International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mario Hezonja Drawing ‘Serious’ NBA Interest

May 25th, 2025 at 9:22am CST by Rory Maher

Former No. 5 overall pick Mario Hezonja is drawing “serious interest” from NBA teams as he contemplates a move away from Spanish EuroLeague club Real Madrid, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.

Although Hezonja signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid last summer, his deal contains an NBA out clause in the range of $850K, according to Urbonas’ sources, which is the standard for international players crossing the Atlantic.

According to Urbonas, “several” NBA teams are keeping a close eye on Hezonja’s situation after a solid three-year stint with Real Madrid. The 30-year-old, who played for Panathinaikos (Greece) and UNICS (Russia) from 2020-22, also put up huge numbers during EuroBasket 2025 qualifiers, averaging 30.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game, RealGM notes, though Croatia failed to qualify for the first time in the tournament’s history.

A 6’8″ forward, Hezonja never lived up to his lofty draft status as a young player in the NBA — his stints with Orlando, New York and Portland were plagued by inconsistency in multiple areas. But he did have occasional moments of brilliance, particularly on straight line drives when he could showcase his run-and-jump athleticism, and the outlines of a 3-and-D role player were certainly evident.

More importantly, Hezonja has been one of the better players in Europe over the past five years, and there’s a “real possibility” he could return to the NBA as he weighs his options this offseason, sources tell Urbonas.

While he never played for the Grizzlies, Hezonja was technically paid by Memphis during the 2020/21 season, having been waived before that campaign began.

International Notes: Bogdanovic, EuroLeague, Asia, Sarr

May 23rd, 2025 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The No. 27 pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Bogdan Bogdanovic spent three more seasons playing in Europe before making the move stateside in 2017. The veteran swingman has been in the NBA since then, but told reporters at the EuroLeague Final Four this week that he could see himself playing overseas again before his career is over.

“I had that goal when I was leaving (for the NBA), but I’ll see how my health is later in my career,” Bogdanovic said, per Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews. “I want to come back, of course, but I have to stay healthy. … I miss it because I’m closer to my friends and family (in Europe). That’s what I miss most. Competition as well, but friends and family first, honestly.”

Bogdanovic, who finished the 2024/25 season with the Clippers following a midseason trade from Atlanta to Los Angeles, added that he’s looking forward to representing Serbia in EuroBasket 2025 and is “optimistic” that Nuggets star Nikola Jokic will participate in the tournament.

“I feel like we have a good opportunity (to win the gold). We can’t hide,” Bogdanovic said, according to Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops. “That’s it. We’re going for gold. All those years we’re building something. It’s progress. A process. Hopefully, we’ll stay healthy and we show up healthy and ready to go.”

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

The EuroLeague is expected to expand from 18 to 20 teams beginning next season, according to reports from Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews and Alessandro Maggi of Sportando (Twitter link). Hapoel Tel Aviv, Dubai BC, and Valencia are the favorites to join the league next season, with ALBA Berlin exiting, according to Urbonas. In addition to working on expansion, EuroLeague officials are expected to meet with the NBA and FIBA next week about the NBA’s own European league.
What exactly is the Asian University Basketball League? Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com takes a closer look at the college basketball organization launching this summer in Asia and speaks to AUBL CEO Jay Li about his goal of finding and developing the next NBA star from the continent. “We are not just an Asian basketball league,” Li said. “We could be the centerpiece of youth talent development for the entire world when it comes to developing Asia’s next Yao Ming, Asia’s next Jeremy Lin.”
Dame Sarr, a 6’8″ wing from Italy, has committed to Duke for the 2025/26 season, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Sarr, who has spent the past two seasons playing for Barcelona in Spain, had a big game at last month’s Nike Hoop Summit, establishing himself as a potential 2026 first-round pick to watch. “My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA,” Sarr told ESPN. “There’s no better place to prepare you for that than Duke. For me to be as NBA-ready as possible, and become the best version of myself, I needed to have both experiences — playing for a pro team like Barcelona, and playing in a different type of professional environment like Duke against other players my age. Opportunity, minutes, repetition — this route is the best next step for me at this time.”

Suns’ Micic Discusses Contract Situation, EuroBasket

May 22nd, 2025 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

Reporting from international outlets throughout the spring has linked NBA point guard Vasilije Micic to Hapoel Tel Aviv, with one April report indicating that Micic was on the verge of signing a $5MM contract with the Israeli club.

While it’s possible that deal will still come to fruition, Micic made it clear in a conversation with Meridian Sport that he hasn’t signed anything yet and suggested that his plans for the 2025/26 season remain up in the air, given that his contract with the Suns includes an $8.11MM team option.

“I really don’t know. The team still has an option on my contract. And that’s a serious clause in the NBA. All I know is that I want to play,” Micic said (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops). “There are plenty of rumors. I don’t pay attention. … If I haven’t signed anything, I have nothing to talk about. My contract officially runs until June 30. Before that, it’s all just talk. But I can’t believe in anything until I see something concrete.”

A EuroLeague champion in 2021 and 2022 and the MVP of Europe’s top league in 2021, Micic signed a three-year, $23.6MM contract with Oklahoma City during the 2023 offseason, nine years after he was selected with the No. 52 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. However, his stint in the NBA hasn’t gone as planned.

Micic has been traded twice since arriving stateside and has played a modest role for Oklahoma City, Charlotte, and Phoenix, averaging 6.8 points and 3.9 assists in 19.4 minutes per game across 101 outings in the past two seasons. He has made just 39.5% of his field goal attempts, including 31.5% of his three-pointers, and hasn’t been an asset on the defensive end of the court.

The cap-strapped Suns will probably have little incentive to exercise Micic’s $8.11MM option unless his salary is needed for trade purposes. Even in that scenario, there’s no guarantee the 31-year-old’s new team would retain him, so he’s a good bet to reach free agency at some point this offseason. And even if he doesn’t ultimately finalize a deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv, his desire for a significant role suggests a return to Europe is likely.

Wherever he ends up this fall, Micic figures to be playing overseas this summer. He told Meridian Sport that he “really” wants to represent Serbia in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament after helping his home country claim a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics a year ago.

“Last year was great for us,” Micic said. “… This year, we hope it’ll be even better. Someone’s always missing. If everyone shows up, it’ll be incredible, and hopefully even more successful.”

And-Ones: Jokic, Malone, Spending Power, Jordan, Uniforms

May 19th, 2025 at 1:24pm CST by Rory Maher

After Sunday’s lopsided Game 7 loss to Oklahoma City, Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was asked whether or not he intends to suit up for Serbia at the EuroBasket tournament this summer, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Jokic helped the Serbian national team win a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

“I think the Olympics made me even better. Playing for your country, with other rules, with different players,” he said. “I need to decide. … I need to talk with the coaches and some of the main players. And we will see. But for now, for the next couple of days, there will be a lot of beer probably.”

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

Michael Malone, the former head coach of the Nuggets who was fired with three games left in the regular season, is joining ESPN for its coverage of the Western Conference Finals, according to The Associated Press. The series tips off on Tuesday, with top-seeded Oklahoma City hosting Minnesota. Malone will be featured on both the pregame and halftime shows.
Which NBA teams will have the most spending power this offseason? Which will have the least? Danny Leroux of The Athletic breaks each team into categories, with the Nets having by far the most projected cap space at $58MM. The Spurs are among the group who project to have access to the full (aka non-taxpayer) mid-level exception, the Pacers could have the taxpayer MLE, and the Cavaliers are expected to be over the second tax apron. Leroux also gives a brief rundown of the types of moves each club could consider with respect to their financial situation.
A uniform worn by Bulls legend Michael Jordan during the 1992/93 season was recently sold at auction for $2.6MM, per Dan Hajducky of ESPN.com. Jordan, who wore the red uniform during road games, led the league in scoring for the seventh straight time and led Chicago to its third consecutive title in ’92/93. The former Hornets owner is joining NBC Sports as a special contributor when the NBA returns to the network this fall.
The NBA has informed teams that city edition uniforms will not be worn during the conference finals or finals, a league source tell Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). The city edition uniforms were evidently only permitted for the first two rounds of the playoffs. Indiana faces New York in the Eastern final.

International Notes: P. Gasol, Bogut, Nunn, Shorts, Biberovic

May 18th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Former NBA stars Pau Gasol and Andrew Bogut were welcomed into the FIBA Hall of Fame Saturday night in Bahrain, according to Eurohoops. In addition to their NBA accomplishments, both players had extensive experience in international competitions, with Gasol being Spain’s all-time scoring leader in EuroBasket and Bogut representing Australia in three Summer Olympics.

Gasol, who was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023, used his speech to reflect on his time with the Spanish national team and share memories of former Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant.

“None was more important than my brother, Kobe,” Gasol told the crowd. “Our connection went far beyond that. He was unique. He challenged me to leave it all on the court every day to make us NBA champions. I’ll never forget how he welcomed me onto the team. We built something special. It wasn’t easy. Trust, accountability, unwavering commitment, and pure determination. I miss him and (his daughter) Gigi terribly.”

Other notable members of this year’s class include former Duke and Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski, three-time gold medalist Dawn Staley and WNBA career assists leader Ticha Penicheiro of Portugal.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Kendrick Nunn is mulling over offers to represent Greece or Turkey at this year’s EuroBasket tournament, according to George Adamopolous of EuroHoops. The former NBA guard, who plays for Panathinaikos in Greece, is the reigning EuroLeague MVP. “There were offers that came on the table to play either for the Greek national team or the Turkish national team,” Nunn said. “It’s still in the air. I haven’t made a decision yet to be honest. I still have time.”
T.J. Shorts, who has received interest from the Grizzlies, has earned back-to-back MVP honors in the French League, per EuroHoops. The Paris Basketball point guard averaged 16.9 points and 8.0 assists per game in his first season in the league, shooting 59.1% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range. Shorts, 27, will be a free agent this summer.
Fenerbahce swingman Tarik Biberovic, whose rights are controlled by the Grizzlies, is pondering a move to the NBA and is getting encouragement from teammate Marko Guduric, EuroHoops relays in another piece. “If I’m Fener, I’m obviously trying to keep Tarik,” Guduric said, “but for him, personally, it’s going to be his decision and of his family, whatever is best for them. I told him, if there is an opportunity, maybe you should try.”

Kristaps Porzingis Discusses Mysterious Illness

May 17th, 2025 at 10:04am CST by Rory Maher

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis, who is under contract for $30.7MM next season before hitting free agency in 2026, struggled mightily in the playoffs due to the lingering effects of a mysterious illness he contracted in February.

It seemed like Porzingis was mostly recovered late in the regular season, but he was particularly ineffective in Boston’s second-round loss to New York, averaging just 4.2 points and 3.7 rebounds on .240/.222/.647 shooting in 15.5 minutes per game. Those numbers are a precipitous drop compared to what he posted in the regular season: 19.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.5 BPG on .483/.412/.809 shooting in 45 contests (28.8 MPG).

After the Celtics were eliminated on Friday night, Porzingis admitted he still doesn’t have any solid answers about what has been causing the “energy zaps” and stamina “ebbs and flows” over the past two-plus months.

“I’m not sure,” Porzingis said, per Brian Robb of MassLive. “I mean, doctors are trying to help as much as possible. It was just some lingering fatigue, some effects.

“It was just extremely weird, and many symptoms that were kind of super weird. So I think nobody has a clear answer. I’ll see how I go from here. Maybe I do some extra testing and some extra stuff and see if we find something. If not, maybe just a reset. Reset for my whole system and that will give my energy levels hopefully back up.”

Porzingis, who played 11 minutes on Friday, said he would have fallen asleep immediately if he had laid down in the locker room after the game, according to Adam Himmselbach of The Boston Globe.

“(It was) super, super frustrating. As frustrating as you can imagine. Just to not be able to help this team more, especially with (Jayson Tatum) going out,” Porzingis said (story via ESPN’s Brian Windhorst). “Not being too much of a help just hurts deep inside.”

“… I tried to give what I had. It wasn’t much, as you could see,” he added, per Himmelsbach.

According to Robb, Porzingis never considered sitting out after he was medically cleared by doctors, who tested his heart, among other organs. He also still plans to play for Latvia at this summer’s EuroBasket.

“The main thing for me now is just to let my system get into a normal state,” Porzingis said. “Get my energy back up and then I’ll start to look into some things maybe outside of basketball at first, and then the European Championships later in the summer, so I’m excited about that.

“So this summer I expect a nice bounce-back for myself and then heading into the next season.”

And-Ones: East/West, Stephenson, East Finals, World Cup

May 15th, 2025 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

The stunning events that occurred on Monday, namely Dallas and San Antonio moving up to No. 1 and No. 2 in the draft lottery and Celtics star Jayson Tatum tearing his Achilles tendon, will reverberate through the NBA for years to come. As Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes, there was already a significant divide in star power between the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference — now there could be a “chasm.”

“The West just keeps getting richer,” one league executive told Bontemps. “How come everybody keeps going to the West? For the veteran players, you could say it’s better weather, going to California, better organizations. But they’ve also just gotten really lucky.

“It seems like every time there’s one of these generational talents — Victor (Wembanyama), Zion (Williamson), Anthony Davis — they just end up in the West. It’s just bad luck … it is what it is.”

Aside from Indiana, New York and Cleveland, Tatum’s injury means there are suddenly major question marks in the East, which could make teams more aggressive on the trade market. There’s a possibility that Giannis Antetokounmpo could be traded to the West as well.

“Cooper Flagg is going to the West for the next 10 years, Giannis could be headed West, Tatum is out of the mix for a year and the Celtics likely are, too,” a scout said. “Good for East teams who are trying to make the Finals.”

We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former NBA swingman Lance Stephenson is signing a contract to play in the BIG3 for the 3×3 league’s upcoming season, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Stephenson, who played for eight NBA teams across 10 seasons from 2010-22, spent most of his professional career in Indiana. He last played in the G League for the Iowa Wolves in 2023/24.
While the Pacers don’t yet know which team they’ll be facing, the Eastern Conference Finals schedule has been announced (Twitter link via Michael Preston). The series will begin on May 21, with games played every other day until a potential Game 7 on June 2.
FIBA has announced the draw for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers, officially confirming the groups for the Africa, Americas, Asian, and European events. Team USA will be in group A of the Americas qualifiers, alongside the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and a to-be-determined fourth team that makes it through the pre-qualifiers.
FIBA is looking to engage the NCAA about a possible letter of clearance system for international players who want to leave their teams for a college program, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter links). As Givony points out, international teams already have the ability to block a player from leaving if he’s under contract, so it’s unclear why the NCAA would agree to a change that would give European teams more leeway to prevent a young prospect from moving stateside.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Draft Notes: Flagg, NIL, Combine, Lakhin, International Prospects

May 12th, 2025 at 3:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Cooper Flagg is as close to a lock to go number one in the 2025 draft as any non-Victor Wembanyama prospect can be, writes Sam Vecenie for The Athletic. In breaking down Flagg’s potential fit with all of this year’s lottery teams, Vecenie illustrates how the 18-year-old’s well-rounded skill set on both sides of the ball will allow him to slot in seamlessly with just about every team construction.

In his breakdown, Vecenie writes that the Pelicans and Raptors are the only rosters in the lottery that could make for a questionable fit, given that the two teams are already primarily built around a plethora of wings and forwards.

Still, Vecenie emphasizes that questions around fit are secondary to adding the level of talent Flagg promises, so even those two teams shouldn’t hesitate to take the 6’8″ forward if the opportunity presents itself. However, that scenario might necessitate a trade involving one or more of the incumbent forwards already rostered.

Sixers Rumors: Oubre, Drummond, Gordon, Grimes, Yabusele, Bona

May 11th, 2025 at 6:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers should plan on having Kelly Oubre, Andre Drummond, and Eric Gordon on their books this summer, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Oubre, Drummond, and Gordon all hold player options for next season, but are considered likely to exercise them before the June 29 deadline.

That doesn’t necessarily mean all three players will still be on Philadelphia’s roster when the 2025/26 season tips off, since any of them could be traded after opting in. But it does mean the Sixers will have to account for their respective cap hits this offseason — Oubre’s option is worth $8.38MM, Drummond’s is for $5MM, and Gordon’s would pay him $3.47MM.

Assuming all three players pick up their options, the amount of guaranteed money on Philadelphia’s cap for next season would increase to approximately $166MM for seven players. That figure doesn’t include the cap hold for their first-round pick – which they may or may not keep, depending on the lottery results – or new deals for free agents like Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele.

Next season’s luxury tax line projects to be at $187.9MM.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

The 76ers are projecting confidence that they’ll be able to re-sign Grimes, according to Stein and Fischer. Grimes will be eligible for restricted free agency this offseason after failing to come to terms on a rookie scale extension with Dallas last fall. The Mavericks didn’t get up to $10MM per year with their offer at that time, per Stein and Fischer, but the 25-year-old looks like a good bet to get a deal exceeding that annual salary this summer after a breakout 2024/25 season that included a 21.9 PPG scoring average in 28 games as a Sixer.
League sources also continue to tell Stein and Fischer that Philadelphia hopes to re-sign Yabusele and made moves at the trade deadline (namely, dealing Caleb Martin) to create more financial flexibility to retain him. Yabusele’s Non-Bird rights won’t allow for much of a raise, so the Sixers will likely have to dip into their mid-level exception to make a competitive offer.
Speaking to TRT Spor, Ergin Ataman, the head coach of the Turkish national team indicated that the plan is for Sixers big man Adem Bona to participate in the EuroBasket tournament this summer (hat tip to Eurohoops). “Last week, our sporting director Alper Yilmaz visited him, and Adem is very enthusiastic about playing for the national team,” Ataman said of the 22-year-old, who is coming off his rookie season in Philadelphia. “He’ll be coming for the European championship.”
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey appeared on the Rights To Ricky Sanchez podcast (YouTube link) this week to discuss a number of Sixers-related topics, including the team’s lottery pick, Joel Embiid‘s knee injury, and more.

And-Ones: Wright, Rookie Extensions, All-Interview Team, More

May 10th, 2025 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Colorado guard McKinley Wright IV, who appeared in 32 NBA regular season games for Minnesota and Dallas from 2021-23, has been named the Most Valuable Player for the ABA League (formerly known as the Adriatic League) in Europe.

Wright has spent the last two seasons playing for KK Buducnost and led the Montenegrin team to a 26-4 record and a No. 1 seed in ABA competition this season. The 26-year-old, known as a solid perimeter defender, averaged team bests of 12.8 points and 4.9 assists in 22.5 minutes per game, with an excellent shooting line of .545/.370/.848.

Wright now has the honor of sharing a career accomplishment with future Hall of Famer Nikola Jokic, who was named the MVP of the ABA League in 2014/15, his age-20 season, when he played for Mega Basket in Serbia.

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

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report considers the likelihood of a new deal for each of the 22 players eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason. Pincus forecasts maximum-salary extensions for Magic forward Paolo Banchero and Thunder teammates Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, while predicting that Pistons big man Jalen Duren (four years, $112MM) will get the fourth-most lucrative deal among that group, ahead of Hawks guard Dyson Daniels and Nuggets guard Christian Braun (four years, $94MM each).
The Professional Basketball Writers Association officially named its first and second “All-Interview” teams for the 2024/25 season this week, recognizing the players who are “consistently thoughtful, insightful and engaging with the media.” As the PBWA details in a press release, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, and Draymond Green made the first team, with Tyrese Haliburton, Mike Conley, Bam Adebayo, Josh Hart, and Damian Lillard making up the second team.
Amid reports that Shaquille O’Neal will be part of a new ownership group taking control of Napoli Basket, the Italian team issued a statement shooting down those rumors and referring to them as unfounded.
2025 has been the year of the NBA playoff comeback so far. Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and Jeff Zillgitt and Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today take a closer look at how teams keep coming back from deficits of 20 or more points this spring.