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Memphis Grizzlies Lose Rayan Rupert to Philadelphia 76ers on Two-Way Deal
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- Memphis Grizzlies Lose Rayan Rupert to Philadelphia 76ers on Two-Way Deal
(Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
The Philadelphia 76ers are signing Rayan Rupert to a two-way contract, ESPN's Shams Charania reported, ending his brief tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies .
Rupert split last season between the Grizzlies and the Portland Trail Blazers , the team that took him with the 43rd overall pick in the 2023 draft. Portland waived him partway through the year, and the Grizzlies picked him up as their rotation thinned out down the stretch. In three NBA seasons, Rupert has appeared in 155 games with 20 starts, averaging 4.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 14.0 minutes.
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He seldom played in Portland, with 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12.0 minutes over 139 games, before taking on a larger role in Memphis. With the Grizzlies, Rupert started 8 of 16 games, averaging 12.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.6 steals in 30.9 minutes, despite shooting lower percentages and nearly four fouls per game.
Rupert, standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 205 pounds with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, has the ideal physical attributes. Philadelphia is evaluating whether his performance in Memphis will carry over, a risk they have successfully taken before by promoting three two-way players last season.
The Sixers agreed to trade Paul George and a package of draft picks to the Boston Celtics for Jaylen Brown on Wednesday, pairing the All-NBA wing with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey . They have since registered interest in free agent LeBron James too, joining Golden State , Cleveland , and Miami among the teams in the mix. Rupert's size and defense help Philadelphia's depth during a busy offseason. Memphis opted not to extend a two-way qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. His contract is for one season, as he has one year of two-way eligibility left.
The Grizzlies traded forward Santi Aldama to the Dallas Mavericks this week, bringing back guard AJ Johnson , Golden State's top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick, and two future second-round picks. It's the latest sign of a frontcourt that keeps getting more crowded, with Memphis already having added size through the draft and trades this summer, bringing in Zach Edey , Isaiah Stewart , Jerami Grant , Olivier-Maxence Prosper , GG Jackson , Cameron Boozer , and Karim Lopez and leaving little room for a two-way big man to carve out minutes.
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Kentavious Caldwell-Pope , who skipped his final contract season last month, is nearing a move from the Grizzlies—likely via trade or waive-and-stretch—during their rebuild to develop young players.
Philadelphia has two two-way spots behind Rupert and no free-agent offers, so there's room to add players before training camp.
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