Former Blazers Guard Signs Overseas With German Team

Ricardo Klein | Sep 4, 2024

Mar 6, 2018; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Shabazz Napier (6), guard Pat Connaughton (5), and center Zach Collins (33) react after forward Ed Davis (17) blocked the shot of New York Knicks center Kyle O'Quinn (9) during the second quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-Imagn Images / Craig Mitchelldyer-Imagn Images

Former Portland Trail Blazers point guard Shabazz Napier has found a new home. 

Napier will continue his basketball career overseas and has signed a deal with the German club Bayern Munich through the 2025-26 season. The team announced this, and Napier shared how excited he is to continue his basketball career internationally. 

“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.”

The 33-year-old guard was a first-round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. The Charlotte Hornets selected Napier No. 24 overall, but he was later traded to the Miami Heat on draft night. 

After one season in Maimi, he went to the Orland Magic before he joined the Trail Blazers, where he spent his NBA career from 2016-18. Napier was traded to Portland in exchange for cash considerations. In two seasons in the Pacific Northwest, Napier averaged 6.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from deep in 127 games and 12 starts. 

After two years in Portland, Napier signed with the Brooklyn Nets and played in the NBA for another two seasons with the Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Washington Wizards before taking his talents to Russia in the summer of 2021 with the club Zenit Saint Petersburg. 

Napier averaged 11.8 points and 3.5 assists last season in EuroLeague competition. Prior to his professional career, he made a name for himself at the University of Connecticut. 

He spent four years at UConn and collected two college titles, including his 2014 senior season, where he was a standout throughout the NCAA tournament. Napier is the only player in UConn history with 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists, and 250 steals in his career. He finished his career in fourth place on the UConn scoring list with 1,959 points, second all-time with 260 made 3-point field goals and steals with 251, first in 143 games played and free throws made with 509, and third in school history with 646 assists.

On top of that, Napier was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2014. 

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