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Brooklyn Nets Officially Sign Yogi Ferrell

By Kenneth Teape

Mar 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Yogi Ferrell (5) brings the ball up court against the Michigan Wolverines during the Big Ten Conference tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Michigan wins 72-69. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Yogi Ferrell (5) brings the ball up court against the Michigan Wolverines during the Big Ten Conference tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Michigan wins 72-69. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Brooklyn Nets announced that Yogi Ferrell has officially been signed to a one-year, partially guaranteed deal.

The Brooklyn Nets continued their busy offseason Saturday, as they officially agreed to a deal with undrafted free agent point guard Yogi Ferrell. There were reports that the Nets and Ferrell had agreed to a deal earlier in the summer, but the deal did not become official until this week.

The deal will be a one-year deal for Ferrell, as he will receive a partial guarantee for the 2016-17 season. Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops and the Associated Press announced the deal via his Twitter account.

When this deal was first being reported following the 2016 NBA Draft, it looked like a solid landing spot for Ferrell. The Nets didn’t have much in the way of point guards, as second round pick Isaiah Whitehead was on the roster and that was about it at the position.

All of the point guards from last season, Jarrett Jack, Shane Larkin and Donald Sloan, were no longer on the roster so it looked like Ferrell would have a legitimate shot at playing his way onto the team.

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But, fast forward to where we are now, and the outlook isn’t as bright for Ferrell. In addition to Whitehead, the Nets signed Jeremy Lin to be their starting point guard and veterans Greivis Vasquez and Randy Foye as combo guards to come off the bench. Add in that the Nets want to use Whitehead primarily as a point guard, and Ferrell all of a sudden is facing an uphill battle to make the team.

Not only is the point guard spot crowded, the Nets roster is crowded as well. The Nets already have 15 players on the roster with guarantees for the 2016-17 season, so there is a very low likelihood that Ferrell is able to crack the Nets’ final 15-man roster.

He will have to really awe the coaching staff and front office during training camp, as the Nets just do not have any roster spots available. But, the Nets are introducing a new NBA D-League team this season, the Long Island Nets, so Ferrell could find his way there if he has a good preseason with the team.

The former Indiana Hoosier had a strong senior season, averaging 17.3 points, 5.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 34.7 minutes per game. He shot 45.8 percent from the field, making 42 percent of his attempts from the three-point line and 82.9 percent from the foul line.

While Ferrell is very productive, it is his diminutive size that could hold him back from getting a legitimate shot in the NBA, at least right away. Ferrell is listed at only 6-feet tall and 178 pounds, so there are questions to if he can handle the rigors of the NBA.

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But, there is only one way to find out, and that is to give him a shot. He will probably not get a shot with the Nets this season as their roster is already maxed out, but if he can play well during training camp he could parlay that into a deal with another team. Or, if he likes the Nets organization, he could play with their D-League team and give it another shot next season in Brooklyn.

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