Jason Maxiell has signed with the Tianjin Steel of the Chinese CBA, a source tells overseas reporter David Pick (Twitter link). There is no clause in the guaranteed contract that would allow an out if an NBA team were to make an offer, Pick tweets.
In a reduced role, the veteran power forward made 61 appearances with the Hornets last season. Maxiell, 32, signed with Charlotte for the veteran’s minimum about a month before the start of the season and he basically served as a mentor for the young team, logging about 14 minutes per game.
Maxiell had a similar role with the Magic during the 2013/14 season. The Andy Miller client saw significantly less playing time in Orlando than he had during most of his eight seasons with Detroit. He didn’t seem to garner much attention on the market this summer or in the summer prior, for that matter, so a move overseas seems like a logical one.
J-Max carved out a nice career as a backup in Detroit. A rare 6-5 guy (listed at 6-7, he was shorter than that) who could guard centers.
I always wondered how he pulled it off. I liked how he played in college at Cincinnati, though, and I was really impressed with what he did in Detroit.