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11/22/2024 02:17:41 am

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Chinese Basketball Association News: Former Toronto Raptors big man Jason Thompson signs to play with Shandong Golden Stars next season

Former Toronto Raptors power forward Jason Thompson defends against Atlanta Hawks' Paul Millsap

(Photo : Getty Images) Former Toronto Raptors big man Jason Thompson has recently reached an agreement to play with Chinese Basketball Association club Shandong Golden Stars next season.

Former Toronto Raptors big man Jason Thompson has recently reached an agreement to play with Chinese Basketball Association club Shandong Golden Stars next season, according to recent reports.

The deal was reportedly signed by Thompson and the Golden Stars on Monday. The 30-year-old, nine-year NBA veteran decided to move to China after he had received "minimal interest from NBA teams this offseason", as per CBS Sports.

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Thompson was the 12th overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft when he was selected by the Sacramento Kings. He spent the first seven years of his NBA career in Sacramento before getting traded to the Philadelphia 76ers together with Carl Landry, Nik Stauskas, a future first round pick, and the rights to swap first round picks in 2016 and 2017 in exchange for the rights to Artūras Gudaitis and Luka Mitrović last summer.

After 21 days, Thompson was again traded by the Sixers to the Golden State Warriors for Gerald Wallace along with draft and cash considerations.

He was able to suit up in 28 games for head coach Steve Kerr during the team's record-breaking 73-9 regular season, averaging 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in only 6.4 minutes of playing time per night, but he was eventually released on Feb. 22 this year.

Toronto then signed him on March 1 off waivers and he was able to play 19 games for the Raptors, averaging 4.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 15.4 minutes a night, before becoming an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Thompson was actually a regular starter during his Sacramento days and had averaged 12.5 points, 8.5 boards, and 1.7 assists in 31.4 minutes per game during his sophomore season.

Today's Fastbreak noted that Thompson is set to get "those minutes and starts back" with Shandong, who had effectively catered wingman Michael Beasley before he returned to the NBA with the Houston Rockets last month.

The report also said that while Thompson's age may be a concern for NBA teams at this point of his career, he can revive his value playing in China until "an NBA team that is willing to see if he can recapture the numbers he posted while with Sacramento" will pursue him. 

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