Former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman reportedly declined a training camp invitation from the The Los Angeles Lakers to sign with Panathinaikos, a Greek basketball team.
“He also attracted interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, who invited him to a training camp. However, due to the lack of guarantees regarding his presence in the season’s squad, he decided to decline and return to Europe.” according to an article by Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops.
Osman, originally from North Macedonia, returns to Europe after seven NBA seasons, mostly spent with the Cavaliers.
The Turkish international forward began his career with Anadolu Efes in 2011 before joining the NBA six years later.
Cedi Osman in NBA

Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the 2015 NBA draft, Osman began his NBA career with a strong Cavaliers team led by LeBron James, reaching the NBA Finals in his rookie season (2017–18). During that season, he played in 61 games and averaged 3.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 0.4 steals per game.
Osman was a reliable reliever for the Cavaliers, but it wasn’t until the following season, after James left for the Lakers, that he saw a significant increase in touches and minutes per game.
In his sophomore season, Osman had arguably the most productive year of his NBA career. In 76 games and 75 starts during the 2018-19 regular season, he averaged a career-best 13.0 points per game on 42.7 percent shooting and 34.8 percent from three-point range. He also contributed 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.8 steals per game.
Cedi Osman played 404 regular-season games and 19 playoff games with the Cavaliers before the team traded him to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2023 offseason. The move was part of a three-team trade that also included the Miami Heat.
The 29-year-old’s stint with the San Antonio Spurs was short-lived. He played just one season with them, averaging 6.8 points per game in a backup role during the 2023-24 regular season.
Osman heads to Greece and strengthens Panathinaikos
Related NewsThe article continues below
Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos announced the signing of Cedi Osman via a video on his Instagram page. The move bolsters Panathinaikos’ already strong roster with the addition of the NBA veteran, who returns to Europe for the first time since 2017.
By choosing a contract with Panathinaikos over an invitation to the Lakers’ training camp, Osman would have preferred the stability of a guaranteed roster spot over the uncertainty of competing for a spot.
The Lakers were unable to offer Osman a guaranteed contract because they had no open roster spots, a situation stemming from poor decisions made last offseason. They granted player options for christian woodJaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish for the 2024-25 season. Given their disappointing performances, all three exercised their options, taking up valuable roster spots that could have been used for upgrades like Osman.
Eurohoops sources report that Cedi Osman was close to signing with Real Madrid, but the deal ultimately fell through.
We will know sooner or later whether Osman made the right choice for his basketball career by turning down the Lakers’ training camp offer in favor of moving abroad.