10 NBA Players Most Likely To End Up Playing In China In 2023-24

There is a running joke among NBA fans today that applies to both young players that fail to carve out a career in the NBA as well as veterans who are at the end of the line. That joke is that their skills have led them to a career overseas in China or another place that isn’t the NBA. It is not so much of a slight at the Chinese Basketball League or any other league, for that matter. It is more of an attack on the state of said player’s skills no longer being worthy of being on an NBA roster, whether that be due to age, injury, or just plain old regression. 

If you want to be nicer about it, I guess you could call these the 10 players likely to be out of the NBA in 2023-24. However, isn’t it much more fun to say, “Hey, that guy’s getting shipped to China,” so laugh a little would you? The fact that these 10 players would fare better at this moment takes away nothing from the players they were at one point in their careers, nor does it mean they cannot make their way back at some point. For now, the 10 players below might as well start packing their bags.

These are the 10 players who could end up playing in China in 2023-24.

10. Montrezl Harrell 

Back in 2015, the Houston Rockets made Montrezl Harrell their second-round draft choice out of Louisville. In his first two seasons with the Rockets, Harrell saw minimal time off the bench and averaged just 6.9 PPG and 2.9 RPG. After being traded to the Clippers in the deal that landed Houston Chris Paul, Harrell’s game opened up a lot more. In 2018 and 2019, Harrell would average 13.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 1.0 BPG off the bench. In 2020, he would be named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year as he averaged 18.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 1.1 BPG in 63 games off the bench for L.A. 

Things have been declining rapidly for Harrell ever since he left the Clippers after that 2020 season. Harrell has played for the Lakers, Hornets, Wizards, and Sixers over the last two years and is averaging 9.8 PPG and 4.6 RPG. Harrell made 57 appearances for the Sixers in 2022-23 and averaged just 5.6 PPG and 2.8 RPG. With an impending free agency looming, it is hard to believe that Harrell won’t be taking some calls from overseas for his services, more so than from NBA teams.

9. T.J. Warren

Only five years ago, we were talking about T.J. Warren as the next potential emerging star in the NBA. Warren broke out with the Suns in 2018 when he averaged 19.6 PPG on 49.8% shooting and 18.0 PPG on 48.6% shooting in 2018. In one season with the Indiana Pacers in 2020, Warren averaged 19.8 PPG on 53.6% shooting and looked to be their next franchise cornerstone averaging 20.0 PPG in the 2020 playoffs.

Four games into the 2020-21 season, however, Warren would suffer a foot injury that would cost him the rest of 2021 and all of 2022. Warren would return to a free agent market that was very thin in teams looking for his services. He signed a deal with the Nets and was traded back to the Suns in the deal that landed them Kevin Durant. In 2022-23, Warren played 42 games and averaged 7.5 PPG on 48.9% shooting. It does not look as if he will command a big contract next season, as health concerns and impact are big issues. Perhaps Warren’s most lucrative contract will come from across the ocean.

8. Blake Griffin

There was a time when Blake Griffin was considered a superstar. He was a walking highlight reel in his early days with the Los Angeles Clippers and a perennial All-Star and All-NBA team selection. Griffin got his start with the Clippers in 2009-10 but missed his rookie season due to a knee injury. From 2011 thru 2018, Griffin averaged 21.6 PPG and 9.3 RPG while earning five All-Star selections and a spot on the Clippers’ Mount Rushmore as one of the best players at his position in the entire NBA. Griffin would spend time with the Pistons from 2018 thru 2021 and earn another All-Star selection in 2019 averaging 24.5 PPG.

Since leaving Detroit to play with the Nets and Celtics, things have gone downhill for Griffin. In two seasons with the Nets, Griffin averaged 7.5 PPG and 4.3 RPG with just 82 games played. In 2022-23 with the Celtics, he made 41 appearances and 16 starts averaging 4.1 PPG and 3.8 RPG. Griffin doesn’t seem to be headed for a decent payday in the NBA again in 2023-24, but he still has something to give on the basketball court in other places. I am sure a team overseas will offer him big money for the player he was not too long ago.

7. Thomas Bryant

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Well, that is, if you consider Thomas Bryant to have been mighty at any point in his career so far. In 2019 and 2020 with the Wizards, Bryant averaged 11.6 PPG and 6.7 RPG showing that he had some promise moving forward. He began the 2022-23 season with the Lakers and had some good showings when he received some playing time on the court. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough time for Bryant to appreciate it.

In 41 games with the Lakers and in making 25 starts, Bryant saw 21.4 minutes of action and averaged 12.1 PPG to go with 6.8 RPG. He looked decent. Bryant was unhappy with his playing time and requested a trade from the Lakers, which they promptly fulfilled. However, in 18 games with the Nuggets, Bryant has seen just 11.4 minutes of action and averaged 4.6 PPG and 3.3 RPG. Whether that is an indication of his attitude, drop in skill, or there just isn’t a spot for him is unknown but the fact remains no one may want Bryant’s services as they head into 2023-24.

6. Victor Oladipo

Victor Oladipo is another player on this list who was once considered to be one of the next rising stars in the game. After being selected second overall by the Magic in 2013, Oladipo would give them three seasons of solid play before playing one year with the Thunder in 2017. In 2018, Oladipo debuted for the Pacers, earning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award and an All-Star selection. He would earn another All-Star selection with Indiana in 2019 as well, despite playing just 36 games due to injury. In three and a half seasons with the Pacers, Oladipo averaged 20.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, and 1.9 APG.

Unfortunately for Oladipo, he would be struck by the injury bug in 2020 and play just 19 games. He would play only 33 games in 2021, even after being dealt to the Rockets. In 2022, he played just eight games with the Miami Heat and was able to play 42 games for them in 2022-23. Oladipo averaged 10.7 PPG and 3.5 APG for Miami this season and played a small part in getting them into postseason contention. Oladipo will most likely not get an offer at 31 years old next year with a long injury history and is well removed from the player he once was.

5. Miles Bridges

There are many things that need to happen in order for us to see Miles Bridges in the NBA again. First, Bridges must deal with serious legal issues that caused him to miss the entire 2022-23 season. With the cloud of those issues hanging over him and the uncertainty that surrounds his punishment, Bridges may not be close to another chance at the NBA just yet. That doesn’t mean that he has to stop playing basketball.

Depending on what the conditions are of his release after his arrest, Bridges may be able to accept an offer to play basketball overseas for a season. This will help keep him in basketball shape and earn decent money while doing so. Now, that money will be nothing compared to what he was going to earn as a free agent in 2022-23, but it is better than nothing. If Bridges even wants to return to the NBA at some point, it may be best to show teams what he can still do after missing a year of action.

4. Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond is one of those players you look at and think, “Wow, he is a lot younger than he looks.” When you combine that with his massive decline on the court and lack of production even in a bench role and a career in China may be the next step for him. It is amazing because, at his peak, Drummond was an All-Star and four-time rebounding champion for the Pistons, who also happened to be scoring 17.0 PPG.

After requesting a trade and leaving Detroit, Drummond has been almost obsolete everywhere he has gone. Since 2021, he has averaged just 9.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG in 186 games played. In 2021-22 with the Nets and Sixers, he averaged just 7.9 PPG and 6.2 RPG in 73 games. In 2022-23, in 67 games with the Bulls, he averaged just 6.0 PPG and 6.6 RPG. With the Bulls desperately needing someone to step up behind Vucevic at center, Drummond failed to. He is most likely headed for China after 2022-23.

3. DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan just completed his 15th season in the NBA and will be turning 35 years old any day now. Jordan is a former second-round pick of the Clippers who would go on to become one of the NBA’s best rebounders, shot-blockers, and finishers at his peak. Jordan would win two rebounding titles with Los Angeles as well as lead the NBA in field goal percentage five times. He would be named an All-Star in 2017 while earning three All-NBA Team selections and two All-Defensive Team selections. 

Since leaving the Clippers in 2018, Jordan has failed to make the six teams he has been a part of a place he can call home for more than two seasons at a time. Since leaving L.A., Jordan has averaged 7.6 PPG and 8.8 RPG in 269 games played. In 2022-23, Jordan was able to make just 39 appearances for the Denver Nuggets. He averaged 5.1 PPG and 5.2 RPG in 15.0 minutes of play. His next step will most likely not be with an NBA contract, but he can certainly make some good money over in China.

2. Ben Simmons

After his 2021 performance in the playoffs, it was revealed that Ben Simmons was struggling mentally and physically in his playoff meltdown against the Hawks. Simmons did not like the way he was treated by the 76ers or fans after the loss and was even willing to sit out an entire season until they found a trade for him. The memes came flooding as even then, fans were calling for his departure to China. Two seasons later, those are starting to become real possibilities. 

After holding for the entire first half of the season with the 76ers and citing back injuries as a reason to stay off the court for the Nets in 2022, Simmons was set to return in 2022-23. Simmons would be the third piece next to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant as they set out on a quest for an NBA championship. Even as the season unfolded, Simmons could barely stay on the court, playing just 42 games due to various injuries. After Durant and Irving were dealt away, nothing changed for Simmons, who averaged 6.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 6.1 APG, and 1.3 SPG. There may be a market for the former number-one pick, but he may get the most money from somewhere in China.

1. DeMarcus Cousins

The most likely player to appear for a game in China over the next year is DeMarcus Cousins. At his peak, Cousins was one of the best centers in basketball and, as he recently claimed, feels he could still be that in the NBA. The former All-Star and All-NBA Team selection was on top of the world during the 2010s with the Kings and Pelicans. After suffering two serious lower leg injuries, Cousins’ game has declined tremendously.

Since tearing his ACL in 2019 and missing all of 2020, Cousins has played for the Rockets, Clippers, Bucks, and Nuggets in two seasons. In 2021, he appeared in 41 games and averaged 8.9 PPG and 6.4 RPG. In 2022, he made 48 appearances and averaged 9.0 PPG and 5.6 RPG. Cousins was not rostered at all for 2022-23 but is attempting to make an NBA comeback as soon as possible. He recently signed a deal with the Guaynabo Mets in Puerto Rico’s National Superior Basketball, where he will spend his spring. Could the next stop be the CBL in China?

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