By Stelios Toromanidis, adapted by Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After withdrawing the participation of CSKA, Zenit, and UNICS from the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war, Euroleague Basketball excluded the Russian teams from the 2022-23 season. Consequently, departing players moved elsewhere to stay in the top club competition of the continent.
Rosters diminished and respective budgets drastically reduced as the aforementioned teams are preparing to focus on the VTB United League competition instead of combining it with EuroLeague, the usual route before the war. Players, including multiple household names of EuroLeague, moving on from Russia shifted the balance of power in Europe.
Eurohoops listed the outgoing players attached with the new destinations when available checking which teams benefited the most by improving respective squads entering the 2022-23 season.
CSKA’s 7, Zenit’s 5, UNICS’ 5 in EuroLeague and 3 free agents
Former players of CSKA, Zenit, and UNICS opting to stay in the EuroLeague amount to 17, signing with nine separate clubs. The offseason practically extended to March sending interested parties into the market as some players became available earlier than usual. Additional players surfacing in the normal offseason were snatched as well. Three more players are still free agents.
CSKA
Eight players left the Moscow outfit, the most compared to the other two Russian teams previously competing in EuroLeague. Some amicable departures and others not so much.
Joel Bolomboy, Tornike Shengelia, Gabriel Iffe Lundberg, and Daniel Hackett parted ways with CSKA last season. Bolomboy penned a one-year contract with Olympiacos this summer, while Shengelia and Hackett wrapped up the 2021-22 season together at Virtus Segafredo Bologna. Hackett signed a multi-year contract and Shengelia was out at the end of the season but is still a free agent and at the end of the day can be back for the Italian club. Lundberg also ended up in Bologna penning a two-year contract after a cup of tea with the Phoenix Suns in the NBA.
The other half of departures saw Will Clyburn moving to the back-to-back champion Anadolu Efes, Marius Grigonis joining Panathinaikos OPAP, and both Kevin Pangos and Johannes Voigtmann landing at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Voigtmann’s addition has yet to be officially confirmed by the Italian champions.
CSKA also parted ways with Dimitris Itoudis. The Greek tactician took over Fenerbahce Beko signing a three-year contract.