The race for Arturs Strautins is heating up

Derthona Basket and Arturs Strautins have parted ways. The Piedmont-based club has announced that the player has decided to exercise the buyout clause in his contract, thereby ending the agreement that would have kept him in Tortona for the upcoming season.

Having joined the black-and-whites in the summer of 2023, the Latvian forward, who was trained in Italy, concludes his time with Bertram after three seasons. During this time, he made a total of 96 official appearances across the league and European competitions, scoring 892 points.

It should be noted that just two years ago, in March 2024, the same club had announced with satisfaction the renewal of Strautins’ contract through June 30, 2027. On that occasion, President Marco Picchi had expressed his enthusiasm: “We are very happy to extend our relationship with a player who has brought us satisfaction both on and off the court and who is part of the core group of Italian players on whom we want to build our future.” A project that now, evidently, is taking a different direction.

The split comes at a time of profound transformation for Bertram, which last summer had already launched a major renewal process by appointing Mario Fioretti as head coach. The coach, after 22 years at Olimpia Milano—working in the youth sector and as an assistant to head coach Ettore Messina—had signed a two-year contract through June 2027, gaining his first head coaching experience right here in Tortona.

In bidding farewell to the player, the club expressed its gratitude for his contributions during his time in Tortona, wishing him the best of luck in his future career and personal life. In this regard, a battle is underway between Reyer Venezia and Basket Roma, with the latter appearing to have a clear advantage.