The Bulls have signed forward Kostas Antetokounmpo to a two-way contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).
Technically, Antetokounmpo, who was in camp with the Bulls on an Exhibit 10 contract, had that deal converted into a two-way pact. Teams are allowed to turn Exhibit 10s into two-ways at any time up until October 17, assuming the player meets the two-way criteria. Antetokounmpo, the younger brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo, has just three years of NBA experience, so he fits the bill.
Although he has appeared in NBA games in three separate seasons, Antetokounmpo has never played a regular rotation role during previous stops with the Mavericks and Lakers. The 24-year-old has logged just 87 total minutes in 22 games, putting up 21 points and 23 rebounds during his limited action.
Malcolm Hill and Justin Lewis had previously held the Bulls’ two-way contract slots. The Bulls haven’t announced that they’ve waived either player, but K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago suggests that Lewis, who sustained an ACL injury this summer, will be the odd man out. Lewis will remain around the team during his recovery process, Johnson writes.
In other Bulls roster news, the club has signed former NBA forward Okaro White to a contract, per RealGM’s transaction log. White is still listed as part of the roster on the team’s official website, but will likely be waived in the next 24 hours or so and eventually join the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s G League team.
Is there a chance the team waives Malcolm Hill and signs Okaro White? They’re around the same age and White is eligible to sign a two-way, so I think they might…
Malcolm Hill was solid for the Bulls when they called him up last year. I think the Bulls are happy with him if they think he can duplicate last season if he is needed to call up.
Hey Reinsdorf can now tell season ticket holders he has signed Antetokounmpo! Expect ticket price increases shortly.
Having a MVP brother in the league does pay dividends and makes up for a clear lack of NBA talent.
I know I’ve asked this question before in other years but I must not have gotten an answer I believed. What is up with this whole signing a guy, to waive him so he can play for your G League team? That’s got to be the stupidest roster manipulation in professional sports. If you want the guy for your G League team, Why not just sign him for that? Then make it like football where if someone wants a guy off your practice squad they have to put him on the Major League roster. This is the stupidest crap ever.
It is a way for teams to get a close look at a player with their G-League team. He is then under their control. When 10-day contract season begins, sometimes these guys get the call up.
It is also a way to care of both an agent relationship as well as a player by signing him to an Exhibit 10 contract. If he sticks with G-League squad player gets $50k bonus. It makes the $35k G-League salary added to the $50k enough of a reason for a player to not head to Europe.
If player is leaves or is waived prior to 60 days. No $50k is paid.
They are also auditions for 2-way contracts.
Nope sorry. Don’t believe that one either. Doesn’t explain anything. You can make the money work out anyway you want without this stupidity and still watch and evaluate them in the G League. Nice try but , NOT.
It is the reason why the Exhibit 10 contract was created!
G-League has a set salary for the league of $35k. You ain’t getting talent for that. Exhibit 10 is a way to push that up to $85k when the $50k bonus is added.
No other way to make the money work. $35k salary is set in stone!
When a player is “yours”. You get to evaluate him, and coach him, and see how a player responds to coaching and his chemistry with an organization. You also don’t have to worry about another team stealing him away.
Very Barry’s explanation is why teams make these moves.
If you’re asking why such a convoluted process is necessary to pay G League players that $50K bonus, that’s certainly a fair question and I have no good answer for it!
It’s not like those bonuses count against the NBA team’s camp, so it’d be much simpler (and make my job in October a lot easier) if teams could just give them that bonus when they sign a G League contract, with no NBA deal necessary.