By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Confirming rumors about nearing a deal with Chris Duarte, Unicaja officially added the 28-year-old guard to the roster on Thursday.
Per the press release: “Unicaja has reached an agreement to sign forward Chris Duarte (1.96 meters, 28 years old) for the next two seasons. The player, international with Dominican Republic, has played the last 4 seasons in the NBA. Selected in the 2021 Draft at number 13 by Indiana Pacers, he has also worn the jerseys of Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls. Duarte stands out for his scoring talent with a high shooting range and his defensive aggressiveness.”
Heading to the next Basketball Champions League season, the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2025, and domestic competitions of Spain, the team based in Malaga is rebuilding the squad following the official departures of Tyson Carter, Dylan Osetkowski, Mario Saint-Supery, and Kameron Taylor. After previously securing the services of Xavier Castaneda, Emir Sulejmanovic, and James Webb III, Duarte was also added to the squad for head coach Ibon Navarro.
A veteran of 177 NBA appearances with career averaged of 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.2 blocks per contest, he will expand his overseas career to Europe, following a recent spell in Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional with the Bayamon Vaqueros, amounting to 19.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks per contest over 28 games.
His international career with the Dominican Republic went from debuting in the FIBA World Cup 2023 Qualifiers to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 in Greece.
Photo Credit: FIBA