Evergreen High alum Robert Franks recently signed on to play a second season in Australia’s National Basketball League, but the former Washington State star isn’t passing up an opportunity to return to the NBA.
Less than one month after inking a contract with the Adelaide 36ers, Franks has agreed to join the Boston Celtics’ summer league team, according to a tweet posted Wednesday by the NBL.
Franks averaged 18.2 points per game on 49.7% shooting last year, adding 8.9 rebounds per game for the NBL’s Brisbane Bullets. He signed a two-year deal with the 36ers on June 10.
“They called my agent and they had me on their free agent list, but their Summer League roster was full,” Franks told the 36ers website. “But a few days ago a lot of their guys got traded and they needed new bodies for Summer League.
“They want to see me in person and see how it translates from there. I’m just going in excited with nothing to lose.”
NBA Summer League at Las Vegas plays July 7-17 at the Thomas & Mack Centre and Cox Pavilion. Boston’s first game is 2:30 p.m. Saturday against Miami.
The Pac-12’s leading scorer (21.6 ppg) as a WSU senior in 2018-19, the 6-foot-7 sharpshooter went undrafted and signed a two-way contract with Charlotte. He played one season with the Hornets’ G League affiliate before being traded to Stockton — the Sacramento Kings’ G League team.
Franks signed with the Orlando Magic in November 2020 and averaged 12.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for the Lakeland Magic, who went on to win the G League championship.
Franks earned his first NBA call-up on April 12, 2021 and appeared in seven games for Orlando, averaging 14.4 minutes, 6.1 points and two rebounds per game.
