International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jared Sullinger Extends Contract In China

November 20th, 2017 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

After signing a two-month contract with the Shenzhen Leopards in September, veteran big man Jared Sullinger has now extended his contract with the Chinese club, agreeing to a full-season deal, per international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link).

As Pick details, Sullinger’s new agreement with the Leopards includes bonuses that could increase the value of his deal to $1.4MM. The Chinese season ends before the NBA season does, so depending on how deep a playoff run his team makes, Sullinger could get clearance to return to the NBA in the spring.

As is the case with many players who make the leap from the NBA to the Chinese Basketball Association, Sullinger has been putting up huge numbers so far this season. In nine games for Shenzhen, the 25-year-old has averaged 34.0 PPG and a league-high 15.6 RPG. Sullinger, a former first-round pick who spent five NBA seasons with the Celtics and Raptors, has helped lead the Leopards to a 5-4 record so far.

And-Ones: E. Okafor, Perkins, S. Brown, Wood

November 16th, 2017 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Two NBA veterans have been among the most impressive G League standouts early in the season, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Emeka Okafor, 35, has spent the past four years recovering from surgery on a herniated disc in his neck. He joined the Sixers for training camp and opted to stay with the organization’s affiliate in Delaware. He is averaging 14.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game and is shooting better than 60% from the field.

Kendrick Perkins was the Cavaliers’ final roster cut and went to Cleveland’s affiliate in Canton. He is averaging 13.0 points and 10.3 rebounds through three games. He has dropped weight and may still be able to help an NBA team at age 33.

There’s more news from the NBA and the G League:

Today is an important day for four players who were claimed off waivers during the offseason, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Bulls‘ David Nwaba and Kay Felder, the Hawks‘ Nicolas Brussino and the Bucks‘ DeAndre Liggins are all now eligible to be traded.
The Sixers used the remainder of this year’s cap space for the renegotiation/extension with Robert Covington, leaving just eight teams with cap room, according to Marks (Twitter link). They are the Bulls [$15.1MM], Mavericks [$12.5MM], Suns [$8.9MM], Pacers [$6.1MM], Kings [$4.3MM], Nets [$3.4MM], Hawks [$589K] and Magic [$549K].
Veteran guard Shannon Brown has been claimed from the G League player pool by the Wisconsin Herd, tweets Chris Reichert of 2 Ways and 10 Days. The 31-year-old last played in the NBA in 2014, when he appeared in five games with the Heat.
Christian Wood has joined the Delaware 87ers as a returning player, according to Reichert (Twitter link). He played 13 games for the Hornets last year and ended the season in the G League.
International stars are having a greater impact on the NBA than ever before, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. Many of the league’s best young players hail from overseas, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kristaps Porzingis, both considered early-season MVP candidates, along with Ben Simmons, Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. Ziller credits former commissioner David Stern for his focus on expanding the league to overseas markets. That strategy not only created more revenue, it exposed the NBA to an international audience and created a new reservoir of players.

Rade Zagorac Expected To Sign With Serbian Team

November 14th, 2017 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA second-round pick Rade Zagorac is expected to continue his career in his home country of Serbia, according to international basketball journalist David Pick, who reports (via Twitter) that Zagorac is committing to a new deal with KK Partizan Belgrade.

Zagorac, 22, was the 35th overall pick in the 2016 draft, and after spending one final season overseas, he appeared poised to join the Grizzlies this year. However, despite signing a contract that was fully guaranteed for two seasons, the 6’9″ forward was unable to earn a spot on Memphis’ regular season roster. The club waived him along with fellow 2016 draftee Wade Baldwin at the end of the preseason.

Assuming Zagorac finalizes an agreement with KK Partizan Belgrade, it will represent a homecoming for the Serbian, who spent several seasons playing for Mega Leks before making the leap to the NBA. Zagorac is on track to team up with Jazz draft-and-stash prospect Nigel Williams-Goss, who struck a deal with Partizan Belgrade earlier this year.

As for the Grizzlies, they’ll carry $950K in dead money on their 2017/18 cap for Zagorac, plus about $1.38MM for 2018/19. However, the club hasn’t given up on the idea of eventually trying to bring the young forward back to Memphis, as Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal noted last month.

And-Ones: Bennett, Evans, P. Jones, Varejao

November 12th, 2017 at 2:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

After being waived by the Suns last month, Anthony Bennett is back in the G League to earn another shot at the NBA, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Star-Tribune. The top pick in the 2013 draft, Bennett had a brief and checkered career, spending a year each with the Cavaliers and Timberwolves, then partial seasons with the Raptors and Nets.

At age 24, Bennett is with the Suns’ affiliate in Northern Arizona and believes he can work his way back to the big leagues. “I guess my focus is different,” he said. “I wouldn’t say this is my last chance, but, you know, I just have to prove to everybody that I can play.”

There’s more news from the G League and overseas:

Jeremy Evans, best known as the winner of the 2012 NBA Slam Dunk contest, signed a G League contract and was claimed off waivers by the Reno Bighorns, tweets Chris Reichert of 2 Ways and 10 Days. Evans, who played five seasons for the Jazz and one with the Mavericks, was waived by the Hawks before the start of the season. He played in Russia last season.
Perry Jones III, a first-round pick in 2012, has signed a G League contract and will join the Iowa Wolves, according to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Jones, who spent three years in Oklahoma City after the Thunder selected him with the No. 28 pick, has previous experience with the Iowa franchise, along with a one-game stay in Russia.
Brazilian center Anderson Varejao may finish his career in his home country, relays Sam Amico of AmicoHoops. Varejao, 35, had been hoping to return to the NBA, but is now considering an offer from the Flamengo team in Brazil. He was waived by the Warriors in February.

John Jenkins To Play In Spain

November 7th, 2017 at 5:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent shooting guard John Jenkins is headed to Europe for the 2017/18 season, having signed a contract with San Pablo Burgos of Spain’s ACB League, the team announced today (via Twitter). International basketball journalist David Pick first reported (via Twitter) that Jenkins was nearing a deal with the Spanish club.

The 23rd overall pick in the 2012 draft, Jenkins spent his first three NBA seasons with the Hawks, then had stints with the Mavericks and Suns. In 145 career regular season NBA games, the 26-year-old has averaged a modest 5.1 PPG with a .448/.364/.849 shooting line.

Having been waived by the Suns in January before his 2016/17 salary became guaranteed, Jenkins caught on with the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate, to finish last season. He averaged 20.9 PPG in 16 games for Westchester, earning another training camp invite this fall, but was cut last month by the Hawks. Rather than returning to the G League, Jenkins will ply his trade overseas this season.

Edy Tavares To Play In Spain

November 7th, 2017 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Less than a month after being waived by the Cavaliers, center Edy Tavares has elected to return overseas, agreeing to a three-year contract with Spanish team Real Madrid, per a Marca report. Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic has confirmed that report, with international basketball reporter David Pick supplying the financial details (via Twitter).

Tavares will return to the country where he began his professional career — he was under contract with Gran Canaria in Spain from 2009 to 2015. Drafted by the Hawks in 2014, the 7’3″ center headed to Atlanta a year later and has bounced around the NBA and G League since then, playing for a handful of different teams.

Signed by the Cavaliers at the very end of the 2016/17 regular season, Tavares’ season came to a premature end when he fractured his hand in May, sidelining him for the rest of the playoffs. Although his contract included a non-guaranteed salary for 2017/18, Tavares became expendable when the Cavs added three extra players to their roster late in the offeason, trading Kyrie Irving for Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas, and Ante Zizic, then signing Dwyane Wade. Tavares was waived by Cleveland in mid-October.

Tavares had initially joined the defending G League champs, the Raptors 905, for the 2017/18 season, but appeared in just one game for Toronto’s G League affiliate before striking his new deal with Real Madrid. The Raptors 905 have now lost two key players – Tavares and Kyle Wiltjer – to international teams.

And-Ones: E. Millsap, Koenig, Eddie, Jeanne

November 4th, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former NBA guard Elijah Millsap has signed with the Iowa Wolves of the G League, tweets Chris Reichert of 2 Ways and 10 Days. The 30-year-old played two games for the Suns last season after joining the team just before the season ended, but spent most of the year in the G League. He came to training camp with Phoenix, but was waived last month.

Millsap went undrafted out of Alabama-Birmingham in 2011 and played internationally and in the G League before getting an opportunity with Utah in the middle of the 2014/15 season. He spent a year and a half with the Jazz, averaging 4.2 points in 67 games.

There’s more news from the NBA, the G League and overseas:

Bronson Koenig, who was waived by the Bucks and Bulls during preseason, was involved in a G League trade today, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando. The Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s affiliate, sent Koenig to the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit’s affiliate, in exchange for the returning rights of Gary Talton, who is playing in Lithuania. Koenig, who was among the first players to sign a two-way contract, is a rookie guard out of Wisconsin.
Jarell Eddie, who was also with Chicago during preseason, has re-signed with Windy City, Lupo relays in a separate item. Eddie spent most of last season with the G League squad before inking a pair of 10-day contracts with the Suns in March. The 26-year-old small forward appeared in five games with Phoenix and played 26 games for the Wizards the previous year.
Restricted free agents could be facing another tough market in 2018, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. With their teams holding the right to match any offer, restricted free agents have historically enjoyed little bargaining power, and the small number of teams with significant cap room next summer will make their situation even worse. Deveney identifies Magic forward Aaron Gordon and Rockets center Clint Capela as two players who might cash in, but says most will struggle to find offers.
French center Jonathan Jeanne, who was considered a draft prospect this year before being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, may have reached the end of his career, reports Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. His French team, Le Mans Sarthe, has declared Jeanne “unfit to practice professional sports” after discussing his condition with specialists. The disorder affects the body’s connective tissue.

And-Ones: De Colo, Okafor, Shumpert, Wright

October 31st, 2017 at 10:14pm CST by Luke Adams

French guard Nando De Colo has enjoyed some of the best seasons of his playing career in recent years, including earning EuroLeague MVP honors for CSKA Moscow in 2016. However, while De Colo is happy to continue playing in Europe and is concentrating on that for the time being, he admits that he hasn’t closed the door on the possibility of an NBA return.

De Colo spent two seasons with the Spurs and Raptors from 2013 to 2015, but never got to play a significant role during his first stint in the NBA, as he tells Spanish media outlet Farhampton Magazine (link via TalkBasket.net).

“The truth is that going to San Antonio was a somewhat complicated decision because I knew I could continue in Europe,” De Colo said. “I had contacts with Barcelona, for example. On the other hand, I wanted to go to the NBA and see how it was. In the Spurs, I didn’t have the opportunities I expected. I think that is a part of life that you can’t control.”

At age 30, De Colo still has time to return to the NBA, but given his starring role for CSKA, it’d be no surprise if he decided to remain overseas to finish his career.

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

The Timberwolves don’t have any interest in Jahlil Okafor, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Okafor, who had his 2018/19 turned down by the Sixers, remains on the trade block and may even end up seeking a buyout.
Cavaliers swingman Iman Shumpert will be sidelined for at least the next five to seven days due to knee soreness, the team announced today in a press release. Shumpert, the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, is averaging a career-low 18.2 minutes per contest early this season for Cleveland.
Longtime NBA forward Dorell Wright, who appeared in 549 regular season games over the course of 11 NBA seasons, has signed in Germany with Brose Bamberg, the team recently announced (via Twitter). Wright last played in the NBA for Portland during the 2014/15 season.
Former NBA forward Al Harrington has taken an unusual career path since his days as a player ended, having gotten into the medical marijuana business. David Aldridge of NBA.com has an interesting and in-depth look at Harrington, who wants to encourage the NBA to consider the benefits of medical marijuana.

Damjan Rudez To Play In Spain

October 26th, 2017 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA forward Damjan Rudez will make his next stop in Spain, having officially signed a contract with Valencia, the team announced today (via Twitter). The deal has been confirmed by Rudez’ agency, Octagon Basketball Europe (Twitter link). According to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, it’s a three-month pact for Rudez.

Rudez, 31, began his professional career in Europe, playing for a variety of clubs in Belgium, Slovenia, Spain, and his home country of Croatia before making the jump to the NBA in 2014. The 6’8″ forward appeared in 68 games for the Pacers during the 2014/15 season, averaging 4.8 PPG and shooting 40.6% on three-pointers in a part-time role for the club.

However, following his single season in Indiana, Rudez struggled to find regular minutes for the Timberwolves in 2015/16 and for the Magic last season. After being invited to camp with Orlando again this season, the veteran forward was cut from the club’s preseason roster, prompting him to head back to Croatia to train and stay in shape as he sought out his next opportunity.

Rudez will be joining a Valencia squad that also features former NBA players Tibor Pleiss and Erick Green, who have been the team’s leading scorers early in the 2017/18 season.

And-Ones: Childress, Coaches, Rautins, Rudez

October 24th, 2017 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

After playing in the BIG3 earlier this year and then joining the Nuggets for the preseason, veteran forward Josh Childress has signed a one-year contract with the Adelaide 36ers, the team announced in a press release. It will be the second stint in Australia for the former sixth overall pick, who played for the Sydney Kings from 2014 to 2016.

While Childress hasn’t appeared in a regular season NBA game since December 2013, his new team is excited to add him to its roster and believes he’ll make a major impact.

“It’s great to have such a veteran player on board. Josh is known in the basketball circles as a pros pro,” said Adelaide 36ers head coach Joey Wright. “Who he is and how he operates typifies what we want our program to be about; class and talent.”

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

The NBA went 532 days between head coach firings, from May 7, 2016 (Dave Joerger fired by the Grizzlies) to October 22, 2017 (Earl Watson‘s dismissal by the Suns). That stretch of head coaching stability is virtually unprecedented for the NBA, prompting Marc Stein of The New York Times to take a closer look at why the coaching climate has been so favorable as of late.
After spend time with the Raptors during training camp and the preseason, former Syracuse sharpshooter Andy Rautins is heading back overseas, signing with Turkish team Banvit (English link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
Former Magic forward Damjan Rudez, who was waived earlier this month after spending last season in Orlando, is training in his home country with Cibona Zagreb, tweets international basketball reporter David Pick. According to Pick, Rudez is discussing a deal with the Croatian team that would allow him to opt out if an NBA opportunity arises.
Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days lays out a blueprint for how the G League could play a major role if the NBA decides to lower its minimum draft age.