CSKA Moscow tabs Nenad Krstic and Sammy Mejia

CSKA Moscow has added experience and power to its frontcourt by signing center Nenad Krstic to a two-year contract. Krstic (2.13 meters, 27 years old) returns to the Euroleague after seven seasons away. He grew up with Partizan Belgrade and helped the club win three straight Yugoslavian/Serbian League titles between 2001 and 2004, plus the 2002 Yugoslav Cup. Krstic arrives from Boston of the NBA, with whom he averaged 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 24 games last season after arriving in a midseason trade from Oklahoma City. Overall Krstic appeared in 419 NBA games with Boston, Oklahoma City and New Jersey and averaged 10 points and 5.4 rebounds. Before that Krstic was a double-digit Euroleague scorer in each of his last two seasons, 2002-03 and 2003-04, with Partizan. CSKA will be Krstic’s second team in Russia. He started the 2008-09 season with Triumph Lyubertsy and tallied 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in six EuroChallenge games with the club. The veteran center has also been a regular with the Serbian national team with whom he has a silver medal from EuroBasket 2009. He also represented Serbia at the 2004 Olympic Games and the 2010 FIBA World Championships.


CSKA Moscow signed shooting guard Sammy Mejia to a two-year contract to help fill the shoes of retiring star Trajan Langdon. Mejia (1.98 meters, 28 years old) has spent the past two seasons with Cholet Basket in France, with whom he ranked seventh in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague last season in scoring with 15.1 points per game. He was the Sportingbet Euroleague MVP of the Week last season after scoring 29 points and racking up a performance index rating of 35 in a home win over Fenerbahce Ulker. In his two seasons with Cholet, Mejia led the club to the 2010 French League championship and to the finals this past season. He ranked fourth in the French League in scoring with 18 points per game last season in addition to 5.1 rebounds and 4 assists. CSKA is Mejia's fourth team in as many countries since coming to Europe to play in 2007. He has also suited up for AEL Larissa in Greece and Pierrel Capo d'Orlando in Italy.