By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Gabriel Deck hopes to extend his NBA career past his ten appearances late in the 2020-21 season. However, he is facing an uncertain future with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.
Deck, 26, signed a multi-year contract to join the Thunder last April. He is set to make approximately $3.67M in 2021-22, but it remains unclear how much of his salary is guaranteed or how the contract is structured, as noted by the latest report regarding his status. The 2022-23 and 2023-24 portions of the contract are both non-guaranteed.
He was considering a return to Europe, according to earlier offseason reports in Spain. The Argentine forward clearly intends to continue in the NBA but can’t be considered a lock to stay at the Thunder.
After leaving Real Madrid and getting cleared for his NBA debut, Deck played in ten games averaging 8.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per contest.
The potential financial regulations influence on his arrival at Oklahoma City looked key at the time, as noted by Eurohoops last April. The franchise seemed to be aiming to reach the salary cap floor, while also securing the services of a player with plenty of experience in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague on a team-friendly contract for the next three years. Also, Real Madrid received a buyout of 1.5 million euros.
Deck had joined Madrid in 2018, inking a three-year contract. He logged 6.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per EuroLeague game over 87 appearances in three seasons.
He last played in the Olympic Games representing Argentina. His Tokyo showings generated 11.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per contest.
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