International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Cedi Osman, Cavs

June 30th, 2017 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman is heading to Cleveland to meet with Cavaliers staff, according to international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Pick reports that Osman has informed his Turkish team, Anadolu Efes, that he’ll pull the trigger on his NBA opt-out worth $1MM.

Osman, a 22-year-old wing, was the 31st overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, but has remained in Turkey for the last two seasons. In 2016/17, he averaged a team-high 13.4 PPG in 34 Turkish League games for Anadolu Efes, chipping in 4.2 RPG and 1.6 SPG.

We heard earlier today that the Cavs have been in discussions with Osman, though it wasn’t clear the team would have the flexibility to sign him this offseason, since the Cavs will likely be limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception (worth $5.192MM) and may not want to dedicate most or all of it to a 22-year-old prospect.

For what it’s worth, Pick’s report doesn’t explicitly state that the Cavs have an agreement in place with Osman. While signing with Cleveland would be Osman’s easiest path to the NBA, the Cavs could still trade his rights to another club. Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net noted earlier today (via Twitter) that the Spurs are interested in Osman, though the two teams haven’t yet discussed a possible deal.

Anzejs Pasecniks To Play Next Season In Spain

June 30th, 2017 at 8:11am CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers first-round pick Anzejs Pasecniks will remain with his Spanish team next season, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Pasecniks may ultimately be the only first-rounder from the 2017 draft who doesn’t sign with his new NBA team this summer.

Pasecniks, a 21-year-old Latvian center, has committed to another year with CB Gran Canaria, where he averaged 7.8 points and 3.1 rebounds this past season.

Pasecniks was selected by the Magic with the 25th pick in last Thursday’s draft, but his rights were traded to Philadelphia in exchange for a pair of 2020 draft picks. He was one of four players selected in by the Sixers, but three of those players figure to spend at least one more season playing overseas, as Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com tweeted last week.

Jonah Bolden, Mathias Lessort, and – of course – Markelle Fultz were also drafted by the 76ers.

Suns Expected To Sign Mike James

June 27th, 2017 at 7:35pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Mike James is expected to sign with the Suns, international basketball journalist David Pick suggests (link via Twitter). Pick describes James as “EuroLeague’s most electrifying combo guard.”

The exact details of James’ and the Suns’ commitment are not yet known, but this sounds to be more than just a Summer League deal. Whatever the terms of the contract may be, it cannot become official until the new league year.

This James, not to be confused with NBA veteran Mike James, has yet to play in the NBA and last suited up for Panathinaikos in 2016/17. He did, however, play for the Suns during the 2015 NBA Summer League. In Greece last season, he averaged 13.0 PPG and 3.0 APG on a .490 FG%.

And-Ones: JVG, Award Votes, Singleton, Wanamaker

June 27th, 2017 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

After a decade of rumors about his possible return to the sidelines, ABC and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy has finally landed a new coaching gig — but it’s not an NBA job. As Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical details, Van Gundy has agreed to coach USA Basketball as Team USA attempts to qualify for the 2019 World Cup.

Last month, we heard that the Team USA roster for the World Cup qualifiers wouldn’t feature NBA players. Instead, USA Basketball will put together a squad primarily made up of G League players. Wojnarowski notes that the roster may also include Americans playing in international leagues. Assuming Team USA qualifies for the 2019 World Cup, which shouldn’t be an issue, NBA players figure to take it from there, while Gregg Popovich will take over for Van Gundy as the club’s coach.

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

The NBA has published the full voting results for all of its 2016/17 awards, so if you’re dying to know who gave Isaiah Thomas his only All-Defensive vote, you can find out right here.
EuroLeague star Chris Singleton has interviews lined up with two NBA teams, and is poised to opt out of his contract with Panathinaikos if he receives an NBA opportunity, tweets international reporter David Pick. However, Singleton’s teammate Kenny Gabriel will remain with Panathinaikos, having opted to pass on a non-guaranteed NBA offer, per Pick (Twitter link).
Pick also provides an update on Brad Wanamaker, reporting (via Twitter) that Brad Wanamaker is putting Euroleague offers on hold in the hopes of securing an NBA deal with the Pelicans or Celtics. Wanamaker, who played for Turkey’s Darussafaka last season, was voted to 2016/17’s All-EuroLeague team.
Bobby Marks of The Vertical identifies his top 20 free agents for 2017, with a pair of Warriors topping the list.

Celtics Renounce Rights To Marcus Thornton

June 26th, 2017 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have renounced their rights to 2015 second-round pick Marcus Thornton, per RealGM’s transactions log. According to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (via Twitter), Boston made the move at Thornton’s request, since he’d like the opportunity to play for another team in Summer League.

Thornton, 24, was the 45th overall pick out of William & Mary in the 2015 draft. He shares a name with a veteran shooting guard, but this isn’t the LSU alum who spent the 2016/17 season with the Wizards — this Thornton has yet to make his NBA debut.

Since being drafted by the Celtics two years ago, Thornton has primarily played international ball, with a brief 2016 stint for the Maine Red Claws sandwich in between overseas stops. In 2016/17, Thornton spent the season with Italian team Consultinvest Pesaro, averaging 13.5 PPG on .436/.342/.747 shooting.

Renouncing Thornton won’t free up any cap room for the Celtics, since draft-and-stash prospects who were second-round picks don’t count against the cap. The move simply looks like an act of good will by the C’s, who didn’t anticipate having a spot on their NBA roster for Thornton anytime soon.

Knicks Notes: Rose, Ntilikina, Jaramaz, Jackson

June 25th, 2017 at 11:14am CST by Arthur Hill

Derrick Rose‘s agent, B.J. Armstrong, would like to meet with the Knicks before free agency begins Saturday, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. New York could head off Rose’s free agency by working out an extension this week, and team president Phil Jackson said, “We’re listening,” when asked about that possibility. Rose has been cleared for running and contact after surgery in April to fix a torn meniscus. “It’s a matter of wanting to hear from them and their vision of what the team is trying to do,” Armstrong said. “We stated our intention … once we got traded there, we want to be in New York. At the same time, we have to see what it is and go from there. Let’s listen and gather information.’’

The Timberwolves are expected to be a contender for Rose, with one GM telling Berman that Minnesota coach/executive Tom Thibodeau would bring in all his former Bulls players if he had the opportunity. The Wolves, who traded for Jimmy Butler on Thursday, talked to the Knicks about a swap of Rose and Ricky Rubio in February, but pulled out before the deal could be completed. Sources told Berman that others in the Minnesota organization convinced Thibodeau not to make the trade because Rose wouldn’t be guaranteed to stay.

There’s more news out of New York:

Knicks fans chanted “Fire Phil” at the draft and booed owner James Dolan as his band played across town, but there was no negative reception for first-rounder Frank Ntilikina, writes Steve Popper of USA Today. The French point guard provides optimism and enthusiasm for an organization that can’t seem to escape chaos. “What I will bring to the Knicks, actually a lot of hope,” Ntilikina said. “I think I’m a player who will trust the process, work hard, and definitely try to be the best player I can be, who will give energy. I think I’m a team point guard and shooting guard actually. I’ll just try to make my teammates be better every day, and I think I can play defense, too.”
ESPN’s Frank Fraschilla, an expert on international prospects, thinks Ntilikina has a bright future in the NBA, but not the Knicks’ No. 58 pick, Berman notes in a separate story. Serbian Ognjen Jaramaz is a draft-and-stash player who might never make it onto the Knicks’ roster. “Chances are he’ll never play in the NBA and Knicks fans will never see him other than summer league,’’ Fraschilla said. “He’s an older international kid, very limited upside. He’s a hard-nosed competitor but not really a great athlete or shooter.”
Drafting an 18-year-old and seemingly launching a youth movement are signs that Jackson is planning to stay in New York for a long time, writes Mike Lupica of The New York Daily News. Lupica notes that with a $12MM-a-year-salary and no chance to return to the Lakers now that a new management team is in place, Jackson has nothing but time.

Bulls In Mix For Milos Teodosic?

June 20th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by marksuleymanov

If Milos Teodosic decides to leave Europe for the NBA, the Bulls appear to be a possible landing spot, according to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops. The Bulls are reportedly willing to offer Teodosic a multiyear contract worth more than CSKA Moscow’s reported offer of 12 million euros over three seasons.

After a weekend report claimed CSKA upped its initial offer to Teodosic, a separate report suggested that the Russian team’s offer has not been changed and is considered “final.”

Varlas quotes several NBA general managers who claim that Teodosic is the best player not signed to an NBA squad. The 30-year-old Serbian guard has been a productive player in Europe, averaging exactly 16.1 PPG the last two seasons while averaging 6.5 APG over the last three.

The Nets‘ acquisition of D’Angelo Russell earlier today may have eliminated a notable suitor for Teodosic’s services, as NetsDaily points out. Brooklyn has been mentioned all year as a possible landing spot for the Euroleague star, but with Russell and Jeremy Lin at the point guard spot, it no longer appears to be a position of need for the Nets.

Still, it seems that Teodosic will have no shortage of suitors no matter where he decides to play next season. Various reports have named the Jazz, Kings, Heat, and Nuggets as other NBA clubs that could be in the mix for the point guard’s services.

Latest On Milos Teodosic, CSKA Moscow

June 19th, 2017 at 7:49am CST by Arthur Hill

JUNE 19, 7:49am: A CKSA Moscow source tells international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link) that CSKA hasn’t upped its offer to Teodosic since the team made its initial proposal following the Euroleague finale. That offer is viewed as “final,” per Pick.

JUNE 18, 10:11am: CSKA Moscow has made a substantially higher offer to free agent guard Milos Teodosic, who is expected to be pursued by several NBA teams this summer, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

The latest offer from the Russian powerhouse is five years at 30 million euros — about the equivalent of $33.9MM — with an “important role as a leader” when his playing days are finished. It represents a significant increase from the three-year, $13.5MM package that CSKA offered when the season ended.

The Nets are expected to aggressively pursue Teodosic, who is one of the top players outside the NBA and who made a splash at the 2016 Olympics. International writer David Pick has relayed that the 30-year-old guard will be seeking a three-year deal worth $25MM to $30MM. The Heat, Kings, Nuggets and Jazz have also expressed interest in Teodosic.

Coming off a third-place finish in this year’s Euroleague, Teodosic plans to take time to contemplate his next move.

“We had a great season, which was very difficult given the new Euroleague format. Unfortunately, we did not win there, but had better success in the VTB United League,” Teodosic told the Russian news agency TASS this week. “Now I want to have a good rest and decide where to continue my career. At the moment I’m lost in thought.”

Celtics Notes: Ainge, Fultz, Tatum, Theis

June 18th, 2017 at 12:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Danny Ainge, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, has risked his legacy by trading the top pick in this year’s draft, writes Chris Mannix of The Vertical. Mannix points out that Ainge gave up Markelle Fultz, a player who scouts seem unanimously sold on, for a chance at Josh Jackson or Jayson Tatum, who play the same position as Boston’s first pick from last year, Jaylen Brown. Ainge may be preparing for a larger deal, but the Pelicans seem to have no desire to move Anthony Davis, and the Bulls’ Jimmy Butler or the Pacers’ Paul George would probably be just a brief rental. Mannix believes Philadelphia now has a team that can contend for the playoffs next season and possibly grow into the East’s next power. If that happens, Ainge’s reputation will take a major hit.

There’s more news out of Boston:

The Celtics get an A-minus for the deal and the Sixers get an A-plus from Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated. He writes that Fultz’s skills don’t fit with Boston’s immediate needs and his presence would have complicated Isaiah Thomas‘ free agency in 2018. Ainge, who owns Brooklyn’s unprotected first-rounder next season, may have two lottery picks to work with if the Lakers’ choice falls between No. 2 and 5. If not, he will have the Kings’ first-rounder in 2019.
Despite reports that they are pursuing another deal, the Celtics are telling agents they plan to use the No. 3 pick, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
Tatum is a strong possibility for the Celtics if the Lakers opt for Jackson at No. 2, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link). Boston ranks Fultz, Jackson, Tatum and Lonzo Ball as its top four prospects.
The trade slightly raises Boston’s cap space to $19.8MM, tweets Keith Smith of Real GM, who adds that it can still be increased with other moves. The Sixers now have $40.2MM available, second only to the Kings.
Tom Ziller of SB Nation examines the Celtics’ possible motives for the deal, including a desire to take Jackson, to avoid conflict with Thomas, to set up a bigger deal involving Butler or George or to build a team capable of taking over the East when LeBron James retires.
The Celtics have “serious interest” in German forward Daniel Theis, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 25-year-old is a free agent after his contract with Brose Bamberg expired.

And-Ones: World Peace, Lillard, Blatt, Calathes

June 14th, 2017 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA forward Metta World Peace, who said at season’s end that he doesn’t expect to be back with the Lakers in 2017/18, has an uncertain basketball future and intends to put off a decision on his next move until August. As Emiliano Carchia of Sportando details, World Peace told Italy’s La Gazzetta Dello Sport that he’s leaving the door open to the possibility of playing in China or Europe if no NBA opportunities arise for him.

The man formerly known as Ron Artest has maintained in recent months that he’d like to play 20 professional basketball seasons before he calls it a career. World Peace, who will turn 38 this fall, has spent 17 seasons in the NBA and also played in China and Italy in 2014/15, so he’ll need to play for two more years to meet that goal.

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

Damian Lillard created some speculation fodder during a Twitter Q&A with fans today when he answered a question about where he’d sign if he had to leave Portland. “If [the] Blazers said they didn’t want me… Utah Jazz or Lakers,” Lillard replied (via Twitter). Lillard is under contract through 2021, so Blazers fans should have nothing to worry about anytime soon.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer makes the case for why 2017’s NBA draft looks primed for more draft-pick trades than usual.
After coaching Darussafaka in Turkey this past season, David Blatt is meeting Darussafaka officials in Istanbul this week to resolve his release from the team and pave the way for his return to Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, per international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link). Blatt coached the Israeli club for several seasons before joining the Cavaliers in 2014.
Nick Calathes, a former second-round pick who spent two seasons with the Grizzlies, is content to continue his playing career in Greece, as he tells EBasket (English link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). “The NBA is still on my mind. Obviously I want to play at the highest levels. But in this moment the Panathinaikos is my priority,” Calathes said. “I am not in a hurry to go to the NBA. I love Panathinaikos and I am doing well here. So I am not pushing for something else.”