National Basketball Association

Jason Collins will stay with Brooklyn for the season

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:21 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Brooklyn Nets will sign veteran center Jason Collins for the remainder of the season Saturday after his second 10-day contract expires, ESPN reported Tuesday, citing multiple sources.

The team signed the 34-year-old Collins on Feb. 23 to a 10-day contract to add depth to their frontcourt, but sources told ESPN that the Nets believed even then that he would be a Net for the rest of the season.

Collins, who became the first openly gay athlete to play in one of North America's four major professional team sports when he made his debut against the Lakers in February, is averaging 9.8 minutes and less than a point per game off the bench in eight appearances this season. On Sunday, Collins put in 20 minutes guarding Sacramento big man DeMarcus Cousins, helping Brooklyn to a 104-89 win.

Collins has also been a success at the cash register, as well, his No. 98 jersey currently a big seller. Collins wears the number in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student tortured and killed in 1998 in Wyoming.