Former March Madness hero lands deal with Wes team

Armando Bacot. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former March Madness hero lands deal with Western Conference team

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated Sep 6, 2024 8:36 PM ET

Having already selected Zach Edey in this year’s NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies are adding another former college standout to their frontcourt.

On Friday, the Grizzlies announced a number of free-agent signings , including former North Carolina star Armando Bacot.

Bacot himself confirmed the news in a post to his social media page.

@memgrizz Blessed and thankful for the opportunity

— Armando Bacot Jr. (@iget_buckets35) September 6, 2024

The 24-year-old Bacot went undrafted this year, and he is reportedly getting an Exhibit 10 contract from the Grizzlies (one year for the league-minimum salary), per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. While he was able to join Utah Jazz for Summer League, Bacot had yet to secure an actual NBA opportunity beyond that.

Bacot was a standout during his five-year career at UNC, earning multiple All-American selections and finishing up as the Tar Heels’ all-time leader in both games played and rebounds. On top of that, Bacot was a hero for the Tar Heels as they made it to the NCAA championship game in 2022, finishing with double-doubles during all six tournament contests.

In a recent interview, Bacot revealed how much he earned in NIL money over the course of his UNC career. Now he will be getting a chance to turn that into more thanks to this deal with the Grizzlies.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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