Usman Garuba has decided to leave the NBA to return to Real Madrid, according to Eurohoops sources.
The 22-year-old, who grew up in the Spanish club’s youth academy, had left the team in 2021 to play in the NBA, playing 105 games between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors.
Despite the lingering interest from the NBA, Garuba, who finished the season in the G-League, could become a key element in Real Madrid’s future, effectively replacing Frenchman Vincent Poirier.
According to La Prealpina , Dinamo Sassari has finalized the signings of big man Miralem Halilovic and forward Mattia Udom.
The 32-year-old Bosnian spent 2023/24 in Turkey with Galatasaray, scoring 8.3 points with 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game between BSL and BCL.
In the previous season, Halilovic stood out for his performance at Nanterre (14 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.5 APG) along with Sassari’s new point guard Justin Bibbins.
Udom, on the other hand, comes from a two-year stint in Trento (5.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG in 15 minutes between LBA and Eurocup).
Valencia have now reached an agreement with Jean Montero, according to Chema de Lucas.
The contract would be a three-year one, with pay rising: from 800,000 euros in the first year to 1.5 in the third season.
ÚLTIMA HORA: El acuerdo entre Jean Montero y Valencia Basket es por tres temporadas.
Deal between Jean Montero and Valencia Basket is a three-year. @Urbodo first to report about close to sign it.
800k. – 900 k. – 1,5 k. are the numbers of the deal.
— Chema de Lucas (@chemadelucas) May 25, 2024
Fenerbahce could lose one of their best players this summer. In fact, according to reports from LiveSport, Nigel Hayes-Davis could leave the Turkish club. We read that what would make the difference would be his desire to go play in the NBA, and the Cleveland Cavaliers would be one of the franchises interested in the Fenerbahce player.
Dwayne Bacon is a new player of the Leones de Ponce, as announced by the Puerto Rican club.
The 28-year-old guard/forward spent the season in the CBA with the Shanghai Dongfang, scoring 22.5 points with 5 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 22 minutes per game.
Bertram Derthona Tortona will keep young French center Ismaël Kamagate on loan from EA7 Milano also in the 2024/25 season, sources confirmed to Sportando. Kamagate averaged 6.6 ppg and 4.3 rpg in 16 LBA games with Tortona.
Dinamo Sassari announced the signing of Justin Bibbins for the upcoming season.
Bibbins will be the Dynamo’s first “handler,” one of two guards who will complete the starting five.
Bibbins has shown leadership skills since his college days, a player who has offensive talent, but also the ability to create advantage off the dribble with his speed and ball-handling. In France, he has been an opponent several times for Coach Markovic, who has identified the kid from Torrance California as his first target:
“Justin is a guy I’ve known and followed for a long time, he’s got personality, he’s a tough guy, despite his size he’s got great energy defensively as well, he’s a player we thought will be a great fit for the kind of team we want to build.”
Last season in Nanterre he produced 15.6 points, 5.2 assists and 1 steal per game, shooting 45% from the field, 38% from beyond the arc and 86% from the foul line.
Valencia Basket and Jean Montero have not yet reached a financial agreement, while five EuroLeague teams show interest in the player. Montero and his agent have requested a salary increase, causing a halt in negotiations. Valencia suspects that offers from EuroLeague teams have influenced this request. The interested teams include Fenerbahce, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Baskonia, and Armani Milano. Bayern Munich, in particular, sees Montero as an ideal replacement for Sylvain Francisco, who is moving to Zalgiris.
James Nunnally is in talks with Partizan for a contract extension as reported by Arel Ginsber.
American forward averaged 12.3 points this season in EuroLeague.
🚨🚨Source tells that James Nunnally is negotiating a contract extension with Partizan Belgrade!
Partizan asking for a small pay cut in order to complete the deal. now the situation depends on the decision of Nunnally, if he’ll agree to the pay cut, he’s expected to stay#Kkp pic.twitter.com/X3IOeZR5fg
— Arel Ginsber (@ArelGinsber8) May 23, 2024
There is also the name of Sasha Djordjevic for the nascent Dubai Basketball. Svetislav Pešić, Sergio Scariolo, Xavi Pascual are just some of the names mentioned for the emirs’ basketball project that is expected to start next season in the EuroCup and Aba League.
According to Meridian Sport sources, Serbian basketball legend Aleksandar Djordjevic is also in the Arab investors’ sights. Currently a selector for China, Djordjevic is seen as the ideal figure for the Dubai club’s long-term project.
UNICS Kazan reportedly made a $300,000 offer to Sean McDermott. This was reported by La Prealpina.
McDemott has another year of contract with Varese with escape only for teams participating in the European cups. According to the newspaper, the farewell would still be possible.
The USA outside player, captain of Varese Basketball, comes from a 13.9 points average season in the LBA, 12.2 in the FIBA Europe Cup.
Dinamo Sassari is in negotiations with Polish forward Michal Sokolowski, a source told Sportando.
Several clubs are interested in the player, but Sassari will try to beat the competition for the 31-year-old Warsaw native.
Sokolowski ended the LBA season with GeVi Napoli producing 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, shooting 59 percent from 2-points, 35 percent from long range and 78 percent from the foul line.
According to Donatas Urbonas, Zalgiris Kaunas is close to finalizing the signing of Matt Mitchell.
The former San Diego State forward played the 2023-24 season with Besiktas (10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2 assists per game in BSL, 12.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG in Eurocup).
Mitchell previously spent a two-year stint at Strasbourg.
GeVi Napoli Basket announces the signing of Zach Copeland on a two-year deal with an exit clause at the end of the first season.
Copeland arrived in Italy in the 2022-23 season where he played as an absolute star in the A2 series with Pistoia, scoring an average of almost 17 points per game with 39.3% shooting from the arc. Last season, he moved to Germany where he played in the Bundesliga with Bamberg Baskets, producing averages of more than 17 points per game, with 4.2 assists, and nearly 40 percent shooting from three
19-year-old French forward Melvin Ajinca has attracted the interest of ASVEL and Paris Basketball.
The news was reported by BeBasket.
The forward has decided to declare for the upcoming NBA Draft-No. 46 on Espn’s Top 100-.
The French athlete could then stay in Europe to play in the Euroleague and properly prepare for the NBA.
Ajinca spent a two-year stint between Pro B and BetClic Elite with Saint-Quentin (10.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG this year).
Marcelinho Huertas confirmed in a press conference that he wants to stay at Tenerife:
“The club and I already have an agreement for next season, so there is not much surprise. There is nothing more to add, I still want to play.
As long as I see that my head, my body and my desire are still there and that I can give a good performance on the pitch, I will continue to try to do my part for the sport and for the club’.
Jean Montero close to sign with Valencia as reported Donatas Urbonas.
Dominican point guard averaged 15.7 points, 5 assist this ACB season with Andorra.
Jean Montero close to signing with Valencia Basket, per sources.
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) May 22, 2024
Chris Jones is a hot name at Virtus Bologna according to Arel Ginsber. The Valencia player is also reportedly being followed by Partizan Belgrade.
American born in 1993 in Garland, Texas, Chris Jones also has an Armenian passport, and this season has produced an average of 12.7 points in the EuroLeague with 4.2 assists. He has also played in Europe with Basel, Mons-Hainaut, Bursaspor, Maccabi and Asvel.
🚨🚨I can tell that Chris Jones is a TOP candidate for Partizan Belgrade and Virtus Bologna this summer!
Jones is the main option for both Partizan and Virtus for the PG position, and they’re planning to offer him a big contract!
Season Highlights: https://t.co/x0nSWDY81u#kkp https://t.co/OvWw0VmbpL pic.twitter.com/kwhsDNvBiC
— Arel Ginsber (@ArelGinsber8) May 22, 2024
During a press conference before leaving for Berlin, Mario Hezonja also discussed his plans for the upcoming season.
(via AS)
“My future? I have no idea. – Real Madrid president Florentino Perez ‘threatens’ me every time he sees me in the dining room, he says that I must stay here. Hopefully. We are all working to make it happen.”
The Croatian forward expressed his desire is to reach an agreement to stay in Madrid and be part of “one of the best teams in history.”
A few months ago I said, I think it was in January, that this team has the potential to be the best in the history of the Euroleague and I really think so. A lot will depend on the people at the top (the managers), but with the players we have, we can reach that level. This team is starting to live its best moments in history, my teammates are on the same page and want to reach that, that is very important. Before there were clubs like Varese, who won a lot, but I think this team can reach that level and even go further and do things they have not seen so far, but we must go day by day, game by game. A lot of this, about the team, is going to be decided in the summer”.
The Croatian forward is one of the most coveted players on the Euroleague market, but these remarks provide hope for Blancos supporters.
Hezonja averaged 13.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and a steal in 22 minutes per game in Euroleague , shooting 48 percent from the field, a remarkable 45 percent from three and 92 percent from the foul line.
According to a report by Telesport, Frank Kaminsky will leave Partizan after just one season.
The 31-year-old big man in his European debut averaged 8.9 points (55% FG, 40% FT, 66% FT) with 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 17 minutes per game in the Euroleague, while in ABA League he produced 9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists.
Türk Telekom has decided to end its relationship with Selçuk Ernak ahead of next season. Ernak had taken over from Nenad Canak at mid-season.
Türk Telekom might recall Erdem Can to the bench. Basketfaul reports.
Fernando San Emeterio to become Basquet Girona sport director.
Informa @lesportiuGIR! 🔥
📣 El director esportiu dle @BasquetGirona serà @saneme9. Formarà equip amb el General Manager Txus Escosa i l’scouting anirà a càrrec de Erick Moleiro, conegut a Twitter com @ScoutingBasketW. pic.twitter.com/50wYdfl4EB
— Bàsquet Gironí (@basquetgironi) May 20, 2024
Matt Costello and Ethan Happ have accepted Valencia Basket’s proposal. Now the players are waiting to see if Baskonia and Gran Canaria will sign them up for the tanteo.
In that case, Valencia Basket will have to submit the formal offer to the Liga Endesa.
Fenerbahce, losing Nik Calathes to Monaco, are considering offering a contract to Lorenzo Brown, currently at Maccabi.
Brown, who has an exit clause of around €800,000, is in high demand, with Fenerbahce willing to pay that amount and offer a €2 million contract.
Brown, who averages 13.2 points and 6.1 assists in the Euroleague, is interested in leaving Tel Aviv because of personal difficulties related to the armed conflict in the area.
Baskonia wants to close the name of the new coach in the coming weeks. After the refusals of Jaka Lakovic, who is bound to Gran Canaria, and Pablo Prigioni, who prefers to remain an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the chances of a renewal for Dusko Ivanovic increase.
It’s Final Four week in Berlin and Real Madrid centre-back Edy Tavares also spoke to AS about his future.
ON THE FUTURE
“I will do whatever it takes to continue at the highest level, because I don’t want to be at Real Madrid just for the sake of it, but to leave a mark.”
ON BEING IN THE FINAL YEAR OF HIS CONTRACT
“No, it doesn’t condition me. People said that if I didn’t play well it was because of the renewal and it wasn’t because of that, but because of everything that happened to me this season, which coincided with the expiry of the renewal. The end of my contract doesn’t stop me from playing. You always have to do things well because what is yours, what you expect, will come. Or not, but you have to give your best and it will come. You can’t save your energy or think that if you get injured you won’t have a contract here or elsewhere’.
ON NEXT SEASON
“May an agreement be reached and may I stay in Madrid. I’m happy here, my two sons are from Madrid, we love the culture, the city, the way people are, the way they live, what Real Madrid represents, the way they overcome things at the club, their spirit, their desire to win as we saw recently in the Champions League against Bayern… It’s very satisfying to be here and it makes me improve, because you can’t relax, you always have to give your best to win. You never know, but I hope to stay.
According to Sportal, Andrea Trinchieri and Zalgiris Kaunas have agreed on a contract extension.
Trinchieri’s previous deal included an exit clause at the end of this season.
The Italian coach has impressed everyone since his arrival at the prestigious Lithuanian club, mainly due to his ability to bring out the best out of each player.
The new deal would be around 900,000 euros per season, a figure that would make Trinchieri one of the highest paid coaches in the competition, the Greek portal concludes.
According to Canarias7.es Ethan Happ will leave Gran Canaria to sign a two-year deal with Valencia.
The big man just ended the ACB season with averages of 12.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.2 steals in 20 minutes per game.
Anadolu Efes continues to work on the roster for next season, and according to Sportal has reached an agreement to keep Daniel Oturu.
The big man-7.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in Euroleague, but over 16 points and 6 rebounds average in BSL-is expected to stay with the Turkish club on a new two-year contract, after receiving the okay from coach Mijatovic.
Tyrique Jones, on the other hand, is expected to leave Anadolu Efes after just one season (7.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG in Euroleague, 11 PPG, 6.6 RPG in BSL).
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
According to reporter Rupert Fabig, Jaka Lakovic is among the candidates for Valencia’s head coaching position.
The Slovenian coach is currently involved in the ACB Playoffs with Gran Canaria in the series against Real Madrid.
Jaka Lakovic emerging as a candidate for the coaching job in Valencia, sources told me. pic.twitter.com/4BDPo6xN6n
— Rupert Fabig (@rupertfabig) May 16, 2024
