Basket rumors

Semi Ojeleye to join Valencia Basket

Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna announced the departure of Semi Ojeleye to Valencia Basket.

The Spanish team paid a buyout to acquire his rights.

The forward last year produced 9.8 points (52% FG, 48% 3P, 85% FT) and 3.8 rebounds per game between Euroleague and LBA.

 

Openjobmetis Varese inks Vinnie Shahid

Vinnie Shahid is a new player of Openjobmetis Varese, as announced by the Italian team.

The point guard spent last year in Iceland with Thor Torlakshofn (26 PPG, 8.7 APG, 42% 3P).

 

Telekom Baskets Bonn name Moors new head coach, sign Pape, Koch, Kirkwood and Turudic

Telekom Baskets Bonn have announced Roel Moors as their new head coach.

Moors takes over from Tuomas Iisalo who left after winning the BCL.

Moors comes from BG Goettingen brought to the quarterfinals of the championship.

Finding themselves without players with contracts for next year, Bonn meanwhile signed Till Pape from BG Goettingen on a two-year deal and brought home Florian Koch.

The German team has also signed Noah Kirkwood, ex Harvard and Benedikt Turudic for two years.

Tryggvi Hlinason, Casademont Zaragoza part ways

Tryggvi Hlinason and Casademont Zaragoza have parted ways.
The Icelandic big man averaged 7.4 points and 5 rebounds per game in ACB this past season.

CSKA Moscow signs Amath M’Baye

CSKA Moscow announces the signing of Amath M’Baye.
The red-blue rookie is a typical example of an athlete who blossomed late. Perhaps because he did not immediately lean towards basketball, at first he was seriously interested in surfing in the homeland of his parents, in Senegal. After graduating from college in the United States, he began his professional career in Japan and showed up in front of the top European teams only at the age of 27, when he ended up in the Brindisi, in Italy. Since then, M’Baye has played for Olimpia and Virtus in Italy, Karsiyaka and Efes in Turkey, participated in the EuroLeague and the FIBA Champions League, helped the National Team win bronze at the 2019 World Cup and silver at 2022 EuroBasket.
The past season was one of the best in the forward’s career. He joined Efes, at that moment the reigning EuroLeague champion, and earned a position in the starting lineup. He played in 33 EuroLeague games, averaging 7.0 points (52.5% two-pointers, 51.7% three-pointers, 85% free throws) and 2.8 rebounds in 21.5 minutes. In 25 games of the Turkish championship he averaged 12.1 points (59.1% two-pointers, 37.1% three-pointers, 89.9% free throws), 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 31.0 minutes, he also had a significant contribution to the difficult path of the Istanbul team to the title of Turkish champion.

 

Emil Rajkovic, CSKA head coach:

 

Amath is a versatile player who proved his skills on international level and I am sure he will be of great help to our club. He will play primarily the 4-position and will be able to stretch the defense with his shot but also create by attacking the defense off the dribble. I wish him to incorporate in our family fast and become very important part of our team.

 

Amath M’Baye, CSKA forward:

 

I am excited to be a part of such a legendary organization, and discover a new league. Looking forward to getting to work!

Turk Telekom Ankara signs Tyrone Wallace

Turk Telekom Ankara announced the signing of Tyrone Wallace.

The former NBA spent last season in France with Paris Basketball averaging 15.7ppg in EuroCup and 16ppg in Betclic Elite.

 

Barcelona reportedly set to pay one million euros buyoyt for Joel Parra

Barcelona has essentially completed the signing of the development player they needed for their new project. The chosen one is Joel Parra: the young forward of Joventut (23 years old, 2.01 meters) has already accepted Barcelona’s proposal, as anticipated by the Twitter profile ‘The Home of Glory’, and now all that remains is for Barça to release him from his current contract with Penya.

According to sources cited by Mundo Deportivo, the blaugrana club has already communicated to Joventut this morning their willingness to pay his release clause of one million euros.

Parra is one of the best young basketball players in Spain. At 23, he is an undisputed starter at Joventut and a member of the Spanish national team that won the Eurobasket last summer. He can play in the ‘three’ and ‘four’ positions and is very complete (9.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in the last Liga Endesa).

Parra would arrive at Palau with a long contract, talks are of four years, which would allow the investment to be spread with an annual depreciation of 250,000 euros.

Walter Tavares reportedly reaches an agreement ro re-sign with Real Madrid

Walter Tavares is very close to becoming the highest paid player in Europe. After months of negotiations with Real Madrid, the Cape Verdean center has achieved what he was looking for and will have a multi-year contract on par with those of the top stars of the EuroLeague such as Shane Larkin or Vasilje Micic, the two key players of Anadolu Efes.

Tavares’ contract ends in June 2024, but Real Madrid has sought to anticipate the negotiation timeline to avoid risking the loss of its center next summer.

Tavares earned 3.5 million euros gross this season, 1.85 million net according to taxation in Spain. Real has always considered this as the maximum possible salary, but according to Mundo Deportivo, the parties would have agreed on 5 million euros gross, 2.8 million net.

The contract duration is not yet known.

Brandon Davies reportedly in advanced talks with Valencia

Brandon Davies is reportedly in advanced talks with Valencia, according to BasketNews.

Both parties still have to reach an agreement to resolve the remaining contractual situation, as the center still has one more year of contract with Olimpia Milano.

Aged 31 and standing at 208 centimeters, Davies averaged 10.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and an 11.5 PIR in last season’s EuroLeague. However, he was left out of Ettore Messina’s plans for the upcoming season and remained on the sidelines during the playoffs.

Bertram Derthona signs Tommaso Baldasso

Bertram Derthona signs Tommaso Baldasso to a three-year contract.

Italian pointguard played two seasons with Olimpia Milano and won two Italian championship. Baldasso also played Eurobasket 2022 with Italian NT.

Darussafaka inks Kyle Allman Jr

Kyle Allman Jr is a new player of Darussafaka, the Turkish club announced.

The guard spent last year in France with Paris Basketball, where he produced 18.7 points and 4.4 assists per game in Eurocup, and 14.8 points with 4 assists in BetClic Elite.

 

Borisa Simanic remains in Zaragoza

Borisa Simanic will remain with Casademont Zaragoza.
The Serbian averaged 6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 33 ACB games.

Dusan Alimpijevic appointed as Besiktas new head coach

Dusan Alimpijevic is the new head coach of Besiktas.
The Serbian specialist comes from Bursaspor where he has coached from 2020 to 2023.

Dejan Vasiljevic opts out of contract with Sydney Kings to pursue career in Europe or NBA

Dejan Vasiljevic has decided to opt out of deal with Sydney Kings to pursue a career in the NBA or in Europe.

Per ESPN Australia, Vasiljevic had a June 30 deadline to exercise his out with the Kings ahead of the 2023-24 NBL season, sources said, and officially informed the team on Wednesday of his decision to do so.

Vasiljevic had signed a three-year deal with the Kings in the 2022 offseason, with a mutual option on the third year.

If a deal in the NBA or Europe doesn’t eventuate, the Kings will have right of first refusal if Vasiljevic has a desire to return to the NBL for the 2023-24 season, sources said.

Over the 2022-23 season with the Kings, Vasiljevic averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game

Turk Telekom Ankara signs James Palmer

Turk Telekom Ankara announced the signing of James Palmer.
The American comes from JL Bourg where he averaged 15.3ppg, 3.9rpg and 2.2apg in Betclic Elite.

 

Virtus Bologna reportedly close to re-signing Isaia Cordinier to two-year deal

Isaia Cordinier is close to re-signing with Virtus Bologna, according to French journalist Dylan De Aubreu.

The French is expected to sign a two-year, €900k contract with Virtus Bologna in which he will have an important role in the roster.

 

Asvel and Monaco were interested in Cordinier who opted to remain in Bologna

Sources: Bertram Tortona, JP Macura to part ways

Matteo Carniglia of Sportando has learned that Bertram Tortona and JP Macura are parting ways.
The parties have agreed not to continue the relationship after two successful seasons.

Macura last year scored 13 points with 1.2 steals in 23 minutes per game.