Andrei Kirilenko Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Williams Meets With King, Prokhorov In Istanbul

May 11th, 2012 at 11:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Euroleague's Final Four is underway in Istanbul, and there are a few interesting names among those in attendance. Deron Williams, Nets GM Billy King, and Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov are at CSKA Moscow's semifinal today against Panathinaikos, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.

We already knew King would be on hand in Istanbul to meet with Nets' 2011 draft pick Bojan Bogdanovic, but to have Williams and Prokhorov there as well is a promising sign for the Nets. Even if it's not necessarily a concrete indicator that the star point guard is leaning toward re-signing with Brooklyn, Williams' presence alongside the Nets' brass can't hurt. It also suggests the team's front office is continuing to keep him in the loop on potential moves and roster decisions.

Besides meeting with Bogdanovic, the Nets also will be keeping an eye on Andrei Kirilenko, who is playing for CSKA Moscow. Recent reports suggesting the Nets had a handshake agreement with Kirilenko were shot down, but Bontemps says the team has been monitoring the Russian forward's play overseas. For his part, Kirilenko is undecided about where he'll be playing next year, as he recently told Reuters' Zoran Milosavljevic.

"I have a huge history with the Utah Jazz and they are a priority for me among the 30 teams competing in the NBA, while CSKA are just as close to my heart in Europe," Kirilenko said. "When the Final Four is over I will weigh my options and make a decision."

Odds & Ends: Kirilenko, Calipari, Bulls, Mavs

May 4th, 2012 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Ryan Anderson was a deserving recipient of the 2012 NBA Most Improved Player award, but some of the players further down in the voting results were head-scratchers. Andrew Bogut, who played in just 12 games this season, received a first-place vote from one of the 121 writers tasked with determining the award. Whether that voter mistook Bogut for Andrew Bynum or actually felt that Bogut somehow deserved the award, it's hard to imagine we'll see a worse choice during NBA award season.

Here are a few more Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the league:

Andrei Kirilenko reiterated to media in Russia that reports of him having agreed to a deal or negotiating with the Nets are inaccurate. NetsDaily.com has the details.
A return to the NBA for John Calipari is looking increasingly unlikely, for now at least — Kentucky announced today that Calipari and his staff have signed multiyear contract extensions to stay with the Wildcats, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
Sam Smith of Bulls.com fields questions from readers in a mailbag, with a focus on Derrick Rose's uncertain recovery timeline and the Bulls' roster next season.
With the Mavericks on the verge of elimination, Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says Mark Cuban's bad gambles were too much for the team to overcome.
Dirk Nowitzki agrees that the Mavericks took a step back this season, rather than a step forward, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.

Nets Not Currently In Talks With Kirilenko

May 2nd, 2012 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, a report surfaced suggesting that the Nets had a verbal agreement in place to sign Andrei Kirilenko to a three-year contract. However, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), that report is inaccurate.

As we heard yesterday, Nets GM Billy King will travel to Istanbul next week to meet with 2011 draft pick Bojan Bogdanovic at the Euroleague Final Four, and Bondy acknowledges that perhaps King could also touch base with Kirilenko there. Right now though, the two sides don't have an agreement and aren't engaged in discussions, says Bondy (Twitter links).

Kirilenko, who signed a three-year contract with CSKA Moscow in Russia during the NBA lockout, is expected to return to North America at some point. His contract includes opt-out clauses at the end of each season, so he could become eligible to sign with an NBA team once the Euroleague season ends.

The Nets were seriously interested in Kirilenko in December, but it's not clear if they'll maintain that same level of interest now that they'll be attempting to re-sign forwards Gerald Wallace and Gerald Green.

Raptors Rumors: Chandler, Kirilenko, Barbosa

February 5th, 2012 at 12:33pm CST by Daniel Seco

Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo spoke candidly about a potential roster shake-up during Friday's game against the Washington Wizards, writes Hasan Alanam of Canada.com. With the team currently hovering near the bottom of the Atlantic Division, Colangelo expressed a desire to consider any and every move that may help the Raptors move closer to their goal of becoming a championship-caliber squad. In his mind, the path toward success may become a bit clearer once the future for three particular players becomes more evident.

Colangelo discussed what adding former Utah Jazz sharpshooter Andrei Kirilenko could do for the Raptors especially considering the success AK-47 has enjoyed this season while playing in Russia. Averaging 13 PPG and nearly 8 RPG, Kirilenko, 30, has led CSKA Moscow to an undefeated regular season thus far and looks to be an early favorite for MVP. As Kirilenko announced his intentions to stay in Russia for the entire season, the Raptors would be looking to sign the former first-round draft pick this summer.
While the Raptors will have to wait a few months to begin courting Kirilenko, Colangelo can add an important piece to his roster once small forward Wilson Chandler is released from his contract with the CBA's Zhejiang Guangsha. The fifth-year player out of DePaul is a restricted free agent which will allow for the Denver Nuggets to match any contract that the Raptors might offer Chandler. Given Chandler's upward trending career numbers and youth (24), the Raptors' bid must be overly aggressive if they have any hope of Chandler heading across the border to Toronto.
During his concluding remarks in an interview with the Raptors broadcast team, Colangelo mentioned how he viewed Leandro Barbosa as a valuable trade chip moving forward. Colangelo expressed Barbosa's importance to the team but pondered what nearly 13 PPG from a 29-year-old veteran guard could land the Raptors in a trade with a contending team. While Barbosa remains a valuable addition for any team, his most attractive asset may be his contract which expires at the end of the season.