Former NBA guard Cassius Stanley signed a one-year contract with Bulls Kapfenberg on Tuesday, becoming the first player with NBA experience to join the Austrian club in its 50-year history.
The 27-year-old guard arrives as a replacement for injured forward Zac Darko-Kelly, who suffered a season-ending knee injury. Bulls sporting vice-president Alex Wronski addressed the signing at a press conference, stating that the club offered a one-year deal with an option for extension while acknowledging that Stanley’s career trajectory likely points elsewhere beyond this season.
“We have him now given a contract for a year with the option of extension, but we assume that Cassius will continue his career, but not with us,” Wronski said.
Stanley played his college basketball at Duke University before the Indiana Pacers selected him 54th overall in the 2020 NBA draft. He appeared in 33 regular-season NBA games across stints with the Pacers and Detroit Pistons, later playing professionally in Israel, France, and Lithuania.
Bulls Kapfenberg turned to the transfer market after losing three rotation players to injuries. Darko-Kelly underwent knee surgery performed by team physician Helmut Kern and will miss the remainder of the campaign.
Guard Alec Oglesby also underwent a surgical procedure and is projected to return to the lineup in the first week of December. Meanwhile, Tobias Schrittwieser has resumed training and is expected to play in Friday’s away match against Traiskirchen.
Business manager Michael Schrittwieser spoke about the financial reality behind securing a player of Stanley’s pedigree during Tuesday’s club presentation. “Certainly not for financial reasons,” Schrittwieser said, pointing instead to the team’s standing and its presence in European competition.
Bulls Kapfenberg will host a 50th-anniversary gala on November 28 starting at 6 p.m. at the Walfersamhalle Kapfenberg.
More than 400 invited guests will attend the evening program, which traces the club’s history from its founding era to the present day. Event organizer Wolfgang Sorger noted the extensive venue transformation planned for the celebration, stating that “the hall will not be recognizable as such.”
Bulls Kapfenberg carries an eight-win, one-loss record into Friday’s away fixture against Traiskirchen.
