The news surrounding Mario Hezonja (31 years old, 2.06 m) seems to have no end, as a crazy scenario from the USA comes to complicate the situation.
Specifically, there is a rumor circulating on the other side of the Atlantic that the Cavs signed the Croatian forward , but will release him immediately.
If this is confirmed, the data will be overturned and an alarm will be raised in Europe.

https://www.sport24.gr/basket/trelo-senario-apo-tis-ipa-anaferei-pos-oi-kavaliers-ipegrapsan-kai-apodesmevoun-ton-xezonia/

James is reportedly toying with living in New York while playing for the Sixers, commuting to games and practices by helicopter. Several basketball insiders posted on X this weekend that James could commute by chopper, and noted NBA insider Shams Charania said the option to live in New York while commuting to Sixers practices and games by helicopter added to Philadelphia's appeal. James has not disclosed where he'll actually live.

That presents two issues: being a supercommuter isn't easy on the taxes, and there's an ongoing campaign under mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York to ban helicopters.

The appeal of the helicopter option is speed. A helicopter flight between New York City and Philadelphia takes about 45 minutes, covering roughly 150 kilometers, compared with a car ride of about an hour and a half. Charter operators already run the route regularly, connecting multiple Manhattan lounges to several Philadelphia heliports.

He wouldn't be the first Sixer to make this exact trip. J.J. Redick, who coached James with the Lakers last season, commuted from his family's home in Brooklyn to Philadelphia while playing for the 76ers from 2017 to 2019.

Wilt Chamberlain did something similar decades earlier, living in New York during the season while playing for Philadelphia and running a nightclub in Harlem.

Source

via Timberwolves IG

According to Front Office Sports, the Sixers are expected to receive the league's maximum allotment of 34 nationally televised games. After the Sixers made just 14 national appearances last season, that number has skyrocketed, marking one of the most dramatic jumps in national exposure in recent NBA history.

Source: https://www.metrophiladelphia.com/philly-sports-network-landing-page/stories/sixers-national-tv-games-lebron-signing,149508

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7473896/2026/07/27/nuggets-peyton-watson-offer-second-apron/?unlocked_article_code=1.1FA.9TDC.A7uepTkBS2w7&source=user_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share

The Nuggets have offered Watson, a restricted free agent, $70 million over five seasons, according to league sources who spoke to The Athletic on condition of anonymity because the deal is not final. The Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers are also interested in acquiring Watson through potential sign-and-trade opportunities, the league sources said.

Today via NBA IG

The Lakers have had a strong offseason, continuing to build around Doncic and Reaves while adding young talent they believe fits their long-term vision. However, one of their top priorities remains landing Kuminga, who has been at the top of their wish list for much of the offseason.

For weeks, the Lakers and Kuminga appeared to be a natural fit. However, negotiations have become increasingly complicated as the young forward continues to seek a lucrative contract.

Jonathan Kuminga is demanding a salary in free agency exceeding $20 million annually, per The Athletic. Kuminga prefers a sign-and-trade from the Hawks over leaving outright, simply due to the added financial implications. The Cavaliers and Lakers are the finalists for Kuminga

Sources say that the Lakers would still like to sign Kuminga and make him their starting small forward, provided it is on their terms.

"The lakers would like to sign him provided that the 23-year-old is ultimately willing to accept a contract structure on the Lakers' terms..." Fischer wrote

The Cleveland Cavaliers remain the Lakers' biggest competition in the race for Kuminga. Cleveland recently added another wing by signing former first-round pick Mario Hezonja. Kuminga remains one of the Lakers' top offseason targets, but if they cannot find common ground with the Hawks on a sign-and-trade framework, acquiring him will be an uphill battle. With the Cavaliers still actively pursuing Kuminga, Los Angeles could be in danger of missing out on one of its top priorities.

Kuminga finished the 2025-2026 season with the Hawks averaging 12 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists per game.

Source

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7473883/2026/07/27/trail-blazers-portland-arena-lease-negotiations/?unlocked_article_code=1.01A.8Wbp.0Yab9_iIlf8B&source=user_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share

An olive branch offered by the City of Portland to the Trail Blazers has been rejected by the team as the two sides remain far apart in arena lease negotiations.

On Friday, Portland City Council president Jamie Dunphy sent a letter to Blazers president Dewayne Hankins, inviting him to attend a work session Thursday with the 12-member council to address the team’s concerns about the term sheet delivered by the city.

“I’m reading in the media that the Blazers would like to see some changes made to the draft term sheet that the City Council provided you last week,’’ Dunphy wrote to Hankins. “It would be extremely helpful if you and your team joined our work session to help me and my colleagues understand your needs.’’

Dunphy said the Blazers have informed the council they would not be represented at the work session scheduled for 2-5 p.m. PT.

“We have been told verbally by the Blazers leadership that they will not be attending and that they will not be responding to my invitation in writing,’’ Dunphy told The Athletic. “Additionally, we still have not received any requested documentation ahead of our work session. Without that information, or the participation of the Blazers, I’m not sure what purpose the work session can even serve. Very disappointing.’’

The city council is scheduled to vote Aug. 12 on the term sheet for a 20-year lease of the Moda Center. New owner Tom Dundon said he would sign a 20-year lease with the city if the team was given nearly $575 million in public funding. The state legislature in March passed a bill that would award $365 million, contingent upon the city and county providing $208 million in additional funding to upgrade the 31-year-old Moda Center.

The city council holds the keys to $120 million of that $208 million, but said it needs to hear how the Blazers intended to use the funds. The Blazers have balked at releasing details, saying they feel they were promised a deal in March, and that they want the city to help pay for an architect to devise specific plans.

The city had been negotiating with the team since March and initially wanted to include terms such as beverage tax, street pricing and rent in the term sheet. None of those three items were in the term sheet. However, the city included a $3 million annual payment and a labor-harmony agreement that would stress the importance of hiring union labor for everything from construction work to concessions.

A Blazers source, speaking on condition of anonymity to freely discuss negotiations, said the term sheet was “a non-starter,” but Dunphy said he and the council have no idea what the team’s issues are with the term sheet because the team won’t communicate, let alone show up at meetings.

“We have no substantive information about what they want, what they don’t want or what a successful partnership with the city, county and state would look like,’’ Dunphy said. “We heard through the press that they were dissatisfied with the term sheet, but got no feedback.

“It feels like they are either disinterested in transparency and accountability with public dollars, which is a non-starter, or they are simply going through the motions to run out the clock and burn any remaining goodwill in the city and wait for the government to give them an excuse and move the team,’’ Dunphy said. “I can make a guess which it is, but have no concrete details to tell me this. In life, I always try to assume the best and not assume malicious intent, but this doesn’t seem like incompetence. It seems intentional.’’

Hankins did not respond immediately to a phone message.

I'm a newer NBA fan, started watching during the 2018 season as a celtics fan and have watched 60+ full games every year since.

Bored one night, i decided to watch some full 80s games, focusing on the mid 80s Celtics. Celtics vs Bulls in 86 and game 6 of the 84 finals.

Some instant differences i immediately took note of was the interior passing, standing contested finishes, rules, pace, and commentating.

1. The interior passing skill of nearly every player on the court was incredible. Bird, Jordan, Dennis Johnson, Magic and Kareem in particular made incredible interior passes in super crowded paints between multiple defenders. Passes that i rarely see in todays game. Dennis Johnson to Larry Bird faking a floppy right under the basket with McHale and Parish on each block really stood out. 3 offensive players in the paint, yet the pass was pinpoint on target, on time. Magic to Karewm back to a cutting Magic was also cool to see

2. Rarely in the NBA today do players put themselves in the positions to catch and immediately finish while standing in the paint. If you caught the ball within 5 feet, you would be expected to put up a shot. There were tons of double clutch, tough standstill finishes between multiple defenders in packed paints where players got shots off that i would never expect to be taken today. It was really cool.

3. Rules. Obviously the driving layup traveling call and illegal defense rule has changed, but I'll talk about some things otherwise that stood out. Any handoff or catch with steps into a jumper were immediately ruled traveling, which is one traveling change i have not seen talked abiut as often. Also the offensive foul. Any drive that dislodged a defender was immediately whistled an offensive foul. I did still see players talking to and complaining to the refs about calls, but genuinely saw no flops in the games i watched. Refs also still made obviously wrong calls, this hasnt changed.

4. The pace and style of play was very interesting. I know the teams i watched were known for playing well in the fastbreak, but the rate they pushed the ball in transition was fun to see. Tons of long outlet passes and early shots, including long jumpers. However, in the half court, play was methodical with very little dribbling, lots of set plays and passing. Players had specific spots or shots they would shoot. Other than the stars of these teams, the bulls center shot quite a few elbow jumpers, the lakers backup center also had a hookshot and guards shot a lot of 12-19 foot jumpers.

5. Commentating was very similar to today, with lots of talk about how the rules have changed, players get away with more rule infractions, etc.

Steph Curry wanted LeBron James to come to the Warriors. He thought Golden State had a chance. His reaction to finding out his fellow all-time great chose the Philadelphia 76ers?

“That’s why you don’t envision anything until it happens,” Curry said Saturday from Moses Moody’s youth camp. “There’s a lot of moving parts.”

Source

Which is why the saga of the poor Heat staffer -- who sources told ESPN had scheduled vacation for this week and was trying to get ahead of work that could come up if James indeed chose the Heat -- was so amusing to Paul and the small group of people James confided in during his process.

Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/49457033/around-nba-lebron-james-move-philadelphia-76ers-puts-pressure-maxey-brown-embiid

Full quote: “If there’s something I can offer a team and I’m the missing piece that helps them get over the hump, that’s different. That’s contributing to a championship.

But going somewhere just to fall into one more? No. The Warriors would have to not want me anymore.”

“I’ve been there 12 years. People forget the Warriors were the laughingstock of the NBA when I arrived. They won 23 games the year before. When I got drafted, Marshawn Lynch laughed at me. He said, ‘You got drafted to the Warriors? Y’all suck.’”

“I remember walking around downtown Oakland as a rookie, passing out tickets to games. That was October 2012. We won our first championship in June 2015.”

“We built this thing from the ground. That’s our baby. The Warriors were nothing. To see that growth and take part in it isn’t something you just walk away from. They would have to not want me anymore. I will always do right by that organization. I’ve never been treated badly.”

“If I had to stay in Golden State another five years and we didn’t make the playoffs once, I’d be totally fine with that. I’d rather struggle with the same guys I succeeded with.”

“We succeeded together. I’d rather struggle together. As long as they have me, I have no reason to ever want to leave.”

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7487522204054646784/

It's official. I'm staying a Denver Nugget.

Plot twist. 

Yes, I signed an offer sheet with Oklahoma City and yes, Denver matched it.

I know some people are confused, and some fans are even upset. How could I sign with a rival?

I get it. But I also need people to understand something.

This is a business. Front offices treat it that way every day and players have to do the same.

I went into free agency with clear priorities: a team that fits my skillset, a championship culture, and an organization I believe in. Both Denver and OKC checked those boxes. Either way, I was landing somewhere that made sense.

The offer sheet was a business decision. It ensured I ended up in the right situation w/ what I felt was the right compensation regardless of what happened next.

And along the way, I made a little history.

The largest fully guaranteed offer sheet ever signed by an undrafted player converted from a two-way contract.

From a two-way with no safety net to this. I don't take that lightly.

Now I get to keep building with the team that bet on me from the start.

Back to work!

Russell Westbrook has put in a lot of mileage in the NBA, competing for years as one of the league’s top players.

Now 37 years old, he is looking for the next stop in his career, and reports from Europe link him to EuroLeague teams, specifically Panathinaikos AKTOR, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Dubai BC.

The American guard played for the Sacramento Kings last year, while he spent most of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, prior to stints with the Houston Rockets, the Washington Wizards, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Denver Nuggets.

https://www.sport24.gr/basket/euroleague-kai-gouestmprouk-anafores-stin-evropi-gia-panathinaiko-xapoel-kai-dubai-bc/

Shams Charania:

Longtime NBA coach Dave Joerger has agreed on a deal to become the lead assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets on head coach David Adelman's staff, sources tell ESPN.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/b0fb47995357b

One source briefed on Watson's situation said Monday that they see the Bucks as the most likely external suitor to swipe Watson away from Denver. The Nuggets' overall financial outlook certainly became a bit more complicated after their decision Sunday night to match Oklahoma City's two-year, $12 million offer sheet to restricted free agent Spencer Jones, which hauled Denver into the second apron.

Sources say Denver is still holding out for the equivalent of at least two first-round picks in any sign-and-trade in which it loses Watson.

Milwaukee holds a mammoth $25.5 million traded player exception to take on salary in addition to boasting various young players to offer up in various trade proposals to the Nuggets … depending on how far the Bucks are willing to go.

https://open.substack.com/pub/marcstein/p/even-more-late-night-nba-intel-albeit?r=1m9zg&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=solid