Shabazz Napier agrees to sign with Brooklyn Nets

Shabazz Napier agreed to a deal with the Brooklyn Nets. Some forget the young point guard was once seen as a way to convince LeBron James to stay in Miami.

As ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski reported, the Brooklyn Nets have agreed to terms (presumably around the veteran minimum) with former Portland Trail Blazers point guard Shabazz Napier on a two-year deal.

After a disappointing first three seasons in the NBA (he did play formidable in his fourth season) it’s easy to forget how highly he was once coveted.

The great Pat Riley actually traded up (their first round pick and a future second round pick) in the 2014 NBA draft to acquire the UCONN star.

The move was an attempt to get LeBron James to re-sign in Miami during the summer of 2014. Napier was a two-time champion for the Huskies and the shining star of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. LeBron James, the greatest player in the world, was not quiet about his admiration for the rising star, and fired off several tweets before, during and after the draft indicating his fondness.

Although LeBron bolted Miami for his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, the draft pick was not a coincidence; drafting Napier was seen as a serious tactic in recruiting LeBron. Napier ended up only playing one disappointing season in Miami, averaging 5.1 points and 2.5 assists per game before Riley sent him to the Orlando Magic.

As for the Nets, they are getting a player who is coming off of a career season in Portland. Averaging 8.7 points and 2.0 assists per game while shooting an impressive 37.6 percent from 3-point range in a reserve role, Napier was a nice surprise for Portland.

The move is interesting at face value with the Nets already having two highly capable point guards in Spencer Dinwiddie and potential franchise point guard D’Angelo Russell. In addition, there is also Caris LeVert, who put up 11 assists in a game this past season, showing he too can play point guard.

This has led to speculation that Napier could be insurance if one of the core players is moved. There have been plenty of talks surrounding the possibility of moving Dinwiddie because of his expiring contract and potentially high asking price next summer. Nets general manger Sean Marks has been known to throw the occasional curveball, so nothing is impossible.

What the Nets do know is they got a very serviceable point guard (for cheap) who is coming off a career year, and only looking to get better. Add his potential with head coach Kenny Atkinson and the Nets’ top-notch player development staff, and more improvements could be on the horizon.

Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far

Shabazz Napier was once seen as a player who could keep LeBron in Miami by arguably the best team president in the NBA. Don’t forget that either.