By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
By winning the Eurocup, Galatasaray is now eligible to play in the 2016/2017 Euroleague. A participation that, according to the club’s General Manager, Omer Yalcinkaya “will attract players to Galatasaray in the course of time”.
In an interview for Galatasaray TV, Yalcinkaya provided some details concerning the priorities of the team for the upcoming season. He mentioned that “the team’s budget will be around 9.5 – 10 million dollars” and then continued saying that “we want to preserve our squad. That is why we have already offered contract extensions to Stephan Lasme, Blake Schilb and Errick McCollum. . Actually, Stephan Lasme’s agent arrived in Istanbul and said he has some nice offers from other clubs but their priority is Galatasaray right now. We hope to re-sign him. Chuck Davis is very likely to retire. If not, he will continue to play for us. Ergin Ataman has one more year on his contract with us. We are discussing about the next season’s plans every day so he will stay, there’s no doubt on that. Only a question regarding his tenure might arise at the end of next season when he might have to choose between national team and Galatasaray”.
But the “Cimbom” might also make an early move to extend Vladimir Micov’s contract, that is expiring next year. “We want to do that and negotiations might start from this summer on. He is happy in Istanbul and I think he won’t leave us”.
Players experienced in the Turkish Basketball Super League, like Adrien Moerman (Banvit) or Kenny Gabriel and Colton Iverson (Pinar Karsiyaka) have already been rumored to be of interest to Galatasaray: “We didn’t approach any of these players, but we are monitoring them”, explained Yalcinkaya. “The prices right now are a bit unrealistic. We’ll be patient on the market.