By M. Bahadır Akgün, Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Another Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season is in the books, and as the domestic leagues are also coming to an end in the coming weeks, the fun begins for the supporters of the competition and it’s none other than the free agency!
Teams will roll up their sleeves to prepare for the new season with more hope and will try to sign the best possible players for their respective teams.
Just like every year, Eurohoops is bringing its readers a series of the Top 10 free agents in every position, starting with the point guards.
Note 1: Players who have an option in their current contracts are not included on the list.
Note 2: The list has been formed in random order.
Note 3: Players who have fleed Russian clubs and signed with non-Euroleague clubs are included.
Paris Lee (AS Monaco)
Age / Country: 27 / USA
EuroLeague Career: 1 season – 36 games
2021-22 EuroLeague Stats: 36 games | 7.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 7 PIR
Best Game: 19 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 26 PIR vs Olimpia Milano (Round 4)
Despite being a rookie both in Monaco and EuroLeague, Paris Lee did quite a good job this past season.
The US point guard, who started his European career in Belgium and continued with Brose Bamberg and Orleans, redeemed his good performances by signing with the 2021 EuroCup champions.
Lee, who increased his form, especially in the playoffs, had an important share in Monaco’s effort to force Game 5 in the playoffs series against Olympiacos.
According to Eurohoops sources, Paris Lee is expected to play for Panathinaikos next season, but he is included on our list since there’s no official announcement yet.
Nate Wolters (Crvena Zvezda)
Age / Country : 31 / USA
EuroLeague Career: 4 seasons – 101 games
2021-22 EuroLeague Stats: 31 games | 10.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 10.5 PIR
Best Game: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, 22 PIR vs Zenit St. Petersburg (Round 18)
We have been watching Nate Wolters for years now, and he has accumulated plenty of experience both in EuroLeague and the NBA.
Wolters has proven that he can contribute at the EuroLeague level and that he can deliver consistent performances for an excessive amount of time, though at times he has had a few rough moments.
The experienced guard successfully met the scoring expectations that were set upon him with Crvena Zvezda this season and became a key player in the team.
It’s still uncertain whether we will continue to see Walters, who shot 35.8% from the three-point line this past season, in EuroLeague next year, but it wouldn’t be surprising if that happens.
Lorenzo Brown (UNICS Kazan)
Age / Country: 31 / USA
EuroLeague Career: 3 seasons – 88 games
2021-22 EuroLeague Stats: 24 games | 13.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 17.3 PIR
Best Game: 27 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 33 PIR vs Barcelona (Round 17)
Unfortunately, we are all witnessing the effects of the tragedy following the military invasion of Russia in Ukraine, and as a result, this also affected the EuroLeague with the suspension of Russian clubs.
One of the players affected by this decision was Lorenzo Brown. The American guard showed that he can deliver well even in a club with “less” ambitions following his run in Fenerbahce.
And just like that, he turned himself into a start on multiple occasions, starting 23 of UNICS’s 24 games this season and his performance peaked in Round 17 against Barcelona.
While his major problem with turnovers remains, Brown has proven time and time again that he can be an important ball handler and a scoring threat in underdog teams.
Sergio Llull (Real Madrid)
Age / Country: 35 / Spain
EuroLeague Career: 15 seasons – 340 games
2021-22 EuroLeague Stats: 31 games | 8.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 5.5 PIR
Best Game: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 19 PIR vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (Playoffs Game 3)
It’s impossible to think of Sergio Llull without thinking of Real Madrid, and vice versa.
Llull, who had been chasing the NBA for years, rejected all these offers and decided to continue his career in Real Madrid. With the effect of his advancing age, his role in the team seemed to have decreased, though especially after Thomas Heurtel was cut from the rotation, the Spanish star started to stay on the field for important plays again.
The veteran player once again showed how much of a star he can still be when the most critical part of the season comes, and he broke his season record in PIR twice in the three games he played in the playoffs.
It wouldn’t be wise to think that Llull, who pushed Real to the championship game this year, will leave the club. However, even if that happens, it’s safe to say that he will attract many deals and continue his career in the EuroLeague.