Kennedy Chandler and the Memphis Grizzlies agreed to a four-year, $7.1 million rookie deal, his agent Ryan Davis told The Athletic. The contract contains the largest guaranteed salary — $4.94 million — for an American second-round pick in NBA history.
Chandler was selected No. 38 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Tennessee. The point guard averaged 13.9 points and 4.7 assists a game while shooting 38.3 percent from 3-point range.
"Kennedy was very high on our board going into the night," Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman said after the selection. "Someone we felt very strongly about. Easily could have been a first-round pick of ours … absolutely shocked that Kennedy was there given how we felt about him.
"So we were very excited to extend that one beyond the amount of picks we had coming into the night because we felt really strongly about adding Kennedy to this group."
The Grizzlies finished 56-26 last season, reaching the Western Conference semifinals.
(Photo: Kim Klement / USA Today)
How surprising is this?
John Hollinger, senior NBA writer: It's more a mild surprise than a huge one. The Grizzlies had the ability to pay Chandler out of their midlevel exception and thus give him a four-year deal, but it appears to be for the minimum salary for the final three seasons.
The record-setting part of it is largely because of the increase in the salary cap, but the surprise is that the first three years of the deal appear to be fully guaranteed.
Advertisement
How this will impact other second-round rookie contracts?
Hollinger: Expect the seven players taken ahead of him in the second round — none of whom have signed yet — to use the $4.94 million guarantee as a measuring stick.
Unfortunately not all of them can: 35th pick Max Christie of the Lakers, for instance, can only get a one or two-year minimum deal because the Lakers have used all their exception money. The upside is that he isn't locked into a minimum deal for four years like Chandler.
Expectations for Chandler next season
Hollinger: Realistically, Chandler is likely to spend more time with the Grizzlies' G-League affiliate in Southaven, Miss., than running the point for the parent club.
Memphis is well stocked at his position with All-Star Ja Morant and re-signed veteran Tyus Jones, plus guard Desmond Bane can also play the point. The hope is that he can work his way into the mix if Jones leaves in free agency a year from now.
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57km1vcmphaXxzfJFrZmlvX2WDcLPRorGzpJmawG63xKelnpypYrCprc2do56qXZa0s7HErGStp12hrrOzxKyrZp%2Bllr%2BiutOenJ1lo5a5or7YZpyvnaJis7C%2BjJqknqqZmK6veZGnm2aqn6q7pXnPopqkZw%3D%3D