Davis Bertans He is one of the NBA free agents who are still without a team after the end of the 2023/24 season. The Latvian player is, in fact, one of the free agents who received the highest salary last year (16 million dollars) but in July the Charlotte Hornets decided to release him from his contract. This leaves Davis Bertans without a team to continue playing in the United States for a ninth season.
The Latvian He arrived in the NBA in 2016 signing a contract with the San Antonio Spurs even though it was the Indiana Pacers who had drafted him in 2011 with the number 42 pick. He was part of the trade that brought Kawhi Leonard to the Spurs and it would not be the only trade of his career. The Spurs sent him to the Wizards in 2019, the Wizards to Dallas in 2022 in the trade that included Kristaps Pozingis, the Mavericks to Oklahoma for the draft rights to Dereck Lively II and he ended up with the Hornets in February 2024 in the trade that also included Vasilije Micic.
The key moment for Davis Bertans in the NBA was his arrival to the Wizards for the 19/20 season. There he managed to display all his basketball with 15.4 points per game and 42% on three-pointers which motivated them to sign him a very lucrative contract: $80 million for the next 5 seasons. A contract that only guaranteed him 5 million for 24/25 and that the Hornets have decided not to honour, although the Latvian has pocketed 64 million in recent seasons. His numbers, however, did not come close to those of that season, maintaining a 40% in triples in his NBA career but having the 8.8 points average in his time with the Hornets as a limit since then.
His past at Baskonia
Before making the jump to the NBA, Davis Bertans spent two seasons with Baskonia between 2014 and 2016. He averaged 11.2 points with 38% in triples in the first and 7.8 points and 42% in triples In the second, he played mainly as a forward, since he had Tornike Shengelia and Kim Tillie ahead of him in the rotation in those years. He was the MVP of a game against BAXI Manresa with 19 points, 5 of 9 in three-pointers, 10 rebounds and a PIR of 28, although he surpassed that scoring mark against Barça with 24 points.
He was also one of the standout names during Latvia’s remarkable run at the World Cup two summers ago. His three-pointer almost eliminated Germany, the eventual world champions, but the ball went into a rather awkward position.
💔 DAVIS BERTANS’ SHOT
🇱🇻 Honor to the World Cup in Latvia@FIBAWC #FIBAWC #WinForAll
pic.twitter.com/3ipRQxXP4R— Giants of Basketball (@GIGANTESbasket) September 6, 2023
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