Can we file this one under “strange but true” yet? Italian-language website SoloBasket.it is reporting that Partizan Belgrade has indeed signed Mateen Cleaves in the wake of the Milt Palacio departure.
Solo Basket reports that “Partizan will be back in Europe after the U.S. tour, and bringing back its new American player. The black-and-white of Belgrade, who separated with Milton Palacio for disciplinary reasons last week, have in fact put Mateen Cleaves under contract.
“The former Michigan State University champion’s contract is for two months, but with an option to extend through the end of the season.”
Despite the whisperings and rumors, this hardly seemed believable yesterday; Cleaves hasn’t played above the level of NBA D-League since playing with the Denver Nuggets in preseason 2008 and hasn’t played in a high-rank professional game since his 2008 stint with Panionios which included playing in five Greek League games and the ULEB Cup tournament.
Best of luck to Cleaves and Partizan on the occasion of this move, something of a gamble for both parties involved.
Dusko Vujosevic head coach of Partizan, when asked about Cleaves said that he wasn’t even in a consideration as their possible singing. He said that in interview for Serbian B92 television right after the game against Phoenix Suns.
http://www.b92.net/sport/vesti.php?yyyy=2009&mm=10&dd=07&nav_id=385192
@ Krle: Yeah, this rumor is quite the bit of science-fiction. I wonder where these rumors come from sometimes…
I have a theory that some newspapers in Serbia are reading Partizan fans, and Red Star fans forums and rewriting things from there. There are people who are close to the clubs and usually they announce a singing with no name they just say we’re signing a bomb of a player you’ll see, and spice it up with just a few tricky hints, and let fans do all the imagination.
This thing about Cleaves was also in a forum it is said that he wanted to play against Partizan with Midwest All Stars and that he was offering himself to the club, so he did played the second game and that happened right when problems with Palacio started to emerge, so someone did the math, but apparently did it badly. The news about Cleaves MIGHT sign for Partizan appeared on B92 site, on the very same site on its forum under the thread of Partizan fans that speculation was there for days.
@Krle:Mateen Cleaves is done thing…He will not sign….But that bomb could be Ognjen Askrabic…I heard some things about Partizan and him and he is very close to sign…:D