Asisa Joventut closes two luxury signings: Argentine point guard Nico Laprovittola returns to Badalona for three seasons and forward Kwan Cheatham arrives for one year.
Asisa Joventut announced on Wednesday two signings that will shape the team's direction for the upcoming season. Nico Laprovittola, 36, returns to the green and black discipline seven years after his departure, while Kwan Cheatham, a 2.06-meter interior player, signs for one season from Reggio Emilia.
Both reinforcements join the already confirmed Álex Reyes, Isaac Nogués, and Emir Sulejmanovic, in a market that is profoundly transforming the squad led by Dani Miret.
The return of the MVP
Laprovittola returns to the place where he achieved his recognition at the elite level. In his first stint in Badalona (2017-2019), he played 55 official matches and was MVP of the Liga Endesa in the 2018-19 season, averaging 17.1 points, 6.4 assists, and 17.7 valuation credits.
After his breakout in Badalona, the Argentine point guard moved to Real Madrid and later to Barça, where he stayed for five seasons. In the blue and burgundy team, he won a Liga Endesa and a Copa del Rey, in addition to competing in two EuroLeague Final Fours. However, his last two seasons were marred by injuries, making his return to Joventut a bet to regain his best form.
The agreement with Laprovittola is for three seasons, until June 2029. His arrival will allow Joventut to form one of the most exciting point guard pairs in the competition alongside Ricky Rubio, a duo that promises to elevate the team's competitive level.
Cheatham, an exterior threat from the paint
Kwan Cheatham, 30, is an American forward with an Italian passport who arrives from Reggio Emilia. In the Italian Serie A, he averaged 11.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and a 36.4% success rate from three-point range, confirming his ability to stretch the floor from the four position.
Cheatham knows the Liga Endesa well from his stints in Fuenlabrada and Coviran Granada, where he accumulated 84 official matches in the Spanish competition. During that period, he recorded an excellent 38.8% success rate from three-point range, becoming one of the league's most significant exterior threats among interior players. In his last season in the ACB, he averaged 13 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, demonstrating that he can also take on offensive prominence.
With the arrivals of Laprovittola and Cheatham, Joventut now has five official signings for the upcoming season. The club opened the market with the signing of forward Álex Reyes, welcomed back homegrown player Isaac Nogués, strengthened the paint with Emir Sulejmanovic, and now adds two pieces that significantly elevate the squad's level.
The green and black fans are already dreaming of seeing Laprovittola and Rubio together on the court at the Olímpic. Expectations are high, and the management has made it clear that they are not content with being a mere supporting actor in the Liga Endesa.
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