Kenyon Martin becomes the fifth member of the Denver Nuggets to sign a deal to play overseas during the NBA lockout. Like J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler, he'll be playing in China.
Kenyon Martin is the latest Denver Nuggets free agent to take his art to China, as Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reports that the 33-year-old power forward will sign a record-breaking contract with Xiangiang Guanghui of the Chinese Basketball Association, where he'll join Quincy Douby. Fellow Nuggets free agents Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith have already signed with CBA clubs, point guard Ty Lawson signed a deal to play in Lithuania during the NBA lockout and Danilo Gallinari has agreed to play in Italy. But while Lawson and Gallinari, who remain under contract with Denver, will be legally compelled to return to the Nuggets should the lockout end, the CBA has ruled that contracts signed by its teams cannot contain NBA out clauses. That means that, according to the rule, the Nuggets will be missing Chandler, Smith and now Martin all season if the lockout ends.
It's unclear whether Martin would have been back regardless: Denver has seemed to move in a more youthful direction, and the power forward will soon turn 34. The Nuggets drafted Kenneth Faried in June, and will likely spend a good chunk of change to retain free agent center Nene, the team's most vital remaining player. Martin was a popular pick to join a championship contender in a late-career chase for a ring.
For more on the Beijing Nuggets, visit SB Nation's Denver Stiffs.
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