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Matteo Spagnolo

Northwest Notes: Spagnolo, Lillard, Nuggets Arena, SGA

August 29th, 2023 at 8:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves draft-and-stash prospect Matteo Spagnolo is playing for Italy in the World Cup. The combo guard, selected in the second round of the 2022 draft, could develop a rotation player if/when he plays in the NBA. The Timberwolves are confident that Spagnolo – who is still only 20 years old – will eventually join them.

“He’s certainly a guy that every time he gets out there, you see, I think, a kid that’s getting better,” Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. “At his age, the physicality of this competition really stands out. To be comfortable with that level of physicality and the expectations of your national team, and you still produce relative to being so young, I think it’s really encouraging.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • It’s generally assumed that if the Trail Blazers trade Damian Lillard, he’ll wind up with the Heat. Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes a look at some potential alternatives, including the Pelicans, Jazz, Raptors and Magic, noting that each club has a variety of assets that could satisfy the Blazers.
  • Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the Nuggets, announced Monday it is exploring potential renovations to Ball Arena, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post reports. KSE is conducting “market due diligence to evaluate opportunities to enhance the fan experience,” according to a statement. The company is sending out a survey, seeking fan feedback to help determine the future of the arena.
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 27 points as Canada routed Latvia in World Cup action on Tuesday. The Thunder star scored 16 of his points in the third quarter. “I didn’t start the game the way I needed to, the way the team needed me to,” he told The Canadian Press. “Just with my energy level, my activeness on both ends of the floor. I looked in the mirror and tried to be better from that point on. Tried to make that my focus, to be better every possession for my team. If I do that, it would set the tone and the tide would turn.”
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Western Notes: Kings, Brooks, Jones, Lillard, Timberwolves

August 28th, 2023 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings decided to tweak the roster rather than make major changes this offseason after finally reaching the postseason in the spring. They acquired Chris Duarte in a trade and re-signed Harrison Barnes and Trey Lyles. They also signed EuroLeague star Sasha Vezenkov.

Kings coach Mike Brown is excited to have his core group back and is eager to see how they respond to the newfound respect they’ve gained after snapping the franchise’s long playoff drought.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how we can handle the pressure,” the Kings coach said. “It’s flipped now. We’re no longer hunting people; people are hunting us. And there are expectations, so how do we handle that? I believe our guys are ready for it, and with the fans that we have here and the juice they brought last year – let’s go. Let’s get it. I’m excited for Sasha, I’m excited for Chris Duarte, I’m excited about our young guys. It’s good to have the new guys, but I’m more excited about having our guys to be able to run it back and give them the opportunity to grow as a nucleus than anything else.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • The Grizzlies allowed Dillon Brooks in free agency and traded Tyus Jones. So what have they lost? Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal explores that topic. The Grizzlies have become known for their flashy style and trash talking and Brooks was a major reason for that. Jones was a locker room leader and led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio in each of his four seasons with the club.
  • Trail Blazers fans want the Damian Lillard saga to be resolved soon. In a poll conducted by Jason Quick of The Athletic, 80.4% want the front office to take the best offer for their longtime All-Star and prioritize the team ahead of Lillard. However, the high-scoring guard was voted as the franchise’s greatest player (51.9%), ahead of Clyde Drexler and Bill Walton.
  • Anthony Edwards (United States), Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic), Rudy Gobert (France), Kyle Anderson (China), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Canada) and draft-and-stash prospect Matteo Spagnolo (Italy) are participating in the World Cup, while Luka Garza played for Bosnia and Herzegovina in a pre-qualifying Olympic tournament. That should give those Timberwolves players a head start to the NBA season, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Alexander-Walker agrees with the notion. “I want to use it to propel me for the season,” he said.
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Timberwolves Notes: KAT, Title Path, Branch, Spagnolo

July 28th, 2022 at 9:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After agreeing to a four-year, super-max extension earlier this offseason with the team that selected him first in the 2015 NBA draft, Timberwolves All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns penned an enthusiastic letter praising Minnesota fans in local paper the Star Tribune (h/t to NBA Retweet for capturing the image).

“To the best fans in the NBA,” Towns began his missive. “When I arrived in Minnesota in 2015, I carried a lot of weight on my shoulders… I arrived at a hopeful time for the franchise. The best part of my tenure here is that we have such a bright future ahead — because of you all, the fans.

“… I am not who I am today without you,” Towns continued. “Thank you for challenging me, holding me accountable, supporting me and giving me a place to grow up and learn what it means to represent this state…. I promise to continue leading us to new heights for years to come.”

Towns will be suiting up for a new-look Minnesota club this fall, thanks in no small part to the team’s blockbuster trade for former Jazz All-Star center Rudy Gobert.

There’s more out of Minnesota:

  • In recent remarks made after agreeing to his new contract, Karl-Anthony Towns claimed to revel in the challenge of lifting the team that drafted him onto the path to title contention, writes Michael Rand of the Star Tribune. “A lot of people in my position, you know, they get to this spot with their second contract and they’re looking to get a ring — the easiest ring around the league,” Towns said during a conversation for the Star Tribune’s podcast Daily Delivery. “I wanted to take the harder route. I wanted to be loyal to the people who brought me into this league and gave me a chance to prove my worth. I wanted to win here.”
  • Joe Branch, a Timberwolves front office executive who first joined Minnesota following a stint as an agent with Roc Nation, is on the cusp of heading back to the agency side, where he is set to latch on with BDA Sports, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link).
  • Shooting guard Matteo Spagnolo, drafted by the Timberwolves with the No. 50 pick this year, will join Italian club Aquila Basket Trento for the 2022/23 season, the team announced in a press statement. Spagnolo heads to Aquila Basket on loan from Real Madrid, for whom the 19-year-old has played since 2018. During the 2021/22 season, Real Madrid loaned Spagnola out to another Italian team, Vanoli Cremona.  In 25 contests for Vanolia Cremona, the 6’4″ wing averaged 12.2 PPG on .440/.441/.861 shooting. He also notched 3.5 RPG, 2.6 APG and 0.8 SPG.
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Wolves Notes: Towns, Gobert, Edwards, Spagnolo

July 23rd, 2022 at 6:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Karl-Anthony Towns‘ super-max extension will keep him with the Timberwolves through the end of the 2027/28 season, and the star center has plans to stay even longer. At a press conference Friday formally announcing the extension, Towns indicated that he wants to spend the rest of his career in the Twin Cities, tweets basketball writer Christos Tsaltas.

“My dream is to retire here (in Minnesota),” Towns said. “I’m very comfortable spending my time here. This place has a special energy.”

If that happens, Towns will be among a select group of modern elite players to spend their entire career with one team. He has been a cornerstone of the franchise since being taken with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft, and the Wolves appear to be on the rise after reaching the playoffs last season and completing a huge offseason trade to acquire Rudy Gobert.

“I expect a lot of winning here,” Towns told reporters. “I want to win.”

There’s more from Minnesota:

  • Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today (video link), Towns said he was in London when the trade with Utah happened. When his girlfriend told him, “You guys got Rudy,” he thought the team signed Rudy Gay. When she explained that it was actually Gobert, Towns started thinking about the possibilities of having two big men on the court together. “I just saw the vision of us both twin towers out there,” Towns said. “What he can do defensively, what I can do offensively, and we all putting that together for one organization, I think it’s going to be very different. The NBA hasn’t seen something like this (for years). It’s going to be unique and it’s going to be scary.”
  • In the same interview, Towns expressed supreme confidence in teammate Anthony Edwards and said the two of them need to “go out there and play at a level that hasn’t been seen since Shaq and Kobe, if possible” (Twitter link).
  • The Wolves have confirmed that second-round pick Matteo Spagnolo will play overseas next season, according to Cody Taylor of USA Today’s Rookie Wire. Spagnolo, the 50th overall selection, spent last season with Vanoli Cremona of Lega A, Italy’s top professional league. He played for Minnesota in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 3.2 points, 1.8 assists and 1.4 rebounds in five games.
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Pistons’ Procida, Cavs’ Diop Among Draftees Expected To Be Stashed Overseas

June 24th, 2022 at 1:28am CST by Luke Adams

Italian wing Gabriele Procida, who was drafted 36th overall on Thursday night after spending last season with Fortitudo Bologna, is expected to be stashed overseas by the Pistons, reports James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While Procida is the highest of this year’s draft picks reported to be a likely draft-and-stash prospect, he’s hardly the only one. Here are a few more updates on 2022’s draft-and-stash candidates:

  • After using the No. 39 pick to draft him on Thursday, the Cavaliers intend to keep 20-year-old center Khalifa Diop overseas for the 2022/23 season, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Senegalese big man won the EuroCup Rising Star award playing for Gran Canaria in Spain this past season.
  • The Nuggets plan to stash center Ismael Kamagate in Europe next season, a source tells Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link). The No. 46 pick on Thursday, Kamagate had an All-Star season playing for Paris in 2021/22.
  • Italian shooting guard Matteo Spagnolo, drafted at No. 50 by the Timberwolves, will likely remain overseas next season, per president of basketball operations Tim Connelly (Twitter link via Dane Moore). Spagnolo is still just 19 years old.
  • Crotian forward/center Karlo Matkovic, selected 52nd overall by the Pelicans, is expected to join New Orleans’ Summer League roster but will continue playing in Europe for another year or two, general manager Trajan Langdon told reporters, including Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link).
  • Wizards president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard said after the draft that No. 54 pick Yannick Nzosa will be a “stash guy” in the Spanish League next season, according to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post (Twitter link).
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Draft Decisions: Diop, Spagnolo, Savkov, Nzosa, Matkovic

June 13th, 2022 at 5:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The early entry deadline to withdraw from the draft was 5 p.m. on Monday. It’s mostly relevant for international prospects, since the deadline to withdraw while retaining NCAA eligibility was June 1.

Several more international prospects have decided to stay in the draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter links available right here). Here is that list:

  • Big man Khalifa Diop, is ranked No. 39 on ESPN’s Best Available list and the fourth-highest at the center spot. The 7-footer had a solid season in the ACB with Gran Canaria, winning the EuroCup’s Rising Star award.
  • Italian guard Matteo Spagnolo is another potential second-rounder, rated No. 59 overall and No. 11 among point guards. He shot 44% for 3 this season for Cremona in the first division.
  • Russian wing Pavel Savkov isn’t listed among ESPN’s top 100 prospects. The 6’7” Savkov shot 40% on 3-pointers in Spain the past two seasons.
  • Congolese big man Yannick Nzosa is the youngest player in the draft class. He’s played for Unicaja Malaga in Spain. Ranked No. 54, Nzosa is an extremely mobile big man with an excellent motor and strong defensive versatility, according to Givony.
  • Croatian power forward Karlo Matkovic is also staying in the draft after a last-minute change of heart. He’s slotted at No. 60 on ESPN’s list.

You can check out all early entrant decisions here.

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Southeast Draft Notes: Murray, Hawks, Wizards, Hornets

June 2nd, 2022 at 7:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Magic hold the No. 1 pick and Iowa’s Keegan Murray isn’t expected to go higher than No. 4 in the lottery. That didn’t prevent Orlando from doing its due diligence on the high-scoring wing. Murray came in for a pre-draft workout on Thursday, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. The two sides also had a discussion during the draft combine in Chicago, Price adds.

We have more developments from the Southeast Division:

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Full List Of 2022 NBA Draft Combine Participants

May 10th, 2022 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has revealed its list of 76 players who have been invited – and who are expected to attend – next week’s draft combine in Chicago. The combine workouts will take place from May 18-20.

Over the course of the week, players will conduct interviews with NBA teams, participate in five-on-five games, and go through shooting, strength and agility drills.

While several of the prominent names at the top of the draft likely won’t participate in scrimmages, those top prospects are still expected to attend. That group includes Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, and Jaden Ivey.

A handful of standout players from the G League Elite Camp could be invited to participate in the combine as well.

Here’s the full list of 76 names announced by the NBA today, in alphabetical order, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link):

  1. Ochai Agbaji, G/F, Kansas (senior)
  2. Patrick Baldwin Jr., F, Milwaukee (freshman)
  3. Paolo Banchero, F, Duke (freshman)
  4. Dominick Barlow, F, Overtime Elite (auto-eligible)
  5. MarJon Beauchamp, G/F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
  6. Hugo Besson, G, Australia (born 2001)
  7. Malaki Branham, G/F, Ohio State (freshman)
  8. Christian Braun, G, Kansas (junior)
  9. Kendall Brown, F, Baylor (freshman)
  10. John Butler Jr., F/C, Florida State (freshman)
  11. Julian Champagnie, G/F, St. John’s (junior)
  12. Kennedy Chandler, G, Tennessee (freshman)
  13. Max Christie, G, Michigan State (freshman)
  14. Kofi Cockburn, C, Illinois (junior)
  15. Dyson Daniels, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
  16. Johnny Davis, G, Wisconsin (sophomore)
  17. JD Davison, G, Alabama (freshman)
  18. Moussa Diabate, F, Michigan (freshman)
  19. Ousmane Dieng, F, Australia (born 2003)
  20. Khalifa Diop, C, Spain (born 2002)
  21. Jalen Duren, C, Memphis (freshman)
  22. Tari Eason, F, LSU (sophomore)
  23. Keon Ellis, G, Alabama (senior)
  24. Michael Foster, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
  25. Collin Gillespie, G, Villanova (super-senior)
  26. AJ Griffin, F, Duke (freshman)
  27. Jaden Hardy, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
  28. Ron Harper Jr., F, Rutgers (senior)
  29. Chet Holmgren, C, Gonzaga (freshman)
  30. Harrison Ingram, F, Stanford (freshman)
  31. Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue (sophomore)
  32. Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana (junior)
  33. Nikola Jovic, F, Serbia (born 2003)
  34. Johnny Juzang, G, UCLA (junior)
  35. Ismael Kamagate, C, France (born 2001)
  36. Trevor Keels, G, Duke (freshman)
  37. Walker Kessler, F/C, Auburn (sophomore)
  38. Christian Koloko, C, Arizona (junior)
  39. Jake LaRavia, F, Wake Forest (junior)
  40. Justin Lewis, F, Marquette (sophomore)
  41. E.J. Liddell, F, Ohio State (junior)
  42. Bennedict Mathurin, G/F, Arizona (sophomore)
  43. Matthew Mayer, F, Baylor (senior)
  44. Bryce McGowens, G, Nebraska (freshman)
  45. Leonard Miller, F, Canada (born 2003)
  46. Josh Minott, F, Memphis (freshman)
  47. Aminu Mohammed, G/F, Georgetown (freshman)
  48. Iverson Molinar, G, Mississippi State (junior)
  49. Jean Montero, G, Overtime Elite (auto-eligible)
  50. Wendell Moore, F, Duke (junior)
  51. Keegan Murray, F, Iowa (sophomore)
  52. Andrew Nembhard, G, Gonzaga
  53. Scotty Pippen Jr., G, Vanderbilt (junior)
  54. Gabriele Procida, G/F, Italy (born 2002)
  55. Orlando Robinson, F/C, Fresno State (junior)
  56. David Roddy, F, Colorado State (junior)
  57. Ryan Rollins, G, Toledo (sophomore)
  58. Dereon Seabron, G, NC State (sophomore)
  59. Shaedon Sharpe, G, Kentucky (freshman)
  60. Jabari Smith, F, Auburn (freshman)
  61. Terquavion Smith, G, NC State (freshman)
  62. Jeremy Sochan, F, Baylor (freshman)
  63. Matteo Spagnolo, G, Italy (born 2003)
  64. Julian Strawther, G/F, Gonzaga (sophomore)
  65. Dalen Terry, G, Arizona (sophomore)
  66. Drew Timme, F, Gonzaga (junior)
  67. Jabari Walker, F, Colorado (sophomore)
  68. TyTy Washington Jr., G, Kentucky (freshman)
  69. Peyton Watson, G/F, UCLA (freshman)
  70. Blake Wesley, G, Notre Dame (freshman)
  71. Alondes Williams, G, Wake Forest (super-senior)
  72. Jalen Williams, G, Santa Clara (junior)
  73. Jaylin Williams, F/C, Arkansas (sophomore)
  74. Mark Williams, C, Duke (sophomore)
  75. Trevion Williams, F/C, Purdue (senior)
  76. Fanbo Zeng, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
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Draft Notes: Strawther, Spagnolo, Pippen, Baugh, Zugic

April 19th, 2022 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

Gonzaga sophomore wing Julian Strawther has declared for the 2022 NBA draft, he announced on Twitter. While Strawther doesn’t explicitly say that he’s forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility and going pro, his statement also doesn’t really leave the door open for a return to college, so it sounds like he’s not just testing the draft waters.

Strawther was a key contributor for a top-seeded Gonzaga team, averaging 11.8 PPG and 5.4 RPG with a .498/.365/.705 shooting line in 32 games (31 starts; 26.8 MPG). He’s currently the No. 71 prospect on ESPN’s list of the top 100 prospects for 2022, making him a candidate to be drafted, but hardly a lock.

Strawther is the second early entrant from Gonzaga to declare for the draft this spring, joining teammate Drew Timme.

Here are a few more updates on players entering the draft:

  • Italian guard Matteo Spagnolo has entered his name in the 2022 draft pool, according to his agents at Sigma Sports (Instagram link). The 19-year-old, who is the No. 53 prospect on ESPN’s big board, has enjoyed a breakout season for Vanoli Cremona in Italy, averaging 12.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.6 APG with a .441 3PT% in 25 games (27.0 MPG).
  • After testing the draft waters in 2021, Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr. has once again entered the draft and will be hiring an agent and going pro this time around, he announced on Twitter. As a junior in 2021/22, the 6’1″ guard averaged 20.4 PPG, 4.5 APG, and 3.6 RPG on .416/.325/.749 shooting in 36 games (33.1 MPG). He’s the No. 97 prospect on ESPN’s top-100 list.
  • TCU junior guard Damion Baugh has decided to enter the 2022 draft, though he’ll just be testing the waters while maintaining his NCAA eligibility, he announced on Twitter. Baugh averaged 10.6 PPG, 4.5 APG, and 4.4 RPG in 31 games (31.1 MPG) for the Horned Frogs in 2021/22 after transferring from Memphis.
  • Montengrin shooting guard Fedor Zugic has declared for the NBA draft, according to his agency, BDA Sports (via Twitter). The 18-year-old Zugic, who has been playing for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany, doesn’t have to worry about losing college eligibility, so he’ll be able to wait until as late as June 13 before making a final decision on whether to stay in the draft or withdraw.
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