Former NBA shooting guard Denzel Valentine has reportedly discovered a new basketball home. The vet is continuing his pro hoops career overseas. According to Sportando’s Kevin Martorano, the 6’4″ wing has agreed to a rest-of-year deal with LBA Italian professional basketball club Olimpia Milano.
Valentine, now 30, was a four-year player at Michigan State University under Tom Izzo, where he enjoyed his most success in the game. The Spartans made the Big Dance in each of Valentine’s four seasons, from 2012-16. The club posted a cumulative 112-36 record during that timespan. As far as March Madness success is concerned, they got as far as the Final Four in 2014-15, when Valentine was a junior.
Valentine had a stellar career at MSU, winning the Julius Erving and Lute Olson Awards in 2016, winning the Big Ten Player of the Year award, the Associated Press Player of the Year award, the NABC Player of the Year award, and recognition as a first-team and third-team All-American.
At the very end of the lottery that year, Valentine was chosen by the Chicago Bulls with the 14th overall choice in the 2016 draft. He was selected significantly in front of All-Stars Dejounte Murray (29th pick) and Pascal Siakam (27th pick). Valentine experienced severe injury problems while competing in the NBA. While he was still on his rookie-scale contract with Chicago, he had surgery on his left ankle and knee. His ankle problem was so bad that it prevented him from playing at all throughout the team’s 2018–19 campaign.
For his fifth professional season in 2020–21, he signed a $4.6 million qualifying offer with Chicago; in 2021, he became an unrestricted free agent. Valentine later agreed to a minimal contract with the Cavaliers of Cleveland.
In a three-team trade involving the Los Angeles Lakers in January 2022, he was traded to the New York Knicks, but he was cut before he could play for New York. He signed a 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz, but ended up finishing the season with the Maine Celtics, the G League affiliate of the Boston Celtics. In 2022–2023 Valentine continued to work with Maine.
Through 256 total regular season NBA games (45 starts), Valentine boasts averages of seven points on .394/.360/.787 shooting splits, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.6 steals per bout. Much celebrated as a multi-positional distributor and shooter, Valentine never quite seemed to have the athleticism or quickness to truly compete at the NBA level across his five pro seasons. And just like that, it was over.
Valentine committed to play for the Sydney Kings through the 2023–24 campaign. While at Sydney, he averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, according to Maggi. Observing how he performs with Olimpia Milano will be interesting.
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