By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague has always been a force of attraction for NBA players who started to see their American dream sliding down, having less minutes than in their first apperances in the biggest league in the world, and needing places where to shine once again.
It happened, for example, with last year’s addition of Shabazz Napier to EA7 Emporio Armani Milano during the season, or in the past few years with players like Nikola Mirotic, Ignas Bradzeikis, or Dante Exum for example, coming back to Europe or starting a whole new adventure in the Old Continent.
In the summer of 2023, however, we’ve seen the biggest transposal of NBA players (European, American, or from other continents) to the EuroLeague, proving a whole new attraction by the biggest league here towards figures who want to move out from US soil. Let’s take a look at them.
Raul Neto – Fenerbahce
Age: 31 years old
NBA teams: Utah Jazz (2015-19), Philadelphia 76ers (2019-20), Washington Wizards (2020-22), and Cleveland Cavaliers (2022-23)
Stats in the 2022-23 season: 3.3 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game with the Cleveland Cavaliers
Before the clock in Brazil’s opening game at the 2023 FIBA World Cup against Iran could count 7:51 minutes in the third quarter, Raul Neto was proving to be his team’s leader being put in the starting lineup next to Yago dos Santos. However, that was the moment that saw his competition end.
Suffering a long-term and serious injury, rupturing his right knee’s patellar tendon, he couldn’t contribute to both Brazil’s following games in Group G and his newest team’s preparation ahead of the 2023-24 season. At the beginning of August, in fact, he signed a 1+1 contract with Fenerbahce.
Coming back to Europe after eight years, shining with UCAM Murcia in 2014-15 after being selected by the Utah Jazz with the 47th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Brazilian playmaker will be available for Dimitris Itoudis in a few months. Having played more than 300 games in the NBA between Utah, Philadelphia, Washington, and Cleveland, however, makes him enter the list.
Frank Jackson – ASVEL
Age: 25 years old
NBA teams: New Orleans Pelicans (2017-20), Detroit Pistons (2020-22), and Utah Jazz (2022-23)
Stats in the 2022-23 season: 21.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game with the Salt Lake City Stars in the G-League
Usually, we are used to seeing NBA players coming to Europe when they surpass the 30-year border, still in sufficient shape to make things work in the EuroLeague. The case of Frank Jackson, however, is different.
Struggling to find significant minutes in his last American experience with the Utah Jazz, being moved permanently to the Salt Lake City Stars, the 25-year-old guard proved to be an offensive force in the G-League, scoring 21.8 points per game and being his team’s highest-scorer.
Heading to one of the less prepared teams in the whole competition talent-wise, the former New Orleans Pelicans scorer will grow in terms of playmaking by a legend of the European game like Nando De Colo, stepping up on perimeter defense with Paris Lee as well, potentially.
Sterling Brown – ALBA Berlin
Age: 28 years old
NBA teams: Milwaukee Bucks (2017-20), Houston Rockets (2020-21), Dallas Mavericks (2021-22), and Los Angeles Lakers (2022-23)
Stats in the 2022-23 season: 14.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game with the Raptors 905 in the G-League
The ALBA Berlin project is always one of the most interesting sources at the starting grid of a EuroLeague calendar year. Without having the essential pieces to compete for a playoff spot – or Play-in, from this season -, they try to build stuff around young players to make them develop.
At the same time, often they rely on more experienced assets, with this year’s cases of Matt Thomas and Sterling Brown, for example. Talking about the 28-year-old American guard, he will indeed experience his first overseas season with the German side coached by Israel Gonzalez.
Selected with the 46th overall pick by Philadelphia in 2017, Shannon Brown’s younger brother has already been making strong statements in his first appearances with the yellow-and-blue team in the BBL, averaging 14.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in his first two official games in Germany.
Willy Hernangomez – FC Barcelona
Age: 29 years old
NBA teams: New York Knicks (2016-18), Charlotte Hornets (2018-20), and New Orleans Pelicans (2020-23)
Stats in the 2022-23 season: 6.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game with the New Orleans Pelicans
Leaving Real Madrid in 2016 to start his NBA experience with the New York Knicks, seeing Willy Hernangomez come back seven years later with Barcelona’s jersey feels at least weird.
Filling the gap following Nikola Mirotic’s departure in terms of game-personality inside of the Catalan locker room, the 29-year-old center could be finding himself perfectly with Roger Grimau’s playing style, which gives freedom to the players, especially in such an adjustment-needed time of the season.
Struggling against Walter Tavares in the Supercopa Endesa and Vincent Poirier in the first ACB’s Clasico of the season, he hasn’t been leaving an important mark so far for Barcelona against his former team and newest rivals. However, the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket MVP could likely be a cheat code back in his home country.
Juancho Hernangomez – Panathinaikos
Age: 28 years old
NBA teams: Denver Nuggets (2016-20), Minnesota Timberwolves (2020-21), Boston Celtics (2021-22), San Antonio Spurs (2021-22), Utah Jazz (2021-22), and Toronto Raptors (2022-23)
Stats in the 2022-23 season: 2.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game with the Toronto Raptors
If one Hernangomez makes a move, his brother follows. That’s what happened back in 2016 when Willy’s departure for New York came in the same summer as Juancho’s selection by the Denver Nuggets with the 15th overall pick in the NBA Draft. And that’s what happened this summer.
Being rumored to follow his older brother to Catalunya, the 28-year-old Spanish power forward eventually ended up being one of the most important faces of the new Panathinaikos coached by Ergin Ataman.
Fitting the Turkish head coach’s style of playing, likely being an effective shooting force from beyond the arc in P&P situations with the help of creation makers like Kostas Sloukas, Luca Vildoza, or Kyle Guy, the former Toronto Raptors big man can turn the Greek powerhouse up a notch even more.