Emoni Bates has found a new NBA home.
After spending his first two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 21-year-old has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Keith Pompey.
Bates’ Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year deal worth the league minimun and allows players the opportunity to compete for a roster spot or a two-way contract during training camp.
The 6-foot-8 forward has spent most of his two professional seasons in the G League with the Cavs’ affiliate the Cleveland Charge.
He was a G League all-star in 2024 and averaged 3.1 points and 8.3 minutes per game in 25 NBA appearances.
Bates was drafted with the 49th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft after spending his sophomore season at Eastern Michigan.
The Ypsilanti native earned all-conference honors at EMU prior to spending his freshman year at Memphis.
Bates was the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting class but reclassified to the 2021 class and chose to attend Memphis.
Bates became a household name after leading Ypsilanti Lincoln to the Division 1 Michigan high school basketball championship as a freshman in 2019.
He then became the youngest high school basketball player to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 15.
The 76ers also signed Kennedy Chandler, Malcolm Hill, and Jaylen Martin to Exhibit 10 contracts along with Bates, Pompey reported.