Kevin Punter had major NBA club interest before Partizan deal / News - Basketnews.com

Toronto Raptors were seriously interested in bringing Kevin Punter in but the deal fell through because the organization failed to offer the guarantees the guard wanted from the contract.

Credit: Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic Credit Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic

Kevin Punter shocked the European basketball world when he re-signed Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade despite several lucrative offers from other EuroLeague teams. The player now revealed that one NBA team had serious interest in him.

Kevin Punter

Team:Partizan Mozzart Bet BelgradePosition:SGAge:30Height:190 cmWeight:86 kgBirth place:New York, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

The 30-year-old guard signed a new two-year contract with the Serbian team to remain in Belgrade although it seemed like he had already agreed on a deal with FC Barcelona.

Throughout the process, there was one critical moment in the negotiations that changed the course of his free agency period. In the end, Punter chose to stay in Partizan.

Now, the player tells that Toronto Raptors had serious interest in him before Punter remained in Europe.

"We were talking with the Raptors really heavy. I thought that was going to be an opportunity. We've been speaking with them for a while now, so I thought that was possible I was going to go to Toronto," Punter told during the latest URBONUS podcast episode with BasketNews' Donatas Urbonas and Pinar Karsiyaka's Errick McCollum.

"It didn't work out. Obviously, it's the game of leverage. You can't give the NBA too much of your leverage because the NBA will take it and run with it," the player explained. "It just didn't work out."

Asked to name the reason why the negotiations with the Raptors fell through, Punter told that it was related to him receiving guarantees from the organization instead of just a general prove-it offer.

"It wasn't more so the coach thing. Honestly, Europe played a role but it was just the role, 'Where do you guys see me with your team?'. Do I have to come over before camp? If I have to come over before camp, does that guarantee me a vet minimum? Is it a non-guaranteed [deal]?" he shared. "When we started getting into the fine details like that, I was like 'You guys want this? Cool.'"

"I was just trying to figure out if it was real or not. A lot of times, this NBA situation is not real," Punter said. "They will give you a non-guaranteed [deal] and [say] 'If it works out, cool. If it doesn't, you're gone.' That situation for me, it was real but you have to put your money where your mouth's at. That's kind of how that situation went. Back to Europe we go."

In the latest URBONUS podcast, Kevin Punter shared how the negotiation process that resulted in him staying in Partizan went and what were his main criteria for choosing his next team.

Punter also offered his take on the latest news in European and NBA basketball.

Full URBONUS episode with Kevin Punter:

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