NBA Rumors: Carlos Boozer Starting Comeback By Playing In China

Sometimes, you literally have to go the distance if you want to prove that you are worthy of making a comeback in the NBA. According to ESPN, Carlos Boozer is on the verge of signing a contract to go play in China with the Guangdong Southern Tigers. He is doing so to make his way back to the National Basketball Association.

Last season, Carlos Boozer was nowhere to be found in the NBA. A part of that was because he needed to let his body heal up after playing 13 straight seasons of professional basketball. The other part was probably because not a lot of teams in the National Basketball Association were interested.

By going abroad to play, Carlos Boozer is giving himself until February or March to prove to NBA executives and coaches that he still has what it takes to play on the biggest stage of them all. He wants to be ready for the playoffs.

Carlos Boozer reportedly signs with Guangdong Tigers in China. https://t.co/fVo4l3opI9 pic.twitter.com/KZULSjNl1J

— theScore (@theScore) July 31, 2016

To his credit, Carlos Boozer has been working out for much of the summer in Miami. Some have stated that the 6-foot-9 power forward has been mentoring younger players as a way of showing the NBA that he can bring that asset to their franchise.

Signing with the Guangdong Southern Tigers seems like a very good career move for Carlos Boozer. They are one of the most storied franchises in the Chinese Basketball Association. The franchise has won eight championships and usually has a very good roster. If Boozer can help the Southern Tigers win another title, that should raise his stock with the NBA a little.

In the Chinese Basketball Association, teams can only have a certain number of foreign players on the roster. Last season, the Guangdong Southern Tigers finished the season with Will Bynum, Justin Carter, and Ike Diogu on the roster. The arrival of Carlos Boozer will cause some departures.

While Carlos Boozer currently is hoping to make a return to the NBA by playing well in the CBA, there is a chance that he might grow fond of playing in China. The transition worked out pretty well for former New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury, who has won three championships since joining the Chinese Basketball Association.

Not only did Stephon Marbury resurrect his basketball career in China, he has also found success in business there as well. Marbury is even filming a movie about his life overseas, as reported by the Electronic Urban Report.

If Carlos Boozer really wanted one last run in the NBA, then the veteran big man might be forced to accept the minimum contract to do so. That might be a tough pill to swallow after witnessing so many non-All-Star players being paid rather handsomely.

One team that is already linked to Carlos Boozer are the Cleveland Cavaliers. Some have doubted a reunion because of the way that Boozer walked away from the franchise back in 2004, but it should be noted that Dan Gilbert was not the owner of the Cavaliers when the controversy happened.

The Los Angeles Lakers were the last team in the NBA that Carlos Boozer played for. They are currently in the midst of a rebuilding period with several young talented players on the roster. New Lakers head coach Luke Walton could use veterans on the roster, but Boozer does not appear to be someone on the radar as a mentor for power forward Julius Randle.

Carlos Boozer wants to keep playing basketball professionally. He was hoping it would have been with the NBA, but he is going to have to settle for a stint with the Chinese Basketball Association.

[Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images]