Nets Sign Andray Blatche

WEDNESDAY, 3:19pm: The Nets have officially announced the signing in a press release.

TUESDAY, 10:30pm: The Nets and Blatche have finalized the deal, Josh Newman of SNY.tv reports.

SUNDAY, 12:18pm: Fred Kerber of the New York Post reports that Blatche "has other business that needs to be addressed first" before he finalizes his deal with the Nets, according to Miller. While it appears there are other options for Blatche, he's still likely to sign with the Nets this week, Kerber says. Rumors have linked him to the Heat and the Spurs since the Wizards used the amnesty clause to waive him in July.

FRIDAY, 1:40pm: Agent Andy Miller confirmed to Michael Lee of the Washington Post that Blatche has agreed to sign with the Nets and will finalize the deal sometime next week.

THURSDAY, 5:55pm: For most of the offseason, Blatche has been working out in Houston, Texas under the guidance of former NBA player John Lucas in hopes of landing an NBA deal for the upcoming season.  According to Lucas, via Twitter, the forward has signed a contract with the Nets.

8:02am: Two sources close to Blatche tell Michael Lee of the Washington Post that the former Wizard has yet to make a decision, and that he's still considering an offer from the Heat. It's clear that Blatche hasn't signed anything yet, but based on the number of reports suggesting that at least a verbal agreement with the Nets is in place, I'd be surprised if he didn't end up with Brooklyn within the next few days.

WEDNESDAY, 8:51pm: Blatche's deal will be non-guaranteed, according to Howard Beck of the New York Times (via Twitter).

7:52pm: The Nets have agreed to terms with Andray Blatche on a contract, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). The deal is for one year and is worth the minimum salary, according to Spears, who adds that Blatche and the Nets are expected to finalize the agreement early next week (Twitter link).

Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com reported last week that if the Nets signed Blatche, it was unlikely to be a guaranteed deal. ESPN.com's Marc Stein echoed that sentiment today, indicating that the Nets, who have 13 players on guaranteed contracts, prefer to fill their last two roster spots with non-guaranteed deals. So we'll have to wait and see how much, if any, of Blatche's deal includes guaranteed money.

Blatche is coming off a tremendously disappointing season in Washington, but has the upside to make the deal a worthwhile investment for the Nets. In the two seasons prior to 2011/12, Blatche averaged a very solid 15.3 points and 7.1 rebounds with a 17.2 PER in 30.5 minutes per game. However, those averages fell off to 8.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 10.6 PER, and 24.1 MPG in a '11/12 season plagued by conditioning issues.

Because the Wizards amnestied Blatche this summer, he'll continue to receive a salary well above the veteran's minimum from Washington for the next three years. For the Nets, assuming he earns a place on the regular-season roster, he'll come off the bench as a power forward and perhaps earn some minutes backing up Brook Lopez at center.

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