After seven seasons in the NBA, a veteran sharpshooter is leaving the league. According to Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos, the team has signed wing Cedi Osman. The Turkish native now returns to the EuroLeague to play in Greece.
Osman is likely best known for his six-season stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Initially, Osman was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 31st pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. However, the team traded him immediately to the Cavaliers in a package for Tyus Jones. Osman remained in Turkey for the first two years after the draft. He made his debut in October 2017. Osman played a very minimal role during his first season, averaging just 3.9 points in 11 minutes per game. However, he quickly became a solid role player for the Cavaliers.
The forward went on to play for the Cavaliers until 2023. In that time, he averaged 9.7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. He also shot 42.7% from the field and 35.3% from beyond the arc in Cleveland.
Most recently, Osman played for the San Antonio Spurs last season. In 72 games, he averaged 6.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. He shot 47.9% from the floor and 38.9% from the three-point line. Both of these numbers were career highs for Osman.
Former Cleveland Cavaliers Sharpshooter Leaves NBA After 7 Seasons
Cedi Osman Wanted to Stay With the San Antonio Spurs
In April, Osman spoke about his desire to remain with the Spurs as he prepared for free agency.
Although he cautions that “it’s a business,” Osman adds that he has “built a great relationship here with everyone and would love to come back.”
Additionally, he made it clear he was “really happy to play for the Spurs.”
“Changing teams and coming to a brand new team, it’s been a good change for myself,” Osman said. “I’m really happy I’m here.”
Ultimately, while a reunion did not come to fruition, Osman had some personal fans within the Spurs organization as well. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich called Osman “a team favorite” and “a lot of fun.” (Subscription required)
“He’s kind of a team favorite,” Popovich said of Osman. “He’s a lot of fun. He gets in the game and none of us really know what he’s going to do, but he’s going to be active and aggressive.”
Real Madrid Had Interest in Cedi Osman
Earlier this month, reports indicated that Real Madrid showed interest in bringing Osman in. Furthermore, after losing Olympic standout Guerschon Yabusele to the Philadelphia 76ers, Osman was reportedly Real Madrid’s “first choice” to replace him. However, according to Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops.net, the two sides could not reach an agreement despite being “in advanced talks.” Additionally, Miloradovic notes that the Los Angeles Lakers also had interest in signing Osman, but this failed “due to the lack of guarantees” of a roster spot.
According to Eurohoops sources, the Turkish international was in advanced talks with Real Madrid but he ultimately didn’t find an agreement with the Spanish powerhouse. He also received interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, which invited him for a training camp; however, due to the lack of guarantees about making it to the season roster, he decided to refuse and come back to Europe.
