Partizan Mozzart Bet moved quickly after the final round of NBA roster cuts, reaching agreements with two reinforcements for the remainder of the season in less than 24 hours. That said, only one player made it over from the NBA after being waived… First came confirmation of the signing of Antonio Reeves, most recently with Minnesota, followed by news of Robert Franks’ arrival from Nanjing in China. The Serbian club has added two Americans with proven scoring ability, giving Joan Peñarroya more options as injuries and shooting struggles continue to affect his team.
Partizan has made just 13 of its 66 three-point attempts over the last three EuroLeague games, while the absences of Derrick Willis and Tonye Jekiri have further depleted the frontcourt rotation. Reeves should provide another reliable scoring option on the perimeter, while Franks brings the profile of a floor-spacing power forward who could also spend some time at center.
Both have NBA experience and G League championships on their résumés, although they have taken very different paths to Partizan. Reeves has been trying to establish himself in the NBA, while Franks has built much of his career in Australia and Japan. Neither has played in the EuroLeague before.
Reeves Gives Partizan Another Way to Score
Above all, Antonio Reeves brings shooting to Partizan. The 196-centimeter guard can score off the catch, coming off screens or creating his own shot off the dribble. He has a quick release, a good feel for finding space and enough variety in his offensive game that he does not have to rely entirely on open looks created by his teammates. He uses changes of pace, has a floater and a midrange game, and showed during his final college season that he could score efficiently as a primary offensive option.
His biggest contribution at Partizan could be taking some of the scoring burden off Carlik Jones. Reeves can play without the ball and punish defenses for helping on drives, but he can also assume some of the offensive responsibility when Jones is on the bench. He is not a traditional playmaker, however, as his relatively modest assist numbers suggest. NBA scouting reports have also pointed to limitations in his athleticism, physical strength and ability to defend multiple positions. His playing time will therefore depend heavily on how well he handles his responsibilities at the defensive end.
From Mike Bibby’s Team to Kentucky
Reeves was born in Chicago but spent part of his high school years in Arizona after his family relocated because of his father’s work. He played at Shadow Mountain under former NBA point guard Mike Bibby and won a state championship. He later returned to Chicago and finished high school at the renowned Simeon Career Academy, which also produced Derrick Rose and Jabari Parker.
Unlike many future NBA players, Reeves was not regarded as a major prospect during his teenage years. He continued his career at Illinois State, where he developed steadily and averaged 20.1 points in his third season. Those performances caught the attention of John Calipari, who brought him to Kentucky in 2022.
His first season with the Wildcats was inconsistent. Reeves showed considerable offensive potential, but his defensive struggles occasionally cost him playing time. In March 2023, he scored 37 points against Arkansas and led Kentucky to an important road victory. Just two weeks later, he endured the opposite experience. In Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament elimination game against Kansas State, he shot 1-for-15 from the field, missing his first 14 attempts, including nine three-pointers.
One More Year at Kentucky Changed His Career
Rather than turn professional, Reeves decided to spend another season at Kentucky. He finished the 2023-24 campaign averaging 20.2 points per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the field, 44.7 percent from three and 86.3 percent from the free-throw line. He became the highest-scoring player, in terms of points per game, of Calipari’s 15-year tenure at Kentucky and reached double figures in 32 of his 33 appearances.
He produced those numbers on a team featuring Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, two future high NBA draft picks. Despite their talent, Reeves was Kentucky’s most dependable source of scoring. His teammate Tre Mitchell later told the Lexington Herald-Leader that the younger players were often puzzled by the way Calipari treated Reeves differently, but the explanation was simple: Reeves almost never deviated from his work habits or his daily approach to practice.
His NBA Opportunity Never Fully Opened Up
Reeves was selected with the 47th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, with Orlando immediately trading his rights to New Orleans. The Pelicans offered him a three-year, $5.41 million contract, although only the first season was fully guaranteed.
Reeves played the best NBA game of his career in New Orleans. On his 24th birthday, November 20, 2024, he scored 34 points against Cleveland on 14-for-25 shooting, adding five rebounds and three assists. The Pelicans lost heavily, and Reeves had received the opportunity because so many of his teammates were injured. Head coach Willie Green praised his work and preparation afterward, also giving credit to assistant coach Jodie Meeks, a former Kentucky player who had been working with the young guard.
However, 44 appearances in his first NBA season, during which he averaged 6.9 points and shot 39.5 percent from three, were not enough to secure his future with the franchise. New Orleans decided against guaranteeing his salary of approximately $2 million for the following season, leaving Reeves without a contract. He subsequently signed a two-way deal with Charlotte, spending most of his time with the Greensboro Swarm, where he won the G League championship. He made one final attempt to earn an NBA roster spot through Minnesota’s training camp but was waived shortly before the start of the new season.
Franks Brings a Different Kind of Shooting
Robert Franks has spent most of his professional career overseas, developing a reputation as a reliable offensive player, particularly for his outside shooting.
The 201-centimeter power forward is more comfortable handling the ball than might be expected of someone at his position. He can shoot off the catch, operate in pick-and-pop situations, attack slower defenders and find teammates when the defense takes away his space. He finished his most recent season with Ibaraki in Japan averaging 17.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists, shooting 40.3 percent from three on more than five attempts per game. His improvement as a passer suggests that he could also help facilitate offense from the high post.
That skill set is particularly valuable to Partizan following Derrick Willis’ injury. Franks can space the floor at power forward and open driving lanes for the guards, while potentially spending some minutes at center in smaller lineups. His defense, however, remains the biggest question mark. During his time in Australia, some opponents exploited his tendency to drop too deep into the paint, leaving room for opposing big men who could shoot from the perimeter. Against the EuroLeague’s more physical centers, he will also face greater demands as a rim protector and defensive rebounder.
Franks Had to Build His Career From the Ground Up
Franks grew up in Vancouver, Washington, and established himself as a basketball player at Washington State University. Like Reeves, he was not among the most highly recruited high school prospects. In fact, he later admitted that he arrived at college physically underprepared and without the work habits he needed.
Four years later, he left Washington State as the Pac-12’s leading scorer, averaging 21.6 points and 7.2 rebounds. He had previously earned the conference’s Most Improved Player award, and in January 2018, he made ten three-pointers against California to break a Washington State record that had stood for 24 years. His teammates later recalled how they began looking for every opportunity to get him the ball during that game, while head coach Ernie Kent emphasized how much Franks had improved since arriving on campus.
Still, Franks went undrafted in 2019. He began his professional career in the G League, playing for several teams before enjoying his most successful stretch with Lakeland, where he won the championship in 2021. He also appeared in seven NBA games for Orlando but was unable to secure a longer-term opportunity.
Thirty-Two Points Against Phoenix Put Him on the Map
Franks averaged 18.9 points and nearly nine rebounds per game with Brisbane in Australia before moving to Adelaide.
In October 2022, Adelaide defeated the Phoenix Suns 134-124 in a preseason game, with Franks scoring 32 points and making six of his ten three-point attempts. Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton were on the opposing team, while Adelaide became the first NBL club to defeat an NBA team in the preseason. ESPN and numerous other American outlets covered the historic victory, and Franks later spoke about how much it meant to him that his family had been able to attend the game.
Only a few months earlier, Franks had been on the verge of joining Lokomotiv Kuban. He received a financially attractive offer from the Russian club during the summer and was already preparing for a move to Europe, but he injured his ankle during NBA Summer League. He subsequently failed his medical examination, causing the deal to collapse. Franks then called Adelaide head coach CJ Bruton to ask whether he could return to their original plan. The club welcomed him back, and a few weeks later came the victory over Phoenix.
Japan Expanded His Game Beyond Scoring
After Australia and a brief stint with Hapoel Gilboa Galil in Israel, Franks continued his career in Japan, spending three seasons with Nagoya and Ibaraki. He averaged 18.1 points and 7.7 rebounds with Nagoya while shooting 38.7 percent from three, then finished his final season with Ibaraki with an even better perimeter shooting percentage and a larger role in facilitating the offense.
He has also dealt with several health issues during his career. In addition to the ankle injury, Franks suffered a fracture in his left hand in February 2024 and a concussion in March of the following year, which required him to complete the prescribed return-to-play protocol. Still, he finished his final season in Japan with 53 appearances and an average of nearly 32 minutes per game.
Vince Legarza, a member of the Phoenix coaching staff who worked with Franks during the 2024 Summer League, highlighted his shooting, understanding of spacing and willingness to accept his assigned role. NBA player David Roddy offered a similar assessment, pointing to Franks’ experience and his ability to stretch the floor as a big man.
Australia and Japan Also Changed His Life Away From Basketball
Living on different continents has also given Franks plenty of experiences away from basketball. During his time in Adelaide, he described himself as a homebody who enjoyed the quiet routine of everyday life and walks along Henley Beach to unwind after games. In Japan, he had to adjust to a different culture, with the help of an interpreter who was available to him almost constantly. One thing that particularly surprised him was how often rice was served, including at breakfast and as a snack. His time in Japan was followed by a move to Nanjing in China, and now comes his first major challenge in European club basketball.
For both players, adapting to the defensive demands of the EuroLeague will be a major challenge. How well they handle those responsibilities could determine their roles in Peñarroya’s rotation.
