International Notes: Rubio, Abrines, Flynn, Anderson

Ricky Rubio has clarified that his somewhat enigmatic social media post last week was not a retirement message, writes Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops.net.

“This isn’t a farewell. It’s simply a thank you. It comes from my year of reflection, and I wanted to do something that’s rarely done: to thank those who have been or are important to you. But it has no other message,” Rubio said.

However, just because the posts weren’t specifically intended as a farewell, that doesn’t mean that he’s officially coming back.

“Everything is open. I might play again – why not? – or I might not, and that wouldn’t be a bad idea either. It’s something I’d like to consider in the near future. For now, I just wanted to say thank you and also see how it affects me as a person, and if it gives me energy to move in one direction or another,” Rubio said.

Rubio didn’t play for Barcelona this season after taking a hiatus due to mental health issues.

We have more from around the world of European hoops:

• Former Thunder wing Alex Abrines is seriously considering retirement, reports Eurohoops (via Twitter). The 31-year-old current captain of Barcelona played 17.6 minutes per game this season in EuroLeague play while averaging 4.6 points per game.
• Malachi Flynn is in advanced talks with the Turkish team Bahcesehir, reports Sport24 via Sportando. The former Knicks and Hornets guard, who scored 50 points for the Pistons last season, could be closing in on a deal approaching $1MM after playing just four games for Charlotte this season.
• Dubai BC is gearing up to make a serious offer for Justin Anderson, reports Chema de Lucas (via Twitter). Anderson, who played 242 NBA games from 2015 to 2022, has spent the past two seasons in the Liga ACB. He averaged 6.9 points in 19 minutes per night during Barcelona’s EuroLeague play this season. As Dubai seeks to improve its roster, Anderson looks to be one of their top targets.