Ex-NBA stars who reinvigorate their pro careers often take their talents to China. Nick Young, JaVale McGee, and Michael Beasley are some of the former Los Angeles Lakers players who were past their prime in the NBA but made a name for themselves in the CBA. Similarly, a 25-year-old former first-round pick was in China to showcase his talents, but it all went wrong very quickly.
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Darius Bazley last played in the NBA in 2024 for the Utah Jazz made his name in the summer league while playing for the Lakers. An unfortunate injury meant he exited the game in a wheelchair, and his chance to play in the league was up in the air. Since the doors were closed in the NBA, Bazley, for his second stint in China, signed with the Nungbo Rockets last month.
In 12 games, he averaged 4.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game before the team decided to cut him. In a statement, the Rockets informed, “No foreign players have special privileges.” During the first quarter against the Shanghai Sharks, the forward attempted to inbound a pass to his teammate, former Michigan guard Zavier Simpson. But it was stolen, and for the next play, Simpson and Bazley started arguing on the baseline. The latter refused to inbound and intentionally threw it out of bounds. Again, there is more to it.
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The former 5-year NBA star, Darius Bazley, then started bickering with his teammates on the sideline and apparently even pushed one of his teammates who was trying to calm him down. That was apparently the last straw, as the Nungbo Rockets took the major decision to cut a performing player from their roster. The frustration from Darius Bazley could stem from the fact that the team started trusting him less on the court.
Darius Bazley, who spent 5 years in the NBA, was cut by the Nungbo Rockets in China for refusing to inbound the ball after a turnover that led to an argument with a teammate, & for allegedly shoving a teammate.
Bazley averaged 4.9 PPG & 3.8 RPG in 12 games played for the team.… pic.twitter.com/JRop7jLL4L
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) April 9, 2026
When he arrived in March, he played in all 8 games and averaged 14 minutes, but recently, the minutes took a hit. Since the turn of April, Bazley’s last three appearances were 12, 11, 8 before facing the Sharks. Still only 25 years old, he can turn this around and aim for the summer league, where he balled out last year.
An unfortunate injury with the Lakers cut Darius Bazley’s NBA return short
The Oklahoma City Thunder were the team to draft the Boston, Massachusetts native, and there he spent his first four seasons. Bazley even averaged a career-high 13.7 points per game in 2020–21. He was traded to the Phoenix Suns, and after 5 months, he was traded again. For the 23-24 season, he signed with the G-League Delaware Blue Coats, and the dream to play again in the NBA heightened when the Philadelphia 76ers offered him a 10-day contract.
But nothing materialized, and Darius Bazley was back in the G-League. In March 2024, the Utah Jazz agreed to a multi-year deal but waived him in July 2024. Bazley tried to revive his NBA career last summer by playing for the Los Angeles Lakers’ Summer League team. The five-year veteran averaged 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and two assists through six Summer League games. He even shot 58.5% from the field on the back of his rim-dominating ability.
Head coach Lindsey Harding was impressed and called Bazley an “amazing defender” who can guard multiple positions. But the run with the Lakers ended with an unfortunate injury. Against the Celtics, Bazley cleverly spun around a defender, planted his right foot, and attempted to push off with it, but his leg gave out. An instant replay showed a pop near his calf before he collapsed. He was in visible pain and was unable to get back on his feet, so he had to use a wheelchair for his exit.
Since he has played 5 years in the league, he wasn’t eligible for a two-way contract. The team had to offer Bazley a standard contract, and even if the Lakers did not come calling, some other team must have. Now, he will look to put the Summer League injury and the fiasco in China behind him to make his way back in the NBA.
