Thunder Won’t Look To Move Chet Holmgren
Chet Holmgren remains a fixture on the Thunder roster despite his underwhelming performance in the Western Conference Finals. Oklahoma City has no interest in dealing away Holmgren, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
While the Thunder face some difficult roster decisions over the next few weeks, including team options on Isaiah Hartenstein, Luguentz Dort and Kenrich Williams, a Holmgren trade won’t be under consideration, says Fischer.
Holmgren was badly outplayed by Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in the conference finals, as he averaged 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in the series. That included a Game 7 clunker in which he contributed just four points and four rebounds in 33 minutes.
Holmgren, who was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive first team this season and was the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, is entering the first year of a five-year maximum-salary extension. Fischer notes that Holmgren’s length and impact on defense, paired with his floor-spacing ability, is difficult to replace.
Oklahoma City could be active on the trade market but are more likely to make some moves regarding its draft picks. The Thunder hold the 12th, 17th, and 37th picks in this month’s draft. Isaiah Joe or Aaron Wiggins could be dealt to help the team avoid the second tax apron, Fischer adds.
League sources tell Fischer that Oklahoma City remains unlikely to enter the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. While they have the young talent and draft picks to make a serious offer to the Bucks, Sam Presti isn’t the type of GM who would surrender that type of capital for a star player, particularly one already past the age of 30.
The Bucks are trending toward an Antetokounmpo trade between now and the draft because Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam essentially established such a timeline in early May.
Southeast Notes: Jaquez, Heat, Giannis, Hornets, Ball
Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Jaime Jaquez Jr. says he’s trying not to pay attention to the trade chatter involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Jaquez has been working out recently at the Heat‘s arena, but he’s currently in São Paulo, Brazil for an NBA event connected to the Finals, according to Winderman. The 25-year-old forward is rumored to be part of Miami’s offer for the Bucks superstar.
“I feel like it’s just the way it is on the Miami Heat team,” Jaquez said of the speculation amid management’s annual search for upgrades. “I think that it’s kind of normal. I’ve been here for, what, three years now? And every summer there’s a big rumor. So I’ve kind of just gotten to get out of the country and, you know, see new things.”
Jaquez, a former first-round pick (18th overall in 2023), will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. The versatile forward said he’d love to sign a long-term deal.
“I mean, I think that’d be incredible,” Jaquez said. “I think people always talk about it’s not the first contract, it’s the second one that really sets you up for a great life after basketball. It’s been great so far, the year that I’ve been having, the years that I spent in Miami. And I think an extension would be great, obviously. That’s what players search for, and I’m no different.”
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- In a mailbag for The Miami Herald, Anthony Chiang answers a question about why the Heat are willing to possibly impact their future by pursuing Antetokounmpo. As Chiang observes, Miami currently has six of its own first-round picks (Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic, Jaquez, Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis) on the roster but none of those players were selected higher than 13th overall and none have the potential to raise the team’s ceiling like the two-time Bucks MVP.
- The Hornets control two first-round picks (Nos. 14 and 18) in June’s draft. Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer examines the players who have been selected at those two spots over the past 10 years, with Adebayo (14th in 2017) being the most accomplished at the NBA level.
- A lawsuit against Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball is moving closer to trial, per Hank Lee of WCNC Charlotte. Ball is accused of injuring a child’s foot with his car as he was leaving the Spectrum Center after a team scrimmage in October 2023. The plaintiff, the child’s mother, is seeking $3.75MM in damages, according to Lee, who says Ball has denied the allegations. The trial is slated to begin the week of June 15.
Draft Notes: Dybantsa, Acuff, Ament, Alexis, Hoosiers
In a one-on-one interview with Ari Alexander of 7News Boston (Twitter video link), AJ Dybantsa praised both the Wizards and the Jazz and said he was confident he’ll end up being the No. 1 overall pick in a few weeks, as Jackson Payne of The Deseret News relays. Washington controls the first pick and Utah holds the second.
The former BYU star, who’s widely projected to be a top-two pick, pointed out that trades are always a possibility and said he’ll be content no matter where he ends up.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” Dybantsa told Alexander. “Anyone can trade up, anyone can trade down, but I’m going to be happy with anybody.”
Here’s more on the 2026 NBA draft:
- Darius Acuff, a projected mid-lottery pick, was in Chicago on Friday for a workout with the Bulls, reports Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). The ex-Arkansas guard also worked out for the Nets on Wednesday and has upcoming sessions with the Jazz and Bucks, according to Wasserman. Acuff is coming off one of the most productive seasons for a freshman guard in NCAA history, though there are question marks about his defense. Chicago, which held a workout on Tuesday featuring four other possible lottery picks, controls the fourth and 15th selections in the first round, while Brooklyn holds the sixth pick and Milwaukee has the 10th.
- While there has been chatter about the Nets being high on Nate Ament, the projected lottery pick hasn’t worked out for Brooklyn to this point, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). The 6’10” forward is another one-and-done prospect, having spent his freshman season at Tennessee.
- Indiana forward Sam Alexis said he’s in regular communication with former Hoosiers teammates Tucker DeVries and Lamar Wilkerson, who are also regulars in the pre-draft workout circuit, per Tony East of Forbes and Circle City Spin (Twitter video link). Alexis, a senior in 2025/26, worked out for the Pacers on Friday. He said the ex-Hoosiers are helping one another prepare by sending tips about what each team likes to do during the sessions. “It’s helpful,” Alexis said. “It’s a lot. (It helps) you mentally prepare for (the workout).” When asked by East if he wanted to be the first player to attend a team’s workout to help DeVries and Wilkerson, Alexis smirked. “Nah, I want to be the last one,” he said with a laugh.
Giannis Reportedly Has ‘Questions’ About Heat’s Post-Trade Roster
The Heat appear to be the current frontrunner in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes, but the Bucks star may not be fully sold on Miami as his next destination, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Appearing Friday on The Dan Patrick Show (Twitter video link), the NBA insider revealed that Antetokounmpo has concerns about whether the Heat can remain competitive considering what they would have to give up in a potential trade.
“The noise is tied to Miami, but there’s also some intel, discussion, kind of understanding, that Giannis has questions about what that Miami roster would look like on the other side of a deal,” Amick said. “… You don’t want to gut your roster and go to the place you’re excited to be in and then have a hard time contending for a championship.”
The latest rumored offer has shooting guard Tyler Herro going to Milwaukee, along with young center Kel’el Ware and Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Jaime Jaquez Jr. The Bucks would also receive the No. 13 pick in this year’s draft and two future first-rounders. Pick swaps and other players could also be involved, with only Bam Adebayo considered off limits.
Injuries limited Herro to 33 games this season, but he was Miami’s second-leading scorer at 20.5 PPG, while Jaquez tied for fourth at 15.4 PPG. Assuming free agent guard Norman Powell is re-signed, the post-trade offense would be focused around him, Antetokounmpo, Adebayo, and Andrew Wiggins, while the bench would mostly be filled with young, unproven players.
Amick still considers it “very likely” that Antetokounmpo will be moved before the draft and points to the Celtics as a “pretty intriguing” option that could offer a better chance to contend for a title. Amick adds that the “intrigue is real” from Antetokounmpo and his representatives, citing their perception of Boston’s roster and respect for head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Amick theorizes that the Heat’s interest in Antetokounmpo has been prominent in the media lately because they don’t have to worry about offending a star, saying, “They don’t really care what Tyler Herro feels about getting traded.” Boston has to be more “sensitive” about putting Jaylen Brown‘s name in trade rumors, especially after smoothing over a controversy that erupted last month when it was reported that Brown had “frustration” regarding his role on the team.
Amick also suggests that a “wild card team” could “come out of the shadows” and make a late play for Antetokounmpo. He states that there are “a lot of teams that are looking at this and absolutely interested,” but have to “pay attention to their own locker room dynamics.”
Latest On Giannis Antetokounmpo
Discussing the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market during the latest episode of the Milwaukee Bucks Point Forward podcast, Bucks beat writer Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel suggested that the lack of concrete updates recently may, paradoxically, suggest that talks are getting more serious.
“I’m not reporting anything, but the quiet is eerie,” Owczarski said (Twitter audio link). “And what I mean by that is that means something’s happening. And that’s just being on the beat for six years. That’s how (Bucks general manager) Jon Horst operates. Jrue Holiday appeared out of thin air. Damian Lillard appeared out of thin air. Trading Giannis Antetokounmpo is not something that is going to be leaked and sort of bread-crumbed out in public. That’s just not how this is going.
“I think the lack of news…and the quiet on a story that’s been pursued nationally for so many years indicates that all of the parties involved have gone omertà. The code of silence. You generally don’t do that unless you’re trying to get something done.”
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam stated about four weeks ago that the team hopes to have resolution one way or the other on the Antetokounmpo saga by the draft, and there’s no indication that timeline has changed. As Owczarski notes, if Milwaukee does trade the star forward, the team would like to be able to add at least one pick in a loaded 2026 draft.
Of course, Haslam didn’t say that a trade must happen by the draft — it’s also possible that Antetokounmpo could make a long-term commitment to the Bucks and tell the front office he plans to sign a new contract when he becomes extension-eligible in October. However, Owczarski says he’s not sure how much the team has explored the possibility of trying to acquire another star player to pair with Giannis.
Here are a few more Giannis-related items of interest:
- Later in the Point Forward podcast, Owczarski discussed what a package from the Heat for Antetokounmpo might look like and speculated about what the Magic would have to offer to get Milwaukee’s attention (video link via The Journal Sentinel).
- The Heat‘s interest in acquiring Antetokounmpo remains just as strong as it was before February’s trade deadline, league sources tell Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who says Bam Adebayo is the only Miami player “off limits” in the team’s trade talks with the Bucks. The Heat already have a good idea of which of their players Milwaukee likes, Jackson writes, noting that it’s “doubtful” Miami would draw the line on any specific role player. Jackson says that any trade is more likely to happen sometime after the NBA Finals end, in case more suitors emerge in the coming weeks, and adds that the Heat aren’t concerned about the offensive fit of a potential Adebayo/Antetokounmpo pairing.
- While the Celtics loom as a potential wild card in the Giannis sweepstakes, Jay King of The Athletic considers whether taking that sort of swing would be in Boston’s best interest, pointing out that president of basketball operations Brad Stevens could aggressively reshape his roster this summer without targeting Antetokounmpo.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, who has been putting together several hypothetical trade packages for Antetokounmpo in recent weeks, ranks those hypothetical returns for the Bucks, suggesting that the Cavaliers would be well positioned to win the bidding if they change their stance on Evan Mobley and become more willing to discuss the big man with the Bucks.
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Milwaukee Bucks
Since breaking through to secure their first championship in 50 years in 2021, the Bucks have won just a single playoff series, falling in the first round for three consecutive years from 2023-25. When MVP-caliber players aren't contending for titles, trade speculation is inevitable, so it's no surprise that whispers about Giannis Antetokounmpo' future have percolated since Milwaukee failed to defend its championship in 2022.
But the volume on those rumors began increasing to a new level during the 2025 offseason. Coming off their third straight first-round exit, the Bucks were in a tougher spot than ever, having lost star point guard Damian Lillard to a torn Achilles during their brief postseason run.
Recognizing that keeping Lillard's maximum-salary contract on their books while he spent the 2025/26 season recovering from his Achilles tear would essentially amount to taking a "gap year" in Antetokounmpo's prime, the Bucks opted for a more aggressive - and riskier - offseason strategy. They waived Lillard, stretching his remaining $112MM+ in salary over five seasons, then used their newly created cap room to bring in center Myles Turner, one of the top unrestricted free agents on the market.
Milwaukee's creativity and willingness to push all its chips into the center of the table was admirable. But it didn't quiet the rumors involving Antetokounmpo, who reportedly conveyed to the team later in the offseason that he wouldn't mind joining the Knicks, leading to brief, unsuccessful trade talks between the two teams. And it didn't make the Bucks any better on the court.
With Antetokounmpo battling health issues and Turner struggling to adjust to his new situation after spending a decade in Indiana, the Bucks lost seven consecutive games in November to drop to 8-12 to open the season. They were never able to get back to .500 after that. As the team experienced its worst season since Giannis' rookie year, the trade chatter surrounding the two-time MVP amped up again, and the Bucks fielded offers leading up to February's deadline before once again opting to stand pat.
Over the course of the year, Antetokounmpo repeatedly spoke about his love for Milwaukee and his desire to win another championship with the Bucks. But he also consistently made it clear that contending for a title would be his first priority, and that if he wasn't confident in the Bucks' ability to do so, he'd have to consider other options.
It didn't help matters that Giannis and the Bucks found themselves at odds multiple times after the trade deadline. The star forward bristled at the fact that co-owner Wes Edens told ESPN the club intended to either extend or trade him, then clashed with the organization over its handling of his knee injury -- Antetokounmpo felt he was healthy enough to return to action and the Bucks disagreed, prompting the NBA to investigate the matter (the team was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing).
Of course, the Antetokounmpo saga wasn't the only storyline in Milwaukee in 2025/26. Ryan Rollins' emergence in the Bucks' backcourt was one particularly encouraging development. The former second-round pick made a legitimate Most Improved Player case by averaging 17.6 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on .472/.406/.796 shooting.
But every other Bucks subplot, good and bad, was overshadowed by the speculation about what will happen with Giannis. It was a distraction that the rest of the roster had to deal with for the entire season and it's a question that will hang over the organization until there's a conclusive resolution -- not just in the form of Antetokounmpo verbally reaffirming his commitment for another year, but via either a long-term extension or a trade, as Edens and his fellow co-owner Jimmy Haslam have suggested.
Antetokounmpo clearly doesn't want to become a villain in Milwaukee by asking to leave, but dragging out this will-he-stay-or-go drama indefinitely isn't doing the Bucks any favors. This offseason needs to be about the organization and its superstar picking a direction and decisively taking a step forward, either with or without one another.
The Bucks' Offseason Plans
Milwaukee made its first major move of the offseason when the team split with head coach Doc Rivers shortly after the regular season ended and hired Taylor Jenkins as his replacement, reportedly giving the former Grizzlies coach a six-year deal worth over $10MM annually.
Heat Remain At Forefront Of Giannis Antetokounmpo Sweepstakes
As the Bucks continue to weigh possible trade options involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, the chatter about the Heat “remains louder than all the rest,” according to Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
As Amick and Nehm explain, many agents, executives, and other sources around the league believe the star forward will ultimately end up in Miami after the Heat seemingly came closer than any rival suitor to acquiring Antetokounmpo at February’s trade deadline. Those deadline discussions were so advanced, league sources tell The Athletic, that Heat officials believed a deal would get done before Milwaukee ultimately opted to stand pat.
NBA insider Jake Fischer also stated in his latest rumor round-up for Bleacher Report (video link) that he views the Heat as the top team to watch in the Giannis sweepstakes.
Both Fischer and The Athletic’s duo note that Antetokounmpo has long been intrigued by the Heat, with Fischer suggesting that interest dates back at least five or six years, while Amick and Nehm say the two-time MVP is “impressed” by the team culture in Miami.
As Amick and Nehm outline, the Heat’s offer would likely include 2025 All-Star Tyler Herro, young center Kel’el Ware, and Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Jaime Jaquez Jr., along with this year’s No. 13 overall pick and two future first-rounders.
Given that Milwaukee has been on the lookout for a package that features either a “blue-chip” young star or a ton of valuable first-round picks, it remains possible that the Heat could be outbid by another team with interest in Antetokounmpo.
However, some of those clubs may not be prepared to part with the player necessary to get a deal done – the Cavaliers, for instance, appear unwilling to give up Evan Mobley for Antetokounmpo – while others may be reluctant to give up a massive package for a player who only has one year left on his guaranteed contract. The Trail Blazers, for example, are said to have interest in Giannis, but the belief, as Amick and Nehm confirm, is that he prefers to remain in the Eastern Conference, so it’s unclear whether he’d sign an extension with a team like the Blazers. That makes Portland a less likely landing spot, per The Athletic.
Fischer also expressed skepticism about teams like the Thunder, Timberwolves, Warriors, and Rockets being serious threats for Antetokounmpo at this time.
In their story for The Athletic, Amick and Nehm also explore the Celtics and Magic as potential landing spots for Giannis. While there are no concrete indications that either team is in active pursuit of the 10-time All-Star, Antetokounmpo is believed to be “very intrigued” by the idea of ending up in Boston, per Amick and Nehm, and Orlando’s new head coach Sean Sweeney is very familiar with Giannis, having previously spent four seasons as an assistant coach in Milwaukee.
A Celtics offer for Antetokounmpo would likely have to include Jaylen Brown, who might need to be rerouted to a third team. Paolo Banchero, meanwhile, would probably have to be the centerpiece of a Magic offer.
If the Heat do manage to land Antetokounmpo, there will be questions about the club’s depth, as well as Giannis’ fit alongside Bam Adebayo, Amick and Nehm point out. As good as an Antetokounmpo/Adebayo duo would be defensively, neither player really stretches the floor on offense, so playing them alongside one another create spacing issues. However, the Heat don’t seem overly concerned about that potential issue as they attempt to land a star player for the first time since acquiring Jimmy Butler in 2019.
Stein’s Latest: Giannis, Magic, Braun, C. Johnson, Sixers
The Magic‘s decision to hire Sean Sweeney as their next head coach has led to increased speculation about Orlando potentially pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link), who says some people around the league already viewed the Magic as a possible suitor for the two-time MVP.
Antetokounmpo has a known affinity for Sweeney, a former Bucks assistant who spent four seasons with the Greek forward in Milwaukee. Stein writes that the two “worked closely” together.
As Stein observes, Sweeney isn’t Antetokounmpo’s only connection to the Magic, as senior advisor John Hammond selected the 31-year-old with the 15th overall pick in the 2015 draft. Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman still regularly contacts Hammond for advice, Stein reports.
League sources tell Stein that the Heat and Trail Blazers are “already in pursuit” of Antetokounmpo, with Miami considered a top trade contender for the nine-time All-NBA member.
There’s a growing belief around the league that Antetokounmpo’s future will be resolved in the next few weeks after owner Jimmy Haslam set a soft deadline of the NBA draft, Stein adds.
Here’s more from Stein’s latest rumor round-up:
- Rival teams are expecting the Nuggets to make Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson available in trade talks this summer, according to Stein. Denver has said re-signing restricted free agent Peyton Watson will be a priority this offseason and there’s technically nothing preventing the team from doing so while keeping its other higher-priced players, assuming ownership is willing to pay the luxury tax bill. However, the Nuggets project to be well over the second apron if they bring back the same group, with Braun and Johnson among their trade candidates. Johnson’s expiring $23.1MM contract is considered far more appealing than Braun’s five-year, $125MM rookie scale extension, which begins next season, Stein notes.
- One of the reasons the Nuggets prioritized a long-term deal with Braun last offseason is he’s “routinely described” as one of Nikola Jokic‘s favorite teammates, league sources tell Stein. Jokic has finished either first or second in MVP voting each of the past six seasons.
- Vice president of player personnel Prosper Karangwa is expected to remain with the Sixers after the team hired Mike Gansey as its new head of basketball operations, according to Stein, who previously linked Karangwa to the Lakers and Mavericks. Stein reiterates that 76ers assistant GM Jameer Nelson is expected to be promoted to GM and that current GM Elton Brand is considered likely to be offered a new role in Philadelphia.
Thunder Rumors: Giannis, Mobley, Hartenstein, Draft
The Thunder were unable to defend the championship they won last year, and there’s an expectation around the league that their roster will look different in 2026/27, writes Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
However, none of the rival executives Stein has spoken to “strongly believe” Oklahoma City will pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo in the wake of the Thunder being eliminated from the postseason. That more or less echoes previous reporting from Sam Amick of The Athletic.
President of basketball operations Sam Presti has frequently taken a long-term approach to team-building over the past several years, Stein notes, and the Thunder came close to winning the Western Conference finals despite missing Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell for much of the series.
The Thunder certainly have the assets to make a blockbuster trade if they want to, but a deal for the Bucks superstar “would genuinely shock” people around the league, according to Stein. That’s partly because Antetokounmpo’s presence could dramatically change the meticulously developed culture Presti has helped foster in Oklahoma City.
Here are a few more rumors related to the Thunder:
- Amick reported that there’s long been “chatter” about the Thunder’s interest in Evan Mobley, and league sources tell the Stein Line that OKC tried to acquire the third pick in the 2021 draft in order to select the former USC big man. However, the Cavaliers “rebuffed” those efforts, according to Stein, who points out that president of basketball operations Koby Altman tried to preemptively shut down potential inquiries on Mobley at his end-of-season press conference last week. Altman called the 2024/25 Defensive Player of the Year a “a huge part of what we do” and “consistently our best player throughout the playoffs,” per Stein.
- Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (subscriber link) recently suggested the Thunder are likely to decline their $28.5MM team option on Isaiah Hartenstein with an eye on re-signing their starting center to a long-term deal. Stein has heard similarly, writing that early indications point to Harteinstein remaining on the team in ’26/27, even if that option is declined.
- Multiple reports have indicated that the Thunder are expected to be aggressive with their two first-round picks (Nos. 12 and 17), perhaps with a goal of moving up to select Cameron Boozer. However, rival clubs have gotten the sense that Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies and Bulls are determined to stay in the top four, according to Stein, who says a “more realistic trade-up target” for Oklahoma City could be Aday Mara.
And-Ones: Eurocamp Mentors, Doncic, Osman, Condon, Cotton
This year’s Adidas Eurocamp, which serves as a platform for international basketball prospects to gain prominence among decision-makers around the globe, will be well-represented by NBA players who will serve as special guests and mentors in Franz Wagner (Magic), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Clippers), and VJ Edgecombe (Sixers), Johnny Askounis writes for Eurohoops.
Those are not the only NBA representatives who will be present. Bucks assistants Dave Joerger and Rex Kalamian will help run things, as will Sixers coaches Rico Hines and Bryan Gates and Phil Handy from the Mavericks, among others.
As far as participants in the camp go, the biggest names are Oscar Wembanyama, the 6’8″, 19-year-old brother of Victor Wembanyama, along with Australian guard/wing Dash Daniels, French forward Meissa Faye, Italian guard David Torresani, and Swann Penda, brother of Magic draft pick Noah Penda.
The games, which take place from June 5 to 7, will be streamed on Adidas’ YouTube channel.
We have more from around the world of international hoops:
- Lakers star Luka Doncic was approached by former Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson this season and asked if he wanted to help try to move a professional basketball team to Rome, Tani Ganguli writes for The New York Times. It was an easy decision for Doncic to say yes. The pair is now heading up an investment group that is attempting to bring Vanoli Cremona from northern Italy to the capital city as part of the NBA’s continued efforts to get its NBA Europe league off the ground. “Since I came to the N.B.A., my dream was always to own a team in Europe, especially because Europe gave me so much,” Doncic said. “… I am the player I am because of Euroleague.”
- Panathinaikos is headed to the Greek League Finals due in large part to the contributions of ex-NBA player Cedi Osman, who had 29 points with five made threes in the final game of the semi-finals sweep over PAOK BC. Former Knicks point guard Jerian Grant had 15 points, while Nigel Hayes-Davis, who played 27 games for the Suns this season, added 14. On the other side of the box score, Patrick Beverley had 14 points and 11 assists for PAOK. Osman scored 14 points in the third quarter, turning the momentum of the game, per the Eurohoops team. Panathinaikos will face Olympiacos in the Finals.
- The Australian national team selection for the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers is taking shape, with Alex Condon, who recently withdrew from the NBA draft to return to Florida, Cavaliers rookie Tyrese Proctor, and former NBA guard Bryce Cotton among the bigger names, per Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Cotton, who played two years in the NBA between 2014 and 2016, has been an NBL staple for nearly a decade. He has led the league in scoring nine times, has won six MVPs, and three championships, for which he received two NBL Grand Final MVP awards.