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And-Ones: Simmons, Offseason, Trade Trends, RefMasters

March 17th, 2025 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been over a decade since Clippers guard Ben Simmons last played for Australia in an international tournament, but the former No. 1 overall pick tells Grant Afseth of RG.org that he hopes to take part in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles if he’s healthy and earns a spot on the Boomers’ roster.

“That’s what I’ve always wanted — to play in the Olympics,” Simmons said. “If I’m healthy and I’m good to go, then I’ll definitely be there.”

Simmons spoke in the past about the possibility of playing in the 2016, 2020, or 2024 Olympics. However, he withdrew in 2016 to prepare for his NBA rookie season and did so again in 2021 to focus on his individual skill development. Ongoing back issues prevented the three-time All-Star from being available for the 2024 event.

In addition to expressing early interest in being part of Australia’s roster for the 2028 Olympics, Simmons voiced his support for Wizards assistant Adam Caporn, who was named the new head coach of the men’s basketball team last week.

“He’s a great coach and a great person,” Simmons told Afseth. “I’m looking forward to talking to him and getting connected — continue to build our relationship going into the next Olympics.”

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

In an entertaining article for Bleacher Report, Eric Pincus looks ahead to the offseason and identifies three possible targets in free agency or via trade for all 30 teams. There’s some overlap along the way — for instance, Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford is considered a potential trade target for the Hawks, Pacers, Lakers, and Raptors.
Writing for Marc Stein’s Substack, NBA insider Jake Fischer examines some trade-related trends that have been created as a result of the new CBA, including an increase in deals involving three or more teams and a reluctance by teams to use their full mid-level exceptions in free agency, since those exceptions can now be used to acquire players via trade. “That will be a new trend,” one team strategist said. “More teams holding their mid-level exception open for the trade deadline.”
Three years ago, the NBA’s referees released a social and educational app known as RefMasters, which is designed to help improve play calls and to expand the pool of up-and-coming officials. Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic takes a closer look at how it works and what its creators hope to accomplish.

Wizards’ Adam Caporn To Coach Australian National Team

March 12th, 2025 at 8:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Wizards assistant Adam Caporn is set to serve as the head coach for the Australian national team, Washington announced today in a press release.

As the Wizards’ statement notes, Caporn becomes the 12th head coach of the program. Since 2017, he had served as an assistant under previous head coach Brian Goorjian, who stepped away following the 2024 Paris Olympics. With Caporn on the staff, Australia claimed a bronze medal in the 2021 Tokyo games.

“I am deeply grateful to Basketball Australia for their trust in me and to the entire Australian basketball community for the invaluable experiences and opportunities I’ve had from grassroots development to the Olympic stage,” Caporn said in the press release. “ I’m excited to get to work, building a team that will represent Australia with pride and continue to strengthen the Boomers’ great legacy and culture.”

Caporn had been the head coach for the Nets’ NBAGL affiliate squad, the Long Island Nets, during the 2021/22 season, before moving on to work as an assistant coach for Brooklyn for two years from 2022-24.

He is in his first season under Wizards head coach Brian Keefe. Caporn had also worked as an assistant at Saint Mary’s College of California, his alma mater, from 2010-14.

Besides Caporn, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, former Germany head coach Gordon Herbert, and veteran NBA assistant Will Weaver were said earlier this week to be among the candidates to take over for Goorjian as the new Boomers’ head coach.

Magic assistant Bret Brielmaier was a candidate too, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN, who also reports that Snyder remains in talks for an advisory role with Basketball Australia moving forward.

Former No. 1 Pick Bogut Named Sydney Kings Assistant

March 12th, 2025 at 7:36am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA center Andrew Bogut has been named an assistant coach on Brian Goorjian‘s Sydney Kings coaching staff, according to the official site of Australia’s National Basketball League.

Bogut, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, spent 14 seasons in the league, appearing in over 700 regular season games and averaging 9.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per contest. He made an All-NBA team in 2010 and an All-Defensive team in 2015 in addition to winning a championship with the Warriors in 2015.

An Australian native, Bogut also has an extensive history with the Sydney Kings. He was named the NBL’s Most Valuable Player and Best Defensive Player in 2019 as a member of the Kings and later became part of the club’s ownership group.

Bogut remains a part-owner of the Kings, but after retiring as a player in 2020, he was eager to get more involved with the on-court product.

“Being away from the game for five years, the itch to get back on the court was growing stronger with time,” Bogut said. “I’m honored to step into this position and work alongside Brian. Coaching is something I’m passionate about, and I can’t wait to help drive this team forward.”

“Being a three-time Olympian and an NBA champion, Andrew has a blue-chip pedigree,” said Goorjian, Australia’s former national team coach. “His knowledge of the game is elite and I know he will be a very valuable addition to our coaching staff.”

While Bogut seems content living and working in his home country, it will be interesting to see if the 40-year-old’s fledgling coaching career develops to the point that he’d consider returning stateside and joining an NBA franchise.

Pelicans To Play Two Preseason Games In Australia

March 10th, 2025 at 9:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans will play two preseason games against NBL teams in Melbourne this October, marking the first NBA games in Australia, according to a team press release.

The NBA has played numerous games, preseason and regular season, in Europe. There have also been preseason games in Japan and China, but these games will be on a new continent.

The Pelicans will play Melbourne United on Oct. 3 and South East Melbourne Phoenix in Oct. 5.

“The significance of this announcement for basketball in Australia and the NBL can’t be overstated,” NBL Executive Director Larry Kestelman said. “Hosting an NBA team in Australia has been a long-held dream for everyone at the NBL, and to see this initiative finally come to fruition after a 15-year journey shows that much can be accomplished when you dream big.”

Pelicans executive VP David Griffin indicated that the club will spend a significant portion of their training camp Down Under as well, he told Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link).

“The one thing we will do that will be unprecedented, is we’re gonna do a good portion – maybe not all of – but we’re gonna try be here prior to the games for a good portion of our training camp,” Griffin said. “Our full roster will be in attendance. These games will be really meaningful to us.”

The announcement builds on the NBA and NBL’s prior collaborations that began in 2016. Seven NBL teams have traveled to the U.S. to play 24 preseason games against NBA teams.

Stein’s Latest: Davis, Lively, Mavs, Durant, Billups, More

March 10th, 2025 at 3:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Perhaps the most interesting development in Sunday’s matchup between Phoenix and Dallas was something that took place off the court, as Mavericks big man Anthony Davis was on the bench and was “clearly itching to play,” according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Substack link).

Stein hears that Davis played some 2-on-2 over the weekend for the first time since he strained his left adductor on February 8 in his Dallas debut.

League sources tell Stein that both Davis and Dereck Lively, who is on the mend from a stress fracture in his right ankle, are on track to get healthy before the end of the season. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll actually suit up again for the Mavericks in 2024/25.

Amid a brutal wave of injuries, including losing Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL, the Mavs have dropped five straight games and are only 1.5 games ahead of Phoenix for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. And even if they hold onto the No. 10 seed, they’d have to win two straight road games in the play-in tournament to advance as the No. 8 seed, only to face the top-seeded Thunder in the first round.

As Stein observes, any hope the Mavericks had of another deep playoff run have been extinguished. Prioritizing the team’s odds of securing a lottery pick — and avoiding the possibility of Davis and Lively re-injuring themselves — is the most logical path for Dallas to take for the remainder of ’24/25.

Here’s more from Stein:

Although the Mavericks have been “repeatedly described” as a possible suitor for Suns forward Kevin Durant, both before and after last month’s trade deadline, Stein hears Dallas’ interest in Durant has been “overstated.” The Mavs’ depth would take a major blow if they try to trade for Durant, Stein notes, and they also lack future draft capital, which is why focusing on landing a lottery pick in June’s draft makes sense. Retaining Irving, who holds a $44MM player option for ’25/26, is a “priority” for Dallas, per Stein.
When asked by Stein how strange it was to play in Dallas knowing that the Mavericks traded away Luka Doncic, Suns guard Devin Booker replied, “You can feel it. You can feel it when you land.”
Scouts and executives from around the NBA are very curious what the future holds for Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, according to Stein. Before — and even during — the season, many around the league believed the two sides were destined to part ways, but Portland’s improved play has observers wondering if the team will exercise its option on Billups or perhaps give him a new contract. If the Blazers decide not to retain Billups, he would become an “in-demand coaching free agent,” Stein writes.
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, Wizards assistant Adam Caporn, former Germany head coach Gordon Herbert, and veteran NBA assistant Will Weaver are among the the candidates to be named the next head coach of Australia’s national team, according to Stein. The Boomers finished in sixth place at the 2024 Olympics in Paris after claiming their first medal in men’s basketball — a bronze — in Tokyo.

And-Ones: Warren, Baker, 2025 Draft, Banchero

February 27th, 2025 at 10:49pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Due to their hard cap, the Knicks are eligible to sign a 15th man to their roster as early as Friday. Free agent forward T.J. Warren is among the players on the New York’s radar and he’s currently suiting up for their G League affiliate in Westchester.

Warren said he’s valuing getting game experience while working his way back to the league. As SNY’s Ian Begley writes, Warren scored a Westchester-record 47 points in a game on February 7 and is averaging 24.9 PPG with a .357 3PT% (8.4 attempts per game).

“It’s been a blessing,” Warren said in an interview with SNY. “I just wanted to get some reps and get in the flow of playing basketball again and just show health. It’s been great being out here, mentoring the guys, just kind of showing them my experiences and teaching them the right way and having fun with it. Take advantage of every day. No wasted days.”

Warren last played in the NBA last year when he caught on with the Timberwolves for 11 games toward the end of the season. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau praised the route Warren is taking to try to get back to the league.

“I have a lot of respect for what he’s doing,” Thibodeau said. “He’s had a terrific year and he’s been great down there. For our young guys to watch somebody like that, who loves the game, great teammate and obviously he’s been terrific on the floor; I have a lot of respect for that.”

We have more from around the basketball world:

Robert Baker II officially joined ALBA Berlin prior to this week’s EuroLeague signing deadline, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews (Twitter link). Baker, the president of the G League’s Players Union, has turned down multiple offers to join NBA front offices, according to Urbonas (Twitter link). The Osceola Magic, with whom Baker had been playing, confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link via the Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede).
Cooper Flagg continues to prove why he’s the no-brainer No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 draft, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie writes in his latest big board. Dylan Harper (No. 2), Ace Bailey (No. 3), V.J. Edgecombe (No. 4) and Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 5) round out the rest of Vecenie’s top five. Outside of that, Vecenie takes a deeper dive into more under-the-radar guys, like Arizona’s Carter Bryant, San Diego State’s Miles Byrd and France’s Joan Beringer. I highly recommend checking out what Vecenie has to say about the rest of the class if you have a subscription to The Athletic, as his draft analysis is among the most in-depth.
In another piece related to the 2025 draft, The Athletic’s John Hollinger takes a closer look at three prospects, evaluating where they stand as the college season winds down. Hollinger agrees with Vecenie in that Bryant’s stock is on the rise, while Duke’s Khaman Maluach is stabilizing and Georgia’s Asa Newell is proving to be a bit more of a question mark. Hollinger also considers whether Edgecombe can push Harper for the No. 2 slot and discusses which prospect he believes is the most undervalued.
Former USA Basketball head coach Steve Kerr said he would be surprised if Magic forward Paolo Banchero isn’t on the 2028 Olympic team that competes in Los Angeles, according to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears (Twitter link). Kerr went on to say that Banchero actually almost made the cut for the 2024 team, per Beede (Twitter link). “He was right in the mix [until] the last second for Paris,” Kerr said. “That’s how strongly we felt about him in the Philippines during the [FIBA] World Cup. He’s such a talented guy and versatile. … he was right in the mix and ultimately it just came down to roster construction, what we needed. We ended up deciding more on guard play than frontcourt.“

Saben Lee Signs Multiyear Deal With Olympiacos

February 27th, 2025 at 7:16am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Saben Lee has signed a multiyear contract with Olympiacos, according to the Greek team, who announced in a press release that Lee’s new deal will run through the 2026/27 season.

Lee finalized his agreement with Olympiacos just “minutes” before the EuroLeague signing deadline on Wednesday, according to BasketNews.com.

The 38th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Lee spent four seasons playing for the Pistons, Sixers, and Suns from 2020-24. The 6’2″ guard finished last season on a two-way contract with Phoenix, having appeared in 24 NBA games for the Suns.

Across his four seasons in the NBA, Lee appeared in 134 total regular season games, averaging 5.2 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per contest. An unreliable jump shot hindered his ability to earn regular rotation minutes, as he posted a career shooting line of just .421/.271/.734.

Lee has spent an eventful 2024/25 season in Europe, bouncing around from team to team since signing with Manisa Basket in Turkey last August. He was bought out in October and joined Maccabi Tel Aviv, but parted ways with the Israeli club in November after a disagreement about where he would live and practice. The 25-year-old rejoined Manisa at that time, but has now once again been bought out of his contract with the Turkish team.

Lee will have an opportunity to compete for championships in the Greek League and the EuroLeague with Olympiacos, who are in contention for the top spot in both leagues. The club – which also features former NBA players Evan Fournier, Sasha Vezenkov, Tyler Dorsey, Nathan Mensah, Naz Mitrou-Long, Nigel Williams-Goss, Alec Peters, Kostas Papanikolaou, and Moses Wright – is 16-2 in domestic league play and 19-7 in EuroLeague competition.

Isaiah Wong Signs With Zalgiris Kaunas

February 26th, 2025 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

February 26: Wong has officially signed with Zalgiris Kaunas for the rest of the season, the team announced today (via Twitter).

February 25: Former Hornets guard Isaiah Wong is believed to be nearing an agreement with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.

Assuming Wong and Zalgiris Kaunas finalize a deal, it would put the 24-year-old on track to fill the roster hole created when Lonnie Walker opted out of his contract with the club last Tuesday in order to return to the NBA.

The 55th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Wong spent his rookie year on a two-way deal with the Pacers but appeared in just one NBA game for Indiana last season and became an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024. After spending some time in camp last fall with Utah, he opened this season with the Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.

In early December, Wong signed a two-way contract with the Hornets. The former Miami Hurricane subsequently appeared in 20 games off the bench for the Hornets, averaging 6.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 13.3 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .390/.394/.735.

Wong was waived by Charlotte just before the All-Star break and went unclaimed on waivers, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Presumably, reporting back to the Stars and finishing the season in the G League would be an option for Wong, but it appears he’s seriously considering the possibility of heading overseas ahead of Wednesday’s EuroLeague signing deadline.

Zalgiris Kaunas currently has a 12-14 record in EuroLeague play and is tied for 12th in the standings, so Wong could help the team make a push for a play-in (top-10) spot. Zalgiris is also 16-2 in domestic competition and is looking to reclaim its crown in the Lithuanian league after losing the championship to Rytas Vilnius last season.

And-Ones: Jefferson, Tanner, UNC, Worst Contracts, Baker

February 25th, 2025 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

Richard Jefferson will be part of the top ESPN/ABC broadcast team alongside Mike Breen and Doris Burke for the rest of the season, including the NBA Finals, as reported by Andrew Marchand of The Athletic and confirmed by ESPN.

Since ESPN parted ways with Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson in 2023, its top broadcast team has featured a rotating cast of analysts next to Breen and Burke. Doc Rivers and J.J. Redick both spent time in the role before leaving for NBA head coaching jobs. While ESPN has also experimented with Jay Bilas and Tim Legler as the third person in the booth, Jefferson has held the role for most of this season and will continue to do so through June.

Still, as Marchand notes, Jefferson’s long-term future in that role – and at ESPN/ABC in general – remains up in the air. He has reportedly received interest from Amazon Prime Video, which will begin broadcasting NBA games next season.

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

The University of North Carolina is hiring veteran NBA player agent Jim Tanner as its general manager, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Desmond Bane, Jarrett Allen, Jeremy Sochan, and Luke Kornet are among Tanner’s NBA clients, per RealGM. Jake Fischer reported last week that Tanner was among the candidates receiving serious consideration for that UNC GM position.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a shot at predicting which current NBA contracts will have the least value to teams two years from now, with a pair of Sixers (Joel Embiid and Paul George) and a pair of Celtics (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) on his list. While Tatum and Brown have shown no signs of slowing down, the fact that they’re the two players who most recently signed super-max deals makes them inherently risky long-term investments, Pincus explains.
Big man Robert Baker Jr., the current president of the G League’s players’ union, is on the verge of signing a contract with German club ALBA Berlin, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. Baker, who has spent this season with the Osceola Magic, helped lead Team USA to a pair of victories in AmeriCup qualifiers within the past week, racking up 11 points, 10 rebounds, and seven blocks in just 17 minutes of action on Sunday vs. the Bahamas.

Former Laker Armel Traore Joins Spanish Team

February 25th, 2025 at 7:45am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent forward Armel Traore has signed with BAXI Manresa, the Spanish team announced today in a press release.

A 6’9″ forward from France, Traore spent most of this season with the Lakers after going undrafted in 2024. He signed a two-way contract with Los Angeles last July and remained on that deal until earlier this month, when he was waived in order to create a two-way slot for guard Jordan Goodwin.

Traore only logged 67 total minutes across nine NBA appearances for L.A., playing primarily in garbage time. The 22-year-old saw more action at the G League level for the South Bay Lakers, averaging 14.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 27.1 minutes per game across 13 outings, with a shooting line of .507/.339/.679.

BAXI Manresa competes in the ACB Liga in Spain, as well as Europe’s Basketball Champions League. The club is currently in the thick of the Liga ACB playoff race with a 12-8 record and is in the midst of round-of-16 play in the Champions League.