The Golden State Warriors have signed forward Nemanja Bjelica (NEH-mahn-yah Bee-a-LITZ-ah) to a contract, the team announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.
Bjelica, 33, appeared in 37 games (three starts) with the Sacramento Kings and Miami Heat last season, tallying averages of 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 16.1 minutes per game. A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Bjelica owns career NBA averages of 7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 21.2 minutes in 378 games (162 starts) over six seasons with the Heat, Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 6’10” forward owns career shooting percentages of 46.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from three-point range, posting three consecutive seasons of better than 40 percent from three (2017-20). As a member of the Kings in 2019-20, Bjelica recorded career highs across the board, averaging 11.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists while hitting 48.1 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from distance.
Originally selected by the Washington Wizards with the 35th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Bjelica played internationally in his native Serbia before spending three seasons with Caja Laboral (2010-13) in Spain’s top league, Liga ACB. He spent the next two seasons with Turkish club Fenerbahçe (2013-15), earning 2014-15 Euroleague MVP honors with averages of 15.7 points and 11.0 rebounds in 29 games. Bjelica has represented his home country of Serbia in the FIBA World Cup on three occasions (2010, 2014, 2019), capturing a silver medal as a runner-up to the United States in 2014. He made his NBA debut with the Timberwolves during the 2015-16 season.
Bjelica will wear #8 for the Warriors.