Washington Wizards: Brooklyn Nets offer 4-year max to Otto Porter Jr.
The Brooklyn Nets and Otto Porter Jr. have agreed in principle to a four-year max deal.
The 2017 NBA free agency period has become a lucrative market for forward Otto Porter. After receiving a four-year max offer from the Sacramento Kings, Porter walked away from that meeting without signing anything.
However, Porter didn’t waste any time on Tuesday, signing a four-year offer sheet from the Brooklyn Nets worth $106 million. It is the fourth time in two years that the Nets have offered a player a max deal.
The Wizards will have until July 8 to match the offer sheet. Sources close to the situation have stated the Wizards will definitely match the offer.
The Washington Wizards have been busy already during the free agency period while allowing Porter to test the market.
Wizards had hoped to work out something more cap friendly with Otto Porter, but they intend to match Nets offer, sources tell @TheVertical.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) July 5, 2017
Making moves in free agency
The Wizards have already agreed to sign ninth-year guard Jodie Meeks to a two-year, $7 million deal. They are also working on a one-year minimum deal to sign sixth-year forward Mike Scott to increase their bench depth as well.
Meeks, when healthy, has proven to be a solid player. He averaged 15.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2013-14 season. That season, he appeared in 77 games, a season-high so far in his career. He appeared in 36 games last season for the Orlando Magic, averaging 9.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. While injuries have slowed him down a bit, he’s still shooting 40.9 percent from three-point range in his career.
Scott has spent the last five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. He ran into some legal trouble in the 2015 offseason which put a damper on his role with the organization. He has since been cleared of any wrongdoing and his new deal with the Wizards is a good sign.
Scott averaged 7.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game as a member of the Hawks.
What to do with Bogdanovic
Recent developments in the free agency period have also allowed the Washington Wizards to consider moving restricted free agent Bojan Bogdanovic in a sign-and-trade deal. After dealing for backup point guard Tim Frazier and sending their trade exception to the New Orleans Pelicans, the Wizards are looking to re-acquire their trade exception by moving Bogdanovic.
Bogdanovic is seeking a 3-4 year deal worth up to $16 million per year. After signing Meeks and Scott, it looks like the Wizards are more than likely to cut ties with Bogdanovic.
Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far
As far as Porter goes, since signing his offer sheet with the Nets, he’s since scheduled a meeting with the Utah Jazz, who recently lost Gordon Hayward to the Boston Celtics.