For Oregon State alumni tracking the Beavers' footprint in the NBA, the most notable movement this week came from a familiar big man finding a new home in South Florida.
Kylor Kelley lands with Miami after Lakers exit
Kylor Kelley, the 7-foot shot-blocking specialist who spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers, has signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Miami Heat. The move comes after Kelley's G League rights were traded to the Sioux Falls Skyforce — Miami's G League affiliate — setting up a clear developmental pathway for the former Beaver center.
Exhibit 10 contracts are one-year, minimum-salary deals that typically come with an incentive bonus if the player is waived and subsequently joins the team's G League affiliate. In short, it's a prove-it situation — and Kelley will need to make the most of training camp and preseason reps to stick around in the Heat organization.
Kelley, who was a force on the defensive end at Oregon State, has long drawn attention for his rim-protection instincts and length. Getting his G League rights moved to Sioux Falls alongside an Exhibit 10 with the parent club is a tangible opportunity, even if the path to an NBA roster spot requires more than raw tools.
Miami is a franchise that has historically valued defensive versatility and culture fit — traits that, if Kelley can demonstrate them in camp, could give him a legitimate shot at earning a two-way contract or a standard deal further down the line. For now, he's in the door.
The broader Beaver presence
Kelley isn't the only Oregon State alum keeping the Corvallis name alive in the league. Gary Payton II remains with the Golden State Warriors, where the defensive dynamo has carved out a valued role as one of the NBA's premier perimeter defenders since his breakout 2021–22 championship run. Drew Eubanks is on the New York Knicks' roster as a physical frontcourt piece, and Ethan Thompson holds a spot with the Indiana Pacers as a developmental shooting guard.
The Beavers don't churn out lottery picks, but they've built a quiet reputation for producing players who find ways to stick — and Kelley's latest move is consistent with that theme. Whether he makes it out of preseason with a Heat roster spot will be worth watching when the regular season kicks off.
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