According to reports, the Orlando Magic have agreed to sign unrestricted free agent center Bismack Biyombo to a contract worth $72 million over four years. The contract cannot officially be signed until the end of the NBA’s moratorium period on July 7th.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo’s the Vertical, and Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press broke the news on Saturday afternoon:
Four-year, $72M on Bismack Biyombo's Magic agreement @APkrawczynski reported on. Masai Ujiri loved Biz, but didn't value him that way.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2016
Report: Bismack Biyombo Agrees to Contract with Orlando Magic
Biyombo’s contract will take him through the end of the 2019-2020 season. No player or team options have been reported at this time.
Biyombo had a breakout season where he averaged 5.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game while appearing in all 82 regular season games for the Toronto Raptors. Although these numbers might not be as flashy as those of other players, Biyombo really shined during the Eastern Conference playoffs where he took over the starting position in the second round after Jonas Valanciunas went down with an injury.
During this era of small-ball, the demand for quick centers with a strong defensive focus is at an all-time high. After a strong showing in the playoffs, especially in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Miami Heat and Eastern Conference Finals against the eventual champion Cleveland Cavaliers, Biyombo put the entire NBA on notice that he is one of the premier defensive players of the league and is a capable starter for most NBA teams.
Biyombo is going into his sixth season in the league, during which he’ll be 24 years old. Biyombo spent his first four years as a member of the Charlotte Hornets before signing with the Raptors as an unrestricted free agent last summer. He’ll now join a young Magic team that recently traded for defensive-minded power forward Serge Ibaka.
Check out the LWOS 2016 NBA Free Agency Tracker for all of your NBA free agency coverage, and be sure to follow @LastWordHoops on Twitter to stay up-to-date with the latest NBA news.
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