Farewell, Dray Live.
Andray Blatche, who never had any legitimate NBA suitors in free agency this offseason, has signed a one-season deal with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of China, according to multiple reports. He’ll join fellow NBA exile Jordan Crawford, a volume shooter best known for dunking on LeBron James who was drafted by the Nets in 2011 and traded on draft night.
Blatche wanted to return to the Nets, posting multiple messages about it on his Instagram page. But the Nets decided they’d rather not deal with Blatche, who turned in two impressive seasons as a big man off the bench but struggled with conditioning and off-court issues. Nets general manager Billy King said “we had our reasons” for not trying to strike a deal with Blatche.
Blatche’s deal with Xinjiang is reportedly worth about $2 million for the five-month season. The Asia Basket schedule runs from November to March, including playoffs, opening the possibility for Blatche to return to the NBA at the end of the season. Xinjiang made it to the Asia Basket Finals last season.
