O.J. Mayo is in Taiwan for the next step of his basketball career, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 31-year-old signed with the Dacin Tigers and has already played a few games, Carchia adds.
Mayo recently became eligible for reinstatement into the NBA after serving a two-year ban for a second violation of the league’s Anti-Drug Program. He was hoping for an invitation to training camp, but no team made an offer. Mayo last played in Puerto Rico over the summer.
Mayo spent eight NBA seasons with the Grizzlies, Mavericks and Bucks, but hasn’t been in the league since fracturing his right ankle in March of 2016.
There’s more international news to pass along:
- China may be the next stop for former lottery pick Thomas Robinson, according to Carchia. The Beikong Fly Dragons are negotiating with Robinson, who spent last season with Khimki Moscow Region in Russia. The fifth pick in the 2012 draft, Robinson played 313 games for the Kings, Rockets, Trail Blazers, Sixers, Nets and Lakers. He was in training camp this year with the Hawks, but was waived last month before the start of the season.
- Cleanthony Early, who spent two seasons with the Knicks, has joined the Tokyo Hachioji Trains of the Japanese second division, relays Nicola Lupo of Sportando. The team officially announced the signing of Early, who averaged 4.3 PPG in 56 games with New York in 2014/15 and 2015/16.
- Kennedy Meeks, who was in training camp with the Raptors last season and played for the organization’s G League affiliate, is also playing in Japan, Lupo adds in a separate story. The former North Carolina center is with SeaHorses Mikawa in the first division.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see Mayo eventually return to the NBA this year on a veterans minimum deal with Philly. Sixers need shooting.
No way..
I still can’t get over how hard some people were arguing for Thomas Robinson over Anthony Davis for #1 pick in 2012. The guy may have played 313 games, but he didn’t do much in any of them. If it wasn’t for Anthony Bennett’s massive flop overshadowing him the next year, Robinson would be remembered as a much bigger bust.
Robinson kind of came out of nowhere at Kansas. Commentators were hyping him and I’m thinking, who?
Then they met in the finals! It was TR’s 3rd yr but AD’s 1st. AD’s game was not as developed though he won all the awards. Nobody liked that Kentucky team, all diaper dandy.