Markus Howard's move is now official. The VTB League announced his signing with Zenit Saint Petersburg with a social media message: "Welcome to the league." The contract ties him to the Russian club through the end of the 2027-28 season. The announcement comes a day after Kosner Baskonia confirmed his departure after four seasons.
Dusko Ivanovic awaits him in Saint Petersburg. With the Montenegrin head coach on the Baskonia bench, Howard signed his best season in Europe in 2023-24: 19.5 points per game in the EuroLeague. That was also the scenario the player was seeking, as at the start of this season he barely featured under Paolo Galbiati and had been dealing with physical issues for some time.
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Out of Europe
The signing comes with an important trade-off: Howard will no longer play in the EuroLeague. Zenit competes only in the VTB League, so the player with the most three-pointers in a single EuroLeague season disappears from the continent's top competition. In return, he will have the starring role he had lost in Vitoria and a contract for nearly two full seasons.