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Fenerbahce Istanbul are finalizing an agreement to sign veteran NBA center Dwight Powell, sources tell BasketNews. Per sources, a 13-year NBA veteran is set to join the Turkish club on a one-year deal.
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Euroleague Basketball have announced that the EuroLeague Final Four will return to the UAE capital in 2027 and 2029.
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade have reportedly secured another reinforcement, reaching an agreement with American forward Robert Franks shortly after the official arrival of guard Antonio Reeves. Meridian Sport first reported that the 29-year-old power forward was heading to Belgrade, while Mozzart Sport later reported that Franks has already signed with Partizan and is expected to arrive in the Serbian capital by the end of the week.
Three people have reportedly been arrested, and three more remain subject to arrest warrants as a major investigation into alleged match-fixing and bribery continues to shake Greek basketball. According to Gazzetta, Hellenic Basketball Federation (EOK) president Vangelis Liolios, former EuroLeague referee and Greek refereeing official Ilias Koromilas, and referee Petros Papapetrou have already been arrested. Arrest warrants reportedly remain outstanding for current EuroLeague ref Vaso Tsaroucha, basketball official Giorgos Mavraganis, and Tasos Piloidis, a former international referee who is currently a member of the federation's Central Refereeing Committee (KED). Several of the names have significant EuroLeague refereeing experience.
Koromilas, Papapetrou, and Tsaroucha all officiated EuroLeague games during parts of the broader 2018-2026 period reportedly being examined by Greek authorities, while Piloidis also worked in the competition earlier in his career. Koromilas' name previously surfaced in a separate EuroLeague-related case. In 2023, Ukrainian referee Mykola Ambrosov alleged that Boris Ryzhik approached him before the 2021 EuroCup Finals and said Koromilas had proposed paying €10,000 for Ambrosov to favor UNICS Kazan. Euroleague Basketball later conducted an independent investigation and said there was no clear evidence establishing an attempted bribe, and the case was dismissed as inconclusive.
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According to ProtoThema, authorities found €820,000 in cash inside a safe at the home of a referee in the Greek countryside. The report did not identify which referee owned the property. ProtoThema reported that investigators consider the amount among several large sums discovered during the searches whose origins could not be sufficiently explained based on the information currently available. The searches were carried out after six arrest warrants were issued following an investigation by Athens sports prosecutor Apostolos Grammenos. According to the same report, the six people are being prosecuted, depending on the individual case, over alleged bribery and the acceptance of bribes under Greek sports law.
The case reportedly concerns allegations of manipulated games in Greece's top basketball division as well as lower-level competitions. ProtoThema reported that authorities are examining conduct potentially stretching back at least five years, with the case file containing witness statements, complaints, and messages involving basketball officials.
Aris Barkas: Euroleague Basketball Official statement Referee Vasiliki Tsaroucha is suspended from officiating in all Euroleague Basketball competitions until both the local authorities’ investigation and Euroleague Basketball’s internal review have concluded.
With the NBA pressing ahead with plans to launch a new European league in 2027, the prospect of two rival competitions emerging is increasingly coming into focus. Bueno warned of the dangers of further fragmenting the market. "If they decide to (enter into the market), it's going to be a disaster. And they know, we know, and we don't want that," Bueno told Reuters on Monday. "We had some conversations after Como. And the position of the owners was very clear. We will always be open to listen, and to talk with the NBA about any potential deal. But it has to make sense for us," said Bueno. "The telephone lines are open and, if something has not worked, maybe there's something that can work in the future," he added, declining to elaborate on the terms of the NBA Europe proposal.
Bueno also said he viewed the prospect of Euroleague clubs leaving to join NBA Europe as unlikely, arguing that the risks involved would be too great for the teams concerned. "I don't believe this is going to happen. I think that the teams want to be together and act together. And this is what I'm hearing and what we heard in Lake Como from all of them. "If you are divided, you lose value, and then some third party benefits. One of the things that we don't want is more fragmentation," said Bueno, adding that "it will be bad for basketball."
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"If they want to leave, they have a penalty they can pay, and then the clubs can also ask for individual damages. They will lose the €80 million-plus that they have in shares. "But if they ever want to come back, they will have to pay whatever number it is when they ask to come back," said Bueno, adding: "So I think that they have a lot to lose if they do (leave)."
Fournier believes that European basketball needs a better financial model, but questioned whether NBA involvement would preserve the atmosphere that makes it distinctive. “I think Europe needs a better business model. At the same time, the atmosphere is incredible. If the NBA comes, it will want to change certain things. If you lose that, you will lose the craziness of European basketball. They’ll look at what works best from a business perspective, with teams in attractive cities like London, Manchester and Rome. Personally, I don’t see it.”
Fournier was also asked about reported interest from the San Antonio Spurs before he extended his Olympiacos contract. He said any such discussions would have been handled by his agent. “I have no idea. My agent handles those things. I told him this would be my last stop. I don’t know whether that report is true.”
The involvement of owners Panagiotis and Giorgos Angelopoulos has also stood out, particularly compared with his NBA experiences. “In the NBA, you barely have a relationship with the owners. The difference is huge. You see them once or twice a year. I don’t know how it works at other European teams, but here they’re always present. They trust the coach, management and players, and they give us freedom. They’ve invited me to their homes. I went to Giorgos’ house in Mykonos, and I also had a meal with Panagiotis there.”