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Jan 23, 2017; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters (11) reacts after making the game winning basket against the Golden State Warriors during the second half at American Airlines Arena. The Heat defeated the Golden State Warriors 105-102. Photo Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
ree agent Dion Waiters is staying in Miami, agreeing to a four-year deal with the Heat on Wednesday.
ESPN reported the sides agreed to the deal as the New York Knicks ramped up their pursuit of the former Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder sharpshooter.
Terms of the contract were not immediately available. The Heat this week created $25 million in salary cap space by waiving forward Chris Bosh.
Waiters averaged 15.8 points and 4.3 assists and shot 39.5 percent from 3-point range with the Heat, while playing for $2.9 million last season.
–Free agent guard Nick Young agreed to a one-year, $5.2 million contract with the Golden State Warriors, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, told ESPN.
Young is expected to provide depth for the talent-rich Warriors, who have won two of the last three NBA titles.
The 32-year-old Young averaged 13.2 points, connected on 40.4 percent of his 3-point attempts and started all 60 games in which he played last season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Young, who played four seasons with the Lakers, declined his player option on June 21 to become an unrestricted free agent. He had a player option with Los Angeles for one more season that would have paid him $5.7 million.
–The Chicago Bulls signed first-round draft pick Lauri Markkanen, the team announced.
The 7-foot Markkanen was the seventh overall pick and was taken by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was then acquired by Chicago along with Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine in exchange for Jimmy Butler and this year’s No. 16 pick (Justin Patton).
The team did not disclose the terms of the contract, but spotrac.com reports that a player taken with the No. 7 pick would get a four-year rookie contract that would pay about $2.7 million in the first year and approximately $3.8 million in the fourth.
Markkanen, a forward, played one season at Arizona. He averaged 15.2 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 49.2 from the field and 42.3 percent from 3-point range.
–LaVar Ball and his family will be featured in a new Facebook reality series focused on his basketball-playing brood, including No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball.
Facebook is planning expanded video and streaming production, according to ESPN and Deadline.com, and the loquacious LaVar Ball has been heavily opinionated, becoming a polarizing figure within the NBA and beyond.
Most recently, LaVar Ball sparred on social media with Philadelphia 76ers forward Joel Embiid and previously engaged in verbal jousting with Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley. He appeared in the ring at a WWE event and has vigorously defended launching a $495 signature shoe.
Lonzo Ball played one season at UCLA. As the No. 2 overall pick in last month’s NBA draft, Lonzo Ball signed a four-year, $33 million contract and perhaps the most talented ballers of the Ball family, LaMelo Ball and UCLA freshman LiAngelo Ball, gives the family potential springboards into the league in years to come.
