International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Postseason Awards, Fernandez, SLC Summer League, Players’ Poll

April 22nd, 2024 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA revealed the finalists for seven postseason awards on Sunday. The league will begin announcing the winners on Tuesday, the NBA’s communications department tweets.

The Most Improved Player award will be announced on Tuesday. Tyrese Maxey, Alperen Sengun and Coby White are the finalists. The Sixth Man of the Year award winner will be revealed on Wednesday, followed by the Clutch Player of the Year (Thursday) and Coach of the Year (Sunday).

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The Nets’ hiring of Jordi Fernandez as their head coach won’t affect his status with Team Canada. Fernandez will coach their national team at the Paris Olympics, Canada Basketball tweets.
The Salt Lake City Summer League will take place July 8-10 at the Jazz’s Delta Center, according to a press release. The Jazz, Grizzlies, Thunder and Sixers will once again compete in the round-robin summer showcase, which precedes the Las Vegas Summer League.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Josh Robbins compiled poll results from 142 NBA players on a variety of topics. Nikola Jokic topped Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP, while Michael Jordan edged out LeBron James for Greatest Player of All Time. A majority of the players chose James Johnson as the player they’d least like to fight.

And-Ones: Weis, Embiid, Cook, Goodwin, Gambling

April 21st, 2024 at 8:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former French center Frederic Weis ripped Joel Embiid for choosing Team USA over France in the Paris Olympics, Eurohoops.net relays. Weis, a 1999 first-round draft pick of the Knicks who never played in the NBA, made his comments on French station RMC.

Embiid reportedly told French officials in 2021 he would play for their national team. “I think he doesn’t have any respect for France and also for all the people who are asking for a French passport and don’t get it,” Weis said. “And under the pretext that he is a great athlete, he got it. I find it scandalous, I find it embarrassing. I don’t care about his excuses, cause they are his words, and his words mean nothing.”

We have more from around the international basketball world:

Former NBA guard Quinn Cook has signed with Puerto Rico’s Cangrejeros de Santurce, the team announced (via Twitter). Cook hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2020/21 season.
Cook takes the roster spot of another former NBA guard, Brandon Goodwin, who has signed with another Puerto Rican club, Gigantes de Carolina, according to the team’s Instagram feed. Goodwin last appeared in the NBA during the 2021/22 campaign, when he saw action in 36 Cavaliers games.
Jontay Porter‘s ban from the NBA due to a gambling-related scandal could become the new norm for the NBA and other sports who have embraced betting sites, Kevin Draper and Tanai Ganguli of the New York Times write in an in-depth feature.

And-Ones: Team USA, Tiebreakers, W. Bynum, J. Parker, Barton

April 17th, 2024 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Olympics are still three months away, but Grant Hill – USA Basketball’s managing director for the men’s team – didn’t see any reason to wait until the summer to announce the team, given that the program already knew which 12 players it wanted to take to Paris, Hill said on a conference call on Wednesday, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“We knew,” Hill said. “We didn’t necessarily plan it that way, but we knew this was the team that we wanted and we also know that there’ll be a lot of interest and a lot of people who will want to be along for this incredible journey we’re about to be on. So if we know, why wait?”

Of course, with two months of NBA playoff basketball on tap, it’s possible that one or more of the players Team USA selected for its roster will suffer an injury that prevents him from suiting up in France. Hill said USA Basketball is prepared for that possibility, pointing out that there will be plenty of time to name any necessary replacements.

“We have shown in years past that we’ve had to make changes, and we do have time in the event that something unforeseen were to happen, that we have a contingency plan and we have that at every position,” Hill said. “We hope that that doesn’t happen. But you think back to [the Tokyo Olympics in] 2021, that was the case. And I think, going through this process, you have to learn to expect at times the unexpected, be able to adapt and adjust.”

Hill said that naming the 12-man roster early will allow Team USA to begin the chemistry-building process sooner rather than later. As Bontemps writes, Hill suggested that if schedules allow for it, he’d like to have the U.S. players and coaches “jump on a Zoom” in the not-too-distant future.

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The NBA intends to tweak its end-of-season seeding tiebreaker rules to include the results of that year’s in-season tournament, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links). According to Charania, the league’s general managers will vote on whether to make advancement in the NBA Cup the first tiebreaker or whether to make it the second tiebreaker after head-to-head results.
Will Bynum, the former NBA guard who appeared in 360 regular season games for the Warriors, Pistons, and Wizards from 2005-15, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud the NBA’s health and welfare benefit plan, according to an Associated Press report. Bynum joins Keyon Dooling (30 months) and alleged ringleader Terrence Williams (10 years) as former NBA players who have been sentenced to prison time so far as a result of the fraud case.
Former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker, who signed with FC Barcelona, has agreed to extend his stay in Spain, signing a new contract with Barca Basquet that runs through 2026, the team announced in a press release.
Will Barton‘s stint with CB Granada in Spain is over after just three games, according to a press release. Barton signed with the Spanish team just over a month ago, but has since returned stateside. Granada said in its statement that it “appreciates the attitude and professionalism” the veteran wing showed in his brief time with the club.

Ryan Dunn, Nikola Djurisic Enter 2024 NBA Draft

April 16th, 2024 at 9:08am CST by Luke Adams

Virginia forward Ryan Dunn has opted to enter the 2024 NBA draft following his sophomore season and suggested in a statement to Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he’s prepared to forgo his remaining college eligibility to go pro.

“I had an amazing two years at UVA,” Dunn said. “I’m focused on the next step in my life now. I got really good feedback from the NBA and am ready for the next level. I am all in.”

As Givony details, Dunn was considered one of the best defensive players in all of college basketball this past season, but his shot didn’t develop as NBA evaluators had hoped. The 6’8″ forward averaged just 8.1 points per game while making 7-of-35 three-pointers (20.0%) and 41-of-77 free throws (53.2%). He told ESPN that he plans to focus on improving his shooting during his workouts this spring.

Despite some shortcomings on offense, Dunn is still the No. 31 prospect on ESPN’s board and is viewed as a possible first-round pick after averaging 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 27.5 minutes per game as a full-time starter as a sophomore.

[RELATED: 2024 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]

Meanwhile, Serbian wing Nikola Djurisic has also declared for the 2024 NBA draft, per agent Misko Raznatovic (Twitter link).

The No. 78 prospect on ESPN’s board, Djurisic has been under contract with Mega Basket in Serbia since 2020. The 20-year-old, who was named the ABA League Top Prospect a year ago, has averaged 14.4 PPG, 3.4 APG, and 2.8 RPG in 26 games (30.7 MPG) this season, with a shooting line of .454/.330/.739.

The rules governing eligibility for NCAA players don’t apply to international prospects, so Djurisic will have the option of removing his name from the draft anytime up until the NBA’s June 16 withdrawal deadline. He also tested the draft waters a year ago before pulling out in June.

And-Ones: Australia, McLemore, York, Jerebko, Calipari, Klutch

April 11th, 2024 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Australian national team has revealed its preliminary roster for the 2024 Olympics, announcing a list of 22 players that are in the mix to play in Paris. That group will have to be cut down to 12 players ahead of this summer’s tournament.

Australia’s preliminary roster includes several NBAers, including Thunder guard Josh Giddey, Mavericks guard Dante Exum, Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle and big man Duop Reath, Mavericks wing Josh Green, Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels, Magic forward Joe Ingles, Heat guard Patty Mills, Rockets center Jock Landale, and Grizzlies forward Jack White.

As Olgun Uluc of ESPN notes, the newest addition to the Boomers’ roster is 19-year-old Johnny Furphy, who played for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2023/24 and is projected by ESPN to be a potential first-round pick in this year’s draft.

The most notable absence is Ben Simmons, as the Nets guard underwent back surgery last month that will sideline him for the Olympics. Simmons doesn’t have much history with the Australian national team, so it’s unclear if he would’ve been part of the Boomers’ roster in Paris even if he’d been healthy.

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

Former NBA guard Ben McLemore was arrested and jailed this week in Oregon and faces multiple felony sexual assault charges, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN. The charges, which include first-degree rape, stem from an alleged incident in 2021, when McLemore was a member of the Trail Blazers.
Former NBA guard Gabe York, who appeared in five games for the Pacers across two seasons from 2021-23, has signed with Basquet Girona, the Spanish team announced this week in a press release. York played for the G League Ignite earlier this season.
Following a two-year hiatus from basketball, Swedish forward Jonas Jerebko is making a comeback, having signed with Puerto Rican team Santeros de Aguada, according to Eurohoops. Jerebko, who turned 37 last month, appeared in 635 NBA regular season games for four teams from 2009-19. He last played professionally for CSKA Moscow in 2022.
Shams Charania and Kyle Tucker of The Athletic take an in-depth look at John Calipari‘s decision to leave Kentucky for Arkansas after 15 years with the Wildcats, detailing how Calipari’s deal with the Razorbacks came about.
One Legacy Sports Management, led by veteran agent Mike George, is becoming part of Klutch Sports, CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Jamal Murray, Dillon Brooks, and Shaedon Sharpe are among George’s clients, per RealGM.

And-Ones: Porter, Gasol, Hall Of Fame, Carter, Cooper

April 7th, 2024 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Porter Jr. made his European debut on Saturday, scoring 14 points in his first game with PAOK in Greece. Porter had just one point before halftime, according to a Eurohoops report, but he began driving to the basket more frequently in the second half.

“It was good, honestly,” Porter said. “I didn’t play up to my level, of course. I had a slow start, but playing with this group of guys, they made sure that I stayed positive. The chemistry on this team is beautiful. It wasn’t down. It was always joyful out there. I haven’t been on the court like that and played regulation in a long time. So it’s good to have a group of guys like that to lift me up when I started off slow. It was dope.”

The former Rockets guard is hoping to revive his career, which was derailed by an assault case involving his former girlfriend, ex-WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick. Porter said there are a lot of adjustments in Europe, such as a smaller court and a different style of play, but he already likes his new surroundings.

“I’ve only been here five days and feel at home,” Porter added. “It’s how the team welcomed me and the fans who were at the airport, and I met them every day. I don’t know exactly what I will do in the future, but I will return here again.”

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Many of Marc Gasol‘s former teammates were on hand Saturday in Memphis for his jersey retirement ceremony, per John Hollinger of The Athletic. The event represented a throwback to the Grizzlies‘ “Grit N Grind Era” as the “Core Four” of Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Tony Allen were together on the court for the first time since 2017. “I had a very unique perspective because I came as 16-year-old (to watch his older brother, Pau),” Gasol said. “I had the perspective of a fan, of what is expected from the team in Memphis, and then followed the team in Spain. When I came back as a Grizzlies player, I carried that with me, and I carried that kind of pride. And I hope everyone enjoyed what they saw for so many years.”
In a separate story, Hollinger calls for changes to the selection process for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He argues that the voting shouldn’t be kept secret and contends the Hall contains too many “outliers” and “contributors” instead of just recognizing historically great players.
Vince Carter learned about his Hall of Fame selection on April Fool’s Day, so his first thought was that it might be a prank, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Once Carter realized the call was legitimate, he was overwhelmed by the honor. “You think about the people that are in there. … It’s mind blowing for me,” he said at his press conference. “And I enjoy playing the game of basketball every day, and I’m just overjoyed now that my career is over, like somebody said, the cherry on top: This is it.”
Magic Johnson is thrilled to see longtime teammate Michael Cooper receive Hall of Fame recognition, telling Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, “My boy made it! My boy made it! My boy Coop made the Hall of Fame! Damn! I was hollering, man, when I heard it. I couldn’t believe it. I was so excited for him, man.”

And-Ones: K. Smith, NBL, Salary Cap, Ishbia, Gilbert

April 6th, 2024 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA champion and current TNT analyst Kenny Smith is getting involved in Australia’s National Basketball League, according to a press release. Smith has been appointed as the head of the NBL’s Next Stars player initiative and will “actively recruit, develop and mentor new Next Stars players” in that role.

The Next Stars initiative has served as an alternative to college basketball (or to the G League Ignite) for NBA prospects who are not yet draft-eligible, with LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey, R.J. Hampton, and Ousmane Dieng among the notable players who have chosen that path. Alexandre Sarr, a candidate to be this year’s No. 1 overall pick, is currently in the program.

“Legitimate pathways to the NBA are evolving, and the NBL has a proven track record of getting players drafted,” Smith said in a statement. “The NBL identified a key role for me to mentor and support young talent and equip them with the tools to compete at a professional level with a view to making the leap into the NBA.”

In addition to heading up the Next Stars initiative, Smith will also become the part-owner of an NBL expansion team that will be announced in the near future, according to the announcement.

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

The NBA shared new salary cap projections for 2024/25 with its teams this week, but the estimated figures haven’t changed since January’s update, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). As Wojnarowski relays, the cap is still projected to be $141MM next season.
Suns owner Mat Ishbia has been in the news for non-basketball reasons over the past week. Baxter Holmes of ESPN put out a story detailing the feud between Ishibia and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert due to the billionaires’ rival mortgage companies, while Hunterbrook Media published an investigative report about the questionable legality of Ishbia’s business practices as the CEO and chairman of United Wholesale Mortgage. As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic details, Ishbia suggested during a media session that Hunterbrook’s investigation was funded Gilbert’s Rocket Mortgage, which a Rocket Mortgage spokesperson adamantly denied.
Noting that the teams near the bottom of the NBA’s standings have been historically bad since the All-Star break, John Hollinger of The Athletic considers ways the league might address the issue and improve its product in March. Hollinger suggests eliminating the buyout market entirely and making any player waived after the trade deadline ineligible for the postseason, but acknowledges that the impact may be marginal.

Former NBA Wing Rudy Fernandez To Retire This Summer

April 4th, 2024 at 12:43pm CST by Rory Maher

Former first-round pick Rudy Fernandez, who spent three NBA seasons with the Trail Blazers and one with the Nuggets from 2008-12, announced that he’s going to retire from basketball this summer, according to BasketNews.com.

Fernandez, who turned 39 years old today (happy birthday), averaged 9.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steal while shooting 36.0% from three-point range in 249 career regular season games with Portland and Denver (24.0 minutes per contest).

The longtime guard/forward has played for Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid since exiting the NBA in 2012. Over the past 12 years, he has won three EuroLeague titles and six domestic championships in Spain’s top basketball league, BasketNews notes. Fernandez started his career with another Liga ACB team, Joventut, in 2001/02.

“This is ending, the time is coming to think about things other than basketball,” Fernandez said. “I want to enjoy the remaining months. Retirement is a difficult and impactful word when you hear it. But my goal is to play in another Olympics.”

Fernandez will play for the Spanish national team in the Olympic qualifying tournament that will be held in Valencia, Spain, in early July. If Spain wins the OQT, which also features Poland, Finland, Lebanon, Angola and the Bahamas, it would advance to Group A of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Fernandez is a highly decorated veteran with Spain, having won two Olympic silver medals (in 2008 and 2012) and one bronze (2016). He also helped Spain win four EuroBasket tournaments (2009, 2011, 2015, 2022) and a pair of World Cups (2006, 2019).

And-Ones: Harding, Cooper, All-NBA, Kaba, Bronny

April 2nd, 2024 at 7:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Stockton Kings head coach Lindsey Harding has been named the NBA G League Coach of the Year in a vote by G League head coaches and general managers, NBA Communications tweets. Harding is the first woman to win the Coach of the Year award in the NBA G League. She’ll receive the Dennis Johnson Trophy.

Harding was hired to coach Sacramento’s NBAGL affiliate last June. Harding spent the past four seasons as an assistant/player development coach with the NBA’s Kings.

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Sharife Cooper has signed with China’s Liaoning Flying Leopards, according to Sportando. Cooper signed a 10-day contract with the Cavaliers in late February but didn’t play at all and didn’t receive a second 10-day contract. He has spent the bulk of this season with the Cavs’ G League team, the Cleveland Charge.
Who are the highest-paid players who have never received All-NBA honors? HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto ranks the top 50 in that category, with the Timberwolves‘ Mike Conley ($276.5MM), the Thunder‘s Gordon Hayward ($271MM) and the Celtics‘ Jrue Holiday ($259.4MM) topping the list.
Alpha Kaba, a 2017 draft-and-stash prospect, has signed with Valencia, the Spanish team tweets. The Rockets acquired the NBA rights to Kaba in a five-team trade last summer, though it appears unlikely that Kaba is planning on an NBA career. The big man had been playing with China’s Jiangsu Dragons.
Bronny James has entered the transfer portal, college basketball expert Dick Weiss tweets. Following an underwhelming freshman year at USC, Bronny is considered more likely to stay in college for another year than to be drafted in 2024. LeBron James‘ son posted averages of 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 36.6% from the field in 25 games for the Trojans.
[UPDATE: Weiss has since walked back his report on Bronny entering the transfer portal, tweeting that it’s not yet confirmed.]

Kevin Porter Jr. Signs With Team In Greece

April 1st, 2024 at 7:54am CST by Arthur Hill

Former Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. has signed with PAOK in Greece, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal will cover the rest of the season and Porter is expected to report to the team soon, sources tell Charania.

Porter’s career has been on hold since being arrested in September following an altercation with his former girlfriend, ex-WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick. Originally charged with felony counts of assault and strangulation, he reached a plea deal in January, agreeing to plead guilty to reckless assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor, as well as harassment in the second degree.

Porter was ordered to complete a 26-week counseling program. If he does that and abides by a restraining order regarding Gondrezick, he can withdraw his plea to the assault charge next January. A second-degree assault charge against Porter was dropped after it was determined that Gondrezick’s vertebra fracture was a congenital defect and not caused by Porter.

In the wake of the charges, Houston traded Porter to Oklahoma City in October, shortly before the start of the regular season. The Thunder waived him the day after the deal was completed. OKC received two second-round picks for taking on Porter’s $15.86MM contract for this season, along with a $1MM partial guarantee for 2024/25. The rest of his four-year, $63MM+ contract was non-guaranteed.

Porter, 23, averaged 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 59 games with the Rockets last season while shooting 44.2% from the field and 36.6% from three-point range. He joins a PAOK team that is battling for a playoff spot in the Greek Basket League, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.