Paok renewed with Dante Stiggers

A bargain for Paok.


Dante Stiggers(1.88-PG/SG) was the first player that was announced by Paok BC. The deal was announced via their official website and Stiggers renewed his contract for another season. Stiggers holds a Belarusian passport that allows him to play as an EU player instead of American.

He graduated from Southern Mississippi in 2005 and since then he's played in Belarus and Cyprus. This March he joined Paok where he averaged 7.8 points 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 16 games in the Greek A1 league. He is also a member of the National Team of Belarus.

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Nicolas Batum will play for Nancy during the lockout

Batum returns to France!


Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum has reached an agreement to play with French basketball club SLUC Nancy if the NBA lockout extends into the regular season, according to Julien Deschuyteneer of BasketSession.com.

He will sign an official contract with the team after a physical evaluation is performed. The Portland Trail Blazers forward will begin the season in French Pro A and the Euroleague with Nancy if an NBA lockout continues into the NBA regular season.


We knew contact discussions between the two parties were progressing, but nothing was sure yet. Especially as other clubs have expressed interest, including ASVEL according to information published in L'Equipe just ten days ago. Supporters of SLUC Nancy can therefore rest assured of one thing, that Nicolas will play for Nancy.

On Friday FIBA announced it would allow NBA players under contract to play in its leagues during the lockout, as long as they return once it's over.

Batum is currently playing for the French national team as they compete in 2011 EuroBasket. He scored 15 points in an exhibition win over Canada Thursday.


source : oregonlive.com

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Jeff Adrien to play for Benetton Treviso

One of the most underrated big men lands in Italy.


According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports via a source, Jeff Adrien is set to sign a one-year deal with Benetton Treviso in Italy. Spears also added that the deal allows for an out whenever the lockout ends.

Adrien was cut by the Warriors at the end of August, so he could find himself in camp with a team via an invite in hopes of making a final roster on the other side of the lockout. If not, Adrien could try the D-League route, where he played for the Erie Bayhawks and Rio Grande Valley Vipers before joining the Warriors last season.


source : espn.com

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Kenyon Dooling to play for Efes?

Bucks guard Keyon Dooling is nearing agreement on a contract with Efes Istanbul, the Turkish team which recently signed New Jersey Nets guard Sasha Vujacic.


Kenge Stevenson, the Dallas-based agent for Dooling, said progress is being made and a deal with Efes could be completed in the next few days.

Dooling is the first vice president of the National Basketball Players Association and has been active in the process to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. League owners imposed a lockout on July 1 when the previous CBA expired, and no real progress has been made since then.

Stevenson said Dooling would expect to play in Turkey next season even if the lockout ends and any opt-out clause would be for legal purposes. The veteran has one year and $2 million remaining on his contract with the Bucks, but Stevenson indicated he thought an agreement could be reached to allow Dooling to play in Europe in the event the lockout was settled.

The Bucks made some moves to reshape their backcourt prior to the lockout, when they acquired point guard Beno Udrih from Sacramento and Shaun Livingston from Charlotte as part of a three-team draft day trade. Udrih is expected to be the primary backup for starter Brandon Jennings and also should spend some time at shooting guard. Livingston can play both guard positions but is primarily a point guard.

Dooling served as as backup at both the point guard and shooting guard positions for the Bucks last season. He played in 80 games, including 22 starts, and averaged 7.1 points and 3.0 assists.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles praised Dooling for his willingness to work on defense but the Bucks could not recapture the magic they had the previous season with Jennings and Luke Ridnour as the point guard tandem.

Dooling told me earlier this month that it was clear the Bucks didn't have him in their backcourt plans and he said he expected something would happen to change his situation.

The 31-year-old Dooling has played 11 NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, New Jersey and Milwaukee.

"He likes the team situation," Stevenson said of Efes. "He's a basketball aficionado and he pays attention to basketball all over the globe."


source : jsonline.com

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Acie Law to play for Partizan

Perhaps he is looking for a career in Europe now.


Free agent guard Acie Law is close to signing a deal with Partizan Belgrade of Serbia, one source told HoopsHype. The contract would be for one year and would not include an opt-out clause to return to the NBA if the lockout comes to an end in the middle of the season.

Law averaged 4.2 ppg and 1.6 ppg last year playing for the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors.

Partizan Belgrade is currently the strongest team in the former Yugoslavia and has produced plenty of NBA talent in the past - including players such Vlade Divac, Nenad Krstic or Predrag Drobnjak.

source : blogs.hoopshype.com

Editor's note : Partizan officially announced the player in the mean time.

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Bamberg announced PJ Tucker

They replaced Kyle Hines with another tough player.


Bamberg announced P.J. Tucker(1.98-SF/PF)via their official website and he will their player until the end of the season. Tucker's last team was in Puerto Rico but he has lots of experience in Europe. He will be replacing the loss of Kyle Hines(1.98-PF/C) who went to Olympiacos and he will be adding much needed strength under the baskets. Like Hines, Tucker is also known for his impressive strength and he can cover both forward positions if need be.

Tucker's real name is actually Anthony and the P.J stands for Pop Junior. It's a nickname that his father gave to him soon after his birth and he has been carrying it ever since. He graduated from the University of Texas back in 2006, where he won numerous awards. He was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 35th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft and signed a two-year deal with them on July 26, 2006. He spent some time in the NBDL with the Colorado 14ers and was waived by the Raptors finally in 2007.

During 2007-2008 he spent his pro season overseas where he conquered the Israeli league as a player of Hapoel Holon and he was also named the MVP of the league. After that he signed with BC Donetsk but had a serious injury that sidelined him for 2 months. Nevertheless he was one the top scorers of the Ukrainian league averaging 19.4 points per game. Last season BC Donetsk had serious financial issues so he returned to Israel and Bnei Hasharon averaging 17.3 points 9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 12 games.


This past season he started playing for Aris BC averaging 12.2 points 7.4 rebounds and 2 assists in 18 games in the Greek A1 league. After that he left the team because the head coach Sharon Drucker was sacked and he had a falling out with the administration. He managed to break his contract with Aris and helped Montegranaro to stay in the LegaA1 averaging 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in 3 games. He also played in Puerto Rico for Quebradillas averaging 15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in 15 games.

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Besiktas to negotiate with Kobe Bryant

LOS ANGELES -- The NBA is set to resume negotiations between owners and the players union on Monday for the first time since the lockout went into place on July 1, but one of the NBA's biggest stars has negotiations of his own planned for this weekend.


Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant will be in the nation's capital attending the World Football Challenge featuring Manchester United and F.C. Barcelona at FedEx Field on Saturday and the Mia Hamm-Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge on Sunday at Kastles Stadium.

Soccer won't be the only sport on Bryant's agenda, however, as the 15-year NBA veteran and his representatives will meet with officials from the Turkish basketball club Besiktas on Saturday, according to a Reuters report.

For more news, notes and analysis of the Lakers, check out the Land O' Lakers blog from the Kamenetzky Brothers. Blog

"At the moment there's a 50 percent chance that Kobe may come to Turkey," said Seref Yalcin, head of basketball operations for Besiktas, on Tuesday. Yalcin made the comments to reporters in Turkey, according to Reuters. "Everything will be clearer after the meeting on the 30th [of July]."

Turkish Airlines, a company Bryant serves as a pitchman for, is sponsoring both of the soccer events over the weekend and could be the key for Besiktas to potentially make an offer lucrative enough to lure the 13-time All-Star overseas during the lockout.

Turkey's NTV Spor reported last week that Besiktas' basketball funds have been tied up by the match-fixing scandal that has ripped through the Turkish soccer world, forcing Besiktas to search for outside funding to help with their pursuit of NBA players to join New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams on their team.

"Money will not be a problem," Yalcin said, according to Reuters. Yalcin later mentioned Turkish Airlines and two oil companies as potential sponsors for Bryant's contract, which is expected to exceed $500,000 a month. Sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard earlier this month that Williams' overall deal with Besiktas is worth $5 million. NTV Spor reported that Bryant's camp is seeking a monthly salary of $1 million to join Williams.

"We know that Besiktas is very much interested [in Bryant] and they've been in touch with our company as well, but we haven't started any kind of negotiations or anything like that yet," Fatma Yuceler, a spokeswoman for Turkish Airlines, told ESPNLosAngeles.com on Wednesday.

Regardless if playing basketball overseas is in Bryant's future or not, playing soccer this weekend isn't. Despite his background playing pickup soccer games as a youth in Italy, Bryant will not lace up the cleats and play in the Hamm-Garciaparra charity scrimmage on Sunday. Bryant will merely be a spectator for the game and will give his right knee, which recently endured a platelet-rich plasma therapy procedure, a rest, according to multiple sources. On Saturday he will take to the field -- after the game -- to present the "man of the match" award to the winner after the Manchester United versus FC Barcelona friendly.


source : espn.go.com

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E'Twaun Moore signed with Benetton Treviso

A great pick for Benetton but with an NBA-out clause.


Boston Celtics second-round draft pick E'Twaun Moore has officially signed a deal with Benetton Treviso of Italy's Lega Serie A, according to his agent.

Moore's deal includes the much-coveted opt-out clause that will allow him to return stateside should the NBA lockout end during Treviso's season.

"It's a great situation for E'Twaun," Moore's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said. "Treviso is a terrific team that plays top European competition and, if the lockout ends, there's an option to terminate the contract -- a small window of time -- so we'll just see what happens.

"It's an exciting chance for him to play -- play at a high level -- and make some money in a great environment."

Overseas reports indicated Moore, the 55th pick in June's draft, had secured a deal with Cimberio Varese of the same Italian league earlier this week, but the deal never got finalized, in part because of Moore's desire to have a non-restrictive opt-out clause.

Moore's camp expressed gratitude toward Treviso for structuring the contract in a way that will give him the chance to compete for an NBA job.

"Treviso was willing to show the flexibility and realize E'Twaun's dream of playing in the NBA," Bartelstein said. "We're extremely grateful for that flexibility."

Moore is expected to head overseas around Aug. 15 in order to join the team before it opens its 2011-12 training camp.

Treviso -- whose colors are, coincidentally, green and white -- wasted little time promoting Moore on its website, and general manager Claudio Coldebella expressed great satisfaction in bringing him aboard.

"He's a mature player despite his young age," Coldebella said in a release. "And as such, the choice of another young player fits in with choices we've made before, to form a group of young players who has talent and enthusiasm."


source : espn.go.com

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Real Madrid announced Martynas Pocius

The 25 year old Lithuanian shooting guard played in the NCAA and spent the last two seasons at Zalgiris Kaunas.


Martynas Pocius (28-04-1986, Vilnius, Lithuania) is a small forward that stands out for his speed and powerful jump. The player has signed for Real Madrid after two great seasons at Zalgiris Kaunas.

Pocius is 25 years old and 196 cm tall. He will bring speed, intensity and physical strength to Real Madrid, as well as versatility and tactical discipline both in defence and offence. With Zalgiris he averaged 8.1 points, 2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in the first year, and 10.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the second season.

Pocius was a student at the US' prestigious Duke University. He played with the Blue Devils four years before graduating, but he really started to shine in his return to Europe. He joined Kaunas in 2009 and soon became one of the pillars on both his club and national sides. He played in the Euroleague with Zalgiris and won the Bronze Medal in last year's World Championships with Lithuania, becoming his national team's third top scorer and averaging 9.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

Pocius' venture into the basketball elite was not easy. At 13 he suffered partial amputation on three of the fingers of his left hand with a grinder during some school lessons. A long surgery allowed him to recover two, but he lost his middle finger. Pocius fought back and continued playing basketball at the Marciulonis basketball academy before leaving for the NCAA.

His father helped him pull through harsh times and offered constant support in the pursuit of his dream. "You will be different, but you must show people what you're really capable of," he used to tell his son. And he did. After finding success at the club that saw the birth of Arvydas Sabonis, Pocius arrives at Real Madrid ready to follow in the footsteps of one of the best players in the history of Lithuanian basketball.

Career
2005-09: Duke University
2009-11: Zalgiris Kaunas
2011/ - : Real Madrid

Honours
World Championships, Bronze Medal: 2010
Lithuanian league: 2011
Baltic League: 2010, 2011
Lithunaian Basketball Federation Cup: 2011



source : realmadrid.com

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Olympiacos to sign Matt Howard?

It's all over the news..


According to basketblog.gr and the vast majority of the Greek media, the next player that will sign with Olympiacos is Matt Howard(2.06-PF). This seem like an odd choice for the team that signed Josh Childress not so long ago. He will be the second undrafted player from the class of 2011 for Olympiacos if he signs but although he might not seem physically adequate for the testosterone-pumped world of the NBA, he seems to be ideal to play in Europe.

Again the question here is, what exactly will Olympiacos with yet another inexperienced youngster from the NCAA. Apart from a vast collection of awards and titles the last 4 seasons, perhaps his most notable trait is his shooting ability behind the arc. It's an element that was missing from his game for the first 3 seasons and then all of a sudden in his 4th season he started scoring like a seasoned shooter. Howard averaged 16.4 points 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 37 games for Butler this past season.

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Olimpija announced Aleksanda Capin

Good addition for Olimpija


Union Olimpija signed one-year contract with Slovenian point guard Aleksandar Ćapin today. He started his career in youth categories of Partizan Belgrade but he soon moved to Krka, where he stayed for three years. He applied for Slovenian citizenship and played for Slovenian National Team on two European Championships. Last season he was part of Lithuanian Euroleague club Žalgiris Kaunas.

He didn't get much chance to play during last season, but year before he averaged 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in Euroleague. Besides Partizan, Krka and Žalgiris, Aleksandar Ćapin played for German club Telekom Baskets Bonn, French Gravelines Dunkerque, Italian clubs Reggio Calabria and Varese, Greek Panionios and Panellinios, Ukraine's Azovmash Mariupol and Russian Lokomotiv Kuban where he already had the chance to work with current Union Olimpija's coach Sašo Filipovski.

source : union.olimpija.com

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Varese announced Yakhouba Diawara

Colpo grosso by Varese!


Varese announced the signing of French forward Yakhouba Diawara(2.01-SF) via their official website. The deal is valid until the season and so they bagged themselves a quality player with a European passport. Diawara is no stranger to Italy and before playing for Brindisi he had played for Fortitudo Bologna.

He started his career in Dijon as a youngster and after graduating from Peperdine he went back to Dijon and then played for Fortitudo. After that he played in the NBA for 3 seasons playing for Denver and Miami before returning to Europe for Brindisi. Last season he averaged 13.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in 30 games in the LegaA1.

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Olimpia Milano announced Malik Hairston

Interesting choice for Olimpia.


The latest addition for Olimpia Milano is American small forward Malik Hairston(1.97-SF), formerly of the San Antonio Spurs. The deal is valid until the end of the season and it was announced via Olimpia's official website. Hairston played for the enemy last season, namely for Siena and he did quite well. He was drafted in 2008 in the 2nd round and the 48th overall position by the Suns, but consecutive trades brought him to San Antonio.

He played 2 seasons in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs although his playing time wasn't that great nor were his stats with them. He also spent some time in the NBDL but he made his debut in Europe this past season signing with Siena. However he was injured in the beginning of the season. It was a back injury that could have ended his contract but Siena chose to wait for him and it wasn't in vain. Hairtson averaged 8.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 16 games in the Euroleague and also 10.3 poits and 2.7 rebounds in 23 games in the LegaA1.

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Olympiacos made increased offer to Zisis?

It's curious how this player makes so much money.


According to sday.gr, Nikos Zisis(1.95-PG/SG) has a better offer from Olympiacos. The Greek finalists want to have a decent partner in the backcourt for Vassilis Spanoulis, who all of a sudden has found himself all alone, with Gordon, Teodosic, Halperin and Papaloukas gone.

At the moment he only has Kostas Sloukas and Kalin Lucas to back him up, who might be young and ambitious but they lack the quality to take up such a task. It's rumored, yet unconfirmed, that there is a buy-out clause in the contract of Zisis around the order of 200,000 euros. Should that be paid, then Zisis would be free to join Olympiacos if he wants. At the moment there is nothing solid on this but it would be a good comeback for Olympiacos should they manage to secure Zisis. He averaged 6 points 1.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 22 games in the Euroleague with Siena and also 6.5 points 1.9 rebounds and 3 assists in 36 games in LegaA1.

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Perperoglou to stay in Panathinaikos

He decided to stay in the end.


Stratos Perperoglou(2.03-SF) decided not to go for the offer from Unics and stay in Greece for Panathinaikos. According to prasinanea.gr, Perperoglou and Panathinaikos agreed terms in the end and the Greek small forward will be renewing his contract for 2 more seasons. There were rumors that there was a gap of 250,000 euros per season to be filled but they were unconfirmed.

Perperoglou was a vital part of Panathinaikos the past few seasons and his loss would have not been easy to deal with. Last season he averaged 7.1 points and 2.3 rebounds in 22 games in the Euroleague and also 9.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 31 games in the Greek A1 league.

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Goettingen announced Damian Saunders

The right man in the right place.


Goettingen announced the signing of defensive expert Damian Saunders(2.01-SF/PF) via their official website. Saunders would have been another sad story in the world of college basketball when in 2007 he was arrested for drugs possession. Subsequently he was dismissed from Marquette but their loss was Duquesne's gain.

Saunders grew into a player that could contribute both offensively and defensively in equal measures but he is mostly known for winning defensive player awards in his conference. The man-to-man style of aggressive full court pressure that Duquesne play is precisely the style of play that Goettingen are famous for. A very careful choice for Goettingen by adding a player that could develop into a future star in Europe. In his last season in Duquesne Damian Saunders averaged 12.6 points 7.9 rebounds 2.5 assists 2.7 blocks and 2.3 steals in a total of 31 games.

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Olympiacos announced Kalin Lucas

I bet you weren't expecting that.


In a surprising move Olympiacos announced the signing of European rookie Kalin Lucas(1.85-PG/SG) via their official website. The former leader of Michigan State went undrafted this summer to the dismay of many experts but he will be getting his first chance at glory for the Greek league finalist Olympiacos. It seems that the owners of Olympiacos took their low budget policy seriously signing a rookie fresh from college without any European experience. The consensus in Greece is that they'll pull another McCalebb out of the hat but McCalebb had good seasons with Mersin and Partizan before leading a team like Siena that reached the Final Four.

Anyhow this is the will of the people that pull the strings in Olympiacos and Lucas will have more than enough opportunities to showcase his talent. In his last season with Michigan State he averaged 17 points 2.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists in a total of 34 games.

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Maccabi in talks with Bobby Brown

Replacement for Doron Perkins?

With the summer progressing, Israel's top organizations are still in search of the perfect quarterback combo guard duo to increase their chances of an upcoming season title. Champions Maccabi Tel Aviv were recently in intensive talks with former NBA guard Bobby Brown, who played last season overseas, splitting his time in Poland and Greece.

Despite a 2007 championship year in Germany with Alba Berlin, and the fact that Maccabi was pursuing Brown aggressively the following summer, the Cal. St. Fullerton guard decided to sign with the Sacramento Kings. Lately, Brown's name has come up again as a possible recruit for Maccabi, complementing Jeremy Pargo from the second guard position. However, negotiations came up short and the Euroleague experienced Brown, still has interest of playing in Israel and has already been in contact with Hapoel Jerusalem, who is eager to find a suitable replacement for Will Solomon.

Before the NBA strike took place, Brown had successful workouts with the Raptors, Pacers and Lakers, though the 'ongoing' lockout is forcing the guard to reconsider his European offers. Brown's current financial demands may be a bit too much for Jerusalem's budget; yet, the team already informed the player's representatives to be on 'standby' for possible updates that may attract the California native to the Holly Land next season.

In College, Brown enjoyed four-years at Cal State Fullerton finishing his career as the schools leading scorer with 1,961 points (ninth in Big West history). After not being drafted in 2007, Brown went abroad and helped Alba Berlin win the German championship, averaging 14.5 points, 4.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. In the ULEB Cup contest, Brown improved his performances and averaged 17.4 points, 4.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

After a stellar year, Brown returned home and signed a two-year contract with the Sacramento Kings. He would then continue his NBA journey playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers. Last season looked promising as Brown signed a deal with Polish Prokom Gdynia where he performed at a high level posting numbers of 23.8ppg, 3.0rpg, 4.3apg and 1.8spg in the Domestic league. Battling in the Euroleague, Brown averaged 10.7ppg, 1.0rpg and 1.8apg. In December, Brown left for Greece where he signed with Aris Thessaloniki. The impressive European double figure scoring averages was maintained as Brown recorded 11.3ppg, 2.5rpg and 3.0apg in the Greek league and posted higher digits in the international EuroCup competition averaging 14.2ppg, 2.6rpg and 3.3apg.

source : eurobasket.com


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Triple strike from KK Zagreb

Euroleague rookies invest in young talents.



KK Zagreb brought in three new players. The team has agreed on terms of contracts with Papa Dia (205-F-87), Gary McGhee (208-C-88) and Diante Garrett (193-G-88).

Papa Dia has just graduated from the Southern Methodist University. He tallied 18.3 points, 9.6 boards, 2.2 blocks and 1.8 assists per game in his senior season. Papa Dia was named All-C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. The forward participated at Pre-NBA Draft Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. His stats read 8.3 points and 7.0 boards per game there.

Gary McGhee also inked his first pro deal. The rookie comes from the University of Pittsburgh. The 22-year-old centre averaged 6.9 points, 7.7 boards and 1.3 blocks per game in his senior season. Gary McGhee also participated at Pre-NBA Draft Portsmouth Invitational tournament. His stats came up to 9.0 points, 8.5 boards and 1.0 block per game there.

Diante Garrett is another rookie who has just graduated from the Iowa State University. The 22-year-old guard posted 17.3 points, 6.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game in his senior season. Diante Garrett participated at Portsmouth Invitational Tournament registering 10.7 points, 3.0 assists, 2.3 boards and 1.3 steals per game.

source : eurobasket.com


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Benetton Treviso announced Vlad Moldoveanu

A good catch for Benetton.


Benetton Treviso announced the signing of Romanian power forward Vlad Moldoveanu(2.06-PF) via their official website. It's no wonder he did this well as he has listened to his mother, Carmen Tocala who is none other than the president of the Romanian Basketball Federation.

This will be Moldoveanu's first pro contract in Europe but he is no stranger to the European style of play. He is a vital part of the Romanian National Team and one of their top scorers and certainly the team's top prospect. The deal was announced via Treviso's official site and it will be valid until the end of next season. Moldoveanu will be eligible for the NBA draft next season so it's only natural he wants to take his chances there before signing another contract.

Playing for the American University eagles he averaged 20.4 points 6.4 rebounds and 2 assists in a total of 30 games. He also played in the Portsmouth Invitational tournament averaging 10.7 points and 3.7 rebounds.

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Kyle Hines announced his next team via Twitter

His Twit says it all:
It's Official .....................OLYMPIACOS PIRAEUS

Olympiacos in talks with Danny Green

Talented but untested in Europe.


Danny Green(1.98-SG/SF) is another player that was huge in college but didn't do as well in the NBA. Now he is in talks with Olympiacos according to basketblog.gr and he has been for quite some time as Dusan Ivkovic wants the team to sign him.

His talent is undeniable and he is a player that can do many things in the court but he has never played in Europe before. One might say that this is not really a problem but it begs the question why would a team like Olympiacos go for such a gamble when they could sign other players that have already had a career in Europe. Green was drafted at number 46 by Cleveland in the 2009 Draft and since then he has played for them and San Antonio in the NBA. He has also played for Reno and Austin in the NBDL. His last games were with Reno where he averaged 20.1 points 7.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 16 games in the NBDL.

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Triple strike from Bayern with Foster, Ford and Benzing

In Bayern they're not sparing expenses!


Perhaps it was the wild card to the Eurocup that immediately showed Bayern that Uleb and FIBA want another commercial German team to make things a bit more exciting. The administration of Bayern went large with German star Jan Jagla and now they've followed up with the 3 great transfers that will bolster their ranks for the upcoming season. The transfers were announced via the official website of the team.

Sharrod Ford(2.06-PF), the permanent top rebounder of the Italian League and blocker extraordinaire will be adding his skills to the front line of Bayern bringing athleticism and power to the table. Ford played once again for Montegranaro last season averaging his usual double-double of 15.8 points and 10.4 rebounds in 30 games in the LegaA1. Ford is no stranger to Germany as he started his European career in Alba Berlin and that made him instantly noticable in Europe.

The other addition is prolific scorer Je'Kel Foster(1.91-PG/SG) who also played in Italy last season for Cremona. Foster is no stranger to Germany from his time in Oldenburg and Ludwigsburg. This past season he averaged 12.2 points 3.3 rebounds 2.1 assists and 2.1 steals in 29 games in the LegaA1.

Last but not least is German prospect Robin Benzing(2.08-SF) who played last season for Ulm averaging 15.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 33 games in the Bundesliga.

All 3 players signed a 2 season deal with Bayern.

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Cholet announced Robert Dozier

Another player who cashed in a good season in Greece.


Robert Dozier(2.06-PF) moved to greener or wealthier pastures if you like and Cholet announced the player via their official website. The deal is valid until the end of the season and Dozier will be filling the gab that Antywane Robinson(2.03-PF) left behind when he moved to Turkey.

Dozier was drafted by the Miami Heat in the 2009 Draft in the 2nd round and the 60th overall position. Since then he played for 2 seasons in Greece. The first season he played for Kolossos Rhodes and this past season he played for Paok where he had his breakout season and got noticed by Cholet. He averaged 10.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in 33 games in the A1 league having his best games during the play-offs.

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Oldenburg added Kenny Hasbrouck

Another hopeful talent for Oldenburg.


This will be Kenny Hasbrouck's(1.91-PG/SG) second European contract after last season playing for Alicante. Oldenburg announced the deal with the player via the team's official website and it will be for one season. Hasbrouck tried to get a contract in the NBA but although he got a contract with Miami he never saw any playing time.

He graduated from Siena College in 2009 and he has also played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBDL. Last season in Alicante he averaged 10.8 points 2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 20 games in the ACB.

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Gravelines announced Marcus Landry

A quality scorer for Gravelines.


Marcus Landry(2.01-SF) is the new player of Gravelines Dunkerque as it was announced via the team's official website. The deal is for one season. He is the brother of NBA player Carl Landry(2.06-PF) and after a good season in the NBDL he will be taking his talents to the ProA in France.

This will be his first pro contract in Europe and he has also played for New York and Boston in the NBA and also Maine and Reno in the NBDL. This past season he played for Reno Bighorns in the NBDL averaging 17.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 53 games and also for Coamo in Puerto Rico averaging 11.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 10 games.

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Deon Thompson to sign with Olimpija

His good season in Greece paid off.


Deon Thompson(2.06-PF/C) is very close to signing a contract with Olimpija Lubljana according to sport24.gr. The Greek portal says that Thompson will be signing a 2 season contract with the Slovenian team that will make him 500,000 dollars in total for the next 2 seasons. His previous contract with Ikaros was 125,000 dollars so effectively he doubled his earnings. Not bad..

Thompson had his first pro contract with A1 fledgling Ikaros BC in Greece where he had a very good season averaging 14.1 points 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 25 games. He graduated from North Carolina in 2010 but went undrafted. He is currently in the stage of exchanging contracts with Olimpija and if all goes well he should be announced soon.

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Bayern signed Jan Jagla for 2 seasons

A quality transfer for Bayern.


On Monday afternoon Eurocup newcomer FC Bayern Munich announced a familiar face going back home to Germany and a former champ in the competition with the arrival of big man Jan Jagla for the next two years. Jagla (2.13 meters, 30 years old) arrives from Turk Telekom of Turkey.

Last season, Jagla started the campaign in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague with Asseco Prokom of Poland with which he played 10 games averaging 5.6 points and 5.4 rebounds, but midway through the season he moved to Turkey. Jagla played college ball at Penn St. until 2004, and that year he was back to Europe as he played in Greece with Panellinios and then back to his native Germany with the Artland Dragons. In 2005 he moved to Spain to play with Mallorca and in 2006-07 he had his first stint with Turk Telekom. It was in 2007 that he moved to Spain again to play with DKV Joventut with which he won the Spanish King's Cup and the ULEB Cup titles that season.

He played one more year in Penya before moving to Poland to join Asseco Prokom to be in the Euroleague. He also won the Polish League in 2010. He is also a member of the German national team. "I am looking forward to join my new team in Munich. At the moment it's probably the most exciting basketball project in Europe. I hope I can help the team celebrate many successes in the future" Jagla said.

source : eurocupbasketball.com


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Real Madrid announced Jaycee Carroll

The American shooting guard earned top scorer honours in the previous two seasons of the ACB League


Jaycee Don Carroll (16/04/1983, Laramie, WY, USA) has been signed to strengthen Real Madrid's game on the three-point line. The 188 cm tall shooting guard was the ACB's top scorer in the 2009/10 and 2010/11 campaigns.

Carroll scores 19 points on average per game and made the ACB's Ideal Five in the shooting guard position last season. He scores 42% of his three-pointer attempts and 53% of his two-pointer shots, partly thanks to a powerful jump that allows him to overtake markers. The player is also solid under the iron and pulls down a considerable number of rebounds.

Carroll is an excellent shot and even managed to score 35 points in one ACB League game against DKV Joventut. During his senior high school year in Wyoming he averaged 39.4 points per game. He scored 22.4 points per clash in his four years at Utah State University, becoming its all time leading scorer and establishing the state's three-point efficiency record at 45.2.

He followed a stint in the NBA Summer League with a move to Europe, where he played for Italian LEGA side Teramo Basket in the 2008/09 campaign, scoring 15.9 points per game. Gran Canaria signed him the following year and he soon became a natural leader on the Spanish side.

Carroll will now join forces with Sergio Llull, Carlos Suarez and others to strengthen Real Madrid's game outside the three-point line.


source : realmadrid.com

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Rumors about Obradovic leaving Panathinaikos

Unconfirmed rumor..


According to allstarkourouna.blogspot.com Zeljko Obradovic could be leaving Panathinaikos as well. This could be the nail in the coffin for Panathinaikos if it's true but it's a rumor that hasn't surfaced before. Also this blog did warn the people that copy him without referencing him as the source that at some point he'd posting something and then retracting it shortly after just to embarass some people. On other occasions though he has been very reliable so I guess we'll take his word this time too.

The author quotes sources close to Obradovic and the reason being is that Obradovic wanted Fotsis, Perperoglou and Tsartsaris to stay in the team. Fotsis has already left and there might be more people leaving soon. I guess we'll see soon enough.

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Drew Nicholas heading to Milano?

Another one to jump ship? In Olimpia they are shopping from Greece this summer..


Drew Nicholas is the main target of Emporio Armani Milano for the coming season. The American shooting guard is very close to returning to Italy after three seasons spent in Greece with Panathinaikos with whom he has won twice Euroleague and three times the Greek Championship. Montepaschi Siena tried to sign him few weeks ago but the two parts did not reach an agreement.

UPDATE: As reported by sources close to the situation, Drew Nicholas already signed the contract with Emporio Armani and will be the shooting guard of the team. So far, included Malik Hairston not official yet, the lineup of Milano is: Cook, Nicholas, Hairston, Fotsis, Bourousis


source : sportando.net

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Iraklis to merge with Panellinios?

An interesting rumor from Greece.


Iraklis BC was relegated(again) at end of the regular season (2010-2011) and much like their football counterpart they're seeking another way to remain in the league. That is by merging with another team that seems to be left more or less to its own devices by its fan and its owner and that is the team of Panellinios. The people at Panellinios moved the team from Athens to Lamia but that didn't work very well as the team that took part in the Eurocup final four in the previous season, in this past season they barely made it past the relegation zone.

Iraklis on the other hand was an example to avoid with their poor roster design and their inability to create a solid administration they managed to create debts and the team never had a chance to fight for its salvation. According to superbasket.gr, the plan is under way and soon there will be more details on the subject.

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Biella announced Linos Chrysikopoulos

A great prospect for Biella and a great loss for Aris.


Biella announced the signing of Linos Chrysikopoulos(2.05-SF/PF) for 3 seasons and in this way they secured the best Greek prospect at his age for the next 3 seasons. The deal was announced via their official website. Linos Chrysikopoulos has been part of the youth and mens teams of Aris BC for the last 3 years but it seems that the Greek team made no real effort in promoting him. The team are currently more occupied trying to settle the debts that the administration accumulated over the last 4 years or so and Chrysikopoulos decided to go to a team that will be able to utilise his talents.

Chrysikopoulos is considered to be one of the best Greek talents of his generation and he also has the body of a modern player with impressive wingspan and a mindset for the game. In Biella he is expecting to find a team that can work with young talents and that can promote them further. Biella has had a good run with young players with the likes of Pietro Aradori(1.95-SG), Jonas Jerebko(2.08-PF) and Thabo Sefalosha(2.01-SF) who moved on to the NBA and the Euroleague. Chrysikopoulos didn't get much playing time last season averaging 1.4 points and 1 rebounds in 6 minutes of playing time in 9 games in the Eurocup and also 2.3 points and 2 rebounds in 9.9 minutes of playing time in 21 games in the Greek A1 league. He's also had a great run with the youth Greek National Teams.



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Milovan Rakovic to sign with Zalgiris

Back in the Euroleague but with a different team..


According to Serbian portal novosti.rs, Milovan Rakovic (2.08-C) will not be renewing his contract with the Italian champion Siena but he will continue his career in Zalgiris Kaunas instead. Rakovic was also implicated in rumors with Olympiacos like many other players but it seems that Zalgiris won him instead.

Rakovic played for 3 seasons for Spartak St Petersburg before moving to Siena. He averaged 8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 22 games for Siena in the Euroleague helping them reach the Euroleague Final Four.

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Lietuvos Rytas signed Lawrence Roberts

Lietuvos Rytas added strength and experience.


Lietuvos Rytas signed a contract with big man Lawrence Roberts, who will arrive to Vilnius after a season playing for Efes Pilsen Istanbul. The 28-year-old American is reported to have signed a two-year deal with the club from the Lithuanian capital.

“It’s a player from USA, but with European basketball experience. Lawrence is a versatile player, who can rebound well and play good defense,” Martynas Purlys, the General Director of Lietuvos Rytas described the club’s new acquisition.

Roberts arrived to Europe after a couple of seasons in the NBA, where he played for the Memphis Grizzlies and averaged 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in the 2006-07 season.

The player had a short stint with Olympiacos Piraeus before representing the two most famous Serbian clubs – Red Star and Partizan Belgrade.

Last season, Roberts averaged 6.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for Efes Pilsen in Euroleague, while his statistics in the Turkish Basketball League (TBL) were a tiny bit better – 8.1 points and 5.2 boards per game.


source : lithuaniabasketball.com

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Minic and Takianos to take the helm in Aris

One to get players and one to coach them..


According to basketnet.gr, the new head coach of Aris is going to be rising star Fotis Takianos. The young Greek head coach managed to get 2 teams promoted in the A1 league the last few years and he is considered one of the Greek head coaches to look out for. He is also a former player of Aris although he didn't spend long in the team.

Milan Minic also returns to Aris after leaving as head coach back in 2003. This time he returns as a technical director and his task will be to find good and cheap players. The times are tough for Aris who are now in debt and it seems that for the next 2 seasons the team's budget will be tight as some of the money will be going to cover the debts of the previous years.

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Parker could play for Villeurbanne

Tony Parker played four seasons in France before being selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2001 NBA Draft.


If the lockout lasts into January, and it seems like it might, Parker has recently said that he will resume his French basketball career.

Parker held a press conference recently in France, and according to French basketball website BasketUSA, the 29-year-old point guard had some interesting comments on the lockout and a possible return to France.

On the lockout, Parker said that it "is a problem of rich," apparently intimating that the owners are at fault despite his signing a four-year, $50 million extension with the Spurs last fall. This isn't exactly a surprising stance, however, as there's no reason for him to blame his fellow players for the problems keeping the NBA from playing next season.

If the NBA doesn't play next season, or at least if the lockout lasts into 2012, Parker plans to give a big boost to ASVEL -- the team he part-owns and manages in France.

"If in January-February, the NBA says the lockout will last until the end of the season, I will come to France, but the NBA season can start anytime -- They will not say in October that the strike will last all year, it does not work like that," Parker said. "But if so, I'd head over to the ASVEL because I'm general manager and executive director."

ASVEL has already signed three players with names familiar to NCAA basketball fans in Jamie Skeen, Kim Tillie and former NBA player Hilton Armstrong, but Parker would definitely be a nice addition.

In fact, he might be able to be the first in the world to be named Most Valuable Player and Executive of the Year in the same season.

source : sbnation.com




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Olimpia Milano added Bouroussis for 2 seasons

It didn't take him very long to find a new team.


Emporio Armani Milan confirmed the addition of former All-Euroleague team member forward Ioannis Bourousis for the next two seasons. Bourousis (2.10 meters, 28 years old) arrives from Greek League runners-up Olympiacos, for whom he averaged 10.7 points and 6.6 rebounds last season in 18 Turkish Airlines Euroleague appearances over 17 minutes per game. Bourousis ranked eightth in index rating overall last season in the Euroleague (14.2), fourth in total rebounds (6.6) and thirdin defensive rebounds (4.9).

Bourousis had played five straight seasons with the Reds. He was named to the 2008-09 All-Euroleague first team and has appeared at two Euroleague Final Fours, in 2009 and 2010. He won the 2010 and 2011 Greek Cup with Olympiacos. Bourousis started his pro career at AEK Athens of Greece in 2002 and stayed there until 2006. On May of that year he moved to Spain for a brief stint with Regal FC Barcelona to play in the Spanish League Playoffs but after two months there he left and joined Olympiacos that summer.

source : euroleague.net

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Bracey Wright to sign with Olimpija

His good season with Cedevita paid off.


Another player who managed to revamp his career seems to be Bracey Wright(1.91-SG). According to kosarka.si, Wright will be playing for Olimpija Lubljana next season in the Euroleague and the Adriatic League. The former NBA shooting guard had a good season in the Euroleague with Aris Thessaloniki as his first European contract and then moved on to Badalona he left halfway through the season. He then returned to Aris for a short while and since then he's played for Oostende as well.

He started the season with Paris Levallois but then moved on to Cedevita Zagreb where he played in 3 leagues(Croatia, Adriatic League, Eurocup). In the Adriatic league he averaged 11.8 points 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 11 games, in the Eurocup he averaged 16.7 points 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists and in Croatia he averaged 13.7 points 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 14 games.

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Rawle Marshall to play in Kazakhstan

Apparently they have quite a good team in Astana.


There is another great signing for very ambitious team of BC Astana of Kazakhstan. The new member of VTB league has signed an excellent shooting guard, Rawle Marshall, 201cm, 1982. Rawle has played with a lot of success in Europe, for Hemofarm, Cibona, Lokomotiv Rostov, Valencia, ASVEL and PAOK.

source : beobasket.net

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Darius Songaila to play for Galatasaray

A great signing for any European team really..


Former Philadelphia 76ers power forward Darius Songaila has signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 million plus bonuses with the Turkish team, Galatasaray, his agent said on Friday.

The contract does not have an escape clause should the NBA lockout end in time for all or part of the 2011-12 NBA season, which means Songaila is committed to spending the entire season in Turkey.

Nets point guard Deron Williams agreed to terms with another Turkish League team, Besiktas, earlier this week, but he does have the option to return to the U.S. if the NBA lockout ends and games are played next season.

"Darius didn't play a lot of minutes last season in Philadelphia and with the uncertainty surrounding the lockout, he wanted to make sure he'd play next season," said his agent, Mark Bartlestein.

Songaila, 33, has played for five NBA teams over 10 seasons, but he could not crack the 76ers' young, strong front-line rotation and made only 10 appearances last season. He plans to play for the Lithuanian national team this summer.

Galatasaray Cafe Crown lost 4-2 in a best-of-seven series to Fenerbahce Ulker in the Turkish League finals last month.


source : espn.com

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Lukas Mavrokefalides to play in Russia

Another one bites the dust..


Another player will leave Olympiacos this summer and the next one to open the door and walk out is Lukas Mavrokefalides(2.05-PF/C). He's a free agent now and although his first option was Olympiacos the offer that they made him of 650,000 according to redplanet.gr was not enough.

Mavrokefalides was the only player to take a pay-cut last season and it would seem reasonable to upgrade his role in the team now that Bouroussis has moved on. But the strict budget of the new season has dethroned Olympiacos from the big-spenders' elite to the point where they can scarcely afford 1 million euros to pay one of their most important players.

It's uncertain whether Mavrokefalides will take up Spartak's offer of 1.1 million euros or Khimki's offer for 1 million euros for 2 seasons. The great migration of the Greek players is afoot and well on it's way.

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CSKA announced Milos Teodosic

Vatutin got his wish!


Our club reached an agreement to acquire European Player of the Year 2010 guard Milos Teodosic (24 years, 195 cm) from Olympiakos Pireus. The player currently practices with the Serbian National Team, his 3-year contract will become valid after the medical tests in Moscow.

One of the most promising players of modern European basketball grew in modest BC Reflex in Serbia. His pro career also includes stints in Borac Cacak, Zeleznik and Olympiakos. He made himself notable plating for junior team in his native country, winning U16 (2003), U18 (2005) and U20 (2007, MVP) European Championships. Two years after he became the European vice-champion with Serbian National Team. 2009-10 season was a pinnacle of his club career until now – Milos was named Euroleague MVP and led Olympiakos to the tournament title game.

His averages in previous Euroleague season were 10.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.7 steals in 25.5 minutes in 18 games. His averages in Greek League were 9.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 21.5 minutes in 21 regular championship games, 11.1 points, 1.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 22.4 minutes in 8 playoff games.

source : cskabasket.com



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Steve Burtt got a Ukrainian passport

Steve Burtt (185-G-84, college: Iona) will play for the National team of Ukraine at Eurobasket 2011.


Steve Burtt joined Dnipro at the start of the previous season. The guard tallied 22.4 points, 5.5 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in Superleague. In VTB League Steve Burtt notched 18.7 points, 4.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 steal per appearance. The guard participated at Superleague All-Star Game.

source : eurobasket.com


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Cantu to bring in David Lighty

Another solid choice by Cantu.


Bennet Cantu are looking for the ways to strengthen their backcourt. They are negotiating contract with David Lighty (195-G/F-88). The deal may be announced soon. The 23-year-old shooting guard has just graduated from the Ohio State University.

He averaged 12.1 points, 4.0 boards, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game in his senior season. David Lighty made it into All-Big Ten 2nd Team. He was also named into Big Ten All-Defensive Team. David Lighty was the member of the USA U19 National Team. He participated at U19 World Championship in Serbia back in 2007. David Lighty notched 8.8 points and 3.9 boards per game in Novi Sad.

source : eurobasket.com

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