From Adam Wells B/R:
Iman Shumpert is reportedly returning to the Brooklyn Nets.
Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Nets are in the process of finalizing a deal with the 30-year-old guard.
Shumpert briefly spent time with the Nets last season. He was signed in November 2019 after Wilson Chandler was suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
As soon as Chandler’s suspension ended after Brooklyn’s 25th game, Shumpert was released by the team. He only appeared in 13 games off the bench during that stretch, averaging 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per contest.
No teams signed Shumpert for the remainder of the season. His last full year was in 2018-19 when he split time between the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings. The Georgia Tech alum has been used primarily off the bench throughout his career.
Shumpert’s ability to play both guard positions and small forward makes him valuable for head coach Steve Nash. The Nets lost a lot of depth when they traded Taurean Prince, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen as part of the four-team trade to acquire James Harden.
Even though Shumpert isn’t familiar with Nash’s system, he’s been able to fit in with five different teams over the course of his career. He shouldn’t have any problem adapting to whatever role is required of him.
The Nets will go as far as Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving can take them. Shumpert’s role will be to provide quality minutes off the bench to keep the team afloat when that trio needs to rest.
