By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Two new players for Valencia, Ethan Happ and Matt Costello inked two-year deals to complete a move to the Taronges on Tuesday. The 28-year-old forward/center continues in the BKT EuroCup following 17 appearances with Dreamland Gran Canaria in the 2023-24 season. The 30-year-old center logged 17 games played with Herbalife Gran Canaria in the 2020-21 edition of the league, before drawing 94 features in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague as a member of Baskonia over the next three years. Preparing for the 2024-25 installment of EuroCup, Valencia already added Brancou Badio and Nate Sestina.
Conor Morgan was the latest boost to Besiktas Fibabanka. The 29-year-old forward/center is a veteran of 81 games played in the second tier of Euroleague Basketball, including 22 with the London Lions last season. At the team based in Istanbul, he is set to join Yigit Arslan, Kerem Konan, Kelan Martin, Derek Needham, Dustin Sleva, Emanuel Terry, Berk Ugurlu, and Samet Yigitoglu.
French import Pierre Pelos extended his contract with Gran Canaria until the end of the 2024-25 season. Last season, the 31-year-old forward upped his total of games played in the EuroCup to 70, following 51 with JL Bourg between 2020 and 2023. Carlos Alocen and Caleb Homesley are confirmed summer reinforcements for the Canary Islands outfit.
From Bayern to Hamburg and Ulm
Moving from FC Bayern Munich and 33 features in the EuroLeague, 28-year-old Niklas Wimberg signed a two-year contract to join Veolia Towers Hamburg and return to the EuroCup after eight years. The Towers also signed 24-year-old Keondre Kennedy for the next season. Previous additions were Jared Grey, Kur Kuath, Kenneth Ogbe, Osaro Rich, and Benedikt Turudic.
Another departure from Bayern, 25-year-old Nelson Weidemann moved to ratiopharm Ulm on a two-year deal. He logged six appearances in the premier club continental competition of the Old Continent with the Munich outfit. Earlier in the offseason, youngster Ben Saraf opened summer signings for the Sparrows.
Elsewhere in the EuroCup field, Turk Telekom signed 19-year-old Kaan Berk Tarla. Mahir Agva, Ismet Akpinar, Javon Bess, Anthony Brown, Vassilis Charalampopoulos, Berkan Durmaz, and Max Heidegger were the previous arrivals for the Ankara outfit, besides reuniting with head coach Erdem Can.
Also, Wolves tabbed Alessandro Magro as the new head coach. The Italian tactician penned a 1+1 contract.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net