Isaia Cordinier Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Moussa Diabate Declines To Rejoin French National Team

August 17th, 2025 at 9:28am CST by Rory Maher

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 Be Basket.

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.

International Notes: Ramsey, Cordinier, Okeke, Maledon, Batum

July 26th, 2025 at 9:51am CST by Rory Maher

As expected, Italian club Pallacanestro Trieste has officially signed former NBA guard Jahmi’us Ramsey to a one-year deal, confirming the news in a press release.

The 43rd pick of the 2020 draft, Ramsey appeared in a total of 39 NBA games with Sacramento and Toronto from 2020-24. The former Texas Tech standout has spent most of the past three seasons in the NBA G League with the Oklahoma City Blue.

In 34 games with the Blue last season, Ramsey averaged 20.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals on .496/.363/.685 shooting in 28.6 minutes per game. The 24-year-old shooting guard also represented Team USA in AmeriCup qualifying games last fall and winter.

Trieste went 18-12 in Italy’s top basketball league during the ’24/25 regular season, good for the No. 6 seed, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to No. 3 Brescia, the eventual runner-up.

Here are a few more odds and ends from overseas:

Turkish EuroLeague team Anadolu Efes has added Isaia Cordinier on a two-year contract, announcing the signing on social media (Instagram link). As Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops notes, Cordinier is a former second-round pick (No. 44 overall in 2016) who spent last season with Virtus Bologna, averaging 12.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 3.9 APG in 34 EuroLeague contests (26.9 MPG). Brooklyn renounced its rights to the French guard in 2021, and Cordinier was reportedly looking to see if an NBA opportunity would materialize before signing with Efes.
Veteran NBA forward Chuma Okeke is expected to sign with Real Madrid, as first reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Askounis of Eurohoops, relaying a report from Javier Maestro of Spanish outlet Encesando, says Okeke’s deal with Madrid will cover two years and will feature an NBA out clause for the 2026 offseason. Theo Maledon‘s new contract with the Spanish EuroLeague club also has an out clause for next summer, according to Maestro.
Clippers forward Nicolas Batum has retired from international play, but he will serve as an analyst for France’s games at the upcoming EuroBasket tournament, the French national team announced (via Twitter).

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.

International Notes: NBA Candidates, Besson, Bender, Cannady

August 12th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward Guerschon Yabusele, who recently expressed a desire to return to the NBA, tops Mark Deeks of HoopsHype’s list of 10 players from the 2024 Olympics who deserve a look from NBA teams. Two of Yabusele’s teammates on the French national team — Mathias Lessort (No. 2) and Isaia Cordinier (No. 8) — also made the cut.

Here are a few more international notes:

Bucks draft-and-stash prospect Hugo Besson, the No. 58 pick of the 2022 draft, will play for Turkey’s Manisa Buyuksehir Belediye Spor during the 2024/25 season, per Fersu Yahyabeyoglu of Eurobasket.com (hat tip to Keith Smith of Spotrac). The French guard played in Serbia and Italy last season.
Former No. 4 overall pick Dragan Bender is rumored to be joining GeVi Napoli in Italy, writes Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Bender suffered major ACL injuries in May 2021 and December 2022 and evidently is still recovering. “Bender is part of the team philosophy we are building,” Napoli athletic director Alessandro Dalla Salda told La Repubblica. “But to get back on top he needs time, so we may sign a player while waiting for his return.” The 26-year-old last played in the NBA in 2019/20.
Guard Devin Cannady, who played 13 games with the Magic over two different seasons, has signed with Panionios B.C., the Greek club announced in a press release. It’s the first international stop for the former Princeton star, who played for the NBA G League’s Birmingham Squadron (the Pelicans’ affiliate) in ’23/24.

Olympic Notes: Curry, Gobert, Fournier, Wembanyama

August 10th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

While no Team USA player wants to be remembered for missing out on a gold medal, the experience would be worse for Stephen Curry, who is likely involved in his only Olympics at age 36, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. The reputation of the 2004 bronze medal team was among the thoughts going through Curry’s head when the U.S. faced a double-digit deficit against Serbia in the semifinals. The Americans were able to rally for a 95-91 victory, but the same pressure will return today in the gold medal game against France.

“I came into this experience thinking that this would be my one and only time to play in the Olympics and experience this stage,” Curry said. “So that was part of my sense of relief and joy (in the game). I didn’t want to be on the team that, (like) ’04, didn’t make it to the gold-medal game and get a gold medal in my one opportunity here. So you’re thinking about (all that) while you’re still just trying to have fun playing the game that you know. It’s an interesting dynamic, because we all signed up for this, to accomplish a mission, and we’re one game away from doing it.”

Today’s matchup will be the first actual road game for Team USA, which will try to capture the gold in front of a hostile crowd in Paris. France has benefited from the rabid fan support, Amick adds, along with a lineup change that sparked upsets over Canada and Germany on the way to the gold medal contest.

Coach Vincent Collet decided to bench Rudy Gobert and play Victor Wembanyama at center, while inserting Guerschon Yabusele and Isaia Cordinier into the starting lineup. France has looked much better over the past two games, and that’s without a dominant performance from Wembanyama, who’s shooting just 6-of-27 since knockout play began.

“You expect them to play the game of their life, because they’re gonna have the home court adrenaline (and) they’re riding big momentum after these last two games,” Curry said. “You’ve got to expect them to play great, but we expect that from ourselves as well.”

There’s more from Paris:

Gobert logged nine total minutes in the past two games, but Collet indicated that his role might increase against the taller U.S. team, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “Obviously, Rudy would prefer to play more,” Collet said. “But clearly, for the moment, this adjustment allowed us to play better in these two games. But on the other hand, the cards can be very redistributed on Saturday. Different matchups, with teams with different profiles.”
Evan Fournier is among the French players with experience in facing Team USA, beating them in the 2019 FIBA World Cup and losing a tight game for the Olympic gold medal three years ago in Tokyo, notes Aris Barkis of Eurohoops. He’s looking forward to today’s gold medal rematch. “I think we know that France has a lot of potential, but the potential has got to go on the court,” Fournier said. “We have to be able to play team basketball.”
Wembanyama has been among the most visible athletes at the Olympics, with Nike ads in the Paris subways and a giant image of him placed on scaffolding in the city, per Jeff Zillgitt and Kim Hjelmgaard of USA Today. It’s an extreme amount of pressure for a 20-year-old who’s expected to be the future of both French and NBA basketball. Wembanyama talked this week about having a “feeling of responsibility” as he tries to deliver the nation’s first-ever gold in Olympic basketball.

France To Face Team USA For Olympic Gold

August 8th, 2024 at 4:03pm CST by Rory Maher

Host nation France pulled off its second consecutive upset by defeating 2023 World Cup champion Germany in the semifinals of men’s basketball at the 2024 Olympics, writes Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press.

Led by Guerschon Yabusele (17 points, seven rebounds, two assists), Isaia Cordinier (16 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals), and a stifling defense anchored by Victor Wembanyama (11 points, seven rebounds, three blocks), France edged Germany, 73-69.

While reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Wembanyama struggled with his shot (4-of-17) for the second consecutive game, his impact was felt all over the court, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

“Of course, it’s part of a dream come true,” Wembanyama said, per ESPN. “We can be part of a goal that we set for ourselves months back. We can write history, even more. A once-in-a-lifetime dream.”

The French national team will advance to its second consecutive Olympic final after finishing with the silver medal in Tokyo three years ago.

In fact, Saturday’s Olympic final will be rematch, with France set to face the United States, which won gold in Tokyo. Team USA trailed by as many as 17 points in its semifinal matchup with Serbia and was down 13 entering the final frame, but mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback to secure a 95-91 victory.

Stephen Curry (a game-high 36 points, eight rebounds, two assists), Joel Embiid (19 points, four rebounds, two assists), and LeBron James (16 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) were instrumental down the stretch for the Americans, while Serbia was led by Bogdan Bogdanovic (20 points, four rebounds, three assists), Nikola Jokic (17 points, five rebounds, 11 assists), and Aleksa Avramovic (15 points, four rebounds, three assists).

In a rematch of the 2023 World Cup final, Germany will face Serbia for the bronze medal on Saturday at 5:00 am ET. France will face the U.S. for gold at 3:30 pm ET.

World Cup Notes: Team USA, Portis, K. Antetokounmpo, Poirier

August 13th, 2023 at 10:33am CST by Arthur Hill

Team USA enjoyed its second straight rout in exhibition play ahead of the FIBA World Cup, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The Americans pulled away in the second half Saturday for a 30-point win over a Slovenian team without Luka Doncic, who sat out the game with a minor knee issue.

Combined with Monday’s victory over Puerto Rico, the U.S. has outscored its opponents by 73 points in two games. The competition will get tougher in today’s matchup with Spain, but head coach Steve Kerr is happy to see his players buy into a team concept so quickly.

“We put together the team with the idea of having a lot of good passers and play-makers,” Kerr said. “And with this team, we’ve seen through the first two exhibition games, everybody can pass. And so we really want to push the tempo and attack closeouts because once we put it on the floor, we know these guys will distribute it and move it all over again.

“And you know, I thought we almost overdid it tonight. I thought at times we had over threes and we drove and kicked it down, which as a coach, you never want to criticize your players for that because you’re always trying to get them involved.”

There’s more on the World Cup:

Bobby Portis is disappointed that he won’t get to match up with Bucks teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo when Team USA faces Greece in an exhibition contest next week and again in pool play, Vardon adds. Antetokounmpo announced Friday that he will miss the World Cup as he continues to recover from minor knee surgery. “Obviously I’m sad, he’s sad, that he can’t play in the World Cup, but maybe that’s good for the Bucks,” Portis said.
Greece will also be without Kostas Antetokounmpo, who was declared out with an injury on Sunday, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. A former NBA player with the Mavericks and Lakers, Antetokounmpo represented Greece in last year’s EuroBasket and the Olympic qualifying tournament in 2021.
Former Celtics and Sixers center Vincent Poirier has joined the French team because of uncertainty surrounding Knicks draft-and-stash player Mathias Lessort, who is sidelined with an ankle issue, per Eurohoops. France is also adding Isaïa Cordinier in the wake of Frank Ntilikina‘s hamstring injury.

Nets Opt Not To Retain Isaïa Cordinier

September 19th, 2021 at 3:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Nets have decided to not retain the NBA rights of guard Isaïa Cordinier, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), who reports that the team didn’t extend the required tender to Cordinier prior to this year’s deadline.

The French guard was drafted with the No. 44 pick in 2016 as a “draft-and-stash” selection by the Hawks, and has remained overseas in the ensuing seasons, though he did log time for Atlanta in the 2016 Summer League. In recent years, Cordinier has suited up for the French clubs Antibes Sharks and Nanterre 92. He was named to the All-EuroCup First Team this year.

Cordinier was sent from Atlanta to Brooklyn in a 2018 Jeremy Lin deal.

Earlier during the offseason, it was announced that Cordinier would travel from France to Brooklyn for a workout with the Nets. Cordinier’s reps may have hoped that he would showcase enough promise in such a workout to merit a training camp appearance, but apparently, given that the Nets house a roster packed with vets and appealing prospects, Brooklyn is opting to move in a different direction.

Woj notes that Cordinier, 24, will now be a free agent, able to sign a new deal with any NBA club. The 6’5″ shooting guard averaged 15.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.2 APG and 1.7 SPG across 33.9 MPG for Nanterre 92, with an impressive shooting line of .526/.449/.816.

Draft-And-Stash Prospect Cordinier Working Out For Nets

August 26th, 2021 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Former second-round pick Isaïa Cordinier will travel from France to New York this Sunday in order to work out for the Nets, according to a report from Dylan De Abreu of BasketActu.com.

While De Abreu’s report suggests Cordinier will also participate in training camp with Brooklyn this fall, a league source tells NetsDaily that only a workout is scheduled for now, and a decision on a potential camp invite has yet to be made.

The 44th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Cordinier was traded from the Hawks to the Nets in a 2018 trade involving Jeremy Lin. He has continued to play in France for the last several years, spending time with the Antibes Sharks and Nanterre 92.

Players who remain stashed overseas for this long often don’t end up coming to the NBA, but Cordinier is still just 24 years old and remains very interested in coming stateside. According to NetsDaily’s report, the 6’5″ shooting guard has put off signing with a European club until the Nets decide whether or not to bring him over. He suited up for the team’s Summer League squad in 2019.

While it’s possible Cordinier will make a strong impression at this upcoming workout, this may not be an ideal time for him to try to make Brooklyn’s roster. The team has 13 players on guaranteed contracts, plus DeAndre’ Bembry on a partially guaranteed deal, Alize Johnson and David Duke on non-guaranteed contracts, and two unsigned 2021 draft picks (Marcus Zegarowski and RaiQuan Gray).

The Nets, facing a projected tax bill of $131MM, may look to save some money by carrying only 14 players on standard contracts to start the season, which would create even more of a roster crunch. The club does have one open two-way slot alongside Kessler Edwards, but might prefer to have Zegarowski, Gray, or Duke fill it.

New York Notes: Gibson, Johnson, Cordinier, Claxton

April 30th, 2021 at 6:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran big man Taj Gibson appreciates the impact that Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has had on his lengthy NBA career, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Gibson has been coached by Thibodeau during portions of three of his four NBA stops, with the Bulls, Timberwolves and Knicks.

“Well, my whole career with him has been great,” the 12-year Knicks veteran said of Thibodeau. “He’s just been a great coach in how to be ready in all facets — to be a sixth man, starting, not playing, I’m just always ready.”

There’s more out of the City That Never Sleeps:

Nets reserve power forward Alize Johnson had a huge game against his old team, the Pacers, grabbing 20 points and 21 rebounds off the bench (the first time a backup had notched such numbers in three years). Armed with a fresh multiyear deal from his new franchise, Johnson was a man on a mission, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I didn’t play much when I was here (in Indiana),” Johnson noted. “I was ready to go out there and prove to everybody that I belong in the NBA and want to stay here for a long time.”
There are whispers that newly-minted First Team All-EuroCup guard Isaia Cordinier may join the Nets next season, tweets international reporter Chema de Lucas (h/t Net Income of Nets Daily). The Nets acquired Cordinier’s draft rights in a 2018 trade.
Athletic Nets center Nicolas Claxton has returned to the gym to rehabilitate, and head coach Steve Nash anticipates he could return for Brooklyn in a week, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN. With former starting center LaMarcus Aldridge now retired, Claxton should be a major part of Brooklyn’s frontcourt rotation in the postseason.