Andray Blatche to China: Latest Contract Details, Analysis and Reaction
Andray Blatche is headed abroad. The veteran big man agreed a deal with China's Xinjiang Flying Tigers, according to Adam Zagoria of NBA.com:
"Former Net Andray Blatche has signed a 1-year deal w/ the Guanghui Flying Tigers in China, his agent says
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) September 20, 2014"
Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski provides contract details:
Julius Manicad of The Daily Tribune indicates Blatche will be joining Jordan Crawford:
Blatche, 27, averaged 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game on 47.6 percent shooting last season with the Nets. He chose to exercise his player option, turning down a contract for a little more than $1.4 million in 2014-15.
While some expected him to draw significant interest on the open market, the waters instead proved tepid. The Raptors met with the 6'11" forward earlier this month at Las Vegas Summer League but he left without a contract offer. There were also conflicting reports of interest from the Pelicans.
A return to the Nets never seemed like much of an option. General manager Billy King said multiple times at the beginning of free agency that the team was moving in a different direction, seemingly insinuating a behind-the-scenes rift.
"We had our reasons," King told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News of their decision to move on.
Blatche has been a bit more inconsistent in his desires. Right before the free-agency period began, he seemed to have posted a vulgar Instagram photo with a phrase made famous by Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri. The message disappeared soon after it was posted, with Blatche claiming he was hacked. (Blatche has since resumed using the Instagram account.)
The spat of ugliness came not long after then-Nets coach Jason Kidd markedly declined Blatche's minutes. After averaging 22.2 minutes per night during the regular season, he only received 14.3 in the playoffs. Kidd played Blatche just four minutes in Brooklyn's series-deciding loss to the Miami Heat. There were no obvious signs of a rift—players' minutes can wildly fluctuate in the playoffs depending on matchups—but it's apparent something went awry down the stretch.
The Nets scored more than two points per 100 possessions and grabbed offensive rebounds at a higher rate with Blatche on the floor, per NBA.com. He remained an above-average one-on-one scorer, ranking well above the league average in points per possession in isolation and post-up opportunities, per Synergy Sports (subscription required).
These numbers fall in line with Blatche's reputation as a talented offensive player whose enigmatic behavior and lackadaisical defensive efforts tend to cloud perception. He struggles mightily in pick-and-roll coverage, has issues in isolation and ranks as a below-average defender in nearly every team category. As an individual defender, Blatche ranked below the 50th percentile in every category except off-screen coverage, per Synergy.
Those factors played a big role in Blatche receiving mild interest on the open market. When he tested the market last summer, he found teams were similarly skittish in offering him a long-term pay day.
Of course, Blatche can afford to take another lowish salary next season. The Washington Wizards are on the hook for paying him the final $8.4 million of the five-year, $35 million extension he signed in 2010. Washington used its amnesty provision on Blatche in 2012.
Buying Blatche's stock is always a calculated risk for an NBA team, but the Flying Tigers should cash in as they continue to attract NBA talent.
Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.
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