International Notes: Lyles, Nunn, Canada, EuroCup, NBA Europe
Relaying a report from the Spanish outlet Marca, Dimitris Minaretzis of Eurohoops says forward Trey Lyles appears increasingly likely to leave Real Madrid this offseason on the heels of a big year with the Spanish club.
While Madrid remains interested in re-signing Lyles, they’re facing significant competition from other clubs in Europe who may be in position to make more lucrative offers. Panathinaikos, Fenerbahce, Dubai BC, and Hapoel Tel Aviv are said to be among the teams with an eye on Lyles, who spent 10 years in the NBA with Utah, Denver, San Antonio, Detroit, and Sacramento from 2015-25.
As we noted when we checked in last month on Lyles’ market, a return to the NBA remains possible for the Canadian, who is still just 30 years old. However, if no favorable opportunities arise stateside for the veteran forward, it looks like he’ll have no shortage of potential destinations to choose from in Europe.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the international basketball world:
- Former NBA guard Kendrick Nunn is expected to become a naturalized player for Qatar ahead of the 2027 World Cup, per a Sport24 report (hat tip to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando). Since last playing in the NBA in 2023, Nunn has emerged as a star in Europe, winning a EuroLeague title with Panathinaikos in 2024 and earning EuroLeague MVP honors in 2025.
- The Canadian national team won a gold medal at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup for the first time, defeating Team USA in Sunday’s final by a score of 67-65. Point guard Javion Tyndale, who had 18 points and eight assists in the gold medal game, was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, per FIBA.
- The EuroCup – which is Europe’s second-tier continental league behind the EuroLeague – will expand from 20 teams to 32 teams for the 2026/27 season, per a press release. According to the announcement, the participating teams and those awarded long-term licenses will be confirmed soon.
- Former star big man Pau Gasol explained on Tuesday, per Mundo Deportivo, why he believes NBA Europe will become a reality and why he views the NBA’s model as a necessary to grow the sport of basketball in Europe. Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops shares a few of the key quotes from Gasol.