Hamed Haddadi Rumors | Hoops Rumors

World Cup Notes: Haddadi, USA, France, Dominican Republic

September 3rd, 2023 at 1:44pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Following a two-decade run with Team Iran’s national club, 38-year-old center Hamed Haddadi is retiring from international competition, according to Eurohoops.

“I have had a long career with the national team since the 2000s,” Haddadi said following his final stint, against Team Lebanon, in which he notched 14 points and eight boards. “I try to play when I can even if I’m out of shape. I feel good but upset too because I’m leaving my team.”

Haddadi has been playing abroad since his last NBA experience, in 2012/13 with the Suns. All told, the 7’2″ big man spent five seasons in the league, averaging 2.2 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 151 regular season bouts.

Here are more notes from the World Cup:

Massive disadvantages in rebounding and three-point shooting efficiency, along with a general height disadvantage, doomed Team U.S.A. to its first 2023 FIBA World Cup defeat on Sunday, a 110-104 loss to Lithuania, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Shooting guard Austin Reaves considers the loss a potentially galvanizing moment for the now-4-1 club, heading into the quarterfinals of the tournament, per Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. “We were down by 17 at the halftime,” Reaves said. “It’s hard to climb back from a deficit like that. When you do that, it’s hard… But tip the hat off, they shot the ball from three really well. Offensively, they were really well. Congrats to them.”
Hall of Fame point guard Tony Parker recently spoke to RMC Radio’s The Stephen Time Show at length about his native France’s upset early ouster from World Cup competition (hat tip to Eurohoops for the transcription). “There, we really experienced a fiasco,” Parker said. “It’s not normal for such a team to lose in the first round. We have never seen Spain and the United States go out in the first round. And it’s a shame because our generation worked so hard to bring France back to a certain level, so that we could be respected, by FIBA, the referees, the other countries. It’s so hard to have respect… We have to improve the team [ahead of next year’s Paris Olympics], we need changes, but it’s not going to be easy.”
After a 112-79 defeat against Team Serbia, Karl-Anthony Towns‘ Dominican Republic national team was eliminated from the World Cup prior to the tournament’s quarterfinals. Towns told reporters after the loss that he deeply enjoyed his experience despite the ouster, according to Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. “This is some of the most fun basketball I’ve ever played,” Towns said. “Coming here, the world expected us to fall flat in our faces, not being a contender and not winning games. Being one of those easy opponents to face, but we didn’t do that at all. We came out here and I hope we made our country proud with the way we competed. The way we fought. And I think the biggest word is we made our country believe.”

And-Ones: Klutch Sports, Singleton, Adrien

September 10th, 2019 at 10:20pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Klutch Sports, the player agency led by Rich Paul, is expanding its reach to the NFL, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The agency, which represents LeBron James and Ben Simmons among other notable NBA players, is in talks with Damarius Bilbo to lead its football division.

Here’s more from around the league:

Former NBA big man Chris Singleton has signed with Turkish team Anadolu Efes Istanbul, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The power forward was the No. 18 overall pick in the 2011 draft (Wizards), but hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2013/14 season.
Hamed Haddadi, who previously played for the Grizzlies and Suns, has agreed to return to the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association, Carchia relays in a separate piece. The 7’2″ center averaged a double-double for Iran during the FIBA World Cup.
Jeff Adrien will play in Israel again this season after inking a deal with Ironi Nahariya, David Pick tweets. The forward last played in the NBA for the Timberwolves during the 2014/15 season.

And-Ones: USA Basketball, Haddadi, Goodwin, Douglas, Griffin

December 3rd, 2018 at 8:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

USA Basketball has secured a spot in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 event, Sportando relays. The USA team captured a berth with a 78-70 win over Uruguay on Sunday. Venezuela and Argentina were the other teams from the Americas who also qualified for the FIBA tournament.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Center Hamed Haddadi and shooting guard Archie Goodwin will continue their careers in China, according to a pair of Sportando posts. Haddadi, 33, reached an agreement with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. He last appeared in the NBA during the 2012/13 season with the Grizzlies and Suns. Goodwin, 24, signed with the Qingdao Eagles. He most recently played in the NBA during the 2016/17 season, when he saw action in a combined 15 games for the Nets and Pelicans.
Former NBA guard Toney Douglas has reached an agreement with the Turkish club Darussafaka, according to another Sportando report. Douglas previously played for another team in Turkey, Sakarya. Douglas, 32, most recently played in the NBA during the 2016/17 season with the Grizzlies when came off the bench for 24 games.
The blockbuster deal that sent Blake Griffin from the Clippers to the Pistons last winter has worked out surprisingly well for both sides, as Matt John of Basketball Insiders notes. Griffin has stayed healthy and played like an MVP candidate for the Pistons through the first 20 games this season, while Tobias Harris is the leading scorer for one of the league’s most prolific offenses, John continues. The draft pick the Clippers acquired was used on point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has displayed unusual poise as a rookie, John adds.

And-Ones: Roberts, Haddadi, Ferry, Parsons

September 10th, 2014 at 9:03pm CST by Alex Lee

The summer of 2014 continued to belong to Boris Diaw, as the Spurs star led France to a huge upset of host Spain in the quarterfinals of the Basketball World Cup earlier today. Meanwhile, on American soil, details continue to emerge in the situation in Atlanta. Here are some additional updates from around the league, Hawks-related and otherwise, on Wednesday night:

Michele Roberts‘ term as executive director of the NBPA will begin at the end of September, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, who writes that the trial lawyer won’t have much time to ease into the job with the Hawks saga in full swing. Obligations from her previous job and ongoing contract negotiations have prevented Roberts from starting sooner, according to Amick. Acting executive director Ron Klempner, who issued a statement on the Atlanta situation on Monday, has been has handling the role on an interim basis since Billy Hunter was fired in 2013.
Seven-foot Iranian center Hamed Haddadi wants to explore the possibility of a return to the NBA before committing to Qingdao Double Star of China, according to Sports Sohu (translation via Sportando). The 29-year-old Haddadi played in China and then Iran last season after spending five years in the NBA with the Grizzlies and Suns. He has not been linked to any NBA teams this offseason.
Even if Danny Ferry was indeed reading a scouting report written by someone else, Bob Young of AZCentral opines that the Hawks GM should still resign for not immediately firing that member of his staff on the spot. Young also points out that Ferry and the Hawks have been fortunate that the NFL scandal has somewhat overshadowed what has transpired in Atlanta.
Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons said the Rockets told him to “go get the biggest deal and the best deal for you and we’re matching,” writes Michael Florek of The Dallas Morning News. Parsons, of course, proceeded to do just that — signing a three-year, $45MM deal with Dallas — but Houston didn’t follow suit.

Odds & Ends: Durant, Brooks, Nuggets

February 20th, 2014 at 8:11pm CST by Zachary Links

With tax season approaching, Thunder star Kevin Durant is looking to get his house in order. Durant is suing his former accountant for $600K over what he says were mistakes on his previous taxes, according to the Associated Press. More from around the Association..

Aaron Brooks could have blocked the trade sending him from the Rockets to the Nuggets but he had a change of heart late in the game, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26. “I changed my mind after talking to [Denver exec] Jared Jeffries, the (Nuggets) GM and the coach,” said the guard. Brooks also says that the need for him to play in the final year of his deal motivated him to say yes, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Nuggets GM Tim Connelly offered a very rational take of today’s deal to acquire Jan Vesely from the Wizards. “It’s not often you get a chance to get a 30-game look at the sixth pick in the draft from a couple years ago,” said the GM, according to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
Center Hamed Haddadi inked a deal in Iran after finishing his season in China, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Former Nets guard Tyshawn Taylor has signed in Puerto Rico, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Taylor was traded to the Pelicans earlier this year but was promptly cut loose.
The Pelicans‘ inability to get back into the first-round of the 2014 draft at the deadline was disappointing, writes Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune.

International Notes: Kings, White, Thornton, Spurs

November 21st, 2013 at 7:15pm CST by Charlie Adams

The Kings are dedicated to expanding their brand internationally, Will Robinson of Reuters reports. Kings president Chris Granger expressed his interest in appealing to NBA fans over in India: “Our overall mission for us is to become India’s home team.” This announcement is hardly surprising since we’ve heard numerous times that David Stern and the NBA as a whole are keen on expanding the league’s presence overseas.

Have a look at the latest international news:

Former first-round pick D.J. White will be returning to China. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that the Sichuan Blue Whales are bringing aboard the ex-Bobcats big man. Although White was in Chicago for training camp, he failed to make the Bulls’ opening day roster and most recently saw playing time for the Shanghai Sharks. White will join Hamed Haddadi on the Blue Whales, another former NBA player.
Al Thornton inked an international deal today in Puerto Rico. According to Sportando, the Brujos de Guayama have announced his signing. The former lottery pick hasn’t seen NBA action since 2010/11 when he put up a meager 7.4 PPG for the Wizards and Warriors.
Dan McCarney over at Spurs Nation takes a look at how the Spurs depth is due largely to the team’s excellent assortment of international players. McCarney notes that with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker aging, great play off the bench from “The Foreign Legion” is critical.

Hamed Haddadi To Play In China

September 27th, 2013 at 11:35am CST by Luke Adams

For the second time in the last week, China's Sichuan Blue Whales are set to add a notable ex-NBA player, having signed Hamed Haddadi, according to Mohammad Amin of Asia-Basket.com. Sichuan reportedly reached an agreement with former lottery pick Jonny Flynn as well.

Haddadi, 28, drew interest from the Knicks this summer, though the team ultimately decided to sign Cole Aldrich rather than Haddadi. The Iranian big man was said earlier this month to be weighing offers from NBA teams and Chinese clubs. By heading overseas, Haddadi figures to have more financial security — according to Amin, he'll earn about $1.3MM USD in China.

The Grizzlies and Raptors both included Haddadi in trades prior to the deadline last season, with the five-year veteran ultimately ending up in Phoenix. He finished the year strong, averaging 4.1 PPG and 5.1 RPG in just 13.8 MPG in 17 contests for the Suns. Back in early August, when I examined the remaining free agents with the best rebounding numbers, Haddadi ranked atop the list.

Haddadi's new team, the Sichuan Blue Whales, played in China's National Basketball League last season, but are reportedly set to be promoted to the Chinese Basketball Association for the coming year.

Knicks Split On Signing Earl Barron

September 18th, 2013 at 9:24pm CST by Alex Lee

While the Knicks coaching staff would like to add free-agent big man Earl Barron, the team's front office is not in any hurry to do so, writes Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report. This is not the first time we have heard that the Knicks like Barron from Zwerling, who cites several sources in his story, presumably making Barron a solid candidate to land one of the last three Knicks roster spots should they bring him aboard.

Zwerling also confirms what we heard yesterday; that the Knicks have worked out a slew of free agents in preparation for training camp, which he says is contributing to the disagreement on Barron. Zwerling reports that center Hamed Haddadi, who worked out for the Knicks last month, hopes to find a team this week but that team is unlikely to be New York. Cole Aldrich and DeSagana Diop are another pair of free agent big men that have worked out with the Knicks.

Apparently, Barron shot the ball well in his Monday workout with the Jazz. According to Zwerling's source close to Barron, while the free agent hopes to land in New York and may use Utah's interest as leverage to speed up the process, he is not waiting on the Knicks.

Hamed Haddadi Weighing NBA, Overseas Offers

September 12th, 2013 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent center Hamed Haddadi is still looking for work for the 2013/14 season, and is currently mulling offers from teams in the NBA and China, according to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter). I would guess that Haddadi's offers from CBA teams include more assurances when it comes to role and salary, whereas NBA interest may be limited to camp invites.

Haddadi, 28, has been linked primarily to the Knicks since being released by the Suns in June, with several reports indicating that New York had interest in the big man. The most recent story, earlier this month, suggested the Knicks' interest had dissipated, but that report came a couple days before Jeremy Tyler underwent foot surgery, which may have put the club back in the market for a center. Haddadi also reportedly worked out for the Pelicans.

The Grizzlies and Raptors both included Haddadi in trades prior to the deadline last season, with the five-year veteran ultimately ending up in Phoenix. He finished the year strong, averaging 4.1 PPG and 5.1 RPG in just 13.8 MPG in 17 contests for the Suns. A month ago, when I examined the remaining free agents with the best rebounding numbers, Haddadi ranked atop the list.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Haddadi, Knicks, Bulls

September 3rd, 2013 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The 76ers' roster is currently light on veterans and heavy on young talent, which should make for a competitive training camp and preseason. GM Sam Hinkie tells Tom Moore of The Intelligencer that he thinks that competition will be good for the team.

"Everyone starts with a blank slate," Hinkie said. "That’s refreshing in a lot of ways. It’s less what you’ve done and more: what can you do from here? I think all of our players will sense an opportunity to play, show what they can do and expand their game one way or another. It’s important for the future of the Sixers and their own careers."

Here's more on the Sixers and the rest of the Eastern Conference:

Within the same piece, Moore notes that an NBA source says the league's minimum required payroll won't have an effect on the Sixers' roster moves, since there's no real penalty for falling short of the salary floor. I suggested as much when I examined the situation a few weeks ago.
The Knicks don't currently have interest in signing free agent big man Hamed Haddadi, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).
Gonzalo Aguirregomezcorta of ESPNDeportes.com caught up with Luis Scola, who says he's looking forward to playing for a Pacers team that he considers to be a "serious title contender."
The Bulls have promoted Adrian Griffin to lead assistant on Tom Thibodeau's staff, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
In his latest mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman explains why starting the season with a 13-man roster and potentially adding another player or two before the playoffs could make the most sense for the Heat.
The Hawks and Bulls are unlikely to be too active on the trade market this season, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.