D.J. Funderburk Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Summer League Commitments: Sixers, Celtics, Jazz, Mavericks

June 26th, 2022 at 8:55pm CST by JD Shaw

The Sixers are bringing guard Malik Ellison to summer league, his agent Jerry Dianis told Hoops Rumors. Ellison is the son of Pervis Ellison, who was drafted No. 1 overall in 1989. He signed a 10-day deal with the Hawks this season.

Ellison spent most of the campaign with the Hawks’ G League affiliate, averaging 8.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in 12 games. The 24-year-old also shot 45% from the floor and 46% from deep.

Here are a few more summer league commitments:

Free agent guard Jordan Bone has committed to play summer league with the Celtics next month, a source told Hoops Rumors. Bone, 24, holds NBA experience with the Magic and Pistons.
DJ Funderburk has committed to play with the Jazz during the Salt Lake City Summer League and Las Vegas Summer League, his agent Cervando Tejeda said. Funderburk played in Russia and France this past season.
The Mavericks are adding swingman Isaiah Brown to their summer league roster, according to his agent, Andre Buck. Brown, 24, attended a free-agent mini-camp with the team last week.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Kuminga, Unseld, Oladipo, Hawks

July 21st, 2021 at 8:23am CST by Eli Cohen

Projected top-eight pick Jonathan Kuminga worked out for the Magic on Tuesday, writes Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com. Kuminga has also worked out for the Cavaliers, Raptors and Thunder, and has an upcoming workout with the Warriors.

According to Chris Hays of The Orlando Sentinel, Kuminga said that the workout with Orlando went well and that his shooting is better than he showed during his time with the G League Ignite.

“I’m not for sure if I’m a top-five pick, but I’m not worried about that,” Kuminga said. “That’s just the rankings. We don’t know where I might end up, so I don’t really be concerned about draft picks.”

We have more from around the Southeast Division:

New head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has already been in touch with Wizards stars Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “I felt like I was talking to the same person, and I say that because the message was clear: They want to be coached, they are looking for the accountability,” Unseld said. According to David Aldridge of The Athletic, Unseld has spent his years as an assistant learning how to balance his natural calm with the ability to challenge star players and stand his ground when necessary.
Heat unrestricted free agent Victor Oladipo has changed agents, reports Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. He will now be represented by Jeff Schwartz and Javon Phillips of Excel Sports Management. Oladipo is currently rehabbing from surgery on his right quad.
Jason Preston, Matt Mitchell, DJ Funderburk, DeJon Jarreau, Herb Jones, Austin Reaves, and Ariel Hukporti are among the prospects the Hawks have worked out, tweets The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner. Hukporti has since withdrawn from the draft.
Darren Wolfson of SKOR North tweets that the Hawks will also work out Boston College forward Steffon Mitchell before the draft.

Draft Notes: Executive Roundup, Duarte, Monyyong, Lakers, Mini-Combine

July 10th, 2021 at 1:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

In a Draft Confidential column for The Athletic, Hall-of-Fame reporter David Aldridge interviews anonymous team executives and college coaches to get their inside scoop on the 2021 draft’s burning questions.

Some of the topics discussed: the Jalen Green versus Jalen Suggs debate, who will be the fourth guard taken after Suggs, Green, and Cade Cunningham are off the board (James Bouknight, Moses Moody, Davion Mitchell, and Keon Johnson are the top candidates), draft promises, some of the late risers (Joshua Primo, Nah’Shon Hyland, Miles McBride, and others), and a whole lot more.

We have more news from the draft:

Former Oregon guard Chris Duarte worked out for the Wizards on Thursday, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The 24-year-old sharpshooting guard also had workouts scheduled with the Thunder and Pelicans.
Ruot Monyyong had a workout with the Kings on Thursday, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Monyyong isn’t expected to be drafted, but could be a candidate for a two-way contract or Summer League invitation.
The Lakers worked out six players today, tweets Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register: Nah’Shon Hyland, Austin Reaves, Trey Murph y III, Oscar Da Silva, DJ Funderburk, and Chaundee Brown Jr. Hyland and Murphy are projected to be first-round picks, and could be in play for the Lakers with the No. 22 selection.
11 players participated in a mini-combine in Minneapolis, in front of 25 teams, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The participants were: McKinley Wright IV, Jalen Crutcher, Denzel Mahoney, Moses Wright, Nikita Mikhailovskii, Matt Coleman III, Colbey Ross, Jordan Schakel, Matt Mitchell, Brandon Rachal, and M.J. Walker.

Southeast Notes: Wizards, Hunt, Hornets, Herro

July 8th, 2021 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Having concluded their first round of head coaching interviews, the Wizards are conducting follow-up meetings this week. According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link), the team’s second interview with Wes Unseld Jr. was scheduled to take place today, while Jamahl Mosley is on tap for Friday.

A pair of Milwaukee assistants – Charles Lee and Darvin Ham – were also identified as finalists for the Wizards’ head coaching job. It’s unclear whether they’ve already met a second time with Washington or if those meetings are still to come. Both Lee and Ham, of course, remain active in the NBA Finals, which presumably complicates the scheduling of interviews.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Melvin Hunt, who was the Hawks‘ lead assistant under Lloyd Pierce, won’t return to Atlanta next season as part of Nate McMillan‘s staff, according to a report from Chris Kirschner and David Aldridge of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Hornets brought in D.J. Funderburk, Justin Gorham, A.J. Lawson, Alonzo Verge Jr., Duane Washington Jr., and Bryce Wills for pre-draft workouts on Wednesday, according to the team (Twitter link).
Heat guard Tyler Herro views this summer as a prime opportunity to continue growing his game and to develop a stronger relationship with head coach Erik Spoelstra, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald details. Herro’s first NBA offseason following his rookie season a year ago lasted just over two months, as the Heat faced a quick turnaround following their trip to the NBA Finals.
Fred Katz of The Athletic spoke to a “well-respected” NBA scout about the pros and cons of eight of the prospects the Wizards may be evaluating as possible targets with the No. 15 pick.

Stanford’s Tyrell Terry Will Remain In Draft, Go Pro

July 31st, 2020 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Stanford guard Tyrell Terry has decided to keep his name in the 2020 NBA draft pool after initially testing waters, according to reports from Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link) and ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. As Givony observes, Terry will be the first one-and-done freshman in Stanford history.

“I’m confident in my game and ready to compete at the highest level, against the best players in the world, and to learn from the best coaches in the world,” Terry told ESPN. “I still plan on continuing my education and getting my degree from Stanford. But for now, I’m ready for this challenge.”

Terry, who added that he has received “very positive” feedback from NBA teams, comes in at No. 44 on Givony’s big board at ESPN.com. The youngster is even more highly regarded by other experts — Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer tweets that Terry ranks eighth on his board.

Terry established himself as a dangerous outside shooter in his first and only college season, knocking down 40.8% of his three-pointers and 89.1% of his free throws. He averaged 14.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.2 APG, and 1.4 SPG in 31 games (32.6 MPG) for the Cardinal.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

Washington State CJ Elleby has decided to forgo his remaining college eligibility, keeping his name in the 2020 draft pool and signing with an agent, he revealed today in a Twitter video. Elleby, who averaged 18.4 PPG and 7.8 RPG as a sophomore, doesn’t show up on ESPN’s top-100 big board, but he’s one of the 105 prospects that executives want to see at a potential combine.
North Carolina State will have forward D.J. Funderburk back for his senior season, announcing in a press release that he’s withdrawing from the draft. “It was a unique process, especially this year with everything going on in the world,” Funderburk said of testing the draft waters, “but I appreciate everybody that took the time to give me feedback.”
San Diego State forward Matt Mitchell announced on Instagram that he’s headed back to school for his senior season rather than going pro. Mitchell averaged 12.2 PPG and 4.8 RPG with a .393 3PT% in 32 games (25.8 MPG) for the Aztecs in 2019/20.
We passed along several other draft decisions earlier today.

Draft Updates: Bey, Robinson-Earl, Fitts, Crutcher, More

March 26th, 2020 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Villanova head coach Jay Wright expects both Saddiq Bey and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to test the NBA draft process, he told reporters on Wednesday (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports). Bey currently ranks 21st overall on ESPN’s big board, while Robinson-Earl is at No. 66, so it makes sense that they’re considering going pro.

Because neither player has made that decision official and Wright only “expects” them to declare, we’re not yet adding their names to our running list of early entrants. However, that list continues to grow. Here are details on some other players we’re adding today:

Saint Mary’s forward Malik Fitts will forgo his final year of college eligibility and go pro, signing with agent Charles Briscoe for representation, per Evan Daniels of 247Sports. Fitts, who averaged 16.5 PPG and 7.1 RPG on .472/.408/.799 shooting as a junior, made his decision official in a Twitter post.
Dayton junior guard Jalen Crutcher will test the draft waters, he tells Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link) and announced on his own Twitter account. He’s coming off a season in which he averaged 15.1 PPG and 4.9 APG with a .424 3PT%.
St. Joe’s junior guard Ryan Daly, who averaged 20.5 PPG in 30 games this season, will declare for the draft while retaining his college eligibility, he tells Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link).
North Carolina State’s D.J. Funderburk and Devon Daniels, who each have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining, will test the 2020 draft waters, head coach Kevin Keatts announced today, per R. Cory Smith of 247Sports. “They will learn a lot more about what the NBA folks think about them,” Keatts said of the Wolfpack duo. “They will take the feedback and make an informed decision.”
Butler sophomore forward Jordan Tucker announced today on Twitter that he’s entering the 2020 NBA draft pool. “Being able to play in the NBA has been my dream since I was kid and I am excited to take this next step toward reaching it,” Tucker wrote.