MZT Skopje returns to Europe after 25 years

This is news that does not need the NBA to be big. MZT Skopje is returning to the European stage after a full 25 years - its place in the group stage of the FIBA Europe Cup is confirmed. A quarter of a century is a long time; a whole generation of fans grew up without seeing their club in a continental match worth remembering. Now that is changing. The group stage means guaranteed European nights in Skopje, means opponents who are not from the neighbourhood, means a measure of where Macedonian basketball really stands once it steps out of the domestic league. Whether MZT advances or goes out after the group is yet to be seen. But the return itself, after so much silence, is already a win.

LeBron knows where he is going - he just hasn't told anyone yet

LeBron James, at 41, is once again keeping the whole NBA in suspense. According to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, LeBron already knows where he will continue - but he has not said so publicly, nor to the people closest to him. "Yes, absolutely, he knows what he's going to do," Windhorst says, adding that even those who see him every day are not in on the secret. And when asked whether he is returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the answer was carefully vague: "If you're asking me whether the vibes are leading toward Cleveland - yes, they are. But those are just vibes." In other words, no one knows anything for certain, and yet everyone is writing about it. LeBron has once again proven what he does best off the court: staying the main topic without saying a single word.

MZT also grabbed its first foreign signing - a centre from Bosnia

The return to Europe comes with a signing. MZT Skopje has signed its first foreign reinforcement - a centre from Bosnia and Herzegovina. For a club entering the group stage of a European competition, extra height under the basket is not a whim but a necessity; where teams with bigger budgets play, the difference is often decided right under the rims. A foreign name in the team is also a signal that the club takes seriously what is coming, rather than just showing up to fill its slot in the group. Whether the choice is the right one will be shown by the first European nights, not by the presentation of the signing.

Kawhi stuck between a transfer and an investigation

The transfer of Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors, agreed in principle on June 30, now hangs in the air - and not because of basketball, but because of an investigation. According to a statement from the Los Angeles Clippers, the deal will not be finalised until the NBA's investigation into the club is over. At the heart of the story are Joe Sanberg and the company Aspiration - Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in prison for fraud. The Clippers claim they did not funnel money to Kawhi through that company, but that they too were victims of the fraud. The league is asking the Raptors' owners to take on the risk of possible penalties tied to Kawhi's deal before the transfer is closed. The result: one of the best wing players in the league waits, the fans wait, and the deal sits stuck while the lawyers and executives spin the matter in circles.

Red Star kept its best scorer

The Balkans have their own EuroLeague transfer story too. Red Star has officially extended its contract with Jared Butler until 2028. In his first season in Belgrade, the American guard established himself as one of the EuroLeague's best scorers - 13.4 points on average (51.4 percent on twos, 36.4 percent on threes), 3.7 assists and an index of 10.8 in 32 games. Keeping a player like this is a clearer message than any summer signing: the club is building around him, not selling him off. The signing also matters for new coach Ibon Navarro, who will lead the team in the coming season - a coach walking into an unfamiliar locker room rarely has a better starting point than a proven scorer who stays.