Signing announced

Olympiacos announced on Thursday, 22 October, that John Konchar has signed a two-year contract with the Greek club. The 30-year-old American guard, listed at 1.96 m and playing mainly as a guard or forward, leaves the NBA to continue his career in Europe. Reporting from abroad had linked him to Olympiacos for several weeks before the deal was made official. The agency that represents him, GSL Sports Group, announced the transfer first, and the club's own announcement followed seconds later. The club's statement confirmed the two-year term without listing other contract details.

Career path

Konchar played college basketball at Purdue Fort Wayne from 2015 to 2019 and was not selected in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Memphis Grizzlies then offered him a two-way contract, which let him compete for a roster place while also playing in the G League. He appeared for the Memphis Hustle in 2019-2020 and stayed with the Grizzlies until 2026. From February of that year he was on the Utah Jazz roster. In September he signed with the New York Knicks, but the club released him after two weeks, which left him free to sign with Olympiacos.

Numbers and playing role

Konchar has 363 regular-season NBA games and 18 playoff games to his name. His best season came in 2022-23, when he started 23 games and averaged 5.1 points in almost 21 minutes. In 30 games with Memphis he averaged 3.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and one steal. In 26 games with Utah he averaged 5.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3 assists and two steals, the highest scoring average of his NBA career. Over his whole career he has averaged four rebounds per game and made 34.9% of his three-point attempts.

Memphis Grizzlies (30 games)3.2

Utah Jazz (26 games)5.9

Memphis Grizzlies (30 games)

3.2 points per game

Utah Jazz (26 games)

5.9 points per game

Data from the article text

Profile and fit

Commentary on his game describes him as a strong rebounder who can contribute on defence, and as a streaky outside shooter whose seasons vary in quality. Reporting says he is a glue player who connects the pieces of a team without needing the ball often. Olympiacos is expected to use him mainly at the three position, where he will work alongside Kostas Papanikolaou and Tyson Ward. His main task is to adapt to European basketball and help the team meet its obligations.

What comes next

The two-year contract runs until 2028 and gives Olympiacos another guard with several seasons of NBA experience. Konchar will need to adjust to a different style of play and a new group of teammates. The club's roster now includes a player who has spent most of his NBA career with one franchise and made his name with defensive consistency and rebounding.