Jasikevicius, Milosevic out, Jasaitis in for Lietuvos Rytas

Many changes for Lietuvos Rytas.


Igor Milosevic(1.93-PG) and Lietuvos Rytas parted ways yesterday and it was announced via their official site. The Greek-Serbian point guard decided to leave the club and reached an agreement with Lietuvos Rytas that he signed with after the beginning of last season. Milosevic didn't get much playing time in Lietuvos Rytas and decided to seek his luck elsewhere. It's rumored he might be playing in Turkey next. He averaged 4.5 points 1.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 6 games in the Euroleague.

The next one to leave the club is their most promising transfer that didn't last very long. Sarunas Jasikevicius(1.93-PG) will be moving to Turkey and he will be playing for Fenerbahce. Jasikevicius was targeted by many European teams and it seems that he decided to use the clause in his contract that allowed him to leave for a buy-out and decided yesterday afternoon to accept the proposal of Fenerbahce. He said that his decision was based on his estimate that Fenerbahce will be in the Final Four of the Euroleague this year and he wants a shot at the title. Jasikevicius averaged 7.3 points 1.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 6 games in the Euroleague.

And amongst the departures there is one return of prodigal son Simas Jasaitis(2.01-SF). The Lithuanian sharp-shooter returns to the team that he won the 2006 Uleb Cup with and that he played for between 2001 and 2006. The deal was announced today also via the official website of Lietuvos Rytas alongside the departure of Jasikevicius. He has also played for Maccabi Tel Aviv, Saski Baskonia, Badonona and Galatasaray. Last season he averaged 16.5 points 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 rebounds in 12 games in the Eurocup with Galatasaray.

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Marjanovic to play on loan for Zalgiris

Our team’s center Boban Marjanovic will play for Zalgiris Kaunas on loan until the end of 2010-11 season.


Marjanovic signed for CSKA before the start of this season. He played in 8 Euroleague games (4.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.6 blocked shots, 11.6 minutes), 5 PBL games (6.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.6 blocked shots, 13.9 minutes) and 4 VTB United League games (8.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 0.8 blocked shots, 16.9 minutes).

Dmitry Shakulin, CSKA interim coach:
I am thankful to Boban for his hard work during practices, his professional approach, for everything he did for the team. I am sure that he deserves to play more and in our system he does not receive enough playing time. I am glad that he got the chance to continue playing in the Euroleague, moreover he will play for such a glorious club as Zalgiris were he will be able to improve. We consider Boban as a promising player, we count on his progress, we wish him best of luck and we hope that next year upon returning to our team’s camp he will be able to jump to the next level in his game.


source : cskabasket.com

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Prokom released J.R. Giddens

Asseco Prokom informs that J.R.Giddens has left the club by mutual consent.


American forward joined the team in October, he averaged: 9 ppg and 5.2 rpg in Euroleague; 1.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg in TBL; 6.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg in VTB.


source : asseco.prokom.pl

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AEK in big trouble

Some people were saying it was only a matter of time.


Things are bad for AEK, really bad, but that's not really news. Things have been bad for AEK for quite some time now, a few years to be precise. The only thing that kept AEK going is the team's history and the general lack of organisation that has sadly become the trademark of the Greek league.

AEK is one of the clubs in Greece that wouldn't normally be playing in the pro league but in the semi-pro/amateur lower divisions in the vast majority of European nations. The main reason would be because they have ridiculous amounts of debts to players and also to the Greek Tax Services and hence they would never in theory manage to collect all the necessary certificates and documents. However they are supported in a zombie-fashion by the Greek federation and the League's president.

Just to be clear, I've got nothing against AEK. It's one of the oldest clubs in Greece with lots of fans. However they are a prime example of many things that are wrong in Greek basketball. At the moment in AEK there is only the president of the team, as all the members of the management board have resigned. The reason being is that the latest instalment of the TV contract that AEK has went to old tax debts of the team and not to the players. Hence some players have been paid but most haven't.

Anthony Grundy is still back in the USA and he won't get on a plane until he is paid and Terrell Castle is not participating in the practice sessions until he is paid as well. Most of the Greek players of the team are still unpaid and the news that the latest batch of money went to pay old debts instead of current salaries weigh heavily upon the team. On a merrier note, Patrick Sparks was convinced to return to AEK and they're not too crazy about having Grundy back because his contract is too high for them anyway. Obviously this is a gamble because he has been their best player so far.

So in this state they're going to play their next game against Iraklis, another team in lots of troubles, that probably see this as a great opportunity to get their foot back on the door of the league. The questions are now if more players will abandon the team and will they actually avoid relegation this time round..

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Prokom released Jan Jagla, who is heading to Turkey

The club and the player separated by mutual agreement. Jan-Hendrik Jagla will no longer represent the club.

"The game against Maccabi Tel Aviv was our last in 2010/2011 Euroleague campaign. Therefore both sides agreed that because of the facts that in the VTB United League and Tauron Basket League we need to adhere to regulations regarding Polish players and that we have got many forwards on the team, it will be better for the franchise and the player to part ways. Especially that he received interesting proposal from one of the Turkish clubs." - said Tomas Pacesas.

Born in 1981 in Berlin, Jagla has played for Asseco Prokom for the last one and a half seasons. In 2010/2011 he averaged: 5,6 ppg, 5,4 rpg in Euroleague; 4 ppg, 5 rpg in TBL and 11 ppg, 8,5 rpg in VTB.


source : asseco.prokom.pl

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Begic wants to leave Zalgiris?

He had a change of heart or is there something else happening..?


According to tubasket.com, Mirza Begic(2.16-C) sent a fax to the team of Zalgiris requesting that his contract with them is terminated. The article says that Begic has not returned yet from his winter holidays to Zalgiris and this new development puts a new spin on Begic's case as many clubs were interested in him in the past.

Standing at 2.16 meters tall, he is one of the few big men in the market with such a skillset as his but he has 1.5 more seasons in his contract with Zalgiris and they wouldn't be very happy to see him leave. Unless of course there is a sufficient compensation for them. At the moment there are negotiations between the 2 parties but nothing concrete to report.

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Jeremy Lin will play in the NBDL

Golden State Warriors guard Jeremy Lin was assigned to the Reno Bighorns, the Warriors’ NBA Development League affiliate, it was announced today.


The assignment marks the 23rd time in the 2010-11 season an NBA player has been assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate, and it is the first assignment for Lin, a rookie out of Harvard.

Lin (6-3, 200) has appeared in 17 games this season for Golden State, averaging 1.9 points in 8.5 minutes. In the 2010 NBA Summer League, Lin averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in five games with the Dallas Mavericks.

The Warriors signed Lin as an undrafted free agent in July. In four years at Harvard, Lin averaged 12.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He became the first player in Ivy League history to record 1,450 points, 450 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals, and was one of 11 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award as a senior.


source : mynews4.com

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Maroussi announced Denis Clemente

Subject to the medical tests of course..


As expected, Maroussi BC announced the signing of Puerto Rican point-guard Denis Clemente via their official website yesterday evening. Clemente will be arriving to Athens today and then he will undergo the standard medical tests and if all goes well he will sign his new contract with Maroussi.

He will be replacing Tony Weeden(1.88-PG/SG) who is currently waiting to hear his penalty as he was found positive on forbidden substances during a routine drugs test. Clemente will be playing his first game against Panellinios on the 31st of January.

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Kalnietis renewed with Zalgiris for 3 seasons

Mantas Kalnietis received a nice new year's gift from his lifelong club by signing an extension to remain with Zalgiris for three more seasons.


Kalnietis (195, 24) is having one of his best seasons and scored a Euroleague career-high 24 points in the regular season finale last week. Kalnietis averaged 9.2 points and 1.8 assists over 22 minutes in 10 games to help his team reach the Top 16. This is his sixth Euroleague season with Zalgiris and he has taken part in 69 Euroleague games to date in his career. Kalnietis has racked up two Lithuanian League titles, two Lithuanian Cups and a pair of Baltic League championships during his time with the club. He is also a member of the Lithuanian national team and won the bronze medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey.

"Zalgiris was always my first choice," Kalnietis said after the news was announced. "I am happy to stay in the place where I was born and grew up. Playing for this team was my dream. I am glad that it came true. The club is professional and here I have a lot of room for improvement. We have a capable team, good training conditions, a stable financial position and fantastic fans. This season, we can achieve many things. Why should I look for happiness elsewhere if it is here in my hometown? My family is also happy that we won't need to pack and leave our home."


source : euroleague.net


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Maroussi waiting on Denis Clemente's contract

He will be replacing the "intoxicated" Tony Weeden.


Denis Clemente(1.85-PG/SG) is supposed to be returning his contract to Maroussi anytime now according to basketnet.gr. The Puerto Rican point guard started the season in Israel playing for Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion but he was waived by his team because they wanted a pure scorer. He averaged 9.6 points 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 7 games in the Israeli League. He graduated in 2010 from the Kansas State University but went undrafted.

If he sends back his contract signed he will be replacing Tony Weeden (1.88-PG/SG) who was caught positive in a drugs test for a forbidden substance. It was part of a medication that he hadn't warned his team about and so Maroussi had to waive him although he wasn't doing bad, averaging 10.4 points 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 7 games in the Greek A1 league.

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Panionios to announce Ryvon Covile

But first something else needs to be settled.


Ryvon Covile(2.06-C) was recently waived from Le Mans and since yesterday evening he has been in Athens waiting to sign his new contract with Panionios. He will be replacing Nigerian forward/center Chinemelu Elonu(2.08-PF/C) whose performance didn't satisfy the new head coach of Panionios, Giorgos Bartzokas. Elonu averaged 7.6 points 6.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 9 games in the Greek A1 league.

Covile started the season in Le Mans averaging 4.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in 9 games in the LNB but with limited playing time. He also averaged 7.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 6 Euroleague Qualifying games and 5 points and 5 rebounds in 3 games in the Eurocup. According to superbasket.gr Covile won't be signing his new contract before the existing contract of Panionios with Elonu is broken.

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Maccabi to give away Richard Hendrix on loan?

He has a 2 season closed contract.


According to walla.co.il, Maccabi Tel Aviv are trying to make some more space in their rotation for Milan Macvan(2.06-PF/C) so they're trying to find a way to get rid of Richard Hendrix(2.03-PF/C). Hendrix was signed by Maccabi before David Blatt and the American forward/center was never fully in the plans of Blatt. One option that was also mentioned in Greece and the article from walla.co.il is for Hendrix to play on loan for Aris BC in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Head coach of Aris BC, Sharon Drucker was the assistant coach of Maccabi TA last season and has still very good relations with Maccabi and David Blatt so the option of him to play there for the rest of the season is very possible. If this were to happen then Richard Hendrix would replace Bryant Dunston(2.01-PF) because of the limit of non-European players in the Greek A1 league. Hendrix averaged 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 9 games in the Euroleague in only 11.6 minutes of playing time. Let's not forget this is the Revelation player of the ACB of last season where he dominated the floors as a player of Granada. Aris would welcome Hendrix's addition for the next stage in the Eurocup.

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Qyntel Woods heading to China?

China is the new Russia!


Qyntel Woods(2.03-SF/PF) recently signed with Krasne Krilya in Russia but now that the Russian team won't make it to the next stage in the Eurocup he is setting his sights to a more.. exotic location. According to his twitter feed, Qyntel Woods is interested in playing in China.

It's the new hotspot for American players, a league still in its infantile stages where superstars can be easily forged and stats soar to the skies without too much effort. And of course the money is good. Some players might not be so willing to cross an ocean or two to play basketball in China but some players have settled there quite nicely and Qyntel Woods might just be the next one to make that move. A prolonged period of inactivity cannot be good for a basketball player. He didn't settle in Russia but in China he might just make the impact that he would have wanted.

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Iraklis made an offer to Donald Copeland

They need a few good men.


According to our friends at salonikabasket.blogspot.com, Iraklis BC made an offer to Seton Hall graduate Donald Copeland(1.75-PG). According to the article the initial contact they had with the player and his agent was quite positive so now they submitted an official offer and they are waiting for his answer. In Iraklis they desperately need more players if they're going to avoid relegation this season.

Copeland started the season in Bremerhaven averaging 8.5 points 1.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 12 games. He has also played for Atleticos de San German in Puerto Rico, Bosna, Turow, Starogard, Gigantes de Carolina again in Puerto Rico and Paris Racing since graduating from Seton Hall in 2006.

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Sergio Scariolo and Khimki part ways

The contract between BC Khimki and Sergio Scariolo was cancelled by mutual agreement.


Victor Bychkov, BC Khimki general manager:
-We want to thank Sergio for good and serious work during 2 years. We made this very difficult decision together with coach after discussion. We hope it will help it will shake up the team and BC Khimki will play successfully in Russian Championship and VTB league. 

Sergio Scariolo:
-I want to thank general manager and all the Khimki family for these two years, during this time we did many good things together and the team still is in the group of teams who lead PBL league and VTB league. For me is also a very difficult decision, but I believe that at the same time it was the best thing to do for team and myself.


source : bckhimki.ru

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Siena added Deji Akindele

Another big man for Siena.


Siena signed a new center to help them in the TOP 16 of the Euroleague. The deal was announced today via the official website of Siena and so Nigerian 7-footer Deji Akindele(2.16-C) will be joining Siena until the end of the season. Akindele provides even more depth to the bench of Siena and provides defensive support.

He has played in Italy before for Scavolini Pesaro back in season 2008-2009 and this season he started playing in BC Nizhny Novgorod in Russia. He only played 2 games in the Russian Superelague averaging 11 points anf 7.5 rebounds. He is also a member of the Nigerian National Team.

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Guandong could replace Fred Jones

Tough times in China.


Fred Jones(1.88-SG) could be replaced by reigning China champions Guangdong Southern Tigers. The former winner of the Slam-Dunk contest of the 2004 NBA All-star game hasn't satisfied the administration of Guangdong with his performance so far and according to hoopchina.com it is possible that he will be replaced.

Jones has averaged 10.5 points 4.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists so far in 10 games in China. In the Chinese league these stats are not really acceptable for American players that are paid quite a lot of money. Jones' rich resume lists him playing in Indiana, Toronto, Portland, New York and Los Angeles (Clippers) in the NBA but that might not save him this time. There was no mention of a candidate name to replace him. Last season he played in Italy for Biella.


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Maccabi TA announced Milan Macvan

It’s Official: Milan Mačvan Inked by Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv


Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv is proud to announce that Serbian forward/center Milan Mačvan (21, 2.06 meters – 6’9”) has signed a four and a half year contract with the club, through the 2014 – 2015 season. Mačvan will arrive in Israel tonight at 22:45.

Mačvan is one of the greatest talents in Serbian basketball today. He is a gifted player who combines many elements, such as good shooting ability from the middle distance and outstanding passing for a player of his
height, and is a great post-up player with the ability to drive to the basket. Mačvan, who has the ultimate combination of massive size with a good shooting hand, is a tough fighter on the court and an amiable  personality off the court.

Mačvan got his start in the youth departments of FMP Železnik; during the 2007 – 2008 season he transferred to KK Hemofarm of Vršac, Serbia, where he has played up until now. The 2008 – 2009 season was a breakaway year for the young talent, in every aspect of his game. In the Adriatic League he finished with averages of 10.9 points and 4.4 rebounds, and in the Eurocup with 11.3 points and 4.2 rebounds. That same year, he was named ULEB Eurocup Rising Star.

In the summer of 2009 Mačvan took part in the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon, where he was named MVP in the game against the American National Team in which he scored 23 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and made 6 assists in the international team’s first victory since 1998. Last season (2009 – 2010) he demonstrated impressive ability with averages of 14.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in the Adriatic League and 9.5 points and 3.7 rebounds in the Eurocup. In the Serbian League, when his team dropped out of the finals series against Partizan Belgrade, he was leading Hemofarm with 14.3 points and 6.5 rebounds.

This season, Mačvan is considered one of the best and most in-demand players in Europe, when he posted amazing averages of 17 points, 8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in the Eurocup, and 19.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in the Adriatic League. In the Euroleague preliminaries, he finished with averages of 20.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game; in his game at Nokia Arena against Hapoel Gilboa/Galil he scored 31 points, pulled down 6 rebounds and made 3 assists in Hemofarm’s victory. In his final game in Serbia, Mačvan scored 15 points, made 4 assists and took 3 rebounds.

Mačvan has also been a fixture on the various strong Serbian National Teams. In 2007, he was part of the U-19 team that won the world championship. That same summer, he played for the Serbian U-18 team, which won the European championship. The following year, he won another gold medal, this time with the U-20 Serbian National Team in the European championships, which he finished with impressive averages of 16.9 points and 6.6 rebounds. In the EuroBasket of 2009 he joined the senior men’s National Team, which took the silver medal after losing to Spain. He also played with the Serbian National Team last summer at the European championship in Turkey.

source : maccabi.co.il


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Rumors about Alan Anderson and Barcelona

They've been unlucky with injuries this season.


The almighty Barcelona was been exposed this season due to many injuries of key players, namely Pete Mickeal and Juan Carlos Navarro. This resulted to Barcelona losing games both in the ACB and the Euroleague and although some of the gap was covered with the signing of Joe Ingles there is still need for another scorer in the team to take some of the heat.

Solobasket.com reports a rumor that started from a Catalonian radio station, where Alan Anderson(1.98-SG/SF) could be returning to Europe for the Euroleague champions. Anderson wanted in on the American dream and tried to secure a contract in the NBA but where Gary Neal succeeded he didn't. He is currently playing for the New Mexico Thunderbirds in the NBDL and he is doing quite well averaging 21.1 points 8.5 rebounds and 5 assists in 10 games. Anderson played for Maccabi Tel Aviv last season and he has also played for the Charlotte Bobcats, Virtus Bologna, Triumph Lyubertsy and Cibona Zagreb.

The question here is whether he would be able to adapt to the style of team like Barcelona where he wouldn't be the star of the team and his playing time would be diminished.

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Jeff Adrien will join the Erie Bayhawks

Last season in Spain did him good even for a while.



Jeff Adrien was recently released by the NBA's Golden State Warriors so that they could add veteran guard Acie Law, but he won't be out of action for long as he recently signed a contract to play in the NBA Development League. 

The undersized power forward should soon be on his way back to an NBA if he's able to capture what he did this summer to earn a spot on the Warriors roster and apply it to his time in the D-League.

Adrien, a second-year pro out of the University of Connecticut, is expected to be claimed by the Cleveland Cavaliers' D-League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, the top team on the waiver wire.

Adrien averaged 2.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15 games for the Warriors this season while averaging just over 10 minutes per game. But with Lou Amundson and Ekpe Udoh getting healthy, he became expendable.

The 6-6 power forward was able to acquire quite a few new fans -- both admirers and NBA employers -- while playing in both NBA summer leagues this past July. In the Orlando Pro Summer League, Adrien averaged 8.5 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Orlando Magic. In the Las Vegas Summer League, Adrien averaged a more meager 6.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, but his per-minute numbers were much more impressive as he averaged less than 17 minutes per game for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Oh, and he also made a number of highlight reel plays, possibly best captured in a YouTube clip where he drives around the D-League's Yaroslav Korolev before dunking right through Mark Tyndale.

Adrien should excel in the D-League as his motor and physical presence in the post, despite his size, will overwhelm the majority of the players in the Development League. A polished rebounder, one NBA scout told FanHouse that he wouldn't be surprised if Adrien averages 15 points and 15 rebounds while playing in the D-League.

With the BayHawks, Adrien will more than likely be closely scouted because he'll have a couple of other NBA prospects around him. Adrien's point guard will be Cedric Jackson, a scorer who played with the Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards before playing as a rookie last season with Erie. On the wings, Adrien will be joined by Christian Eyenga -- on assignment from the Cavaliers -- and Tasmin Mitchell, a rookie out of Louisiana State who also played well on the summer league circuit. The BayHawks center will be 6-8 Ivan Johnson, the team's current leading scorer with 15.8 points per game.

The BayHawks will play the Iowa Energy Friday night, though it's currently unclear as to when Adrien might officially join the team's active roster.


source : nba.fanhouse.com

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Maccabi TA clarified the situation with Macvan

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv has reached a fundamental understanding with Milan Macvan, but no official agreement has yet been signed.

Clarification regarding Milan Macvan - Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv has reached a fundamental understanding with the player, his agent, and the Serbian team - but no official agreement has yet been signed.


source : maccabi.co.il

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Khimki announced Travis Hansen

Travis Hansen found a team after all.


Khimki Moscow announced the signing of veteran swingman Travis Hansen (1.98-SG/SF) via their official site. Hansen is the owner of a Russian passport, a perk that he acquired from his days a player of Dynamo Moscow. Hansen hasn't played for a team this season and Khimki Moscow wanted to add someone with experience and a shooting touch so that Keith Langford doesn't need to everything.

Hansen was part of the ambitious team of sorts that Ettore Messina created in Real last season and he has also played for the Atlanta Hawks and Baskonia. Last season he averaged 4.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in the
Euroleague and also 7.1 points 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in the ACB playing for Real Madrid.

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Rick Pitino to coach Puerto Rico NT?

We can say that this fits the PBT format because Rick Pitino once coached professionals (you can insert your Louisville basketball jokes here), or that the Puerto Rican national team features NBA players such as J.J. Barea and Carlos Arroyo. But the honest truth is we just find this fascinating.


Pitino is in talks to take over as coach of the Puerto Rican national team. He will meet Sunday in Miami with officials from the island nation to talk face-to-face, according to ESPN Dallas. Barea confirmed the news to ESPN.

“He’s very excited and it’s almost a done deal,” Barea said Wednesday before the Mavs faced the Portland Trail Blazers. “And I’m excited for it. We need a guy like that. It’s going to help us as a team.”

Puerto Rico has a good basketball tradition — remember they beat the USA in the Athens Olympics — but last summer they did not impress at the World Championships in Turkey. There are questions about whether they can to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics (that qualification tournament takes place next summer in Argentina, the USA already qualified this summer by winning the World Championships).

So, the Puerto Ricans are going big — not Coach K big, but they are desperate enough to go outside their own group of guys.

“He’ll bring defense and discipline and I think guys will listen to him more than they listen to the guys in Puerto Rico just because he’s Rick Pitino,” Barea said. “I think that will help.”

Celtics fans, stop laughing.  This is seriously going to happen.


source : http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com


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Oliver Lafayette goes back to the NBDL

The Mad Ants are bringing back guard Oliver Lafayette, the leader of their late season rally last season.


Lafayette, whose late season play earned him a callup to the Boston Celtics, hopes to play in the games in Tulsa Thursday and Friday nights if he can gain clearance from FIBA from his contract with the Serbian team that recently released him. Lafayette averaged over 17 points and six assists last season in Fort Wayne.


source : indiananewscenter.com


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Will Yao ever return?

The sad news of Yao Ming's latest setback raises questions about the future of the NBA's most important international star. Will Yao decide to retire at the young age of 30?


Yao's latest stress fracture has been discovered in his left ankle -- the same foot that underwent reconstructive surgery to sideline the Houston Rockets' center for all of last season. No one but Yao can resolve whether he is willing to subject himself to risk of further injury by attempting to come back yet again.

Many league executives have long questioned whether Yao can withstand the pressures of attempting to run the floor at 7-foot-6 and 310 pounds. A variety of injuries had caused Yao to miss 173 regular-season games over the previous five full seasons coming into this year. He had played in five games this season before he was shut down Nov. 10 with an apparent bone bruise in the left ankle.

Yao is in the final year of his contract at a salary of $17.7 million. Should he commit to another comeback, the Rockets will have to decide whether to invest in him and at what price. The anticipated lockout next July could give both Yao and the Rockets more time to decide how best to proceed.

Zach Lowe: Without Yao, Rockets must look to the future.

Yao has already fulfilled his duties as a public representative of China and the NBA. As the most popular athlete of his native country, he served as the face of Beijing's hosting of the 2008 Olympics. His unrivaled status has also afforded the NBA inroads to build its business in the world's most populated market.

Throughout his career Yao has heard the warnings of NBA experts that he needed to cut back on his training with the Chinese national team in order to enable his body to rest. Are these injuries a result of overwork?
In any case, no one in the Chinese basketball federation or the NBA could claim that Yao owes anything to either party after all of the prestige and income he has created for basketball around the world.

That's why any decision to return from this latest injury must be a highly personal choice made by Yao alone. He has advanced to the second round of the playoffs once in his nine-year career, and this season marks the fifth time in six years in which he will have played fewer than 60 games. I would be surprised if Yao were to decide to retire. His pursuit of excellence has been defined by his stubborn, tireless and patient approach,
and his love for basketball is unquestioned. But will he view this as another setback worth overcoming? Only he can make that decision now.


source : sportsillustrated.cnn.com

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Macvan finally moving to Maccabi Tel Aviv until 2015

Took em long enough..


Milan Macvan(2.06-PF/C) will be finally moving to Maccabi Tel Aviv and leaving Hemofarm behind. The Serbian rising star is the cornerstone of Hemofarm but with a hefty compensation that is rumored to be about half a million euros he will become the latest addition to the frontline of Maccabi Tel Aviv. There were plenty of rumors about a speculated move throughout the summer but the plan is barely coming to fruition now.

According to kosarka.rs, Macvan will sign a contract for the next 4.5 seasons with Maccabi Tel Aviv and he will be replacing Richard Hendrix(2.02-PF/C) that never managed to win any significant playing time in the Israeli powerhouse. The deal should be announced fairly soon and Macvan will be helping Maccabi Tel Aviv in the next step of the Euroleague. So far he has averaged. So far he has averaged 17 points 8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 5 games in the Eurocup and also 19.5 points 7.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 11 games in the Adriatic League for Hemofarm. Richard Hendrix might be released at the same time unless his compensation hasn't been worked out yet.

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Panellinios announced Steven Smith

They wanted a center but they signed the first player they saw..


Steven Smith(2.03-PF) was announced today by the official site of Panellinios BC. The deal is valid until the end of the season and Smith will be returning to Greece after season 2008-2009 where he was leading the scoring board playing for Kolossos Rhodes for most of the regular season but an achilles tendon rupture cost him dearly. Last season he played for Ironi Nahariya in Israel and this season he started in Oldenburg but he couldn't adapt to the team's style of playing so he was released.

In Panellinios they needed a center but Steven Smith's case came up so they didn't hesitate to sign because of his previous record in Greece. This season he averaged 8.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in 12 games in the Bundesliga. However Smith is replacing Andre Brown who is a center but Smith is a power forward. Only time will tell if this will help Panellinios who are currently running a bad 1-7 record in Greece.


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Yao Ming is ready to return

Yao Ming said he feels like he is ready to play .


The Rockets center has not been cleared to rejoin the team's workouts because team doctors want him to strengthen the muscles in his left ankle, weakened since his Nov. 10 injury.

"I'm waiting for the green light," Yao said. "When? I don't know. I feel better. It still has some weakness. I'm just not ready to sit out for almost 20 games, particularly when I feel I'm OK. I know when I was in the walking boot, on the crutches, OK, I understand.


"I won't push the trainer or the doctor. They all try to treat me the best that they can. I know they try to find the best way for me to get back on the court."

Yao would not say if he would be playing if the decision were his to make, but when asked if he has made it known how he feels, he laughed and said, "I tell them every day."

Coach Rick Adelman said he has not been told when Yao will be cleared to practice.


source : fanfeedr.com

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Jennings could return to Europe next season due to the NBA lockout

Brandon Jennings spent his first year of professional basketball overseas. He may also spend his fourth.


The trendsetting young Buck could easily see himself going back over the pond next season in the event of a lengthy lockout. A guy’s got to make a living, and Jennings knows the landscape having played in Italy straight out of high school.

“I’m sure my value will be higher than it was before, the first time I went over there,” he told NBA.com last night after helping Milwaukee snap the Mavericks’ 12-game winning streak. “I’m sure this time I’ll get some playing time. The will be the best thing, I’ll be able to play now, make a little money and keep some income coming in for my family.”

Jennings made the ground-breaking leap to Europe in 2008, signing with Lottomatica Roma of the Italian League, instead of going to college. The swift lefty played sparingly with Lottomatica, but did gain valuable experience and it didn’t hurt his draft stock. The Bucks selected Jennings 10th overall in the 2009 Draft.
NBA rules require players to be at least 19 and one year out of high school before being eligible to enter the league. (The union has asked to restore the minimum age back to 18 in its CBA proposal.)

It’s no secret that NBA players are considering playing in professional leagues around the world in the event of a work stoppage. The longer one lasts and the more paychecks are missed, the greater the possibility for many to find employment elsewhere. Players are within their rights to work and therefore play in another league, regardless of their current contract status with NBA teams, in the event of a lockout.

But a major obstacle would be obtaining a letter of clearance from FIBA to sign with international teams, given the relationship between FIBA and the NBA. The NBPA would undoubtedly fight any obstruction, perceived or otherwise, to its members earning a living.

Though his first move to Europe didn’t exactly open the floodgates for other prep players to follow, Jennings may well lead a new exodus to foreign lands.

“Oh yeah, of course I wouldn’t mind going back overseas,” Jennings said. “I’ve been almost everywhere overseas and I lived in Italy for a year. I know what type of game it is and I know what it’s about.”

In the second year of his rookie contract, Jennings said he’s living by a strict budget. He drives a Ford Edge, doesn’t have a fancy house and stays near the Bucks practice center.

“It’s a good thing I’m living in Milwaukee,” Jennings said, “because when the snow comes I’m not leaving the house.”


source : blogs.hangtime.nba.com

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Baskonia made an offer to Pops Mensah-Bonsu

The hero of Granada could return to Spain to the team that almost signed him last summer.


According to tubasket.com, Pops Mensah-Bonsu(2.06-PF) received an offer from Saski Baskonia and he might make it into their roster after all. Bonsu was signed by Baskonia this past summer but the deal was called off and they signed Marcus Haislip(2.07-PF/C) instead. But now Mensah-Bonsu might be released from the New Orleans Hornets and a contract with Baskonia could be a good way for him to return to Europe.

He has been seeing very little playing time in the NBA with the Hornets averaging less than 5 minutes in 7 games whereas in the Euroleague and the ACB his playing time will be significantly longer. He is a vital member of the Great Britain National Team.

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David Blatt no longer the favourite for the Greek NT

It all comes down to money in the end.


According to sport24.gr, the reason that David Blatt is no longer the favourite to replace Jonas Kazlauskas is because Russia stepped in with a better offer. David Blatt has yet to receive a considerable amount of money from the Russian Federation that comes to 150,000 euros. Moreover the president of the Russian Federation met with David band made him another offer for 2 more seasons that will pay Blatt 300,000 euros per season.

This put David Blatt in an awkward position where his agent called the Greek federation and asked for a little more time before his final answer is given. Hence the Greek Federation is no longer rooting for Blatt and another candidate will be sought. Chances are that this time it will be a Greek coach but the article only makes speculations as to whom it might be in the end. Elias Zouros is currently free and coach Giorgos Bartzokas might be free at the end of the season whereas Fotis Katsikaris is bound by ACB rules so he can't coach a National Team.


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Donta Smith to take McCants' place after all

If Rashad McCants is looking to get out of the D-League, he can cross China off as one his potential escape routes.


Contrary to a report released yesterday by ESPN.com, former NBA lottery pick, Rashad McCants, who is currently under contract with the NBA D-League’s Texas Legends, will not be signing a contract with a Chinese team after Liaoning Panpan — the only team in the league who had not signed its full allotment of import players as of last night — has officially signed swingman Donta Smith to a contract, according to multiple sources with NiuBBall.com.

Sources in both China and the United States confirmed to NiuBBall.com that Liaoning had been negotiating a deal to bring McCants to northeastern China for the upcoming season, but with the season opener only two days away, the club opted instead to play it conservative by going with the more familiar Smith, who has been in the country with the team since earlier this week on a try-out.  Though the team had serious interest in McCants, the fact that Smith was physically present with the club was a major reason why the Hunters, nervous about signing another import in time for their first game on Sunday, came to their final decision.

A source also shared that in addition to Smith already being in the country, Liaoning feels comfortable investing in someone who has already played a full season in China.  Smith played with Shanxi Zhongyu in 2008-09 and part of 2009-10 before he was waived mid-season to make room for Bonzi Wells.

Besides their familiarity with Smith, economics appears to have also contributed to Liaoning’s decision to go away from McCants and his $45,000 buyout clause, which would have had to be paid in order to release him from his contract with the Legends.  When combined with the large salary the team would have had to pay him, the price tag for McCants was simply too high.

Smith was drafted in the second round by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2004 and spent three years in the NBA before playing domestically in the D-League and abroad in Belgium, Australia, China and Venezuela among other countries.

Liaoning’s other import this year is center Chris Richard, who played last year with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Other late import transactions to report: Tianjin has released Trevor Lawrence and signed Lee Benson, according to Sina Sports.  The 37 year-old Benson has played previously with Yunnan, Shaanxi and Shanxi.


source : niubball.com

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Rashad McCants moving to China?

Rashad McCants' NBA D-League foray lasted just fifty-six minutes as the sweet-shooting guard has decided to buy out his D-League contract and take his talents to China.


McCants, the 14th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, had earlier turned down lucrative European offers to pursue another shot at the NBA, telling FanHouse last month "I think that playing in the D-League is the quickest option to return to the NBA."

Apparently, though, McCants decided that after averaging fewer than 20 minutes per game in his first three D-League games for the Dallas Mavericks-affiliated Texas Legends, the NBA was further away than planned, prompting him to take the overseas opportunity.

McCants' agent, E. Lindsey Maxwell, confirmed in an e-mail to FanHouse that his client is leaving the D-League.

"As always, as an agent, it is my job to communicate to him offers for his services (as) a professional athlete," Maxwell wrote. "Yesterday morning, through one of our overseas contacts, we were contacted by a Chinese team with a fair monetary offer for Mr. McCants to come and play for them." 

McCants did elect to give the Mavericks, whose general manager Donnie Nelson is also co-owner of the Legends, an opportunity to match the offer.

"This offer was promptly communicated to my client and he immediately asked me to contact the Mavericks organization to explain the situation and to give them the opportunity to match it, offer him a roster spot or some assurances of a roster spot in Dallas," Maxwell continued. "After some discussions between myself, Donnie Nelson and (Legends President of Basketball Operations) Spud Webb, my client decided that he should explore his options in China. That process is ongoing and we hope to have that deal finalized later today."

This sort of deal isn't uncommon in the D-League as a similar situation occurred last season between Will Conroy, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the Houston Rockets. That ended differently, however, as the Rockets agreed to call up Conroy once 10-day contract options were available.

It is a bit surprising that McCants has elected to buy out his D-League contract, which will cost him $30,000, after originally announcing that he'd be donating his D-League earnings ($25,500 for the season) to charity. The relationship between he and the Mavericks, however, have seemed rocky since they originally brought him into training camp to make sure the Legends would obtain McCants' D-League rights.

"We are disappointed that it didn't work out with them and we look forward to Rashad getting a REAL shot at making it back into the NBA," Maxwell wrote in a e-mail to FanHouse prior to joining the Legends. "If he decides to go to the D-League, he will have to play for that team. I can't speak as to Dallas' motives, but (McCants) did not get much of a chance to 'compete for a roster spot' as Dallas had announced a couple of days ago."

McCants averaged 12.3 points for the Legends, shooting 59 percent from the field.

source : nba.fanhouse.com



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Aris announced Bobby Brown

Not the singer..


Aris announced Bobby Brown(1.88-PG/SG) via their official website and the signing is valid until the end of this season. This was a "last minute bargain" for Aris as the player was ready to return back to his home in California, but then the offer from Aris arrived so he decided that it would be a good opportunity to stick around. Brown comes from Prokom Gdynia that released the player 2 days ago.

Brown graduated from California State Fullerton back in 2007 but he went undrafted. He has played for Alba Berlin in Germany and the Eurocup back in season 2007-2008 and then he played in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers before moving to Prokom.Aris also secured Oliver Lafaytte but they decided to go with Bobby Brown instead. Kenny Hasbrouck also a target, decided to stay in the US. Brown averaged 12.6 points 2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in the VTB league and 10.7 points 3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 6 games in the Euroleague. He has already started training with Aris BC and his first appearance will be tomorrow in the game against Kavala BC if coach Drucker believes that he is ready to play.

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Dusan Katnic looking for a new team

Dusan Katnic  (194-G-89), upon his request terminated contract with KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd.


Katnic was not satisfied with the playing time in the last couple of games, as well as with relationship with coach Uvalin. Last game against Hemofarm, he did not play at all. Katnic, averaged 7,4 points and 1,5 assists, with excellent 3 points percentage of 47,4%, in his 8 games, played in Adriatic league. Katnic, showed his potential in 2 games, when he got more playing times, scoring against Buducnost 17 points and Igokea 22 points.

Both games have been played away. Katnic, grow up with Mega Vizura, and was extremely successful with Serbian young national teams won European U18 and U20 gold medals, as well as World U19 gold medal. He was listed among 24 candidates for seniors national team of Serbia, for qualification round of EC 2009. Couple of teams already showed interest in signing Katnic, and his new destination will be be known soon.

source : eurobasket.com

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Mike Harris to sign for the Shanghai Sharks

Unlike a lot of guys who are coming over to China via the NBA, Mike Harris has done this before.


In 2007-08, he played for the Dongguan New Century Leopards before signing a 10-day contract in March with the Houston Rockets. Since that time, he’s had numerous call-ups from the D-League, mostly with Houston, to go alongside an NBDL MVP trophy that he was awarded last year.

Now, according to Asia-Basket, Harris is coming back to the CBA, this time with the Shanghai Sharks.  After being cut by Houston just prior to the regular season, it was reported that Harris had a contract all lined up with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls.  Since then, however, Zhejiang has moved on, signing both Mike James and Josh Boone to deals and now Harris is a Shark.

To some, coming back to play in China could be considered as a backwards move for a guy who is close to getting on a regular season roster.  But, if you were to think that, then you don’t know what’s going on down in Shanghai:  The team is owned by Yao Ming and coached by American Bob Donewald Jr., who in addition to his domestic duties, also serves as the Chinese national team coach.  In his first season as coach last year, Donewald surprised everyone by turning around a squad that had finished 6-44 the year before into a top four regular season team.


source : niubball.com

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Alicante want Rancik but he has more offers

Rancik seems to be hot in Europe.


Alicante want to sign Slovakian forward/center Martin Rancik(2.04-PF/C) as he is the best value for money solution in the European player market at the moment according to tubasket.com. The Spanish site says that Rancik might be a bit reluctant to join Alicante as they are currently last on the ACB leaderboard with a 1-8 record.

On the other hand there could as many as 4 teams from Italy and Greece that put an offer through for the Slovakian veteran. Rancik started the season in Bilbao helping in with Hervelle's injury and then he moved to Baskonia for a weeks to help there with Haislip's injury. Rancik averaged 9.6 points and 3 rebounds in 5 games in the Euroleague and also 3.3 points and 0.7 rebounds in 3 games in the ACB playing for Baskonia.

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