The Cavaliers have signed power forward Mamadi Diakite, as revealed by the team’s official website.
The deal is a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 training camp contract, per Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors.
“The terms of Diakite’s agreement mean he can’t have his contract converted into a two-way deal, since it doesn’t include an Exhibit 10 clause,” Adams wrote. “That absence of Exhibit 10 language also suggests the Cavs don’t anticipate him playing for their G League affiliate — the Cleveland Charge — if he doesn’t make the NBA squad.”
Diakite, 25, is 6-foot-9 and appeared in 13 games with the Thunder last season after signing three 10-day contracts, the first on Jan 11. He averaged 4.3 points and 4.5 rebounds, shooting 53 percent from the floor in those games.
He also spent time last season with the Lakeland Magic of the G League, averaging 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in 12 appearances.
As a rookie in 2020-21, Diakite was on a two-way contract with the Bucks for the majority of the season, before being promoted to a standard deal near the end.
Interestingly, the Cavs now have a full 20-man training camp roster. There had been a report that they were signing guard Sharife Cooper, as we relayed here. But they will have to waive someone to make room for him.
They also added guard/forward Nate Hinton following a G League trade. (Full post.)
Overall, Cleveland has just 12 players under guaranteed contracts, opening the door for someone on the camp roster — or another free agent — to land a standard deal.
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