Former Miami Heat guard Toney Douglas has agreed to a deal with Portuguese professional basketball team FC Porto.
Last season, Douglas played with SL Benfica, a professional basketball team based in Lisbon, Portugal. His new team plays in the same domestic league as SL Benfica and is based in Porto, Portugal.
The former Heat guard has been playing overseas for several seasons for teams such as Darussafaka Basketbol Istanbul, Anadolu Efes, Sakarya Buyuksehir Basketbol and others. He last played in the NBA during the 2016-17 season with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Douglas didn’t have a long tenure with the Heat, appearing in 27 games with them in the 2013-14 regular season, but Miami made the NBA Finals that season with its Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh leading the way. Douglas added 10 appearances with Miami during the playoff run but only averaged 2.9 minutes per game in the postseason.
A first-round pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 NBA Draft, Douglas began his NBA career with the New York Knicks thanks to a trade, starting 30 of the 175 regular-season games he played in for New York over three seasons.
He finished 14th in the Sixth Man of the Year voting in his second season in the NBA by 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.
Getting starts in 17 of the 27 regular-season games he appeared in for the Heat during the 2013-14 campaign, Douglas averaged 4.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 15.2 minutes per game. He spent part of that season with the Golden State Warriors before landing with Miami.
After his tenure with the Heat, Douglas saw action with the New Orleans Pelicans at times over the next two seasons, playing 73 games and making 18 starts. He had a strong 2015-16 season, putting up 8.7 points per game while shooting 39.9 percent from 3-point range.
In total, he played for seven teams during his time in the NBA.
It’s impressive to see that Douglas, 38, is still playing basketball professionally, and it’s a testament to how well he’s stayed in shape and taken care of his body during his career.
Last season in the Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol, FC Porto finished with an impressive 18-4 record. Douglas’ old team, SL Benfica, was also 18-4 and tied atop the standings. SL Benfica ended up winning the league title for a third consecutive season. Douglas was part of two of those teams.
Hopefully, Douglas will help FC Porto improve in the 2024-25 season by showing that he can still be an impact player despite his age.