Shane Larkin signs one-year deal with Turkish club Anadolu Efes

Larkin is going back to the EuroLeague.

Shane Larkin drives to the basket against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Image

By Nicole Yang

July 26, 2018

1 minute to read

Unrestricted free agent Shane Larkin has signed a one-year, $1.8 million offer sheet with Turkish basketball club Anadolu Efes, the team announced Thursday.

Amerikalı oyun kurucu Shane Larkin ile 1 yıllık sözleşme imzaladık! #Welcome Shane! #GücünüOrtayaKoy pic.twitter.com/xirFA4bBwn

— Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) July 26, 2018

Larkin — who averaged 14.4 minutes in 54 games with the Celtics last season — is returning to the EuroLeague, despite meeting with several NBA teams this offseason. Though the Celtics still have an available spot on their roster, re-signing Larkin seemed unlikely after the team signed guard Brad Wanamaker.

Before joining the Celtics, Larkin had season-long stints with the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and Baskonia (a Spanish club). He averaged 13.1 points and 5.7 assists in 33 EuroLeague games.

Larkin recently told the Boston Globe‘s Adam Himmelsbach he is “not afraid” of going back overseas.

“A lot of NBA guys are afraid to go over there,” he said. “I think it’s because they don’t think they’re good enough to go over there and then come back, but I know now from experience that I’m good enough to do it. I’m not afraid to do it if that’s the best situation for me.”