After signing a two-month contract with the Shenzhen Leopards in September, veteran big man Jared Sullinger has now extended his contract with the Chinese club, agreeing to a full-season deal, per international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link).
As Pick details, Sullinger’s new agreement with the Leopards includes bonuses that could increase the value of his deal to $1.4MM. The Chinese season ends before the NBA season does, so depending on how deep a playoff run his team makes, Sullinger could get clearance to return to the NBA in the spring.
As is the case with many players who make the leap from the NBA to the Chinese Basketball Association, Sullinger has been putting up huge numbers so far this season. In nine games for Shenzhen, the 25-year-old has averaged 34.0 PPG and a league-high 15.6 RPG. Sullinger, a former first-round pick who spent five NBA seasons with the Celtics and Raptors, has helped lead the Leopards to a 5-4 record so far.
Is Jimmer still averaging 40+ or whatever he was last year? You guys should do an article looking at former NBA players didn’t have much on an impact in the league but have flourished overseas