Broekhoff leaves Besiktas for Russia and the Euroleague
Despite signing a 2 year contract extension with Turkish Eurocup side Besiktas Integral Forex Istanbul earlier this year, Turkish All Star Ryan Broekhoff has exercised his Euroleague out-clause to connect with Russian side Lokomotiv Kuban.
https://twitter.com/lokobasket/status/640541459322699776
After opting out of his Besiktas contract after two successful campaigns, a source reports that Broekhoff has agreed to terms on a 2 year deal with a team option for a third, with NBA out-clauses included.
"I come in 'Loko', to help the team achieve great success in the VTB United League and Euroleague," shared Broekhoff.
"I believe that the structure we have in place is great and will enable us to make some noise in the Euroleague. Playing in the Euroleague is one of the most important goals of my career, and I'm very happy that I could do it with this team at this level."
The dynamic, sweet-shooting swingman performed well in a recent NBA Summer League stint with the Denver Nuggets and attracted plenty of interest from NBA and Euroleague teams. While Besiktas had been a great opportunity for Broekhoff following his graduation from Valparaiso (NCAA), moving to a Euroleague club and a chance to prove his value against the best players in Europe week-in and week-out is a natural progression for Broekhoff.
Ryan Broehoff went from Valaparaiso, to Besiktas (Turkey), with the Boomers and recently in the NBA Summerleague with the Denver Nuggets
In the 2014/15 season, Broekhoff was a model of consistency, delivering 11.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He has quickly become known for his marksmanship, shooting a remarkable 50% from beyond the three-point line and better than 54% from the field in the Turkish Basketball League. In the first stage of the 2014/15 Eurocup season, Broekhoff was able to contribute just as effectively, delivering 10.9 points at an even better 61.5% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc, with an additional 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
Broekhoff has also excelled with the Australian Boomers, starting at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in which Australia narrowly missed out on a quarterfinal berth and more recently qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Lokomotiv Kuban who played in the Eurocup last season have received a wild card entry into the 2015/15 Euroleague season. Also playing in the VTB United League, Lokomotiv also recently signed former Sydney Kings import Dontaye Draper and have previously featured another former Australian Boomer in Aleks Maric.