The start of the new season is getting closer and closer, as the VTB United League teams have already come out of holidays and are actively preparing for the new season. Signings are still possible, but in general, transfer campaign has come to an end. Let have a look at the latest League newcomers this offseason.
UNICS
The Kazan team won the trophy for the first time last season and are clearly not going to rest. UNICS retained leading players and head coach, and noticeably strengthened with Russian players. The only exceptions are Daryl Macon and Vince Hunter, but they found more than worthy replacements for the forward. Ismael Bako played in all 34 Euroleague games last season in Virtus, averaging 6.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. The hard-working and athletic bigman is 27 years old and has a record of winning the French Championship, the French Cup and the Belgian Cup (where he was named the Most Valuable Player). Bako will be in highlights regularly with his spectacular finishing style and will also help the champions’ defence, where he does a lot of the rough work. With the re-signing of Jalen Reynolds and Louis Labeyrie, UNICS will continue to dominate with a powerful frontcourt.
Former NBA player Eric Green is expected to strengthen the Kazan team offense. The American guard spent two seasons overseas, playing for Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz, after which he played in Europe and China. Eric finished last season with Buducnost, scoring 15.1 points in the Adriatic League. The experienced sharpshooter started to show his abilities from the first days: he looked good in friendly games.
Runa
Forward Aleksa Radanov has already gained a lot of experience at the age of 25, having played in the Euroleague and for the Serbian national team. The three-time Adriatic League champion has always had a fighting spirit: Aleksa fights desperately for his teammates, bravely jumps for the ball and gives his all. A man of such character should help the League newcomer in the debut season.
Cameron Young has not played much in Europe. Last season he represented Ignite, a team in the NBA G-League, which brings together some of the most promising basketball players in the World. The 27-year-old American is not one of them, but Runa still noted his desire to progress. A player with that mentality fits the rapidly growing Moscow team. His high scoring (12.4 points in the G-League surrounded by strong partners) is no less important for the Vikings.
Forward Juwan Morgan played in 70 games in the NBA for Utah, Toronto and Boston. The 26-year-old American even has experience in the Finals – in the 2021/22 season, Celtics lost to Warriors. Juwan watched it the from the bench. Runa believes that Morgan can be the discovery of the new season.
MINSK
MINSK had the largest player representation at the World Cup – 2023 among VTB League teams. Both were signed in the second half of the summer. Forward Jakob Cebasek played in Romania last season, where he averaged 11.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals. Cebasek efficiency was also appreciated by the Slovenian national team, with which he reached the Quarterfinals (7th place) as a stable rotation player. In the Belarusian club this role may change – Jakob claims to become a key performer.
Center Koch Bar after four seasons in the NCAA spent a few years in Denmark, where he was one of the best players. Koch was dominant and averaged a double-double (14.5 points and 10.4 rebounds in his debut). Along with the South Sudan national team, Bar recently qualified for the Paris Olympics – for the first time ever. The athletic and useful defensive bigman will try to give such positive attitude on to his new teammates: MINSK is determined to avoid last year result and move up from last place in the standings.
Samara
Javontae Hawkins, who is in the prime of his career, won the FIBA Champions League last season with German Telekom. The 29-year-old American played an important role on the team. He averaged 13.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Hawkins also played well in the Bundesliga.
After the deal was finalised, Javontae said he was looking forward to playing for Drazen Anzulovic and noted the strong players in Samara. He is well placed on that list – Hawkins is ready to make a significant contribution to the Volga team and will add confidence to the team.
Astana
The upcoming season will be the first in pro career for Adam Kunkel. The 23-year-old has played only in the NCAA, so his opportunities and prospects in Europe are still more of a mystery. Adam played two games for Golden State in this year’s NBA Summer League, averaging 7.5 points. The Kazakhstan team has proven that they know how to find talent when they sign little-known players.
Devin Davis is in some ways the opposite of Kunkel. By the age of 28, he had played in Italy, Greece and France. Last season Devin averaged 11.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in Verona. Experience and skill will make Davis an important player for Astana.
Felipe Haase is another frontcourt boost. The forward has not play a single game for his new team yet, but has already made United League history by becoming its first Chilean basketball player. The Kazakhstan team is the first professional team for Haase, who previously played only in the NCAA. But his experience at the adult level is solid. Felipe is one of the leaders of the Chilean national team. He was regularly involved in junior national teams of different ages and was one of the leaders. As part of the main national team, Haase participated in the World Cup Qualifiers (2019 and 2023), as well as in the Olympic Qualification tournament, where the Chileans took third place.
Pari Nizhny Novgorod
Aleksandar Zecevic got his education in the NCAA and then returned to Europe, where he played in the Slovakian, Ukrainian and Polish championships. He represented Zielona Gora, a familiar name to United League fans, averaging 10.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Another coincidence: Zecevic was born in the suburbs of Novi Sad, and another Pari NN player Dragan Apic. The demanding Zoran Lukic didn’t just invite the 26-year-old forward to join him: Aleksandar combines athleticism and mobility with a solid three-pointer. That is the dream for every coach.
Aleksa Novakovic is another Serbian forward who joined Nizhny in the summer. The 26-year-old player spent the last three seasons with Borac Cacak. Last season in the Adriatic League, Aleksa scored 9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Last year, Novakovic was included in the the Serbian national team expanded roster for the World Cup Qualifiers. Pari Nizhny Novgorod is a great place to discover players with potential. This co-operation promises to benefit both sides.
PARMA
B.J. Johnson signed with the Perm team in August. The forward spent four seasons in the NBA and played for Atlanta, Sacramento and Orlando. His NBA stats are 3.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.
In 2022, Johnson moved to Europe, signing a deal with Betis. Last season he played in all 34 games of the ACB regular season, averaging 11.1 points and 5.1 rebounds. The skilled American is a candidate to be one of the Perm team leaders .
Enisey
Xavier Rathan-Mayes will be Enisey offensive leader. He started last season with Melbourne United in Australia, averaging 14.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists. In March, Xavier joined Merkezefendi and remained scoring with 13.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists in the Turkish league.
The 29-year-old Canadian has played in Greece, Israel, Romania, Australia, as well as in the NBA for Memphis. Xavier experience and versatile talent are the hope of the Krasnoyarsk team.
Beau Beech is familiar to Enisey new head coach Jovica Arsic from his performances in the Serbian championship. The 29-year-old American basketball player has a good three-point shot. The experienced sharpshooter will free up space for new teammates, as it is simply unacceptable to ignore him on the perimeter. Beau has played in Germany, Greece, Poland and Serbia during his career, so adapting to Krasnoyarsk should not be a problem for him.
