Free agent point guard Shane Larkin has elected to return overseas to continue his career, according to international basketball reporter David Pick, who tweets that Larkin has signed a one-year, $1.8MM offer from Anadolu Efes. The Turkish club has since confirmed the addition of Larkin (via Twitter).
Larkin, 25, spent last season with the Celtics, averaging 4.3 PPG and 1.8 APG in 54 games (14.4 MPG). While the former first-round pick didn’t have a major role in Boston, he did see regular minutes during the team’s first-round playoff series against the Bucks when both Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart were sidelined with injuries.
This won’t be the first stint in Europe for Larkin, who has also spent time with the Mavericks, Knicks, and Nets in four NBA seasons. The former Miami Hurricane played in Spain with Baskonia during the 2016/17 season, earning a spot on the All-Spanish League Second Team that year.
With Irving, Smart, and Terry Rozier all set to return in Boston and Brad Wanamaker also joining the mix, the Celtics’ point guard depth chart was probably too crowded to justify a reunion with Larkin. Now that Larkin is headed overseas, the most notable point guards still on the free agent market include Mario Chalmers, Ty Lawson, Jameer Nelson, and Tyrone Wallace.
No clam chowdah in Turkey!
No, but luckily the food is about 100x better than in the States
No way the food is better in Turkey… well probably better than Boston but nowhere near the soulful southern food, like Cajun & Creole… Too good, making me hungry!!!