Jermaine Taylor: NBA Journeyman

Jermaine Taylor’s NBA Career has been a journeyman’s journey. From going undrafted out of college to playing for eight different teams in his 10-year pro career, he’s seen it all. Read on to follow his story and get some insights into the life of a journeyman NBA player

NBA Journeyman

Jermaine Taylor had a successful college career at Central Florida, but he went undrafted in 2009 and has spent most of his professional career playing in the NBA D-League and overseas. In 2013, he caught on with the Houston Rockets and played in 37 games for the team, averaging 4.7 points in 10.4 minutes per game. That stint was the High Point of his NBA career thus far, but he’s continued to play professionally and is currently a member of BC Unics Kazan in Russia.

From the D-League to the NBA

Jermaine Taylor had a unique journey to the NBA. He played college basketball at Central Florida from 2005-2009. He was not drafted by an NBA team in 2009, but he did sign a contract with the Houston Rockets He was then assigned to their D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He spent two seasons with the Vipers before being called up by the Rockets in 2011. He played sparingly for the Rockets and was waived by the team in 2012.

After being waived by the Rockets, Taylor spent time with several other NBA teams including the Portland Trail Blazers Phoenix Suns Sacramento Kings Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers He also had stints overseas in Israel and China. In total, Taylor played for eight different NBA Teams and four different D-League teams

In 2019, Jermaine Taylor finally got his big break. He was signed by the Washington Wizards and given an opportunity to play meaningful minutes for an NBA team He appeared in 37 games for the Wizards and averaged 5.4 points per game

Although Jermaine Taylor’s career didn’t pan out how he originally hoped, he can still look back on his journey with pride. Few players can say that they’ve played for as many teams as he has.

An NBA odyssey

Jermaine Taylor’s basketball career has been one of constant movement. A journeyman in the truest sense of the word, the 30-year-old has played for 12 different teams in seven different countries since he was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2009.

It’s a career that has taken him from the bright lights of the NBA to the far corners of the world, and back again. And it’s a career that, despite all its twists and turns, he wouldn’t change for anything.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have had the opportunities that I’ve had,” Taylor told NBA.com. “I’ve been able to play in some great places and meet some amazing people along the way. I’m just grateful for every experience, good or bad.”

Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Taylor was a star player in High School and college before being drafted by the Rockets with the 32nd pick in 2009. He spent two years with Houston, averaging 4.2 points in 51 games, before being traded to the Sacramento Kings in 2011.

Taylor would only last one year in Sacramento, however, as he was traded again, this time to the Portland Trail Blazers He would spend two seasons in Portland before being waived by the team in 2014.

Undeterred by his release from Portland, Taylor embarked on a globetrotting adventure that would take him to Israel (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Russia (BC Khimki), Turkey (Fenerbahce), China (Jiangsu Dragons), Puerto Rico (Capitanes de Arecibo), Venezuela (Guaros de Lara) and back to Israel (Hapoel Eilat).

A D-League journeyman

Jermaine Taylor was never supposed to make it to the NBA. He was a journeyman in the D-League for years, playing for eight different teams in four years. But he never gave up on his dream, and in 2015, he finally got his chance.

The Houston Rockets signed him to a 10-day contract, and he made the most of his opportunity. He played in four games and averaged 12 minutes per game, scoring a total of eight points.

It was a short stint, but it was enough to prove that he belonged in the NBA. After the season, he signed with the Sacramento Kings on a two-year deal.

Since then, he’s been a reliable role player for the Kings, averaging 7 points and 2 rebounds per game He’s not a superstar, but he’s a solid player who has found a home in the NBA after years of hard work

From the D-League to the NBA

Jermaine Taylor was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets He spent most of his rookie season with the Rockets’ D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He was called up to the Rockets in April 2010 and made his Nba Debut against the Detroit Pistons He played three games for the Rockets that season and averaged 2.7 points per game

Taylor played for six different NBA teams over the next seven years, including short stints with the Washington Wizards Portland Trail Blazers Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves He also spent time playing in China and Israel. In 2016, he signed a two-way contract with Phoenix Suns and split time between the Suns and their D-League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns.

Taylor’s NBA career came to an end in 2017 when he was waived by the Suns. He finished his NBA career with averages of 4.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game

An NBA journeyman

Jermaine Taylor was born on July 28, 1987, in Orlando, Florida. He played college basketball at Central Florida and was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets He has also played for the Sacramento Kings Portland Trail Blazers Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards

A D-League player

Jermaine Taylor was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets He played in the NBA for 3 years, but then he was waived by the Rockets and picked up by the Portland Trail Blazers He played sparingly for the Trail Blazers and was then waived. After that, he spent time in the D-League before being picked up by the Washington Wizards He played for the Wizards for a year before being waived again. He then spent time overseas before returning to the D-League. In 2016, he finally made it back to the NBA, signing a 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves He appeared in 2 games for the Timberwolves before being waived again. He is currently a free agent

From the D-League to the NBA

Jermaine Taylor’s NBA journey began in the D-League, where he was drafted by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2010. He would go on to play for four different NBA teams over the next five years, including a stint with his hometown Houston Rockets His NBA career came to an end in 2015, but he continued to play professionally overseas. In 2019, he made a return to the D-League, this time as a member of the South Bay Lakers.

An NBA player

Jermaine Taylor is an NBA Journeyman having played for eight different teams in his 11-year career. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2009 and has also played for the Minnesota Timberwolves the Washington Wizards the Phoenix Suns the Sacramento Kings the New Orleans Pelicans the Chicago Bulls and most recently, the Cleveland Cavaliers

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Taylor began his collegiate career at Central Arkansas before transferring to Jacksonville State where he helped lead the Gamecocks to an NCAA tournament appearance in 2006. He was then drafted by Houston in the second round of the 2009 NBA draft

In his 11 years in the NBA, Taylor has averaged 7.4 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game. He has appeared in 597 NBA games (109 starts) and has career NBA totals of 4,327 points and 1,178 rebounds.

A D-League journeyman

Jermaine Taylor was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2009, but he never quite made it in the NBA. He spent most of his career in the D-League, playing for various teams. In 2015, he finally got his big break when he signed a 10-day contract with the Orlando Magic He played well enough to earn a second 10-day contract, and then a rest-of-the-season deal. After two years with the Magic, he was released. He then went back to the D-League, where he played for a few more years. In 2019, he announced his retirement from basketball.