Unable to find a guaranteed NBA contract for next season, seven-year NBA veteran Cedi Osman is headed to Europe.
Osman has agreed to join Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos, club owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos said on Instagram (via EuroHoops.com). There were rumors that Osman would go to Real Madrid and step into the role of new 76er Guerschon Yabusele with the Spanish powerhouse, but that deal was never finalised, so Osman is heading to Athens.
Osman hoped for a guaranteed NBA contract, but one was never offered. He was rumored to have a camp invite from the Lakers, but Los Angeles already has 15 guaranteed contracts on the books.
It’s a little surprising that neither team made a move up because Osman has shown in his six seasons in Cleveland, and last season in San Antonio, that he can fit in as part of an NBA front rotation. Last season with the Spurs, he averaged 6.8 points per game and shot 38.9% from 3 in 72 games. While he’s a minus defenseman, he fits in a bench role, is under 30, has good size (6’7″), and it looked like someone would make an offer.
That works for Panathinaikos, which is coached by Ergin Ataman, who is Osman’s national team coach with Türkiye. Rumor has it that this is part of how the deal to go to Greece came together.
