- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Photo: Michael Barera via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Team logos via ESPN.
Dallas Mavericks draftee Vsevolod Ishchenko will spend the 2026-27 season in Russia rather than joining the organization, his agent Nafiset Udychak told All Things Mavs in early August.
The 6'8" Russian guard/forward, selected 56th overall in 2026, will continue playing for Lokomotiv Kuban. Ishchenko confirmed the arrangement at an August 8 press conference with the club. The news went largely unnoticed until his absence from the Texas Legends training camp roster sparked renewed attention.
Ishchenko averaged 8.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists across 48 games last season for Lokomotiv Kuban. He also appeared in five Las Vegas Summer League contests with Dallas, posting 9.6 points and 3.0 assists in 27.5 minutes per game.
Udychak noted that "Lokomotiv Kuban and Dallas have built a strong working relationship." Ishchenko said returning to Krasnodar represented his best option.
The development solidifies Ishchenko's status as a draft-and-stash prospect and accounts for all of Dallas's 2026 draft selections.
Source: Hoops Rumors - Mon Oct 26, 1:17 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).