Former Nebraska Basketball Guard James Palmer Jr. Extends Contract with Turkish Club

The Nebraska basketball alum decided to return after finishing as runner-up in the Basketball Champions League.

Nebraska Cornhuskers guard James Palmer Jr. / Mike Carter-Imagn Images

James Palmer Jr. will stay in Turkey for another year.

After finishing the 2024-25 Basketball Champions League season with a silver medal, the former Nebraska basketball guard extended his contract another season for Galatasaray. The club based in Istanbul, Turkey, has won 18 Turkish championships. The team lost to Unicaja Malaga in the Basketball Championship League final this past season.

Palmer Jr. finished his 2024-25 campaign with the program putting up 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per contest for the Lions. He is the second American player to confirm his stay with the club joining Will Cummings. Palmer Jr. originally signed with Galatasaray on June 15, 2024.

Phoenix Suns forward James Palmer Jr (60) looks to make a pass in front of Chinese National Team center Wang Zhelin (31) during the first half of an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Palmer Jr. has played overseas since leaving the NBA's G League in 2021, electing to sign with the Polish Basketball League's Stal Ostrow Wielkopolski in July 2021. He then followed by playing for JL Bourg of the French LNB Pro A squad in 2022 before heading to Turkey for a stint with Turk Telekom in the Basketball Super League.

Prior to leaving the United States for other professional basketball opportunities, Palmer went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft following a standout career with Nebraska. Palmer was signed by the Phoenix Suns in the 2019 NBA Summer League and inked an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with the Los Angeles Clippers in August before being waived in October. Palmer would show out for the G League Clippers affiliate, Agua Caliente, averaging 19.1 points, 2.7 assists, and 4.0 rebounds throughout the 2019-20 season. Palmer would follow up his first season with 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and. 2.8 assists in the 2020-21 campaign.

Palmer first arrived to Nebraska after spending two seasons at Miami (FL), aiding the Hurricanes to back-to-back postseason appearances, including a Sweet 16 stop in 2016. Palmer played in 34 games for the Hurricanes as a sophomore, averaging 3.5 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. After sitting out the 2016-17 season as a redshirt transfer, the guard would flourish in Lincoln, becoming one of the Big Ten Conference's most prolific scorers and performers.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Myles Johnson (15) defends Nebraska Cornhuskers guard James Palmer Jr. (0). / David Banks-Imagn Images

Palmer was named a first-team All-Big Ten honoree in his 2017-18 season, averaging 17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per contest. He ranked fifth in the Big Ten in scoring, and second on the team in assists while sitting third for the Huskers in steals. Nebraska finished his junior season winning 22 regular-season games and appearing in the NIT.

The guard declared for the 2018 NBA draft but did not hire an agent, announcing a return to the Cornhuskers in late May. As a senior, Palmer improved his scoring to 19.7 points per contest and added 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Palmer Jr. set the school record for single-season points (708), free throws made (215), and minutes played (1,269), earning third-team All-Big Ten status. His scoring record would be broken this past season by Brice Williams, who scored 713 points.

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