Former NBA point guard Shane Larkin has signed a contract extension with Anadolu Efes in Turkey. Larkin’s deal is reportedly worth over $7 million dollars over two years. The second year is a player option for Larkin.
💣Bomba bir haber verelim. Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes ile 1+1 yıllık yeni sözleşme yaptı. Yeni kontratta sınırlayıcı olarak sadece NBA çıkış opsiyonu bulunuyor. pic.twitter.com/vv8oc17WfC
— Öyküm Kanbir (@oykumkanbir) April 14, 2020
That tweet roughly translates to: “Let’s give a bomb notice (in reference to “Woj bombs”). Shane Larkin signed a 1 + 1-year new contract with Anadolu Efes. The new contract only has an NBA out.”
Larkin has spent the last two seasons with Anadolu Efes and has become one of the top point guards in Europe. This past season, over 37 combined games in the Turkish Super League and EuroLeague, Larkin averaged 18.6 points and 3.9 assists per game. He shot over 50% from the field and over 45% from behind the arc.
In a game against Bayern Munich, Larkin scored 49 points on 15-of-19 shooting, including 10-of-12 from three. The 49 points set a EuroLeague single-game scoring record.
Larkin’s last NBA experience was with the Boston Celtics in 2017-18. He averaged 4.3 points per game as a change-of-pace backup for the Boston Celtics that year. Following that season, Larkin had opportunities to stay in the NBA, but received a more lucrative offer to play in Turkey.
Larkin has played so well in Turkey, that he recently received Turkish citizenship. This will allow European clubs to work around rules limiting the number of US-born players on their roster. In addition, Larkin is now eligible to play for the Turkish national team in international competitions.