On weekday mornings, Nevada Sports Net will recap three big headlines of the day in its Morning Download. Read below for today’s topics.
1. Nevada hoops alum Cody Martin hits NBA free agency
Nevada basketball alum Cody Martin is a free agent after the Phoenix Suns cut him before his 2025-26 salary became guaranteed. Martin was due to make $8.6 million as part of a four-year deal he signed with Charlotte in 2022, but the last season of that contract was not guaranteed. The Suns have been trying to unload salary to get under the second tax apron, which led to a trade of star Kevin Durant. Martin was dealt from Charlotte to Phoenix at last year’s trade deadline. He played just 14 games with Phoenix after the deal. Martin has dealt with injuries since signing that four-year extension with the Hornets. He appeared in seven games in 2022-23, 28 games in 2023-24 and 58 in 2024-25, playing in 93 of a possible 246 games over the last three seasons. In his career, Martin has played in 259 games over six years, averaging 6.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 43.6/30.8/66.1. The 29-year-old will be in search of his third NBA team.
2. Wolf Pack football sets two home kickoff times
The Nevada football team has set kickoff times for two home games with its contests against Sacramento State (Sept. 6) and Middle Tennessee (Sept. 13) both starting at 2 p.m. Neither game was picked up by national television partners, which allowed for the Wolf Pack to set the kickoff time. Start times for all six of Nevada’s home games are now set with the Wolf Pack’s other home games including 12:30 p.m. against San Jose State (Nov. 15); 6 p.m. against UNLV (Nov. 29); 7 p.m. against Boise State (Oct. 24); and 7:30 p.m. against San Diego State (Oct. 11). Nevada also launched a ticket deal for its first two home games with two general admission tickets available for $20. That deal ends Friday at midnight.
3. Nevada product Jazz Johnson returning to Italy
Former Nevada basketball player Jazz Johnson is returning to Italy for the 2025-26 season after signing with Pistoia Basket 2000, per the team’s website. Pistoia Basket 2000 plays in Serie A, the top flight of Italian basketball, after earning promotion in 2022-23. Johnson has played in Italy since 2020 and has been at the Serie A2 second tier in Italy for each of the last four seasons, including time at Real Rieti and Orzinuovi last year where he averaged 14.5 points and 4.0 assists per game. “I confess that I am very excited and I want to thank the club for offering me this wonderful opportunity,” Johnson said in a news release. “I am thrilled to return to one of my favorite cities in Italy: I have so much affection and respect for Pistoia and for what it represents in the world of basketball because it is also Kobe’s home!” Johnson also is expected to play in The Basketball Tournament, which starts July 18. He’s on the roster for Challenge ALS, which will be coached by ex-Nevada director of operations Brandon Chambers, who is now an assistant coach at North Carolina State.