Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz found a young force it hopes to run its offense by signing point guard Nico Mannion to a two-year deal. Mannion (22 years old, 1.90 meters) arrives from Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

Baskonia puts Nico Mannion in the backcourt

##### Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz found a young force it hopes to run its offense by signing point guard [Nico Mannion](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/niccolo-mannion/011064/) to a two-year deal. 

Mannion (22 years old, 1.90 meters) arrives from Virtus Segafredo Bologna, where he spent the past two years. Last season, in his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague rookie campaign, Mannion appeared in 19 games averaging 5.9 points, 2.6 assists and 1.4 rebounds. A year earlier, Mannion helped Virtus win the 7DAYS EuroCup crown, but he now moves to Baskonia in search from more playing opportunities.

Niccolo Mannion Top Plays of the 2022-23 Regular Season

Niccolo Mannion top plays of the 2022-23 season

Mannion started his professional career playing for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA and the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League in 2020 after playing college basketball at the University of Arizona. Following his first pro season, Mannion played for the Italian national team at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and was second on the team in scoring (12.5 ppg.) and led the team with 4.5 assists per game, helping Italy reach the quarterfinals.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🚨 Oficial | Nico Mannion, primera pieza del nuevo Baskonia 🔵🔴<br><br>🗞️ <a href="https://t.co/uklhCfX5mx">https://t.co/uklhCfX5mx</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/qBSde6ga5D">pic.twitter.com/qBSde6ga5D</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1673618501934764033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

New Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz signing Nico Mannion in action for Virtus Segafredo Bologna in the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Zalgiris Kaunas announced that it has signed guard Naz Mitrou-Long, who made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut last season with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. 

Zalgiris signs Naz Mitrou-Long

#### Zalgiris Kaunas announced that it has signed guard [Naz Mitrou-Long](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/naz-mitrou-long/011965/), who made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut last season with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. 

The contract is for one season with an option for a second year. Mitrou-Long (1.90 meters, 29 years old) averaged 7.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists over 21 EuroLeague games in a reserve role with Milan. He helped Milan win the Italian League championship. It was Mitrou-Long's second season in Italy; he made his European debut the season before with Germani Brescia and was named the league's top rookie after posting 17.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.

Naz Mitrou-Long's top plays of the 2022-23 season

Born and raised in a suburb of Toronto, Canada, Mitrou-Long headed south to play college basketball at Iowa State University, where he was chosen to the All-Big 12 Conference team after his senior year. He then spent parts of the next three seasons in the NBA with the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers as well as their G League affiliates in Salt Lake City and Fort Wayne.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hello Zalgiris fans. Please welcome <a href="https://twitter.com/NazzyJML?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NazzyJML</a>. 💣 <a href="https://t.co/WGNGxhsCpJ">pic.twitter.com/WGNGxhsCpJ</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1673615608091377665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

FC Barcelona and head coach Saras Jasikevicius are parting ways after four seasons together. Jasikevicius did not reach an agreement with the club regarding a new contract, so his third stint with the club – his first as the team's head coach – has officially come to an end. Barca has simultaneously announced that Roger Grimau, who coached the Blaugrana's ANGT side, will be the team's new head coach on a two-year deal.

Saras Jasikevicius leaves Barcelona; Roger Grimau is new head coach

FC Barcelona and head coach [Saras Jasikevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/jasikevicius-saras/?season=E2022) are parting ways after three seasons together. Jasikevicius did not reach an agreement with the club regarding a new contract, so his third stint with the club – his first as the team's head coach – has officially come to an end. Barca has simultaneously announced that [Roger Grimau](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/teams/u18-fc-barcelona/jba/grimau-roger/?season=JTF22), who coached the *Blaugrana*'s ANGT side, will be the team's new head coach on a two-year deal.

Grimau, 44, worked for Barca as its Spanish fourth division head coach last season, in addition to coaching the club's ANGT side. He previously coached JAC Sants Barcelona. Grimau was Barca's team captain when the club won its last EuroLeague title in 2010, and he played for the team for nine consecutive seasons.

Under Jasikevicius's guidance, Barca made it to three consecutive Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Fours from 2021 to 2023. In that time, it reached the championship game in 2021, losing against Anadolu Efes Istanbul, and lost twice against its archrival, Real Madrid, in the 2022 and 2023 semifinals. Saras also led Barca to two Spanish League and two Spanish Cup titles in his four seasons with the club.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">[𝐔́𝐋𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐀 𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐀] <br><br>👉 Sarunas Jasikevicius no seguirà a la banqueta del Barça<br><br>👉 Roger Grimau serà l&#39;entrenador les dues pròximes temporades</p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1673345446847168514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A four-time EuroLeague champion as a player with three different teams, Jasikevicius starting his coaching career with in 2014 as an assistant at Zalgiris Kaunas. He was promoted to the position of head coach in January 2016, before leading Zalgiris to a new golden age. Saras led Zalgiris to back-to-back EuroLeague playoff appearances in 2018 and 2019, with the Lithuanian club going all the way to the Final Four in 2018, the club's first appearance since winning the EuroLeague in 1999. He led Zalgiris to five consecutive Lithuanian League titles, while it also won the Lithuanian Cup on three occasions.

Focus on: Sarunas Jasikevicius, FC Barcelona

As a player, Jasikevicius won domestic titles in Slovenia, Spain, Israel, Greece, Türkiye and Lithuania. He was chosen as the 2005 EuroLeague Final Four MVP while playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv, he was a two-time All-EuroLeague First Team Selection, and he was chosen as one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors, securing a place in the 2000-10 EuroLeague All-Decade Team and as a EuroLeague Basketball Legend. Jasikevicius also won two EuroBasket medals with Lithuania (gold in 2003, bronze in 2007) and an Olympic bronze medal in 2000.

Saras Jasikevicius during an FC Barcelona game in the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Saras Jasikevicius leaves Barcelona; Roger Grimau is the new head coach

Anadolu Efes Istanbul has renewed the contract of Erten Gazi on a 1+1 contract, the club confirmed on Monday. Gazi (26 years old, 1.90 meters) averaged 0.7 points in 11 EuroLeague games last season, while he also helped Efes win the Turkish League title. He previously won back-to-back EuroLeague titles with Efes in 2021 and 2022, always with a limited role. 

Efes re-signs guard Erten Gazi

Anadolu Efes Istanbul has renewed the contract of [Erten Gazi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/erten-gazi/010516/) on a 1+1 contract, the club confirmed on Monday. Gazi (26 years old, 1.90 meters) averaged 0.7 points in 11 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last season, while he also helped Efes win the Turkish League title. He previously won back-to-back EuroLeague titles with Efes in 2021 and 2022, always with a limited role. In 34 EuroLeague career games with Efes, Gazi has averaged 0.9 points and 0.6 rebounds.

Erten Gazi has been with Anadolu Efes Istanbul for three seasons, winning back-to-back Turkish Airlines EuroLeague titles!

Erten Gazi 2020-23 EuroLeague highlights

He also lifted another Turkish League title with Efes in 2021 and claimed the Turkish Cup crown in 2022. Born in Cyprus, Gazi joined Efes as a teenager and played for its development squad, Pertevniyal Istanbul, as well as for De Paul University and Fordham University in the United States, before returning to his current club in 2020. He has also been a member of the Turkish national team and helped the Turkish U20 squad get a silver medal at the 2015 European Championship.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Enerjimiz <a href="https://twitter.com/thekingazi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thekingazi</a> ile olan sözleşmemizi 1+1 sezon daha uzattık! ✍️ <br><br>&quot;11 Numara, Erteeeeen Gaziiiii&quot; 🎤<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HouseOfBlue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HouseOfBlue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/S8NHQB1qe9">pic.twitter.com/S8NHQB1qe9</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1673330351681204231?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Erten Gazi playing in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game for Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the 2022-23 season.

Panathinaikos Athens found the star guard it was looking for in Luca Vildoza, who signed a multi-year deal with the club. Vildoza, who was chosen as the EuroLeague MVP of the Month for December 2022, is coming off a strong season with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.

Panathinaikos signs playmaker Luca Vildoza

Panathinaikos Athens has found the star guard it was looking for in [Luca Vildoza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luca-vildoza/007947/), who has signed a three-year deal with the club. Vildoza (27 years old, 1.91 meters) is coming off a strong season with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, where he averaged 12.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals over 29 games in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague last season. Vildoza, who was chosen as the EuroLeague MVP of the Month for December 2022, ranked third in the league in steals.

A native of Argentina, Vildoza began his career in his homeland with Quilmes Mar del Plata before moving to Spain with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, where he played from 2017 to 2021. Vildoza made his EureoLeague debut with Baskonia and helped it win the 2020 Spanish League championship. He was named MVP of the finals that year, too. Vildoza then played for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA in the 2021-22 season and returned to Europe with Zvezda last season.

Luca Vildoza | December MVP | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Vildoza led Zvezda to the Serbian League and Cup double last season, while the team also reached the finals of the ABA League. His trophy case also includes several medals with the Argentinian national team, including a gold medal at the 2014 South American Games and respective silver medals at the 2017 Americas Championship and the 2019 Basketball World Cup.

Ironically, Vildoza had one of his best-ever games against his new coach, Ergin Ataman; during his time at Baskonia, he scored 23 points and had a career-best PIR of 34 against Ataman’s Anadolu Efes Istanbul on March 29, 2019. Vildoza has already entered the top 100 in his career in both assists (63rd, 454) and steals (75th, 158) and as he enters the prime of his career, he is in place to continue climbing the all-time charts, now in a green uniform.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Let’s welcome Luca to our green family! 🙌☘<br><br>Read More 👉 <a href="https://t.co/FuxGqxq9dn">https://t.co/FuxGqxq9dn</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobc?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobc</a> <a href="https://t.co/aESqK5qmei">pic.twitter.com/aESqK5qmei</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1673326566540029954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Olimpia Milano has announced the renewal of Shavon Shields's contract until the end of the 2025-26 season. Shields (29 years old, 2.01 meters), a two-time All-EuroLeague Second Team selection, has been a key player for Milan since joining the club three years ago, but this season he was able to play in just 10 EuroLeague games last season due to injury. 

Shavon Shields commits his future to Olimpia Milano

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan has announced the renewal of [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/)'s contract through the end of the 2025-26 season. Shields (29 years old, 2.01 meters) has been a key player for Milan since joining the club three years ago, but this season he was able to play in just 10 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last season due to injury, missing Rounds 5 through 26. Nevertheless, the two-time All-EuroLeague Second Team selection – both of which came with Milan, in 2021 and 2022 – posted impressive averages of 8.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and an 8.4 PIR. Now, Milan fans can continue to enjoy Shields's play for a further two years.

The best plays of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan forward Shavon Shields in the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Shavon Shields's best plays in 2022-23

Shields has 129 games of experience in the EuroLeague, with 99 coming as a starter, and his overall averages stand at 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and an 11.5 PIR. After spending four years at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, he began his professional career with Skyliners Frankfurt of Germany in the 2016-17 campaign, impressing in both the German League and the Basketball Champions League. Those performances earned him a move to Italian side Dolomiti Energia Trento, where he played in the 7DAYS EuroCup and averaged 11.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals and an 11.1 PIR. Then came the opportunity he had been waiting for: a shot in the EuroLeague.

 

The small forward made his EuroLeague debut with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in the 2018-19 season, and he remained there for a further season before joining Milan in the summer of 2020. Curiously, he averaged the same number of points – 9.8 – in both of his years at Baskonia.

 

In Shields's first year at Milan, the club reached the Final Four but ultimately came up short against FC Barcelona in the semifinals due to a last-second game-winner by Cory Higgins. For him personally, though, it was his best season yet in the EuroLeague, as he averaged 13.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals across 36 games. The following year, Shields and Milan fell to eventual champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the playoffs, but he was once again impressive with averages of 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals. Last season, however, the Italian team failed to make the playoffs at all in what was an injury-hit campaign for the 29-year-old. Heading into next season, Shields and Milan will be hoping to respond in a positive fashion after what was largely a campaign to forget.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shavon Shields fino al 2026: &quot;Un onore ricevere questa fiducia, un orgoglio vestire questa maglia&quot; ➡ <a href="https://t.co/J1eM0oU1Ht">https://t.co/J1eM0oU1Ht</a><br><br>Shavon Shields 2026: &quot;Grateful for the chance to wear this jersey into the future&quot; ➡ <a href="https://t.co/BB9N3dE8sN">https://t.co/BB9N3dE8sN</a><br><br>⚪🔴<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shields2026?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Shields2026</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/shields3uno?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shields3uno</a> <a href="https://t.co/xFktTraZCH">pic.twitter.com/xFktTraZCH</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1673314076636659714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Shavon Shields in action for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Shavon Shields commits his future to Milan

Years down the road, when talking about the 2022-23 season and Real Madrid's Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship, the performances and impact of Walter Tavares will for sure be remembered the most. It is not that hard to argue that Real Madrid would not have won its 11th EuroLeague title, and maybe not have even reached the Final Four, without Tavares.

Tribute to the champs: Walter Tavares

Years down the road, when talking about the 2022-23 season and Real Madrid's Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship, the performances and impact of [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) will for sure be remembered the most. It is not that hard to argue that Real Madrid would not have won its 11th EuroLeague title, and maybe not have even reached the Final Four, without Tavares.

Voted to the All-EuroLeague First Team and as the EuroLeague Best Defender, Tavares first trashed the competition's single-season record for blocks during the regular season and then proceeded to have one of the most dominant and memorable stretches of games in the playoffs and at the Final Four, leading Los Blancos to the throne as the Final Four MVP.

Walter Tavares dominated in Real Madrid's last five games

TRIBUTE TO THE CHAMPS

With Real down 0-2 in the best-of-five playoff series against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, Tavares had a monster Game 3 at Stark Arena in the Serbian capital, amassing 26 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks for a PIR 41. He had a PIR of 30 in Game 4 and then collected 12 points plus 7 rebounds and 2 steals in the deciding Game 5 as Real became the first team in competition history to reach the Final Four after trailing 0-2 in its playoff series. 

At the Final Four in Kaunas, Tavares dominated in the semis against FC Barcelona with 20 points, tying a Final Four single-game record with 15 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots for a 39 PIR. Then he posted another double-double in the championship game with 13 points and 10 rebounds to beat Olympiacos Piraeus.

After averaging 10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks for an average PIR of 16.2 in the regular season, Tavares played more than 32 minutes per game and posted 17.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and an average PIR of 29.2 in the last five games of the season, all do-or-dies for Real Madrid. He also stopped at 88 blocked shots during the campaign. All told, an effort worth admiring for a man who is now a deserving two-time EuroLeague champion.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul added size and energy to its roster by signing power forward Derek Willis to a one-plus-one-year deal. Willis (28 years old, 2.06 meters) arrives from Umana Reyer Venezia. Next season will see him play in the EuroLeague for the first time in his career.

Anadolu Efes brings in power forward Derek Willis

Anadolu Efes Istanbul added size and energy to its roster by signing power forward [Derek Willis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/derek-willis/009664/) to a one-plus-one-year deal. Willis (28 years old, 2.06 meters) arrives from Umana Reyer Venice, where he averaged 12.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and a PIR of 15.0 in 19 games in last season's 7DAYS EuroCup. He ranked sixth in three-point shooting (47.5%) and fourth in free-throw accuracy (90.7%). Willis averaged 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 34 Italian League games with Reyer. Next season will see him play in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for the first time in his career.

Derek Willis ranks fifth all-time in three-point shooting in the 7DAYS EuroCup, burying 60 of 125 attempts (48.0%). Here are some of his best three-pointers with Umana Reyer Venice in the 2022-23 season.

Derek Willis: elite three-point shooter

Willis started his career with the Grand Rapids Gold of the G League, and he also played for Goettingen and ratiopharm Ulm of Germany, Brindisi of Italy and Joventut Badalona of Spain before joining Reyer last season. In 45 EuroCup career games with Ulm, Joventut and Reyer, Willis has averaged 11.0 points and 5.3 rebounds, ranking fifth all-time in three-point shooting (48.0%). Before that, Willis helped the University of Kentucky reach the NCAA Tournament Final Four in 2015. He has also been a member of the USA national team. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Kadromuzu güçlendirmeye devam ediyoruz! <a href="https://twitter.com/derekxwillis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@derekxwillis</a> ile 1+1 sezonluk sözleşme imzaladık. ✍️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Welcome?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Welcome</a> Derek <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HouseOfBlue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HouseOfBlue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/vtcyIyxyTC">pic.twitter.com/vtcyIyxyTC</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1672967922938007552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

New Anadolu Efes Istanbul signing Derek Willis during a game for Umana Reyer Venice in the 7DAYS EuroCup last season.

Efes brings in power forward Derek Willis

Anadolu Efes Istanbul has confirmed the signing of Erkan Yilmaz on a two-year contract. Yilmaz (25 years old, 1.92 meters) was a key member of the Turk Telekom Ankara side that reached the EuroCup Final last season. He will make his EuroLeague debut next season.

Erkan Yilmaz reunites with Erdem Can at Anadolu Efes

Anadolu Efes Istanbul has confirmed the signing of [Erkan Yilmaz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/erkan-yilmaz/006372/) on a two-year contract. Yilmaz (25 years old, 1.92 meters) was a key member of the Turk Telekom Ankara side that reached the 7DAYS EuroCup Final last season, and for that reason head coach Erdem Can wanted to bring the forward with him to Efes. In a do-it-all role of the bench, Yilmaz posted averages of 6.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals and a 9.6 PIR across all 22 of Turk Telekom's EuroCup games in the 2022-23 campaign. He will make his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut next season.

The best plays of Erkan Yilmaz with Turk Telekom Ankara in the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup season.

Erkan Yilmaz's best plays in 2022-23

Yilmaz enjoyed his best season to date under Coach Can at Turk Telekom last season, as he set career highs for points, rebounds, assists and steals in both the EuroCup and the Turkish League. The 25-year-old has spent his entire career playing in his native Turkey, having made his professional debut with Antalyaspor in 2013 before going on to play for Turkish First Division team Banvit in the 2015-16 campaign, which is when he got his first taste of EuroCup basketball. He alternated between the first and second divisions over the next few years, playing for Bandirma Kirmizi, Yesilgiresun Belediye and Yeni Mamak. Since 2019, though, Yilmaz has been a first division player, as he suited up for Bandirma in 2019-20 and then he stayed at Bahcesehir for two years, playing in the EuroCup in the first of his two seasons there (2020-21). Last summer, he joined Turk Telekom and became a EuroCup runner-up, and now he's followed head coach Erdem Can and center Tyrique Jones to Istanbul by signing for Efes.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Ailemize yeni bir üye daha! <a href="https://twitter.com/erkanyilmaaz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@erkanyilmaaz</a> ile 2 yıllık sözleşme imzaladık. ✍️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ho%C5%9FGeldin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HoşGeldin</a> Erkan <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HouseOfBlue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HouseOfBlue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/gSYxqO8fLX">pic.twitter.com/gSYxqO8fLX</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1672907565255086080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Erkan Yilmaz, the latest signing at Anadolu Efes Istanbul, in action for Turk Telekom Ankara in the 7DAYS EuroCup last season.