Jamaal Franklin Should Be Coveted NBA Free Agency Commodity Come January
By Cody Williams
@TheSizzle20
Getty Images
Things seemed to be falling into place quite well for Jamaal Franklin when he was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft. It seemed like a natural matchup between player and team and like the organization was the perfect place to cultivate Franklin’s skills and watch him grow into an asset.
However, things played out far differently than that. Franklin rarely saw the floor for the Grizzlies during his rookie season and had several stints in the D-League. After participating in Summer League with Memphis, he was the waived by the organization at the end of August. In early October, he then signed a deal to play in China.
As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo!, Franklin scored 53 points on 19-29 shooting this week in a game overseas. Through 10 games with the Zhejiang Lions, Franklin has been putting up a nice line, averaging 26.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in 33.1 minutes per game.
While Franklin is obviously playing against sub-par competition than he would otherwise be if he were still in the NBA, the prospect of him on an NBA roster is not far-fetched in any regard. In fact, it would appear like a near-formality that Franklin will be on an NBA roster before season’s end.
Franklin originally signed a two-month deal to play in China, but recently signed a one-month extension. However, that would make him eligible to come back to the NBA in early January, which so happens to be when teams are able to start handing out 10-day contracts in The Association.
At just 23 years old still, Franklin has the tools to be successful in the NBA if he’s put in a position to grow and succeed. It’s quite clear that Memphis wasn’t the place where that’s going to happen, but after getting experience at a professional level in China, it’s not hard to imagine teams flocking for his services when he does eventually become available.
Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google and like his Facebook page.
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