HoopsHype.com Rumors

Ervinas Spūdys: Romanov about signing Kleiza: "It's a lottery I don't want to take part in" Twitter

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Lockout, Lithuania 

Linas Kleiza has confirmed that he will be coming back to play in Lithuania while the NBA lockout continues and the only choice left is between Lietuvos Rytas and Zalgiris. “We’ll see how things pan out. I can’t say that the negotiations are intense, but the situation with Lietuvos Rytas is very clear, but I haven’t heard anything concrete from Zalgiris,” said Kleiza. lithuaniabasketball.com

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Lockout, Lithuania 

Linas Kleiza denies reports that he's close to joining Lietuvos Rytas. BasketNews.lt

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Lockout 

The lockout is close to bringing another NBA player back to Europe, as Lithuanian forward Linas Kleiza is reported to be on the verge of joining Lietuvos Rytas, where he would join a potential Toronto Raptors teammate Jonas Valanciunas, who was drafted by the Canadian club in this year’s NBA Draft. According to BTV Television, the 26-year-old Lithuanian star, who is recovering from a knee injury, would join the Lithuanian League (LKL) runners-up once fully healthy. After undergoing surgery in the beginning of February, the initial recovery time was said to be between nine and twelve months. lithuaniabasketball.com

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Lockout, Lithuania 

According to BTV (Baltic TV), Lietuvos Rytas might add to the roster Linas Kleiza. The Lithuanian forward is out since months due to a serious injury suffered last NBA season while he was playing with Toronto Raptors Sportando

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Lockout, Lithuania, Lietuvos Rytas 

Erildas Budraitis: Linas Kleiza is back in the U.S. for the final tests before starting working out normally (via Robertas Petrauskas) #Raptors #NBA Twitter

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Injuries, Lithuania 

Kleiza doesn't say no to Lietuvos Rytas and Zalgiris "When everything is alright, we'll see in which Lithuanian team I will play. Of course, if they need me. If not, I would have to go to Toronto. Maybe they will let me join them because they own me a lot of money," Kleiza laughs. BasketNews.lt

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Lockout, Lithuania, Zalgiris Kaunas 

26-year-old Toronto Raptors forward Linas Kleiza, who cannot play basketball at the moment due to leg injury, will play himself in the new Lithuanian TV series about teenagers’ social problems, Lithuanian media reports. “It is a pleasure to be with partners and producers like Rolandas Skaisgirys and TV3. We have prepared a lot of great social projects. There is a lot of problems with children; people are running away from this country because there is a lack of leaders. What we have to do? We have to be proud that we are Lithuanians, and not only if we talk about basketball.” Kleiza said. Mirosport News

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Lithuania 

Greece? You’ll find legitimate NBA players considering Somalia before they entertain offers from the only two teams in Greece that can be players in the game: Olympiakos and Panathinaikos. Those two teams were a combined 57-5 in league play last season. The third place team was 16-10. “It’s ironic,’’ says agent Marc Cornstein of Pinnacle Hoops, who has extensive experience placing players in Europe. “(Olympiakos and Panathinaikos) were in the forefront with Childress and Kleiza. They were very aggressive in the past. But they are lagging because of the economic climate over there. It’s very quiet.” HoopsHype

Linas Kleiza, Josh Childress, Lockout, Greece, Marc Cornstein 

Has Cornstein heard anything about either Greek team making approaches to NBA players? “In a word – no,’’ he said. “It’s a shame, really. They were two of the biggest teams in Europe.” HoopsHype

Linas Kleiza, Josh Childress, Lockout, Greece, Marc Cornstein 

It’s also not as financially advantageous. The pro basketball players in Greece used to be taxed at a flat, 20 percent. Now, they are taxed the same as all Greek citizens and, for any highly-paid player, that means the tax would likely be 45 percent. HoopsHype

Linas Kleiza, Josh Childress, Lockout, Greece, Marc Cornstein 

Toronto forward Linas Kleiza on Saturday denied a Greek report that claimed he believes incompetence by Raptors medical officials contributed to why he last Wednesday underwent season-ending right microfracture knee surgery. "I have no problems with Toronto's medical staff,'' Kleiza said in a phone interview with FanHouse from Vail, Colo., where he has remained since the surgery was performed by specialist Dr. Richard Steadman. FanHouse.com

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Injuries 

The report was by Sport25.gr, a Greek website in the nation where Kleiza played for Olympiakos for the 2009-10 season. Translated by TalkBasket.net, the report read in part that Kleiza "had been complaining to the Raptors' medical team for the past two months about excruciating pain in his right knee'' and that "the team's doctors ignored his pleas and insisted that it was nothing to worry about.'' FanHouse.com

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Injuries 

"I don't know where that came from,'' said Kleiza, who added that he didn't know about the report until being informed by FanHouse. "I haven't talked to anybody from Greece. ... I think everything was done (in an acceptable manner by Toronto's medical staff). I was talking to them all the time (about the knee injury).'' FanHouse.com

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Injuries 

Some pretty damning words are getting hurled the Toronto Raptors’ way from here on The Continent regarding Linas Kleiza’s devastating and prolonged injury. Talk Basket today maintains, through a couple of sources well-placed with the Raps, that Kleiza’s extended time on the disabled list is due almost entirely to the incompetence of the team’s medical staff who reportedly did not listen to their Lithuanian star as he complained of injury. Ball In Europe

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Injuries 

Local news media Sport24 of Greece, last season’s home for Kleiza as he played for Olympiacos, broke the story which Talk Basket later translated in part, explaining: “[Kleiza] had been complaining to Raptors’ medical team for the past two months about excruciating pain in his right knee. The team’s doctors ignored his pleas and insisted that it was nothing to worry about and that he should continue training at 100% and just go through some routine therapies until the pain is gone. Ball In Europe

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Injuries 

Toronto Raptors forward Linas Kleiza said he will be in Colorado for about another week after having microfracture surgery on his right knee that will keep him sidelined for up to a year. Kleiza said he initially suffered the knee injury during training camp and kept playing until it became too painful. “I will come back better and stronger from this,” he said. “There’s no doubt in my mind.” Yahoo! Sports

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Injuries 

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday forward Linas Kleiza (LYNN-as CLAY-za) underwent arthroscopic surgery yesterday to address both a meniscal tear and chondral defect of his right knee. The surgery was performed by Dr. J. Richard Steadman in Vail, Colorado. Due to the nature of the microfracture procedure performed, the recovery time is expected to be nine to 12 months. Kleiza appeared in 39 games with 23 starts, averaging 11.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 26.5 minutes. He had six games of 20 or more points, including a season-best 26 December 10 versus Denver and December 19 versus the Los Angeles Lakers. NBA.com

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Injuries 

Holly McKenzie: Linas Kleiza can speak English, Lithuanian, Russian and German. Makes me want to brush up on my Spanish again and break out some French. Twitter

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza 

Enter Linas Kleiza, who the Raptors signed to a four-year contract this summer. A year ago, after four seasons playing behind Carmelo Anthony in Denver and never averaging more than 24 minutes or eight shots per game, Kleiza was looking for a bigger role. He found it with Greek power Olympiakos. "It wasn't an easy decision, but it was the right decision at that time," Kleiza said. "I was looking an opportunity to grow on a team. They gave me that and I'm happy I did it." NBA.com

Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza, Greece