Cologne, Germany will be the place to be next May.
The 2020 Final Four will take place in Cologne, Germany, EuroLeague informed via press release on Wednesday. The four best teams of Europe’s premier competition in the 2019-20 campaign will meet in Germany between May 22nd and May 24th.
Lanxess Arena of Germany’s fourth-largest city by population will gather European basketball’s elite to conclude the upcoming EuroLeague season. Cologne will host the Final Four for the first time with the fans at more than 18,000-seated venue witnessing the next champion.
Berlin previously hosted the Final Four in 2009 and 2016, but Cologne will become the second Germany city to host the event this center, the fourth city without a local EuroLeague club to receive the Final Four as well.
“To open a new decade dedicated to bringing the EuroLeague to new fans, we are proud to choose Cologne as our next Final Four host,” Jordi Bertomeu, President and CEO of Euroleague Basketball, took out. “After Prague in 2006, Paris in 2010 and London in 2013, we again bring the continent’s biggest basketball event to a new place where our sport has thrived so that fans there can see the best basketball in Europe where they live. At the same time, we could not have chosen a better arena or a more vibrant, welcoming city for the many fans who will travel to the Final Four from around the world.”
It’s time to present the Top 10 EuroLeague salaries of the upcoming season and set the record straight on many reports about European salaries
Νikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona 5,400,000 $
Mirotic’s contract is a matter of debate all over the world, from the initial reports about a seven-year deal. Longtime Barcelona journalists Jose Ignacio Huguet presented a great analysis of the contract situation at “Mundo Deportivo”. According to Eurohoops sources, Mirotic will be paid on average $5,4 million annually during the four years of his deal.
However, even if you take into account the lowest number mentioned in Huguet’s report ($4,4 m.), he still makes the top of the list. The fact remains that Mirotic’s contract is comparable only with the historic contract of Olympiacos with Josh Childress back in 2008. Childress signed a $20 million deal for three years, not including taxes, in an era where Greek taxation was friendly to athletes’ contracts. He received practically more than the equivalent of an NBA mid-level exception of that time and reportedly turned his back on a $36 million offer from Atlanta. It makes sense since if taxes are taken into account, the total offer of Olympiacos was at least two million higher and included the usual perks given to import players by European clubs, like paid accommodation and a car. So Mirotic’s deal with Barcelona is practically almost the same as the reported $45 million offer he had on the table from the Utah Jazz. As for the 70 million for seven years rumor, according to Madrid’s media, it was the initial asking price from the side of the player. Still, he got pretty much what he wanted and a contract which is currently at the top two of the All-Time deals in Europe.
Alexey Shved, Khimki Moscow Region 4,000,000 $
Since his return from the NBA to Khimki Moscow Region in 2015, he was sitting on the thrown of the highest-paid played n Europe. His second contract in 2017 raised the bar even higher and only the record deal of Nikola Mirotic surpassed him this year.
Shved is a household name in Russia, one of the biggest EuroLeague and VTB United League stars, so this number makes sense. It has to be noted that this is the last season of his deal and it remains to be seen if he will get one more record deal next summer. The fact that Russia’s taxation is much more manageable compared to other parts of Europe, doesn’t hurt his chances for a raise since he is Khimki’s cornerstone.
Edy Walter Τavares, Real Madrid 3,000,000 $
After being a mid-season addition last year and ultimately emerging as the starting center of Real Madrid, Eddy Walter Tavares got paid. His contract is also rare since it’s a five-year deal. Contracts that last more than three years – usually including opt-out clauses – are unusual in Europe, unless they are offered to young NBA prospects with a much, much more modest salary.
Tavares essentially will get $15 million in the next five seasons. For the shake of comparison, that would mean a $30 million, five year deal in the NBA, where Tavares in two seasons made just $2 million, including taxes.
Nando De Colo, Fenerbahce BEKO 2,600,000 $
The EuroLeague champion with CSKA Moscow who since his return to Europe in 2014 remains one of the top players of the old continent wanted a change of scenery. His initial goal was an NBA return, where the Raptors are still holding his rights, he was mentioned as a Real Madrid target, but when Fenerbahce lost Marko Guduric, they moved fast and secured his services on a two-year deal.
Practically De Colo kept the same status he had with CSKA Moscow and pretty much the same salary. So it’s a win-win situation for him, even if he had to put aside his NBA aspirations. If the Raptors wanted to match what Fenerbahce offered him, they should have given him a $5 million annual salary.
Nick Calathes, Panathinaikos 2,550,000 $
The leader of Panathinaikos remains on the upper echelon of the EuroLeague salaries and he has two seasons left on his current contract. Considered the best pure point guard in Europe, Calathes gets almost one million more compared to the second-highest-paid player of Panathinaikos, who is Jimmer Fredette.
Yes, Fredette’s two-year contract will pay him $1,65 million annually, of course not including taxes. Panathinaikos paid up in order to create one of the most intriguing backcourt duos in Europe and it remains to be seen what will be the on-court result.
Jan Vesely, Fenerbahce BEKO 2,430,000 $
Jan Vesely managed to be the EuroLeague MVP and also couldn’t finish the season on a high note due to his injuries. However, he also has two years left on his deal with Fenerbahce, which made him once of the highest-paid players in Europe.
Vesely in Europe has emerged as a totally different player compared to his three seasons in the NBA. Practically he changed his position, playing almost exclusively as a center. The fact that he is just one of the three front line players on the Top 10 of salaries, speaks volumes about his status in the EuroLeague.
Sergio Llull, Real Madrid 2,200,000 $
The longtime star of Real Madrid will probably go down to the basketball history annals as the last big European star who elected to stay in Europe and never give to the NBA a chance.
His contract ends in 2021 when he will be 33 years old and while the idea of the NBA may still be on the back of his mind, it seems safe to say that the window has closed. Of course, if you want to keep a player like Llull away from the NBA, you have to pay him handsomely and that’s exactly the case here.
Sergio Rodriguez, AX Armani Exchange Milano 2,000,000 $
Sergio Rodriguez had the option to stay in CSKA Moscow for one more year and a $ 2,5 million salary. He decided to leave and the alternative was not shabby at all. “Chacho” is the new leader of Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan with a three-year contract which will pay him in total a little more than $ 6,5 million.
So he remains in the elite, he has a new challenge ahead of him under coach Ettore Messina and while being 33 years old, he is still one of the top point guards in Europe.
Alex Abrines, FC Barcelona 2,000,000 $
His return to basketball is the feel-good story of this summer and of course, he felt safer playing at his home country. At 25 years of age, he is by far the youngest player of this list and that demonstrates not only his potential but also his current rank in European basketball.
Considering his presence in the NBA – which was not spectacular, but solid – the fact that he is among the top paid perimeter players in the EuroLeague is not a surprise. Plus, local talent always gets a premium, due to the domestic league rules that demand a specific number of local players on each roster.
Kostas Sloukas, Fenerbahce BEKO 2,000,000 $
Kostas Sloukas was one of the most coveted free agents in Europe and he finally decided to stay put in Fenerbahce. That’s his third contract with the Turkish club since he decided to leave Greece and Olympiacos back in 2015 and the biggest on his career so far.
Considering the fact that he is 29 years old and he is on his prime, it’s only natural that he got such a deal since his club was informed that he will use the opt-out clause in his contract and test the market. However, despite having similar offers from other teams, he elected to remain in Fenerbahce.
Corry Ηiggins, FC Barcelona 2,000,000 $
After four seasons in CSKA Moscow and two EuroLeague titles, Higgins will be part of the “superteam” created by Barcelona. The Catalans are paying up big this summer and they are together with Fenerbahce the only two teams with three players each on this list, while Real Madrid follows with two.
Higgins has proven in CSKA that he can be an efficient part of a unit that includes other top players, but this is also his chance to shine. The general consensus around Europe is that Higgins was somewhat underappreciated and stayed in the shadow of Nando De Colo. In Barcelona that will not be the case. He is the only US import on the Top10 since Calathes has dual citizenship and he is also Greek.
Panathinaikos announced the signing of Wesley Johnson
Wesley Johnson is officially the new member of the Greens
Panathinaikos OPAP announced the addition of Wesley Johnson, confirming the earlier reports.
Per Panathinaikos:
Panathinaikos BC OPAP announces the one-year agreement with Wesley Johnson.
Wesley JaMarr Johnson, who was born in July 11, 1987, played college basketball for Syracuse University and Iowa State University. He was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In high school, he averaged 15.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.3 blocks as a senior at Corsicana High School. He was a first-team all-district pick in 2004 and 2005. He also played for the Dallas Mustangs AAU team.
As a freshman at Iowa State, Johnson was named to the Big 12 all-Rookie team and earned honorable mention freshman All-America honors after averaging 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds, starting 30 of 31 games.
Johnson missed five games and played with an injured ankle throughout the majority of the season. He still was named an honorable mention all-Big 12 selection after averaging 12.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Johnson scored 20 points behind a 5-of-11 effort from 3-point range against eventual NCAA Champion Kansas.
He made the decision to transfer following the 2008 season, and selected Syracuse.
Johnson became a starter for the Orange in his first year with the team. He was named Big East Player of the Year on March 9, 2010, finishing with season averages of 16.0 points and 8.4 rebounds.
On April 12, 2010, Johnson declared himself eligible for the NBA draft, forgoing his final year of college eligibility.
Johnson was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 4th pick in the 2010 NBA draft. On March 18, 2011, Johnson scored a career-high 29 points on 11-for-21 shooting in a loss against the Los Angeles Lakers.
On July 27, 2012, Johnson was traded to the Phoenix Suns in a three-team deal. In his first game with the Suns, Johnson scored a three-pointer in a close victory against the Detroit Pistons. On March 1, 2013, Johnson scored a season high 15 points and added six rebounds and two steals in a 92–87 victory against the Atlanta Hawks.
On July 15, 2013, Johnson signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. In his first season with the Lakers, Johnson averaged career highs in points, rebounds, steals and blocks. On November 29, 2013, Johnson recorded 27 points, along with 6 rebounds and 3 blocks, in a 106–102 victory against the Detroit Pistons. He tallied four double-doubles over the course of the season, a career high. On July 28, 2014, Johnson re-signed with the Lakers on a one-year deal.
On July 9, 2015, Johnson signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers and on July 8, 2016, he re-signed with the Clippers.
On October 15, 2018, he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Alexis Ajinça.
On February 7, 2019, Johnson was traded to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Markieff Morris and a 2023 second-round pick.
Olympiacos announced the departure of David Blatt from the team on Sunday.
Olympiacos announced the end of their co-operation with coach David Blatt after one season.
The team’s discouraging performance against ASVEL in the EuroLeague opener added up to a peculiar season, thus it was decided that they will go on with a different coach in the bench.
“After a long and respectful talk between the team owners and me, we decided to part ways for the best interest of both sides. The time I spent in Greece with Olympiacos had substance and meaning. I feel grateful for the people and the family I found in here. I have nothing but respect for the administration, the players, the staff that I enjoyed working with and I wish them the best”, commented Blatt upon his departure.
Kestutis Kemzura will serve as the team’s interim coach for the upcoming EuroLeague game against Valencia.
Bad news for Zenit Saint-Petersburg, Gustavo Ayon and Andrey Zubkov.
Zenit Saint-Petersburg updated both Gustavo Ayon’s and Andrey Zubkov’s injury status on Monday via announcement. The 34-year-old center will remain out for one or two more weeks and the 28-year-old Russian forward will be sidelined for a few more months.
Ayon is out with a broken nose and is now awaiting for his facial mask. Afterwards will get back in action as soon as possible.
Zubkov’s medical test results on his adductor strain are pending. However, the Russian club is already expecting him to be out for several months.
Both players were injured in Zenit’s EuroLeague opener against ALBA Berlin at Germany.
Thinking about Baskonia ML. Khimki bought some interesting and well known players but their style is still the same and it's still all about Shved and his performance. When you have a player who has the freedom to do what he wants then you have a weak piece of the puzzle that helps other teams to analyze or at least to neutralize that one piece of the puzzle. So if Baskonia will be able to stop the Shved or Shved will have a bad shooting performance there is a lot of chance for Baskonia to fight for the victory. And the odds just great @2.80 Bet365
Jordi Bertomeu: We cannot be contaminated by what happens in domestic leagues
What happens in domestic leagues, stays at domestic leagues for Bertomeu.
EuroLeague CEO Jordi Bertomeu talked about the unprecedented decision of Olympiacos Piraeus to play only in continental games this season and not participate in any domestic competitions. Bertomeu said that the intention of EuroLeague is to not get involved in domestic league affairs.
“First of all, Olympiacos has to be read in terms of Greek problems. And as I said many months ago, we cannot be contaminated by what happens in domestic leagues. It’s a consequence of something going wrong in the Greek championship, and we don’t want to be involved. We don’t see this as an example, and not even a trend, for our clubs,” Bertomeu said when asked about the decision of Olympiacos in a press conference held in Tel Aviv, per EuroLeague Basketball. The presser was held also as a celebration of Maccabi legendary president Shimon Mizrahi’s 80th birthday.
Bertomeu added the following regarding EuroLeague’s relation with domestic leagues: “The fact that we stay at 18 teams and don’t go forward and expand to more than 18 is because 18, in our opinion, is a good balance between our distribution in the European territory, the quality of the teams, and compatibility with the domestic leagues. So if we would want to go further, it’d probably be a situation where our clubs would not be able to play their domestic leagues. If this happens, and when, is something that no one knows. And of course, I do not know.”
When asked about David Blatt’s departure from Olympiacos and his legacy, Bertomeu mentioned the following: “David is one of the most amazing persons that I’ve met in my short history in European basketball. In these 20 years, David impressed me many times. Of course as a coach, but last time we talked we only talked about how much he impressed me as a person. I think he’s a guy who’s teaching us all how to face not only difficulties but how to understand basketball in ways that go beyond the sport. It’s something that, to me, the way he can communicate – probably other colleagues have a similar vision – but the way he’s able to communicate these values is unique. Of course, we are not happy that he’s not on our courts, coaching a team, but that’s something that belongs to his personal life. Our duty as a league is to be sure that his conditions and everything goes in the right way. And, of course, while he’s not on the court, we miss him very much.”
Willie Reed is set for his first experience overseas.
Olympiacos added Willie Reed, the EuroLeague participant announced on Saturday morning. The 29-year-old American big was the primary target for the center position and had previously revealed his deal with the Greek club.
Following his NCAA tenure with Saint Louis, Reed went undrafted in 2011, still played in 152 NBA games between the Brooklyn Nets, the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Detroit Pistons. He spent the majority of his career in the G League posting 20.1 points and 11.2 rebounds for the Salt Lake City Stars per 2019-20 contest up to his season-ending shoulder injury in January.
As a part of the Reds, the Missouri native will get his first taste of European basketball as the back up for starting center Nikola Milutinov. He will not compete in the Greek domestic league as Olympiacos is currently in A2 its country’s second division reserving the first team solely for EuroLeague purposes.
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Taylor Rochestie officially inks with Olympiacos
The Reds add an experienced point guard in the form of Taylor Rochestie.
The Reds confirmed the addition of Taylor Rochestie via press release on Saturday. Eurohoops previously reported on the negotiations between the Reds and 34-year-old point guard.
After opening the day with the acquisition of Willie Reed, the EuroLeague participants doubled up with the California native, former Montenegrin national team player. Rochestie is a veteran of 75 EuroLeague games between five clubs, Olympiacos will be his sixth.
In 2015, the American guard won the Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy with Nizhny Novgorod. He also has 47 7DAYS EuroCup matches under his belt, but his most recent playing experience stems from the Chinese CBA and his 2018-19 stint with the Tianjin Gold Lions.
His new team is off to poor 1-3 start in EuroLeague’s regular season. Olympiacos recently tabbed Kestutis Kemzura for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, added both Rochestie and Reed as well.
ZAL: Marius Grigonis will undergo surgery on his injured foot and is expected to be out about three months
Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv vs. FC Bayern Munich
MUN: Dedovic (knee) will not play Thursday against Maccabi Tel Aviv
MUN: Huestis (knee) will not play Thursday against Maccabi Tel Aviv
AX Armani Exchange Milan vs. Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade
MIL: Micov suffered a right foot injury in a domestic league game Sunday
Real Madrid vs. Valencia Basket
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Zenit St Petersburg vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne
ZEN: Zenit St. Petersburg announced Wednesday that Voronov would be sidelined for 10-to-14 days with a broken nose
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. ALBA Berlin
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Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs. Olympiacos Piraeus
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KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul
BAS: Vildoza (shoulder) is not expected to play Friday against Efes
IST: Anadolu Efes chief executive Ergin Ataman said Wednesday that Dunston (arms) is continuing to receive treatment in Germany and is following a "two-to-three-week" recovery process
Malcolm Thomas inks deal with Fenerbahce Beko for the remainder of the season.
Following the departure of Vladimir Stimac, Fenerbahce Beko signed Malcolm Thomas for the rest of the 2019-20 season, the Turkish team informed via press release on Monday.
Previous EuroLeague experience of the San Diego State alum comes in the form of 79 games between Maccabi Tel Aviv back in the 2012-13 and Khimki Moscow Region the past couple of seasons, 2017-18 and 2018-19. Started his current campaign in China’s CBA with the Shanxi Loongs.
Additionally competed in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, and Philadelphia 76ers. His career so far includes stints in the G League and Puerto Rico as well.
His strong and athletic presence in the paint was brought to cover the gap left by Stimac in Zeljko Obradovic’s squad. Fener is currently 5-10 in EuroLeague, 10-3 in BSL.
Giorgos Bartzokas officially returns to Olympiacos
Bartzokas officially returns to Piraeus.
Olympiacos announced the return of Georgios Bartzokas to the team’s bench with a two and a half years deal, confirming Eurohoops’ prior reports, after parting ways with Kestutis Kemzura earlier on Sunday.
The Lithuanian coach thanked the team after his departure, stating the following: “It was a great honor to have worked for such a great team like Olympiacos. I want to thank the team’s presidents for giving me the chance to work here. I also want to thank the players and coaching staff. First and foremost they are great professionals and people. I wish the team succeeds in all of its goals”, Kemzura mentioned.
Bartzokas will make his return to Piraeus after the 2013-14 season and after leading the Reds to a EuroLeague trophy at the 2013 Final Four.
Prior to Bartzokas’ arrival, Kemzura took up head coach duties when the team parted ways with David Blatt at the beginning of the 2019-20 season.
Now Bartzokas is set to also make his return to EuroLeague, since his last stint in Khimki that ended in early 2019.
Stoudemire will play in EuroLeague for the first time in his career.
Maccabi Tel Aviv announced the addition of veteran NBA center and six-time All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire on a contract for the remainder of the season.
Stoudemire will compete in EuroLeague for the first time in his career. He previously played in Israel with Hapoel Jerusalem (of which he’s a shareholder) in 2016-2017 and 2018-2019.
Per Maccabi:
Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv signed Amar’e Stoudemire (37, 2.08m) until the end of the current season. The veteran forward-center comes with extensive experience at the highest levels of basketball and even after two terms in the Israeli Premier League, under which he can play as an Israeli.
Amar’e, who adopted the Hebrew name Jehoshaphat, recently played (from October 30 to mid-December) in the Chinese league in Fujian Sturgens, before returning to the United States and practicing in South Florida. Last season, as we recall, he played in the for Hapoel Jerusalem and was named April’s player of the month. He comes to Maccabi due to the injuries of Tarik Black and Omri Casspi and will join Othello Hunter, Jake Cohen and Quincy Acy in the front court.
“We are very pleased that Amare Stoudemire will wear the ‘heavy’ jersey of Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv”, Said Giannis Sfairopoulos to maccabi.co.il. “He is coming to help his new teammates and the team in the Israeli league and in the Euroleague. I want to welcome him to our team and in the Maccabi family. I want also to thank our owners for the extra add, one more during the season, with which they give to us everything for the success of the team”.
“I am Very humble for the opportunity, happy to be in Israel, the place that I love”, Stoudemire told maccabi.co.il. “I have a chance to play in the highest level in Europe, which is a dream come true”.
Amar’e Stoudemire was born on November 16th 1982 in Florida. He started playing team basketball only at the age of 14 and only for the last two years of high school stood out as a rising star. The dream of getting to the NBA led him to opt with the University of Memphis, but finally he went directly to 2002 NBA Draft and was picked ninth by Phoenix.
With the Suns, Stoudemire stood up from the beginning and his senior season provided 13.5 points and 8.8 per game, becoming the first to come directly from high school and was named Rookie of the Year in the NBA. The improvement continued and a year later he was included in the US Olympic roster, which finished with the 2004 bronze medal. In the 2004/5 season, Phoenix reached the Western Finals with a wonderful playoff ability – 29.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2 blocks per game.
Amar’e Stoudemire overcame a string of injuries and returned for another four seasons in Phoenix, before moving to New York in 2010. He played five seasons with the Knicks and later went on short terms in Dallas and Miami. He was selected 6 times for the all star game, once for the first team of the season (2007) and four times for the second. Apart from 846 regular season games and 78 in the playoffs, he also became a worldwide star, participated in films, launched a fashion line and even signed a book series contract.
Stoudemire’s connection to Israel was revealed in 2010, when he began to talk about his Jewish connection through his mother. He began studying, came closer to the Jewish community, served as assistant coach of the Canadian National Team to the Maccabiah games, launched a kosher wine line, adopted a Hebrew name (Jehoshaphat), acquired shares in Hapoel Jerusalem and in March 2019 was granted with an Israeli citizenship. He played with the reds from the capital during the 2016/17 and 2018/19 seasons and won with them the Winner Cup (2016), the Championship (2016) and the National Cup (2019).
Olympiacos announces the addition of Octavius Ellis
Octavius Ellis has officially joined Olympiacos
Olympiacos is looking to boost its efforts this season and they will count on Octavius Ellis to bring in the energy with a deal for the rest of the season.
Seeking to boost its chances in the race for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, Olympiacos Piraeus has announced the signing of big man Octavius Ellis for the rest of this season and the next one. Ellis (2.08 meters, 26 years old) has played all of this season with fellow Greek squad Promitheas Patras, with whom he has averaged 10.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in the 7DAYS EuroCup. He comes off season-best numbers of 21 points and 29 performance index rating in his last EuroCup game with Promitheas, a 68-70 home loss to Umana Reyer Venice last week. Ellis has previously played for Enisey Krasnoyarsk in Russia and Mornar Bar of Montenegro.
Real Madrid sees Anthony Randolph getting back on the floors.
Real Madrid will have forward Anthony Randolph available in the upcoming EuroLeague away game against Maccabi Tel Aviv for Round 22 of the regular season. He’s expected to make his 2020 debut vs. the Israeli team.
“Randolph practiced normally this week and we think he will be able to play,” Real Madrid coach Pablo Laso said, per AS. The American player had been sidelined with a muscle injury in the right soleus muscle in early January.
Real will look to return to wins in EuroLeague following back-to-back losses to CSKA Moscow and Khimki Moscow on the road plus Anadolu Efes at home. Maccabi won’t be an easy opponent. “It’s the most solid team,” Laso said. “Giannis Sfairopoulos has changed [them] a lot. They display a lot of defensive energy and have very athletic players in all positions. Wilbekin is very decisive in one vs. one and they have very big players at the “3” like Yovel Zoosman, Deni Avdija, and Angelo Caloiaro.”
Zoran Dragic back in EuroLeague, signs with Baskonia
KIROLBET Baskonia adds well-experienced Slovenian swingman, Zoran Dragic.
Zoran Dragic inked with KIROLBET Baskonia for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, the Spanish club announced on Thursday.
The 30-year-old Slovenian swingman, younger brother of NBA guard Goran, spent the first part of his 2019-20 campaign in Germany with ratiopharm Ulm. Averaged 14.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.1 steals per 7DAYS EuroCup appearance, but his team failed to advance to the Top 16 stage.
The veteran of 105 EuroLeague matches between Malaga, Khimki, Milan and Efes returns to Europe’s premier competition as top scorer in easyCredit BBL. Over 15 appearances in the German League poured 19.9 points per game to go along with his 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1 steal per contest.
Joining team on Saturday
Baskonia is currently 8-13 in EuroLeague, a couple of wins out of the playoffs. Up next Thursday’s Regular Season Round 22 road game versus Olympiacos that sits at 8-13 as well.
Newcomer Dragic is expected to debut on Saturday against Unicaja Malaga. Ahead of the ACB Regular Season Round 20 affair, Dusko Ivanovic’s side is 9-10 in the Spanish League.
Pierria Henry undergoes surgery
The Spanish side also announced that the scheduled operation for Pierria Henry was completed. No timetable for his recovery was set.
Newcomer for Olympiacos in the form of Shaquielle McKissic.
Olympiacos announced the addition of Shaquielle McKissic on Monday. Eurohoops previously reported that the Arizona State alum was finalizing a deal with the Greek powerhouse after leaving Besiktas Sompo Sigorta.
Following his time in Basketball Champions League and 7DAYS EuroCup, McKissic jumps to EuroLeague. Earned his spot in Europe’s premier club competition midway through his fifth campaign in the Old Continent.
The Reds were looking for a boost through their recent injury woes. The new addition finds Giorgos Bartzokas’ squad trailing the playoffs field by one win at 10-14.
With Besiktas, McKissic competed in 13 BCL tilts this season averaging 16.6 points, 4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.1 steals per appearance. Also posted 17.6 points per BSL contest.
There is still a transfer ban for Olympiacos in place by EuroLeague, but the situation was expected to be resolved.
Kalin Lucas back in EuroLeague, signs with Crvena Zvezda
Kalin Lucas announced his agreement with Crvena Zvezda mts.
Nearly a decade after his first and only EuroLeague experience, Kalin Lucas is back in Europe’s premier club competition. Crvena Zvezda mts announced his addition on Saturday confirming the players’ social media post on Friday.
Fresh off Michigan State, he tipped off his professional career with Olympiacos. Went on to play in Turkey and Israel aside NBA and G League, but never found his way back to EuroLeague. Over nine appearances with the Reds in 2011-12 averaged 5.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1 assist per game.
Lucas will meet Dragan Sakota’s side tied for tenth place in EuroLeague with a 10-14 W-L tally. The Serbian club is tied for third place in the ABA League with a 12-7 record.
Cologne, Germany will be the place to be next May.
The 2020 Final Four will take place in Cologne, Germany, EuroLeague informed via press release on Wednesday. The four best teams of Europe’s premier competition in the 2019-20 campaign will meet in Germany between May 22nd and May 24th.
Lanxess Arena of Germany’s fourth-largest city by population will gather European basketball’s elite to conclude the upcoming EuroLeague season. Cologne will host the Final Four for the first time with the fans at more than 18,000-seated venue witnessing the next champion.
Berlin previously hosted the Final Four in 2009 and 2016, but Cologne will become the second Germany city to host the event this center, the fourth city without a local EuroLeague club to receive the Final Four as well.
“To open a new decade dedicated to bringing the EuroLeague to new fans, we are proud to choose Cologne as our next Final Four host,” Jordi Bertomeu, President and CEO of Euroleague Basketball, took out. “After Prague in 2006, Paris in 2010 and London in 2013, we again bring the continent’s biggest basketball event to a new place where our sport has thrived so that fans there can see the best basketball in Europe where they live. At the same time, we could not have chosen a better arena or a more vibrant, welcoming city for the many fans who will travel to the Final Four from around the world.”