Turkish club Anadolu Efes, the reigning EuroLeague champion, is expected to sign 6’11” forward/center Filip Petrusev for the coming season, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Petrusev was the 50th player selected in the 2021 draft, and while he spoke earlier this month of wanting to join his new NBA team – the Sixers – as soon as possible, the plan was always to stash him overseas for at least one more seasons.
The 21-year-old is coming off a big year (23.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG) for Mega Basket in the Adriatic League and will get an opportunity to face a higher level of competition in EuroLeague play in 2021/22.
Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:
- If the Celtics opt not to sign 2020 second-rounder Yam Madar for the 2021/22 season, the expectation is that he’ll play for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany, according to reports out of Israel (hat tip to Sportando). Madar remains a candidate to come stateside, but Boston already has 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts (plus Jabari Parker on a non-guaranteed deal) for ’21/22, so it may be another year before the Israeli guard signs his first NBA contract.
- Lithuanian wing Rokas Giedraitis has turned down a one-year, minimum-salary offer from an NBA team and will remain with Baskonia in Spain, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. Giedraitis averaged 12.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.6 APG on .485/.405/.824 shooting in 33 EuroLeague games (28.7 MPG) last season. It’s unclear which NBA team attempted to sign him.
- Marc Berman of The New York Post explores the roles that the Knicks‘ European scouts, Adam Tatalovich and Kevin Wilson, played in the team’s decision to draft Lithuanian guard Rokas Jokubaitis. As Berman notes, Wilson is based in Barcelona, so he’ll get an opportunity to continue scouting Jokubaitis in 2021/22 — the No. 34 pick is set to spend the season with FC Barcelona in Spain.
I think it’s probable the Celtics find a way to get rid of Dunn, which could open up some room for Madar.
Rank these Euro legends as far as who you’d rather have on your team if you could have them for their entire careers, Detlef Schrempf, Marc Gasol, Tony Parker, Drazen Petrovic & Andrei Kirilenko?…
I think it depends on the rest of the team, although I do think it’s a really difficult choice. Petrovic obviously didnt have a long enough career to 100% know what he would have been. Tony Parker obviously has been a number 1 option on a championship team, as well as a secondary option for a championship team, and is probably one of the best paint scoring guards ever. That being said, I think I’m going to have to go with Marc Gasol b/c of the things he does as a big. His defense at that position, as well as his ability to playmake from multiple areas of the floor, and knock down shots is too valuable, even though my opinion in today’s NBA is that there are only a handful of bigs in the NBA worth paying more than a certain amount
Embiid, Davis, Jokic, Gobert, Capela, Ayton, Vucevic, Adebayo, Sabonis, Nurkic, Valanciunas, Wood, Lopez, that’s more than a handful
Worth paying more than a certain amount, meaning over $14-16 million
Counting Euroleague careers, hands down Petrovic.
NBA only, Marc Gasol.
1/ Petrovic
2/ Schrempf
3/ Gasol
4/ Parker
5/ Kirilenko
I was looking at one of my lists from last year, and noticed I had Petrusev getting drafted at the end of the draft. Did he pull out of that draft, and went back in this year?
Would have liked to have seen Madar get a shot this year, but then they signed Schroder, so I doubt they’ll bring him over
Petrusev left Gonzaga after his junior year and went pro and yes he pulled out of the draft.
Petrusev is a nice pick. Best for him to get another yr in Euro ball. I like that pick.
Good move to keep Jabari on the team. I think he’s finally accepted being a rotation guy. He looked good last yr and wasn’t even in best of shape.
Rokas also needs to play in Europe. He does remind of Drajic. Not as athletic but is still developing. He’s a smart player and is a playmaker. Does play the point, more of a scoring PG. Like Drajic. Get better player.