Nikola Vucevic Talks Status With Bulls, Goals, EuroBasket
Despite being the subject of trade and buyout speculation this summer, Nikola Vucevic has “almost no doubt” that he’ll open the 2025/26 season with the Bulls, he told Theo Quintard of Basket USA (hat tip to Eurohoops).
On a Bleacher Report live stream last month, NBA insider Jake Fischer responded to a question from a Bulls fan about Vucevic by noting that there has been no real trade market for the big man this offseason and speculating that a mid-season buyout could be more likely than a trade.
According to Vucevic, Bulls general manager Marc Eversley got in touch with him around that time to tell him to dismiss the rumors swirling about his future.
“There are always rumors,” Vuceveic said to Basket USA (text translated from French). “Most of them are wrong. It’s a little bit of anything. For example, the buyout (rumor) was misinterpreted in Europe. The reporter said that if there was no trade during the season, there might be a buyout option before the deadline. I know how business works. In the final year of the contract, there is always speculation. Since I can’t control anything, I’m trying not to take the lead.”
Here are a few more of the most notable remarks that Vucevic made during the interview:
- The Bulls’ starting center said he was happy with his individual performance in 2024/25, but acknowledged it was “frustrating” to once again be eliminated in the play-in tournament. He added that he’d like to have the chance to compete for a championship before his NBA career is over. “In Europe, it’s easier to join a big team,” Vucevic said. “But in the NBA, it is complicated because of rules and trades.”
- Vucevic believes this year’s EuroBasket tournament may be the last time he plays for Montenegro in an international offseason event. “Perhaps I will change my mind, but for the time being, I believe that this will be my last,” he said. “The next (major tournament) is only two years away. I’ll be 36, 37. I would also like to focus more on my career in the NBA. With age, I have to think about my body and recovery, before I re-attack the season. During the year, I am often absent because of travel, training and matches. Summer is an opportunity to make up for lost time with my three children and enjoy it. At the moment, that’s my biggest priority.”
- After finishing 13th at EuroBasket 2022, Montenegro will have a challenging path to the round of 16 in the 2025 tournament, Vucevic admitted. The Montenegrin national team is in a group with Germany, Finland, Great Britain, Lithuania, and Sweden. “If (we get) through the first round, it will be a huge success,” he said. “We have absent players, injuries, so it will be quite difficult as it stands, but I think we still have a small chance to do that.”
Luka Doncic Cleared To Return Following Injury Scare
August 18: Doncic has been cleared to play for Slovenia on Tuesday vs. Great Britain, tweets Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
August 17: After a teammate fell into his leg during the third quarter of an exhibition game against Latvia on Saturday (Twitter video link via Dan Woike of The Athletic), Slovenian captain and Lakers star Luka Doncic reportedly suffered a right knee contusion that was not believed to be serious and would not impact his status for EuroBasket 2025, which tips off later this month.
This morning, Slovenia’s basketball federation announced (via Twitter) that Doncic would practice on Monday, officially putting to rest any lingering concerns about the injury. Slovenia will face Great Britain in another exhibition contest on Tuesday.
Doncic signed a three-year, maximum-salary extension with the Lakers earlier this month on the first day he was eligible to do so. The deal features a player option for the 2028/29 season.
The NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2019 and a five-time All-NBA first-teamer from 2020-24, Doncic battled a calf issue last season that limited him to a career-low 50 games (22 for Dallas and 28 for L.A.). The 26-year-old put up his usual superlative numbers when he was available, averaging 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game with a .450/.368/.782 shooting line.
Jaime Echenique Signs With Reggio Emilia
Jaime Echenique is joining Reggio Emilia in Italy, reports Dario Skerletic for Sportando. The deal is expected to be for one season.
Echenique, a 6’11” center out of Barranquilla, Colombia, played one game for the Wizards during the 2021/22 season. This appearance made him the first and, to this point, only Colombian-born player to play in the NBA. The following season, he played 13 games for the Mexico City Capitanes in the G League, averaging 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per night.
He has spent the last two seasons overseas, playing first for Promitheas in the Greek League, and last season with Petkim Spor in the Turkish league, where he averaged 10.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per night as a part-time starter.
Discussing the new addition to his team, coach Dimitris Priftis expressed high praise and lofty expectations.
“We are completing our foreign player lineup with an important player. Echenique has great skills around the rim and is very experienced, having played in multiple European leagues,” Priftis said. “I believe he can help us develop the style of play we envision and achieve the goals we have set.”
Bryn Forbes Signs With Aris BC
Bryn Forbes will join Aris BC in the Greek league, per the team at Eurohoops.net.
Forbes signed a one-year deal with the team. This will be the 32-year-old sharpshooter’s first time playing in Europe.
Forbes played seven seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Spurs. The 6’2″ guard averaged 8.8 points, 1.2 assists, and 41% from three for his career. His last NBA action came during 2022/23 for the Wolves, a season that was cut short for Forbes following an arrest on domestic violence charges.
He played last season for Santeros de Aguada in Puerto Rico, where he averaged 21.0 points and 3.5 assists in 11 games. He will team up in Greece with Alex Antetokounmpo, brother of former teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo, who also recently joined Aris.
Moussa Diabate Declines To Rejoin French National Team
Hornets big man Moussa Diabate was cut from the French national team on August 8 ahead of EuroBasket 2025. After a knee issue forced Vincent Poirier to withdraw from the tournament, France’s head coach, Frederic Fauthoux, reached out to Diabate about the possibility of rejoining Les Bleus, according to Arthur Puybertier of BeBasket.
However, after consulting with his camp, Diabate declined the offer in order to “focus on his upcoming NBA season” (hat tip to Eurohoops).
2025/26 is a big season for the 6’11” center, whose minimum-salary contract with Charlotte is non-guaranteed. Diabate emerged as a rotation regular in ’24/25, averaging 5.7 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 59.6% from the field in 71 appearances (17.5 minutes per game).
While the Hornets could be facing a roster crunch this fall, head coach Charles Lee recently praised Diabate, so it would be somewhat surprising if the 23-year-old ends up being released.
The French national team announced on Sunday (via Twitter) that it has finalized its 12-man group for EuroBasket, with Poirier and Paris Basketball guard Nadir Hifi the final two players cut. According to Eurohoops, France’s roster will likely consist of Theo Maledon, Sylvain Francisco, Elie Okobo, Isaia Cordinier, Matthew Strazel, Zaccharie Risacher, Bilal Coulibaly, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Guerschon Yabusele, Jaylen Hoard, Alex Sarr and Mouhammadou Jaiteh.
Risacher (Hawks), Coulibaly (Wizards), Yabusele (Knicks) and Sarr (Wizards) are current NBA players, while Maledon, Okobo, Luwawu-Cabarrot and Hoard previously spent time in the league. Cordinier is a former second-round pick (44th overall in 2016), but the 28-year-old has only played in Europe to this point in his career.
EuroBasket Notes: Gallinari, Poirier, Musa, Bogdanovic
In an interview with Giuseppe Nigro of Gazzetta dello Sport, f0rmer NBA forward Danilo Gallinari said this year’s EuroBasket will be the final international competition of his long career. Gallinari, 37, played for eight teams during a 16-year NBA career that wrapped up in 2023/24. He’s currently with the Vaqueros de Bayamón in Puerto Rico.
“Yes, it will be my last summer with the national team,” Gallinari said. “Knowing this gives an extra boost. These are feelings that a club does not give you. I have been part of many different groups: at the beginning I was the little one and I played with my idols, now I am the veteran and I see the young guys who have created a special group, they are strong and talented. They keep you young.”
Gallinari is coming off a major victory this week in Puerto Rico, leading the Vaqueros to their 17th league title while being named Finals MVP. He hopes to duplicate that success with Italy to provide a memorable ending to his international career.
“I’m missing a medal with the national team and then I can be happy,” he said. “It is also difficult to quantify what could have been and was not: I started in the Azzurri when I was 17-18 years old when there was still the group of the 2004 Olympics, and of all the possible summers since then I have missed eight. There are many. It makes me think if I had played those eight what could have happened, better not to think about it. Every summer anything can happen, even this one.”
There’s more EuroBasket news to pass along:
- French center Vincent Poirier had to withdraw from EuroBasket due to injury concerns involving his right knee, writes Yann Ohnona of L’Equipe. France is already missing Victor Wembanyama, Mathias Lessort and Rudy Gobert, so the team will be undersized in the tournament.
- Dzanan Musa of Bosnia and Herzegovina may also have to miss the tournament after undergoing emergency surgery due to pain in his abdominal area, according to Eurohoops. “Dzanan expressed his desire to do everything possible to ensure his recovery and to leave room for a possible appearance at the upcoming EuroBasket, in line with his great desire to be with the team in Cyprus,” a representative of Musa told Radio Sarajevo. “In this situation, his appearance is certainly uncertain.”
- Serbia remained unbeaten in exhibition play with a 29-point win over the Czech Republic on Saturday, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, who led the way with 20 points, believes his team is ready to make a strong run at the EuroBasket title, per Basket News. “We approached with respect and played with it. I think we could be a bit better, especially on defense, but that’s why we play friendly games,” he said.
Doncic Gets Injury Scare During Slovenian Exhibition Game
2:23pm: Doncic has a right knee contusion, Marc Stein tweets. He’ll remain with the Slovenian national team and compete in EuroBasket, Woike tweets.
1:30pm: Lakers superstar Luka Doncic apparently avoided a serious injury after a Slovenian teammate landed on his right leg during an exhibition game on Saturday, Dan Woike of The Athletic tweets.
Early in the second half, Gregor Hrovat fell on Doncic’s knee during a defensive play, according to Eurohoops.net. Doncic was able to head to the locker room on his own power but did not return to the game. Doncic, who scored 26 points against Latvia during the first half, did return to the bench to watch his Slovenian teammates collect a 100-88 victory.
It remains to be seen how this will impact Doncic’s status for the EuroBasket tournament. Slovenia is scheduled to play its tourney opener against Poland on Aug. 28. They’ll also face France, Belgium, Iceland and Israel.
Doncic signed a three-year max extension with the Lakers earlier this month.
Juan Toscano-Anderson Signs With Italian Team
Veteran NBA forward Juan Toscano-Anderson has officially signed with Pallacanestro Trieste, according to a press release from the Italian team (hat tip to Sportando). Although it isn’t explicitly stated, the announcement suggests the 32-year-old signed a one-year deal.
“Bringing a player of the caliber of Juan Toscano-Anderson to Trieste is much more than a market operation; it is a milestone in the history of our club,” president and owner Paul Matiasic said as part of a larger statement. “His personal and professional path testifies to an extraordinary resilience, the ability to overcome immense obstacles, to bet on himself and to win at the highest level. These are not just details of a biography; they are the founding values — hard work, perseverance, and an unwavering work ethic — that we want to instill in the DNA of our team.”
Italian outlet Il Piccolo reported a coupled days ago that Toscano-Anderson would be signing with Trieste, which competes in Italy’s top domestic league, Lega Basket Serie A.
After going undrafted out of Marquette in 2015, Toscano-Anderson spent multiple seasons playing in Mexico before landing a training camp deal with Golden State in 2019. The Oakland native impressed the Warriors with his energy, defense and versatility, and wound up spending parts of three seasons with the club, winning a championship as a role player in 2022.
The 6’6″ wing split the 2022/23 season with the Lakers and Jazz and spent about a month of ’23/24 with the Kings. Overall, he has appeared in 202 regular season games over parts of five NBA seasons, averaging 4.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .502/.329/.646 shooting in 15.5 minutes per contest.
Toscano-Anderson suited up for the Mexico City Capitanes — the NBA G League’s only independent team — during the ’24/25 campaign, averaging 16.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.7 SPG and 0.9 BPG in 42 appearances (34.8 MPG). His shooting line was .422/.316/.845.
Pallacanestro Trieste, which also signed former NBA guard Jahmi’us Ramsey this offseason, entered the Serie A playoffs as the No. 6 seed in ’24/25 after finishing with a 18-12 record during the regular season. The team lost its first-round matchup with No. 3 Brescia, the league’s eventual runner-up.
Greek Coach Confirms Giannis Antetokounmpo’s EuroBasket Status
It has been confirmed for several weeks that Giannis Antetokounmpo would represent Team Greece in this summer’s EuroBasket tournament, but to this point, the Greek star has been unable to be present for the team’s exhibition games or activities as he reportedly awaits the Bucks‘ written sign-off on his participation.
However, there was some good news on that front yesterday, as the Eurohoops team reported that Greek national team head coach Vassilis Spanoulis had confirmed that Antetokounmpo’s work with the team will begin this weekend.
“He already had a training session with contact with some guys from our team. On Saturday, he will start training normally,” Spanoulis said.
Antetokounmpo had reportedly been required to obtain Milwaukee’s permission due to the size of his NBA contract exceeding FIBA’s insurance policy.
Because of that delay, he missed each of the team’s first four warm-up games, which caused some disappointment among rival coaches. Greece went 2-2 in those contests, beating Belgium and Montenegro while losing to Israel and Serbia.
The team will host Latvia, Italy, and France at the Acropolis Tournament in Athens, which runs from August 20-24 before the group stage of EuroBasket begins for Greece on August 28.
Isaac Nogues Agrees To Two-Year Deal With Valencia
Free agent guard Isaac Nogues has reached an agreement on a two-year deal with Valencia Basket in his home country of Spain, the club announced in a press release.
Nogues, 21, spent the 2024/25 season in the NBA G League with the Rip City Remix, Portland’s affiliate. He made a total of 40 appearances for the Trail Blazers’ NBAGL team, averaging 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals in 21.1 minutes per game, before going undrafted in June.
While his offensive contributions were limited, the 6’5″ guard (who has a 6’10” wingspan) was named to the NBAGL’s All-Defensive team and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
We typically wouldn’t dedicate a full story to an undrafted player without any NBA experience signing with a EuroLeague team, but Nogues’ agreement is notable because reporting in June indicated that he had agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the NBA’s Kings and would be competing for a two-way deal in Sacramento this fall.
That signing never became official, and it seems it won’t happen now that Nogues has found a more appealing offer overseas. He’ll have a clearer path to playing time with Valencia and will be located just a few hours down the coast from Badalona, where he was born and where he began his professional basketball career.