Mar 5, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Denzel Valentine (45) brings the ball up court during the second half of a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-Imagn Images Mike Carter-Imagn Images

MSU Legend Signs with Pro Team

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 6:21 PM ET

Michigan State legend Denzel Valentine's NBA career didn't pan out, but his basketball journey continues.

Reyer Venezia of the Lega Basket Serie A announced on Thursday that it has signed Valentine for the 2025-26 season. Valentine will stay in Italy, where he played for Pallacanestro Trieste last season.

Valentine is, of course, one of the greatest players to ever come through Michigan State's program. He won the AP Player of the Year Award and Big Ten Player of the Year Award in 2016 and was a consensus All-American.

He was part of two key tournament runs, starting in 2014 when the Spartans made it to the Elite Eight, where they fell to UConn, which went on to win it all. He averaged 8.0 points per game that season, his sophomore campaign, making 32 starts in 38 games. while seeing over 29 minutes of action per game.

Valentine then helped lead the Spartans to the Final Four in 2015 on what was an unlikely run that came to an end against a dominant Duke team.

The following year, Valentine's senior season, Michigan State was expected to return to the Final Four and go beyond, as the Spartan star rose to prominence as the top player in the country. Michigan State won the Big Ten Tournament, as Valentine was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

The Spartans were rolling, but they would be bested by Middle Tennessee State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, one of the greatest upsets in tournament history.

Valentine went on to be drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the 14th overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft. He spent four seasons in Chicago and missed the 2018-19 season with injury. He also spent some time with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz and was signed by the Boston Celtics but didn't play in a game.

He then spent a season with the Sydney Kings of the NBL season.

It hasn't been an ideal professional career for the Spartan legend, but perhaps he will find a resurgence with his new team.

Follow along with all our coverage of Michigan State basketball when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on Valentine when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. You can also follow us on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.

This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: