Toronto Raptors* Might Sign Vassilis Spanoulis
Posted: Wed Jul 3, 2013 12:23 am
In European sports media they are saying two NBA teams are in considerations to offer contracts to Vassilis Spanoulis. That both of the teams approached him about being a rotation player and that one of the teams considers him to be a possible starter.
They are refusing to say which NBA teams they are, because that Spanoulis and his agent don't want to cause any problems in the negotiations with NBA and Euroleague teams.
But, the speculations is almost always coming to what I hear is that Raptors is probably the team. Reason why is when big media in Greece confirmed this, they said it was,
"an NBA team that was interested in Spanoulis several months ago and was leaked then they wanted to sign him this summer. This same team, has just changed their general manager."
So, I can say this must be Toronto Raptors, as this is only team I can remember in media was reported several months ago interest in getting Spanoulis supposedly in summer. And since Raptors just made a new GM move, well, it must be this team.
As for the other NBA team that is said to be prepared to offer a contract to him, this one I cannot guess. I just figured you guys would like to know. I will give some links to English because that is easier for proof, I could give Spanish or Greek links, but there is always some confusion in translations. This comes from one of the biggest European sites for basketball, third biggest European basketball news site, after eurobasket.com and sportando.net
First thing said was this:
http://www.eurohoops.net/2013/06/dribbling/29088
NBA
During the last months at least two NBA teams were impressed by what Spanoulis has achieved in Europe, and are planning to approach him officially. After his bad experience in Houston, Spanoulis is not eager to return to the States, but he already had some talks about this possibility, so you can never say never. However, one of those teams recently changed general managers, so it’s unknown at this point if the possible interest still exists, while the other one can make him in theory a starter, but can’t give him the money he will be getting in Europe.
Then later on this was reported, which seems now that the 2 NBA teams are indeed interested, even the one that "changed general managers", that at first they were not sure were still interested with the new GM.
http://www.eurohoops.net/2013/07/dribbling/29247
The meeting between Olympiacos’ front office and the top Euroleague free agent, Vassilis Spanoulis, will not happen today, despite the rumors around Greece. The Greek star returned from his vacation to Athens, there was a contact between the two sides, and the meeting was postponed to after the 4th of July and the Euroleague draw for next season in Barcelona.
Vassilis Spanoulis will not give an answer to any other offer from a European club before his meeting with Olympiacos’ owners Angelopoulos brothers, and this delay affects not only the plans of the Euroleague champions, but almost every other player on the European market, because three more top clubs (CSKA Moscow, Barcelona, Galatasaray) are waiting for him, and according to our latest info, at least one more team will try to sign him.
The only two teams that are not affected by the postponement of the crucial meeting are two NBA franchises that are still considering the case of signing the Euroleague MVP.
Maybe I am guessing wrong and this is not Raptors as one of the two NBA teams. But I think that this must be Raptors being talked about. Anyway, I saw this in a Greek forum and thought you guys here would like to know about it. I put the asterisk next to Raptors in the title because they are trying to be cryptic about the name of the teams. But it does seem to logically be that Raptors are one of the teams being talked about.
They are refusing to say which NBA teams they are, because that Spanoulis and his agent don't want to cause any problems in the negotiations with NBA and Euroleague teams.
But, the speculations is almost always coming to what I hear is that Raptors is probably the team. Reason why is when big media in Greece confirmed this, they said it was,
"an NBA team that was interested in Spanoulis several months ago and was leaked then they wanted to sign him this summer. This same team, has just changed their general manager."
So, I can say this must be Toronto Raptors, as this is only team I can remember in media was reported several months ago interest in getting Spanoulis supposedly in summer. And since Raptors just made a new GM move, well, it must be this team.
As for the other NBA team that is said to be prepared to offer a contract to him, this one I cannot guess. I just figured you guys would like to know. I will give some links to English because that is easier for proof, I could give Spanish or Greek links, but there is always some confusion in translations. This comes from one of the biggest European sites for basketball, third biggest European basketball news site, after eurobasket.com and sportando.net
First thing said was this:
http://www.eurohoops.net/2013/06/dribbling/29088
NBA
During the last months at least two NBA teams were impressed by what Spanoulis has achieved in Europe, and are planning to approach him officially. After his bad experience in Houston, Spanoulis is not eager to return to the States, but he already had some talks about this possibility, so you can never say never. However, one of those teams recently changed general managers, so it’s unknown at this point if the possible interest still exists, while the other one can make him in theory a starter, but can’t give him the money he will be getting in Europe.
Then later on this was reported, which seems now that the 2 NBA teams are indeed interested, even the one that "changed general managers", that at first they were not sure were still interested with the new GM.
http://www.eurohoops.net/2013/07/dribbling/29247
The meeting between Olympiacos’ front office and the top Euroleague free agent, Vassilis Spanoulis, will not happen today, despite the rumors around Greece. The Greek star returned from his vacation to Athens, there was a contact between the two sides, and the meeting was postponed to after the 4th of July and the Euroleague draw for next season in Barcelona.
Vassilis Spanoulis will not give an answer to any other offer from a European club before his meeting with Olympiacos’ owners Angelopoulos brothers, and this delay affects not only the plans of the Euroleague champions, but almost every other player on the European market, because three more top clubs (CSKA Moscow, Barcelona, Galatasaray) are waiting for him, and according to our latest info, at least one more team will try to sign him.
The only two teams that are not affected by the postponement of the crucial meeting are two NBA franchises that are still considering the case of signing the Euroleague MVP.
Maybe I am guessing wrong and this is not Raptors as one of the two NBA teams. But I think that this must be Raptors being talked about. Anyway, I saw this in a Greek forum and thought you guys here would like to know about it. I put the asterisk next to Raptors in the title because they are trying to be cryptic about the name of the teams. But it does seem to logically be that Raptors are one of the teams being talked about.