International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Checking In On Unsigned 2023 Draft Picks

September 1st, 2023 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

When he signed a two-way contract with the Grizzlies on Thursday, No. 45 pick overall pick GG Jackson became the 54th player selected in the 2023 draft to sign with his NBA team. Two of the 60 picks in this year’s draft were forfeited, which means there are just four players who have yet to sign NBA contracts.

As our tracker shows, those players are as follows:

Charlotte Hornets: James Nnaji, C
Washington Wizards: Tristan Vukcevic, F
Indiana Pacers: Mojave King, G
Memphis Grizzlies: Tarik Biberovic, G/F

It seems safe to assume we won’t see King and Biberovic in the NBA this season. Reports during or shortly after the draft indicated that they’ll be draft-and-stash prospects who will continue to hone their skills in international leagues while the Pacers and Grizzlies, respectively, control their NBA rights.

It’s possible that Nnaji and Vukcevic will take a similar path, but that has not yet been confirmed.

Speaking in July to Tony Canyameras of Mundo Deportivo (translation via Eurohoops), Nnaji said his expectation at that point was that he’d spend another season in Europe with FC Barcelona, but his future remained up in the air.

“We have to see how everything goes. The circumstances depend on what happens in the Summer League. But for now, I would say yes,” Nnaji said of returning to Barcelona.

The Hornets currently only have 13 players on guaranteed salaries for 2023/24, so they’d have room on their roster to add Nnaji if they want to.

But Frank Ntilikina, who has a $200K partial guarantee, looks like a good bet to be the 14th man, while JT Thor (non-guaranteed contract) and Theo Maledon (two-way RFA) are candidates for the 15th spot. So Charlotte has options and may prefer to wait a year on the 19-year-old Nnaji, who could use another developmental season in Spain.

As for Vukcevic, Christos Tsaltas of Sportal.gr (Twitter link) reported in mid-August that there’s a “strong possibility” the 42nd overall pick will remain with overseas for 2023/24. He’s under contract with Partizan Belgrade, though there were rumors in July that the Serbian club was considering loaning him to Greek team Peristeri BC.

Like Nnaji, Vukcevic isn’t locked into a plan for next season yet, but it would make sense for the 20-year-old to spend at least one more season in Europe, despite his desire to come stateside right away. The Wizards currently have 16 players on guaranteed contracts, so their standard roster is already pretty crowded. And they wouldn’t be permitted to sign him to a two-way deal if they were to buy him out from Partizan.

We’ll wait for further clarity on the plans for Nnaji and Vukcevic, but it’s possible that Jackson’s deal with the Grizzlies will be the last contract signed by a 2023 NBA draft pick before the ’23/24 season begins.

International Notes: Egypt, Rana, Japan, Cooks, Mamukelashvili

August 31st, 2023 at 9:55pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Egyptian national team coach Roy Rana has his team on the precipice of clinching an Olympic berth for the first time since 1988. The African Olympic spot appears to be down to Egypt and South Sudan, with Egypt playing New Zealand next and South Sudan squaring off against Angola in its next matchup.

Rana already led his team to its first win in 29 years thanks to a win over Mexico, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange. The 30-year coaching veteran has been all over the basketball world, coaching everywhere from Toronto Metropolitan University to the NBA’s Kings.

“Yeah, I probably don’t [reflect on my path] as much as I maybe used to,” Rana said in an interview with Grange. “But, you know, I do have a real sense of inner satisfaction that I was willing to go for it because a lot of people they’re just not willing to take those risks. Like at 50 I decided to leave [TMU] where I probably could have had a job for life. And I took the plunge and said, I’m gonna go for it. And I feel really good that I was willing to take that risk, and it’s allowed me to live the last four years of my life in a way that I never would have dreamed, and it’s been nothing but positive. It’s been really good.”

While several teams have already qualified for the second group stage of the World Cup, teams 17-32 are still to be determined. Further, Egypt is one of five African teams in competition for a spot in the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The match between Egypt and Rana has been a strong one, with Rana first getting the team’s attention for his work during the 2019 U19 World Cup in Cairo while coaching Canada.

“I think everybody knows my history in international basketball,” Rana said. “I got some feedback that Egypt was looking for a coach and started that conversation and pretty quickly started to realize that there was some talent there. I didn’t really know what was going on with basketball in North Africa … other than being there in 2017 — but as I explored it started to really get pretty interesting pretty quickly. You know, it just made sense at the time so I said, hey, why not? I just took the plunge. It’s been an incredible opportunity.”

Egypt’s roster doesn’t feature any active NBA players. However, Patrick Gardner is on the team and is reportedly going to join the Nets for training camp.

We have more notes from around the World Cup:

Japan defeated Venezuela 86-77 in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and is now just one win away from qualifying for the 2024 Olympics, according to a piece from ESPN. Japan was led in scoring by Makoto Hiejima with 23 points and current Suns wing Yuta Watanabe, who scored 21 points in a 15-point comeback. A win on Saturday against Cape Verde would clinch a spot in the Olympics for the second straight year for Japan. Watanabe is the only active NBA player on Japan’s roster.
The Wizards turned heads last spring when they signed Xavier Cooks, a longtime star for the NBL’s Sydney Kings to a deal. Cooks is now dominating during his time with Australia and is aiming to help the Boomers win the World Cup with his play during the event, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc writes. Cooks is averaging 14.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for Australia and is impressing with his ability to switch, defend and hustle. “I’m just trying to leave everything on the floor,” Cooks said. The 6’8″ forward is winning over his teammates and coaches with his play, which is evident through their trust in him to run the floor. I recommend reading Uluc’s piece in full, as Cooks gives an insightful look into his play.
Another player who found a new home last year, Spurs forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili is standing out with his World Cup play for Georgia’s national team. In a subscriber-only link, Nick Moyle of San Antonio Express-News takes a look at Mamukelashvili’s performance. The 24-year-old big man put up 21 points and seven rebounds in a loss against Slovenia. The Spurs re-signed the Seton Hall product this summer after claiming him off his two-way contract from the Bucks and then converting him to a standard deal.

Vernon Carey Jr. Signs With Turkish Team

August 30th, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA big man Vernon Carey Jr. has signed with Pinar Karşıyaka, also known as Karşıyaka Basket, the Turkish team announced (via Twitter).

Carey, 22, spent one college season at Duke prior to being selected with the No. 32 overall pick in 2020. Shortly after being drafted, he signed a multiyear standard contract with the Hornets.

Charlotte traded Carey to the Wizards at the 2022 deadline. Over three NBA seasons, he appeared in just 37 games with Charlotte and Washington, averaging a modest 5.1 MPG.

Carey was waived by the Wizards at the beginning of March and signed a multiyear deal with the Jazz during the 2022/23 season’s final weekend. His minimum-salary contract for ’23/24 was non-guaranteed, and Utah wound up releasing him last month, making him an unrestricted free agent.

While Carey didn’t get much playing time at the NBA level, he did have a solid G League stint with the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s affiliate, this past season. He put up 22.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.8 APG and 1.3 BPG on .588/.385/.708 shooting during last fall’s Showcase Cup (14 games, 28.1 MPG), then followed that up with 20.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .619/.364/.676 shooting during the NBAGL regular season (14 games, 27.6 MPG).

Karşıyaka Basket competes in the Turkish Super League and the Basketball Champions League. Last season, the team finished fourth in the TSL regular season, but made the final during the playoffs after scoring an upset over No. 1 seed Turk Telekom, ultimately losing its best-of-five series versus Anadolu Efes 3-0.

NBA Confirms Mavs’ Exhibition In Spain, Releases Full Preseason Schedule

August 30th, 2023 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

As previously reported, the Mavericks will play an exhibition game against Real Madrid in Spain this fall, with the contest scheduled to take place on October 10 at the WiZink Center in Madrid, the NBA confirmed today.

Real Madrid is Luka Doncic‘s former team, as well as the reigning EuroLeague champion, having defeated Olympiacos to win this year’s Final Four in May. The club features several former NBA players, including point guard Facundo Campazzo, who had a brief stint with the Mavericks last season.

In addition to confirming that exhibition game, the NBA announced (via Twitter) its full preseason schedule for 2023, starting with the Mavs facing the Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi on October 5. The first game in the U.S. will take place two days later, as the Lakers visit the Warriors on Oct. 7.

The preseason will wrap up on Oct. 20, with 15 NBA teams playing their final preseason game on that Friday before the regular season begins. The Magic will face Brazilian team Flamengo in one of that day’s eight games.

In addition to Real Madrid and Flamengo, the international clubs participating in the NBA’s preseason are the Cairns Taipans (Australia), the New Zealand Breakers, and Maccabi Ra’anana (Israel).

The Taipans will play in Washington on Oct. 10 and Toronto on Oct. 15; the Breakers will be in Portland on Oct. 10 and Utah on Oct. 16; Maccabi Ra’anana will visit Brooklyn on Oct. 12, Cleveland on Oct. 16, and Minnesota on Oct. 17.

World Cup Second Round Set; Australia Earns Spot In 2024 Olympics

August 30th, 2023 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

The field for the second round of the 2023 World Cup has been set following Wednesday’s games, with 16 of the tournament’s 32 teams set to advance while the other 16 will compete in consolation (classification) games for the Nos. 17-32 spots, having been eliminated from medal contention.

The four second round groups are as follows:

Group I: Serbia (3-0), Dominican Republic (3-0), Italy (2-1), Puerto Rico (2-1)
Group J: United States (3-0), Lithuania (3-0), Montenegro (2-1), Greece (2-1)
Group K: Slovenia (3-0), Germany (3-0), Australia (2-1), Georgia (2-1)
Group L: Canada (3-0), Spain (3-0), Brazil (2-1), Latvia (2-1)

The second round will consist of two more group-play games, taking place on Friday and Sunday, with each team playing the two clubs in its group that it has yet to face. For instance, Team USA will go up against Montenegro and Lithuania, having already defeated Greece in the first round.

A team’s record and point differential from the first round will carry over to the second round, so the 3-0 clubs in each group will have a leg up and a little more room for error. After two more games (five total), the top two teams in each group will advance to the eight-team, single-elimination knockout round.

A total of seven nations will qualify for the 2024 Olympics based on the World Cup results. The tournament’s top two teams from the Americas and Europe will earn spots in the Olympics, while the top team from Africa, Asia, and Oceania, respectively, will also make the cut.

So far, just one Olympic qualifier has been determined — with New Zealand’s elimination today, Australia is the last Oceania team standing and has secured its place in the 2024 Olympics, joining France (the host nation).

Since no teams from Asia or Africa made it through to the round of 16, the classification games will determine those two Olympic qualifiers.

There are still several teams from the Americas and Europe alive in the main draw. In order to clinch an Olympic berth, the U.S. will have to finish among the top two of the five Americas teams left standing — Canada, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Brazil are the other four.

Once the World Cup concludes, eight of the 12 teams competing in the 2024 Olympics in Paris will be set. The remaining four spots will be up for grabs in Olympic qualifying tournaments next year.

Former Lottery Pick Yi Jianlian Announces Retirement

August 30th, 2023 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

Chinese big man Yi Jianlian, the sixth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, has announced his retirement as a professional player, according to a China Global Television Network report.

“Time flies; in the blink of an eye, basketball has been by my side for 21 years,” Yi wrote as part of a larger statement on the social media site Webio. “After much contemplation, I have made the decision to officially bring my basketball career to a close.

“… Farewell is not the end, but rather a new beginning. I will cherish the memories of the past while continuing to move forward, embracing new chapters in my life. Goodbye, my beloved basketball.”

A seven-foot forward, Yi played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China from 2002-07 before entering the NBA draft. He was selected with the No. 6 pick by the Bucks and spent his rookie season in Milwaukee, despite a desire to play in a U.S. market with a larger Chinese community.

Following his rookie year, Yi was traded from Milwaukee to New Jersey in a deal that sent Richard Jefferson to the Bucks. He played for the Nets for two seasons from 2008-10, then spent one year in Washington and one in Dallas before returning to China, where he played for Guangdong from 2012-23.

Yi had another brief stint stateside in 2016, when he joined the Lakers for the preseason, but he was cut that fall when the regular season began. In 272 total NBA regular season appearances, the 35-year-old averaged 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .404/.333/.780.

Although he didn’t have much success in the NBA, Yi has enjoyed a long, productive career in China, representing the national team in several international competitions and earning 12 All-Star berths in the Chinese Basketball Association. He also won six CBA titles with Guangdong, most recently in 2020, and was named the CBA Finals MVP three times.

International Notes: World Cup, France, Embiid, RHJ, More

August 29th, 2023 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Half of the 32 teams in the 2023 World Cup have completed their full slate of three first-round games. Of those clubs, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Lithuania, Montenegro, Germany, Australia, Canada, and Latvia will advance to round two.

Spain and the U.S. have also secured spots in the second round based on their groups’ results through two games. Serbia and Slovenia, who are both 2-0, are well positioned to join them in the round of 16. Assuming they both make it through, that would leave four spots up for grabs on Wednesday.

As we wait to see what the full second-round field looks like, here are a few notes from around the international basketball world:

Asked after France’s elimination from World Cup competition whether he’s hoping Joel Embiid commits to playing for the French team in next year’s Olympics, forward Nicolas Batum rhetorically replied with a smile, “Would you say no to the MVP?” (story via Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops). Embiid, a citizen of both France and the U.S. in addition to Cameroon, has been cagey about who he’ll represent in the Olympics, if he suits up at all.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst takes a look at how NBA journeyman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has reinvented himself as a left-handed version of Kobe Bryant, emulating “everything from Bryant’s footwork to his free throw routine to his poses after big shots.” As Windhorst writes, Hollis-Jefferson has modified his game since last playing in the NBA and is hoping his strong play for Jordan at the World Cup will help generate interest among NBA teams. “I’m trying to show that I can compete with the best of the best and bring energy to every game,” he said. “I always admired Kobe’s killer mindset and competitive spirit and I’m trying to learn from it.” As we noted earlier today, Hollis-Jefferson has a deal in place with Philippine team Tropang Giga for 2023/24, but it includes an NBA out.
Following his team’s loss to Karl-Anthony Towns and the Dominican Republic on Tuesday, Angola head coach Pep Claros Canals expressed his displeasure with FIBA’s eligibility rules, including one that allows each team to carry one naturalized player, per Sid Ventura of ESPN. “Each country needs to develop their own players. This is what I think,” Canals said. “There are players that don’t even speak the language of the country that they represent. There are countries which have seven, eight players that were born outside that country.” As Ventura writes, the Dominican Republic didn’t technically have a naturalized player on its roster, but six of its 12 players – including Towns – were born outside of the country.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson To Play In Philippines

August 29th, 2023 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who is currently representing Jordan at the 2023 World Cup, confirmed to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (Twitter link) that he’ll re-sign with Tropang Giga of the Philippine Basketball Association for the 2023/24 season.

“The season ends in February, so I’m open to anyone who wants to call,” Hollis-Jefferson said, adding that his agreement with the Philippine team includes an NBA out clause.

Hollis-Jefferson spent six seasons in the NBA with Brooklyn, Toronto, and Portland after being drafted 23rd overall in 2015. However, has hasn’t played in the league since the 2020/21 season, having competed in Turkey, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the Philippines since then. He initially joined Tropang Giga in February.

While an NBA return at this point may be a long shot for the 28-year-old, he has certainly been making a case with his play at the World Cup in the last few days. Although Jordan has lost its first two games and won’t advance to the second round of the tournament, Hollis-Jefferson has averaged 31.5 points on 54.3% shooting in those two losses. Only Luka Doncic of Slovenia has a higher scoring average so far at the World Cup.

Hollis-Jefferson and Jordan will face the U.S. in the final game of the group-play first round on Wednesday.

Stein’s Latest: Bahamas, Gordon, Thompson, Jones, Giannis

August 28th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bahamas just had its most successful international run ever, winning a pre-qualifying tournament — and eliminating Argentina in the process — to have a shot at making next summer’s Olympics if the national team can win another six-team tournament.

FIBA drew some criticism for allowing veteran guard Eric Gordon to compete with the Bahamas, as he previously played for Team USA at the 2010 World Cup. However, as Marc Stein writes at Substack, Gordon does have a legitimate tie to the Bahamas — his mother was born and raised in the island nation, and the U.S. granted him permission to switch allegiances, likely due to his advanced age (he’s 34).

Here’s more from Stein:

Stein hears the Bahamian national team isn’t finished recruiting NBA players, with Evan Mobley, Isaiah Mobley and Naz Reid all eligible to represent the country. Stein also wonders if the team will recruit Klay Thompson, whose father, former top overall pick Mychal Thompson, is from the Bahamas.
Like Gordon, Klay Thompson would have to become a naturalized citizen in order to compete for the Bahamian team, and only one such slot is available in FIBA events. Thompson has already won a pair of gold medals with Team USA. His father neither confirmed nor denied that his son might attempt to compete for the Bahamas in the future, simply telling Stein, “We’ll see.”
Derrick Jones Jr. considered signing with the Heat in free agency, league sources tell Stein. The veteran forward, who played two-plus seasons in Miami, instead signed a one year, minimum-salary deal with the Mavericks.
The Lakers and Knicks are among the teams that may intrigue Giannis Antetokounmpo if he were to leave the Bucks in the future, according to Stein. The two-time MVP recently expressed a desire to keep winning championships, wherever that may take him. Antetokounmpo can become a free agent in 2025.

And-Ones: Larkin, Anderson, Drew League

August 27th, 2023 at 8:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Shane Larkin said he wasn’t healthy enough to play for the Turkish national team in an Olympic pre-qualifying tournament this month, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net relays.

Larkin was fined approximately 3,000 Euros and suspended five games during the upcoming Turkish Super League season for failing to report to the national team. However, Larkin claims the national team knew it would have been “risky” for him to play.

“I was in the USA working on my body and trying to recover from a season full of injuries and to train for the upcoming season. The national team still asked me to come report to camp and come get an MRI on my knees to get a proper diagnosis,” Larkin said on Instagram. “I flew from Miami to Istanbul and the national team doctor told me that I was in bad shape and that if I were to push myself, I would be at risk of severe damage to my knee for the short and long-term.

“Word for word, I was told, ‘If you push yourself and don’t give it time to heal, you will potentially need surgery that will keep you out for months.’ I was informed to stay off my knees and to stop working out anything lower body. I then started treatment with different medications in order to help myself heal and was asked to come back a week later for another MRI. I did exactly what was asked of me and when came back for the second MRI, the bone was healing but still not in a place where I would be safe to go and play in the games.’

We have more from around the basketball world:

Former NBA guard James Anderson has signed a one-year contract with Turkey’s Manisa, Sportando relays. Anderson played last season for UCAM Murcia in Spain. Anderson appeared in 247 NBA regular season games, most recently with Sacramento during the 2015/16 season.
Over the past dozen years, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan have participated in the Drew League. The Athletic’s Law Murray takes a closer look at the summer pro-am league, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.
France has already been eliminated from World Cup contention. Get the details here.