High School Basketball Prospect Chooses $1.2 Million Contract in China Over College

Emmanuel Mudiay is currently projected to be the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, according to Draft Express. He was originally committed to SMU to play for legendary hoops coach Larry Brown. But he's not going.

Instead, Mudiay has agreed to a one-year deal to play professional basketball in China worth $1.2 million. It's the richest contract an American high school kid has ever signed to play overseas, and it means he'll forfeit his amateur status and likely be in next year's Draft. In reality, he was probably headed to the league after one college season anyway, and rather than face some eligibility issues, he figured he'd just go overseas, make a milli and hop to the NBA next summer.

Can't knock the hustle, right?

More details, from Yahoo! Sports:

Emmanuel Mudiay has agreed to a one-year, $1.2 million contract with Guangdong of the China Basketball Association, the richest overseas contract ever for a high school player, a source told Yahoo Sports.

Mudiay, 19, had been faced with eligibility issues for his freshman season at Southern Methodist University under Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown and made the decision to play in China before becoming eligible for the 2015 NBA draft.

Mudiay, a 6-foot-5 guard, is considered a lottery pick in the Class of 2015. With the Chinese season ending in March, Mudiay's plan will be to return to the United States and use the remaining few months to prepare for the 2015 draft in June, a source said. Mudiay has also taken out insurance policies to protect him in China against injury that could impact his future earnings, a source said.

Guangdong is an elite Chinese team that won 30 of 34 games in the CBA last season. The roster included former NBA lottery pick Yi Jianlian and ex-NBA guard Royal Ivey.

Mudiay's departure from the American college hoops scene will obviously make him a bit of a mystery heading into the '15 Draft, but it could also help him. How many times has a projected Lottery pick gotten to college, had a mediocre freshman season and found himself plummeting down mock drafts? Then again, Mudiay won't become a media darling or a fan favorite, either.

But hey, go Guangdong!

[via Yahoo! Sports]