Former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Christian Eyenga has reportedly signed a deal with the Lobos Plateados in Mexico.
Eyenga played just two seasons in the NBA, beginning with the Cavs in the 2010-11 season. He played with the Cavs and Los Angeles Lakers the following season.
The now 35-year-old started 18 games for the Cavs in the 2010-11 season (he appeared in 44 total games) and averaged 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Eyenga shot 42.5 percent from the field and 27.5 percent from beyond the arc in those 44 games.
He then played in just seven games in the following season (six for the Cavs and one for the Lakers) and averaged 2.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 14.6 minutes per game. Eyenga only shot 24.0 percent from the field in the 2011-12 season. On top of those appearances, he did get into a few playoff games with the Lakers but didn’t have much of a role.
A first-round pick by the Cavs in the 2009 NBA Draft, Eyenga has played overseas for a majority of his professional basketball career, and his recent deal appears to mark his newest chapter.
Eyenga played for former Cavs head coach Byron Scott during his two seasons with Cleveland, and the Cavs were one of the worst teams in the NBA during that time since LeBron James had left the franchise to sign with the Miami Heat.
During the 2010-11 season, Cleveland won just 19 games. Antawn Jamison, Baron Davis (who only played 15 games that season for the Cavs) and J.J. Hickson were the team’s three leading scorers in points per game.
Eyenga ended up playing a lot down the stretch of the 2010-11 season, as the Cavs might have been trying to find out if he could be a piece for the future. The former first-round pick didn’t end up carving out a long NBA career, but he has seemingly still made a living playing basketball in several different leagues in the world.
An NBA return is likely out of the question for Eyenga, but it’s possible that he can keep his basketball career going beyond this season if he plays well in Mexico.
