Toney Douglas, a former Miami Heat guard, has agreed to join FC Porto, a Portuguese professional basketball team.
Douglas spent last season with SL Benfica, a professional basketball team based in Lisbon, Portugal. His new squad competes in the same domestic division as SL Benfica and is headquartered in Porto, Portugal.
The former Heat guard has spent several seasons playing overseas for teams such Darussafaka Basketbol Istanbul, Anadolu Efes, Sakarya Buyuksehir Basketbol, and others. He last appeared in the NBA during the 2016-17 season with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Douglas only appeared in 27 regular-season games for the Heat in 2013-14, but Miami advanced to the NBA Finals that season, led by its Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Douglas had 10 playoff appearances for Miami, but only played 2.9 minutes per game.
Douglas, a first-round pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 NBA Draft, began his NBA career with the New York Knicks after being traded there, starting 30 of the 175 regular-season games he played for the Knicks over three seasons.
He placed 14th in the Sixth Man of the Year voting in his second season in the NBA, averaging 10.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 41.6 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Douglas started 17 of the Heat’s 27 regular-season games in 2013-14, averaging 4.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 15.2 minutes. He spent part of the season with the Golden State Warriors before joining Miami.
Douglas appeared in 73 games and made 18 starts for the New Orleans Pelicans over the next two seasons after leaving the Heat. He had a solid 2015-16 season, scoring 8.7 points per game and shooting 39.9 percent from 3-point range.
Throughout his NBA career, he represented seven different teams.
It’s impressive that Douglas, 38, is still playing professionally, and it demonstrates how well he’s maintained in shape and cared for his body throughout his career.
FC Porto won the Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol last season with an outstanding 18-4 record. Douglas’ former team, SL Benfica, was likewise 18-4 and tied at the top of the rankings. SL Benfica won the league title for the third consecutive season. Douglas was a member of two of those teams.
Hopefully, Douglas will help FC Porto progress in the 2024-25 season by demonstrating that he can still be an impact player at his age.
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