Deng Adel

International Notes: Ennis, Dekker, Macon, Adel, Landale

Veteran guard Tyler Ennis and forward Sam Dekker spent a half-season in 2016/17 as teammates with the Rockets. Now, they’re set to team up again for the 2020/21 season — this time, it’ll happen in Turkey rather than in Houston.

Turk Telekom BK published a pair of tweets this week welcoming Ennis and Dekker to the team, an indication that both players have reached deals with the Turkish club.

Ennis and Dekker were 18th overall picks in back-to-back NBA drafts (2014 and 2015), with Ennis appearing in 186 total games for four clubs, while Dekker logged 200 appearances for four clubs. Neither player was in the NBA in 2019/20, as Ennis spent the season with Raptors 905 in the G League, while Dekker played in Russia for Lokomotiv Kuban.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the world of international basketball:

  • Turkish team Galatasaray has signed former Arkansas guard Daryl Macon to a one-year contract, the team announced in a press release. Macon began the 2019/20 season on a two-year deal with Miami, but was waived in January to open up a spot for Gabe Vincent.
  • Former Louisville forward Deng Adel, who was on a two-way contract with Cleveland in 2018/19 and was with the Nets in camp last fall, has signed with the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League, the team announced in a press release. According to the club, Adel received interest from several others NBL teams before signing with the Hawks.
  • Former Saint Mary’s big man Jock Landale isn’t expected to return to Zalgiris Kaunas for the 2020/21 season, according to Donatas Urbonas (Twitter link). Urbonas previously reported that the Lithuanian team was preparing for Landale to opt out of the final year of his contract and potentially seek an NBA job.

Australian League Team Looking To Add Deng Adel

Small forward Deng Adel is being pursued by the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s NBL, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchinia.

The Hawks are based in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. This would mark a return to Adel’s adopted home country. The swingman’s family fled from the war-ravaged South Sudan to Uganda before planting roots in Melbourne when he was eight.

The 6’7″ Adel went undrafted out of Louisville in 2018. Signed as a two-way player to the Cavaliers, Adel saw limited time in 19 games for Cleveland during the 2018/19 season. The Cavaliers did not retain him in the summer of 2019.

After being added and subsequently waived by the Nets prior to the start of the 2019/20 season, Adel latched on with Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. Before the G League season was paused – and ultimately canceled – due to the coronavirus pandemic in March, Adel held averages of 11.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 2.6 APG.

Nets Waive Deng Adel, John Egbunu

The Nets have become the latest NBA team to make cuts to their preseason roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived forward Deng Adel and center John Egbunu.

Adel and Egbunu were two of four players on Brooklyn’s roster with non-guaranteed contracts. Lance Thomas and C.J. Williams remain in the mix, joining the Nets’ 15 players with guaranteed salaries and one (Henry Ellenson) on a two-way contract.

After going undrafted out of Louisville in 2018, Adel spent his rookie season playing for the Cavaliers, the Canton Charge, and the Raptors 905. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Brooklyn in July and the Nets’ G League affiliate – the Long Island Nets – acquired his returning rights in September.

Egbunu, a 6’11” center who went undrafted out of Florida in 2017, has never played in the G League, so Brooklyn could make him an affiliate player after he clears waivers and the NBAGL season begins.

Atlantic Notes: Ntilikina, Adel, Raptors, Nets Staff

Frank Ntilikina‘s last coach in the French Pro A League told the enigmatic Knicks guard that he must build off his strong showing the FIBA World Cup, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reports. Vincent Collet knows this could be a make-or-break year for the lottery pick. Ntilikina helped Team France win a bronze medal in the tournament. “I told him he must keep going,” Collet told Vorkunov. “He must take advantage of the World Cup. When you start the camp, you must show them you are not the same Frank anymore.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Nets’ G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, acquired the returning player rights to Deng Adel from Raptors 905, according to a team press release. Brooklyn had already signed the small forward to an Exhibit 10 contract. Adel played on a two-way contract with the Cavaliers during the second half of last season, then became a free agent. Long Island also acquired the returning player rights of JaKarr Sampson from the Windy City Bulls in the three-team G league swap. Sampson signed with the Pacers in August.
  • The five players who have partially guaranteed contracts with the Raptors will likely compete for three roster spots, as Blake Murphy of The Athletic details in an examination of the team’s salary cap situation. A dozen players have fully guaranteed deals and will almost assuredly make the squad. That leaves Cameron Payne, Isaiah Taylor, Dewan Hernandez, Chris Boucher and Malcolm Miller vying for the remaining spots on the 15-man opening night roster. Hernandez might have the biggest edge because he has the most guaranteed money and the most team-friendly contract long-term, Murphy adds.
  • Former NBA center Tiago Splitter has been promoted by the Nets to player development coach, according to a team press release. Splitter joined the organization after retiring in February 2018. The other staff additions or promotions included J.R. Holden (director of player personnel), Daniel Jones (physical performance coach) and Ryan Forehan-Kelly (player development coordinator).

Nets Notes: Ellenson, G League, Plumlee, Dinwiddie

Developing Henry Ellenson, who signed a two-way contract with the Nets in July, will be among the top priorities for the organization’s G League affiliate this season, writes Chris Milholen of NetsDaily. Selected by the Pistons with the 18th pick in 2016, Ellenson wasn’t able to earn consistent minutes in Detroit before being waived in February. Brooklyn was interested in signing him then, but he finished out the season with the Knicks.

“I think there is definitely value,” Long Island GM Matt Riccardi said of Ellenson. “He has NBA experience. Now, Henry is a little bit younger (at 22), which is good, and he has a ton of developmental potential which we are excited about and I think it is good for everyone to see this is where we want to go and this is how we get there.”

Riccardi and head coach Shaun Fein discuss several other prospects in the article, including Deng Adel, who holds an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nets, and Anthony Brown, whose rights were acquired in a trade this week.

There’s more from Brooklyn:

  • The Nets are waiting to see what happens with Marshall Plumlee, who may have left basketball behind for a career in the military, Milholen adds in a separate story. Long Island still holds his G League rights, and Riccardi said the team would be receptive to Plumlee, who earned his Army Ranger pin last month, if he decides to return.
  • Spencer Dinwiddie tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that he’s not concerned about predictions of regression after last season’s sixth-place finish. Dinwiddie is confident that the Nets’ offseason moves will make the team a title contender, whether Kevin Durant can return or not. “We’re definitely going to improve. We added talent across the board. But it all depends on chemistry and cohesiveness. That’s always the trouble, that’s always the elephant in the room, right?” Dinwiddie said. “Last year we were able to come together, even with injuries and in some cases kind of galvanizing the group in a sense. We’ve obviously added a ton more talent across the board. We’re a more talented team. But if we don’t come together then it doesn’t matter.”
  • TNT analyst Kenny Smith is also a believer in Brooklyn, according to another story from NetsDaily. Smith expects the team to contend for the East title if Kyrie Irving can remain healthy.

World Cup Notes: Bolden, Wagner, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Popovich

Team USA isn’t the only FIBA World Cup nation dealing with last-minute withdrawals. Sixers forward Jonah Bolden has informed the Australian squad that he won’t be participating in the tournament, which starts in 13 days, according to Olgun Uluc of Fox Sports Australia. He cited “personal reasons” for the decision.

Bolden looked good in exhibition play, posting 12 points and five rebounds in Saturday’s win over Canada. His place could be taken by Deng Adel, who signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nets last month, or Brock Motum, according to Uluc. The Australians are already playing without Ben Simmons, Thon Maker, Ryan Broekhoff and Dante Exum.

“My first thought is always with the player in these situations — having to withdraw from the national team is tough for anyone,” Boomers head coach Andrej Lemanis said. “From a team perspective, the timing is sub-optimal, but again, we are very fortunate to have the depth of talent we have in this country available to take up this opportunity. Whilst it can feel like we need to make a quick decision, the most important thing is to bring in the player that best complements the other skill sets we have on the team.”

There’s more World Cup news to pass along:

  • Germany has cut Wizards center Moritz Wagner, relays Dario Skerletic of Sportando. The Germans, whose preliminary roster includes Maxi KleberDennis SchroderDaniel Theis and Isaac Bonga, still have to get rid of one more player before the tournament begins. Wagner was sent to Washington last month as part of the Anthony Davis trade.
  • France trimmed Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot from its World Cup squad, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The free agent forward played for the Thunder and Bulls last season.
  • Gregg Popovich only has one cut to make from Team USA, but he expects it to be very difficult, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The Americans headed to Australia yesterday for a pair of exhibition games with 13 players still on their roster. The final decision is expected to come around August 27. “When you cut people from your regular NBA team, it’s difficult,” Popovich said. “We’re going to have to do that. And it’s going to be even more so. I’m dreading having to do that. But it’s got to get done.”

Nets Sign Deng Adel To Exhibit 10 Deal

JULY 30: The Nets have officially signed Adel, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 25: The Nets have reached an agreement to sign free agent small forward Deng Adel to an Exhibit 10 contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Adel, 22, went undrafted out of Louisville in 2018. He spent training camp and the preseason last fall with the Raptors, but didn’t make their regular season roster and ultimately landed with the Raptors 905 in the G League.

After appearing in 25 games for Toronto’s G League affiliate, Adel was snatched up by the Cavaliers, who inked him to a two-way contract in January. He saw limited minutes in 19 games for Cleveland in the second half of the season while also playing in 12 more NBAGL contests for the Canton Charge. He became an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

Once Adel’s deal with Brooklyn becomes official, he’ll occupy one of the 20 spots on the club’s offseason roster.

Cavs Sign Deng Adel To Two-Way Contract

JANUARY 15: The Cavaliers have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Adel. Cleveland has waived Jones to open up the necessary roster spot.

JANUARY 14: The Cavaliers are the latest team to make a change to their two-way contract slots, having reached an agreement to sign G League forward Deng Adel to a two-way deal, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Adel had been playing for the Raptors 905 in the G League.

After going undrafted out of Louisville in 2018, Adel initially appeared set to join the Timberwolves on a camp contract, but ended up in training camp with the Raptors instead. Waived at the end of the preseason, the 22-year-old joined Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate, where he has recorded 13.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 2.6 APG with a .423/.313/.768 shooting line in 25 games (31.6 MPG).

The Cavaliers don’t currently have a two-way slot open, so they’ll need to cut either Jaron Blossomgame or Jalen Jones to create room for Adel.

Once Adel officially signs, he’ll be the sixth player to receive a two-way contract from Cleveland this season, as Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days observes (via Twitter). Before adding Blossomgame and Jones, the Cavs also had Andrew Harrison, John Holland, and Billy Preston on two-way deals.

Raptors Waive Four, Convert Boucher To Two-Way Deal

The Raptors appear to have set their roster for the regular season, announcing today in a pair of press releases that they’ve waived four players from their roster and converted Chris Boucher‘s Exhibit 10 deal into a two-way contract. The club now has 16 players under contract, including a pair on two-way deals.

According to the club, forward Deng Adel, center Eric Moreland, and guards Kyle Collinsworth and Kay Felder were all released today. Boucher presumably beat out Moreland for Toronto’s second two-way contract slot, since the team wanted to keep an extra big man. Guard Jordan Loyd currently holds the other two-way deal for the Raptors.

Boucher, a Montreal native, spent last season with Golden State on a two-way contract. He appeared in just one game for the NBA squad, but posted 11.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 2.2 BPG in 20 games for Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League.

If they don’t make any other roster moves before Monday’s deadline, the Raptors will enter the season with an open spot on their 15-man roster. That comes as no surprise, since carrying a 15th player to start the year would increase Toronto’s projected tax bill and reduce the club’s flexibility.

Adel, Moreland, Collinsworth, and Felder will all clear waivers and become free agents on Sunday, assuming they go unclaimed.

Deng Adel To Sign With Raptors

Deng Adel has decided not to sign a training camp contract with the Timberwolves and will accept a partially guaranteed deal from the Raptors instead, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Adel was probably ticketed for the Wolves’ G League affiliate and liked the opportunity and money better with Toronto.

Adel went undrafted out of Louisville after averaging 15.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 2.8 APG during his junior season. He played for the Rockets’ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The addition of Adel will give Toronto 19 players heading into training camp. The team has 13 players with fully guaranteed contracts.