Michael Lee of The Washington Post hears from agent Mark Bartelstein that client Brian Cook has signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Wizards. The big man was rumored to be close to a deal with the team on Friday, though the Suns were also reportedly in the mix. It will likely be for the minimum salary, which he earned last year while splitting the season between the Wizards and the Clippers.
Cook has averaged fewer than 10 minutes per game three of the last four seasons, including last year, when he saw 8.6 MPG. That includes the 9.7 MPG he got in the second half of the season with the Wizards after coming over in same deal that brought Nene to Washington. The 6'9", 31-year-old Cook averaged 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds with a 10.4 in his time with the Wizards. Cook's rate of 9.3 rebounds per 36 minutes over his 16 games with the team was higher than in any of his nine NBA seasons.
He represents the 18th player on the team's preseason roster, which includes at least 14 with a partial guarantee. It appears as though Cook will compete with Earl Barron, Shavlik Randolph and Steven Gray for the last regular season roster spot, though another position could open if the team decides to waive point guard Shelvin Mack and absorb his partial guarantee of $300K.