JUST IN: The 76ers Officially Announced the Signing of the former Grizzlies Star

The 76ers are signing Kenneth Lofton Jr. to a two-way deal, a league source confirmed. Saturday’s news comes five days after the Memphis Grizzlies waived the post player to create a roster spot for Ja Morant, who had been suspended for the first 25 games of the season.

Lofton averaged 2.6 points and 6.6 minutes in 15 games as a reserve this season. The 6-foot-7, 275-pounder initially signed a two-way contract with Memphis after going undrafted out of Louisiana Tech in 2022. He was the 2023 NBA G League rookie of the year for the Memphis Hustle.

The 21-year-old averaged 20.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals in 17 games last season for the Hustle. He had a career-high 33 points against the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers’ G-League affiliate, on Feb. 3. Lofton also represented the G League in the 2023 Rising Stars Challenge NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City on Feb. 18. NBA teams have a maximum of three two-way players on the roster in addition to 15 standard contracts. Lofton will join Kenneth Lofton Jr.as two-way players.

The Sixers are waiving Javonte Smart from his two-way deal to create a roster spot. Smart practiced with the Sixers on Saturday. This comes after the team converted Smart’s Exhibit 10 deal to a two-way contract on Oct. 21. The 6-4, 205-pounder was averaging 21 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.9 rebounds for the Blue Coats this season.

He played the final 40 seconds of the Sixers’ 121-111 victory over the Toronto Raptors Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center. It was the only game Smart played for the Sixers. He also appeared in 17 games in 2021-22, playing for both the Miami Heat (13 games) and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Former Memphis Grizzlies Player Responds to Joining the Philadelphia 76ers

It was announced recently by the Memphis Grizzlies that the team had released Kenneth Lofton Jr. to clear roster space for Ja Morant’s return from suspension. It had been reported for a few days prior to the Grizzlies making it official that Lofton was the likeliest candidate to get waived, and the team indeed ended up making that decision.

An intriguing prospect, Lofton was a fan favorite in Memphis. Showing some signs of potential, specifically offensively as a low post scorer with the ability to knock down jump shots on occasion, Lofton has already gotten another opportunity. It was announced on Saturday morning by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Philadelphia 76ers had signed Lofton to a two-way deal.

While Lofton likely does not have a path to NBA minutes for the 76ers, he will provide them with some organizational front court depth. Consistently solid in the G-League, Lofton has proven the ability to score at that level. While his game certainly has some holes, specifically on the defensive end, there is a lot of talent that the 76ers are excited to have in their organization.

Grizzlies fans will miss Lofton, but they will certainly be happy for him landing a new opportunity with one of the best teams in the league.