The new Barça basketball project, led by Roger Grimau, does not stop and is taking shape with a common denominator: the Spanishization of the team. A few minutes after midnight last night, the signing of Willy Hernangómez until 2026 was announced, after Real Madrid did not exercise the right of trial, and a few hours later the arrival of Darío Brizuela was confirmed, whose previously the termination clause, close to a million euros, was paid to detach him from Unicaja de Málaga.
The 28-year-old from Donostia, called the Basque mamba after his idol Kobe Bryant, arrives to occupy the escort position initially intended for the American Kevin Punter, who finally declined his arrival at the Palau Blaugrana to renew for the Partizan Brizuela, who also signs until 2026, will be the free verse of the team, the player capable of generating plays on his own, of getting out of a narrow system if necessary. This role, which did not fit into the plans of Jasikevicius, can also be played by the escorts Laprovittola and Higgins, whose exit from the club remains on the table due to his high salary.
“Thank you, Dario. From the club we wish you all the best professionally and personally. Málaga will always be your home”, said Unicaja Brizuela, who last season won the Copa del Rey in Badalona. The escort, with 27 points, was one of the executioners in the quarter-finals of Barça, who then took revenge on the Andalusians in the semifinals of the Liga Endesa. The Basque finished his training in the Estudiantes squad and during his four years in green he has played 173 games with an average of 12.3 points and 2.1 assists.
For his part, Hernangómez, 29 years old and 2.11 meters, will fill the void left by Sanli. Unlike the Turk, who liked to get out of the zone and shoot threes, his best virtue, the Madrid player is a pivot in the old way, of those who fight in the paint, a profile he did not have and did not intend have Jasikevicius. Only James Nnaji, who sighs to go to the NBA, resembles these characteristics. The one from the Madrid squad has gone the opposite way, wanting to vindicate himself in Europe after several disappointments in the North American League, in his opinion with few minutes despite being champion and MVP of the last Eurobasket with Spain.
That selection, led from the bench by Sergio Scariolo, rose to the European throne against the odds without a single Barça player. Now, the national team face the World Cup in August with the continental champions and new Barcelona players Joel Parra, Brizuela and Willy Hernangómez, in addition to Abrines, who was not at the last Eurobasket due to injury. From having problems meeting the quota of players trained in Spain, having to sign a player like Paulí or Sergi Martínez coming up from the squad, who have barely had minutes, Barça has become one of the teams with the most nationals.
Another Spaniard could still arrive, winger Juancho Hernangómez, brother of Willy. Before that, however, the rescission of Nikola Mirotic must be resolved. “First we have to close Mirotic’s contract and then we’ll see,” said the representative of the Montenegrin and also of Hernangómez media, Igor Crespo, to RAC1. “We cannot match or sign any contract with any other team because Mirotic remains a Barça player”, indicated the agent, who said that he had not received “any written notification or anything official” from Barça, only “verbally”. after the Blaugrana lost in the semi-finals of the final four of the Euroleague against Madrid. “We are in no hurry”, warned the club, which costs 31,000 euros a day to keep a Mirotic still under contract. Perhaps coach Roger Grimau can shed light on this matter today, who will be presented at the 1899 Auditorium at 12 noon.
