According to the club, the Nets have signed center Patrick Gardner and guard Kennedy Chandler (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).
Both players most likely signed Exhibit 10 contracts, making them eligible for incentives of up to $75K if they’re released by Brooklyn and subsequently play for the Long Island Nets for at least 60 days. The Nets will be allowed to sign both guys as affiliate players as no other club currently owns the G League rights to either player. It is also possible to convert Exhibit 10 agreements into two-way contracts, and Brooklyn does have a vacant two-way slot.
The #Nets signed guard Kennedy Chandler and center Patrick Gardner.
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) October 19, 2023
Chandler, the 38th overall choice in the 2022 draft, committed to the Grizzlies in July by signing a four-year deal with three guaranteed seasons. To accommodate Kenneth Lofton, the club decided to waive him in April, forgoing his 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 wages in the process.
In his first 36 NBA games, Chandler averaged 2.2 points and 1.6 assists in 7.8 minutes per game. He played better in 12 G League games with the Memphis Hustle (15.3 PPG, 6.2 APG) and this summer with Brooklyn’s Summer League team (14.0 PPG, 5.4 APG), but he still had trouble with his outside shot; after making just 2-of-14 (14.3%) in Las Vegas, he only made 24.0% of 4.2 attempts per game in the NBAGL last season.
While playing for the Heat in the Summer League and before to representing Egypt in the World Cup, Gardner, meantime, signed his Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets back in July. In 2022–23, the big man, who moved to Marist for his senior season of collegiate basketball, averaged 19.1 points and 6.6 rebounds over 30.9 minutes played in 33 games. He also posted a 38.3% three-point shooting percentage, which is excellent for a frontcourt player that is 6’11”.
There were just 18 players on Brooklyn’s preseason roster, thus no players had to be released to make way for Chandler and Gardner. On the club’s 21-man roster, there is still one vacancy.
