The Oklahoma City Thunder have filled their backup point guard position, signing Norris Cole for the rest of the season.
According to Shams Charania of The Vertical, the Thunder have agreed to a contract with Norris Cole. The contract is likely to run through the end of the 2016-2017 season.
Free agent Norris Cole has agreed to a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder for rest of the season, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 28, 2017
The 28-year-old will return to the NBA after starting the season with the Shandong Golden Stars in the Chinese Basketball Association. He was released by Shandong in early December, and many thought that he would have already signed with a NBA team by now.
Must Read: Why Alex Abrines should win Rookie of the Year
After trading backup point guard Cameron Payne to the Chicago Bulls, the Thunder were in desperate need of a veteran point guard. Cole will fill the void left by Payne, and will be responsible for backing up Russell Westbrook.
More from Thunderous Intentions
- Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
Adding Cole into the mix could be a benefit for the Thunder down he stretch. Over his six-year NBA career, Cole has played for the Miami Heat and the New Orleans Pelicans, winning two championships during his time with the Heat.
In 347 career games, Cole has averaged 7.1 points-per-game while shooting over 40% from the floor. He could provide another scoring option for the Thunder’s second unit, which could definitely benefit from having another playmaker in the mix.
The Thunder are back in action on Tuesday night, as they host the Utah Jazz at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. It is unclear at this time whether or not Cole will be available to play tonight.