J.J. Hickson signed with the Wizards as a free agent late last February to boost the post rotation. After mulling his options, he has decided to sign with the Fujian Sturgeons in China’s CBA, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein.
NBA veteran J.J. Hickson, who split last season with Denver and Washington, is finalizing a deal in China with Fujian, league sources say.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) August 20, 2016
Hickson’s departure isn’t a surprise. He only played 15 games for the Wizards last season and averaged less than 9 minutes of playing time a game. That said, he did average 4.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Washington also signed a number of post players like Ian Mahinmi and Jason Smith who would take most of the time Hickson would have otherwise received.
Also, by signing in China, Hickson gets the best of both worlds: He gets to play for a team right away and secures his future short-term, but he still could play in the NBA by signing a free agent deal at around the trade deadline because the CBA regular season ends in February and the Finals end before mid-March.