Several clubs were active as they looked to bring in reinforcements.
Ricky Rubio arrival headlined exciting EuroLeague transfer deadline
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Ricky Rubio was understandably the talk of world basketball on Tuesday night after he completed his return to FC Barcelona, one day before the transfer deadline in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.
As we enter the final stretch of the regular season, here are the signings made by EuroLeague clubs in 2024 which came before the close of the deadline at 18:00 CET on Wednesday, February 7. To read more about the signings which came before the turn of the year, Euroleague Basketball Editorial Director Frank Lawlor did a piece on the rosters' roller coaster here.
ALBA Berlin
A familiar face returned to Mercedes-Benz Arena in early January when Martin Hermannsson rejoined ALBA on a deal until the end of the 2025-26 season. After spending three and a half years at Valencia Basket, Hermannsson came back to ALBA, where he played between 2018 and 2020, in search of a bigger role.
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
An injury to Chris Chiozza caused Baskonia to look for reinforcements, with Jordan Theodore penning a contract at Buesa Arena in late January until the end of this current campaign. Despite having not featured in the EuroLeague since the 2017-18 season, when he suited up for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, the 34-year-old guard has hit the ground running with Baskonia.
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade
Keen to add more firepower on offense, Crvena Zvezda brought Jevonte Smart to Europe for the first time in his career. The 24-year-old shooting guard had spent his professional career between the NBA and the G League, but he joined the Serbian side in mid-January until the end of the season with a club option for a further year. Smart has already averaged 9.8 points in four games for Crvena Zvezda, showing that his arrival is already paying dividends.
Then, on deadline day, the club bolstered its frontcourt options by inking 2017-18 EuroLeague champion Trey Thompkins on a one-month deal which could be extended until the end of the season. The 33-year-old, who last played in the competition in the 2021-22 campaign and spent last season in the VTB League with Zenit St. Petersburg, adds experience to a Crvena Zvezda side that has dealt with inconsistency all season long.
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
Likewise, Milan wanted to bolster its backcourt options and decided to recruit Rodney McGruder on a contract until the end of the 2023-24 season. McGruder had spent the last seven years in the NBA, playing in 326 games, but he agreed to join a Milan team looking to make a late surge towards the EuroLeague Playoffs. Having posted 9.2 points per night across four appearances, he’s certainly given his team a boost on offense.
FC Barcelona
As noted above, Rubio was the name on everyone’s lips in the lead-up to the deadline. The 33-year-old is back in the EuroLeague after 13 years away, and he’s back at a club where he lifted the EuroLeague trophy in the 2009-10 season. Rubio is an elite addition to a Blaugrana squad that sits second in the EuroLeague with a 17-8 record. Could Rubio, once he is ready to return to action, be the player to help Barca end its 14-year wait to become the EuroLeague champion once again?
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
Amine Noua signed for Fenerbahce on a one-month contract on January 22, yet his performances have been impressive enough that it’s hard to imagine the club not signing him until the end of the season. That second part remains to be seen, but the addition of Noua certainly helped head coach Saras Jasikevicius at a time when the likes of Nigel Hayes-Davis, Dyshawn Pierre, Nate Sestina and Tarik Biberovic were all out injured.
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv
On deadline day, Maccabi sealed the signing of Joe Thomasson for the remainder of the season. Maccabi has one of the best backcourts in the EuroLeague, featuring Lorenzo Brown and Wade Baldwin, but it will hope that Thomasson can provide an added boost off the bench. He impressed after joining Promitheas Patras past the midway point of the 2022-23 BKT EuroCup season and could make a similar impact for Oded Kattash’s side as he prepares to embark on his first adventure in the EuroLeague.
Olympiacos Piraeus
Moses Wright certainly made a good impression on his Olympiacos debut, recording 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks just a couple of days after joining the club on January 26. The 25-year-old center penned a deal with the Reds until the end of the 2024-25 campaign and his arrival came at a point when Olympiacos was without both Nikola Milutinov and Moustapha Fall. He’s just two games into his EuroLeague career, but Wright already looks like a very smart pickup by Olympiacos.
Zalgiris Kaunas
At this time of year, finding a player who can make an immediate impression is certainly a tough task. But, for Zalgiris, it has brought home a familiar face by signing Karolis Lukosiunas after a stint in the G League with the Salt Lake City Stars. Having played 64 EuroLeague games over the last four seasons for Zalgiris, Lukosiunas knows exactly what is expected of him when he puts on the club’s famous green uniform.