Advertisement - scroll for more content
Chris Mannix: So something I've heard owners asking is how much did this cost them? So we'll see. Ballmer in this interview said largely what I expected him to say. Now it comes down to an NBA investigation. how rigorous that investigation is and just how much proof the NBA needs to believe this to be true. Like, they're never going to find a smoking gun. They're never going to find the kind of evidence that existed back in 2000 when the NBA dinged the Timberwolves for what at the time was five first-round draft picks. They voided Joe Smith's contract. They suspended Glen Taylor and uh Kevin McHale.
Florida State men's basketball's recruiting momentum continues as the Seminoles landed a commitment from 4-star guard Brandon Bass Jr. The son of 12-year NBA veteran Brandon Bass, Bass Jr. is a 6-foot-4 guard from Windermere Prep.
Originally drafted by Milwaukee with the 48th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Thornwell never played for Milwaukee. Instead he began a four-year career in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers, before making stops with the New Orleans Pelicans and Orlando Magic. His last appearance in the NBA came in the 2020-21 season, and he averaged 2.5 points per game in 160 career games. Since leaving the NBA, Thornwell has continued his professional career abroad, playing in leagues in Germany, Turkey, Poland and most recently with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association where he saw action earlier in 2025.
Kasparas Jakucionis will be another rookie who will try to find his place in Miami. And, apparently, Jovic knows him pretty well. "I know a lot about his game," Jovic revealed. "I followed him in college because he played with my really good friend Tomislav Ivisic, and that's why I watched his game." Jovic also admitted that he was surprised to see Jakucionis dropping to the 20th pick. "I was really surprised when we drafted him because I really thought he was going to be like a Top 10 pick," he said. "But it's for sure a good pick for us. He's a great player. I haven't really talked to him, but I can't wait to see him play. And I'm sure he'll be a great piece for us."
Michael Scotto: Just In: The Dallas Mavericks will waive-and-stretch Olivier-Maxence Prosper, league sources told @hoopshype . The former 24th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft is being waived to make room for Dante Exum and duck the second apron. The 23-year-old is expected to draw free agency interest
Advertisement
Jalen Williams: I was getting Joe Ingles comps coming into the league
Who were some of the NBA comparisons you were hearing coming in? Like, when you were hearing, “Okay, it’s time. I gotta leave now”? Jalen Williams: They weren’t really what made me leave, but I got guys like Joe Ingles. Joe, man — Joe’s my boy. It’s funny — me and my team were like, “Ain’t no way they thought he was no damn Joe, bro!” I gotta find the thing… yeah, yeah. Joe’s the homie though — salute to Kill. Yeah, he was a good chiller. Yeah, Joe... I got Joe Ingles. Me and my trainer — when I got drafted — he gave me Joe’s trading card, just as a joke. But I think my ceiling was like Harden, and then they were saying I played like Joe Ingles. So that was mine too, coming out of college.
IMG Academy continues to lure top talent to Bradenton, Fla. Ascenders hoops will have a blue-chip name to know joining their roster for the 2025-26 season. Four-star small forward Aziz Olajuwon, the son of NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon, is transferring from Clements (Texas) to IMG for his senior season, he told League Ready’s Sam Kayser on Monday evening.
Lithuanian point guard Augustas Marciulionis, 23, has signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and is eager to prove he belongs in the NBA. The son of Lithuanian basketball legend Sarunas Marciulionis saw his draft stock take a hit this summer after suffering a broken foot ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft. Now, his chance to earn a spot comes at Lakers training camp right before the new season. "It was very strange (laughs)," Marciulionis told Vaidas Jukavicius of BasketNews about signing with the Lakers. "That whole period of uncertainty—when I didn't know how things would turn out—was tough. And then the Lakers option came along. But there's still a lot to prove and a lot of work to earn a full contract. "They showed me a lot of attention both in interviews and when it came to signing. I'm glad I'm in a good environment that believes in me—that's the most important thing."
"From my understanding, behind the scenes, Rick Carlisle is one of the more active coaches in the league when it comes to influence over the roster," reports Jake Fischer. Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan have long been entrenched in the front office of the Pacers predating Carlisle's arrival. "Carlisle is known around the league to have as formidable of a finger on the Pacers' roster construction and overall talent evaluation—just roster construction and player scouting and draft evaluations," added Fischer.
A team source said that the reason Heat hasn’t tried to collect a cornucopia of first-round picks — as the Knicks, Rockets and Spurs have done — is twofold. Doing that would run counter to Miami’s core philosophy of: 1). Never again tanking and intentionally taking steps back with the hope of a brighter future. 2). Always trying to win as many games as possible every season, even if the roster isn’t championship-caliber. Trying to miss the playoffs with the hope of landing the top pick in the draft would never be considered under this ownership and management team.
Advertisement
Michael Scotto: John Wall has retired. The former No. 1 pick of the 2010 NBA Draft was a five-time All-Star, one-time All-NBA selection, and one-time All-Defensive selection. He averaged 18.7 points, 8.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 11 seasons with the Wizards, Rockets, and Clippers.
Former NBA center Shawn Bradley attended the BIG3’s Week 10 matchups, where he was seen chatting with Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal Sunday in Dallas. Bradley, who was the Sixers’ No. 2 overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft, was paralyzed from the chest down after a bicycle accident in St. George, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2021. The 7-foot-6 Bradley — who had a 12-year NBA career and stints with the then-New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks — was in his Quantum Rehab motorized wheelchair as he and his wife Carrie posed for photos with O’Neal at American Airlines Arena.
Shaq & Shawn Bradley at the BIG3 pic.twitter.com/LpS7NE9yMC
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 17, 2025
"And you being born and raised in Europe, where everything and everyone is close—was it hard to adjust?" Georgios Papagiannis: "Yes, it was. If I had the experience, or someone to guide me through it, it might’ve been easier." "But you know how it is—when a player gets drafted in the first round, the fans and the organization automatically place huge expectations on you. And anything below those expectations is seen as failure. A bust. A disappointment."
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement