Chaney Johnson

Clippers, Cavaliers Make Changes To Preseason Rosters

The Clippers have officially re-signed TyTy Washington Jr. and waived John Poulakidas, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter links).

It’s unclear why Los Angeles brought back Washington — perhaps the team wants to give him an opportunity to play in preseason. The former first-round pick was signed in August and waived in late September, so he was already eligible for his Exhibit 10 bonus, which is worth $85,300, the maximum allowable.

Former Yale sharpshooter Poulakidas was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal as well. The 6’5″ shooting guard averaged 19.4 points and 3.3 rebounds on .451/.408/.897 shooting in 27 games (31.6 minutes per contest) as a senior with the Bulldogs last season. He went undrafted in June.

The Cavaliers also made a change their preseason roster on Monday, waiving forwards Miller Kopp and Chaney Johnson, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

Cleveland signed Kopp and Johnson to Exhibit 10 contracts on September 26, per Basketball Reference. Both players spent training camp with the Cavaliers — Kopp appeared in two preseason contests, while Johnson played one.

Kopp, 26, went undrafted out of Indiana in 2023. He has spent the past two seasons in the G League with the Thunder’s affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.

In 48 games (29.6 MPG) with the Blue in 2024/25, Kopp averaged 12.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.9 APG and 1.1 SPG while shooting 41.8% from three-point range.

As for Johnson, his Exhibit 10 deal with the Cavs was first reported shortly after he went undrafted earlier this year. The 6’7″ wing was a key reserve for an Auburn team that reached the Final Four last season, averaging 9.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 0.9 BPG in 38 games (23.5 MPG).

Cavaliers, Chaney Johnson Agree To Exhibit 10 Contract

The Cavaliers and former Auburn forward Chaney Johnson, an undrafted free agent, have agreed to an Exhibit 10 training camp contract, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).

As Fedor notes, the 6’7″ wing proved to be a critical contributor for the Tigers during the club’s Final Four run this spring.

In 2024/25, he averaged 9.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.9 BPG and 0.7 SPG across 38 contests, mostly as a reserve. Johnson connected on 56.7% of his field goals and 70.4% of his free throws.

Players inked to Exhibit 10 contracts can be promoted to two-way deals ahead of an NBA season. Johnson could become eligible for a bonus worth up to $85K should he join the Cavaliers’ NBAGL affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, and stick with the club for 60 or more days.

Cleveland selected two players in the second round of this year’s draft, Duke guard Tyrese Proctor and Trento wing Saliou Niang, with the Nos. 49 and 58 picks. We have more details on the Cavs’ plans for that duo right here.