By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Ante Zizic have parted ways, the team announced Tuesday.
Zizic, 25, is expected to join back-to-back Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Anadolu Efes on a two-year deal with an opt-out clause after the first season, as reported by Eurohoops in early June. Barring a change to the current situation, the 2022-23 season will be his fourth in Europe’s premier club continental competition.
Moving to the Tel Aviv outfit in 2020 he logged 65 more games played in the EuroLeague upping his career total to 85. In 2021-22, he produced 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.8 blocks, 0.6 assists, and 0.5 steals per contest. His side reached the Playoffs but was swept by Real Madrid in the best-of-five series, one step before finally returning to the Final Four.
At the domestic level, he averaged 10.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.5 steals per game. Maccabi earned the top spot in the bracket but slipped in the best-of-three series opposite Bnei Ofek Dist Herzeliya and was eliminated in the Semifinals.
The Croatian center made his way to 121 games in the NBA as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers for three seasons, between 2017 and 2020. He was selected 23rd overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2016 NBA draft.
Prior to the jump to the NBA, he had introduced himself to the EuroLeague as a member of Darussafaka in 2016-17. Wrapping up the initial growing stage of his career in Croatia, he played for Cibona from 2014 to 2016.