Australian Duop Reath has made the big time, reportedly signing his first NBA contract with the Portland Trail Blazers after an impressive World Cup performance.
The 27-year-old centre went undrafted in 2018 before embarking on a globetrotting career, playing in Serbia and China – where last season he averaged 18.2 points, along with 7.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 2.0 blocks for the Qingdao Eagles.
He landed a spot on the Trail Blazers’ Summer League squad, where he averaged 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in five games.
Then he impressed for the Boomers at the World Cup despite somewhat limited minutes, picking up 43 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists across five games.
His highlight was a 16-point effort in the opening win over Georgia, while he two or more blocks in three of the five games.
Reath also showed his efficiency with an 81% field-goal shooting percentage and went 75% on 3-point shooting.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the contract would be a one-year deal.
But given Portland’s lack of depth at centre behind Jusuf Nurkic, it represents an ideal landing spot for the Australian as he seeks to break into the world’s premier league.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/basketball/nba/nba-2023-portland-trail-blazers-sign-australian-duop-reath-fiba-world-cup-boomers-news-latest/news-story/2219a0bc33486fcbe5c9a76ea77351f9