Former NBA forward Tornike Shengelia, who is currently playing for Baskonia in Spain, will be a free agent this offseason, and he’s eyeing a potential return to the NBA. According to a Eurohoops report, Shengelia expressed a desire to return stateside if there’s interest, per Spanish news agency EFE.
“My goal is to try to return to the NBA,” Shengelia said. “If I stay in Europe it will be in a team that can win trophies and everyone knows that Baskonia is one of them.”
Shengelia, 25, is averaging 11.6 PPG and 3.7 RPG in Euroleague action, with 10.0 PPG and 4.9 RPG in Spanish League play. As a member of Baskonia, the former second-round pick plays alongside a handful of former NBA players, including Chase Budinger, Rodrigue Beaubois, Shane Larkin, and Andrea Bargnani — it will be interesting to see how many of Shengelia’s teammates join him this summer in pursuit of an NBA home.
During his initial NBA stint, Shengelia appeared in 45 total games, including 36 for the Nets. The 6’9″ forward, who also played for the Bulls, rarely saw the floor in his two NBA seasons, averaging 1.3 PPG and 0.9 RPG in 5.5 minutes per contest. Shengelia had just turned 21 when he made his debut for the Nets, so perhaps with a few more years of professional experience under his belt, he’ll be more equipped to contribute to an NBA rotation.