In 2008, Josh Childress seemed to be emerging as a quality swingman in the NBA. The former 6th overall pick from the 2004 draft had just finished his rookie contract and his fourth season with the Atlanta Hawks. He put up 11.8 points per game, on 57.1% shooting from the floor, and 36.7% from three point range. He seemed to be fulfilling part of his promise.
At that point he reached free agency, and did the unprecedented signing a 3 year, $20 million contract with Olympiacos in Greece. It was a strange move for someone coveted by a number of NBA teams, and in the prime of his career.
After three years in Greece, Childress returned to the NBA and things just didn’t work out. Two forgettable seasons in Phoenix were followed up by a stint in Brooklyn last year. After just 14 games the Nets waived Childress and granted his release.
Now the 30-year-old Childress can only hope to get one more chance to play in the NBA. The veteran swingman has been invited to camp with the Washington Wizards. It seems a curious move as the Wizards don’t have much room on their roster, including a number of quality swingmen; and with the recent injury to Emeka Okafor seem to need much more help inside than on the perimeter. Still they have given Childress a chance to continue his NBA career, and given the way things have gone, it might be one of his last.
In 7 years, and 387 career NBA games, Childress has averaged 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.9 steals in 26.9 minutes per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the floor. However these numbers are heavily weighted towards his first four years with Atlanta, as he has not been the same player in the last three years.
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