Basket rumors

12/04/202020:36

Kostas Koufos, CSKA Moscow have dual option to opt out at the end of the season

Kostas Koufos is expected to leave CSKA Moscow with the arrival of Nikola Milutinov, according to Ria Novosti.
The Greek big man was signed to a two-year deal last summer but he has been limited by injuries.
Koufos averaged 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in EuroLeague and 8.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in VTB League.

Koufos and CSKA Moscow have a dual option to opt out of the deal at the end of the current season, a source told Sportando.

The Greek big man is expected to generate big interest from both NBA and EuroLeague teams if he becomes free agent this summer.

11/04/202023:09

New Orleans Pelicans interested in Elijah Bryant

The New Orleans Pelicans are interested in Maccabi Tel Aviv guard Elijah Bryant, an Israeli league source told Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
The guard out of BYU this year played 46 games for Maccabi tel Aviv between Euroleague and Winner League, with averages of 9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assist, shooting 46% from the field, 36% from beyond the arc and 80% from the foul line.
Bryant played the 2019 Las Vegas Summer league for the Milwaukee Bucks (14.2 points, 3.2 assist, 53% FG, 50% 3p, 83% FT)

11/04/202015:21

Olympiacos pursuing Ryan Broekhoff?

EuroLeague club Olympiacos reportedly extended an offer to free agent forward Ryan Broekhoff, according to Greek newspaper Live Sport and Israeli reporter Roi Cohen.

Broekhoff became a free agent in February after being waived by the Dallas Mavericks.

11/04/202009:17

NBL and team owners ask players to agree on a 50% pay cut for next season

Australian NBL players were told in a conference call on Thursday that the league and team owners asked players to agree on the following, or risk being stood down, a league source told Sportando.

– A 50% pay cut (capped at minimum wage).
– No career-ending injury insurance
– No health insurance.
– Development Player wave reduced fro $17K to $15K.

Despite the league won’t be starting in less than five months, NBL is using coronavirus pandemic to ask a reduction of salaries for the players.

The actual Collective Bargaining Agreement states the following:

  • Minimum salaries for players will be set at $55,000 – an increase of 38 per cent since 2016;
  • Development Players will receive a minimum salary for the first time, set at $17,000 for the NBL Season;
  • The salary cap for each club will increase from $1.1 million in 2016 to $1.43 million in 2019/20;
  • Increased support from the NBL and Clubs for the ABPA Player Development Program which will provide players with a range of programs including access to mental health support, education grants and assistance in career transition
  • Clubs will provide health insurance for all players and there will be improved salary protection for injured players; and
  • More players will have the flexibility to play in other leagues at the completion of the Hungry Jack’s NBL season, enabling greater earning capacity and continued development

Sportando reached out to NBL owner Larry Kestelman asking about the report.

“What we are doing is seeing how we can look after our players during this terrible time around the world” he said. “10s of Millions of people have been stood down and we believe as a league we are in a good position to avoid that. We are having productive conversations with the Players association and confident we will find common ground.  It’s a tough time for all, but by working together we will come out the other end strong. We are still confident we will get our season away as have 6 months to get through this and feel lucky we are in our off season” Kestelman added.

10/04/202011:51

Ethan Happ may get Italian passport, agent says

Big man Ethan Happ could become Italian soon, according to his agent Mario Scotti.

“Ethan may get Italian passport. We are working on it. His great-grandparents are from Sicily” Mario Scotti told La Provincia di Cremona. “His status would change and also his market value. Virtus Bologna and Olimpia Milano would be the front runners”.

Happ was averaging 18 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists in 16 Serie A games with Vanoli Cremona where he landed on loan from Olympiacos.

10/04/202011:44

Fenerbahce reportedly offer a contract with salary reduction to Zeljko Obradovic

Conflicting rumors from Turkey about Zeljko Obradovic’s future in Fenerbahce.

In recent days there had been talk of a possible farewell between the Serbian Head Coach and the Turkish powerhouse with Sarunas Jasikevicius as a possible replacement candidate.

In fact Jasikevius and Obradovic will be free agent this summer.

But, as reported by Aksam, Fenerbahce offered a 1.650 million euros contract during the season to Obradovic. A 50% reduction on the previous contract and on the club’s budget.

Obradovic has not yes responded to the proposal.

08/04/202009:55

Sloukas: I have one year left with Fenerbahce, but if Obradovic leaves…

Kostas Sloukas has one year remaining on his contract with Fenerbahce and he doesn’t want to leave. But if coach Zeljko Obradovic won’t remain at the helm of the team, the situation could rapidly change.

Sloukas has been linked to both Panathinaikos and Olympiacos.

Via Eurohoops, “There is a rumor that I will return to Olympiacos or play for Panathinaikos. I read and listen to the scenarios that are out there but what I know is that I have a guaranteed contract with Fenerbahce for one more season. Because of the unique case, there are various fleeting thoughts on my mind but there is a contract. If, of course, coach Obradovic leaves, as it is strongly rumored, the discussion changes,” Sloukas said in an interview with Greek newspaper “Ta Nea.”

06/04/202019:20

Italian Basketball Federation to cancel Serie A, Serie A2 season?

The Italian Basketball Federation is expected to cancel the season for the Serie A and Serie A2, FIP advisor Marco Tajana told Italian podcast “Cantieri Aperti”.

06/04/202016:47

Aaron Craft says in Belgrade he may have played his final career game

Aaron Craft said that in Belgrade he may have played his final game.
The point guard announced that he was retiring at the end of the season to pursue a degree. But he did not imagine to finish his career due to coronavirus pandemic.

“The game in Belgrade could have been my final one. I am trying not to think too much about that. I am trying to remain focus if the season resumes. I can’t be disappointed, it is a difficult situation for everyone. I won’t change my mind but it will be sad to think that my career has finished in Belgrade and in this way. I was dreaming something different but I can’t change what is happening” Craft told L’Adige.

06/04/202013:48

Joel Ekamba to enter 2020 NBA Draft

Belgian prospect Joel Ekamba has decided to enter the 2020 NBA Draft, a source told Sportando.
The guard born in 2001, with a 6’9 wingspan, spent the season in LNP Espoirs with Limoges where he averaged 13 points per game adding 3.2 rebounds and 2 assists.
Ekamba spent the 2019-2020 season in Belgian league with Belfius Mons-Hainaut.
He averaged 8 points at Under 19 European Championship Division B in 2019.

05/04/202009:44

ASVEL owner Tony Parker considered as Olympique Lyonnais next president

According to L’Equipe, Tony Parker is being openly considers to succeed to Jean-Michel Aulas as football powerhouse Olympique Lyonnais president by 2023.

French football team purchased, in the recent years, a 25% stake in ASVEL, plus a 10% stake in the women’s team, and has built additional connections between the 4-times NBA champion and the football division as well.

02/04/202019:13

LaMelo Ball becomes new owner of Illawarra Hawks

LaMelo Ball and his manager Jermaine Jackson have purchased Australian NBL team Illawarra Hawks, Jackson told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

“Melo loves the Illawarra fans,” Jackson told Givony. “He loves that community. They opened their arms to him. They made us feel like we are at home. When we started hearing about the issues they were going through, we talked about it and decided, ‘Let’s own the team.’

Ball, 18 years old, is a potential top-3 pick in this year’s NBA Draft. He averaged 17 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7 assists per game for Illawarra this season.

31/03/202016:47

CBA doesn’t want to cancel season, to have a meeting late in April

Chinese government issued a new order today to restrict resumption of team sports due to the coronavirus pandemic. China has almost erased new infections but the fear of a new spread is high in the Asian country.

Despite new order, CBA is not planning to cancel the season, as of now.

According to a league source, the CBA will have a meeting late in April, around 20th, to discuss the future of the season that was expected to resume early in May.

 

Several Americans have already returned to China and are in a two-week self-isolation as ordered by the Government.

30/03/202011:20

Petrucci says FIP is pushing with FIBA to have Banchero as local player (not naturalized)

Italian Basketball Federation president Gianni Petrucci said that they are in talks with FIBA to have Paolo Banchero to be counted as local (Italian) player and not as naturalized player.

“We are pushing with FIBA to have him as local player” Petrucci told Tuttosport. “We have been unlucky because we had a meeting in Italian Consulate (but it has been postponed due to coronavirus outbreak). “He becomes Italian, so he is Italian from birth, it doesn’t matter that we ask FIBA after he turned 17” Petrucci added. “About DiVincenzo we are a bit far but with the work of GM Salvatore Trainotti we’ll obtain his Italian passport”.

29/03/202009:37

Former NBA guard OJ Mayo poised to join Liaoning Flying Leopards

Former NBA guard O.J. Mayo is close to joining the Chinese Basketball Association to play for powerhouse Liaoning Flying Leopards, pending medical and other procedural clearances.

Mayo, 32, landed in the northern Chinese city of Shenyang, home to the No. 3-ranked Flying Leopards, from Taipei on Friday. He has since entered a 14-day quarantine, as mandated by government medical officials.

28/03/202011:12

Slovenia NT part ways with Trifunovic, eyes Itoudis for top job

Rado Trifunovic is no longer Slovenia National Team head coach, as confirmed by KZS president Matej Erjavec in an interview with Dnevnik.

Erjavec also confirmed that Slovenian Federation is in talks with two-times Euroleague champion with CSKA Moscow Dimitris Itoudis to lead Slovenia NT, and added that Itoudis is “honoured” by KZS interest in him. 

27/03/202020:28

Ekpe Udoh eyeing a Euroleague comeback?

In an Instagram story, former NBA big man Ekpe Udoh has expressed his will to comeback to Euroleague, whether with Fenerbahce (with who he was Euroleague champion and Final Four MVP in 2017) or a different team.

Udoh is currently under a contract with Chinese side Beijing Ducks, and has made his return to China in order to be ready for the eventual restart of CBA.

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