By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Emmanuel Mudiay has penned a contract with Zalgiris Kaunas for the next season, the team announced Monday. He was indeed rumored to nearing a deal with the Lithuanian powerhouse.
Mudiay, 25, was drafted 7th overall in 2015 by the Denver Nuggets. He since recorded 303 games played in the NBA between the Nuggets, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz up to the 2019-20 season. European basketball and Turkish Airlines EuroLeague will be a brand new experience for him.
Per the press release: “Zalgiris completed its roster for the upcoming season with the signing of 25-year-old point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, who joins on a one-year contract.
The former 7th overall pick spent five years in the NBA after being picked up by the Denver Nuggets in the 2015 NBA draft.
He spent three seasons with the Nuggets, a year and a half with the New York Knicks and another season with the Utah Jazz. Mudiay started his professional career in China with one year under his belt there before the draft.
Mudiay had a great first year of his NBA career, averaging 12.8 points, 5.5 assists, and followed it up with 11.0 point and 3.9 assist averages the following season. In his third season in the league, the guard from the Democratic Republic of Congo averaged 8.5 points and 2.9 assists.
Having been traded to New York the following season, Mudiay reminded the league about himself, averaging 14.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists for the Knicks.
The point guard then had a run with the Utah Jazz, putting up 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in an average of 15 minutes per game. However, he spent last season without basketball, not having found a deal in the NBA.
Mudiay was targeted by Paulius Motiejunas and Martin Schiller as the priority target in the NBA Summer League this year. Zalgiris’ newest member averaged 23 minutes of playing time to put up 10.2 points, 7.2 assists and 2.8 rebounds.
The player will arrive to Kaunas soon, where he’ll undergo a medical check-up, after which Mudiay will join the rest of the team in practice and preparations for the upcoming games.”