The Cavaliers, Nuggets and Pistons all moved on from their Exhibit 10 players on Saturday, clearing the way for each team to head into the regular season with its roster situation settled, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
Because the cuts came before the season starts, those players will clear waivers on Monday, and Cleveland, Denver and Detroit will avoid any dead money from the moves.
Cleveland waived four players: Rashaun Agee, Zack Austin, Tre’Von Spillers and Noam Yaacov. With those transactions in place, the Cavs are carrying 14 players on standard contracts, including 12 fully guaranteed deals, plus three players on two-way contracts. They do not have enough room below their hard cap at the first tax apron to keep a 15th player on a standard deal.
Denver also trimmed its Exhibit 10 group, waiving Dane Goodwin, Coleman Hawkins and Emanuel Miller. The Nuggets now sit at 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals, which gets them under the regular-season roster limit. They technically could add a 15th player, but with the club well above the luxury tax line and the only team operating over the second apron, there’s no urgency to fill that spot.
Detroit waived John Ukomadu and Brice Williams. That leaves the Pistons with a full 15-man standard roster and three players on two-way contracts, putting them in position for the regular season.
Most of the players waived by the three teams are expected to land with their respective G League affiliates.
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