International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Arnoldas Kulboka Signs With Greek Team

July 5th, 2022 at 7:20am CST by Luke Adams

Former Hornets forward Arnoldas Kulboka is headed back to Europe, with Greek team Promitheas Patras B.C. announcing in a press release that it has signed Kulboka to a one-year contract for the 2022/23 season.

The 55th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Kulboka initially remained overseas, playing for Brose Bamberg in Germany and Bilbao in Spain before coming stateside for the 2021/22 season.

Kulboka signed a two-way contract with the Hornets last August, but only played a total of five minutes in two appearances with Charlotte, spending most of his first NBA season with the Greensboro Swarm in the G League.

The 24-year-old Lithuanian averaged 14.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 1.3 APG on .443/.411/.884 shooting in 30 regular season NBAGL games (28.6 MPG). He also put up 13.2 PPG with a .458 3PT% in 13 Showcase Cup contests (24.9 MPG).

Although Kulboka showed some promise in the G League, he didn’t receive a two-way qualifying offer from the Hornets last week and became an unrestricted free agent, opening the door for him to return to Europe. He figures to have a far larger role with his new team in Greece than he would’ve had with any NBA club.

And-Ones: Wembanyama, Take Fouls, Grant, Trade Requests

July 2nd, 2022 at 11:57am CST by Dana Gauruder

Victor Wembanyama, the top-ranked prospect for the 2023 draft, has opted out of his contract with ASVEL Villeurbanne and is signing a two-year deal with Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 from Paris, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reports.

The 7’3” Wembanyama was also pursued by the G League Ignite, Australian NBL, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Basket and many others, Givony adds. While the terms of the latest contract were not disclosed, it’s logical to assume he’ll have an opt-out clause after the first season, so that he can play in the NBA during the 2023/24 season if he chooses.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Players being intentionally fouled to prevent fast break buckets has been a point of contention in recent seasons. The NBA is addressing that issue in Summer League games, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets. Those fouls will result in one free throw, plus the ball. It’s likely a precursor for what’s to come, Reynolds adds, with the Board of Governors expected to make the final change regarding transition take fouls later this month.
Olimpia Milano has parted ways with former NBA guard Jerian Grant after one season, according to Sportando. Grant has 279 NBA games on his resume, mostly recently during the 2019/20 season, when he appeared in six Wizards contests.
Kevin Durant‘s desire to be traded after signing an extension which doesn’t kick in until next season is something the owners want to fix, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. It has been suggested that owners may want to recoup money the earlier a player is into his contract and a trade request is honored. However, it may be impossible to have a punitive enough deterrent for players who are signing massive deals.

Nemanja Bjelica Agrees To Deal With Fenerbahce

July 1st, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

After winning a title with the Warriors this season, veteran forward Nemanja Bjelica is headed back to Europe.

Bjelica has agreed to sign a two-year contract with Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce, according to a report from Ugur Ozan Sulak of SocratesDergi.com (Twitter link). The deal will have a total net value of about $4MM, per Johnny Askounis and Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.

Golden State had been interested in re-signing Bjelica to a minimum-salary contract, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), but were informed today that he’d be leaving the NBA for one of his former teams overseas. Before he arrived in the NBA, Bjelica played for Fenerbahce for two seasons from 2013-15, earning EuroLeague MVP honors in ’15.

After spending six NBA in Minnesota, Sacramento, and Miami from 2015-21, Bjelica joined the Warriors for his seventh season and made 71 regular season appearances for the club this past year, averaging 6.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 2.2 APG with a .362 3PT% in 16.1 minutes per game.

Having won an NBA championship for the first time, the 34-year-old presumably liked the idea of returning to the EuroLeague, where he’ll earn a similar salary and have a far more significant role.

International Notes: Dotson, Lucas III, Okobo, Leaf

June 26th, 2022 at 7:02pm CST by JD Shaw

Free agent guard Damyean Dotson has signed overseas in Turkey with Gaziantep Basketbol, the team announced on Saturday. This marks the first overseas stint in Dotson’s professional career, which began when he was drafted No. 44 overall by the Knicks in 2017.

Dotson stayed with New York for three years, then spent time with the Cavaliers during the 2020/21 season. He joined the Spurs for training camp last fall and spent most of the season in the G League. The Knicks also signed him to two 10-day hardship contracts in December.

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

John Lucas III is drawing coaching interest from Italian club Pallacanestro Varese, as relayed by Sportando. The team has offered the job to several NBA assistant coaches, including Pablo Prigioni (Timberwolves). Lucas joined the Lakers as an assistant last fall.
Former NBA guard Elie Okobo has signed a lucrative deal overseas with AS Monaco, according to EuroHoops. Okobo most recently played for ASVEL. He played 108 games with the Suns between 2018-20, averaging 4.8 points in 15.5 minutes per contest.
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) is signing forward T.J. Leaf to a contract, Eurohoops reports. This will be the first European stint for Leaf, who was selected No. 18 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. He holds experience with the Pacers and Blazers.

Tomas Satoransky Signs With FC Barcelona

June 26th, 2022 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Tomas Satoransky, who spent time with three NBA teams this season, has signed a four-year contract with FC Barcelona, according to Aris Barkas of EuroHoops.

Satoransky played two years with the Spanish club before leaving for the NBA in 2016. Barkas adds that there was also interest from Anadolu Efes, the back-to-back EuroLeague champs.

The 30-year-old guard was selected by the Wizards with the 32nd pick in the 2012 draft. He played three seasons with the team after leaving Europe and was sent to the Bulls in a sign-and-trade in the summer of 2019. Chicago shipped him to the Pelicans last summer as part of the package for Lonzo Ball, and he was traded to Spurs at this year’s deadline but appeared in just one game before being waived. He returned to the Wizards at the end of February.

The Czech native played 388 games over six NBA seasons, averaging 6.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

FC Barcelona is traditionally one of the top teams in the EuroLeague, but lost to Real Madrid this year in both the Final Four semifinals and ACB finals. According to Barkas, Satoransky is expected to be joined by another former Wizard, Jan Vesely, whom Washington selected with the sixth pick in the 2011 draft.

And-Ones: Gasol, Trade Cash, 2023 Draft, Ignite, Zizic

June 25th, 2022 at 7:03am CST by Luke Adams

It doesn’t appear that veteran center Marc Gasol will be making an NBA comeback this fall. As Johnny Askounis of Eurhoops.net relays, multiple reports out of Spain have indicated that Gasol intends to remain a member of Girona, the Spanish team he owns and plays for.

Girona competed this past season in Spain’s second-division Liga Española de Baloncesto, but has received a promotion to the top Spanish league, Liga Endesa, for the 2022/23 season. Having helped his team earn that promotion by averaging 14.5 PPG and 8.2 RPG this season, Gasol’s goal is now to actually play for Girona in Liga Endesa competition, according to Askounis.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (all Twitter links) has the details on the cash that changed hands in a few draft-night trades, reporting that the Magic received $2.15MM from the Lakers as part of the deal for the No. 35 pick; the Grizzlies sent $1MM to the Spurs as part of the swap for Kennedy Chandler‘s draft rights; and the Pacers got $1MM from the Bucks for selling the final pick in the draft (No. 58 pick Hugo Besson). That $2.15MM was the most Orlando could have acquired in a deal, as our cash tracker shows.
With the 2022 draft in the books, Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link) has already turned his attention to 2023, publishing an initial mock draft for next year. As Givony and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic write, the 2023 NBA draft looks like it’ll be the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
The NBA G League announced in a press release that Washington State center Efe Abogidi has officially signed with the G League Ignite, as expected. Meanwhile, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, five-star recruit Matas Buzelis, one of the top prospects in the class of 2023, has committed to the Ignite for the 2023/24 season.
Former NBA first-round pick Ante Zizic has officially signed with Turkish team Anadolu Efes following his departure from Maccabi Tel Aviv. Zizc, who received a two-year deal with a third-year option, appeared in 113 NBA games for Boston and Cleveland from 2017-20.

Pistons’ Procida, Cavs’ Diop Among Draftees Expected To Be Stashed Overseas

June 24th, 2022 at 1:28am CST by Luke Adams

Italian wing Gabriele Procida, who was drafted 36th overall on Thursday night after spending last season with Fortitudo Bologna, is expected to be stashed overseas by the Pistons, reports James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While Procida is the highest of this year’s draft picks reported to be a likely draft-and-stash prospect, he’s hardly the only one. Here are a few more updates on 2022’s draft-and-stash candidates:

After using the No. 39 pick to draft him on Thursday, the Cavaliers intend to keep 20-year-old center Khalifa Diop overseas for the 2022/23 season, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Senegalese big man won the EuroCup Rising Star award playing for Gran Canaria in Spain this past season.
The Nuggets plan to stash center Ismael Kamagate in Europe next season, a source tells Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link). The No. 46 pick on Thursday, Kamagate had an All-Star season playing for Paris in 2021/22.
Italian shooting guard Matteo Spagnolo, drafted at No. 50 by the Timberwolves, will likely remain overseas next season, per president of basketball operations Tim Connelly (Twitter link via Dane Moore). Spagnolo is still just 19 years old.
Crotian forward/center Karlo Matkovic, selected 52nd overall by the Pelicans, is expected to join New Orleans’ Summer League roster but will continue playing in Europe for another year or two, general manager Trajan Langdon told reporters, including Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link).
Wizards president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard said after the draft that No. 54 pick Yannick Nzosa will be a “stash guy” in the Spanish League next season, according to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post (Twitter link).

Draft Rumors: Pistons, Duren, Dieng, Mavericks, Raptors, Anunoby

June 23rd, 2022 at 7:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons, who already made news this week with their impending trade of Jerami Grant to Portland, could make another significant move this evening. They are holding ongoing conversations to acquire another lottery pick, with Memphis center Jalen Duren believed to be the target, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report tweets.

Detroit already holds the No. 5 selection in the draft. A report earlier today indicated Pistons GM Troy Weaver is a big fan of Duren.

Ousmane Dieng seems destined to be chosen higher than any other international prospect. The French big man, who played for the New Zealand Breakers, has been surging up draft boards and could go as high as No. 8, where the Pelicans are picking, Marc Stein tweets.
The Mavericks are covering all their bases, even though their first-round pick is headed to Houston and their second-rounder is headed to Washington, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News tweets. GM Nico Harrison says they’re are not actively calling teams to trade into the draft, but have done the prep work needed in case they end up with a draft pick in either round.
The Raptors are unlikely to move into the lottery and trade forward OG Anunoby, Michael Grange of Sportsnet tweets. Most of the chatter surrounding Anunoby has come from the Trail Blazers, who are trying to add veterans around Damian Lillard, Grange adds, while Toronto remains in a ‘be patient and grow’ mode.

Pacers Notes: Warren, Taylor, Sharpe, Keels

June 20th, 2022 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

T.J. Warren has only appeared in four games over the past two seasons but he could still bring value to the Pacers, even if he’s not on the team next season, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Warren will be an unrestricted free agent this summer but Indiana could sign-and-trade him to a team coveting his services. Warren has averaged 15.5 PPG in his career.

We have more on the Pacers:

Pacers assistant Bryce Taylor has been named an assistant coach for EWE Baskets Oldenburg in Germany, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files reports. Taylor, 35, played in Germany and Italy before retiring prior to this past season.
Projected lottery pick Shaedon Sharpe worked out for the Pacers on Monday and feels he could be a difference-maker if they use the No. 6 selection on him, James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star tweets. “I know that (the Pacers are) a great organization, love to develop their players,” he said. “I feel like I could come in and be that go-to guy.”
Duke’s Trevor Keels will work out for the team on Tuesday, Boyd adds in another tweet. Keels is a candidate for the Pacers’ second-round selection at No. 31. That’s exactly where the Blue Devils’ wing is rated on ESPN’s Best Available list. As previously reported, center Kai Sotto is also visiting on Tuesday.

Tomas Satoransky Nearing Deal With Barcelona?

June 20th, 2022 at 7:58am CST by Luke Adams

After spending the last six years in the NBA, veteran guard Tomas Satoransky may be headed back to Europe for the 2022/23 season.

According to a report from Aris Barkas of Eurohoops (Twitter link), Satoransky is closing in on a deal to rejoin Barcelona, his former team in Spain. In a full story, Antigoni Zachari of Eurohoops cautions that no formal agreement is in place yet, though the negotiations appear to be nearing the finish line.

Satoransky was a regular rotation player in Washington and Chicago from 2016-21, but had a down year in 2021/22 after being sent to New Orleans as part of last summer’s Lonzo Ball sign-and-trade deal. Satoransky was traded twice more during the season – first to Portland, then to San Antonio – and then signed with the Wizards after being waived by the Spurs. In total, he appeared in 55 games for three teams, averaging 3.6 PPG and 3.3 APG on .377/.208/.796 shooting in 16.5 minutes per contest.

Satoransky, 30, began playing professionally in the Czech Republic in 2007 and eventually moved to Spain, where he played for Sevilla from 2009-14 and Barcelona from 2014-16. He was named the Spanish League’s Most Spectacular Player in 2016 before heading stateside to join the Wizards later that year.

Satoransky has appeared in a total of 388 regular season NBA contests (22.2 MPG) in the last six seasons, averaging 6.9 PPG and 4.1 APG with a shooting line of .468/.354/.820.