Jimmer may be coming to Sac. Why it would be a short visit

“Jimmermania” could be returning to Sacramento – for one night only.

Jimmer Fredette will sign a two-year deal with the Phoenix Suns, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal is pending clearance from his team in China, where the 6-foot-2 guard revived his basketball career after five NBA seasons.

Fredette could play against the team that traded for his draft rights Saturday, when the Suns (17-55) visit Golden 1 Center to face the Kings (34-36).

He was selected 10th overall in the 2011 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, then acquired by the Kings in a three-team draft-day trade.

Fredette played 2 1/2 seasons with the Kings before he was waived by the team. While he was a first-team All-America selection in 2011 out of BYU, his collegiate success didn’t translate to the NBA.

Of Fredette’s 235 NBA games, he played 171 of them with Sacramento, where he averaged 7.0 points and 1.5 assists. He’s averaged 6.0 and 1.4 assists in the league.

However, he’s flourished as a member of the Shanghai Sharks in China. He was the Chinese Basketball Association’s Most Valuable Player in 2017 and was among the league leaders in scoring and steals.

This story was originally published March 21, 2019 at 9:49 AM.