2:58pm: As expected, the Raptors have waived Chandler, according to Murphy (Twitter link).
12:33pm: The Raptors have signed former second-round pick Kennedy Chandler to an Exhibit 10 contract, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
A 6’0″ point guard, Chandler was selected 38th overall out of Tennessee in the 2022 draft and played for the Grizzlies as a rookie. However, he had a disappointing first season, averaging 2.2 points and 1.6 assists in 7.8 minutes per game across 36 outings while shooting just 42.2% from the floor (including 13.3% on three-pointers) and 46.2% from the free throw line.
Memphis waived Chandler in April 2023 even though he still had two fully guaranteed years left on his contract.
Chandler spent the 2023/24 season with the Long Island Nets in the G League, appearing in 49 total Showcase Cup and regular season contests for Brooklyn’s affiliate. He averaged 13.9 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 3.3 RPG with a shooting line of .477/.361/.758.
The Raptors have been signing and quickly waiving free agents in recent days in order to put them in line for Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days this season with the Raptors 905, Toronto’s NBAGL team. That may be the plan for Chandler too, though the 905 will have to acquire his returning rights from Long Island to make that happen.
Toronto, at least for now, once again has a full 21-man preseason roster.
Waived Memphis players everywhere
What is the point of signing a player one minute and waiving him the next minute. I just don’t understand these type transactions. Can someone clarify this for me.
There are two possible reasons:
1. To secure a player’s G League rights; and/or
2. To ensure he gets a bonus if he plays for the team’s G League affiliate.
If a player’s G League returning rights aren’t already held by a team, signing and waiving him allow his team to designate him as an “affiliate player” and give him a bonus.
In some of these cases, the team ALREADY controls the player’s G League rights. In those instances, it’s about getting the player some extra bonus money on top of his G League salary. That might make a difference if he’s weighing returning to the G League vs. an overseas offer (and it’s just good business to improve relationships with players/agents when the cost is so minimal and the bonuses don’t count against the cap).
In Chandler’s case, his G League rights are held by another team, so I’d expect the Raptors 905 to trade for them before the season.
Question Luke. In terms of securing G League rights, that only applies for rookies correct? Anyone else who played in the G league previously, such as Chandler, their rights still need to be acquired?
Although most teams seem very willing to send guys to where they have an exhibit 10 in place. I can’t think of a single instance of a team blocking it.
You’re generally right, though it’s not necessarily always rookies whose rights are up for grabs — just players whose returning rights aren’t already held by another team.
For example, if a player was in the G League last year but was waived by his G League team in March, his rights wouldn’t be held by anyone this season.
I believe there’s also an expiration period of two seasons for returning rights, so if a player was in the G League three years ago, played overseas for a while, and decides to return this year, his rights would be up for grabs.
Thank you for your explanation, it makes sense now.
If teams sign and waive guys they essentially get organizational control over more guys. They can only bring 21 players to camp. But if they want 15 rostered players and 3 two ways, that only leaves room for 3 more guys at camp. Perhaps they want 5 guys on exhibit 10s. It’s not possible to bring all those guys to camp. Some will get signed and waived to make the roster math work.