By Dana Gauruder | at July 27, 2026 12:35 pm
Giovanni Emejurureached an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nuggets after going undrafted last month. However, the former East Carolina big man is reportedly signing with BC Roma SPQR, according toPianetbasket.com. He willplay in the LBA and EuroCup in his debut season fora franchise co-owned by longtime former Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson and Lakers superstar Luka Doncic. As a fifth-year senior, Emejuru was one of top centers in the American Conference, averaging 12.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
Here’s more from around the international basketball world:
Turkish club Fenerbahce has signed Johnny Juzang to a one-year deal, according to Sportando. The former UCLA star played for Zenit St. Petersburg in the VTB League last season. In 17 games with the Russian club, he averaged 14.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Juzang appeared in 123 games (16.0 minutes per contest) over four NBA seasons, averaging 6.9 points and 2.2 rebounds on .421/.358/.785 shooting splits. He was on a two-way contract with Minnesota last season but was waived in mid-February.
With LeBron James joining the Sixers, among other offseason developments, the Eastern Conference no longer takes a back seat to the West, The Athletic’s Fred Katz writes. Beyond the defending champion Knicks and Sixers, the conference is deeper than in decades past with the Celtics, Pistons, Pacers, Raptors, Cavaliers, Magic and Hawks also looking like strong contenders for playoff berths, not to mention the Heat with their acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Going along with that theme, how do the contenders in the East rank in the aftermath of the offseason moves? According to NBA.com’s John Schuhmann, the Knicks still hold the top spot in the conference. The Sixers have moved into the No. 2 spot with the additions of James and Jaylen Brown. The Cavaliers, Raptors and Pistons round out Schuhmann’s top five.
Simone Fontecchio is the lone current NBA player on Italy’s 16-man roster for the second round of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, according to Sportando. Italy will play two qualifying games in late August. Italy enters the second round with a 5-1 record, sitting behind unbeaten Turkiye (6-0) and ahead of Serbia (4-2), Sportando notes. Lithuania and Iceland are each 3-3, while Bosnia and Herzegovina has a 2-4 record. The top three teams will qualify for the World Cup. Fontecchio re-signed with the Heat on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract this summer.
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