RADIO
Nikola Jovic Scores 21 Points as Serbia Routs Iceland
Miami Heat forward/center Nikola Jovic scored 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting in Serbia's 102-73 rout of Iceland on Friday in Group J of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. The 23-year-old added three rebounds, two assists, and a plus-28 while outscoring Nikola Jokic, who finished with six points, 13 rebounds, and six assists. Serbia improved to 5-2 in Group J, but Jovic's bigger issue remains his NBA role. He averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 17.2 minutes across 47 games last season while shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from deep. Miami reshaped its frontcourt around Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, and Bobby Portis, while Pelle Larsson is also pushing for perimeter minutes. Jovic needs a cleaner shooting camp before becoming more than a watch-list name.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
Nikola Jokic Fills Stat Sheet in Blowout Win Over Iceland
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic posted six points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and three steals in 23 minutes of Serbia's 102-73 win over Iceland on Friday in Group J of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. The three-time MVP had reached 20 points in both of his previous 2027 qualifying appearances, so the quiet scoring night looks more like a blowout side effect than a concern. Serbia improved to 5-2 in Group J and closes the window Monday in Italy. Jokic averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists over 65 games last season, and the modest 23-minute workload is the encouraging piece here for managers tracking his summer mileage ahead of a Denver season that folds DeMar DeRozan into the offense.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
Luka Garza Chips in 10 Points as Bosnia Upsets Italy
Boston Celtics center Luka Garza recorded 10 points and seven rebounds in 15:49 as Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Italy 78-76 on Friday in Tuzla, the country's first win over the Italians in six meetings. The 27-year-old shared the frontcourt with Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic, who carried the load with 25 points on 11-for-19 shooting and 14 rebounds. The result keeps Bosnia's 2027 World Cup hopes breathing, though it does little to move Garza's NBA outlook. Boston signed Mitchell Robinson to a three-year deal and extended Neemias Queta this offseason, dropping Garza to third in the center rotation after he averaged 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds last season. He stays off fantasy radars unless an injury opens the door ahead of him.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
Jusuf Nurkic Dominates Italy with 25 Points, 14 Rebounds
Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic carried Bosnia and Herzegovina to a 78-76 win over Italy in Friday's World Cup qualifier in Tuzla, posting 25 points and 14 rebounds on 11-for-19 shooting in just over 22 minutes. The 32-year-old had not played competitive basketball since February, when nose surgery ended his NBA season. Utah's frontcourt looks different this time around. Nurkic re-signed on a two-year, $22 million deal in June and projects as the starting center after the Jazz sent Walker Kessler to the Lakers, with Jaren Jackson Jr. slotting in beside him. Kyle Filipowski is the main threat to those minutes, though Nurkic averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 26.4 minutes across 41 games last season. That rebounding and passing floor makes him worth tracking as camp approaches.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
Neemias Queta Pulled Early in Portugal's Win Over Spain
Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (undisclosed) is dealing with an injury of some kind after Portugal pulled him early in the fourth quarter of Friday's FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers win over Spain, Keith Smith reports. Head coach Mario Gomes said the medical staff flagged a "real risk" and shut Queta down as a precaution, but he did not name the injury. The 27-year-old had 16 points, nine rebounds, one assist, and two steals in 24-plus minutes before exiting. Portugal hosts Georgia on Monday, making his status there the next read on severity. Queta averaged 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 0.8 steals last season before signing a four-year, $56 million deal, but Boston also added Mitchell Robinson and still has Luka Garza. Any missed camp time would add pressure to Queta's hold on the starting center job.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
Aday Mara Blocks Four Shots in Spain's Loss to Portugal
Oklahoma City Thunder center Aday Mara posted 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, and four blocks in Spain's 95-89 loss to Portugal on Friday in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. The No. 12 pick in June's draft went 3-for-8 from the field and 6-for-7 at the line in 19 minutes, while Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta countered with 16 points and nine rebounds for Portugal. The rim protection tracks with Mara's Michigan profile after he averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.6 blocks en route to Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors and a national title. Oklahoma City's frontcourt is crowded, though, with Isaiah Hartenstein back on a fresh three-year deal, Chet Holmgren locked into heavy minutes, and Jaylin Williams and Thomas Sorber also in the backup mix. Mara remains off fantasy radars until that logjam thins.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
Neemias Queta Posts 16 Points in Portugal's Upset of Spain
Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta racked up 16 points, nine rebounds, and two steals in 24 minutes as Portugal upset Spain 95-89 on Friday in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. Five of his boards came on the offensive glass, where the 27-year-old continues to do his best work. Queta averaged 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 blocks across 76 games last season, starting 75 of them before signing a four-year, $56 million extension in July. Boston added Mitchell Robinson this offseason, but Keith Smith has reported the expectation is that Robinson opens off the bench, keeping Queta in the starting mix. With Jaylen Brown now in Philadelphia, there should be enough touches for Queta to build on last season's leap if he holds the job.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
Goga Bitadze Scores 23 Points as Georgia Routs Montenegro
Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze put up 23 points, eight rebounds, one steal, and two blocks in Georgia's 101-74 win over Montenegro on Friday in Group I of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. The 27-year-old finished second on the team behind Tornike Shengelia, who led all scorers with 24 points, while Sandro Mamukelashvili chipped in 17 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Summer form is not Bitadze's issue. Playing time is. He averaged 5.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 15.2 minutes last season and was out of the rotation by Game 7 against Detroit. Orlando then added Nikola Vucevic after Moritz Wagner's departure, leaving Bitadze behind Wendell Carter Jr. and Vucevic in a crowded center mix. He stays off fantasy radars unless an injury opens minutes.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
John Konchar Traded to Minnesota, Expected to be Waived
The Utah Jazz are trading veteran guard/forward John Konchar and Cody Williams to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Josh Green and cash, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. Minnesota is expected to waive-and-stretch Konchar, with Saturday marking the final day to stretch a player's 2026-27 salary across multiple seasons. The move would spread Konchar's $6.17 million cap hit into roughly $2.06 million charges over three years, helping clear the last bit of space needed to finalize Jonathan Kuminga's taxpayer midlevel deal. The undrafted veteran averaged 4.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 19.9 minutes across 56 games between Memphis and Utah last season. Konchar could draw interest as a defensive-minded depth wing once he clears waivers, but his low-usage profile keeps him off fantasy radars.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Cody Williams Heads to Minnesota
The Utah Jazz are sending guard/forward Cody Williams and John Konchar to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Josh Green and cash, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. Minnesota is expected to keep Williams and waive-and-stretch Konchar, giving the No. 10 pick from 2024 a fresh opportunity after two uneven seasons in Utah. The 21-year-old averaged 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.8 steals in 24.3 minutes across 67 games last season, including a career-high 41 starts. His post-break growth was encouraging, but the jumper remains the issue after he hit just 21.4 percent from three last season and 23.7 percent for his career. Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) is recovering from surgery, but Terrence Shannon Jr. and Ayo Dosunmu are also part of the wing/guard competition. Williams is worth monitoring in camp, not rostering yet.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Josh Green Sent to Utah
The Minnesota Timberwolves are trading guard/forward Josh Green and cash to the Utah Jazz for Cody Williams and John Konchar, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. The Australian wing was the salary Minnesota needed to move, as his $14.7 million expiring deal cleared enough room under the second apron to finalize Jonathan Kuminga's contract using the taxpayer midlevel exception. Green never played a game for Minnesota after arriving in June's LaMelo Ball trade, and he lands in Utah as another 3-and-D option in a crowded perimeter mix. He shot 42.0 percent from three last season in Charlotte but managed only 4.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 15.7 minutes across 58 games. With Lauri Markkanen, Ace Bailey, Darryn Peterson, Brice Sensabaugh, and Josh Okogie all part of Utah's rotation picture, Green remains off fantasy radars.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Sandro Mamukelashvili Fills Stat Sheet for Georgia
Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili filled the box score in Georgia's 101-74 rout of Montenegro on Friday in Group I of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. The 27-year-old finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals while playing behind bigger scoring nights from Tornike Shengelia and Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze. The passing is the part that should carry over. Mamukelashvili averaged 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 21.8 minutes with Toronto last season while shooting 38.9 percent from deep, and the Lakers gave him a four-year, $52 million deal to space the floor in a reworked frontcourt. Walker Kessler is the clear interior anchor, so Mamukelashvili needs a steady shooting role before becoming more than a low-end fantasy watch. Georgia faces Portugal on Monday.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
Yang Hansen Leads China Past Qatar with 15 Points
Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen posted a game-high 15 points, nine rebounds, one assist, and two blocks in China's 83-57 win over Qatar on Thursday in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers Second Round. The 21-year-old shot 7-for-11 from the field and 1-for-2 from three in 20 minutes at Al Janoub Stadium in Doha. It tracks with the flashes Portland saw in Las Vegas last month, when Hansen had 12 points, nine rebounds, and four assists against Phoenix. The international production is encouraging, but it does not move him up Portland's depth chart. Donovan Clingan sits atop the center mix, and Robert Williams III re-signed on a three-year deal to remain a key reserve. Hansen averaged only 2.2 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.0 minutes across 43 games as a rookie, so he stays off fantasy radars unless injuries open a clearer path.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
Karlo Matkovic Goes 8-for-8 in Croatia's Rout of Latvia
New Orleans Pelicans forward/center Karlo Matkovic scored 17 points on 8-for-8 shooting in Croatia's 115-80 win over Latvia on Thursday in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. The 25-year-old needed just under 17 minutes to finish 7-for-7 inside the arc and 1-for-1 from deep, though he did not record a rebound, steal, or block. Mario Hezonja paced Croatia with 28 points and seven assists. Matkovic averaged 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 14.7 minutes across 62 games last season while shooting 60.4 percent from the field and 42.2 percent from three. New Orleans picked up his $2.23 million option in June, but the frontcourt remains crowded with Zion Williamson, Yves Missi, and Derik Queen ahead of him for minutes. The efficiency is useful, but Matkovic stays off fantasy radars unless his Pelicans role grows.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
Mario Hezonja Piles Up 28 Points in Croatia's Qualifier
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Mario Hezonja posted 28 points, three rebounds, and seven assists in Croatia's 115-80 win over Latvia on Thursday in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. The 31-year-old finished 8-for-13 from the field, converting all eight of his two-point attempts while missing all five tries from deep, with his other 12 points coming at the free-throw line. Karlo Matkovic added 17 points on 8-for-8 shooting, while Ivica Zubac grabbed eight rebounds. Hezonja is back in the NBA on a one-year, $2.8 million deal that reportedly becomes fully guaranteed if he remains on Cleveland's roster past Nov. 15. Peyton Watson's arrival tightened the wing picture, and Hezonja still has to beat out Jaylon Tyson and Nae'Qwan Tomlin for leftover minutes. He remains off fantasy radars unless camp points to a real rotation role.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
