International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Igor Kokoskov To Coach Serbian National Team

November 20th, 2019 at 8:41am CST by Luke Adams

Former Suns head coach and current Kings assistant Igor Kokoskov has been named the new head coach of the Serbian National Team, according to a press release. The move will put Kokoskov in position to coach Team Serbia next summer as the program attempts to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.

Marc Stein of The New York Times, who reported the impending hiring of Kokoskov on Tuesday night, tweets that the Serbian program received permission from the Kings this week to hire the veteran assistant. Kokoskov will succeed Sasha Djordjevic, who resigned in September following the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Entering the World Cup this fall, Serbia was viewed as the most dangerous challenger to the United States, led by star center Nikola Jokic. However, Team Serbia had a disappointing showing, failing to claim a medal or a spot for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. One of the four Olympic qualifying tournaments next June will be held in Belgrade, so Kokoskov will need to lead the program to victory in that tournament to secure an Olympic berth.

A native of Serbia, Kokoskov previously coached the Slovenian National Team, leading that club to a 2017 EuroBasket victory over Serbia. He was also the head coach of the Georgian National Team from 2008-15.

More recently, Kokoskov became the NBA’s first European-born head coach when he was hired by the Suns in 2018/19. However, he lasted just a single season in Phoenix before being replaced by Monty Williams. After interviewing for the Grizzlies’ head coaching vacancy this spring, Kokoskov ultimately landed in Sacramento on Luke Walton‘s staff.

Brett Brown Finalizing Deal To Coach Australian National Team

November 19th, 2019 at 11:11am CST by Luke Adams

Sixers head coach Brett Brown is in the process of finalizing a deal that would once again make him the head coach of Australia’s national team, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Brown, who has been the Sixers’ coach since the 2013/14 season, previously served as an assistant for the Australian national team from 1995-2003, then took over as the program’s head coach in 2009. He remained in that role through 2012, leading Australia to an appearance in the quarterfinals of the ’12 Olympics in London — the team was eliminated by the United States.

Before he became an assistant for the Spurs in 2002, Brown coached multiple teams in Australia and New Zealand, spending time in Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland.

Since taking over as the 76ers’ head coach, Brown has amassed a 186-319 (.368) record, though most of those losses were accumulated during the “Process” years as the franchise went through a long rebuild. Since the start of the 2017/18 season, Brown has a 111-66 (.627) regular season record, plus a 12-10 mark in the playoffs.

Brown will be assuming control of an Australian club that has already claimed its spot in the 2020 Olympics as a result of its 2019 World Cup success. Aron Baynes, Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles, Patty Mills, and former No. 1 pick Andrew Bogut are among the notable players expected to represent Australia in Tokyo next summer.

It will be interesting to see whether Brown’s hiring will influence Ben Simmons‘ Olympic decision. Simmons, who plays for Brown in Philadelphia, opted against joining Australia for the World Cup but could still suit up for the squad in Tokyo.

Sean Kilpatrick Signs With European Team

November 18th, 2019 at 9:00am CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Sean Kilpatrick has signed with Buducnost VOLI in Montenegro, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports.

Kilpatrick played in Greece with Panathinaikos last season after signing a contract in January. He averaged 10.3 PPG in the EuroLeague.

Kilpatrick, 29, appeared in 157 NBA games after entering the league during the 2014/15 season. He last played in the NBA during the 2017/18 campaign. He bounced around that season, as he was waived by the Nets before signing a two-way contract with the Bucks. Milwaukee converted his two-way deal to a standard NBA contract, then waived him in March. Kilpatrick later inked a pair of 10-day contracts with the Clippers before finishing the season with the Bulls.

Kilpatrick, who played with the Nuggets and Timberwolves earlier in his career, was waived by the Bulls in the summer of 2018. Kilpatrick can fill it up, as he averaged 10.3 PPG in 19.6 MPG during his NBA career while shooting 33.5% from long range.

And-Ones: Olympic Qualifiers, Garrett, McCallum

November 17th, 2019 at 8:29pm CST by JD Shaw

The FIBA Executive Committee has decided the hosts of the Men’s and Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for next summer, announcing the news in a press release.

The four FIBA Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, set to take place from June 23 to June 28, 2020, will be hosted by Canada (Victoria), Croatia (Split), Lithuania (Kaunas) and Serbia (Belgrade), the release states.

For the women, the National Federations of Belgium (Ostend), China (Foshan), France (Bourges) and Serbia (Belgrade) were awarded hosting rights of the four tournaments, set to take place from February 6 to February 9, 2020.

Eight men’s teams have already qualified for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, doing so during the 2019 FIBA World Cup: Argentina, Australia, France, Iran, Japan, Nigeria, Spain and the United States.

The Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments will include 24 teams competing in four tournaments of six teams each.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former Knicks guard Billy Garrett Jr. and French team Elan Chalon have parted ways, the team announced, as relayed by Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Garrett, who appeared in four games with New York last season, signed a deal with Elan Chalon in July. He went undrafted back in 2017 after spending four seasons at DePaul University, with the 25-year-old now back on the open market. Garrett averaged 7.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 19.2 minutes with Elan Chalon.
The Shanghai Sharks are expressing interest in former NBA point guard Ray McCallum, with the team hoping to bring him in for a workout, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter link). The Sharks play in the Chinese Basketball Association, while McCallum, 28, holds NBA experience with Sacramento, San Antonio and Memphis. McCallum was drafted with the No. 36 pick in 2013 and spent time in the NBA G League with Agua Caliente last season.

Jarell Martin Signs With Chinese Team

November 15th, 2019 at 5:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Magic and Grizzlies forward Jarell Martin has signed with the Shenzhen Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets.

Martin has been looking for a team since the Cavaliers waived him during training camp.

Martin was signed by Cleveland in September on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract.

Martin, 25, was selected out of LSU with the No. 25 overall pick in 2015. He spent the first three seasons of his NBA career with the Grizzlies before being dealt to the Magic in July 2018. Martin played sparingly in Orlando, averaging 2.7 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 42 games (7.8 MPG).

In 184 career games that includes 40 starts, Martin has averaged 5.4 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 15.9 MPG.

Jonathan Gibson To Sign With Jiangsu Dragons

November 13th, 2019 at 11:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Jonathan Gibson, former point guard for the Celtics and Mavericks, has reached an agreement with the Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to Sportando reporter Emiliano Carchia. Gibson will replace former Bulls shooting guard Antonio Blakeney, who is out of the lineup with an injury.

Jiangsu is no doubt anticipating that Gibson can replicate Blakeney’s stat-stuffing prowess. Gibson spent his three prior CBA seasons with the rival Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles, having previously spent time with the Zhejiang Lions. Last season, he averaged 33.1 points, 6.0 boards and 3.5 dimes in 44 CBA games. In 2017/18, he averaged 33.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 38 contests.

Gibson, who went undrafted in 2010 and has spent most of his professional career overseas, made his NBA debut in 2016/17, appearing in 17 games for Dallas. He played in four games for Boston the following season, averaging a solid 8.5 points on 60.9% field goal shooting, including 50% from deep on 3.0 attempts per contest.

Gibson re-signed with the Celtics at the end of the 2018/19 campaign, but did not see NBA hardwood action.

Cameron Payne To Play In China

November 12th, 2019 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent point guard Cameron Payne is signing with the Shanxi Loongs of the Chinese Basketball Association, a source tells Nicola Lupo of Sportando.

Payne, a former first-round pick, has appeared in 153 total regular season contests for the Thunder, Bulls, and Cavaliers since the start of the 2015/16 season, but was unable to secure a regular-season roster spot this fall. He was waived by the Raptors at the end of the preseason, having been beaten out by Malcolm Miller for the team’s final roster spot.

In those 153 career NBA games, Payne has averaged 6.0 PPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.8 RPG with a subpar .397/.331/.775 shooting line.

As Lupo explains, the 25-year-old will join a Shanxi roster that already features two import players in Jamaal Franklin and Eric Moreland. CBA rules dictate that clubs are permitted to carry up to four foreign players, but only two of them can be on a team’s active roster for a given game.

International Notes: Cole, Kuzminskas, Perrantes, Wiseman

November 11th, 2019 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime NBA guard Norris Cole is continuing his career overseas, with AS Monaco announcing in a press release that it has signed the two-time NBA champion.

“I’m excited to be here in Monaco,” Cole said in a statement. “We discussed it with my family, my agent, we thought it was the best choice. I’m looking forward to seeing the new teammates, talking to the staff, and helping my team the best I can do.”

Cole, 31, played for the Heat from 2011-15 before spending time with the Pelicans and Thunder. He appeared in 360 regular season NBA games and another 68 playoff contests, but has played in international leagues since 2017, suiting up for teams in Israel, Italy, and Montenegro. His new club competes in France’s top league.

Let’s round up a few more international basketball notes…

After parting ways with Greek club Olympiacos, former NBA forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas has joined Russia’s Lokomotiv Kuban on a two-year deal, according to an announcement from the team. The 30-year-old Lithuanian appeared in 69 games for the Knicks from 2016-17 before heading back to Europe.
Turkish team Bahcesehir has signed 25-year-old point guard London Perrantes, the club announced today (via Twitter; hat tip to Sportando). Perrantes, who appeared in 14 NBA games with the Cavaliers during the 2017/18 season, was in camp with the Trail Blazers this fall before being waived last month.
Australia’s National Basketball League, which is already home to top 2020 draft prospects like LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton, would have interest in bringing over James Wiseman if he’s officially deemed ineligible to play for Memphis, writes Adam Zagoria of Forbes. However, Wiseman’s situation, which we previously discussed, may not be quickly or easily resolved, a source tells Zagoria. “He’s exceptionally talented and of course we’d be interested, but honestly we haven’t even had a conversation with him or his family,” NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said of the potential No. 1 pick. “I have no idea yet as to whether or not it would suit his plans, his personality or his aspirations.”

And-Ones: Maxey, Hampton, Cunningham, Vasquez

November 7th, 2019 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NCAA season getting underway this week, Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN (Insider link) are providing some early scouting reports on top prospects for the 2020 draft, writing that Kentucky’s Tyrese Maxey “stole the show” and looked like a potential top-10 pick in a win over Michigan State on Tuesday.

While Givony and Schmitz are keeping a close eye on several top NCAA prospects, R.J. Hampton – another projected top-10 pick for 2020 – is halfway around the world, playing for the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s National Basketball League. In a fascinating feature for The Athletic, Dana O’Neil takes a look at how Hampton has adjusted to playing professional ball.

Although Hampton doesn’t necessarily regret choosing to spend the year in Auckland, he admits that it’s “a little weird” watching the NCAA season tip off this week. “I can envision myself in a Kansas jersey,” Hampton told O’Neil, referencing a Jayhawks team whose roster features his best friend Jalen Wilson.

Meanwhile, the top prospect for the 2021 draft class will be remaining stateside rather than following in Hampton’s footsteps by heading overseas. As Givony relays (via Twitter), 6’7″ point guard Cade Cunningham announced this week that he has committed to Oklahoma State for his freshman year in 2020/21. Cunningham claimed the No. 1 spot in ESPN’s very-early mock draft for ’21.

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

As part of the NBA’s attempted crackdown on tampering, the league has prohibited team personnel from using apps that auto-delete relevant communication, per Pete Thamel, Seerat Sohi, and Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. As Dan Feldman of NBC Sports observes, it’s hard to see how the NBA will be able to enforce such a rule.
Former NBA point guard Greivis Vasquez is taking a leave of absence from his job as the associate head coach of the Erie BayHawks, the Pelicans‘ G League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. “After taking some time to consider what is best for the team and my health, I have decided to step away from coaching to focus on rehabbing my ankle,” Vasquez said in a statement.
In the wake of the NBA/China controversy that dominated headlines during the preseason, NBPA executive director Michele Roberts tells Ben Tolliver of The Washington Post that the union hasn’t done enough to help educate players on international issues. With the NBA frequently making trips to countries like China, India, and others, Roberts wants to help raise players’ awareness on those issues.
Tom Ziller of SB Nation argues that head coaching jobs are more stable now than they have been in past years, generally speaking. As Ziller writes, the average tenure for an NBA coach right now is 3.7 years, which is the highest mark in at least a decade.

Kenneth Faried Expected To Play In China

November 6th, 2019 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

After reportedly passing on a contract offer from a team in China last month, Kenneth Faried appears to be on the verge of heading overseas to play in the Chinese Basketball Association after all.

A source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando that Faried is expected to sign with the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, while Jeff Goodman of Stadium tweets that the veteran NBA big man has agreed to a one-year deal. The two reports aren’t exactly aligned on the value of Faried’s new contract, with Carchia hearing it’s worth $4.4MM, while Goodman suggests it’s simply “in excess of $2MM.”

Either way, it sounds like Faried’s move to China could put him in position to match or exceed his NBA minimum salary, which would have been worth about $2.32MM in 2019/20.

Faried, who will turn 30 later this month, was one of the more noteworthy veterans remaining on the free agent market as the NBA’s regular season got underway. After being buried on Brooklyn’s bench to start last season, he joined the Rockets, averaging 12.9 PPG and 8.2 RPG in 25 games (24.4 MPG) for Houston before falling out of the rotation down the stretch and in the postseason.

Faried, who isn’t a strong rim protector or outside shooter, apparently didn’t fit into any NBA team’s plans this season, but he should excel in China. If he looks good overseas and stays healthy, he could appeal to a contending team in the spring, after the CBA season ends.