It has been announced! Officially withdrawing from the CBA! This was Guangdong team's primary core player.

The Taipei Fubon Braves of Taiwan's P. LEAGUE+ officially confirmed the signing of Gillenwater.

Earlier, Gillenwater was discovered to have violated doping rules by using stimulants during the 24-25 season. While he has not yet been punished, it is evident that his career in the CBA has ended, forcing him to seek opportunities in other leagues.

Born on December 29, 1988, Gillenwater is 36 years old this year. Last season, he played for Guangdong as their top offensive leader, averaging 25.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2 assists per regular season game, with shooting percentages of 53.1%, 40.4%, and 89.2%. In the playoffs, he averaged 22.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1 steal per game, shooting 46.3%, 31.3%, and 94.9% from the field.

Notably, Gillenwater once stated in an interview that he was willing to be naturalized by the Chinese men's basketball team...

In summary, Gillenwater’s talent is undeniable, but his own mistakes cost him dearly. Without the doping scandal, he would likely have secured a contract extension with Guangdong this summer or attracted interest from many other CBA teams.

After ending cooperation with Gillenwater, Guangdong signed Salinger for a post-tax annual salary of $1.2 million. Salinger, whose playing style is similar but more aggressive, will team up with Xu Jie, Hu Mingxuan, Cui Yongxi, Du Runwang, and Jiao Boqiao, placing the team among the top championship contenders for the new season.

Salinger, aged 33, played for the Beijing Royal Fighters last season, averaging 18.6 points, 13 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per regular season game, with shooting percentages of 44.8%, 31.9%, and 71.3%. In the playoffs, he averaged 15 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.8 steals, shooting 46%, 31.6%, and 65%.

In terms of personality, Salinger is quite similar to Gillenwater, both having fiery tempers that are hard to control. When managed well, they become formidable weapons; otherwise, they can cause as much harm to themselves as to their opponents. It now depends on Du Feng to play the role of the "beast tamer."

By the way, learning from past mistakes, Guangdong will surely enforce strict anti-doping measures to prevent another incident like Gillenwater’s!