Former Houston Rockets forward Terrence Jones signs big-money deal to move to China
The 25-year-old joins the Qingdao Eagles on a US$2m single-season deal
Former New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks forward Terrence Jones has signed a multi-million dollar deal to swap the NBA for the CBA in one of the biggest single-season deals in Chinese basketball history.
The 25-year-old, who once scored a career high 36 points for the Pelicans against a then-champions Cleveland Cavaliers team featuring LeBron James, will play for the Qingdao Eagles in the coming season.
US media reported that Jones had been attracting interest from NBA teams but opted to sign a HK$15.6-million deal with the eastern China side.
“I wanted to challenge myself and experience a new culture,” Jones told Uproxx.com. “The CBA is growing and lots of guys go over there and have success.
“I know there is a lot of opportunity in China and I just have to go out there with an open mind and be ready to contribute.”
Jones was a first round pick when drafted to the Houston Rockets in 2012 but fell out of favour with the management in 2016.