Thunder's Norris Cole: Signs with Thunder

Cole agreed to a contract Tuesday with the Thunder for the remainder of the season, Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports reports.

Analysis:

After failing to attract interest in free agency this summer, Cole headed to the Chinese Basketball Association in October, but returned from overseas in December after sustaining an injury. Cole is now back to full health, but with the CBA season winding down, the veteran point guard received clearance to pursue NBA opportunities, and found a home with the Thunder. After Cameron Payne was dealt away to the Bulls at the trade deadline, rookie Semaj Christon had been serving as the team's backup point guard behind MVP candidate Russell Westbrook the last two contests, but with a 33.5 percent mark from the field on the season, Christon hasn't proven himself as a viable option for those duties. Cole, a two-time NBA champion with the Heat who has averaged 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 rebounds over five NBA seasons, probably amounts to a significant upgrade over Christon, despite his extended time away from the league. While Cole is expected to sit out Tuesday's game against the Jazz in a coach's decision while he gets acclimated with his new team, the 24-year-old could join the Thunder rotation as soon as Thursday against the Trail Blazers. Assuming he quickly settles in as the main backup to Westbrook, Cole would likely be in store for a 10-to-15-minute role in most games, which wouldn't give him much value in deeper leagues.