By Utkan Şahin and John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The EuroLeague offseason is up and running. Players might be concentrated on domestic league competition, but looking ahead to the next campaign of Europe’s premier competition Eurohoops compiled a list with the Top 10 point guards who will be free agents this summer.
The offseason and the movements of star players from one team to another provide excitement to the fans. Every EuroLeague side will attempt to sign the best possible players and have a bunch of point guards to choose from. Eurohoops starts the presentation of the Top free agents from the floor generals.
Milos Teodosic isn’t included in our list since he finished the season in the NBA but he will be on the agenda of various clubs. At least five more playmakers able to change the fate of any team will be available.
Note: Players with options in their contract are also included. Here’s the full FA list.
Stefan Markovic (Khimki Moscow Region)
Age / Nationality: 31 / Serbia
EuroLeague Career: 4 seasons – 91 games
2018-19 Stats: 27 games, 6.1 points, 4.4 assists, 2.1 rebounds, 7.9 PIR
Best Performance: 14 points, 6 assists versus KIROLBET Baskonia (Round 16)
Khimki Moscow Region certainly presented its challenges for Stefan Markovic. Playing alongside Alexey Shved didn’t allow the Serbian guard to impose his will on the court, but he did showcase his creative skills with 4.4 dimes per EuroLeague game, enough for 11th place in the 2018-19 list of players with the most assists.
Markovic, 31, is gaining on the time for a decision on his next step. He was rumored to leave Khimki even before his contract ended. In the next coming months he will indeed have the opportunity to set a new direction for his career.
Stefan Jovic (FC Bayern Munich)
Age / Nationality: 28 / Serbia
EuroLeague Career: 4 seasons – 92 games
2018-19 Stats: 23 games, 8.3 points, 4.6 assists, 2.1 rebounds, 10.2 PIR
Best Performance: 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists versus Fenerbahce Beko (Round 21)
Stefan Jovic is the player with the most assists in a single EuroLeague match and will be a free agent this summer. Reuniting with Dejan Radonjic in FC Bayern Munich led him to the best EuroLeague season of his career.
His 8.3 points per contest combined with 4.6 dimes per game and his ability to control the pace of the game makes him a valuable asset for any EuroLeague side. His court-vision provides a significant advantage for his team in spite of his poor shooting percentages.
Bayern would certainly like to keep him, but nobody can be certain on what the future holds for the Serbian playmaker. The final decision on his free agency will be his to make.
Janis Strelnieks (Olympiacos)
Age / Nationality: 29 / Latvia
EuroLeague Career: 5 seasons – 110 games
2018-19 Stats: 20 games, 8.8 points, 2 assists, 1.9 rebounds, 8.3 PIR
Best Performance: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists versus Panathinaikos OPAP (Round 16)
Upon a disastrous season for Olympiacos, Janis Strelnieks is set to become a free agent. His 2018-19 campaign ended prematurely due to injury, but he was certainly effective on the court during the first twenty games of the season.
The Reds were the fourth worst offensive team in EuroLeague, but the 29-year-old Latvian ranked third among the guards with an attack rate of 127.8. It’s safe to estimate that his team would probably make the Playoffs if he remained healthy.
Strelnieks joined Olympiacos a couple of years ago with the EuroLeague Championship on his mind but didn’t find what he was looking for. His future is now uncertain, but he can be useful for any side with aspirations to go all the way during the 2019-20 campaign.