Ex-Grizzlies fan favorite lands with top Eastern Conference contender

Kenneth Lofton Jr. gets to go from the bottom of the league to the top.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Saturday that the former Memphis Grizzlies big man signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-way contract. Lofton quickly finds a new home after being waived by Memphis earlier this week.

The 21-year-old Lofton signed with the Grizzlies as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and rapidly became a fan favorite. He brought creative low-post scoring and formidable rebounding, drawing comparisons to retired ex-Memphis great Zach Randolph, but Lofton faced concerns over his weight this season and was out of the Grizzlies’ plans, playing only 6.6 (garbage-time) minutes per game. Memphis ultimately chose to keep veteran center Bismack Biyombo and waive Lofton in the roster crunch that resulted from Ja Morant’s return from suspension.

For the 76ers, who are led by a head coach in Nick Nurse with a pretty strong record of player development, Lofton will provide depth in the frontcourt behind Joel Embiid and Paul Reed. He should get plenty of opportunity to hone his skills with the Delaware Blue Coats (Philly’s G League affiliate) too.