Today is a sad day. Boris Diaw is no longer in the NBA (hey, that rhymed). Diaw, a high-IQ, good-natured power forward, spent last season with the Utah Jazz after being a San Antonio Spurs fan favorite for the previous four-plus years. Diaw, 35, signed in his home country of France, with Paris-Levallois, per David Cozette of SFR Sport:
Gros scoop basket de la rentrée: Boris Diaw d’accord avec Levallois. Il sera un joueur des Metropolitans dès que la DNCG dira ok. @RMCsport
— David Cozette (@DavidCozette) September 14, 2017
Roughly translated, that means: “Big scoop of autumn basketball: Boris Diaw agree with Levallois. He will be a Metropolitan player as soon as the DNCG says ok”
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski added that Diaw’s overseas contract includes buyout clauses for the NBA and European teams.
Boris Diaw's deal with Paris-Levallois includes outs for both NBA and European teams, agent Doug Neustadt told ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 14, 2017
At his best, Diaw was a super-role-player – a stretch big ahead of his time. Diaw could space the floor with adequate shooting and was also a terrific passer. His finest season came in 2008-09 with the Charlotte Hornets (then Bobcats). That year, Diaw averaged 15.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 41.9 percent from three.
Aside from the Spurs, Jazz and Hornets Bobcats, Diaw also spent time with the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns.
