By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
Lonnie Walker left for another opportunity in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers, and merely hours before the EuroLeague registration deadline, Zalgiris Kaunas found his replacement.
As officially confirmed, American guard Isaiah Wong joins Andrea Trinchieri’s side until the end of the 2024/25 season.
Wong played 20 games for the Charlotte Hornets this season, averaging X points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 13 minutes of action in the NBA. He also played in the G League, where he averaged 24.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 34 minutes for the Salt Lake City Stars.
“Isaiah is a motivated player with a clear direction on how to shape his career. We always pay attention to players who are developing, who have something to prove, and who want to improve,” said Gediminas Navickas, Zalgiris Kaunas GM. “As for Wong’s qualities as a player, he is a great ball handler and a good scorer. Of course, like all newcomers to Europe, he will need time to adapt, so we have to be patient.”
Zalgiris’ GM revealed that the search for a new player was very intensive due to the registration deadline.
“With the departure of Lonnie Walker IV, the whole week has been very intense. Although we have been compiling a list of potential newcomers, the market and objective reasons kept narrowing our options. We prioritized players with experience in Europe, but there were no suitable options available at the moment. We had to turn again to the USA and choose from players available in that market. Wong was the player who met most of the criteria we were looking for. We wanted to strengthen the team and provide depth in case of injuries, as we also have players who are currently sidelined and others returning from injuries,” said Navickas.