THE FLATS – Josh Okogie re-signs with the Suns for two years … Thaddeus Young remains with Raptors, who guarantee salary for 2023-24 … four former Jackets playing in NBA Summer League … more in this week’s #ProJackets Report.
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OKOGIE RE-SIGNS WITH THE SUNS
The Phoenix Suns and guard Josh Okogie have agreed to terms on a two-year deal, per Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
The terms of the new contract were not disclosed by Haynes.
The 24-year-old averaged 7.3 points on 39.1% shooting and 33.5% from long range to go along with 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists across 72 games played (26 starts) after coming to Phoenix from the Minnesota Timberwolves as a free agent last year.
He signed a one-year, $2 million deal on a veteran’s minimum contract.
Despite only playing 18.8 minutes per game in the regular season, he did see an increase during the first round of the playoffs last season, playing 20 minutes per contest against the Los Angeles Clippers. His time on the court regressed following the round behind 15 minutes per contest across five games played against the Denver Nuggets.
Josh Okogie’s return is something of a surprise. He’s likely worth near the full mid-level exception on the open market, but chose to return to the Suns for the vet minimum. Some of this may be loyalty to the club after they gave him a real shot after picking him up on a minimum contract as an unrestricted free agent from Minnesota.
Okogie is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and one of the best rebounders and shot blockers for his position. He generates a ton of steals and deflections and can do all of this at three positions. Okogie is only 24 and could still bring his shooting up from last year’s 33.5%. His value during a championship run depends on this. If he somehow manages to bring his 3-point percentage into the upper 30s, this becomes an A+.
- More from Arizona Sports
- More from Bright Side of the Sun
- Suns off to historically great start in free agency – Inside the Suns
Free agent guard Josh Okogie has reached an agreement to return to the Phoenix Suns, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 30, 2023
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YOUNG GIVEN SALARY GUARANTEE FROM RAPTORS FOR 2023-24
Veteran forward Thaddeus Young got good news on Friday when the Raptors opted to keep him on their roster rather than waiving him. Because he’s still under contract, Young’s $8MM salary for the 2023/24 season has become fully guaranteed, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). It was previously only partially guaranteed for $1MM.
Young didn’t initially look like a great bet to earn that full $8MM, since Toronto was facing a cap crunch and he didn’t play a major role in 2022/23. The 35-year-old, who appeared in 54 games for the Raptors last season, averaged just 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per night — all three numbers were career lows.
However, the Raptors gained significant cap flexibility when Fred VanVleet opted to leave Toronto for Houston in free agency. With no risk of surpassing the luxury tax threshold, the team opted to hang onto Young, whose expiring salary could come in handy in a trade at some point during the 2023/24 league year.
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FOUR FORMER JACKETS ON NBA SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTERS
While he did not get drafted, former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Ja’von Franklin finds himself in a favorable situation to start his NBA career, playing for the Miami Heat in the NBA’s Summer League this year. The Heat made their second NBA Finals appearance in four years and lost in five games to the Denver Nuggets.
Meanwhile, Jordan Usher landed a spot on the Phoenix Suns’ summer league roster following a successful first professional season in Turkey. Teammates Michael Devoe, who played for the Los Angeles Clippers’ G League team last season, and Moses Wright, who enjoyed a solid season in the Chinese Basketball Association, are competing in the NBA Summer League for Portland and Toronto, respectively.
Wishing our guys luck in NBA Summer League! 💪@Callmeush@mant12_@javonhooping@mdevoe0#ProJackets | #TogetherWeSwarm 🐝 pic.twitter.com/g3cYHERwiX
— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) July 3, 2023
#𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐬 🎲
Catch our guys in action ⬇️🍿 pic.twitter.com/lih6VBvAel
— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) July 7, 2023
