Armoni Brooks bids farewell to Olimpia Milano and confirms his new, lucrative destination
Armoni Brooks capped off his time with Olimpia Milano in the best possible way, winning the league title and earning both the regular-season MVP award and the Finals MVP award. During the end-of-season media day, the American guard reflected on his time in red and white and confirmed that his future lies with ASVEL Villeurbanne.
“It’s been two fantastic years in Milan. The way we went out, I think, was the right way to do it: with titles. The MVP trophies were just the icing on the cake. Thanks to God, my teammates, and the coaching staff for those awards. We know that Lyon is the next step, but Milan was a huge step in my career,” he said, among other things.
With a 72-86 victory in Game 4 on the road against Reyer Venezia, Olimpia completed a historic treble—the first in the club’s history—after having already won the Super Cup and the Italian Cup. Brooks was one of the standout players in the finals series against Reyer Venezia, which ended 3-1, scoring 15 points in the decisive game alongside Guduric, while Shields added 12 and Nebo 10.
The path to Villeurbanne had been set for weeks. ASVEL put a two-year offer on the table totaling approximately 4.6 million euros, a proposal that Olimpia was unable to match despite its firm desire to retain the player. Partizan Belgrade also entered the fray during the critical stages of the negotiations with a two-season offer of 4.4 million, but in the end, it was the French club that prevailed.
The loss of Brooks presents a major challenge in the transfer market for the Milanese front office, led by sports director Daniele Baiesi. The club is already working to identify a perimeter player capable of filling his shoes, preferably someone who can switch between the point guard and shooting guard positions. TJ Shorts was among the names under consideration, but that path appears complicated as the player is leaning toward Valencia. The possibility of signing Simone Fontecchio, on the other hand, has faded, as the Italian national team player has chosen to continue pursuing his career in the NBA.
Peppe Poeta, the emotional star of the post-championship celebrations, will continue to lead Olimpia in the 2026–2027 season. “It’s incredible, it’s amazing—if this is a dream, wake me up. I’ll be forever grateful to these guys,” the coach said after the triumph in Venice, also acknowledging Ettore Messina’s contribution to building the team. Poeta is under contract with the club through June 2028 and will be tasked with rebuilding the roster while maintaining the team’s ambitions in both the domestic league and the EuroLeague, where the goal is to return to the playoffs—a feat the team hasn’t achieved since the 2021-2022 season.
