NBA G League Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: LaMelo, BBL, Salary Cap, Penny

May 21st, 2020 at 9:18pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s NBL were unready for the enormous impact inking LaMelo Ball to a contract had on the 2019/20 season, according to ESPN’s Kane Pitman. “It was weird because you had ‘Melo who was like a rock star and just followed so heavily online and with the social media stuff it made it interesting,” Ball’s teammate David Andersen told Pitman.

In just 12 games, Ball won the NBL’s Rookie of the Year award sporting a slash sheet of 17 PPG/7.5 RPG/7 APG. The 18-year-old younger brother of Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball is expected to be a top-five pick in the forthcoming NBA draft.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga will resume play, after pausing the league due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a three-week final tournament commencing June 6, per Dario Skerletic of Sportando.
An adjusted salary cap would affect each of the NBA’s teams in a variety of ways, as John Hollinger of The Athletic details. Though the 2020/21 cap was projected at $115MM per team in February, that number was predicted prior to the coronavirus pandemic and will almost certainly end up being lower.
Memphis Tigers coach Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway opined to ESPN’s The Jump that the G League’s recent recruitment of players straight out of high school will greatly impact college recruitment, including his program, according to ESPN News Services. “It’s going to have a huge impact, because it’s just a recruiting war right now when it comes to that,” Hardaway said. “But I think it’s going to affect us because we’re recruiting a bunch of five-stars.”

And-Ones: Sotto, Drew League, Hampton, Fields

May 15th, 2020 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

After a report earlier this week indicated that Kai Sotto, a 7’2″ center from the Philippines, would be joining the G League’s new Select Team, Shams Charania of The Athletic confirmed (via Twitter) that Sotto has officially signed his contract with the NBAGL.

Sources tell Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com (Twitter link) that Sotto, who was ranked 51st in 247Sports’ rankings of 2020 recruits, will earn at least $200K on his G League deal. According to the details that have been reported so far, Sotto’s deal won’t be as lucrative as the ones for his teammates like Jalen Green and Daishen Nix, but he’ll still be earning far more than the average G League veteran does ($35K).

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

The Drew League, a popular pro-am basketball summer league basketball in Los Angeles, has been forced to cancel its 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, as ESPN’s Dave McMenamin details. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Chris Paul, and the late Kobe Bryant are among the NBA stars who have taken part in Drew League games in past years.
As part of his preparation for the 2020 NBA draft, probable lottery pick RJ Hampton is working with former NBA guard Penny Hardaway, according to John Martin of The Athletic. Hardaway is now the coach of the Memphis Tigers team that Hampton passed on last year to play in Australia’s National Basketball League.
In an interesting piece for The Athletic, Blake Murphy spoke to former NBA forward Landry Fields about his disappointing stint with the Raptors and the health issues that derailed his NBA career, as well as the opportunity he has received in the Spurs‘ front office. Fields was named the general manager of San Antonio’s G League affiliate last September.

NBA Cancels 2020 G League Elite Camp

May 12th, 2020 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has canceled its 2020 G League Elite Camp, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The event had been scheduled to take place from May 17-19, prior to the draft combine, so there was no expectation it would move forward as planned next week. However, it’s notable that it has been canceled rather than delayed, according to Charania’s report.

In a typical year, the Elite Camp would consist of 40 NBA G League invitees participating in the first half of the event before 40 top draft-eligible players (who weren’t invited to the combine) participate in the second half. The invites would have been sent out to players at the start of May.

Last year, several draft-eligible prospects who took part in the G League Elite Camp were eventually drafted or received two-way contracts, including Cody Martin, Terance Mann, Justin Wright-Foreman, Tacko Fall, Dewan Hernandez, Oshae Brissett, and Tyler Cook, among others. The event gave non-combine players a chance to audition for NBA evaluators, so the fact that it won’t happen this year may result in some borderline prospects pulling their names from the draft pool.

A number of the G League players who participated in the 2019 Elite Camp also received NBA opportunities during the ’19/20 season, including Juan Toscano-Anderson, Mychal Mulder, and Norvel Pelle.

Kai Sotto Opts For G League Professional Path

May 11th, 2020 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

Kai Sotto, a 7’2″ center from the Philippines, intends to pass on college ball and will instead join the G League’s revamped professional program, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The G League’s new Select Team has landed a number of notable high school recruits, including guards Jalen Green and Daishen Nix, as well as forward Isaiah Todd. Sotto represents the first international prospect who will sign a contract with the NBAGL program, as Charania notes.

A four-star recruit who comes in at No. 62 overall on ESPN’s 2020 rankings, Sotto arrived stateside in 2019 and joined The Skill Factory, a prep program based in Georgia. A handful of colleges were believed to be keeping an eye on the big man, including Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Auburn, and USC, but he’ll opt to go pro as he pursues an eventual NBA career.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz wrote in February about their impressions of Sotto at the Basketball Without Borders camp, with Givony noting that the youngster’s talent stood out in drills, even as he “struggled to make his presence felt in the games.” According to ESPN’s scouting report, Sotto has a versatile skill set given his size, handling the ball well and displaying three-point range on his jump shot.

Meanwhile, Dakota Schmidt of Ridiculous Upside wrote on Sunday that he viewed Sotto and the G League Select Team as a good fit for one another, pointing out that taking on a project like Sotto would allow the program to prove it’s capable of developing prospects who are still fairly raw.

And-Ones: Free Agency, Thibodeau, G League, Storen

May 7th, 2020 at 8:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Though the headliners of the 2020 free agency class may not be as starry as those of the 2019 class, there are plenty of intriguing non-superstar players, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger. Hollinger takes stock of his 10 favorite such players in a new piece.

Pistons center Christian Wood, who has been averaging 23.2 PPG (while shooting 56.2% from the field) and 9.9 RPG since taking over as a starter for the traded Andre Drummond, is Hollinger’s top such player. Detroit bench big John Henson, Magic guard Michael Carter-Williams, and Heat combo forward Derrick Jones Jr. also make the cut as his names to watch heading into free agency.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Former Bulls and Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau spoke with Molly Qerim, Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman of ESPN’s First Take about his future coaching prospects. Qerim mentioned the Knicks, Nets and Rockets as being potential landing spots for Thibodeau. Thibodeau downplayed those rumors and noted that as of yet, no jobs are officially open. He deferred to his agent for fielding inquiries about his future employment.
Despite the G League’s new elite development team now competing directly with the NCAA for post-high school recruits, The Athletic’s David Aldridge cautions that the NCAA will still remain loaded with high-level talent. Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd, and Daishen Nix are among the upper-tier prospects forgoing collegiate athletics in favor of the new G League team’s guaranteed six-figure salaries.
Mike Storen, the founder and first general manager of the Pacers in 1967 and the father of ESPN reporter Hannah Storm, has passed away at the age of 84, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Storen also served as the commissioner of the ABA, the Continental Basketball Association, the Global Basketball Association and the Indoor Professional Basketball League.

G League Notes: Green, Todd, Nix, Changes

May 4th, 2020 at 10:47am CST by Luke Adams

If five-star recruit Jalen Green hadn’t opted to follow the NBA G League’s revamped professional path, he likely would’ve ended up playing for Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers in college. As such, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Hardaway doesn’t sound thrilled by the NBAGL’s aggressive new approach to courting top high school prospects.

“I didn’t think the G League was built — and I could be wrong — to go and recruit kids that want to go to college out of going to college,” Hardaway told local reporters on Friday, per Jason Munz of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I thought they were going to be the organization that was going to be, if you want to go overseas or you absolutely did not want to play college 100 percent, that this would be the best situation for you before you go into the NBA.

“But taking guys out of their commitments (or) they’ve already signed and continuing to talk to their parents, it’s almost like tampering. I really don’t agree with that.”

Unlike Green, who had only talked informally about planning to sign with Memphis, top recruits Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix opted for the NBAGL path after committing to Michigan and UCLA, respectively. They had to renege on those commitments to sign with the G League.

Here are a few more items on the G League:

Ethan Strauss of The Athletic doesn’t have a problem with the G League actively pursuing top high school players. Strauss suggests it makes sense for the NBA to try to “kneecap” the NCAA, arguing that it’s more of a competing business than a “free farm system.”
Jeremy Woo of SI.com takes a closer look at how the G League’s new Select Team will work and assesses Green, Nix, and Todd as NBA prospects.
While prospects like Green, Todd, and Nix will do well financially as part of the G League’s new program, most of the rest of the league’s players continue to earn modest salaries and aren’t exactly living an NBA-type lifestyle. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the G League will be making some minor upgrades to conditions for players starting in 2020/21, increasing their daily per diem by $15 and ensuring that players get their own hotel rooms on the road, rather than having to share with teammates.

John Calipari Talks G League’s Ascension

April 28th, 2020 at 8:22pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Top prospects continue to flock to the G League as an alternative to a one-and-done season on a college team. Earlier today, it was reported that Daishen Nix will become the third prospect to join the G League’s new Select Team, which will be based in Southern California, following in the footsteps of Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari isn’t happy about the movement, though his concerns go beyond the fact that it takes away talent from his program.

“My issue with the G League trying to entice players by giving them more money, is not the kids that you’re getting,” Calipari said this week, as Jon Hale of USA Today relays. “It’s the thousands of ninth and 10th graders that think that’s how they’re going to make it, when you and I know it’s going to be 2%. We’re not talking 50. It will be thousands and thousands and thousands.”

Calipari believes that if young high schoolers see this as a feasible route, they will give up on their studies years before hitting college age. If most high-school prospects continue to play in the NCAA, players will have to remain focused on getting high enough grades to attend those colleges.

The Kentucky coach, who has been an advocate for allowing high school players to enter the draft, doesn’t think that most kids realize how finite the chances are of making a living in basketball is.

Daishen Nix Decommits From UCLA, Opts For G League

April 28th, 2020 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League has landed another five-star high school recruit, as point guard Daishen Nix has decommitted from UCLA and will opt for the NBAGL’s developmental path, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

“I’ve always known that going to the G League was an option, but learning more about it and hearing more things about it is why I chose it,” Nix told Evan Daniels of 247Sports. “It was the best option for me.”

Nix will become the third prospect to join the G League’s new Select Team, which will be based in Southern California, following in the footsteps of Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd. The new squad won’t be part of the NBAGL’s traditional regular season schedule, but is expected to play exhibition games against G League teams, as well as against foreign national teams and NBA academies, as the program focuses on helping top prospects prepare for the NBA.

A standout at Trinity International in Las Vegas, Nix had been considered one of the top point guards in this year’s recruiting class, ranking 15th overall on 247Sports’ list and 20th on ESPN’s board. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony had Nix at No. 12 in his latest 2021 NBA mock draft.

By forgoing college ball in favor of the G League’s new professional path, Nix will be in line for a salary in the $300K range, sources tell Charania (Twitter link).

And-Ones: G League Union, Brown, Lin, Terry

April 24th, 2020 at 6:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

G League players will begin deciding on Saturday whether to form a union, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. The National Basketball Players Association is assisting in the formation of a G League-governed union, Wojnarowski continues.

By creating a union, the players could bargain with the NBA and G League on issues such as housing, salary and travel, Wojnarowski writes. A majority of G League players must sign an electronic authorization card for passage.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Five-star recruit Greg Brown turned down a $400K offer to join the G League’s professional pathway program and opted to sign with Texas, Jeff Goodman of GoodmanHoops tweets. Brown, a 6’9” power forward, could have joined fellow top recruits Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd in the program but decided to spend next season with the Longhorns. “Just not rushing the process … the NBA is always going to be there,” Brown told Goodman.
Some foreign players are essentially stuck in China until the Chinese Basketball Association decides whether to resume its season, former NBA guard Jeremy Lin told USA Today’s Mark Medina. Lin has been practicing regularly with the Beijing Ducks. The CBA was expected to restart in April but those plans were shelved due to continuing concerns about players contracting the novel coronavirus. “We’re basically just waiting until June to decide whether we play in July or not,” Lin said. “That’s the current situation. We’re kind of in limbo right now.”
Longtime NBA player Jason Terry has accepted an assistant coaching position with the University of Arizona, Jason Scheer of 247Sports reports. The news regarding Terry, who played for the Wildcats from 1995-99, won’t be official for several weeks since the school currently has a hiring freeze.

G League Hopes To Eventually Establish Multiple Select Teams

April 22nd, 2020 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League’s new “Select Team” appears likely to be introduced in 2020/21 by way of a single squad that features five-star recruits Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd, but the league has greater long-term aspirations for its new developmental program, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

Sources tell Stein that the NBA would like to eventually grow the G League Select Team concept to turn it into a full G League division featuring multiple teams that play against one another. Based on what we’ve heard about the first Select Team, it sounds like those clubs wouldn’t be affiliate with a specific NBA franchise and wouldn’t take part in the normal NBAGL regular season schedule.

It’s not clear if and when that will happen – it will depend in part on how the first year plays out – but the NBAGL has talked about recruiting enough players to put together four or five teams down the road, per Stein (Twitter link). That lines up with an earlier report which suggested that the G League has already started reaching out to members of the 2021 recruiting class.

Besides featuring some top high school prospects who are forgoing the college route, the NBA G League Select Team will include several veteran players who will serve as mentors, many of whom will be trying to get to – or return to – the NBA themselves. According to Stein (via Twitter), those leadership roles for veteran players may also help them launch future coaching or front office careers.

Finding enough players interested in filling such a role will be one potential hurdle if the G League eventually aims to put together several squads, Stein notes. Navigating possible changes to the NBA’s one-and-done rule will be another — if the league eventually permits prospects to enter the draft directly out of high school, it would likely limit the appeal of the NBAGL’s program.

Reports this week indicated that former NBA Coach of the Year Sam Mitchell will assume the role of head coach for the new G League Select Team, having previously coached Green in AAU. However, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press cautions (via Twitter) that it’s not a done deal yet.

It also remains to be seen whether other top prep prospects will join Green and Todd in the NBAGL. Five-star recruit Greg Brown, who will be making his decision on Friday, has listed the G League as one of his six finalists (Instagram link).