International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Notes: Caboclo, Galloway, Paschall, Cousins

August 2nd, 2024 at 6:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA first-round pick Bruno Caboclo helped keep Brazil’s hopes for a men’s basketball Olympic medal alive on Friday, leading the team to a 102-84 win over Japan and securing the Brazilians a spot in the quarterfinals. Caboclo racked up 33 points and 17 rebounds on 13-of-19 shooting in 30 minutes of action, making all four of his three-point attempts.

The veteran forward was reported earlier this summer to be at odds with KK Partizan and was said to be on the lookout for an NBA opportunity, but it sounds like he’ll be remaining in Europe for the upcoming season. Caboclo told reporters on Friday that he expects to play for the Belgrade-based club next season and referred to Partizan’s Zeljko Obradovic as one of the world’s best coaches, per BasketNews.com.

As for a potential return to the NBA down the road? The 28-year-old suggested he hasn’t ruled it out.

“I think I still have a little hope of getting into the NBA, but if I don’t, I will not be sad,” Caboclo said. “I’ll keep doing my best and whatever God has for me.”

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

Before he joined the Bucks last season, Australian wing Jaylin Galloway signed a three-year contract with the Sydney Kings. Now that he has been waived by Milwaukee, could he be headed back to Sydney? According to Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link), the Australian club has kept a roster spot open in case Galloway returns, though he’s expected to continue exploring potential NBA options and only shift his focus to the NBL if nothing materializes stateside. If he wants to play in the NBL, his three-year deal with Sydney would resume.
Former NBA forward/center Eric Paschall has signed with Pistoia Basket, the Italian team announced on Instagram. The former Villanova standout, who was the No. 41 overall pick in the 2019 draft, appeared in 158 total regular season games for Golden State and Utah from 2019-22. This will be his first time playing professionally in Europe.
Four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins is suiting up for the Zamboanga Valientes of the Philippines for the final leg of the Asian Tournament, according to Kennedy Caacbay of ABS-CBN News. The veteran center has been competing in Puerto Rico and Taiwan in recent years, having not played for an NBA team since 2022.

International Notes: Diallo, Galloway, Martin, Mannion, Jones

August 1st, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Rory Maher

Bayern Munich is interested in signing free agent wing Hamidou Diallo, according to German basketball reporter Robert Heusel (Twitter link).

A former second-round pick (45th overall in 2018), Diallo played for Oklahoma City and Detroit from 2018-23. He spent most of last season in the NBA G League with the Capital City Go-Go, making two appearances with the Wizards back in January while on a 10-day contract.

Diallo, who turned 26 years old on Wednesday, is a superb athlete who is an above-average cutter, finisher, rebounder and defender for a guard/forward. However, he has struggled with his outside shot throughout his career and he isn’t a great passer, which may have limited his NBA opportunities over the past year.

It’s unclear if Diallo would be open to playing in Europe for the first time in his career. He reportedly impressed during a private scrimmage last month and also worked out for the Bucks a couple weeks ago.

Bayern won Germany’s top domestic league (BBL) last season and also competes in the EuroLeague.

Here are a few more international notes:

Former NBA guard Langston Galloway has signed a contract with Italy’s Trapani Shark, agent Misko Raznatovic announced (via Twitter). Galloway, who played for seven different teams over the course of his eight NBA seasons from 2014-22, spent the 2022/23 season in the NBA G League with the College Park Skyhawks. Last season, he played professionally in Europe for the first time in his career, averaging 16.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 2.4 APG on .393/.363/.895 shooting in 30 games for Reggio Emilia in Italy’s top basketball league (LBA).
Former Warriors guard Nico Mannion will remain with Italy’s Pallacanestro Varese for the 2024/25 season, the team announced (via Twitter). The 23-year-old, who was born in Italy, also spent time in Spain last season with Baskonia.
Jarell Martin, who spent last season in Turkey with Galatasaray, has officially signed a one-year contract with Australia’s Adelaide 36ers, per a team press release. The 25th pick of the 2015 draft, Martin played four NBA seasons with Memphis and Orlando from 2015-19. The news of Martin’s signing was first reported by ESPN.
Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce is eyeing free agent center Damian Jones, reports Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. Jones, 29, has spent the past eight years in the NBA, having played 39 games for the Cavaliers in 2023/24.

International Notes: Martin, Washington, Fitts, Brooks

July 31st, 2024 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA first-round pick Jarell Martin has agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Adelaide 36ers of Australia’s National Basketball League, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN.com.

The No. 25 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Martin appeared in 184 total NBA regular season games for the Grizzlies and Magic from 2015-19, but hasn’t been on an NBA roster since being cut by the Cavaliers ahead of the 2019/20 season.

The former LSU forward has played in several non-NBA leagues during the past few seasons, spending time with the Sydney Kings from 2020-22, followed by a season apiece with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel and Galatasaray in Turkey. Martin, 30, won championships in Australia in 2022 and Israel in 2023.

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

Free agent guard Duane Washington is on track to sign with Partizan Belgrade in Sebia, according to a report from Mozzart Sport (hat tip to Sportando). Washington confirmed that report in a post on his Instagram account. The 24-year-old, who played his college ball at Ohio State, appeared in 79 NBA regular season games for Indiana and Phoenix from 2021-23 and finished the 2023/24 season on a two-way contract with the Knicks, though he didn’t play at all for New York.
Former NBA forward Malik Fitts, who played for the Clipers, Jazz, and Celtics from 2020-22, has signed with SIG Strasbourg, according to an announcement from the French team. Fitts signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Wizards prior to the 2023/24 season and subsequently spent time with the Capital City Go-Go before being traded to the Cleveland Charge last December.
Long viewed as an adversarial NBA player, Canadian forward Dillon Brooks is embracing his role as an international villain in this year’s Olympics, as he tells Sam Amick of The Athletic. “Everywhere I go. Germany, France, Spain, no matter where. It’s always the same thing,” Brooks said. “… On the street, they want to take pictures, be close to the villain, take pictures with the villain. But in the game, it’s what they say in the media, what they say on social media is (to) boo him and it gets people (fired up). It is what it is. But I love playing like that. I love playing against the crowd, but at the end of the day when I’m playing good, the only thing they can do is cheer.”

Chimezie Metu Signs With Barcelona

July 30th, 2024 at 8:26am CST by Luke Adams

After spending his first six professional seasons in the NBA, free agent big man Chimezie Metu will continue his career overseas, having signed a one-year contract with Barcelona, the Spanish club announced in a press release.

The 49th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Metu began his career with the Spurs before signing with the Kings in 2020. He emerged as a regular rotation player in Sacramento, starting 20 of his 60 games in 2021/22 and averaging 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game.

After spending two years in San Antonio and three in Sacramento, Metu inked a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Suns last summer. However, the 27-year-old played sparingly for the club, averaging 12.1 MPG in 37 appearances before being sent to Memphis in the three-team deadline deal that saw Royce O’Neale and David Roddy land in Phoenix.

Metu, who was immediately waived by Memphis, signed a 10-day contract with the Pistons in March, then agreed to a two-year deal with the club when that contract expired. The former USC star appeared in 14 games for Detroit down the stretch, averaging 10.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG in 29.4 MPG, but the Pistons declined their minimum-salary team option on him for 2024/25, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Metu will join a Barcelona team that posted a 23-11 record in Spanish League (ACB) play and a 22-12 mark in EuroLeague play in 2023/24. Barca lost to eventual champion Real Madrid in the ACB postseason and was denied a spot in the EuroLeague Final Four by Olympiacos.

And-Ones: Brooks, Too-Early Preseason Takes, Sneed, Exum

July 29th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Dillon Brooks is continuing his impressive FIBA streak, helping lead Canada to an 86-79 win over Greece in his team’s Olympic opener. Brooks, who made a trio of three-pointers in the win, also had an impressive 2023 World Cup, averaging 15.1 points per game en route to a bronze medal.

As Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews writes, Brooks pushes himself to another level in international play.

“I like to play for my country; it gives me a lot of passion to do so,” Brooks said. “For the game itself, you have to be 40 minutes attentive to detail. All those things add a lot more to a player, and I like the ball as well.”

Brooks also impressed on defense alongside Thunder wing Luguentz Dort. According to Urbonas, when that duo shared the floor, Canada outscored Greece by 23 points.

“I’m really proud of Dillon,” national team coach Jordi Fernandez said. “This is how it looks when they let Dillon Brooks play. And it’s just not about the defensive end. With Lu Dort, he’s the best perimeter in the World Cup. But he’s extremely efficient offensively.”

Brooks said he didn’t care if his international play changed how NBA fans felt about him.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic share the honor of having the same odds for Most Valuable Player next season, but Anthony Edwards is a dark horse, Jason Jones of The Athletic writes. Zach Edey is currently the favorite for Rookie of the Year over top-two picks Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr, but Cody Williams is a player Jones believes may be getting overlooked. Jones talks through all the major awards, as well as some teams he does or doesn’t believe in.
Former NBAer Xavier Sneed signed with Bnei Herzliya Basket, a team in Israel, the club relays in a release (Twitter link). Sneed played 13 games across two seasons (2021-23) on two-way or 10-day contracts with the Hornets, Grizzlies and Jazz. He’s scored 22 points in 87 total minutes at the NBA level.
As we relayed Sunday, Australian guard Dante Exum seemed to be nearing a return from a right index finger injury. Boomers coach Brian Goorjan confirmed as much, stating that he expects Exum to return on Tuesday vs. Canada, according to Fox Sports’ Matt Logue (Twitter link).

Matthew Hurt Signs With Australian Team

July 29th, 2024 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent forward Matthew Hurt, who appeared in eight games last season with the Grizzlies, has signed a one-year contract with the South East Melbourne Phoenix of Australia’s National Basketball League, sources tell Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link).

Hurt, 24, went undrafted in 2021 after playing his college ball at Duke and has played almost exclusively for the Memphis Hustle in the G League since then. In 2023/24, the 6’9″ forward averaged 19.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 32.6 minutes per game across 28 NBAGL outings for Memphis’ G League team, posting an excellent shooting line of .507/.400/.786.

Hurt’s strong play for the Hustle earned him a pair of 10-day contracts with the Grizzlies in January and February. He saw a little playing time for the injury-plagued club, but struggled to make an impact at the NBA level, recording 4.0 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 14.1 MPG on .353/.250/1.000 shooting. The Grizzlies didn’t re-sign him after his second 10-day contract expired in March.

Hurt is the third former NBA player who has joined the Phoenix since the 2024 offseason began. The club also added guard Derrick Walton, who played for the Heat, Clippers, and Pistons from 2017-22, and former Spurs and Raptors forward Joe Wieskamp.

International Notes: Olympics, Sneaker Deals, Wemby, Exum, Birch

July 28th, 2024 at 9:15pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Thirteen of the top 20 highest earners in the Paris Olympics are NBA players, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico. They aren’t paid to play by the NBA or any Olympic committee, but players earn money through their shoe contracts from companies like Nike or Under Armour.

Sneaker companies have bonuses for games played in the Olympics because players using them are putting their products on a global stage. Adidas, for example, earns 76% of its revenue outside of North America.

Nike has a major presence in the Olympics since they’re a longtime sponsor of USA Basketball. Converse, a Nike-owned brand, recently extended Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and expects to launch his signature shoe in 2025. He was named creative director as part of the deal.

Countries can also shell out money for performance incentives. For example, Serbia has one of the largest gold medal bonuses for players, meaning Nikola Jokic would be eligible for $215K if Serbia were to win gold.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Victor Wembanyama has become the face of French basketball at a young age and he’s carried that into the Olympics in his home country, Andrew Lopez of ESPN writes. France lost by five points in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 without Wembanyama and took home its first silver medal since 2000. Now, with him on board, the host country is aiming to take home the gold in 2024.
Mavericks guard Dante Exum is returning from a right index finger injury and missed Australia’s Olympic game against Spain. However, according to Sportando, there is “growing optimism” about Exum’s return for his country’s game against Canada on Tuesday.
Former NBAer Khem Birch served as an “insider” for Canada’s win against Greece since he played for Greek club Olympiacos, according to Eurohoops.net. “It’s definitely gold or nothing,” Birch said of Canada’s Olympic chances. “That’s the number one goal. I think we have a lot of parity in the Olympics right now. I think anyone can win it. so we have a big chance.”

International Notes: Burke, Gates, Korkmaz, Kagame

July 28th, 2024 at 4:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran guard Trey Burke, who has spent nine seasons in the NBA, signed on with Puerto Rican club Mets de Guaynabo, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando.

The former All-Rookie First Teamer out of Michigan played for the Jazz, Wizards, Knicks, Mavericks and Sixers from 2013-22, posting averages of 9.6 points, 3.1 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 steals per game across 498 total regular season contests .

Burke has been tooling around the G League for the past two years, first with the Stockton Kings and then with the Mexico City Capitanes. In 10 Showcase Cup contests with the Capitanes last season, the 6’1″ vet posted averages of 21.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.0 steals per night, with a shooting line of .465/.429/.864.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Former Pelicans small forward Kaiser Gates has inked a contract with Spanish club Joventut Badalona, according to a press release from the team. After going undrafted out of Xavier in 2018, the 6’7″ wing mostly played in the G League for the affiliates of the Bulls, Celtics, and Nets. He also suited up for Israeli club Hapoel Jerusalem in 2021/22. Gates was briefly on a two-way deal with New Orleans during the ’23/24 season, though he appeared in just one game before being waived.
Former Sixers swingman Furkan Korkmaz could be nearing a deal with French club AS Monaco Basket, reports Kevin Martorano of Sportando. After suiting up for multiple pro teams in his native Turkey, the 6’7″ swingman was selected with the No. 26 pick by Philadelphia in 2016. He was finally dealt to the Pacers at the February trade deadline, as part of a three-team deal to acquire Buddy Hield. Indiana cut him a day after the trade.
As the NBA has looked to broaden its brand recently, it appears to have gotten into business with a man seen by many as a dictator, per Mark Fainaru-Wada of ESPN. Rwandan president Paul Kagame, considered guilty of major human rights violations by the U.S. State Department, negotiated a new $104MM basketball facility for the country as part of the league’s growing NBA Africa business. “The conversations that we’ve had with Paul Kagame have all been about improving the lives of Rwandan people,” league deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said of the relationship. “How can we create, how can we inspire and connect people through the game of basketball to make Rwandan peoples’ lives better.”

Jordan Ford Signs With Italian Club

July 26th, 2024 at 7:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard Jordan Ford, who played six games for the Kings last season, has signed with Italy’s Aquila Basket Trento, according to the club (Twitter link).

Ford became an unrestricted free agent when the Kings didn’t tender a qualifying offer to him in June. He played on a two-way contract last season after his training camp deal was upgraded in September.

Ford played for New Orleans’ Summer League team this month. He appeared in five games (three starts), averaging 15.0 points, 3.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds per contest.

He made 24 starts for the G League Stockton Kings last season, averaging 15.5 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 2.8 RPG.

Serge Ibaka Signs With Real Madrid

July 26th, 2024 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward/center and former NBA champion Serge Ibaka has signed a one-year contract with Real Madrid, the Spanish team announced on Friday in a press release. The agreement was initially reported in early June.

Ibaka, who will turn 35 in September, last played in the NBA in 2022/23, when he appeared in 16 games for Milwaukee. He spent the ’23/24 season with Bayern Munich and won a German League championship with the team.

A three-time All-Defensive player who received votes for Defensive Player of the Year for four consecutive seasons from 2011-14, Ibaka averaged 12.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game across 919 NBA regular season appearances from 2009-23.

Although he was a key rotation player for the Raptors’ 2019 title team and remained productive for a couple more seasons after that, the big man was eventually slowed by back issues that limited his availability and his effectiveness.

However, Ibaka had a nice bounce-back season in Germany in 2023/24, averaging 12.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.3 BPG with a shooting line of .598/.480/.667 in 28 EuroLeague games for Bayern Munich.

Ibaka, who had a brief stint with Real Madrid during the 2011 NBA lockout, is one of two veteran NBA bigs who has long been expected to join the Spanish club this offseason. There have also been reports that Usman Garuba will land in Madrid, though nothing is official yet on that front.

Both Ibaka and Garuba have represented Spain in international competition, with Garuba playing for the Spanish team at this year’s Olympics.