Hornets Sign and Waive Josiah Allick

The Charlotte Hornets signed free agent forward Josiah Allick on Monday and waived him less than 24 hours later, a transaction that will be repeated dozens of times across the NBA in the six weeks before opening night. According to Hoops Rumors, these rapid sign-and-waive moves serve two key purposes for teams and players, even for those with no realistic path to a regular season roster.

Securing G League Rights

Teams can designate up to four players waived before the season as "affiliate players." If that player later signs a G League contract, he is automatically assigned to that NBA team's NBAGL affiliate. A player is only eligible if his returning rights are not already held by a G League team, which is why the list is typically filled with undrafted rookies or veterans new to the developmental league.

For instance, if a team signed former first-round pick Nick Smith Jr. to a training camp deal, it could designate him as an affiliate player. This is because his prior G League stints were while on standard or two-way contracts with the Hornets and Lakers, meaning neither the Greensboro Swarm nor Coachella Valley Lakers control his returning rights. These transactions often wait until training camps begin, as a player usually needs to participate in at least one day of team activities to qualify.

Awarding Exhibit 10 Bonuses

Many sign-and-waive moves involve players whose G League rights are already controlled by a specific club, like Allick and Trey Townsend. The Hornets did not need an NBA contract to acquire their G League rights, but signing them to non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deals allows the team to award bonus money on top of standard G League salaries.

A player on an Exhibit 10 contract who is waived before the season earns his bonus if he spends at least 60 days with his team's G League affiliate. The maximum bonus for this season is $91,000, and these payments do not count against the salary cap. They serve as an incentive for a player to join a specific G League affiliate instead of pursuing opportunities elsewhere.

While most players receive the maximum $91,000, some G League role players agree to bonuses below that figure. Even a modest bonus represents a significant raise. The standard G League base salary will increase another 3% for the 2026/27 season. An Exhibit 10 bonus could double or nearly triple a player's earnings for the year.

If an NBA team signs and waives a player whose NBAGL rights are held by another organization, it often signals a G League trade for those returning rights is underway. While not all sign-and-waive moves are about securing G League rights, nearly all involve setting up bonus money for a player destined for the developmental league.