Update: Al Horford has a second-year player option in his two-year, $12 million deal with the Golden State Warriors, league sources told @hoopshypeofficial.bsky.social. Horford is expected to start at center and is eager to compete for another championship. Deal negotiated by agent Jason Glushon.

This is a (blank)-win team.

JUST IN: The Los Angeles Lakers and Nick Smith Jr. have agreed to a two-way contract, league sources told @hoopshypeofficial.bsky.social. The 21-year-old guard showed flashes of potential, averaging 9.9 points in 22.8 minutes while starting 27 of 60 games played for the Charlotte Hornets last season

TOP SCORERS IN LOSSES IN NBA HISTORY 1. LeBron James (No. 1 overall) 2. Kobe Bryant (No. 4) 3. Karl Malone (No. 3) 4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (No. 2) 5. Elvin Hayes (No. 18) ... 16. Michael Jordan (No. 5) Just so you know.

Player 1 or Player 2?

Paul George: "I'm the Paul George that the 76ers went out and signed. I do think I still got a lot of game in me. Playing at a high level. That's still who I am."

For @hoopshypeofficial.bsky.social, I spoke with Allie Clifton about Road Trippin' evolving, her balancing act between podcasting & broadcasting, her upcoming job as the national sideline reporter for Amazon, her bucket-list guests & more: www.hoopshype.com/story/sports...

Who's the only player with 10-plus playoff series won and not one lost? Make a guess.

Story: Inside the free agency stalemate of Quentin Grimes and the Philadelphia 76ers, including reporting on where both sides stand, several contract offers discussed, and the expected outcome on @hoopshypeofficial.bsky.social. www.hoopshype.com/story/sports...

Fred VanVleet has beaten the odds in a big way. He's the highest-paid undrafted player in NBA history at 6-foot-nothing. No other undrafted player 6 feet or shorter has made more than $50 million.

Peak stats: Kobe Bryant vs. Tracy McGrady.

The Detroit Pistons and Quincy Olivari have agreed to a deal, Senior VP of CSE Talent Darrell Comer told @hoopshypeofficial.bsky.social. Olivari was on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

Russell Westbrook is available.

Tim Duncan has the best point differential of any player in NBA history. Two of his longtime teammates are in the all-time Top 4. Sounds like a dynasty to me.

Tony Snell spoke with @hoopshypeofficial.bsky.social, who recently joined Boulazac Basket, about adapting to life and basketball in Europe, his love for the game, his personal growth since his public autism diagnosis in 2023 and more: www.hoopshype.com/story/sports...

During his career, Tony Parker scored more points in wins than Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce, Carmelo Anthony and Charles Barkley, to name a few. He’d be No. 20 all-time in that ranking. Shocked? You can check the Top 40 here: www.hoopshype.com/story/sports...

NBA players who left money on the table (for whatever reason). www.hoopshype.com/story/sports...

If DeMar DeRozan scores 981 points in losses this season (about 21 ppg over 47 losses), he would move up to No. 2 all-time in points scored in losses, passing Elvin Hayes and Kobe Bryant. Only LeBron James would be ahead. Definitely doable for DeRozan and the Kings.

"You have people, 10,000, 12,000, 15,000, from tip to end, standing on their feet, singing songs, chants. It's just a different experience and something that I've thoroughly enjoyed and feels more connected to me in that way than the NBA." www.hoopshype.com/story/sports...

putting giannis above jokic is madness

Best players ever from the former Yugoslavia: 4. Nikola Jokic 🇷🇸 8. Luka Doncic 🇸🇮 16. Drazen Petrovic 🇭🇷 18. Stojakovic 🇷🇸 22. Divac 🇷🇸 23. Kukoc 🇭🇷 26. Vucevic 🇲🇪 31. Dragic 🇸🇮 40. Radja 🇭🇷 53. Bodiroga 🇷🇸 62. Bojan Bogdanovic 🇭🇷 66. Danilovic 🇷🇸 71. Bogdan Bogdanovic 🇷🇸 www.hoopshype.com/story/sports...

The Brooklyn Nets signed D'Andre Davis to a partially guaranteed standard NBA contract, league sources told @hoopshypeofficial.bsky.social. Davis will earn $85,300 guaranteed. He's expected to be waived, and that money will count against the cap. Similar deal to David Muoka, who was also waived.

How we ranked Canadian players in our international GOAT list: 5. Steve Nash 10. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 39. Jamal Murray 44. Andrew Wiggins 60. Tristan Thompson 64. Rick Fox 78. Lu Dort No country contributes more players to the list 🇨🇦 www.hoopshype.com/story/sports...

Countries with multiple players in our international GOAT list 7: Canada, France 6: Serbia 5: Spain, Lithuania 4: Croatia, Australia 3: Germany, Greece, Bahamas, Turkey, Brazil 2: Slovenia, Cameroon, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Netherlands www.hoopshype.com/story/sports...

Just In: The Minnesota Timberwolves and Bones Hyland have agreed to a deal, league sources told @hoopshypeofficial.bsky.social. Hyland has averaged 9.5 points in four NBA seasons combined with the Nuggets, Clippers, and Timberwolves.

With the Eurobasket over, we have updated our list of greatest international players ever. Shai cracks the Top 10. Alperen Sengun and Victor Wembanyama make the list for the first time. More: www.hoopshype.com/story/sports...

List of players with Eurobasket and World Cup MVPs: Sergei Belov Drazen Dalipagic Drazen Petrovic Toni Kukoc Dirk Nowitzki Pau Gasol DENNIS SCHROEDER The German point guard now pretty much a lock for the Hall of Fame. All the other players in the list have been inducted.

Germany has finished the tournament with a +24.0 average point differential. For context: that's better than Team USA in the last three Olympic tournaments.

Germany is now the reigning world and European champion. They are 21-2 in their last three FIBA tournaments.

Fourth foul on Alperen Sengun with four minutes left. It’s going to be a long four minutes for Turkey.

Greece's coach Vassilis Spanoulis: "Sengun is a very, very small kid to be talking about Giannis."

Giannis on Alperen Sengun saying he's not such a great passer: "I keep everything to myself. You can go and check my clips on YouTube and then come back and ask me if I’m a good passer."

Cedi Osman is head and shoulders above every other shooter in this game.

Turkey 67, Germany 66 heading into the fourth quarter of the Eurobasket final. Germany has outscored opponents 79-37 in the final quarter of elimination games at this tournament. So there's that.

Isaac Bonga looks like a legit 3-and-D NBA player to me.

"When you win the MVP, my mom is happy, my brother is happy, my agent might be happy. It is what it is. But when you win the medal, 12–13 million people are happy. I’ve never given that feeling before." -- Giannis after winning bronze with Greece

Eurobasket MVP is down to Franz Wagner or Alperen Sengun.

Greece almost lost a game to Finland they were winning 81-64 with just four minutes left on the clock. First medal with Greece for Giannis, who made two clutch free throws with seconds to go.

How many players better than Giannis at going coast-to-coast in basketball history?

GREAT interview here with Shane Larkin. Loved him in college and when he was in the league. He's had a great career overseas. #Mavs #Nets #Knicks #Celtics #NBA

Kobe Bryant vs. Tim Duncan: Who do you pick?

"There are a lot of people who settle for the NBA lifestyle of being that 13th man on the team that doesn't dress every single game, but they can say I'm in the NBA. A lot of people are hanging on to that as opposed to people who genuinely love the game." www.hoopshype.com/story/sports...

Career earnings by height since 1990. Notice the big difference between 5-11 and 6-0. It's almost like there’s a stigma around not reaching six feet...

CRAZY STAT Kawhi Leonard has a better point differential than Michael Jordan in the NBA. Kawhi: +5,333 (733 games) MJ: +5,217 (1,072 games) He really wins consistently when he plays.

Germany-Turkey at the Eurobasket final. The only two undefeated teams and the most populated nations in the tournament.

ANSWER Arvydas Sabonis David Robinson Steve Smith Tyson Chandler

Favorites in the East?

Meanwhile, on Reddit...

"Jokic has a championship, which means he knows what it takes. So I don't have to say anything to him. Wemby, he's still in that baby era. I try to be tough on Joel, but apparently he can't take it. So I'll probably have to delete him from my program." www.hoopshype.com/story/sports...

LeBron James was chosen by GMs as the top MVP pick 11 times in their annual preseason survey. Kobe? Just once.