Via Johnny Askounis at eurohoops.net
Completing the 2022-23 squad, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne penned Joffrey Lauvergne to a three-year contract, as announced on Friday.
The team coached by retired player Tony Parker had already signed seven new players this offseason. Also returning to France is experienced guard Nando de Colo returning to France. Coming in were Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Jonah Mathews, Amine Noua, Retin Obasohan, Antony Polite, and Yves Pons as well. In addition, towering center Youssoupha Fall will be running it back and head coach T.J. Parker penned a three-year contract extension.
Lauvergne, 30, is back in his home country after departing Elan Chalon in 2012. He has since upped his total of games played in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague to 117, behind the stints at Partizan NIS, Fenerbahce Beko, and most recently Zalgiris. Logging 212 games played in the NBA between the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls, and San Antonio Spursmarked four seasons of his career so far.
“The arrivals of Nando and Joffrey are very important!” explained team president Tony Parker, “It signals the continuity of our project, aiming to lift LDLC ASVEL as high as possible in Europe by showcasing French basketball. Their experience will be extremely valuable in guiding this very ambitious group.”
Last season, the experienced center appeared in 13 EuroLeague games tallying 8.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks per contest. Averaging 9.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in Lithuania’s Betsafe LKL highlighted his efforts at the domestic level.
“It is a pleasure to bring in another French international,” said head coach T.J. Parker, roughly translated with the helping hand of Google, “Joffrey is experienced and has high basketball IQ, very useful for us throughout the season in EuroLeague and in the French league.”
