Ali Traore

After a bad season, ASVEL Villerbanne are cutting salary. To celebrate their first Euroleague campaign for five years, the team spent Tony Parker's money bringing in reinforcements with pedigree - Curtis Borchardt, Rawle Marshall, Mindaugas Lukauskis. Unfortunately, they never made it out of the group stage, and they didn't even break .500 in the ProA either, finishing in 9th place with a 14-16 record. Therefore, Borchardt and Marshall have been released, Victor Samnick has moved to Nancy, and Ali Traore might soon leave the team as well. ASVEL have already brought in replacements; Clemson guard Cliff Hammonds comes over from Peristeri in Greece, and draft prospect Edwin Jackson has returned from two years on loan, fresh with a new cut fastball that breaks late away from the right hander. But there is no replacement size yet.

- Ali Traore

2007 draft candidate Traore has not yet left his native(ish) France. He is back with ASVEL Basket, the team he grew up with, and averaged 14.5 points and 5.4 rebounds in the Euroleague. Traore also averages 15.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in the French league, ranking ninth in scoring.