The Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday that the club has signed 6-foot-5 Georgia native Jamir Chaplin for the 2025 season. The American wing made his professional debut during the 2024 NBA Summer League with the Milwaukee Bucks, which led to an NBA Exhibit-10 contract with the Dallas Mavericks. Chaplin will look to make his international debut with the Rattlers on May 15, 2025.
Rattlers General Manager and Vice-President of Basketball Operations, Barry Rawlyk, is excited to welcome Chaplin to the team.
“We are looking forward to adding Jamir to our line-up. His athleticism, versatility, and toughness will enable him to contribute in a variety of roles. We are expecting some big things out of him, and he will play a major role in the success of our team this season.”
“Jamir is not a guy who does a lot of talking, but chooses to let his actions do the talking for him. We know he is hungry for an opportunity to prove himself, and he will have every opportunity to do so with the Rattlers this season,” added Rawlyk.
Prior to his NBA Summer League debut, Chaplin played five years in NCAA Division 1 with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of South Florida. He has a collegiate career average of 8.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 22.6 minutes in 132 games.
Before his collegiate career, Chaplin attended Meadowcreek High School, where he helped lead the Mustangs to the 2019 state final and a 2017 Georgia Class 7a State Championship. Before enrolling at the University of South Florida, he was named the Gwinnett Daily Post Player of the Year in 2019.
Chaplin played four years with the South Florida Bulls, averaging 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 18.7 minutes in 98 games. As a senior, he matched his career-high with 17 points (Feb. 1) and scored in double digits eight times in total.
During the 2023-24 season, Chaplin transferred to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he averaged 14.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 33.9 minutes, appearing in all 34 games. During this season, Little Rock finished at the top of the Ohio Valley Conference with a 14-4 record. The Trojans appeared in the OVC Tournament, finishing as the runner-up, losing in the final to Morehead State. Chaplin finished his season setting new career-bests of 29 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks. Chaplin was named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team, All-OVC First Team, and NABC All-District (18) Second Team.
Chaplin will join the Rattlers for the 2025 season to play alongside Deon Ejim, Anthony Tsegakele, Jaden Bediako, Cody John, NBA-experienced Nate Pierre-Louis, Isaac Simon, Declan Peterson, and Easton Thimm. Canadian Elite Basketball League free agency will continue leading up to the training camp roster announcement before the Saskatchewan Rattlers home opener on May 15, 2025, at SaskTel Centre.
