Ahmad Caver

International Notes: Dorsey, Antetokounmpo, Caver, CSKA

Before joining forces with Luka Doncic this fall, Tyler Dorsey is excited about the opportunity to play alongside two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on the Greek national team, writes Achilleas Mavrodontis of EuroHoops. Entering the 2017 NBA draft, Dorsey talked about the possibility of being taken by the Bucks and teaming up with Antetokounmpo. However, he was selected by the Hawks at No. 41, a few picks ahead of Milwaukee.

“This is a great opportunity to play alongside him,” Dorsey said of Antetokounmpo. “I am excited to get to know him. He has a wonderful story. For me, the story is amazing to where he is at today.”

After two seasons with Atlanta and Memphis, Dorsey returned to Europe, signing with Maccabi Tel Aviv and then Olympiacos. He had a chance to join Turkish power Fenerbahce this summer, but he opted to take another shot at the NBA on a two-way contract with Dallas.

“Definitely, Fenerbahce was an option,” Dorsey said. “It could have happened. But the NBA opened the door a little bit and Dallas took the opportunity to offer for me and I wasn’t going to turn that down.”

There’s more international news this morning:

  • Antetokounmpo is enjoying the experience of being with all his brothers during Greece’s training camp, Mavrodontis adds in a separate story. Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Kostas Antetokounmpo are both expected to make the final roster for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers and EuroBasket, and Alex Antetokounmpo is hoping to join them. Giannis admits the Greek team may not be ready for a medal, comparing it to how long it took to turn the Bucks into contenders, but said the experience is important for his family. “It’s a dream come true,” he said. “We’ve been saying that one day we’ll achieve this. It makes us proud to guard each other in the practice of the national team. Our mother can’t wait to come to the games. But when they enter the court, they are my teammates, not my brothers.”
  • Ahmad Caver, who had a brief appearance with the Pacers last season, has signed a one-year contract with the BC Wolves in Lithuania, the team announced (via Twitter). The 25-year-old point guard, who spent most of the season with Memphis in the G League, got into one game after joining Indiana in late December on a 10-day contract under the hardship provision.
  • CSKA Moscow is appealing the decision to bar the team from the EuroLeague for the upcoming season, per Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops. The decision to remove all Russian teams from EuroLeague competition was made following the nation’s invasion of Ukraine.

Pacers Sign Ahmad Caver To 10-Day Contract

1:45pm: Caver has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Pacers, according to a press release from the team. Indiana is expected to complete another hardship signing, tweets Agness.


1:19pm: The Pacers will call up free agent guard Ahmad Caver from the G League and sign him to a 10-day contract using a hardship exception, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A 6’2″ point guard, Caver has played for the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate, since going undrafted out of Old Dominion in 2019. After coming off the bench for the Hustle for two years, he moved into the starting lineup in 2021/22, averaging 15.4 PPG, 6.9 APG, 4.7 RPG, and 1.8 SPG on .413/.364/.818 shooting in 14 games (35.6 MPG) this season.

Entering the day, the Pacers had four players in the health and safety protocols. They’ve since added a fifth, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link), who says Kelan Martin has tested positive for COVID-19.

Indiana has added one replacement player so far, signing Nate Hinton on Thursday. Caver is on track to be the team’s second hardship addition.

Grizzlies Sign Stockton, Waive Caver

The Grizzlies announced in a press release that they have signed guard David Stockton and waived guard Ahmad Caver.

The terms of Stockton’s contract weren’t disclosed, but it’s almost certainly an Exhibit 10 contract. As with Caver, he will likely be waived before the season starts. The move is procedural in nature, as it will allow the Grizzlies to give Stockton a bonus of up to $50K if he sticks with their G League squad, the Memphis Hustle, for at least 60 days.

Stockton is a six-year veteran of the G League and has seen action in six total NBA games since going undrafted in 2014. He has also played for several overseas teams during the course of his career. In 184 G League contests, he holds career averages of 17.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 6.9 APG in 29.9 MPG, with a shooting line of .450/.369/.820. He suited up for the Hustle last season in the G League bubble in Orlando.

Caver spent the past two seasons with the Hustle after going undrafted out of Old Dominion in 2019. He had a productive run for the team last season, putting up 16.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 3.9 APG in 29.4 MPG off the bench.

The move leaves the team with the preseason maximum of 20 players under contract: 15 with guaranteed deals, Sam Merrill with a partial guarantee of $500K, and both two-way slots filled.

Grizzlies Sign Ahmad Caver, Matthew Hurt; Waive Sean McDermott, Romeo Weems

The Grizzlies have completed a series of four roster moves, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived Sean McDermott and Romeo Weems, replacing them on the roster with Ahmad Caver and Matthew Hurt.

Both McDermott and Weems had been on Exhibit 10 contracts and it’s safe to assume that Caver and Hurt will receive similar deals.

All four players are candidates to join the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate. Signing them to Exhibit 10 deals now ensures the Grizzlies will secure their NBAGL rights or – if the team already holds their returning rights – will be able to award them bonuses of up to $50K if they spend at least 60 days with the Hustle.

Caver, a 6’2″ point guard, has spent the last two seasons with the Hustle and made a major impact off the bench for the team in the 2021 NBAGL bubble, averaging 16.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 3.8 APG on .525/.425/.634 shooting in 15 games (29.4 MPG).

Hurt, a 6’9″ forward who played two seasons for Duke, had a very productive sophomore season for the Blue Devils in 2020/21, averaging 18.3 PPG and 6.2 RPG with a stellar .556/.444/.724 shooting line across 24 games (32.7 MPG). He signed a two-way contract with Houston in August, but was waived in September.

Grizzlies Waive Three Players, Set Regular Season Roster

The Grizzlies have made three roster cuts, announcing today in a press release that they waived forward Bennie Boatwright, along with guards Shaq Buchanan and Ahmad Caver.

Boatwright, Buchanan, and Caver each signed non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts with the Grizzlies after playing last season for the Memphis Hustle in the G League. All three players are likely to rejoin the Hustle – the Grizzlies’ NBAGL affiliate – now that they’ve been waived, and should be in line for bonuses worth up to $50K apiece.

After today’s cuts, the Grizzlies’ roster is all set for the regular season. The team is carrying a full squad, with 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts and a pair on two-way deals.

Grizzlies Waive Mario Hezonja, Sign Ahmad Caver

1:14pm: The Grizzlies have officially waived Hezonja, the team confirmed in a press release. Additionally, Memphis announced that it has signed free agent guard Ahmad Caver to fill the newly-opened roster spot.

Terms of Caver’s deal weren’t disclosed, but it’s likely an Exhibit 10 contract designed to get him a $50K bonus if he plays for the Memphis Hustle in the G League again this season, as he did last year.


12:50pm: The Grizzlies are waiving veteran forward Mario Hezonja, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Hezonja, 25, averaged 4.8 PPG and 3.5 RPG on .422/.308/.814 shooting in 53 games (16.4 MPG) for Portland last season. After he exercised his minimum-salary player option for 2020/21, he was sent to Memphis in a three-team trade that saw the Trail Blazers acquire Enes Kanter.

The Grizzlies were carrying 17 players with guaranteed contracts into training camp, leaving Hezonja and Marko Guduric as the likely odd men out for the regular season. Neither player was in camp with the club.

Hezonja hasn’t developed into a reliable and productive rotation player since being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft, but being cut by the Grizzlies doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t play in the NBA at all this season. According to Charania, multiple teams are expected to express interest in the Croatian once he clears waivers and training camp ends.

Grizzlies Sign Jarrod Uthoff, Waive Ahmad Caver

The Grizzlies continue to shuffle players on and off their 20-man preseason roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed forward Jarrod Uthoff and waived guard Ahmad Caver.

It’s the third consecutive day that the Grizzlies have made a pair of minor roster moves — the club signed Dusty Hannahs to replace Matt Mooney on Monday, then signed Caver and released Hannahs on Tuesday. Those signings are being made for G League purposes, with the Grizzlies either securing affiliate rights or ensuring that returning-rights players will receive Exhibit 10 bonuses.

Uthoff, who went undrafted out of Iowa in 2016, appeared in nine games for the Mavericks in his rookie season but has mostly played in the G League and international leagues since going pro. He spent the 2018/19 campaign with Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia.

The Memphis Hustle – the Grizzlies’ NBAGL affiliate – acquired Uthoff’s returning rights in a trade a year ago, so if he signs a G League contract, he’d be assigned to the Hustle. By inking a contract with the Grizzlies today, Uthoff should also be in line for an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Hustle.

Grizzlies Sign Ahmad Caver, Waive Dusty Hannahs

A day after signing Dusty Hannahs to an Exhibit 10 contract, the Grizzlies have waived him, replacing him on the roster with free agent guard Ahmad Caver, the club announced today in a press release.

Caver, who went undrafted this spring out of Old Dominion, averaged 16.6 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 4.3 RPG in 35 games (37.6 MPG) during his senior season.

Both Caver and Hannahs appears to be strong candidates to land with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate. The team holds Hannahs’ returning rights and can make Caver an affiliate player after waiving him sometime in the next few days.

Of course, the Grizzlies could theoretically hang onto Caver into the regular season, but that’s extremely unlikely. The club already has a roster crunch, with 15 players on fully guaranteed salaries, plus Bruno Caboclo and Ivan Rabb with partial guarantees.