Former NBA point guard Shabazz Napier has signed with German club Bayern Munich through the 2025-26 season, the team announced.
Napier, 33, is 6-foot-0 and was selected with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. At the time, he was selected by the Charlotte Hornets, then immediately traded to the Miami Heat — a move that was praised by then-Heat star LeBron James. But James left for the Cleveland Cavaliers in free agency less than a month later.
After a year in Miami, Napier bounced around the NBA, spending time with the Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Brooklyn Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards.
He last played in the NBA in 2019-20 and has been playing in international leagues since –spending time in Italy, Russia and Serbia, as well as the G League. Now, it’s off to to Germany.
“I want to thank Bayern for this opportunity; I am very excited for the season,” Napier told the official Bayern website, via BasketNews. “I am looking forward to playing with great players and continuing to learn from a fantastic coaching staff. My goal is to celebrate some very important victories with the Bayern fans next season. I believe we can achieve that under coach Gordon Herbert’s leadership.”
Napier averaged 11.8 points and 3.5 assists last season in EuroLeague competition. A citizen of both the United States and Puerto Rico, and a former star at UConn, he carries NBA career averages of 7.1 points, 2.5 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 345 games. It appears Napier is likely to finish his career overseas.
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