Latest news with #SummerLeague
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Jazz F Kyle Filipowski named NBA Summer League MVP
Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski was named the Summer League Most Valuable Player for 2025 on Tuesday. Filipowski was also honored on the All-Summer League First Team, as the NBA announced first- and second-team honorees. Filipowski, who is set to enter his second season in the league, played 72 games as a rookie for the Jazz, averaging 9.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game last season. He was selected by Utah with the second pick of the second round (No. 34) after two seasons at Duke, being named as a consensus second-team All-American after his sophomore year. He played in six Summer League contests between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas and averaged 23.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 block in 27-plus minutes per game. In the three games in Las Vegas, he averaged 29.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg. Joining him on the All-Summer League teams are: First team Kyle Filipowski, Jazz Nique Clifford, Kings David Jones-Garcia, Spurs Jordan Miller, Clippers Terrence Shannon Jr., Timberwolves Second team Ron Holland, Pistons Isaac Jones, Kings Kon Knueppel, Hornets Ajay Mitchell, Thunder KJ Simpson, Hornets After reaching the Summer League championship game on Sunday, the Kings (Clifford, Jones) and Hornets (Knueppel, Simpson) were well-represented on the two teams. Knueppel, a rookie, was named the championship game MVP after leading the Hornets to an 83-78 win over the Kings. Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Chinese centre Yang Hansen to skip Fiba Asia Cup to focus on developing game with Portland
Mainland Chinese social media users heaped praise on the Chinese Basketball Association after the governing body announced on Thursday that promising young centre Yang Hansen would not participate in the national team's training camp or the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup, allowing him to focus on his development with the Portland Trail Blazers. Advertisement Yang, the No 16 pick at last month's NBA Draft, will attend two short training camps hosted by the Trail Blazers beginning on August 11. 'After finishing his NBA Summer League stint, Chinese men's basketball player Yang Hansen immediately reported to head coach Guo Shiqiang about his experience in the draft combine and Summer League in the United States,' the Chinese Basketball Association said in a statement. 'He applied to the national team and the Chinese Basketball Association, hoping to participate in two short-term training camps organised by the Portland Trail Blazers starting on August 11 in order to better integrate with his new team and further improve his skills. These camps are designed for rookies and players who need continued development based on their Summer League performance.' The association added that the scheduling conflict between the Trail Blazers' camps and the Fiba Men's Asia Cup, held at Jeddah from August 5 to 17, prompted a decision to prioritize Yang's long-term development. Yang Hansen said he had learned a lot from playing in in four NBA Summer League games. Photo: AP Basketball fans on social media said in unison the CBA 'deserved praises' for their decisions.
Forbes
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Kon Knueppel's Endearing Self Assessment Emphasizes What The Hornets Already Knew
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 20: Kon Knueppel was named the Summer League championship game MVP as ... More Charlotte Hornets team wins the championship game of NBA 2K26 Summer League against Sacramento Kings at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on July 20, 2025. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) Kon Knueppel was a Summer League standout. The Charlotte Hornets made him the fourth overall pick in this year's NBA Draft. The former Duke Blue Devil immediately showcased why the franchise should feel great about that decision. Knueppel helped lead the Hornets to a championship in Las Vegas. In the process, he earned a spot on the All-Summer League Second Team. The six-foot-seven forward averaged 15.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.2 steals. While Sin City statistics are the least important part of what a player demonstrates at Summer League, those numbers reflect Knueppel's all-around impact. However, even on the heels of a championship, he was hard on himself while giving Forbes his assessment of how his game grew in Las Vegas. "First game was rough, didn't play well," conveyed Knueppel. "But it's the NBA now, you have so many games, and I think [having] the next game, forget about what happened last game [mentality]. Even tonight, I didn't play very well. I didn't shoot it great at all, really, I had some bad turnovers, bad defensive plays, just next play, next play." That attitude will endear him to his new teammates, coaching staff, and people throughout the Hornets' organization. It captured an individual who has no interest in becoming content or complacent. Instead, a growth mindset fuels his drive to maximize his potential. The Hornets's message to Kon Knueppel Another sign of Knueppel's competitive character came in Charlotte's 109-80 Semifinal win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He dove to the floor in pursuit of a loose ball. As he got a hand on it, the Wisconsin native crashed into Thunder guard Jazian Gortman's legs. That resulted in the latter inadvertently driving Knueppel's head into the hardwood. That resulted in five stitches to treat the cut above his eye. However, there was no way he was going to miss the Summer League Finals. "We had to fight a lot of people to get me on the floor today," voiced Knueppel after the Hornets captured the organization's first championship of any kind. "It wasn't necessarily from within the organization. It was a no-brainer for me. I just wanted to get out there and help the guys and get this done." While on the ESPN broadcast of Charlotte's title win, an 83-78 victory vs. the Sacramento Kings, head coach Charles Lee said of the situation, "My man's out here playing right now with stitches on the side of his eye, like come on. Just a warrior out there, which I absolutely love about him. And there was no way we were going to be able to keep him out of this game today." Knueppel's bench boss also spoke enthusiastically about the well-rounded nature of what Knueppel showcased in Las Vegas. "Always just trying to impact winning," said Lee. "I think that everyone sees what he can bring with the shooting, but I think he's an overall, really just solid competitor. Defensively, he's made a couple [of] great stops, I think so far here, and he communicates at a really high level. "And then, on top of shooting the ball, he's made the right pass play when he needs to. Defense collapse, he's throwing lobs, if he has to play off of two feet, he has some great footwork after the dribble as well." Knueppel told Forbes he appreciated his head coach returning to support their pursuit of a Summer League championship. He also shared the messaging he has received from Lee and the Hornets' coaching staff. "Charles came back tonight to watch us, which was pretty cool," said Knueppel. "They're watching for the right basketball plays, making the right reads; it's not necessarily about statistics or anything. But making the right plays, both sides of the floor, being in good positioning, those are the things that are important." To the delight of Lee and Charlotte's coaching staff, Knueppel displayed a good feel for the game and a high competitive character that fits perfectly with the culture they're working to establish in the Queen City. While he did so, he demonstrated the dynamic nature of his play, something that deserves more recognition than it receives. What the Hornets saw from Kon Knueppel at Summer League wasn't a revelation to them; it was the reinforcement of why they drafted him. It was the first step in validating that he will become a core member of their build toward a brighter future.
NBC Sports
15 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Another report that LeBron James trade talk has 'gotten quiet'
LeBron James' future was the hottest topic at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, but the conversations often followed the same pattern: A discussion of the tone of agent Rich Paul's statement when LeBron picked up his $52.6 million player option, a discussion of how the Lakers are now focused on a Luka Doncic based future, then things quickly turned to shrugs as soon as trying to figure out a LeBron trade that works for everyone became the topic. There wasn't a good one. And nobody thinks he's giving a bunch of money back in a buyout to become a free agent. With that, LeBron trade chatter has died down, something Zach Lowe discussed on The Bill Simmons Podcast. 'I've heard it's kind of gotten quiet now after it was the talk of Summer League. There doesn't seem to be like a clean solution either way. Everyone's saying we should expect them to be on the Lakers. That's my expectation. Then Lowe discusses Simmons' idea of a Miami reunion for LeBron. 'Like on paper there's a Heat trade that is not crazy for either team. Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell for unhappy LeBron in January and maybe some sort of pick swap and maybe that's all it is as crazy as that sounds. I think for the Lakers Kel'el Ware has got to be in it.' Everything may look different by the February trade deadline, but does this trade work for LeBron? He has a no-trade clause and wants to compete for a title in the years he has left in the league. Is Miami one of those teams? Even in a down season in the East, it's hard to see Miami being a championship-caliber team that could beat Cleveland, New York, Orlando, and others, with or without LeBron. Currently, he is on a Lakers team that is not a top-three favorite to emerge from the deep West, but with Doncic, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, and the rest of the roster, this should be a strong team. The Lakers are closer to LeBron's goals than the Miami Heat. All the other fake trades also run into real-world logistical problems. Cleveland can't trade for him because they are over the second apron of the luxury tax and can't aggregate salaries in a trade (it would have to be one-for-one and the Cavs don't have anyone making LeBron-level money). New York would have to gut its roster of depth to make this trade, which would not improve their team. The most likely scenario remains that LeBron stays with the Lakers this season, then becomes a free agent next summer, and things get very interesting.
Indianapolis Star
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Report: Pacers withdraw offer to Enrique Freeman, clearing way for Taelon Peter to grab last two-way spot
It appears Pacers' surprise second-round pick Taelon Peter has earned the team's final two-way contract for the 2025-26 season. Per Spotrac's Keith Smith, the Pacers have withdrawn their two-way contract offer to forward Enrique Freeman, clearing the way for Peter to stick. Quenton Jackson has already signed a two-way contract and on "Setting the Pace" podcast, Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan gave every indication point guard RayJ Dennis would have one as well. That left one between Freeman — last year's No. 50 overall pick — and Peter, this year's No. 54 pick. 'Really hard not to like Taelon Peter.' Draft's biggest surprise has purpose bigger than basketball Both players had strong performances in the NBA Summer League. Peter averaged 9.5 points per game on 57.1% shooting. Freeman posted double-doubles in each of his last four games and averaged 16.6 points per game on 72.5% shooting and 9.6 rebounds. However, Buchanan told Alex Golden earlier this week that Peter had the edge. "We'll probably be looking at Taelon," Buchanan said. "We haven't decided for sure on that yet. He probably makes sense from that standpoint. We like a lot of things he does as far as playing without the ball, his shooting, his movement. I thought he showed very encouraging signs defending the ball in Las Vegas." Freeman played center for the Pacers in Summer League and got work there in limited minutes for the Pacers last season and his skill set seems best suited for that position. However, at 6-7, 220 pounds he's not quite big enough to play it effectively in the NBA even if he can reliably play it in the G League. "He's on the cusp of being an NBA roster type player," Buchanan said. "His challenge is his position for the NBA. We play him at a lot of 5. He's probably undersized for that for the NBA. He's got a motor. He has a nose for the ball. He's tough. He's smart. It's a tough decision for us, but the backcourt spot is probably more where we need some depth." LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST BELOW:
