International Notes: Satoransky, Fournier, Wainright, Quinn
Veteran guard Tomas Satoransky will be a free agent this summer and his future with Spanish EuroLeague team Barcelona is up in the air, he told Ernest Macia of Catalunya Radio (Twitter link).
“No one from Barça has communicated anything to me,” Satoransky said (hat tip to Sportando). “I will have to evaluate the options that come my way, but for now there is nothing.”
Satorasnky played six NBA seasons from 2016-22. This is his fourth consecutive season with Barcelona and sixth overall. He also played for Sevilla in Spain from 2009-14.
Here are a few more international items of interest:
- In an interview with Julie Yalap of INFOSPORT+ (Twitter video link), longtime NBA wing Evan Fournier revealed that he contemplated retiring from basketball after the 2024 Olympics in Paris, when he won a silver medal with the French national team. “I seriously considered retiring after the Paris Olympics,” Fournier said (hat tip to BasketNews for the transcription). “I had given myself a little bit of time to think about it. I went to the mountains and I thought, ‘Okay, let’s give it a go. I’ll enjoy it.’ I was coming off two difficult seasons with the Knicks and I deeply love basketball, so I thought, ‘Enjoy yourself and end your career on that note.’” He also explained why he was intrigued by the possibility of joining Olympiacos, with whom he has spent the past two seasons, and said he plans to retire within the next two or three years.
- Forward Ish Wainright, who played for Phoenix and Portland from 2021-24, is discussing a two-year contract extension with Hapoel Tel Aviv, according to Noa Poplinger of Israeli outlet Sport5. Wainright has spent the past two seasons with Hapoel, notes Kevin Matorando of Sportando.
- Veteran guard Quinn Cook, who played in China last season, backed out of a contract agreement with an Iranian team in January, he told Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s Andscape. Cook also recently agreed to play in the upcoming Basketball Africa League (BAL) season, but the Rwandan team he agreed to terms with decided not to compete due to a disagreement with the United States. Cook, a two-time champion who played five years in the NBA, is open to other opportunities in the BAL. “I have never been to Africa,” Cook told Spears. “I was excited about checking it out. I also planned on going with my mom and sister. Rwanda was a spot we were supposed to hit, but now I will have to wait and see. Everything happens for a reason, but I hope BAL teams see I’m available and I’m open to play for another team.”
Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe To Undergo Season-Ending Thumb Surgery
Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left thumb and will undergo season-ending surgery, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
A North Carolina native who played one year of college basketball at UNC prior to being selected 29th overall in the 2021 draft, Sharpe had a productive fifth season for the Nets. The 6’10” big man averaged career highs in several categories in 2025/26, including points (8.7), rebounds (6.7) assists (2.3), steals (1.1), and minutes (18.7) per game.
Sharpe appeared in a career-best 62 games this season, shooting a career-high 60.1% from the field and 67.8% from the free throw line. He primarily came off the bench behind Nic Claxton, though he made seven starts when Claxton was injured.
This is the third straight season in which the Nets have been better when Sharpe is on the court than when he’s not playing. During Sharpe’s minutes, Brooklyn held a net rating of -4.3, which is the top mark on the team among rotation regulars. When the 24-year-old wasn’t playing, the team’s net rating plummeted to -11.4.
The Nets hold a $6.25MM team option on Sharpe for next season. If they exercise it, he will be an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
If Brooklyn declines the option to try to work out a long-term contract, the Nets would have an exclusive negotiating window with Sharpe before other teams would be able to talk to him on June 30. That window would open the day after the NBA Finals end — it could start anywhere from June 10-20, depending on how long the series lasts.
Ivica Zubac Will Make Pacers Debut Thursday
March 12: Zubac will play on Thursday, head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed (Twitter link via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star).
Obi Toppin, Nesmith, McConnell, Siakam and Jackson are all out, but Nembhard will be available, tweets East.
March 11: Veteran center Ivica Zubac has been upgraded to questionable for the Pacers‘ game against the Suns on Thursday, per Tony East of Forbes Sports (Twitter link).
If he’s able to play vs. Phoenix, it would mark Zubac’s debut for the Pacers, who acquired him at February’s trade deadline with an eye to shoring up their frontcourt in the 2026/27 season when Tyrese Haliburton returns from his ruptured Achilles.
After averaging 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game and being named to the All-Defensive second team in 2024/25, Zubac has battled injuries this season, including a left ankle sprain that has kept him on the shelf since February 2.
At the time of the trade that sent him from the Clippers to the Pacers, it was unclear if Zubac would suit up for Indiana this season, especially since the 2026 first-round pick they gave up for him includes top-four and 10-30 protection, making the team’s end-of-season lottery odds especially important. The Pacers are currently 15-50, which is the NBA’s worst record.
T.J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith are all also considered questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Phoenix, while Pascal Siakam and Quenton Jackson are listed as doubtful to play.
Dwight Howard Announces Retirement
Longtime NBA center Dwight Howard officially announced his retirement from basketball on Thursday (Twitter link).
Howard, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025, last played in the NBA during the 2021/22 season. He has spent the past few years competing in Taiwan, Puerto Rico, and in the BIG3.
The first overall pick in the 2004 draft, Howard immediately became the starting center for the Magic and spent the next eight seasons in Orlando, winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards with the team and finishing in the top five in MVP voting in four consecutive seasons from 2008-11. The Magic made the playoffs in six straight years during Howard’s tenure, appearing in the NBA Finals in 2009.
From 2012-22, Howard bounced around the NBA, spending time with the Lakers, Rockets, Hawks, Hornets, Wizards, and Sixers. He had three separate stints with the Lakers during that decade and won his first and only championship with the team in 2020.
Howard earned eight straight All-Star nods and appeared on eight All-NBA teams, including five First Teams, from 2006-14. In addition to winning DPOY three times, he made an All-Defensive team five times, including claiming a spot on the First Team for four years in a row from 2009-12.
Howard, who played 18 seasons, led the league in rebounding five times and currently ranks 10th on the NBA’s all-time rebounding list. He was also the league leader in blocked shots twice and ranks 13th all-time in that category.
The 6’10” big man didn’t play college basketball but fortified his Hall of Fame résumé by winning an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in Beijing in 2008.
In 1,242 regular season games, including 1,078 starts (31.8 minutes per contest), Howard averaged 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 0.9 steals while shooting 58.7% from the field and 56.7% from the foul line.
Knicks Notes: Clarkson, Halftime Meeting, Lineup, Issues
A return to Salt Lake City brought out the best in Jordan Clarkson. The Knicks reserve guard scored a season-high 27 points against the Jazz, his former team, in a 134-117 win on Wednesday.
He played 26 minutes, the most court time he’s seen since Christmas Day. He had only played a total of 20 minutes in his three other March appearances.
“For him to go out and perform the way he did, you couldn’t ask for anything better,” coach Mike Brown said, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “And it goes to show he’s not just keeping his body right but his mind is in a good spot to go after coming in when you’re down [18 points] in the first half. So just to see that, you couldn’t ask for anything better. Especially from him, who is a veteran who hasn’t been playing or in the rotation and all of a sudden we need him.”
Clarkson will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- A halftime challenge helped perk up a team that had lost its previous two games. The Knicks outscored Utah 78-52 in the second half. The coaches and players both spoke up during the break, Bondy writes. “It was our halftime speech, in terms of how we came at each other, where we tried to hold each other accountable,” Clarkson said. “And then just came out here and wanted to win.”
- Slow starts have been a major problem for the Knicks since the All-Star break. In the last 11 first quarters prior to Wednesday, their usual starting five had a net rating of minus-15.3. Landry Shamet replaced an injured Josh Hart in Utah but the results didn’t improve. Jared Schwartz of the New York Post argues that making changes to the lineup of Jalen Brunson, Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns probably won’t make much of a difference. Inserting Mitchell Robinson wouldn’t make much sense either, considering his load management plan.
- ESPN columnist Vince Goodwill breaks down five issues confronting the Knicks prior to the playoffs. Getting the most out of Towns and getting Brunson back in form are two of the biggest items on Goodwill’s list.
Atlantic Notes: Demin, Sixers, Ingram, Shead
The Nets’ top rookie, Egor Demin, is out for the season due to a left foot injury. Demin didn’t want his first season cut short, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, but the pain he was experiencing in his foot grew progressively worse.
“He’s been a kid that wants to play, wants to be out there, wants to develop — and nothing better than playing real games to get better at this level,” coach Jordi Fernández said. “Obviously when you have discomfort and it doesn’t allow you to play at that level, we had to find solutions. We were trying to find the best way. And at the end of the day, the good thing is it’s [a] non-surgical procedure, which is good.”
The expectation is that Demin will be able to avoid surgery as a result of being shut down now.
“Obviously the summer and getting him to work and get better throughout the process and having a summer is important,” Fernandez said. “So, the fact he’s not going to be able to play these 20-some games, it’s not the best, because he wants to and we value real reps. But his health is the number one priority. And we’re very, very optimistic and positive about it.”
Dr. Andrew Brief of the Ridgewood Orthopedic Group said the Nets made the right move.
“He might just have a high pain tolerance. But it seems like an opportune moment for the Brooklyn Nets to shut him down now, given the fact that he’s having symptoms, and he’s had recurrence,” Dr. Brief told Lewis. “It’s probably affecting his play, and the team is not in the situation right now where they’re playing for a playoff spot.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Sixers are already without Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. due to injuries for tonight’s game at Detroit. Adem Bona (back) and Johni Broome (knee) are also listed as out and Andre Drummond (back) is listed as questionable, which means the team will be severely depleted up front, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports tweets.
- Raptors forward Brandon Ingram‘s shortcomings become more apparent when he’s not on the floor with star forward Scottie Barnes, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Ingram’s weaknesses as a top option have surfaced during the team’s recent nose dive. Ingram is a willing passer but not a quick decision-maker, according to Koreen, and he’s been in a shooting slump.
- Raptors guard Jamal Shead showed some signs of breaking out of his offensive slump. He had nine points, three assists and no turnovers in 20 minutes against New Orleans on Wednesday. Prior to that, he was shooting just 20 percent from the floor in the month of March, Michael Grange of Sportsnet notes. Overall, Shead is shooting 36.8 percent from the field and he needs to be more of a scoring threat to be an effective NBA player, Grange contends.
Grizzlies Add Tyler Burton On 10-Day Hardship Deal
12:08pm: The signing is official, the team tweets.
11:15am: The injury-riddled Grizzlies are signing wing Tyler Burton to a 10-day hardship exception, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Burton has averaged 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in 43 appearances with the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle, shooting 45% overall and 38.6% from three-point range. He had a 31-point game against the Iowa Wolves on Sunday.
Burton, 26, went undrafted out of Villanova in 2024. He spent some time with the Grizzlies during training camp last fall on an Exhibit 10 contract before he was waived.
Burton was signed to a camp deal in early September. He also spent last season with the Hustle, appearing in eight games and averaging 2.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12 minutes per night. He had a lengthy college career, as he played three seasons at Richmond and two at Villanova.
The Grizzlies are in need of bodies, as their injury report (Twitter link) suggests. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (finger) and Zach Edey (ankle) are out for the season after undergoing surgeries.
Ja Morant (elbow), Brandon Clarke (calf), Santi Aldama (knee) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe) are also listed as out for tonight’s game against Dallas. Ty Jerome (calf), Walter Clayton (ankle), Cedric Coward (knee) and Taj Gibson (reconditioning) are considered doubtful, while Cam Spencer (back) is listed as questionable.
A hardship exception allows a team to temporarily exceed the usual 15-man standard roster limit. The exception is granted when a club has at least four players who have missed three or more games and are expected to miss at least two more weeks due to an injury or illness.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 3/12/2026
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included draft options for the Bulls, a potential shakeup for the Timberwolves, the playoff race involving the East's top four teams, Bam Adebayo's 83-point game and more!
Pacific Notes: Kerr, Lakers, Clippers Investigation, Kings
With Jimmy Butler out for the season due to an ACL tear and Stephen Curry sidelined by a knee injury, Warriors coach Steve Kerr feels the need to send a positive message to his team, Matt Leland of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. Explaining his animated reaction to a Kristaps Porzingis three-pointer on Tuesday, Kerr made his comments during an interview on the 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs” show.
“I’m just trying to really fire the guys up,” Kerr said. “We were, I thought, demoralized at times [in Tuesday’s loss to Chicago]. The Bulls had a big run at the end of the second quarter and I could just feel the air leaving our balloon. Without Steph, without Jimmy I think I have to take on more responsibility, just keeping the guys’ spirits up, that sort of thing. So, that’s probably what you were looking at.”
Golden State has lost three straight and five of its last six games.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers have shown progress on the defensive end in their last two outings, holding the Knicks to 97 points and the Timberwolves to 106 points. Is their defensive improvement sustainable? Even head coach JJ Redick isn’t sure about that. “We’re not gonna be the No. 1 defense in the league,” he said, per Law Murray of The Athletic. “But to be above average, have those two performances against those two teams back-to-back, is really encouraging.” Redick said the team especially needs to improve its rim protection. “Just the consistency of our low man, you know,” he said. “We’re one of the worst teams at defending the rim. That’s not on our bigs, that’s on everybody. So we’ve had stretches, I thought, if you look at our good defensive games, our low man’s really active, our low man is giving paint consequences.”
- The NBA’s investigation into allegations that the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard used a no-show endorsement deal with fintech company Aspiration to circumvent the salary cap has dragged on since September. Investigative journalist and podcaster Pablo Torre, who originally broke the story during the offseason, continues to find more evidence pointing to wrongdoing (YouTube link). Torre uncovered that a 2023 whistleblower complaint was made to the Security and Exchange Commission, accusing Aspiration of fraudulently misusing funds to assist the Clippers’ efforts to circumvent salary cap restrictions to pay star Leonard “an incentivized bonus,” as Mike Vornukov of The Athletic relays.
- The Kings became the first Western Conference to be officially eliminated from playoff contention. Their loss to the Hornets on Wednesday made that a reality, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith notes (Twitter link). Indiana was the first team to get mathematically eliminated this week.
Pelicans Notes: Hot Streak, Murray, Ingram, Tough Stretch
The Pelicans‘ second-half surge continued on Wednesday with a 122-111 win over Toronto. Trey Murphy III had 28 points and Dejounte Murray supplied 27 as New Orleans collected its 22nd victory, surpassing last season’s win total. The Pels have won seven of their last 10 games.
“We’re trying to build winning habits every day on and off the court,” Murray told Les East of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “Every game is a playoff game. There’s nothing like building momentum going into the offseason.”
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- Murray has reached double-digit points in all seven games he has played since returning from his Achilles injury and has increased his scoring average to 17.6 points per game. “He’s bringing a fire and competitiveness,” Borrego said, per East. “He’s infusing confidence and fight and this group is rallying around that. It’s his shot-making, his defense, his communication, his leadership.”
- In his return to New Orleans, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram had 22 points but didn’t score in the fourth quarter. He said “everybody showed love” in his visit with his new team. Ingram said New Orleans was his home away from home after getting dealt by the Lakers in 2019. “It reminded me of home. I can say this, how ‘ghetto’ it was *laughs*. The slang. Everything. It just reminded me of home,” he told Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link). “When I traveled around town, it reminded me of Kinston (North Carolina). There was connectivity from me walking in different restaurants, the love that we shared. It always felt like home.”
- Wednesday’s contest vs. Toronto began a stretch of nine of 10 games against teams that currently are in the playoffs or at least the play-in tournament, Rod Walker of NOLA.com notes. “It’s a great measuring stick to see where we’re at,” coach James Borrego said. “I think since a little before the All-Star break, we’ve played good basketball. We’ll get tested again here coming up, which is great for us. That’s where you want to be. And we’re going to treat it as such.”