ITA - Clippers and Pistons head race for Bellinelli

ROME (NBA) - Italian basketball star Marco Belinelli is keeping his options open ahead of the NBA draft, but his handlers believe the Los Angeles Clippers and Detroit Pistons are the best placed franchises to sign him up.

Belinelli, 21, has already had try-outs with the Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers, but plans others with the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz before the draft on June 28.

His brothers Umberto and Enrico are acting as his advisers and Enrico told La Gazzetta dello Sport that he felt Detroit and the Clippers are the most interested outfits although he won't be able to control how the draft unfolds.

Enrico told the paper: "Detroit and the Clippers are the teams at the moment who have expressed the biggest interest.

"Others too have given us encouraging signals but these two seem to be the ones with the most serious intentions."

Tom Ross
FIBA