Mirza Teletovic has come a long way since making his professional debut with KK Sloboda in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2002.
Next stop, Brooklyn.
The 6-foot-9 forward has confirmed he reached a verbal agreement with the Brooklyn Nets for the 2012-2013 season after reaching a buyout from Caja Laboral of Spain's ACB League.
While Teletovic did not specify the financial amount of the deal, he did mention the agreement was a three-year deal with the Nets (which will not become official until July 11). As was repeatedly reported last week, Brooklyn convinced Teletovic to take the mini taxpayer mid-level exception and now leaves the door slightly open for the Nets to acquire Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic.
Hopefully Teletovic will become known around the NBA and Brooklyn for being more than merely the guy who restructured his deal to give the team a shot at Howard.
"I played many years in Europe, in the [ACB League] on stronger and stronger clubs, so I think I am ready also for the NBA," he told Spain's AS.com recently.
"What interests me most is my position on the team, that is, I want to play as much as possible."
For over the last few seasons in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague, Teletovic has been one of the premiere players in the league, not to mention the ACB with Caja Laboral. He averaged 22 points, 6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1 block per game in 10 Euroleague games, while going for 15.8 points per game in ACB play.
In Teletovic -- who went undrafted in 2007 -- the Nets get a big man who can step out and fill it up from outside and also possesses a strong build (240 pounds) to hold his own against guys on the block. Don't think spot-up shooter. Think Deron Williams hitting Teletovic coming off screens or working the floor to get off his high release jumper.
And if defenders are thinking about crowding Teletovic and playing him close, they'd better think twice. He won't hesitate to rise up or even put the ball on the floor with a quick step off the dribble.
It's easy for any Nets fan -- or basketball fan for that matter -- who isn't completely up to speed on Teletovic's game from Spain or around the Euroleague to simply chalk him up to being "one of those European guys" in the light of Peja Stojakovic or Hedo Turkoglu.
No need for comparisons here.
Regardless if Teletovic starts or comes off of the bench for Brooklyn, he's capable of making a name for himself in the league.