Guard Malaki Branham is staying in the Cleveland orbit.
The former Ohio State standout has signed with the NBA G League and will join the Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ affiliate, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
Branham became a free agent shortly after the February trade deadline when the Charlotte Hornets waived him. His path there was a winding one. The Washington Wizards originally agreed to send Branham to Dallas as part of the massive Anthony Davis trade, but the Mavericks expanded the deal and rerouted him to Charlotte in exchange for Tyus Jones.
Now, the 22-year-old guard gets a fresh start in Northeast Ohio.
Branham appeared in 28 games with Washington this season, all off the bench. He averaged 4.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 9.8 minutes while shooting .473 from the field, .378 from three and .824 from the free-throw line. He was playing on the final year of his rookie contract, which paid just under $5 million.
San Antonio selected Branham with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft after a strong freshman season at Ohio State. He spent parts of two seasons with the Spurs before being traded to Washington last summer.
For the Charge and Cavs, the move adds a young scorer who is still trying to rediscover the promise that made him a first-round pick.
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