International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Notes: Gallinari, Dragic, Teodosic, Russia

August 9th, 2022 at 11:32am CST by Arthur Hill

Danilo Gallinari is looking forward to the next phase of his NBA career with the Celtics, but his immediate priority is the Italian national team. In an interview with Italy’s Sky Sport, Gallinari talks about the challenges that lie ahead in both the next round of EuroBasket and the 2023 World Cup qualifiers (translation by Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops).

“There are many very strong teams carrying multiple NBA players,” Gallinari said of Italy’s EuroBasket competitors. “We will have to be amazing and maybe exceed expectations. But a team like ours has been successful in the past and we can be again.”

Once his international commitment is done, Gallinari will return to the U.S. to start training camp with the Celtics. He signed a two-year, $13.3MM contract with Boston after reaching a buyout agreement with the Spurs last month, believing the Celtics offer his best chance to win an NBA title.

“The goal is the ring with Boston,” Gallinari said. “Despite being in the NBA for 14 years, I feel excited for the next chapter in my career. As long as I can feel the excitement, I don’t want to stop. At the Celtics, there are definitely many responsibilities and expectations. I have already talked with many of my new teammates and members of the coaching staff. They can’t wait to get back in action, there is great enthusiasm. Some are already there. Myself, I am focused on Italy, and after I will focus on the Celtics.”

There’s more international news to pass along:

Goran Dragic is ready for a different role with Slovenia than he had when his country won the EuroBasket gold medal five years ago, according to a Eurohoops report. Dragic was the team leader in 2017, but now that role belongs to Luka Doncic. “I was Batman, but now I’ll be Robin,” Dragic said. “The most important thing will be to make sure we have good chemistry and be a leader on the court and lift guys up when it’s most difficult.”
European star and former NBA player Milos Teodosic has been cut from the Serbian national team heading into EuroBasket, per Askounis, relaying a report from Mozzart Sport. The 35-year-old guard, who spent two seasons with the Clippers, is one of the top players in Serbian history and served as team captain during the 2016 Olympics.
In a separate story, Askounis reviews the players who have left their teams in Russia since the nation was disqualified from EuroLeague play in the wake of the Ukrainian invasion. The list includes some familiar NBA names such as Kevin Pangos, Will Clyburn, Joel Bolomboy, Alex Poythress, Lorenzo Brown, Jordan Mickey and Mario Hezonja.

Nemanja Bjelica Signs Two-Year Deal With Fenerbahce

August 9th, 2022 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

In a move that has been rumored for nearly six weeks, Nemanja Bjelica has signed with Fenerbahce in Turkey, the team announced (via Twitter). His contract will cover two seasons, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.

After winning a championship with the Warriors last season, the 34-year-old forward returns to Europe, joining the team he played for before deciding to join the NBA in 2015. He was named EuroLeague MVP that season and helped Fenerbahce reach the league’s Final Four for the first time in history.

Bjelica was a rotation player for Golden State during the regular season, averaging 6.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 71 games while playing 16.1 minutes per night. His role diminished somewhat in the playoffs, although he still appeared in 15 games during the Warriors’ title run.

Golden State reportedly wanted to bring him back on a minimum contract, but Bjelica opted to take the Fenerbahce offer, which gives him similar money and a larger role.

The Wizards selected Bjelica with the 35th pick in the 2010 draft and traded him to the Timberwolves on draft night. He played seven NBA seasons, also spending time with the Kings and Heat. He is currently in training camp with the Serbian national team in preparation for EuroBasket.

Mojave King Signs With G League Ignite

August 8th, 2022 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mojave King has signed with the G League Ignite, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony tweets.

King, 20, averaged 18.0 PPG and 3.3 APG in the New Zealand NBL for the Zerofees Southland Sharks this summer. He’s also played for Adelaide and Cairns in the Australian NBL.

King, who was born in New Zealand, is an NBA Academy alumnus looking to improve his draft prospects by joining the Ignite.

Projected 2023 No. 2 overall pick Scoot Henderson has committed to play for the Ignite, as well as French wing Sidy Cissoko, 6’10” Canadian forward Leonard Miller and Nigerian Efe Abogidi.

At the NBA Academy Games in Atlanta in July 2019, King averaged a tournament-high 19.2 PPG. He turned down several Division I schools before signing with the NBL.

George King Signs With Illawarra Hawks

August 8th, 2022 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

After briefly returning to the NBA during the 2021/22 season, veteran forward George King is headed back overseas to resume his playing career. King has signed with the Illawara Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League, the team announced today.

The 59th overall pick in the 2018 draft, King signed a two-way contract with the Suns and spent his rookie season with Phoenix, though he played in just one game at the NBA level. After reaching free agency in 2019, King spent time in Italy, Poland, and Germany from 2019-21.

The former Colorado standout returned stateside for the 2021/22 season and spent most of the year with the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario in the G League, appearing in 32 regular season NBAGL game (33.6 MPG) and averaging 13.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 2.3 APG on .445/.378/.760 shooting. He also saw action in four contests with the Mavericks on a 10-day hardship contract in December.

King will join an Illawara Hawks team that finished second in the NBL’s regular season standings a year ago and is looking to replace a group of departing players that includes Antonius Cleveland and Xavier Rathan-Mayes.

“We’re excited to have someone with King’s international experience join our young core group,” Illawara head coach Jacob Jackomas said. “He gives us elite shooting and defending on the perimeter and we believe he will complement the other guys on the team.”

Doron Lamb Signs In Italy

August 7th, 2022 at 5:36pm CST by JD Shaw

Former NBA guard Doron Lamb has decided to sign a one-year deal in Italy with Scafati Basket, the team announced on social media. This is Lamb’s second trip to the country in the past year, as he most recently played for Victoria Libertas.

Lamb’s professional career has spanned over a decade. He won an NCAA title with Kentucky in 2012, then became the No. 42 pick of the draft that year. After that, he made NBA stops with the Bucks and Magic, as well as G League trips with Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Texas Legends and Westchester Knicks.

Lamb has spent much of his career overseas. He last saw G League action in 2017, playing 42 games with the Knicks’ affiliate. At 30 years old, time is gradually starting to run out for him to make an NBA comeback, though it’s unclear how hard of a push he plans to make.

Lamb has also played in Montenegro, France, Greece, Turkey and Poland. He averaged 12.9 points per game during his last stint in Italy, shooting an efficient 48% from the floor and 45% from deep.

Turkish Team Adding Jarell Eddie

August 7th, 2022 at 3:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Former NBA forward Jarell Eddie has joined Turkish club Konyaspor for the 2022/23 season, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The team itself announced the signing via Twitter.

Eddie, 30, last played for Spanish team San Pablo Burgos, averaging 11.8 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .431/.422/.909 shooting through 19 contests.

The 6’7″ small forward went undrafted out of Virginia Tech in 2014. He spent the 2014/15 season with the Spurs’ NBAGL affiliate club, the Austin Spurs. He eventually joined the Wizards in the 2015/16 season for 26 games, and then enjoyed briefer stints with the Suns, Celtics and Bulls in subsequent years. In 34 NBA games, Eddie averaged 2.6 PPG and 0.9 RPG in just 6.4 MPG.

Following his NBA run, Eddie has linked up with a pro club in France, plus multiple teams in Spain and Turkey.

Sam Dekker Signs With London Team

August 7th, 2022 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Sam Dekker, who made a brief NBA comeback last season, has signed a one-year deal with the London Lions, the team announced (via Twitter).

The 28-year-old forward earned a roster spot with the Raptors in training camp, but was waived before his $1.79MM contract became fully guaranteed in early November. He played just one game for Toronto before being released. Dekker finished the season with Bahçeşehir Koleji of Turkey, which went on to win the FIBA Europe Cup.

Dekker was selected by the Rockets with the 18th pick in the 2015 draft and spent two seasons in Houston before being shipped to the Clippers as part of the Chris Paul trade. He also had brief stints with the Cavaliers and Wizards, and averaged 5.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 201 total NBA games.

The former Wisconsin star headed overseas after the 2018/19 season, signing with Lokomotiv Kuban in Russia and then Turk Telekom in Turkey.

Dekker will join former NBA center Kosta Koufos, who signed with the London team last month.

International Notes: Dorsey, Antetokounmpo, Caver, CSKA

August 7th, 2022 at 9:20am CST by Arthur Hill

Before joining forces with Luka Doncic this fall, Tyler Dorsey is excited about the opportunity to play alongside two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on the Greek national team, writes Achilleas Mavrodontis of EuroHoops. Entering the 2017 NBA draft, Dorsey talked about the possibility of being taken by the Bucks and teaming up with Antetokounmpo. However, he was selected by the Hawks at No. 41, a few picks ahead of Milwaukee.

“This is a great opportunity to play alongside him,” Dorsey said of Antetokounmpo. “I am excited to get to know him. He has a wonderful story. For me, the story is amazing to where he is at today.”

After two seasons with Atlanta and Memphis, Dorsey returned to Europe, signing with Maccabi Tel Aviv and then Olympiacos. He had a chance to join Turkish power Fenerbahce this summer, but he opted to take another shot at the NBA on a two-way contract with Dallas.

“Definitely, Fenerbahce was an option,” Dorsey said. “It could have happened. But the NBA opened the door a little bit and Dallas took the opportunity to offer for me and I wasn’t going to turn that down.”

There’s more international news this morning:

Antetokounmpo is enjoying the experience of being with all his brothers during Greece’s training camp, Mavrodontis adds in a separate story. Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Kostas Antetokounmpo are both expected to make the final roster for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers and EuroBasket, and Alex Antetokounmpo is hoping to join them. Giannis admits the Greek team may not be ready for a medal, comparing it to how long it took to turn the Bucks into contenders, but said the experience is important for his family. “It’s a dream come true,” he said. “We’ve been saying that one day we’ll achieve this. It makes us proud to guard each other in the practice of the national team. Our mother can’t wait to come to the games. But when they enter the court, they are my teammates, not my brothers.”
Ahmad Caver, who had a brief appearance with the Pacers last season, has signed a one-year contract with the BC Wolves in Lithuania, the team announced (via Twitter). The 25-year-old point guard, who spent most of the season with Memphis in the G League, got into one game after joining Indiana in late December on a 10-day contract under the hardship provision.
CSKA Moscow is appealing the decision to bar the team from the EuroLeague for the upcoming season, per Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops. The decision to remove all Russian teams from EuroLeague competition was made following the nation’s invasion of Ukraine.

Aaron Henry Headed To France

August 6th, 2022 at 11:51am CST by Dana Gauruder

Swingman Aaron Henry has signed with France’s Betclic Elite team Metropolitans 92, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia.

The Michigan State product went undrafted in 2021, then signed a two-way contract with the Sixers last summer. Philadelphia waived Henry in January after he made six brief appearances in NBA games.

He spent the bulk of last season with the Sixers’ G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. averaging 13.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 2.5 APG in 27 appearances, including eight starts. Henry participated in mini-camps with the Knicks as well as the Jazz after the regular season but didn’t land an NBA contract.

And-Ones: Crawford, Micic, Dragic

August 5th, 2022 at 7:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Retired shooting guard Jamal Crawford reflected on his 20-year NBA run in a conversation with Bryan Kalbrosky of USA Today. Earlier this summer, the 6’5″ vet, a three-time Sixth Man of the Year, showed off his still-lethal handle at his yearly Seattle-based Pro-Am league the CrawsOver.

“I would always stretch and ice even if nothing was hurting,” Crawford, now 42, said of one of the keys to his longevity in the league. “I heard an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of recovery. I was always taking care of myself… I was always trying to think about the long game so I could play at a high level for a long time… I would’ve played even longer if I knew the stuff I know now.”

Across 1,327 career games played with the Bulls, Knicks, Warriors, Hawks, Trail Blazers, Clippers, Timberwolves, Suns and Nets, Crawford averaged 14.6 PPG, 3.4 APG and 2.2 RPG, while posting shooting splits of .410/.348/.862.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball globe:

After flirting with a move to the NBA this summer, star EuroLeague guard Vasilije Micic opted to remain with Anadolu Efes in Turkey. The Thunder continue to possess the draft rights to the two-time reigning EuroLeague Final Four MVP, who spoke to Rada Nikolić August of Sport Klub about his offseason decision . “I felt a slight mistrust from the direction of the strongest league in the world, which they have towards many, not only me,” Micic said, though he seemed open to keeping the door open to an eventual move stateside. “I really don’t think I’m going there to prove what and how much I can do. It’s nice like this for me, so if I go to America one day, it will happen…” Last year, the 28-year-old averaged 18.1 PPG, 4.7 APG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.1 SPG across 28 contests with Anadolu Efes in EuroLeague play.
New Bulls reserve point guard Goran Dragic is set to return to competition for his native Slovenia in EuroBasket 2022 this September, as he announced via Twitter. “I’M BACK,” the 36-year-old posted, along with a variety of descriptive emojis. Dragic had previously retired from playing for Slovenia in 2017, after helping the national club win its first-ever FIBA European championship in EuroBasket play. Dragic won the EuroBasket MVP award for his efforts, averaging 22.6 PPG in nine games. Dragic joined Chicago this summer following turns with the Raptors and Nets in 2021/22.