The Memphis Grizzlies have waived four players.
Armando Bacot, Miye Oni, Miles Norris and Maozinha Pereira were waived after joining the Grizzlies in the preseason. Each player was signed to an exhibit-10 deal, which is a non-guaranteed contract that gives players a chance to earn a roster spot out of training camp.
NBA teams had until Saturday (4 p.m. CT) to waive players on non-guaranteed contracts without a cap hit. Memphis currently has open roster spot on its 15-man roster. All three two two-way contracts are now occupied after the Grizzlies promoted Yuki Kawamura from an exhibit 10 deal.
Kawamura received time throughout preseason as a backup point guard. The 5-foot-8 Japanese sensation dazzled with fancy no-look passes and pesky defense. His best performance came against the Indiana Pacers, when he finished with 10 points and seven assists in 25 minutes.
Pereira and Oni each had moments where they made noticeable impacts, but they didn't get as much playing time as Kawamura. Both players went scoreless in the first two preseason games before big moments against the Chicago Bulls. Oni finished with 11 points and made three 3-pointers against Chicago. The high-flying Pereira snagged eight rebounds and made two big 3-pointers to cap off the team's 21-point comeback.
Bacot had the most decorated collegiate basketball career of the aforementioned players, but he was stuck behind a group of talented bigs. He finished with nine points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes against the Bulls.
Norris was signed on Oct. 16 and only played in the preseason finale.
If the four players clear waivers, they'll likely have an opportunity to stay in Memphis and play for the G League Hustle. The Grizzlies will begin regular season action on Oct. 23 against the Utah Jazz, but Hustle games won't tip off until Nov. 9 versus Rio Grande Valley.
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Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com . Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: UNC star Armando Bacot among four Memphis Grizzlies players waived before regular season
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