What-if: Mike James was recruiting Nikola Mirotic to play together / News - Basketnews.com

Nikola Mirotic was close to joining forces with Mike James in AS Monaco.

Credit: Euroleague Basketball via GettyImages Credit Euroleague Basketball via GettyImages

Two EuroLeague stars, both enduring a remarkable title drought, were close to joining forces during the summer.

Mike James

Position:PG, SGAge:33Height:185 cmWeight:84 kgBirth place:Oregon, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

AS Monaco star Mike James revealed that he had been actively engaged in conversations with Nikola Mirotic during the offseason, exploring the potential of teaming up for a EuroLeague trophy campaign.

"As I understand it, it was Partizan and then us," Mike James recalled the race for Nikola Mirotic on the URBONUS podcast.

The two players had established a connection as teammates with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Mike James shared his support for Mirotic after a difficult EuroLeague semifinal loss against Real Madrid, where Barcelona fell short and missed the title game.

"After we both had a Final Four that was not what we wanted, we had a conversation and talked about playing with each other no matter where the destination was," James revealed.

Throughout their careers, James and Mirotic have participated in 243 and 225 games, respectively, without winning the EuroLeague title. This places them fifth and seventh, respectively, among active EuroLeague players who have yet to clinch the EuroLeague championship.

"Obviously, he was having problems in Barcelona, and they were having problems, so the easiest answer was Monaco. So I tried to connect the dots there and facilitate him going somewhere. Obviously, I'm not in the GM's, owner's, or coach's room, so I can't do numbers and promise things. All I can do is tell them the good and bad and tell them I want to play with them, and hopefully, it'll work out."

In July, Partizan reached a verbal agreement with Mirotic. However, due to escalating tensions and animosity between Partizan and Red Star fanbases, Mirotic withdrew from the agreement and signed with another team.

A couple of weeks later, Mirotic penned a three-year contract with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan.

"He didn't choose us. He had a lot going on. As a friend, he was very open with me the whole time about what he was going to do. I was trying not to bother him too much because you don't want to bother somebody when they're making a big decision like that. But I reached out a lot, almost every other day, just to talk and see what he was doing and see what he was thinking," elaborated James.

"I understand it was Partizan and then us. He chose Partizan, we've moved on and made some signings. When the Partizan thing happened, Milan was like the last team standing. I could be incorrect, but that's the way I understand it," he clarified.

AS Monaco made a move for four-time NBA All-Star Kemba Walker less than 24 hours before Partizan's announcement that the agreement with Mirotic had fallen through.

As a member of the EuroLeague's worst 3-point shooting team last season, James envisioned Mirotic as an ideal addition due to his skill set and ability to stretch the floor as a front-line player.

"You always want talent around you that can help and get you to the next level. Especially when you're about winning. It would have been great to have him, but we didn't get him, and we're moving forward."

"I think he has a house in Serbia. I think his wife is comfortable there. You know, you can't argue with your wife. And it's coach Zeljko Obradovic. I can't really argue with none of those factors. All I could do was put my bid in and tell him I'll get you open and you'd be open with me, you get more open shots," James said with a smile.

"But I'm happy for him. If he's happy, I'm happy. That's really what matters," added Mike James.

The potential pairing of Mike James and Nikola Mirotic on the same team could be one of those hypothetical scenarios that remain in our memories for years to come.

"It would have been fun, but things happen for a reason, I guess,"James responded, acknowledging his involvement in several players' recruitment efforts during this offseason.

He revealed that he had conversations with Jordan Loyd before Loyd decided to join Monaco in 2022.

During his time with CSKA, he had spoken with Nikola Milutinov several times before signing in Moscow.

"I don't know if it's recruiting, but I'm not doing nothing wrong about having a conversation and telling people what's real, what's my vision for us playing together. I think it's good to have a conversation," admitted Mike James.

"A lot of players want to know how the organization does. A lot of times, you'll see how they play. But to get an idea of the professionalism, how your family is being taken care of, things on and off the court, the living. If someone has children on the team, there might be things you ask about school-wise, possible daycares, or different things you can do. Those are questions that you can really only have answered by someone who's played on that team," explained Errick McCollum, co-host of URBONUS, emphasizing the significance of player-to-player discussions during negotiations.

"Also, how the practices are, how the coach is like. These are all questions that you might come across, so it was pretty normal for guys to reach out. Maybe they don't probably broadcast it or say anything too much. But you're going to give them the real of how it is there, the good and the bad. If it's someone who can help your team or someone who moves the needle, you obviously hope they can come, but as players, we're very respectful, and you're not going to lie to someone about certain situations," McCollum added.

Watch the entire URBONUS podcast episode with Mike James and Errick McCollum:

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