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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Derrick Rose Rule

November 24th, 2023 at 7:44am CST by Luke Adams

Derrick Rose‘s name doesn’t technically show up at all in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. However, like Gilbert Arenas, the veteran NBA guard has become an informal namesake of one of the CBA’s rules.

The Rose rule allows a player who is finishing his rookie scale contract to sign a maximum-salary contract that exceeds the typical limit for a player with fewer than seven years of NBA experience. The rule, which was created after Rose won a Most Valuable Player award while playing on his rookie contract, allows young stars to qualify for a maximum salary worth 30% of the salary cap instead of 25%.

Although we colloquially refer to this rule as the Rose rule, it’s technically known in the CBA as the “higher max criteria” for “fifth year eligible” players, since a player has to meet certain performance benchmarks to qualify for the higher maximum salary in his fifth NBA season. A player becomes eligible for the 30% max entering his fifth season when at least one of the following is true:

The player was named to an All-NBA team in the most recent season, or in two of the past three seasons.
The player was named Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season, or in two of the past three seasons.
The player was named Most Valuable Player in any of the past three seasons.

A player signing a rookie scale extension can receive the higher Rose rule max as long as his extension covers at least four new years. A player signing a free agent contract can also be eligible for the Rose rule max if he’s coming off his four-year rookie contract — or if he’s a former second-round pick or undrafted free agent with four years of experience, and he’s re-signing with his current team.

This latter scenario almost never arises, since it’s extremely rare for a player who wasn’t drafted in the first round to develop into an All-NBA player within four years. There are rare scenarios in which it might happen — Nikola Jokic, for instance, was a second-round pick who made the All-NBA team in his fourth season. But he had already signed a second contract by that point, having re-upped with the Nuggets as a restricted free agent following his third season.

Of course, just because a player is eligible for a Rose rule extension, that doesn’t mean a team has to offer a starting salary worth the full 30% max. That’s still a matter of negotiation between the player and team, and a starting salary between 25-30% is possible.

Teams and players who agree to a rookie scale extension can also negotiate conditional maximum starting salaries that hinge on the player’s performance in his fourth season, before his extension begins.

For example, a team and player could agree to the following terms:

The player’s starting salary will be worth 25% of the cap if he doesn’t make an All-NBA Team in his fourth season.
The player’s starting salary will be worth 27% of the cap if he’s named to the All-NBA Third Team.
The player’s starting salary will be worth 28% of the cap if he’s named to the All-NBA Second Team.
The player’s starting salary will be worth 30% of the cap if he’s named to the All-NBA First Team.

Several players have agreed to this form of Rose rule extension since the rule was implemented in 2017. Devin Booker, Ben Simmons, and Pascal Siakam were among the players whose starting salaries on their rookie scale contracts could have ranged from between 27-30% depending on which All-NBA team they made.

Siakam was voted to the All-NBA Second Team the spring before his rookie scale extension went into effect, securing a starting salary worth 28% of the cap, based on the terms of his Rose rule deal. Simmons’ contract also began at 28% of the cap after he made an All-NBA Third Team that same year. Booker missed out on All-NBA honors ahead of his fourth season, however, so he received a standard 25% max deal.

In recent years, the significant majority of rookie scale extensions that include Rose rule language have been more of a yes or no proposition — a player qualifies for the 30% max with an All-NBA spot, regardless of which team he makes.

That’s reportedly the case for Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and LaMelo Ball, who signed maximum-salary rookie scale extensions this past offseason and would receive a bump to the 30% max by making an All-NBA team in 2024.

While a player can, in some cases, meet the Rose rule performance criteria after he signs his contract, he must meet the criteria before the contract begins. So if Edwards were to miss out on an All-NBA spot in 2024, then earned one in 2025, it would be too late for him to qualify for a Rose rule deal — his maximum-salary contract would start at 25% of the cap in 2024/25 and increase by 8% annually from there.

It’s worth noting that NBA’s previous Collective Bargaining Agreement also included the “designated rookie” rule, which was separate from the Rose rule but often applied to Rose rule deals. The designated rookie rule allowed teams to sign players to rookie scale extensions that spanned five new years instead of four. Teams weren’t permitted to carry more than two designated rookies at a time, including no more than one who was acquired via trade.

However, the latest CBA eliminated the designated rookie rule, allowing all rookie scale extensions to cover up to five new years and placing no restrictions on how many of those players those teams are permitted to carry or acquire. The Rose rule is now the only one governing deviations from the norm for rookie scale extensions.

Finally, a player with between seven and nine years of experience can qualify for a maximum salary worth 35% of the cap instead of 30% by meeting similar criteria, but that’s related to the designated veteran rule rather than the Rose rule. We cover that subject in a separate glossary entry.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Earlier variations of this post were published in 2013 and 2018 by Chuck Myron and Luke Adams.

Northwest Notes: Scoot, Malone, Jazz, LaVine

November 23rd, 2023 at 10:24pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rookie point guard Scoot Henderson seems to be reinvigorating the Trail Blazers upon returning to action, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.

Fentress notes that an eye examination indicated that Henderson was in need of contact lenses. He is now wearing goggles to keep the lenses in place. On Wednesday, he suited up for his first game since incurring an ankle injury on November 1. Portland beat the Jazz 121-105.

“It was just as I’m getting older, even though I’m 19, eyesight changes sometimes,” Henderson said. “The doctor just recommended the contacts and just for protection, the goggles. And they are stylish.”

Power forward Jerami Grant appreciated what Henderson brought to the table. Although he scored just three points on 1-of-7 field goal shooting, Henderson also chipped in seven assists and three rebounds and was a plus-15 in 17 minutes of action.

“He brought us a spark,” Grant said. “He pushed the pace for us. We played faster than we’ve been playing over the last whatever games that he hasn’t played.”

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

The Trail Blazers have assigned rookie wing Rayan Rupert to their NBAGL club, the Rip City Remix, Portland has announced (via Twitter).
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone recently weighed in on his lucrative new multiyear extension, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “It’s a place where I truly enjoy going to work every day because of the people I work with,” said Malone, the son of NBA lifer Brendan Malone. “I grew up in this business, and you know how difficult the job can be for a coach, for their assistant coaches, for the families. When I moved to Denver, I think my daughters were in third and fifth grade. And the fact that I’m going to see both my daughters graduate high school (in Denver) — that never happens in this business… So I always remind myself how lucky and fortunate I am, because to coach in the NBA is truly a blessing for me and my family.”
With Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine possibly on the trade block, Tony Jones of The Athletic considers whether he’d be a good fit on the Jazz. LaVine’s skill set as a three-level scorer and terrific offensive contributor capable of improvising creatively late in games make him an intriguing piece for a team in need of some scoring punch. However, his pricey contract, which will pay him $43MM next season, should give Utah some pause, Jones opines.

Celtics Notes: Brown, Tatum, Porzingis

November 23rd, 2023 at 8:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Celtics All-Star swingman Jaylen Brown seemed to be having some hiccups as he learns to play alongside a third high-level scorer in new big man Kristaps Porzingis, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

Himmelsbach noted that, despite a pulverizing defense and incredibly talented roster, Boston’s offense hasn’t been as connected as it perhaps should be. Entering Wednesday’s game, a career-low 50 percent of Brown’s field goals had been assisted, and his 54.4 true shooting percentage was his lowest since his rookie year, as Himmelsbach details.

Brown may be on the upswing, however, as he submitted his best game of the year on Wednesday night, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. In a 119-116 victory over the Bucks, Brown poured in 26 points while shooting 10-of-16 from the floor and dishing out eight dimes, against one turnover. The passing was especially encouraging.

“Definitely just another part of my game that I’ve been growing,” Brown said of the eight assists. “This is a new year, it’s a new season, and I feel like I’m playing some of my best basketball just how I’m seeing the floor. And as I get into the flow and the rhythm of things, I feel like I’ll be able to continue to do that. I think when I get going, more guys playing off me, trusting that I’m going to make the right read, I think we should go to that a lot more.”

There’s more out of Boston:

Celtics All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum organized a preseason team meeting, Bontemps writes in a separate piece. With six starter-caliber players, Tatum wanted to suss out how the club could handle that. “Whether it’s fair or not, me and [Brown] are probably going to always start, and always finish the game,” Tatum told the gathered players. “But we have to be held to a different standard and be able to be coached differently. Whether it’s [Porzingis] and Al [Horford], one of you guys may not finish a game, and you have to be OK with that.”
Porzingis is already enjoying his time alongside Brown, writes Taylor Snow of Celtics.com. “I absolutely love playing with JB,” Porzingis raved. “I think we’re starting to connect more and more, and it’s becoming just natural for us. I’m learning his game, I’m learning the situations he likes to be in and, as you can see, we’re having some success with it. It’s really fun. It’s really fun to play with him and I look forward to more of those plays.”
In case you missed it, Jrue Holiday spoke prior to Wednesday’s game vs. Milwaukee about his feelings playing against his former team.

Raptors Notes: Barnes, Roster, Siakam, Young, Achiuwa

November 23rd, 2023 at 7:18pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes has playing his best pro basketball yet for Toronto this season, but the club still needs to determine how to maximize his unique skill set, opines Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

Grange notes that Barnes has shown marked growth following an at-times disengaged sophomore season in 2022/23. Barnes’ multifaceted game and positional flexibility make him an intriguing young star in the making, albeit one who needs well-curated help to flourish.

“[His versatility] is good but at the same time it’s a problem because he has so many traits, so many things that he can do on a higher level,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said.

Through 15 games this season, Barnes is averaging 19.7 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.7 SPG and 1.3 BPG.

There’s more out of Toronto:

Former Raptors GM Jeff Weltman was let out of his contract with Toronto in order to assume the mantle of Magic team president in 2017. In the intervening seasons, it’s become clear that Weltman is taking a lot of the lessons he learned under the tutelage of Raptors president Masai Ujiri to heart, writes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. Murphy sees several parallels between the constructions of both rosters. When drafting, both teams prioritize size and length, forgoing normal conceptions of position in favor of athletes with epic wingspans. That said, Eric Koreen of The Athletic opines that the Raptors’ forwards aren’t getting enough personnel help elsewhere from the front office.
When the Raptors appeared to be slipping early in the 2023/24 season, All-Star power forward Pascal Siakam did his best to steer the club away from a possible return to the bad vibes of last year’s lottery team, writes Koreen in a separate piece. Siakam’s aggressive and prolific play has helped paper over some careless in-game errors from his teammates, Koreen notes.
Raptors forwards Thaddeus Young and Precious Achiuwa are both questionable to play in Friday’s matchup against the Bulls, reports Murphy (Twitter link). Young has an illness, while Achiuwa is dealing with a knee injury.

Southeast Notes: Fultz, Howard, Coulibaly, Heat

November 23rd, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Magic starting point guard Markelle Fultz has missed seven straight games with left knee tendinitis, and it appears for now he’s still being limited to individual workouts, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

“We’ll continue to evaluate him on a daily basis to see how he responds to the treatment that he’s getting,” head coach Jahmal Mosley said. “…[We’ve] practiced once, which I think you saw him the other day on the court, [he was] doing some individual work with our guys. That’s the extent of what he’s doing.”

When healthy, the 6’4″ vet has produced, averaging 11.4 PPG, 4.0 APG, 3.4 RPG and 1.2 SPG across five games for Orlando.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Magic rookie lottery pick Jett Howard starred in his first game with Orlando’s NBAGL affiliate, the Osceola Magic. He notched 34 points, including seven made triples, per Alex Kennedy of Basketball News (via Twitter). “The G League is a lot of fun,” Howard said. “My teammates made the game easy for me. Getting reps in with these guys during Orlando’s training camp made it a seamless transition. It’s been great to be part of winning teams with the Magic.”
Wizards rookie forward Bilal Coulibaly‘s growth is already impressing head coach Wes Unseld Jr., writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. “He’s done really well with the amount that we’ve thrown at him,” Unseld said. “The opportunity is probably something he’s dreamed of, so he seems like he’s in a great place. We always talk about the potential of a rookie wall, whether that’s physically or mentally, but he’s not showing any sign of that. He’s just attacking each day. He’s showing a lot of consistency in his work, and that’s paying dividends on the floor.” The 6’6″ wing was selected with the seventh pick in this June’s draft. He’s averaging 8.4 PPG on .506/.439/.619 shooting, along with 3.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.8 BPG.
Heat All-Star center Bam Adebayo and swingman Duncan Robinson are both questionable to suit up against the Knicks on Friday, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Adebayo is dealing with a hip injury, while Robinson is suffering through a thumb ailment.

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Lyles, Murray, Reddish

November 23rd, 2023 at 4:02pm CST by Rory Maher

After losing six consecutive games, the Clippers have reeled off three straight victories, and they feel encouraged by their recent play, as Janis Carr of The Orange County Register relays.

“I think we’re in a good place. We kind of know at this point what the rotation is, and I think we’re getting in a rhythm,” Paul George said. “There’s consistency there, and I think that we’re in good shape. We liked how we looked offensively and defensively, and now it’s time to test it.”

The Clippers have been incorporating multiple new pieces after the trade to acquire James Harden and P.J. Tucker, plus the signing of reserve center Daniel Theis. Still, while they’ve played better of late, their past two victories came against the Spurs, who have the worst record in the West at 3-12. The upcoming schedule is more challenging, and Kawhi Leonard says there’s always room for improvement, Carr notes.

“We want to win every game and it shows that we’re getting better,” Leonard said after Wednesday’s win in San Antonio. “But like you said, we still got a lot to learn and to get better at. You guys could see at the end of that game, we had some careless turnovers, and they got some easy looks at the basket and wide-open layups. So, we got to buy in and figure that out.”

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Kings big man Trey Lyles, who had been dealing with a calf strain, made his 2023/24 season debut in Wednesday’s loss to New Orleans. Head coach Mike Brown said Lyles would immediately resume playing a similar amount of minutes as last season despite the layoff, according to Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). The 28-year-old finished with 12 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes — he averaged 16.9 MPG in ’22/23.
Part of the reason Lyles played 28 minutes is because Kings forward Keegan Murray was sidelined with lower back soreness. Murray’s status for Friday’s contest in Minnesota is “uncertain,” but the injury isn’t expected to keep him out long term, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link).
Cam Reddish‘s MRI was “clean,” Lakers head coach Darvin Ham told reporters, including ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). Reddish, who was sidelined for Wednesday’s game with a groin injury, is considered day-to-day. Max Christie got the start in his place.

Central Notes: Giannis, Griffin, Bogdanovic, Hield, Cavs

November 23rd, 2023 at 3:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Adrian Griffin appeared to have a “heated” disagreement during the third quarter of Milwaukee’s loss to Boston on Wednesday, but the Bucks‘ head coach downplayed the incident after the game, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Antetokounmpo didn’t want to be subbed out midway through the period after being called for a carrying violation and sat on the scorer’s table talking to Griffin, eventually checking back in at the next dead ball.

“He wanted to stay in, I wanted to give him a breather. That’s all it was,” Griffin said. “And then I told him to stay at the table for one possession, and he got right back out there.”

Antetokounmpo simply said “no” when he was asked what transpired.

As Bontemps writes, the matchup between the East’s top two seeds was lopsided for most of the contest, with Boston reeling off 10 straight points to open the game and never trailing. The Bucks made things interesting late, but the Celtics prevailed by a final score of 119-116.

Here’s more from the Central:

Sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic is nearing his 2023/24 season debut for the Pistons, writes Mike Curtis of The Detroit News (subscriber link). Bogdanovic, who has been battling a right calf strain, was recently cleared for contact work and was a full practice participant on Wednesday. Getting their top scorer from last season back in the near future is certainly welcome news for the injury-ravaged Pistons, who have lost a league-worst 12 straight games and once again hold the worst record in the NBA at 2-13.
Pacers wing Buddy Hield got his second straight start on Wednesday in place of Bennedict Mathurin, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Head coach Rick Carlisle was noncommittal when asked if the lineup change he implemented for Tuesday’s contest would be permanent or temporary. Aaron Nesmith, who replaced Obi Toppin at power forward on Tuesday, was sidelined with a sprained wrist, so Toppin was back in the starting lineup yesterday. Hield, who had been in a shooting slump, has been scorching hot the past two games, averaging 27.5 points while shooting 75.0% from the floor and 72.2% from three-point range.
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell missed his fourth straight game on Wednesday due to a hamstring strain, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (via Twitter). While there weren’t many positives from the Cavs’ blowout loss to the Heat, rookie guard Craig Porter Jr. got his first career start and continued his streak of strong performances, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link). Porter, who went undrafted in June and is on a two-way contract, recorded 16 points (on 6-of-12 shooting), five assists, two rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 35 minutes.

Bulls Notes: Slow Starts, LaVine, DeRozan, Caruso

November 23rd, 2023 at 12:43pm CST by Rory Maher

Poor play in first quarters has been a consistent theme for the Bulls early on in 2023/24 and Wednesday’s loss in Oklahoma City was no different, writes Annie Costabile of The Chicago Sun-Times. The Bulls trailed the Thunder by 12 after the first period, scoring just 14 points on 4-of-23 shooting, and were down 18 at one point in the second frame.

Chicago managed to claw its way back into the game, but ultimately lost 116-102. The Bulls have now dropped five of six and currently hold a 5-11 record — certainly not what the front office was hoping when it decided to bring back most of the same group.

“We have not been consistent enough, quite honestly,” head coach Billy Donovan said.

The upcoming schedule won’t make things any easier. OKC was the first stop on a four-game road trip, with upcoming games in Toronto, Brooklyn and Boston. The Bulls will also play New Orleans, Milwaukee (twice), Denver, Miami (twice) and Philadelphia over the next 10 games, with four of those contests coming on the road — things could get very ugly in the near future unless they manage to right the ship.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Zach LaVine missed a game for the first time this season on Wednesday due to a right mid-foot sprain, Costible adds in the same story. LaVine, who was initially listed as probable, said he’s been dealing with the injury since Saturday’s victory over the Heat. “I cut my tape off at halftime because it was bugging me to play through it,” LaVine said. “Felt the same way the next game. Two [games] in a row, the same thing. You don’t want to get to that third [game].” The two-time All-Star is considered day-to-day.
Several players on Chicago’s roster, including LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams, have been involved in trade rumors this fall. DeRozan, who previously said the rumors wouldn’t impact the locker room, is maintaining a level head amid the outside noise, Costible writes for The Sun-Times. “People have to make decisions however they see fit,” DeRozan said. “You may agree with them, you may not, but it’s part of being in this game.” DeRozan added that he hasn’t spoken to LaVine or Caruso about the speculation, choosing instead to focus on their work with the team.
Caruso has been one of the few bright spots for Chicago. The 29-year-old is averaging career highs in several statistical categories, including points per game (10.0), field goal percentage (56.3%) and three-point percentage (47.9%), among others. Speaking to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, Caruso expressed optimism that Chicago is “really close” to being a good team, but has been plagued by inconsistency. Asked if the Bulls needed a “shakeup,” Caruso said the term was too general to really answer the question. “You play so many games,” he said as part of a larger quote. “And we’re not even 20 percent of the way through the season. I don’t know if shakeup is the right word for it. But definitely just some changes to our daily routine and changes to our daily habits. Like I said, consistency’s been something we’ve talked about. We have to change that from within.”

Wolves Notes: Edwards, Finch, Reid, Ownership

November 23rd, 2023 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Edwards is already one of the NBA’s top players, but he suggested this week that he might want to see how he could fare in the NFL, according to an ESPN report. Appearing with comedian Marco Summers on his “Open Thoughts” talk show, Edwards said “I might be the first one” to succeed in both leagues.

It’s unlikely the Timberwolves would agree to let Edwards risk his future by playing football after signing him to an extension that could be worth more than $205MM over five years. However, it would be intriguing in theory to watch Edwards give the NFL a try after being one of the nation’s best Pop Warner running backs as a youth. While speculating about a football career, Edwards emphasized to Summers that his priority is to “handle his business in the NBA.”

“As a team, [the] Minnesota [Timberwolves] organization, we want to win a championship,” he said. “After that, we’ll figure that out.”

There’s more from Minnesota:

The Wolves will eventually face salary decisions and second-apron concerns, but fans should enjoy a team that has become one of the NBA’s best rather than worrying about what might happen in 2024 or 2025, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Holding the top spot in the West at 11-3, Minnesota is off to its best start ever and may be a legitimate contender for the first time in the franchise’s 35-year history. There’s a stronger focus, Krawczynski notes, as players who may have overlooked some opponents last season are now locked in every night. “I think it’s very much a serious tone,” coach Chris Finch said. “There’s a conversation about what needs to be done, what they hadn’t done.”
Part of the increased focus comes from resolving financial situations during the offseason, Krawczynski adds. Mike Conley and Kyle Anderson are the only rotation members with expiring contracts, and Krawczyski believes they’re mature enough that it won’t affect their performance. “Everybody’s here to win. Everybody has one goal. Everybody’s got their money situation out of the way,” said Naz Reid, who signed a three-year, $42MM contract extension this summer. “Now we’re here to play basketball and win the game. We’re not really too much worried about anything other than that.”
New owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore are negotiating with the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm, to invest in the Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, sources tell Dan Primack of Axios. Primack believes the move will help to quell rumors that Rodriguez and Lore might not have the funding to complete the remainder of the sale from Glen Taylor.

And-Ones: Ibaka, Foster, Dragic, Olympic Qualifiers

November 23rd, 2023 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Serge Ibaka is focused more on contributing to his new EuroLeague team than returning to the NBA, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews (subscription required). Ibaka signed with FC Bayern Munich this summer and is adjusting to being back in Europe again after spending the past 14 seasons in the NBA. He’s coming off a season-best 20-point game and is averaging 11.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per night while shooting 56.7% from the floor for the German squad.

The 34-year-old big man is grateful to be playing again after ending last season in limbo. He appeared in just 16 games with Milwaukee before being traded at the February deadline to Indiana, which waived him two days later.

“My focus is playing in Bayern. I want to keep improving here,” Ibaka said. “Playing basketball is one of the most beautiful things one can do. I didn’t play for 10 months and now I’m playing basketball, something I like to do. I’m grateful for this moment.”

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports believes the NBA needs to address its Scott Foster situation after the official’s latest incident with Warriors guard Chris Paul Wednesday night. Calling Foster “a prima donna ref” with an “outrageous and unchecked ego,” Bourguet points out that he ruined Paul’s return to Phoenix by giving him two quick technicals and ejecting him late in the first half. Suns fans turned out to welcome back one of the most significant players in franchise history, but Foster upstaged that by extending the long-running feud he has with Paul. Suns star Devin Booker told reporters that he could feel the tension between Foster and Paul before the ejection. “Yeah, ’cause I’ve seen it closely too,” Booker said. “This was long before Chris was in Phoenix, so that’s some history that they might have to settle between themselves one day, when they’re both retired.”
Partizan Belgrade and Olimpia Milano are among the teams that have expressed interest in Goran Dragic, relays Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. The report, which originated in the Serbian media outlet SportKlub, said Dragic is still hoping for an NBA offer and is reluctant to commit to a European team. The 37-year-old point guard wasn’t picked up this summer after spending last season with Chicago and Milwaukee.
Spain, Latvia, Greece, and Puerto Rico have emerged as the favorites to host Olympic qualifying tournaments for the 2024 Games in Paris, Urbonas adds in a separate story. A draw ceremony is set for November 27 in Switzerland, and the official announcement of the host nations is expected before then. Twenty-four nations will be vying for four Olympic spots in the six-team qualifying tournaments.

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