Kennedy Chandler Signs Rookie Contract With Grizzlies

Kennedy Chandler has officially signed his first NBA contract, according to The Athletic. According to Shams Charania, Chandler’s rookie contract contains $4.94M in guaranteed money, which is the most an American second-rounder can receive.

Chandler, the 38th overall selection in the draft, was acquired by the Grizzlies in a trade with the Spurs. He was one of a few players that saw a draft night slide. 

Chandler became the sixth Vol to be drafted in the last four years and the 55th in program history. Chandler is the first VFL to be selected in the second round since Admiral Schofield in 2019. The Vols produced a pair of first-round picks in 2021 with Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer. 

Chandler's selection made him the 30th NBA Draft pick to have been coached by Rick Barnes, six of them being Vols. Chandler is the 13th second-round selection for Barnes in his 35-year head coaching career, and he is the eighth one-and-done selection in Barnes' coaching career. 

The Memphis native enters the pros coming off a tremendous freshman season at Tennessee in which he accounted for 33.6 percent of Tennessee's offensive scoring. Chandler's efforts in the SEC Tournament won him the SEC Tournament MVP and helped the Vols achieve their first conference tournament title in over four decades.