While Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving have generated most of the headlines heading into NBA free agency, the free agent class of 2019 is loaded with max-contract-worthy stars and key second-tier players who could put a contending team over the top.
One such role player set to hit free agency is Milwaukee’s Nikola Mirotic, who came to the Bucks in a midseason trade with New Orleans. Mirotic had a reduced role on a talented Bucks roster, but still averaged 15.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game across the entire season, and has the potential to be a 20-point scorer in the right situation.
Mirotic’s ability to stretch the floor as a 6-foot-10 big man makes him a valuable asset in the modern NBA, and while he was in line to receive a big pay day in free agency, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Saturday that Mirotic will return to the Euroleague and sign with Barcelona.
Mirotic got his start as a professional with Real Madrid in 2008, before eventually signing a deal with the Chicago Bulls in 2014.
Mirotic isn’t the only NBA vet electing to leave the league with offers on the table. 31-year-old Pacers guard Darren Collison announced in a piece for The Undefeated that he is retiring from the NBA to focus on his family and faith.
