Point guard Bryce Cotton during his college stint at Providence. (Photo : Getty Images)
Former NBA player Bryce Cotton was recently signed by league-leading Chinese Basketball Association squad Xinjiang Flying Tigers as round 34 of China's premier basketball league gets underway.
The 23-year-old Cotton last played for NBA Developmental League team Austin Spurs, averaging 19.5 points, 3.8 boards, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 steals in only six appearances, after he was waived by the Phoenix Suns earlier this month, as per Asia-basket.
He was one of the main offensive contributors in the D-League Spurs' roster, playing 33 minutes a night and firing an impressive 52 percent in field goal percentage, a remarkable 48.4 percent clip from downtown, and an almost flawless 93.1 percent shooting from the free throw line.
Cotton was signed by Austin on Jan. 12 but parted ways just two weeks and six games later in order to join head coach Li Qiuping's squad.
The Tucson, Arizona native's last NBA team was the Phoenix Suns, where he was acquired through free agency on Nov. 25 of last year. Cotton was not immediately given playing time until after more than a month in the lineup when injuries to point guards Eric Bledsoe and Ronnie Price had transpired.
He debuted for the Suns on Dec. 30, scoring two points, two rebounds, and three steals in 21 minutes of play during a 112-79 defeat in the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
Cotton was then waived by the Suns on Jan. 7 after only three games, averaging 1.3 points, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 steals in only 11 minutes per game, via the NBA's official website.
His other NBA experience was with the Utah Jazz during the 2014-2015 season, playing in 15 games for head coach Quin Snyder. He averaged 5.3 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 10.6 minutes per game in that stretch.
Cotton played college ball with the Providence Friars from 2010 to 2014 and was a two-time First-team All-Big East player and a Big East Tournament MVP in 2014 before going undrafted in the NBA during the 2014-2015 season.
The young point guard would be a good complement to the Flying Tigers' two other foreign reinforcements, American-Filipino power forward Andray Blatche and American shooting guard Andrew Goudelock.
Xinjiang also recently invited former NBA slam dunk king Nate Robinson to try out for the squad as they search for a foreign point guard, but the team's coaching staff was left unimpressed, sending him back to the United States after the tryout.
