Jerryd Bayless To Play In China

AUGUST 19: The Sichuan Blue Whales have officially announced the signing of Bayless, relays Carchia. The club has also signed former NBA center Maciej Lampe, who appeared in 64 NBA games between 2004-06.

AUGUST 15: Jerryd Bayless will become the latest NBA veteran to head to China for the 2019/20 season, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, who reports that Bayless has agreed to a deal with the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Bayless, who will turn 31 next Tuesday, has appeared in a total of 586 regular season games for eight NBA teams over 11 years since being selected in the second round of the 2008 draft. He opened the 2018/19 season with the Sixers, but was sent to Minnesota along with Robert Covington and Dario Saric in the blockbuster trade that landed Jimmy Butler in Philadelphia.

In 34 games with the Timberwolves, Bayless averaged 6.1 PPG and 3.5 APG in 19.3 minutes per game. His shooting line was a subpar .357/.296/.571, which likely contributed to the relative lack of NBA interest in him this summer.

Bayless is one of several former NBA players who has either signed with a Chinese team this offseason or is expected to do so. He joins Lance Stephenson, Ian Clark, Jerian Grant, Angel Delgado, Wayne Selden, Chasson Randle, Ekpe Udoh, and Donatas Motiejunas on that growing list.

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