Raul Neto says he doesn't have a contract for next season and is still looking for a new team.
Eight-year NBA veteran guard Raul Neto has confirmed that he is currently without a team.
Neto, who signed a 1+1 deal with EuroLeague Final Four participant Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul last summer, saw his contract terminated the same year after he ruptured his patellar tendon in his right knee during the FIBA World Cup 2023. However, Fenerbahce never officially communicated their decision.
"I don't have a team right now. I'm a free agent," Neto shared with BasketNews after Brazil made it to the Paris Olympics. "And yes, they [Fenerbahce] cut my contract last year after the injury. I'm still looking for my next club for the next season."
The 32-year-old confirmed his status when asked again, saying, "Yes, I don't have a contract."
Currently, 'Raulzinho' is recovering from another injury -- a left thigh strain -- sustained last Tuesday in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia, during the first game against Montenegro.
This match marked his return to the court after nearly a year off due to the previous injury. Despite this setback, he is hopeful of returning before the Paris Olympics to participate in his third Olympic Games after Rio in 2016 and London in 2012.
"I'm trying to [recover]," he told the media in the mixed zone. "I've been doing rehab 24/7. Right now, I have something going on my leg (points out to some medical gadget), and I'm trying to recover in time. I know it's a muscle injury, and it's hard to recover faster than you are supposed to, but I'm trying. I'm doing everything, and hopefully, I will be healthy to play in the Olympics."
On Sunday night, Brazil secured their ticket to Paris by defeating Latvia 94-69, but Neto could only motivate and cheer on his teammates from the sidelines.
"It feels amazing [to qualify]. I will take my minutes out to qualify if I have to," Neto noted. "Of course, I want to be inside the court, helping the team, but they did an amazing job tonight, and I couldn't be more happier than I am right now.
"When I got hurt again [during the FIBA OQT], it was something different. I am happy that I could show that I am healthy; I could feel the same as I was before," the guard went on to say about his recent injury. "It's been hard, but I'm not even thinking about the last 10 months right now. It feels amazing for Brazil to make the Olympics. We're so excited."
Brazil will return to the Olympics after an eight-year break. They will compete in the Olympic Basketball Tournament Group B against host France, world champion Germany, and Asian powerhouse Japan.
"I mean, it's hard to even think about the next game right now, as we just qualified for the Olympics. But we know it's going to be a hard job to get through this group," Neto assessed. "Two very, very good teams and Japan always shows up. We're excited, we gonna celebrate, we gonna take a little break. It's been a month now, but we gonna get ready and prepare for every game like it's our last."
