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.
PJ Dozier – Partizan Belgrade
Age: 26 years old
NBA teams: Oklahoma City Thunder (2017-18), Boston Celtics (2018-19), Denver Nuggets (2019-22), Sacramento Kings (2022-23)
Stats in the 2022-23 season: 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game with the Iowa Wolves in the G-League – 1.4 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game with the Sacramento Kings
For one guy like Dante Exym who leaves Partizan Belgrade to come back to the NBA – but with the promise of rejoining the Serbian powerhouse eventually in the future -, there’s another versatile and tall guard who will play next to Kevin Punter in the Stark Arena this year.
After a call with his former teammate in Denver Nikola Jokic, in which the Joker pushed him to find his way to the EuroLeague, PJ Dozier has arrived on the Old Continent by making his first game experience in the aesthetic atmosphere of the outdoor-friendly game against Fuenlabrada organized to celebrate the bond between the two teams.
Scoring machine in the G-League with several teams in the past few years, with an improved margin in shooting from downtown, the 26-year-old can surprise a lot of people with his athleticism and verticality, making Zeljko Obradovic‘s team even stronger and more unpredictable.
Jabari Parker – FC Barcelona
Age: 28 years old
NBA teams: Milwaukee Bucks (2014-18), Chicago Bulls (2018-19), Washington Wizards (2018-19), Atlanta Hawks (2019-20), Sacramento Kings (2020-21), and Boston Celtics (2021-22)
Stats in the 2022-23 season: /
The gap between the best-case scenario and the eventual disaster is as wide as it looks, but just seeing Jabari Parker play in the EuroLeague is something out of the ordinary.
2nd overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Duke Blue Devils product seemed the right guy to finally make the Milwaukee Bucks special. One Greek Freak took that spot, and then the American forward found himself in a vortex of long-term ACL injuries and lack of playing time in the league.
His move to Barcelona was impossible to predict, especially because the Catalan side was looking for a replacement after Nikola Mirotic’s leaving and eventual signing with Milano. Injury-prone and maybe not used to what the EuroLeague can offer, but surely an exciting move at the starting grid.
Serge Ibaka – Bayern Munich
Age: 34 years old
NBA teams: Oklahoma City Thunder (2009-16), Orlando Magic (2016-17), Toronto Raptors (2017-20), Los Angeles Clippers (2020-22), and Milwaukee Bucks (2022-23)
Stats in the 2022-23 season: 4.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game with the Milwaukee Bucks
Before this summer, not even a single Bayern Munich fan could have thought that the 2011 NBA Lockout would have been necessary to bring to Bavaria one of the most important players Germany has ever seen.
Instead, having played those six games under Pablo Laso in Real Madrid may have played a significant role in Serge Ibaka’s decision to sign with the German team, who has entered a new era with the start of a growing process under the legendary Spanish head coach.
Bringing unprecedented defensive ability in a strong and physical frontcourt composed also of Freddie Gillespie and the returning Devin Booker, the 34-year-old could have limited playing time, but whatever he can offer to the table will benefit the success of Bayern Munich in this year’s EuroLeague.
Frank Kaminsky – Partizan Belgrade
Age: 30 years old
NBA teams: Charlotte Hornets (2015-19), Phoenix Suns (2019-22), Atlanta Hawks (2022-23), and Houston Rockets (2022-23)
Stats in the 2022-23 season: 2.5 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game with the Atlanta Hawks and the Houston Rockets
Replacing one of the strongest centers in last year’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in Mathias Lessort won’t be an easy task, but Frank Kaminsky surely looks like a dope addition to an already strong and well-built Partizan Belgrade.
Similar profile to what Alen Smailagic could offer last season – being particularly effective in stretching the floor against a dominant force in the paint like Edy Tavares -, the 30-year-old brings a different and new dynamic in the 5 position to the black-and-white Serbian powerhouse.
Right after the friendly game against Fuenlabrada mentioned earlier, the former Charlotte Hornets and Phoenix Suns center said that it was “One of the coolest games” he’s “ever played in”, and he followed with a statement. “Partizan fans are amazing”, he continued. And it was only a preseason-friendly game. Frank must be excited about what’s coming in the EuroLeague.
Kemba Walker – AS Monaco
Age: 33 years old
NBA teams: Charlotte Bobcats (2011-14), Charlotte Hornets (2014-19), Boston Celtics (2019-21), New York Knicks (2021-22), and Dallas Mavericks (2022-23)
Stats in the 2022-23 season: 8.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game with the Dallas Mavericks
At the beginning of the 2022-23 season, Jordan Loyd said at least three basketballs were needed in Monaco to handle a backcourt composed of himself, Mike James, and Elie Okobo. This summer, however, the Monegasque team made what’s called an unprecedented upgrade.
Out of nowhere, Sasa Obradovic‘s team was able to bring to Europe one of the most exciting and flashiest American guards of the modern NBA era, playing his first season out of the league to get the first-ever EuroLeague trophy to the red-and-white team, who reached the Final Four last season.
“I’m just here to play basketball. I’ve been on new teams plenty of times, I don’t look at it any differently. I know how good of a league it is, everything doesn’t have to be the NBA. EuroLeague is one of the best basketball leagues in the world, I’m happy to be here“, the four-time All-Star guard said in an exclusive interview with Eurohoops. Welcome to the Kemba Walker show, EuroLeague world.
PHOTO CREDITS: Getty Images, Barcelona Basket, 2023 FIBA World Cup, AS Monaco Basket