International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Election Day, Free Agent History, Kurucs, Hall Of Fame

August 16th, 2022 at 10:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In an effort to encourage fans, players, staff members and arena workers to vote in the midterm elections, the NBA will not play any games on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8, the league’s communications department tweets. The scheduling decision came out of the league’s focus on promoting nonpartisan civic engagement. Some of the league’s practice facilities and arenas have been used as polling places.

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Ben Wallace, Shawn Marion and Kevin Durant. Those are some of the players chosen by HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina as the best free agent signings in the history of the Pistons, Mavericks and Warriors, respectively. Urbina makes his top free agent selections for every team in the league.
Former NBA forward Rodions Kurucs is close to signing with Spanish team Real Betis Baloncesto, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports. 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 saw action in four Summer League contests with the Raptors last month.
Manu Ginobili will be presented by longtime Spurs teammate and Hall of Fame inductee Tim Duncan during this year’s enshrinement ceremony on September 10, according to Hoophall.com. Isiah Thomas will be among five Hall of Famers to present Tim Hardaway.

Celtics Prospect Juhann Begarin To Remain In France

August 15th, 2022 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics draft-and-stash prospect Juhann Begarin will remain with Paris Basketball for the 2022/23 season rather than coming stateside, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).

A 6’5″ French shooting guard, Begarin was selected by Boston with the 45th overall pick of the 2021 draft. The 20-year-old, who has played for Paris since 2019, has yet to sign his first NBA contract — the Celtics have opted to allow him to continue developing overseas before they seriously consider adding him to their roster.

In 2021/22, which was Paris’ first season in France’s top league (LNB Pro A), Begarin averaged 11.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, and 1.5 SPG in 29 contests (28.0 MPG). He has room to improve his shooting efficiency (.432/.309/.563), but made a strong impression as a 19-year-old playing a significant role.

Begarin has also played for the Celtics’ Summer League team in Las Vegas in each of the last two years and performed especially well last month, putting up 18.2 PPG and 5.6 RPG on .427/.333/.769 shooting in five games, all starts (31.1 MPG).

Begarin is one of two recent second-round picks the Celtics have stashed overseas. The other is 2020’s No. 47 overall selection, Yam Madar, who has played in Israel and Serbia since being drafted.

Justin Hamilton Signs In Spain

August 14th, 2022 at 5:36pm CST by JD Shaw

Free agent center Justin Hamilton has signed a contract in Spain with Baxi Manresa, the team announced on Sunday (via Twitter). Hamilton spent the past five seasons playing in China.

Along with holding ample overseas experience, Hamilton has appeared in 113 NBA games. The No. 45 pick of the 2012 draft has spent time with the Hornets, Heat, Timberwolves and Nets.

The 7’0″ Hamilton played collegiately at Iowa State and LSU before declaring for the draft. He has also made international stops in Croatia and Latvia, plus a separate stint in Spain during the 2015/16 campaign.

Hamilton’s minutes and production in China gradually declined over time. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old averaged 12.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in eight games last season, along with 16.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in 35 contests the season before that.

Jaylen Hoard Signs In Israel

August 14th, 2022 at 1:38pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Free agent small forward Jaylen Hoard has signed a deal with newly-renamed Israel club Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.

According to Askounis, Hoard’s contract is only partially guaranteed. Hapoel Tel Aviv can fully guarantee the deal for the rest of the 2022/23 season following training camp.

After going undrafted out of Wake Forest in 2019, the 6’8″, French-born swingman joined the Trail Blazers on a two-way deal for the 2019/20 season. He then spent the subsequent two NBA seasons bouncing between the Thunder and their NBAGL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.

In 39 total regular season NBA contests, Hoard holds averages of 6.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.2 APG, on .490/.231/.618 shooting splits. Across just seven games with the Thunder during the 2021/22 (via two 10-day contracts), the 23-year-old’s numbers were significantly more encouraging. He averaged 14.7 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.7 SPG.

International Notes: Howard, Bjelica, Ataman, Yabusele

August 14th, 2022 at 9:20am CST by Arthur Hill

The opportunity to earn guaranteed money was behind Markus Howard‘s decision to sign with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in the EuroLeague, he explained on the Role Player Podcast. Howard spent the past two seasons with the Nuggets on a two-way contract, and although he had two-way offers from other NBA teams, he opted for more security in Europe.

“Two years, that’s what I was saying,” Howard explained of his commitment to the NBA. “Because honestly I could have taken a two-way with a lot of teams now and maybe had more chances to play. Maybe. But at the end of the day, I’m not going through what I went through in Denver. I ain’t doing that again. I have a family. It’s not just me. … I want to earn my keep. I want to feel like I earned what I get.”

Howard appeared in 31 games last season and 37 games as a rookie, but he only averaged 5.6 minutes per night. He became frustrated by the inconsistent playing time and the constant uncertainty about his NBA future.

“I don’t look the part,” said Howard, who’s only 5’10”. “So they have no problem throwing you to the side. … Being in college for four years, you don’t get comfortable, but you understand where you are in your position on a team. In the NBA, you never know and you’re walking on tippy toes. For me, just having that mindset every day, like I could be gone.”

There’s more international news to pass along:

Former Warriors forward Nemanja Bjelica, who signed with Fenerbahce last week, may have to miss the EuroBasket tournament because of a calf injury, according to a Eurohoops report. He was hurt this week on a non-contact play in Serbia’s exhibition game with Montenegro.
Ergin Ataman of Turkey’s Anadolu Efes, the reigning Coach of the Year in the EuroLeague, was rumored for NBA assistant jobs this summer but said the prospect doesn’t excite him, writes Bugra Uzar of Eurohoops. “My goal to go to the NBA has decreasing chances because I see that the NBA is a different world,” Ataman said. “Their perspective of basketball head coaches in Europe is very different. No European coach has ever gone from Europe to the NBA as a head coach. There is no NBA history, zero.”
Guerschon Yabusele, who spent two seasons with the Celtics, talks to Eurohoops about the joy he gets from being a starter with Real Madrid and the French national team.

And-Ones: Bronny, Ataman, Teodosic, Instagram

August 13th, 2022 at 11:45am CST by Dana Gauruder

A lot of high-profile college programs are pursuing Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, according to ESPN national recruiting director Paul Biancardi (Insider link).

There’s a “strong feeling” that Bronny James will go the college route next year, according to Biancardi, with UCLA, USC, Michigan, Oregon and Ohio State among the teams recruiting him. LeBron has said his dream is to finish his NBA career playing with his son, who will be draft-eligible in 2024.

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The EuroLeague’s reigning coach of the year Ergin Ataman says it’s unlikely he’ll wind up as an NBA head coach, he indicated an interview with Turkish digital channel VOLE (hat tip to Eurohoops.net). “My goal to go to the NBA has decreasing chances because I see that the NBA is a different world,” he said. “… Their perspective of basketball head coaches in Europe is very different. No European coach has ever gone from Europe to the NBA as a head coach. There is no NBA history, zero.”
Former NBA guard Milos Teodosic had an agreement in place with Serbia’s Crvena Zvevda but it was nixed by Virtus Bologna, according to Sportando. Crvena Zvezda president Nebojsa Covic made that assertion in a Pink TV interview. “I’ve spoken at length with Teodosic and we agreed on pretty much everything about him joining us,” he said. “It was Virtus who said no, because it would have made things difficult for the club and because their supporters are fond of Teodosic.”
In the Instagram world, the NBA is much more popular than any other U.S. professional league. The NBA officially surpassed 70 million followers on Instagram, making it a top-10 most-followed brand on the platform, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball News. The NBA has more followers than all the other major American sports leagues combined — the NFL (25 million), MLB (8.9 million) and NHL (5.5 million).

Bucks’ Hugo Besson To Play In France

August 13th, 2022 at 10:19am CST by Dana Gauruder

Second-round pick Hugo Besson, acquired by the Bucks in a draft-night deal, will play for France’s Metropolitans 92 next season, the French team tweets.

The club currently plays in the LNB Pro A, the highest-tier level in French basketball.

The pick was originally owned by Phoenix but the Pacers held it entering draft night. They received cash for the pick and the Bucks took the 21-year-old guard for draft-and-stash purposes.

Besson was the last pick of the draft at No. 58 and had remained unsigned. He played for the New Zealand Breakers last season, averaging 13.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 2.3 RPG in 25 games.

He joined the Bucks’ Summer League team and averaged 2.5 PPG and 11.4 MPG in four games.

International Notes: Terry, Derrickson, Warriors, Wizards, Perrantes

August 11th, 2022 at 8:47pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Former NBA power forwards Emanuel Terry and Marcus Derrickson have joined the Seoul Samsung Thunders of the Korean Basketball League, writes Dario Skerletic of Sportando.

Terry, who went undrafted out of Lincoln Memorial in 2018, logged time in the G League with the Canton Charge and Sioux Falls Skyforce during the 2018/19 season. He made his NBA debut that year on a 10-day deal with the Suns, which he followed up with a subsequent 10-day contract with the Heat.

Internationally, the 6’9″ big man has played for teams in Turkey, Israel, Serbia, and France. Most recently, he played for the Magic’s Summer League club this year in Las Vegas. During the 2021/22 season, Terry re-joined the Suns by signing a 10-day hardship exception. He didn’t score a point for Phoenix, but grabbed 10 rebounds in 18 minutes.

The 6’7″ Derrickson, meanwhile joined the Warriors on a two-way contract during the 2018/19 season after going undrafted out of Georgetown. He played sparingly with Golden State during his lone year of NBA action, averaging 4.2 PPG in 11 games. Derrickson has suited up for the Hawks’ G League club, the College Park Skyhawks, and the Celtics’ NBAGL affiliate, the Maine Celtics, in the intervening years. He also played for South Korean teams Busan KT Sonicboom and the Goyang Orions.

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The Wizards and the 2022 title-winning Warriors are set to face off in Japan for two preseason games this fall, per an NBA press release. Golden State will play Washington at the Saitama Super Arena on September 30 and October 2. The press release notes that these will be the 15th and 16th NBA contests played in Japan. The first NBA game ever staged in Japan was a November 2, 1990 regular season matchup between the Suns and Jazz in Tokyo.
Former Cavaliers point guard London Perrantes has inked a two-year extension to remain with Israeli club Hapoel Galil Gilboa, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando. The 6’2″ guard went undrafted out of Virginia in 2017, but joined Cleveland on a two-way deal ahead of his rookie year. In 14 games with the Cavaliers, the 2017 All-ACC Second Teamer logged just 66 total minutes. He has since played for clubs in France and Turkey, in addition to suiting up for the Wizards’ G League club, the Capital City Go-Go, and the Spurs’ NBAGL affiliate, the Austin Spurs. Perrantes first signed on with Hapeol Gilboa Galil in 2021. In 21 games for the team during the 2021/22 season, he averaged 11.0 PPG, 6.5 APG and 3.0 RPG.
In case you missed it, former Hawks point guard Cat Barber recently signed on with Ukranian team BC Budivelynk.

Cat Barber Signs With BC Budivelnyk

August 11th, 2022 at 7:44am CST by Luke Adams

Former NC State standout Cat Barber will play in Ukraine for the 2022/23 season, having signed with BC Budivelnyk, the team announced this week (via Twitter).

Barber, who went undrafted in 2016, has bounced all over the place since beginning his professional career, spending several seasons in the G League and also playing for teams in Italy, Israel, Germany, and Canada. He finally made his NBA regular season debut during the 2021/22 season, appearing in three games for the Hawks after signing a 10-day hardship contract with the team on Christmas Day.

In 178 career G League games from 2016-22, Barber has averaged 17.1 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in 31.0 minutes per contest. His career three-point rate is just 32.7%, though he made 42.9% of his attempts in 28 games for the College Park Skyhawks this past season en route to a spot on the All-NBAGL Second Team.

Barber’s new team competes in the Ukranian SuperLeague and is participating in qualifying contests to earn a spot in Europe’s Basketball Champions League. He’ll be joined in the backcourt by former NBA first-round pick Archie Goodwin, who is returning to Budivelnyk after leaving the team last season following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

And-Ones: Wood, O’Quinn, Extensions, Offseason Rankings

August 10th, 2022 at 8:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Christian Wood should thrive with Luka Doncic and the Mavericks, Stephen Noh of the Sporting News writes. Noh, who examines how Wood will blend his talents with the Dallas superstar, also takes a closer look at how Donte DiVincenzo (Warriors), Bruce Brown (Nuggets) and De’Anthony Melton (Sixers) could benefit after a change of scenery.

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Former NBA big man Kyle O’Quinn has signed with the Japanese team, SeaHorses Mikawa, according to a team press release. O’Quinn played in France and Turkey after his last NBA appearance, a 29-game stint with Philadelphia during the 2019/20 season.
LeBron James, CJ McCollum, Jaylen Brown, Jerami Grant and Nikola Vucevic are among numerous notable players who are eligible to sign veteran extensions and are legitimate candidates to get them done. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report examines what those extensions, among others, might look like.
Which 10 teams have improved the least this offseason? The Athletic’s David Aldridge takes his annual look at whether teams have gotten better or worse since the end of last season. The Spurs sit at the lowest end of the spectrum, with the Pacers, Hornets, Jazz and Lakers also in the bottom five.