His previous deal was set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 campaign
Jan Vesely inks contract extension at Barcelona
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FC Barcelona fans were treated to some good news on Friday, as Jan Vesely signed a one-year contract extension at the club. As such, he will remain at Palau Blaugrana until the end of the 2025-26 season.
Vesely joined Barca in the summer of 2022, penning a three-year deal at the time, and helped lead the team to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Semifinals in his first season in Spain. Through the 2022-23 campaign, his averages stood at 9.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and an 11.6 PIR in 20:02 minutes across 38 appearances, 18 of which were as a starter.
Vesely is back to his best this year
The addition of Willy Hernangomez last summer brought more competition for Vesely, but the 33-year-old has been back to his best this season, posting 12.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and a 16.6 PIR in 21:04 minutes through 25 games. He has been named in the starting five 24 times. Importantly, Vesely’s play has helped Barca to an 18-8 record, including 13-1 at home, which is good for second spot in the EuroLeague standings.
After scoring a high of 26 points in his first campaign at Barca, which came in an 89-81 win in Game 2 of the club’s playoff series against Zalgiris Kaunas, he has twice bettered that score this year. He netted 27 points in an 83-78 El Clásico triumph over Real Madrid in Round 18 and then improved that mark by pouring in 28 in a 74-70 defeat at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Round 23. Those are his third- and fourth-best scoring marks in the competition, as he scored 31 and 32 for Fenerbahce in the 2017-18 and 2021-22 seasons, respectively.
A EuroLeague legend
The 2018-19 EuroLeague MVP, who became a EuroLeague champion with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in the 2016-17 campaign, is currently in his 13th season in Europe’s premier club basketball competition. He spent three years with Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2008-11), eight years at Fenerbahce (2014-22) and just over one and a half years with Barca (2022-present). Vesely is a three-time All-EuroLeague First Team selection, too (2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19).
Having been selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Vesely also played 162 games in the NBA between 2011 and 2014. He suited up for the Washington Wizards, where he played the first two seasons of his NBA career before splitting the 2013-14 campaign between Washington and the Denver Nuggets.