International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

John Wall Continues To Seek New NBA Opportunity

November 10th, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

Five-time All-Star John Wall hasn’t been on an NBA roster since he was traded from the Clippers to the Rockets and then waived by Houston in February. However, he’s still attempting to make it back into the league, as he confirmed during an appearance in Melbourne, Australia, per BasketNews.com.

Wall is in Melbourne to visit with the South East Melbourne Phoenix, the National Basketball League team he owns a stake in.

“Whenever I can help the game grow in different countries and in different places, it’s super exciting for me to be hands-on and come and watch these guys working, to let them see the type of work I put in individually at the level I’m at and trying to get back to the NBA,” said Wall, who did some workouts with the team on Friday and will watch the Phoenix in action on Sunday.

“I love the game, I still get up every morning at 6:00 am, work out. I’m still dedicated to getting back in, I think something will happen soon,” Wall continued. “For me, I still love the grind, I still love to get up and put the work in. You just saw me work out for an hour, hour-thirty. No matter what, I still love the game. If I still have the hunger and desire to be [in the NBA], I’ll continue to chase my dream to get back in. It’s just being patient, staying ready, and just letting God do his work, and being ready whenever your name is called.”

Wall is no stranger to NBA comebacks. He missed he entire 2019/20 season due to heel and Achilles injuries before returning the following season for the Rockets. He was also held out of the entire 2021/22 campaign while under contract with Houston before getting an opportunity with the Clippers last season.

While he’s no longer the explosive scorer and play-maker he was earlier in his career, Wall has put up strong offensive numbers in his two most recent seasons, averaging 16.3 points and 6.1 assists in 27.6 minutes per game across 74 total appearances (43 starts). However, his shooting line was just .405/.313/.725 during that time and injuries have diminished some of the 33-year-old’s lateral quickness on defense.

Wall, who held a private workout for teams in July, remains focused on potential NBA opportunities, though he also didn’t rule out the possibility of someday suiting up for his NBL team.

“You never know what the future might hold down the road,” Wall said when asked about the idea of playing for the Phoenix. “I’m not going to make any promises. It’s super exciting to put the jersey on. They surprised me. I came with my own workout stuff on, and they said, ‘We’ve got shorts, we’ve got a jersey.’ I turn around, I got my college number with the name on the back. … That’s some memorabilia I get to take home, and hopefully, I can get all the guys to sign it before leaving so I can put it into my little trophy case.”

And-Ones: Self, 2024 FAs, G League, Harrison, More

November 9th, 2023 at 3:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime University of Kansas head coach Bill Self has signed an amended lifetime contract with the school’s basketball program, according to a press release. The deal is worth approximately $53MM over the next five years, a source tells Jeff Goodman of The Messenger (Twitter link).

Self, who has never coached in the NBA, was mentioned a few years ago as a possible successor for Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. However, he shot down those rumors on multiple occasions and said he had no intention of leaving the Jayhawks — this latest contract agreement confirms that’s still the case.

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

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report looks ahead to 2024 NBA free agency, previewing the potential top stories and attempting to forecast landing spots for the best free agents in the class. Three Clippers stars – Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden – headline Pincus’ list.
The NBA G League announced this week that it has entered into a streaming partnership with Tubi, an ad-supported video-on-demand service. “NBA G League TV” will be the result of the union and will air more than 75 live NBAGL games on Fridays and Saturdays each season, starting tomorrow with the opening night of this year’s Showcase Cup.
After initially reporting that veteran NBA guard Shaquille Harrison was on track to finalize a contract with Olimpia Milano, Fabrizio Lorenzi of La Repubblica now says that talks between the two sides have stalled, as Sportando relays.
Following up on the report that the NBA is considering expanding its draft from one day to two days, Zach Harper of The Athletic offers his other suggestions for draft-related changes, including moving it to after free agency.
Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, Pelicans wing Matt Ryan, and Suns center Drew Eubanks are among 10 players singled out by John Hollinger of The Athletic as names who are “emerging from obscurity” and making themselves worth watching in the early going this season.

International Notes: Tubelis, Harrison, Caboclo, Whitehead

November 8th, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

After going undrafted out of Arizona earlier this year, Lithuanian power forward Azuolas Tubelis signed a two-way contract with the Sixers and spent training camp and the preseason with the NBA club. However, Philadelphia waived Tubelis during the first week of the regular season and he’s now headed back to his home country.

The Lithuanian team Rytas Vilnius announced in a press release that it has signed Tubelis to a three-year contract and will loan him to Neptunas Klaipeda for the 2023/24 season (hat tip to Eurohoops). Tubelis was in Rytas Vilnius’ system from 2018-20 prior to coming stateside and becoming a Wildcat, so the new deal represents a reunion between the two sides.

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

Shaquille Harrison appears to be headed to Italy for the 2023/24 season, with Fabrizio Lorenzi of La Repubblica reporting that the veteran NBA guard has reached an agreement to join Olimpia Milano (hat tip to Sportando). As we previously relayed, the Italian club had been eyeing guards with NBA experience as of late. Harrison, who has 180 NBA games under his belt, was in camp with the Grizzlies this fall but was cut before the season began.
After Bruno Caboclo signed with KK Partizan on Tuesday, his agency – Hazan Sports Management – explained to Sportando that the forward had only signed a “preliminary” contract and not an official contract with Reyer Venezia, so FIBA allowed his release from that agreement. Reyer Venezia isn’t happy with that explanation, however — the Italian team released a blistering statement referring to FIBA’s ruling as “unfair” and accusing Caboclo’s representatives and KK Partizan of engaging in “illicit conduct.” Reyer intends to contest the decision through the FIBA Appeals Panel.
Former NBA guard Isaiah Whitehead, who played 89 games for Brooklyn from 2016-18, spoke to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com about his harrowing exit from Israel last month, which began when he woke up one morning to the sound of “missiles (and) bombs.” Whitehead had been playing for Ironi Ness Ziona but hopes to get his release from that contract in order to join a new team in Europe. “I’m still under contract in Israel so I gotta figure everything out and see what the exit clause would be,” he told Zagoria.

And-Ones: All-Star Game, Bronny, Caboclo, BAL

November 7th, 2023 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

Having made the decision to revert back to the East vs. West format and a standard 12-minute fourth quarter for the 2024 All-Star Game, commissioner Adam Silver tells Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s Andscape that the NBA is also planning additional changes in the hopes of improving the game’s level of play.

As Silver explains, a conversation with Chris Paul made him realize that the All-Star Game’s alterations to pregame and halftime protocols – including longer pregame introductions and an extended musical performance at the half – disrupt players’ typical routines and making them more inclined to treat it like a meaningless exhibition.

“I’ll take responsibility for that,” Silver told Spears. “We’re sending mixed signals. And if we want guys to treat this like a real game, and again, this is not about Finals intensity, it’s just a fun game. But if we want players to treat it that way, we have to treat it that way. And so, it means that the introduction is going to have to be a little bit shorter and halftime’s going to have to be a little bit more typical, starting in Indianapolis.

“… I anticipate we’ll still have halftime entertainment. But it won’t be as long,” Silver continued. “I recognize this is not the Super Bowl. It’s an All-Star Game. It’s a different vibe, and we can still have an entertaining halftime but get the guys back on the floor in a more reasonable time. When it comes to the [All-Star] Game, we just got to make it clear to everybody involved, coaches included, that we’re looking for a basketball game.”

The NBA’s All-Star Game will be played in Indianapolis in 2024 and in San Francisco in 2025.

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

LeBron James offered an update on his son Bronny James on Monday, telling reporters – including ESPN’s Dave McMenamin – that Bronny will undergo a medical examination later this month following his July cardiac arrest. If he passes that exam, the plan is for Bronny to return to practice for USC with the intention of playing this season, according to LeBron.
Former NBA first-round pick Bruno Caboclo has signed a contract with KK Partizan, the Serbian team announced today in a press release. While Caboclo’s new deal with Partizan runs through the 2024/25 season, Italian club Reyer Venezia has maintained that it holds the rights to the forward for the ’23/24 campaign after signing him earlier this year, so it’s unclear whether or not Caboclo has officially negotiated his release from that contract.
The NBA announced on Tuesday that the Basketball Africa League’s fourth season will tip off in March 2024 and will expand to South Africa for the first time in league history.
While it’s not necessarily surprising that the Nuggets and Celtics have looked like the NBA’s best teams through the season’s first two weeks, it’s impressive that the two clubs have played so well early on after overhauling their rotations during the offseason, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic.

Eric Bledsoe Re-Signs With Shanghai Sharks

November 4th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime NBA guard Eric Bledsoe is heading back overseas, having re-signed with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to the team (link via Dario Skerletic of Sportando).

Bledsoe played for the Sharks last season after spending 12 years in the NBA and appearing in more than 800 career regular season and playoff games for the Clippers, Suns, Bucks, and Pelicans.

Known for his athleticism and perimeter defense, Bledsoe averaged 13.7 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 756 regular season games (27.8 MPG) as an NBA player, with a shooting line of .452/.336/.784. He last played in the NBA in 2021/22, starting 29 of 54 games for the Clippers and recording 9.9 PPG, 4.2 APG, and 3.4 RPG in 25.2 MPG.

In Shanghai last season, Bledsoe put up 17.6 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 5.8 RPG on .435/.332/.714 shooting in 29 games (22.6 MPG).

The 33-year-old’s season came to an unusual end when the Sharks were disqualified from the CBA postseason amid match-fixing allegations. Bledsoe, who was serving a suspension during the games in question, distanced himself from the allegations and apparently feels comfortable rejoining the team for the 2023/24 season.

Trevor Hudgins Signing With Le Mans

November 4th, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Tristan Tucker

Former Rockets two-way guard Trevor Hudgins is signing with French club Le Mans, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia (Twitter link).

Hudgins joined Houston on a two-way contract after going undrafted out of Northwest Missouri State in 2022. He appeared in just five NBA games with the team, playing in 5.6 minutes per contest.

Hudgins had a more productive stint in the G League, where he averaged 18.6 points, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 46 regular season and Showcase Cup games. He was also a strong three-point shooter for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, hitting 38.3% of his 11.5 deep-ball attempts per game, propelling the Vipers to the G League Finals where they eventually fell to the Delaware Blue Coats.

The 6’0″ guard accepted his two-way qualifying offer with the Rockets this offseason but was waived at the NBA’s roster cutdown deadline in October. The Rockets used the two-way slot opened by waiving Hudgins to sign Nate Hinton to a two-way deal.

Hudgins was eligible to sign a two-way deal with another team after being waived, though it’s unclear whether he received any further NBA interest. It’s also possible that his deal with Le Mans comes with more money than a two-way deal, and he gets the chance to be a feature player for the club.

And-Ones: Buzelis, Jenkins, Draft-Rights Players, More

November 3rd, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Matas Buzelis, a projected top-three pick in the 2024 NBA draft, tells Sam Yip of HoopsHype that there wasn’t a specific former player for the G League Ignite that influenced him to take that path before becoming draft-eligible — he simply thought it would be the best way for him to prepare for the NBA.

“I picked Ignite because at the end of the day you want to be a professional basketball player – that’s everyone’s goal,” Buzelis said. “So, why take a different route like college where you’re not playing NBA rules? You get to play NBA threes, shot clocks, everything. So it’s pretty much like a cheat code, I’d say.”

Buzelis singled out former NBA shooting guard John Jenkins, currently a member of the Ignite, as the teammate that has stood out the most to him early in his G League stint. According to Buzelis, Jenkins taught him to take care of his body by establishing a training routine, which is something he “didn’t really have” before this year.

“He was in the NBA before for like three NBA teams,” Buzelis said. “He’s like 32 years old and still killing. Taking care of his body and everything. So I take example from him that I can play a long time.”

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

Within an interesting story about the rise of multi-team NBA trades in recent years, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports provides an interesting tidbit on the guidelines governing trades of players’ draft rights. According to Fischer, in order for a draft-rights player to be traded, he must have been selected in one of the nine most recent drafts. In multi-team deals, the player must have been selected in one of last five drafts — or nine, if he earned a spot on the most recent All-EuroLeague team. Luka Mitrovic, the player whose draft rights were traded from the Kings to the Clippers in a deal this week, was picked nine drafts ago.
The second tax apron introduced in the NBA’s newest Collective Bargaining Agreement will make roster-building much more challenging for high-salary teams beginning in 2024. However, as Danny Leroux of The Athletic details, many current taxpayers are taking advantage of the transition rules in place during the 2023/24 season to make big moves that won’t be possible starting next offseason.
Italian team Olimpia Milano has been in the market for backcourt help, with head coach Ettore Messina acknowledging that Kendrick Nunn and Carlik Jones were among the players with NBA experience on the team’s radar, per Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. Nunn ended up in Greece while Jones is continuing his career in China, so Milan will have to continue weighing its free agent options.

And-Ones: Chiozza, Haliburton, Edwards, Team USA, Olympics

November 1st, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA point guard Chris Chiozza will continue his playing career in Spain, having signed with Baskonia through the end of the 2023/24 season, according to a press release from the team.

Chiozza appeared in 91 total regular season games for the Rockets, Wizards, Nets, and Warriors between 2018-22. After seeing NBA action in four straight seasons, he was waived by Brooklyn last October and wasn’t in the league in 2022/23.

However, Chiozza thrived for the Long Island Nets in the G League last season, averaging 12.6 points and 9.1 assists in 34.1 minutes per game across 46 total regular season and Showcase Cup contests, with a .433/.404/.729 shooting line. The performance earned him a spot on the All-NBAGL Third Team — but not another NBA opportunity this fall.

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

Speaking to Joe Vardon of The Athletic about his experience competing in the FIBA World Cup this summer, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said that he and Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards were “recruiting each other” during their team with Team USA and that they both believe they’re deserving of spots on the U.S. roster for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Team USA has secured Olympic berths in both men’s and women’s 3-on-3 basketball, making the U.S. the first national basketball federation to earn spots in Paris in all four basketball competitions (men’s and women’s 5-on-5 and 3-on-3), per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Former NBA lottery pick Jimmer Fredette is expected to be part of Team USA’s 3-on-3 roster at the 2024 Olympics. “People are starting to understand a little bit about 3-on-3, what it is, and as they do, they’re like, ‘Oh, this is kind of a cool sport,'” Fredette said. “We’ve been trying to raise awareness, build a program and become the best in the world at it. We’re headed that direction, but we’re not there yet.”
The fact that James Harden ultimately got the trade he sought to his preferred destination in Los Angeles is proof that player empowerment remains very much alive in the NBA, Vincent Goodwill writes in a column for Yahoo Sports.

Carlik Jones Signs With Zhejiang Golden Bulls

November 1st, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent guard Carlik Jones has signed with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to an announcement from agent Josh Goodwin (Instagram link; hat tip to Eurohoops.net).

It has been a big year for Jones, who was named the 2023 G League MVP after averaging 26.1 points per game on .483/.360/.789 shooting in 24 regular season appearances (38.3 MPG) for the Windy City Bulls. He also contributed 7.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds per night. That performance helped earned him a promotion from his two-way contract to Chicago’s standard roster in March.

Jones then represented South Sudan during this summer’s World Cup, helping the program claim a spot in the 12-team Olympic field for the first time ever. The 25-year-old had some huge games against international competition, averaging a double-double (20.4 PPG, 10.6 APG) in five World Cup contests.

However, Jones’ 2023/24 salary was non-guaranteed, so he became a cap casualty ahead of the regular season. The Bulls waived him, opting to carry an open spot on their 15-man roster to begin the season for financial reasons.

While Jones would have been eligible to sign a two-way contract with any team, it’s unclear if he received NBA interest after being cut by Chicago. His new deal in China may come with a higher salary than a two-way contract, and will certainly give him a more substantial role than he would’ve had on an NBA roster.

Kendrick Nunn Signs With Panathinaikos

October 31st, 2023 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

10:56am: Panathinaikos has made it official, announcing in a press release that Nunn has signed with the team through the end of the 2023/24 season.

9:46am: Free agent guard Kendrick Nunn has reportedly agreed to sign with the Greek team Panathinaikos.

Team owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos announced in an Instagram story (Twitter video link) that Nunn would be joining Panathinaikos, as BasketNews.com relays. According to Alexandros Trigas of Sport24.com, Nunn will receive a rest-of-season deal that will be worth in the neighborhood of 1.5 to 2 million Euros.

Nunn, 28, has spent the last four seasons in the NBA, playing in 193 total regular season games for the Heat, Lakers, and Wizards. A knee injury during his first year in Los Angeles sidelined him for the entire 2021/22 season. While that injury derailed his career to some extent, the former undrafted free agent returned last season and appeared in 70 games for L.A. and Washington.

Nunn got off to a slow start in 2022/23, but finished strong after being traded to D.C. in the Rui Hachimura deal. In 31 games as a Wizard, he averaged 7.5 points and 1.8 assists in 14.1 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .447/.392/.900.

That solid second half wasn’t enough to earn Nunn a spot on an NBA roster this fall, however. Rumors linking him to European teams – including Olympiacos and Olimpia Milano – persisted throughout the offseason, and it appears he got more serious about pursuing an opportunity overseas once the NBA season got underway and he still didn’t have a deal in place.

Panathinaikos – which also features former NBA players like Juancho Hernangomez, Luca Vildoza, Kyle Guy, Kostas Antetokounmpo, and Jerian Grant – competes in the EuroLeague as well as the Greek Basket League. The team is off to a 2-3 start in EuroLeague games but is 4-0 in domestic competition.