Nigerian National Team Hires David Fizdale As New Coach
Former NBA coach David Fizdale, who is currently an analyst for NBA TV, is the new head coach of Nigeria’s men’s national team, he tells Marc J. Spears of ESPN Andscape.
The 51-year-old will be looking to lead the Nigerians to the 2028 Olympic games in Fizdale’s hometown of Los Angeles.
“It will be fun and exciting calling timeouts and drawing plays up again as a head coach,” Fizdale told ESPN Andscape in a phone interview. “It will be good to get back in that mindset of preparation and motivation. That is going to be fun and exciting as well. But the biggest fact is the nostalgia and what is driving me to get to L.A. What is driving me the most is helping Nigeria not only qualify and medal, but to do that in front of my family. That would be the most special thing.”
Fizdale spent several years as an assistant in Miami prior to landing his first head coaching job with Memphis. He also had a stint as head coach of New York. Overall, Fizdale compiled a 71-134 (.346 win percentage) regular season record across parts of four seasons with the Grizzlies and Knicks from 2016-19. His most recent coaching job came as the top assistant in Phoenix from 2023-25.
According to Fizdale, current Knicks head coach Mike Brown — who previously led Nigeria’s national team — helped convince him to take the job. Nigeria will play in the African qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in early July, Spears notes.
If the Nigerian national team is able to qualify for the 2027 World Cup or 2028 Olympics, the roster could be loaded with NBA talent. A source tells Spears that Desmond Bane, OG Anunoby, Onyeka Okongwu, Gabe Vincent, Mark Williams, Zeke Nnaji, Precious Achiuwa, Josh Okogie, Adem Bona and Isaac Okoro are among the candidates to potentially suit up for those events.
Latest On NBA Europe
There continues to be ongoing dialogue between the NBA and EuroLeague about the NBA’s proposed European league, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. However, the two sides are still working through the details of what a potential partnership might look like.
According to Vardon, new EuroLeague CEO Chus Bueno — a former NBA executive — will meet this week in Barcelona with George Aivazoglou, the NBA’s day-to-day leader of the project. Aivazoglou’s title with the NBA is managing director of Europe and the Middle East.
As Vardon details, the NBA has sought the money, fan bases, infrastructure and “local gravity” of European football (soccer) giants for NBA Europe, but those teams don’t view the situation as being on even footing in negotiations.
“The clubs are still of the mind that the NBA needs them much more than the clubs need the NBA,” one source familiar with the talks told The Athletic. “Half these clubs don’t really need a basketball team. If you really challenge them, I think they would love to have one in many ways but it’s not a necessity.”
Still, Vardon points out that some of those clubs could be incentivized to “play ball” if they hope to eventually own NBA teams in the future. Sovereign or public wealth funds are currently limited to minority ownership stakes in NBA clubs, Vardon notes, but it’s possible that could change down the line, especially if the board of governors and league office support the idea.
Vardon describes the current situation as “tense,” since both sides are trying to find a middle ground in several areas. While the NBA would like all of the current EuroLeague teams to be involved in NBA Europe, the NBA is also insisting license holders pay a sliding-scale fee based on market size on top of seeking infrastructure improvements, Vardon reports.
“Why should one pay less or more than the other — there should be some coherence around the valuations,” a representative for a potential NBA Europe team said.
Some of the European soccer giants have also floated the idea paying of NBA teams to essentially rent their star players for a period of time, like the transfer system. The NBA viewed that concept as a nonstarter, however.
“This is not something (the NBA is) currently entertaining or considering,” a source familiar with the negotiations told Vardon.
Regardless of how the talks play out, Vardon still hears Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will likely own one of NBA Europe’s licensed teams, with London as the market.
And-Ones: Cuban, CEBL, Tanking, 2026 Draft
Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban has made an investment in a Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) team. The Brampton Honey Badgers announced on Thursday that Cuban has joined the club’s ownership group. Former Mavs executive Al Whitley currently serves as the Honey Badgers’ CEO.
“I am thrilled that Mark has decided to formally join me on this journey after having already helped along the way, including introducing me to our current CEO Al Whitley,” team owner Leonard Asper said in a statement. “No one brings more basketball knowledge and winning culture than Mark, and all of us at the Honey Badgers are honored to have him join this organization.”
The CEBL, which began play in 2019, features 10 teams across six Canadian provinces. There has been no shortage of players with NBA experience competing in the league in recent years. During the 2025 season, four of the CEBL’s top five scorers – Javonte Smart, Mitch Creek, Donovan Williams, and Terquavion Smith – were players who have appeared in NBA games.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Only about 28% of the players polled by The Athletic don’t view tanking as a problem for the NBA, according to Joe Vardon, Sam Amick, and Josh Robbins, with the other 72% viewing it as either a “big” or “little” issue. “I’m salty on this one, I think the league needs to do something about it,” one player said. The Athletic’s reporters also relayed players’ thoughts on whether the NBA’s integrity is in any real danger (75% said no) and what changes they would make if they were running the league. Reducing the amount of regular season games and eliminating back-to-backs were among the top responses to that last question, along with tweaking rules to favor defense and expanding the league beyond 30 teams.
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his 2026 mock draft ahead of the upcoming lottery, with no major surprises among the first few picks. Notably, Arizona’s Brayden Burries has moved into Wasserman’s top 10 along with the usual suspects after UConn’s Braylon Mullins opted not to go pro.
- Jeremy Woo of ESPN previews this Sunday’s draft lottery by breaking down each team’s odds for the No. 1 pick and a top-four selection, from the Wizards to the Hornets, and outlining the prospects who would best fit each of those clubs.
Former NBA Forward Sasha Vezenkov Named EuroLeague MVP
Olympiacos forward Sasha Vezenkov has been named the EuroLeague’s Most Valuable Player for the 2025/26 season, per a press release.
Vezenkov, who also claimed EuroLeague MVP in ’22/23, joins Anthony Parker as the only players who have won the award two times. Parker, a former NBA shooting guard, is currently the general manager of the Magic.
The 57th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Vezenkov played for several years overseas prior to signing a multiyear deal with the Kings in the summer of 2023. The 30-year-old only spent one season in Sacramento, averaging 5.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game across 42 appearances, prior to being traded to Toronto the 2024 offseason. He gave up his full 2024/25 salary in a buyout with the Raptors to return to Olympiacos on a new multiyear deal.
Vezenkov, the runner-up for last year’s EuroLeague MVP award, helped guide Olympiacos to a 26-12 record this season, which was the top mark in the league. The 6’8″ forward led the league in scoring at 19.4 points per game on an excellent shooting slash line of .543/.396/.892. He also grabbed 6.6 rebounds per contest in his 34 appearances (28.4 minutes).
The EuroLeague’s Most Valuable Player award is voted on by head coaches (35%), team captains (35%), media members (20%), and fans (10%). Vezenkov beat out Zalgris Kaunas guard Sylvain Francisco and Hapoel Tel Aviv wing Elijah Bryant, who finished second and third in voting, respectively.
Vezenkov, Francisco and Bryant headline the All-EuroLeague First Team, which was rounded out by Olympiacos center Nikola Milutinov and Valencia Basket guard Jean Montero, who also claimed the Rising Star award. Five former NBA players — Wade Baldwin, Tyler Dorsey, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, and Walter Tavares — were voted to the All-EuroLeague Second Team.
Joe Ingles Plans To Join Melbourne United Next Season
Timberwolves wing Joe Ingles is still in the NBA playoffs but he’s already made plans to play in his native Australia in 2026/27. Ingles is expected to finish his career there by signing with Melbourne United for the next National Basketball League (NBL) season, multiple sources told ESPN’s Olgun Uluc.
Ingles is currently playing on a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal with Minnesota, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Uluc reported earlier this month that Ingles was aiming to return to Australia and was drawing interest from both Melbourne-based teams — United and the South East Melbourne Phoenix. The Adelaide 36ers were also among his suitors. Ingles began his professional career in the NBL with the now-defunct South Dragons in 2006.
Ingles has represented his country for many years on the international stage, suiting up for the Australian Boomers in five Olympics, including Paris in 2024.
He will be 39 by the time the 2026/27 NBL season begins but with his NBA experience, elite three-point shooting, positional size, and ability as a creator, he could still have an impact in the Australian league.
Ingles has been at the end of the Timberwolves’ bench for the last two seasons, appearing in 19 games in 2024/25 and 27 in ’25/26. He never played more than nine minutes in his first 25 appearances this season before an April 8 stint against Orlando in which he contributed seven points, four rebounds and four assists. He got a chance to play 32 minutes against New Orleans in the regular season finale and racked up 15 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.
Ingles made a cameo in Minnesota’s Game 3 victory over Denver on Thursday that gave the Timberwolves a 2-1 in the first-round series.
In 750 career regular-season contests, Ingles has averaged 7.7 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 23.5 minutes. He’s a career 40.9 percent three-point shooter who had his best seasons with Utah during his first eight years in the league.
Isaac Bonga, Alpha Diallo Have Drawn NBA Interest
Plenty of players in the EuroLeague get checked in on by NBA teams during the course of the season, but two were particularly close to moving to the United States this season, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews: Isaac Bonga and Alpha Diallo.
Bonga, who plays for Partizan Belgrade in Serbia, had interest in returning to the NBA after multiple teams expressed strong interest, Urbonas notes. Because Bonga’s contract, which runs through 2027, didn’t contain an in-season exit clause, Partizan blocked any such move.
While that put an end to his efforts to get to the NBA during the season, Bonga does have an NBA out clause that he could take advantage of during the offseason.
The 2025 Adriatic League Best Defensive Player averaged 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game this season while hitting 36.5% of his threes. Still just 26 years old, Bonga last played in the NBA during the 2021/22 season, when he appeared in 15 games with the Raptors. He played four years in the league, from 2018-22.
According to Urbonas, Diallo was considered one of the best all-around players in the EuroLeague this season. He was voted the Best Defensive Player by EuroLeague general managers after ranking second in steals.
The 6’7″ forward drew the eye of at least one NBA team, Urbonas reports, and while his contract with AS Monaco runs through 2028, he also has an NBA out that could allow him to explore a move during the offseason.
Diallo went unselected in the 2020 draft after playing four years at Providence.
Lakers Notes: Doncic, Kennard, Game 2, Hayes
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves remain out for the Lakers‘ Game 2 matchup against the Rockets on Tuesday, The Athletic’s Dan Woike notes (via Twitter). This was expected as the star backcourt continues to work its way back from a left hamstring strain and left oblique muscle strain, respectively.
While Doncic hasn’t been able to suit up in the playoffs, he has been a valuable presence on the bench, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
“I think people don’t know how much impact Luka has, not only on the court, but off the court,” teammate Rui Hachimura said. “He’s a guy that always wants to be around. … We love him just being around, just hanging out, talking. So, yeah, we’re happy that he’s back finally and he’s doing funny things always. … We missed him for sure.”
Turner writes that Doncic was active on the sideline during Game 1, providing both feedback and encouragement to his teammates. He remains without a firm timeline for return.
We have more from the Lakers:
- Lakers’ coach JJ Redick has loved what he’s seen from Luke Kennard, the hero of Game 1. One of his challenges for the elite shooter was sacrificing some efficiency for volume, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin notes (Twitter video link). “One of the things messaging-wise was, ‘You shooting six or seven threes a game at 38% for the series is better than you shooting three a game at 45%,‘” Redick said. “It’s unlikely he’ll go five-for-five every game, but I loved his level of aggression.” Teammate Jaxson Hayes says Kennard’s outburst came as no surprise. “I used to grow up watching him drop 40, 50 a game in high school,” Hayes said, per McMenamin (Twitter video link). “I’ve known he’s been able to do all that. I watched him do it.”
- Redick knows the Rockets will come out with desperation in Game 2 and is determined to have his Lakers match the energy they played with in Game 1, Benjamin Royer writes for the Orange County Register. “Every day requires something different,” he said. “Yesterday required an elevated recovery day. Today required an elevated focus. It was a longer film session. A decent amount of teach, talk on the court beyond just the practice session. Tomorrow is going to require an elevated sense of desperation on our part because they’re going to come in with that.”
- Hayes has been granted a Slovenian passport, per Michael J. Duarte of The California Post (Twitter video link), allowing him to play with Doncic during international play as the Slovenian team’s designated naturalized player. Hayes says that Doncic has been calling him “my Slovenian brother” since the paperwork came through.
Fischer’s Latest: Horst, Bucks, Jenkins, Blazers, Bulls
The Bucks endured a disappointing and drama-filled season in 2025/26, going just 32-50 amid injuries to — and trade rumors involving — Giannis Antetokounmpo. Head coach Doc Rivers officially stepped down from his role on Monday and suggested in a subsequent podcast appearance that his NBA coaching days may be over.
Could general manager Jon Horst be the next key member of the organization on the move? According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), the early signs in Milwaukee indicate the answer to that question is no.
There had been speculation around the league about Horst’s job status, but his contract runs through 2027/28 and he has initiated contact with several agents as the Bucks commence their search for Rivers’ replacement, sources tell Fischer.
As Fischer writes, Horst hasn’t really spearheaded a coaching search since 2018, when the team hired Mike Budenholzer. Adrian Griffin, who went 30-13 in ’23/24 before being replaced by Rivers, was believed to be the favored choice of Antetokounmpo, while Rivers was hand-picked by ownership.
Fischer reiterates that ex-Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins and Bucks top assistant Darvin Ham are among the candidates for the position, but Horst appears to be casting a wide net in his search, with several other names in play as well.
On the other end of the search, candidates for the job likely won’t have a great feel for what Milwaukee’s roster will look like next season until at least this summer, Fischer notes, since Antetokounmpo’s situation remains unresolved.
Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:
- Jenkins, who was fired by Memphis near the end of the ’24/25 regular season, may be the “hottest name” on the coaching market, Fischer writes. There has been speculation the Wizards could be interested in Jenkins, but Washington’s front office recently said Brian Keefe is expected to remain in his role next season. Sources tell Fischer the Wizards want to give Keefe a chance to lead a team trying to win after Washington prioritized draft positioning in his first two-and-a-half years at the helm. The Magic are believed to be fans of Jenkins too, though the team still has Jamahl Mosley under contract.
- According to Fischer, part of the reason the Kings decided to retain Doug Christie is because Sacramento doesn’t project to be a playoff team next season and the former NBA guard has one year left on his contract. Given the current state of the team, paying two coaches doesn’t make much sense, Fischer writes.
- While Tiago Splitter has seemingly done as well as anyone could have hoped in Portland after Chauncey Billups was arrested and placed on leave as part of an illegal gambling probe, the Trail Blazers may be leaning in a different direction as they look to hire the first head coach under new majority owner Tom Dundon. According to Fischer, that’s not a reflection on Splitter’s performance as Portland’s interim replacement but rather Dundon’s reticence to pay the going rate for an NBA head coach. Fischer hears it has been “widely communicated” for weeks that Dundon is evidently looking to spend a maximum of $1.5MM per year on a new head coach, which is more in line with what top assistant coaches make. It’s also far less money than high-level college head coaches earn, Fischer continues, which is why some people believe an NBA assistant is more likely to accept the job unless a deal can be reached with Splitter. Fischer hears the Blazers have held exploratory talks with 20 college and international coaches about the position.
- The Bulls have hired the firm TurnkeyZRG to lead the search process for their new head of basketball operations, Fischer reports, but head coach Billy Donovan is also expected to have a “strong voice” in the search, assuming he stays in his current role. The Mavericks, meanwhile, decided not to use a search firm, with governor Patrick Dumont leading that process, Fischer adds.
And-Ones: Rivers, Awards, Playoff X-Factors, Wemby, Morant
In a podcast appearance with Bill Simmons of The Ringer (Twitter video link), Doc Rivers suggested his coaching career might be finished. The 64-year-old stepped down as head coach of the Bucks earlier this week.
“We met about seven weeks ago, me and (Bucks) ownership,” Rivers said (hat tip to Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports). “We had a great meeting. They asked me what I wanted to do. One of the owners says one plan is, ‘If we do this, you can hang in there for a year or two.’ I literally said, ‘Oh, no, no, no.’
“I told my coaches, I’m done. I loved coaching. Loved it. I had a lot of success at it, had way more ups than downs. But at the end of the day, I’ve given 47 years or whatever, I don’t even know how old I am … with no off time. I just wanted a break. I want to get away. The grandkids and just life in general, man. Right now, I can tell you, Bill, I think it was time, so I’d be surprised if I coached another game, I’ll put it that way.”
Rivers, who will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later this year, compiled a 1194-866 regular season mark (.580) over the course of 27 seasons as an NBA head coach.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports and Tim Bontemps of ESPN have released their full 2026 NBA awards ballots. While both media members have the same top-five finishers for Most Valuable Player, with Luka Doncic fourth and Cade Cunningham fifth, the order of the three finalists are different. O’Connor has Victor Wembanyama as his MVP, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, whereas Bontemps had SGA winning his second straight MVP award, with Jokic the runner-up and Wembanyama in third.
- In another story for Yahoo Sports, O’Connor lists his playoff X-factors for every team competing in the postseason. Celtics center Neemias Queta, Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson and Spurs guard Dylan Harper are a few of the players mentioned.
- The Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA) has named Spurs center Wembanyama the winner of the Magic Johnson award for the 2025/26 season, per a press release. The award “honors the NBA player who best combines excellence on the court with cooperation and grace in dealing with the media and fans.” Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) was the runner-up for the second straight season, while Stephen Curry (Warriors), Jaylen Brown (Celtics) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) were the other finalists.
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has purchased a stake in the Metropolitans 92, Wembanyama’s former team in France, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “I’m excited about how this first season with the Metros is going,” Morant told ClutchPoints. “They represent the culture, just like we do. I like what we are building and hopefully we get to take it into NBA Europe.” Morant made the investment alongside his media and business venture company, Catch12.
Brazilian Legend Oscar Schmidt Dies At 68
Oscar Schmidt, who was inducted into the FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, died on Friday at age 68, per Mauricio Savarese of The Associated Press.
Schmidt’s family released a statement that said the 6’8″ forward battled a brain tumor for 15 years “with courage, dignity and resilience … while remaining a role model of determination, generosity and love of life.”
“Oscar leaves a legacy that transcends sport and inspires generations of athletes and admirers in Brazil and worldwide.”
Schmidt was selected by the Nets in the sixth round of the 1984 draft, but he never played in the NBA, deciding instead to continue representing the Brazilian national team in international competitions. As Savarese notes, at the time players had to choose between playing in the NBA or for their countries.
“The biggest player of Brazilian basketball history bids farewell as an absolute symbol of sport, the holder of a trajectory that redefined the boundaries of what was possible in a court,” the Brazil Basketball Confederation said in a statement. “His death closes an era. But his greatness remains.”
Schmidt, who retired in 2003 at 45, is one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history. Known as “Mão Santa” (Holy Hand), Schmidt led Brazil to a major upset over the United States in the final of the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, scoring 46 points in the victory. He is the all-time leading scorer in Olympic and World Cup competitions and holds the single-game scoring records in both tournaments, according to Savarese.
We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Schmidt’s family and friends.