By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Monaco starts its pre-season with Mike James having again a starting role in the roster and the club informing his side that they have no intention of parting ways with him.
Despite everything that was said and done Monaco wants James as part of their ongoing project, aiming even higher than last season when they won the French League and made it to the EuroLeague Final Four.
With coach Sasha Obradovic having James as a key ingredient in his plays, Jordan Loyd is expected to be back in action in early October after a shoulder operation to repair an old injury and Kemba Walker remains a question mark, not only because of his health condition but also because of the time he will need to adapt.
This makes the presence of James even more pivotal as Monaco embarks with big ambitions for the 2023-24 season.
Of course, at this point, the possibility of Mike James leaving the club is practically non-existent.
As for the teams which showed interest in the player and including Olympiacos, Fenerbahce, Partizan, and even Barcelona, they have to look elsewhere.
Specially Olympiacos, which seemed to be in a more advanced stage of talks compared to everyone else, the main alternative at this point is the NBA market.