Former first-round pick Emmanuel Mudiay signs with Lithuanian team

Veteran point guard Emmanuel Mudiay has inked a one-year contract with the Lithuanian club Zalgiris Kaunas, per an official team announcement.

The 25-year-old was selected with the No. 7 pick by the Nuggets in the 2015 draft. Over his 300 NBA games played between 2015-2020, Mudiay has averaged 11.0 PPG, 3.8 APG and 2.9 RPG on .401/.323/.744 shooting. Beyond his tenure with the Nuggets, Mudiay also suited up for the Knicks and Jazz. His last NBA stint was spent with Utah during the 2019-20 season.

After Mudiay played on the Trail Blazers’ Summer League team this year, he was angling for an NBA comeback. His agreement had been anticipated as a contingency plan if Mudiay failed to latch on with an NBA club following his summer stint with Portland.

Even though this marks Mudiay’s first appearance with a European team, this is not his first tenure with a non-NBA pro league. Back when he was an elite high school prospect, the 6-3 Mudiay opted to bypass college, instead signing a one-year, $1.2 million deal with CBA club the Guangdong Southern Tigers for the 2014-15 season.

Mudiay still has to report to the team in Lithuania and undergo a physical examination.