JULY 17: The Nets have officially signed Napier, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 14: Shabazz Napier will head to Brooklyn on a two-year deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. The terms of the agreement between Napier and the Nets have not yet been disclosed, but it will feature a second-year team option, per Wojnarowski.
Napier, who is celebrating his 27th birthday today, was the No. 24 overall selection in the 2014 draft. He experienced his best season as a pro during the 2017/18 campaign with the Trail Blazers, averaging 8.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 2.0 APG as the first guard off the bench for Portland.
Although he was eligible for restricted free agency this summer, Napier didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Blazers, making him unrestricted. As such, he’ll be able to sign with the Nets outright.
The UConn product will join the Nets and compete for minutes alongside D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie. Brooklyn could use another ball-handler after shipping Jeremy Lin to the Hawks earlier this week.
Having taken on the Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur contracts in a trade with the Blazers, the Nets don’t have much cap room left, but may have the flexibility to offer Napier more than the minimum, if they so choose. The team will use its $4.45MM room exception to sign Ed Davis.
It’s a needed pickup good player and good replacement for Jermey Lin
8.7 ppg? must be 2 years 80 million
Brooklyn is where all the Blazer cast offs go. Napier, Crabbe, and Davis. Dame Lillard was picked with a Nets draft pick.
Don’t forget Dante Cunningham
More to come??? This really pushes the nets to a 5 or 6 seed imo
I love his name!
The Shabazz and the Napier.
Hopefully this means they might be thinking in shipping off Dinwiddie. I think is important that they do so, as last year was meant to be D’lo’s team but with the injury & Dinwiddie having a good season all became a bit awkward when D’lo came back, also I don’t think it works 2 PG’s together on the court, just to try to give them PT, Dinwiddie’s stock is high now so trade him & try to get some asset for him, give the keys of the team to D’lo he is the future & he was amazing before the injury last year, I think he was like 22/5/6.
Funny, the Cavs supposedly offered a r1 for Dinwiddie, #25 pick. That deal cannot be repeated.
I say that because due to the quality of the 3rd guard aquired (Napier), I suspect the Nets would like to revisit that trade market. If Lavert can survive playing the 1, they don’t need Dinwiddie.
Stats indicate the minutes did wear on him.
Absolutely lethal PnR player.