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International Notes: EuroLeague, Exum, Reath, Cauley-Stein, Zizic

December 31st, 2023 at 7:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kemba Walker is among several former NBA players struggling to make the adjustment to the EuroLeague, writes Dimitris Minaretzis of Eurohoops. After signing with AS Monaco this summer, the 33-year-old guard is averaging just 4.4 points and 1.1 assists per game as he fights for playing time in a crowded backcourt. Knee injuries plagued Walker throughout the end of his NBA career, and they appear to still be limiting his effectiveness in Europe.

Elsewhere, Minaretzis notes that FC Barcelona’s Jabari Parker is averaging 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while KK Partizan has PJ Dozier at 9.2 points and 3.2 assists per night and Frank Kaminsky at 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

The only players who are standing out after being on NBA rosters last season are Serge Ibaka, who’s averaging 12.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for Bayern Munich, and Kendrick Nunn, who is at 11.6 points and 2.5 assists per night with Panathinaikos. Ibaka has previous EuroLeague experience, having played in Spain before being drafted in 2008.

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After making a surprising impact with their NBA clubs, Dante Exum and Duop Reath are in contention for starting spots with the Australian Olympic team, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Exum, who recently moved into the Mavericks‘ starting lineup because of his strong play, is averaging 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists over his last 10 games, and Uluc notes that he’s given Dallas a secondary ball-handler while serving as a strong complement to Luka Doncic. Reath has become a productive weapon for the Trail Blazers after earning a two-way deal in camp. He provides an outside shooting threat and has reached double figures in scoring in seven of Portland’s last 10 games. Reath posted a career-high 25 points against Sacramento this week and may have surpassed Jock Landale as the Boomers’ best option at center.
Willie Cauley-Stein‘s first venture in Europe has ended after 20 games, per Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Pallacanestro Varese announced that it has parted ways with the 30-year-old center, who averaged 9.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks for the Italian team.
Croatian center Ante Zizic has signed with Virtus Bologna, the team announced in a press release. Zizic, 26, was a first-round pick in 2017 and played 113 total games with Cleveland from 2017 to 2020. He captured a Turkish championship and the President’s Cup last season with Anadolu Efes.

And-Ones: Topic, Draft, Free Throws, Pangos, Pistons, Knicks

December 28th, 2023 at 6:47pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Nikola Topic, a projected top-10 pick in the 2024 draft, was called back to EuroLeague squad Red Star after spending the 2023/24 season so far with Mega MIS on a loan. Topic spoke to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) about the move and what it means for his draft value.

“It’s a huge risk, but I’m ready,” Topic said of the move. “I’m confident in myself 100%. My father, my agent Misko Raznatovic and I understand that this move could affect my draft chances if I don’t do well. But I’m ready to compete and fight.”

According to Givony, Topic replaces former NBA player Shabazz Napier, who departed for Milan, and will get a chance to play alongside former NBA guards Milos Teodosic and Nemanja Nedovic. While Red Star courted the Serbian guard heavily in recent weeks, the decision to return was ultimately Topic’s, and he’ll try to help his hometown squad overcome a 6-10 start to the year. Greek coach Giannis Sfairopoulos, who previously coached Deni Avdija, will coach Topic.

“We didn’t talk about the role I’ll play,” Topic said. “Whatever he says, I’ll do. If he says to die on the court, I will die. Whatever coach needs, I’ll try my best to do it.”

Topic has been impressive in Adriatic League play with Mega MIS so far this year, averaging 18.6 points and 6.9 assists per game and boasting a 63% true shooting percentage. According to Givony, NBA teams will be keeping a close eye on how Topic adjusts to the EuroLeague, which is considered the top level of competition in the world outside of the NBA.

Further breaking down Topic’s game, Givony writes that he’ll almost certainly be asked to adjust his play for a Red Star team ranked last in the league in pace. However, Givony expects the experience will positively benefit Topic’s defense and perimeter shooting.

“Basketball is a game of decisions,” Topic said. “It’s a mental game. Using angles. The player that makes a faster decision, that person will win. The EuroLeague is a mind game. It’s a game of reads.”

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In the same Insider-only story, Givony and Jeremy Woo break down other draft-related topics. As the duo notes, one reason the 2024 draft class is considered weaker than usual is the fact that it will be older than most — it has a chance to boast the oldest first-round class since 2013. Upperclassmen like Zach Edey, Kevin McCullar and Oso Ighodaro are all playing their ways into first-round consideration while freshmen like Elmarko Jackson, Aday Mara and Caleb Foster are looking more like multi-year college players rather than the one-and-dones they appeared to be before the season, the Givony and Woo explain.
NBA coaches and players have made their feelings clear about how games are being refereed, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr among the latest to criticize the officiating this season. The Ringer’s Zach Kram argues the NBA doesn’t actually have a free throw problem though, given that free throw attempts and rates are trending downward. Kram singles out Joel Embiid as someone who’s receiving criticism for going for foul calls, but points out that Embiid leads the league in made field goals per game. Kram concludes that foul calls will always be a cat-and-mouse game for the NBA, as players will seek to push the boundaries to get free points and the league will continually react.
Former NBA guard Kevin Pangos is joining Spanish club Valencia after terminating his contract with Olimpia Milano, according to Sportando. Pangos has previously played for Gran Canaria and Barcelona in Spain. The 6’2″ point guard played one season in the NBA in 2021/22, appearing in 24 games (three starts) and totaling 39 points and 30 assists for the Cavaliers.
The Feb. 26 game between the Pistons and Knicks has been relocated to Madison Square Garden in New York from Detroit and will now tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET, according to a release from the NBA (Twitter link). “The cause for the change was unique scheduling complications associated with the In-Season Tournament,” the statement reads. Fred Katz of the Athletic tweets the Pistons’ 2-28 start likely factored into the decision — one team will end up playing 42 road games, and the NBA would presumably rather that team be one that’s not in playoff contention.

And-Ones: Officiating, Kabengele, Ignite, Maluach, Topic

December 26th, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

While he didn’t complain specifically about the way that Nikola Jokic was officiated on Monday, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr lodged a more general complaint about the officiating during his postgame media session after the Nuggets center made 18-of-18 free throws in a Denver victory, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.

“I have a problem with how we are legislating the defense out of the game,” Kerr said. “We are enabling players to B.S. their way to the foul line. If I were a fan, I wouldn’t have wanted to watch the second half of that game. It was disgusting. It was just baiting refs into calls, but the refs have to make those calls … the players are really smart in this league. For the last decade, they’ve gotten smarter and smarter. We have enabled the players, and they are taking full advantage.

“It’s a parade to the free throw line, and it’s disgusting to watch.”

Prior to Monday’s game, the Nuggets ranked dead last in the NBA in free throw makes per game (14.9). Led by Jokic’s 18 foul shots, Denver converted 26-of-32 attempts from the line in Monday’s win.

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

Former first-round pick Mfiondu Kabengele is making a midseason move from Greece to Italy. The big man has parted ways with AEK Athens and has formally reached an agreement to join Reyer Venezia, the Italian club announced today in a press release. Kabengele appeared in 55 total NBA games for the Clippers, Cavaliers, and Celtics from 2019-23.
Sharing their impressions from last week’s G League Showcase Cup, Jeremy Woo and Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com (Insider link) note that it hasn’t been a good year for the G League Ignite, whose top prospects Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland did little to help their draft stock. Conversely, the NBA Academy Africa made a strong impression in Orlando, according to Givony, who was particularly impressed by 7’2″ prospect Khaman Maluach. Maluach appears to be giving strong consideration to playing college ball next season, Givony adds, with Duke and Kansas aggressively pursuing him.
Serbian prospect Nikola Topic, a projected top-10 pick, has spent the 2023/24 season so far on loan to Mega Basket, but he’ll be rejoining Crvena Zvezda and playing in the EuroLeague going forward, tweets Givony. The move will give the 18-year-old Topic an opportunity to compete in Europe’s top league for the rest of the season.

And-Ones: Frazier, Grant, Anderson, Christmas Games

December 24th, 2023 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Tim Frazier didn’t last long with his latest European team. He parted ways with Greece’s Promitheas Patras after playing just one game, according to Eurohoops.net.

The club made the announcement, saying Frazier left due to a family emergency. Frazier previously played in Greece with AEK Athens and, most recently spent time in France with SIG Strasbourg. He appeared in 289 NBA games, most recently in 2021/22 when he saw action in 12 contests with the Magic and Cavs.

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Another former NBA guard, Jerian Grant is expected to get a contract extension with Greek club Panathinaikos until 2026, according to another Eurohoops.net post. Grant, the 2022/23 EuroCup MVP, is averaging 8.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals this season.
Spain’s Valencia has announced the signing of former NBA forward Justin Anderson, according to Sportando. Anderson played for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants last season after getting waived by Indiana during training camp. He was named to the All-G League Third Team. Anderson, who appeared in 242 NBA games after being a 2015 first-round pick, signed a 45-day contract with Valencia that can be extended until the end of the season.
The Warriors are playing on Christmas Day for the 13th time in the last 14 years and Stephen Curry doesn’t take it lightly, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “Marquee games on Christmas, it’s going to be a great atmosphere,” Curry said. “You know, we’ve been in that environment before, so I understand what it’s going to be like. On the road, it’s going to be fun to just compete. It’s a test.” This year’s group of Christmas participants is virtually the same as last year. Of the 10 teams picked, nine also played on Dec. 25 last year. The exception is Miami, with Memphis not on the slate after debuting last year.

And-Ones: Hall Of Fame, Carter, 2025 AmeriCup, McLemore

December 22nd, 2023 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has officially revealed its list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2024, announcing in a press release that this year’s group of first-time nominees includes longtime NBA star Vince Carter, who made eight All-Star teams and appeared in 1,541 regular season games across 22 seasons in the league.

Former Pistons big man Bill Laimbeer, four-time WNBA champion Seimone Augustus, and longtime NCAA head coach Rick Barnes are among the other nominees who are eligible for the first time in 2024.

Finalists will be announced during the NBA’s All-Star weekend on Friday, February 16, while the Class of 2024 will be unveiled on Saturday, April 6 during the NCAA’s Final Four. The enshrinement ceremony for 2024’s Hall of Fame inductees will take place on Saturday, August 17.

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

The 2025 FIBA AmeriCup will be played in Managua, Nicaragua from August 23-31, 2025, FIBA announced today in a press release. The qualifiers for the event will take place across three windows in February 2024, November 2024, and February 2025. Brazil hosted the last AmeriCup in 2022, losing to Argentina in the final. The U.S. team – which featured former NBAers like Norris Cole, Gary Clark, Jodie Meeks, and Patrick McCaw – placed third in ’22.
In honor of the holidays, John Hollinger of The Athletic shares his “All-Stocking Stuffer Team,” which is made up of overlooked players who have emerged as unexpected contributors over the course of this season. Magic center Goga Bitadze, Kings guard Keon Ellis, Jazz forward Simone Fontecchio, and Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe are a few of the players singled out by Hollinger.
Veteran guard Ben McLemore, who signed with AEK Athens in August, has officially left the Greek team and is joining CB Breogan in Spain, writes Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. McLemore parted ways with AEK B.C. earlier in the month and was said to be in advanced talks with a Turkish club before lining up a deal with CB Breogan instead.

And-Ones: IST, Draymond, Bulls, Lakers, Napier, Mannion, Sarr

December 20th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

There were some complaints this fall about the unique court designs that debuted in the NBA’s first in-season tournament, with some fans viewing the bold-colored floors as eyesores. Joe Dumars acknowledged that those courts would be up for discussion next season, but the NBA’s head of basketball operations told Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic that he was a fan of the way they immediately identified a game as part of the tournament.

“I did like the idea that if you were flipping the channels and you saw one of those courts, you knew immediately, ‘Oh, man,'” Dumars said. “Even if you have forgotten that was a Tuesday or Friday, you’re flipping channels and you saw that court, you immediately knew.”

Dumars told Vorkunov that he thinks next season’s in-season tournament final will once again be played in Las Vegas and also discussed a couple other topics, including the thinking behind the league’s indefinite suspension for Warriors forward Draymond Green. Dumars explained that the NBA viewed Green’s case as a “special situation” and felt it was important to give him time to get help for his behavior.

“The only thing we really want to see him do is get better so when he comes back, we’re not dealing with the same issues over and over again,” Dumars said. “And so that was the whole purpose behind indefinite, and when he is ready, then he’ll come back. When we feel like he’s ready, he’ll come back. When the team feels like he’s ready, he’ll come back.

“… “He’s been very receptive to this right here. He’s not pushed back on this. He has agreed this is what needs to happen. He hasn’t been defiant about this at all.”

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

How likely are the Bulls and Lakers to be trading partners this season? The Athletic’s Bulls beat writer, Darnell Mayberry, thinks all signs are pointing toward the two teams making a deal, but his colleague, Lakers beat writer Jovan Buha, is skeptical that they’ll find common ground. Buha, who previously reported that the Lakers have more interest in DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso than Zach LaVine, discusses the possibilities with Mayberry in a story for The Athletic.
A pair of former NBA guards are reportedly on track to join new teams in Italy. Shabazz Napier is said to be making the move from Crvena Zvezda in Serbia to Olimpia Milano, according to Eurohoops, while Dario Skerletic of Sportando reports that Nico Mannion is headed to Pallacanestro Varese after starting the season with Baskonia in Spain. The Warriors continue to retain Mannion’s rights as a two-way restricted free agent in the event that he returns to the NBA.
In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Jeremy Woo makes Alexandre Sarr‘s case to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA draft. There’s no consensus top player in this year’s draft class at this point, so ESPN will likely follow up with similar articles discussing other candidates for the No. 1 spot.

And-Ones: McClung, Comanche, Maluach, Draft, Team USA

December 19th, 2023 at 9:09am CST by Luke Adams

Although he’s not currently under contract with an NBA team, Mac McClung has been invited by the NBA to take part in the 2024 Slam Dunk Contest and defend his title, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

McClung remains undecided, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), though he says many people believe the G League guard will accept the invitation.

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C.C. McCandless of FOX5 in Las Vegas has obtained the arrest report for former Stockton Kings player Chance Comanche and shares several disturbing new details about the alleged plot to kidnap and kill Marayna Rodgers, who police believe was killed on the night of December 5, when the Kings‘ G League team was in town to face the G League Ignite. Comanche – one of two suspects facing an open murder charge – disclosed several details in an interview with investigators, including identifying on a map where Rodgers body was buried, which allowed detectives to locate her remains.
Standout prospect Khaman Maluach, a 7’2″ center from South Sudan, has elected to graduate high school in 2024 and will be eligible for the 2025 draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The 17-year-old is still weighing his options for the 2024/25 season, including attending a U.S. college or taking a professional route like the G League Ignite or Australia’s Next Stars program.
In the latest 2024 mock draft from Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports, Alexandre Sarr is the first player off the board, while USC’s Isaiah Collier – the top prospect on ESPN’s top 100 – drops to No. 8.
USA Basketball has announced its coaching staff for the AmeriCup qualifying team that will begin competing in February. Dave Joerger, previously reported to be the head coach for the U.S. squad, will be joined by veteran assistants Jerome Allen and Melvin Hunt, per a press release.
Australia’s national team is in advanced talks to play exhibition games against the U.S. and Serbia ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Team USA already has a pair of exhibition contests against South Sudan and Germany on its July schedule.

DeMarcus Cousins Signs 10-Day Deal With Team In Taiwan

December 18th, 2023 at 11:13am CST by Arthur Hill

11:13am: Cousins’ contract only covers 10 days and four games, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

7:53am: Free agent big man DeMarcus Cousins has reached an agreement to join the Taiwan Beer Leopards, according to Focus Taiwan. The team announced the signing in a press release, calling his addition a significant move for all of Taiwanese basketball.

“We’re confident that with [Cousins’] all-around skills, he’ll bring a totally new chemistry to the Leopards,” CEO Johnny Chang said.

Cousins is expected to join the team midway through next month and will play his first game on January 20, roughly halfway through the team’s T1 League schedule.

The four-time All-Star center told his new fans in a video on the team’s Facebook page that he’s “excited to come over and put on a show for you.”

Cousins, 33, last played in the NBA during the 2021/22 season, appearing in a combined 48 games with Milwaukee and Denver. He signed with the Guaynabo Mets of Puerto Rico in April, hoping it would help him return to the league. He reportedly turned down an opportunity to play in Taiwan last fall.

The Leopards, who have been aggressively pursuing former NBA players, also signed Dwight Howard last season. They are currently second in the five-team T1 League at 5-4.

And-Ones: NBA Media Rights, McLemore, Experiments, Jokic

December 13th, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the NBA’s current television/media rights deal doesn’t expire until the end of the 2024/25 season, most sources expect a new agreement to be reached by the summer of 2024, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico (subscription required).

There was some speculation in recent years that the NBA’s next media rights deal could triple its current nine-year, $24 billion contract in terms of total value, but most teams are expecting an increase in the range of 100-150% rather than 200%, says Badenhausen. The next agreement could include as many as five broadcast partners, including three on the “linear side” and two streaming services, Badenhausen adds.

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After parting ways with Greek team AEK Athens, longtime NBA guard Ben McLemore appears to be close to lining up his next destination in Europe. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com reports that McLemore is in advanced talks to join Manisa Büyükşehir Belediyespor, which is 6-5 in Turkish League play so far, tied for fifth out of 16 teams. McLemore, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2013 draft, last played in the NBA in 2021/22 with Portland.
In an entertaining piece for The Ringer, Howard Beck rates the NBA’s best and worst experiments of the Adam Silver era, from the play-in tournament (five stars) to disasters like shirseys and the creation of an end-of-season awards show (one star apiece).
Elsewhere at The Ringer, NBA writers Beck, Danny Chau, Rob Mahoney, Zach Kram, and Michael Pina handed out their awards for the first quarter of the 2023/24 season. The only award they fully agreed on was Most Valuable Player — all five votes went to Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.

International Notes: Nader, McLemore, Frazier, Walker

December 11th, 2023 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Abdel Nader has signed with the South East Melbourne Phoenix for the remainder of the 2023/24 NBL season, the team says, (Twitter link via Olgun Uluc of ESPN). The NBA’s Suns waived Nader back in February 2022 and he never worked his way back into the league. Nader, 30, appeared in 202 NBA games with the Celtics, Thunder and Suns.

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Longtime NBA guard Ben McLemore has parted ways with Greece’s AEK Betsson, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net. It was his first stint in Europe after playing in China last season. In Greece’s Stoiximan Basket League, McLemore averaged 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in seven appearances. McLemore played for the Kings, Grizzlies, Rockets, Lakers and Trail Blazers over the course of his nine-year NBA career, which spanned from 2013-22.
Greece’s Promitheas Patras has signed former NBA guard Tim Frazier, according to Eurohoops. Frazier previously played in that country with AEK Athens and, most recently spent time in France with SIG Strasbourg. The 33-year-old averaged 11.3 points, 5.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds with AEK in 2022/23 and posted 8.3 points, 4.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds over seven games with Strasbourg. He appeared in 289 NBA games, most recently in 2021/22 when he saw action in 12 contests with the Magic and Cavs.
Kemba Walker is enjoying his transition to European basketball, playing for AS Monaco, Eurohoops relays. In an interview with Joe Arlauckas of The Crossover, Walker said, “I wanted to have a new experience. I wanted to try to experience the world. And it’s really been an easy adjustment. These guys welcomed me with open arms, treated me with a lot of respect. Just really made my transition super easy.” The former NBA All-Star had a nine-game stint with the Mavs last season.