Former NBA first-round pick signs deal in France

Free agent wing Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is returning to his native France, having signed a one-year deal with ASVEL Villeurbanne, the team announced in a press release.

“It’s a great honor to attract one of the very best French players of the moment,” ASVEL president Tony Parker said, per BasketNews.com. “I know Timothe perfectly, and I have no doubts about everything he can bring to the team. I’m very happy he trusts our project, and I can’t wait to see him wear our jersey.”

Luwawu-Cabarrot, 28, was drafted 24th overall by Philadelphia in 2016. He spent six seasons in the NBA, playing for the Sixers, Thunder, Bulls, Nets and Hawks from 2016-22.

In 2021-22, Luwawu-Cabarrot appeared in 52 games for Atlanta, averaging 4.4 PPG and 1.6 RPG on .398/.361/.854 shooting in 13.2 minutes per contest. He holds career averages of 5.9 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 328 regular season games.

The veteran swingman signed a training camp deal with Phoenix prior to last season, but didn’t make the team’s roster and was released before the ’22-23 season began. He wound up returning to Europe, signing a deal with Italy’s Olimpia Milano. His contract expired in April, making him an unrestricted free agent.

ASVEL competes in both the LNB Pro A — France’s top basketball division — and the EuroLeague, which is widely considered the second-most competitive league in the world.