Joffrey Lauvergne who played 55 games for the San Antonio Spurs during the 2017-18 season is heading back to Europe. The 26-year-old Frenchman has declined his player option worth $1.6 million next season according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Additionally, Ismail Senol of BeIN Sports is reporting that Lauvergne is set to sign with the Turkish EuroLeague team Fenerbahce.
Lauvergne spent his four seasons in the NBA with four different teams. He spent two years in Denver, parts of a single season in Oklahoma City and Chicago, only to migrate to San Antonio for his fourth, and possibly final season in the NBA. The Spurs took a chance on the 26-year-old, but it didn't pan out.
The French big man played sparingly for the Spurs this past season. He only appeared in 55 games total and averaged fewer than 10 minutes per night. The 6-foot-11 center is leaving for Europe with career averages of 5.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Despite his less-than-stellar numbers in the NBA, Lauvergne is joining former NBA player, Jan Vesely at Fenerbahce and should bring some versatility to the inside. Fenerbahce is considered a power overseas and they are hoping that Lauvergne can recapture his form from his 2013-14 season with Partizan Belgrade.
Lauvergne averaged 11.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game that season and his breakout performance was a big reason why he was able to make his way to the NBA. Although his NBA career didn't take off, he has a bright future in Turkey and a return to the NBA is always a possibility.