2025 NBA Draft – Hoops Rumors https://www.hoopsrumors.com Legitimate NBA free agent and trade rumors. Sat, 01 Feb 2025 04:40:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 NBA To Stick With Two-Day Draft In 2025 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/01/nba-to-stick-with-two-day-draft-in-2025.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/01/nba-to-stick-with-two-day-draft-in-2025.html#comments Tue, 28 Jan 2025 20:08:30 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=417840 After splitting its draft into two days for the first time in 2024, the NBA confirmed today (via Twitter) that it will use the same format for its 2025 event.

According to the league, the dates for the 2025 NBA draft are as follows:

  • Wednesday, June 25 (8:00 pm ET): Round one
  • Thursday, June 26 (8:00 pm ET): Round two

As usual, the event will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

After long having held the draft on a single night, the NBA and NBPA decided last year to make it a two-day affair in order to give its teams, broadcast partners, and incoming players more time – and a bigger spotlight – in the second round.

During single-night drafts, that second round typically began late in the evening on the East Coast, then flew by because teams only had two minutes to make their picks — each year, a number of those picks were made while ESPN’s broadcast was on a commercial break. It was also often difficult to track which teams owned which picks, with teams trading second-rounders more frequently than first-rounders.

In the new format, teams have four minutes per pick in the second round, only slightly less than the five minutes per pick in round one.

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And-Ones: MVP Race, Maledon, Flagg, Dybantsa https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/01/and-ones-mvp-race-maledon-flagg-dybantsa.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/01/and-ones-mvp-race-maledon-flagg-dybantsa.html#comments Tue, 21 Jan 2025 16:40:01 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=417086 The NBA’s Most Valuable Player race for this season already looks like it’ll be a two-man race, according to Zach Harper of The Athletic, who points to the current betting odds as evidence.

BetOnline.ag currently lists Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the frontrunner at -400, followed relatively closely by Nuggets center Nikola Jokic at +250. After those two, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks is all the way down at +4000, with Celtics forward Jayson Tatum at +5000.

Last season’s MVP Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander were among the three finalists for the award in 2024 alongside Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, who has already missed more than 17 games, taking him out of the running due to the 65-game rule. 2023 MVP Joel Embiid will also fall short of 65 games and has been eliminated from contention.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Tony Parker, the president of ASVEL Basket in France, said during an interview with RMC Sport (YouTube link) that he believes current ASVEL standout Theo Maledon will receive NBA offers in the offseason, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Maledon, who previously played 177 regular season NBA games for three teams from 2020-24, has averaged 18.0 points and 4.5 assists per game in 22 EuroLeague outings this season, posting a shooting line of .457/.387/.889.
  • Within the same interview, Parker expressed interest in getting ASVEL involved in the NBA’s rumored foray into European basketball, Askounis notes. “When you see what the NBA is doing, they are very strong. Whether it is marketing or the new TV rights contract that will start next year,” Parker said. “We need to be associated with that. I want there to be NBA Europe and for us to be part of it.”
  • Duke standout Cooper Flagg has solidified his place atop the 2025 NBA draft class with his recent play, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who says Flagg’s performance over the past month – 23.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 4.6 APG, and a .561/.500/.881 shooting line – is arguably the best stretch for a college freshman since Zion Williamson was a Blue Devil.
  • Meanwhile, Jared Weiss of The Athletic checks in on some of 2026’s best prospects, including A.J. Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, who were taking part in the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. over the weekend. While Dybantsa wasn’t at his best during the event, Weiss says he spoke to multiple scouts who believe the 6’9″ wing could eventually become the NBA’s second-best player behind Victor Wembanyama.
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And-Ones: G. Williams, Harlan, Yang, Trade Deadline https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/01/and-ones-g-williams-harlan-yang-trade-deadline.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/01/and-ones-g-williams-harlan-yang-trade-deadline.html#comments Thu, 16 Jan 2025 19:20:59 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=416596 Former SuperSonics star Gus Williams passed away on Wednesday nearly five years after suffering a major stroke, writes Tim Booth of The Seattle Times. Williams was 71 years old.

A 6’2″ point guard whose nickname was “The Wizard,” Williams played 11 seasons in the NBA with the Warriors, SuperSonics, Bullets (Wizards) and Hawks. He spent six seasons in Seattle, helping guide the team to its lone championship in 1979.

Williams made two All-Star and two All-NBA appearances with the Sonics, averaging 20.3 points, 6.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals in 477 regular season games (34.1 minutes per contest).

The former USC star was even better in the postseason, averaging 23.2 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.8 RPG and 2.0 SPG in 69 playoff games during his time with Seattle, including 29.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.0 SPG in the ’79 NBA Finals.

Our condolences go out to Williams’ family and friends.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • Kevin Harlan is nearing a deal to call NBA games for Amazon Prime Video starting with the 2025/26 season, sources tell Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Harland, 64, has been with TNT Sports for decades, but the network is in its final season as an NBA media rights holder. Harland would be Amazon’s No. 2 play-by-play announcer behind Ian Eagle, Marchand adds.
  • Chinese prospect Hansen Yang, who has aspirations of entering his name in the 2025 NBA draft, has signed with Klutch Sports Group and will be represented by CEO Rich Paul, among other agents, reports Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). A 7’1″ center, the 19-year-old Yang is averaging 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.7 blocks in 31 games this season with the Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association.
  • Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report examines what every NBA team would do if the trade deadline were today, while ESPN insiders Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton, Andre Snelling and Chris Herring (subscription required) come up with five hypothetical trades that could change the title race. Pelton’s three-team proposal involves Jimmy Butler landing with the Kings and DeMar DeRozan heading to the Heat.
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And-Ones: Crawford, NBC, 2025 Draft, J. Porter Case https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/01/and-ones-crawford-nbc-2025-draft-j-porter-case.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/01/and-ones-crawford-nbc-2025-draft-j-porter-case.html#comments Tue, 14 Jan 2025 20:13:06 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=416368 Three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford will be the lead game analyst for games on NBC and Peacock beginning next season, NBC Sports officially confirmed on Tuesday. The Athletic reported last month that NBC had reached a deal to hire Crawford as an analyst.

NBC hasn’t been an NBA broadcast partner since 2002, but is one of three companies – along with Disney (ABC/ESPN) and Amazon Prime – that struck agreements with the league for its media rights beginning in 2025/26.

The network is in the process of filling its roster of play-by-play commentators, game analysts, and studio analysts ahead of the fall, with Crawford expected to work one or more games per week, according to today’s announcement.

“I’m thrilled to join the NBC Sports family and their new NBA package,” said Crawford, who has worked with TNT Sports, NBA TV, and MSG Network. “I grew up reenacting the game highlights that I watched on the network’s classic NBA coverage, so I’m truly honored to be a part of the new broadcast team that will bring the game to a different generation of fans. NBC Sports’ productions are top-notch across the board, and I can’t wait for hoop fans to see what we have in store for the new era of basketball content.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • The NBA announced this week (via Twitter) that its 2025 draft lottery will take place on May 12 in Chicago. The NBA G League combine, formerly known as the NBA G League Elite Camp, will be held from May 9-11, with the full-fledged draft combine to follow from May 11-18.
  • Speaking of the 2025 NBA draft, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his mock draft, making 59 picks across both rounds of the event, while Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link) have identified 10 prospects whose stocks are on the rise, including Michigan’s Danny Wolf, Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams, and Florida’s Alex Condon.
  • Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic and David Purdum of ESPN provide updates on the latest developments in the sports betting scandal involving former Raptors big man Jontay Porter, noting that another arrest has been made in connection with the case. Shane Hennen, a Las Vegas man, has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering after alleging being tipped off to bet various “unders” ahead of a January 26, 2024 game, which Porter exited due to an eye injury. Hennen was sent a message from Porter that read, “Hit unders for the big numbers. I told (Co-Conspirator 2) no blocks no steals. I’m going to play first 2-3 minute stint off the bench then when I get subbed out tell them my eye killing me again.”
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And-Ones: Cousins, All-Star Voting, 2025 Draft, More https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/01/and-ones-cousins-all-star-voting-2025-draft-more.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/01/and-ones-cousins-all-star-voting-2025-draft-more.html#comments Sat, 11 Jan 2025 01:06:24 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=415987 Four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins hasn’t played in the league since finishing the 2021/22 season with Denver, but he continues to compete professionally in non-NBA leagues around the world. The 34-year-old center is joining Selenge Bodons in Mongolia, according to announcements from the club on Instagram and Cousins on Facebook.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Cousins averaged 19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game in 654 regular season appearances for seven NBA teams from 2010-22. Cousins’ career was derailed by a series of major leg injuries, including a torn ACL and torn Achilles, which reduced his effectiveness on both ends of the court in his later NBA seasons.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

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And-Ones: Fears, 2025 Draft, 2026 Draft, Graham, Young, Wells https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/12/and-ones-fears-2025-draft-2026-draft-graham-young-wells.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/12/and-ones-fears-2025-draft-2026-draft-graham-young-wells.html#comments Fri, 27 Dec 2024 02:36:29 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=414201 Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears has improved his draft stock with his early season performances, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. In Wasserman’s view, Fears now projects to go anywhere from No. 3 to No. 10 next June after leading the Sooners to a 12-0 start, including a 30-point outing against Michigan.

Saint Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming and Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis have also been impressive during the first two months of the college season. Fleming is now receiving first-round consideration, while Jakucionis is solidifying his projected lottery status.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • While the 2025 draft class has received plenty of hype, the top of the 2026 draft could be even more impressive, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Wing AJ Dybantsa is the top player in his class, while Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson have also generated some buzz regarding their futures. One NBA executive suggested to Vorkunov that teams might start positioning themselves for the 2026 draft ahead of this year’s trade deadline.
  • Unsigned NBA veteran guard Devonte’ Graham may have earned at least a 10-day deal with his outing in the G League Showcase, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Graham had a 24-point game for the South Bay Lakers. Graham spent training camp and the preseason on a non-guaranteed contract with the Trail Blazers before being waived. A few other unaffiliated players stood out, Hollinger adds, with Grand Rapids Gold guard Jahmir Young heading that group. He had 50 points in two games. He was waived by the Nuggets during training camp.
  • The race for the Rookie of the Year award is wide open, The Athletic’s Fred Katz notes. With the SixersJared McCain sidelined, Grizzlies‘ second-rounder Jaylen Wells currently tops Katz’s ballot. He lists Pelicans big man Yves Missi second and Spurs wing Stephon Castle third but any number of players could emerge from the pack in the coming months and challenge for top honors.
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And-Ones: Team Canada, DSJ, 2025 Draft, Kendrick https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/12/and-ones-team-canada-d-smith-2025-draft-kendrick.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/12/and-ones-team-canada-d-smith-2025-draft-kendrick.html#comments Sun, 22 Dec 2024 03:50:49 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=413705 Canadian players are still dealing with the disappointment of not winning a medal at this year’s Summer Olympics, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Featuring a roster loaded with NBA talent, Team Canada had a chance to reach a milestone for the nation’s basketball program. Instead, they left Paris empty-handed with the realization that the next opportunity is four long years away.

“It’s different once it’s over and you realize that you’re not going to be in that position, not have a chance for four more years,” RJ Barrett said. “Like, that’s a rough part about it, especially when we felt like we had a team that had a great mix. I think we had young guys, but not rookies, you know, and we had guys in their prime or close to their prime, and we had some vets that are still at a good stage in their career. We had the experience, and we had the talent, we got we had the coach. We felt like that was our time, but I think experience, and those type of tournaments is huge.”

The Canadians looked like a legitimate threat to capture the gold after going undefeated in pool play against Greece, Australia and Spain, who were all viewed as medal contenders. But their hopes ended quickly with an 82-73 loss to France in the quarterfinal round. Grange notes that Canada was able to control Victor Wembanyama, holding him to seven points on 2-of-10 shooting with Dillon Brooks guarding him for much of the game, but Guerschon Yabusele and Mathias Lessort led the hosts to victory by combining for 35 points.

“Every year, I get a chance to win an NBA championship,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said, “(but it’s only) every four years I get a chance to try to win the Olympics, you know?”

There’s more from around the basketball world:

  • When Dennis Smith Jr. entered the G League player pool, he was expecting to be claimed by the Spurs‘ affiliate, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer write in a Substack column (subscription required). Instead, he wound up with the Bucks‘ affiliate, making his future in the G League less certain, sources tell The Stein Line. Real Madrid reportedly has interest if Smith wants to play in the EuroLeague.
  • Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are making an impact at Rutgers, but the NBA executives and draft experts who talked to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com believe Duke’s Cooper Flagg remains very likely to be the top pick in 2025.
  • Frank Kendrick, who was part of a championship team with the Warriors during his only NBA season, died this week at age 74, the team announced (via Twitter). Kendrick also won an NIT title at Purdue and was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
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And-Ones: NBA Cup, Timma, Trade Candidates, Flagg https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/12/and-ones-nba-cup-timma-trade-candidates-flagg.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/12/and-ones-nba-cup-timma-trade-candidates-flagg.html#comments Tue, 17 Dec 2024 16:56:54 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=413238 While the NBA Cup figures to be a regular part of the league’s schedule going forward, there will likely still be some tweaks to the format and the schedule in future seasons, according to stories from Joe Vardon of The Athletic and Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Managing the schedule for both the knockout round games and the extra regular season contests for teams not in Las Vegas is a challenge, but Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault isn’t thrilled that his team will play a road back-to-back set on Thursday and Friday on the East Coast after its Cup final in Vegas on Tuesday, as Vardon relays.

“We’re basically on a six-day West Coast road trip right now, and our next game coming out of this is three time zones away, four-hour flight to Orlando and then a back-to-back against Miami — which if you look that as a road trip, is an unprecedented road trip,” Daigneault said. “The NBA would never schedule that. They would never put a team a on six-day West Coast road trip, and then fly them east for a back-to-back.”

Besides considering potential scheduling tweaks, the league may explore a new location for the final four of the NBA Cup. According to Vardon, Abu Dhabi’s public investment fund has expressed interest in hosting the event, though that would create more significant scheduling issues. Cities like Mexico City, Nashville, Tampa and San Diego have also inquired about hosting, per Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal.

As for for the format, the NBA and Amazon – which will broadcast the NBA Cup knockout round beginning next season – have discussed possible changes, including possibly moving the tournament later in the regular season, says Bontemps.

Sources who spoke to ESPN cautioned that there’s no guarantee the format will look any different next season, but Bontemps suggests expanding the group-play stage from four games to eight is one idea the NBA may explore, since it would increase the odds of the league’s top teams advancing to the knockout round and create more marquee matchups.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Veteran Latvian forward Janis Timma has been found dead in Moscow, according to a report from the Russian news agency TASS (via Eurohoops), who say that authorities believe it was a suicide. Timma was selected by the Grizzlies with the No. 60 pick of the 2013 draft and had his rights traded to the Magic in 2015 but never signed an NBA contract, having spent most of his career competing in European leagues — in addition to playing in Latvia, Russia, Spain, Greece and Turkey, he also had stints in the G League and in Puerto Rico. Timma won Baltic League and Latvian League titles and was named an All-Star a total of five times in Latvia and Russia.
  • Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has published his first “trade board” of the 2024/25 season, identifying 30 of the most notable players who are candidates to be on the move by February 6. Vecenie’s list is headlined by Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, and Cameron Johnson and includes three or more players apiece from the Bulls, Nets, Hawks, Trail Blazers, Wizards, and Jazz.
  • Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link) spoke to NBA executives and scouts about Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, exploring his strengths and weaknesses, what makes him a unique prospect, and why he’s the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Andrei Kirilenko, Jayson Tatum, Franz Wagner, Aaron Gordon and Grant Hill are some of the current and former NBA players Woo’s sources referenced as comparables for Flagg.“I don’t think he’s a generational guy — I think that word started getting used too frequently,” one executive said. “(But) when you look back at this draft, if he goes at 1, regardless of if other people end up better, nobody is going to say that was a bad pick.”
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And-Ones: Harper, Bailey, Demin, Wembanyama, Langford https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/12/and-ones-harper-bailey-demin-wembanyama-langford.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/12/and-ones-harper-bailey-demin-wembanyama-langford.html#respond Wed, 04 Dec 2024 03:45:52 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=411754 It’s a mixed bag for the Rutgers’ freshmen duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey so far this season, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo. While Harper is considered a rising prospect and potential top pick, Bailey heads the list of prospects “who still have a lot to show.” The ESPN duo also identifies Houston’s Joseph Tugler, Duke’s Kon Knueppel and Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis as risers during college basketball’s first month with an eye toward the 2025 draft.

We have more from around the basketball world:

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And-Ones: D-Lo, Lithuania, 2025 Draft, Awards, Fall https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/11/and-ones-d-lo-lithuania-2025-draft-awards-fall.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/11/and-ones-d-lo-lithuania-2025-draft-awards-fall.html#comments Tue, 26 Nov 2024 22:00:12 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=411085 Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell recently confirmed rumors that he’d have interest in playing for the Lithuanian national team. Addressing those reports on Tuesday, however, the Lithuanian Basketball Federation announced that it doesn’t intend to initiate the naturalization process for Russell, citing both legal and basketball reasons.

Russell’s wife is of Lithuanian descent, but today’s statement from the Lithuanian Basketball Federation indicated that there are no grounds for Russell himself, as a foreigner, to be granted citizenship by exception, which can only be approved by the President of Lithuania.

As BasketNews.com notes, Lithuanian Basketball Federation president Mindaugas Balciunas added that national team head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis and general manager Linas Kleiza, “aim to achieve success using our own talent pool.” The naturalized slot on the club’s roster is currently held by Ignas Brazdeikis, who was born in Lithuania but moved to North America as a child, represented Canada in youth international competitions, and had his Lithuanian citizenship restored in 2021.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

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2025’s Most Valuable Traded Draft Picks https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/11/2025s-most-valuable-traded-draft-picks.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/11/2025s-most-valuable-traded-draft-picks.html#comments Sat, 23 Nov 2024 21:11:19 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=410705 Over half of the 30 first-round picks in the 2025 NBA draft have been traded at some point in the past several years, but not all of those picks will actually change hands at the end of this season.

Many of those first-rounders were traded with some sort of protection language, meaning that if they fall in a certain range, the original team will keep its pick.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at which of 2025's traded first-round picks project to change hands, which ones will likely stay put, and which ones figure to be the most valuable assets.


Protected picks unlikely to change hands

  • Wizards' pick traded to Knicks (top-10 protected)
  • Jazz's pick traded to Thunder (top-10 protected)
  • Hornets' pick traded to Spurs (top-14 protected)
  • Trail Blazers' pick traded to Bulls (top-14 protected)

Top-10 protection means the Wizards and Jazz could miss the playoffs and still be forced to surrender their first-round picks, but it looks like there's little chance of that happening. Washington (2-12) currently has the NBA's worst record and Utah (3-12) is tied for the second-worst mark.

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And-Ones: Inside The NBA, Snell, Motley, Bledsoe, Draft https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/11/and-ones-inside-the-nba-snell-motley-bledsoe-draft.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/11/and-ones-inside-the-nba-snell-motley-bledsoe-draft.html#comments Tue, 19 Nov 2024 18:55:04 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=410304 As expected, the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery officially announced on Monday that they’ve settled their months-long legal battle, with Disney and WBD essentially making a trade of programming rights. TNT’s popular “Inside the NBA” studio show will air on ESPN/ABC beginning in 2025, while TNT will get the rights to broadcast 13 Big 12 football games and 15 Big 12 basketball games per season.

Andrew Marchand of The Athletic explores the role that ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, who reached out directly to Luis Silberwasser of TNT Sports, played in the deal.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Traina of SI.com notes that one roadblock remains before “Inside the NBA” makes the move to Disney — Shaquille O’Neal‘s contract expires on July 1, 2025 and will need to be renewed. According to Traina, O’Neal wants to remain with the long-running program, but has been frustrated by announcements celebrating that the show will go on unchanged while his own future is still up in the air.

A source tells Marchand that O’Neal is ultimately expected to remain with “Inside the NBA,” though Traina notes that the former NBA MVP could explore other options with NBC or Amazon before ultimately deciding whether or not to stay put.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Veteran swingman Tony Snell has replaced Keita Bates-Diop on the Team USA roster for the upcoming FIBA AmeriCup qualifying games, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The U.S. squad will play two games in Washington, D.C. during this month’s qualifier window, hosting Puerto Rico on November 22 and the Bahamas on November 25.
  • After recently leaving Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel due to concerns about his safety, former Mavericks and Clippers big man Johnathan Motley is signing a G League contract, according Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), who says Motley has drawn some NBA interest from teams in need of frontcourt depth. Aris Barkas of Eurohoops has more on Motley, whose decision to leave Hapoel Tel Aviv was a unilateral one that could result in the team initiating legal proceedings.
  • Former NBA guard Eric Bledsoe is returning to the Shanghai Sharks, the Chinese team with whom he has spent the past two seasons, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Bledsoe, who will turn 35 next month, has appeared in 756 regular season NBA games but has been out of the league since he was waived by Portland in July 2022.
  • Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his 2025 NBA mock draft now that NCAA teams have a few games under their belts. The most notable update near the top of Wasserman’s board is at No. 4, with BYU’s Egor Demin moving into that spot on the heels of his strong start. The 6’9″ guard is averaging 17.0 points, 7.5 assists, and 2.3 steals per game in his first four outings, with a shooting line of .634/.550/.500.
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And-Ones: 2025 Draft, Flagg, All-Star Game, Coaches https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/11/and-ones-2025-draft-flagg-all-star-game-coaches.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/11/and-ones-2025-draft-flagg-all-star-game-coaches.html#comments Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:17:50 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=409644 With the NCAA men’s basketball season underway, draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have updated their 2025 NBA mock draft at ESPN.com (Insider link), projecting next June’s top 30 picks based on their own scouting and intel from executives around the league.

There are no surprises at the top of ESPN’s latest mock draft. The projected picks at No. 1 (Cooper Flagg), No. 2 (Ace Bailey), and No. 3 (Dylan Harper) remain unchanged since Givony and Woo published a mock in June, and V.J. Edgecombe and Nolan Traore are still in the top five.

Still, there are some notable risers or fallers elsewhere in the first round. Duke freshman Kon Knueppel (No. 17 in June) is up to No. 6, while Ratiopharm Ulm guard Ben Saraf comes in at No. 13 after not showing up in June’s mock draft. Conversely, Real Madrid wing Hugo Gonzalez has slipped from seventh to 12th, while Miami freshman Jalil Bethea is down to 25th after having placed 13th in June.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • In a separate story for ESPN.com, Baxter Holmes takes a closer look at Flagg’s journey from growing up in a small town in Maine to becoming a Duke Blue Devil and basketball’s top prospect. Holmes’ feature includes several entertaining anecdotes, including one about how a 13-year-old Flagg “dominated” a Boston-area pickup game run by former NBA forward Brian Scalabrine.
  • While commissioner Adam Silver recently acknowledged that the NBA is weighing the idea of using a new format for this season’s All-Star Game, veteran NBA insider Marc Stein (Substack link) says he doesn’t expect the league to opt for a U.S. vs. the World matchup in February. Still, sources tell Stein that format is a possibility that has been discussed within the league office, so it may still be in play for future seasons.
  • Michael Scotto of HoopsHype spent 24 hours this fall behind the scenes with the Pacers‘ coaching staff and shares his takeaways and insights on what a day in the life of an NBA coach looks like.
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And-Ones: Chiozza, McRae, 2025 Mock, Fouls https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/10/and-ones-chiozza-mcrae-2025-mock-fouls.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/10/and-ones-chiozza-mcrae-2025-mock-fouls.html#respond Mon, 28 Oct 2024 21:00:07 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=408107 Former NBA point guard Chris Chiozza signed with Manisa Basket, according to a release from the team (Twitter link). Chiozza joins the Turkish club after spending last season with Baskonia and the 2022/23 season with the G League’s Long Island Nets.

Chiozza, 28, went undrafted in 2018 out of Florida. He signed a 10-day deal with the Rockets in 2019, catching on for the rest of the season. He was then waived and spent consecutive years on two-way contracts with Washington, Brooklyn and Golden State. His biggest role came in Brooklyn in 2019/20, averaging 6.4 points and 3.1 assists in 15.4 minutes per game across 18 appearances (two starts).

In all, Chiozza holds career averages of 3.3 PPG and 2.4 APG in 91 career games. He last appeared in an NBA game in ’21/22 with Golden State.

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  • Former NBAer Jordan McRae signed with Italian club Givova Scafati, according to Sportando. A second-round pick in 2014, McRae holds 123 games of NBA experience. He played for Cleveland, Phoenix, Denver, Detroit and Washington over the course of his career and was part of the Cavaliers’ 2016 title team that overcame a 3-1 series deficit. McRae found his biggest success at the NBA level from 2018-20, averaging 9.5 points and 2.0 assists in 56 games (four starts) with the Wizards.
  • To little surprise, in his most recent 2025 NBA mock draft, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has the Nets selecting Duke’s Cooper Flagg at No. 1 overall. Rutgers’ Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey round out the top three, while VJ Edgecombe comes in at No. 4. UNC’s Drake Powell (No. 6), Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 8), Texas’ Tre Johnson (No. 9) and BYU’s Egor Demin (No. 14) are a few of Wasserman’s other notable lottery picks.
  • Fouls and free throws have defined the opening portion of the regular season, The Athletic’s John Hollinger writes. The 99 combined free throws attempted by the Sixers and Raptors on Friday were the most combined by two teams in a game since 2017, and the free throw rate is up by over 20% across the league. Hollinger explores the phenomenon with points of view from several coaches. “There’s been an emphasis historically, over the last several years, on freedom of movement. That concept having specific application in pick-and-roll is something that’s significant,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. ”Coaches adjust, players adjust to how things are being called, and if that’s something we have to adjust to, we will.
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And-Ones: M. Williams, Rookies, International Prospects, G League Trade https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/10/and-ones-williams-mccain-dunn-risacher-international-prospects-g-league-trade.html https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/10/and-ones-williams-mccain-dunn-risacher-international-prospects-g-league-trade.html#comments Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:06:16 +0000 https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?p=407120 Monty Williams will be a head coach after all this season, just not in the pro or college ranks.

Williams has accepted the head coaching job at TMI Episcopal prep school in San Antonio, where he will coach his son Elijah, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets. The Pistons fired Williams in June just one season after he signed a six-year, $78.5MM contract.

Williams is replacing former NBA forward Bruce Bowen at the San Antonio prep school, Haynes adds in another tweet.

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