International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Lineups, Fournier, Roc Nation, Gasol

September 16th, 2019 at 7:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The league has made a proposal requiring teams to reveal their starting lineups at least 30 minutes prior to tip-off, Zach Lowe of ESPN tweets. Currently, teams only have to issue their lineups 10 minutes before the start of the game. The move would most likely facilitate wagering, particularly with daily fantasy leagues, who would have more advance knowledge of any lineup changes.

We have more from the basketball world:

Magic swingman Evan Fournier, who played for bronze-medalist France in the FIBA World Cup, was disappointed that many NBA stars chose to skip the event, Joe Vardon of The Athletic reports. “To be honest, like, when you look at (LeBron) James, KD (Kevin Durant), all these guys, they came here already, they won,” Fournier said. “Whatever, it’s fine. Friends of mine like Tobias (Harris), I thought it was a great opportunity for him to see something different and compete. I don’t think they realize how beneficial this is for their career.”
Veteran agent Roger Montgomery has resigned from Roc Nation Sports to focus on other management projects, Jabari Young of The Athletic tweets. Montgomery negotiated Rudy Gay‘s two-year, $32MM contract with the Spurs and also represented Hornets lottery pick PJ Washington.
Marc Gasol showed he’s still an effective player during the World Cup, Tom Ziller of SB Nation writes. Gasol was the defensive and offensive anchor of Spain’s gold-medal winning team and that provides hope for the Raptors that they can still make some noise in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, maligned point guard Frank Ntilikina showed he could be an elite defender for the Knicks with the way he handled Kemba Walker while playing for France.

Jared Terrell Will Play In Israel

September 15th, 2019 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Timberwolves two-way player Jared Terrell has reached an agreement to play in Israel, tweets Dane Moore of 1500 ESPN. The 24-year-old shooting guard will play for Hapoel Eilat.

Terrell signed a two-way deal with Minnesota last July after going undrafted out of Rhode Island. He appeared in 14 games at the NBA level, averaging 2.2 points in about eight minutes per night. He posted a 15.3/4.0/2.3 line in 32 G League games with Iowa.

Terrell spent a lot of the offseason training at the Wolves’ facilities, Moore adds, and played for their Summer League team. Minnesota already has the league limit of 20 players headed to training camp, including 15 with guaranteed contracts.

And-Ones: Felder, Yao Ming, China

September 13th, 2019 at 8:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kay Felder is a potential target for China’s Xinjiang Flying Tigers, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports. The team is expected to sign either Felder or Ty Lawson to replace another former NBA player, Ian Clark, who is sidelined by a finger injury.

A second-round pick by the Cavaliers in 2016, Felder was waived by the Raptors’ G League team in December after a domestic violence allegation. Felder, who appeared in 58 NBA games for Cleveland, Chicago and Detroit, played for Xinjiang last season after he was waived. The Flying Tigers’ interest in Lawson was previously reported.

We have more from the basketball world:

There doesn’t seem to be a star on the level of Yao Ming coming from China in the near future, Marc Spears of ESPN writes. Currently, there are no Chinese players who could make a sure-fire impact in the NBA and commissioner Adam Silver hopes that will change. “It frustrates me that there are no Chinese players in the NBA,” he said. “There’s probably more basketball being played in China than anywhere else in the world. And more NBA basketball is being watched in China than anywhere else in the world.”
An Atlantic City, NJ casino owned by Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta can now accept bets on NBA games, according to Wayne Parry of the Associated Press. New Jersey governor Phil Murphy has signed a bill allowing Atlantic City’s Golden Nugget casino, owned by Fertitta, to handle NBA bets that don’t involve the Rockets.
Former Hawks guard Malcolm Delaney will play in Spain this season. Get the details here.

Malcolm Delaney To Play In Spain

September 12th, 2019 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent guard Malcolm Delaney has agreed to a contract with Spanish team Barcelona, the club announced in a press release. According to the announcement, it’s a one-year deal with a second-year option.

A former Virginia Tech standout, Delaney spent two seasons with the Hawks from 2016-18, averaging 5.7 PPG and 2.8 APG in 127 total games in Atlanta. Outside of that two-year NBA stint, Delaney has spent his professional career overseas, playing for teams in France, Ukraine, Germany, Russia, and China. He was a member of the Guangdong Southern Tigers last season.

Delaney had been seeking an opportunity to compete for an NBA roster spot this fall, having worked out for the Warriors and the Knicks. However, it appears no appealing options materialized for the 30-year-old.

A report last week indicated that Delaney was in negotiations with Barcelona. He’ll join a pair of notable NBA players who signed with the team earlier this offseason — Nikola Mirotic and Alex Abrines are among the new additions for the Spanish club.

And-Ones: Klutch Sports, Singleton, Adrien

September 10th, 2019 at 10:20pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Klutch Sports, the player agency led by Rich Paul, is expanding its reach to the NFL, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The agency, which represents LeBron James and Ben Simmons among other notable NBA players, is in talks with Damarius Bilbo to lead its football division.

Here’s more from around the league:

Former NBA big man Chris Singleton has signed with Turkish team Anadolu Efes Istanbul, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The power forward was the No. 18 overall pick in the 2011 draft (Wizards), but hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2013/14 season.
Hamed Haddadi, who previously played for the Grizzlies and Suns, has agreed to return to the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association, Carchia relays in a separate piece. The 7’2″ center averaged a double-double for Iran during the FIBA World Cup.
Jeff Adrien will play in Israel again this season after inking a deal with Ironi Nahariya, David Pick tweets. The forward last played in the NBA for the Timberwolves during the 2014/15 season.

Salah Mejri To Play In China?

September 10th, 2019 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

2:16pm: Mejri tells Carchia that he hasn’t signed a contract with Liaoning, though the team has announced that he met with the coach today and will start practicing with the club tomorrow (Twitter link). Mejri has been invited by Liaoning to take part in the East Asia Superleague tournament, which begins on September 17, Carchia notes.

11:20am: Former Mavericks center Salah Mejri has signed a contract to play with Liaoning of the Chinese Basketball Association, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. According to Carchia, it’ll just be a one-month deal, with Mejri temporarily replacing Brandon Bass on the roster.

Mejri, 33, has spent the last four seasons in Dallas, appearing in a total of 204 games for the Mavericks. The big man averaged 3.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 0.9 BPG in 11.9 minutes per contest during that stretch.

When Mejri reached unrestricted free agency this summer, the Mavs went in another direction, signing veteran center Boban Marjanovic to fill the role that Mejri has played over the last few years.

Although Tunisia didn’t advance beyond the first round in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, Mejri had a big tournament, averaging 16.2 PPG and 10.2 RPG in five games. He has also been the World Cup’s leading shot blocker, with 3.2 BPG. In Tunisia’s final classification-round game against Angola on Sunday, he blocked eight shots, tying Yao Ming‘s World Cup record.

While he’s off the free agent market for now, Mejri could still be a factor in the NBA this season, given the short-term nature of his new deal in China.

Mejri is the second NBA player to sign with Liaoning this offseason, joining Lance Stephenson.

Jaylen Morris Joins Greek Team

September 6th, 2019 at 8:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Bucks guard Jaylen Morris has signed with Aris Thessaloniki of the Greek A1 league, Nicola Lupo of Sportando tweets.

Morris, who turns 24 next month, played with Milwaukee the first half of last season on a two-way contract. He was waived in mid-January after appearing in just four games with the Bucks, averaging 2.5 PPG in 7.3 MPG. He also played in 33 combined G League games last season for the Wisconsin Herd and Erie BayHawks, averaging 14.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 3.0 APG.

The 6’5” Morris worked out for the Rockets in June but failed to land a contract. The Molloy College product appeared in six games with the Hawks in 2017/18, then was waived last summer. He finalized a deal with Fiat Torino in Italy, then switched gears and signed with Milwaukee.

International Notes: Hachimura, Delaney, Whitehead

September 6th, 2019 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Wizards rookie Rui Hachimura won’t play in the final two games of the 2019 World Cup for Team Japan, according to a statement issued by the Wizards and Japan Basketball. After going 0-3 in round-one play, Japan has been eliminated from medal contention, but will continue playing in the classification round. They’ll do so without Hachimura, however.

“Rui experienced knee discomfort and general fatigue during the World Cup, which we have jointly monitored with the Wizards,” Japan Basketball said in a statement. “While everyone had hoped for Rui to finish the World Cup with Team Japan, the Wizards and Japan Basketball believe it is best for Rui to not play the final two games and have a short period of rest before he must start NBA training camp with the Wizards which begins only three weeks from now.”

Despite Japan’s lack of success in the 2019 World Cup, they’ve already secured a berth in the 2020 Olympics as the host nation. Hachimura is expected to suit up again for his home country in Tokyo next summer following his rookie season with the Wizards.

Here are a few more international basketball notes from around the globe:

Veteran guard Malcolm Delaney, who spent two seasons with the Hawks from 2016-18, is in negotiations with Barcelona, sources tell Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops (Twitter link). While a deal isn’t done yet, it sounds like Delaney will continue his career in Spain unless he gets an NBA offer.
Former Nets point guard Isaiah Whitehead, a second-round pick in 2016, is working out with China’s Jiangsu Dragons, according to Chinese basketball journalist Zhang Duo (Twitter link). Whitehead spent the second half of 2018/19 on a two-way deal with the Pistons, but didn’t appear in a game for Detroit.
Dan Devine of The Ringer takes a look at some of the World Cup subplots that don’t involve Team USA, including the dominance of the Serbians, who have won their four games so far by an average margin of nearly 41 points per contest.
Former NBA forward Malcolm Thomas, who suited up for five teams from 2012-15, has signed with the Shanxi Loongs of the Chinese Basketball Association after spending the last two seasons in Russia, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

And-Ones: Crawford, Injuries, Nowitzki, Moore

September 4th, 2019 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Jordan Crawford has 281 career regular season NBA games under his belt, but hasn’t played in 20 or more in a season since 2013/14 and didn’t appear in a single game in 2018/19. Still, it sounds as if he’s looking to catch on with a club for the coming season, as Sam Amico and Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops detail.

A source informed Stinar that Crawford, who is said to be in “great shape,” has recently worked out in front of scouts at UCLA. There’s no word yet on whether specific NBA teams might be interested in giving him a look this fall, but he showed last year in China that he can still score. In a brief, six-game stint with the Sichuan Blue Whales, Crawford poured in 36.5 PPG.

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

In an interesting article for ESPN.com, Zach Lowe examines the apparent shift to “Big Two” roster-building this offseason and explores which of those teams with dynamic duos may be in position to acquire for another star to create a “Big Three.” Lowe identifies the Nets and Mavericks as two intriguing possibilities, since Brooklyn has the assets necessary to make such a trade, while Dallas’ two young stars – Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis – aren’t as expensive as most top pairs around the league, creating an opportunity in free agency in 2021.
Several writers at The Athletic checked in on injured players around the NBA, making predictions on when we might see guys like Victor Oladipo, Jusuf Nurkic, and Paul George return to action.
When his final season as a player ended in the spring, Dirk Nowitzki said he could imagine having interest in eventually becoming the coach or general manager of a basketball franchise. Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness recently told Magenta Sport that he’d be open to the idea of bringing Nowitzki aboard in some role if the German big man wants to work in his home country (link via Sport1.de; translation via Eurohoops.net).
Ben Moore, who recently signed with Turkish club Galatasaray S.K., received interest and two-way contract offers from multiple NBA teams, but the offer that ultimately swayed him to Turkey was “quite lucrative,” tweets Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops.

And-Ones: World Cup, China, Thabeet

September 1st, 2019 at 3:31pm CST by clarkcrum

In a special piece for ESPN, Mark Woods takes an in-depth look (link) at all 32 teams vying to win the 2019 FIBA World Cup, which will be decided in Beijing on September 15, two weeks from today.

While recognizing that Team USA is the favorite, Woods does not have the Americans taking home the championship. His group winners include host nation China and the aforementioned U.S., in addition to Argentina, Spain, Serbia, Greece, France, and Australia.

Woods believes that all but two of the group winners will reach the quarterfinals, with Nigeria and Lithuania, finishing second in group play to Argentina and Australia respectively, replacing group winners France and China among the final eight teams.

Ultimately, Woods sees Team USA falling short of the championship game, with Australia falling to Serbia in the final. Be sure to tell us what you think in one of our latest Community Shootaround posts, here.

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Chinese Basketball Association is implementing a new guideline barring a player who is serving a drug or violence-related ban/suspension in another league from signing in the CBA. As Charania notes, the rule would prohibit someone like Tyreke Evans from signing with a team in the CBA.
After losing their first game in the 2019 FIBA World Cup to Matthew Dellavedova and Australia, Canada head coach Nick Nurse told the media that his team will have to play “extraordinary basketball” to beat Lithuania on Tuesday and advance past group play, per Lithuanian basketball reporter Donatas Urbonas (h/t to Sportando).
After working out for the Knicks once already (link), former No, 2 overall pick Hasheem Thabeet will continue to play in 5-on-5 scrimmages with the Knicks next week, reports Ian Begley of SportsNet New York. Begley adds that Thabeet will also work out a second time for the Bucks in about a week’s time.