Denzel Valentine says goodbye to Trieste and moves to Venice
Umana Reyer Venezia announced the signing for the’agreement with Denzel Valentine, a 1993-born U.S. guard, who will wear the orogranata jersey in the 2025/2026 season.
Versatile player, shooting guard and excellent game vision: talent and flair at Coach Spahija’s disposal in the Lions’ new season.
Denzel Valentine was born on Nov. 16, 1993 in Lansing, Michigan (USA), where he breathed basketball air from early on: his father, Carlton Valentine, a former Michigan State player in the ’80s then devoted himself to a coaching career, while his older brother, Drew Valentine, embarked on a coaching career and is currently head coach at Loyola University Chicago.
As a young man, Denzel attended J.W. Sexton High School in Lansing where his performance led him to be one of the most sought-after prospects in the state.
Following in his father’s footsteps, he then attended Michigan State University and under the guidance of coach Tom Izzo, became a college basketball star: in his senior season (2015-2016), Valentine recorded 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists on average, earning numerous awards, including Naismith College Player of the Year.
In the 2016 NBA Draft, he was selected in the first round with the 14th overall pick by the Chicago Bulls. With the Illinois franchise he plays five seasons and his best year in is 2017-18 when he averages 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists, in 77 games. After brief stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz, he played in the G-League with the Maine Celtics (2022/23) before joining the Sydney Kings in Australia (12.2 points, 3.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds average).
In March 2024 he moved to Europe, signing with Olimpia Milano and winning the Scudetto. Still in Italy, he signs with Pallacanestro Trieste (2024/25) where he conquers an absolute starring role, ending the season with 15.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists on average (49.2% from 2 and 40.4% from 3), becoming one of the team’s technical and emotional leaders.
