International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Dwight Howard Signs With Taiwanese Team

November 7th, 2022 at 8:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Longtime NBA center Dwight Howard has signed a contract with a Taiwanese team, the Taoyuan Leopards, he announced in an Instagram video.

Howard played 60 games with the Lakers last season, including 27 starts. He became a free agent after the season and remained unsigned before the overseas opportunity came along.

Howard, 37, has appeared in 1,242 regular season games during his career with averages of 15.7 points and 11.8 rebounds. He also has 125 postseason games on his resume.

He’s an eight-time All-NBA member and three-time Defensive Player of the Year but with traditional centers becoming nearly obsolete in today’s game, Howard has bounced around the league in recent seasons.

His latest stint with the Lakers was the third of his career. He also played for Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington and Philadelphia since the 2015/16 season.

Southeast Notes: Heat, Butler, Young, Murray, Banchero, Bol

November 3rd, 2022 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat stumbled a little out of the gate this season, losing five of their first seven games, including three of four at home. However, star swingman Jimmy Butler was unfazed by the team’s slow start, as he told Sam Amick of The Athletic.

“We’re still going to win the championship, and I don’t care what nobody says,” Butler said before the Heat beat Golden State on Tuesday. “Count us out. We’re going to win the f—ing championship. I’m telling you. I don’t give a damn that we started 2-5.”

While the Heat didn’t have much roster turnover this offseason, Butler said the team is still “different” this year, with P.J. Tucker gone and several players taking on new roles. According to Butler, some “growing pains” are to be expected.

“Y’all will look back at this, and be like, oh man, they started 2-5 and they ended the season f—ing 77-5,” he joked.

The Heat are 2-0 since Butler spoke to Amick, beating Sacramento on Wednesday without him in the lineup — he sat out due to left hip tightness.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Hawks star Trae Young was scratched in the left eye during Wednesday’s win over New York, but doesn’t think he’ll miss any time due to the injury, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN relays. “I think I’ll be able to play through it,” Young said, noting that Atlanta doesn’t play again until Saturday. “It’s more just letting the swelling go down. … I’ll probably have to wear goggles or glasses for some games, but it’ll be all right.”
With Young banged up, Dejounte Murray enjoyed his best game since joining the Hawks, racking up 36 points, nine assists, and five steals in a 13-point win. As Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, Murray has been emerging as one of the team’s leaders despite having only played eight games with Atlanta so far.
In an appearance on teammate R.J. Hampton‘s podcast, Magic rookie forward Paolo Banchero said that he intends to represent Italy in international competitions, according to Orazio Cauchi of BasketNews.com. Banchero wasn’t born or raised in Italy, but is of Italian descent on his father’s side. “I’m planning to play for the Italian national team, I’m not sure when,” Banchero said. “I haven’t been out there yet, but man, the amount of love I’m getting from there it’s crazy, man. It’s crazy. I can’t wait to go to Italy.”
It came as a bit of a surprise when the Magic re-signed Bol Bol to a two-year contract with a guaranteed 2022/23 salary after acquiring him in what seemed to be a salary-dump deal at last season’s deadline, but the oft-injured big man has been playing and producing so far this season. Nekias Duncan of BasketballNews.com celebrates that fact and takes a closer look at the role Bol is playing in Orlando.

And-Ones: Media Rights, G League, Bledsoe, Beasley, Franklin

November 2nd, 2022 at 8:05am CST by Luke Adams

When the NBA negotiates its next television deal, expect the league to sell a separate package of streaming-only games, writes Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports. As McCarthy outlines, the NFL and MLB have sold packages of games to Amazon and Apple in recent years, and the NBA is expected to follow suit, with Amazon in particular having made it clear it wants to get into business with the league.

“Amazon is locked and loaded for a shot at the NBA,” a source told Front Office Sports.

According to McCarthy, sports media consultant Patrick Crakes estimated that the bidding for a streaming-only NBA package could start in the neighborhood of $1 billion per year. The league’s current TV deal with ESPN/ABC and Turner Sports pays the league about $2.6 billion annually — the next rights deal is expected to double or triple that figure, McCarthy writes.

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

While a deal with the NBA could be coming down the line, Amazon officially announced today that it has entered a partnership with Overtime Elite and will stream 20 OTE games in each of the next three seasons, as Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic details.
With the NBA G League’s season set to tip off on Friday, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Bobby Marks, and Kevin Pelton (Insider link) break down what to watch for in 2022/23. Pelton identifies Joe Wieskamp, Saben Lee, Willie Cauley-Stein, Jamaree Bouyea, and Shabazz Napier as some top candidates for call-ups, while Givony notes that the G League Ignite’s roster will feature Scoot Henderson and a handful of other intriguing prospects.
After reportedly reaching a deal to sign free agent guard Eric Bledsoe, the Shanghai Sharks have parted ways with forward Michael Beasley and guard Jamaal Franklin, two former NBA players, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. There was some uncertainty about whether the Sharks would move forward with their signing of Bledsoe following his arrest for misdemeanor domestic violence last month, but he won’t face any criminal charges in that case, according to a TMZ report.
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes a closer look at the NBA’s rumored proposal of a league-wide hard cap, considering whether the idea could work and what the pros and cons would be.

Markus Howard Hopes Successful EuroLeague Run Leads To NBA Return

October 29th, 2022 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

After spending his first two professional seasons in Denver with the Nuggets, guard Markus Howard headed overseas this past offseason, joining Spanish team Baskonia. While he’s enjoying his time in Europe so far, Howard told Bojan Brezovac of Mozzart Sport that his goal is to eventually make it back to the NBA.

“The NBA is my dream and my ultimate goal is to return to the NBA,” Howard said, per a translation (hat tip to Eurohoops). “And that’s possible if I fully commit to my duties in Baskonia, which has shown me that is a great organization that wants to compete for titles.”

Howard, 23, appeared in 68 games across two seasons in Denver, averaging 3.4 PPG on .382/.341/.844 shooting in 5.6 minutes per contest. He spent both years on a two-way contract and reportedly had two-way opportunities in the NBA this past summer, but opted for more guaranteed money with Baskonia.

Through five EuroLeague contests, Howard has been one of the league’s top scorers, averaging 18.2 points per game, including back-to-back 30-point performances against KK Partizan and Crvena Zvezda. Only former NBA guard Mike James and draft-and-stash prospects Sasha Vezenkov and Vasilije Micic have higher scoring averages in the early part of the season.

Howard told Brezovac that he had conversations with teammates and EuroLeague veterans before committing to Baskonia, ultimately determining that the Spanish team would be “ideal” for his development.

“I look up to guys like Mike James, Lorenzo Brown, and I had a long conversation with one of the best players who played in Europe — Facundo Campazzo,” Howard said. “He is an example of how someone can play in Europe with great success. I came to learn from the more experienced players and to find a way to help the team. I don’t just look at myself and my numbers, I’m interested in winning.”

Howard reportedly signed a two-year contract with Baskonia. It’s unclear if his deal includes an NBA opt-out clause after the first season.

Eric Bledsoe To Resume Career In China?

October 27th, 2022 at 10:35am CST by Arthur Hill

OCTOBER 27: Bledsoe was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence on Wednesday night in Lost Hills, California, shortly after word broke of his deal with the Shanghai Sharks, according to a TMZ report. It’s unclear whether the Chinese club still intends to move forward with Bledsoe’s deal following his arrest.

OCTOBER 26: Veteran guard Eric Bledsoe will sign with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. This will be Bledsoe’s first time playing overseas after 12 years in the NBA.

The 32-year-old began last season as a starter with the Clippers and averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 54 games. He was traded to the Trail Blazers in February, but soreness in his left Achilles tendon prevented him from ever playing for Portland. The Blazers waived him in July and stretched the $3.9MM in guaranteed money left on his contract.

After one season at Kentucky, Bledsoe was selected with the 18th pick in the 2010 draft. He appeared in 756 total games with the Clippers, Suns, Bucks and Pelicans.

Bledsoe’s teammates in Shanghai will include former NBA players Michael Beasley and Jamaal Franklin.

And-Ones: Tanking, Expansion, Ignite, Dumars, Mekel

October 26th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After Baxter Holmes of ESPN reported on comments Adam Silver made during a Q&A with Suns employees, the NBA commissioner appeared on ESPN’s NBA Today on Monday to further discuss some of the points he made during that session. In addition to clarifying that he wasn’t “deadly serious about relegation” when he broached that subject, Silver explained why he believes the league’s revamped draft lottery system reduces the incentive for teams to tank (link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN).

“You’re dealing with a 14% chance of getting the first pick,” Silver said. “I recognize at the end of the day analytics are what they are and it’s not about superstition. A 14% chance is better than a 1% chance or a no percent chance. But even in terms of straightforward odds, it doesn’t benefit a team to be the absolute worst team in the league, and even if you’re one of the poor-performing teams, you’re still dealing with a 14% chance.

“It’s one of these things where there’s no perfect solution, but we still think a draft is the right way to rebuild your league over time. We still think it makes sense among partner teams, where a decision was made where the worst-performing teams are able to restock with the prospects of the best players coming in. So we haven’t come up with a better system.”

Silver also addressed the topic of expansion. As Marc Stein relays (via Twitter), the commissioner said that Las Vegas would “make a great location from a franchise someday,” but repeated his usual line about the need for patience. Expansion won’t be on the table, according to Silver, until after the league has a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and television deal in place. The current CBA will expires in 2024, while the TV deal runs until 2025.

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

Senegalese guard Babacar Sane, a graduate of the NBA Academy, has signed with the G League Ignite, according to a press release from the team. Sane, 19, has represented Senegal in World Cup qualifiers and played in the Basketball Africa League. He signed with the Ignite for two years and will be eligible for the 2024 draft. Marc J. Spears of Andscape talked to the young guard about his G League deal and a potential path to the NBA.
NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars spoke to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today about his new role, explaining how he has adjusted to acting in the best interest of the league instead of any particular team. Dumars, whose position was previously held by Kiki VanDeWeghe, is in charge of player discipline — he was the one who announced, for instance, Grant Williams‘ suspension on Wednesday.
Veteran Israeli point guard Gal Mekel, who attended Wichita State and played for the Mavericks and Pelicans from 2013-14, has retired, according to agent Misko Raznatovic (Twitter link). Although Mekel’s time in the NBA was brief, he has enjoyed a 14-year professional career, playing in Israel, Italy, Russia, Serbia, and Spain during that time.

Team USA Rumors: Young, Beal, Allen, Embiid

October 25th, 2022 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

Under former USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo, continuity was a top priority for the men’s national team. Colangelo required players to make two-year commitments to the program, maintained a pool of about 40 Team USA players, and conducted training camps in summers when there was no major international competition.

However, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic details, new managing director Grant Hill has decided to take a different approach, having concluded – along with new Team USA head coach Steve Kerr – that it’s not realistic to expect NBA superstars to commit back-to-back summers to the national program.

The plan for Team USA is to spend the next several months, into the spring, building the team that will represent the country at the World Cup in the Philippines next fall. USA Basketball will then repeat that process the following year in preparation for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Vardon writes.

While it remains to be seen which players will ultimately suit up for Team USA at those two events, Vardon’s article includes some additional info on potential candidates. Here are some highlights:

Hawks star Trae Young has long wanted to play for Team USA at a World Cup or Olympics, but hasn’t gotten the chance to do so yet. He’s optimistic he’ll get that chance now that Hill – a minority owner of the Hawks – is so involved in the process. “It’s exciting, knowing someone who has more of a say,” Young told Vardon.
Wizards star Bradley Beal missed the last World Cup due to the birth of his son and also had to sit out of the Olympics after contracting COVID-19, but he’s interested in playing for the team going forward. “I definitely see myself playing for USA,” Beal told Vardon. “That’s always been a goal of mine, obviously to play in the Olympics, but there’s a step to get there (the World Cup). So if it’s available to me, for sure.”
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is receiving “heavy consideration” from Team USA officials, according to Vardon. Allen would be interested if he’s invited to take part, telling Vardon he would “take a lot of pride in representing us on a stage in front of the world.”
Confirming a previous report from Marc Stein, Vardon says Team USA is very interested in Joel Embiid, a native of Cameroon who has French and U.S. citizenship. USA Basketball hasn’t begun a formal recruitment of Embiid, but doesn’t want to see him join a French frontcourt that already features Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama.
Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Khris Middleton, and Zach LaVine are among the players who won gold with Team USA in Tokyo and would be welcomed back if they want to play in the 2023 World Cup, says Vardon.

Baskonia Signs Pierria Henry

October 23rd, 2022 at 3:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent point guard Pierria Henry, who was attempting to make his NBA debut in 2022/23, will resume his international career with Baskonia, the Spanish club announced in a press release (hat tip to Eurohoops).

Henry participated in a free agent mini-camp with the Wizards in June and later competed with their Summer League team before signing with the Rockets earlier this month. However, his training camp deal with Houston was non-guaranteed, and he was waived before the season started.

The 29-year-old has played exclusively in Europe since going undrafted out of Charlotte in 2015, and he’s had a strong pro career as a 3-and-D player. Henry holds career averages of 9.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.1 APG and 1.6 SPG on .451/.351/.782 shooting overseas.

It’s a reunion for the two sides, as Henry won a Spanish League title with Baskonia in 2020. He also won a Turkish League championship with Fenerbahçe in 2022, and according to Eurohoops, Fenerbahçe retained Henry’s rights, but didn’t make him an offer.

Dwayne Bacon Signs With Panathinaikos

October 21st, 2022 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran free agent swingman Dwayne Bacon has signed with Panathinaikos, the Greek team announced today in a press release. Bacon received a two-year contract.

Bacon was in training camp with the Lakers this fall, but didn’t earn a spot on the team’s 15-man regular season roster and was waived about two weeks ago.

A 2017 second-round pick, Bacon has appeared in 207 regular season NBA games for Charlotte and Orlando since making his debut five years ago. In 2020/21, he averaged 10.9 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 72 games (50 starts) for the Magic.

However, Bacon didn’t play in the NBA last season after being waived by the Knicks in the fall. He signed with AS Monaco shortly after being cut by New York and competed in France’s top basketball league and the EuroLeague in 2021/22. He’ll be returning to the EuroLeague this year, in addition to playing in Greece’s top league.

And-Ones: Breakout Candidates, Wembanyama, Thornwell

October 21st, 2022 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype polled 20 NBA executives on their top three breakout candidates for the 2022/23 season and found that Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey was the most popular pick. While I’d argue that last season represented a breakout year for Maxey, some executives have far higher expectations for him going forward.

“Maxey’s going to be better than James Harden,” one general manager said to Scotto. “He just keeps getting better and better and will be a huge reason why they have success this season.”

Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Magic forward Franz Wagner, and Rockets guard Jalen Green were among the other popular breakout picks, based on the responses Scotto got from executives. Interestingly, Warriors big man James Wiseman and Pistons forward/center Marvin Bagley III were each picked as this year’s top breakout candidate by one GM.

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

In his latest look at the top prospects in the 2023 NBA draft class, David Aldridge of The Athletic passes along several entertaining quotes from NBA executives, including one Eastern Conference exec’s response to whether Scoot Henderson could surpass Victor Wembanyama as next year’s No. 1 pick: “Scoot’s good, but, no. Short of Wembanyama having murdered somebody, there’s just no way.”
Veteran guard Sindarius Thornwell has signed with Frutti Extra Bursasport, the Turkish team announced this week (via Twitter). Thornwell has appeared in 160 total NBA games and played for New Orleans and Atlanta in 2020/21, but wasn’t in the league last season.
Longtime NBA referee Tony Brown, who officiated over 1,100 games, including one in the 2020 NBA Finals, passed away on Thursday after a fight with pancreatic cancer, according to his family (story via ESPN.com).