Denzel Valentine signs new professional contract

This offseason has been great so far when it comes to former Michigan State basketball players in the pros. A handful of Spartans all signed new deals in the NBA and a few others have also signed professional contracts with international organizations as well.

And it’s time to add another Spartan to the list as Michigan State legend Denzel Valentine has signed a new professional contract overseas.

Valentine has had a very successful professional career so far. After graduating from Michigan State in 2016, he was selected 14th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Valentine played for the Bulls through 2021 before making short stops with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz.

Valentine’s best NBA season came in his second year in the league with the Bulls when he averaged 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.

After playing with the Jazz in 2022, Valentine made the move away from the NBA and has played with two overseas teams in Australia and Italy.

Now heading into the 2024-25 season, Valentine has signed a contract with Pallacanestro Trieste, which is another organization in the top Italian professional league. This will be an interesting stop for Valentine as his new team just earned a promotion from the second tier to the top tier of Italian professional basketball. That means Valentine’s team could struggle with the increase in the level of competition, but that’s probably why they went out and got a guy like Valentine who has vast experience in the NBA to help them compete at this level.

I’ll be excited to follow Valentine this season as there’s a great chance he’ll be one of the better players on his new team. I can’t say I’m very familiar with the professional basketball scene in Italy, but this will be a great opportunity for Valentine to make his mark at an organization that has been trending up in recent years.