The theme of Sarunas Jasikevicius takes a new turn day by day, or rather hour by hour. The latest data was presented by the well-known American journalist Mark Stein, who revealed that the Lithuanian coach is on the list of Raptors for the position of first coach.

The news that the Canadiens have their sights set on Jasikevicius isn’t exactly new, as the two sides held talks back in 2018 when Toronto finally signed Nick Nurse (who in turn led the team to the 2019 championship). In general, the Canadians are (also) looking to the European market, as they always have Sergio Scariolo – long-time assistant of the team and current coach of Virtus Bologna and the Spanish national team – on their mind.

Be that as it may, it is clear that the facts about Jasikevicius are constantly changing. Just yesterday (1/6) it was revealed that Saras had informed Barcelona management that he would accept a 90% reduction for his stay, ahead of the news that the Catalans stand between the Lithuanian and Yannis Sfeiropoulos and a few hours later later, Turkish media wrote that Jasikevicius rejected Anatolou Efes’ proposal.

In the center of interest of the basketball audience is Barcelona. It all started with Blaugrana’s third and failed attempt to lift the EuroLeague Cup in a row. So after the Final Four in Kaunas, a big discussion broke out with many industries.

The looming departure of Sarunas Jasikevicius, whose contract expires this summer, no longer seems certain as a report from Mundo Deportivo states that the Lithuanian coach intends to take a pay cut of up to 90% in order to remain at the Palau Blaugrana . This way of thinking is largely due to the significant cut Barcelona’s budget will see in the 2023/24 season, which is estimated at 20-25%, i.e. €8-11m.

On the contrary, a player who has been a reference point for the Spanish club in recent years and has a contract for two more seasons is likely to consider his stay at Barcelona far from certain. Of course, we’re talking about Nikola Mirotic, who is the highest-paid player not only in the team but also in the entire EuroLeague, but he didn’t live up to expectations.

“I have a contract with Barcelona for two more years and I would like to end it. But there are players, in basketball and other sports, who sometimes don’t make it to the end of their contract. Moreover, in recent statements, the Montenegrin striker said he heard and understood the noise created.

Expiring contracts

• Sarunas Jasikevicius (Coach)
• Kyle Curic (Guardian)
• Sertac Sanli (middle)
• Mike Tobey (middle)

The applicable contracts

• Thomas Satoransky (Guardian)
• Nicolas Laprovitola (guard)
• Corey Higgins (Guardian)
• Rokas Yokubaitis (Guardian)
• Nikola Kalinic (forward)
• Alex Abrines (Guard/Forward)
• Nikola Mirotic (forward)
• Oscar Da Silva (forward)
• Jan Vesely (forward/middle)
• James Nagy (middle)
• Oriol Pauli (forward)
• Sergi Martines (forward)

Pascual and Shairopoulos

In addition to Jasikevicius, there are two other names that are being discussed for the next club day. The first is Xavi Pascual, who also has a past at Barcelona and was the man who guided them to their last European title in 2010. The Catalan manager is under contract for next season but it’s widely known that he wants to leave Saint Petersburg and is willing to pay his buyout to Zenit to continue his coaching career elsewhere.

Of course, we should note that Pascual’s name is also associated with Monaco, who would likely part ways with Saša Obradović.

This is how Giannis Sfeiropoulos came into play, who has been sidelined since leaving Maccabi. The Greece coach has spoken to Anadolu Efes, who are looking for a replacement for Ergin Ataman, but also to Barcelona, ​​who are weighing all the options to make the best possible decision for the next day.

Of course, coach Sfairopoulos is also on the radar of the Basques after the recent developments, ie after the early elimination of Baskonia by Badalona in the play-offs of the Liga Endesa.

The hot summer

As can be seen, the summer in Barcelona is expected to be hot and long as there are many open fronts and the decisions to be made are far from easy as beyond the question mark that stands for the technical leadership of the club there will also be negotiations with many players about adjustments to their salaries. Especially those who get respectable amounts like Satoransky, Higgins and Vesely.

Gran Canaria has fulfilled its game commitments for this season after being eliminated by Real in the Spanish playoffs. But the question remains for everyone: Will he compete in the EuroLeague in the 2023/24 season, as he is entitled to after winning this year’s EuroCup?

As revealed by Spyros Cavalieratos, the Spanish club are reluctant to accept the opportunity as they free up another spot through a wild card, which perhaps explains the confidence Virtus Bologna have to compete in the EuroLeague next season. Jaka Lakovic took a position on this topic and showed in his own way that he recognizes the difficulties.

“Because I’m competitive, I always want to take part in the most important events.” The Gran Canaria coach first explained but then added meaningfully: “What matters is what the club decides. I know they are considering all the options we have to give the team the best possible conditions to compete in the EuroLeague.

But this year we’ve traveled about 75,000 miles (ss NBA teams travel…40,000 miles a year!) and we have to keep that in mind. We have to think about the players and the club. We will do everything that is possible.”

It is worth remembering that a few days ago it was announced that Gran Canaria had found a sponsor for the next 6 years, reviving its hopes. But as it turns out, there’s still a lot to think about for the club.