Cavaliers eye $1.5M deal to pry Diop away from Baskonia
Cleveland has officially signed 2022 second-round pick Khalifa Diop to a standard contract after paying roughly $1.5 million to pry the 7'1" center away from Baskonia, per El Correo.
Marca's José Luis Martínez reported Diop traveled to the US with Baskonia's blessing for a medical exam, with Cleveland able to pay up to $900K in buyout money without affecting its cap, easing the apron crunch from James Harden's three-year, $97M extension.
Baskonia, already thin at center, canceled a friendly against Gipuzkoa Basket partly due to Diop's absence, leaving Kenneth Faried as its only remaining big man.
The 24-year-old averaged 4.0 points and 4.2 rebounds last season; the deal gives Cleveland 13 players on standard contracts, with the second-round signing counting less against the cap than a veteran minimum deal.
