Drafted in 2022, Karlo Matkovic (2m12, 23 years old) will have waited two seasons to get an NBA contract, but it has been done since Sunday. Fifty-second choice of the 2022 Draft, the Croatian interior had left Olimpija Ljubljana during the winter, to play in the G-League with the Birmingham Squadron, the franchise affiliated with the Pelicans.
Karlo Matkovic will have played only 10 games, but his 17.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game convinced the management to offer him a three-year contract. A low-cost bet for the Pelicans since The Athletic announces that he has signed for less than five million dollars. With Jonas Valanciunas gone to the Wizards, and still not replaced, Karlo Matkovic will be competing with Daniel Theis for playing time.
Croatian international, he averaged 8 points and 3.5 rebounds at the last EuroBasket.
