Former Ohio State star D'Angelo Russell is taking his talents overseas.
Russell agreed to a contract with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association on Tuesday.
The move marks a transition for the former Buckeye. Russell is a former consensus first-team All-American who averaged 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in his lone season in Columbus. He helped Ohio State reach the NCAA Tournament while also being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Russell declared for the NBA Draft the following year and was drafted No. 2 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2015 NBA Draft. Since then, he has played for the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, and Memphis Grizzlies.
11-year NBA vet D'Angelo Russell has agreed to sign with the Shanghai Sharks for the upcoming season, the Chinese Basketball Association announced.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 30, 2026
Russell was waived by the Grizzlies last week after being traded from Washington earlier in the offseason. pic.twitter.com/62WHpvzdbA
Russell was selected to the NBA All-Star game in the 2018-2019 season when he was playing for Brooklyn. During the season, he averaged a career-best 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game. For his career, which spanned 655 games, he has career averages of 17.0 points and 5.6 assists.
Specific terms of the deal were not made available, and it remains unclear if an NBA opt-out clause was included.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State basketball great leaves NBA, signs deal to head overseas
