Former Cavaliers Forward Exits NBA, Signs With Greek Team

Cedi Osman, who started his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, will play in the Greek Basketball League next season.

Mar 15, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman (16) brings the ball up court in the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

A familiar face for Cleveland Cavaliers fans will not be playing in the NBA next season.

Cedi Osman is headed to the Greek Basketball League and is joining Panathinaikos, which the team owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos revealed on Instagram. An important piece of this is that Panathinaikos is coached by Ergin Ataman, who coaches Osman for the Turkish National team.

It's a bit shocking that someone of Osman's skillset won't be in the NBA next season. At this point of his career, he may not be a starting-caliber forward on a championship team, but he can still provide a nice spark off the bench in a limited role.

Mar 19, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Cedi Osman (16) warms up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Cedi averaged 6.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 39 percent from behind the arc and 47.9 percent from the floor last season with the San Antonio Spurs.

Any playoff team could've used that production as a depth piece, including the Cavaliers.

After the announcement, Sam Amico of Hoops Wire reported that the Los Angeles Lakers offered Osman a training camp invitation, but he decided to take his talent overseas instead.

Osman will always be remembered for his time with the Cavs. He spent the first six seasons with Cleveland and saw them go from a Finals contender led by LeBron James to a rebuilding team relying on lottery picks and back to a playoff-caliber team.

During those six seasons, Osman averaged 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists and shot 42 percent from the floor. Osman's time with Cleveland came to an end following the 2022-23 season when he was part of a three-team trade that brought Max Strus to the Cavs.

Perhaps, Osman could someday return to the NBA. But for now, he's focused on this new chapter of his career.