International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Notes: Bacon, Anderson, Hall, Gobert

July 18th, 2025 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

Ahead of the team’s first season in the EuroLeague, Dubai Basketball is loading up on former NBA players. The team announced this week in a pair of press releases that it has signed free agent shooting guard Dwayne Bacon and wing Justin Anderson.

Bacon, who will turn 30 next month, hasn’t been on an NBA roster since being waived by the Lakers in October 2022, but the former No. 40 overall pick out of Florida State appeared in 207 regular season games for Charlotte and Orlando from 2017-21. He averaged 7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game – with a shooting line of .402/.314/.780 – during that time and has since played in Monaco, Greece, China, Puerto Rico, and Russia.

Anderson, meanwhile, is a 2015 first-round pick who made 242 NBA regular season appearances for six teams from 2015-22. The 31-year-old, who averaged 5.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game on .410/.292/.775 shooting in the NBA, has played for three separate clubs in Spain since 2023.

In addition to Bacon and Anderson, Dubai recently added former Brooklyn swingman Dzanan Musa and former Dallas guard McKinley Wright. The roster also features longtime NBA big man Davis Bertans, who played for Dubai last season.

Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:

Big man Donta Hall, who suited up for three NBA teams from 2020-21, has agreed to a three-year deal with the Greek team Olympiacos, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. Hall also drew interest from Panathinaikos, tweets Marc Stein, while his former team in Spain (Baskonia) will receive a buyout payment, as Aris Barkas of Eurohoops details.
Speaking to the French outlet L’Aisne Nouvelle, Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert explained why he won’t be suiting up for France at this year’s EuroBasket tournament. “I’ve had busy summers in recent years, and it’s taken a toll,” Gobert said (hat tip to Eurohoops). “People don’t always realize how intense the EuroBasket is. It finishes just before the NBA resumes, and it’s a big responsibility. I had said I’d wait until the end of the season to decide, and now I have. This summer, I’m focusing on myself, my family and my son.”
We’ve passed along several international basketball updates over the course of this week, including updates on Nassir Little‘s new team overseas, a Cavaliers second-round pick signing in Italy, and former NBA guard Vasilije Micic ending up in Israel. Our full archive of international basketball stories can be found right here.

Free Agent Notes: Thomas, Wong, Walker, Theis

July 18th, 2025 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

Expanding on his earlier reporting on restricted free agent guard Cam Thomas, Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link) says he has heard from three sources that there may not be resolution on the situation anytime soon. The Nets are the only NBA team with cap room remaining and continue to explore options for how to use that space. Until that happens, they’ll likely be in no rush to lock up Thomas to a new deal, and his camp isn’t pressing the issue either.

On top of that, there may be a substantial gap between how the two sides value Thomas. As Lewis writes, a source familiar with the guard’s thinking believes he could be seeking $30MM per year, since he doesn’t consider himself to be a lesser player than Immanuel Quickley (who is earning $32.5MM per year going forward), Tyler Herro ($32MM per year), or RJ Barrett ($28.7MM per year).

However, the Nets likely won’t consider a deal anywhere near that lucrative, especially with no rival suitors in position to offer Thomas a significant offer sheet. Two league sources who spoke to Lewis wondered if the 23-year-old might ultimately accept his $6MM qualifying offer in order to reach unrestricted free agency in 2026, though that would likely be a last resort.

Here are a few more notes on free agents from around the basketball world:

CSE, an agency representing basketball players, held a pro day in Las Vegas on Tuesday of this week, according to Spencer Davies of RG.org, who says a number of teams were in attendance to watch players with past NBA experience, like Isaiah Wong, Izaiah Brockington, and Chasson Randle. G League and international veterans like center Garrison Brooks and wing Pedro Bradshaw also took part and have drawn some interest as potential NBA training camp signees, Davies adds.
Wong has had “productive” discussions with the Jazz, Davies reports. The 24-year-old guard was in camp with Utah last fall and opened the season with the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League before catching on with Charlotte.
After missing out on Vasilije Micic, who reached an agreement with Hapoel Tel Aviv, the EuroLeague club Real Madrid has its eye on a couple other NBA veterans. Relaying a report from the Spanish outlet Marca, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops notes that veteran guard Lonnie Walker and big man Daniel Theis are on Real Madrid’s radar. Walker finished last season with the 76ers, while Theis played for AS Monaco after being waived by Oklahoma City in February.

And-Ones: Jokic, DiVincenzo, 2027 Draft, Sheehey

July 17th, 2025 at 12:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Superstar Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is expected to confirm that he’ll play for the Serbian national team at this summer’s EuroBasket tournament, according to Dorde Matic of Meridian Sport. In fact, the same group that led Serbia to a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris is expected to be available when EuroBasket 2025 tips off in late August, Matic writes.

Jokic also won a silver medal with Serbia at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, notes Kevin Martorano of Sportando.

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

Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, who spoke in April about his desire to suit up for Italy at EuroBasket 2025, has been granted Italian citizenship, clearing the way for him to play at the tournament, per BasketNews.com. The 28-year-old will formally be sworn in as an Italian citizen in Chicago after Italy’s president, Sergio Mattarella, approved the proposal to make DiVicenzo a citizen on Thursday, reports Alessandro Maggi of Sportando.
While the top of the 2026 NBA draft class is viewed very favorably, executives are not enthusiastic about the prospects who could be selected in 2027, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN. “This is one of the weakest high school classes I’ve seen in a long time,” one grizzled talent evaluator with extensive experience in the amateur youth space told ESPN. “There might not be a single All-Star in this group, and after the first few prospects, I’m not sure how many NBA starters I see either from the other five-star recruits. New players always emerge, but by now we usually have a pretty good idea of who the most elite prospects are, and it’s looking like slim pickings, even more so than the weak 2024 NBA draft, which at least had several high-end international prospects we could point to.”
Will Sheehey, who has spent the past four years in various coaching-related roles with the Warriors, has officially signed a one-year deal with the Bakken Bears to become an assistant coach and head of the Danish club’s player development program, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Sheehey’s most recent title with Golden State was assistant director of player development and innovation, Askounis adds.

Nassir Little Signs With Chiba Jets

July 17th, 2025 at 7:09am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA forward Nassir Little will play overseas for the first time during the 2025/26 season, having signed a one-year contract with the Chiba Jets, according to a press release from the Japanese team.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to help the Chiba Jets win a championship!” Little said in a statement relayed by the club. “I know some of the players on the team and I’ve been to Japan for vacation so I really look forward to this experience. I’ve heard Chiba is a great club with a great new arena and great fans. I look forward to meeting everyone and I’m excited to have a great season!”

The 25th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft out of UNC, Little spent the first four years of his NBA career with Portland before being traded to Phoenix during the 2023 offseason as part of the three-team Damian Lillard/Jrue Holiday blockbuster. After a single season with the Suns, he was waived and spent the 2024/25 campaign with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate.

In 237 career NBA regular season games, Little has averaged 5.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .452/.330/.735.

The 25-year-old was a solid rotation piece during his last couple seasons with the Blazers, but dealt with shoulder and abdominal injuries during that time, then struggled to make an impact for the Suns, registering averages of 3.4 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 10.2 MPG across 45 outings and making just 30.0% of his three-point shots.

Former NBA forward Yuta Watanabe, who played with Little in Phoenix, is perhaps the most familiar name on the Chiba Jets’ roster. The club competes in Japan’s top basketball league (the B.League).

Cavs Second-Rounder Saliou Niang Signs With Virtus Bologna

July 16th, 2025 at 6:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Second-round Cavaliers draft pick Saliou Niang has joined the Italian EuroLeague squad Virtus Bologna, the team announced today (via Twitter). The move had been previously expected and is now official.

The 6’5″ Senegalese swingman has been playing professionally in Italy since 2021/22. Niang, 21, initially suited up for Fortitudo Bologna and had been plying his trade with Trento since 2023/24.

Niang will now get the opportunity to develop his game in the EuroLeague for at least one season before he links up with Cleveland. The Cavaliers went 64-18 last season and are angling for deeper postseason success this year, and Niang would have faced an uphill battle to crack the club’s rotation anyway.

Across 30 Italian League games for Trento in 2024/25, Niang averaged 8.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.4 APG and 0.6 SPG. He posted shooting splits of .532/.333/.712.

Virtus Bologna is something of a powerhouse in the Italian League, having won it outright three times in the past four seasons. The club also won the Italian Cup as recently as 2022/23.

Vasilije Micic Signs Three-Year Contract With Hapoel Tel Aviv

July 16th, 2025 at 9:47am CST by Dana Gauruder

Vasilije Micic has signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv on a three-year contract, BasketNews.com relays. The contract will make Micic one of the highest-paid players in EuroLeague history. The Israeli club has officially announced the signing in a press release.

While Nadav Zenziper (Twitter link) reports that Micic’s deal is worth 18 million Euros over three years, Eurohoops indicates the value is closer to 14 million Euros. Either way, it’s said to be the most lucrative current contract for any EuroLeague player. Ofer Yannay, the owner of Hapoel Tel Aviv, also confirmed that the agreement will give Micic shares in the club.

Earlier this month, the Bucks bought out Micic shortly after he was acquired in a trade with the Hornets. Micic gave up $6.1MM of his $8.1MM salary in his buyout agreement in order to pursue overseas opportunities.

The former EuroLeague MVP struggled to make an impact during his two seasons in the NBA. In 101 total games for Oklahoma City, Charlotte, and Phoenix, he averaged 6.8 points and 3.9 assists in 19.4 minutes per contest.

He only played five games off the bench for Phoenix before he was dealt to Charlotte, where he appeared in 36 games (16 starts). He averaged 7.5 points and 3.5 assists in 21.2 minutes per night with the Hornets.

“I am very excited to join Hapoel Tel Aviv and to be part of the historic upcoming season – the club’s debut in the Euroleague,” Micic said in a statement released by the club. “I was very impressed by the project that Hapoel is building: the ambitions and the clear vision for the future. It was a pleasure to chat with coach Dimitris Itoudis, I am looking forward to working with him. I hope to help the team succeed and meet the high expectations. I can’t wait to start, arrive in Tel Aviv and give my all for the team and the fantastic fans. Yalla Hapoel!”

Hapoel Tel Aviv reportedly beat out EuroLeague powerhouses Real Madrid, Olympiacos, and Fenerbahce to sign Micic.

International Notes: Brissett, Valanciunas, Bamba, Micic, Cordinier

July 15th, 2025 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA forward Oshae Brissett has signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv, the Israeli team announced on Tuesday in a press release.

Brissett, who went undrafted out of Syracuse in 2019, has since appeared in 233 NBA regular season games for Toronto, Indiana, Boston, and Philadelphia. His best years came with the Pacers, with whom he averaged 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game across 153 contests from 2020-23.

The 6’7″ forward was a member of the Celtics team that won a championship in 2024, but turned down a minimum-salary player option with Boston last June and had trouble finding an NBA home after that. He spent part of the 2024/25 season in the G League and appeared in just six NBA games, when he signed a 10-day contract with Philadelphia in March.

“It’s great to bring a former NBA champion to Tel Aviv,” Maccabi Tel Aviv general manager Claudio Coldebella said in a statement. “From the beginning he was our first choice. He’s a player who fits our system and his teammates, who can play in various positions, and who, thanks to his athleticism, energy, and desire to compete, is always very useful in many aspects of the game. We can’t wait to welcome Oshae to the Maccabi family.”

Here are more items of interest from around the international basketball world:

There’s no indication that a buyout is around the corner for Jonas Valanciunas, whose new team in Denver has made it clear it wants to keep him for the 2025/26 season, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. With Valanciunas appearing increasingly likely to stick with the Nuggets, Panathinaikos is considering alternatives as it looks to upgrade its frontcourt, according to reporting from SDNA (hat tip to Sportando). The Greek team had hoped to sign Valanciunas to a new three-year deal, but that won’t be possible as long as he remains under contract in the NBA.
Another one of Greece’s top basketball teams, Olympiacos, is also scouring the market for frontcourt help and is reportedly eyeing former NBA lottery pick Mohamed Bamba, per a Gazzetta.gr report (hat tip to Sportando). The sixth overall pick in 2018, Bamba spent the first half of last season with the Clippers before being traded and waived in early February. He later signed a 10-day deal with New Orleans in March.
After being formally bought out by Milwaukee earlier this month, Vasilije Micic is now officially a free agent, but his plans for next season still haven’t come into focus. Alessandro Maggi of Sportando hears that Micic is leaning toward an offer from Olympiacos over a lucrative bid from Hapoel Tel Aviv, but Aris Barkas of Eurohoops reports that Real Madrid is still in the mix for the former EuroLeague MVP too.
French wing Isaia Cordinier is parting ways with Virtus Bologna, but the 28-year-old’s next move is unclear, according to Maggi of Sportando. As Maggi explains, the Turkish team Anadolu Efes is a strong contender for Cordinier, but his reps are also waiting to see whether an NBA opportunity materializes. Cordinier was the 44th overall pick in the 2016 draft and his NBA rights were previously held by the Nets before being renounced in 2021, freeing him up to sign with any NBA team.

Terry Taylor Signs With Chinese Team

July 14th, 2025 at 2:08pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent forward Terry Taylor has officially signed a contract with the Ningbo Rockets of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to his agency (Instagram link).

CSE’s announcement says Taylor’s deal covers the 2025/26 campaign, which suggests he signed a one-year contract.

After going undrafted out of Austin Peay in 2021, Taylor spent his first three NBA seasons bouncing between two-way and standard contracts with the Pacers and Bulls, respectively.

The 25-year-old played in the NBA G League with the Stockton Kings during the 2024/25 season, though he did make three brief NBA appearances with Sacramento after signing a 10-day deal in March.

Taylor helped Stockton win its first NBAGL title last season, recording 22 points, 12 rebounds and three assists in the series finale. In 31 regular season games (34.8 minutes per contest) for the Kings’ G League affiliate, he averaged 17.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 blocks on .462/.390/.727 shooting.

In 98 career regular season games at the NBA level, the 6’4″ forward has averaged 4.6 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 12.0 MPG. Since he holds four years of experience, Taylor is no longer eligible for a two-way contract.

Ningbo is coming off a disappointing CBA season in which it finished just 10-36, which was the fourth-worst record in the league.

International Rumors: Walker, Gill, Micic, Brown, Kamagate

July 12th, 2025 at 11:10am CST by Rory Maher

Seven-year veteran Lonnie Walker spent most of last season in Lithuania with EuroLeague club Zalgiris Kaunas prior to signing a two-year deal with the Sixers in February. Philadelphia declined its team option on the 26-year-old at the end of last month, making him an unrestricted free agent, and he has yet to be linked to another NBA team.

Could another international stint be in the works for Walker?

According to Matteo Andreani of Basketball Sphere and Tomer Givati of Israel Hayom, Hapoel Tel Aviv is in advanced talks with Walker and has offered the 6’4″ shooting guard a two-year contract. Andreani says the Israeli club is “confident the deal will be finalized soon.”

Here are a few more rumors and notes from across the pond:

Free agent forward Anthony Gill is drawing interest from multiple EuroLeague teams, particularly Real Madrid, per Javier Maestro of Spanish outlet Encestando and Israeli reporter Givati. The 32-year-old was waived by the Wizards last month before his contract became guaranteed and there is reportedly mutual interest in a reunion. However, Washington is also facing a roster crunch and Gill could potentially earn more money and have a larger role with Madrid. It’s not yet known which opportunity would hold more appeal to Gill, per Maestro, who points out that the Virginia product played three EuroLeague seasons with Russia’s Khimki prior to signing with the Wizards in 2020/21.
Serbian guard Vasilije Micic agreed to a buyout with the Bucks, but he won’t be signing with reigning EuroLeague champion Fenerbahce, according to European insider Chema de Lucas (Twitter link), who says the Turkish powerhouse has pulled the contract offer it presented about a month ago (hat tip to Eurohoops). The 31-year-old won back-to-back EuroLeague titles with Turkey’s Anadolu Efes in 2021 and 2022.
Former NBA guard Lorenzo Brown has signed a multiyear contract with Olimpia Milano, the Italian team announced in a press release. The 34-year-old spent parts of five seasons in the NBA from 2013-19 and has had a lengthy international career. He played for Panathinaikos in Greece last season.
French center Ismael Kamagate, whose NBA rights are controlled by the Clippers, has signed with Turkish club Besikas (link to press release). The 24-year-old former second-round pick spent the 2024/25 campaign in Italy with Derthona.

And-Ones: Veteran Extensions, Summer League, Rubio, Arcidiacono

July 11th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

This offseason has seen a trio of Thunder players receive maximum-salary contract extensions in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, with Grizzlies big man Jaren Jacks on Jr. and Suns guard Devin Booker among the other veterans who have signed – or at least agreed to – lucrative extensions.

That still leaves several dominoes to fall, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, many of which are more interesting than your usual run-of-the-mill negotiations. It has already been reported that Nikola Jokic isn’t expected to sign a new deal with the Nuggets, for instance, as he would be eligible for a much higher number if he waits a year.

Another example of a conversation that is more complicated than it would appear is the Lakers and Luka Doncic. Because Doncic was traded while on his second contract, he is not super-max eligible. Because of that, it’s possible that he could negotiate to remove his player option and extend for three years with a player option, which would set him up for a new deal in 2028 that would be worth the 35% max for 10-year veterans.

Kristaps Porzingis and Trae Young of the Hawks, Darius Garland with the Cavaliers, Mikal Bridges with the Knicks, Kevin Durant with the Rockets, De’Aaron Fox with the Spurs, and Toumani Camara with the Trail Blazers are among the other extension candidates Hollinger identifies and examines.

We have more from around the world of hoops:

The beauty of Summer League is that there’s something for every fan base to find hope in. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton and Jeremy Woo go through all 30 rosters to spotlight a player to watch for every team. While some, like Cooper Flagg in Dallas, are obvious, not every team has a top pick. Pelton points to LJ Cryer for the Warriors and Kobe Brown for the Clippers, while Woo looks at Kobe Bufkin for the Hawks and Taelon Peter for the Pacers, among others.
Ricky Rubio recently opened up about his mental health struggles that have kept him out of basketball for the last year. He spoke with Jorge Quiroga of Marca about his time with the Timberwolves, saying, “I had a rough time in my third year. Things weren’t going well, and I gave an interview to a journalist. My parents came to see me in Minneapolis, and after the game, I talked to my mom and cried, telling her I wanted to leave.” When it comes to his future, he said, “I’d like to play basketball without being Ricky Rubio, but it’s impossible. I want to play basketball, but I can’t. I’m trying my best to see if I can.”
Former Knicks guard Ryan Arcidiacono has agreed to a deal with Trapani Shark, a Sicilian-based team in Italy’s top league, per a press release. Arcidiacano played seven years in the NBA, averaging 4.0 points and 1.9 assists per game. He most recently played with the Windy City Bulls in the G League, averaging 8.2 PPG and 3.3 APG in 21 minutes a night.