Tag: Kenneth Lofton Jr.

Report: Sixers will waive two-way forward Kenneth Lofton Jr.

The Philadelphia 76ers will waive two-way forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. on Friday.

As the Philadelphia 76ers move forward with their season, moves have to be made that the team sees fit. Roster moves will be made throughout the season to set things up for the future in any possible moves.

After a 121-114 home win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday to snap a two-game skid, the Sixers decided to move on from one of their two-way players: Kenneth Lofton Jr.

The Sixers signed Lofton to a two-way deal back in December and he played two games for the franchise averaging 1.0 points and 1.5 rebounds. He mostly spent his time with the team’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.

Lofton has 41 games of NBA experience under his belt with the Sixers and the Memphis Grizzlies. He will now look for his next opportunity in the league. He has shown an ability to score the basketball so there is a team out there that will be willing to bring him in.

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Sixers big man Kenneth Lofton Jr. selected to G League Up Next game

Young Philadelphia 76ers big man Kenneth Lofton Jr. has been selected for the G League Next Up game at All-Star weekend.

The Philadelphia 76ers were already assured of being represented at All-Star weekend in Indianapolis with the selection of Joel Embiid as an All-Star starter. It’s the seventh selection of his career as he continues to dominate the league.

While Embiid is in the headlining game, the Sixers will have one of their younger players also participate in All-Star weekend.

Kenneth Lofton Jr. has been selected for the G League’s Next Up game. Lofton has been playing for the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, since he signed a two-way deal with the Sixers around Christmas. He is averaging 25.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4 assists in six regular-season games in Delaware.

Lofton has played in only one game for the Sixers. Philadelphia has championship aspirations, so it is giving its younger players the court time they need to develop in the G League.

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Nick Nurse discusses Sixers adding Kenneth Lofton Jr. on two-way deal

Nick Nurse discusses the Philadelphia 76ers adding Kenneth Lofton Jr. on a two-way deal.

MIAMI — The Philadelphia 76ers made a minor move on Saturday when brought in Kenneth Lofton Jr. on a two-way deal. The 2023 G League MVP played 39 career games with the Memphis Grizzlies and has career averages of 4.1 points and 1.7 rebounds.

Standing at 6 feet, 7 inches, Lofton can play the forward and the center spots. He can put the ball in the basket. He scored 42 points in Memphis’ season finale in the 2022-23, and he brings a unique skill set to the position.

Considering Lofton is on a two-way deal, he will likely spend a great deal of time with Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. For the time being, however, he is with the Sixers on their four-game road trip.

“He can really score the ball, right?” said coach Nick Nurse on Christmas Day. “He can really score the ball. He’s kinda unique, right? He’s, I don’t know. 6-foot-6? 6-foot-7 and he is a center and he’s not afraid to play. He’s not afraid to mix it up. He can score the ball. He’s done it in a number of different competitions, right? And I like his confidence.”

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Nurse has a good point about Lofton. He isn’t the tallest guy, but he is skilled. He is stocky, and he is full of confidence in what he can bring to the table for Philadelphia. It will be very interesting to see how or if the Sixers use him.

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Kenneth Lofton Jr. reacts to joining Sixers, ready to contribute

Kenneth Lofton Jr. reacts to joining the Philadelphia 76ers and is looking to help contribute to winning.

MIAMI — The Philadelphia 76ers made a minor move on Saturday when they brought in big man Kenneth Lofton Jr. on a two-way deal. The 6-foot-7 forward out of Louisiana Tech has 39 career games under his belt with the Memphis Grizzlies and averaged 4.1 points and 1.7 rebounds in Memphis.

Lofton can put the ball in the basket. He was named the 2023 G League MVP, and he scored 42 points with 14 rebounds in the 2022-23 season finale for the Grizzlies. He is an intriguing prospect for the Sixers.

“I just had a couple offers on the table,” Lofton said at shootround on Monday. “About six or seven offers and me and my agent sat down and talked and decided what was the best decision for me and for us.”

The Sixers are a contender; they have their eyes on the Larry O’Brien trophy. Lofton, 21, liked what Philadelphia had to offer.

“Really everything,” he explained. “They’ve got a great group of guys out there that’s playing and I feel like I can fit in. Come in off the bench and fill that little role and play hard and win games.”

As Lofton joins the Sixers, the expectation is he will head to the G League and the Delaware Blue Coats. However, with Joel Embiid out due to an ankle sprain, Lofton is with the Sixers at the moment.

“We talked,” he finished about his possible role. “I talked to coach (Nick) Nurse. It’s just gotta come in, develop, we’ll see where I’m at, and see how things go.”

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Report: Sixers to sign big man Kenneth Lofton Jr. to a two-way deal

The Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly signed big man Kenneth Lofton Jr. to a two-way deal.

The Philadelphia 76ers made a minor move on Saturday afternoon when they brought in big man Kenneth Lofton Jr. on a two-way deal. After playing 15 games for the Memphis Grizzlies, Lofton was waived before Philadelphia reportedly signed him to a deal Saturday.

In 39 career games for the Grizzlies, Lofton averaged 4.1 points and 1.7 rebounds. He was named the 2023 G League MVP when he averaged 20.2 points and 10.5 rebounds with 3.9 assists across 17 regular-season games. He is a skilled big man despite his 6-foot-6, 275-pound frame, and he can do a lot of different things on the floor.

To make room for Lofton, the Sixers will reportedly waive Javonte Smart who was with Philadelphia on a two-way deal himself. Lofton will likely head to the Delaware Blue Coats to continue his development as a player.

If the Sixers need depth behind Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris at the big man spots, Lofton would be able to answer the call for Philadelphia.

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Grizzlies’ Kenneth Lofton Jr. headlines All-NBA G League first team

Lofton headlined the list of players named to the 2023 All-NBA G League first team as voted on by general managers and head coaches.

Memphis Grizzlies rookie Kenneth Lofton Jr. headlined the list of players on Thursday named to the 2023 All-NBA G League first team as voted on by general managers and head coaches.

Lofton was named the G League Rookie of the Year after averaging 22.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals on 54.4% shooting from the field with the Memphis Hustle. He finished eighth in scoring and 10th in rebounding among players with at least 15 appearances.

The Grizzlies rewarded Lofton with a four-year contract last week after he spent the season on a two-way contract. The deal is reportedly worth $7 million and will allow the undrafted standout from Louisiana Tech the opportunity to play with the Grizzlies in the playoffs.

Joining Lofton on the first team were Carlik Jones (Windy City), David Duke Jr. (Long Island), Neemias Queta (Stockton) and Jay Huff (Capital City). Jones and Duke are signed to standard contracts, while Queta and Huff are on two-way contracts.

The league also announced the second and third teams on Thursday.

Grizzlies reward two-way rookie Kenneth Lofton Jr. with a standard contract

Lofton was named the G League Rookie of the Year after averaging 22.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals.

On Saturday, it was reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN that the Memphis Grizzlies will convert two-way rookie Kenneth Lofton Jr. to a four-year contract.

The contract will be worth $7 million.

Lofton was named the G League Rookie of the Year after averaging 22.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals on 54.4% shooting from the field with the Memphis Hustle. He finished eighth in scoring and 10th in rebounding among players with at least 15 appearances.

The undrafted standout from Louisiana Tech recorded 20 20-point games, including five 30-point efforts. He was 12th in double-doubles (17) and one of 26 players in the G League this season to register at least one triple-double.

The Grizzlies opted to sign Lofton, in part, to add frontcourt depth with Steven Adams expected to miss the postseason due to a right knee injury. Players signed to two-way contracts are ineligible for the playoffs but Lofton will now be available following the signing.

Memphis will enter the postseason as the No. 2 seed.

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Grizzlies’ Kenneth Lofton Jr. named G League Rookie of the Year

Lofton ranks eighth in the G League in scoring and 10th in rebounding among players with at least 15 appearances.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. on Friday was named the 2023 NBA G League Rookie of the Year for his play with the Memphis Hustle, the league announced.

Lofton, who is signed to a two-way contract, is averaging 22.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals on 54.4% shooting from the field in 30 games with the Hustle. He ranks eighth in the league in scoring and 10th in rebounding among players with at least 15 appearances.

The undrafted standout from Louisiana Tech has recorded 20 20-point games, including five 30-point efforts. He is 12th in double-doubles (17) and is one of 26 players in the G League this season to register at least one triple-double.

Lofton was among seven players from the G League invited to participate in the NBA Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah. He recorded seven points, four rebounds, one steal and one block against the likes of Josh Giddey, Evan Mobley and others.

The 20-year-old has spent the majority of the season in the G League; he has  played in only 19 games with the Grizzlies. However, he has made nine appearances this month, averaging 5.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists across 7.6 minutes per game.

Lofton has dazzled on the court throughout the season and emerged as one of the best players in the G League. He was recognized for his efforts on Friday and looks to continue that momentum this season and beyond in Memphis.

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Grizzlies’ Kenneth Lofton Jr. reflects on playing in the Rising Stars game

Grizzlies rookie Kenneth Lofton Jr. expressed his excitement to play in the Rising Stars game over All-Star Weekend.

Memphis Grizzlies rookie Kenneth Lofton Jr. expressed his excitement to play in the NBA Rising Stars contest over All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lofton, who is signed to a two-way contract, was one of seven players from the G League selected to compete in the event. He played alongside Scoot Henderson, Mac McClung, Scotty Pippen Jr. and others on Team Jason.

The undrafted forward out of Louisiana Tech produced seven points, four rebounds, one steal and one block against Team Joakim, which featured Josh Giddey, Evan Mobley and Jabari Smith Jr. He relished the opportunity to play in front of the fans and players at Vivint Arena.

I saw all of the players on the sideline. I saw my boy Jaren (Jackson Jr.) on the sideline. It was pretty fun out there getting to meet all of these great players and getting to hang out with them in Utah and get to talk to them and see what they got to say.

Lofton has emerged as one of the top players in the G League this year.

He is averaging 22.8 points, 10 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals on 54.4% shooting from the field in 28 games with the Memphis Hustle. He is 10th in scoring and is one of 19 players in the G League to record a triple-double this season.

The 20-year-old has played the majority of the season in the G League, making only eight appearances with the Grizzlies. His time with the Hustle has enabled him to continue to work on his game and develop at his own pace.

He is locked in on working hard this season.

“(I learned to) really just stay focused,” Lofton said. “You can look up on the past and dwell off that, (but I) really just keep my head focused and think about the future and continuing to be better.”

Lofton has dazzled on the court throughout the season. He was recognized over the weekend for his hard work and will be looking to build upon that in the future with the Grizzlies.

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Grizzlies’ Kenneth Lofton Jr. drops first triple-double in G League

Lofton is one of 17 players to record a triple-double in the G League this season.

Memphis Grizzlies rookie Kenneth Lofton Jr. on Tuesday registered his first career triple-double on assignment with the Memphis Hustle in the G League.

Lofton produced 20 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, two blocked shots and one steal in a 129-99 win over the Birmingham Squadron. He finished 7-of-13 from the field, including 1-of-3 from 3-point range, in 30 minutes of work.

The undrafted forward from Louisiana Tech is one of 17 players to record a triple-double in the G League this season. He did the majority of his work on offense in the paint and was also active on the boards and finding his open teammates.

Lofton, who is signed to a two-way contract, has emerged as one of the top players in the G League this season. He is averaging 22.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 26 games. He is 11th in the league in scoring and seventh in double-doubles (15).

He was among 28 players selected to participate in the NBA Rising Stars game on Feb. 17 at All-Star Weekend after a terrific run with the Hustle. He will also play in the G League Next Up game that will take place on Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. EST.

Lofton has dazzled on the court throughout the season. He has often been able to overpower his opponents and play bully ball, which was once again on display on Tuesday.

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