By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
After one season in Euroleague, without shining so much and having in his back two years in Belgian league (Ostende) and in a small team of Bosnia (Sloboda Tuzla), Mirza Teletovic couldn’t have a lot of chances to be picked in the 2007 NBA draft. Five years later, this has been proved valuable.
After six years of domination in Euroleague and Spanish League with Caja Laboral, the 26 year old Bosnian forward searched for a team in the NBA and agreed to sign a huge contract (12,4 million euros for three years) with Brooklyn Nets. The Basques will receive through their agreement few days ago with his agent, Misko Raznatovic, 1,7 million euros with president Jose Querejeta celebrating one more great deal. Caja is also close to welcome back after six years Roko Leni Ukic.
The oposite route will be followed by Rudy Fernandez who agreed to play for Real Madrid for the next three years. The Spanish guard had already been a member of Real during the months of the last NBA lock out and as he said: “I am very happy to be back with this club. I came back to win titles because this is what I want and what made me return to Europe. Winning titles makes a player grow. I expect good and bad times over the next three years. The plus that I give my teammates is that I am a winner and have experience in these competitions. I will keep working and getting better to help my team improve. Playing the Euroleague has a big impact in my decision. It is a competition that every player wants to win. I now have the luck to play in a team with a lot of tradition and that is a reference. I think we can win do it this season.”