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Nets Notes: Porter, Thomas, Lottery Odds, Koch

September 4th, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets are counting on Michael Porter Jr. to provide scoring punch and stretch opposing defenses after acquiring him in an offseason trade with Denver, and he’s confident that he can deliver. In a recent interview with online influencer PlaqueBoyMax (YouTube video link), Porter proclaimed that Warriors guard Stephen Curry is the only NBA player who surpasses him as a long-distance shooter.

“Stephen Curry, that’s the only one I’m giving like a clear elite, can shoot better than me,” Porter said. “There’s dudes that are on the same level. I think Klay Thompson, (Kevin Durant). If I got in the gym (with someone) like Duncan Robinson, he probably can shoot with me. Trae Young, (Damian Lillard). But I think Steph is the only one clearly better.”

Porter has numbers to back up his claims, as he’s coming off one of the best shooting seasons of his career, connecting at 50.4% from the field and 39.5% from three-point range. His ability to knock down outside shots convinced the Nets to take on the nearly $80MM he’ll earn over the next two seasons.

There’s more from Brooklyn:

  • Cam Thomas‘ future with the team remains cloudy following his decision to accept a one-year qualifying offer, according to NetsDaily. The high-scoring guard may find himself pushed down the rotation as the Nets focus on developing their five first-round picks, and the situation could get more contentious as the season wears on. One source called the outcome “another failure in asset management” for the team, while another told the author, “Cam Thomas gets the QO to no surprise. Can’t imagine how many shots he’s going to take this year.”
  • With their roster loaded with young players, the Nets are expected to be among the top contenders for best odds heading into next year’s draft lottery. Peter Botte of The New York Post examines their competition and expects the Jazz, Wizards and Hornets to all be involved in that race to the bottom.
  • Julia Koch and the billionaire Koch family, who own 15% of the Nets’ parent company, BSE Global, have purchased a minority stake in the NFL’s New York Giants, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. BSE Global also owns the WNBA’s New York Liberty and Barclays Center.
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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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Jazz Sign John Tonje To Two-Way Contract

August 26th, 2025 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have officially signed second-round pick John Tonje to a two-way contract, according to NBA.com’s transaction log (hat tip to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype).

Tonje, 24, spent four seasons at Colorado State, then transferred to Missouri in 2023 for his super-senior season, but was limited to eight appearances due to a season-ending foot injury. He was granted a medical redshirt and made the most of his final year of college eligibility with a breakout season at Wisconsin in 2024/25.

In 37 games for the Badgers, Tonje averaged 19.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 31.1 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .465/.388/.909. The 6’5″ shooting guard was a consensus second-team All-American and was named to the All-Big Ten first team.

Using a pick they’d previously acquired from the Clippers, the Jazz selected Tonje with the No. 53 overall pick in June.

Tonje will fill Utah’s lone remaining two-way opening, joining Oscar Tshiebwe and Elijah Harkless as the team’s two-way players. The club now officially has 19 players under contract, two shy of the offseason limit.

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Stein’s Latest: Monk, Hawks, Niang, Carlisle

August 25th, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Kings have explored multiple trade scenarios involving guard Malik Monk this offseason, league sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) that Sacramento isn’t actively engaged in any discussions about a Monk deal for the time being.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that Monk is a lock to be a King for the entire 2025/26 season – or even by opening night – but he has made a positive impression in Sacramento beyond his on-court production due to the way he has embraced his role and the franchise, Stein writes.

While the Kings have maintained interest in Russell Westbrook and have considered the idea of moving Monk to open up a spot in the backcourt for the former MVP, Stein hears that the front office has also looked into ways to create that opening for Westbrook by means other than a Monk trade.

Here are a few more items of interest from Stein:

  • Following up on a report from his Stein Line colleague Jake Fischer about the Hawks‘ apparent plan not to extend Trae Young before the start of the season, Stein says Atlanta wants to see more of Young playing alongside forward Jalen Johnson, whose 2024/25 campaign ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury. The Hawks are hopeful that getting a more extensive look at that duo in the wake of offseason roster changes will help clarify their “big-picture” plans.
  • Stein hears from league sources that veteran NBA forward Georges Niang has obtained a Senegalese passport and nearly suited up for Senegal during the 2025 AfroBasket tournament. However, an eventful offseason in which Niang was traded twice – from Atlanta to Boston to the Jazz – ultimately derailed his plans to play international ball this summer.
  • Noting that one-fifth of the NBA’s 30 head coaches have signed contract extensions this offseason (Chauncey Billups, Will Hardy, Ime Udoka, Billy Donovan, Joe Mazzulla, and Rick Carlisle), Stein provides some additional context on Carlisle’s new deal with the Pacers. As Stein explains, besides being a reward for leading Indiana to five playoff series wins over the past two years, Carlisle’s extension is intended to “promote stability” after the team saw star guard Tyrese Haliburton go down with an Achilles tear and lost longtime center Myles Turner in free agency.
  • In case you missed it, Stein also reported that Mavericks forward P.J. Washington is a prime candidate to sign an extension before the season begins.
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How Has Georges Niang Changed In His Time Away From The Jazz?

August 20th, 2025 at 8:51pm CST by Arthur Hill
  • A trade with Boston brought Georges Niang back to the Jazz after a four-year absence, so Trent Wood of The Deseret News examined how much Niang has changed during that time. Wood notes that Niang put up the best scoring numbers of his career after Atlanta acquired him from Cleveland at last season’s trade deadline and reunited him with former Utah coach Quin Snyder. In 28 games with the Hawks, Niang averaged 12.1 PPG while shooting 44.1% from the field and 41.3% from beyond the arc. Wood expects Niang to provide a consistent three-point threat for the Jazz while serving as a mentor to young wings Taylor Hendricks, Cody Williams and Ace Bailey.
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Oscar Tshiebwe Re-Signs With Jazz On Two-Way Deal

August 19th, 2025 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

Former Kentucky standout Oscar Tshiebwe is back under contract with the Jazz, having re-signed with the team on a two-way deal, per NBA.com’s official transaction log.

Utah made Tshiebwe a restricted free agent in June by issuing him a two-way qualifying offer. It’s possible he simply accepted that offer, which is the equivalent of a one-year, two-way contract with a partial guarantee worth $85,300.

After going undrafted in 2023, Tshiebwe spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Pacers and his second year in the NBA on a two-way deal with the Jazz. The 6’8″ forward/center has only made 22 total appearances at the NBA level across those two seasons, but has shown his rebounding prowess in limited action, averaging 7.6 points and 8.7 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game across 14 outings for Utah in 2024/25.

Tshiebwe, who grabbed double-digit rebounds in eight of the 10 games he played for the Jazz in past March and April, has put up monster numbers in the G League — he earned a spot on the All-NBAGL first team and placed second in MVP voting this spring after averaging 16.1 points, a league-leading 18.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest in 42 games for the Salt Lake City Stars.

Tshiebwe racked up at least 20 boards in seven of the last nine games of his G League season in March. In one matchup with the Iowa Wolves during that stretch, he grabbed 30 rebounds, including 14 on the offensive glass.

It remains to be seen whether Tshiebwe will be utilized more frequently by Jazz head coach Will Hardy in 2025/26, but he’ll be eligible to appear in up to 50 NBA regular season games on his two-way deal, which will pay him $636,435 if it becomes fully guaranteed.

Tshiebwe and Elijah Harkless now occupy two of the Jazz’s three two-way slots, with second-round pick John Tonje viewed as the frontrunner to fill the final opening.

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Jazz’s Will Hardy Discusses Ace Bailey

August 17th, 2025 at 8:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Ace Bailey emerged as one of the more polarizing players during the 2025 pre-draft process due to his camp’s decision not to have him work out for interested teams. After a shortened Summer League, Jazz head coach Will Hardy opened up on his impressions of Bailey and what he’ll be looking for this season from one of the highest-upside players in this year’s draft class.

“For Ace, first and foremost, it’s going to be about building a routine. The NBA is a lot,” Hardy said, as reported by Andy Larson of the Salt Lake Tribune. “The number of appearances is far more than he used to. That’s practice, shootaround, games, but it’s going to be about sort of him finding his routine, because I think the routine saves you during the season, you don’t have to think that much.”

Larson notes that the young players who make up a majority of Utah’s roster have been practicing in Salt Lake City for large portions of the summer, and Hardy expects them to continue to do so for the next two weeks. After a brief Labor Day break, they will join more of the team, undergoing four workout sessions per week throughout September.

Hardy didn’t get a chance to see the No. 5 overall pick as much as he’d have liked in July – Bailey was limited to two appearances at the Salt Lake City Summer League and didn’t play in Las Vegas – but the Jazz coach shared some thoughts on the on-court skill set he thinks the rookie can develop.

“I think Ace showed he was really active in Summer League. He’s a good cutter. He can play in off-ball screens,” Hardy said. “And then defensively, while his body is continuing to get stronger, it’s going to be about using his length, because I think that is a real strength of his right now. I think that’s how he can survive on the defensive end right now.”

In addition to his scoring potential, Bailey showcased a good motor as a rebounder during Summer League, which will likely help him carve out a role as he learns the intricacies of NBA defenses.

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Celtics Notes: Mazzulla, Pritchard, Queta, Luis

August 16th, 2025 at 7:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Joe Mazzulla has the security of a new contract extension, but he’ll be facing the toughest coaching job of his career when the upcoming season tips off, writes Christopher L. Gasper of The Boston Globe.

Since taking over as head coach shortly before the start of the 2022/23 season, Mazzulla has been able to rely on one of the most talented rosters in the league. That’s changed due to an Achilles injury that might sideline Jayson Tatum for the entire season, along with cost-cutting trades that sent out Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis and the loss of Luke Kornet and probably Al Horford in free agency.

The current version of the Celtics isn’t nearly as well equipped for Mazzulla’s preferred approach to the game, which includes a heavy reliance on three-point shots. Gasper states that Mazzulla will have to be flexible and show a willingness to adapt the offense to get the most out of his players.

Former Celtics player and longtime radio analyst Cedric Maxwell tells Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe that Mazzulla’s natural competitiveness will be an asset for the depleted roster.

“Here’s the beauty about all that,” Maxwell said. “Joe Mazzulla’s not going to let them take a step back. Joe Mazzulla is going to use that as fuel to have these guys compete on a nightly basis. We’ve seen teams in the NBA, perhaps not as talented as other teams but at the end, because they played hard every single night, you get your opportunities to win.”

There’s more from Boston:

  • Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are the only certain starters heading into training camp, but Brian Robb of MassLive believes Payton Pritchard should be in that category as well. Robb states in a mailbag column that Pritchard is most likely to join White as a backcourt starter because Anfernee Simons doesn’t appear to be in the team’s long-term plans. The frontcourt may be more flexible, Robb suggests, with Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta starting most of the time, but Chris Boucher being used when Mazzulla wants a double-big starting lineup.
  • Queta suffered a minor injury to his right hip area during an exhibition game this week in preparation for EuroBasket, relays Souichi Terada of MassLive. Queta is reportedly fine and will be ready to represent Portugal when the tournament begins.
  • RJ Luis got two-way offers from the Celtics and Jazz in June before deciding to sign with Utah, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line said in a recent Bleacher Report livestream (YouTube link; hat tip to Robb). Boston landed Luis as part of a trade involving Georges Niang and draft picks earlier this month. Luis wasn’t able to play for Utah’s Summer League team due to a leg injury.
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NBA Teams Average 14.4 Back-To-Backs In 2025/26

August 15th, 2025 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

Five NBA teams will play a league-high 16 back-to-back sets during the 2025/26 regular season, while six clubs will have just 13 instances of back-to-back games on their schedules. The remaining 19 teams will play either 14 or 15 back-to-backs.

[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Schedules By Team]

Those totals – along with an overall average of 14.4 back-to-backs per team – are about what we’ve come to expect in recent years.

Prior to the COVID-shortened seasons of 2019/20 and ’20/21, the NBA’s regular season consisted of 177 days, and the league had made a concerted effort to reduce instances of back-to-backs. When the league announced its initial schedule in ’19/20, its press release boasted that teams were averaging a record-low 12.4 back-to-backs that season, marking the fifth straight year in which that number had reached an all-time low.

However, since 2021/22, NBA regular seasons have spanned just 174 days, making it a little more difficult for schedule-makers to avoid back-to-back sets. The average number of back-to-backs per team is still well below where it once was (teams averaged 19.3 in 2024/25), but it’s no longer at a record low.

Here are the back-to-backs by team in 2025/26:

  1. Charlotte Hornets: 16
    Denver Nuggets: 16
    Philadelphia 76ers: 16
    Phoenix Suns: 16
    Washington Wizards: 16
  2. Golden State Warriors: 15
    Los Angeles Clippers: 15
    Miami Heat: 15
    New Orleans Pelicans: 15
    Portland Trail Blazers: 15
    Toronto Raptors: 15
    Utah Jazz: 15
  3. Brooklyn Nets: 14
    Cleveland Cavaliers: 14
    Dallas Mavericks: 14
    Detroit Pistons: 14
    Houston Rockets: 14
    Los Angeles Lakers: 14
    Memphis Grizzlies: 14
    Milwaukee Bucks: 14
    New York Knicks: 14
    Orlando Magic: 14
    Sacramento Kings: 14
    San Antonio Spurs: 14
  4. Atlanta Hawks: 13
    Boston Celtics: 13
    Chicago Bulls: 13
    Indiana Pacers: 13
    Minnesota Timberwolves: 13
    Oklahoma City Thunder: 13
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Warriors, Lakers, Knicks, Thunder Get Most Nationally Televised Games For 2025/26

August 15th, 2025 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

Having gone from two national broadcasting partners (ABC/ESPN and TNT) to three (ABC/ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime) ahead of the 2025/26 season, the NBA’s schedule will feature a significant increase in nationally televised games.

When the league unveiled its full regular season schedule on Thursday, it announced 237 nationally televised regular season matchups, along with the seven knockout round NBA Cup games whose participants aren’t yet known, for a total of 244 contests.

As Colin Salao of Front Office Sports writes in a subscriber story, the total number of nationally televised games is up by more than 40% from last season, when the league’s partners nationally broadcasted a total of 172 games.

Salao also points out that beginning in the middle of the season, when the NFL schedule starts winding down, the NBA will have national games every day of the week: Peacock on Monday; NBC/Peacock on Tuesday; ESPN on Wednesday; Amazon on Thursday; Amazon and ESPN on Friday; Amazon and ABC on Saturday; and ABC, NBC, and Peacock on Sunday.

Every team will be featured at least twice on the national TV broadcast schedule, with the Warriors, Lakers, Knicks, and defending champion Thunder leading the way with 34 appearances apiece.

Here’s the full breakdown of nationally televised games by team:

  1. Golden State Warriors: 34
  2. Los Angeles Lakers: 34
  3. New York Knicks: 34
  4. Oklahoma City Thunder: 34
  5. Houston Rockets: 28
  6. Minnesota Timberwolves: 28
  7. Denver Nuggets: 26
  8. Boston Celtics: 25
  9. Cleveland Cavaliers: 24
  10. Dallas Mavericks: 23
  11. San Antonio Spurs: 22
  12. Los Angeles Clippers: 21
  13. Milwaukee Bucks: 18
  14. Detroit Pistons: 16
  15. Orlando Magic: 14
  16. Philadelphia 76ers: 14
  17. Atlanta Hawks: 13
  18. Memphis Grizzlies: 10
  19. Indiana Pacers: 9
  20. Phoenix Suns: 9
  21. Sacramento Kings: 9
  22. Portland Trail Blazers: 8
  23. Miami Heat: 5
  24. Charlotte Hornets: 3
  25. Chicago Bulls: 3
  26. Brooklyn Nets: 2
  27. New Orleans Pelicans: 2
  28. Toronto Raptors: 2
  29. Utah Jazz: 2
  30. Washington Wizards: 2

Since nationally televised matchups are subject to change, there’s no guarantee that every team will ultimately end up being featured multiple times on the national stage.

As Salao points out, all 30 clubs showed up at least once on the national broadcast schedule initially announced for 2024/25, but the Wizards didn’t get any nationally televised games after having their lone contest replaced by a showdown between Cleveland and Oklahoma City.

Additionally, not every team this season will have a game aired on a traditional, non-streaming network — the only games featuring the Raptors or Wizards will air on either Peacock or Amazon Prime.

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