Lithuanian player Arturas Gudaitis is in Real Madrid’s orbit. This has been reported by the journalist Donatas Urbonas, who has revealed the interest of the white club in the center of Olimpia Milano. Gudaitis is a pure five, fast, strong and rebounding, who could act as a substitute for Edy Tavares within the internal rotation of Pablo Laso’s team. Urbonas has reported that the center It has a small clause in a contract that ends in 2021. According to the same source, Zenit St. Petersburg would also be interested.
Real Madrid & Zenit St. Petersburg show interest in Olimpia Milano C Arturas Gudaitis, according to sources. Real target Gudaitis as a back-up C, a source told. Gudaitis has a small buyout clause in his contract with Olimpia (deadline this offseason), which will expire in 2021.
– Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) May 4, 2020
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Arturas Gudaitis is 2.08 years old and 26 years old. He spent part of his training at the Zalgiris Kaunas subsidiary and he jumped to the first team in 2013-14, playing seven games and averaging 4.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in just over 10 minutes of play.. The following campaign was his consolidation in the team’s rotation, going to 6.5 points and 4 rejections in 20 games. At the end of the season he entered the NBA draft and was chosen in the 47th place of the second round by the Sixers, but signed days later by Vilnius Rytas, with whom he played the Eurocup in two consecutive seasons.
On September 12, 2017, Gudaitis headed to Italy to play for Olimpia Milano, where he has lived his best moments in the maximum continental competition, to which he returned that same season averaging 10.2 points per game. Last year, Gudaitis was being one of the most outstanding interior men of the Euroleague, with averages of 12.5 points and 7.1 rebounds for 18.7 of valuation. His progression came to a halt when he was injured in the cruciate ligament of his left knee during Olimpia’s visit to the Gran Canaria track, missing the rest of the season.
Possible substitute for Tavares
Gudaitis’s initial plan was to make the leap to the NBA in 2019, but the knee injury caused him to decide to extend his stay in Europe. The Lithuanian returned to the rotation on October 25, in a match against Fenerbahçe. Since then, he has dropped his incredible performances from last year, averaging 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds for a 10.4 efficiency in 17 minutes. The arrival of Ettore Messina on the Italian bench, accompanied by the signings of Sergio Rodríguez and Luis Scola, have meant that the prominence of Gudaitis has been reduced and that his coach has not fully found his ideal place in the team’s game plan.
Gudaitis is now in Madrid’s orbit. The white club will end Salah Mejri’s brief second stay in the team, a transfer that has not had the desired effect. If this happens and Felipe Reyes decides to end his long career (he turned 40 on March 16), the Lithuanian would be the ideal substitute for Edy Tavares, the other pure five that Pablo Laso has. In addition, Gudaitis would share an internal rotation with Jordan Mickey and Usman Garuba, who can play either center or power forward interchangeably.
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