International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Freeman, Cancar, Yurtseven, Ball

July 27th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

After playing 22 games as a rookie for a Pacers team that went to Game 7 in the NBA Finals, Enrique Freeman now finds himself navigating unrestricted free agency for the first time. He’s excited about what will come next, writes Spencer Davies of RG.

Freeman averaged 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds while playing 7.2 minutes per night in 2024/25 after being selected with the 50th pick in last year’s draft. He received more playing time than may have been expected following the Achilles injury to Isaiah Jackson.

Freeman went on to have a productive Summer League this year for the Pacers, averaging 16.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks while shooting 72.5% from the field and 55.6% from three on limited attempts. However, with their three two-way slots filled, the Pacers withdrew their two-way qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent earlier this month.

“I think I put myself in a good position to where I’ll be somewhere soon to get a job and continue my career,” Freeman said. “My biggest goal is to get a contract and be a steady NBA player.”

We have more from around the world of hoops:

Vlatko Cancar will not be suiting up for the Slovenian national team at the 2025 EuroBasket tournament, reports the Eurohoops team. Despite being a consistent presence on the squad since 2016, Cancar is opting to skip the tournament to focus on the upcoming season with Olimpia Milano, including a program designed to help him be fully healthy and ready to contribute following arthroscopic surgery on his knee in January.
Panathinaikos has decided to retain center Omer Yurtseven, writes Kevin Martorano of Sportando. Martorano cites original reporting by SDNA, which details that the Greek club had until July 30 to decide on an opt-out clause in Yurtseven’s deal. With the team reportedly nearing a deal with Thomas Bryant, Yurtseven is expected to be the third center on the roster.
Jackson Ball has commited to the Illawarra Hawks, reports ESPN’s Olgun Uluc (via Twitter). Ball, a 17-year-old, 6’5″ wing, is considered to be New Zealand’s top draft prospect. He has committed to the University of Wisconsin in 2026/27 with an eye towards the 2027 draft.

Richaun Holmes Considering Fenerbahce Offer

July 27th, 2025 at 8:04pm CST by Eli Cohen

Richaun Holmes is considering a move overseas, writes Kevin Martorano of Sportando. Mortando cites an original report by TeleSport, which states that Holmes has been in conversations with Fenerbahce, the reigning EuroLeague champion, about a contract that would pay him approximately $2.7MM per year.

Holmes, according to the report, has yet to agree to the deal, as he is waiting to see if an NBA offer materializes as the remaining bigger names in free agency go off the board. If he doesn’t get an offer from an NBA team that appeals to him, he is expected to join the Turkish powerhouse.

Holmes has played 10 years in the NBA, most recently for the Wizards, with whom he averaged 7.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 17.2 minutes per night across 31 outings last saeson. He came into the league in 2015 as part of the “Process” Sixers and saw his most success as the part-time starter for the Kings from 2019-2022, averaging 12.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game over three seasons.

Fenerbahce has reportedly prioritized adding a defensive center to its roster heading into next season.

Heat Notes: Star Duo, Jovic, Larsson, Fontecchio

July 27th, 2025 at 5:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

If this season goes poorly, it could lead to an internal examination of the Heat‘s longest-tenured pairing, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

In an offseason mailbag, Winderman says the entire organization, including head coach Erik Spoelstra, understands that the team’s performance during the last two years – including back-to-back No. 8 seeds and pair of first-round playoff exits – is not to the franchise’s lofty standards.

Jimmy Butler‘s impact on those outcomes can’t be overlooked, but Winderman also suggests that the coming season could be “make-or-break” for theTyler Herro/Bam Adebayo duo.

Herro had a career year last season, averaging personal highs in points (23.9) and assists (5.5) per game while making his first All-Star team, but that coincided with Adebayo posting his lowest scoring year since the 2019/20 season. Most importantly, it didn’t lead the team to wins — Miami had a 37-45 regular season record, its worst mark in a decade.

Winderman notes in his mailbag that the trade for Norman Powell was a win-now move designed to bring in more reliable offense, and that there will be expectations for the team to show signs of growth in the first full season of the post-Butler era.

We have more from the Heat:

Nikola Jovic understands the Heat are taking a risk by allowing him to represent Serbia in this year’s EuroBasket tournament and is grateful for both the opportunity and the precedent set by former Miami guard Goran Dragic, writes Winderman. “You’re letting someone play for their country, paying them a lot of money, and they’re important to you,” Jovic said. “An injury would definitely be a setback for them. But, by chance, and to my great fortune, I’m part of the Miami team that had Goran Dragic.” The Heat expressed that Dragic always came back from international tournaments a better player, a pronouncement which gives Jovic confidence in himself and his development. The fourth-year forward is expected to play a large role with the Serbian team, which won the bronze medal at the 2023 World Cup, and he hopes that will help him solidify a more consistent role with the Heat. “This way, I enter the new NBA season already in game rhythm. I just keep going,” he said.
Also set to participate in EuroBasket is Heat shooting guard Pelle Larsson, who will represent Sweden not long after playing for Miami in Summer League. Winderman isn’t worried about the workload for Larsson, especially since the team let him out of his summer duties four days early to join the Swedes. Rather than being nervous about the grind of going from Summer League to EuroBasket to training camp, the Heat are excited to see what the 24-year-old can do as a leading man in the games, Winderman writes.
Simone Fontecchio has arrived in Folgaria, in northern Italy, to join the Italian EuroBasket squad, writes Michele Nespoli of Sportando. However, he will be unable to start training with them until Wednesday, July 30, as stipulated by the NBA’s regulations in regards to FIBA competition. Fontecchio has chosen to report to the team early to be in closer communication with them, as he did in 2023.

Thomas Bryant Reportedly Nearing Deal With Panathinaikos

July 27th, 2025 at 1:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Free agent Pacers reserve center Thomas Bryant is nearing a new deal to leave the NBA and sign with the Greek club Panathinaikos, per a report from TeleSport (Twitter link; hat tip to Kevin Martorano of Sportando).

The 6’10” Indiana alum was traded from the Heat to the Pacers last season after a pair of Indiana big men, James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson, both went down early with Achilles tears. Across 56 healthy games with the Pacers, Bryant averaged 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.5 blocks, and 0.5 steals in 15.1 minutes per night.

Bryant was employed spottily in head coach Rick Carlisle‘s rotation throughout Indiana’s run to the NBA Finals. In 20 games, he averaged 2.6 PPG and 1.4 RPG with a shooting line of .485/.500/.786 in 8.4 MPG.

The 27-year-old big man has suited up for five teams across his eight NBA seasons. If he ends up finalizing a deal with Panathinaikos – or another European club – it would be the first time he has played professionally overseas.

Panathinaikos has been hoping to bring in an NBA-caliber center throughout the summer, as Martorano observes. Talks fell apart with center Jonas Valanciunas when it became apparent that Denver didn’t want to release its newly acquired backup big man.

Partizan Belgrade May Be Frontrunner To Sign Charles Bassey

July 27th, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Former Spurs center Charles Bassey is negotiating with several European teams, but he appears to be leaning toward KK Partizan, according to Eurohoops. Agent Mark McNeil confirmed negotiations with the Belgrade club in an interview with Meridian Sport.

“Charles is honored by the interest shown by Basketball Club Partizan,” McNeil said. “He is definitely considering the offer and will continue discussions with the club and his representative. Other European clubs have also contacted him, but Partizan has been his priority.”

Bassey was a standout with the Celtics during Summer League play, leading to speculation that he might get at least a training camp offer. However, it appears he’s leaning toward taking the safer route of guaranteed money in Europe rather than waiting for an opportunity with Boston. He averaged 15.3 points and 11.0 rebounds in Las Vegas while shooting 70.4% from the field, but he had to leave after three games due to a prior commitment.

Bassey was selected by Philadelphia with the 53rd pick in the 2021 draft. He was waived after one season and signed with San Antonio, where he played for the past three years. He appeared in 36 games last season, averaging 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per night.

The 24-year-old big man was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but he has never played overseas as a professional before. He spent three seasons at Western Kentucky before being drafted into the NBA.

Partizan, which signed Shake Milton earlier this week, continues to build up an impressive collection of former NBA talent. Its roster also includes Jabari Parker, Sterling Brown, Isaac Bonga, Aleksej Pokusevski, Frank Ntilikina, Duane Washington, and Carlik Jones.

Evan Fournier Signs Three-Year Extension With Olympiacos

July 26th, 2025 at 5:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former NBA guard Evan Fournier has agreed to a three-year extension with Olympiacos, the team announced (via Twitter).

Fournier, 32, first signed with the Greek power last September. His contract was set to expire next summer, so the extension will keep him with the team through the 2028/29 season.

Fournier had a strong showing in his return to Europe after spending 12 seasons in the NBA. He earned second-team All-EuroLeague honors after averaging 16.1 points and 2.8 assists per game and leading Olympiacos into the Final Four. In the Greek League, he averaged 9.4 PPG and 2.3 APG and helped his team defeat Panathinaikos for the championship.

Fournier played three seasons in his native France before Denver selected him with the 20th pick in the 2012 draft. In 2014, he was traded to Orlando, where he enjoyed his greatest NBA success. He was a consistent starter during his six and a half years with the Magic and posted a career-high 18.5 points per game during the 2019/20 season.

He was dealt to Boston at the 2021 deadline, then was shipped to New York later that year in a sign-and-trade. Fournier fell out of favor with former Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau and barely played for a season and a half before Detroit traded for him at the 2024 deadline.

Fournier appeared in 704 regular season games throughout his NBA career, making 504 starts and averaging 13.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 27.7 minutes per night.

He is also a longtime member of the French national team, capturing silver medals in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, along with the 2022 EuroBasket tournament.

Olympiacos Confirms Filip Petrusev Signing With Dubai

July 26th, 2025 at 10:54am CST by Rory Maher

Greek team Olympiacos has announced that forward/center Filip Petrusev has signed with Dubai Basketball, as Eurohoops.net relays.

Since Petrusev was under contract through 2026, Olympiacos will receive a buyout of approximately 500,000 euros, according to Serbian outlet Mozzart Sport.

TeleSport reported a few days ago that the 25-year-old big man would be signing a three-year deal with Dubai, which is preparing for its first EuroLeague season.

Petrusev spent most of last season on loan in his native Serbia with Crvena Zvezda. In 27 EuroLeague games, with Zvezda, he averaged 13.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per contest.

A former second-round pick (No. 50 overall in 2021), Petrusev had a brief NBA stint during the 2023/24 campaign, appearing in three games with Philadelphia and Sacramento, but the Kings released him in November 2023 and he returned to Europe shortly thereafter.

Petrusev spoke in April about his desire to return to the NBA and indicated at the time that any future contracts he signed would contain NBA out clauses.

In addition to Petrusev, Dubai’s roster features several other players with NBA experience, including Davis Bertans, Dzanan Musa, McKinley Wright, Dwayne Bacon, Justin Anderson and Mfiondu Kabengele.

International Notes: Ramsey, Cordinier, Okeke, Maledon, Batum

July 26th, 2025 at 9:51am CST by Rory Maher

As expected, Italian club Pallacanestro Trieste has officially signed former NBA guard Jahmi’us Ramsey to a one-year deal, confirming the news in a press release.

The 43rd pick of the 2020 draft, Ramsey appeared in a total of 39 NBA games with Sacramento and Toronto from 2020-24. The former Texas Tech standout has spent most of the past three seasons in the NBA G League with the Oklahoma City Blue.

In 34 games with the Blue last season, Ramsey averaged 20.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals on .496/.363/.685 shooting in 28.6 minutes per game. The 24-year-old shooting guard also represented Team USA in AmeriCup qualifying games last fall and winter.

Trieste went 18-12 in Italy’s top basketball league during the ’24/25 regular season, good for the No. 6 seed, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to No. 3 Brescia, the eventual runner-up.

Here are a few more odds and ends from overseas:

Turkish EuroLeague team Anadolu Efes has added Isaia Cordinier on a two-year contract, announcing the signing on social media (Instagram link). As Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops notes, Cordinier is a former second-round pick (No. 44 overall in 2016) who spent last season with Virtus Bologna, averaging 12.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 3.9 APG in 34 EuroLeague contests (26.9 MPG). Brooklyn renounced its rights to the French guard in 2021, and Cordinier was reportedly looking to see if an NBA opportunity would materialize before signing with Efes.
Veteran NBA forward Chuma Okeke is expected to sign with Real Madrid, as first reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Askounis of Eurohoops, relaying a report from Javier Maestro of Spanish outlet Encesando, says Okeke’s deal with Madrid will cover two years and will feature an NBA out clause for the 2026 offseason. Theo Maledon‘s new contract with the Spanish EuroLeague club also has an out clause for next summer, according to Maestro.
Clippers forward Nicolas Batum has retired from international play, but he will serve as an analyst for France’s games at the upcoming EuroBasket tournament, the French national team announced (via Twitter).

International Notes: Sanogo, Procida, Mirotic, Beverley

July 25th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Former UConn star Adama Sanogo spent most of his first two professional seasons on two-way contracts with the Bulls after going undrafted in 2023. Now, the 6’9″ forward is set to continue his career overseas.

Sanogo has reached an agreement to sign with Trapani Shark, the Italian team announced in a press release on Friday. Club president Valerio Antonini first announced the deal on social media (Twitter link).

Sanogo was the leading scorer and rebounder for the national champion Huskies in 2022/23 before going pro. The 23-year-old only appeared in 13 NBA games across two seasons for Chicago, but played a significant role for the Windy City Bulls, averaging a double-double (19.2 PPG, 11.6 RPG) across 67 games and earning a spot on both the NBAGL All-Rookie Team and the All-NBAGL Third Team in 2024.

Sanogo was waived by the Bulls in February.

We have a few more updates from around the international basketball world:

Italian wing Gabriele Procida, the No. 36 overall pick in the 2022 draft whose NBA rights are held by the Jazz, has officially signed a three-year contract with Real Madrid, the Spanish club announced in a press release. Procida is still just 23 years old and remains a candidate to come stateside at some point, so it’s worth noting that his new deal includes NBA outs in both 2026 and 2027, as Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com reports.
After spending the past two seasons with Olimpia Milano, former NBA forward Nikola Mirotic has left the Italian club to sign with AS Monaco Basket, according to a press release from the team. Mirotic, who averaged 12.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 319 NBA outings from 2014-19, unexpectedly turned down a lucrative NBA contract offer in 2019 to return to Europe and has been playing overseas since then.
Former NBA guard Patrick Beverley is weighing the possibility of investing in Hapoel Tel Aviv after playing for the Israeli club last season, team owner Ofer Yannay said during an appearance on The Baseline Podcast (YouTube link). “Patrick is now considering becoming a shareholder of Hapoel, to invest money in Hapoel,” Yannay said, per BasketNews.com. “This is something that we are negotiating on.” Beverley started last season with Hapoel Tel Aviv before leaving the team in February following a suspension.

Cholet Basket Announces Knicks’ Diawara Headed To NBA

July 25th, 2025 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Mohamed Diawara, the French forward selected last month with the 51st pick in the draft, is headed to the NBA, according to his former team. Cholet Basket published a social media post on Friday bidding farewell to Diawara and wishing him the best as he heads stateside (Twitter link).

While there are no details yet on what kind of contract Diawara will be signing, the update from Cholet Basket indicates that Diawara will be joining the Knicks, who acquired his NBA rights as part of a draft-night trade with the Clippers, rather than remaining overseas as a draft-and-stash player.

Most players drafted in Diawara’s range will sign two-way contracts, and that’s certainly an option for him. The Knicks don’t yet have any players locked into two-way deals and only have a single two-way qualifying offer on the table, for 2024 second-rounder Kevin McCullar. So no corresponding roster moves would be necessary to have Diawara fill one of those two-way openings.

However, the possibility of Diawara signing a standard deal shouldn’t be ruled out. The Knicks don’t have enough room below their second-apron hard cap to sign two minimum-salary veterans in order to get to the minimum 14 players on standard contracts for the regular season. So, barring a cost-cutting move, they’ll likely fill one of those roster openings with a second-round pick who can sign a rookie-minimum contract that won’t be subject to tax variance.

The Knicks have no shortage of former second-round picks whose draft rights they hold. Generally speaking though, the longer a player remains overseas, the less likely he is to ultimately sign an NBA contract. That makes a recent draftee like Diawara a better bet to fill that standard roster spot.

Appearing in 27 games for Cholet last season, Diawara averaged 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 19.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .383/.310/.488. While those numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, he was also seeing his first regular action in France’s top basketball league (LNB Élite) at the age of 19 and has plenty of room to continue growing.

Diawara made four Summer League appearances for the Knicks in Las Vegas this month, averaging 7.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 22.3 minutes per game.