Marco Belinelli Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Notes: Gallinari, Melli, Sabonis, Belinelli

June 24th, 2024 at 9:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

Danilo Gallinari played his first game with the Italian national team since suffering an ACL tear two years ago, writes Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. The 35-year-old forward was named MVP of the Trentino Basketball Cup after scoring 13 points in a win over Georgia, the team he was facing when he injured his knee.

“It’s a special return for me, especially after what happened two years ago, against the same team. It’s beautiful to come back on the court with these guys,” Gallinari said. “Playing next to these people it’s always a peculiar emotion. It seems like a cliché, but it’s always the same emotion as when I started with the national team at 17-18. Always the same beautiful emotions that everybody expects every summer to get back to it. Unfortunately, I had to wait two years, but it’s great.”

The injury occurred just weeks after Gallinari signed a two-year deal with the Celtics, and it changed the course of his NBA career. Instead of getting a chance to compete for a championship in Boston, Gallinari had to sit out the entire 2022/23 season. He was traded to Washington last summer and then to Detroit in January before being waived by the Pistons a month later and finishing the season with Milwaukee.

Before he tests the free agent market again, Gallinari will take part in an Olympic qualifying tournament from July 2-7 in Puerto Rico. Italy, Bahrain and the host team are in Group B, with Lithuania, Mexico and Ivory Coast making up Group A.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Another member of the Italian team, former NBA big man Nicolo Melli, has signed a two-year contract with Fenerbahce, according to Bugra Uzar of Eurohoops. During his previous time with Fenerbahce, Melli was part of teams that captured the 2018 Turkish League title, the 2017 President Cup and the 2019 Turkish Cup. Melli recently parted ways with Olimpia Milano in Italy, saying he wasn’t part of coach Ettore Messina‘s plans for next season. “I wasn’t thinking about leaving Milan,” Melli said. “I accept the legitimate decision by the club. I feel bad that it’s being written and said that I was the one to leave Milan.”
Kings center Domantas Sabonis will be part of the Lithuanian squad at the OQT in Puerto Rico, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. With Jonas Valanciunas skipping the tournament because of his upcoming free agency, Sabonis will be Lithuania’s only active NBA player.
Marco Belinelli has reached an agreement in principle for a new contract with Virtus Bologna at age 38, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. The veteran swingman played 13 NBA seasons before returning to Europe in 2020.

Olympic Notes: Lillard, Green, Canada, Serbia, Italy

June 15th, 2021 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Warriors forward/center Draymond Green are among the first players to commit to Team USA ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, sources tell Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

Team USA figures to bring more than a dozen players to its initial camp this summer before paring down the roster to 12 for Tokyo, so Lillard’s and Green’s commitments don’t guarantee that they’ll be part of the final Olympic roster. However, it seems safe to assume that spots on the 12-man squad will be reserved for the two stars as long as they remain healthy and committed.

Green won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics, while Lillard has yet to play for Team USA in a major international tournament. Green and Lillard are two of the 57 names listed as part of USA Basketball’s initial player pool in March, though as we noted last week, many of the players on that list seem unlikely to participate for a variety of reasons, including injuries.

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

Team Canada’s preliminary roster for the Olympic qualifying tournament later this month included 14 current NBA players. However, according to Blake Murphy of The Athletic and Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links), at least three of those NBA players – Pacers forward Oshae Brissett, Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks, and Celtics center Tristan Thompson – now aren’t expected to participate.
The Serbian national team is preparing for the possibility of being without several key players for this month’s qualifying tournament, according to a MozzartSport report (hat tip to Sportando). Hawks swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets are among the players considered unlikely to be available for the OQT in Belgrade.
Longtime NBA shooting guard Marco Belinelli announced that he won’t be part of the Italian team attempting to earn an Olympic berth at this month’s qualifying tournament in Belgrade, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Belinelli, who is now playing for Virtus Bologna, wants to rest to make sure he’s 100% healthy for next season.

And-Ones: Buycks, Hannahs, Belinelli, Deck

November 28th, 2020 at 3:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard Dwight Buycks is seeking a two-way NBA contract after cutting ties with French team Nanterre 92 earlier this month, Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw tweets. Buycks, who turned down multiple NBA offers last year, averaged 7.4 PPG in 29 games with the Pistons in 2017-18. Buycks, who went undrafted in 2011, played for EuroLeague Greek team Olympiacos last season.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Former NBA guard Dusty Hannahs has signed with Kolossos Rodou in Greece, the team announced (hat tip to Sportando). Hannahs, 27, played two game with the Grizzlies last season on a pair of 10-day contracts. He spent most of the season in the G League.
Marco Belinelli‘s three-year contract with Virtus Bologna is worth $5MM Euros, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (hat tip to Sportando). Belinelli chose to return to Europe after failing to receive an attractive offer in free agency. The 18th overall pick in the 2007 draft, Belinelli spent 13 years in the NBA, playing for nine different teams during that stretch. The 34-year-old guard accepted a reduced role for the Spurs last season, averaging 6.3 PPG on .392/.376/.828 shooting in 57 games.
Gabriel Deck could leave Real Madrid for the NBA if the Spanish team doesn’t give him an extension, Sportando relays in a report by Marca. The Argentinian forward will be an unrestricted free agent next summer but would be willing to exercise an escape clause to play in the NBA this upcoming season. He’s averaging 5.7 PPG and 3.1 RPG in nine games with Madrid this season.

Marco Belinelli Signs With Virtus Bologna

November 26th, 2020 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent shooting guard Marco Belinelli is headed back overseas to continue his playing career, as Italian team Virtus Bologna confirmed today in a press release that it has signed Belinelli to a three-year contract.

Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport first reported Belinelli’s agreement with Virtus Bologna, indicating that the veteran sharpshooter didn’t receive any offers he liked from NBA teams (hat tip to Sportando).

The 18th overall pick in the 2007 draft, Belinelli has spent 13 years in the NBA, playing for nine different teams during that stretch. The 34-year-old accepted a reduced role for San Antonio in 2019/20, averaging 6.3 PPG on .392/.376/.828 shooting in 57 games. His 15.5 minutes per contest last season represented his lowest mark since his rookie year in ’07/08.

By returning to his home country of Italy, Belinelli will reunite with his first professional team — he began his career with Virtus Bologna in 2002 at age 16.

It’s not clear whether or not Belinelli’s new deal will have NBA outs. Either way, it’s possible he has played his last NBA game.

Southwest Notes: Zion, J. Jackson, Belinelli, Cash

August 5th, 2020 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

After playing limited minutes and sitting in crunch time during the Pelicans‘ first two games – both losses – Zion Williamson logged 25 minutes and was a key contributor down the stretch as New Orleans closed out a Monday win over Memphis. After the game, Williamson told ESPN’s Malika Andrews that he “felt alive again,” per Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

“I ain’t gonna lie to you, it’s just different in a bad way when I’m on the bench in the fourth quarter, and there’s nothing I can do to help my team win,” Williamson said. “So I said I felt alive — it was just great to be out there doing whatever I can to help my team win.”

In addition to Williamson’s contributions, the Pelicans also got 24 points and some key late baskets from Brandon Ingram, while Josh Hart chipped in 15 points and Lonzo Ball was a game-best +15. The performances prompted head coach Alvin Gentry to praise his young core after the win.

“When you have two really young players (Williamson and Ingram) like that who stepped up for you, and Josh Hart, you know, Josh is a very young kid, too,” Gentry said. “I think if you look at it, we have a good, young nucleus of players along with some of the veteran guys we have.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer explores the impact that losing Jaren Jackson Jr. will have on the Grizzlies‘ push to secure a playoff spot. As O’Connor writes, Memphis is well ahead of schedule in its rebuild and should be pleased with the season as a whole, but there’s a chance it will end on a “decidedly sour note.”
Speaking of Jackson, he’s staying at the Walt Disney World campus for now, according to Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins (Twitter link via ESPN’s Malika Andrews). However, Jackson may need to leave at some point for treatment and/or rehab work related to his meniscus tear, Jenkins acknowledged.
Spurs guard Marco Belinelli, who sprained his left ankle during the team’s first game of the restart last week, is active today after missing a pair of games, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
David Aldridge of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at Pelicans VP of basketball operations and team development Swin Cash, who is the first Black woman to hold such a high-ranking basketball ops position for an NBA franchise.

Belinelli Will Look To Remain In NBA In Free Agency

May 6th, 2020 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

Whenever the NBA’s 2020 offseason eventually arrives, Marco Belinelli‘s contract will expire and he’ll reach the open market as an unrestricted free agent. Addressing his upcoming free agency in an interview with L’Avvenire (hat tip to Eurohoops.net), the Italian guard didn’t close the door on a potential return to Europe, but stressed that his goal is to remain in the NBA.

“The priority is to stay on an NBA team to try and win another title,” Belinelli said. “But I don’t rule out other options.”

Belinelli, who turned 34 in March, began his professional career in Italy, playing for Virtus Bologna and Fortitudo Bologna from 2002-07. However, he has been in the NBA since being drafted by Golden State in 2007, spending the last two seasons in San Antonio with the Spurs.

A productive role player for over a decade, the former first-round pick has seen his role shrink in 2019/20. Belinelli has averaged just 5.8 PPG in 15.0 MPG off the Spurs’ bench — he hasn’t posted numbers that low since he was a 21-year-old rookie in 2007/08. The veteran’s shooting percentages, including a .391 FG%, are also below his career rates, though he’s still making 36.8% of his three-point attempts.

Given his age and his declining NBA role, it wouldn’t be a huge shock if Belinelli opted to finish his career in Europe, where he’d be more of a primary option and could perhaps earn more than the NBA’s minimum salary. However, based on his comments about pursuing another title, it sounds like his offseason goal will be to catch on with a contending NBA team.

Spurs Rumors: Gay, Carroll, Belinelli, Bertans

February 3rd, 2020 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs are “looking at everything” and weighing a variety of potential paths at the trade deadline, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on a Sunday podcast with Bobby Marks. At 22-26, San Antonio is 1.5 games behind the eighth-seeded Grizzlies and is at risk of missing the postseason for the first time since the turn of the century. The club will have to decide whether to push to continue that streak, take a step back and retool, or simply stand pat.

Having spoken with executives around the NBA, Jabari Young of CNBC Sports says there’s a belief the Spurs want to push for the playoffs. “They are 100% obsessed with getting that eighth seed,” one executive told Young.

If that’s the case, it wouldn’t make sense for San Antonio to trade DeMar DeRozan or LaMarcus Aldridge. However, moving Rudy Gay is a scenario that rival executives consider more realistic, Young suggests.

“If they get a nice asset back, I think they would do something with Rudy Gay, but I think their asking price is too high,” an exec told Young.

Here’s more on the Spurs:

In his conversation with Marks, Wojnarowski speculated that the Spurs may view the idea of trading veterans like DeRozan, Aldridge, and Gay as an “all-or-nothing” proposition. In other words, in the unlikely event that the team could move all three players and get good value back, it could be worth rebooting the roster. Otherwise, it might not make sense to move just one or two of them.
The Spurs are working with agent Mark Bartelstein in an effort to find a new home for little-used veteran forward DeMarre Carroll, according to Jabari Young. After signing a three-year deal with San Antonio last summer, Carroll has appeared in just 15 total games this season, including two since Christmas. He has admitted that his reduced role has been “difficult.”
According to Young, the Spurs are also shopping Marco Belinelli, a 37.5% career three-point shooter who is on a $5.85MM expiring contract. No serious suitors have emerged for Belinelli, who is considered a liability on defense, Young adds.
If Davis Bertans hadn’t been traded last summer, he would’ve seriously considered re-signing with the Spurs in the summer of 2020, a league source tells Michael Scotto of Bleacher Report. That ship has probably sailed now though, according to Scotto, who revisits the saga that saw Marcus Morris renege on a free agent agreement with San Antonio. Morris didn’t tell the franchise directly that he was backing out of his commitment and the Spurs learned of his intentions after he failed to show up for his physical, says Scotto.

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Southwest Division

November 27th, 2019 at 10:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we take a look at players from the Southwest Division:

Brandon Ingram, Pelicans, 22, SF (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $23.8MM deal in 2016
More appropriately, Ingram’s stock is way, way up. Ingram’s last season with the Lakers was cut short by a blood clot issue. He averaged 18.3 PPG but there was still skepticism just how good Ingram was. He’s answered that emphatically in his first 13 games with the Pelicans, posting All-Star level numbers (26.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 45.9 percent on 3s). The Pelicans will make him a restricted free agent by extending a $9.48MM qualifying offer. Will Ingram re-sign with New Orleans, sign a big offer sheet, or sign the QO and test unrestricted free agency the following summer? For sure, he’ll get paid.

Courtney Lee, Mavericks, 34, SG (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $48MM deal in 2016
Lee’s value to Dallas is mainly his expiring contract, which could prove useful as the Mavs look to acquire another piece to their vastly improved squad. Lee’s playing time has been mainly limited to garbage-time minutes. After two solid seasons with the Knicks, Lee’s career has declined the past two seasons. His 3-point prowess (38.7 percent for his career) might earn him a short-term deal next summer but he won’t be making anywhere near $12MM next season.

Gerald Green, Rockets, 33, SG (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2.56MM deal in 2019
Have we seen the last of Green in the NBA? That’s a strong possibility, considering his age and long-term rehab from a foot injury. He underwent surgery in late October and is expected to miss the regular season and likely the postseason as well. Green, a 12-year NBA veteran, has made prior stops with Boston, Minnesota, Houston, Dallas, New Jersey, Indiana, Phoenix and Miami during his professional career. He was a major contributor off the Rockets’ bench last season, averaging 9.2 PPG and 2.5 PPG in 73 contests. Another veteran’s minimum deal is his best hope.

Marco Belinelli, Spurs, 33, SG (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $12MM deal in 2018
Belinelli’s perimeter shooting has made him one of the league’s most reliable second-unit players for years. The shooting touch has abandoned him, one of the many reasons the Spurs have struggled this season. Belinelli is shooting just 29 percent from the field while averaging 5.2 PPG. He has averaged in double figures off the bench for the past four seasons. Gregg Popovich has continued to give him steady minutes, so Bellinelli’s production should return to the norm. But if his playing time is reduced, he may have to settle for the veteran’s minimum next summer.

Dillon Brooks, Grizzlies, 23, SF (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $3.8MM deal in 2017
Brooks was limited to 18 games last season, mainly due to a toe injury that required surgery in January. He has come back at full strength and started every game this season for the Grizzlies. He’s the team’s third-leading scorer at 13.3 PPG while making 38.7 percent of his 3-pointers. It’s a foregone conclusion the Grizzlies will extend a $2MM qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent this summer. The 2017 second-round pick will get a substantial pay raise regardless of how his free agent journey unfolds.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Southwest Notes: Anthony, Harden, Westbrook, Belinelli, Payton

October 19th, 2019 at 9:50am CST by marksuleymanov

Carmelo Anthony has not been on an NBA roster since last November when his Rockets tenure abruptly ended after a 10-game stint. Ever since then, Anthony has been searching for one more opportunity to prolong his Hall of Fame career — which has yet to arise.

In an in-depth feature, ESPN’s Baxter Holmes examines Anthony’s situation from the day he was cut to the present. Carmelo’s story is one of a declining star who has struggled to adjust from his usual role of a primary scorer to a role player.

Holmes also spoke to several team sources who noted that Anthony’s reputation exceeded his current abilities, which put Houston in a tough situation.

Check out more Southwest Division notes:

The Rockets‘ major storyline this season will be the reunion of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, as observers keep a close eye on how the two former MVPs play together. Harden says both superstars will need to rely on each other for the team to succeed, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. “At the end of the day, we need each other,” Harden said. “This thing won’t work without each other.”
In his second tour of duty with the Rockets, Ryan Anderson, primarily known as a long-range shooter, may see significant time at center, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. “It’s definitely a role we talked about here,” Anderson said. “I think it’s something I can be really effective at. This team can play in a lot of different ways. I think center could be a good title now.”
Knicks point guard Elfrid Payton said the Pelicans were interested in bringing him back but the situation in New York fit him better, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “They asked me to come back,’’ Payton said. “I just felt this was a better situation. It was a better fit. [The acquisition of Lonzo Ball] had no effect. I’m not afraid of competition.’’
Spurs shooting guard Marco Belinelli misses former assistant coach Ettore Messina, who left San Antonio this past summer to become the head coach of Italian team Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News writes. “For sure, I miss him. He was very happy here in San Antonio, but I am really happy for him,” Belinelli said.

Germany, Italy, Others Finalize World Cup Rosters

August 29th, 2019 at 4:59pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re just two days away from FIBA’s 2019 World Cup officially tipping off, and more national teams have officially set their 12-man rosters for the event, including a pair of countries whose squads will feature multiple NBA players.

Team Germany made its final cut this week, dropping Wizards youngster Isaac Bonga from its roster. Even without Bonga on the team, there are plenty of familiar faces for NBA fans — Dennis Schroder (Thunder), Daniel Theis (Celtics), and Maxi Kleber (Mavericks) will represent Germany in this year’s tournament.

The Italian national team, meanwhile, will be led by Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari and Spurs sharpshooter Marco Belinelli. Former NBA forward Gigi Datome and 2014 second-round pick Alessandro Gentile are also part of Italy’s squad.

Here are more details on teams that have established their 12-man World Cup rosters:

Former Knicks and Nuggets forward Renaldo Balkman, ex-Mavericks shooting guard Gian Clavell, and current Kings camp invitee Isaiah Pineiro are among the players on Puerto Rico’s team for the World Cup, per FIBA.
No current NBA players are on the Chinese or Russian World Cup rosters, but Yi Jianlian and Zhou Qi are among the former NBAers representing China, while former Cavaliers and Nets wing Sergey Karasev is leading Russia’s squad.
Cote d’Ivoire also announced its 2019 World Cup roster, as FIBA relays. It doesn’t feature any NBA players.