HoopsHype.com Rumors

After John Hammond of the Bucks and Bryan Colangelo of the Raptors, Danny Ainge was the third NBA manager to travel to Rome to scout Gigi Datome. The President of the Boston Celtics attended the Serie A game between Virtus Roma and Sidigas Avellino won by the guest 81-75 after one overtime. Sportando

Boston Celtics, Danny Ainge, Italy, Virtus Roma, Gigi Datome 

Bryan Colangelo was yesterday in Rome to see the practice of Virtus. The president and GM of the Toronto Raptors talked with the three NBA prospects of Virtus at the end of practice: Gigi Datome, Gani Lawal and Jordan Taylor. Gigi Datome was the main reason of Colangelo's trip in the Italian capital. The captain of Virtus Roma could move to the NBA next season, despite one year remaining on his contract with Virtus. Sportando

Toronto Raptors, Bryan Colangelo, Italy, Gani Lawal, Virtus Roma, Jordan Taylor, Gigi Datome 

Gigi Datome, captain and star of Virtus Roma, may sign in the NBA next season. The forward of the Italian National team is having his best season in Serie A, where he scores 17.8ppg with 5.8rpg shooting with 53.9% from two and 46.1% from the arc in 21 games played. Datome, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, is drawing interest from at least three NBA teams and one of them are the Boston Celtics. Sportando

Boston Celtics, Italy, Virtus Roma, Gigi Datome 

Recently, Datome changed also his agent moving from Side by Side (owned by Toto Ricciotti, former agent of Andrea Bargnani) to Sigma Sports of Matteo Comellini. 'I am sure he can have a future in the NBA' said his teammate in Roma, Jordan Taylor. 'He is a great shooter and player. Several teams may need a player like him' added former Wisconsin PG in an interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport. Taylor also has NBA goals and one of his targets is to be at the NBA Summer League in July. Taylor is averaging 11.5ppg with 2.7rpg and 2.5apg. At the same time, Virtus Roma started as well negotiations with Taylor to keep him in the team for one more season. Sportando

Italy, Virtus Roma, Gigi Datome 

Emiliano Carchia: Jarvis Varnado has signed his contract with Virtus Roma. The deal will be official very soon Twitter

Free Agency, Italy, Jarvis Varnado, Virtus Roma 

Emiliano Carchia: NBA big man Leon Powe has been offered to Virtus Roma. Two problems: salary is too high and he doesn't have European experience Twitter

Free Agency, Italy, Leon Powe, Virtus Roma 

Emiliano Carchia: My man @Chema de Lucas reports that Zach Andrews, waived by Lakers in the training camp, turned down an offer from Virtus Roma Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Italy, Virtus Roma, Zach Andrews 

Emiliano Carchia: Former NBA big man Brian Skinner is close to returning to Italy and joining Virtus Roma Twitter

Free Agency, Italy, Brian Skinner, Virtus Roma 

Virtus Roma asked info on Brian Skinner. The Italian team is on the market looking for a big man to add in the frontline. Brian Skinner has finished last season in Italy with Benetton Treviso averaging 6.5ppg and 6.8rpg in 22 games. Sportando

Free Agency, Brian Skinner, Virtus Roma 

Emiliano Carchia: Claudio Toti, president of Virtus Roma, said that Tyreke Evans would have paid the insurance by his own to play in Italy Twitter

Sacramento Kings, Lockout, Tyreke Evans, Italy, Virtus Roma 

Emiliano Carchia: Davide Bonora, team manager of Virtus Roma: 'We had signed Tyreke Evans but we will never seem him with our jersey' Twitter

Sacramento Kings, Lockout, Tyreke Evans, Italy, Virtus Roma 

It's been a busy day for me (covering the Raiders and all) so I'm just now posting about Tyreke Evans agreeing to play in Italy. Evans has agreed to a deal with Virtus Roma and has until Wednesday to decide if he will indeed sign with the team. Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Lockout, Tyreke Evans, Italy, Virtus Roma 

Evans' deal would be month-to-month. If there is an agreement to end the lockout before Wednesday, expect Evans not to sign with Virtus Roma. If there isn't, Evans will spend Christmas in Italy. Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Lockout, Tyreke Evans, Italy, Virtus Roma 

Emiliano Carchia: Tyreke Evans is expected in Roma next Wednesday and should make his debut on Saturday 3rd. Evans will make around 100k per month with Roma Twitter

Sacramento Kings, Lockout, Tyreke Evans, Italy, Virtus Roma 

Virtus Roma announces that it has reached an agreement with the athlete Tyreke Evans until the end of the 2011/12 season with an NBA opt out. Virtus Roma

Sacramento Kings, Lockout, Tyreke Evans, Italy, Virtus Roma 

Virtus Roma agreed to terms with Tyreke Evans for the season 2011-12 with an NBA out to exercise by the player when lockout ends. The contract, as announced by Acea Roma, will be signed in the night. Evans spent his two NBA seasons with Sacramento Kings after being drafted with the 4th overall pick in 2009. At the end of his rookie year in NBA, Evans has been named Rookie of the Year averaging 20.1ppg, 5.3rpg and 5.8apg in 72 games. Sportando

Sacramento Kings, Lockout, Tyreke Evans, Italy, Virtus Roma 

Virtus Roma is one of the two Italian clubs interested in Jeremy Lin. The American guard is ready to play overseas during the NBA lockout and Italy seems to be his final destination. Lin spent his rookie year in the NBA with Golden State Warriors with whom he averaged 2.6ppg in 29 games. The guard was also sent to D-League where, with the jersey of Reno BigHorns averaged 18.4ppg, 5.8rpg and 4.5apg. Sportando

Golden State Warriors, Lockout, Jeremy Lin, Italy, Virtus Roma 

Noel Biderman just wanted the name of his infidelity-enabling website -- you might have heard about it, AshleyMadison.com -- on the front of Italian basketball team Virtus Roma's jerseys. The fact that he was trying to do it while the NBA is locked out and Raptors centre Andrea Bargnani was in need of insurance cash in order to play for the team was purely coincidental, the Toronto native said. While the details of the deal have appeared somewhat blurry in Toronto since the story broke, Biderman's intent was to sponsor the team as a whole, the monetary infusion alone covering Bargnani's insurance costs. "I never approached Andrea or his agent," Biderman said on the phone from Rome Friday. cbc.ca

Toronto Raptors, Lockout, Italy, Andrea Bargnani, Virtus Roma 

"I met with the GM and I never had a conversation with Bargnani," he said. What ensued was a € 1.5-million sponsorship offer of the team, something common in Europe, although less so lately during the continent's extended economic troubles. "The team would be referred to as Ashley Madison Roma," Biderman said. "It would be naming rights, and two minutes of TV ad time each game." cbc.ca

Toronto Raptors, Lockout, Italy, Andrea Bargnani, Virtus Roma 

Noel Biderman, founder of AshleyMadison.com, sent to us an email after Claudio Toti decided to turn down his 4-year offer worth €1.5M per season. "I am sorry Virtus Roma rejected our offer and the chance to get Andrea Bargnani in the team. Claudio Toti turned down a four-year proposal worth €1.5 per season but we wish the best for the team in the season" said Biderman. "Regarding our sponsorship, a lot of people talked about ethic problems but I want to underline one more time that we don't do anything wrong. We offer a social platform where people can communicate as Facebook and other sites do. Now I hope that Toti won't tie Virtus to brands which promote alchool, cigarettes or gambling." Sportando

Toronto Raptors, Lockout, Italy, Andrea Bargnani, Virtus Roma