NBA G League Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Greg Monroe, Gary Clark, Carsen Edwards Join G League Teams

November 5th, 2021 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

A handful of NBA veterans have joined G League teams in advance of the start of the NBAGL’s 2021/22 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As Charania reports, the Capital City Go-Go (Wizards) have added center Greg Monroe, the Mexico City Capitanes have added forward Gary Clark, and the Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz) have acquired swingman Carsen Edwards.

Monroe, 31, has nine years of NBA experience under his belt, but hasn’t played in the league since 2018/19, when he appeared in 43 total games for three teams. In 632 career NBA games, the former Georgetown star averaged 13.2 PPG and 8.3 RPG in 27.7 minutes per contest. He has spent time playing in Germany and Russia since 2019.

An undrafted free agent with three years of NBA experience from 2018-21, Clark appeared in 132 total games for four teams. He’s known more for his defense, having put up very modest offensive numbers (3.2 PPG on .346/.311/.889 shooting) in the NBA. Clark, who will turn 27 later this month, has previous G League experience with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Edwards was the 33th overall pick out of Purdue in 2019 and spent his first two professional seasons with the Celtics, but didn’t emerge as a reliable rotation player, posting just 3.6 PPG on .372/.302/.750 shooting in 68 games (9.2 MPG). He was traded to Memphis and subsequently waived during the 2021 offseason.

The G League Ignite have also announced two veteran additions, confirming that center Kosta Koufos and former Jazz guard Kevin Murphy have come aboard. Amir Johnson and Pooh Jeter are among the other veterans on the team.

And-Ones: 2022 Cap Room, Stephenson, G League, More

November 5th, 2021 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

Only four NBA teams currently project to have significant cap room in the 2022 offseason, writes Danny Leroux of The Athletic. Not only is that number lower than usual, but none of those four teams appear likely to have enough space for a maximum-salary player worth 30% of the cap, Leroux adds.

The Pistons currently project to have the most space, with Blake Griffin‘s dead money coming off their books. According to Leroux, the Magic, Spurs, and Grizzlies join them as the other clubs likely to have at least $15MM in room. Teams like the Wizards and Bulls could have room too, but that would be a worst-case scenario for those clubs, since it would mean losing Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine, respectively, in free agency.

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

Veteran NBA swingman Lance Stephenson spoke to Jack Green of Betway about his decision to play in the G League and the role he expects to have with the Grand Rapids Gold, the Nuggets‘ new affiliate. Stephenson, who worked out for several NBA teams during the offseason, hopes to show in the NBAGL that he still has plenty left in the tank. “My body feels amazing,” he said. “I don’t feel like an older guy, I still feel like a young guy. So I think I’ve got a couple more years left.”
The original plan for the Mexico City Capitanes was to join the NBA G League for the 2020/21 season. However, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed their debut back by a year, and the team has now been uprooted from its home in Mexico due to pandemic-related travel concerns. Eric Gomez of ESPN takes an in-depth at the new G League franchise and the adjustments it has had to make over the last couple years.
Former CAA agent Michael Tellem has joined Excel Sports, the agency announced (via Twitter). Danilo Gallinari, Jakob Poeltl, and Daniel Theis are among the most notable NBA clients for Tellem, whose father is Pistons vice chairman and former agent Arn Tellem.
It’s not just NBA scouts and executives who have been impressed so far by the new Overtime Elite league — the program’s level of professionalism and credibility has also made an impact on its players, writes Kyle Tucker of The Athletic. “It’s even more than I thought it would be,” said 2022 draft-eligible forward Kok Yat. “If I didn’t come here, no NBA scouts would know who I am. You want to be seen, so this feels like a huge step.”

Eastern Notes: Cunningham, Livers, Gafford, Strus

November 1st, 2021 at 7:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Top pick Cade Cunningham made his belated NBA debut on Saturday against Orlando, then sat out Sunday’s loss to Brooklyn. The Pistons’ prized rookie won’t play in back-to-backs in the short term, coach Dwane Casey told The Detroit News’ Rod Beard and other media members (Twitter link). Cunningham missed the first four regular season games due to an ankle sprain. Cunningham is expected to suit up against Milwaukee on Tuesday.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Another Pistons rookie, forward Isaiah Livers, has been assigned to the team’s G League team, the Motor City Cruise, the team’s PR department tweets. Livers has been rehabbing from foot surgery, so that’s an indication he’s been medically cleared to at least practice. He was one of three second-round picks made by Detroit. Fellow rookie, center Luka Garza, and second-year guard Saben Lee have also been assigned to the Cruise.
Wizards big man Daniel Gafford returned to action on Monday, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. He suffered a right quad contusion against the Celtics on Wednesday. He underwent an MRI to ensure the injury was not more serious. He’s averaging 8.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 2.0 BPG.
Heat wing Max Strus has been diagnosed with a sprained left knee, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald reports. An MRI on the knee returned negative results. Strus is expected to miss at least two weeks, but is relieved it wasn’t more serious after tearing his ACL in the same knee in December 2019. “There was a lot of anxiety. It was tough to sleep the night before,” he said. “But the training staff did a great job of getting me in as soon as they could to get the MRI. As soon as I heard those results, it was just a breath of fresh air.”

And-Ones: Team USA, Koufos, Ignite, Noah

October 30th, 2021 at 11:56am CST by Dana Gauruder

An announcement on Gregg Popovich’s replacement regarding Team USA’s head coaching vacancy probably won’t come until closer to the end of the calendar year, Marc Stein of Substack reports. Previously, the opening was expected to be filled by the start of the NBA season. The timeline for completing the search has been pushed back for procedural reasons, according to Stein, who previously reported that Steve Kerr is the most likely successor.

We have more from around the basketball world:

In the same post from Stein, he notes that former NBA center Kosta Koufos will still play for the G League’s Ignite team but his arrival has been delayed due to the birth of his first child. Koufos is joining the Ignite after playing two seasons in the EuroLeague. Amir Johnson and Pooh Jeter are among the other veterans on the team, which allows top prospects to get a taste of professional basketball to prepare for next year’s draft.
The Ignite team – which trains in Walnut Creek, California – will play eight home games in Las Vegas, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. The first two of those games will be a back-to-back next month against the Clippers’ Agua Caliente squad.
The Bulls have named Joakim Noah as a team ambassador and the 36-yard-old Noah has no regrets about retiring, he told Sam Smith of the team’s website. “Obviously, I miss the competition and I miss the locker room,” Noah said. “But when your body tells you it’s time to go, it’s time to go. So you have to be honest with yourself. I shot every bullet in my gun and I have no regrets. I gave it everything I got.”

Western Notes: Conley, Valanciunas, Ayton, Mann

October 30th, 2021 at 10:46am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks, Bulls, Mavericks and Pelicans showed interest in Mike Conley during free agency but re-signing with the Jazz was an “easy” choice, as he told Sam Amick of The Athletic.

“It was an easy decision (based) on what we had built here and what I was able to be a part of last year and in the last few seasons,” he said. “Just wanted to be a part of that journey with these guys. Trying to bring a championship to a place that, you know, it’s not easy to do. I think that seeing Milwaukee win was awesome.”

Conley signed a three-year, $68MM contract that includes some incentives.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Jonas Valanciunas has quickly emerged as a crucial player for the Pelicans, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. Valanciunas is averaging 18.2 PPG and 14.7 RPG while logging a career-high 34.3 MPG through six games. Coach Willie Green said the starters would continue to play big minutes until Zion Williamson returns. “Right now, those guys are going to play high minutes. That’s why we’re not doing much at practice,” Green said. After being acquired from Memphia, Valanciunas signed a two-year, $30.1MM extension this fall.
Suns coach Monty Williams isn’t worried about Deandre Ayton‘s focus even though the team didn’t reach an extension agreement with their center, Amick writes in a separate story. In fact, Williams hopes Ayton plays more selfishly as he heads toward restricted free agency. “He probably doesn’t get enough credit for how unselfish he is. We want him to be more selfish,” Williams said. “We want him to be more aggressive, but I don’t foresee that happening. The young man wants to win, and that’s what I’ve seen since I’ve been with him from Day 1.”
The Thunder have assigned Tre Mann, the 18th overall pick, to the G League’s Oklahoma City Blue. Head coach Mark Daigneault believes that will accelerate his development more than having him play spotty minutes with the Thunder, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes. “His ability to go there, play more minutes, take on a heavier load defensively, find a little bit of rhythm offensively, settle into games a little bit more, settle into practices a little bit more is a great opportunity for him to grow,” Daigneault said. Oklahoma City also has a logjam of young guards, Mussatto notes.

Amir Johnson, Pooh Jeter Among G League Ignite Vets For 2021/22

October 29th, 2021 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

Big men Amir Johnson and Jessie Govan are returning to the G League Ignite for a second season, and they’ll be joined by forward Malik Pope and guards Dakarai Allen, Amauri Hardy, and Pooh Jeter, our JD Shaw relays (via Twitter).

The Ignite is the G League’s developmental program for top prospects, but those young players are complemented by a handful of NBA and NBAGL vets who fill out the roster and serve as mentors.

Among this year’s group, Johnson is the only one with extensive NBA experience, having appeared in 870 total games for the Pistons, Raptors, Celtics, and Sixers from 2005-19. He averaged 8.5 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 15 games (13.3 MPG) for the Ignite last season.

Jeter, who will turn 38 in December, played in 62 games for Sacramento back in 2010/11, but has spent most of his professional career overseas.

Allen and Pope, who went undrafted out of San Diego State in 2017 and 2018, respectively, have multiple years of G League experience between them, and Pope has also played in Greece and Germany as well.

Hardy, meanwhile, went undrafted out of Oregon earlier this year and presumably earned a spot on the team in large part because his brother Jaden Hardy, a projected top-five pick in 2022, is the Ignite’s top recruit this year.

Besides Jaden Hardy, who is ESPN’s No. 3 ranked prospect for the 2022 draft, the Ignite roster features Dyson Daniels (No. 16), Michael Foster (No. 31), MarJon Beauchamp (No. 53), Chinese forward Fanbo Zeng (not in ESPN’s top 100), and 17-year-old Scoot Henderson (not draft-eligible until 2023). ESPN’s Mike Schmitz (Insider link) shared his thoughts on this year’s roster ahead of the Ignite’s preseason debut on Friday night vs. Iowa.

The Ignite won’t be part of the standard G League regular season that runs from December to April, but the club will compete in the NBAGL’s inaugural “Showcase Cup,” a tournament which tips off on November 5 and ends just before Christmas.

Southwest Notes: Primo, Hart, Pelicans, Mavs, Parsons

October 27th, 2021 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Spurs have assigned rookie Joshua Primo to their G League affiliate in Austin. According to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link), Primo isn’t expected to travel with the NBA club to Dallas, Milwaukee, and Indiana for its next three games and will instead remain in the G League during that time.

McDonald says it’s possible Primo will return to San Antonio after the Spurs’ road trip comes to an end next week, but it’s probably safe to assume the 18-year-old will spend plenty of time in Austin during his rookie year. Primo is the youngest player in the NBA, and the Spurs typically exercise plenty of patience with their top prospects.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Pelicans wing Josh Hart, who has missed the team’s last three games due to right quadriceps tendinosis, said on Wednesday that he felt soreness during the preseason, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Hart is getting closer to returning to action, but wants to be sure he’s back to 100% and expressed doubts about returning tonight.
While the eventual return of Zion Williamson should help unlock the Pelicans‘ full offensive potential, the team probably needs to play slower and more deliberately as long as the former No. 1 pick remains sidelined, according to Scott Kushner of NOLA.com, who says New Orleans can’t afford to turn the ball over so much.
In a discussion on Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast about the Mavericks‘ front office over the years, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon suggested that forward Chandler Parsons was the “primary voice in (team owner Mark) Cuban‘s ear” for a couple years back in 2014-15. “Chandler Parsons had significantly more control over personnel than Donnie Nelson did for two years,” MacMahon said, per Dan Feldman of NBC Sports. “That is simply a fact.”

Nets’ Zegarowski, Gray Sign G League Contracts

October 26th, 2021 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

Nets 2021 second-round picks Marcus Zegarowski and RaiQuan Gray are among the players on the training camp roster announced on Monday by the Long Island Nets – Brooklyn’s G League affiliate – for the 2021/22 G League season.

Zegarowski (this year’s No. 49 pick) and Gray (No. 59) were the only two 2021 draftees who hadn’t either signed an NBA contract or headed overseas for their rookie seasons, so our assumption had been that they would sign G League contracts and report to Long Island. The team’s announcement this week confirms that’s the case.

The “draft rights player” rule allows a G League club to add a player who was drafted by its parent NBA team, assuming that player signs an NBAGL contract. If a player takes that path, his NBA rights are retained by the team that drafted him, as if he were a draft-and-stash prospect.

In other words, Brooklyn could sign Zegarowski or Gray to a standard or two-way contract at some point down the road, but no other NBA team would be able to do so unless Brooklyn renounces their rights.

Taking the G League route has had mixed results for second-round picks in recent years. Isaiah Hartenstein earned an NBA contract with Houston in 2018 after playing for the Rockets’ G League affiliate as a rookie, and Kevin Hervey got a two-way deal with the Thunder in 2019 after spending a year in the NBAGL.

However, Jaron Blossomgame (Spurs), Justin Jackson (Magic), and Jaylen Hands (Nets) are among the recent draftees who never played an NBA game for the teams that drafted them after signing first-year G League contracts. While Blossomgame appeared in 27 games for Cleveland, Jackson and Hands still haven’t seen any action at the NBA level.

Chuma Okeke (Magic) and Vit Krejci (Thunder) got NBA contracts after signing G League deals as rookies, but both players were coming off major injuries and only started in the NBAGL for rehab purposes.

Southeast Notes: Knight, Lowry, Ball, Heat

October 24th, 2021 at 5:27pm CST by JD Shaw

Veteran NBA guard Brandon Knight was selected by the Heat‘s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, with the No. 4 pick in the G League draft on Saturday. Knight is hoping to make a comeback, as the 29-year-old last appeared in a game in March of 2020.

“I think it’s great. We’ve been a fan of his for a long time,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter links). “I’ve just enjoyed my conversations with him, just talking hoops, talking about trying to get back in the league. And then the last six weeks or so, it shifted to this possibility.”

Knight most recently played Summer League with the Nets. He holds eight years of NBA experience, making past stops with the Pistons, Bucks, Suns, Rockets and Cavaliers during his career.

There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:

Speaking of the Heat, Miami doesn’t have a Plan B at point guard without Kyle Lowry, Winderman writes for the Sun Sentinel. Lowry missed Saturday’s contest against the Pacers with a sprained ankle, giving Gabe Vincent the opportunity to start. Vincent struggled, recording just three points (1-for-3 shooting), three assists and three turnovers in nearly 25 minutes. Spoelstra has also used Tyler Herro at point guard when Lowry sits.
LaMelo Ball‘s jump shot looks improved this season, Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes. Ball shot 8-of-12 from deep during the Hornets‘ first two games, though the 20-year-old made just 1-of-6 threes in the club’s win on Sunday.
Ira Winderman examines a number of Heat-related notes for The Sun Sentinel, including a prominent voice joining Pat Riley in labeling the team as a contender. Miami has started the season 1-1 and will host the Magic on Tuesday.

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.