Nigel Williams-Goss Rumors

International Notes: James, Vezenkov, Olympiacos, Fournier

June 9th, 2025 at 10:07am CST by Arthur Hill

One of the EuroLeague’s top players could be on the move this summer, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. Urbonas reports that Mike James, the league MVP last season, is exploring his options after AS Monaco suspended him prior to the start of the French League playoffs.

Sources tell Urbonas that James strongly disagrees with the reasons for the suspension, and the EuroLeague Players Association has gotten involved. Urbonas adds that French media outlet L’Equipe has reported that James was linked to an incident at a restaurant that resulted in police being called. Urbonas’ sources say James contends he didn’t do anything wrong and he believes the team imposed the disciplinary action without proper evidence.

James’ contract with AS Monaco runs through 2027, but sources tell Urbonas that he might have legal options to terminate it. Urbonas hears that James will meet team officials later today to try to resolve the situation.

Urbonas notes that James would become an extremely sought-after free agent if he’s able to break his current deal. He averaged 15.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game this season while leading Monaco to the EuroLeague title game first the first time in club history.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Former NBA forward Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos was named MVP of the Greek Finals even though he had to leave the last game with an injured right ankle late in the first half, according to Eurohoops. Vezenkov, who played for Sacramento last season, averaged 15.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game during the series. “It’s a sprain,” he told Greek public television outlet ERT after the game. “But I don’t care about the injury right now. I am very happy for my team.”
Five players with NBA ties could be leaving Olympiacos, per Konstantinos Melayess of Sport 24 in Greece. He states that Moses Wright and Nigel Williams-Goss are headed to Zalgiris Kaunas, while Nikola Milutinov is expected to sign with Olimpia Milano. Naz Mitrou-Long and Luca Vildoza are also expected to wind up elsewhere, although their destinations are still uncertain.
Former NBA guard Evan Fournier, now with Olympiacos, set off a controversy by making an obscene gesture toward the Panathinaikos crowd during Game 3 of the series, according to BasketNews. “Congratulations for what happened on the court. They deserved it, they played better in the last two games,” Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman said after the series concluded. “Off the court, I won’t speak — with respect to all players, except for one.”

International Notes: Maledon, Micic, EuroLeague, Williams-Goss, Kabengele

May 29th, 2025 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA point guard Theo Maledon, who spent the 2024/25 season with ASVEL in France, is expected to sign a three-year contract with Real Madrid, according to Alessando Maggi of Sportando. While the team has yet to officially announce anything, Maggi reports that the two sides have finalized an agreement.

The 34th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Maledon appeared in 177 regular season NBA games across four seasons from 2020-24, spending time with Oklahoma City, Charlotte, and Phoenix. He averaged 7.8 points and 2.9 assists per contest and shot just 37.2% from the field, including 31.0% on three-point tries.

With Real Madrid looking to strengthen its backcourt for the 2025/26 season, former EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic is also said to be on the Spanish club’s radar, according to a report from Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops). The Suns hold a $8.1MM team option on Micic for next season, but he’s considered a strong candidate to return to Europe if that option is declined, which seems likely.

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

It has been an eventful week for the EuroLeague. Europe’s top basketball league has approved a plan to expand from 18 to 20 teams, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, who reports that Valencia Basket, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Dubai Basketball are joining for the 2025/26 season, with ALBA Berlin departing for the FIBA Basketball Champions League. Meanwhile, EuroLeague reps also met with the NBA and FIBA this week in Geneva to discuss the NBA’s proposed European league, as Aris Barkas of Eurohoops details.
T.J. Shorts, Nikola Milutinov, and Tyson Ward headline the list of this summer’s top EuroLeague free agents compiled by Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. While most of the players in Askounis’ top 10 will continue playing overseas, several of them figure to draw legitimate NBA interest.
Former NBA guard Nigel Williams-Goss, the No. 4 free agent on Askounis’ list, intends to sign a three-year contract with the Lithuanian team Zalgiris Kaunas, according to Urbonas. Williams-Goss had a brief NBA run, appearing in 10 games with Utah in 2019/20, but the 30-year-old guard has been thriving in Europe, winning a EuroLeague title in 2023 with Real Madrid and spending the past two seasons with Olympiacos.
Mfiondu Kabengele, a former NBA big man, reportedly has a two-year deal in place with Dubai Basketball. That news was reported by Chema de Lucas (Twitter link) and relayed by Sportando. Kabengele, who appeared in 55 games for the Clippers, Cavaliers, and Celtics in the NBA from 2019-23, spent this past season with Venezia in Italy and earned a spot on the All-EuroCup first team after leading the league in rebounding.

International Notes: Sabonis, NBA Candidates, Canada, PSG

March 27th, 2025 at 8:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Kings star Domantas Sabonis is expected to miss this summer’s EuroBasket tournament due to personal reasons, sources tell BasketNews.com.

According to BasketNews, the Lithuanian big man is expected to inform Linas Kleiza — the GM of Lithuania’s national team — of his decision when Kleiza visits the United States. Kleiza will also meet with Matas Buzelis and Jonas Valanciunas during the trip, per the report.

Here are a few more international notes:

A handful of EuroLeague players could land NBA contracts this summer. Some hold previous NBA experience; others do not. According to EuroHoops.net, Anadolu Efes guard Darius Thompson is the strongest candidate to sign with an NBA club in the offseason. Veteran guards Tyler Dorsey and Nigel Williams-Goss are among the other players to watch.
Who will replace Jordi Fernandez as the next men’s head coach of Canada’s national team? Multiple sources have suggested to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca that Gordon Herbert is the frontrunner for the job. Herbert, a Canadian who played for the team that made the Olympics in 1984, is currently the head coach of Bayern Munich and recently coached Germany’s national team. Former NBA assistant Nate Mitchell and current Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela are among the other possible candidates, Grange reports.
Paris Saint-Germain has interest in joining the NBA’s European league, either by purchasing Paris Basketball or by starting a new team, according to Laurent Perrin and Julian Lesage of Le Parisien (hat tip to Sportando). Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday that the NBA and FIBA are moving forward on the possibility of a new European league, though he noted the process is still in the early stages.

And-Ones: Coach K, Fan Conduct, Williams-Goss, Coaching Candidates

June 2nd, 2021 at 3:45pm CST by Eli Cohen

Longtime Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski has decided to retire following the upcoming 2021/2022 college basketball season, reports Jeff Goodman of Stadium (via Twitter). Coach K has helmed the Duke program since 1980, and has been key in ushering in the era of one-and-done college players and collegiate recruiting battles.

During his tenure as head coach, Krzyzewski led the team to five national titles and 12 Final Fours, and with two potential top freshman on next year’s roster in Paolo Banchero and AJ Griffin, he will look to end his storied career with one final title run.

Goodman also reports that assistant coach Jon Scheyer is the leading candidate to replace Krzyzewski. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter) that Scheyer is considered Duke’s coach-in-waiting.

We have more from around the basketball world:

As fan-related incidents continue to occur around the league, the NBA has instituted new measures in an attempt to prevent fan misconduct, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. These policies include: encouraging teams/arenas to pursue legal recourse against such actions, enhanced security, and a “code of conduct” message to be broadcast multiple times throughout the game.
Former Jazz point guard Nigel Williams-Goss has agreed to a two-year deal with Real Madrid, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 6’2″ point guard played 15 games for PBC Lokomotiv Kuban in Russia this season, averaging 17 points and 5.9 assists while shooting 46% from three.
Although the Celtics are the only team with a head coach vacancy so far this summer, there are plenty of enticing first-time head coach options available, writes Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN. Among them: Patrick Ewing, Chauncey Billups, Will Weaver, and Darko Rajakovic. Arnovitz uses present success stories to detail what front offices are looking for in a first time head coach and what attributes can make them successful.
Now that the first season of the Basketball Africa League has ended and Egypt’s Zamalek has been crowned champions, the league is looking ahead and planning its 2022 season, writes Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “The biggest triumph? Maybe it was just making it to reality,” BAL President Amadou Fall said, regarding the first season of the new league. “Just a long time coming and just being the culmination of many decades of work and engagement by the NBA across the continent, committed to growing the game. And now, it has established a complete pathway for basketball development from grassroots to elites and just league.” Those in and around the league are hoping that as the BAL grows, it will attract more and more viewers and participants from around the country. Though none of the players this season are expected to draw attention from NBA teams, Fall expects that to change soon. “This is the first time that this league is here,” Zamalek’s Walter Hodge said upon receiving the Hakeem Olajuwon MVP award. “And it’s going to be here for a long time.”

Nigel Williams-Goss Signs With Russian Team

January 5th, 2021 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 5: Lokomotiv Kuban has officially signed Williams-Goss for the rest of the season, the team announced today in a press release.

DECEMBER 31: Free agent guard Nigel Williams-Goss is close to finalizing a contract agreement with Russian club Lokomotiv Kuban, according to a report from Serbian outlet MozzartSport (hat tip to Sportando).

Williams-Goss, who was selected by the Jazz with the 55th overall pick in the 2017 draft, is no stranger to international ball, having spent the 2017/18 season with Partizan in Serbia and the ’18/19 campaign with Olympiacos in Greece before arriving in Utah last season.

Although Williams-Goss signed a multiyear contract with the Jazz in 2019, only the first year of that deal was guaranteed, and he was waived earlier this month before the team was on the hook for his ’20/21 salary.

In his first and only NBA season last year, Williams-Goss appeared in just 10 games for Utah and 17 more for the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League. The 26-year-old averaged 15.3 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 3.9 RPG on .508/.352/.778 shooting in 29.6 minutes per contest for the Stars.

Assuming Williams-Goss officially completes a deal with Lokomotiv Kuban, he’ll be joining a team that features several former NBA players, including Alan Williams, Jordan Crawford, and Kevin Hervey. Lokomotiv Kuban plays in the VTB United League and the EuroCup.

Jazz Waive Nigel Williams-Goss

December 15th, 2020 at 6:25pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Jazz have waived point guard Nigel Williams-Goss, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN (via Twitter). Williams-Goss had been owed a $1,517,981 salary for the 2020/21 season, but it was non-guaranteed.

The Jazz drafted Williams-Goss with the No. 55 pick in 2017 out of Gonzaga. Utah held onto his rights even as he opted to play overseas to start his pro career, spending time in Serbia and Greece during the 2017/18 and ’18/19 seasons. The 6’3″ guard then signed a three-year, $4.2MM deal with the Jazz in 2019, although only the first season was fully guaranteed.

Williams-Goss finally made his NBA debut in the 2019/20 season. He appeared in just 10 games for the Jazz, averaging 5.0 MPG. He got significantly more run with the Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. Across 17 games (all starts), Williams-Goss averaged 15.3 PPG, 5.5 APG, 3.9 RPG, and 1.6 SPG in 29.6 MPG for the Stars. He also boasted a respectable shooting line of .508/.352/.778.

Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets that, even after this transaction, the club remains $2MM over the league’s luxury tax threshold. The Jazz now have 11 players with guaranteed deals, three with zero salary protection (Shaquille Harrison, Miye Oni, and Juwan Morgan), three more on Exhibit 10 contracts, and a pair on two-way pacts.

Jazz Stars Sitting Out Friday’s Game With Spurs

August 6th, 2020 at 8:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz will play the Spurs on Friday but they will look like a totally different team. They’ll go without all of their star players due to injury or, in one case, rest, according to an ESPN report.

The starting backcourt of Donovan Mitchell (left peroneal strain) and Mike Conley (right knee soreness) will sit out, as will center Rudy Gobert. Coach Quin Snyder is resting his defensive stalwart in the first game of a back-to-back. Utah plays Denver on Saturday.

Another key player, forward Royce O’Neale (right calf soreness), is also taking the night off, as well as guard Nigel Williams-Goss (left ankle sprain).

None of the injuries appear to be long-term, so it’s quite possible most or all of those players could return for the Denver game. The Nuggets have been playing shorthanded during the restart and are missing four starters — Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Will Barton and Paul Millsap — in their game against Portland on Thursday.

Utah is trying to hold onto the fourth seed in the Western Conference and is also within striking distance of the third-place Nuggets.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/10/20

February 10th, 2020 at 9:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:

The Magic have recalled second-year shooting guard Melvin Frazier Jr. from their Lakeland G League affiliate, per the team’s social media. Frazier has logged time in 14 games with the Magic this season.
The Pacers have recalled rookie center Goga Bitadze from their G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced. Bitadze has appeared in 42 games for Indiana.
The Thunder have assigned rookie small forward Isaiah Roby to the Oklahoma City Blue, according to a team press release. Roby is averaging 9.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.18 SPG and 1.09 BPG in 20.4 minutes over 11 G League contests.
The Heat have sent rookie small forward KZ Okpala to their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team noted on social media. Okpala has appeared in five games for Miami.
The Wizards have recalled guards Gary Payton II and John Wall from the Capital City Go-Go, per the G League. Payton has appeared in 21 games for Washington this season. The Wizards are also sending rookie forward Admiral Schofield to the Go-Go.
The Nets have assigned second-year wing Dzanan Musa to their Long Island G League club, according to the G League.
The Jazz have sent 25-year-old rookie point guard Nigel Williams-Goss to the Salt Lake City Stars, per the G League.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/31/20

January 31st, 2020 at 8:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Friday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the league:

The Nets assigned forward Dzanan Musa and guard Theo Pinson to their Long Island affiliate, according to the G League transactions log. Pinson, a second-year guard, has appeared in 27 games with Brooklyn this season, averaging 4.4 PPG in 12.3 MPG. Musa, a second-year swingman, is averaging 4.2 PPG in 11.9 MPG through 33 appearances with the NBA club.
The Jazz assigned point guard Nigel Williams-Goss to the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the G League log. Williams-Goss has made nine abbreviated appearances with the NBA team this season.
The Wizards assigned rookie swingman Admiral Schofield to the Capital City Go-Go, according to the G League log. Schofield has played 26 games with the Wizards this season, averaging 3.2 PPG in 11.2 MPG.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/28/20

January 28th, 2020 at 9:44pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Tuesday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Wizards have recalled Admiral Schofield from the Capital City Go-Go, per the team’s Twitter feed. Schofield was a second-round pick in the 2019 draft.
The Celtics are bringing Romeo Langford back from the G League. They’ve recalled him, per Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports (Twitter link).
The Spurs have recalled Keldon Johnson from the Austin Spurs, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. Johnson was the No. 29 overall pick in the 2019 draft.
The Clippers have assigned Derrick Walton Jr. and Terance Mann to the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, per the team. Los Angeles hasn’t practiced in several days but is expected to hold practice tomorrow.
The Jazz have assigned Nigel Williams-Goss, Juwan Morgan, and Miye Oni to the G League, according to the league’s transaction log. All three are were just with the Salt Lake City Stars over the weekend.