10 most intriguing players coming from the CBA / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: BNS / Imago images, Xinhua - Scanpix / BasketNews illustration/E.Alsauskas Credit BNS / Imago images, Xinhua - Scanpix / BasketNews illustration/E.Alsauskas

The Chinese Basketball League has been home to many high-quality players over the last few years. The reason? Pretty simple: really good money for a relatively short season.

Donatas Motiejūnas

Position:PF, CAge:30Height:213 cmWeight:120 kgBirth place:Kaunas, LithuaniaProfileNewsStatistics

Many American and European players have chosen China in recent years but this season could be different. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the CBA is thinking about starting the season without foreign players on the rosters. Most clubs (15 out of 20) voted to start the season that way, which would allow teams to play home and away games. The other five teams voted in favor of having foreign players and, thus, playing a season in a bubble environment.

A final decision hasn't been made yet but with the increase of coronavirus cases throughout the country, it's hard to imagine that foreign players would be allowed in the upcoming season. With such a situation in place, many players will look into other markets to find a job for next season. Some of them have already signed deals in Japan, a league that is growing and can pay good money, others will explore the European market. Players like Ekpe Udoh and Dallas Moore have already found a home. Others remain on the free-agent market in a wait-and-see mode. For this reason, we decided to do a list of the most intriguing free agents that could become available from the Chinese market.

DARIUS ADAMS

The 32-years-old guard is probably the most interesting free agent on the Chinese market. Adams has been playing in China for five seasons and has always dominated the league, especially when it came to scoring abilities. Since his arrival in the CBA, he has always averaged at least 30 points per game, winning the scoring champion title in 2018 and the Chinese championship in 2017 with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers.

Adams spent the past two seasons with the Qingdao Eagles, where he continued to score consistently. Of course, at this point in summer, it's not going to be easy to see him on a Euroleague team, considering that most of the teams have already finished their rosters. But maybe few EuroCup clubs with high-level ambitions might lure him away from the Chinese market. Adams also has a Bulgarian passport, which makes him even more attractive on the European market.

JOSEPH YOUNG

Another high-scoring combo guard, Joseph Young is one of the deadliest scorers in the CBA. During the 2019-2020 season with the Nanjing Monkey King, he scored 74 points in one of the last regular-season games and won the scoring title to cap the season. He averaged 38.3 points, 6.4 assists, and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 36.5% from 3-point range.

Young's offensive numbers have been absolutely crazy but that's something not exactly new for American players in China. Most of the offensive load relies on overseas talent and they have a lot of freedom to create from the dribble. Before going to China, Young spent three seasons with the Indiana Pacers but was never able to find real minutes in the NBA. I'd be very intrigued to see a player with his talent in Europe but just like Adams, I don't see many landing spots for him at this point.

ANDREW NICHOLSON

Another player that I'd really like to see in Europe is Andrew Nicholson. The Canadian power forward, with past experiences in the NBA between Magic, Wizards, and Nets, has been playing in China since the 2017-2018 season, putting up very big numbers. Last season with the Fujian Sturgeons, he averaged 21.8 points, 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 43% from 3-point.

The outside shooting is something that Nicholson has developed over the years in China because he really didn't have one when he was playing in the NBA. Now he has become a consistent 3-point shooter, which makes him even more dangerous offensively. Now that he's 31, this might be the right time for him to try European experience, but the NBA option remains more likely for the moment.

JAMAAL FRANKLIN

A walking triple-double, that's what Jamaal Franklin has been in the CBA over the last few seasons. The former Memphis Grizzlies' numbers have been absolutely bonkers. In the last season, he averaged 24.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 9.4 assists, while shooting almost 39% from the 3-point line. Just simply unstoppable.

Franklin has never played in Europe so far, only China and NBA, that's why a potential move to any EuroLeague club seems unlikely for the moment. But if the CBA actually begins the season without foreign players, it'd be a crime not to give him a look, considering his skills. Of course, in Europe, his statistics are probably going to go down a bit but still, a player like Franklin might be worth taking a risk.

DONATAS MOTIEJUNAS

Lithuanian forward Donatas Motiejunas has always been a very talented player. Some bad luck with the injuries prevented him from fully realizing his potential in the NBA. Around 2017, he discovered a China market and that's where he was playing the past few seasons. Sure, his decision to remain in the Chinese league has taken him out of the international stage but on the other hand, his bank account has been doing pretty well, considering that he reportedly signed a $6 million deal with the Shanghai Sharks back in 2019.

Last season he averaged 21.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and shot 40% from 3-point range. Even in this case, a return to the European market would not exactly be easy. Basically, without taking a major pay cut, not a single team in Europe can offer him the amount of money that he was earning in China. With that being said, Motiejunas is still a pretty good player and might be a very good backup option for several EuroLeague teams.

MIROSLAV RADULJICA

The veteran Serbian big man was a must-member of this list. In the past season with the Zhejiang Lions, he averaged 23.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. Sure, he's not a kid anymore, he's 33 years old now, but his body and fundamentals can still be very useful for several European clubs.

Regarding Raduljica, the issue remains the same: how many teams in Europe can afford to pay him the same amount of money that he has been making in China? Very few. His last European experience was with AX Armani Exchange Milan back in the 2016-2017 season, when he averaged 8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in the EuroLeague.

TRAE GOLDEN

Another guard with a lot of points in his hands, Trae Golden hasn't spent much time in China compared to the other players on this list. This was actually the first one for him and it went pretty well. He averaged 30.4 points, 8.1 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 43% (3PT). Golden already has a lot of experience in Europe, having played in Cyprus, Italy, France, Russia, and Turkey. Recently, he has been linked with a potential move to the Italian team Virtus Bologna. The team coached by Sergio Scariolo is still looking for a combo guard to complete the roster and if there won't be more preferable options coming out of the NBA market, Golden could be a really nice solution for them.

JIMMER FREDETTE

The former BYU sensation is now 32 years old and has built kind of a cult reputation in the Chinese league. His scoring abilities are perfect for that kind of basketball brand and in his years with Shanghai Sharks, he has become a leader in addition to also being a good teammate. Of course, the situation in Europe is a little bit different. His year with Panathinaikos was full of ups and downs. It wasn't bad but it wasn't shiny either. While in Euroleague, he had games, where he just exploded offensively (he had 28 points against Milan, for example), but in others, he wasn't really effective and his defensive issues were difficult to hide.

Also in this case I don't see many European teams that can offer him good money and the kind of role that he has in China but if he's willing to take a pay cut and be more of a weapon coming off the bench, he might be worth the risk. Last season in China, he averaged 26.9 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game.

IAN CLARK

Another scoring shooting guard? Yep. Ian Clark arrived in China in 2019 after two seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans. His first season was really positive, he averaged 21.7 points, 7.3 assists, and 4 rebounds per game. His numbers went down in the past season but he also played fewer minutes and the rules in China for the foreign players were bizarre, to say the least.

He's not a superb 3-point shooter but he knows how to score and can create a lot from pick & roll situations. Another opportunity in the NBA seems more likely than a European experience at this point in his career but who knows, maybe someone will be able to convince him.

SONNY WEEMS

Let's finish this list with a veteran. Of course, EuroLeague fans know Weems very well. He played one season for Zalgiris Kaunas, then he spent three years with CSKA Moscow and won three straight VTB League titles. He then had other two brief experiences, first with Maccabi Tel Aviv and then with Anadolu Efes Istanbul. He spent the last three seasons in China with the Guangdong Southern Tigers, winning the MVP of the CBA finals in 2020.

In the past season, he averaged almost 16 points, 5 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game. Weems recently turned 35 but he could still be capable of giving a boost to some teams. The American could be an option for an in-season addition for EuroLeague contenders. We already saw what he can do in a European environment.

Subscribe to BN+ and get access to exclusive content.