Michalis Giannakidis offered to Spanish teams

The next one to leave Paok..?


Giannis Kalambokis(1.95-SG/PG) will be playing for Alba Berlin after Paok's next game in the A1 league against Peristeri. The next player to leave though could be rising star Michalis Giannakidis (1.92-SG). Giannakidis has seen more playing time the last 2 seasons in Paok and his ability to shoot behind the arc is amongst his strong points.

According to basketplus.gr, his agents have offered him to Spanish teams that have shown some interest in the player who has a tiny contract with Paok. Valladolid and Obradoiro seem to be 2 of the teams that the player has been offered to and the success story of Kostas Vasileiadis of Bilbao seems to work in his favor. Vasileiadis started his career in Paok as well. Giannakidis has averaged 6.1 points 2.2 rebounds and 1 assists in the last 18 games in the A1 league.

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Nikos Pappas moves to Paok

Could be a good opportunity for both parties.


A few years ago (back in the summer of 2008) Nikos Pappas(1.95-SG/PG) signed a 4-season contract with Bilbao. This season would have been his last but it seems that Pappas and Bilbao went on their separate ways and Paok seized the opportunity to add a guard to their frontcourt.

Pappas was the star of the young National Teams of Greece especially in the New Zealand U19 2009 World Championship but since then he has shown very little improvement in his skill, technique and physique. He played for Kolossos Rhodes for the last 2 seasons on loan from Bilbao but still not much improvement. He's got the 2nd half of the regular season to show something but chances are he will get very little money out of Paok this season(if any) but he could convert that into a better contract next season.

Last season he averaged 7.5 points 1.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 25 games in the A1 league playing for Kolossos.

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Bilbao announced Mamadou Samb

Samb in, Hampl out


Tomas Hampl(2.15-C) will be moving to LEB Gold in order to get some playing time in a different team and Mamadou Samb(2.08-C) will be moving from LEB Gold and Granada to Bilbao according to Bilbao's official site. The Senegalese center gained the Spanish citizenship 3 years ago and has been a member of the Spanish Youth National Teams since then.

In Granada he averaged 10.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 14 games playing in the LEB Gold but now he'll be playing on a whole different level. If he gets any playing minutes that is. The contract signed will last until the end of the season with the option of renewal for one or more seasons. Hampl will be returning to Bilbao in the summer as he will be given away on-loan.

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Jeremy Richardson and the rumors of the day

These just came in!


Jeremy Richardson(previously of Valencia) signed for Georgian Champion BC Armia which will compete on EuroChallange in Group B. They signed earlier All-EuroChallange Honorable Mention C Joakim Kjellbom.

They are also very close to 2010 MVP of Belgian League Will Thomas (Oostende) at the PF and Sundiata Gaines at the PG (New Jersey Nets) with an NBA option until lockout is over.


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Mantzaris to Bilbao and then on loan to Aris

He needs playing time.


These days there isn't much time for any articles so I'll be as brief as I can but I'll also try to explain things in detail at the same time. There were previous reports that Vangelis Mantzaris(1.95-PG) had attracted interest from many teams and one of them was Bilbao. It seems now that he will be signing a multi-season deal with Bilbao that could possibly be announced this Monday according to basketblog.gr

Mantzaris' intention is to get some more playing time but he has the luxury of picking a team that can play in the Eurocup as well these days and his choice is most probably Aris (unless something really unexpected happens). Mantzaris spoke to Kostas Sloukas(1.98-PG/SG) who also played for Aris on-loan last season and the head coach of Aris told him that he will be enjoying a starting-five position should he choose to play for them. Mantzaris was recently the final cut from the final squad of the Greek National Team which is a testament to his skill level at the young age of 21.

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Adrian Oliver considers offer from Greece

He's got another offer from Spain.


Adrian Oliver(1.93-SG) had a great final season with San Jose State and now he is weighing his options about the next step in his career. He's been constantly asking on Twitter whether he should go to play in Greece. He did mention he had another offer from Spain but the money was better in Greece, however odd this may sound.

Today Adrian Oliver's name came up in Athlitika Nea, a newspaper affiliated to Aris BC where it highlights Oliver as potential candidate for Aris. Could that be a coincidence or could there be more teams involved. Oliver displayed his wide array of scoring methods this past season averaging 24.3 points 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in a total of 31 games.


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Goudelock is considering 2 offers from Europe

The long range bomber is coming to Europe.


Lakers draftee Andrew Goudelock could be the next 2011 second-round pick to sign overseas. Agent Austin Walton told HoopsHype his client is looking at two offers from Germany and Spain - both with NBA outs.

“One is a Eurocup team in Germany and the other an ACB club,” Walton said. “We are seriously considering both offers. We are working the final stages of negotiation with both clubs.”

For the record, the three German teams competing in Eurocup next year are Bayern Munich, Alba Berlin and Skyliners Frankfurt.

source : blogs.hoopshype.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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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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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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Sonny Weems to play in Europe?

Weems Signing Overseas: Sonny Weems has decided to take advantage of his overseas eligibility and is on the verge of signing a one-year contract with a team in Europe, according sources close to the situation.


The Toronto Raptors extended a qualifying offer to Weems last Monday, which would have made him a restricted free agent. However, Weems felt that signing overseas was the best option for him so that he could continue playing and developing his game during this work stoppage.

Weems' deal will not have an NBA-out, which means he'll remain overseas even if a new collective bargaining agreement is ratified.

While other free agents have signed with international teams in recent weeks, Weems is one of the most notable players to ink a deal overseas.

Last season, Weems averaged a career-high 9.2 points in 59 games with the Raptors. In 28 starts, he posted averages of 10.8 points and 3.3 rebounds. He scored in double figures 27 times last season.

The 24-year-old is expected to return to the NBA next season, after his one-year contract expires.

Weems is currently in Spain, along with DeMar DeRozan, to support Jose Calderon's basketball camp.

source : hoopsworld.com

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Lakovic to leave Regal Barça

After six seasons at the Club, Jaka Lakovic will not be playing for Regal Barça next season. The Slovene has won a total of ten trophies in his time at the Club.


Jaka Lakovic will be leaving Barca at the end of his contract this season after six years with the Club in which he has proved himself to be a versatile player who showed he could star in a variety of positions and he has played a key part in Regal’s success over his time at the Club.

Aim was to win the Euroleague 

Jaka Lakovic joined Barça in 2005/06 after winning almost everything with Panathinaikos and with the aim of taking the one title he’d not yet won –the Euroleague. He fulfilled that objective with Barça at the Final Four in Paris in 2010. He became a reference point for the team and a key member of the 2008/09 ACB winning team.

Only Basile has played more

He suffered from injuries during the 2009/10 season, but he still managed to put in a great year –winning four titles in all. In his final season at Barça, he became the foreign player with the second most appearances for the team, beating Audie Norris and only behind Basile and picked up four more titles to make it ten during his time with Regal Barça.


source : fcbarcelona.com

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Fotsis agreed terms with Barcelona

End of an era for Fotsis.


This is confirmed by prasinanea.gr, a website affiliated with Panathinaikos and it confirms that was rumored some time ago. Antonis Fotsis(2.09-PF) will be playing for Barcelona next season. The news spread like wildfire in the Greek media and it seems that Barcelona increased their offer their last few days, especially after the recent developments.

Fotsis will be replacing Terrence Morris(2.07-PF) and their offer comes to 1.3 million euros per season for the Greek power forward. Fotsis was making 1.6 million euros previously at Panathinaikos but it was certain that if he had signed another contract with them it would have been much lower.  He averaged 8.4 points and 5.1 rebound in 22 games in the Euroleague. If all goes well he will be travelling to Barcelona on Friday to sign his new contract with the Spanish champions.

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Eidson to Barcelona for 3 seasons

FC Barcelona and American guard Chuck Eidson have reached an agreement for the next two seasons. The former Maccabi Tel Aviv player is the first signing of the 2011/12 season.



Chuck Eidson comes to Barça as one of the most powerful outside forwards in Europe. Coming from Maccabi, the American offers great versatility and vision, following his brilliant performances in the Euroleague.

Extensive experience in Europe 

Born in Summerville (United States) 30 years ago, Chuck Eidson was educated as a team player at the University of South Carolina. The U.S. player, 2.02m tall, has solid experience in European basketball. After first playing in Germany, in Giessen (2004-06), and France, in Strasbourg (2006-07), Eidson began to shine for the Lithuanian team Lietuvos Rytas, where he played for 2 seasons. Maccabi Tel Aviv signed him in the summer of 2009 and there he became one of the key players over the last two seasons.

Multipurpose

 Eidson can play as either a 3 or a 4, he’s one of Europe's most powerful outside players. Intelligent, strong defensively, good rebound player, and good passer of the ball, he has the capacity to score from anywhere and has the character of a leader, and great vision.

Great season in the Euroleague

This season, with Maccabi, Eidson had an average of 9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.6 ball recoveries in the Euroleague. He was also one of the leading players in the Final Four and became Real Madrid’s nemesis in the semifinals, where he played his best game this season, with +33 valuation (19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 ball recoveries, 2 assists, and a tap).

source : fcbarcelona.cat


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Vasquez renewed with Barcelona for one season

he's taking some time off this summer..


Fran Vasquez(2.09-PF/C) dispelled all the rumors about him leaving Barcelona by renewing with them for one more season. The deal was announced today via the team's official site. Vasquez averaged 8.1 points 4.3 rebounds and 1 blocks per game in a total of 20 games in the Euroleague for Barcelona.

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Picks of the day

Busy day today transfer-wise..


The first 3 announcements of sort, come from the Beobasket agency where the motto is, announce them before the press does! First announcement is for Croatian head coach Drazen Anzulovic who didn't make it with Cibona but takes up the helm at Cedevita Zagreb instead.

The other announcement has to do with one of the most underrated big men in Europe, Serbian forward/center Marko Scekic(2.07-PF/C) who will continue his career with the Italian league finalist, Cantu. Scekic was transferred from KK Buducnost for the Italian play-offs and very soon he made a difference for Cantu averaging 12.1 points 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 9 games. Scekic will be an Italy resident for the next 2 seasons.

Croatian center Luksa Andric(2.10-C) will be continuing his career with the Turkish finalist Galatasaray for the next 2 seasons as well. He averaged 9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 42 games in the Turkish league.

In France now, local shooting guard Fabien Causeur(1.93-SG) renewed his contract with Cholet until 2013, that is for another 2 seasons as it was announced today via their official website. The youngster will probably be getting some more playing in the future. This season he averaged 6.9 points 2.9 rebounds 2.4 assists in 14 in the ProA.

Efes Pilsen were quite eager to announce Dusko Savanovic(2.04-PF) but it seems that they haven't paid Valencia the buy-out clause yet. It's not a measley amount too.. it's 1.5 million euros that need to paid to the Spaniards or else they could just as easily block the transfer.

Last but certainly not least Pete Mickeal(1.98-SF) is back with a vengeance, also with a 2-season extension on his contract but we knew that was coming anyway.

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Chuck Eidson waiting for an offer from Panathinaikos

Highest bidder wins?


According to allstarkourouna.blogspot.com, Chuck Eidson(2.02-SG/SF) is waiting for an offer from Panathinaikos before he makes up his mind. It seems that Eidson has offer from quite a few teams including Unics Kazan that offered him 4.5 million euros for 3 seasons and Barcelona who offered close to 3 million euros for 2 seasons.

But it seems that Eidson is waiting to see if Panathinaikos will be making him an offer as Eidson is on the top of the list of players that Obradovic wants to sign. This is all well and good however the situation is still uncertain in Panathinaikos and should the owners of the team leave noone knows who's going to pay for the current contracts, let alone signing another expensive player like Eidson. There is also another factor here according to the article and that is the player's wife, who'd rather move to a warmer climate instead of the mountains of Kazan..

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Rubio already signed a contract with the Timberwolves

BILBAO, Spain -- Ricky Rubio has already signed a contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the holdup keeping him from leaving Barcelona is related to his buyout agreement, multiple sources told ESPN.com.


"This is just a bump in the road for (the Timberwolves)," said one source.

Rubio's Spanish club won the ACB championship Tuesday, after which Rubio said:

"We are talking with Barcelona and we will soon see."

Despite Ricky Rubio's offensive struggles this season at Barcelona, he's still seen as the Timberwolves' point guard of the future.

That fueled speculation Rubio might not come to Minnesota for the 2011-12 season. But two sources told ESPN.com Rubio has already signed with the Timberwolves. He still must receive a letter of clearance from FIBA, the sports' international governing body.

Earlier this month, The Associated Press and The (Minneapolis) Star Tribune reported that Rubio, the No. 5 pick in the 2009 NBA draft, had reached an agreement to join the Timberwolves after two seasons with Barcelona.

The Timberwolves did not confirm those reports, which followed years of speculation that Rubio, 20, did not want to leave Europe or pay the multimillion-dollar buyout of his Barcelona contract out of his own pocket.

Rubio said he was "very happy" after Barcelona won the Spanish league title, according to the Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo. "This title is the most widely appreciated. At last I have it and we must all be proud of it."

On Wednesday, a source close to Rubio told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher that he is unaware of any change to Rubio's plans to play in the NBA next season.

Timberwolves president David Kahn called Rubio "a virtuoso and somebody special" after drafting him in 2009. Kahn and agent Dan Fegan had an agreement to bring Rubio to the NBA that summer, but Rubio withdrew from that deal at the last minute after deciding he did not want to pay a $6 million-plus buyout.

With the passing of two seasons, Rubio's buyout from Barcelona has decreased to $1.4 million. The Timberwolves can contribute up to $500,000 of that amount under current league rules.

Rubio averaged 6.5 points a game on 39 percent shooting this season at Barcelona, where he dealt with a foot injury and fell out of the starting lineup. The Timberwolves believe Rubio will flourish in the NBA, where guards have more freedom to create than they do in the stricter offensive schemes common in the European game.

"He's gotten bigger and he plays outstanding defense, and because he's a pass-first guard he's going to be liked by everybody who plays with him," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said last year. Krzyzewski coached Team USA against Rubio and Spain in the Beijing Olympics.

Rubio dominated the junior circuit in Europe and turned professional at 14. His flashy style and baby face made him an instant sensation in Europe.

Although Rubio's stock dropped this season, the woeful Timberwolves -- winners of a combined 32 games the past two seasons -- remain in need of a point guard to feed the ball to Kevin Love and Michael Beasley.


source : espn.com

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Barcelona to make offer to Fotsis

It just came in this morning.


It seems that these news were good enough to be kept under the radar and the people in Greece who had the news in Greece only released it about an hour ago to the media. One of them, basketblog.gr, put up an article that Barcelona is going to make an offer to Antonis Fotsis(2.11-PF), perhaps one that he can't refuse.

Fotsis has already had an offer from Turkey and it seems that he hasn't renewed his contract with Panathinaikos yet. This might seem odd to the fans of Panathinaikos that Fotsis hasn't renewed his contract yet but amongst the rumors of the Giannakopoulos brothers leaving the team it makes some sense. Fotsis played a pivotal role in helping Panathinaikos conquer the Euroleague by getting back in shape and becoming the athlete he once was. He averaged 8.4 points and 5.1 rebound in 22 games in the Euroleague.

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Baskonia landed Thomas Heurtel for 4 seasons

Caja Laboral signed playmaker Thomas Heurtel to a four-year deal, fortifying the team's backcourt for years to come.


Heurtel (189, 22) spent last season playing in Spain on loan for Meridiano Alicante where he averaged 9.5 points and 2.4 assists per game. He grew up with Pau-Orthez and averaged 10 points and 6.2 assists per game during the 2008-09 French League season, his first as a full-time player, after which he was awarded the Meilleur Espoir PRO A 2009 trophy as the best prospect in the French League. Heurtel signed a four-year deal with Asvel Basket following that season, but never suited up for the club, instead spending one season on loan at Strasbourg in France and another at Alicante before Laboral bought out his deal to bring him to Vitoria. Heurtel has also played for the French national team at the junior level and won a silver medal at the 2009 Under-20 European Championships in Rhodes, Greece.

source : euroleague.net

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