With the 19th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic selected Andrew Nicholson, a skilled post scorer out of St. Bonaventure. At 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, Nicholson entered the league as a tweener big, positioned between power forward and center, whose polished low-post game felt better suited to an earlier NBA era. He went on to spend four seasons in Orlando in a limited, role-player capacity.
Nicholson’s NBA career never gained sustained traction. In fairness, much of the latter portion of the 2012 first round produced few long-term contributors, and several players selected after him struggled to make a lasting impact. Still, notable second-round selections from that draft, including Draymond Green, Khris Middleton, and Jae Crowder, far surpassed Nicholson in overall NBA influence, underscoring how quickly the league was evolving away from his archetype.
Across five NBA seasons from 2012 to 2017, Nicholson appeared in 285 regular season games, making 36 starts. He entered the league after a productive four-year collegiate career at St. Bonaventure, where his refined post footwork helped him finish as the program’s second all-time leading scorer. That interior-oriented skill set, however, became increasingly difficult to translate as the NBA shifted toward pace, space, and defensive versatility.
During his four seasons with Orlando, Nicholson averaged 6.5 points and 3.2 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game. His most productive year came as a rookie, when he played in 75 games, averaged 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds, and shot efficiently from the field. That season marked the peak of his usage and scoring output in the NBA, but sustaining a role as an offense-first big proved challenging.
To adapt, Nicholson expanded his shooting range. After not attempting a 3-pointer as a rookie, he gradually incorporated perimeter shooting into his game, finishing his NBA career at 32.1 percent from beyond the arc on modest volume. Much of his offense came via spot-up jumpers, pick-and-pop actions, and post-ups against reserve units.
Unfortunately for Nicholson, the league was flooded with frontcourt players who could stretch the floor more effectively while offering greater defensive mobility.
In 2016, Nicholson signed a four-year, $26 million deal with the Washington Wizards during a widely criticized offseason spending spree. The fit did not materialize. He played just 28 games for Washington, averaging 2.5 points in under 10 minutes per night, before being moved in a salary-clearing trade to the Brooklyn Nets and later waived following a subsequent transaction involving the Portland Trail Blazers.
By age 28, Nicholson was out of the NBA, having played only one season of the four he had signed for.
His professional career, however, was far from over.
After leaving the NBA, Nicholson found new life overseas. Following a path similar to other post-oriented bigs who reinvented themselves abroad, he moved to Asia, embraced a featured offensive role, and logged heavier minutes than he ever had in the NBA. That transition proved transformative, particularly in East Asian leagues where size remains a premium and import big men are relied upon heavily.
Nicholson’s defensive limitations, which constrained his NBA value, became far less punitive overseas. Against comparable frontcourt matchups, he no longer needed to cover the same defensive ground, allowing his offensive strengths to shine. His shooting development, in particular, has stood out.
In the current Korean Basketball League season, Nicholson is averaging 19.6 points and seven rebounds in just 24.5 minutes per game while shooting 44.1 percent from 3-point range. Remarkably, in eight of the nine seasons since leaving the NBA, he has topped 40 percent from beyond the arc.
East Asian leagues such as those in China, Japan, and Korea consistently seek reliable import centers and stretch bigs. The compensation is competitive, roles are clearly defined, and stability often surpasses that of many European circuits. Nicholson has logged extensive miles over the past decade, but he has also established himself as one of the league’s more dependable and productive foreign players.
At 36, Nicholson’s NBA chapter is long closed, but his career has found a second act. Once viewed as a misfit in a rapidly changing league, he has quietly evolved into one of the most effective stretch bigs outside the NBA, proving that reinvention can arrive well after the spotlight fades.
