Free agent power forward Andrew Nicholson is headed to China, according to international basketball journalist David Pick, who reports (via Twitter) that Nicholson has signed a deal in the $1MM range with the Guangdong Tigers. Nicholson’s agreement with Guangdong was first reported by Chuckie Maggio (Twitter link).
Nicholson, 27, was a beneficiary of the 2016 salary cap spike, having inked a four-year, $26MM contract with the Wizards during free agency last summer. After signing that deal, Nicholson endured his worst season as a pro, appearing in just 28 games for Washington and averaging 2.5 PPG and 1.2 RPG in 8.3 minutes per contest.
Nicholson was included as a salary dump in a deadline deal with the Nets in February, and ultimately finished the 2016/17 season with averages of 2.6 PPG and 1.6 RPG to go along with a .387 FG% in 38 games. Those numbers were all career worsts.
Earlier this offseason, Nicholson was once again included in a trade as a salary dump, making his way from the Nets to the Trail Blazers in the swap that sent Allen Crabbe to Brooklyn. However, Portland opted not to keep Nicholson on its roster, waiving him last week and stretching his remaining salary across seven years.
Nicholson will join a Guangdong squad that finished as the Chinese Basketball Association’s runner-up in 2016/17, having been led by former NBA players Carlos Boozer, Donald Sloan, and Yi Jianlian.