Baskonia Preparing To Lose Khalifa Diop To Cavaliers?

One of the players who was unavailable to take part in Tuesday’s preseason contest is Khalifa Diop, a Cavaliers draft-and-stash prospect who was selected with the 39th overall pick in the 2022 draft.

A 7’1″ center who has been playing for Baskonia since 2023, Diop has traveled stateside to meet with the Cavaliers and undergo a medical examination, reports Martinez. While nothing is official yet, the Spanish club is preparing for the possibility of losing the 24-year-old to Cleveland, assuming the results of his physical look good, Martinez adds.

A report last week indicated that Diop was a legitimate candidate to sign a standard contract with the Cavs for the 2026/27 season. The team is facing a cap crunch and will likely need to sign a “draft-rights” rookie to a minimum-salary deal in order to fit James Harden’s new three-year, $97MM contract below its first-apron hard cap.

A former second-round pick who has yet to sign an NBA contract, such as Diop, would count for just $1,357,763 for cap, tax, and apron purposes if he signs a rookie minimum contract this season, whereas “tax variance” would apply to a rookie free agent, who would be treated like a veteran free agent for tax and apron purposes and would carry a $2,449,421 charge.

Because Diop is still under contract with Baskonia, the Spanish team would require financial compensation to let him go, says Martinez. The Cavs would be permitted to pay a buyout of up to $900K without it affecting their cap situation.

If Diop does ultimately finalize an NBA deal with Cleveland, he’s unlikely to play a regular role as a rookie. In 28 EuroLeague outings for Baskonia last season, he put up modest averages of 4.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 16.8 minutes per game.