Wizards To Sign Daniel Ochefu
The Wizards have reached an agreement on a contract with unrestricted free agent Daniel Ochefu, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). It’s a three-year, minimum salary deal for Ochefu that includes a partial guarantee of $50K for next season, Pincus adds.
The forward out of Villanova went undrafted this year and has to be considered a longshot to make the opening night roster. The Wizards have already bolstered their bench this offseason, adding Ian Mahinmi, Jason Smith and Andrew Nicholson to split time backing up Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris.
In 37 appearances as a senior for the Wildcats, Ochefu notched averages of 10.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 23.4 minutes per outing. His shooting line for 2015/16 was .627/.000/.684.
Lakers Sign Luol Deng
JULY 7th, 7:20pm: The signing is official, the Lakers announced.
JULY 2nd, 8:10am: The Lakers continue to add veterans to their roster, with the latest addition set to be small forward Luol Deng, who has agreed to a deal with the team, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (via Twitter). It will be a four-year, $72MM pact for the 12-year veteran, Charania relays. Landing an annual salary of $18MM is certainly a significant improvement over the $12MM projection for Deng’s next deal that was bandied about in May.
Deng was reportedly in high-demand around the league, with the Timberwolves, Celtics, Heat, Wizards, Clippers and Jazz all said to have interest in the veteran two-way forward. Utah was expected to be “very aggressive” in its pursuit of Deng, according to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, but the Jazz missed out on the veteran, who likely saw the opportunity to start in Los Angeles as the more preferable situation to a reserve role in Utah.
The 31-year-old has been a consistent contributor throughout his tenure in the league. Deng made 74 appearances for Miami this past season and averaged 12.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 32.4 minutes per outing. His shooting numbers on the year were .455/.344/.755. Deng is a hustle player who plays solid defense and his veteran presence should be a welcome addition to the young Lakers locker room, especially given the reported discord of last season resulting from the D’Angelo Russell/Nick Young video incident.
Lakers Ink Jordan Clarkson To Four-Year Deal
JULY 7th, 7:17pm: The signing is official, the team announced.
JULY 1st, 2:57am: Jordan Clarkson will remain a Laker, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that Los Angeles has reached a contract agreement with the free agent guard. Per Charania, the Lakers will re-sign Clarkson to a four-year, $50MM contract.
Clarkson, 24, enjoyed a breakout season for the Lakers in 2015/16, starting 79 games for the club and averaging 15.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 1.1 SPG, to go along with a .433/.347/.804 shooting line. He received a qualifying offer from Los Angeles, making him a restricted free agent giving the team the right of first refusal, but his comments in recent weeks suggested he never intended to leave the Lakers.
“We had two tough years, but I don’t want to be a guy that is afraid and will run away from challenges,” Clarkson said in early June. “I want to be a part of the situation when it turns around because I was here when it was down. I never want to leave.”
The Lakers’ agreement with Clarkson is the second deal the team has struck during the first few hours of free agency. Earlier on Friday, Los Angeles agreed to terms on a four-year contract with center Timofey Mozgov.
Clarkson ranked 20th on Hoops Rumors’ list of this year’s top 50 free agents, while Mozgov was No. 45.
Grizzlies Ink Chandler Parsons
JULY 7th, 6:42pm: The signing is official, the Grizzlies announced via press release.
JULY 1st, 2:27pm: The Grizzlies and Chandler Parsons have reached an agreement on a multiyear deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (via Twitter). The pact will cover four years and will pay Parsons the league maximum, the Vertical scribe notes. The Blazers also reportedly offered him a max deal, but instead Parsons is headed to Memphis.
Parsons becomes the first upper-tier free agent to choose Memphis in free agency, Wojnarowski notes (on Twitter). Though, the small forward’s status as a star is certainly up for debate given his statistical track record. The only other free agent signed by the franchise for above the mid-level exception prior to Parsons was Darko Milicic, adds Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). I’d wager that Memphis and its fans are certainly hoping this addition provides more of an impact given the dollar figures involved.
With Parsons in the fold, the team will turn its attention to retaining point guard Mike Conley, who is an unrestricted free agent. The addition of Parsons may be the deciding factor for Conley, with Sam Amick of USA Today noting (via Twitter) that Parsons is confident that the point guard will return to Memphis next season.
The 27-year-old reportedly eliminated the Mavs from consideration after team balked at offering him max dollars, a not unreasonable stance given Parsons’ injury history. He made 61 appearances this past season for Dallas, notching averages of 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 29.5 minutes per outing. He shot .492/.414/.684 from the field on the campaign.
In five NBA seasons, Parsons has averaged 14.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and three assists. He was the No. 38 overall pick of the Rockets in the 2011 NBA draft.
Pistons To Waive Joel Anthony, Cameron Bairstow
In a move to clear cap space to sign center Boban Marjanovic, the Pistons intend to waive Joel Anthony and Cameron Bairstow, David Mayo of MLive reports. Neither player is owed any guaranteed money, so the team won’t be on the hook for any salary as a result of the moves. Detroit is reportedly set to ink Marjanovic to an offer sheet worth $21MM over three years.
Bairstow, 25, appeared in 18 games with Chicago last season, averaging 1.9 points, 1.6 rebounds in 5.7 minutes per outing. The two-year veteran was drafted out of the New Mexico with the No. 49 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. As a senior for the Lobos, he averaged a Mountain West Conference-high 20.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 32.9 minutes in 34 games. Bairstow holds career averages of 1.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 4.6 minutes in 36 NBA games with the Bulls. He was acquired from the Bulls in June in exchange for guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who was reportedly waived by the Bulls today as well.
Anthony, 33, appeared in 19 games for the Pistons in 2015/16, averaging o.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.1 minutes per outing. He shot .600/.000/.750 from the field on the year. Anthony was set to earn $2.5MM next season.
Heat Sign Rodney McGruder
5:10pm: The signing is official, the Heat announced via press release.
11:27am: The Heat and shooting guard Rodney McGruder are close to an agreement on a partially guaranteed three-year deal, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.
McGruder has played on Miami’s summer league team the past two seasons. He’s averaging 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists through three games in the Orlando Summer League this month.
The 24-year-old McGruder appeared in 48 games last season with the Heat’s D-League’s team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He started 44 games and averaged 15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 51.3% from the field and 38.4% on 3-point attempts. He gives Miami some depth at shooting guard in the wake of Dwyane Wade‘s impending departure to the Bulls.
McGruder went undrafted in 2013 after starting three seasons at Kansas State.
McGruder was a training camp signee with the Thunder that year but was waived before the season opener. He then played in Hungary before signing with the Celtics in 2014 prior to training camp. He was once again waived before the start of the season and wound up in the D League with the Maine Red Claws and Skyforce.
Heat Re-Sign Hassan Whiteside
July 7th, 4:55pm: The deal is official, the Heat announced via press release.
8:12am: As expected, Whiteside’s pact is a four-year, maximum salary contract, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post tweets.
JULY 1st, 6:59am: Unrestricted free agent Hassan Whiteside has decided to remain in Miami and will re-sign with the Heat, he announced via a post in The Player’s Tribune. The agreed upon terms were not announced, but Whiteside was reportedly seeking a maximum salary offer.
“I’ve played on eight teams since college — from Reno to Sioux Falls to Sichuan, China,” Whiteside wrote in his announcement. “I am not ready for there to be a ninth. I have decided to re-sign with Miami. I just wanted to take this time to tell all the fans how much you mean to this team, and to me. Can’t wait to get back to work and try to bring another championship to Miami. #HeatNation”
The Heat and Mavericks both had the opportunity to make pitches to Whiteside in the early hours of free agency, and the free agent big man left both meetings without an agreement in place, relaying that he would make his final decision this morning. Heading into those early morning meetings, the Mavs were the reported favorites, but ultimately Pat Riley convinced the big man that Miami was the best spot for him to continue his playing career. Portland was also reported to have scheduled a meeting, but it appears the Blazers never had the opportunity to sit down with Whiteside.
For Dallas, this becomes another big name free agent that has spurned the organization, and the second offseason in a row that Mark Cuban and company failed to land their top target. While there was no bizarre stand-off at Whiteside’s home similar to what occurred last summer with DeAndre Jordan, losing out on the big man has to sting. The team will need to regroup and hope it has better luck with point guard Mike Conley, who is reportedly the team’s other free agent priority.
Whiteside appeared in 73 games this past season for Miami, including 45 as a starter. He averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks in 29.1 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .606/.000/.650.
Bulls To Waive Spencer Dinwiddie
The Bulls have parted ways with guard Spencer Dinwiddie, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (via Twitter). Dinwiddie’s salary of $980,431 for 2016/17 was non-guaranteed, so Chicago won’t be on the hook for any salary as a result of the move. Provided he clears waivers, Dinwiddie will become an unrestricted free agent.
Dinwiddie completed his second NBA season with averages of 4.8 points, 1.8 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 13.3 minutes over 12 contests. He was drafted by the Pistons with the No. 38 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft. Dinwiddie owns career averages of 4.4 points, 2.7 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 13.3 minutes in NBA 46 games.
Chicago had acquired the 23-year-old from Detroit in exchange for power forward Cameron Bairstow in June.
Nets Sign Jeremy Lin
JULY 7th, 4:04pm: The deal is official, Brooklyn announced in a press release.
9:18am: The third year is a player option, Wojnarowski tweets.
JULY 1st, 9:08am: The Nets are closing in on a multiyear deal with unrestricted free agent Jeremy Lin, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). The pact will be for three-years and $36MM, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Lin confirmed he is heading to the Nets via his personal Twitter account.
Lin will reunite with coach Kenny Atkinson, who was an assistant with the Knicks when “Linsanity” broke out during the 2011/12 season. The point guard has failed to recapture the magic of that time since departing New York, but has remained a productive player the past few seasons. It remains to be seen if pairing up with Atkinson will boost Lin’s numbers, but regardless, they land a solid contributor at a position of need.
The 27-year-old appeared in 78 games for the Hornets last season, including 13 starts. He notched averages of 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 26.3 minutes per outing. Lin’s slash line on the campaign was .412/.336/.815.
Mavericks Re-Sign Deron Williams
JULY 7th, 4:04pm: The signing is official, the team announced via press release.
JULY 3rd, 10:13pm: Veteran point guard Deron Williams has agreed to terms on a new deal to stay in Dallas, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The contract will pay Williams $10MM for one season.
Williams, 32, appeared in 65 games for Dallas in 2015/16 after signing as a free agent following his buyout in Brooklyn. He averaged 14.1 points and 5.8 assists per night.
Last month, Williams opted out of his contract, which would have paid him $5,621,026 next season. He and J.J. Barea will handle the point guard duties for Dallas next year, but it’s uncertain whether free agent Raymond Felton will be back to join them.