MSU Bigs Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler Land NBA Deals

Overview

• Carson Cooper agreed to a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, a deal that lets him split time between the Grizzlies and their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle.
• Jaxon Kohler signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal with the Utah Jazz on Thursday, which puts him on the Jazz’s training camp roster and gives him a path to a two-way or standard contract if he performs well.
• Both players went undrafted after senior seasons at Michigan State in which Cooper averaged 11.1 points and 7.1 rebounds while Kohler averaged 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds, with Kohler emerging as a 3-point threat.
• The immediate evaluation window is Las Vegas Summer League and each team’s training camp, where two-way and Exhibit 10 rules let teams assign players to the G League or convert them to full NBA contracts based on performance.
• Cooper’s signing continues a recent pattern of Memphis adding former MSU bigs and gives both players a professional pathway after MSU went two straight drafts without a selection, with the key next storylines being Summer League showings and whether either deal is upgraded.