International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Alexis Ajinca To Play In France

December 28th, 2018 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA big man Alexis Ajinca is headed overseas, with French team ASVEL Basket announcing today in a press release that it has reached an agreement to sign Ajinca (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).

Ajinca, the 20th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, has appeared in 293 total regular season games, averaging 5.3 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 13.3 minutes per contest.

Frequently slowed by health problems throughout his career, Ajinca spent the last several years with the Pelicans, but missed the entire 2017/18 season with a knee injury. He was subsequently traded to the Clippers in an offseason deal for Wesley Johnson, then was waived by Los Angeles, making him a free agent.

Ajinca’s new deal with ASVEL – the French team run by veteran NBA point guard Tony Parker – represents a homecoming for the 30-year-old. Ajinca was born in France and spent the early years of his professional career playing there. He also had a stint in his home country from 2011 to 2013, when he played for Strasbourg.

Former Spur Brandon Paul To Play In China

December 28th, 2018 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

Former Spurs shooting guard Brandon Paul has reached a deal to join China’s Zhejiang Golden Bulls, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. According to Carchia, Paul will be replacing ex-NBA guard Archie Goodwin and injured guard Marcus Denmon on Zhejiang’s roster.

Paul, 27, made his NBA debut last season and appeared in 64 total games for the Spurs. While he only averaged 2.3 PPG and 1.1 RPG in just 9.0 minutes per contest, he provided the team with strong perimeter defense.

Paul’s contract with San Antonio included a non-guaranteed salary for 2018/19, but the club waived him in July, before that money became guaranteed. Since being cut by the Spurs, Paul has been linked to several international teams, including clubs in Spain, Montenegro, and Greece. He also worked out for the Cavaliers and Timberwolves in early September.

After going undrafted in 2013 out of Illinois, Paul spent time with international club in Russia, Spain, and Turkey, so the move to China won’t be his first stint overseas. He’ll join a Zhejiang team that also features former NBA big man Tyler Hansbrough and is currently out of the CBA playoff picture at 8-16.

Larry Brown, Fiat Torino Parting Ways

December 27th, 2018 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The coach with the eighth-most wins in NBA history is once again out of a job, as Italian team Fiat Torino confirmed today that Larry Brown will no longer be the head coach of the club. Assistant coach Paolo Galbiati will take over for Brown.

In a press release issued by Fiat Torino, the team announced that – after some deliberation – Brown and the club had made the mutual decision to part ways. However, the longtime NBA head coach appeared to be on the hot seat leading up to the move.

As Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweeted late last night, Brown was booed by Fiat Torino fans during another home loss this week. His team had a 4-8 record in LBA (Italian League) play and an 0-10 mark in EuroCup games.

Brown, who began his head coaching career way back in the ABA in 1972, had stints with Denver, New Jersey, San Antonio, the Clippers, Indiana, Philadelphia, Detroit, New York, and Charlotte over the course of his lengthy NBA coaching career. In total, he posted a 1,098-904 regular season mark and went 100-93 in the playoffs. He led Detroit to a championship in 2004, and also appeared in the NBA Finals in 2001 and 2005 with the Sixers and Pistons, respectively.

Brown, 78, hasn’t coached in the NBA since 2010, having spent several years (2012-16) as the head coach for SMU. He became the coach of Fiat Torino approximately six months ago, so his stint in Italy didn’t last long.

And-Ones: Van Gundy, G League, Cole

December 24th, 2018 at 11:52am CST by JD Shaw

Former Knicks coach and current ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy discussed a variety of subjects with Justin Terranova of The New York Post, including his opinions on David Fizdale, his brother Stan, and whether he’d ever want to coach in the NBA again.

Van Gundy, who last coached in the NBA with the Rockets in 2007, didn’t rule out a possible return to the sidelines in the future. He currently coaches the USA Basketball men’s national team, a roster comprised of mostly G League and former NBA players, doing his best to stay active outside of his job at ESPN.

“It’s been about the same. I always missed it,” Van Gundy said when asked about NBA coaching. “With any job you take the good with the bad and it’s hard to find the right fit. I am really fortunate to have a really good job that I enjoy. So, there’s no angst about coaching. If it happens, great. That’s why I like the Team USA and I’ve really enjoyed it. … I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about what’s next.”

Jeff’s brother, Stan Van Gundy, also joined ESPN this past summer to become an analyst. Stan was head coach and president of the Pistons last season, with both brothers working several different jobs with NBA teams across their respective careers. When asked about the possibility of the brothers calling an NBA game together for ESPN, Jeff gave an honest response.

“If we did, that’d be great. If we didn’t, that’d be fine, too,” Jeff said, according to Terranova. “I talk to [Stan] enough on the phone. It’s not like the only form of communication is if we do a game together. He’s doing his thing, and he’s doing really well. If we do a game it’d be a lot of fun.”

Here are a few other basketball odds and ends:

New G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim hopes that every NBA team will have a G League affiliate by 2022, according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated. Abdur-Rahim is set to officially take over as G League president on Jan. 11, replacing Malcolm Turner. “I’ve seen the evolution of the league and the great work that Malcolm and has group has done,” Abdur-Rahim said. “To see where we are sitting now. … Going towards 30 teams, the professional path, the rebranding, it’s such a great situation with so many opportunities. You’re positioned really with a great team around it. There is so much opportunity to help craft with folks, craft a vision, craft ideas, move forward.”
Despite Abdur-Rahim’s goal, NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes the league can have 30 affiliates within “the next two years or so,” as we detailed in a recent story. Currently, 27 NBA franchises have a G League team.
Former NBA guard Norris Cole is leaving Sidigas Avellino in Italy, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia. Cole will join Buducnost Voli as a free agent, a team located in Montenegro, Carchia reports. He last played in the NBA during the 2016/17 season.

Ex-Hawk Josh Magette To Play In Spain

December 22nd, 2018 at 7:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Hawks guard Josh Magette has found a new home in the EuroLeague, tweets Michael Scotto of The Athletic.

Magette has agreed to a deal with Gran Canaria in Spain. He signed with Cedevita Zagreb in Croatia over the summer, but was released in November.

The 29-year-old got into 18 games last season as a two-way player for Atlanta, averaging 2.6 points and 3.2 assists per night. His numbers were much better in the G League at 15.1 PPG and 10.2 APG.

The Hawks elected not to tender a qualifying offer to Magette after the end of last season. He joined the Warriors’ Summer League team, but wasn’t in training camp with anyone.

Team In Turkey “Seriously Pursuing” Milos Teodosic

December 22nd, 2018 at 4:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

A Turkish team is ready to welcome Clippers guard Milos Teodosic if he’s serious about leaving the NBA, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul is “seriously pursuing” Teodosic, according to Carchia, although he would have to reach a buyout agreement with the Clippers before signing anywhere else. L.A. is paying Teodisic $6.3MM this season and can extend a $7.875MM qualifying offer next summer.

Teodosic, a former EuroLeague star, said last month he wasn’t sure if he wanted to finish out the current NBA season because of reduced playing time. He is seeing just 10 minutes per night through 15 games, way down from 25.2 minutes as a rookie. The Clippers’ backcourt got more crowded this year as Patrick Beverley and Avery Bradley both returned from injuries and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was added through the draft.

Teodosic and the Clippers had opportunities to terminate their relationship over the offseason, but both elected to extend it for another year. He exercised a player option in June, but it only carried a $2.1MM guarantee through July 15, meaning the team could have saved $4.2MM by waiving him before that date.

And-Ones: Pitino, Giannis, A. Davis, 2019 Draft

December 20th, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Celtics and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino is making a coaching comeback, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Wojnarowski that Pitino has agreed to a deal to coach Greek club Panathinaikos for the rest of the 2018/19 season. He’s expected to make his debut on December 27.

Pitino’s lengthy stint at Louisville came to an abrupt end in 2017 as a result of the FBI’s probe into college basketball recruiting. He had spent most of the last two decades heading up the program, having previously coached the Celtics from 1997 to 2001. Since leaving Louisville, Pitino has been looking to re-enter the coaching ranks in the NBA, telling Wojnarowski earlier in the fall that he just wants to be “a part of an organization.”

“I want to develop young players,” Pitino said in October. “I want to be part of a team. I miss it terribly. I’m using this time to really study the NBA. If something opens up with a young basketball team, I’d have deep interest in it.”

While his new job isn’t an NBA position, Pitino is hoping that Panathinaikos can be a stepping stone back to the NBA, writes Wojnarowski. He’ll take over a club that ranks 10th in EuroLeague play so far, with a 6-7 record.

Former NBA players Nick Calathes, Georgios Papagiannis, and Keith Langford are among the players on Pitino’s new roster, along with Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the older brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Here are a few more basketball odds and ends:

Asked whether he’s ever had an issue like the Suns, Grizzlies, and Wizards did last week, when there was confusion over which “Brooks” was involved in a proposed trade, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck told NBC Sports Boston that he has. “With the same team, by the way, that was involved [in last week’s failed three-team trade],” Grousbeck said. “That’s another story – that I’m not going to tell.” Grousbeck didn’t go into any more detail, so it’s not entirely clear which of the three teams he was referring to.
In the wake of LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo openly recruiting Anthony Davis to their respective teams, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores whether their comments constitute tampering, and whether commissioner Adam Silver is likely to step in.
Speaking of Antetokounmpo and Davis, they’re the NBA’s two most valuable trade chips, in the view of Bill Simmons of The Ringer, who ranked his top 55 players in the league in terms of trade value.
SI.com’s Jeremy Woo has published his latest 2019 mock draft, with Duke prospects holding the top three spots.

DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell To Play In Israel

December 19th, 2018 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Just three days after being waived by the Nuggets, free agent shooting guard DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell has finalized a new deal. Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv has officially signed Akoon-Purcell, according to an announcement from the club (hat tip to Sportando).

Akoon-Purcell, 25, signed a two-way contract with the Nuggets during the offseason and held onto one of the team’s two-way slots for the first two months of the season, until Denver elected to replace him with Brandon Goodwin. Akoon-Purcell played limited minutes in seven games for the Nuggets, and averaged 24.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 4.0 APG in a pair of G League contests.

The move represents a return overseas for the Akoon-Purcell, who began his professional career with the Bakken Bears in Denmark after going undrafted out of Illinois State in 2016. He won a pair of championships in Demark’s league (Basketligaen) and was also named the MVP in 2017.

Within Hapoel Tel Aviv’s press release announcing Akoon-Purcell’s signing, team president Rami Cohen suggests that the club had multiple discussions with the player’s agent during the offseason before he signed with the Nuggets. As such, it’s no surprise the two sides reached a quick agreement once Akoon-Purcell was cut by Denver.

JaKarr Sampson To Play In China

December 18th, 2018 at 8:39am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward JaKarr Sampson has signed a contract with the Shandong Golden Stars of the Chinese Basketball Association, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. According to Carchia, agent Boris Gorenc confirmed the news.

Sampson, 25, has spent parts of three seasons in the NBA, appearing in a total of 169 regular season games for the Sixers, Nuggets, and Kings and compiling career averages of 5.1 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 15.6 minutes per contest.

Last season, Sampson played on a two-way contract with Sacramento. The Kings initially made the former St. John’s standout a qualifying offer in June, but withdrew that QO early in the free agent period in July, making him an unrestricted free agent. While Sampson eventually joined the Bulls for training camp, he was cut by Chicago before the regular season got underway.

Shandong has now signed multiple NBA veterans within the last week, having also added Ty Lawson to replace injured guard Andrew Goudelock last week. Sampson will replace Donatas Motiejunas, who is expected to miss a month with an injury of his own, according to Carchia.

International Notes: Lawson, Barbosa, Neal, Ajinca

December 17th, 2018 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA guard Ty Lawson, who spent last season in China before signing with the Wizards for their brief playoff run, is headed back overseas to his old team, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. As Carchia relays, Lawson has re-signed with the Shandong Golden Stars of the Chinese Basketball Association, replacing another former NBA guard, Andrew Goudelock. Goudelock is out for the season with a knee injury.

In 46 contests in China last season, Lawson averaged 25.5 PPG, 6.5 APG, and 2.2 SPG, shooting 40.1% on three-point attempts. Although he parlayed that performance into a spot on a playoff roster upon returning to the NBA, the 31-year-old didn’t end up on a regular season roster for the 2018/19 NBA season. China’s season ends before the NBA league year does, so we’ll see if Lawson can once again find an NBA home once his overseas deal expires.

Here are a few more notes on former NBA players joining new teams or drawing interest internationally:

Brazilian guard Leandro Barbosa is continuing his playing career in his home country, with Minas Tenis Clube recently announcing the signing of Barbosa. The 36-year-old spent most of his lengthy NBA career with Phoenix.
Former Spurs guard Gary Neal, who also spent time with five other NBA clubs, has officially signed with Turkish club Banvit, the team announced in a press release (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Neal last appeared in the NBA during the 2016/17 season, when he played two games for Atlanta.
Former NBA guard Manny Harris is also playing in Turkey, as Carchia notes. Harris, who appeared in 93 NBA games for the Cavaliers, Lakers, and Mavericks, has officially joined Turkish club Bahcesehir (Twitter link).
Veteran NBA big man Alexis Ajinca, who was cut in October after being traded to the Clippers, is a candidate to play for ASVEL in France in the new year. Carchia hears that Ajinca has been telling people he’ll join ASVEL and relays a report from Le Progress that also links Ajinca to the French team.