By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
FC Barcelona formally presented an offer to secure the services of Willy Hernangomez.
The team submitting the bid to ACB is a necessary step since the player was included in the Tanteo list of Spain’s top-tier league. His status similar to a restricted free agent in the NBA is directly connected to Barca’s archrival Real Madrid and the right to match the aforementioned offer until Wednesday, as noted in the league’s press release Friday.
Hernangomez, 29, accepting the offer from the Catalonia giant signals his departure from the NBA, apart from potentially adding to the list of players with stints at both the Barcelona and Madrid storied clubs. He made his way to 345 NBA games between the New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, and New York Knicks.
The Madrid-born center was originally selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 35th pick of the 2015 NBA draft. He was subsequently traded to the Knicks to finally launch his NBA career in 2016. Before the jump, he surfaced as a first-team regular for the team located in Madrid through the 2015-16 season, following a two-year loan to Cajasol Sevilla.
Coming out of the EuroBasket triumph last summer and being named MVP of the international tournament with Spain capturing the gold medals, Hernangomez put up 6.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.4 blocks, and 0.3 steals per contest over 38 appearances in his third consecutive campaign with the Pelicans and seventh overall in the NBA.
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