Mavericks interested in Nick Calathes

In the heat of the NBA Finals, it's hard to gauge where the Dallas Mavericks stand on their future at point guard.


Any long-term decisions could include Lake Howell and UF basketball standout Nick Calathes, who is coming off an outstanding second season of pro ball in Greece.

Dallas gained the NBA rights to Calathes in a 2009 trade with Minnesota, which took the 6-foot-6 guard in the second round of that year's draft after he signed a deal with Greek power Panathinaikos.

Calathes was scheduled to fly back to Orlando on Wednesday after turning in an outstanding performance in the final game of the Greek A1 League championship series Sunday. He had 16 points, 11 assists and five rebounds in a 101-94 overtime win over Olympiakos. That capped a postseason in which he helped his team also take the overall Euroleague title.

Calathes, who was Florida Mr. Basketball after leading Lake Howell to its 2007 state championship, was selected as one of five all-league players. He also was chosen as the Greek league's most improved player and a member of the all-defensive team.



He still has an option year left on his contract and has said an NBA team would need to pay a $500,000 buyout to bring him back to the United States for the 2011-12 season. More difficult might be matching his sweet deal, which is said to be comparable to an NBA lottery-like contract. Made more luctrative because of Calathes' Greek heritage and eligibility to play for its national teams, the contract is said to approach $2 million per year and includes tax-free money, a free home and a car.

Dallas has an undrafted overachiever, former Miami Christian standout J.J. Barea, backing up 38-year-old starter Jason Kidd, at the point. Its 2009 first-round draft pick out of France, Rodrigue Beaubois, has been labeled be a starter in waiting, but NBA analysts say Beaubois has looked much more at home as a shooting guard than at point in his young career.


source : orlandosentinel.com

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Eidson offered to Olympiacos, Zisis also a target

It's rebuilding time..


According to Olympiacos affiliated site, redplanet.gr, Chuck Eidson(2.02-SG/SF) was offered to Olympiacos and his case hasn't been dismissed yet. It will all depend obviously on the kind of money that Eidson will ask but given Ivkovic's player choices in the past Eidson surely fits the bill. Eidson is one of the hottest players of this summer's tranfer season and he has been offered to quite a few teams so it would be too early to say where he will end.

Another player that they want to sign in Olympiacos is Nikos Zisis(1.96-PG/SG). Zisis has been is a long-time friend of Vassilis Spanoulis and he will be a free agent this summer. He will be probably be replacing Theo Papaloukas who is very unlikely to stay in Olympiacos given recent events and his high salary. Zisis is still in the play-offs with Siena in Italy.

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Badalona renewed David Jelinek

He'll be making an appearance in Treviso.


According to the official site of the ACB, Czech sharpshooter David Jelinek(1.95-SG) will be renewed by Badalona. The 20-year old prospect had a good season with Badalona averaging 7 points and 1.6 rebounds in a measley 14.9 minutes in 34 games in the ACB.

What was more impressive though was Jelinek's performance behind the arc where he averaged 45.7%(43/94). Jelinek is one of the 2 players from Badalona who will be making an appearance in the 2011 Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso.

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Barcelona to renew Pete Mickeal

He is expected to fully recover.


According to esport3.cat, Pete Mickeal(1.99-SF) will be offered a 2 season renewal contract by Barcelona. Mickeal was unlucky this season as he was struck down by pulmonary embolism that kept him out of action for the most part of the season.

Mickeal only managed to play 4 games in the Euroleague averaging 14 points 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists and also 8 games in the ACB averaging 15.4 points 3 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He is expected to fully recover after the summer and if he stays and Eidson signs as well it could be the end of the road for Alan Anderson(1.98-SG/SF) and Terrence Morris(2.07-PF).

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Messina soon to be announced by the Lakers

It's almost certain.


Italian coach Ettore Messina has agreed to join Mike Brown's coaching staff with the Los Angeles Lakers, a source familiar with the negotiations said.

Messina will be listed as an assistant coach but will be behind the bench, not on it, and will serve in more of a consulting capacity, sources said.

Brown developed a relationship with Messina when he was head coach of the Cavaliers and Messina was the head coach of CSKA Moscow. Brown routinely flew to Italy, where Messina held CSKA's training camps, to pick up new ideas to use with the Cavs.

source : sports.espn.go.com


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Jaycee Carroll in talks with Real and Barcelona

His efforts haven't gone unnoticed..


..and how could they? Jaycee Carroll(1.88-SG) seems to be high in demand this summer and according to the man in charge of Real Madrid's basketball section, Juan Carlos Sanchez, they are interested in signing him. According to cadenaser.com Juan Carlos Sanchez admitted that Jaycee Carroll is a target of Real Madrid but he's also been speaking to other teams such as Barcelona.

Obviously this could mean that if he is a player that interests the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, he could very well be a target of pretty much any team in Europe that can afford him. Carroll had a terrific scoring run this season averaging 18.8 points 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 14 games in the Eurocup and also 19.3 points 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 36 games in the ACB, leading the scoring table in the regular season. Needless to say his name will be heard all over Europe until he finally signs his next contract.

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Papaloukas being ambiguous about his next move

Papaloukas might be reluctant to renew with Olympiacos next season..


Theo Papaloukas(2.00-PG) might not be a player of Olympiacos next season. The all-time assist leader of the Euroleague contract expires at the end of this month and then he will be a free agent once again. There has been some frictions between the fans of Olympiacos and Papaloukas and yesterday's debacle where he lost the free throws and a shot to the tile might have irrevocably damaged his popularity amongst the fans.

According to basketnet.gr, in questions asked after last night's championship final he said that he doesn't know where he will be playing next season but he will not end his career just yet. Papaloukas has been the highest paid basketball player in Europe this past season earning approximately 3 million euros and only averaging 5.4 points 2.6 rebounds and 3.8 rebounds in 18 games in the Euroleague and also 6.4 points 2.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 29 games in the A1 league. One thing's for sure, he won't be getting a contract that high again.

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