EA7 Emporio Armani Milan continued reshaping its backcourt on Tuesday by announcing the signing of veteran point guard Darius Thompson to a multi-year contract. The 31-year-old arrives after helping Valencia Basket reach the 2025-26 EuroLeague Final Four and capture the Spanish League championship, adding an experienced playmaker to a roster looking to rebound from a disappointing EuroLeague campaign.
Thompson replaces some of the ball-handling production lost with the departures of Quinn Ellis and Nico Mannion. Milan has also moved aggressively this offseason, adding Alec Peters, Jason Burnell, Devon Hall and Nicola Akele as it looks to climb back into the EuroLeague playoff picture after finishing 14th with a 17-21 record.
“I’m incredibly excited to begin this new chapter of my career with Olimpia Milano,” Thompson said in the club’s announcement. “My family and I are looking forward to making Milan our home and becoming part of the Olimpia community. I can’t wait to meet my teammates, coaches and the staff to get started, improve day after day as a group, and become the best team we’re capable of being.”
Although Thompson accepted a smaller offensive role with Valencia, he remained one of the EuroLeague’s most efficient guards. Across 38 games, he averaged 9.6 points, 3.4 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 steal while shooting 47.1% from the field, 40.8% from three-point range and 84.4% at the free-throw line. His perimeter shooting helped Valencia finish second in the regular-season standings at 25-13 before advancing to its first-ever EuroLeague Final Four.
Thompson also contributed to Valencia’s domestic success, averaging 7.4 points and 2.9 assists in Liga ACB as the club defeated FC Barcelona to win the Spanish championship. The season added another major accomplishment to a résumé that already includes an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection and a place on the All-ACB First Team following his standout 2022-23 campaign with Baskonia.
That 2022-23 season remains the best of Thompson’s EuroLeague career. He averaged 12.6 points and led the competition with 6.7 assists per game while shooting 49.7% from the field for Baskonia. After spending two seasons with Anadolu Efes, he joined Valencia last summer and adapted to a more balanced roster without sacrificing efficiency.
