International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Justin Hamilton Re-Signs With Beijing Ducks

August 3rd, 2019 at 11:51am CST by marksuleymanov

Former NBA big man Justin Hamilton has re-signed with the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to Sportando.

Hamilton, 29, will suit up for a third consecutive season in China after spending parts of three seasons in the NBA. The seven-fo0ter was a second-round pick in 2012 and went on to play for the Hornets, Heat, Timberwolves and Nets. Hamilton’s most recent – and most substantial – NBA experience came in 2016/17 when he appeared in 64 games for Brooklyn.

Last season, Hamilton posted impressive numbers for the Ducks, averaging 23.3 PPG and 9.7 RPG in 45 games. The year before, he posted 24.8 PPG and 10.9 RPG for Beijing.

Lorenzo Brown Signs With Serbian Team

August 3rd, 2019 at 9:14am CST by marksuleymanov

Free agent point guard Lorenzo Brown has signed a deal with the Serbian club KK Crvena Zvezda of the ABA League for the 2019/20 season, the team announced (via Sportando).

Brown, 28, has seen action in five of the past six NBA seasons. The North Carolina State product has suited up for the Sixers, Timberwolves, Suns and Raptors. Last season, Brown played for the eventual NBA champion Raptors, averaging 2.1 PPG off the bench in 26 games.

The Raptors waived Brown in early January. The former second-round pick latched on with the Guangzhou Long-Lions in China for the remainder of the season, averaging 25.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 4.9 APG.

Jonas Jerebko Close To Deal With Khimki

August 2nd, 2019 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA forward Jonas Jerebko appears likely to head overseas for the coming season, according to Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas, who reports (via Twitter) that Jerebko is close to a deal with Russian club Khimki.

Jerebko, 32, has been in the NBA for the last decade, spending time with the Pistons, Celtics, Jazz, and Warriors since being selected in the second round of the 2009 draft. In Golden State last season, he averaged 6.3 PPG and 3.9 RPG on .459/.367/.800 shooting in 73 games (16.7 MPG).

Despite those solid numbers, Jerebko didn’t see much time in the Warriors’ postseason rotation, logging just 26 total minutes in four Finals appearances. It seems as if his his NBA market hasn’t been particularly robust this offseason either, though he has yet to formally reach an agreement with Khimki, so it’s possible an NBA opportunity will surface at the 11th hour.

Assuming Jerebko does finalize a deal with Khimki, he’ll be the third player to join the team after playing in the NBA in 2018/19. Timofey Mozgov and Dairis Bertans have also signed with the EuroLeague club.

Nuggets Sign 2017 Second-Rounder Vlatko Cancar

August 1st, 2019 at 5:55pm CST by marksuleymanov

AUGUST 1: The Nuggets have officially signed Cancar to a contract, per NBA.com’s transactions log. Terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but Denver has its mid-level exception available, so it could exceed two years.

JULY 13: The Nuggets are expected to sign Slovenian prospect Vlatko Cancar, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter link). Cancar was Denver’s second-round pick (49th overall) in the 2017 draft.

Cancar, 22, was selected as a draft-and-stash player and expected to remain in Europe for a couple of seasons before joining the Nuggets. The 6-foot-8 forward has appeared in three Summer League games for Denver, averaging 9.7 PPG and 4.0 RPG.

The forward suited up for San Pablo Burgos in Spain last season.

Free Agent Notes: Carter, Georges-Hunt, McAdoo

August 1st, 2019 at 4:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Vince Carter, who indicated in June that he wants to play one more season before retiring in 2020, hasn’t changed that plan at all, despite having not found a new NBA home one month into free agency. Speaking today to reporters on a conference call, the veteran forward said that he continues to wait for the right opportunity, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter links).

“Nothing has changed as far as that goal and that dream of mine,” said Carter, who would become the first NBA player to have a 22-year career if he plays one more season. “It’s a patient thing. I get it. I’m older, teams are going younger. You just have to be patient, and hopefully in the coming days we’ll hopefully have something figured out.”

More and more veteran free agents have headed overseas within the last week or two as roster spots around the NBA dry up. However, most teams still aren’t carrying 15 players on guaranteed contracts, so there should still be some viable landing spots for Carter.

As we wait to see where the 42-year-old lands, here are more updates on some NBA free agents:

Swingman Marcus Georges-Hunt, who appeared in 42 games for the Timberwolves during the 2017/18 season, is recovered from the torn meniscus that kept him out of action for much of 2018/19, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. According to Krawczynski, Georges-Hunt has lined up workouts with a number of NBA teams for later this month.
Former UNC standout James Michael McAdoo, who won a pair of titles with Golden State and spent some time with the Sixers, is headed back to Europe for 2019/20. Turkish club Besiktas announced today (via Twitter) that it has signed McAdoo, who played in Italy last season.
To catch up on any free agent signings you may have missed, be sure to check out our 2019 NBA Free Agent Tracker. Our tracker features every free agent who has signed (or agreed to sign) a standard contract with an NBA team this offseason. It also includes updates on players who finished the 2018/19 season on an NBA roster and have since decided to retire or play in another professional league.

FIBA World Cup Notes: Barrett, Drummond, Adebayo

August 1st, 2019 at 2:01pm CST by ChrisCrouse

RJ Barrett will not participate in the 2019 FIBA World Cup for Canada due to a mild calf strain, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The most recent No. 3 overall pick will join Team Canada for training camp and team activities in Toronto. Barrett represented his country over the last four summers and helped the squad qualify for the World Cup.

There’s also Team USA news. Here is the latest, via USA Basketball’s website:

Andre Drummond is the latest player to drop out of this year’s international competition for Team USA. Montrezl Harrell, who was previously reported to have declined his invitation, will also not vie for a spot on the 2019 World Cup roster.
As previously reported, Bam Adebayo will join the Men’s National Team in training camp. Adebayo will add depth to a thin crop of traditional big men. Brook Lopez, Myles Turner, and Mason Plumlee are the only traditional centers attending camp. Thaddeus Young, Kyle Kuzma, P.J. Tucker and Harrison Barnes will also attend.
Jaren Jackson Jr. has been added to USA’s Select Team roster. Jackson will join fellow 2018 top-five picks Marvin Bagley and Trae Young on the 14-man squad.

Former First-Round Pick Rashad Vaughn Will Play Overseas

August 1st, 2019 at 12:29pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Rashad Vaughn will play for the professional Bosnian club Igokea next season, according to the team’s website. It was previously reported that the shooting guard was leaning toward making this move. Full details have yet to be reported, though it is likely a one-year deal.

Vaughn was drafted with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2015 draft by the Bucks. During the 2017/18 campaign, he was inserted into a trade to the Nets for Tyler Zeller. Days later, he was sent to New Orleans for Dante Cunningham and was subsequently waived.

Since being drafted out of Nevada, Vaughn has spent time in the G League. The 22-year-old also had a pair of 10-day deals with the Magic during the 2017/18 campaign and he inked an Exhibit 10 contract with the Mavs prior to last season.

Nik Stauskas To Play In Spain

August 1st, 2019 at 10:14am CST by ChrisCrouse

Former lottery pick Nik Stauskas will play in Spain next season. The shooting guard signed a deal with Baskonia, as the team announced on its website. It was recently reported that the 25-year-old was considering the Spanish club.

Stauskas was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2014 draft, spending just one year with the Kings before Sacramento dealt him, along with Carl Landry and Jason Thompson to the Sixers in order to clear cap space (the team surrender the No. 14 overall pick in the 2019 as part of the deal).

The former Michigan Wolverine played in Philadelphia for slightly over two seasons, with the Sixers trading him to the Nets early in the 2017/18 campaign.

Stauskas split time between Portland and Cleveland last season and arguably had a better half of the year with the Cavs. During his time in Ohio, he knocked down 42.9% of his shots from behind the arc on 2.6 attempts per game. However, that showing apparently wasn’t enough to earn him a favorable NBA offer.

Ron Baker Signs With EuroLeague Defending Champions CSKA Moscow

August 1st, 2019 at 9:44am CST by ChrisCrouse

Former Knicks point guard Ron Baker is headed to CSKA Moscow, according to the Russian team’s website. It will be a one-year deal.

“I’m excited for this new opportunity CSKA Basketball has given me. I’m very thankful! After speaking with head coach Dimitris and team captain Kyle Hines, I see myself fitting in with what CSKA is about,” Baker said in a statement. “Their day-to-day culture and achievements on the court were what I was looking for in a franchise during this summer free agency. I’m extremely grateful and most of all ready to compete for the fans of CSKA!”

Nikos Varlas of EuroHoops first had the scoop on the interest between Baker and the defending EuroLeague champs, tweeting that Baker’s decision was deciding between CSKA and the Nets, which would have been on a two-way deal.

Brooklyn currently has Henry Ellenson on a two-way contract, with the other spot open. Second-rounder Jaylen Hands is considered the most likely candidate for that second slot, but perhaps the Nets would’ve been willing to offer it to Baker.

After entering the NBA as an undrafted free agent with the Knicks in 2016, Baker spent parts of three seasons with the club before latching on the Wizards briefly last season. He averaged 3.1 PPG and 1.8 APG in 96 total regular season games (14.5 MPG).

Kosta Koufos also signed with CSKA Moscow earlier this offseason.

And-Ones: Acy, Stauskas, Lin, Retooling

July 31st, 2019 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA big man Quincy Acy, who has appeared in 337 total regular season games for the Raptors, Kings, Knicks, Mavericks, Nets, and Suns since 2012, has officially signed with Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv, according to a press release.

“I’m excited to put on the Maccabi jersey, to bring passion, grit, and energy every game as we fight to win and bring success.” Acy said in a statement. “I’m ready to get going, ready to get some wins. I’m ready to come to Tel Aviv with my family and join the fan base.”

Acy, 28, last played in the NBA with the Suns during the 2018/19 season, appearing in 10 games for the team over the course of two 10-day contracts.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

After reporting earlier in the week that former lottery pick Nik Stauskas has turned down offers from EuroLeague teams, Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas tweets that Spanish club Baskonia now looks like the most likely destination for the free agent guard. No deal is done yet, however.
In the wake of Jeremy Lin‘s emotional comments about how he feels as if the NBA has given up on him, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star puts the point guard’s free agency in context, pointing out that there’s still plenty of time for Lin to catch on with an NBA team. Even if he doesn’t, Lin has a successful career under his belt, says Smith.
Given the success that teams like the Clippers and Jazz have had retooling their respective rosters rather than going through an all-out rebuild, Matt John of Basketball Insiders wonders if more lottery-bound clubs will follow that example and look to turn things around quickly rather than resigning themselves to several years of losing seasons.