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International Notes: Micic, Campazzo, EuroLeague, Italy

May 9th, 2020 at 4:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Vasilije Micic, whose draft rights are owned by the Sixers, believes he can become an impact player in the NBA, relays Dario Skerletic of Sportando. In an interview with 15min.lt., the Serbian point guard, who currently plays for Anadolu Efes in Turkey, said he improved this season, even though it has been placed on hold because of coronavirus concerns.

“This year I feel I climbed one or two steps higher, because this season was even more successful for me,” Micic said. “My team played even better and I was an important part of that. I don’t want to just play in the NBA. I don’t want to be proud of just an NBA record. I want to be part of an NBA team, get the chance to play. Playing in the NBA alone won’t make me happy if I can’t be significant there.

“I like to play a lot. I like to control the game. This is my style of play. I could play fewer minutes, play a smaller role, but I think that during my career in Europe I have already gained the status of a player, which shows that I could play a role longer than 20 minutes, which might be waiting for me in the NBA.”

Philadelphia selected the 26-year-old with the 52nd pick in the 2014 draft. Several NBA teams have been monitoring his situation in the event of a possible trade.

There’s more international news to pass along:

  • Recent reports indicated the Spurs and Mavericks have interest in Real Madrid guard Facundo Campazzo, but his agent, Claudio Villanueva, says they aren’t the only ones, Skerletic writes in a separate piece. “In the past two years, during the season, NBA scouts have spoken to me a thousand times,” Villanueva said. “… If the NBA does not keep an eye on one of the best, it would be crazy. But there is nothing concrete, there is nothing spoken.”
  • There’s “constrained optimism” that the EuroLeague will have an announcement on the resumption of its season before the end of the month, according to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net. Leagues in Germany and Israel both announced plans this week to return to action.
  • The encouraging news also extends to Italy, which was once the hardest-hit spot for COVID-19, adds Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Individual workouts resumed today for AX Armani Exchange Milano, although there are no plans in place to resume formal team activities.
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Former Lottery Pick Fran Vazquez Announces Retirement

May 7th, 2020 at 9:09am CST by Luke Adams

MAY 7: Vazquez has officially announced his retirement, as detailed in a press release from his team, Basket Zaragoza. He’ll officially end his playing career at the end of the current season, whether or not it can be resumed.

MAY 5: Spanish big man Fran Vazquez has decided to call it a career, according to reports from Spanish-language outlets Encestando.es and Heraldo.es (hat tip to HoopsHype). Vazquez is currently under contract with Basket Zaragoza in Spain, but reportedly won’t continue playing beyond this season.

A EuroLeague veteran, Vazquez is likely best known to NBA fans for being selected 11th overall in the 2005 draft by the Magic. Despite being a lottery pick, Vazquez opted to remain overseas when he was drafted — and for the rest of his professional career. Orlando has held Vazquez’s draft rights for nearly 15 years, but never got the opportunity to sign him to an NBA contract.

Instead, Vazquez thrived for a number of teams in Spain for the last decade-and-a-half, spending much of his career with FC Barcelona and Unicaja. The center, who turned 37 last Friday, won a EuroLeague championship in 2010 and three Spanish League titles – in 2009, 2011, and 2012 – with Barcelona.

Since the current iteration of the EuroLeague was launched in 2000/01, Vazquez is the league’s overall leader in blocked shots, with 249. He’s also the all-time leader in total blocks in the Spanish League.

While we’ve known for years that Vazquez was almost certainly never going to come stateside, his retirement will officially close the book on that possibility. For now, the Magic continue to hold his NBA rights, but the team will likely end up renouncing them at some point down the road.

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And-Ones: Parker, Ware, Nouhi, Brazil

May 4th, 2020 at 8:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Longtime Spurs guard Tony Parker has long-term plans to own an NBA team, he told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Parker, the president and majority owner of French team ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, is part of the French group Olympique Lyonnais and hopes to eventually purchase an NBA franchise. “Right now, we have different objectives and goals,” he told Spears. “But in five to 10 years … I am the type of person who always dreams big.”

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Former NBA point guard Casper Ware has opted out of his NBL contract with the Sydney Kings, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc reports. Ware was the highest paid foreign player in the NBL this past season and would have had his 2020/21 salary cut by 50% under a new agreement between the league and its players. The Kings will continue to hold Ware’s NBL rights if he chooses to return to Australia for the upcoming season. Ware, who averaged 17.9 PPG this past season, played for the Sixers during the 2013/14 season.
  • Belgian guard Ayoub Nouhi has decided to forgo his final two years of college ball with UT-Arlington and begin his pro career, according to Sportando’s Ennio Terrasi Borghesan. Nouhi did not enter his name in the 2020 draft, but would become auto-eligible in 2021 if he plays professionally this year. He appeared in 26 games as a sophomore, averaging 1.9 PPG in 12.5 MPG.
  • Brazil’s NBB league has cancelled the remainder of its season, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Former NBA guard Leandro Barbosa tested positive for COVID-19 after the league halted play in March.
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And-Ones: Batiste, Hall Of Fame, Cotton, Gatwech

May 2nd, 2020 at 9:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic assistant coach Mike Batiste shot down a rumor that he’s returning to Europe to coach Greece’s Panathinaikos, Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando relays. Batiste, who was a star player for the EuroLeague team, said on Greek radio’s ERA Sport he’s staying in Orlando. “No one has contacted me, these are rumors. I have a two-year contract and I will honor it, when I’m done with that I don’t know what will happen,” Batiste said.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • The Basketball Hall of Fame remains hopeful in can hold the induction ceremony for this year’s class as scheduled in late August, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. This year’s class has nine inductees, including the late Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.
  • Australia NBL MVP and former NBA player Bryce Cotton has opted out of his deal with the Perth Wildcats, Olgun Uluc of ESPN reports. The NBL and its players agreed to a tiered system of pay cuts and the highest-salaried players are having their pay cut in half.  The agreement allowed players to opt out of their contracts before May 4, with the Wildcats holding Cotton’s domestic rights. Cotton, who appeared in 23 NBA games before heading to Australia, is being pursued by European teams Panathinaikos and Asvel, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
  • Jimma Gatwech had his name pulled from the NBA draft, but will pursue other pro opportunities in 2020/21, Evan Daniels of 247Sports tweets. Gatwech, 19, spend the past year at CORE4 Academy in Atlanta.
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And-Ones: NCAA, Mozgov, Whitehead, Wroten

April 29th, 2020 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The NCAA’s Board of Governors announced today in a press release that it’s moving toward allowing student-athletes to receive compensation for third-party endorsements and promotions. According to the announcement, athletes would be allowed to identify themselves by sport and school, but conference and school logos and other trademarked items would remain prohibited.

The guidelines, which are expected to go into effect when the 2021/22 academic year begins, aren’t a direct response to the NBA recently ramping up its G League developmental program and substantially increasing the amount of money that top high school recruits can make by going the NBAGL route. After all, the NCAA’s new rules will apply to student-athletes across the board, not just basketball players.

Still, top basketball prospects figure to take these forthcoming changes into account as they consider whether to play college ball or take the G League path. The NCAA has historically issued strict penalties for student-athletes found to be accepting even modest benefits — today’s announcement signals that those restrictions are on the verge of loosening to some extent.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Former NBA center Timofey Mozgov, who signed with Russian team Khimki last summer, missed the entire 2019/20 season due to knee issues. However, the club’s sports director, Pavel Astakhov, told Mosregtoday.ru that Mozgov is expected to remain with the team next season and should be healthy enough to play, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. The NBA permitted the Magic to remove Mozgov’s remaining cap hits from their books after determining that his health issues were likely career-ending.
  • Isaiah Whitehead, a Nets guard from 2016-18, has signed a contract extension with BC Mornar Bar, according to agent Misko Raznatovic (Twitter link). The club, which Whitehead joined in January, is based in Montenegro.
  • Former NBA guard Tony Wroten and Joventut Badalona have reached an agreement to termine his contract, two months before it was set to expire, the Spanish team announced (via Twitter). It’s unclear what the next step will be for Wroten, who spoke recently about wanting to make it back to the NBA.
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205 Early Entrants Declare For 2020 NBA Draft

April 28th, 2020 at 10:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has released the official list of early entrants for the 2020 NBA draft, announcing in a press release that 205 players have filed as early entry candidates. Of those prospects, 163 are from colleges, while 42 are international early entrants.

That number falls just short of the previous record for early entrants, established in 2018. Two years ago, 236 early entrants declared for the draft, though ultimately only 91 of those prospects remained in the draft by the final deadline. A year ago, 233 early entrants declared, with 98 remaining in the draft.

This year’s total of 205 early entrants also figures to shrink significantly by June 3 and again by June 15, the two tentative deadlines for players to withdraw their names from the draft pool — assuming those dates aren’t pushed back. But it still looks like the pool will remain crowded, with the eventual number of early entrants likely to exceed 60, the number of picks in the draft.

Our list of early entrants is now up to date and can be found right here. Here are today’s updates:

College underclassmen:

The following players were listed on the NBA’s official breakdown today, but weren’t yet noted on our own list.

The following players reportedly declared for the draft or planned to, but weren’t named in the NBA’s official announcement today. As such, we’ve removed them from our list.

International players:

The following players were listed on the NBA’s official breakdown today, but weren’t yet noted on our list.

  • Philippe Bayehe, F, Italy (born 1999)
  • Vinicius Da Silva, C, Spain (born 2001)
  • Imru Duke, F, Spain (born 1999)
  • Michele Ebeling, F, Italy (born 1999)
  • Dut Mabor, C, Italy (born 2001)
  • Sergi Martinez, F, Spain (born 1999)
  • Joel Parra, F, Spain (born 2000)
  • Mouhamed Thiam, C, France (born 2001)
  • Andrii Voinalovych, F, Ukraine (born 1999)
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And-Ones: Ball Brothers, Creek, Diaw, P. Jackson

April 27th, 2020 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ball brothers – Lonzo Ball, LaMelo Ball, and LiAngelo Ball – intend to sign with Roc Nation Sports for representation, LaMelo’s manager Jermaine Jackson tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Lonzo had previously been represented by CAA, but parted ways with the agency earlier this year. Now, he appears set to make the move to Roc Nation along with his two younger brothers, including LaMelo, who is one of the top prospects in the 2020 draft.

“This was a family decision,” Jackson told ESPN. “… We talked to several agents, but the family had good vibes with Roc Nation. I’ve known Jay-Z since I played for the Knicks, but this is what the kids wanted to do. Jay-Z is a master at what he does. He’s global. It’s power beyond power.”

While Jay-Z launched Roc Nation Sports in 2013, he obviously won’t be the one handling basketball matters for the Ball brothers. Veteran agent Raymond Brothers will be the Balls’ lead agent at Roc Nation, according to Givony.

Here are more odds and ends from across the NBA:

  • Australian forward Mitch Creek, who spent this past season in Australia after appearing in five games for the Nets and Timberwolves in 2018/19, was in “advanced talks” with a Western Conference team this winter, says Shayne Hope of The Australian Associated Press. However, as Hope explains, a knee injury and the coronavirus pandemic ultimately derailed Creek’s plans to return stateside.
  • Former NBA forward Boris Diaw has stepped down from his position as president of French team Metropolitans 92, the club announced in a press release (French link; hat tip to Sportando). The team suggested in its announcement that difficulties arose this season in the way the club operated and Diaw’s relationship to certain members of the executive board.
  • Following episodes three and four of The Last Dance on Sunday, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne explores how former Bulls head coach Phil Jackson continues to have an impact on today’s NBA head coaches, despite the fact that Jackson hasn’t coached in the NBA since 2011.
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Draft Notes: Nembhard, Mann, Lawson, More

April 26th, 2020 at 8:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Sophomore guard Andrew Nembhard will test the draft waters, college basketball analyst Jeff Goodman reports (Twitter link). Nembhard has signed with Jaafar Choufani, who is one of just 23 NCAA-certified agents. The point guard will retain his ability to return to Florida if he decides to go that route.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

  • Florida freshman guard Tre Mann has declared for the draft, Goodman passes along on Twitter. Mann averaged 5.3 points per game this past year.
  • South Carolina sophomore guard A.J. Lawson will test the draft water, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets. Lawson will have the ability to return to school as he has not hired an agent.
  • Jonathan Givony of Draft Express passes along several international prospects who will declare for the 2020 draft. Miguel Gonzalez (Baskonia), Sander Raieste (BC Kalev), Osas Ehigiator (Fuenlabrada), Njegos Sikiras (Fuenlabrada) have all entered their names.
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And-Ones: G League Union, Brown, Lin, Terry

April 24th, 2020 at 6:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

G League players will begin deciding on Saturday whether to form a union, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. The National Basketball Players Association is assisting in the formation of a G League-governed union, Wojnarowski continues.

By creating a union, the players could bargain with the NBA and G League on issues such as housing, salary and travel, Wojnarowski writes.  A majority of G League players must sign an electronic authorization card for passage.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Five-star recruit Greg Brown turned down a $400K offer to join the G League’s professional pathway program and opted to sign with Texas, Jeff Goodman of GoodmanHoops tweets. Brown, a 6’9” power forward, could have joined fellow top recruits Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd in the program but decided to spend next season with the Longhorns. “Just not rushing the process … the NBA is always going to be there,” Brown told Goodman.
  • Some foreign players are essentially stuck in China until the Chinese Basketball Association decides whether to resume its season, former NBA guard Jeremy Lin told USA Today’s Mark Medina.  Lin has been practicing regularly with the Beijing Ducks. The CBA was expected to restart in April but those plans were shelved due to continuing concerns about players contracting the novel coronavirus. “We’re basically just waiting until June to decide whether we play in July or not,” Lin said. “That’s the current situation. We’re kind of in limbo right now.”
  • Longtime NBA player Jason Terry has accepted an assistant coaching position with the University of Arizona, Jason Scheer of 247Sports reports. The news regarding Terry, who played for the Wildcats from 1995-99, won’t be official for several weeks since the school currently has a hiring freeze.
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EuroLeague Sets Deadline For Decision On 2019/20 Season

April 23rd, 2020 at 10:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Euroleague Basketball Company announced today in a press release that it has established a timeline for making a decision on whether or not the 2019/20 season will be resumed. That decision on the EuroLeague and EuroCup seasons will be made by May 24, per the release.

According to the announcement, EuroLeague and EuroCup teams unanimously approved the following tentative dates, assuming the season is resumed rather than canceled:

  • May 29 – June 11: Quarantine period
  • June 12 – July 2: Training camp
  • July 4-17: EuroCup games played in central venue
  • July 4-26: EuroLeague games played in central venue

As the release outlines, a resumed EuroLeague schedule would include a total of 54 remaining regular season games, plus a single-elimination Final Eight. The EuroCup schedule would include three rounds of playoffs, either using a single-elimination format or a two-game basket average. The two leagues would play in separate central venues, without fans in attendance.

If the EuroLeague season can be resumed, player contracts would be extended by a month, through July 31, and they’d receive 85% of their base salaries. If the season is canceled, player contracts for 2019/20 would end and they’d receive 80% of their salaries. In that scenario, the new league year for 2020/21 would begin on July 1.

While the specific details on the plans for the EuroLeague and EuroCup season may not interest every North American basketball fan, the actions of the top leagues in Europe are worth monitoring. After all, the NBA will eventually have to establish a similar timeline if it wants to resume and complete its own 2019/20 season.

Reports have indicated the NBA is willing to extend play into at least August or September, so the league may not have to finalize any decisions a month from now, like the Euroleague Basketball Company will. However, within the next month or two, the NBA will have to start seriously considering setting certain deadlines and drop-dead dates for the ’19/20 season.

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