Jason Collins appears to be headed to the Brooklyn Nets.(Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
Story Highlights
- Collins would be the first openly gay player in the major professional leagues
- The Nets are in Los Angeles to play the Lakers Sunday
Jason Collins is on the verge of becoming the first openly gay NBA player to actually, well, play.
With free-agent-to-be forward Glen Davis telling the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday that he intends to sign with them after he clears waivers at 5 p.m. Eastern and thereby taking the Brooklyn Nets' top free agent option off the table, Collins is - according to a person with knowledge of the situation - in the process of finalizing a 10-day deal with the Nets that would be nothing short of historic.
The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the deal is not yet done.
The 35-year-old announced his homosexuality by way of Sports Illustrated nearly 10 months ago, and thus became known as the first openly-gay NBA player. Yet because Collins never continued his career, the revelation was somewhat anticlimactic in terms of its possible social impact.
MORE: Collins comes out as gay man
That will likely change soon, as – according to two people with knowledge of the situation – the Nets and other teams vying for Davis' services were told on Sunday morning that he would sign with the Clippers and the runway for Collins' moment was thereby cleared. The people spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the talks.
Collins' twin brother and former NBA player, Jarron Collins, hinted at the forthcoming excitement via Twitter not long after the new of Davis' intentions was first reported by USA TODAY Sports.
"Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday. Today should be a pretty cool day!"
WHO IS COLLINS?: A look at his career
Davis reached a buyout agreement with the Orlando Magic on Friday, and was known to be considering the Nets and Clippers as options (the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls, among other teams, also had interest).
The Nets, meanwhile, were considering a list of free agent possibilities that included players currently playing in the National Basketball Development League and others who are playing in China.
Brooklyn has a clear need for another big body down low, as they had extensive trade talks with the Los Angeles Lakers about center Jordan Hill leading up to the deadline but ultimately passed on that possibility.
In 13 seasons, Collins became known as a classy professional who averaged 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game with six teams. He spent his first six season with the Nets when the team was still in New Jersey.
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