Jimmer Fredette is back in the NBA Summer League.
The Denver Nuggets announced on Tuesday that they added the former BYU basketball star to their roster for the Las Vegas Summer League.
This comes about six weeks after reports surfaced that foreign players will likely not be able to play in China next season, where Fredette has played since 2016 save for short stints in the NBA and Greece.
This will be the second summer league appearance with the Nuggets for Fredette, who lives in Colorado during the offseason. He previously played for Denver’s Summer League team in 2016, averaging 15.2 points across five games. His best game with the Nuggets’ Summer League team came in a 26-point performance.
Fredette’s last summer league appearance was with the Golden State Warriors, when he played two games with the Warriors, averaging 9.5 points, before leaving the team to consider overseas options.
Fredette, originally drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks but sent to the Sacramento Kings on draft night, was the 10th pick in 2011. He played two-and-a-half seasons for Sacramento, averaging 7 points per game for the Kings in 15 minutes per game before being bought out and waived by Sacramento.
He bounced around the NBA for a few years, with stints in Chicago, New Orleans and New York, but couldn’t stick in the league as he never averaged more than five points per game after leaving Sacramento.
Fredette’s most recent NBA comeback attempt came in 2019 with Phoenix. He played six games for the Suns, averaging 3.7 points in 10.8 minutes per game. His most memorable performance came against the Utah Jazz, where he scored 10 points in front of the Utah crowd.
Fredette found success overseas in China with the Shanghai Sharks, averaging 37 points per game in his first three seasons with the team from 2016-2019. He scored 75 points in a 2018 game.
Fredette had a stellar career at BYU, peaking in his senior year, when he was named the Wooden Award winner, Naismith Award winner, 2010-11 Associated Press Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American. He averaged nearly 29 points his senior year and became nationally famous for his deep 3-point shots and scoring ability. He led the Cougars to a Sweet 16 berth, falling to the Florida Gators despite Fredette’s 32 points.
The Nuggets open Summer League play on Sunday, Aug. 8 against the Miami Heat on NBATV.