By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Luka Doncic has officially launched his new project, Basketball Club Roma SPQR, naming Italian national team playmaker Nico Mannion as the foundational signing for the ambitious franchise.
The NBA superstar is currently spearheading this major sporting venture in the Italian capital alongside Donnie Nelson, conducting high-level institutional meetings with Rome’s mayor and Italian Basketball Federation executives to secure the club’s formal establishment. This marquee acquisition lands a guard with valuable NBA experience from a 30-game stint with the Golden State Warriors, alongside a proven continental pedigree as a former 7DAYS EuroCup champion. His arrival spearheaded a wave of intense roster activity across the league, coinciding with major player movements finalized by several BKT EuroCup clubs on Thursday.
Frontcourts received substantial upgrades as teams secured versatile size. Lithuanian squad Lietkabelis boosted its interior rotation by signing 27-year-old forward Ivan Fevrier, a former Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Most Valuable Player who brings 24 games of prior EuroCup experience. Guerri Napoli also made a major forward addition, securing Andrej Jakimovski on a two-year contract following his highly productive scoring season with Dolomiti Energia Trento. Meanwhile, German club ratiopharm Ulm focused on long-term development by locking in 20-year-old Spanish-German prospect Nil Failenschmid-Clavera under a dual-license structure to split time with their academy.
The perimeter market proved equally active as various sides prioritized athleticism and global experience to round out their backcourts. Niners Chemnitz finalized a multi-year agreement through 2027 with physical guard Phlandrous Fleming Jr., marking his first career entry into the second tier of Euroleague Basketball as the club’s ninth newcomer. Turkiye’s Tofas also completed a backcourt deal by signing combo guard Zach Nutall, who transitions to European club tournaments for the first time after a productive stint in China.
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