JULY 6: Fenerbahce has officially announced De Colo’s new deal in a press release.
JULY 5: Raptors restricted free agent guard Nando De Colo has reached an agreement with Turkish club Fenerbahce, sources tell Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops. According to a report from beIN Sports (as relayed by Sportando), De Colo is set to sign a two-year contract that features a third-year option.
De Colo, 32, was a second-round pick in the 2009 draft and eventually arrived in the NBA in 2012. However, he spent just two seasons in the league before heading back overseas. In 119 games for San Antonio and Toronto, he averaged 3.8 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 1.7 APG with a .429/.363/.835 shooting line in 11.9 minutes per contest.
Having played for CSKA Moscow for the last several seasons, winning EuroLeague titles in 2016 and 2019, De Colo parted ways with the team this year in the hopes of making a return to the NBA. However, it appears that won’t happen after all.
Because he only had two years of NBA experience and the Raptors have been issuing him qualifying offers every year since 2014, De Colo remains a restricted free agent, unable to sign outright with any NBA team, which perhaps suppressed his market.
This is the one we are all waiting for…
There should be a limit to how long one team can sit on him and prevent his re-entry. No need for helping the Raptors anymore.