By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
After the departure of Kostas Sloukas to Panathinaikos and of Sasha Vezenkov to the NBA for the Sacramento Kings, Olympiacos is trying to bring to Piraeus another high-level caliber superstar to get to the third consecutive EuroLeague Final Four.
That’s why the Greek powerhouse has decided to put its eyes on Mike James. According to Vaggelis Ioannou, the American superstar won’t travel to the Principality tomorrow, asking his agents to negotiate with AS Monaco to ultimately terminate his contract. Olympiacos is waiting, while Partizan Belgrade also asked about the former CSKA Moscow player.
However, it remains to be seen if Monaco is willing to part ways with him, having a contract for next season with no buyout clause.
In the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, the soon-to-be 32-year-old guard put up 15.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game alongside Jordan Loyd and Elie Okobo. He also contributed to AS Monaco’s first-ever title in the LNB. The Monegasques recently added former NBA All-Star Kemba Walker to its roster.
The 8th-best leading scorer in last year’s EuroLeague already spent time in Greece, playing for Panathinaikos in 2016-17 and then in 2018. In the best European competition, he also wore the jerseys of Baskonia, Milan, and CSKA Moscow.
Mike James crossed paths more than once with Olympiacos in the past two EuroLeague seasons since joining AS Monaco. In the 2021-22 season, the Monegasque side got eliminated 3-2 in the Playoffs by the Greek powerhouse, while at the 2023 Final Four Sasha Vezenkov and teammates came back to eliminate Sasa Obradovic‘s team in the semifinals.
Breaking: Ο Μάικ Τζέιμς δεν θα πάει αύριο στο πριγκιπάτο. Θα ζητήσει από τον ατζέντη του να ξεκινήσει τις διαπραγματεύσεις για τη λύση του συμβολαίου του. Ο Ολυμπιακός τηρεί στάση αναμονής. Για το στάτους του @TheNatural_05 ρώτησε και η Παρτιζάν τις τελευταίες ώρες..@ertsportsgr pic.twitter.com/fvg8COvfWg
— VIoannou (@VaggelisIoanno2) August 11, 2023
PHOTO CREDIT: Turkish Airlines EuroLeague