Notable free agent center Javale Mcgee has finally decided what team he is going to play for during the upcoming 2017-18 season. Meanwhile, another center, veteran Marreese Speights has joined the Orlando Magic following his negotiations with the Atalanta Hawks falling through over a week ago.
JaVale McGee is staying with the defending champs
JaVale McGee has agreed to a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum to stay with the Golden State Warriors. Before deciding to return to the Warriors, he also met with the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings.
With the signing, the defending champions now have a 15 guaranteed contracts, making their final roster complete. Since the Warriors invited McGee to their training camp last summer he has turned his career around with the team.
The 29-year-old was mostly known for his antics and highlight reel bloopers on the court until joining the Warriors. He ended up playing for the Washington Wizards, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks during his first eight seasons in the league. In the three seasons before he joined the Warriors he only played in 62 games due to injury and inability to stick with a team.
Last season with the Warriors, McGee played in 77 games and started 10 of them.
He averaged 6.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks while playing 9.6 minutes per game. He also shot a career high 65.2% from the field. He had 121 dunks last season, the eleventh most in the NBA, despite his low playing time. Clint Capela, who was fifth with 163, had the second lowest playing time in the top 11 playing 23.9 minutes per game.
Speights latest veteran to sign with the Magic
The Orlando Magic have brought in another veteran to help tutor their young roster, agreeing to a deal with Marreese Speights. Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed. For the 29-year-old the move is something of a homecoming for Speights, who was born in St.Petersburg and played college ball at the University of Florida.
In his nine seasons in the NBA the versatile, three-point shooting big-man has played for five different teams.
He has most recently spent last season with the Los Angeles Clippers. Last season he averaged 8.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.8 assists while shooting 46.4% from the field and 34.9% on three-pointers. Speights played in all 82 games last season, starting only two of them and averaging 15.7 minutes per game.
