Nuggets Sign JaKarr Sampson

2:14pm: The signing is official, the team announced, confirming that it’s a multiyear arrangement (Twitter link). USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt tweets that it contains a partial guarantee for next season, which conflicts with Charania’s report.

10:48am: The contract will be guaranteed for the rest of this season by rule, but it’ll be non-guaranteed for next season, Charania writes in a full piece that also includes confirmation of the deal from agent Seth Cohen.

10:03am: The Nuggets and former Sixers combo forward JaKarr Sampson are finalizing a two-year contract, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The Sixers had wanted to re-sign him after releasing him Thursday to make room for their three-way trade with Houston and Detroit, one that’s held up as the Pistons continue to evaluate the health of Donatas Motiejunas. Detroit is sending Joel Anthony to Philadelphia as part of the swap, and Philadelphia offloaded Sampson to make room for Anthony, whom the Sixers reportedly intend to waive once the trade is finalized.

Denver has two open roster spots after having released J.J. Hickson and Steve Novak on Friday, so the Nuggets don’t have to make a corresponding move to add Sampson. It’ll likely be a minimum-salary contract, since that’s all Denver could give unless Hickson and Novak gave back large portions of their respective salaries in their buyout deals. Sampson was making the minimum salary, worth $845,059 to him as a one-year veteran, on his contract with Philadelphia. Assuming his new deal is also worth the minimum, it’ll be pro-rated, and thus too small for Philly to reap any savings via set-off. So, Sampson is poised to receive whatever the Nuggets give him on top of his full $845,059 from the Sixers.

Sampson, 22, is in his second NBA season after going undrafted out of St. John’s in 2014 and winning a spot on the Sixers despite a four-year contract that originally contained only $50K in guaranteed salary. He started 32 games as a rookie and 18 this season, with a career scoring average of 5.2 points per game. His numbers are virtually identical this year to those from last year, except his 3-point shooting. He made 24.4% on 127 total attempts last season, a woeful performance that’s led him to much fewer shots behind the arc this year, as he’s attempted only 34 and made just six.

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