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NBA Rumors: Kenneth Lofton Jr., 76ers Agree to Contract After Grizzlies Release

Scott Polacek

The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly added some frontcourt depth Saturday.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the 76ers signed Kenneth Lofton Jr. to a two-way contract. Lofton was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies the past two seasons, although the team waived him Monday to clear room for Ja Morant on the active roster.

While Lofton is something of a fan favorite, he has yet to establish himself as a difference-maker at the NBA level.

He went undrafted out of Louisiana Tech and appeared in 39 total games for the Grizzlies the past two seasons. He averaged 4.1 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists while shooting 48.5 percent from the field during his time with the Grizzlies.

However, the 21-year-old's potential was on full display when he won the 2022-23 NBA G League Rookie of the Year.

Lofton averaged 20.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game as a double-double machine during that award-winning season.

He joins a red-hot 76ers team that is 8-1 in their last nine games and 20-8 overall on the season. They are the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference in the current standings but just 1.5 games behind the top-seeded Boston Celtics.

Lofton likely won't be taking significant minutes from Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Robert Covington or even Paul Reed, but he could factor into the back end of the frontcourt rotation for a playoff contender looking to keep its players stretch during a long season.

   

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