International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Leandro Bolmaro Signs With Spanish Team

March 2nd, 2023 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA first-round pick Leandro Bolmaro has returned to Spain, signing with Lenovo Tenerife (also known as CB Canarias), according to a press release from the team.

Bolmaro, 22, was the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 draft and signed his NBA rookie contract with the Timerwolves a year later, in 2021. However, he played very sparingly as a rookie in Minnesota, then was dealt to Utah in last summer’s blockbuster Rudy Gobert trade.

Bolmaro was unable to crack the Jazz’s rotation this season and was eventually bought out last month by the team, a move that was made to allow him to head back overseas and get more playing time.

In total, the Argentine guard averaged 1.1 PPG and 1.0 RPG and posted a shooting line of .270/.227/.846 in 49 NBA appearances (6.3 MPG) across two NBA seasons. He was more productive at the G League level, including averaging 12.1 PPG, 6.6 APG, and 6.1 RPG on .478/.382/.556 shooting in seven regular season games (33.1 MPG) for the Salt Lake City Stars this year.

Bolmaro previously played in Spain from 2018-21, when he was a member of FC Barcelona — he won a Spanish League (Liga ACB) title with the club in ’21.

His new team, Lenovo Tenerife, is currently chasing Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Baskonia in the standings, with a 14-5 record in Liga ACB play. Lenovo Tenerife is also the defending champion of FIBA’s Basketball Champions League.

And-Ones: Cheatham, Summer League, Udoka, Team USA

March 1st, 2023 at 6:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Zylan Cheatham, who has appeared in NBA games for the Jazz and Pelicans since 2019, will resume his playing career in the EuroLeague. According to reporting from BasketNews.com, German club Bayern Munich added Chatham to its roster ahead of today’s deadline for EuroLeague teams to register new players.

After going undrafted out of Arizona State in 2019, Cheatham began his professional career on a two-way contract with the Pelicans, spending his entire rookie season with the team, though he only appeared in four NBA games.

Cheatham was sent to Oklahoma City in a sign-and-trade for salary-matching purposes during the 2020 offseason in the deal that landed Steven Adams in New Orleans, but was waived by the Thunder a week later. Since then, he has primarily played in the G League, though he did sign 10-day contracts with Miami, Utah, and New Orleans last season.

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

The NBA has officially confirmed the dates for this year’s Las Vegas Summer League, announcing (via Twitter) that it will take place from July 7-17.
Teams are beginning the vetting process of former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. Bulpett explores what teams want to know about Udoka and what steps he might have to take to land a new job following his year-long suspension and his subsequent exit from Boston.
Suns forward Kevin Durant and Kings forward Harrison Barnes are among the former Olympic medalists who are part of USA Basketball’s Board of Directors. Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press explores what that role entails, noting that Durant has sought to have real input on the program, rather than just having an honorary seat at the table.
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic polled a handful of players at All-Star weekend about what they’d change about the NBA and received some interesting responses, including Anthony Edwards criticizing the concept of load management (“Just play, man. If you 80 percent, you got to play. I don’t like all this sitting, missing games and stuff”) and Tyrese Haliburton advocating for the league to expand (“The talent in the world right now is amazing, so to add two more teams would be good for our league”).

Tyler Dorsey Signs With Fenerbahce

March 1st, 2023 at 7:33am CST by Luke Adams

Former Mavericks guard Tyler Dorsey has officially signed with Fenerbahce, the Turkish team announced today in a press release.

According to the club, the deal will cover the next two seasons beyond this one, running through 2024/25. Sources tell Bugra Uzar of Eurohoops that the agreement isn’t expected to include NBA outs.

A former college standout for an Oregon team that made it to the Final Four in 2017, Dorsey thrived in the EuroLeague from 2019-22 while playing in Israel for Maccabi Tel Aviv and in Greece for Olympiacos. The 27-year-old’s success overseas led to a two-way deal with the Mavericks this past offseason, but he failed to crack Dallas’ rotation, appearing in just three games at the NBA level before being waived in late December.

Dorsey, who saw extensive action in the G League for the Texas Legends both before and after he was cut by the Mavs, performed at a high level during the Showcase Cup in the fall, averaging 24.3 points per game on .463/.470/.840 shooting in 17 appearances (32.5 MPG). His scoring efficiency slipped a little during the NBAGL regular season, as he averaged 18.9 PPG on .396/.370/.800 shooting in 12 contests (30.7 MPG).

The Legends granted Dorsey his release last week, allowing him to return overseas before the EuroLeague’s March 1 deadline to register new players. He’s joining a Fenerbahce team that features former NBA players Carsen Edwards, Johnathan Motley, and Nick Calathes, among others.

And-Ones: Dorsey, Muhammad, B. Miller, Tall Ball

February 25th, 2023 at 7:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Texas Legends – the Mavericks‘ G League affiliate – have parted ways with guard Tyler Dorsey, the team announced today (via Twitter). Dorsey had been averaging 18.9 points per game with a .370 3PT% in 12 regular season appearances (30.7 MPG) for the Legends.

It’s possible Dorsey recognized that no NBA call-up opportunities were imminent and requested his release — as a Eurohoops story notes, March 1 is the deadline for EuroLeague teams to add new players to their rosters, and Dorsey reportedly drew interest from multiple clubs in the EuroLeague when he was waived by Dallas earlier this season.

Meanwhile, the Texas Legends announced on Friday that they’ve reacquired veteran forward Justin Jackson. Jackson, who played for the Legends last season, spent most of this season in Boston, but was traded to Oklahoma City at this month’s trade deadline and was subsequently waived by the Thunder.

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

Free agent wing Shabazz Muhammad has agreed to a “significant” deal with Beirut Club in Lebanon, his agency Edge Sports International announced (via Twitter). The former first-round pick signed a G League contract earlier this season as he attempted to make his way back to the NBA, but will continue his career overseas for now.
After police testimony earlier this week revealed that star Alabama prospect Brandon Miller allegedly brought the gun that was used in the killing of a woman on the Tuscaloosa strip last month, Miller’s attorney issued a statement attempting to clarify the 20-year-old’s role (or lack thereof) in the incident (link via Jeff Goodman of Stadium). As Jeff Borzello of ESPN writes, the school announced in a statement on Wednesday that Miller would continue to play for the Crimson Tide, since he’s “not considered a suspect in this case, only a cooperative witness.” Several hours later, Miller scored a career-high 41 points in an overtime win over South Carolina.
David Aldridge of The Athletic explores the resurgence of “Tall Ball” across the NBA, pointing to frontcourt pairings in Cleveland (Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley), Milwaukee (Brook Lopez, Giannis Antetokounmpo), and Washington (Kristaps Porzingis, Daniel Gafford) as some examples of the trend.

World Cup Notes: Team USA, Caruso, Carmelo

February 24th, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball clinched a spot in the 2023 FIBA World Cup with an 88-77 win over Uruguay on Thursday, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes. Longtime NBA guard Langston Galloway played a key role in Team USA’s comeback victory, scoring 11 consecutive points in the fourth quarter to help secure the win.

“Couldn’t be more proud about the group of guys that we have here,” Galloway said. “Just thankful for the opportunity. I’m getting to play and represent with the United States across my chest, and all the guys who have been part of this journey with me. … We accomplished the task at hand, which was qualifying for the World Cup.”

Team USA entered this month’s qualifiers needing to win one of two games to secure one of seven World Cup berths available to teams in the FIBA Americas region. Canada and the U.S. have now locked up two of those spots, but five remain up for grabs heading into the final day of qualifying matches on Sunday.

Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Brazil all have records of either 8-3 or 7-4 in qualifying so far and are battling to claim those five slots available in the FIBA Americas region — one of those six teams will be the odd man out after this weekend’s games and won’t compete in the World Cup later this year.

Here’s more on the World Cup:

Joe Vardon of The Athletic takes a closer look at the players and coaches (led by former Bulls head coach Jim Boylen) who did the dirty work of qualifying for a tournament that they won’t actually get to participate in. Steve Kerr will coach a Team USA roster made up of NBA players at the actual World Cup in August and September. “Nobody’s really gonna say, ‘Oh, congrats to so-and-so for doing this for us,'” said former NBA guard John Jenkins, who was part of the U.S. roster during qualifiers. “I don’t do it for recognition from the world. I just do it because I feel an obligation for my country and for a lot of the guys that are gonna play in the World Cup. They are my friends or I’ve played against them for a while.”
Within that same story, Vardon provides new context for a viral clip of Kerr telling Bulls guard Alex Caruso, “We’d love to have you” in December. According to Vardon, Kerr was actually talking to Caruso about Team USA’s World Cup roster, rather than trying recruit the veteran guard to the Warriors.
Veteran forward Carmelo Anthony, who won three Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball, has been named a global ambassador for this year’s World Cup, according to a FIBA press release. “I’ve proudly represented the USA on the world’s largest stages, and the World Cup is the toughest competition in international basketball,” Anthony said in a statement. “It’s all about striking a perfect balance of personnel, talent and having that great chemistry. I’m looking forward to supporting all the players at the World Cup this year and celebrating the sport on a global scale.” Argentina’s Luis Scola and Spain’s Pau Gasol are also serving as global ambassadors who will help promote the event.

And-Ones: Postseason Awards, Cacok, Grenades, Mock Draft

February 14th, 2023 at 9:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA and the Players Association have discussed a games played threshold regarding postseason awards, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reports.

The discussions are part of Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations. The league has become increasingly concerned with load management, particularly regarding top players. Tying eligibility for awards to games played would be a way of discouraging them from taking nights off.

It’s believed the concept will be in the final CBA in some form, but negotiations are fluid. Only three of the top 12 vote-getters for the Most Valuable Player award last season played more than 68 games, Vorkunov notes.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Former NBA forward Devontae Cacok has signed with CSKA Moscow, according to a press release from the Russian club. Cacok had been playing for the Pistons’ G League club, the Motor City Cruise, where he averaged of 19.9 points and 9.7 rebounds in 31.2 minutes through 14 games. Cacok has appeared in 36 NBA games over the past three seasons with the Lakers and Spurs after going undrafted out of UNC Wilmington in 2019. He was waived by the Pistons this fall before joining their G League squad.
The unwritten rule discouraging passes from being thrown late in the shot clock for a teammate to take a low percentage shot is detailed by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. Such passes are called “grenades,” since it forces a teammate to lower his shooting percentages. League-wide, players shot 29.7% last season on contested field goal attempts after receiving a pass with two seconds or less remaining on the shot clock, MacMahon notes.
With the trade deadline behind us, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report takes his latest swing at a two-round mock draft. Who goes after Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson? Wasserman has the Hornets selecting guard Amen Thompson with the No. 3 pick.

And-Ones: Payton, Williams, Rising Stars, Taxpayers

February 7th, 2023 at 11:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA guard Elfrid Payton has signed with Puerto Rican club Osos de Manatí, per Dario Skerlectic of Sportando.

Evidently Payton decided against going the G League route and instead went with a (presumably) bigger payday. The 28-year-old spent last season with the Suns as the team’s third string point guard. He was a lottery pick back in 2014, selected 10th overall by the Magic.

Across 500 regular-season games (395 starts, 26.8 MPG) with Orlando, New Orleans, New York and Phoenix, he holds career averages of 10.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.2 steals.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Former NBA big man Alan Williams has signed a two-year extension to remain with the NBL’s South East Melbourne Phoenix, the Australian team announced in a press release. Williams started his career in China after going undrafted in 2015, spent time with the Suns from 2016-18, then played for the Nets in 2018/19. After that, he made a brief return to China and played three seasons in Russia. The 30-year-old played 67 games during his time in the NBA, averaging 6.2 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 13.0 minutes per contest.
Deron Williams, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol drafted their respective teams for the Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend, per the NBA. You can find the full results right here (Twitter link).
There are currently 10 teams — the Celtics, Nets, Mavericks, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, Sixers and Suns — the above the luxury tax threshold, and John Hollinger of The Athletic believes several of them could make minor cost-cutting moves ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. The Sixers are an obvious candidate, as they’re just $1.17MM over the line. Hollinger also points out that the Bucks and Lakers could save a significant amount of money if they were to deal away some of their little-used veterans (he points to Serge Ibaka and Damian Jones as players who could be moved).

And-Ones: Napier, All-Star Bonuses, Trade Proposals, Biggest Needs

January 31st, 2023 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Shabazz Napier has signed with Olimpia Milano for the remainder of the season, according to a team press release. Coach Ettore Messina said Napier will be thrown into the fray immediately against Baskonia, Allesandro Maggi of Sportando relays.

“Shabazz Napier had just one team practice, but we will use him, hoping for some minutes in a position where we need them badly,” he said.

Napier last appeared in the NBA during the 2019/20 season, when he played a combined 56 games for Minnesota and Washington.

We have more from the basketball world:

Several NBA players could cash in if they’re selected as All-Star reserves, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes. Among that group, the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown will earn a $1.5MM bonus if he’s chosen and also appears in 65 regular season games (he has missed six games so far). The Bucks’ Jrue Holiday will collect $324K if he’s chosen, while the Kings’ Domantas Sabonis will receive $1.3MM if he’s selected. The Knicks’ Julius Randle will get an additional $1.2MM if he gets the nod.
What are some of the bold moves that playoff contenders could make to improve their chances of success? The Ringer’s Michael Pina explores potential trades that could make the Suns, Clippers, Thunder, Lakers and Pelicans better.
The Bulls and Hawks need 3-point shooting. The Nuggets need defensive help and the Warriors require a stretch wing. The Athletic’s staff runs down the biggest need for every team as the trade deadline approaches.

Ben McLemore To Sign With Chinese Team

January 31st, 2023 at 8:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ben McLemore has agreed to a one-year contract with the Shandong Heroes of the Chinese Basketball Association, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

McLemore spent the past nine seasons in the NBA but there’s been little news regarding the veteran shooting guard since he became a free agent in the offseason. He participated in a free agent workout with the Warriors in September but obviously didn’t get signed by them or any other NBA squad.

McLemore spent most of last season in the Trail Blazers’ rotation, averaging 10.2 points in 20.1 minutes while appearing in 62 games.

The seventh overall pick of the 2013 draft, McLemore has 556 NBA games on his resume, with stops in Sacramento, Memphis, Houston and the Los Angeles Lakers as well as Portland. He’s averaged 9.0 points in 22.5 minutes during his career while making 36.3% of his 3-point attempts.

Matt Thomas Signs With Panathinaikos

January 31st, 2023 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Greek team Panathinaikos has signed veteran sharpshooter Matt Thomas through the 2023/24 season, the club announced in a press release.

Thomas, 28, spent last season with the Bulls, appearing in 40 games and averaging 4.0 PPG and 1.3 RPG on .410/.385/.800 shooting. The former Iowa State standout also played for the Raptors and Jazz from 2019-21, appearing in 126 total NBA regular season contests and making 40.4% of his three-pointers during that time.

As good a shooter as Thomas is, he had a hard time earning regular rotation minutes in the NBA due to his limitations as a ball-handler and defender. He began his professional career by spending two seasons in Europe from 2017-19, but this will be his first time playing in the Greek League.

Panathinaikos, which also competes in the EuroLeague, has no shortage of NBA players on its roster, including swingman Dwayne Bacon and former lottery picks Derrick Williams and Georgios Papagiannis. The team is looking to bounce back and move up the standings following an 8-13 start in EuroLeague play.