SALT LAKE CITY — Former BYU guard Jimmer Fredette made a move to the EuroLeague last year when he signed a two-year deal with Panathinaikos. According to reports, he may be on the move again.
Sportando reported Tuesday that Greek League team Panathinaikos asked Fredette to take a 50% pay cut, and that the former Cougar sharpshooter could return to China — he played three seasons for the Shanghai Sharks — or move to a different European team.
This comes as Panathinaikos goes up for sale: owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos announced Tuesday the team is for sale at a price of 25 million euros, according to Eurohoops.net.
“At this point, staying doesn’t seem like an option for the 31-year-old shooting guard,” Eurohoops.net’s Antigoni Zachari wrote about Fredette.
In 27 games with Panathinaikos during the 2019-20 season, Fredette started 24 games and averaged 12.9 points, 1.8 assists and 0.8 steals. Panathinaikos was recently voted 2020 Greek League champions, after the coronavirus pandemic cut short the season.
When Fredette signed with Panathinaikos last year, KSL Sports’ Mitch Harper reported he signed a two-year contract with the team worth $3.5 million net, before taxes, the second-largest contract on the squad’s roster at that time.
Prior to joining Panathinaikos, Fredette had played for the Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association from 2016-19 — he was named the 2017 CBA International MVP — and signed a two-year deal with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns in March 2019. After playing in six games for the Suns, though, Phoenix chose not to pick up the second-year option on his contract.
Fredette accepted a summer league spot on the Golden State Warriors team last summer and played two games for the Warriors in the California Classic Summer League in Sacramento before leaving and signing with Panathinaikos shortly thereafter.