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Spurs Sign Dewayne Dedmon

July 14th, 2016 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 14, 1:40pm: The Spurs have formally issued a press release to confirm their deal with Dedmon.

JULY 7, 10:52am: The second year of Dedmon’s deal with the Spurs will be a player option, tweets Michael Scott of The Associated Press.

10:01am: The Spurs have agreed to a two-year, $6MM deal with free agent center Dewayne Dedmon, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Dedmon started out the free agent period as a restricted free agent, but the Magic rescinded his qualifying offer earlier this week, freeing him up to sign with any team.

The news of San Antonio’s agreement with Dedmon comes on the heels of a report that the Pistons are set to sign Spurs RFA Boban Marjanovic to a three-year, $21MM offer sheet. It sounds as if the Spurs are re-signed to losing Marjanovic, since they don’t hold his Bird rights and don’t have the cap room to match Detroit’s offer. Dedmon will be a less expensive replacement.

Dedmon, who will turn 27 next month, appeared in 58 games for the Magic last season, starting 20. He was a serviceable depth piece for the team, posting averages of 4.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 0.8 BPG in just 12.2 minutes per contest.

Per Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), the Warriors “really” wanted to land Dedmon as a rim protector for their bench. However, Golden State could only offer the minimum salary. Based on the reported terms of Dedmon’s agreement with the Spurs, it sounds like San Antonio will fit him in using the $2.9MM room exception.

Knicks Re-Sign Sasha Vujacic

July 14th, 2016 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 14, 12:21pm: The Knicks have officially re-signed Vujacic, the team announced today (via Twitter).

JULY 12, 10:12am: The Knicks are bringing back one of their rotation players from last season, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who reports (via Twitter) that Sasha Vujacic has agreed to terms on a new deal with the team. It will be a one-year, minimum-salary contract for Vujacic, per Berman.

After spending several years overseas, having appeared in just two NBA games in a four-season span from 2011 to 2015, Vujacic returned stateside last year and joined the Knicks. Appearing in 61 games (25 starts) during the 2015/16 season, the 32-year-old guard posted averages of 4.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.4 APG, to go along with a shooting line of .383/.364/.821.

Although his numbers weren’t great last season, Vujacic also wasn’t getting significant playing time, averaging less than 15 minutes per game. With a handful of incoming players added to the roster this offseason, Vujacic may start the 2016/17 campaign in a role that’s even more reduced.

Of course, Derrick Rose will be one player ahead of him on the Knicks’ depth chart, and Rose hasn’t played more than 66 games in a season since 2010/11, so there could be some opportunities for Vujacic to get increased minutes. Brandon Jennings will also be in the mix at point guard, while Courtney Lee , Justin Holiday, and Mindaugas Kuzminskas are other backcourt options for the Knicks.

The Knicks used up their cap space on deals for Joakim Noah, Lee, and Jennings, then signed Kuzminskas using their mid-level exception. As such, the team now only has room for minimum-salary contracts, which limited the amount New York was able to offer Vujacic.

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Nets, Anthony Bennett Reach Agreement

July 14th, 2016 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

Former first overall pick Anthony Bennett has reached an agreement on a new contract with the Nets, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). According to Charania, it’ll be a two-year, minimum-salary contract, with a guaranteed salary in year one.

Michael Scotto of The Associated Press (Twitter link) first reported that talks between Bennett and the Nets were in the “advanced stages,” with the two sides nearing a deal. He confirms that an agreement is in place, tweeting that the second year features a partial guarantee.

We heard over the weekend that Brooklyn had interest in Bennett, and that wasn’t the first time the team and player had been linked. The former UNLV power forward was invited to the Nets’ mini-camp for free agents in late May and seemingly made a positive impression on the club’s decision-makers. Bennett also

The first player taken in the 2013 draft, Bennett never developed into the sort of player the Cavaliers hoped he would. After one season in Cleveland, Bennett was sent to Minnesota as part of the trade package for Kevin Love. Last season, the Canadian appeared in 19 games for the Raptors, averaging just 4.4 minutes in those contests.

The Nets remain well below the salary floor, and Bennett’s deal will only take up a small portion of the team’s cap room, so the team still has flexibility to spend.

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Raptors Re-Sign Demar DeRozan

July 14th, 2016 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 14, 10:45am: Nearly two weeks after agreeing to terms with him, the Raptors have officially signed DeRozan, the team announced today (Twitter link).

JULY 1, 1:14pm: According to Charania, DeRozan’s five-year contract will be worth about $139MM. A maximum-salary, five-year pact for DeRozan is expected to be worth in excess of $150MM, so it doesn’t sound like this will be a max deal.

1:11am: DeRozan’s new deal with the Raptors will be for five years, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). Amick notes (via Twitter) that the team has “other moving pieces” to deal with, so the salary figures for DeRozan’s new contract aren’t yet known. Bismack Biyombo‘s free agency is likely the primary “moving piece” that the Raptors are trying to address.

1:05am: After a meeting with the Raptors in Los Angeles tonight, DeMar DeRozan has decided to re-sign with Toronto, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link). The exact terms of the agreement haven’t yet been hammered out, and the two sides can’t make it official until next week, but it appears DeRozan won’t be joining a new team this summer.

DeRozan, who turns 27 in August, made his second All-Star game this past season while averaging a career-high 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists. The Compton native improved his long-distance shooting to a respectable 33.8% from beyond the arc, and averaged 20.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in the postseason as Toronto reached the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Cavaliers.

DeRozan opted out of his contract in June, turning down a player option that would have paid him just over $10MM. While the Heat, Mavericks, Sixers, and Lakers were among the teams with reported interest in DeRozan, who received inquiries tonight from Philadelphia and L.A., he was always viewed as likely to return to Toronto, where he has spent his entire seven-year career to date.

DeRozan ranked seventh in our list of this year’s top 50 free agents.

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Spurs Sign Dejounte Murray

July 14th, 2016 at 10:43am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have locked up first-round pick Dejounte Murray, according to Mike Monroe of The Rivard Report, who tweets that Murray has signed his rookie contract with the team. The move comes on the heels of San Antonio making its deal with Pau Gasol official.

[RELATED: 2016 Draft Pick Signings]

Murray, 19, was viewed as a possible lottery pick in this year’s draft, but ultimately fell to No. 29, where the Spurs snatched him up. The pick earned San Antonio a grade of A+ from ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link) in his post-draft round-up, with Ford writing that the young combo guard has a chance to develop into an All-Star player if he can improve his shooting.

In his lone season at Washington, Murray averaged 16.1 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 1.8 SPG. As Ford notes, Murray’s outside shooting wasn’t impressive – he shot just 28.8% from three-point range – but that’s something that could improve with age.

As detailed in our breakdown of this year’s first-round rookie salaries, Murray will earn about $1.18MM in 2016/17, and just over $6MM over the course of his four-year rookie contract.

Spurs Sign Pau Gasol To Two-Year Deal

July 14th, 2016 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 14, 10:34am: The Spurs have officially signed Gasol, the team confirmed today in a press release.

JULY 4, 1:48pm: While some contract details still have to be finalized, the Spurs and Gasol are in agreement, reports David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter links). Gasol’s new two-year deal will be worth $30MM, with a player option for the second year, tweets ESPN’s Marc Stein.

1:39pm: The Spurs are finalizing an agreement to bring aboard free agent big man Pau Gasol, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. While the Raptors, Trail Blazers, and Timberwolves had been among the teams in the hunt for Gasol, San Antonio was viewed as the frontrunner for the Spaniard after missing out on Kevin Durant.

Gasol, who signed with the Bulls in 2014, declined a third-year player option that would have paid him $7,769,520 in 2016/17 if he had opted into the final year of his previous contract. The former third overall pick continued to be productive during his time in Chicago, averaging 16.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game last season, and earning All-Star nods in each of the last two years.

The Spurs have long been viewed as a potential fit for Gasol, one that even Pau’s brother has advocated for. Back in April, Marc Gasol advised his brother to sign with San Antonio. With Tim Duncan leaning strongly toward retirement, San Antonio reportedly pursued Pau heavily, making him a top priority when it became clear Durant wouldn’t become a Spur.

While San Antonio was aggressive in its pursuit of Gasol, the Spurs weren’t necessarily a slam-dunk choice. According to Wojnarowski, Pau may have received offers in the $20MM-per-year range from other suitors, including the Blazers.

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Raptors Sign Jared Sullinger

July 14th, 2016 at 10:13am CST by Eddie Scarito

JULY 14, 10:13am: The Raptors have officially confirmed their deal with Sullinger (Twitter link).

JULY 11, 1:52pm: It appears Jared Sullinger will remain in the Atlantic Division, with the big man tweeting out that he intends to join the Raptors. It will be a one-year deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical reports (via Twitter). The arrangement is worth approximately $6MM, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.

The Celtics renounced their $4,433,683 qualifying offer to Sullinger on Sunday, making him an unrestricted free agent. Boston had limited playing time to offer the 6’9″ power forward after signing Al Horford in free agency and allowing Amir Johnson‘s $12MM deal to become guaranteed for next season. Sullinger met with Raptors GM Masai Ujiri on Sunday, Wojnarowski notes, which apparently went well, given the two sides struck a deal today.

Sullinger, 24, spent four years in Boston after the Celtics made him the No. 21 overall pick on the 2012 NBA Draft. He appeared in 81 games this past season, including 73 tip-offs as a starter, averaging 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 23.6 minutes per outing. The forward had a shooting line of .435/.282/.640.

Knicks Sign Maurice Ndour To Two-Year Deal

July 14th, 2016 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 14, 8:54am: The Knicks have officially signed Ndour, the team announced today (via Twitter).

JULY 13, 12:27pm: Only the first year of Ndour’s deal with the Knicks will be fully guaranteed, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.

11:12am: The Knicks have agreed to bring another player stateside from a European team, according to international basketball journalist David Pick, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has reached a two-year deal with Real Madrid forward Maurice Ndour. The pact, which figures to be for the minimum salary, will be guaranteed, per Pick.

Ndour went undrafted out of Ohio University in 2015, but he made a strong impression as a Knicks summer-leaguer last year, averaging 9.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per contest across five appearances. The Knicks tried to get Ndour to back out of the commitment he made to the Mavs, who formally signed him about a week after his final summer league game, but were unable to convince him.

Ndour ultimately ended up being waived by Dallas and found his way to Real Madrid for the 2015/16 season. A year later, the Knicks finally have their man, adding him to a group of free agent signees that includes Lithuanian forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas. The club also locked up draft-and-stash prospect Willy Hernangomez, a Spanish center.

Since Kuzminskas got the Knicks’ room exception, and the team doesn’t have any cap room left, the minimum-salary exception is the only way New York can continue to add free agents. Ndour would earn $1,448,720 on a two-year, minimum-salary contract.

Nets Sign Luis Scola

July 13th, 2016 at 10:17pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 13, 10:17pm: The Nets have issued a press release formally announcing that their deal with Scola is official.

JULY 12, 11:23am: Veteran big man Luis Scola has agreed to join the Nets on a one-year contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but Brooklyn has plenty of cap room to spare after missing out on its top RFA targets, so Scola won’t necessarily be limited to minimum-salary or mid-level-exception money.

The Nets prioritized young backcourt players in free agency this summer, signing Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson to lucrative, long-term offer sheets. However, the Trail Blazers matched Brooklyn’s offer sheet for Crabbe, and the Heat matched Brooklyn’s offer sheet for Johnson, leaving the Nets with a huge chunk of cap room and a gaping hole in their backcourt.

Scola shouldn’t take up too much of the team’s cap space, and he’ll provide depth in the frontcourt rather than at guard. Despite having turned 36 in April, the Argentinian power forward has managed to stay incredibly healthy over the last few years, missing just 15 total regular-season games since entering the NBA in 2007.

In 2015/16, his lone year with the Raptors, Scola started all 76 regular-season games he played for the Raptors, averaging 8.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 0.9 APG, while shooting 40.4% on three-point attempts — 65 of the 75 three-pointers Scola has made in his career came last season.

The former second-round pick fell out of the Raptors’ rotation during the club’s playoff run, but he provided veteran leadership in Toronto last season, and should do the same in Brooklyn. He’ll join Jeremy Lin, Greivis Vasquez, Trevor Booker, and Justin Hamilton as incoming free agent additions for the Nets.

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Nets Sign Greivis Vasquez

July 13th, 2016 at 10:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 13, 10:15pm: The Nets have officially signed Vasquez, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 10, 8:56pm: Greivis Vasquez has agreed to a one-year deal with the Nets, tweets The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Vasquez missed most of the 2015/16 season after undergoing surgery on his right ankle in December.

Vasquez appeared in 29 games for the Bucks this year, all as a reserve. He averaged 5.7 points and 4.0 assists in 20.0 minutes of playing time. Vasquez has also been with the Grizzlies, Hornets, Kings and Raptors during his six seasons in the NBA.

He joins a Brooklyn team that also added point guard Jeremy Lin through free agency and may be seeking more backcourt help after offer sheets to Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson were matched earlier today.

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