Chris Duarte made the All-Rookie Team, but he never played as well in the NBA as he did in that first season.
He was the Indiana Pacers' No. 13 overall pick in 2021, but his time in the league is now over, at least for now, after four seasons.
Duarte has signed with Unicaja Malaga, a club in Spain that announced the move in a press release.
The 6-foot-6 sharpshooter averaged 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game as an NBA rookie with 36.9% shooting from 3-point range.
But his scoring regressed in each of the three subsequent seasons.
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Duarte spent 2023-24 with the Kings, and then he was with the Bulls for 17 games this past season.
He left Chicago midway through the season to sign with Puerto Rican team Vaqueros de Bayamon, where he averaged 19.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists over 28 games to end the season there.
Now, Duarte chooses what is likely a strong overseas contract rather than try to break back through into the NBA.
He's 28 years old and could look to make the journey back in a year or two, but for now, Duarte is bound for Malaga.
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