Although Mike James‘ contract with CSKA Moscow keeps him under team control through 2023, the EuroLeague club let him join the Nets at the end of the 2020/21 NBA season. Now, it’s unclear what the next step is for James, who remains under contract with his Russian team for two more seasons.
As Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com details, James is returning to Moscow, but that doesn’t necessarily mean CSKA intends to have him return to the team. According to a report from Michalis Gioulenoglou of Gazzetta.gr, James will meet team president Andrey Vatutin and coach Dimitris Itoudis in Russia to discuss his future.
“The club and the player have not agreed on the terms of termination of the contract, so Mike, like other basketball players who have agreements with CSKA, will be at the club’s location,” the team said in a statement. “At the same time, James will train individually, without connecting to work with the main team.”
According to Urbonas, there’s a belief that James will be able to work out an agreement with CSKA Moscow that allows him to remain in the NBA. The veteran guard recently worked out for the Lakers.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the international basketball world:
- Greek club Olympiacos has signed former NBA shooting guard Tyler Dorsey to a one-year contract, according to a press release. Dorsey, who appeared in 104 games for Atlanta and Memphis from 2017-19, was said earlier this offseason to be receiving some NBA interest. However, it appears the former Oregon standout will remain in the EuroLeague after spending the last two seasons with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
- Another former NBA guard, Toney Douglas, has also signed a deal to play in Greece. He’s joining Iraklis BC for the 2021/22 season, the team announced today (Twitter link). Douglas has appeared in 394 total NBA regular season games for seven teams, but has been out of the league since 2017.
- As we relayed earlier today, Jordan Bone – the 57th overall pick in the 2019 draft – has signed with Turkish team Beşiktaş after spending his first two professional seasons in the NBA.
Toney Douglas haven’t heard that name in quit some time. So many young talents who go unsigned in the offseason right after they’re first few years and never get to see the nba again. Dorse is a prime example of a young star out of college that played two years drew some nba interest but decided to pretty much end his young career.