By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following earlier reports that the Los Angeles Clippers declined contract options on Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nicolas Batum, alongside Sandro Mamukelashvili opting out of his player option, Monday brought a wave of additional roster decisions regarding European NBA players.
According to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe, the Boston Celtics exercised their team option on Portuguese center Neemias Queta, locking down the 26-year-old who previously established himself as the team’s starting center. Conversely, the C’s declined options on Ukrainian guard Max Shulga and British big Amari Williams, both of whom struggled to secure consistent minutes.
Meanwhile, Keith Smith of Spotrac reported that the Sacramento Kings declined their option on French guard Killian Hayes after a 23-game regular-season stint. Looking to clear flexibility, Sacramento also agreed to trade guard Devin Carter and a 2033 second-round draft pick to the Atlanta Hawks, as reported by ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania.
Free agency maneuvering prompted further adjustments to qualifying offers. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype revealed that the Milwaukee Bucks chose not to tender a qualifying offer to French forward Ousmane Dieng, making the former 11th overall draft pick an unrestricted free agent, though they maintain strong interest in negotiating a new contract.
Similarly, ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill reported that the New York Knicks bypassed a qualifying offer for German center Ariel Hukporti, surrendering their matching rights while remaining open to re-signing him.
In contrast, the Golden State Warriors issued qualifying offers to safeguard their restricted free agency leverage. The franchise extended a projected $2.65 million offer to Dutch big Quinten Post, a steady rotation fixture over his first two seasons.
Golden State also tendered a specialized two-way qualifying offer to Nico Mannion. Though the 25-year-old Italian guard has not appeared in an NBA game since 2021, this procedural move allows the Warriors to retain his rights while he continues his career overseas with Luka Doncic’s newly established Roma SPQR.
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