Dusty Hannahs

USA Basketball Announces February AmeriCup Qualifying Roster

USA Basketball has announced its 12-man roster for a pair of AmeriCup qualifying games that will be played later this month, according to a press release written by Michael Terry. The Americans will host Cuba in Kissimmee, Florida, on February 22, then will travel to Cuba for a second game on Feb. 25.

The roster is as follows:

Ten of the 12 players have at least some level of NBA experience, with Davis and Jayce Johnson the only exceptions. Carter-Williams, Stanley Johnson, and Payton are all former lottery picks. None of those 10 players are currently on NBA rosters, however, with Hurt being the most recent to play in the league (with Memphis on a 10-day hardship contract).

As previously reported, Jerome Allen will be the head coach for this round of qualifying games, with Melvin Hunt, Sydney Johnson and Bill Bayno serving as assistants. Bayno will also be a scout, per the release. Allen, Hunt and Bayno are all former NBA assistant coaches.

As Terry writes, the two qualifying games this month are the first of three qualifying windows ahead of the 2025 AmeriCup. In the other two qualifying windows, held Nov. 2024 and Feb. 2025, the U.S. will face Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, respectively.

Per the release, qualifying rounds consist of 16 teams distributed into four, four-team groups. Each team will play each opponent in their group twice, once at home and once away. The top three teams in each group (12 total) will advance to next year’s AmeriCup, which will occur Aug. 23-31, 2025, in Managua, Nicaragua.

Team USA has won the AmeriCup seven times, according to Terry, with the last victory coming in 2017. The Americans won bronze in 2022, which was the last time the tournament was held.

And-Ones: World Cup Qualifiers, Nike Summit, MVP Race, Rising Stars, Draft

With two more qualifying matches for the 2023 World Cup right around the corner, USA Basketball has officially announced the 12-man roster that will compete in February’s games. Team USA’s squad is made up primarily of G Leaguers, but features a number of players with NBA experience.

The 12 players who will represent the U.S. on February 23 vs. Uruguay and Feb. 26 vs. Brazil are Deonte Burton, Will Davis II, Abdul Gaddy, Langston Galloway, Treveon Graham, Dusty Hannahs, Nate Hinton, Jay Huff, Xavier Moon, Elijah Pemberton, Reggie Perry, and Craig Sword.

So far, Canada is the only team in the Americas field to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, having won all of its first 10 qualifying contests. However, Team USA – which has an 8-2 record so far – will clinch a World Cup berth by winning either one of its two games this month, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

Meanwhile, USA Basketball also announced the rosters for the 2023 Nike Hoop Summit, an annual showcase of U.S. high school prospects that will take place on April 8. The most notable name on the men’s roster is Bronny James, but Bronny isn’t the only son of a former Cavaliers lottery pick to be named to the event — the 13-player roster also includes Dajuan Wagner Jr.

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

  • Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is building a strong case for his third consecutive MVP award and leads the way in the latest straw poll conducted by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. Bontemps’ survey asks 100 media members for their current MVP ballots — Jokic received 77 first-place votes, easily besting runners-up Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks (11 first-place votes) and Joel Embiid of the Sixers (6).
  • Rockets guard Jalen Green (left groin strain) and Pistons center Jalen Duren (right ankle sprain) have been forced to withdraw from Friday night’s Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend due to injuries, according to the NBA (Twitter link). They’re being replaced by Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu and Rockets forward Tari Eason.
  • In his latest mock draft for The Athletic, Sam Vecenie moves Alabama wing Brandon Miller up to No. 3, writing that Miller is considered the safest bet in the 2023 draft class – outside of Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson – to be a “really good player” at the NBA level. Vecenie’s top five is rounded out by Overtime Elite guard Amen Thompson at No. 4 and Houston forward Jarace Walker at No. 5.

Warriors Sign, Waive Dusty Hannahs

SEPTEMBER 22: The Warriors have waived Hannahs, Hoops Rumors has learned. As detailed below, his next stop figures to be Santa Cruz.


SEPTEMBER 21: The Warriors have signed guard Dusty Hannahs, the team announced today in a press release.

Hannahs, who appeared in four games with the Grizzlies between 2018-20, spent last season with the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s National Basketball League. The 29-year-old has a ton of experience at the G League level, having appeared in 146 total NBAGL games, including 13 in 2020/21 for the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s affiliate.

His best professional season came in 2019/20, when he put up 21.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 2.1 APG on .469/.447/.904 shooting in 37 G League contests (30.9 MPG) for the Memphis Hustle.

Hannahs’ time on Golden State’s roster will likely be short-lived. According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), the former Arkansas Razorback – who signed an Exhibit 10 contract – is expected to report to Santa Cruz after being waived. His Exhibit 10 deal will assure he receives a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Warriors’ G League team.

Lance Stephenson Among NBA Vets Eligible For G League Draft

As previously reported, the NBA G League’s 2020/21 draft will take place on Monday, January 11. And according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter links), there will be some interesting names on the list of players eligible to be selected in that draft.

Veteran swingman Lance Stephenson, former No. 2 overall pick Emeka Okafor, and other recent NBA players like Justin Patton, Jacob Evans, Dzanan Musa, and Admiral Schofield will be part of the draft pool, per Givony. Former first-round picks Terrence Jones and Shabazz Muhammad will be draft-eligible as well.

According to Givony, the following players who have been on NBA rosters in the past are also among the G League’s other draft-eligible veterans: Kenny Wooten, Antonio Blakeney, Tyler Ulis, Quincy Pondexter, Diamond Stone, Hollis Thompson, Cat Barber, Isaiah Briscoe, Phil Booth, Dusty Hannahs, Jemerrio Jones, Cory Jefferson, and Freddie Gillespie.

These, presumably, are players who have signed G League contracts but whose rights aren’t currently held by any teams. A player whose returning rights are controlled by a club participating in the G League’s bubble season wouldn’t be eligible to be drafted.

For instance, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that LiAngelo Ball has signed a contract to play in the bubble. Since the Oklahoma City Blue hold his returning rights and are playing in the bubble, Ball shouldn’t be in the general draft pool.

The Blue are one of 18 teams set to participate in the shortened bubble season, which is expected to take place at Walt Disney World. That list of teams can be found right here.

Givony previously reported that the G League is adjusting its roster rules for this season to make it easier for NBA teams to recruit and sign veterans with five or more years of NBA experience. Each NBAGL team will be able to designate an “NBA Vet Selection” who fits that bill and can sign that player directly without navigating the league’s complicated waiver process. My understanding is that those designated won’t be in the draft pool.

And-Ones: Buycks, Hannahs, Belinelli, Deck

Guard Dwight Buycks is seeking a two-way NBA contract after cutting ties with French team Nanterre 92 earlier this month, Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw tweetsBuycks, who turned down multiple NBA offers last year, averaged 7.4 PPG in 29 games with the Pistons in 2017-18. Buycks, who went undrafted in 2011, played for EuroLeague Greek team Olympiacos last season.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Former NBA guard Dusty Hannahs has signed with Kolossos Rodou in Greece, the team announced (hat tip to Sportando). Hannahs, 27, played two game with the Grizzlies last season on a pair of 10-day contracts. He spent most of the season in the G League.
  • Marco Belinelli‘s three-year contract with Virtus Bologna is worth $5MM Euros, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (hat tip to Sportando). Belinelli chose to return to Europe after failing to receive an attractive offer in free agency. The 18th overall pick in the 2007 draft, Belinelli spent 13 years in the NBA, playing for nine different teams during that stretch. The 34-year-old guard accepted a reduced role for the Spurs last season, averaging 6.3 PPG on .392/.376/.828 shooting in 57 games.
  • Gabriel Deck could leave Real Madrid for the NBA if the Spanish team doesn’t give him an extension, Sportando relays in a report by Marca. The Argentinian forward will be an unrestricted free agent next summer but would be willing to exercise an escape clause to play in the NBA this upcoming season. He’s averaging 5.7 PPG and 3.1 RPG in nine games with Madrid this season.

NBA G League Announces 2019/20 All-NBAGL Teams

After being named the G League’s Most Valuable Player on Thursday, Wisconsin Herd guard Frank Mason III – who is on a two-way contract with the Bucks – headlines the All-NBA G League First Team, as the league announced today in a press release.

Mason was joined on the All-NBAGL first team by teammate Jaylen Adams, as well as Salt Lake City Stars forward Jarrell Brantley, South Bay Lakers big man Devontae Cacok, and Memphis Hustle forward Jarrod Uthoff. Mason, Brantley, and Cacok are currently on two-way contracts with NBA teams.

That’s a common theme for this year’s All-NBAGL teams. The majority of the 15 players named to the three squads are either currently on two-way contracts or have had NBA experience in the past.

The complete list of the 2019/20 All-NBA G League teams, along with the All-Rookie and All-Defensive squads, is below. Players currently on two-way contracts are noted with a caret (^).

All-NBAGL First Team:

  • Jaylen Adams (Wisconsin Herd)
  • Jarrell Brantley (Salt Lake City Stars) ^
  • Devontae Cacok (South Bay Lakers) ^
  • Frank Mason III (Wisconsin Herd) ^
  • Jarrod Uthoff (Memphis Hustle)

All-NBAGL Second Team:

All-NBAGL Third Team:

NBAGL All-Rookie Team:

  • Jarrell Brantley (Salt Lake City Stars) ^
  • Devontae Cacok (South Bay Lakers) ^
  • Donta Hall (Grand Rapids Drive)
  • Marial Shayok (Delaware Blue Coats) ^
  • Tremont Waters (Maine Red Claws) ^

NBAGL All-Defensive Team:

Of the 20 players who earned a spot on one of the G League’s All-NBAGL or All-Defensive teams this year, only four – Adams, Jones, Koumadje, and Hollins – haven’t been on some form of standard, two-way, or 10-day NBA contract since the ’19/20 season began.

Adams and Jones have previous NBA experience, while Koumadje and Hollins have yet to make their regular-season NBA debuts.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Grizzlies Sign Jarrod Uthoff To 10-Day Contract

4:04pm: The Grizzlies have officially signed Uthoff to his 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. As expected, Hannahs’ 10-day deal has been ended early in order to create a roster spot for Uthoff.

11:39am: The Grizzlies are signing G League forward Jarrod Uthoff to a 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Uthoff, 26, has spent the season with the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, averaging a double-double (19.0 PPG, 10.7 RPG) in 34 contests (34.9 MPG). Uthoff has also filled up the box score by averaging 3.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 1.1 BPG with a shooting line of .491/.367/.790.

An undrafted free agent out of Iowa in 2016, Uthoff appeared in nine games with the Mavericks during his rookie season, but hasn’t played in a regular-season NBA game in nearly three years.

Memphis doesn’t currently have an open spot on its 15-man roster and doesn’t qualify for a hardship exception, so a corresponding move will need to be made to bring Uthoff aboard. The obvious move would be to terminate Dusty Hannahs‘ 10-day contract a little early.

Hannahs signed his deal, which is set to expire on Sunday night, before Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke went down with injuries. Now that the Grizzlies are in need of frontcourt depth, it makes sense to replace Hannahs, a guard, with a forward like Uthoff.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/23/20

Here are Sunday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:

  • The Bucks have assigned forward D.J. Wilson to the Wisconsin Herd, G League affiliate of the team, announcing the news in a press release. This is Wilson’s second NBAGL assignment on the season.
  • The Grizzlies have recalled guard Dusty Hannahs, the G League announced on social media (Twitter link). Hannahs, 26, was recently signed to a second 10-day contract by the team.
  • The Warriors recalled Alen Smailagic from Santa Cruz, announcing the news on social media (Twitter link). The rookie forward has appeared in 13 games with Golden State this season, averaging 4.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and ten minutes per contest.
  • The Jazz assigned Miye Oni to the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the G League. Oni, a Yale product, was drafted with the No. 58 pick last June.
  • The Nets have assigned Rodions Kurucs to their minor league affiliate in Long Island, according to the G League. Kurucs has averaged 4.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game this season, appearing in a total of 33 contests.

Grizzlies Sign Dusty Hannahs To 10-Day Deal

FEBRUARY 21: The Grizzlies have officially signed Hannahs to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through March 1.

FEBRUARY 20: The Grizzlies are bringing back Dusty Hannahs. The guard will ink a 10-day deal with the club, Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.

Hannahs has played for the Memphis Hustle of the G League in each of the past three seasons. He was called up on a 10-day deal with the Grizzlies late last season.

The Arkansas native was averaging 21.2 points per game in his 33 G League contests this season. Hannahs is expected to join the Grizzlies during the team’s current four-game road trip.

No corresponding roster move will be necessary, since Memphis has had an opening on its 15-man squad since releasing Dion Waiters earlier this month.

Grizzlies Sign Ahmad Caver, Waive Dusty Hannahs

A day after signing Dusty Hannahs to an Exhibit 10 contract, the Grizzlies have waived him, replacing him on the roster with free agent guard Ahmad Caver, the club announced today in a press release.

Caver, who went undrafted this spring out of Old Dominion, averaged 16.6 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 4.3 RPG in 35 games (37.6 MPG) during his senior season.

Both Caver and Hannahs appears to be strong candidates to land with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate. The team holds Hannahs’ returning rights and can make Caver an affiliate player after waiving him sometime in the next few days.

Of course, the Grizzlies could theoretically hang onto Caver into the regular season, but that’s extremely unlikely. The club already has a roster crunch, with 15 players on fully guaranteed salaries, plus Bruno Caboclo and Ivan Rabb with partial guarantees.