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NBA Free Agents Who Have Joined International Teams

August 29th, 2022 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

With a new crop of rookies entering the NBA this fall, there won’t be enough room for all of the free agents who finished the 2021/22 season on NBA teams to find new jobs in the league.

Some of those players who are left on the outside looking in will retire. Many others will find work around the world, in one of the many professional basketball leagues in Europe, Asia, Australia, or South America.

As our free agent tracker shows, there have been 15 players so far who were on an NBA roster when the season ended in April and have since joined an international team.

That list of 15 doesn’t include players like Semi Ojeleye or James Ennis, who played in the NBA in 2021/22 but weren’t under contract with a team at the end of the season. We’ve been keeping tabs on many of those players and their new teams throughout the offseason, but the players listed below were all NBA free agents this spring.

Here are the details on where those players are headed:

Australia

China

France

Germany

Greece

Italy

Lithuania

Philippines

  • Bay Area Dragons: Myles Powell, Sixers (story)
    • Note: The Dragons normally play in Hong Kong, but are temporarily based in Manila in the Philippines due to COVID-19 restrictions in Hong Kong.

Spain

Turkey

With dozens of veterans still unsigned just four weeks before NBA training camps begin, it’s a safe bet that we’ll be adding a few more names to the above list before the season tips off in October.

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Danilo Gallinari Diagnosed With Meniscus Tear

August 28th, 2022 at 8:47am CST by Arthur Hill

The knee injury that Danilo Gallinari suffered Saturday is less serious than originally feared, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Celtics forward tore his left meniscus during a World Cup Qualifier, the Italian National Team announced.

No timetable has been set for his recovery, but Gallinari will definitely miss the upcoming EuroBasket tournament, the Italian team added. NBA training camps open in about four weeks.

Gallinari confirmed the diagnosis on social media (Twitter link) and offered a message to Italian fans (translated by EuroHoops).

“It hurts like hell,” he wrote. “Not so much the knee that it gave up in yesterday’s game that we won again thanks to our character. That will take some time – fortunately less than expected – to get back to normal. It damn hurts to give up this national team dream. We wanted to treat ourselves to magical nights. In my own house. In our house.”

According to an ESPN report, Gallinari limped off the court in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against Georgia. Trainers examined the knee on the sidelines, and he was helped to the locker room by a teammate and a staff member. There were immediate concerns that he had suffered ligament damage, including a possible torn ACL, but the Italian team doctor examined him after the game and said the ligament is OK.

“It’s tough to talk about basketball after what we saw happen to Danilo,” Italy captain Luigi Datome said. “We wish him, of course, the best.”

The 34-year-old Gallinari was an important offseason addition for Boston after reaching the NBA Finals last season. He was sent from the Hawks to the Spurs in late June as part of the Dejounte Murray trade and signed with the Celtics for the midlevel exception after reaching a buyout agreement with San Antonio.

The recovery timeline for a torn meniscus can vary significantly depending on how significant the tear is and how the injury is treated. We’ll have to wait for further updates on Gallinari to get a sense of whether his recovery process will take weeks or months.

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Danilo Gallinari Hurts Knee In World Cup Qualifier

August 27th, 2022 at 4:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari suffered an injury to his left knee during today’s FIBA World Cup qualifying game, tweets international basketball writer Cesare Milanti.

Gallinari was hurt on a drive to the basket during the fourth quarter of the contest between Italy and Georgia. He underwent treatment on the sidelines, but didn’t return to the game. An MRI is scheduled for Sunday to determine the full extent of the damage (Twitter link).

Italian coach Gianmarco Pozzecco originally feared that Gallinari had suffered an ACL tear, but the team doctor examined Gallinari’s left knee ligament, which has been operated on before, and determined that it’s intact.

“I hope and I pray that nothing bad will come out,” Pozzecco said. “It was … it is an honor coaching him. I saw pain in his eyes.”

Gallinari signed a two-year, $13.3MM contract with Boston in July. The seriousness of his injury will determine whether he will be available when training camps open roughly a month from now.

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International Notes: Brown, Basketball Without Borders, World Cup

August 26th, 2022 at 3:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Former NBA wing Anthony Brown has agreed to terms on a deal with Russian club Unics Kazan, writes Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. A former EuroLeague club, Unics Kazan now competes in the VTB United League.

After being selected with the No. 34 pick by the Lakers in 2015 out of Stanford, Brown bounced the NBA and G League for several seasons. He suited up for the Lakers and their NBAGL affiliate, at the time called the Los Angeles D-Fenders (now the South Bay Lakers), the Magic and their affiliate team the Erie BayHawks/Lakeland Magic, the Timberwolves and their NBAGL club the Iowa Wolves, and the Pelicans. In 41 total NBA games, the 29-year-old has averaged 3.9 PPG and 2.5 RPG across 18.6 MPG.

Brown first headed overseas in 2018, and has since suited up for teams in Serbia, France, Spain, Turkey and Israel. While playing for Maccabi Rishon LeZion in Israel Super League competition last season, the 6’7″ swingman posted averages of 16.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.0 SPG, with a shooting line of .465/.396/.821.

Here are more international basketball odds and ends:

  • Several NBA players and coaches will head overseas to take part in a Basketball Without Borders camp set for Cairo, Egypt, per a league press release. The event will run from this Sunday, August 28, through next Wednesday, August 31. Sixty-four of the best boys and girls hailing from 26 African nations, aged 18 and under, will travel to the camp. Jazz center Udoka Azubuike, Magic center Mohamed Bamba, Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon and forward Grant Williams, and retired Hall of Fame center Dikembe Mutombo will be among the camp’s coaches, with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Pelicans head coach Willie Green, Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr., Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee, and Hornets athletic trainer Quinton Sawyer also participating. The camp’s roster of directors will be pretty star-studded as well, led by Raptors president Masai Ujiri, Cavaliers GM Mike Gansey, and Clippers scout Lance Blanks.
  • With almost exactly one year to go before the 2023 FIBA World Cup tips off, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press checks in on USA Basketball as the organization ramps up its preparation for the event. The first games in next year’s competition are scheduled to be played on August 25, 2023. Fielding a lineup that features G League and international-caliber American players, Team USA currently has a 6-1 record in the World Cup qualifiers. Next year, Steve Kerr will coach Team USA, featuring a likely-star studded roster. This year, that task falls to former Bulls head coach Jim Boylen. “We’re learning a lot because the NBA game has changed over the last seven or eight years, too,” Sean Ford, the U.S. men’s national team director, said. “There’s much more shotmaking. It’s just unbelievable, incredible the amount of 3-point shots that are taken, the freedom of movement, the flow of the game. But the international game has stayed the physical way.” 
  • Former Thunder swingman Terrance Ferguson has made the jump to overseas play, signing on with Polish team GTK Gliwice. Get full details here.
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Terrance Ferguson Signs With Polish Team

August 25th, 2022 at 12:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent wing Terrance Ferguson has signed in Poland with GTK Gliwice, the team announced in a press release.

The 21st overall pick of the 2017 draft, Ferguson spent his first three NBA seasons with the team that drafted him, the Thunder. In 191 games with Oklahoma City from 2017-20, including 124 starts (20.7 MPG), he averaged 4.8 PPG and 1.4 RPG on .406/.337/.753 shooting.

Ferguson was traded to the Sixers during the 2020 offseason, but couldn’t crack Philadelphia’s rotation and only appeared in 13 games for a total of 47 minutes in 2020/21. He was later dealt to the Knicks in March of 2021 and was waived a few days later, so he never played a game for New York.

The 24-year-old joined a team in Greece, Lavrio BC, for three games last season, but ended up leaving and returning stateside to pursue an NBA comeback. He ultimately signed a G League contract with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s affiliate. However, he struggled mightily for the Vipers, appearing in 21 games (17.8 MPG) with averages of 3.0 PPG and 2.2 RPG on .295/.128/.636 shooting.

Ferguson is an electric athlete and decent defender, but has so far been unable to round out his game in order to land a second NBA contract. He’ll be making his third international stop, having played for the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League back in ’16/17 prior to being drafted.

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And-Ones: Bjelica, Offseason Business, 2023 Draft, More

August 25th, 2022 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Serbian forward Nemanja Bjelica has been ruled out for this week’s World Cup qualifiers due to a calf injury and is considered questionable for the upcoming EuroBasket tournament, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops details.

Bjelica, who signed with Turkish club Fenerbahce this offseason after winning a title with Golden State, will miss Serbia’s contest against Greece today, as well as Sunday’s game vs. Turkey. Serbia’s EuroBasket schedule will tip off on Friday, September 2 against the Netherlands.

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

  • With the Kevin Durant saga settled, at least for now, John Hollinger of The Athletic considers what leftover offseason business we could see addressed in the coming weeks. The Lakers, Pacers, Jazz, Heat, Raptors, and Nets are among the teams that may still have some roster moves to make, Hollinger writes.
  • Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report shares scouting reports for his top 15 prospects in the 2023 NBA draft class, breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of players like Texas big man Dillon Mitchell and Duke center Dereck Lively in addition to the usual suspects like Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson.
  • Exactly how much does an NBA win cost? Mike Vorkunov and Seth Partnow of The Athletic make an effort to answer that question, with Partnow outlining a “wins/dollars efficiency model” and then explaining why such a model has its shortcomings.
  • Katie Heindl of GlobalSportMatters.com takes a look at how the NBA has increased the diversity in its coaching ranks without the need for a rule like the NFL’s “Rooney Rule.”
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Tacko Fall Signing With Chinese Team

August 24th, 2022 at 8:26pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent Tacko Fall is signing a one-year contract to play in China with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

After going undrafted in 2019 out of Central Florida, the 7’6″ center initially signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Celtics which was later converted to a two-way contract. He spent his first two professional seasons in Boston on two-way deals, appearing in 26 NBA games (6.5 MPG) with averages of 2.7 PPG and 2.6 RPG.

Fall signed a two-way contract with the Cavaliers last season, appearing in 11 games before being waived in January.

Despite his modest impact at the NBA level, the 26-year-old has been a G League standout, earning a spot on the All-Defensive Team last season for the Cleveland Charge. In 26 regular season games (26.5 MPG) with the Cavs’ affiliate, he averaged 14.8 PPG, 10.7 RPG and 2.7 BPG.

Fall most recently suited up for the Jazz during Summer League action.

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Tim Frazier Signs With AEK Athens

August 24th, 2022 at 7:33am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA guard Tim Frazier will play in Europe for the first time in his professional career, having signed a one-year contract with AEK Athens, the Greek team announced today in a press release.

Frazier, 31, went undrafted out of Penn State in 2014, but has since suited up for nine different NBA teams, appearing in a total of 289 regular season games, including 128 for New Orleans and 59 for Washington. In 2021/22, he played 10 games for the Magic and two for the Cavaliers on a series of 10-day deals.

Frazier has primarily served as a backup point guard at the NBA level, averaging 4.9 points and 4.0 assists per game with a .400/.323/.723 shooting line in 17.6 minutes per contest over the course of his eight-year career.

AEK Athens, Frazier’s new team, competes in the Greek Basketball League (GBL) and the Greek Cup in addition to FIBA’s Basketball Champions League. Earlier this offseason, AEK added free agent forward Cameron McGriff, who also saw some NBA action in 2021/22, appearing in three games for Portland.

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And-Ones: Kurucs, Smith, Iguodala, Brooks, Trent Jr.

August 23rd, 2022 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA forward Rodions Kurucs has officially signed a one-year contract with Real Betis Baloncesto in Seville, Spain, according to a team press release. The Spanish team’s interest in Kurucs was reported earlier this month.

Kurucs has appeared in 131 NBA games, including a total of 21 with Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Houston during the 2020/21 campaign. He played with KK Partizan in Serbia last season. Kurucs also saw action in four Summer League contests with the Raptors in July.

We have more from the basketball world:

  • French big man Victor Wembanyama and G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson are the early favorites to go 1-2 in next year’s draft. Who’s No. 3? Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo chooses Arkansas freshman guard Nick Smith. Woo unveils his early first-round mock for 2023, which is filled with wings and guards.
  • Andre Iguodala believes the NBA should continue to play 82 regular season games, Lee Tran of FadeAwayWorld.net relays. On his Point Forward podcast, Iguodala says the grind of an NBA season “separates the men from the boys,” adding “We can’t change 82 games. 82 games … there’s a mental side of it. That’s why we talk about rookie wall. Records are made to be broken, and as we get better over time we’ll break more records. But I do think that there’s a foundation in all sports, you have to carry on that tradition.”
  • Dillon Brooks, Gary Trent Jr. and Victor Oladipo are among the potential free agents in next year’s class who could pump up their value during the upcoming season, Dan Devine of The Ringer writes. Devine takes a closer look at eight “compelling” players to watch as they head into possible contract years.
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Dragan Bender Signs With Obradoiro

August 23rd, 2022 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA lottery pick Dragan Bender will resume his playing career in Spain, having signed a one-year contract with Obradoiro, the team announced today in a press release.

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Bender spent his first three NBA seasons in Phoenix, then played for the Bucks and Warriors in 2019/20. In 187 career NBA regular season appearances (20.1 MPG), the forward/center averaged 5.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 1.3 APG on .399/.323/.654 shooting.

Having failed to develop into a reliable rotation player in the NBA, Bender returned overseas in 2020, signing with Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv. The 24-year-old tore his ACL during the 2021 playoffs and missed the entire 2021/22 season, but appears poised to return to the court for the ’22/23 campaign.

“Dragan is a power forward who can form a pair with any of the inside players we already have on the team thanks to his size, versatility and outside shooting,” Obradoiro GM José Luis Mateo said in a statement. “He has just been a year without playing, but we are confident in his talent, work ethic, and enthusiasm to return to the highest level.”

Obradoiro, which competes in Spain’s top league (Liga ACB), also signed another former NBA player, point guard Marcus Paige, this offseason.

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