Willie Cauley-Stein signs with Pallacanestro Varese of Italy

Willie Cauley-Stein is going to Italy, signing with Pallacanestro Varese of the LBA (Lega Basket Serie A). The former Kentucky Wildcat heads overseas after going unsigned in 2022-23, looking for a fresh start and a potential path back to the NBA.

Playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League — he teamed up with TyTy Washington — he averaged 8.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per contest while shooting 66.7 percent from the field in 13 regular season games. The former Wildcat also played in 16 Showcase Cup games, a single-elimination tournament during the G League Winter Showcase, averaging 6.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest.

Cauley-Stein most recently played in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers during the 2021-22 season, averaging a combined 1.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. He previously spent time with the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors, earning career averages of 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest across 422 regular season games and six NBA playoff matchups.

His best run in the league came with the Kings, who drafted him with the sixth pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. There, he averaged 10.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 295 games.

An all-time run at Kentucky

The 7-foot center was a consensus First-Team All-American and named National Defensive Player of the Year by the NABC in his final season at Kentucky in 2014-15. He was also named SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player, First-Team All-SEC, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and All-SEC Defense. Cauley-Stein averaged 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 steals per game as a junior, 8.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks across three seasons in Lexington.

From Kentucky to the NBA to Italy — and hopefully back to the league sooner rather than later. Go take care of business, WCS.