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Olympic Notes: Quarterfinals, Holiday, Durant, Giannis

August 2nd, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Six of the eight quarterfinalists have been set for the men’s basketball tournament at the Paris Olympics, with three teams still in contention for the final two spots and the other three teams no longer in the mix.

The U.S., Germany, and Canada are the group winners, while Australia and France have secured top-two seeds in their respective groups and Brazil has clinched one of the two wild-card spots reserved for third-place teams.

The outcome of the Serbia/South Sudan game on Saturday will determine the last two quarterfinalists. If Serbia wins by three or more points, Serbia and Greece will advance to the single-elimination round. If South Sudan beats Serbia or loses by just one or two points, they’ll advance, almost certainly with Serbia. The only scenario in which Serbia would be eliminated (in favor of South Sudan and Greece) is if South Sudan wins Saturday’s contest by 24 or more points.

Puerto Rico, Japan, and Spain have been eliminated from medal contention.

Here are a few more items of interest from the Olympics:

  • Winning Saturday’s game against Puerto Rico by at least five points would assure Team USA of finishing pool play as the top-seeded team, likely creating a more favorable path to the medal round. That’s a priority, head coach Steve Kerr confirmed on Friday, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. “We want the No. 1 seed,” Kerr said. “It gives you the best matchup in the quarterfinals. So if we drop down to two or three — which I think is unlikely, but we’ve got to take care of our business — we possibly have a much tougher opponent.”
  • Veteran guard Jrue Holiday may return to the U.S. starting lineup on Saturday, but he’ll have to be cleared to play first. According to Windhorst, Holiday sustained a minor ankle injury in Wednesday’s game vs. South Sudan and is considered questionable for Saturday’s contest.
  • Kevin Durant has led Team USA in scoring (37 points) and plus-minus (+46) through two games, but he’s comfortable with continuing to come off the bench if that’s what Kerr prefers, Windhorst writes in a separate ESPN.com story. “It’s basketball, it really doesn’t matter who starts,” Durant said. “It’s about really who finished the game, who put their impact on the game while they’re in the game. So I just try to do my best to impact it any way I can.”
  • Although the Greek national team went just 1-2 in pool play and is in danger of being eliminated before the quarterfinals, Giannis Antetokounmpo is savoring his first Olympic experience, which included serving as Greece’s flag-bearer, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I might win another championship (in the NBA). I might win another MVP. Who knows?” Antetokounmpo said. “But I might never carry the flag again.”
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Olympic Notes: Greece, Fernandez, L. Brown, Hachimura

August 2nd, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nobody was cheering harder for Canada in today’s Olympic matchup than the Greek basketball team. After defeating Australia this morning, Greece needed a Canadian victory over Spain to have an opportunity to advance out of pool play. Canada improved to 3-0 with an 88-85 win, leaving three teams tied at 1-2 in Group A. Under the Olympic tie-breakers, Australia finishes second, with Greece third and Spain eliminated at fourth.

Greece’s fate still hasn’t been decided, explains Eric Nemh of The Athletic. There are several scenarios that could still work in their favor, but the easiest is for Serbia to defeat South Sudan by at least three points on Saturday in the final game of pool competition.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for Greece again today with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Although Antetokounmpo has been brilliant throughout the tournament, teammate Thomas Walkup told BasketNews that Greece shouldn’t be viewed as a one-man team.

“He [Giannis] would say the same thing — it doesn’t really matter,” Walkup said. “We win as a team, we lose as a team. You know, this Australia versus Giannis isn’t how it is for us.”

There’s more from the Olympics:

  • Spain’s loss ends the long international career of Rudy Fernandez, who was playing in his fifth Olympics. The 39-year-old has three Olympic medals and is a two-time FIBA World Cup champion. “Being so competitive, being so committed to this team. It was no matter his health or how his personal situation was. He was always there,” Spain coach Sergio Scariolo said in a separate BasketNews story. “That’s a great example for his teammates here in this team, for the ones who are coming after him and, for sure, for players from all over the world because not everybody can have the jumping ability, the skills, the talent, or the size, but everybody should try. I would say not everybody can have a talent, for sure, but at least they should try to look at this example and see that there is a kind of room for compensating different liabilities or flows with a superior mental and emotional effort.”
  • Spanish teammate Lorenzo Brown doesn’t consider his Olympic career to be over, even though he’ll be close to 38 by the 2028 Games, per Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews (Twitter link). “No way, no way, man,” said Brown, who played five NBA seasons before continuing his career internationally. “I want to get back to the Olympics and give it another shot at it.”
  • Lakers forward Rui Hachimura wasn’t available for Japan’s final game on Friday due to an injured left calf, writes Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. Hachimura left the team after an MRI confirmed an injury to his gastrocnemius muscle.
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Olympic Notes: Curry, Giannis, Dort, Barrett, France, Germany

July 30th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While Steve Kerr‘s decision to not play Jayson Tatum in Team USA’s Olympic opener grabbed the headlines, the head coach has a bigger task heading into Wednesday’s matchup with South Sudan — he needs to get his Warriors’ superstar going, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.

Stephen Curry was underwhelming on Sunday against Serbia, scoring eight of his 11 points when the game was well in hand. He added three assists, three rebounds and one turnover in 21 minutes.

“A slow start for Steph (against Serbia),” Kerr admitted. “But you see the impact he makes. He comes flying off a double (team), and LeBron (James) throws it into Jrue Holiday for a layup because they’re terrified of Steph. So the beauty of Steph is that whether he makes shots or not, he impacts the game because he scares the other team. Just the threat of Steph impacts the game.”

We have more on the Olympic tournament:

  • Greece is 0-2 in the tournament after losing to Spain and Giannis Antetokounmpo left the arena without speaking to the media, Amick writes. Antetokounmpo missed a potential tying 3-pointer in the final minute. He finished with 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting, 11 rebounds and three assists. Greece needs to beat Australia on Friday to even have a chance to reach the knockout round.
  • The Boomers are 1-1 in pool play after falling to Team Canada, 93-83. Following the loss, Australia’s coach, Brian Goorjian, compared the NBA-laden Canadian squad to the tourney favorite. “To me, [Canada] are a version of Team USA,” Goorjian said, per BasketNews. “They play differently than the Europeans and than what we played against Spain. There’s a lot more one-on-one, there’s a lot more spread game, a lot more going at the weak defender and bringing them to the on-ball and spread. Then the physicality defensively was a level that we haven’t played against so far on all of these teams that we’ve played to date. Multiple guys are coming in that can put heat and pressure on the ball. And I thought that was the difference in the game tonight.”
  • Luguentz Dort and RJ Barrett lifted Team Canada to Tuesday’s win, according to The Athletic’s Eric Koreen. Dort, a surprise starter on the team, was a defensive pest while posting 11 points and three steals. Another mild surprise has been Barrett’s offensive output — he has led the team in scoring in both of its wins.
  • The host nation barely survived against Japan, capturing an overtime win. Team France is now 2-0 in the tournament. “It’s the Olympics. It’s the 12 best teams in the world, so it’s no easy game. You can see that from the beginning; there’s no blowout, except for the USA team. But pretty much every game is close. That’s why you love the Olympics, why you love basketball—to play those games. It was fun tonight,” Nicolas Batum said, per Aris Barkis of Eurohoops.net.
  • France’s next opponent is Germany, which is also 2-0. Germany topped Brazil, 86-73, led by Dennis Schröder, who had 20 points and six assists, and Franz Wagner, who supplied 17 points.
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Serbia, Greece Set 12-Man Rosters For Olympics

July 23rd, 2024 at 9:10am CST by Luke Adams

Two more nations have set their 12-man rosters for the upcoming Olympic games in Paris, with Serbia and Greece both officially announcing their squads (Twitter links).

The Serbian roster is headlined by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and includes a few more NBA players beyond the Nuggets center. Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, Hornets guard Vasilije Micic, and Heat forward Nikola Jovic will also represent Serbia in Paris.

Jovic’s inclusion is particularly notable, since there was some uncertainty earlier this month about whether he’d be healthy enough to play. He injured his ankle during an offseason workout in Miami in June, but has apparently received medical clearance for the Olympics.

Nikola Milutinov, Ognjen Dobric, Vanja Marinkovic, Marko Guduric, Filip Petrusev, Aleksa Avramovic, Dejan Davidovac, and Uros Plavsic round out Serbia’s roster. Former NBA first-round pick Aleksej Pokusevski, who finished last season with the Hornets, isn’t among the final 12.

Meanwhile, Greece has also confirmed its Olympic roster, which will be led by another former NBA MVP, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis is the only Antetokounmpo suiting up for Greece in France at this year’s event, since his brothers Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Kostas Antetokounmpo are both dealing with injuries.

While Giannis is the only active NBA player on the Greek roster, a few others have previously played in the league, including Nick Calathes, Georgios Papagiannis, and Kostas Papanikolaou. Former Stephen F. Austin standout Thomas Walkup also signed an NBA contract back in 2016, though he never appeared in a regular season game.

Dinos Mitoglou, Giannoulis Larentzakis, Vassilis Charalampopoulos, Nikos Chougkaz, Dimitris Moraitis, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, and Vassilis Toliopoulos make up the rest of Greece’s roster.

Serbia’s first pool-play game of the Olympics will take place on Sunday vs. Team USA, while Greece’s Olympic schedule will tip off a day earlier, with a Saturday showdown vs. Canada.

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International Notes: Olympic Qualifiers, Robinson, Australia, Canada, Hayes-Davis

July 4th, 2024 at 9:28pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of NBA superstars will match up this weekend in Greece as they look to keep their home countries’ Olympic hopes alive. The Greek national team, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, will take on Luka Doncic and the Slovenians in the semifinals of one of four ongoing Olympic qualifying tournaments (link via ESPN). The winner of Greece vs. Slovenia will go on to face the winner of Croatia vs. Dominican Republic for a spot in the men’s basketball Olympic tournament in Paris.

In total, four Olympic berths still remain up for grabs. The other semifinal matchups in Olympic qualifying tournaments around the globe are as follows:

  • Riga, Latvia:
    • Latvia vs. Cameroon
    • Brazil vs. Philippines
  • Valencia, Spain:
    • Spain vs. Finland
    • Bahamas vs. Lebanon
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico:
    • Puerto Rico vs. Mexico
    • Lithuania vs. Italy

While none of the other teams fighting for a spot in the Olympics has a perennial MVP candidate like Antetokounmpo or Doncic on its roster, there are many NBA players competing in the qualifying tournaments, including All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis for Lithuania and Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield, and Eric Gordon representing the Bahamas.

Here are a few more updates from around the international basketball world:

  • Former NBA lottery pick Jerome Robinson has signed with Saint-Quentin in France, the team officially announced (via Twitter). Robinson, who was drafted 13th overall in 2018, has appeared in a total of 135 NBA regular season games, including 22 with Golden State last season while on a two-way contract with the Warriors.
  • The Australian national team has set its 12-man roster for the Olympics, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN, who notes that eight active NBA players – Josh Giddey, Josh Green, Dante Exum, Jock Landale, Duop Reath, Dyson Daniels, Patty Mills, and Joe Ingles – made the cut, along with former NBA guard Matthew Dellavedova. Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle is the most surprising omission, Uluc adds.
  • Team Canada hasn’t set its Olympic roster yet, but pared it down a little on Wednesday, with Oshae Brissett among the cuts. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links), Brissett – who is coming off a championship season as a Celtics reserve – asked to withdraw to focus on his NBA free agency. It looks like there are 10 NBA players who are safe bets to be on the Canadian squad, with two roster spots still up for grabs, as Lewenberg outlines in another tweet.
  • Nigel Hayes-Davis, the former NBA forward who is part of the U.S. Select Team and was rumored this spring to be drawing NBA interest, has re-upped with Fenerbahce, signing a three-year contract with the Turkish team, according to a press release.
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Leonard, Haliburton, Embiid Expected To Be Ready For Team USA

June 27th, 2024 at 11:54am CST by Arthur Hill

Head coach Steve Kerr expects a fully healthy roster when Team USA begins training for the Olympics next week in Las Vegas, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. That means Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Sixers center Joel Embiid, who were all sidelined with injuries late in the season or during the playoffs, are likely to participate.

Right knee inflammation prevented Leonard from playing in the final eight games of the regular season and limited him to two playoff games as L.A. lost to Dallas in the first round. Kerr cautioned that there could still be a late surprise, but staff members have been in frequent contact with Leonard and they expect him to be ready for camp. Sources tell Vardon that there’s no new structural damage to Leonard’s knee, and the inflammation is the result of previous surgeries.

Haliburton suffered a strained left hamstring in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals and wasn’t able to return as Indiana was swept by Boston. He was concerned about his availability for the Olympics when the injury occurred, but Vardon states that the Pacers training staff always believed he would be ready in time.

Embiid missed more than two months after meniscus surgery on his left knee in late January. He was back in time for the playoffs, but appeared to be affected by the knee during the first-round series with New York. He also experienced a mild case of Bell’s palsy, which causes weakness or paralysis in the facial muscles.

Training camp for team USA will open July 6, followed by an exhibition game against Canada four days later in Las Vegas. The team will travel to Abu Dhabi and London for more exhibition contests before heading to Paris.

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to see limited action when Greece takes on the Bahamas this afternoon, tweets Harris Stavrou of SPORT24. A left calf strain forced Antetokounmpo to miss all of Milwaukee’s first-round series with Indiana. Greece has to advance through an Olympic qualifying tournament next week to earn a spot in the Summer Games.

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Trade Rumors: George, Bucks, Centers, Lakers, Murray

June 21st, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Although Paul George sits atop our list of 2024’s top 50 free agents, there’s a chance that the Clippers forward won’t actually become a free agent this offseason. George could sign an extension to remain in Los Angeles before free agency begins. There’s also another scenario worth keeping an eye on in the next week or so, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who has mentioned during multiple recent podcasts and TV appearances that an opt-in-and-trade could be an option for George (hat tip to RealGM).

George holds a $48.8MM player option for 2024/25, and if he decides he wants to join a team that doesn’t have the cap room necessary to sign him as a free agent, he could pick up his option in conjunction with a trade agreement in order to allow the Clippers to get something back for him while getting him to his preferred destination. A former Clipper, Chris Paul, took this route in 2017 in order to accommodate a trade from Los Angeles to Houston.

While it sounds more like speculation than hard reporting, Windhorst has repeatedly referred to the Knicks as a suitor who would make sense in this scenario, since they could offer a strong combination of rotation players and draft assets in a trade package for George (Twitter video link).

If George opts for free agency, a sign-and-trade deal in which the Clippers acquire multiple players for him likely wouldn’t be possible, since a new CBA rule prohibits second-apron teams from taking back salary in exchange for a signed-and-traded player.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

  • Windhorst said during an appearance on Friday’s episode of First Take (YouTube link) that the Bucks may look to shake up their core this offseason, though neither Giannis Antetokounmpo nor Damian Lillard is considered a trade candidate. “There’s starting to be rumblings that (Bucks head coach) Doc Rivers is looking for a change or two to some of their core pieces,” Windhorst said. “Not Dame or Giannis, but potentially looking at another maneuver they could make to alter their team.” Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported earlier today that Milwaukee center Brook Lopez is viewed as a possible trade candidate.
  • The Lakers, Grizzlies, and Pelicans are a few of the teams who are “closely monitoring” the market for centers this offseason, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who took a closer look at whether New York will consider moving Mitchell Robinson. Like Lopez, Robinson has been cited as a potential trade candidate.
  • Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic suggested that the Lakers may renew their pursuit of a Hawks guard in the coming days. “They have to be aggressive,” Charania said. “One name that they did pursue last season at the trade deadline that teams around the league expect to come up again in trade conversations over the next week or so and makes sense for the Lakers is Dejounte Murray of the Hawks.” Atlanta is widely expected to trade either Murray or Trae Young this summer — Young has also previously been mentioned as a possible Lakers target.
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International Notes: Giannis, Team Canada, Hezonja, Clarkson, Vildoza, Ataman, Team China

June 20th, 2024 at 9:11am CST by Dana Gauruder

Giannis Antetokounmpo is looking forward to participating in Greece’s training camp, though he’s still dealing with the injury that short-circuited the Bucks’ playoff run. Milwaukee’s superstar will look to help Greece advance out of the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament in Piraeus early next month.

“I have not practiced yet, but I feel better. I cannot wait to join the training camp,” he told Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net and other reporters.

Antetokounmpo suffered a calf strain late in the NBA regular season. The announcement that he would play for Greece was made at the beginning of this month.

We have more international basketball news:

  • Canada’s preliminary Olympic roster is loaded with NBA players and there will be tough decisions ahead to pare it to 12 players, Josh Lewenberg of TSN notes. Kings forward Trey Lyles, former NBA bigs Khem Birch and Mfiondu Kabengele and two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey are some of the players who, on paper, will be fighting for the last two spots on the roster, writes Lewenberg.
  • Former NBA forward Mario Hezonja announced on social media that he’s re-signing with Real Madrid, Sportando relays. “Real Madrid believed in me when many didn’t, cared for me and my family since the first day I arrived and made us feel at home. My only intention was to stay so I am happy to communicate to you that I will continue my journey at MY HOME, MY REAL MADRID for a long time!” he wrote. There had been speculation he might look at NBA opportunities.
  • Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson was not on the Philippines’ 12-man roster for the FIBA Olympic qualifier. Coach Tim Cone opted for continuity, according to executive director Erika Dy. Cone decided to go with the same group that participated in an Asia Cup qualifier over the winter. “Premise of coach Tim, we have the same roster every time. The shorter training periods will accumulate, and the players will build chemistry,” Dy said, per BasketNews.
  • Virtus Bologna is reportedly interested in former NBA guard Luca Vildoza, who is leaving Greece’s Panathinaikos, according to another Sportando report. Vildoza had a seven-game stint with the Bucks in 2021/22.
  • After leading Panathinaikos to a Euroleague title, Ergin Ataman is eager to get a shot at coaching in the NBA. But he told the Spanish outlet AS that he only wants to make the jump if he’s offered a head coaching job. “Before it was my dream, now it’s not, but if you want a star coach from Europe, here I am. Why would I be afraid of training NBA stars?” he said, per Eurohoops.net.
  • The Chinese national team will participate in the California Classic in Sacramento next month, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reports. They’ll be grouped against Summer League teams from the Kings, Hornets, and Spurs. Squads from the Warriors, Lakers and Heat will play against each other in San Francisco.
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New York Notes: Schröder, Hurley, Knicks’ Targets, Lowry, Morris, Irving

June 11th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dennis Schröder would like to stay put for a change.

After playing his first five seasons with Atlanta, Schröder has worn six different uniforms since the 2018/19 season. Schröder has one year left on his contract at $13MM but he could be packaged by the Nets in a trade. He hopes that won’t happen, NetsDaily.com relays via an interview with Germany outlet Braunschweig Zeitung.

“Brooklyn is a really cool, great organization, quite family-oriented,” he said. “I’d definitely like to stick around for the long haul — My agent and I feel like the Nets liked how I contributed. I’ve brought in more defense, teamwork and displayed leadership, but if someone as exceptional as Giannis Antetokounmpo or another superstar wants to join Brooklyn, the Nets could make deals to acquire that player … and that’s why nothing is certain in the NBA.”

There’s no evidence that the Bucks superstar wants to be dealt, but Schröder’s $13MM expiring contract could be a useful salary-matching piece in a major trade.

We have more from the New York teams:

  • Dan Hurley spurned the Lakers but he could eventually accept an NBA job closer to home, East Coast-based Adam Zagoria tweets. According to Zagoria, there’s plenty of speculation that the UConn coach will one day coach the Knicks or Nets.
  • The Knicks could have access to the $12.9MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the $5.2MM taxpayer exception, depending on how things shake out over the next few weeks. What players might they look at? The Athletic’s Fred Katz explores that topic, listing 10 potential targets such as Kyle Anderson, Tyus Jones and Monte Morris. He also notes that Kyle Lowry was on the Knicks’ radar after his buyout with the Hornets last winter before the 38-year-old guard signed with Philadelphia.
  • Markieff Morris was part of the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks last season. The Mavericks forward said Irving wanted out of Brooklyn for a simple reason — he wanted to get paid, and the Nets weren’t willing to give him the sort of deal he wanted. “It was time for his contract extension, the two sides didn’t meet up, business got involved, and that’s what happened. That’s how it goes,” Morris told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “I think Kyrie was averaging about 27 [points per game] at the time. I think we won 18 out of 20 and all of a sudden the business got involved. That’s how it goes sometimes. A guy of Kyrie’s stature, I wouldn’t be standing for that either. Get me up out of there.”
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Central Notes: Buckner, Giannis, Pacers Workout, Pacers Offseason

June 11th, 2024 at 5:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Greg Buckner is expected to join Doc Rivers’ staff with the Bucks, Marc Stein tweets. Buckner was the Cavaliers‘ associate head coach under J.B. Bickerstaff. He had been on Cleveland’s staff since 2020. Previously, Bucker was an assistant with the Grizzlies (2017-19). Former Lakers coach Darvin Ham has also made a commitment to join Rivers’ staff.

We have more from the Central Division:

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