NBA Trades and Free Agency Tracker for 2016-17 Season: David Lee to Spurs, Wizards Re-Sign Thornton
The 2016 NBA Free Agency is almost a month old now, and at this stage many teams are looking to sign veteran players. Some of these veterans are signing with the top-tier teams in search for championship rings.
Only a few top talents remain unsigned in free agency. That includes LeBron James, who has already informed the 2016 NBA Champions Cleveland Cavaliers that he will re-sign with the team, and James' teammate J.R. Smith.
1. Spurs sign David Lee
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David Lee signed a two-year, $3.2 million deal to play for the San Antonio Spurs. The addition of Lee, a former All-star power forward, will add depth to the Spurs front court.
Lee played for both the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks last season. He averaged 8.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists with the Dallas Mavericks last season.
His best season was with the New York Knicks back in 2009-10. In that season, he averaged 20.2 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He became an unrestricted free agent after that and signed with the Golden State Warriors where he played for five successful seasons as well.
Lee will replace Boris Diaw, who was traded by the Spurs to the Utah Jazz for Olivier Hanlan. Lee may not be as good a shooter as Diaw, but he can play small ball and can score, pass and rebound well.
2. Wizards Re-sign Marcus Thornton
Marcus Thornton re-signed with the Washington Wizards. The seven-year veteran played for 7 teams during his entire career. In the 2015-16 season, he played for Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards. He averaged 8.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game for the Wizards.
According to Ernie Grunfeld, general manager for the Wizards, Thornton is "a proven veteran who gives us experience and scoring off the bench and will add depth at the two-guard position."
3. Demetrius Jackson Signs with Celtics
Demetrius Jackson, a 6'1", 201 pound point guard and 2nd round, 45th overall draft pick by the Boston Celtics, signed a four-year, $5.5 million contract. The deal is quite lucrative, comparable to that of the 23rd overall draft pick.
Jackson played 8 quiet games in the NBA Summer League, averaging 5.3 points, 1.3 assists, 2 rebounds and 1 steal per game.
Jackson is an alumnus of Marian High School and Notre Dame. He left Notre Dame early to pursue his NBA dreams.
4. J.R. Smith seeking $15 million contract with Cavs
According to a tweet by Steve Kyler, who covers for Basketball Insiders, JR Smith is "seeking a huge deal to return to Cavs, in the $15m per year range. Can Cavs really pass on bringing him back?"
While Smith played a key role in the Cavaliers 2016 NBA Championship, some sports experts argue that Smith is asking too much from the team, and that he deserve a bit less; some suggest $12 million per year is better.
