International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Young, Scola, Breakout Candidates, Salary Cap

September 20th, 2021 at 8:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard Joe Young is taking a proactive approach to getting back in the league. He’ll work out for NBA teams in Houston this week, Kelly Iko of The Athletic tweets. Young, who appeared in 127 games for the Pacers from 2015-18, has been playing in China since the Pacers parted ways with him.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Longtime NBA forward Luis Scola has been named CEO of Italy’s Pallacanestro Varese, Sportando relays. Scola retired after playing for Varese last season and Argentina’s national team in the Tokyo Olympics.
Darius Garland, Keldon Johnson and Jaren Jackson Jr. are some of the top breakout candidates for the upcoming season, according to a poll of 15 NBA executives conducted by Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto.
The salary cap could increase significantly when new TV deals are signed, Morten Jensen of Forbes Sports notes. Citing a league source, Jensen writes that a $171MM salary cap is possible, assuming no cap smoothing, by 2025. Even with cap smoothing, the cap will likely increase by $15MM annually. However, it should be pointed out that it’s unknown how much the NBA’s next TV deal will be worth, so these figures are speculative.

And-Ones: Fournier, France, Udoh, Gasol

September 19th, 2021 at 7:43pm CST by JD Shaw

Knicks guard Evan Fournier has expressed confidence in the future of France’s national team, discussing his vision for the program in an interview with L’Equipe (hat tip to Sportando).

Fournier, 28, was part of the French team that nearly defeated Team USA in the Gold Medal Olympic game last month. While his team narrowly missed out on a gold medal, it did beat Team USA in an exhibition contest two weeks earlier. Fournier led all scorers with 28 points during that outing.

“We have to promote our sport culture, stop being afraid of being ambitious,” Fournier explained. “I want this to change and our team can do it. We are not afraid of anyone. My vision is to become as dominant as Spain has been in the last fifteen years. Tokyo is just our first final … I want to win Eurobasket 2022. This is not the time to stop. We have the opportunity to build a dynasty.

“This team must grow every summer, relive the same emotions, reactivate what has made possible our success in Tokyo: putting aside the ego, fighting for each other, having this winning mentality. And starting over every year. It is an opportunity for our sport, but also something that can go beyond basketball, help sport in France. We can set an example for an entire generation.”

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

Former NBA center Ekpe Udoh has suffered a complete tear of his left knee patellar tendon, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets. The 34-year-old will undergo surgery for the injury and no timetable has been issued. As we previously relayed, it’s believed that Udoh slipped due to an on-court sticker during the Italian SuperCup quarterfinals on Saturday.
Veteran NBA big man Pau Gasol briefly discussed the ongoing free agency of his brother, Marc Gasol, acknowledging that Marc has plenty of enthusiasm for Spanish club Basquet Girona. Marc and the club have been linked since he was waived by the Grizzlies last week. “Marc has earned the freedom and flexibility to make his own decision and he will do so when he decides,” Pau said, according to Spanish newspaper Marca (hat tip Sports Illustrated). “I know he has a lot of enthusiasm for Basquet Girona, a club in which I am also involved as vice president. He is in a different situation, because he is five years younger than me. We will see what he decides to do this season and later, I am also waiting.“

Jordan Bell May Sign With Italian Team

September 19th, 2021 at 9:19am CST by Arthur Hill

Virtus Bologna, the defending champion in the Italian league, is considering signing NBA center Jordan Bell, according to Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. The news was first reported by the Italian newspaper Corriere di Bologna.

Bell, 26, finished last season with the Warriors after signing a two-way contract in mid-May. He appeared in just one game for Golden State and wasn’t used in either play-in game.

He also played for the Wizards last season, signing a pair of 10-day contracts in January and April. He got into five total games with Washington, averaging 2.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per night.

Bell was the 38th pick in the 2017 draft and was acquired by the Warriors in a draft night trade. He played rotation minutes for the team during its championship season in 2017/18 and again in its trip to the finals the following year.

He signed with the Timberwolves as a free agent in 2019, but only played 27 games before being traded. He also had brief stops with the Rockets, Grizzlies, Cavaliers and Lakers.

Virtus Bologna has an opening after a potentially serious knee injury to another former NBA player, Ekpe Udoh, per a report from Eurohoops. Udoh was hurt when he slipped on an on-court sticker during the Italian SuperCup quarterfinals.

“The biggest concern is Udoh’s injury. It seems to be bad, he’s the center around whom our game revolves,” coach Sergio Scariolo said. “This story of the court stickers that players slip on is something to think about. It’s a very serious injury for the player and a serious one for the team. I hope it serves to make it clear that we need to have the utmost attention on these things. There are no stickers in the NBA.”

And-Ones: USA Basketball, Mayo, Mejri

September 18th, 2021 at 11:56am CST by Dana Gauruder

Grant Hill has taken over as USA Basketball’s managing director and one of his first tasks is to find a replacement for coach Gregg Popovich. Hill told The Undefeated’s Marc Spears that he plans to hire a new coach before the NBA season begins on October 19.

Candidates that have previous experience with USA Basketball will have the upper hand, according to Spears. That group would include Steve Kerr, Lloyd Pierce, Jay Wright, Doc Rivers, Nate McMillan, Monty Williams, Tom Thibodeau, Erik Spoelstra and Jeff Van Gundy.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Former NBA guard O.J. Mayo has reached an agreement with Russia’s Unics Kazan, Sportando relays. Sport-Business.ru was first to report the news. Mayo was banned by the NBA in 2016 for violating the league’s drug program. Mayo has recently played in China.
Former Mavericks big man Salah Mejri has reached an agreement with Al Jahra in Kuwait, according to Sportando. Mejri appeared in 204 games with Dallas from 2015-19.
In case you missed it, Jarrell Brantley is expected to sign with a Russian team after being waived by the Jazz. Get the details here.

Jarrell Brantley Expected To Sign With Russian Team

September 17th, 2021 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

Having been waived by the Jazz on Thursday, forward Jarrell Brantley appears to have already lined up his next team. According to a report from Orazio Cauchi of BasketNews.com, Brantley is expected to sign with Russian club UNICS Kazan.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks reports (via Twitter) that Brantley amended his contract with Utah to remove the modest guarantee (about $84K) that he was owed, which suggests he knew another opportunity awaited him in free agency. According to Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link), it was an “amicable parting of ways” between the Jazz and Brantley. The 25-year-old is on track to clear NBA waivers this weekend.

Brantley averaged 2.3 PPG and 1.0 RPG in 28 games (4.9 MPG) for Utah in 2020/21, his second season on a two-way deal with the team. He received a qualifying offer from the Jazz in free agency and accepted it, but it was minimum-salary contract that only included that small partial guarantee of $84K.

The former second-rounder figures to play a larger role and have more financial security overseas, according to Cauchi, who suggests Brantley’s new deal could be worth seven figures. Jones reported that as well.

Brantley’s new team, which plays in Kazan, Russia, competes in the VTB United League and also earned a spot in the EuroLeague for the 2021/22 season. Assuming Brantley finalizes a deal with the club, he won’t be the only former NBA player on the roster. Isaiah Canaan, Lorenzo Brown, and Mario Hezonja are also members of UNICS Kazan.

Mike James Signing With AS Monaco

September 16th, 2021 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Mike James, who finished the 2020/21 NBA season with the Nets, has reached a contract agreement with AS Monaco, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.

James, 31, has spent much of his professional career playing in international leagues. He previously spent time with the Suns and Pelicans during the 2017/18 season before heading back to Europe from 2018-21.

James had been playing for CSKA Moscow in 2021, but the Russian club agreed to allow him to join the Nets, despite the fact that his contract ran through 2023. The 6’1″ guard averaged 7.7 PPG and 4.2 APG with a .370/.355/.778 shooting line in 13 regular season games (18.2 MPG) for Brooklyn, then appeared in nine postseason contests as well.

James briefly returned to CSKA Moscow this summer, but the two sides recently agreed to terminate his contract, clearing a path for him to join a new European club. AS Monaco, which competes in France’s top basketball league, is a newcomer to the EuroLeague — the 2021/22 season will be its first in what is generally considered the world’s best basketball league outside of the NBA.

And-Ones: Mirotic, Head Coaches, Gasol, Littles

September 15th, 2021 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Nikola Mirotic shocked NBA observers and fans alike during the 2019 offseason when he opted to return to his home country of Spain as a free agent, signing with Barcelona despite reportedly having lucrative multiyear NBA offers on the table. Two years later, Mirotic said that he doesn’t really miss the NBA, with one notable exception.

“I would say I only miss playing against the best, those superstars like (Kevin) Durant, (James) Harden, Steph (Curry), Giannis (Antetokounmpo)… It’s something unforgettable,” Mirotic told Alex Molina of Eurohoops.net. “Playing against LeBron (James)… just amazing. Thinking that I also played with some of them like Anthony Davis, Giannis himself, Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose… An amazing experience. You always want to play against these guys, but apart from that, I don’t miss the NBA.”

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

NBA coaches will once again be allowed to wear casual attire on the sidelines rather than having to wear suits and ties, tweets Marc Stein of Substack. The league adjusted the dress code for head coaches during the 2020 bubble and has opted not to revert back to the old rules.
Although the expectation is that newly-released center Marc Gasol will sign a contract with Girona in Spain, a report from Spanish outlet CCMA.cat indicates that the 36-year-old hasn’t yet made a final decision on his future (hat tip to HoopsHype).
Gene Littles, who played in the ABA and later coached the Cavaliers, Hornets, and Nuggets, has died at age 78, according to a press release from his alma mater, High Point University. Littles’ head coaching stints were short-lived, as he led Cleveland, Charlotte, and Denver to a 44-111 (.284) record across parts of four seasons. However, he did win an ABA title as a player with the Kentucky Colonels in 1975.

Noah Vonleh Expected To Join Shanghai Sharks

September 15th, 2021 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent forward Noah Vonleh is expected to sign with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, sources tell Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Vonleh, 26, was the ninth overall pick in the 2014 draft. Since entering the NBA, he has appeared in a total of 339 regular season games for Charlotte, Portland, Chicago, New York, Minnesota, Denver, and Brooklyn.

However, the 6’10” forward hasn’t been a regular rotation player for an NBA club since the 2018/19 season, when he averaged 8.4 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 68 games (25.3 MPG) for the Knicks. Vonleh was out of the NBA for most of 2020/21, having spent just a couple weeks in February with the Nets before being waived. He appeared in four games for Brooklyn.

For much of the offseason, the Chinese Basketball Association hadn’t permitted its teams to add foreign players due to coronavirus-related concerns. However, now that the league has opted to play its 2021/22 season in a bubble, foreign players will be allowed in the CBA.

Shanghai hasn’t wasted any time in taking advantage of the rule changes, having already agreed to a deal with ex-NBA wing Jamaal Franklin. Carchia reports that the Sharks are also expected to bring back former NBA lottery pick Jimmer Fredette, who has spent most of the last five seasons in Shanghai.

And-Ones: Rule Change, Rookies, Ignite, J. Franklin

September 14th, 2021 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s Board of Governors will vote later this month to approve a rule change to the way late-game out-of-bounds reviews are handled, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).

In past seasons, close out-of-bounds calls have been automatically reviewed in the last two minutes of games, resulting in prolonged stoppages that have halted the momentum of close contests and dragged out the final moments of those games. If the Board of Governors approves the rule change, a head coach’s challenge will be required to trigger those reviews, says Charania.

As John Hollinger of The Athletic points out, it’s possible some close calls would be missed as a result of this change. However, some of the calls being overturned by those automatic reviews were plays where a defender clearly knocked a ball out of bounds, but it grazed the ball-handler’s fingertips last, which was a change “nobody wanted.”

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

Mike Schmitz of ESPN (Insider link) identifies several 2021 rookies who are strong candidates to outperform their post-lottery draft positions, including Rockets big man Alperen Sengun (No. 16), Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III (No. 17), and Nuggets guard Bones Hyland (No. 26).
BIG3 director of basketball operations Thomas Scott, a former Lakers assistant, has joined the G League Ignite as an assistant coach on Jason Hart‘s staff, per an announcement from the BIG3 (Twitter link). Scott will also be the Ignite’s head of player development, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
The Chinese Basketball Association has lifted its restrictions on teams signing foreign players now that it has decided to conduct its 2021/22 season in a bubble, as Nicola Lupo of Sportando writes. Sources tell Sportando that former Grizzlies and Nuggets wing Jamaal Franklin – a second-round pick in 2013 – is one of the first players to take advantage, having signed a lucrative new deal with the Shanghai Sharks.

International Notes: James, Childs, Lemon, Giedraitis

September 12th, 2021 at 10:26am CST by Arthur Hill

Mike James, who finished last season with the Nets, is reportedly in “advanced talks” with AS Monaco, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando. The 31-year-old point guard had been under contract with CSKA Moscow, but that deal was terminated this week, making him a free agent.

James joined Brooklyn in April on a pair of 10-day deals and eventually signed for the remainder of the season. He appeared in 13 games and averaged 7.7 points and 4.1 assists per night. He also spent time with the Suns and Pelicans during the 2017/18 season.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Yoeli Childs, who played for the Lakers during Summer League, has reached a one-year deal with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg in Germany, Skerletic states in a separate piece. A 6’8″ forward out of BYU, Childs attended training camp with the Wizards last season and played for the Erie BayHawks in the G League.
Walt Lemon Jr., who had brief NBA stints with the Pelicans and Bulls, has signed with Ezzahra Sports in Tunisia, Skerletic adds in another story. Lemon played for Hapoel Tel Aviv last season.
Lithuanian swingman Rokas Giedraitis said he had an opportunity to come to the NBA this season, but opted to stay with Baskonia in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, writes Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops. The 29-year-old discussed his decision during the team’s media day on Saturday. “During the summer, I was able to think about my situation, what I wanted,” he said. “I had a couple of NBA offers, but I talked with my family and we decided to stay here.”