Summer signings, round 1

Some former NBA players have moved from a non-NBA team to a non-NBA team. So have some former peripheral players who never quite cracked the NBA league. If news of this interests you, dear viewer, then read on.


Jerome Moiso has moved from DKV Joventut - a very good European team based Spain - to Khimki, an almost as good European team based in Russia. For all of his NBA failings, Jerome Moiso is regarded as hot shit on this Earth's finest continent.

Marc Jackson, who was released from Greek powerhouse Olympiakos part way through last season to be replaced by Qyntel Woods, has signed with Unics Kazan, also of Russia. The fact that Jackson chose to sign before the NBA free agency period began, and that he also didn't choose to go the summer league route, would indicate that Jackson either has no interest in playing in the NBA any more, or that he no longer finds it a viable option any more.

"Spider" Charles Smith has spent the last two seasons with powerhouse Real Madrid in Spain, but this week has left them to sign with Efes Pilsen in Turkey. There's a delicatessen in my nearest town called Efes Pilsen. Fun fact.

Speaking of Turkey, former Memphis Grizzlies guard Tarence Kinsey has obtained a Turkish passport due to residency (more on this concept in a future blog post), and he will now play for the Turkish national team. Similarly, former Raptors guard Omar Cook recently obtained Montenegran citizenship (it's a country), and will play for their national team too. It's news worth knowing brought to you by the site worth visiting.

Denver draft pick Axel Hervelle has re-signed with Real Madrid for three more years. So he's probably never coming over.

The Toronto Raptors and forward Jorge Garbajosa mutually agreed to terminate the final year of his contract, and Garbajosa has already agreed a deal with Tau Vitoria back in his native Spain. A post about the virtues of Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo may or may not be forthcoming, depending on my effort level. Oh, and as mentioned previously, Grizzlies guard Juan Carlos Navarro also went back to Spain, signing with his former team Barcelona for the next one hundred million years. Never should have left, Juan.

Former Knicks - for about a week - forward Otis George remains in the second tier of Italian basketball, signing with newly promoted Venezia.

Rick Rickert has re-signed with the New Zealand Breakers, who play in Australia. I'm still awaiting answers on why this is. Rickert is probably through with the NBA - or is that the other way around? - but there remains a slim chance that one day he can be reunited with Kevin Garnett, who can then punch him in the face again. As they say, "anything's possible!!!!!!". That joke was shit but I'm still happy I made it.

NBA journeyman Amal McCaskill has signed in the Phillipines, with a team named the Magnolia Beveragemasters. The standard of basketball might be shit over there, but the money's good, and the team names are faaaaaaaaantastic!

Milos Vujanic, the one time future of the New York Knicks, is joining Charles Smith above at Efes Pilsen, where together they will make the finest continental salads that you ever did sample.

Zoran Erceg - undrafted last season - has signed with Olympiakos of Greece, who you will know of if you have any worldly sense/saw the top of this post.