Tag: Zylan Cheatham

Explaining the NBA’s hardship exception and the free agents who signed as replacement players

Explaining what hardship exceptions and replacement players mean as COVID-19 protocols hit the NBA.

As the omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread, the NBA has required a large share of “replacement players” to fill in for the players who are in health and safety protocols. And so far, more than 100 players have reportedly entered the league’s health and safety protocols so far this month, per ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.

But how exactly do the “replacement players” work?

Essentially, the NBA’s hardship exception allows teams to exceed the 15-man roster limit if more than three players on the roster are each going to miss extended time due to illness or injury. Typically, teams weren’t allowed to apply for the hardship exception before Jan. 5.

But starting last season, the league changed the policy to allow earlier exceptions. And as of earlier this week, effective Dec. 19 until Jan. 19, the NBA is allowing teams to sign one replacement player for each player on their roster who tests positive for COVID-19.

While there are some big names (e.g. Isaiah Thomas, Lance Stephenson, CJ Miles) who have signed as replacement players, there are lots of promising young NBA hopefuls who are hoping to use this opportunity as a chance to stick around the league.

Not all of the players below were signed through hardship exceptions and some transactions (e.g. DeMarcus Cousins and Wesley Matthews to the Milwaukee Bucks) may have happened anyway during a normal season.

But below, based on the NBA’s transaction log and reporting from the league’s top insiders, you can find a live tracker of all the players who have signed new deals with NBA teams over the course of the past month.

Zylan Cheatham, acquired in Adams trade, waived by Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder waived Zylan Cheatham, one of the players acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans in the Steven Adams trade.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced Wednesday that they waived Zylan Cheatham, a second-year forward who spent most of last season in the New Orleans Pelicans’ G League system.

Cheatham was acquired from the Pelicans in the Steven Adams trade for salary-matching purposes. He is the second player from the deal that the Thunder have waived.

Oklahoma City waived Josh Gray on Tuesday.

Cheatham averaged 16.2 points and 11.6 rebounds in the G League last season and played four games with the Pelicans. At Arizona State, where he was teammates with Lu Dort, Cheatham made the All-Pac 12 First Team.

With a roster that is well over the limit for the season, Oklahoma City is making cuts to trim it down to the allowed size.

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Lu Dort’s former ASU teammate Zylan Cheatham may be joining the Thunder

The Thunder’s trade of Steven Adams netted them Zylan Cheatham, who played at Arizona State University with Lu Dort.

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s trade of Steven Adams includes Zylan Cheatham, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

In order for the four-way deal to work, Oklahoma City had to pick up extra salary from the New Orleans Pelicans. One such way was acquiring Cheatham, who was given a three-year contract with the first year guaranteed to allow the deal go through, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Oklahoma City’s roster is well over the limit of allowable players, so Cheatham may be one of the casualties when the team has to start making cuts, but should he join the Thunder, there will be a familiar face on the team.

Cheatham spent a season at Arizona State University with now-Thunder wing Luguentz Dort.

The two started together for the Sun Devils in the 2018-19 season. Dort, a freshman, averaged a team-high 16.1 points, while Cheatham, a redshirt senior who had transferred from San Diego State, manned the post and collected a team-high 10.3 rebounds while averaging a double-double.

Cheatham made the All-Pac 12 First Team, Dort the Second Team, and both were named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.

The two helped lead ASU to a record of 23-11 (12-6, 2nd in Pac-12) and reach the NCAA Tournament.

Neither were drafted in 2019. Cheatham signed with the Pelicans and spent most of the season in the G League, where he averaged 16.2 points and 11.6 rebounds.

Dort joined Oklahoma City and started the season with the Blue. It didn’t take long for him to make the jump to the Thunder and earn a role in the rotation.

Cheatham will hope he gets the opportunity to do the same as his former — and new — teammate.

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Zylan Cheatham, Josh Gray recalled to Pelicans from G League

The New Orleans Pelicans recalled two-way players Zylan Cheatham, Josh Gray ahead of the game against the Sacramento Kings.

The New Orleans Pelicans have recalled a pair of two-way players from their G League affiliate.

Zylan Cheatham and Josh Gray have been called up from the Erie BayHawks to join the Pelicans.

They are on two-way contracts, which dictates a player can spend up to 45 days with the NBA team and the rest of the season in the G League.

In 34 G League games, Cheatham is averaging 16.3 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 32.5 minutes per game.

The rookie out of Arizona State has appeared in three Pelicans games, during which he averages 1.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in about 10 minutes per game.

Gray is averaging 22.5 points, 6.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 36 minutes per game with the BayHawks.

He played six games for the Phoenix Suns in 2017-18 and has played two for the Pelicans this season.

New Orleans, with a record of 28-36, is 3.5 games back from the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

The Pelicans hope to get their third win in a row Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings. Tipoff is at 9:30 p.m. at the Kings’ Golden 1 Center.

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