Clippers sign coveted Serbian point guard Milos Teodosic
Milos Teodosic, long one of the most sought-after international talents, has agreed to a two-year, $12.3 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, as first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
With the move to the NBA, Teodosic will pay a hefty buyout fee to his former club, CSKA Moscow.
Teodosic, 30, is a flashy passer with outstanding size for the point guard position at 6-foot-5 and nearly 200 pounds. At the Rio Olympics last summer, Teodosic scored 18 points and dished out six assists in a close game against the U.S. He really turned heads, though, with the pass of the tournament.
Shortly thereafter, he was rated as the best international player in the world not competing in the NBA, as voted upon by NBA general managers.
He went undrafted in 2009 and has since perfected his craft in the EuroLeague, playing with CSKA Moscow in Russia for the last six years after four years with Olympiakos in Greece. Last season, Teodosic averaged 16.1 points and 6.8 assists in 29 games. He shot 44.4 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from three and 89.7 percent from the free throw line.
Teodosic had long been the subject of NBA rumors. In 2013 the Grizzlies offered the talented Serb a two-year, $5 million deal that he turned down to stay in Europe. The offer came on the heels of a dominant 26-point, nine-assist preseason performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Much like fellow European point guard Ricky Rubio, Teodosic brings flair and a unique skill set to the NBA. And while he is 30 years old, he has significantly less mileage on his body than the average 30-year-old NBA player does. The EuroLeague season is much shorter than the NBA’s and way less physical as well.
Teodosic fills an immediate need for the Clippers after they traded star point guard Chris Paul to the Rockets for a bevy of players headlined by Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Sam Dekker. Teodosic and Beverley have shared a court previously when the latter was playing in Russia. The Clippers beat out several other teams reportedly interested in Teodosic’s services, including the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.
