Basketball

PARIS (AP) — Adieu France, hello America. They were hugs of goodbye — not of joy — for Victor Wembanyama as he bid farewell to his teammates and the French league, before jetting off for what many predict will be a glittering NBA career.

TORONTO — Three Canadian NBA players will be putting on their coaching hat with top high school-age prospects from Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean next week.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte Hornets starting center Mark Williams underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the team.

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder, who took over the team in February, finalized his staff for next season on Wednesday. Igor Kokoskov, who spent one season as the Phoenix Suns' head coach, takes over as Snyder's lead assistant.

DETROIT (AP) — For much of the spring, finding an NBA coaching job was the last thing Monty Williams cared about.

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet is set to become a free agent this summer. General manager Bobby Webster confirmed Tuesday that the 29-year-old point guard declined his US$22.

TORONTO — Changing the Toronto Raptors' culture will be an everyday project, with every player and member of the organization having to buy in. New head coach Darko Rajakovic knows that level of commitment has to start with him.

Darko Rajakovic may not yet be a familiar name in Toronto, but he has a coaching pedigree that spans almost three decades from Serbia, to Spain, to North America. Here is a look at the Raptors' new head coach: Born: February 22, 1979.

There are a few business matters left to tend to around the NBA in the coming days.

MIAMI (AP) — There will be a new banner over Miami’s home floor next season. It’ll have a Heat logo and will be added to the rafters quietly, without any ceremony or sounds of fans cheering.