Willy Hernangomez leaves Barcelona for Unicaja Malaga

3 days ago 6

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Former NBA center Willy Hernangomez has reportedly decided to remain in Spain rather than return to the EuroLeague free-agent market.

According to Diario SUR, Hernangomez has reached an agreement with Unicaja Malaga, with BasketNews also confirming the deal.

The 32-year-old will fill the vacancy created by Olek Balcerowski’s move to Barcelona.

Hernangomez arrives after three seasons with Barcelona, where his role steadily diminished.

After averaging 11.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in his first EuroLeague campaign with the club, his production declined to 5.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in roughly 14 minutes per game last season.

Before returning to Europe in 2023, Hernangomez spent seven years in the NBA with the New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans.

Across 344 regular-season games, he averaged 7.3 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 53.3 percent from the field.

His best NBA season came as a rookie with the Knicks in 2016-17, when he posted 8.2 points and 7.0 rebounds to earn All-Rookie honors.

Internationally, Hernangomez has been one of Spain’s most accomplished players, helping the national team capture the 2019 FIBA World Cup before earning EuroBasket MVP honors during Spain’s 2022 championship run.