There are NBA fans that don’t pay all that much attention to two-way contracts. There’s a reason that the player couldn’t earn a standard contract, right? Every season since the two-way contract became a thing in 2017, there are players on that deal that produce at the NBA level. Here are some examples of productive players in 2023-24 on two-way deals.
The Most Productive Players On Two-Way Contracts In 2023-24
Signed Two-Way Deal Prior To Season Beginning
GG Jackson II, Memphis Grizzlies (F)
Selected 45th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, Jackson II’s first NBA contract was of the two-way variety. He entered the Grizzlies rotation in mid-January after the team was ravaged with injuries. Despite appearing in just 48 games, Jackson II did enough to earn a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team. He posted averages of 14.6 points and 4.1 rebounds, and he dropped 44 points on April 14 against the Denver Nuggets. Memphis converted his contract to a standard one in February.
Vince Williams Jr., Memphis Grizzlies (G)
Williams Jr. was taken with the 47th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. In his rookie season, also on a two-way deal, he saw just 15 games of action for the Grizzlies. Last season with Desmond Bane missing much time with injury, Williams Jr. got to see the court much more frequently at the NBA level. In 52 games (33 starts), he averaged 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while connecting at a 37.8% clip from beyond the arc. He was converted to a standard contract in January.
Duop Reath, Portland Trail Blazers (C)
An undrafted 27-year-old rookie (now 28), Reath was signed to a two-way deal just before the 2023-24 season began. While Portland wasn’t very good, Reath certainly was a pleasant surprise. In 17.9 minutes per contest, he finished with averages of 9.1 points and 3.7 rebounds. The six-foot-11 center shot an adequate 35.9% from three-point territory. Reath’s contract became a standard one in February.
Jared Butler, Washington Wizards (G)
After appearing in six games for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2022-23, the Wizards brought in Butler on a two-way deal. He played 40 games for Washington, averaging 6.3 points and 3.2 assists in 14.2 minutes. The six-foot-three guard finished well inside (60.2% two-point shooting) and even had two games with double-digit assist totals late in the season. In early April, Butler had his contract converted to a standard one.
Keon Ellis, Sacramento Kings (G)
Ellis was also a two-way player in 2022-23 for Sacramento, but he played less than 100 total minutes for the team. He played 57 games (21 starts) for the Kings in 2023-24 making 41.7% from deep on the year. He provided excellent perimeter defense for a Kings team that was in need of it. Ellis’ emergence helped make Davion Mitchell expendable as he was traded in the offseason.
Signed Two-Way Deal During Season
Vit Krecji, Atlanta Hawks (G)
On December 22, 2023, Krecji re-joined Atlanta on a two-way deal. He appeared in 29 games for the Hawks in 2022-23. While he played less games (22) in 2023-24, Krecji started 14 games. He averaged 6.1 points and made 41.2% of his tries from three-point range. It was somewhat surprising that Atlanta didn’t convert him to a standard deal, thus making him ineligible to participate in the Play-In Tournament.
Scotty Pippen Jr., Memphis Grizzlies (G)
The son of a Hall of Famer, Pippen Jr. joined Memphis on a two-way deal in mid-January. On a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23, he played just six games for a total of 32 minutes. In 21 games (16 starts) for the Grizzlies last season, Pippen Jr. put forth impressive averages of 12.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals.
