The Nets are signing free agent big man Patrick Gardner to an Exhibit 10 contract, agent George S. Langberg tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Gardner, 25, went undrafted last year after playing for three different colleges, the most recent being Marist in 2022/23. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets last fall, was waived, and spent his first professional season with their G League affiliate in Long Island, averaging 7.7 PPG and 5.1 RPG on .500/.364/.731 shooting in 28 Showcase Cup and regular season contests (14.8 MPG).
A 6’11” center who plays for Egypt’s national team, Gardner will likely be waived before the season begins and head back to Long Island, which would make him eligible for a bonus worth $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the NBAGL club.
It’s worth noting that Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted to two-way contracts — the Nets have a pair of two-way openings, so if Gardner impresses in camp and preseason, perhaps he could be promoted.
Gardner is one of several players to reach Exhibit 10 agreements with Brooklyn, as our Luke Adams noted yesterday in a story about former Hornets guard Amari Bailey, who will also sign with Brooklyn. None of those deals are official yet, but the Nets currently have five openings on their offseason roster, so they could make several transactions at any time.