Basket rumors

Mario Hezonja has decided to stay at Real Madrid and will renew with the club for between three and four seasons. The news, launched by Cope, is confirmed by Marca and As.

The Croatian, who had signed a pre-contract with Barcelona, chose to stay despite the tempting offers received.

Siro López confirmed the news in Tiempo de Juego, pointing out that Hezonja was a key element in winning the ACB and reaching second place in the Euroleague.

The winger, courted by the best European clubs, preferred to continue playing for Real Madrid, pursuing his dream of winning more titles with the team.

Source: Tiempo de Juego

Twist in the negotiation between Mario Hezonja and Barcelona, that yesterday seemed to be in the final stages.

It is Mundo Deportivo again that talks about it, in an article with a very effective title: “Barcelona closes doors to Hezonja and opens them to Punter.”

The Croatian forward had reached an agreement to play the next five seasons at the Palau Blaugrana, but he is unlikely to end up wearing the Barcelona jersey, which has reportedly backed down despite an offer already accepted and signed.

The reason? The words of affection and praise spent by the player on Real Madrid after winning the Endesa League title last Wednesday in Murcia.

Barcelona then reportedly decided to focus its efforts toward an old target, Kevin Punter.

Mundo Deportivo also guarantees the existence of the deal, specifically an offer signed by Hezonja and a Barça representative, with the club’s official seal. The deal was for five years with a salary of about 3 million net per year, as well as a 750,000-euro rescission clause. This is not an actual contract, but the offer that would later be presented to the ACB and then to the Blancos, who had the right to match.

Official FC Barcelona sources have assured that there is ‘no agreement of any kind’ with Mario Hezonja, currently at Real Madrid. However, according to Mundo Deportivo, the Croatian winger has already signed the document proposed by the Blaugrana club.

Contacts between Barça and Hezonja began some time ago, but the operation has accelerated in recent days. Real Madrid’s renewal proposal did not convince Hezonja, who felt more valued by Barça and decided to accept their offer.

Real Madrid has the right to match the offer when the relevant period opens, but sources close to the deal believe that the white club will not exercise this right.

The news had a strong impact in Spanish basketball, provoking different reactions among Barça fans. One of the main entertainment groups at the Palau Blaugrana, the Dracs, expressed their disappointment on social media, saying: ‘After all the statements and gestures of mockery by Hezonja, we say: Mario? No, thanks.”

Source: Mundo Deportivo

The decision has been made: Joan Peñarroya will be Barcelona’s new coach, replacing Roger Grimau. Negotiations with the Terrassa-born coach are at an advanced stage and the Catalan club expects to officially announce his appointment within this week.

Peñarroya, 55, was not Barça’s first choice, who had initially considered Xavi Pascual and Jaka Lakovic. However, the combination of decades of experience in the ACB, a European title (Champions League 2021 with Burgos), and recent Euroleague knowledge tipped the scales in his favour. In addition, the fact that he is Catalan further strengthened his candidature.

Peñarroya will sign a two-year contract with Barça. His salary will be lower than that of his predecessors, allowing the club to allocate more of its budget to necessary team adjustments.

Source: Mundo Deportivo

According to ElCorreo, Baskonia is eyeing Alen Smailagic to improve the frontcourt, and has reportedly already submitted an offer to the 23-year-old Serbian center.

Smailagic is coming from a three-year stint with Partizan (5.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game between Euroleague and Aba Liga this year), and the Serbian team would not be willing to confirm him.

Baskonia in recent days announced the arrivals of Luwawu-Cabarrot and Baldwin.

Chus Mateo will remain on the Real Madrid bench for another two seasons. This was reported by AS, which thus ends a 12-month long telenovela, given that the Spanish coach had started the season as a EuroLeague winner, but expires at the end of June.

Agreement until 2026 then. Chus Mateo, who became head coach in 2022, won his second ACB, the first permanently in the role. In this year he also won the Supercopa and Copa del Rey.

Mario Hezonja, to Movistar+, confirms his desire to stay in Madrid: ‘I won’t talk about three titles, I would like to have more. That’s how I am, I am always a perfectionist. This year we only lost one game in which we played badly, and we lost a title. I am very sorry for that, but I would like to give something back to our people, to my club, to Real Madrid… In the coming years I would like to give back many more titles. I hope this will happen.”

“That’s why they brought me here. We talked about the fact that we needed people like this and I feel really comfortable, I feel like they are my family. They welcomed me with open arms when many were talking about things that were not true. I would like to repay that with more years here and more titles for my team.”