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Zhou reached a buyout agreement Friday with his Chinese club, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, and will be eligible to play in the NBA beginning in the 2017-18 season, Jonathan Givony of Yahoo! Sports reports.
Prior to brokering the buyout, Zhou had five years remaining on his contract with Xinjiang, and the uncertainty that he'd be able to secure a release from the deal put a potential damper on his status for the 2016 NBA Draft. While it's still possible that Zhou will withdraw from this year's draft if he fails to receive a first-round guarantee and instead reenter in 2017, the fact that it's established that he'll only need to spend one more season in China should come as great comfort to interested NBA suitors. In addition to his remaining duties with Xinjiang, Zhou will compete for China in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where the big man will put his incredible 7-foot-7.75 wingspan and shooting skills on display.
