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USA Basketball, Fox Sports Cut TV Deal

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COLORADO SPRINGS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – USA Basketball and FOX Sports signed a multi-year agreement that will tip off Aug. 7 when the USA Basketball Men’s National Team faces the Puerto Rican National Team live from Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena at 10 p.m. ET on FS1. Play-by-play announcer Adam Amin will be on the call alongside Emmy Award-winning analyst Bill Raftery.

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FOX Sports will distribute the 2023 USA Basketball Showcase, which includes five USA Basketball Men’s National Team exhibitions in advance of the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup, as part of a larger agreement that includes the 2024 USA Basketball Showcase and 2024 Nike Hoop Summit.

The USA Basketball Showcase features a series of events that help the USA Basketball Men’s and Women’s National Teams prepare for major competitions, including the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup (men) and 2024 Olympic Summer Games.

“The USA Basketball Showcase features our national teams preparing for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2023 and the Paris Games in 2024,” said said Jim Tooley, CEO, USA Basketball. “In addition, the Nike Hoop Summit annually brings together our top young basketball talent for both men and women to compete against international all-star teams comprised of athletes from all over the world.”

USA vs. Puerto Rico caps a weeklong training camp that sees the USA begin its march to the 2023 FIBA World Cup, set for Aug. 25-Sept. 10 in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. Led by head coach Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors), the USA Men’s National Team features several NBA award winners and honorees.

The USA Basketball Showcase continues in Malaga, Spain, when the United States faces the national teams of Slovenia and Spain in friendlies on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13, respectively. Both games will tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET with USA vs. Slovenia airing on FS1 and USA vs. Spain on FOX with Raftery providing analysis alongside play-by-play announcer Kevin Kugler.

Finally, the USA travels to Abu Dhabi for a final training stop before arriving in Manila for the World Cup. The USA will host the national teams of Greece on Aug. 18 on FS1 followed by Germany on Aug. 20 on FOX, with both tipping off at noon ET. Additionally, FS1 will broadcast the game between Germany and Greece on Aug. 19 at noon ET. Play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti pairs with Raftery for both games.

Brown Signs Biggest Deal in NBA History

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Celtics announced agreed to a contract extension with All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Brown signed the contract at MIT’s Media Lab where he was hosting his 7uice Foundation’s Bridge program.

“I appreciate the investment and commitment from the Celtics and from the rest of the community. That investment and commitment will be felt in return from me here in Boston, on and off the floor, but also hopefully soon, around the world,” said Brown. “The Bridge program students being here is special for me today; you guys represent the next generation, you represent the future, and everything I do is try to make this world a better place.”

“Jaylen Brown brings passionate energy and excellence to whatever he does, on the court and in the community,” said Wyc Grousbeck, Boston Celtics’ team co-owner. “Jaylen is absolutely key to our relentless drive to win Banner 18. I’m very glad to be celebrating this partnership with him today.”

Brown was selected to his first All-NBA team last season when he was named to the 2022-23 Kia All-NBA Second Team after he appeared in 67 games (all starts) and made his second-consecutive All-Star game. The Georgia native averaged career-highs of 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, as well as his best field goal percentage (49.1) and free-throw percentage (76.5).

“We are thrilled that Jaylen has decided to extend his contract and remain a Celtic for a long time,” said Brad Stevens, President of Basketball Operations. “In addition to his individual accolades, Jaylen has been one of the NBA’s winningest players in both the regular and postseason over the past seven years. I’ve been so impressed with how he has attacked every day with a relentless work ethic, a desire to improve, and a competitiveness to help his team win. Equally as impressive is his continued commitment to making a difference in the community.”

The seven-year NBA veteran was originally drafted by Boston with the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and is the longest tenured Celtic entering this year. In 470 career games (363 starts), Brown has averaged 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.0 steals in 29.7 minutes per game, while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from three-point range.

Brown ranks fifth in franchise history in made three-point field goals with 883 threes and moved into 17th on the Celtics’ all-time scoring list with 8,428 points. Brown became the seventh Celtic since 1994 to reach 1,000 career assists before turning 27 years old when he dished out a season-high nine assists on March 6, 2023 (26 yrs, 133 d).

Brown has led the Celtics to the playoffs in each of his seven seasons, including five Eastern Conference Finals appearances and a trip to the 2022 NBA Finals. Brown is tied for the 14th-most playoff appearances in franchise history with 105 games and ranks 11th in scoring with 1,911 points in the postseason.

Brown’s deal was reportedly the largest financial deal in NBA history.

Celtics Sign Jay Scrubb

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Celtics signed reserve guard Jay Scrubb to a two-way contract. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Scrubb, 6-5/220, has appeared in 24 career NBA games (one start) with the Los Angeles Clippers (2020-22), and Orlando Magic (2022-23) and owns career averages of 4.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game.

The Louisville, Kentucky native appeared in two games for the Magic last season and averaged 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 15.0 minutes per game. He also appeared in 28 games (25 starts) with the Lakeland Magic of the NBA G League, where he finished sixth in the league in total points scored (625) and ranked eighth in scoring with 22.3 points per game and averaged 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 31.0 minutes.

Scrubb was selected with the 55th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and became the first Junior College player selected in the NBA Draft since 2004. Scrubb earned First-Team NJCAA All-American honors in each of his two years at John A. Logan College and was named the 2019-20 National Junior College Athletic Association Player of the Year. He started in 55 of his 59 games played, and averaged 21.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists from 2018-20.

NBA: Silver Opines on Wealth Funds

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With sovereign wealth funds starting to shovel money into sports teams and leagues across the country, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Monday that he does not see any state-owned investment groups becoming the controlling owner of an NBA franchise anytime soon.

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Per the NBA’s investment rules, the controlling owner of an NBA franchise must own at least 15 percent of the franchise.

If a sovereign wealth fund wants to get involved, it must have a passive investment in the organization that is worth no more than five percent. A prime example of this is the Qatar sovereign wealth fund, which last month agreed to purchase a five-percent stake in Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the controlling owner of the Washington Wizards, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics and the NHL’s Washington Capitals.

Silver wants to make sure that individuals are the ones that are primarily governing teams, though.

“I don’t want to say what could ever happen, but there’s no contemplation right now,” Silver said in Las Vegas. “I mean, it’s very important to us, putting aside sovereign wealth funds that individuals are in a position to control our teams, be responsible to the fans, be responsible to their partners and to the players.

“It’s very important to us that there be a person (in charge), and this is independent of sovereign wealth funds. I think that in terms of the connection with the community, the connection with the players and their other partners in the league.”

One of the most notable sovereign wealth funds as it relates to the sports is Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which funds LIV Golf. The PGA Tour created shockwaves across the golf world last month when it announced it planned to enter a merger with LIV.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Sign Walsh and Brissett

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Celtics signed forwards Jordan Walsh and Oshae Brissett to contracts. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Walsh, 6-7/205, is expected to make his Celtics debut at the NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas. At Arkansas, Walsh tied the program record for most games played by a freshman with 36 appearances in his lone collegiate season. He averaged 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 24.4 minutes per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field.

The Dallas native helped the Razorbacks advance to the Sweet 16 of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Walsh was ranked the No. 11 prospect by ESPN in the Class of 2022 after being named to the 2022 McDonald’s High School All-American Game and a Jordan Brand Classic participant. Walsh was selected with the 38th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft.

Brissett, 6-7/210, has appeared in 172 career NBA games (43 starts) in four seasons with the Toronto Raptors (2019-20) and Indiana Pacers (2021-23). He owns career averages of 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per game. Last season, he played in 65 games (two starts) with the Pacers and averaged 6.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game. He scored a season-high 18 points against Orlando on Nov. 21, including a season-high-tying four three pointers.

The Toronto, Ontario native has also made 42 appearances and 31 starts over two seasons in the NBA G League and earned All G League Second Team honors in 2020-21 with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants when he averaged 18.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. Brissett originally signed with Toronto as a free agent on July 23, 2019, and appeared in 19 games during his rookie campaign with the Raptors.

Celtics: Grant Williams Signed/Traded

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BOSTON -(Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Dallas Mavericks agreed to a four-year, $53 million deal with restricted free agent Grant Williams as part of a three-team sign-and-trade agreement that includes the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs will receive forward Reggie Bullock and an unprotected first-round pick swap in 2030 from the Mavericks. The Celtics and Mavericks will each receive two second-round draft choices.

Williams, 24, spent four seasons with the Celtics since being a first-round pick in 2019 out of Tennessee. He averaged 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 79 games (23 starts) last season.

Williams has career averages of 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 288 games (58 starts). He underwent surgery on his left hand last month and is expected to be fine before the start of training camp.

Williams is the second key player Boston has traded this offseason. The team previously dealt guard Marcus Smart, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for 2021-22, to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Teams officially can’t sign free agents or formally announce trades until Thursday.

Bullock, 32, spent the past two seasons of his 10-year NBA with the Mavericks. He averaged 7.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 78 games (55 starts) last season.

Bullock made 151 3-pointers last season, second most in his career behind the 163 he made for the New York Knicks in the 2020-21 campaign. He has made 852 career treys in 512 games (294 starts) with six teams.

–Field Level Media

Report: NBA’s “In-Season” Cup at Vegas

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LAS VEGAS – The NBA’s first in-season tournament will conclude with the semifinals and final in Las Vegas, ESPN reported. The semifinals are scheduled for Dec. 7 and the final for Dec. 9, and stats from the event, with the exception of the title game, will be included as part of the regular season, per ESPN.

The league will unveil details of the event at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, part of the NBA Con Fanfest being held at the site of the league’s most visible summer league.

ESPN will conduct a live show for the announcement, with NBA commissioner Adam Silver scheduled to be joined on the broadcast by others including the league’s past four No. 1 overall draft picks: the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, the Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero, the Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards.

Some details of the tournament format were previously reported when the National Basketball Players Association agreed to the event as part of a labor deal.

Teams will be separated into six groups, three per conference, not necessarily by division. During group play, each club will have two home games and two road games. The six group winners and two wild cards will advance to the quarterfinals.

Players who are part of the championship team reportedly will get $500,000 apiece.

–Field Level Media

NBA Free Agency Round-Up

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Once the NBA’s free agency negotiation period began Friday, plenty of reported deals — including Kyrie Irving staying with the Dallas Mavericks and Draymond Green remaining with the Golden State Warriors — made the headlines, but there were several other moves worth noting.

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The contract agreements with free agents become official July 6, per NBA free agency rules.

Here’s a look at several deals that were reportedly agreed to on Friday:

–The Miami Heat re-signed forward Kevin Love and added guard Jason Richardson, according to ESPN. The Athletic also reported that the Heat were set to trade Victor Oladipo to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Love, who will turn 35 before next season, turned his career around with Miami and played a key role in the team’s run to the NBA Finals.

A second-round pick of the Heat in 2015, Richardson, 29, gives his original team depth after Gabe Vincent reportedly joined the Los Angeles Lakers.

Oladipo, 31, spent 2 1/2 seasons in Miami. He previously played for Oklahoma City in 2016-17.

—Joe Ingles landed a deal with the Orlando Magic.

A key contributor off the bench for the Milwaukee Bucks last season, the 35-year-old forward is getting a two-year, $22 million contract with the Orlando Magic, per ESPN.

–Former MVP Derrick Rose is set to join the Memphis Grizzlies. The 34-year-old guard was a bit-part player for the New York Knicks last season.

–Forward Herb Jones is sticking with the Pelicans. Jones, 24, had declined his option on a minimum salary, opting instead to agree on a four-year, $54 million deal to stay with New Orleans, per an ESPN report.

–Veteran guard Dennis Schroeder is joining the Raptors. After losing star guard Fred Van Vleet to the Houston Rockets, Toronto landed Schroeder, 29, with a two-year deal worth a reported $26 million.

–Guard Reggie Jackson, 33, and center DeAndre Jordan, 34, will stay with the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets. Jackson’s deal is reportedly for two years and $10.25 million.

—Seth Curry, 32, is back for a third stint with the Mavericks, landing a two-year contract. The former Nets guard, one of the NBA’s best 3-point shooters, Curry played for Dallas in 2016-17 and again in 2019-20.

–The Minnesota Timberwolves are signing guard Shake Milton and forward Troy Brown. Milton, 26, formerly of the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal, per an ESPN report. Brown, 23, played for the Lakers last season.

–The San Antonio Spurs retained forward Julian Champagnie with a four-year, $12 million contract. Champagnie, 22, signed with the team in February after he was waived by the Sixers. He averaged 11 points per game for San Antonio last season.

–The Boston Celtics agreed to a deal with forward Oshae Brissett, 25. According to ESPN, Brissett will get a player option for the second year of the contract.

–Field Level Media

Celtics: Pressey New Assistant Coach

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics are set to hire former guard Phil Pressey as an assistant coach, according to multiple reports Monday.

Pressey is the third addition to Boston’s coaching staff this month, joining former Philadelphia 76ers assistant Sam Cassell and former Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee as the Celtics attempt to revitalize head coach Joe Mazzulla‘s bench.

Boston still plans to add at least one more assistant in the coming weeks, per the report.

In three NBA seasons, the 32-year-old Pressey posted career averages of 3.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 148 games (11 starts). He signed with the Celtics as an un-drafted free agent in 2013 and spent the first two seasons of his career with Boston, later also playing briefly with the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns.

Pressey served as an assistant at Missouri during the 2022-23 season but has no coaching experience in the NBA. In addition to his two seasons with the Celtics, Pressey also established Massachusetts ties by attending two high schools in the state.

–Field Level Media

Beal for Paul: Wizards, Suns Dump Contracts

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PHOENIX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – You take my problem and I’ll take yours.

The Phoenix Suns are finalizing a deal to acquire All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards in exchange for veteran point guard Chris Paul, shooting guard Landry Shamet and multiple second-round draft picks and pick swaps, The Athletic and ESPN reported Sunday.

The Suns — who had no first-round picks available to move in a trade — nevertheless managed to land Beal to pair with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton.

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Over the weekend, reports indicated the Beal sweepstakes were down to the Suns and the Miami Heat. Beal, who’s long stood firm about wanting to make things work in Washington, has to waive the NBA’s only no-trade clause in order to approve the deal.

Paul, a 12-time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA selection, could attract an interested third party to the deal as he’s expected to ask the Wizards to move him to a contender, multiple reports said. One of Paul’s old teams, the Los Angeles Clippers, is likely to pursue a reunion with him, according to Bleacher Report.

Beal, who turns 30 this month, played in just 50 games (all starts) last season. He averaged 23.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game and shot 36.5 percent from 3-point range. Injuries and multiple stays on the COVID-19 reserve list have limited Beal to just 90 games over the past two seasons.

In his 11-year career since the Wizards made him the third overall draft pick out of Florida in 2012, Beal has averaged 22.1 points, 4.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game over 695 games (661 starts). He was an All-Star in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2020-21 and finished second in the NBA in scoring twice (30.5 ppg in 2019-20, 31.3 ppg in 2020-21).

Paul, 38, averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals across 59 starts for the Suns in 2022-23. He has career averages of 17.9 points, 9.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals in 1,214 games with the New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20) and Suns (2020-23).

Paul led the NBA in assists just two seasons ago when he averaged 10.8 per contest in his second campaign with the Suns.

Phoenix posted a league-best 64-18 record that season after falling to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals in 2021. But the Suns were knocked out of the playoffs in the second round in both 2022 and 2023. New team owner Mat Ishbia fired veteran coach Monty Williams and hired former NBA champion Frank Vogel as his replacement earlier this month.

Shamet, 26, has played in 302 games (92 starts) for four teams since the Philadelphia 76ers drafted him in the first round (No. 26 overall) in 2018. He has career averages of 8.9 points and 1.7 assists per game with a 38.8 percentage from 3-point range for the 76ers (2018-19), Clippers (2019-20), Brooklyn Nets (2020-21) and Suns.

–Field Level Media