International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Toscano-Anderson, Shackelford, Roberson, Beverley

September 5th, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

Juan Toscano-Anderson is playing for G League United at the third annual NBA G League Fall Invitational this month. The veteran wing is hoping for another NBA opportunity, he told Sam Gordon of the San Francisco Chronicle.

“I want to show teams that if they were to pick me up, I can enhance the team atmosphere as a player but also as a teammate in the locker room,” Toscano-Anderson said.

He appeared in 11 games with the Kings last season and spent much of the year playing for the Mexico City Capitanes.

We have more from around the international basketball world:

In other G League news, the Valley Suns received the returning player rights to guard Jaden Shackelford from the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League team, in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick, the Suns’ G League team tweets. The Thunder signed and waived Shackelford last October and he spent the season with the Blue.
Former NBA swingman Andre Roberson has signed with the French club Cholet, according to Eurohoops.net. Roberson spent most of his NBA career with the Thunder and most recently played five games with Brooklyn in 2020/21. Earlier this year, he participated in an international tournament in Dubai with former NBA players and, in July, took part in the TBT tournament in Louisville.
Patrick Beverley is getting the superstar treatment with Hapoel Tel Aviv. The longtime NBA guard says he feels like LeBron James after appearing in a preseason game in Belgrade, Basketnews.com relays. “I know how LeBron feels. I leave games, and the guys that I play against want pictures. Coaches that I play against want pictures,” Beverley said on his podcast. “The fans that I go against, they boo me, I leave out and it’s 30 kids outside, and they all want pictures. And this is every country we go to.” Beverley agreed to play with the Israeli team in July after finishing last season with the Bucks.

International Notes: Days, Lin, Napier, Luwawu-Cabarrot

September 3rd, 2024 at 9:43am CST by Luke Adams

Former LSU forward Darius Days has signed a one-year contract with the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link).

Days, who will turn 25 next month, signed a two-way contract with the Heat after going undrafted in 2022, but was waived by Miami prior to the 2022/23 season. He was claimed off waivers by the Rockets and spent his rookie season on a two-way deal with Houston, though he appeared in just four NBA games for the club. He inked a new two-way contract during the summer of 2023 but was cut by the Rockets last October at the start of the regular season.

The 6’7″ forward spent far more time over the past two seasons with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate. Last season, Days averaged 16.0 points and 6.9 rebounds in 27.4 minutes per game across 45 outings for the Vipers, then joined the Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League in the spring. His deal with Illawarra will represent his first time playing overseas.

Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:

Former Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin will continue playing in Taiwan in 2024/25, having re-signed with the New Taipei Kings, he confirmed on Twitter. The veteran point guard appeared in 480 regular season games in the NBA from 2010-19, spending time with eight teams, including New York, Houston, and the Lakers.
Veteran guard Shabazz Napier, an NBA first-round pick in 2014, is reportedly joining Bayern Munich in Germany for the upcoming season. As BasketNews.com notes, Napier’s agency deleted a social media post announcing the agreement. However, Matteo Andreani of BasketInside.com (Twitter link) says it’s a done deal and will be formally announced shortly. The 33-year-old played for six NBA teams from 2014-20, appearing in 345 total regular season games.
Former NBA first-round pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot said that input from fellow Frenchman Guerschon Yabusele helped convince him to sign with Baskonia in Spain this offseason after he spent last season with ASVEL in France. Yabusele previously played for new Baskonia head coach Pablo Laso at Real Madrid. “(Yabusele) told me only great things about Pablo,” Luwawu-Cabarrot said (story via BasketNews.com). “I guess I need to make my own impressions. It’s been only a week, so I’ll be able to tell in a year, but I know already that we’re going to have a great year and a great relationship.”

Former Grizzlies Forward McDermott Signs With Turkish Team

September 2nd, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Grizzlies forward Sean McDermott has signed with Pinar Karsiyaka in the Turkish league, Sportando relays.

McDermott played last season for Openjobmetis Varese in Italy. He averaged 13.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 42 games with the Italian club.

McDermott saw action in 18 games with the Grizzlies during the 2020/21 season, averaging 2.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in 8.8 minutes.

McDermott, who went undrafted out of Butler in 2020, was on a two-way contract during his rookie season. He was then an affiliate player with the Memphis Hustle after getting waived during training camp by the Grizzlies in October 2022. McDermott, 27, appeared in 42 regular season games with the Hustle from 2021-23.

Olympiacos Agrees To Loan Out Filip Petrusev

September 2nd, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Filip Petrusev is expected to have his contract with Olympiacos extended but he’ll be loaned out to another team for the upcoming season, Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net reports.

Olympiacos is signing longtime NBA wing Evan Fournier, necessitating roster adjustments. Petrusev will likely wind up with Crvena Zvezda. He expressed a desire to return to Belgrade.

In 2022/23, Petrusev helped Zvezda win the AdmiralBet Basketball League of Serbia and the Radivoj Korac Cup.

Petrusev, who suited up for Serbia in the Paris Olympics, played one game with the Sixers and two games with the Kings last season.

The 50th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Petrusev signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with the 76ers during the 2023 offseason. He received a partial guarantee (approximately $560K) and survived a preseason roster crunch, but was sent to the Clippers in the James Harden blockbuster just eight days into the regular season. The former Gonzaga big man was then flipped to the Kings in a separate deal.

Petrusev signed with Olympiacos after he was waived by Sacramento in November.

Armoni Brooks Discusses Signing With Olimpia Milano

September 2nd, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Armoni Brooks, who played for the Nets last season, is looking to improve his game at both ends of the floor during his first season in Europe, Eurohoops.net relays. Brooks signed a two-year contract with Italy’s Olimpia Milano in June.

“I think offensively, I need to learn to read and react to situations a little faster. I’m already good at playing off the ball but maybe I can play the pick-and-roll a little more often,” he told the Italian team’s website. “Defensively, I have to improve my awareness of situations away from the ball, not allow cuts from behind, pressing the ball when I defend a person who is dribbling, stay in front of him, don’t allow (him) to get to certain angles.”

Brooks appeared in 10 games for the Nets on a two-way contract before being waived in January. He averaged 4.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.4 minutes for Brooklyn but made just 32.6% of his shot attempts from the field.

The 26-year-old, who has also suited up for the Rockets and Raptors since making his NBA debut in 2021, spent the rest of the 2023/24 season with the Clippers’ G League affiliate. He appeared in 28 games for the Ontario Clippers.

Former Milan guard Keith Langford, who also had a short stint with the Spurs, endorsed Brooks’ decision.

“I texted him in the summer to tell him I signed here. He was super excited. He told me that I would love it here, and he gave me some advice on adjusting. He says it’s a great opportunity for me,” Brooks said.

Brooks joined an Olimpia Milano team that has won three straight Italian League titles but struggled in EuroLeague competition last season, finishing just 15-19 and missing the playoffs.

“I’m not sure what to expect because I’ve never played here; so, now I’m mostly trying to read the situations. But I think this is a good group and if we can come together well, we can do great things,” he said.

Evan Fournier To Sign With Olympiacos

September 2nd, 2024 at 11:26am CST by Arthur Hill

11:26am: Fournier’s deal with Olympiacos covers two years and is worth more than $4MM, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

10:24am: Fournier has decided to accept the offer from Olympiacos and is finalizing a three-year contract, tweets Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.

9:03am: Olympiacos is among the European teams talking to longtime NBA guard Evan Fournier, according to Pantelis Diamantopoulos of Sport24.

With few NBA roster spots still available, Fournier has “started to ferment” the idea of returning to Europe, according to Diamantopoulos. A report late last week indicated that several clubs from Spain, Italy and France have either made formal offers or expressed interest in signing him.

Diamantopoulos states that Fournier wants to join a team with a legitimate shot at winning the EuroLeague and has already turned down Milan. Olympiacos reached the EuroLeague Final Four last season and upgraded its roster this summer with the addition of former Kings power forward Sasha Vezenkov.

Fournier is seeking a salary of two million Euros (roughly $2.2MM) from interested teams, which could present an obstacle to a deal with Olympiacos, reports Konstantinos Melagies of Gazzetta in Greece. Melagies adds that the “red and whites” already have a large roster in place, and coach George Bartzokas likes the players he has now. The team may have to give up additional money to part with any of its current contracts. However, Melagies believes that Olympiacos may be motivated to make another big move in hopes of winning a title while celebrating its 100th season.

After helping France capture a silver medal at the Olympics last month, Fournier and his agent approached NBA teams to see if there was any renewed interest, according to Melagies, but the effort was unsuccessful. He describes negotiations as “hot” and states that a resolution is expected within the next few days.

Fournier, 32, began last season with the Knicks but only appeared in three games before being traded to Detroit at the February deadline. He has previous experience in Europe, playing for JSF Nanterre and Poitiers Basket 86 in France before coming to the NBA, where he has spent the past 12 seasons.

Real Madrid Hoping To Sign Cedi Osman

September 2nd, 2024 at 10:36am CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent forward Cedi Osman has become a priority for Real Madrid, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando.

The 29-year-old shooting specialist remains unsigned after playing for the Spurs last season. With limited NBA roster spots available as training camps get set to open later this month, Osman may have to look overseas for his next opportunity.

Real Madrid needs to find a replacement for Guerschon Yabusele, who exercised an opt-out clause in his contract and signed with the Sixers following an impressive performance in the Olympics. The Spanish team also lost Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez to retirement.

Former NBA player Semi Ojeleye, who spent last season with Valencia in Spain, is another possibility for Real Madrid, Maggi adds. He also states that Osman could get an offer from Anadolu Efes in his native Turkey.

Osman played for Efes from 2011-17 before coming to the NBA. He also has extensive experience with the Turkish national team.

He was selected by Minnesota with the 31st pick in the 2015 draft was and traded to Cleveland on draft night. He spent six years with the Cavaliers before being shipped to San Antonio last summer in a three-team deal.

Osman had a reduced role with the Spurs as one of the few veterans on a rebuilding team. He averaged 6.8 points per game in 17.6 minutes per night, his lowest totals in both categories since his rookie season. With 15 players already holding guaranteed contracts, there was no room for Osman to return to San Antonio.

International Notes: Duval, Inglis, Tinkle

September 1st, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA guard Trevon Duval has signed with Salah BC, a team based in Azerbaijan that will compete in the qualification round of the upcoming Basketball Champions League (BCL), as Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays.

A former top high school recruit who played one college season at Duke, Duval went undrafted in 2018. He spent most of the 2018/19 season on a two-way contract with the Bucks, appearing in three NBA games.

Duval has spent most of his professional career in the NBA G League, playing for the Wisconsin Herd, Iowa Wolves and Grand Rapids Gold. The 26-year-old played in Turkey last season with Manisa Basket, Skerletic notes.

Here are a couple more international notes:

French forward Damien Inglis has signed with the Yokohama B-Corsairs, the Japanese team announced in a press release. The 31st pick of the 2014 draft, Inglis spent two NBA seasons with the Bucks from 2014-16. While his NBA stint was brief, the 29-year-old has enjoyed a long career in Europe, playing for teams in France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. Last season with Valencia Basket, he averaged 8.2 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 32 EuroLeague games (20.5 MPG). This is Inglis’ first stint in Japan.
Former Oregon State star Tres Tinkle will be heading to Turkey for the ’24/25 campaign, having signed with Darussafaka (Twitter link). A 6’7″ forward, Tinkle signed Exhibit 10 deals with the Lakers and Raptors in 2020, ultimately playing for the G League’s Raptors 905 during the ’20/21 season. He has spent the past three seasons playing for clubs in Italy, France and Spain, respectively.
In case you missed it, guard Saben Lee and center Omer Yurtseven have signed international contracts in recent days. Both players played for NBA teams last season.

And-Ones: Rookie Scale Extensions, $500MM Players, Beverley, Muhammad, T. Robinson

August 31st, 2024 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Three of the first four players selected in the 2021 draft have already received rookie scale extensions, but Rockets guard Jalen Green may have to wait until next summer, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Despite a strong finish to last season, there are still questions about Green after three years in the NBA. Houston may want to maximize its cap space for 2025, and Pincus suggests the Rockets’ final offer to Green may not be in the neighborhood of what fellow top four picks Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes received.

That philosophy would also affect Alperen Sengun, who was taken with the 16th pick in 2021. Pincus suggests that Sengun could receive a generous offer before the October 21 deadline if the Rockets are planning to pick up Fred VanVleet‘s $44.9MM option for the 2025/26 season. However, the Turkish center will only have a $16.3MM cap hold if the team plans to decline its option on VanVleet and operate using cap space.

Pincus’ comments are part of his analysis of the entire first round from 2021 and the likelihood of an extension for each remaining player. He gives a C-minus to Cunningham’s new deal, stating that the Pistons assumed unnecessary risk when they could have signed him to a similar contract next summer. The Cavaliers‘ Mobley extension gets a B-minus from Pincus, while the Raptors‘ Barnes extension rates a B-plus.

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

Stephen Curry‘s extension with the Warriors and Paul George‘s max contract with the Sixers will push them above $500MM in career earnings, joining LeBron James and Kevin Durant as the only players with deals in place to reach that figure, notes Steve Henson of The Los Angeles Times. James Harden will top $400MM under his new two-year, $70MM deal with the Clippers, while Chris Paul will get close to that number after joining the Spurs for one year at $10.46MM.
Longtime NBA guard Patrick Beverley made his debut for Hapoel Tel Aviv today in Israel, according to Eurohoops. Beverley, 36, was in the starting lineup and contributed three points, six assists and his typical intense defense in a preseason win over Elitzur Ironi Netanya.
Former NBA players Shabazz Muhammad and Thomas Robinson have signed with Homenetmen Beirut, per Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Muhammad, who joined the Kings’ G League affiliate in January, last played in the NBA during the 2017/18 season. Robinson, a lottery pick in 2012, has been out of the league for seven years.

Saben Lee Signs With Turkish Team

August 31st, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent guard Saben Lee has officially signed with Turkish team Manisa Basket (Instagram link). The move had long been anticipated, with Tolis Kotzias of SDNA.gr (Twitter link) reporting in early August that Lee was close to finalizing a deal with the club.

The 38th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Lee has spent the past four seasons playing for the Pistons, Sixers, and Suns. The 6’2″ guard finished the most recent season on a two-way contract with Phoenix and appeared in 24 NBA games for the Suns.

Across his four seasons in the NBA, Lee appeared in 134 total regular season games, averaging 5.2 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per contest. An unreliable jump shot hindered his ability to earn regular rotation minutes, as he posted a career shooting line of just .421/.271/.734.

Lee’s four years of NBA service meant he was no longer eligible for a two-way deal in 2024/25, which may have been a factor in his inability to find a roster spot stateside.

Lee is joining a Manisa club that will be competing in the Basketball Champions League – in addition to Turkey’s Basketball Super League – for the first time next season. Manisa Basket posted a 16-14 mark in domestic play last season, finishing sixth out of 16 Turkish teams. The club was eliminated in the first round of the postseason by Besiktas.