Magic Sign Ethan Thompson To Two-Way Contract
Osceola Magic guard Ethan Thompson has been promoted from the G League to the NBA, having signed a two-way contract with Orlando, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
Thompson, who went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2021, has played primarily in the G League since then, beginning his professional career with the Windy City Bulls and also spending time with the Mexico City Capitanes before a stint last year with Osos de Manati in Puerto Rico.
Ahead of the 2024/25 season, Thompson signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Magic and spent the preseason with the club before being cut and reporting to Osceola, the Magic’s NBAGL affiliate.
In 30 total appearances in the Tip-Off Tournament and G League regular season, Thompson has averaged 17.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 32.9 minutes, knocking down an impressive 38.2% of 8.2 three-point attempts per game.
Orlando has left its third two-way slot open for the entire season, finally filling it with this move, so no corresponding roster move is required.
Thompson, who will join two-way players Trevelin Queen and Mac McClung, will be eligible to appear in up to 19 NBA regular season games with the Magic for the rest of the season.
Magic Cut Jarrett Culver, Three Others
The Magic have waived four players ahead of the regular season, announcing in a press release that they’ve cut swingman Jarrett Culver, forward Jalen Slawson, and guards Alex Morales and Ethan Thompson (Twitter link).
Culver is the most notable name in the group, given that he’s a former No. 6 overall pick. However, he was out of the league last season, instead spending the year with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League. The former Texas Tech standout averaged 20.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.7 steals in 31.1 minutes per game across 45 outings for the Rockets’ G League team, posting a shooting line of .472/.362/.693.
Of the other three players, only Slawson has any NBA experience. Last year’s No. 54 pick spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with Sacramento, appearing in 12 games for the Kings.
A 6’6″ shooting guard, Morales has played for the Magic’s G League team in each of the past two years while also suiting up for Osos de Manati in Puerto Rico during the NBA offseason.
Thompson, a 6’5″ shooting guard who went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2021, has primarily played in the G League since going pro, spending time with the Windy City Bulls and Mexico City Capitanes. He also played in Puerto Rico for Osos de Manati earlier this year.
While Culver wasn’t eligible for a two-way contract due to his four years of NBA service, the other three were, so it’s notable that all three were waived instead — even after converting Mac McClung to a two-way contract, Orlando still has one two-way spot open. The team may look outside the organization to fill that opening.
Culver, Slawson, Morales, and Thompson will all be eligible for Exhibit 10 bonuses if they report to the Osceola Magic and spend at least 60 days with Orlando’s G League team.
Magic Sign Three Players To Exhibit 10 Contracts
The Magic have maxed out their offseason roster at 21 players by signing free agent guards Mac McClung, Javonte Smart, and Ethan Thompson, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link). All three players received Exhibit 10 contracts, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.
McClung’s deal with the team was previously reported. The 6’2″ guard is the reigning G League MVP and two-time dunk contest champion. In 41 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Osceola Magic last season, he averaged 25.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per contest, with an excellent shooting line of .492/.380/.846.
Smart, a 6’4″ guard, began last season on a two-way contract with Philadelphia but appeared in just one game for the Sixers before being waived in December. He signed with Serbian team Crvena Zvezda in January and finished the season overseas. The 25-year-old also had previous NBA stints with the Bucks and Heat.
Thompson, a 6’5″ shooting guard who went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2021, has primarily played in the G League since going pro, spending time with the Windy City Bulls and Mexico City Capitanes. He also played in Puerto Rico for Osos de Manati earlier this year.
The Exhibit 10 contracts for McClung, Smart, and Thompson would make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they’re waived by Orlando and then spends at least 60 days with the Magic’s G League affiliate (Osceola).
It’s worth noting that Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted to two-way contracts up until October 21 and the Magic are currently only carrying one player (Trevelin Queen) on a two-way contract, leaving two spots available. All three newcomers are two-way eligible, and McClung in particular “seems primed” to earn one of those deals, according to Beede.
Orlando had been carrying 20 players but opened up two additional roster spots earlier today by waiving forwards Tre Scott and Myron Gardner.
G League Moves: Kings, Wizards, Cavs, Jazz, Hawks, More
While the NBA trade market has been quiet since July, NBA G League teams have been active in recent days, swapping returning player rights and draft picks ahead of the 2024/25 season.
A player’s G League returning rights are only valuable in certain situations. If a player is on a standard or two-way contract with an NBA team, those returning rights mean little, since the player will play for his NBA’s team affiliate when he reports to the G League. Even for players not on NBA rosters, returning rights offer no assurances for G League teams — the player could opt to play in Europe, Australia, Asia, or in another non-NBAGL league.
However, most G League trades made at this point in the year are completed with the knowledge that at least one of the players involved in the deal intends to sign an NBAGL contract and report to the team acquiring him. And in some cases, the trades represent the start of a greater opportunity for a player.
For instance, last summer, Trevelin Queen (Osceola Magic) and Alondes Williams (Sioux Falls Skyforce) were among the players who had their returning rights acquired by new teams. Queen and Williams initially signed training camp contracts with the NBA parent clubs (Orlando and Miami), but were eventually promoted to two-way deals and finished the 2023/24 season in the NBA.
Here are some details on the latest trades completed in the G League:
- The Stockton Kings, Capital City Go-Go (Wizards), and Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers) finalized a three-team deal that sent Jules Bernard‘s returning rights to Cleveland, the rights to Dexter Dennis and Justin Powell to Stockton, and NBA veteran Jaylen Nowell to Capital City, per a press release from the Kings. Nowell has reportedly agreed to a camp deal with the Wizards.
- Stockton followed up that deal by reaching a separate agreement with the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz‘s affiliate (press release). The Kings acquired the rights to Jayce Johnson and a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for the rights to Dane Goodwin.
- The College Park Skyhawks, the Hawks‘ G League affiliate, sent the returning rights to Miles Norris and Joel Ayayi to the Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies) in exchange for Michael Devoe‘s rights and the Indiana Mad Ants’ 2025 first-round pick.
- The Skyhawks subsequently flipped that 2025 Mad Ants first-rounder to the San Diego Clippers for Joey Hauser‘s rights (Twitter links). Hauser is reportedly joining the Hawks this fall on an Exhibit 10 deal.
- The Mexico City Capitanes – the G League’s only unaffiliated team – has made a pair of trades. The Capitanes sent Ethan Thompson‘s rights to the Osceola Magic in exchange for the rights to D.J. Wilson and a 2024 first-round pick (Twitter link), then acquired Greg Brown‘s returning rights from the Texas Legends (Mavericks) in exchange for the rights to Phillip Wheeler and a 2025 second-round pick (press release).
NBAGL All-League, Defensive, Rookie Teams Announced
The NBA announced all of the major All-NBA G League teams on Thursday (All Twitter links found here), including the First Team, Second Team, Third Team, All-Defensive Team, and All-Rookie team.
Several current and former NBA players are among the honorees. Here is the full list of winners for the 2023/24 season.
All-NBA G League First Team:
- Mac McClung, G, Osceola Magic (McClung was NBAGL MVP)
- Alondes Williams, G, Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat‘s affiliate) *
- Jason Preston, G, Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz‘s affiliate) *
- Kenneth Lofton, F/C, Salt Lake City Stars ^
- Oscar Tshiebwe, C, Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers‘ affiliate) *
All-NBA G League Second Team:
- Trevelin Queen, G, Osceola Magic *
- Mason Jones, G, Stockton Kings *
- Malcolm Hill, G/F, Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans‘ affiliate) *
- Justin Champagnie, F, Capital City Go-Go (Wizards‘ affiliate) *
- Darius Bazley, F/C, Salt Lake City Stars ^
All-NBA G League Third Team:
- JD Davison, G, Maine Celtics *
- Ethan Thompson, G/F, Mexico City Capitanes
- Adama Sanogo, C, Windy City Bulls *
- Jahmi’us Ramsey, G, Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder‘s affiliate)
- Elfrid Payton, G, Indiana Mad Ants
G League All-Defensive Team:
- Shaquille Harrison, G, South Bay Lakers (Harrison was NBAGL Defensive Player of the Year)
- Kylor Kelley, C, Maine Celtics
- Nate Hinton, G, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets‘ affiliate) *
- Trhae Mitchell, G, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
- Darius Bazley
G League All-Rookie Team:
- Oscar Tshiebwe (Tshiebwe was NBAGL Rookie of the Year)
- Adama Sanogo
- Jordan Miller, G/F, Ontario Clippers *
- Terquavion Smith, G, Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers‘ affiliate) *
- Kendric Davis, G, Santa Cruz Warriors
* Denotes two-way contract
^ Denotes standard contract
NBA G League Announces Up Next Participants
A pool of 28 players has been selected for the NBA G League’s Up Next Game at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, the NBAGL announced in a press release.
According to the release, the event features “four teams of seven players competing in two semifinal games. The winner of each semifinal will face off in a Championship game.
“The teams will be made up of 28 NBA G League players, including 10 selected by a fan vote. The remaining 18 players will be selected by the NBA G League and will include eight members of NBA G League Ignite and at least one member of the Indiana Mad Ants, the G League affiliate of the All-Star hosting Indiana Pacers. Each team will be coached by a head coach from the NBA G League.”
Players marked with an asterisk (*) are on two-way contracts.
Fan vote:
- Emoni Bates (Cleveland Charge)*
- Luka Garza (Iowa Wolves)*
- Ashton Hagans (Rip City Remix)
- Kevon Harris, (Osceola Magic)*
- Javan Johnson (Santa Cruz Warriors)
- Skal Labissiere (Stockton Kings)
- Markquis Nowell (Raptors 905)*
- Trevelin Queen, (Osceola Magic)*
- Quinndary Weatherspoon (South Bay Lakers)
Former Kentucky guard Hagans received the most votes.
NBAGL selections:
- Dominick Barlow (Austin Spurs)*
- Darius Bazley (Delaware Blue Coats)
- JD Davison (Maine Celtics)*
- Collin Gillespie (Grand Rapids Gold)*
- Keyontae Johnson (Oklahoma City Blue)*
- Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Delaware Blue Coats)*
- Jermaine Samuels (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)*
- Cole Swider (Sioux Falls Skyforce)*
- Ethan Thompson (Mexico City Capitanes)
- Oscar Tshiebwe (Indiana Mad Ants)*
- Alondes Williams (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
G League Ignite:
- Izan Almansa
- Matas Buzelis
- Thierry Darlan
- Ron Holland
- London Johnson
- Dink Pate
- Babacar Sane
- Tyler Smith
They aren’t currently on NBA teams, but it’s worth noting that Labissiere and Bazley are ineligible for two-way deals because they each hold four years of NBA experience. Weatherspoon (three years), Hagans (one) and Williams (one) also hold at least some NBA experience.
And-Ones: Nwaba, G. Robinson, Gillespie, Call-Ups
Former NBA wing David Nwaba is signing with the London Lions of the British Basketball League, sources tell Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (Twitter link).
After going undrafted out of Cal Poly in 2016, Nwaba caught on with his hometown Lakers. He also suited up for the Bulls, Cavaliers, Nets and Rockets from 2016-22, last playing for Houston in 2021/22.
The six-year veteran appeared in 237 regular season games during his NBA career, averaging 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game. Known for his strong frame, athleticism and defense, Nwaba has spent most of the past two seasons playing for Detroit’s G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.
The 30-year-old will be heading to Europe for the first time in his career.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports recently spoke to Glenn Robinson III about his NBA comeback attempt after stepping away from basketball for two years. The former second-round pick has been playing with the G League’s Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee’s affiliate) this season, averaging 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 39.1% from three in 12 Showcase Cup games (23.6 minutes). Robinson holds seven years of NBA experience and has been mentoring his young teammates, according to Fischer.
- Nuggets guard Collin Gillespie, who is on a two-way deal, was named the NBA G League’s Player of the Month for December, per Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link). According to Wind, Gillespie averaged 21.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 11.8 assists in six games last month for the Grand Rapids Gold (Denver’s affiliate). The former Villanova Wildcat missed all of last season with a lower left leg fracture.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac takes a look at some NBAGL players who could be candidates for call-ups to the NBA, with Mac McClung, Jason Preston, Ethan Thompson, Darius Bazley and Trey Jemison among the players mentioned.
Bulls Sign, Waive Ethan Thompson
The Bulls have signed and waived shooting guard Ethan Thompson, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.
Thompson was in training camp with Chicago last year, but was waived before the start of the regular season. He spent the season with the G League’s Windy City Bulls, averaging 11.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 34 games, and he appears likely to end up with the team again if he clears waivers.
He signed with the Bulls last summer after going undrafted out of Oregon State.
Chicago has 19 players under contract, one short of the preseason limit.
Bulls Waive Daniel Oturu, Ethan Thompson
The Bulls have waived center Daniel Oturu and shooting guard Ethan Thompson, the team announced today (via Twitter). Both players had been in Chicago on Exhibit 10 contracts.
Oturu, the 33rd overall pick in the 2020 draft, spent his first NBA season with the Clippers, averaging 1.8 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 30 games (5.4 MPG). He was sent to the Grizzlies along with Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo in an August trade, then joined the Bulls after being waived by Memphis.
Thompson, who went undrafted this year, spent his four-year college career with Oregon State, starting all 127 games he played for the team. In 2020/21, he averaged 15.7 PPG to go along with 4.0 RPG and 3.9 APG in 33.6 minutes per contest (33 games). The 22-year-old earned a spot on the All-Pac-12 First Team, then played for the Bulls’ Summer League team in Las Vegas.
With Oturu and Thompson no longer in the mix, the Bulls are carrying 18 players, including one (Devon Dotson) on a two-way deal. The team has 13 players on guaranteed contracts, with Stanley Johnson, Alize Johnson, Tyler Cook, and Matt Thomas vying for the last two spots on the 15-man regular season roster.
Bulls Sign Ethan Thompson To Exhibit 10 Contract
SEPTEMBER 7: Over a month after the deal was officially reported, the Bulls have officially signed Thompson to a non-guaranteed camp deal, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
JULY 30: The Bulls have reached an agreement to sign former Oregon State shooting guard Ethan Thompson to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Thompson, who went undrafted on Thursday night, spent his four-year college career with the Beavers, starting all 127 games he played for the team. In 2020/21, he averaged 15.7 PPG to go along with 4.0 RPG and 3.9 APG in 33.6 minutes per contest (33 games). The 22-year-old earned a spot on the All-Pac-12 First Team.
Exhibit 10 contracts give NBA teams a chance to bring players to training camp and get a look at them without guaranteeing them a regular season roster spot or any real salary. If Thompson ends up playing for the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s G League affiliate, he could earn a $50K bonus due to the Exhibit 10 language in his deal.