By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Mbaye NDiaye (2.04, 27) is close to a deal with Olympiacos.
The defending EuroLeague champions will pay a 400.000 euros buyout to ASVEL, per Spanish journalist Chema De Lucas, while Eurohoops sources also confirm the move.
The Greek club was in the market for a backup power forward after Alec Peters decided to leave the team for a more prominent role with Milan.
NDiaye is a low-risk acquisition, averaging 6.3 ppg and 4.1 rpg in the EuroLeague with ASVEL. His game is totally different from Peters’, who is one of the top shooting forwards in Europe.
On the other hand, despite his height, NDiaye can also play in the center position, where Olympiacos already has three top-level players in Nikola Milutinov, Tyrique Jones and Donta Hall.
Last season, in 32 EuroLeague games, he averaged 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game, shooting an extraordinary 70% in two-pointers and just 18% in threes.
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