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Tre Donaldson

Summer League Notes: Heat, Slawson, Celtics, Clifford

By | at July 19, 2026 9:00 pm

The Heat are generally considered one of the best teams at unearthing and developing young talent. With a suddenly very expensive roster, the need to find hidden gems has become more important than ever. Luckily, they came away quite impressed with their second-round pick from the 2026 draft, Ryan Conwell, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

Conwell played in four total Summer League games between the California Classic and Las Vegas and showed his unwavering confidence as a shooter, attempting 36 threes in that time, though he only hit 11 of them. It wasn’t just his shooting that impressed Summer League coach Wayne Ellington, though.

“Defensively, he competes his butt off,” Ellington said. “And then, obviously, offensively he’s a force and he makes tough shots. He makes plays for others. He has a very strong offensive game and it’s only going to continue to grow.”

Trevor Keels and Jahmir Young, two unrestricted free agent guards, both had strong performances and remain eligible for two-way contracts, while Vladislav Goldin and Tre Donaldson were able to secure two-way deals this offseason.

Meanwhile, undrafted wing Tre White was one of the standouts on Miami’s roster, averaging 17.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in Las Vegas while hitting 40% of his threes. Chiang notes that he could be a candidate for a two-way or Exhibit 10 contract.

“He’s got all the intangibles,” Ellington said of White. “He’s got size. He’s got the shooting ability. He’s got the IQ. So, he’s a guy that is going to continue to get better. He showed some flashes as well during the summer league, and I look forward to seeing what he can do in the future.”

We have more from around Summer League:

  • Two-way restricted free agent Jalen Slawson had an eventful Summer League for the Pacers, leading the team in both points (20.8) and blocks (3.2) per game, despite hitting just 29.0% of his threes. His penultimate game provided the full Slawson experience, Dustin Dopirak writes for the Indianapolis Star, with big mistakes and even bigger recoveries. In his final game, he finished with 22 points and four blocks and continued to show the outline of an NBA rotation wing, according to Akeem Glaspie of the Star. The highs he shows will make it hard for the Pacers to part with him, despite some glaring weaknesses as well.
  • The Celtics came into the summer festivities with four featured players: Hugo Gonzalez, Chris Cenac Jr., Dillon Mitchell, and Amari Williams. The former three clearly improved their stock, while Williams’ stayed relatively stable, Souichi Terada writes for MassLive. Meanwhile, John Tonje, who spent most of last season on a two-way contract, played well enough to at least be in the conversation for a coveted two-way spot for next year.
  • Nique Clifford didn’t have eye-popping stats for the Kings this summer, but he worked on improving as a leader for the less experienced players on the roster, he said to Sean Cunningham of KCRA News (Twitter video link). “I would say just more assertiveness, being aggressive, not questioning plays,” he said of what the Kings were looking for from him this year as compared to last year. “If I see something, go make the play… [last year] you could mess up a little more, this year being a little sharper.” He also talked about the need to be more aggressive defensively rather than being on his heels and letting opponents attack.
9 comments Boston Celtics Indiana Pacers Miami Heat Sacramento Kings

Heat Notes: Fontecchio, Donaldson, Conwell, Hardaway

By | at July 4, 2026 3:22 pm

During a Zoom call with reporters on Friday, forward Simone Fontecchio explained his decision to re-sign with the Heat, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The 30-year-old Italian earned about $8.3MM last season, but returned to Miami on a one-year, minimum-salary deal.

“I always wanted to stay in Miami,” Fontecchio said. “Last week, they said, ‘Listen we don’t have much room to operate.’ [But] my thought process was I want to stay here. I want to put some continuity to what I was doing here. There is a real big opportunity for the Heat with the Giannis (Antetokounmpo) trade and what it’s going to mean for the franchise and city.”

Fontecchio, who played professionally in Europe until he came to the NBA in 2022, said he spoke to head coach Erik Spoelstra before he agreed to re-sign with the team.

“I wanted to talk to him directly,” Fontecchio said. “We had a great conversation. I wanted to ask him a couple things. It wasn’t like he had to convince me. I was pretty much convinced. Hearing his voice, hearing his thought process and wanting me to stay helped me.”

Fontecchio, who averaged 8.5 points per game while shooting 37.5% from three-point range last season, also expressed excitement about playing with Antetokounmpo and said he’s looking forward to seeing an imposing defensive frontline featuring the Greek superstar and six-time All-Defensive member Bam Adebayo, Jackson notes.

Here’s more from Miami:

  • Former University of Miami star Tre Donaldson recently signed a two-way contract with the Heat after going undrafted last month. The 6’2″ point guard explained his thought process on Thursday, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “The Heat culture, I feel like, is the biggest thing. And I like to win, and they do a lot of that,” Donaldson said. “So just trying to be a part of that, trying to develop, understanding what I need to do for myself and my future. And just trying to get better. They do that really well and that’s what I was looking forward to.”
  • Second-round pick Ryan Conwell struggled with his shot early in his summer league debut at the California Classic, but he maintained a confident approach and finished with 21 points, three rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes, notes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I spent so many hours in the gym and I have teammates and coaches that believe in me, so it’s no need to drop my head on one missed shot, and especially in the first half,” said Conwell, who signed a three-year standard deal with Miami after being selected 37th overall. “I feel like I got some really good looks and they just didn’t go in. But I just control what I control and continue just to bring a joy to the team. So, yeah, that’s who I am and that’s who I’m going to try to be to the best of my ability.”
  • Veteran wing Tim Hardaway Jr. won’t be able to wear No. 10 in 2026/27, as his father’s jersey hangs in the rafters of the Kaseya Center. “My legacy is my legacy. Even though he likes to wear No. 10, that is not coming down from the rafters,” Tim Hardaway Sr. said on WQAM radio in Miami (story via Tobias Bass of The Athletic). The younger Hardaway, who shot a career-high 40.7% from beyond the arc with Denver last season, agreed to a one-year, $6.5MM deal to play for his hometown team.
25 comments Miami Heat

Tre Donaldson Signs Two-Way Deal With Heat

By | at June 24, 2026 9:54 pm

July 3: Donaldson has officially signed his two-way contract with the Heat, the team announced in a press release.

June 24: The Heat have agreed to a two-way deal with undrafted guard Tre Donaldson, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).

Donaldson played his senior year at Miami after transferring from Michigan, where he played as a junior. He made an offensive leap this past season, increasing his scoring to 16.4 points per game while also contributing 5.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest while hitting 35.9% of his threes. He earned a spot on the All-ACC second team.

The 6’2″ guard spent his first two college seasons with Auburn and is a career 37.7% three-point shooter on over 400 career attempts. He’s a strong athlete with decent length who can finish above the rim, despite his height.

He ranked 71st on Jeremy Woo’s final big board for ESPN and 82nd on Sam Vecenie’s draft guide for The Athletic.

The signing can’t become official until July 1, when the new league year begins. Vladislav Goldin and Trevor Keels, the two players who finished the season on two-way contracts with the Heat, are headed to free agency.

2 comments Miami Heat Transactions

10 Prospects In Green Room For NBA Draft’s Second Round

By | at June 24, 2026 3:58 pm

After 23 of the 24 prospects who were invited to the green room for the first round of the 2026 NBA draft were selected on Tuesday, at least 10 new prospects will be in the green room on Wednesday for the second round, per the league.

As Ian Begley of SNY.tv relays (via Twitter), the following 10 players will be present in the green room at Barclays Center:

It’s possible one or more players will be added to this list before the draft resumes this evening, and there may be other draft-eligible prospects attending the event in the stands. One notable name missing is Duke’s Isaiah Evans, who was in the building on Tuesday but became the only player invited to the green room for the first round who wasn’t selected on day one of the draft. He’s expected to be picked relatively early on day two.

[RELATED: Knicks, Grizzlies Fielding Offers For Early Second-Round Picks]

Interestingly, these 10 players are far from the consensus next-best players available. While some prospects, including Kayil, Miller, and Thomas, fall into that group, others – like Amini and Atwell – barely ranked within the top 100 on ESPN’s pre-draft big board.

However, the second round is typically less predictable than the first round, with teams’ decisions sometimes hinging on what sort of contract a player is willing to accept. A prospect who is willing to take a two-way contract offer might have a better chance of being drafted in the mid-to-late second round than one seeking guaranteed money and a 15-man roster spot. Certain clubs may also be targeting players who are willing to play overseas for a year or two before getting an NBA opportunity.

Hopefully all 10 of the prospects listed above will hear their names called on Wednesday night and no one is still left in the green room when the draft concludes.

5 comments 2026 NBA Draft

Pacific Notes: James, Hayes, Warriors, Kings

By | at June 16, 2026 6:02 pm

Much of the Lakers‘ offseason outlook will revolve around LeBron James‘s decision about his future. One of the crucial questions facing both parties is how much James is looking to earn on his next contract, Dan Woike writes for The Athletic. James showed he could be a very impactful third option playing off of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves this season, and he stepped up as the team’s leader in the playoffs with Doncic hurt.

It’s unclear how much he’d command around the league though, according to Woike. With the Lakers looking to move from the James era into the Doncic era, they will have to be careful with how they allocate their money, especially given that James, Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Marcus Smart make up some of the top names in this year’s free agency class.

It may be best for the Lakers to be aggressive between now and the start of free agency on June 30, which would allow them to use James’ Bird rights to re-sign him to a deal that pays him commensurate value to his worth while also making some much-needed additions, Woike writes.

We have more from around the Pacific Division:

  • Jaxson Hayes has officially been granted Slovenian citizenship and a passport as he prepares to join his Lakers teammate, Doncic, on the Slovenian national team, Marc Stein notes (via Twitter). This plan has been in the works since last October and will set Doncic up to throw lobs to a familiar big man in international play.
  • The Warriors hosted six players for pre-draft workouts on Monday, the team announced (Twitter link): Nick Martinelli (Northwestern), Jaylin Sellers (Providence), Devin Askew (Villanova), Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan), Chris Cenac Jr. (Houston), and Chaze Harris (South Alabama). Golden State owns picks No. 11 and 54 in this year’s draft. Johnson is the top-rated prospect among the group, landing 14th on Jeremy Woo’s ESPN big board, and he was happy with how the workout went, Monte Poole writes for NBC Sports Bay Area. A versatile and physical defender with some shooting ability, Johnson could fit well into the Warriors’ identity. “I think that I bring some physicality, versatility on the defensive end and a connector offensively,” Johnson said. “Just trying to help everybody get to their spots, not try to force anything, being a great teammate.” Cenac is an intriguing young forward, though he still has plenty of growth to do to unlock his potential. He’s unlikely to be in the mix at No. 11, but it’s possible the Warriors could try to find a way to trade back into the first round, Dalton Johnson writes for NBC Sports Bay Area.
  • The Kings will host a six-player workout on Wednesday, Jason Anderson reports for the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). The players invited are Milos Uzan (Houston), Tre Donaldson (Miami), Corey Camper (Nevada), Aaron Nkrumah (Tennessee State), Micah Handlogten (Florida), and Graham Ike (Gonzaga). Among those six players, Uzan is the highest-rated prospect on Woo’s big board at No. 58.
13 comments 2026 NBA Draft Golden State Warriors International Los Angeles Lakers Sacramento Kings

Draft Notes: Brown, Jazz, Mitchell, Warriors, Kings, Timberwolves

By | at May 26, 2026 9:50 pm

Projected lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. will work out this week for the Jazz, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports tweets. Brown told O’Connor he’s been fully cleared from the back injury he suffered while playing for Louisville. Brown averaged 18.2 points and 4.7 assists in 21 games.

The Jazz hold the No. 2 overall pick, so the visit may be about the team taking the opportunity to get familiar with as many of this year’s top prospects as possible — or performing due diligence in case of a trade down. ESPN has Brown ranked at No. 9 on its big board.

Here’s more draft news:

  • St. John’s forward Dillon Mitchell is among the players the Warriors will evaluate on Wednesday, according to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com (Twitter link). Miami guard Tre Donaldson and Vanderbilt forward Tyler Nickel are also visited Golden State on Wednesday, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson tweets. That trio will be looking to move into the second-round conversation. The Warriors hold the 54th overall selection.
  • The Kings‘ staff will take a look at Dominique Daniels (Cal Baptist), Kylan Boswell (Illinois), Elias Ralph (Pacific), Trevon Brazile (Arkansas), Baba Miller (Cincinnati), and Chauncey Wiggins (Florida State) on Wednesday, Sean Cunningham of KCRA tweets. Miller (No. 45) and Brazile (No. 48) are the highest-ranked prospects among that group. Sacramento holds two second-rounders at 34 and 45.
  • Ebuka Okorie, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Jaden Bradley, Nickel and Sam Hoiberg visited the Timberwolves on Friday, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. Okorie (Stanford) and Bradley (Arizona) are each among the top 50 prospects by ESPN, with Okorie at No. 26 and Bradley ranked No. 46.
5 comments 2026 NBA Draft Golden State Warriors Minnesota Timberwolves Sacramento Kings Utah Jazz

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Towns, Bridges, Pre-Draft Workout

By | at May 23, 2026 8:23 pm

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson announced Saturday that he’ll be staying away from social media due to concerns about his mental health, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Robinson informed his followers on Snapchat a few hours before the start of Game 3.

“I’m deleting all apps for a little while until I can get back to myself,” he wrote. “I had a very upsetting experience a few days ago. I’m not gonna go into detail about it, just gonna focus on the playoffs and myself. I know some of you have called and texted and it popped up green. That’s because I got a new [phone] number. My mental health is not the best right now but I am fighting to get back on track while playing on the biggest stage in the world in the Eastern Conference finals.” 

Schwartz states that Robinson went public regarding his mental health issues after being ejected from Game 6 of the first-round series against Atlanta for fighting with Dyson Daniels. Robinson posted on Facebook that he was “just lost in the world at the moment,” and he sent out another Facebook message on Thursday saying he would be deleting all his social media accounts.

“Last post before I delete this app,” Robinson wrote. “I finally have changed my number for many reason [sic]…as I fight through and keep fighting in this playoffs run my focus have to go to another level. This is the start of a new chapter in my life. Love and will miss y’all…. Mitch out.” 

There’s more on the Knicks:

  • LeBron James has been impressed by New York’s recent run of playoff dominance, Schwartz adds in another story. Speaking on his Mind the Game podcast (Twitter link), the Lakers star raved about the Knicks’ newfound versatility on offense. “The defense can’t just key on a couple of actions anymore. I thought over the last couple of years with New York, you kind of got a good rhythm of how they were gonna play. The ball was gonna end up in a certain way every single time,” James said, referring to heavy reliance on Jalen Brunson isolations and pick-and rolls. James explained that running the offense through Karl-Anthony Towns has opened up opportunities for everyone on the court.
  • Cleveland has adjusted to limit the effectiveness of Towns’ passing, but the Knicks have found other ways to win and that versatility could lead to a championship, Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News suggests in a subscriber-only story. Brunson carried the scoring load with 38 points in Game 1, and Josh Hart launched a three-point barrage in Game 2. “That’s the blessing of our group,” Towns said after Saturday’s shootaround. “We have multiple ways and systems that we can utilize to help us get the win. I’ve been happy because we’ve continued to win.”
  • Prior to Game 3, coach Mike Brown talked to reporters about Mikal Bridges‘ value, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). “It starts with (owner) Mr. (James) Dolan because he’s willing to spend money,” Brown said. “… From there you talk about (team president) Leon Rose and his group, they identified Mikal as a two-way player and they went and got him.” 
  • Miami’s Tre Donaldson is the latest draft prospect to work out for the Knicks, Begley adds (Twitter link). The senior guard averaged 16.4 points and 5.7 assists per game for the Hurricanes this season.
20 comments New York Knicks

44 Prospects Invited To 2026 G League Combine

By | at May 1, 2026 3:26 pm

Earlier today, the NBA revealed the 73 prospects that have been invited to the draft combine in Chicago later this month. That group of players will be joined by a small group of standouts from the G League combine, which takes place from May 8-10 in the days leading up to the main event.

While the league typically doesn’t formally announce which prospect receive invites to the G League combine, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link) has the details, reporting that the following 44 players make up the list of invitees:

  1. Michael Ajayi, F, Butler (senior)
  2. Alijah Arenas, G, USC (freshman)
  3. Donovan Atwell, G/F, Texas Tech (senior)
  4. Nathan Bittle, C, Oregon (senior)
  5. Elliot Cadeau, G, Michigan (junior)
  6. Rafael Castro, F/C, George Washington (senior)
  7. Zach Cleveland, F, Liberty (senior)
  8. Jacob Cofie, F, USC (sophomore)
  9. MJ Collins, G, Utah State (senior)
  10. Quadir Copeland, G, North Carolina State (senior)
  11. Melvin Council, G, Kansas (senior)
  12. Tucker DeVries, G/F, Indiana (senior)
  13. Tre Donaldson, G, Miami (senior)
  14. Reynan Dos Santos, G, Mexico City Capitanes (born 2004)
  15. Malique Ewin, F/C, Arkansas (senior)
  16. Jamal Fuller, G/F, Long Island (senior)
  17. Isiah Harwell, G, Houston (freshman)
  18. Jaden Henley, G/F, Grand Canyon (senior)
  19. Bryce Hopkins, G/F, St. John’s (senior)
  20. Graham Ike, F, Gonzaga (senior)
  21. Kasen Jennings, G, Appalachian State (senior)
  22. Trey Kaufman-Renn, F, Purdue (senior)
  23. Keba Keita, C, BYU (senior)
  24. Kobe Knox, G/F, South Carolina (senior)
  25. Xaivian Lee, G, Florida (senior)
  26. Malique Lewis, F, Australia (born 2004)
  27. Tamin Lipsey, G, Iowa State (senior)
  28. Fletcher Loyer, G, Purdue (senior)
  29. Aidan Mahaney, G, Santa Barbara (senior)
  30. Robert McCray, G, Florida State (senior)
  31. Kevin (Boopie) Miller, G, SMU (senior)
  32. Mark Mitchell, F, Missouri (senior)
  33. Paulius Murauskas, F, Saint Mary’s (junior)
  34. Jaron Pierre, G, SMU (senior)
  35. Kowacie Reeves, G/F, Georgia Tech (senior)
  36. Jaylin Sellers, G, Providence (senior)
  37. Markhi Strickland, G, North Dakota State (senior)
  38. Aiden Tobiason, G, Temple (sophomore)
  39. Seth Trimble, G, North Carolina (senior)
  40. Cade Tyson, F, Minnesota (senior)
  41. Ernest Udeh, C, Miami (senior)
  42. Lamar Wilkerson, G, Indiana (senior)
  43. Darrion Williams, F, North Carolina State (senior)
  44. Noam Yaacov, G, Belgium (born 2004)

While the players invited to the G League combine generally aren’t regarded as highly as NBA prospects as those selected for the primary combine, there are always at least a handful who end up in the league on two-way or standard contracts. Last year, for instance, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Dylan Cardwell, Ryan Nembhard, Amari Williams, Will Richard, and Jahmai Mashack were among the invitees.

The G League combine will give some players who declared for the draft as early entrants an opportunity to see where they stand ahead of the draft withdrawal deadline on May 27. Not all of the players who participate in this event will remain in the draft pool.

Arenas, for instance, is the highest-rated prospect on ESPN’s board among the G League combine invitees, coming in at No. 52, but Ryan Kartje of The Los Angeles Times reported this week that he’s expected to withdraw and return to USC. As Givony notes (Twitter link), the list above is subject to change — if Arenas or other players end up declining invitations because they don’t plan to stay in the draft, they could be replaced before the event begins next Friday.

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Portsmouth Invitational Tournament Announces 2026 Rosters

By | at April 13, 2026 11:47 pm

The 2026 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament will take place this week from April 15-18 in Portsmouth, VA. The event features college seniors working to boost their stock ahead of the NBA draft, with invitations to the combine a possibility for some standouts.

Several P.I.T. alumni have gone on to become solid NBA players in recent years, including Toumani Camara, Craig Porter Jr., Daniss Jenkins and Kobe Sanders, among others. Camara (2023) and Sanders (2025) were both second-round picks.

This year’s tournament features eight different teams with eight players apiece, for a total of 64 participants. Here’s the full list, per the P.I.T.:

Champaign native Boswell, who helped lead the Illini to the Final Four, appears to be one of the top prospects among the group. The 6’2″ guard came in at No. 66 on ESPN’s latest big board, with Volunteers center Okpara (No. 86) and Boilermakers big man Kaufman-Renn (No. 88) among the other prospects on the top-100 list.

5 comments 2026 NBA Draft