The Cleveland Cavaliers officially signed veteran small forward Richard Jefferson to a two-year deal on Thursday to keep one of their key pieces in their NBA title run last season.
Cleveland.com reported that official terms of the agreement were not released due to league and team policies, but sources have said that it should be around $5 million for the two years and would fall into the Cavs' taxpayer mid-level exception.
The 36-year-old, 15-year veteran, who finally won his first career championship with the Cavaliers last June, had publicly expressed that he is considering retirement immediately after their Game 7 victory over then defending champions Golden State Warriors.
However, during the squad's championship parade back in Cleveland, the team's supporters repeatedly shouted "one more year", which seemed to mean they are requesting the former Arizona standout to stay and help defend the city's title in the coming season.
Jefferson may have changed his mind upon seeing the overwhelming support and had finally decided to continue playing.
"RJ's versatility on the court and leadership off it were core parts of our identity and success last year," said Cavs GM David Griffin, as per the league's official website. "In many respects, his impact was greater as the stakes got higher. His NBA Finals performance is a testament to his dedicated, steady approach and his presence in our locker room throughout the year and postseason cannot be overstated."
"We're very thankful he decided to continue his career and we know that his teammates appreciate what he brings to this team at a very deep level," the executive added.
Jefferson was a key off-the-bench contributor for the Cavs last season, averaging only 5.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in only 17.9 minutes of playing time per night, but provides a lot of poise and experience down the stretch for Cleveland.
His best impact came during the NBA Finals itself when head coach Tyronn Lue decided to make him a starter in place of the mercurial Kevin Love. It was a crucial move as it completely turned the series around, allowing the Cavs to come back from an almost insurmountable 1-3 deficit in the title series.
Jefferson averaged 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 20 games in this year's playoffs, playing 17.8 minutes a game.
