NBA Notes: Roster holes, Cavs, Knicks, Mamadi Diakite, Dalano Banton

Training camp is around the corner, and Kevin Pelton of ESPN just dropped his list of the biggest needs for all 30 NBA teams heading into 2025-26.

The defending champion Thunder? They don’t need a player, Pelton writes. They need a new arena. Everyone else, though, has gaps to fill.

As for contenders, Pelton sees the Cavaliers looking thin on the wing while Max Strus recovers from foot surgery. As we’ve relayed, they may have some interest in Malik Beasley — though I expect Beasley to sign elsewhere.

The Knicks could use a steadier veteran presence on the bench, Pelton writes.

In the West, he tabs the Rockets and Nuggets as teams that could use more point guard depth, while the Timberwolves may want extra perimeter punch.

G League shuffling: The Pistons’ affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, sent the returning player rights of Cameron Martin and Javante McCoy to the Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets’ affiliate) in exchange for Charles Bediako and a 2026 international pick.

Elsewhere, Raptors 905 traded the rights to Kennedy Chandler to the Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers’ affiliate) for Patrick McCaw and a future first-rounder, per Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy.

McCaw has been in the G League for four years, though Murphy notes EuroLeague teams also kicked the tires on him this summer.

Diakite heads overseas: Former NBA big man Mamadi Diakite has signed a two-year deal with Spanish club Baskonia, according to Eurohoops.

Diakite, 28, was most recently in Suns camp and then spent the season in the G League. He’s logged NBA time with five teams, including Milwaukee, Cleveland and New York, posting career averages of 3.1 points and 2.3 boards.

Baskonia has become an NBA alumni hub, with Markus Howard, Hamidou Diallo, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Luka Samanic also on the roster.

Knicks add Evbuomwan: The Knicks are signing free agent forward Tosan Evbuomwan, his agent George Langberg told HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.

Evbuomwan, 24, spent last season with Brooklyn, appearing in 28 games and averaging 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Before that, the Princeton product bounced through Detroit and the Clippers’ G League system.

New York hasn’t used any of its two-way contracts yet, so Evbuomwan could land one of those spots. He’ll compete with expected camp signees Dink Pate and Fanbo Zeng.

Banton still seeking NBA home: Free agent guard Dalano Banton has drawn overseas interest but wants to stay in the NBA, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

Banton, 24, played the last season-and-a-half in Portland after coming over from Boston. He’s averaged 10.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists across 97 games with the Blazers, but remains unsigned.

He has worked out for both the Warriors and Pacers this summer, though Indiana has reportedly moved on.