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EuroLeague Round 3 and 4 Reactions: Who could be this season's Kendrick Nunn?

With the NBA season officially underway many players are receiving confirmation that they're on the outside looking in and that could expand the player market for EuroLeague teams who are looking for final roster upgrades for the season.

By Andrew Bernucca

Oct 13, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Lonnie Walker IV (12) controls the ball while Toronto Raptors guard Davion Mitchell (45) defends during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Oct 13, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Lonnie Walker IV (12) controls the ball while Toronto Raptors guard Davion Mitchell (45) defends during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
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Kendrick Nunn, alongside Kostas Sloukas, was the MVP for Panathinaikos' champion run last season. Upon joining the league, he immediately announced himself as the most unstoppable player. His combination of skill and athleticism could not be contained by opposing EuroLeague guards, and the Greens rode his offensive prowess to the top. 

Nunn, however, was not an offseason addition. He waited out the NBA market and signed with Panathinaikos on October 31st when an NBA offer did not materialize. While this past summer saw an exodus of NBA players to the EuroLeague, the market is rejuvenating once again as the NBA season tips off and more teams are opting to make use of only 14 roster spots to maximize flexibility and cut costs in the face of the leagues new Collective Bargaining Agreement. EuroLeague teams are looking to capitalize once more on the fringe NBA players on the outside looking in. All of them are hoping they land this season's version of Nunn. Who could that be? 

Lonnie Walker IV

Lonnie Walker’s status as a free agent remains a strong indicator that the NBA does in fact need to expand. He averaged 9.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game on 42/78/36 shooting splits with the Brooklyn Nets last season, won the Lakers a second-round playoff game the season before, and somehow was only able to grab a training camp deal with the Boston Celtics this summer and it did not materialize into a standard NBA contract. 

Real Madrid are reportedly interested in Walker, which would make sense. He’s not quite a direct replacement for Guerschon Yabusele, but he would become Los Blancos' best perimeter defender overnight and provide a desperately needed on-ball scoring punch. The move would be complicated. If Walker cannot secure an EU passport — which would be expected — he would not be eligible for domestic Liga ACB play as Madrid’s two non-EU slots are currently filled by Andres Feliz and Xavier Rathan-Mayes. 

That would make Walker a very expensive, EuroLeague exclusive player. If there’s a club that can stomach that it’s Real Madrid but it will add a lot of pressure on what has been an already strenuous start to the season. 

Onuralp Bitim - Anadolue Efes Istanbul

Posting averages 3.5 points and 1.4 rebounds per game on 38/27/80 shooting splits across 23 games, Onuralp Bitim was solid in his NBA rookie season but didn’t do enough to secure a second contract. He’s looking at a return to Europe and his boyhood club, Anadolu Efes Istanbul, is interested. Bitim adds another standout wing to their rotation and he qualifies as a domestic player in Turkish League play. Adding a domestic player of Bitim’s quality in season is rare, and that alone makes it a worthwhile pursuit for Efes even if their roster is pretty set on the wings. 

Devonte’ Graham, Killian Hayes, and Dennis Smith Jr

Guards have been squeezed the most by the NBA’s new CBA. As a whole, teams had already become wary of being too dependent on guards as their size automatically makes them a liability in the NBA playoffs. Add in new cost-saving approaches from front offices and you end up with a list of free agent guards who were starters at one point in their careers. 

EuroLeague teams are interested, especially Barcelona, who just lost Nico Laprovittola to a season-ending injury. They could aim high for someone like Devonte’ Graham who just got waived by the San Antonio Spurs but he would pose passport issues similar to Walker with Real Madrid. Graham averaged double-digits in the NBA though, and the talent would absolutely be worth it. 

Former first round pick Killian Hayes offers a resolution to the Laprovittola problem that has an EU passport, but there are of course question marks about Hayes ability overall. What he’s shown in the NBA does not point to a player that would be capable of having an immediate star-player impact in EuroLeague. Barcelona have shelled out for in-season additions as recently as last year, but those funds were misused when bringing Ricky Rubio back for what amounted to a retirement tour. This time around, they must get the move right. 

Virtus Bologna need a center

It’s public knowledge that Virtus Bologna have seen enough of Ante Zizic and are making the accurate assessment that he is not a EuroLeague quality player. They want to move on from him, but they are already lacking depth at center and thus, cannot move on until they find a replacement. For all the players who have been left out of NBA rosters this summer, very few are centers. 

Frank Kaminsky is the only notable name and he spent last season with Partizan Belgrade where he seemed entirely incapable of providing a defensive presence. He could put up points, but conceded them at the same rate at the other end. Bologna needs more than that. Valuable center additions were made in-season last year - Efes added Daniel Oturu and Olympiacos added Moses Wright - but later than where we currently are. With an 0-4 start to the season, time is not on Bologna’s and Luca Bianchi’s side. If they want to turn this season around, they need to get this move right unlike last year, when they acquired Zizic. 

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