Richard Jefferson not retiring, will return to Cleveland Cavaliers for 2017-18 season

It will be the veteran’s 17th season in the NBA

Richard Jefferson isn’t hanging ‘em up just yet.

The 37-year-old announced on his podcast that he will be returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017-18 for what will be his 17th season in the NBA.

“I will be starting my 17th season next year, I am not retiring,” he said.

The former Arizona Wildcat averaged 5.7 points per game in 20.4 minutes in a bench role for the Cavaliers this past season, as they fell to Steve Kerr’s Golden State Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals.

After Jefferson won a title with the Cavaliers in 2016, he informally said he would be retiring, but he backed away from that claim 72 hours later and signed a three-year deal the Cavaliers.

Jefferson is set to earn $2.5 million in 2017-18.

Given that the final year of his three-year contract is non-guaranteed, it does seem there’s a good chance that the 2017-18 season will be his last.

Jefferson has played for seven NBA teams, spending most of his career with the New Jersey Nets, who drafted him out of Arizona in 2001.

Heading into the 2016-17 season, Jefferson was the 10th oldest active player in the NBA.

He can still jump, though:

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Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire

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