Scouts from around the NBA are already making the trip Down Under for one of Australia’s most closely watched young prospects.
ESPN’s Olgun Uluc reported that the Thunder, Warriors, Magic, Trail Blazers and Rockets have sent evaluators to the NBL Blitz, the five-day preseason showcase for Australia’s National Basketball League. The Heat are expected to join them later this week. At the center of the attention is Dash Daniels, an 18-year-old guard with Melbourne United and the younger brother of Hawks guard Dyson Daniels.
Elsewhere in the international game, Roy Rogers has landed a new head coaching job. The longtime NBA assistant has been named head coach of Liverpool Basketball’s new entry in England’s Super League Basketball, the team announced in a press release. Rogers was most recently on the University of Memphis staff, and his last NBA assistant role came with the Trail Blazers from 2021-25.
“It was paramount that we enter our inaugural season and set the tone by bringing in a coach of Roy’s caliber,” team owner Jason Dolan said. “We’re talking about a leader who brings nearly two decades of NBA experience to our organization. We’re not here just to participate; we’re building a club that will represent Liverpool to the highest standards, and Roy is the perfect coach to lead the way.”
On the contract front, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus took a swing at 11 extension cases, including predictions that Stephen Curry could land a two-year extension worth around $100MM with the Warriors and that Brandon Miller could secure a rookie scale extension worth $191MM over five years with the Hornets.
And in the G League, the Memphis Hustle made a three-team move that sent the returning player rights to Yuri Collins to Memphis from the Santa Cruz Warriors, along with a 2027 second-round pick from the Long Island Nets. Golden State will get Tyler Burton’s returning player rights, while the Nets will receive Joey Calcaterra’s returning player rights and a 2027 first-rounder. Collins appeared in two games with Golden State in s024/25, and Burton played 12 games with the Grizzlies last season.
In Other News...
Blazers Could Pounce If Clippers Chaos Changes One Big Plan
The Clippers offseason has gone from ambitious to unsettled in a hurry, and Portland has a reason to watch closely. After the NBA ruled Los Angeles violated salary cap circumvention rules, the franchise was hit with a major fine and the loss of future draft flexibility, while Kawhi Leonard was fined but avoided suspension. Even with the punishment, the Clippers still have a few important assets on hand, including unprotected first-rounders from Toronto in 2031 and 2033, which keeps them from being completely stripped of ways to reshape the roster.
For the Trail Blazers, the bigger question is what this chaos does to the Clippers long-term plan and the kinds of players they may be forced to move in response. A team that entered the summer trying to stay competitive now has to manage damage control around a league penalty and the looming possibility of more roster change, including Leonards expected move to Toronto. If Los Angeles starts adjusting quickly, Portland could find itself in position to benefit from a market that suddenly looks a lot less stable than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Have A Ja Morant Question Fans Cant Ignore
Portlands offseason picture has gotten a lot more interesting with Ja Morant in the mix, and the biggest question isnt just how he fits but what kind of role he actually settles into. He comes in with the largest cap hit on the roster next season, a hefty commitment for a team still sorting out its identity and its pecking order on offense.
The intrigue is whether Morant ends up as the Blazers main ball handler and clear-cut star, especially with Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija also in the conversation for scoring leadership. Sam Quinn raised the bigger concern around whether Morant can make that kind of money make sense if he is not consistently putting pressure on the rim as the guy running the offense, which is exactly the sort of question Portland cannot really avoid. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Draft Regret Just Made The Scoot Henderson Debate Heavier
The Scoot Henderson discussion in Portland has gotten a little heavier, because the clock is now ticking toward a decision the Trail Blazers cannot avoid for long. Henderson, the former No. 3 overall pick, is eligible for a rookie-scale extension before the 2026-27 season, which means the Blazers will eventually have to decide whether to commit to the player they chose at the top of that draft and continue building around him.
What makes the conversation sting a bit more is what came right after Portlands pick. Amen Thompson, taken one slot later by the Houston Rockets, has already been rewarded with a lucrative long-term extension, a reminder of the talent the Blazers passed over and the kind of athletic two-way presence that could have changed the look of their roster. Whether Portland still feels confident in Henderson is one debate; the fact that Thompson is now locked in elsewhere only makes the alternative harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]