Years After Leaving BYU, Eric Mika Gets His NBA Opportunity
Aug 20, 2019, 3:31 PM | Updated: 8:43 pm
Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Former BYU basketball star Eric Mika left the Cougars program after his Sophomore season back in 2017. After leaving BYU, Mika hadn’t signed an NBA contract with a franchise. Now he’s getting that opportunity.
On Tuesday, the Sacramento Kings General Manager Vlade Divac announced that Mika had signed with the Kings.
The terms of Mika’s deal with the Kings was not disclosed. According to James Ham of NBC Sports in California, Mika is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Sacramento.
Exhibit 10 contracts are one-year contracts worth the minimum salary.
Kings Sign Eric Mika » https://t.co/JhLxZKpHr2 pic.twitter.com/LnsZgXKXE4
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) August 20, 2019
Mika was a member of Sacramento’s California Classic and MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2019 rosters this past July. He averaged 8.3 points (8-21 FG, 9-15 FT), 9.3 rebounds and 19.3 minutes per game in three appearances at the California Classic. Through five contests in Las Vegas, Mika averaged 9.2 points (.621 FG%, 10-16 FT), 7.0 rebounds and 17.0 minutes per game for the Kings.
The past two seasons Mika had been competing internationally in Italy with Consultinvest Pesaro and Germani Basket Brescia, both teams are in the Lega Serie A. In two seasons in Italy, Mika averaged 11.6 points per game and 5.9 rebounds.
Sacramento’s organization has always been intrigued with Mika since he left BYU. During the NBA Draft process in 2017, Mika had two workouts with the Kings organization prior to going undrafted.
As of right now, if Mika makes it to the regular-season roster with the Kings, he would be the only former BYU basketball player in the association.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
