It certainly didn’t take long for former Golden State Warrior Alfonzo McKinnie to find a new gig.
On Friday, the 27-year-old was waived by the club in order to open a roster spot for big man Marquese Chriss, and the news of his pending free agency created a tiny bit of a firestorm among some contenders across the league.
The Brooklyn Nets were among the teams who were reported to have interest in signing McKinnie if he cleared waivers, but that wasn’t meant to be. The Cleveland Cavaliers, it turns out, initiated a waiver claim on the 27-year-old forward, and as a result, have claimed his contract.
As a result, the Cavs will assume the remainder of the contract that McKinnie played under in Oakland, which had only the 2019-20 season remaining. Had McKinnie cleared waivers, he would have become an unrestricted free agent and would have been free to choose his own team. Instead, he will now report to Cleveland.
Per the terms of the original contract that McKinnie signed with the Warriors prior to last season, he will earn about $1.5 million this season in Cleveland.
Entering his third year in the NBA, the small forward will bring career averages of 4.2 points and three rebounds per game to head coach John Beilein’s team as the Cavaliers attempt to continue their climb back to respectability in the NBA.
