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2021/22 NBA G League Draft Results

October 23rd, 2021 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League held its draft for the 2021/22 season on Saturday afternoon.

The 28 G League teams affiliated with NBA teams participated in the event, with the G League Ignite and Mexico City Capitanes sitting it out. The Ignite and Capitanes will be taking part in the NBAGL’s Showcase Cup this fall, but won’t be part of the 36-game regular season that tips off in late December.

The first player selected in today’s draft was former St. John’s point guard Shamorie Ponds, who was picked by the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers‘ G League affiliate. Ponds has a little NBA experience, having appeared in four games as a rookie in 2019/20 while on a two-way contract with Toronto.

Among the other notable picks were Nate Darling by the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario at No. 5 and LiAngelo Ball by the Greensboro Swarm at No. 14. Last week, the Clippers and Hornets signed and waived Darling and Ball, respectively, in an effort to secure their affiliate rights, but were unable to get those rights for procedural reasons. The two teams had to use the draft to make sure they landed those players.

The Knicks also signed and waived veteran guard Brandon Knight during the preseason and were unable to get his affiliate rights due to a procedural issue. However, Westchester passed on Knight with the No. 4 overall pick today, and the Heat‘s affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, snatched him up at No. 6. We’ll see if Knight is no longer in the Knicks’ plans or if the Skyforce intend to trade his rights to Westchester.

Lance Stephenson to the Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets) at No. 13 and Dwyane Wade‘s son Zaire Wade to the Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz) at No. 10 were a couple of the other notable picks that played out as expected.

Here are the full 2021/22 G League draft results:

Round One:

Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): Shamorie Ponds
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Tyler Hagedorn
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Gabe York
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Justin Turner
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers): Nate Darling
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Brandon Knight
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Eddie Stansberry
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Jaylen Johnson
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Michael Gbinije
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Zaire Wade
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Loudon Love
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Alan Griffin
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Lance Stephenson
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): LiAngelo Ball
Lakeland Magic (Magic): TJ Haws
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): B.J. Taylor
Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Scottie Lindsey
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Isaiah Ross
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Ruot Monyyong
Lakeland Magic (Magic): Marlon Stewart
Stockton Kings (Kings): Joe Young
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Samir Doughty
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Chudier Bile
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Rodney Pryor
Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Tim Bond
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Tyree White
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Montell McRae
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Cullen Russo

Round Two:

Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Karim Mane
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Kalob Ledoux
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Gerard Tarin
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): Barra Njie
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Tahj Eaddy
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Trevon Duval
Lakeland Magic (Magic): Gary Chivichyan
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Ryan Daly
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Keaton Wallace
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Pedro Bradshaw
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Alexis Wangmene
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Ian DuBose
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Mike Smith
Lakeland Magic (Magic): Jaire Grayer
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Blake Francis
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Jack Pagenkopf
Lakeland Magic (Magic): Devonte Patterson
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Jordan Allen
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Devearl Ramsey
Long Island Nets (Nets): Chris Walker
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Eric Demers
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Derrick Griffin
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): JaQuan Lyle
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Jachai Taylor
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Lydell Elmore
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Ikenna Ndugba
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Tevin King
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers): Kammeon Holsey

Round Three:

South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Elijah Cain
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Landon Taliaferro
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Will Vorhees
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Asante Gist
Stockton Kings (Kings): Princepal Singh
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Trevor John
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Tristan Jarrett
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Devon Baulkman
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Jaylen Bland
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): J.C. Show
Austin Spurs (Spurs): No pick
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): No pick
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Joel Ntambwe
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Lamonte Bearden
Stockton Kings (Kings): No pick
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Lindsey Drew
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Artur Labinowicz
Long Island Nets (Nets): Jaylen Fisher
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers): Randy Onwuasor
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Seth Allen
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Jovan Mooring
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Jermaine Haley
Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Kerwin Roach
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Isaiah Blackmon
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Marlon Taylor
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Jimond Ivey

Teams will fill out their rosters with affiliate players, returning-rights players, tryout players, and players who are assigned to the G League from the NBA roster (including those on two-way contracts).

G League training camps open on Monday, with the Showcase Cup tournament tipping off on November 5.

Labissiere, Knight Among Players Eligible For G League Draft

October 22nd, 2021 at 5:50pm CST by Rory Maher

NBA veterans Skal Labissiere and Brandon Knight are among a list of 101 players eligible for the 2021 G League Draft, which takes place tomorrow, October 23.

Some other interesting names on the list, with varying amounts of NBA experience, include Lance Stephenson, Nate Darling, Trevon Duval, Shamorie Ponds, Karim Mane, and Joe Young.

Marc Stein of Substack tweets that Stephenson might land with the Nuggets‘ affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold.

Knight was signed and waived last week (Knicks), as was Darling (Clippers), so perhaps there were procedural issues with their affiliate rights, similar to what happened with the Hornets and LiAngelo Ball.

The full G League Draft order can be found here.

And-Ones: Njie, Young, Mannion, Mudiay

October 17th, 2021 at 7:19pm CST by JD Shaw

Swedish player Barra Njie is signing a contract in the NBA G League and entering the October 23 draft, agent Jerry Dianis told Hoops Rumors.

Njie rejected multiple offers from the EuroLeague and Liga ACB, Dianis said. The 6’3″ point guard was named Rookie of the Year in the Swedish Basketball League last season, averaging 17.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.

Njie, 20, will be NBA draft-eligible for 2022 and attended St. Benedict’s Preparatory school before signing overseas.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Speaking of the G League Draft, former NBA guard Joe Young will also sign a contract and enter the event, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link). Young played 127 games with the Pacers from 2015-18, most recently spending time in China.
Former Warriors guard Nico Mannion dealt with an intestinal infection caused by salmonella this summer, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets. Mannion estimates that he lost over 40 pounds due to the infection, and photos eventually surfaced online of his poor condition. He made his debut with Italian club Virtus Bologna on Saturday.
Emmanuel Mudiay recently discussed a variety of subjects with Antonis Stroggylakis of EuroHoops, including his recent impressive performance overseas and why he chose to spend the last year away from basketball. “I just wanted to take some time off and spend time with my family,” said Mudiay, a five-year NBA veteran who signed with Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania) in August. “I just stayed at home to be with my family.”

And-Ones: Young, Scola, Breakout Candidates, Salary Cap

September 20th, 2021 at 8:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard Joe Young is taking a proactive approach to getting back in the league. He’ll work out for NBA teams in Houston this week, Kelly Iko of The Athletic tweets. Young, who appeared in 127 games for the Pacers from 2015-18, has been playing in China since the Pacers parted ways with him.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Longtime NBA forward Luis Scola has been named CEO of Italy’s Pallacanestro Varese, Sportando relays. Scola retired after playing for Varese last season and Argentina’s national team in the Tokyo Olympics.
Darius Garland, Keldon Johnson and Jaren Jackson Jr. are some of the top breakout candidates for the upcoming season, according to a poll of 15 NBA executives conducted by Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto.
The salary cap could increase significantly when new TV deals are signed, Morten Jensen of Forbes Sports notes. Citing a league source, Jensen writes that a $171MM salary cap is possible, assuming no cap smoothing, by 2025. Even with cap smoothing, the cap will likely increase by $15MM annually. However, it should be pointed out that it’s unknown how much the NBA’s next TV deal will be worth, so these figures are speculative.

And-Ones: Olympics, Playoff Pay, Coronavirus, J. Young

September 28th, 2020 at 8:54pm CST by Luke Adams

With the start and end dates for the 2020/21 NBA season still very much up in the air, USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo is having a hard time planning for next year’s Olympics in Tokyo, as Chris Sheridan of BasketballNews.com writes. Colangelo tells Sheridan that Lakers forward LeBron James and other U.S. stars have conveyed interest in participating in those Olympics, but haven’t been able to commit to anything due to the uncertainty of the schedule.

“I was told the NBA season would start in December, and then it was Christmas, and then after January 1, and that keeps pushing the schedule for me,” Colangelo said. “The NBA season typically takes 170 or 171 days to complete, so that creates a conflict on paper.”

The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to begin on July 23, with qualifying tournaments for the final four spots in the men’s tournament set to tip off on June 29. If the ’20/21 season runs deep into the summer again, it will compromise the availability of NBA players for Team USA and other countries, but Colangelo remains hopeful that many of those players will be able to participate.

“If the (NBA) season conflicts with the Olympics, I might have 14 non-playoff teams to choose from, but then other players will become available as the NBA playoffs progress,” Colangelo told Sheridan. “The problem is that the ICO has a rule mandating an early submission of a 12-man roster. But with a pandemic, the hope would be that you’ve got to set aside outdated rules. I assume people will be reasonable and come up with some kind of a program that works.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The winner of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and Heat will earn $5,791,041 of this year’s league-wide playoff pool money, notes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The losing team will divvy up a $4,399,686 share.
The NBA, which is hoping to play games in teams’ home arenas during the 2020/21 season, sent a 32-page manual to clubs outlining the cleaning and disinfecting protocols to “reset” those arenas, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Former Pacers guard Joe Young is returning to the Chinese Basketball Association for the 2020/21 season, signing a deal with the Beijing Royal Fighers, as Nicola Lupo of Sportando relays. After spending three seasons in Indiana from 2015-18, Young has played for the Nanjing Monkey King in China for the last two years.

Lakers Notes: Johnson, Hart, Summer League, Offseason

June 23rd, 2019 at 8:23pm CST by JD Shaw

Former Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson expects the new LeBron James–Anthony Davis pairing to be successful, he said this week at the 2019 BET Experience Genius Talks, as relayed by Alexis Mansanarez of Sporting News.

“LeBron is still, you know, the best in basketball,” Johnson said. “And I think that when you put another superstar with him, an Anthony Davis, both of them will allow each other now to really play their game and dominate, because what happens, the floor will open up.

“And LeBron is such an incredible passer and driver, and he always makes his teammate better. So look for Anthony really to have probably one of his greatest seasons.”

Johnson resigned from his position toward the end of the 2018/19 season, but remains a strong supporter of the team he spent his entire playing career with.

Los Angeles traded away a major haul to acquire Davis from New Orleans: Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round picks. With general manager Rob Pelinka taking over the day-to-day duties in Johnson’s absence, the team must now work to effectively fill the holes around Davis and James entering the 2019/20 season.

Here are some other notes out of Los Angeles tonight:

Former Lakers guard Josh Hart bid farewell to the team on social media after he was traded to New Orleans. “I want to thank the Laker organization, Jeanie Buss & Magic Johnson for taking a chance on me & believing in me,” Hart wrote. “To my teammates thank you for teaching me how to play & grow in this league. To the fans….THANK YOU! Thank you for embracing me and for supporting me through all the ups and downs! One of the best fan bases in the league. It was a dream come true to wear the purple and gold! It’s always love on this side but now N.O ‘Let’s dance.'”
Free agents Joe Young and Dakota Mathias have committed to playing summer league with the Lakers, Jonathon Givony of DraftExpress reports (Twitter link). Los Angeles opens summer league play on July 5 against Chicago.
Ameer Tyree of Sporting News outlines three things the team needs to add in order to be successful next season. Among the improvements needed is more outside shooting, a category the team lacked in this past season.

Joe Young Expected To Play In China

August 3rd, 2018 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

Former Pacers guard Joe Young is expected to make the move overseas to China for the 2018/19 season, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Carchia reports that Young has agreed to terms with Chinese team Nanjing Monkey King.

Young, who spent three seasons in Indiana, appeared in 127 total games for the club, but never played major minutes, averaging only 8.5 MPG. In 2017/18, he recorded 3.9 PPG and 1.2 RPG in 10.5 MPG, with a .430/.379/.759 shooting line.

The Pacers declined Young’s team option for the 2018/19 season back in June, making him an unrestricted free agent. That was the last we’d heard on Young until now — if any NBA teams had interest in him over the last month, that interest wasn’t reported, so it makes sense that he’d explore international opportunities.

Assuming he makes his deal with Nanjing official, Young will become the latest in a string of NBA players to spend time with the club. Hassan Whiteside is the most noteworthy former member of the squad, which has also featured J.J. Hickson, Jared Cunningham, DeJuan Blair, and Von Wafer in recent years.

Pacers Decline Team Option On Joe Young

June 29th, 2018 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have decided not to exercise Joe Young‘s option for the 2018/19 season, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The move ensures that Young will become a free agent on July 1.

Indiana could technically still issue a qualifying offer to Young to make him a restricted free agent, but that seems unlikely. Assuming today’s deadline passes with no qualifying offer from the Pacers, the 26-year-old will be unrestricted on Sunday.

Young, who spent three seasons in Indiana, appeared in 127 total games for the club, but never played major minutes, averaging only 8.5 MPG. In 2017/18, he averaged 3.9 PPG and 1.2 RPG in 10.5 MPG, with a .430/.379/.759 shooting line.

The Pacers are one of the only NBA playoff teams projected to have cap room this offseason. Having been linked to a handful of free agent targets, Indiana will now have a little more flexibility to make offers with Young off the books for 2018/19.

2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: Indiana Pacers

March 2nd, 2018 at 5:55pm CST by Austin Kent

The Pacers are in an enviable position mere months after it seemed like they were doomed to a long and challenging rebuild. The breakout seasons enjoyed by Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis have helped distract from the absence of Paul George while the all-around contributions of an unheralded, cohesive veteran lineup has put Indiana firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

The Pacers didn’t make a major splash at the trade deadline and were even asked specifically by players to avoid tinkering with the chemistry in the locker room. While it’s hard to argue that the franchise made the wrong call standing pat with a roster that’s punched above its weight on a nightly basis, the Pacers have a long road ahead of them before they’re considered serious challengers, even in the East.

It’s refreshing to see a team build anew without bottoming out. Solid drafting and some responsible payroll management will help them climb to the next rung on the ladder.

Cory Joseph, PG, 26 (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $29.9MM contract in 2017
Joseph has thrived as the younger half of a point guard tandem charged with the task of helping the Pacers play a faster style of basketball. While he’s ceded the majority of the starts so far this season to Darren Collison, Joseph is a solid rotation piece and possible future starter. It’s likely we’ve already caught a glimpse of his ceiling, so the former Raptors probably won’t draw major money on the open market. That being said, it’s hard to imagine he couldn’t procure a raise if he turns down his 2018/19 player option worth just less than $8MM.

Glenn Robinson III, SF, 24 (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $3.4MM contract in 2015
After breaking into Indy’s rotation in 2016/17, an ankle injury put Robinson III’s latest campaign on hold until after the All-Star Game. The Pacers may see some upside in the former second-round pick, and likely won’t have to outbid many competitors to retain his services should they wish to do so. Assuming the swingman’s health holds up in the final stretch of 2017/18, expect the club to lock him in for at least a few more seasons at an affordable rate. At this stage in the game, the Pacers can justify the low-risk, medium-reward lottery ticket.

Lance Stephenson, SG, 27 (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $12.6MM deal in 2017
While Stephenson’s career took a turn for the worse after he flew the coop in 2014, his return to Indiana has helped restore his value as a professional basketball player. The 27-year-old may not be the irreplaceable triple-double machine the Hornets hoped he would be when they poached him from Indiana four years ago, but he’s a solid rotation piece whose contributions to the Pacers franchise are both mysterious and intangible. Expect the club to bring their enigmatic swingman back on his dirt-cheap $4.4MM team option.

Joe Young, PG, 26 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $5.1MM deal in 2015
The Pacers have never seemed particularly intent on working Young into their rotation. While you could argue that a consistently competitive squad like Indiana may be inherently reluctant to throw big minutes at an inexperienced point guard, he only topped the 20-minute plateau four times during his first two years in the league. The 25-year-old has seen an uptick in usage since Collison went down with a knee injury in early February, but the club may be better off turning down his team option and seeing what else they could do with the roster spot.

Thaddeus Young, PF, 30 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $53.9MM deal in 2015
Young has established himself as a critical component of this Pacers team and fills the role of do-everything veteran forward admirably. While the almost-30-year-old’s services would be welcomed by several other contending teams, it’s hard to imagine Young’s camp being all that confident they’d land more than $13.8MM in a bear market. If Indiana was knee deep in the turbulent rebuild many expected, it would make sense for Young to take that chance, but given that the opposite is true, I anticipate him accepting the 2018/19 player option and returning as a leader on and off the court.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.