After seven NBA seasons, Cedi Osman signs to play for Panathinaikos in Greece

Unable to find a guaranteed NBA contract for the upcoming season, seven-year NBA veteran Cedi Osman is heading to Europe.

Osman has agreed to join Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos, club owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos said on Instagram (via EuroHoops.com). There had been rumors that Osman was heading to Real Madrid and taking over the role of the 76ers’ new Guerschon Yabusele with the Spanish powerhouse, but that deal was never finalized, so Osman is headed to Athens.

Osman was hoping for a guaranteed NBA contract, but one was never offered to him. He was reportedly invited to a camp by the Lakers, but Los Angeles already has 15 guaranteed contracts in its pipeline.

It’s a bit surprising that no team has stepped up, because Osman has shown in his six seasons in Cleveland, and last season in San Antonio, that he can fit into an NBA forward rotation. Last season with the Spurs, he averaged 6.8 points per game and shot 38.9 percent from three-point range in 72 games. While a negative defender, he fits into a backup role, is under 30, has good size (6’0″), and it looked like someone was going to make him an offer.

It works well for Panathinaikos, coached by Ergin Ataman, Osman’s national coach in Turkey. It is rumoured to be part of the reason the club signed a deal to move to Greece.