The NBA announced (via Twitter) Thursday morning that it will test out the one-free-throw rule during Summer League. That means any foul call that would normally result in one, two or three free throws will be replaced by a single attempt. That shot will be worth the same number points as the free throws it replaces.

The rule will be in effect throughout most of the Summer League games, but the standard NBA free throw process will return during the final two minutes of regulation and in overtime. The G League has used this rule since 2019/20 in an effort to speed up game flow.

A “connected basketball” will also be tested during Summer League play, the NBA added (Twitter link). The ball contains an embedded sensor that can detect contact, and that data will be used to support officiating decisions such as out-of-bounds calls. The sensors won’t “materially” affect the weight or the feel of the ball, the league states.

Summer League play will begin Friday with the first games of the California Classic. The Salt Lake City Summer League kicks off Saturday, and the Las Vegas Summer League, which includes all 30 teams, runs from July 9-19.

We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

• Dozens of employees were laid off Wednesday as the NBA shifts its focus to a new league in Europe and other priorities, according to Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal. Friend obtained a copy of an internal memo from commissioner Adam Silver explaining the moves.

  “The changes today are a continuation of the strategy we announced in September which will enable us to invest further — including in new positions and hiring — in key growth areas such as local media, programming and technology, the WNBA and the creation of a new league in Europe,” Silver wrote. “These new investments will best position us to achieve our key objectives, including a better understanding of our fans, improving the game and viewership, and driving global growth across our leagues.” The NBA will also focus on reviving its domestic broadcast strategy, as 11 former Main Street Sports Group teams remain without local television deals.

• Malik Beasley, who was indicted Monday on sports gambling charges, pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a federal court in Brooklyn, per Michael R. Sisak of The Associated Press. “He looks forward to fighting. He’s fought every day,” attorney Jason Goldman told reporters outside the courthouse after the proceedings. “He’s presumed innocent and that has to mean something still, obviously.”

• Fred Katz of The Athletic examines the possibility of offseason extensions for Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Luguentz Dort, Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges.