International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Japan Games, Hardy, Prospect Matchups, West

March 14th, 2022 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors and Wizards will play two preseason games in Japan, the NBA announced in a press release. The NBA Japan Games 2022 will be played on September 30 and October 2. “We are excited to once again bring preseason games to our fans in Japan,” commissioner Adam Silver said. The NBA last played games in Japan in 2019, when Houston and Toronto squared off in a pair of preseason contests.

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Shooting guard Jaden Hardy shouldn’t be discounted as a potential lottery pick, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer opines. Hardy got off to a slow start with the G League’s Ignite but has averaged 22.5 PPG and 4.1 APG over the last eight games. Hardy made some progress as a pick-and-roll playmaker and is taking better shots, O’Connor adds. Hardy is currently ranked No. 24 on ESPN’s Best Available list after once being considered the draft’s second-best prospect.
The NCAA Tournament provides an opportunity for draft prospects to match their talents against one another. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie takes a look at nine first-round matchups among this year’s class, including the University of Michigan big man duo of Hunter Dickinson and Moussa Diabate squaring off against Colorado State’s top scorer, David Roddy.
Former NBA player Delonte West participated in a BIG3 tryout in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, according to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. West, who has struggled with drug addiction and bipolar disorder, was one of a handful of players from the tryout to get an invite to the BIG3 pre-draft combine on May 14 in Las Vegas.

And-Ones: Brantley, Crawford, Ware, Labissiere

March 12th, 2022 at 3:46pm CST by JD Shaw

Free agent forward Jarrell Brantley has been acquired by the Greensboro Swarm, G League affiliate of the Hornets, Hoops Rumors has learned. Brantley recently left Russian club UNICS Kazan following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

As Ian Begley of SNY.tv notes (via Twitter), Brantley was sued by UNICS Kazan for $250K after leaving. He received a letter of clearance after a maximum six-day window, allowing him to sign in the G League. The state of the lawsuit is unclear, Begley adds.

Brantley played 37 games with the Jazz between 2019-21. The 25-year-old was drafted No. 50 overall in 2019 after spending four seasons at the College of Charleston.

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The Long Island Nets have re-acquired guard Jordan Crawford from the G League’s available player pool, the team announced in a press release. Crawford, who will replace Tyrone Wallace while Wallace plays for the Pelicans on 10-day deal, holds 281 games of NBA experience with five teams.
Free agent guard Casper Ware has signed with CSKA Moscow, the team announced (Twitter link). Ware played nine games with the Sixers during the 2013/14 campaign.
Former NBA big man Skal Labissiere has signed in Puerto Rico with Cangrejeros de Santurce, as relayed by Sportando. The 6’10” Kentucky product was drafted No. 28 overall in 2016. He last played in the NBA during the 2019/20 campaign, appearing in 33 games with Portland.

Suns Sign Gabriel Lundberg To Two-Way Contract

March 12th, 2022 at 2:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

2:43pm: Phoenix has officially signed Lundberg, the club announced in a press release.

7:44am: European star Gabriel Lundberg is signing a contract with the Suns, Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops.net relays. The news was first reported on Danish TV 2.

It’s a two-way deal, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Lundberg, 27, left CSKA Moscow recently amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He’s considered the best international free agent available in the market, Wojnarowski adds. Phoenix had a two-way spot available and won’t have to make a corresponding move.

In 24 Euroleague games, Lundberg averaged 9.1 PPG and 2.0 APG in 21.1 MPG. He also averaged 12.6 PPG and 3.2 APG in VTB United League games.

Lundberg averaged 11.3 PPG and 2.2 APG in 15 Euroleague contests last season. He’s shot 33.6% on 3-point attempts in his international career.

Lundberg finalized his separation from CSKA Moscow by paying the contract buyout himself, according to Eurohoops’ sources. Lundberg will likely see little playing time for the leaders of the Western Conference but they’ll get an up close look at the 6’4” guard. They can then decide if they want to retain him beyond this season.

And-Ones: Young Point Guards, Henson, Holmgren, Draft

March 9th, 2022 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

Rising Grizzlies star Ja Morant has enjoyed a breakout year in Memphis, but 11 of 15 scouts and executives polled by Tim Bontemps of ESPN would still take Mavericks star Luka Doncic over Morant if they were picking a young point guard to build around.

Bontemps asked those 15 scouts and execs to rank Doncic, Morant, Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Darius Garland, and got some interesting responses. Doncic was the overwhelming top pick, with Morant (who had the other four first-place votes) coming in second, followed by Young in third. Ball and Gilgeous-Alexander were neck and neck for the fourth spot, with Garland bringing up the rear.

The question engendered plenty of debate, according to Bontemps, who notes that the respondents’ evaluations of certain prospects varied significantly. For instance, one Eastern Conference executive believes that Gilgeous-Alexander could be “potentially be doing a lot of the same things” as Morant if their situations were flipped, while an East scout said SGA is “clearly last” of the six in his view, since the others are better at passing and making plays for teammates.

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Former NBA lottery pick John Henson has signed with Mets de Guaynabo for the upcoming season in Puerto Rico, tweets agent Christian Santaella. Henson, who has appeared in 445 regular season NBA games, signed a 10-day contract with the Knicks last April, but hasn’t played in an NBA game since the 2019/20 season.
In an Insider-only story for ESPN, Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz explore why Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren is such a polarizing player for NBA scouts. As ESPN’s duo explains, Holmgren is a one-of-a-kind prospect who can’t be easily compared to current or former NBA players, making it more difficult to evaluate both his potential upside and his potential risk.
Givony and Schmitz have also updated their top-100 prospect list for the 2022 NBA draft and discussed some of the players who have recently risen up that big board.
Jeremy Woo of SI.com takes an in-depth look at Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, identical twins who are candidates to be drafted in the lottery in 2023. The Thompson twins, who are currently playing for Overtime Elite, both went in the top 10 of ESPN’s most recent 2023 mock draft.

James Ennis To Sign With Israeli Team

March 7th, 2022 at 7:37am CST by JD Shaw

Free agent forward James Ennis has agreed to a lucrative deal in Israel with Hapoel Haifa, sources told Hoops Rumors. Ennis will head overseas for the first time since the 2013/14 season.

Ennis, who has signed 10-day contracts with the Nets, Clippers and Nuggets since December, plans to leave the door open for an eventual NBA return, sources said.

After being selected with the 50th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Ennis began his professional career as a draft-and-stash player, spending a year in Australia and Puerto Rico before coming stateside in 2014.

An eight-year NBA veteran, Ennis has since appeared in 395 regular season games. In addition to Brooklyn, Los Angeles and Denver, he has also made stops in Miami, Memphis, New Orleans, Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia and Orlando since making his NBA debut.

In 41 games with Orlando last season, Ennis averaged 8.4 points per game and made 43.3% of his three-point attempts, the second-highest mark of his career. The 31-year-old also showed versatility by guarding multiple positions defensively.

Hapoel Haifa currently ranks seventh in the 12-team Israeli Basketball Premier League with a 9-8 record, putting the club on track to qualify for the eight-team postseason. Ennis will join former Celtics and Knicks guard Kadeem Allen as the players on the roster who have NBA experience.

And-Ones: Brantley, NBA Awards, Seattle, Brogdon

March 5th, 2022 at 11:59am CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA player Jarrell Brantley has been sued by Russia’s UNICS Kazan after he left the country, Ian Begley on SNY.tv tweets. The Russian club has sued Brantley for $250K after he returned to the U.S. with his wife and infant daughter. The forward will pursue G League opportunities but he could be blocked from playing in that league because he requires permission from Kazan. Brantley played 37 games with the Jazz from 2019-21.

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It’s a coin flip between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic in the race for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, Zach Harper of The Athletic opines. Ja Morant has moved up to the third spot with his offensive outbursts in recent weeks. Harper updates his rankings on numerous postseason awards in his column.
Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell is confident the NBA will return to the city, but the league denied that any expansion plan is in the works, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports writes. “The odds are high,” Harrell said. “We’re very intentional about it. I chase down rumors and I chase down actual people in a position to make that happen. I feel good about our opportunity.” A league spokesman told NBC Sports that there’s “no truth” to a report that expansion is on the front burner this offseason.
Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon has some interest in playing for the Polish national team and the country’s basketball federation will try to make it a reality, according to a Eurohoops.net report. Brogdon’s connection to Poland comes from his wife, who has Polish roots and relatives who live in the country.

And-Ones: Brown, Brogdon, Biyombo, Udoka, Snyder, Russia, Smith

March 3rd, 2022 at 11:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jaylen Brown, Malcolm Brogdon and Bismack Biyombo have been re-elected as VPs on the National Basketball Players Association’s Executive Committee, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. They’ll serve new three-year terms, according to the players’ union.

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The Celtics’ Ime Udoka and Jazz‘s Quin Snyder were named Coaches of the Month for February, NBA Communications tweets. Boston had a 9-2 record during the month, while Utah went 8-1.
In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the NBA has suspended all activities in Russia, Mark J. Burns of the Sports Business Journal tweets. According to Burns’ source, that includes activities related to content distribution such as digital and broadcast. There is no timeline on when business activities will resume in Russia.
Forward Roscoe Smith, who has appeared in 149 G League games, has signed in Palestine with Orthodoxi Beit Jala, agent Derek James of Global Pipeline Agency told JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link).

And-Ones: Boylen, Buyout Market, I. Cousins, Murry

March 3rd, 2022 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

Jim Boylen‘s stint as the Bulls’ head coach was short-lived and ultimately unsuccessful, as he led the team to a record of just 39-84 (.317) from 2018-20. After his tumultuous tenure in Chicago, Boylen was extremely appreciative to get the chance to coach Team USA’s qualifying team for the 2023 World Cup, as he tells Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

“This opportunity, you kind of get your sea legs back. I got my voice back,” Boylen said. “It was a godsend to come and do this, and also, this is the biggest challenge I’ve ever had.”

Boylen has led Team USA to a 3-1 record in the qualifiers to date, picking up wins in February over Puerto Rico and Mexico. There are four more qualifying windows to come, with the next one scheduled for June.

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When many of the top players available on the 2021 buyout market joined the Nets or Lakers, some league observers and fans pushed for changes that would prevent big-market teams from scooping up veteran talent essentially for free. However, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (video link) argues within a recap of 2022’s relatively quiet buyout market that the impact of buyout signings is generally overstated — none of last year’s moves were difference-makers and it’s unlikely that any of this year’s will be either, says Marks.
Former Oklahoma guard Isaiah Cousins has signed an NBA G League contract and is joining the Maine Celtics, according to our JD Shaw (Twitter link). Cousins was a second-round pick in the 2016 draft, but has yet to appear in a regular season NBA game, having spent most of his professional career in Europe.
One of the former NBA players who had been playing in Ukraine this season, Toure’ Murry spoke to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today about his stressful experience leaving the country following Russia’s invasion last month. “There was risk of going to the Poland border and getting sent back. There were no guarantees. So we took a leap of faith going through Romania,” said Murray, explaining that he was eventually able to get a train to Bucharest, a flight to Amsterdam, and then a flight home to Houston. “It worked out in terms of getting across the border. But going through the situation, we had no idea if we would get out.”

International Notes: Musa, Russia, FIBA, EuroLeague, Goodwin

March 1st, 2022 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

After being selected with the No. 29 pick in the 2018 draft, swingman Dzanan Musa spent just two seasons in the NBA with Brooklyn before being waived and returning to Europe. He’s currently thriving with Rio Breogan in Spain, averaging 19.8 PPG on .504/.441/.776 shooting in 19 Liga ACB games (31.7 MPG) this season.

Asked during an interview with Israel Hayom about his fellow Bosnian, former NBA forward Mirza Teletovic said he’s confident that Musa, who is still just 22 years old, will return stateside sooner or later.

“Dzanan is a great talent, who has already done some beautiful things in his career,” Teletovic said, according to EuroHoops.net. “He may have gone to the NBA too soon and been burned, but I believe he will return to the U.S. soon because he just needed more experience and more games to deal with the players. He saw what he was missing and now he is working on it in Europe. … He must be patient and go step by step and he is guaranteed a bright future because he has the qualities of a leader and everything it takes to be successful.”

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FIBA announced today in a press release that Russian teams and officials won’t be permitted to participate in any international FIBA competitions until further notice. Russia was off to a 3-0 start in the qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup.
Euroleague Basketball announced on Monday that it has suspended the participation of all Russian teams in the EuroLeague (CSKA Moscow, UNICS Kazan, Zenit St. Petersburg) and the EuroCup (Lokomotiv Kuban). The organization will continue to monitor the situation and says that if things don’t improve, “all regular season games versus Russian teams will be annulled to configure the leagues’ standings.”
Former NBA first-round pick Archie Goodwin has signed with Israeli team Maccabi Rishon, according to an announcement from the club (Twitter link). Goodwin, the 29th overall pick in 2013, appeared in 165 regular season games for Phoenix, New Orleans, and Brooklyn, but hasn’t played in the NBA since 2017. He had been playing in Ukraine this season, but recently left due to the Russian invasion.

Dante Exum To Remain With Barcelona For Rest Of Season

February 28th, 2022 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA lottery pick Dante Exum will be staying in Spain and completing the 2021/22 season with Barcelona, the team announced today in a press release.

After being waived by the Rockets in October, Exum signed a three-month contract with Barcelona in December. That deal ran through February 28 and there was some talk last month about the 26-year-old planning to return to the NBA once it expired. However, Exum and Barcelona reached an agreement to extend the contract through June 30, according to the club.

The fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft, Exum appeared in a total of 245 regular season NBA games for Utah and Cleveland, dealing with a handful of injuries after he played all 82 games as a rookie.

This season in Europe, Exum has been a productive rotation player for Barcelona, averaging 6.0 PPG and 2.7 RPG on .500/.538/.905 shooting in 11 EuroLeague contests (16.5 MPG). Barcelona currently sits atop the EuroLeague standings with a 20-5 record.

Exum’s next opportunity to return to the NBA will come during the 2022 offseason.