Kevin Pangos Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: LeVert, Pangos, LaVine, Terry, Bone

October 7th, 2022 at 10:07pm CST by Rory Maher

Cavaliers swingman Caris LeVert knows he has to play strong defense to win the starting small forward job, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. LeVert isn’t known as a strong defender, but it will be required of him due to the team’s defensive identity.

“That’ll definitely be something I’m gonna have to lock in on. I have been locked in on it for the past couple of weeks, just knowing that I’m gonna have a big assignment every night on that end of the floor,” LeVert said following practice on Thursday afternoon. “It’s something I look forward to and it’s something I like doing.”

LeVert started Cleveland’s first preseason game, posting seven points (3-of-5 shooting) and three assists in 14 minutes against Philadelphia. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff says he likes what he saw out of the 28-year-old, Fedor notes.

“I think he’s a threat,” Bickerstaff said. “You watch the way that teams play him, and people respect him because of his ability to score. He didn’t get a lot of looks early, but that didn’t stop him from making unselfish moves and unselfish plays. I think he finished with like three assists and could have like five or six if guys would have made the shot. I think from that standpoint, offensively, he did a really good job of fitting in, and still we’re learning where he can find his moments to attack. Then defensively I thought he did a great job. I thought he was active. He was in the right spots. He put pressure on the offense.”

LeVert’s $18.8MM contract will expire at the end of the 2022/23 season, so he’ll be a free agent next summer unless he signs an extension.

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Even though he struggled in his first NBA foray after a long and very successful career in Europe, Kevin Pangos has nothing but good things to say about his time with the Cavaliers in ’21/22, writes Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. “It was awesome, I really enjoyed it. I loved my time in Cleveland, the organization was great, and the team and players were awesome. I learned a ton. I’m happy to be here now this year and play for Milan,” Pangos said. The 29-year-old appeared in 24 games with Cleveland last season, averaging just 6.9 minutes per contest. He signed a two-year contract with Italian club Olimpia Milano as a free agent this offseason.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan says he hasn’t noticed a change in Zach LaVine‘s behavior after he signed a five-year, $215MM contract as a free agent this summer, calling him “a really grounded guy,” according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. However, Donovan says LaVine’s knee injury limited him on defense last season, and says “there’s another level he needs to get to” on that end of the court, per Cowley.
Donovan likes Dalen Terry‘s energy and competitiveness, but he’s not sure if he’ll have a spot in the Bulls‘ rotation, Cowley adds in the same piece. Donovan didn’t hesitate to play rookie second-rounder Ayo Dosunmu last season, so he seems to be quite fair about allotting minutes based on merit rather using a prescribed rotation, so Terry, Chicago’s first-round pick this year, could have a chance at playing time if he performs well.
The Bucks‘ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, recently acquired the returning player rights to Jordan Bone from the Delaware Blue Coats in exchange for the rights to Rayjon Tucker. Our JD Shaw was the first to break the news (via Twitter). The 57th pick of the 2019 draft, Bone played 24 NBA games on two-way deals with the Pistons and Magic from 2019-21. He spent last season in Spain and Turkey.

International Notes: Powell, Nicholson, Pangos, Ojeleye

July 27th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent guard Myles Powell and forward Andrew Nicholson are joining the Bay Area Dragons of the new East Asia Super League, according to an announcement from the league (Twitter link). The Dragons are a Hong Kong team, but are temporarily based in Manila in the Philippines due to COVID-19 restrictions in Hong Kong.

The new East Asian league is recruiting some noteworthy U.S. players with significant financial commitments. According to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com, Powell’s deal is worth seven figures. The former Seton Hall guard, who finished 2021/22 on a two-way contract with the Sixers, intends to return stateside when the EASL season ends in February.

“I’ll be back in six months, so the plan is to go over there, make some money, and then I’ll be back in February and hopefully join an NBA team before the playoffs,” Powell told Zagoria. “That’s around the time NBA call-ups start anyway.”

While Powell played in the NBA last season, Nicholson hasn’t suited up for an NBA team since 2017. He appeared in 285 total regular season contests from 2012-17 for Orlando, Washington, and Brooklyn.

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

Kevin Pangos‘ deal with Olimpia Milano, first reported in April, is now official, the Italian club announced today in a press release. It’s a two-year contract for Pangos, who appeared in 24 games for the Cavaliers last season before being bought out in February.
After Orazio Cauchi of BasketNews.com reported that Virtus Bologna is eyeing veteran NBA forward Semi Ojeleye as a possible target, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets that the Italian club has had discussions with Ojeleye. The 27-year-old appeared in 30 total games last season for the Bucks and Clippers before being waived by L.A. in March.
We passed along items on a handful of other non-NBA signings today, including Aron Baynes returning to Australia and Cassius Winston reportedly heading to Germany. You can check out our international page for all our latest updates on overseas transactions involving former NBA players.

And-Ones: Pangos, West, Wright, Emmert

April 28th, 2022 at 4:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Former Cavaliers guard Kevin Pangos will sign with Italian club Olimpia Milano for the 2022/23 season, sources tell Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Pangos played six seasons in Europe before earning a roster spot with Cleveland in training camp.

Pangos saw spot duty in 24 games for the Cavs, averaging 1.6 points and 1.3 assists in 6.9 minutes per night. He was waived in February. The 29-year-old reportedly inked a deal with CSKA Moscow after his stint with the Cavs, but hadn’t traveled to Russia as of March 1 due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In 2020/21, Pangos averaged 13.5 PPG and 6.6 APG on .449/.390/.845 shooting in 39 EuroLeague contests (28.9 MPG) for Zenit Saint Petersburg, earning a spot on the All-EuroLeague First Team.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Delonte West, who played eight seasons in the NBA from 2004-2012, has joined the BIG3 draft pool, the league announced (via Twitter). The 38-year-old appeared in 432 career games, averaging 9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 27.4 minutes per contest.
Former Villanova coach Jay Wright is leaving the door open to a potential move to the NBA, according to a report from ESPN. “That was something I always thought about,” Wright said of his NBA ambitions. “My experience with the Olympics kind of scratched that itch. … I kind of feel like I did it a little bit. And I loved coaching those guys.” Wright was part of Gregg Popovich‘s staff for the 2020 men’s team, who won the gold medal last summer. “Right now I definitely need a break,” Wright said on Tuesday. “Right now I’m looking forward to this [special assistant] position at Villanova. But honestly, down the road, I’d be lying — I don’t know what I’m going to feel like.” A previous report indicated Wright wasn’t expected to have interest in an NBA role.
NCAA president Mark Emmert has agreed to step down from his post by June 2023, per Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico. The move came as a surprise to many in the college sports world. Emmert has served as president since 2010.

Cavs Notes: Garland, Point Guards, LeVert, Sexton, Pangos

March 1st, 2022 at 9:43am CST by Luke Adams

After playing in the last two games before the All-Star break, Darius Garland has missed the Cavaliers‘ first three games since the break due to lower back soreness. The player and team have faced some scrutiny for Garland’s participation in the All-Star festivities in Cleveland, but general manager Mike Gansey said on Monday that it wouldn’t have made sense for the point guard to skip All-Star weekend, given how he was feeling at the time.

“No, because he played in Philly and Atlanta and was feeling good,” Gansey said, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “The Skills Competition was like getting some shots up or playing H-O-R-S-E. The shooting stuff for him was fun. Then the team had a practice which wasn’t a practice and he played in the All-Star Game, and I don’t even know if he tried to defend or even touch someone.

“You watch him run around and see him in pregame and he’s fine. It’s a bone bruise. A day-to-day thing. Nothing long term. He needs rest. Obviously, rest is not on our side right now.”

Garland’s back soreness is an issue he’ll likely have to deal with off and on for the rest of 2021/22. However, according to Gansey, the Cavaliers are hopeful that the rest Garland has gotten since the All-Star break will help him stay on the court for the final stretch of the season.

“I think with him, like, it’s just like a day-to-day thing,” Gansey said, per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. “And, we just hope we can get through it, with him here taking a week. Who knows, maybe Wednesday, he’ll wake up and feel good. I don’t know. I just think this proper rest here will only help him. There’s nothing structural or anything there. It’s just something he’s got to deal with the rest of the year, unfortunately.”

Here’s more on the Cavs:

Cleveland finds itself shorthanded at point guard with Garland, Rajon Rondo, and Caris LeVert all sidelined, but Gansey doesn’t think the team made a mistake by not acquiring more depth at the position at the trade deadline. “I don’t think we regret (not adding another) because I didn’t think we would see doomsday with our point guard situation,” Gansey said, according to Fedor. “Brandon Goodwin has been awesome for us. A great find. He’s keeping us afloat right now. Gotta give him credit for that.”
Gansey, who acknowledges the Cavaliers have exceeded expectations this season, would consider it a “huge success” if the team even gets a single playoff series, as Russo relays. “If you would have told us (prior to the season), I guess with just the way we’re progressing, if we were in the play-in game, I think we’d be very, very happy with that,” Gansey said. “And I guess you could say we’re ahead of schedule. But the exciting thing is we’re so young. Everyone talks about Darius, Evan (Mobley), and Jarrett (Allen), but, like, Lauri (Markkanen)‘s 24. Isaac (Okoro)‘s 22. Collin (Sexton)‘s (23). Like, there are six guys under 25 that hopefully are our core moving forward. … Hopefully, with the young guys we have, they’re just only going to get better like they’ve shown and see what we can do.”
There has been some speculation that acquiring LeVert means Sexton’s days in Cleveland could be numbered, but Gansey believes there’s room for both guards on the roster going forward, according to Russo. “I mean, based on what we’ve seen this year, you can’t have enough playmakers and ballhandlers,” the GM said. Sexton will be a restricted free agent this offseason, while LeVert is under contract through 2023.
Waived on February 19, Kevin Pangos is one of four NBA players who has reached a buyout agreement since the trade deadline, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Marks tells Hoops Rumors that Pangos gave up $100K in his deal with the Cavs. The 29-year-old could afford to sacrifice a little money because he had an agreement in place with CSKA Moscow, though he still hasn’t traveled to Russia since signing his new contract due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to a Mundo Deportivo report (hat tip to BasketNews.com).

Kevin Pangos Signs With CSKA Moscow

February 23rd, 2022 at 7:18am CST by Luke Adams

Following a brief stint in the NBA, guard Kevin Pangos has returned to Europe, having signed a contract with CSKA Moscow, the Russian club announced in a press release. The deal will run through 2024, according to the team.

Pangos, 29, headed overseas after going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2015 and developed into one of Europe’s top point guards over the course of several seasons. In 2020/21, he averaged 13.5 PPG and 6.6 APG on .449/.390/.845 shooting in 39 EuroLeague contests (28.9 MPG) for Zenit Saint Petersburg, earning a spot on the All-EuroLeague First Team.

Pangos’ strong international play earned him a shot in the NBA in 2021/22, but he was unable to gain much traction after signing with Cleveland, appearing in just 24 games and logging just 6.9 minutes per contest. He averaged 1.6 PPG and 1.3 APG on .326/.231/.750 shooting in a reserve role for the Cavaliers.

Prior to this month’s trade deadline, rumors began circulating in international outlets that Pangos was on the verge of an agreement with CSKA Moscow, though the Cavs didn’t officially waive him until this past Saturday. Pangos cleared waivers on Monday and will now join a CSKA squad that is jockeying for playoff seeding in the EuroLeague — the team currently holds the No. 6 spot, with a 14-10 record.

Pangos will be one of several players on CSKA Moscow’s roster with NBA experience, joining the likes of Alexey Shved, Joel Bolomboy, and Tornike Shengelia.

Cavaliers Waive Kevin Pangos

February 19th, 2022 at 4:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers have waived guard Kevin Pangos, according to the NBA.com transactions log.

Pangos, 29, played six seasons in Europe before earning a roster spot with Cleveland in training camp. He signed a two-year, $3.5MM contract in September, but only the first season was guaranteed at $1.67MM. Pangos saw spot duty in 24 games for the Cavs, averaging 1.6 points and 1.3 assists in 6.9 minutes per night.

A report earlier this month indicated that Pangos has an offer waiting from CSKA Moscow (hat tip to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando). The rumored contract would be worth $6MM and would run through the end of the 2023/24 season.

Cleveland had a full roster before unloading Pangos and may need the open spot to be active on the buyout market.

Eastern Trade Rumors: Cavs, Schröder, Beal, Dinwiddie, Burks, Magic

February 8th, 2022 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

Before acquiring Caris LeVert from Indiana, the Cavaliers talked to the Clippers about a possible deal involving Luke Kennard, according to reports from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

Meanwhile, Jared Weiss of The Athletic suggests the Cavaliers may not be done dealing yet, writing that they remain in the mix for Celtics guard Dennis Schröder. A Cleveland offer for Schröder would likely include a draft pick and two players from a group that includes Ed Davis, Dylan Windler, and Kevin Pangos, says Weiss.

Even as the Cavs remain in the market for more backcourt help, it doesn’t appear likely they’re prepared to move on from injured guard Collin Sexton. According to Scotto, teams have called to inquire on Sexton, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, but Cleveland would prefer to keep him.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the Eastern Conference:

There’s still no indication the Wizards will do anything this week with Bradley Beal, who is getting his injured wrist evaluated, writes ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. The team still wants to keep him long-term and hasn’t heard anything from Beal that indicates he’s not committed to the franchise, sources tell ESPN.
The Wizards have, however, continued to communicate their interest in trading their other starting guard, Spencer Dinwiddie, says Fischer. According to Fischer, it’s unclear what sort of market exists for Dinwiddie, who is having a poor season in D.C.
As the Knicks continue their attempts to move a veteran or two, they’ve exhibited interest in acquiring players on expiring contracts, says Windhorst. Among the vets being shopped by New York, Alec Burks has generated the most interest, Fischer reports.
According to Fischer, league personnel think the Magic will end up trading Terrence Ross in a deal similar to the Evan Fournier move from a year ago, which netted them a pair of second-round picks. Fischer adds that Gary Harris is considered a buyout candidate if he’s not traded at the deadline.

Central Rumors: P. Williams, Turner, Pangos, Pistons

February 3rd, 2022 at 7:44am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls remain, for the most part, unwilling to discuss injured forward Patrick Williams in trade talks leading up to next Thursday’s trade deadline, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said this week on Chad Ford’s podcast. According to Fischer, Chicago could potentially be convinced to part with Williams, but only in a deal that significantly upgraded the team’s chances of competing for a title.

“From the people I’ve talked to in Chicago, it’s been made very clear to me that they are not going to consider moving (Williams) unless it’s for the piece,” Fischer said, per HoopsHype. “Not a piece but the piece that they think will push them to that championship.”

Such a deal seems unlikely to materialize at this year’s deadline for the Bulls, who probably don’t view a player of Jerami Grant‘s caliber as that sort of major difference-maker.

Here are a few more items from around the Central:

Fischer said on that same Chad Ford podcast that he has heard Pacers center Myles Turner might be ready to return from his foot injury shortly after the All-Star break (hat tip to HoopsHype). Barring setbacks, Fischer thinks Turner will be back in early March at the latest.
Longtime EuroLeague standout Kevin Pangos finally made the move to the NBA last year, but he hasn’t played much for the Cavaliers and doesn’t have a guaranteed contract beyond this season, resulting in speculation that he’ll return to Europe sooner rather than later. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com stated on his podcast this week that CSKA Moscow is pushing to land Pangos as soon as this month should Cleveland decide to waive him.
James L. Edwards III and John Hollinger of The Athletic are unconvinced that the Pistons will end up moving Jerami Grant at the deadline, with Hollinger observing that the contending teams who could most use Grant to push them over the top would likely be wary about giving him a major role on offense. Hollinger adds that he views Bucks swingman Donte DiVincenzo and Grizzlies guard De’Anthony Melton as a couple ideal trade targets for the Pistons, though there’s no indication the team has inquired on either player.

Central Notes: White, DeRozan, Caruso, Carlisle, Pangos

December 18th, 2021 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

While COVID-19 disrupts rosters across the league, the Bulls are starting to get healthier, writes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports. Coby White, DeMar DeRozan and Javonte Green all cleared protocols this week and are expected to play Sunday against the Lakers. Derrick Jones Jr. left the protocols today and Matt Thomas is getting close, although he remains doubtful for Sunday.

White and DeRozan both said their symptoms were mild and agreed that their main issue was “boredom” while being away from the team. White, who was the first Chicago player to enter the protocols on December 1, said his experience was no worse than strep throat and the symptoms went away in two or three days. DeRozan tested positive five days after White, learning the news after a morning shootaround.

“It was one of those things, mixture of everything,” DeRozan said. “Frustration of not being able to go out there and play, trying to figure out why I don’t feel nothing, nothing’s wrong, how long I’m going to be out. Just a mixture of a lot of emotions. But at the end of the day, I just was like, ‘I’ve got to deal with it, something I’ve got to deal with,’ and went from there.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The two Bulls games that were postponed this week provided some benefits for the team, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Alex Caruso, who has been dealing with a sore right hamstring, is now fully recovered, according to coach Billy Donovan, and some players who had been seeing heavy minutes got a chance to rest. “Lonzo (Ball) kind of stands out,” Donovan said. “Zach (LaVine) is in health and safety protocols, but he was a guy that was logging a lot of minutes as well. So hopefully it gives those guys an opportunity to get their bodies a chance to recover some.”
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who tested positive for COVID-19 10 days ago, should be ready to return for Tuesday’s game, assistant Lloyd Pierce told James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. Pierce has filled in for Carlisle during his four-game absence.
In an interview with Dionysis Aravantinos of HoopsHype, Cavaliers guard Kevin Pangos talks about adjusting to the NBA after playing six years in Europe.

Central Notes: Sexton, Pangos, Cunningham, K. Martin

October 20th, 2021 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

A maximum-salary rookie scale extension wouldn’t have been a realistic starting point for the Cavaliers in their negotiations with Collin Sexton, and it wasn’t something Sexton’s camp ever demanded, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

According to Fedor, Sexton’s representatives initially sought a contract in the $100MM range, but wasn’t stuck on that number and was open to negotiating a deal with a lower total salary. However, the two sides ultimately couldn’t reach an agreement, putting the fourth-year guard on track for restricted free agency in 2022.

“The approach is still the same,” Sexton said after Monday’s extension deadline passed, per Fedor. “I’m just coming in ready to work. We’ve got one goal and that’s to win and get to the playoffs. I was disappointed. But that doesn’t take away from the teammates itself. We’re going to figure it out, and we’re going to win basketball games together and have a good season. … I know they want me here. So, just a little disappointed, but at the end day, we move on.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Since going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2015, Kevin Pangos has spent six years overseas, gradually becoming one of the top guards in Europe. Now, having signed this summer with the Cavaliers, Pangos is finally getting to live his NBA dream, Fedor writes for Cleveland.com. “Every single year I would have liked to be in the NBA. But I just tried to control what I could control and know that the spot I was in, I was there for a reason and I hadn’t quite earned it yet,” Pangos said. “There was a lot of growing I had to do on and off the floor, as a person and a player. I think that allowed me to get to the point where I am today.”
No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham, who is recovering from a minor ankle injury, won’t play in the Pistons‘ regular season opener on Wednesday, but he could make his NBA debut before the end of the month. As Rod Beard of The Detroit News relays, general manager Troy Weaver said during a radio appearance on Wednesday that he anticipates “hopefully seeing (Cunningham) when we get back off the road.” Following Wednesday’s home opener, Detroit has a three-game road trip, then returns home on October 30, so that could be a tentative target date.
Pacers wing Kelan Martin, who pushed his guarantee date back twice this offseason in the hopes of making the team, did so again after earning a 15-man roster spot, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link). Although Martin’s $1.7MM still isn’t fully guaranteed, he did receive a partial guarantee this week, says Agness.