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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 8:41 a.m., Thursday, July 5, 2007

NBA: Heat sign first-rounder Cook, make other moves

By Tim Reynolds
Associated Press

MIAMI — Daequan Cook and the Miami Heat agreed on a contract today, and the first-round pick from Ohio State will be part of the team's roster when summer league play begins next week.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound guard who left Ohio State after one season will earn more than $2 million over the next two years, and would be in line to make around $5 million if options are picked up for what would be his third and fourth seasons in the league.

Cook averaged 9.8 points and made 41.5 percent of his tries from 3-point range last season for the Buckeyes, who lost to Florida in the national championship game.

Miami's summer league team began practice today, with three new free agent signees in center Joel Anthony, guard Jeremy Richardson and forward Marcus Slaughter. Each was believed to have signed a partially guaranteed one-year deal with a team option for the second season.

The 6-9 Anthony was the Mountain West Conference defensive player of the year last season for UNLV, and had a 13-block game against TCU in February. He averaged 5.2 points as a senior, shooting 60 percent from the floor.

Richardson, a 6-7, 190-pound player out of Delta State, played sparingly in six NBA games last season with Atlanta and Portland and averaged 17.6 points in 33 games with Fort Worth of the NBA Development League.

The 6-8, 223-pound Slaughter was an All-Star in the Turkish League last season after not being selected as an early entry candidate out of San Diego State in last year's NBA draft