Dakari Johnson has had an eventful summer. He was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Orlando Magic in July. Days later, he was sent to the Memphis Grizzlies. Now, according to Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com, the Grizzlies have decided to use the stretch provision on Johnson. The team officially announced that Johnson has been waived.
By using the stretch provision, the Grizzlies will incur a cap hit of approximately $450,000 per year for the next three years. Wallace also points out that this move gets the Grizzlies to 15 players with guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts on the roster. Consequently, Memphis won't need to cut anyone (or any guaranteed money) ahead of next season.
Johnson has yet to really find a foothold in the NBA. He has spent most of his time in the G League (previously the D-League), and he has only appeared in 31 games during his NBA career. In that time, he has played sparingly.
Johnson, 22, was drafted in the second round by Oklahoma City in the 2015 draft. The former Kentucky Wildcat doesn't fit the mold of the modern-day big man. He doesn't present any threat to shoot from the outside, and his interior post moves aren't advanced enough to make up for that. Defensively, he leaves something to be desired as well.
It's unclear where and when his next opportunity will come. He has always had success in the G League, so at the very least, someone will probably take a flyer on him. But his chances of making an NBA roster are slim, especially this close to training camp.
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