James shot 11 for 17 and made three 3-pointers. He exited briefly after appearing to jam his hand blocking a shot by Pat Spencer with 6:05 remaining in the third quarter.

After 23 years in the league and at age 41, James’ future is uncertain. He is three years older than Curry, who sat out the front end of a home-road back-to-back in what is always a highly anticipated matchup — it was Golden State’s final scheduled game at Chase Center, given the team is headed on the road for the play-in tournament as the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference.

Curry had played the previous two contests in his return from a 27-game absence spanning two-plus months because of a right knee injury. The Warriors weren’t ready to risk him playing consecutive nights.

Brandin Podziemski and Nate Williams scored 17 points apiece as Golden State used its 41st starting lineup of the season and was down to 10 healthy players. Newly signed center Charles Bassey had 12 points and 13 rebounds for his second straight double-double, while Spencer had 12 points, six assists and four rebounds.

Coach Steve Kerr hoped to get some reinforcements Friday at Sacramento, with big men Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis expected to play.

Deandre Ayton added 21 points and five rebounds and Jake LaRavia contributed 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Lakers, who snapped a three-game losing streak with their fourth straight win on the Warriors’ home floor.

Golden State’s LJ Cryer limped off with 8:16 left in the game after grabbing his right ankle.

Up next

Lakers: Host Phoenix on Friday night.

Warriors: At Sacramento on Friday night.

On the first day he became eligible to be traded, the 23-year-old forward has demanded a trade from the Warriors, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Thursday.

Kuminga was not eligible to be traded until Thursday because of the contract he signed with the team this summer.

A trade would finally end what has been an up-and-down tenure for Kuminga with the Warriors.

After contentious contract negotiations this summer, the fifth-year forward started the first 12 games of the season for the Warriors.

But after some struggles, Kuminga hasn’t played in the last 13 games.

“I’m disappointed for him that things didn’t continue to go the way they did the first couple of weeks,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said of Kuminga recently.

The Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks are two teams that have expressed interest in Kuminga, per Charania.

In 18 games this season, Kuminga is averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 draft is earning $22.5 million this season, with a $24.3-million team option for next season.

The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 5.

The Kings (11-30) won their third straight to spoil the return of Knicks coach Mike Brown, who made his first appearance in Sacramento since being abruptly fired early in the 2024-25 season.

Mikal Bridges scored 19 points for the Knicks, who played most of the night without Jalen Brunson. Brunson injured his right ankle and limped off the floor after scoring four points in five minutes.

DeRozan, a six-time all-star playing in his 17th NBA season, shot 7 of 16 with one 3-pointer and made 12 of 13 free throws. That gave the 36-year-old 26,077 career points, moving him past Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett. Garnett had 26,071 points in 21 NBA seasons.

OG Anunoby had 15 points and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 13 for New York.

The Knicks shot 39 per cent and were 8 of 41 behind the arc in their first loss in Sacramento since March 9, 2023.

Brown, who coached the Kings for nearly 2 1/2 seasons and helped end the NBA’s longest playoff drought in 2023, was greeted with a loud ovation from the Golden 1 Center crowd before the game.

Brown and Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, who fired the two-time NBA Coach of the Year winner in December 2024, also met courtside and embraced.

Zach LaVine had 25 points for the Kings, who now have consecutive wins over the Rockets, Lakers and Knicks. Former Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa had 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook added 19 points and 11 assists.

DeRozan and Achiuwa each scored 10 points in the first quarter, helping the Kings to leads of 18-8 and 32-17.

Up next

Knicks: Visit Golden State on Thursday.

Kings: Host Washington on Friday.

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Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in the final seven minutes on 4-of-5 shooting to help the defending champion Thunder win their 11th straight and become the fifth team in NBA history to start 19-1. They finished 4-0 in West Group A.

Chet Holmgren had 23 points and eight rebounds for Oklahoma City.

Jalen Williams had 11 points and eight assists in his return from wrist surgery. He played 29 minutes and made 3 of 12 shots. The All-Star guard/forward had surgery in July to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist and a follow-up procedure to remove a screw that was causing irritation.

Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in 92 consecutive games, matching Wilt Chamberlain for the second-longest streak in NBA history. Chamberlain is first with 126 straight games.

Collin Gillespie scored 24 points for Phoenix, which also advanced to the round of eight. Devin Booker had 21 and eight rebounds, and Dillon Brooks had 19 points.

The teams each made 15 3-point shots, most of them coming in a furious fourth quarter, when Phoenix cut the lead to one point multiple times. Gillespie’s 3-pointer pulled Phoenix to 115-14, but Gilgeous-Alexander answered from beyond the arc to make it 118-114.

Up next

Suns: Host Denver on Saturday night.

Thunder: At Portland on Sunday night.

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That ride is probably a reason why Carlisle — the Indiana Pacers coach — is at the NBA Finals for a sixth time as a player, assistant coach and now a head coach.

The story behind the ride is this: Carlisle went to Lisbon Central, a school where everyone from kindergarten through 12th grade was housed in the same building — that’s quite common in that part of the world — and was the first 1,000-point scorer there. But if he wanted to watch NBA games, the family had to hop in the car and head to Ogdensburg.

The reason? There was no cable TV in Lisbon at that time, and the aerial antenna at the family home couldn’t pick up any NBA games.

“We had a thing, you turn the rotor in the direction and the antenna would move and it would either go towards Kingston, Ontario, or Watertown, New York,” Carlisle said. And back in those days we only got the CBS affiliate, and they didn’t have the NBA back in those early years. But we got Hockey Night in Canada.”

And yes, Carlisle played hockey in those days. He just liked basketball more. That’s why that eight-minute drive would get made, over and over, so he could see NBA games.

Fast forward to now, and Carlisle — who won a title with Boston as a player and with Dallas as a head coach — is four wins away from another championship.

“I can’t say enough about him and the respect I have for him,” said Mark Daigneault, whose Oklahoma City team will face off with Carlisle’s Pacers when the NBA Finals start Thursday night. “I think the whole is better than the sum of the parts. Almost consistently across every year he’s ever coached, the team is better than their sum. I think that’s a reflection of him.

“His teams play a clear identity, stay in character through all the ups and downs. That identity has changed over the years based on his teams, the league trends. But his teams are always in character. This year is certainly no exception.”

There are parallels between Daigneault and Carlisle. Both are incredibly smart. Both might lean toward a dry sense of humour. And Daigneault isn’t exactly a big-city guy, either. His hometown — Leominster, Massachusetts — has a population of about 43,000, which makes it an absolute metropolis compared to Lisbon and its population of about 4,300.

Big city, small town, no matter one’s roots, Daigneault said everyone feels the same way getting to the finals.

“Every single person that’s participating in this, whether it’s coaches, players, staff, there was a time in their life when this was just a dream,” Daigneault said. “This wasn’t a foregone conclusion for them. That’s every player that’s participating. There’s a time when they were in their driveway shooting 1-on-0 with a basket counting down the end of the game. That’s what makes it so special to participate in.”

Carlisle was close friends with Hal Cohen, who played at nearby Canton Central and was part of Jim Boeheim’s first class at Syracuse. Cohen was one of the first players from that part of the world to play basketball at a Division I level; he showed Carlisle the way. Carlisle went to prep school for a year before starting his college playing career at Maine, his lone Division I offer.

He wound up eventually transferring to Virginia and playing alongside Ralph Sampson. “Changed my life forever,” Carlisle said.

Carlisle got drafted in the third round in 1984 — “a round that no longer exists in the draft,” Carlisle says — and played in the league for parts of five seasons, with a brief stint with the CBA’s Albany Patroons thrown in there as well. He was with the Patroons not long after one of their more successful coaches had left; that coach’s name was Phil Jackson, who went on to win 11 NBA titles.

The road here, just like that road between Lisbon and Ogdensburg, was more than a bit winding.

“Had great coaching and a lot of things that were very fortunate,” Carlisle said. “I ended up getting drafted by Boston in a round that no longer exists in the draft. A lot of things fell my way. But I worked hard, too.”

Wing Gradey Dick has suffered a hyperextended right knee, resulting in bone bruises, and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the team announced Tuesday.

It’s worth noting that the Raptors originally ruled out the sophomore for Tuesday’s game against the Orlando Magic with a different injury designation. Dick was previously listed to be out with an ischial tuberosity (pelvis) contusion.

The guard exited just before halftime Sunday in the Raptors’ 104-102 win over the Magic on Sunday.

Dick took a hard spill in the final minute of the first half after a falling RJ Barrett collided with Magic guard Cole Anthony, who then fell into the 22-year-old Raptors guard. He stayed down for a bit and was tended to by team staff before getting up and walking to the locker rooms on his own accord.

After the game, head coach Darko Rajakovic told reporters that the second-year wing had passed concussion protocol but had suffered some hyperextension on his knee, a “sit-bone contusion,” and a split lip.

Dick is averaging 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists through 54 games played this season. He’s also shooting 35 per cent from beyond the arc.

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The third-year guard suffered a broken fibula following an on-court collision in the Detroit Pistons‘ win on Wednesday, the team announced.

Detroit added that Ivey successfully underwent surgery on Thursday morning to repair the injury.

The 22-year-old went after a loose ball early in the fourth quarter when a diving Cole Anthony crashed into his knee and lower left leg. Ivey was immediately writhing in pain and was eventually stretchered off the court. The Pistons guard was averaging career highs in scoring (17.6), rebounds (4.1) and three-point percentage (40.9).

“I promise to come back even better. The recovery starts now,” Ivey wrote in a social-media post.

The former fifth overall pick in 2022 bounced back from a sophomore slump that saw his production and minutes dip from a successful rookie campaign. Part of that was because his role was in flux for chunks of 2023-24 under former head coach Monty Williams — starting 11 fewer games than his first year while failing to see the floor for multiple crunch-time scenarios.

Under new coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Ivey’s numbers have reached new highs while his role has remained consistent.

“It’s tough on all of us,” Bickerstaff said following the win on Wednesday. “There’s no better person, teammate than (Ivey) and no one cares more about this thing than him. It’s tough to see.”

Ivey’s success has also helped the Pistons take a major step forward this year. At 15-18 and ninth in the Eastern Conference, Detroit seems far removed from the team that won the fewest games in the NBA last season with just 14.

While it appears unlikely that Ivey will return this year, Detroit has not ruled him out for the season. The team going to reevaluate the injury in four weeks and provide updates on the guard’s recovery timeline as appropriate.

The Pistons return to action on Friday when they host the Charlotte Hornets.

Embiid did not travel with the Sixers for two road games last week. The Sixers said Sunday the team’s main focus is keeping the oft-injured Embiid on an individual treatment plan designed to support his health and wellness this season.

The 76ers have three games left in the pre-season. Embiid should be in the lineup when the Sixers open the season Oct. 23 against Milwaukee.

The 30-year-old Embiid, who won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA, signed a $193 million contract ahead of training camp. The 76ers have failed to advance out of the second round since 2001, in large part because Embiid has failed to stay healthy for an entire postseason.

Embiid has never played more than 68 games in a season and was limited to only 39 last season in large part because of knee surgery.

The 76ers finished 31-8 last season season with Embiid — about a 65-win pace — and a woeful 16-27 without him.

A day later, at a second site in a second borough, Wells was finally on his way to the NBA — wearing the same white suit.

“Actually, I had two suits planned and then I was like, I just love this one so much,” the forward from Washington State said Thursday. “I was like, ‘I’ve got to wear it again.’”

Wells was one of the early selections in the new two-day NBA draft, taken with the No. 39 pick by the Memphis Grizzlies. The league went to the format this year instead of having its draft drag too late into the night.

The second round was held at ESPN’s Seaport District studios in Manhattan after the first round took place as usual at the home of the Brooklyn Nets. Ten players and their families attended, though Bronny James wasn’t present to hear his name announced after the Los Angeles Lakers took the son of the NBA career scoring leader LeBron James at No. 55, near the end of draft.

With extra time between rounds and between picks — it’s now four minutes between selections in the second round, up from two previously — the new format might help teams make more confident selections.

It’s a little more difficult for the players.

“Two days kind of makes it more stressful,” UCLA’s Adem Bona, who was taken by Philadelphia with the No. 41 pick, said with a laugh. “If it’s one, it’s like, ‘All right, I’m getting my name called today!”

But he said he was happier that the new format allowed him to have extended family present. The native of Nigeria who played in high school in California said he had aunts and cousins from Canada with him Thursday, which wouldn’t have been the case a night earlier in Brooklyn.

The draft resumed with the Toronto Raptors taking Jonathan Mogbo of San Francisco with the No. 31 pick.

It felt like a normal second round, with a flurry of trades as teams tried to move up and others sought to move out of the draft.

But the setup was all new, with players and their families sitting in a room off the studio set and a nice view of boats docked in the harbor below on a gorgeous summer afternoon.

“It’s nice, but I was down there nervous,” said Harrison Ingram, the North Carolina product taken by the San Antonio Spurs at No. 48. “I was panicking, my mom was nervous, my sister is up there hyperventilating, so a whole lot of stuff going on.”

He also went to Barclays Center and returned Thursday wearing the same blue suit. Ingram said he always wanted to go to the NBA draft and didn’t want to miss his chance, but he wished it had been under the old format.

“First time they’re doing two nights, so it was tough to go there, hear everybody being called,” Ingram said. “A lot of my friends, I was happy for them, but knowing that my day might not come until tomorrow and I have to go to sleep, I couldn’t fall sleep until like 3 or 4 a.m., just up thinking about where I’m going to be the next however many years of my life.”

Duke’s Kyle Filipowski and Johnny Furphy of Kansas, the two players who remained in the green room after the first round, didn’t return for the second round. Filipowski was finally selected at No. 32 by Utah with the second pick of the second round. Furphy went a few picks later at No. 35 to San Antonio, which traded his rights to Indiana.

Juan Nunez a guard from Spain who played in Germany, was the first player in attendance who was selected, going 36th to the Indiana Pacers and whose rights were traded to the San Antonio Spurs.

The players who did attend treated the event like the glitzy first round, wearing sharp suits and seated at tables — albeit much smaller ones — that had the same gold basketballs at centrepieces as Barclays Center, just without thousands of fans surrounding them.

And perhaps some of the prospects will have better careers than some of the players who were picked Wednesday.

The NBA has sought to spur interest in the second round with an “every pick matters” slogan, highlighting the success of MVP Nikola Jokic and New York guard Jalen Brunson, who finished fifth in this year’s voting, along with former Defensive Players of the Year Draymond Green and Marc Gasol.

Both Filipowski and Furphy were viewed as potential picks in the middle of the first round, so they was certainly some disappointment when they left Barclays Center without knowing their NBA destination.

Not so for Wells, whose family got some food, went to bed and got ready to do it all again.

“I knew I’d hear my name called at one point, so it didn’t really get me down,” he said. “I was just excited to be here.”

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Commissioner Adam Silver announced two of the three proposed trades Wednesday night. No deal can be official until July 6 when the league’s new year begins, but that’s never stopped NBA teams from swapping players and selections.

Before the draft got under way, the Portland Trail Blazers acquired forward Deni Avdija from the Washington Wizards in exchange for guard Malcolm Brogdon, the 14th pick in this year’s draft and a first-round pick in 2029.

A person familiar with the deal confirmed the trade to the The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because it had not been announced. Silver later detailed the deal during the first round.

The Blazers made the pick, selecting Carlton “Bub” Carrington out of Pitt. Carrington averaged 13.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in his lone college season. The Wizards also took French centre Alex Sarr with the No. 2 overall pick.

Minnesota also agreed on a trade with the San Antonio Spurs to get Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham, the eighth overall pick.

The Timberwolves will complete the deal by sending to the Spurs their unprotected 2031 first-round pick and make a 2030 swap that’s protected for the top pick, both ESPN and The Athletic reported.

Dillingham spent his only college season at Kentucky, averaging 15.2 points, 3.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 23.3 minutes per game while making 44.4% of his 3-point attempts. The native of North Carolina is a shot creator and dynamic scorer who can give the Timberwolves some needed production off the bench.

The Suns made the final move of the first round, dealing their No. 22 pick to the Denver Nuggets for the No. 28 pick, No. 56 pick and two future second-round selections.

The Nuggets took Dayton big man DaRon Holmes II at No. 22 while the Suns grabbed Virginia’s Ryan Dunn with the 28th pick, adding arguably the draft’s premier defensive prospect. Denver might’ve gotten a steal with Holmes, a three-time All-Defensive player while averaging 20.4 points his final college season.

Denver general manager Calvin Booth said the team liked the jump Holmes took as a 3-point shooter along with his experience. The Nuggets saw Minnesota as a potential threat to grab Holmes.

“It was important for us to get ahead and get our guy,” Booth said.

The Nets didn’t wait for the draft to start, making a big move Tuesday night trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, where he’ll be rejoining former Villanova teammates in a deal confirmed to The Associated Press under condition of anonymity because it is not yet official.

It was the first trade between the New York rivals since 1983 and will put Bridges in the lineup alongside Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, players who helped Villanova win two NCAA championships, and join a core that got the Knicks to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.

The Knicks will pay big to get him, with ESPN reporting that they are sending Bojan Bogdanovic to the Nets along with four unprotected first-round picks and one protected pick.

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Paris is six hours ahead of New York, so French basketball fans eager to see history had to stay up into the wee hours of Thursday morning to see France join the United States as the only countries with three players drafted in the top 10 picks of an NBA draft.

The first round ended with four Frenchmen drafted: Zaccharie Risacher. Alex Sarr. Tidjane Salaun. Pacome Dadiet. By the end of the draft Thursday evening, Melvin Ajinca made it five when announced as the 51st pick overall by the New York Knicks.

The question going into the draft was whether Risacher or Sarr would be the No. 1 pick overall pick and become the second straight player from France to be the top selection following in the footsteps of last season’s eventual Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama.

Atlanta made Risacher that player.

“If I had to give him one advice to him, it would be to ‘just be yourself, don’t change for anything, don’t let the pressure change you, don’t let fame, money whatever.’” Wembanyama said during a French national team news conference in Paris Thursday ahead of the Olympics. “But I know Zach, he’s got it.”

Washington took 7-footer Sarr at No. 2 and not long after Charlotte made the history-making decision to select Salaun at No. 6 overall.

It became a French quartet when the New York Knicks drafted Dadiet as the 25th pick overall. Dadiet, who turns 19 in July, is a developing player at 6-8 who can finish at the rim. He is also a versatile defender who has been honing his game in Germany.

The Knicks made Ajinca their second of four selections in the second round Thursday before the Dallas Mavericks swapped the 58th pick to acquire Ajinca’s draft rights.

Risacher (pronounced Ree-zah-shay) said it means a lot for all of France and the country’s booming basketball pipeline to the NBA.

“I know that a lot of France stayed up all night to watch this,” Risacher said.” That’s amazing for French basketball, and I’m so happy to be a part of something special for my country. I think it’s going to be more players who will be able to get to the NBA and do something great. I’m really proud to be a part of it.”

This is the second straight year Washington went for a player from France. The Wizards traded up a spot a year ago, swapping lottery picks with Indiana to land Bilal Coulibaly. Washington general manager Will Dawkins said he feels like he got the same question on French basketball talent a year ago.

“It’s only getting better,” Dawkins said. “And I’ll be honest, it’s going to continue to get better, because there are some more guys coming.”

The timing couldn’t be better for France, which is hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The country Tony Parker win four NBA titles with the San Antonio Spurs are a true gold medal threat thanks in part to Minnesota center Rudy Gobert, this season’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

“It’s incredible,” Gobert said Thursday during the French national team news conference. “Think about it. Three French players in the top six of the draft. Ten years ago, no one would have believed that.

“I’m very happy for each of them. I’m very happy for the future of French basketball and for the future of the sport,” Gobert added. “It shows that a kid from anywhere in the world can dream that he can be a number one pick or that he can be anything he wants. That’s a beautiful thing.”

Charlotte general manager Jeff Peterson said France truly loves basketball and the NBA now is reaping a generation influenced by players like Parker, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum.

“It’s a very, very strong country when it comes to basketball,” Peterson said. “So I just think that this younger generation, they’ve grown up and they’ve seen it and they’ve loved it. And those guys have been great role models for them.”

Salaun said French players have improved with their impact now being felt in the world.

“It’s just the beginning,” Salaun said.

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The Detroit Pistons selected Holland with the fifth overall pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday night. The move surprised the 6-foot-8 forward, who said he didn’t have any contact with the Pistons before the draft.

“It’s a huge shock to me,” Holland said.

Six picks later, the Bulls took Buzelis, a Chicago-area product and 6-9 forward whose parents played professionally in Lithuania. In Thursday’s second round, the Bucks took Smith with the 33rd overall pick.

“Me being born and raised there (in Chicago), it just makes it so much better,” Buzelis said. “I mean, it means everything to me.”

Holland, 18, averaged 19.5 points in 14 games with the NBA G League Ignite before a thumb injury knocked him out for the rest of the season. Buzelis, 19, averaged 14.3 points and 6.9 rebounds in 26 games. Smith is a 19-year-old, 6-11 forward who averaged 13.4 points in 27 games.

The NBA announced three months ago that the G League Ignite program wouldn’t exist beyond 2024.

The Ignite provided an opportunity for NBA prospects who weren’t yet draft-eligible to play pro basketball and prepare for the draft without having to attend college. The NBA determined that rule changes enabling college athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness made college basketball more appealing for players who typically had chosen the Ignite.

Buzelis said he benefited from his Ignite experience.

“Playing against the best players in the world,” Buzelis said. “Getting trained by the best coaches in the world and having some vets that have been on NBA rosters and know what it’s like to go through the route that we went on. So I think I gained an advantage by being there.”

Trajan Langdon, the Pistons’ new president of basketball operations, bluntly described the distinctions in scouting Ignite players versus college guys.

“It’s just different,” Langdon said. “Look, they’re playing against grown men.”

With a team full of younger players adjusting to life in the pros, the Ignite took their lumps by going 2-32 in the G League this past season. Yet the team had enough talent to produce three draft picks.

“That Ignite team just got beat up,” Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas said. “A lot of those guys came from winning programs, but this year, they didn’t win that many games. But they competed against grown men. I think physicality and as close as you can get to the NBA game — that’s what they experienced in G League. Hopefully, that translates into the NBA for (Buzelis) faster. But he has a lot of things to work on, and I think he’s looking forward to it.”

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CHICAGO BULLS

Needs: Shooting. The Bulls were 27th in the NBA in 3-pointers made and 26th in attempts last season, and they weren’t all that accurate, either. Chicago was 20th at 35.8% from beyond the arc.

Who they drafted: G League Ignite F Matas Buzelis at No. 11.

NBA comparison for Buzelis: A Chicago-area product whose parents played professionally in Lithuania, the 6-foot-9, 197-pound Buzelis has drawn some comparisons to Orlando’s Franz Wagner and Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren. Buzelis is known as a good ballhandler for his size and ability to finish at the rim. He’s also a versatile defender.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Needs: Now that they’ve found their coach (Kenny Atkinson’s hiring isn’t yet official), the Cavs, focused on adding a young player to their established roster that got them to the Eastern Conference semifinals. There’s little pressure to add immediate help, so Cleveland was likely to pick a player it can develop or use as a future trade asset. They’ve coveted a two-way wing for some time, and there’s always room for another shooter.

Who they drafted: California F Jaylon Tyson at No. 20.

NBA comparison for Tatum: Miami’s Caleb Martin. The 6-foot-6 Tyson played at three schools in three years, going from Texas to Texas Tech to Cal, where he averaged 19.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game last season.

DETROIT PISTONS

Needs: Frontcourt players, outside shooters and strong defenders.

Who they drafted: G League Ignite F Ron Holland at No. 5. The Pistons also agreed in principle to acquire the draft rights to F Bobi Klintman after the Minnesota Timberolves selected him at No. 37. Klintman played at Wake Forest in 2022-23 but spent the 2023-24 season with Australia’s National Basketball League “Next Stars” program.

NBA comparison for Holland: Andre Iguodala. One of the best defensive forwards in the draft is similar in size and style to Iguodala, a one-time All-Star, two-time All-Defensive Team player and four-time NBA champion.

INDIANA PACERS

The Indiana Pacers didn’t have a first-round pick after making the deepest postseason run of any Central Division team, losing to Boston in the Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers had three second-round picks Thursday.

Needs: The Pacers could stand to build some long-term depth with center Myles Turner and valuable backup point guard T.J. McConnell eligible to hit free agency after the upcoming season.

Who they drafted: The Pacers agreed in principle to acquire the draft rights to Kansas F Johnny Furphy after the San Antonio Spurs took him at No. 35. The Pacers also selected UConn G Tristen Newton at No. 49 and Akron F Enrique Freeman at No. 50.

NBA comparison for Furphy: Kansas coach Bill Self noted during the season that Furphy’s size drew similarities to former NBA swingman Mike Dunleavy Jr. Furphy is long and lean, just as Dunleavy was upon entering the league in 2002. Furphy also shares Dunleavy’s ability to score from 3-point range.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Needs: The Bucks could use some wings. With Malik Beasley and Patrick Beverley potentially leaving as free agents, the Bucks also may need to find a new shooting guard and backup point guard. Milwaukee also needs to find an heir apparent to 7-foot center Brook Lopez, who is 36 years old.

Who they drafted: G AJ Johnson at No. 23 and Smith at 33. Johnson is a California native who played most recently for the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League. Taking two 19-year-olds was a bit of a surprise for a team in win-now mode.

NBA comparison for Johnson: Bucks GM Jon Horst said Johnson is an athletic 6-5 combo guard with a 6-8 wingspan. Chicago’s Zach LaVine arrived in the NBA a decade ago with similar dimensions and characteristics. But there’s one major difference. LaVine was a double-figure scorer from his rookie season. Johnson didn’t play much in Australia and may need plenty of time to develop into an NBA rotation player.

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The next step in their global basketball journey is the NBA, with one of them potentially heading to Atlanta on Wednesday night as the No. 1 pick in the draft.

“We grew up together, competing against each other, and now we are here in New York for the draft and it’s one day to realize our dream, you know?” Risacher said Tuesday. “So this is special.”

It’s a special time for France, which could have the No. 1 pick for a second straight season after Victor Wembanyama went to San Antonio last year amid enormous expectations and lived up to the hype in a Rookie of the Year season.

Neither Sarr, Risacher (pronounced Ree-zah-shay) nor anyone else will arrive with that type of promise, part of the reason the 2024 draft has long been viewed as a weak one. It’s unclear which way the Hawks will lean, or even if they are focusing on the two French players.

“For us, I feel like this is a great class, to be honest,” said Isaiah Collier, a guard from USC, where he was a teammate of LeBron James’ son, Bronny James.

“Everybody says it’s weak and everything like that, but for us I think it’s wide open because there’s a lot of good players and nobody really knows who’s at the top.”

They will find out at the start of what this year becomes a two-night draft. The first round will be held as usual at Barclays Centre in Brooklyn and the second round moves Thursday to ESPN’s Seaport District studios.

Much of the speculation surrounding the Hawks’ choice since they won the draft lottery last month initially focused on Sarr, a well-traveled 7-footer from Bordeaux, France, who began his pro career in Spain with Real Madrid’s youth team. He spent two years in the U.S. playing with Overtime Elite, a developmental league, and last season was with the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s National Basketball League.

He should soon be able to settle in somewhere, whether it’s back in Atlanta — where Overtime Elite is based — or Washington, Houston, San Antonio or Detroit, the teams that round out the top five spots.

“It’s been a long journey of me changing a lot of countries and now I know that I’m going to be probably in the same place for a couple of years, so it’s really exciting,” Sarr said.

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His basketball existence is hard to imagine for one of the players he could be competing with for the No. 1 spot. Fellow centre Donovan Clingan, who has worked out for the Hawks, has spent his entire life near his birthplace of Bristol, Connecticut, where he went to high school before helping UConn win back-to-back national championships.

“I can’t imagine traveling all over the world, just being away from your family and stuff,” Clingan said. “Just feels like his whole playing career really, ever since he was a young kid, just being on the move. So I’ve been lucky enough and blessed enough to have an opportunity to continue to stay playing in Connecticut, but I’m really excited to move away and start a new chapter.”

College teammate Stephon Castle is expected to join him in the top 10 picks, and Kentucky also could have a pair of players go early in freshmen guards Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham.

But that is nothing unusual for college basketball powerhouse programs. Kentucky had six players selected in both 2012 and 2015, the most in the two-round draft format that began in 1989, and the Huskies once went 2-3 in the draft with Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon in 2004.

But this is a whole new deal for France — or any country other than the U.S. If Sarr or Risacher is taken first, it would mark the first time that the draft went consecutive years without the No. 1 pick being someone who played at an American college.

They were teammates on France’s team that won a silver medal at the 2023 Under-19 World Cup, with Risacher scoring 13 points in a victory over the U.S. The 6-foot-9 forward also spent two seasons in France playing for ASVEL — owned by French Hall of Famer Tony Parker — and he was a one-time teammate of Wembanyama.

Now he could be France’s next No. 1 — unless an old friend beats him out.

“It would mean a lot,” Sarr said. “I played with Zaccharie three years in a row, I’m really close with him, so I’m really happy for him and I think it’s really special for France in general.”

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French teenager Alexandre Sarr from France could go No. 1 overall with his length and defensive potential, key reasons why he has thrice topped the AP’s NBA mock draft. Meanwhile, Donovan Clingan from two-time reigning national champion UConn also will likely be a high pick as a rim-protecting force.

It’s just unclear how quickly any will be ready for a leading role in the league, particularly offensively.

Here’s a look at some of the top players in the position:

ALEXANDRE SARR, FRANCE

STRENGTHS: The athleticism, mobility and length offer significant upside at both ends of the court for the 7-footer, whether as a rim protector and versatile defender or as a rim-runner off pick-and-rolls for lobs on offence. Sarr, 19, spent two seasons with the Overtime Elite developmental program for top prospects in the United States, then last season with Perth in the Australian-based National Basketball League as part of its “Next Stars” program. He ranked tied for second there by averaging 1.5 blocks despite averaging just 17.3 minutes.

He finished strong by averaging 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.3 assists in his last six games with Perth. He also ranked among the best at the combine with a wingspan of better than 7-4.

CONCERNS: He’ll need time to add bulk to a lean 224-pound frame and handle the rigors of an NBA season. Developing more consistent 3-point range (he shot 29% in the NBL last season) will be key to fully realizing his defence-stretching potential.

DONOVAN CLINGAN, UCONN

STRENGTHS: He is big, strong and surprisingly nimble for his imposing 7-2, 282-pound frame, which made him an interior shot-blocking force in the Huskies’ run to college basketball’s first repeat men’s title in 17 years. He ranked eighth in Division I by averaging 2.5 blocks per game despite playing just 22.6 minutes, then had some massive games in the NCAA Tournament. That included eight blocks and 14 rebounds in the second-round win against Northwestern, followed by 22 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a regional final against Illinois (the Illini were 0 for 19 on Clingan-challenged shots ) and four more swats against Alabama in the Final Four.

The 20-year-old sophomore runs the floor well despite his bulk and is a strong finisher. He also was tied for first at the combine in standing reach (9-7) and was second in wingspan (nearly 7-7).

CONCERNS: It’s unclear how well he might handle switches to defend outside the paint in space. While he shot nearly 64% to rank among the national leaders, he has rarely had to produce much outside of the paint. He also shot just 55.8% from the line in two seasons.

KEL’EL WARE, INDIANA

STRENGTHS: The 20-year-old sophomore has flashed intriguing two-way potential to make himself a first-round prospect, first in a season at Oregon and then last year at Indiana. He averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks last season as a starter for the Hoosiers. He made 17 of 40 3-pointers (.425), indicating the potential for growth in terms of pulling defenders outside.

The 7-footer has a nearly 7-5 wingspan and tested well at the NBA combine by ranking second among bigs in the lane agility test (second at 10.97 seconds) and shuttle run (second, 2.91).

CONCERNS: He’ll need to add strength to his 230-pound frame and improve at the line, where he shot just 63.4% last year.

KYLE FILIPOWSKI, DUKE

STRENGTHS: The 6-11, 230-pound sophomore could play either forward or centre as a first-round prospect. He was a steady producer by averaging 15.8 points and 8.6 rebounds with the Blue Devils. He also more than doubled his shot-blocking totals last year (54, up from 26 as a freshman) when having to work as Duke’s interior anchor after Dereck Lively II’s departure for the NBA. He has shown improved mobility and footwork after surgery on his hips before last season, and he has improved as an outside shooter (34.8% from 3 last year, up from 28.2% in 2022-23).

CONCERNS: Filipowski isn’t an elite athlete, so he could be vulnerable defensively in space as well as struggle against physical play. He slipped at the foul line last year, shooting just 67.1% after checking in at 76.5% as a freshman.

OTHERS OF NOTE

—ZACH EDEY: The 7-4, 299-pound Purdue centre is a two-time Associated Press men’s college basketball player of the year who led the Boilermakers to last year’s NCAA title game as the national scoring leader (25.2) and Division I’s No. 2 rebounder (12.2). He closed his career with 37 points in the title-game loss to UConn. He has a ridiculous wingspan of nearly 7-11 to go with the ability to shoot over any defender. There is uncertainty whether the first-round prospect is athletic enough to handle defensive switches or guarding in space.

—DARON HOLMES II: The 6-9, 236-pound junior from Dayton spent the past two seasons putting up big numbers, averaging 19.3 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 56.7%. He also hit 38.6% of his 3s last year and averaged 2.1 blocks for his college career. The Atlantic 10 co-player of the year and league defensive player of the year could go in the back half of the first round, though he is a bit undersized among bigs.

—YVES MISSI: The 6-11, 229-pound centre from Baylor came on as the season went on as a one-and-done prospect with bouncy athleticism, helping him finish at the rim (61.4% shooting) and block shots (1.5). That could make him a pick-and-roll or lob threat in the pros, though the 20-year-old from Cameroon will have to expand his offence beyond those crowd-charging dunks and improve at the line (61.6%).

The 20-year-old Parisian is one of many players who can be found on courts around the French capital any day of the week. And at the centre of basketball conversations in the country is Victor Wembanyama’s rise to NBA stardom.

“It has unlocked something in France,” Pollock said.

He’s not wrong.

Basketball’s popularity is rising — it could skyrocket during the Paris Olympics with the anticipation surrounding the French men’s team. More kids are signing up for teams as the country churns out top NBA draft picks.

France has produced NBA players before, the most famous being point guard Tony Parker — a four-time NBA champion whose No. 9 jersey was retired by the San Antonio Spurs. Minnesota Timberwolves centre Rudy Gobert was this season’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

But now it’s in overdrive.

Last year there was Wembanyama — a generational talent who as expected went No. 1 in the draft. Two more young Frenchmen — Zaccharie Risacher, Alexandre Sarr — are expected to be top picks Wednesday. They might even go Nos. 1 and 2. A third, Tidjane Salaün, is projected to be selected high in the first round.

“I’m very proud of them. It makes it seem like the NBA dream is possible,” Antonin Guezel, a local basketball player in Paris, told The Associated Press. “Some of these talents grew up here, Victor is from the Paris area.”

Female French players haven’t yet had the same impact on the WNBA, but they are trending up. In April’s draft, two French players were selected — Carla Leite (No. 9, Dallas) and Leila Lacan (No. 10, Connecticut).

The 21-year-old Guezel hones his skills at Glacière, a court crammed under an overhead subway station in the 13th arrondissement (district), and one of many outdoor courts scattered around Paris.

There are about 750,000 people registered with basketball clubs in France — nearly 70,000 more than two years ago and an increase of 170,000 since 2014. And that’s just the official count. Like in the United States, plenty of hoopers just grab a ball and find a court to shootaround or play in a pickup game.

Basketball — “le Basket” — has never been more popular here, sports historian Lindsay Krasnoff points out.

“On all the courts I pass now, there is always someone playing,” said Krasnoff, author of “Basketball Empire.”

Seeing teenagers around Paris wearing NBA jerseys and a basketball under their arm is now a common sight, she added.

One popular spot can be found behind Halle Carpentier — Jemmapes — where the nearby high-rise flats tower over the courts near the popular Saint-Martin canal. Players sit on the sidelines, waiting their turn, as 4-on-4 games take place — first to 21 points win, or first to 16 on more crowded days.

With the fences practically just arm’s reach from the court, Jemmapes resembles the iconic West 4th Street courts in New York City. Trash talking is encouraged and fouls are rarely called.

“If you call a foul here, you are weak. So you shut your mouth,” said Lina Redjem, the only woman among more than 30 players waiting to get on the court.

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HARNESSING TALENT

France has a proud history when it comes to basketball.

The country boasts of holding the first recorded basketball game in Europe during the 1890s at the Trévise court, near Paris’ famed Pigalle nightlife spots.

But the foundation of the country’s talent pipeline can be traced back to 1975 when the Paris-based National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance — known as INSEP — started training elite athletes across several sports.

Basketball was among them.

Parker went from being INSEP’s rising star to NBA Finals MVP in 2007. Ten years earlier, Parker’s ability left coaches awestruck.

“We all said ‘this guy is not from the same planet,’” Bernard Faure, a junior teams coach at INSEP, told The AP. “Leadership, athleticism, precision. He had everything.”

Detroit Pistons guard Evan Fournier and former NBA players Boris Diaw and Ronny Turiaf also came through INSEP — as did the 18-year-old Salaün, a 6-foot 9-forward.

“Our system has proved itself,” said Gilles Thomas, INSEP’s basketball director. “Exceptional players are discovered very early. Our system of grid detection makes it really rare for us to miss a talent.”

INSEP has its own team. Last month, the INSEP boys team lost the EuroLeague junior final by one point to Real Madrid.

Players graduate from INSEP and can start competing professionally for French teams when still in their teens.

“The ideal path to the NBA is (playing) in France. Our talents play against professionals at a very young age,” Faure said.

INSEP scours the country and its overseas territories to bring in the top 36 boys and 36 girls for training camps. Around 20 teenagers are selected.

INSEP’s model has also helped club academies better develop young players.

Wembanyama’s formative club, Paris-based Nanterre, occasionally loaned him to INSEP’s team. Wembanyama then went to ASVEL near Lyon — where Parker is club president — before joining Paris-based Metropolitans 92.

STYLE OF PLAY

The 19-year-old Risacher won the French league’s best young player award last season while playing for JL Bourg.

The team’s coach, Frédéric Fauthoux, says the French brand of basketball “is very athletic,” which can ease the transition to the NBA or college basketball in the U.S.

“That’s what separates us from our European rivals and connects us to the style played in America,” he said. ”We know how to develop them into tall and versatile players that the NBA craves. … Young French players experience the French championship, which is very rough and athletic, and play against European teams who are much more tactical.”

David Kahn agrees. The 62-year-old American is the president at Paris Basketball club and was formerly president of the NBA’s Timberwolves.

Risacher stands out, Kahn said, because he has “a more modern skillset with an NBA frame.”

Kahn believes basketball’s popularity in France may soon rival soccer — a tall task with the likes of superstar Kylian Mbappé leading Les Bleus.

“Some kids that might have grown up thinking about playing football now start thinking about basketball,” Kahn told The AP at his team’s offices. “This will continue year after year with French basketball producing this kind of talent.”

The upcoming Paris Games will provide a huge opportunity for French basketball enthusiasts to win over even more fans — and future players.

France narrowly lost the last Olympic men’s final while the women took home the bronze at the Tokyo Games.

Neither team has won an Olympic gold medal in basketball but with Wembanyama on the men’s roster, expectations are soaring.

“These Olympics will be yet another sort of jumping up, trampoline effect,” Kahn said. “There will be an outsized attention placed on the French basketball team.”

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