Notre Dame's Jackson headed to China

Former Marian High School and Notre Dame guard Demetrius Jackson’s next professional basketball stop will take him far from his Mishawaka home.

Far, far away from Indiana and, for that matter, the United States.

A second-round draft pick of the Boston Celtics (45th overall) in 2016 who has bounced between the NBA and the G League for three seasons, the former McDonald’s All-American will make his next professional stop in Beijing, China after being released recently by the Philadelphia 76ers.

News of the transaction was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. Jackson confirmed the move in a text message to the Tribune.

Beijing is 6,625 miles away from Mishawaka.

The 24-year-old Jackson, who left Notre Dame with a year of eligibility, was on a two-way contract ($77,250 per year) with the Sixers. He split time between the parent club and its G League team in Delaware, where he occasionally split point guard duties with former Irish teammate Matt Farrell.

Jackson was with the Sixers during their recent West Coast trip. He scored a season-high 10 points in 10 minutes in a 129-95 loss Dec. 30 at Portland.

Jackson played in six games this season for the Sixers and averaged 3.7 points, 0.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists. He appeared in eight games with the team’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, and averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 35 minutes. He shot 44.8 percent from the field, 30.6 percent from 3 and 87.5 percent from the foul line.

Jackson spent his rookie season with the Boston Celtics and part of his second season with the Houston Rockets. Those seasons also included stints with those teams’ G league affiliates in Portland, Maine and Edinburg, Texas.

Jackson appeared in 26 games in his NBA career. He averaged 1.8 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists.