Facundo Campazzo: four hypothetical EuroLeague landing destinations / News - Basketnews.com

Facundo Campazzo sees himself in the NBA, but if he decides to return to Europe, there's more than Real Madrid that could go after the Argentinian point guard.

Credit: Reuters - Scanpix Credit Reuters - Scanpix

Facundo Campazzo shakes up the EuroLeague front offices again. Although the NBA remains his primary goal, BasketNews monitors potential EuroLeague landing destinations for Campazzo.

Facundo Campazzo

Team:Dallas MavericksPosition:PGAge:31Height:179 cmWeight:75 kgBirth place:Cordoba, ArgentinaProfileNewsStatistics

In November 2020, he had to pay a ridiculous€6M buyout to chase the NBA dream. Facu is not going to quit so easily.

Campazzo believes he can play in the league and deserves a better opportunity to show his strengths.

But the market generally dictates the future.

It's not like the NBA GMs are waiting in line for Campazzo. Campazzo averaged 1.3 points and 1.1 assists in 6.5 minutes per night in eight games with the Mavericks this season.

Campazzo himself admitted that if the Mavericks didn't show up with the offer, he was close to returning to Europe.

BasketNews weighs four teams that could hypothetically go after Campazzo.

Milan

Campazzo is the EuroLeague player that can turn things around. Do you know a team desperately looking for somebody to turn around their nightmarish season? Bravo.

Emporio Armani Milan is on a depressing six-game losing streak, the longest in Milan's era under Ettore Messina.

They're also the last in the EuroLeague per offensive rating (per BBallytics). And they couldn't score 60 points three times in four weeks.

On top of that,Kevin Pangos suffered a partial tear of the PCL of the right knee. Per the official announcement, he will be re-evaluated in six weeks.

Studies show that players usually return to the game rhythm in 2-3 months. That means the main Ettore Messina floor general might miss from 10 to 14 EuroLeague games of the remaining 24 in the regular season.

That's a significant number, given that Milan was a projected Final Four team but now lies at the bottom of the standings.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan / Schedule

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan Anadolu Efes Istanbul51-80 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul72-82 Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz EA7 Emporio Armani MilanThu19:30

Naz Mitrou-Long, Devon Hall, and Billy Baron can cover this position in an emergency. But Campazzo would be a game-changer.

However, Milan has already registered 17 players in Italy, and they have the last remaining license for the rest of the season.

Also, Campazzo would be an expensive life preserver for Milan that already spent a lot on a few marquee signings, including Kevin Pangos and Brandon Davies.

Could they afford two point guards on their payroll? How would they find a fit for both (and many other backcourt players) when Pangos returns?

These are heavy questions, even for Milan.

Fenerbahce Istanbul

How unfair would it be if, currently, the best EuroLeague team added one of the top EuroLeague point guards?

Fenerbahce monitored Campazzo's situation before the Argentinian playmaker signed with the Mavs.

If you have the slightest chance to get Campazzo, you go after him any given day.

But Nick Calathes thrives in Fenerbahce as one of the best point guards in the league (9.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.1 APG) and plays with tremendous confidence that sparked him for a career-high in 3-point shooting (50% on 2.8 attempts per game).

Dimitris Itoudis sometimes already finds it hard to spare minutes for Calathes, Scottie Wilbekin, Marko Guduric, and Carsen Edwards.

Nemanja Bjelica might join the squad in January as a point forward, which would require significant role adjustments.

It's not a video game. Adding talent does not necessarily translate into winning more games and avoiding chemistry issues on and off the floor.

Would Fener be willing to take such a risk?

Virtus Bologna

According to BasketNews sources, Campazzo previously also had interest from Sergio Scariolo's side.

Yes, Virtus has Iffe Lundberg, Daniel Hackett, Milos Teodosic, Alessandro Pajola, and Nico Mannion as their ball handlers.

But Hackett turns 35 in December, and Teodosic will be 36 in March.

They're both on expiring contracts, just like another point guard Nico Mannion.

Meanwhile, Campazzo, 31, still has few quality years to offer as a potentially long-term project.

Virtus don't have a guaranteed spot in the EuroLeague next year. But you can always include an exit clause in case things go wrong.

Virtus need quality to make it to the Top 8 right now. That's the easiest way that is under their control to secure the spot in the next year's EuroLeague season.

According to EuroLeague regulations,ECA will grant a one-year license for participating in the EuroLeague the following season to the club that had originally qualified for the EuroLeague as EuroCup champion and has finished among the top eight clubs of the EuroLeague standings.

Bologna shook up the market this March by signing Daniel Hackett and Toko Shengelia in their championship EuroCup season.

Speaking of big moves, you can't sleep on Virtus.

Real Madrid

What seems the easiest and most logical choice for Campazzo is also the biggest yawner for EuroLeague fans.

But Campazzo to Real Madrid makes the most sense for both sides.

Campazzo knows the team, city, and culture of Los Blancos. He left Madrid as one of the most exciting guards in a decade.

Even though he didn't get much playing time in the last couple of years, he would still return as by far the most solid point guard on the team.

Madrid doesn't have a clear leading floor general to orchestrate the game. To this day, Sergio Llull, 35, is their most used ball handler, although he doesn't spend more than 20 minutes per game.

Real ranks 5th in offensive rating (per BBallytics), so there's still room for improvement.

The main obstacle to this cooperation? According to BasketNews sources, Campazzo left Madrid on bad terms, and it's unclear if it might affect the possible negotiations.

On the other side, his return could help to erase the rest of the buyout he agreed to pay to Real in installments.

At the end of the day, Campazzo's European future remains in Madrid's hands.

As his agent, David Carro, said to Basquet Plus, "Madrid has the right to match any offer that comes to it in Europe."

URBONUS podcast:

Thank you for being with us! Subscribe to BN+ and browse ad-free.