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Half of the 32 teams in the 2023 World Cup have completed their full slate of three first-round games. Of those clubs, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Lithuania, Montenegro, Germany, Australia, Canada, and Latvia will advance to round two.
Spain and the U.S. have also secured spots in the second round based on their groups’ results through two games. Serbia and Slovenia, who are both 2-0, are well positioned to join them in the round of 16. Assuming they both make it through, that would leave four spots up for grabs on Wednesday.
[RELATED: World Cup Notes: Australia, Antetokounmpo, Gobert, Dort]
As we wait to see what the full second-round field looks like, here are a few notes from around the international basketball world:
- Asked after France’s elimination from World Cup competition whether he’s hoping Joel Embiid commits to playing for the French team in next year’s Olympics, forward Nicolas Batum rhetorically replied with a smile, “Would you say no to the MVP?” (story via Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops). Embiid, a citizen of both France and the U.S. in addition to Cameroon, has been cagey about who he’ll represent in the Olympics, if he suits up at all.
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst takes a look at how NBA journeyman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has reinvented himself as a left-handed version of Kobe Bryant, emulating “everything from Bryant’s footwork to his free throw routine to his poses after big shots.” As Windhorst writes, Hollis-Jefferson has modified his game since last playing in the NBA and is hoping his strong play for Jordan at the World Cup will help generate interest among NBA teams. “I’m trying to show that I can compete with the best of the best and bring energy to every game,” he said. “I always admired Kobe’s killer mindset and competitive spirit and I’m trying to learn from it.” As we noted earlier today, Hollis-Jefferson has a deal in place with Philippine team Tropang Giga for 2023/24, but it includes an NBA out.
- Following his team’s loss to Karl-Anthony Towns and the Dominican Republic on Tuesday, Angola head coach Pep Claros Canals expressed his displeasure with FIBA’s eligibility rules, including one that allows each team to carry one naturalized player, per Sid Ventura of ESPN. “Each country needs to develop their own players. This is what I think,” Canals said. “There are players that don’t even speak the language of the country that they represent. There are countries which have seven, eight players that were born outside that country.” As Ventura writes, the Dominican Republic didn’t technically have a naturalized player on its roster, but six of its 12 players – including Towns – were born outside of the country.
Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas had his name pop up in trade rumors multiple times this offseason. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, New Orleans explored the possibility of acquiring a more switchable center, inquiring on players like Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen and Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart. But with training camps just a few weeks away, Valanciunas remains on the roster.
Speaking to Fischer, Valanciunas expressed interest in staying in New Orleans beyond his current deal. And head of basketball operations David Griffin and head coach Willie Green were in Manila on Tuesday to watch the veteran big man play for Lithuania against Montenegro, tweets Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (Griffin and Green will also visit with Team USA’s Brandon Ingram during their trip, Fischer notes).
But with lucrative new contracts for young frontcourt players like Zion Williamson and Herbert Jones on the team’s books beginning this season, extending Valanciunas at a rate anywhere near his current $15.4MM salary might be a long shot, Fischer writes.
If the 31-year-old doesn’t sign an extension with the Pelicans, he’ll likely remain a trade candidate throughout the 2023/24 season, since he’s on an expiring contract. However, he tells Fischer he’s not bothered by the fact that his future is uncertain.
“You can’t be safe all the time and sitting and know where you’re going to be the next day,” Valanciunas said. “You have to expect everything. There’s no hard feelings. Trades happen. It’s not like an unusual thing.”
Here are a few more highlights from Valanciunas’ conversation with Fischer:
On his attempts to develop a three-point shot:
“I don’t want to be stretching out. I want to be a down-low player. My main game is going to be in the paint, always. Set screens, roll hard. Do damage inside on the low post. But when they’re plugging the paint, when they’re rotating, when they’re leaving you alone, being able to knock down a three-point shot, this is what I’m still working on.”
On how good Williamson can be when he’s healthy:
“He has the skill set and the first step, which I feel bad for people who’s guarding him. It’s unbelievable things. When you’re just watching him play, you feel like, ‘Wow, what the f–k is going on?’ His power, his highlights, talk for himself.”
On his post-retirement plans:
“I want to have a feel of basketball, no matter what. Playing, doing some other jobs. Coaching, front office. No matter what, I want to be connected to basketball. So that’s what my next step is gonna be.”
Many of the NBA’s highest-paid players are on contracts considered maximum-salary deals, but the 2023/24 salaries for those players vary significantly depending on when the player signed his contract and how much NBA experience he has. That’s why a player like Stephen Curry will earn nearly $18MM more than Darius Garland in ’23/24 despite both stars technically being on max deals.
When a player signs a maximum-salary contract, he doesn’t necessarily earn the NBA max for each season of that contract — he earns the max in year one, then gets a series of identical annual raises. In Curry’s case, his 2023/24 salary actually exceeds this year’s maximum, since the annual cap increases since he began earning the max haven’t kept pace with his annual 8% raises.
Listed below, with some help from Spotrac‘s salary data, are the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2023/24 season. The players on this list don’t necessarily have the contracts with the largest overall value. This top 50 only considers the current league year, with the player’s ’23/24 base salary listed.
Additionally, we’ve noted players who could potentially increase their earnings via incentives or trade bonuses. We didn’t add those notes for players like Curry or Garland, who have trade bonuses but are already earning the maximum — their salaries for this season can’t increase beyond their max.
Here are the NBA’s 50 highest-paid players for the 2023/24 season:
- Stephen Curry, Warriors: $51,915,615
- Kevin Durant, Suns: $47,649,433
- Joel Embiid, Sixers: $47,607,350
LeBron James, Lakers: $47,607,350
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets: $47,607,350 - Bradley Beal, Suns: $46,741,590
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks: $45,640,084 (15% trade kicker)
Paul George, Clippers: $45,640,084
Kawhi Leonard, Clippers: $45,640,084 (15% trade kicker)
Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers: $45,640,084 - Jimmy Butler, Heat: $45,183,960 (15% trade kicker)
- Klay Thompson, Warriors: $43,219,440 (15% trade kicker)
- Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves: $41,000,000
- Fred VanVleet, Rockets: $40,806,300
- Anthony Davis, Lakers: $40,600,080 (15% trade kicker)
- Luka Doncic, Mavericks: $40,064,220 (15% trade kicker)
Zach LaVine, Bulls: $40,064,220 (15% trade kicker)
Trae Young, Hawks: $40,064,220 (15% trade kicker) - Tobias Harris, Sixers: $39,270,150 (5% trade kicker)
- Pascal Siakam, Raptors: $37,893,408
Ben Simmons, Nets: $37,893,408 - Kyrie Irving, Mavericks: $37,037,037 (15% trade kicker)
- Irving can earn another $2,000,000 in unlikely incentives.
- Devin Booker, Suns: $36,016,200
Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics: $36,016,200
Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves: $36,016,200 (5% trade kicker) - CJ McCollum, Pelicans: $35,802,469
- James Harden, Sixers: $35,640,000 (15% trade kicker)
- Jrue Holiday, Bucks: $34,954,667
- Holiday can earn another $1,907,040 in likely incentives and $4,401,040 in unlikely incentives.
- Darius Garland, Cavaliers: $34,005,250
Ja Morant, Grizzlies: $34,005,250
Zion Williamson, Pelicans: $34,005,250 - Brandon Ingram, Pelicans: $33,833,400 (15% trade kicker)
Jamal Murray, Nuggets: $33,833,400 - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder: $33,386,850 (15% trade kicker)
Michael Porter Jr., Nuggets: $33,386,850 - Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers: $33,162,030
- Bam Adebayo, Heat: $32,600,060
De’Aaron Fox, Kings: $32,600,060
Jayson Tatum, Celtics: $32,600,060 (15% trade kicker) - Deandre Ayton, Suns: $32,459,438
- Gordon Hayward, Hornets: $31,500,000 (15% trade kicker)
- Chris Paul, Warriors: $30,800,000
- Kyle Lowry, Heat: $29,682,540
- Khris Middleton, Bucks: $28,703,704
- Middleton can earn another $617,284 in likely incentives and $2,345,679 in unlikely incentives.
- DeMar DeRozan, Bulls: $28,600,000
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics: $28,508,929
- Brown can earn another $3,321,428 in likely incentives.
- Domantas Sabonis, Kings: $28,000,000
- Sabonis can earn another $2,600,000 in likely incentives.
- Jerami Grant, Trail Blazers: $27,586,207
- Jordan Poole, Wizards: $27,455,357
- Poole can earn another $3,750,000 in unlikely incentives.
- Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies: $27,102,202
The cutoff point for this year’s top-50 list exceeded $27MM for the first time in NBA history, and that cutoff could actually end up even higher by the time the season concludes.
A handful of players who just missed the top 50 have the ability to earn more than Jackson’s $27.1MM base salary if they achieve certain performance incentives and/or cash in on trade bonuses during the coming season.
Here are the players who could break into the top 50 by season’s end:
- Tyler Herro, Heat: $27,000,000
- Herro can earn another $2,500,000 in unlikely incentives.
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks: $26,346,666 (10% trade kicker)
- Brunson would need to be traded to increase his 2023/24 earnings, which is extremely unlikely.
- Julius Randle, Knicks: $25,660,800 (15% trade kicker)
- Randle can earn another $2,566,080 in likely incentives.
- Kyle Kuzma, Wizards: $25,568,182 (15% trade kicker)
- Kuzma can earn another $3,000,000 in unlikely incentives.
- Cameron Johnson, Nets: $24,456,522
- Johnson can earn another $1,222,826 in likely incentives and $3,668,478 in unlikely incentives.
As expected, the Australian national team tweaked its lineup ahead of Tuesday’s game vs. Japan, replacing Matisse Thybulle with Mavericks wing Josh Green in the starting five, per Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link). The move paid dividends, as Green recorded 15 points (on 5-of-7 shooting) and four steals to help lead the Boomers to a 109-89 victory, securing the team a spot in the second round of the FIBA World Cup.
With the loss, the Japanese national team has been eliminated from the World Cup, though Suns fans have to be pleased with Yuta Watanabe‘s performance. The new Phoenix forward had 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-8 threes, against Australia.
Here’s more on the 2023 World Cup:
- An MRI on Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo revealed a “slight stretch” of the adductor muscle in his left thigh, tweets Harris Stavrou of SPORT24. Antetokounmpo is receiving treatment and still hopes to play in Greece’s crucial Wednesday contest vs. New Zealand — the winner will advance to round two, while the loser will be out of the running.
- Having been eliminated from World Cup contention, France sat three players – including Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert – for Tuesday’s game against Lebanon, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press notes (via Twitter), it’d be surprising if Gobert is active for any of the consolation games to determine the Nos. 17-32 seeding. France did defeat Lebanon on Tuesday, with Evan Fournier becoming the country’s all-time leading World Cup scorer, sneaking past teammate Nicolas Batum (285 points to 282).
- Thunder forward Luguentz Dort is missing his second consecutive game for Team Canada on Tuesday due to a minor injury. However, it sounds like Canada is just playing it safe with Dort and he’ll be available for the start of the next round, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Canada and Latvia are currently going head-to-head to determine the Group H winner — both teams will advance to round two, but today’s winner would have a leg up to make the knockout round.
Veteran forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who is currently representing Jordan at the 2023 World Cup, confirmed to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (Twitter link) that he’ll re-sign with Tropang Giga of the Philippine Basketball Association for the 2023/24 season.
“The season ends in February, so I’m open to anyone who wants to call,” Hollis-Jefferson said, adding that his agreement with the Philippine team includes an NBA out clause.
Hollis-Jefferson spent six seasons in the NBA with Brooklyn, Toronto, and Portland after being drafted 23rd overall in 2015. However, has hasn’t played in the league since the 2020/21 season, having competed in Turkey, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the Philippines since then. He initially joined Tropang Giga in February.
While an NBA return at this point may be a long shot for the 28-year-old, he has certainly been making a case with his play at the World Cup in the last few days. Although Jordan has lost its first two games and won’t advance to the second round of the tournament, Hollis-Jefferson has averaged 31.5 points on 54.3% shooting in those two losses. Only Luka Doncic of Slovenia has a higher scoring average so far at the World Cup.
Hollis-Jefferson and Jordan will face the U.S. in the final game of the group-play first round on Wednesday.
The competition to become the Jazz‘s starting point guard is expected to be wide open entering training camp this fall, with Collin Sexton, Kris Dunn, Talen Horton-Tucker, Jordan Clarkson, and even rookie Keyonte George all considered candidates for the job.
Appearing at the Powder League, a popular pro-am summer league in Utah, Sexton told Tony Jones of The Athletic that he intends to do all he can to prove that he deserves that starting point guard role following an injury-plagued 2022/23 season.
“I want to show that I’m back and healthy and 100 percent,” Sexton said. “Every year for me is important, so I don’t put too much pressure on myself from that standpoint. I’m my biggest critic, so I’m always going to have a lot of expectations for myself.
“I’ve been watching a lot of film this summer. I want to be able to try and take over the point guard role. I want to show them that I can run the show. I’m getting back into the groove of things. I think this season is going to be fun.”
Mike Conley was Utah’s starting point guard last season until the trade deadline, when he was sent to Minnesota in a three-team deal that also included the Lakers. The Jazz acquired Russell Westbrook in that trade, but he was bought out before ever appearing in a game for the team, opening up the point guard spot.
Although Horton-Tucker finished last season as Utah’s starting point guard, he’s not a traditional distributor. Neither are Sexton or Clarkson, who are both score-first combo guards. Dunn is perhaps the most prototypical point guard on the roster, but he’s on a non-guaranteed contract and has only appeared in 40 games over the past three seasons, so it’s not as if he’ll be handed the job.
Sexton has shown off an impressive ability to score over the course of his five-year career, posting 19.0 points per game on .464/.380/.826 shooting. However, he has averaged just 3.2 assists – compared to 2.4 turnovers – in his 266 regular season contests, and is undersized as a defender. Still, he’s confident he can handle the duties required of a point guard.
“When it comes to making the right plays, I know that I’m capable of doing it,” Sexton said. “I just have to go out and do it. But knowing this season is going to be important for me and for us as a team, I’m excited. I think that we have a chance to be really good.”
Sexton was limited to 48 appearances last season and started just 15 of them. While the 24-year-old would like to start more often this season, he’s willing to accept a reserve role if it’s for the good of the team.
“Everyone has to buy in for a common goal this season, and that’s to win,” he told Jones. “At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. If we win, everything takes care of itself. And if we win, everybody eats. So that’s the way that we all have to look at things going into camp and into the season.”
Steve Kerr is busy coaching Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. When he comes back and returns to the sidelines for the Warriors, he’ll have an interesting lineup decision.
Golden State still has all of its usual starters — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney — on the roster. It’s a group that won a championship two seasons ago.
The acquisition of Chris Paul now creates a dilemma. The future Hall of Fame point guard has appeared in 1,214 regular season games. He’s started all of them, even during his rookie campaign for New Orleans in 2005/06.
It’s safe to assume Curry and Green will remain in the lineup. Thompson has started every game since his second NBA season. Wiggins went through some personal issues last season but he’s started every game in his NBA career.
Looney would be the logical candidate to lose his starting job, though that would leave the Warriors with an awfully small lineup. Looney’s defense and rebounding are key components to the team’s success. If he comes off the bench, it may be difficult to have both Jonathan Kuminga and free agent Dario Saric in the rotation.
At this stage of his career, Paul might be willing to be a sixth man in order to get that elusive ring he’s been chasing. But it would still seemingly be an uncomfortable spot for a player of his stature.
That brings us to our topic of the day: Should Chris Paul start for the Warriors this upcoming season? If he’s in the lineup, which of the returning players should come off the bench?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Jamelle McMillan, the son of longtime NBA coach Nate McMillan, has been named the head coach of the Pistons’ G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports.
McMillan has a connection to new Pistons head coach Monty Williams. He was on Williams’ staff in New Orleans and most recently was part of his father’s staff in Atlanta.
“The number one thing for me is not trying to be either one of those guys because that’s a really, really tall task for any coach,” McMillan said of his coaching mentors. He replaces DJ Bakker, who has left the Pistons organization and joined the Bucks’ coaching staff.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Hornets restricted free agent P.J. Washington was in limbo most of the summer until agreeing to a three-year, $48MM contract over the weekend. Talks were stagnant for more than a month, according to Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer, until heating up over the past week after the 2023/24 schedule was released. Washington could have signed a qualifying offer and headed to unrestricted free agency next summer but instead decided to play it safe and get the security of a three-year deal.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo said he won’t sign an extension this offseason and might consider joining another organization if he feels like the Bucks aren’t perennial title contenders. Could that factor into the Heat’s thinking regarding a trade for Damian Lillard? Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel doubts it, noting they can’t put Jimmy Butler (player option in the summer of ’25) on hold for a season or two to see if the Bucks’ superstar asks for a trade and eventually becomes a free agent. However, Winderman also notes that if the Heat don’t trade for Lillard, they could retain the assets they’d have to give up in a trade with the Blazers and use them for another blockbuster move.
- The Nets no longer have the superstar power but they’ve got a lot of interesting young pieces and GM Sean Marks is excited to see how they’ll fit together, Anthony Puccio of Nets Daily relays. “We have all put ourselves in a position to have an exciting few years here where we’ve got a much younger roster than we’ve had in the past and a lot of guys have chips on their shoulders which I think is pretty important,” Marks told Jason Prime of New Zealand’s Weekend Sport on OMNY FM. “They’re pretty self-motivated. They don’t need to listen to me or anyone else for that matter for motivation. They’ve got something to prove.”
Team France general manager Boris Diaw said the two losses that eliminated the team from World Cup contention were troubling in different ways, according to Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops.net.
“The two games were very different. First game against Canada, a team that plays very tough,” he said. “I think the concern there was that we gave up at the end of the game. On the way to losing the game. You don’t want to lose by 30 by giving up in the last minutes. That was one concern. Latvia was different. This is a game where we could’ve really played together. But we didn’t play all the way until the end and didn’t play smart enough to win.”
We have more updates from the FIBA World Cup international competition:
- Speaking of Team Latvia, former NBA forward Rodions Kurucs called the win over France “amazing” and cited his team’s toughness and togetherness for the upset win, according to Stroggylakis. “I played the whole game fighting on defense,” he said. “We were sharing the ball really well. Every 50-50 ball, every rebound, we fought for it.”
- Following Spain’s win over Brazil, Grizzlies big man Santi Aldama spoke to Stroggylakis about his national team’s winning culture. “I think the winning part is secondary,” Aldama said. “Meaning, the culture here that’s really good. And I think that’s what makes this team a winning team. That’s what we have to built on. We work very hard every day, we have to continue doing that and let it talk through our game.”
- Canada is 2-0 heading into its game against Latvia on Tuesday. Former Cavaliers coach David Blatt is a general consultant for the Canadian team and spoke of its aims to Stroggylakis. “I’m a part of a great organization and I’m happy to be a part of what we’re trying to accomplish here with Canada basketball. And that’s becoming a team of the highest level in the FIBA scene and performing well in all competitions we’re part in,” he said.