D’Angelo Russell Set to Join Shanghai Sharks
D’Angelo Russell, the second overall pick of the 2015 NBA draft and a former All-Star, is reportedly set to continue his professional career in China after agreeing to terms with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. The move arrives roughly a week after the Memphis Grizzlies waived the veteran point guard, closing the book on his most recent NBA stop and opening an entirely different chapter overseas.
The reported agreement was first circulated by basketball reporters tracking overseas signings and has not yet been formally announced by the Sharks. Per the reports, Russell has committed to the club for the coming CBA campaign, a decision that would place a 29-year-old former lottery pick in one of Asia’s most visible professional leagues.
What the Reports Say
According to the accounts circulating this week, Russell cleared the NBA’s waiver process after Memphis released him and quickly moved to secure his next opportunity abroad. The Sharks, based in Shanghai’s Pudong district, have long been one of the CBA’s most recognizable franchises and a frequent destination for American guards looking to extend their careers.
The timing matters. For a player of Russell’s pedigree, an overseas deal signed mid-season effectively closes the door on an immediate NBA return, since CBA contracts rarely include clauses allowing a mid-season exit for an NBA opportunity. Once he suits up in China, Russell would be unavailable to NBA teams until the CBA season concludes in the spring.
A Career Defined by Reinvention
Russell’s professional arc has been unusually eventful. The Los Angeles Lakers selected him second overall in 2015 out of Ohio State, billing him as a franchise cornerstone. Two years later, the Lakers traded him to Brooklyn as part of a salary-clearing maneuver, and the move turned out to be a career reset. With the Nets, Russell averaged better than 21 points per game during the 2018-19 season and earned his only All-Star selection, leading Brooklyn to a playoff berth before departing in a sign-and-trade with Golden State.
From there, the stops piled up: a brief stay with the Warriors, a productive four-season run in Minnesota, a return to the Lakers in 2023 that culminated in a Western Conference finals appearance, and eventually another stint in Brooklyn. Across his NBA career, Russell has averaged roughly 17 points and six assists per game, numbers that reflect a player who can carry an offense on any given night but whose defensive limitations and streaky shooting have made him a perennial talking point among front offices.
His most recent chapter ended abruptly. Memphis waived him last week, a decision that made him an unrestricted free agent and, evidently, prompted him to look beyond the NBA for his next contract.
Why the Shanghai Sharks Make Sense
The Sharks occupy a distinctive place in Chinese basketball. The club is the boyhood home of Yao Ming, who led Shanghai to its only CBA championship in 2002 before departing for the Houston Rockets and becoming the sport’s most influential global ambassador. Yao later purchased a controlling stake in the team in 2009 and ran it for nearly a decade before selling to a Chinese consortium in 2017.
Since then, the Sharks have functioned as a showcase for imported American talent. Jimmer Fredette, the former BYU star, turned a stint in Shanghai into a CBA Most Valuable Player award in 2017 and once poured in 73 points in a single game for the club. That history makes Shanghai an appealing landing spot for a ball-dominant guard who thrives with the offense running through his hands.
Beyond the roster fit, the CBA offers a competitive financial package for players of Russell’s stature. Veteran imports of his caliber typically command seven-figure, tax-advantaged salaries, and the shorter season, roughly October through April, leaves room for either a return to the NBA afterward or a full offseason of recovery.
The Wider CBA Landscape
Chinese basketball has tightened its rules on foreign players in recent years, capping how many quarters per game a club may deploy its imports and limiting how many can appear on the roster at once. Those restrictions, combined with a salary cap and luxury tax framework, mean teams must be selective about the Americans they bring in. Signing a player with Russell’s résumé is a statement of intent, signaling that Shanghai intends to compete near the top of the table rather than settle for a middle-of-the-pack finish.
The league’s recent hierarchy has been dominated by the Liaoning Flying Leopards, who strung together three consecutive titles before a reshuffled contender race this season. Guangdong, Beijing and Zhejiang have all remained in the mix, and the arrival of an NBA-caliber playmaker gives Shanghai a plausible path back into that conversation.
International movement in sport has become routine, even as governments elsewhere grapple with far weightier disputes, including the delicate diplomacy around the U.S. counterproposal on a ceasefire and the fallout from Israel’s recognition of Somaliland. Basketball, by contrast, offers a simpler kind of transaction: talent crosses borders in search of minutes and money.
What It Means for Russell’s NBA Future
The move does not necessarily end Russell’s NBA career. Several veterans have used the CBA as a bridge, playing a full season in China and then signing with NBA clubs the following summer or, in some cases, joining playoff rosters after the Chinese season ends. If Russell performs well and stays healthy, he could re-enter free agency next summer with a fresh highlight reel and a clearer sense of his market.
There is also a practical calculation at play. At 29, Russell sits in an awkward age bracket for NBA decision-makers: too experienced to be a developmental project, too limited defensively to be a plug-and-play starter on a contender. A dominant run in China would not erase those concerns, but it would keep his name in circulation and demonstrate that he can still orchestrate an offense efficiently.
The Next Steps
Formal confirmation from the Sharks is expected in the coming days, along with details on the length and structure of the contract. Russell will need to complete standard medical and visa procedures before joining his new teammates, and the club will likely schedule an introductory appearance for a signing of this profile. For Memphis, the waiver represents a minor roster and cap maneuver. For Shanghai, it is a headline acquisition. For Russell himself, it is the first time in a decade that his career will unfold outside the NBA’s spotlight.
Source Reference (msn.com): D’Angelo Russell reportedly joining Shanghai Sharks
