Latest news with #KobyBrea
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Koby Brea for 3: 5 takeaways from Suns NBA Summer League win over Wizards
LAS VEGAS – The Phoenix Suns took care of the Washington Wizards, 103-84, Friday, July 11, in their NBA Summer League debut at Thomas & Mack Center. Second-round pick Koby Brea scored a team-high 19 points, hitting 4-of-5 from 3, to lead five Suns in double figures. Advertisement Ryan Dunn finished with 17 points and Boogie Ellis went for 16 points off the bench, going 4-of-6 from 3. First-round selection Khaman Maluach posted 14 points and Oso Ighodaro posted a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds, with six coming on the offensive boards. Phoenix led by as many as 26 points. Here are five takeaways from the victory as the Suns continue Summer League action Sunday, July 13, against the Atlanta Hawks at Cox Pavilion. 'Trying to be cautious' with Fleming Second-round pick Rasheer Fleming sat out the opening game with right knee soreness. This is after getting up shots following practice and participating in the game-day shootaround. Advertisement Suns Summer League head coach DeMarre Carroll said the team is just 'trying to be cautious' with Fleming, saying it's partly a product of how hard the Suns have been practicing. Carroll didn't commit to Fleming playing Sunday, July 13, saying he needed to talk with the medical team. What Fleming can or can't do in practice a day before the Atlanta game will factor into his availability. Brea for 3 Brian Gregory was right. He said Brea has been the nation's top 3-point shooter the last two years. The numbers show it. Brea led the nation in 3-point shooting in the 2023-24 season at 49.8% in his final year at Dayton. Brea followed that up by making 43.5% of his 3s last season at Kentucky as a fifth-year player. Advertisement The numbers don't lie, but Brea displayed an effortless, smooth form to validate how well he shot the ball in college. He was a little loose with the ball, committing four turnovers, but lived up to his elite reputation as a 3-point shooter. And yes, he is named after the late, great Kobe Bryant. Ball pressure, physicality The Suns started the game with Dunn, their top defender last season, pressuring the ball to set a tone. Playing with physicality and aggressiveness, the Suns scored 27 points off 17 Washington turnovers displaying active hands, feet and diving on the floor for the ball as Dunn did in the first half. Advertisement Ighodaro was imposing that 12 pounds of muscle he's gained to control the boards. The bigger point to all this is the Suns came into the game with a game plan and executed it. This is part of the culture shift the Suns are trying to establish. Huntley running the floor, finishing He's a two-way signee, but rookie CJ Huntley showed why the Suns brought him back for a second workout before the 2025 draft. The 6-11 big ran the floor extremely well and attacked the rim. He finished with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting and five rebounds. The Suns played nine players as Huntley and Ellis saw the most minutes off the bench with 19. If Ighodaro plays just two games since he's in his second NBA season, Huntley may see even more action to show his ability. Maluach for 3 The form is there. He has touch, but Maluach missed his first five 3s before nailing the final one from the top of the key in the closing seconds of the game. Advertisement Wait. The 7-1 big with the 7-6 wingspan took six 3s. In his one-and-done season at Duke, Maluach attempted only 16 in 39 games, making four. He finished 5-of-18 from the field, but Carroll said the Suns want him to keep hoisting 3s, saying Maluach can shoot. Could this be a sign they want to play him and Mark Williams together? Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@ or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin. Support local journalism: Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What we learned after Suns' dominate win over Wizards
USA Today
07-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Suns: No. 41 overall pick Koby Brea signed to two-way contract
Former Kentucky guard Koby Brea, the 41st overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, signed a two-way contract with the Phoenix Suns on Monday, the team announced. Brea averaged 11.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 43.5% shooting from 3-point range in 36 games as a fifth-year senior with the Wildcats. Averaging 5.9 attempts per game, Brea led the SEC in 3-point percentage and ranked ninth among all players in Division I. The 6-foot-6 standout finished last year with 93 total 3-pointers, tied for the seventh-most in a single season in program history. He was one of six players from a power conference to make 90 or more 3s on at least 40% shooting. Brea finished as a career 43.4% shooter from beyond the arc, including a 49.8% mark last year at Dayton. He joined the likes of Stephen Curry, Allan Houston and Dennis Scott as players to record at least 1,000 points, 450 rebounds and 300 3s on 40% shooting in a career. The 22-year-old will split his time next season between the NBA and the Valley Suns in the G League. He is eligible to be active for up to 50 games in the NBA and will earn $636,435, which is equal to 50% of the minimum salary applicable to a player with zero years of service. Brea will suit up for the Suns during their stint in the NBA Summer League, beginning Friday as part of an ESPN doubleheader against the Washington Wizards (9 p.m. EDT).
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Warriors officially complete Kevin Durant trade, making 7-team NBA history in the process
The Golden State Warriors decided to involve themselves in some NBA history. They're officially a part of the seven-team trade that sends Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets. It's the biggest trade in the league's history. The deal went through on Sunday afternoon, when the league's moratorium period ended and allowed agreed-upon transactions to be pushed through. In the deal, Golden State just picked up the draft rights to two players, Alex Toohey and Jahmai Mashack. They sent the draft rights of Koby Brea to the Suns. MORE: 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe looks like the truth in his Summer League debut The reason for a seven-team involvement has to do with most efficiently balancing resources. It allows money and pick movement to happen seamlessly to ensure all these separate agreed upon transactions go through without a hitch. The Warriors didn't play a key role, really. It's not as big a day in the franchise's history as when they signed KD in free agency from the Thunder. But it's a cool piece of history. There are 23 NBA teams who weren't involved in this milestone on Sunday. But the Warriors were one of the seven who were. MORE NBA NEWS: Bucks' new signing might change the hand he shoots with Jazz rookie Ace Bailey shows the good and the bad in his Summer League debut Explaining viral post about LeBron James trade to Cavs Grizzlies' Australian center may play in NBA for first time since 2021 Jameer Nelson's son is hooping Pacers get their Myles Turner replacement
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kentucky Basketball Reacts to First NBA Draft Class Under Mark Pope
Kentucky Basketball Reacts to First NBA Draft Class Under Mark Pope originally appeared on Athlon Sports. When it comes to turning college players into NBA stars, few schools do it quite like Kentucky. Just look around the league. You don't have to squint to spot a former Wildcat lighting it up on the biggest stage. Reigning MVP and champ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the perfect example of that Wildcat pipeline paying off. Advertisement But Kentucky's legacy isn't just about the past; it's alive and well under Mark Pope. This year's draft was his first shot at keeping that tradition going, and let's just say five new names heading to the league is one heck of a statement. The Wildcats took to X to flex their players who recently turned pro. 'NBA Class of 2025,' the caption read. Koby Brea was Kentucky's go-to shooter last season, and his smooth stroke is exactly what today's NBA teams love. The Phoenix Suns clearly thought so, too, that they snapped him up with the 41st pick in the second round, making him the highest-drafted Wildcat this year. He'll probably come off the bench at first but could carve out a nice role in their rotation. Advertisement Then there's Amari Williams, who went 46th overall to the Celtics. Boston needs some extra size, so he might get more minutes than people expect right out of the gate. As for the other guys, Lamont Butler didn't hear his name on draft night, but he landed a two-way deal with the Hawks, which means he'll bounce between the G-League and Atlanta's roster this year. Kentucky Wildcats guard Koby Brea (4) reacts after defeating the Illinois Fighting Illini in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Sieu-Imagn Images Andrew Carr and Jaxson Robinson also went undrafted but both picked up Exhibit 10 deals Carr with the Trail Blazers and Robinson with the Cavs. They'll probably spend most of their time with each team's G-League affiliate but have a chance to work their way up. Advertisement Related: Kentucky Gets a Bailout as Hogs Call Calipari This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three Governors Challenge alums selected in the 2025 NBA Draft
The NBA Draft took place last week, as young basketball players were drafted by teams across the league to become professionals. And for local high school basketball fans on Maryland's Eastern Shore, a few of the big names that were selected will be familiar, as they recently starred in Salisbury's famous Governors Challenge tournament. The Governors Challenge, a high school basketball tournament in Salisbury that is over 40 years old and has grown to become the country's largest holiday tournament, invites over 100 high school basketball teams annually from Dec. 26-30 to compete against one another. Some of these teams that participate are among the best high school basketball programs in the country, with top high school basketball prospects on their rosters. And three players who recently played in the Governors Challenge are now in the NBA after being drafted last week. Governor's Challenge alums drafted by Pelicans, Thunder, Warriors Jeremiah Fears, Thomas Sorber and Koby Brea are the three Governors Challenge alums who were selected in this year's NBA Draft, with Fears and Sorber selected in the first round, and Koby Brea taken in round two. Advertisement Fears was the highest Governors Challenge former player selected in the 2025 NBA Draft. After a stellar freshman year at the University of Oklahoma, Fears was taken by the New Orleans Pelicans with the No. 7 pick in the draft. Fears played in the Governors Challenge in 2023 for AZ Compass Prep. Oklahoma Sooners guard Jeremiah Fears (0) controls the ball against the Connecticut Huskies during their game at the 2025 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Shortly after Fears was taken, Thomas Sorber was drafted by the recently crowned NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder with the No. 15 pick in the draft. Sorber spent a year playing college basketball at Georgetown, but before that he became apart of Governors Challenge history in 2022. Playing for his high school Archbishop Ryan (PA), Sorber took part in a five-overtime game against Bishop McNamara (MD), the longest game in Governors Challenge history. Now, Sorber continues to be a part of the tournament's history as one of the latest NBA players to have played in the tournament. In the second round, Koby Brea was selected by the Golden State Warriors and then traded to the Phoenix Suns. Brea, who played college basketball at the University of Dayton and the University of Kentucky, played in the Governors Challenge with his Monsignor Scanlon (NY) high school team. Advertisement These three join Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Nic Claxton and more as active NBA players who have played in the country's largest holiday tournament. With the 2025 edition of the Governors Challenge just six months away, local high school fans will be given the opportunity of an early glance at what could be a new crop of future NBA players. More: Midway through decade, which Bayside South teams have won state championships in 2020s? More: See how former Delmarva Shorebirds are currently performing for the Baltimore Orioles This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Three Governors Challenge alums selected in 2025 NBA Draft
