Many NBA players agreed to contracts on the third day of free agency. Last Word On Sports has you covered with the “major” free agent signings listed in the LWOS 2016 NBA Free Agency Tracker. However, there are still a few rotation players who agreed to deals on Sunday but weren’t covered by the tracker. In our first and second free agency round-ups, we covered those players who came to contract agreements on July 1st and 2nd, but more reports came out of agreements on July 3rd. Here, we cover the free agent role players who agreed to deals on Sunday but weren’t covered by the tracker.
NBA Free Agent Role Players Round-up (Part Three)
James Ennis
Shams Charania of The Vertical reported early Sunday morning that forward James Ennis agreed to a two-year, $6 million contract with the Memphis Grizzlies:
Vertical Sources: Memphis has agreed to a two-year, guaranteed $6M deal with free agent James Ennis. He averaged 15.9PPG to finish '15-16.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2016
Ennis played in just nine games last season for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Andrew Nicholson
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported later Sunday morning that Canadian power forward Andrew Nicholson agreed to a four-year, $26 million contract with the Washington Wizards:
Free agent forward Andrew Nicholson has agreed to a four-year, $26 million deal with the Wizards, league source tells @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 3, 2016
Nicholson will leave the team that drafted him back in 2012, the Orlando Magic.
Cole Aldrich
Marc Stein of ESPN later reported that center Cole Aldrich is agreed to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a deal that will pay him $22 million over three years:
Cole Aldrich has landed a three-year, $22 million deal with the Timberwolves, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 3, 2016
Garrett Temple
Charania reported in the afternoon that reserve guard Garrett Temple agreed to sign a three-year contract with the Sacramento Kings:
Free agent guard Garrett Temple has agreed to a three-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, league source tells The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2016
Sam Amick of USA Today added shortly after that the deal will pay Temple $24 million, and there is a player option before the third year:
To recap in one linear tweet: Garrett Temple to the Kings on a three-year, $24 million deal. Third year is a player option.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 3, 2016
Temple will leave the Washington, where he spent four seasons with the Wizards.
Matt Barnes
Sacramento wasn’t done with its contract agreements for the day. Stein and Amick reported on Sunday evening that veteran forward Matt Barnes will sign a two-year, $12 million deal with the Kings. Amick later mentioned that the second year is a player option for Barnes:
As @James_Ham noted, can confirm the Matt Barnes deal with the Kings is two years, $12 million. Second year a player option.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 4, 2016
Barnes, who spent last season with the Grizzlies, is still an effective wing player. The NBA journeyman actually played for the Kings back in his second year in the league, which was the 2004-05 season.
Dwight Powell
Charania reported on Sunday night that restricted free agent power forward Dwight Powell will re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks. Powell’s new deal will pay him just over $37 million over four years:
Dallas RFA Dwight Powell has agreed to a four-year, $37-plus million with the Mavericks, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2016
Powell, who will turn 25 years old on July 20th, was sent to the Mavs as a “thrown-in” in the Rajon Rondo trade. It’s safe to say that Powell will be much more important to Dallas than Rondo ever was in his short stint there.
Be sure to check out the Free Agency Tracker for the more significant free agents, and stay tuned to LWOS for full coverage of the NBA off-season.
Main photo:
