VIDEO: Top prospect Mudiay impressing, to stay in China all season
Emmanuel Mudiay won't be leaving China, after all.
The one-time SMU recruit, who eschewed the NCAA ranks to sign a $1.2-million deal with Guangdong of the Chinese Basketball Association, sprained his ankle on Nov. 23, putting his future in the CBA in question. The team signed NBA veteran Will Bynum with Mudiay sidelined and it was thought they may release Mudiay when he returned to health, since teams can only have two Americans on their roster.
It appears that former D-League player Chris Daniels will be the odd man out, instead, as Mudiay is set to stay in China for the remainder of the season, according to DraftExpress. The Southern Tigers would be on the hook for Mudiay's entire salary if they released him and with the point guard now back at practice and said to be enjoying life there, there's little reason to end the relationship prematurely.
Guangdong is also red-hot of late, having won 18 consecutive games, 14 of them since adding Bynum. The team is 24-3 overall and had played to an 8-2 record in 10 games with Mudiay, during which he averaged 17.7 points, six rebounds and 5.9 assists. Reports have been generally positive about the 18-year-old's play and the highlights are enticing.
Mudiay is thought to be a lock for the lottery in the 2015 NBA Draft, with Draft Express and ESPN both ranking him as the No. 2 prospect. Large for a point guard at 6-foot-5, Mudiay's athleticism and speed give him elite potential as a dribble-penetrator and have drawn comparisons to Russell Westbrook.