Category: NBA

EuroBasket tipped off on Wednesday with games across the continent, but being at home did not help Latvia in its opener, as it fell to Turkiye 93-73.

It wasn't a good day for the Hawks' Kristaps Porzingis, who shot 3-of-12 from the floor and ended up in a poster at the hands of Sehmus Hazer.

Hazer plays for Turkish power Anadolu Efes and played three games at the 2021 NBA Summer League for the Cavaliers.

Alperen Sungun had an impressive opening game with 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, leading a Turkiye team that looked like a real threat in this tournament.

NBA veteran Cedi Osman, who now plays for Panathinaikos in Greece, led Turkiye with 20 points, while former Maverick, Knick, Net and Celtic Shane Larkin added 15. The simple difference in this game: Turkiye shot 60% from the floor while Latvia shot 38.7%.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Matthew Caldwell is stepping down as the business operations president of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers and accepting a 10-year deal as CEO of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx.

The teams announced the deal. Caldwell will begin overseeing “day-to-day business operations and high-level strategic initiatives for the Timberwolves, Lynx, and (the G League’s) Iowa Wolves” on Sept. 2.

It’s a major move by new Timberwolves and Lynx owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who assumed full control of those franchises earlier this summer.

“I love the NHL. I’ve enjoyed hockey and I’m a big fan of it,” Caldwell said. “But the NBA is just a much bigger, global platform. I really believe in Marc and Alex and their vision and what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to make Minnesota best in class.”

Caldwell joined the Panthers in 2014 as chief operating officer before being promoted to CEO in 2016.

“Our vision is for the Timberwolves and Lynx to set a new standard of excellence in pro sports and we’re confident that Matthew is the leader needed to make that a reality,” Lore and Rodriguez said in a joint statement. “Leading our organization into an innovative new era requires an exceptional individual at the helm and Matthew’s proven track record leading the business of the Florida Panthers is undeniable. We can’t wait to see the remarkable impact his bold leadership will have on this organization.”

Caldwell — who served in the Army, is a West Point grad, received MBA and law degrees from Northwestern and worked on Wall Street for Goldman Sachs — played a major role in many parts of the Panthers’ turnaround in recent years, especially off the ice.

Earlier this year the Panthers extended their operating agreement with Broward County for five more years, ensuring that the team remains in the South Florida market through 2033 and likely well beyond. The team is playing host to an outdoor game in the Miami Marlins’ stadium for the first time this season, has a long waiting list for season tickets and opened a new practice facility at Fort Lauderdale’s War Memorial two years ago.

Caldwell said the change was somewhat bittersweet, which was a sentiment echoed by Panthers owner Vincent Viola.

“There are very few opportunities I would advise him to pursue, but working with Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore on a global platform like the NBA is at the top of that list,” Viola said. “It’s tremendously bittersweet for our family, but we recognize this is an exceptional opportunity and great next step in his career. Matt’s impact on our organization has been immeasurable and he leaves with our respect and gratitude.”

Detroit is coming off a breakout season: 44 wins and a top-six seed, Cade Cunningham becoming not just an All-Star but an All-NBA player, and then the team's young core gaining some serious playoff experience against the Knicks in the first round.

That left some pundits suggesting consolidation trades — using some of that young core to trade for another star to pair with Cunningham, who could vault the team up the standings even further. That was never the plan inside the building, with Piston's president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon telling The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson the plan is to stick with the young core.

"We want to see what those guys' ceilings are. It's continuing to put players with them that can continue to help them grow, develop and reach their potential. That's one thing we try to be as cognizant as possible of, which is something at times that can be challenging. Of course, you want to continue to get better, but we're very aware of what the timing of that is. We want our guys to continue to develop and at least get close to their ceiling or potential. Then maybe at that point is when we realize, OK, what is the proper player fit for these guys when it's time to really go?...

"I don’t think we truly understand who our players can be at this point. I just think it's too early for us to truly understand what the best way to press the proverbial gas pedal is right now. So, we're gonna try to be patient with that and let our young guys continue to develop."

That young core is led by Cunningham, who had his big breakout last season, but includes a lot of quality players: Jalen Duran (a potential All-Star big man), Jaden Ivey (who was having his own breakout season averaging 17.6 points a game until a broken left fibula ended his season on Jan. 1), Ron Holland (who looked ready for a bigger role at Summer League), Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart and Marcus Sasser.

The one big change in Detroit will be sixth man Malik Beasley, who has not been re-signed (in the wake of a federal gambling investigation) and is replaced by Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson.

In what is considered a down year in the East due to key injuries in Boston and Indiana, can Detroit make another leap up the standings? Is this young core ready for that? The opportunity is there, but the growth of a team is not always as linear as we fans would like it to be.

Whatever happens, it will be on the Pistons' young core to make it happen. Langden is giving them their shot.

"It's the Finals, man. I've worked my whole life to be here and I want to be out there to compete. Help my teammates any way I can."

That was Tyrese Haliburton after undergoing an MRI on his strained calf and before Game 6 of the NBA Finals last June. He knew the risk he was taking, he even called Kevin Durant — who had tried to play through a calf injury in the Finals with the Warriors and tore his Achilles — for advice. Haliburton got through Game 6, but early in Game 7, the worst possible outcome happened — Haliburton went down with a torn Achilles. However, he has no regrets, he told Logan Paul and the crew on the Impaulsive podcast (hat tip Hoopshype).

Haliburton: "I had some close friends, family, and mentors in my life call me after Game 5 and say, 'Hey, shut it down.'"

Interviewer: "Do you wish you would have taken that advice?

Haliburton: "No. Hell no. Hell no. I'll be honest—I called KD after I got my MRI after Game 5. I said, 'Bro, do you regret playing in the game you tore [your Achilles]?' He said, 'No, not at all.' He said, 'You never...' I was like, 'Alright.' Yeah, I wasn't going to switch anyway, so I'm glad he said that. It made me feel a little bit better. But no, I don't regret it, bro."

Haliburton also said it would be 15 months from the injury before he'd play in a game again, echoing what the Pacers have said, that he is out for all of next season.

In a podcast conversation that covers a wide range of topics, Haliburton also laughed at the idea that the NBA is scripted or rigged.

"Well, the problem is, I play for the Indiana Pacers. So, if the NBA was going to rig the league, the last two teams they'd probably rig it for would be the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder."

Cleveland Cavaliers wing Max Strus — who started all nine playoff games for the team last season and will have a key role in the rotation — will miss the first few months of the NBA season after undergoing foot surgery, the team has announced.

A Jones fracture involves the fifth metatarsal, the bone that connects the little toe up to the base of the foot near the ankle, with the fracture higher up on the bone. It's a relatively common injury in basketball, but healing times can vary because the affected area is not part of the body that has strong blood flow.

The timeline provided by the Cavaliers would have Strus missing at least the first 20 games of the NBA season — past Thanksgiving and into December — and that number could very well climb up closer to 30 or higher.

Strus averaged 9.4 points and 4.3 rebounds a game last season, shooting 38.6% from beyond the arc. He started all nine playoff games for the Cavaliers and averaged 11.7 points and 5.7 rebounds a night in the postseason. Look for De'Andre Hunter to be the starter at the three with Strus out.

It's possible the Cavaliers could jump into the free agent market for a wing to fill minutes with Strus out. However, the Cavaliers have the highest payroll in the league and are already well over the second apron of the luxury tax, meaning they can only offer a minimum contract and would be subject to a steep tax bill for any additional players signed. The Cavaliers reportedly have shown some interest in Malik Beasley, who finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting last season and remains available, but that signing seems unlikely (Beasley is no longer the target of a federal gambling investigation, however, he is still a subject tied to the investigation and it is possible he could face a charges in the case).

Russell Westbrook is not stressing about any of this — he has been doing something far more important, renewing his wedding vows in Italy.

The NBA will still be there when Westbrook gets back stateside. However, where he will be in the NBA — or if he will be on an NBA roster opening night — is still up in the air. Westbrook remains a free agent late into the summer after choosing not to pick up his $3.5 million player option with the Nuggets. So far, the market has not responded.

The Sacramento Kings are the team most mentioned as having genuine interest, but unless (or until) they trade Malik Monk or Devin Carter (or waive a non-guaranteed player, which is unlikely), the Kings will not have the roster spot open. As of now, they have reigned in Monk trade talks, and he is likely to be with the team when the season opens.

Where does that leave Westbrook? He has not been linked closely to another team. At age 37, Westbrook averaged 13.3 points and 6.1 assists a game last season for the Nuggets, and he brings unquestioned energy off the bench when he enters the game. A lot of teams could use that. However, he's not an efficient scorer at this point in his career, not a great defender, and Denver was ready to move on after Westbrook and Aaron Gordon had a locker room clash during last season's playoffs. Teams, including the Warriors, Knicks, 76ers, and Timberwolves, still have an open roster spot.

Westbrook's best option may be to wait and let the market come to him, something The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie recently suggested. Sit back, let training camps open (and maybe even the season begin), and eventually a team will be looking for point guard depth because of injury or just players not panning out like was expected. When that need arises, Westbrook will be ready to go and can bring some value to the table. Vecenie's example was, what if Rob Dillingham struggles in the backup point guard role in Minnesota, could Westbrook step in and add depth behind Mike Conley? If not that scenario, similar ones will play out on other teams, or an unfortunate injury will occur, sending a team scrambling.

It's hard to envision Westbrook being out of the NBA this season, but it's not that hard to envision him starting training camp on the sideline and waiting for his opportunity. Which will come, the man can still get buckets and change the dynamic of a game with his energy. A few teams could use that.

Terance Mann grew in his six seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers from a second-round pick working to earn a roster spot to a trusted bench wing playing 20+ minutes a night for Tyronn Lue.

He is ready for something new. After a brief half-season stop in Atlanta (he was part of the Bogdan Bogdanovic trade), he was sent to Brooklyn as part of the three-team Kristaps Porzingis trade. While the spin from pundits was that Brooklyn took on Mann as the price to get the No. 22 pick in the draft (the Nets selected Drake Powell), Mann sees an opportunity in Brooklyn and is eager to seize it, he told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.

"It's going to be crazy to play in an environment like that, something new. I'm one of the oldest guys on the team, want to be a leader, show those guys what it takes to win. I've been with those guys a ton [this offseason] and they're super hungry, willing to learn basketball. It's going to be fun. I'm excited for the challenge and I feel like I was built for this. I'm in my prime right now and ready to show the world what I've really got outside this role I've been playing for the last six seasons."

Mann also talked about moving on from Los Angeles.

"I was super excited to be traded the first time, I kind of felt like my time in LA was up and it was time for me to get out of there. I did six seasons there as a second-round pick and a lot of guys don't get to do that so, I really felt excited to get traded to the East Coast and to an organization like Atlanta. The coaching staff was great, and we had a good time."

In his last full season with the Clippers, Mann averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds a night, starting 71 games and playing 25 minutes a night. He's a career 37.2% shooter from 3.

More importantly, he's the kind of veteran professional the Nets should want next to their young players, a guy who put in the work to improve his game and become a quality NBA rotation player. A guy who understands how to be a pro.

Just three weeks remain in the WNBA regular season before the playoffs begin. Over the past week, history has been made on multiple fronts. Not only has the WNBA broken single-season attendance records amid the league adding more and more games to the schedule, but players have risen to the occasion chasing and setting records of their own.

On Saturday, 14-year veteran Tina Charlesbecame the first WNBA player to have 200 career double-doubles. The feat came on a 23-point (9-of-16 FGs, 5-of-6 FTs), 10-rebound performance in the Sun’s 94-84 win over the Sky.

A night prior, two players in two different games registered triple-doubles in Lynx backup power forward Jessica Shepard and Mercury point forward Alyssa Thomas. Shepard became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach a triple-double in a game, while Thomas tied the record for the most triple-doubles in a regular season, a milestone she set herself two seasons ago. Now, she has an opportunity with less than three weeks left to surpass it.

Speaking of Thomas and her prowess, we have reached the point in the season where a lot of the chatter shifts to individual awards. Teams around the league have already begun their marketing campaigns to get awards voters to pay attention to or consider their players when the time comes to vote.

The most coveted of all these awards and arguably the most subjective and most discussed each and every year is the race for Most Valuable Player (MVP).

The Mercury for instance have upped the online discourse about how Thomas is often overlooked by national media members. Debates about disrespect aside, it's safe to say that Thomas is firmly in the 2025 MVP race.

It’s a pursuit that for the longest time looked like a one-horse race with Napheesa Collier putting up some of the best and most efficient numbers in her career. But while Collier was out for around three weeks with a sprained ankle, that gave time for other players around the league to make their case.

In addition to Thomas who has put up some of her most efficient offensive numbers of her career this season—some of which are much better than during her 2023 season with the Sun where she finished second in the MVP race to Stewart— A’ja Wilson has had something to say.

Wilson, the three-time MVP, and her Aces have absolutely been shot out of a cannon ever since Las Vegas lost 111-58 to the Lynx on August 2. Yes, it was in that same game when Napheesa Collier injured her right ankle in the third quarter while her Lynx were up by 43 points.

Ever since that embarrassing loss that the Aces suffered on their home floor, Vegas and Wilson have gone on to win 11 straight games. And in that span the Aces went from being 7th in the standings to jumping up all the way to third with not even a half a game that separates the Aces and the Dream for the second seed.

In the past ten games, Wilson has reached her 2024 regular season levels. During this span she became the first player in WNBA history to record a 30-20 double-double.

Part of why the MVP race remains so fascinating right now is because of how the award itself is defined for some. Is MVP just an award for the best player on the best team or the best player across the league? Or is the MVP about an individual player lifting up their team to heights that that team couldn’t reach without her.

If MVP just means best player on the best team then Collier still probably is the front-runner. But if this award is about how a player directly impacts how the team consistently wins games, then Wilson and Thomas have the edge.

Both Thomas and Wilson’s off-on numbers via PBP Stats tell a story about what happens on the floor when both aren’t there. In the 452 minutes that Thomas hasn’t been on the floor, her team has a -5.41 net rating. In the 471 minutes the Aces have had to play without Wilson, her team’s net rating nosedives to -16.78.

Collier’s on-off numbers reveal that she raises the ceiling of an already really great team that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Without Collier on the floor, the Lynx have sustained a 4.31 net rating. While Collier was out for three weeks, the Lynx still went 5-2. Their only losses were against teams with a lot of talent in the Liberty and the Dream.

What might actually determine the MVP race in these final few weeks is how both the Mercury and Aces finish the regular season. If the Aces can become the second seed or if the Mercury jump up from the fourth seed, it’s going to be incredibly difficult to just award Collier the honor on the merit of her being the best player on the league’s consistently best team.

The Week Ahead

With under three weeks remaining in the regular season, the Minnesota Lynx are the only playoff team who can coast without much at stake. As of this writing, the Lynx have a six-game edge over the second place Dream. Between six and seven games remain for most teams and it’s incredibly hard to believe that the Lynx will drop from that No. 1 overall seed.

There are many games this week that will not only determine which teams squeak into the playoffs but the just as competitive playoff picture and seeding for the teams that are shoo-in’s to make it to the postseason. Home court advantage matters.

On Monday night, two playoff teams took on two non-playoff teams. Candace Parker’s jersey was retired for the second time this season by the Sky in Chicago when the Aces came to town. Just like her first jersey retirement ceremony in L.A., this one was just as emotional if not more. Parker returned to Chicago to relive one of the most improbable and magical championships ever: her 2021 title with the Sky. Parker and that team went 16-16 to end the regular season before storming through the postseason and winning it all.

Meanwhile Breanna Stewart returned for the floundering Liberty against the 11th-place Connecticut Sun at Barclays Center where a hungry crowd of over 15,000 people were elated to see Stewart back.

Both teams in the Aces and Liberty squeaked out wins against teams that all they have left to play for is pride and spoiling the fun and playoff fortune of their opponents. Beginning on Tuesday, however, is when the day-to-day matchups begin to help determine who makes the playoffs, and who will be best set up for a long run through the playoffs. Here are the must-watch matchups with the most implications heading into the postseason.

Seattle Storm @ Indiana Fever

(Tuesday August 26 at 7:00 p.m. ET on CBSSN)

After narrowly defeating the Mystics on a last second buzzer-beating fadeaway from Nneka Ogwumike on Sunday, the Storm look to create some more meaningful separation between where they are in sixth place and the two teams that trail them in seventh and eighth place in the Valkyries and the Fever. Right now just a half game separates these three teams. Can the Fever continue to ride on the back of Kelsey Mitchell while Indiana hopes that Caitlin Clark can return to the floor to help fuel the Fever into the postseason? They will have their home crowd behind them to try to help them do so.

Las Vegas Aces vs. Atlanta Dream

(Wednesday August 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV)

While the Aces officially clinched a playoff berth on Monday night with their 79-74 win over the Sky, they still do not have control of the No. 2 overall seed. It’s that Dream that do. If the Aces beat the Dream on Wednesday, their path to locking up that second seed becomes a bit easier, although the Aces have a harder schedule in the coming weeks since they have to face not only the Dream but also the Lynx before the season comes to a close. After the Dream face the Aces on Wednesday, their last six games are all against teams outside of top 8, although they face an LA Sparks team that has much more to play for as they look to hop out of ninth place and into the playoff picture.

Indiana Fever @ Los Angeles Sparks

(Friday August 29 at 10:00 PM ET on ION)

Speaking of the Sparks, they have a lot of games left, nine to be exact, to try to squeeze their way into the playoffs. While LA is just a game back of the Fever as of this writing, a Sparks win allows Los Angeles to sweep the season series between the two teams. If these two teams finish the regular season with the same record, the Sparks will have the edge. For the heavily handicapped Fever, they have just five more games to try to hold onto a spot toward the bottom of the playoff picture. Like the Sparks they face three teams in their last five games that are within the top 7 in the standings. It’s going to be an uphill battle for both of these teams and expect both of them to be scrapping for their playoff lives on Friday night.

New York Liberty @ Phoenix Mercury

(Saturday August 16 at 10:00 p.m. ET on NBA TV)

If the Liberty are going to have any chance at getting back home court advantage and gaining at best probably the three seed following two straight losses to the Sky and the Dream, their best bet is to get a win against the Mercury on the road. It’s going to be an uphill battle for the Liberty as they are trying to integrate Breanna Stewart back into the fold now alongside Emma Meesseman against a Mercury team known for its pesky defense led by Alyssa Thomas. The Mercury’s offense at times has been a little wonky since the team that doesn’t have a ton of on-court chemistry after being together for not even a full season.. But the Liberty’s effort and hustle has been such a struggle to maintain in the month without Stewart. If the Mercury can beat the Liberty for a third time this season, they should lock up home court advantage at least, especially with a much easier five games to conclude their season featuring all teams out of the top seven.

Indiana Fever @ Golden State Valkyries

(Sunday August 31 at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV)

The two teams that have suffered some of the most injuries during the 2025 regular season will face each other on Sunday to hold onto their playoff hopes. The Valkyries hold onto the No.7 seed while the Fever trail them in eighth. As of this writing, these two teams are tied in record but the Valkyries have the advantage because they’ve defeated the Fever twice this season. The Valkyries have one of the toughest schedules to conclude the season as they play five of their last seven games against teams in the top 8 of the standings including two games against the Lynx. To be clear, Indiana’s schedule isn’t much easier with two top five teams in the Mercury and Lynx on their schedule during the final week of the regular season in addition to playing two other teams besides the Valkyries that are fully within the playoff picture. A win for either team keeps their playoff hopes alive.

Dallas is stacked in the frontcourt. All-Star Anthony Davis is the anchor and will start at the four, although he will play clutch time minutes at center. Derrick Lilvely II likely starts at center with Daniel Gafford behind him. Then there is No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, who ultimately is going to be a power forward in the NBA, possibly eventually playing more of a point forward (with Lively and Davis starting, Flagg likely starts this season at the three).

Then there is P.J. Washington. Wherever he fits in off the bench, expect the Mavericks to extend the contract of the restricted free agent, something that could happen as soon as Friday when he first becomes extension-eligible, reports Marc Stein at The Stein Line.

League sources tell The Stein Line that an extension for Washington is likely. While he is no longer an automatic starter in Dallas after the Mavericks stunningly won the draft lottery in May and the right to select Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick, Washington only just turned 27 himself on Saturday and has no shortage of admirers in front offices around the league.

That extension can be for up to four years, $90 million, although the Mavericks will want to get him in for under that number, maybe something closer to three years, $60 million.

Washington was traded to Dallas at the 2024 deadline and played well off Luka Doncic, helping the Mavericks on their 2024 Finals run. Washington averaged 14.7 points and 7.8 rebounds a game last season when healthy (he played in just 57 games in Dallas). At 6'7", he's played the four and an undersized five, he's become a steadier 3-point shooter (38.1% last season), but his defense means he might be best suited on a contending team off the bench. We will see how he fills that role in Dallas this season.

Stein hints at a possible Washington trade, using the team's quality frontcourt depth to provide more rotation players at the wing and in the backcourt. If the Mavericks get Washington to agree to a fair extension price, plenty of teams would be interested in a possible trade.

All summer long, the Sacramento Kings have explored the trade market for Malik Monk. He was linked to Detroit as part of a sign-and-trade to bring Dennis Schroder to Sacramento, but that deal got done without Monk. He was part of the Kings' sign-and-trade offer for Jonathan Kuminga that never got done.

Monk trade talk seems to have faded. The Kings are not actively involved in any trade talks for Monk and he appears likely to start the season in the California capital, which may impact the future of Russell Westbrook, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line on Substack.

"After Sacramento explored various trade scenarios earlier this summer involving Malik Monk, league sources say that the Kings are not actively engaged in such trade talks now. The Kings have maintained an interest in unsigned free agent Russell Westbrook, sources say, but I'm told that they have indeed explored the possibility of creating a backcourt opening for Westbrook by other means rather than dealing Monk."

This is the dead time of year for deals, largely because this is the time of year when NBA front office personnel tend to be on vacation. Things start to ramp back up — both for potential trades and with the still unsigned restricted free agents — closer to the start of training camp in a month. Talk of a Monk trade could ramp up then, but this may be more of a case where training camp starts and the Kings wait out the market, taking their time to see if a team realizes it needs guard help, or an injury changes the dynamic somewhere. The Kings are deep with guards and would be looking for frontcourt help, as well as just remaining financially flexible in the future to reshape the roster (how much longer Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis are with the Kings is up for debate).

For the Kings, swapping out Monk for Westbrook would save money (Sacramento is about $3.1 million below the luxury tax line and hard-capped at the first apron, another $7 million above that). Monk is entering the second year of a four-year, $78 million contract and is set to make $18.8 million this season — a fair market contract for what he brings to the table (arguably even a team-friendly deal). Westbrook, however, is unlikely to receive more than a veteran minimum deal.

Monk could provide guard depth for a lot of rotations around the league. Last season in Sacramento, Monk averaged 17.2 points and 5.6 assists a game. He's a career 35% shooter from 3 who struggled some with that shot last season (32.5%).

Monk may start the season in Sacramento, but it would be a surprise if he ends it there.

We're still a month away from even NBA media days before training camp, let alone real basketball. Which is why if you're looking for meaningful games at the end of summer, it's time to turn your gaze toward Europe.

EuroBasket, the European championship, starts this Wednesday, Aug. 27, and will run through Sept. 14. It will feature France (the silver medal team from the Paris Olympics), Serbia (the bronze medal winners) and Germany, which won the last national European competition and finished fourth in Paris.

EuroBasket also will feature many of the NBA's biggest stars — MVPs and players shaping and changing how the game is played.

Here are 13 NBA players to watch as play tips off this week (group play will be contested in Cyprus, Finland, Latvia and Poland, with Riga, Latvia, hosting the knockout rounds).

Nikola Jokic (Serbia)

The three-time MVP and consensus best player in the world leads a stacked Serbian squad that is the betting favorite to win the tourney. Jokic is coming off a Nuggets' season where he averaged a triple-double — 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists a game — while being hyper efficient, even shooting 41.7% from 3. He is at the top of his game.

Serbia as a team looks ready, they went 7-0 in tune-up games including a 106–72 thumping of a dangerous Slovenian team. This is a team deep with talent and guys who know how to play the international game, allowing Jokic to play to his strengths — look for him to dominate games with his playmaking more than scoring.

Luka Doncic (Slovenia)

Doncic will be the player with the most eyes on him heading into EuroBasket because people want the answer to this question: "How good does 'skinny' Doncic look?" In tune-up games for the tournament, he has looked elite, with one of his teammates telling the European media that this is the most athletic they have seen Doncic in an international tournament.

A scare shot through Lakers' nation after a teammate fell into Doncic's knee during one of the exhibition games leading up to EuroBasket.

Fortunately, he was diagnosed with simply a knee contusion and was back practicing and playing with the Slovenian team in the following days. He is good to go for EuroBasket and will be in the mix for tournament MVP if Slovenia has a strong showing.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece)

Antetokounmpo thrives in international basketball — he was the leading scorer at the Paris Olympics last summer, averaging 25.8 points along with 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists across four games. He was the leading scorer at the 2022 EuroBasket, averaging 29.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists a game.

Last summer, Antetokounmpo and Greece advanced out of group play at the Paris Olympics but were knocked out in the quarterfinals of the knockout round by Germany. Their goals for this tournament are higher.

Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia)

Porzingis is a prototypical European stretch five, a player who can protect the rim on defense but on offense can space the floor and force other team's bigs out of the paint. When healthy he is a force. He was a critical part of Boston's title run in 2024 and even last season averaged 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds a game shooting 41.2% from beyond the arc for the Celtics, but health limited him to 42 games.

Porzingis is at the heart of a remaking of the Hawks roster for this season, they will need him on the court. Which means Atlanta fans will be watching and hoping Porzingis comes out of EuroBasket unscathed.

Alperen Sengun (Turkiye)

Sengun was an NBA All-Star last season who averaged 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists a game. That said, he didn't seem to catch the eye of casual fans — something that may be about to change. Sengun is poised for a breakout season as the hub of a Houston Rockets attack featuring Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson. That breakout could start at EuroBasket, especially if Sengun keeps playing like he did in tune-up games.

Lauri Markkanen (Finland)

The Utah forward — who likes it in Salt Lake and isn't looking to be traded, even if teams are calling about him and Danny Ainge is listening — had a couple of very impressive seasons for the Jazz before seeing his efficiency drop off last season on a rebuilding squad. He still averaged 19 points and 5.9 rebounds a game, but his true shooting percentage of .571 was about the league average, and well below his previous two seasons, and that was indicative of all his efficiency stats. Will we see a healthy and rejuvenated Markkanen at EuroBasket, and will that mean his efficiency bounces back?

Franz Wagner (Germany)

Brothers Franz and Mo Wagner — Orlando Magic teammates — will both suit up for Germany in this tournament, but Franz is the one ready for a breakout. He averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists a game last season for the Magic, but missed out on the All-Star Game and postseason awards due to an oblique injury sidelining him for a chunk of the season. This season, as one of the offensive engines for a Magic team poised to break into the top four in the East and make a lot of noise (they are a great candidate for an Indiana-style postseason run), Franz is going to get a lot of shine. That could start at EuroBasket with a German team that is the No. 2 betting favorite to win the entire tournament.

Dennis Schroder, Germany

While the Wagner brothers may get the headlines, the rock-solid point guard play of Dennis Schroder on both ends of the court is what makes Germany so dangerous. He is going to get them in the right positions to make plays (and he may find it easier to do that with this German team than with the oddly built Sacramento Kings next season). Last season in the NBA, Schroder bounced between Brooklyn, Golden State and Detroit, and while starting for the Nets he averaged 18.4 points and 6.6 assists a game (with the Warriors he was playing behind Stephen Curry, and with the Pistons he was behind Cade Cunningham, so the roles were very different than with the Nets — his role with Germany is closer to Brooklyn).

Deni Avdija (Israel)

Not a lot of fans noticed the leap Deni Avdija made last season because not a lot of fans outside the Pacific Northwest were watching the Portland Trail Blazers. That said, he thrived in a larger role after being traded out of Washington and posted career highs in points at 16.9, rebounds (7.3) and assists (3.9). He had an impressive true shooting percentage of 60.5. Avdija has had some big games in youth international tournaments, we'll see if he can step up on this larger stage for Israel.

Guerschon Yabusele, France

France is a little thin along the frontline for this tournament, with Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert both out for a team that won the silver medal at the Paris Olympics a year ago.

That puts a lot on Yabusele, who broke out at the Paris Olympics — 14 points and 3.3 rebounds a game — which got him back in the NBA with a contract in Philadelphia (this coming season, he will have a key bench role for New York). If you're questioning how much Yabusele can lift the French team, just remember what he did to LeBron James in Paris.

Nikola Vucevic, Montenegro

The veteran NBA center is the kind of floor-spacing five who thrives in international basketball, he shot 40.2% from beyond the deeper NBA 3-point line last season. He averaged 18.5 points and 10.1 rebounds a game for Chicago last season and is going to put up numbers for Montenegro as their best and go-to player.

Santi Aldama, Spain

There is pressure on the Spanish side, which is the defending EuroBasket champions and has won four of the last six of these tournaments, but now is in a generational transition and may not have the talent to compete at the highest levels. A lot of that pressure falls on Aldama, one of the best players of the generation coming up (with brothers Willy and Juancho Hernangomez as the other big names). The Grizzlies' stretch big averaged 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds a game in the NBA last season.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbia

It is the veteran wing Bogdanovic, not Jokic, who is the Serbian captain, which speaks to the level of respect for the sharpshooter. In the Paris Olympics last summer, Bogdanovic averaged 17.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game, helping lead Serbia to the bronze medal (and almost upsetting the USA in the medal round). He sets the tone for a Serbian team thinking gold this summer.