Cavs sign 2022 draft-and-stash after Peyton Watson, James Harden contracts

The Cleveland Cavaliers have officially signed 2022 second-round draft pick Khalifa Diop to a standard contract, the team announced on Tuesday.

Diop, 24, was drafted 39th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers as a 20-year-old center from Senegal. Originally selected as a draft-and–stash international player, Diop has spent each of the last few years playing for Baskonia in Spain.

He played 47 total games this past year with Baskonia in both Euroleague and the Spanish ACB league, averaging 3.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 63.2 percent from the floor in limited minutes.

Over the last few seasons, Diop has earned ACB All-Young Players Team honors twice in 2022 and 2023, and he was named a EuroCup Rising Star in 2023. He helped Baskonia win the 2026 Copa del Rey title, the club’s first in 17 years, after helping the team capture the 2023 EuroCup championship.

The Cavs have been busy as of late, with Diop being their latest offseason business.

Peyton Watson ended up being the Cavaliers’ biggest addition this summer, as the team finalized a sign-and-trade agreement with the Denver Nuggets in a multi-team deal on August 19. As a result of acquiring Watson, the Cavs traded Dennis Schroder to the Charlotte Hornets and Max Strus to the LA Clippers.

Immediately after finalizing Watson’s deal, Cleveland and James Harden agreed to a three-year, $97 million contract, keeping him under contract through the 2028-29 season.

These two moves involving Watson and Harden put the Cavaliers right below their first apron hard cap with 13 players under contract, raising questions about how they would fill at least one more roster spot given their limited financial flexibility.

Signing Diop was a move that made a lot of sense for the Cavs financially, as his starting salary will be significantly less than that of a veteran’s minimum contract in the NBA, which puts Cleveland roughly $45,000 from their first apron hard cap.

The Cavs signed Diop to a four-year, $9.26 million contract with $1.36 million fully guaranteed for the 2026-27 season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. This first-year figure allows the Cavaliers to operate under their hard cap with 14 players on the active roster ahead of training camp.

Diop will wear No. 18 for the Cavs and join a frontcourt with Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, and Thomas Bryant.

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