After spending some time away from the game of basketball, Alex Abrines is back. He will not, however, return to the NBA for the 2019-20 season. Instead, the 25-year old guard will take his talents back home to Spain.
Home of Glory broke the news on Twitter that Abrines will sign with Barcelona, the team that he last played with before his tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Likewise, Abrines himself made the announcement with a special teaser video of his return.
⚠️ÚLTIMA HORA
El FCBarcelona ya ha cerrado el fichaje de Álex Abrines.#EuroLeague #FIBA #ACB #LigaEndesa
— HOME OF GLORY (@thehomeofglory) June 28, 2019
#Queridobalón🏀 pic.twitter.com/AWnh5JDxeq
— Alex Abrines (@alexabrines) July 3, 2019
Abrines was released by the Thunder in February after he left the team due to “personal reasons.” The Spanish-born swing man spent roughly two and a half seasons in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder selected Abrines with the 32nd overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, but he only came on-board during the 2016-17 season.
He was a fixture in the Thunder rotation, playing nearly 16 minutes per game in 174 total games with the franchise. In his tenure with OKC, Abrines had career averages of 5.3 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting at a 38.7 percent clip from the field and 36.8 percent from deep.
Abrines had already played with Barcelona from 2012 to 2016 prior to joining Oklahoma City, as mentioned above. He won EuroLeague Rising Star in his first season with Barcelona and brought home three championships with the Spanish club.
With this move, Abrines follows the footsteps of fellow countryman Nikola Mirotic to Barcelona. Mirotic, an unrestricted free agent after last season, decided to forego a hefty payday in the NBA and instead, reportedly chose to return home to have a better life in Europe.
He and Abrines should form a deadly tandem in Barcelona
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