By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The captain of the Latvia senior national team Dairis Bertans is back for VEF Riga, ten years after his departure.
Bertans, 33, inked a two-year contract, the team announced Friday. He competed abroad over the last decade, including a brief stint in the NBA with 12 games played for the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2018-19 Regular Season. He is also a veteran of 123 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games to go along with 79 7DAYS EuroCup appearances. More European club continental competition as the reunion with his former team leads to his debut in the Basketball Champions League.
The older brother of Davis Bertans of the Oklahoma City Thunder has earned 126 caps with the senior national team of his country. The immediate challenge is the 2023 FIBA World Cup along with his brother, Kristaps Porzingis, and more Latvia stars, before the 2022-23 campaign at the club level.
Unicaja powers up with Kameron Taylor
Boosting their squad with the experience and explosiveness of Kameron Taylor, Unicaja further built on the championship bid in FIBA Europe’s top-tier club continental competition. The 28-year-old swingman will return to the BCL following the spells with SIG Strasbourg and Brose Bamberg amounting to 19 appearances. Last season, he tallied 14.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game in Spain’s Liga Endesa playing with Marc Gasol at Girona.
Re-signing multiple players from the 2022-23 squad, Kendrick Perry, Nihad Djedovic, Melvin Ejim, David Kravish, Tyler Kalinoski, Dylan Osetkowski, Augusto Lima, and Yankuba Sima will be running it back with the team based in Malaga. Head coach Ibon Navarro extended his contract as well.
Elijah Childs joins Ludwigsburg
On the way to the sixth Champions League campaign in team history, MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg penned Elijah Childs to a one-year contract. The Bradley product started his professional career in the second division of Italy and moved his talents to Denmark’s Bakken Bears for the 2022-23 season, making his way to eight BCL games with 10.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest.
Josh King’s squad already included Jonathan Bahre, Desure Buie, Eddy Edigin Jr., Jayvon Graves, Deion Hammond, Jacob Patrick, Johannes Patrick, Yorman Polas Bartolo, and Emmanuel Ogbo alongside double-licensed youngsters Aeneas Jung, Dominykas Pleta, and Nico Santa Mojica.
Javin DeLaurier lands in Vilnius
Completing the first summer addition, Rytas brought in Javin DeLaurier, a former player of the Milwaukee Bucks with one appearance in the 2021-22 NBA Regular Season. Playing for Hapoel Atsmon Holon, he produced 8.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest over nine appearances in the 2022-23 edition of the BCL. The Vilnius outfit previously re-upped 27-year-old swingman Gytis Radzevicius.
Fellow regular-season participant, Pinar Karsiyaka promoted 21-year-old Inanc Mert Hotamis to the senior squad.
Switching to the Qualifiers, Happy Casa Brindisi tabbed 26-year-old Wendell Mitchell and BG Gottingen secured the services of 24-year-old Grant Anticevich.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL