Warriors agree to sign Young
Veteran shooting guard among last pieces for champs.
Veteran shooting guard Nick Young agreed to a $5.2 million, one-year contract Wednesday with the NBA champion Warriors.
Young’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, confirmed the deal, and general manager Bob Myers said the team would finalize a contract once the free agency moratorium period concludes today.
Young accepted the Warriors’ full taxpayer mid-level exception after declining his $5.6 million option with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Young, 32, who is entering his 12th season, averaged 13.2 points in 60 games, all starts, last season after two years of declining numbers as a reserve in L.A.
In addition, forward Omri Casspi, 29, is expected to join the Warriors. He divided last season among the Kings, Pelicans and Timberwolves.
The two free agents will bring the Warriors’ roster to 13. Ten were on the team last season: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Patrick McCaw, Damian Jones, David West and Kevon Looney. The others are rookie power forward Jordan Bell, Casspi and Young. The final two spots likely will go to centers.
Cavaliers: Forward Richard Jefferson, 37, said he would return for a 17th NBA season. He averaged 5.7 points in 79 games last season, mostly as LeBron James’ backup. He was the Cavs’ most productive reserve during the Finals.
Clippers: The team agreed to acquire free-agent forward Danilo Gallinari from Denver on a three-year, $65 million contract as part of a threeteam sign-and-trade deal, according to ESPN.com.
The Clippers will send Jamal Crawford, Diamond Stone, a 2018 first-round pick previously acquired from Houston and cash to the Hawks, and Atlanta will send a 2019 second-round pick it previously acquired from Washington to Denver, ESPN said, citing league sources.
The 6-foot-10 Gallinari, 28, led the Nuggets with 18.2 points a game last season and is expected to play alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in the frontcourt.
Crawford, 37, is interested in a buyout or getting waived in Atlanta to become a free agent, the report said.
Heat: Guard Dion Waiters agreed on a four-year, $52 million deal to return to Miami, according to multiple media reports. Waiters, 25, turned down a player option worth a little more than $3.2 million to test free agency.
Last season, his first in Miami, Waiters averaged 15.8 points, the second-best mark of his five-year career. But he missed the final 13 games because of a sprained left ankle and a 20-game stretch early in the season with a groin tear.
Thunder: Forward Patrick Patterson agreed to a threeyear, $16.4 million deal, leaving Toronto as a free agent.
Wizards: The team plans to match the Nets’ offer to forward Otto Porter Jr. and keep him following his best NBA season, a person with knowledge of the details told the Associated Press.
The Vertical first reported that Porter had agreed to sign a four-year, $106 million offer sheet with the Nets. Porter finished fourth in voting for Most Improved Player last season after averaging 13.4 points and shooting 43.4 percent from 3-point range, fourth best in the league.