International Notes: Jokic, Bogdanovic, Valanciunas, Micic, Hayes-Davis, Biberovic
Serbian basketball federation president Nebojsa Covic is counting on having a full team for this year’s EuroBasket tournament, including Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, according to a BasketNews report. The Serbians have never won the gold medal in the event, but they would be among the favorites if all their stars are available.
The event will take place from August 27 to September 14, which Covic believes will give everyone plenty of time to recover from the rigors of an NBA season.
“I expect us to have a complete squad. I think that those constant questions about Jokic playing can create an unhealthy environment. We are all working on having a complete squad ready,” he said. “NBA stars like Nikola Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic now have three months of rest after the seasons they had and that were very demanding.”
Jokic was one of the stars of last year’s Summer Olympics in Paris as Serbia captured a bronze medal and narrowly missed defeating the United States in the semifinals. He has been representing his country in international competitions since 2013.
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Kings center Jonas Valanciunas speculated about finishing his career in the EuroLeague as he attended the league’s Final Four in Abu Dhabi, BasketNews relays in a separate story. It won’t happen for a while, as Valanciunas has two years remaining on his current contract. “I want to play in the EuroLeague, I want it for this atmosphere,” he said in an interview with SPORT24. “I want to play basketball, I want to enjoy this atmosphere.” Valanciunas played four seasons in Lithuania before coming to the NBA in 2012.
- Suns guard Vasilije Micic wants five million euros ($5.685MM) to play in Europe next season, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. Phoenix holds an $8.1MM team option on Micic for 2025/26, but that’s likely to be declined because he barely played after being acquired from Charlotte in February. Micic has received interest from Hapoel Tel Aviv and Crvena Zvezda, but Maggi states that not many European teams can meet his salary demand.
- After capturing the EuroLeague title over the weekend, Fenerbahce is preparing for the possible loss of Nigel Hayes-Davis and Tarik Biberovic to the NBA, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. Hayes-Davis, 30, had brief stints with three NBA teams during the 2017/18 season, while Biberovic, 24, is a draft-and-stash prospect who was selected by Memphis in the second round in 2023. “There is serious interest in Tarık and Nigel from the NBA,” Fenerbahce general manager Derya Yannier said. “I don’t know what will happen over there. These are factors that could actually weaken our hand and prolong the process during the summer. Even before they leave, it’s difficult to have a clear view in terms of budget and roster planning.”
And-Ones: Fournier, Hayes-Davis, Mirotic, FA Point Guards
Former NBA forward Evan Fournier isn’t sure if he’ll play in EuroBasket for France this summer, he told Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops.net. Fournier has earned numerous silver and bronze medals with the French national team in international competitions over the past dozen years.
“First of all, I’m not thinking about it if I’m being honest because the (Greek League) season is not over,” he said. “Sometimes I do think about it but I never come up with a straight answer. Because the truth is I’m mentally here. Physically, I’m fighting some things. If I feel better and 100 percent and mentally I’m good, yes I’ll go to the EuroBasket. If I’m not feeling good, then I won’t.”
Here’s more from around the international basketball world:
- Having led Fenerbahce to its second EuroLeague championship in team history, Nigel Hayes-Davis was named Most Valuable Player of the Final Four, according to Stroggylakis. He averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game in the tournament, including a game-high 23 points in the Final against AS Monaco. Hayes-Davis had a nine-game stint with three NBA teams during the 2017/18 season and has reportedly drawn some NBA interest in recent years.
- Former NBA big man Nikola Mirotic is close to signing a two-year deal with AS Monaco, Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com reports. Mirotic currently has one year remaining on his contract with Olimpia Milano but he intends to exercise an exit clause included in that agreement. The 34-year-old logged 319 NBA games from 2014-19.
- Spotrac contributor Keith Smith divides the potential NBA free agent point guards into tiers, with Kyrie Irving and James Harden — who each hold player options — rated in the All-Star tier. Fred VanVleet (team option), Josh Giddey (restricted) and Dennis Schröder (unrestricted) round out his top five.
International Notes: Thompson Twins, Micic, Brown, McCollum
Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson may represent Jamaica in FIBA competitions and possibly the Summer Olympics, according to Daniel Blake of The Jamaica Observer (Twitter link). Blake states that they have begun the process of applying for citizenship, which they’re eligible to do because their father, Troy, is from Jamaica.
Amen, a first-team All-Defensive selection, became a full-time starter for the Rockets midway through the season and gained a reputation as one of the NBA’s most versatile and athletic players. Ausar overcame a health issue that cut short his rookie year and solidified a starting spot with a Pistons team that produced one of the largest single-season improvements in NBA history.
Blake adds (via Twitter) that Jamaica is making a serious upgrade to its basketball program, with Clippers guard Norman Powell already committed to playing in pre-qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup this summer. Blake states that other targets include Suns center Nick Richards, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart and Timberwolves forward Josh Minott.
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Olympiacos in Greece is expressing interest in Suns point guard Vasilije Micic, per Kevin Martorano of Sportando. Phoenix holds an $8.1MM team option on Micic for next season, but that’s unlikely to be exercised because he only got into five games after being acquired from Charlotte at the trade deadline.
- Former NBA guard Lorenzo Brown may be looking to change teams next season with T.J. Shorts expected to join Panathinaikos, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. Brown was disappointed with his role in his first season with the Greek powerhouse and wants to find a spot where he can play regularly. “I think I’ve proven myself in this league a bunch of times,” he said. “I just want to play, man, and finish strong. I’ll be 35 in August, but I still have a lot of game left. I can still dunk, still windmill—whatever you need me to do. I just want to play and compete. I think I was a little out of the loop this year. It was a little weird. My brothers fought for me all year. That brotherhood—that’s what matters most.”
- Errick McCollum, currently with Fenerbahce in Turkey, told Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops that he received NBA offers earlier in his career, but he opted for the security of playing overseas. The 37-year-old point guard is the older brother of the Pelicans’ CJ McCollum. “I had some opportunities. But the role wasn’t right,” he said. “Sometimes it was third point guard. Not many minutes, minimum contract. It just wasn’t right in my career. For other people, it may be good. But I’m a guy who wants to play. I want to have an impact. Be out there on the court making a difference.”
T.J. Shorts To Join Panathinaikos Unless He Gets NBA Offer
Free agent point guard T.J. Shorts, who was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team in 2024/25 as a member of Paris Basketball, is finalizing a multiyear contract with Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos, confirms Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.
The Greek reporter Sotiris Vetakis was first to break the news (via Twitter) of Shorts landing with Panathinaikos, adding that the deal will contain an NBA out clause.
Aris Barkas of Eurohoops also hears Shorts is expected to sign with Panathinaikos, but states that the agreement is still tentative because the 27-year-old wants to leave open the possibility of signing with an NBA team. The Grizzlies reportedly have legitimate interest in Shorts, who played under head coach Tuomas Iisalo in both Germany and France.
It remains to be seen what type of contract Memphis might be willing to extend to Shorts, but it’s hard to envision it being as lucrative as Panathinaikos’ offer, Barkas observes. Still, a couple of years ago Shorts said it would be a “dream” to play in the NBA one day.
Despite his diminutive stature — he’s listed at 5’9″ and 161 lbs. — Shorts has been highly productive in Europe since he went undrafted out of UC Davis in 2019. In 33 EuroLeague contests this season with Paris (27.1 minutes per game), he averaged 18.7 points, a league-best 7.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals, with a shooting slash line of .499/.415/.732. He was recently named back-to-back MVP of France’s top basketball league.
Panathinaikos is also believed to be interested in a reunion with former NBA lottery pick Georgios Papagiannis, according to Urbonas. The Greek center, 27, has played seven years with Panathinaikos, last suiting up during the ’22/23 campaign. He has spent the past two seasons with Fenerbahce (Turkey) and AS Monaco, respectively, and is represented by the same agent as Shorts, Barkas notes.
Mario Hezonja Drawing ‘Serious’ NBA Interest
Former No. 5 overall pick Mario Hezonja is drawing “serious interest” from NBA teams as he contemplates a move away from Spanish EuroLeague club Real Madrid, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.
Although Hezonja signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid last summer, his deal contains an NBA out clause in the range of $850K, according to Urbonas’ sources, which is the standard for international players crossing the Atlantic.
According to Urbonas, “several” NBA teams are keeping a close eye on Hezonja’s situation after a solid three-year stint with Real Madrid. The 30-year-old, who played for Panathinaikos (Greece) and UNICS (Russia) from 2020-22, also put up huge numbers during EuroBasket 2025 qualifiers, averaging 30.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game, RealGM notes, though Croatia failed to qualify for the first time in the tournament’s history.
A 6’8″ forward, Hezonja never lived up to his lofty draft status as a young player in the NBA — his stints with Orlando, New York and Portland were plagued by inconsistency in multiple areas. But he did have occasional moments of brilliance, particularly on straight line drives when he could showcase his run-and-jump athleticism, and the outlines of a 3-and-D role player were certainly evident.
More importantly, Hezonja has been one of the better players in Europe over the past five years, and there’s a “real possibility” he could return to the NBA as he weighs his options this offseason, sources tell Urbonas.
While he never played for the Grizzlies, Hezonja was technically paid by Memphis during the 2020/21 season, having been waived before that campaign began.
International Notes: Bogdanovic, EuroLeague, Asia, Sarr
The No. 27 pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Bogdan Bogdanovic spent three more seasons playing in Europe before making the move stateside in 2017. The veteran swingman has been in the NBA since then, but told reporters at the EuroLeague Final Four this week that he could see himself playing overseas again before his career is over.
“I had that goal when I was leaving (for the NBA), but I’ll see how my health is later in my career,” Bogdanovic said, per Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews. “I want to come back, of course, but I have to stay healthy. … I miss it because I’m closer to my friends and family (in Europe). That’s what I miss most. Competition as well, but friends and family first, honestly.”
Bogdanovic, who finished the 2024/25 season with the Clippers following a midseason trade from Atlanta to Los Angeles, added that he’s looking forward to representing Serbia in EuroBasket 2025 and is “optimistic” that Nuggets star Nikola Jokic will participate in the tournament.
“I feel like we have a good opportunity (to win the gold). We can’t hide,” Bogdanovic said, according to Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops. “That’s it. We’re going for gold. All those years we’re building something. It’s progress. A process. Hopefully, we’ll stay healthy and we show up healthy and ready to go.”
Here are a few more items of interest from around the international basketball world:
- The EuroLeague is expected to expand from 18 to 20 teams beginning next season, according to reports from Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews and Alessandro Maggi of Sportando (Twitter link). Hapoel Tel Aviv, Dubai BC, and Valencia are the favorites to join the league next season, with ALBA Berlin exiting, according to Urbonas. In addition to working on expansion, EuroLeague officials are expected to meet with the NBA and FIBA next week about the NBA’s own European league.
- What exactly is the Asian University Basketball League? Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com takes a closer look at the college basketball organization launching this summer in Asia and speaks to AUBL CEO Jay Li about his goal of finding and developing the next NBA star from the continent. “We are not just an Asian basketball league,” Li said. “We could be the centerpiece of youth talent development for the entire world when it comes to developing Asia’s next Yao Ming, Asia’s next Jeremy Lin.”
- Dame Sarr, a 6’8″ wing from Italy, has committed to Duke for the 2025/26 season, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Sarr, who has spent the past two seasons playing for Barcelona in Spain, had a big game at last month’s Nike Hoop Summit, establishing himself as a potential 2026 first-round pick to watch. “My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA,” Sarr told ESPN. “There’s no better place to prepare you for that than Duke. For me to be as NBA-ready as possible, and become the best version of myself, I needed to have both experiences — playing for a pro team like Barcelona, and playing in a different type of professional environment like Duke against other players my age. Opportunity, minutes, repetition — this route is the best next step for me at this time.”
Suns’ Micic Discusses Contract Situation, EuroBasket
Reporting from international outlets throughout the spring has linked NBA point guard Vasilije Micic to Hapoel Tel Aviv, with one April report indicating that Micic was on the verge of signing a $5MM contract with the Israeli club.
While it’s possible that deal will still come to fruition, Micic made it clear in a conversation with Meridian Sport that he hasn’t signed anything yet and suggested that his plans for the 2025/26 season remain up in the air, given that his contract with the Suns includes an $8.11MM team option.
“I really don’t know. The team still has an option on my contract. And that’s a serious clause in the NBA. All I know is that I want to play,” Micic said (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops). “There are plenty of rumors. I don’t pay attention. … If I haven’t signed anything, I have nothing to talk about. My contract officially runs until June 30. Before that, it’s all just talk. But I can’t believe in anything until I see something concrete.”
A EuroLeague champion in 2021 and 2022 and the MVP of Europe’s top league in 2021, Micic signed a three-year, $23.6MM contract with Oklahoma City during the 2023 offseason, nine years after he was selected with the No. 52 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. However, his stint in the NBA hasn’t gone as planned.
Micic has been traded twice since arriving stateside and has played a modest role for Oklahoma City, Charlotte, and Phoenix, averaging 6.8 points and 3.9 assists in 19.4 minutes per game across 101 outings in the past two seasons. He has made just 39.5% of his field goal attempts, including 31.5% of his three-pointers, and hasn’t been an asset on the defensive end of the court.
The cap-strapped Suns will probably have little incentive to exercise Micic’s $8.11MM option unless his salary is needed for trade purposes. Even in that scenario, there’s no guarantee the 31-year-old’s new team would retain him, so he’s a good bet to reach free agency at some point this offseason. And even if he doesn’t ultimately finalize a deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv, his desire for a significant role suggests a return to Europe is likely.
Wherever he ends up this fall, Micic figures to be playing overseas this summer. He told Meridian Sport that he “really” wants to represent Serbia in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament after helping his home country claim a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics a year ago.
“Last year was great for us,” Micic said. “… This year, we hope it’ll be even better. Someone’s always missing. If everyone shows up, it’ll be incredible, and hopefully even more successful.”
And-Ones: Jokic, Malone, Spending Power, Jordan, Uniforms
After Sunday’s lopsided Game 7 loss to Oklahoma City, Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was asked whether or not he intends to suit up for Serbia at the EuroBasket tournament this summer, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Jokic helped the Serbian national team win a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“I think the Olympics made me even better. Playing for your country, with other rules, with different players,” he said. “I need to decide. … I need to talk with the coaches and some of the main players. And we will see. But for now, for the next couple of days, there will be a lot of beer probably.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Michael Malone, the former head coach of the Nuggets who was fired with three games left in the regular season, is joining ESPN for its coverage of the Western Conference Finals, according to The Associated Press. The series tips off on Tuesday, with top-seeded Oklahoma City hosting Minnesota. Malone will be featured on both the pregame and halftime shows.
- Which NBA teams will have the most spending power this offseason? Which will have the least? Danny Leroux of The Athletic breaks each team into categories, with the Nets having by far the most projected cap space at $58MM. The Spurs are among the group who project to have access to the full (aka non-taxpayer) mid-level exception, the Pacers could have the taxpayer MLE, and the Cavaliers are expected to be over the second tax apron. Leroux also gives a brief rundown of the types of moves each club could consider with respect to their financial situation.
- A uniform worn by Bulls legend Michael Jordan during the 1992/93 season was recently sold at auction for $2.6MM, per Dan Hajducky of ESPN.com. Jordan, who wore the red uniform during road games, led the league in scoring for the seventh straight time and led Chicago to its third consecutive title in ’92/93. The former Hornets owner is joining NBC Sports as a special contributor when the NBA returns to the network this fall.
- The NBA has informed teams that city edition uniforms will not be worn during the conference finals or finals, a league source tell Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). The city edition uniforms were evidently only permitted for the first two rounds of the playoffs. Indiana faces New York in the Eastern final.
International Notes: P. Gasol, Bogut, Nunn, Shorts, Biberovic
Former NBA stars Pau Gasol and Andrew Bogut were welcomed into the FIBA Hall of Fame Saturday night in Bahrain, according to Eurohoops. In addition to their NBA accomplishments, both players had extensive experience in international competitions, with Gasol being Spain’s all-time scoring leader in EuroBasket and Bogut representing Australia in three Summer Olympics.
Gasol, who was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023, used his speech to reflect on his time with the Spanish national team and share memories of former Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant.
“None was more important than my brother, Kobe,” Gasol told the crowd. “Our connection went far beyond that. He was unique. He challenged me to leave it all on the court every day to make us NBA champions. I’ll never forget how he welcomed me onto the team. We built something special. It wasn’t easy. Trust, accountability, unwavering commitment, and pure determination. I miss him and (his daughter) Gigi terribly.”
Other notable members of this year’s class include former Duke and Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski, three-time gold medalist Dawn Staley and WNBA career assists leader Ticha Penicheiro of Portugal.
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Kendrick Nunn is mulling over offers to represent Greece or Turkey at this year’s EuroBasket tournament, according to George Adamopolous of EuroHoops. The former NBA guard, who plays for Panathinaikos in Greece, is the reigning EuroLeague MVP. “There were offers that came on the table to play either for the Greek national team or the Turkish national team,” Nunn said. “It’s still in the air. I haven’t made a decision yet to be honest. I still have time.”
- T.J. Shorts, who has received interest from the Grizzlies, has earned back-to-back MVP honors in the French League, per EuroHoops. The Paris Basketball point guard averaged 16.9 points and 8.0 assists per game in his first season in the league, shooting 59.1% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range. Shorts, 27, will be a free agent this summer.
- Fenerbahce swingman Tarik Biberovic, whose rights are controlled by the Grizzlies, is pondering a move to the NBA and is getting encouragement from teammate Marko Guduric, EuroHoops relays in another piece. “If I’m Fener, I’m obviously trying to keep Tarik,” Guduric said, “but for him, personally, it’s going to be his decision and of his family, whatever is best for them. I told him, if there is an opportunity, maybe you should try.”
Kristaps Porzingis Discusses Mysterious Illness
Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis, who is under contract for $30.7MM next season before hitting free agency in 2026, struggled mightily in the playoffs due to the lingering effects of a mysterious illness he contracted in February.
It seemed like Porzingis was mostly recovered late in the regular season, but he was particularly ineffective in Boston’s second-round loss to New York, averaging just 4.2 points and 3.7 rebounds on .240/.222/.647 shooting in 15.5 minutes per game. Those numbers are a precipitous drop compared to what he posted in the regular season: 19.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.5 BPG on .483/.412/.809 shooting in 45 contests (28.8 MPG).
After the Celtics were eliminated on Friday night, Porzingis admitted he still doesn’t have any solid answers about what has been causing the “energy zaps” and stamina “ebbs and flows” over the past two-plus months.
“I’m not sure,” Porzingis said, per Brian Robb of MassLive. “I mean, doctors are trying to help as much as possible. It was just some lingering fatigue, some effects.
“It was just extremely weird, and many symptoms that were kind of super weird. So I think nobody has a clear answer. I’ll see how I go from here. Maybe I do some extra testing and some extra stuff and see if we find something. If not, maybe just a reset. Reset for my whole system and that will give my energy levels hopefully back up.”
Porzingis, who played 11 minutes on Friday, said he would have fallen asleep immediately if he had laid down in the locker room after the game, according to Adam Himmselbach of The Boston Globe.
“(It was) super, super frustrating. As frustrating as you can imagine. Just to not be able to help this team more, especially with (Jayson Tatum) going out,” Porzingis said (story via ESPN’s Brian Windhorst). “Not being too much of a help just hurts deep inside.”
“… I tried to give what I had. It wasn’t much, as you could see,” he added, per Himmelsbach.
According to Robb, Porzingis never considered sitting out after he was medically cleared by doctors, who tested his heart, among other organs. He also still plans to play for Latvia at this summer’s EuroBasket.
“The main thing for me now is just to let my system get into a normal state,” Porzingis said. “Get my energy back up and then I’ll start to look into some things maybe outside of basketball at first, and then the European Championships later in the summer, so I’m excited about that.
“So this summer I expect a nice bounce-back for myself and then heading into the next season.”