During the free agency waiting game this summer, many players were linked to the Golden State Warriors. While the Dubs ultimately went in a different direction, veteran center Kelly Olynyk was one name that came up in multiple reports. Now, it seems, Olynyk was unable to get an offer he wanted from an NBA team this offseason so he’s heading abroad. According to a report by Alessandro Magro of the Italian outlet Superbasket, Olynyk is expected to sign a deal with BC Roma in Italy.
While it’s technically possible that Olynyk could eventually return to the NBA, it seems most likely that his career in the most prestigious basketball league in the world has come to an end after 13 seasons. Now 35, Olynyk began his pro career with the Boston Celtics, who acquired the 13th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft to select him out of Gonzaga.
Olynyk immediately became a mainstay in the Celtics rotation as a valuable stretch big. He would subsequently play for the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors, and San Antonio Spurs. Over his NBA career, Olynyk averaged 9.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 21.8 minutes per game on 48.6%/36.9%/79.4% shooting in 842 games (283 starts). However, this past season, Olynyk had the smallest role of his career on the Western Conference champion Spurs. He appeared in just 42 games, averaging just 8.6 minutes per appearance.
