With the new Euroleague season starting soon (Oct. 5th) our team at AGS took a look at all summer transfers and will focus on the under the radar signings that weren't in the summer spotlight as much.
While a lot of the buzz was on Kemba Walker signing with Monaco, Kostas Sloukas joining forces with Panathinaikos, Serge Ibaka powering Bayern, Juancho Hernangomez and bis brother Willy returning from the NBA as well as Nikola Mirotic switching teams to Milano and being replaced by Jabari Parker at Barcelona, many moves went a little more unnoticed but could have a big impact on their respective teams.
We picked the top 10 signings that in our eyes haven't received the most coverage but could turn heads this upcoming Euroleague season. Upfront we have some honorable mentions that would have been part in this story but we covered them already in our various team previews:
The Top 10, in no particular order
Nikolaos Rogkavopoulos, G/F, 6´8 - Baskonia
The Greek National Team player spent last season in Turkey with Merkezefendi and averaged 15.5 PTs, 6.3 REBs and 1.9 ASTs in just under 33 minutes per game in 28 appearances. He scored in double digits in 22 games while pouring in 20 or more points 6 different times. Nikolaos has good size for a wing, can create his own shot off the dribble or come off screens. An underrated part of his game is his rebounding for a wing where he excels and grabbed 7 or more rebounds 11 times last season. He also played in the Fiba World Cup for Greece where he averaged 8.2 PTs and 2.8 REBs in 18 minutes per game. He will give Baskonia wing scoring and great size and overall is a very versatile player that can play anywhere from positions 2-4 on the court.
Maodo Lo, G, 6,3 - Milano
The experienced German guard has played all of his 7 pro seasons in the Euroleague with Bamberg, Munich and latest Alba Berlin for the last 3 seasons before signing with Milano in the off-season. Coming off a Fiba World Cup title with Germany, Maodo will play outside of Germany for the first time since his College days at Columbia University. While his last Euroleague season with Alba was super solid (11.6 PTs, 2.8 ASTs, 35.4% on 3s), it was the 21-22 season where he had his best campaign yet, averaging 13.3 PTs, 2.3 REBs and 3.7 ASTs while shooting 50% on 2s, 44.4% on 3s and 83.5% at the foul line. If the 30 year old guard can bring that level of shooting to Milano he will a very good offensive addition to an already strong roster. Maodo can score off the pick and roll or isolations and is somewhat of an underrated passer even though his mentality has always been to score first.
Ismael Kamagate, C, 6´11 - Milano
A 2nd Milano entry here with the French Center who is just 22 years old and had an outstanding Eurocup campain for Paris Basketball in 22-23, averaging 9.3 PTs, 8.5 REBs and 1.5 BLKs (ranking top 5 both in rebounds and blocks). Ismael was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2022 with 46th pick and still has a lot of upside. Kamagate is a tall athlete who finishes well around the basket and is a constant lob threat. He also blocks shots at a high rate and rebound the ball extremely well, shown in his 8 double digit rebound games in Eurocup. It will be an important step for him to the Euroleague level and might not be easy to get a lot of minutes at the start of the season in a loaded Milano frontcourt but we expect him to be a factor, especially in the 2nd half of the season.
Nathan Sestina, F, 6´9, Fenerbahce
Sestina remains in Turkey signing with Fenerbahce after he played last season for Turk Telekom Ankara where he reached the Eurocup Final. Nate is a modern power forward who can shoot the ball and also attack the defense off the dribble and use mismatches in the post. In Eurocup he averaged 10.4 PTs, 4.6 REBs and 1 AST while shooting 37.2% from the 3pt line on 5.1 attempts per game. In the Turkish league he shot 44.5% from the 3pt line, showing elite 3pt shooting. Sestina will add an inside-outside presence to Fenerbahce´s core of forwards that include the re-signed Nigel Hayes-Davis and Dyshawn Pierre. Alongside the scoring of guards Marko Guduric, Tyler Dorsey and Scottie Wilbekin, his outside shooting will be crucial for the spacing in Fener´s offense.
Frank Jackson, G, 6´4 - Asvel
It will be the first European stint in Frank´s career that saw the 31st pick of the 2017 NBA Draft play only in the NBA and the G-League so far. He appeared in 214 NBA games in his career averaging 8.5 PTs, 1.8 REBs and 1 AST. This past season he played in the G-League for the Salt Lake City Stars where he scored 21.6 PTs on 42.1% from the 3pt line. Jackson is a typical scorer that can create his own shot and has a good mix between outside shooting, getting into the mid-range and finishing around the rim. Last season he took 280 2s and 278 3s which shows is shot distribution. There might be some time to adapt to the European style of play but once he is comfortable, Frank will be a tough cover for opposing defenses.
Mike Scott, F, 6´8 - Asvel
The 35 year old veteran has seen a lot in his career and will play in his 2nd season in Europe after spending last season in France as well with Sluc Nancy where he averaged 14.3 PTs, 6.6 REBs and 1.7 ASTs. Mike has a stellar NBA resume with 555 games and career averages of 6.7 PTs & 3.1 REBs over 9 seasons. Scott is a physical forward who finishes well around the rim (61.9% on 2s last season) and has stretch potential (made 46 3s last season in 27 games on 37.1%). He can slot in as Asvel´s starting power forward alongside starting center Joffrey Lauvergne or Youssoupha Fall and could even see some time as a tall small forward or small ball center.
Antonius Cleveland, G, 6´5 - Maccabi Playtika Tel-Aviv
The 6´5 guard from Memphis has played in a lot of places during his career. He appeared in 28 NBA games and spent some time in the G-League as well. Last season he started in Australia and finished the season in Eilat, Israel, where he averaged 17.6 PTs, 4.2 REBs, 2.8 ASTs & 1.8 STLs. Antonius is a shifty ball handler who can create his own shot, is really athletic and a tremendous 1 on 1 player who has a knack to make very difficult shots. In Eilat last season he shot 57.3% on 2s and also dished out 2.8 Assists, which shows that he isn’t just a scorer but does more on the court to impact his team. Cleveland will add much needed wing creation for Maccabi, where last season a lot of responsibilities were on their returning guards Lorenzo Brown and Wade Baldwin IV, which now lessens the burden on them with Antonius joining team.
PJ Dozier, G/F, 6´6 - Partizan
After going undrafted in 2018, Dozier played himself into a solid NBA Career (121 games, 5.7 PTS, 2.7 REBs & 1.6 ASTs) with some G-League stints along the way. It will be the first European experience for Dozier where Partizan will be quite the first stop. Last season he played 19 games for the Sacramento Kings and 24 games in the G-League with the Iowa Wolves where he averaged 17.2 PTs, 6.3 REBs and 3.2 ASTs. PJ is a true all-rounder on the wing who defends, is super athletic and can also handle the ball and create for himself and teammates. Last season he attempted more 3s than 2s and shot 36.5% from downtown, which will help ease the transition into his first Euro stop. Considering he will replace Dante Exum, his profile and playing style is very similar as a tall wing who can help out with creating, brings defensive energy and will also take on scoring responsibilities for Partizan.
Devontae Cacok, F, 6´7 - Virtus Bologna
The super athletic and undersized forward went undrafted in 2019 and managed to play himself into the NBA via the G-League and appeared in 36 NBA games. Last season he played for CSKA Moscow in the VTB League, where he averaged 9.6 PTs, 5.6 REBs on an astonishing 71.3% on 2-pointers. Cacok finishes very strong around the rim where he will try to dunk a lot. He is very good finishing through contact and drawing fouls and also rebounds really well on both ends. His energy and athleticism will help Bologna´s frontline and he will be a contender for the top 10 plays of the week on multiple occasions. He has not yet developed a 3-point shot and also had some issues at the foul line in Russia (45.1%), while he did make a solid 65.6% at the foul line in the G-League.
Brady Manek, F, 6-9, Zalgiris
The forward spent last season between Perth in Australia and Tofas Bursa in Turkey where he averaged 15.4 PTs, 5.9 REBs and 1.6 ASTs. Manek is a stretch 4 who can shoot the ball at a tremendous level. Last season he shot 34.3% and made 2.6 per game for Tofas and 2.5 in Australia for Perth. He has a quick release, can attack closeouts and rebounds the ball well. An underrated aspect of his game is his passing where he makes the right read a lot of times. Brady will help Zalgiris as a versatile offensive threat with good rebounding who can play anywhere from positions 3-5 on the court and fits in nicely in different lineups.
