Former Indiana Pacers guard Young to play in China

Former Indiana Pacers guard Joe Young will be leaving the NBA for playing professional basketball in China, local media reported on Wednesday.

Indiana Pacers guard Joe Young (3) plays against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 23, 2018. [File photo: AP/Michael Conroy]

Young, the son of former NBA player Michael Young and cousin to Paul George, was picked by the Pacers in the second round of the 2015 draft after playing in college at Houston and Oregon.

The 26-year-old guard has agreed to a one-year deal with the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey King of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), local media VigilantSports.com reported.

"Got things finalized and just truly honored about this opportunity," Young said.

"Great team, great coach. I heard a lot of great things about the organization. Me and my team came together and decided what was best for me at this particularly time. ... I know it's a different pace. At the end of the day, basketball is basketball and I just have to adjust to it," he added.

It should be noted that Joe Young is not the first Pacers player to head to China this summer. Al Jefferson joined the Xinjiang Flying Tigers earlier and now will be squaring off with Young in the CBA next season.