Nets Sign Donald Sloan, Waive Earl Clark
The Brooklyn Nets’ offseason isn’t quite yet completed, as they announced Monday that they’ve agreed to terms on a contract with free agent guard Donald Sloan. Terms of the deal were not announced, as per team policy, but Spotrac lists it as a one-year deal for $1.015 million that could be partially guaranteed in 2015-16.
The 27-year old Sloan has spent time with four organizations over his four-year career; most recently with the Indiana Pacers last season where he started 21 games and averaged 7.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 turnovers in 20.9 minutes per game and on 46.4/31.3/77.9 triple-slash percentages (on two-point field goals, three-pointers, and free throws).
At 6’3” and 205 lbs., Sloan is able to switch between both backcourt positions and is effective at using his size to get into the lane to draw free throws (career .203 free-throw rate, per Basketball-Reference) and generate easy baskets (43.8 percent of his shot attempts came within 10 feet of the basket, to which he converted at a 53.5-percent clip by NBA.com’s data). He’s also a solid passer and playmaker, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.55-to-1 in his 157-game NBA career, but Sloan struggles with his long-range accuracy and shot under 30 percent from deep in his two seasons with Indiana, despite an increase in attempts from beyond the arc (up to 36.6 percent of his total shots).
Donald Sloan will join the reshuffled Brooklyn point guard rotation along with incumbent veteran Jarrett Jack and fellow new additions Shane Larkin and rookie Ryan Boatright, as they attempt to replace the production of former-”stretched” starter Deron Williams in ‘15-16. Jack will be given every opportunity to seize the starting job once training camp opens on October 1st, barring any major trades, while Sloan’s size and NBA experience could endear him to head coach Lionel Hollins and provide an advantage in the battle for the back-up point guard position over his younger teammates.
This story just keeps on getting more and more interesting I’m guessing this chapter is called… https://t.co/zhskOAaYiQ
— Donald Sloan (@dsloan15) August 10, 2015
The opportunity to bring Donald Sloan in as a point guard option will cost the Nets a relatively minor financial commitment (that could be mitigated by any partial guarantees), but also the services of forward Earl Clark, who was signed to a guaranteed extension after a couple of 10-day contracts with the team in March. Clark’s contract included a non-guaranteed second season and a $200,000 roster bonus due on October 26th that would have probably sealed his fate regardless of Sloan’s presence, and perhaps the early decision on his Nets status will allow him to field other offers either domestically or overseas.
The Brooklyn Nets career of Earl Clark lasted 10 games (12, counting playoffs), in which he averaged 2.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 9.3 minutes per game, and (somehow) accumulated an offensive rating of 76 compared to a 102 defensive rating in his 93 total minutes as a Net.
