It was announced on Saturday that two players who have combined for 16 seasons in the NBA have signed with the same team overseas. Both Darius Bazley and Will Barton will be joining the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China for the 2024-25 season. The news was reported by Dario Skerletic of Sportando.
The 33-year-old Barton did not play in the NBA last season. It marked the first year he wasn’t in the league since his rookie season of 2012-13. The 24-year-old Bazley signed a 10-day deal with the Philadelphia 76ers in February and signed late last season with the Utah Jazz. He played in a total of nine games for the two teams last season.
Chinese Team Signs Two NBA Veterans
Barton Was A Reliable Bench Scorer With Denver
A proven scorer off the bench in the NBA, Barton did much of his damage with the Denver Nuggets. He averaged double-digit scoring averages in each of his seven full seasons with Denver from 2015-16 to 2021-22. In both 2015-16 and 2017-18, the six-foot-five guard/forward finished fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting (also finished fifth in Most Improved Player voting in 2015-16).
Barton was the 40th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Other than the Nuggets, Barton has also suited up for the Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Wizards, and Toronto Raptors in his NBA career. Over his 11 NBA seasons, Barton has career averages of 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.
It was reported in July that Barton had a workout with the Milwaukee Bucks. The team signed Gary Trent Jr. a few days later, lessening the need for a player like Barton.
Bazley Previously Was A Full-Time Starter With The Thunder
The six-foot-eight Bazley looked like a young up-and-coming player early in his career. He put up productive numbers with the Oklahoma City Thunder, albeit on teams that didn’t come close to sniffing the playoffs. In 2020-21 and 2021-22, Bazley started 108 of his 124 appearances. In those two seasons, he averaged 12.1 points and 6.7 rebounds.
At times, he was an inefficient scorer at the NBA level though as evidenced by his career 41.4% shooting from the field and 30.9% from beyond the arc. Along with the Thunder, 76ers, and Jazz, Bazley also played seven games for the Phoenix Suns in 2022-23. In his five NBA seasons, Bazley has career averages of 8.9 points and 5.2 rebounds. He was the 23rd overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Joining Elite CBA Team In The Southern Tigers
Barton and Bazley are joining one of the most successful teams of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The Southeern Tigers have won 11 CBA titles with their most recent championship coming in 2021. They have qualified for the playoffs every season since the league has been in existence starting in 1995. Last season, Guandkong went 37-15, but they were eliminated in the semifinals by the Liaoning Flying Leopards.
Guandkong already rostered two former NBA players prior to the signings of Barton and Bazley. They are guards MarShon Brooks and Tremont Waters. Adding Barton and Bazley for the upcoming season should allow the Southern Tigers to be even more formidable in 2024-25. Perhaps they will have the opportunity for their 12th CBA title.
