The Phoenix Suns' busy offseason continued Sunday with a pair of moves.

Cam Payne was traded by the Suns to the San Antonio Spurs, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, while ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports Phoenix signed former Orlando Magic forward Bol Bol to a one-year deal.

The Suns also sent a second-round draft pick and cash to the Spurs, and traded a 2026 first-round pick to the Magic in exchange for three future second-round selections.

The 28-year-old Payne averaged 10.3 points, 4.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 48 games for the Suns in 2022-23 - his fourth season in Phoenix.

The Suns have been one of the NBA's busiest teams this offseason, trading away Chris Paul while acquiring fellow guards Bradley Beal and Eric Gordon.

With the Spurs, Payne will likely split point guard duties with Tre Jones.

Bol is entering his fifth NBA season after being waived by the Magic earlier this month.

Expected to provide depth off the bench for Phoenix, Bol got off to an encouraging start to the 2022-23 season for Orlando, starting 32 of the team's first 37 games before ultimately falling out of the rotation.

He averaged 12 points and 7.1 rebounds in the first 37 games, but made just one more start the rest of the season, averaging 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in the final 33 games he played.

 

LeBron James announced on The ESPYs on Wednesday that he will play another season for the Los Angeles Lakers.

James, 38, said he will return for his 21st NBA season and sixth with the Lakers after accepting the ESPY award for Best Record-Breaking Performance for surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA’s all-time scoring list last season.

“I don’t care how many more points I can score or what I can or can’t do on the floor,” James said. “The real question for me, can I play without cheating the game? The day I can’t play without giving everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”

At the end of last season following the Lakers’ loss to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals, James said he wasn’t sure if he would be back.

That was in stark contrast to James’ previous sentiments, when he said on several occasions that he would like to play alongside his oldest son, Bronny, in the NBA.

The superstar James had another stellar season in 2022-23, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 55 games.

The Boston Celtics announced Wednesday that they have signed forward Kristaps Porzingis to a two-year contract extension.

While terms of the deal were not announced, multiple reports indicated that the deal would pay Porzingis $60 million over the next two years. The extension will go into effect after the upcoming season, during which Porzingis will earn $36 million.

The extension comes two-plus weeks after the Celtics acquired the 7-foot-3 Porzingis in a three-team trade with the Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs.

Porzingis had a career year last season with the Wizards, averaging a personal-best 23.2 points to go with 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocks in 65 games.

Boston hopes the versatile native of Latvia can play a major role alongside all-NBA forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Porzingis, who has also played for the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks, has averaged 19.6 points and 7.9 rebounds in 402 career games.

The San Antonio Spurs have seen enough from Victor Wembanyama in Las Vegas.

Wembanyama, the much-hyped No. 1 overall pick from last month’s draft, will not play in any more Summer League games this season, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

The news comes a day after the 19-year-old scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in his second and final Summer League game.

In 54 minutes of Summer League action, Wembanyama totalled 36 points, 20 rebounds, three assists and eight blocks while shooting 41 percent from the field.

After playing into June in the French League playoffs, Wembanyama was never expected to play every game for the Spurs in Las Vegas and now has an opportunity to reset before looking towards his rookie NBA season.

“I’m going to sit down with the Spurs to know what the next months are going to be like,” Wembanyama said after Sunday’s game. “When to go on vacation, when to start back working out, where I’m going to practice, in San Antonio or somewhere else.

“I just know I’ve got two to three months - two to three great months - that are coming and they’re going to change my life.”

Wembanyama’s debut Friday garnered a sell-out crowd and one of the largest U.S. television ratings in Summer League history. Sunday’s encore was a bit more modest but still drew far more attention than a typical summer game.

NBA greats Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West were among those who watched Wembanyama’s first NBA exhibitions.

Touted by some as the best NBA prospect since LeBron James entered the league in 2003, Wembanyama has experienced a month-long whirlwind of media attention since travelling to the United States. The teenager has responded to the spotlight like a seasoned veteran, thus far, and admitted that he would rather be on the hardwood than in front of microphones.

“In the past month, I think basketball wasn’t even 50 percent of my schedule,” Wembanyama said. “I can’t stand it. I know it’s a special moment in my life, but I’m glad it’s over. Honestly. I just want to hoop. I just want to work out, lift because this is my life. Obviously, every first pick is going to go through this. And it just makes me better for the future.”

Wembanyama’s apparent humility and workmanlike attitude do not fit well with flashy Las Vegas, but they should pair perfectly with Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich, who signed a new five-year, $80million contract over the weekend, keeping him in San Antonio until he is 79 years old.

“There’s something great going on, starting,” Wembanyama said of the upcoming season. “We kind of knew it was going to happen, but now it’s, ‘Let’s get it rolling. We can get started now.’”

The NBA Saturday revealed plans for its inaugural in-season tournament that will begin Nov. 3.

The tournament will have a prize pool of roughly $18 million and will be capped by a championship game on Dec. 9.

“This is a concept that has been rumbling around the league office for about 15 years,” Silver said. “It’s not a new concept in sports. For those that follow particularly international soccer, it’s a long tradition of having in-season tournaments … so we thought, what a perfect opportunity for a global league like the NBA and it’s a perfect fit for our game.”

Games will be played mostly on Tuesdays and Fridays in November – except for Nov. 7, when the league will play no games to commemorate Election Day.

The Final Four will be played in Las Vegas.

“I’m excited about this midseason tournament,” Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I think it’s going to add an element of energy and excitement for the players and coaches and the fans. I think it’s a great idea.”

Teams were assigned to a five-team group and will play against each other; the six group winners will make the quarterfinals, as will the best two second-place teams from the groups.

All tournament games except the championship will count in the standings. It’s been known for some time that teams will be getting only an 80-game schedule when the 2023-24 slate its released by the NBA in the coming weeks.

Games 81 and 82 will be added in December.

 

Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs have agreed on a new five-year contract extension, the team announced Saturday.

The 74-year-old Popovich is already the oldest coach in NBA history and will see the record extended with the new deal.

Details of the contract were not released as part of the team’s policy.

Popovich is the winingest coach of the all-time and recently completed his 27th season as the Spurs’ coach.

He has guided San Antonio to five NBA titles (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014) and has been named the NBA’s Coach of the Year three times (2003, 2012, 2014).

Popovich ranks third all-time in playoff wins with 170, trailing only Phil Jackson (229) and Pat Riley (171), and will enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next month.

Popovich’s decision to remain as head coach and President of Basketball Operations with the Spurs comes not long after the team landed the No. 1 pick in the draft and selected French phenom Victor Wembanyama.

Wembanyama made his official NBA Summer League debut on the court on Friday against the Charlotte Hornets in Las Vegas.

Popovich also won an Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games that were played in 2021.

Victor Wembanyama's first game as a San Antonio Spur drew quite a crowd, even if his performance didn't quite live up to the hype.

The 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick shot just 2 of 13 from the floor in Friday's NBA Las Vegas Summer League debut, a 76-68 Spurs' win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Wembanyama managed only nine points in 27 minutes in front of a sellout crowd of around 17,500 fans at the Thomas & Mack Center, though he showed glimpses of the immense potential that has made the 19-year-old Frenchman the NBA's most touted prospect since LeBron James in 2003. The 7-foot-3 phenom blocked five shots while grabbing eight rebounds and adding three assists. 

Brandon Miller, taken one spot behind Wembanyama at No. 2, also had a tough shooting night as the former University of Alabama star went 5-of-15 from the field while tallying 16 points and 11 rebounds for Charlotte.

The No. 3 and 4 overall picks also made their Summer League debuts Friday, though both had their evenings cut short by injuries.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson left his team's game against Houston in the third quarter after hurting his right shoulder, while Rockets guard Amen Thompson injured his left ankle in the final minute of Houston's 100-99 victory.

Henderson had 15 points, six assists and five rebounds in 21 minutes before departing, while Thompson racked up 16 points, five assists, four blocks and three steals.

Henderson left the Blazers' locker room without a brace or sling on his arm following the contest, though his availability for Portland's next game is as yet unknown.

The Trail Blazers will next face Wembanyama's Spurs on Sunday in the most anticipated matchup of that day's schedule.

The Atlanta Hawks are finalizing a 4-year, $120 million maximum extension with veteran guard Dejounte Murray, according to multiple reports.

Murray, who was entering the final year of his contract, gets an extension that will run through the 2027-28 season.

The move comes less than two weeks after the Hawks agreed to a trade that sent John Colins to the Utah Jazz, clearing a significant amount of cap space.

In his first season with Atlanta, Murray averaged 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 74 games. He shot 46.4 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from 3-point range.

Murray was acquired from the San Antonio Spurs in June 2022 for forward Danilo Gallinari and three first-round picks.

Although Murray had a strong season, the Hawks fell short of expectations and finished seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 41-41 record.

The San Antonio Spurs released their roster for the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League on Thursday, a list that contains 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama.

Multiple reports previously indicated that Wembanyama, the league's most heralded rookie since LeBron James in 2003, will make his ballyhooed debut in the Spurs' Vegas opener against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, where he'll square off against No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller.

Wembanyama told reporters following a team practice last week that he's expected to play "at least one or two" of the Spurs' four confirmed Vegas games. The 7-foot-3 Frenchman did not take part in San Antonio's two contests at the recent California Classic in Sacramento.

"It's going to be intense," Wembanyama said. "I can't wait to wear that Spurs jersey for the first time."

The Spurs also have a game scheduled against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, then take on the Washington Wizards on Tuesday before meeting the Detroit Pistons on Friday in their final matchup before the league playoffs.

Tickets for Day 1 of the Summer League quickly sold out in anticipation of Wembanaya's debut, which is expected to draw approximately 17,500 fans to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Thomas & Mack Center.

Considered a generational prospect due to his playmaking skills and mammoth eight-foot wingspan, Wembanyama arrives in the NBA after spending three seasons as a teenager in France's top professional league. The 19-year-old averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and three blocks in 34 games for Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 this past season while leading the team to the league finals.

 

A Jamaica U17 basketball team left the island on Tuesday for the USA to compete in the Marquee Hoops NCAA sanctioned AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) tournament which will take place from July 5-7 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

According to head of delegation Wayne Dawkins, this is an extraordinary milestone for Jamaica’s basketball as it is the first time that a youth basketball team from Jamaica has been invited to compete in an AAU tournament in America.

The trip was organized by Dawkins of P.H.A.S.E. 1 Academy and technical director/head coach of Jamaica's Under 17 team. He will be joined by a coaching staff of Dave Black, Phil Edwards and Rohan Ferguson.

The team will use the opportunity to gain valuable development experience as well as help to prepare the selected players who will represent Jamaica in the FIBA Centro Basket Championship in Belize from July 25 to 30.

The 15 players were selected from P.H.A.S.E. 1 Academy players as well as members of the Jamaica U17 training cohort from the four training regions across the island.

The selected players are:

St. James - Kamau Dennis, Joshua Ferguson, Nathan Thompson, Christian Andom, Gabrielle Scalamana, Alexander Corrodus and Nyle McCalla.

Manchester - Elijah Smeike and Johnathan Beckford.

St. Catherine - Ajani Walters

Kingston - Shaquayne Elliot, Antoine Daye, Joel Hamm, Zachery Smith and Kyro McCalla.

 

 

 

 

The Minnesota Timberwolves had faith that Anthony Edwards would be the cornerstone of the franchise when they selected him first overall in the 2020 draft.

He's proven he was worth the pick and has been rewarded, agreeing to a five-year, $207million rookie max extension with the Timberwolves on Monday.

The deal could be worth $260million if he makes an All-NBA team during the 2023-24 season.

Edwards made his first All-Star team this past season, as he led the Timberwolves in scoring with a career-best 24.6 points per game, while also averaging 5.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals.

At 21 years old, he became the youngest player to average those numbers in a season since LeBron James in 2005-06.

He has helped guide the Timberwolves to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 2004, and stepped up his scoring game in this season's first-round loss to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets.

Edwards averaged 31.6 points against the Nuggets and scored a Timberwolves franchise playoff-record 41 points in Game 2.

He drained six 3-pointers in that game and averaged 2.7 made 3s during the regular season while shooting 36.9 per cent from beyond the arc.

As one of the league's brightest young stars, Edwards emerged as Minnesota's most dangerous scoring threat with two-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns missing 52 games this past season with a calf strain.

The durable Edwards has missed just seven games due to injury in his first three seasons.

In 223 career games, he is averaging 21.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.7 made 3s.

 

The Phoenix Suns have landed one of the most coveted free agents still on the market, signing veteran Eric Gordon to a two-year contract.

The deal, which was reported Sunday, includes a player option, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The 34-year-old Gordon joins a Suns team led by Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Deandre Ayton and the recently acquired Bradley Beal.

Gordon averaged 12.4 points, 2.7 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 69 games last season for the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers.

Acquired by the Clippers at the trade deadline, Gordon averaged 10.2 points in five games in Los Angeles' first-round playoff loss to Phoenix.

He became a free agent last week when the Clippers opted not to guarantee his $21million contract.

With the Suns, he'll likely be asked to come off the bench to lead the second unit and provide another outside shooting threat.

Gordon shot 37.1 per cent from 3-point range last season and since his 2008-09 rookie season, his 1,878 made 3-pointers are the eighth most in the NBA.

 

Opportunities for women in sport continue to improve, but breaking down barriers of discrimination on or off the court was never going to be easy, according to London Lions women’s team general manager Vanja Cernivec.

Last summer, Slovenian-born Cernivec was appointed the first female general manager at a Women’s British Basketball League side.

Having previously been an international scout for the Chicago Bulls, the first woman in the NBA’s history to fulfil the position, Cernivec is no stranger to overcoming boundaries.

Emily Clarke was announced as the new general manager of the Women’s British Basketball League at the end of June.

Nevertheless, recent research commissioned by the Lions showed 25 per cent of women felt progressing in a sport, either at player or management level, was not viable as there were no role models to relate to.

Part of the study, which was conducted across a nationally representative cohort of 2,090 respondents, also revealed 20 per cent of females said they had experienced some kind of discrimination or exclusion which deterred them from participating in a sport.

Cernivec, though, feels appointments such as her own and that of Clarke – who previously held management roles at Basketball England – demonstrate there is a genuine drive to embrace change alongside having difficult conversations on delivering equality throughout the sport.

“Generally the reception (to my role) has been very positive,” Cernivec told the PA news agency.

“(London Lions owners) 777 have done an incredible step assigning that position. It didn’t matter who stepped in – in this case, it was me.

“By opening this position, they have kind of set a milestone and said how important this role is, setting the same standard for the women’s game as for the men’s.

“The hire of Emily as the GM (general manager) for the Women’s British Basketball League is a great step forward, but changes are never easy for people to accept.”

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by London Lions (@londonlionsw)

 

Cernivec added: “Things are changing for the better, the fact we are talking about this right now says that.

“If you look at women’s sport globally, it is on the rise. It is not the next upcoming thing, it is the thing right now, so anyone who tries to ignore it is on the wrong path.

“But the fact that women still feel discriminated against in the grassroots and participation level is something which needs to be changed immediately – not only from a professional (sports) aspect, but also for the mental and physical health of our youth.”

Cernivec’s role also saw her become global director of London Lions Academy.

During June, the Lions took part in the inaugural junior NBA European finals in Valencia, sending both an under-15s boys and girls team to the elite youth tournament.

Cernivec hopes such projects can help further develop the talent pool of home-grown players and potential future professionals.

“If you look at the pathway for young British male or female players, it kind of ends in the last year of high school and if they want to continue playing (at an elite level), then they have to go abroad,” she said.

“That is something the Lions are trying to change and help create a professional pathway – with coaches around, nutritionists, mental health support, strength and conditioning, all that comes along with building the athletes to what they aspire to be.

“With the junior NBA platform, it was a great event which has exposed us to where the British talent is right now and where our coaching pool stands, so it was a great experience for everyone.

“We have a great pool of talent in Britain. It is just a matter of how fast we can build up the coaching staff and the facilities, everything which is needed to give them the right development they deserve.”

Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings have agreed to five-year contract extension worth $217 million, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal includes $195 million in new money, Sabonis’ agents said Saturday night.

The Kings are using the salary cap to deliver an additional $8.6 million to raise Sabonis’ earnings for 2023-24 to $30.6 million and will add a four-year extension that will give him nearly $200 million more over the life of the contract.

Sabonis’ first full season with the Kings in 2023-24 was an excellent one. He averaged 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists while shooting 61.5 percent from the field as he made third-team All-NBA.

Led by Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox, the Kings won the Pacific Division title and ended a 16-year playoff drought in 2022-23 with a 48-34 record.

Sabonis was acquired from Indiana in February 2022 in the deal that sent All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton to the Pacers.

 

The Charlotte Hornets and All-Star guard LaMelo Ball have agreed on a designated rookie maximum extension, multiple media outlets reported Saturday. The five-year deal is reportedly worth up to $260million.

Ball’s new deal comes a day after his draftmates – Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton and Memphis’ Desmond Bane – also agreed to max rookie extensions.

Ball was the third overall pick in the 2020 draft and was named the 2021 Rookie of the Year. In his second season, Ball was selected as an All-Star.

A 6-foot-7 playmaker, Ball averaged career highs last year of 23.3 points and 8.4 assists but was limited to 36 games due to injury.

Ball missed the start of last season due to a slow-healing sprained left ankle, and his campaign ended abruptly in February when he fractured his right ankle.

 

 

 

Bucks keep Lopez

The Milwaukee Bucks are bringing back veteran center Brook Lopez after agreeing to a two-year, $48million contract, according to multiple media reports.

The agreement comes a day after the Bucks and swingman Khris Middleton reportedly agreed to a new three-year contract.

Lopez, 35, has been a pillar in the frontcourt next to Giannis Antetokounmpo since joining the Bucks in 2018 and helped Milwaukee win an NBA title in 2021.

Lopez finished second in voting for Defensive Player of the Year last season and averaged a career-high 2.5 blocks. He added 15.9 points per game last season while shooting 53.1 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from 3-point range.

 

Lakers retain Reaves, Russell

The Los Angeles Lakers have reached agreements to keep starting guards Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell, according to media reports.

Reaves, who was a restricted free agent, will reportedly receive a four-year, $56million deal, while Russell’s deal is worth $37million over two seasons.

After going 43-39 last season, the Lakers are hoping to build on a run to the Western Conference finals.

Behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Reaves was the Lakers’ third-leading scorer in the playoffs at 16.9 points per game, while Russell was fourth at 13.3 points per game.

 

DiVincenzo joins Knicks

Donte DiVincenzo agreed to a four-year, $50 million deal to join the Knicks and former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.

DiVincenzo spent last season with the Warriors and won an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, though he played in just three playoff games before tearing a ligament in his ankle.

He played a career-high 72 games last season for Golden State and averaged 9.4 points. 

 

Cavs land Strus in 3-team swap, Heat shed salary

Max Strus is headed to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a three-team trade and will receive a four-year, $63million contract, according to media reports.

The San Antonio Spurs landed Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens and a future second-round pick in the deal.

The Miami Heat only received a future second-round pick in the deal but created some salary cap flexibility that could aid in acquiring a high-priced player like Damian Lillard or James Harden.

Strus scored a career-high 11.5 points per game last season for the Heat and was a key contributor in Miami’s run to the NBA Finals.

               

Brooks leaves Grizzlies for Rockets

Dillon Brooks is moving to the Rockets on a four-year deal worth nearly $80 million.

ESPN is reporting the deal may become a sign-and-trade, one that would create a massive trade exception for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Brooks averaged 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 73 games last season for Memphis.

He became a key player for a Grizzlies team that made the playoffs each of the past three seasons, earning a reputation as one of the league’s premier wing defenders.

Brooks was fined by the NBA for not talking to the media after some playoff losses last season and was ejected in Game 3 of the first-round series against the Lakers for striking LeBron James in the groin. That was after he called James “old” and led the NBA with 18 technical fouls last season, earning a pair of one-game suspensions in the process.

 

Westbrook stays with Clippers

Russell Westbrook will continue his run with the Los Angeles Clippers, agreeing to a two-year deal with the team he ended last season with.

The deal is worth $7.8 million, with the second year a player option, according to sources.

Westbrook began last season with the Los Angeles Lakers but was traded to the Utah Jazz at the deadline. He never played for the Jazz and was signed by the Clippers on February 22.

The 9-time All-Star averaged 15.8 points, 7.6 assists and 4.9 assists in 21 regular-season games with the Clippers.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.