Danny Ferry and Brian Shaw may have played their final basketball game in the Italian League.
The Americans' team, Messaggero Roma, was eliminated from the Italian playoffs Tuesday night, freeing Ferry and Shaw to return to the United States this weekend.Shaw has already signed to rejoin the Boston Celtics next season and Ferry is considering an offer from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who own his NBA rights.
Ferry, an All-American at Duke, was chosen by the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 2 overall pick in last year's NBA draft. But he elected to play in Italy and the Clippers traded his rights to Cleveland.
Ferry must decide whether to return to Rome next season or play in the NBA.
"I haven't really made a final decision yet," Ferry said Wednesday. "I've put a lot of thought into it already and I've been talking to the Cavaliers. But I want to go home and just hear everything out before I make the final decision. I think it will be in the next week or two."
Shaw, a backcourt starter for the Celtics in much of his rookie year, left for Italy in a contract dispute. But he recently signed a multiyear deal with Boston.
"It will be a big challenge to get back and play against top-notch competition in the NBA," Shaw said. "I'm looking forward to it."
Shaw scored a game-high 46 points in Messaggero's final game, a 111-103 loss to Scavolini Pesaro in the third and decisive contest of their playoff. Ferry scored 16 and fouled out with five minutes left.
In 30 regular-season games and six playoff contests, Ferry averaged around 22 points and six rebounds per game. Shaw averaged 25 points and nine rebounds, both team highs.
Messaggero led the league in attendance with an average of more than 8,000 per game.