NBA News: Bargnani hopes to continue having an “important role” playing basketball in Spain
Hopes to continue having an "important role"
Free agent Andrea Bargnani will be playing basketball in Spain after agreeing to a two-year contract with Saski Baskonia of Spain’s ACB League.
Baskonia confirmed on their website the team had reached an agreement with Bargnani, 30, for two seasons. The former no. 1 overall draft pick in the 2006 NBA Draft is the fourth Baskonia signing of the season after signing Johannes Voitgmann, Rafael Luz and Rodrigue Beaubois.
Bargnani’s signing with the Spanish club more likely indicates the end of the NBA road for the top overall pick, who started his NBA career well before struggling in the latter stages, especially the last three years.
Yahoo Sports reports that Bargnani played well at the start of his career, playing alongside Chris Bosh and the Raptors’ point guard combination of TJ Ford and Jose Calderon. But he was never the same after suffering several injuries.
He was traded to the New York Knicks prior to the start of the 2013-2014 season, where Bargnani tried to resurrect his career. Unfortunately, Bargnani failed to provide a significant contribution to the Knicks, as the big man who was supposed to provide perimeter shooting, struggled at it. The Knicks let him go at the end of the 2014-2015 campaign.
He was signed by the Brooklyn Nets to a two-year, veteran’s minimum deal. Bargnani hoped to find significant minutes on a rebuilding team and the Nets hoped for the Italian to rediscover his spark and put up points. Neither happened and Bargnani’s contract was bought out in February 2016. The forward agreed to the buyout saying it made “no sense” for him to stay with a team that has no use for him.
With no other team in the NBA seeking his services, Bargnani is now heading to Europe to play for Baskonia.
The Italian is delighted to play in Spain, saying he is “happy to be part of a great and historic club like Baskonia.” Bargnani hopes that he will be able to have a significant role with Baskonia.
"My priority was to personally continue to have an important role in an ambitious project, " he stressed.
