International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: China, Pollin, Wembanyama, OTAs

July 30th, 2020 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

American coaches who spent time at three NBA training academies in China tell Steve Fainaru and Mark Fainaru-Wada of ESPN.com that their Chinese partners were physically abusing young players and failing to provide them with schooling.

The NBA opened academies in the Chinese regions of Zhejiang, Shandong, and Xinjiang in 2016, expressing a hope that the facilities would help grow the game in China and educate teenagers, while also helping the league identify top international prospects with possible NBA potential.

However, according to ESPN’s investigation, the academy program – which operates out of sports facilities run by the Chinese government – was described by one American coach who worked in China as a “sweat camp for athletes.” Fainaru and Fainaru-Wada report that multiple American coaches left their positions due to the mistreatment of young players, with three sources telling ESPN that one of those coaches requested a transfer after seeing Chinese coaches strike teenage players.

A handful of incidents were reported to the NBA, and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum – who recently revealed that the league shut down its academy in Xinjiang – told ESPN that the league office “did everything we could, given the limited oversight we had.” However, multiple sources told Fainaru and Fainaru-Wada that the instances of abuse were more prevalent than the few incidents Tatum confirmed.

“Imagine you have a kid who’s 13, 14 years old, and you’ve got a grown coach who is 40 years old hitting your kid,” one former coach told ESPN. “We’re part of that. The NBA is part of that.”

The NBA’s relationship with China has been under the microscope since last fall, when Rockets GM Daryl Morey published a tweet supporting Hong Kong protestors that angered the league’s Chinese partners. Given its financial interests in the country, the NBA has been unwilling to denounce China’s government for its human rights record, which has opened the league up to criticism from multiple U.S. politicians in recent months.

While Morey’s tweet and the NBA’s tenuous relationship with its Chinese partners are no longer making headlines like they did last fall, ESPN’s investigation sheds additional light on the complications that come along with the league doing business in China.

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

Irene Pollin, the long-time co-owner of the Washington Bullets/Wizards with her husband Abe, passed away at age 96 on Tuesday, the Wizards announced (via Twitter). The Pollins owned the franchise for 46 years before Ted Leonsis assumed controlling ownership in 2010. Irene represented the Wizards at the 2010 draft lottery when the team won the No. 1 pick that was used to select John Wall.
Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype takes a closer look at 16-year-old Victor Wembanyama, a 7’3″ big man from France who is viewed as one of basketball’s most intriguing international prospects.
One iteration of the plan for OTAs for the NBA’s bottom eight teams would allow G League players to join those workouts, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. As Begley notes, the participation of NBAGL players would allow a team like the Knicks – who are carrying a number of possible free agents – to conduct more full scrimmages. The NBA hasn’t yet finalized those proposed OTAs for its bottom eight teams, but they’re expected to be voluntary.

Greg Monroe Joins BC Khimki

July 30th, 2020 at 7:13am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 30: BC Khimki has officially announced the addition of Monroe for the 2020/21 season (Twitter link).

JULY 28: Veteran center Greg Monroe is close to a deal with BC Khimki, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter link).

The seventh overall pick in the 2010 draft, Monroe spent nine years in the NBA before heading to Germany to play for Bayern Munich in 2019/20. He averaged a team-high 12.9 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 28 EuroLeague games.

As an NBA player, Monroe averaged 13.2 PPG and 8.3 RPG in 632 career regular season games with the Pistons, Bucks, Suns, Celtics, Raptors, and Sixers. The 30-year-old logged 43 appearances in 2018/19 with Toronto, Boston, and Philadelphia, playing in another 10 postseason contests for the 76ers.

Monroe was said to be drawing interest from another Russian team, Zenit St. Petersburg, earlier in the month. If he finalizes a deal with Khimki, he’ll spent the 2020/21 season playing in Moscow.

Jimmer Fredette To Return To Shanghai Sharks?

July 30th, 2020 at 7:10am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JULY 30: Fredette’s agent Chris Emens tells Sportando that there’s no agreement in place yet between Fredette and the Sharks.

“We are speaking to many clubs looking for a solution for the 2020/21 season. No such agreement has been reached,” Emens said. “We could not even consider such an agreement in China until after they rule whether or not import players will be allowed.”

According to Carchia, Sportando’s sources continue to insist that Fredette will sign with the Sharks as long as foreign players are permitted in the CBA next season.

JULY 29: Former sharpshooting BYU phenom Jimmer Fredette is set to return to the CBA’s Shanghai Sharks for $1.6MM, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Fredette played for the Sharks from 2016-2019, and was a three-time CBA All-Star with the club. The length of the contract has not yet been announced, but Fredette was previously compensated to the tune of $1.8MM annually by the Sharks, so this may be a one-year contract.

Following his 2019 season with the Sharks, Fredette suited up for six games with the Suns during the end of the 2018/19 regular season — his last NBA action as of this writing.

After his tenure in Phoenix, Fredette returned abroad, joining Greek team Panathinaikos for the club’s 2019/20 season. He averaged 13.2 PPG while shooting 52% from the field, 49% from three-point range, and 92% from the free-throw line across 45 games. Fredette’s Panathinaikos squad was named the 2020 Greek League champion. He has also played in the summer winner-take-all event The Basketball Tournament stateside since 2017.

The 6’2″ sharpshooting guard was drafted by the Kings with the No. 10 pick in 2011 — one pick ahead of three-time champion and five-time All-Star Klay Thompson, five picks ahead of four-time All-Star, two-time Finals MVP, and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard, and 20 picks ahead of five-time All-Star Jimmy Butler.

After the Kings, Fredette had brief stints with the Bulls, Pelicans, and Knicks before first seeking opportunities overseas. In the NBA, Fredette boasts a career 37.2% three-point percentage on 2.2 attempts per contest.

And-Ones: Jackson, Holland, Box Scores, Video

July 27th, 2020 at 6:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mark Jackson hasn’t coached since the Warriors let him go in 2014 but his desire to patrol the sidelines hasn’t waned. He told Marc Berman of the New York Post and other reporters he’d relish another chance to be a head coach.

“I truly look forward to having the opportunity to coach again,” the ESPN/ABC analyst said. “I had a blast at Golden State, built incredible relationships that will last a lifetime and I look forward to the challenge of coaching again.”

Jackson expressed similar feelings in an ESPN interview in May. However, he did not receive an interview in the Knicks’ coaching search before they chose Tom Thibodeau.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Former Cavaliers guard John Holland has signed with Russia’s Unics Kazan, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Holland played in Israel last season. He saw action in 25 total games with Cleveland – all but one during the 2017/18 season – and averaged 2.2 PPG in 7.0 MPG.
Add a new line to NBA box scores due to the pandemic — NWT (Not With Team)-Self Isolating, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. That will apply to players who miss games due to the coronavirus or are in quarantine for a given reason. The league has also developed rules regarding player participation at the Orlando campus, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Teams must designate participation status in a league portal by 5 PM the day before games. In instances when teams are playing the second game of back-to-back, teams must submit player participation status five hours prior to tip-off.
More than 300 fans will be invited to appear live on the 17-foot video boards surrounding the court during each game of the restart, according to NBA press release. It will give participating fans the feeling of sitting next to one another at a live game without leaving the comfort and safety of their homes, the release adds. The league’s national broadcast partners, ESPN and Turner Sports, will have more than 30 cameras — including many in robotic form — repositioned closer to the court and showcase never-before-seen camera angles.

And-Ones: Landale, CBA, Wolters, Stuart

July 26th, 2020 at 6:02pm CST by JD Shaw

Former NBA player Jock Landale is prioritizing a return to the league instead of playing overseas next season, he told Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link).

“My sole focus is on making this offseason count because it’s time I’ll never get back… that’s all in the lead-up to hopefully signing an NBA contract in October,” Landale said. “I feel ready.”

Landale remains under contract with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania through 2021, but the Australian big man isn’t expected to continue with the team. Landale averaged 11 points, 4.4 rebounds and 20.6 minutes in 25 EuroLeague games last season. He shot 53% from the floor and 30% from downtown.

Landale, 24, went undrafted in 2018 after spending four seasons at Saint Mary’s College. He signed with the Hawks for summer league shortly after going undrafted, later signing in Serbia that summer. He played stateside with the Bucks during summer league last year.

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

The Chinese Basketball Association is set to start allowing fans to attend games, according to an ESPN.com article. The CBA will let a limited amount of fans into games on Sunday before opening for the public on July 31. Fans will be required to buy tickets online within 48 hours of testing negative for coronavirus, the league said in a release.
Free agent Nate Wolters has reached agreement on a one-year deal with UNICS Kazan in Russia, the team announced on social media. Wolters averaged 7.5 points and 2.6 assists with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague last year, making past NBA stops with the Bucks, Pelicans and Jazz.
The NBA has named Oris Stuart as the league’s Chief People and Inclusion Officer, announcing the news in a press release. Stuart will begin the role on August 15, leading the combined Human Resources and Diversity and Inclusion groups. He’ll oversee diversity strategies for the NBA, WNBA and other associated leagues, holding a goal of expanding programs to increase the representation of people of color and women in various leadership roles.

International Notes: Ennis, Dekker, Macon, Adel, Landale

July 24th, 2020 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Tyler Ennis and forward Sam Dekker spent a half-season in 2016/17 as teammates with the Rockets. Now, they’re set to team up again for the 2020/21 season — this time, it’ll happen in Turkey rather than in Houston.

Turk Telekom BK published a pair of tweets this week welcoming Ennis and Dekker to the team, an indication that both players have reached deals with the Turkish club.

Ennis and Dekker were 18th overall picks in back-to-back NBA drafts (2014 and 2015), with Ennis appearing in 186 total games for four clubs, while Dekker logged 200 appearances for four clubs. Neither player was in the NBA in 2019/20, as Ennis spent the season with Raptors 905 in the G League, while Dekker played in Russia for Lokomotiv Kuban.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the world of international basketball:

Turkish team Galatasaray has signed former Arkansas guard Daryl Macon to a one-year contract, the team announced in a press release. Macon began the 2019/20 season on a two-year deal with Miami, but was waived in January to open up a spot for Gabe Vincent.
Former Louisville forward Deng Adel, who was on a two-way contract with Cleveland in 2018/19 and was with the Nets in camp last fall, has signed with the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League, the team announced in a press release. According to the club, Adel received interest from several others NBL teams before signing with the Hawks.
Former Saint Mary’s big man Jock Landale isn’t expected to return to Zalgiris Kaunas for the 2020/21 season, according to Donatas Urbonas (Twitter link). Urbonas previously reported that the Lithuanian team was preparing for Landale to opt out of the final year of his contract and potentially seek an NBA job.

And-Ones: Beasley, Walkup, China, Ntilikina

July 23rd, 2020 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets issued a press release two weeks ago announcing that they had signed Michael Beasley, then voided that contract after the forward tested positive for COVID-19. According to John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link), Beasley’s case is technically being treated as if he failed his physical and had his contract disapproved. As Hollinger puts it, “it’s like he was never there.”

Substitute-player contracts don’t count against NBA teams’ cap sheets this summer, so the Nets’ cap will be unaffected either way. However, presumably the team won’t be on the hook for the $183K they would have owed Beasley.

More importantly, the five-game suspension that Beasley would have had to serve if he had stuck with the Nets appears to still be in play — if and when the former No. 2 pick signs with a new NBA team, he’ll still have to serve that five-game ban before being activated.

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

Former Stephen F. Austin guard Thomas Walkup, who has spent the last three seasons overseas, received some NBA interest, but has decided to remain with Lithuanian team Zalgiris Kaunas rather than exercise his opt-out, according to Donatas Urbonas (Twitter link).
The NBA has terminated its relationship with a basketball academy located in the Xinjiang region of China, according to a letter sent by the league to a U.S. senator, obtained by Ross Dellenger of SI.com. “The NBA has had no involvement with the Xinjiang basketball academy for more than a year, and the relationship has been terminated,” deputy commissioner Mark Tatum wrote to Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn. The Xinjiang region, where Chinese authorities are holding approximately one million Muslims in “re-education” camps, is “known as one of the world’s worst humanitarian zones,” Dellenger writes.
A handful of NBA players are taking part in a basketball tournament in Paris this week, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who reports that Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina, Pistons forward Sekou Doumbouya, and Bulls two-way player Adam Mokoka are participating in the event.

International Moves: Baldwin, Kilpatrick, Hunter, Liggins

July 22nd, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA guard Wade Baldwin, who was drafted 17th overall in 2016, is poised to spend a second consecutive season in Europe, having reached an agreement with German club Bayern Munich, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

After appearing in 56 games over three seasons with the Grizzlies and Trail Blazers from 2016-19, Baldwin spent this past season with Olympiacos in Greece. He only played a part-time role for the EuroLeague club, averaging 5.5 PPG, 1.8 APG, and 1.8 RPG in 16.3 MPG (24 games).

Here are more updates on former NBA players who have agreed to – or signed – new deals overseas:

Veteran shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick has agreed to a deal with Tofas Bursa, the Turkish club announced in a press release. The 30-year-old hasn’t played in the NBA since he was waived by Chicago during the summer of 2018, having previously logged 157 career appearances with six teams.
Former first-round pick R.J. Hunter has signed a one-year contract with Turkish team Galatasaray, per a press release. The 28th overall selection in 2015, Hunter finished the 2018/19 season on a two-way contract with Boston before spending the ’19/20 campaign in Turkey and in the G League.
Veteran NBA journeyman DeAndre Liggins has signed with the London Lions of the British Basketball League for the 2020/21 season, the team announced in a press release. Liggins, who played for the Bucks and Pelicans in 2017/18, has appeared in a total of 177 NBA games with seven teams since making his debut in 2012.

Kadeem Allen Signs With French Team

July 20th, 2020 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

Former Knicks guard Kadeem Allen has signed with French team JL Bourg Basket for the 2020/21 season, according to a press release from the club (hat tip to Sportando).

Allen, 27, was a member of the Knicks up until approximately four weeks ago, when the team released him in order to claim Jared Harper off waivers. The 53rd overall pick in the 2017 draft, Allen had been on a two-way contract with New York before being cut.

In two seasons with the Knicks, Allen saw limited action at the NBA level, averaging 8.2 PPG and 3.3 APG in 29 total games (18.4 MPG).

He played more extensively for the Westchester Knicks in the NBA G League, recording 14.7 PPG, 5.9 APG, and 5.2 RPG with a .429/.343/.783 shooting line in 63 total games (30.6 MPG) across two seasons. Allen also earned a spot on the G League’s All-Defensive Team in 2018/19.

Allen’s two-way deal with New York would have expired in October if he hadn’t been waived in June, so that move gave him a head start on free agency, allowing him to secure a deal with JL Bourg well before the NBA’s free agent period opens in the fall.

And-Ones: Chalmers, Canaan, Brown, Albert, Kuminga

July 19th, 2020 at 4:52pm CST by JD Shaw

Former NBA guard Mario Chalmers is vying for an NBA comeback, with the 34-year-old currently scanning the market as an unrestricted free agent. Chalmers explained his mindset and present situation in an interview with Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype this week.

“I definitely do,” Chalmers said when asked if he hopes to sign with an NBA team in the near future. “I definitely think I can still help a team, especially with my resume. I have a lot of knowledge since I’ve been to four NBA Finals and won two NBA championships and a college national championship. I just feel like I can provide a lot of knowledge to a young point guard and be a mentor. That’s the role that I’d come back to the NBA and be, so I’m open to it if it happens.”

Chalmers, who holds experience with the Heat and Grizzlies, is a proven veteran with two NBA championships in his collection (2012 and 2013). He last played in the NBA with Memphis during the 2017/18 campaign, spending time in Greece last season.

Chalmers touched on a number of other subjects in the interview and echoed the thoughts of another veteran free agent, Raymond Felton, explaining how several teams are prioritizing younger players over locker room veterans in today’s NBA.

“I’ve definitely experienced that,” Chalmers said. “And, yeah, it is frustrating – just because there’s the saying, ‘A team always wants a winner.’ I just feel like with my resume, I’m a proven winner. I’m not a bad guy in the locker room; I’m not a jerk. So, I just feel like for me to not even get a chance and not even get a workout or nothing like that, it’s a little disheartening. But that’s the way the business goes… I’m definitely surprised how they’ve shifted away from (veterans). Those guys are very important. For me, some of my vets were Dwyane Wade, ‘Bron, Jermaine O’Neal, Jamaal Magloire and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, so I’ve had vets that have actually been All-Stars and they’ve taught me about basketball, about family, about a lot of different things.

“I just feel like if I was an NBA GM or somebody that’s running an NBA team, I would want a couple of vets on my team, just to make sure my young guys are following suit and not doing too much off the court. You want to make sure they’re still focused on basketball and that they understand the business aspect of everything. And once you get to the NBA, you have a lot of freedom. And if you don’t use that freedom wisely, it could be a lot of trouble for you. So, I just feel like vets are good with that stuff. I had a lot of vets who helped me out and I feel like vets are always needed; somebody who’s been there before is always needed to help teach the new school.”

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

Free agent guard Isaiah Canaan has signed overseas in Russia with UNICS Kazan, the team announced today. Canaan, who was drafted 34th overall in 2013, holds NBA experience with the Rockets, Sixers, Bulls, Suns, Timberwolves and Bucks. He spent last season in the NBA G League.
Veteran commentators Hubie Brown and Marv Albert won’t be calling games during the league’s restart in Orlando, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets. Brown (86) and Albert (79) have an increased risk with COVID-19, preventing them from being at the campus.
Shams Charania of The Athletic explores why class of 2021 high school star Jonathan Kuminga is signing in the NBA G League pro pathway program and reclassifying to the class of 2020. “I don’t see myself as a high school player again. I see my potential as an NBA player and with the G League they’ll help me a lot more than college,” Kuminga said as part of a larger quote.