The upcoming basketball offseason will see plenty of player movement between the upcoming NBA free agency period and trades that will happen throughout the summer. Some transactions will also involve veterans shifting their careers from North American soil to European and Asian countries as they seek opportunities to make a name for themselves.
Some former Detroit Pistons players will be available to sign overseas contracts in the coming weeks. In fact, one of the franchise's former guards just revealed that he's put pen to paper with a top European basketball club.
Former Pistons Guard Malachi Flynn Signs With Turkey's Bahcesehir
On Friday, Turkish club Bahcesehir announced that it had signed former Pistons guard Malachi Flynn to a contract for the upcoming season. The news comes a few days after international basketball insider Luca D'Alessandro reported that EuroLeague teams were keeping a close eye on the 27-year-old veteran.
The deal marks the first time Flynn will play basketball overseas since his professional career began. The former San Diego State facilitator started his NBA career when he was drafted 29th overall by the Toronto Raptors in 2020, only to go on to spend time with the New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, and Pistons.
Flynn has struggled to find a place to call home, and his time in the Motor City wasn't an exception.
After being acquired by the Pistons from the Knicks at the 2024 trade deadline, Flynn went on to average 8.0 points, 2.1 assists, 1.8 rebounds, and .430/.316/.684 splits in 24 bench appearances (14.3 minutes per outing). His run included a career-high 50-point effort against the Atlanta Hawks on Apr. 3, 2024. However, that performance was an anomaly as he averaged only 7.3 points in the six games after that.
The Pistons weren't impressed by what they saw, allowing Flynn to hit the open market last summer. He spent the 2024-25 campaign with the NBA G League's Austin Spurs and even landed a 10-day contract with the Hornets, but it's clear his performance wasn't impressive, or else he would have garnered legitimate NBA interest this summer.
Time will tell how long Flynn's overseas stint will last. If he capitalizes on the opportunity and leads Bahcesehir to a successful 2025-26 performance, perhaps an NBA team will be calling the ex-Pistons guard's number sooner rather than later.