Ricky Rubio

International Notes: Harrell, Ntilikina, Rubio, Bogdanovic, King

The Adelaide 36ers of Australia’s National Basketball League have officially terminated the contract of veteran NBA big man Montrezl Harrell, announcing the news in a press release.

The 36ers say they decided to terminate Harrell’s contract because he is currently ineligible to practice or play as part of a provisional ban for testing positive for a banned substance while playing for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association this spring.

It doesn’t sound as though the team wanted to part ways with Harrell, stating that it was “grateful” for his contributions and wishes him well going forward. But Adelaide said it was unable to comment further on the situation because it is still ongoing.

Harrell made a cryptic reply to the press release (Twitter link), stating, “Wait till you hear the real story on this lol how quick the switch goes!

According to BasketNews, Harrell previously suggested the positive test wasn’t for a performance enhancing drug.

Like I understand fail a drug test!” he wrote. “I get what the test showed! What I get lost is on the doping part! Because doping is (a) rule on taking a drug to increase or gain an edge in competition use! I know damn well I had zero of anything like that in me so again doping???

“Much love for all the Australian fans man I truly appreciate and love the support and energy y’all gave to me! Made me fall in love with hoops again last year in a dark time! Will always be grateful for that!”

Harrell, 31, last played in the NBA for Philadelphia during the 2022/23 campaign. The 31-year-old won the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award in 2019/20.

ESPN’s Olgun Uluc first reported that Harrell and the 36ers would be parting ways.

Here are a few more notes from overseas:

  • A previously reported initial transfer deal between Olympiacos and Partizan for Frank Ntilikina fell through, according to Eurohoops.net. Ntilikina reached an agreement with Olympiacos when Partizan was ready to release him, but Partizan eventually requested a $300K buyout which the Greek club refused to play. Partizan is changing course and will keep Ntilikina while Olympiacos will look elsewhere to enhance its backcourt.
    [UPDATE: Partizan and Olympiacos have since gone back to the negotiating table and completed a buyout agreement, clearing the way for Ntilikina to join Olympiacos.]
  • After spending last season off the court, Ricky Rubio is playing this season for Joventut Badalona. According to Eurohoops.net, Rubio didn’t shut the door on making a return to the Spanish national team. He withdrew from the team ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup and hasn’t suited up for Spain since then.
  • After retiring earlier this offseason, Bojan Bogdanovic is reportedly close to being named president of two-time EuroLeague champion Cibona in Croatia, where he played from 2009-11, per journalist Bruno Feliks (hat tip to Eurohoops.net).
  • Former NBAer Louis King is signing with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China, according to Sportando. King played for the Pistons, Kings and Sixers on two-way deals from 2019-23, averaging 4.8 points per game in 27 appearances.

Earnest Marshall contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Inside The NBA, Rubio, Raduljica, Bleijenbergh

“Inside the NBA” will look a little different this season — it will air on ESPN instead of TNT and won’t be on as often. However, the show’s format will largely remain unchanged, ESPN president of content Burke Magnus tells Richard Deitsch of The Athletic.

(Fans are) going to get the show they love in a way that’s very similar to the way it’s always been,” Magnus said. “It’s still produced in Atlanta by the very same people that produced it for Turner. It’s in their building. Other than a logo on the set, it’s going to appear the same, and that’s exactly what we want.”

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

  • Former NBA point guard Ricky Rubio broke a Spanish league record during the 2005/06 season when he made his professional debut at age 14. In hindsight, he thinks it was a mistake to start his pro career at such a young age, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. “It almost seems like exploitation,” Rubio said in a recent interview with Jijantes FC (Twitch link). “If you have the necessary quality at 13, you’ll probably be able to play at 16 or 17, too, or at 18. … There should be professionals, who already exist, to see at what stage to start playing. There will always be debate, ‘This guy is more mature at 16 and another at 18. Yes, but a rule must be set, behind studies with people who understand the whole issue a little better. … I think debuting in a professional team, where you enter a very dangerous world because you’re open to so many things, should be regulated.”
  • After a long basketball career, Serbian big man Miroslav Raduljica has decided to switch to football (soccer) for the 2025/26 season (Instagram link). According to Askounis of Eurohoops, Raduljica’s full salary with Zeleznicar Pancevo will go to charity. The 7’0″ center, who played parts of two seasons in the NBA with the Bucks and Timberwolves, has spent the past two years in Greece with Maroussi B.C.
  • Former G League forward Vrenz Bleijenbergh is now a free agent after mutually agreeing to part ways with the South East Melbourne Phoenix of Australia’s National Basketball League (press release via the team). Bleijenbergh, who is from Belgium, had a solid showing in Turkey last season with Merkezefendi, averaging 12.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.1 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .466/.398/.791 shooting in 28 contests (30.4 MPG).

Ricky Rubio Signs With Joventut Badalona

Ricky Rubio isn’t retiring after all. He has signed a contract with Spain’s Joventut Badalona, according to an announcement from the team.

Rubio ended his NBA career in January 2024 and returned to his home country of Spain, where he finished that season with Barcelona. He didn’t play for Barcelona this past season after taking a hiatus for mental health reasons.

Rubio indicated in June after posting a thank-you message on social media that he was still deciding whether to play again.

Everything is open. I might play again – why not? – or I might not, and that wouldn’t be a bad idea either,” Rubio said. “It’s something I’d like to consider in the near future. For now, I just wanted to say thank you and also see how it affects me as a person, and if it gives me energy to move in one direction or another.”

Playing for Joventut Badalona represents a full circle move. Rubio started his pro career with the organization in 2005 and remained there until he signed with Barcelona in 2009.

Rubio was the fifth pick of the NBA draft in 2009 and came stateside two years later. He played for Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix and Cleveland over the course of 12 seasons, averaging 10.8 points and 7.4 assists in 698 career games.

International Notes: Rubio, Abrines, Flynn, Anderson

Ricky Rubio has clarified that his somewhat enigmatic social media post last week was not a retirement message, writes Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops.net.

This isn’t a farewell. It’s simply a thank you. It comes from my year of reflection, and I wanted to do something that’s rarely done: to thank those who have been or are important to you. But it has no other message,” Rubio said.

However, just because the posts weren’t specifically intended as a farewell, that doesn’t mean he’s officially coming back.

Everything is open. I might play again – why not? – or I might not, and that wouldn’t be a bad idea either,” Rubio said. “It’s something I’d like to consider in the near future. For now, I just wanted to say thank you and also see how it affects me as a person, and if it gives me energy to move in one direction or another.”

Rubio ended his NBA career in January 2024 and returned to his home country of Spain, where he finished the season with Barcelona. He didn’t play for Barcelona this season after taking a hiatus for mental health reasons.

We have more from around the world of European hoops:

  • Former Thunder wing Alex Abrines is seriously considering retirement, reports Eurohoops (via Twitter). The 31-year-old current captain of Barcelona played 17.6 minutes per game this season in EuroLeague play while averaging 4.6 points per contest.
  • Malachi Flynn is in advanced talks with the Turkish team Bahcesehir, reports Sport24 via Sportando. The former first-round pick, who had a 50-point game for the Pistons last season, could be closing in on a deal approaching $1MM after making just four appearances for Charlotte this season.
  • Dubai BC is gearing up to make a serious offer for Justin Anderson, reports Chema de Lucas (via Twitter). Anderson, who played 242 NBA games from 2015 to 2022, has spent the past two seasons in the Liga ACB. He averaged 6.9 points in 19 minutes per night during Barcelona’s EuroLeague play this season. As Dubai seeks to improve its roster, Anderson looks to be one of the club’s top targets.

And-Ones: All-Star Game, Rubio, Draft Sleepers, Broadcasters

Asked during an appearance on FS1’s Breakfast Ball (Twitter video link) whether a U.S. vs. the World format for the All-Star Game is something the NBA could implement as soon as 2026, league commissioner Adam Silver replied, “Yes.”

Silver cautioned that nothing has been set in stone yet, but that plan has been set in motion, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, and the NBA believes the timing makes sense. There was significant interest in the men’s basketball event at the 2024 Paris Olympics that featured a star-studded Team USA taking on NBA stars from other countries, and the 2026 All-Star Game will air on NBC while the network is also broadcasting the Winter Olympics.

“What better time to feature some form of USA against the world?” Silver said on FS1. “I’m not exactly sure what the format will be yet. I obviously paid a lot of attention to what the NHL did (with its ‘4 Nations Face Off’ All-Star event earlier this year), which was a huge success. … But also, going back, last summer, our Olympic competition was a huge success.”

As Reynolds writes, the biggest sticking point for the NBA is that approximately 70% of the NBA’s players are American, with just 30% from other countries. So even though some of the game’s biggest stars – including Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic – could represent the “world” team, a format that requires 12 non-U.S. players to be named All-Stars would likely result in some glaring snubs among U.S. players.

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

  • Veteran point guard Ricky Rubio, who announced his retirement from the NBA in January 2024, played for Barcelona at the end of the 2023/24 season before taking ’24/25 off. The 34-year-old Spaniard published a message on social media on Thursday that could be interpreted as either a hint at his retirement as a player or a signal that he isn’t done yet. “I took this year to reflect on my career and my life, and I’ve realized that if I’ve gotten to where I am today, it’s not because of the assists I’ve given, but because of the assists I’ve received,” Rubio wrote (via Twitter). “This isn’t a goodbye, it’s a thank you to all the people who have helped me along the way.”
  • Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports identifies seven of his favorite “sleepers” in this year’s draft, naming UNC’s Drake Powell, Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard, Kentucky’s Koby Brea, and four others as prospects capable of outperforming their probable draft slots.
  • Richard Deitsch and Andrew Marchand of The Athletic dig into the NBA’s media landscape, with Marchand noting that the league’s new partners, Amazon and NBC, will be keeping an eye on players nearing the end of their respective careers who might be interested in transitioning to broadcasting. That group includes Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James, according to Marchand, who adds that Steve Kerr would qualify too if he moves on from coaching in the coming years.

Cavaliers Stretched Rubio’s 2024/25 Cap Hit

The Cavaliers used the stretch provision to spread Ricky Rubio‘s $1,274,015 dead-money cap hit for 2024/25 across three seasons, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Rubio will now count against Cleveland’s books for $424,672 annually through ’26/27.

Rubio was bought out by the Cavaliers last January with two years left on his contract, announcing at that time that his NBA career was over. He gave up $5.4MM in that agreement, leaving Cleveland with cap charges of $3,722,327 for 2023/24 and $1,274,015 for ’24/25.

The Cavaliers didn’t use the stretch provision on Rubio’s post-termination salary at the time of his release, but as Marks explains, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement allowed them to stretch the second-year salary across three seasons as long as they did so prior to the Saturday (August 31) deadline. Under the previous CBA, using the stretch provision was only permitted at the time of the waiver request.

The move generates an extra $849,343 in cap flexibility for Cleveland this season. That may not seem like much, but it gives the club a little extra breathing room below the luxury tax line as the front office negotiates a deal with Isaac Okoro. If the goal is to re-sign Okoro to a multiyear contract, sign a 14th man to a minimum-salary deal, and remain out of tax territory, that extra $849K could come in handy.

The Cavaliers are now approximately $10.6MM below the luxury tax line, meaning they could offer Okoro a first-year salary of roughly $8.5MM and avoid becoming a taxpayer. That would allow them to go up to about $27.5MM for three years or $38.1MM over four years for the last unsigned restricted free agent on the market.

Even if they end up going slightly into tax territory to fill out the opening night roster, reducing Rubio’s 2024/25 cap hit will make it easier for the Cavs to duck the tax with a trade later in the season.

Ricky Rubio Reportedly Signing With Spain’s Joventut Badalona

Longtime NBA guard Ricky Rubio is reportedly signing with Spanish club Joventut Badalona, Eurohooops.net relays.

According to Jordi Valle Simo of EFE Deportes, Rubio is returning to the team where he began his professional career in 2005. He spent his first four seasons in Badalona.

After agreeing to a buyout with the Cavaliers and retiring from the NBA in January, Rubio signed with Barcelona in February on a one-year contract. After his Spanish team lost to Real Madrid in the Liga ACB semifinals, he expressed uncertainty about his basketball future.

These months, I’ve felt strange; I’ve wanted to change some things,” Rubio said. “Coming in the middle of the season is not easy, my way of being, more reserved and not feeling 100%. I don’t think I’ve been everything I expected, but I didn’t have any expectations either, but it’s clear that the balance is not good.”

By rejoining Joventut Badalona, Rubio will continue playing in the ACB League. Last season, he made 13 EuroLeague appearances and averaged 17 minutes on the court, posting 4.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game. He also played 15 Liga Endesa games for Barcelona, averaging 6.0 PPG, 4.1 APG, and 3.1 RPG.

And-Ones: West, Finals Predictions, Spain, Hezonja

Former NBA guard Delonte West was arrested in Virginia on Thursday morning on misdemeanor charges of violating the conditions of his release and resisting arrest, ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reports. West is being held on a $2,000 bond at the Fairfax County Detention Center. An arraignment is scheduled for Friday morning.

Local police say they spotted West around 1 a.m. ET and attempted to serve a warrant. West allegedly fled and was found unresponsive after police lost track of him during the pursuit, per Holmes.

According to the Faifax County police, West was administered Narcan — which is used to treat overdoses — but it didn’t have the desired effect. Narcan was administered a second time after West was transported to a hospital, and the second dose was effective.

The former St. Joseph’s guard discussed his struggles with bipolar disorder while he was playing and he has battled substance abuse in recent years, Holmes notes.

West, 40, played eight NBA seasons from 2004-12. In 432 career regular season games, he averaged 9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 27.4 minutes per contest.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • While the Celtics are the betting favorites to win the NBA Finals in 2023/24, ESPN’s panel of experts believes the Mavericks will emerge victorious and claim their second championship. Nine voters selected Dallas, with eight going for Boston, so it was a very slim margin.
  • The Spanish basketball federation announced its preliminary 22-player roster ahead of the country’s Olympic qualifying tournament this summer, per Eurohoops. While the team features several former NBA players, Santi Aldama (Grizzlies) and Usman Garuba (Warriors) are the only two who finished the 2023/24 season on 15-man rosters. Former NBA guards Ricky Rubio and Sergio Rodriguez are among the noteworthy players who are not on Spain’s 22-man roster.
  • Former NBA wing Mario Hezonja, who is on Croatia’s preliminary roster for its qualifying tournament in Greece, is nearing a contract extension with Real Madrid, per Ramón Álvarez de Mon of La Galerna (Twitter link). The fifth pick of the 2015 draft, Hezojna last played in the NBA in 2019/20. A report in March said the 29-year-old was “aggressively exploring” the viability of a return to the league.

And-Ones: Rubio, Williams, Porzingis, Bertans, Parity

After retiring from the NBA in January, Ricky Rubio signed with Barcelona in February on a one-year contract. The longtime NBA point guard is uncertain about his basketball future after his Spanish team lost to Real Madrid in the Liga ACB semifinals, Eurohoops.net relays. Rubio said he’ll need a few weeks to clear his head and decide what he wants to do next.

These months, I’ve felt strange; I’ve wanted to change some things,” Rubio said. “Coming in the middle of the season is not easy, my way of being, more reserved and not feeling 100%. I don’t think I’ve been everything I expected, but I didn’t have any expectations either, but it’s clear that the balance is not good.”

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Trevion Williams is reportedly in advanced talks with Barcelona, according to Sportando’s Alessandro Maggi. There is already a “pre-agreement” in place, pending the final decision on the hiring of the new coach. Williams, who played collegiately at Purdue, was waived by the Warriors during their 2022 training camp. He played for a German team this past season.
  • Latvia’s national team has unveiled its preliminary 24-man roster for the Olympic qualifying tournament, according to Eurohoops.net. Kristaps Porzingis heads the list of players, which also includes another NBA notable, Davis Bertans. Porzingis stated on social media last week that he was looking forward to playing with his national team this summer.
  • Parity has become the new norm for the NBA, The Athletic’s John Hollinger writes. The championship continues to change hands every year and lower seeds have a legitimate chance to make a deep run. Hollinger concludes that if a contender is good enough to get to the second round, anything can happen.

And-Ones: Olympic Qualifiers, Rubio, R. Miller, All-Star Weekend

FIBA has officially announced the schedule for this summer’s Olympic qualifying tournaments, which will determine the final four men’s basketball teams who will compete for gold in Paris. Each of the four tournaments will tip off on July 2, with the finals taking place on July 7.

The four qualifying tournaments are being played in Spain, Puerto Rico, Latvia, and Greece, with 24 teams vying to advance to the 2024 Olympics. The results of those tournaments will determine whether we get the opportunity to see a handful of notable NBA stars – such as Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) and Luka Doncic (Slovenia) – playing in Paris.

A total of 12 men’s basketball teams will compete at the Olympics and eight of those spots have already been claimed. Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Serbia, South Sudan, and the U.S. have punched their tickets to Paris. Details on the other 24 teams competing in the qualifying tournaments – and how they’ve been split up – can be found right here.

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

  • Ricky Rubio may make his season debut with Barcelona on March 1 when the team faces AS Monaco in EuroLeague play, as Kevin Martorano of Sportando relays. Rubio announced his retirement from the NBA in January, but remains on track to make a comeback in his home country, having signed with Barcelona earlier this month. Teammate Alex Abrines mentioned March 1 as a possible target date for the veteran point guard.
  • TNT Sports and analyst Reggie Miller have reached an agreement on a multiyear contract extension, according to a press release from the company. Miller is in his 19th season with TNT Sports and will continue to be part of NBA broadcasts for the network for the foreseeable future.
  • A current Pacer and a former Pacer earned honors at the secondary events at All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin was named the Rising Stars MVP on Friday while Magic two-way guard Trevelin Queen earned MVP honors in Sunday’s G League Up Next game (Twitter links via the NBA). Queen spent most of the 2022/23 season on a two-way contract with Indiana.