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FIBA, NBA Discuss Potential European League

December 10th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA has put off expansion domestically in recent years but the league could expand its reach into Europe. There are reportedly serious conversations regarding an NBA-owned league in Europe that could initially compete with the EuroLeague and top pro leagues in individual countries, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reports.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver and his office have had discussions with FIBA officials regarding the possibility of starting a new league overseas.

“There is clear interest (by the NBA) and there are ongoing discussions with FIBA,” Andreas Zagklis, the secretary general for FIBA. “We’ve been having and will continue having discussions with … the company that operates the EuroLeague. It is something that has been on our radar. We tried to bring everyone together. This was not possible. So our job is to continue having serious conversations with our partners at the NBA.”

As Vardon explains, the EuroLeague is a conglomerate of 18 teams comprising two tiers of franchises — 13 permanent members and five that must qualify. The permanent members are shareholders in the EuroLeague and operate under a license, but the license expires after the 2025/26 season.

Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul are mulling whether to allow their licenses to expire. Another European club, ALBA Berlin, would reportedly be excluded from becoming a permanent EuroLeague member if current licensing agreements are extended. Those four clubs have academy systems for developing players that are being studied by the NBA, Vardon adds.

Another issue that is being addressed between FIBA and the NBA regards a minor adjustment to the league’s calendar for the 2027/28 season.

The 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles begin July 14 of that year, approximately three weeks after Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Eight teams will qualify for the Olympics at the World Cup in 2027 but FIBA must host four qualifying tournaments shortly before the Olympics to decide the final four bids to Los Angeles.

FIBA scheduled those qualifying tournaments from June 26- July 2 in 2028. Teams in those qualifiers will undoubtedly have NBA players and FIBA would like to give those national teams a reasonable amount of prep time.

“We cannot play any later because of the Olympics, and we cannot play earlier because we don’t have the availability of the players,” Zagklis said. “The conversation with the NBA is there. I do not expect a major adjustment to their schedule. But if it is a question of one or two or three days, we’ve always been collaborating well and I think we will find a solution.”

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And-Ones: China, 2025 Draft, Doncic, Trade Deadline, Trends

December 6th, 2024 at 11:31am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Nets and Suns will play two preseason games in Macao next October, which marks the first time the NBA is playing in China since 2019, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (Twitter link). The NBA later formally announced the decision (Twitter link).

“Bringing preseason games to Macao will showcase the excitement of the NBA to fans in one of the world’s emerging hubs for sports,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said in the statement. “The Nets and Suns feature an exciting mix of established and rising stars, and we look forward to engaging fans, aspiring players and the local community in Macao through these games and a variety of interactive events, youth development programs and social impact initiatives.”

The partnership is the result of a years-long effort to repair the relationship between the two sides after commissioner Adam Silver and the league didn’t reprimand then-Rockets general manager Daryl Morey after he tweeted support for protests in Hong Kong in 2019, Charania and Brian Windhorst write.

NBA games were then temporarily removed from broadcasts in China and sponsorships were lost. The relationship has been mended largely in part to NBA China’s CEO Michael Ma, according to Charania and Windhorst.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Duke’s Cooper Flagg is still the top-ranked prospect on Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft, but Rutgers’ Dylan Harper is beginning to put pressure on him for that top spot. The 18-year-old Harper scored 36 points against Notre Dame and 37 against Alabama. Despite Harper’s strong play, executives have a hard time seeing Flagg being unseated from the pole position, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (Insider link). BYU’s Egor Demin and Rutgers’ Ace Bailey are among other players who will push to hear their names called No. 1 overall.
  • While Luka Doncic is obviously primarily focused on the Mavericks‘ current season, he’s still excited that Slovenia qualified for EuroBasket 2025 and is looking forward to the chance to suit up for them, Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal reports. Slovenia is also up to potentially host EuroBasket in 2029. “That would be a dream come true, playing in front of fans in a big tournament at the EuroBasket,” Doncic said.
  • The NBA trade deadline could see reduced action as compared to other recent seasons, due in part to the restrictive CBA but also fewer bad contracts across the league, Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to RealGM). “Teams are a little bit smarter and I just think the intelligence into the game and the way teams are operated and the gameplay is taking some of the stuff fans kind of like — at least some of the older school fans,” Windhorst said.
  • Hornets two-way player Moussa Diabate has played well amid Charlotte’s frontcourt injuries, which is one recent trend worth monitoring, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz. Diabate is averaging just 3.1 points per game, but has grabbed 7.8 rebounds (3.6 of which are offensive boards) per night. The Lakers playing better when LeBron James is off the court and Atlanta owning L.A.’s first-round pick are other trends worth keeping tabs on as the season progresses, Katz notes.
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And-Ones: Harper, Bailey, Demin, Wembanyama, Langford

December 3rd, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s a mixed bag for the Rutgers’ freshmen duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey so far this season, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo. While Harper is considered a rising prospect and potential top pick, Bailey heads the list of prospects “who still have a lot to show.” The ESPN duo also identifies Houston’s Joseph Tugler, Duke’s Kon Knueppel and Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis as risers during college basketball’s first month with an eye toward the 2025 draft.

We have more from around the basketball world:

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International Notes: Kleber, Schofield, Faried, Beverley, Motley

November 29th, 2024 at 9:46am CST by Rory Maher

Speaking to Dirk Sing of German outlet Augsburger Allgemeine, Mavericks forward/center Maxi Kleber says he has no intention of returning to Germany’s national team going forward.

Kleber, who previously represented his home country in international competitions, including the 2014 EuroBasket and the 2019 World Cup, opted not to play in the 2022 EuroBasket tournament after a deep playoff run with Dallas. Kleber was criticized for that decision by team captain Dennis Schröder, causing the big man to withdraw from consideration for the 2023 World Cup. Schröder later apologized.

Kleber also didn’t participate in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but he says he watched the tournament and still supports the team from afar, even if he will no longer be playing for Deutschland in an official capacity.

“The situation was what it was. That’s why I had to come to terms with it,” Kleber said (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net). “I watched the games as a fan, of course, because it is always positive for German basketball when the national team is successful.

“It’s ultimately about basketball continuing to grow in Germany. And the Olympic Games that everyone can watch on television is a great platform. I know a lot of guys on the team very well or are my friends, it was also great to watch them. … The national team is definitely over for me. So, there will be no return.”

Here are a few more international basketball notes:

  • Admiral Schofield, who spent four seasons in the NBA before signing with ASVEL Basket over the offseason, has parted ways with the French club in what the team called a mutual agreement, per Askounis of Eurohoops. The 27-year-old forward, who was a second-round pick out of Tennessee in 2019, recently fell out of ASVEL’s rotation, Askounis notes.
  • Former NBA forward Kenneth Faried has signed with Italy’s Pallacanestro Reggiana, the team announced in a press release. An eight-year veteran who spent seven seasons in Denver, Faried last played in the NBA with Houston during the 2018/19 season. The 35-year-old made previous international stops in China and Russia before returning to North America to play in the G League, having spent the past two seasons with the Mexico City Capitanes.
  • Longtime NBA veteran Patrick Beverley signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv over the summer, but he says he’s “50-50” on whether he’ll stay with the Israeli club due to family pressures, as BasketNews.com relays.
  • Former Mavs and Clippers big man Johnathan Motley decided to leave Hapoel Tel Aviv earlier this month due to concerns over his safety. He wound up signing a G League deal while still under contract with Hapoel, but didn’t receive a letter of clearance from FIBA. In a strange twist to an unusual situation, Motley has returned to Hapoel on a two-year contract, the team announced (link via BasketNews).
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And-Ones: D-Lo, Lithuania, 2025 Draft, Awards, Fall

November 26th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell recently confirmed rumors that he’d have interest in playing for the Lithuanian national team. Addressing those reports on Tuesday, however, the Lithuanian Basketball Federation announced that it doesn’t intend to initiate the naturalization process for Russell, citing both legal and basketball reasons.

Russell’s wife is of Lithuanian descent, but today’s statement from the Lithuanian Basketball Federation indicated that there are no grounds for Russell himself, as a foreigner, to be granted citizenship by exception, which can only be approved by the President of Lithuania.

As BasketNews.com notes, Lithuanian Basketball Federation president Mindaugas Balciunas added that national team head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis and general manager Linas Kleiza, “aim to achieve success using our own talent pool.” The naturalized slot on the club’s roster is currently held by Ignas Brazdeikis, who was born in Lithuania but moved to North America as a child, represented Canada in youth international competitions, and had his Lithuanian citizenship restored in 2021.

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

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And-Ones: Harrell, Covington, Neto, Awards, More

November 25th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA big man Montrezl Harrell, who won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020, is currently playing in Australia’s National Basketball League as a member of the Adelaide 36ers. The 30-year-old received a three-game suspension on Monday for his part in on- and off-court incidents during a Nov. 17 game vs. Melbourne United.

As Olgun Uluc of ESPN details, United big man Rob Loe drew a charge on Harrell early in the fourth quarter of the contest, and while both players were on the ground, Harrell shoved Loe. That led to a “melee involving most players” for both teams. Harrell appeared to throw a punch at one opponent and “multiple open-handed strikes” at other United players, per Uluc.

Directly after the on-court scuffle, 36ers staffers and players — including Harrell and teammate Kendric Davis — were involved another altercation, this time with spectators behind the team’s bench. Davis received a two-game suspension for initiating contact in that incident, which saw four spectators ejected. Davis claimed a fan directed racist language at him; the United put out a statement saying they were unable to corroborate that allegation.

The 36ers have 24 hours to appeal the suspensions, according to Uluc, who says Harrell has suggested multiple times on social media he may not return to Australia, pending the outcome of his punishment; he’s currently back home in the United States with the NBL season on pause due to the FIBA window (qualifiers for international tournaments).

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

  • In an interview with Sam Yip of HoopsHype, free agent forward Robert Covington says he’s confident he can still contribute to NBA teams. “Ain’t nothing changed,” Covington said. “Someone that can give energy on the other side, the defensive side, can come in space the floor, move the ball, do the little things that won’t show up on the stat sheet, what made me very effective.” The 33-year-old, who holds 11 seasons of NBA experience, dealt with a knee injury for most of last season, last suiting up on December 30, 2023, but he says he’s fully healthy now. Covington is currently playing for Team USA in a qualifying round for the AmeriCup. One recent report said he might be open to playing in the G League as he attempts to make it back to the NBA.
  • Former NBA guard Raul Neto has signed a rest-of-season contract with Spanish club Barcelona, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Neto, who played eight seasons in the NBA from 2015-23, missed all of last season with a knee injury, but he’s “fully recovered” now. Barcelona was looking for backcourt help after losing Nicolas Laprovittola to a season-ending ACL and meniscus injury, Askounis notes.
  • Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports lists his award winners for the first month of the 2024/25 season. As of now, O’Connor has Nuggets center Nikola Jokic as the frontrunner to win his fourth MVP in five years, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama leading the race for Defensive Player of the Year, and Sixers guard Jared McCain as the league’s top rookie.
  • On a somewhat related note, with the first month of the season finished, several writers for The Athletic to compiled a list of each team’s biggest concern, with one exception — the 17-1 Cavaliers don’t have a have a real weakness right now, says Joe Vardon.
  • Magic guard Anthony Black and Rockets guard/forward Amen Thompson are two of the six young players John Hollinger of The Athletic highlights as showing marked improvement in their season seasons.
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International Notes: Lee, Songaila, D-Lo, Walker

November 23rd, 2024 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA guard Saben Lee continues to bounce back and forth between European teams, with Manisa Basket officially confirming today that Lee has rejoined the Turkish club (Twitter link).

Lee, who appeared in 134 regular season games for the Pistons, Sixers, and Suns from 2020-24, signed with Manisa Basket this past offseason, but left last month to join Maccabi Tel Aviv. As Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com explains, Lee signed with the Israeli club under the condition that he would live and practice in Belgrade, Serbia, where Maccabi has been playing its EuroLeague games.

According to Urbonas, Lee felt pressured to move to Israel, where the team continues to play its domestic league contests, but wasn’t comfortable doing so due to the war in the region. Maccabi, meanwhile, was concerned that the guard’s absence from practices was negatively impacting the team’s rhythm. It led to the two sides parting ways and Lee returning to a Manisa club he was already familiar with.

We have a few more notes from around the international basketball world:

  • Lee isn’t the only Manisa Basket newcomer. According to Urbonas at BasketNews.com, former NBA forward/center Darius Songaila is expected to join Manisa’s coaching staff. Songaila, who played in the NBA and Europe from 2002-15, was a Spurs staffer from 2018-24, spending four of those seasons as an assistant coach on Gregg Popovich‘s staff.
  • Could D’Angelo Russell represent Lithuania in international basketball competition? After a report from Rokas Pakenas of 15min.lt suggested that Russell had informed the Lithuanian Basketball Federation of his interest, the Lakers guard posted an Instagram comment that said “Let’s make it happen.” As Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops notes, Russell’s wife is of Lithuanian descent, so there’s a possible path for the 28-year-old to become a naturalized citizen.
  • Veteran guard Lonnie Walker is beginning to hit his stride overseas, racking up 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting for Zalgiris Kaunas on Friday in a win over reigning EuroLeague champions Panathinaikos. After the game, Walker – whose contract includes an NBA out until February – praised one of his opponents, according to Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews.com. “Kendrick Nunn has been an extreme inspiration and motivation for me,” Walker said of the Panathinaikos star and his former Lakers teammate. “I love that guy to death. I’ve been with him since the Lakers, I’ve known him way before the Lakers. Somehow, the world continues to give us a full circle moment for a reason. He’s my guy, my brother, and I continue to watch what he does and imitate how he’s doing it in the EuroLeague. I want to follow that route as well.”
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Fischer’s Latest: Melton, Warriors, P. Williams, Lakers, Blazers, More

November 22nd, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Luke Adams

With De’Anthony Melton out for the season, his $12.8MM expiring contract should become a useful trade chip for the Warriors, Jake Fischer said on Friday in his latest Bleacher Report live stream (video link). As Fischer acknowledges, Melton’s expiring money and Non-Bird rights will have little value on their own, but attaching draft picks or players to him could create an attractive outgoing trade package for Golden State.

Discussing what kind of player Golden State may target with that sort of package, Fischer suggests a frontcourt addition is a possibility. The Warriors had interest in Kelly Olynyk at last season’s deadline and believe he’d be a good fit for their system, according to Fischer, who adds that the club may also consider more of a rim-running big man.

However, Fischer wouldn’t be surprised if the Warriors seek out a more direct replacement for Melton. As he explains, Golden State was high on the veteran guard not only for his fit next to Stephen Curry but because he gave the team a second lockdown point-of-attack defender to complement Andrew Wiggins. Finding another player who could fill that role could be a priority for the front office.

Here’s more from Fischer:

  • The Bulls are “more willing than ever” to discuss forward Patrick Williams in a trade, says Fischer (video link). Williams is in the first season of a five-year, $90MM deal and continues to experience foot pain following a February surgery, so his value would likely be limited at the moment, but that could change if he shows he’s healthy and begins to produce more consistently.
  • Fischer continues to hear that the Lakers are scouring the market for a center, with Jonas Valanciunas‘ name still coming up frequently. The Wizards‘ big man is “definitely available for trade,” Fischer says (video link).
  • While Fischer also brought up Robert Williams as a possible option for the Lakers, he says he has talked to people around the league recently, including scouts, who believe the Trail Blazers may be more inclined to trade Deandre Ayton than Williams at this season’s trade deadline. Given that Ayton’s cap hit is nearly three times higher than Williams’, the Blazers may have a hard time extracting much of value for the former No. 1 overall pick.
  • Fischer suggests there are NBA veterans currently playing overseas or for national teams who will soon be looking to sign G League contracts (video link). Robert Covington, currently representing Team USA in AmeriCup qualifiers, is one player to watch, Fischer reports. There also may be some players returning stateside from the Chinese Basketball Association, since several who signed in China have received month-to-month contracts.
  • Writing for Marc Stein’s Substack, Fischer shared some ideas for in-season tournaments that the NBA considered before settling on the current format. One idea on the league’s “long list of half-baked ideas,” according to Fischer, was a 32-team single elimination event that would’ve included two marquee teams from Europe.
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And-Ones: Inside The NBA, Snell, Motley, Bledsoe, Draft

November 19th, 2024 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery officially announced on Monday that they’ve settled their months-long legal battle, with Disney and WBD essentially making a trade of programming rights. TNT’s popular “Inside the NBA” studio show will air on ESPN/ABC beginning in 2025, while TNT will get the rights to broadcast 13 Big 12 football games and 15 Big 12 basketball games per season.

Andrew Marchand of The Athletic explores the role that ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, who reached out directly to Luis Silberwasser of TNT Sports, played in the deal.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Traina of SI.com notes that one roadblock remains before “Inside the NBA” makes the move to Disney — Shaquille O’Neal‘s contract expires on July 1, 2025 and will need to be renewed. According to Traina, O’Neal wants to remain with the long-running program, but has been frustrated by announcements celebrating that the show will go on unchanged while his own future is still up in the air.

A source tells Marchand that O’Neal is ultimately expected to remain with “Inside the NBA,” though Traina notes that the former NBA MVP could explore other options with NBC or Amazon before ultimately deciding whether or not to stay put.

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

  • Veteran swingman Tony Snell has replaced Keita Bates-Diop on the Team USA roster for the upcoming FIBA AmeriCup qualifying games, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The U.S. squad will play two games in Washington, D.C. during this month’s qualifier window, hosting Puerto Rico on November 22 and the Bahamas on November 25.
  • After recently leaving Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel due to concerns about his safety, former Mavericks and Clippers big man Johnathan Motley is signing a G League contract, according Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), who says Motley has drawn some NBA interest from teams in need of frontcourt depth. Aris Barkas of Eurohoops has more on Motley, whose decision to leave Hapoel Tel Aviv was a unilateral one that could result in the team initiating legal proceedings.
  • Former NBA guard Eric Bledsoe is returning to the Shanghai Sharks, the Chinese team with whom he has spent the past two seasons, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Bledsoe, who will turn 35 next month, has appeared in 756 regular season NBA games but has been out of the league since he was waived by Portland in July 2022.
  • Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his 2025 NBA mock draft now that NCAA teams have a few games under their belts. The most notable update near the top of Wasserman’s board is at No. 4, with BYU’s Egor Demin moving into that spot on the heels of his strong start. The 6’9″ guard is averaging 17.0 points, 7.5 assists, and 2.3 steals per game in his first four outings, with a shooting line of .634/.550/.500.
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International Notes: Bazley, Gillespie, Fall, Thomas, Dotson

November 18th, 2024 at 10:44am CST by Tristan Tucker

Former first-round pick Darius Bazley has joined Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link). Bazley began this year playing for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association, but has returned stateside.

Bazley played a large role for the Blue Coats last season, appearing in 28 total games for the team, starting in 27 and averaging 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.4 blocks per contest. He wound up parlaying that performance into a 10-day contract with the Sixers. He appeared in three games for Philadelphia, but didn’t score.

Soon after the conclusion of his 10-day contract, Bazley signed a multiyear, non-guaranteed deal with the Jazz. He averaged 8.0 PPG and 4.5 RPG with Utah and played in seven games with their G League affiliate, but was waived this offseason, leading to his deal overseas.

Now, Bazley is back in the Sixers‘ developmental system. In his first game back with the Blue Coats, he recorded 11 points and five rebounds.

The 23rd overall pick in 2019, Bazley spent the first three-and-a-half years of his career with the Thunder. He was a big part of Mark Daigneault‘s earliest Thunder iterations, appearing in 221 games with the team and starting in 118. In Daigneault’s first two years in the league, Bazley averaged 12.1 PPG and 6.7 RPG in started in 108 games. He also had a brief stint with the Suns.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Italian club Olimpia Milano agreed to a deal with former NBA forward Freddie Gillespie, according to Sportando’s Alessandro Luigi Maggi (Twitter link). Gillespie had been playing for the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL, averaging 6.8 PPG and 5.0 RPG. Gillespie took a step toward officially joining Olimpia Milano when the Breakers granted him his release from his contract on Sunday night, per ESPN’s Olgun Uluc (Twitter link). “Freddie approached us and requested a release. While bittersweet, it was an opportunity that Freddie wanted to pursue and we support him. We look forward to watching his success in the future,” Breakers CEO Lisa Edser said in the statement, per Sportando. Gillespie played two years in the NBA with the Raptors and Magic from 2020-22. He holds career averages of 4.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 1.0 BPG.
  • Fellow former NBA player Tacko Fall will take Gillespie’s place on the Breakers’ roster, Uluc tweets. Fall has been recovering from injury with the team but is expected to be healthy soon. The 7’6″ center has 31 games of NBA experience with the Celtics and Cavaliers, averaging 2.2 PPG and 2.4 RPG.
  • Former NBAer Brodric Thomas agreed to a deal with Manisa Basket in Turkey, according to Scotto (Twitter link). Thomas went undrafted in 2020 before spending time on a two-way contract with three different franchises. Thomas averaged 3.3 PPG and 1.4 RPG across 44 games with the Rockets, Cavaliers and Celtics from 2020-22. This marks Thomas’ first time playing overseas, as he spent the last year in the G League.
  • Former NBA guard Damyean Dotson signed with Petkim Spor in Turkey, the team announced (per Eurohoops.net). The 44th overall pick in 2017, Dotson appeared in 213 NBA games (49 starts) from 2017-22. He holds career averages of 7.5 points and 2.5 rebounds. He had a big role with the Knicks under David Fizdale, averaging 10.7 PPG in 40 starts in the 2018/19 season. Dotson began his overseas career in ’22/23 and has had stints in both Turkey and China. He began this season with Nanjing Tongxi Monkey King, appearing in five games before departing.
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