5:54pm: The moves involving Williams and Biyombo are now official, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).
5:18pm: The Grizzlies will convert Vince Williams‘ two-way contract to a standard deal, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The new contract will be fully guaranteed at $7.9MM over three years and carries a team option for a fourth season, adds Wojnarowski, who states that it’s believed to be the richest ever for a player coming off a two-way deal.
To open a spot for Williams on the 15-man roster, Memphis will waive veteran center Bismack Biyombo, according to Woj, who notes that Biyombo has been impressive in his time with the Grizzlies and could return to the team later in the season if he clears waivers. Wojnarowski hears that Memphis will look for another big man to fill its open two-way slot.
Williams has emerged as an outstanding perimeter defender in his second year with Memphis after being taken with the 47th pick in the 2022 draft. The 23-year-old swingman has appeared in 27 games this season, making eight starts, and is averaging 5.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 21.9 minutes per night.
Memphis will use part of the $7.4MM remaining on its non-taxpayer mid-level exception to cover Williams’ salary for the rest of the season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). The team already spent $5MM of its MLE to sign Biyombo in November.
Biyombo’s contract was only partially guaranteed and the Grizzlies could have saved money by waiving him before Sunday’s deadline, but Marks notes that they’re far enough below the luxury tax that it won’t affect their financial flexibility this season.
Memphis added the 31-year-old Biyombo after losing Steven Adams with a season-ending knee injury. Biyombo quickly took over as the starting center and averaged 5.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 30 games. The Grizzlies will be responsible for the rest of his contract unless another team claims him on waivers.
NYK should claim Biyombo.
Mavs
Does DAL have a 5 mm TPE-?
If so, tomorrow night’s loser gets first crack.
Hmmmmm ….. ok
Like DMC said NY should sign him
Grizzlies did him dirty
How did Grizzlies do him dirty? By guaranteeing his salary when they could have saved money and cut him four days ago?
What a weird move.
They could have waited until after the trade deadline to sign Williams.
They could have looked to trade Biyombo.
Weird move…
Today is the guarantee date for all contracts. I assume they waived BB so that the non-guaranteed part of his deal does not become guaranteed.
A team claiming him on waivers assumes the rest of the contract guaranteed.
Guarantee date has passed. They guaranteed his salary because they dkdnt waive him before saturday.
Weird because they need a center. No way he will clear waivers, there’s not enough 5s available currently.
Claiming BB off waivers will require cap space or TPE of about 5 mm. That’s his annual salary. Not minimum.
The remainder after today is not guaranteed, but if a team claims him, it picks up the whole contract guaranteed.
Grizzlies, Detroit and Portland are the worst managed NBA teams the last couple years. Grizzlies waiving everyone
Luckily in this case Biyombo could get picked up from waivers.
Either to use as a player (in case of Knicks) but maybe also to turn a (trade) exception into an expiring salary that can be used for salary-matching in another trade.
Could be ideal for Boston to have another salary-matching player of 5 million into the 6.2 million Grant Williams trade exception.
Similar logic could apply to Mavericks and the
$5,405,000 left of their Non-Taxpayer Midlevel. Although they are only $3,461,696 below the lixury tax and then would need to have another trade lined up where they trade Biyombo + Player X for another player that has at least 1.54 million less in salary.
And also for Philadelphia and Suns Biyombo is an option to acquire a salary-matching contract. But Philadelphia might just prefer cap space this summer.
And there are other teams taking Biyombo could also have a salary-matching value. Curious who signs Biyombo. I expect the Knicks with Suns coming second and Boston getting Bronze.
you are just wrong bud