According to a report from Spanish AS, Baskonia is interested in bringing back Shane Larkin, who spent last season with the Boston Celtics. Larkin already played with Baskonia two years ago and with the Euroleague Final Four to be hosted by Vitoria in 2019, the Spanish side is trying to build a roster able to win the competition.
More on Shane Larkin Free Agency
The Celtics have three unrestricted free agents in Shane Larkin, Greg Monroe and Aron Baynes. Larkin likely will procure a multiyear offer from another club as a backup point guard, substantially more than the $1.5 million he earned this season. Monroe likely is gone. He was such a defensive liability and a poor finisher at the rim that Stevens couldn’t play him extensively during the playoffs.
The Celtics have three unrestricted free agents in Shane Larkin, Greg Monroe and Aron Baynes. Larkin likely will procure a multiyear offer from another club as a backup point guard, substantially more than the $1.5 million he earned this season.
You’re an unrestricted free agent this summer. Are you hoping to re-sign with Boston or are you going to cross that bridge when you get to it? Shane Larkin: Obviously going into free agency, you can’t say, “Yeah, this is what’s going to happen.” I love being in Boston and if Boston is the right place for me to be next season, I would be happy to come back and have no hesitation because I love the fans, I love the city and I love everything about it. But it always comes down to what’s the best situation. In Boston this season, I’ve played basically 12 minutes per game and obviously I want to be a guy who continues to grow and continues to be better and continues to get to the level of a guy like Ish Smith or Patty Mills – the guys who have blossomed and grown every year to the point that they’re now looked at as some of the best backup point guards in the league. I think I have all the ability to do that and more.
The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed free agent guard Shane Larkin. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Larkin (5-11, 175 lbs.) most recently played for Laboral Kutxa Baskonia in Spain last season where he played a total of 72 games (70 starts) split between ACB league play, the Euroleague and the Spanish Cup. The 24-year-old played in 37 games for Baskonia in ACB play, averaging 14.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.38 steals in 28.0 minutes. The University of Miami product also appeared in 33 games of the Euroleague, notching 12.1 points (34.3% 3-PT), 2.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.27 steals.
The Boston Celtics will continue a feverish offseason roster overhaul by signing free-agent point guard Shane Larkin, according to a league source.
Larkin, the No. 18 pick in the 2013 NBA draft, played 72 games with Saski Baskonia in Spain last season and averaged 13.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest. He elected to pass up a $6.3 million option to compete for a spot on a Boston roster that now features 16 guaranteed contracts.
Alex Kennedy: Shane Larkin confirms that he has joined the Boston Celtics on a one-year deal. He explained his decision via text message:
Jorge Sierra: Source confirms Shane Larkin is indeed headed to Boston.
According to sources from the side of the player, Larkin has decided to sign a minimum contract with the Boston Celtics for next season, which is in his case includes just a $1,5 million salary.
David Pick: Source: Boston Celtics, Shane Larkin agree on NBA comeback deal. Widely considered best Euroleague free-agent PG with Milos Teodosic gone.
David 'Dubi' Pick: Shane Larkin has until Saturday to opt-out for the NBA or his deal with Barcelona becomes official, according to source.
Alex Kennedy: Shane Larkin, who spent last year with Baskonia, is interested in returning to NBA. However, several teams in Europe are pursuing him too.
You saw a lot of guys opting out of their contract in free agency and it went well for most of them. You did the same, didn’t go so well for you. Any regret? Shane Larkin: Not really. The situation in Baskonia is a better situation than Brooklyn knowing that they wanted to go in a different direction. I could have possibly been in a bad situation with the guards they drafted perhaps playing in front of me because the new management might want to see them play. That situation wasn’t ideal. I don’t feel any regret about my decision. Obviously, it’s not all about the money, but I’m playing for more money this year than I did last year and I’m playing in a good situation where I’m going to have a lot of people watching me play and seeing my improvement. I’ll play in a competition where there’s a bunch of talented players. I think there’s 10 guys that were in the Euroleague that signed NBA deals this summer.
Baskonia made official a sensational signing for next season. The Basque powerhouse announced the arrival of Shane Larkin. The point guard has played 202 NBA games with Mavericks, Knicks and Nets.
Eric Pincus: Both Wayne Ellington and Shane Larkin opted out of their respective final years with the Brooklyn Nets @BBallInsiders
Alex Kennedy: Shane Larkin is opting out of his contract with the Nets, per sources. He'll be an unrestricted free agent. He had a $1.5 mil player option.
While Larkin has a player option for this summer, he says he hasn’t decided whether to opt out of his current contract with the Nets. He did stress that loves New York and that he would love to stay with Brooklyn if the franchise wants to grow with him moving forward. Larkin is seeking stability and, preferably, a long-term home.
“I’m not a guy who wants to play a 10-year career with eight different teams; I want to find a home and really lock in with a team where I know what the coach wants, what my teammates want and we can just all grow together,” Larkin told Basketball Insiders. “I feel like that’s how you get the best out of your players. It’s not like, ‘Alright, let’s get this guy here for a year, he can fill in this void for us and then [move on].’ I just turned 23, so I’m still young. Being able to get with a team on a two-year deal or three-year deal saying, ‘This is what we want you to be. We want you to spark our offense, push the tempo, be this guy and this is what we feel you can do for the team,’ then that’s perfect. Whether I’m a starter or whatever, it’s cool either way. I just want to find a situation where a team wants to see me grow with them and not just [have me as] a fill-in. That’s the kind of situation I’d be looking for.”
Larkin, the No. 18 selection in the 2013 NBA draft, will be a restricted free agent on July 1, if he declines the option. Larkin doesn't have a high market value around the NBA and for that reason he will probably opt in to guarantee the $1.5 million for next season. Larkin played in 78 games this season, starting 17, and he averaged 7.3 points, 4.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Besides Larkin, teammates Wayne Ellington and Thomas Robinson also own player options for next season.
