By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes announced that one of the two key stars of the team, Shane Larkin, will remain in Istanbul for the next two seasons unless the NBA comes knocking.
The extension talks which picked up speed after the EuroLeague Final Four ended up with Efes securing the signing of the star player with the same 3,5$ net salary per season for the next two years, keeping him the best-paid player in Europe behind Barcelona’s Nikola Mirotic.
However, the deal also includes an NBA out which, per Eurohoops sources, can also be exercised this summer. Per the same sources, the opt-out clause expires around mid-July. With that being said, only an offer near the mid-level exception can really make Larkin consider a jump to the NBA.
A two-time EuroLeague champion with Efes, the 29-years old Larkin has signed with Efes since 2018 after returning from the NBA and the Celtics and since then he emerged as a leader for the Turkish club.
A two-time All-EuroLeague guard, Larkin has been among the most dominant players in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague since he first joined Efes in the summer of 2018. In that time, he’s led the league with 2,459 performance index rating points and 333 three-pointers made, scored the second-most points (2,095) and dished the sixth-most assists (562).
Together with Vasilje Micic who is also Efes-bound, unless the NBA comes calling, they created an iconic EuroLeague duo as Efes is on the quest to complete a rare three-peat. The club which is currently playing in the Turkish League finals has already completed two more major deals adding Will Clyburn and also Ante Zizic.