The Los Angeles Lakers continued their summer re-shuffle on Monday, adding Chinese international Yi Jianlian to their roster in an undisclosed deal.
Reports have suggested that the 28-year-old has signed on a veteran's minimum, but could earn up to eight million dollars with bonuses.
Jianlian impressed for China at this year's Olympic Games, averaging 20.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game across his country's five group-stage matches. Despite the stellar performances, China were the only side to lose all of their games, crashing out of Group A in the process.
The seven-foot man will face fierce competition for a spot in the Lakers starting five, with the side in gold and purple having already added Luol Deng and Timothy Mozgov this offseason. Jose Calderon and draft picks Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac are the franchise's other additions.
Jianlian's career in the NBA
After five years playing in China for the Guangdong Southern Tigers, Yi was drafted as a lottery pick to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2007, being the sixth overall pick.
After just a year he was traded to the then New Jersey Nets, where he enjoyed the best two seasons of his career in The States, averaging 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds a game during his 52 appearances over the course of the 2009/10 season.
The big man then proceeded to spend a year with the Washington Wizards, starting in just 11 of his 63 appearances, and thus averaging a career-low points return in the NBA.
Jianlian returned to the CBA shortly before joining the Dallas Mavericks in 2012, making a further 30 appearances as Dirk Nowitzki and co. reached the NBA playoffs.
Since the summer of 2012, the 28-year-old has been playing for his boyhood side in China again, making the CBA All-Star team on a further three occasions.
Since re-joining Guangdong, Jianlian has averaged over 20 points per game, winning the 2013 CBA Championship in the process.