Former Gonzaga standout Kyle Wiltjer stays with Reyer Venice on multi-year deal

Wiltjer is staying in Italy

Mar 25, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Kyle Wiltjer (33) reacts against the Syracuse Orange during the first half in a semifinal game in the Midwest regional of the NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports / Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Wiltjer’s basketball career has taken him around the globe. 

On Saturday, the former Gonzaga men’s basketball standout re-signed with Reyer Venice, an Italian club in the BKT EuroCup league, on a multi-year deal. Wiltjer, who signed with the team as a free agent after one season with the Zhejiang Lions (China) this past September, averaged 12.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in the BKT EuroCup and was named the most valuable player of round 14.

“For me, it was an honor to sign a contract with Umana Reyer already last year because I had the opportunity to live in a city like Venice together with my family and to be part of a large organization that is like a family,” Wiltjer said via EuroHoops. “I am thrilled to have renewed the agreement because I am convinced that although our season has been positive, we will continue the work with the hunger to complete some unfinished business.”

Reyer Venice went 19-11 in the Lega Basket Serie A competition. The club advanced to the semifinals of the playoffs before falling to Virtus Bologna.

Wiltjer moved to Italy after one of his best seasons as a pro in the Chinese Basketball Association, in which he put up 16.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and a career-best 3.2 assists. He won the Basketball Champions League with Lenovo Tenerife in 2021-22 and also played for Olympiacos (2017-18) and Unicaja (2018-19) before a standout season with Turk Telecom Ankara in 2020-21, where he averaged a career-high 18.7 points and shot 50.1% from the floor.

In between stints in Europe, Wiltjer, along with former Gonzaga guards Andrew Nembhard and Kevin Pangos, represented Canada in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China. Wiltjer led the team in scoring at 16.4 points per game, though the Canadians went 2-3 and finished 21st out of the 30-team field. Wiltjer wasn’t called up by Canadian national team coach Jordi Fernandez for the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila, where Team Canada won bronze over Team USA.

Former Gonzaga standout Austin Daye earned MVP honors while he led Reyer Venice to its first Italian Cup in club history in 2020. Daye spent eight seasons with the team before suiting up for Pesaro in the LBA in 2022-23. Melvin Ejim, the older brother of current Gonzaga women's basketball standout Yvonne Ejim, played two seasons with Reyer Venice from 2015-17.

After going undrafted in 2016, Wiltjer joined the Houston Rockets for the NBA Summer League. The 6-foot-10 post signed with the team and played in four of the first 25 games of the 2016-17 season. Wiltjer scored a season-high seven points in a win over the Sacramento Kings in December 2016.

That summer, Wiltjer was acquired by the Los Angeles Clippers in the blockbuster Chris Paul trade. After being waived, Wiltjer signed with the Toronto Raptors in August 2017. He was then waived by the team that October.