Rumors

Shaquille O’Neal: I was eating Frosted Flakes, watching ESPN, listening to what people were saying. And then they said Mitch Kupchak said he will take offers on Shaq. So, I told my agent to call him, and they said, "Hey, you going to want to trade?" So, I got in my police car and I went there, but they wouldn't let me in cuz I was going to f*** Mitch Kupchak up. I’m a cop. I went down there, and actually, the cops were waiting for me like ‘Shaq, we can't let you in’. I was like, I'm just going to go get my stuff. I was going to f*** Kupchak up. I promise you. I promise you. Cuz my thing is I understand the business, but show me a little more respect. Call me and say, "Hey man, we had a good run." Like, "But you do that." I'm sitting there eating Frost Flakes to Little Shareef, and he's looking at me. I'm looking at him like, "Damn, we're getting traded?" I was going to kill that dude.

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Nurkic faced Giannis often enough to know the task never ends. “I think it’s different. Now he’s playing more at the '5'. Obviously, he will have to defend too," he pointed out. "But at the end of the day, just stop him in transition and live with his shots. Generally, he’s sucked at those defenses the last few years he’s played in EuroBasket. But it’s not only him, so we will be ready.”

BasketNews

“Of course he’s different. In the NBA he has so much space, with shooters like Brook Lopez spreading the floor, he’s almost unstoppable. Here it’s another game — no defensive three seconds, so much happening in the paint — but he’s still a dominant player,” the Bosnian center said. And if anyone can maximize the Greek Freak’s impact in FIBA basketball, Nurkic pointed to one man: coach Vassilis Spanoulis. “Of course he can," he responded. "If a legend can’t find it, then no one can find it.”

BasketNews

Former Hornets player Treveon Graham re-signed with Taiwanese team Taoyuan Pilots for the 2025-26 season.

HoopsHype

Michael Scotto: Just In: The Charlotte Hornets are hiring Kyle Neptune as an assistant coach, league sources told @hoopshype. Neptune was previously a head coach at Fordham and Villanova University.

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However, his off-the-court actions are not as well known, but his Serbian national team teammate Vasilije Micic shed some light on them. Former Oklahoma City Thunder, Charlotte Hornets, and Phoenix Suns guard described Jokic as a leader. "Great guy, great guy. Very humble, really unique in terms of that," Micic told BasketNews. "His integrity with the team and his behavior in general are really a great example for everyone who wants to become like Nikola, a superstar and NBA leader."

BasketNews

Zahr’s Blue Owl is one of the private equity firms allowed to invest in NBA teams. It has stakes in the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves, said Lauren Anderson, director of the Warsaw Sports Business Center at the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business. Blue Owl could invest in the Blazers, but Zahr is participating in the deal as an individual investor, according to multiple sources, including one with direct knowledge of the deal. If Dundon’s group wants to bring in private equity, it won’t have trouble finding it, said multiple sports business experts.

Oregonian

Despite the unfinished look of Spectrum Center’s phase two renovations, the Hornets and city leaders are “looking forward” to the results of the upgrades and “remain confident” the work will be finished in time for the Oct. 19 reopening, according to Chase Jordan of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. The total cost of the project is $245M and is “funded by the city of Charlotte’s tourism dollars,” which are collected from taxes on rental cars and hotel rooms. The uptown Charlotte project began in May 2024, and Hornets Sports & Entertainment Chief Venues Officer Donna Julian said that the renos are “designed to elevate the guest experience for visitors.”

Sports Business Journal

Michael Scotto: The Charlotte Hornets are hiring Will Weaver as a coaching advisor, sources told @hoopshype. Weaver was an NBA assistant coach for the Nets & Rockets, along with Australia’s national team. He was head coach for Paris Basketball, Sydney Kings & LI Nets (G League Coach of the Year)

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In general, the best teams were featured in the T10 more often than the worst ones. But it’s noteworthy that the Charlotte Hornets (-9.1 Net Rating) can produce as many T10-worthy plays as the Oklahoma City Thunder (+12.7 Net Rating). The Hornets might not be good, but at least they’re fun. Call it LaMelo Ball’s Funhouse of Highlights. The Los Angeles Lakers were featured in the T10 more than any other team last season. I know I said star power and market size don’t dictate what makes the T10, but the Well, But LeBron Exception applies here. The Brooklyn Nets finished last season with just 18 appearances in the T10. But if you count all the times that Ziaire Williams and Nic Claxton were on the wrong end of a T10 poster dunk then their total would go up.

Substack

Despite showing good efforts first in Spain and then in France to take down Sergio Scariolo’s national team on the road to FIBA EuroBasket 2025, the French national team is looking for reinforcements. Already knowing they couldn’t count on Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, Mathias Lessort, and Moustapha Fall for the most anticipated event of the summer, Vincent Poirier will also be missed. In search of a new center to add to their rotation, head coach Frederic Fauthoux shared that they tried to involve the 23-year-old Moussa Diabate, currently in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets. However, as reported by Be Basket, the player declined the offer coming from the French national team after consulting with his entourage to “focus on his upcoming NBA season”.

EuroHoops.net

Brett Siegel: Number of National TV games for 2025-26 NBA season (ESPN, ABC, NBC, & Amazon): Atlanta: 13, Boston: 25, Brooklyn: 2, Charlotte: 3, Chicago: 3, Cleveland: 24, Dallas: 23, Denver: 26, Detroit: 16, Golden State: 34, Houston: 28, Indiana: 9, Los Angeles Clippers: 21, Los Angeles Lakers: 34, Memphis: 10, Miami: 5, Milwaukee: 18, Minnesota: 28, New Orleans: 2, New York: 34, Oklahoma City: 34, Orlando: 14, Philadelphia: 14, Phoenix: 9, Portland: 8, Sacramento: 9, San Antonio: 22, Toronto: 2, Utah: 2, Washington: 2

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UnderDog NBA: Teams with fewest nationally televised games in 2025-26: Bulls (3) Hornets (3) Jazz (2) Nets (2) Pelicans (2) Raptors (2) Wizards (2)

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Michael Scotto: Just In: The Phoenix Suns are hiring Steve Clifford as a coaching advisor, sources told @hoopshype. Clifford has 23 seasons of NBA coaching experience, including head coaching stints with the Hornets and Magic. He was also an assistant for the Knicks, Rockets, Magic and Lakers.

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