| abstract | - Jiří Welsch () (born January 27 1980 in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia (present Czech Republic)) is a Czech professional Basketball player currently with Unicaja Malaga in the Spanish ACB. Welsch began his professional career as a teenager with BHC SKP Pardubice of the Czech Republic, where he played until 1998. He signed with CSA Sparta Prague (Czech Republic) for the 1998-99 season, and then with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia), where he played until 2002. He was named Mattoni League Most Valuable Player following the 2001-02 campaign. Welsch was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 16th selection of the 2002, but was immediately traded to the Golden State Warriors. He spent one season with the Warriors (1.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.7 apg in 37 games) in 2002 before he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, along with Antawn Jamison, Chris Mills and Danny Fortson, in exchange for Evan Eschmeyer, Nick Van Exel, Avery Johnson, Popeye Jones and Antoine Rigaudeau on August 18 2003. Without ever playing a game for them, Welsch, along with Mills, Raef LaFrentz and a lottery-protected 2004 pick, was traded by Dallas to the Boston Celtics on October 20, 2003 in exchange for Antoine Walker and Tony Delk. Welsch scored 8.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.0 apg in 136 games and started 100 games in 2003-04 and 2004-05 for the Celtics. On February 24, 2005, Welsch was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a future first-round pick in 2007. On June 28 2005, Welsch was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for a 2006 second round draft pick.
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