International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Seattle, Two-Way Deals, Trade Candidates

October 3rd, 2018 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Warriors and Kings set to play a preseason game in Seattle this Friday, Kevin Durant – who began his NBA career with the SuperSonics – suggested this week that he’d like to see the NBA bring a team back to the city, as Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes.

“Most definitely,” Durant said. “It’s a basketball city. It’s a sports town. … They have a good representation of basketball in the NBA from Seattle-born players, Washington state-born players. And I feel like that whole brand deserves an NBA team. Just like the Golden State Warriors deserve a team or the Los Angeles Lakers deserve a team, Seattle is that same way.”

While the city of Seattle would almost certainly be next in line if the NBA decides to add a new team, the league has shown little desire to expand beyond 30 franchises, and none of those 30 clubs appears to be in any danger of being relocated in the near future. As such, it remains to be seen when we might see the SuperSonics return to the NBA.

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

The introduction of the two-way contract was one of the major changes in the NBA’s most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement, and so far it has been a relative success, creating job opportunities for 60 additional players, as Michael Scotto of The Athletic observes in a deep dive on the subject. However, some agents would like to see the system tweaked a little, suggesting that multiyear two-way deals shouldn’t be permitted and that there should be a limit to the number of two-way contracts a team can sign in a given league year.
Dan Feldman of NBC Sports identifies five top candidates to be traded during the 2018/19 league year, ranging from the obvious candidates (Jimmy Butler) to some under-the-radar ones (Dewayne Dedmon).
Former Celtics and Cavaliers power forward Luke Harangody continues to play professionally overseas, having signed this week with Spanish team Joventut Badalona, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The former second-round pick has now played overseas for several years, last appearing in the NBA in 2012.

Cole Aldrich Waived, Expected To Play In China

October 2nd, 2018 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

2:32pm: The Hawks have waived Aldrich, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). The timing of the move is likely no coincidence, as the path is now clear for the center to sign a deal overseas.

2:15pm: Veteran NBA center Cole Aldrich is expected to play in China during the 2018/19 campaign, a source tells Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link). Goodman doesn’t offer any specifics on which team Aldrich is expected to join for the coming season.

Aldrich, who will turn 30 later this month, remains under contract with the Hawks for now. However, he has a non-guaranteed contract, and Atlanta is already carrying 15 players on fully guaranteed salaries, making the big man a long shot to earn a spot on the regular season roster.

It’s not uncommon for a player to line up a contract agreement in another league if he expects to be released by his NBA team. Earlier this offseason, for instance, news broke of David Stockton‘s new deal with German team Medi Bayreuth approximately two weeks before he was actually waived by the Jazz.

In Aldrich’s case, he and his representatives may have received word that a roster spot in Atlanta isn’t in the cards and gotten a head start on seeking out another professional opportunity. That remains unconfirmed though.

Aldrich spent the last two seasons in Minnesota, playing a limited role for the Timberwolves. In 2017/18, he appeared in just 21 games and played only 49 total minutes. While his contract covered the 2018/19 season, Aldrich’s salary for the coming year only featured a modest partial guarantee, so the Wolves waived him in June before the full guarantee kicked in, making him an unrestricted free agent. He subsequently received a camp invite from the Hawks.

Glen Davis Signs With Croatian Team

September 30th, 2018 at 5:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

5:33pm: Davis has signed a contract to join KK Zadar in Croatia, reports Nicola Lupo of Sportando. This marks the first time Davis has ever signed a deal in Europe.

8:52am: NBA veteran Glen Davis is close to a deal to play in Croatia, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Davis, who was part of the BIG3 league over the summer, is in advanced negotiations with KK Zadar.

Davis, 32, is best known as a member of the Celtics team that captured an NBA title in 2008. He also played for the Magic and Clippers during an eight-year career, but hasn’t been in the league since appearing in 74 games for L.A. during the 2014/15 season.

Davis has experienced legal problems in the past year, being arrested on both drug possession and assault charges.

Kyle Singler To Play In Spain

September 30th, 2018 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 30: Singler has signed with the Spanish club Obradoiro, Carchia reports. His contract includes an escape clause in case he receives an NBA offer.

SEPTEMBER 28: Former Thunder forward Kyle Singler has agreed to terms with a team in Spain, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. However, the deal has not yet been officially announced and the identity of Singler’s new team remains unclear.

Carchia hears from a source that Joventut Badalona could be the team signing Singler, since the Spanish club just parted ways with another former NBA forward, Quincy Miller. Carchia also reports (via Twitter) that Singler’s new contract in Spain will include a EuroLeague out.

Singler, 30, spent the last three and a half seasons in Oklahoma City, but saw his production and his role decline during his time in OKC. In 2017/18, the ex-Piston appeared sparingly in just 12 games. He was waived by the Thunder for financial reasons last month, with the club eating the $5MM remaining on his contract.

Before he began his NBA career, Singler spent time with Lucentum Alicante and Real Madrid as a draft-and-stash player, so he has previous experience in the Spanish League (Liga ACB).

Mirza Teletovic To Retire

September 27th, 2018 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA forward Mirza Teletovic is retiring as a player, tweets Alberto De Roa of HoopsHype. According to De Roa, Teletovic has accepted an offer to become the new president of the Bosnian Basketball Federation. The 33-year-old confirmed his new career path in a statement (Bosnian link via BHBasket.ba).

Teletovic, who started last season with the Bucks, was limited to 10 games due to a medical condition diagnosed as pulmonary emboli in both lungs. He had a similar health scare a few years ago when he developed multiple blood clots in his lungs.

When reports surfaced in the winter suggesting that Teletovic’s playing career was likely over, the six-year NBA veteran denied it. However, he was waived by Milwaukee the following week and his retirement decision appears to be motivated by those health issues.

Once a full year has passed since the date of Teletovic’s last NBA game (November 7), the Bucks could apply to have his remaining cap hits – $3.5MM annually through 2020/21 – removed from their books. The Heat took a similar approach with Chris Bosh when he was ruled medically ineligible to return to action. An independent physician or a Fitness to Play panel would have to rule that it would be a medically unacceptable risk for Teletovic to return to action in order for the Bucks to receive any cap relief.

Over the course of his NBA career, Teletovic averaged 8.1 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 324 regular season contests with the Nets, Suns, and Bucks. The veteran stretch four played internationally for several years before making the leap to the NBA, including spending six seasons with Spanish club Baskonia. He earned All-ACB honors in 2012 before arriving stateside.

Derrick Williams Expected To Play In Germany

September 27th, 2018 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 27: The agreement with Williams has been confirmed by Bayern Munich managing director Marko Pesic, Carchia reports. Williams traveled to Germany last week, but has not completed his physical because of an infection.

SEPTEMBER 18: Former lottery pick Derrick Williams appears poised to spend the 2018/19 season in Germany, according to multiple reports from international outlets. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando hears from a source that Williams has agreed to terms with Bayern Munich, after Eurohoops first reported that the veteran forward was “very close” to signing with the German club.

The second overall pick in the 2011 draft, Williams has appeared in 428 regular season NBA games over seven seasons for six teams. The 27-year-old, who has played most extensively for the Timberwolves and Kings, last appeared in the league during the 2017/18 season, joining the Lakers on a 10-day contract and seeing action in a pair of games.

While his professional résumé features plenty of NBA stops, Williams has a little international experience as well. The 6’8″ forward appeared in 15 games for China’s Tianjin Gold Lions during the 2017/18 season, averaging 20.0 PPG and 6.6 RPG.

Assuming the two sides complete their reported deal, Williams will be joining one of Europe’s top teams in Bayern Munich — in addition to playing in Germany’s BBL, Bayern Munich is also the only German club in the EuroLeague.

And-Ones: Stoudemire, Bennett, Gambling

September 26th, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After playing in Israel during the 2016/17 season, former Suns and Knicks big man Amar’e Stoudemire announced his retirement last September. Stoudemire has since reversed course though, with Israeli club Hapoel Jerusalem confirming this week that the six-time NBA All-Star will play for them again in 2018/19. Stoudemire, who co-owns Hapoel Jerusalem, helped lead the team to an Israeli League title in 2017 and said on Instagram that he’s aiming to do the same this season.

“I am looking forward to returning to Hapoel Jerusalem and bringing home titles,” Stoudemire wrote. “I have a great love for all the people of Israel: past, present and future, and it’s humbling to represent the city of Jerusalem, which has inspired so many around the world.”

Here are a few more basketball odds and ends:

The representatives for former first overall pick Anthony Bennett have offered the big man to Italian clubs Reggio Emilia and Virus Bologna, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. For now though, the 25-year-old – who played for the Cavaliers, Raptors, Timberwolves, and Nets – is without a home for the 2018/19 season.
In the wake of the investigation into workplace misconduct within the Mavericks‘ organization, the NBA sent out a memo to all 30 teams encouraging them to hire more women – particularly in leadership roles – and to improve their policies for reporting workplace harassment. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today has the details.
Professional sports leagues – including the NBA – are largely taking a wait-and-see approach to the legalization of sports gambling, as Mike Fish and David Purdum write for ESPN.com. The ESPN report looks extensively at the lack of information surrounding LeBron James‘ reported hand injury in last year’s Finals and how that would have impacted betting odds if it had been public.

International Notes: Christon, Nogueira, Llull, Melli

September 20th, 2018 at 10:17am CST by Arthur Hill

Semaj Christon, who appeared in 64 games for the Thunder during the 2016/17 season, will play in Israel this season, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Hapoel Be’er Sheva has announced the signing of the 25-year-old point guard, who split last season between China and Puerto Rico.

Christon was part of Oklahoma City’s rotation two seasons ago, averaging 2.9 points and 2.0 assists in about 15 minutes per game. The 55th pick in the 2014 draft, he was waived by the Thunder prior to the start of last season. A former star at Xavier, Christon played in the G League and Italy before coming to Oklahoma City.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Lucas Nogueira‘s contract with Fuenlabrada in Spain has been approved, tweets Varlas Nikos of Eurohoops.net. Nogueira’s former Estudiantes club in Madrid had objected to the signing, claiming it still owned his rights, but the team refused to send documentation to ACB. Nogueira spent four seasons with the Raptors, who paid a $650K buyout to Estudiantes to get his release. Nogueira was with Estudiantes from 2009 to 2014.
Sergio Llull has turned down numerous opportunities to join the Rockets and is now talking about staying with Real Madrid for the rest of his career, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. “It is difficult to say to the NBA because it is an important League,” Llull said in a recent interview with Radio Marca. “But I have said several times that I am happy with Real Madrid. I want to remain here and win again. I would love to finish my career with Real Madrid. I have a contract for a lot of my year. But my goal now is to play a huge season.”
The Jazz, Hawks and Nets all have interest in signing Nicolo Melli for next season, tweets Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. Atlanta and Brooklyn both made contact with him this summer, Cauchi adds.

Lucas Nogueira To Sign With Spanish Team

September 17th, 2018 at 2:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Raptors center Lucas Nogueira will play in the Spanish League next season, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Nogueira is signing a deal today to play for Montakit Fuenlabrada, Carchia adds, and an official announcement is expected soon.

Nogueira spent the past four years in Toronto, but didn’t receive a qualifying offer when the season ended. That made him an unrestricted free agent, but there wasn’t much NBA interest in the 26-year-old. His fate in Toronto was sealed when the Raptors signed veteran big man Greg Monroe last month.

Nogueira peaked during the 2016/17 season when he averaged 4.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 57 games while playing about 19 minutes per night. His playing time was cut in half last season and he appeared in just 49 games.

Cavaliers Notes: Workouts, Osman, Sexton, Thompson

September 12th, 2018 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Love‘s duties in taking over for LeBron James as team leader include organizing the Cavaliers’ annual pre-camp workouts, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Love, whose leadership role was cemented when he agreed to a four-year, $120MM extension this summer, is hosting the voluntary sessions this week at the University of Miami.

Most of the players who are under contract are expected to attend. Coach Tyronn Lue is in Miami as well, but won’t participate if the players-only tradition continues. Tristan Thompson, Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic are all out of the country to play in World Cup qualifiers.

James, who signed with the Lakers in July, organized the workouts in each of the past four seasons. They are usually held in vacation spots, with coaches and front office personnel accompanying the team but letting the players run things.

There’s more today out of Cleveland:

Osman can look forward to a much larger role in his second season with the Cavaliers, Vardon notes in a player profile. Osman may inherit James’ role as starting small forward, although Rodney Hood is also a candidate. The 23-year-old saw action in 61 games as a rookie, averaging 3.9 points per night. Osman played several years in Europe before coming to the NBA and appeared much more polished in this year’s Summer League, according to Vardon.
Collin Sexton will need to improve his shot, especially from long distance, to become a Rookie of the Year candidate, Vardon states in another profile. Sexton tied with Suns center Deandre Ayton as the favorite for the award in a poll among players drafted this year. However, his success could depend on improving his accuracy from 3-point range, where he hit just .336 last year as a college freshman, and just .242 in SEC games.
Thompson, who owns a championship ring and has made four straight trips to the NBA Finals, hopes to create that same atmosphere of success on the Canadian national team. He has been playing for his home country for nearly a decade and believes there’s an opportunity for Canada to become a major player in international competitions. “Right now we have a wave of really good players in the NBA,” Thompson said, “but who knows? Maybe 15 years from now we have a drought, so while guys are here and at a high level, let’s take advantage of it.”