
The Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association are expanding their roster after recently signing former No. 2 overall pick D’Angelo Russell. Center JaVale McGee has joined the Sharks after playing last season with the Beijing Ducks. McGee, 38, has participated in 909 NBA regular season games from 2008 to 2024 but has been without a contract since his deal with the Sacramento Kings ended in June 2024. A three-time NBA champion with the Warriors and Lakers, McGee has also played professionally in Puerto Rico and Australia in recent years.
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In addition to McGee, the Sharks have re-signed guard Brandon Goodwin. Goodwin played 133 regular-season games for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, and Cleveland Cavaliers from 2018 to 2022. After being waived by the Knicks in 2023, he has featured in the G League, Puerto Rico, and China. At 31, he had a standout season with Shanghai in 2025/26, leading the CBA in assists and receiving Finals MVP honors as the Sharks claimed the championship.
CBA teams are allowed to have up to three “import” players, and it appears Russell, McGee, and Goodwin will make up the Sharks' trio for the 2026/27 season.
In other basketball news, Canadian point guard Kevin Pangos has announced his retirement through an Instagram post. Pangos played 24 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2021/22 season but spent most of his career in Europe, winning titles in Italy and Lithuania. In 2021, he was named to the All-EuroLeague first team while with Zenit St. Petersburg. He also represented Canada in various international competitions and had a notable college career at Gonzaga, where he was a four-time All-WCC first team selection and earned conference Player of the Year accolades as a senior.
Also noteworthy is the planned expansion of the EuroLeague to 24 teams, which is expected to be a key topic at an upcoming meeting of team owners, according to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. Discussions may also include a recently proposed joint project with the NBA, although no representatives from the NBA or FIBA are expected to participate in the meeting.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver expressed concerns about how geopolitical issues may impact the league in the future during his appearance at Puck’s In The Arena conference. He also mentioned being surprised by Mark Walter's decision to sell the Lakers shortly after acquiring majority control.