International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Chimezie Metu Suffers Ruptured Achilles In EuroLeague Game

March 25th, 2025 at 6:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA forward Chimezie Metu suffered a rupture of the Achilles tendon in his right leg during a EuroLeague game, Alessandro Maggi of Sportando relays. The FC Barcelona forward, who turned 28 on Saturday, was playing against Bayern Munich.

Metu signed with Barcelona on a one-year contract in July. In 45 games with Barcelona, Metu was averaging 11.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per contest.

A second-round pick out of USC in 2018, Metu has logged 260 NBA games. He started his career with two seasons in San Antonio, then played the next three seasons with Sacramento. He moved on to Phoenix prior to last season on a one-year, minimum-salary deal.

Metu played a total of 51 games, including 12 starts, with the Suns and Pistons last season. Phoenix traded him to Memphis, which waived him.

Metu finished the season on a two-way contract with Detroit but the Pistons declined their minimum-salary team option on him for 2024/25, making him an unrestricted free agent.

He averaged 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game during his NBA career.

And-Ones: Gores, WNBA, Micic, Bibby, Williams, NIL

March 24th, 2025 at 9:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A new development plan for the Detroit riverfront includes building a multi-sports complex that would support the city’s bid to gain a WNBA franchise, JC Reindl of the Detroit Free Press reports. Pistons owner Tom Gores and a team of local investors plan to use the site to host the team’s practice facility and headquarters. The Pistons and their G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, play their games in downtown Detroit.

Reports surfaced in late January that Detroit was one of the cities bidding for a new WNBA franchise.

We have more from around the international basketball world:

Anadolu Efes guard and former NBA player Shane Larkin said that Suns guard Vasilije Micic could wind up in the EuroLeague next season, as Eurohoops.net relays. “Me and Vasa talk all the time. He’s one of my good friends,” Larkin said, per Meridian Sports. “Obviously we have a lot of history together. And, you know, he’s happy where he’s at, but he’s definitely open to opportunities.” Micic has appeared in just two games with Phoenix since he was traded by Charlotte. Phoenix holds an $8.1MM option on Micic’s contract for next season, which is a virtual lock to be declined.
Mike Bibby, a 14-year NBA veteran, has agreed to become the head coach at Sacramento State, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. Bibby played the prime of his career with the Kings.
Kam Williams of Tulane will test the NBA draft waters, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. The 6’8” wing was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team after averaging 9.3 points per game and shooting 41% on 3-point tries in his first college season.
Writing for The Stein Line (Substack link), Jake Fischer interviews agent Daniel Poneman regarding the NIL and how it impacts the NBA draft and college basketball.

Southwest Notes: Edwards, Nunez, McCollum, Sheppard, Morant

March 24th, 2025 at 7:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Two-way Mavericks player Kessler Edwards is expected to be active for the 50th time this season on Tuesday against the Knicks, NBA insider Marc Stein tweets.

That will make Edwards ineligible to be activated again this season under a two-way deal. The hard-capped Mavs can sign him to a standard contract on April 10. The team can’t do it any sooner because it’s only about $51K away from its first-apron hard cap.

Edwards has appeared in 39 games (17 starts), averaging 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per contest.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The Spurs have been keeping close tabs on stash-and-draft prospect Juan Nunez, Eurohoops.net relays. “I know we’ve had a lot of people visiting him in Spain and interacting with the Barcelona organization,” interim head coach Mitch Johnson told Mundo Deportivo. “We have a great relationship from everything I’ve heard, that’s what I know about it. I know we’re very aligned in terms of his development and experience there, and we want to continue helping him grow as a young player.” The 36th pick of last year’s draft, Nunez recorded 25 EuroLeague appearances for Barcelona, averaging 5.0 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. The point guard’s season was cut short by a knee injury.
Following a 40-point outing against the Pistons, Pelicans guard CJ McCollum was rested in the second game of a back-to-back on Monday, according to a team press release. Bruce Brown (return to play reconditioning) and Zion Williamson (low back contusion) were also listed among the players who were ruled out against injury-riddled Philadelphia.
Rockets lottery pick Reed Sheppard did some shooting at practice without a brace on his fractured thumb, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle tweets. He was injured on March 7 and was expected to miss at least four weeks. He’ll still be out for at least another week, Lerner adds.
Ja Morant will miss his fifth straight game due to a hamstring strain when the Grizzlies face Utah on Tuesday, the team’s PR department tweets.

Real Madrid Reportedly Eyeing Nuggets’ Dario Saric

March 24th, 2025 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid is interested in veteran NBA forward Dario Saric as a potential offseason target, according to a report from Javier Maestro of Encestando (Spanish link; hat tip to Sportando).

As Maestro explains, Real Madrid is on the lookout for a big man who can play the four and five and is capable of spreading the floor and playing alongside center Usman Garuba. Former NBA standout Serge Ibaka has filled that role for the club this season, but his production has been down this season and his contract is expiring.

Saric remains under contract with the Nuggets, but has played an extremely limited role since signing with the team as a free agent last offseason. The Croatian forward/center has appeared in just 15 games for Denver this season and hasn’t played at all this month.

Saric has struggled when given a chance to play, averaging just 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .339/.269/.700. All of those shooting percentages are career lows by a significant margin.

Saric is no stranger to the EuroLeague, having suited up for Anadolu Efes in Turkey before making the move to the NBA in 2016. However, it’s unclear if he’ll be looking to return to Europe for his age-31 season this summer or if his goal will be to exhaust his NBA options first.

Crucially, it’s worth noting that Saric’s contract with Denver includes a $5.4MM player option for the 2025/26 season. It’s not unprecedented for a player to give up guaranteed money in order to sign a lucrative contract and play a key role in Europe – Sasha Vezenkov did so last summer – but if Saric picks up that option, he’d have to be waived in order to become a viable option for Real Madrid or any other European team.

And-Ones: Rebuilding Teams, Free Agency, Flagg, NBL

March 21st, 2025 at 9:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Among 11 NBA teams in various stages of their respective rebuilds, the Spurs are best positioned for the long run, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link). San Antonio’s place atop the rankings has a lot to do with the presence of Victor Wembanyama on the roster, but Bontemps points to Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and recently acquired point guard De’Aaron Fox as other likely core pieces for the Spurs, who could end up with two more lottery picks this spring.

Interestingly, Bontemps places the Hornets and Wizards at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, on his rebuild rankings, praising Charlotte in particular for its promising collection of young talent. The Trail Blazers and Bulls come in at 10th and 11th on Bontemps’ list, largely because there are questions about whether either team has a franchise player to build around and whether they’ll be in position to land one in the draft anytime soon.

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

John Hollinger of The Athletic highlights several of the challenging situations that teams will face in free agency this summer, including the Cavaliers with Ty Jerome, the Nuggets with Russell Westbrook, the Kings with Jake LaRavia, and the Sixers with Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele. Many of those clubs will be limited in what they can offer their free agents, either due to a lack of full Bird rights or tax/apron concerns.
Meanwhile, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) looks ahead to 2026 and explains why next year’s star-studded free agent class will likely be something of a mirage, given all the contract extensions likely to be signed between now and then.
ESPN draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (Insider link) spoke to 10 NBA executives about projected No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, surveying those execs on the Duke freshman’s strengths and weaknesses, his odds of winning a title with the Blue Devils, and whether there’s any chance he decides to stay in school for another year. “I can’t remember a No. 1 pick deciding to go back to school,” one Eastern Conference scout told ESPN.
Ahead of the NBA playing its first games in Australia this fall, a battle over the ownership of the country’s National Basketball League appears to be brewing. Olgun Uluc of ESPN Australia has the story.

And-Ones: Simmons, Offseason, Trade Trends, RefMasters

March 17th, 2025 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been over a decade since Clippers guard Ben Simmons last played for Australia in an international tournament, but the former No. 1 overall pick tells Grant Afseth of RG.org that he hopes to take part in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles if he’s healthy and earns a spot on the Boomers’ roster.

“That’s what I’ve always wanted — to play in the Olympics,” Simmons said. “If I’m healthy and I’m good to go, then I’ll definitely be there.”

Simmons spoke in the past about the possibility of playing in the 2016, 2020, or 2024 Olympics. However, he withdrew in 2016 to prepare for his NBA rookie season and did so again in 2021 to focus on his individual skill development. Ongoing back issues prevented the three-time All-Star from being available for the 2024 event.

In addition to expressing early interest in being part of Australia’s roster for the 2028 Olympics, Simmons voiced his support for Wizards assistant Adam Caporn, who was named the new head coach of the men’s basketball team last week.

“He’s a great coach and a great person,” Simmons told Afseth. “I’m looking forward to talking to him and getting connected — continue to build our relationship going into the next Olympics.”

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

In an entertaining article for Bleacher Report, Eric Pincus looks ahead to the offseason and identifies three possible targets in free agency or via trade for all 30 teams. There’s some overlap along the way — for instance, Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford is considered a potential trade target for the Hawks, Pacers, Lakers, and Raptors.
Writing for Marc Stein’s Substack, NBA insider Jake Fischer examines some trade-related trends that have been created as a result of the new CBA, including an increase in deals involving three or more teams and a reluctance by teams to use their full mid-level exceptions in free agency, since those exceptions can now be used to acquire players via trade. “That will be a new trend,” one team strategist said. “More teams holding their mid-level exception open for the trade deadline.”
Three years ago, the NBA’s referees released a social and educational app known as RefMasters, which is designed to help improve play calls and to expand the pool of up-and-coming officials. Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic takes a closer look at how it works and what its creators hope to accomplish.

Wizards’ Adam Caporn To Coach Australian National Team

March 12th, 2025 at 8:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Wizards assistant Adam Caporn is set to serve as the head coach for the Australian national team, Washington announced today in a press release.

As the Wizards’ statement notes, Caporn becomes the 12th head coach of the program. Since 2017, he had served as an assistant under previous head coach Brian Goorjian, who stepped away following the 2024 Paris Olympics. With Caporn on the staff, Australia claimed a bronze medal in the 2021 Tokyo games.

“I am deeply grateful to Basketball Australia for their trust in me and to the entire Australian basketball community for the invaluable experiences and opportunities I’ve had from grassroots development to the Olympic stage,” Caporn said in the press release. “ I’m excited to get to work, building a team that will represent Australia with pride and continue to strengthen the Boomers’ great legacy and culture.”

Caporn had been the head coach for the Nets’ NBAGL affiliate squad, the Long Island Nets, during the 2021/22 season, before moving on to work as an assistant coach for Brooklyn for two years from 2022-24.

He is in his first season under Wizards head coach Brian Keefe. Caporn had also worked as an assistant at Saint Mary’s College of California, his alma mater, from 2010-14.

Besides Caporn, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, former Germany head coach Gordon Herbert, and veteran NBA assistant Will Weaver were said earlier this week to be among the candidates to take over for Goorjian as the new Boomers’ head coach.

Magic assistant Bret Brielmaier was a candidate too, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN, who also reports that Snyder remains in talks for an advisory role with Basketball Australia moving forward.

Former No. 1 Pick Bogut Named Sydney Kings Assistant

March 12th, 2025 at 7:36am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA center Andrew Bogut has been named an assistant coach on Brian Goorjian‘s Sydney Kings coaching staff, according to the official site of Australia’s National Basketball League.

Bogut, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, spent 14 seasons in the league, appearing in over 700 regular season games and averaging 9.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per contest. He made an All-NBA team in 2010 and an All-Defensive team in 2015 in addition to winning a championship with the Warriors in 2015.

An Australian native, Bogut also has an extensive history with the Sydney Kings. He was named the NBL’s Most Valuable Player and Best Defensive Player in 2019 as a member of the Kings and later became part of the club’s ownership group.

Bogut remains a part-owner of the Kings, but after retiring as a player in 2020, he was eager to get more involved with the on-court product.

“Being away from the game for five years, the itch to get back on the court was growing stronger with time,” Bogut said. “I’m honored to step into this position and work alongside Brian. Coaching is something I’m passionate about, and I can’t wait to help drive this team forward.”

“Being a three-time Olympian and an NBA champion, Andrew has a blue-chip pedigree,” said Goorjian, Australia’s former national team coach. “His knowledge of the game is elite and I know he will be a very valuable addition to our coaching staff.”

While Bogut seems content living and working in his home country, it will be interesting to see if the 40-year-old’s fledgling coaching career develops to the point that he’d consider returning stateside and joining an NBA franchise.

Pelicans To Play Two Preseason Games In Australia

March 10th, 2025 at 9:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans will play two preseason games against NBL teams in Melbourne this October, marking the first NBA games in Australia, according to a team press release.

The NBA has played numerous games, preseason and regular season, in Europe. There have also been preseason games in Japan and China, but these games will be on a new continent.

The Pelicans will play Melbourne United on Oct. 3 and South East Melbourne Phoenix in Oct. 5.

“The significance of this announcement for basketball in Australia and the NBL can’t be overstated,” NBL Executive Director Larry Kestelman said. “Hosting an NBA team in Australia has been a long-held dream for everyone at the NBL, and to see this initiative finally come to fruition after a 15-year journey shows that much can be accomplished when you dream big.”

Pelicans executive VP David Griffin indicated that the club will spend a significant portion of their training camp Down Under as well, he told Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link).

“The one thing we will do that will be unprecedented, is we’re gonna do a good portion – maybe not all of – but we’re gonna try be here prior to the games for a good portion of our training camp,” Griffin said. “Our full roster will be in attendance. These games will be really meaningful to us.”

The announcement builds on the NBA and NBL’s prior collaborations that began in 2016. Seven NBL teams have traveled to the U.S. to play 24 preseason games against NBA teams.

Stein’s Latest: Davis, Lively, Mavs, Durant, Billups, More

March 10th, 2025 at 3:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Perhaps the most interesting development in Sunday’s matchup between Phoenix and Dallas was something that took place off the court, as Mavericks big man Anthony Davis was on the bench and was “clearly itching to play,” according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Substack link).

Stein hears that Davis played some 2-on-2 over the weekend for the first time since he strained his left adductor on February 8 in his Dallas debut.

League sources tell Stein that both Davis and Dereck Lively, who is on the mend from a stress fracture in his right ankle, are on track to get healthy before the end of the season. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll actually suit up again for the Mavericks in 2024/25.

Amid a brutal wave of injuries, including losing Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL, the Mavs have dropped five straight games and are only 1.5 games ahead of Phoenix for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. And even if they hold onto the No. 10 seed, they’d have to win two straight road games in the play-in tournament to advance as the No. 8 seed, only to face the top-seeded Thunder in the first round.

As Stein observes, any hope the Mavericks had of another deep playoff run have been extinguished. Prioritizing the team’s odds of securing a lottery pick — and avoiding the possibility of Davis and Lively re-injuring themselves — is the most logical path for Dallas to take for the remainder of ’24/25.

Here’s more from Stein:

Although the Mavericks have been “repeatedly described” as a possible suitor for Suns forward Kevin Durant, both before and after last month’s trade deadline, Stein hears Dallas’ interest in Durant has been “overstated.” The Mavs’ depth would take a major blow if they try to trade for Durant, Stein notes, and they also lack future draft capital, which is why focusing on landing a lottery pick in June’s draft makes sense. Retaining Irving, who holds a $44MM player option for ’25/26, is a “priority” for Dallas, per Stein.
When asked by Stein how strange it was to play in Dallas knowing that the Mavericks traded away Luka Doncic, Suns guard Devin Booker replied, “You can feel it. You can feel it when you land.”
Scouts and executives from around the NBA are very curious what the future holds for Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, according to Stein. Before — and even during — the season, many around the league believed the two sides were destined to part ways, but Portland’s improved play has observers wondering if the team will exercise its option on Billups or perhaps give him a new contract. If the Blazers decide not to retain Billups, he would become an “in-demand coaching free agent,” Stein writes.
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, Wizards assistant Adam Caporn, former Germany head coach Gordon Herbert, and veteran NBA assistant Will Weaver are among the the candidates to be named the next head coach of Australia’s national team, according to Stein. The Boomers finished in sixth place at the 2024 Olympics in Paris after claiming their first medal in men’s basketball — a bronze — in Tokyo.