Veteran big man Kelly Olynyk is officially taking his game overseas, and he’s joining a fairly interesting operation.
Olynyk has signed with BC Roma, the newly established Italian club co-founded by former Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson and Lakers star Luka Doncic. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reported Saturday that the deal is official.
Olynyk, 35, spent last season with the Spurs but saw his NBA role shrink considerably. He averaged just 8.6 minutes in 42 regular-season games and played only 35 total minutes during San Antonio’s playoff run.
There was at least some NBA interest this summer. Olynyk was linked to the Warriors and Spurs, and he participated in a Paris mini-camp with San Antonio players. Neither possibility ultimately produced a contract. So it’s off to Rome.
Olynyk leaves behind a pretty substantial NBA résumé if this indeed marks the end of his run in the league. The 2013 first-round pick appeared in 842 regular-season games across 13 seasons, averaging 9.8 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 36.9 percent from three.
BC Roma will compete in Italy’s top league and the EuroCup this season, with former NBA players Nico Mannion, Marko Simonovic and Trentyn Flowers also on the roster.
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
