Partizan president Ostoja Mijailovic has addressed the club’s busy offseason, discussing the numerous roster changes and several players who were linked with the Serbian powerhouse.
Partizan have undergone significant changes this summer, with Bruno Fernando, Aleksej Pokusevski, Sterling Brown, Duane Washington, Isaac Bonga, Aleksa Radanov, Dylan Osetkowski, Shake Milton and Nick Calathes all leaving the club.
At the same time, it took the Belgrade side some time to officially announce its new additions. Partizan were, at one point, the only EuroLeague team yet to unveil a signing, leading to growing frustration among some fans.
However, according to Mijailovic, much of the transfer speculation surrounding the club did not reflect what was actually happening behind the scenes.
Mijailovic explains what happened with Nick Weiler-Babb
One of the players linked with a move to Partizan this summer was Nick Weiler-Babb.
Mijailovic has now revealed that the German-American guard was never actually involved in negotiations with the club.
“There is one thing the public needs to know here: not every player that a portal reports as being in negotiations with Partizan was actually in negotiations. Here is a specific example. Nick Weiler-Babb was offered to us. We looked at the player and decided that he did not fit our vision.”
The Partizan president explained that the club therefore never made an offer for the player.
“We did not make an offer and we did not negotiate. That is the whole story. It was similar with other players. Portals linked us with dozens of names with whom we never even spoke. Then, when a player signs for another club, a story comes out that Partizan lost the race. That is not true.”
Mijailovic acknowledged that Partizan did hold genuine negotiations with some players who eventually chose other destinations, but stressed that this is simply part of the transfer process.
“I do not accept that a picture is created that Partizan is doing an unsuccessful job based on fabricated negotiations. There were real negotiations, of course. Some players chose other clubs, and that is an integral part of this business,” he said to Kurir.
Partizan have already added seven players
Partizan have since become significantly more active in the transfer market.
The club has brought in Kevarrius Hayes, Nikola Tanaskovic, Kyle Allman, Lamar Stevens, Luca Vildoza, Derek Willis and Alessandro Pajola this summer.
The additions have given new head coach Joan Penarroya a much clearer foundation for his first season in Belgrade, although Partizan are still looking to make further moves.
The club reportedly wants to add three more players, with reinforcements needed at guard, wing and power forward.
That leaves the Partizan front office with several important decisions to make before the start of preseason.
Penarroya still waiting for a complete roster
Partizan have effectively reshaped a large portion of their roster this summer, with Penarroya expected to implement a system built around physicality and defensive intensity.
The arrival of experienced players such as Vildoza and Pajola should provide additional quality in the backcourt, while the other newcomers are expected to take on important roles within the Spanish coach’s system.
With preseason approaching, Partizan do not have unlimited time to complete the roster.
After a relatively quiet start to the transfer window, the Serbian club have now made significant progress. The remaining question is which three players will complete Penarroya’s roster and whether Partizan can finalize those additions before preseason begins.
