International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cedi Osman: “Easy Choice” To Sign With Panathinaikos

September 8th, 2024 at 3:54pm CST by Rory Maher

Turkish forward Cedi Osman, who has spent the past seven seasons in the NBA (six with Cleveland, one with San Antonio), said it wasn’t a difficult decision to sign a one-year contract with defending EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos, per Eurohoops.

“It was a long process, but, obviously, it was an easy choice for me,” Osman said of joining the Greek club. “I have known Panathinaikos for a lot of years. I played against them as a kid. And Ergin [Ataman] was my coach since I was a kid. There were links with other teams, but it was not a really hard choice for me.”

According to Osman, “a couple” of NBA teams expressed interest in his services during free agency. Eurohoops previously reported that the Lakers offered Osman a training camp deal, and it’s not surprising he declined — it likely would have been non-guaranteed, and L.A. already has 15 players on standard guaranteed contracts.

“At the end of the day, I had to keep going,” Osman said. “I came to a team with seven EuroLeague titles, that has won the EuroLeague and Greek league championships last year.”

Osman, 29, averaged 6.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 1.7 APG on .479/.389/.673 shooting in 72 games with the Spurs last season (17.6 MPG). He holds career averages of 9.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 2.0 APG on .432/.357/.711 shooting over 476 regular season contests, including 186 starts (22.7 MPG).

Panathinaikos big man Matthias Lessort, who helped France claim a silver medal at the Olympics, said he was excited to have Osman on the roster. Lessort’s draft rights are controlled by the Knicks.

“Cedi Osman is a great player; he can create and shoot, contribute defensively, and of course, having a player of that caliber is very good for the team,” Lessort told Vuk-Milos Petrovic of Basketball Sphere. “Panathinaikos is a great team, and I hope he comes ready to impose himself and help.”

International Notes: Fournier, Gafford, Smailagic, Karaman

September 8th, 2024 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Evan Fournier is ready to get started with Olympiacos after spending 12 years in the NBA, per a Eurohoops story. The 32-year-old guard made the decision to play in Europe after helping France win a silver medal at the Olympics. During a press conference this week, Fournier confirmed that he received an offer from Washington, but he didn’t want to settle for being a mentor and a part-time player.

“I had contacts with some contenders during the summer, before the Olympics,” he told reporters. “I had an offer from the Wizards, but that wasn’t something I wanted for my career right now. I came to Olympiacos to experience strong emotions, play in big games, and be part of a special project. This was the opportunity at the right time and by far the best option for me.”

Fournier added that he grew up as a fan of Olympiacos and is happy to be able to join the Greek team. He spent time with JSF Nanterre and Poitiers Basket 86 before coming to the NBA, so he’s familiar with the European style of play, and he said at the news conference that it’s actually harder to score in the EuroLeague than it is in the NBA. He also stated that he received encouragement from Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, a former teammate, about returning to Europe.

“Vucevic and I have been discussing it all the time lately,” Fournier said. “He is from Montenegro and is a fan of Red Star, and he was asking me a lot of questions about my transition here. He loves European basketball as well. If he doesn’t (make) the playoffs, he will come see me play here.”

There’s more international news to pass along:

Mavericks center Daniel Gafford received an offer to join Luka Doncic on the Slovenian national team, Matej Erjavec, president of the Basketball Federation of Slovenia, revealed in an interview with Ekipa. Gafford was approached with the possibility after a game last season and asked for some time to consider it. “When he called us a few days later, he said that this summer was simply not going to work, as he had ordered individual exercises, programs, personal trainers and some other matters,” Erjavec said. “(But) he is definitely interested in the future.”
Former NBA player Alen Smailagic cited extortion, blackmail and financial fraud as reasons he chose to leave Serbia and sign with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, per BasketNews. Smailagic has filed criminal charges against two people regarding a contract his parents signed in 2019 after his first season with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League.
Turkish player Ilkan Karaman, who was selected in the 2012 NBA draft, has died at age 34 after being struck by a car while standing on the sidewalk, according to BasketNews. Karaman was taken by the Nets with the 57th pick in 2012. His draft rights were traded to Cleveland in 2014 and to Milwaukee in 2020, but he never played in the NBA.

Darius Bazley, Will Barton Joining Chinese Team

September 7th, 2024 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of NBA veterans are reportedly headed to China, with forward/center Darius Bazley and guard Will Barton joining the Guangdong Southern Tigers, as Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays.

Bazley, the 23rd overall pick in the 2019 draft, spent his first three-and-a-half NBA seasons with the Thunder, appearing in 221 games for the club. The 24-year-old has bounced around the NBA since being dealt to Phoenix at the 2023 trade deadline, enjoying brief stints with the Suns, Sixers, and Jazz.

In 237 total NBA contests (118 starts), Bazley has averaged 8.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 23.4 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .414/.309/.677. He signed a multiyear deal with Utah in March, but it wasn’t guaranteed beyond 2023/24, so he was waived in July, making him a free agent.

Barton, an 11-year NBA veteran, made 679 regular season appearances for Portland, Denver, Washington, and Toronto from 2012-23. His best years came with the Nuggets, where he finished in the top four in Sixth Man of the Year voting twice and averaged 14.0 points per game on .438/.362/.789 shooting across seven-and-a-half seasons.

Barton didn’t play in the NBA last season. He initially signed with CSKA Moscow in January, but that contract was voided before he appeared in a game for the Russian club. He subsequently caught on with teams in Spain and Puerto Rico to close out the 2023/24 season.

Guangdong posted a 37-15 record in Chinese Basketball Association competition last season, but was eliminated from the postseason by the Liaoning Flying Leopards, who went 43-9 during the season and eventually won the 2024 CBA title.

Cedi Osman Signs With Panathinaikos

September 7th, 2024 at 12:11pm CST by Tristan Tucker

12:11pm: Panathinaikos has officially announced its one-year deal with Osman.

9:23am: Former Cavaliers and Spurs wing Cedi Osman is leaving the NBA to sign with Greek club Panathinaikos, as detailed in a report from Eurohoops.net.

Earlier reports from this month suggested Osman was in advanced talks with Spanish club Real Madrid, but the two sides were ultimately unable to get a deal done. Eurohoops.net also says Osman had an offer on the table from the Lakers to join the team for training camp, but he turned it down without having assurances he’d make the regular season roster.

Osman was just one of three players left on the Hoops Rumors’ top 50 available free agents list this offseason, having been ranked at No. 46. Only Isaac Okoro (No. 26) and Markelle Fultz (No. 43) remain without teams from that list.

The former Cavaliers wing is a seven-year pro who spent his first six seasons in Cleveland. He was sent to the Spurs last offseason in the sign-and-trade deal that re-routed Max Strus from the Heat to the Cavs. In 476 games (186 starts), Osman holds averages of 9.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game on 35.7% shooting from deep.

Although his per-minute production was his lowest since his rookie year last season in San Antonio, Osman set a career high with a .389 3PT% and offers value as a sharpshooting veteran wing. However, with roster spots dried up around the league, he’s making the move overseas.

According to a separate report from Sportando, the deal between Osman and Panathinaikos happened quickly. Reportedly, the deciding factor was a conversation between the forward and Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman, who also coaches Osman on the Turkish national team.

Davis Bertans No Longer Working Out For Warriors, Received Overseas Offer

September 7th, 2024 at 10:56am CST by Tristan Tucker

After initially planning to accept an invitation to work out for the Warriors, forward Davis Bertans will no longer audition for Golden State, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link), who confirms the veteran free agent has received a contract offer from Dubai BC. While Stein’s tweet doesn’t indicate Bertans has already signed this offer, all signs seem to point toward him doing so.

Some details about Bertans’ contract offer are already in and an earlier report from Sport24.gr (relayed by Sportando) indicating Bertans would sign with Dubai BC signals the deal is on track to being finalized. According to Stein, the offer is for a multiyear contract with “out” conditions that would allow him to make an NBA return down the line.

Bertans, 31, is an eight-year NBA veteran who has played professionally since he was 19. The Latvian forward debuted in the NBA in 2016/17 and has made stops with the Spurs, Wizards, Mavericks, Thunder and Hornets. In 475 career games (41 starts), he has averaged 7.7 points while making 39.6% of his 2,234 career three-point attempts.

After beginning his NBA career with the Spurs, Bertans showed promise before being traded to the Wizards. With Washington, Bertans had the most prolific year of his career, averaging 15.4 PPG and 4.5 RPG while making 42.4% of his 8.7 three-point attempts per game, developing into one of the premier outside threats in the league.

Bertans was rewarded with a lucrative contract extension, but after a year in which he finished in 11th for the Most Improved Player award and eighth in Sixth Man of the Year voting, his production gradually declined. He bounced between the Wizards, Mavs and Thunder as a fringe rotation piece before landing with the Hornets this past season.

Bertans rebuilt his value in 28 games with the Hornets, averaging 9.3 points on a 36.7% clip from deep in his last 24 appearances of the season. While that led to some reported NBA interest from the Warriors, Bertans is ultimately heading overseas for the first time since 2015/16.

And-Ones: Toscano-Anderson, Shackelford, Roberson, Beverley

September 5th, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

Juan Toscano-Anderson is playing for G League United at the third annual NBA G League Fall Invitational this month. The veteran wing is hoping for another NBA opportunity, he told Sam Gordon of the San Francisco Chronicle.

“I want to show teams that if they were to pick me up, I can enhance the team atmosphere as a player but also as a teammate in the locker room,” Toscano-Anderson said.

He appeared in 11 games with the Kings last season and spent much of the year playing for the Mexico City Capitanes.

We have more from around the international basketball world:

In other G League news, the Valley Suns received the returning player rights to guard Jaden Shackelford from the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League team, in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick, the Suns’ G League team tweets. The Thunder signed and waived Shackelford last October and he spent the season with the Blue.
Former NBA swingman Andre Roberson has signed with the French club Cholet, according to Eurohoops.net. Roberson spent most of his NBA career with the Thunder and most recently played five games with Brooklyn in 2020/21. Earlier this year, he participated in an international tournament in Dubai with former NBA players and, in July, took part in the TBT tournament in Louisville.
Patrick Beverley is getting the superstar treatment with Hapoel Tel Aviv. The longtime NBA guard says he feels like LeBron James after appearing in a preseason game in Belgrade, Basketnews.com relays. “I know how LeBron feels. I leave games, and the guys that I play against want pictures. Coaches that I play against want pictures,” Beverley said on his podcast. “The fans that I go against, they boo me, I leave out and it’s 30 kids outside, and they all want pictures. And this is every country we go to.” Beverley agreed to play with the Israeli team in July after finishing last season with the Bucks.

International Notes: Days, Lin, Napier, Luwawu-Cabarrot

September 3rd, 2024 at 9:43am CST by Luke Adams

Former LSU forward Darius Days has signed a one-year contract with the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link).

Days, who will turn 25 next month, signed a two-way contract with the Heat after going undrafted in 2022, but was waived by Miami prior to the 2022/23 season. He was claimed off waivers by the Rockets and spent his rookie season on a two-way deal with Houston, though he appeared in just four NBA games for the club. He inked a new two-way contract during the summer of 2023 but was cut by the Rockets last October at the start of the regular season.

The 6’7″ forward spent far more time over the past two seasons with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate. Last season, Days averaged 16.0 points and 6.9 rebounds in 27.4 minutes per game across 45 outings for the Vipers, then joined the Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League in the spring. His deal with Illawarra will represent his first time playing overseas.

Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:

Former Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin will continue playing in Taiwan in 2024/25, having re-signed with the New Taipei Kings, he confirmed on Twitter. The veteran point guard appeared in 480 regular season games in the NBA from 2010-19, spending time with eight teams, including New York, Houston, and the Lakers.
Veteran guard Shabazz Napier, an NBA first-round pick in 2014, is reportedly joining Bayern Munich in Germany for the upcoming season. As BasketNews.com notes, Napier’s agency deleted a social media post announcing the agreement. However, Matteo Andreani of BasketInside.com (Twitter link) says it’s a done deal and will be formally announced shortly. The 33-year-old played for six NBA teams from 2014-20, appearing in 345 total regular season games.
Former NBA first-round pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot said that input from fellow Frenchman Guerschon Yabusele helped convince him to sign with Baskonia in Spain this offseason after he spent last season with ASVEL in France. Yabusele previously played for new Baskonia head coach Pablo Laso at Real Madrid. “(Yabusele) told me only great things about Pablo,” Luwawu-Cabarrot said (story via BasketNews.com). “I guess I need to make my own impressions. It’s been only a week, so I’ll be able to tell in a year, but I know already that we’re going to have a great year and a great relationship.”

Former Grizzlies Forward McDermott Signs With Turkish Team

September 2nd, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Grizzlies forward Sean McDermott has signed with Pinar Karsiyaka in the Turkish league, Sportando relays.

McDermott played last season for Openjobmetis Varese in Italy. He averaged 13.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 42 games with the Italian club.

McDermott saw action in 18 games with the Grizzlies during the 2020/21 season, averaging 2.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in 8.8 minutes.

McDermott, who went undrafted out of Butler in 2020, was on a two-way contract during his rookie season. He was then an affiliate player with the Memphis Hustle after getting waived during training camp by the Grizzlies in October 2022. McDermott, 27, appeared in 42 regular season games with the Hustle from 2021-23.

Olympiacos Agrees To Loan Out Filip Petrusev

September 2nd, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Filip Petrusev is expected to have his contract with Olympiacos extended but he’ll be loaned out to another team for the upcoming season, Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net reports.

Olympiacos is signing longtime NBA wing Evan Fournier, necessitating roster adjustments. Petrusev will likely wind up with Crvena Zvezda. He expressed a desire to return to Belgrade.

In 2022/23, Petrusev helped Zvezda win the AdmiralBet Basketball League of Serbia and the Radivoj Korac Cup.

Petrusev, who suited up for Serbia in the Paris Olympics, played one game with the Sixers and two games with the Kings last season.

The 50th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Petrusev signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with the 76ers during the 2023 offseason. He received a partial guarantee (approximately $560K) and survived a preseason roster crunch, but was sent to the Clippers in the James Harden blockbuster just eight days into the regular season. The former Gonzaga big man was then flipped to the Kings in a separate deal.

Petrusev signed with Olympiacos after he was waived by Sacramento in November.

Armoni Brooks Discusses Signing With Olimpia Milano

September 2nd, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Armoni Brooks, who played for the Nets last season, is looking to improve his game at both ends of the floor during his first season in Europe, Eurohoops.net relays. Brooks signed a two-year contract with Italy’s Olimpia Milano in June.

“I think offensively, I need to learn to read and react to situations a little faster. I’m already good at playing off the ball but maybe I can play the pick-and-roll a little more often,” he told the Italian team’s website. “Defensively, I have to improve my awareness of situations away from the ball, not allow cuts from behind, pressing the ball when I defend a person who is dribbling, stay in front of him, don’t allow (him) to get to certain angles.”

Brooks appeared in 10 games for the Nets on a two-way contract before being waived in January. He averaged 4.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.4 minutes for Brooklyn but made just 32.6% of his shot attempts from the field.

The 26-year-old, who has also suited up for the Rockets and Raptors since making his NBA debut in 2021, spent the rest of the 2023/24 season with the Clippers’ G League affiliate. He appeared in 28 games for the Ontario Clippers.

Former Milan guard Keith Langford, who also had a short stint with the Spurs, endorsed Brooks’ decision.

“I texted him in the summer to tell him I signed here. He was super excited. He told me that I would love it here, and he gave me some advice on adjusting. He says it’s a great opportunity for me,” Brooks said.

Brooks joined an Olimpia Milano team that has won three straight Italian League titles but struggled in EuroLeague competition last season, finishing just 15-19 and missing the playoffs.

“I’m not sure what to expect because I’ve never played here; so, now I’m mostly trying to read the situations. But I think this is a good group and if we can come together well, we can do great things,” he said.