The San Antonio Spurs are coming off their first NBA Finals appearance since 2014. They came up short against the New York Knicks in five games.
One of the players who briefly played for the Spurs last season, forward Stanley Umude, has officially left the NBA to join Barcelona in Liga ACB in Spain.
In a statement by Barcelona on their official website, Umude will be playing for the Catalan club this upcoming season.
“FC Barcelona and Stanley Umude, a US player who also holds Nigerian nationality, have reached an agreement that will keep him at the club until 30 June 2028. Fans at the Palau will get to enjoy the 27-year-old, 1.98-metre forward, who can also play at shooting guard and arrives to add versatility on the perimeter,” the team wrote.
Umude signed a two-way contract with the Spurs in December, but he only ended up playing in two games. He averaged 1.0 point and 0.5 assists in just 3.5 minutes per game. He also played for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks during his four-year NBA career.
The Arkansas product went undrafted in 2022 and joined the Pistons as a free agent. He spent two years in Detroit before signing with the Bucks in 2024. He won the NBA Cup with the Bucks that same season.
San Antonio Spurs This Offseason
The San Antonio Spurs did not have a busy offseason, but they did address one of their needs this summer. The Spurs could have used a power forward in the NBA Finals, alongside Victor Wembanyama.
They signed veteran Tobias Harris to a two-year contract, leaving the Detroit Pistons after helping them reach the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Spurs also brought back Harrison Barnes, Julian Champagnie and Jordan McLaughlin. Barnes and McLaughlin earned one-year deals, while Champagnie signed a three-year contract. Champagnie was coming off a breakout season and was huge for the Spurs in their run to the NBA Finals.
However, the Spurs’ biggest move of the offseason was signing Wembanyama to a massive five-year, $252 million extension. Wemby took a page out of Jalen Brunson‘s book by taking a $50-plus million pay cut to help the Spurs in the next few years when Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are up for extensions.
Former Spurs First-Round Pick Tried to Make NBA Return
Before a former San Antonio Spurs player left the NBA, a different ex-Spurs player tried to return to the biggest league in the world.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, former Spurs first-round pick Lonnie Walker IV was hoping to get back into the league after a stint with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel last season.
“Lonnie Walker IV is a candidate to return to the NBA this summer, league sources say, after the scoring guard played in the EuroLeague last season. The seven-year NBA vet (10.0 PPG) has an NBA out in his Maccabi Tel Aviv contract until July 15 and is expected to draw interest,” Stein tweeted.
Unfortunately for Walker, the deadline has passed, and he’s set to stay with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He played four seasons in San Antonio after getting drafted 18th overall in 2018. He also played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.
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