International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Notes: Norris, Samuels, Toupane, Arms

August 21st, 2025 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

As forward Miles Norris seeks his next opportunity after being waived by the Celtics earlier this month, he’s reportedly drawing interest from across the Atlantic Ocean. Barcelona has its eye on the 25-year-old, according to Oscar Herreros of La Xarxa (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando).

Norris went undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara in 2023, but has spent time on a two-way contract in each of the past two seasons, first with Atlanta during the first half of the ’23/24 season, then with Boston during the final month-plus of ’24/25. He has played sparingly in three total appearances at the NBA level, but was effective at the G League level last season, averaging 16.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 30.5 minutes per game across 44 total outings for the Grizzlies’ and Celtics’ affiliates.

We have more free agency news from around the international basketball world:

Free agent forward Jermaine Samuels, a former Villanova standout, has signed with San Pablo Burgos for the 2025/26 season, the Spanish club announced in a press release. It will be the first time Samuels has competed overseas — he has been in the NBA and G League since going undrafted in 2022, including spending the 2023/24 season on a two-way contract with the Rockets.
Former NBA forward Axel Toupane, who was part of the Milwaukee team that won a title in 2021, has signed with FC Porto in Portugal, the team officially announced (via Twitter; hat tip to Eurohoops). The 33-year-old has bounced around since playing for the Bucks four years ago, spending time in France, Lebanon, and Taiwan since then.
Former Texas Tech standout Adonis Arms will continue his career in Greece, having signed with AEK Athens, per a press release from the team (hat tip to Eurohoops). While Arms has never appeared in an NBA regular season game, the 6’6″ wing has been a G League mainstay in recent years and has signed Exhibit 10 contracts with four teams since 2022, including (most recently) New Orleans last October.

EuroBasket Notes: Bogdanovic, Bona, Bertans, Avdija

August 20th, 2025 at 7:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Serbia is among the favorites as EuroBasket gets ready to open next week, and captain Bogdan Bogdanovic recognizes the expectations for his star-filled team, according to Eurohoops. Serbia hasn’t won the event in 24 years, and it has been placed in a challenging Group A along with Turkey, Czechia, Portugal, Estonia and host Latvia.

“We are aware of it, but our focus should be on the upcoming tournament,” Bogdanovic said of the long drought. “Do we feel it? Yes. But that’s part of the game. You have to embrace it and push through.”

Bogdanovic has the advantage of playing alongside one of game’s elite talents in Nikola Jokic, and he said Jokic has a “front vision” that allows him to remain a few steps ahead of the action. He also discussed some of the tournament’s other stars, including Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic.

“Giannis is pure athleticism,” Bogdanovic said. “You can’t make mistakes against him because he punishes them all the time. His defense is incredible, and running in transition makes him unstoppable. (Doncic) can kill anyone in a tournament. He can go for 50, 60 points … that’s what makes him special.”

There’s more from EuroBasket:

Sources tell BasketNews that Turkish big man Adem Bona is expected to be fine after limping off the court in Wednesday’s win over Lithuania (Twitter video link). Bona, who’s coming off a promising rookie season with the Sixers, played just seven minutes before the injury.
Former NBA forward Davis Bertans credits coach Luca Banchi with helping to make Latvia a legitimate contender on the international stage, per Giorgos Kyriakidis of BasketNews. EuroBasket will be Banchi’s final tournament with the national team. “Few coaches have left such a visible imprint in such a short span,” Bertans said. “Under his leadership, Latvia not only shed its underdog label but also carved out a new identity — one built on collective confidence, tactical sharpness, and the belief that no opponent was beyond reach.”
Deni Avdija leads Israel’s final 12-man roster for EuroBasket, according to BasketNews. He’s the only player with NBA experience for the Israelis, who went 3-2 in exhibition play and will be in Group D along with Belgium, France, Iceland, Slovenia and host Poland.

Kristaps Porzingis Discusses Possibility Of Eventual Return To Europe

August 20th, 2025 at 6:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

After Wednesday’s Latvia-Greece matchup in the opener of the Acropolis tournament, Kristaps Porzingis‘ post-game press conference included a question about a possible return to Europe to finish out his career, writes Giorgos Kyriakidis of BasketNews. The Hawks‘ big man, who began playing professionally with Sevilla in 2012, seems open to the idea.

“Sure, sure, why not?” Porzingis responded. “I mean, I haven’t really given it too much thought, but just seeing some of the clubs here in Greece, you know, the atmosphere here for the games and stuff would be a really, really unbelievable atmosphere to play in.”

Pressed about the idea of signing in Greece, he said, “Possibly, possibly, but I would have to look at everything and … and who knows, who knows. I love the fans here and I love the rivalry they have here, so who knows.”

Porziginis didn’t have a great showing in Wednesday’s tune-up for EuroBasket, as he was limited to seven points and four rebounds in a little more than 19 minutes. Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated the matchup with 25 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes in a 104-86 victory.

“It was tough. It was a tough game for us,” Porzingis admitted. “Giannis had an unbelievable first half. We could have done a better job with him, to be fair, but today was just a tough day for us, and we look forward to bouncing back tomorrow (against Italy).”

It’s significant that Porzingis is back on the court after a dealing with a mysterious illness – later described as post-viral syndrome – that plagued him from February through the second round of the playoffs. He stated in a July interview that he took time to rest after Boston was eliminated and he was back to feeling “fantastic.”

Any talk of playing in Europe is probably a few years away, as Porzingis is only 30 and remains a very effective NBA player when healthy. He’s expected to have a huge role with Atlanta this season before entering free agency next summer.

Kyriakidis notes that because of Porzingis’ long injury history, this marks the first time he’s been able to take part in a major international competition since leading Latvia to a fifth-place finish in EuroBasket 2017. He talked today about the similarities between FIBA tournaments and the NBA playoffs.

“Playoffs is pretty similar because every game is life or death, and even now in the preparation you can feel the intensity. It’s going to ramp up even more once we actually start the tournament,” Porzingis said. “So I think these kind of games are fun, not just for the players but for the fans, for the atmosphere, and there’s gonna be no better place to play these kind of games than at home in Latvia. So we look forward to it.”

EuroBasket Notes: Doncic, Player Rankings, Valanciunas, Smailagic

August 20th, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Dana Gauruder

Any concerns about Luka Doncic‘s health were eased on Tuesday when the Lakers superstar guard scored 28 points and dished out 10 assists for Slovenia in a 93-81 exhibition win over Great Britain, Eurohoops.net relays.

Doncic had an injury scare on Saturday when a Slovenian teammate fell on his right leg during an exhibition game against Latvia. It was later diagnosed as a right knee contusion.

Here’s more on the upcoming EuroBasket tournament:

Doncic ranks third among the NBA players participating in the tournament, according to Neil Paine of ESPN. Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) rank first and second, with Franz Wagner (Germany) and Alperen Sengun (Turkey) rounding out the top five.
Jonas Valanciunas is the lone NBA player on the Lithuanian squad but he feels his national team can make some noise, according to Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops.net. “I think every team is capable. We have some big names coming. Serbia, Turkey, Germany, we have Slovenia with Luka and, Greece with Giannis,” he said. “… We have a lot of a lot of a lot of big names, but that feel like every team is capable and every team can make some shake.”
Former Warriors forward Alen Smailagic won’t play for Serbia in the tourney, according to Sportando. Injuries prevented him from participating in prep games. Euro star Dzanan Musa will also miss the event for Bosnia and Herzegovina due to health issues, Basketnews.com relays.

Nikola Vucevic Talks Status With Bulls, Goals, EuroBasket

August 19th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite being the subject of trade and buyout speculation this summer, Nikola Vucevic has “almost no doubt” that he’ll open the 2025/26 season with the Bulls, he told Theo Quintard of Basket USA (hat tip to Eurohoops).

On a Bleacher Report live stream last month, NBA insider Jake Fischer responded to a question from a Bulls fan about Vucevic by noting that there has been no real trade market for the big man this offseason and speculating that a mid-season buyout could be more likely than a trade.

According to Vucevic, Bulls general manager Marc Eversley got in touch with him around that time to tell him to dismiss the rumors swirling about his future.

“There are always rumors,” Vuceveic said to Basket USA (text translated from French). “Most of them are wrong. It’s a little bit of anything. For example, the buyout (rumor) was misinterpreted in Europe. The reporter said that if there was no trade during the season, there might be a buyout option before the deadline. I know how business works. In the final year of the contract, there is always speculation. Since I can’t control anything, I’m trying not to take the lead.”

Here are a few more of the most notable remarks that Vucevic made during the interview:

The Bulls’ starting center said he was happy with his individual performance in 2024/25, but acknowledged it was “frustrating” to once again be eliminated in the play-in tournament. He added that he’d like to have the chance to compete for a championship before his NBA career is over. “In Europe, it’s easier to join a big team,” Vucevic said. “But in the NBA, it is complicated because of rules and trades.”
Vucevic believes this year’s EuroBasket tournament may be the last time he plays for Montenegro in an international offseason event. “Perhaps I will change my mind, but for the time being, I believe that this will be my last,” he said. “The next (major tournament) is only two years away. I’ll be 36, 37. I would also like to focus more on my career in the NBA. With age, I have to think about my body and recovery, before I re-attack the season. During the year, I am often absent because of travel, training and matches. Summer is an opportunity to make up for lost time with my three children and enjoy it. At the moment, that’s my biggest priority.”
After finishing 13th at EuroBasket 2022, Montenegro will have a challenging path to the round of 16 in the 2025 tournament, Vucevic admitted. The Montenegrin national team is in a group with Germany, Finland, Great Britain, Lithuania, and Sweden. “If (we get) through the first round, it will be a huge success,” he said. “We have absent players, injuries, so it will be quite difficult as it stands, but I think we still have a small chance to do that.”

Luka Doncic Cleared To Return Following Injury Scare

August 18th, 2025 at 1:06pm CST by Rory Maher

August 18: Doncic has been cleared to play for Slovenia on Tuesday vs. Great Britain, tweets Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

August 17: After a teammate fell into his leg during the third quarter of an exhibition game against Latvia on Saturday (Twitter video link via Dan Woike of The Athletic), Slovenian captain and Lakers star Luka Doncic reportedly suffered a right knee contusion that was not believed to be serious and would not impact his status for EuroBasket 2025, which tips off later this month.

This morning, Slovenia’s basketball federation announced (via Twitter) that Doncic would practice on Monday, officially putting to rest any lingering concerns about the injury. Slovenia will face Great Britain in another exhibition contest on Tuesday.

Doncic signed a three-year, maximum-salary extension with the Lakers earlier this month on the first day he was eligible to do so. The deal features a player option for the 2028/29 season.

The NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2019 and a five-time All-NBA first-teamer from 2020-24, Doncic battled a calf issue last season that limited him to a career-low 50 games (22 for Dallas and 28 for L.A.). The 26-year-old put up his usual superlative numbers when he was available, averaging 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game with a .450/.368/.782 shooting line.

Jaime Echenique Signs With Reggio Emilia

August 17th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Jaime Echenique is joining Reggio Emilia in Italy, reports Dario Skerletic for Sportando. The deal is expected to be for one season.

Echenique, a 6’11” center out of Barranquilla, Colombia, played one game for the Wizards during the 2021/22 season. This appearance made him the first and, to this point, only Colombian-born player to play in the NBA. The following season, he played 13 games for the Mexico City Capitanes in the G League, averaging 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per night.

He has spent the last two seasons overseas, playing first for Promitheas in the Greek League, and last season with Petkim Spor in the Turkish league, where he averaged 10.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per night as a part-time starter.

Discussing the new addition to his team, coach Dimitris Priftis expressed high praise and lofty expectations.

“We are completing our foreign player lineup with an important player. Echenique has great skills around the rim and is very experienced, having played in multiple European leagues,” Priftis said. “I believe he can help us develop the style of play we envision and achieve the goals we have set.”

Bryn Forbes Signs With Aris BC

August 17th, 2025 at 6:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Bryn Forbes will join Aris BC in the Greek league, per the team at Eurohoops.net.

Forbes signed a one-year deal with the team. This will be the 32-year-old sharpshooter’s first time playing in Europe.

Forbes played seven seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Spurs. The 6’2″ guard averaged 8.8 points, 1.2 assists, and 41% from three for his career. His last NBA action came during 2022/23 for the Wolves, a season that was cut short for Forbes following an arrest on domestic violence charges.

He played last season for Santeros de Aguada in Puerto Rico, where he averaged 21.0 points and 3.5 assists in 11 games. He will team up in Greece with Alex Antetokounmpo, brother of former teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo, who also recently joined Aris.

Moussa Diabate Declines To Rejoin French National Team

August 17th, 2025 at 9:28am CST by Rory Maher

Hornets big man Moussa Diabate was cut from the French national team on August 8 ahead of EuroBasket 2025. After a knee issue forced Vincent Poirier to withdraw from the tournament, France’s head coach, Frederic Fauthoux, reached out to Diabate about the possibility of rejoining Les Bleus, according to Arthur Puybertier of BeBasket.

However, after consulting with his camp, Diabate declined the offer in order to “focus on his upcoming NBA season” (hat tip to Eurohoops).

2025/26 is a big season for the 6’11” center, whose minimum-salary contract with Charlotte is non-guaranteed. Diabate emerged as a rotation regular in ’24/25, averaging 5.7 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 59.6% from the field in 71 appearances (17.5 minutes per game).

While the Hornets could be facing a roster crunch this fall, head coach Charles Lee recently praised Diabate, so it would be somewhat surprising if the 23-year-old ends up being released.

The French national team announced on Sunday (via Twitter) that it has finalized its 12-man group for EuroBasket, with Poirier and Paris Basketball guard Nadir Hifi the final two players cut. According to Eurohoops, France’s roster will likely consist of Theo Maledon, Sylvain Francisco, Elie Okobo, Isaia Cordinier, Matthew Strazel, Zaccharie Risacher, Bilal Coulibaly, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Guerschon Yabusele, Jaylen Hoard, Alex Sarr and Mouhammadou Jaiteh.

Risacher (Hawks), Coulibaly (Wizards), Yabusele (Knicks) and Sarr (Wizards) are current NBA players, while Maledon, Okobo, Luwawu-Cabarrot and Hoard previously spent time in the league. Cordinier is a former second-round pick (44th overall in 2016), but the 28-year-old has only played in Europe to this point in his career.

EuroBasket Notes: Gallinari, Poirier, Musa, Bogdanovic

August 16th, 2025 at 8:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

In an interview with Giuseppe Nigro of Gazzetta dello Sport, f0rmer NBA forward Danilo Gallinari said this year’s EuroBasket will be the final international competition of his long career. Gallinari, 37, played for eight teams during a 16-year NBA career that wrapped up in 2023/24. He’s currently with the Vaqueros de Bayamón in Puerto Rico.

“Yes, it will be my last summer with the national team,” Gallinari said. “Knowing this gives an extra boost. These are feelings that a club does not give you. I have been part of many different groups: at the beginning I was the little one and I played with my idols, now I am the veteran and I see the young guys who have created a special group, they are strong and talented. They keep you young.”

Gallinari is coming off a major victory this week in Puerto Rico, leading the Vaqueros to their 17th league title while being named Finals MVP. He hopes to duplicate that success with Italy to provide a memorable ending to his international career.

“I’m missing a medal with the national team and then I can be happy,” he said. “It is also difficult to quantify what could have been and was not: I started in the Azzurri when I was 17-18 years old when there was still the group of the 2004 Olympics, and of all the possible summers since then I have missed eight. There are many. It makes me think if I had played those eight what could have happened, better not to think about it. Every summer anything can happen, even this one.”

There’s more EuroBasket news to pass along:

French center Vincent Poirier had to withdraw from EuroBasket due to injury concerns involving his right knee, writes Yann Ohnona of L’Equipe. France is already missing Victor Wembanyama, Mathias Lessort and Rudy Gobert, so the team will be undersized in the tournament.
Dzanan Musa of Bosnia and Herzegovina may also have to miss the tournament after undergoing emergency surgery due to pain in his abdominal area, according to Eurohoops. “Dzanan expressed his desire to do everything possible to ensure his recovery and to leave room for a possible appearance at the upcoming EuroBasket, in line with his great desire to be with the team in Cyprus,” a representative of Musa told Radio Sarajevo. “In this situation, his appearance is certainly uncertain.”
Serbia remained unbeaten in exhibition play with a 29-point win over the Czech Republic on Saturday, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, who led the way with 20 points, believes his team is ready to make a strong run at the EuroBasket title, per Basket News. “We approached with respect and played with it. I think we could be a bit better, especially on defense, but that’s why we play friendly games,” he said.