Alen Smailagic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Notes: Fournier, Gafford, Smailagic, Karaman

September 8th, 2024 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Evan Fournier is ready to get started with Olympiacos after spending 12 years in the NBA, per a Eurohoops story. The 32-year-old guard made the decision to play in Europe after helping France win a silver medal at the Olympics. During a press conference this week, Fournier confirmed that he received an offer from Washington, but he didn’t want to settle for being a mentor and a part-time player.

“I had contacts with some contenders during the summer, before the Olympics,” he told reporters. “I had an offer from the Wizards, but that wasn’t something I wanted for my career right now. I came to Olympiacos to experience strong emotions, play in big games, and be part of a special project. This was the opportunity at the right time and by far the best option for me.”

Fournier added that he grew up as a fan of Olympiacos and is happy to be able to join the Greek team. He spent time with JSF Nanterre and Poitiers Basket 86 before coming to the NBA, so he’s familiar with the European style of play, and he said at the news conference that it’s actually harder to score in the EuroLeague than it is in the NBA. He also stated that he received encouragement from Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, a former teammate, about returning to Europe.

“Vucevic and I have been discussing it all the time lately,” Fournier said. “He is from Montenegro and is a fan of Red Star, and he was asking me a lot of questions about my transition here. He loves European basketball as well. If he doesn’t (make) the playoffs, he will come see me play here.”

There’s more international news to pass along:

Mavericks center Daniel Gafford received an offer to join Luka Doncic on the Slovenian national team, Matej Erjavec, president of the Basketball Federation of Slovenia, revealed in an interview with Ekipa. Gafford was approached with the possibility after a game last season and asked for some time to consider it. “When he called us a few days later, he said that this summer was simply not going to work, as he had ordered individual exercises, programs, personal trainers and some other matters,” Erjavec said. “(But) he is definitely interested in the future.”
Former NBA player Alen Smailagic cited extortion, blackmail and financial fraud as reasons he chose to leave Serbia and sign with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, per BasketNews. Smailagic has filed criminal charges against two people regarding a contract his parents signed in 2019 after his first season with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League.
Turkish player Ilkan Karaman, who was selected in the 2012 NBA draft, has died at age 34 after being struck by a car while standing on the sidewalk, according to BasketNews. Karaman was taken by the Nets with the 57th pick in 2012. His draft rights were traded to Cleveland in 2014 and to Milwaukee in 2020, but he never played in the NBA.

Alen Smailagic Signing With Serbian Team

August 6th, 2021 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

After being released by the Warriors earlier this week, Alen Smailagic has wasted no time securing a new deal overseas.

Serbian club KK Partizan announced in a press release on Friday that Smailagic is signing a three-year contract with the team. It’ll be a homecoming for the young forward/center, as he was born and raised in Belgrade.

Smailagic, who turns 21 later this month, spent a season with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League in 2018/19 before Golden State drafted him with the 39th overall pick in 2019.

Although the Dubs were said to be high on the big man’s potential, Smailagic never really took any major steps forward at the NBA level, appearing in just 29 games (7.7 MPG) and averaging 3.0 PPG and 1.5 RPG across two seasons in Golden State. He was waived before his salary for 2021/22 became guaranteed.

Technically, Smailagic isn’t set to clear NBA waivers until later today, but KK Partizan’s announcement suggests no claim is expected.

Warriors Waive Alen Smailagic

August 4th, 2021 at 12:46pm CST by JD Shaw

AUGUST 4: The Warriors have officially waived Smailagic, the team announced today in a press release. He’ll clear waivers on Friday, assuming he goes unclaimed.

AUGUST 1: The Warriors plan to waive big man Alen Smailagic ahead of his August 6 guarantee date, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Smailagic had two more non-guaranteed seasons left on his deal.

As Slater notes, waiving Smailagic frees up an extra roster spot for the Warriors ahead of free agency. Golden State is expected to target veterans on the open market, with former NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala mentioned today as a possibility.

Smailagic, 20, was the No. 39 pick in 2019. He appeared in 29 games for the team, averaging three points, 1.5 rebounds and 7.7 minutes per contest.

Teams and players can begin negotiating free-agent deals starting Monday at 6:00pm ET.

Pacific Notes: Green, Warriors, Kings, Clippers Fans

May 22nd, 2021 at 2:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

After the Warriors were eliminated in the play-in game by Memphis on Friday, Draymond Green said the team has a long way to go to become a title contender again, Nick Friedell of ESPN writes. “We’re far away. Because in order to win a championship, you got to be in the playoffs,” Green said. “So, we’re clearly a ways away — a few tweaks here and there, and we’re not that far. But right now we’re a ways away because we’re not in the playoffs.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Upgrades to the rotation are imperative for the Warriors, Anthony Slater of The Athletic opines. They must decide whether to re-sign free agent Kelly Oubre, whose style of play doesn’t mesh well with his current teammates. Re-signing Kent Bazemore to a low-cost deal would be a prudent move, but Alen Smailagic and Eric Paschall have tenuous futures with the organization, though Paschall’s contract for next season is guaranteed.
The Kings will take an aggressive approach to the off-season, GM Monte McNair told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “We’ll be aggressive whether it’s really (any of) the three avenues — draft, free agency, trade,” McNair said. “We’re going to continue to be aggressive and smart in looking for big or small ways that we can upgrade the team.” However, it could be difficult for the Kings retain unrestricted free agent Richaun Holmes, Anderson notes. Holmes will likely seek upwards of $15MM annually and the Kings will be hard-pressed to pay more than $12MM due to cap issues.
The Clippers will have approximately 7,000 fans in the stands for their playoff opener, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. That’s the maximum they can sell, per local regulations. The remainder of the seats will be filled with cardboard cutouts.

Pacific Notes: Smailagic, Wiseman, Caruso, Beverley

March 14th, 2021 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

An underwhelming performance in the G League may mean that Alen Smailagic‘s time with the Warriors is close to an end, writes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Golden State traded up in the 2019 draft to acquire Smailagic with the 39th pick, but he hasn’t done much to reward the team’s confidence. He appeared in 14 games for the Warriors last year and hasn’t played at all in the NBA this season.

The 20-year-old power forward/center has two years left on his contract, but both are non-guaranteed. A $1,782,621 guarantee for next season kicks in August 7, but Smailagic won’t have much of an opportunity to prove himself before then. The G League season is done and there may be just an abbreviated version of Summer League.

Smailagic suffered a knee injury in training camp that caused him to miss the first two months of the season. He joined Santa Cruz in the G League bubble, but appeared to be out of shape, according to Letourneau. He averaged 7.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 fouls and 2.1 turnovers in 10 games and shot just 15% from three-point range.

“He wants to be a contributor to something really good, but sometimes the timing doesn’t allow for that,” Santa Cruz head coach Kris Weems said. “He probably does need at least another year of development.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Warriors hope James Wiseman‘s missed COVID-19 test was a learning experience for the rookie center, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN. Although Wiseman was cleared for Thursday’s game, coach Steve Kerr kept him on the bench for the first half. “I’m not going to go into detail, but this is all part of development as a young player,” Kerr told reporters. “You’ve got to take care of your business. Everything matters. This was just a reaction to him missing the test and not being able to practice last night.”
The Lakers‘ injury list continues to grow, notes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Alex Caruso is the latest addition after hitting his head on the floor in Friday’s game and being diagnosed with a concussion. Anthony Davis is still sidelined with a right calf strain and won’t be re-evaluated for two more weeks. Marc Gasol and Kostas Antetokounmpo remain in COVID-19 protocols and have been ruled out for the next two games.
After leaving Thursday’s game with right knee soreness, Patrick Beverley didn’t accompany the Clippers on their three-game road trip, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Beverley will remain in Los Angeles to get treatment on the knee.

California Notes: Poole, Kostas, Smailagić, Walton

March 11th, 2021 at 10:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

As the Warriors strive to make a return to the playoffs, they owe it to themselves to give young reserve guard Jordan Poole more minutes, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area opines. Poole can provide some ball-handling for the second unit, a skill that is not a strength for his fellow backup guard Brad Wanamaker. With a 19-18 record, the Warriors are currently the No. 10 seed in the crowded Western Conference, which would qualify them for the play-in portion of the 2021 playoffs.

After Jordan Poole outperformed expectations playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League Orlando “bubble,” Monte Poole believes the time has come for him to get extended run spotting Stephen Curry in the second and fourth quarters during the All-Star point guard’s allocated rest breaks. Poole averaged 22.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 3.5 APG across 11 games (all starts) with Santa Cruz.

There’s more out of California:

Lakers reserve forward Kostas Antetokounmpo, who signed his second two-way contract with Los Angeles during the offseason, has entered the league’s COVID-19 protocols, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets. Center Marc Gasol remains away from the team in coronavirus protocols as well.
Warriors forward Alen Smailagić has been recalled from Golden State’s G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team announced in a press release. Smailagić averaged 7.5 PPG and 4.4 RPG in 10 games for Santa Cruz.
While Kings head coach Luke Walton‘s job remains safe entering the second half of the 2020/21 season, Sacramento’s roster may undergo some changes with the March 25 deadline fast approaching, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.

California Notes: Haliburton, Smailagić, Gasol, George

February 7th, 2021 at 3:21pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Kings rookie shooting guard Tyrese Haliburton, selected with the No. 12 pick out of Iowa State in the 2020 draft, is looking like a great long-term addition for Sacramento, writes Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

The 6’5″ two-guard is averaging 11.8 PPG, 5.4 APG, and 3.8 RPG across 20 games for the Kings. He also holds sparkling shooting numbers, boasting a slash line of .484/.433/.867.

“Ty has that ‘it’ factor,” veteran Kings forward Harrison Barnes said. “He’s going to be special in this league for a long time on and off the floor.”

There’s more out of California:

The Warriors are sending second-year big man Alen Smailagić to join their G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, for the Orlando NBAGL “bubble” campus season, according to a team press release. Across 14 games, the 6’10” Smailagić averaged 4.2 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 9.9 MPG during his rookie season in 2019/20. He has yet to play for Golden State this year, having undergone knee surgery last month.
Though Lakers starting center Marc Gasol is averaging a career-low 3.8 PPG (albeit in a career-low 19.4 MPG), Los Angeles head coach Frank Vogel is not concerned, according to Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register. Gasol’s shooting numbers, however, are a bit unsettling: he is connecting on just 36.8% from the field and 31.7% from deep. He made 38.5% of his three-point looks last season. “He’s out there to defend and rebound and play-make from the top of the key and sometimes that’s going to mean he’s going to get a couple of good looks at the 3-point line, a few short rolls and some other situations, some post-up on switches and whatnot,” Vogel said.
Clippers star forward Paul George has been sidelined for the past two games with a bone edema in his foot, according to Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Head coach Tyronn Lue would not speculate on the duration of George’s absence. “I don’t know,” he said. “We’re going to miss him. We wish him a speedy recovery.” George is averaging a stellar 24.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 5.5 APG in 20 games this season.

Warriors Notes: Looney, Wiseman, Wiggins, Poole, Smailagic

January 26th, 2021 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

After opening the door over the weekend to a possible starting lineup adjustment, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made a change at center on Monday night, inserting Kevon Looney into his starting five in place of rookie James Wiseman, as Nick Friedell of ESPN details.

Looney scored just two points on the night, but he was a plus-21 as Golden State defeated Minnesota 130-108. While the lineup change was effective on Monday, Kerr wasn’t ready to commit to it becoming a permanent solution.

“From the beginning, we’re trying to win games too,” Kerr said, per Friedell. “And so I have to figure out what that means. All it meant tonight was let’s start Loon, let’s try to get off to a better start, flip their roles, and I think it worked out well. It doesn’t mean I’m going to do it the whole year. It just feels like what I should do right now.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Following Monday’s win over Minnesota, Kerr admitted that he’s not ignoring the impact that beating the Timberwolves – and keeping them near the bottom of the NBA standings – has on the Warriors’ draft outlook (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Golden State will receive the Wolves’ first-round pick if it doesn’t land in the top three.
Andrew Wiggins, who had spent his entire NBA career in Minnesota before being traded to the Warriors a year ago, praised Golden State’s “winning culture” after beating his old team on Monday. “It’s very positive over here, very positive, everyone’s getting along. No egos, nothing like that,” Wiggins said, per Friedell. “Everyone just wants to win. It’s just a winning attitude, winning culture, everything is about winning.” Although Wiggins didn’t specifically address the Wolves’ culture, it’s probably safe to assume he wouldn’t describe it in exactly the same terms.
Jordan Poole and Alen Smailagic will join two-way player Nico Mannion in the G League bubble, Kerr confirmed on Monday, per Marcus White of NBC Sports Bay Area. All three players will depart Sunday and will suit up for the Santa Cruz Warriors at Walt Disney World next month. “Hopefully we stay healthy during that time so those guys get as much experience as they can,” Kerr said. “They all need to play.”

Warriors’ Smailagic Undergoes Knee Surgery

January 4th, 2021 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Second-year Warriors power forward Alen Smailagic underwent surgery today to address a minor meniscus tear in his right knee, the club announced in a press release.

According to the Warriors, Smailagic will begin the rehab process immediately. He’ll be re-evaluated in about four weeks, so we won’t see him back on the court until at least February.

The 39th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Smailagic appeared in 14 games as a rookie for Golden State, averaging 4.2 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 9.9 MPG. He has also played in 66 G League contests since the start of the 2018/19 season, recording 10.8 PPG and 4.7 RPG on 50.3% shooting in 19.8 MPG for the Santa Cruz Warriors.

While Smailagic is unlikely to be a regular rotation player for the Warriors in ’20/21 even once he gets healthy, the club still appears to be committed to his development for now. The 20-year-old is on a minimum-salary contract that runs through 2022/23, though it’s not guaranteed beyond this season.

Pacific Notes: Horton-Tucker, Harrell, Smailagic, Kings

December 12th, 2020 at 8:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Both L.A. teams are filled with stars, but the talk of the first preseason matchup between the Lakers and Clippers was second-year guard Talen Horton-Tucker, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Horton-Tucker only got into six games for the Lakers last season, spending most of the year in the G League, but he erupted for 19 points and nine rebounds on Friday night.

The performance drew online raves from his teammates, with LeBron James tweeting, “Telling you right now! This kid is flat out SPECIAL! Mark my words.” An injury slowed Horton-Tucker during last year’s training camp, but he got to display his skills during the restart and is now aiming for a rotation role.

“He’s young, but he’s got all the tools,” said new Laker Wesley Matthews. “He’s a dog. He’s tough on the offensive end, the defensive end. He’s crafty. He’s got some stuff to him, and he’s only gonna get better. I mean obviously he’s learning from one of the best (James) to ever touch a basketball.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Montrezl Harrell said he felt “definitely weird emotions” playing against the Clippers after leaving the organization to sign with its cross-town rival, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Harrell talked briefly with Reggie Jackson and Patrick Beverley during warm-ups before Friday’s game. “As far as seeing my old teammates and communicating with those guys, I did that after the game, for the most,” Harrell said. “Lou (Williams) and Pat, I kind of spoke to before the game just ‘cause I’ve been around those guys my whole career. But this is my job. This is where I’m at. … This wasn’t a come out, ‘Hey, how are you guys doing?’ and laughing it up. Nah, I had a job to do and I had a mindset of what I came here to do.”
The Warriors are hoping Alen Smailagic can develop into the same type of player as Davis Bertans, writes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Golden State recognized that Smailagic would be a project when he was drafted in the second round last year, so he’s virtually guaranteed a roster spot this season, Letourneau adds. “I think there’s a lot there to work with, and he has a really good chance to be a really good player in the NBA,” Warriors two-way coach Seth Cooper said. “I’m glad that the organization is willing to see that through and hopefully reap the benefits from this investment down the line.”
Kings coach Luke Walton hopes Marvin Bagley III and Hassan Whiteside will be ready for preseason action next week, tweets Jason Jones of The Athletic. Bagley missed workouts because of COVID-19, while Whiteside is dealing with a mild calf strain.