Ukrainian basketball guard Mykhailo Bulyk has officially become a player of the Lithuanian club Suduva, which competes in the second division of the Lithuanian championship. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the press service of the Lithuanian team. The transfer of the 23-year-old basketball player was an unexpected turn: the player had previously planned to continue his career in the US college league (NCAA), but ultimately chose the European option.

Move to Lithuania's second division

Bulyk's new club is Suduva, which won the championship of Lithuania's second division last season. However, the team failed to break into the elite division — according to the information available at the time of publication, the reason was the lack of an arena meeting the requirements of the top division. Thus, the Ukrainian guard will join a team that has a championship-level roster in the second tier but has yet to make its mark at the elite level.

First overseas experience in his career

For Bulyk, this transfer will be his first overseas experience in his professional career. The player himself reacted positively to the move and emphasized the significance of the step. "It is an honor for me to become a member of this club and a great opportunity to start my career as a foreign player in Lithuania — one of the biggest basketball countries in the world. I respect Lithuania and your fans for the atmosphere they create during the games," the basketball player stated. These words reflect his intention to use this new stage as a springboard for further growth.

Why not the NCAA

Interestingly, until recently Bulyk's goal was to travel to the United States and compete in the college league. However, in his own words, circumstances changed. "I had options to continue playing in the NCAA, but now many players who have already played at the professional level want to get into a university, so the document verification rules have become more complicated... This is a good chance to show myself to LKL teams and possibly get an option to continue my career there. I feel trust from the coach and the club's management here," the guard explained. Thus, the tightening of document verification procedures for players with professional experience became one of the factors that pushed him to stay in Europe.

Statistics with Kyiv-Basket and national team experience

Last season, the 23-year-old Bulyk played for Kyiv's Kyiv-Basket, with whom he became the silver medalist of the Ukrainian championship. The player's figures in the regular season looked solid for a guard: in 28 games he averaged 13.8 points and 4.2 rebounds. On the international stage, Mykhailo already has five official caps for the Ukraine national basketball team to his name, confirming his status as a player on the national team's radar.

Context: the Ukraine national team in the 2027 World Cup qualifiers

Bulyk's transfer comes against the backdrop of an active period for Ukrainian basketball. It was previously reported that the Ukraine national team defeated Montenegro and topped their group in the qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup. In such a situation, players strengthening themselves abroad can be seen as a way to gain international experience and boost competitiveness ahead of the key qualifying matches.