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Tracy McGrady signs contract to play in China

Tracy McGrady has signed a one-year contract with Qingdao of the Chinese Basketball Association, a source told Yahoo! Sports.

McGrady, a seven-time All-Star, couldn't secure a guaranteed NBA contract for this season and decided against trying to make a roster in training camp.

McGrady, 33, completed the deal on Tuesday and is expected to leave for China within the next seven to 10 days, sources said. McGrady's long-time partnership with former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming made McGrady a popular player in China, and he'll be afforded star status there.

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McGrady worked out for the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks in the past month, but neither franchise had a roster spot to commit to him. After 15 years in the league, McGrady had career-low numbers in Atlanta a season ago, averaging 5.3 points in 16 minutes per game. McGrady has been slowed with knee problems in recent years.

The Chinese season ends in March, allowing McGrady to return to the United States and possibly sign with an NBA playoff contender.

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