Former BYU star Jimmer Fredette, who was drafted 10th overall in 2011, will compete in an event called "The Basketball Tournament" this summer in hopes of earning another opportunity to play in the NBA. Fredette has not played in the NBA since 2015-16, but has spent the last two seasons sharpening his craft -- and starring -- in the Chinese Basketball Association.
Fredette has become something of an immortal in China, averaging 37.3 points per game over the last two seasons that included an MVP award for the CBA International League. In making an appearance at The Basketball Tournament -- a 5-on-5, open-application and single-elimination $2 million winner-take-all event -- he hopes to show improvement from when he last played in the league.
"I would always love to get another chance in the NBA," Fredette told ESPN. "I've gotten better in China and improved every year. ... You hope somebody takes notice."
Fredette's brief five-year NBA career was spent with four different teams, including the Kings, who traded for his rights on draft day in 2011. During that span, he averaged 6.0 points per game, but was never able to gain traction and break out into the offensive weapon that carried him into college stardom at BYU.
Fredette tells ESPN that no matter the interest he may garner in the NBA, he intends to honor the final year left on his contract with the CBA, which could pave the way for him to return to the league as early as 2019.
