Olimpia Milano signs Rodney McGruder

Olimpia Milano has reached an agreement until the end of the season with Rodney McGruder, a 1.94 mt guard, born on 29 July 1991 in Landover, Maryland, who was with the Detroit Pistons last season. "As we enter the decisive phase of the season, we have decided to deepen our guard department with an athletic player who has the skills and the character necessary to adapt well to our needs," says general manager Christos Stavropoulos. "It is a pleasure to be a part of such an historic organization and to play for the fans of this beatiful city. I can’t wait to get on the court and compete to get all the wins we can possibly can. Milan, I’m excited, "says Rodney McGruder.

HIS CAREER – Born and raised in Landover, Maryland, Rodney McGruder attended the Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington and then moved to Jacksonville, Florida. In 2009 he began his four-year college career at Kansas State. In his second season, he averaged 11.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game; in his third year he averaged 15.8 points per game and was included in the All- Big 12 Conference second team; as a senior, in his fourth year of college eligibility, he averaged 15.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, leading Kansas State to the first place in the Big 12. In 2013 he was not chosen in the NBA draft but was signed by the Oklahoma City Thunder and released on the eve of the season. From there he moved to Hungary to Atomeromu Paks (14.4 points and 5.3 rebounds on average). In the 2014/15 season he started with Golden State and then went to Boston but failed to make his NBA debut, so he spent the year in Maine and Sioux Falls of the G-League. In the summer of 2015, he was signed by Miami but failed to make the team: he spent another season in Sioux Falls winning the G-League championship. Finally in 2016 he signed a three-year contract with Miami, playing 162 NBA games with 112 starts, 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. After his experience in Miami, he played one year with the Los Angeles Clippers (56 appearances) and then spent another three years in Detroit, with 99 appearances on the court, 16 starts and averaged 5.5 points per game.

NOTES – In his last year in Detroit he shot 42.3 percent on threes, for his NBA career he shot 36.0 percent from beyond the arc