Historic NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion and two-time NBA G League MVP Mac McClung is drawing serious interest from EuroLeague clubs and teams across Europe, BasketNews sources tell. According to sources, the 27-year-old guard is increasingly likely to continue his career in Europe after spending the past several seasons pursuing a full-time NBA opportunity. Multiple EuroLeague clubs have expressed interest in signing McClung, per BasketNews sources.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Mac McClung headed to Europe?

#sources #euroleague #historic

Former Utah Jazz wing Johnny Juzang has left the NBA – at least, for now – and will continue his career in Turkey next season.
Juzang has signed with EuroLeague side Fenerbahce, whose name gets almost invariably attached to all fringe NBA players at some point, yet who have already officially announced this deal. It gives the 25-year-old swingman an opportunity to further establish himself overseas following four NBA seasons, three of which came with the Jazz – including by far his best one as a professional to date.
Johnny Juzang Fenerbahçe’de! 💛💙
Fenerbahçe Erkek Basketbol Takımımız, Amerikalı forvet Johnny Juzang (2.01cm – 2001) ile 1 yıllık anlaşmaya varmıştır.
Amerika Kolej Ligi’nde Kentucky (2019-20) ve UCLA (2020-22) formaları giyen Johnny Juzang, 2021 yılında UCLA formasıyla… pic.twitter.com/1lfXtvCToV

#jazz #utah

A former three-year Duke Blue Devil recently signed a professional contract overseas after a four-year NBA career. According to BasketNews, Wendell Moore Jr. will be joining Italian basketball club Virtus Bologna. Virtus Bologna competes in the EuroLeague and topped the Italian basketball league (LBA) standings last season with a 23-5 record.
After earning North Carolina Mr. Basketball honors during his senior season at ******* Mill High School, Moore Jr. went on to average 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 ******* ists and 1.2 steals in three seasons at Duke. Moore Jr. was then selected No. 26 overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2022 NBA Draft.
In four NBA seasons, Moore Jr. played a total of 96 games for three different franchises: the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets. In those games, he averaged 2.3 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.7 ******* ists, 0.3 steals and 0.3 blocks in 8.2 minutes per game.
This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Former Duke first-rounder leaves NBA to sign pro contract overseas

#Basketball #italian #year #contract

Chris Paul recalls the shock he felt from Victor Wembanyama's past as an academy player originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
During one year with the San Antonio Spurs, Chris Paul became a valuable mentor for his younger teammates. He was by far the oldest player on the roster, so he was naturally the leader the players turned to for advice.
The biggest beneficiaries of that were the youngsters from the 2024-25 Spurs team: Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. In fact, Wembanyama always hung out with Paul, as they even went to France to train. Wemby himself told Paul about his past as an academy player, which left Paul gobsmacked.
As a player who grew up in the United States, Paul had an established path to the NBA. That is playing through high school, getting recruited to play college basketball, and then getting drafted to the NBA. That has been a long-standing path to the league, but the rise of international players has shown there are other ways to reach the NBA.
For a long time, European players have made their way to becoming top players by grinding it out in the EuroLeague and other leagues around the world. In recent years, many European players have gone through the academy system, which helps develop younger athletes to become the best versions of themselves.

#players

Despite reports linking Hezonja with other EuroLeague clubs, BasketNews sources maintain that his future lies in the NBA. Hezonja reportedly rejected offers from three EuroLeague teams to sign conditional contracts that would have become active only if his NBA return ended prematurely. The 31-year-old was confident enough in his ability to establish himself in the league that he viewed such negotiations as unnecessary. Returning to the NBA has been Hezonja's goal for several years, which is why he negotiated an NBA exit clause into his Real Madrid contract.
BasketNews
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Despite reports linking Hezonja with other EuroLeague …

#euroleague #returning

Wembanyama joined a list of 2K cover athletes that also includes Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Luka Dončić. He played the game growing up with his brother and uncle in France. He fondly recalls the time EuroLeague teams were added to the game in 2K14. "I know it means a lot culturally, too," Wembanyama said. "It's hard to realize for me that I'm taking more and more ****** e, more real estate in the world of basketball, in what basketball means, in professional basketball."
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "I know it means a lot culturally, too," Wembanyama …

#means #jordan #shaquille #o 'neal

PODGORICA, Montenegro — Budućnost Voli announced Friday the signing of former Iowa State standout Marial Shayok for the upcoming season.
Shayok, a 6-foot-6 wing who can play both shooting guard and small forward, arrives in Podgorica with a résumé that includes experience in the NBA, EuroLeague and top-tier international competition.
The 28-year-old recently gained global attention for his performance with the South Sudan national team, where he helped the squad secure its first-ever Olympic berth.
During the 2024 Paris Olympics, Shayok averaged 14.7 points and 3.7 rebounds. His profile rose significantly during a pre-Olympic exhibition against the United States, where he scored 25 points and made six 3-pointers against a roster of NBA stars.
He also averaged 13.2 points during the 2023 World Cup.

#averaged #budu

Gonzaga basketball suffered an unexpected loss from its starting lineup ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Starting point guard Mario Saint-Supéry officially signed with Valencia, a Spanish club in EuroLeague, on Saturday, July 11. The move leaves the Bulldogs without an established point guard next season, and they can't get an experienced replacement with the transfer portal closed.
REQUIRED READING: Nikola Kusturica, potential No. 1 pick in 2028, signs with UCLA basketball
The All-WCC freshman team honoree averaged 8.6 points with 2.8 rebounds and 3.8 **** ists per game last season on 41% shooting as a true freshman, starting 17 of Gonzaga's 35 games. He's reportedly signing a four-year deal with the club.
"Zag nation, thanks for everything," he wrote on Instagram.

Had to take some time to cool off, gather everything together. Point guard Mario Saint-Supery announced on his Instagram that he’s leaving the Gonzaga Bulldogs program to return to his home country of Spain. The 20-year-old will now play for Valencia Basket in the Liga ACB for a reported north of $15 million on a four-year deal, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norelander, making him one of the highest-paid players in all of Europe.
Making this decision at this point in the offseason shows a lack of loyalty and character from a more than talented floor leader who was expected to have a national breakout season with the Zags in his sophomore campaign. At least when forward/center Filip Petrusev left Gonzaga after the 2019-20 season to play for the ABA League’s Mega Basket, he was present in his native country of Serbia, and did it right before the official offseason workouts began in the summer. Saint-Supery coming back to Spokane, Washington, for Domantas Sabonis’ ceremony after playing with Spain in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers is really an inconsiderate, deliberate action.
He blindsided coach Mark Few. It puts the staff in a hole, scrambling to find more help at the lead guard spot with a decimated NCAA transfer portal pool. Not to mention hurting his former teammates, especially regarding sophomore wing Davis Fogle and sophomore center Massamba Diop’s NBA Draft stock. Saint-Supery was practicing with all the Zags just 24 hours before and gave the out-of-the-blue news late last night.
This looks to be the future now when dealing with international prospects, bidding wars with EuroLeague teams who have more funds than the Pacific Northwest institution. Name, Image, and Likeness or NIL in the NCAA has hurt the integrity of college basketball.
Gonzaga’s updated roster count is now 13 of the 15 potential spots filled. New starting lineup looks like:

In a shocking development, Gonzaga will go into the 2026-27 men’s college basketball season without its starting point guard.
Sophomore Mario Saint-Supéry has opted to sign with Euroleague squad Valencia instead of returning to Spokane, Washington — and just four months before the upcoming season tips off. Valencia announced the signing on social media and Saint-Supery said goodbye to the Bulldogs and their fans with an Instagram post.
According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, Saint-Supery has agreed to a four-year deal worth $15 million to play in Spain.
Saint-Supery’s decision comes less than two weeks after Gonzaga officially joined the newly formed Pac-12 conference as a member in men’s and women’s basketball, in addition to Olympic sports.
Several college basketball ***** ysts and observers projected the Bulldogs to be ranked among the top 10 to 15 teams in the nation before the 2026-27 season tips off. But a team that already looked to be thin in the backcourt, especially early in the season, has lost its starting point guard.

Hapoel Tel Aviv announced a major signing from the NBA for the upcoming EuroLeague season. The club officially confirmed the arrival of former Los Angeles Clippers forward Amir Coffey on a one-year deal.
BasketNews
These deals bothered Doc Rivers and other coaches, as they felt the organization had bowed too much to appease their star player. To them, Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted things both ways. "Giannis said so many things," a former coach said, "It stems from your actions, which is, 'My brothers have to be on this team.' Well then, are you about a championship? 'Cause they're not only not helping us win a championship, it's creating dissension." Jon Horst, meanwhile, appeared to try to appease Rivers with a different preferred player. The Bucks signed Amir Coffey, who began his career under Rivers with the Clippers. The team would cut former draft picks Chris Livingston and Tyler Smith to make room for the veteran. — 6/24/2026 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
The Suns have upgraded Amir Coffey (left ankle sprain) to available for Sunday's game against Chicago. — 4/5/2026 HoopsHype

Amidst a breakout season in the WNBA, Jessica Shepard has garnered the interest of other professional basketball leagues.
For the first time, Shepard will play in Unrivaled during this upcoming offseason. The 3-on-3 women’s basketball league announced Wednesday, June 8 that they signed Shepard to a multi-year deal, a week after she was named as a starter in the WNBA All-Star game for the first time ever.
Shepard has previously spent her offseasons playing in Europe, most recently for clubs in Greece and Italy. She was named All-EuroLeague Second Team this past spring and in 2025 was the All-Greek A1 Player of the Year.
“I am really excited to be joining Unrivaled for the coming seasons. I’ve heard nothing but great things since the league started,” Shepard said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to competing and playing with the best players in the world in a different setting, as well as developing my game.”
More: WNBA power rankings: Who is the team MVP at the midway point?

A pair of former Boston Celtics big men are looking like they might need to return to Europe to secure their next contract, but both understandably would prefer to remain in the NBA. Former Boston big man Guerschon Yabusele has not had the same success he had in his first season back in the league after moving on to the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls. But for at least the Dancing Bear, a Europe return is more of a last resort. "I will never say no," explained Yabusele in a recent interview. "I will never say no."
"But where it has to be clarified is that for me today, it is the NBA first," he added. "Why? Very simple. If the NBA, I do not go back there this summer, let’s say, I think it is going to be finished. We all agree. I do not think I would have a second chance to be able to go back."
A similar point of view is shared by Celtics center alum Nikola Vucevic. "My focus is truly on the NBA; my desire is to stay there.," said Vooch. "As I’ve said before, it is the best league. I’ve been there for 15 years and I would like to stay there until the end; I believe I still have a place there and the quality to play at a high level."
"Regarding Red Star (Euroleague ball club Zvezda), I’ve said before that if I ever decide to return to Europe, Zvezda would be one of the favorites—everyone knows that," added Vucevic. "But for now, that really isn't the focus."
"I don't want to create unrealistic desires or expectations among fans, or to sell them some false story or 'hype' them up. I’ve cheered for Zvezda since I was little, my father cheered for Zvezda, and that’s how it started. If I ever returned, Zvezda would be a favorite, but for now, it is not in the plan."

Former Spurs first-round pick poised for NBA return after dominant EuroLeague run originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The NBA journey of one of the San Antonio Spurs' former first-round picks may not be over after all.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, former Spurs guard Lonnie Walker IV may draw interest from NBA teams this summer. Walker played for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague last season. However, NBA franchises only limited window to bring him back.
Actually Walker's contract reportedly includes an NBA out clause. The star guard can enforce this clause if he is signed by an NBA team before July 15.
Walker drawing some interest has a lot to do with his EuroLeague average of 15.2 points per game. His production plus his skillset with the ball in his hands can probably land him back in the league.

The road to another championship is underway for the New York Knicks.
A little over a week after winning their first NBA championship in 53 years, the Knicks made their first roster addition. The organization went international with Sergio de Larrea as their first-round pick, No. 25 overall, in the 2026 NBA Draft.
De Larrea is a 20-year-old guard from Spain who played at Valencia in the EuroLeague last season. He averaged seven points per game while shooting 42 percent from three last season, per ESPN's draft broadcast.
It is not yet known whether he will come over to the NBA for the upcoming season.
The Knicks entered the night with the No. 24 pick, but traded back one spot with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Why the Knicks selected Sergio De Larrea with No. 25 pick in 2026 NBA Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It's only fair to say that this is the most exciting month in New York Knicks history. Winning their first NBA Finals in 53 years, there's absolutely nothing that anybody can tell any Knicks fan right now.
They feel great about everything that's gone on over the past few years, and after selecting Sergio De Larrea with the No. 25 pick, it's only fair to say things only look brighter than they already did.
De Larrea, who some might not know due to being a foreign prospect, played in the EuroLeague. He's a 6-foot-5 forward who is 20 years old and has shown some promise on offense, averaging 9.7 points per game in Liga ACB for Valencia last year.
He shot 40.7% from 3-point range on 3.3 attempts per game this past season.

Duke tends to rank among the universities with the most NBA draft picks, as a recent wave of Duke prospects, including both Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, have turned heads since entering the NBA. However, over the years, there have been many Duke alumni considered busts after their NBA careers didn't quite go as planned.
A recent list made by Bleacher Report ranked the top 99 draft busts of all time between the four major sports (NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL), and there were three former Duke basketball players on the list.
Jabari Parker was ranked 57th on Bleacher Report's list after being selected No. 2 overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014. After one tremendous campaign with the Blue Devils, averaging 19.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.2 **** ists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks, hopes were high for Parker entering the draft. Unfortunately for Parker, injuries got the better of him throughout his NBA career, tearing his left ACL twice in nearly three years. While Parker did average over 20 points per game in one of his eight NBA seasons, his numbers took a huge hit following the 2019-20 season, ending his NBA career much sooner than originally anticipated. The 31-year-old is still active today, playing for Partizan Belgrade of the EuroLeague.
In the draft class following Parker's, Duke produced another top-three pick in Jahlil Okafor, who went No. 3 overall to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2015. After a dominant rookie campaign, averaging 17.5 points per game, seven rebounds, 1.2 **** ists and 1.2 blocks, Okafor would never be the same player again. This was due in large part due to how quickly the NBA changed, setting aside long post-up possessions in the paint and adopting a heavy dose of transition 3-pointers early in the shot clock. After three seasons away from the NBA from 2021 to 2024, Okafor came back to appear in one game for the Indiana Pacers but played just three minutes. Okafor was recently at Coach K's "K-Camp" this summer and most recently played professionally in **** an for Levanga Hokkaido.
Although Parker and Okafor were great for Duke, one could certainly argue that Marvin Bagley III was even better. In his lone season with Duke, Bagley III averaged 21 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.5 **** ists, 0.9 blocks and 0.8 steals while shooting over 61% from the field. This led to him being named the No. 2 overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft, ahead of future stars like Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Starting out with the Kings, Bagley has yet to surpass the points, rebounds and **** ists numbers he put up as a rookie. While Bagley III didn't live up to the original hype, he hasn't had a bad career by any means, still playing in the NBA and averaging 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.3 **** ists over eight seasons.

Panathinaikos announced on Tuesday that they have officially ended their cooperation with Kenneth Faried, who played for the club last season. Faried joined Panathinaikos at the start of the season when Ergin Ataman’s team had many problems in the center position. Right from the start, he was more than impressive, being named EuroLeague’s MVP for the month of November.
EuroHoops.net
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Panathinaikos announced on Tuesday that they have …

Q. Do you see an agreement between the NBA and the Euroleague possible for the creation of a new unified tournament? George Aivazoglou: I would say I see it the same way I have seen it for a while. The NBA has been very consistent that it wants to get involved with the Euroleague, and with all the European players, and bring them together as part of this new effort. I would say that the last few months have been very encouraging, with my good friend Chus Bueno. We have been in contact very often. We were together a few days ago in Geneva, and there is a very positive and very healthy exchange. From there, I would say, and Adam Silver and Mark Tatum also mentioned this, the NBA's decision is to move forward with this tournament with or without the Euroleague. But right now, there is a lot of focus, a lot of intention and energy going into those discussions, which will hopefully lead to a very positive outcome. But we still have a lot of work to do, that's the honest answer.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: George Aivazoglou: NBA will move forward in Europe with or without the Euroleague

Eight-year WNBA veteran Gabby Williams has signed a multiyear contract with Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league announced on Thursday.
Williams, 29, did not play with Unrivaled for the league’s first two seasons while she played with Fenerbahçe SK in FIBA EuroLeague Women in 2025 and 2026. During the past two seasons with Fenerbahçe, Williams earned first-team and second-team All-EuroLeague honors and was twice named Defensive Player of the Year.
This season is Williams’ first with the Golden State Valkyries after she played the past four years with the Seattle Storm. She is currently averaging a career-high 16.3 points and shooting 38% on 82 3-point attempts.
Last season, the 5-foot-11 forward registered 99 steals, tying for the second-most for a season in WNBA history (and finishing one behind the record set in 1998 by Teresa Witherspoon). She finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind co-winners Alanna Smith and A’ja Wilson.
Williams was originally the 2018 first-round pick of the Chicago Sky (No. 4 overall) out of UConn. She played three years for the Sky before missing the 2021 season while playing for the French Olympic team. Chicago suspended her for being unavailable and traded her to the Los Angeles Sparks. However, due to her suspension, she never played there and was traded before the 2022 season to the Storm.

Georgia basketball's record NIL donor slams NCAA for LSU's NBA roster: 'I think its a joke' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The LSU Tigers have gone the unconventional route under Will Wade's second stint in Baton Rouge. They’ve handled their offseason by adding five players who come from a professional background, most of whom were already drafted and played in the NBA.
Players currently signed to LSU’s roster for the 2026-27 season that fit that professional background are RJ Luis (NBA G-League), Yam Madar (2020 NBA Draft class), Brice Dessert (EuroLeague), Marcio Santos (EuroLeague), and Saliou Niang (2025 NBA 2nd round pick).
With their pro-loaded roster, a notable name in the SEC circle, Adam Wexler, the founder of PrizePicks and CEO of Hidden Jams, and a 2007 Georgia alumni weighed in after making the single largest donation to the athletic program in support of the men’s basketball team.
“I think it's a joke. I'm a huge supporter of college athletes getting paid, but at some point there has to be a line between college and professional sports,” Wexler told The Sporting News. “I don't necessarily blame the schools or programs that are pushing the boundaries. They're operating within the rules that exist. The real issue is that the NCAA hasn't established clear guardrails around what college sports are supposed to be.”