Former lottery pick Jimmer Fredette to return to Shanghai Sharks

Former sharpshooting BYU phenom Jimmer Fredette is set to return to the CBA’s Shanghai Sharks for $1.6M, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Fredette played for the Sharks from 2016-2019, for whom he was a three-time CBA All-Star. The length of the contract has not yet been announced, but Fredette was previously compensated to the tune of $1.8M annually by the Sharks, so this may be a one-year contract.

Following his 2019 season with the Sharks, he suited up for six games with the Suns during the end of the 2018-19 regular season — his last NBA action as of this writing.

After his tenure in Phoenix, Fredette returned abroad, joining Greek team Panathinaikos for the club’s 2019-20 season. He averaged 13. 2 PPG while shooting 52% from the field, 49% from three-point range and 92% from the free-throw line across 45 games. Fredette’s Panathinaikos club was named the 2020 Greek League champion. He has also played in the summer winner-take-all event The Basketball Tournament stateside since 2017.

The 6-2 sharpshooting guard was drafted by the Kings with the No. 10 pick in 2011 — one pick ahead of three-time champion and five-time All-Star Klay Thompson; five picks ahead of four-time All-Star, two-time Finals MVP and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard; and 20 picks ahead of five-time All-Star Jimmy Butler.

After the Kings, Fredette had brief stints with the Bulls, Pelicans and Knicks before first seeking opportunities overseas. In the NBA, Fredette boasts a career 37.2% three-point percentage on an average of 2.2 attempts per contest.