Early look at the EuroLeague coaching market: expiring deals and the curious case of Djordjevic / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Olympiacos/TASS-Scanpix/BasketNews Credit Olympiacos/TASS-Scanpix/BasketNews

The EuroLeague season hit a crucial checkpoint. The eight remaining teams will continue their campaign in the payoffs, while the other 10 have time to reconsider their future. Usually, the future projections start with the head coach, and the current market shows that the upcoming summer might be unpredictable.

A few solid EuroLeague coaches are on expiring deals, and the uncertain situation in Russia might move other intriguing pieces.

BasketNews gives a picture of the EuroLeague head coaching market for summer 2022.

Georgios Bartzokas

One of the frontrunners to win the coach of the year award this season is on an expiring contract with Olympiacos Piraeus.

However, there's no doubt in Olympiacos camp that a 56-year-old Georgios Bartzokas will continue his job in Piraeus.

Olympiacos are having the most successful EuroLeague season in the new format era since2016, if we include wins against Russian teams (22) or measure the regular season performance by a winning percentage (67.9%).

After three seasons, Olympiacos are finally back in the playoffs, and itstarts with coach Bartzokas.

He might expect a significant pay rise negotiating a new deal with the Greek club, especially if he manages to go far in the playoffs.

Credit Olympiacos BC

Avi Even

He shouldn't be on this list. Avi Even started this season as the head of the scouting and player development department of Maccabi Tel Aviv. But Tel Aviv is the place where basketball miracles are used to happen.

He took over the team when almost the whole coaching staff was sidelined due to the coronavirus. And when he managed to boost the morale of his players with a solid win in Kaunas, Maccabi gave him the wheel of the team after Ioannis Sfairopoulos' departure.

Avi Even couldn't do more as interim head coach for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He managed to put Maccabi on the playoffs track when it wasn't on the horizon for yellows.

Credit BNS

Under Even, Maccabi beat AX Armani Exchange, Real Madrid, and Barcelona on their way to a quite surprising Top 8 appearance, given the circumstances Maccabi faced two months ago.

However, Maccabi started monitoring the head coach market when they decided to part ways with Sfairopoulos. Xavi Pascual was Maccabi's top target for a while, as BasketNews sources confirmed the various reports from Israel.

Even is expected to give up the seat for another coach. No matter how he will finish his EuroLeague campaign, if he wins the Israeli championship, he will do it with big pride and a well-deserved bonus in his pocket.

Israel Gonzalez

Israel Gonzalez got the job done in Berlin.

A 47-year-old Spanish coach served as an associate head coach of ALBA Berlin before Aito Garcia Reneses decided to step down from the German club.

Both sides should be happy about Gonzalez's rookie experience. ALBA improved during the season and even made a late playoff push, finishing 10th.

Credit Imago/Scanpix

ALBA beat such teams as Olympiacos Piraeus, AX Armani Exchange Milan, AS Monaco, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Zenit, UNICS, and Fenerbahce.

Gonzalez's contract with ALBA expires this summer, but per BasketNews sources, both sides are expected to continue the collaboration. The new agreement might be reached even before the end of the season.

Neven Spahija

Baskonia woke up too late again. For the second season in a row, the Basque team made a late playoff push.

They won 5 of 6 last regular-season games, but it wasn't enough to make the Top 8. Baskonia were the first after the playoffs border with 12 wins in 28 games.

Since Neven Spahija replaced Dusko Ivanovic on November 15, Baskonia won 9 of 19.

Credit ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix

A 59-year-old head coach from Croatia signed until the end of the season.

The achievements in the Liga Endesa will probably be the primary indicator for Baskonia's future decisions. Currently, Baskonia are 8th, and it will be challenging to avoid Barcelona or Real Madrid in the quarterfinals.

Dejan Radonjic

A 52-year-old Montenegrin coach Dejan Radonjic is also on an expiring contract with Crvena Zvezda Belgrade.

The Serbian club wasn't expected to make the EuroLeague playoffs this year with limited financial resources.

In the decisive month, Zvezda beat the Top 8 teams such as Anadolu Efes, Real, and Maccabi. But they couldn't deliver on the road, losing crucial playoff battles on German soil and finishing 11th in the competition.

Credit ZUMA Press - Scanpix

It's hard to imagine Radonjic without Red Star and Red Star without Radonjic. Both weren't very successful without each other, and both sides should think about extending the cooperation.

All eyes are on the Adriatic league. If Crvena Zvezda wins it and remains in the EuroLeague, it would be logical to expect the continuation of this cooperation.

Giorgos Vovoras joined this list signing with Panathinaikos Athens until the end of the season.

Current deals

Coach Team Contract Sarunas Jasikevicius FC Barcelona until 2023 Ettore Messina AX Armani until 2024 Pablo Laso Real Madrid until 2023 Ergin Ataman Anadolu Efes until 2023 Sasa Obradovic AS Monaco until 2023 Andrea Trinchieri FC Bayern until 2023 Sasa Djordjevic Fenerbahce until 2024* TJ Parker ASVEL until 2023 Kazys Maksvytis Zalgiris until 2025 (2+1)

At least half of the EuroLeague coaches are under contract for the next season. However, nothing is guaranteed here in Europe despite what is written on the paper.

Every deal is unique, and there are some exceptional contracts at the EuroLeague. For example, one of them was made in Fenerbahce headquarters.

The Turkish powerhouse signed Sasa Djordjevic to a three-year contract last summer. However, it's only partially guaranteed.

Per BasketNews sources, the second and third seasons become guaranteed only if Djordjevic makes the EuroLeague Final 4 or wins the Turkish league.

Coach failed with the first task falling short of making the playoffs. Currently, Fener leads the Turkish championship, but it won't be easy to take the crown from Anadolu Efes.

Credit D.Repečka/BasketNews

A recent La Gazzetta dello Sport report about Messina's future in Milan was understood as the confirmation of his extension with AX Armani Exchange for two more years.

To be more precise, Milan signed Messina to a 3+2 deal in 2019, which means he had an option for two more years either way.

Nothing is official yet, but as Messina indicated about his desire to repay Giorgio Armani his trust, it's highly anticipated that he will remain in the position of the head coach and the president of basketball operations.

Contracts in limbo

The Russian invasion of Ukraine will shake up the coaching market in the East. All three EuroLeague clubs had their coaches under long-term contracts.

Zenit St. Petersburg signed Xavi Pascual to a three-year contract last summer.

Dimitris Itoudis' deal with CSKA Moscow runs through 2023.

UNICS Kazan and Velimir Perasovic agreed to a 1+1 deal.

However, if Russian teams won't return to the EuroLeague, they all might be available on the market.

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