This will undoubtedly have been the news of yesterday evening: Steven Adams will not play the Playoffs for the Grizzlies, injured in the knee for several months. Hard blow for the Oursons, who lose an imposing element in their racket, also steeped in experience. To replace him, Kenneth Lofton Jr has been chosen. The jump into the deep end, directly after a season punctuated with success in the G League.
To fortify the frontline now, the Grizzlies are signing two-way rookie forward Kenneth Lofton Jr., on a four-year, $7M contract, his agent Mike George of @OneLegacySports tells ESPN. Lofton was the G League’s Rookie of the Year. https://t.co/BvkPxUtbNB
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 8, 2023
It’s time to prove for Kenny. The young interior of the Memphis Hustle, recruited via two way contract after the Draft 2022, was offered a standard contract, 7 million over 4 years, by the Grizzlies. The management of the Oursons chose to recruit him permanently just before the Playoffs, after the announcement of Steven Adams’ package for the postseason.
Rookie of the Year on the G League side, where he offered 20.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 53.9% shooting, so Kenneth is called up to take minutes off the bench , just to blow Jaren Jackson Jr and Xavier Tillman Sr. His particular physical dimension – 2.01 meters for 125 kilos – will be put to the test in the Playoffs, while the defenses of the antechamber of the Great League had had great difficulty in containing it. This season, he appeared in 23 games with the Grizzlies, contributing 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgTv6FKTvkA
As expected, the intensity in the rackets of NBA is much more problematic, while a big nag like Steven Adams was on his side a much more interesting weapon. His absence will be a real advantage for the team which will hit Memphis in the first round, and whose identity will be known at the end of the evening. Note that to sign Lofton, the Oursons had to terminate the contract of their other rookie, Kennedy Chandler, a point guard.
Source : Adrian Wojnarowski