Bruno Fernando spurns former Terps shooter, picks his next team

It didn’t take Bruno Fernando long to find a new home. The former Maryland basketball star, waived this week by the Atlanta Hawks is headed north. Far north.

Fernando has signed with the Toronto Raptors, Blake Murphy of Canadian news outlet Sportsnet reported.

Via Murphy: “The Raptors are signing Bruno Fernando, per a source. It’s a non-guaranteed deal. Basically, come in to camp and compete for a roster spot. Some guarantees would kick in if he makes the team.”

Fernando played in 45 games last season, his fifth in the NBA, averaging 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game, shooting 58.3 percent from the floor. Atlanta’s decision to cut him loose on Wednesday came as a surprise, but it quickly become clear the team was opening a spot to sign free agent Dominick Barlow.

He wrote on Twitter after being released: “Nah, THANK YOU [FOR REAL]!!” Love [fingers-crossed emoji]”

Fernando was his second stop in Atlanta, which drafted him out of Maryland before stints with the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics, averaging four points and 3.3 rebounds per game in those five seasons. The 6-9 center, an all-Big Ten player fan favorite at Maryland because of his powerful playing style and energetic personality, will join a Raptors team that limped to a 25-57 record last season but has a decent young core led by RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley. He was reportedly being pursued by Turkish club Fenerbache, coached by former Maryland shooting guard Sarunas Jasikevicus, who’s become one of the top coaches in Europe.