International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Dragan Bender Likely To Sign With CSKA Moscow

July 17th, 2019 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Former No. 4 overall pick Dragan Bender has reached a verbal agreement with EuroLeague powerhouse CSKA Moscow, a source tells Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops (Twitter link). According to Varlas, Bender is expected to join CSKA Moscow unless he gets an offer from an NBA team at the 11th hour.

Keith Smith of RealGM files a similar report, tweeting that Bender’s agreement with CSKA Moscow will allow him to continue seeking out NBA deals for a little while longer. If nothing materializes, the power forward will head to Russia for the 2019/20 season.

Bender, 21, spent the last three seasons with the Suns after being selected fourth overall in 2016. However, he failed to develop into a regular NBA rotation player, averaging 5.3 PPG and 3.8 RPG with a .394/.321/.647 shooting line in 171 games in Phoenix.

A report earlier this week indicated that the Cavaliers and Raptors had inquired on Bender, though their level of interest was unclear. That report also linked the young forward to EuroLeague teams Fenerbahce and CSKA Moscow.

If he finalizes his deal with CSKA Moscow, Bender will join former NBA players such as Joel Bolomboy and Darrun Hilliard on the Russian club.

Wade Baldwin Signs With Olympiacos

July 17th, 2019 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent guard Wade Baldwin has officially joined Greek club Olympiacos, having signed a two-year contract, the team announced today in a press release. Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops first reported that Baldwin and the EuroLeague squad were finalizing a two-year deal.

Baldwin, 23, was the 17th overall pick in the 2016 draft. However, he only lasted one season in Memphis before being waived by the Grizzlies. He later signed a two-way contract with Portland and was eventually promoted to the Trail Blazers’ 15-man roster, but was traded from the Blazers to the Cavaliers to the Rockets to the Pacers before last season’s trade deadline. Indiana ultimately waived him.

Baldwin, who averaged 3.1 PPG and 1.4 APG in 56 career NBA games, finished the 2018/19 season in the G League, telling Blake Murphy of The Athletic in March that he hoped to prove he was capable of being an NBA rotation player.

Instead of returning to the NBA though, Baldwin will head overseas for the first time in his professional career. He’ll join other former NBA players like Brandon Paul and Kostas Papanikolaou on the Olympiacos roster.

NBA, EuroLeague Teams Eyeing Dragan Bender?

July 16th, 2019 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers and Raptors are among the teams that have inquired on free agent power forward Dragan Bender, tweets international reporter Orazio Cauchi. According to Cauchi, EuroLeague clubs like CSKA Moscow and Fenerbahce are also keeping an eye on Bender and have “some level of interest.”

Bender, 21, was the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft and spent the last three seasons with the Suns. However, he has failed to develop into a regular rotation player, averaging 5.3 PPG and 3.8 RPG with a .394/.321/.647 shooting line in 171 games in Phoenix.

A source tells Cauchi (Twitter link) that there some NBA teams still believe Bender’s potential could be worth a roll of the dice. At this point though, the young big man seems unlikely to receive more than minimum-salary offers, and even then, it’s not clear he’d get any sort of guarantees.

If Bender had played out his rookie contract, he would have been on track to earn a $5.9MM salary in 2019/20. The Suns turned down their fourth-year team option though, allowing the Croatian to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Jimmer Fredette Signs With Panathinaikos

July 15th, 2019 at 8:15am CST by clarkcrum

JULY 15: Fredette has officially signed with Panathinaikos, the Greek team announced today in a press release. Fredette published an Instagram post confirming his move to Greece and thanking fans for their support.

JULY 10: According to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops, sharpshooting guard Jimmer Fredette has reached a two-year deal with Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League and EuroLeague.

As Varlas notes, this will be the first European team Fredette plays for in his professional career. He also played in China from 2016 to 2019, becoming somewhat of a Chinese sensation before signing a two-year contract with the Suns back in March. The second year had a team option, which Phoenix declined back in June.

After his option was declined, Fredette briefly played with the Warriors’ summer league team, but left the team early so as not to get injured while he contemplated his overseas options in response to several foreign teams contacting his representatives about his availability.

A six-year NBA veteran, Fredette holds career averages of 6.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 13.3 minutes per game after being drafted No. 10 overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. His best season was probably as a rookie, when he averaged a career-high 7.6 PPG and 18.6 MPG.

Turkey Next Stop For Derrick Williams

July 14th, 2019 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Derrick Williams, the No. 2 pick in the 2011 draft, will join defending Turkish Cup champion Fenerbahce, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Williams has reached agreement on a one-year contract.

It will be the third overseas team for Williams, who was never able to find a long-term NBA home. He signed with China’s Tianjin Gold Lions in 2017 and spent this season in Germany with Bayern Munich.

The 28-year-old forward was ticketed for stardom after two stellar years at Arizona, but lasted a little more than two seasons in Minnesota before being traded. He played for six teams in seven seasons, and his last NBA experience came in a 10-day contract with the Lakers in March of 2018.

Omri Casspi To Play In Israel

July 14th, 2019 at 8:46am CST by Arthur Hill

Veteran forward Omri Casspi has reached an agreement with Maccabi Tel Aviv, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. In addition to a three-year, $3.4MM contract, Casspi will be given a managing role in the organization when he retires.

Casspi, 31, likely saw his NBA career end when the Grizzlies released him in February to make room on the roster for a series of trades. He appeared in 36 games for Memphis, averaging 6.3 PPG in about 14 minutes per night.

Casspi was a first-round pick in the 2009 draft, going to the Kings with the 23rd selection. He spent time with seven teams during a 10-year NBA career.

Tyler Cavanaugh Headed To Germany

July 14th, 2019 at 8:29am CST by Arthur Hill

Tyler Cavanaugh, a two-way player for the Jazz last season, has reached an agreement to play in Germany, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 25-year-old power forward will join Alba Berlin, which advanced to this year’s EuroCup finals.

Cavanaugh saw brief action in 11 games for Utah, scoring 9 points in 39 total minutes. He averaged 17.7 points and 7.8 rebounds in 41 G League games.

After going undrafted out of George Washington, Cavanaugh signed a two-way contract with the Hawks in 2017 that was later converted to a standard NBA deal. He got into 39 games for Atlanta as a rookie, but was waived when the season ended.

New Zealand Team Recruiting Joakim Noah

July 13th, 2019 at 6:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Joakim Noah has an opportunity to play for the New Zealand Breakers next season, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. The team is owned by Matt Walsh, Noah’s former teammate at Florida, who has been in charge of the recruiting effort.

The Breakers are pitching Noah on an arrangement similar to what Andrew Bogut had in Australia that enabled him to return to the NBA after his overseas commitment was complete (Twitter link). Bogut earned MVP honors with the Sydney Kings, then joined the Warriors for 11 regular season games and the playoffs.

However, Stein notes that Noah has received interest from a few NBA teams after a surprisingly strong performance once he joined the Grizzlies in December (Twitter link).

Noah averaged 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds in 41 games for Memphis, helping to erase memories of two nightmarish seasons with the Knicks. At age 34, he is being very “selective” about where he winds up next, Stein adds.

Milos Teodosic To Play In Italy

July 13th, 2019 at 4:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Clippers guard Milos Teodosic has signed with the Italian club Virtus Bologna, relays Nicola Lupo of Sportando. The team announced the new contract, which will cover three years.

Teodosic, 32, was a disappointment during his time in L.A. after being a huge star in Europe. He played just 60 games in two seasons, including 15 this year, before being waived in February. He averaged just 10 minutes per night this season and was lamenting his lack of of playing time all the way back in November.

Teodosic is a six-time All-EuroLeague selection and was the league’s MVP in 2010. He helped the Serbian team capture the silver medal at the 2016 Olympics, as well as silvers at the 2009 EuroBasket tournament and the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

Alex Abrines To Play In Spain

July 12th, 2019 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

After spending two and a half seasons with the Thunder, shooting guard Alex Abrines is returning home to Spain, having reached an agreement on a two-year deal with Barcelona that features a third-year option, according to an announcement from the team.

Abrines, who turns 26 next month, played from Barcelona from 2012-16 before arriving stateside for the 2016/17 season. The 32nd overall pick in the 2013 draft, Abrines appeared in 174 total regular season games for the Thunder after being stashed overseas for three years. He recorded 5.3 PPG and 1.4 RPG with a .368 3PT% in 16.0 minutes per contest.

While he provided Oklahoma City with much-needed floor spacing during his time with the club, Abrines’ stint in the NBA came to an abrupt end in February, when he and the Thunder “amicably” parted ways due to unspecified personal matters. Abrines addressed his departure and announced his return to basketball earlier this month.

In returning home to Spain, Abrines will be joining a Barcelona club that added another NBA veteran already this offseason, having signed Nikola Mirotic to a three-year contract with a fourth-year option.