International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

International Notes: Satoransky, Motiejunas, Bennett

August 22nd, 2022 at 3:58pm CST by Rory Maher

A report earlier today from IsraelHayom.co.il (hat tip to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando) indicated that Czech guard Tomas Satoransky would miss the upcoming EuroBasket tournament after suffering ligament damage to his right ankle in a warmup tournament against Germany. However, Eurohoops hears differently, stating that while Satoransky does indeed have a “severe” ankle sprain, he hasn’t been ruled out for the tournament.

The Czech Republic team’s opening game takes place on September 2 versus Poland, and even if Satoransky isn’t ready by that point, he’s expected to remain on the roster to try and play when he’s able to, according to Eurohoops.

“The magnetic resonance examination was the same as the other examination. Tomas remains in Prague to rehabilitate intensively. We will know the results of rehabilitation and treatment in a week after the next resonance, which will indicate further progress towards EuroBasket,” said national team manager Michal Sob while talking to the local press.

“Satoransky’s mentality is set in such a way that he wants to do what’s 100% possible to participate in the championship,” he added.

The 30-year-old spent the last six seasons in the NBA, but he’s heading back to Spain next season, having agreed to a four-year deal to reunite with FC Barcelona.

Here are a couple more international notes:

Former NBA big man Donatas Motiejunas has re-signed with AS Monaco Basket, the team announced. Motiejunas played parts of six NBA seasons with Houston, New Orleans and San Antonio, last suiting up for the Spurs for three games in 2018/19. He averaged 10.4 PPG and 4.8 RPG in 33 EuroLeague games (19.3 MPG) with Monaco last season.
Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2013 draft, has signed in Taiwan with the Hsinchu Lioneers, per Dario Skerletic of Sporando. Bennett had a disappointing and brief NBA run, appearing in 151 games (12.6 MPG) with Cleveland, Minnesota, Toronto and Brooklyn from 2013-17, with averages of 4.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG on .392/.261/.670 shooting. The 29-year-old forward spent last season in Israel with Hapoel Jerusalem before heading to Taiwan to play for the Kaohsiung Steelers, Skerletic notes.

James Ennis Signs With Russian Team

August 22nd, 2022 at 2:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Veteran forward James Ennis has signed a contract to play in Russia with BC Samara, the team announced in a press release (hat tip to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando).

The 32-year-old most recently played in Israel with Hapoel Haifa, as our JD Shaw reported back in March. Ennis averaged 14.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 1.2 SPG on .402/.383/.804 shooting in nine games with Haifa, per RealGM.

Ennis has played parts of eight seasons in the NBA, including a trio of 10-day deals with three different teams (the Nets, Clippers and Nuggets) last season for a total of seven games. In 2020/21, Ennis played 41 games (37 starts, 24.0 MPG) for Orlando, averaging 8.4 PPG and 4.0 RPG on .473/.433/.805 shooting.

In total, he has appeared in 395 NBA games (140 starts, 20.3 MPG) with averages of 6.7 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .457/.360/.797 shooting for Miami, Memphis, New Orleans, Detroit, Houston and Philadelphia, as well as the aforementioned teams.

And-Ones: Bowman, DeLaurier, CBA Changes

August 21st, 2022 at 8:30pm CST by JD Shaw

Free agent guard Ky Bowman has signed a contract with Happy Casa Brindisi in Italy, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). Bowman will play overseas for the first time in his professional career. He most recently played with the Spurs’ G League affiliate and Las Vegas Summer League team.

In addition to holding G League experience, Bowman played 45 games with the Warriors during the 2019/20 campaign. He averaged 7.4 points and 2.9 assists in 22.6 minutes per contest, shooting 42% from the floor and 31% from deep. He turned 25 years old in June.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Free agent Javin DeLaurier has signed with ASK Karditsas B.C. in Greece, the club announced (Instagram link). DeLaurier, 6’10”, signed a 10-day contract with the Bucks last season. With Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, he averaged 6.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game.
ESPN analysts Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton and Tim Bontemps (Insider only) examine potential CBA changes, including whether it can prevent issues like what the Nets have faced with Kevin Durant. Durant, of course, requested a trade from Brooklyn this offseason with four years left on his contract. Former Sixers star Ben Simmons did the same thing a year ago, which led to a lengthy standoff before he was traded in February. The NBA and NBPA have until December 15 to choose whether to opt out of the current CBA, which would expire on June 30 if at least one side decides to do so.