Jimmer Fredette

And-Ones: Broadcasting Deals, Fredette, Budinger, Free Agent Analysis

A handful of NBA teams are making contingency plans for local broadcasting deals during the upcoming season. If Diamond Sports Group emerges from bankruptcy in the coming weeks or months, the company has discussed eliminating the RSN contracts for as many as five of its NBA teams — the Pelicans, Thunder, Grizzlies, Mavericks and PistonsTom Friend of the Sports Business Journal reports.

The decision is fluid, Friend adds, who hears the number could drop to three teams. Those five franchises are aware of the situation and most likely will offer their games over-the-air for free, if necessary. They would also each add a direct-to-consumer digital product.

We have more news from around the basketball world:

  • The USA’s 3×3 team in the Olympics failed to challenge for medal contention at the Paris Olympics. Adding injury to insult, its most prominent member — former NBA guard Jimmer Fredette — suffered an adductor tear that will require a six-month recovery period, Eurohoops.net relays. Fredette revealed the injury on social media. “I had an injury that took place in the beginning minutes of our second game against Poland,” he wrote. “I tore two different ligaments completely in my adductor, which prevented me from being able to compete. This will lead me to have a recovery of around six months.”
  • Another former NBA player, Chase Budinger, had his dreams of an Olympic medal dashed on Monday. Budinger and his beach volleyball partner, Miles Evans, won their first match against a duo from France but then lost to the Netherlands and Spain before falling to Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, the defending gold medalists from Tokyo. Budinger will still cherish the memories, per ESPN News Services. “Playing in the Olympics, playing in this venue, will definitely be up there with some of my greatest basketball moments, for sure,” Budinger said.
  • Will the Kyle Anderson and Isaiah Hartenstein additions prove disappointing to the Warriors and Thunder, respectively? Will Tyus Jones and Chris Paul end up as the biggest bargains in free agency? The Athletic’s Josh Robbins, Kelly Iko and Darnell Mayberry provide their insights and opinions on the free agent moves and trades made during this offseason.

And-Ones: Bailey, Broadcasting Deal, 3×3 Event, Fredette, Budinger

In HoopsHype’s first aggregate mock draft of 2025, Duke’s Cooper Flagg is ranked No. 1. However, an anonymous NBA executive believes Ace Bailey — ranked No. 2 — could eventually move past Flagg in the rankings.

“I could see Bailey supplanting Flagg for No. 1,” the executive told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “I think Bailey is more talented with the ball than Flagg at this point, but I think Flagg is a better overall player than Bailey now.”

Another executive compares Bailey to Paul George if he “hits his ceiling.” Dylan Harper, Bailey’s teammate at Rutgers, is ranked No. 3.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • XFinity subscribers will be able to watch their local NBA teams again this coming season, if they’re willing to fork up more money. Diamond Sports Group, which has gone through a lengthy bankruptcy process, and Comcast announced Monday they had reached a deal that makes 15 Bally-branded channels available again to Xfinity subscribers, The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reports. However, those fans will have to purchase the Ultimate TV package plan, which costs an additional $20 per month.
  • The United States’ debut in Olympic 3×3 basketball was a flop, according to Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press. The Americans lost to Serbia 22-14 on Tuesday in Paris. Former NBA player Jimmer Fredette was limited to four points. The U.S. team failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
  • Chase Budinger, a seven-year NBA forward, won his opening match in beach volleyball at the Paris Olympics. Budinger and his partner, Miles Evans, beat a French duo in straight sets, Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press relays. “It took me six years. It took me a long time to finally achieve this goal and I am here competing at the Olympics,” Budinger said. “And there is no better feeling.”

And-Ones: Team USA, Fredette, Peavy, Edwards, B. Gordon

USA Basketball announced today in a press release that former NBA lottery pick Jimmer Fredette will be among the players that represent the country as part of the men’s 3×3 basketball team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

A star sharpshooter at BYU from 2007-11, Fredette was selected 10th overall in the 2011 draft, but never developed into a reliable rotation player in the NBA, averaging 6.0 PPG with a .372 3PT% in 241 career appearances from 2011-19. He became a star for the Shanghai Sharks in China, but has spent the last few years focusing on 3×3 and has previously expressed a desire to win a gold medal with Team USA in 2024.

Former Princeton standout Kareem Maddox and former Florida Southern star Dylan Travis will join Fredette on Team USA’s 3×3 roster. Rounding out the team will be Canyon Barry, a veteran shooting guard and an ex-Florida Gator who spent several seasons with the Iowa Wolves, the Timberwolves’ G League affiliate, from 2018-22.

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

  • TCU wing Micah Peavy will test the NBA draft waters this spring will also entering the NCAA transfer portal, he tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Peavy averaged 10.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 29.3 minutes per game across 34 appearances for the Horned Frogs as a senior in 2023/24. He has one year of college eligibility left due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • James Madison swingman Terrence Edwards Jr. is also taking advantage of his extra year of NCAA eligibility by entering both the transfer portal and the NBA draft, he tells Joe Tipton of On3 Sports (Twitter link). Edwards was a full-time starter for the first time in his fourth college season and earned Sun Belt Player of the Year honors by averaging 17.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 3.4 APG with a .427/.343/.810 shooting line in 36 games.
  • Former NBA guard Ben Gordon, who appeared in more than 740 regular season games for the Bulls, Pistons, Bobcats, and Magic from 2004-15, has entered into a probation program after being arrested for causing a disturbance in a Connecticut juice shop in April 2023, per Dave Collins of The Associated Press. If he follows the conditions of the program and doesn’t commit any crimes during the 18-month probation period, Gordon will have his weapons and threatening charges erased, Collins explains.

And-Ones: Chiozza, Haliburton, Edwards, Team USA, Olympics

Veteran NBA point guard Chris Chiozza will continue his playing career in Spain, having signed with Baskonia through the end of the 2023/24 season, according to a press release from the team.

Chiozza appeared in 91 total regular season games for the Rockets, Wizards, Nets, and Warriors between 2018-22. After seeing NBA action in four straight seasons, he was waived by Brooklyn last October and wasn’t in the league in 2022/23.

However, Chiozza thrived for the Long Island Nets in the G League last season, averaging 12.6 points and 9.1 assists in 34.1 minutes per game across 46 total regular season and Showcase Cup contests, with a .433/.404/.729 shooting line. The performance earned him a spot on the All-NBAGL Third Team — but not another NBA opportunity this fall.

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

  • Speaking to Joe Vardon of The Athletic about his experience competing in the FIBA World Cup this summer, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said that he and Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards were “recruiting each other” during their team with Team USA and that they both believe they’re deserving of spots on the U.S. roster for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
  • Team USA has secured Olympic berths in both men’s and women’s 3-on-3 basketball, making the U.S. the first national basketball federation to earn spots in Paris in all four basketball competitions (men’s and women’s 5-on-5 and 3-on-3), per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Former NBA lottery pick Jimmer Fredette is expected to be part of Team USA’s 3-on-3 roster at the 2024 Olympics. “People are starting to understand a little bit about 3-on-3, what it is, and as they do, they’re like, ‘Oh, this is kind of a cool sport,'” Fredette said. “We’ve been trying to raise awareness, build a program and become the best in the world at it. We’re headed that direction, but we’re not there yet.”
  • The fact that James Harden ultimately got the trade he sought to his preferred destination in Los Angeles is proof that player empowerment remains very much alive in the NBA, Vincent Goodwill writes in a column for Yahoo Sports.

And-Ones: Fredette, Dischinger, 2024 Draft, More

Jimmer Fredette, the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, launched 8.5 three-pointers per game as a college senior at BYU in 2010/11 and made 39.6% of them. However, while he hit 37.2% of his threes at the NBA level, he never emerged as a consistent rotation player and was out of the league by 2016, with the exception of a brief cameo during the 2018/19 season.

Speaking to Sam Yip of HoopsHype, Fredette observed that his game is more suited to the NBA now than it was when he went pro in 2011. The veteran sharpshooter, who eventually emerged as a star in China for the Shanghai Sharks, admits that he sometimes thinks about what his career would’ve looked like if he were coming out of college now.

“Of course you think about it, right? Like, I mean there’s no way that you don’t think about it,” Fredette said. “Obviously, it does fit my game better now than it did before. It’s more positionless basketball. When I came out it was like, ‘Is he a one or is he a two? What’s the deal? Who’s he gonna guard?’ Now it’s like, ‘If you can play, you can play and if you can shoot, you’re an asset.’

“… So I was definitely probably a little bit ahead of my time as far as that’s concerned. But it is what it is and right now I’m in a good spot and using my talents and been able to do it all over the place.”

As Yip notes, Fredette – who is now 34 years old – is currently focused on 3-on-3 basketball and hopes to win a gold medal with Team USA at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

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

  • The Trail Blazers have put out a statement mourning the passing of former NBA wing Terry Dischinger, a three-time All-Star and Rookie of the Year who played in the league from 1962-73 in Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, and Portland. The former Purdue star was 82 years old.
  • Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has published a new 2024 mock draft, moving French big man Alexandre Sarr up to No. 2 and referring to him as “the hottest name early in the 2024 draft cycle,” based on his performances against the G League Ignite last month. While ESPN’s most recent mock draft had USC’s Isaiah Collier at No. 2 and Duke’s Tyrese Proctor at No. 14, Wasserman has Collier and Proctor at No. 6 and No. 5, respectively.
  • Which new and old NBA on-court rules will be points of emphasis for referees this season? Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune takes a closer look, noting that the league has introduced new in-game penalties for flopping and wants its officials to actually call defensive three-second violations in fourth quarters and clutch situations.
  • Rob Mahoney of The Ringer identifies five teams that he believes will define the 2023/24 NBA season, starting with the defending champion Nuggets. Mahoney also discusses the Bucks, Heat, Thunder, and Grizzlies.
  • HoopsHype has shared an excerpt from Alex Squadron’s book ‘Life in the G,’ which follows players in the G League as they push for a promotion to the NBA.

And-Ones: Curry, Pelicans, Fredette, Maddox, NBA Con

The Warriors Stephen Curry won another NBA award, but it wasn’t for his on-court prowess. He’s the recipient of the Professional Basketball Writers Association’s 2023 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for his inspiring work in the community, the PBWA tweets. Curry was selected for promoting youth literacy, fitness and nutrition, as well as fostering gender equity in sports. Lakers center Wenyen Gabriel, Clippers forward Paul George and Celtics forward Grant Williams were the other finalists.

We have more from the basketball world:

  • The Pelicans’ lease at the Smoothie King Arena expires next June but they plan to renew it to remain there for several more years, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. However, after renewing the lease, they plan to commission a study on whether renovations can be made to upgrade the arena or whether a new one is needed. Commissioner Adam Silver has stated that every arena in the league needs to be state of the art. New Orleans’ arena has the fewest seats of any lower bowl in the NBA.
  • Former NBA player Jimmer Fredette is among the players chosen for the USA’s Men’s 3×3 World Cup Team, the organization tweets. Timberwolves video associate Kareem Maddox is also on the squad, Minnesota’s PR department tweets. The four-member team will compete in the FIBA 3×3 World Cup from May 30 to June 4 in Vienna, Austria.
  • The NBA is adding a new fan-friendly event at the Summer League in Las Vegas, according to a league press release. NBA Con, a celebration of the best of hoops culture, will debut at Mandalay Bay from July 7-9, 2023.  NBA Con will bring together the fashion, music, cuisine, art and technology that make the league a cultural phenomenon, with appearances by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, top draft prospects Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson and numerous current NBA stars.

And-Ones: Henderson, 2023 Cap Room, Fredette, Hammon

After giving fans the opportunity to see more of top prospect Victor Wembanyama by announcing that all of this season’s Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 games will be available to watch for free on the NBA app, the league is taking a similar path with consensus No. 2 prospect Scoot Henderson.

According to the NBA, a series of G League Ignite games will be available to stream for free on the NBA App this season. The league announced that Henderson and the Ignite will be featured on the app eight times in November and December during the NBAGL’s Showcase Cup, starting on Friday — the Ignite will host the Oklahoma City Blue – the Thunder’s affiliate – tonight in the season opener.

Neither Wembanyama nor Henderson is taking the traditional U.S. college route that most top picks have in the past, opening the door for the NBA to take unique steps to market two players who have the potential to become perennial All-Stars in the league within the next few years.

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

  • Danny Leroux of The Athletic takes an early look at which teams do and don’t project to have cap room during the summer of 2023, identifying the Rockets, Pistons, Spurs, Magic, and Pacers as some of the teams with the most flexibility.
  • Former NBA lottery pick Jimmer Fredette, who didn’t have much NBA success but became a star in China, now hopes to be part of Team USA’s 3×3 basketball team for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Veteran broadcaster and analyst Fran Fraschilla is coaching the U.S. team and recruited Fredette for the qualifying process, including this week’s AmeriCup, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “I think Jimmer, unfortunately, was never in the right places in the NBA that valued what he can do,” Fraschilla said. “He can give us six to 10 weeks a year and he’ll have a great shot at being part of our Olympic team if we qualify.”
  • Las Vegas Aces head coach and former Spurs assistant Becky Hammon is joining ESPN as an NBA studio analyst for the 2022/23 season, as Richard Deitsch of The Athletic details.
  • Sam Yip of HoopsHype takes a look at the NBA players who took the biggest year-to-year pay cuts in league history, starting with Celtics big man Blake Griffin.

And-Ones: Brown, Fredette, Vaughn, Timma

Long Island Nets guard Bryce Brown is looking to be a steady contributor as he continues to eye his NBA dreams, he told Alec Sturm of NetsDaily in an exclusive interview.

Brown has averaged 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists with Long Island this season, shooting 40% from the floor and 37% from three-point range. He signed training camp deals with the Knicks in 2020 and the Nets last year, but he hasn’t appeared in an NBA regular season game.

“You know, I feel like everybody’s big goal at the end of the year is to get a call up,” Brown said. “But at the end of the day, I just want to get better. I want to become a better all-around player. And if I haven’t got a call up yet, like right now or in [the] next couple of weeks or before the season even ends, at the end of the day I just want to learn what do I need to do to get there?”

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Veteran guard Jimmer Fredette is returning to China to play with the Shanghai Sharks, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Fredette holds 241 games of NBA experience and has made multiple stops in China. “It’s more about trying to win and help these guys, to fit in, to be a leader, and give a sense of calmness and a sense of someone who’s been there and done it with these guys to try to help them in tough situations and provide something they need,” he said.
  • Free agent guard Rashad Vaughn has signed in Greece with Lavrio BC, the team announced (via Twitter). Vaughn owns NBA experience with the Bucks, Nets and Magic. He was also the No. 17 pick of the 2015 NBA Draft.
  • EuroLeague veteran Janis Timma has signed a contract in the NBA G League, according to the league’s transactions page. Timma will be acquired by the Lakeland Magic, as they hold his returning player rights. He played Summer League with Orlando last August.

Noah Vonleh Expected To Join Shanghai Sharks

Free agent forward Noah Vonleh is expected to sign with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, sources tell Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Vonleh, 26, was the ninth overall pick in the 2014 draft. Since entering the NBA, he has appeared in a total of 339 regular season games for Charlotte, Portland, Chicago, New York, Minnesota, Denver, and Brooklyn.

However, the 6’10” forward hasn’t been a regular rotation player for an NBA club since the 2018/19 season, when he averaged 8.4 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 68 games (25.3 MPG) for the Knicks. Vonleh was out of the NBA for most of 2020/21, having spent just a couple weeks in February with the Nets before being waived. He appeared in four games for Brooklyn.

For much of the offseason, the Chinese Basketball Association hadn’t permitted its teams to add foreign players due to coronavirus-related concerns. However, now that the league has opted to play its 2021/22 season in a bubble, foreign players will be allowed in the CBA.

Shanghai hasn’t wasted any time in taking advantage of the rule changes, having already agreed to a deal with ex-NBA wing Jamaal Franklin. Carchia reports that the Sharks are also expected to bring back former NBA lottery pick Jimmer Fredette, who has spent most of the last five seasons in Shanghai.

Jimmer Fredette Confirms Return To Shanghai

Former NBA lottery pick Jimmer Fredette has confirmed that he’ll rejoin the Shanghai Sharks in China for the 2020/21 season, announcing the news on Instagram.

Emiliano Carchia of Sportando first reported in July that Fredette would return to Shanghai, though at the time agent Chris Emens denied that there was an agreement in place between the two sides. Carchia indicated in July that the deal was expected to be worth $1.6MM.

The 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Fredette has appeared in a total of 241 NBA regular season contests, most recently seeing action in six games for the Suns in 2018/19. However, his NBA production has been modest and he has enjoyed greater success in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Fredette played for Shanghai from 2016-19, earning CBA All-Star honors three times and averaging approximately 37 PPG over those three seasons. He spent the 2019/20 season with Panathinaikos, averaging 12.9 PPG with a .417 3PT% in 27 EuroLeague games. Panathinaikos was crowned the Greek League champion when the season was shut down to COVID-19.

Since Fredette is still just 31 years old, another NBA comeback remains a possibility. But he has been able to play a greater role for teams in Europe and Asia while earning salaries comparable to the NBA’s minimum, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he finishes his career overseas.