International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Rumor Round-Up: Jones, Pokusevski, S. Lee, More

August 14th, 2024 at 2:30pm CST by Luke Adams

While we don’t cover international basketball comprehensively at Hoops Rumors, items involving current or former NBA players – or future NBA prospects – are always of interest to us, so we’ve been keeping an eye on the European, Asian, and Australian rumor mills this offseason as we monitor where NBA free agents are landing.

Generally, we wait until a team officially announces a signing to write up a story on it, since some international outlets are more reliable than others, and specific details in a non-English report can sometimes be lost in translation.

However, we wanted to pass along some updates today on possible deals involving some NBA veterans that have yet to be formally announced. Let’s dive in…

Damian Jones

A veteran NBA center with nearly 300 total games and a couple championships under his belt, Jones spent last season with the Cavaliers. The 29-year-old played sparingly in Cleveland, averaging 2.7 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.9 minutes per contest across 39 appearances off the bench.

After rumors surfaced about a month into the NBA’s free agent period that Turkish club Fenerbahce may be interested in Jones, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reported that the big man was actually signing with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in the Chinese Basketball Association.

This story was a tricky one, since Carchia deleted his tweet reporting the deal after Sportando published a story about it. Zhejiang also doesn’t appear to maintain an up-to-date website or social media presence outside of China, so we couldn’t just wait for a formal announcement.

We reached out to Jones’ representatives at CAA Sports and to Carchia to seek clarity on his situation, and while the center’s agency didn’t respond, Carchia told Hoops Rumors that his reporting hasn’t changed despite the deleted tweet. As such, we’re assuming for now that Jones is headed to China for the 2024/25 season.

Aleksej Pokusevski

Pokusevski, a lanky Serbian forward, is a former first-round pick who showed flashes of real promise during his rookie contract. However, injuries derailed his development and he slid down the Thunder’s depth chart in the past year or two as Oklahoma City continued to add more young talent. He signed with the Hornets in February after being waived by OKC, but was later cut by Charlotte too in July, making him an unrestricted free agent.

A report from Christos Tsaltas of Sportal.gr (Twitter link) in mid-July indicated that Pokusevski was close to reaching a deal to join KK Partizan, a Serbian team based in Belgrade. The international outlet Sport Klub followed up earlier this week by reporting that the two sides had reached an agreement (hat tip to Eurohoops), while TeleSport suggested that the 22-year-old is signing a three-year deal (hat tip to Sportando).

Based on the sheer number of separate outlets reporting this deal, we trust that the info is accurate, but with Partizan set to fully reveal its 2024/25 roster on August 19 (Twitter link), we’ll likely wait until they make it official next Monday to write up a full story on it.

Saben Lee

Lee, 25, finished each of the past two seasons on a two-way contract with the Suns, appearing in 24 games for Phoenix last season. However, the 6’2″ guard now has four years of NBA service, making him ineligible for another two-way, which may have been a factor in his inability to find an NBA deal he liked this offseason.

Tolis Kotzias of SDNA.gr (Twitter link) reported in early August that Lee was close to signing with Manisa Buyuksehir Belediyespor, a Turkish team.

It still seems as if that’s the plan for Lee — there have been no reports since then suggesting otherwise. But Manisa hasn’t mentioned Lee at all on its website, Twitter, or Instagram, so our assumption for now is that the deal isn’t yet official.

Usman Garuba

A former first-round pick who spent a couple seasons in Houston, Garuba spent most of the 2023/24 season on a two-way deal with Golden State. He only appeared in six games for the Warriors, but was converted to a standard contract at the end of the season because the team had an open roster spot to fill. It was just a rest-of-season deal, so he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Reporting all the way back in May stated that Garuba was expected to sign with Real Madrid in Spain this offseason, but he responded by saying he had yet to make a decision. In mid-July, Spanish reporter Carlos Sanchez Blas (Twitter links) said that Garuba had a long-term deal in place with Madrid, and this time the big man didn’t deny it.

However, even as they’ve announced other roster moves – including the signing of Serge Ibaka – Real Madrid hasn’t confirmed the signing of Garuba on its website or social media. This is another one we expect to happen sooner or later, but we’ve been waiting on formal word from the club.

Rudy Gay

A 17-year NBA veteran, Gay hasn’t been in the league since being waived by the Warriors last October and will turn 38 years old this Saturday. Still, the 6’8″ forward doesn’t appear prepared to call it a career.

Just a few days into the NBA’s July free agent period, Kotzias of SDNA (Twitter link) reported that Gay was on track to sign with the Greek team Peristeri BC, barring an unexpected development. But subsequent reporting from Spanish outlet Piratas Del Basket (hat tip to TrendBasket) indicated that Gay was actually in advanced talks with Leyma Basquet Coruna in Spain.

It doesn’t appear Gay finalized an agreement with either team, since Orazio Cauchi of BasketNews tweeted in early August that the veteran was also drawing interest from Italian club Pistoia Basket.

Our working assumption is that Gay doesn’t have a deal in place with any team in Europe yet, though it certainly sounds like that could change before the 2024/25 season tips off.

Theo Maledon Signs With ASVEL

August 14th, 2024 at 8:31am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA guard Theo Maledon is returning to his home country for the 2024/25 season, having reunited with ASVEL on a one-year deal, according to an announcement from the French club.

The 34th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Maledon has appeared in 177 total NBA games over the past four seasons, spending time with the Thunder, Hornets, and Suns. He posted career averages of 7.8 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per contest, with a subpar shooting line of .372/.310/.793.

Maledon, 23, began the 2023/24 season on a two-way contract with Charlotte. He was waived in December and was claimed by Phoenix at that time, but the Suns later cut him in March, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Maledon began his basketball career with ASVEL in 2017, playing first for the junior team and later being promoted to the senior club. He won a French League championship in 2019 and was named the LNB Pro A Best Young Player for that season.

ASVEL, which also competes in the EuroLeague, had a strong season domestically in 2023/24, posting a 25-9 regular season record before losing to Paris Basketball in the semifinals of the LNB playoffs. However, the team struggled in EuroLeague play, finishing 17th out of 18 teams with a 9-25 mark. The hope is that Maledon can help them be more competitive in 2024/25.

“I am convinced that Theo has not yet reached his full potential, and he will have the opportunity to show it this season in an environment that he knows perfectly,” ASVEL coach Pierric Poupet said as part of a larger statement.

International Notes: NBA Candidates, Besson, Bender, Cannady

August 12th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward Guerschon Yabusele, who recently expressed a desire to return to the NBA, tops Mark Deeks of HoopsHype’s list of 10 players from the 2024 Olympics who deserve a look from NBA teams. Two of Yabusele’s teammates on the French national team — Mathias Lessort (No. 2) and Isaia Cordinier (No. 8) — also made the cut.

Here are a few more international notes:

Bucks draft-and-stash prospect Hugo Besson, the No. 58 pick of the 2022 draft, will play for Turkey’s Manisa Buyuksehir Belediye Spor during the 2024/25 season, per Fersu Yahyabeyoglu of Eurobasket.com (hat tip to Keith Smith of Spotrac). The French guard played in Serbia and Italy last season.
Former No. 4 overall pick Dragan Bender is rumored to be joining GeVi Napoli in Italy, writes Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Bender suffered major ACL injuries in May 2021 and December 2022 and evidently is still recovering. “Bender is part of the team philosophy we are building,” Napoli athletic director Alessandro Dalla Salda told La Repubblica. “But to get back on top he needs time, so we may sign a player while waiting for his return.” The 26-year-old last played in the NBA in 2019/20.
Guard Devin Cannady, who played 13 games with the Magic over two different seasons, has signed with Panionios B.C., the Greek club announced in a press release. It’s the first international stop for the former Princeton star, who played for the NBA G League’s Birmingham Squadron (the Pelicans’ affiliate) in ’23/24.

French Star Guerschon Yabusele Eager To Return To NBA

August 11th, 2024 at 5:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA forward Guerschon Yabusele, one of the top players on France’s Olympic team, wants to return to the league. Yabusele posted on his social media account that he’s looking for another opportunity to prove himself at the NBA level.

“Been waiting for a 2nd chance. I’m ready,” he wrote on his Twitter account.

Yabusele, 28, has one season remaining on his Real Madrid contract with an NBA buyout of $2.5MM, Marc Stein tweets. The buyout was $1MM prior to July 15.

Yabusele poured in 20 points with two rebounds and two steals in France’s 98-87 loss to Team USA in the Paris Olympic championship game on Sunday. He averaged 14 points per game and earned second-team honors while helping France capture the silver medal.

The 16th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Yabusele spent a year as a draft-and-stash prospect in China, then played for the Celtics from two seasons from 2017-19. He appeared in 74 games, including five starts. He averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per contest.

Yabusele has played with Real Madrid for the past three seasons. He averaged a career-best 14.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season while shooting 56.5% from the field, 46.1% from 3-point range and 86.8% from the free throw line.

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Yabusele, LeBron, Sale

August 11th, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics star Jayson Tatum was often the odd man out in Team USA’s lineups, but he won’t let this year’s Olympic experience affect his availability for international basketball in the future, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Tatum didn’t get off the bench in two of the six U.S. games, including the semifinal matchup with Serbia. He saw 11 minutes in Saturday’s gold medal contest, finishing with two points and three rebounds.

“It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I’m not going to make any decision off emotions,” Tatum said. “If you asked me right now if I was going to play in 2028 — it is four years from now and I [would have] to take time and think about that. So I’m not going to make any decision based off how this experience was or how I felt individually.”

Tatum’s surprising lack of playing time was one of the few controversies affecting this version of Team USA. He’s among the best players in the world, earning first-team All-NBA honors last season while winning his first championship and appearing in his fifth straight All-Star Game. Coach Steve Kerr explained numerous times that Tatum’s minutes were the result of matchups and having so many talented players on the roster. Tatum said at Saturday’s post-game press conference that he received a lot of feedback from supporters.

“A lot of people text me and reached out and said ‘Make sure this fuels you,’ which I appreciate. There’s a lot of people that care about me,” he said. “I think the tough part is yes, you can use things to fuel you, but I’m still human. … Part of being in the moment, I’ve sacrificed and put a lot into this game and work really, really hard. So in the moment it is tough. You’re not necessarily worried about fueling me for November or [whenever] the season is, but like I said, it’s something I’m going to take away from this and learn from this experience. It’s definitely challenging and humbling at the same time.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Former Celtic Guerschon Yabusele used the Olympics to show that he’s one of the best players outside the NBA, observes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. He averaged 14 points per game and earned second-team honors while helping France capture the silver medal. Washburn notes that Yabusele was an undersized power forward without a developed shooting touch when he played for Boston from 2017-19, but he has refined his game and gotten into excellent shape during his three seasons with Real Madrid.
It’s possible that LeBron James could eventually become a part owner of the Celtics, according to Josh Kosman of The New York Post. Boston’s longtime rival is a business partner with Fenway Sports Group and RedBird Capital, who are considering making a bid for the shares being sold by Wyc Grousbeck. James couldn’t be part of an ownership group while he’s an active player, but there’s a chance he’ll be retired by the time the sale is finalized in 2028.
The Celtics’ value has been estimated at $5.12 billion, according to Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico, who report that the franchise has hired JPMorgan Chase and BDT & MSD to oversee the sale.

Panathinaikos Considers Signing Omer Yurtseven

August 11th, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Former Jazz center Omer Yurtseven is receiving interest from Greek power Panathinaikos, according to a Eurohoops report.

Yurtseven appeared in 48 games for Utah last season, making 12 starts and averaging 4.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per night while shooting 53.8% from the field. He became a free agent on July 1 when the Jazz waived him, electing not to bring him back for the 2024/25 season on a $2.66MM non-guaranteed salary.

“Getting a very important player like Omer Faruk (Yurtseven) and making that transfer would give us great power, on paper,” Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman said in an interview with Ajanspor. “However, we have concerns about how it will reflect on the court. We are thinking about it, I mean he’s on our radar.”

Panathinaikos is looking for another big man to team with Mathias Lessort, one of the stars of the French team that won the silver medal in the Olympics. Ataman indicated that Yurtseven is talking with several European teams and expressed confidence that he’ll “do very well in Europe.”

The 26-year-old Turkish big man signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Oklahoma City in 2020 and played for the team’s G League affiliate. He got an opportunity with Miami in 2021 and spent two years with the Heat, appearing in 56 games in his first season but being limited to nine games in the second due to ankle surgery. He signed with Utah before the start of last season.

Ataman, who serves as head coach of the Turkish national team, is looking forward to having Yurtseven in Europe whether or not he joins Panathinaikos, because it will help his development for international basketball.

“Omer Faruk is a very important player. If we can participate in the European Championship next year, he will be one of the most important players on our national team,” Ataman said. “That’s why I really want him to play in Europe. Furkan Korkmaz has finally come to Europe. That’s a very good choice for him. This will also reflect positively on our national team. I hope this will happen with Omer Faruk as well.”

International Notes: Lopez, Mooney, Bacon, Maledon

August 9th, 2024 at 4:15pm CST by Rory Maher

Mexican guard/forward Karim Lopez, who is ESPN’s top-ranked international prospect in the 2026 draft class and a potential lottery pick, has signed with the New Zealand Breakers as part of the NBL’s Next Stars program, he told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link), Lopez signed a two-year deal with the Breakers. The 17-year-old is known for his two-way versatility, basketball instincts and competitiveness, Givony adds.

Here are a few more international notes:

Former NBA guard Matt Mooney has also signed a contract with the Breakers, the team announced in a press release. Mooney played four games with Cleveland and one with New York in two different NBA seasons. The 28-year-old, who is known for his shooting ability, spent the 2023/24 campaign in Italy with Trento after playing in Turkey and Spain the previous two seasons.
Dwayne Bacon, who played four NBA seasons with Charlotte and Orlando from 2017-21, has signed with Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg, according to a team press release (hat tip to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando). The veteran guard/forward has spent the past few seasons playing in Monaco, Greece and China.
Free agent guard Theo Maledon is nearing a contract agreement with ASVEL in his native France, reports Gabriel Pantel-Jouve of BeBasket (Twitter link). The 34th pick of the 2020 draft, Maledon has appeared in 177 NBA games over the past four seasons with Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Phoenix. He has been a free agent since he was released by the Suns in March, later suiting up for Orlando’s Summer League squad. The 23-year-old started his professional career with ASVEL in 2017.

Timmy Allen Signs With Team In Belgium

August 9th, 2024 at 9:03am CST by Rory Maher

Free agent forward Timmy Allen, who played five games with the Grizzlies at the end of the 2023/24 season while on a 10-day contract, has signed with BC Oostende, the Belgian team announced in a press release (hat tip to Keith Smith of Spotrac).

Allen, 24, played college basketball at Utah and Texas prior to going undrafted last year. He spent most of his first professional season playing for the Grizzlies’ NBA G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, averaging 9.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.7 APG and 1.0 SPG on .432/.341/.738 shooting in 46 Showcase Cup and regular season games (26.4 MPG).

In his five games with the injury-ravaged Grizzlies, who cycled through numerous young players last season via 10-day hardship contracts, Allen averaged 2.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 1.0 APG in 25.0 MPG, going 6-of-23 (.261%) from the floor.

Oostende is the most successful domestic club in Belgium’s history, having dominated the county’s top basketball league until 2021, when the PBL was succeeded by the Belgian-Dutch BNXT League.

Oostende won 10 straight PBL titles before the BNXT was formed and was champion of the ’23/24 season in the new league, which combined the top basketball divisions of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Trent Forrest Signs With Baskonia

August 8th, 2024 at 9:01am CST by Dana Gauruder

Free agent guard Trent Forrest has signed a two-year contract with Baskonia, Sportando relays. The Spanish club announced the signing on its Twitter feed.

Forrest spent the past two seasons with the Hawks. He signed a new two-way contract in September after spending the 2022/23 on a two-way deal with Atlanta.

Forrest had his contract converted to a standard, rest-of-season deal in late February. He became an unrestricted free agent after the season and appeared in two Las Vegas Summer League games with the Lakers.

The 26-year-old appeared in a total of 38 games for Atlanta last season, all off the bench. He averaged 2.2 points and 2.4 assists in 10.9 minutes per game. During the previous season, he saw action in 23 Hawks games, including three starts.

Forrest suited up for Utah in his first two NBA seasons after going undrafted out of Florida State in 2020. Overall, he has appeared in 151 NBA contests, including nine starts. He has averaged 2.8 points and 1.9 assists in 11.6 minutes per game, converting 44.4% of his field goal attempts but just 18.5% of his three-point tries.

And-Ones: Blatt, Patton, Trade Candidates, Wade

August 7th, 2024 at 9:22am CST by Tristan Tucker

Former Cavaliers coach David Blatt is continuing to live his basketball dream despite a multiple sclerosis diagnosis six years ago that took away his ability to walk. In an interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic, Blatt discussed his health and role with the Canadian Olympic team.

“That’s the way you’ve gotta be,” Blatt said of his resilience. “That’s the way you’ve gotta be. That’s what this sport and this business has taught me. If you ain’t working, you ain’t living. And if you’re not trying to improve, then you’re going backward. That’s the only thing you can do.”

Despite not coaching from the sidelines, he has been serving as a consultant for Canada. Blatt took part in all team activities and spent his time helping Canada head coach Jordi Fernandez determine what was and wasn’t working with the team’s rotations.

“I think the thing more than anything else is that you learn, when you’re faced with this kind of thing, is that you learn how to be as effective and fulfilled at the same time as you can, when you can,” Blatt said. “You can be as good as you want to be within the limitations that you’re faced with.”

We have more from around the basketball world:

Former NBA first-round pick Justin Patton signed with Greek club Peristeri BC, the team announced in a release. Patton was the 16th overall pick in 2017 and was part of the draft-night trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves. He was also part of the deal that sent Butler to Philadelphia a year later. Patton played four seasons in the NBA with Minnesota, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and Houston from 2017-21. In 22 career games (six starts), he averaged 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds.
While it’s possible a few more trades will be made before the regular season begins, the next major flurry of movement will likely occur once more players become trade-eligible after Dec. 15 and Jan. 15. A total of 25 in-season trades occurred in 2023/24, with notable names like Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Immanuel Quickley on the move. We’ll likely see more big names dealt at this year’s deadline, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, whonames D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Jerami Grant, Cameron Johnson, Kyle Kuzma, Zach LaVine, Bruce Brown, Collin Sexton and Trae Young as some of the players who could dominate trade rumors this coming season. Pincus also sees members of the 2021 draft class like Jonathan Kuminga, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green and Corey Kispert as potential trade candidates if they can’t come to terms on extensions, much like Quickley last season.
In the same piece, Pincus notes that the Rockets holding onto Jeff Green, Jock Landale and Jae’Sean Tate‘s contracts is a sign they’re working on a bigger trade. Pincus’s sources also ponder whether Jaden Ivey or Miles Bridges could be on the move this season.
NBA legend Dwyane Wade made his debut as a color commentator at the 2024 Paris Olympics on NBC. NBC, alongside Amazon and ESPN, acquired the media rights to broadcast NBA games starting in 2025/26. However, Wade said it was too early to say whether his activities this offseason hint at a potential broadcasting future, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. “I’m just having fun with it as well, and I think it could be a future if everything lines up the way it needs to. But I’m not going to put any pressure on it either,” Wade said.