Earl Boykins (11) averaged 5.1 points in 36 games last season with Charlotte. (Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press)Noted NBA little man Earl Boykins is the latest to jump on a big deal to play overseas, signing a one-year, $3.5 million US deal Tuesday with Italian club Vitus Bologna.
Andy Bountogianis of the Cleveland-based Mark Termini Associates Inc. sports agency, confirmed the signing.
The five-foot-five Boykins, 32, will be the highest-paid player player in the Italian league next season. He'll also participate in the sponsorship and marketing income of the team.
Boykins averaged 9.4 points in his 10 NBA seasons. He played for the Charlotte Bobcats in 2008-09, and also had stops with the New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks.
Boykins's most productive season came in 2006-07, which he split between Milwaukee and Denver, averaging a career-high 14.6 points while adding 4.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds.
Last season, Boykins dipped to 5.1 points per game in 36 contests with Charlotte.
On Monday, former Toronto Raptor Carlos Arroyo, who played for Orlando the past two seasons, announced that he has signed a one-year deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv, an Israeli club. Josh Childress announced last month that he was leaving the Atlanta Hawks for Greek club Olympiakos.
Also last month, Nenad Kerstic left the Nets and Carlos Delfino and Jorge Garbajosa left the Raptors to sign with a Russian team.
With files from the Associated Press
