International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Rumors: Ellington, Haslem, Smart, Hawks

July 6th, 2017 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

The belief among Heat players is that Wayne Ellington will be back with the team next season, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Ellington is a candidate to be released within the next 48 hours or so, since his $6.27MM salary for 2017/18 – currently non-guaranteed – will become fully guaranteed if he remains under contract.

Even if the Heat ultimately decide that they need to waive Ellington to create some extra cap room for another move, that doesn’t necessarily rule out his return — the team could eventually re-sign him to a deal worth the $4.3MM room exception, if he’s open to accepting a pay cut.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Reynolds provides another Heat-related tidbit, tweeting that Udonis Haslem is on the Cavaliers‘ radar. Haslem, who has spent his entire career in Miami, wants to stay with the Heat, and that looks like the most probable outcome. But a conversation between Haslem and the Cavs is likely, per Reynolds.
On Wednesday, an ESPN report indicated that the Celtics had called the Knicks about Marcus Smart, but New York’s level of interest in Smart was unclear. Following up on that story, Marc Berman of The New York Post reports that the Knicks do indeed have interest in Smart and are considering trade options as a way of filling part or all of their remaining cap space.
Italian forward Nicolo Melli received a contract offer from the Hawks, according to international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link). However, Pick reports that Melli has turned down that offer and will sign a multiyear pact with Fenerbahce in Turkey. Per Sportando (Twitter link), Melli’s new deal isn’t done yet, but will be within a few days.
The Raptors are the latest team to line up a deal to add a sponsored patch to their jersey, according to TSN’s Rick Westhead, who reports that Toronto has signed a three-year agreement with insurance company Sun Life Financial. The deal will pay Raptors ownership more than $5MM annually, sources tell Westhead. The list of NBA clubs that have agreed to jersey sponsorship deals can be found here.

Sixers Sign Furkan Korkmaz To Rookie Contract

July 4th, 2017 at 3:41pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 4, 3:41pm: The Sixers have officially signed Korkmaz to his rookie contract, the team announced today in a press release.

JUNE 30, 1:25pm: The Sixers aren’t quite ready to confirm an agreement with Korkmaz, with both Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer and Jessica Camerato of CSPhilly.com reporting (via Twitter) that the team is still working on the details of his FIBA clearance and buyout. However, both Pompey and Camerato hear that it “very well” may happen.

12:51pm: A cryptic tweet from Furkan Korkmaz‘ agent today appears to signal that the 2016 first-rounder will be coming to Philadelphia for the 2017/18 season. Agent Misko Raznatovic took to Twitter to announce that Sixers fans will have a reason to drink Turkish beer, a reference to his client Korkmaz, who is a Turkish shooting guard. Anadolu Efes, Korkmaz’ current team in Turkey, has since confirmed that he’ll be headed to the NBA, according to David Pick (Twitter link).

Korkmaz had expressed a strong desire to come stateside this year, and head coach Brett Brown indicated after last week’s draft that he expected the 19-year-old to make the leap to the NBA. Korkmaz, who spent the 2016/17 season on loan to Banvit, averaged 10.8 PPG and shot 39.8% on three-pointers in 21 Turkish League games.

Korkmaz’ buyout with Anadolu Efes was believed to be a roadblock in the way of his potential move to the Sixers. That buyout is reportedly worth two million euros, and NBA teams are only allowed to pay up to $675K of an international buyout. For Korkmaz to officially sign with the Sixers, he’ll have to pay off the rest of the buyout himself, likely in installments. Eurohoops reports that the two sides are in negotiations now on that buyout.

Assuming Korkmaz finalizes a deal, he’ll be subject to the 2017/18 rookie scale. As the 26th overall pick last year, Korkmaz would be in line for the same contract as Caleb Swanigan, this year’s No. 26 pick. As I detailed last week, that deal figures to be worth $1,465,920 in 2017/18, and a total of $8,904,867 over four years.

While Korkmaz is poised to sign with the Sixers, one of the team’s 2017 first-rounders, Anzejs Pasecniks, is said to be staying in Spain for the upcoming season.

Latest On Cedi Osman, Cavs

June 30th, 2017 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman is heading to Cleveland to meet with Cavaliers staff, according to international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Pick reports that Osman has informed his Turkish team, Anadolu Efes, that he’ll pull the trigger on his NBA opt-out worth $1MM.

Osman, a 22-year-old wing, was the 31st overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, but has remained in Turkey for the last two seasons. In 2016/17, he averaged a team-high 13.4 PPG in 34 Turkish League games for Anadolu Efes, chipping in 4.2 RPG and 1.6 SPG.

We heard earlier today that the Cavs have been in discussions with Osman, though it wasn’t clear the team would have the flexibility to sign him this offseason, since the Cavs will likely be limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception (worth $5.192MM) and may not want to dedicate most or all of it to a 22-year-old prospect.

For what it’s worth, Pick’s report doesn’t explicitly state that the Cavs have an agreement in place with Osman. While signing with Cleveland would be Osman’s easiest path to the NBA, the Cavs could still trade his rights to another club. Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net noted earlier today (via Twitter) that the Spurs are interested in Osman, though the two teams haven’t yet discussed a possible deal.

Anzejs Pasecniks To Play Next Season In Spain

June 30th, 2017 at 8:11am CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers first-round pick Anzejs Pasecniks will remain with his Spanish team next season, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Pasecniks may ultimately be the only first-rounder from the 2017 draft who doesn’t sign with his new NBA team this summer.

Pasecniks, a 21-year-old Latvian center, has committed to another year with CB Gran Canaria, where he averaged 7.8 points and 3.1 rebounds this past season.

Pasecniks was selected by the Magic with the 25th pick in last Thursday’s draft, but his rights were traded to Philadelphia in exchange for a pair of 2020 draft picks. He was one of four players selected in by the Sixers, but three of those players figure to spend at least one more season playing overseas, as Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com tweeted last week.

Jonah Bolden, Mathias Lessort, and – of course – Markelle Fultz were also drafted by the 76ers.

Suns Expected To Sign Mike James

June 27th, 2017 at 7:35pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Mike James is expected to sign with the Suns, international basketball journalist David Pick suggests (link via Twitter). Pick describes James as “EuroLeague’s most electrifying combo guard.”

The exact details of James’ and the Suns’ commitment are not yet known, but this sounds to be more than just a Summer League deal. Whatever the terms of the contract may be, it cannot become official until the new league year.

This James, not to be confused with NBA veteran Mike James, has yet to play in the NBA and last suited up for Panathinaikos in 2016/17. He did, however, play for the Suns during the 2015 NBA Summer League. In Greece last season, he averaged 13.0 PPG and 3.0 APG on a .490 FG%.

And-Ones: JVG, Award Votes, Singleton, Wanamaker

June 27th, 2017 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

After a decade of rumors about his possible return to the sidelines, ABC and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy has finally landed a new coaching gig — but it’s not an NBA job. As Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical details, Van Gundy has agreed to coach USA Basketball as Team USA attempts to qualify for the 2019 World Cup.

Last month, we heard that the Team USA roster for the World Cup qualifiers wouldn’t feature NBA players. Instead, USA Basketball will put together a squad primarily made up of G League players. Wojnarowski notes that the roster may also include Americans playing in international leagues. Assuming Team USA qualifies for the 2019 World Cup, which shouldn’t be an issue, NBA players figure to take it from there, while Gregg Popovich will take over for Van Gundy as the club’s coach.

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

The NBA has published the full voting results for all of its 2016/17 awards, so if you’re dying to know who gave Isaiah Thomas his only All-Defensive vote, you can find out right here.
EuroLeague star Chris Singleton has interviews lined up with two NBA teams, and is poised to opt out of his contract with Panathinaikos if he receives an NBA opportunity, tweets international reporter David Pick. However, Singleton’s teammate Kenny Gabriel will remain with Panathinaikos, having opted to pass on a non-guaranteed NBA offer, per Pick (Twitter link).
Pick also provides an update on Brad Wanamaker, reporting (via Twitter) that Brad Wanamaker is putting Euroleague offers on hold in the hopes of securing an NBA deal with the Pelicans or Celtics. Wanamaker, who played for Turkey’s Darussafaka last season, was voted to 2016/17’s All-EuroLeague team.
Bobby Marks of The Vertical identifies his top 20 free agents for 2017, with a pair of Warriors topping the list.

Celtics Renounce Rights To Marcus Thornton

June 26th, 2017 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have renounced their rights to 2015 second-round pick Marcus Thornton, per RealGM’s transactions log. According to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (via Twitter), Boston made the move at Thornton’s request, since he’d like the opportunity to play for another team in Summer League.

Thornton, 24, was the 45th overall pick out of William & Mary in the 2015 draft. He shares a name with a veteran shooting guard, but this isn’t the LSU alum who spent the 2016/17 season with the Wizards — this Thornton has yet to make his NBA debut.

Since being drafted by the Celtics two years ago, Thornton has primarily played international ball, with a brief 2016 stint for the Maine Red Claws sandwich in between overseas stops. In 2016/17, Thornton spent the season with Italian team Consultinvest Pesaro, averaging 13.5 PPG on .436/.342/.747 shooting.

Renouncing Thornton won’t free up any cap room for the Celtics, since draft-and-stash prospects who were second-round picks don’t count against the cap. The move simply looks like an act of good will by the C’s, who didn’t anticipate having a spot on their NBA roster for Thornton anytime soon.

Knicks Notes: Rose, Ntilikina, Jaramaz, Jackson

June 25th, 2017 at 11:14am CST by Arthur Hill

Derrick Rose‘s agent, B.J. Armstrong, would like to meet with the Knicks before free agency begins Saturday, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. New York could head off Rose’s free agency by working out an extension this week, and team president Phil Jackson said, “We’re listening,” when asked about that possibility. Rose has been cleared for running and contact after surgery in April to fix a torn meniscus. “It’s a matter of wanting to hear from them and their vision of what the team is trying to do,” Armstrong said. “We stated our intention … once we got traded there, we want to be in New York. At the same time, we have to see what it is and go from there. Let’s listen and gather information.’’

The Timberwolves are expected to be a contender for Rose, with one GM telling Berman that Minnesota coach/executive Tom Thibodeau would bring in all his former Bulls players if he had the opportunity. The Wolves, who traded for Jimmy Butler on Thursday, talked to the Knicks about a swap of Rose and Ricky Rubio in February, but pulled out before the deal could be completed. Sources told Berman that others in the Minnesota organization convinced Thibodeau not to make the trade because Rose wouldn’t be guaranteed to stay.

There’s more news out of New York:

Knicks fans chanted “Fire Phil” at the draft and booed owner James Dolan as his band played across town, but there was no negative reception for first-rounder Frank Ntilikina, writes Steve Popper of USA Today. The French point guard provides optimism and enthusiasm for an organization that can’t seem to escape chaos. “What I will bring to the Knicks, actually a lot of hope,” Ntilikina said. “I think I’m a player who will trust the process, work hard, and definitely try to be the best player I can be, who will give energy. I think I’m a team point guard and shooting guard actually. I’ll just try to make my teammates be better every day, and I think I can play defense, too.”
ESPN’s Frank Fraschilla, an expert on international prospects, thinks Ntilikina has a bright future in the NBA, but not the Knicks’ No. 58 pick, Berman notes in a separate story. Serbian Ognjen Jaramaz is a draft-and-stash player who might never make it onto the Knicks’ roster. “Chances are he’ll never play in the NBA and Knicks fans will never see him other than summer league,’’ Fraschilla said. “He’s an older international kid, very limited upside. He’s a hard-nosed competitor but not really a great athlete or shooter.”
Drafting an 18-year-old and seemingly launching a youth movement are signs that Jackson is planning to stay in New York for a long time, writes Mike Lupica of The New York Daily News. Lupica notes that with a $12MM-a-year-salary and no chance to return to the Lakers now that a new management team is in place, Jackson has nothing but time.

Bulls In Mix For Milos Teodosic?

June 20th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by marksuleymanov

If Milos Teodosic decides to leave Europe for the NBA, the Bulls appear to be a possible landing spot, according to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops. The Bulls are reportedly willing to offer Teodosic a multiyear contract worth more than CSKA Moscow’s reported offer of 12 million euros over three seasons.

After a weekend report claimed CSKA upped its initial offer to Teodosic, a separate report suggested that the Russian team’s offer has not been changed and is considered “final.”

Varlas quotes several NBA general managers who claim that Teodosic is the best player not signed to an NBA squad. The 30-year-old Serbian guard has been a productive player in Europe, averaging exactly 16.1 PPG the last two seasons while averaging 6.5 APG over the last three.

The Nets‘ acquisition of D’Angelo Russell earlier today may have eliminated a notable suitor for Teodosic’s services, as NetsDaily points out. Brooklyn has been mentioned all year as a possible landing spot for the Euroleague star, but with Russell and Jeremy Lin at the point guard spot, it no longer appears to be a position of need for the Nets.

Still, it seems that Teodosic will have no shortage of suitors no matter where he decides to play next season. Various reports have named the Jazz, Kings, Heat, and Nuggets as other NBA clubs that could be in the mix for the point guard’s services.

Latest On Milos Teodosic, CSKA Moscow

June 19th, 2017 at 7:49am CST by Arthur Hill

JUNE 19, 7:49am: A CKSA Moscow source tells international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link) that CSKA hasn’t upped its offer to Teodosic since the team made its initial proposal following the Euroleague finale. That offer is viewed as “final,” per Pick.

JUNE 18, 10:11am: CSKA Moscow has made a substantially higher offer to free agent guard Milos Teodosic, who is expected to be pursued by several NBA teams this summer, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

The latest offer from the Russian powerhouse is five years at 30 million euros — about the equivalent of $33.9MM — with an “important role as a leader” when his playing days are finished. It represents a significant increase from the three-year, $13.5MM package that CSKA offered when the season ended.

The Nets are expected to aggressively pursue Teodosic, who is one of the top players outside the NBA and who made a splash at the 2016 Olympics. International writer David Pick has relayed that the 30-year-old guard will be seeking a three-year deal worth $25MM to $30MM. The Heat, Kings, Nuggets and Jazz have also expressed interest in Teodosic.

Coming off a third-place finish in this year’s Euroleague, Teodosic plans to take time to contemplate his next move.

“We had a great season, which was very difficult given the new Euroleague format. Unfortunately, we did not win there, but had better success in the VTB United League,” Teodosic told the Russian news agency TASS this week. “Now I want to have a good rest and decide where to continue my career. At the moment I’m lost in thought.”