By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After being crowned scoring champion of the 2024-25 edition of Italy’s LBA UnipolSai with Openjobmetis Varese, Jaylen Hands is entering the BKT EuroCup with Panionios on a one-year contract.
The 26-year-old combo guard carries experience from the Basketball Champions League with fellow Greek clubs, PAOK mateco and Peristeri bwin, and the FIBA Europe Cup with Telenet Giants Antwerp, moving his scoring talents to the second tier of Euroleague Basketball. Rocky Kreuser, Matt Lewis, Michalis Lountzis, Sotiris Oikonomopoulos, George Papas, and Markel Starks were already welcomed by Panionios during the offseason.
Coming out of UCLA in 2019, Hands was selected with the 56th overall pick of the NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, but his draft rights were renounced in 2021, following involvement in trades to the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons. Therefore, he has yet to play in the league.
Elsewhere, 25-year-old Mark Smith inked a deal with ratiopharm Ulm. Returning to Germany’s easyCredit BBL after starting his professional career with BG Gottingen in 2022, he joined Mohamed Diakite, Diego Garavaglia, Lee Schoormann, and Chris Sengfelder on the list of earlier summer signings for the Sparrows.
Tautvydas Sabonis takes over the London Lions
Also Monday, the London Lions officially hired 33-year-old Tautvydas Sabonis as the new head coach for the 2025-26 season. Since 2019, and focusing on a coaching career, the older brother of NBA superstar Domantas Sabonis has served as an assistant coach at Zalgiris.
Following 12 appearances with Aris Midea last season, 25-year-old Trey Woodbury will play for U-BT Cluj-Napoca next season.
Slask Wroclaw added 22-year-old Blazej Czerniewicz.
The new season starts on September 30.