Nearly all of the NBA contracts being signed in the weeks leading up to training camp are non-guaranteed, but Mickael Pietrus is looking for more than a make-good deal, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Charania reports that Pietrus turned down a camp invitation from the Spurs and continues to seek an offer that includes a guaranteed salary.
We heard earlier in September that Pietrus was working out for the Spurs, and it's no surprise that he received a camp invite, since the team seems to be bringing in veteran wings to compete for its final roster spot. Sam Young and Corey Maggette are among the players who will be in camp with the Spurs.
According to Charania, Pietrus has worked out for a few teams besides the Spurs, but presumably no other club was willing to offer a fully guaranteed contract either. There's something of a precedent here for Pietrus, who didn't participate in training camp last fall, and ultimately landed a guaranteed pact with the Raptors a month into the season. With word of a few injuries already beginning to trickle in, it's probably not a bad strategy for Pietrus and his reps to wait out the market for now, in the hopes that a desperate team will be willing to up its offer within the next few weeks.
Pietrus' 2012/13 season was cut short due in part to knee issues, which plagued him even when he did suit up. He appeared in 19 contests for Toronto, averaging career-lows in PPG (5.3), FG% (.347), and PER (6.0), among other categories. However, Charania says the French swingman has spent the offseason working out to regain his old form.
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