Tomas Satoransky Rumors

International Notes: Ibaka, Satoransky, Parker, Sarr

September 16th, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

Serge Ibaka hopes to prove he can still play at a high level as he joins FC Bayern Munich in Germany. In an interview posted on the team’s website, Ibaka expressed excitement about resuming his career overseas.

“For me, it is a privilege to be able to join this historic, globally renowned sports club so that the basketball team can rise to the top of Europe,” he said. “I had a long NBA career, but I approach this new chapter with a lot of enthusiasm – I still have a lot of fire in me and love the game.”

Ibaka played professionally in France and Spain before coming to the Thunder in 2009, so he’s familiar with European basketball. He was part of the foundation in Oklahoma City for several seasons and won a ring with Toronto in 2019, but his playing time has been declining for the past few seasons. Ibaka averaged just 11.6 minutes in 16 games with the Bucks last season before a trade at the February deadline sent him to the Pacers, who waived him two days later.

“I always give my all to the game, and I definitely plan to do the same here in Munich and hopefully help the younger players,” Ibaka said. “On the court, I want to assist the team with everything that is needed, starting from defense to my shooting range. I want to be a part of a team that collaborates and has a winning mentality.”

There’s more international news to pass along:

Former NBA guard Tomas Satoransky hopes to help Jabari Parker make the transition to Europe with FC Barcelona, according to Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. Parker’s first major test will come against Real Madrid in the semifinals of Supercopa Endesa. “Jabari’s situation is a little more complicated because it is his first year in Europe and this is always difficult, especially if you come in a league as competitive as the ACB,” Satoransky said. “But I see him very well and he really wants to improve.”
Perth center Alexandre Sarr talks to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (video link) about his performance in the G League Fall Invitational and his potential to be the top pick in next year’s draft.
Kevin Durant, Ja Morant and Devin Booker are serving as coaches for Saturday’s finals of the Nike World Basketball Festival in New York, per Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.

And-Ones: Wembanyama, Henderson, Satoransky, Randall

October 9th, 2022 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Star prospect Victor Wembanyama will play for France’s national team in November during the next round of World Cup qualifying games, per an Associated Press report. The French club is set to face Lithuania on November 11 and will play Bosnia and Herzegovina on November 14.

Wembanyama is coming off a pair of eye-opening exhibition performances against the G League Ignite this week, as he solidified his place as the No. 1 player in the 2022 draft class by pouring in 73 points and blocking nine shots in the two games. The 18-year-old big man, who told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press that his goal is “to be like something you’ve never seen,” is drawing rave reviews from many of the NBA’s biggest stars.

“He has the chance to be one of the best — not in his age, not in Europe — but one of the best to ever play this game,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said of Wembanyama, according to Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com. “We have never seen someone like that before. I think it’s a good challenge for everybody in the league, to have somebody who’s 7-foot-2 and is able to shoot over you and dribble like he’s a guard and block shots and run down the floor fast. We gotta get ready for this kid, you know? He’s going to be really good.”

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

While Wembanyama is considered a generational talent and earned more buzz this week, star Ignite guard Scoot Henderson isn’t ready to concede the top spot in next year’s draft, as he tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape. He also downplayed the idea that he’ll have a long-standing rivalry with the Frenchman. “I’m not worried about him,” Henderson said. “I’m worried about the next level. I’m worried about guarding Steph (Curry).”
Jonathan Givony’s latest 2023 mock draft at ESPN (Insider-only link) has Overtime Elite guard Amen Thompson as the No. 3 pick behind Wembanyama and Henderson, followed by Arkansas’ Nick Smith and Villanova’s Cameron Whitmore.
Speaking to Alex Molina of Eurohoops, veteran guard Tomas Satoransky expressed pride that he can say he was an NBA player, but admitted that he went through some “ups and downs” in the league. Satoransky said that he’s happy to be back in Europe, playing for Barcelona, because his new deal offers more stability for him and his family than he would have had in the NBA.
Former UT Martin guard Craig Randall, who averaged 26.7 PPG for the Long Island Nets last season, tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN that he turned down NBA camp offers that included guaranteed money. Randall instead opted to head to Australia’s National Basketball League, where he’ll have a chance to play a significant role for the Adelaide 36ers. Randall and teammates Antonius Cleveland and Robert Franks all have NBA out clauses in their contracts with Adelaide, according to MacMahon.

International Notes: EuroBasket, Dragic, Bjelica, Satoransky, Prigioni

August 31st, 2022 at 9:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Europe’s largest basketball tournament will tip off Thursday morning for the first time in five years. EuroBasket 2022 will feature more than 30 NBA players, including stars such as Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic and Rudy Gobert.

Twenty-four teams are involved, with four nations hosting preliminary games, leading up to the gold medal contest Sept. 18 in Berlin, Germany. The tournament used to be held every two years, but it was switched to four-year intervals beginning in 2017. It was delayed an extra year because the Olympics had to be pushed back from 2020 to 2021 due to COVID-19.

Slovenia is the defending champion, with Goran Dragic earning MVP honors in 2017. He didn’t play internationally last year, but has returned to help defend the title, according to Eurohoops.

“A challenging tournament is ahead of us, which we are all looking forward to,” Dragic said. “The championship will be one of the most even ever, as most of the national teams have their strongest possible rosters. As professional athletes, we naturally prefer to play against the best. This gives us additional momentum and presents us with a great challenge. We trained well, the team is ready and we can’t wait for the opening match against Lithuania.”

A full schedule for the event, including the opening matchup between Bulgaria and Spain, is available at ESPN.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Nemanja Bjelica, who played for the Warriors last season, was left off Serbia’s EuroBasket roster because of an injured calf, per Eurohoops. Bjelica missed last week’s FIBA World Cup Qualifiers with the same injury, which he suffered in mid-August. Serbia, led by Jokic, is considered one of the top teams in the tournament even without Bjelica.
A final decision on Tomas Satoransky‘s availability for the Czech team won’t be announced until Thursday, sources tell Eurohoops. A health official from the Wizards, whom Satoransky ended last season with, was in Prague to help with his recovery from ligament damage to his right ankle.
Timberwolves assistant and former NBA guard Pablo Prigioni has been named head coach of Argentina’s national team, Eurohoops relays. “My feeling for the National Team is big, as is my commitment to this group,” Prigioni stated in a press release. “The Argentina shirt is the most important thing. We are focused, staff and players, on giving our best in the tournament that lies ahead.” His first challenge will be the AmeriCup tournament, which begins Friday in Brazil.

International Notes: Satoransky, Motiejunas, Bennett

August 22nd, 2022 at 3:58pm CST by Rory Maher

A report earlier today from IsraelHayom.co.il (hat tip to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando) indicated that Czech guard Tomas Satoransky would miss the upcoming EuroBasket tournament after suffering ligament damage to his right ankle in a warmup tournament against Germany. However, Eurohoops hears differently, stating that while Satoransky does indeed have a “severe” ankle sprain, he hasn’t been ruled out for the tournament.

The Czech Republic team’s opening game takes place on September 2 versus Poland, and even if Satoransky isn’t ready by that point, he’s expected to remain on the roster to try and play when he’s able to, according to Eurohoops.

“The magnetic resonance examination was the same as the other examination. Tomas remains in Prague to rehabilitate intensively. We will know the results of rehabilitation and treatment in a week after the next resonance, which will indicate further progress towards EuroBasket,” said national team manager Michal Sob while talking to the local press.

“Satoransky’s mentality is set in such a way that he wants to do what’s 100% possible to participate in the championship,” he added.

The 30-year-old spent the last six seasons in the NBA, but he’s heading back to Spain next season, having agreed to a four-year deal to reunite with FC Barcelona.

Here are a couple more international notes:

Former NBA big man Donatas Motiejunas has re-signed with AS Monaco Basket, the team announced. Motiejunas played parts of six NBA seasons with Houston, New Orleans and San Antonio, last suiting up for the Spurs for three games in 2018/19. He averaged 10.4 PPG and 4.8 RPG in 33 EuroLeague games (19.3 MPG) with Monaco last season.
Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2013 draft, has signed in Taiwan with the Hsinchu Lioneers, per Dario Skerletic of Sporando. Bennett had a disappointing and brief NBA run, appearing in 151 games (12.6 MPG) with Cleveland, Minnesota, Toronto and Brooklyn from 2013-17, with averages of 4.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG on .392/.261/.670 shooting. The 29-year-old forward spent last season in Israel with Hapoel Jerusalem before heading to Taiwan to play for the Kaohsiung Steelers, Skerletic notes.

International Notes: Schröder, Theis, Giannis, Satoransky

August 21st, 2022 at 10:40am CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent guard Dennis Schröder won’t accompany his German teammates to Sweden for Thursday’s opening game of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, according to Eurohoops. Schröder is recovering from an ankle injury he suffered in the Hamburg Super Cup tournament and will remain in Germany for treatment. There’s a chance he may recover in time for next Sunday’s home contest against Slovenia.

Schröder remains unsigned after splitting last season with the Celtics and Rockets. Although he received positive reviews in Houston after being acquired at the trade deadline, the team is emphasizing youth and doesn’t appear interested in bringing back Schröder.

Germany is already without Pacers center Daniel Theis, who will miss the World Cup Qualifiers and possibly next month’s EuroBasket tournament due to an undisclosed injury. He is training individually and being monitored by the German national team’s medical staff, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.

The Germans are also missing Maxi Kleber, Moritz Wagner and Isaac Bonga due to injuries.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out Greece’s final exhibition game with back soreness, but he’s expected to be ready for Thursday’s World Cup Qualifier against Serbia, Askounis writes in a separate story. Antetokounmpo underwent an MRI that showed no damage to his back.
NBA players Dario Saric, Ivica Zubac and Bojan Bogdanovic are all on the final roster for Croatia, Eurohoops reports. Mario Hezonja is also part of the Croatian team, which missed out on the World Cup Qualifiers but will participate in EuroBasket. Saric sat out all of last season with a torn right ACL.
Czech Republic guard Tomas Satoransky appears to have avoided a major injury to his right ankle, Eurohoops adds in another piece. Satoransky was hurt in Saturday’s game against Germany, and while there has been no official announcement on his condition, Czech reporter Jakub Kanta offered encouraging news. “The X-ray has already ruled out a fracture,” he tweeted, “but the extent of the injury will only be determined by an MRI in the Czech Republic after the swelling subsides.” Satoransky recently signed with FC Barcelona after spending six seasons in the NBA.

International Notes: Patton, Holman, Dekker, Krejci

August 3rd, 2022 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA center Justin Patton, who spent last season in Israel, is off to France for the 2022/23 campaign, having finalized a one-year deal with Cholet Basket, the team announced today in a press release.

The 16th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Patton only ended up playing in 22 NBA games for the Timberwolves, Sixers, Thunder, and Rockets between 2017-21 before heading overseas. A series of foot injuries derailed the early part of Patton’s professional career, but the 25-year-old was able to suit up for 21 games in 2021/22 for Hapoel Eilat, averaging 11.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 1.9 BPG in 27.5 minutes per contest.

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

Former Mississipi State big man Aric Holman has signed with Tezenis Verona, the Italian club announced today in a press release. While Holman is a G League veteran and inked a 10-day hardship contract with the Heat last December, he has yet to make his NBA regular season debut.
The London Lions of the British Basketball League are in talks with veteran NBA forward Sam Dekker, according to Dario Skerletic and Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. A former first-round pick, Dekker began last season with the Raptors, but appeared in just one regular season contest and was waived early in the season, before his full salary became guaranteed.
Although Vit Krejci of the Thunder is the only current NBA player on the Czech Republic’s initial 15-man roster for EuroBasket 2022, there are other notable names on the list, including Tomas Satoransky and Jan Vesely, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops details.

Tomas Satoransky Signs With FC Barcelona

June 26th, 2022 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Tomas Satoransky, who spent time with three NBA teams this season, has signed a four-year contract with FC Barcelona, according to Aris Barkas of EuroHoops.

Satoransky played two years with the Spanish club before leaving for the NBA in 2016. Barkas adds that there was also interest from Anadolu Efes, the back-to-back EuroLeague champs.

The 30-year-old guard was selected by the Wizards with the 32nd pick in the 2012 draft. He played three seasons with the team after leaving Europe and was sent to the Bulls in a sign-and-trade in the summer of 2019. Chicago shipped him to the Pelicans last summer as part of the package for Lonzo Ball, and he was traded to Spurs at this year’s deadline but appeared in just one game before being waived. He returned to the Wizards at the end of February.

The Czech native played 388 games over six NBA seasons, averaging 6.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

FC Barcelona is traditionally one of the top teams in the EuroLeague, but lost to Real Madrid this year in both the Final Four semifinals and ACB finals. According to Barkas, Satoransky is expected to be joined by another former Wizard, Jan Vesely, whom Washington selected with the sixth pick in the 2011 draft.

Tomas Satoransky Nearing Deal With Barcelona?

June 20th, 2022 at 7:58am CST by Luke Adams

After spending the last six years in the NBA, veteran guard Tomas Satoransky may be headed back to Europe for the 2022/23 season.

According to a report from Aris Barkas of Eurohoops (Twitter link), Satoransky is closing in on a deal to rejoin Barcelona, his former team in Spain. In a full story, Antigoni Zachari of Eurohoops cautions that no formal agreement is in place yet, though the negotiations appear to be nearing the finish line.

Satoransky was a regular rotation player in Washington and Chicago from 2016-21, but had a down year in 2021/22 after being sent to New Orleans as part of last summer’s Lonzo Ball sign-and-trade deal. Satoransky was traded twice more during the season – first to Portland, then to San Antonio – and then signed with the Wizards after being waived by the Spurs. In total, he appeared in 55 games for three teams, averaging 3.6 PPG and 3.3 APG on .377/.208/.796 shooting in 16.5 minutes per contest.

Satoransky, 30, began playing professionally in the Czech Republic in 2007 and eventually moved to Spain, where he played for Sevilla from 2009-14 and Barcelona from 2014-16. He was named the Spanish League’s Most Spectacular Player in 2016 before heading stateside to join the Wizards later that year.

Satoransky has appeared in a total of 388 regular season NBA contests (22.2 MPG) in the last six seasons, averaging 6.9 PPG and 4.1 APG with a shooting line of .468/.354/.820.

International Notes: Satoransky, Micic, Larkin, Bryant

May 22nd, 2022 at 9:56am CST by Arthur Hill

Andalou Efes is the latest European team to express interest in signing NBA guard Tomas Satoransky, tweets Bugra Uzar of EuroHoops. A report last month indicated that Spain’s FC Barcelona is also targeting Satoransky, so the Turkish club is likely to have some competition if he decides to return to Europe.

Satoransky played for three teams last season, starting with the Pelicans, who acquired him from the Bulls in an August trade. New Orleans moved him to the Trail Blazers prior to February’s trade deadline, and he was flipped to San Antonio in a three-team deal a day later, but he appeared in just one game for the Spurs before being waived. He signed with the Wizards two days later. Satoransky averaged 3.6 points and 3.3 assists in 55 combined games.

The 30-year-old guard played eight seasons in Europe before leaving for the NBA in 2016. Returning home would be an attractive option if he doesn’t receive another NBA opportunity, and Andalou Efes, which claimed its second straight EuroLeague title Saturday, should receive strong consideration.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Satoransky could be a replacement for Vasilije Micic, who is rumored to have interest in trying the NBA after winning his second consecutive Final Four MVP trophy. Micic, whose draft rights are held by the Thunder, said he wants to join two-time MVP Nikola Jokic as examples of the quality of Serbian basketball. “What we have in common with Jokic is that we both make Serbia proud,” Micic said in a post-game press conference, per a EuroHoops report. “He is a unique person. He makes a small country so recognizable, so famous, he represents us. I’m supporting his achievements and I’m proud.”
Former NBA guard Shane Larkin has become a star in Europe and he’s happy to stay there, according to Antonis Stroggylakis of EuroHoops. Larkin expressed a desire to return to the NBA amid the pandemic crisis two years ago, but he has since changed his mind. “I grew up in America. I didn’t know much about European basketball,” he said. “To be here, to see the passion, to be in this atmosphere. To do the things that I’ve been able to accomplish here. I wouldn’t trade this for the world. Even if I could’ve gone back in the NBA and sign for a max contract, I would much rather choose this. Being able to play in front of these fans, with this passion and experience this in my life. This has been amazing and I’m very happy with everything.”
Elijah Bryant, who was on the Bucks’ roster last season, achieved the rare feat of winning NBA and EuroLeague titles in consecutive seasons, tweets BasketNews.

Tomas Satoransky Eyes Return To Spain

April 30th, 2022 at 9:02am CST by Dana Gauruder

Tomas Satoransky is negotiating with FC Barcelona regarding a possible reunion with the Spanish team, according to Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando.

Satoransky will be an unrestricted NBA free agent this summer but apparently is looking toward overseas options. He played for three NBA teams this season — 32 games with the Pelicans, one with the Spurs and 22 more with the Wizards. In the latter stop, he appeared in 22 games (10 starts) and averaged 4.9 PPG, 4.9 APG and 2.8 RPG.

Satoransky, who was in the final season of a expiring three-year, $30MM contract, was traded twice in 2021/22 and was bought out by the Spurs. He signed with Washington after clearing waivers.

The combo guard played for Barcelona from 2014-16 before embarking on his NBA career. He has appeared in 388 NBA games, averaging 6.9 PPG and 4.1 APG in 22.2 MPG.