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EuroLeague transfer window: eight players who could be on the radar / News - Basketnews.com

nqajqrqw7months ago (05-17)Tennis Life111

BasketNews compiled a list of eight players that could be interesting targets for other EuroLeague teams.

Credit: Imago-Images/Nikola Krstic/MB Media - GettyImages - Scanpix Credit Imago-Images/Nikola Krstic/MB Media - GettyImages - Scanpix

The EuroLeague doesn't have as exciting deadlines as the NBA. But the current transfer window that will open on December 30 could result in some moves in the market.

EuroLeague rules allow players to switch teams between the regular season Rounds 16 and 18 until Wednesday at 18:00 CET (January 9).

BasketNews has compiled a list of players that other EuroLeague teams could target.

This list is not necessarily related to players or their teams looking to part ways before the deadline. It's rather an observation of their current roles and potential to improve other teams with their strengths for the second part of the season.

Deshaun Thomas

Credit Imago-Images - Scanpix

What seemed like a good fit on paper has not translated onto the court for Deshaun Thomas in Milan.

The 2.01m forward has only averaged 3.4 points in 10 minutes per game and has not scored in double digits in the ten games played so far this season.

This is a far cry from his 9.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, and 40% 3-point shooting from last season with Bayern Munich. This is also a career low for the eight-year EuroLeague veteran.

However, Thomas has the experience and skills to be much more efficient for any other EuroLeague team.

Last year, he scored 25 points in Game 2 of the Barcelona playoff series, helping to steal the home-court advantage from the top-seeded regular season team.

He also had solid performances in close games against CSKA (17 points) and a win against Anadolu Efes (18 points), showing that he can be trusted in the biggest matchups of the season.

An experienced forward that can stretch the floor will always find a place in the EuroLeague.

Top 5 worst teams by 3-point percentage (per BBallytics):

Team 3P% Offensive rating (rank) 14. Maccabi Tel Aviv 34.6% 115.0 (8) 15. Zalgiris Kaunas 34.1% 108.8 (11) 16. AS Monaco 33.5% 115.5 (7) 17.EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 33.3% 99.4 (18) 18. Crvena Zvezda Belgrade 32.5% 105.7 (16)

Darrun Hilliard

Credit Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

Hilliard's tenure with Maccabi was in jeopardy when the club suspended him over a tweet following a painful loss to Hapoel Jerusalem. Things were settled down, and Hilliard remained with the Yellows. However, Hilliard has been far from his usual numbers this year.

He is averaging a career-low 4.7 points in less than 13 minutes per game in his fifth EuroLeague season and is only the 10th most utilized player on the Maccabi team.

Hilliard is coming off an injury-plagued season, but his contribution to Bayern last season was undeniable. He averaged a career-high 13.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists (13.8 PIR) to help lead Bayern to the playoffs.

He had impressive performances in close games against CSKA and Zenit, scoring 28 and 24 points, respectively, and his 25-point performance helped lead Bayern to a victory over their German rival ALBA.

With Hilliard on the court, Bayern averaged 116.1 points per 100 possessions, compared to 110.6 when he was on the bench.

Hilliard could be a huge offensive boost for any EuroLeague team, whether taking on a key role or coming off the bench.

Top 5 worst teams by offensive rating (per BBallytics):

Team Offensive rating Points per game 14. ALBA Berlin 107.3 81.2 15. Virtus Bologna 106.1 75.6 16. Crvena Zvezda Belgrade 105.7 73.6 17. ASVEL Villeurbanne 104.0 73.9 18. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 99.4 68.9

Achille Polonara

Credit Imago-Images.de - Scanpix

Achille Polonara was close to signing with Virtus Bologna this summer, but when the back-to-back champions Efes came calling, he didn't hesitate to join their campaign for a three-peat.

However, an experienced Italian still needs to find his place on the champions' roster.

The 31-year-old big man is averaging a career-low 2.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in 11 minutes per game.

He scored 3 points in the last three EuroLeague games and hasn't scored in double-digits yet.

Polonara has played his best games with Baskonia, an up-tempo team where he was often used as a transition 3-point threat or a big man crashing the boards.

That has to be an adjustment from both sides to make things work.

Top 5 best teams by pace (per BBallytics):

Team Average possessions Average plays (rank) 1. ALBA Berlin 74.4 85.0 (1) 2. Panathinaikos Athens 72.1 82.6 (3) 3. Valencia 72.1 82.4 (4) 4. Fenerbahce Istanbul 71.9 82.2 (5) 5. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 71.6 81.2 (10)

Mike Tobey

Credit IMAGO/Sports Press Photo - Scanpix

When Nikola Mirotic injured his Achilles, Barcelona signed Mike Tobey as a replacement big man who can stretch the floor. The club originally announced that the deal would be until the end of the season, but BasketNews sources say that an exit clause could be exercised during the season.

Before Mirotic returned, Tobey averaged 7.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 19 minutes per game, with 37% 3-point shooting. Since Mirotic's return, Tobey's playing time has reduced to just 8.0 minutes per game.

Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius is not yet pushing Mirotic to play big minutes, but the 31-year-old big man feels more comfortable on the court.

With Mirotic, Jan Vesely, Sertac Sanli, Oscar da Silva, and James Nnaji also on the roster, Tobey may have difficulty finding playing opportunities.

However, if he leaves, his experience, great personality, and ability to stretch the floor will surely secure him a spot on another EuroLeague team.

Top 5 worst teams by 3-point attempts (per BBallytics):

Team 3P rate 3-point % (rank) 14. Panathinaikos Athens 22.9 35.8% (12) 15. AS Monaco 22.4 33.5 (16) 16. Virtus Bologna 21.6 34.7% (13) 17. Partizan Belgrade 21.6 36.4 (9) 18. ASVEL Villeurbanne 20.1 37.7% (5)

Arturas Gudaitis

Credit Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS

The recent rumors about Panathinaikos Athens target may raise interesting questions about the current frontline.

The historical Greek team has been weighing opportunities to sign more mobile big Kostas Antetokounmpo.

Dejan Radonjic already has two quite similar centers at his disposal, Georgios Papagiannis and Arturas Gudaitis. Also, the Lithuanian is getting the least playing time in six years.

Arturas Gudaitis is among the six EuroLeague players who average over 8 PIR (Performance Index Rating) per night in less than 17 minutes.

Gudaitis is posting 7.2 points (62.5% 2P), 3.4 rebounds, and 8 EFF per game.

As Derrick Williams pointed out in an interview with BasketNews, Gudaitis brings vital energy off the bench. Still, it may not be easy for the experienced EuroLeague player to have a limited role behind Giorgios Papagiannis.

Gudaitis has averaged only 13.4 minutes per game in the last five EuroLeague games.

Arturas Gudaitis is known for crashing boards (1.8 ORB), his hard screens (2 screen assists per game), and is the most effective post-up player (51.6%) and roller (64.9%) on his team.

His presence might be attractive for teams looking for somebody to add some power to the paint.

Top 5 worst teams by 2-point percentage (per BBallytics):

Team 2P% Offensive rating (rank) 14. Zalgiris Kaunas 50.5% 108.8 (11) 15. ASVEL Villeurbanne 50.1% 104.0 (17) 16. Panathinaikos Athens 48.1% 107.5 (12) 17. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 47.6% 99.4 (18) 18. Bayern Munich 44.1% 107.5 (13)

John Holland

Credit EuroLeague basketball via GettyImages

Dusko Ivanovic successfully took over Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, but Holland's role on the team has not changed much. In fact, he has been getting fewer and fewer opportunities on the floor.

The 34-year-old wing has logged only 16 minutes in the last three EuroLeague games.

His season average is 9 minutes, and he's posting 3.0 points per game.

Holland can offer hustle, athleticism, and decent 3-point shooting to a team that needs some spark off the bench to increase physicality.

Last season, he played an essential role in Bursasport's run for the EuroCup final, with 11.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in the EuroCup.

Top 5 worst teams by defensive rating (per BBallytics):

Team Defensive rating Points allowed 14. Bayern Munich 113.2 78.8 (10) 15. Zalgiris Kaunas 113.5 78.7 (9) 16. Valencia 115.6 83.2 (16) 17. ALBA Berlin 115.8 83.6 (17) 18. Partizan Belgrade 120.1 84.6 (18)

Austin Hollins

Credit Nikola Krstic/MB Media via GettyImages

Maccabi Tel Aviv has another perimeter player that was used differently on his team.

In previous years, Xavi Pascual and Dejan Radonjic trusted the 31-year-old wing, but it seems that Oded Kattash cannot find a role for him.

This season, Hollins has not played more than 18 minutes and has averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 11 minutes per game, making him only the 11th most utilized player on the Maccabi roster.

Hollins is known for his basketball IQ, 3-point shooting ability, and professionalism on and off the court. That helped Crvena Zvezda last year in the key matchups vs. Partizan.

Any team looking to add some depth with a reliable 3-and-D player should be intrigued by Hollins.

Andrew Andrews

Credit Vangelis Stolis

It has been two months since the last time Andrew Andrews appeared on the court, and this is not due to an injury.

Andrews' career with Athens is over, and he is expected to switch teams at some point.

The question is whether any EuroLeague team will pick him up for the second half of the season.

In four games with Panathinaikos, the 29-year-old guard averaged 8.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 19 minutes per game.

He's an aggressive scorer who can score from anywhere (5/8 3P) and draw fouls at a high rate (3.2 FD in 20 MIN).

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