🎥🤯 2.21m NBA star dazzles with football skills on the pitch
There are many very tall footballers who have a legendary status among fans. Peter Crouch, Jan Koller, and Per Mertesacker are just three of them. All were just over or under two meters tall. If they were to stand in front of Victor Wembanyama, they would probably all get a stiff neck. The NBA superstar of the San Antonio Spurs is in fact 2.21m tall and thus even among basketball players a giant. Despite this, he recently showed that he has a few football skills on the local pitch.
🤩🇫🇷 Pro basketball player Victor Wembanyama with this free-kick! He is 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m). ⛹️♂️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/RYMtYIPakY
The Frenchman's free-kick lands exactly in the corner. No wonder the crowd present completely freaks out and celebrates the giant. Probably Wemby had looked over the wall beforehand and thus spotted the goalkeeper.
Free agent forward Jake LaRavia has agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. LaRavia had a strong finish after joining the Sacramento Kings last season. pic.twitter.com/hXw9E1PzZV
Sacramento acquired LaRavia from the Memphis Grizzlies at February’s trade deadline; the Kings sent guard Colby Jones and center Alex Len to the Washington Wizards to complete the three-team deal.
In 19 games with the Kings last season, LaRavia averaged 6.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 19.3 minutes, while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from 3-point range. The third-year forward was a significant defensive contributor off the bench, recording nearly a steal per game in Sacramento.
“I had even told (the Kings) in the exit interviews that if they gave him (Christie) the head coaching job, I’d look forward to going back there even more,” LaRavia told Ben Pfeifer of Basketball Insiders. “I really did enjoy being there in Sacramento, even outside of the coaches and the players, the fanbase there was amazing. I could see going back there as an option.”
The Kings brought in another versatile power forward in last week’s NBA Draft, taking Stanford big man Maxime Raynaud with the No. 42 overall pick in the second round.
Schröder, a 12-year NBA veteran, was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft but since has been on nine different teams, and now 10. Just last season, he bounced around three organizations, starting with the Brooklyn Nets before being traded to the Golden State Warriors and then ending the year with the Detroit Pistons.
Over his career, the 31-year-old has averaged 13.9 points on 43.2-percent shooting from the field and 34.2 percent from 3-point range, with 2.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 27.3 minutes.
After trading De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in February, the Kings tried to fill the void with Malik Monk and Markelle Fultz. It wasn’t sustainable for an already choppy offense, and new general manager Scott Perry made it his top priority to bring in someone new to help run the offense.
Now, after checking the top thing off his to-do list, Perry and Co. can shift their focus elsewhere this offseason.
Free agent guard Malik Beasley, who played last season for the Detroit Pistons, is reportedly under federal investigation relating to gambling allegations in conection to league games. (Eric Gay / Associated Press)
Veteran NBA player Malik Beasley is under federal investigation relating to gambling allegations in connection to league games, according to multiple media reports.
According to ESPN, which was first to report the investigation, the allegations are from the 2023-24 season when Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks. ESPN cited a gambling industry source who said that at least one prominent U.S. sportsbook noticed unusually heavy betting interest on Beasley's statistics starting around January 2024.
“There have been no charges against Malik,” Beasley's attorney, Steve Haney, told the Associated Press. “It’s just an investigation at this point. We hope people reserve judgment until he’s charged — or if he’s charged. It’s not uncommon for there to be a federal investigation.”
Haney told ABC News that he understands that the U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of New York is leading the investigation. A spokesperson for that office declined to comment for this article.
On Sunday, NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement that the league is “cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation” into Beasley.
Beasley has played for six teams during his nine-year NBA career, including a stint with the Lakers during the 2022-23 season. He played for the Detroit Pistons last season, averaging 16.3 points a game and setting a franchise record by making 319 three-point shots during the regular season.
In April 2024, the NBA banned then-Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter after finding that he had violated numerous league rules in relation to sports betting, including limiting his participation in one or more games and disclosing confidential information to bettors. Porter eventually pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and has yet to be sentenced.
Growing up as a basketball-mad kid in Belfast, CJ Fulton never could have imagined the position he would now be in.
The 22-year-old had already been a trailblazer in college basketball with Lafayette and the Charleston Cougars, but now he has moved a step closer to the biggest goal of them all - the NBA.
In his senior year last season, the guard averaged 7.8 points and 6.5 assists per game for the Cougars.
After missing out in the initial NBA draft, Fulton will play for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA's Summer League.
"I never thought I'd be in this position, it was about what contracts or leagues I could get in Europe," Fulton said of his post-college career prospects.
"The opportunity came up to work a few NBA workouts and I obviously couldn't turn those down.
"It's a crazy position to be in but I'm just embracing the opportunity."
The NBA Summer League is a pre-season tournament that allows teams to assess their drafted players, squad players who lacked minutes in the regular season or, in Fulton's case, undrafted players.
Fulton was on holiday in Los Angeles with some friends when his agent sent a text to say the Timberwolves wanted him to join them for a workout.
Two days later he was in Minnesota, and another workout followed with the Denver Nuggets.
But it was once he was back home in Belfast, seeing family and friends, that his agent called with the news he was hoping for.
Although Fulton missed out on selection in the draft, Minnesota liked what they saw and he was going to be part of their Summer League roster.
"I had a workout there and it must have been alright," said a modest Fulton, whose father Adrian represented Ireland.
"I was buzzing. I kind of had an idea I would be getting an update from my agent after the draft as the Timberwolves had been in touch, but I was over the moon and I'm really excited."
'The NBA would be unreal'
Like his father, Adrian, CJ Fulton is an Ireland international [Getty Images]
The Summer League, which takes place over the space of 11 days in Las Vegas in July, is an opportunity for Fulton to impress in front of the biggest names in the sport.
Fulton is aiming to become the third Irish-born player to earn the chance to compete at the highest level in the United States after Pat Burke and Susan Moran.
"It gives teams a chance to evaluate their group and make a decision on their roster going into the year," added the Ireland international.
"It's crazy to think about and I never thought I'd be in this position.
"We've a training camp in Minnesota for a few days and then we head out to Vegas as a team. I'll try and learn as much as I can and embrace the opportunity.
"Hopefully I can give a good account of myself, but it will be really cool to see all the talent. There will be 30 teams there and celebrities - the whole deal, so I'm really excited."
Fulton says "you never know what can happen" but feels he has options outside the NBA if the Timberwolves look elsewhere.
He says the G-League, the NBA's team-affiliated development league, could be on the cards or he could return to Europe to forge a professional career - as was his initial plan before his NBA dreams sparked into life.
"The NBA would be unreal but we'll see what happens.
"I never really thought it was in the picture for me. My goal coming out of college was to try and get to the highest levels of Europe.
"I didn't think I would get this opportunity but now that I'm here I'll try and make the most of it.
The Nets are retaining one of their key young pieces.
Brooklyn is re-signing forward Ziaire Williams to a two-year, $12 million deal, per multiple reports.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the second year of the contract is a team option for the 2026-27 season.
Acquired by Brooklyn in a July 2024 trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, Williams had his best pro season as a Net, starting 45 games while averaging 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds.
The 23-year-old, listed at 6-foot-9, 215 pounds, was originally drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans and dealt to the Grizzles in a draft night trade. Over the course of his four NBA seasons, Williams has averaged 8.3 points and 3.2 rebounds.
The video, which Tatum shared on his Snapchat, shows the Celtics star doing a rather intense core workout while wearing a very large brace on his right leg.
This type of workout is an impressive milestone for Tatum at such an early stage of his rehab. It sounds like he’s been itching to reach that milestone, too; here’s what the All-Star forward wrote Friday on X regarding his recovery process:
“Day 45… this is some bulls—“.
Recovery from an Achilles injury can be very grueling, as several NBA players have missed entire seasons due to similar ailments before returning to action. Tatum has a few factors working in his favor, though; he’s just 27 years old and had surgery immediately following his injury, which should aid his recovery time.
In fact, the biggest challenge for the Celtics might be ensuring Tatum doesn’t get too aggressive in his rehab and try to return to action before he’s fully healthy. Boston already has traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis this offseason to get under the second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax, and if the team doesn’t look like a serious contender in 2025-26, it may not be worth trying to rush Tatum back for the end of the regular season.
President of basketball operations Brad Stevens recently suggested the Celtics have no intention of expediting Tatum’s return.
“We won’t put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time,” Stevens told reporters Wednesday. “As we look at it, there’s no reason to. It’s baby steps right now. He’s actually progressed great, but I don’t know what that means with regard to projected timelines.”
“And that’ll be in consultation with him and (trainers) Nick (Sang) and Phil Coles and everybody else to make sure when he hits the court, he is fully ready and fully healthy. And that will be the priority.”
Knowing Tatum, he’ll attack his rehab with full force and do everything he can to get back on the court as quickly as possible. But when Tatum can return to action versus when he should might be two different answers.
The WNBA will add new expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, according to a Monday morning league announcement. All three teams have ties to current NBA ownership groups. The expansion fee is a record $250 million, according to two sources who requested anonymity because the discussions were private.
The $250 million cash expansion fee is by far the largest ever paid for a new team in a U.S. women’s sports league, topping the $110 million that a Denver group paid to join the NWSL this year.
The new additions comes on the heels of an earlier round of expansion. The Golden State Valkyries, which agreed to pay a $50 million expansion fee, began play this season. The Toronto Tempo (also $50 million) and a Portland team ($75 million) are set to join in 2026. Additionally, a looming labor fight is also on the horizon. WNBA players opted out of the current CBA at the end of 2024, and talks are underway for a new deal to kick in prior to the start of the 2026 season.
It also comes amid a rapid rise in WNBA team valuations. The average franchise is now worth $269 million, according to Sportico’s most recent numbers, up 180% from just a year ago. In their inaugural season the Valkyries top the list at $500 million, followed by the New York Liberty ($420 million) and the Indiana Fever ($335 million).
In September, the WNBA enlisted Allen & Company to run the expansion process for a 16th franchise. The New York-based boutique investment bank served as the league’s financial advisor when it raised $75 million in strategic capital in 2022. Bids for this round of W expansion were due at the end of January, and the process drew interest from groups both inside the NBA and beyond. More than 10 cities submitted formal bids in advance of the deadline,, including groups in Austin, Charlotte, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City and Nashville.
The WNBA meant to only add a 16th team, but the robust interest spurred the league to add three new franchises.
The NBA owns 42% of the WNBA, with 42% shared by WNBA franchise owners and the other 16% held by the 2022 investor consortium capital raise. As the league expands, neither the NBA’s portion nor the investors’ stake gets diluted, Sportico previously reported.
The expansion continue the trend of WNBA teams going to owners with NBA ties. Portland is owned by siblings Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who are LPs in the Sacramento Kings. Toronto is owned by NBA board of governors chairman, Larry Tanenbaum, who’s Kilmer Sports owns 25% of the Toronto Raptors. The Golden State Warriors owners own the Valkyries. That’s also true for the groups in Cleveland (Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert), Detroit (Pistons owner Tom Gores) and Philadelphia (76ers owners HBSE).
It’s been a hectic start to the NBA offseason — and the action won’t be slowing down.
The 2025 NBA free agency period opened Monday as a long list of veterans hit the open market. The start of free agency comes less than a week after the 2025 NBA Draft was held.
From the best available players and more, here’s what to know about NBA free agency:
When does NBA free agency start in 2025?
Teams were allowed to start negotiating and striking deals with free agents from rival clubs starting at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT/3 p.m. PT on Monday, June 30.
But contracts can’t be made official until Sunday, July 6.
What is the NBA salary cap in 2025-26?
The salary cap for 2025-26 is set at $154.6 million, the NBA confirmed Monday. That marks a roughly $14 million increase from last season.
Here’s a look at the top names on the open market. This list will be updated with reported deals as free agents get scooped up (players listed alphabetically by last name):
Guards
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Minnesota Timberwolves
Malik Beasley, Detroit Pistons
Malcolm Brogdon, Washington Wizards
Bruce Brown Jr., New Orleans Pelicans
Jared Butler, Philadelphia 76ers
Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz (buyout)
Spencer Dinwiddie, Dallas Mavericks
Dante Exum, Dallas Mavericks
Javonte Green, Cleveland Cavaliers
Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls (restricted)
Eric Gordon, Philadelphia 76ers
Quentin Grimes, Philadelphia 76ers (restricted)
Tim Hardaway Jr., Detroit Pistons
Gary Harris, Orlando Magic
Aaron Holiday, Houston Rockets — reportedly re-signing with Rockets for 1 year, minimum
Ty Jerome, Cleveland Cavaliers
Tre Jones, Chicago Bulls
Cory Joseph, Orlando Magic
Luke Kennard, Memphis Grizzlies
Caris LeVert, Atlanta Hawks
Tre Mann, Charlotte Hornets
De’Anthony Melton, Brooklyn Nets
Chris Paul, San Antonio Spurs
Cameron Payne, New York Knicks
Gary Payton II, Golden State Warriors
Kevin Porter Jr., Milwaukee Bucks
Duncan Robinson, Miami Heat
D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets
Dennis Schröder, Detroit Pistons
Landry Shamet, New York Knicks
Cameron Thomas, Brooklyn Nets (restricted)
Gary Trent Jr., Milwaukee Bucks
Russell Westbrook, Denver Nuggets
Delon Wright, New York Knicks
Wings
Santi Aldama, Memphis Grizzlies (restricted) — reportedly re-signing with Grizzlies for 3 years, $52.5M
Nicolas Batum, Los Angeles Clippers — reportedly re-signing with Clippers for 2 years, $11.5M
Brandon Boston Jr., New Orleans Pelicans
Amir Coffey, Los Angeles Clippers
Dorian Finney-Smith, Los Angeles Lakers — reportedly signing with Rockets for 4 years, $53M
Jeff Green, Houston Rockets — reportedly re-signing with Rockets for 1 year, minimum
Caleb Houstan, Orlando Magic
Johnny Juzang, Utah Jazz
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors (restricted)
The Warriors’ priority this NBA offseason is in place.
Golden State’s “high priority” in the opening hours of free agency is signing a stretch center, with veteran Al Horford surging as a “preferred target,” The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported Monday, citing league sources.
While adding a stretch center is Golden State’s priority, Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency is the biggest question the Warriors have to answer this offseason, and as Slater noted, adding a free agent could complicate general manager Mike Dunleavy’s workflow.
“If the Warriors use the taxpayer midlevel exception (projected at around $5.7 million) on Horford or another free agent, they’ll be hard-capped at the second apron, currently projected at $207.8 million,” Slater wrote.
“The Warriors currently have nine players under contract at $170.5 million. Kuminga’s qualifying offer, extended over the weekend by the Warriors, is $7.9 million, but his cap hold is $22.9 million, further clogging the Warriors’ books if his situation drags deeper into July.”
Dunleavy and Co., however, were unable to agree to a trade package with Chicago for the two-time All-Star.
Many believe the Warriors need a stretch five who can help anchor the rotation against bigger teams on defense while providing dynamic shooting on offense.
It now appears the Warriors will prioritize filling a massive hole ahead of a crucial 2025-26 season.
The Warriors’ priority this NBA offseason is in place.
Golden State’s “high priority” in the opening hours of free agency is signing a stretch center, with veteran Al Horford surging as a “preferred target,” The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported Monday, citing league sources.
While adding a stretch center is Golden State’s priority, Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency is the biggest question the Warriors have to answer this offseason, and as Slater noted, adding a free agent could complicate general manager Mike Dunleavy’s workflow.
“If the Warriors use the taxpayer midlevel exception (projected at around $5.7 million) on Horford or another free agent, they’ll be hard-capped at the second apron, currently projected at $207.8 million,” Slater wrote.
“The Warriors currently have nine players under contract at $170.5 million. Kuminga’s qualifying offer, extended over the weekend by the Warriors, is $7.9 million, but his cap hold is $22.9 million, further clogging the Warriors’ books if his situation drags deeper into July.”
Dunleavy and Co., however, were unable to agree to a trade package with Chicago for the two-time All-Star.
Many believe the Warriors need a stretch five who can help anchor the rotation against bigger teams on defense while providing dynamic shooting on offense.
It now appears the Warriors will prioritize filling a massive hole ahead of a crucial 2025-26 season.
The 2025 NBA free agent class isn’t loaded with stars or franchise-altering players, but there are several veterans worth pursuing, and that includes Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet.
Any team in need of a big man this offseason should consider signing Kornet, and at least two Western Conference teams are reportedly expected to have interest in him.
Longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote Sunday his Substack, “To add to another (Jake) Fischer report from Saturday night: The Clippers have also been described as a team to watch, alongside San Antonio, in the Luke Kornet chase.”
The Spurs could use a backup center who can give them quality minutes when Victor Wembanyama needs a rest. San Antonio could even play both of them at the same time, as Kornet was part of several two-big lineups in Boston. The Clippers have a very good starting center in Ivica Zubac, but their frontcourt depth overall is not great.
The Los Angeles Lakers need a center, too. They tried to acquire then-Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams at the trade deadline but the deal fell through. Williams was dealt to the Phoenix Suns during the 2025 NBA Draft last week.
The Spurs have the full mid-level exception available to them, which is around $14.1 million. Other teams with the full MLE that could use frontcourt depth include the Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz.
The Celtics are among the teams that don’t have the full MLE available.
Kornet has spent the last three-plus seasons in Boston and carved out a valuable role for himself as a trusted center off the bench. He excels in pick-and-rolls, he rebounds at a good rate, and he defends pretty well at 7-foot-1. He’s also an excellent team chemistry guy.
Kornet displayed his value in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks last month when he scored 10 points with nine rebounds and seven blocks in a Celtics win.
The Celtics’ frontcourt depth is pretty thin after trading Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks last week. And with Kornet and Al Horford able to test free agency this week, Boston’s frontcourt could look a lot different next season.
It doesn’t appear that a Jonathan Kuminga decision is imminent for the Warriors.
With the NBA free agency negotiating window set to open on Monday at 3 p.m. PT, Kuminga, a restricted free agent, and Golden State, are not close to a deal, and the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls are the two most likely outside suitors, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported in his latest column, citing league sources.
“Despite a few conversations between the two sides, the Golden State Warriors have generated no real traction toward a deal with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga in recent days and, as anticipated, he is expected to explore the market when it opens at 3 p.m. PT on Monday afternoon, league sources told The Athletic,” Slater wrote. “The Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls remain the two likeliest outside suitors, league sources said.”
In addition to the Heat and Bulls, NBA insider Marc Stein reported in his latest column that the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans also are looming as potential suitors.
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy stated in his pre-NBA draft press conference on June 23 that he would prefer to have a resolution with Kuminga’s restricted free agency “sooner than later.”
With the NBA free-agency frenzy soon to begin, he might not get his wish.
SAN FRANCISCO – Warriors second-round draft picks Alex Toohey and Will Richard will be wearing familiar jersey numbers whenever they make their NBA debuts.
As Dub Nation quickly pointed out, those numbers bring great memories for the fanbase. Seeing them worn by other players might even be bittersweet for some. But that’s the business of the NBA.
The two numbers most notably were recently worn by Andrew Wiggins (No. 22) and Jordan Poole (No. 3). No Warrior has worn No. 22 since the Warriors traded Wiggins last February to the Miami Heat to acquire Jimmy Butler. However, Poole’s three has been worn since the Warriors dealt him to the Washington Wizards the morning of the 2023 draft.
Chris Paul sported the number in his one and only season with the Warriors for the 2023-24 campaign, and Reece Beekman was given it last season when he played two games for the team.
Deciding on jersey numbers is a simple process. The team calls their draft picks and tells them which numbers already are currently taken, and what their preference is between the available options. Undrafted free agents and so forth are then asked about which number they’d like to wear as part of the summer league roster.
Jersey numbers 11 and 35 were not options. The Warriors already have stated Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant will have their numbers retired once their careers come to an end.
Toohey, an Australia native, wore 22 each of the last two seasons he spent in the NBL playing for the Sydney Kings. He also has worn the number for the Australian national team as well. Richard’s decision is a bit different.
Richard was No. 5 for his last three college seasons when he transferred from Belmont to Florida, and No. 4 to begin his college career.
Though he isn’t currently on the team, Kevon Looney has been No. 5 for the Warriors the past nine seasons. Looney is an unrestricted free agent. If the Warriors don’t re-sign him, Richard technically could switch to No. 5, but his decision would have to be made in the very near future.
Regardless of Looney’s future with the Warriors, expect Richard to wear three, at least for his rookie season.
Three more cities have been granted expansion franchises: Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia.
The league officially revealed plans Monday to add the new teams, which will see the WNBA grow to 18 teams by 2030.
Cleveland will join first in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. This comes after the league added the Golden State Valkyries this year, and the Toronto Tempo and an unnamed Portland franchise are arriving in 2026. That will bring the league to 15 teams for 2026 and 2027 before Cleveland is added the following year.
All three new teams announced Monday have NBA ownership groups, with each paying a $250 million expansion fee — about five times as much as the Golden State Warriors paid for the Valkyries.
There were no team names announced just yet for the next three cities, but here are the details we know about each:
Cleveland WNBA franchise plans
First year: 2028
Ownership group: Dan Gilbert (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Home arena: Rocket Arena (where the Cavaliers play)
WNBA history: The Cleveland Rockers were one of the original eight WNBA franchises from 1997 to 2003 before folding. They played at Rocket Arena, which was then known as Gund Arena.
Detroit WNBA franchise plans
First year: 2029
Ownership group: Tom Gores (Detroit Pistons), Grant Hill, Chris Webber, Jared Goff
Home arena: Little Caesars Arena (where the Pistons play)
WNBA history: The Detroit Shock were one of the WNBA’s first expansion franchises in 1998, with a successful run in the Motor City that included championships in 2003, 2006 and 2008. The Shock relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the 2010 season and later moved to Dallas as the Wings in 2016.
Philadelphia WNBA franchise plans
First year: 2030
Ownership group: Josh Harris (Philadelphia 76ers/Washington Commanders/New Jersey Devils)
