Minnesota Timberwolves Sign British Star Luol Deng
MINNEAPOLIS (Dispatches) - The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed free agent forward Luol Deng, the latest former Chicago Bulls player to reunite with coach Tom Thibodeau.
Deng's one-year deal is for the minimum salary of $2.4 million for a player with his experience, according to a person with knowledge of the contract who spoke to media on condition of anonymity because the team does not release terms.
Deng will join former Bulls teammates Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose in Minnesota. They all played for Thibodeau with Chicago, too.
Just two seasons into a four-year, $72 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, Deng was waived on Sept 1 in a buyout move that allowed them to spread the final season of that albatross deal over a three-year span of the salary cap limit.
The contract was a remnant of the administration of former Lakers basketball boss Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak, the duo that was dismissed seven months after handing out hefty deals to Deng and center Timofey Mozgov that didn't pan out.
****In this Dec 27, 2016 file photo, Los Angeles Lakers forward Luol Deng (right) shoots as Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles.
Deng's one-year deal is for the minimum salary of $2.4 million for a player with his experience, according to a person with knowledge of the contract who spoke to media on condition of anonymity because the team does not release terms.
Deng will join former Bulls teammates Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose in Minnesota. They all played for Thibodeau with Chicago, too.
Just two seasons into a four-year, $72 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, Deng was waived on Sept 1 in a buyout move that allowed them to spread the final season of that albatross deal over a three-year span of the salary cap limit.
The contract was a remnant of the administration of former Lakers basketball boss Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak, the duo that was dismissed seven months after handing out hefty deals to Deng and center Timofey Mozgov that didn't pan out.
****In this Dec 27, 2016 file photo, Los Angeles Lakers forward Luol Deng (right) shoots as Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles.