The Bahamas' quest for a historic first Olympic basketball berth came to a heartbreaking end on Sunday, as they fell to Spain 86-78 in the 2024 FIBA Qualifying Finals in Valencia, Spain.

Deandre Ayton, the Portland Trail Blazers' centre, delivered a commendable performance with 17 points on 8-14 shooting, 14 rebounds, and two assists in 36 minutes of play. Ayton's efforts throughout the FIBA Qualifying Tournament in Valencia were notable, as he averaged 19.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 64.2 per cent from the field.

Buddy Hield, recently acquired by the Golden State Warriors, led The Bahamas in scoring during the final with 19 points, while new Philadelphia 76ers signee Eric Gordon contributed 15 points.

For Spain, former Blazer Rudy Fernandez, 39, added nine points, two rebounds, and two assists. Guard Lorenzo Brown was the top scorer for Spain, registering 18 points, including 4-5 shooting from beyond the arc.

Entering the final as underdogs, The Bahamas put up a valiant fight but struggled to recover from a crucial 25-17 second quarter in favour of Spain, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the game.

Spain's significant free-throw advantage also played a pivotal role, as they shot 23-25 from the charity stripe compared to The Bahamas' 10-13. Additionally, Spain's superior ball handling was evident, winning the turnover battle 15-11.

Despite the loss, The Bahamas showed fight. Ayton's standout performances, coupled with solid contributions from Hield and Gordon, underscore a promising future for Bahamian basketball on the international stage.

The team’s valiant effort in Valencia marks a significant step forward, and while they fell just short of an Olympic berth, the experience gained and the competitive spirit displayed bode well for future international competitions.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 23 points to send Greece into the Paris Olympics.

Antetokounmpo has not previously featured at a Games, but is now set to debut after Greece qualified for the 12-team basketball tournament.

They beat Croatia 80-69 on Sunday, and will now face Australia, Canada and Spain in the group stage in Paris.

And two-time NBA MVP Antetokounmpo believes Greece should be gunning for gold.

"The best athletes in the world compete in the Olympic Games," Antetokounmpo said.

"We have nothing to lose. I really believe we have an incredible team and we can accomplish something special."

Spain and Brazil also booked their places at the Games on Sunday, beating the Bahamas and Latvia respectively.

The Sacramento Kings have agreed on a sign-and-trade that will land them free agent guard DeMar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls on a three-year, $74 million contract.

The Kings will send forward Harrison Barnes and an unprotected 2031 pick swap to the San Antonio Spurs and guard Chris Duarte, two second-round picks and cash to the Bulls, according to sources.

The first two seasons of DeRozan’s contract are fully guaranteed with a partial guarantee for the final year and includes $59 million in guaranteed money.

With the addition of DeRozan, the Kings have forged a formidable nucleus that includes All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox, All-Star center Domantas Sabonis and promising young forward Keegan Murray.

DeRozan is a six-time All-Star and is coming off an impressive three-year run with the Bulls and averaged 24 points on 48 percent shooting along with 4.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 2023-24.

He is a three-time All-NBA selection and has played for Toronto, San Antonio and Chicago across his 15 NBA seasons. He’s averaged 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 1,110 career NBA games.

The 34-year-old may not be a No. 1 option anymore, but he won’t need to be on a Sacramento team loaded with weapons. DeRozan should flourish in a secondary scoring role with the Kings.

Sacramento was looking to do something after finishing ninth in the Western Conference last season with a 46-36 record.

DeRozan travelled to Sacramento on Saturday to meet with team officials and Kings coach Mike Brown, who signed an offseason contract extension. Brown led the franchise to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2006.

The Orlando Magic have locked up one of their young core players for the foreseeable future by reportedly agreeing to a five-year, $224 million extension with forward Franz Wagner.

ESPN reports Wagner's new deal, which will begin during the 2025-26 season and runs through 2029-30, could be worth up to $269 million should he make an All-NBA team.

Wagner, the eighth overall pick of the 2021 draft, has been a mainstay in the Magic's starting lineup since his rookie season while quickly developing into a cornerstone two-way player. The 22-year-old has averaged 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 0.96 steals while starting all 231 of his career games.

The native German set career highs in points (19.7), rebounds (5.3) and assists (3.7) per game this past season.

Wagner's emergence and the play of 2022 No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero were major factors towards the Magic winning 47 games in 2023-24, the franchise's highest win total in a season since 2010-11, and returning to the play-offs following a three-year absence.

The former University of Michigan star's new max contract comes just days after the Magic re-signed his older brother, Moritz, to a reported two-year, $22 million deal.

He's also the first Magic player to receive a maximum extension on his rookie contract since Dwight Howard in 2007, though Banchero is expected to join that group when he becomes eligible next summer.

Wagner's extension continues what has been a busy free agent period for Orlando. The Magic previously pried coveted veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from the Denver Nuggets on a three-year, $66 million deal and gave forward Jonathan Isaac a five-year, $84 million extension.

The Bahamas will look to move one step closer to their dream of competing in Basketball at the Paris Olympics this summer when they tackle Lebanon in the semi-finals of Olympic Basketball Qualifying Tournament 1 in Valencia, Spain on Saturday.

The other semi-final will see hosts Spain taking on Finland, who the Bahamians defeated in the group stage.

The winner of the tournament will advance to the Paris Olympics.

The Bahamians booked their spot in the final four with a 90-81 win over Poland on Wednesday.

18-year-old Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe Jr, a projected top-5 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft who has committed to Baylor University, led the way with an efficient 21 points on 13 shot attempts. He also pulled in six rebounds and had one steal and one block.

Portland Trailblazers center Deandre Ayton was also solid with 18 points and nine rebounds while Eric Gordon missed just one of his six shot attempts on his way to 12 points.

San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Poland.

Lebanon booked their spot in the semis with a 74-70 win over Angola, also on Wednesday.

Former Villanova and Golden State Warriors big man Omari Spellman dominated with 22 points and 13 rebounds for Lebanon and will need to be given extra attention by the Bahamians on Saturday.

Bahamian shooting guard Buddy Hield is on his way to San Francisco after the Philadelphia 76ers completed a sign-and-trade that will send the 31-year-old sharpshooting wing to the Golden State Warriors.

Hield has hit 200-plus 3-pointers in six straight seasons with a career 3-point shooting percentage of 40% on 7.6 attempts per game.

He’s played with the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers since being selected with the 6th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Hield started last season with the Pacers and was traded to Philadelphia at the trade deadline.

He joins a Warriors backcourt looking to replace the production of Klay Thompson, who agreed to a deal with the Dallas Mavericks this week after playing his entire career with Golden State.

Hield and new teammate Stephen Curry lead the NBA in 3-pointers made over the last five seasons.

Hield is currently starring for the Bahamas in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Spain.

The Bahamas are currently in the semi-finals where they will play Lebanon on Saturday while hosts Spain will tackle Finland in the other semi-final.

The tournament winners will advance to the Olympics in Paris.

LeBron James will spend at least one more season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he'll be able to play alongside his son, after reportedly agreeing to a new contract on Wednesday.

ESPN reports James will sign a two-year, $104 million deal that includes a player option for the 2025-26 season as well as a no-trade clause.

The agreement allows the Lakers to have the first father-son pair of teammates in NBA history after the team selected Bronny James Jr. in the second round of last week's draft.

LeBron James, who turns 40 in December, will be entering his 22nd NBA season and seventh with the Lakers, and remains among the league's elite players even at his advanced age. The NBA's all-time leading scorer averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 71 games last season despite playing through a lingering left ankle injury for much of the campaign.

James was one of only three players, along with NBA MVP Luka Dončić and Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokić, to average at least 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists per game in 2023-24. 

The four-time MVP and NBA champion also achieved a pair of unprecedented feats last season, as he became the first player in league history to be named to 20 All-Star teams as well as the first to reach 40,000 career points. 

James won his fourth career NBA title by leading the Lakers to a championship during the COVID 19-affected 2019-20 season, and helped the club to a surprise run to the 2023 Western Conference finals. The Lakers were eliminated in the first round of this year's play-offs, however, after losing to the Nuggets in five games.

The Lakers took Bronny James with the 55th overall pick after he spent one season at the University of Southern California. The younger James suffered a frightening cardiac arrest during a practice session last summer, but was later medically cleared following a surgical procedure and appeared in 25 games for the Trojans.

The Bahamas opened up their Olympic Basketball Qualifying Tournament 1 Group B campaign with a 95-86 win over Finland in Valencia, Spain on Tuesday.

The Bahamians opened up a one point (27-26) lead at the end of the first quarter before their Finnish counterparts drastically improved their play in the second period on the way to a 28-20 victory for an overall 54-47 lead at the end of the first half.

Bahamas came back into the contest with a dominant third quarter in which they doubled Finland’s production 26-13 before a 23-18 advantage in the fourth quarter secured an eleven-point victory to open their campaign.

Buddy Hield was the main scorer for the Bahamians six three pointers on his way to 24 points along with six rebounds and three assists while Villanova University-bound Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe Jr had 20 points, four rebounds and two steals.

Big man Deandre Ayton and sharpshooter Eric Gordon were also key contributors. Ayton, the Portland Trailblazers center, recorded 19 points and nine rebounds while Gordon, who recently signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, had 16 points and four assists.

The Bahamas will next play Poland on Wednesday with a win securing them a spot in the semi-finals of Olympic Qualifying Tournament 1.

In Group A play of Olympic Qualifying Tournament 1 on Wednesday, Spain hammered Lebanon 104-59.

Each Olympic Qualifying Tournament features six teams divided into two groups of three.

Each team plays each other once before the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals.

From there, the two semi-final winners will square off for one spot at the Paris Olympic Games.

Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman told reporters Monday that the team felt good about signing Donovan Mitchell to an extension.

A day later, the deal was done.

Mitchell agreed to a three-year, $150.3million contract extension with the Cavaliers on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

The 27-year-old had said previously that he is happy with the Cavaliers, and Altman said on Monday, he is "very, very much pro-Cleveland."

Mitchell's deal includes a player option, and was structured in a way to be favourable to both him and the Cavs.

It was reported that the extension is for three years instead of four years because in the 2027-28 season, Mitchell will have 10 years of service, and then is able to sign or be extended for 35 per cent of the salary cap. So, in July of 2026, he will be eligible to sign a four-year extension, with a projected max in 2027-28 at $65.5million.

The 13th overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft, Mitchell was acquired by Cleveland from the Utah Jazz shortly before the 2022-23 season.

A five-time All-Star, Mitchell averaged a team-high 26.6 points in 2023-24, as well as career highs of 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.84 steals. 

A left knee injury, however, limited him to 55 games, and a left calf strain forced him to sit out Cleveland's final two play-off games, as the Cavs were eliminated by the eventual champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. He had averaged 36.8 points on 51.9 per cent shooting, 6.4 rebounds and 5 assists in his previous five play-off games.

In seven pro seasons, he has career averages of 24.8 points, 4.3 boards and 4.6 assists.

A week after Cleveland was ousted, J.B. Bickerstaff was fired as coach, and the Cavs hired his replacement, Kenny Atkinson, on June 24.

The Boston Celtics continued to celebrate their 18th NBA championship by rewarding star forward Jayson Tatum with a record-breaking contract extension.

The Celtics and Tatum agreed to a five-year supermax extension worth nearly $314million, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

The contract is the largest in NBA history, with Tatum qualifying for a supermax deal by being voted to the All-NBA First Team in 2022-23.

Tatum’s deal is the latest in the Celtics’ effort to keep their championship core in place into the foreseeable future, despite a massive luxury tax bill.

Multiple media outlets reported that Boston and Derrick White agreed to a four-year, $126million extension earlier Monday.

Finals MVP Jaylen Brown signed a five-year, $286million extension last summer. Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday are both signed through at least the 2025-26 season.

Even before agreeing to Tatum’s extension, the Celtics were projected to be over the second apron luxury tax, which restricts roster transactions by the league’s highest-spending teams.

Tatum, 26, is already a five-time All-Star and has been voted to the All-NBA First Team in each of the last three seasons.

Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and a career-high 4.9 assists last season while leading the Celtics to a 64-18 record.

He has helped Boston to two NBA Finals appearances and has already played in 113 play-off games.

In 513 career regular-season games, Tatum averaged 23.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Klay Thompson was instrumental to the Golden State Warriors' dynasty.

The Dallas Mavericks are hoping he can help their franchise capture a second NBA title.

Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50million deal with the Mavericks on Monday, according to multiple sources.

The deal, which includes a player option, is part of a multi-team sign-and-trade that sends Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets.

Thompson, a core member of the Warriors' four NBA championship teams over an eight-year span from 2014-22, now joins a Mavericks team that recently fell to the Boston Celtics in five games in the NBA Finals.

He'll team with All-NBA first-team selection Luka Doncic and eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, as the Mavericks will look to secure the franchise's first title since winning its only championship in 2011.

With Thompson moving to another Western Conference power, it marks an end of an era in Golden State, where the 34-year-old developed into one of the best players in franchise history.

The 11th overall pick of the 2011 draft by Golden State, Thompson's 2,481 made 3-pointers trail only long-time teammate Stephen Curry for the most by a Warriors player. He also ranks fourth in team history in games played (793) and sixth in points (15,531).

One of the most feared long-range shooters of his generation, he averaged a league-leading 4.4 made 3-pointers a game just one season ago in 2022-23.

He wasn't as effective this past season, however, as that average dropped to 3.5 3-pointers a game, and he shot 38.7 per cent from beyond the arc - just the second time in his career he failed to shoot 40 per cent or better from long range.

During his prime, though, he was among the best scorers in the NBA.

A five-time All-Star, Thompson averaged at least 20 points per game for five consecutive seasons from 2014-19 as a vital part of three NBA championship teams (2015, 2017, 2018) during that period.

He missed the entire 2019-20 and 2020–21 campaigns due to a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles tendon, but returned to average 20.4 points in 32 games the following season and help Golden State to another NBA title.

His run of seven straight seasons averaging 20 or more points per game came to an end in 2023-24, when he averaged 17.9 points in 77 games. Midway through the season, he was moved out of the starting lineup for the first time since he was a rookie in 2012, coming off the bench in 14 games.

Derrick White was instrumental to the Boston Celtics securing this season's NBA championship and is being rewarded.

White agreed to a four-year, $125.9million contract extension with the Celtics on Monday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal includes a player option and marks a significant raise for White, whose last contract was a four-year, $70million extension signed back in 2020 with the San Antonio Spurs.

The Celtics acquired White, who turns 30 years old on Tuesday, from the Spurs at the 2022 trade deadline, and he was named to the NBA's All-Defensive second team in each of his first full two seasons in Boston.

The fearless defender came up with a clutch hustle play late in the first half of the Celtics' series-clinching Game 5 win over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, diving on the floor to secure a loose ball and chipping a tooth in the process. He had 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals in that victory as Boston captured its 18th NBA title.

White started all 19 games for the Celtics during their play-off run, averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He led Boston with 65 made 3-pointers in the play-offs, shooting 40.4 per cent from beyond the arc.

This came after he shot 39.6 per cent on 3-pointers during the regular season, with averages of 15.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 boards in 73 games.

Armed with three-time All-NBA first-team selection Jayson Tatum, fellow All-Star and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and White, the defending champion Celtics enter the 2024-25 season as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, but the Philadelphia 76ers are looking to knock them off their perch after acquiring Paul George on Monday, and teaming him with 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

The Philadelphia 76ers have locked up one of the NBA's top young stars - and in the process have created their own version of a Big Three.

All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey agreed to a five-year, $204million maximum contract extension with the 76ers on Monday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal was reported hours after Philadelphia and nine-time All-Star Paul George agreed to a reported four-year, $212million maximum contract.

With 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid, Maxey and George teaming up together, the 76ers will be looking to overtake the Eastern Conference from the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics.

 Maxey, 23, is coming off a breakout year in his fourth pro season, averaging career highs of 25.9 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds while being named to his first All-Star team. He ranked 10th in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game with an average of 3.0 and was named the league's Most Improved Player.

He stepped up his game in this year's play-offs, averaging 29.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 40.0 per cent from 3-point range, but the 76ers were eliminated in the first round by the New York Knicks in six games.

The Sixers have been one of the NBA's top teams during the regular season over the last several years, but have been unable to get over the hump in the play-offs.

The team has reached the play-offs in seven straight years but has failed to advance beyond the second round during that period.

Over the last seven seasons, Philadelphia has the NBA's fourth-highest winning percentage during the regular season (.625), but unlike the three teams that have achieved better records in that span - the Milwaukee Bucks (.656), Celtics (.650) and Denver Nuggets (.632) - the 76ers are without an NBA title.

While the Celtics are still the team to beat in the East, the 76ers' chances of dethroning them have seemingly improved with their recent signings.

Paul George has agreed to a four-year, $212million maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The deal, which was reported Monday by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, can't officially be signed until the NBA's moratorium on signings is lifted on Saturday.

The move to Philadelphia was reported by multiple sources Sunday after George informed the Los Angeles Clippers his plans to leave the team after five seasons. The nine-time All-Star declined a $48.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season on Saturday.

The addition of George to a 76ers team which already includes 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and fellow All-Star Tyrese Maxey, now makes Philadelphia a serious contender to compete with the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics for Eastern Conference supremacy. The 76ers also reached a deal with Maxey on Monday, giving the sharpshooter a five-year, $204million maxim contract extension.

Philadelphia has found post-season success to be elusive in recent seasons, as the 76ers have reached the play-offs in seven straight years but have failed to advance beyond the second round during that period.

Los Angeles, which had a Big Three of its own in George, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, also has a history of setbacks in the play-offs, losing in the first round each of the past two years while missing the post-season entirely in 2021-22.

The Clippers acquired George from Oklahoma City in July 2019 by orchestrating a blockbuster trade in which they gave the Thunder five first-round picks as well as future All-Star Shai GIlgeous-Alexander. Leonard signed with Los Angeles that same summer to help turn the Clippers into one of the Western Conference's more consistently successful teams, though their winning ways often did not extend to the post-season.

George often battled injuries - his 74 games played this past season were his most in any of his five seasons in Los Angeles - but maintained an elite level of play when healthy. The 34-year-old averaged 23 points, six rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during his tenure with the Clippers while shooting just under 40 per cent from 3-point range.

Paul George has informed the Los Angeles Clippers he will be joining another team, with the Philadelphia 76ers reportedly the leading candidate to land the coveted free agent.

The Clippers released a statement Sunday saying they were informed by George and his representatives of his plans to leave the team after five seasons. The nine-time All-Star declined a $48.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season on Saturday.

According to The Athletic, George will meet with the 76ers on Sunday night and is expected to make a decision shortly thereafter, with no other teams believed to be involved in the bidding for the veteran forward.

“Paul has informed us that he is signing his next contract with another team,” the Clippers announced. "Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite two-way player. We feel fortunate for the five years we spent with him.

We negotiated for months with Paul and his representative on a contract that would make sense for both sides, and we were left far apart. The gap was significant. We understand and respect Paul’s decision to look elsewhere for his next contract. We explored an opt-in and trade scenario, but it would have left us in a similar position under the new CBA, with very little asset value to justify the restrictions.

“We will miss Paul. At the same time, we’re excited by the opportunities we’ve now been afforded, including greater flexibility under the new CBA.

ESPN reports George was seeking a four-year extension and the Clippers were unwilling to budge beyond a contract similar to the three-year, $152 million deal the team awarded to fellow star Kawhi Leonard in January.

The Clippers acquired George from Oklahoma City in July 2019 by orchestrating a blockbuster trade in which they gave the Thunder five first-round picks as well as future All-Star Shai GIlgeous-Alexander. Leonard signed with Los Angeles that same summer to help turn the Clippers into one of the Western Conference's more consistently successful teams, though their winning ways often did not extend to the post-season.

Los Angeles reached the West finals during the 2021 play-offs but was ousted in six games by the Phoenix Suns, and the Clippers have not advanced past the first round in any of the last three seasons.

George often battled injuries - his 74 games played this past season were his most in any of his five seasons in Los Angeles - but maintained an elite level of play when healthy. The 34-year-old averaged 23 points, six rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during his tenure with the Clippers while shooting just under 40 per cent from 3-point range.

Armed with ample cap space, the 76ers are well positioned to make a big splash this off-season and potentially pair George with two other All-Stars, 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and sharpshooter Tyrese Maxey, in an effort to challenge reigning NBA champion Boston in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia has also found post-season success to be elusive in recent seasons, as the 76ers have reached the play-offs in seven straight years but have failed to advance beyond the second round during that period.