Baskonia's executive confirms Marinkovic's departure, talks contracts / News - Basketnews.com

Baskonia's sports director, Felix Fernandez, said it's getting much harder to acquire players from the US, and their prices have increased a number of times. He confirmed the departure of Vanja Marinkovic, and hoped Matt Costello would stay in the club.

Credit: SIPA-Scanpix Credit SIPA-Scanpix

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz had an interesting but ultimately disappointing season, not managing to make it into the Spanish Liga Endesa (ACB) playoffs for the first time in multiple decades. One of the club's executives held a press conference where he evaluated the season.

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz / Schedule

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz UCAM Murcia94-79 Real Madrid Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz106-100

Felix Fernandez, Baskonia's sports director, admitted - the season was discouraging.

"Not being in either the Copa del Rey or the Liga Endesa Playoffs is disappointing and leads us to self-criticism. We must assess, understand, and correct what happened in the domestic competition and pay more attention next season," he said, via El Correo.

"European basketball is aimed at non-logical situations. It happens when you see the financial losses of many clubs. You have to have sustainable, but competitive projects. We are not going to hide behind that. We must be competitive," he proclaimed.

Even if the budget or the club's sustainability wasn't an issue, Fernandez pointed out that it's much more difficult to lure players away from the NBA than it used to be.

"They don't release players. Players who could've come here before don't even value it [anymore]," he said about the NBA. "There's a lot more money there and contracts that trap them. They don't want to try [their luck] in Europe. We have fewer and fewer players to see and they are more expensive. What used to be worth five is now worth ten."

"I can guarantee that the differences are abysmal. They can triple and quadruple," Fernandez said about acquisition of players from overseas.

Baskonia, however, have found a player from the United States who wants to remain in the club for years to come, signing a contract extension with Markus Howard that would keep the scorer in the club until the summer of 2028.

The situation with other players is not as clear.

"Codi [Miller-McIntyre] and [Chima] Moneke have contracts. But as in all contracts, there are [exit] clauses and [other] situations. I'd love for everyone to continue. We are in a moment of talking, negotiating and working. It must be silent work. But we are going to be ambitious," the executive said.

At the same time, he confirmed the departure of Vanja Marinkovic, who should sign with Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, according to reports in Spain.

Matt Costello will be pursued by multiple clubs in Europe, as his contract with Baskonia ends after the season. "I would love for Costello to continue," Fernandez said, but didn't provide any more details.

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