The LA Lakers carried on signing players for training camp on Wednesday by signing Vinny Bade and guard-forward Valerio-Bodon to an Exhibit 10 deal. Valerio-Bodon’s signing happened a day after the team signed Memphis Grizzlies’ two-way contract guard Jordan Goodwin to the same status.
About Valerio-Bodon
The 6’9, 200-pound Hungarian centre is an undrafted rookie who has been playing professionally since he was 19. He also bought his experience in the NBA G League and NBA Summer League. During that span, he has also been praised for his penetrating skills for his position. From 2019-2023, he continued playing for NBIA in Hungary with Atomerum SE, DEAC, and Sopron KC.
During the 2022-23 season with Sopron KC, over 30 games he garnered an average of 8. 2 points, 4. 1 rebounds, 1. 8 assists, 0. 9 steals, and 1. 4 3-pointers per game. He shot 50. 3% and 41. 2% from deep, proving that he is a three-point shooter.
Valerio in the LA Lakers
Valerio-Bodon wasn’t drafted in the 2023 NBA draft and then he only participated in one game for the Boston Celtics in the Las Vegas Summer League last year. He scored 13 points, had 6 boards, 3 assists, 1 block and 2 threes while shooting 50. 0%.
That was enough for Valerio-Bodon to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with LA last September before being cut a month later during training camp. As a result, this year is the second year in a row where the guard-forward will be fighting for a place in the Lakers’ regular-season squad.
Young Sensation
Valerio-Bodon competed for LA’s G League side, the South Bay Lakers, in the last season. In 25 starts he was scoring 6. 0 ppg, 2. 4 rpg, 1. 2 apg, 0. 7 spg, 1. 0 bpg and 1. 0 3pg, shooting 39. 4% and 30. 6% from 3. More recently this summer Valerio-Bodon played four games in the California and Las Vegas Summer League for LA.
He especially had a poor form in the attacking aspect of the game in that he obtained an average of 4. 5 ppg, 4. 0 rpg, 1. 3 apg, 0. 8 spg and 0. 8 3pg, shooting 29. 4% and 30. 0% from deep. Still, the Lakers seem interested in the potential of the 23-year-old, as they are interested in him enough to give him a second chance at showing he’s capable of performing with the team.
Exhibit-10 Contract
Interestingly he was waived after 24 hours of signing. Here’s why-
It might seem bizarre at first why a team would sign a player and then waive them within 24 hours. However, the rationale behind this move lies in the specifics of an Exhibit-10 contract. An Exhibit-10 deal is designed to offer players an incentive to join a team’s G League affiliate. In this case, by signing Valerio-Bodon and Fudge to these contracts and then waiving them, the Lakers facilitate their transition to the South Bay Lakers with added financial benefits.
This approach provides the players with a bonus if they sign with the South Bay Lakers, making it more lucrative than a direct G League contract. This strategy is advantageous for both sides. The Lakers retain the rights to players they’re interested in, while the players benefit from the extra money and the opportunity to play for the South Bay Lakers.
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