, the 6’8″ forward has become one of Europe’s premier defenders while shooting over 37% from three each of the last three seasons.
Asseo and Yip referred to him as “by far the best defender in this year’s Eurobasket” and “perhaps the best perimeter defender outside the NBA.” Bonga, who signed an extension with Partizan Belgrade that runs through 2026/27, is only 25 years old.
Next, HoopsHype’s duo turned to Bonga’s German teammate Oscar Da Silva, brother of Tristan, whom they describe as a 6’9″ versatile defender capable of doing the dirty work that NBA teams value. However, Da Silva’s contract with Bayern Munich extends through 2027 and doesn’t contain a buyout clause.
Finnish high school phenom Miika Muurinen was one of the breakout stars of the tournament, catapulting to international acclaim with high-flying dunks and an intriguing shooting stroke. Asseo and Yip write that Muurinen plans to choose a college sometime this winter and that he is expected to be a high-level prospect in the 2027 draft class.
Tyler Dorsey, a strong shooter and capable ball-handler who helped Antetokounmpo lead Greece to the bronze medal, has been in and out of the NBA since 2017, most recently playing three games with the Mavericks during the 2022/23 season. HoopsHype’s writers say they wouldn’t be shocked if the Bucks moved to bring him in alongside the star forward he has already shown he can succeed alongside.
Andreas Obst, Sylvain Francisco, Mikael Jantunen, and Ercan Osmani are names fans may be less familiar with, but all gave good reason for NBA teams to be intrigued if they decide to bring a player in from overseas.
Obst is considered perhaps the best shooter outside of the United States, Asseo and Yip write, as evidenced by his 43.8% three-point mark over his eight games. At only 6’3″, he may struggle with NBA defensive assignments, but could carve out a role as a shooting specialist.
Francisco has flirted with the NBA, but has never been able to make the leap. However, the writers note that the French guard, who went to high school in Florida, has the same agent that represents European NBA players such as Nikola Jovic and Nikola Topic, while also holding a buyout clause for 2026.
Jantunen had a strong performance for Finland, displaying a high-level shooting stroke for a 6’8″ 25-year-old. He shot 44.1% from three and 91.7% from the free throw line while scoring 12 points per game. Jantunen played two years for the Utes in college.
Finally, the seven-foot Osmani displayed a real ability to stretch the floor, knocking down 56.7% of his threes and submnitting a 28-point performance against Greece that saw the Turkish big man hit six shots from beyond the arc.
Germany Defeats Turkey For EuroBasket Gold; Schröder Named MVP
A back-and-forth battle between a pair of 8-0 teams went down to the wire in Sunday’s EuroBasket championship game, with Kings point guard Dennis Schröder helping to secure a gold medal for Germany by scoring the final six points and turning an 83-82 deficit into an 88-83 victory over Turkey.
Schöder (16 points, 12 assists), former NBA wing Isaac Bonga (20 points, 4-of-4 three-pointers), and Magic forward Franz Wagner (18 points, eight rebounds) were the standout performers for Germany, which has won two of the past three major international basketball competitions.
Although the Germans didn’t make the podium at the Paris Olympics last summer, the country is now the defending FIBA World Cup (2023) and EuroBasket (2025) champion and has posted a 21-2 record in those three tournaments, per HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Germany outlasted a Turkish national team that was led by Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28 points), former NBA forward Cedi Osman (23 points, 6-of-9 on three-pointers), former NBA guard Shane Larkin (13 points, nine assists, six rebounds), and Sixers big man Adem Bona (12 points, 5-of-5 shooting).
While they weren’t able to claim their first EuroBasket championship, Turkey matched their best-ever result by taking silver. The Turkish team lost to Yugoslavia in the 2001 final, which was the only other time the country made the championship game.
Schröder was named the EuroBasket Most Valuable Player after leading the Germans to their first title in the event since 1993. He scored at least 16 points in all nine games, averaging 20.3 points and 7.2 assists per contest.
The 2025 EuroBasket All-Star Five was made up entirely of NBA players, with Lakers guard Luka Doncic (Slovenia) and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) joining Schröder, Wagner, and Sengun (Twitter link).
Antetokounmpo and the Greek national team beat Finland in the third-place game earlier on Sunday.
EuroBasket Notes: Championship Game, Bonga, Pesic, Rules Changes
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.
Germany Into EuroBasket Final With Win Over Finland
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.
Turkey, Germany Advance To EuroBasket Quarterfinals
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.