Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman told reporters Monday that the team felt good about signing Donovan Mitchell to an extension.

A day later, the deal was done.

Mitchell agreed to a three-year, $150.3million contract extension with the Cavaliers on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

The 27-year-old had said previously that he is happy with the Cavaliers, and Altman said on Monday, he is "very, very much pro-Cleveland."

Mitchell's deal includes a player option, and was structured in a way to be favourable to both him and the Cavs.

It was reported that the extension is for three years instead of four years because in the 2027-28 season, Mitchell will have 10 years of service, and then is able to sign or be extended for 35 per cent of the salary cap. So, in July of 2026, he will be eligible to sign a four-year extension, with a projected max in 2027-28 at $65.5million.

The 13th overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft, Mitchell was acquired by Cleveland from the Utah Jazz shortly before the 2022-23 season.

A five-time All-Star, Mitchell averaged a team-high 26.6 points in 2023-24, as well as career highs of 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.84 steals. 

A left knee injury, however, limited him to 55 games, and a left calf strain forced him to sit out Cleveland's final two play-off games, as the Cavs were eliminated by the eventual champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. He had averaged 36.8 points on 51.9 per cent shooting, 6.4 rebounds and 5 assists in his previous five play-off games.

In seven pro seasons, he has career averages of 24.8 points, 4.3 boards and 4.6 assists.

A week after Cleveland was ousted, J.B. Bickerstaff was fired as coach, and the Cavs hired his replacement, Kenny Atkinson, on June 24.

The Boston Celtics continued to celebrate their 18th NBA championship by rewarding star forward Jayson Tatum with a record-breaking contract extension.

The Celtics and Tatum agreed to a five-year supermax extension worth nearly $314million, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

The contract is the largest in NBA history, with Tatum qualifying for a supermax deal by being voted to the All-NBA First Team in 2022-23.

Tatum’s deal is the latest in the Celtics’ effort to keep their championship core in place into the foreseeable future, despite a massive luxury tax bill.

Multiple media outlets reported that Boston and Derrick White agreed to a four-year, $126million extension earlier Monday.

Finals MVP Jaylen Brown signed a five-year, $286million extension last summer. Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday are both signed through at least the 2025-26 season.

Even before agreeing to Tatum’s extension, the Celtics were projected to be over the second apron luxury tax, which restricts roster transactions by the league’s highest-spending teams.

Tatum, 26, is already a five-time All-Star and has been voted to the All-NBA First Team in each of the last three seasons.

Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and a career-high 4.9 assists last season while leading the Celtics to a 64-18 record.

He has helped Boston to two NBA Finals appearances and has already played in 113 play-off games.

In 513 career regular-season games, Tatum averaged 23.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Klay Thompson was instrumental to the Golden State Warriors' dynasty.

The Dallas Mavericks are hoping he can help their franchise capture a second NBA title.

Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50million deal with the Mavericks on Monday, according to multiple sources.

The deal, which includes a player option, is part of a multi-team sign-and-trade that sends Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets.

Thompson, a core member of the Warriors' four NBA championship teams over an eight-year span from 2014-22, now joins a Mavericks team that recently fell to the Boston Celtics in five games in the NBA Finals.

He'll team with All-NBA first-team selection Luka Doncic and eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, as the Mavericks will look to secure the franchise's first title since winning its only championship in 2011.

With Thompson moving to another Western Conference power, it marks an end of an era in Golden State, where the 34-year-old developed into one of the best players in franchise history.

The 11th overall pick of the 2011 draft by Golden State, Thompson's 2,481 made 3-pointers trail only long-time teammate Stephen Curry for the most by a Warriors player. He also ranks fourth in team history in games played (793) and sixth in points (15,531).

One of the most feared long-range shooters of his generation, he averaged a league-leading 4.4 made 3-pointers a game just one season ago in 2022-23.

He wasn't as effective this past season, however, as that average dropped to 3.5 3-pointers a game, and he shot 38.7 per cent from beyond the arc - just the second time in his career he failed to shoot 40 per cent or better from long range.

During his prime, though, he was among the best scorers in the NBA.

A five-time All-Star, Thompson averaged at least 20 points per game for five consecutive seasons from 2014-19 as a vital part of three NBA championship teams (2015, 2017, 2018) during that period.

He missed the entire 2019-20 and 2020–21 campaigns due to a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles tendon, but returned to average 20.4 points in 32 games the following season and help Golden State to another NBA title.

His run of seven straight seasons averaging 20 or more points per game came to an end in 2023-24, when he averaged 17.9 points in 77 games. Midway through the season, he was moved out of the starting lineup for the first time since he was a rookie in 2012, coming off the bench in 14 games.

Derrick White was instrumental to the Boston Celtics securing this season's NBA championship and is being rewarded.

White agreed to a four-year, $125.9million contract extension with the Celtics on Monday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal includes a player option and marks a significant raise for White, whose last contract was a four-year, $70million extension signed back in 2020 with the San Antonio Spurs.

The Celtics acquired White, who turns 30 years old on Tuesday, from the Spurs at the 2022 trade deadline, and he was named to the NBA's All-Defensive second team in each of his first full two seasons in Boston.

The fearless defender came up with a clutch hustle play late in the first half of the Celtics' series-clinching Game 5 win over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, diving on the floor to secure a loose ball and chipping a tooth in the process. He had 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals in that victory as Boston captured its 18th NBA title.

White started all 19 games for the Celtics during their play-off run, averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He led Boston with 65 made 3-pointers in the play-offs, shooting 40.4 per cent from beyond the arc.

This came after he shot 39.6 per cent on 3-pointers during the regular season, with averages of 15.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 boards in 73 games.

Armed with three-time All-NBA first-team selection Jayson Tatum, fellow All-Star and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and White, the defending champion Celtics enter the 2024-25 season as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, but the Philadelphia 76ers are looking to knock them off their perch after acquiring Paul George on Monday, and teaming him with 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

The Philadelphia 76ers have locked up one of the NBA's top young stars - and in the process have created their own version of a Big Three.

All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey agreed to a five-year, $204million maximum contract extension with the 76ers on Monday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal was reported hours after Philadelphia and nine-time All-Star Paul George agreed to a reported four-year, $212million maximum contract.

With 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid, Maxey and George teaming up together, the 76ers will be looking to overtake the Eastern Conference from the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics.

 Maxey, 23, is coming off a breakout year in his fourth pro season, averaging career highs of 25.9 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds while being named to his first All-Star team. He ranked 10th in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game with an average of 3.0 and was named the league's Most Improved Player.

He stepped up his game in this year's play-offs, averaging 29.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 40.0 per cent from 3-point range, but the 76ers were eliminated in the first round by the New York Knicks in six games.

The Sixers have been one of the NBA's top teams during the regular season over the last several years, but have been unable to get over the hump in the play-offs.

The team has reached the play-offs in seven straight years but has failed to advance beyond the second round during that period.

Over the last seven seasons, Philadelphia has the NBA's fourth-highest winning percentage during the regular season (.625), but unlike the three teams that have achieved better records in that span - the Milwaukee Bucks (.656), Celtics (.650) and Denver Nuggets (.632) - the 76ers are without an NBA title.

While the Celtics are still the team to beat in the East, the 76ers' chances of dethroning them have seemingly improved with their recent signings.

Paul George has agreed to a four-year, $212million maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The deal, which was reported Monday by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, can't officially be signed until the NBA's moratorium on signings is lifted on Saturday.

The move to Philadelphia was reported by multiple sources Sunday after George informed the Los Angeles Clippers his plans to leave the team after five seasons. The nine-time All-Star declined a $48.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season on Saturday.

The addition of George to a 76ers team which already includes 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and fellow All-Star Tyrese Maxey, now makes Philadelphia a serious contender to compete with the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics for Eastern Conference supremacy. The 76ers also reached a deal with Maxey on Monday, giving the sharpshooter a five-year, $204million maxim contract extension.

Philadelphia has found post-season success to be elusive in recent seasons, as the 76ers have reached the play-offs in seven straight years but have failed to advance beyond the second round during that period.

Los Angeles, which had a Big Three of its own in George, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, also has a history of setbacks in the play-offs, losing in the first round each of the past two years while missing the post-season entirely in 2021-22.

The Clippers acquired George from Oklahoma City in July 2019 by orchestrating a blockbuster trade in which they gave the Thunder five first-round picks as well as future All-Star Shai GIlgeous-Alexander. Leonard signed with Los Angeles that same summer to help turn the Clippers into one of the Western Conference's more consistently successful teams, though their winning ways often did not extend to the post-season.

George often battled injuries - his 74 games played this past season were his most in any of his five seasons in Los Angeles - but maintained an elite level of play when healthy. The 34-year-old averaged 23 points, six rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during his tenure with the Clippers while shooting just under 40 per cent from 3-point range.

Paul George has informed the Los Angeles Clippers he will be joining another team, with the Philadelphia 76ers reportedly the leading candidate to land the coveted free agent.

The Clippers released a statement Sunday saying they were informed by George and his representatives of his plans to leave the team after five seasons. The nine-time All-Star declined a $48.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season on Saturday.

According to The Athletic, George will meet with the 76ers on Sunday night and is expected to make a decision shortly thereafter, with no other teams believed to be involved in the bidding for the veteran forward.

“Paul has informed us that he is signing his next contract with another team,” the Clippers announced. "Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite two-way player. We feel fortunate for the five years we spent with him.

We negotiated for months with Paul and his representative on a contract that would make sense for both sides, and we were left far apart. The gap was significant. We understand and respect Paul’s decision to look elsewhere for his next contract. We explored an opt-in and trade scenario, but it would have left us in a similar position under the new CBA, with very little asset value to justify the restrictions.

“We will miss Paul. At the same time, we’re excited by the opportunities we’ve now been afforded, including greater flexibility under the new CBA.

ESPN reports George was seeking a four-year extension and the Clippers were unwilling to budge beyond a contract similar to the three-year, $152 million deal the team awarded to fellow star Kawhi Leonard in January.

The Clippers acquired George from Oklahoma City in July 2019 by orchestrating a blockbuster trade in which they gave the Thunder five first-round picks as well as future All-Star Shai GIlgeous-Alexander. Leonard signed with Los Angeles that same summer to help turn the Clippers into one of the Western Conference's more consistently successful teams, though their winning ways often did not extend to the post-season.

Los Angeles reached the West finals during the 2021 play-offs but was ousted in six games by the Phoenix Suns, and the Clippers have not advanced past the first round in any of the last three seasons.

George often battled injuries - his 74 games played this past season were his most in any of his five seasons in Los Angeles - but maintained an elite level of play when healthy. The 34-year-old averaged 23 points, six rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during his tenure with the Clippers while shooting just under 40 per cent from 3-point range.

Armed with ample cap space, the 76ers are well positioned to make a big splash this off-season and potentially pair George with two other All-Stars, 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and sharpshooter Tyrese Maxey, in an effort to challenge reigning NBA champion Boston in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia has also found post-season success to be elusive in recent seasons, as the 76ers have reached the play-offs in seven straight years but have failed to advance beyond the second round during that period.

Klay Thompson's long and successful tenure with the Golden State Warriors appears to be nearing an end, as ESPN reported Sunday that the five-time All-Star guard will test free agency and is unlikely to re-sign with the team he's spent his entire NBA career with.

Thompson, a core member of the Warriors' four NBA championship teams over an eight-year span from 2014-22, is expected to hold meetings with the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers in the coming days, according to ESPN.

The Athletic adds that the Warriors have begun discussions on sign-and-trade agreements involving the star sharpshooter.

Golden State has also parted ways with another esteemed veteran, as the Warriors officially placed guard Chris Paul on waivers in a move that will save the team $30 million towards next season's salary cap.

The Warriors had until Sunday to decide whether to guarantee Paul's $30 million salary for 2024-25.

Paul turned 39 in May and spent just one injury-plagued season with the Warriors after being acquired from Washington last summer in a trade that sent high-scoring guard Jordan Poole to the Wizards. The 12-time All-Star averaged 9.2 points, the lowest of his 19-year NBA career, and 6.8 assists over 58 games while missing nearly two months with a fractured hand.

Thompson, on the other hand, developed into one of the best players in franchise history after being selected by the Warriors with the 11th overall pick of the 2011 draft.

The 34-year-old's 2,481 made 3-pointers trail only long-time teammate Stephen Curry for the most by a Warriors player, and Thompson also ranks fourth in team history in games played (793) and sixth in points (15,531).

One of the best perimeter shooters of this era, Thompson averaged at least 20 points per game for five consecutive seasons from 2014-19 as a vital part of three NBA championship teams (2015, 2017, 2018) during that period.

Thompson missed the entire 2019-20 and 2020–21 campaigns due to a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles tendon, but returned to average 20.4 points in 32 games the following season and help Golden State to another NBA title.

His run of seven straight seasons averaging 20 or more points per game came to an end in 2023-24, when he averaged 17.9 points in 77 games and shot under 40 per cent from 3-point range for just the second time in his career.

Paul reportedly intends to play a 20th season as he continues his search for the first NBA title of his illustrious career, and the veteran is expected to draw interest as a role player for contending teams.

While the Los Angeles Clippers wait for a decision from one of their star players, another will be returning.

Multiple outlets reported Sunday that the Clippers and James Harden agreed to a two-year, $70 million contract just prior to the start of the NBA's free agency period.

The second year of the deal will be a player option, according to Yahoo Sports.

Harden returns for his first full season in Los Angeles after being acquired by the Clippers from the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 1. Playing alongside the also-accomplished duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the 10-time All-Star averaged 16.6 points and 8.5 assists while shooting 38.1 per cent from 3-point range over 72 regular-season games.

The 2017-18 NBA MVP helped the Clippers to a 51-31 record and the fourth seed in the Western Conference play-offs, though Los Angeles was ousted in six games by the eventual NBA Finals participant Dallas Mavericks in the first round.

Harden's re-signing brings some stability to what could be an uncertain offseason for the Clippers, as ESPN reported Saturday that George has declined his $48.7 million player option for next season to test free agency.

George is planning to meet with the 76ers and Orlando Magic in addition to the Clippers in the coming days, according to ESPN.

Harden is coming off a turbulent offseason of his own following a very public falling out with the 76ers and general manager Daryl Morey last summer, which prompted the 34-year-old to request a trade. After sitting out the early part of last season, Harden eventually had his request granted when Morey dealt the disgruntled point guard to the Clippers, his preferred destination, in a seven-player trade.

Though the three-time NBA scoring champion posted his lowest points-per-game output since 2010-11 last season, he averaged 21.2 points per game during the Dallas play-off series and the Clippers went 46-26 with him on the court during the regular season. 

J. B. Bickerstaff helped transform a fledgling franchise into a contender in his last job.

The Pistons are hoping he can do the same in Detroit.

The Pistons hired Bickerstaff as coach on Sunday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Terms of the deal were not reported.

Bickerstaff becomes Detroit's third coach in as many seasons after Monty Williams was fired on June 19 after going an NBA-worst 14-68 in only season on the sidelines.

The Pistons had given Williams a six-year, $78.5million contract last June after he was fired by the Phoenix Suns following the 2022-23 season.

At the time, the deal was the richest ever for an NBA head coach.

Under Williams, however, Detroit struggled mightily, setting an NBA single-season record by losing 28 straight games after opening 2-1.

The Pistons have finished in last place in the Central Division each of the last four seasons and have missed the play-offs 13 of the last 15 seasons. They haven't won a play-off series since 2008.

Detroit is desperate for a change in direction having been in turmoil for more than a decade, and Bickerstaff recently helped turn a struggling franchise around, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first play-off series win in six years last month.

Despite reaching the second round of the play-offs, the Cavaliers fired Bickerstaff on May 23.

In five seasons in Cleveland, Bickerstaff went 170-159 and led the franchise to the play-offs each of the last two years. He was under contract through 2026.

In 2023-24, the 45-year-old Bickerstaff helped direct Cleveland to a 48-34 record and the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference play-offs.

The Cavs then beat the Orlando Magic in the first round for the franchise's first play-off series win since the team lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals. It also marked Cleveland's first trip to the conference semi-finals without LeBron James on the roster since 1992-93.

The Cavs' season ended in the conference semis, where they lost to the future NBA-champion Boston Celtics in five games.

Bickerstaff's team, however, was significantly undermanned with five-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell missing the final two games against the Celtics with a left calf strain and fellow All-Star Jarrett Allen missing the last eight play-off games due to a right rib contusion.

Bickerstaff now joins a young Pistons team that includes 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and the fifth overall pick of this year's draft, Ron Holland II.

The New Orleans Pelicans are acquiring star guard Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks for forward Larry Nance Jr, guard Dyson Daniels and two first-round picks, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday.

The move comes two days after the Hawks selected French prospect Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft on Wednesday.

According to sources, the picks the Pelicans are sending Atlanta are a 2025 first round pick via the Lakers and a 2027 first round pick, which is the least favorable between Milwaukee and New Orleans.

Murray, 27, spent two seasons with the Hawks after he was acquired from San Antonio in July 2022 for three first-round picks. He averaged 21.5 points across 152 games with Atlanta, but the team struggled to a 77-87 record and failed to make the playoffs this past season with a 36-46 mark.

Murray – a 2022 NBA All-Star - averaged a career-high 22.5 points last season to go with 5.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists. He shot 45.9 percent from the field and made a career-high 201 3-pointers.

He joins a loaded Pelicans team that went 49-33 last season and already has Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum.

Atlanta gets multiple first round picks in the deal along with a young player (Daniels) and a veteran role player (Nance Jr.).

Daniels was the eighth overall pick in 2022 and averaged 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds last season. Nance is a nine-year veteran that averaged 5.7 points and 5 rebounds in 61 games last season for New Orleans.

The Toronto Raptors agreed to a deal to keep guard Immanuel Quickley on a five-year, $175million contract, multiple media outlets reported Friday.

No new contracts can become official until after the league’s transaction moratorium ends on July 6.

Quickley was traded alongside RJ Barrett ahead of last season’s deadline in the deal that sent OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks.

Quickley, 25, served as the Knicks’ sixth man, but he immediately assumed a starting role for Toronto after the trade and averaged 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 38 starts with the Raptors.

The news of Quickley’s long-term deal came just days after multiple media outlets reported that Scottie Barnes agreed to a maximum rookie extension with the Raptors for five years and $225million.

With Barnes, Quickley and Barrett all signed at least through 2027, the Raptors are hopeful they have a young core to build around in upcoming seasons.

Drafted out of Kentucky in 2020, Quickley has averaged 13.7 points and 3.5 assists in 291 career games and shot a career-best 39.5 percent from 3-point range last season.

The time has come for guard Bronny James, son of four-time NBA champion LeBron James, to begin his professional career.

The 19-year-old prospect won't have to look far for mentorship. 

James was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 55 overall pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday, ushering in the next chapter of the years-long saga between the USC prospect and his future Hall of Fame father.

James has become a somewhat controversial prospect because his family ties appear to have as much influence over his NBA future as his on-court production.

The elder James said in January 2023 that it was a goal of his to play in the NBA with his son.

“I need to be on the floor with my boy,” he told ESPN. “I got to be on the floor with Bronny.”

In more recent interviews, James loosened his stance and opted for a more supportive and open-minded approach.

“Whatever his journey, however his journey lays out, he’s going to do what’s best for him,” LeBron said last May. “We’re going to support him in whatever he decides to do. So just because that’s my aspiration or my goal doesn’t mean it’s his. And I’m absolutely OK with that.”

Bronny’s NBA prospects became hazy on July 24, 2023, when he went into cardiac arrest during an offseason workout with the Trojans.

James was treated for a congenital heart defect in Los Angeles and New Jersey before being cleared to make his collegiate debut last December.

James, who was listed as 6-foot-4 at USC but measured 6-foot-1 ½ in socks at the NBA’s scouting combine, had an inconsistent freshman season with the 15-18 Trojans.

James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25 games while shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from 3-point range.

Despite lacklustre shooting numbers in college, James displayed a confident shooting stroke during combine workouts, and his 40.5-inch vertical leap illustrated some impressive explosiveness. 

As a small guard with an inconsistent shooting touch, James’ contributions early in his career will mainly be on the defensive end of the floor. Throughout his season at USC, James showed the athleticism, toughness and intelligence to project as a good defender at the next level.

James has good length for his size, with a wingspan over 6-foot-7, and he carries plenty of muscle on his 210-pound frame – two features that should help him on the defensive end immediately.

“Size is really the only issue for him on defence,” an NBA general manager told The Ringer in April. “If he was actually 6-foot-4 or even a bit bigger, he’d have really excellent potential.”

The NBA community appears understandably torn on James’ future.

On one hand, small guards who struggle to shoot rarely get chances at the next level, and it’s even rarer that they make an impact. Without James’ strong family ties, he likely would have been advised to return to college to show improvement as a sophomore.

James is not without upside, however, and he has shown rare explosiveness and defensive prowess that give some scouts hope he can be a long-time NBA contributor.

The Boston Celtics will begin defence of their NBA championship without the services of standout center Kristaps Porziņģis.

Porzingis underwent surgery for a left ankle injury that sidelined him for much of the Celtics' run through the NBA Finals, the team announced Thursday. The one-time All-Star is expected to need five-to-six months of recovery time, which could delay his season debut into December.

The Celtics said in a statement that Porzingis' procedure was to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left ankle, an injury he sustained in Boston's win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the Finals on June 9.

Porzingis sat out Games 3 and 4 before returning for a limited role in the Celtics' title-clinching 106-88 victory in Game 5.

The eight-year veteran previously missed 10 play-off games with a strained right calf before returning for Game 1 of the Finals.

Porzingis will also miss next month's qualifying tournament for the Summer Olympics in Paris, where he was to compete for his native Latvia.

Acquired from the Washington Wizards last June as part of a three-team trade that sent former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart from Boston to the Memphis Grizzlies, Porzingis played a major role on a Celtics team that compiled the league's best regular-season record at 64-18 before going on to capture the franchise's first championship since 2008.

The 7-foot-2 Porzingis ranked third among Boston players in scoring at 20.1 points per game, shot 37.5 per cent from 3-point range and also averaged 7.2 rebounds in 57 games.

Porzingis, an All-Star with the New York Knicks in 2017-18, was limited to just seven games this post-season and averaged 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds.

The 28-year-old is under contract for one more season after signing a two-year, $60 million extension shortly after last summer's trade.

Porzingis' injury will likely push veteran Al Horford into a starting role to begin next season. The 38-year-old Horford averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists while starting Boston's final 15 post-season games and recently said he intends to return for an 18th NBA season. 

For the second year in a row, a player from France was selected first overall in the NBA draft.

As a testament to the NBA being a global game, a player from France was also taken with the second and the sixth pick in the 2024 draft.

The Atlanta Hawks started off Wednesday's draft from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn by selecting Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick, and the Washington Wizards followed their lead by taking fellow Frenchman Alexandre Sarr with the No. 2 pick.

The run on French players continued with the Charlotte Hornets selecting forward Tidjane Salaun with the sixth pick, making this the first time in modern history that a country other than the United States had three players selected in the top 10.

Risacher is a catch-and-shoot 3-point specialist and an exceptional defender on the wing, while the big man Sarr possesses the ball-handling ability of a wing and is an elite rim protector.

Salaun was the youngest player taken in the draft at 18 years old, and is considered an excellent athlete with a high motor.

There was one more player from France taken before the first round ended, with the New York Knicks taking Pacome Dadiet at No. 25.

With another Frenchman, Victor Wembanyama, being selected first overall last year by the San Antonio Spurs, this also marked the first time in NBA history consecutive No. 1 picks didn’t play collegiately in the United States.

It wasn't all players from France selected, however.

After the top two picks, the Houston Rockets took sharp-shooter Reed Sheppard from Kentucky, and the San Antonio Spurs used their first of two top-10 picks to select guard Stephon Castle from two-time defending American collegiate national champion Connecticut at No. 4.

Three picks later, Castle's team-mate at UConn, centre Donovan Clingan, was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Spurs then used their second top-10 pick to take Kentucky point guard Rob Dillingham at No. 8, but later traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Forward Ron Holland II, an American who skipped college to play in the G League, went three picks earlier to the Detroit Pistons at No. 5.

Perhaps the biggest - no pun intended - surprise of the first round was the Memphis Grizzlies taking Zach Edey with the ninth pick.

The 7-foot-3 Canadian is the back-to-back American collegiate AP national player of the year, yet was slotted to get picked much later by many experts.

The Utah Jazz rounded out the top 10 by selecting Colorado forward Cody Williams - a strong defender and adept ball-handler.

One name absent from the first round was Bronny James - son of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James.

The elder James had previously said it would be a dream to play with his son, but his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, ended up taking Dalton Knecht with the 17th pick.

Knecht, a prolific scorer and an AP All-American this past season at Tennessee, was projected by many prognosticators to be a top-10 pick, but slid down the draft board.

The younger James hadn't been predicted to be selected in the first round, but could be taken at some point on Day 2 of the draft on Thursday.