Aaron Harrison

And-Ones: Referees, Harrison, Bitadze, Korkmaz, Hoard

There won’t be any labor strife regarding NBA officials for several years. The NBA and the National Basketball Referees Association announced that they have entered into a new collective bargaining agreement that covers the next seven seasons.

That CBA runs through the 2028/29 season. The contract addressed salary, travel, pension and marketing issue rights and was ratified by the overwhelming majority of the NBA referees, the NBRA announced (hat tip to Andrew Lopez of ESPN).

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Former NBA guard Aaron Harrison has signed in Slovenia with KK Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Harrison played 38 games with the Hornets and Mavericks from 2015-18. He played in Turkey last season.
  • FIBA officially announced that disciplinary proceedings have been opened for the alleged attack on Sixers wing and Turkish national team member Furkan Korkmaz by Georgia players, including the Pacers’ Goga Bitadze, after Korkmaz was ejected from a EuroBasket contest, Eurohoops.net relays. Both sides agree that an incident happened and FIBA clarifies that they have the security camera footage from that day. What remains unclear is what kind of sanctions can be imposed, Eurohoops adds, as FIBA uses the wording “applicable disciplinary measures.”
  • Hapoel Tel Aviv has elected to retain Jaylen Hoard for the rest of he 2022/23 season, the team announced. Hoard joined the club on a partially guaranteed deal and now will get a full guarantee. After going undrafted out of Wake Forest in 2019, the 6’8″, French-born swingman joined the Trail Blazers on a two-way deal for the 2019/20 season. He then spent the subsequent two NBA seasons bouncing between the Thunder and their NBAGL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.

International Notes: D. Williams, Harrison, Singleton, L. Brown

While the NBA’s 2020 free agency period is still a few months away, teams in Europe are already making offseason roster moves in preparation for the 2020/21 season, and a number of former NBA players are in the news. One of those players is Pau Gasol, who is reportedly in serious talks with Barcelona about a potential one-year deal, as we relayed earlier today.

Here are a few more updates on former NBA players lining up new deals overseas:

  • Spanish team Valencia has reached an agreement to sign former No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams for the coming season, the club announced in a press release. Still just 29 years old, Williams has appeared in over 400 NBA regular season games, but has spent the last couple seasons in international leagues, playing for Fenerbahce in Turkey in 2019/20.
  • Olympiacos BC in Greece has officially announced the signing of Aaron Harrison, the former Kentucky guard who played for the Hornets and Mavericks in the NBA from 2015-18. Harrison, who spent the last two seasons with Turkish team Galatasaray, signed a two-year contract with Olympiacos.
  • Former first-round pick Chris Singleton, who last appeared in the NBA in 2014 with the Wizards, has signed a multiyear contract extension with Turkish club Anadolu Efes, the team announced in a press release. It’s a two-year deal with a third-year option for the veteran forward, who joins Rodrigue Beaubois in agreeing to an extension with Anadolu Efes this week.
  • Turkish club Fenerbahce is eyeing veteran guard Lorenzo Brown, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Brown last played in the NBA during the 2018/19 season before being waived by Toronto.

International Notes: Shved, Monroe, A. Antetokounmpo, More

Despite some speculation that he might return to the NBA, veteran guard Alexey Shved has agreed to a new three-year contract extension with Khimki, his team in Russia, sources tell Sportando.

Shved, who appeared in 182 NBA games for four teams from 2012-15, has excelled over the last few years for Khimki in EuroCup and EuroLeague play. While he’d certainly draw interest if he looked to make an NBA comeback, it appears that he has decided the upside of such a move is outweighed by playing a starring role on one of Europe’s best teams in his home country.

Here are a few more international basketball updates:

  • Veteran big man Greg Monroe spent the 2019/20 season with Bayern Munich in Germany, but isn’t expected to remain with the club for a second season, per the team’s sporting director Daniele Baiesi. “I don’t think (he) is going to come back,” Baiesi said of Monroe (Twitter link via Robert Heusel of BIG Basketball). “He deserves a much bigger stage. I think he’s a luxury that we cannot afford.”
  • Alex Antetokounmpo, the youngest brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo, has signed a three-year contract with Spanish team UCAM Murcia, according to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net. Giannis’ brother recently decided to prepare for the NBA by playing professionally in Europe rather than joining an NCAA program in the United States. According to Varlas, Alex’s new deal includes an NBA out clause after each year.
  • Former NBA guard Aaron Harrison has agreed to a deal with Greek team Olympiacos after spending last season with Galatasaray in Turkey, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Harrison spent time with Charlotte and Dallas from 2015-18.
  • Veteran guard Darrun Hilliard, who appeared in 91 NBA game from 2015-18 for Detroit and San Antonio, is expected to remain with Russian club CSKA Moscow for one more season, tweets Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas.

And-Ones: Lin, James, Harrison, Williams

Point guard Jeremy Lin has received an offer from CSKA Moscow, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Lin is one of the biggest names remaining on the NBA free agent market but has received little interest following a disappointing stint with the champion Raptors. He was expected to be a rotation player in the playoffs after reaching a buyout with the Hawks but only appeared in eight postseason games during the title run, averaging 1.1 PPG in 3.4 MPG. Lin, 30, has appeared in 480 NBA games.

We have more international basketball news:

  • Olimpia Milano is looking to part ways with former NBA guard Mike James, Carchia tweets. The Euro team signed another former NBA point guard, Shelvin Mack, on Thursday to essentially replace James. Head coach Ettore Messina informed James there’s no playing time available with the addition of Mack. James played a combined 36 games with the Suns and Pelicans during the 2017/18 season.
  • Guard Aaron Harrison will remain in Turkey with Galatasaray, his agent told Carchia (Twitter link). Harrison, 24, last appeared in the NBA with the Mavericks, playing nine games during the 2017/18 season.
  • Former Suns and Nets forward Alan Williams will likely sign with Russia’s Lokomotiv Krasnodar, Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas tweets. Williams, 26, played five games with Brooklyn last season.

Celtics Notes: Irving, Harrison, Free Agency

It seems pretty evident at this point that the Celtics and point guard Kyrie Irving will go their own ways this summer. And if prior reports weren’t enough to convince you, ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan’s report while appearing on the Hoop Collective podcast (h/t to Alexis Mansanarez of Sporting News) this week should do the trick.

Per MacMullan, by the time this past season ended, Irving had issues with the city of Boston itself, as well as head coach Brad Stevens, general manager Danny Ainge, and teammates Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown.

“I’ve been told this by many people: He didn’t like living in Boston,” MacMullan said. “He just didn’t. By the end, he had issues with Brad. By the end he had issues with Danny. By the end he had issues with pretty much all of us.”

There’s more news from Boston this weekend:

  • With Al Horford poised to leave Boston in free agency and Aron Baynes in agreement to be traded to the Suns, the Celtics really need to focus on obtaining some more big men in free agency to help fill out the roster alongside Robert Williams and Guerschon Yabusele, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston.
  • Should the Celtics strike out in free agency, a potential back-up plan is to absorb another team’s large, unwanted veteran contract with one season left on their deal in addition to attached future assets, per Brian Robb of Boston Sports Journal. One name that comes to mind is Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons.
  • According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, free agent guard Aaron Harrison, who last played in the NBA for the Mavericks during the 2017/18 season, will join the Celtics for summer league play. Per Givony, Harrison is coming off an outstanding season in Turkey with Galatasaray, and he looks to be interested in turning that success into another NBA contract.

And-Ones: Long, LiAngelo Ball, Spain

Ex-Sixers forward Shawn Long has signed a contract with New Zealand Breakers, according to a Sportando report. Long played 18 games with Philadelphia in 2016/2017, averaging 8.2 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 13 MPG. He toiled in the G League last season with the Delaware 87ers, averaging 14.6 PPG and 7.7 RPG in 33 games following a seven-game stint in China. The Timberwolves took a look at Long during a free agent mini-camp in June.

We have more from around the pro basketball world:

Aaron Harrison Opts To Play In Turkey

Former Hornets and Mavericks guard Aaron Harrison has reached an agreement to play with Galatasaray in the Turkish league, according to a Sportando report.

Harrison will sign a one-year deal after protracted negotiations to continue his career overseas. In mid-August, Harrison backed out of an agreement to join Galatasaray.

Harrison was not tendered a qualifying offer this summer by Dallas and became a unrestricted free agent. He joined the Wizards’ summer league team but shot poorly in five Las Vegas games, making just 19% of his attempts while averaging 5.8 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 15.4 MPG.

The former Kentucky Wildcat appeared in nine games, including three starts, with Dallas last season after signing a 10-day deal and then a rest-of-the-season contract in early April. The 6’6” Harrison averaged 6.7 PPG in 25.9 MPG but shot just 27.5% from the field. He saw action in a combined 26 games with Charlotte the previous two seasons.

The Turkish team also has an agreement with forward Nigel Hayes, who played for three different NBA franchises last season.

Aaron Harrison Won’t Play In Turkey After All

Former Hornets and Mavericks guard Aaron Harrison has backed out of his agreement to play with Galatasaray in the Turkish league, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando tweets. The reasons behind Harrison’s decision are unknown, though the economic crisis in the country could have played a role, Cauchi adds.

Harrison was not tendered a qualifying offer this summer by Dallas and became a unrestricted free agent. He joined the Wizards’ summer league team but shot poorly in five Las Vegas games, making just 19% of his attempts while averaging 5.8 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 15.4 MPG.

The former Kentucky Wildcat appeared in nine games, including three starts, with Dallas last season after signing a 10-day deal and then a rest-of-the-season contract in early April. The 6’6” Harrison averaged 6.7 PPG in 25.9 MPG but shot just 27.5% from the field. He saw action in a combined 26 games with Charlotte the previous two seasons.

The Turkish team also has an agreement with forward Nigel Hayes, who played for three different NBA franchises last season.

Nigel Hayes To Play In Turkey

Former Wisconsin forward Nigel Hayes is headed overseas for the coming season, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who reports (via Twitter) that Hayes has reached a contract agreement with Turkish club Galatasaray.

Hayes, 23, went undrafted last summer, but joined the Knicks for training camp. A strong showing (16.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, .454 3PT%) for New York’s G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, resulted in a handful of NBA opportunities for the young forward later in the year.

Hayes signed 10-day contracts with the Lakers and Raptors before inking a rest-of-season deal with the Kings. He appeared in nine total games for the three clubs, but was waived by Sacramento last month, making him an unrestricted free agent.

According to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, who reported earlier today that Hayes was closing in on a deal with Galatasaray, the Turkish team is also moving toward signing former Hornets and Mavericks guard Aaron Harrison. Harrison finished the 2017/18 season with Dallas but is now an unrestricted free agent.

Free Agent Rumors: Knicks, Beasley, Lauvergne

While the Knicks don’t plan on offering any contracts with second-year guarantees, they’re unlikely to sit out free agency entirely. As Marc Berman of The New York Post details, the club is exploring the possibility of re-signing Michael Beasley or adding another veteran forward.

According to Berman, Anthony Tolliver is a potential target for the Knicks, who may want to use their mid-level exception on a “high-character veteran.” Berman identifies Jeff Green, Ersan Ilyasova, and Luc Mbah a Moute as other options within the New York’s price range.

[RELATED: Top 50 NBA Free Agents Of 2018]

As for Beasley, while a return to the Knicks is possible, sources tell Berman that the Trail Blazers, Hawks, and Bucks are among the other teams that could have interest. The Warriors have also internally discussed the possibility of offering Beasley a minimum-salary deal, but it doesn’t look like they’ll do so, Berman adds.

Here are more notes and rumors on free agency from around the NBA:

  • Spurs big man Joffrey Lauvergne is leaning toward declining his player option and becoming a free agent, reports Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. If Lauvergne opts out, he may head to Europe, where he’d be in line for a larger role — Fenerbahce (Turkey) and CSKA Moscow (Russia) are two teams with apparent interest, per Cauchi.
  • Within a league-wide look at each team’s priorities in free agency, Michael Scotto of The Athletic reports that the Nets are in the market for a stretch four this offseason.
  • Former lottery pick Anthony Randolph, who played in the NBA from 2008 to 2014, is a candidate to return to the league, says Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Randolph has played in Russia and Spain over the last few seasons, but a source tells Deveney that the forward/center is receiving interest from multiple NBA teams. For now, Randolph remains under contract with Real Madrid, but a jump back to the NBA is possible.
  • Aaron Harrison, eligible for restricted free agency with the Mavericks, has committed to joining the Wizards‘ Summer League team, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Dallas tendered qualifying offers to a few other RFA-eligible players this week, but it seems Harrison isn’t in the team’s plans. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday.