The big man, who recently played for the Philippines in the World Cup, will play in the Chinese Basketball League, at least until March.
Andray Blatche, your favorite big man, and spokesman for the site’s podcast, is headed to China after signing a $2.5 million deal with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, according to his agent. Blatche will play for Xinjiang until March when their season ends, and thereafter will be eligible to return to the NBA, should some potential playoff team require his services.
Despite interest from Toronto and possible interest from New Orleans (which was later ruled out), Blatche was left without a serious offer. It may seem strange, given his significant role for Brooklyn last season and his stellar play for the Philippines during the FIBA World Cup (21.2 points and 13.8 rebounds in five games), that no offers were made, but Blatche, like his new teammate Jordan Crawford (who also signed for the Flying Tigers), appears to be a victim of the market. Both Blatche and Crawford are productive players when placed in the correct roles, and even though both make questionable decisions on the court, they are two of the more aggressive offensive players in the league.
Ultimately, teams may have been unwilling to pay for either player’s services. It is unknown what kind of money Blatche or Crawford were asking for, but it can be assumed both sides could not agree on contract details. However, both Blatche and Crawford may be more intriguing come March when potential playoff teams are in need of scoring. Depending on how their seasons go in China, a return to the NBA may happen sooner rather than later.
Blatche will be missed. He showed last season that he can be a productive NBA player when he isn’t getting into trouble on and off the court. He seemed to embrace his role in Brooklyn, and he was one of the key factors in the team’s turnaround and march into the playoffs. Hopefully clips from the CBA will filter through the internet, and fans can watch Blatche (and Crawford) take tons of ill-advised shots.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
