Free agent shooting guard Marco Belinelli is headed back overseas to continue his playing career, as Italian team Virtus Bologna confirmed today in a press release that it has signed Belinelli to a three-year contract.
Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport first reported Belinelli’s agreement with Virtus Bologna, indicating that the veteran sharpshooter didn’t receive any offers he liked from NBA teams (hat tip to Sportando).
The 18th overall pick in the 2007 draft, Belinelli has spent 13 years in the NBA, playing for nine different teams during that stretch. The 34-year-old accepted a reduced role for San Antonio in 2019/20, averaging 6.3 PPG on .392/.376/.828 shooting in 57 games. His 15.5 minutes per contest last season represented his lowest mark since his rookie year in ’07/08.
By returning to his home country of Italy, Belinelli will reunite with his first professional team — he began his career with Virtus Bologna in 2002 at age 16.
It’s not clear whether or not Belinelli’s new deal will have NBA outs. Either way, it’s possible he has played his last NBA game.
Happy Thanksgiving Luke. Hardest working man in Sports.
Thanks Gary, same to you.
Yeah, you guys do an amazing job.
That’s a bunch of bologna
SASpurs fans will miss you … good luck in Italy.
And here I was hoping he would sign with Oscar Mayer Bologna. Oh well, maybe they can find another guard on the market.
Thsnksgiving: filling your Beli-willi-nelli
I wonder why belinelli wants to go back home because he is an extremely decent shooter from behind the arc and has a nice jumper I hope he comes back to the nba soon