By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Alex Poythress finished the season as a VTB United League champion and as a free agent, his market stock is rising. It’s a well-known fact that Poythress was on Maccabi Tel Aviv‘s radar together with coach Xavi Pascual.
However, Poythress has a solid offer from Valencia, which is gearing up as a candidate to get a EuroLeague wildcard. The 28-year-old big man is expected to follow the path of Billy Baron and Jordan Loyd, leaving Russia behind him.
Meanwhile, Valencia is already clearing space in the roster with two key big-men, Mike Tobey and Louis Labeyrie being on the exit door.
In theory, since Tobey has a Slovenian passport and Labeyrie is French, Poythress being a US import may create an issue in building the roster. However, it’s possible for Poythress to play for Ivory Coast in the upcoming qualifiers for the FIBA World Cup 2023 and get a passport that gives him in Spain communitarian status due to the Cotonou Agreement.