“I just want a job in the NBA. I honestly don’t know what’s next.” Despite standout preseason performances that earned praise from the likes of JJ Redick, LeBron James, and even rival players, Quincy Olivari‘s future in the NBA was anything but certain. After going undrafted, he joined the Lakers on an Exhibit 10 contract, which only guaranteed him a spot in training camp and preseason. However, these moments also gave Olivari the platform to prove why he belongs on the Lakers’ main roster, ready to face the competition in the regular season.

Fortunately, Olivari’s hard work during the preseason paid off. Just a day after the Lakers-Warriors preseason matchup, the LA franchise announced that Olivari had been signed to a two-way contract. If reports are accurate, this deal will earn him more than some of the draft picks will make in the upcoming season. So, without further delay, let’s dive into the details of Olivari’s journey and what this contract means for him.

What are the terms listed under Quincy Olivari’s contract?

According to Salary Swish and HoopsHype, Quincy Olivari is set to make approximately $1.157 million next season. A typical Two-Way Contract can last for 1 or 2 years, but details of Olivari’s salary are only highlighted for the upcoming season, not the one after that.

Olivari’s pay is limited to the fact that he has been signed on under a two-way contract. The terms of this agreement divide the player’s time between the regular season and the G-League, limiting the number of games the athlete can play with the main league. As a result, his salary is just half of the minimum limit set for a normal rookie contract. Despite this, the 23-year-old Lakers player is set to earn more than KJ Simpson and Ulrich Chomche, who were taken in as the 42 and the 57 overall pick. Not bad for someone who missed out on being amongst the original 58 picks during the 2024 NBA Draft.

Providing Quincy Olivari with the two-way contract meant that the Lakers had to make some changes to their existing roster. Sure enough, to clear up space, the franchise had to waive off second-year Center Colin Castleton. When making the final decision on who could be let go to clear up the needed space, it was speculated that Christian Koloko would certainly not be on the chopping block, even though he had developed a ‘blood-clot’ issue back in January. While theories had arisen that Koloko could have faced the same dilemma as Chris Bosh, the Center has fortunately been cleared by the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play Panel.

Castleton’s presence during the preseason didn’t help the Lakers by much, as he only averaged 2.4 points over the course of 5 games, with his highest score being only 4 points. Compare that to the 8.8 points that Olivari averaged in 4 games, including the 11 and 22 points he made against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors respectively, and there was no question on who to retain and who to give the boot.

Quincy Olivari has certainly been on top of the world once the news about his two-way contract became official. If anyone already didn’t know how it was, the player reminded them by sharing details of it through his official Instagram and X account. To add the cherry on top of the Kit-Kat Waffle with Whipped Cream, the rookie isn’t alone in celebrating his achievement, as some of his favorite NBA players have also come out to send their love.

“YEEEEAAAAHHHHH Q!!!!!” – LeBron James & Stephen Curry celebrate Quincy Olivari’s Contract:

No sooner had Shams Charania broken the news of Quincy Olivari’s two-way contract than both the player and the Lakers highlighted it on their official Instagram pages. The excitement didn’t stop there. LeBron James, the Lakers’ leading scorer, added to the buzz by promoting the announcement on his Instagram story, which reached 159 million followers. Alongside the post, LeBron wrote, “YEEEEAAAAHHHHH Q!!!!! Congrats kid.” The 39-year-old had shown similar enthusiasm when Olivari scored 11 points against the Milwaukee Bucks, posting, “Yeeeeaaaahhhhh Q!! They know who 41 is now.” While LeBron will undoubtedly focus on his son Bronny, who’s also with the Lakers, it seems Olivari may be another rookie under the NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer’s wing this season.

While Olivari certainly would have appreciated the compliment from LeBron, nothing would have compared to the praise he received from his favorite player Stephen Curry. Almost an hour after Shams Charania broke the news, the Warriors star put up a post that highlighted a picture of him and Olivari during the recent Warriors-Lakers matchup. He followed it up with a caption that read “Real as they come @quincyolivari” accompanied by a folding hands emoji. Olivari responded, “I appreciate u big dawg” in the comments section.

NBA fans had gotten to know just how big of a Stephen Curry fan Quincy Olivari was just yesterday. During the postgame presser, the rookie revealed details of their conversation by stating “The first thing he (Curry) told me, was like I’m a big fan of your game. Truth be told, I’m a big fan of him. I had his jersey. He signed it twice. I used to sleep under that jersey. I just wanted to be like him so bad, so just to be able to meet him, him be able to have some respect for me and then us to talk in the back.” After the rookie reportedly showed a throwback video of Steph signing the jersey of a then-unknown Olivari, Steph himself proceeded to gift the player a pair of his signed shoes. The Warriors’ three-point leader certainly knows how to create unforgettable moments, and he certainly made Olivari’s day through his gestures.

What are your thoughts on Quincy Olivari representing the Lakers? Let us know in the comments down below.