Sandro Mamukelashvili

Markkanen, Finland Advance To EuroBasket Semifinals

The Finnish national team will compete in the EuroBasket semifinals for the first time in the history of the competition after defeating Georgia by a score of 93-79 in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Finland, which unexpectedly knocked off Serbia in the round of 16, is led by Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, the only current or former NBA player on the roster. Markkanen was a key contributor on Wednesday, registering 17 points, six rebounds, and a pair of assists in 27 minutes of action, though it was Fenerbahce forward Mikael Jantunen who led the team in scoring against Georgia with 19 points.

The Finnish team made the quarterfinals at EuroBasket 2022 and lost to Spain, the eventual champions. However, that was the first time the country had advanced as far as the quarterfinals in a EuroBasket tournament since 1967 — Finland hosted that year’s competition and finished sixth.

Greece will take on Turkey on one side of the bracket on Friday, while Finland will face the winner of today’s Slovenia/Germany game in the other semifinal. No matter what happens on Friday, it will be the best EuroBasket result ever for Finland.

It was also the best EuroBasket finish ever for Georgia, which participated in the quarterfinals for the first time. The team came up short on Wednesday despite strong efforts from Raptors big man Sandro Mamukelashvili (22 points), former NBA forward Tornike Shengelia (18 points, five assists), and Magic center Goga Bitadze (14 points, six rebounds).

Bitadze was ejected from the game due to an unsportsmanlike foul with 6:55 left in the fourth quarter, notes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter), while Shengelia was ejected a few minutes later after being charged with unsportsmanlike and technical fouls.

Georgia Surprises France, Poland Ousts Bosnia At EuroBasket

Sunday produced another shocking upset at EuroBasket, as Georgia defeated France to reach the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time ever, writes Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops.

Kamar Baldwin and Tornike Shengelia each scored 24 points and Shengelia added eight rebounds in the 80-70 victory. Orlando center Goga Bitadze also chipped in eight points. The French team got 14 points from Sylvain Francisco and 12 from Guerschon Yabusele.

“We said from the pregame meeting that we are playing to win,” Shengelia said. “We are happy to be here, but we are not satisfied.”

Next up for Georgia is a meeting on Wednesday with Finland, who took down Serbia on Saturday. Loaded with NBA talent, the French and Serbian teams were expected to be top contenders for the gold medal.

“We missed sometimes some easy shots,” French coach Frederic Fauthoux said after watching his team shoot 35% from the field, “so this is basketball.”

France was undersized with Vincent Poirier having to withdraw just before the start of the tournament due to right knee issues and Victor WembanyamaMathias Lessort and Rudy Gobert also unavailable. However, Georgia’s Sandro Mamukelashvili told reporters after the game that it wouldn’t have mattered if France was at full strength, per Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews.

I wish them nothing but the best, but right now I can text Victor Wembanyama and tell him we just beat France,” the former Spurs center said, “and it’s too bad he was not here because we would beat them with him too.”

Poland kicked off Sunday’s elimination games with a 90-82 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milanti adds in a separate story. Former NBA guard Jordan Loyd led the way with 28 points, and Mateusz Ponitka contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Poland will face unbeaten Turkey on Tuesday in a quarterfinals matchup.

Knockout Round Set For EuroBasket; Spain Fails To Qualify

Led by a double-double from Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (15 points, 12 rebounds), Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Georgia by a score of 84-76 on Thursday morning to become the 15th team to qualify for the EuroBasket knockout round, as Michalis Gioulenoglou of Eurohoops writes.

Raptors big man Sandro Mamukelashvili finished with a game-high 20 points for Georgia.

Despite the loss, Georgia became the 16th and final team to qualify for the round of 16 later in the day after Spain fell to Greece, FIBA announced (via Twitter). Led by Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had a team-high 25 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists, Greece eked out a 90-86 victory to claim the top spot in Group C.

Spain and Georgia finished with identical 2-3 records in Group C and Spain had a far better point differential (+43 vs. -19), but the Georgians defeated the Spaniards in their head-to-head matchup, earning the tiebreaker.

It’s a disappointing exit for the defending champions — the Spanish national team has been a perennial powerhouse in both European and international competitions, having won four of the previous six EuroBasket tournaments, including the most recent one in 2022. According to Armando Caporaso of Sportando (Twitter link), it has been nearly 50 years since Spain failed to advance past the first stage of the tournament (1977).

The matchups and the full bracket for the EuroBasket’s single-elimination round of 16 have now been set. The breakdown is as follows:

  • First quarter of bracket:
    • Lithuania (B2) vs. Latvia (A3)
    • Greece (C1) vs. Israel (D4)
  • Second quarter:
    • Turkey (A1) vs. Sweden (B4)
    • Poland (D2) vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (C3)
  • Third quarter:
    • Germany (B1) vs. Portugal (A4)
    • Italy (C2) vs. Slovenia (D3)
  • Fourth quarter:
    • Serbia (A2) vs. Finland (B3)
    • France (D1) vs. Georgia (C4)

The win-or-go-home games involving teams from Groups A and B will take place on Saturday, while the teams in Groups C and D will square off on Sunday. The full schedule for the weekend, including tip-off times, can be viewed here.

The quarterfinals in the top half of the bracket will be played next Tuesday, followed by the quarterfinals from the bottom half of the bracket on Wednesday. The teams that come out of the first and second quarters will face one another in one of the semifinals next Friday, while the winners of the third and fourth quarters will face off in the other semifinal on the same day. The final will be played on Sunday, September 14.

FIBA has also confirmed the final placement of the teams eliminated prior to the round of 16. Those teams, who were classified based on their group position, overall record, and point differential, were ranked as follows:

  1. Spain (2-3 record, +43 point differential)
  2. Belgium (2-3, -40)
  3. Estonia (1-4, -45)
  4. Montenegro (1-4, -77)
  5. Great Britain (1-4, -130)
  6. Iceland (0-5, -76)
  7. Czechia (0-5, -96)
  8. Cyprus (0-5, -165)

While Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (Spain), Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (Montenegro), and Hawks guard Vit Krejci (Czechia) have been eliminated from the tournament and Wizards center Alex Sarr (France) and Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) have been ruled out due to injuries, the remaining 23 active NBA players in the tournament should all be in action this weekend.


Luke Adams contributed to this story.

28 Current NBA Players Competing In FIBA EuroBasket 2025

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

Raptors Notes: Webster, Pritchard, Roster Moves, Rotation

The Raptors announced on Monday that they’ve decided not to fill the president role formerly held by Masai Ujiri, with Bobby Webster hanging onto his title of general manager as he takes over as the team’s permanent head of basketball operations. That’s fine with Webster, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays.

“On the title, what’s the best way to put it? The title, to me, probably isn’t as important as the responsibilities,” Webster said. “I’m really thankful for this opportunity. I’ll make the most of it and that (not getting the president title) is not something that concerns me.”

While Webster seems unfazed by not being named the Raptors’ president, he’s still expected to have a chance to earn a promotion to that position based on how he handles his new responsibilities, Grange adds.

“This is his chance,” a source close to the hiring process told Sportsnet. “Show (us) he’s the president. It’s a process. It’s all about the rebuild, it’s all about the strategy going forward. Can Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes become an incredible duo? How do you manage the tax situation we’re currently in?

“At the end of the day, it will be about Bobby making the right decisions moving forward. He’s (40 years old) and he’s got every quality that you want representing your organization. Now, it comes down to wins and losses, building the reputation of the brand and dealing with the salary cap.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

  • Grange hears from sources that Toronto formally interviewed Pacers president Kevin Pritchard, former Kings general manager Monte McNair, and former Raptors coach Dwane Casey for its president role, while Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports that Pacers GM Chad Buchanan and Bulls GM Marc Eversley also interviewed for the job. Pritchard was believed to be the candidate that intrigued the Raptors the most, but “prying him away from the Pacers proved difficult,” Grange writes.
  • While Webster believes the roster the Raptors have put together is ready to “make the next step” in 2025/26, there’s skepticism around the NBA about some of the moves the team has made in recent years. According to Grange, one Eastern Conference executive questioned the team’s investments in Immanuel Quickley (five years, $162.5MM), Ingram (three years, $120MM), and Jakob Poeltl (three years, $84MM): “I know sometimes you have to pay a premium for players in Canada, but that much?” Another rival executive, per Grange, suggested there’s an excess of wings on the roster and a lack of depth at point guard and center. “They have a lot of nice pieces,” that executive said. “It’s just not clear how they all fit.”
  • Some of the executives who interviewed for the Raptors’ president job were among those questioning the club’s recent personnel decisions, according to Lewenberg, who says one of those external candidates referred to the Ingram trade as a “desperate Hail Mary.”
  • Eric Koreen of The Athletic previews what the Raptors’ rotation might look like this fall, projecting Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jamal Shead, and Collin Murray-Boyles to be the top options off the bench behind a starting lineup of Barnes, Ingram, Quickley, Poeltl, and RJ Barrett.

Raptors Notes: Ingram, Walter, Mamukelashvili, More

Raptors forward Brandon Ingram has been cleared for contact, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports reports (via Twitter). This marks a major step in Ingram’s rehab process as he continues to work his way back from an ankle injury that prevented him from playing for Toronto after the team traded for him at the 2024 trade deadline.

Lewenberg writes that Ingram has been participating in individual workouts with the Raptors during the offseason and will start scrimmaging in the next few days. Head coach Darko Rajakovic seems optimistic about the versatile wing’s return.

He’s pain-free, he’s moving well, he got stronger. He’s in a really, really great spot,” Rajakovic said.

The Raptors traded a pair of rotation players along with a first-round draft pick and a second-round pick to acquire Ingram, who will be counted on to help them take the next step toward sustained competitiveness.

We have more on the Raptors:

  • Ja’Kobe Walter, the 19th pick in the 2024 draft, is coming into his sophomore season with 12 more pounds of muscle and a readiness to gain some momentum in Summer League, Lewenberg writes for TSN.ca. Walter was beset by injuries as a rookie that made it difficult to get his feet under him until near the end of the season, when things started to click. “That was my first time ever being injured and I got injured plenty of times last year,” Walter said. “It was definitely tough for me, but I learned that I love basketball.” While the Raptors’ starting five appears set, there’s a need for versatile wing contributors off the bench who can mesh with the starters, and a strong summer would go a long way toward cementing Walter’s place in that pecking order.
  • Sandro Mamukelashvili spoke on Friday about why he chose to join the Raptors and how the international connection matters to him. “Coach Darko is a European coach, understands European style of play,” Mamukelashvili said (Twitter link via Lewenberg). “A lot of young guys who want to get better, get to the next level together. Nothing better than to be part of something like that.” The 6’11” big man also talked about the journeyman start to his career and his search for a more permanent home. “I really want to prove that I’m a rotational piece, that I can be in the NBA for 10 years and leave my mark somewhere,” he said (Twitter link). The four-year veteran spent 65 games with the Bucks before playing the next two-and-a-half seasons with the Spurs. In 2024/25, he averaged 6.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 11.2 minutes per game, while shooting 37.3% from three.
  • Rajakovic spoke on Thursday about the Raptors’ decision to fire former team president Masai Ujiri. “He brought a lot of success to the organization, but like a lot of things in life, those kinds of situations happen,” he said, per Lewenberg (via Twitter). “We’re going to miss him, but we’re very well equipped to continue moving forward.” Toronto has yet to replace Ujiri, but is expected to look at both internal and external candidates to find a new president.
  • Summer League wins might not count in the regular season standings, but that won’t stop the Raptors’ Summer League squad from gunning for the championship in Las Vegas, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. With a large portion of the roster made up of players hoping to be members of the regular season rotation, including Walter, Jamal Shead, Jonathan Mogbo, and recent No. 9 overall pick Collin Murray-Boyles, the team recognizes its chance to develop chemistry and prove itself in the eyes of the team’s higher-ups. “We want to be the team that everybody thinks we should. I think, going into the summer league, we’re all excited to play. We’re all hungry,” Shead said after hosting a four-day training camp at his former high school in Austin, Texas.

Raptors Sign Sandro Mamukelashvili

July 3: The Raptors have officially signed Mamukelashvili, per NBA.com’s transaction log. Since non-minimum contracts can’t be signed during the July moratorium, we now have confirmation that the big man will be on a minimum deal.


July 1: The Raptors have made a deal to fortify their frontcourt, agreeing to terms with free agent forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili on a two-year contract worth $5.5MM, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The deal will include a second-year player option, Charania adds. It will likely be a minimum-salary contract that’s being rounded up from about $5.26MM.

Mamukelashvili, 26, has spent the past two-and-a-half seasons in San Antonio after a stint with the Bucks earlier in his NBA career. He has been productive with the Spurs but has played limited minutes, including in 2024/25, when he made 61 appearances but averaged just 11.2 minutes per night. He put up 6.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in that role off the bench.

Mamukelashvili’s most memorable night came on March 19 when he went off for 34 points and nine rebounds in just 19 minutes of action against New York. He made 13-of-14 shots from the floor, including all seven of his three-pointers.

The Raptors had been in the market for a frontcourt addition with Chris Boucher in free agency. Mamukelashvili figures to vie for minutes behind starting center Jakob Poeltl.

Spurs Notes: Popovich, Johnson, Offseason Outlook, Fox, Paul

A few days after the Spurs announced Gregg Popovich would permanently vacate the head coaching job and move to the front office, he made a surprise appearance at a press conference for his replacement, Mitch Johnson, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports.

Popovich, who suffered a stroke in November, explained why the move was necessary.

“Things are getting better by the day but it’s not good enough for what we plan ahead, and so it’s time to make this change,” he said.

The press conference at the practice facility was his first public appearance since the health crisis. Popovich, who retains his title of president of basketball operations, was pleased to be able to remove Johnson’s interim tag.

“We saw him in action and he was brilliant. … I couldn’t be more thrilled for him,” he said.

Here’s more on the Spurs:

  • Johnson said the franchise has brighter days ahead. Spurs first-rounders Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle have won the last two Rookie of the Year awards. “We have a hold on the direction and want to build upon something,” Johnson said, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “This is not a reboot or restart. It’s a new chapter because it looks different, but the theme of the book isn’t changing.”
  • Johnson credited Popovich for teaching him the coaching ropes, including attention to detail, competitiveness and player development. “You understand the moment and how important every single moment is. And no moment is like any other,” Johnson said. “The discipline you have to be grounded and present, giving yourself to every moment is what I will never forget. And at this moment, I would like to say thank you.”
  • The Spurs possess two first-rounders in this year’s draft with a chance to move up with both picks in the lottery, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes. San Antonio has 10 players under contract for next season and even though it pulled off the De’Aaron Fox blockbuster during the season, it is well-positioned to make another big move this summer. Fox is eligible for a four-year, $229MM max extension this summer.
  • The Spurs could be in the market for a free agent shooter and need to sort out their point guard situation, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith notes in his offseason preview. Chris Paul is headed back to free agency and his future with the franchise is uncertain, Smith writes, identifying Sandro Mamukelashvili as the most likely to return among the team’s free agents.

Spurs’ Mamukelashvili Makes NBA History In Career Night

Spurs big man Sandro Mamukelashvili put on a show in Wednesday’s victory over New York, setting an NBA record by scoring the most points in a game when playing fewer than 20 minutes, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com.

In 19 minutes and 26 seconds of action, which came exclusively in the second and fourth quarters, Mamukelashvili scored a career-best 34 points while chipping in nine rebounds and three assists. His efficiency was absolutely remarkable — he was 13-of-14 from the floor, including 7-of-7 from three-point range, and made his only free throw.

I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” Mamukelashvili said. “I just can’t explain how I feel right now. I feel like I’m in a dream. I manifested and prayed for it. I just waited for this day. I really had an out-of-body experience for a little bit there. I was like, ‘Is this really happening?’

According to Wright, Mamukelashvili became just the fourth player in league history to convert at least 90% of his field goal attempts while making all of his threes and free throws, joining Tyrese Haliburton, Gary Payton and Charles Barkley.

While the 25-year-old forward/center had scored in double figures in each of the three games preceding Wednesday’s eruption, his season-high entering the game was 14 points. That’s partly due to opportunity, or lack thereof — he had only been averaging 8.9 minutes per contest (now 9.1).

It would be ridiculous to say that was expected in 19 minutes and 26 seconds of opportunity,” acting head coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s a really good shooter, and you’re just waiting for him to have one of those games. I think that probably exceeded some of the thought of having one of those games. But he comes to work every day. He’s the most consistent person, especially when you talk about the role that he has. That’s why you can hear a little bit of the guys [in the locker room] and their feeling for him.”

A former second-round pick (54th overall in 2021), Mamukelashvili has signed one-year, minimum-salary contracts with San Antonio each of the past two offseasons. The 25-year-old’s career night came at a great time, as he flew in his father to watch the game with other family members, Wright notes. Mamukelashvili will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

I’m trying to get better. I’m trying to establish myself,” Mamukelashvili said. “I’m trying to show everybody that I belong. I’ll just keep taking strides towards that. I’m just so happy I have a support team behind me: my girl, my friends, my teammates, my family. Once it sinks in, you’re kind of like, ‘OK, I really worked for this and it’s happening.’ It was an unbelievable feeling.”

Southwest Notes: Mamukelashvili, Spurs, Washington, Edey

After initially tendering Sandro Mamukelashvili a qualifying offer in June to make him a restricted free agent, the Spurs renounced the big man’s rights in July in order to maximize their cap room. While Mamukelashvili wasn’t sure at that point what his future held, he tells Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) that his “heart loves San Antonio” and that he was glad to end up re-signing with the Spurs on a one-year, minimum-salary contract.

“You always want to be bought into something special and be a part of something special,” Mamukelashvili said. “With Victor (Wembanyama) being here and adding a couple veterans and some great young guys, it’s something you want to be a part of. It’s constant growth. Nobody’s just sitting laid back. Everybody comes to the gym and works hard. You want to be part of that.”

It’s the second straight summer that Mamukelashvili has re-signed with the Spurs on a one-year deal. He admitted to McDonald that he wasn’t quite as stressed out during his most recent foray into free agency, in part because teams besides the Spurs expressed interest in him.

“My first free agency, if you saw me you would have thought I was a dead man walking,” Mamukelashvili said. “I was not sleeping. I’m on Twitter like, ‘What’s going on? Just give me a minimum deal, you know?'”

Mamukelashvili didn’t play a ton in his first full season in San Antonio in 2023/24, averaging 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game across 46 appearances (five starts). The 25-year-old’s playing time is unlikely to increase substantially in his fourth season, but he’s OK with the idea of accepting a modest role.

“A guy in my situation, just one more year in the league is already a celebration,” he said.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • The Spurs announced on Tuesday in a press release that they’ve hired Mike Noyes as an assistant coach and director of player development while also promoting Josh Larson to general manager of the Austin Spurs and former NBA big man Gorgui Dieng to Austin’s assistant GM. Noyes has spent the past six seasons with the Grizzlies, most recently as a player development coach. Larson has been in the Spurs organization since 2019, while Dieng was hired in 2023 following his retirement as a player.
  • Speaking at a youth basketball camp in Dallas over the weekend, veteran forward P.J. Washington said he believes the Mavericks are capable of winning a title after their offseason moves and discussed the areas of his own game that he’s working on improving, as Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News relays. “My ball-handling, being able to rebound the ball and just push and be another outlet,” Washington said. “Being able to shoot off the dribble. Pretty much everything. Working on finishing through contact. Just trying to be a better three-level scorer and trying to be a better play-maker.”
  • Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal explores what Grizzlies fans should realistically expect from rookie center Zach Edey, who will likely be asked to play a significant role in his first NBA season.